The morning dawned a soft gray, but at least it wasn't raining. I went downstairs and ate a granola bar, gazing out the window. Today was the day of my party, and I felt like the party pooper. All I wanted to do was curl up somewhere with Jake and rest. I saw Charlie in the backyard, setting up a canopy. Oh boy, another canopy. Memories ran rampant through my mind of another canopy, but I quelled them as I went outside to see if Charlie needed help.

"Hey Dad, you want some help?" I called out.

"I can get the canopy, but your mother dropped off some decorations or something. You think you can handle that?"

I rolled my eyes. It wasn't what I particularly wanted to do, since I didn't particularly want a party, but I agreed. I made a cup of tea as I sifted through the bag Renee had brought over. There were streamers in gold with Congratulations printed all over it. There were paper plates with little congrats and streamers printed all over it and there were matching cups and napkins. I groaned as I saw a bag of balloons. Not only was I not big into balloons, but knowing me I'd probably pass out from blowing into them.

There were also small plastic vases and off to the side was a huge bouquet of yellow roses to put in them. I figured it was the centerpieces. With a sigh, I began to unroll the streamers and took it outside to line the edges of the canopy. As I went on a scotch-taping spree, my mom and Phil showed up.

"Hi honey!" she called, nodding her head in my direction. Her hands were full with a large white box.

"What's this?" I asked. She took it in the house and placed it on the counter. I peeked inside. It was a huge Congratulations Bella cake. It had a picture of a cap and a diploma and was decorated with blue blobs of icing.

"It's a lemon cake. I ordered it from a place in Port Angeles. Do you like it?" Renee asked eagerly.

I smiled. "It's great, Mom, thanks."

Phil was busy unloading packages of hot dogs and hamburgers into the fridge. There were also cases and cases of soda and beer to be put into coolers. I was confused because there didn't seem to be any other food than hot dogs and hamburgers.

"Sue Clearwater is coming up here soon," Renee said, coming back into the kitchen with another white box. "She said she'll bring a few side dishes and we're going to make a couple right here."

I nodded, taking a sip of tea. "What do you want me to make?"

"Don't be silly, Bella. You don't have to make anything."

"I want to help. I don't really want to sit around doing nothing."

She agreed to let me make one thing, if I would leave the rest up to her. She handed me the white box then, her eyes bright with excitement. I opened it up and inside was a pretty blue, green, and purple peasant blouse. I was surprised – my mom and I had pretty different tastes, but this was nice. It wasn't entirely me; not the kind of thing I usually wore, but I figured I could get away with wearing it with my jeans.

"Thanks Mom! It's really pretty," I said, giving her a hug.

"Do you like it? I saw it in Florida before we came, and I couldn't resist getting it."

"I really do," I said. Sue arrived then and we got to work. She had brought a few monstrous bowls of pasta salad and many, many bags of chips. She and Renee began marinating chicken as well.

I noticed there were also a few pies to go along with the cake, and I made an extra dessert; a strawberry cheesecake. Once most of the food was prepared, which took a good portion of the day, I stretched and yawned. I hurriedly finished decorating with Sue's help and changed into my new shirt. Jake would be coming with Billy soon. He showed up after we finished cleaning up the kitchen. He wheeled Billy into the house, parking him in the living room with Charlie and Phil.

Renee and Sue were out back making sure everything was set up. Jake gave me a bear hug that left me gasping for air. "So, let's go get your other present," he whispered against my ear.

"Oh Jake," I sighed. "Fine."

We went out the front door to the Rabbit. He opened the back door of his car and pulled out what looked like a pet carrier. I was confused for a moment and then my jaw dropped and I gasped. Jake had turned the carrier so I could see inside and there was a wiggling, whimpering puppy in it with chocolate-colored fur.

"Jake! You got me a dog??" I squeaked in shock.

He gave me his biggest, sunniest smile. "Someone on the rez was looking for a good home for a few puppies their dog gave birth to. This little girl stood out."

I tentatively slid my fingers between the bars on the door and was met with a flurry of licking and whining. "She's beautiful," I murmured. "But Jake what about Charlie? I don't know if he would mind."

