Catharsis
By Mama4Dukes
Chapter #:
Charlie Swan followed Alison Uley out of the Ateara house, shortly after the pack left to phase. She was visibly upset, and he felt she shouldn’t be alone. He’d known her since kindergarten. They were classmates together and they graduated from Forks High School in the same year. She was one of his oldest friends.
She stormed into her house. He followed her inside. “Why?” Her agonized scream reverberated through the house. “Why does this crap happen to us? We don’t need this!”
She grabbed a throw pillow and threw it across the room in rage. Charlie caught it with one hand.
“Oh, Charlie. I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize you were here.”
He tossed the pillow onto a chair and approached her. “Come here,” he whispered gently, brought her to the sofa and sat down with her before wrapping his arms around her and holding her so she could cry. “We’re all in over our heads sometimes, and it’s okay to ask for help when we are. I’m here for you, Ali.”
Alison Uley looked into Charlie Swan’s sympathetic eyes and realized that, in him, she had a comrade. Just as she had been hit with crap, left and right, so had he. She had been so focused on her own family’s issues that she hadn’t realized that Charlie had gone through hell and back, too.
“You know, it just gets to be too much sometimes. You know how Josh used to beat me?”
“I do. I was the arresting officer.”
She had forgotten about that fact completely. “Afterwards, I had no one to help me. My older sister Shelly was too into her career and family to help, and no one from the extended Uley family even acknowledged me. Even Sue Clearwater, who is an Uley by birth, was cold and distant. The Uleys acted as if it was my fault that Josh was arrested. I was the one who brought shame onto the Uley name for having had him arrested.” She paused to grab a tissue and dab the tears away from her eyes. “The only person who was there for me was Old Quil Ateara and his family. He made sure that I could stay in our house and encouraged me to further my education because, without it, I wouldn’t be able to raise Sammy properly. The Atearas even babysat Sammy so I could go to school and work.”
“It was very nice of them to step up when others who should have did not.”
“It was. Everything seemed to be going well in our lives, and then two and a half years ago, those damned Cullens moved to Forks. Since Sammy attended Forks High School, he was exposed to the vampires more often than the others, and he had to drop out of school in October of that year. He was only seventeen years old. He had no idea what was going on, and the rest of the elders only knew what to do by what was written in the archives. A year later, more wolves phased. Sammy’s ex-girlfriend Leah Clearwater and his half-brother Embry Call imprinted on each other. Sammy lost his girlfriend and his brother in one shot. I have to admit that I’m happy about the girlfriend. I never liked Leah or her mother. I know that Embry feels horrible about the situation, but he has explained to me that he can’t control his feelings.”
“Billy has explained a little about this imprinting thing. I had no idea that Sam had imprinted on my Bella.”
“Neither did I! That came as a complete and total surprise to me, but it seemed as though Bella also had no idea.” She took a deep breath. “Things started looking up once the Cullens left. Sammy was back in school after a two year absence, he became friends with a terrific group of friends, and he had a fantastic new girl who he wouldn’t admit was his girlfriend.”
“Yeah, you’ve got that right. I don’t know how many times I got ‘Sam is just my best friend, Daddy’ from Bella.”
“Well, Bella is part of the good that happened to Sammy. It’s this next thing that I can’t seem to wrap my mind around. How am I supposed to deal with the return of Levi and Ellen Uley. If those two had been around, maybe Josh wouldn’t have turned into an abusive felon. They should have been around to assist Sammy and me after Josh did what he did. They should have been around to guide Sammy and to lead the pack. How can they suddenly return now after all these years?”
“I don’t have an answer to your question, Ali. I wish I did, but I don’t. Heck, I don’t even have answers to any of the convoluted muck that has happened in my life. All I can tell you is that life happens, and you just have to roll with the changes it brings forth. Regardless of how you interpret that, you can’t blame Ellen and Levi for the choices they made or the ones their future descendants made in their absence. Consider this scenario, if Sam decided to go out and rob a bank today, would it be a choice he made or one you made for him?”
