For Life

Jacob/O.C. FanFiction.

Chapter Four: Confrontations

I sat back on the couch, flipping through channels absently on the TV as Luna rested next to me, her head in my lap as I absently pat her hair. It was odd, in the couple of weeks she had been staying with us, it became obvious to everyone-and everything- that there were little inhibitions between us. At least, that's what it probably looked like to everyone else. My pack understood enough, seeing as everyone had adopted her as their little sister, so to speak, taking turns teaching her random things, petting her when she did good things.

I shifted, and she lifted her head a little to look up at me. Her expression was confusion, probably at why I was being so shifty. I smiled sheepishly before looking back at the TV. She nuzzled into my thigh and closed her eyes, as TV didn't really amuse her.

"Jake?" came a call from the doorway, my eyes glanced up, as did Luna's. Embry and Quil stalked through the door, and smiled at us. Well, Embry's smile was a little bitter.

"Hey guys," I said, motioning to the empty spots on the couch and the chair. Quil sat on the other side of Luna and Embry too the arm chair to the left of me.

"Hello Quil, Embry," said Luna politely; sitting up so there was more room on the couch. Quil smiled.

"Hey, Luna. What are you two up to?" asked Quil, as his eyes found the same boring program mine were glued to.

"Nothing, Billy won't be back until late tonight—I think he's out with Charlie," I said, nibbling on my bottom lip a little. I really didn't like having to say Charlie's name, brought up too many memories. Quil nodded and smiled over at Luna.

"Good, Sam wants everyone at the ledge in a little to go diving," he said happily. The group hadn't been cliff diving in a while, but my eyes hardened and looked over at Quil.

"Is he serious? Luna can't go cliff diving," I said, my brain thinking back to the first night she was with me. I had told Sam, he knew how afraid of drowning she was, and I couldn't risk anything happening to her. Quil frowned, and looked away.

"Sam said you'd say that…he said that he wanted Luna, and that she had to come with." I was shaking as I stood, happy as Luna followed suit, standing behind me. I angled myself so that she was behind me, and I could feel her small, warm hands bracing against my arms.

"She's not going, end of discussion," I said. Just then, as if on cue, the phone rang. I grabbed Luna, dragging her into the kitchen as I pulled the receiver off of the wall. "Hello?" I said harshly, not really caring who was calling me.

"Ah, Jake," I nearly snarled at Sam's voice as it rang through the phone. He laughed, "I'm judging by that response that I didn't manage to beat Quil and Embry."

"She's not going," I barked.

"Yes, she is. I need to see if she can hold her own, and since she's so afraid of drowning, I'm testing her loyalty to me," said Sam matter-of-factly.

"I don't give a damn about her holding her own or her fucking loyalty, she's not going!" I snarled, my hand shaking as it held the receiver, it would be so easy for me to smash the phone right now.

"She's coming, and so are you."

"No, she's n—"

"That wasn't a question."

The phone went dead on the other side. I snarled, placing the phone on the hook. This wasn't good, this wasn't good at all. I felt a small warm hand press against my arm as I looked over, Luna's sapphire eyes staring at me through her messy black locks. I gently pushed her hair out of her face, and she smiled warmly at me.

"C'mon, we've got to go," I said to her. She just nodded and trailed behind me as I stalked through the living room, catching a small glance of a knowing smirk that Quil gave me. I squeezed my hand around Luna's, my brain suddenly rushing with images of the worst-case scenario.

---

I sat on the edge of the cliff, Luna not too far behind me as I stared over the edge into the small river below. It was windy today, and the water was choppy. I cringed, I didn't want her going into that water, not now, not ever. The others were a few feet away, taking turns jumping into the water and coming back. Sam was sitting on the other side of them, his eyes traveling over to Luna and I. He stood and brushed himself off before walking over to Luna and I, everyone else in toe.

"Well, now that the crowds all warmed up," the boys laughed. I glared. "let's get this started. Luna, stand up please," he asked, rather nicely.

I cringed a little when she listened, standing and staring at Sam. I stood and sulked to the back of the crowd, my hands buried in my pockets as I focused on kicking a stone into the dirt. I didn't like this; I didn't like this at all. I barely paid attention to their exchange of words.

"So, Luna, can you swim?"

"Not well," she answered. I heard the boys laugh, I just made it sick.

