The day after the funeral, Jacob takes Mackenzie out.

Bella's still gone, but surprisingly (for both of them) he doesn't seem to mind that. However, she sure does. Times are hard and Bella had just taken off on them, for Edward Cullen no less. The thought makes Mackenzie furious. She should be there for them, be with them. One of her father's best friends died and he's taking it hard. Her best friend's father, a man she considered a father of her own, has just died. Her sister should be there for her. She isn't.

Instead, she's out with Jacob Ephraim Black at First Beach. The weather is cold, windy, and the sky looks like it'll give at any moment. Neither of them mind. Mackenzie is dressed in jeans, a hoodie, and a light parka. Jacob wears jeans and a long sleeved shirt. She wonders whether or not he's cold. It's freezing out here.

They sit on the sand, not far from the water, and they talk for hours. Turns out Mackenzie is more than just a sight for sore eyes, she's interesting as well. Jacob's thankful for that (her sister's a little bit of a brick wall in comparison, unless it's about the Cullens), he let's her do most of the talking and asks her about herself. He let's her tell him all about her and he finds that he's genuinely interested. Whether it's the pull of the imprint, he isn't sure, but he likes to think that he and Mackenzie are compatible, even without a spiritual bond to bind them to each other.

She asks questions too and Jacob finds himself answering, spilling his soul without a second thought (but, the alpha order to keep his true nature secret still thumps at the back of his skull). The fourteen year old asks him about his favorite pastimes, his hobbies, favorite foods; all the little things about him that she doesn't know yet, and shares her own.

Jake is sure to remember these things. That she likes pastel colors, because it reminds her of the sun, and her mother and the yellow kitchen cabinets in Charlie's home. It reminds her of Phoenix and the blazing weather. She thinks that pastels go well with Arizona's earth tones.

He files away the fact that she still loves grilled cheese sandwhiches. Takes note of her fondness for Forks and it's constant curtain of rain, and how much she loves the amount of greenery here. Jacob notices that she differs from her sister in more than just looks.

Mackenzie takes after Renee in many ways, more so than her sister. He likes her playful, outgoing banter. Her personality is somewhat that of a social butterfly, but without the attitude to match. In that aspect she's like Charlie, collected and serene, and yet humorus. Mackenzie doesn't share her mothers hair-brained mania, that occasionally shines through in Bella. No, Mackenzie is mature in many aspects, but still a child in others. Jacob comes to love that about her.

He isn't sure how long they spend talking, before the sky gives and it starts to drizzle. Mackenzie is greatful that they'd taken his Rabbit and not the bike, as they make their way back up the beach and tuck under the shelter of the Rabbit's roof. They laugh at their damp clothes and she ruffles his wet hair. Jacob chuckles along, at tucking her own wet curls behind her ear. And, for a brief moment Jacob wants to kiss her. There in the front seat of his tiny car, but he reminds himself that she's only fourteen, that her birthday was just a few short months ago. It's only two years difference, a part of him argues, but Jacob smothers the thought. Two years or not, she's barely a teenager, and just a few days ago he was so sure of his love for her older sister.

Jacob sits back against the driver seat and forces himself to relax. Take things slower, he tells himself. She's just a kid, Bella's baby sister, Charlie's little girl. But, the wolf could care less about all of that. All it cares about is it's mate, sitting beside him. Shivering, with wet hair and damp clothes, and that he could surely warm her up. Jacob shakes his head and turns the key in the ignition. "Something wrong, Jake?" Mackenzie asks.

He shakes his head, pushing away the wolf and it's thoughts of the inviting curve of her side, "Just a bit chilly's all," he replies, and turns on the heater. It's only a moment before the warm air is blazing through the vents, heating up the car and drying their clothes. Mackenzie pulls her cell phone out of her pocket, tells him they sat out there for two hours.

Her stomach cuts off the rest of the conversation, loud grumbles interrupting her mid-sentence. Jacob laughs and she smiles, sheepishly. He drives them to Sue's diner for lunch.

Sue isn't there, but her friend is running in for the week. Mackenzie talks to her about the Clearwaters, asks her how Sue's doing. Mackenzie hasn't spoken to Seth all day. After the reception, she'd offered to stay over, but he'd wanted to be alone. So she'd gone home with her father. When she woke, she'd called him, but he hadn't answered. She'd called the house but, Sue asked her to give him some time.

Jacob can see that Mackenzie is upset, he guesses it's about Seth. But, Sue told Sam that her son had wanted to be alone suddenly, that he's been having outbursts. It seems the youngest Clearwater will phase any day now. He's glad that Mackenzie is separated from that, no one wants her to get hurt (and his wolf is happy that he can have his mate all to himself).

They eat cheeseburgers and try to fall back into the same upbeat attitude from earlier, but Jacob can sense her wavering. She smiles at him, but he knows she's still worries about her friend. He quickly finds that jealousy when related to his imprint, is nothing like the jealousy he felt because of Cullen and Bella. This is completely different, he realizes how absurd he's being, jealous of her best friend. But, still he doesn't like the thought of her with Seth Clearwater. He hates that there's a man that isn't him (aside from her father) that knows so much about her, that is so close to her. Jacob swallows his pride and tries to forget about it.

At four in the afternoon, Jacob takes her home. Charlie's car is in the driveway, but so is a silver Volvo C30. Mackenzie can see the way that Jacob's face twists in disdain, worse than the night Bella had taken off. He walks her to the door and talks with her casually, but she can tell that something's off. It isn't long before he scoops her up into a hug, lifting her off of her feet and setting her back down before he tells her he has to leave.

Mackenzie feels a dull ache in her chest as she hugs Jacob a final time, making him promise to call and watching him duck back into the Rabbit. As he drives away, the door opens, the sound of her father's angry voice echoing down the hall as Edward Cullen steps out onto the porch beside her.

The bronze haired boy's nose wrinkles, as if smelling something bad and he shoots Jacob's retreating car a glare.
Edward turns to her shortly after and gives a small smile, "Hello Mackenzie."

She gives the older boy a dull look, trying not to frown at him. He'd hurt her sister. Mackenzie briefly recalls Bella's zombie comatose-like state in the months after Edward had left. She flinches at the same time Edward does, so she doesn't see it. Still, after all the heartache, Bella has apparently taken him back. So, despite her true feelings and her personal opinion, she decides to do what would save her a fight with her sister.

She gives Edward a half hearted smile, "You back for good this time?"