Chapter – 21
The multiple shower heads came in handy when it came to showering quickly. Lil threw some boxers, socks, blue jeans, white t-shirt and white sneakers at Jake while she dressed herself in a brown twill overalls with teal trimming, teal t-shirt and brown boots. Lil asked him to braid her ponytails before turning them into buns, she looked adorable. Jake made the bed, allowing her to finish getting ready before heading downstairs to the kitchen. He leaned against the counter as she cooked, singing and dancing along to salsa music. It was not the first time he'd seen her do that, but it never ceased to amaze him. He was enjoying the view as the bloodsuckers arrived, silently making their way to his side. Dr. Fang stood behind his wife with his hands at her waist, Blondie stood holding hands with Emmett and as usual Tink had Jasper glued to her waist. Emmett and Dr. Fang patted Jake's back as everyone smiled looking at Lil. She turned around giving that beautiful smile that never failed to take his breath away.
"I'm so glad to see your eyes sparkle again, honey" Wifey said to Lil
"It's nice to see you here, Jacob" Doc smiled
"I knew everything would work out" Wifey added "True love always does"
"I hope you don't mind I stay here another night?" Lil asked
"Of course not, sweetie" Wifey answered
"Both of you are welcomed to stay as long as you want" Doc stated patting Jake's back
"Thanks" Jake answered "I can't be away from her, specially now"
"We all know that" Tink laughed
"I would offer you some food" Lil laughed "But I know you already ate"
"I'm glad this kitchen is finally getting some use" Wifey smiled
"Enjoy your meal" Doc added
Dr. Fang walked out of the kitchen, everyone followed, leaving Lil and Jake to eat alone. Doc went into his study, Wifey went into her office, Emmett and Blondie went out to the garage and Tink and Jasper went into the living room to watch some chick flick. After eating the fried chicken and potato salad Lil made, he helped Lil wash the dishes and clean everything up before joining Tink and Jasper in the living room, where Tink sat on Jasper's lap. He sat on the other couch, pulling Lil into his lap.
"Your hair looks cute like that" Tink said to Lil
"Thanks" Lil smiled "Jake braided it"
"Good to see your hands are gifted in many areas" Tink giggled looking at Jake
"Jake's hands can do wonders" Lil giggled
Jake half-smiled, Lil and Tink giggled while Jasper held in a smile. Tink and Lil watched the movie as Jasper and Jake watched them. Lil and Jake sneaked a couple of kisses in, but pretty soon were making out. Jasper proved he could sense emotions as he and Tink began making-out as much as Jake and Lil were, which was pretty funny. Their fun was interrupted when Emmett and Blondie walked in.
"Nice example you're giving the children, Alice" Blondie snapped
"They started it" Tink laughed "Jasper's only going along with the feeling of the room"
"Come on, Rose" Emmett reasoned"They weren't doing anything"
Emmett gave Jake and Lil a big grin as he sniffed the air around Lil.
"They had their fun earlier" he laughed. Blondie rolled her eyes, Tink giggled, Jasper smiled, as Lil and Jake laughed. "It's all good" he added "About time Edward's bed saw some action"
"No, it didn't" Lil laughed
Emmett looked at her a bit puzzled before sniffing her again.
"I know you two go it on, I can smell it" he stated "So it was somewhere else"
"I aint saying anything" Lil answered as she continued to laugh.
Emmett looked between Jake and Lil, crossing his arms across his chest as Jake smiled cockily while shrugging his shoulders.
"I'm gonna know where if I have to sniff the whole house"Emmett smiled
"You do what you gotta do" Lil smiled
"You're such an infant"Blondie complained
"Let him have his fun, Rose" Tink defended Emmett
"He finally has playmates" Jasper added
Lil and Jake laughed as Emmett ran around the house on a mission, Blondie exhaled sharply before sitting on the couch next to Jasper and Tink.
"The shower!!!" Emmett boomed from upstairs. Everyone was laughing as Emmett joined them in the living room again, laughing "Lil definitely had lots of fun with Jake in the shower"
The look he was giving Lil and the tone of his voice was obvious that he was trying to make Lil blush. Too his disappointment, Lil didn't blush or shy away easily.
"I always have lots of fun with Jake" she smiled matching his tone
"We always have lots of fun together" Jake added
They were laughing as Edward walked in. He looked around at them, figuring out what they were laughing about. He exhaled sharply and shook his head when he figured it out.
