𝑫𝒊𝒅 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒄𝒂𝒏'𝒕 𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒌 𝒐𝒇 

𝑩𝒖𝒕 𝒂𝒕 𝒏𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒊𝒕 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏

⁂

Charlie Swan was the epitome of goodness, at least in Juliette's eyes- the best man that she knew.

Her earliest, most vivid memory was the day her mom left her behind. She remembers the echoes of shouting from both of her parents, the sound of her dad desperately pleading, bargaining. Sometimes in her dreams she hears him begging Renee to take her too, insisting that he can't raise a daughter on his own. She doesn't know if it was real or if her mind was haunted abandonment, but she remembers Renee's cold replying that she was too much to handle and a baby was easier.

When Juliette was six her grandparents passed away. She was old enough then to realize that all she and Charlie had was each other. At six, it felt like the world was conspiring against them. Charlie tried his best to shield her from the weight of his grief. Like Bella, he found healing in solitude, hiding in his room, and using his dreams and nightmare to pass his sorrows.

It was then Juliette vowed to be her best self- to remain on the straight and narrow. She would be good, work hard, and never let Charlie doubt his capabilities as a single parent.

Some of her fondest memories were the nights she worked at the local diner during her teenage years, catching glimpses of her dad driving by in his squad car. Each time he'd flash his lights twice, a way to say he was there and watching over her.

Watching Bella seamlessly integrate into their home twisted Juliette's insides in ways she had not anticipated.

It had started in response to small, trivial things. Bella claiming her chair at the breakfast table, and Charlie not realizing they would need an extra chair. He had to pull out one of Granma Helen's chairs from the formal dining room, an action that felt like a disruption to the threads in the fabric of their home.

Seeing Charlie attempt to cook dinner in the kitchen had almost sent her into an emotional spiral. Growing up, culinary skills were far from his forte. They relied on canned goods and frozen meals. Bella's comments on the diner food- the very meals that Juliette would proudly bring home from her high school shifts- was absurd.

She didn't know how to exist in her own home anymore. She felt lost within the walls of her childhood, unsure how to navigate this new dynamic.

"I'm just saying, why can't we sneak off later for diner Thursday's?" Juliette asked under her breathe, watching as Bella put away groceries in the fridge.

Charlie sighed.

They were sitting at the table in the kitchen, having just finished breakfast, Juliette sitting in her normal chair. The feeling of knobby wood digging in to her back felt like a victory.

When he spoke, he sounded disappointed in her. "You know why, that eating that diner crap every week isn't good for us."

She sent him a look, pouting. "If you cut open my arm right now, blueberry cobbler would probably pour out."

She heard her sister snort from across the room, "Did he tell you he was eating there every day? Not just Thursday."

Dammit. Bella-1, Juliette- 0.

"Dad," Juliette gasped, dramatically, clutching at pearls that weren't there, "and don't tell me it was all red meat and butter, too?"

"Fine, I won't tell you." He responded, good naturedly.

She watched her sister shake her head, "you're making fun of me, right."

"Just a bit," She said teasingly, pinching her fingers together. "Bells, we're here for a good time, not a long time."

"Which," She stated, turning back to their dad, "is why we should go to the diner tonight. One last hurrah to say goodbye to twenty years of tradition."

She raised her eyebrows, arms spread wide in a grand gesture, looking between the two.

Juliette could see the breakdown on her sister's face- she had never been good at hiding her expressions. The maternal scolding disappeared from her face, shedding for a small smile.

"C'mon Bella, you've been in a weird mood the past few days, some cobbler could fix that." She tried once more, hooking her sister in.

She wasn't sure what had happened, any attempts to get details from her sister was shut down, but Bella had returned from a day at La Push in a weird almost disturbed demeanor. The only thing she could get out was that Bella had met Sam, said she could see why Juliette had dated him, and that was it.

Bella opened her mouth to speak, and shut it. She seemed hesitant. "That sounds really fun, but I-er, have plans in La Push."

"Say less," Juliette instantly responded, uninterested.

In hindsight, Bella's strange and oddly distant expression should have raised alarms in Juliette's mind. But, she was so excited to have just a shred of her normal back.

Charlie perked up at Bella's words. "Actually, Bella, I could give you a ride, if you want? I'll be working near the Reservation today."

