Hey everyone! I'm so sorry that this chapter is a week late. I haven't had a lot of spare time lately, which results in a chapter taking FOREVER to get out. Hopefully, you all don't hate me too much. This chapter is a bit of a filler, but the next chapter will have plenty of action. Thank you all so much for your reviews and adds for the last chapter. I hope you all like this chapter, and please let me know what you think!

Disclaimer: I own nothing associated with Twilight.


Chapter Forty-Nine

The next two weeks passed with thankfully little excitement. The only terrible news received was that Roman was indeed my biological father, however, thanks to Robert's challenge to Howard and Jacob's genuine threat Roman and his attorney made no move to try and force our hand. Howard actually sent Robert a letter stating that Roman was not going to pursue the matter, but that I was welcome to contact him should I have the desire to kindle a relationship with him. Hell would freeze over before that ever happened and I didn't ever want to see or even think about Roman Grant ever again. However, I knew that that chapter of my life wasn't completely closed; at least not yet; and in time things would work out and hopefully be okay in the end.

After telling my friends and the rest of my seriously extended 'family' (meaning the Cullens, Benjamin, Tia, Garrett, Kate, Tanya, etc.) what had happened that awful Saturday and the results of the test, the subject was dropped and no one had breathed a word about it to me since. They were respecting my wishes and I loved all of them for it because I thought about it enough on my own the last couple of weeks; I really didn't need other people bringing it up all the time.

To take a break away from everything during the holidays, Jacob and I were supposed to spend New Year's Eve with Cora, Derek, Lynn, and Owen at Owen's place. His parents were going to be home, so, it wasn't going to be a crazy party or anything; but Owen's parents were seriously laid back and I doubted they'd even bother to check on us as we commandeered their fully furnished and decked out basement. And I was looking forward to it because it would be a break from everything. However, with the weather turning colder I was starting to worry because the snow would soon start to actually stick to the ground and remain, which meant that the Volturi would be here and all hell would break loose. So, it was highly likely that that break from everything with my friends wouldn't happen for Jacob or me.

It was Saturday morning, two days before Christmas Eve, and I had slept in. The red numbers of my alarm clock read 9:37 and that was relatively late for me, but I really had no energy to move from the warm cocoon of blankets I was wrapped up tightly in. Jacob had stayed at his place last night and had been for the last few days because Billy had caught a bad cold and was having a rough couple of days. So, I'd been spending my nights alone the past week is because I had school and couldn't go down to La Push to help Jacob tend to Billy in the evenings. However, winter break had officially begun that morning and I had the next two weeks off of school for the holidays and I could really do as I pleased (within Charlie's curfew rules and with his approval of course) until January 7 when school resumed. I sighed heavily before I pulled my hand out of the confines of my blankets and inched my nose only to hear a light chuckle come from the doorway. I lifted my head and saw Charlie standing there with a grin on his face as he leaned against the open doorframe.

"Morning," he said. "I was just coming to see if you were alive in here since it's not like you to stay in bed past eight." I laughed lightly as I sat up and ran my fingers through my tangled hair before I rubbed the sleep from my eyes.

"I was on the phone until almost one last night with Gina and Melody," I said with a small smile and Charlie chuckled once more as righted himself before he walked into my room and came to stand about two feet from the foot of my bed, tucking his hands into the front pockets of the jeans he was wearing. Melody's plan to visit during winter break had changed and now she would be coming during spring break. Paul wanted nothing more than to see her in the flesh again, but he refused to let her come up to Forks with the threat of the Volturi looming. He wanted her to stay in sunny San Diego until everything had passed and it was safe again. Hopefully, he would still be here for her to come visit after everything was said and done. Mentally shaking the thoughts from my head I made sure my smile was still on my face. "I didn't bother setting my alarm when I crawled into bed. Did I miss anything?"

