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[Twilight] Rising Phoenix (Part Nine)
I promised myself I'd finish this, so... finishing it I shall. One step at a time. (At least I hit the climax?!)
Title: Rising Phoenix (Part Nine)
Fandom: Twilight
Universe: Daybreak
Summary: Kenneth's kidnapped Jessica to get close to Bella. Bella, understandably, is not amused.
Disclaimer: Kenneth and Leaf're the only characters that belong to me. ♥ Everything else, unfortunately, belong to SMeyer.
81.
Breathe. Bella clutched to her phone nervously and tried to make sense of their current conversation. Okay, so Mike gave her the facts: Mike and Jess had stayed at the store for half an hour after Bella left. Mike offered to take Jess home - it was their usual custom - but Jessica declined. (This wasn't so unusual either: some nights, Jess liked walking home alone and being one with herself.)
What was unusual, however, was the fact that Jessica had yet to return home two hours later. Typically, Jess returned promptly and swiftly.
Rubbing her forehead, Bella calmly replied, "I'm sure she's fine. You called her cell phone thrice - and even left voice-mails - and I'll ask Dad to have his policemen keep an eye out for her. Knowing Jess, she probably got distracted by Belles Robes; I bet she found a cute sweater or something."
"... That's the thing," Mike wearily replied. "I already called them. They hadn't seen her all week."
Bella pressed her lips. It'd only been a few hours. Jess should be fine. Mike was simply being too overprotective, but there was no way Bells was admitting that one to him. So, finally, Bella replied, "Oh. I'll... still let Dad know. Just remember to keep breathing."
Mike replied, "Sure." Quickly, he hung up on her and left her completely in the cold.
She stood there for a moment, her phone still close to her ear, before she glared at the curious family peering just beyond the threshold. "Are you guys serious? God!"
Leaf muffled his laugh with his hand, "We were worried. So what happened?"
"Sounds like someone's missing?" Charlie asked, tilting his head in his daughter's direction. "How long?"
"Two hours, Dad," Bella shrugged. "You know Jessica Stanley, right? Mike's just worried - as he should be - but I don't think it's that serious."
"Still," Charlie insisted. "We'll call her house and let her know."
With that, he and Ayita's husband walked back towards the kitchen to discuss 'adult matters' (ie, things that they thought didn't involve either Bella or Leaf). Bella sighed, tucking her cell phone back into her pocket.
"Leaf?" She asked, looking down at her kid brother. "What do you think?"
"You know Jessica better than I," Leaf pointed out, playing with his hair. "Trust your instinct. Do you honestly think she's fine?"
She actually had to think about it. Jessica was smart, capable, and more than able to handle herself in difficult situations. Of course she--- Kenneth. Bella didn't know why, but that sense of foreboding and his name immediately flashed in her mind. He was a relative of the Cullens. Edward didn't like him. He called her 'his pet' once or twice when she thought she couldn't hear him.
Would he do something to her to get to Jessica?
Charlie started to leave the house. Bella wanted to follow him - to get a ride back to town - but in the end, she let him have the head start. Ayita and her husband said that they'd accompany Bella home later. Once her father had left, Bella immediately pulled out her phone again and dialed Angela.
"Hey," Bella said breathlessly once her friend picked up. "I know Mike probably asked you this, but have you guys seen Jess lately?"
"Actually, yeah," Angela replied, sounding really confused. "Ben and I saw her with that Cullen relative - Kenneth? - about two hours back. I think it was after Jess left Mike's shop? Especially since she was complaining about him and Kenneth offered her a ride home... You think they're on the rocks again, Bells?"
If there was anything Angela was known for, it was her honesty. Bella immediately groaned, "Damn. Angela. That's not good news."
"Really? But he was pretty nice-- he offered to give Jess a ride home and everything."
Oh god no, the worst had already happened. What the hell had Kenneth been thinking?! Bella managed to reply, "Thanks, Ange. I'll let you know what happens later," before hurriedly shutting the phone and cursing empty air. She needed a ride back to town. Fast. Somehow.
Maybe it would've been a good idea to ride back with Charlie. But nope, she had to be stubborn and stay behind. Leaf, who'd been calmly reading a book, immediately leapt to his feet when he noticed her worried face. Quickly, he seized her hand, "You found more information, huh?"
"Not of the good kind," Bella grimaced. "Kenneth got Jessica. I think it might've been my fault: I lied to him about working on a project and... and..."
"Understood." Leaf nodded, immediately letting go of her hand. "Let us look for them together."
Together?! Bella shot Leaf a concerned glance- the last thing she wanted was to involve her kid brother - but he wouldn't take no for an answer. Leaf pressed on, easily walking beside Bella as they reached the edge of the treehouse and towards the forest.
Leaf took a deep breath. "Bella? I know an easier way to town. Will you--Can you trust me?"
