Disclaimer: All characters from the Twilight series are the property of Stephanie Meyer, I use them for fan fiction as a tribute to her, and not for profit.

Chapter 1. Recovering

It had been four months since Edward had left me lying in the woods, lost and alone. I can still remember laying there, feeling as if it hurt to breathe, unable to even make the decision to get up and walk. I know in my heart if it weren't for Jacob, I would still feel all the pain that I felt in that moment.

With the thought of Jacob, Bella's mouth turned up slightly into a hint of a smile, and her eyes took on a sparkle. Jacob, my Jacob. My best friend, my personal sun. Bella had been so thankful for Jacob's friendship and support that she had not yet noticed the fact that her feelings for him had grown. She pulled on her boots, and as was her daily routine, headed to La Push.

"Hi Bells, whatsup?" Jacob smiled widely as Bella climbed down out of her truck. Jacob was wearing his usual attire, a pair of cut off gray sweats, no shirt and no shoes. Bella felt her face flush slightly as he caught her glancing down at the smooth muscles covering his chest and arms. "Yeah, you know you want me", Jacob smirked, earning him a slug in the shoulder from Bella.

"Don't flatter yourself little boy", she replied, even though in her own head she had to laugh at her own words, as Jacob was anything but little. Jacob had experienced a growth spurt over the past few months, and he now towered over her almost a full foot taller. She heard Jacob groan, and heard him muttering something to himself, instinctively knowing it was probably something she didn't need to hear anyway.

She followed Jacob into his house, and plopped herself down on the couch. She felt very comfortable in the Black's home, almost as comfortable as she was in her own. Her Dad, Charlie, was so relieved to see her actually coming back to life that he even let her spend nights down here. This couch had held her overnight more than once. She stretched herself out, and made herself quite comfortable.

"So what do you want to do today?" Jacob asked, plopping himself down beside her. It was nice to see, the way the two of them were so comfortable in each other's space. They moved together in a natural way, and she immediately shifted her body so that her head was resting comfortably on his shoulder. He sweetly kept his arm around her back, and ran his fingers up and down her arm.

"I don't know Jake, what did you have in mind."

"Well, since you asked", Jacob joked suggestively, and mockingly pulled her towards him, pretending that he was going to kiss her. She laughed at him, acting indignant that he would once again try to make a move on her, and surprised herself when she felt her heart rate increase this time. He laughingly let her go as he always did, pulling his face back away, and she felt slightly confused by her disappointment. "How bout going down to First Beach?"

"mmm, ok" she murmured. Bella stood up, and seemed to be lost in thought as she followed her friend out the door, with Jacob pulling her along by her hand, never quite breaking the contact between them.

Jacob and Bella enjoyed their day, enjoying the warm sun, the seagulls, and the gentle wind. They talked about anything and everything, and he was patiently trying to convince her of the merits of UFC fighting, when he suddenly tackled her in the sand. "Ladies and gentleman, the new reigning champion of the LPFC, Jacob Black", Jacob then added the sound of a crowd roaring. He was still half on top of her, with a huge lopsided grin on his face. Slowly, while staring into her eyes, his smile slowly faded being replaced by a look that Bella recognized as wonder mixed with a deep caring. Normally Bella would have looked away, not wanting to encourage the feelings she knew he had for her. Feelings that she was sure she could never return. Or was she???

Jacob seemed to tense up, noticing that Bella had not yet turned away. He leaned over closer to her, testing his luck, and felt even more encouraged when she did not pull away. Bella felt as if she were lost in his eyes, and she could feel her heart rate speed up, and felt as if her stomach was doing flip flops. With a final burst of courage, Jacob leaned all the way to her, with his lips only an inch away from her lips. When she finally did not turn away, he took his shot, and leaned in to kiss her.

In that moment, Jacob felt as if his entire body was running an electric current. He felt his brain vibrating with the electricity, and for him it seemed as if time stood still.

Bella was about to protest when Jacob touched his lips to hers, when she was overcome by the sensation it caused. Jacob's lips were so warm, and felt hot against her lips. His breath was warm as well, and she could feel him breathing against her face. The kiss was so different from Edward's, and she was pleasantly surprised by the differences. As if she were an observer to the situation, she was almost surprised when she felt her lips beginning to return his kiss. She suddenly felt something inside of her that she had thought she would never feel again, desire.

It was in this moment, to Jacob's dismay, they were approached by some unexpected guests.

"Jacob and Bella sitting in the tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G. First comes love, then comes marriage"

Quil and Embry could not finish their song, as Jacob was after them with a groan and a promise to himself that he was going to kill them once he caught them. As embarrassed as Bella was, she felt herself laughing as she watched the three friends sprinting away from the beach towards the woods. She sat up, wrapping her arms around her knees, and looked out at the water after the boys had left her sight. She touched her fingertips to her lips, almost in amazement at how they felt. Her lips almost felt tingly after Jacob's kiss, and she found it was a very pleasant feeling.

Jacob soon returned, and as she turned to watch him approach her, she realized that she suddenly was looking at him differently. Although Jacob had the body of a 25-year-old man, his face looked very much like a little boy who had lost his favorite baseball during an important game. Bella smiled, finding his expression endearing.

"Those two guys, I swear, I can't believe I finally get you to kiss me and they have to come and screw it up for me. . ."

Bella just smiled, standing up, taking his hand, and telling him it was time for her to head home anyway. Jacob looked dejected.

Over the next few days, Jacob worked up his nerve a few more times, and once again kissed Bella. She had come to expect it, and even enjoy it. It was on the fourth day that Bella was the one to initiate a kiss, and Jacob felt as if he had won a lottery. He walked a little taller and seemed to wear a constant smile.

Ok, that's chapter 1. I hope you guys are enjoying it. Please please review for me so I can know if I am headed down the right track.