Bella MacLeod's Twilight Fanfiction

Obsession

By Mama4Dukes

Chapter 11:

When Bella and Paul arrived at school on Monday, the mood was somber in contrast to the bright, sunny skies outside. The first thing both kids did was greet Tyler. Bella, especially, gave him a big hug. She had grown close to Ty, who was like a protective brother to her. He missed Lauren and knew not how to process what had happened.

Forks High School was providing grief counselors to any student who needed one. Bella took Tyler aside during lunch and encouraged him to speak to a counselor, but he stubbornly played the tough guy. “Ty, I know people grieve differently, but this was a direct hit on you. You dated Lauren long before I arrived in Forks and have known her since you were kids. There is no way that this isn’t affecting you.”

Tyler’s body tensed up, and he began shaking-wracking sobs overtook his body, and Bella reached over and held her friend. “I loved her, Bella. And I don’t know if I can go on any longer. She was my life. She was misunderstood not only by her friends but also by her acquaintances because of her mother. Linda was a kind woman, but she was very… I don’t want to say anything negative about someone who has passed, but let’s just say the men in town really enjoyed her. She could never commit to one guy, and Lauren would often wake up to find that some guy her mother picked up at a bar had slept over. Everyone thought Lauren was like her mother.”

Bella sighed. “I know what that’s like. My mom used to be like Lauren’s mom until she remarried. I think women like that go from men to men because they’re looking for someone to take care of them. They are misunderstood in a different way than how Lauren was misunderstood. I’ve only met Lauren a few times, but she seemed kind and independent.”

Tyler tilted his head, gazing at Bella with a look of astonishment. “Those are the exact words Lauren used when describing you. She was looking forward to getting to know you.”

“Well, I’m sorry I’ll never get to know her.”

“Me, too.” Tyler shook his head. “I don’t know how I’m going to go on and to make matters worse, we argued before she died.”

Bella steepled her fingers under her chin, smiled, and asked, “About what?”

“About her friends and how fake they are.” Bella followed Tyler’s gaze over to the table occupied by Lauren’s friends. They were all crying loudly, drawing attention to themselves. “None of them were her true friends. I can’t imagine anyone at our lunch table, even Jess, acting like that phony bunch.”

“I think Lauren understood you were just looking out for her. Sometimes, it’s hard to see things when you’re on the inside. It’s easier for someone on the outside to look at things objectively. It had to have occurred to her that you always sat with your own friends for lunch instead of with hers. And I noticed none of her friends offer you support; they keep glaring at us, though.”

“They don’t like our lunch table. We’re not cool enough for them.”

“The way I see it, they’re not cool enough for us.” Bella smiled kindly at Tyler. “Thank you for hearing me out. It’s up to you whether or not you see one of the grief counselors, but in my opinion, you should go. Ms Lahote from the police station is one of the counselors assisting today. If I were you, I’d see her. It’s who I see.” With a wink, she left her friend to contemplate her words.

---

On Thursday, the Cullens finally returned to school as it was the first overcast day after vacation. When Bella arrived at her locker in the morning, she found Edward Cullen leaning against it with a bright smile on his face. His countenance soon turned into a frown when Paul caught up to her and slung an arm around her.

“Excuse me. I need to get to my locker,” Bella said.

Edward’s mouth opened, then closed, then opened again. He looked like a pufferfish. “But he’s dead. I made sure of that,” he whispered to himself, confused. He stared at Paul worriedly as if he was a specter.

“Can you move?” Bella repeated.

A firm hand landed on Edward’s shoulder. “You know the rules. Don’t approach her,” Emmett forced him away from the lockers with a vice-like grip.

“You don’t understand,” Edward whined in protestation, “he’s not supposed to be alive. I took care of him.”

Bella stared in shock at the crazy vampire. He had absolutely no remorse for attempting to murder Paul. What kind of a deranged monster was he? Completely upset, Bella approached her stalker. “You listen to me, fucker. You have intruded on my life over and over ever since I arrived in this town. The next time you cross paths with me or my loved ones, I will ensure it’s the last thing you ever do. Now, stay away from us. Do you understand me?”

“What she said,” Paul simply stated, pointing to Bella because he had nothing to add. Then, he kissed his imprint full on the lips to further antagonize the vampire. He put his arm around her, cooed, “Come on, babe,” and led her away.

Edward Cullen stood stunned in the hallway. How could his mate speak to him with such disrespect after all the effort he’d exerted to bring them together? He even destroyed his beloved Aston Martin, thinking she would appreciate the sacrifice he made for her. Well, he’d have to redouble his efforts, and as soon as they married, she would be taught obedience. Her vile language was beyond the pale, primarily because she directed it at him. He wouldn’t put it up with it.

