Chapter 10: The Pack

Chapter 10: The Pack
The next week passed fairly uneventfully. I spent most evenings either at the Cullen’s or Bella’s house. We mostly just talked, getting to know each other better; or rather, them getting to know me.

It was hard for me, watching them, knowing that this relatively carefree atmosphere couldn’t last; and yet I could do nothing. I could only do as I had been doing, and watch. But I didn’t think this way often. I was generally distracted by the goings on around me. I was making other friends too, people I didn’t even know about. There seemed to be crowds around me everywhere I went, asking questions almost faster than I could answer, only deterred at lunch time when Alice and Edward’s presence made them uncomfortable. This allowed me time to get to know Angela and Ben, and I was soon joking and chatting with them like we were old friends. Mike continued to help me with my Spanish, and even joined us in the cafeteria once or twice.

The subject of the dance came up almost immediately. On Monday, Alice arrived at our table with an enormous grin on her face, proudly announcing that she had been put in charge of the organisation of the spring dance on Saturday night. She, Angela and I fell into discussions of dresses, shoes, hair and make up right away. I did, however, catch Bella’s trademark grimace at the thought of dancing, and the ‘please-don’t-make-me-do-this’ look she threw Edward. I wasn’t interested enough to watch his response.

On Tuesday, I was at the Cullen’s after school, and Alice convinced me to have another go on the piano. I was nervous, because Edward was there; but I sucked it up and managed to get through a fairly simple arrangement of Für Elise from memory with minimal mistakes.

I had just finished when my phone rang, the sound so unexpected that it made all of us jump. I dug it out of my bag and answered without bothering to check the caller ID.

“Hello?”

“Hey Becky Boo.”

“Alex!”

I was ecstatic to speak to Alex. We hadn’t had any contact in all the time I had been away, and just hearing his voice was heavenly.

“Becky Boo,” Emmett snorted. I rolled my eyes and smacked him round the head.

“One sec Lexi... Emmett, if you’re going to make fun of me, at least do it when you’re not within my reach.”

“Something up?” Alex asked.

“No, Emmett’s just being an ass, but what else is new.”

He laughed with me. Emmett pouted.

“Love you really Em,” I called over my shoulder as I stepped into the kitchen for some semblance of privacy.

“How are you?” I asked as soon as I was alone.

“Bored, frustrated, and thoroughly pissed.” He answered with a huff.

“Aww, poor baby,” I cooed. “What’s up?”

“Dad got a new girlfriend.”

“Is that a problem?”

“Not really, but... it’s just... Samantha isn’t exactly...what you’d expect...for Dad.”

“Why? What is she like?”

“Well, she’s... she’s nice, in her way. She’s only 25, and she’s already semi retired.”

“What?” I giggled.

I could hear him smiling. “It’s true. She’s an ex-Playboy centre-fold with a part time modelling career still going. She’s your typical California girl – blond hair, blue eyes, glaringly obvious breast augmentation...” He laughed. “Seriously, those things are like watermelons. I’m talking Katie Price huge”

I smiled too. His mood and my mood were directly linked.

“Look Lex, I understand it’s difficult to accept someone new in your dad’s life, especially someone you don’t approve of. But as long as he’s happy, that’s what matters. It’s not your decision to make. Okay?”

Alex sighed. “Yeah Becks, I get it. Think I’m gonna be the same with our kids? I probably won’t think anyone is good enough for them.”

I smiled sadly. “Maybe.”

There was silence for a moment. I could just imagine Alex digesting what he had said to try and find the cause of my sadness. He knew me so well, I had no doubt that he could hear it. I imagined I could even hear the click as his brain worked it out.

“Oh God Becky, I’m sorry. I didn't mean to make you upset.”

I had to giggle. He sounded so funny as he rapidly backtracked. “It's okay Alex, I don't mind. It's just kind of depressing, you know? Thinking about something that will never happen.”

“Becky, you can't think like that. You're so much stronger than the others, I just know you're going to be fine. Please sweetheart, don't be sad.”

I smiled. He always knew just what to say to make me feel better, but on this particular topic, I was a lost cause. I couldn't shake the feeling that my Mistake was on it's way; inevitable, like a hurricane following its course to the end. The end of everything.

“Don't you ever imagine it at all?” Alex asked in a whisper, bringing me back to reality. “Being grown up, living in the big house, surrounded by kids.”

I sighed; it was a lovely picture he painted, and everything I could ever want. “Tell me more.” I begged.

He chuckled. “All right. Try this. Imagine it's twenty years from now. We're married, we're happy. My grandparents have given us the house. Maybe they still live there, maybe they've moved out, you choose.”

I considered for a moment. “They're living with us. Their health is starting to decline, but we take care of them.”

“Perfect. Alright, we take care of them. And there's kids, tons of kids. Six or maybe seven, all girls. A whole crowd of little Beckys.”