"He won't. I mentioned it to him when I first heard they were selling them and was considering it as a gift. He thought it was a great idea; told me you had always wanted a dog but Renee was allergic and you weren't with Charlie often enough for him to get one."

He grabbed a bag out of the car and we took her inside. In the kitchen, I sat cross-legged on the floor as Jake opened the carrier. She was a small ball of fur as she barreled out of the carrier and leaped onto my lap. I couldn't help laughing as she leaped up, paws on my chest, to lick my face.

"I should have figured right away you would want a dog. You like spending time with me," he snickered. The puppy careened his way after giving my face a bath and began leaping on him.

I rolled my eyes. I watched as he held the puppy, her sharp little teeth gnawing on his finger. "So, what's her name?"

"Well, she doesn't technically have an official name, but I was calling her Qahla." He looked a little embarrassed.

"What does that mean?" I asked, reaching over to run my fingers through the soft, chocolate fur.

"It's a Quileute word. It means sun. I just figured… well, you referred to me as your personal sun, so I thought it seemed fitting…" he trailed off, looking down at the puppy.

I smiled. Shifting forward onto my knees, I leaned in and kissed him. "It's perfect. Qahla it is."

Charlie came in the room then and stopped when he saw the puppy. Qahla raced over to him, stumbling over herself, to leap up for attention. "Gee, reminds me of you," Jake snickered as Charlie leaned down to meet the newest addition.

I jabbed him with my elbow. As everyone who was there trickled in to meet her, I checked the paper bag Jake brought in. There were two bowls, a collar and tag, a leash, a couple toys, a bag of dog food, and a small bag of treats. It seemed that Jacob had thought of everything.

"She seems relatively well-behaved. She's a little over-excited right now, but she's house-trained, she's had her shots and been spayed, and she has been outside without a leash. She stays with you, but you might want to use the leash at first," Jake explained as Qahla came over and curled up in my lap.

I nodded and ran my hand over her soft head. I still couldn't quite believe Jake had gotten me a dog. "Jake, you shouldn't have spent this much. I could have at least gotten the things I'd need for her."

"Well, some of it was for free. The couple who had the puppies gave me the collar, leash, bowls, and a small crate which is still in my car. So, really, I just picked up the tag, toys, food, and treats. They really just wanted to find a good home for all of them; they weren't concerned with a large amount of money."

I leaned my head against his shoulder. "Thank you," I said softly. "She's adorable."

The rest of the guests began arriving, with all my friends from school coming together. The entire wolf pack came, even Leah, which made me a little uncomfortable. She didn't seem to be very welcoming, though she congratulated me. Qahla was a big hit with everyone; I could already tell this dog was going to be so spoiled. I saw Quil trailing behind, holding a little girl, who was contentedly whacking him on the chest with a little wooden spoon.

"That's Claire," Jake said.

She caught sight of Jake and squealed. "Down!" she demanded. Quil put her down and she stumbled toward Jake, arms flailing.

"Unca Jay!" she giggled, throwing her arms around his leg.

"Hey kiddo," Jake replied, picking her up and tossing her in the air. Her squeals and giggles rained down.

She noticed me standing nearby; I felt mildly uncomfortable. I was never that great with kids. She pointed at me. "Who?" She demanded again.

"That's Bella, Claire. She's a friend," Jake said. She reached out toward me and I hesitantly moved closer.

Her little fingers patted at my hair. Then she patted my cheek. "Pwetty," she declared. Emily, Quil, and Jake chuckled. "I agree," Jake added.

I felt a blush creeping up. I touched her little hand. "Thank you, Claire. You're very pretty, too."

She smiled and automatically reached for Quil. He had never turned his gaze from her once; I could see what Jake meant about gravity pulling when you imprinted. And I couldn't help noticing how Jake had held her. It certainly didn't make me want to have a child any time soon, but I couldn't help but feel a little tug seeing Jake hold her. He would make a good father.

The food was brought out and everyone dug in. I perched on a lounge chair with Jake in Charlie's little back yard, Qahla lying next to us and eyeing my food as I ate it.