"My shower?" Edward whispered
"They christened it for you" Emmett laughed
"Your bedroom is still good" Jake laughed "So far"
"Ugh!" Edward breathed "Please think of something else, Jacob. You create very vivid mental pictures and Lily's like a sister now. I do not wanna see that"
"I've heard it, but watching might be more fun" Tink giggled "I wouldn't mind seeing"
"Me too" Emmett laughed as Blondie smacked him
"Behave, children!" Wifey yelled from her office
"I just came to shower and change" Edward stated as he began to run up the stairs "I don't like leaving Bella alone"
"Be at the clearing at ten, son" Carlisle yelled from his study
"Hey before you leave" Jake said stopping him "We need to talk"
"You're right Jacob, we do" he answered "It's better to do this without Bella"
"So? What are we gonna do?" Jake asked as Edward sat down
"We can't leave them here or in LaPush" Edward stated as he rested his elbows on his knees "Their scent is all over the place, it's not safe. It has to be somewhere else, somewhere unexpected"
"I thought we could hide them in the woods somewhere" Jake suggested "Camp them out far away from LaPush and Forks, but close enough for us to reach them quickly"
"That's a great idea" Edward answered"We'd already planned for them to leave fake trails, separate them. But how can we get them from the trails to the camp undetected"
"I know you aren't seriously making plans like the rest of us aint here?" Lil snapped
"Sorry Lily" Edward apologized "We're just trying to figure out the safest place to hide you out during the fight. We must also figure out how to get you from the fake trails without leaving further indication of your location"
"So your brilliant plan is to leave them camping somewhere, alone?" Blondie asked
"We can leave Collin to guard them" Jake answered "We've been trying to figure out how keep him away and that'd be perfect. In wolf form he's in communication with us, he can hold off an attack while we get there if anything were to go wrong"
"What about the trail?' Tink asked "How do we get them there"
"Bella can be carried" Lil answered "They don't know the pack's scent, as long as a wolf carries her, her scent will be concealed"
"Brilliant!" Everyone chorused
Whoa, whoa!" Jake interrupted "What do you mean her, Lil? You mean us, right? As in you and Bella?"
Lil exhaled sharply and bit her lip as she shook her head, causing Jake to panic. Whatever she was about to say couldn't be good, Lil getting off him and hiding behind Emmett was a sure sign of that.
"I was planning on keeping this from you, but I thought about it, and Esme was right, I can't spring something that big on you, especially in the middle of a fight" Lil explained
"What are you talking about, Lil?" Jake asked "What the hell is she talking about?" he asked the bloodsuckers "Someone talk to me!"
"She's gonna be at the fight" Blondie answered as Edward and Tink held Jake back.
"I've been against it the whole time, Jacob" Tink interrupted "But no one listens to me"
"No way!" Jake growled at Lil"If I have to tie you down, so be it. But there's no way"
"I'm a witch, Jake. I can fight" Lil stated "I can do some serious damage?"
"I'm not risking it" Jake growled
"Edward? You're the fastest, right?" Lil asked
"Yes" Edward answered "But Lily, I don't think it's a good idea"
"It's the only way we can be sure" Lil answered "Please?"
"What's going on?" Emmett asked
"Let's go outside" Lil answered "I need to show all of you something"
*****
Lily walked outside, closely followed by Emmett and Jasper along with Alice and Edward who were escorting Jake. Rosalie came out last, dragging Carlisle and Esme with her. Lily turned to Jasper and Emmett with pleading eyes.
"Be ready to hold him back" she whispered
Their faces were serious and thoughtful as they nodded in agreement. Alice and Rosalie were full of curiosity, Carlisle and Esme were worried, Edward was anxious and Jake had a mixture of worry, panic, anxiety and anger.
"Last night, something happened" Lily explained "I found out my powers are much more developed than I thought. I was able to close my eyes and see Emmett's attack in slow motion" she paused for a second as eight mouths fell wide open "That's the reason I was able to jump over him the way I did"
"How?" Emmett asked
"I don't know" she answered "I need to find out if I can do it again and that's where Edward comes in" she added turning to Edward "I need you to attack me"
Emmett and Jasper held Jake just in time. Edward looked back and forth between Jake and Lil, not sure of what to do.
"I'll do it" Rosalie stated "She needs to know and we're the only ones that can help"
"Thanks" Lily smiled "I need my mp3 player"
"On it" Alice said as she blurred away and back in a flash
"mp3 player?" Emmett asked
"I don't want to be able to hear anything" Lily explained "I wouldn't be able to hear anything but screams and howls during the real fight so I don't want to rely on sounds"
"Smart girl" Edward smiled
"I'm gonna blast the music and close my eyes" Lily instructed Rosalie "Attack me whenever you want. I want it to be unexpected"
Rosalie nodded, Jake growled as he trembled and Lily looked at Edward and Emmett, silently pleading them to hold him back. Lily placed the headphones in her ears, blasted the music and closed her eyes as she turned away from Rosalie.
Lily smiled as the scene became black and white, seeing everything, slow motion as before. She saw Rosalie circle her over and over again, and then tried to trick her by gesturing Alice to attack. Lily dodged her effortlessly.