“Of course it would be a choice made by him.”
“Then can you blame his great-grandparents for the actions of others?”
“No, because there comes a point when every person has to accept responsibility for his or her actions.”
Charlie nodded his head. “This year has been hell for me, but it has also been miraculous for me as well.” He paused to look in her eyes. “You and I have each had things thrown at us that no parent should go through, but we managed to make it through just fine because we knew that we had no choice, but to accept the changes as they came and adjust to them.”
“I know, Charlie, but some of the moments were sheer hell! I’m just one person, I can’t do it alone anymore!”
“Well, then, it’s a good thing you have me, Miss Alison Ataruk.”
“I haven’t been called by my maiden name in years.”
Charlie chuckled. “To me you’ll always be my Ali.” Then he kissed her. It was kiss that contained every ounce of caring and tenderness that he had for her. She knew it in her heart, too, because she had never been kissed with as much feeling as she had been just now.
Ali knew the moment that their lips met that in Charlie Swan she had found the companion of her future life-her soulmate, if you will. When she thought long and hard about it, Charlie Swan had always been in her life, in one way or another. And he was the only one with whom she could be completely honest and upfront with, especially now with all of the supernatural ridiculousness that fate had thrown at their kids.
She turned to him, and with all earnestness, said, “You’d better not let me down, Charlie Swan.”
“Are you kidding me? I finally have you in my arms, I’m never letting you go.” As an afterthought, he added, “I mean that in the non-stalker way, of course.”
They spent the rest of the evening kissing, talking, and simply relaxing in each other’s arms. They wondered why it had taken them so many years to get to this point, but knew in their hearts that, from this point on, they would always have each other to rely on.
Sam walked into the Ateara household with the rest of the wolves. He searched for Bella, who wasn’t in the house.
“She’s at my house with Rachel.”
“Who?” Sam asked Billy.
“Bella. That’s who you were looking for, right?”
“Right. Uh, thanks.”
“You’re welcome, Sam. You deserve her. I’ve known Bella all my life. She’s a good girl. I’m just glad that she came to her senses about the Cullen monster.”
“He had her under his control the entire time, Billy. And I’m pretty sure that he was using her to get high off-almost like a drug.”
“How do you figure that?”
“Bella told me that he once said to her that she was like a drug to him, and compared her blood’s addictive qualities to heroin.”
“That’s atrocious! Those Cullens are a menace. I don’t know why the treaty was ever made with them! My grandfather was an idiot!”
“We were outnumbered and uneducated,” Levi Uley stated. “Plus, they seemed to know what we were thinking all the time. They were always a step ahead of us.”
“That’s because Edward Cullen can read minds. According to Bella, the new members of their coven-those who’ve joined since your original pack was active-are even more powerful. One can control emotions while the other can see into the future.”
“Good God! How are we supposed to compete against that?”
“I have no idea, but I fear we haven’t seen the last of them,” Billy mused, then smiled at Sam. “It’s Christmas. Go and find Bella and enjoy yourselves. I believe your great-grandfather, the elders, and I have a good deal of business that we need to discuss.”
“I will. Merry Christmas.” Sam left the party and headed to the Black residence. He was halfway there when Paul caught up with him.
“Hey.”
“What do you want?” Sam asked him impatiently.
“It’s just that my imprint likes your imprint, you know.”
“So?” Sam had never really gotten to know Paul or any of the other wolves. He didn’t know them well. Their interests didn’t align at all. On top of that, since he attended Forks High instead of the Tribal School, his friend base had always been different.
“I’m really sorry for calling your imprint a leech-lover. I really shouldn’t have, considering I’d never met her.”
Sam had no response. It was rude and uncalled for, but he was also aware of which wolf had the poison tongue, and it wasn’t Paul.
“I don’t really have many friends, you see. I mean, I know Jared from school, but he’s really into his imprint.”
“Jared has an imprint?” Sam asked surprised. He had missed out on so much since he returned to school.