I laughed. “That's your dream? It sounds like a nightmare to me.”

He chuckled quietly. “I think it's perfect. That's what I imagine for us, our life.”

I hummed. “It does sound nice.”

Alex sighed heavily. “God Becks, I miss you so much. Tell me you'll be home soon,” he almost begged.

“Well, it's Tuesday here, and I come back on Sunday. That help?”

“Now I feel selfish. It's Wednesday here; I don't have to wait as long as you do.”

I giggled. “Don't worry baby, it's not so bad. There's a dance on Saturday night, that should distract me.”

“Oh really? Got a date yet?” he joked.

“Not yet, but I think Mike might be planning to ask me. He seems kind of interested.”

“Doesn't he have a crush on Bella?”

I smiled. “Yep. But you know what boys are like. Always changing their minds.”

He was suddenly serious. “Not me. I'll never change my mind about you.”

“Me either.”

“Wish I could go to the dance with you.” he mumbled, and I could hear him pouting.

“Me too.”

“Yeah. Oh, one sec Becks.”

There was silence for a moment. When Alex spoke again, he sounded upset.

“Sorry Becky, I have to go. Dad wants me to go riding with him. I'll call you when I can, okay?”

“Alright Lexi. I love you.”

“Love you too. See you Sunday.”

“See you.”

We hung up at the same time, something we always did. We didn't even think about it any more, it just happened. Neither of us wanted to be the first to go.

As soon as Alex’s voice was gone, I felt sad. I didn't realise until he was gone just how much I really missed him when we were apart.

I wandered back into the living room and put my phone away. I didn't stay much longer, declining Esme's offer of dinner. I really just wanted to be alone right then.

By Wednesday, Alice’s dance plans were in full swing, and she had successfully roped me into helping. Mike did indeed ask me to the dance after Spanish, and I politely declined, telling him I had a boyfriend. Unfortunately, that didn't stop Tyler having a go at lunchtime. I managed to keep my cool, calmly explaining that it didn't feel right going out with another boy, even as friends, when Alex was so far away. That did manage to register, and I didn't have to field any more unwelcome advances the rest of the day.

As the week progressed, my longing for Alex grew and grew and grew. I couldn't stop thinking about him; he was in my dreams every night, and in my thoughts almost every second. I searched desperately for distractions, and on Thursday, I decided to head down to La Push and see Jake. I had yet to explain my presence here or where I had come from to the pack, and I didn't want Sam to think I couldn't be trusted.

I debated internally as I drove down the winding forest road; did I go to his house and hope he was in? Or should I go into the centre of the village and hope to come across him there? In the end I decided it would be too complicated – not to mention stressful – trying to explain who I was to Billy should Jacob not be there, and drove straight to First Beach.

Luck was with me. As I pulled into the parking lot, I saw the figures huddled together around a burnt out fire. It wasn't raining, but the sky was murky and overcast, a storm threatening to break any second. The hulking silhouettes of the wolves were the only signs of life, besides the occasional passing car.

As I cut my engine, I saw them lift their heads to look at me. One figure – Jacob, I could see now – broke away from the crowd and began jogging across the asphalt towards me. I smiled as I climbed out of the car and raised the hood of my raincoat.

“Hey Becky!” Jake crowed, sounding much more happy than he had last week. “How are you?” He slung one arm around my shoulder as we walked towards where the others waited.

“Fine thanks Jake. Hey, sorry I flipped out on you last week. Yelling at you like that... it wasn't nice, and I didn't mean to be cruel.”

He shrugged non-committally. “No big deal. You said too much, I get it. It happens sometimes. I shouldn't have tried to push you.”

I smiled. “Are we going to trade apologies back and forth all afternoon, or actually have a productive conversation?”

Jacob laughed, but didn't reply. We had reached the small crowd by this point and I did my best to smile in a friendly way; one that hopefully didn't say 'I know everything about you, all your secrets and the best way to piss you of, and you don't know a thing about me, but trust me anyway'. That would not have been a good vibe.

All the wolves were wearing knee length jeans and dark coloured, skin-tight t-shirts; much lighter clothing than any other human would wear in the current weather conditions – less than I was wearing at least. There wasn't anyone else around, which was probably why they could get away with it. There were eight of them, including Jacob, which surprised me. I had gotten the impression that Quil hadn't phased until part way through Eclipse, yet there he was, looking at me curiously from between a rather anxious looking young man, who I recognised by his mental voice as Paul, and the slightly younger Embry. A woman – Leah – also stood slightly back from the group, with a smiling boy beside her who must have been Seth. That was a real shock. I wondered idly when the Clearwaters' first phases had been, but thought it would be rude to ask.