But first…

Paul Lahote must die.

---

The baseball and softball teams celebrated another win on Saturday but didn’t go to Sully’s to celebrate. It was shut down for renovations. Instead, they all went home to process recent events that seemed to have hurtled their part of the Olympic Peninsula into a miasma of grief.

There was some good news for the wolves on Saturday night. The three nomadic vampires who had killed the Mallory women had been culled by Jasper, Peter, and Charlotte. They had returned to Forks and scented vampires at the Swan residence, so they knocked on the door. Charlotte lulled them into a false sense of security by welcoming them into the home like a proper Southern hostess. She then promptly removed the female vampire’s head, and while her two partners watched in shock, Jasper and Peter decapitated the two males. And thus, Victoria, James, and Laurent’s lives came to an unremarkable end. Of course, fire laws prevented them from burning the bodies of the vampires, so they used Charlie’s propane grill. They now owed the Swans a new grill because Charlie vowed he wasn’t cooking on his old one anymore after he saw three heads sitting on the grill grates, dissolving into purple smoke.

On Sunday, Lauren and Linda Mallory’s joint funeral was held. The funeral was a simple graveside service for mother and daughter as they had no family left. The entire town had seemingly shown up to pay their respects and mourn the deceased. Tyler ignored Lauren’s fake friends and mourned her in his own way. All his friends were there to bolster him at her funeral, especially Bella, who held his hand the entire time and stood staunchly beside him, providing friendship and support. Mike Newton stood on his other side. There were sneers and snickers from Lauren’s false friends, some of whom accused Bella of taking advantage and infringing on Lauren’s territory. One look from Paul that brooked no opposition quelled that supposition.

Tyler had taken Bella’s advice and met with Ms Lahote, who was helping him deal with the emotional trauma of Lauren’s death. He also became close friends with Paul, whom he never knew until recently. Paul was a stand-up guy, and Tyler could understand why Bella was dating him.

After the funeral, everyone assembled at a potluck held at Mr Weber’s church to remember the deceased and celebrate their lives. Following the gathering, Tyler didn’t want to be alone, so Paul invited him to hang out at La Push. The three friends went for a walk along the shoreline. Bella and Paul allowed their friend to contemplate silently, though they stayed by his side.

Suddenly, Tyler broke off from the couple and stood close to the water’s edge, shouting to the heavens, “Whyyyyy? Why her? Do you even exist, God?” And then he dropped to his news and began crying. “Lauren, why did you have to leave me so soon? Send me a sign! Tell me everything is going to be okay!”

“I’ll go to him,” Bella whispered to Paul before walking to her friend’s side and wrapping her arms around him.

Paul leaned against a tree as he watched his girlfriend hold her friend. He wasn’t jealous at all of her actions. No, the care and loyalty his imprint showed her friends is what he admired the most about her. Tyler needed Bella’s embrace right now. The raw grief his friend was feeling was palpable to all. The guy had unexpectedly lost his girl, the one he’d dated since his freshman year of high school. Paul couldn’t imagine how Tyler felt right now. If he were in his shoes, he’d probably fling himself into the ocean in hopes of drowning.

His relationship with Bella was solid, albeit it had been fraught with turmoil, caused mainly by Edward Cullen. He loved her more than his life and trusted her with his heart. The couple had taken things slowly with each other. They weren’t like Sam and Emily or Katie and Jared. Paul and Bella took the time to get to know each other. The other two couples had hopped into bed with each other within a week of the imprint. Bella and he hadn’t gone further than holding hands and kissing. There was no need to go further for now. They knew they’d get there eventually.

His rumination was interrupted when he heard Tyler holler, “What the fuck, Cullen!”

“You whore!” Edward Cullen shouted at Bella. “I guess that savage wasn’t enough for you! Now, you’re giving yourself to a darkie.”

“You racist son-of-a-bitch!” Bella yelled. “How dare you enter Quileute lands and start spouting your prejudiced views!”

While Bella unleashed her fury on Cullen, Paul sent a group text message to all the vampires and wolves he knew: 911! Come to Second Beach ASAP! Edward Cullen is attacking Bella and Tyler!

“You are deluded, prejudiced, and the worst kind of monster to ever roam the earth! And by the way, fuckwit, you owe both Paul and me new modes of transportation. Yeah, I know it was you who tried to kill my boyfriend! You think you’re better and smarter than everyone, but I know the truth, you are worse than the scum beneath my shoes. If I could, I’d stomp you like the little insect you are, but as it is, I have something better and stronger to combat little turds like you!” Bella stopped her tirade as Paul approached the group in human form.

