Disclaimer: the characters and all recognizable situations belong to Stephanie Meyer - Last I looked I wasn't her... this story is a work of fan fiction, except or course for the legends and histories of the Quileute Nation that, of course, belong to them.
Beta'ed by MrsTrentReznor and pre-read by SparklingFae
An Unexpected Holiday Gift
The snow fell thickly as she hurried through the field, intent on returning home before the storm struck. She had finally cleared the forest and the little log cabin where she lived with her sister and her children should be coming into sight any moment now.
Times had been tough for the little family. Bella, along with her older sister Angela and Angela's husband Ben had traveled from their home back east to settle near Garnet, Montana after their parents had passed away. Along the way, first John, and then Caleb had been born. Then last fall, little Elizabeth had been welcomed into the world.
Ben was a prospector who was determined that the gold in the nearby town was going to make him rich. He had placed his claim and built a small cabin for his family to live in. When he had found the precious metal, word had gotten out and he had been knifed one night on his way home.
Without Ben to provide for the family, Angela and Bella did the best they could. Angela took in laundry and she baked cookies, pies and cakes. The men in town went crazy over her homemade desserts.
Bella did her fair share as well. She was younger than Angela, by almost fifteen years. She helped with the chores and took care of the children, but she also sewed. It was almost comical how much men were willing to pay to have her repair their clothing.
They had their share of courters, men who were lonely for female companionship. Bella never encouraged them and Angela would claim her status as a mourning widow to keep the men at bay. Together, even though it was hard work, they made do.
Bella picked up her step and started up the hillside. She really shouldn't have risked the trip into town, not this late in the season. But with Christmas coming on, she had felt like the journey was necessary. It was important to her that the children receive their gifts, little though it was.
She shifted her basket which held the items. For her niece and nephews, there was a book of fairy tales, and a small sack of candy for each of them, to go with the items her sister had made. For their Christmas dinner, there were sweet potatoes, corn meal and a small amount of coffee. It had taken the last of her mending money to purchase the gifts, but she didn't mind. Living close to a prospecting town meant single men that were always in need of someone to sew up a seam or make a new shirt.
She looked at the sky again, the storm clouds were moving in fast and the wind had picked up. It was blowing in from the north and had a bitter edge to it that chilled her to the bone. She wrapped her cloak a little tighter around her shivering form and started walking faster. Soon, she was almost running in her haste to get home.
The smoke from the chimney had just come into view when her luck ran out. The storm hit, a blinding wall of snow blowing at her from every direction.
Bella stopped and stood still for just a minute. She squinted into the flurry that was swirling around her face. She could see nothing but white. And then she started to move in the direction of the house. If she missed the small building, then there was the larger barn, or even the chicken coop. Regardless, it was important to keep going. There had been times when people who were trapped in a blizzard had managed to walk their way out of it, if she could keep from falling into a ravine or a river somewhere.
She stumbled on until she was certain that the wind must have blown her off course. Surely by now she would have reached the safety of the cabin. She pulled her cloak tighter around her shoulders and kept going, maybe she had misjudged the distance, or if the wind blew her off her path, then maybe it would blow her around in a big circle. Stranger things had happened, she was sure of it.
She tucked her chin into her chest, bending into the wind and trudged on. The only sense that she had of time changing, was that the light blur, became a darker blur, and if anything, it seemed to get colder. She hadn't been sure that was possible.
Bella slipped down a bank, breaking through the ice and landing in the water at the bottom of the ditch. It was just enough to overflow the top of her boots and soak down into her socks. She had been worried before, but now she was terrified. She knew that she was going to die.
She climbed her way out of the gully and felt around for her basket. Most of her items were still inside, but a couple of the sweet potatoes had fallen out. She reached around in the snow, searching for them, glad when she finally found them. It was hard with her fingers so cold to pick them up, but she finally managed. Her toes were little blocks of ice and the hem of her dress had frozen solid. What was worse was that she was so sleepy. All she wanted was to stop and rest, just for a minute. But she knew better than to give in. Going to sleep in situations such as these was a recipe for disaster.
