The Guide Dog

Classmates

Seth

Sam is the first to greet the girl who once was and technically still is, as the mother of an imprintee, family to us.

Bella, nice to see you again.

Edward walks to his wife, whispering in her ear, as he translates Sam's thoughts. She smiles.

"Thank you, Sam. It's so nice to see all of you after such a long time. I miss you guys."

You're always welcome back, Bella. Quil tells her.

Edward whispers once again.

Her grin fades into a smile of sadness, a smile that looks strange against her flawless features.

"Quil, I'd love nothing more than to come back to town, if just for a day. To hang with you and Jake and Embry in the garage. To talk about prom, or graduation or any of the things you've got coming up. But I made a choice. One that I've never regretted and will never regret, but there are a few things I've had to give up for it. My place in Washington being one of them. But if you're ever up north..." she let the invitation trail off.

Quil's mind was already planning a trip to see the Cullens as I strode towards them. There weren't many of them. I wondered where the rest of Edward's family was just before the question was answered.

"Many of us had to stay home, Seth, to keep up appearances at school. Carlisle's supposedly on week-long vacation in Florida," I nod at Carlisle, grateful that he came to save the life of my pack brother. "and the rest of us, well we're visiting our birth parents." Edward smiles at Bella. I contemplate on how that might not be a total lie. I doubt Bella would come all the way down here and not visit Charlie.

I lie on the grass in front of the Cullens. The pack follows suit on the other side of the clearing.

Not that I'm unhappy to see you, Bella, but what are you doing here?
Sam turns to Edward, hoping he'll translate his thoughts in a way that isn't offensive. Clearly he does, because Bella reveals a heart-stopping grin as she walks forward. She strides to my side, much more coordinated than she was when I met her, and lifts her hand to pet my coat as she speaks to the pack leader.

"Well, Sam, I hear the pack's been having a bit of a vampire problem. I'm here to help with that."
It made sense. Bella lived through more vampire attacks in her human life than any other human in the world, and she had the battle scars to prove it. It made sense that she'd want to help Scarlett.

Does she know? I ask Edward.

"That Scarlett's blind? Yes, I told her, Seth."

"All the more reason to up security on her, right?" Bella smiles but it disappears as she walks towards the middle of the clearing to address the pack. " I will never forget the way that you protected me. All of you. The way you defended me, my family, my daughter, against everything. Including the odds." She chuckled.

My brothers bark their laughter.

"But this young girl, she isn't like me. She doesn't know about this life. She doesn't know about the danger she's in. That's why I have a plan to keep it that way. At least until she's ready to learn the truth about the pack, without running for the hills, or rejecting her mate."

I flinch slightly at the thought of my Scarlett rejecting me. It's a pain I've only ever heard of but even the thought of it brings a momentary stabbing sensation to my chest. I lower my head, a low whine escaping me.
Renesmee strides to me in a manner so similar to her mother's, and runs her soft hand down my side.

"Don't worry, Seth." Her small, beautiful voice pulls my mind from the pain. "We won't let that happen." She smiles, and I sigh trying to shake off the pain as I stand. I bow my head toward her, grateful for her comfort, before walking to stand next to Bella in the middle of the field.