AN: Thank you to stressylemon, oneiros lykos, 4vr17Vi, wherthewild1s-trulyare, KIRAKASHA, renee-cullen, Bellaxvampire, DamnThoseDazzlingCullens, LSinclair, Stacie-Ann Halliwell, totallyanon, Anima Bella, juliet233, Lost in Believing, Eullyne, HorsecrazyJr., pmabry7, ChildOfTheApocalypse, pricel, Jesusrocks, AdabellaCullen, pixie-stix-lynn, jackiehydelover, RosalieandEmmett and geekyguirl for the reviews, alerts and favorites. Thank you for sticking with me. I apologize again for the lapse in updates, I've lost a large chunk of my free time.
37. Catching Up:
Bella:
"My poor baby," I sighed as Jacob placed Elizabeth into bed, "She must be so..."
I couldn't even imagine what my little girl was feeling. There was just so many things that had gone wrong for her in such a short amount of time. Her head must be an ugly place right now. However, she looked like she was sleeping peacefully. For now.
Jacob stepped away from her prone form to allow me to tuck her in. We were alone in her room. Edward was downstairs, filling in the rest of the family. Everyone had been surprised when Jacob had accompanied us through the front door, a comatose Elizabeth cradled in his arms. A thick silence stretched out between us as we both watched her sleep. So many unspoken things hung in the air.
"Let's go downstairs," I said finally, "She needs her sleep."
Jacob followed me out of the room, casting a glance at Elizabeth before the door shut behind him. We walked down the stairs in another odd silence. Edward met me at the bottom, taking my hand without thinking. I cast an unconscious glance at Jacob, expecting to see anger in his eyes. I was pleasantly surprised to see that he was perfectly at ease. A thrill of relief washed through me. It seemed that the mad love triangle had finally come to an end. Hallelujah!
The entire family was gathered in the open living room. Emmett and Jasper were huddled around the coffee table, talking excitedly, gearing up for the upcoming hunt. Esme sat next to Carlisle on the couch, the two of them discussing something quietly. Rosalie was seated behind Emmett where he was crouched on the floor. Alice was leaning against the glass wall, her eyes far away.
"We're expecting company," Edward informed Jacob and I as we joined the rest of the family in the living room.
"From who?" I asked, abruptly on edge.
"The police," Alice replied, waking from her vision, "They're coming to ask you and Elizabeth some questions...It seems that Alex has gone missing."
"Oh," I breathed, "Is that all?"
"The official story is that you've both been at home since you got off work," Edward told me, "Unless there's something else you'd like to fabricate?"
"No, that sounds good," I nodded, "But Elizabeth is asleep..."
"Don't worry, Bella, dear," Esme smiled, "Carlisle and I will be doing most of the talking. They should take us for our word."
Esme turned her motherly smile on Jacob then. She rose from her seat on the couch and moved toward him. He looked startled when she stopped in front of him, a welcoming smile on her lips.
"Welcome to our home, Jacob," she smiled brightly, "I do hope that you'll stay with us for as long as you need."
"Er," Jacob stammered, "That's really okay...I've survived for a long time without the usual amenities."
Esme frowned and I threw Jacob a withering glare. How dare he hurt my mother's feelings like that. He caught my look and backtracked immediately.
"But," he began, "I gotta admit that having a roof over my head would be awesome after so many years of the great outdoors."
Esme's smile returned with full force, "You're welcome to anything you might need. All you have to do is ask."
"Thank you...Mrs. Cullen?" Jacob replied uncertainly.
"Call me Esme," she sang out, pleased that she had a new guest to entertain.
"Esme," Jacob nodded.
"We are keeping the dog in the garage, correct," Rosalie huffed, her pretty face scandalized by the recent exchange.
"That's no way to talk about our guest, Rosalie," Esme frowned.
"Guest," Rosalie sneered, "Since when are animals considered guests?"
"Rose," Esme gasped.
"No, it's okay, Esme," Jacob smiled and it was a mischievous grin.
"Hey, Barbie doll," Jacob called to Rosalie, "How do you make a blonde's eyes twinkle?"
Edward snorted and Rosalie narrowed her eyes at him.
"Give up?" Jacob beamed, "You shine a flashlight in their ears."
"Like I haven't heard that one before," Rosalie hissed, her voice as cold as ice.
She then turned a glacial glare on her husband whose huge frame was vibrating with barely contained snickers. His head snapped forward with the sound of two stones being smacked together.
"OW!" Emmett yelped, "What'd ya do that for, Rosie?!"
"Don't you laugh at those jokes," Rosalie snarled.
I shook my head and turned away from their argument. Jacob was crowing with laughter at the small discord he'd created and I couldn't help but smile a bit myself. I had forgotten just how infectious Jacob's laughter was. I turned my eyes back to my family and noticed that they all seemed to be fine with Jacob's presence. They'd even gotten used to his scent already. Maybe this could work after all.
