Complications

Most of the lights on the first floor were on as I slowed to a stop within the tree line bordering our lawn, peering cautiously out from between the leaves to make sure neither my stepfather nor either of my little brothers had noticed my presence. Bright white light illuminated the living room windows, intermixed with the ultra-violet from the TV, no doubt tuned to whatever sports game Charlie was watching tonight, and the royal blue color of the curtains. My ears inclined toward that room, and I listened briefly to the commentary, humming to myself. Ah, that's right, we were already into the baseball season. 

Smiling silently to myself and shaking my head, my gaze swept the rest of the first-floor windows; those looking into the front hall were dark in the halo created by the front porch light, flickering occasionally with the light from the TV in the living room. The windows that looked in on the front staircase leading to the second floor, the little window of the half bath just off the kitchen, and the window of the upstairs bathroom Henry and Geoffrey shared were each dimly lit thanks to the lights in the upstairs hall. When I skirted along the tree line, mindful not to enter the circle of light from the porch, I noticed Geoffrey's windows aglow from within. 

Both my little brothers had long outgrown the need for nightlights, not even the hall light needed to be on for either of them if they ever needed to make a trip to the kitchen or the bathroom, so I knew Geoffrey was still awake. He usually liked to sit in bed and read by the light of his bedside lamp before he went to sleep. I inwardly cursed as I slipped my phone out to check the time. 

"It's only 7 o'clock? Damn, it feels later than that..." I muttered, furrowing my eyebrows as I stowed my phone back in the pocket of my jeans and glanced back up at the house. I'd hoped it would've been late enough that both Henry and Geoffrey would already be in bed, which would've made it easier to slip into the house unnoticed...if I was quick enough, Charlie wouldn't be able to notice my presence until I 'got in' with Bella. Henry and Geoffrey, however...I wouldn't be surprised if they could already sense I was home. Geoffrey wouldn't give me too much static so long as he knew everything was okay and everyone was safe, but Henry...he was the definition of an annoying little brother at times. I loved the boy to bits, but sometimes he knew just how to get on a person's nerves, especially mine. More than likely he was going to question why I was home without Bella, and I was going to have to bribe him to keep his big fat mouth shut so she and I wouldn't get into trouble with Charlie. Ah, the wonders of having a little brother... 

"Let's hope that baseball game can keep Hen's attention long enough for me to sneak in..." I murmured under my breath, moving carefully around to the back of the house and jumping the back steps onto the enclosed porch. Mindful not to let the door slam shut behind me, I bent my knees and shifted my weight onto my toes to lighten my tread as I approached the double glass doors to peer cautiously inside; the kitchen just on the other side was empty, lit only by the light above the sink. I scooted as far to the right as I could, scanning the area around the island and fridge just to be safe, my ears perking; no gentle hum of the microwave as it heated up food, no shuffle of socks against the linoleum as Henry or Charlie moved around the kitchen. It looked like the coast was clear... 

Keeping my weight mostly on my toes, I bent to pick up a flowerpot sitting upside down on a small table against the wall, slipping the extra key out to unlock the door before returning it to its hiding spot and stepping inside, shoes clutched in one hand. With an eye trained on the entry leading into the front hall, I carefully closed and locked the back door before skirting around the side counter and the island to the pantry. 

I didn't start to relax until I reached the safety and solitude of the attic, (I seriously hope Bella appreciates the effort I put into helping her...) I sigh as I climbed the winding metal staircase to my room, exchanging my shoes for my robe and favorite lavender towel from the wardrobe. 

Nothing felt better than the scolding shower I took that night; I melted under the boiling spray as it rained down from above, my eyes fluttering closed while I bowed my head, letting the water soak my hair and cascade down my back. A groan escaped my lips before I could stop it, feeling the water melt away the stress of the day and ease my muscles into a serene state of relaxation that nearly made my knees buckle. After such a long, harrowing day, I needed this luxury...hell, I wouldn't be surprised if I passed out as soon as my head hit the pillow tonight. I was barely aware of anything aside from the warm water as I washed myself, moving as though my body was on autopilot; before I knew it, I was walking out of the bathroom wrapped in my robe, letting a slow sigh escape my lips as I dried my hair. 

