『 CHAPTER xiv: CHANGELING.  』

JUNE HAD GIVEN A LOT OF THOUGHT ON how she would die. Ever since her grandma Iris had held her hands and whispered her untimely fate, Juniper always wondered how it would be met. A car crash seemed too mortal for the scene of her final breath, suicide was probably the most likely, if June was able to cut out her own heart and hold it in her hand like her grandmother said she'd be. She had written out multiple scenarios down in her head, each of them were more gruesome than the next but the main focal point in them all was that June Swan was her own harbinger of death. Ultimately it was her own course of action that would decide how she died. It sickened her to think of, now. It gave her a great unhappiness to remember how Edward Cullen was so determined and cutthroat to have her older sister in safety once more, to the point where his own eternal life could be ended. And there June was, silently hoping that if anyone has to die, let it be her. She was selfish, she didn't want anyone else to be mourned in the scenario they were in. Just her. But Edward and his family had given her a new perspective, one June was readily and willing to die for — dying in the place of someone you love, sounded like a beautiful way to go.

Though like all epic heroes, they had to defeat their villain to meet their own fate. The plan to lead the Tracker, June's own storybook villain, away was simple. Bella was going to Phoenix with most of the Cullen's behind her while Rosalie and Esme stayed behind with June and her parents. There was of course, like most fairytale, many obstacles to face before they all met the big bad. Right now, pulling into June and Bella's driveway, was the biggest they'd have to face. June was going to say goodbye to her hero, to Bella who was in the most gravest form of danger to ever live — someone who wanted her life. But June, how she wishes saying goodbye would be easy, how she wishes her sister will never be in sight to see her take her last breath.

"Time to put your best game face girls," Emmett says, getting her attention with his dimpled smile. He reaches over to unbuckle her. "Let's win an Oscar with a good performance, yeah?"

Edward gave Emmett a look, his golden eyes that were once deranged softened as he looked upon the scared fifteen year old, "Juniper," He spoke tenderly. "Your reaction depends on this entire plan. You mum convince your parents in anyway you must."

June nodded silently, "I know." She murmured.

Bella noticed the sullen face of her younger sister and reached over and kissed her hand, "June-Bug, just know I don't mean anything I say," Bella tells her firmly. "We have to do this, okay? For your mom and for dad. Promise me you'll follow my lead."

"Bella," June wanted to cry then. "There has to be—"

"There isn't another way," Bella shook her head somberly. "But I love you. I'll be back, I promise. Edward and Emmett and all of them will kill James, so nothing will never threaten us again. I love you."

"I don't want to you to go," June admits helplessly.

Bella cups her sisters face, "It won't be forever, just for now — the Swan sisters, together forever, yeah? I promised remember?" She says just as broken. The Cullen brothers look away from the emotional scene. "You're so strong, but you gotta be stronger right now. Okay? Let's go."

And just like that, the scene is in motion. The lights were on in the house which meant her parents were still waiting up for her. Bella's slamming Edward's door and June's running into the house with furious tears behind her. Charlie and Daphne, sitting on the couch in the living room, sit up startled as they hear the door rip open and their fifteen year old daughter bursting through, crying, wiping her beautiful tear stained face as she comes in.

"June?" Charlie asks immediately, his face furrowed in concern. "Baby, what's going on—?"

June's running up the stairs but pauses to look back at her dad, "Why don't you ask her?!" She points to the front door. "She's the reason for everything that's gonna be ruined anyway!"

Bella bursted in through the entrance just at that moment, slamming the door in Edward's face. "Go away, Edward!" She yelled as she roughly moved past June.

"Bella! Please!" June called up as Bella raced to her room. She was being truthful in her pleas, and her sister could hear it which made this all the more harder.

"No, June!" Bella's voice called out.

Daphne came up, her warm hand on June's as she looked at her with a concerned face, "Sweetheart, what's going on?" She asks hurriedly.

June cried a bit, Daphne pulling her into her arms as she stroked her hair in an attempt to calm her, "Dad, Bella's leaving!"

At that, Charlie's eyes widened and he rushed up the stairs as well. June knew what must've been going through his mind, his eldest daughter leaving the perfect picture June had been sighing content my upon the other day. They had all been fine. All it took was that moment of nearness, that moment of danger and consequences that changed them in an instant. Charlie was banging on the door, they could hear his calls for Bella to open the door but June knew she must've been packing all her things at the moment. They heard the door open and Bella push through into the bathroom, gathering things still. Charlie asked a series of questions about Edward and if he broke up with her to which Bella replied that she herself had ended the relationship.