When the food had been devoured, I got up to get my camera. I hadn't actually used it much, and the one time I had gave me some not very pleasant memories. The scrapbook had been a gift from Renee, though, and I figured I should take some pictures of this to put in it. I sat on the steps outside of the door and watched everyone. Mike, Eric, and Ben were huddled around a table, talking and furtively watching Emily and Sam, Kim and Jared, Quil and Claire. I realized it must seem odd; even I could see the utter fixation of it. I snapped a picture of the three of them.

I took another picture of Sam and Emily smiling at each other, the wolf pack nearby. I also got one of Kim sitting on Jared's lap.

Sue, Renee, Charlie, Phil, and Billy were all together, chatting so I got another picture of that.

Angela was holding Ben's hand, her eyes watching Jessica. Jess's eyes were fixed on Embry's backside and I tried to stifle a giggle. That was definitely a classic shot.

When I turned my camera on Jake, he was staring right at me, his eyes burning with intensity. For a second, the love I could see in his eyes floored me. How on earth do most people wander looking for someone to love when I had had Edward who apparently had loved me that much for a time only to find another boy who loved me so fully? It was hard to fathom. He was still watching me, a small smile curving those full lips of his, Qahla sleeping on his lap. I took his picture.

He stood, carrying the puppy over to sit with me. I leaned against his arm, watching the dark clouds scuttling across the sky, looking low enough to touch. It seemed we would be in for a storm soon; I hoped it would hold off until tomorrow. I glanced over and saw Embry now standing near the edge of the forest, his face angled toward the guys', but his body poised as if he were trying to pay attention to the darkening forest. It gave me a chill, yet I took one more picture of him even though it was an uneasy pose.

Jake noticed my unease. "Bells, take some pictures of Qahla. She wants to play."

I turned and couldn't help giggling as I watched Jake flick a toy in a circle around her, getting her to spin in circles, too. I took some pictures of him and Qahla playing. He took my camera then and got some pictures. Soon I was laughing as I saw the guys' posing ridiculously for Jake.

I sat with Angela and Jess for awhile, letting Jess yak on about how cute Embry was. Even though her talking was incessant, I realized I liked Jess better without Lauren around. She wasn't so bad; she could actually be rather funny. As Angela and Jess chatted about what they were doing for the summer, my mind wandered. I pulled my knees in, resting my chin on them. My mind wandered to the other night when I stopped Jake and me from going further physically. I wanted him so much; I had stopped thinking about how I had originally wanted Edward to be my first and realized that being with Jake was what I really wanted now.

Everything we had done together had been beyond fantastic; he was always gentle, sweet, and exciting. I loved that he was nervous about being with me sometimes. It made me feel better about being nervous. I was a little scared of giving everything of myself over to him when I had already done that with Edward and barely survived it. The thought of losing Jake, especially with imprinting hanging over our heads and the threat that was still unknown – not to mention Victoria – was enough to send me into a panic. But I couldn't deny that I wanted this, so I knew it was going to happen soon. The way he used his hands and his mouth on me was enough to drive the fear away and drive me crazy.

My body already felt heated and warm just thinking about it. I turned and saw Jake watching me. The desire was palpable. I stood up, casually, and told Jess and Angela I'd be right back. My nerves were tingling; I felt the cool strands of grass tickling my toes, the cool breeze raising goose bumps on my skin, and dark eyes burning into my back. Inside I took a deep breath and walked into the living room.

I didn't hear Jake come in; but again I knew he was there. He came up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist.

"What's going through your mind, Bells?" His voice was half-teasing, half-pleading.

I turned my head and he leaned down, his lips touching mine. "This," I said simply.

He placed a hand on my cheek, angling his head to kiss me deeply. His other hand was still around my waist, the tips of his fingers under the waistband of my jeans. Our lips nipped and sucked at each other as he slid his fingers further down my jeans.

"Jake," I groaned softly.

He pulled his fingers back, but then rubbed me through my pants. I broke away from the kiss, panting and arching my hips against his hand. His other hand trailed up my shirt, cupping my breast in his hand. His lips trailed a line of heated kisses along the column of my throat as he continued rubbing me. I reached my arm back and hooked it around his neck.

