I'll be home for Christmas

Chapter 33

Chapter 33 - I'll be home for Christmas

Disclaimer: the characters and all recognisable situations belong to Stephenie Meyer - this is a work of fan fiction, except for the legends and histories of the Quileute that, of course, belong to them. I pay my respects to their gods.

Thanks to BanSidhe [ruadh sidhe] and Feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading.

Bright and early, Josh dragged a grumpy Bella over to the Ateara place to see Old Quil. Niki Lahote, who had clearly stayed overnight, took one look at her, poured her a mug of coffee and passed it to her.

"Oh, thank you, Niki." She clutched at the mug eagerly.

"That will ruin your aura," announced old Quil as he reached for the mug.

Bella nearly growled at him, as she held the mug protectively away from him.

"Woah," said Niki.

"She's not a morning person," said Josh.

"Humph," the old man grunted. There was no way she was letting it go, so he had lost that battle.

"Is that why I am here?" she asked. "To look at my aura? You did say aura?" She was drinking the coffee quickly, just in case the old man attempted to steal it away from her.

"The color of your aura reveals many things. You can shield vampires, yes?" Old Quil asked.

"Yes, but not Jasper or Alice."

"Jasper?" Niki asked. "He has other gifts, too?"

"He is like an empath… no - that's not it. He can not only feel your emotions, he can influence them. Is there a name for that?"

Old Quil nodded. "He is a pathokinesis."

"That would be really useful," Niki commented. "Can he do it in a large group?"

"I-I don't know. And Alice could see my future so the shield can't have worked against her either. I'm not entirely sure how her visions work, but would she be able to see me in her future visions if I was shielded from her?"

"Maybe their skills are a physical thing and it is only mental things you shield against," Josh said as he helped himself to a leftover piece of toast.

She nodded, as she sipped her coffee.

"And you shielded me that time," Josh said.

"In the nightmare… but that was a dream… dreams aren't real life, you said."

"Maybe but can you always shield? Does it ever drop?" Josh asked. "I suppose the only way to tell would be if Edward could ever read your mind? When you were stressed?"

"No…" She answered slowly as if she was still thinking. "Not even when I was asleep."

"Pardon?" said Josh.

"He used to sit in my room, all night while I slept."

Both of the wolves let out a growl. Bella jolted and her mug overflowed. "Oops. I told Charlie that… I forgot that I hadn't told you," she said as she wiped at the liquid on her leg.

Josh sat down heavily. "Every night?"

"Pretty much… unless-" She blushed.

The men looked blank, and then Josh asked, "If you were having a period?"

She rolled her eyes and didn't answer that.

Niki looked puzzled. "I've never thought about that. But then again, who dates vampires?"