"—I thought you liked him!" Charlie asked desperately.

"I do, dad," Bella told him as she came back downstairs. She shook her head, "That's why I have to leave."

Charlie didn't look like he knew about what that meant but he didn't like the answer, "You're making your sister cry, Bells, just put your stuff down and let's talk about it—"

"There's nothing to talk about!" Bella reasoned.

"Bella, please," June cried out again. "Don't go, things are going great and I finally have a sister and—"

"You were fine by yourself, June." Bella cut her off icily, but the stinging emotion was there in her brown eyes. "You were fine before I came. You don't need me. And I tried it, I'm better off an only child away from Forks."

"Hey, now, she's your sister," Charlie was angry at that reasoning she brought up. "You two need each other, you're thicker than thieves. Bella—" He stopped her as she got in the kitchen. Though their dad was still bewildered, his grip was obviously firm. He spun Bella around to look at him, and June could see in his face that he had no intention of letting her older sister leave.

                June felt the dread again — Bella glanced at her mutely, the words in their eyes speaking what they couldn't say. June looked down at her hands, the bruise that had been aching painfully since her sister had been marked for death. June knew that Bella could think of only one way to escape, and it involved hurting their dad so much that Bella must've hated herself for even considering it. But they had no time, and they had to keep him safe.

Bella glared up at their father, fresh tears in her eyes and June could hear the words before they left her sisters lips, "I can't do this anymore! I can't put down any more roots here," Bella grit out, her pain was evident. She paused before saying, "I don't want to end up trapped in this stupid, boring town like mom almost was, like Daphne is! I'm not going to make the same dumb mistake mom did — I can't stay here another minute."

Charlie's hand dropped from Bella's arm as if she electrocuted him. Bella turned away from his shocked, wounded face and headed for the door. "Bells, you can't leave now," He whispered desperate to keep her there. "It's nighttime, if you feel the same way I'll take you myself in the morning."

Daphne decided to speak then when Bella didn't respond and June held her moms hand, "Baby, please listen to your dad." She told Bella softly, and her older sister was stunned by the kind voice. "I mean, we don't want you to leave; but it's safer if we take you then you driving out at this hour by yourself."

Bella didn't turn around. "Thanks, Daphne, but I'll sleep in the truck if I get tired." She muttered, turning the knob. "Maybe I'll stop at a motel or something."

"Bella, I thought this was really working out—" Charlie tried again.

They were wasting time. Each second arguing was another second gained for the Tracker. June knew that, and judging by the way Bella cleared any emotion on her face for the next batch of words that would come from her, she knew it as well.

"Just let me go, Charlie." Bella repeated the last words the two women, Daphne and Reneé, had told him as they each walked out that same door so many years ago. Bella said him as angrily as she could manage, and she threw the door open again. "It didn't work out, okay? I really, really hate Forks!"

The cruel words did their job — Charlie stayed frozen on the doorstep, stunned, while Bella ran into the night. June stayed crying into Daphne's arms until she heard Bella's pickup truck roar to life and peel out of the driveway. June pushed herself from her moms arms then and rushed up to her room, slamming her door with a yell for no one to bother her. Patrick Verona perked up from his position on her bed when he heard his owner come in. June rushed to dog, wrapping her arms around him. He licked her face. She went to scratch behind his ear and went to go spin a record on her vinyl player — once the music sounded out in her room, some indie song blaring out, she knew her parents would know better than to come up and bother her.

"I'm on a mission, Patty," She tells her dog, who stares at her with large gold eyes. "I gotta save Bella. I gotta be strong — everything's changing, boy."

Her dog whimpers a bit. She hugs him.

•—•—•—•

JUNE COULD HEAR HER DAD ARGUING ON the phone with someone who she knows must be Bella's mother, who was nonchalant about the whole thing if that was putting it mildly and Charlie was insistent on Renée convincing Bella to turn back around. June doesn't know much time passes, buts she's about six records of the Doors Greatest Hits in with each song about three minutes long and since she hates math more than raw onions itself, she won't do it. But it's long enough that night falls even heavier and Bella sends her a text that's she's with Alice and Jasper already in Phoenix. It should relieve her, but she's only more worried. She hadn't got any word from Esme or Rosalie, but her parents are fairly okay to her knowledge because Daphne braved it by tapping on her door, opening it with a goodnight baby doll and Charlie came in to give her a big hug that June didn't want to end. His brown eyes were impossibly sad, they reminded her of Bella, when he shuffled out the door and June heard her parents go into the master bedroom with the door clicking shut behind them.

