Chapter Text
The espresso machine wheezed, spitting out the last of a cappuccino as Lucas slid it across the counter to a bleary-eyed regular. Jess was already there, halfway through her drink, flipping through a notebook full of messy handwriting.
Lucas leaned on the bar. “You busy tonight?”
She didn’t look up. “Why? You need a field agent to stake out the Cullens’ dinner reservations again?”
“Nothing that exciting,” he said. “There’s a bonfire at the rez tonight. My family’s doing a fish fry –dad’s in charge. Jared and Paul will be there. Jake, Embry, Young Quill. Few others. Thought you might want to come.”
Jess’s brow arched. “You’re inviting me to hang out with the entire tribe? Bold move, Clearwater.”
“It’s not the entire tribe,” he said. “Just people I actually talk to. And dad’s fish fry is worth it.”
Jess pretended to weigh her options. “Free food, a bonfire, and the chance to publicly embarrass you in front of your friends and family?”
Lucas smirked. “So you’re in?”
“I’ll bring dessert,” she said, closing the notebook. “Just so everyone remembers me fondly when I inevitably say something that gets me banned.”
By the time they got to the beach, the sky was shifting toward evening, streaks of pink and gold cutting across the horizon. Smoke curled lazily from the bonfire pit, carrying the smell of grilled fish and charred corn. A long buffet table sat off to the side, sagging under foil pans of food: Harry’s famous crispy fillets, piles of cornbread, baked beans, and Sue’s blackberry cobbler waiting at the end like a prize.
The crowd was small but close-knit: Jared and Paul tossing a football back and forth, Embry and Young Quill arguing over the best way to load a plate, Jake chatting with Billy by the cooler. Charlie Swan stood near the fire, not really talking but still looking content, a paper plate balanced in one hand.
Jess slowed a little, taking it in. “You didn’t tell me it was this kind of spread. I would’ve skipped lunch.”
Lucas smirked. “Told you, dad’s fish fry is legendary.”
They’d barely reached the table before Jared spotted them, grinning like he’d just caught someone sneaking in late.
“Hey, it’s the Daily Grind duo.”
Paul looked up from stacking his plate like an engineering project. “And here I thought Lucas was keeping you locked up at the coffee shop.”
Jess smiled, a little reserved. “I was under the impression you two were allergic to Forks kids.”
“Only the boring ones,” Paul shot back without missing a beat.
Lucas gave them a flat look. “You’ve met before. First Beach. You’ve said, what, three words to each other?”
“And all of them were about how Forks kids dress like they’re allergic to sunlight,” Jess said, lips twitching.
Jared chuckled. “Yeah, that tracks.” He tipped his head toward the buffet line. “Better grab fish before Embry eats the rest. Guy’s a menace.”
Jess took a step toward the table, plate in hand, then hesitated when Paul’s grin widened. “So, Jess, right? Tell me, how’d Lucas trick you into hanging out with us?”
“He didn’t,” she said, loading a piece of fish onto her plate. “I heard there was food and decided to endure his company as a necessary evil.”
Lucas arched a brow. “Endure?”
She shot him a sidelong glance. “You’re lucky the cobbler looked worth it.”
Paul let out a bark of laughter. “Oh, I like her already.”
Jared leaned an elbow on the table, studying her with mock seriousness. “So, do you always talk to him like that, or is this just for show?”
Jess shrugged, feigning innocence. “What, you mean telling the truth? Yeah, that’s pretty standard.”
Lucas snorted. “This is her polite version. Trust me, she’s holding back.”
Jess’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t start with me, Flannel Fish.”
Jared’s grin widened. “Flannel Fish?”
Paul perked up. “That’s even better than Minnow. You’ve got two pet names? Lucas, man…”
Lucas rolled his eyes. “They’re not pet names.”
Jess sipped her drink like she was above the argument. “If you’re nice, maybe I’ll give you one too.”
“Please do,” Paul said instantly. “I could use a nickname to terrify my enemies.”
“Or your dates,” Jared added.
“Oh, you think he has dates?” Jess asked, mock-genuine.
Paul clutched his chest. “Wow. Already going for the kill shot.”
Lucas shook his head, but he was smiling now, watching her shoulders relax as she sparred with them. “See? I told you she was insane… In a good way!”
Jess turned to him. “And I told you if you keep calling me insane, I’m going to start telling people you have a scrapbook of my texts.”
Paul nearly choked on his cornbread. “Wait, you do text all the time, don’t you?”
