Lightness Within All (Paul Lahote)

Idiot sister and old friends.

Bayla had only been in Forks a couple of weeks and managed to find the brighter side even in the darkest days.
It happened to be a dark day, with the rain pelting down against the tin roof of the Swan household, the thunder roaring in the sky as if it were to cry out in anger, but Bayla sat near her window in awe at the lightning that lighted up the sky every feed minutes and smiled as the sound of thunder entered her ears.

Bella had left earlier with Edward, and hadn't been returning any of Baylas  calls or texts, worrying her as she pulled out her phone once again and rung her sister once again only to her her voicemail leaving Bayla to a ring her eyebrows together in confusion and tap her fingers nervously against her thighs.
Bayla had only met Edward once, he seemed to hold manners, always saying Thankyou and please, maintaining eye contact, and speaking fluently as if he was an elder man which impressed her but all the while giving her a creepy feeling as if something was off, as if there was more to him then he led on.

Charlie knocked on the door before poking his head in and finding Bayla looking out at the woods with a worried look plastered on her face . Bayla turned to met her fathers gaze and offered him a weak smile, noticing how his eyes held the same feeling she felt deep down inside, worry.
"Have you spoke to Bella? I can't get ahold of her and she was suppose to be home by now" Charlie said, a small part of him hoping she was with Edward and another part hoping she wasn't .

Bayla got up dropping her knit blanket around her shoulders and shook her head lazily before meeting her father at the door, looking up with worried eyes and a small frown that Charlie Hated to see.
"She hasn't answered my calls...or my texts" Bayla said in a sad tone as if her sister was ignoring her on purpose .
Charlie sighed and ran his hand through his brown stumbled beard that was just coming in and rested against the door way .

"Damn it bells where the hell are you" Charlie said mainly to himself .
Bayla followed her dad downstairs as he made a phone call and silently hoped Bella would walk through the door at any minute, but as the hour passed and she failed to do so Bayla found herself a nervous wreck and scared to what might have happened to her sister.

Charlize has called billy in hopes she was with Jacob but the returned call saying she hadn't been seen only worried him more to the point he had put together a search party in hopes of finding his daughter who seemed to always be getting herself into some sort of trouble .
The outside front yard was now filled with many concerned people all hoping to find Bella soon, some of the Forks police men, Harry Clearwater a good friend of Charlie's, Billy and Jacob Black, and even Sam Uley who set off in the forest to look around.

"Hey, haven't seen you in a while" Jacob said as he moved closer to Bayla as they stood beside both their fathers near the cruiser that held a map marking off all of the paces she could be .
Bayla looked up at the young boy with her emerald green eyes meeting his deep dark brown eyes, she noticed his long brown hair that fell softly to his shoulders, russet tan skin showing he was native and definitely lived on the Reservation, but still a stranger to Bayla who moved closer to her father in attempts of avoiding any danger that one might bring to her.

Jacob laughed and placed his large hand over his chest and let out a fake whimper bringing a small smile to Baylas face .
"Forgot me that easily, well that hurts me Little Bay Leaf" Jacob said with a fake frown plastered on his face .

Bayla had only been called that by a few people, Bella being one of them, Harry Clearwater, the man who made her fish fry when she wasn't feeling well, billy back who had been like a second father with the many times she spent the night at his house to play with his son who happened to be her and Bella's oldest closet friend Jacob.
Bayla smiled widely and jumped up into his arms, wrapping her small arms around his neck and sweeping tightly when she felt his arm wrap around her torso.

"Jake!! It's you!!!" Bayla said smiling ear to ear when he placed her down, his grin matching hers as he looked at the youngest swan member who had always been his favorite, despite his crush on Bella .
"You finally remember" Jake said nudging her with his elbow.
Bayla laughed as the blush crept onto her cheeks, not out of affection, but with embarrassment that she had forgotten the looks of her oldest friend .

"Sorry,long time no see...you've changed" Bayla said, her melodic voice causing Jacob to grin even harder at his close friend.
"I would say the same but damn Bay, you haven't grown an inch" Jacob said with a laugh.

Bayla rolled her eyes and crossed her arms across her chest, shaking her head slightly and the "insult" he had given her which caused Jacob to laugh even harder at her innocent child like ways .
"Oh come on, I'm just kidding" Jacob said sliding his arm around her shoulder, feeling the coldness of her skin as it hit his warmth and pulling her closer to him.

"Yea Yea I'm short I know" Bayla said with a smirk.
The two walked over to Charlie who was speaking to Harry, both with a pained look on their faces.
"I'll call the Cullens again ,her note said she and Edward went for a walk" Charlie said, pulling out his phone with a tad bit of hope .
"The left town Charlie" Billy said, looking up at his oldest friend with a small frown, feeling for the scared father .
"Why would the leave? I though Bella and Edward were dating?" Bayla asked, looking up at her father who was wondering the same thing .

"It's okay Little Leaf, we will find her" Harry said, giving the smallest Swan a reassuring smile in hopes to comfort her although it didn't seem to work as she looked down at her feet with a pained expression.

The voice of Sam Uley caught everyone's attention and both Bayla and Jacob looked up to see Bella cradled again this chest, looking ever so small in his large arms, as he walked out of the woods with a serious look plastered on his face .
Bayla felt Jacob tense up and looked at him, surprised to see a stone cold emotion plastered into his usual joyful face .

Charlie took of running towards Sam as Bayla removed herself from Jacobs arm and followed behind him, reaching both just as Charlie thanked Sam for finding her.
"Where was she?" Bayla asked, looking up at the man with confusion in her emerald eyes.
Sam looked down at the youngest child and was surprised to see the difference in the two girls.

Where as Bella's hair seemed to fall flat, almost as if lifeless, Baylas hair curled at the bottom, full of volume and life despite the rain that had fallen earlier and soaked her small frame that was much smaller than Bella's, her eyes held a light in them that was almost mesmerizing to Sam, as well as everyone, and her small frame only made him feel the need to warn her about the dangers of the forest, but instead he looked at Jacob with a knowing look of his phasing soon, and Jacob only looked away uncomfortably.

"I guess she fell asleep" Sam Uley voice said, a little harsh and emotionless.
Bayla nodded her head getting the feeling Sam didn't want to talk much and looked back at her father who was now placing Bella inside the house .
Bayla looked back at Sam and offered a warm smile despite his harsh tone which surprised him, and Bayla was truly thankful for his help, and caught his brown eyes staring back at hers.

"Thankyou, I know you probably had much better things to do than look for my idiot sister, but Thankyou. It means a lot to me and dad" Bayla said, her voice holding a warm inviting tone.
"Yourwelcome...just, don't be like your sister, stay clear of the forest...it's dangerous" Sam said looking to her with a serious look hidden behind his wake brown eyes .

Bayla nodded and watched as he walked off, getting the feeling there was more meaning behind his words that he had said, but as the wind picked up she shivered and went back inside to see her sister, and find out just what happened.