1: Skinny Love (Ed. Cullen)

69.

The wolves all seem to settle when Laurent is dead, aggression and instinct leaving them. Paul sits watching Embry pouncing around on slivers of light, like a dumbass. Bambi is a little upset that it wasn't her that got to do it, instead Jacob got the beat on her. It should have been her kill. After everything Laurent put her through, put Bella through. She snaps at Jacob's shoulder and he snaps back at her.

[Enough] Sam scolds stepping between both of them. [Nadine, go after Bella, make sure she doesn't tell anyone]

[No one is going to believe her anyway] Bambi counters flicking him in the face with her tail, Sam huffs and shoots her a look. [Fine] she grumbles turning slightly before she slinks through the trees heading back towards home. Caleb and Jacob move to follow her only to be stopped by Sam.

[Let her deal with it] Sam tells them. Jacob and Caleb share a look before following Sam and the others the opposite way.

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

Bella bursts into the house, out of breath. Charlie and Harry Clearwater are washing their fishing gear. Charlie spins to face her.

"Bella?" he asks. "What's wrong?"

"They're not giant bears" she announces. "I saw them. Up in a meadow....."

"Damn it, I told you not to go into the woods!" Charlie scolds.

"What did you see, Bella?" Harry asks her, Bella takes a breath, trying to steady herself.

"Wolves. They're wolves, Dad" She tells Charlie, Harry sighs ever-so-slightly.

"Seven of them. The size of-of cars. I swear. They went after" she pauses and then sighs. "Something....and I ran" Charlie grabs up the phone; as he dials he turns to Harry.

"Harry, can you get some men from the rez?"

"Sure. Yeah. I'll just....." Harry seems more concerned than gung-ho as he slips out of the room.

"Jerry? Put a hunting party together, tranq guns, large caliber shotguns, there's something dangerous out there" Bella turns away from him to hide her worry and her forming tears. Her eyes dart around the house, their vulnerability spinning in on her. Charlie hangs up and goes to his gun cabinet. "I've gotta go to the station," He tells her.

"Good" she answers turning to him. "That's good"

"Where's your sister?" He asks, Bella shrugs.

"I haven't seen her since this morning" Bella answers, Charlie nods a little and worries his lip. "I'll call her" Bella promises. Charlie nods and then leaves her alone. Bella takes steadying breathes until she hears the door close, that's when she lets herself cry, her fear overtaking her.

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

Bambi-wolf's paws pound the dirt as she weaves through trees and bushes making her way home. Seeing the break in the trees ahead she concentrates, and within three steps she's on two legs instead of four. She moves to where she stashed her spare clothing, just in case she had a need for them. She should probably start buying second hand and keeping her good clothes for special occasions, she misses having fashion sense. Pulling on her clothing she leaves her feet bare, and then she is heading towards the house. Charlie's car isn't in the drive. She takes a deep breath as she heads up the steps and into her home as she shakes out the dirt in her hair, which is a major downside to the whole one with nature freak show she's part of. All the dirt and leaves and sticks. As soon as the door closes behind her Bella is running into Bambi who catches her and frowns a little. Bella starts to cry against her twin, clinging to her. Bambi realizes how terrified Bella must have been and her heart sinks. She did that. She was part of that. She'd forgotten how much Bella needs her, whilst she was off running around her sister was back here still suffering. What was she thinking? Bambi strokes Bella's hair, and sighs.

"Where were you?" Bella asks.

"It doesn't matter" Bambi answers. "I'm here now" Bella sniffles pulling away. "What happened? Did someone hurt you?" she asks trying to sound genuinely curious, given that she already knows what happened.

"Laurent came back" Bella admits moving into the living room, Bambi follows her. "He came back...Bambi, he was going to kill us...." Bella drops onto the couch and sighs. "There were these wolves..." she looks up at her sister. "Bambi, they were huge, bigger than your car...." she looks terrified as she realizes something. "I think I just sold them out" Bella whispers. "I didn't mean to" she adds. "It just came out and they....they saved me" she looks up at Bambi. "They saved me...and Charlie's going to hurt them" Bambi smiles sadly and sits next to her.

"Yeah, sounds like they did" she wraps her arm around Bella and pulls her into a hug. "You're okay" she whispers.

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

Bambi stands in front of Sam having told him everything that happened with Bella, and what she knows about Charlie taking to the trees with guns. Sam turns to her as she threads her fingers through her hair and shakes it out. Sam softens a little watching her.

"Is Bella okay?" Sam asks, she shakes her head.

"Not really, no" she answers and sighs. "I want to tell her," Bambi tells Sam who shakes his head back at her.

"No" he argues firmly.

"Please" she begs. "She's terrified, Sam, if she knew it was us, that we were the ones that protected her, it would give her peace of mind....she'd understand"

"I said no, Nadine," he tells her. "You cannot tell Bella anything about this" he orders with his alpha voice, she clenches her jaw.

"Fine" she snaps back at him, puffing up her chest just so he knows she's not happy about this. He nods and turns away from her. She studies him a moment before she bolts out the door, Sam turns and stares a little, knowing full well she's about to do something stupid. He follows her out.

"Nadine!!" Sam yells after her. "Come back here!" he commands, she looks over her shoulder, shows signs of considering.

"Go to hell!" she snaps back at him and continues into the woods, Sam blinks surprised. Knowing he just alpha commanded her and she walked away.