Lucas deadpanned, “No comment.”
Jared leaned across the table, eyes dancing. “I like her. She keeps you honest.”
“She keeps me something ,” Lucas muttered.
Jess smirked, finally letting the filter drop entirely. “Face it, Clearwater,you’d be bored without me.”
Lucas gave her a look that was all dry humor and something softer underneath. “Unfortunately, you’re probably right.”
That got a chorus of mock “awwws” from Jared and Paul, and Jess just shook her head, laughing now, no pretense, no careful distance.
Paul waved her toward the food like they’d been friends for years. “Come on, Forks Girl, you’re in danger of missing out on Harry’s famous fish-fry, and trust me,Lucas will not share his portion.”
“I’ve got self-preservation instincts,” Jess said, sliding into the line beside him. “Also, I’m not fighting Embry for food. That’s like poking a bear.”
“Poking a bear with worse table manners,” Jared agreed from behind her. “Speaking of –hey, Embry! Save some for the rest of us!”
Embry just grinned around a mouthful of fry bread. Young Quill was perched on a bench nearby, cheeks puffed like a chipmunk, clearly working on his second plate.
Jess’s eyes widened slightly. “Do all of you eat like this, or is it just the guys under twenty?”
Paul gestured at his overflowing plate. “Fuel for greatness, Stanley. Fuel for greatness.”
Lucas, walking just behind her, muttered, “Fuel for heartburn.”
Jess smirked, sliding another piece of fish onto her plate just to make a point. “I’m carb-loading. You never know when you’ll have to outrun something around here.”
Paul grinned. “Oh, she’s quick on her feet. I like her more every minute.”
“She’s quicker with her mouth,” Lucas said, just loud enough for her to hear.
Jess elbowed him lightly, and Lucas flushed with the realization of how dirty that sounded. Paul and Jared both caught it, laughing like they’d just witnessed a private show.
By the time they reached the end of the table, Jess had a plate full enough to make Lucas raise an eyebrow.
“You planning to eat all that or build a barricade with it?” he asked.
“Both,” she said sweetly, finding a spot at one of the long driftwood tables. “You never know when the ‘boring Forks kids’ will rise up.”
Paul dropped onto the bench across from her, Jared sliding in beside him, both already digging into their food.
“You know,” Jared said between bites, “if you keep showing up like this, you’re gonna ruin our reputation for hating outsiders.”
Jess tilted her head. “Guess I’ll just have to make up for it by hating you in public.”
Paul pointed a fork at her, grinning. “Perfect. You’re hired.”
Lucas sat beside her, watching with that mix of exasperation and amusement he always wore around her. It was already obvious; Jess had been absorbed into the circle without a hitch.
They were halfway through their plates when Lucas glanced toward the fire pit and caught sight of his parents talking with Charlie near the edge of the crowd.
“C’mon,” he said, nudging Jess with his elbow. “Time to meet the family before Leah decides to do it for me.”
Jess swallowed the last bite of fry bread, wiping her fingers on a napkin. “Is this the part where you warn me about embarrassing childhood stories?”
“Too late,” he said. “They’ve got a backlog.”
Sue Clearwater was the first to spot them approaching, her face lighting up in quiet recognition. “So you’re Jessica Stanley,” she said warmly, extending a hand.
Jess shook it, a little more shyly than she’d been with Jared and Paul. “Hi, Mrs. Clearwater. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
“Hopefully the good parts,” Sue said with a knowing smile before nodding toward the man beside her. “This is my husband, Harry”
Harry had a grip like he’d been hauling nets all day and a calm, assessing look that made Jess straighten a little. “Lucas says you’ve got opinions about Forks,” he said.
Jess’s mouth twitched. “Only the important ones.”
Behind them, Leah strolled up, smirking. “Translation: she’s got enough gossip to fill a whole newspaper.”
“That’s not entirely untrue,” Jess admitted, shooting Lucas a sidelong glance.
Lucas just shrugged like he had no idea what she was talking about.
“And this,” Harry said, stepping aside, “is Seth.”
The younger Clearwater grinned up at her, a smear of barbecue sauce on his cheek. “Lucas says you’re funny.”
Jess smiled back. “Lucas is biased.”
“Biased, but not wrong,” Sue said, clearly enjoying the exchange.
Leah arched an eyebrow. “Careful, Jess. Keep this up and they’ll start expecting you around here.”