June sleeps for two nights and fantastically, she isn't plagued with nightmares. She's sleeping! She rejoices in the fact, but the dread comes again when she remembers that her sister is running for her life and the Cullen family is putting themselves in danger for them. It's been days. But by any late morning, June's already had a Pop Tart and her parents have done their fair share of hovering over her. Daphne does some errands, she looks green in the face at smell of the eggs she cooks for Charlie before he goes to work, a routine that's been in motion for the past six weeks that her moms been living with them. June hears her mother throw up in the bathroom upstairs and frowns.

"Mom?" June calls, sipping apple juice from pouch.

                       There isn't a response except for Daphne coming downstairs with her gargling some mouthwash, spitting it out in the sink. She takes a breath, "I must've ate something bad." Daphne tells her with a hand in her forehead. "I'm gonna go pick up some medicines from the store, you want anything in particular for dinner?"

June smiles at her mom, "I'm fine. Anythings good."

"How about that fettuccine alfredo you like?"

"Yum." June tries to be enthusiastic but she can't.

Daphne notices, her smile sad. "You know, baby, you can't hold people down. Some souls are more free than others — just because Bella didn't love Forks doesn't mean she didn't love you."

June tries to be bitter, "If she loved me, she would've stayed."

Daphne frowned, "By that logic, you're saying I don't love you, all those times I up and left."

"You're different," June dismisses, looking down at her juice pouch. "I wasn't gonna make you stay if that meant watching me die."

                      Daphne stiffened. "That's not up to you, June." She says softly, broken. She grabs her car keys and her purse that hangs by the door. "I'll be back."

June knows her mom says it as some kind of reassurance but June doesn't need it, she appreciated it, though she hasn't needed it in a long time. "I'll probably gone when you're back." She says just in case something happens and she has to leave. "My cheer coach says we might have to meet or something later."

Daphne nods, "Okay. Call me, though." She says and goes out the door but pauses to look back at her, her blue eyes somber. "I love you, Juniper."

"Love you, mom." June replies numbly.

June watched as her mother drives off down the road and then decides to go up to her room. She's gathering some paintbrushes, feeling inspired. She looks down at her yellow converse, the high waisted bleached shorts her mom gave her from the seventies There's a couple of hits at her window. June glares at it. She grabs a pair of scissors. She points it at her window, getting up cautiously when she hears more hits nick it. She narrows her eyes more. She goes over and opens it, ready to attack, her heart is ready at least but when she looks down she sees its only Esme and Rosalie — both clad in different types of clothes that don't look like their own.

June yanks up her window, "Rosie? Esme?"

Esme smiles kindly, "We were just checking on you."

"I'm fine." She told them. "Mom just left."

"We saw." Esme grinned. "You sure you're fine?"

"Excellent, well, considering. Just bored."

"Hey, jump down," Rosalie tells her, gesturing to her arms. June blinked. She didn't know what her powers were exactly, but she knew that she wasn't capable of jumping down two stories without breaking every bone in her body. "I got you, jump down!"

June contemplated it a lot quicker than any sane and non-willing-to-die person would've. She could've just said no I'll go out the front door, no ones home anyway but she was risky and her sister was gone and not there to chide her on her reckless behavior.

She swung each leg out until she was sitting on her window sill, "If you don't catch me, I'm dead, so, for this whole operation of Save the Swan Sisters to be successful, don't let me die."

"You're not gonna die, come on." Rosalie seemed confident and she supposed it was a result of being Emmett's wife.

June shut her eyes and let a small yelp leave her lips when she pushed herself from the window. She awaited the impact, maybe a crunching sound, maybe an ooof! but nothing ever sounded out, only the feeling of arms around her did she feel. June peeked open one eye and saw Rosalie smiling at her. She looked around, then up at her window. She looked at Esme then where she was, in Rosalie's arms, then got down.

"That was anticlimactic," June decided.

Rosalie laughed a bit, "No, you're just dramatic."

June shrugged in defeat and looked to Esme, "Any word from them?" She asked, hoping the answer would be good.

"Alice says they've just checked into a hotel," Esme tells her with a somber look. "In afraid nothing's changed, the Tracker is still on their trail. We've caught scent of the woman but she fled once she saw us protecting your house."

"We threw James off," Rosalie chimes, making June look to her. "Took these clothes Carlisle made me put on around the forest, the Tracker was frustrated and followed Edward and Carlisle wherever they were."

