FAGE 9: The Last Ride

Title: Fearless

Written for: TheDarkestFallingStar

Written By: abbymickey24

Rating: M

Summary/Prompt used: Write whatever you want as long as pairing is one of mine and there's some angst but a happy ending.

If you would like to see all the stories that are a part of this exchange visit the facebook group: Fanficaholics Anon: Where Obsession Never Sleeps, or add the C2 to get all the stories direct to your inbox.

community/FAGE-9-The-Last-Ride/93625/

Disclaimer: I don't own it.

SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO SORRY. I know this took a long time to get out, but I completely lost my mojo. If it wasn't for my person, best friend, sister from another mister, and mistress (all the same person) then I'm pretty sure it wouldn't be updating today, so a big HUMONGOUS SHOUT OUT to Brenda aka gem_del_mar. She is amazing in the way she gets my brain to work sometimes. I Fluff you so hard woman.

I hope you enjoy this last regular chapter. Only an epi to go and hoping (crosses everything I can) that it won't be long before you get it.

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, or Happy Holidays, depending on what you and your family celebrate this time of year. MWAH

Not beta'd yet, so mistakes are mine. Will fix soon.

Chapter 15 of 16

-F-

Bella runs through the trees, her mind going a million miles an hour. She doesn't know what to think or feel about Peter being her mate or her family's lies, but she does know she needs to talk to someone that can help her make sense of the whole mess.

She isn't surprised to find herself back in front of the cabin after a while, since she now knows this is where her new life started. Once inside, she drops down on the small bed and looks around. There's nothing to the small building, just four walls, the bed, and a chair. She tries to remember the few days she spent here, but gives up when nothing comes to her. Instead, she pulls her phone from her pocket and turns it over in her hands, trying to figure out who she can speak to about everything.

The answer is almost immediate and she quickly pulls up his name on her phone, hitting send. It rings twice and then Marcus' kind voice is in her ear.

"I had a feeling I'd be hearing from you soon, sweetheart." he says, and she can picture the small smile on his face.

"So, it's true?" she asks. "Am I really mated to him?"

"Well, it's true you are mated, but as for the one you speak of I wouldn't know until I meet him. However, how does he make you feel?"

"Angry, annoyed, but …"

"But what, sweetheart?" Marcus prompts when she trails off.

Bella thinks on what she's felt since she met him and finally, much to Marcus' amusement, says, "When I first saw him, I wanted to touch him and there was a moment that I even wanted to kiss him. Then I wanted to kick his ass."

"And now, that he's not near you?"

"I want to go back to where he is." Bella says, her voice so low that if Marcus wasn't a vampire he wouldn't have heard her.

"I think you have your answer, sweetheart." he says, chuckling slightly when she replies.

"But why Peter?"

"Why is the sky blue?"

"That doesn't help." Bella says, and even she can hear the pout in her tone.

"Sweetheart, love isn't easy or predictable, even more so with our kind."

"But I don't love him."

"Maybe not yet, but you will."

"This isn't fair. It wasn't supposed to be this way."

"Most things never go the way we plan."

"So, I'm just stuck with him? I don't even know him."

"How much did Carlisle know Esme before he changed her? How much did Rosalie know Emmett?"

"That's not the same thing. They saw something in each other first."

"And maybe you both saw something in each other too, but you just don't remember it."

"You're supposed to be on my side." Bella says petulantly.

"Oh, sweetheart, I am always on your side. I only want you to be happy and knowing how bonds work, I know you're going to eventually be very happy. You just have to let yourself be. And if you do, in a few months time our conversation will be very different."

"If you say so," Bella says, wanting to be stubborn for a little bit longer.

"I'll make a deal with you then. If in two months time, you aren't happy with what fate has given you, I'll send Demetri and Felix to take him out of the equation."

"Promise?" Bella asks.

"I promise," Marcus says with a chuckle, "Even though I know I won't have to worry about keeping it."

"You will if I ignore him for the next two months." Bella says, causing him to laugh full out.

"Go ahead and try, sweetheart. Now that you know about Peter, and where he is, if your mating bond is with him, ignoring him won't be an option."

Bella huffs a breath through her nose at his words, and says, "We'll see."

Marcus chuckles again, but ignores her comment. She'll understand soon.

He waits for her to say anything else, but after minutes pass with nothing but silence on the other end, he asks, "What else can I help you with?"

Everyone lied to me." she says after a moment.

"About what?" Marcus asks.

"About everything. Peter and how I was turned."

"Oh, you know they only did that to pro-"

"Protect me." Bella finishes, cutting him off. "I know, but still."

