A little bit of Cullen action for you people who think this story is lacking. If you read this you'll know more is coming in the near future. Thanks to my beta, Kate Pedroso. Please read and review! I've got quite a few people on the story alert and I'd like to hear from you guys!

Disclaimer: All the wonderful characters belong to Stephenie Meyer and her Twilight series. Stephenie, I hope I did Jacob justice.

Before I knew it Saturday had come and I was actually looking forward to the barbeque. Quil and Embry came over about mid-morning to help me set up. They had brought over extra camp chairs and two picnic tables from the Clearwater's and the Ateara's. We brought the kitchen table and an extra folding table outside. Sam was going to bring by his grill later on. There was no way we could feed a whole pack of wolves at once without more than one grill. The whole pack but Collin and Brady, I reminded myself. They couldn't make it today.

Before I knew it, it was time to make one last trip to the store. I'd promised Billy that I would do it the day before but I didn't want to go alone. A run-in similar to the one last time I was in Forks wasn't something I was looking forward to. Quil and Embry understood. We took Embry's truck because it had just enough room for all three of us to fit in the extended cab.

Quil spent the entire drive telling lame jokes he had recently heard and Embry spent the entire time mocking him for them. I just sat back and laughed at both of them. I was too nervous to add much to the conversation. I'm probably worrying for nothing.

It turns out I was. We walked around the store picking out huge bags of chips, cases of soda, and mountains of brats, hot dogs, hamburger meat, and buns. To someone else it might have appeared that we were going to be feeding an entire army of people. I smiled to myself. That's not too far off; it's just a different kind of army. We didn't bother getting anything for dessert, knowing that anything Emily, Kim, and Sue would bring couldn't be matched by store bought items. I paid and we loaded up the truck.

Leaving the store I had an awful feeling of disappointment. I had known part of me would have loved to run into Bella simply to see her again. It's probably best this way, I reminded myself. No reason to torture yourself. You'd just end up ruining everyone else's day by pouting in your room afterwards. The voice in my head could get so annoying some days, mostly because it was right.

By the time we returned around noon, Billy was outside with Sam, Emily, Sue, Leah, and Seth. Sam had started both the grills and Seth was standing by, ready to help if asked. So eager to please, I chuckled to myself while shaking my head. He saw our fate less as a burden and more as a very exclusive club to which he now belonged. For some reason, just being around Seth and the younger wolves made me feel old.

Emily and Sue were setting out bowl upon bowl of different side dishes. Leah was unsuccessfully trying to start a fire in the pit. You could practically feel her impatience from across the yard. "Why do we need a fire during the day anyway? We're using grills damnit," she muttered.

Paul, Jared, and Kim showed up next. Kim was carrying a couple pies that smelled absolutely mouthwatering. "Hands off mister," she said as I came to greet them. My eyes had been on the dessert and she had noticed. "These are for after dinner." She took them into the house and then joined Emily and Sue in putting out the rest of the food we had brought home from the store.

I tossed ice, water, and soda into four coolers set next to the house while Quil and Embry assisted Sam with the grills. Jared went to help Leah with the fire that was still nonexistent while Paul put out some lawn games. Everyone tried to keep him as far away from the food as possible; we knew he wouldn't be able to help himself from 'testing' everything in sight.

I went into the kitchen and got to work making the hamburger into patties, pulling out spices as I needed them. We had a ton of meat and I knew it was going to take me a while. "Can someone come in here and help me with the burgers?" I yelled out the open window.

"You rang?" Not who I was expecting…or hoping for. Leah went over to the sink and washed her hands.

"Did you get the fire started?" I was not trying to irritate her but Leah is Leah; she takes everything wrong.

"No. Jared is on it," she growled. "Do you want help or not?"

"Yes. There's another couple pounds over there," I said, pointing to the counter near the fridge. She found a bowl in the cupboard and tossed some meat in along with different spices and then kneaded the meat. It started to become an awkward, uncomfortable silence. "So…how are you?"

She didn't look up from the bowl. "I'm fine. Bored."

"Bored?"

