Song Inspiration: Replace Me by Andrew Belle

Chapter 4:Come Back To Me...

Bella changed into her pajamas and made her way to the couch, after she gave Seth some clean sheets to put on his bed. This was not only annoying but it was also unfair. She liked Seth well enough and normally would love having him around but damn it she also deserved the right to her privacy.

Hadn't she lost enough without the damn council taking more from her? Now that she was alone it irked her that they didn't think she was capable of raising her own son. Did they think because of her lack of Quileute blood she would somehow taint Jake Junior?

What about Billy? How could he have agreed to this? He knew more than most how much pain she was going through. How could he force this on her?

Laying down she closed her eyes, hoping that sleep might find her fast. She really needed a good night's rest. She knew little Jake needed her full attention now more than ever.

Tears filled her eyes as she recalled giving her son a bath a few hours earlier. He was so unaware of the loss that his mother was suffering through. He was all smiles and splashed playfully as she forced herself to smile for him.

Yawning she was relieved to see that unlike her brain that was still running a mile a minute her body was falling into a deep slumber.

She was walking down to the beach, wondering why she was here. Fog was everywhere. This was odd. Why was she here?

She saw a tall figure making its way through the fog. It was Jake.

"Jake!" Bella ran to him, throwing her arms around him. Tears streamed down her face as she held onto him like her life depended on it.

"They told me you were dead. But you're not." Bella cried out happily.

"Bells. Look at me." Jake's arms circled around her waist, holding her up against him.

"Bells. I'm so sorry. I wish it wasn't true but it is. I'm gone. You know this." Jake replied with a painful expression.

"You can't be gone Jake. You promised me that we would grow old together." Bella whispered.

Memories of the past week began to filter into her mind and she knew that what she was experiencing now was only a dream. In reality her Jake was gone. His body now laid beneath the dirt five miles from her home.

"I hate it. I really do but you have to go on Bella. You have to find the happiness that I've always wanted for you." Jake pleaded with her.

"No. I will only love you. Always." Bella sobbed.

"I will always love you honey but you have to find someone else now to love. Please. Don't be so damn stubborn about this. I would have hated it, but I would have gone on without you." Jake kissed her tenderly on the lips before he suddenly begun to disappear and she was left holding onto thin air.

"NO! NO! Where are you! Jake! Jakkkkee! Please don't do this! Come back to me." Bella began to run around in circles in the thick fog, her arms swaying back and forth while she cried out for her lost love.

"Bella! Bella, shhhh...it's me Seth." Seth shook her gently as he knelt down in front of the couch.

He came running down the stairs when he heard her crying and screaming. He feared that Edward had returned and she was fighting against him.

"Where is he?" Bella demanded as she shot up off the couch and searched the room.

"Who? Bella, you were dreaming. It was all a dream." Seth stood calmly in the center of the room while she frantically continued her fruitless search.

"No. It couldn't be. I felt him, I smelt him...it was Jake I know it. "Bella stopped and gave him a pitiful look.

"Bella honey, you were dreaming. Jake is dead." Seth hated saying it out loud but she needed to accept it.

"He's dead." Bella stood frozen.

"Yes. You were having a dream. I'm sorry." Seth walked up to her and gently put his arms around her, holding her closely he felt her body tremble.

"I...it felt so real,Seth. So damn real." Bella sobbed into his bare chest.

"I'm sure it did." Seth kissed the top of her head and held her until she settled down.

"Do you need a drink or anything?" Bella pulled away first, wiping the tears away.

" you." Bella went back to the couch and sat down.

"You need to go back to sleep." Seth suggested.

"I don't think that's possible." Bella shook her head.

"Come on I will sit here with you." Seth sat down next to her, putting his arm around her shoulder.

"Thank you Seth." Bella curled up in ball and laid her head on his chest while she remembered how wonderful it felt to be held in Jake's arms in her dream.

"No problem." Seth whispered.

They sat like that for over a hour before he heard her snoring. He closed his eyes and together they slept on the couch both dreaming of a time when life was once wonderful for them.

XXX

A month later...(July)

"Hey Charlie." Sam called out as he put down his tools and walked over to him.

"Hey Sam. How's the repairs coming?" Charlie looked at the progress they were making.

"It's coming along. I just wish that insurance money would hurry up. We've all had to dip into our savings to get this much done." Sam replied.

"Wow. I'm sorry. I hate being the bearer of bad news but it seems to be my role this days." Charlie sighed heavily before continuing.