Uh-oh. Bella swerved to face him. Leaf... well, she'd always suspected something odd about her kid brother. He seemed so mature for his fifteen years, and he was too feminine to be true, and... well. Leaf was Leaf. This was all that mattered.
"... Yeah," Bella finally replied after a moment of hesitation. Intertwining her fingers with his, she closed her eyes and lowered her head. "I believe in you."
She could feel warm energy pulsing through her veins. Leaf's cheerful voice rang, "Great. Timeshift."
The wind swooshed behind them; Bella didn't dare open her eyes. The ground shifted beneath her feet; her body felt warmer. (But she didn't like how her stomach churned.) Cautiously, she whispered, "... Leaf? What just happened?"
"Open your eyes," he laughed.
So she obeyed. She was--- "In Forks," She gasped, turning her head to stare at her surroundings. Leaf's house was a whole half hour away by car! Not even Charlie could drive this fast! It was... it was... "Unbelievable," Bella finished, trying not to stare at Leaf like he'd gained a second head. "How did you---?"
Leaf put a finger to his lips. "Not the time or place. I'll explain later. Right now, we must find Jessica."
Right. They had a mission and Bella'd see it to the end. She nodded, starting to walk down the streets. Okay, so Jessica'd left the sporting goods store - which was down that street - about two hours ago. Somehow, she'd met Kenneth somewhere along the way and he offered to drive her home. That was half the problem.
Where did Kenneth live again? Bella stopped at a crosswalk and folded her arms. "Leaf."
He blinked, standing beside her. "Yes?"
"You have any more of your crazy magic to locate Kenneth? I just realized. I have no idea where I'd begin looking."
Leaf sighed, rubbing his temples, "... Not exactly. I can't locate someone I have not met. Why do you think he kidnapped her? Perhaps he did give her the 'ride' home, so to speak."
"Mike called her house first," Bella quipped back, twirling her hair with her finger. "If she arrived home, she would've been there by now. So that rules out that option."
Think, Bella, think...! If he was a relative of the Cullens, then maybe...
"Let's go to Dr. Cullen's office," Bella said after a moment of silence. "Maybe he knows where Kenneth is."
Leaf nodded in agreement, "Sounds logical. If he is the nephew of Dr. Cullen, then perhaps Dr. Cullen knows where Kenneth resides."
(Normally, Bella'd question Leaf's rather old-fashioned way of talking, but as he said, this wasn't the time or place. She could educate him on proper American slang later.) The office wasn't far from here - maybe about three blocks - so Bella and Leaf ran the whole way there. Out of breath, they crumpled to the floor in a heap and stared at the (rather confused) secretary sitting before him.
"Hi," Bella waved nervously. "I'm Bella Swan. Is Dr. Cullen in...?"
"You need an appointment to see him," The secretary blinked. "Perhaps I can pencil you in--"
"We're not here for that," Bella pressed on, standing up and pushing her hands onto the counter. "Please. Let us talk to him."
After a moment of silence, the secretary shook her head. "I'm sorry. You'll need to make an appoint---"
"Let them in," A calm voice responded from the door behind the secretary. "I'm sure I can spare a moment or two."
The secretary pressed her lips, "Alright. You two may come in, but please be quiet."
"Thank you," Leaf nodded, bowing his head at her, "We appreciate it. May you have success with your future husband tonight."
Blushing, the secretary stammered, "H-how did you---" She never got an answer. Bella and Leaf had already slipped through the door.
Once they walked through, Bella glanced at Leaf, "Mindreading? Really?"
He shrugged, "It's a force of habit. Sorry--"
"So who might you two be?" A warm voice laughed, turning to look at him with wide smiles. For the first time since she arrived in Forks, Bella had finally met the elusive Dr. Carlisle Cullen. (Should she bow? Should she curtsy?)
"Isabella Swan, sir," Bella replied, choosing instead to give him a handshake. "And this is--"
"Leaf," Leaf curly introduced himself.
The Doctor nodded, smiling, "... You look familiar, Leaf. Have we met before?"
Leaf shook his head too quickly, "Not really. This is the first time---"
"Anyway!" Bella interrupted. "I wanted to ask. Dr. Cullen, would you happen to know where Kenneth is right now?"
Dr. Cullen's eyes widened; for a moment, Bella could've sworn he looked horror-stricken. Then, she blinked, and it was replaced by his usual smiling face. "... I'm afraid I don't know who you're talking about," He said after a moment. "Who's this Kenneth?"
"Kenneth Shapiro, sir," Bella reminded him. "He claims to be your nephew."
"Oh god," Dr. Cullen ran a hand through his hair. "... Come to my office. We'll discuss the matter there."
Bella and Leaf exchanged nervous glances, but followed him through the hallways and into his office anyways. Whatever news Dr. Cullen had to share, it didn't sound like any of it would be good.
