The Peace Keeper

My brother, Jacob, and I returned to my apartment a few hours later. We had gotten so wrapped up in talking over breakfast, we didn't realize it was nearly lunch.

Once in the apartment, Victor went to the kitchen to clean up the pancake battle zone. I went in a separate direction, into the living room, which was divided from the kitchen area by an isle bar attached to the wall. Jacob followed behind me.

"Hey, Jake," I called behind my shoulder, parking the wheel chair adjacent to the blue colored sofa. "Can you help me onto the couch?"

"Yeah, sure." I had lifted my hands up for him to grab, and placed my good foot solidly on the ground. Jake hoisted me up, and I managed to pivot so that I was sitting on one of the edge cushions, next to a small table with a phone and a lamp on it.

Jacob immediately took a seat next to me.

Even though Victor was behind us, I could still feel his intense stare in the back of our heads while he watched the dishes.

"So..." I began, "What's new with the pack?"

Jake pursed his lips, "Not much, really. Now that you're out of the hospital, every thing's fizzled down. We're back to our normal schedule."

"Cool, cool," I nodded, "So they got you working again?"

Jacob laughed a bit, "Yeah, they give me the morning patrol, then patrol again at dusk..."

"Coolio."

The wolf boy stifled a laugh beside me, "Coolio? That's one I haven't heard in a while!"

I gasped, "I use it all the time!"

"I thought it just got sorted into the lost lingo of the nineties category."

Looking him dead in the eyes, "I'm never letting coolio die." Then I remembered why I came into this room in the first place, "Shit, I gotta make a phone call!"

"Take your time," Jake leaned back more, making himself comfortable.

Picking up the phone that came with the apartment, I punched in a familiar number. The phone rang four times then the call was cut, no voice mail. "Dammit," I muttered at the calling device. "She must not have recognized the number..." Turning myself, I leaned over the back of the couch, "Hey, Vic, do you know where my phone went?"

Victor looked up from the griddle he was furiously scraping pancake remains from, "It was in your car, last time I checked."

"Sweet," I stated sarcastically. "Off to the car it is, then." Lifting my hands again, I yelled (unnecessarily), "Jake! I want up!"

With a roll of the eyes, Jacob stood and helped me back into the wheel chair.

Once on, I wheeled myself out the door, again with Jake behind me.

"Emma, the elevator's that way." Jake had stopped outside the door when he saw me turn left, the opposite direction of the elevator.

Spinning the chair around, I just said, "The stairs get you to the parking lot faster." I turned back around, and continued down the hall.

"But... You're on wheels..."

"So?" I was at the edge of the stairs now. I took a minute to gain some balance, then leaned back so the chair was tilted, and began to roll down the stairs. Luckily, the stair case was built with 5 stairs, then a landing, per floor. I lived on the fifth floor, so I only had twenty five stairs to go down. After safely landing on the first landing down, I called up to Jake, "You coming?"

Jacob just sighed at my recklessness, but followed anyway, knowing it was pointless to change my mind now.

The Ferrari was parked in the usual spot.

I struggled to open the drivers side door, so Jake just did it for me. He then saw my phone on the dash, grabbed it and handed it to me. I thanked him with a smile.

He blushed.

I punched in the same numbers I did upstairs. This time, it rang four times and someone answered. Jake watched me from the driver's seat a I went on with my conversation.

"Emma-Kate!! What is up?!" A voice screamed from the other end.

I smiled. It was Ed. Her (that's right, a girl named Ed) and another old friend of mine, Bec, traveled together as peacekeepers. Of course, they weren't as serious about it as I was. In fact, they mostly traveled looking for raves, clubs, and parties to hang out in.

"Hey, Ed." The loud thumbing and screaming in the background told me they were at a dance of some sort. "Could you get to somewhere quiet? Bring Bec too. I need to talk to both of you."

"Yeah sure," She answered. There was then a small scuffle, and a bit of muffled speaking. Afterward the thumping music had stopped. "I'm putting Bec up on a conference call, kay?"

"That's cool," I replied, then heard another familiar voice.

"Hey, Em. What's up?" The calmer voice of Bec joined the conversation.

"Hey guys, I was wondering if you could come up to Forks soon. I need a favor from you guys."

"Eh..." Ed murmured. "How far is Seattle from Forks again?"

"Not long... Like, half an hour or so."

"What do you think Bec? We could hit some bad ass clubs up there."

Bec chuckled, "Sure, sounds fun."

I sighed, "I kinda actually need you guys. Would you mind laying off the parties for a bit?"

"Fine," They sighed in unison.

"What is this favor, anyway?" Bec inquired.

"I'll tell you guys when you come up."

This time, Ed spoke, "Kay, when do you want us there?"

"Um..." My eyes had wondered in thought. I hadn't realized I had been staring at Jake until he shot me a smirk, accompanied by the lifting of his left eyebrow. After realizing my mistake, I stuck my tongue out in response, "As soon as you can get up here, I guess."

"Hm. Well, we're in LA now," Bec filled in.

"We can probably get there by tonight." Ed finished nonchalantly.

In disbelief, I pulled the phone away, and gave it an odd look. In my mind, I knew Bec and Ed knew what I was thinking. "You guys can travel up that far by tonight?"

They both scoffed at my words, as if what I was saying was ludicrous.

"Emma, Emma, Emma... You should know better!" Bec chided.

"You know how we drive. We've been in a car together!"

Sardonically, I said, "I've been repressing those memories..." Sighing, I continued, "But you're right. Just don't get pulled over!"

"We won't!" I could sense their Cheshire Cat worthy grins.

"Oh yeah," Ed said.

"We almost forgot," Bec followed, "Benjamin told us you were in an accident of some sort."

"How ya doin?"

"Pretty alright," I shrugged by impulse. "In a wheel chair for a little bit, but will be back on my feet soon."

"Good, good."

I noticed Jake was looking a bit impatient, fiddling with a loose thread of the upholstery of the seat. "Anyway, I gotta go. See you tonight?"

"Tonight." They answered together.

"Bye then."

"See ya!!" That was Ed.

"Later." Was Bec's final word.

Then the line went blank, telling me they hung up.

"So?" Jake asked. "They're coming tonight?"

I nodded, still looking a my phone, a bit at a loss. "I'll warn you now... These two are... Interesting, to say the least..."