“Sorry, babe, I was just sending a text message.” Paul turned to Edward and donned a perplexed expression. “What are you doing here?”

With a look of superiority and a malicious grin, Edward stated, “Bella is cheating on both of us with this… this…”

“American?” Paul finished for him.

“My mom was born in Jamaica, but her family moved to Forks when she was five. My father is Irish with ancestors from Barbados from Cromwell’s days.”

“For real?” Bella’s head snapped to Tyler.

“Yep, Dad was born and raised in Ireland-he speaks with an Irish accent and everything. In fact, he has the notoriety of being the only person with an Irish accent in Forks-black or white. So, I actually have dual American and Irish citizenship.”

“Cool!” Paul chortled.

“That is quite fascinating,” Edward Cullen admitted, “but it doesn’t change the fact that you…”

“Oh, hey, guys!” Jared Cameron approached the trio, standing behind Cullen. He was soon joined by Jacob, Embry, and Sam. The three of them formed a blockade along with Paul.

“Bella, why don’t you head back to Billy’s? I’m sure Tyler will keep you safe,” Paul suggested.

“No way, man. I’m staying to kick Cullen’s ass,” Tyler insisted.

“Uh, Ty. I think Paul is right. We should go.”

Jenny, Leah, and Seth soon strolled onto the beach with Harry and Billy, completing the circle around Edward Cullen. Every single wolf glared directly into the vampire’s eyes. They were all still in human form, waiting for Bella and Tyler to leave so they could phase into wolf form.

Edward Cullen looked around and realized he needed to escape. The wolves could kill him for being on Quileute land, but he had come here to collect his errant mate. He discovered that she had been temporarily relocated to La Push for safety from him. As if he would hurt her?

Edward took in his surroundings. The wolves formed a tight circle around him. His best bet would be to run through Tyler. It would most likely kill him, but the situation required a sacrifice. Unfortunately, his mate was standing face-to-face with her new beau, urging him to leave with her. Bella’s back was to him.

With an evil smile, Edward grabbed Bella, keeping her back to him and wrapping one arm around her neck while the other secured her arm to her side. She felt wonderful in his arms-as if she belonged there. He had never experienced the wonders of the flesh, but he looked forward to familiarizing himself with those pleasures as soon as she became his wife.

The wolves closed in on them. He had to get to safety. He looked for an opening, but there was none.

“Are you insane, Cullen! Leave Bella alone!” Tyler bravely yelled.

“You’re going to let my imprint go, Cullen. You don’t want to hurt her,” Paul growled.

“Excuse me, Edward. I understand you have an insatiable need to kidnap me, but would you mind loosening your hold before you break my arm with your enormous strength,” Bella requested sweetly.

“Of course. I apologize, my love,” Edward complied as he removed his hold on her arm. A smile flits across his face. His mate complimented him. She said he was strong.

The vampire didn’t notice Bella shove her hand in her pocket to remove a small rectangular device. He was so delighted by his mate’s acknowledgment of his prowess that he decided to bask in the joy for a few moments. Suddenly, Edward let out a high-pitched, agonized shriek of pain: “Aiyeeeeee!” The vampire immediately froze and looked for the source of torment.

Bella held a live taser to his testicles with a look of malevolent glee. Mate or not, he could not exist with a woman who would cruelly abuse his most sensitive male organs with delight. Edward immediately backed away from her, straight into Quileute Chief William Black’s arms, who held him with surprising strength. The vampire struggled to get free but to no avail.

Paul immediately pulled his imprint away to safety. “Ouch! Ouch! Turn that shit off,” he yelped when the taser accidentally touched his arm.

“Sorry,” Bella grimaced and immediately powered off the taser.

Edward glanced up from his position of captivity and saw that help was coming. His entire family, Carlisle, Esme, Rosalie, Emmett, and Jasper, were approaching him at vampire speed. Even Peter and Charlotte Whitlock rushed toward them. Typically, he wanted nothing to do with those low-class vampires, but today, he was elated to see them. He assumed Alice must have called to tell them because she was missing from the group.

Billy donned his high school principal persona and turned to Carlisle and Esme. “Dr and Mrs Cullen, I believe this belongs to you.”

Carlisle shook his head. “No. No longer.”

“What?” Edward cried. “Father, what do you mean I no longer belong to you? I’ve been a member of your coven for over a hundred years. You changed me, don’t you remember? I’m your son, your companion.”

