Two weeks later I was sitting at the counter of the diner on Friday after school discussing tomorrow's trip to Port Angeles with Leah when Seth bounded in.

"I need a favor," he announced as he pounced into the seat beside me and grabbed a handful of my french fries.

"Anything," I said, expecting him to ask for help on his History paper that I knew was due on Monday and that he hadn't even touched.

"I need you to be my date to Edward and Bella's wedding," he said before taking a giant bite out of my cheeseburger.

"Anything but that," I amended my previous statement.

"Please!" Seth gave me his best sad puppy face.

"Are you kidding me? How did you score an invite to the party of the year in first place?" It wasn't just Forks that was buzzing about the wedding being thrown by the richest family in town. Kids all over our school were speculating how much it was going to cost and how they could try and get a peek at it.

Leah laughed, "Seth doesn't just hero worship Jake. I had to endure 3 straight months of listening to how awesome Edward Cullen is after he met him. I swear, little bro, I was almost questioning which team you preferred."

"Shut up, Leah. You know I'm not gay." Another fistful of my fries made it into Seth's mouth.

"That wasn't what I was referring to, Leach Lover," Leah said, giving him a withering stare. I had no idea why the Cullens were constantly being called Leaches by the pack and every attempt to bring it up was ignored.

"ANYWAYS…" Seth turned his attention back to me and Leah turned her attention to counting her tips out on the counter. "You have to be my date. You're the only girl I can ask who wouldn't think I was asking them out on a real date."

"That's not true. You could take Leah," I offered, grasping for any straw that might get him off my back.

"Bitch, please," Leah said, rolling her eyes. "If I ever have to see Bella Swan or any of the Cullens again before I die, it will be too soon."

Seth made a 'you see now?" gesture towards his sister and went back to making the puppy dog face. "Come on Goldilocks. I don't want to go to this thing alone and I already RSVP'd."

I played my last card, "Won't Jacob get pissed at you for taking me to the wedding of his one true love?" I asked, my voice dripping with malice.

"Jake's not going. He'd probably kill Edward if he did. So you see, you have no reason not to go," Seth gave me one last pleading look.

Sure, no reason not to the go to the wedding of the girl that Jacob Black was in love with. I sighed heavily. Oh well, if she changed her mind last minute and ditched Edward Cullen at the altar for Jacob, at least I'd see it first hand and not have to wait until someone took pity on me and let me know. "Fine, Seth, but you owe me. Seriously, owe me."

He gave me a triumphant smile and I glared in return, pushing my plate with the little food left that he hadn't already eaten over to him. Suddenly, I had lost my appetite.

The next day was the trip to Port Angeles with Leah and we had a blast. I had no idea why Jacob disliked her so much. Sure, she could be a little cranky and crass but I found her honesty refreshing and it was easy to be myself with someone who had no problem being herself, the rest of the world be damned. We drifted into every store, coming out of some, like the frou frou soap boutique, faster than others. "Who needs soap that smells like almonds for fifty bucks? Haven't those people ever heard of Dial?" she'd said. I didn't mention that my mother use to spend twice that much to import her lavender scented soap from France and I'd always thought it was ridiculous.

We ate lunch at a small Vietnamese Baguette restaurant with only four tables while we waited out a particularly torrential downpour and ended the day with the last matinee showing of Transformers 2 which we both agreed was complete crap and a waste of money. There was several times I was tempted to ask Leah why she and Jacob didn't get along but we were having such a nice time and I didn't want to risk ruining it so I didn't end up asking.

She dropped me off just as the sun was beginning to set and I made my way to the backyard to sit on the porch so I could take advantage of the rare November clear sky. I was sitting on the top step with my elbows on my knees and my chin in my hands when Jacob in his wolf form drifted out of the woods. I hadn't seen him since he'd left me at the party on Halloween but I hid my surprise at his sudden appearance and kept my face neutral as he took his usual position of sitting and watching the house from the edge of the tree line. I made the decision to just ignore him and continue with my original plan of watching the sunset before heading into the house. I couldn't help but let my mind wander to thoughts of him though. Talking about Bella's wedding with Seth yesterday had gotten me thinking. How was Jacob going to react after she was a married woman? Would he still pursue her or would he respect their marriage vow and let her go? Would he come to me for comfort or retreat farther inside himself? I wouldn't have to wait long for the answers since the wedding was only two weeks away.

