"Thought I'd be seeing you here."

Kiara snorted as she looked across the river, the familiar blonde vampire smiling softly at her from the other side of the treaty line. She huffed a little, regretting storming off from the house as now she had no clothes to change into if she shifted back.

"Alice said she thought I'd encounter you - well, one of you but process of elimination meant it was likely going to be you - so I came prepared," Carlisle spoke, his voice almost hitting Kiara's ears like a melody. She knew that was something else she was going to have to get used to - the whimsical chimes of the Cullens' voices. Kiara looked up, just moving in time to avoid the small drawstring bag from smacking into her.

She knew Carlisle was a vampire obviously, but there was something jarring about seeing the gentle and peaceful man throw the bag over the river without even breaking a sweat. She knew it was the super strength that came with being one of their kind, but it was still so new to her.

Kiara sniffed at the bag, her nose turning up ever so slightly at the vampire scent on the clothes. She heard Carlisle's chuckle from across the river, the man knowing not to take offence to her instinctual reaction. He cared deeply for the girl across the river, and he was positive that they would all manage to get through this unusual situation.

She looked back at him, noticing that he had turned around to allow her a moment to change. She made a note to thank him before shifting, groaning a little as her bones clicked back into place. It was no secret that it was more uncomfortable for her and Leah sometimes, and she was sure that her refusing to shift and rejecting the imprint bond was only making it more unbearable.

"Thanks," Kiara muttered, sitting down on the rock forge and letting her legs dangle above the river below. She'd been out here many times as a child and her father would always get angry when he found out, and she guessed it made sense as to why now. The Cullen coven might not have been here during those years, but the tribe had always tried to avoid crossing the line unless necessary. "For the clothes, and for turning around."

"Anytime," Carlisle replied, a small smile on his face. He took her in for a minute, looking at her with the knowledge that she was rejecting the imprint between herself and Rosalie. He knew that Edward and Jasper had told the others it seemed like a painful process, but now that Carlisle was up close with the girl he could really see the toll it was taking on her.

Her eyes seemed dull compared to their usual molten brown, instead looking drained. Her cheeks were a little sunken in and the bags under her eyes were large and dark. She seemed to be almost drained from transforming back to her human form, and Carlisle couldn't help but feel empathy for the girl.

"We've missed seeing you around," Carlisle said, his words very clearly having been picked carefully to not anger Kiara. She smiled a little, knowing that the man was nothing if not genuine. She might be wired to hate vampires and indirectly the Cullens, but she had always appreciated the warmth of the man. Kiara almost snorted at the thought, now knowing that he was (physically) anything but warm.

"Yeah," Kiara muttered in reply, not quite sure what to say. She was still bitter about them leaving but she was finding it hard to hold the grudge now that she knew the truth behind what really happened. The pack had told her that Bella had cut her finger, causing Jasper to almost kill her in retaliation. Her brother had known since Bella had found out he was a wolf - he'd known the real reason as to why Rosalie and her family had left and he'd never told her. "Had to protect the family, I get it."

Carlisle knew she was not longer talking about her not coming around, but the day that the Cullens left her behind. It wasn't like Bella - it wasn't all she knew, but it still hurt. The man with the golden eyes nodded, sensing that Kiara wasn't ever really going to blame them for leaving but also knowing that she had every right to be upset at the way it all happened.

"We should have said goodbye," Carlisle said, although they both knew it wasn't feasible.

"We all should have said a lot of things," Kiara replied, her eyes finally latching on to his before she looked back down at the basic trainers that she assumed Alice had put in the bag for her. She knew the family well enough to know that no-one in their family would ever been caught dead in the black and red sneakers - and she felt that nagging thought in the back of her head that Alice had bought them specifically for this purpose. "But life moves on."

"You can move on," Carlisle told Kiara, the conversation now changing topic. She knew what he meant and he knew too. "If you aren't happy here, you can leave."

"It doesn't work like that."

"Why not?"

Kiara paused at his question, a frustrated sigh leaving her lips. "I've got a pack now. The pack have me now. It's not an optional club to be in. Besides, even if I could leave I wouldn't - I can't leave my dad, not after everything else he's lost."

"I'm sure he'd rather see you happy," Carlisle said, noticing the way Kiara seemed to grimace at the words. He furrowed his brow, having thought that her and her father were on good terms. "You don't have to feel sorry for leaving and growing up."

