BELLA

The Prodigal Son Returns



Ch1's option BELLA

The entire group of people saw him glance at them before turning down the familiar road.



To say that they were shocked to see him was an understatement.



“Was that…?”



“I believe so.”



“And he just…he fucking nerve!!!”



“Wait….give him time…he will come find us.”



“Yeah, well, whatever. I don’t want to see his fucking ass. When he does come find you, tell him where to shove his apologies and to not let the door hit his ass on the way out.”



Sigh.



He just hopes to get answers as to his sudden disappearance, and why it took so long to return home. He did not want to say it, but the heavy responsibility he bared belonged to his long lost friend; he needed to know if this meant he would take his rightful place…finally, or if the burden of his birth right would be indented permanently on his shoulders.



Sam train of thought was interrupted by an uncharacteristically angry looking Quil.

“That is bullshit and you know it.” Sam sighed, knowing that he really had no idea on how to handle the situation.



Being angry himself for not only Jacob’s disappearing act but because he knew that Quil and Paul were right to feel the way they did.



“I know it is,” He admitted nodding softly, pausing momentarily to glance at each of the others before continuing, then thought about a good way to disarm them of their impulse to run over to their returning lost brother and –more than likely-beat him to a pulp, “but I think Billy would like to get his own licks at him before we get our hands on his ass.” He finished with a slight side smirk. Earning a round of laughs.



There…problem adverted.



He sighed internally, feeling the temporary relief. Hopefully it would be enough to keep them at margin till he gets to hear what to expect out of Jacob’s impromptu appearance.



He turned the other way heading home when Jared spoke his concern.



“Today is his birthday.”



He knew he was not the only one that had stopped dead on his tracks and was sure they shared the same thought.



Bella.



Oh shit.

*~*~*

She returned from the grocery store with bags full of food, ready to set off on a cooking marathon, as usual.



This was her bi-weekly routine during her long college year, only now that she was home during the summer, she was spoiling them.



She had graduated and was waiting on today’s approval from the tribal council to teach at the res school. Billy had told her not to fret, that it was ‘in the bag’.



So, while she waited she decided to call Emily and tell her to not worry about a thing. To rest her swollen feet up and let her take care of everything.



She should be resting in her condition anyways. It can’t be easy to be pregnant with twins.



Tonight was the birth celebration of someone she would not forget, and it being his 21st birthday, she had to make it grand, not letting the lack of his presence damper her attempts.



All the others stopped telling her that she was waiting in vain…wasting her time and effort, but she would ignore their comments. Eventually, they stopped telling her and just enjoyed the food and get together atmosphere.



She arrived home and in her haste to take the food inside and finish preparing before they all arrived, she neglected to notice the muscle car parked in the shadowed alley between the house and the garage.



She made several trips to her old truck, bringing in bad after bag of groceries.



She seasoned the stakes and left them on the table on a serving dish to warm at room temperature for when “the grill king” arrived.



It’s how Paul liked to refer to himself now days.



She filled a large pot with water, put in a tablespoon of salt and begin peeling and cutting the carrots and potatoes for the potato salad. Once that is done she would let it cool before mixing it with the peeled and cut up apples she had in the fridge soaking on water with lemon so they don’t turn brown.



On another larger pot, also filled with water, she added more salt and peeled the husks from the corn to boil those as well.



After that, she grabbed the six heads of roman lettuce, a dozen tomatoes which she cut in wedges, Vidalia onions and cucumbers cut in half slices, thin sliced radishes, pitted black olives, and shaved some carrots with the potato peeler, then mixed that all in three very large bowls, wrapped the top with plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator.



Bella decided that to help the guys fill up more She would make some rice, and thanks to her school mates she learned to make Spanish style yellow rice with beans.



Quil and Embry eat the heck out of it and ask for seconds. It was then that she had decided to buy the largest rice pan she could find at the local ‘bodega’, the Spanish grocery story, in Port Angeles.



Now that all that was done she took out the chicken she had left seasoning all night from the fridge out back and the triple batch of Jack Daniel sauce/glace- the original Friday’s restaurant recipe - she made two days ago and brought it in to let warm to room temperature before grilling, then went to the phone and dialed the familiar number and at the same time took her cellphone out to text Paul.



As the phone line rang, she typed the message.



‘I am ready for his majesty to grace his subjects with his presence and barbequing skills>;) B’

She pressed send as someone answered the phone.



“Hey” Embry’s husky came through the receiver.



“Hey, yourself. All is on the way, so bring your butts out here!”



“Alright, alright. Who did you call already?” Embry said with a grunt.



He must be stretching. Probably woke his lazy butt up.



“Just you and texted Paul.” Bella informed.



“Cool. I’ll call the rest of the guys and their chicas to come over and get my butt there to do you bidding.” He said smiling, knowing Bella needed his help with setting up the tables and chairs.



“You are so good to me.” Bella said, faking a happy sigh, wishing as usual that she had the help of another. She shook her head from delving too deeply in those thoughts.



Embry sighed, Bella knows he notices when she think of Jake. She also knew he understood. After all, he and Bella had become close friends during these last few years.



He’s become a patch for the missing vital part of her soul…her sun.“Be there in two…four if I get dressed.” He taunted as usual. Another development as of late. ..It seems like he had developed feeling for her while she searched for comfort in his presence, and thanks to Paul and Quil, he’s been more vocal about it…like the rest, giving up on the possibility of Jake’s return. Something she wouldn’t give up, even if at times she felt like they might be right.



“Bring your muscles!” I say in a friendly tone.



“Don’t I always?” he replies with another grunt, and then lets out a satisfied sigh.



“See ya then.” Bella tells him, trying to hold on to the light banter mode.



“Yep.” He responded, with a sad sigh before hanging up.



I sighed heavily, feeling the tightness on her chest.



I hope Paul gets here soon. I don’t want to give Embry the impression that he has a snow flake chance in hell to get close to me in that way.



She walks out the back door towards the shed the guys build since she just couldn’t bring herself to go into the garage on the other side of the house without breaking into a full blown anxiety attack, to begin bringing out the chairs. They always ate outside because there was just not enough room inside Billy’s house for this pack of mutts.



She lost herself in fond memories of past trials of these gatherings, a wrestling match had broken out between Quill and Collin resulting in the repair, eventual replace, of the old coffee table. She also knows that she couldn’t let Billy get rid of it, She cried till Sam softened and repaired it as best as he could with a little help from Embry. Something she would never forget.



After a few minutes, Bella was startled by a warm russet hand reaching around me to grab the chairs She was trying to reach for. After a couple of puffs of warm breath, Embry must have felt Bella stiffen.



“Go back to the kitchen where you belong, woman.” He said, trying to calm his own heartbeat and hiding his feeling of rejection with his constant light banter.



She turns around to face him and….

*~*~*

What do you want her to do?



Options:



Go back inside



Let him kiss her



Get a hot almost kiss interrupted



*~*~*