The sun had set and darkness had overtaken the backyard. I was just about to get up when the flood light above the back door turned on announcing that it sensed movement. I was startled at first but I relaxed when I saw that it was just that wolf Jacob had walked across the lawn towards me. He was only about 10 feet away but I hadn't heard him approach. At my startled movement, Jacob stopped walking and became as still as a boulder. I was confused until I realized he thought I had jumped because I was afraid of him in wolf form. Not knowing what else to do I slowly reached my hand out in front of me like you would to a dog you were allowing to get accustomed to your scent. It worked and Jacob continued walking right up the porch steps and laid down on the deck beside me, slowly lowering his head onto my lap while watching me to make sure I didn't become uncomfortable at his proximity. Hesitantly, I began running my fingers through his hair. It was damp so he must have been out running during the last downpour but I was surprised that I detected no wet dog smell, just the sweet, spiciness that was Jacob. I took a deep breath of it in through my nose and it suddenly clicked what the scent reminded me of: the Earl Grey tea my mother use to brew in the mornings while I ran the coffee maker and she looked at me disapprovingly. It was a smell that reminded me of home and made me feel very relaxed. Jacob had closed his eyes and also looked very relaxed.

"If this is supposed to be your apology for Halloween night then shouldn't you be giving me the massage?" I asked.

Jacob didn't open his eyes but gave a big huff that sounded something like a mix of amusement and contentment but bringing up Halloween reminded me that I really was very mad at him.

"So, what are you doing here? Bella Swan not having an emergency tonight?"

Jacob opened one eye and looked at me warily.

"I'm serious. All she had to do was call and you went running." I made the motion of snapping a whip with my free hand. "I'm sure she has some laundry you could fold tonight or maybe she's in need of a foot rest while she watches TV."

The one eye narrowed in a glare before closing completely. I knew I sounded completely jealous but I didn't care, I was completely jealous.

"I'm going to go inside. You know, you're more than welcome to guard the house from the couch instead of the grass."

Jacob rose to a sitting position and shook his head, no.

"Ok, well how about you make it up to me by bringing Billy over for dinner tomorrow night? You can be my sous chef because you know I can't stay mad at a guy wearing a flowery apron."

This time he nodded his head in a yes gesture before leaping off the porch and into the forest. I didn't think I'd ever get use to how fast the wolves could move.

Jacob and Billy arrived at 5:30 the next night and Billy immediately parked himself in front of the football game. "Joseph's been holding out on me… this flat screen TV is bigger than my whole house." I had to admit it was pretty awesome. We had only had an old black and white TV from the '50s in New York and it was more of an antique decoration than anything else. On the flat screen in this house, the people on it were almost life-size and watching football felt like you were sitting in the middle of the 50-yard line.

I was surprised when Jacob followed me into the kitchen instead of taking a seat on the couch. "You can watch football, you know. I can make dinner by myself."

"No way. You said this was how I could make up for my bad behavior so that's what I'm going to do. Now, point me in the direction of the embarrassing aprons."

I almost couldn't hold back my laughter, he looked so earnest, "I was joking, I don't think we actually own any."

"Hmmm, well I owe you one ridiculous garment and I intend to make good. Will you get me some tape and some scissors?"

I went to the hall cabinet to grab them and when I came back Jacob had picked up yesterday's newspaper out of the recycle bin and was making a bunch of intricate folds with a look of intense concentration on his face. He sensed me standing there and held out his hand for the tape and scissors. We shared our usual electricity when our fingers touched and he looked up briefly from the newspaper to give me a sweet half-smile that made my heart skip.

His hands worked quickly and it was hard for me to keep up with what he was doing but I didn't have to wait long before he was holding up a perfect newspaper replica of a tall chef's hat. "Ta da!" He placed the hat on his head and struck a model pose. "Ridiculous enough for you?"

Ridiculous? No… not even a hat made out of newspaper could make Jacob look anything less than gorgeous but I couldn't tell him that without thoroughly embarrassing myself. "It's perfect. I hope you plan on making me one too.

He raised one eyebrow and smiled, "I was kinda hoping you'd say that even though I'm the only one who's suppose to be looking stupid in penance." He started work on the next one and I tried to watch to see how it was done. "My mom used to make these for me and my sisters when we would help her in the kitchen. I can't believe I actually remember how to do it."

"I didn't know you have sisters. I've never seen them around."

"Well, one got married and moved away and the other went to college and moved away," Jacob frowned at the hat while he applied the tape. "My Dad misses them a lot but I can't say that I blame them. Until the wolf thing, I was counting down the days until I could get out of this town too. There!" He held the second hat up in triumph and I stood still while he fitted it to my head and then stopped to take a look at his handiwork. "Well, what do you know? Perfection." I would have thought he was referring to the hat if not for the intense look he was giving me. His left hand came up and cupped my cheek, sending ripples of fire along my jaw line and my lips tingled with anticipation, as they got closer to his.

Once again there was an interruption as Embry coughed loudly from the doorway. Jacob groaned and pulled away from me with his eyes closed, "What is it, Embry?"

"Well, for one… Nice hats. The two of you are complete dorks and totally deserve each other and for two, I just wanted to let you know Dad and I were here and we'll be watching football with Billy. It's a really good game, Jacob. You're totally missing out."