(Hm, that felt amazing...) I hummed, climbing the stairs back up to my room to change into my pjs, which mostly consisted of a purple t-shirt and an old pair of Nightmare Before Christmas pajama pants. Casting a longing look at my bed and wishing desperately I could crawl under the covers, I glanced at the clock as I grabbed my hairbrush from the dresser, (Quarter of eight now...when I left the Cullens', Carlisle said Edward and Bella had already left the restaurant...) I turned to my reflection to brush my hair, (Which means Bella should be home any -) 

The faint squeak of a floorboard in the room below made me tense, brush freezing at the nape of my neck as my ears twisted toward the noise. My eyes darted away from the mirror, and I turned to glance over my shoulder, grateful for the privacy my curtains provided as the thought that it could be Charlie or Henry crossed my mind. Returning the brush to the dresser, I turned slowly to face the curtains, shifting onto my toes and lowering myself into a crouch to cross the room and peer carefully through the break in fabric into the main room. I sighed in relief upon seeing who it was. 

"Thanks for the panic attack, Bells." I joked as I pushed past the curtains to drop down to the attic floor, where I straightened from my crouch while she paused, "Have fun on your date?" 

Her cheeks darkened, although there was a smile tugging at the corners of her lips; her eyes seemed warmer than before, like someone had reignited the fire that had been extinguished when she'd moved here...but it was a bit different now, too, it was brighter, more vibrant, like she'd just seen the sunrise for the very first time. The sight of it made me smile to myself as I crossed the attic to meet her. 

"Judging by that look on your face, I'd say it went very well." I chuckled, feeling a lot more relaxed than I had been earlier, which made it easier to tease and joke around. "I'm glad to see our run in with that demon in Port Angeles didn't have too big an impact. Although, you are looking kinda tired." I studied her face more closely now; while she seemed full and healthy, not to mention she was now practically glowing after her evening with Edward, underneath, I could sense what had happened had taken its toll, even if just a little bit. "Maybe you should go take a shower and head on up to bed, I was just finishing getting ready to sack out myself. Did Charlie notice I wasn't with you?" 

"No, thankfully not...I did walk into the living room to talk to him, said you came right up here since you were tired." I sighed in relief, glad to know Bella had been saved from an interrogation. Bella seemed just as relieved, knowing he would've wanted to know if anything had happened and who she'd been with, something I knew she'd much rather avoid, at least until she knew exactly what was going on between her and Edward herself. I turned back toward my room, figuring that would be the end of the conversation and ready to tell Bella the bathroom was free and that I'd see her in the morning when she caught my arm. I stopped, turning back with a quirked brow while her eyes scanned my body before meeting my gaze, "What happened back there? Were you hurt?" 

A bemused smile tugged at the corners of my lips as I mentally kicked myself; of course, Bella would've wanted to make sure I was okay, she was the type to always worry about someone else, especially someone in her own family, even if she was the one who'd been in danger. 

"Do I look hurt, Bells?" I chuckled, gently pulling away to turn fully to face her and stretch my arms out wide, "But if it makes you feel better, look, I'm all in one piece. That demon didn't land a single scratch on me. Not like he could anyway." I let my arms drop back to my sides, watching as Bella pressed her lips into a tight line, her eyes narrowing at my dismissal of just how dangerous the situation had been. I met her gaze with an easy smile, holding my hands up, "Easy there, sis, I'm okay. In all honesty, that demon wasn't even all that strong. Hell, one of the twins likely could've taken him down without breaking a sweat. He's being taken care of as we speak. Mama's all over it." 

"Elizabeth is?" Bella's eyebrows pulled together as I headed for the kitchenette to grab a water bottle from the fridge, "So, you didn't...?" 

"Kill him?" I took a long sip of water, humming as the cool drink soothed my parched tongue and throat, "Trust me, I wanted to, but no...turns out he's a wanted rapist and serial killer with warrants for his arrest in Texas and Oklahoma. Mama has some contacts in high status offices throughout the country who've agreed to take him into custody. Now neither we nor any other woman has to worry about that sick bastard prowling the streets." Leaning against the counter, I blew a loose strand of hair out of my face and watched Bella, who was nodding slowly, "But anyway, enough about me and that ass. How'd things go with Edward? Did you guys talk things out?" 

Her eyes darted away from mine, the red returning to her cheeks, "Yeah, we did..." 

A beat of silence hung between us as I waited for her to continue, raising my eyebrows expectantly, "Aaaaand...?" 

Her blush deepened and she tugged absentmindedly at the bottom of her blouse, "We're going to talk more tomorrow...and Saturday." 

"So, it's a date Saturday?" I hid a smirk behind my water bottle, watching as she stiffened and turned to glare at me once more. I chuckled and pushed off the counter, striding back toward my room, "All right, all right, I'm done teasing. It's been a long night anyway and you still need to take a shower before bed. We wouldn't want to keep your vampire boy waiting tomorrow, would we?" 

