Sad, Beautiful, Tragic
Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to SM as always. I just have fun playing with her creations.
A/N-thank you all so much for the awesome reviews. April-Showers82, you got it right honey! :)
Part Three-Tragic
Earlier that day;
"Please let me come." Bella wheedled. "I've never really seen you all together as a pack. You said that the last few days have been quiet."
"That doesn't mean that the red head won't suddenly show up." Jacob pointed out.
"I will be surrounded by a pack of strong spirit wolves. She won't get near me." Bella stated confidently. "Anyway I think she's given up. You are all too strong for her."
Jacob began to cave in against his better judgement. He hadn't been able to spend much time with Bella of late and being apart was taking its toll on them both. Sam seemed to be getting pleasure out of making it impossible for him to get any decent length of time off. Just because Bella wasn't his imprint; Sam seemed to be under the distinct impression that his relationship with Bella wasn't as important as his was with Emily, or Jared's with Kim. Bringing Bella along for the ride today would show him.
"Alright, but only for an hour, then I'm bringing you straight home." Jacob grinned as Bella began to jump up and down, clapping her hands like an excited little girl.
"Thank you, thank you." She skipped over to him and planted a kiss on his cheek.
"Is that all I'm gonna get, huh?" Jacob raised his eyebrows suggestively.
"Oh, you'll get your payment later on tonight, Mr, Black." Bella laughed as Jacob's eyes shone with lust. She got fun teasing the hell out of him. After her restrained relationship with Edward, being in such a passionate one with Jacob was more than she could have imagined or hoped for. He made her feel loved, wanted and desired.
"You're cruel, Miss Swan." Jacob sighed regretfully as his eyes raked up and down her body.
Bella laughed again as she began to lead the way out of his house, a playful smile curving her lips upwards.
She would never get used to seeing Jacob in his wolf form. When he stepped proudly out of the trees her face lit up in awed wonder. The weak light shone on his russet fur, bringing out the red highlights. They glinted as he moved toward her, his black eyes staring straight into her brown ones. "Wow, Jake..." Bella breathed as she gently stroked the fur along his shoulder. She could feel the powerful muscles underneath.
Jacob nudged her with his nose, they needed to get moving. They were already late. Sam would be pissed that he had brought Bella along for the ride, but Jacob didn't care. His alpha had done enough interfering in his life lately. Jacob carefully lowered his body to the ground so that Bella would be able to climb onto his back. They had done this a few times already, so she was now well practiced in the art of riding on the back of a wolf. She lay along on his back and clutched at the fur around his ruff, before signalling that she was ready and he could rise.
He took off at a careful sprint, always aware of the fragile girl clinging to him as he moved. Bella had nearly tumbled off his back the first time they had tried this, but with time she had learned to move her own body with his, as he twisted and maneuvered around the trees. It didn't take long before they reached the others at the meeting point near the cliff edge on First beach. Sam's face showed showed his anger as he stared at Bella clinging to Jacob's broad back.
"What the hell is this?" He demanded through the pack mind link.
"She wanted to see how we worked together as a pack." Jacob replied nonchalantly.
"Are you some kind of fool or has your sex obsessed teenage brain been clouding your thinking?" Sam retorted. "We are chasing down a crazed vampire. You have just placed her in danger."
"We haven't seen the red head for days." Jacob's teeth drew back as he growled at Sam. "This isn't about Bella being in danger. This is about your need to control everything that I do. Just because we're not imprinted you think that my love for her is irrelevant. Well let me tell you I love her more than you ever could love any woman, imprint or not. You forced my hand, Sam. I've hardly seen Bella, this is our only chance at getting some time together."
Sam's hackles rose along his back as he growled at Jacob challengingly. "This is not about who's love life is more important. I punished you for disobeying my orders to stay away from Bella in the first place. You can't have everything your own way."
The other wolves began to mill about as they sensed the tension build up between their Alpha and the one who was destined to be. Jacob flattened himself on the ground, indicating to Bella that she needed to slide off. She did so swiftly, a worried frown on her face as she watched Jacob immediately face off against Sam. The large black and russet wolf began to circle each other, growling menacingly.
Leah's slim grey wolf disappeared between some trees, before re-emerging seconds later in her human form. She marched over to Bella and pulled her back from Sam and Jacob. "You really know how to stir things up don't you girlfriend?"
"What's happening?" Bella asked in a panic.
"Jake is challenging Sam's right to be leader." Leah told her. "They are about to fight it out."
Bella's hands flew to her mouth. "Oh god this is all my fault. I made Jake bring me today. Can we stop them?"
Leah laughed sardonically. "You didn't make Jake do anything. And no, you can't stop them. This fight has been brewing for a long time."
