Disclaimer: I only own the plot, Mel, Jace and Derek. Everything else belongs to Stephanie Meyer.

A/N: hello all, thanks to all those who left me a review. So here is the first chapter I promised before Christmas. The next chapter is half written so should be posted on the weekend. Also this chapter is the longest. Love you guys keep leaving me feedback it makes my day, punkwerewolf

Chapter Nine: Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?

When I had first moved to La Push, I had never even dreamed that I would find someone who would actually make life a little bit more bearable. But despite the gloomy depressing nature of the weather, I found my light in the dark in Jacob Black.

Dad had been taking Jace into jobs in Forks, leaving me all alone in our house for the week following my date with Jacob and every single time I found myself lonely I would pick up the phone or he would miraculously appear on my doorstep. Jace had just about had a heart attack the first day he returned home and found the two of us throwing cookie batter at each other in the kitchen. But with Jacob even stupid things like this entertained us.

A phone call on Monday heralded his entrance to the house. The two of us crashing on the living room floor playing Mario Kart, coming first in every race which I didn't exactly think was fair.

Tuesday afternoon resulted in a spontaneous visit, the day was actually half decent so we drove out to First Beach and walked around laughing and goofing around until it was no longer light enough for us to stay outside.

Wednesday morning was a completely random meeting in La Push, I'd been walking around not paying any attention when two large warms hands had picked me up and swung me around. So I spent all day hanging around with Jacob, Quil and Embry. I liked his friends; they made me feel like a complete insider. Plus the embarrassing stories they told me about Jake that caused him to mutter things to himself was way too cute.

By late Thursday afternoon, Dad left to go watch sport at someone's place with a couple of his friends and a few beers. So Jace and I decided that we were going to set up in the lounge room and watch movies and order pizza. Just as Jace was leafing through the menu in the kitchen, Jacob appeared at the front door. Jace was peeved for like half an hour while we waited for our pizza's to arrive, after conveniently remembering how much Jacob ate I made Jace order twice as much as he was going to. Once everything arrived the pizza arrived Jace and Jacob actually fell into a pretty easy conversation, the three of us spreading out on the lounge while we watched movies until Dad finally came home and conveniently suggested Jacob head back home to check in on Billy.

Friday I was hoping that Jacob would just turn up after Jace and Dad left for their weekend fishing trip, but two hours after complete silence from him. I had abandoned all hope that he would miraculously turn up so as I turned the music up on my stereo I leaned across my bed and grabbed my phone. Dialling Jake's number in an attempt to quell my sudden dependence on him. He answered on the last ring before I told myself I was going to hang up and automatically drove over so that we could hand out. Friday night consisted of the two of us lying on my bed, talking and listening to music before falling asleep.

It was as I woke up to a warmth pressed up against my back early on Saturday morning that I realised I had become really attached to Jacob Black and the joy he brought my life. No matter my bad mood or the storm clouds looming he could always make me happy. Although the snoring that was now reverberating through my ear drums kind of put a damper on that happiness right about now.

My gaze flicked to the clock, the red numbers clearing taunting me with the 4:39am blinking at me. I couldn't go back to sleep with him snoring like this and I definitely couldn't get up due to the arm draped across my waist.

I rolled over but I couldn't stop the giggle that bubbled from my lips as I caught sight of the peaceful look on his sleeping face. He looked every bit the innocent as he slept but no sooner had the thought crossed my mind that another ferocious snore left his lips.

"Jacob..."

No response. So I decided maybe a whisper wasn't enough to wake him.

"Jacob..." My voice was a little louder this time and the only sign that he heard me was another thunderous snore. So I resorted to shaking him a little. No response still, could this guy sleep through a hurricane?

I huffed slightly, realising I really had no way of getting up unless I could wake the sleeping god beside me. I summoned up all my strength and pushed him back by applying force to his chest. Although I probably should have noticed how close to the edge he was as he toppled over the end of my bed and collided onto the floor.

"Ouch..."

His sleepy admission came with a groan, as I leaned over the side of the bed to check the damage. "I am so sorry, I didn't realise that you would fall off..."

I watched as he rubbed the back of his head before he collapsed back on the bed. I realised I really probably should have thought before I pushed him off the bed but now that he was awake at least I didn't have to hear him snore any longer.

"You snore..."

His chuckle was broken off with a yawn, his gaze searching for the clock before flopping back on a couple of pillows while I curled up beside him.

"Sure, Sure..."

"You do, it was like a freight train in my ear. Plus I feel like I was held down by a space heater or something..."

This earned me another chuckle before he flicked me on the nose and pulled me closer to him.

"Sorry Mels...It's just a Jacob thing."

I rolled my eyes dramatically as we lay staring at each other in the early hours of the morning. I could feel myself slowly starting to fall asleep again but every time I deemed to close my eyes Jacob would poke me rudely on my nose once more.

Sighing I realised if I didn't talk I was going to fall asleep and every time I tried to go back to sleep Jacob used some new ploy to keep me awake.

"So what are your plans for today?"

"Mel...I have to go to this thing this afternoon. It's the reason I came back."

"What is it?"

"My best friend's wedding..."

"Shouldn't you be going to a Bachelor Party then? I was pretty sure that you guys would use anything as an excuse for a party."

"It's not someone from La Push, she lives in Forks. She's marrying this...guy that I can't stand. But I have to go to it..."

She...? I knew he was hoping that I hadn't heard the hurt tone in his voice when he talked of her and it was as he stared out at the window I drew myself up to a seated position.

Jacob sat up at that point, looking over at the clock before looking back towards me. "I'd better go, I'll see you tomorrow." He leaned over and pressed a kiss to my forehead before he slipped out of my dark room and out into the house. I heard the front door slam as I threw myself back on my bed.

