I'm alive! Okay, I'm really very sorry for being MIA for almost a month but real life has sort of kicked my ass over the last few weeks. First, my mom (who isn't in the best health to begin with) was really sick and I ended up going to Nevada to spend some time with her. She's okay now and doing much better, which is a relief. However, when I got back home I ended up coming down with the flu and was hospitalized for two days for severe dehydration. It's been a rough few weeks, but things have calmed down and I spent the last two days working on this chapter and putting it all together for you guys. I don't know if anyone is even interested in this story anymore, but if you are, I hope you like this chapter.

Thank you all for your reviews and adds, I'm sorry I didn't respond last time. However, if you leave a signed review for this chapter, I promise to respond. :)

Disclaimer: I own nothing associated with Twilight.

Chapter Twenty-Six

"Aurora!" Melody shouted as she charged into my room and I let out a short scream as I pulled back from the kiss I had been sharing with Jacob and wrapped my blankets around my naked chest as I sat up and looked at the door with wide eyes. "Holy shit, I'm sorry!" Melody said with wide eyes. Her face was flushed and she looked like she had been crying, and my heart sank.

"It's okay," I said quickly, realizing immediately why she was so upset. "Go in the guest room and I'll be right there." Melody nodded her head before she rushed out of the room, closing the door hard behind her. I didn't even bother to look at Jacob as I ran my hand through my hair and climbed from the bed. "I don't think Melody took Paul's news all too well."

"Yeah," he said heavily and I looked at him after I pulled my discarded t-shirt on over my head. He was still lying back in my bed, hair disheveled, lips swollen, and a look that was an odd combination of satisfied and concerned.

"I'll talk to her," I promised as I tugged on my shorts before I climbed up on the bed and kissed him softly. "Wait here."

"I should go talk to Paul. He's outside," he said and I nodded before I kissed him once more and moved away from him, quickly climbing off the bed. I left my bedroom, closed the door, and went into what was now the guest room to see Melody pacing at the foot of the bed as she chewed on her left thumbnail.

"Mel?" I asked and she stopped pacing to turn and look at me. "Are you okay?"

"It's real, isn't it?" she asked. "He's not crazy, right?"

"It's real, Mel, and no, he's not crazy," I said as I walked over to her and she sighed heavily before she ran her hand down her face and flopped down on the foot of the bed. "What happened today?" I asked as I sat down next to her.

"Today was prefect," she said as she stared at the floor, a soft smile coming to her lips. "The best date I've ever been on actually and all we really did was talk during the drive to Port Angeles and saw a movie before the shit hit the fan." She turned her head to look at me, tears lining her light brown eyes.

"How much did he tell you?" I asked.

"He told me about the Quileute legends, that they're real, and that he, the rest of the guys and Leah, turn into giant wolves to protect their tribe from vampires, which also happen to be real," Melody said, her voice trembling slightly as her eyes begged for me to tell her otherwise.

"They're real too," I said in a whisper and she let out a small noise before she flopped back against the bed.

"How long have you known about all of this, Aurora?" she asked as she looked at me from her prone position on the bed.

"A while," I said. "Jacob told me a week after we met and I met him my first full day here. I know that it's a lot to take in and wrap your head around, Mel, but once you do, dealing with it all becomes natural."

"How does dealing with the fact that your boyfriend turns into a wolf to kill vampires become natural?" she asked as she sat up, eyes once again wide, and I laughed lightly at the expression on her face.

"I don't know, it just does," I said as I shrugged my shoulders and she sighed heavily.

"It's not a very comical situation, Aurora," she said and I sighed.

"Look, Mel, when Jacob told me about what he could do it was right after his dad had spent over an hour telling their tribes' legends. So, when Jacob started to explain things to me, I put two and two together and figured it out on my own. Knowing Paul, he probably gave you a cliff notes version before he laid out the truth. I know you're probably scared and confused, but Paul will never hurt you in any way." I paused and Melody nodded her head slightly before she sighed yet again. "Did he tell you anything else other than the fact that he can turn into a large horse sized wolf?"

"Horse sized?" she aside with raised eyebrows and I nodded. She sighed again and shook her head. "That's all I let him tell me. I told him to shut up and bring me back here. He tried to talk to me in the car, but I wouldn't even look at him." I was familiar with that situation for my car ride back home with Jacob that night those few short months ago had been spent exactly the same way.

"When he told you about the legends, did he tell you about Taha Aki and Third Wife?" I asked and she frowned slightly as she looked at me. "Did he, Mel?" I asked again and she sighed as she shrugged.