Title: Rising Phoenix (Part Nine)
Fandom: Twilight
Universe: Daybreak
Summary: Kenneth's kidnapped Jessica to get close to Bella. Bella, understandably, is not amused.
Disclaimer: Kenneth and Leaf're the only characters that belong to me. ♥ Everything else, unfortunately, belong to SMeyer.
81.
Breathe. Bella clutched to her phone nervously and tried to make sense of their current conversation. Okay, so Mike gave her the facts: Mike and Jess had stayed at the store for half an hour after Bella left. Mike offered to take Jess home - it was their usual custom - but Jessica declined. (This wasn't so unusual either: some nights, Jess liked walking home alone and being one with herself.)
What was unusual, however, was the fact that Jessica had yet to return home two hours later. Typically, Jess returned promptly and swiftly.
Rubbing her forehead, Bella calmly replied, "I'm sure she's fine. You called her cell phone thrice - and even left voice-mails - and I'll ask Dad to have his policemen keep an eye out for her. Knowing Jess, she probably got distracted by Belles Robes; I bet she found a cute sweater or something."
"... That's the thing," Mike wearily replied. "I already called them. They hadn't seen her all week."
Bella pressed her lips. It'd only been a few hours. Jess should be fine. Mike was simply being too overprotective, but there was no way Bells was admitting that one to him. So, finally, Bella replied, "Oh. I'll... still let Dad know. Just remember to keep breathing."
Mike replied, "Sure." Quickly, he hung up on her and left her completely in the cold.
She stood there for a moment, her phone still close to her ear, before she glared at the curious family peering just beyond the threshold. "Are you guys serious? God!"
Leaf muffled his laugh with his hand, "We were worried. So what happened?"
"Sounds like someone's missing?" Charlie asked, tilting his head in his daughter's direction. "How long?"
"Two hours, Dad," Bella shrugged. "You know Jessica Stanley, right? Mike's just worried - as he should be - but I don't think it's that serious."
"Still," Charlie insisted. "We'll call her house and let her know."
With that, he and Ayita's husband walked back towards the kitchen to discuss 'adult matters' (ie, things that they thought didn't involve either Bella or Leaf). Bella sighed, tucking her cell phone back into her pocket.
"Leaf?" She asked, looking down at her kid brother. "What do you think?"
"You know Jessica better than I," Leaf pointed out, playing with his hair. "Trust your instinct. Do you honestly think she's fine?"
She actually had to think about it. Jessica was smart, capable, and more than able to handle herself in difficult situations. Of course she--- Kenneth. Bella didn't know why, but that sense of foreboding and his name immediately flashed in her mind. He was a relative of the Cullens. Edward didn't like him. He called her 'his pet' once or twice when she thought she couldn't hear him.
Would he do something to her to get to Jessica?
Charlie started to leave the house. Bella wanted to follow him - to get a ride back to town - but in the end, she let him have the head start. Ayita and her husband said that they'd accompany Bella home later. Once her father had left, Bella immediately pulled out her phone again and dialed Angela.
"Hey," Bella said breathlessly once her friend picked up. "I know Mike probably asked you this, but have you guys seen Jess lately?"
"Actually, yeah," Angela replied, sounding really confused. "Ben and I saw her with that Cullen relative - Kenneth? - about two hours back. I think it was after Jess left Mike's shop? Especially since she was complaining about him and Kenneth offered her a ride home... You think they're on the rocks again, Bells?"
If there was anything Angela was known for, it was her honesty. Bella immediately groaned, "Damn. Angela. That's not good news."
"Really? But he was pretty nice-- he offered to give Jess a ride home and everything."
Oh god no, the worst had already happened. What the hell had Kenneth been thinking?! Bella managed to reply, "Thanks, Ange. I'll let you know what happens later," before hurriedly shutting the phone and cursing empty air. She needed a ride back to town. Fast. Somehow.
Maybe it would've been a good idea to ride back with Charlie. But nope, she had to be stubborn and stay behind. Leaf, who'd been calmly reading a book, immediately leapt to his feet when he noticed her worried face. Quickly, he seized her hand, "You found more information, huh?"
"Not of the good kind," Bella grimaced. "Kenneth got Jessica. I think it might've been my fault: I lied to him about working on a project and... and..."
"Understood." Leaf nodded, immediately letting go of her hand. "Let us look for them together."
Together?! Bella shot Leaf a concerned glance- the last thing she wanted was to involve her kid brother - but he wouldn't take no for an answer. Leaf pressed on, easily walking beside Bella as they reached the edge of the treehouse and towards the forest.
Leaf took a deep breath. "Bella? I know an easier way to town. Will you--Can you trust me?"
