Disclaimer:

Embry: Donna does not own Twilight and much to her dismay, I was not underneath her christmas tree this year.

Me: But Henry Cavill was...kind of. I got the movie Man of Steel, does that count?

AN: I hope that all of you had a Merry Christmas and were able to spend time with your families. Mine was a little crazy and tense but that's normal for us during the holidays. lol

With Matt's birthday less than a week away Bella didn't have anything planned. He hadn't even told her what he wanted for his birthday. He hadn't said much of anything to her since she had removed Jacob's things from the house. She had been making his bed in the room that he shared with Alexander a few days ago and had found a picture of Jacob that had been missing for over three weeks underneath his pillow. She placed the picture frame back where she found it after she had finished making his bed. She would let it go, it was obvious that Matt was having more trouble letting go than she had thought. If it got worse she would consider making an appointment with the therapist that Sue had recommended.

When Matt came home from school that afternoon Bella sat him down to talk about his birthday. It took some prodding since Matt wasn't the type of kid who asked for a lot but he finally confessed that wanted a mini-golf birthday party with only a few friends. That sounded simple enough. All she had to do was get him to tell her what he wanted for his birthday.

"You don't have to get me anything, Mom," he said with a shake of his head.

"Come on Mattie, there has to be something that you want. How about an Xbox One? You asked for one for Christmas but your dad and I weren't able to find one."

"That costs too much," Matt protested.

"Honey, it's fine. Is that what you want?"

Matt's eyes lit up at the prospect of getting a new game system. Alexander had broken the family Xbox in a temper tantrum last summer when John and Matt wouldn't let him play with them so the house had been miraculously video game free for almost a year. Bella smiled down at her almost nine year old son. Even though Matt had Jacob's independent/stubborn streak there was a part of him that screamed he was Bella's son. He was fairly observant for someone so young and he didn't like asking for things when he didn't think he had a right to.

He named a few boys and two girls from his class that he wanted to invite and Bella printed invitations from off her computer before he left for school the next day. She hoped that at least one of his friends could come. She felt horrible for waiting until the last minute to plan something. She called the mini-golf and go cart place in town and luckily they had an opening the day of the party. Now all she had to do was find one of the most expensive and hard to find toys of the year.

She enlisted Sue, Leah and Emily's help and they called every toy store, super store and wholesale store in the phone book. Leah got back to her within half an hour saying that a Walmart in Seattle had one and would be shipping it to the Walmart in Forks by that afternoon. She had given them Bella's number and they would call her when it came in. Bella didn't think that it could be done since it was so close to summer and people were buying them to keep their kids occupied. Bella didn't condone that so there would be major restrictions on playing it for the next few months. She didn't want the boys to spend their summer with their eyes glued to a TV screen.

She had just enough time to wrap the game system and the games she had bought before going in for the afternoon shift at the store. Matt came into the store saying that all five kids wanted to come to his party and were going to talk to their parents. She would need to make a cake for him at some point but she was pressed for time since she had waited so long.

"Why not buy him one?" Nick offered.

Bella and Joey gave him a look that explained everything. Why would someone who specialized in baking go and buy a cake for their child? That was just plain scandalous.

"My mistake. What was I thinking?" he said in his defense.

Both women nodded before going back to what they were doing.

"Why don't I make it for him? I know what he likes. You've got enough on your plate right now," Joey offered.

"No, I can do it," Bella said politely.

"Then at least let me take over the cooking classes scheduled for this weekend. Give yourself time to breath and enjoy Matt's birthday with him," she reasoned.

"That I can do. Thanks Jo, you're a life saver."

"Play a game of Just Dance 2013 for me, it'll be like I was there," she whispered so that Matt wouldn't hear.

Bella nodded with a laugh. She knew exactly what kind of cake Matt would want, she just hoped that the other kids liked it too. She didn't need another parent like the one who had shown up Alexander's party last year with a list of things that their child couldn't eat. Luckily Bella had been able to accomidate the child but she made a note to never invite the child over again, although Alexander loved going over to the boys house to play. If something like that happened again she doubted that she would be nice about it.

XXXX

Quil had thought long and hard about how to ease into a relationship with Bella. They had been toeing the line of what qualified as a relationship for weeks without actually doing anything about it. In Embry's words he needed 'to man up and grow a pair of balls.' Quil knew that Embry was right; he had been waiting nearly four months for Bella to be ready and he finally felt that it was time to take things to the next level.

The only thing that stopped him were the kids. Out of respect of Jacob's memory Bella and Quil had both decided to keep his imprinting on her from them. The twins and Kyla were the only ones who knew what it meant to imprint on someone since it could potentially happen to them. Matt was now old enough to learn the truth, Quil just wished that it was Jacob and not him who would be doing the explaining.

Quil picked up his phone, deciding that he had procrastinated long enough and dialed Bella's number. He tapped his foot nervously against the coffee table as he waited for her to pick up.

"Hello?" she said in a hurried tone.

"Hey. Are you busy?"

"I'm trying to pull Matt's cake out of the oven. Can you hold on a second?"

"Sure."

He heard the phone rattle against the counter as she quickly sat it down and she was back on the phone less than a minute later.

