Author's Note: For those who know I have been posting twice a week for two stories and have now finished Jacob's Eclipse. So while that will give me additional free time, I will not be posting more often than twice a week. I need a life outside of writing, and the break that I normally used to write Eclipse I think really helped make BS better. So I need to continue to take that break and let my mind stew over the characters.

So updates here will be on SUNDAYs and WEDNESDAYs

Chapter 20 – AGING

School has been going for two weeks now and I can already feel how tired I am and how crazy everything is with adding the night classes to my life. Luckily everyone in my life is extremely supportive and helping me to study and do homework

If I didn't think things could get more complicated I got a call between classes that Bella's truck broke down today. Bella had given me her cell phone since she really didn't need it and I was the one driving back and forth all the time, so I agreed to come by her house on my way home tonight. Part of me was thrilled to be able to see her for just a little bit, but the other part of me knew that no matter what was wrong with her truck I wasn't going to have time to fix it.

I pulled up to her house and Bella bolted out the door, one of the advantages to having a cell phone is that she knew I was coming. We met in the yard and she jumped into my arms as I twirled her around and kissed her. Charlie was right behind her, standing on the front porch, he rolled his eyes and smiled at our display of affection.

"Any idea what is wrong with it?" I asked them both.

"Not really." Charlie answered. "Unfortunately, I know enough to know that it doesn't look like an easy fix."

I kept Bella's hand, as I opened her door to pop the hood, and then looked over the engine, while Charlie held a huge flashlight for light. When Bella called she had told me that she heard a horrible pop sound, that is when she noticed that the temperature gauge was way too high, and smoke rose from the hood. She was on her way home from work, so Edward and Emmett pushed the truck back to her house, and have been with her until Charlie got home from work.

I hated smelling the Cullens all over the place whenever I would come to visit. The only place that didn't smell bad was upstairs, Bella kept them all out of her room, even Alice, out of respect for me. After working on her truck for about 20 minutes I didn't see anything that I would be able to fix tonight.

"I'm sorry Bella. I'm not saying that I can't ever fix it, but I'm not going to be able to for a while."

Bella's face fell, it was so cute how much she really loved this truck. "What am I going to do to get to work?"

"I can drop you off." Charlie offered.

"I think I would rather have Alice or Edward to come and get me, and take me back and forth."

Charlie and I both cringed at that, Bella was trying to be friends with Edward and it wasn't easy on any of us. "Why don't you use my Rabbit?"

"You need your car more than I do."

"No I don't, I can use the motorcycle." I looked over at Charlie cautiously, I knew how much he hated them.

"Wait a minute, Jake." He cautioned, like I knew he would.

"Charlie, I swear nothing is going to happen to me. Besides it rides so much better than the Rabbit that it will probably save me time and would use less gas going back and forth."

"I can't take your car." Bella said to me.

"Then just borrow it and I'll take it back after I am able to bring your truck back to life."

"Thanks, Jake." She wrapped her arms around my neck and hugged me. "You're the best!"

"Sure, sure."

Charlie was still shaking his head and I could tell that he still wasn't really comfortable with this new arrangement.

"Jake," he said looking at me, "I don't want Bella riding on that 'death trap' with you and you had better not kill yourself on it."

"Alright, agreed."

We all went inside and Charlie grabbed a beer and went to the couch while Bella pulled out some extra food and heated it for me in the microwave. Sometimes I feel like I stay at a constant state of hunger, but Bella's cooking was always so amazing that it made me extra hungry. After eating we went upstairs and I worked on some homework for tomorrow, and Bella looked over some of my book reports that I had written for my English class. She was a really good proof reader and enjoyed reading so it made for a great combination.

After a couple hours I was completely exhausted and I put my books away and stretched out across her bed.

"I wish that I could just stay here." I mumbled, just thinking out loud.

"Actually you can."

"What?" I raised up on one elbow.

She came over and sat next to me on the bed. "Tomorrow is my birthday, and I asked Charlie if you could stay."

"And he said,'yes'?" I asked, doubtful.

"He wasn't completely thrilled, but I reminded him that I was about to be nineteen and that I really wanted you here for my birthday."

"Wow Bella, pulling the birthday card, uh? I thought you didn't want anyone to do anything for you for your birthday."

"You're right. All I want is you." We smiled at one another and kissed as she laid down next to me.

