Chapter 21: Family Perspectives

After a few minutes of clinging to his father, Jacob sniffled and pulled away, leaning back on his ankles. And wiped the evidence of tears from his face.

"Sorry," he mumbled. Jacob couldn't remember a time when he had been this emotional. Maybe when his mother had passed away. Other than that he was usually really good at taking things in stride. At this point, it was just embarrassing for his father to see him this way.

"Feeling better?" Billy asked, gripping Jacob's shoulder.

"Not really." It was an honest answer. Not one he wanted to admit, but one his father deserved to hear.

"It will get better, son."

Jacob grabbed Billy's hand and squeezed it before rising to his feet and moving towards the refrigerator. Part of it was to get away from the conversation, and the other part was to fix dinner. Though he wasn't very hungry at the moment, he knew he needed to eat something if he wanted to stay home longer.

Jacob knew his father hadn't been spending a lot of time at home (since Harry died, Billy was constantly with Sue), and so wasn't expecting to find much. To his surprise the refrigerator was fully stocked.

"Quil and Embry ran to the store earlier today. I'm guessing they had a hunch you'd be coming home for awhile."

"Yeah, for a week, I guess…If I last that long." He pulled out the ingredients for sandwiches. They were easy to make, and he could make a lot of them of he needed to.

"Jacob," Billy reprimanded.

Jacob sat all the supplies on the counter and closed the refrigerator door. Then he turned to face his father. Billy was back at the table with his arms resting against the surface. He was hunched over, head down, and shaking his head.

"You know, don't you? About how I can't leave them?"

Billy nodded and looked up to meet Jacob's eyes.

"So I guess I'm here until I'm forced to go back or the week runs out. Whichever comes first."

"I don't want you putting your health at risk," Billy told him sternly.

Jacob pushed away from the counter to gather the cutting board and knife to chop the vegetables. "Speaking of health, how are you doing?" Now that Jacob was taking the time to really look at him, his father wasn't looking very good. His scent was also off, too. It was a subtle change, but something was going on.

Billy was quiet for a long while. When Jacob would turn to check on him, Billy would be watching him dice and chop the lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, and onions. It wasn't until Jacob set everything on the table that Billy spoke.

"I haven't been feeling well lately. And before you say anything, I've already had an appointment. The follow-up visit is in a few days."

"Do you want me to take you?"

"No."

"Are you sure, because I—"

"Jacob. It'll be alright. Sue's going to come by and take me."

"But—"

"Just focus on you for now, son. I'm fine."

The two lapsed into silence as they fixed their sandwiches and started eating. Jacob tried not to think about his imprinting, but couldn't help but want to know his father's opinion. Billy had never expressed his thoughts on how he felt about homosexuality. Jacob was wary about how his father felt about Edward being one of his imprints.

When Jacob finally voiced his question, Billy snorted, which caused him to choke as he hadn't fully swallowed yet. After a few sips of water and clearing his throat, Billy leveled his son with furrowed eyebrows and a frown. "Don't think I don't know about the beer incident last year. This has nothing to do with that thi-…Edward…being a guy. I'm just not happy that you've imprinted on a vampire."

Jacob opened his mouth to speak, but Billy waved a hand at him, silently telling him Billy wasn't finished.

"I grew up being told the same stories you were, Jacob. Vampires are supposed to be our enemies. As such, I've never liked the Cullens; never trusted them. I hated having to let them on our lands and into this house to help you after you were injured. And now you've imprinted on one of them. He may not drink human blood, but it's going to take time for me to wrap my head around all this. Just know that I love you. I will always love you."

Jacob nodded. He didn't plan on telling his father about his plan to just live with the Cullens and not be in a relationship with his imprintees. Billy wasn't doing too well, health-wise, and Jacob didn't want to add stress to the list.

x x x

"Can you believe him?" Bella exclaimed once Alice closed the door to her room.

"Which one?" Alice asked as she sat on her and Jasper's bed.

"Edward! He promised to help Jake. He promised! But Jake was right, now that I think about it. Edward's been quiet lately—"

"Oh, yeah, Edward was a real chatterbox before."