"I don't know, Aurora, I'm so freaked out right now I'm lucky I know my name," she said and I sighed once again before I reached out and took her trembling right hand into both of mine. Tears lined her eyes again as she shook her head and I squeezed her hand firmly to reassure her.

"Mel, how do you feel when you're with Paul?" I asked her and she sniffed quietly as she furrowed her brow.

"What?" she asked.

"Before Paul told you his secret, how did you feel when you were with him?" I asked her again, my eyes never wavering from hers. After a short beat, Melody looked away from me and I could see her thinking of what her answer to that question really was.

"Safe," she said quietly and I smiled at the feeling she chose to say first. "I felt safe and he made me feel like I was . . . like I was the most important person in the world to him," she finished before she looked at me. "That sounds crazy right?" she asked and I shook my head.

"No, Mel, it's not crazy because from the moment Paul's eyes met yours on Sam and Emily's porch the other day you are the most important person in the world to him," I said and she frowned.

"I don't understand," she said and I took a deep breath and I let go of her hand before I stood and ran my fingers through my hair.

"It has to do with an ability they get after their, for the lack of a better way to describe it, spirit warrior gene is activated," I said as I stood in front of her and looked down at her. "They call it imprinting."

"Imprinting?" she asked and I nodded. "What does that mean?"

"It's when . . . it's when they find their soul mate," I said and Melody's eyebrows rose as she looked up at me. "Emily is Sam's imprint, Kim is Jared's, and I'm Jacob's," I said opting out of mention the fact that Quil imprinted on little Claire. That would only freak her out more and now that she seemed to be a little calmer I didn't want to risk it.

"Are you saying that Paul imprinted on me when we first met?" Melody asked and I nodded. "So, what he feels for me and what I feel for him isn't real? It's just magic?" she asked and I shook my head negatively, but before I could answer her both of us were startled by an unexpected voice.

"No, Melody, it's real," Paul said and I looked to the door just as Melody stood from the foot of the bed to stand beside me and face the bedroom doorway where Paul stood. Jacob was just behind him, but my focus was on Paul who was shirtless and wearing what looked like a pair of the spare basketball shorts that Jacob kept in one of my plastic containers of clothes. Obviously, Paul's temper had got the better of him and I really wouldn't have been surprised if the second Melody had gotten inside the house he ran into the trees and blew up.

"I'm sorry I said anything, Paul, but I was just trying to help her understand," I said and he looked at me.

"I know, Aurora, and thanks," he said before he walked further into the room, shaking his head as he walked, "because I probably would have just screwed up again." His eyes returned to Melody and since she hadn't stepped back as he walked closer to us, I knew that she wasn't going to turn him away. "I'm sorry," he said as he stopped a few feet away from us and Melody shook her head.

"You shouldn't apologize because of something you can't help," she said quietly. "I'm sorry for freaking out on you." Since the pair was focused on each other, I slipped around Paul and walked over to Jacob who was standing just inside the bedroom door. He gave me a small smile before he wrapped his arm around my waist as I settled up at his side, my own arm wrapping around his lower back as I looked at Paul and Melody.

"You don't have anything to be sorry for, Melody," he said and I saw him raise his right hand, but he was quick to clasp his hand together before his hand fell back to his side. "I really shouldn't have expected anything different. You have every right to be afraid."

"Paul, I," Melody stared but stopped before I saw my usually reserved friend take a deep breath and square her shoulders as she looked up at him, her eyes meeting his. "I'm not afraid of you."

"No?" he asked, not really believing her, and she shook her head.

"No, I'm not. It's just . . . one minute I'm on the best date I've ever been on with a guy that I can't even believe is remotely interested in me, and the next I find out he is a supernatural being that's forced to care about me because of that."

"I'm not forced to do anything, Melody," Paul said and a sudden wave of déjà vu hit me because their conversation at the moment was eerily similar to the one I had had with Jacob, "and I can honestly tell you that even if it wasn't for the whole imprinting thing, I would have been seriously interested in you." Melody's face flamed red as she averted her eyes to her hands, which were now clasped in front of her, but the small up turning of the corners of her lips did not go unnoticed. Paul took a step forward, closing the distance between them even more, and raised his right hand to her face. He tilted her chin up so she was looking at him once again.

"I would do anything for you, Melody, and I'll play whatever role in your life you want me to play," he said quietly and for a moment I felt terrible for watching the obviously intimate scene, but Jacob and I made no move to leave them just in case it started to go south again.

"What role do you want in it?" Melody asked, which was rather brave for her if you ask me.

