Chapter Five
Danger Magnet
Grace Cullen-Swan

Bella healed quite quickly and was able and ready to go back to school once the winter break ended. I, however, was suppose to be on maternity leave, and so I got to stay home with Elizabeth during the day while Charlie went to work and Bella went to school.

Being a mother was something I had never really wanted in my existence until Edward came along. I had never had an option to become one, in both my human and vampire existences, and so when I suddenly had a mothering role forced upon me I had to adapt. It hadn't been easy, especially with Edwards stubborn streak, but I quickly grew to love my new role.

So, I suppose it shouldn't have been such a surprise that I would easily fall in love with Elizabeth. She was perfect with wide brown eyes, Edwards copper curls, and an angular vampire face like her father's. Everyday there was something new that she did for me to fawn over. A new giggle, a new expression on her gorgeous little baby face, or a newfound curiosity for an object around her. I loved just sitting with her, rocking her and loving on her was my new favorite pastime.

However much I loved getting to stay with her, I was also equally anxious to get back to my public life in Forks. I was worried to be away from the school where I could keep eyes on Bella, also, the town was still gossiping about my family which left me worried about Charlie's reputation. As my three months grew closer and closer to an end, I couldn't help but be both excited and nervous.

Shaking my daydreams away, I carefully opened the bedroom door to peek in on Elizabeth. Of course, she was on her stomach wiggling around and smiled happily at me when she caught me sneaking in on her.

"Hello, little one." I cooed to Elizabeth and she pushed herself up onto her hands to look up at me from her crib. "Are you hungry?" I asked her, shaking her bottle of blood up.

I was rewarded with several happy sounding gurgles and smiled widely at her as I lifted her from her crib and sat in the rocking chair by the window.

"I'm going to take that as a yes." I giggled, settling her into my arms before beginning to feed her.

I couldn't help but laugh at her sweet cooing sounds she made as she drank her bottle. She was just finishing up when Charlie stepped through the doorway to our bedroom.

"Hey you two." He greeted us. "Someone sounds happy." He laughed at Elizabeth.

"Very." I agreed. "Do you want to do the honors?" I giggled, putting a bib over his shoulder and handing Elizabeth to him.

"Sure." He agreed happily, rocking back and forth as he burped Elizabeth. "How was your day?" He smiled at me before kissing me softly.

"Great." I smiled widely. "We worked on movement and tactile toys, which Elizabeth absolutely loves, and I got lots of laundry done while she napped."

"Poor thing, you're just going to waste away when you go back to school next week." Charlie laughed at me. "You won't be able to stand five minuets away from her."

"Oh don't be silly." I shook my head. "You're just as obsessed with her as I am and you do just fine."

"Yes, but I haven't spent all day with her every single day of her life like you have." He laughed. "I'm just trying to make sure you're going to be okay." He worried.

"I'll be fine." I nodded. "Sue said she would be happy to watch her during the day for me, so I won't have to worry about her."

"Good." He nodded. "Bella called and asked to go to the reservation again. I hope it's okay that I told her yes. We're having dinner tonight with Harry and Sue anyway, so I figured she could just meet us there."

"Well of course it's okay." I agreed. "She's been spending an awful lot of time with Jacob Black, hasn't she?" I asked, getting up and starting to fold Elizabeth's clothes.

"I guess so, but he seems to make her feel better." Charlie noted, sitting with Elizabeth in the rocking chair.

"Do you think anything's going on there?" I asked him, not liking the idea of Bella moving on only to end up dating a shapeshifter.

"I don't think so." He shook his head. "I think he's just a really good friend to her."

"Okay." I nodded, not sure what to really think about it. "Doesn't she just go over there and watch him work on his cars?"

"Yes, I think so. He does a lot of repair work." He nodded, gazing down at Elizabeth with such a loving look that it made my heart melt.

"As long as she's getting better, I'm happy." I shrugged. "If he's who she needs to feel normal again right now, then so be it. She's obviously not happy being here with the reminder of Edward around constantly." I sighed.

"Don't beat yourself up about it. She's still a teenager. She'll come around and get over him eventually. It just takes time." Charlie soothed my worries.

"What do you say we put Elizabeth downstairs in her pen to play?" I smirked at him. "I think I know exactly what I need to feel better." I smiled as I eyed his strong shoulders underneath his police uniform.

"Is it something I can help you with?" He smirked back at me.

"Well, I suppose I could find someone else, but I prefer not to cheat on my husband." I giggled.

"I'll be back in a minute." He nodded eagerly, rushing downstairs to put Elizabeth in her play pen so we could have some fun.

Later that night, as Charlie parked my car outside of the Clearwater house, my nerves couldn't help but go haywire.

"Relax Mom, everything's fine." Bella laughed at my nerves, coming up to the car briefly, before going to say hi to Harry and Sue as they stood on their porch.

"The pack granted you special permission to be on their grounds, remember? Nothing is going to happen to you." Charlie tried to soothe me quietly so Bella wouldn't overhear.

"I could care less what happens to me." I told him. "I'm worried about Elizabeth and you two." I confessed as we neared the Clearwater's.

