The Five Year Plan

Disclaimer; all characters and copyright belong to SM.

A/N-thank you very much for the kind reviews guys!

Part Three

Bella made sure to keep out of sight among the trees. She was enjoying the feel of the soft, springy grass under her bare feet. After wearing the uncomfortable high heeled shoes for hours it was a blessed relief. It occurred to her how something so small could raise her spirits. She wiggled her toes and crept forward, enjoying the subterfuge as she continued on her journey. It was times like this that she relished the fact that Edward couldn't read her mind. She never understood why she was immune to his powers, but was grateful that she was able to elude him because he couldn't hear what she was thinking. The music from the live band drifted through the trees, they were playing a soulful jazz number. Bella glanced toward the temporary dance floor. It was filled with jiving couples. She lamented the fact that she had never been able to move like that; even if she could Edward would never have indulged in it. He was too conservative.

It didn't take her long to reach the outer lying tables where Billy and his companions had been seated through most of the party. Bella slipped out of the sheltering trees and walked slowly toward him. She was surprised to see that Billy Black was sitting alone. Where were Sue Clearwater and her father? Bella increased her pace; a sense of urgency was upon her now. She had dawdled too long, lost in her own thoughts. As she reached Billy's table she pulled up a chair and sat beside the older man. His attention was focused on the other revellers dancing not too far from him, so when she made her sudden appearance he was startled.

"It's just me." Bella said softly as she heard him gasp. She drew her knees up to her chest and looped her arms around them as she gazed at Jacob's father. She waited for him to greet her or just acknowledge her presence, but his eyes were focused solely on the engagement ring that Jacob had given her and which was now adorning the fourth finger of her right hand. By the way he reacted upon seeing it told Bella exactly who this ring belonged to. "It's Sarah's isn't it?" She continued softly as she saw the pained look in his eyes.

"Yes." Billy said huskily. He cleared his throat, raising his soulful dark eyes to Bella's.

"Jake gave it to me not long ago." Bella clasped her hands together tightly, pressing her knees into her chest. Her heart fluttered as she mentioned Jacob's name. She wasn't certain if Billy knew that his son had returned, but from his muted reaction it was clear that he did.

"I know he did." Billy hesitated for a split second, studying Bella astutely. Then he told her something that took her breath away. "I gave him the ring."

Bella stared at Billy, uncomprehending. The music from the live band had upped its tempo. It drowned out the chaotic thoughts tumbling in her brain. "I don't understand."

"Yes, you do. Otherwise why would you be sitting here with me now?" Billy sat forward in his wheel chair and reached for a half empty glass of water that was sitting on the table in front of him. He drank some, wetting his parched throat. He held out the glass to Bella. She took it and also imbibed some of the cool liquid. "

"I haven't made a choice." Bella protested weakly. She gazed at Jacob's father, still uncertain, unsure of what she was achieving by speaking to him. She was supposed to be giving the ring back to its rightful owner, but instead it was still on her finger.

"You made your choice as soon as you accepted the ring. You're wearing it now. You came straight to find me and not your supposed husband. What does that tell you?" Billy questioned gently. He wasn't pushing Bella, just merely stating a pertinent fact.

"I don't know." Bella admitted honestly. She continued to gaze helplessly at Billy, hoping for him to enlighten her further. He seemed assured that he could read her intentions. "Where's my dad?" She asked suddenly. She glanced around, expecting to see Charlie somewhere nearby.

"Dancing." Billy jerked his head toward the dancefloor. Bella followed the direction of his gaze. Even though she had danced with Charlie herself, she couldn't imagine him doing it voluntarily with anyone else. It was unheard of. But as she followed the whirling couples with her eyes, she found Charlie, dancing amongst them, and not alone. He was with Sue Clearwater. Bella concentrated her gaze, frowning. Charlie and Sue were dancing very close, closer than necessary for causal acquaintances. He was looking down at Sue with a soft expression on his face. Sue was smiling up at him shyly. They almost looked like a real couple. But that couldn't be? "Sue and your old man have been dating for some time now."

"He has." Bella said faintly.

"Yes." Billy took another fortifying sip of his water. He was silent for a moment as he continued to study Bella keenly. "I think now would be a good time to go."

"Go where?" Bella asked distractedly. She was still staring at her father and Sue Clearwater. She couldn't wrap her head around the fact that Charlie was seeing his best friend's widow. How had she missed the signs? But then she had been caught up in the whole wedding fiasco. She cringed, hating herself for calling it a fiasco. It might not have been what she wanted, but it had been a perfect day. Well almost perfect.

"It's time to go home, Bella. You don't belong here anymore." Billy gestured toward the Cullen's palatial mansion. Bella tore her eyes away from her father and glanced around. She saw Rosalie dancing with Emmet in the middle of the other human couples. The cool blonde was full of grace, her dazzling looks and ability to move seamlessly as she copied Emmet's wilder movements was mesmerising. Carlisle and Esme danced on the edges of the group, wrapped up in each other, in that moment no one else existed for them. Her gaze left the dance floor and drifted around the opulent grounds. Fairy lights twinkled among the trees, casting a surreal glow as the sun began to sink below the horizon. The huge palatial mansion, its white walls gleaming, the large windows reflecting the party atmosphere, seemed to belong to another world. The scales dropped from Bella's eyes and she returned Billy's gaze steadily.