"Sweetheart, what was it like in your head after you woke up?" Marcus asks, hoping he'll be able to help her understand.

Bella thinks only a moment before she says, "It was chaos."

"Exactly. You had so much going on, so many things to gain control of, and figure out. Adding in anything that wasn't a pressing matter, would have complicated everything so much more. Also you should know, Carlisle only lied because I advised him it was for the best."

"You did?"

"Yes, and I would give him the same advice again if I had to."

"Why? Why would all of you want to keep this from me?"

"We didn't want to, sweetheart. It's what was for the best."

"Because I was just a stupid newborn, right?"

"No." Marcus says. "You've never been stupid, Isabella. As for the newborn part, yes that did play a role in it though. When I told Carlisle that you were mated to someone not in the castle, it didn't take him long to realize that it was more than likely going to be the one that took you."

"So."

"So, you have to remember that you don't remember anything about what happened leading up to your change, and the family only knew so much. You were gone three days, and they had no clue what was happening to you other than the few snippets that Alice was able to get. When they found you, on the verge of death, you were alone. Yes, you were able to tell them who did and didn't hurt you, but other than that they were lost on everything else. They didn't know if Peter was still alive or where he was. Jasper knew Charlotte, knew what she was capable of, and knew that going after Peter would be asking for trouble especially without a plan."

"That made it okay for all of you to lie to me?"

"Let me ask you a question." Marcus says, ignoring her own. "If Alice disappeared, what would Jasper do?"

"He'd destroy anything in his path until he found her." Bella answers immediately.

"Exactly, but he'd be smart about it. He'd have a plan and know everything he could. It's the same way with any of us here."

"Okay." Bella says, her tone bordering on annoyance.

"Now take that missing mate and combine it with a newborn's uncontrollable anger. What would happen?"

"I don't know."

"Yes, you do."

"No, I don't." Bella says, finally exasperated with the conversation.

"Yes, you do." Marcus says firmly. "If you found out you had a mate when the family did, and knew that there was a possibility that he was being tortured or could be killed at any second, what would you have done?"

When Bella doesn't respond to that, he continues. "I'll tell you what you would have done. You would have went after him, and the only way any of us could have been able to stop you would have caused you pain. You can be mad at us for lying and keeping it from you, and that's fine. But we didn't do it to hurt you and we weren't going to keep it from you forever. You just had to be ready to hear it."

Again, Bella doesn't respond and Marcus sighs.

"Sweetheart, can you not see our side at all?" he asks.

"I don't know." Bella answers honestly. "I need some time to think about everything you said."

"Fair enough." Marcus says. "I'll let you go. Just remember we love you, and it was never our intention to upset you."

Bella nods, even though she knows he can't see her, and hangs up without saying anything back. With a sigh, she falls back onto the bed and stares at the ceiling.

As Bella thoughts swirl with all that has happened tonight, back at the house Peter is annoyed.

"Where are you going?" Rosalie snaps as he stands from the couch and moves toward the door.

"To find Bella, she's been gone a while." he growls as he shoots her a glare.

"No, you're not." she hisses, taking a step toward him. "We already told you, she'll come back. She just needs time."

"She's my mate." Peter growls.

"She's my sister."

"Mate trumps sister."

"Not in this case." Rose shoots back.

"Alright, let's settle down."

Both Rose and Peter ignore Carlisle as they continue to glare and snap at each other, neither wanting to back down.

"You don't get to come in here, especially after what you did, and start acting possessive and making decisions." Rose hisses.

"And you don't get to tell me what to do when it comes to my mate." Peter hisses back.

"Enough."

While Carlisle had been easy to ignore, Esme's loud voice was not.

Peter and Rose both look to her immediately, and both take a step back as she levels them with a glare. They both open their mouths to speak first, but the narrowing of her eyes has them staying silent.

"Rose, we all know you don't like the situation, none of us really do. However, that doesn't change the fact that he is Bella's mate and therefore a member of this family now. And his voice and opinion holds weight here. He will be afforded the same respect as anyone else in this house. Bella is the only one that gets to choose what happens when it comes to him, and she will not have you or anyone else making that more difficult for her. So, you will not be going to find her, and you most definitely will not fill her head with all the things you don't like about him. Do I make myself clear?"

Rose wants to argue, but she knows it will do no good. So instead, she huffs out a breath and crosses her arms.

Peter smirks until Esme turns her eyes on him and steps forward, poking him hard in the chest.

"While all I said was true, you won't be going after her either."

"She's my mate." Peter says a little too loudly, earning growls from everyone else in the room.