"Thanks but I don't think I am," Jacob said as he tossed the leftover newspaper back into the recycle bin.

"Whatever, man." Embry walked back toward the living room grumbling about whipped imprints. I knew Jacob had heard and I instantly tensed up, thinking it would ruin the casual atmosphere in the kitchen but Jacob just clapped his hands together, "Where do we start?"

I set him to work chopping vegetable for the chicken potpie and went about making the crusts.

I showed him how to make a roux for the sauce and we stood together over the warm stove and made small talk. It felt so natural and comfortable to just be together like this that I almost wished the pie would never be done. After it was assembled and popped in the oven to bake, Jacob took my hand and led us into the living room where we had been hearing some loud cheering. Embry and Joseph were occupying the couch with the better view of the TV so we took the other and I was surprised when Jacob put one arm firmly around me and held me close while he cheered for the Seahawks who were actually winning for once. I was a little embarrassed by his display of affection in front of both of our families but Billy caught my eye and gave me a smile and a nod and I realized I didn't have to be embarrassed because this was the way it was suppose to be… this was what was expected of us. With the embarrassment gone, I realized just how right this felt. It had felt good to have Embry and Joseph together with me on Sundays for dinner but it felt even more so to have Billy and Jacob here too. I hadn't realized until just then that they were also a part of my La Push family and that they were suppose to be here all along.

Ever since the first time I had laid eyes on Jacob I had felt an intense need to be with him but now I suddenly understood the imprint a lot more. It didn't just make us want to date and maul each other on kitchen counters and all that other hormonal teenage stuff that I hadn't thought past. We were supposed to get married and bring two families together. We were supposed to have babies and make our family stronger. We were supposed to grow old together and sit on a porch swing while we watched our grandchildren tumble around in the front yard.

I understood Jacob now and I felt horrible. He had just finished telling me how much he had looked forward to leaving La Push when he was 18 and I had always just assumed that I would move back to New York and share an apartment with Frankie for college but that wasn't going to happen. There would be no denying the imprint. We were going to live in La Push forever because that's how it was suppose to be. Our entire lives were already mapped out for us.

I felt sick and desperately wanted to tuck my head down between my legs to keep from hyperventilating but I couldn't deal with all the questions that would raise. Jacob, of course, sensed the change in me immediately. "What's wrong?" He whispered in my ear. I turned to look at him, trying to think of something to say that wasn't a lie but the look of shock and horror in my eyes gave me away and he understood. "Oh… finally got there, did you?" It wasn't said in a snarky or sarcastic way, just in a resigned way. We were finally on the same page and we both knew it.

I was relieved when the timer in the kitchen went off signaling the pie was done and giving me an excuse to leave the living room. I removed it from the oven and then just stood there over the stove, taking deep breaths and desperately trying to pull myself together. I wasn't surprised when Jacob pulled me into his arms and I buried my face in his t-shirt and secured my arms around him. "You could have told me," I said.

Jacob gave a mocking laugh, "And how, exactly, was I suppose to start that conversation? Hey, what are you doing for the rest of your life? You probably would have gotten on the first plane back to New York to escape your crazy La Push stalker."

Yeah, he had me there. "I'm sorry I've been giving you a hard time about it."

He kissed the top of my head, "I'm sorry I've been such a jerk about it but maybe now that we both know what's going on, we can try to break the imprint together."

I pulled back from him quickly, "Break the imprint?"

"Yeah, it's not like you want to be stuck here forever, right? You've got a whole life back in New York waiting for you."

"Right…" I agreed but is that what I really wanted? I couldn't think with him standing so close and I hadn't even had time to process my feelings about this yet. I took another few steps back and tried to shake off the feeling of his warmth. "Why don't you go tell everyone dinner is ready?"

He looked at me sadly, "Okay… but Anni, there's no reason why we can't be friends now that we both know what's going on. I really like spending time with you and it would make everything so much easier."

"Sure," I said, opening the refrigerator door to get out the salad and to hide the tears in the corners of my eyes.

By the time that I sat down with everyone around the table, I had managed to pull myself together and paste a fake grin on my face that I hoped was believable but it quickly became unnecessary as it was soon replaced with a real grin that came from truly enjoying the company of the people around me, especially Jacob.

By the end of dinner, I knew what I wanted and it wasn't to be Jacob Black's friend. I may have been caught off guard by the idea of spending my entire life in this small town but the more I thought about it, the more I wanted it. Sure, I'd play along and be his friend if that's what he wanted for now but I was going to fight for the future I'd just realized I wanted more than anything.

A/N: Sorry this chapter too me so long. I have two small children and life got in the way. I promise the next one won't take so long to put up as it's already partially written. Anyways, thanks everyone for all the sweet reviews on the last chapter and welcome to the new people who have added me to their alerts. I love seeing those emails in my inbox. -AJ