“Yeah, her name is Kim. She’s a senior, like I am. She’s not like your Bella is at all. She’s nice and all, but she can’t stand the fact that Jared is a wolf, and she worries constantly about him.”
“I see.”
“Quil is the only one without an imprint now. I just imprinted yesterday. It’s just… it’s just that my imprint is really smart. She goes to college and she’s really different from the other imprints. I asked her to make it with me yesterday, and she told me to take a hike. She thinks for herself and speaks her mind. I think she thinks I’m young and stupid.”
Sam cursed under his breath. He didn’t have time to deal with this guy’s issues, but he couldn’t let him go on thinking that he was young and stupid. “You’re a little young, but not so much. It’s the same age difference between Bella and me. You’re not stupid either. You come up with some really good ideas. Just stop being an asshole. She’s a really nice girl. She was very studious. I know Rachel well. She was in my grade at Forks High during my first go in high school.”
Truth be told, had Sam not dropped out, Rachel would not have been the valedictorian of her senior class. Sam shook his head to snap out of his thoughts. There was no sense dwelling on what he missed out on due to the Cullens. He had to focus on what he had now.
“That’s why it’s scary, man. I’m used to girls falling at my feet. This one is so different. She barely gives me the time of day.”
“Be patient, Paul. Take it one day at a time with her.” Sam advised. “I got to know Bella extremely well before we even decided to date.”
“But she’s your imprint.”
“Yeah, and that doesn’t mean I swept right in and demanded that she be my girlfriend. I only finally kissed her today.”
“Wow! When did you imprint on her?”
“On September 19th.”
“But that was over three months ago!” Paul blurted in disbelief.
“I know, but when you think about it, you’re with your imprint for a lifetime. Spending three months getting to know her is just a small sacrifice, and well worth the effort. Besides, Bella is my best friend now. How many wolves can say that about their imprints?”
Sam could tell that Paul was thinking about his statement.
“It’s important, isn’t it? To be friends with your imprint.”
“I’m no expert, but I would think that friendship is an important base for any relationship.”
“You’re probably right, but how do I become her friend?”
“Just listen to what she has to say, just like you’re doing with me now.”
Sam knocked on the door to the Black residence before Paul could reply to his comment. He entered the house after Rachel called out that he could come in. The girls were sitting at the dining table, sharing a frozen pizza they had just baked.
“Are you guys hungry? We have pizza and cookies,” Rachel offered.
The guys dove into eat. Sam, especially, hadn’t had any dinner so he was hungry.
Paul turned to Rachel. “Um, I’m sorry I asked if you’d make it with me yesterday. It was a cruddy move. We should get to know each other first. Maybe for a few months-like Sam did with Bella. I don’t mind. I’ll just jerk off until then.”
Rachel and Sam stared at Paul in shock, while Bella eyed him with amusement. “Okay, buddy, maybe you should learn how to think before you speak.”
“What do you mean?”
“Telling Rachel that you’re going to jerk off is simply too much information. None of us needed to know that, and contrary to what you think, it doesn’t turn her on.”
“But I thought chicks liked it when guys jerked off while thinking about them!”
“Truly, I have no idea where you got that information from, but I can tell you that it’s false. Women want to be respected, not objectified. Maybe you can start by complimenting her.”
“Sure. You have really nice hair and you’re really smart. I’m jealous that you’re smart.” He sighed and looked down at his toes. “I’m embarrassed because you’re way smarter than I am. I feel stupid around you.”
“You’re not stupid Paul. You just have to think before you speak. Listen, I was just telling Bella that this whole imprinting thing is new to me. It’s completely freaking me out to be honest with you. I’m only a sophomore in college, for God’s sake.”
“Oh.”
“I’m not dropping out of college. I’ve worked too hard for this.”
“So, are you going to reject me?” Paul asked with a worried expression.
“I’m not saying that. I probably can’t anyway. I just think we should be friends first.”
“I think that’s a good idea. Sam told me it’s a good idea, and he’s super smart.”
