Before The Storm | J. Hale & A. Cullen

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The Lane residence was stock-still and silent as the man stood in front of the window sill, gazing out of it as he held his warm cup of cocoa. He watched as the neighborhood children ran down the street. They were laughing and cheering as they ran, their faces bright with smiles as the cold flushed their faces red.

The peaceful tranquility was momentarily broken by the shrill sound of a phone ringing from deeper into the room. Within mere seconds, the man was across the room to answer it before it could hit the third ring.

His normally tense body relaxed when he heard whose voice was on the other end. He forced himself to stay focused as he walked through the house, entering his bedroom as he tried to ignore the kids shouting outside.

"Isabella. It's been too long, hasn't it? To what do I owe this shocking pleasure? You're not in the hospital again, are you?” He added with a small smirk. “Hopefully, you've gained better balance by now with all the ice Washington tends to get."

The silence his joking comment was met with surprised him as Bella didn't try to defend her usual clumsy behavior.

When Bella spoke, her normally light tone had turned serious. "Hey, Mykie, it's good to hear from you, too. I know it's been a while, but I…I need your help. I know we haven't talked much since I moved back in with Charlie, but my family and I are in a situation where we could be harmed and we need some people we can trust to help attest to our side." She sighed deeply, pausing for a moment to most likely run her hand through her hair before she continued. "The family is getting as many people as they can, but I want you to be here with me. You're one of my closest friends and I would feel better about this whole thing if you were here with me."

Michael nodded his head in agreement as he started to collect a few of his things and some clothes. He set his phone down on the dresser as he packed, putting the phone on speaker so he could still hear Bella. As he did so, a thought occurred to him.

"Does this mean I finally get to meet your daughter? And your husband? What was his name, Eddard? Something like that, right?" He ran his hand through his hair as he briefly scanned the room, checking for what he might have missed. "I'll be there either tomorrow or the day after. I haven't decided whether to drive or fly yet. Text me the address and I'll be there as soon as I can."

After exchanging quick goodbyes, the pair hung up with one another and started to make the preparations.

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Author's Note: Not much was changed in this chapter, but there will be more noticeable changes as the story goes on.