I pull up to the house after school that day. I was happy to find out that Garrett had the last three classes with me so I wasn't so alone. But now I was surprised. Dad's cruiser was pulled in his parking spot. I immediately think something bad has happened to Bella. I hurry out of my car and into the house.
"Dad!? I call out for him.
"Right here kiddo, what's up?" he asks me.
"Is everything ok? You're not at work and you usually are there until 6 or 7." I ask.
"Yah everything's fine, just took the evening off, Billy has invited us to dinner if you would like to go. Sue Clearwater going to be there too." He says. I knew that my dad had a crush on Sue, it wasn't exactly like he was hiding it, neither was Billy. Then I had remembered something that for a short time Garrett took away. Jacob.
"Umm… Sure…" I say a bit distracted by my thoughts racing because of Jacob.
"Well I know you and Jacob don't get along well to often, if it's going to make you uncomfortable we don't have to…" I cut him off.
"It's fine dad, I'll get along with Jacob as long as he can get along with me. Besides If you make it just Billy and Sue you might lose your chance with her." I say with a smirk.
"Just go get ready." He says and tries not to blush. I laugh and run up to my room to put my book bag away. I give my kitten, who I still hadn't thought of a name for yet, some food to hold her over while we were out. Then I run downstairs where dad was waiting with a jacket. We get into his cruiser and head for LaPush.
We pulled into Billy's driveway to see that Sue was already there. I assumed that she was going to be the one that made dinner considering Billy and dad weren't that great of cooks. We knock on the door and were greeted by Billy.
"Grace it's so good to see you. I see that your dad talked you into coming over." He says.
"Well as long as Jacob can resist the urge to annoy me so much that I want to kill him then I think this should go at the most ok." I state. I wasn't going to let the fact that I was Jacob's imprint stop me from wanting to punch him whenever he felt the need to annoy me. Billy laughed.
"I'm sure Jacob will behave." Billy says as he takes my jacket and hangs it up for me. I walk into their house and into the kitchen.
"Hi Mrs. Clearwater." I say. She was busy working on something that smelt really good. She turns to look at me.
"Hello Grace dear and just call me Sue. How was your first day of school?" She asks me.
"Good, I made a new friend, he's really nice." I comment.
"He? Who is this he?" My dad asks protectively, walking into the kitchen.
"Just Garrett Powers." I state to my dad. It was almost hilarious how protective he was of me. "Would you like some help Sue?" I ask her. She smiles and nods yes.
"Well you know if he ever tries anything with you, tell me and I'll get onto him. In fact I can get you some pepper spray. I have some in the cruiser." My dad says as I wash my hands.
"Dad he's not going to try anything." I state.
"And you know this after knowing him one day how?" Dad asks me.
"Because he's gay dad." I say.
"Oh... I always knew I like that kid... well in that case invite him over sometime." He says. Billy chuckles from behind him as I try not to laugh at how my dad instantly like Garrett because the fact he wasn't going to try anything with his daughter. I start to help Sue with the dinner while Dad and Billy go into the living room and start to talk. Billy asked dad about how Bella was doing. My dad couldn't tell him much and Billy tells him to call and see how she's doing. He offer's my dad use of his phone. Dad walks back into the kitchen and called the Cullen's.
"Your sister will be ok." Sue says quietly to me. I didn't know that my emotions were that readable. I was worried about her and I wanted to see her so bad, but the Cullen's said that I couldn't that she was too contagious.
"I hope your right." I say as I see my dad talk on the phone with Bella. He looked worried and a tad bit stressed.
Then I heard a motorcycle approach the house and cut off. I assumed it was Jacob. A small surge of panic ran through me. Was I really ready to see him again, I wouldn't know what to say to him. Did I look ok? Would it be awkward to see each other after him telling me? I was still in a small panic when the front door opened and closed. Jacob walked in. I turned and looked at him. When his and my eyes met my panic subsisted.
"You're here?" he asks me more in surprise then it being a snide comment like it would be before the wedding.
"Of course she is Jacob, I invited her." Billy says before I could say anything. I turn away and start working on the food again. The panic and nervous feeling returning and my heart speeding up a bit. I tried to keep focus on what my dad was saying to Bella, but it was getting increasingly hard to. My dad finally hung up with her.
"How is she?" Billy asks. I turn around just in time to see Jacob look between our dads.
