Tripping

Disclaimer; all characters and copyright belong to SM.

A/N-thank you for the kind reviews! Here is part 2 as promised...

Chapter Fifty Four

Bella was getting worried. Jacob had been gone a long time. To make matters worse it was stormy outside. It was so dark that she couldn't make out anything. Thick black clouds obscured the sun and the stars. They raced across the sky, blown hither by the strong winds. In the distance thunder rumbled ominously. Bella shivered as she kept her vigil in front of the window. Rain splattered against the window panes and drummed on the roof. The panes rattled in their frames as the wind became increasingly violent. Max was out there somewhere helpless and alone. If Jacob couldn't find him….Bella didn't dare finish the thought. Max had to be okay. He had probably found shelter somewhere. He was a clever animal. Jacob would find him, bring him home and everything would be okay. Bella kept telling herself this, even as she chewed on her bottom lip anxiously.

"Come and sit in the warm, kiddo." Charlie made her jump as he hunkered down beside her. He had a mug of coffee in his hands. "Drink this and warm yourself up." He passed Bella the mug and then shrugged off his jacket and put it around her shoulders.

"Thanks, dad." Bella said gratefully. She blew on the coffee and took a small sip. It tasted like heaven. She cradled the warm mug in her hands. "Was Angela okay when you dropped her off at home?"

"Yes, but very worried about you. As am I." Charlie said pointedly. He gazed at his daughter's pale face. She didn't look well. Even though she had tried to eat something she had soon brought it up again. Morning sickness was already making itself felt. Charlie didn't know why it was called that. Bella was being sick at odd times throughout the day. "Come over to the fire."

Bella didn't want to leave her post, but she knew Charlie was not going to listen to her protests. When a worried Billy added his pleas to her father's she reluctantly abandoned her vigil and joined them in front of the open hearth. Flames licked at the logs Charlie had brought inside to use as fuel. The fire crackled and smoked. Bella breathed it in. She had a secret fantasy of making love with Jacob in front of an open fire. Her cheeks turned rosy just thinking about it. What a time for that image to pop into her head. It was totally inappropriate. But she had found since becoming pregnant that she experienced quite a few erotic dreams with Jacob taking the starring role. Bella shook her head to clear it. Exhaustion was clearly getting the better of her.

"Jake should be back by now." She said again.

"He's probably taking shelter with Max right now. It's awful out there, once the weather calms down he'll make his way back." Billy smiled wearily. He was doing his best to hide his own worries regarding his son. He knew that despite the wild weather that Jacob would be fine, but he also knew that Jacob would push himself too hard in order to find wolf. He should have asked for help from his pack, but he had refused to involve any of them, so guilty did he feel that his brothers were already heavily burdened with the endless patrols and little time to spend with their families as work and getting an education got in the way. Billy wished that Jacob hadn't been so selfless, but there was little he could do. They just had to wait.

"Billy's right, Bells." Charlie pulled a chair up next to Bella's and sat down. He leaned over and put his arm around her thin shoulders. "Stress isn't good for you or the little one."

Bella swallowed thickly as she rested her head against Charlie's shoulder. She knew he was right, but it was hard not to let her worries and fears affect her. "I can't help it, dad."

"I know." Charlie dropped a gentle kiss on top of her head. "Trust your old man. Jake is just fine. He'll walk in that door soon with Max right behind him. I just know it."

A glimmer of a smile crossed Bella's face at Charlie's blind optimism that everything was going to be just fine. She raised the coffee to her lips and drank some of the steamy liquid. If he could have faith, then so could she. Bella glanced at Billy again. His tense face relaxed into a smile when he caught her looking.

"It's alright, Bella. Charlie is right I can feel it in my bones. Once this storm clears he'll come right on home and wolf will be with him." Billy assured her confidently as he did his best to stifle his own fears.


Ephraim's story was shocking. Jacob hadn't been prepared for the depths of Carlisle Cullen's depravity. He was subsumed with grief as he shared Ephraim's intense sorrow for the loss of his daughter. Leah wasn't the first female to phase after all. It was Jane. This was stunning news and Jacob wondered what it could mean for the future of the pack. Would other females phase in the future, or was it only those who came from the strongest bloodline. There were once again so many questions and no answers. The strong winds ruffled his fur as he crouched in the sand in front of wolf. The dog was shaking with exhaustion. He would collapse soon. The strain was too much for his mortal body. Wolf whined as his eyes drifted shut. The connection dimmed.

Jacob did his best to keep the lines of communication open but his strength was waning too. Ephraim's voice was fading in and out of his mind. Their link would be broken soon. Time was running out. "I promise I will avenge Jane's death and yours. I will make Carlisle Cullen pay for his crimes. I will hunt him down and destroy him." He vowed.