"Well, I want you to jump into the water," said Sam calmly. There was a pause, a long pause. I looked up, and found Luna staring at Sam as if he were a moron.

"But, I can not swim," she said calmly. Sam's smile faded.

"Jump anyway," he said. The way he said it gave us chills, and I knew that even Luna felt it when she took a step back from him. I smiled and looked back at my feet, kicking the rock again.

"That's…suicidal…"she said. Sam stepped closer to her, and I heard her take another step back.

"Do it," he commanded. I expected to hear her defiant words, but I heard nothing for a moment. I heard rocks crumble, then a loud, ear-splitting scream as I looked up. My eyes focused just in time to see her pale hand disappear over the edge of the cliff.

"Luna!" I shrieked as I pushed through my brothers, running to the edge of the cliff. Sam's strong, warm hand grabbed my shoulder as I brushed past him. I turned to him, my eyes glaring. "Let me go!" I snarled.

"She can save herself," Sam said, his eyes staring at me, commanding me to stay. I couldn't disobey him. My arms shook as I looked back at the edge, my mind moving a mile a minute as I watched the edge. I couldn't defy Sam, I couldn't break this delicate family dynamic that Sam had welcomed me into. But, if I didn't, Luna would die. Luna would…die.

"No, she can't," I said, wrenching my arm from Sam's grasp and diving over the edge. By the time I hit the water, I couldn't see her. I kicked my legs as I went deeper, deeper, and finally, I saw her pale skin against the dark water. I reached out to her, wrapping my arms around her small waist before pushing myself to the surface. She was limp.

"Luna? Luna!?" I said, kicking us to shore as I gently brushed her hair away from her face. Her face was so pale, and her lips were blue. Her normally warm body was freezing to touch as I pulled her onto one of the landings, gently rubbing her hands between mine. I didn't know what to do, she wasn't breathing. Her hands were so cold…

I heard a few shocked expressions as Sam and Embry slid down the cliff, landing next to us. I pulled her close to me, as my hands grabbed her chest. I didn't know what to do, but I didn't want them touching her. Sam's eyes softened as he moved towards us, and I hunched over her, growling at him. I growled at Sam. I wasn't thinking, I didn't know what to do, but I knew that they couldn't touch her, couldn't help her. They were the ones who had hurt her, it was their fault my Luna-my Luna- was dead.

Dead. The word stung to think, and when they said it, it would sting even more. I looked down at her pale face, her blue lips and I felt tears swell in my eyes as I pulled her body closer to mine, burying my face in the crook of her cold neck. No, no, no. I couldn't hear anything, I couldn't feel anything, nothing but devastation in the pit of my chest. I wasn't even angry. It was my fault, I couldn't save her.

I couldn't rescue her when she needed me.

I felt a warm touch on my shoulder, and I snarled up at whoever it was, meeting with Quil's soft eyes. He said something, something I couldn't understand, but I looked back down at Luna and the tears slid down my face. Somehow, Quil managed to detangle her from me and I whimpered when her tiny body didn't fight back.

Sam loomed over her, then pressed his hands to her chest. I snarled, the hair on my body rising; when he pushed his lips to her mouth, I lunged towards him. Quil and Embry tackled me to the ground, holding me still. I was going to kill Sam, I was going to tear him to shreds and enjoy every minute of it for touching my Luna.

"Let me go!" I screamed, trying to push myself off the ground. "I'll kill him, I'll kill him! Stop touching HER!" I barked, feeling my blood boil under my skin.

"Jake, shut up," said Embry, and I was about ready to rip his throat out. That is, until I heard a sputtering cough and weak gasps from in front of me. The tension in my body melted as I watched Luna curl into a ball, coughing water out of her lungs as she shivered on the ground. Quil and Embry's arms fell away from mine and I was next to Luna in an instant.

"L-Luna?" I asked, reaching my hand out to her. She looked up at me, her blue eyes sparkling as she stared at me, then her eyes filled with tears. I wanted to laugh, I wanted to cry, I wanted to pull her into me and never let her go.

I settled for the latter. I wrapped my arms around her small, shaking body, feeling her instantly warm against my skin. We were both wet, and I didn't care. I gently pet the back of her head as she cried against me, and my eyes met with Sam's. His brown eyes were apologetic, but I didn't care. Right now, all that mattered was that she was alive and fine, even if she was freezing and crying. I stood, scooping her into my arms and smiling to myself as she wrapped her arms around my neck, shivering into me.