"No," Charlie said as he shook his head, "but you do look like you had a tussle with my weed eater," he finished as he tilted his head slightly to the side and I laughed as my hands moved to my hair. Charlie laughed with me as I tried (and likely failed) tame the mess that was my hair and he took his hands out of his pockets, a smile settling on his lips as he looked at me. "Bella's going to be bringing Renesmee by today with Seth and Sue will be here pretty soon. I figured you'd want to get up and get moving before everyone got here."

"Thanks," I said before I climbed from my bed and ran my fingers through my hair again with a sigh and Charlie laughed once again as he looked at me and I raised an eyebrow as I looked at him. "What's so funny?" I asked and he Charlie raised his right hand and gestured toward me. I lowered my hands to my side and looked down to see what had Charlie chuckling at me once again. It took me a beat, but I realized just why Charlie was laughing at me and it was because of my pajama ensemble. I was wearing a pair of Jacob's sweat pants (that thankfully tied off otherwise I wouldn't be able to wear them) and one of his t-shirts. I was pretty much swimming in his clothes and I looked like a little girl that had raided her dad's drawers and threw on the first things she found.

"Jake leave a few things behind?" Charlie asked and I smiled as I nodded my head.

"Yeah, I usually sleep in his stuff when he doesn't . . . ," I trailed off before I bit my lip and Charlie grinned as he shook his head.

"I know the boy spends most nights here, Aurora, no need to be shy about it," he said and I felt my cheeks warm.

"I know, but it's weird to actually say it out loud to you. Implied mentions of Jacob being up here in morning conversations is one thing, but to openly acknowledge it is altogether different," I said earning another smile from Charlie before he shook his head slightly.

"Tame that hair of yours, take a shower, and come downstairs. I'll fix you something to eat," he said and it was my turn to grin.

"I don't know if I should trust you with the stove," I said and Charlie gave me a pointed look.

"Well, if you must know, I had no plans on going anywhere near the stove," he said. "My idea of fixing you breakfast is taking the box of cereal out of the pantry and putting it on the table with a bowl, spoon, and the milk."

"Breakfast of champions, huh?" I asked and he gave me a curt nod.

"You know it," he said and I laughed quietly before I walked over to Charlie and gave him a hug, which was something I was doing more and more these days. I wasn't sure why I had been hugging Charlie so much lately, but he didn't seem to mind. Charlie let out a soft sigh before he chuckled softly and hugged me back, giving me a tight squeeze that I easily returned with a squeeze of my own. We parted after a beat and when I pulled back I smiled up at him.

"Thanks," I said again and he shook his head.

"No problem, kid," he said. "See you downstairs in a bit." I nodded as I watched him turn away and left my room, still chuckling at my morning weirdness. I sighed and took a glance at myself in the mirror and scoffed a laugh as I finally caught sight of what I looked like that morning. I had several lines on my face from my pillow, my hair looked like I suck my finger in a light socket, and I really was swimming in Jacob's clothes. I shook my head before I smiled to myself and grabbed my robe and headed for the bathroom where a hot shower awaited me.


After breakfast with Charlie and spending a little while chatting with Sue when she arrived, I'd left the house in my car to head down to La Push to check and on Billy and see Jacob. I didn't stick around to wait for Bella to get there with Seth and Renesmee since I'd likely be seeing all three of them later that night. Esme had insisted that come that evening so that she, Carlisle, Rosalie, and Emmett could give me my Christmas presents because I'd be spending Christmas Eve with Billy and Jacob and then Christmas Day with Charlie, Sue, Bella, Jacob, Seth, Leah, Renesmee, and of course Jacob once again. The thirty minute car ride from my place to Jacob's seemed to take much longer than that, which was probably because I hadn't seen Jacob in person since Thursday and I was anxious to lay my eyes on him once again. Plus, I'd been worried about Billy and now I finally had a chance to help, even if it was only fixing the chicken soup that my grandma and mom used to make every time I was sick growing up.