"Okay, I'm back. What's up?"

"Do you have any plans for Sunday?"

"I'm free after Church, why?"

"Would you want to do something with me?" he asked nervously.

"You mean like a date?" she asked with uncertainty.

"It's a good thing I'm not the only one's who's nervous, but yes; I would like to take you out on a date," he said with a nervous laugh.

"What did you have in mind?"

"I don't know yet, I hadn't thought about that," he said laughing again, his nevers finally settling down.

Asking a girl out was nerve wracking at any age and it never got any easier.

"I would need to tell the boys and Kyla about us and Matt's old enough to know," she said with concern.

"Let me handle Matt, it needs to come from someone that has actually gone through it."

"You have a point, Jake was the one who told the boys and Kyla," she agreed.

"Would it be alright if I came over tonight?"

"Sure. And, Quil? I'd like to go out with you on Sunday."

They hung up a few minutes later and he realized that he had worried over nothing. 'Take that Call,' he thought as he stretched out on the couch. Things were going to be fine, just fine.

XXXX

Bella's phone rang once more half an hour after she had hung up with Quil. She set down the icing spatula she was using with a sigh.

"Grand Central Station, this is Flo," she said with a sigh.

"Are you busy?" Alice asked feebily.

"I'm icing Matt's cake for tomorrow and my phone has rung five times in the past half an hour."

"Somebody's popular," Alice teased.

"I can't get anything done. But I will take a break since it's you."

"Thank you," she said politely.

"How are things in Denali?"

"Fine. It's pretty quiet here since Tanya convinced Edward to go on vacation and Rose and Emmett are in Italy on a holdiay."

"Did you call to talk to Matt?"

"I did, but I want to talk to you first."

"Should I be sitting down?"

"It would be best," Alice agreed.

"Okay, go ahead," she encouraged as she sat at the island.

"Correct me if I'm wrong but are you and Quil dating?"

"I wouldn't qualify it as that. We're going on our first date on Sunday. The kids don't even know yet," Bella admitted.

"Can I say something without scaring you?" Alice broached.

"Sure," Bella answered slowly.

"I don't see much of your future since Quil's still with the pack but what I do see is wonderful. Bella, he will never replace Jacob and you will never replace Claire but the two of you will have a long and happy life together. I see the two of you growing old together; I won't say anything else because I don't want to give too much away."

"Did you tell Jake everything that you just told me?"

"All of that and more. I didn't tell him willingly Bella, he practically tortured the information out of me. It hurt me so much to tell him how his family would carry on without him but it was what he wanted," Alice admitted.

Bella hadn't thought of it that way. Alice had probably broken Jacob's heart in that moment but he had asked her to. Bella would never know now that he was gone.

"Telling the kids isn't going to be easy," Bella said cautiously.

"That's part of the reason I'm calling. They'll handle the news just fine. You don't need to worry, now let me speak to my Godson the birthday boy."

Bella called for Matt and he exclaimed in surprise when he heard Alice. Alice was known for playing favorites and she was not shy about her love for Matt. Bella went back to decorating his cake and let the conversation be background noise. She was glad that Alice had called, she had squashed Bella's fears without hardly trying at all.

Once Matt was off the phone she asked him to send the twins and his older sister in to see her. She cleaned herself up while she waited for her three oldest children. The twins came in first and she gestured for them to sit down at the table. Kyla came in fresh from the shower a few minutes later. She sat in between the boys while Bella sat across from them.

"The three of you know that I would never try to replace your dad, don't you?" she asked.

"Yes, ma'am," Kyla spoke up.

"Do you remember when you dad explained imprinting to the three of you? How you have no control over it and you don't get to chose who you imprint on?"

"Has someone imprinted on Kyla?" John questioned, his guard up.

There had been a few members added to the pack over the years but most were old enough to be Kyla's uncles. Bella didn't want to imagine that happening.

"No, Kyla isn't someone's imprint. I am," she admitted.

"Can that happen?" Josh questioned.

"Apparently it can, since it has," John said with a scoff.

"Who is it? Is it Caleb? Or maybe Jack," Kyla pondered.

"It's Quil. He was just as shocked and scared as I was when he told me. I want the three of you to know that I will always love your dad and no one will be able to replace him. Quil understands that and he deserves a chance to be happy. Don't you think?"

"Yes, ma'am," The three of them answered at the same time.

Someone knocked on the door and Josh rose to answer it. Bella could hear Josh and Quil interact as they made their way down the hall to the kitchen. Josh came through the swing door first and held it open for Quil who came in carrying three pizza boxes.

"What's up Pops?" John asked as he grabbed plates from the cabinet.

Quil laughed lightly and Bella bit her lip to keep from laughing. Matt and Alexander came in to the room a few minutes later and Bella went to grab Summer from her playpen in the living room. The baby was playing happily and Bella smiled down at her. Summer gave her a gummy smile as she reached her arms up to her mother. Bella reached for her and Summer placed a loud, wet kiss on Bella's cheek in greeting.

"I love you too, sweet girl," Bella murmured into the baby's hair.