Both Swan girls faced him with matching confusion.

Bella was the first to speak, declining the offer. "It's fine, I told Jake we could use my truck for something."

"Why are you in the Rez today?" Juliette questioned, distantly wondering if she could convince him to bring back fish fry.

Charlie let out a heavy exaggerated sigh, "nice to know you listen when your old dad speaks, kid."

She let out an equally dramatic sigh, "is this about the bear attacks?"

He looked mildly impressed by her bare minimum listening skills.

"See," She nodded her head, continuing, "I do listen, sometimes."

She ignored the look of worry on Bella's face as her sister cut in. "What? What are you planning on doing today?"

"Hunting down a bear," Charlie stated with an air of finality that ended the conversation.

Both Bella and Charlie didn't linger beyond that, leaving in their respective vehicles while Juliette was left in her conquest chair.

←✥→

If anyone asked what Juliette Swan had done to pass the time, she would have lied and said she was productively busy. Not pathetically waiting on the living room couch for her dad to return home.

She felt reminiscent of her childhood self, who would sit and wait on weekends for her dad to return. As she got older she realized Charlie would overcompensate for her childhood loss through overly fun weekends spent doing some absurd childish pastime.

She tried to ignore the clock, the one that was becoming a painful reminder that her dad should have been home already. She almost caved in to the urge to call Bella and ask if she wanted to grab dinner with her instead.

As the evening stretched into night, each passing hour grew heavier than the last. Juliette found herself glancing at the clock more often than she cared to admit, the hands moving too slowly, as time played its cruel game. The house felt too quiet, the kind of silence that makes someone acutely aware of every creak of wood and whisper of wind.

Charlie was now unusually late, and with each minute that ticked by, Juliette's worry knotted tighter in her stomach. She tried to distract herself, flipping through a book she'd read a dozen times, but the words blurred together with her growing anxiety. Visions of her dad being attacked by a fearsome bear plagued her mind.

Then, without warning, there was a knock at the door.

Her heart leaped, startle dropping into her stomach. Bella, her rationality guessed. Maybe she'd forgotten her keys again. The thought brought a smile to her face as she crossed the room. There was a sense of relief, a break from the growing worry over their dad and his whereabouts.

But the figure standing at the door wasn't Bella.

It was a girl- no, a young woman- with pixie-like features and inky black hair that seemed to defy gravity, standing under the porch light. Her appearance was striking, almost ethereal, but it was the grave expression carved into her delicate features that rooted Juliette to the spot.

"Hello?" Juliette heard her own voice, uncertain.

The woman's golden eyes were wide, concern palpable as she scanned Juliette's face, looking for something Juliette couldn't begin to understand.

"Where's Bella?" The urgency in her voice made Juliette's heart skip a beat.

"I... What?" Dumbstruck confusion laced her words, her mind racing to keep up. "Who are you? What's going on?"

The woman's expression shifted, the gravity of whatever news she carried seeming to weigh her down. "It's Bella," she said, her voice barely a whisper, but each word struck Juliette with the force of a thunderclap. "I need to find her. It's urgent."

The world seemed to tilt on its axis, the night air suddenly too thick to breathe. Juliette stepped back, the doorframe the only thing keeping her upright. This stranger, with eyes that held a storm of emotions, had brought the night's unease to a head.

And Juliette knew, with a sinking feeling, that everything was about to change.

"Hold on, how do you know my sister?" Her body stood like a guard in the doorway, her mind distantly wondering how fast she could grab her dad's gun from the safe.

Danger, her senses screamed at her. This frenzied stranger and the absence of the other half of her family had her fingers trembling and adrenaline rushing.

She watched the dainty woman freeze, her eyes seeming to glaze over. She seemed to be looking through Juliette, beyond her. Juliette, almost comically, turned around as if to see who she was looking at.

"Am I being pranked?" She wondered aloud, waving a hand in-front of the woman's face. "Hello? Hello?"

Recognition and awareness flooded back into her expressionless face, her eyebrows crinkling even more in distress and confusion. She fixed a hard look at Juliette, one that had the Swan feeling rooted in place by the heaviness.

They seemed to have started a staring contest, neither one blinking. Juliette's gaze of mistrust and palpable bewilderment, while the other woman seemed almost terrified. Of what, she didn't know.