Upon arriving at the Black's small red house, I parked my car next to Billy's truck and climbed out. I pulled the hood of the hoodie I was wearing under my jacket over my finally tamed hair to avoid getting it wet in the light rain that was falling before I grabbed the grocery bags from the trunk and jogged up to the front door and went inside without even bothering to knock. Jacob had told me that the door would be unlocked when I got there, which was why I just walked inside like I always did. I closed the door behind me and stepped out of my ankle boots, leaving them by Jacob's much larger boots, before I quietly padded my way inside, my wool sock clad feet fighting away any chill from the wood floor of the house as I entered.

"Hey," I said with a happy smile upon spotting Jacob sitting in one of the chairs in the living room and Billy lying back on the sofa with his wheelchair nearby while the two of them were watching something on TV.

"Hello Aurora," Billy said, sounding far better than he had when I last talked to him on the phone on Wednesday.

"Well, you sound a lot better," I said, voicing my thoughts as I sat the grocery bags on the small kitchen table, and Billy chuckled softly.

"I feel a lot better, but Jake's still got me on bed rest," Billy said gesturing with his thumb to his son, who was still settled in his chair, dark eyes watching me curiously for some reason.

"That's probably why you're feeling a lot better," I said as I pushed back my hood and walked a little closer to him, "and I've got something else that will make you feel even better by tonight."

"Oh?" Billy asked, eyebrows rising as he fought down a grin. "What's that?" he asked and I laughed softly as I pulled off my gloves and tucked them into my coat pockets.

"My grandma's chicken soup," I said with a smile and Billy let his grin shine as he looked up at me. "It's the cure-all for anything that ails you and it's easily one of the tastiest soups you'll ever eat." Billy chuckled quietly at that before it turned into a rough sounding cough that seemed to break Jacob out from whatever stupor he was in. He got up from his chair then and grabbed the glass of what looked like orange juice from the coffee table before he held it and the straw out to Billy. Billy gave Jacob an exasperated look before he took the glass and then took a long draw from the straw. He sighed once he was finished and handed the glass back to Jacob who gave Billy a small smile before he sat the glass back down and finally made his way over to me.

"You shouldn't be here, you know," he said, likely ready to start the same speech he gave me on the phone when I talked to him yesterday about coming over. "Unlike me, you can actually catch his cold," he said as he raised his hands and started unbuttoning my coat. My heart did a little jump before it started to speed up in my chest and as a result of my increased heart rate I felt my cheeks warm. Jacob had enough cheek to grin as he looked down at me because even though he wasn't really doing anything the act of unbuttoning my coat had my mind going all sorts of places it really shouldn't be going with Billy not even three feet away from where we stood.

"He's had his cold for a week and the doctor's had him on antibiotics," I said, my voice surprisingly steady as I held his gaze, "which means that he's likely not contagious anymore. So, I think I'm in the clear." Jacob's grin turned into a smile because those were the exact words I had used on him last night when we talked. With a little bit of my help he removed my coat from my shoulders and I handed it over to him before I looked away from his face and around his left arm to look at Billy. "I'm going to commandeer your kitchen for a little while and pretty soon you'll be lost to the deliciousness that is my chicken soup."

"I can't wait, Aurora," Billy said with a warm smile on his lips as he looked at me, and I smiled brightly at him before I righted myself and looked up at Jacob. He was looking at me oddly again, why I had no clue, but I just smiled up at him before patted his chest and turned on the balls of my feet to head back into the kitchen.

However, I hadn't even taken a step when I felt his warm arm wrap around my upper waist and gently pull me back so my back was pressed tightly against his chest and I could feel his heated breath on the top of my head. Despite the zip up hoodie, t-shirt, and tank top I was wearing I could feel goose bumps race across my skin at the contact and smiled slightly as my right hand moved to rest over his forearm instinctively. He pressed a kiss on the crown of my head before his warm lips were on my right temple and I closed my eyes at the feel of his slightly chapped but soft lips against my skin.

"I love you," he whispered in my right ear and I smiled fully before I turned my head and looked at him over my right shoulder.

