Normally I'd type a super long AN, but tonight, I have a headache, and I really need to get this posted. So yeah.

Mercedes' POV

I poked my head through the back door careful, curling my toes against the weathered wood of the small porch. Now that I wasn't wrapped up in Jacob's warm arms, I was freezing.

"Hey Billy," I called, "could you bring us a couple of towels?"

"Sure, sure," Billy called back from the living room eagerly, probably anxious to figure out what had gone on with Jake and me.

He rolled quickly into the kitchen after a few moments, two brown, fluffy towels folded neatly on his lap.

His eyes were nervous, studying me for any sign of being upset, then flickering to glare at Jacob. I had the undeniable urge to giggle.

"Thanks, Billy," I smiled easily, trying to let him know everything was fine.

Well, it was better than fine. This was as amazing as things had ever been for me.

I took the towels and turned to give one to Jacob. He smiled, and I vaguely noticed the sharp contrast of his white teeth and russet skin.

Then he put the towel I'd handed him over his hands and reached out for me, wiping my face and neck off. He squeezed my still-curly hair and I smiled as the water fell to the porch in waves.

Jake dried off my arms, then moved to my legs. I leaned against the doorframe, and closed my eyes, almost moaning in pleasure from the muffled heat seeping through the towel. I smiled softly and began massaging his hair with the towel still in my hands. It had grown out some; it barely touched the tops of his ears now.

"I'm assuming everything between the two of you is okay?" Billy asked, a chuckle of relief in his voice, and I jumped. It was so easy to get lost in a small world, where nothing existed for me but Jacob.

"Much better than okay," I grinned, and Jacob nodded in agreement.

After I was convinced we were both dry enough, Jacob took my hand and led me inside.

Suddenly, there was a loud crash down the hall. Billy, Jake, and I stared at each other wide eyed for a moment. Then, at almost exactly the same time, we all yelped, "Charlie!"

Jacob and I galloped to the hall. Billy rolled along hastily behind us.

Standing at the end of the hall, looking sheepish and sort of resigned, was Charlie. Surrounding him was one of the biggest messes I'd ever seen. Card board boxes that had been filled with anything and everything were scattered all over the place.

Charlie huffed out a breath, staring back at us. "Billy," he finally said, "I think it's about time you made the girls' room into a storage facility. I go looking for one stinking movie, and this is what happens."

He blinked several times, then bent over. He picked up an old fishing line, strung with old, moldy looking popcorn. "Is this the popcorn tinsel Jacob made for Christmas when he was in fourth grade? Really?" Charlie wrinkled his nose a bit.

"Dad, we're staging an intervention. Hoarding hurts not only you, but those that love you." Jacob said firmly.

"It's not hoarding!" Billy protested, "those are memories."

"Rotting memories," Charlie muttered, dropping the popcorn string in disgust.

Jacob turned to me and grinned. "You wanna stay and help? Or do you need to get home?"

I smiled. "Let me call my mom and see."

His face darkened. "She gives you a curfew? Really?"

I rolled my eyes. "No, Jake. I just need to check in with the kids, see how they're doing."

He nodded, still looking troubled, and brought my hand up to his face, brushing his lips over my knuckles. I shuddered a but and he smiled slightly.

I sat my bag inside his room, then went to the kitchen to make my call. It rang five times before my mom answered.

"What do you want?" She sneered.

I sighed. "I just wanted to let you know I'll be home sort of late."

"Well, my dealer will be here at twelve thirty, so be here before then so you can keep these little brats occupied. I can't believe you left me alone with them all day! You know I need help around here since your worthless father lef-" She grumbled.

I cut her off. "I'll be there before twelve thirty."

"Good." She huffed.

"Can I talk to the kids?" I asked.

"Sure," she said lightly. Jesus, the woman was bipolar.

A moment later, Cissy's voice came on. "Where are you? I can't believe you just left us here like that."

