Catharsis
By Mama4Dukes
Chapter 20:
On Monday, while Sam was training, Bella was stuck at home doing absolutely nothing. Paul was also at training, Emily was working, and Jake still had a week more of school left. She stared at the clock for a few minutes before deciding that she was accomplishing absolutely nothing, so she decided that the house needed a good cleaning. Since the floors were already done, she gave the house a good dusting, and then scrubbed the walls and counters until they sparkled.
When she looked at the time, it was still eleven o’clock, so she got into her car and drove to the house in La Push. She shrugged her shoulders and decided to give that house a good cleaning as well. Unfortunately, she was done with everything by two o’clock. Unlike her mother, who was a bit more relaxed about housekeeping, Alison ran a tight ship, so the house was already basically clean.
Bella headed back to Forks and decided to get dinner ready. She put together a nice meatloaf, made some homemade mashed potatoes, and steamed some broccoli. Then, she took a shower, and waited for everyone to get home.
Meanwhile, Jared, Leah, Paul, and Sam spent the morning training to fight vampires along with Levi Uley. They did discover by accident that they were almost as fast and strong in their human forms as they were in their wolf forms. This discovery happened when Emmett and Paul were fooling around arm wrestling. Emmett, who is an incredibly strong vampire, was having trouble winning. Eventually, he did win, but it took a while.
After that, the theory was tested with all the wolves, and it was discovered that they could absolutely twist off a limb or two off a vampire in their human form. Sam felt really horrible. He hadn’t meant to twist off Jasper’s hand from his wrist. Fortunately, the vampires were good-hearted about, and the hand was reattached by Dr. Cullen.
“Wow! That’s fascinating! Do the tendons automatically connect to each other?” Sam asked. “Are those tendons even?”
Carlisle grabbed a pair of surgical forceps and lifted out one of the white, dangly pieces. “This is actually a ligament, and this is a tendon. Over here, you have a nerve, and this part is an artery. What I’ve discovered is that in the case of vampires, arteries, ligaments, nerves, and tendons simply need to be in the approximate location for them to connect. After that… Do you see the fluid that’s sizzling there, Sam?”
“I do, it’s almost like it’s fusing everything together.”
“That’s vampire venom. It’s poisonous to you, but it acts as conductor to repair any damaged limbs for us.” Dr. Carlisle reached for a thermos, and handed it to Jasper, who drank from it. “That’s blood from a mountain lion he’s drinking. When injuries like this happen, he has to replace any lost venom by drinking blood, which in turn becomes venom.”
“Wow! I wonder if our bodies heal quickly, too?” Sam mused out loud.
“I have a feeling it does.”
“It does,” Levi Uley interrupted. He took a clean scalpel from Carlisle’s supply and cut into his skin. “Watch this,” he instructed as he took his tongue and licked the wound. Within seconds, the wound healed as if there was no cut. “I discovered this when Ellen accidentally cut herself while slicing onions. The cut was deep enough that she would need stitches. It was bleeding profusely, and no amount of pressure was stopping it so I brought her thumb to my mouth and applied pressure by sucking on it. When we checked on it next, her skin was smooth, as if there was no cut at all.”
“That’s absolutely incredible!” Carlisle said. “This is also excellent news. It means I can help you in case there are any injuries during the battle. I had been worried about that.” And then he turned to Sam. “Young man, do you have an interest in medicine?”
“I’ve been thinking about it. I’m going to UDub as a neurobiology and premed major. The human body is fascinating, and I’d also like to know what makes me so different from a normal human.”
“Ah, but your reason is exactly why I first studied medicine. Eventually, the concept of saving lives outweighed my curiosity, but it was the spark that got me started in my career. When you apply to medical school, you are to let me know. I will write your recommendation.”
“Thank you, Dr. Cullen.”
“You’re welcome.” Carlisle then narrowed his eyes in a contemplative manner, and turned to Levi. “Have these kids had physicals since becoming wolves? I imagine that with their body temperatures so high, they can’t go to a physician without raising an alarm. Times have changed. The kids will need a current physical to enter college.”
