CHAPTER NINE:
THE ASK AND THE ANSWER

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THE LAST TIME MAGGIE saw Bella Swan, she was on the brink of death after being abandoned by her boyfriend in the frozen woods. Months had gone by since then, and yet the same sunken stare plagued Bella's eyes as she wandered the streets of Port Angeles alone.

"Bella?" Maggie called out when she spotted her across the street. 

It was late in the evening. The sky was an inky shade of black lit up by a half moon. Maggie knew that her aunt and uncle would not be happy that she was out so late. Earlier in the afternoon, she'd told Wren that she was heading into town to buy some books for an assignment, but the drive and the search for what she was really there for had taken much longer than she expected it would. She'd come into town for books, yes, but not ones for a project. In her arms as she made her way back to the car was a stack of books about Quileute legends, the ones starring mythological creatures with red eyes and a lust for blood.

It seemed that Hayden had called her Velma Dinkley for a reason.

"Bella?" she repeated as she neared the girl, reaching out with her spare hand to grab her arm. Bella flinched in surprise, eyes still unfocused as she frowned at Maggie. "Hey, are you okay?"

Bella hesitated before speaking. "I'm sorry, do I know you?"

Maggie's face flushed pink. She'd seen Bella Swan before but it was evident that Bella hadn't been paying attention to the people who attended her search party. "Oh, um, not really but your dad is a friend of my uncle's..." He was also the police officer who attended her best friend's murder scene, but that wasn't exactly a good topic of conversation. "I'm Maggie Sullivan."

"Oh," Bella's eyes flashed with recognition. She smiled awkwardly. "Right, sorry, I've heard of you. You're friends with Jacob Black, aren't you? He's mentioned you before."

"You could say that," Maggie grinned. They went quiet for a moment, neither knowing what to say. It was clear Bella was out of it, though she was aware enough to wonder why Maggie Sullivan — someone she'd never even said two words to before — had approached her in a dark street. Whereas Maggie was cursing herself for caring in the first place. Okay, that was harsh, but she should've just gone home instead of going out of her way to embarrass herself. "I just wanted to check if you're okay. You seem a bit lost..."

Bella's face paled. She let out a shaky laugh. "I'm alright. Thanks though." 

"Are you sure?" Maggie prodded, not quite believing her. "Who's taking you home?"

Again, Bella's face faltered. "My friend, Jessica, was supposed to but—" At Maggie's raised eyebrow, she seemed to shrink in on herself, both with embarrassment (relatable) and something else that the younger girl couldn't really comprehend. "She, uh, left."

The silent 'me' was implied.

"Oh, so you don't have a ride?" she frowned, to which Bella shook her head. Behind her, a crowd of men on motorbikes jeered at a passing woman who quickly scurried off at the sight of them and the rowdy bar they were inhabiting. Both Maggie and Bella shuddered at the sight, though for two completely different reasons. "How about I take you back? It's not very safe out here at night."

"I don't want to trouble you."

"You're not," she was quick to insist, gesturing towards the yellow bug parked a few metres away from them. "Come on."

Bella nodded, sparing one last strange glance at the men on bikes before joining Maggie in walking over to the car. She climbed into the passenger seat as Maggie pressed the button on her keys, watching bleakly as the other girl stacked her purchases on the centre console. One book seemed to catch her interest, for she reached over to thumb through the first dozen pages, an odd glint in her eyes as she looked over at the other covers.

"This is a good book," she commented, sounding breathless suddenly. She quickly snapped the hard cover shut and placed it back with the other ones. "Is this for a school project?"

Maggie frowned uneasily. There was something suspicious in the way that Bella spoke, like she knew something Maggie didn't. Really, what else was new? "No, just curiosity."

Bella hummed. "Well, I think you'll like it. It's very... informative." That seemed to catch Maggie off guard. Bella could see it. She shifted awkwardly in her seat. "Hey, do you mind if I turn off the radio? I don't really like music."

"Oh, that's fine," she said, watching as the brunette quickly turned down the volume like the music was hurting her ears. "I think I know the way back to your place but I might need some help if that's okay."

Bella nodded. Then it was silent again. The only time either of them spoke after that was whenever Bella was making a correction to Maggie's sense of direction, and soon enough they were pulling up in front of the Swan Residence. Bella hesitated in her seat, staring at the glowing yellow porch light before the sound of Maggie clearing her throat brought her out of her thoughts.

"Thanks for driving me," she muttered as she pushed open the door. She hesitated again, eyeing the phone Maggie had also placed in the centre console. "Hey, why don't I give you my number? We can talk about those books once you read them."