"Who?" he asks. My dad sighs.
"Bella's become sick Jacob. She caught some rare disease while she was on her honeymoon and she's in really bad shape. Carlisle told her that he's not sure if she's going to make it." dad says. I looked at Jacob and without even having to read his mind I knew what was going through it. He thought that Edward had changed her on the honeymoon. He hurried out the door. I looked between dad and Billy, and then I ran out after him.
"Jacob wait!" I yell after him. He was getting on his motorcycle as I run up to him.
"Grace stay here it may not be safe for you." He says.
"No if you're going then I'm going. I can take care of myself and Bella is my sister even if his did change her there she wont hurt me." I say to him.
"If she is changed then she will hurt you she no longer living and the Bella we knew and loved will be dead. Grace I don't want to risk it. I can not lose you." He says a bit of panic running across his face. Was the imprint bond that strong already for him. I couldn't really mean that much to him.
"Please Jacob... I promise if I go I will listen to whatever order you give me... if you tell me to run I will. But you have to remember I am poison to them... if she tried to bit me she would die." I pleaded with him. I really did want to know if my sister was ok and I knew he could feel that. He sighs a little frustrated and nods his head agreeing. I get on the motorcycle behind him.
"Hold on tight ok?" He says to me. I wrap my arms around him and hold on as he starts it up and we take off. It took about fifteen minutes to get to the Cullen's house. Jacob helped me off of the motorcycle before he got off and he quickly went up to the Cullen's front door. I followed behind him not so quickly. Carlisle was there instantly.
"Jacob, Grace." He says greeting us. Jacob entered their house without being invited in. Carlisle smiled at me and welcomed me in. We both followed Jacob quickly.
"Jacob what if Bella's resting or something? What if she really is sick? Would you really want to wake her up?" I ask him as we climb the stairs.
"I just have to make sure that…" He says but we reach the top floor where all the Cullen's were. I see Rosalie standing in front of the couch and Bella looking around her at us. I almost fell over in shock from how pale and thin she looked.
"Bella?" I whisper.
"What happened?" Jacob asks getting closer. Rosalie steps forward and hisses at Jacob.
"Rose its fine." My sister says weakly. "Jacob and Grace won't hurt me. They need to know." Rosalie steps regrettably aside and let us see her. She was covered in a lot of blankets. I step closer and Jacob sits next to her.
"Bella what's wrong with you?'' Jacob asks her concerned. Bella looks at Rosalie like she was contemplating something for a moment. Usually in situations like this I would read her mind but not right now. This seemed important to her.
"Will you help me up?" She asks Rose. Jacob gets up and stands next to me again as Rose comes up to her and helps Bella stand up. Bella pulls her shirt down as the blankets fall off of her. My eyes nearly pop out of my head when Rose moves aside. She had a huge baby bump. In a split second Jacob was going after Edward. Emmitt stopped him though before he could get to close.
"You did this to her." He says to Edward angrily. I was in complete shock. Edward took Jacob outside to talk to him and the other Cullen's, besides Rosalie, left.
"Grace… are you ok?" Bella asks me. I finally come out of my shock.
"uhhhh…. Is this even possible?" I ask her a bit confused. She smiles.
"Apparently it is." She says as she sits back down. I sit next to her.
"Are you going to be ok?" I ask her. She already didn't look good, not to mention she looked nearly dead and the baby that was inside her was growing faster than her body could take it.
"I'm sure I will be. I don't know this just feels, right." She says to me. I smile weakly.
"Is the baby going to kill you?" I ask her.
"Finally someone else who sees it as a baby." Rosalie says.
"Huh?" I ask confused.
"Alice seems to be getting on Rose's nerves by calling the baby a fetus." Bella says.
"Well it is both but you might as well not deny that it is in fact a baby." I say.
"You know you and I might actually become good friends." Rosalie says.
"I really hope not." Jacob says coming back into the room. I look at him. Rosalie sighs in frustration that he was here. She leaves the room to get away from him.
"Grace if you don't mind can I have a moment alone with Bella?" Jacob asks me. I smile weakly and nod my head.
"Wait you two are actually getting along? Are we sure I'm the one that's sick here?" Bella asks me and Jacob.
"It was bound to happen sooner or later." Carlisle says as he comes into the room. "Grace I need to have a word with you." he says to me. I nod my head. I hug Bella gently before I follow Carlisle out if the room.
