Bella MacLeod's Twilight Fanfiction

Claws

By BetterInTexas

Chapter 23:

Mac took in the people who made the large living room in the Cullen Mansion and felt very crowded. It surprised him how natural these humans and vampires seemed to get along. He had not known Connolly or his team long, being six years since he had seen them last, but he never imagined any of them would be social with anyone outside their closely knit team. Connolly was speaking quietly to Esme and Carlisle in the corner of the room, Ty and Jasper were looking over some World War 2 history book, Dante was speaking to the girls and the mind reader and Hawk was playing some type of first person shooter game with the big vampire. Charlie stood alone on the far side of the room, arms crossed and obviously not in a very good mood while the computer witch Connolly loved so much sat on a large chair typing away on Jack Webb’s Organization laptop while the man himself stood and looked over the back of the chair at what the Vivian chick was doing.

To say he felt like an outsider would be putting it lightly. He also didn’t miss the few distrustful glances in his direction, both from Carlisle, Jasper and Charlie Swan.

It was what he expected as he was sure he had felt a bit distrustful even now towards the vampires. Despite their golden eyes they reminded him of his last encounter with a vampire that killed his team and led him into this mess. Though that encounter was brief, this allowed him to look more closely, observing their graceful movements, appreciating the little gestures like not moving at superhuman speed around the room, brief smiles, with the shiniest teeth he had ever seen, perfectly manicured and acting all together normal. The man would have almost preferred coffins and black clothes to the deceptively normal appearance that could lull one into a false sense of security.

They were not the ones he was worried about though. If Bella had thought them a threat, they would be dead… deader… by now. The fact that she trusted and socialized with creatures she was made to destroy blew his mind. The fact that she kept this secret from Hildebrand was even more mind blowing.

Perhaps Connolly wasn’t wrong about her ability to resist Erin’s hold but he wasn’t fooled for a second. The most dangerous person in the room would be Bella when she arrived, if she arrived. She was supposed to be there twenty minutes ago. She had instructed her father to go to the Cullen Mansion while she spent a bit more time with this Leah girl, making sure she felt better.

But she wasn’t here and a call from Charlie to some Sue lady confirmed that Bella had left 40 minutes ago.

The man was nervous enough about this meeting, completely unprepared for what her reaction might be. He could think of no scenario where this would end well for anybody but could see Connolly’s point. It wouldn’t be right for her to trust them if they kept a secret like this from her. That didn’t make him feel at ease.

A feeling of calm overcame him, his nervousness fading away and he quickly looked at the blonde vampire Jasper. He and Ty were both looking at Mac.

Mac shot the finger at them both, indicating the blonde needed to cut it out. He preferred his nerves. They had kept him alert and alive for a very long time.

Still the man could use a break. Standing up from the love seat at the back of the room which he took most of, Mac asked for a bathroom, hoping the vampires had indoor plumbing.

“Go down the hall towards the kitchen. There is a hallway to your right and its the first door on the left.” the mother hen of the group and surprisingly the one who cooked breakfast for Charlie and Bella and made Bella sandwiches for lunch, told him.

He hadn’t needed to really go but he defintely needed space.

Stepping into the bathroom and reaching for the sink, he froze when he felt a small hand around his neck, a finger over his jugular and a gun barrel directly in the back of his head.

“Neat trick Bella. You are defintely full of surprises. How did you manage to sneak into a house full of vampires without them hearing your heartbeat?”

He couldn’t see her face in the mirror as she stood behind his massive frame but could see and feel the claw that extended from one finger and poked his throat.

“A Jaguar shifter called Arana taught me . Meditation, control your heartbeat and breathing to match those humans around you, doesn’t allow for vampires to distinguish between the two as long as the vampires are in the same general area as the human. I knew you would be uncomfortable and eventually split from the pack.” her young voice told him. “Of course they hear our voices now and know I am here but I have what I want. Move to the living room. Don’t bother trying to take me down. We both know you can’t and I would hate to ruin Esme’s wall with your blood and trust me there will be a lot. Move now, slowly.”

The two made towards the living room, Bella’s hand wrapped around his neck, claw poised to strike and a gun in her other hand never leaving his skull.

When they entered the living room, silence awaited, everyone in shock.

“On your knees.” Bella told the man.

“I don’t think so…” Mac started to tell him before his knee was bent by her leg and the man felt himself pushed to his knees.

The room stared in shock at Bella, suited up in black, gun pressed against the man’s head and one single claw poised to enter his jugular.

