So, Alix had imprinted on Quil and vice versa.

And the world was going to come tumbling down.

This had never ever happened before. A wolf imprinting on another wolf was simply unheard of. But it had happened. Even if it is highly unusual and sort of impossible. And when Jake heard the news through the grape vine...

He simply lit a fuse and hit the roof.

"What?!" Jake had sputtered when he heard that Quil held more than friendship for his daughter.

"There's no way! That is not possible and I will not allow it! I'm gonna strangle that boy and bury him for good!" Spit had spewed from his furious mouth.

Bella had tried to calm him down.

That ain't work.

"Jacob Black. Will you get a grip? So what if your daughter has a guy offering his love to her. So what? We knew it was going to happen and agreed we'd keep our heads for this. And why would you be upset that it's Quil Jr., someone you know and can trust. Plus, he's millions of times better than any other boy can be. He'd protect our Alix perfectly. What, did you want Wes Call to be the one asking her out?" Bella had argued.

Jake blinked dumbly when he heard his wife's reasoning. Then he frowned when he heard Wes' name.

"That perverted pig! Son of a..."

"DAD! Enough already! Jeez! I promise, if Wes' even looks at me funny I will beat him to a bloody childless pulp!" Alix exclaimed when her dad would not give up his ranting.

Jake sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"I'm sorry, baby girl. I really am. But this news is just so...crazy to me. Maybe even crazier than when I turned..." Jake closed his eyes and balled his fist tightly. He didn't want to talk about that yet. His experience of turning into a wolf was less...pleasant than his kids. He had an actual enemy to fight against at a young age. His kids were changed just because of that funky gene pool of theirs reacting to who knows what.

"Anyway...so sorry." Jake breathed through his mouth slowly. He really didn't feel like ruining his newest pair of shoes just yet.

Alix tried to smile at him but it came out more as a grimace. This news was really taking its toll on her too. It was one thing to imprint on someone else. That person is your entire world for the rest of your life. It's another thing for you to imprint back. Imprinting really was as strong as love if not more. When two people imprint on each other...wow. There are no words. You're suddenly renderedweak and cannot fight back against the incredible pull in your body that's saying it wants, no needs, that other person near you, besides you, at all times.

Alix felt like she was going to loose her sanity.

First: girl is turned into werewolf.

Girl accepts unavoidable destiny.

Second: Girl meets boy.

Boy sees girl.

Third: Boy imprints on girl.

Girl imprints...back?

Fourth: Whoa.

Totally did not see that one coming.

And life as we know it does a full 180 degree flip on us and we become confused all over again just when things started looking like they were finally making sense to us.

Alix sighed. "It's cool, dad. Everything will work out fine and you know it. Now stop making such a fuss!"

Jacob smiled at her, baring all of his bright white teeth.

"Sure thing, buttercup."

Alix winced at her childhood nickname.

Quil had freaking given her that name.

Ooh, dad was so going to get it.

"Say it again and I'll pummel you deep into the very core of the earth." Alix threatened with a low growl.

Jacob's eyes gleamed. He opened his mouth.

"Maybe another time." Bella stepped in between the two.

Honestly, it felt to her like she was raising three children instead of two.

Oh well. It kept things interesting.

Alix smiled angelically at her mother. Jacob winked at his wife. Bella rolled her eyes at the both of them.

"Do I have to send you two to your rooms?"

Alix shook her head.

"Of course not, honey." Jacob answered with a grin.

Bella rubbed her temple slowly as she walked out of the room.

The two Blacks looked at each other conspiratorially.

"That went...well?" Alix said slowly.

Jacob winced. He still had to deal with this.

His way.

"I think it's time I had a little talk with Quil." Jacob said, heaving himself off the couch.

Alix groaned.

"Dad, I really wish you wouldn't."

"Oh, I know."

Alix sighed, messed up her hair.

"Please, go easy on him daddy. Anyway don't you remember when you used to say that you'd rather have Quil as my boyfriend than the other dogs out there?" Alix reminded him. It wasn't so long ago, really.

Jacob paused midstep.

He groaned. "Allie girl, please don't do this to me."

Alix grinned behind his back.

"Then leave Quil alone. Or go easy on him daddy."

Jacob's mouth twisted.

"I'll think about it." Jacob said reluctantly.

"That's all I ask for." Alix told him.

Then her ears perked up, Jacob's too.

A wolf could be heard howling in the distance.

"Damn! He couldn't keep quiet about this, could he?" Jacob muttered angrily as he recognized the howl of complete serenity. It was the same howl he had uttered, and Sam, and Quil Sr., and all those before him who had found their other half. It was uncontrollable and a wolf naturally had to share it with his pack.

Even if the one he imprinted on was one of the pack members.

Jeez.

Alix blushed as she recognized the howling.

"Dad? Will I do that too?" She asked hesistantly.

Jacob breathed hard through his nose.

"Well, we'll soon see, won't we? It might be different for girls. Leah hasn't yet imprinted nor has been imprinted on. So, I wouldn't know anything, Allie."

Alix nodded absently. That was strange. Some people never found their imprints while others just got lucky...like her.

Then she let a growl slip between her teeth.

"I'm going to kill him." She muttered, suddenly furious for some reason. She felt like she was PMSing. Weird.

