Destiny

~10~

Bella exited the bookstore, thumbing through a book she just bought. She headed down the sidewalk, but then hears footsteps behind her. She turned, but doesn't see anyone. She put the book in her shoulder bag and continued. Bella knew that someone was following her. She looked around, changing course to cut across a parking lot. She reached the parking lot and turned around just as two men emerged from the shadows, not vampires, but the frat boys.
"Wanna have a beer?" the first one asked.
She looked to her left; the other two guys were there. She was cornered. She took her purse from around her shoulder.
"Look, just take my bag."
"We don't want your bag", the second one said.
She took a defensive stance and wrapped the strap around her wrist to use her purse as a mace. They chortled derisively. But when the first frat boys came near, she swung it, hitting him in the groin. The book in her bag doubled him over. The other three laughed, and started to close in. But suddenly headlights blinded them. A silver Volvo screeched up. The frat boys dove out of the way. The passenger-side door opened. It was Edward. Bella was too stunned to even move.
"Get in", Edward told her.
Bella finally did what she was told. But the second frat boy jumped into the game and rushed to Edward's side of the car. Edward screeched to a halt and was out of the car and facing him so fast, neither the frat boys, nor Bella, saw it. Nor did Bella see Edward's glare, that made the second frat boy scared and he instinctively backed off. As Edward climbed back into the car, Bella just stared at him.
While they were driving, Bella continued to stare. She saw that he was seething with anger, hands gripping the steering wheel, jaw clenched.
"What... no, how did you find..."
"I should go back and rip their heads off", Edward said through gritted teeth.
"No. Bad idea."
"You don't know the vile, repulsive things they were thinking."
"And you do?"
"It was not hard to guess", Edward covered.

Jessica and Angela exited the waterfall restaurant and went to Destinee as Bella approached.
"Where were you!? We left you a message", Angela exclaimed.
"We waited, but we were starving... except for Destinee. Well she was hungry too but she refused to eat anything till you would be coming", Jessica shot.
"And she waited here outside the whole time!"
Then they saw Edward behind her, climbing out of his car. They froze. He was composed now, making an effort to be charming. And they were charmed.
"Sorry I kept Bella from dinner. We ran into each other and got talking. And sorry to keep you from eating Desti."
"No problem Eddie."
"I... we... understand. We were just... leaving, so..."
The two girls started to go slowly. Bella was forced to go with them.
"Okay, well. Thank you."
She started to follow the girls. At that Edward was torn, then abruptly spoke up.
"Maybe I should make sure Destinee and Bella get something to eat. It isn't fair to keep Destinee worrying and waiting in the cold without food."
Bella was surprised.
"If you'd two like. Then I could drive you both back myself."
"That's so... thoughtful", Anni meant.
"Really thoughtful", Yana agreed.
"I could eat", Bella decided after debating in her mind.
As Edward guided them off, the four girls shared a look and a noiseless scream of excitement.