"No," she told herself. "You can't do that. Keep going." The face of her sister Angela and her three kids swam in front of her eyes and gave her the added energy that she needed to continue.
She maintained the same plodding gait, not stopping until she literally ran right into a building. Bella kept her hand on the side of it and walked around, tripping once over a pile of wood, until she found a doorway, and then she went inside.
It was old and it was abandoned, but it was dry. Even though it was drafty and snow was blowing in from the eaves, she was somewhat protected and she knew that if she could get a fire going, then she would be able to survive.
Bella looked around the room. There was a small stack of wood next to an old crumbling fireplace, complete with tinder and fire starting materials. There was a sagging bed with a rope frame in the corner, there wasn't a mattress but that was alright. The ropes looked frayed and she knew that if she needed it to, that sagging bed frame could be an additional source of warmth.
Snow could be heated for water to drink; there was a large old iron pot, that looked serviceable enough, and a second one that was somewhat smaller. They just needed to be cleaned to get rid of the dirt and debris from the inside. All in all, she could be much worse off.
She quickly set to making a fire before the small amount of light was completely gone.
It was harder to do than she had remembered it being, twirling a stick fast enough and long enough to build up enough heat for a wisp of smoke. She rubbed and rubbed and rubbed and then finally, when she had almost given up, there it was, the thinnest stream of smoke. Bella leaned over and gently blew on the area, and a tiny flame burst out. She quickly fed it small pieces of wood shavings and some corn husks and then added some bigger pieces of wood.
Finally, she was able to place a log on top of the small flames. She huddled next to it and then added a second log, and then a third. When the fire was well established, she looked around her enclosure once again. She would have to be careful with the wood; she didn't want to have to go outside to get more any sooner than she had to. Besides, it had felt like a sizeable pile, but she wasn't sure. She didn't want to run out, otherwise she wouldn't make it.
She pulled off her shoes and the wet stockings and then rubbed her toes to get them warm. It stung, but that was a positive sign. She waited until they had turned pink once again and then she tucked them under her skirt and used her body heat to keep them warm.
Picking up the metal pot, she brushed out as much of the dirt and debris that she could, and then she shuffled over to the door, reached out and scooped up a pile of snow from the side of the building. She brought it inside and placed it next to the fire to thaw.
And then she dragged over the old bed frame. She draped her socks over the end and left them there by the fire to dry. She wondered about her skirt, should she take it off and let it dry as well? Finally she did, the meager heat from the fire and her cloak, keeping her warm enough, for the time being, in her shift. Soon, it too was hanging over the end of the wooden frame.
Then she waited. There was nothing to do. There weren't any books to read, well except for the one that she had purchased as a gift for her family, and that one was on children's fairy tales. Not that there was enough light left to see by, the scant light from the fire was enough to let her see what was right there, but nothing any further away than that.
From outside, the screeching wind reached a deafening level, and when it lessened, just slightly, a chorus of howls was heard.
Chills ran up and down her arms as the noise seemed to come from all directions. It sounded like several of the animals. She wished she knew if the wolves had surrounded the cabin she was in, but there was no way she would attempt to go outside and find out. Instead, she threw another log on the fire and huddled close to it for both warmth and safety. After a time, the sonorous refrain eased up.
With nothing else to do, she banked the fire to keep it burning through the night, said her prayers and wrapped her cloak around herself. Exhaustion overtook her and soon, she had drifted off to sleep.
She didn't know what the noise was that caused her to awaken, but suddenly her eyes were wide open and her heart was pounding.
The wind was still screeching outside, but there was something else, another sound along with it. This time, it wasn't the wolves. She strained to listen, and heard it again, a weird scratching nose.