Bella glared at her comment, but Alice couldn't help but find it all a little funny. Edward hardly ever spoke unless he had to. Sure, he'd become more talkative since meeting Bella, and no one could shut him up when he started ranting about the "obnoxious" Jacob Black, but still, Edward had never really been a talker.

"You know what I mean, Alice," Bella sighed and joined her on the bed. "If Edward were really trying he would be working on getting to know Jake, not pushing him away." Bella grabbed one of the pillows and hugged it to her chest. "It's like he doesn't want this at all."

"Edward's just confused right now. There are a lot of feelings for him to have to sort through."

"None of that should matter anymore. We're meant to be together, all of us. Jacob's imprint just proves it. Why can't they just put everything else aside and focus on being happy?"

"Sometimes it's not that easy. Not only have they spent a year fighting over you, but Edward comes from a time when it was a crime to be with another man. And don't even get me started on being in a threesome. Trust me, Bella, give Edward some space. He needs time to wrap his head around things."

"Well, while he's sorting out his feelings, Jake is away from us. Dying. We don't have time for Edward to do this right now!"

"Calm down. Jacob is going to be just fine. You know he'll come back if he starts to feel sick. Sam will make sure of it."

"But I want him here now."

"Look at it this way, it'll do Jacob some good to spend time at home away from all this, and with his father. They have a lot of catching up to do, I'm sure. And speaking of fathers, when was the last time you spoke to yours?"

Bella hugged the pillow tighter. "I called to let him know we made it to the island."

"That was weeks ago, Bella!"

"Just under two. And he knew we were going on an extended honeymoon. There's no reason for him to worry."

"All fathers worry. I suggest you get in touch with Charlie while Jacob is gone. It'll do you some good, too."

Bella nodded, and laid the pillow back in its spot with the others covering the head of the bed. Alice watched her leave the room, more than likely heading for Edward's room where her phone was charging.

Everything was a mess right now, and no matter how hard Alice tried to see the future she couldn't. Hopefully, her not being able to see anything was a good sign. It had to mean Jacob was in it, and that all of three of them were happy. Alice had to focus on that outcome; them being happy. She didn't want to imagine a future where the three of them had to constantly walk on eggshells around one another. After everything they'd been through, those three deserved to be happy.

x x x

Bella tried not to fidget as her dad watched her play with her fork. She'd taken Alice's advice and given Charlie a call asking him to meet her for dinner at the diner. He was a little surprised to hear from her, but was happy she'd called, and told her he could meet her after eight.

She might have acted too hastily though, because now that she was with her dad, Bella didn't know what to talk to him about; as if she ever had. It wasn't like she could tell him Jacob had imprinted on her and Edward, and now they were all going to be together for eternity, if only the boys would cooperate. What had she been thinking asking him to meet with her?

"It's not that I don't enjoy your company, kiddo," Charlie said, breaking into her thoughts, "but why'd you ask me here?"

"Do I have to have a reason to have dinner with my own dad?" she countered, trying to by time.

"Okay, so how was your honeymoon? Did you and Edward just get back?"

"Um. Actually, we, uh, had to cut it short."

Charlie sat his glass of tea down and looked at her with concern. "What happened? Are you okay?"

"No—I mean, yes. Yes, we're fine. Everything was fine. Uh, has Billy talked to you, by any chance?"

"About what?"

"Jake."

Charlie shook his head. "Why? Have they heard from him?"

"Sam and the others went to get him. That's why they didn't come to the wedding."

"Is he okay?" he asked.

Bella grabbed her napkin and started wringing it in her hands. "He wasn't. He was pretty bad, but he's fine now."

"So you've been to see him?"

Bella nodded her head. "Carlisle called us back the day after we reached the island."

He gave her a surprised look. "You've been here this whole time?"

"I'm so sorry. I just, I couldn't leave him, and I didn't even think to call. I'm sorry."

Charlie leaned back in his chair and ran a hand over his face. "Is Jake still at the— "

"He went home for the week, but then he'll be back." Bella felt tears come to her eyes, but held them in.

"To the hospital? I thought you said he was better. And since when do they let patients go home for a week?"

