This is the last chapter. I know that it should be better but somehow more words just didnt come so forgive me. Thank you Jane I made the changes to the mon cher mistakes. Thank you all for reading and reviewing and enjoying To Whom I Belong! Epilogue to follow

No copyright intended on Stephenie Meyer's work

Chapter 48 – Forgiveness

PHOENIX

I hated seeing Jace like this. I had seen him upset before, certainly, but this was different. He was practically vibrating with nervous energy. I was a little shocked to see how much his mother could upset him.

"Let's go down to First Beach," I suggested. "Since we've got some time before heading over to your father's let's just get out for a while."

Jace nodded and kissed me on the lips. I packed my beach bag with water, cookies and my huge sand mat and told Mom our plan. I drove us the short distance while Jace just stared out of the window, thinking. I wished I could read his mind like Edward Cullen. It would be better than trying to force him to talk, which he clearly didn't want to do. I just hated feeling so helpless. But I knew he just needed me next to him, that's why he was with me and not at home.

I parked and grabbed the bag, which Jace promptly took before wrapping his arm around my shoulders and drawing me close to his body as we walked down the sand. A few kids from school called out to us and I waved and greeted them, making small talk about the upcoming senior year. Jace kept quiet, not interested in conversation and after a few minutes my friends picked up on that and said good-bye. I caught a few curious glances being thrown our way and I could just tell that our relationship was a hot topic in teenage gossip circles. I smirked, thinking Bethany must be very annoyed. I was almost certain I'd seen her curly hair in the crowd but obviously she knew not to come over.

"Have you thought about what you're going to do until you get into college?" I asked as we settled on the mat.

Jace shrugged. "I'll find a job around the Rez, I'm gonna take a year off so we can go together."

"WHAT!" I screeched with a huge grin. "Jace that's great!" I jumped on his lap then planted a wet kiss on his mouth while giggling excitedly.

He gave me a sad smile and just stared at me, adjusting my legs to straddle his lap so we could look into each other's eyes. "I just don't want us to get separated, you know? It would be too hard. I'd never be able to focus on school if I'm worrying about you or missing you." He ran his fingers down my hair causing me to shiver.

I nodded, understanding what he meant. I'd miss him terribly too. "Me too."

"I love you baby, so much. You're the one good thing I've got going for me Nix."

"I love you too Jace. I hate seeing you like this, I wish I could make it better. But it WILL get better."

"You are helping, just by being with me."

I rolled my eyes but smiled at his cuteness. "You know what I mean, I wish I could fix things with you and your Mom."

He nodded and tightened his grip on my waist. "Don't worry about it. It is what it is. I just realized that she'll never accept me for who I am and I just gotta stop caring."

I grabbed his face and watched him sternly. "Don't give up yet Jace. She just doesn't understand the wolf thing. She was never allowed to understand with your Dad and now you. We'll find a way to get through to her. Or maybe Uncle Embry is right now. Just have a little faith okay? If I could get over the last year and move on, she can too. Just show her how happy you are now, let her see the good that has come out of it."

"And if she still doesn't accept it?" he grimaced.

"Then we'll just give her some time and try again. You have lots of patience Jace, you can do it."

"It's not even the wolf thing…she just doesn't want me here. She doesn't want me to be close to Embry or Corrie or you. She just wanted me to meet him and get it out of my system. Honestly, I think she wanted me to come here, hate him and then just go back to Cali. She didn't expect things to go so well."

I nodded. "That sucks." I wished I could understand that woman. Wanting to keep Jace and Embry apart was incredibly selfish. I wasn't so sure I'd even like her very much.

Jace groaned in frustration and I gently scraped his scalp with my fingertips. He growled and buried his face in my chest, inhaling my skin deeply. I immediately thought of when I lost my virginity to him and wished we could do it again. That would certainly take his mind off things.

As if reading my mind he looked up at me again, lust shining in his eyes. "I miss you…I mean, I want you. I can't stop thinking about the other day."

I sighed, feeling the blush spread across my cheeks. "I know, me either."

