Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or any of the characters, if I did I would have had Bella pick Jacob back in New Moon.
A/N: This story picks up after Bella and Edward's wedding when she is dancing with Jacob. This is my opinion of how the book should have gone after that point.
Chapter 1
Dancing with Jacob brought back those familiar doubts I have been having for the past month. Had I made the right choice? Was being with Edward worth giving up everyone else that I loved, giving up myself, giving up Jacob? I realized with a shock that it was too much. I might be able to give up my other friends but losing Jacob was too much. I started crying.
"What's the matter honey?" Jacob asked me quietly, so the vampires would not hear.
I knew I didn't have much time, Alice would see my decision. "Jake would you like to go for a walk?"
"Sure, sure." Jacob said questioningly.
He led me to the edge of the forest; I made sure we were out of sight before I asked my question. "Jacob will you kiss me?"
"Bella I don't think that's such a good idea." Jacob said taking a step back from me.
"Please Jake, I need to know something. He won't do anything I asked you remember." I begged him.
He looked at me, not sure then back to the party. Then he gathered me in his arms and captured my mouth with his. In that kiss I knew he still wanted me. He was still an option. His kiss was full of longing, sadness, and joy all at the same time. The kiss only lasted for a few seconds but it was long enough for me to know what I had to do.
I started leading us further into the woods. "What are you doing Bells?" Jake asked confused.
I didn't answer him. Instead I asked him a question of my own. "Jake how fast do you run in human form?"
"Pretty fast, almost as fast as bloodsuckers but in wolf form I'm faster than them." Jake boasted a swagger in his step.
"Do you think you would still be faster than them in wolf form if you were burdened with I don't know say another 110 pounds on your back?" I asked looking back towards the house to see if they were coming yet.
"Well sure if I had enough of a head start I could at least make it to the boundary line. Why?" Jake asked looking at me, the hope evident in his eyes.
I just looked at him and grinned. I saw the understanding flash in his eyes, then the next second he was a wolf. I jumped on his back and we were running through the woods as fast as he could run. We hadn't gotten very far when I heard something following us. I dared a glance back to see two wolfs behind us. I couldn't see their coloring but I know it had to be Embry and Quill.
Jacob growled, Edward was behind us. I heard him calling for me. I leaned closer to Jacob to reduce the wind resistance as much as possible. "Faster Jake, faster" I said into his ear.
I looked ahead and could see the other wolves standing about twenty yards ahead. That must be the boundary line. Jake put on a burst of speed and dashed through the line of his brothers. We made it across just before Edward launched himself after Jacob, Sam knocking him back.
"Let me by Sam!" Edward yelled. "What do you mean he didn't break the treaty?"
I couldn't hear anymore we were too far. We ran for a few more minutes before Jacob slowed to a walk and then came to a complete stop. I looked up and realized we were in the woods outside his home. I slid from his back into a heap of satin on the forest floor. Jacob whined and I could see the worried in his eyes.
"I'm fine Jacob. My legs just don't want to work just yet. I'll be fine in a minute." I said. I sat there for a minute stroking his fur, Jacob making an almost purring in his throat. After a few minutes I realized he hadn't turned back yet. "Oh! You can't change back, you don't have any clothes. Do you want me to go get you some?" I asked as I was about to stand up.
At that moment several cars pulled up in the yard in front of Jacob's house. I sat back down. "Well so much for that idea." I muttered. Jacob barked out a laugh, and then laid down with his giant head in my lap. A few minutes later he looked in the direction of his house. Someone was coming. I started to panic but Jake just laid his head back down just as Seth came into view carrying clothes in his hand.
"Well Bell you sure know how to break up a party." Seth said laughing.
"What happened back there?" I asked wondering how it went down.