"Is everything ok?" I ask him. He sighs.
"You know that if Bella keeps the child, she will die." Carlisle says to me.
"You can change her though right?" I ask him.
"The chances are slim, but not impossible." He says to me. "We are going to do everything possible to save her. But that's not why I asked to talk with you."
"What is it then?" I ask him.
"Edward told me that Jacob had finally told you that you are his imprint." I nod my head. "He also said that you were confused as to why Jacob was able to reject you at first."
"Yah, I mean from the stories I have heard around the Rez and I really thought were only stories until now... They are not suppose to be able to reject it." I say.
"Do you know what aeternam amor means?" he asks and I shake my head no. "It is Latin for eternal love. In our world an Elemental's aeternam amor is like a wolfs imprint. So your aeternam amor is Jacob." He continues explaining. "From what I have read and heard there is a great deal of similarity between an Elemental's draw to their aeternam amor and a wolf's draw to their imprint. I'm not going to tell you everything because I'm not sure of all of the similarities and differences, not to mention yours and Jacob's situation is much more different than any other elemental before. But what is for both forms is that the other person was made to complete you, to bring you to the best, make you stronger. they are suppose to bring out the best in you and balance you." He paused so I could take in what he was saying.
"One similarity is they get the choice to choose if they want to be with them or not but the wolf or Elemental does not have a choice. If an imprintee or and Elemental's aetenam amor is in pain or in grief, you will be able to feel it. There are also four phases for both: siblings, friends, companion, and lover. Just because there are stages though doesn't mean that they are followed. Another similarity is if they are away from each other to long or complete rejection happens it could cause a great deal of pain." He paused again. "You both will also be able to reject each other, but even that will come to an end." He says answering my earlier question.
"So it's like I really have no choice. I can only hold off on it for so long." I say a little disappointed and trying to redirect my I have to love him question. I then felt anger, sadness, and a scared feeling run through me. I tried to ignore it but it was strong but I knew it was Jacob feeling this. I continued to try and listen to Carlisle the best I could.
"Grace you do have the choice, you don't have to follow the stages. You can just be friends or a companion with him if you like you don't have to fall in love with him. " He says.
"But isn't companion like the romancie and lover the... umm... physical stuff..." I say blushing a deep red. Carlisle chuckles a little.
"No companion is someone that is like a protector someone that is always there for you. Lover is both the romancie, as you put it, and physical aspect of Romance, but also remember with love he would be the only one you could be with forever unless you were to fall in love with and immortal." he says to me letting him know clear and well that it may hurt me more if I chose someone who was going to die on me after seventy years. He continued.
"Now you also need to understand that there are many differences as well. An Elemental's aetenam amor will stop ageing at the same time that the Elemental chooses to stop. They will live forever with their Elemental. But the most important thing you must know is if an Elemental is killed their aetenam amor will begin to age again, but will become clinically insane possibly even killing themselves. If and Elemental's aetenam amor is killed, the Elemental will die as well. But, as I said before, because of Jacob and yours circumstance, we are not sure what's going to happen if that happened to either of you." He says.
"So Jacob needs to protect me, and I need to protect him?" I ask.
"As of right now yes. We are not sure of the side effects of what loosing the other would be like for the two of you and we hope you will never have to find out." Carlisle says. He and I walk me back to where Bella is. That was when I heard a howl.
"Where's Jacob?" I ask a little panic running through me, Rosalie had returned to the room as did Esme.
"He tried to convince Bella to get rid of the baby and she wouldn't agree to it so he got all upset and ran home." Rosalie says.
I asked him to try and convince her. It didn't work. Do you think maybe you could convince her? Edward thinks. He was standing outside on the balcony. I look out at him.
Edward if you and Jacob couldn't talk her out of it, you know I won't be able to. I may be her sister but she does love you more. I think to him. He knew I was right. But he was desperate to try and find any way possible to keep Bella alive. He knew that if she kept the baby that she had a slim chance of surviving.
"Would you like something to eat Grace?" Alice asks me coming up to me.
"Oh no that's…" then my stomach gurgled. I look down at my stomach. "Well I guess so." I say and laugh half heartedly. Alice and Rosalie leave the room to make me some food. I sit next to my sister again.
"What did Carlisle need to talk to you about?" She asks me.