“And you abused those privileges by putting human kids in danger. You stalked Bella Swan from the moment you arrived in Forks, Washington, even sneaking into her room at night, frightening her and taking away her sense of security. But even worse, you attempted to murder Paul Lahote by blowing up his car. No, Edward, you are no longer a part of my coven!”

“But where am I to go? I need protection. And I no longer want Bella Swan. She is a sadist. She seems to have an unusual fascination with abusing my testicles!”

There were several snickers and chuckles from the others.

“That a girl,” Jasper whispered to her. He had gifted her the taser, stating that she might find it useful and less cumbersome than a bat.

“Well, if no one wants me, I’ll be leaving,” Edward huffed, acting hurt. The wolves made an opening for him. He held his head up high and walked past them. He glanced at Carlisle with pleading eyes, attempting to guilt him into letting him stay. Seeing it was impossible, he walked away but ran straight into Peter Whitlock.

“Goodbye, Edward,” Peter said kindly, and then…

With one fell swoop, Peter twisted Edward’s head off.

“Oh, shit!” Tyler cried, his eyes wide with shock.

“That was freaky! I’ve never seen anything like it,” Leah gasped. She turned to Tyler. “Hey, are you okay?”

And then it happened. Leah felt a jolt in her body and her heart thumping a million beats a minute. A spiritual bond was forming between her and the guy before her.

Was her hair and makeup okay? Thank goodness she didn’t have to turn into a wolf. She didn’t want to scare off her imprint.

“Holy shit! This is the best news of my life. My two besties are soulmates.” Bella took Leah’s hand and placed it in Tyler’s, and they immediately felt the electricity. “There’s your sign from Lauren,” she told Tyler. “Everything will be okay.”

“Well, now that this is done, we will leave you and your tribe in peace,” Carlisle addressed Billy and Harry. “You understand that I’ll need to give the hospital time to find a replacement, so it will take several weeks until we can leave town permanently. The two problematic members have been dispatched, so there should be no more issues.”

Carlisle turned to Bella and Paul with remorse. “I apologize from the bottom of my heart for all the trouble we caused.” He shook his head. “I thought we could live peacefully among humans, but alas, it was wishful thinking on my part. In any case, I am no longer master of the coven.” And then Dr Cullen looked directly into Jasper’s eyes. “I hereby cede control and all authority and responsibility of my coven to Major Jasper Whitlock.” With that, Carlisle and Esme left the beach.

“You know, the reason why Carlisle can’t be coven master is because he just left without torching the damned body!” Peter complained. “I suppose we can use Charlie’s grill again.”

“How about a bonfire?” Billy suggested. “I think it would be less conspicuous than carrying the body back to Forks.”

Emmett shrugged and joked, “Sure, as long as you don’t throw us in there. I’m not ready to die yet.”

Once the pyre blazed, and Edward had dissolved into purple smoke, Tyler finally asked, “Can someone please tell me what just happened? Because I’m so confused.”

Afterward, when Tyler Crowley walked into his house at midnight, he was a bit freaked out. It had been an eye-opening day for him. He learned about vampires, shapeshifting wolves, and soulmates before he was sworn to secrecy. Oh, yeah, and then he was grounded for breaking curfew and coming home at midnight on a school night. Oh, well. It was worth it. He had met an incredible girl named Leah Clearwater, seemingly sent straight to him from Lauren.

---

Bella was finally able to return to her house in Forks on Monday. She found they had house guests-if vampires could be considered guests. She looked around the house curiously. “Did you guys do something to the house?”

“Just a little this and that,” Peter replied. “Your dad doesn’t mind. We get bored staying up all night, you see.”

“Ah, okay. If my dad said it is okay, then it is okay.”

“Come and sit down, sweet pea. You, too, Chief Swan. I made some of my southern fried chicken, mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, gravy, biscuits, cornbread, and apple pie for you,” Charlotte pointed to the spread on the table. “Oh, and I made hush puppies, too.”

“No vegetables?” Bella asked, looking at the bounty.

“Honey, there are plenty of veggies on the table. I made mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, and my mama always told me cornbread counted as a vegetable, too.”

“Potatoes are veggies, kiddo,” Charlie said, looking toward their chef. “Just go with it.”

Bella shrugged her shoulders and dug into the food. “Yeah, I guess they are.”

Peter and Charlotte Whitlock stayed for another month, which was exactly how long it took for the hospital to find a new physician to replace Dr. Cullen. The Swans didn’t mind. They enjoyed the Whitlocks’ company a great deal, and apparently, the Swan house gave them a ton of activities to stay busy.