There was a moment of silence before them as Kiara took in his words. She knew that leaving La Push wasn't an option, especially since she was sure that if she left without successfully severing the imprint bond she would likely die. She knew it was a worry that the entire pack had. The elders had warned them that if the severing took too long it would weaken her heart and she might not survive it - yet they were all desperate for her to go through with it.

She guessed that was the main difference between her packmates and their elders: the pack didn't want her to die and while they would rather she did sever it, they wanted their sister alive at all costs.

"Life sucks, and then you die," Kiara said, quoting what her sister used to tell their father when they argued before she left to move across the country. Kiara knew it had stuck with Jacob too, the quote always grounding them and reminding them that they weren't born to be heroes but rather as the side characters in someone else's stories.

"There is no beauty in sadness. No honor in suffering. No growth in fear. No relief in hate. It's just a waste of perfectly good happiness." 

"Who said that?" Kiara snorted, knowing that the man had definitely not just came up with it off the top of his head.

"I'm not sure, but i know they were right," Carlisle replied, all humour gone from him as he looked at the dying girl across from him. And that's truly what he thought - she was dying, even if her packmates and elders didn't see it. He'd seen enough patients in all of his years of practising medicine to know that she wasn't healthy. "It's killing you."

"I'm fine."

"No, you're not," Carlisle replied, a little harsher and more like the tone she was used to hearing from her own father. "I know this imprint bond is new to you, and there's pressure for you to reject it, but it's going to kill you."

Kiara remained silent while the man rose to his feet, the lone howl in the distance informing them both that the campfire was over now and that one of the wolves were likely coming to find the young girl.

"I've lived a thousand lifetimes, and I don't want to see you waste yours," Carlisle told Kiara, sensing the inner battle between what was right and what was going to kill her. "You'll always be welcome at my house, Kiara, even if you aren't welcome at your own."

Just as he turned to walk away, he looked back over his shoulder before leaving.

"But you can't come visit if you're dead."

_____

"Hey. Did you eat dinner yet?"

"Um... no... I haven't," Charlie replied to Bella, his eyes not lifting from the missing person flier on the table in front of him. It had been posted in their mailbox once again, and he knew that the  family had clearly just had hundreds more printed just like it. It wasn't the first time he had seen the flier, and he was sure it wasn't going to be the last either.

Bella walked over to him, dropping her bag on the couch as she moved to look over his shoulder. She studied the photo for a moment and realised that she didn't recognise the boy in the photo. Her eyes drifted to the location though, and a chill ran through her spine as she recalled the conversations that the Cullens had been having about disappearances in the area.

"This kid Riley Biers, disappeared over a year ago... and his poor parents been papering Seattle with these things ever since. Hits close to home," Charlie replied, noticing how Bella looked confused at his comment. "Kiara Black used to date him, a few summers back."

"You think they should just give up?"

"I wouldn't. If it were you... Not ever."

_____

"If you keep rejecting this, it's going to fucking kill you!"

"Hi Paul! Good to see you too!" Kiara snarked back, frowning as she threw up the remaining contents of her stomach into Emily and Sam's toilet. The pack had been either at their homes or on patrol when Kiara had rushed into the bathroom, Emily holding her hair back as the nausea hit her.

They all knew what it was without voicing it - another sign of Kiara trying (and failing) to reject the imprint bond. It seemed like a few of the elders were now starting to doubt whether or not they should be encouraging this, especially after the pleas of a few of the wolves. Less people were believing that this was achievable and even less were believing that Kiara was going to survive if she kept this up.

Sue Clearwater had always been backing Kiara, even if she too was borderline disgusted that the girl's soulmate was one of the kind that had resulted in the death of her husband. It was when she had seen the state of the girl that morning, and having heard the descriptions of pain that she was in from Seth and Leah, that she knew someone needed to talk to Billy Black and open up his eyes to the reality that if he didn't accept this, Kiara was going to kill herself trying to get his approval.

"I don't give a shit if everyone else is walking around eggshells with you, Kie," Paul replied, Emily frowning and trying to make the large boy leave the small bathroom. It was already hot since the aircon was gone and Kiara had increased body heat, and Paul entering the room was only making it stuffier. "I'm not going to - you are DYING."

"Paul," Sam warned, sensing that Emily was beginning to feel a little claustrophobic in the room. Paul looked back at Sam before sighing, standing out of the doorframe and motioning for Emily to move and let him take over holding his friend's hair while she threw up.