“I need the room to have a conversation with my partner here. If everyone could leave, I would be grateful.” she told everyone with eerily calm, her face giving away nothing.

“Bella…” Rose started.

“Now Rosalie. I will call you back in when it is safe. Let me handle this.”

“Bella, I have read his mind. He is not our enemy. Ask Jasper what he is feeling.” Edward suggested.

Jasper actually grinned. “I have a hunch he is wishing he had actually used the toilet before she surprised him. Bella, its going to be okay. Let him explain.”

“Everybody out of the house now!” Bella shouted.

Connolly stepped forward. “Bela, I know this is confusing…”

“You knew him from the military once, correct? Probably saved his ass. Unless you want to have that act be in vain, I suggest you all leave and allow me to have a nice conversation with your friend. Leave now. I won’t say it again.”

Carlisle looked at Connolly and the man nodded.

“It’s okay.” Mac assured him. “Me and Bella probably need to get some things straight, alone. Give us the room.”

The room emptied too slowly for Bella’s taste but they were alone. At least the vampires were on the bottom floor.

“Take the gun slowly from your shoulder holster and throw it away.”

“I don’t…”

“I can smell the oil and gunpowder. It smells familiar, special ammo, right? Already starting off with a lie, not that I am surprised. Toss it to the other side of the room. I won’t ask again.”

Mac slowly did as instructed, pulling the sidearm from under his coat and tossing it across the room.

“You plan to shoot the Cullens?”

Mac shook his head. “No, but I never go anywhere unprepared. I imagine you can understand that.”

Mac felt a kick to his back sending him sprawling to the ground, away from her clawed finger. She still had a gun aimed towards him. He was also not encouraged by the yellow eyes she was displaying.

“If you are here and a squad of Jaguars isn’t, you didn’t tell Mother about them. You weren’t supposed to find out, ever. They are my friends. So why didn’t you tell Mother? All I can think of is you plan to betray her. Am I wrong?”

Mac shook his head and actually smiled. “I plan to betray her? What exactly are you doing with your black ops team and vamp squad?”

Bella’s face gave no reaction to the question. It remained stone, impossible to read. Mac had seen girls look like this before, usually after torture or as Erin liked to call it, strength training. A complete lack of emotion trained since they first felt pain as young girls. He wasn’t fooled though, Bella had plenty of emotions flowing through her right now and none of them were good.

“I never planned to betray her. I planned to betray the Organization, bring it down, burn it all. My friends were going to help me. I knew some would die but they would try regardless. That bothered me but I knew the Organization had to go down, at least be injured. I thought I could maybe get the girls out, and we could all hide.”

Mac snorted. “How exactly do you think you can betray the Organization and not Hildebrand?”

“Mother is a slave to the Organizations whims. I would set her free, give her a place to live, to hide until this is over. I didn’t see another choice. I could free the girls, stop the Jaguar program and keep her safe and hidden.”

“Yet you asked Connolly to kill her?”

Bella shook her head slightly. “I would never to let that happen. I would have her clear before anyone could take a shot at her. She would understand I did it to set her free. I thought this was my only chance, to save my sisters and her. But Mother gave me hope. She has her own plans to take the Organization, change things for the better. No one, not my friends or father would be in danger. I thought we were going to do that together. It will still be done, but you won’t see it. What was your plan? You told Connolly, right? You wouldn’t have come to this house; he wouldn’t have let you find out about the Cullens unless you had a solid plan and believed you were on his side. That means you plan to betray Mother, wait until she was in a position of power and take out the whole Council starting with her, right? You heard Mother. I was at the top of my class in tactics.”

“So what do you think you are going to do?” he asked.

“I’m going to send everyone, even Charlie to Alaska, tell Mother you killed Charlie and tried to kill me. I’ll tell her about your betrayal and the two of us will see her at the top. Then things will change. I can’t believe you have been with her for years, gained her trust and then turn on her. Actually I can. Nothing surprises me anymore.”

Mac hook his head sadly. “I can’t believe you girls have let her torture you for years and you still worship her, never saw her for what she really was. I can’t believe you don’t know the truth about her. Before you kill me, you need to know one important thing. Hildebrand killed Julie. I can prove it.”

Bella stepped back, her face no longer stone but now filled with fury.

“Liar! Why would I believe anything you say? Julie’s death was my fault! She was supposed to stay behind me. I would turn and take out any threats to her when I felt her back against mine. I am the one who lost myself, decided going after the two old ones was more important than watching her. Her death is on me!”