The tallest man, Sam, greeted me with a smile and introduced everyone around the circle, although it was fairly easy to figure out that Jared was the only one I hadn't identified already. Still, I kept my smile in place and nodded politely to each person.

“So,” Embry said after the introductions were over, “Have we got ourselves another vampire girl? Or is this one a witch.”

I laughed. “A bit of both, I guess, minus the whole 'hubble bubble' thing. And I’m just friends with the vampires, not dating one, so lets leave that title to Miss Swan, shall we?” I quirked an eyebrow at him before I continued into a short summary of the Necklace and its powers. Of course, then the wolves had questions, which I did my best to answer, and then Seth asked for a demonstration of what I could do. After checking that no one was around to see, I casually clicked my fingers and the smoking fire flared up with bright blue-green flames, the driftwood logs pulled back together from the ashes. I laughed as the Quileutes all jumped back in surprise.

“You never told us,” Sam said when he had recovered, “What are you actually here for? What reason do you have for visiting us?”

I shrugged. “I felt like it. I was bored of normal life, and needed a change. My boyfriend noticed I was restless and suggested I come here, since I’m so obsessed with the Twilight books.”

“He knows about you?” Jared asked.

I barely had time to nod before Leah huffed in frustration.

“Well that's just peachy,” she grumbled. “I'm sure it's wonderful to be able to tell everyone you meet all about yourself. Sorry to burst your bubble sweetheart, but life's not so easy for the rest of us.”

She wheeled and began to run towards the parking lot. Several of the others called out to her, but she ignored them, racing into to tree line across the road. I saw her leap forward, leaving a cloud of shredded fabric behind as she phased; her grey tail disappeared into the trees before anyone had time to react.

Seth started after her, but Paul grabbed his hand. “Leave her. You know how she gets when she's in one of these moods.”

“Sorry about that,” Jacob said to me, “Leah's still adjusting. And I think she's kind of a bitch anyway.”

I frowned. “Yeah, well, you lot aren't exactly making it easy for her.”

The boys all turned to me with looks of surprise and confusion, clearly wondering what was making me so grumpy all of a sudden. I sighed.

“You're completely clueless, aren't you? She's the only girl in a group of guys, and she has share your minds. She has to face the love her ex has for her cousin – not that I’m blaming you for that Sam, I know it's involuntary – every single day. On top of that, she's dealing with an enormous change in herself, plus the death of her father; the way you all treat her isn't exactly helping. Do you ever think that maybe she doesn't want to be 'one of the boys' for the rest of her life?”

They all just gawked at me, completely stunned by my outburst. I huffed and shook my head. “Why do I even bother?”

I stepped around the fire, heading in the same direction Leah had gone.

“You'll never catch her!” Seth called. “She's fast, and she has a head start.”

“Yeah?” I looked over my shoulder at him. “Well, I'm pretty fast too.”

I shifted to my vampire form, smirking at the astonished faces and wrinkled noses that comprised their reaction and took of at top speed, following Leah's scent through the woods. Seth was right, she was fast. Perhaps a different mode of transport was in order.

Still running, I concentrated, trying to make my powers work without speaking; I didn't have time for the whole 'I wish' spiel right now. My focus seemed to pay off, and I felt the power flow through me. Slotting in a mental get-out clause so my clothes didn't get ruined, I whispered, “Wolf,” and leaned forward. Paws hit the ground instead of my hands as my clothes melted away, and I smiled triumphantly as I picked up the pace. Four legs definitely went faster than two.

What do you want? a disgruntled voice asked me. Good, Leah could hear me. That would make everything easier.

Yeah, cos being in someone else’s head is just peachy.

I just want to talk to you Leah.

Well, I don't want to talk to you. I don't care how you got here, just get out before I come back and give you a limp.

I sighed. I’m trying to be sympathetic. I know how the guys treat you, and I want to see that that treatment isn't justified. You are making that shockingly difficult.

Oh, boo hoo. Leah huffed.

I had caught up to her by then, and she gave up trying to run, turning to glare at me, teeth bared. I whimpered and stepped back in surrender. I wasn't afraid, but a fight between us would be the opposite of helpful right now.

Why do you care? Leah sneered. Why don't you just go back to your perfect little life and stop interfering with mine. I don't want or need your sympathy.

I know. I answered. She waited for me to say more, but I didn't. I couldn't.

You're lucky. She whispered. You have love and family. You can choose who you love, instead of having some freaky force decide it for you, or make you this genetic dead end. You didn't turn into a giant wolf in the middle of your living room and cause your dad's heart attack, because no one was looking out for the signs of it coming just because you're a girl. You didn't cause the resulting stress that pulled your brother into this too. You're lucky.

I couldn't speak for a moment. Of course I knew about Harry’s heart attack; I just didn't realise it was Leah's first phase that triggered it. Or that she felt so responsible.