"I love you too," I said back just as quietly as my blue eyes met his brown. He gave me a soft smile before he leaned forward and closed the very small distance between our faces and kissed me so tenderly that I nearly cried at how full of love that simple kiss was. He pulled back and I opened my eyes as he smiled at me once more before he slowly let me go. I smiled back at him before I looked away from him and made my way into the kitchen where vegetables were waiting to be chopped, a whole chicken was waiting to be broken down, and where yumminess was going to be created in Billy's large soup pot.


"So, now that Billy's got a full stomach and is taking a nap in his bed; are you going to tell me what's been bothering you this afternoon?" I asked as Jacob and I were doing the dishes together, and Jacob sighed quietly as he took the bowl I held out for him to dry only to set it and his towel down on the counter. He turned to me then and pulled me away from the sink before he took a step forward and affectively pinned my lower back against the counter space that he had been standing in front of. My hands, like the always did whenever I found myself in similar situations, found their way to his chest and I looked up at him in mild surprise.

"I'm sorry if I'm acting off," he said as he shook his head, his hands gently keeping me in place by holding on to my hips.

"You don't have to be sorry," I said as I shook my head. "I'm going to use one of your lines and say that you know you can talk to me." He gave me a small smile as he raised his right hand and tucked my hair behind my right ear before his hand returned to my hip.

"I know," he said quietly.

"Then talk, big guy," I said, which earned me a soft chuckle before he leaned forward and pressed a kiss on my forehead. He slowly pulled back and looked down at me again, his dark eyes meeting my blue before he took a deep breath.

"Dad was pretty bad there for a while and you know I've been spending most of my time here because I've been too worried to leave him to fend for himself," he said and I nodded, knowing that he'd been worried about Billy. Especially when Billy's doctor had said if he had waited another day to go to the clinic cold could have turned into pneumonia because he had a bad infection developing in his chest. I completely understood, as had everyone else, why Jacob had stepped back from his outside responsibilities for a little while and took care of his dad. "I've left Leah in charge of the pack for longer than I should have, and I've pretty much abandoned you for the last week."

"You haven't abandoned me, Jacob; Billy was sick and needed you here. I'm not that clingy of a girlfriend that you have to be at my side 24/7, and everyone else understands too," I interjected, but he continued on as though I hadn't spoken.

"And then you come over today, smiling like you always do and acting like I haven't been basically ignoring you for days when I should have been with you, especially after everything that's happened the last couple of weeks. You fix soup for my dad and joke around with him the entire time just to cheer him up and make him feel better," he said before he shook his head, his hands tightening a bit on my jean clad hips as his eyes grew a little intense. "Thank you for understanding and caring about him as much as I do."

"Jacob," I whispered, my hands sliding up his chest to take hold of his face in my hands. "I love Billy as much as I love Charlie, and just like Charlie Billy is as good as my Dad. If it wouldn't have been for school or for the fact that you pretty much ordered me to stay away when Billy was contagious, I would have been here every day to help you take care of him."

"I know," he said heavily before he pulled me forward and wrapped his arms around my back before he hugged me tight to his chest. I smiled up at him as I let go of his face and wrapped my arms around his shoulders/neck with my right hand resting on his right shoulder blade and my left hand on his left shoulder blade. I was pretty much standing on the tips of my toes as I looked up at him and Jacob was bearing most of my weight, but I highly doubted he actually felt the burden of it.

"Is that all that's bothering you?" I asked, knowing that there was more going on in his head than the guilt of flaking on his alpha duties and not spending time with me lately.

"Not really, but it's not something that I want to talk about, okay?" he asked and even though I was tempted to say 'no' and push him to talk, but I thought better of it and simply nodded my head in agreement. I had a feeling that I already knew what was bothering him, what had him on edge, because it was likely the same thing that had me on edge as well. It would be any day now that the Volturi would arrive, and there was a good chance that our lives were going to change and maybe not for the better. "You look tired," he said, breaking me from my thoughts. I noticed his dark eyes scanning across my face and I knew that thanks to the fact that my face was really close to his he was probably finally catching sight of the faint dark circles I had did my best to hide with a bit of makeup this morning. "Have you been sleeping?"