He pressed his hips against me from behind and I felt how hard he was. He groaned softly into my ear, causing goose bumps to rise on my neck. As much as I wanted him to continue, I knew we couldn't. I did not want to be caught again!

I turned around in his arms and kissed him, our tongues stroking lazily. I sighed, pulling away. "I wish I could stay with you tonight," Jake murmured, irritation in his voice.

"Me too, but you have most of the night tomorrow, don't you?" I asked, my fingers tickling along the back of his neck.

"Yeah, thankfully. I'll be here at eight o'clock sharp, too."

I laughed. "You, um, okay to go back outside now?" I asked, a little grin twitching my lips.

"How about you check for me?" he replied with a devilish grin. He took my hand and guided me down.

"Jake!" I said, laughing. But I did make sure to check, just to tease him. He sighed.

"Okay you better stop or I won't be able to go back outside."

************************************************************************

Back outside I sat down with Angela and Jess. Jess turned toward me and started laughing.

Confused, I glanced down at myself unsure of why she was laughing.

"Uh, Bella, your hair is kind of… messy," Angela said gently, a smile twitching her lips. "And well, you just look sort of rumpled like you've been kissed really good."

I groaned and my cheeks warmed. "Great," I muttered.

Jessica snickered again. "He must be a damn good kisser if you look like that. I wonder if Embry is a good kisser," she added as she turned again to stare at him.

Angela and I rolled our eyes at each other as I discreetly smoothed my shirt and my hair. Angela gave me a nod of approval. Qahla was perched comfortably on Charlie's lap, snoozing. I grinned at the picture it made. Apparently, Charlie loved dog's, too, so this would work out just fine.

I went in the house to bring the cake out and Renee followed me. "Are you having fun, sweetie?" she asked, biting her lip. I felt bad suddenly for my non-party attitude before. Especially since I was having fun.

"I really am, Mom. Thank you for suggesting the idea to Dad; we both know he never would have had a party if it weren't for you," I replied, giving her a hug.

She laughed. "True. I'm glad you're enjoying yourself. Now, tell me, are you and Jacob sleeping together?"

I nearly choked on the soda I was drinking. "What? Um, excuse me?" I stuttered, a little taken aback by the abrupt change in topic.

"I see the way he looks at you, Bella. And I see the way you look at him; a little more reserved and careful about it, but it's there. He seems more important than just a boyfriend," she observed. Renee was an observant person when she wanted to be, but she was also pretty flighty.

"N-no, we aren't," I murmured, looking away.

"But you want to." She stated it like fact.

I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. She laughed softly. "Oh Bella. Charlie told me he had the talk with you, even though we covered that a long time ago. After what happened with Edward…"

I flinched.

She laid a hand on my cheek. "Charlie said this is the happiest he's seen you. And Jacob certainly looks at you like you're the only thing he wants in the world. I just wanted to say be careful, Bella, and do what you want for you not just for him."

And somehow my mother hit it right on the head.

I nodded and she smiled and grabbed the napkins and extra forks and we went back outside to cut the cake.

The party came to an end shortly after. I said goodbye to my high school friends, got crushing hugs from the whole wolf pack and their girlfriends – minus Leah. Even Paul, which made me realize he was coming around. I knew my mom and Phil would be back tomorrow before they left to go back to Jacksonville later in the day. I waved goodbye to Sue and Billy and then just stood there, the feeling of being tired washing over me in waves.

Charlie insisted on my not helping to clean up.

Inside Jake and I sprawled out on the sofa, the television playing some corny black-and-white movie. I knew he was tired, too, and he had a pretty full night of patrolling yet. He wrapped his arms around me, and I laid my head back on his chest. I smiled as Qahla curled up on Jake's legs.

What seemed to be only moments later, I heard Charlie calling my name. I blinked my eyes open, still half-asleep. "Huh?" I muttered. Jake stirred behind me.

