Wolf Boy

Disclaimer; all characters and copyright belong to SM.

A/N-thank you for the kind reviews. I think we all deserve a nice, easy, light hearted chapter after all the stress, don't you?

Part Twenty-Nine

A few days after Bella was released from the hospital Angela came to visit her. She brought along some homework that the teachers had given Bella to do while she was recuperating at home, along with notes she had taken in some of the classes Bella had missed.

"Thanks, Angela." Bella said gratefully.

"It's no problem." Angela looked at Bella's peaky face in concern. "How are you?"

"I'm not sure." Bella replied honestly. "I've been crying a lot."

"I am so sorry you lost the baby, Bella." Angela reached for her hand and squeezed it gently.

"The worst part is I didn't even know I was pregnant." Bella tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear and sighed heavily. "It still doesn't feel real."

"Did the doctor's say how you got pregnant. I mean you were on the pill." Angela asked softly.

"I messed up." Bella felt the familiar moisture welling in her eyes. She was so sick of crying. "I didn't realise you needed to take the first pill on the first day of your period. I'd already had mine a couple of weeks before. If I had done it right, I would have been protected straight away, but I didn't so it meant there was a short period where it wasn't fully effective."

"Oh, Bella." Angela let go of her hand and hugged her instead. "I wish there was something I could say or do that would make you feel better."

"You being here is enough." Bella closed her eyes briefly as she hugged Angela back. "I'm being well looked after. Dad has been fussing around me constantly, Jake has been simply amazing. So many of our friends have come over and offered to help out." She paused as she lost her battle against the tears, feeling them roll down her cheeks. "I'm sorry." She apologised. "I just keep getting emotional at the slightest thing."

"That's understandable." Angela smiled kindly. "Don't beat yourself up about it."

Bella swallowed thickly and nodded. "It's just so hard." She sobbed.

"I know." Angela pulled Bella into another hug and rocked her gently. "I'm here for you, Bella. Whenever you need me, I'm just a phone call away."

Bella woke up the next morning to the smell of pancakes. It was a Saturday. As Charlie struggled to boil an egg, she could only assume that Connie had stayed over again. Swinging her legs out of the bed she reached for her dressing gown and shrugged it on. The smell of the pancakes was making her mouth water. It was the first time since losing the baby that she actually felt hungry. She padded down the stairs in her bare feet, listening to the low hum of her father's voice as he spoke to his girlfriend.

"Good morning, Bella." Connie greeted her shyly when she noticed Bella hovering in the kitchen doorway. "Are you up for some pancakes? I've made plenty. Charlie told me they're your favourites."

"Jake's actually. I normally make them for him." Bella answered as she pulled up a chair and sank into it.

"Oh…I could make something else." Connie replied, sounding crestfallen.

"No, pancakes are perfect. I just meant I wish he was here to enjoy them with me." Bella gave the older woman a faint smile.

"Maybe he could join us next time." Connie scooped some of the pancakes on to a spare plate and passed it to Bella. "My boy loves them, too."

"Your boy?" Bella said in surprise. This was the first time she'd heard Connie mention that she had a son.

"Colin." Charlie interjected before Connie had a chance to answer. "He's a great kid. He's just turned thirteen."

"Colin's a nice name." Bella offered up as something to say. She concentrated on drizzling some lemon juice on her pancakes.

Charlie cleared his throat to regain her attention. "Um…the thing is, Bells….um I was…. I mean we…." He glanced at Connie and smiled. "Well, we were wondering if you wouldn't mind if Colin came over for dinner tonight. It would give us all a chance to get to know each other better."

"But only if you feel up to it, Bella." Connie added quickly. "If you don't then I completely understand."

Bella looked at their worried faces. She was feeling better-physically at least-emotionally it was going to take a lot longer. It seemed things were getting serious between the two of them. She had never seen her father so happy, Connie was good for him, and with everything that had happened over the last few weeks, maybe meeting her son would provide a good distraction.

"I'd like to meet Colin." She said, injecting some cheer into her tone for their benefit. "Dinner will be fun."

Charlie exchanged a relieved glance with Connie. "Thanks, kiddo." He said, shooting Bella a fond smile.

Bella just shut the fridge door when Jacob grabbed her from behind and made her turn around to look at him. He was standing so close she could feel his breath blow across her face.

"I've missed you." He whispered, kissing her lightly. There was sadness reflected in his eyes that had not gone away since they had lost the baby.

Bella threw her arms around his neck and pulled him to her, deepening the kiss, tangling her fingers in his hair. Jacob stepped forwards making her move back, so her back was against the fridge as he pressed his body against hers. "I love you." He murmured as he pulled away a couple of minutes later. "Are you sure you're feeling well enough to go through with this dinner?"

Bella nodded. "I need to do this. I need to get back to some kind of normality. We both do."

Jacob smiled a small smile. "When have our lives ever been normal?"

"True." Bella agreed. "But we can pretend for one night, can't we?"