Kiara groaned as she rested her head against the cool ceramic, her body shaking slightly as it adjusted to the pain she was in. She would be lying if she wasn't having the same realisations as everyone else at this stage - but the denial in her was refusing to accept this. She had survived her mother's death, she was sure she could survive this too.

"I have two choices Paul," Kiara muttered, ignoring Emily and Sam standing in the hallway trying to pretend they weren't listening in. "I either find out if I can survive this, or I risk never seeing my family again."

"Kie," Paul told Kiara, his voice dropping into a desperate tone. "You can't see your family if you're dead."

Kiara scoffed a little, knowing that Paul was trying to keep her alive but knowing that he didn't understand the pain she was in. She couldn't lose her family - she owed so much to them.

"I'll lose the pack, too."

"You'll never lose me."

"You can't promise that," Kiara told Paul, the girl shuffling so that she was now facing him. She leaned against the side of the bath, tucking her knees up to her chest as she studied his worried expression for a moment before looking at the doorway where Sam and Emily were both looking at her with nothing but deep concern in their eyes. "None of you can promise that."

"Kie..."

"No," Kiara replied, slapping Paul's hand off her shoulder as she closed her eyes for a second as another wave of nausea ran through her. She let her stomach settle before reopening her eyes and continuing. "If I don't reject this, every time I think of her and think of us and think of what could be, you'll hear it. You'll all be disgusted, and despite the fact you'll be glad I'm alive, you'll grow to resent me. I'd rather be dead than have everyone resent me."

"I'd rather see you happy," Emily said, breaking the silence that was left after Kiara had finished ranting. "I don't give a shit about what the elders or your father or the pack think. But I can't see you happy if you're dead."

Before anyone else had a chance to say anything, footsteps were heard rushing through Sam and Emily's house. All four of them looked up as Seth almost slammed into Sam, his eyes wide as he scanned the room before landing on Kiara. There was a slight pause in him as he noticed the tears streaming from everyone's eyes, but he shook his head and continued with what he had been asked to tell the girl.

"Bella broke her hand," Seth told Kiara, the girl raising her eyebrows in confusion.

"And I should care because...?"

"She broke her hand punching Jacob in the face for kissing her and now he's dropping her back off at Charlie's but I think Edward might be there when he gets there," Seth rushed out, causing Kiara to groan once more. Sam bristled at the drama, knowing that the last thing they needed was Jacob starting another fight with Edward and causing tensions to rise.

Tensions were already high due to the unnatural imprint, and Kiara knew that the elders would just see any more conflict between Jacob and Edward as fuel to start a war with the Cullen coven. She rose to her feet, Paul instantly jumping up to support her if she stumbled.

"Where are you going?" Sam asked as Kiara brushed past him, grabbing his leather jacket as if it were her own as she reached the front door.

"I'm going to stop my brother from starting a war."

_____

"If you ever touch her against her will again," Edward snarled as he grabbed at Jacob, his fists clenching the boy's black shirt. Kiara pulled into the drive at that exact moment, stepping off Jacob's dirt bike as she moved towards the arguing supernatural boys. 

Jacob shoved him off, snarling in his face as he squared up against the vampire.

"She's not sure what she wants!"

"Well, let me give you a clue. Wait for her to say the words," Edward said, not being angry at the thought of Bella kissing Jacob, but being furious over Jacob kissing Bella without her consent. If she had wanted to kiss him, he'd have been upset but finding out Jacob forced himself on her? Not okay, at all.

"Fine. And she will."

"Jacob, back off!" Kiara snarled, pushing herself in between Edward and Jacob just as Charlie exited the house. Jacob went to push Kiara out of the way but stopped once he looked down at his twin and noticed how drained she seemed. He knew that the imprint rejection was killing her, but this was the first time in ages he had taken a moment to just see her.

Edward had taken a step back when Kiara got involved. He could hear Jacob's concerned thoughts loud and clear, and he noticed that Kiara's scent had changed slightly. It was clear that Jacob was right - the process of rejecting the imprint was eating Kiara from the inside out.

"Hey, hey, hey, hey... Easy guys, easy. Let's take it down a notch. Alright? What's going on?" Charlie asked as he approached the four teenagers, trying to hide his surprise at Kiara's state. Billy had told him that she wasn't keeping well hence why she was never around when Charlie visited, but he hadn't expected her to look so... unlike herself.

