BLOOD IN THE WATER
...🌑...
WITH her fathers work coat wrapped around, Rory sat in the police station by his desk, frozen in time as the world went around her in a blur. It was chaos at the station, officers pulled in from their usual patrols as news of Waylon Forge swept the town and Charlie was at the helm of it all. It was hard for him to do his job when all he wanted was to wrap his daughter up and hold her close, but as Chief of Police he had a duty to find the animal responsible for his friends brutal death and protect the rest of the town from meeting the same fate.
After examining the body, Dr. Carlisle Cullen made his wave through the station with an unusual frown on his handsome face, unseating heart heavy as he knew it was no animal that killed Waylon. He took an unneeded breath before his golden gaze snapped across the room where he found Rory sitting despondently.
Medical kit in hand, Carlisle moved smoothly across the station before he was kneeling before the girl, reaching for her hands "Miss. Swan--" He paused as he watched her flinch, wide eyes shooting up to meet his "I just want to clean your wounds, if that's alright with you?"
Rory swallowed thickly before nodding, holding out her hands. As Carlisle carefully grasped ahold of them, turning her palms to face him, his freezing cold touch soothed the dull ache her cuts gave. Pulling out an antiseptic wipe, Carlisle hesitated "This may hurt a little." He softly applied it to her wounds but she didn't so much as flinch, just watched his movements carefully like she was waiting for him to attack and part of him worried that somehow she knew the truth "What happened?"
Rory didn't look away from her hands, her voice scratchy and felt heavy on her tongue "I scraped them on a wall."
"And Waylon?" He questioned carefully "How did you know where to find him?"
"I didn't... I just... the voices..." She finally lifted her gaze to his and Carlisle frowned at the fear within them "I saw it. In my dream."
Carlisle frowned, opening his mouth to question her further when Charlie appeared at his desk, looking exhausted. The doctor looked between them, finishing up Rory's hands before he stood with a soft smile "I'll leave you two alone."
"Thanks, Dr. Cullen." Charlie told him.
"Please, call me Carlisle."
Charlie shook his hand before he was turning to his daughter "Can your old man get a hug?"
Rory nodded, swallowing the lump in her throat as she jumped to her feet, tossing her arms around her father neck and Charlie frowned as he tugged her as close as humanly possible, lifting her feet off the ground as he took a deep inhale, smelling her hair to almost assure himself his little girl was okay. When he felt her sob against his shoulder, hands clutching tight against his shirt, Charlie lowered himself into his chair, bringing her with him "I've got you. Your dad's got you."
...🌑...
DESPITE Edward assuring her he could read the minds of everyone but her, Bella as still worried he would hear every embarrassing and utterly obsessive thought she had of him. Her mind was a whirlwind of theories, he was strong enough to stop a van with his bare hand, fast enough to get there in a split second and he could read minds. The book burned in her pocket and while part of her couldn't wait to get home and figure out just what Edward Cullen was, the rest of her wanted to never leave his car. But as they drove past the 'Welcome to Forks' sign, she knew the moment would come sooner rather than later.
"Okay, I think I'm warm enough now." Just as she went to adjust the heater, Edward did as well wanting the girl to be comfortable. Bella was unable to control the gasp that left her mouth as her warm hands touched his freezing one's "Your hand is so cold."
He didn't respond, his grip tightening on the steering wheel and Bella added it to her list. Unnaturally cold.
As they neared the police station Bella's eyes widened at the amount of flashing lights surrounding it "Whoa, what is going on? My dads still here. Can you pull over?"
Edward did so before his eyebrows furrowed as he came to a stop "That's my father's car on the end. What is he doing here?"
The pair exited the car just as Carlisle made his way out of the building and Edward looked to his father figure "Carlisle, what's going on?"
He sighed sadly "Waylon Forge was found in his boat out at the dock. I just examined the body."
"He's dead?" Bella choked out in disbelief "How?"
"Animal attack." Carlisle met his sons eye and Edward inhaled silently as he read his mind.
Bella frowned "Was it the same one that got that security guard down in Mason?"
Carlisle nodded tensely "Most likely."
Bella shook her head, eyes wide "Well, it's getting closer to town the--"
"Bella, you should go inside." Carlisle interrupted softly and Edward's posture tensed "Rory was the one to find him."
Her eyes widened "What-- how--?"
"She's with your father."
"Okay." Bella nodded, blowing out a breath as she started walking only to pause and turn to Edward "Um, I'll see you later."
Bella made her way towards her father's desk where she found him sitting in silence with Rory across his lap, her head resting on his shoulder. Giving the pair a sad smile she placed a hand on each of their shoulders as she went around the back of them "Hey."
Charlie glanced at her "Hey."
Bella bit her lip "Dad, I'm really sorry."
"I've known him going on 30 years." Charlie sighed placing his hand over Bella's before glancing between his two daughter's "Don't worry, we're gonna find this thing. Meantime... I want you both to carry these with you."
Rory eagerly took the can of pepper spray, clutching it tight in her still throbbing hands while Bella eyed hers wearily "I don't know if--"
"It'll give your old man some peace of mind."
"Okay." Bella sighed, reluctantly taking the can.
Charlie looked between his girls tiredly "Let's go home."
...🌑...
STEAMING hot water pelted down upon Rory as she scrubbed her skin over and over until she was red. But even then she still felt dirty. She still felt the mans hands on her skin, in her hair, his voice in her head.