"well I was talking to Alice when her face went blank, then Edward said 'what the hell is he doing?' then he took off for the woods, he had to wait until he was out of view of the humans before he took off faster. I asked Alice what she had seen, 'I don't see her anymore, her future is gone.' She said so I knew that meant you were with Jacob. So I gathered up your parents, Billy, mom, and your human friends and told them and I quote, 'well Jake and Bella just ran off together'. The only one who seemed surprised was your mom and Mr. Webster of course. Billy and Charlie both looked like they were trying not to laugh. So we all excused ourselves and came here." Seth said before breaking down and laughing at us.
I couldn't help a little laugh either as Jacob licked my face. "That's gross Jake! Who all is here Seth?" I asked.
"Well, me and my mom, Billy of course, Charlie, Renee and Phil, your friend Angela and her dad the minster, ben, and Sam and Emily." Seth said looking back towards Jake's house.
"That's a lot of people I'm going have to explain myself to." I muttered. "What happened at the boundary line?"
"Sam wouldn't let Edward by. He insisted that Jake hadn't broken the treaty that you had gone with him willingly. Sam has already rearranged the patrols to cover around your house too. Jake has tonight's duty. You need to stay in here for another five hours I say and Jake make sure you make the clothes look like you just ran through the woods and it wouldn't hurt if you tow were out of breath when you come out to keep up the charade. I'm glad you changed your mind Bella. You have no idea how hard it is when you're imprinted on someone who doesn't want you." Seth said.
Jacob let out a low growl directed at Seth. "What are you talking about Seth?" I asked shocked. Jacob had told me he wasn't imprinted on me.
Jacob growled again. Seth grinned, "Oops you didn't know… sorry Jake. I'm leaving now." Seth said not looking the least bit sorry.
I looked back at Jake arms folded across my chest. "Well looks like we both have some explaining to do."
Jake picked up the pants in his teeth and stated to go deeper into the woods. "Wait!" I called out, "Don't leave me." If a wolf could blush I'm sure Jacob would have been. "Please don't leave me, I'll turn around, I won't peek I promise." I begged. Jacob nodded once and I turned my back.
A minute later two very warm arms went around me turning me to face him. I threw my arms around his neck forcing his head down so I could meet his lips with mine. Jacob pulled me closer to him. His lips warm against mine, his breath hot in my open mouth. I slipped my tongue into his mouth running the tip along his lower lip. He responded in kind. I pushed away to catch my breath, Jacob trailed kisses down my jaw bone and neck then nibbled on my ear. I moaned in pleasure.
My hands went to his pants to try and get them off of him. Jacob captured my hands with his abruptly halting the whole scene. "What's wrong Jake, don't you want me?" I asked feeling a little confused.
"Of course I do Bella, but I seriously doubt you want this first time to be on the forest floor not two hundred yards from where everybody is waiting for us." Jake answered.
I grinned sheepishly blushing, "of course you're right I'd forgotten where we were for a minute." I said.
Jacob laughed softly to himself. "I guess I have some explaining to do huh." I said.
"Not if you don't want to, but I am curious." Jacob answered.
"Well to be honest, I've doubted my choice since you ran off, hell even before that. I was scared that I was giving up too much to be with Edward. But I had myself convinced that he was more important than anything I was giving up. That was until you showed up. When I was in your arms I realized I might be able to give up everything else, my friends, myself, even my family, but I couldn't give up you. That's why I asked you to kiss me. It was the only way for me to know for sure that I had you as an option still." I explained to Jake.
"That's why you worded the questions the way you did to keep him from finding out what you were thinking through my thoughts." Jacob said understanding.
"guilty." I grinned at him. "I realized I had made the wrong choice. I'm just glad I realized that before it really was too late. I still love him Jacob but I want a normal life with you, well as normal a life you can have with a werewolf, more than I want eternity with him. I love you Jake."
"I love you too." Jacob said brushing his lips across my forehead. "I guess it's my turn to explain about the imprint huh?"
"Yeah I thought you said you weren't imprinted on me." I stated giving him the evil eye.
