Midnight

Life Begins

That night I had dreams and memories flash through my mind, making me restless. Memories of both good and bad times, memories of when I was younger chasing Bella around the garden, whilst I myself was being chased by Jake. Then the bad memories surfaced, his face, his breath, the pain. I woke with a start as his face came screaming towards me. Sweat poured down my back, my hair stuck to my face. Suddenly my door flew open and I stormed Charlie.

"Sorry I didn't mean to wake you." I blushed as I wiped the hair from off my face. "Just a nightmare that's all."

"It's ok nothing can get you here." He pulled me into an awkward hug. I looked over his shoulder and saw Bella there half asleep yawning.

"It's ok Bella go back to bed." I pulled away from Charlie. "Both of you. Sorry again for waking you." Bella nodded and walked out. Charlie sat for a moment then nodded and followed Bella. I tried to get back to sleep, but all I did was toss and turn. This was suppose to be a fresh start, but my past still haunts me I thought. I got up and logged into my laptop browsing various sites.

I closed my eyes for what felt like seconds, but when I opened them I found light streaming in through a gap in my curtains. I sat up to find myself still sat at my desk. My laptop quietly beeping, telling me the battery was nearly out of juice. Closing the lid gently, I winched in pain as my body straightened up again. I stretched hearing the bones in my back crack. I finally stood and went down stairs, Charlie was sat at the table dressed for work, reading a newspaper.

"Morning!" I smiled as I walked over to him. "Sorry again for waking you. Where's Bella?" I enquired as I sat down, joining him.

"She had school. How are you? What are your plans?" Charlie replied as he placed the paper down.

"Well." I began as I pulled my legs up onto the chair. "I was going to the Rez, going to get a bit of shopping and then was going to pop to the library." He looked at me puzzled. "I couldn't get back to sleep, so I applied for an online course...actually two." He laughed smiling at me.

"What are the courses?" He asked clearly intrigued.

"One is veterinary medicine and the other is just a Mickey Mouse course as my father use to say. It's to do with Native American culture. I'm intrigued by the stories Billy used to tell us when we were kids, before everything went tits up!" Charlie nodded, knowing what I was meant. I just needed a sense of normality. I wanted school again, but couldn't face big crowds. Just being at the airport and on the plane were tricky for me. I was 20 and I had crappy grades thanks to my dad. I just needed to do something in order to get my life back on track. Charlie knew I loved animals and that I loved learning about other cultures, just from the short 6 years I lived here when I was a kid.

Once I had breakfast, I got dressed and head down to the rez. Whilst driving through Forks I smiled at the memories that flooded my head. That's all that ever happened was memories. Old ones, I should really make new ones, ones that won't make me cry I thought. I finally passed a sign signally La Push. After a short while I was pulling up to the Black's residence. Jumping out I saw Billy sat on the front porch, the second he saw me his face lit up and a smile spread across it reaching his eyes.

"Little wolf." He yelled as he rolled down the rickety ramp. "Glad to see you, Jake's in the shed."

"Thanks, I wanted to talk to you as well so." I smirked at him "Jake will have to wait." He laughed and signalled for me to follow him. He poured me a coffee and we sat at the small round dining table, talking about old times. Every time he mentioned my dad I would wince. At one point it looked like he was going to ask if I was ok and what had happened when I was away, thankfully he didn't.

Soon the front door opened and in walked a greasy, dirt classed Jake. "Ali I didn't know you was here." He smiled and came over to me with his arms wide.

"Don't even think about it." I remarked pulling back. "Go get cleaned up and then I'll think about hugging you." He laughed as he went and showered. As I watched him walk away I smiled. I truly was home. "Papa, do you think the others will be as welcoming as Jake and Bella. I mean I did up and leave without a word."

Billy grabbed my hands in one of his and wiped away the stray tear with the other. "You didn't up and leave. You were taken from your home against your will. It's your father's fault, not yours Little Wolf." I nodded taking in a deep breath to calm myself.

"Why do you call me Little Wolf?"

"Because your birth totem is a wolf and you was such a tiny baby when you was born. The name just stuck." He smiled and I could see a sort of pain in his eyes. The only time I'd seen that pain in them was when we found out my mother had died. I wasn't even allowed to go to her funeral, my father locked me in my room whilst he went. Then he came back, stuffed clothes into some bags and dragged me out the front door. I felt anger surge through my veins as I thought of all the things he did to me. The endless nights I would stay awake crying and shaking. I knew if I told anyone the truth then they would look at me differently, I didn't want that. I wanted them to see me like they always had.

"Ali?" I turned and Jake was standing in the doorway. "Fancy going to the beach?" I nodded, turned to Billy and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

As well walked along the beach I could tell Jake wanted to ask me something, but was nervous. "Spit it out Black." I said causing him to jump.

"Just wanted to know why?" I turned to look at him and I saw the same pain I saw in Billy's not five minutes ago. I sighed, pulling him into a hug.

"I didn't want to leave, my dad forced me." He didn't say anything else, just nodded. We walk further in silence, until we came to a bunch of guys playing football.

"Guys!" Jake yelled causing them all to stop and look. "This is Ali." I waved at them.

"No way Little Wolf Ali?" One guy piped up. When I nodded two of them came charging at me, tackling me to the ground. "It's great to see. Do you remember me?" Hope filled his voice. I looked closer at him, the eyes were familiar, the voice different. Then it clicked.

"Embry?" He nodded. I turned to the other boy. "Quil?" He nodded as well. I felt tears come to my eyes as I pulled them into a hug.

"It's been a while Loca." Quil laughed as he pulled me gently to my feet. I couldn't say anything, a lump had formed in my throat as I fought back the tears. I hadn't cried so much since I was a child. As I grew up I learned that crying only brought me more pain. All I did in reply to him was nod.

I looked over at Jake who could tell I was feeling a bit nervous. "Guys stop crowding her. Plus Embry don't forget you're getting a temperature I don't want her getting sick." Embry just nodded at Jake then smiled at me.

"It's good to have you back. Finally the gangs altogether." Jake places an arm round my shoulder, squeezing me gently. The afternoon went on and we all sat and talked about old times. None of the guys brought up why I had left suddenly or why I hadn't contacted them. It made me smile at how quick they accepted me back. I looked at Embry who looked like he was about to be sick.

"Em, why don't you go home, you don't look well." I brushed some hair out of his face as he just nodded. "I'll come by tomorrow and check on you, plus I need to catch up with your mum." He smiled weakly and left. Something in my heart told me that I wouldn't be seeing Embry anytime soon.

As the night drew in I said my goodbyes and drove back to Forks. I walked into Charlie's to find Bella sitting at the table, I smiled at her. "Glad to see you up and about again. How are things with you and Jake?" She smiled and blushed. It was nice to see as a few months ago she'd gone missing. I went searching for her, and when I came home I found her in her bed, thanks to a guy called Sam who had found her in the woods. She hadn't spoken or eaten properly. She screamed the place down at night. She actually stopped me from having nightmares. It was only recently that she started getting back to her old self.

"We are good." She stopped suddenly, I could see she wanted to say something else so I waited. "Promise not to tell Charlie if I tell you something?" I nodded. "Jake and I are doing up some dirt bikes." My eyes grew wide. Never in a million years would I peg Bella for an adrenaline junkie.

"So you was over there earlier today?" She nodded. "So was I, talking to Billy." We both laughed. "Don't worry your secret is safe with me."