It's not your fault. I murmured softly, placatingly. You didn't choose this.

Did you?

No.

Leah was pulled up short. She seemed to think that I had asked for this, that it was something I enjoyed and wanted.

I do enjoy it. I said, still calm. Sometimes. But I never asked to be chosen. I never asked to be given this responsibility. It's hard; you don't know how hard. At least you had a whole pack of people to help you. Familiar faces, people you know, even if they do irritate you. You can share this with your brother. You can tell your mother. You have almost ten people here to help you. Me... I have one. I can't tell anybody. Alex is the only one who knows about me at home. Yes, I tell a lot of people when I travel, but that's just to make things easier. I don't tell everybody; just the people who need to know. Besides... I gave her my best wolfy grin. Turning into a giant wolf is way cooler than what I can do. This feels amazing!

I started running around the little clearing we were in, chasing my tail and leaping over fallen logs, trying to work some of the excess energy in my muscles. Leah laughed at me, a throaty, barking laugh along with her human laugh in my head, but I didn't mind. It was nice to hear her happy. I calmed down after a minute, puffing and panting.

I think you're the lucky one Leah. You can stop whenever you want. You can get away from this. I can't; I’m stuck with my fate for the rest of my life... to the bitter end. Although that's not so far away, really. I pictured the other Sisters, remembered their mistakes, brought forward the ticking clock that was always in the back of my mind, counting down to the time when my mistake would be.

Leah gasped. They'll kill you?

I shook my head. Not kill. Remove. It will be like I was never born. I sighed. You could die tomorrow, and people would remember you. Your mum and your brother and the rest of the pack would mourn for you. When I go, no one will mourn. No one will remember. There will be someone else in my place... or there might just be an empty space. Alex will love someone else, marry someone else, grow old and die with someone else. And I will have to sit and watch that, and watch another innocent girl go through everything I went through, and try to help her if I can. I’ll do my best; that's all I can do.

Leah sat down on the grassy forest floor, and I sat too, lying down with my head on my paws as she thought over everything I had told her.

How are you not freaking out? she asked, her voice sombre. I’d be terrified if it was me. Or I’d go crazy worrying. How do you stay calm?

I shrugged. I’ve accepted it. I know it will happen, and that there's no way out. I chuckled. Alex doesn't agree. He wants me to fight it, try to figure out why the Necklace exists so that I can break the cycle. He believes in me, even though I don't believe in me.

He sounds like a good man. Leah thought.

He will be, one day. I agreed. But we're still just kids. He has a long way to go before he's done growing up. He'll make a lucky girl very happy someday. I trailed off, feeling dejected again.

Don't give up hope. She encouraged me. I've known you all of half an hour, and I can see you are strong and determined; no one else has bothered trying to talk to me when I don't want to talk, like you did. Whatever curse has been placed upon you, I have no doubt that you will break it.

We fell into contented silence; there was nothing more that could be said without us going round in circles or beginning to argue, and we both knew it. After about half a minute, Leah leaned back and raised her nose in the air, letting out a loud howl. I copied her, just for the hell of it. She laughed at me again, especially when I sat there like a dog, grinning widely with my tongue lolling out of my mouth. I saw myself in her minds eye, really looking at this new wolf form for the first time.

I was pure white, with a few tiny spots of what appeared to be grey. These actually turned out to be an iridescent silver that sparkled in the weak light filtering through the storm clouds; I didn't know if they would always be there, or if they were just a by-product of my having shifted into a wolf from my vampire form. My nose was pale pink where the others had black noses, and my muzzle was long and thin, like Leah's, a more feminine line than would be seen on the boys. My eyes were still the same colour too, though they were twice as big and much more round. I could see a slight change in the colouring of my fur around my eyes, making it almost look like I still had glasses on. It was odd not having the lenses in front of my eyes after so long, but the enhanced eye sight was worth the weirdness.

Wow, Becky makes a pretty good wolf. Jared commented, alerting me to the fact that my head suddenly felt very crowded, as ten other minds tried to share the space.

Whoa, dizzy. I said, shaking my head a little. How do you guys cope with that?

Well, we didn't have it all come along at once. Jacob joked good naturedly as the others filed into the clearing one by one. Shouldn't you be used to this? I mean, you said you were a mind reader.

My telepathy is selective. I patiently explained. I choose when I want to hear people, unless they deliberately throw their thoughts at me. If I was like Edward, hearing everything all at once, I think I’d go stir crazy. I don't know how that boy copes.

Boy! Paul scoffed. I growled.

I know you don't like him, but he's my friend, they all are, and I’d appreciate it if you'd leave the slander for when I’m not around. I thought grumpily. Say whatever you like, just wait until I’m out of hearing range.