“Then if you are so sure, you have nothing to lose by looking at the evidence. All battles are kept on file. The laptop Vivian has kept up with everyone of your GPS units, told the time of your sisters’ death, showed your movements. No one ever looked back at the Italian mission. No reason anybody had to until today. Vivian discovered it after Connolly told her to. What did you think would happen if Julie and you survived? You would still have been field agents, sent to separate locations.”

Bella shook her head. “Mother would never allow that. She said me and Julie could be together! Mother would never take Julie from me! Never!”

Mac nodded. “You’re right. If Julie survived, she would have a big problem. She needed your trust. your love. Julie was in the way. Julie never had a chance to stay at your back. As soon as the fighting broke out, Hildebrand sent a kill code to Julie’s chip in her head. She had a seizure making her easy prey for a vampire to break her neck. She never told me, only said that Julie was a problem, that she had her use but now she needed her gone. Erin planned to send you to Forks if you survived weeks before the mission. She knew you would be upset, pissed off at her if she separated the two of you. She wanted you here, lonely, stuck with a father you could not stand, a team she thought were reckless weapons that would kill you at the first sign of trouble. Everything she has ever done has been to manipulate you, her greatest weapon into relying on her and her alone.”

“Liar!” Bella screamed, moving towards the man and placing her tiny hands on his neck, fingers poised to turn.

“He isn’t lying, Bella. I wish he were.” a new voice told her. Bella looked to her left and saw Vivian had walked into the room. “You can kill him, kill me, kill the world if you want to but it won’t change the truth. See it before you go on a murdering spree.”

Bella let go of Mac’s neck and stepped back grabbing her hair and turning from the two.

“Mother wouldn’t do that. She wouldn’t do that to me. She loves me. I know that. I believe her. Her heart rate didn’t change, her blood pressure didn’t rise… she was telling me the truth. She loves me and needs me.” Bella mumbled.

Mac stood up shakily. “You were scared of fire when you were fourteen and she through you in a furnace! Let her chain you, pour gasoline on you and lit you on fire!” he yelled. “You cannot be that stupid. People don’t do that to other people, much less loved ones! She got off on it! You know how many times she watched you and Julie have sex? Any idea? You really think that Winston would have dared to torture you when you went back to the Base? Nobody does anything to you girls unless she approves it! You know this! She set him up because she didn’t have a need for him anymore. He might have gone outside the Base and told someone in the Organization about your increased strength. She set you up to kill two people following her orders and then kill and eat a guy! She wanted you to be rid of any morals you might have picked up on the outside. Wonder why she cut the guy’s tongue out? So he couldn’t tell you what she did. You are so good at tactics? Tell me, why would she allow something like that to happen in a place she has absolute control over?”

“Everything she has ever done has been to make me stronger! Everything!”

“She did it to make you tame. Everything she has done since you were old enough to talk was to make you her pet and hers alone. Her tamed jungle cat who attacked at her word! If you are so stuck in your beliefs watch what Vivian found! Vivian has no reason to lie. You can take the laptop yourself and look. Look at old missions, missions you have been involved in, compare them the Italian mission. You are more than smart enough to determine if the program has been tampered with. She had a computer engineer teach you how to hack when you were 11. Why would you need that skill to fight? Because she knew, even then that one day you could be the key to her rise in power. Look at it! You can kill me afterward if you don’t believe it. The problem is, you do. Your smart. You love her and she loves what you can do for her. The perfect assassin, the one girl that could lead the other Jaguars in an uprising against the Organization, the legend that they would follow through Hell! A part of you knows, though right? Some part in the back of your mind is whispering that I am not lying. Take a look Bella. I know it won’t be easy but take a look.”

Bella stared at the man for a moment, debating slashing his throat and taking whatever lies away from Vivian that were stored on that computer.

She decided to let him live for the moment and walked towards Vivian who handed her the laptop. Bella was surprised at the expression on the woman’s face. She didn’t see fear, but sadness. Her eyes were wet.

“I’m sorry.” Vivian whispered.

Bella did not respond, moving to the couch and placing the laptop on the coffee table.

She didn’t have to use a log in, she didn’t have one regardless. These computers were tightly controlled yet this woman had broken through.

Bella searched through every mission she had been on, reliving them in her mind and seeing the action reflected on the screen. Checking the underlying programming and hidden codes it was easy for her to see that the software hadn’t been tampered with. The battles played out on the screen exactly as they had in real time.

With a shaky finger she clocked on what was simply called the Italian mission.