"Jacob…" said Sam cautiously as I moved past him. I stopped and looked at him, my eyes glaring into his. We stood that way for a moment before I decided to finally say what I had been thinking.

"If you ever put her in that much danger again, I'll kill you myself."

I could virtually hear his pulse rise in anger. I virtually didn't care.

---

It was already dusk by the time we returned to the house, and when I saw the beat up old truck in the driveway, my heart sank. Why was she here, why was she here? I felt Luna cling to my neck, and I looked down at her and smiled. I placed her on the ground, and took her hand in mine as we walked into the living room.

"Hello?" I froze at the sight I saw.

"Hey, Jake," said a soft voice. There she was, her dark hair pulled back into a sloppy ponytail, her pale, heart-shaped face smiling cautiously at me. Her brown eyes were framed by thick lashes as she smiled at me, and I felt my heart skip. My grasp on Luna's hand tightened as I evaded her gaze, my eyes landing on Charlie. I forced a smile to come across my face.

"Bella," I said, looking over at her again. Charlie smiled oddly at me, was he really so pleased that Bella came with him down to La Push instead of gallivanting around with the bloodsuckers? I heard a small cough from behind me, and I turned and looked over my shoulder.

Luna's nose was wrinkled in disgust as she buried her nose in her hand. I laughed a little, before pulling her hand away from her nose and spinning her out in front of Charlie and Bella, making it very obvious that I was holding her hand.

"Charlie, Bella, this is Luna," I said. Luna looked up at me, shocked that I had been so friendly, and to be honest, I was shocked too. She turned to look at them and nodded her head politely. Charlie smiled awkwardly at her, his eyes falling from the hopeful smile he had had a few seconds ago. Bella just smiled, happily from the looks of it, and stood to introduce herself.

"Hi, Luna, I'm Bella, Jake's friend," she said, stretching her hand out to Luna. It was a strange sight, seeing Bella actually taller than someone. Luna looked at me, then softly took Bella's hand. Bella smiled, but within a minute Luna recoiled. "What's wrong?" Luna looked at her, almost like she was surprised Bella didn't know.

"…You smell," said Luna quietly. I had to stop myself from laughing. Bella blinked, then sniffed her wrist.

"No, I don't…" she said, a bit confused. I laughed. So did Billy. Charlie just looked confused.

"Actually, I agree with Luna," I said, wrapping my arm around Luna's shoulder. I pulled her into me, sniffed her wet hair, and fake recoiled. "Whoops, we're wrong, I think that's us." I lied, it was Bella, Luna and I could both smell the leaches on her. Charlie looked like he was about to ask a stupid question, luckily, Billy interrupted him.

"Why are the two of you soaking wet?" Oh, god bless my father. I smiled awkwardly as Charlie and Bella both seemed to have just noticed our current predicament. Luna looked up at me, but I shook my head. She nodded, then went back to examining

"Uh, we went diving with the guys," I said, smiling, "and, if you'll excuse us, we're going to go get changed into some wet clothes." With that, I tugged Luna into my bedroom, happy at the confused gaze Bella and Charlie gave us.

---

I shut the door behind us and leaned against the door, sliding down the white wood until I was sitting on the floor. I closed my eyes, placing my head in my hands. That was strange, that was weird, and that was awkward. I didn't want to have Bella in my house, let alone when Luna was there. Billy would refuse her when he was alone with her, but with Charlie there? He couldn't very well say that Bella couldn't come for a visit.

"Jacob…?" I heard timidly from in front of me. I opened my brown eyes, and they immediately met with the deep sapphire gaze of Luna. Her face was worried, and inches away from mine. Her scent wafted over me, and I pressed myself back against the door, trying to put some space between us. She smelled so good, it made something in the depths of my stomach lurch and my brain swim, it made me want to do things to her, things that shouldn't be done.

"Luna," I said, hoping that she would take the hint and move further away from me. Instead, she moved a bit closer, leaning in so she could stare at me. I swallowed the lump that was forming in my throat, she looked inquisitive again.

"Jake…is Bella your…mate?" she asked, tilting her head to the side a little. I blinked and stared at her, "the mate that left?"