"Dawn!" Bella squeaked; I laughed to myself at the sound, flicking an ear in amusement as one of the couch cushions hit the double doors leading out onto our enclosed porch, "Nice aim, Bells." I snickered, grabbing the cushion from the floor and tossing it onto one of the bean bag chairs in the reading area before I started to climb the stairs back to my room. I heard her grumble something under her breath, biting my lip to keep from laughing aloud when I caught the words 'annoying half demon' while she stomped toward her room. "You know you love me!" I chirped cheerfully, grinning after her as she threw her hands up in exasperation. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

To say the rest of the week was stressful would be a major understatement; things were going well for Bella and Edward, of course. He started by picking her up in the mornings, spending as much time as he could with her during school, including during lunch, and even drove her home, where they would sit in his car in front of the house talking for hours. Or, you know, until Charlie got back from work. Edward knew mama wouldn't say anything until Bella was ready to introduce him, so he didn't think it necessary to rush off if she got home before Charlie. As for the twins, well, Geoffrey wasn't really the type to pry and usually kept his option to himself; Henry, however...the first day Edward brought Bella home, I had to practically drag him into the house, so he'd leave the two alone. He, of course, wanted to know what was going on between them and if our parents knew. I explained the best I could and had to promise I'd give him half of whatever I caught on my next hunting trip to make sure he kept it to himself. It was a short negotiation; he didn't modify the bribe much, just asked for a couple extra rabbits and the pick of deer I caught. I found no reason to say no and we shook on it. 

Unfortunately, though, it was not such smooth sailing at school or the Cullen house as it was at ours; everyone at school was, naturally, stunned at the turn of events that came along with Bella and Edward's relationship. I already knew Jessica would have drilled Bella for details during their Trig class; Jessica wouldn't miss the chance to find out everything she could about them, particularly since they were the hottest gossip at school right now. Although, knowing Bella like I did, I wouldn't be surprised if she'd found a way to distract Jessica from the topic of her love life, most likely by bringing up the other girl's own relationship. No easier way to distract a teenager than by bringing up the object of their affection. And speaking of Mikey boy...I had no doubt he'd brought his objections to Bella and Edward's relationship up to my sister already...even though he had no chance with Bella, it was obvious he was still pining after her. It just felt so scummy to me how he tried to insert himself into their relationship when he had his own with Jessica...honestly, it was people like Mike that made so few of my human classmates tolerable nowadays... 

Angela Weber was one such classmate; rather than getting wrapped up in silly rumors and gossip, I was grateful she seemed far more concerned with knowing everyone was safe and happy. When I saw her in the parking lot the morning after our trip to Port Angeles, she came over straight away to ask if I was okay and figure out what had happened. I reassured her I was fine, inwardly grateful for her concern, but guilty that I couldn't tell her the truth, knowing she was one of the few humans I felt I could trust in this school. I composed a half truth, telling her Bella and I had had a run in with a couple of thugs that Edward had helped us fight off; she looked terrified at the thought of what could have happened to us, but I reassured her the men had been taken care of and were now in custody, which is why I'd had to stay behind, to talk to the police and file a report. The genuine relief in her eyes at knowing we were all okay was almost tangible and I took the opportunity to change the topic, feeling I'd taken enough of the spotlight, and talk about what was going on with her while we walked to class. She didn't say much, just talked about things with her family, detailing a trip to the beach she was planning for her own younger twin brothers, Joshua and Issac, still only in elementary school. I smiled to myself as I listened to her talk about the trip, sensing the soft edge to her voice at the thought of how excited the boys would be. I could understand that anticipation, remembering the beach trips I helped mama and Charlie plan during the warmer weather for Henry and Geoffrey when we were kids. Damn, we haven't had a family trip like that in a while...maybe I should talk to mama and Charlie about arranging one for this coming summer... 

But something like that was one to be put on the back burner for now...especially with how strained things were within the Cullen clan. Of course, Alice was still on board with the idea of Edward being with Bella, anxious for the day when he would introduce her to the family, or when she could become friends with my sister. 

The others, meanwhile, were not quite as supportive... 

Emmett still couldn't understand Edward's fascination with Bella but had no objections to their relationship. It did come as a shock, though, when Alice told them the day after Port Angeles that Bella now knew about the supernatural world, about my family's secret, and theirs'. 

Jasper was less than thrilled with this revelation, but kept his opinions to himself, even though the unease and uncertainty remained in his eyes as he glanced across the cafeteria at the couple. Alice nudged him with her elbow, pursing her lips into a thin line as a silent way of telling him to leave them be; his jaw flexed, but he dropped his gaze to his tray, crushing his cookie under the table. 