Jess hesitated for just a beat, long enough for Lucas to notice, before recovering with a grin. “Guess I’ll have to get my fish-fry strategy down, then.”
Lucas led her back toward the benches by the fire, where Jared and Paul were still holding court with Embry and young Quill. This time, Jess didn’t need prompting; she dropped right into conversation, tossing back sarcasm and questions with ease. It wasn’t the polished, people-pleasing version of her Lucas had seen at school events; here, she didn’t seem to be putting on any kind of performance.
Maybe it was because none of these people knew her outside this night. Maybe it was because she tended to only be herself around him, and by extension, his people. Either way, Lucas caught himself smiling more than once watching her work the crowd.
Even Jake wandered over at one point, plopping down on a log. “Hey, you’re Bella’s friend, right? What’s she been up to?”
Jess took a sip from her soda before answering casually, “We went to Port Angeles the other night. Shopping, dinner… the usual.”
That caught Charlie’s attention from a few feet away. “Oh that’s right. She never told me how that went.”
Jess shrugged lightly. “She probably didn’t think it was worth reporting. Nothing weird happened.” She met Lucas’s eyes for just a split second, just long enough for him to know she was remembering the near-incident with Port Angeles creeps, but not about to drop that bomb in front of her friend’s dad.
Charlie nodded, clearly satisfied, and the conversation turned to fishing conditions, which Jess listened to with surprising interest. Before long, she was laughing at one of Charlie’s deadpan one-liners, and Lucas realized the two of them had fallen into easy rapport.
When Charlie excused himself for the night, Jess watched him go with an expression somewhere between fond and impressed. “He’s kind of great,” she said quietly.
Lucas nodded. “He’s basically family.”
“Then I guess that makes him important to me too,” she said, simple and sure.
Lucas didn’t have a good response to that, so he didn’t try.
The fire had burned down to a comfortable glow by the time the plates were mostly cleared and the kids had regrouped on a pair of driftwood logs. Jared had launched into some exaggerated retelling of a pick-up basketball game, Paul heckling from the sidelines, and Leah rolling her eyes so hard Lucas was sure she’d strain something.
Jess sat between him and Embry, the ocean wind tugging at her hair. She’d been quieter for a few minutes, watching the sparks drift up into the dark. Then Paul, with the timing of someone who’d been holding back just long enough, said, “Alright, Sunshine, tell the rest of the class about these theories of yours.”
Jess tilted her head. “Which ones?”
“The ones about the Cullens,” Jared said. “Lucas gave us the teaser, but I want the extended cut.”
Lucas smirked. “You’re in luck. She’s got a whole highlight reel.”
Jess gave him a look, but there was no real heat behind it. “Alright, but you can’t interrupt.” She ticked points off on her fingers. “They’re pale to the point of clinical concern. Cold, like actual subzero body temperature. Never eat at lunch. Move like they’re straight out of a stunt reel. Avoid people unless they have to interact. Unnatural eye contact. And don’t even get me started on the fact that the entire family has perfect hair in Forks humidity.”
Embry snorted. “So what’s your conclusion?”
Jess leaned in conspiratorially. “Vampires. Obviously. My working theory is they sparkle in direct sunlight and that Edward Cullen owns at least one cape he hides in the back of his closet.”
That got a bark of laughter from Jared, and even Leah’s mouth twitched like she was fighting a smile.
What Jess didn’t notice, at least not right away, was that the conversation had drawn a small, unintended audience. Sue, Harry, Billy Black, and Old Quil were standing just far enough away to look like they were finishing their own talk, but Lucas recognized the way they were listening.
Billy was the one who broke cover first, wheeling his chair a little closer. “Sounds like you’ve got a good head on your shoulders,” he said, his voice steady but carrying a weight Jess couldn’t quite place. “The Cullens are a bad sort. Best to keep your distance.”
Jess blinked, caught off guard, but she didn’t miss the note of approval in his tone. “Good to know,” she said slowly.
Harry nodded in agreement. “Smart to be wary.”
Sue gave Lucas the faintest smile over Jess’s shoulder, the kind that said without words: This one’s sharp.
Old Quil chuckled low in his throat. “I like her.”
Jess glanced between them, a little uncertain but clearly trying to take it in stride. Lucas just bumped her shoulder with his. “Told you your fan club was growing.”
She gave him a sidelong smirk. “Guess I’ll have to start charging admission.”
And just like that, she was back in her element, only this time, it was relaxed. The fire popped, the tide rolled in slow, and Lucas realized she was fitting herself into this circle as if she’d been part of it for years.