"I want to be with you; say you're my girlfriend if someone happens to ask if I have one. I don't want and will never want to be with anyone but you," Paul answered without any hesitation, "but with you living in California, I won't force you into anything. I can just be your friend if that's what you-," he made to continue but Melody had reached up and grabbed his face with a speed I didn't know the girl possessed. She pulled Paul's face down to hers as she rose up on her toes and kissed him solidly on the lips before she threw her arms around his shoulders and hung on. Paul was quick to respond and wrapped his arms around her waist before he lifted her from the floor with the same ease that Jacob always lifted me and returned her feverish kiss.

My face warmed as I looked away from the heated affection and up at Jacob who was grinning before he unwrapped his arm from around me and I lowered my arm from his back to allow him to take my hand. Leaving the pair on their own, Jacob and I went back into my room. Jacob walked over to my bed while I let out a heavy sigh as I rested my back against the cool wood of the door.

"Thank goodness that seems to have worked out," I said quietly before I pushed off my door and walked over to where Jacob stood at the foot of my bed.

"Yeah, from the sounds of things you may have to get Melody some new sheets before Gina will even consider sleeping in that bed tonight," Jacob said as he reached out and took hold of my hips while my hands moved to rest on his shoulders as my eyes widened.

"You're kidding," I said quietly, completely surprised by the fact that Melody and Paul were about to have sex and he shook his head.

"Nope. It's a good thing we walked out of there when we did because something tells me they probably wouldn't have even noticed we were standing there," he said before he grinned and cocked his head to the side. "Why didn't you have that kind of reaction when we talked everything out the first time?" he asked and I smack his chest as I pursed my lips, effectively only making my palm sting from the effort while he laughed and moved his hands so that his fingers were interlocked and resting on my lower back. "I'm just joking, baby," he said softly before he placed a kiss on the tip of my nose. "I like the way we started."

"You do?" I asked an eyebrow raised and he nodded. "Why?"

"I got to know you," he said. "Sure, I may have wanted to kiss you every single time you bit your lip or made that cute face you make when you're thinking or confused, but I liked being your friend first. I feel like it just made the relationship that we have now all that much stronger." My heart melted a little at his words and I smiled up at him until I felt his left hand slid down a bit before it took a firm hold of my backside.

"You know, that would have been a whole lot more meaningful if you hadn't grabbed my ass at the end there," I said with a slight shake of my head and he smiled at me before I suddenly found myself lying on my bed with Jacob hovering above me.

"I can't help it," he said with that certain smile that always made certain parts of my body come alive as he pinned my hands above my head. "We were interrupted just as round five was about to get started, and I'm tired of waiting," he said as he continued to hold my hands above my head with his left hand while his right snaked down my left arm. He took hold of my left breast, which was bra free thanks to my rush to get dressed, and squeezed, eliciting a gasp from me before his mouth seared over mine. It was then that round five began in earnest.

Three Weeks Later

Bella and Edward were still on their honeymoon, which was on an island off the coast of Brazil. In the weeks leading up to the wedding I had asked Alice where Edward was taking Bella and Alice had told me all about where they were going and the island. She and Jasper had also visited the island a few times, which was called Isle Esme. I didn't even have to ask the question before Alice had told me that Carlisle had bought the island for Esme, which was why it was named after her. The fact that Carlisle actually bought an island for his wife took a bit to wrap my head around, but when I had told Jacob he had just shrugged his shoulders as he told me that if he had the money he would buy a tropical island for me.

Bella hadn't called since she'd left for her honeymoon and it had been about a week since I had last visited the Cullen's house or heard from any of them. It was odd that Alice hadn't called, but I didn't think too much about it. I had been busy enough hanging out with Jacob and the pack since Gina and Melody had returned home. Charlie was on edge about not hearing from Bella, however, I had been able to put him at ease by saying that she and Edward were probably enjoying themselves too much to think to call home. I couldn't exactly tell him what I thought, which was that Edward was doing his best to control a blood thirsty newborn Bella.

"How's Paul been holding up?" I asked Jacob, to change the course of my thoughts while the two of us sat along our cliff, me wrapped up in Jacob's arms as we looked out at the ocean in front of us from our perch on a large rock.

"Surprisingly good," he said. "You know he talks to Melody every day."

"About four times a day according to Mel," I said with a laugh and Jacob chuckled before he kissed my right temple, "and every time I talk to Gina, she tells me to tell Embry hi. Apparently, he left a good impression."

"Yeah, you don't want to know the kind of impression Gina left on him," Jacob said and I full on laughed once again as I turned my head slightly and looked at him over my right shoulder. He grinned at me before he leaned into me and pressed a soft kiss on my lips before he sighed. "I hate that you start school on Tuesday," he said quietly as we looked at each other.

