Chapter 13. A reason to live

Bella had spent the last 45 minutes with Charlie, telling him everything. She told him about JJ, and about her life, and tried to explain why she had kept him a secret. She had sobbed to her father, and in true Charlie style, he just patted her hand and looked away uncomfortably. When he looked back, he had told her that he loved her more than anything, and nothing could ever change that. He asked if he could meet his Grandson.

JJ was very excited to meet Charlie. He had seen lots of pictures of Charlie, and knew he was a police man. Bella had always explained to JJ that since Charlie was a police officer, he was always very busy, which was why he couldn't visit. As soon as Charlie met JJ, he immediately began to look better.

Back in the waiting room, Alice's hands went to her head, and she began to smile. "Charlie is going to be ok now. I just saw him and Billy teaching JJ how to fish a few months from now." With this statement everyone smiled, but no one more than Billy. Immediately Jacob thought he could see his father's brain working on buying the right size pole, a safety jacket, the perfect little tackle box. Jacob simply laughed.

Bella and JJ stayed with Charlie a short time more, when the doctor came in and explained that although Charlie seemed to have turned a corner, he needed his rest. Bella nodded, and then kissed her father, promising him to return the next day.

As she walked hand-in-hand with her son back towards the waiting room, her head began a fight with her heart. She knew she wasn't strong enough to ever leave Jacob again, however her head knew that she was still not what Jacob needed in the way of his tribe responsibilities.

As she emerged from the doors, she noted that Alice and Jasper had left. Jacob explained the vision Alice had, and told Bella she had promised to call her later. Bella was immediately relieved.

"Bella, will you please return to La Push with us," asked Billy sheepishly. "There are a lot of people who will be very happy to meet JJ." JJ's ears perked up at his name, he seemed thrilled that people wanted to meet him.

"Can we, can we, Mom, please?"

Bella looked warily from JJ to Jacob to Billy and replied, "but what about the council?"

"Screw the council," was Jacob's reply.

Bella hung her head. She had not suffered through the past five years without him to simply have him walk away from his birthright now. Jacob noted her expression, and quietly said, "Bells, we'll figure it all out later. Right now I want my friends to meet me son."

When he used Bells again, her heart instantly melted, and she knew she would not be able to refuse his request, at least not tonight.

She quietly followed Jacob and Billy to the large king cab pick up truck parked in the parking lot. She was slightly amused when she noticed the booster seat JJ had been using along with their luggage resting in the bed of the truck, realizing that Alice had been easily able to figure out which truck was Jacob's, simply by smell alone. She stood and watched in awe the sight of Jacob strapping their son into his booster seat. She felt her heart swell, and feared it might burst.

As they drove to La Push, she had a terrorizing thought. Jacob had not mentioned if he was married, or had a girlfriend. She might be headed into a situation she was not prepared for.

"Umm, Jacob, you have not mentioned, will your wife or girlfriend or whatever be ok with your latest news?"

"Bells, I kissed you in the waiting room. Don't be dense, I would not have done that if I had a wife, or girlfriend, or whatever," he answered mockingly.

Later that evening an impromptu party was in full swing at Jacob's house. He had built a very nice house on Billy's property. She realized that it was Jacob's way of staying close enough to his father to take care of him. She learned that Jacob had opened his own garage, and had so much work he had to hire mechanics to work for him. Jacob had done well for himself financially. She was honestly thrilled to see her old friends, and thrilled to note many of the pack had married, and some of them even had children. She enjoyed watching JJ playing with the other pack offspring.

When the party died down, Billy offered to take JJ home and get him tucked in, leaving Emily and Sam, Jacob and Bella on their own. The four friends sat together contentedly, Emily putting her and Sam's two children to bed as well. Bella poured her heart out to them all, confessing her loneliness all these years, again stating that she did not want to stand in the way of Jacob's tribal responsibility. Jacob sat with his mouth held in a tight line, cursing the day that the council had spoken to Bella without his knowledge. He felt as if the council had taken five years of his life, and he was damned if they were going to take anymore.

Sam began to talk about the Quileute legends, and Emily sat by with an expression on her face that resembled a student on the edge of failing a calculus class trying to recall the most important formula for a test. Sam noted her concentration, but not did not say anything.

Bella felt her body working against her, she was jet-lagged, emotionally drained, and physically exhausted. Jake finally lifted her up as he told his friends goodnight. Bella objected, and insisted that he let her down. "I'm not some 18 year old girl anymore, Black."

"Cha," was all the answer he gave with a smile.

Sam and Emily hugged them goodnight, and Sam held his hand on Jacob's shoulder for a moment. "Don't worry Jake, we will figure this thing out together. We won't let them take any more from you, I promise." Jacob nodded and thanked him.

When Bella reached Jacob's house, Billy was waiting for them. He hugged Bella warmly before heading to bed, and when Jacob walked to the back of the house, he took the opportunity to speak, "Bella, I owe you an apology. I am sorry that I did not stand up for you back when the council was trying to push you away. We all thought that Jacob had a different path for him, but we were wrong. Jacob was on a course to live his life alone, and I am thankful that you are back."

Bella's words tumbled out of her mouth in a sudden stream, "No, Billy, I shouldn't have kept JJ a secret for so long, I am so sorry." Billy just shook his head, and hugged her warmly again.

"Thank you, Bella. Thank you for my beautiful Grandson."

After Billy left, Jacob and Bella stood in the guest bedroom doorway, watching their son sleep. Bella had done this many times in the five years of his life, however standing with Jacob made it seem like the first time. She was happier than she could have imagined.. She wanted to talk to Jacob, however as soon as they laid down in his bed, her eyes grew heavy, and she fell asleep before she even had time to change her clothes. She realized that she was finally home.

I am so overwhelmed and touched with the reviews I am getting. I have struggled with the ending of the story, forgive me if I drug it out more than I needed to. I just felt the need to wrap up everything, lol.