"I lied Bella, I wanted you to choose me without that knowledge, and I wanted to know you want me for me not because you would feel guilty if you didn't pick me. Plus I didn't want you to feel bad if you had picked Edward over me. Do you understand?" Jack asked me looking at me in concern.
"Yeah I understand Jake, I'm glad I know now though. I've missed you so much." I said as I wrapped my arms around his waist. Jacob rested his head on mine, his arms around my back.
"I've missed you more." He whispered.
Chapter 2
"Bella wake up love," Jacob whispered in my ear.
I came to aware of the fact I was in Jacob's lap, my head resting on his shoulder. His back against a tree. "How long have I been asleep?" I asked.
"Almost five hours. It's about time for us to make our appearances." Jake answered. "We have some things to take care of first though." Jacob said standing up with me still in his arms. He kissed me quickly before putting me down on my own two feet. "I have to make these clothes look like I've just run through the woods." He said as he took off into the woods, making a circle several times, kissing me each time he passed.
After about ten times he stopped, "well how do I look?"
I looked him over, the clothes were rumpled and dirty from sitting on the ground, now there were tears from where he had walked through the thickest bushes. He looked a mess, "perfect. What about me?" I asked.
Jacob looked me and laughed. "That bad huh?"
"Well let's see bells you have twigs in your hair, some of the braid is falling down." He said.
"Are the combs still there?" I asked quickly remembering they were my grandmother's.
"Yes they are." He said
"Ok continue."
"Your dress is completely ruined, I say it's probably three inches shorter, the train is completely gone and you've lost your veil." Jacob continued.
"So I look ten times worse than you." I stated with a grin
"probably." Jake said grinning.
"Good that makes it more believable." I said and Jacob laughed, both of knew how clumsy I was.
"Now we just need to get you out of breath." Jake said with a wicked grin.
I grinned, knowing exactly what he had in mind. He caught me up in his arms, crushing my body against his, but I still wasn't close enough. My arms wound around his neck instinctively, my hands working their way into his hair. Our lips met eagerly, his soft and warm against mine. I wondered to myself how I ever thought that Edward's cold hard lips were nicer than this. It didn't take long before my heart was racing, my blood pounding, my head felt dizzy. I couldn't catch my breath. We broke apart both gasping.
"I think that ought to do it." I gasped. Jacob just nodded grabbing my hand leading me towards his house.
As we exited the woods I became aware of everyone there. Charlie was pacing about ten yards from the house. Billy, Phil, Renee, and sue Clearwater were all on the porch waiting, watching the woods for us. Angela, ben, and Mr. Weber were talking to Seth, Sam, and Emily near Charlie's cruiser. Charlie looked up just then catching sight of me.
"Bella!" he exclaimed running towards me. "What happened?" he asked.
Renee, ben, Mr. Weber, and Sam had joined us by now. "Let ... me … catch … my breath." I gasped out. I was led up to the porch were I was pushed down into a chair in between Billy and Phil.
Sue went into the house coming back a few minutes later with a glass of water a few minutes later that she handed to me. I took it and gulped it down, not realizing how thirsty I had been. "Ok now explain." Charlie said taking the empty cup from me.
I looked up at him and everybody around me knowing that only about half of them would understand exactly what I was saying. I looked back into Charlie's face and I can tell even though he was trying to look irate he was actually trying not to laugh. The corner of his mouth kept twitching. I smiled at him and he broke into a huge grin, his façade completely gone.
"Ok well I ah realized I was making the biggest mistake of my life." I said, I saw the understanding flash across five pairs of brown eyes belonging to the Quileute's. Everybody else looked confused. "I've been having my doubts that I picked the right guy since Jacob left. Every time I passed one of those posters another piece of my heart would break off. So when he showed up tonight I felt my heart becoming whole again. So I knew at that moment I had picked wrong. Jacob was the one I couldn't 'live' without." I continued.
Again my Indian friends knew exactly what I was saying. Everybody else just seemed to understand that I wanted Jacob not Edward. That was fine I couldn't explain the rest anyway.