She saw the familiar designation numbers of her sisters and hers, saw Julie in the middle while Bella stood directly in front of her, on the outside of the circle so she could attack first.

Bella remembered every detail, knew how her sisters were lined up, Vivian had no way to know this.

The battle started, Bella watching the designation numbers around her.

Julie was behind her as planned, knowing Bella planned to find and attack the oldest and most likely strongest first.

As soon as the action started Julie’s designation number showed red.

Then it disappeared. Others started disappearing in the room, indicating when her sisters died, but her attention was on the spot that Julie’s number disappeared. It was the exact spot that Bella found Julie’s body, her neck snapped in two. No other injuries had been on her body. Why would there be? She was paralyzed, an easy kill, no defensive or offensive wounds present.

Bella had been in anguish when she found her lovers body, cradling it to her own. She never thought about it until now. Julie wasn’t defenseless. Bella spent many hours training her personally. Yes, she was physically weaker than the rest but she would have fought, watched Bella’s back.

But she didn’t. Her designation number lit up in red before it disappeared.

A kill code. Designed to paralyze a girl by sending several shocks to the brain, rendering them powerless to fight back.

Only one woman had access to those codes during a mission. Mother.

This could not be right.

But even if Vivian changed the code there should have been defensive marks on Julie. The school costume they had all worn for infiltration wasn’t even torn.

She never had a chance.

It could have been Hanover.

No it couldn’t. Mother was in the room No one would have allowed to touch the controls during a mission besides her.

She stared at the screen, her mind in turmoil, searching for any reason this could have happened.

“No.” she whispered. “No.

The two humans in the room said nothing. She glanced at Vivian and saw she was crying silently.

“No.” she told the woman.

Bella looked at Mac who was now seated in a chair. The man met her eyes and shook his head.

“I’m sorry Bella. I didn’t know until after it had been done. I’m not sure what I could have done to stop it even if I had known. I wasn’t in the room. Hildebrand had me interrogating the man who handled the Coven’s money, get all his passwords and send the laundered money to her account. Its how she planned to finance her operation, get people in the right places. They had a lot of money that wouldn’t be reported stolen. It’s in her hands now.”

“Your lying. You have to be.” Bella told him, even as her mind was collapsing on itself.

“You know I’m not. I didn’t want you to find out this way, but Connolly didn’t want to hide the truth from you. He was right. You deserved to know the truth about the monster you plan on helping take control of the evilest group of people to ever walk this Earth.”

“She loves me. She wouldn’t do this to me. Julie was the only good I had in that place. She was everything to me.” Bella told him, her voice almost pleading.

“That was the problem. She wanted you to herself. She used Julie, let the two of you be together to cement your gratitude, to use her life as a threat if you should ever fail or disobey her. I am truly sorry, Bella.”

Bella stood up and began pacing, her eyes yellow, claws extended, wanting a target, wanting to destroy something.

This was too much.

Everything she had done to make herself stronger, every torture she endured at her Mother’s orders, the times she knelt at the woman’s feet and allowed her to be petted, slept on the corner of her bed, all to protect humans, to protect her Mother.

It was too much. Despair was turning to anger, back to disbelief then anger. An overwhelming grief followed by rage she had never felt in her life.

No, Bella had to leave. She needed to leave.

“No. She couldn’t… she did. No this isn’t possible. My whole life I have tried to… no! Not this. I would forgive her anything but this! She had to know that! She wanted Julie out of her way. I worked so hard to keep Julie safe! Everything I volunteered for was to show her Julie didn’t make me weak! She was mine! She was the only thing I had and my… Mother. How could she? Why would she do that? I would have done anything, killed anyone to keep Julie safe. Why would she do this!? I have given everything to her! All I wanted for myself… No!”

Bella fell to her knees and grabbed her short hair, trying to pull it out. Her hair though was as strong as her body and she had no chance tugging her head into her knees.

Mac walked slowly towards her and placed a hand on her back.

Bella swung, launching the man across the room into the bookshelf carved into the far wall.

“Don’t touch me! No! No! No!”

Bella’s mind was slowly being overcome with greater rage. Her mind had been working through too many emotions, but they were disappearing.

“I’m going to slaughter her. I’m going to eat her intestines while she watches, light her on fire, watch her burn. I’m going to tell her its for her own good. I’ll torture her first. I will make her feel it all! Every beating, burning, whipping! She will suffer. I will follow that bitch to Hell and keep torturing her! She won’t… No!”