A wave of intense rage washed over Jacob, something he wasn't expecting from Ephraim. He quailed at the sheer ferocity of the feeling. "Have you not been listening? You are a protector. Protect your woman, your tribe and all those you hold dear. Do not seek vengeance on my behalf."

It took a moment for Jacob to recover. His eyes narrowed to slits as he struggled to contain his own anger. "You are not my Alpha. You do not get to make that judgement call. Carlisle Cullen needs to be stopped. I can do it. Victoria's attack on him weakened him severely. He's desperate and desperate people make mistakes. He'll slip up and expose himself, and I and my brothers are ready to exact vengeance for everything he has done."

A low rumbling growl ripped from Wolf's throat. He opened his eyes wearily and stared right into Jacob's. Suddenly the connection, which a moment before had been weakening, returned with full force. Jacob was staggered by the intensity of it. His head was splitting apart. It was like Ephraim had crawled inside his mind and was trying to take control of it. Jacob staggered to his feet, his head swaying from side to side as if he could physically fling his ancestor out of his head. "GET OUT!" He roared inside his mind.

"Time is running out." An image of Ephraim in his human form burst into Jacob's consciousness. He looked every inch the proud warrior. He wrestled control of Jacob, using his greater experience to force him to stand down and comply. The russet wolf sank back to the ground as Jacob's soul battled to eject Ephraim and stop him draining his life force. "I am not doing this willingly but you have to listen and understand. You will not be the one to end Carlisle Cullen's reign of terror. Your role is to protect and nurture the one who will."

"Who the hell are you talking about?" Jacob demanded.

"Your daughter, Jacob." Ephraim said gravely. "I'm talking about your unborn child."


Ephraim had his attention now. Jacob let down his guard and stropped trying to wrest control back from his ancestor. Instead he remained silent and listened. The sands of time were dripping through the hourglass. He mentally tried to grasp them and turn the hourglass the other way around so he could start again and force time to stand still, but he was helpless to its onslaught. Ephraim's voice was weakening in his head. Every precious second that passed made it fade just that bit more.

"I have been trapped in the spirit world for decades, Jacob. Mortal man was never supposed to venture here. It causes nothing but misery. Taha Aki paid the price for daring to leave his body and so have I. Learn from our mistakes, especially mine. If I had not agreed to the treaty Carlisle Cullen would have wiped me out anyway. My pack and I would never have been strong enough to battle him and his associates. I learned that to my cost when he killed Levi and Quil so easily. He used my arrogance against me; he manipulated me into making the treaty to save himself the hassle of having to take me out. It was useful to have me on side in the beginning."

Ephraim's image distorted in Jacob's mind, their connection was waning. He spoke more urgently. "Carlisle is allied with some very dangerous vampires. They have special gifts and are deadly. He is not afraid to call upon their services if he is backed into a corner. I don't have time to explain more." He cried in frustration. "I have already outstayed my welcome in wolf's body. That is why I forced this meeting between us tonight and led you here. I am being pulled back to the spiritual realm."

"But I need more answers." Jacob demanded desperately. "How do you know so much? Have you seen the future?"

"I have seen glimpses of it." Ephraim's image was fading along with his voice. "Your daughter is the one, Jacob. She will be the one to end Carlisle Cullen's existence. She will inherit a very special gift from her mother. It is a mental shield. Her mind will be impenetrable; no one can read her thoughts unless she allows it. She will be able shield herself from all types of psychic attacks and learn to shield those around her. It is a powerful gift, Jacob. Your daughter will be able to withstand the strongest powers of the most dangerous and deadly vampires." Ephraim's fists clenched and his dark eyes glowed with pride. "This, coupled with her shifter abilities passed on by our bloodline, means she will be the most powerful and dangerous wolf that ever lived. She will be the first Alpha female to ever roam our lands and lead a strong pack. She is the future."

Jacob was astounded by the picture that Ephraim was painting. Was this really true? His daughter was going to be the saviour of them all. "I need to know more." He pleaded. "I nee…"

Ephraim's head twisted around. He was looking up and up. "My time is up." His voice was faint. His outline blurred in Jacob's mind. Ephraim focused on Jacob one last time. Jacob was shocked to see a flicker of grief pass across his ancestor's proud face. Something was wrong. There was something that Ephraim was holding back from him. He could feel regret oozing from his great grandfather. "What are you keeping from me?" He demanded.

"With love comes great sacrifice. That is the way it has always been for our kind. In order for your daughter to live and fulfil her destiny the one you love will have to pay a terrible price."

"What do you mean? WHAT DO YOU MEAN?" Jacob screamed in his head.

But it was too late. Ephraim was gone and only wolf remained.

A/N-thanks for reading!