I missed him. But he was lying to me about something.

I knew I was acting like a jealous girlfriend. Hell I wasn't even his girlfriend but the nagging feeling in the back of my head kept telling me there was more to Jacob attending this wedding than what he told me.

I had been thinking about it all morning. As I showered, ate breakfast and cleaned my room; the nagging voice told me I needed to figure out what was behind all of this. So I found myself pacing in front of the phone my doubts ebbing and flowing as I wondered if I could really go through with it.

Should I investigate?

What would I find if I did?

He was keeping stuff from me and I was keeping stuff from him. But I couldn't get over the voice in my head that kept telling me that whoever was getting married meant more to him than he let on.

I cursed under my breath before grabbing the phone and angrily punching the number in that was slowly becoming familiar to me.

"Hello?"

"Hey Mr Black..."

"Mel?" The husky voice of Jacob's father registered my voice even as I regretted ringing him.

"Yeah it's me..."

"Jacob isn't here right now. He is at Bella's wedding, didn't he tell you?"

I felt childish and petty as I posed my next question. Wondering what the hell Billy thought of me even as I spoke.

"Yeah he did, I was kind of hoping you could give me Embry's number. I've got a couple of things I want to ask him."

Mainly who was Bella and what had occurred between her and Jacob.

Embry Call. The guy knew exactly how to make a girl laugh.

Especially when the one person she thought was her friend was lying straight to her face.

Embry had been pretty surprised when I had called him and had insisted that we needed to 'bond'. I had assured him that he could just tell me over the phone but half an hour later here we sat on the lounge in my house. With Embry Call spilling his guts about everything he knew about Bella.

"Bella Swan pretty much took Jake's balls and stuffed them in her purse; guy was a wreck for weeks after she left him for Cullen."

"So they dated?"

If they dated it would make sense why he hadn't mentioned her, especially if he still loved her.

"More in his mind than anything else... Cullen wracked off somewhere a year ago and Bella used Jacob as a distraction. Went to the movies with her and a guy from Forks and they spent heaps of time together here."

So they didn't date. But I was pretty sure Jake still loved her.

"Are they still friends?"

"I don't know. Jacob and Cullen were fighting over her for a while, trying to mark each other's territory but Bella chose Cullen and when they sent out wedding invitations at the start of summer Jacob flipped and left La Push."

So that's where he had been.

"Why did he come back?"

"I think he thought if he came back he could break up the wedding... you know object during the ceremony. But lately I don't think he is going to do that."

"He still went, Embry." I couldn't really hide the hurt in my voice. I realised I cared about Jacob more than anyone and the thought alone scared me but if he still had feelings for Bella I was going to end up heart broken.

"Yeah but I think he went for some closure. He realised that Bella really isn't the one for him...Just took a while for it to get through his thick head."

"Why would he go to get closure? Surely watching a girl you thought you loved get married to someone who isn't you isn't healthy?"

"I'm not good at this girly stuff, are you sure you don't want me to go find Leah?"

He was teasing me and as I looked up to catch the smirk on his lips I shook my head trying to suppress my own grin.

"She hates me Em..."

"She hates everyone." He spoke with such nonchalance that I couldn't help but laugh while Embry ruffled my hair from the seat beside me. "Mel, I can't say why he would or wouldn't go. But the thing is he went and I'm sure he will tell you when he is ready...Jacob has been pretty depressed since the whole incident but around you he actually is himself again. You are good for him and if he doesn't realise it I'll woo you myself." He finished his gleaming wisdom with a waggle of his eyebrows making me laugh again before hugging him.

"Thanks Em..."

"Aw shucks Mel, anytime. I can dispense my wisdom if you invite me over more and I can corrupt you."

Embry left dead on five o'clock mumbling something about having to go meet the guys and that he was going to smell like wet dog for a week. I had bid the ray of sunshine in my rather dull day goodbye before I noticed my brother and father pull into the driveway.

"Did you miss me, favourite sister of mine?" Jace slipped out of the car and made his way towards me as Dad parked the car in the shed and locked the door before joining us on the porch.

"I thought you two weren't coming back until tomorrow?"

"Storm's coming in. No point staying out there..."

With that admission Dad trundled into the house while Jace followed him with their bag. I cast my gaze to the horizon noticing the foreboding black clouds hanging overhead. A shiver ran down the length of my spine as I stood out on the porch taking in my surroundings before the rain started to cascade down to the earth.

For some reason, rain had always comforted me. But today something was nagging at the back of my mind. Maybe it was the fact that Jacob had been keeping things from me or that Embry had indulged in my jealous rambling.

"Mel...come inside."

My father's voice broke me out of my thoughts, I took one last look out into the horizon before going inside but I couldn't help but wonder if I was getting too attached to my life here.

After Dad had cooked what little fish he and my brother had caught on their fishing trip we had stayed curled up on the couch together watching a movie until the storm knocked the power out. Dad strategically placed candles on the second floor in the bathroom and our bedrooms before telling us we were better off going to bed rather than staying up to hear the rain hitting the roof.

After showering I had jumped into bed, falling asleep to the sound of thunder rumbling in the distance and the rain colliding with my window.

I woke up to a strange noise, blinking rapidly in the darkness as I tried to figure out what had woken me.

When the scratching sound came again I looked to the window and a scream caught in my throat. I threw the blankets back from my body before running to the window and opening it, the soaked figure stepping into my room with my assistance.

"What happened?"

"Can I stay here tonight...?"

His voice sounded strained, even as he stood at my window shivering as his gaze searched for mine. It was then I realised Jacob Black was crying.