Before she had time to figure out what it was that she'd heard, the door burst open and in walked one of the largest men she had ever seen. She screamed and scooted backward across the floor until she was huddled in the corner, trying to make herself as small as possible.
He brushed the snow off his wrap and approached the fire slowly, as if not to frighten her. He held out his hands to the blaze and rubbed them together, and then he sat down, opposite her. He was strangely silent, content to simply sit and rest.
Bella didn't move. She sat and watched the man in front of her.
That he was Native American was obvious, but she had no idea which tribe. He wore deer skin leggings that fit him like a glove and he had a bearskin wrap that covered his broad shoulders. Strangely enough, his chest was bare beneath the fur. His long hair was parted in the middle and hung down his back in a silky black curtain, unlike her own which was coiled upon the top of her head.
He looked warm. His skin wasn't pale or even slightly blue like she knew her own must be.
He reached inside his pack and pulled out some sort of pemmican, a dried meat and fruit mixture, and started to chew. He extended his arm, and stretched out a piece to her. Their eyes met. His were a deep brown, so dark as to be almost black, but they seemed kind. She had the distinct impression that this man wouldn't hurt her.
He wiggled his hand, bringing her attention back to the offered food.
She shook her head, still too nervous to move from the corner.
He shrugged and put the offering back inside his pack.
He sat and ate, seeming to ignore Bella for the most part.
At some time, she must have dozed off. When she awoke, hours later, she was warm and toasty, curled up on the floor underneath a bearskin hide.
She stretched and glanced around the room. The fire was blazing merrily, a pot of water sitting nearby, melting. A large rock from the crumbling mantle sat beside it, a piece of the dried meat and fruit mixture warming on top of it.
The man was gone. She didn't know where he had gotten off to, or why he would leave the safety of the cabin to go outside. That question was quickly answered when the door burst open and the loud wail of wind filled the small room. Snow and ice blew in with the breeze and Bella shivered in the corner.
The man walked inside and dropped several large pieces of wood next to the door, and then he turned and headed outside once again.
Bella looked around the room, the rope bed had been dismantled and the frayed end was fastened to the wall, just inside the door to the cabin. The other end of the rope disappeared somewhere in the blinding white outside. She realized then what he had done. In blizzards such as these, it was dangerous to step beyond the safety of the cabin. At least with the rope attached, he couldn't get lost. If he did, all he would have to do was follow the rope back inside.
Bella stood and smoothed the wrinkles out of her skirt with her hands. She tidied her hair and attempted to tuck the falling strands back into the bun at the back of her neck.
And then she looked to see what she could do about breakfast. With the dim light from outside, she knew that at least it was daylight and she had made it through the night. She picked up the piece of warmed pemmican and started to chew. It was good, better than any that she'd ever made or had before. She ate it slowly and thought about what else she could make with the limited supplies available, and then she got to work.
Bella poured some of the cornmeal into the smaller of the two pots and added warm water, stirring it with her finger until she had a thin gruel. She nudged the flat chimney rock into the fire and then poured the mixture onto the rock. The little pieces of bread cooked, until they were browned, and then using a stick, she flipped them over. While they cooked on that side, Bella debated on what to do about the sweet potatoes. They could roast in the coals, but she really didn't want to do that yet. There was no way of knowing how long the blizzard would last and she thought it might be wise to save some food for later.
But the coffee, that would be a warm treat on such a cold morning. She put a small amount of the grounds into the bottom of the pot and then poured the water over the top. They would have to drink it straight from the smaller pan, but it would be worth it. She placed it into the fire to warm and brew. Soon the delicious scents were filling the air.
While she was cooking, the man had once again came and gone from outside, several times, bringing wood with each trip. He didn't stop until there was a nice pile of it inside the door. And then he stacked it up, making a small area behind it, where she could have a moment of privacy, if it was needed.
She waited until the hoecakes were done and then said, "Breakfast is ready, if you would like some."
The man turned and looked at her, but he didn't move.
Bella picked up the flat piece of bread and held it out in her hand, as an offering. "I made plenty, have some, please."