"You're very welcome here!" Sue smiled brightly as she came in for a tight hug, as if she was sensing my nervousness. "Oh, what an Angel!" She fawned over Elizabeth as she slept in her carrier.

"We think so." Charlie chuckled.

"Well! Look at her!" Harry shook his head in wonder. "Too bad she looks so much like Charlie, poor little thing." He teased his friend, hitting Charlie in the shoulder playfully.

"Yeah, I know, I was hoping she'd take more after her mom." Charlie returned the joke. "Alright everyone, let's eat, hmm?" Charlie directed comically and we all couldn't help but laugh as we followed Sue into the house to the kitchen.

After dinner, Bella and the Clearwater's son Seth decided to go over to see what Jacob and the other boys were up to, leaving the adults and Elizabeth to talk.

"Billy wasn't too happy when I told him I had granted you permission to be on our lands." Harry revealed to me. "But, the way I see it, you're much more of an asset to us than an enemy. Maybe this child is just what we need to bridge the gap between our species. Something good that came from a pure relationship." He mused.

"Maybe you're right." I smiled softly back at him. "I've never been much of a threat anyway, besides to mountain lions and deer of course." I giggled. "I know myself, as well as my brother, have no animosity towards your tribe. We never have. So, it's good to know we're finally getting on leveling terms. I've been so fearful to be on my own since the other Cullens left."

"Well, you have nothing to fear as long as I have any say around here." Harry smiled brightly at me.

"Which won't be for much longer if you don't start eating healthier." Sue teased him, clearing his and Charlie's dessert plates.

"She wants me to start eating leaves." He scowled at Charlie.

"I said 'leafy vegetables', not leaves." Sue laughed at him.

"I wouldn't take your health so lightly, Harry." I told him seriously. "I've worked as a doctor or nurse a large majority of my existence and have seen so many people go early just from poor life choices." I warned him.

"Alright, Doctor Cullen." He teased me. "I'll get started on that diet...next year." He laughed, causing the rest of the room to echo him.

"Wolves!" Bella cried out the next afternoon, rushing inside and slamming the door shut behind her, causing Elizabeth to stir in my arms and cry out in fear. I had just finally got her settled down for a nap too.

"Bella." I scolded her, bouncing and rocking Elizabeth to calm her down. "What about wolves?" I asked her calmly.

"The animal attacks that the town has been talking about, it's wolves. Huge wolves." She stressed. "I was out walking in the woods when they came out of nowhere."

"Why do you smell like a vampire?" I asked her worriedly as the scent suddenly hit my nose, going over to hover around her and check for injuries.

"Oh, Laurent found me." She answered simply.

"What?!" I cried out, causing Elizabeth to cry more. "Oh, it's okay, calm down." I cooed to her. "Bella, why on earth did you not cry out for me?"

"He thought you had left with the Cullens. He said he was scouting the area for Victoria but he decided he was just going to kill me himself. That's when the wolves came through the clearing. They must've tuned in on him, because they dragged him away and I just took of running." She spoke quickly and breathlessly.

"I'm sorry, did you say Victoria?" I asked. "As in James's mate Victoria?"

"Yes." She nodded. "Laurent said that she had a vengeance set out against me. She wants me so she can hurt Edward like he hurt her."

"But Edward is gone." I shook my head, worried beyond belief. "That makes no sense."

"I don't know." Bella shrugged. "That's just what he said."

"Alright, well I'll call and tell your dad about the wolves." I tried to soothe her. "And I'll keep a lookout for any new scents in the woods." I promised.

"Why don't you just go to the station and tell him?" Bella asked. "We know they're out there right now, and you could go out with the search party and track their scents."

"You're right." I nodded. "Can you watch Elizabeth?" I asked her.

"I'm headed to the reservation to meet Jacob." She shook her head, looking terrified at the idea of being alone with the baby for more than a few hours.

"Okay, looks like you're coming with me then." I cooed to Elizabeth, getting her fastened into the baby carrier wrap. "I don't know when we'll be home. Be careful with Jake, okay? I love you." I smiled at Bella as I slung the diaper bag over my shoulder and headed out to the car.

After getting Elizabeth in, driving to the station, and then getting her back into the wrap, I bypassed the receptionist and went directly back to Charlie's office.

"Hey." Charlie greeted as I stepped through his open doorway. "What's going on?" He asked as I shut the door behind me.

"Bella saw the shapeshifters." I told him. "Laurent came through town to find Bella as a favor to Victoria. He told Bella that Victoria is looking to hurt Edward like he hurt her, so she wants Bella dead." I sighed deeply. "The shapeshifters showed up at that moment to step in and protect Bella." I disclosed.

"Why is my kid such a damn danger magnet?" He huffed. "This is getting exhausting."

"I agree." I nodded. "But that's besides the point. The town thinks we're having a string of animal in attacks, when it's really been Laurent and possibly Victoria, so I think we should make a small search party and go out to follow the scents."

"That sounds like a good idea." He nodded. "I'll call Harry to bring some of his guys from the reservation, and I can grab whosever on desk duty, are you coming along?"

"Yes." I nodded. "I can track their scents."