By the time the fire started breaking down into embers, most of the group had drifted into easy, quieter conversations. Seth was drowsy against the log, Leah was teasing Embry about losing at cards earlier, and Paul and Jared were locked in some competitive debate about whether you could grill pizza.
Lucas caught Jess’s eye and tipped his head toward the dark stretch of path leading back to the parking area. She followed without a word, hands stuffed into the front pocket of her hoodie. The night air was cooler away from the fire, carrying the steady hush of waves against the shore.
“Well,” Jess said finally, “I think I’ve been adopted.”
Lucas smirked. “You make friends fast when you accuse the most mysterious family in town of being vampires.”
She elbowed him lightly. “I was on my best behavior tonight, thank you very much.”
“You were quiet for the first twenty minutes,” he said. “I was starting to think you forgot how to talk.”
“That was me… testing the waters,” she admitted. “These people matter to you. Didn’t want to screw it up.”
“You didn’t,” he said, too quickly to be casual. When she glanced at him, he added, “They like you. Even Billy. That’s… not nothing.”
Her smirk softened into something smaller, more genuine. “Good. ‘Cause I liked them too.”
They walked the rest of the way in easy silence, the gravel crunching under their shoes. When they reached her car, she turned to him with that glint in her eye again. “So… same time next week?”
Lucas shook his head, fighting a smile. “We’ll see, Sunshine.”
She rolled her eyes, but he caught the way she lingered for a second before unlocking the door. By the time her headlights disappeared down the road, the smell of woodsmoke still clung to his hoodie, and the sound of her laugh was lodged stubbornly in his head.
When Lucas got home, the house was already quiet: Leah in her room, Seth out cold on the couch again, the dog curled at his feet. He’d just sat down at his desk when his phone chimed with an email notification.
From:
Jessica Stanley
Subject:
Theories, Part II – Tribal Edition
Body:
Dear Minnow,
Consider this my official thank-you for tonight. I had a ridiculously good time, which was not guaranteed given my limited experience with large group hangouts that don’t involve a dance floor and a DJ.
However, I’ve compiled a short list of scientific findings from the evening:
- The Clearwater Tribe – possibly the warmest, funniest, most terrifyingly perceptive group of people I’ve ever met. Sub-theory: they may have psychic powers. They definitely saw through my “quiet and polite” act in under 30 minutes.
- Adoption Potential – high. Jared and Paul have already claimed me as their “new favorite Forks citizen,” and your mom offered me blackberry cobbler at some unspecified future date. I think this means I’m in.
- Impact on Lucas Clearwater – TBD, but current hypothesis is that adoption into the tribe somehow makes me partially your responsibility. Which is wild, because you still haven’t taught me how to throw a proper spiral or gut a fish.
- Charlie Swan – precious, awkward, surprisingly funny. Must be protected at all costs.
- Seth Clearwater – also precious, must be protected at all costs, possibly from himself.
In conclusion, if this is what hanging out on the reservation is like, I would very much like to repeat the experiment. Soon.
Sincerely,
Your new favorite tribe member,
Sunshine
Lucas read it twice, a slow smile pulling at his mouth. She hadn’t even tried to hide it this time, the warmth between the lines, the way she’d let herself sound… at home.
He hit “Reply.”
From:
Lucas Clearwater
Subject:
RE: Theories, Part II – Tribal Edition
Dear Sunshine,
- No psychic powers, just good instincts and a lot of practice reading people. (Though Jared might be part bloodhound.)
- Blackberry cobbler is the final stage of acceptance. Proceed with caution.
- You’re my responsibility now? That’s funny. I’m still figuring out how to keep Paul from starting fights and Seth from microwaving tinfoil.
- Agree on Charlie.
- Agree on Seth, especially the “from himself” part.
If you want to “repeat the experiment,” I think the tribe would vote yes. And… so would I.
–Minnow
P.S. You’re never throwing a football until you learn how to catch one.
A reply from Jess popped up before he’d even shut his laptop:
From:
Jessica Stanley
Subject:
RE:RE: Theories, Part II – Tribal Edition
Consider this my official notice that I can catch a football, I just choose not to. Also, tell Paul I’m bringing my vampire theory chart next time.
Lucas shook his head, grinning at the screen. He could already imagine the chaos that was going to cause. Paul would probably frame the thing.
For now, he closed the laptop and let the quiet fill the room, the night still carrying a trace of salt and smoke in the air.