“The thought actually never crossed my mind,” he admitted.
“I can give them their physicals, if you’d like,” Dr. Carlisle Cullen offered. “In fact, once we leave here, when all is said and done, I can always return for any medical needs.”
“Would you really be able to do that?” Leah asked. “I’ve been concerned about birth control, but I can’t go for a gynecological exam.”
“I can give you an exam and do all the testing in my lab at home. Rosalie can assist. She has also been to medical school, but she decided she prefers cars.”
“It’s true.” She turned to Sam. “Your transmission is about to go on your truck. I can tell by the noise it’s making.”
“A transmission? That’s expensive!”
“I can put one in for you.”
“I can, too,” Peter said.
“I swear you’re a freak when it comes to cars,” Jasper commented.
“Engines are fun,” he replied simply.
“One thing is for sure,” Jasper stated. “Today was an enlightening day. We learned a great deal about each other.”
“Another thing we learned is that we’ll have to teach these boys hand-to-hand combat in their human forms as well,” Peter added.
“That’s for sure.”
Esme suddenly made an appearance. “Are you kids ready for lunch? I made some beef stew!”
“Are we ever!” Paul made a mad dash for the Cullen home. He stopped at the entrance. “Are we allowed to go in?”
“Of course you are. You’re welcome in our house at any time.”
“Oh, thanks. I’m famished.”
And so the day proceeded. Carlisle and Levi spoke and agreed that he would perform any physicals or any medically necessary procedures. They would begin with Leah. Rose would assist. He would give her a proper physical, but he would doctor up any forms necessary to resemble normal human stats.
At around five-thirty, Sam returned home, exhausted and sweaty. Charlie and his mother returned at the same time.
“Bella, we’re home!” Charlie called, but there was no answer. The house looked clean and spotless, the dining table was set, and dinner was laid out.
“Bella?” Sam tried.
“Bella, honey?” Alison called.
Alarmed, they all searched the house. Sam yelled from upstairs, “I found her! She’s sleeping!”
“Well, wake her up! She can’t be lolly-gagging around the house all day just because she’s on vacation. This ain’t the Hilton!”
“Charlie, I hardly think she lolly-gagged,” Alison defended her stepdaughter. “Look at the house. It’s cleaned and completely dusted, and she made us this wonderful dinner. She also washed, dried, and folded all the laundry. She certainly did not lolly-gag all day.”
“I’m glad you’re here to notice these things. I was about to give her an earful.”
“That’s what I’m here for.”
When Bella walked down the stairs, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, Charlie greeted her with a hug. “Hi, baby girl. Thanks for putting all that effort into cleaning the house.”
“You noticed!”
“Of course I did. That’s what fathers do.” He wagged his eyes at his wife who was staring at him nonplussed. “Now, what did you make for dinner?”
They all sat down for dinner. Bella explained that she cleaned the house in La Push from top to bottom as well because she was bored.
Sam discussed how Carlisle offered to give the wolves physicals for school because there really were no other options with their body temperatures so elevated.
“What about you, Dad? How was your day?” Sam asked Charlie.
“There was another heroin overdose. We found Adam Morris collapsed, on the pavement on Nelson Road, over by the subdivision.
“But Adam Morris used to be in my grade when I first went to high school.”
“I know that Sam. I administered Narcan, and he’ll probably survive, but I’m not holding out much hope for him. His mother and sister are both addicts as well. I picked his sister up for prostitution last week. She’s still sitting in the jail over at the station because she doesn’t have bail money, which may just save her life.”
“Wasn’t Lydia Morris in my grade before she dropped out?” Bella asked, appalled.
“Yes, she’s not even eighteen yet.”
“That’s horrible. I didn’t even know we had prostitutes here!” Sam gasped.
“Son, they are everywhere. I can tell you that wherever there are drugs, chances are there will be people selling their bodies for them-male and female.”