Juliette blinked first.

"This has been fun, but I have plans so goodbye." Juliette forced out, moving back and readying to slam the door.

Faster than Juliette could blink again, she had slammed the door shut and on the other woman's hand. Unable to stop, Juliette screamed, having felt the collision of the wood meeting her fingers. The noise was ear-splitting, almost like slamming sheet metal against concrete. Combined with Juliette's alarmed piercing wail, her ears ached.

"Why would you do that!" Juliette shouted, horrified. "Give me that!"

She pulled her hand to her, counting the fingers, and stilling at the chill she felt. "Oh god, you're already losing circulation. Come inside."

Juliette dragged the shorter woman inside, mistaking her shocked expression for muted pain.

Her mind silently begged that the other woman wouldn't sue her for shattering her hand.

"C'mon, c'mon," She begged under her breath as she waited for the running water at the kitchen faucet to turn warm.

She thrust the arm under the stream, chancing looking at the other's face.

Juliette didn't expect the amusement in her expression.

"I'm Alice, by the way." She, Alice, stated pleasantly as if Juliette hadn't just severed the artery in her arm. "Alice Cullen."

"Alice? Cullen?" Juliette questioned, the question mark at the end of her words heavily exaggerated.

Juliette dropped Alice's hand, which remained under the stream. She felt her eyes narrow, feeling hostility growing inside her.

"Alice Cullen?" She repeated. "What are you doing here?"

She wanted to ask if she was insane, with how she thrust her hand into the doorway, but refrained. Juliette was impulsive, not rude.

Alice opened her mouth to reply, the intense sadness in her eyes had Juliette faltering. Without making a sound, she watched as Alice physically tensed her body, looking aghast.

She turned on her heels, daintily striding through the doorway. Juliette called after her, to which the tiny girl ignored.

Juliette spared a moment to gaze back at the opening that led to the dining room and where Charlie kept his safe. There was a growing tension in the room that left Juliette feeling unsafe.

The thick tar-like feeling of anxiety pooling in her stomach ended as the door was thrown open.

Bella.

There was never a time where Juliette had felt better seeing her sister's face.

She watched as Bella's eyes darted from her to Alice, keenly observing the look of unrestrained joy that lit up her doe eyes. Never had she witnessed her sister express that much happiness. Not for the first time, Juliette found herself cursing Edward's existence.

Bella's slender body seemed to fly through the air and collided into Alice's. She called out Alice's name, as if she was relieved to see her.

Juliette could tear her eyes away from the scene, her confusion growing.

"Bella!" Alice gasped, reaching out to hold Bella's arms.

"I'm sorry, I just, I can't believe you're here." Bella apologized, eyes growing wider as she frenzied. "I-is-"

Alice interjected, the scolding tone surprising Juliette. "Would you like to explain to me how you're alive?"

Juliette's eyebrows furrowed before she could finish comprehending what she said.

"Excuse me? Why did you think Bella was dead?" She interrupted, moving to standing beside her sister. "Why did she think you were dead?"

"What?" Bella spoke, dumbly, not looking at her sister.

Alice spared one slight glance at Juliette, lips pursing briefly before she heaved a sigh. Dimly, she noted that sounded almost like a breeze blowing through chimes.

When she spoke, she only furthered Juliette's bewilderment. "I saw a vision of you, you jumped off a cliff."

"A cliff? Isabella Marie-"

Alice continued, her scolding falling under the growing anger. "Why in the hell would you try and kill yourself."

"You tried to ki-"

"What about Charlie?" Alice then threw her hands in the direction of the elder Swan. "What about Juliette?"

A tremor ran through Juliette's body as she took in Bella's soaked clothing and damp hair. The sickly flush on her cheeks and lips. Her fingers started to shake uncontrollably, a chill settling down her spine. The petty one-sided competition and lack of time spent with her sister coming to mind. Juliette felt sick as her imagination supplied an image of Bella's head cracking against the La Push cliffside.

"I didn't try to kill myself," Bella defended, "I was cliff jumping."

Juliette reached out to grab her sister, dropping her hand as she saw the trembling digits. "Bella, what possessed you and made you think that was a sane idea?"