She looked at me like I was an idiot. "Yes, bored. As in, nothing to do. I can't go back to my old summer job at the daycare. It's just too dangerous these days. I'm afraid a group of kids will start fighting, and I'll lose my patience, and accidentally phase." She sighed and went back to making hamburger patties. "So now, I don't know what to do. I have to find something soon. I need to help with some bills around the house." Ever since Harry's death I knew things had been tight for them.

Geez, are all of us going through this right now? Quil, Embry, and I weren't the only ones worrying about the future. "I hear you."

"How are you doing?" she asked. I couldn't tell if she was just asking to make conversation or if she really cared.

"Better." It wasn't a lie. "Life goes on, right?"

"Sometimes…or so they say." She was looking out the window now. Sam was giving Emily a peck on the cheek and she smiled up at him radiantly. Leah sighed and looked back at what she was doing. "I heard you're going to be the best man."

"That's the plan, I guess."

"Mmhmm." I didn't know what kind of response that was but she didn't say anything else. She finished her pile of burgers in silence, washed her hands, and took the plate out to be put on the grill. It was the first civil conversation we'd had since before the battle with the vampires. It was a start.

I brought my pile of burgers outside and then settled myself in one of the chairs. Sue, Leah, and Emily were sitting together nearby as were Billy and Quil's dad. Paul, Seth, Jared and Kim were playing horseshoes while Sam manned the grill.

Laughter floated over the breeze with only the occasional complaint from Paul that Jared was cheating. I closed my eyes with a smile, enjoying the sunlight. The barbeque gods have blessed us with a very fine day. I could feel the warmth putting me into a trance.

Just then I heard a familiar rumbling moving closer to our home. I could see the hood of Bella's truck parked on the street just around the front of the house. What the hell…? I sat forward and looked at Billy. "Did you invite-"

"No," he cut me off. Just then Charlie walked into view…alone.

"Hey Billy," Charlie said with a smile. "Hi Jake." He was still smiling as he looked at me but I could see the sadness in his eyes.

"What's that you brought?" Sue asked as she gave Charlie a peck on the cheek and took the pan from him.

"Bella made brownies." Bella's brownies were one of my favorite desserts. Charlie came over to me and shook my hand. "It's good to see you, Jake. Bella said to tell you hi and that she's sorry she couldn't come." All I could do was nod. Charlie excused himself to go get a drink and sit down next to Billy. They started recapping the most recent baseball games and scores. I couldn't just sit there anymore.

"Do you need any help, Sam?"

He looked at me and pointed to another spatula. "You can turn those burgers. The brats and hotdogs are almost done," he yelled to the others.

Everyone made their way to the picnic tables holding the food and started piling it on their plates. Charlie looked at all the food and then at the people standing around. "How many more people are you expecting, Billy?"

Billy chuckled. "This is it, Charlie. You've never seen a group of growing Quileute boys eat, have you?"

Charlie looked back at the food and then at all of us, shaking his head. "You're kidding right?"

"You'll see," Billy promised.

Sam and I finished everything on the grill and then got our own food. It was quiet for awhile as everyone ate. Eventually stories began to fly about how things were going on the reservation and rumors about the stupid things tourists were doing in the area.

"I'm really glad those attacks have stopped," Charlie said with obvious relief. "I didn't really know how to handle the situation. I thought I was going to have to bring extra help. It would have obliterated the tourist season around here if it had continued."

"You're welcome," Paul said under his breath as he took another bite of his burger. Jared launched a carrot at his head and Sam shot Paul a look of warning.

"What was that?" Charlie asked, frowning.

"Nuffin'," Paul replied with a full mouth. He shoved the last bite of hot dog in next as Jared challenged him to a rematch of horseshoes. Paul accepted and Kim and Seth got up to join them.

This is what happens when you have one person on the outs who doesn't know what's going on; people slip or say something stupid. Not that I didn't like seeing Charlie. It had been awhile and he was someone I truly cared about. It just made things more difficult to be ourselves, to be able to talk freely.