This was all very weird to Maggie but she didn't see any real harm in it. With a quiet 'sure' she was left waiting as Bella quickly added her contact to her phone, then they were exchanging an awkward goodbye and Bella was heading inside. Maggie didn't hesitate to back out of the drive then, a strange feeling settling in her chest like a cold she just couldn't shake.

The whole way home, she thought of Bella and the answers so close yet so far out of her reach.

Bella Swan knew something, and that something was sitting in Maggie Sullivan's car waiting for Maggie to discover it.

■ ■ ■ ■ ■

WREN WAS A NERVOUS wreck by the time her youngest niece arrived home. She was pacing the kitchen and living room while Everett and Dakota waited at the dining table, but she came rushing over to the door at the sound of it opening. 

"There you are," she cried, yanking Maggie into a fretful hug. "Where the hell have you been?"

"I told you," Maggie's frown was one of confusion. She glanced over at her uncle and sister but both refused to meet her eyes. "I was in town..."

"You left hours ago!" Wren exclaimed before letting out a hollow chuckle of disbelief. "We thought you were dead in a ditch somewhere."

Maggie sighed regretfully. She hadn't meant to make them worry but part of her was angry at her aunt's patronising tone. It was only 9pm. It wasn't like there'd ever been a problem with her going out before. Not to mention that Zeke wasn't even there, so why was her aunt's anger getting taken out on just her?

"Where's Zeke?"

"He's out with friends," Dakota murmured when Wren said nothing. She had her eyes narrowed at the woman in a rare display of annoyance. Maggie was startled by the sight. Dakota rarely ever got angry at their aunt and uncle. Even when they were first brought to the couple by the foster care system, Dakota kept her cool. "Aunty Wren, I really don't see the big deal—"

"It is a big deal, Dakota," she cut her off with a sharp glare of her own. "Zeke can take care of himself."

"Oh, and I can't?" Maggie chuckled mirthlessly. "Nice to know you think so much of me, Aunty Wren."

Finally, Wren's harsh demeanour faltered. She took a step towards her niece, who took two steps back almost instinctively. Lost progress. "Maggie, that's not what I meant—"

But Maggie was having none of it. She disappeared upstairs without another word, the books in her arms weighing her down like cement blocks tied to her elbows. 

Wren was right. As much as Maggie didn't want to admit it, she was. Zeke knew what he was doing. He could go outside without being paranoid, could face the outside world without seeing remnants of forgotten murders. Maggie, however, nearly always ended up a nervous wreck. She despised it. At that moment, she despised herself. 

Scooby hopped up on the bed as Maggie kicked off her shoes and crawled under the covers. Normally, she'd only let him sit at her feet, but she decided that it didn't matter then as he creeped up beside her. Instead, she reached for him with a sigh, his  body fitting comfortably under her arm and staring at her with confused, sad eyes. 

"I hate this, Scooby," she whispered, catching sight of the books she'd discarded on her bedside. "I really hate this."

She wasn't sure how long she sat there for before someone knocked on her door. Dakota peeked her head inside a moment later, sighing with a pitying smile when she spotted her younger sister curled up in a ball keeping Scooby hostage. "Mind if I come in?"

When Maggie shook her head, she shut the door behind her and wandered over to lay beside her, the two herding Scooby between them like a baby sleeping between their parents.

"I'm sorry for staying out so late," Maggie whispered when Dakota said nothing.

"Don't be," she grumbled.  "You're seventeen-years-old. You should be allowed to go out without your aunt breathing down your neck."

Silence.

Maggie eventually shifted her head, her eyes meeting Dakota's over Scooby's head. "I'm trying to get better."

Dakota reached out to brush her hair back in an uncharacteristically soft move. "There's nothing wrong with you, Maggie, nothing that needs to be better. Please don't overthink it."

Maggie nodded, squeezing her eyes shut as Dakota continued to run her hands through her hair. 

That was how Wren would find them an hour later, the two fast asleep in Maggie's bed while Scooby watched over them. She crept into the room to switch off the lamp, catching sight of the books on Maggie's bedside table and sighing. She looked through the top one for a minute before pursing her lips and putting it back down. Instead, she focused on throwing a blanket over her two nieces, kissing them both on the forehead but lingering beside Maggie.

Delilah Sullivan's face stared back at her, a constant painful reminder. Wren missed her sister so much. All she had left of Delilah were fading memories and four children she'd promised to protect with her life. She'd be damned if a hair on their heads was harmed ever again.

"I just want you to be safe," she murmured so softly that Scooby didn't even acknowledge the sound. "I love you, my girls."

With that, she was leaving the room and shutting the door just enough to block out the hallway light. That night, Maggie slept right through to the morning with Dakota there to fight away the monsters for her.