Chapter 11: Giving Back

Disclaimer: S. Meyer owns Twilight


Little Jacob was such a good baby; he was definitely sent from heaven. He was so docile and quiet like his daddy, that I would have to wake him up to feed him. I was expecting to get little sleep and have to stuff cotton in my ears, but Jacob hardly ever cried. I felt so blessed, and admittedly, spoiled. What would I do when the next one came along?

Embry had kissed me goodbye as he went off to the library to Xerox some papers. I had Jay in my arms, rocking him to sleep in the bedroom. A light began to fill up the room, and there was my Jacob standing before me. He came closer, and crouched down at my feet, smiling his Jacob smile. He reached out and smoothed his hand along the top of the baby's soft hair.

"Damn, girl. You did good. Nice looking kid, huh? Told ya so. Man, he's got quite a head of hair. It looks just like mine." He continued gently ruffling his fingers through the tufts of black. He's gonna grow up to be as irresistible as the guy he was named after."

He gazed up at me with those warm brown eyes, laughing softly. "Better buy this kid a baseball bat to keep the chics away.

"Jacob. Ephraim. Call. Has a nice ring to it, huh?"

He straightened slightly, and leaned over, planting a kiss on the baby's head. Jacob stood up once more.

"Well, I guess I better go. I just wanted to see how you were doin'"

I suddenly panicked. For some reason, I felt in my heart that I would never see him again.

I grabbed his arm, not wanting to let him go. "Wait," I pleaded. "Don't leave. You don't really have to leave yet, do you?"

"Bells, you know I can't stay. I only came here tonight to see you and the baby and to say goodbye. My work here's finished. I'm sorry. This is the last time you'll see me. You might be able to sense my presence, but I'll be invisible to your earthly eyes.

"You don't need me anymore. Embry's taken good care of you. I knew he would. He'll be a great father too, maybe better than I would have been. Just promise me you'll tell the little guy about me. You wouldn't want him to grow up and tarnish my good name now, right?"

He turned to go, and began to fade away.

I rose from the chair and yelled, "Jacob Black!"

Jacob stopped and looked over his shoulder at me one last time.

The tears were rolling down my cheeks. "I won't ever forget you. My love for you was real."

"I know, honey. Now, you take care of little Jacob and Embry for me. Goodbye, Bells."

"Jake . . .," I cried, "Jake!" but he was gone, back to his new home.


The years rolled by, and Embry and I both graduated.

We moved back home not long after graduation. I worked, teaching lit classes at the La Push High School when the kids got older. I was the only white woman there, but being Embry's imprint, no one could say a word about it.

Embry got a grant from the government and the council. With it, he started a community garden, growing all kinds of produce. With his know-how, he supervised the building of retractable awnings that protected the plants from inclement weather. A market place was set up on the garden site to sell the surplus, and there was even a fruit press so people around La Push could bring their apples, or other fruits and make their own cider or fruit butters.

Everyone was happy to help with the seeding, transplanting, fertilizing, weeding, and selling of the produce. His proudest accomplishment, was a raised garden bed, waist high, that could accommodate the handicapped. And don't you know, that Billy Black was out there every day getting his hands dirty?

As I said, Embry and I had two other children, another boy, named Joshua, and a girl, Sarah. Jay grew up into a strapping young man, and was true to his namesake. And as for my Jacob, I never saw him again, but knew in my heart that he was always there in La Push watching over us and his people.

The End