"It's good to see Jake back. He looks completely healed already. Thank heavens for Carlisle Cullen, eh?" Charlie was speaking in low tones now. In any other situation only Billy would be able to hear, but it wasn't a 'normal' situation. Billy simply grunted in agreement. "So…have you guys decided whether or not you'll be coming to the wedding?"

I pretended to concentrate on my food and listened to Billy's response. "I'll probably be able to come. But Jake…," he hesitated, shaking his head. "I don't think so, Charlie. He has had a rough time these past few weeks."

"I knew she should have waited until he was feeling better," Charlie mumbled unhappily. I knew he would rather she never made the decision to be with Edward in the first place. He had always favored me and I had used it to my advantage as much as possible in the past. It wouldn't matter now. I closed my eyes and leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees.

"Charlie, I don't think it would have mattered when she did it. It was going to hurt either way."

"How bad is it?" Charlie was concerned and I knew he was probably remembering how Bella reacted last fall.

Billy replied in the quietest voice he could and I had to strain to hear the rest of the conversation. "When he first came back he tried as hard as he could to avoid talking about her. He is more quiet now, more reserved…but he is fighting to get back to himself. I can see it. But the wedding? I think it would break him, Charlie. He knows it's coming and that is bad enough; but to actually be there would break him I think."

I couldn't listen anymore; I got up. Charlie, Billy, and Sam all looked at me. "I'm going to get some dessert."

I made my way to the house but went to the living room instead of the kitchen. I looked at our new second-hand couch and groaned. It was the ugliest piece of seventies material you could find with garish orange and brown flowers. It was enough to make a person nauseous. I quickly found an old navy blue sheet to throw on top of it before sitting down. I sprawled my legs out in front of me and let my head drop back with my eyes closed. Laughs and light-hearted arguing floated in from the game of horseshoes, and I started to relax again.

As much as I cared for Charlie, I really wished he hadn't come today. Life was just starting to feel normal again. I sighed. I'm not going to let this break me down again. I'm fine.

Just then a deep scream of pain woke me out of my state. I jumped to my feet and ran outside as quickly as I could. Everyone was standing in a semi circle around Billy. He was laying on the ground beside his wheelchair, blood pouring out a long cut in his left leg. Sam grabbed a handful of napkins from the picnic table and put pressure to the cut. Charlie helped him into a sitting position.

I rushed over and knelt beside him. "What happened?!" I bellowed in anger.

"Relax, Jake. Sue accidentally knocked a knife off the picnic table and I tried to get up to get it and tripped. I fell on the knife. It's fine, really."

"You could give Bella a run for her money with that move, Billy," Charlie joked, though concern filled his face.

"Lets see how bad it is before we get all worked up," Sam suggested. He made a move to wipe away the extra blood and pulled the napkins back. Blood continued to ooze in moderate amounts. It was a deep cut. I went inside to get a clean towel and some gauze from the first aid kit. I returned to Billy and made a makeshift bandage around his leg.

"I'm taking you to the ER. This is going to need stitches at least," I growled. I wasn't happy about going but it wasn't something I was going to pass on to one of my brothers either.

"I'll drive you," Embry offered. Emily went inside to get another towel to put down on the back seat of the truck cab. I lifted Billy inside as if he weighed nothing. Though I was sure it was a move that would surprise Charlie, I wasn't worried about exposure right now. I threw his wheelchair in the back and then climbed in beside him, putting his leg on my lap and holding pressure to the bandage. Quil jumped in front with Embry and we drove off. Sue followed us in her car with Charlie in the passenger seat. I knew Sam, Emily, and the rest would stay behind.

I concentrated on watching the road ahead as we drove into town. I had hopes that it would be Dr. Cullen's day off, but I wasn't going to hold my breath. This is NOT what I need right now, I thought as I exhaled harshly.

"I'll be fine, Jake," Billy said, thinking he had to reassure me.

"I know, dad." We pulled into the ER entrance and people in hospital scrubs came out to meet us. I helped Billy out of the truck and onto a cart before looking up at them. When I finally looked ahead to the ER I started. I was looking right into a pair of golden eyes. Damnit.

Ohhhh, is that my first actual cliffhanger? haha I've got the next chapter ready to post. Let me know what you guys think. (hint, hint).