"Yes, I have," I said, answering his question honestly. "Gina and Melody just had me up late and I ended up sleeping in a little later than normal for me. So, that's why I'm a little off my game today."

"Off your game?" he asked, a small smile finally making its way across his lips as he looked at me.

"Shut up," I said quietly before I shook my head and leaned forward, my mouth catching his smiling one in a chaste kiss. However, the kiss did not remain chaste for very long because barely a breath later Jacob's hands were on the backs of my thighs and my legs were wrapped around his waist before I found myself sitting on the suddenly empty counter. Jacob's body was pressed tightly to mine as his hands slid up the outside of my thighs to grab my hips as our lips continued to battle.

It had been a while since we'd found ourselves in a situation like this, since that Sunday afternoon we'd spent parked in my car after Thanksgiving, but I knew it would go no farther than where we were at that moment given that Billy was just in the other room asleep. However, that didn't stop me from rubbing my hips against the front of his jeans, earning a grunt and a moan from Jacob as his mouth left mine and he trailed his lips along the left side of my jaw. He unzipped my hoodie and tugged the soft cotton off of my body before he tossed it somewhere and he trailed his hands down and up my sides, his right hand taking hold of my left breast. He squeezed it and ran his thumb over my completely covered nipple that was suddenly at attention, and making me gasp and arch my back slightly into his hand while his left hand settled on my lower back and kept me pressed tightly against him.

"We really shouldn't be doing this. Especially in the kitchen," I whispered as my right hand found its way into his short hair while his teeth nipped at the sensitive skin of my neck. My actions, namely the fact that I had tilted my head to allow him better access to my neck and was not pulling away from him at all, didn't mesh with my words and he chuckled against my skin. He didn't say anything back to me before I found myself hoisted off the counter before he blindly carried me into the living room and the next thing I knew I was lying back on the sofa that Billy had been lying when I first arrived.

Jacob's mouth was back on mine the instant I was laying back on the sofa, and Jacob ground his hips against mine as his right hand once again found my breast. I whimpered against his lips, but I met the demanding force of his mouth against mine with even fervor. His left hand pushed at the hem of my t-shirt and tank top before I felt his hot hand on the bare skin of my abdomen, which caused me to shiver and him to chuckle quietly against my mouth before he shifted and removed his right hand from my breast. He lifted me from my prone position on the sofa as he sat back, our kiss never breaking in the process. I was now straddling him, my knees on either side of his hips on the sofa, as we continued to kiss and his hands had changed positions because now his right hand had pushed the other side of my t-shirt and tank top up to rest on my skin while his left hand a firm hold of my right breast. I rolled my hips against his, my hands on the back of the sofa for a little bit of support, and he growled quietly as his mouth left mine once again to trail down my chin and along my throat.

"God, Jacob, as much as I don't want to we should probably stop this," I whispered as his right hand slid across my lower back before it slid down my butt and he took a handful of the flesh there. He squeezed as his tongue licked at the hollow of my throat and I let out a moan that should not have been let out in such an open setting, but I could not hold it back. "Oh God, Jacob," I breathed as my right hand once again found his hair. "If we don't stop now, we're going to do something that we should not do on this sofa." He chuckled against my skin once again, but before he could breathe a word in response a voice cut through the thick air.

"She's right, you know, because the place that your dad sits to watch TV should really be one of the last places you want to do that kind of stuff," a voice said, startling the two of us, and Jacob pretty much tossed me off his lap, settling me on the sofa, before he shifted slightly and hid me from view of our intruder. I mentally groaned as I pressed my forehead to Jacob's back, resting it there against his shoulder blades as I gripped at the sides of his t-shirt since I knew that voice well.

"Leah, what the hell are you doing here?" Jacob asked, his voice sounding breathless and lacking any of the authority it usually had these days, and Leah laughed softly. Given all of my ribbing and teasing the last few weeks, I was undoubtedly going to be in for a whirlwind of the same treatment having been caught in a very precarious position with Jacob; and my days of giving Leah a hard time for not letting Liam in on the secret of the packs and everything else were undoubtedly over.