“Sam always has been a brainiac. I like his advice, though. We’ll start with being friends, but you have to work to improve yourself. That means you have to study hard in school so you can get good grades. You also have to consider what kind of career you want in the future. I won’t be with a slacker. How does that sound to you?” Rachel proposed.
“Man, you’re harsh, but okay. I’ll do all of those things.”
“And you have to work on being less of a jerk,” Bella added.
“Yes, you can’t be an asshole anymore,” Rachel agreed.
“Fine, but can you not add anymore stuff for me to do? I’m terrible at multi-tasking,” Paul replied.
“Of course.”
Two days later, Bella was in La Push for her first ‘official’ pack meeting. Emily had kindly brought homemade muffins for everyone to eat, which was a good thing because she was famished, having not had breakfast earlier. She thanked Emily, attempted to take one bite of the muffin, and decided that she could wait to eat.
While everyone else was paying attention to Levi Uley as he spoke, Bella was busy trying to figure out what was wrong with the muffin. She knocked on the side of it, and was stunned when it made a clacking sound. She tried to pull it apart in half, but the thing was as tough as nails.
So consumed was Bella with dissecting the muffin that she failed to realize that her name was being called. “Isabella Marie Swan!” She dropped the muffin onto the table, it landed with a thud, and she looked up to see a scowling Levi Uley standing in front of her. “Do you have problems with staying attentive?”
“No, no. I’m sorry. I was just distracted. What was it you wanted to ask me?”
“Were you not paying attention this entire time?”
“Yes,” she admitted. “Like I said, I was distracted.”
“Do you have photographs of the Cullens in your possession?”
“I do, actually. I have plenty.”
“Would it be possible for you to share some with us or at least allow us to take copies so that we may file them away in our archives for future generations?”
“Sure, sure. No problem.”
“Now that we’ve ascertained that Isabella has the photographs…”
“Yes, Isabella?” he asked, when he saw that her hand was raised.
“Why do you insist upon calling me Isabella?”
“Because it is a beautiful name, and you are a beautiful child; hence I call you Isabella.” He paused before speaking again. “Now that we know that Isabella will share the photographs with us for our archives, I believe it is time that we went over some ground rules. First of all there will be absolutely no belittling, disparaging, or insulting of each other-this rule applies to wolves as well as imprints. I’ve gone over this with the wolves already, but if you have an issue with another member of the pack-wolf or imprint-you bring it to my attention. The imprints may feel free to approach either Ellen or me. We will have no negativity within the pack, negativity is a weakness that can be damaging to us as a whole. We will run as one positive unit. This is because negativity of any kind-fear and anger-can easily lead to darker thoughts. We were chosen by the…”
Levi Uley paused again due to yet another interruption in the form of a snort and a giggle from his great-grandson’s imprint. “Isabella Marie Swan! What is it now?”
Bella noticed the eyes of the entire pack and elders on her. Some were looking upon her with curiosity, others with disdain. She shrugged her shoulders. “It’s just that I felt like you were lifting that last line from Yoda. ‘Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering.’ You sounded just like him, that’s why I was laughing.” She did a bit of quick thinking and added, “I always thought Yoda was wise.”
“Isabella, come over here,” Levi prompted.
“Sure, why?” She stood up and made her way over to him.
“Sit down right here and stop interrupting!”
“I can’t help it! My mind just comes up with these weird theories.”
“I know where she’s coming from,” Paul agreed. “I mean, when you were saying your little spiel, I thought you were going to go into Yoda’s luminous beings quote. I can’t quite remember it.”
“Ooh! Ooh! I know! It’s ‘Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter,’ which would completely make sense because since all of you are wolves, you were chosen by the great spirit to represent the good and the light and combat the dark side, like vampires.”
“I told you she was like a Hok’wat Quileute!” Jake nodded his head at Emily and Leah. “There’s nothing outsider about her.”