Jacob kissed her again, making her body tingle and yearn for more. His closeness made her heart beat so fast that she could almost hear it in her ears. Suddenly he jumped away from her and moved to the side. Bella looked at him in confusion before noticing Colin standing in the doorway. The poor kid was looking very uncomfortable.

"I thought I would help with the sodas." He mumbled, embarrassed to have caught them kissing.

"That's so sweet of you, Colin." Bella gave him her brightest smile as she heard Jacob stifle a laugh when Colin beamed back at her.

"Someone's got a crush." Jacob whispered in Bella's ear, laughing again.

Bella elbowed Jacob in the side as she opened the fridge and pulled out some cans of soda. "Here you go." She said to Colin.

"Thank you." Colin mumbled. His cheeks flushed red as he nearly dropped the cans when Bella smiled at him again.

Jacob snorted with laughter as the young teenager beat a hasty retreat. "That was so funny."

"You were thirteen once. And I bet you were just as shy and awkward." Bella teased.

"Not me." Jacob stated, still chuckling. He caught Bella's face in his hands and kissed her again. Her passionate response made him moan slightly and grip her tighter to him. He pulled away suddenly, making Bella's head spin. She glanced over at the doorway again to find poor Colin looking more mortified than ever.

"Um…. Charlie said I forgot the beer." He shuffled from foot to foot, his face burning.

"Of course." Bella gave Jacob a death glare when he started laughing again, before hastily opening the fridge and reaching for the beer. "There you go." She said, passing the beer to Colin with another dazzling smile.

Colin flushed red right to his collarbone as his lips drew up into an answering smile. "Thank you." He wandered back to the lounge in a daze.

Jacob was wearing a wicked grin. "Jeez, Bells, give the kid a break. You'll have his teenage hormones going into overdrive if you keep smiling at him like that."

Bella rolled her eyes at him. "What about your teenage hormones?" She teased.

"I've got them firmly under control." Jacob boasted.

"Uh huh!" Bella grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled his head down to hers. She kissed him hard on the lips, leaving him breathless and his heart thudding madly in his chest when she abruptly pulled away and went to join the others in the lounge.

During dinner Charlie and Connie couldn't stop smiling at each other. Every time Bella glanced at her father, she would see him smiling like he'd won the lottery or something. It was really nice to see Charlie so happy and for the first time since losing the baby she actually felt relaxed. She turned to find Jacob looking at her with a half-smile on his face. He reached out and caught her hand, holding it under the table so no one else could see.

"You were right. This was exactly what we needed." He said in a low voice.

Bella was tempted to lean across and kiss him again, but for poor Colin's sake she decided to keep the PDA to a minimum. She squeezed Jacob's hand in response instead and looked over toward the shy youngster and smiled. He gave her an adoring smile in response until he noticed Jacob smirking in his direction. He ducked his head and stuffed some more food into his mouth, nearly choking as he swallowed too quickly.

After dinner Bella hustled Charlie and Connie into the lounge as she offered to clear up. Jacob was forced to leave as he was due on patrol. He kissed Bella goodbye, letting his lips linger on hers for a while before reluctantly taking his leave.

"Can I help?" Colin offered when Jacob was gone.

"That's sweet of you. But you're a guest…." Bella began.

"Please." Colin's tone was slightly pleading. "I don't think I can take much more of mom looking all googly eyed at Charlie." He flushed when he realised what he'd just said. "I mean I like Charlie. And if I was a girl, I would probably be googly eyed over him, too." He babbled.

"You would?" Bella teased.

"I didn't mean that." Colin backtracked hastily. "I…I…I meant that I would…oh, god, I'm such a moron."

"No, you're not." Bella had to fight the urge to ruffle his hair. He was just too cute and adorable. "And I would love your help."

"Really?" Colin smiled so wide his cheeks ached.

"Yes." Bella said stoutly as she turned toward the sink. She grabbed a dry towel and threw it in his direction. "I'll wash you dry."

Colin caught the towel and stepped beside her eagerly. Bella washed the first plate, rinsed it and then passed it to him. "So, how's school?" She asked in order to kickstart the conversation and get to know Colin better.

"Okay." Colin said grudgingly. "Brady thinks it sucks."

"Who's Brady?"

"He's my best friend." Colin revealed. "We've been friends since kindergarten."

"Wow, just like Jake and his friends." Bella replied wistfully.

Colin glanced at Bella shyly before looking away just as quickly. "I could bring Brady to meet you if you want." He offered.

"I'd like that." Bella passed Colin another plate to dry. She really liked Connie's son. She had been worried that the atmosphere would be slightly awkward, but he seemed to slot into her family as easily as his mother had. He had readily accepted Charlie and seemed equally accepting of her. It was nice. She had always felt a bit lonely being an only child. If Charlie and Connie did go the distance, she would finally have a little brother.

Brady beamed at her as he piled the plate on top of the others. "You're awesome, Bella." He complimented her.

Bella liked being awesome. "And so are you." She responded with a warm smile.

A/N-thanks for reading!