Uh-oh. Bella swerved to face him. Leaf... well, she'd always suspected something odd about her kid brother. He seemed so mature for his fifteen years, and he was too feminine to be true, and... well. Leaf was Leaf. This was all that mattered.
"... Yeah," Bella finally replied after a moment of hesitation. Intertwining her fingers with his, she closed her eyes and lowered her head. "I believe in you."
She could feel warm energy pulsing through her veins. Leaf's cheerful voice rang, "Great. Timeshift."
The wind swooshed behind them; Bella didn't dare open her eyes. The ground shifted beneath her feet; her body felt warmer. (But she didn't like how her stomach churned.) Cautiously, she whispered, "... Leaf? What just happened?"
"Open your eyes," he laughed.
So she obeyed. She was--- "In Forks," She gasped, turning her head to stare at her surroundings. Leaf's house was a whole half hour away by car! Not even Charlie could drive this fast! It was... it was... "Unbelievable," Bella finished, trying not to stare at Leaf like he'd gained a second head. "How did you---?"
Leaf put a finger to his lips. "Not the time or place. I'll explain later. Right now, we must find Jessica."
Right. They had a mission and Bella'd see it to the end. She nodded, starting to walk down the streets. Okay, so Jessica'd left the sporting goods store - which was down that street - about two hours ago. Somehow, she'd met Kenneth somewhere along the way and he offered to drive her home. That was half the problem.
Where did Kenneth live again? Bella stopped at a crosswalk and folded her arms. "Leaf."
He blinked, standing beside her. "Yes?"
"You have any more of your crazy magic to locate Kenneth? I just realized. I have no idea where I'd begin looking."
Leaf sighed, rubbing his temples, "... Not exactly. I can't locate someone I have not met. Why do you think he kidnapped her? Perhaps he did give her the 'ride' home, so to speak."
"Mike called her house first," Bella quipped back, twirling her hair with her finger. "If she arrived home, she would've been there by now. So that rules out that option."
Think, Bella, think...! If he was a relative of the Cullens, then maybe...
"Let's go to Dr. Cullen's office," Bella said after a moment of silence. "Maybe he knows where Kenneth is."
Leaf nodded in agreement, "Sounds logical. If he is the nephew of Dr. Cullen, then perhaps Dr. Cullen knows where Kenneth resides."
(Normally, Bella'd question Leaf's rather old-fashioned way of talking, but as he said, this wasn't the time or place. She could educate him on proper American slang later.) The office wasn't far from here - maybe about three blocks - so Bella and Leaf ran the whole way there. Out of breath, they crumpled to the floor in a heap and stared at the (rather confused) secretary sitting before him.
"Hi," Bella waved nervously. "I'm Bella Swan. Is Dr. Cullen in...?"
"You need an appointment to see him," The secretary blinked. "Perhaps I can pencil you in--"
"We're not here for that," Bella pressed on, standing up and pushing her hands onto the counter. "Please. Let us talk to him."
After a moment of silence, the secretary shook her head. "I'm sorry. You'll need to make an appoint---"
"Let them in," A calm voice responded from the door behind the secretary. "I'm sure I can spare a moment or two."
The secretary pressed her lips, "Alright. You two may come in, but please be quiet."
"Thank you," Leaf nodded, bowing his head at her, "We appreciate it. May you have success with your future husband tonight."
Blushing, the secretary stammered, "H-how did you---" She never got an answer. Bella and Leaf had already slipped through the door.
Once they walked through, Bella glanced at Leaf, "Mindreading? Really?"
He shrugged, "It's a force of habit. Sorry--"
"So who might you two be?" A warm voice laughed, turning to look at him with wide smiles. For the first time since she arrived in Forks, Bella had finally met the elusive Dr. Carlisle Cullen. (Should she bow? Should she curtsy?)
"Isabella Swan, sir," Bella replied, choosing instead to give him a handshake. "And this is--"
"Leaf," Leaf curly introduced himself.
The Doctor nodded, smiling, "... You look familiar, Leaf. Have we met before?"
Leaf shook his head too quickly, "Not really. This is the first time---"
"Anyway!" Bella interrupted. "I wanted to ask. Dr. Cullen, would you happen to know where Kenneth is right now?"
Dr. Cullen's eyes widened; for a moment, Bella could've sworn he looked horror-stricken. Then, she blinked, and it was replaced by his usual smiling face. "... I'm afraid I don't know who you're talking about," He said after a moment. "Who's this Kenneth?"
"Kenneth Shapiro, sir," Bella reminded him. "He claims to be your nephew."
"Oh god," Dr. Cullen ran a hand through his hair. "... Come to my office. We'll discuss the matter there."
Bella and Leaf exchanged nervous glances, but followed him through the hallways and into his office anyways. Whatever news Dr. Cullen had to share, it didn't sound like any of it would be good.