Shaking it away, Rory let out a whimper as she looked down at her hands now covered in blood. But it wasn't her own as it spread all over the walls and bathtub as Waylon lay at her feet. Her hands clamped over her mouth, eyes clenched shut as whispers swept around her until finally there was silence. slowly lowering her arms, Rory peaked an eye open, breathing out shakily when she found the bathtub clear of blood, of Waylon and quickly turned off the shower.
Once she was changed into her pyjamas, Rory turned off her light and crawled into bed. Curling up, she turned onto her side, staring towards her window and the stars twinkling above the forest. She heard the pattering of her sister's feet across the hall before a soft knock followed on her door and Rory clenched her eyes shut, pulling her blanket tighter around her shoulders "Rory? Are you awake? I-I have something to tell you. About Edward... about his family."
Rory didn't want to know.
Not now.
Maybe not ever.
She just didn't care.
And so as Bella called her name once again, Rory held her breath, waiting until her despondent footsteps retreated back to her room and finally she sighed, returning to staring out the window, tears falling silently down her cheeks.
Maybe she'd care tomorrow.
...🌑...
ALMOST a week had past since Waylon's death, and since the shower Rory had thankfully been without incident. No whispers, no hallucinations, nothing. But there was no peace, not as she helped her father organise his friends funeral. She'd been so busy she'd missed school, missed Bella who kept trying to get a moment alone with her. But she couldn't focus on that, not as she helped Cora serve the mournful townspeople refreshments at the diner after the service held by Angela's father. With an apron wrapped around her waist to try and protect her funeral best clean, Rory topped up peoples coffee before she headed into the kitchen where she found a sniffling Cora staring down at the sink full of dishes. Her heart clenched at the sight before she set down the pot and made her way over, resting a hand on the woman's cardigan covered back "Why don't you go sit down. I'll take care of these."
Cora nodded, giving her a small, thankful smile before she headed out leaving Rory to start the washing up. She rolled up her sleeves before getting started, wincing as the cuts on her palms stretched at the action. She scrubbed at the pot of chilli, taking out her pent up emotions until the brush snapped making her groan as she tossed it into the sink with a clatter.
"I'm always breaking those." Rory's head snapped around at the voice and found Emily Young standing there, basket in hand and the woman gave her a soft smile, the scar across her face tugging one side side "I brought muffins."
"Thanks." She murmured, nodding towards the counter "If you leave them I'll put them out."
Emily did so, setting the basket down before she peering over at the girl who refused on the dishes, using a sponge instead "Can I help?" Rory opened her mouth to protest when Emily was suddenly beside her, cloth in hand "I'll dry."
Rory's mouth snapped shut as she watched her before she nodded, mumbling a "Thanks."
The pair continued on in silence for a moment before Emily spoke "I heard you were the one to find him. That must've been scary."
"It must've brought up bad memories for you." She glanced to her scar when Emily frowned in confusion "It was an animal attack, too, wasn't it?"
Emily didn't respond as two figures walked into the room and Rory looked away from the woman to see a stone faced Sam Uley in the doorway with Jared Cameron behind him, both dressed in loose funeral appropriate clothes. It was the first Rory had seen Jared with his hair cropped and she knew underneath his crinkled shirt lay the same tattoo as Sam.
"Rory." The blonde tore her eyes away from the Cameron boy at Sam's authoritative voice "Did you seen anything at the docks?... Hear anything?" She met his gaze before silently shaking her head "How did you know to go there?"
"I-I don't know." Her voice was soft, choked as she began to feel claustrophobic, their large, intimidating figures felt like they took up all the room. She felt like their body heat was burning her, touching her and she was quick to shake her head, dropping the sponge on the ground "I-I have to go."
She ignored their calls and slipped back out into the diner where she looked around, spotting her father with Billy and Harry, Bella awkwardly at his side. Sue Clearwater was there, helping serve up some of her homemade cake with Seth's help as Leah sat sullenly beside them, glaring at nothing in particular. She took off her apron and made her way towards the door, slipping out without notice except by one who soon followed, leaving Jacob and Quil behind to stuff themselves with Sue's famous strawberry shortcake.
As the Swan girl began to quicken her steps, Embry was quick to rush after her, tugging her back by the arm "Rory, hey—" he frowned as he watched her flinch and quickly dropped his hand "Hey, Princess, it's me. It's just me."
Rory clenched her eyes shut, taking a deep breath before she opened them, meeting his concerned gaze "I'm sorry."
"For what?" He questioned with furrowed eyebrows when she merely shook her head "I have something for you."
She peered up at him curiously, face softening as he held out the woven tan coloured dream catcher "Em..."
He scratched the back of his neck sheepishly as she took it in her hands "I got my mom to show me to make it. I just figured you might need it after..."
"It's perfect." She murmured, holding it to her chest, giving him a soft smile "Thank you."
Thundering footsteps had the pair look over to see Jacob and Quil pushing and shoving each her playfully as they headed their way before the Aterea boy looked between them, cream smeared on his mouth and jam down his shirt "Are we interrupting something?"
"You know for having such a big mouth you always miss." Embry shoved at his shoulder.
Quil frowned, smearing the jam off his shirt before shrugging as he licked his hand and mouth clean "It's one of my charming quirks."
"Yeah, right." Jacob agreed wearily before looking to Rory, face softening "You wanna come back to my house and watch movies with us? You can pick."
Rory looked between the boys, ready to turn them down in fear of being stuck in a room with three hulking figures but as she looked between their hopeful eyes, so soft and brown and warm, she realised she'd always be safe with them.
And so a small smile grew on her lips as she nodded "Let's go."
The four were unaware of the pair watching them from the side of the diner and Jared turned to look at Sam "She's close, right?"
"Yeah." Sam confirmed solemnly "They all are."
...🌑...