June nodded, taking in the information. Her family was safe but Bella was miles away, away from her and the safety of Edward. Alice and Jasper could very well protect her but June trusted Edward to be more cutthroat when it came to Bella's safety, but she couldn't help the silent loathing when she thought about the vampire — he had gotten them into this situation in the first place, which was why she said nothing when Edward kept vehemently swearing it was his fault. Now, June stood in her backyard, walking into the dense brush of the forest behind her home as she followed Esme and Rosalie to wherever they were going.

     "You two okay?" June decided to ask the women who had left their husbands to look after her. "Are you ... like, hungry?"

"We tried hunted just before we came," Rosalie said as Esme nodded to her question. "We're strong, though, don't worry. Just lack of game around the area is not the best of scenarios."

"We're looking again, now," Esme informed as her golden irises looked a little darker, catching the faintest sounds in the brush. "But we agreed only one hunts at a time and with your mother gone, we didn't want to leave you alone."

June thought nothing of it, "Bella texted me saying to trust Laurent, that he helped?" June was hesitant to put faith in the vampire but her sister was sure.

Esme sighed, "He came and explained James' ... thirst for theatrics. Typical style of a Tracker, loves the game. Loves making moves no one would care to think about—"

There was a soundly crunch of a branch on the forest floor breaking, it made them all turn their heads. Rosalie sniffed the air and immediately stiffened. June was pulled behind her and the fear crept in her system again. She hadn't known they were as far from her home as they were — June recognized the area and knew they had to be at least seventy yards from her home. She relished that fact because whoever was near and obviously a threat ( judging by the vampire women's reactions ) they were far from her house and far from her mom hearing anything or anyone for that matter. Esme seemed just as scared as Rosalie was because any color she had on her pale face had drained more and was already dialing a number in her phone, the line picking up quickly with her speaking to someone who could only be Carlisle, speaking in a hushed tone about ... he's here!

June can't ask who's there or who he even is because that he comes out of hiding behind the dense trees — James. His eyes are dark red, thirsty for even more than what he's probably gotten before arriving. June's mind is racing ... Bella! What happened to her sister? Was there anyone even attacking her? And the red headed woman, where was she? So many questions halted by the devil standing before them. James' stance is menacing and Rosalie and Esme crouch before him, their faces snarling and deadly as he is.

"It really was too easy," James voice rings out in a bored drawl. He smirks, "Tricking the mind reader ... how preoccupied he was in my quick realization of his power, he thought I wanted your big sister. Rookie mistake."

June stills and she feels Rosalie grip her hand.

"What did you do to her?" June finds strength to snap at the vampire who circles them like a predator waiting to pounce. "My sister. I thought you—"

"Victoria's taking care of her in Phoenix," James says nonchalantly and June feels like crying. "While they were trying to throw us off your sisters trail, it kinda backfired for them. It's a win-win. We both play the game and we both get a meal."

"You never wanted Bella." Esme speaks, as if realizing just in that instant.

James smirks even more, "Never. It was fun messing with your sons mind, though. Ooooh, he was livid! I almost wanted to, it would've been fun." He laughed.

"Then why didn't you?" Rosalie snarled, how easy it was for her to offer Bella instead of June.

"Because, beautiful," James points to June. "She's something special. Very rare, very important. As much as I have little regard for humans, her kind is even less so."

My kind? June's paralyzed with fear but she comes to realization that he must know what she is, how she had her powers, who she really is and what she can do. But he doesn't seem to be in the mood for chatting much, she can see the hunger grow in his eyes with each word but he enjoys the game far too much to spoil a good show before his dinner. Maybe she was different, maybe she was that fairy child that Jim Morrison talked about in his song, maybe she was substituted for the child that her mother wanted so badly all those years ago— a child that was half of Charlie, whom she loves so dearly. Maybe this was all some major mix up and June's death was penance for what her powers were. A Changeling child whom was of fairy descent and switched from the child that Daphne really wanted, a child that wouldn't die. June was no such thing.

"You wouldn't be so nice as to tell me?" June indulges him. She's gonna die; might as well know. She pulls herself from Rosalie's grip. "What is my kind?"

James rushes to her, speeding at his inhuman speed, caressing her cheek, "Just know your death will cause one very lucky wolf to loose half of his soul." He grins widely.

"Enough!" Rosalie snarled and a flash of blonde bursted out and tackled James to the ground.