In the kitchen everyone sat at the table waiting for Bella. Quil said grace and once Summer was in her highchair everyone started eating. Quil sat in between Matt and Alexander, carrying a conversation with the two of them easily. It was like taking a look into the future. Quil was sitting where Jacob had sat while he was alive and it was like he was meant to be there and had been a part the family all along.

XXXX

Matt's birthday party had been a success and he had been elated to get his birthday present from Bella and the video games from his younger siblings. The twins had bought him a new skateboard and Kyla had used her babysitting money to buy him a helmet and pads to wear while he rode his skateboard. All of the kids that he had invited had come and the Manga cake that Bella had made was a big hit.

Sunday crept up on her fast and once she got home from church she called Quil to check to see what time she should be ready.

"Can you be ready in half an hour?"

"What exactly are we doing?"

"It's a surprise, all I can tell you is that we'll be outside, so dress for warm weather."

"Thanks for the heads up. I'll see you in half an hour," she said with a light laugh.

She changed into a pair of khaki capris and a white t-shirt and searched high and low for a pair of brown flip flops that Kyla loved to borrow without her permission. She walked the short distance to Kyla's room and saw the shoes peeking out from underneath the bed. She brushed passed Kyla who was at her desk and heaved a sigh of relief when she slipped them on.

"Sorry," Kyla said sheepishly.

"This is what I get for having small feet. At least yours are still growing and I won't have to deal with it for much longer."

"Until you and Summer are the same shoe size."

"I'll lay down the law then. Just remember to ask next time," Bella reminded her.

"Mom, your boyfriend is here," Matt called from downstairs.

Matt had taken the news of being born into a legacy like any nine year old would have. He thought it was the coolest thing in the world and had no problems with Quil being added to the family. She just hoped that the boys never had to experience imprinting first hand.

She met Quil at the bottom of the stairs and smiled in greeting. He wore a short sleeved plaid shirt open with a white t-shirt underneath and a pair of blue jeans. He led the way through the yard to his truck and opened the door for her then helped her climb in.

Quil pointed the truck towards First Beach and within minutes they were pulling into the parking lot. It was a sunny but breezy day, perfect for being outside. Quil grabbed a blanket and a basket from the back seat and they went in search of the perfect spot. Families were scattered along the beach taking in the sunshine and enjoying a reprieve from the rain.

Quil found a secluded spot that not many people knew about. The cove was perfect for a couple on their first date and Bella relaxed a little more. He pulled a few containers out of the basket along with two sandwiches from his mom's store. He pulled a six pack of Coke's from the basket last before turning towards her.

"This is really nice," she said with a shy smile.

"This is where I come to think," he admitted.

"I can imagine that this is a good place for that."

"Claire hated coming here, she always complained about having to sit on the rocks and she could never see the sunset from here," he said with a sigh.

"I think it's beautiful here, but I will miss seeing the sunset."

"Did you and Jake have a special place?"

"We had two. One here where it breaks into channels and one in the mountains where you all fought the newborns."

"You had a special place where the newborn battle happened?"

"We had our second kiss there just before he left to fight the newborns. It was that moment when I realized that I couldn't lie to myself any longer. I was in love with him and I couldn't hurt him and Edward any longer."

"He never mentioned that the two of you kissed before you got together," he marveled.

"I sprained my hand the first time he kissed me," she admitted with a shaky laugh.

Quil shook his head in amazement. He couldn't believe that Jacob had been able to keep this from the pack, then again it wasn't something to brag about. Billy had raised Jacob better than to move in on someone else's girl. The pack knew how Bella felt about Jacob and a few of them held it against her for years after they had gotten together. What had Jacob been thinking? Had he been so desperate that he would have done anything to get his feelings across? Bella didn't seem to mind so he didn't hold it against his best friend.

They talked and laughed as the sun made it's way across the sky. The sun was setting as they walked back to the truck hand in hand. Bella stopped to watch the sun disappear behind the cliffs and the sky was changed from blue to purple and pink. She had always loved this time of day. Jacob had always spent this time with her as the kids got old enough to look after themselves and their younger siblings.

Quil wrapped an arm around her waist to pull her closer to him and she rested her head on his shoulder. He could appreciate sunsets now more than he had as a kid. He had hated when the sun went down as a kid because his mom didn't like for him to play outside after dark and as a young adult he had never taken the time to slow down and enjoy the little things in life. Watching sunsets might have been new to him but he did enjoy it, he would enjoy them even more now that he had Bella to spend them with.

They stayed on the beach until the first stars of the night came into view. Quil rested his head against Bella's, thankful that she was willing to give him a chance. Bella had grown into a strong willed person in the years that he had known her. She hadn't had much of a choice since Jacob hadn't been the type to let anyone walk all over the people he cared about, so he had broken her out of her habit of telling everyone yes just to make them happy.

"Thank you for this afternoon," she said to break the silence.

"No thanks needed Bells, I'm glad that you had a good time."

"I did, did you?"

"Yes, Bella," he said with a deep rumble of laughter.

She smacked his chest playfully with a sigh. After the last year she was glad for the chance to relax and not worry about what would happen next. She and Quil both needed each other more than they realized.