Sam realized, at that moment, just how lucky he was. His mother and stepfather were both upstanding citizens. They worked hard, they didn’t mess with drugs, and they made sure that their kids stayed on the strait and narrow. The thing that bothered him was that Adam Morris had seemed so normal. He couldn’t tell who was an addict and who was not.
The following day, Sam went back to the Cullens for more training. Bella, having no more cleaning to do, except for laundry, pulled out her laptop and cruised the internet. She considered the upcoming battle. There had to be a way she could arm herself in case Edward showed up and surprised her.
She needed to create fire-that much was for sure, but how? How could she quickly create fire? She decided to drive to the Home Depot in Sequim for an answer because if she asked at the hardware store here, it would get back to her father and he’d lecture her until she was blue in the face.
She decided to take Lauren along with her because she needed an accomplice to take the fall with her in case she got caught. “Bella, why are you here at nine am? I was sleeping.”
“We are going to Sequim.”
“For shopping?”
Searching for vampire-killing weapons counted as shopping, right? “Yeah, for shopping.”
“Well, why didn’t you say so!” Lauren took in Bella’s appearance. “Are you going in that?”
“Yeah, what’s wrong with what I’m wearing?”
“Bella, you’re wearing knee-length cut-offs, flip flops, and one of your dad’s flannel shirts. At least throw on a tank top and show some boobage.”
“I don’t want to show any boobage.”
“Yes, you do!” Lauren yelled and dragged Bella upstairs to her room. “Here, put this on.” When Bella glared at her, she insisted, “Now!”
“Fine, I’ll show some boobage for you,” she said as she whipped off her father’s shirt and threw on the purple tank top.
Lauren approached her with some blush and a brush. She started brushing it on Bella’s chest. “What the hell are you doing?”
“I am accentuating your cleavage to make your boobage area look even more beautiful than it already is.”
“I have a mate, as you know. I’m not looking to…”
“Bella, you have to always look sexy to keep your mate interested.”
“I doubt that Sam…”
“Trust me, he’ll ravish you tonight after he sees you dressed in that outfit. Take your shorts off.”
“Why?”
“Uh, there’s a loose thread.”
“Oh, sure.”
Bella slipped off the shorts and handed them to Lauren who took out a pair of scissors and cut a few inches off the previously knee length shorts.
“Now put them on.”
“You ruined my shorts!”
“No, I fixed them! Put them on!”
“Okay, you evil witch!” The new version of Bella’s shorts ended just below her butt cheeks instead of at her knees.
“There! Now, you look hot! Sam is going to go crazy when he sees you. I mean I seriously drive Quil insane with lust when I wear my Daisy Dukes.”
“But Sam doesn’t need more lust. He’s horny enough.”
“A guy can never be horny enough, Bella.”
Lauren quickly got dressed and the pair headed off to Sequim looking dolled up.
When they arrived in Sequim, an hour and a half later, Lauren asked, “Why the hell are we at Home Depot?”
“Because I have some questions to ask about making fire.”
“Why do we need to make fire?”
“It’s the only way to kill vampires.”
“Okay, I agree with you. Coming to Home Depot was a good idea because I’m not going down without a fight. Can we go clothes shopping afterwards, though?”
“Sure, why not? Maybe we can even drive all the way to the Silverdale Mall?”
“Sounds like a plan.” Lauren put her fingers under her chin. “How are we going to ask about fire, though? I don’t want them to think we’re arsonists.”
“Hmm…”
They sat and contemplated with the radio playing in the background. The DJ came on and announced, ‘We have an oldie from the 90’s that’ll make you ladies hot and bothered. Here’s Pony by Ginuwine.’”
As the song came on, Bella and Lauren both turned to each other and screamed, “Magic Mike!”
“Welding. We’ll ask for welding equipment!” Bella exclaimed.
“Let’s do this!”
The girls walked into Home Depot, looking completely out of place. As soon as they walked in, a younger male employee approached them and asked, “Can I help you ladies?”