"Yes, it's time to go." She agreed.

Seth drove them to La Push. He had thrown off his suit jacket, his tie was loosened. He felt much more at ease. He didn't question why he wasn't just escorting Billy home but Bella too. Maybe he already knew. He had greeted Bella cheerfully as if this was nothing more than an everyday occurrence, a bride running away from her own wedding. Bella sat in the back with Billy. Neither spoke for a few minutes, both lost in their own thoughts. Bella felt like she was floating in thin air. She could breathe, she wasn't panicked in any way, but she didn't feel like herself. Not really. She couldn't understand why she wasn't upset. She had married Edward. This was what her life had been building up to. Her happy ever after with the man she loved. A man she was willing to sacrifice her own life for. Or was she? She felt Billy's eyes on her and met his concerned gaze.

"What is happening to me?"

"You're waking up, Bella." Billy smiled and patted her hand.

"Waking up from what?" Bella questioned, confused. "You make me sound like I'm under the influence of something."

"You were in a way. No words or warnings of mine would sway you either back then or now. You had to come out the other side yourself." Billy's cryptic response just confused Bella even more.

"You make no sense." She was frustrated. She stared at her hands. Jacob's ring was still on her right, Edward's on her left. Bella's eyes flicked from one to the other. "I loved him. I married him." She said to Billy as her eyes settled on Edward's mother's ring. It glittered, so brightly, just like Edward had the few times she had seen him in all his glory when he allowed her to see his true self.

"If you loved him you wouldn't love my son." Billy stated firmly. "The Cullen's are a unique coven. They strive to be more than the sum of their parts. In lots of ways they have achieved this. But they are still vampires. They still exert a supernatural influence over every human they meet. It was evidenced the first time that Edward Cullen left you. The withdrawal from their charms drained you. I was very worried at one point. I was concerned you were not strong enough to overcome it. But you surprised me in a good way. You did, after spending time with Jacob you began to flourish. When Edward Cullen returned I was deeply afraid. There was little I could do to dissuade you to sever your connection with them. I did try, but it is hard to break through their charms. But to my relief you did that all on your own. I am certain the deep love you share with my son was the root cause of it."

Bella fell silent as she absorbed Billy's words. At first she rejected his explanation. Edward would never dare to influence her in any way. He loved her. He wanted to protect her. Then a voice whispered in the back of her head, and it sounded a lot like his. "Everything about me draws you in, my looks, my voice, even my scent…" He had warned her many times in the past, but she hadn't listened, so certain that none of this affected her, that she was oh so special. "Why would I wake up now?" She whispered disconsolately.

"Because you want to live." Billy said simply.

The car had stopped. They had reached La Push.

Jacob was in the garage. He was restless. Even though he needed to sleep, it eluded him. His mind was full of Bella. He couldn't believe that he had just shared his last goodbye with her. Why hadn't he fought for her? He could have gone wolf, dragged her away from Cullen, or created such a ruckus that even his brothers wouldn't have been quick enough to stop him. Anything to delay the inevitable, but Jacob knew none of this would have worked for him in the end. Even if he had given in to the urge to kidnap Bella she would have still gone back to the bloodsucker in the end. At least this way he had managed to keep his dignity. He had shown with his own words what they could have had. Fighting hadn't won her love in the past, he believed nothing would now. That didn't stop the unbearable hurt shredding his soul into bits. She had been his everything. He hadn't lied when he'd said she had saved him. His life had been lonely on the res, even with all his friends surrounding him, there were days when it was just him and Billy. With his dad's health failing it meant that Jacob couldn't do what a lot of his peers did. He was tied to the house most days after school in case his father needed him.

Bella had been the bright spot amidst all that. Ever since the first time she had brought the bikes to him, she had been his unerring support. She had accepted the monster within without batting an eyelash. She had made him feel human when he felt far from it. All those days and evenings spent in this very garage, talking, repairing the bikes, or sitting together in comfortable silence while he worked on his latest project. Jacob had fallen in love with her. How could he help it? She claimed she was broken, damaged beyond repair. But she wasn't. While he tried to fix her, she was fixing him. He missed her so much. It was like a painful ache he couldn't get rid of, and he worried that it would never go away.

Jacob had to be dreaming, hallucinating. This couldn't be true. Bella was on his mind so much that he had conjured up her scent. He slammed the hood of the Rabbit down and paused, breathing rapidly, trying to contain his jubilation and prepare himself for disappointment. The garage door opened slowly, the metal door squeaking in protest. Jacob turned around, ever so slowly. He heard a sharp intake of breath, then the sound of bare feet padding across the concrete. Her sweet scent was overwhelming, driving him crazy. Then she was there, in front of him. Jacob dared to raise his eyes, he dared to look, and then he was lost.

Bella gazed up at his handsome face. He appeared disbelieving, unsure. She raised her right hand and cupped his cheek, stroking his smooth skin with her thumb. He saw his mother's ring on her finger; the diamonds sparkled in the soft evening light. He felt choked up. He couldn't speak. His eyes drifted to her left hand. Her ring finger was bare. "Bells." Jacob managed to whisper her name.

"Will you dance with me, Jake?" Bella asked shyly.

Jacob couldn't form words. Instead he took her hands in his, drawing her close, then nodded.

They began to dance….

A/N-thanks for reading!