Full Circle

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

A/N-thank you for the kind reviews, Nikki.

Part Two-The Birthday Girl

Bella's head was whirling. She followed behind Jacob as he carried the two children in his strong arms. Both of them continued to compete for his attention all the way back to the house. So she was in La Push, there was the familiar redwood house where Jacob had grown up in and had become her sanctuary over recent months, but with a twist. As it came into view Bella could see that an extension had been built onto the back of the property, effectively making it twice its original size. The whole exterior was freshly painted and the front yard which used to be full of all kinds of junk, including Jacob's collection of mechanical odds and ends, was now clear and surrounded by a pretty garden which led up to the wrap around porch. She couldn't take her eyes off of it. It was beautiful.

"You okay, honey?" Jacob's voice penetrated her thoughts and all she could do was nod dumbly as she followed him up the porch steps and into the house. If this was a dream, damn it was an amazingly surreal one. Bella began to wonder if she had fallen and knocked her head somehow. Maybe Jacob's superior kissing skills had made her faint like she had when Edward first kissed her?

"SURPRISE!" Bella nearly had kittens as the suddenly empty house became full of people as they flooded into the front room, clapping and cheering. She held her hand over her strongly beating heart as she stared around.

Jacob came up beside her and chuckled, flinging an arm around her shoulders as he did so. "Happy birthday, honey. I know you don't like surprises but you're twenty five and I just couldn't resist. We all couldn't." He kissed her on the cheek which caused a collective aww to go around the room from the guests. Bella felt completely stupefied as suddenly there was a chorus of happy birthday and her dad appeared with Billy alongside him in his wheelchair. Her mouth dropped open as she saw Charlie grin at her as he carried an enormous cake in his hands with lots of flickering candles adorning the top. Behind him and Billy came the pack, her jaw dropped even more as she watched Paul Lahote and Leah Clearwater, the two who most resented her friendship with Jacob, singing birthday greetings as lustily as the other guests. This was crazy, all of it. Bella had completely lost the power of speech. Ethan and Gabby came up beside her, both smiling and bouncing on their toes as they waited for her to blow out the candles. "Make a wish, Bells." Jacob whispered in her ear.

Not knowing what else to do, Bella closed her eyes, leaned forward and blew….

"Let go of her, dog." Edward's piercing cry made Bella's eyes flare open. Huh? She blinked a couple of times as she tried to reorientate herself with her surroundings. She felt cold suddenly freeze her skin and her breath fogged in the air in front of her. The blinding whiteness of the snow covering the ground and the bright blue sky above made her squint. She was back on the mountain again. What the hell was going on? "I said release her at once." There was Edward's voice again.

"You can't order me about, leech." Jacob's deep husky tones made her blanch. Bella finally managed to regain her senses as she suddenly noticed she was standing wrapped up in Jacob's arms. It was the parts of her body he wasn't touching which were feeling the chill.

"I said unhand my fiancée." Edward demanded as he came into view. Bella gasped at the livid look on his face. He must have witnessed it all, her begging Jake to come back and kiss her, well suck the face off her if truth be told. Jeez he was an awesome kisser; he had literally sent her off into another world with his skills. A world where she wouldn't mind being right now, anything to get away from the hurt look that Edward was throwing her way.

"We don't have time for this." Bella said weakly as she nestled closer to Jacob's warmth. She saw Edward's eyes narrow and she shrank further into Jacob's embrace which seemed to enrage him further. She couldn't help it. It was damn well cold, freezing in fact. If she wanted to seek warmth, who was he to criticise? It wasn't like he was much use being as frozen as a…a loud howl interrupted her thoughts. She felt Jacob tense up. His pack was calling him. He had to go, and she was going to have to let him. "Oh no." She mumbled.

Jacob sighed heavily as he twisted her around in his arms and cupped her face in his hands again. Bella ignored Edward's protests as she stared miserably up into Jacob's dark eyes. "Stay here." She begged.

"You know I can't." Jacob tore his eyes from her when he heard Edward snort with disdain. "Fuck off, bloodsucker."

"Isn't that what you should be doing about now? Pappa dog's calling. Off you trot." Edward sneered.

"You son of a bitch." Jacob roared as he released Bella and made a lunge for Edward.