Jake's head was nestled in the top corner of the sofa, and he was snoring. His arms were still wrapped around me. I was laying half on top of him, my head on his chest. I glanced up at Charlie. He looked vaguely disapproving, and if I were more awake I would probably be blushing.

"You've been sleeping for an hour and a half. I think it's time for Jacob to head home so you can get some sleep," he said, raising an eyebrow at me.

I yawned and nudged Jake. "Hmm. What?" he mumbled blinking his eyes open. Charlie slipped quietly out of the room.

"Jake it's nearly ten o'clock. You have to patrol soon, right?"

He groaned and yawned. "Yeah, I do. I guess I should get going." He stood and stretched and Qahla whined.

"I'll see you tomorrow after work, right?" he said, pulling me close to him.

"Yeah." I smiled. "Jake? Thank you for Qahla."

He kissed me gently, reaching down to rub his hand over the puppy's head. She was already adjusting quite well; she was hunkered down on the couch, looking incredibly content. We both laughed.

"You're welcome. 'Night Bells," he said.

I picked Qahla up and carried her upstairs. I poked my head in Charlie's open doorway. "Thank you, Dad. For the party."

He turned around. "You're welcome, Bella." He gave me a tired grin.

I put Qahla in her crate and hoped that she would be okay with that. She whined while I got ready for bed, but she settled down when I laid down and pulled the covers up. I watched my new puppy fall asleep quickly and begin snoring. I giggled and fell asleep with a grin on my face.

The next morning, I woke up a little later than I normally did. It felt so good to sleep in, I thought, as I stretched. I got up and changed and took Qahla out to go to the bathroom and then got her breakfast. She settled into the new routine pretty easily, and I got plenty of laughs at watching her race in a circle in the yard when I took her out.

Charlie came down and even he was more smiley than usual – probably because Qahla was playing with her toy and made him toss it for her around the kitchen. I made breakfast for myself and Charlie. As he cleaned up, I sat in the living room playing with the puppy, half watching televison, until Renee and Phil stopped over a couple hours later.

Renee sat on the floor with me in the living room and I rested my head on her shoulder. "I'm going to miss you, Mom," I said quietly.

"Oh honey. I'm going to miss you, too. So much!" She squeezed me tight and then reached into her purse for something. "Maybe this will help, though."

Confused, I turned the envelope over. When I opened it, I gasped. "Plane tickets? To come visit you?"

"Of course, silly. Two of them. One for you and one for Jacob for whenever you can make it this summer."

My eyes widened in surprise. I didn't know if Jake would be able to go somewhere what with all that was going on, but the generosity of the gift was overwhelming. I let the daydream take over for a moment as I imagined me and Jake flying to Jacksonville to visit Renee and Phil. We could lay on the beach and swim in the ocean together; we could soak up the warm sunshine and be outside all day; we could stay in while Renee and Phil were at work and make love. I bit my lip as that thought popped into my head. It was incredibly enticing.

I had been envisioning how our first time should be lately and I was drawn into it again. In my thoughts, I had imagined us alone in my room. I would have prepared for this by having condoms in my nightstand, by taking a shower and wearing a pair of the lace underwear with my nicest bra. Jake would undress me as the cool breeze from outside would waft gently into my room, though I'd be warm from Jake's body heat. He would lay me down and kiss away all my inhibitions and anxiety and it would be so sweet. I couldn't help the thoughts; don't most girls want their first time to be perfect?

I shook my head to clear the thoughts and threw my arms around my mom. "Thank you," I whispered. "I have to see if Jake can get away, but I would love it if we could come visit you and Phil."

She kissed my forehead. We went into the kitchen to make a little lunch before she and Phil had to leave. When they were done, we drove them to the airport. Hugs and tears were exchanged as we bid each other goodbye. The ride home was quiet. Charlie and I finished cleaning up from the party and I was in my room with Qahla when he poked his head in later.

"Bells, I'm going to heat up some leftovers for dinner. You want anything?"

"No thanks. I'm not that hungry," I replied, watching Qahla pounce on her toy. I chuckled and then watched her charge Charlie's leg. He laughed, too, and threw her ball across my room. We watched her chubby little legs race across the room.