"Thought you were gonna do it, Rosalie" Lily smiled
Lily continued to duck, jump, slide and turn, dodging Alice and Rosalie everytime. She knew something was gonna change as Alice, Edward and Carlisle surrounded Jake, sure enough, Jasper and Emmett attacked. Lily dodged them several times before Carlisle said something, probably stopping because that's what they did. Lily opened her eyes, bringing the scene to color and regular speed. She turned around to see Rosalie, Emmett, Alice and Edward, smiling; Esme, Carlisle and Jake still had their mouth wide open, shocked.
"That was magnificent" Jasper smiled "Always knew you were a soldier"
"Fierce, remember?" Edward added
"I thought you said she wouldn't have all these powers until after she turned 18" Jake said to Edward.
"That's what we believed" Carlisle answered "We've been doing some research"
"We?" Jake asked "Since when?"
"Since I found out about Lily's abilities" Edward answered
"And?" Lily asked
"You said it yourself, Lily" Carlisle answered "Witches are ruled by their emotions. Emotions that have drastically changed since Jacob came into your life"
"We believe the magic in him rushed the development of your powers" Edward added
"The fact that you know you have those powers also makes it easier for you to channel them" Carlisle stated
"Hate to break this to you, Jacob" Edward said with an apologetic face "But at this point Lily is far more lethal to those newborns than my family and your pack together"
"I'm such a freak" Lil whispered shaking her head.
"You are surrounded by vampires and werewolves, mind reading, visions, mood control and telepathy, but you think you're a freak?" Edward laughed
"You're just one more of the freaky family" Tink giggled
"Aren't you the one that said 'it doesn't matter what you are, but who you are'?" Jake smiled "There's no humans, vampires, werewolves, or witches here, just friend and family"
"I love you"
"I love you more" Jake answered "And that's why I can't let you fight"
"Jake" Lil exhaled, taking his face in her hands and pulling down to hers "I'm with you knowing what and who I'm with. I love you so much more for what you and the pack do, because even though you guys think you don't have a choice that is far from the truth. Just because you can, doesn't mean you have to, any one of the pack could get up and walk away anytime. You don't because of your loyalty to each other, to your family, to your people, and I respect all of you immensely for it. But I can't help worrying everytime you're out doing rounds, I can't help fear that you'll get hurt. I pray never to get that call in the middle of the night, that call that says I have to run to your side because you laying somewhere broken and hurt, or worse, dead. But as much as I hate that feeling, I would never, ever, even consider asking you to stop because it is who you are, it's the man I fell in love with, so I deal with it and I deal with it proudly. I have to be there. I feel it in my gut"
"Just this once" Jake nodded "Side by side"
"I wonder what half-werewolf, half-witch babies are like" Emmett laughed
"Way to ruin the moment" Alice complained, smacking Emmett's arm.
Jake had to meet with Sam and the pack for a few hours and Edward had to get back to Bella, so it was quickly decided that the night before the fight Bella would be camping out in a secluded spot in the woods with Edward and Seth, far enough from Forks and LaPush but close enough to rest, while Lil stayed with Jake the entire time. Powers or not, they had to kill him before anyone touched her.
*****
Lily hated being away from Jake, especially when their time together could be limited, but she knew he had duties to tend to. She was glad to reach the clearing, especially since Jake was waiting for her with that smile she loved. He took her off Emmett's back instantly and wrapped his arms tightly around her.
"Is the whole pack coming again?" she asked Jake
"Nah, just Quil and Embry" he answered
"His wingmen" Edward said as he arrived with Bella
"Are they coming in wolf form again?" Alice asked
"Yeah, Sam still doesn't trust you enough to allow them come in human form" Jake answered "Besides they need to communicate everything back to the pack"
"Sam doesn't like his Beta alone with vampires" Edward smiled
"Beta?" Bella and Lily chorused
"You didn't tell them?" Edward asked Jake
"It's no big deal" Jake mumbled, always uncomfortable about it "Just stupid tribe laws"
"He's second in command; his orders have to be followed just as much as Sam's"
Lily looked at Jake with amusement, like a proud mother does when she finds out her child made the honor role. Jake just shrugged his shoulders trying to dismiss the topic. Lily knew Sam was a great Alpha and couldn't imagine the pack being so united and organized without him, but she also knew Jake would be excellent, once he learned to control his temper. Edward smiled and nodded at Lily, agreeing with her thoughts. She smiled and Jake rolled his eyes, annoyed at their silent conversation.