Another loud howl stopped Jacob in his tracks. Bella guessed that Sam was issuing an Alpha command. She saw Jacob's jaw clench as he reluctantly turned his back on Edward and faced her again. "This isn't over, leech." He yelled over his shoulder. "I have to go, Bells." Jacob said in a low voice as he reached her. "I wish I didn't have to leave you with the frozen fairy over there, but I will come back." He leaned down and kissed her soundly on the lips, stealing her breath and making her feel faint. Bella became pliant in his arms as she found her hands sneaking around his neck, her fingers sinking into his silky hair and gripping tightly. She blocked out Edward's voice as she kissed Jacob back hard, her eyes closing as she did so….

"And mommy said a bad word, really, really bad…." Bella jumped as she opened her eyes at the sound of Ethan's voice. Her head was banging as she stared down at the little boy who was sitting on her father's lap grassing her up about using an expletive. Charlie was humouring the little boy, his expression mock serious as he promised to give his daughter a telling off. "Will you tan her butt, Grandpa?" Ethan asked innocently.

"Well it is mommy's birthday, so perhaps we can let it go just this once." Charlie ruffled Ethan's hair as his face became crushed with disappointment.

Bella tore her eyes away from Ethan's disappointed expression to scout her surroundings. Yes, she was back in the Black's house. It was still filled with guests. Where was Jake? Her eyes roamed the crowded room searching for him. She saw little Gabby standing across the room scowling as she pulled another girl's hair who looked about the same age. "I am not a girl." She snapped as the other girl began to cry. Bella didn't know what to think as out of the corner of her eye she saw Leah Clearwater giving Gabby a thumbs up sign. Gabby's scowl disappeared to be replaced with a sly grin. Jeez, Leah was definitely a bad influence. She supposed she should do or say something she was supposed to be Gabby's mother. Or was she? Bella rubbed her aching forehead. No she wasn't Gabby's mother, she was not twenty five, she was not at this party, she was not…

"We'll have to talk to that young lady." Suddenly he was there as he sat down beside her. Bella sighed in relief as she looked straight into Jacob's twinkling eyes. She opened her mouth to say something but he stopped her in her tracks by kissing her sweetly on the lips. She felt her head swim again. Jeez, he really seemed to have an effect on her. "Another drink?" It was only then she noticed she was clutching a wine glass in her free hand. Jacob filled it up with red wine and smiled at her affectionately when she instinctively took a huge gulp. "Careful Bells, you'll get drunk and it's still early." He laughed as he steadied her hand before she slopped the rest of the drink over herself.

Bella opened her mouth again to try and say something; anything but she was stopped again when she heard Ethan loudly regaling the whole room about her misdemeanour. The boy certainly loved telling tales, Bella mused as he climbed up on a chair, obviously happy that he had a huge audience. He was about to tell everyone what swear word she had used when Jacob swiftly left her side, ran over to his son and picked him up before he could say anymore. Everyone laughed in amusement as Ethan pouted and crossed his arms as Jacob carried him back over to Bella. "Will you tan mommy's butt now, daddy?" Bella heard Ethan ask him.

"I don't know where he gets it from." Jacob shook his head as he smiled down at his son.

You, Bella thought to herself as she took another slurp from her wine glass. She became lost in memories. When Jacob was very young he used to tell tales on everyone, especially his sisters. The twins could get away with nothing growing up, Jacob would always rat them out. He had done the same to her in the distant past when she used to visit her dad over the summer. She had deliberately stepped on one of his precious mud pies when she was five and they had met for the first time. The fuss he had made, Bella shook her head at the memory. He had run inside and blabbed first to Billy, than Sarah, than Charlie, his sisters, even to his pet rabbit. Yeah, Ethan was definitely his father's son.

"What's going on in that head of yours?" Jacob made her jump again as he leaned close and whispered intimately in her ear.

Bella smiled in amusement as she opened her mouth to answer him but suddenly a hand came out of nowhere and pulled her away. Music started up and she found herself opposite Charlie. "I want the first dance with my lovely daughter." He slurred. Looks like Grandpa was already drunk, Bella thought to herself as she found herself being whirled clumsily around the room by her father much to the amusement of the other guests.

Bella was slow dancing with Jacob. She felt a warm glow surround her as she rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. Now this, this was heaven. Edward, the newborn battle, Victoria, it all seemed far away, as if that life was the dream and this was the reality. She let out a blissful sigh as she opened her eyes to look at Jacob only to be confronted with the blazing red orbs of Victoria instead. Bella screamed…

A/N-thanks for reading!