Bella stood and felt a power wash over her she had never felt before, her body shifted, she felt it all but hardly paid attention, her mind focused on all the things she wanted to do to Hildebrand.

She didn’t care that she was on four legs, the gain in mass. She felt stronger than ever before in her life. The agony she felt, her mind splitting, memories assaulting her, Bella embraced her Jaguar form and crashed through the large window, hitting the ground, her primal instinct taking over and ran, not to get away but to find something to destroy.

The rest of the house had been listening to Bella’s screams then heard the window shattering.

Everyone ran to the second level taking in Mac slowly rising from the ground, the shattered box shelf behind him and Vivian with her hands over her eyes to try and stem the flow of tears.

“What happened? Where is Bella?” Connolly asked.

“She lost her mind and turned full Jaguar.” Mac told him, then moaning as he stood. “I told you this was a bad idea.”

Connolly looked at Carlisle and the Cullens exited through the shattered window to follow.

“Be careful!” Mac shouted. “She isn’t herself right now. She may not remember she is part human.”

The people in the room stood except for Charlie who had bent on his knees, not bothering to hold back tears.

Ten minutes later the Cullens returned.

“She made for the border of La Push.” Carlisle told the room. “I’ll call Billy, see if Sam can track her. Sam cannot approach. We don’t know her mental state but she may well be out of control.”

“You couldn’t cross the border regardless? They are already changing!” Charlie pointed out. “Just track her, bring her back.”

Edward shook his head. “We couldn’t Charlie. Before we got near the border a thick fog covered the area. Bella’s scent disappeared. It was so thick I couldn’t see through it. Almost unnatural. Is Leah still at your house? Maybe she can… feel something?”

Carlisle dismissed that idea. “We have no idea of her state of mind. Leah doesn’t need to be around her right now. Call Billy, ask if Sam can watch her from a distance but do not approach. She will come back. She won’t leave Leah again, not after the last week. All we can do is wait.”

Bella herself was not waiting, running through the forest at unbelievable speed, zigging in and out of trees effortlessly despite the fog. She ran across two deer lost in the fog and attacked, ripping them to pieces. The animal in her roared, warning everything around her that the most vicious predator on the planet was running through the tall trees that surrounded the La Push Reservation.

Hearing no other sounds of living creatures around her, blinded by the fog that affected even her eyesight, she stopped and began walking, silent in the night, stalking and waiting for the right prey to come along.

Bella recognized what had happened and should have been fearful. Instead she felt great joy at war with her rage, feeling free for the first time in her life. If only she could find Mother out here.

She pushed the thought of her Mother to the back of her feral brain, instead concentrating on where to travel to next.

Then a break in the fog, almost a path through just for her to follow. Seeing the clearest path, the Jaguar walked slowly though the break in the fog, as it opened up before her and almost beckoned her to follow.

She had been walking five minutes, following the opening when she finally heard sounds. The waves of the ocean crashing into the shore and the crackle of fire.

Poking her head out from the tree line, peering at the sands of First Beach, she saw a man in blue jeans and a long sleeved blue shirt, sitting by a campfire on a piece of driftwood.

She would have thought she should attack, feed, but her mind would not let her body take over even in this form.

The man looked up from the fire, grabbed a blanket from behind the log and walked towards her.

Bella released a quiet roar, more of a grumbling, to warn the man away. Instead of heeding her warning he continued walking until he was knelt in front of her.

“Sorry about the fog but I didn’t want anyone disturbing us. I’ve been wanting to talk to you for a while but wasn’t sure when the right time was. Something told me now might be a good time. Looks like you found the magic tonight, that magic hidden in your cells. I know you are in there Bella. Look me in the eye and relax. I’m going to touch the top of your head; help you relax so don’t bite my hand off.”

Bella stood on four legs, frozen, almost hypnotized by the man’s voice. His hand softly lay on top of her head and she immediately filled with warmth and a soothing emotion that relaxed her completely.

“I can’t do it for you. Only you can do it. I know you helped that Wolf Shifter out. I want to think of what you told him. Think of things that make you calm. Think about your father, Esme, Carlisle. Think about Ty buying you a stuffed animal and feeding you pizza. Think about Julie. Don’t be afraid to think about her, just remember the happy times. Think about Leah. You can feel her right now, can’t you? She is scared, scared you have run off forever. I know you don’t want her scared. You don’t want anyone scared. You can bring yourself back. All you have to do is want it.”

Bella stood still, keeping her yellow feline eyes on the man who dared to touch her.

