1: Skinny Love (Ed. Cullen)

70.

Bambi walks with Bella through the trees, slow steady but nervous steps, she left Sam's sure about telling Bella about the wolves and the pack and the whole...furball stuff, but now standing with her, she's not 100% about this. It rocks her world and she's in the thick of it, what will it do to Bella's? She takes a strengthening breath and closes her eyes before nodding and looks to her sister.

"Those wolves...earlier" Bambi starts taking Bella's hand, she takes a breath, double guessing herself over this. She hates lying to Bella and after everything that went on with Edward she told herself she would never do it again, and yet her she is, keeping a big secret form her twin sister. She's a terrible person, a bad daughter and sister.

"What about them?" Bella asks when Bambi doesn't continue. Bambi worries her hands together.

"Promise me you won't freak out" Bambi asks of Bella who watches her, wary, wondering if this is her sister finally having another breakdown.

"Promise" Bella answers trying to reassure her sister that she's there for her.

"Okay" Bambi whispers and then turns walking away from her, putting some space between them before she does this. She's seen Emily and she's not doing this stood close to her sister. "Okay" she repeats and nods. "Remember you promised" she points out turning back to Bella who nods back. Bambi takes a deep breath and closes her eyes before she lurches forward. Her wolf taking her place. Bella's eyes widen as she stares at the wolf, at Bambi's wolf form. She steps closer, wary. The wolf lowers her head a little.

"Bambi" she states reaching her. "You saved my life" Bella whispers touching the wolf's face. "Always got my back, huh, Bambi?" Bella asks her warmly before setting her forehead to the wolf's, her fingers scratching at her neck. "Can you...change back?" the wolf nods and steps back moving away from Bella who takes a shaky breath, processing all of this. Bella turns away and runs her fingers through her hair waiting.

"Bells" Bambi states touching Bella's shoulder as she pulls her shirt on straight, Bella turns to her and then hugs her.

"Thank you" Bella whispers warmly, clutching to her sister, Bambi hugs her back just as tightly. Bella pulls away and nods a little as she starts to walk away, Bambi joins her. "How long?" Bella asks tucking her hands into her pockets. "How long have you been able to do that?"

"Since the accident" Bambi answers. "I wanted to tell you, but I was so confused, and they told me that I couldn't tell anyone"

"Who did?"

"The others" Bambi looks to Bella. "The pack..."

"All those wolves?" Bella whispers, Bambi nods.

"Yeah, they're all....like me...." she admits. "Do you remember Sam Uley?" Bambi asks. "We met him at the beach that time, and he was there the night you got lost in the woods?" Bella nods. "Yeah, he's kind of our 'leader', our alpha" Bambi offers.

"Who else?" Bella asks softly.

"Jacob and Caleb" Bambi answers, Bella sighs. "It's not like we didn't want to tell you" Bambi assures her. "But Sam told us not to, he ordered us not to" Bambi rolls her eyes a little.

"So why are you telling me now?" Bella asks.

"Because I'm sick of the lies" Bambi answers as she glances to Bella. "I hate lying to you" Bella smiles softly.

"I'm glad you told me" Bella assures her. "I don't feel so afraid now" Bambi threads her fingers with Bella's. "Of the wolves, of....anything"

"Bella" Bambi starts. "I'm always going to look out for you" Bella looks down a little. "You're my sister, my best friend, of course I am, just like I've always done" they share a look.

"Why you?" Bella asks, Bambi looks to her and then away.

"Sam doesn't know" Bambi shrugs. "It wasn't supposed to happen to me" she looks to Bella. "It just did, and it sounds like it didn't even happen the way it did with the others"

"You always had to do things differently to everyone else, Bambi, why should this be any different?" Bella teases. Bambi looks to her and nods in agreement. It's true. Bambi's always been different. Like that's going to change now.

.................

Bambi stands at her window watching the fog rolling through the trees, it's beautiful like this, peaceful, but she doesn't feel peaceful, her body is tingling with nerves. She wants to text Edward. To call him. To talk to him. Despite the fact she knows he is her 'enemy' species she's never wanted to be around him more. Something inside of her reaching out for him, and he's not here. She opens her phone and scrolls through her contacts. Something has changed inside, after her outburst at Sam she feels freer, like a weight has been lifted from her shoulders.....She taps the cell phone against the window as she thinks, as she tries to pluck up the courage to write the text, to write anything but she can't. She throws her phone onto the bed and moves to her laptop instead, she opens the lid as she sits at her desk. Her fingers flex a little as she fights herself on this. She shouldn't be doing this. She was the one that told him to stop, but she needs familiar. He is familiar. And she misses him. She opens messenger and clicks on his icon. They've never contacted this way but they shared the information. She finds messenger impersonal but something about sending a text have her more nervous.

................

Edward stands looking out the back of the house in Alaska, the snow is still falling, has done since Connor left for Rio, he couldn't be around everyone any more, and Edward understands his brother's need to be away, to be alone. Edward would too but he holds out more hope for Bambi to contact him. That they can work this out. He turns slightly hearing a ping at his laptop. Frowning a little he moves to it and opens the messenger screen finding a message from Bambi.