Bella and Peter walked back down to the window of Bella's bedroom from the fire escape. She let's a soft sigh when the two of them got back inside.
"Let's get this dealt with." Peter said as he went for the door.
Bella stayed where she was, standing nervously. She looked up at Peter as he stood by the door waiting for her.
"Let's go," Peter tells her.
Bella trailed behind her father as they descended down the spiral stairs. Parts of her wanted to run like a coward but she couldn't. She trails behind Peter until they are met by Derek and Scott, who were looking at them with concern.
"What took you so long?" Derek asked
"Well, nephew, my darling daughter and I were just having a lovely chat up on the roof." Peter replied sarcastically
"What?" Derek questioned
"Never mind that. I think Bella has something that she would like to say, don't you kiddo?" Peter asked as he turned to look at his daughter who was standing behind him.
Bella stood there awkwardly as she looked at the three men before her. She felt as if she were getting stage fright before presenting a speech. "Um...yeah...I do."
Bella found it harder than she thought as she couldn't form the words.
"Listen, Scott..." Bella started "What I...What I want to..."
Bella just kept stammering her words awkwardly.
"She doesn't want to be in your pack, Scott." Peter jumps in "There. End of discussion."
"Yup, that's it." Bella looked at Peter in disbelief "Thanks, dad."
"Anytime, kiddo." Peter smirked
"Is that true?" Scott asked Bella "You don't want to be a part of my pack?"
Bella looked right at Scott with wide eyes, too scared to come up with the answer. If anything, she was afraid of what Scott would say and do.
"So what if it is?"
"Uh," Scott stammered, "Can't we at least talk about this?"
"My mind is made up." Bella said "You did your part. Now you can leave"
Bella walked away and went out to the balcony. She could hear Scott conversing with her father and Derek.
She leans against the railing as she grunts in frustration. Bella thought that a huge weight was lifted off of her shoulders. With Peter's help, she had gotten this over with. But it doesn't seem like that Scott was gonna go down easily.
Scott watched Bella as she stood on the balcony. She was a healing kid who had suffered so much when there was no cause. He knew that Peter was supposed to be the bad guy here and had seriously considered that it was Peter who didn't want Bella in his pack. But no. It was the complete opposite. Bella made the choice on her own and that she would rather be an omega than join his pack. To be an omega alongside her father.
This came as a complete surprise to Scott. Derek had explained to him that they had needed an Alpha's help to determine Bella's abilities but Scott wasn't prepared for this. When he did the alpha roar, Bella instantly became a member of his pack, his beta, and she all but left it within minutes. Even still, Scott wanted to look out for her.
Bella drags her hands down her face, staring outward for a brief moment until Scott's voice shocks her back to the present. Bella turned to look instinctively and there stood Scott, standing beside her with a concerned look.
She gives a little sigh.
"I don't want to be a part of your pack," she only half-complains. But it's the truth. "You can't make me. I make my own choices, and can damn well live with them." Crossing her arms she glares up at him.
Scott sighs "You're free to do whatever you want to do."
Bella turns to Scott, stunned by what he just said "What did you say?"
"I'm not going to tell you what to do." But he also doesn't quite say 'whatever you want to do,' even though it lingers there unsaid.
"You're just gonna accept my refusal?" Bella questioned
She hadn't exactly expected it to work, but she won't deny that it pleases her.
"I will." Scott stated
Bella pauses for a few moments but senses that Scott had more to say "But?"
Scott cocked his head.
"If you have something to say, go ahead. Spit it out."
Clearly Bella was smarter than he had given her credit for. "You don't want to be a part of my pack, fine. I won't force you. But you should know that I will still be here if you need anything."
"What?" Bella squints her eyes in confusion
"You want to help us with any enemies coming our way, all you have to do is ask. I won't force you to be a part of something. If you need something, anything at all, you can talk to me about anything. Ask me for advice. Or if you just want someone to talk to. I can be a friend. A mentor. A brother. A shoulder to lean on. Whatever you need me to be. I won't be your Alpha, but I hope that you can take this into consideration instead."
Bella was completely startled by what Scott just said to her. The statement made Bella feel cold inside. Scott felt that this was the most important promise that he could make towards the younger Hale.They didn't have the best relationship but he had hoped that this could be a fresh start.
"You...what...you would..." Bella stammered "I don't know what to say. Honestly, I wasn't expecting this at all."
"I need you to trust me when I say we'll get through this. It might take a while, but we will."
"Trust you? You expect me to trust you when you don't even trust me or my dad. I make no promises that I'd come to you for anything," she says curtly
"Fair enough." Scott said "But the offer is always on the table."
Bella slightly nods. "Fine. Thank you, Scott."
Scott was taken aback by Bella's thanks "No problem."
The two of them went back inside the loft together and noticed Peter and Derek waiting for them.
"Well?" Peter asked, crossing his arms "What's the verdict?"
"Scott and I made a deal." Bella replied "I won't be his beta but he told me that I could come to him for anything if I needed something."
"Really?" Peter asked in confusion
"Really."
"That's it? Well, that was easier than I thought it would be."
"Tell me about it." Bella said "I thought there was gonna be hell."
"Well, now that this is over with, we can all move on." Peter said
"Don't forget, we still have Monroe and the hunters to deal with." Derek jumps in
"I'm staying as far away from that one as I possibly can." Bella said "I would very much like to not get shot in the head again."
Peter glares at her, reeling from the uncomfortability of that topic. But it was over now and Peter wanted to try and move past that as best as he could. He'd rather he didn't see his baby girl gravely hurt again. But who knows what the future will hold for them at this point.
Derek solemnly looks at his uncle. He can tell that Peter didn't like that particular topic at all when it comes to Bella.
"We have a plan." Scott says "And we are going to leave it at that. You guys are welcome to help us if you want to but the choice is yours."
"You know I'm with you on this, Scott." Derek told Scott
"Well, I'm not." said Peter "So if you don't need me or my kid anymore, we can just get out of your hair."
"Fine." Derek shrugged
Peter looks down at Bella as he grabs her by the shoulder and the two of them walk out of the loft, heading back to their apartment.
"Are you doing alright?" Peter asked after they got back home
"Yeah, I guess." Bella replied "I felt like I had this huge weight lifted off of my shoulders."
"Well, now that that was dealt with, let's talk about the elephant in the room." Peter said as he sat down in a chair
"What do you mean?"
"Well, what is it that you want to do now? You've got your powers back. You are now an Omega. You still got your whole life ahead of you. So I am asking, what is it that you would like to do for you?"
Bella fell into a deep thought as she sat down on the couch. "I never really thought about it."
"Well, what's the hold up? You have got to come up with something."
"I know." Bella quietly said "I never thought about anything that's best for me once. I suppose once things quiet down, I'd like to try the normal life route again."
"Normal life?"
"Well, I'd consider going back to school."
Peter snorted as he sat up straight "Don't get me wrong, sweetheart. I love you. But going to school hasn't been the best experience for you, remember?"
"I'm willing to try something." said Bella "Even if we get out of Beacon Hills, we'll always be lured back. After all, Beacon Hills is a beacon to the supernatural. You said so yourself. We are still werewolves so at some point, we will still have to defend our territory."
Peter nods "Unfortunately, that is true."
"I just have to learn to embrace a multiple lifestyle. If everyone else can do it, so can I."