“We need to talk.” he told her after a few minutes. “I don’t speak cat and even if I did something tells me you don’t say meow much. Work with me here girl. You are on guard and that’s okay. With a little work you will be able to change from human into your former shape or go all the way here. But first I need you on two legs again. Come on Bella. You can do it.”

Bella closed her eyes and did as he asked.

Before she realized it, the girl felt her human body return. She knelt on her hands and knees on the sand and felt a blanket put over the top of her.

Sitting up and wrapping the blanket around her small form, she took the hand of the man and shakily stood. She let him guide her to the wood across from him and sat.

“Who are you?” she finally asked.

The man grinned at her. “A friend. Name is Chris. My old friend Dave, the President asked me to look into what Connolly got him and his boys involved in. Wanted me to check out that place in Peru.”

Bella shook her head. “You couldn’t get near that place without being noticed.”

Chris shrugged his shoulders. “I guess you could say I am gifted in some respects. Remote viewing is one of them. I got within 40 miles and looked in. I couldn’t stay long I’m afraid. I got sick of what I saw. I found out enough though. Convinced David that Connolly would come up with a plan and to wait for his word. To be honest I wanted nothing to do with it after that. Figured I would let the politician do what he does and the soldiers do what they do. But I couldn’t stay away from you. I got a feeling everything hinges on you Bella.”

Bella looked at the sand beneath her feet, not understanding what the man was talking about. Remote viewing, causing an unnaturally thick fog bank? Stuff of magic. They weren’t big on magic at the Base.

“Why would you care? It isn’t your problem. Why are you here?”

“Because I had a strong feeling you might need me tonight and I tend to follow my feelings. I hail from Wyoming. Got a ranch out there, take in kids with different abilities and teach them to control those gifts, let them hide while teaching them about the world, and what they will face when they are in it. I guess you could say I got a soft spot for young lost souls. They don’t get much more lost than yours kid.”

“You train children with supernatural gifts. Are you part of…”

“Don’t say it.” the man quickly told her. “I am not affiliated with any Government. There are no guards at my ranch, no scientists conducting experiments and they are free to leave whenever they wish. None of them have homes though. They been kicked out or their parents tried to kill them or exercise some nonexistent demon they believe is possessing their child. I got friends from all walks of life, from mailmen to the President. I get tips on the locations of these kids and offer them a safe haven. Someplace they can learn to control their powers, then they can decide if they ever want to use them again or not.”

Bella snorted. “Seems to good to be true.”

Chris shook his head. “Most recent child was 6 and her mother tried to burn the house down around them because the little girl was telekinetic. Mommy died and kid barely escaped with her life. It is far from too good to be true. I got more kids than Carlisle Cullen, but we make do. The older ones are watching the younger ones tonight. Most of them anyway. I brought Rachel with me.”

“Rachel?”

Chris nodded and put another branch on the fire. “16 year old girl, been able to see the other side since she can remember. Haunted by ghosts, some not so nice, until we learned to turn it off in a way, built her guards up, even while she is sleeping. She hasn’t had an experience since she was 12 until recently. Now she has a soul on the other side banging on her shields day and night, begging her to find you. I brought her with me. She is in the truck. Wasn’t sure if I could really calm you down and wouldn’t take the chance with her.”

Bella said nothing, her mind in turmoil from the truths she had learned tonight.

“Life ain’t fair.” Chris told her. “Evil exists, but so do those born to stop it. Evil has to be brought down. These people that raised you, those girls under her thrall, the girls out there that desire to be free, its on you now Bella. Nobody should have the burdens placed on their shoulders like you have had, but you already know that. The question is what are you going to do about it?”

Bella sat silently staring at the fire, feeling exhausted. The exhilaration she had felt earlier was gone. Now she just wanted to sleep.

“What can I do about it? Mother took everything away from me. I’ll take her life. I just need sleep, then I will find her, stalk her and kill her slowly.”

Chris nodded. “Okay, then what?”

“Then someone will probably take me down. If it happens it happens.”

“No one will replace her?” the man asked. Those girls will get some other sadistic bastard to take over. Never be free? What about those other kids around the world? Anybody gonna help them?”

Bella shrugged her shoulder, irritated. “I can’t save everyone. I’m only one person. One cat, one monster.”