Honestly, I was so tired that I barely had the strength to stay awake and kiss her. I heard her laugh at my sluggish response and then she got up and I saw her gather her pajamas and she left for the bathroom. I dozed off, barely noticing when Bella made it back to bed and curled herself around me.

"Happy Birthday, sweetheart." I mumbled.

"It's not my birthday, yet."

"Uh, uh, whatever. Good night." I wasn't really sure that 'night' made it completely out before I passed out.

I slept like a rock and it was some of the best sleep I have had in weeks, I wasn't exactly sure how but I was going to have to figure out how to sleep over here more often. Bella was curled up on her side and I was wrapped around her, until I slipped out of bed to be able to stand and really stretch. I could hear Charlie moving around in his room so I decided to go down stairs and see what I could find for breakfast.

I found some pancake mix in the pantry and some bacon in the refrigerator so I got a couple pans out and made pancakes and cooked the bacon. It didn't take long and I heard Charlie coming down the stairs.

"Smells good Bells, but . . ." he stopped mid sentence when he saw it was me.

"Sorry, not Bella, but at least I make breakfast."

He laughed and started the coffee maker. "Well I guess I'm sort of glad that Bella isn't making breakfast on her birthday."

"Thanks for letting me stay."

"Don't mention it." Charlie said, and I could tell that he meant that quite literally, which made me start laughing. "What's so funny?"

"You and my dad are so the same, with your 'don't tell me, I don't want to know' policy."

Charlie smirked. "We'll see how funny you think it is when its your daughter."

"Okay, point well taken."

I had a few pancakes ready and so I put some on a plate and handed it to Charlie. I wasn't quite ready to let this conversation be over. "Before we don't mention it anymore I was wondering seriously if I could stay more often. We don't get to see each other very often and I hate leaving just because it's 'time' to go."

"I don't know Jake. You know I like you, and there is no doubt that you two are great together, but this is weird for me. She is still my little girl."

"She can still be your little girl, just think of me as an over sized stuffed animal that she sleeps with."

Charlie cringed. "Too much information, Jake."

I rolled my eyes. "I meant sleep, sleep, you know, sleeping."

"Let me think about it." He paused for a moment. "Never mind, I don't want to think about it. Work it out with Bella, I don't want surprise visits. If I'm asleep when you decide to stay just leave me a note or something, and other than you being here in the house I don't want to know anything else."

"Got it."

"This subject is officially closed." I nodded and mentally took a key and locked my lips shut so that I wouldn't say anything stupid to mess this up.

I made a plate for myself and Bella and brought them both upstairs to bring Bella breakfast in bed.

"Good morning beautiful." I said, as I opened her door and placed both plates on her desk before walking over and sitting next to her on the bed.

Bella stretched and her eyes fluttered slowly as she smiled at me. "Good morning."

"I brought you breakfast. Are you ready or need a moment?"

"I'm good, thank you." She pushed herself up to a sitting position and propped her pillow against the headboard.

"Happy Birthday!" I handed her a plate with four pancakes and three strips of bacon and her eyes got a little scared. "You don't have to eat it all, I'll help."

"Oh, thank goodness. I was afraid you would think I didn't appreciate it or something."

I sat at the foot of her bed and ate my breakfast as she ate hers. We chatted easily and I told her about my conversation with Charlie and she was thrilled that I would be able to stay over more often. She ate about half of her breakfast and then I finished the other half while she showered. When we were ready to leave she drove my Rabbit to work and I ran home, changed my clothes and made it to school.

I had never been more thankful for it being a Friday in all my life. Bella insisted on not wanting a birthday party, but we convinced her to at least have a bonfire so that we could all hang out. I also really wanted to get her at least a small something, her aversion to presents was sort of strange. So while at school I continued to think it over until I thought of the perfect thing. School went really fast and before I knew it I was getting out.

After school I raced to our driftwood tree and cut another small branch and went home to work on another charm for her. This time I shaped it into her truck and stained it a reddish color. It took the rest of the afternoon and honestly it was a little sad when I heard my Rabbit pulling up instead of her truck. Regardless of that I was really glad to see her, and raced outside, and wrapped her in my arms hugging her tightly before kissing her.

Charlie pulled up right behind her and he brought steak that we were going to grill, along with some corn on the cob. Dad and Charlie cooked the steak and corn and I prepared a salad and heated the baked beans. It was nice to give Bella the night off and I could tell she appreciated the gesture, but it was still weird for her to watch me while she sat at the kitchen table.