He didn't speak, but instead he moved slowly across the floor until he was standing close to her. He reached out and took the food, breaking off a small piece and placing it in his mouth. He chewed and then swallowed, and then took a larger bite. He nodded and smiled.
Bella's breath caught. He was beautiful when he smiled.
He sat down beside the fire, and between the two of them, they quickly ate the cakes that she had made. They swallowed it down with the warm coffee, which made Bella's need for privacy a pressing matter.
She got up and walked behind the wooded partition. The man stood and followed her. She stopped when she got to the pile of wood and turned, put her hand out in a stop motion in front of his chest and shook her head no.
He lifted an eyebrow.
Bella squirmed and blushed.
The man made a comment that she didn't understand and then he laughed.
Bella squirmed again and then crossed her arms across her chest. She looked at him pointedly.
He smiled, and then turned and looked in the opposite direction.
Bella quickly made use of the moment of privacy and then wished for a way to wash. Instead, she returned to the fire and sat down in her former spot.
She took the time to look him over, although, she did try not to be too obvious about it. He was handsome, that was certain. His smile could light up the room and he was tall, as tall as a church steeple. He made her feel small and dainty. His shoulders were broad enough so that he had a hard time making his way through the door without turning sideways.
Bella had never seen a man such as this one.
They sat in silence for several minutes and then she asked, "What is your name?"
"Jacob," he replied. His voice was deep and touched a chord somewhere down inside her. "Jacob Black."
"You speak English very well."
He shrugged. "I went to school."
"You did?"
"Yes, where I live. We had a school where we were taught English, Christianity and the ways of the white man." He smiled when he said the last words.
"Did you learn very much?"
His laugh echoed in the room. "Not as much as my teacher would have liked. I can speak your language, but I am more comfortable with my own. You may call me Jacob, but that is not the name I was born with. My parents call me Taksuwi. Believe me when I say that the old ways are prevalent in my tribe, regardless of the instruction we have received."
She couldn't help but smile.
"What of you? Do you have a name?" he asked.
"My name is Isabella Swan, but I prefer to be called Bella."
"Bella," he said her name slowly. "That is beautiful."
They sat and talked and the hours passed quickly. They discussed their families, each of them glad to learn that the other was unattached. Jacob was younger than Bella, but not by much, and he looked much older. The biggest surprise of the day was when Bella learned how far from home Jacob was. "How did you get here?"
"Some friends of mine were traveling with me. We were hunting down the one that killed a village elder." He paused for a minute. "We were separated in the storm. I hope that they found shelter."
"I hope they did as well." The conversation died off while Bella made their evening meal. It consisted of more of the cornmeal hoecakes along with the dried pemmican, and more coffee.
Jacob watched her while she worked. His wolf was close to the surface and he couldn't wait to get her to his home so that he could claim her. He felt a small bit of apprehension, over how she might take his dual nature, or how she would take the news of his imprint, but then he decided that he shouldn't worry. It was beyond his control and the spirits wouldn't have chosen her if she couldn't be persuaded.
She would accept him, he decided, and they would live together happily. It didn't bear thinking about what might happen if she were to reject him. No one had ever chosen the slow wasting sickness and then death over a lifetime of happiness and love.
The magic of his people was absolute. He decided that he would have to tell her before they left for his home.
It wasn't long after the sun went down, that a sudden shudder wracked the small building and a cold draft blew through the room. Bella shivered and wrapped her cloak more securely around her body.
"Here, wrap up in this fur, it will help you to stay warm."
"But what about you? You don't even have a shirt." Bella blushed. She'd never seen a man's naked chest before she saw Jacob's and to have it on display like it was, was causing strange things to happen to her body.
"It's not often that I am cold," Jacob told her. He held out his hand. "Here, feel my skin."
Bella tentatively reached out her hand and touched the back of his. "You are warm." She wondered what he would do if she were to just snuggle up next to him.