Leave Becky alone, Paul. Sam said softly, but with a subtle edge of authority. She's allowed to socialise with whoever she wants. If she wants to be friends with the Cullens as well as us, I won't stop her. I certainly won't rescind my friendship because of who she chooses to hang out with at other times.

I smiled. Thanks Sam. That means a lot. Now, if you don't mind, I think I’m going to go back to sharing my brain with me myself and I before I get a headache.

The wolves all laughed and sent various goodbyes my way.

When are you coming back? Seth asked eagerly, his sandy tail whipping back and forth.

I don't know. I admitted. I’m actually going home on Sunday morning, and I won't be able to come back for a long time after that.

I know. Jacob piped up. How about you come say goodbye to us on Saturday night? I think there's something going on that night.

There's a dance at school. I nodded. That's a good idea Jake. If you guys meet me on the beach around eleven, we can say our goodbyes with no interruptions. Head home if I’m not there by midnight though; I don't want to keep you up.

Several wolves scoffed.

Please. Embry said, rolling his big eyes at me. We stay up later than that for patrols on a nightly basis.

Yeah, and you get grounded for it. I reminded him, which made the others laugh.

I really do have to go now guys. I said apologetically, and there was another round of goodbyes before I headed back to the beach for my car.

Chapter 9: Memories

Chapter 9: Memories

I beat Edward to Bella’s house, whirling into her back yard half a second before he did. Although, to be fair, that was only because he slowed down to check if Charlie was in.

“I win, I win!” I crowed, dancing around in a circle.

Edward darted out of the trees.

“You cheated!” he growled, springing at me. I danced away, twirling out of his reach every time he tried to grab me. I couldn’t stop laughing, watching his face stretch into a huge smile.

A light laugh from above our heads made us both stop. Bella was leaning on her window sill, watching us with amused interest.

The breeze suddenly changed direction, blowing her hair around her face, and her scent in our direction. Edward gave me a worried glance, wondering how I would react to a human scent, especially one as strong as Bella’s.

I gagged.

The smell was disgusting! I had never smelled anything worse. I was briefly reminded of Bella describing the way blood smelled to her - like rust and salt - before my stomach twisted and felt like I was going to throw up. I bent over, clutching my stomach, and tried to rally enough concentration to change back to my human form.

I heard, through the roaring in my ears, Edward’s voice, asking me what was wrong, and then the faint sound of a window closing. The smell disappeared with the sound, and I collapsed onto the grass, finally managing to complete my Change. Within half a second of being human again, my forehead was clammy and I was exhausted... but the nausea was fading.

“Becky?” Edward asked again, anxious. “Are you alright?”

“Fine.” I croaked. I coughed, trying to clear my throat. One cool hand smoothed across my forehead, while another lifted me into a sitting position. I realised my eyes were closed, and when I cracked them open Bella was just coming out of the back door, a worried look on her face. I shook my head, trying to clear the dizziness. A few deep breaths helped, but my head was pounding like the pistons on a steam engine. I moaned and clutched my head.

“Should I call Carlisle?” Bella asked anxiously, coming to kneel on the grass beside me. “You don’t look so good.”

I shook my head again. “I’ll be ok in a minute. Your scent just took me off guard a little.”

Edward nodded, as if he had expected that would be the route of the trouble. “The thirst can be uncomfortable. I’ve never seen anyone react like that before though...”

He trailed off; listening to the replay I was running in my head.

“I wasn’t thirsty,” I said in a quiet voice, “I never have been. Right from the start... it just wasn’t there.”

“What then?” Bella wondered. She was bizarrely nonchalant, considering we were discussing why I hadn’t wanted to kill her the second I smelled her.

“The smell... I can’t even describe it.” My nose wrinkled at the memory. “I just felt so sick I couldn’t even stand up. I think it’s probably The Necklace’s idea of protecting me. It knows I don’t want to hurt people in that form, so it made them physically disgusting to me.”

“Are you sure?” Edward asked, frowning. “It seems a little bit odd. Isn’t it supposed to protect you?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know. Don’t ask me how this thing works; I haven’t got a clue.”

I played absently with the little silver bow as I spoke, twisting it in my fingers. My head was starting to clear and my forehead had quickly dried off in the chilly Forks air. I managed to pull myself up onto my feet, but made use of Edward and Bella’s helping hands to get inside.

For the rest of the afternoon, as I sat in Bella’s living room listening to her talking with Edward and getting over my queasiness, I pondered just how much I didn’t know about the Silver Necklace. I had no idea of the extent of its power, or its limitations beyond the rules instilled by those above me. Thinking of them made me shiver.

My life was controlled by forces far beyond the comprehension of most people. The Volturi didn’t compare.

There was Hope, of course, but even she answered to someone. Someone who had the power to terrify us all with just the sound of his name.

Darcy.