I sipped my water silently, eyeing Rosalie out of the corner of my eye; under her careful facade, I could tell she was livid. Even with Emmett's arm wrapped around her shoulders, inconspicuously pinning her to his side, she sat rigidly, still as a statue, her back straight and fists clenched in her lap, as though she was ready for a fight. The only thing that looked alive on her face were her eyes; they had darkened since her last hunting trip, moving from a brilliant amber to a darker ochre around the pupil while the outer ring of her iris blazed intermixing shades of orange and yellow, like the unforgiving fires of hell. They were fixed on Bella and Edward, shooting flaming daggers that were meant to harm, maybe even kill. I cringed to think what she must be mentally screaming at Edward now. 

Shaking my head, I glanced down at my tray and took a bite of pizza, chewing slowly while I thought over my plans for that coming weekend when a shift in Alice's mood caught my attention. I peered at the petite vampire, but she didn't turn my way, her gaze fixated on Edward, her eyes wide, terrified, while her mouth set in horror. I immediately stiffened, recognizing the somewhat distant look in her eyes. 

"Alice, what is it?" I whispered, furrowing my brows and wondering what she could have seen, "Alice." I grabbed her arm when she didn't acknowledge my question, tugging gently until her gaze finally met mine, "What is it? What's going to happen?" 

"They're changing their plans for Saturday...it's going to be sunny on both sides of the sound...they won't go to Seattle." Alice whispered in a detached voice, her gaze still far off, "Edward's going to take Bella to his special place, just the two of them." 

"The meadow?" I'd been there a few times; it was a beautiful spot high up in the mountains that bloomed with wildflowers each spring, far enough from human civilization that Edward could be completely alone, physically and mentally. He was planning to take her up there, just the two of them? Worry flitted through my mind at the thought, worry for my sister's safety, bringing that protective instinct roaring to the surface, warning against letting her go off with a predator on her own, but another voice rose above the din, the voice of logic and reason. Where was my faith in Edward from earlier? The belief that he would be strong enough to fight against his own vampiric instincts while he was with Bella? A third of his family was already unsupportive and making things much more difficult than they should be. He needed the support of a friend now more than ever, especially one who just so happens to be related to the women he was falling in love with. It'd be contradictory to take my support back now. 

"Hey Alice, it's gonna be okay." I put a hand over hers' and smiled reassuringly when she seemed to finally focus on my face. "You and I both know Edward is strong enough for this, he'll bring Bella home in one piece. I'm sure of it and I know you are, too." 

A crease formed between her eyebrows as she searched my face, looking for any uncertainty, any waver in my confidence, before she sighed and nodded, "Yeah...yeah, it'll be fine...Bella will be fine." 

I smiled, relieved at the confidence I could hear in her voice as she spoke, and I knew for certain she believed it just as much as I did. The vision she'd seen, the one of Edward killing Bella, my instinct was telling me, was one that would quickly fade. If Edward didn't have the strength not to hurt Bella when they were alone, she would already be dead. He'd had plenty of opportunities between last night and today. He could keep her alive, I was certain of it, Alice was certain of it. Carlisle and Esme were certain of it. 

Rosalie, Jasper, and Emmett, however...they were not quite so confident...well, Jasper and Rosalie were still angry over the entire situation, so...I don't really think confidence in their brother was even on their radar at the moment, and I knew it was likely to be a bad evening at the Cullen house. I asked Alice if I should come over after school as we left the cafeteria; she grimaced at the thought of what lay ahead but pointed out it would probably be best if I kept my distance for now...although Rosalie's ire was mostly directed at Edward, her fuse was short enough as is without anyone else making the situation worse, especially someone related to or even remotely close to Bella. I reluctantly conceded to her suggestion, although a voice in the back of mind still warned that things were not going to end well regardless. 

Alice would confirm my suspicions the following day when she recounted how Rosalie had mentally tortured Edward with images of him slaughtering Bella and draining her of blood. I bristled at the idea of the sick pleasure she would have derived from such an act, lording such a disgusting and unpleasant image over her brother when he was trying so hard to fight his instincts and enjoy the gift he so rightly deserved, after being denied it for so long. I swear if we hadn't been in school, I would've grabbed her by that pretty blond hair and punched her so hard her head would have spun. And, as much as I would have liked heading straight to the Cullen house after school to teach that spiteful witch a lesson, from what Alice would later tell me at the end of lunch, I had a more important, impromptu meeting at home that night. When I asked what she meant, she smiled bemusedly. 

"Your boyfriend and his dad will be arriving at your house around the time Charlie gets home. They'll see Edward before he can leave and Billy will likely try to 'warn' Bella about us...I can't see much, so I don't know if you, Elizabeth, and the boys will be there...if he says anything to you or your parents, just be mindful about that. I know Bella isn't ready for Charlie to know about Edward just yet." 