Esme ignores the others and pokes Peter again as she says, "And we still know her better than you. She won't want to see you right now, and by the way she left she doesn't even want to see us."

"Maybe you shouldn't have lied then."

"And maybe you should have come to the door, instead of stalking, kidnapping, and keeping her from her family, all of which ended her human life." Esme hisses, her eyes darkening with anger. "While Bella may be mad at us, and she has every right to, you don't. You and you alone started this, and while we might accept you being her mate, don't think for a second we've forgiven everything you've done."

Peter is properly chastised with Esme's words and steps back from her, knowing she's right. It's what he's spent the last year thinking and beating himself up about, and he knows that he's going to have to figure out a way to make amends for it.

Seeing that he isn't going to argue, Esme says, "Now, Carlisle and I will go after Bella. I would suggest you get to know your new brothers and sisters, because your mate loves them very much and having their support will go a long way in getting her on board with everything."

Esme smiles slightly when Peter's eyes dart over to the other four, but there really isn't anything that should unnerve him. Alice and Emmett actually look open to getting to know him if their smiles are any indication. Jasper just seems curious, but Esme knows that can change on a dime if Peter does something he doesn't like, especially when it comes to Bella. Rose on the other hand, is still staring at him with open hostility, not that Esme is surprised. Rose won't allow herself to like him or accept him until Bella does.

Knowing there is nothing more that can be said at the moment, Esme takes Carlisle's hand and the two of them head toward the door.

Just before they disappear through it and take off running, Esme says, "Play nice."

Carlisle and Esme continue to hold hands as they follow Bella's scent. They both seem to need that connection, since they aren't quite sure what her temperament is or how she'll greet them when they find her. When it becomes obvious where she's gone, that connection is even more important, as all they can think about is the last time they found her at the cabin. Though they know this time will be vastly different, they still can't forget those moments where they weren't sure they could save her.

Bella hears Carlisle and Esme arrive, but says nothing. It's not like they don't know she's there, and even after the phone call with Marcus, she is still mad at them. Bella glances their way briefly as they come to a stop in the doorway, but again she doesn't say a word. They don't speak either, waiting on her to give them a sign on whether they should go or stay.

Five minutes becomes ten and then fifteen before Bella finally says, "I'm mad at all of you."

"We know," Carlisle replys with a sigh. "But we didn't lie to hurt you."

"I know that." Bella says. "I called Marcus, but it still doesn't make it right."

"No, it doesn't." Esme agrees. "You have every reason to be mad and to not want to speak to us. But we are sorry, sweetheart."

Bella nods and then swings her legs off the side of the bed, sitting up so she can look at them. "I don't know when I'll stop being mad or when I can forgive you for keeping something like this from me."

"We understand." Carlisle says. "But can you please come home and be mad at us there instead?"

Bella has to stop the smile that wants to make a quick appearance, and once she succeeds she asks, "Is he going to be there?"

"He is," Esme answers. "He's your mate, Bella. We can't ask him to leave."

"Why not?" Bella asks, not thinking about the promise she made to Marcus at the moment.

"Because you'd follow him wherever he went." Carlisle answers matter-of-factly.

"No I wouldn't."

"You would." Carlisle says. "You might be able to fight it for a while, but eventually, you would follow him. That's why you were so restless in Volterra, and it's why you came here, a place you don't remember, when we got back. And if I'm not mistaken if you take a moment you'll find that that feeling, now that you know where Peter is, isn't there anymore."

Bella is silent for a minute, her head and body telling her he's right.

"I don't want to be his mate." she says in annoyance as she knows it's really not something she can change.

"We know," Esme says, coming forward slowly. When Bella doesn't stop her or move away, she lowers herself to sit beside her daughter and continues as Carlisle moves to Bella's other side. "But that's just how it is. Give him a chance, just like we are. Maybe he'll surprise you, maybe he won't, but either way he's yours forever."

"That's pretty much what Marcus says," Bella grumbles.

Carlisle chuckles. "When it comes to bonds between our kind, he is the expert.."

With a groan, a sigh, and a shake of her head, Bella pushes herself to her feet. "I guess we can go back now."

Carlisle and Esme share a look of amusement as Bella disappears out the door. Both feel she might not be as annoyed as she's letting on at the idea of Peter being her mate, but only time would tell really. They both knew though, even if she didn't seem to be thinking about her anger with them as much right now. It would come back soon and they would do whatever they could to make up for their lie.

They follow behind Bella, keeping her within sight but leaving enough distance so she doesn't feel crowded. They make it back to the house just in time to hear the breaking of glass as Peter sails through the front window.