"Are you practicing tonight Lil?" Emmett laughed
"I'm faster" Jake smiled "She'll practice with me"
"Maybe you and I can get in a few rounds" Emmett beamed
"Not gonna happen!" Lily affirmed
"I agree with Lily" Carlisle said "With your tempers it's not a good idea"
"Won't help the vampire – werewolf trust issue Emmett" Esme added
"Maybe some other time" Jake laughed
"Quil and Embry are coming" Edward announced
"Are you gonna phase too?" Lily asked Jake
"Don't have too" he smiled "Unless you want me to"
"No" she smiled "I need your arms to keep me warm, it's freezing"
Embry and Quil walked up to them, and as usual the wolfs made quite an impact. Lily laughed as they tipped their heads up a little, greeting Jake as they would in human form.
"Hey guys" Lily greeted them
She extended her arms out to give them a hug as usual. They ducked down giving her a chance to hug their humongous heads, while the Cullen's looked at them with wide eyes.
"Welcome again" Carlisle greeted
"Thanks" Edward said for one of them
Unlike the night before, they all sat in a semi-circle, vampires, then humans, then werewolves. Or it would be better to say, human, witch, then werewolves. They sat watching Emmett take turns with everyone while Jasper gave instructions and pointers.
Lily wasn't kidding when she said it was freezing, good thing Jake was keeping her warm with his arms wrapped tightly around her. She was leaning back against Jake's chest and absentmindedly began to run her fingers through Embry's fur. He rested his head on her legs, keeping them warm so Lily didn't mind. Jake shook his head, rolling his eyes and hugged her tighter. The atmosphere was a lot less tense than the night before and everything seemed to go a lot faster. The instructions were pretty repetitive, don't let them put their arms around you and don't go for the obvious kill.
"Do you mind if Lil practices tonight?" Jasper asked Jake
"It's hard on them to see" Lily answered "We'll practice tomorrow"
"Very well" Jasper said "Then we are done. We shall meet here tomorrow and get some more practice during our campout"
Quil and Embry ducked again so Lily could hug them goodbye.
"I'll be right back" Jake whispered in her ear
He ran into the woods with them, leaving her with Edward and Bella. A minute later Jake returned with his usual smile, picking Lily up as Edward picked up Bella, and then raced back to the Cullen house.
*****
"You're fast" Edward smiled "You almost had me"
"And that's in human form" Jake laughed "I'm faster as a wolf"
"Boys" Bells and Lil chorused as they rolled their eyes
Lil had decided she wanted to spend the night at home. She wanted to spend some time with Jess and explain to him what was going on. With Seth, Collin and Brady having phased and constantly busy with pack issues, he was sure to know something was up. She also wanted Edward to have his room back, Bella was spending the night. Tink joked about them spending the night in the living room since the bloodsucker refused to put out no matter how much Bella tried to seduce him. Then they giggled about the fact that Bella was right about the thigh-highs? Whatever that meant.
He drove her home and gave her some time with Jess while he made a quick run to Sam. After filling him in on everything that went down, Jake ran back to his love's side. He went in her window and laid behind her, spooning. In a speed superior to his, she flipped over to lie on top of him, letting him know her powers had kicked in with a vengeance. She placed her elbows on his chest, propping herself up, resting her head on her hands. The moon was shinning on her beautiful face, illuminating her breathtaking smile and mesmerizing eyes. Her curls were cascading over her shoulders, resting on Jake's chest. He couldn't help but inhale her lovely scent. They sat quietly looking into each other eyes.
"I love you so much, Jake" she smiled
"Silly little girl" he smiled "I love you more"
"Sure, sure" she laughed
"I would die without those eyes" he whispered
Jake could spend the rest of his days looking into those glorious eyes, and it would be a happy fulfilled life.
"I don't know how, but you make my heart beat faster and slower at the same time" she confessed "I wanna spend the rest of my life in this big arms, waking every morning to that smile of yours that still takes my breath away and turns my legs to jello"
"I only feel complete when I' with you" he admitted "Having you is so unreal, holding you while you sleep, waking up to your kisses, it's a dream I don't want to wake from"
"Do you love me, Jake?"
How could she be asking me if I love her? She means everything to me!
"Lily, I worship the rain that waters the grass that grows on the ground you walk on"
"You wouldn't mind spending your life with me?" she smiled
"Mind?" he laughed as he sat up, placing his hands on her angelic face, caressing her cheeks with his thumbs as she locked eye with him, a beautiful smile on her face. "My dream is to call you mine, for you to be my wife, the mother of my children, to grow old together and to love each other in this life and the next"
"I'll always be yours" she smiled "I want to be your wife, I want to have lots of babies with you, I want to always know my big bad wolf is there to take care of us and protect us. I want us to grow into feisty grandma and hot headed grandpa" she laughed "I want to spend every day of my life loving none other than Jacob Black"
Jake knew exactly what he needed to do. He would never again be able to live a day without Lily in his life, and he sure as hell was not gonna even try.
"Lily" he smiled, causing Lil's heart to flutter like a butterfly "Will you marry me?"