"I think we've found our answer then." Jacob mumbled, secretly glad. So, the girl wolves had a certain line that couldn't be crossed when it came to this...

Why couldn't he just stop being surprised that all the dang legends were true?

Jacob sighed. "Looks like I'll have to take care of this unofficial meeting. I really don't think you want to be embarrassed by your boyfriend."

"Boyfriend?" Alix asked incredulously. Even though she didn't want to admit it, she liked the sound of that. But she felt like 'boyfriend' wasn't quite strong enough. Quil was...a part of her now, like he'd always been. Maybe she hadn't been so aware of it before but now everything was different.

Sometimes she felt like this werewolf thing was a little too overwhelming to handle. She never felt under control anymore. Everything could change in a second because of a little decision she did. She wasn't stupid. She knew that no one could no she was a werewolf. They'd call her crazy and lock her up. Course, she could spring free but....

"Oh c'mon Alix. You love this boy, whether you want to or not. Now, you have to be responsible about it. I'm thinking that this thing is going to be 2x as strong as....'normal ones' that include plain people. You feel that tingle now, don't you? You just have to be near him." Jake spoke strongly but hesitantly.

Alix blinked as she thought about it. This...feeling was making her jumpy. She felt her hands itching to hold another certain pair. Her mind still recognized the scent of Quil. Heck, her brain was telling her to get out of here and get to Quil!

Arrgh! Why did life have to be so complicated? On one hand, she wanted to pound him; on the other, she wanted to hug him close and never let go.

"C'est la vie." Jacob said quietly, sensing the complete turmoil in his daughter's thoughts. Some weird wolfy connection spark plug going on.

Alix sighed. "I guess so."

Then she smirked as she turned to look at him.

"But that doesn't mean I can't change it."

"What're you....?"

"LATER DAD!" Alix yelled as she left the house and ran out the door.

Jacob sighed as he watched his daughter lope off into the woods, sprinting across the newly cut lawn.

In her room, Bella giggled.

Jacob held back a smirk as he began to sneak up on his wife steathily.

"Oh, you think that's funny do you?" Bella spoke without looking behind her to check if it was Jacob.

Jacob's jaw dropped. He'd been sure to be quiet!

"How'd you....?"

"Experience. Plus, I kinda feel your presence. It's like you're a big stain on my personal space radar...."

Jacob growled and charged at his wife and proceeded to...tickle her.

"AAAHHHH!!!!" Bella screamed as she kicked and floundered about like a little kid.

"GETTOFF JAKE!!! C'MON! I GIVE UP!" Bella shouted, tears coming out of her eyes as she laughed.

Jacob roared laughingly. "NEVERRRRRR!!!!!"

"JAKE!!!!" Bella squealed laughingly.

Jacob finally stopped tickling her and they collapsed on the furry floor together, exhausted and full of giggles.

Bella got a strange expression on her face. Then she went cross-eyed.

Her eyes grew wider and she sprinted towards the waste basket in her room....and emptied out her stomach.

Jacob jumped up and rushed over to hold his wife's hair out of the way.

He rubbed her back soothingly and whispered in her ear. "It's alright honey. Let it go. Thaaat's it."

Bella responded with a quelching belch and heave of grossness. Eww.

"And what, dear wife of mine, have you been eating?"

Bella shook her head and slowly stood up with Jake's help. She giggled and rubbed her stomach.

"I've been eating what I always do Jakey. But this has happened a lot. I guess I should be used to it. I mean, this is the 3rd time right? It still feels new to me though, eating twice as much." Bella rambled on and on to herself.

Jacob frowned in utter confusion and concern.

"Bells? What are you talking about?"

Bella looked at her husband and smiled widely. She reached out and grabbed his hand, squeezed it, and slowly brought it to her stomach.

Jacob's face was expressionless and he was frozen. His brain was not working at all. The little guinea pig running on the wheel had stopped for a little hiatus.

Jacob couldn't move, period.

"Jake?" Bella whispered.

Jacob turned and looked at her and her voice seemed to break the spell. His face broke out into a huge smile.

"I'm going to be a daddy?" Jacob asked incredulously.

Bella cracked up laughing. "You're already a daddy, remember?!"

Jacob rolled his eyes, still laughing. "I know that! You know what I mean!"

Her laughter just grew louder with joy. This made Jacob the happiest he's been in days, despite the unfortunate news of the imprinting.

"How far along are you? You feeling ok, aside from the heaving? Is it a boy or a girl? Both?" Jacob shot off, remembering the important questions he wanted answers to as his first and second kids' births drifted up from the murky recesses of his mind.

Bella's eyes twitched when he mentioned the possibility of twins. She wanted to hit him.

Instead, because she loved him so, Bella pressed a single finger to his mouth and smirked.

"Be patient, Jacob. Let's let this one be a surprise. And I really doubt that it's going to be twins, hon."

Jacob pouted and kissed his wife's finger. She swatted at him with a giggle.

Patiently and sort of mischieviously, Jacob eyed his wife.

"What?" Bella smiled at him, curious.

"What do we tell the kids?" Jacob asked her, a twinkle in his eye.

Bella grinned widely. She hadn't felt so giddy and secretive for a while.

"Who says we have to tell them?"