"I kissed Bella," Jacob replied, causing Charlie to shoot the boy a disappointed look. "And she broke her hand... punching my face. Total misunderstanding."

Kiara looked at Bella's hand, noticing that Jacob had at least ripped off the bottom of his shirt to allow her to wrap it up for now. She made eye contact with the girl for a brief second, raising an eyebrow to ask if she was okay. Bella nodded, although she thought that she should have been the one asking the question considering Kiara's current state.

"Fucking bloodsuckers," Jacob breathed under his breath, trying to antagonise Edward further as he knew Charlie wouldn't be able to hear his comment so would think Edward was acting first. It wasn't Edward's fist that collided with the side of his face, sending him stumbling over his own feet.

Kiara swore a little as she shook her first, the imprint rejection having taken most of her energy and meaning that it hurt her a little more to punch her brother than usual. Charlie and Bella both shouted out in surprise, not having heard what Jacob had muttered under his breath and not having expected the girl to suddenly punch her twin out of nowhere.

Edward wasn't that surprised that she had punched him, but he was surprised that she had gotten riled up at him calling his family bloodsuckers. He knew that she was trying to reject the imprint bond, but he furrowed his eyebrows as he stared at her more intently for a moment as he tried to read the situation from her point of view.

Jacob jumped to his feet, anger clouding his vision as he took a step towards Kiara before Charlie tightly wrapped his arm around Jacob's bicep. While they all knew the man was no match for Jacob, the boy seemed to be grounded by the action and stopped moving towards Kiara, instead just looking at her with betrayal in his eyes at her action.

"I think it's best you leave, Jake," Charlie told the boy, all politeness having left his tone now. He wasn't happy about Jacob kissing Bella without her consent and he wasn't happy about the twins about to start a brawl on his lawn either. Jacob nodded, catching his bike keys from Kiara as the girl chucked them towards him, since he'd driven there in Bella's truck.

They all watched as the boy stormed towards the bike and drove off without saying another word. Kiara let out a breath she didn't realise she was holding, before she realised that she had just given her brother her ride. There was a moment of silence as the four all stared at each other on the Swan residence lawn, Charlie finally looking at Bella's hand in concern.

"My father can have a look," Edward suggested, knowing that Charlie had just gotten in from work and was concerned about how long Bella would have to wait to be seen to at the hospital at this time of night. "He won't mind."

"That would be ideal," Charlie replied, looking to Bella to see if the girl was okay with that. She nodded, smiling gently at him as they began to head towards Edward's Volvo. Just as she got seated in the car, Edward turned back to look between Kiara and Charlie with a plan forming in his mind.

"Kiara, why don't you come with us? Give Bella some moral support? I can give you a lift back, since Jacob took your ride," Edward called over, knowing fine well that he wouldn't be going anywhere near La Push in his Volvo. Kiara went to tell him to fuck off when Charlie turned to look at Kiara with fatherly eyes.

"I'd appreciate it," Charlie told the girl, remembering the last time Bella had gone off with Edward and broken her leg by falling through a window. Kiara wanted to smash something. She couldn't say no to Charlie and Edward knew that.

"Of course," she said, smiling as she headed towards Edward's car. He opened the back door for her, allowing the girl to slide in before telling Charlie that he'd bring Bella back tomorrow before the baseball game that Charlie was planning on watching started.

They drove away from the house in silence, Bella not sure what to say as she felt Kiara's eyes glaring through the car at Edward. Edward was perfectly aware of Kiara's displeasure, his eyes finally looking back at her in the rear view mirror.

"Please stop shouting at me," Edward smoothly replied, a little twinkle in his eyes as he cast a side look to Bella. "You should hear the names she's calling me."

"Oh, she can hear them if she wants," Kiara snarled, going to start listing her insults vocally instead of mentally. Bella turned around, shooting Kiara a look and causing the younger girl to huff and dramatically throw herself against the seat. "I don't know why you're making me do this. Besides, I just saw Carlisle yesterday, I don't need to see him again."

"Oh, it's not Carlisle I want you to see," Edward replied.

Kiara's eyes widened as she realised what was happening. She reached for the door handle, trying to open it in the hopes that she could just throw herself out of the car instead of going. She swore as she realised child lock was on, and they both knew that she wouldn't phase while Bella was in the car due to the risk of accidentally hurting her.

The girl slammed her head against the seat in front of her, dread filling her stomach as she realised what was about to happen.

"Fuck you, Edward."