"Anyway, Bells, I got a call from the station. I have to go in for a few hours tonight. One of my deputies is out sick and I'm the only one that can cover him. I will probably only work until ten thirty tonight, so I won't be too late. You okay on your own?"

I felt guilty about keeping the fact that Jacob was coming over a secret now that he wasn't going to be around. "I'll be fine," I murmured.

I heard him bustling around downstairs and then heard him leaving. Outside I heard a rumble of thunder and the rain started. We were getting that storm they were calling for. I picked up my book and began reading. I lost track of time when the doorbell rang. It was eight o'clock on the dot; Jake was here. I hurried down the stairs, Qahla on my heels. My heart banged away at the sight of Jake when I opened the door. He gave me his sunny grin, and it triggered my automatic smile in return. Once he closed the door behind him, I was the one doing the pouncing. Jake caught me as I latched onto him, my lips crashing against his. He groaned and kissed me back eagerly. I felt his hands snake down my back, moving lower.

My eyes popped open in surprise when I felt a resounding smack on my backside.

Jake started laughing at me. "Sorry, Bells, I couldn't resist," he teased.

I rolled my eyes.

"Anyway, um, isn't your dad here?" he asked, looking around hesitantly.

"Nope. He's covering a few hours at the station for one of his deputies who called in sick. He won't be back until nearly eleven." I casually pushed away from him and strolled back up the steps.

I heard his chuckle and before I knew it, he was behind me, scooping me up and carrying me to my room. He laid me down on my bed, leaning over me and supporting his weight on his hands. His lips brushed mine softly, lingering to flick his tongue over my lips. I reached up and hooked my hands around the back of his neck, keeping him right where I wanted him.

Suddenly, there was a wet nose poking the side of our faces and we broke away. Qahla was sitting on the bed by my head, her little head cocked to the side watching us. We both laughed.

"Everyone had a good time at the party last night," Jake said as he sat down next to me. He picked up the puppy, rubbing her until she was staring at him lovingly.

"Yeah, Jess certainly seemed to enjoy herself… and the view." I snickered at the thought.

Jake laughed. "Yeah. Embry noticed." A crack of lightning in the distance illuminated my room with its glow.

We stretched out on the bed as best as we could with Qahla between us. I watched as he dangled his fingers over her head and she would try and jump to catch them.

"Hey Jake?"

"Yeah, Bells?" He rolled the puppy over, tickling her stomach.

"Renee gave me two plane tickets to go to Jacksonville sometime this summer. The other one is for you." I bit my lip.

He looked up, surprised. "She got a plane ticket for me?"

"Yeah. I'm not sure I'll even go; I can't leave Charlie and now Qahla behind with what's going on here."

"You should go. You know the pack will look after Charlie."

"What about you?" I said quietly.

"I would love to go to Jacksonville with you, Bella. I can talk to Sam, but if he says no there won't be much I can do."

I nodded. "I figured. Well, maybe we should just wait and see how things go."

He agreed and we resumed playing with the puppy. As I lay on the bed, watching Qahla chase her tail on the floor, my mind wandered. Jake deserved to go away somewhere, and I would love to see Renee again, but I couldn't stop the worry. How could I leave Charlie behind with the danger that no one was close to figuring out yet? I knew the pack was capable of protecting him, but it still scared me. Yet I wanted to go pretty badly and I wanted Jake there with me. It was a confusing mess and I was no closer to figuring out what would be the best thing to do. I smiled as Jake rolled Qahla on her back again, his big hands so gentle on her little body. My Jacob.

And out of nowhere, something clicked for me. It's funny how something so simple can strike you the hardest when you least suspect it.

My heart was beginning to pound. I was going to do this. Jake had gotten up to put the puppy in her crate and laid the blanket on top. With no doubts in my mind, I stood and pulled my t-shirt over my head. My hands hurriedly unbuttoned and pushed down my jeans while his back was turned. I stood there, a little shaky.

"Jake?"

He turned and his eyes widened.

I stood there in my simple white bra, white and blue striped panties, unshaved legs and was just ready.

"I want to make love with you," I whispered.

************************************************************************