Darcy Pembrook, born in 1818, was a well respected, though widely disliked, English gentleman. In life he owned a jewellery shop. Though he was cordial to his customers, outside of his professional life he was, to put it mildly, an ass. He was rude, coarse, unsociable, degrading, insulting and utterly friendless. When a mystery supplier sold him an interesting piece one day, he couldn’t find it in him to part with it. The Silver Necklace never even touched Darcy’s shelves. He kept it in his pocket, carrying it everywhere with him. When he found out what it could do, he abused the power. At some point, something in it leaked into him, making him even worse than before.

He died the way he lived; bitter and alone.

The Necklace, along with all his other possessions, was passed to his brother. As Darcy’s only living relative, he had inherited everything when a will could not be located. Mr Pembrook gave the Necklace to his daughter as a birthday present.

And so it began. Hope made it through life without problems. It was when she passed away that the trouble began. Darcy had been existing in the strange nether region between worlds known as Unreality. When Hope joined him, her strength combined with his, and gave him the power he needed to recover, and to control her. With every new addition, he grew stronger and stronger, and the Sisters were powerless to defy him. He had haunted my nightmares from the moment I knew of his existence. Though I had yet to meet him, I knew it couldn’t be too much longer before he made an appearance.

And yet even he wasn’t at the top of the ladder. The Necklace came to him in mysterious circumstances. At least, they were mysterious at the time. Now we knew everything.

The ultimate power belonged to two beings. The first was Fate. We called him ‘My Lord Fate’ or just ‘My Lord’. He carried out the decisions, did the physical things that made events happen. He was a very busy man, understandably, and I had never met him either. But, unlike Darcy, I could very easily go through my life and not even catch a glimpse of Fate, or his sister.

The Lady Destiny; the true controller; the top of the heap; the one calling all the shots... the decision maker. If Destiny wanted something done, you did it, no questions asked. This last, I had had the pleasure of seeing personally. I had to ask her permission to tell Alex about my life, and, luckily, she had accepted my request.

According to Lillian, I was the only one out of all of them to have even met Destiny, much less plucked up the courage to ask for an audience with her.

My mind continued to wander, remembering that magic moment when Alex and I first got together...

Slowly, very slowly, my consciousness began to return to me. I became gradually aware of my surroundings. Small sounds, muffled and unintelligible, registered in my mind, but I couldn’t make sense of them. I couldn’t see; my eyes were closed, and when I tried to open them... nothing. I couldn’t move, not even to twitch a finger.

My hearing got clearer and clearer. The noises began to make sense.

A slow, rhythmic beeping.

Rattling window blinds.

Breathing, low and uneven, hitching in odd places.

Sobbing.

Someone was sobbing? What could there be to cry about?

More senses returning. There was a nasty taste in my mouth, the kind of thing I got sometimes first thing in the morning if I ate too soon before going to bed. I could feel the rough sheets that were wrapped around me. I could feel that I was half sat up on a lumpy bed, leaning on big pillows. I could feel the wires and tubes sticking into my arms. And I could feel hands curled around mine, and something wet dropping onto my skin.

Tears.

I felt a sudden urge to comfort this stranger; this mysterious person crying over my hands. I struggled with my lids, trying to open them. It felt like someone had glued them shut, or weighed my lashes down.

“Becky.”

It was quiet, a broken whisper, but I instantly recognised the voice. The shock broke through the walls in my head, and my eyes flew open.

A head, invisible but for a mop of unruly curly black hair, was bent over my folded hands. His shoulders heaved with the sobs that racked his body.

“Please Becky,” he whispered, “please wake up. I need you to wake up. Please. Please.”

I had to answer. I would do anything to take the pain out of his voice, anything. My throat was sore, my mouth dry, but I persevered. After half a minute of struggling, I managed to croak out a response.

“Alex?”

His head snapped up, his hazel eyes locking with mine. We stared at each other for a moment. Then he threw his arms around me, holding me tightly, but gently, in a warm, comforting embrace.

In that moment, something within me changed. I barely knew Alex; he was just a boy in my Maths class. He didn’t mean anything to me. He wasn’t even a friend, really. But here, in his arms, I felt safer than I ever had in my life. Something about him made me feel things I had never felt before.

I felt special.

I felt loved.

Alex didn’t let go of me. He leaned away slightly, but kept his arms around me. He looked into my eyes again, very serious.

“Becky,” he sighed, finally smiling. His grin was infectious; I had to smile back.

“Alex.”

He took a deep breath. “I have something I need to tell you Becky.”

I waited.

“Becky, I... I love you.”

I didn’t realize at first that I had said the words with him. But when I did, my smile grew. He loved me. And I loved him. I was certain it was true.

He gaped at me for a second, then smiled, a breathtaking smile of pure happiness. Then he leaned in, very slowly, and pressed his lips to mine.