"I came to make sure that everything was okay since Aurora's an hour late for dinner with the Cullens," Leah said and I frowned as I lifted my head and looked over Jacob's right shoulder.

"I am?" I asked and Leah nodded her head as she stood by the door with her arms crossed over the front of her chest and a smirk on her lips.

"Yeah, and the fact that neither one of you were answering any phones sort of had everyone a little worried and thinking that something had happened to Billy, or worse that something had happened to you and Jacob flipped his shit," Leah said, earning a growl from Jacob that just made her smile.

"I think I left my phone in the car," I said with a frown as I thought about the location of the device and Leah smirked before she turned her laughter filled eyes to Jacob.

"Well, I obviously didn't hear mine," he snapped.

"Gee, I wonder why," Leah joked and Jacob growled quietly once more, but I just pushed softly on his back.

"Be nice," I said before I kissed the side of his neck and stood from the sofa, tugging my shirts down in the process. "I need to go," I said as I looked down at him, and he sighed heavily as he looked up at me before he stood, but turned away from Leah so the evidence of how our later afternoon romp had affected him.

"If Dad's still feeling good later, I'll be by tonight," he whispered, even though Leah could still easily hear him. I smiled up at him and nodded.

"Okay," I whispered before I rose up and kissed him chastely. "Sorry to leave you with the rest of the dishes and, well, other things," I said, my already flushed cheeks warming a bit more, and he laughed quietly as he shook his head.

"No worries, Rory," he said quietly as he smiled at me.

"Tell Billy I said bye and that I'll see him on Monday," I said and he nodded. I smiled up at him before I walked around him, grabbed my hoodie from the floor where he had tossed it, and walked over to a smirking Leah. I knew then that it was going to be a long car ride to the Cullens' house.


Aside from a few prodding comments here and there during the drive, Leah hadn't said much of anything as I drove the two of us to the Cullens' place and surprisingly she didn't say much else as she left me on my own before running off with a smirk on her face. Embry was at the house, obviously waiting for me, and smiled at me when I walked inside.

"Being late is not usually your style, Aurora," Embry said and I blushed lightly, but managed to roll my eyes as I closed the door behind me and shrugged off my coat.

"Jacob and I lost track of time," was all I said, which earned raised eyebrows of curiosity from Embry, but thankfully he asked nothing more as I hung up my coat and the two of us walked up the stairs. "Esme's not too mad, is she?" I asked as I looked at him and he shook his head.

"No," he said before he chuckled softly and I smiled at him before we reached the proper landing that would take us to the kitchen, dining room, or living room. Esme appeared out of nowhere then, a smile on her face and in her gold eyes as she quickly gave me the once over.

"Well, it's good to see that you're in one piece," she said and my blush made a triumphant return as I smiled at her.

"Sorry, Esme," I said and she laughed lightly as she shook her head and wrapped her icy left arm around my upper back before she guided me towards the kitchen.

"I kept everything warm, so, you've got nothing to worry about. We're just glad you're okay. Are Jacob and Billy all right?" Esme asked and Embry chuckled as he followed a step behind us.

"Um, yeah, they're fine," I said. "I'm late because Jacob and I lost track of time while cleaning up. I'd made some soup for them and we were . . . talking and stuff, and the next thing I know Leah's there. I'm sorry if I made you all worry. I left my phone in my car and . . . we didn't hear Jacob's phone ring at all."

I was sure my face matched Esme's vividly red blouse and every single person in that house with me could undoubtedly hear my heart pounding away in my chest. Thankfully, Esme just laughed softly and gave me a gentle squeeze of reassurance. However, something told me that she could see right through my stumbled excuse but elected to save me any more mortification by choosing to not call me out on it. I could only hope that Emmett would be as kind, but judging by the grin he shot me from where he sat next to Rosalie in the kitchen as Esme, Embry, and I entered I knew that my hope was for nothing.