Bella MacLeod's Twilight Fanfiction

Catharsis

By Mama4Dukes

Chapter 14:

The following weekend, Bella and Sam were sitting around the dining table with their parents and his great-grandparents. Charlie had invited them over to ask about the pull.

“Is the chest pain really so terrible?” Charlie asked.

“It can be crushing,” Levi admitted. “I cannot be away from Ellen for too many days. It’s worse in the beginning stages. They will have to sleep together, especially if they’ve consummated their relationship. It has to do with the marking. After a few years, though, the pain will dissipate enough to where they can spend a few nights apart.” He turned to Sam. “I assume the two of you have engaged in pre-marital sex?”

“Uh, yes, sir.”

“I see. In my day, it was easier because times were different. We couldn’t imagine having sexual relations outside of marriage, but I do understand that what is and isn’t accepted have changed throughout the years. Have you marked her?”

“I have.”

“Well, then, you have no choice, but to live together. The mark is a symbol of the wolf laying his claim on his mate. It provides added protection for her, and it works like a homing beacon when she is in danger.”

“Where did you learn this?”

“I learned through personal experience, and from Carlisle Cullen. Believe it or not, vampires lay claim to their mates in the same way.”

“How are the kids supposed to live in a dorm room separately when they go to college?” Alison asked.

“Well, they won’t be doing that. It would be physically impossible for them. They’ll be going in as commuter students to one of the universities in Seattle.”

“And where are they going to live? Rental prices are outrageous in Seattle.”

“They’ll live in my house.”

“You own a house in Seattle?” Charlie asked in disbelief.

“Sure, I do. I own many homes around the United States. Ellen and I can’t stay in one area for too long, after all. People would get suspicious since we don’t age.”

“That sounds very Cullen-esque,” Bella noted.

“Where do you think I got the idea from?”

“Where did you get the money to purchase these properties?” Charlie asked.

“I’m an investment banker by trade.”

“I thought you owned a bookstore,” Sam said.

“That’s just my cover. I actually attended the University of Washington after I disappeared because I knew I needed to make money if I were going to live forever. I needed a means to support my imprint. Investment banking is perfect, especially now, since everything is done online. I can play with stocks and bonds-all online.”

“I have a question for you. If you don’t age, what do you do about identification?”

“I have a guy in Seattle,” Levi stated to Charlie.

“He probably uses Jason Jenks,” Bella noted casually.

“How the hell would you know about him, young lady?” Levi asked, stunned that she knew the name of his contact.

“The Cullens use him. Alice made me a fake ID once so I could get into the casino at Suqamish so we could see the Thunder From Down Under perform there.”

Everyone stared at her with expressions of incredulity on their faces, with the exception of Ellen Uley who stated, “I love the Thunder From Down Under. They’re very handsome young men. I like it when they take their shirts off and dance with their oiled up chests.”

“Exactly!” Bella agreed. “Maybe we can go and see them together? I’m eighteen now so I can get in legally.”

“Oh!” Ellen gushed. “That would be a wonderful way for us to bond.”

While Levi looked amused, everyone else stared at the women with looks of incredulity. Bonding over male strippers? Who did that sort of thing?

“Fake IDs are illegal, but I can understand why Ellen and you require them so I won’t go after this Jenks fellow.” Charlie turned to Bella. “You and I are going to have a talk, missy, and you’re going to bring that ID to me. Is that understood?”

“Uh, okay.” She shrugged her shoulders not understanding what she did wrong at all. It was only a show with almost naked guys. And they were nothing special. Sam was way hotter. Besides, the ID only adjusted her birthday by a year so she’d be eighteen. It wasn’t like she went binge drinking or something bad like that. Even her mom didn’t get mad at her when she told her she saw male strippers. Heck, she offered to go with her the next time.”

“Let’s return to the topic at hand,” Levi suggested. “Bella and Sam are welcome to live in my house in Seattle. It’s a ten-minute drive to the university. I also have homes in Los Angeles, Boston, and Hawaii.”

“Excellent, we like Hawaii. We’ll just attend college there.” Bella nodded her head decisively.

“Not on your life, young lady! You haven’t even applied to any colleges there,” Alison chastised. “I am not going to have you an ocean away from me. The same goes for Boston, it’s simply too far away! Now, we’ve had this discussion before, and you know what your choices are. You can choose between Seattle University, University of Washington, Washington State University, Gonzaga, and University of Puget Sound.”