"What? No. No. Uh, Jake's been being treated at the Cullen house." She needed to come up with something. Something Charlie would believe, and would not have him asking anymore questions. "Billy, um, he was more comfortable have-having Carlisle look after Jake; you know, since the-the bike incident. But Jake's fine. He's good. He's up, and-and has his appetite back. Carlisle just wants to keep an eye on him. So Jake's gonna come back. He's, uh, he's gonna come back," her voice trailed off at the end.

Charlie was giving her a skeptical look, like he didn't believe everything she'd said. He kept his thoughts to himself, however, and asked her, "Are you okay?"

"Me? Yeah," she nodded her head a little too enthusiastically. "Yup. Every thing's fine."

"You sure?"

Bella laid her ruined napkin by her glass and put her hands in her lap. She sat up a bit straighter, trying to show her that she was as she said she was. She couldn't give him all the details; he wouldn't be able to understand. And she couldn't bring herself to burden him with her problems. So she forced a smile she didn't feel and set about reassuring her dad that things were okay.

"I'm fine. Honest. It was just touch and go for a while. But Jake really is doing better. And we're trying to work on our relationship."

Charlie snorted. "I'm sure that makes Edward happy."

"Actually, they've been working on theirs, too." She knew it was a lie. But this was as close as she could get to telling her dad about the imprint. One day, when they were all together, and happy, she didn't want Charlie questioning why they were all so chummy with one another. But with her being turned soon, she doubted she'd have to worry about Charlie finding out. Still, it was good to cover all bases, just in case.

"Don't lead Jake on, Bella. That boy's been through enough. He doesn't need any more false hope. You're a married woman now." It was a rare show of Charlie speaking up and acting like her father. He usually kept his thoughts to himself and let her do as she pleased. Part of her wanted to rebel against him telling her what to do when he didn't know the situation, but another part of her was happy that he was speaking his mind.

"I'm not, Dad. We're all good."

They had to pause their conversation as their food arrived, and the waiter asked if they needed anything else. Once the waiter had left and their food was prepared and ready to eat Charlie spoke his mind again.

"I just worry about you. I know you're married, but that doesn't change the fact that you're still my daughter. Don't become a stranger, Bella."

She nodded her head, and gave him a small smile. She knew it was a promise she wasn't going to be able to keep. Once she was turned, she'd have no option but to leave. Bella couldn't put him at risk. They might not have been as close as she liked, but Charlie was still her dad, and she didn't want him to get hurt because of her choices.

x x x

Edward groaned as he crashed into a tree, breaking it in half. It wasn't that it was painful; just more of an instinctual reaction to draw in a breath when hitting an almost immovable object. He quickly rose to his feet and charged the dark figure before him, ducking beneath its arms and punching it in the chest, feeling several ribs give way. The creature roared in pain and staggered back. Edward stayed out of reach and allowed the bear to catch its breath.

He tried blocking out his brothers' uncomfortable thoughts as they watched him play with his prey. Edward was usually quick to kill his dinner as he didn't want the animal to suffer any longer than it had to. Tonight, however, he couldn't bring himself to kill the bear right away. He wanted to savior the fight, the struggle. Mostly, he wanted to hit something and be hit in return. He wanted the satisfaction of breaking bones and ripping flesh. It scared him that he wanted to lose control, and yet he didn't care.

After Bella told him she was going to meet Charlie for dinner, Edward decided it was time he went out to get some dinner of his own. Edward had wanted to go hunting by himself, but Carlisle had insisted he take Jasper and Emmett along. Edward hadn't fed properly in weeks, and Carlisle was worried that if a human were near, Edward's bloodlust would get the better of him and he would kill the human. Edward didn't bother to argue that if he were going to loose control he would have already done it and sucked Bella dry.

Even though his anger wasn't fully sated, Edward finally decided the bear had had enough and ended its life by quickly snapping its neck. His teeth ripped through flesh before embedding in the major artery of the neck. He hated the taste of fur, but the blood was warm and eased his hunger. Once he finished he let the carcass fall to the ground and walked away. The scavengers would take care of the body.

"Feeling better?" Emmett asked. He wasn't referring to feeding.

Edward shook his head, and continued walking; his brothers falling into step beside him.