“No,” Chris agreed, “You can’t save everyone by yourself. But you can save everyone with this team you got around you. They can’t do it without you and you can’t do it without them. You’re hurtin right now. I get that. I bet your mind is in all sorts of turmoil, wondering if your whole life has been a lie, second guessin every move you have ever made. Probably wondering if you had hidden your love for that girl of yours, if she would still be alive. You loved her but you got another woman you love and don’t know what to do with that. The only woman who ever showed you the smallest amount of maternal love until recently is every bit the monster you always hoped she wouldn’t be. You got a ton of problems on your head Bella. I regret this had to happen to you, but it did, so how are you going to deal with it? You think ripping her up is going to change anything? What about five seconds later, after she is dead. Nothing will have changed. She needs to go down but all of them do. Revenge isn’t healthy for the soul so make this about more than revenge. Make it about saving everyone and killing all their tormentors, especially Hildebrand. Make it count Bella.”

Bella took a deep breath, trying to take this in.

“Clear your mind.” Chris whispered. “I’m going to call Rachel over. She wants to take you to the spirit world, the land between what could be considered Heaven and what is defintely Hell. Its a place where the souls of loved ones stay and watch over the living until they decide to move on. Someone on that plain of existence wants to talk to you pretty bad to be given Rachel headaches all day and night. Think you can calm yourself long enough for that?”

Bella almost laughed. “You are… your full of… full of shit. You brought me out here to tell me its on me to take the whole Organization down and then tell me some ghost is bothering one of your kids? You expect me to buy this?”

“I’m not selling. Won’t cost you a thing to try it out. I got a feeling you need to speak to this person.”

Bella shook her head. “You can’t talk to the dead. They are just dead. The dead don’t care about the living.”

A new voice, a young female voice spoke from the fog.

“Would you just let me do this so this girl will leave me the hell alone? It’s like tapping water on my forehead constantly.”

Bella took in the girl, a raven haired girl with hair flowing down her back, wearing a flannel shirt, faded blue jeans and black combat boots.

“Rachel why don’t you have a seat by Bella?”

Bella tensed a bit when the girl sat by her, practically on top of her.

“Don’t let me see teeth or I will leave your soul where we are going, got it? I can be pretty scary too.” Rachel told her.

Bella laughed despite herself. “No doubt. So where exactly are you taking my nonexistent soul?”

“Glad you asked.” the girl told her, placing her hand on Bella’s forehead. Bella saw darkness, then a flash of light, felt herself falling then hovering in the middle of darkness.

Then a light… a sun rose and the land around her was clear.

She was in Peru, in the rain forest, her designated area outside the Compound. It was next to Julies and the two would sneak into each other’s territory often.

She knew it was the Jaguar in her, but Bella always loved this place, full of beauty and dangers, shadows and sunlight, humidity, the sound of creatures roaming as far as she could hear, even the tree snakes sliding between branches. It was nature in perfect harmony, life and death, growth and decay in a never ending cycle.

Rachel was standing beside her. Before she could ask where the hell, they were a movement of branches caught Bella’s attention.

Julie. She was radiant, the smile on her face seemed so natural, so at peace. She wore a long flowing white gown and her hair was as wavy and luxurious as it was before. Her eyes somehow seemed even bluer.

“Julie.” Bella whispered.

“Julie, huh?” Rachel asked. “I got her here. Can you stop interrupting my sleep now?”

The blonde nodded but her eyes never left Bella’s.

“Thank you.” Julie answered.

“No problem. I’ll leave you two alone.”

Bella felt the grass under her bare feet, felt the breeze blow across her skin, knew she was wearing some type of dress but unable to look away from the girl she loved.

Julie stepped forward and brought Bella in closer, hugging her tighter.

“I can feel you. Is this real? It’s you?”

Julie pulled back, keeping her hands on Bella’s shoulders.

“I’ve missed you so much.” the blonde told her.

“God I missed you too.. Where are we?”

Julie laughed; the laugh Bella missed so much. “Didn’t Chris tell you? Of course he did. I’ve been watching Bella, watching over you. This is the only place I could do so. I haven’t moved on yet. I had to know you would be okay. Now I do. Now I can move on, over there.”

Bella followed Julie’s finger and saw a bright light the size of a large doorway.

“What is there?”

“A place of perfect peace and love. Can’t you feel it. I stayed behind, I had to say goodbye because now I know you will be okay. When the time comes, I will be waiting for you through that door. You will be with me and all your loved ones. Many of our sisters have passed through that door. Tracy is there. She was so happy when she went through.”

“Can we go now?” Bella asked excitedly.

Julie shook her head. “Its not your time. You still have work to do. You have lives to save, lives that need to be ended. You will know peace when your time comes. I will open the door for you. I need you to be strong now. You have to do what must be done. Then… you are going to have to live your life.”