"Oh, I'm sure Edward told you that I'm Jacob's imprint right?" I ask her. She smirks and nods her head.
"Yah it's kind of weird knowing that my little sister and my best friend are going to end up together." She says. I groan and she laughs. "You know you can always reject him."
"No I can't. That's what Carlisle was talking to me about. Jacob and I can keep rejecting each other but eventually we will end up… liking each other." I say as I scrunch up my nose. She laughs at my reaction. of course her thoughts were that I would end up marrying Jacob but I knew now that I wouldn't have to fall in love with him if I didn't want to.
"I have missed you so much." She says. That's when Edward comes in the house. He looked mad.
"Edward what's wrong?" Bella asks him. she could tell something was up. He called his family quickly and they all enter the room. Alice beside me with a sandwich.
"Here you go Grace." Alice says handing me a sandwich. I begin to eat it slowly.
"What's wrong?" Carlisle asks Edward. Edward begins to explain to his family that the Pack knew about Bella and they wanted to come kill her and the baby. He told them that Jacob and Seth had left Sam's pack and are now their own pack, and that they will help protect Bella.
As Edward was talking, and I had finished my sandwich, I snuck out, well it probably wasn't so sneaky to the vampires but Bella was too focused to notice. I went out through the front door and went to find Jacob. I find him, Seth, and Leah standing by the river. Leah turned her head and looked at me so did Seth. Leah nodded her head to her brother telling him they should leave and he shook his head. He gave me a small smile before he and his sister left.
"What did Carlisle have to talk to you about?" Jacob asks me without turning around and looking at me.
"He was telling me about what an aetenam amor is to an elemental." I say.
"How does he know so much about your kind?" He asks me turning his head towards me slightly. He didn't even seem like he wanted to know what an aetenam amor was which kind of hurt a little.
"He use to work with the Volturi, and the Volturi knew of my kind, so they told him about them well us." I say.
"Why hasn't he told you everything about them then, why does Sam know more then you do?" Jacob asks.
"Maybe he doesn't think that I am ready to hear everything. In order for Sam to let me be friends with the others he had to know." I say. I looked down at the ground right in front of my feet. Now that I thought about it he was right. Why wouldn't Carlisle tell me my history, what happened to my real family. Jacob comes up to me and takes my hands in his. I look up at him.
"You ok?" He asks me. It was that side of him that showed me he cared. The side that I liked.
"I'm just thinking." I say. I was kind of worried though, maybe the Cullen's weren't the most honest as I originally thought.
"You have nothing to worry about; I will do everything in my power to protect you." he says to me. He probably thought I was worried about another creature hurting me. My heart starting to beat quicker though. I tried to shake off the feeling, and I had to remind myself that it was only because I was his imprint. He was forced to be this way towards me.
"I should be saying that to you." I say with a small laugh. "After all if you die so do I." I say with a half smile. He looks at me a little confused. I explained to him about the similarities and differences between imprints and aetenam amor that Carlisle told me.
"So you're stuck with me no matter how much you want to kill me?" He asks with a smirk.
"Unfortunately." I say in an annoyed tone. He smirked.
"Don't act so excited." He says.
"Trust me no one can act that excited." I say and walk past him. I wanted to change the subject though all this talking about possibly ending up as lovers was starting to make me feel like I actually liked him in some way. "So there are four of us keeping watch for twenty-four hours a day, I think we can pull that off."
"Oh no, you have school." He says.
"They'll kill me if I try and leave here." I state.
"No they won't. They can't touch you, it the law. They have to protect you, which I have a feeling that Embry and Paul are going to try and convince you to be on their side." Jacob says.
"Oh no… I'm not choosing sides." I say.
"You're kind of choosing this side though by helping protect your sister." Jacob says.
"She's my sister Jacob! I can't not choose her." I say.
"I know and they probably will understand that once Sam stops barking orders in their heads." Jacob says. "But for tonight I need you to go home and get some rest, tomorrow after school you can come over here strait away and start patrol." He says to me. I nod my head. I start to walk away but then stop. I turned around and walked back to him and hugged him. He hesitated for a moment before wrapping his arms around me and hugging me back. With Jacob and I like this I had never felt more at peace in my life before. I felt complete and it scared me. I pull away and give him a small smile.
"Be careful." I say to him before I walked away to head home.