We hung out inside until it was time for the bonfire and then we walked over together, leaving Charlie and Dad watching some game inside.. Bella was greeted warmly by Quil, Embry, Jackie, Seth and Emily, and Sam did his best to get over his dislike for Bella while Paul, Leah, and Jared were simply here for the food. We roasted a couple weeks worth of hot dogs and had chips and soda as well. It was Jackie's first encounter with all of us and while we tried to act as normal as possible it was a little strange, and there were lots of mixed emotions in the group for Jackie to be included. It was complicated enough to be dating, with the whole imprinting issue, but for her to not know the secret made it that much more difficult.

"So Bella do you feel older?" Quil asked as he came and sat beside us.

"I don't know, I guess I feel normal, which is a far cry from last year."

"Why is that?" Leah asked.

Bella looked around and Embry had taken Jackie on a walk along the beach. "It sucked being the only one getting older, being surrounded by a bunch of ageless people."

Everyone started laughing and Quil just about fell over as he clutched his stomach. "What did I say?" Bella asked clearly confused.

"We're not aging, Bella." I clarified.

"What!" Bella screamed, and we all immediately stopped laughing. "Dammit, you have got to be kidding me." Bella stood up and started pacing back and forth.

Paul then started laughing even harder than before, and I looked at him confused. "What is wrong with you?" I asked him.

"I've never heard Bella cuss before."

I rolled my eyes, and looked at Bella. Her face was completely red and it looked like she wasn't breathing. "Bella, calm down." I stood up and tried to hold her hand, but she knocked my hand away.

"I go from one ageless freak, to another! What the hell is wrong with me?" Bella mumbled to herself as she continue to pace back and forth.

"It is not that bad." I tried to reason with her.

"How can you say that? You're not the one who gets older every damn day like I do." She was stomping her feet and continued to mutter, but there really isn't a point to muttering with a bunch of werewolves, we could still easily hear everything she said. I probably should have taken her somewhere so that she wasn't making such of fool of herself, but I was shocked still. I had no idea that me not aging would be such an issue for her. Yeah, I can sort of see how that might be a problem, but I had no desire to live forever, so I knew I would stop phasing some time.

"Bella we are going to age again." I came and stood in front of her so she would have to stop or walk right into me.

"How?" She shifted her weight to one hip and crossed her arms over her chest.

"When we stop phasing, we will age again."

"That could take forever."

"Bella, come on." I took her hand and she let me this time. I decided that it was time to have this conversation a little more privately. At the same time, Bella seemed to realize that she was making a fool of herself, so she looked down at the ground and allowed me to lead us away.

"Sorry, about that." Bella said. "Age is a touchy subject for me."

"Obviously. I should have told you before now, but I didn't think about it."

I led us along the beach, as we walked near the water at times a wave would come and lick my feet and Bella would step away to avoid the water.

"What do we do, Jake? I don't want to keep getting older and older while you stay sixteen."

"Bells, look at me. Do I really look sixteen to you?"

She looked over my body, looking at me like she didn't know me. "I guess not."

"Of course I don't. You remember that killer growth spurt I had, my body aged years in a matter of months in order to prepare for phasing. Now that I am phasing my body will stay like this, but once I stop I will start aging again."

"Ugh," Bella sighed. "I still feel so old." Bella leaned down and picked up some pebbles and flicked them into the water.

"You shouldn't feel any older than me, than you already were."

She glared. "That isn't helping."

I took a deep breath. "Think of it this way, by continuing to phase I'm just letting my chronological age catch up to my physical age. My body is already close to twenty-five or something like that, so I could probably phase for another ten years before this would be an issue."

"I don't want to be twelve years older than you."

"Alight, how about I make a deal." Bella stopped flicking the pebbles to look over at me. "Once things are over with Victoria, I'll quit."

"You would leave your pack for me?"

"Silly girl," I shook my head and smiled. "I would do anything for you. You should know that."

"I do." She smiled and looked back over the water. The moon was full tonight and it reflected off the water creating a calming glow.

"What about the Volturi?" Bella asked, quietly.

"I don't have any idea on that one." I reached for Bella's hand and pulled her to my side. "But just because I quit, doesn't mean that I can't ever be a wolf again."

"It doesn't?"

"Nope. You remember the story I told you of Taha Aki, even though he was old he was able to change back into his wolf to protect the tribe."