"I got the fire report back and it looks like the fire could have been caused by arson."

Sam was stunned. Why would anyone purposely set their shop on fire?

"Are you kidding me?" Sam asked, his hands curling up into fists at his sides.

"No. They said it was a mixture of gasoline and either faulty wiring or possibly even a homemade bomb. I know, it sounds crazy. I told them just as much but they feel confident with some of the evidence they obtained this fire could have been caused on purpose." Charlie exhaled loudly.

"Why? Why would anyone do that?" Sam frowned and look back at the people who volunteered to help today.

"I don't know. I was hoping you might know of someone who had a grudge against you, Jake or anyone else who might have worked here."

"No. I can't even think of one unsatisfied customer." Sam scratched the back of his head, trying to conjure up any suspect he could give Charlie to look into.

"We did have an electrician here about three months ago. When we added the new bay two of the outlets weren't working properly. Jake thought it was odd that he took so long and wondered if he even knew what he was doing." Sam recalled.

"Do you still have the invoice for that job? I could go check it out. Don't want to leave any stone unturned."

"Yeah, hold on just a second." Sam ran into the office and retrieved the necessary invoice.

"Good. So how is Seth doing? I hear he is the new Alpha until my grandson comes of age." Charlie wasn't sure if he was too keen about the idea of Jake Junior shapeshifting or worse, going up against vampires.

"He's handling it. I made sure the guys understand that if they don't like it, then they can quit phasing all together." Sam answered.

"He's a good kid. I hate that he has to put his dreams on hold. His mother is deeply disappointed but she tells me that everything happens for a reason." Charlie replied sadly.

"It's true. None of us imagined that the legends we grew up hearing would someday become a part of our reality."

"I bet." Charlie snorted. "Oh and Forks fire department sent their evidence to Seattle to get more answers from it. I swear to you, when I find this asshole I might skip the judicial system and kill him myself."

"Have you told Bella about this?" Sam asked curiously.

"No and I don't think we should until we know more." Charlie glared at him.

"Okay. Our lips are sealed." Sam shook his hand, sealing the pact.

"I'm going to check on her and my grandson. I'm hoping she will be awake today." Charlie replied sadly.

"She's still sleeping a lot?" Sam wondered what that was all about. The first week after Jake died she couldn't fall asleep at all and after that no one could keep her awake for long. She insisted she felt tired all the time.

"Yep. I'm just grateful that between Leah, Sue, and Seth, Jake Junior is being tended too while she goes through this spell. I know Bella, she's a tough woman and she will get through this. We just have to be patient with her." Charlie answered.

Sam hoped he was right about that. Losing Jake was hard enough on everyone but watching his wife slowly fade away from reality was even harder.

XXX

Bella woke up feeling an awful throbbing sensation at the base of her head. She drank herself to sleep again last night. It was starting to become a bad habit but it was the only way she was able to see Jake. When she was asleep, she would dream and he would search her out. They talked about their life and how they both wished things were different but by the end of the conversation he would remind her that she was still alive and she had to move forward.

It always ended with her becoming frustrated with him. Why did he keep insisting that it was better for her to love again?

She didn't want to ever fall in love again. Love for her sucked majorly.

Her history with men was starting to prove to her that she was incapable of holding onto something as powerful as love.

Thinking of her past she recalled the text message she received last night after she finished the whole bottle of wine.

Edward. Why was he texting her? Didn't she make it clear to him that she no longer wanted anything to do with him? They were ancient history and besides that she had a son to think about. It wasn't like she would ever become a vampire now or just rip her son from his roots to go off and live out her days with him.

She was much older and wiser now. Having anything to do with Edward Cullen was just plain stupid.

However, curiosity got the better of her and so she picked up her phone and looked at the missed calls and read the text message sent from him.

Bella. I really need to see you. I do not plan to stay much longer. Please agree to see me just one more time.

Bella inhaled deeply and exhaled loudly.

She knew it would be dangerous to get involved with Edward again but she was interested in hearing how the rest of his family was fairing and it would help her to get out of the house and away from La Push for a few hours.

Climbing out of her bed she went in search of some clean clothes and then made arrangements for Jake Junior before she climbed into Jake's pickup truck and drove out of LaPush.

XXX

A/N: Mmm...Bella is turning to the bottle to help dull the pain. Do you think she is putting herself in danger's way by seeing Edward? What about Charlie's conversation with Sam? Is it possible that the explosion was an accident or could someone have purposely set it all in motion?