"At this point, I don't know if Bella will ever be ready to introduce Edward to our parents." I sighed, shaking my head as we walked out into the drizzle, "You'd think she was committing a crime with how she acts about all this." 

Alice's musical laughter filled the damp air, "Maybe she is, Charlie is a police officer, after all." 

It was my turn to laugh, "Yeah, but in this case, Edward would be the one taken downtown, not Bella." I chuckled, smiling gratefully at my best friend, grateful for the momentary distraction, "Anyway, we should get to class. Thanks for the warning, Alice, I'll be sure to be careful when Uncle Billy and Jacob pop up." She squeezed my arm, smiling in understanding, "Good luck, Dawn. I hope things go smoothly." Squeezing her hand in mine, I nodded, "So do I. I'll talk to you tomorrow, okay? I hope tonight will be better than last night for you guys." 

"You and me both..." Alice muttered under her breath as I headed for the science building; I sighed, sending up a silent prayer that Rosalie didn't pull the same shit as she had the night before. I wanted so badly to be at the Cullen house to call the blond out on her selfish behavior, but right now I needed to focus on what was going on at home...make sure Uncle Billy didn't call the Cullens out unfairly. 

A part of me was thrilled at the thought of seeing my uncle and best friend again...it'd been a long time since they came for a visit, and it would give me the opportunity to talk to Jacob about sleeping over that weekend...yeah, it was going to be a pain trying to maintain peace if Uncle Billy did bring up the Cullens, but I was looking forward to spending time with him and Jacob regardless...it was just difficult staying in a good mood with how the visit ultimately turned out... 

Just as Alice predicted, I heard an unfamiliar car pulling up to the garage a few minutes before the gravel crunched under the tires of Charlie's cruiser as I helped mama make dinner. She glanced at me, already abreast of the situation as Charlie, Uncle Billy, and Jacob's voices approached the house; turning off the stove and setting the food aside, we walked out into the hall to greet our guests as the front doors opened. Bella quickly kicked off her shoes and set them in the rack against the wall before making room for Charlie and Jacob so they could help Uncle Billy inside. 

"Hey Billy, Jacob." Mama smiled as she hugged each of them, "This is a surprise, we weren't expecting a visit." 

"Looks like Jacob drove them down from La Push in a borrowed car." Charlie chuckled as he hung up his and Billy's coats; Mama cocked her head as she turned her attention to the young man, her brows quirked, "Oh really now? Not illegally, I hope?" 

"Nah, we get our permits early on the rez. So long as I have a licensed driver in the car with me, I can come and bug Dawn anytime I want." He smirked at me; I wrinkled my nose playfully in return before laughing heartily. Mama giggled, "I'm sure she wouldn't mind that." 

My ears burned, but I tried to keep my composure as I turned back to Jacob and Billy, "So, what brings you two 'round here?" 

"Well, it's been a while since we've visited." Uncle Billy's smile was faint as he held his arms out toward me; I chuckled and complied with his silent request, wrapping my arms around him and pressing a kiss to his forehead, "I hope it isn't a bad time?" He squeezed my waist, meeting my gaze for a split second before his eyes darted to mama, then Bella. I met mama's eye silently before glancing at Bella, who pressed her lips into a thin line. 

"No, this is great." Charlie beamed as he finished hanging up his gear, "Think you could stay for the game?" 

"I think that was the plan." Jacob chuckled, "Our TV broke last week." 

Uncle Billy pursed his lips, quirking a brow challengingly, "Hm...and naturally, Jacob wanted to see Dawn and Bella again." A corner of his mouth quirked into a smile as Jacob scowled, his cheeks pink while he ducked his head. Bella frowned, worrying her bottom lip with her teeth. 

"Well, you're both welcome regardless." Mama chuckled, "Are either of you hungry? Dawn and I were just making grilled cheese and homemade tomato soup." 

"No thank you, Aunt Liz, we ate before we came over." Jacob smiled gratefully as Bella headed toward the kitchen while Charlie rolled Uncle Billy toward the living room. 

"What about you, sweetie?" Mama called after Charlie as I followed Bella; Jacob was not far behind as I moved around the island to finish mushing up the tomatoes and add some spices while Bella took up the skillet to grill our sandwiches. 