"I know," I said just as quietly, "I do too, but we'll survive." He chuckled as he nodded before he kissed me yet again, just as the alarm on my cell phone started going off. He groaned as he pulled back and rested his forehead against mine. "Time to head back for Sunday dinner at your place," I said and he lifted his head, which allowed me to look away from him and turn off the ringing alarm. Jacob let his arms fall away from me then and I climbed down from the rock before I bounced on the balls of my tennis shoe clad feet and zipped up my light jacket before I held out my hand to him. "Come on," I said and he smiled at me before he swung his long legs around, took my hand, and stood from the boulder. Hand in hand we walked towards the trees, both of us taking it slow to enjoy our quiet time together a little longer.

"Charlie's already here," I said as I hopped off his bike, my feet sinking a bit in the mud, and took off my helmet while looking at the cruiser he had opted to drive over. I looked at Jacob and handed my helmet to him once he was standing and he laughed at me before he shook his head and hung my helmet on the handle. He took my hand into his and I laughed as I leaned against him and we made our way inside. Billy met us when we walked in and I smiled at him. "Hey Billy," I said happily and he gave me a tight lipped smile before he looked between Jacob and I. I felt Jacob stiffen beside me and my smile slipped away as I looked down at Billy.

"What's going on?" Jacob asked, suddenly on alert, and Billy shook his head.

"Bella called Charlie," he said quietly and I looked up to see Charlie looking out the living room window with a pensive and slightly worried look on his face. I let go of Jacob's hand and he let me walk away, knowing I was worried about Charlie and would find out what Bella had to say without his help.

"Hey," Charlie said as he turned to look at me. "Did you have a nice time with Jake?" he asked and I nodded as I brushed a few loose strands of hair that had escaped my braid from my face.

"Yeah," I said lightly. "Bella called?" I asked and he nodded with a heavy sigh as he tucked his hands into the front pockets of his jeans.

"They're staying longer than they originally planned," Charlie said. "It seems she caught a bug. They want to wait until she feels better before they travel home."

"So, she's sick?" I asked and Charlie nodded.

"Yeah, she told me not to worry but she sounded," he stopped himself as he shook his head and looked at me hesitantly.

"She sounded like what?" I asked.

"I don't know . . . off, I guess," he said.

"She'll be okay, Charlie," came Sue's voice and I jumped slightly, startled by the woman. Even though I knew she was there, I hadn't really noticed her in the tiny house, but I looked over my right shoulder to see her standing by the table bowl in hand. "Let's eat while everything's hot," she said with a small smile.

Charlie moved and sat down at the table, however, my eyes moved to Jacob who didn't look all that pleased. I knew that he wanted to go to the Cullen's place and honestly so did I. So, I nodded subtly and Jacob held out his hand to me. I quickly walked over to him, put my hand in his, and the two of us were once again out the door. I knew Charlie was going to have questions later, but right then I wanted to talk to Carlisle to find out of Bella really was all right. We'd grown closer in the days leading up to her wedding and while she still wasn't my best friend or anything I wanted her to be okay. Plus, as I said time and time again, she was family.

"If Bella and Edward are back like I think they are, you're not going inside," Jacob said as he handed me my helmet. "With her being just turned, I don't want to chance-," he started but I silenced him by raising my right hand to the side of his face and kissing him. His hands found my jean clad hips and he grasped them tightly as he kissed me back before I slowly pulled back from him.

"There will be seven other vampires and you there to protect me if Bella can't control herself," I whispered as my blue eyes met his brown. "Nothing will happen." Jacob looked like he wanted to argue, but he just took a deep breath through his nose before he nodded his head. "Thank you," I whispered as I lowered my hand from his face and he turned away from me to climb on to the back of his bike while I fastened my helmet back on. I quickly got on behind him and I was no more settled on the bike with my arms around his waist and the two of us were back on the road.

When Jacob and I reached the Cullen's house, Carlisle was standing at the open front door before I even had my helmet off. Leaving my helmet on the bike, I jogged up the front stairs, with Jacob following closely behind me. "Carlisle, is Bella all right?" I asked breathlessly and Carlisle took a deep breath as Jacob ushered me inside, which allowed Carlisle to close the front door.

"She's . . .," at Carlisle's pause my concern for my cousin grew.

"Just give it to us straight, Doc," Jacob said, but before Carlisle could answer a voice from upstairs in the living room cut him off.

"Aurora? Jake? Is that you guys?" Bella, who sounded very ill to even my ears, asked.

"She is here then," Jacob said, his hold on my waist tightening.

"Yes. They returned last week, but it's not what you think," Carlisle said.