Bella shook her head annoyed. “You gave a 16 year old girl a headache to give me a pep talk? Julie I will get justice for you. Then we will move on, together.”

“Not until our sisters are free, until no child is ever kidnapped and experimented on. Bella, she is a liar, evil in every sense of the word but they all have to go. That’s what I want. Give that to me. Tear down everything she wants before you send her to Hell. Do it for all of us. You are the only one strong enough to do it. Free them Bella. Burn it all to the ground.”

Bella began crying, unable to hold back the tears. Her chest burned; her stomach felt sick. This had to be real or she would not be able to feel this pain.

“Are you going now? To that place?”

“As soon as you promise me something.”

“I would never turn you down.” Bella told her quickly.

“Love again.”

Bella nearly recoiled from her but Julie’s hands stayed strong.

“It’s okay to love again, Bella. Only love will keep you from losing yourself. I know you love her. Its okay. Where we will be one day, there is no hatred or jealousy. There will be nothing but love. You can have that now, on Earth. You deserve it. It would break my heart if you didn’t. You can’t do this without her. She loves you. You love her. Stop fighting the feeling. Open your heart. If you promise to do that, to let her love you, I can go in peace and wait for you. Promise me Bella. Don’t let me hold you back from love. Let her in.”

“I didn’t want to betray you.” Bela whispered.

“Only love here Bella. You aren’t betraying me. I don’t want to see you sad. I want to move on, knowing you will join me one day after you have known happiness. Leah, everyone you love will be here one day as well. No more fighting, no more pain. But while you are alive, the fight must go on. You re stronger than Hildebrand, you have always been the strongest person I know. It has nothing to do with what she did to us or what you think she made you. That was you. Your heart made you who you are. You are not a monster. You are my hero and you always have been. Do what needs to be done. I have to go now. It’s Leah’s turn to take care of you, and you will take care of her. Promise me, don’t lose your heart.”

Bella pulled Julie closer, burying her face in the long blonde hair.

“I won’t. I won’t lose my heart. I miss you so damn much.”

“I miss you too, Love. We will be together one day.”

“What if I can’t get in? I am going to leave a trail of blood in my wake.”

Julie nodded. “Sometimes that has to be done. Do it for the right reasons, do it to those who deserve it. Besides I’ll keep the door open for you. Nobody can turn me down, you know that.” she told her with a wicked grin.

“You are going?” Bella asked, tears streaming freely down her face. Julie used a finger to wipe one away.

“Do what has to be done but live. Love. Promise me.”

Bella chocked back a sob. “I promise.”

Julie kissed her gently on the mouth and turned, Bella watched her walk to the door made of light. The blonde turned once more and winked at her, then she was gone.

Bella wailed, not noticing that Rachel had returned from wherever she had been. She didn’t feel the girl’s cool hand grabbing hers.

She didn’t know she was back on the beach of La Push, face first in the sand crying.

When she finally opened her eyes, she realized the sun was rising.

Chris was still sitting on the log he had been the night before. Bella saw he had been crying as well. She crawled to her knees and shakily stood up.

The man took her in his arms and squeezed her tight.

“When the time comes, when you need me, I will always be there. I swear Bella. Its gonna hurt. Its gonna hurt for a long time. Take that hurt, let yourself feel it, accept it and use it. Just don’t get lost in it. Okay?”

Bella wiped the dirt from her face and nodded.

“I will do what needs to be done. No matter what it takes, I will bring her down and her prize along with her. I will set my sisters free. But I will take pleasure in killing her.”

Chris shrugged his shoulders. “I would expect nothing less Bella. It won’t fix things though. Only love can do that. Understand?”

Bella nodded. Chris patted her on her shoulder and walked away.

She found herself alone on the beach finally. She walked to the spot where the gentle waves were rolling into the sand and sat staring at the horizon, wrapped in the blanket Chris had given her.

She heard the noises behind her but wasn’t concerned. She knew who was there.

Charlie sat down on one side of her, Leah on the other. Neither said anything, just comforting her by their presence.

“Dad?”

“Yeah Bella?”

“What happened to Mom’s body? Was she buried in Florida?”

“No. It would probably annoy the hell out of her but I buried her in Forks. I thought if you ever came back, she would want to be near you in some way. She is buried at the cemetery.”

Bella suspected this but had never been able to bring herself to ask. She supposed now was the time.

“Would you take me there?”