"So let me get this right," said Mr. Webber Angela's dad and the minister, "You don't want to be married to Mr. Cullen? Is that correct?"
"Yes that's right. I don't want to be married to him." I answered.
"Ok that's all I needed to know," he said as he pulled a piece of paper from his inside jacket pocket and handed it to me.
"What's this?" I asked.
"That young lady is your marriage license until that is turned into the courthouse you are not technically married." Mr. Weber explained.
"Really?" I asked.
"Really." He said with a smile.
I looked at Jake and smiled as I proceeded to tear the piece of paper into tiny pieces. Managing to give myself a paper cut at the same time. And for once I didn't have to worry that I was fixing to become dinner.
"Well that's all I need, I'll be going home now Charlie. Ang, Ben lets go." Mr. Weber said.
Angela smiled at me before hugging me she whispered in my ear, "I'm so glad you changed your mind." When she pulled back she winked at me. I wondered just how observant Angela really was. "I'll call you later Bella." She said to the question I was sure was on my face.
"See ya Bella." Ben called as he got into the car with Angela and her dad.
"Well who wants some steaks?" Billy called out.
All the wolves answered 'me' at the same time, I looked over at Emily and we both laughed. Charlie and Billy proceeded to grill the steaks, Phil joined them in conversation. Sue and Renee sat on the porch talking. I stood in Jacob's arms talking to Emily who was in Sam's arms. Sam, Jake, and Seth were talking in whispers to keep their voices from carrying. I knew they were talking about what happened tonight but I wasn't paying much attention. Emily was asking me to be one of her bridesmaids next month.
"Emily I'd be honored. Of course I will." I said with a smile.
Sam looked down at her then kissing the top of her head. "Dinner's ready." Charlie called out at that moment.
Jacob held me back. "You know she's been wanting to ask you that for months, but couldn't for obvious reasons." Jacob told me. "She's glad to have you back in the fold as much as the rest of us. Even almost as much as I am to have you back with me."
"I never realized she liked me so much." I said.
"Of course she does, plus you are closer to her age then the rest of the girls who know and the only one not in school anymore. I'm sure she's looking forward to your company when school starts back in a few weeks." Jacob said. I grimaced at the thought of school. Jacob misunderstood. "You don't want to hang out with her?" he questioned.
"No of course I do." I said quickly, "I'm just not looking forward to being separated form you even for a short time. I guess I'll have to go to community college."
"Only if you want to Bells." Jake said.
"I'm pretty sure Charlie will insist upon it." I answered.
"Well he can't make you if you were married to me." Jake said.
I stopped dead in my tracks and looked up at him, "What did you just say?" I asked shakily.
"Well I sort of just proposed to you. Marry me Bella." Jake said.
"Jack, I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you but I can't marry you yet. You have to finish school. I'm not going to let you drop out on my account." I told him.
"What if I promised to stay in school, I mean we would have to live with my dad unit I finished because I wouldn't be able to support you on my own." Jake asked.
"No Jake, not yet at least. You're only sixteen. I'll be nineteen in a few more weeks." I argued.
"Yeah but I'll be seventeen soon." Jake countered.
"Jake I'm going to marry you but not until you are eighteen. You'll be a senior then and legal." I stated with a slight grin.
"How about you agree to marry me and we just have a very long engagement then." Jake asked grinning.
I laughed and shook my head, "alright, but we aren't getting married until you are eighteen. Ok?"
"Deal." He said as he pulled me up against him, crushing his mouth to mine.
"Hey are you two coming or what?" Charlie called to us.
We broke apart and joined the rest of the group. Everybody laughed and joked, getting along wonderfully. Charlie was happier than I'd seen him since Edward had come back. I hadn't realized just how much he disliked Edward. All in all it was a great evening that ended to soon. I had fallen asleep in Jacob's lap when my dad said it was time to go. Sam and Emily had already left. Sue and Seth were just leaving. Charlie helped Renee and Phil into the back of his cruiser. Jacob carried me to the front seat. "I'll be following in the woods." He whispered in my ear. He kissed my cheek before putting me in the car. "I'll see you tomorrow." He said for everybody else to hear. I smiled at him.