He nodded and smiled. "It is a genetic trait of my people."
"Your hand is like fire."
"And to me, yours is like ice." He chuckled.
She smiled. "It must make things difficult in the summer."
"Sometimes," he agreed. And then his voice got lower, "But it can be very nice in the winter." He stretched out his hand once again and cupped her cheek in his palm. "What would you say if I told you that you were mine?"
Her eyes narrowed and a crease formed in her forehead. "What do you mean?"
"In my tribe, the men know when they meet the one they are to be with, the one that will bring joy to their hearth, the one that will give birth to their children."
She gulped and softly asked. "How do they know?"
"All it takes is to look at her for the first time and our world stops and then reforms around her. From that moment on, she is the center of our universe. She is the reason that we do everything that we do. She is the one we keep safe, the one that we hunt for and protect. She is ours to love throughout the night, she is the one that will bring life to our sons and daughters. She is what we live for."
Bella felt goose bumps move up her spine and down her arms. She could admit, his words struck a chord inside her.
Jacob stared into her eyes, and Bella saw her life with him unfolding. Family, children, love and security, she had known him for less than two days, but she was certain that Jacob was her future.
He leaned down and kissed her forehead. "When I return to my village will you go with me? Our Shaman can join us as one, and that night, everyone will know to whom you belong."
"But my sister. She will be worried about me."
Jacob seemed to consider that for a minute. "Will your sister try to convince you not to go with me? Will she resent the fact that I am an Indian?"
Bella thought it over for a minute and then answered, "I don't think that she will be concerned over the color of your skin. I do think that she will worry about us traveling alone for that length of time. She will not want your family to think that I am a woman of loose virtue."
"My family will not think that. In my tribe, relations between a man and a woman are prohibited before they are joined. My family will know that I would not dishonor you in such a way."
Bella nodded. As strange as it sounded, she knew that Jacob was being honest with her. "Will I ever see my sister again?"
"If you would like, your sister and her children may also make the journey, although, it would be better to return for them in the spring. There is a town nearby my village where they can live. They can even have the benefit of fresh meat from when my brothers hunt."
"It would be nice, to have my sister close by."
Jacob nodded. "So you will go with me, to my village beside the ocean? Will you become my wife?"
"Yes, I think… I think I would like that."
He smiled. "Come then, we will sleep. Tomorrow, when we awaken, the storm will be gone and I will help you return to your family. I will allow you time to say goodbye and then we will leave."
"But… tomorrow is Christmas. I have gifts for my family." She showed him the book and the sweet potatoes and the little bags of candy.
"Then we will leave the day after. I can grant you that. Sleep now, there is much to do and much I need to tell you."
Bella lay down beside the fire and closed her eyes. Like the night before, Jacob waited until she was asleep and then he stretched out beside her and spread the bearskin wrap over them both, locking his heat around her. And then he too slept.
The next morning, just as Jacob had predicted the storm was gone. They got up and Bella used the last of the cornmeal to break their fast. She brewed the remainder of the coffee and they started out with full bellies for the trek to her home.
They had stopped after walking for a while, to allow Bella time to rest. She was sitting on a tree stump and Jacob was standing a few feet away when something drew her attention upward. "What a lovely bird," she muttered.
Her actions caused Jacob to stop and glance up at the tree he was standing beneath. "It is indeed a lovely bird. This kind of red bird is believed to bring the snow. And that plant…" He looked at Bella and grinned. "It is said among my people that when a couple stand beneath the leaves of the mistletoe plant and kiss, they will have everlasting happiness."
"They say that?" Bella confirmed. "Your people do?"
He nodded.
"I've also heard of that tradition."
"You have?"
"Yes, my father and mother would tell me and my sister about it when we were growing up. Do you believe it's true?"
"I do," he replied.
She stood and walked over to him, "Then I guess you had better kiss me."
And he did.
AN: Thank you for reading and Happy Holidays!