The sound of a car's tires crunching on the gravel in the front yard made us all go still. The police were here at last. Two doors shut and the light patter of shoes clomped up toward the house. Everyone moved in a blur as we arranged ourselves into a more human picture of family life. Alice seated herself on the couch next to Jasper who had a book in his hand. Emmett turned the television on to some sports channel and feigned interest in it. Esme was knitting and Edward pulled me into the kitchen. Jacob followed behind us after a hesitant second. We'd accomplished all of this in less than a blink of an eye. The door bell rang and Rosalie went to answer it.
"Can I help you gentlemen?" Her voice sang out in an alluring purr.
"We're here to see Isabella Hale and Elizabeth Cullen," a male tenor replied, if not a bit dazedly, "Are they at home?"
"Might I inquire as to what this matter is about, Deputy Marks?" Came Carlisle's polite rebuttal.
"Sorry to bother you, Dr. Cullen," the tenor voice belonging to Deputy Marks replied, "I'm afraid that there was a break-in and possible kidnapping earlier this evening and I would just like to ask your girls where they were tonight."
"I can answer that for you," Carlisle said, "They've been at home all day, ever since their shift ended...It's not Alex Newton who has gone missing, is it?"
There was a pause.
"But that's awful," came Esme's horrified voice, "Oh, I'm sure Maggie is distraught. I need to call her."
Esme rushed into the kitchen and patted me on the arm. She did, however, pick up the phone and dial Alex's mother. Esme really would offer her support to the poor woman with whom she was on friendly terms.
"I can assure you, Deputy, that our daughters have no knowledge about his disappearance..."
I took that as my cue. I wandered into the living room, Edward trailing behind me with a bowl of grapes in his hands. The two officers were standing at the foot of the stairs. They both looked at me at the same moment that Carlisle did. I arranged my face into one of wariness as I walked farther into the room. I cast a glance around the room, blinking at each of my family member's varying expressions of shock and horror.
"What's going on?" I asked, my voice the picture of alarm.
"There was a break-in at Newtons tonight," Deputy Marks informed me.
"What?" I gasped, my hand flying to my mouth for added effect.
"It seems that Alex has gone missing, as well," Carlisle said with a grim expression.
I turned huge eyes on the officers by the stairs, wishing that I could conjure up some tears.
"Is he...did they..." I floundered for words.
Edward grabbed my hand as I swayed. The officers frowned at me. Edward gave my hand a light squeeze. An encouragement. He probably heard them buying it.
"I can see that this is a shock to you," Marks sighed, "Sorry to bother you folks."
"You'll find him, right," I gaped, "Right?"
"We'll do everything we can," Marks nodded, "If you have any information..."
"Of course," I nodded, "Oh, I hope Alex is okay..."
"We do, too," the other officer, Deputy Brown, I think, nodded, "Have a good night."
"Thank you, officers," Carlisle nodded, seeing them to the door, "We'll keep an eye out for anything suspicious."
The door shut behind them and we all stood still and silent until we heard the car drive a safe distance away. Applause sounded from behind me and I turned to see Jacob wandering back into the room.
"And the academy award for best ensemble performance goes to the Cullens," He whooped.
"Shut up, Jake," I laughed, smaking him on his arm.
Everyone returned their previous activities and all was back to normal. We had safely avoided legal attention and the distraction that we had created at the store bought us some time to find Alex. That part of the plan was still a green light.
A gentle pressure on my hand made me look up at Edward. He wasn't looking at me but rather at Jacob who was standing awkwardly in the middle of the room.
"Now that we've escaped from the police," Edward smiled, "Why don't you and Jacob go for a walk?"
I gaped at him, stunned. He looked down at me and smiled the crooked smile that I loved best.
"You two do have a lot of catching up to do," he whispered, placing his finger under my mouth, which was still hanging slightly ajar and closing it gently.
I could only nod in response. I was impressed with Edward tonight. It must be taking a lot out of him to offer this to me. Or, perhaps he could understand things so much better than I could. I was betting on the latter. I detached myself from Edward and touched Jacob's shoulder. He looked down at me, his face smiling. How I had missed that smile.
"Lets walk," I suggested.
He nodded and together we stepped out of the house. I looked over my shoulder just in time to see Edward wink at me from his new position next to Alice on the couch. I smiled at him before I shut the door and joined Jacob in the light misting rain.
We walked in silence for a while until we were a good one hundred yards away from the house. I stopped in front of a fallen tree and sat down on its moss covered bark. Jacob mirrored me.
"I feel like we should be staring at waves right now," Jacob's husky voice broke through the low murmur of crickets.
"I know," I agreed. For the life of me, I couldn't think of what to say next.
"So," Jacob said, breaking the strained silence, "Is Blondie always so inviting?"
I laughed lightly," Rosalie is...Well, she takes some getting used to."
"I think the only way she could get used to me is if I was laying on the living room floor as a throw rug," Jacob snorted.
"She'll adjust," I replied, "She'll complain about it but eventually she'll calm down. She did with me..."
"I have a feeling that you're not finished with that sentence," Jacob said, peering at me from the corner of his eye.
"You know me so well," I sighed, "Even after all of these years..."
The choir of crickets serenaded the silence that fell between us again.