"I get that, but what are we going to say about my wife and child coming along on a possibly dangerous hunt for large wolves?" He asked me.

"We'll just say I'm a good shot." I shrugged. "I am a really good shot. Plus, I did kinda prove I'm tough when I took down that active shooter." I reminded him.

"True." He nodded, putting on his jacket and hat. "Let's go." He smiled at me, opening the door for me.

Within the hour, I was standing with Charlie, several other officers, Harry Clearwater, and some men about his age from the reservation.

"Here, Mrs. Swan, take my jacket." Deputy Mark offered, holding out an extra jacket of his for me. "Wouldn't want you two to get cold." He smiled.

"Oh, thank you." I smiled gratefully, pulling it on and zipping it halfway to cover Elizabeth's body.

"So, what's the plan Chief?" Harry asked, coming up to put a friendly arm around me and pat Elizabeth's back softly.

"We'll work our way from here to the river and then sweep in an outer circle on our way back. Watch out for each other and keep Grace in the middle, she's a good shot but there's no need for unnecessary danger." Charlie directed. "Let's get moving."

Hours later, there was still no sign of the wolves or of Victoria. A small shower had breezed through the area before we arrived, effectively washing away any trace of a scent for me to follow. I doubt that I could've smelled Victoria even if she had passed us in the trees above our heads. After a long walk with no trace to follow, we decided to head back. We were just making our way back to the cars when Harry suddenly cried out and dropped to his knees.

"Harry? What's wrong?" Charlie worried over him as he and I rushed to his side.

"It's a heart attack." I diagnosed him immediately, crouching down to help him lay out on his back.

Before I could even start compressions, he was gone.

However, that didn't stop me from trying for the sake of my husband, and so I passed Elizabeth off to Charlie before starting compressions. I got some blood circulating while some of the officers called for an ambulance but it was useless. By the time the ambulance arrived and could shock him, I had already broken several ribs and bruised a large portion of his chest in my attempt to revive him. The paramedics had no choice but to proclaim him dead at the scene.

"I'm so sorry." I tried to comfort Charlie as I sat with him on the forest floor while the paramedics loaded Harry's body into the ambulance. "I know you're hurting, but we should probably go and get Sue." I frowned, knowing I wasn't going to enjoy having to be the one to tell her the news. "She should hear it from us."

"You're right." He nodded, standing to his feet and helping me up. I took the chance to brush the tears from his face and press a sweet kiss to his cheek before guiding him over to his cruiser.

It was an awful experience telling Sue that her husband and best friend of so many years had died so suddenly. We took her to the hospital to sort through details and hard decisions before taking her back home to grieve.

I was sitting with Charlie at the kitchen table, he was rocking Elizabeth over his shoulder in an attempt to keep himself calm as I flipped through a family photo album. I was trying to mark good photos for the funeral so Sue didn't have to, when Billy rolled through the open doorway.

"Sue." He sobbed her name, and she rushed over to hug him tightly and cry into his shoulder. He simply just petted her hair and gave her soft words of reassurance that Charlie and I simply didn't have.

Charlie had only ever known death as it claimed both of his parents from him quickly, but he had seen it coming. I had only known death as a transition into my current existence. I had never grown so attached to a human that it pained me in such a terrible way to see them pass as it did to see Harry go.

"Charlie. Grace." Billy nodded at us as he got Sue settled back onto the couch. "Good to see you here." He surprised me with the truth in his voice.

"Wouldn't be anywhere else." Charlie assured him.

"Can I see her?" Billy motioned to Elizabeth, rolling over to the table.

"Sure." Charlie nodded, carefully handing Elizabeth to him.

That seemed to the be the forgiveness they both needed, as they launched into conversation like nothing had ever happened between them. I couldn't decide if they were putting things aside for the sake of the situation, or if they had genuinely missed each other so much that they couldn't help but be friendly again. Maybe Harry was right, Elizabeth was the bridge we needed.

By the time it was getting into the late hours of the night, A large portion of the tribe had gathered at the Clearwater house to hold Sue and her kids up in support. So, Charlie and I had been trying our best to be apart of the conversations happening as we helped get things ready for the funeral.

My phone suddenly rang out, and I apologized as I stepped away from the group in the living room and into the kitchen to take the call.

"Aunt Grace." Alice's panicked voice rang out the moment I answered.

"Alice?!" I gasped in surprise, unable to hold in my reaction as I spoke quite loudly and got everyone's attention by mistake. "Now you call?!" I spoke madly.

"Bella's going to throw herself off of a cliff. I'm going to be too late. I need you to go and find her and try to stop her. She's at the La Push beach. Hurry!" Alice spit out quickly and my entire body froze up in fear and panic.

"Am I still allowed on your lands?" I asked Billy quickly. "I need to get to the beach." I stressed, handing Elizabeth off to Charlie.

"With the current situation I think that would be very unwise." Billy frowned. "Everyone is here, no one will be on patrol to watch you."

"Grace, what's wrong?" Charlie worried, seeing the absolute sheer desperation on my face.

"Bella is about to throw herself off a cliff and kill herself. I'm sorry, Billy, but I have to go." I shook my head, racing out of the door and running towards the beach as fast as I possibly could.