“Sure, we’re looking for welding stuff.”
“Welding stuff? You girls are going to weld?” he asked in disbelief.
“It’s not your place to ask whether or not we’re going to weld. We just need to know where the welding stuff is,” Bella stated
A female supervisor approached them. “May I help you?”
“Yes, we’re looking for welding stuff,” Lauren stated.
“And what are you thinking of welding together?”
“Uh…” Lauren stuttered.
Bella thought quickly and said, “Crème brûlée! We need a welding torch for Crème brûlée. You know, like those big ones that they use on the cooking shows-not the dainty ones.”
“I know exactly what you need. It’s not welding, but it’s the same concept. You need something that’ll produce a powerful flame and sustain it while you cook.”
“Exactly! I heard we can sear steaks with it, too.”
“Yes, you can. We don’t sell the attachment to even out the flame for cooking. You’ll have to buy that online or at a culinary supply store, but I can tell you the name of it. We sell the start torch igniter and the butane gas cylinder, though.”
“Excellent! Take us there.”
In the end, Bella and Lauren ended up leaving the store with two gas cylinders and a high-intensity trigger torch each. The woman at the store insisted that the model they purchased produced the most powerful flame. They high-fived each other when they got to the car. At least they wouldn’t be left defenseless.
Bella still wasn’t back in Forks when everyone arrived home. “Where’s Bella?” Sam asked.
“She said she’s out with Lauren. Apparently they’re shopping.”
“But she hates shopping.”
“Maybe she was bored and Lauren wanted to go.”
“Yeah, maybe.” By the time, Bella arrived home, it was late and the parents had already hit the sack. Sam was in the living room, pacing, because he was worried about her. She walked into the house with a smile on her face, carrying several bags.
“Where did you guys go? It’s almost ten o’clock.”
“Oh, we went to Kitsap, to the Silverdale Mall. Lauren wanted to go shopping.”
Something was different about Bella today. She looked…
Bella dropped one of her shopping bags. She leaned over at the waist to pick it up, and Sam realized what it was. She looked hot. Super hot. Whatever she did with those shorts, he liked it. They looked sexy.
He grabbed her shopping bags, picked her up in his arms, and raced up the stairs with her. “I like that outfit,” he told her. “You look really nice.”
“Yeah, Lauren said you would. She gave me the tank top.”
“Oh, yeah, they look really nice,” he mumbled, staring at her cleavage.
“Oh my God! I can’t believe you said that while staring at my boobs, Sam! You so totally objectified me!”
“Stop talking and kiss me, Bella.”
She kissed him, and the couple made love all through the night, Sam claiming her over and over again. By the time he rushed off to the Cullens in the morning, he was completely exhausted.
“Geez! You had a good night!” Emmett commented. “You smell like pure Bella.”
“No kidding,” Jared commented. “You had fun last night, didn’t you?”
Sam didn’t bother answering them, but he kept thinking back to all the crazy things they did in bed together. By noon, he was completely beat, so Jasper sent him home early.
“And don’t spend the afternoon claiming your mate! Get some damned rest!” the Major warned as he headed back home.
The school year ended for the younger kids on Thursday so they joined in on the training beginning on Friday. On Monday, Carlisle had received permission from all the parents to perform physicals for their kids. The two youngest, Brady and Colin, needed them for high school next year. They had just completed the eighth grade.
Carlisle and Rose gave the kids physical exams. Leah, of course, was the most complex patient. He spent the day testing samples he had taken from her.
“I can tell you that you are extremely fertile. How are your periods?”
“I no longer have one. That’s why I’m worried.”
“Carlisle, is it possible that she has an estrous cycle instead of a menstrual cycle? Perhaps she has taken on some of her wolf characteristics?” Rose turned to Leah. “I mean that in a non-insulting way.”
“Leah, let me research this and get back to you. I don’t want to give you faulty information, but Rose’s conjecture does hold water. You are in tiptop physical shape except for the quirk in your reproductive system,” Carlisle stated. “I’m also going to test your blood to check for any inconsistencies.”