The three sat on the deck. A dramatic waterfall shimmered behind them. A waitress placed a steaming plate of mesquite roasted salmon in front of Bella, a noodle soup with vegetables in front of Destinee, but nothing in front of Edward.
"You're not eating? Let me guess. You're on a 'special diet'?" Destinee wanted to know.
"Like South Beach?" Bella asked.
"Not exactly", he answered, glancing at Destinee nervously.
He thought about the way she empathized special diet. Bella looked at him curiously as she took a bite.
"So how 'bout some answers?"
"Bella, that was rude", Destinee groaned.
"Yes, no. To get to the other side, and 1 point 772453851."
That made Destinee crack and laugh.
"I think she didn't ask for the square root of pi."
"You knew that?"
"Duh, I skipped grades?"
"How did you know where I was?" Bella questioned him.
"I didn't."
She shook her head, frustrated and turned stand up and go. Destine groaned and hit her head with her hand.
"Don't go", Edward stopped her.
He seemed torn by some internal dilemma.
"Were you following me?" Bella asked.
"I feel very protective of you. And your sister."
Bella clenched her hand to a fist when he said the last part.
"So that's a yes?"
"Yes, I followed you. I tried to keep my distance... until you needed help."
"You said before... That you heard what those guys were thinking..."
"Can you... read minds?"
Edward shrugged. But Destinee being a not ordinary person thought about every unusual thing and put them together. There were still some parts of the puzzle that needed to be filled so that she could solve it completely.
"I'm thinking of getting a nine-hundred number."
"Alright, so you read minds... What am I thinking? Wait... okay now, go."
"I have no idea. I can read every mind in there, except both of yours."
Edward pointed at the people inside.
"Work, sex, money, sex, sex, boyfriend, cat..."
He pointed to Bella and Destinee.
"... Nothing. It's quite frustrating."
"Why, what's wrong with us?"
"I tell you I read minds and you think there's something wrong with you?"
He smiled, charmed by Bella. But his smile faded and the torn look returned. He held onto the rail, looking out.
"What is it?" Bella asked.
"I... don't have the strength to stay away from you anymore", he answered.
Bella was surprised and thrilled.
"Edward, you don't have to."
He was drawn in by her encouraging gaze... but he closed his eyes a second and turned back to the water.  
'Okay, now it gets awkward with me here. I feel like I'm an intruder', Destinee thought.
"No you're not", Edward suddenly said.
"What? Who are you talking to?"
Edward turned around.
"Didn't you just say something Desti?"
"Ehm... no?"
"You're cold. We should go", he suddenly said and got up.
He walked away before they could ask any more questions. They went out to his car and got in. Edward's Volvo sped along the two lane highway. Destinee sat in the back and was dozing off from time to time. The dress and shoes she had chosen earlier ago, were in a huge bag on her lap. Bella was sitting in the front next to Edward. She glanced at him and wanted to ask him more questions, but he seemed to be wrestling with his own thoughts.
"I think I'm warm enough now."
She reached for the heater dial, he did as well and their hands touched and held a moment too long. An electric current was connecting them.
"Your hand, it's still freezing cold."
Destinee caught that. She put the next puzzle pieces together. Edward pulled his hand away, but Bella kept looking at it. Destinee looked between the two, she had the puzzle together and was now figuring it out.
'Coldness.
Fast.
Pale.
No food.
...
Vampire?'
Destinee just barely caught that Edward flinched. She was curious now but then her attention shifted outside to flashing police lights. As they drove past the Forks police station, a sheriff's car pulled away. Charlie's cruiser was parked out in the front.
"Dad's here late. Something must have happened."
That was when Bella turned around to the youngest.
"That's it. Stop calling him dad, damnit. He's not. Your. Dad. Get that finally inside your small brain!"
The Volvo pulled up and Bella jumped out. Destinee just sat there taken aback, tears streaming down her face.
"Desti? If you don't mind me asking, are you scared of me?" Edward asked.
"What?"
"You figured out the truth. What I really am. I heard it in my head."
"I thought you said that you couldn't read my mind."
"That's true. But you must have sent me the thoughts."
Destinee sighed.
"No, I'm not afraid of you. But I'm afraid what will happen if Bella stays any longer.
...
She's destroying me from the inside."
"Don't worry", he put a hand on hers, "you have us. But I have to ask you of something."
"What is it?"
"Don't tell anyone. Even when Bella asks. It's dangerous for normal humans to know about us."
"Normal humans?"
"I can't read your thoughts, but I hear them when you send them over. We will figure this out. I'll ask my dad."
They both climbed out. Edward then saw a second car next to the cruiser.
"That's my father's car. What's he..."
In a pool of light, a distressed Charlie and Dr. Cullen studied photographs and evidence. As they wrapped up their discussion, Dr. Cullen put a sympathetic hand on Charlie's shoulder. Then he exited the police station looking grim.
"Carlisle. What happened?"
"Waylon Forge was found in the woods out near his place. I just examined the body."
Edward's face darkened. Bella was horrified.
"He died? How?"
"Animal attack."
"The same kind that killed the security guard down in Mason?"
Edward and Dr. Cullen traded a look, subtle, but Destinee caught it.
"Most likely."
"So it's getting closer to town."
"Waylon lived all the way down on Queets River. 75 miles south."
"But that's..."
While Bella trailed off Edward got his father's attention and whispered quietly, for humans unable to hear:
'She knows. Destinee.'
Destinee looked at him. He pointed unnoticeable to her.
"I know that I know", she whispered back.
With a kind and reassuring smile, Carlisle turned to Bella.
"Bella, you should go inside. Waylon was your father's friend."
She went to the door, but looked back to see them conferring quietly and gravely. Clearly, there was more to this. And what she didn't get was, why Destinee was conferring with them. Once Bella was inside, Carlisle turned to Destinee.
"So you know about us?"
She nodded.
"How?"
"I put the puzzle pieces together myself. I'm kinda clever you know. Or else I wouldn't have skipped some grades. And don't worry, I'm not scared of you. You're too kind. But there's one other thing..."
Carlisle was confused as she trailed off. Then Edward spoke up.
"Like I told you before, I can't read Bella's or Destinee's thoughts. But earlier, I still heard Destinee's voice in my head, like she was sending me these messages."
The doctor's eyes widened.
"What?" Edward exclaimed confused.
"When she came to the hospital, I've heard her voice in my head too. Looks like she's not completely human."

Meanwhile Bella had entered to find a distressed Charlie studying evidence, photos and maps, trying to make sense of Waylon's death. Deputies came and went in the background. Bella approached Charlie. He looked up when he noticed her coming closer.
"Dad, I'm sorry about Waylon", she said.
"Known him going on thirty years."
He was obviously torn up. Bella wasn't quite sure what to do. And so she put a comforting hand on his shoulder. Then Charlie squeezed her hand. It was the first physical affection since Bella arrived. And it threatened to evoke even more emotion in Charlie. So he tamped it down and rose, then projected a confident manner.
"We'll get to the bottom of this, Bella. But in the meantime..."
As an ambulance pulled up outside, he opened a drawer and fished out two canister of pepper spray. He handed her one of them.
"... I want you to have this."
"That's probably not a good..."
"It'll give me some peace of mind."
She saw he needed this, and allowed him to put it into her purse. As Charlie went to get his coat, Bella stepped outside to see two attendants hoisting a metal gurney into an ambulance. On it, Waylon's dead, white, bloody bare feet peek out from under a sheet, resting at a disturbingly unnatural angle.
"Hey Desti, went shopping?"
"Yeah, for prom."
"So who's the date."
"I'm going with two friends. Anni and Yana. Maybe we connect it with a girls night."
"Friends of the gymnastics? That's fine by me. Ehm, here, I want you to keep that with you the whole time, okay?"
Destinee nodded and took the pepper spray.
"Let's go home. Thank you for driving us here", Destinee said the last part to Edward.
"No problem."