"After my Mom leaves we can have a date night…go back to my place...Dad won't say anything."

I smiled and wrapped my arms around his neck before placing my lips against his, letting his warmth sink into my skin. That was just what I wanted to hear. We stretched out on the mat, Jace using the towel as a pillow and me using his chest as mine. We listened to the sounds of the ocean and our tribe and just basked in the love that seemed to vibrate between us.

I felt so content, more content than I ever had in my life. Jace was staying in La Push to be with me; we were happy and in love. A new season of our lives was starting and though we had suffered losses we were stronger together. I would never let his mother jeopardize everything we both had to fight for just to get to this point. Somehow, someway she'd have to see reason.

Our future was fated and we had so much to look forward to and I couldn't wait to experience it all with him.

JACE

Phoenix, Corrie and I went back to my house that evening just around sunset. Paul was away in Port Angeles in meetings until the next day, and Ruthie was having a sleep over at Jacob's place, which was the house he grew up in. I'd never seen it but Phoenix said it was really nice with all the renovations he'd made to it. Tuari, Sammy and their imprints were having a movie night. I would have preferred to do that than talk to my mother, but I had no choice, this was more important anyway.

When I got to the house I was surprised to see them both outside on the garden swing drinking wine and chatting. Mom had changed into a pair of jeans, boots and an off-white sweater. Her hair was down and her face flushed. I wasn't sure if it was the wine, the cool air or the man who was sitting next to her but she seemed relaxed and happy. It was a picture that burned my heart, seeing my parents sitting together, seeming to be getting along.

"Corrie," Mom breathed. She handed Embry her wine glass and got up, rubbing her hands against her thighs.

"Val," Corrie answered stiffly.

"Corr, don't be mad, I'm sorry," Mom gushed, and practically threw herself at my imprint's mother, folding her hands around her.

Corrie took a moment before she hugged her back, and I saw that it was Embry nodding at her which caused her to reciprocate. Phoenix looked over at me and smiled and I couldn't help but pull her into my side and kiss her.

The two women stepped back and regarded one another. "You look really good Corr," Mom said approvingly. "Your fashion sense now lives," she chuckled and I couldn't help but smile too. My mother, making jokes?

"Oh shut up," Corrie rolled her eyes, fighting a smile.

"I'm so sorry to hear about your grandmother, I know how much you loved her."

Corrie's face immediately fell and she nodded. "Thank you. It hurts but I was lucky to have had her for so long."

My mother grasped Corrie's hands and looked her dead in the eye. "I missed you so much Corrie, you have no idea."

"Well it was your choice to shut me out Val, but I missed you too. You don't even know my children."

Mom nodded and sighed. "Trust me, there's not a day that goes by that I'm not filled with regrets."

"I just wish you had let me be there for you. This was not how things should have turned out. You could have been so much happier here with us, don't you know that?"

"I've still had a good life Corrie, it's not like I was poor and living on the streets or something."

Corrie nodded and glanced over at us. "This is my daughter Phoenix, she's Jace's girlfriend."

Phoenix stepped out from the comfort of my arms and held her hand out to my mother. Mom watched her from head to toe for a moment before she half-smiled and took her hand. "It's nice to meet you Mrs. Montgomery."

"Nice to meet you too Phoenix, please call me Val. Mrs. Montgomery is an annoying older woman I don't quite care for."

We all laughed a bit, and she was right. I was always thankful that we didn't have to see Brendon's mother regularly, only at Christmas mostly. I'd never really thought of her as "grandma." Mom turned to me then and smiled. I swear I'd never seen my mother smile so much, and I mean genuinely smile, not the face she made for her friends and colleagues.

"Jace honey, you okay?" She came to stand in front of me. I nodded and accepted the hug she offered. "She's beautiful, I'm happy for you," she whispered in my ear. I tightened my grip on her and without warning a well of tears came to my eyes and I couldn't stop them from falling. I tried not to cry in front of my Dad and these women but I couldn't. My mother was acting so differently, it was overwhelming.