Guilt swept through me. I was the primary caregiver of those kids. Just because I'd finally found happiness, and warmth, and safety didn't mean I could shirk them.

"You're right, Cissy, I shouldn't have done that. There were some things I needed to work out with Jacob. I'm so sorry." I said miserably.

I heard the guys begin to argue about whether or not to keep an old newspaper that mentioned the date of their high school graduation. Jacob was roaring with laughter.

"I had to clean the toilet with a toothbrush because you weren't here to ward Mom off." Ayden snarled.

More guilt.

"Yeah! Mommy was being super mean today and giving us all kinds of chores to keep us out of her way." Halen cried. Most guilt humanly possibly to feel.

"Okay, guys, listen. Just hang in there for a few more hours, okay? Tomorrow, I'll have Mom drop us off in town. We'll spend the whole day shopping, and we'll eat cheese fries and ice cream until we puke. Capeesh?" I offered.

Silence for a moment, then their sullen agreement. "Capeesh."

"Good." I sighed in relief.

Another crash and several curses came from the hallway. I winced. "Love you guys."

"We love you too!" Halen called.

"Yeah!" Ayden seconded.

"Bye," Cissy snapped, and the line went dead. Frowning, I put my phone in my bag, then turned and surveyed the mess.

Charlie was holding a purple, stuffed elephant just out of Billy's reach. They were both shouting at each other. Jacob was doubled over, holding his sides in laughter.

I blinked several times, bewildered, then shouted, "Hey!"

Everyone stopped and stared at me.

"Jacob, could you go bring the entire box of trash bags in here, please?" I asked pleasantly.

He grinned. "Yes, dear."

I snorted and swatted his arm on his way out.

I looked back at the two grown men that were acting like five year olds.

"Billy," I said softly, "it's time to tell the elephant goodbye."

"Ha!" Charlie crowed in triumph, then blushed crimson at his outburst.

"But it was Rachel's favorite as a little girl. What if she wants to give it to her own kids some day?" Billy reasoned.

I smiled at Jacob in thanks, who had returned with the garbage bags, then turned back to Billy. "Okay, Billy. Tell you what. Why don't you put anything you think they might want in a garbage bag, then set it in their room. When they come home, they can sort through it themselves."

Billy sighed, defeated, and held out his hand. Jacob gave him a shiny black bag gleefully.

Two hours later, at about eight, we were almost finished. There were only two more dumped boxes to sort through.

"Let's take a break and order pizza." Jacob finally said, when his stomach rumbled for the fifth time.

Charlie sighed wearily, rubbing his face. "Yes please."

Jacob called and ordered four large pepperoni pizzas. I looked at him doubtfully, but he just winked.

"So, uh," Charlie said, sipping his beer awkwardly when we'd all satin in the living room, "where did you say you were from, er, Mercedes?"

"Nevada." I smiled.

Charlie frowned a little. "What part?"

I had to swallow hard before I could say the name. There were too many memories held in that one name. "Winnemucca."

Charlie looked impressed. "Long drive."

I nodded. "Fourteen hours, give or take. We had to lay over in Oregon."

"Why Forks?" Billy asked seriously, eyeing me intensely.

Jacob seemed curious as to the reason too.

I blushed a little. "Mom decided it was time for a change of pace. She literally got on Google Maps and just zoomed in. This was the city it zoomed in on. She looked up some real estate, and bam, here we are."

I thought back to the day she'd told me what she'd done, and how crazy I thought it was.

"Fate," Jacob murmured under his breath.

Charlie took another swig of his beer. "Sounds like something Renee would do."

Eh, this one is shorter than what I had planned, but it seemed like a good place to stop. Let me know what you think, or if you have any suggestions! By the way, Winnemucca is an actual place. I liked it because of the really weird name.

And yeah, this was a bit of a filler chapter. So sue me. Filler chapters are there for a reason, people! It's so you can get to the good stuff! :D So please bear with me.