His First Choice (A Twilight Story)

The Treaty

We arrived before Jacob did, but he wasn't far behind. The thought of him in our home was unpleasant to say the least. I entered the house to find everyone standing around the living room in silence. It felt very crowded as everyone piled in together, and it only got worse once the dog shut the door behind him.

"Sam is on his way," Carlisle announced.

"Excuse me?" Rosalie snapped, "More dogs in our home?" She turned furiously to Bella, "This is all your fault."

"I think..We should all go outside," Jasper spoke up and I felt the atmosphere around us settle.

Sam, Jacobs pack leader, arrived a few minutes later and we all piled onto the back patio. I paced back and forth between Rosalie and Emmett. Everyone looked tense. Alice held Jaspers hand as she focused on the birds above us in the trees. Carlisle greeted Sam and I tuned out what they were saying. Emmett and Jacob were both watching me walk back and forth and Rosalie was arguing with Esme. Edward was staring at Bella, who was seated next to Esme opposite of the small table from him. I continued to pace before Edward shot up from his seat. We all turned to stare.

"Can you stop that already?" He yelled at me.

"Edward!" Carlisle scolded him, "We're going to get this all sorted out. We are trying to figure out how to get around the treaty without involving-"

"That's not what I'm talking about!" Edward shot back and turned to me, "Stop it! Just say it! Show me or something! Just stop counting!"

I realized I had been counting since we left the coffee shop. First it was English, and then French, then German, Spanish, Japanese. I had just made it to fifty in Chinese when he stood up and yelled.

"Look. I'm just trying to do what's best for our family," I whispered.

"Can someone please explain what's going on?" Emmett asked abruptly.

"Marceline...Tell us what happened at the coffee shop," Carlisle stood with Sam.

"I..." I looked at Bella, "You deserve a chance Bella."

"I don't understand," she mumbled.

"Bella...I," I looked at Edward and then to Rosalie, "We never had a choice. Any of us. Rose and I, we had our whole lives ahead of us and it was ripped away. Emmett, Edward, and Esme...they were all on the brink of death. Jasper and Alice were forced into this life, so was Carlisle."

I cleared my throat and looked back to her.

"They say he's your mate but I just...I don't know," I whispered the last part.

"You don't know?" Jacob asked, something hidden behind his words. Was it glee?

"Marce, explain what happened," Alice said softly.

"I have...a gift. Like Edward and Alice and Jasper. That's what makes us so strong. It's what makes us a family. It's a mix, I guess, between Jasper and Edward. I can feel people's emotions. Skin to skin contact," I explained.

"That's what that was?" Bella asked confused.

"Yes....and it gives me a sort of...Understanding of that person. Their emotions - they flow through me as if they're my own and for you, Bella, I..I figured something out that I don't think you want to tell everyone," I said carefully.

I didn't know why I was stalling so much. She meant nothing to me. She was just a human who had gotten mixed up with our family. I lifted my head high as I looked between everyone - Sam, Jacob, Bella, then Edward.

Edward.

He was why I was stalling. Her feelings meant little to me. But the backlash from what I was about to share could ruin him. If he genuinely believed she was his mate, that is.

"Bella.. When Edward was talking to you and trying to take you to his car you were in...pain. Emotionally. You were upset and confused and resistant of his touch. You felt trapped and guilty...really guilty."

"Can you see it?" Alice asked Edward. He had his eyes closed, his face was twisted in confusion. He nodded.

"And then...when Jacob touched you everything changed. I was overcome with love and relief. It was a crushing sense of relief. It was as if a weight had been lifted from before and I collapsed from the drastic change. There was still an overwhelming feeling of guilt," I stepped closer to her, "But the difference between the two of them was incredible."

"What are you saying?" Rosalie stood them, her eyes shooting between Bella and I.

"I'm saying she's in love with the dog," I looked down at Bella as I answered her. 

A loud crack distracted me from her widening eyes and I turned to find the chair Edward was sitting in had begun to crack under his hand. Esme reached out to her son and he held his other hand up to stop her. When his eyes opened they were dark and focused on Bella.

"You love him," his voice was dry.

"Edward, I, I can explain," she tried to reach out to him as Esme did and I watched as the arm of the chair snapped.

Jacob stepped forward and pulled her back from him slowly. That only seemed to upset him more. I felt as Jasper tried to calm him down to no avail. Emmett stepped in between them and pushed his brother back hard.

"Marceline, finish," Carlisle spoke again. I understood now what he meant by fix this.

"If Bella were to...go with the do- Jacob. She could live out her life without risk of the Volturi interfering with her or us," I explained, "Because Edward... isn't her mate."

"Jake is," a strong voice spoke then, and I was surprised to find it came from Sam, "I can hear it when we run...he's imprinted on her. It's impossible to break that bond. She's his mate and he's hers."

"Since she is a mate of one of the pack then she can't expose who we are," Alice announced slowly, "It would risk exposing them and she can't. Their connection won't allow it. The Volturi never have to know."

"You can live your life. You can have a family, Bella," Rosalie shocked me as she stepped up to the human girl, "Take your chance, please."

"Edward...I'm sorry," she whispered as she took Jacob's hand and backed away, "I'm sorry for all of this."

Sam led Jacob and Bella away then. I could hear his bike start and disappear. Edward screamed out in frustration, throwing the chair at the wall, shattering it. He ran off in a blur and Esme looked to her husband for guidance. Alice held Jaspers hand tightly as she concentrated on something we couldn't see. Rosalie shot Esme an apologetic glance as she gathered the broken chair and followed Emmett inside. Carlisle went to hug his wife as he waited for Alice to come back to us.

"How is it?" He asked.

"It's clearer....it's going to work out as it should. No Volturi. No breaking the treaty. We should be fine," She said before turning to me, "Marceline needs to go find Edward."

"Why the hell should I do that?" I asked.

"You're the only one who can understand how he's feeling," Esme answered in such a way that a mother would to her child. No arguing.

I ran my hands through my hair as I thought for a moment. I nodded slowly and kissed Alice's cheek before disappearing into the trees.

I knew where he was going.

He knew I would come.