That was my first kiss, and every time I kissed Alex, it seemed to get better. He was magical.

I was pulled out of my daydreams by Edward.

“Becky, Charlie’s around the corner. We have to go.” He smirked. “Unless you’d like to explain how we got here when neither of us has a car.”

I laughed, my blissful mood lingering. “No thanks. Let’s get out of here.”

I got up and hugged Bella, promising to be in school the next day, before exiting through the back door and hurrying a few feet into the trees before I Changed. I didn’t want to be incapacitated by her scent again.

Edward joined me a moment later, and we ran together through the trees.

When we reached the Cullen’s house, the whole family was waiting for us. I was hugged by each of them in turn, assuring each that I was fine and there had never been any danger.

They finally let me leave around ten. I was exhausted; I could barely stand, much less run, so Alice drove me home.

Once again, I fell asleep to dreams of my darling Alex.

Chapter 8: Homecoming

Chapter 8: Homecoming

I charged down the long corridor, moving faster than lightning, getting around the corner in half a second.

Giana squeaked, startled by my sudden reappearance. I snatched my bag and cardigan from where I had left them behind the desk.

“Grazi Giana!” I yelled as I set off at a sprint, heading for the lifts. I could hear the growling and snarling already; they couldn’t be far behind.

Thankfully, the lift already stood open. I darted in and hit the button for the ground floor... just as the first of the guard rounded the bend, led by a livid Jane. I smiled at her. “Arrivederci!” I called brightly, waving as the doors closed. I heard the enraged shrieks, and laughed, relief doing strange things to my body.

By the time the lift doors pinged open, I was human again, and I had replaced my black slip-ons with trainers. I ran, though speed wasn’t as critical now. It was still very light; only 5:15, not yet sunset. I had about half an hour before it was dark enough for them to follow me without being spotted. That was plenty of time. I was halfway to Florence by the time the sun finally disappeared below the horizon, and made it just in time for my flight at 6:30.

When I switched my phone on, I found a text message from Alice.

Becky

If you don’t call before noon Bella is going to have a panic attack. Don’t make Edward suffer that.

Call.

Alice

I sighed. Of course Bella would have found out. I could only hope Alice was exaggerating about the panic attack thing.

After quickly checking the Seattle time on my phone’s world clock - it was 9:45 in the morning - I set about composing a new message.

Hey Edward,

Just got out of Volterra. Not too bad but Jane will probably hate me forever (tee hee). Tell Alice that I’m ok, will call Bella now. C u on Monday.

Becky

p.s. I beat up Felix. It wasn’t even really a fight, just me throwing him around like a rag doll ;-)

I sent that, then dialled Bella’s number. I listened to the dial tone, praying that Charlie was out fishing already. Luck was with me; Bella picked up on the third ring, sounding a little breathless. Knowing her she probably ran to the phone.

“Hello?”

“Hi Bells, it’s Becky.”

“Becky!” Her voice sounded relieved. “Where are you? I’ve been worried sick! When Edward told me where you were going...” She took a deep breath. “Just tell me you’re ok.”

I sighed. “I’m fine Bella. I’m on a plane, I’ll be home tonight, and I’ll be in school Monday. Ok?”

There was a moment of silence before Bella answered. “Are you really alright Becky? You sound kind of... crabby.”

I realized then that I wasn’t exactly being polite. I sounded exasperated and irritated, when really I was just exhausted. “I’m so sorry Bella; I didn’t mean to snap at you like that. I’m just really tired. There’s a nine hour time difference between Italy and the West Coast, and I haven’t really gotten over the jet lag yet.”

“Don’t worry about it Becks,” Bella sounded much happier now, satisfied that I wasn’t angry at her. “I slept fourteen hours after I got back.”

I rolled my eyes. “I know. I’ve read New Moon about ten times.”

Bella laughed, and I could picture her blush. “Right, I forgot about that.”

“Bells?” a faint voice echoed down the receiver.

“Oh! Sorry Becky, I gotta go, Charlie’s up.”

“No problem Bells. See you Monday.”

“Bye.” Bella hung up, and I put my phone away.

***

I was absolutely exhausted by the time I staggered through the door. I knew I wasn’t going to make it to my bedroom, so I opted for the sofa in the living room instead. I remembered crossing the hall, and flopping down, but I was out before my head hit the cushions.

The next thing I knew, the phone was ringing in the hall. I moaned and tried to block out the noise, but it just seemed to get louder. Grumbling incoherently, I heaved myself up off the sofa and went to the phone.

“Whoever this is better have a good reason for calling.” I croaked.

“Becky? Is that you?” a shrill voice asked.

I moaned again. “Alice, what do you want?”

“We wanted to invite you over,” she said, sounding hurt. Great. “We thought you might want to talk about your trip. Don’t tell me you were still asleep. It’s 10:30 for crying out loud!”