"You care for him, Edward," Jasper announced suddenly.

Edward stopped walking and turned to face his empathic brother. "No, I don't."

Jasper wasn't fazed by the glare Edward was giving him. He simply titled his head to one side and looked upon Edward calmly. "You can deny it all ya want, but it's there. You're drawn to him."

"Only because of that stupid imprint of his. I wasn't before. I won't be forced to feel emotions that aren't my own." He knew it was a cruel thing to say; that there had been times when Jasper had not been able to tell his feelings from another's, and had acted upon them.

Again, Jasper wasn't fazed in slightest, feeling that Edward wasn't meaning to attack him personally. "Can you honestly say that you were never drawn ta him before?"

Edward jerked around and tried walking away. He didn't need this now.

"C'mon, Edward. Talk to us," Emmett said as he slung an arm over Edward's shoulders, preventing him from leaving.

"I don't wish to talk about this."

"But you need to. It's eating you up. Look, man, you gotta admit that there's always been something deeper going on between the two of you other than fighting over Bella. Nobody, and I mean nobody, has ever been able to get to you as easily as this kid. There's gotta be a reason for that."

"You might not have known the reason, Edward, but you've always been captivated by him," Jasper added.

No, he'd always been pissed that Jacob dared to like Bella, and challenged Edward for her. Despite the fact that Jacob had been there for Bella when Edward hadn't, the boy was insufferable. He was irritating and frustrating and demanding of Edward's attention. There was nothing "captivating" about any of those things. And yes, Jacob got to him. The boy was constantly trying to get Edward to lose control so Bella could see he wasn't always the perfect gentleman he pretended to be.

"Jacob loves you, Edward," Jasper said softly.

"What?" Edward asking, feeling stupid for losing himself in his thoughts.

"Jacob, when he was yelling at you," Jasper clarified, "he asked how you expected ta love him back."

Edward replayed The Bitch-Out in his mind. Yes, Jacob had said that. With wet, red, furious eyes, and a snarl on his face. Recalling the image, Edward realized that it wasn't just anger that Jacob had been feeling, but also agony. Jacob knew that Edward couldn't love him. But Jacob could love Edward. He did love Edward. When the hell had that happened? Apparently the imprint was messing with Jacob's feelings as well. The boy hadn't loved him before.

"You don't have to hide your feelings."

"I'm not hiding anything. These feelings aren't mine."

Edward shrugged Emmett's arm off and walked away. He could hear his brothers' disapproval over his stubbornness to accept how he felt about Jacob, but he refused to allow some stupid shifter imprinting to change him. He hadn't like Jacob Black since the day he met the boy, and he wasn't about to change his opinion now. His family could think what they wanted. Bella could demand he put the past behind him. And Jacob could love him all he wanted. But Edward was not going to give in.

xoxoxo

Author's Note:

Well, this chapter was harder to write than I thought it was going to be. I mostly had issues with Edward's part. I couldn't get the bear fight to come out like I wanted it to. I also tried to make Bella seem more conflicted than she's been before. She's hurting just as much as the boys, but she's hiding it behind her desire for all of them to move on and just be happy. She doesn't want to fess up to anything; which, unfortunately, is just causing more conflict between them.

Okay, I have to say that I will be taking (more) liberties with the canon plotline. Certain events are going to happen, others aren't. Just know that I'm doing it because the story calls for those changes to be made. Plus, some things just bugged me and I don't want them in my story! Like Paul imprinting on Rachel. I liked him as a loose cannon. So for this story he never imprinted on her. Sorry, for those of you who like it, but it irked me, so yeah.

Also, we should start seeing more of the conflicting pack stuff over the next couple of chapters. Again, I took liberties on some of the details. I won't spoil anything here. Just wanted to get it out there. I've already hinted at it with Brady and Colin and why their parents let them hang out with the older boys. It was a subtle hint, but like I've said, I try to ease them in there instead of slapping y'all in the face.

Please, remember this story is about Jacob, so don't expect too much about Edward or Bella and how they're dealing with their feelings. There will be updates on how their coming to terms with the imprint, just not in every chapter or in their own sections. You may have to read between the lines.

RekkaKouyuu