“Enough! We are completely off-topic! Yes, Isabella and Yoda are correct. Did I really just say that out loud?” Levi shook his head. “You were chosen specifically-wolves and imprints alike-by the spirit gods to maintain peace in our lands. We cannot have any sort of divisiveness amongst ourselves. Wolves have one absolute law.” He turned to Leah to say the next part. “Imprints must be protected. A wolf cannot ever hurt another wolf’s imprint-by words or by action. If this is deliberately done, the wolf and his brother’s have a right to end your life.”
Leah’s eyes widened and she gulped. She nodded, indicating she understood, and sat down quietly to reflect upon what she had been told. She would have to change her attitude towards Bella Swan. There was absolutely no room for jealousy in the pack.
“Now that we all understand each other. I suggest we reconvene in two days so that we may take a good look at the photos of the Cullens and commit their likenesses to our memories. We need to learn all we can about them, and we now have insider information.”
“Bella, this is so cool! You’re like a rebel spy!” Paul chortled.
“I know, right?”
Levi Uley shook his head. “Meeting is adjourned. See you at ten am on the 29th!”
As soon as the meeting concluded, Sam and Bella made their way to his house to hang out together for the day. The meeting hadn’t been as bad as he thought it would be, especially with Bella interrupting his great-grandfather with her Star Wars theories.
“Hey, why weren’t you paying attention at the beginning of the meeting?” Sam asked curiously.
“Oh, I was trying to dissect Emily’s muffin.” She dug it out of her pocket and tapped it on the kitchen counter.
“Are you serious? That’s really a muffin?”
“Supposedly it is. I think she either forgot to put baking powder in it or she stirred the batter too much. My bet is on the baking powder.”
“I won’t be eating any of her baked goods in the future.”
“Neither will I.”
“Speaking of baked goods. I’m kind of hungry. How about you?”
“I’m famished. I had no idea that I was going to a pack meeting this meeting until you came to get me.”
“Sorry.” He approached her and kissed her on the lips several times. “I found out about it last night.” He kissed her again. “Should we see what’s in my fridge? My mom is a really good cook.”
They heated up some leftover mac and cheese. Sam fried up some bacon to go with it, and they sat down to have their brunch, which they quickly finished.
“What should we do today? Do you want to hang out here or at my house? Or we could go for a drive in my new car?”
“We could. It’s nice out.”
One of their favorite songs came on the radio at that moment. Sam stood up and held his hand out to her. “You could start by dancing with me.”
She went to him in an instant, and soon they were swaying to the music, holding each other close, simply enjoying being in each other’s arms.
Leah Clearwater angrily stormed toward the Uley residence. She had a few words to say to her ex-boyfriend about how upset she was about his new girlfriend. She had no idea why, but she was upset. Sure she had her own imprint, but the truth was, she wasn’t over Sam yet. The fact that he could just move on without a thought to her infuriated her.
Of course, when she really thought about it, she had been the heartless one. When Embry and she had imprinted on each other, she was excited and couldn’t control herself. She loved Embry, too. He was a good person, a bit younger than she was, but still he cared about her. She had been drifting apart from Sam by the time she had phased. She was sick and tired of his depression, and she had berated him for dropping out of high school constantly. At the time, she hadn’t known he was a wolf.
Approaching his house, she could see through the window. Sam looked happy for the first time in ages. He was dancing with Bella in his arms-occasionally, they’d stop to kiss each other. She watched them for a while, and then with tears streaming from her eyes, she turned back towards her house.
She couldn’t disturb them no matter how hurt she was. She had to accept that Bella Swan was permanently a part of Sam Uley’s life. Besides, she had been the one who had hurt Sam in the first place. She realized, more than anything, an apology was in order. But still-it hurt.
“Leah?” Embry called, with a worried expression.
He gazed in the direction she had come from, and wrapped his strong arms around her, without asking any questions. She let him lead her back towards his house, realizing that Embry truly was the one for her-not his brother Sam. That chapter was over forever, and it was time she dropped it.
Bella MacLeod's Twilight Fanfiction 
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