"Oh Jake," I glanced up as he grabbed some plates from the cabinet at Bella's request, "I keep forgetting to call, but I got some time off this weekend. So, if you wanted to come and sleep over, you could. See if you can't catch up with me in Super Mario; I'm just a few stars away from getting to the final level ~" 

Jacob narrowed his eyes playfully at me, getting ready to retort when his expression suddenly fell and he sighed; the smile slipped from my face, "What? What's wrong?" 

"Dad and I're gonna be busy this weekend...we gotta go to the store and run a bunch of errands. It's a lot easier now that I have my permit, and that's just Saturday. Sunday we're going to hang out at the Clearwaters." He sighed heavily, his eyebrows pulling together; I frowned at the news, my heart sinking...okay, not the typical kind of reaction I had whenever Jacob couldn't hang out. Usually, it would just roll off my back, but now it felt like a gut punch. What the hell? "Sorry, D..." 

I had to force myself to smile in reply to the sad, puppy dog look on Jacob's face, pushing the confusing feelings far into the back of my mind to be dealt with later, "Hey, don't worry about it, Jake, I understand, it happens. I'm sure we'll get another chance to hang out." 

Jacob smiled quietly and nodded; silence descended on the kitchen, though it was short lived as I put the pan of tomato soup on the stove to heat. He slowly cleared his throat, turning to Bella. 

"So, uh, Bella...how're things?" 

"They're good." She took the plates from Jacob and smiled, obviously relaxed by his upbeat personality, "How about with you? Did you finish your car yet?" 

"No, not yet." Jacob sighed, shaking his head, "I'm still missing a few parts. I've got most of the bigger ones now, thanks to Dawn." He beamed at me. I chuckled and winked, "Just don't forget our deal, Jake." 

"Yeah, yeah." He made a face at me, and I stuck my tongue out in return; Bella had to purse her lips to keep from laughing at our antics. 

"Keep the flirting to a minimum in here, kids." Mama teased as she passed us to grab the dinner trays from the pantry. My ears burned again, and I growled after her as Bella ducked her head and Jacob laughed. 

"Oh, Bella." Jacob turned back to her as his laughter subsided, "How's your truck running? Everything good?" 

"Yeah, it is. Why?" Bella cocked her head. 

"I just wanted to be sure. I noticed you weren't driving it tonight." 

Bella lowered her gaze to the pan to check on the grilled cheese, "A friend from school offered me a ride." 

"Well, it was a nice one." Jacob hummed, staring off into space dreamily, "Though, I didn't recognize the driver...and I thought I knew most of the kids in Forks." Bella shrugged without taking her eyes off the pan as she flipped the sandwiches, "I think my dad might know him from somewhere, though..." 

"Hm, he probably did." I hummed, stirring the soup, "It was one of the Cullens. Remember the one I was telling you about, the one who helped during that accident at our school?" 

"Edward?" Jacob cocked his head cutely and I nodded, enjoying the sound of his laughter, even as an embarrassed blush rose to his cheeks, "Well, I guess that explains why my dad was acting so strangely..." 

"Yeah..." Bella muttered, trying to appear innocently unaware of the reason for Uncle Billy's animosity. "He doesn't like the Cullens much, does he?" 

"Yeah...superstitious old man..." Jacob sighed. 

"You don't think he'd say anything to Charlie...do you?" Bella glanced up then, her voice a low rush. Jacob quirked a brow, as though surprised she'd even ask. I chuckled. 

"Trust me, Bells, he won't." I smiled reassuringly as she turned to me, "Charlie gave Uncle Billy a good chewing out last time for talking bad about the Cullens. They haven't talked much since, which is why his and Jacob's visit tonight is such a surprise. I highly doubt Uncle Billy will want to open old wounds after that." 

Bella nodded slowly in understanding and dropped her gaze once more, trying to appear indifferent, though I caught the flash of relief in her eyes. Jacob picked up the conversation then and spent most of the evening trying to keep Bella's attention while she listened to Charlie and Uncle Billy talk. I sat on the windowsill, listening as I ate, piping up once or twice in hopes of regaining Jacob's attention, only to be ignored as he continued to chatter away at Bella. At one point, I tried to invite Jacob upstairs to play video games after dinner, but I might as well have said nothing as he gave a half-hearted 'maybe later' and returned his full attention to my stepsister. It was at that point I gave up and sulked at the bay window, glaring out at the dark trees as though they'd done me some personal injustice. 