All three stop on the edge of the yard as his back hits the ground, and he slides a good ten feet before coming to stop just short of where they stand. Bella rushes to his side and crouches down, her eyes darting all over him as she checks for injuries.

"Who?" she growls, her head swiveling toward the front of the house where the others are framed on the other side of the broken window.

"Me." Rose says, her arms crossed across her chest. "He wouldn't shut up, so I made him."

Bella opens her mouth to say something only to snap it closed quickly as she remembers she doesn't want to care or be concerned about him. Another growl leaves her as she shoots to her feet and turns, stomping toward the house and inside. No one moves until her bedroom door slams closed.

Carlisle sighs as Esme deals with Rose, sending her and Emmett off to get the supplies to fix the window. He watches Peter pick himself up and brush himself off. Peter gives Carlisle a look of annoyance before he storms off into the trees.

He needs to hunt or at least find something to work out the frustration of this whole situation. Peter had spent the last year only thinking about Bella and making amends to her family if he ever saw them again, but now all he wants to do is steal Bella away and run so far they'd never find them.

After taking down a moose, the poor thing suffering a little more than was needed, Peter's earlier thoughts once again change. He knows he can't take Bella away. For one, she wouldn't allow it this time. Not that she had before, but he couldn't use the same methods anymore and it would cause both of them more hurt than it was worth. And two, most of the others didn't seem so bad. Sure he didn't know them well, but they weren't hostile to him at all and even seemed open to accepting him.

However, Rosalie was the exception. As soon as Carlisle and Esme were out of earshot, she'd started in about how Bella was never going to love him or want him, and that she didn't care what Esme said, she would fill Bella's head with as much vitriol and disdain as she could. He'd tried to ignore it and the others had tried to stop her, but she wouldn't listen and he finally had enough, his words exploding out of him like a bomb. He'd called her out on her sanctimonious bullshit, and how she really didn't have the room to talk as she'd spent the last year lying to Bella.

If he'd been thinking straight he might have noticed the others backing away then, but he was too lost in his own anger to pay attention. He did notice the glare she leveled at him and the step she took in his direction, but her scathing reply that Bella wasn't my property and that I'd done nothing to deserve the right to call her my mate pissed me off even more. So much so that he couldn't help but come back with she needed to suck it up, that no matter how much she loathed him Bella was and always would be his mate, and being a judgmental hateful bitch wasn't going to change it.

She'd called him a bastard and before he could even open his mouth, she'd launched herself at him, catching him square in the chest, sending him through the window behind him.

That's how Bella had found him, and if she hadn't come immediately to his side Esme house would have been damaged further, since he would have happily returned the favor to the blonde banshee if given the chance, but Bella's touch had calmed him just enough. Granted, her rejection seconds later led him to where he was now, and trying to make sense of it all.

He'd never expected today to turn out like it had, it was a twisted blend of surreality and cruelty wrapped up with a huge fucking bow. He'd wanted this, wanted her back, but he couldn't even begin to see where they went from here. What was he supposed to do now? He couldn't leave that was for sure, but was he supposed to just wait around, taking the abuse that was bound to come his way? Was he supposed to be okay with Bella not wanting anything to do with him?

Huffing out a weary breath, Peter watches the sky start to lighten. He'd been out in the woods for a while, and he still wasn't any closer to figuring shit out. And then it hit him like a bolt of lightning. He'd fought to be close to her once, maybe not in the traditional sense and maybe not in the best way possible, but he'd done it. He'd spent the last year wanting nothing except her, and he wasn't going down without a fight even if it meant pissing her off. At least pissed off, she was showing him some kind of emotion.

With that thought in mind, Peter heads back to the house. He enters the front door, his eyes meeting the golden ones of the others, but he doesn't stop as he heads right up the stairs. Alice has to hide a grin when she catches a flash of what is to come, and the determination radiating from Peter has Jasper imagining what she saw and fighting his own grin.

Peter follows Bella's scent and from downstairs all that can be heard is the almost too loud pounding as Peter's fist meets Bella's door.

A deep growl is followed by Bella shouting, "Go away!"

"No, we need to talk."

"We don't need to do anything. Now go away!"

"Not gonna happen, sweetheart. I'm not going anywhere until you talk to me."

"A female praying mantis beheads her mate and if you don't leave me alone, I'll rip off yours, too. There, we talked. Now go away, I don't want to deal with you right now … or ever if I can help it."

"I knew that one, smart-ass, but you conveniently left out the part about how we'd have to have sex first. I can think of worse ways to go."