All the way home I watched the woods trying to see the big russet colored wolf. I must have fallen asleep again because Charlie was shaking my shoulder, "we're home Bells."
I came to confused, "where's mom and Phil?"
"I already dropped them at their hotel." Charlie said.
"Oh ok." I mumbled getting out of the car.
"Do you need help getting inside?" Dad asked when I stumbled.
"No, I'm awake enough to manage." I said.
Once inside I headed for the bathroom. "Wait just a minute Bella; I want to talk to you." Charlie said before I reached the stairs.
"Sure thing dad." I said sitting down on the stairs.
"I just wanted to make sure you aren't regretting what you did tonight. If I've made this too hard on you, you're not choosing Jacob because of me right?" he asked looking worried.
"No dad I'm choosing Jake because that's who I really want to be with. I just wish I had come to this conclusion before tonight. I hate that I put Edward through that." I said, I really didn't want to hurt Edward.
"Don't worry about him Bells. You did what you had to do to be happy." Charlie said.
"I know, it's just when you are in love with two guys someone is bound to be hurt. And before you ask yes I still love Edward, I probably always will, he was my first love. But I love Jacob and the life we can have together more." I said, I wish I could explain it better to Charlie.
"Are you sure Bella?" he asked.
"I'm sure dad. I'm going to go get a shower then go to bed. I must be a mess. See you in the morning. Love you dad." I said standing up and hugging him.
"Night honey, I love you too." Charlie said hugging me tightly.
Upstairs in the bathroom I pulled the combs out of my hair and tried to get the braids undone, it was a mess. I stripped off the ruined wedding gown and stepped into the warm shower. The hot water felt amazing on my sore muscles; I stayed in until the water started turning cold. I quickly dressed in my PJs and went to my bedroom.
At first I didn't notice her, she sat so still. It wasn't until she cleared her throat that I saw her, Rosalie. My hand flew to my chest in my surprise. "Sorry didn't mean to scare you." She said smiling at me.
"Rosalie, what are you doing here?" I asked.
"I came to warn you. Edward is coming to see you in the morning." Rosalie said.
I wasn't surprised, I had expected as much. "You might", she continued, "Want to make sure your 'dog' is not around. Edward probably wouldn't be able to control himself."
"Thanks Rosalie I appreciate the warning." I said just before I heard a growing sound outside. I looked out my window to see Jake in wolf form looking up at me. I smiled at him reassuring him I was fine. He lay down and continued to watch me. Rosalie scrawled at him.
"I also came to tell you that I'm proud of you Bella." She said giving me a huge smile.
This shocked me, "you're proud of me?"
"Yes, I know that must have been a very hard thing to do but you made the decision I would have if I had the decision to make. You chose to stay human, to have a normal, well sort of normal life." She said looking at Jacob.
"Thanks Rosalie." I said. She hugged me then; I was too surprised to hug her back.
"I wish you all the luck and happiness in the world. And Bella can you do me a favor?" she asked.
"Sure sure." I said.
"If you ever have a daughter will you name her heather?" she asked me.
"Heather?" I asked.
"Yes that is what I would have called my daughter if I have had one." Rosalie explained.
"I would be honored to Rosalie." I said.
"Goodbye Bella." She said before she jumped out of my window. She landed within inches of Jake's nose. He growled at her in reaction. "Oh hush dog, I wasn't going to land on you." She looked at him for a second before saying, "you better make her happy she deserves that." Jacob nodded and then smiled his wolf smile looking up at me. Then Rosalie was gone. I leaned out my window and blew a kiss to my wolf.
"Goodnight Jacob, I love you." I called down quietly to him. He gave a happy little yap and danced around like a dog does when you come home. I laughed and then went to bed, leaving the window open so Jacob could slip in if he wanted to.