“I liked Gonzaga, but the area surrounding it was so scary. I wouldn’t feel safe there.”

“I agree with you there, Bella. There’s also the fact that you have to live on campus all four years so that takes Gonzaga out of the running completely.”

“Bummer.”

“I agree with you. It’s a bummer, but you have to make do with the circumstances.”

“Oh, I’m not upset. Like I said, Spokane isn’t exactly safe.”

“May I make a suggestion?” Ellen Uley asked.

“Please do.”

“From our house, the University of Washington and Seattle University are both ten-minute drives. You can also get to either by train. UDub is a forty-minute commute because you have to change trains three times and Seattle University is fifteen minutes on one train. The University of Puget Sound is in Tacoma, which is an hour drive or a two hour train ride.”

“Oh, yeah. I forgot that the University of Puget Sound is in Tacoma. Well, there’s another one we can scratch off,” Bella said. “It’s too bad because I liked that one, too.”

“And why is that? I liked the University of Puget Sound,” her father said. “Rachel goes there, doesn’t she?”

“She does, but mom is moving to Tacoma in June.”

“What?”

“Mom is moving to Tacoma in June because Phil got picked up by the Tacoma Rainiers. He’s there now. She’s just waiting to finish up the school year so she can move. Apparently, the Mariners are very interested in Phil. Anyway since Mom will be living in Tacoma, I will not be living there. It’s way too close for comfort. You know how she hovers.”

“Yeah, I have to agree with you there,” her father said. “So you two have a choice between Seattle University and UDub. Which is it going to be?”

“Seattle U.”

“UDub.”

Bella and Sam turned to each other.

“Bella, I have bad news for you,” Levi Uley began while scrolling on his phone.

“And what’s the bad news?”

“It says on their website that freshmen and sophomores are required to live on campus, if they are under the age of twenty-one.”

“But I won’t be twenty-one for two and a half more years!”

“I know, but I’m going to make a suggestion here. I think you should attend the University of Washington. They only accept about 45% of all applicants. The fact that you were admitted is proof that you applied yourself in high school. Think of your acceptance by them as a challenge being issued to you by the university, and take the opportunity to accept the challenge and prove yourself.”

“I guess I’ll go to UDub. I don’t really have a choice.”

“You always have a choice, Bella,” Charlie said.

“No, I’ll go to UDub. It wasn’t that bad of a school. I just thought it was too big, but it might not be that bad if I don’t have to live in a dorm.” She paused and glared at Levi Uley. “Why did you have to challenge me to better myself? When people do that I have to follow through or I feel like I’m letting myself down.”

“Good, then my strategy worked.” Levi Uley smirked at Bella. He really had a soft spot in his heart for the young girl. She kind of reminded him of how he had been as a young man-wide eyed, curious, and unafraid of adventure. “Well, then, if your parents are okay with it. I truly would like to offer the two of you a place to live.”

Charlie turned to Alison for a moment to ascertain her wishes. She nodded her head in the affirmative.

“Before we accept your offer, can you tell us exactly where in Seattle your house is and what your terms are?”

“There are no terms, Bella and Sam will simply reside in our house for as long as they need it. We will continue to pay for all of the utilities. We just want the kids to attend school without any hindrances. Our house is located in a neighborhood called Madison Park.”

Alison and Charlie’s eyes bulged.

“Madison Park is a million dollar neighborhood! You want our kids to live there?”

“Well, I suppose I can throw out the tenants who are renting our investment property on Mercer Island, but they might not appreciate it.”

“Mercer Island? Just how rich are you?” Charlie questioned.

“We’re comfortable.”

“Well, we can’t just take you up on this offer and not contribute.”

“You’ll be contributing to their tuition, books, fees, and spending money.”

“You must allow us to give you something towards your mortgage at the very least,” Alison said.

“We don’t have a mortgage. We bought the place in the seventies when the market wasn’t so inflated. In fact, that’s when we purchased all of our properties.”

“Alison, please let us do this for the kids?” Ellen begged. “You are well aware that Levi and I have been living our lives without any consideration to our family. It was selfish of us, and we feel an incredible amount of guilt. Please let us do this small thing for the kids.” She turned to Charlie. “I know Bella isn’t related to us, but as Sam’s imprint, she might as well be. They will eventually get married, and then she will become our great-granddaughter.”