"You truly are insufferable. Go. Away!" she growls just before something heavy hits the other side of the door.

"Dammit, Bella. Stop being so fucking stubborn and open the damn door." he yells out in utter exasperation.

"Vaffanculo." she yells.

"Telling me to fuck off in Italian didn't work last time. I'll just break the damn door down if that's what it takes."

"Don't you fucking dare, Peter." she seethes.

"Open the damn door then, because I'm not going away. I already lived a year in absolute hell without you so you might as well get use to the idea right now that you're stuck with me ... forfuckingever."

Bella prickles at his use of the word forever; she's really getting tired of hearing that damn word today. Before she can tell him where he can stick his forever he continues, "So, what will it be, Bella? Are you going to open the door or do I have to kick it down? You have till the count of three to decide. One-"

"Don't threaten me, asshole."

"Two-"

"I swear if you come in this room, I will kick your ass."

Peter doesn't bother saying three, instead his foot hits next to the doorknob taking the whole thing off it's hinges. Bella is across the room, not quite believing that he actually kicked her door down. Her wide eyes meet his narrowed ones, there's a look of surprise on her face before absolute anger takes over. For a small moment, Peter regrets his decision, but then Bella is on him and he can only think about keeping all his limbs attached. She's like a rabid dog in her attack, all teeth and nails. He doesn't want to hurt her, but when she comes close to taking out one of his eyes, he can't let this continue. She's fighting dirty and if he' learned anything from his time with Maria and Charlotte it was how to fight the same way.

Her hair is the first thing he can get his hands on and getting a good grip on it, he flings her across the room. Her back hits the wall next to the window with enough force that it not only shatters it, but sends the bookshelf on the other side toppling to the ground.

Downstairs Esme worriedly says, "We have to stop this."

Alice shakes her head with a grin as Carlisle stands up. "Don't. It will be fine. Trust me."

Carlisle gives her his own worried look as more sounds of destruction meets their ears, but Alice continues to smile. And even a quick glance at Jasper shows him that he seems to be in agreement with his wife. Carlisle sits back down as a thud comes from upstairs and then silence, which worries him even more but he stays where he is, waiting like the others.

Back in Bella's room it's like a tornado has swept through. All but one wall has holes at random intervals, all the furniture will need to be replaced, and almost everything else is in pieces. But Peter is finally where he needs to be, with his arms wrapped around her from behind and his back against the only undamaged wall. He's got a few new bite marks, even more scratches, and he's leaking venom from somewhere, but he doesn't care.

"Enough," he growls against her ear as she strains against his hold. "You've made your point."

"Not if you're still here, I haven't." she hisses back.

"I already told you I'm not going anywhere." he says flipping them both around until she's the one with her back pressed against the wall. She tries to get a cheap shot in with her foot, but he slams her back and a feral growl leaves him before he can stop it.

Bella's chin drops to her chest immediately and at once all the fight leaves her. Peter doesn't know what to make of it, wondering for a moment if it's just a ploy to catch him off guard, but minutes pass without any movement. And then she she draws in breath and looks up at him as a smile lifts one side of her mouth before the other follows.

He hears Alice say, "finally", from downstairs before Bella says words that bring a tentative smile to his own face, "That didn't scare me when I was human, so why do you think it will work now?"

"You remember?" he asks, not wanting to hope but also feeling it creep up.

"Not everything." she says with a shake of her head. "But enough. I remember that first night in the alley and you leaving the cabin to get me a jacket, I remember that I didn't want you to bring me back yet."

She closes her eyes tightly when she finishes as her hands come up and curl into the bottom of his shirt like she's trying to make herself remember more.

"I didn't want to take you back yet." he whispers as he lets go of her arms, not knowing what else to do.

Another smile flits across her lips before one hand moves from his side and before he can do anything else she uses it to slap him in the back of the head.

"Ow,' he hisses, earning a laugh from her. "What was that for?

"You hit me with a book."

"You were being uncooperative." he says, his own smile coming back. "If it helps though, I stole that damn book just to have a small reminder of you, and economics is one of the most boring subjects ever."

Another rumble of a laugh leaves Bella chest as her eyes meet his.

"So, what now?" he asks after a moment.

"Now," she answers, giving him a dazzling smile. "We figure this mating shit out together. After we fix my room that is."

With a quick glance around, Peter laughs and pulls her into his arms for a hug. "Yeah, we can do that." he whispers against her hair and for the first time in a long time, he feels at peace because everything seems to have finally fallen into place.

-F-
*nervously bites thumbnail* Well?