"What? No. Bella isn't my…anything," I said, looking away from her prying blue eyes. "I-I've never had a…mate."

"Do you want her to be your mate?" she asked. I thought for a moment. Had this question arose months ago my answer would have been clear; Yes, more than anything. I would have jumped at the opportunity to take Bella and claim her as my own, to make sure that she was mine and only mine. Months ago, I would have declared my unconditional love for Bella at the top of every roof in North America if I had to.

But, that was before a lot of things happened. That was before I found out what I was, that was before I found out how dangerous I was. That was before I knew that she was happily attached to her bloodsuckers; that was before I knew that she would never leave him; that was before I knew so many things about my world that I know now. I was silent for a while, and I looked back at Luna.

She was looking at me, her blue orbs sparkling with a deep set fear. Her eyes fell from mine, and I recognized the fear. I smiled a little to myself. It was a different fear than the one that had reflected in her eyes when she had almost drowned, it was a different fear than the one she had when the vampire was chasing her. This was a fear I could easily protect her from, a fear I could permanently quell.

I brought my hand to her face, gently cupping her cheek in my warm hands. She nuzzled into my palm, her shimmering blue eyes finding my again as she raised her hand to mine. I smiled at her, then pulled her closer, lightly closing the gap between our lips. Her lips were warm and soft, perfect under mine as I felt her stiffen and try to pull away. I held her tightly, pulling her closer to me, my other arm wrapping around her waist, pressing her to my body. I felt her shiver against me and finally relaxed, her small hands grasping my shirt tightly.

I let her head go, still holding her to my body as she opened her eyes slowly, biting her lip nervously. Apparently, that hadn't registered as my answer. I smiled softly, gently pushing a few wayward strands of hair from her pale face.

"No, I don't want Bella to be my mate," I said. Her eyes sparkled as she smiled quaintly, her eyes darting away from mine. I smiled and pressed my forehead to hers, watching as her blue eyes met my own. "Luna, I want you " I whispered. Her eyes widened as she pulled away from me a little, her face flushed a light shade of pink.

"…What?" she asked, trying to pull away from me. Was she afraid? I tightened my grasp on her waist as she struggled to get away from me. "No…"

"What's wrong?" I asked, as she tried half-heartedly to free herself from me. "Isn't…isn't that what you wanted to hear?" She looked up at me, her eyes wide with fear and confusion, then she let her head fall and shook her head.

"I just…I just didn't want her to take you away from me," she said. Tears started streaming down her cheeks, and I sighed. Girls were illogical, and it apparently wasn't just because of culture, it was purely natural. I gently rubbed the tears away from her cheeks.

"Luna, that's what I'm saying," I said, forcing her to look up at me. "I will never leave you, when I thought I lost you today, it was the single most painful and terrifying event of my life, and I will never let that happen again." I gently kissed her forehead. She shook her head and pulled away from me.

"No, you can't…" she said, before she stood and moved away from me, pressing herself against the far wall. She was crying, holding herself in her arms and looking away from me. "You just can't say that…."

"Why? Luna, don't you get it? I lo-"

"STOP IT!" Fuck. I stared at her, biting my lip to hold back a painful mixture of fury and sadness. I moved closer to her, reaching out my hand. Just to touch her, that's all I wanted, to comfort her, to protect her. I gently placed my hand on her shoulder, but she wrenched herself away, her deep blue eyes glaring at me through her spiked lashes. "Don't touch me." I cringed as she barked those words at me, before moving away from her. She stood and made her way past me, and I heard the door to my sisters' room shut.

I stayed on the floor of my room, leaning against my bed. I felt a few tears well up in my eyes, she hated me. She didn't want me, she didn't…. I fell back onto the floor, pressing my palms to my forehead. Why did I say it? I could have just gone about my normal business and not pushed her away, but noooooo, I had to go and confess. And get rejected.

It was painful. It was painful because if anyone had asked my months ago if I wanted Bella, or even loved Bella, I would have said yes. But, that was before I met Luna. And, now, Luna, the only thing I cared about in my life at this point, didn't want me near her.

I hate the female psyche.

All Characters (save Luna) © Stephenie Meyer, this was made for recreational purposes, and the writer is not gaining any monetary benefit from this.