"Let's give these two a minute, I've got some ice cream in the fridge?" Embry gestured to the house and looked expectantly at Phoenix and Corrie. They both glanced over at us before following him inside. Mom and I took the seats on the swing and it took a moment before anyone spoke.

"Jace I'm sorry I wasn't a good mother to you all these years. I'm sorry I ran from your father and convinced myself that it was a good decision. The only person I was thinking of was myself, and I shouldn't have done that. I should have told Embry. You might not believe this but there were times when you were little, I'd pack our stuff and book the flight and then chicken out. That's why I married Brendon. I thought that if I just stuck to the plan and made a good life for you in California that it wouldn't matter."

"But it did matter, I needed you to show me the truth Mom. I always knew that someone was missing from my life."

"I know Jace, and I'm sorry. You had every right to be upset with me and I will never forgive myself for being so selfish. I don't expect you to ever forgive me for hurting you for so many years."

"Mom, if you're really sorry, say you'll be happy for me. I meant what I said this morning. I'm happy here with the tribe and I want to stay and plan my future with Phoenix."

Mom nodded and sighed, looking off into the distance. "I support your decision Jace. I know that I can't stop you, you're a man now. I'll miss you, even if you don't believe it, I will."

"I'll come visit, I promise. And you can come visit too. You and Dad seem okay? Right?"

Her eyebrows raised for a moment and then she looked at her lap and rubbed her thighs nervously. "I can't come back Jace, your father – I mean, Brendon, doesn't even know I'm here. I just came to see you, so that we could all get this settled and move forward."

"Why can't he know?" I asked, not understanding.

"Because of Embry…it's just not appropriate okay? It's best if he and I don't see each other again."

"You still care about him don't you? That's why?" It wasn't really a question. It was obvious she did. One look at the two of them and anyone could see they were attracted to one another. Embry was right, it was like she was his, and always had been.

Mom reached over and stroked my cheek. "It doesn't matter what I feel Jace. It's in the past now. We lead separate lives. All that matters is that we're both good parents to you from now on, Embry and I agree on that. And I promise you I will be a good Mom. I will call you and ask you how your day is going, I will take an interest in your dreams and goals Jace. You mean the world to me, you have no idea how much I wish I could go back to the day I found out I was pregnant with you. You deserved so much more than I ever gave you. You deserved more than Enid. Words can't describe how ashamed I am."

I nodded and sighed. It made me feel so good inside to hear her admit to her mistakes. "I'm sorry too, for being a dick to you. I'm really working on getting my anger under control, being here has helped a lot. I should have just tried to tell you how I felt instead of lashing out and doing stupid shit. I'm really sorry about what I did to Jon. I know I really fucked shit up for Brendon."

Mom sighed and rolled her eyes. "I swear, being around your father has not helped with that potty mouth of yours. Why do you both love to swear so much?" She playfully ruffled my hair and then froze. "Sorry. I know you hate when people touch 'The Hair.'" I couldn't help but laugh, and she did too. "Hey, don't worry about Tom Chaney and Brendon, they're big boys, they can handle themselves. Jon apparently is healing well though. He'll be back to normal very soon, even if his ego isn't," she smirked.

I nodded, relieved that I hadn't totally fucked him up. What if he couldn't play sports or some shit because of what I did? The guilt would eat at me alive.

"Just promise me you'll think before you act from now on. Not everything can be cleaned up with money."

"I know," I groaned, "I promise."

"Good."

We sat there for a while, her arm wrapped around mine, swinging as the moon rose in the sky.

"I love you Mom. I always have and I always will okay? I forgive you. Thank you for coming and being honest with me." I hugged my mother and felt like a weight had been lifted off my back. Even though she didn't go into much detail about the past, and I suspected it was because she somehow couldn't, just like Enid said; her admission to her wrong-doing was what I'd needed to finally begin to heal.

I was getting the life I'd always wanted. I had Mom, Dad, Phoenix and a whole pack of people who loved me.

I was forever in debt to Martha Redbird for helping me have a second shot at life.

I'd make the best of everything I now had.

Everything I'd ever wanted.