Bella felt the she wolf grip her biceps to keep her in place as they both stood a good distance away and watched in morbid fascination as the two large wolves stopped stalking each other and finally launch their respective attacks. Jacob and Sam's huge bodies flew through the air, colliding heavily, they both fell back to the ground, tussling with each other as each tried to dominate the other. The other wolves milled about restlessly, occasionally letting out low growls as they watched the fight escalate.
Sam and Jacob fought for an hour, with neither gaining the upper hand. Their flanks heaved with each breath that they took, their tongues lolling out as they tried to battle the exhaustion that was overwhelming both of them. The whole time, Bella's arms had been wrapped around her middle as she fretted over Jacob's safety and her own idiocy at begging him to let her come today. The black and russet wolf were just starting to circle each other again to begin another assault when out of nowhere, Victoria dropped down from one of the tallest trees surrounding them. She had crept up on them all, making sure to keep downwind. They had all been so preoccupied with the fight that they had been oblivious to her approach.
But it wasn't just Victoria; she was followed by several other burly vampires, all male. Victoria laughed as she immediately flew over toward Bella. Leah shoved Bella behind her as she prepared to phase...but someone else got there first. Jacob launched himself at Victoria and landed on top of her. They both began grappling with each other, whirling around so fast it was difficult for the human eyes to see them. Everything was in uproar as the pack began to try and defend itself from the unexpected attack.
Present time:
"Come quick." Bella cried out as she dropped her ear to Jacob's chest again. She had heard it, she was certain. A very faint heartbeat.
Sam and the others came crashing back into the room. Billy was the last to enter. He wheeled his chair in and stared over at his son, a faint hope shining in his dark eyes. "What is it, Bella?"
"I heard his heart." Bella told him. "I heard it, Billy."
The others exchanged pitying looks. It was obvious that they thought she was lying to herself. Bella glared at them all angrily. "Listen for yourself." She yelled at them.
Sam approached the bed and waited for Bella to give him some room, he then leaned down and placed his head near Jacob's chest, listening carefully. Everyone held their breath as they waited for his assessment. Sam listened for a while, but when he raised his head, his face was grim. The faint hope in Billy's eyes died and he quickly exited the room, tears streaming down his weathered cheeks. "I can't hear a thing."
"You're wrong." Bella yelled at him. She glared at them all as she scrambled back to Jacob's side and rested her head back on his chest. She strained her ears but she too heard nothing but silence. "That can't be right. I heard it...I did."
Leah came up to her side and gently tried to embrace her but Bella pushed her away. "I heard it." She called out to them all. "I did."
"Maybe you just heard what you wanted to hear." Sue Clearwater suggested softly. "The mind is a funny thing, Bella."
"I heard it." Bella insisted. "I know I did."
"Please, sweetie come away. You are doing yourself no good at all." Sue pleaded with her.
Bella stared at them all wide eyed as she crept closer to Jacob. "None of you believe me. You think I'm crazy."
"We're not saying that." Sam said impatiently. "I checked Bella, there is nothing, no heartbeat, nothing. You have to start accepting that Jacob is lost to us all."
Bella turned her grief stricken eyes onto Sam and glared at him. "This is down to you." She raged. "If you hadn't persisted in keeping Jake away from me I would never have gone with him today and Victoria would never have managed to sneak up on everyone."
"Perhaps if you hadn't taken up with a cold one in the first place then none of us would be here today." Sam retorted. Her words had hurt him in the worse way, because deep down inside he agreed with her.
"Sam, stop..." Leah said fiercely. "Playing the blame game helps no one."
Sam turned his dark eyes onto Leah; she was taken aback by the sadness in them. "I need some air. " He muttered. He quickly left the room, Leah following swiftly after him.
Bella was lying next to Jacob again, her head resting on his chest. Her eyes were closed as she begged him in her head to show her another sign. To show them all. Silence filled the room as the others kept vigil along with her. Only Sue Clearwater slipped away to check on Billy.
"Please, Jake." Bella pleaded in her head. "I know you're still here. Come back to me...show me another sign. Please."
There was nothing...
"Bella I think you should come out and rest." It was Embry who broke the tense silence.
Bella turned her head and looked at him. The tears that she thought had dried up began to stream down her face again as despair took away hope and she began to believe that she hadn't really heard Jacob's heart after all. Embry came to her side and took her hand as he helped her to rise. She could see the wetness coating his cheeks too as he grieved for his friend.
"I miss him so much." She choked out.
"I know. I do too." Embry put his arm around her and began to lead her out of the room.
That's when they all heard it...Jacob's chest began to rise and fall as he breathed.
A/N-thanks for reading!