It wasn't like any of this came as too big a surprise...this kind of thing had happened when we were kids, too...whenever Bella visited, it was like she became the only person in the universe to Jacob, which meant he spent all his time and energy doing whatever he could to get her attention. During times like these, nothing could tear him away from her...probably not even an atomic bomb...and even now, after having seen it happen dozens of times, the sight still pissed me off to no end...Tonight, however, felt...different. I wasn't just irritated with the situation, like I had been in the past. This mood felt darker, more powerful, from a place deep in my belly it was clawing to get out of. To claim what was rightfully it's. I glanced at Bella and Jacob out of the corner of my eye, watching the rapture in Jacob's eyes as he tried desperately to get Bella's attention, and my chest tightened. My inner wolf uncoiled, baring its teeth and growling out a single word that brought me up short. 

Mine! 

Did I really just call Jacob mine...? What the hell was happening to me? Okay, maybe I could attribute the mine when referring to Jacob as my best friend, but that was it. We were friends. It wasn't like he was my boyfriend or mate or anything. And there was no possible way I could want Jacob like that...could I? No...no there was absolutely no way, right? He was my best friend, and that was it...when I was thinking mine, that was what I was referring to. My irritation was understandable, too...I didn't want to see him get hurt, especially knowing he was pining after a woman that was already spoken for. That was all. 

Needless to say, even with all that in mind, I was not in the best of moods by the end of the evening. In fact, as soon as Uncle Billy and Jacob left, I escaped upstairs to my room without giving Charlie or mama the chance to ask if I was all right. Neither they nor Bella bothered me that night; I was grateful for the privacy, but a part of me ached for someone to turn to, to talk out these feelings. But by the time I thought of asking mama for advice, it was already 2:30 AM and I really didn't want to bother her or Charlie. So, I spent the wee hours of the morning leading up to school in a torturous whirlwind of memory and thoughts that revolved mostly around the events of the Blacks' visit. A whirlwind that persisted throughout most of the following day, leaving me in something of a fog during school. 

Or, at least until, you know, Alice needed my attention. Something she knew how to get even when I was off in my own world. 

"Dawn." Her small hand caught my arm and pulled me to a halt just outside the cafeteria; I stumbled, jerked back from my thoughts as I turned to her. She eyed me critically as I met her gaze, searching my eyes as though to be sure she actually had my attention, "Thank God, you're finally back, I thought we'd lost you for good. What part of space have you been in?" 

"The deep part." I quipped, turning fully to face her while students moved around us into the warm building, "Really, I hadn't noticed." She grinned in reply to my glare, "What is it, Alice?" 

"Just want to be sure you remember Edward and I have our hunting trip tonight. He wants to be sure Bella has a ride home this afternoon." 

"Oh yeah, I'm gonna let my sister walk home in the rain." I snorted, shoving my hands in my pockets, "Bella always has a ride when she needs one; I'll get her home safe and sound. You just make sure Edward doesn't make himself sick tonight." 

"I'll do my best, but I can't make any promises. You know how Edward is." Alice giggled; I smiled silently to myself and shook my head, bemused, as we headed into the cafeteria, letting my mind drift once more. The rest of the day passed uneventfully after that, with the only real change being Alice and Edward's absence; Bella and I headed for Biology, where we finished the movie, we'd been watching the last couple of days and moved onto the next subject on the class agenda. I didn't really pay attention, just alternated between doodling on the margins of my worksheets and staring off into space; by the end of class, I realized I'd written Jacob's name and initials several times on my papers and hastily scrubbed them out with my eraser before handing it in to Mr. Banner on the way out. I walked Bella to her final class, telling her I'd give her a ride home today and told her where to meet me after the final bell as we reached the gym. She smiled, grateful, and headed inside to change. 

It was a relief to leave the school grounds that afternoon, and I purposefully busied myself around the house as soon as we arrived home; by the time Bella had dinner ready, I'd finished all my homework, including assignments that weren't due for another two weeks, cleaned my room, organized the calendar I kept hung above my desk, and wrote out a list of chores for myself for tomorrow while Bella was on her date with Edward. 

Dinner was quiet since it was just Charlie, Geoffrey, Bella, and I; Henry was spending the weekend over a friend's and mama was working until midnight tonight. The only sound that could be heard was our silverware clinking faintly against the plates as we ate; Geoffrey was off in his own world, likely thinking about school or something of the like, while Charlie probably had work related issues or a previous game on his mind. Or, you know, maybe he was just enjoying his dinner. 

"Hey, dad..." Bella cleared her throat, breaking the silence; Charlie looked up from his plate. 

"What's up, Bells?" he asked, taking a bite of food. 

"I've been thinking about what you said about Seattle." 

Charlie quirked a brow and swallowed, "I thought we'd already sorted that out. Wasn't Dawn going with you?" 

"Yeah, but we talked about that and the two of us thought it'd be better if we went with a group, rather than just the two of us." She glanced at me out of the corner of her eye, pleading, "And, since tomorrow's the dance, we thought it'd be best to wait for another weekend, when Jessica and Angela aren't busy." 

