1: Skinny Love (Ed. Cullen)

62

Jacob stands with Bambi, both leaning against her car as she explains Bella's newest stupid ass plan. Jacob laughs a little and shakes his head.

"Is she serious?" Jacob asks her turning to her, Bambi nods

"I tried to talk her out of it, but she's determined" Bambi complains. "I mean, Bella's never been this person"

"No, you're the risk taker, that's true" Jacob mumbles, she pushes at his shoulder and smiles a little, he grabs her wrist and pulls her closer, wrapping his arms around her, he kisses her head. "It's nice to see you smile again" he comments as she pulls back.

"I know I haven't really been....here" she offers, he shrugs and smiles.

"I know why, and I get it" he assures her. "And hey, look, still friends" he comments. She smiles and nods.

"Where's Caleb?" she asks. "I thought he'd be here too" Jacob looks down a little.

"He's...I dunno, he got sick last week and then he's....." Jacob answers. "He comes in really late and stuff...."

"Jake...." she takes his hand.

"He's hanging around with...Sam and the others" he adds.

"They're the ones you don't like, right?" she asks. "The ones you told me about" he nods. "Want me to kick his ass?" she asks, Jacob smiles and shakes his head.

"Nah....Dad told me it's just Caleb...growing up" Bambi scoffs.

"Yeah, it's just puberty" she teases, Jacob wraps his arm around her shoulders and shrugs slightly.

"I still have you" he comments, she pats his chest and nods.

"That you do" she agrees as Bella pulls up in her truck, a tarp covering something big in the back. Bella climbs out and gives the pair a smile before looking around slightly.

"Caleb not around?" Bella asks.

"He's not" Jacob offers quietly. "Stuck with me" Bella smiles a little hiding her disappointment.

"Oh, that's okay" Bella offers. "I urm...well then I brought you something" Bella pulls the tarp back, revealing - her neighbor's two dilapidated, rusting motorcycles.

"Yeah, Bambi warned me" Jacob offers, Bella looks to Bambi who shrugs a little. "Since when are you into motorcycles?" Jacob asks her.

"Recently"

"The parts alone will be pricey"

"I have a college fund I can dig into" Bella tells them, Bambi scoffs.

"Oh, yeah, Dad's gonna love that" Bambi warns.

"Dad won't know" Bella counters.

"Wow. Lying to Dad. Blowing through college money. Repairing dangerous machines - that I'm guessing you'll want to ride?" Jacob asks.

"I really get it if you think this is stupid and reckless" Bella starts.

"Oh it's totally stupid and reckless" Jacob agrees. "When do we start?" he asks, Bambi shoots him a look and smacks his arm.

"You're supposed to help me talk her out of it" Bambi scolds. Jacob sighs a little and looks to her as Bella turns to the bikes.

"Better we supervisor this then her going off and doing it herself" Jacob offers, Bambi sighs a little understanding, she nods.

"Right, fine, but I am not getting on one of them" she argues and then nudges him. "Take your time" she adds, he nods and nudges her back, her smiles drops slightly as voices filter into her head, thoughts, but not Bella's or Jacob's, she frowns and turns to look behind her, on the edge of the woods next to Sam stand three others, Jared, Paul, and Caleb. All have cropped hair, sleeveless shirts, cut-offs. Her eyes search each of them, trying to find the source, she settles on Sam who glances away from Jacob and looks at Bambi. She turns away and takes a steadying breath, her heart pounding past her ears the start of a headache forming.

...............

Bambi drives towards the town centre for painkillers, her head is pounding away, her antipsychotics are no longer working at all, and all the thoughts are back. She can't sleep, so she drives instead. She reaches over and turns up the radio, trying to drown out all other sounds. Better. She relaxes slightly, running her hands over her steering wheel. A hiker runs from the woods at the side of the road and into the path of Bambi's car, she slams her foot on the break and screams, he bounces off the hood and through her windscreen, the car stops. Bambi stares into the face of a stranger, can feel the glass in her hair and on her clothes, there is blood on her face, running down her nose but all she can do is stare into the face of the man in front of her, she lets out a pained cry and covers her mouth.

.................

Charlie's police cruiser skids to a stop behind Bambi's car and he climbs out, watches as the coroner removes a body bag.

"No" he whispers and moves forward. "Bambi?" he asks looking around, he relaxes seeing her sat on the road. He moves towards her. "Bambi?" Charlie asks, she looks up at him, her eyes red, her cheeks stained with tears and blood, she cries again.

"Daddy" she whimpers. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to.....It was an accident" he nods and moves to her.

"Sorry, Chief" A deputy stops him. "You can't....not until someone's taken her statement" Charlie looks to Bambi who looks down as she cries, wrapping her arms around herself.

"What are you waiting for?" Charlie asks annoyed.

"On the CCTV" the deputy points up at the traffic camera, Charlie sighs and nods. "You can sit with her, just...."

"I know" Charlie tells him. "I am still a cop, remember?" the deputy nods and Charlie moves to sit next to Bambi. "It's okay, Bambi" she shakes her head.

"I killed someone" she whispers, squeezing her arms around herself. "I killed him....I killed him" Charlie looks to her sadly as she cries. "I killed him" she shudders and tries to curl in on herself. "I killed him" she presses her forehead to her knees and cries.

....................

Bambi sits in the front of Charlie's cruiser as he drives her home, his police jacket wrapped around her shoulders, and her arms wrapped around herself. She killed someone. She whimpers. Charlie looks to her worried. She'd may seem like the tough twin but she's the oldest one, she's supposed to be the tough one, the brave one, the protective one, but she is still vulnerable, easily torn. She pulls the coat tighter around herself and curls up on the seat. Charlie reaches over and takes her hand.

"It's going to be okay, Bambi" he tells her softly.

"How?" she looks to him. "How is it going to be okay, Dad? I killed someone" her voice breaks.

"It was an accident" he tells her. "Okay, it's not your fault...." she starts to cry and leans back in her seat.

"He still died...." she tells him. "Someone is dead and it's my fault....I should be punished" Charlie squeezes her hand.

"No, you don't, this is not your fault....this is not on you" she looks away and out of the window.

"I still killed someone" she whispers wrapping her arms around herself.