“It is?” I rubbed my eyes and squinted at the clock. “Wow.”

She sighed. “Becky, you’re hopeless.”

“No, I’m tired,” I grumbled, “I don’t even know what time it was when I got home last night, but I am pretty sure I haven’t had enough sleep. I mean, I’ve jumped nine hours forward, and back again, all in the space of about two days, if that. I haven’t had a full nights sleep since Friday. I’m begging you Alice; give me just a little more time in bed please.”

She was quiet for a minute. I crossed my fingers and squeezed my eyes shut. Finally, Alice sighed.

“Fine. But you have to promise you’ll come over tonight.”

“I promise. Thank you Alice.” I yawned widely.

“Bye Becky.” Her voice had a smile in it, so I was sure I was forgiven.

***

When I woke up again, rain was streaming down the big glass windows of my living room. The sun shone, though it was obscured by thick clouds, and a quick glance at the clock told me it was almost midday. I stretched, stiff from sleeping on the sofa, and went to make myself some lunch.

As I crossed the hallway, something seemed different. I stood and considered for a moment, before I realised that the piano books I had left on the hall table on Thursday night were gone. Or rather, one was. The bright blue cover of the Disney book had caught my eye, because my Twilight book had been on top before.

“Now where can that have got to?” I said to myself, injecting a heavy dose of sarcasm. I knew exactly where my book was.

I made myself a sandwich for lunch and ate at the speed of light, chasing it down with a glass of orange juice, then set off in vampire mode, going full speed.

I stopped just before I reached the Cullen’s, listening.

Just as I’d expected, the sound of a piano floated out through an open window. The melody was so familiar, I actually started tapping it out on the tree trunk I was clinging to, as if I were the one playing.

Carter Burwell’s ‘Bella’s Lullaby’.

I slipped quietly through the back door, making no sound at all. Rounding the corner into the living room, I saw Edward straight away. He had his back to me, totally absorbed in the music. He stopped very suddenly, apparently sensing my presence, and turned around to give me a sheepish grin.

“Hi,” he said, his voice apologetic.

“Good afternoon,” I smiled and skipped over to sit beside him. “What do you think?” I asked, gesturing to the book open on the music stand.

He contemplated for a second. “It’s good, I guess. Not perfect, and not very well arranged for piano, but still, good.”

I laughed. “My teacher said exactly the same thing when she saw it the first time. I haven’t even attempted this one yet.”

He chuckled. “Want to hear the original?”

My eyes went wide. “Please!”

Edward turned back to the keys and began to play again.

There are no words to describe what the real Bella’s Lullaby was like. It was absolutely beautiful, and Edward’s playing was perfect. It was as different from the film version as possible; nothing was the same. When he had finished, I sat there for a minute in stunned silence, trying to remember how to speak.

In the end, all I managed was a breathless, “Wow.”

His smile was huge as he took the book off the piano and handed it to me. “Here. Sorry I borrowed it without permission. When Alice told me what it was, I just couldn’t resist.”

“Don’t worry about it Edward. Curiosity is only natural.” I smiled at him.

Quite suddenly, he was staring at me intently, like he was trying to see something in particular. Then his eyes grew very wide, and his jaw dropped. He touched his fingertips to my cheek, just below my right eye. I leaned away.

“What the hell are you doing?”

“Becky... why are your eyes gold?”

I relaxed a little. “I told Alice to tell you about this. Don’t tell me she’s still keeping secrets.”

He looked even more shocked than before. “She wasn’t kidding. It is perfect.”

I giggled, and the tinkling sound of my laugh made him look even more startled. I jumped up and darted across the room, heading out the back door. He followed me, barrelling into my back when I stopped abruptly in the middle of the lawn and falling on his backside.

I laughed again, then lifted my hands in the air and turned a cartwheel over his head, planting both feet and going straight into a series of backward flips across the grass. When I reached the trees, I stopped turning, grabbing hold of the lowest branch of a big fir and pulling myself up into the leaves. In half a second I was at the top of the tree, looking down on an astounded Edward, still sprawled on his back. I jumped to the next tree along, a sturdy looking oak, and climbed back down, snapping off a branch thicker than my arm on the way. When I hit the ground, I threw the branch like a javelin, launching it across the river, where it splintered against another tree.

“Ta da!” I trilled, dropping a little curtsy. Edward laughed and clapped while I bowed and pretended to blow kisses to my ‘audience’.

“Is that what you meant about beating up Felix?” Edward asked when he had control of himself again.

I nodded. “You should have seen his face. It was priceless.” I laughed again, the sound bouncing off the trees.

He grinned at me. “Race you to Bella’s?” he challenged.

I smiled back. “Ready, set...”

“GO!” we both yelled, setting off at top speed towards Bella’s house, laughing all the way.