            June was pulled back by Esme as she raced to help Rosalie, but James, surviving on only human blood with two vampires who hadn't drank their choosing animal in weeks was clearly very badly in his favor. He knocked Rosalie off of him and June watched in horror as she flew to slam her back on the tree, falling with a thud. Rosalie got up quickly again to help Esme who was in a chokehold by James. Their grunts of struggle were heard and June stood helpless, waiting, wondering when someone was going to come and save them. But no one did, and Rosalie and Esme were going to die because of it. But that terrible thought caused something to fuel June, her palms feeling like fire as she yelled out and rushed over to where James still had Esme in his hold as she scratched at his face to no avail. Rosalie was on the ground again, struggling to stand, weak from the fight and powerless from the lack of blood helping her.

"LEAVE THEM ALONE!" June yelled and miraculously, she was able to grip  James's stone cold hand from Esme's throat and pulled the Cullen matriarch form him.

James snarled in excitement, "Now it's a fight! The wolf has come to play!" He roared.

June didn't register his words because it was like some divine intervention had taken over her and she shoved him with all her might, knocking him down.

"JUNE! NO!" Rosalie pleaded as Esme gasped on the floor, her marbled neck cracked from the force that James had inflicted. "PLEASE!"

    "The others will kill you!" June spat, stepping back as James stepped forward, both of them circling each other . "I promise you, they will. Once you kill me, they'll come after you." June threatened, but it seemed to take no effect and the courage in her veins, the daughter of the Quileute tribe came to be when she said, "Better yet — I think they'll rip apart your little girlfriend, too."

At that, James snarled, bounding for her, slapping her hard – a crushing force on her face that sent her flying down to the ground with a thud. "If the Cullen's try to hurt Victoria, I'll kill everyone you love," James roared out. "Your sister. Mommy and daddy, even the ones you got in that Reservation. Maybe, I'll even find your wolf, too."

June coughed, spitting blood on the soil ground. She glanced up to see Rosalie and Esme giving her helpless looks. She had to save them. "You wanted me!" She yelled to James.

James focused on her, his face monstrous, "Yes."

June tilted her chin up, blood drying on the corner of her lips. "Then kill me." She almost begged.

Rosalie and Esme's pleas of protest fell flat.

Her bruises ached more than the throbbing from the hit to her skull. She made the first move, he first connecting with his jaw that had him hissing out in anger. He vamp sped and sent her to the ground again, but the force in her bones wouldn't let her slip away. Rosalie and Esme took their own turns but were thrashed around just the same. June got up, she kept getting up each time until she trapped him in her hold — the heat of her palm seared the vampire like sunlight should've done. His marble skin darkening like the way a piece of wood might in the hottest part of a flame. June's hand went to his hair, holding him in front of her, his eyes were holding the faintest bit of fear when June cried out as more and more bruises appeared on her body and turning the olive skin all kinds of green and purple, her hand gripping his hair tighter and tighter. June shut her eyes and opened them to have them glowing a brilliant blue. In a flash, Rosalie was there to help as she kicked his knee, making his buckle to the ground; Esme was there to keep him still while June kept pulling his hair as cried out in his murderous snarls until his head ripping from his body. June cried out as she held the head of the vampire, his body sinking to the ground like a sack of flour.

                      Rosalie and Esme stared at the young girl who had decapitated the Tracker. Her eyes were back to normal and she let the head fall to the ground. Esme took the last bits of her strength to rip the limbs from James with Rosalie quickly starting a fire.

"It's over," Esme promised, her voice hoarse as she came over to June.

Rosalie cupped June's face, "You did it."

June felt like smiling, like saying something, but when she opened her lips all that escaped was a deafening scream. She cried out loudly as a horrible shock of pain rattled her body, making her head fuzzy and breathing turn erratic. June fell to the floor and a patch of various flowers sprouted around the area in which she lay, natures memorial for their Changeling child. Rosalie held her as they watched June's nose pour blood as well as her ears, and each time she coughed, more blood — Esme cried June's name but the girl kept screaming in pain, losing consciousness by the second. June swore she could hear the crackling of the flames. She could even hear her sisters voice somewhere. June shut her eyes because every time she did all she saw was bellflowers and toffee colored irises and a husky voice; it made the pain go away. She even heard the howling of a wolf ... wolves.

                  June was in too much pain, she didn't know what was happening nor did she feel herself being carried to safety, the pleas to stay awake from Rosalie fell to pained ears; she just looked back to the flames that she saw every time her eyes opened, they kept getting farther and farther away every time — she thought of how pretty they were, russet and orange, mixing wildly together and burning bright. June wonders if her death is such a horrible thing ... she wanted to say goodbye one last time, but stories as her own never hail so sweetly.

And as she closed her eyes for the last time, she saw twilight had fallen over them. Pretty, she thought.

And then, she didn't think of anything at all after that.

note: ,,,,,my baby is a fighter,,,end of part one next