“Well, thank you. This is very generous of you.”

“You’re very welcome.”

And so it was decided that Bella and Sam would attend the University of Washington as commuter students beginning in the September. They just had to get through the rest of the school year unscathed.

---

The following evening, Sam and his stepfather were at the hardware store picking up an order, while Bella was at the dining room table, trying to make sense of her math homework. Alison had come home early and was cheerfully humming a tune while making dinner.

“What are we having for dinner?” Bella asked.

“I found a recipe online for a Cuban style pork tenderloin. I thought we’d give that a try.”

“Cool.” Bella, indeed, thought it was cool. The majority of meal prep had fallen to her before her father got married, but now Alison did most of the cooking unless she was running late, in which case she’d generally have a meal ready to go in the crock pot.

The dryer buzzed just then. Bella, would you please get the laundry, bring it out here, and I’ll help you fold it.

“Sure.” She put her homework away in her backpack, and then quickly grabbed the laundry from the dryer, brought it out to the dining table, and began folding the it. Alison looked over all the clothes with an eagle eye when she came out to help.

“This has got to go, so does this, and this…”

“But I like that shirt!”

“Bella, there’s a hole in the front, it’s ripped at the seam, and it’s stained permanently. You are not going to parade around public, looking like a bum.” She lifted out some socks. “What on earth do your father and my son do with their socks? Are those mud stains? Bella, honey, get a list started.”

“Again? We always have a list and forget it at home.”

“Bella, start the list.” She kissed her forehead, and then glanced at her step-daughter’s frayed jeans. “Add jeans to the list.”

“Can I get more yoga pants? They’re more comfortable than jeans?”

“Of course you can.”

The doorbell rang just then. Bella went to answer it. A tall Quileute man was standing on the doorstep.

“Hello,” he greeted with a smile. “Does Alison Uley live here?”

Before she could answer him, Alison came out and ordered, “Shut the door, Bella.”

She tried, but the man stuck his foot in the door to prevent her from doing so. She kept trying to push the door shut, but he shoved the door open and entered the house.

“Josh, leave now! I want nothing to do with you!”

“Not until I get what I want.”

“There is nothing here for you!”

“You took sixteen years of my life from me! I spent sixteen years locked up in prison! Do you know what it was like for me there?” He slammed his fist on the dining table, splintering it.

Bella reached for her phone so she could call 911, but Josh snatched it away from her, threw it on the ground, and crushed it with his boot.

“Don’t even think about calling the cops,” he growled, and slapped her across the face. Bella fell to the ground.

“Don’t you touch my daughter!” Alison yelled.

“Your daughter? Your daughter? Where is our son, Ali? Where is our Samuel?”

“As if I’d tell you!”

“You will tell me! I had a right to raise him! Samuel is my son!” Josh backhanded Alison. “You took him away from me! You and that whore of a Makah bitch!” He slammed his fist across her face.

Terrified, Bella looked around the house. She had to help. She spotted the baseball bat that Phil had given her propped up by the front door. Her father had joked that she could use it for protection. She ran to it, grabbed it, and with all her might, swung at Josh Uley.

“You little bitch!” he yelled, as she took another swing.

“Leave my mother alone!” she cried.

Josh Uley was stronger, though. He grabbed the bat and threw it on the ground. He slapped Bella twice, but she fought back, using some of the boxing techniques she learned from Principal Greene. He was too tall for her to get his face, but she was able to get him with a left cross across his torso and a few jabs. She was pretty sure she cracked a few of his ribs.

Josh grabbed Bella by her hair and slammed her forehead into the dining table, then he flung her across the room.

No, Bella!” Alison cried, as her ex-husband grabbed her and started assailing her with punches.

She watched helplessly as Bella flew over the coffee table and landed by the front door with a thud, blood pouring down her face from the side of her head.

---

“What’s the matter, boy?” Charlie asked, as he watched his stepson throw both hands on his chest and gasp for air.

“It’s Bella,” he croaked out. “I can feel it. It’s the pull. Something is wrong.”

“Get inside!” Charlie ordered and sped home as quickly as he could.

When he got home, he saw that the front door was ajar. He could hear screaming and shouting coming from inside.

Sam tried to rush inside, but Charlie restrained him with one arm.

“Let me go! I need to help!”