The Swans didn’t know that while they were gone from the house during the day and sleeping at night, all the vampires in town visited the Swan home to stay busy. By the time they left Forks, the house had been given a new paint job-inside and out, the kitchens and bathrooms had been refurbished, and new flooring and windows had been installed. Bella’s room had been completely updated, so she didn’t have bad memories of waking up to find Edward in her bed. There was one oddity she didn’t understand. The vampires had installed French doors that opened up to a balcony overlooking the forest where the window Edward had snuck in from had been. Peter told her that while she didn’t understand why it was installed now, she would understand and appreciate it later-and apparently, so would her wolf. Several months later, when Paul began sneaking into her room at night, Bella completely understood the necessity for the balcony.

The old Dodge Ram in Charlie’s garage had become Peter and Rosalie’s new pet project. By the time they were done, the vehicle had been spruced up and customized to the hilt with a brand new engine, paint job, seats, and a whole slew of bells and whistles to make it comfortable for a father-daughter road trip.

Bella and Paul did, indeed, receive new vehicles to replace the ones destroyed by Edward Cullen. Jasper and Peter personally took the kids shopping. The kids had decided on going with a smaller sedan like the ones that had been destroyed, but the vampires persuaded them to get larger vehicles. “Look to the future and take advantage of the situation. You two will be going to college next year, and you’ll need good, reliable vehicles to last you during those years and beyond. Besides, Carlisle is paying,” Jasper reminded them. Peter added the angle that a larger vehicle was a safer one. Paul ended up with a new full-size Toyota truck, while Bella chose a Toyota Land Cruiser. Both vehicles were decked out with every available amenity and customized with bulletproof glass, tinted windows, roll bars, and a rocking stereo system.

As for the vampires, they stayed for an additional month to finalize personal arrangements. They decided to scatter to different parts. While they were part of Jasper’s coven, they could move about freely as long as they checked in with him occasionally. He would provide protection from any evil vampires or other supernaturals. Carlisle and Esme moved to New York City, where the doctor found a new position. Emmett and Rosalie returned to her birthplace of Rochester, New York, for a few years. Peter and Charlotte went home to Oklahoma. Jasper, meanwhile, collected his mate Kate from Alaska, married her, and then moved home to Texas.

Alice, on the other hand, knowing she was about to be executed, ran away to Massachusetts where she was now making bank as a fortune teller in Salem. She could always stay one step ahead of everyone with her visions. She avoided members of her former Cullen, the Volturi, the Quileute Pack, and especially Jasper for self-preservation. Jasper knew well enough where she had planted herself, but he’d decided not to cull her since she had shown remorse and even informed him that Kate was his mate.

Amid all the happenings, Billy and Julia got married in what was supposed to be a small Quileute ceremony for close friends and family. It ended up being an entire weekend shindig involving the towns of Forks and La Push. Everyone needed a big, happy celebration after the recent tragic events-even the vampires participated. The wedding was held at Reverend Weber’s church, officiated by Revered Weber and the Quileute shaman, Old Quil.

Combining the Black and Lahote households was a bit more of a challenge because there simply wasn’t enough space in either of their homes. Billy’s house was a bit larger, so Paul took the guest bedroom while his mother and stepfather had an addition built to enlarge the Black family home. Julia’s home still had twenty years left on the mortgage, so she sold it and put the proceeds toward Paul’s college fund.

For Paul, adjusting to living with just his mother as an only child and having a father and siblings was challenging. There were new rules that both the Lahote and Black kids had to adjust to. Surprisingly, Paul was more independent and conscientious of parental needs than Rachel and Jacob. He had to learn to lean on Billy and his step-siblings more. He also had to get used to having Rachel and Jacob around. Thank God she was going back to college in the Fall. She was nice, but the way she hen-pecked annoyed him. Ah, well, she wasn’t his problem. Embry imprinted on her as soon as he saw her. He shuddered, thinking about being stuck with her.

Rebecca Black still had not come home. Instead, she quit college and chose to elope with her surfer in Hawaii. Billy and Julia announced they would take the kids on a family vacay/honeymoon in the summer to check in and visit Rebecca once school got out.

Paul didn’t think it was fair. He wouldn’t see his imprint for a whole six weeks. While the Black / Lahote trip was only two weeks, Bella would be attending softball camp at UCLA for an entire month. After that, Charlie would drive down and pick her up so they could tour California, which included three nights at Disneyland on the way home. Paul’s vacation would consist of beaches, sunny skies, no imprint, and no Mickey Mouse. Where the hell was the justice in that?

But all this would occur in the summer, and the kids had more important things to worry about-like the prom.