"You don't understand, Jules, it's recreational, fun." Her sister told her, not sounding apologetic in the slightest.

"Fun?" Juliette echoed incredulously, "do you know how worried sick I've been here waiting for you and dad to come home? By the way, where is he?"

"Oh," Bella looked put out, having to tell her. "Harry Clearwater passed away, dad's been with his family."

Juliette's cell phone suddenly felt heavier in her pocket. She didn't know how to feel knowing neither one of them considered informing her, allowing her to wait on their return home.

"Cool," she muttered, her lips twisting into a sarcastic smile. "I'm so glad I came home, really it's been soamazing and I've never felt more loved in my life."

"Really glad you didn't die by the way, Bella." She continued, taking a step back.

"Also, what the hell did she mean by visions?" Juliette finished, breathing heavy after her hurt rant.

Bella, to her surprise, spoke. "I didn't hear her say that."

"I have visions." Alice said at the same time, sounding pleasantly composed.

Juliette's hazel eyes blinked twice. She heaved a heavier sigh, mouth feeling dry as she tried to think of a response.

"Are-are you on drugs?" She asked, eyes moving between them as she tried to think rationally. "Is this what you meant by recreational? Doing drugs?"

"You'll understand soon enough, Juliette." Alice told her, cryptically, smiling as if that answered all of her concerns.

"Juliette I'm not on drugs, god." Bella sounded embarrassed, seeming to refuse to look at her sister.

She ran her tongue over her teeth once, jaw tense. "I need to sit down."

She hardly remembered moving from the front door to the living room couch. The infuriating clock was ticking, the silence adding to the growing hysteria she was trying hard to contain. Her head hurt and she was beyond confused by her sister, even more unsure of who the Bella sitting next to her was.

Alice scoffed, cutting the silence and returning both Swan's attention to her. "I have never met anyone more prone to life-threatening idiocy."

"Does..." Bella spoke quietly, looking unsure. "Did you tell him?"

Her body was turned towards Alice, her back to Juliette.

"No, he only calls in once every few months." Alice replied softly.

Juliette couldn't help but comment. "Isn't he a teenager? What do you mean he only calls in once every few months?"

"Juliette, please." Bella turned to look over her shoulder, words asking Juliette to stop.

She closed her mouth sharply, teeth clacking audibly. The dismissal stung.

"He just... wants to be alone." Alice told her, sounding apologetic.

She fought the urge to point out the legality of minors and high school attendance.

Before either Swan girls could speak again, Alice scrunched her face. "Bella, what is that God-awful wet dog smell?"

Juliette gasped, ready to defend the room she had just cleaned.

"That's probably me," Bella told her, sounding distracted. "Or it's Jacob."

"Jacob?" Juliette asked, wondering if it was some new herbal strain that smelled like a wet dog. "Is he dealing you-"

"Jacob who?" Alice cut her off, almost urgently.

Bella spared a look at her sister, almost seeming sorry. "Jacob's kind of a werewolf."

There was a sudden ringing in Juliette's ears, her body felt spineless and numb in those moments. She seemed to have disassociated, wondering where their family failed Bella.

"Juliette, I'm sorry." Bella turned to face her fully, placing her hands on her shoulders. "I should have told you sooner."

"It's okay, Bella." Her voice sounded far away as she spoke, as if disembodied. "Dad and I are going to help, okay?"

"Alice, a little help here?" Bella half-begged.

"Sorry, but I can't." Alice didn't sound sorry. "Besides, werewolves are not good company to keep, that goes for you as well Juliette."

"Speak for yourself."

Juliette struggled to remember when Jacob had arrived, or maybe he had been there the entire time. She was starting to feel like her grasp on the moment was dwindling.

He seemed to ignore the other two, fixing a firm gaze on Bella. "I had to see you were safe."

Bella smirked, jokingly. "I thought you couldn't protect me here."

"Guess I don't care."

Juliette leapt from the couch, ending their smoldering staring contest. "Well, I care, Jacob, what the hell are you doing here?"

She was ignored as he verbally dueled with Alice. Juliette disregarded them as the growing pain in her head grew, only returning her attention as Jacob spoke.

"...the other bloodsucker who tried to kill Bella because of you." Jacob gritted out, the puppy