“No, you’re going to let me go. I am trained for situations like this. You’re going to call 911 and tell them your name and address. Tell them I said an officer needs immediate assistance. Do you hear me, boy? Call them! And then stay in the truck for your own safety, son,” Charlie ordered, before taking his sidearm out and rushing towards the house.

“Bella!” he heard Alison calling. He heard the sound of flesh hitting flesh. “You can’t hurt me anymore, Josh!”

“Hit her again and I shoot! Do you understand me?” Bella roared.

“Oh, you’re going to shoot me? I’m bigger and stronger than you, little girl.” He pulled Alison roughly to him.

“I’ve faced worse monsters than you,” Bella growled, keeping her father’s rifle steady.

Charlie walked in with his gun pointed straight at the assailant. “Joshua Uley, put your hands up where I can see them,” he instructed calmly.

“Hell no!”

By now, Sam had walked inside, and was transfixed in horror. He saw that both Bella and his mother were bleeding. Bella, though, had Charlie’s rifle pointed directly at the assailant. Charlie, too, had his gun pointed at him. Josh started making purposeful strides towards Bella, dragging Alison along with him by yanking at her the shirt collar. Alison sputtered, making a choking noise.

“Don’t move and put your hands up in the air where I can see them! One more step, and I shoot!” Charlie warned.

“Do your best! Hopefully, you’ll hit my ex-wife and she’ll get what she deserves.” Josh cackled maliciously at Charlie. Alison took that moment to elbow Josh in the groin and escape her abuser’s hold.

Suddenly, a single gunshot rent the air.

Josh Uley dropped to the ground, and started bellowing in pain, clutching his leg.

Charlie patted Josh down to check to see if he was armed. He found drug paraphernalia and duct tape, put those aside, and restrained him with a pair of handcuffs as he read him his Miranda Rights. He then went straight to Bella to check on her. Alison was already by her side.

Sam, meanwhile, approached Josh Uley and took a good look at his face. He was angry and disappointed. He wanted to batter him to a pulp for hurting both his imprint and his mother, but realized that he was a much better man.

“I am ashamed of you,” Sam hissed through gritted teeth.

“Who the hell are you to judge me?”

“I’m Samuel Levi Uley.”

“Son?” Josh asked, clearly startled.

“No, not your son, but my mother’s,” he replied, staring into his eyes. After one last look, Sam turned his back on him to be with the ones he loved.

---

Alison and Bella were taken by ambulance to Forks General Hospital. Josh Uley was also taken to the same hospital, but separately, and while handcuffed to a gurney. Charlie and Sam, of course, hurried after their loved ones to the hospital.

“Are you okay, son?” Charlie asked, while they waited in the lounge area. “That was a stupid question. Of course you’re not okay.”

Sam broke down into tears. “I never realized how truly psychotic he was. How could he hit my mother like that? How could he hit Bella? How come monsters like him exist in the world?”

Charlie put an arm around his shoulder. “I don’t know, Sammy. I truly don’t. If I knew how to stop people like that, I would have done it long ago.” He paused. “I’ve been in law enforcement for over twenty years now. I can tell you that it takes ordinary citizens like us to stand up for what’s right.”

“Why didn’t you let me go inside to help?” Sam wailed.

“Because you’re my son, Samuel, and fathers look after their children.”

“But Bella…”

“Bella had the rifle aimed at him properly, and used it exactly the way I taught her, and in the correct situation. She used it to defend herself and your mother. Had I pulled the trigger, I may or may not have shot your mother.”

“But I should have been there.”

Charlie looked into his eyes. “Listen to me, Sam. You and I weren’t home to see what transpired-that’s the truth of the matter. Judging by the injuries Bella and your mother sustained, I suspect that they didn’t take Josh’s crap lying down. They fought back. You can’t be there to protect them twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Sometimes, people have to fight their own battles, and Bella and your mother did so valiantly.” He smiled at him. “I’ll tell you one thing, though. Your wolf instincts kicked in at just the right time. I don’t know who Taha Aki is exactly, but I’m sure glad he brought you to my daughter because, otherwise, I wouldn’t have your mother or you in my life.”

“I wish you were my real dad.”

“Pah! You are my son, Sammy. Bloodlines are relative, and I’m going to tell you why.”

“Why?”

“Because there’s no way that Bella can be related to that kooky mother of hers.”

That got Sam laughing.

“Thanks, Dad.”

“You’re welcome, son.”