"So, Edward hasn't changed her yet?" I asked and he shook his head.

"No," he said softly and I let out a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding before I escaped Jacob's hands and headed towards the stairs. "Aurora," Carlisle called, but I just continued up the stairs knowing that Jacob and Carlisle would follow.

"What's going on?" I asked hesitantly when I saw all of the Cullens just standing, or in Alice's case sitting around, Rosalie seeming on guard and standing in front of where Bella was sitting on the sofa. "Bella, are you all right?" I asked as I started walking towards her, but Rosalie took a step forward.

"I'm sorry, Aurora, but you can't come any closer," Rosalie said, stopping me in my tracks and I looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"What's your problem?" Jacob asked from behind me and Rosalie glared at him as I felt Jacob come up behind me, his hot hand coming to rest on my lower back.

"Rose, it's okay," Bella said and Rosalie sighed quietly before I left Jacob's comforting touch and walked around Rosalie to see a very pale and sick looking Bella. She actually looked almost gaunt and I was even more worried about her.

"Wow, Bella, are you okay?" I asked as I sank down onto the large ottoman that rested in front of the sofa.

"Yeah," she said tiredly. "I'm okay."

"Charlie's worried," I said and she sighed quietly. "I know you called him to try and put him at ease, but it didn't work." She shook her head and looked down at her hands, which even looked bony to me and I didn't understand how that was possible since I had seen her just three weeks ago. "Bella, what's wrong with you?" She looked at me then before she glanced at Jacob and took a deep breath, her eyes going to Rosalie.

"Rose, will you help me up?" she asked as she started to remove the blanket from her lap and that was when I saw it. I heard what I knew to be Jacob's sharp intake of breath as I stood right along with Bella as Rosalie helped my very pregnant cousin stand.

"How . . .," I said trailing off as I stared at Bella's stomach before my blue eyes found her brown. She gave me a weak smile as she put her hands on her stomach and I shook my head. "How is this even possible?" I asked.

"We didn't even know it was," Carlisle said and I turned around to look at him. Jacob was glaring at Edward and I didn't need to read his mind to know what he was thinking. He was blaming Edward for Bella's condition, but he was keeping his accusatory words all in his head where he knew only Edward would hear them.

"What is it?" Jacob asked as he turned his head to the right so he was looking at Carlisle.

"I'm not sure," Carlisle said and I frowned. "Ultrasounds and needles won't penetrate the embryonic sac." I heard Bella sit back down behind me as I did my best to quickly wrap my head around everything.

"I can't see it either," Alice said and I turned slightly to the right to look at her as she stood. "And I can't see Bella's future anymore."

"We've been researching legends, but there isn't much to go on," Carlisle said once again drawing my eyes to his. "What we do know is that it's strong, and fast growing."

"Why haven't you done anything?" Jacob asked. "Take it out of her! It's obviously killing her and who knows what it is exactly."

"This is none of your business, dog," Rosalie said.

"Rose!" Esme chastised and Jacob looked at the blonde beside me while Rosalie looked at her adoptive mother. "All this fighting isn't good for Bella."

"The fetus isn't good for Bella," Alice said and that did it for me.

"It's a baby!" I shouted as I clenched my hands at my sides. "All of you are talking like it's the Anti-Christ or something when it's just a little baby."

"Possibly," Jasper said as he walked up beside Alice and looked at me with a serious look on his face that was actually a little frightening. However, I wasn't going to let him intimated me.

"Oh my gosh, what else could it possibly be?" I asked as I looked around. "I'm not sure exactly how, logically anyway, it could even happen, but it happened and the only thing that makes sense is that it's a baby not some fire breathing monster." Jacob looked at me like I was crazy, as did everyone else except for Rosalie. My back was to Bella, but I hazard a guess that she was in agreement with me.

"Carlisle," Jacob said as he looked away from me and at the good doctor, "you've got to do something."

"No," Bella said firmly from behind me and I turned around to look at her. "It's not anyone's decision but mine."

"Jacob, I need to talk to you," Edward said, sounding like he was on the verge of tears if vampires could cry. We all watched him walk out and after meeting my gaze one more time, Jacob followed after him. Whatever the two were about to talk about was not going to be good, so, I fought against my urge to follow them and sat back down on the ottoman in front of Bella and looked at her.

Her brown eyes once again met my blue and I gave her a small reassuring smile before I reached out and covered her right hand with my left. She seemed surprise by the gesture of support, but was quick to take hold of my hand in her surprisingly cooler one. I gave her hand a small squeeze and decided then that whatever Bella wanted to do, I would support her one hundred percent. I just hoped that Jacob would understand in the end.