“Sounds terrific. Thank you, Dr. Cullen.” She grimaced. “My mother didn’t want me to go to you, but I really had no other options. I just turned twenty and I’m at the point where I’ve had it up to my neck with her prejudices. I’m almost done with my two year RN degree so I plan on moving out of my house.”
“I had no idea that you were studying to be a registered nurse.”
“I started the program right after high school. I had to take a semester off when I first became a wolf, but I returned the following semester. I only have one more clinical to do and then I’m done.”
“That’s very impressive.”
“Thank you.” She looked down at her hands. “I didn’t want the fact that I was a wolf to stop me from reaching my goals.”
“Well, Leah, I’ve never let the fact that I’m a vampire stop me from achieving my goals either. So we’re even.”
He left the room so she could get dressed. Rosalie remained with her. “It’s funny. For many years, I was prejudiced against the Quileute Wolves because they were so different, but now that we’ve gotten to know each other. I see how alike we actually are.”
They shared a smile and a hug before joining the others. Maybe, one day, the supernatural world would become one in which they could all live together in peace. At least two factions were proving that it was a possibility.
After ten days straight of training, Jasper gave everyone a break. They had two days before Edward and Victoria would be arriving with the newborn vampires and everyone needed a break to spend time with loved ones.
Bella was completely on edge, but she refused to show it because Sam had a tendency to worry. He didn’t need to worry about her at all. Instead, she tried to keep things as normal as possible, suggesting they go and get some ice cream at Sully’s.
They ran into some of their friends there and socialized a bit before leaving to go on a drive. Sam was becoming withdrawn and introspective again. She could always tell because his countenance became serious and contemplative.
He parked the truck in a quiet spot in the woods, pulled his imprint into his arms, and sighed. “I hate this, Bella. I really do.”
“I can understand you hate it, but what specifically do you hate about it?”
He looked into her eyes. “I just hate leaving you unprotected. I don’t want to leave you in La Push without me. What if the vampires get through?”
“Then you’ll be right on their heels. You won’t let anything happen to me, Sam. You’ll always be there for me.”
“But I wasn’t there when Josh Uley attacked you, nor was I there when Edward Cullen tried to drain you.”
“But you were with me here, Sam.” She placed his hand on her heart. “You were with me, protecting me. Think about it. When Josh attacked me, it was the pull that brought you straight home. And when Edward tried to drain me, he saw your mark, he detected your scent in my blood, and it bought enough time for Paul to get to me.”
“That’s the point! It was Paul who got to you-not me! And…”
She climbed onto his lap and put her fingers on his lips. “If it were the other way around and you were out with Rachel when she was attacked, would you have saved her?”
“Of course I would have. The number one law for wolves is to protect imprints, whether the imprint is yours or not.”
“Ah, so it was not okay for Paul to protect your imprint?”
“I’m not saying that. I’m… Damn it! Bella, if something happened to you, I won’t be able to go on without you. I love you! You’re my other half! You’re the woman I want to marry and have lots and lots of babies with, and I’m scared that it won’t happen!”
“You want to marry me?” Bella asked.
“Well, yeah. Of course I do. I love you.” He gazed directly into her eyes. “Will you marry me?”
“I love you, too, Sam. And, yes, I will marry you.” She leaned into him and kissed him on the lips. “You’re going to come back to me, Sam. You’re stronger than he is, and smart enough to outwit him. Edward’s arrogance will be his downfall. Besides, I’ll be holding your heart hostage so if you want it back, you’d best be coming back to me.”
Sam finally smiled. His imprint had a way with making him feel relaxed. She sat on his lap, her forehead caressing his, her heartbeat steady and even. He closed her eyes, took in her scent, then leaned into her and pressed his lips onto hers. Maybe it was the magic of the moment, but he felt an urgent need to express his love to her, in his truck, under the bright light of the full moon.
Bella MacLeod's Twilight Fanfiction 
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