"It's really good to see you again, Jake," I said quietly, "When we last saw each other...It broke my heart to see you go away again..."
"I never really left," He replied, "I was with you more than you know...Always waiting in the wings, just like I told you I would be. I just needed to make sure that you were okay...that the bloodsucker was keeping you happy."
I shot him a look and he laughed, "Sorry. That Edward was keeping you happy. Better?"
"Much," I nodded even as the lump grew in my throat.
His last words echoed in my mind and I was suddenly overjoyed that I didn't need to breathe. The lump in my throat was so huge that I couldn't have drawn a breath even if I'd wanted to. I felt the sting in my eyes even as the thick tear fell down my cheek. I heard a startled gasp when Jacob saw the shimmer on my skin. His fever hot finger brushed my cheek as he caught the tear, staring at it in wondering confusion.
"How...?" he asked softly.
"Elizabeth," I answered, "Somehow she's made us all a little more human. We can cry, sleep and our hearts even beat every now and again."
"She's a special girl," Jacob murmured, wiping my tear away on his cut-off jeans, "But I always knew she would be."
I looked at him then and he looked right back.
"You're not going to explain that, are you?" I said.
He sighed, "I think it's something that Elizabeth needs to hear first. You can be there too, but she needs the full story before anyone else does."
"You're right," I nodded.
"She's lucky you found her," Jacob said.
"We're the lucky ones," I corrected him, "She's made all of our lives so much more complete. And the gifts she's given us...I don't know what I'd do...what we'd do if we lost her..."
"I won't let that happen," Jacob asserted, "I'll do whatever it takes to keep her safe."
I smiled at the conviction in his voice, "You really love her, don't you?"
"You know I do, Bells," he nodded, "I explained imprinting to you...She's the most important thing in my life..."
He broke off with a sigh. I looked out into the trees, the mist had finally let up. The crickets had increased their joyous song and the clouds broke, allowing a thin sliver of moonlight to filter through the canopy above. I felt Jacob's hand enclose around mine and I squeezed it.
"You don't have to worry, Bella," Jacob reassured me, automatically knowing that I was worrying, "We'll keep her safe. I won't let anyone get to her, even if it costs me my life."
"Don't," I begged, "Please don't say that."
"But it's the truth," he shrugged, "I think we all know that this is boiling down to a fight...and this new vampire, he's crazy powerful. Some of us...well, you need to be prepared for some losses..."
I shook my head furiously, "We won't let that happen...I don't think I could bear it...There has to be a way to win without any of us getting killed."
Jacob squeezed my hand again. I looked at him and saw that his face was a mask of pain and then I remembered the number of losses that he'd had to deal with.
"Oh, Jake," I sighed, leaning against him.
"I'm okay," he promised, "It's just an old ache."
"All of them?" I asked.
He nodded, "All gone. Leah was the first to go once she could. I thought that maybe Seth would've stuck with me for a while but he quit, too, about two years after you'd left."
"And that's all?" I asked, "They just stopped phasing?"
"Yup," he smiled but it wasn't my smile. This one was a bit bitter, "They all seemed convinced that the Cullens left for good. They thought you'd be afraid of the treaty being broken..."
I winced.
"Don't worry, Bella," Jacob chuckled, "You're safe. There aren't any more big bad wolves. Just me."
"Why is that?" I asked, mystified that our family's return hadn't started the werewolf gene to pop into effect again.
"I think it has a lot to do with me, actually," Jacob replied.
"You?" I asked with raised eyebrows.
Jacob's booming laugh caused the crickets to fall silent, "Don't look so surprised. I am the direct descendant of Ephraim Black, after all!"
"So are you saying that you've given us a reprieve?" I gaped at him.
"Do you want me to change my mind," he teased.
"Thanks," I beamed.
"Don't mention it," Jacob snorted as the crickets starting up again.
Suddenly, Jacob was standing in front of me, a mischievous, playful grin wide on his face. I stared up at him, my small, (but no longer breakable), hand still clutched within his much larger one.
"What are you doing?" I asked.
"There's something that I've wanted to try," Jacob smiled at me and I looked back at him warily.
"What?" I asked, the suspicion plain in my voice.
He laughed again as he pulled me to my feet.
"Vampires are supposed to be fast, right?" he beamed.
"Right," I smiled back, catching on.
"Race ya?" He wiggled his eyebrows at me and I laughed, "I'll even give you a five second head start."
"You'll be eating those words in a second," I chuckled, "One...two...three!"
I launched myself into the trees and didn't need to look back to know that Jacob had already phased. I could hear the steady rhythm of his paws as they thudded on the ground behind me. I smiled as the wind blew my hair away from my face, the night cool and crisp. The trees were just a blur of dark green.
I allowed myself to laugh freely and heard Jacob's answering howl of mirth. This was how things were always meant to be. I giggled again as Jacob rushed past me in a streak of russet fur. I pressed myself just a bit harder, running full out now. I had missed this; this carefree feeling and my best friend at my side.
AN: So that's the chapter. I hope that clears up some of the questions about what happened with the wolves. Stay tuned for the next, whenever that will be!