"Did he live three life times?" We placed our arms around each other's waist and started walking again.

"I guess, at least the life time of three wives."

"That is just weird."

"I agree."

"I hate taking you away from your tribe."

"You won't. Obviously other wolves have decided to age and die, that is why we didn't have any wolves before Sam phased."

"I guess that makes sense."

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I guess. I can't believe I threw such a fit."

"You stomped your foot and everything."

"I'm such an idiot." Bella took her hands and put them over her face, shaking her head.

"I know, seriously. You should be so much older and wiser by now." I quickly took a couple big steps away breaking contact with her knowing that she was going to get me for that one. I just didn't want her taking this so seriously.

To my surprise she started laughing. "I thought last we left off on age, you were older than me."

"That's right, after I finished the Rabbit, you gave up and said I was older." We both took a couple steps towards each other and wrapped our arms around each other's waist.

"Crazy how times have changed."

"I know, then I was just trying to seem older so that you would give me a chance."

"Well I guess it worked." Bella reached up and I leaned down as we kissed.

We made it back to the group laughing and wrapped in each other's arms, so they could tell that all was good. Bella gave a mumbled apology for over-reacting and all took it pretty well. Paul thought it was the funniest thing he has seen and the only person who still looked a little troubled was Emily. It made me wonder if she had the same concerns that Bella had, and wanted Sam to quit. There was a time when Sam had offered to step down and let me be the alpha that he felt I was suppose to be, but I wasn't ready. For the first time I began to wonder if I was being selfish and determined that I would need to talk to Sam.

It was getting late and I would have my weekend patrols in about an hour so we went back to my house for a while before I needed to leave. We walked in the house and Dad was watching some late night TV in the living room and so I asked Bella to meet me in my room as I walked down the hall to get her present. I came back and she was curled up on my bed with her head resting on my pillow. She looked so tiny on my new bed. I spent about half of my money from this summer on buying a larger bed, believe me it was money well spent.

"Hey, you look about at tired as I feel." I said, sitting down next to her.

"I don't see how you do it Jake, with your school and patrolling."

"It is not easy." I decided to lay on my back, I lifted my arm around Bella, and she rested her head on my chest.

We were both still for a while, as I ran my hand through her hair. "You're going to put me to sleep," Bella mumbled.

"Can't have that now can we." I moved my hand across her stomach tickling her ribs.

Bella squirmed and giggled. "Stop, that."

"Are you going to make me?" I teased.

"Yes." She pulled herself up and kissed me.

"Your torture techniques suck." I smirked, between kisses.

"Shut up." I decided to take her advice and we kissed and touched until I needed to go.

I heard Dad roll to his room and decided that I would help get him settled before leaving.

"I need to go, Bells."

"Alright, I'm getting up." We both set up and I stretched.

"Do you want to stay? I'll be gone for about six hours, but you can still stay if you want."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. I'll call your dad, tell him I'm sleeping on the couch or something."

"You don't have to do that. I'll talk to him."

"Thanks." I reached over and gave her a big hug. "Hey, before I go, I got you something. I reached into my pocket and pulled out her truck charm. I made it this afternoon, I wanted you to have your truck to carry with you."

She lifted her hand palm up and I dropped it into her hand. She licked her lips and then bit down on her bottom lip as her eyes glazed over with tears. "Thank you," she whispered.

"You are very welcome."

"I love you." She took a deep breath and wrapped her arms around my neck in a tight hug.

"I love you too." I kissed the top of her head and wrapped my arms around her tightly. "But I really do need to go, I want to get my dad ready for bed before I head out."

"Alright, I'll go to the kitchen and call my dad. Will you help attach the charm before you go?"

"Think about where you want it on the bracelet and I'll make sure it stays put."

"Thank you."

"Happy Birthday, Bells." We smiled and kissed before we opened the door and she went to the kitchen and I went to my dad's room.

Everything went smooth that evening, after patrols I climbed in bed with Bella for a few hours before she had to get up and go to work. Weekends were still the busiest time over at Newton's and so life just continued to swirl around us in a whirlwind of school, homework, and patrolling and working for Bella. Both of our dads were very understanding about us wanting to spend as much time together as we could and so we stayed at each other's houses often.

I wish that I could say that we were doing more than just kissing or sleeping when we were together, but honestly I was so tired that I had no idea what was going on. If I survive this year, I will be so glad when it is over.