ℙ𝕖𝕟 𝕒𝕟𝕕 ℙ𝕒𝕡𝕖𝕣 || Twilight

II

"I don't get why you're setting up a huge meal and everything, I mean, she hates her birthday with a burning passion. Besides, she's already late" Athena chatted on while she sat on top of a counter, opposite the one that Riley was setting up Bella's cake on, her dad had began to get worried and had tried to call the Cullen's household multiple times to find his daughters whereabouts. "I mean, she's two hours late and food it cold now"

Riley frowned as she stopped placing the candles in the cake, and she let out a sigh before she spun around to her cousin, her brain working away slowly. "You're right, it's just...she hasn't been the same since she came back from her birthday with the Cullen's and I wanted to make it so she had a good memory about her birthday, even if it's a few days later..."

Athena's features softened and she went to reply, only to be stopped by a distraught looking Charlie who stood in the kitchen doorway with a grin expression. "It's official Riles, nobody knows where Bella is"

Riley's head began to pound unexpectedly as many different scenarios came to mind, Athena and her father seemed to be talking hastily about what to do, and Riley suddenly snapped.

"Called Billy and see if he has any guys that can go out in the Rez to look for her, call any help you can get at work...I think I might know a place she could've gone" She had instructed all of them, "Athena, can you go and knock on a the Cullen's house? See if anybody was there?"

When Riley had admitted that she knew a place, she hadn't exactly told them that it happened to be the Woods near the school, as she knew they'd freak out about the idea of her going into the woods alone and in the dark.

Riley tugged lightly on her jumper as she held her torch up high, recognising the place from Bella's stories about her time with Edward.

They had officially started dating in the woods after they 'shared their deepest secrets' or whatever Bella had said, Riley had practically sat on the urge to ask about if it was if they were the 'cold ones'.

But, Bella still told her about the places Edward had taken her, most of them being in the woods which had practically screamed on Riley's head, but she wasn't dead or anything...she couldn't be...

She heard a twig snap and her breathing increased as she spun around in the direction it had come from, only to be left with nothing but some animal paw prints in the mud.

She turned her head back to the path that she had been walking down and continued her hike in the dark, "Bella?!"

A whimper suddenly filled her ears and she gasped as she caught sight of her older sister curled up at the branch of a tree, seeming to be crying and whispering a sentence over and over again 'he left me'.

"Oh, Bells" Riley sighed as she crashed down to the floor next to her, Bella immediately wrapping her arms around the girl for warmth and comfort, but Riley didn't hold much more warmth since she had been walking around for about an hour, having underestimated her knowledge of the woods. "Someone will be here soon, and then we'll get you home and safe...I promise..."

But Bella didn't pay attention to that, she just continued a silent weep into her sisters shoulders as she continued on with her constant phrase.

There was a few more snaps of some swigs, and Riley flinched slightly before she stood up and made sure to stand in front of Bella, who grabbed ahold of the girls hand weakly, her grip seeming to slip lightly. "Who's there?!"

Riley held up her torch as a weapon, shining it in different areas as the snapping only seemed to close in on them and her heart beating irrationally at all the possibilities that could happen.

"Calm down!" A voice called out softly, even though it seemed to be quite rough, and a shirtless man walked out with his hands high to show he means no harm. "I'm Sam Uley, Billy sent me and my friends out to look for Bella"

Riley sighed, her body shuddering as she lowered her torch and turned back to her sister on the floor. "Bella, he's here to help"

"I'll grab her" Sam offered as he walked over, picking up her body easily. "Paul, help Riley"

Riley snapped her head over to where another figure was, who actually seemed rather annoyed to be in the situation, which caused Riley to shrink under his gaze, and she didn't meet his eyes as she shook her head at Sam's order. "I-I'll walk"

The rest of the trek took less time than it had taken her to get to Bella in the first place, and Riley sighed of relief when they had reached the border of the woods near their house.

Police cars, friends and family were all surrounded around the front of the house, seeming to be talking about Bella's whereabouts.

"Bella!" Charlie suddenly shouted as he spotted his eldest daughter in Sam Uley's arms, emerging from the woods. "Riley! Oh thank God!"

Charlie ran forward to grab her, along with Jacob and Athena who checked over the girl before they turned to the younger one who was shivering almost as much as her sister.

"You idiot!" Athena hissed lightly, before she dragged her cousin into her arms and hugged her closely. "I almost had a heart attack"

"I'm okay, a little cold...but it was worth it because I found Bella" Riley's chattering teeth let out a bright smile, and Athena's features softened before she shook her head.

"Here, take my jacket and we'll go inside to warm you up" Jacob offered, taking of his jacket that surrounded the petite girls entire figure, and he bit his lip to hold in a smile.

"One second" Riley held a finger up at Jacob and Athena, before turning around to where Sam and Paul were stood talking to Billy, more Sam than Paul. "Sam"

The male's head snapped over to the small girl in recognition, Billy nodding his head as Sam gave him a small glance to silently ask if it was the 'Riley' who Billy had told him about.

When Riley reached them, she let out a huge smile that almost had Sam in a puddle. "I just wanted to say thank you, for finding Bella and I in the woods"

"No problem"