"Ah." Charlie hummed, surprised, as he looked between the two of us, "Well, all right. Will the two of you be okay here by yourselves? I could cancel my plans." 

"You don't have to do that, dad." I spoke up in Bella's stead, smiling reassuringly when he turned to me, "Tomorrow's mama's day off, so Bella and I figured we'd let her relax and take care of some chores around the house. You know, take care of the laundry, go get the groceries, stuff like that. We're gonna be busy running in and out all day, so you should go and have fun." 

"You sure?" He furrowed his brows as Bella and I nodded together. 

"Absolutely. Besides, we're running dangerously low on fish..." Bella joked. 

"Yeah, we down to, what, a two, three years' supply now?" I chuckled, gathering my dishes together and carrying them out to the kitchen; Charlie chuckled behind me, commenting about how easy Bella and I were to live with. Bella laughed softly, returning the sentiment; her voice was a tad off tonight, uneasy, which, thankfully, Charlie didn't seem to notice. I could understand her discomfort, though I knew she was grateful for my cooperation that night when she'd told him about our change in plans. Gratitude, I was more than a little surprised, she expressed as we were folding clothes downstairs in the laundry room a little later that evening. I chuckled as I moved a second load of her clothes into the dryer and filled the washer with mine. 

"Sisters are supposed to look out for each other, aren't they?" I smiled, rejoining her at the counter. 

"Yeah, but still...I know you like lying about as much as I do..." 

"Hm, true, but I also know you're not ready to bring Edward to meet Charlie yet and I wasn't gonna force you to do something you don't want to. Especially since you two are still figuring things out." 

"Hm..." Bella hummed thoughtfully, watching her hands as she worked. I recognized the absent-minded tone of her voice and knew she was thinking about Edward and how things were going to go tomorrow. I had no doubt she was wondering if things would work out, if her relationship would be able to progress. Even though they hadn't been together long, it was obvious they were becoming important parts of each other's lives. 

"You nervous? About tomorrow, I mean." 

"Just...wondering how it's going to go, really..." Bella murmured under her breath, frowning to herself, "Do...you have any advice? Anything I should or shouldn't do?" 

"Well, the obvious thing would be to be careful when you're with him; don't trip and cut yourself. Well...don't bleed in general. Fresh blood complicates things, especially when it's extremely appealing to us." I stacked the clothes I'd folded into her laundry basket, "Other than that, the best advice I can give you is to just be yourself. Edward's already head-over-heels for you, so he can only fall deeper in love from this point on." 

Bella was red as a tomato by the time I straightened, her lips pursed as she set her clothes in the basket, too, and gathered it up in her arms before leading the way out of the laundry room. I followed her out, clicking off the lights and closing the doors behind us before we headed upstairs. I watched her ascend the basement steps, humming thoughtfully. 

"Bella, you're not scared, are you?" 

"Scared?" She glanced over her shoulder with a frown, "No, not particularly, more...anxious...I don't like being away from Edward long, but...I guess I'm still waiting to wake up and realize this was all nothing more than a dream..." 

I smiled in understanding as we climbed the stairs into the attic, "Do you want me to pinch you, so you know it's all real?" 

"I'm almost tempted to take you up on that offer..." She sighed, "But, I think I'm good...for now." 

"Good." I chuckled, "Just remember you can trust Edward, okay? He's stronger than he lets on. If he wasn't, things would've already ended badly." She paused at the bottom of the stairs leading up to her room, glancing at me again with quirked brows, which I answered with a soft smile, "Trust me on that, Bells. I've known Edward only a few short years, but I know he's stronger than he believes he is. His love for you is genuine enough that it can overpower his lust for your blood. I'm confident in that." 

There was a beat of silence as she examined my face, her eyebrows creasing as she searched for any doubt in my expression, in my eyes, anything that could contradict my words. When she found none, she finally spoke, "How?" 

My smile was still soft, reassuring, "Probably because you're the first person who's ever been able to garner such a strong, visceral response in Edward, like neither I nor his family has ever seen. His non-beating heart is yours now, Bella. Be sure to take good care of it, will you? It's had to wait a long time for this." 

Her cheeks flushed red again and she glanced away, shuffling her feet self-consciously, "I'll do what I can." She murmured, playing with the ends of her hair as she started upstairs. I chuckled to myself, shaking my head as I watched her go until she disappeared through her trapdoor. 

"Good luck, Bells." Stuffing my hands in the pockets of my jeans, I headed for my own room, stifling a yawn, "I wish the two of you nothing but happiness."