Well y'all this is it...This story became a part of me for so long and is close to my heart. Jake is modeled after of course Stephanie Meyer's character, but he's also very similar to my husband and how we met and fell in love (from friends to lovers). I hope you enjoy the last installment of this story and let me know what you think. This is a flash forward.


I could search the world from south to north

But I've already found what I'm looking for

Wherever I go and whatever I do
I was born to love you, I was born to love you
Looking in your eyes, yeah it's all so clear
Every time you smile, I know why I'm here
Wherever I go and whatever I do
I was born to love you, I was born to love you

I was a wild child between lost and found
Then you spoke my name, it was a sweet sound
Rescue kiss and you pulled me in
All my life baby, where you been

'Cause I could search the world from south to north
But I've already found what I'm looking for
Wherever I go and whatever I do
I was born to love you, I was born to love you
Looking in your eyes, yeah it's all so clear
Every time you smile, I know why I'm here
Wherever I go and whatever I do
I was born to love you, I was born to love you

~Born to Love You-Lanco


Six Years Later


My fingers grazed the charcoal frame which encased the crisp white diploma nestled inside the glass. After four years, I finally got around to hang my college degree.

"Dear God, Bella, are you finally hanging that up?" Angela asked, her voice behind a stack of brown boxes.

"Better late than never," I argued as I placed command strips on the back of the frame. Angela huffed a sigh of exhaustion as she taped closed one of the last boxes.

"You better get Jake to come over and help you do that, you always hang it crooked," Angela commented. I rolled my eyes at her words, even though I knew she was right.

"What have I been doing the past few weeks without your constant encouragement?" I asked sarcastically as I hung the dang frame by myself with a level. About a month ago, Angela and Ben finally got married after being engaged for over two years. She took her sweet time moving out of our cramped two bedroom apartment, finally managing to get the last few boxes out.

"Absolutely nothing, I'm sure I make a fabulous Alexa if you need it," she winked.

"I think I'd throw the dang thing at the wall if it was your voice," I mumbled. As a joke, Angela bought me Alexa when she moved out; I had yet to plug her in. Once we graduated college, Angela became a high school English teacher. She and I both moved to Seattle, as I started my nursing career at a local hospital.

"I heard that. I am going to miss the hell out of you," Angela said, pursing her lips. We hadn't spent this much time apart in four years. Even though she was just moving to Tacoma because Ben got a new job at a computer software company, it might as well have bee across the country.

"I know, we'll still have to get coffee dates, and Facetime me when you watch new episodes of Grey's Anatomy," I reminded her. She laughed as she enveloped me in a hug. The cold diamond band on her hand felt different against my arm.

Jake was a groomsmen and I was the maid of honor at her wedding.

"Let me know when Jake pops the question," she waggled her eyebrows. I sighed and rolled my eyes. At this point, I was sure it was my hesitancy towards marriage that was stalling him.

"You'll be the first I call," I promised her. There was a part of me that just wanted him to ask already, and another part of me that wanted to run the other direction. My parents were all wrong for each other. However, their model of a messy divorce filled with going back and forth in run down cars to visit both of them was the closest representation of marriage I'd experienced.

Jake and I weren't like that, and the rational side of me knew that. Angela waited in my silence for a few minutes before she cut through my thoughts.

"You're not your mom," Angela reminded me. I pursed my lips to fight back the tears that evaded my vision. Her simple words brought a wave of insecurity through me. I was her daughter.

"You don't run when you get scared," Angela reminded me.

"But marriage is different," I murmured, sitting at the bar island in the kitchen.

"You're still Bella and he's still Jake. The only difference between what you have now and marriage is a vow. And let's face it, you two have been through the ringer," Angela said, her voice going softer.

Recovering from my injuries, both bodily and spiritually took a toll on both of us. Both of us went through job changes and school changes. Jake owned his own collision center now, and spent much of his time there. He lived with Quil and Embry in La Push. My nursing degree included many sleepless nights up studying. Of course he was an angel and stayed up with me to quiz me and be my own personal deliverer of copious amounts of coffee.

"We have been," I replied, nodding my head.

"Plus, you guys are the strongest couple on that reservation, besides Sam and Emily," she commented.

"It's only a matter of time before the guy wises up," she shrugs with a wink. Blush invaded my cheeks as she grabbed one of the stray boxes on the floor.

"Can I give you a hand?" I asked as she fumbled with a box.

"This went a lot better in my head. I was going to have a dramatic exit and everything," she puffed out. I rolled my eyes as I grabbed a box from her hands to begin walking out our first story apartment to her Prius in the parking lot.

"You can still have one, we can do another take," I teased her before I placed a box in her trunk.

"Let me know if I forget anything, which I probably will," she said with a chuckle as she placed the last box in her trunk.

"I will," I promised her. Blinking a few times, I pushed her in for a hug partially so she didn't see the tears. Surprised, she returned my hug. Without a doubt, Angela was my closest friend. Sure, I had work friends who kept me going during my twelve hour shifts, but Angela was who I came home to every night to vent.

We spent nights when Jake patrolling eating pints of ice cream and watching The Bachelor.

More importantly, she helped me piece my life back together.

"We'll go on double dates, I'll look up next weekend for a cute restaurant or something," Angela said, her bottom lip quivering.

"Absolutely," I murmured, squeezing her one more time before I released her.

"Let me know when you get back," I said as she opened her driver door.

"You got it. Love you, B," she said as she put on her sunglasses.

"Love you, Ang," I said as I waved. I walked to the sidewalk before watching her drive away. My phone hummed in my pocket as Jake's face popped up on my screen.

"Hey," I said, my voice still sounding rough.


JPOV

As soon as she picked up the phone, I heard how rough her voice sounded. Usually, she sounded bright and happy. I played with the stapler on my desk as I answered.

"Hi Bells, I got a minute, but I was thinking about you," I said, with a smile hoping to lift her up. This girl had to know I thought about her all the damn time, which Quil and Embry liked to tease me about.

How could I not? This girl was absolutely stunning, smart, and the kindest person on the face of the Earth. More importantly, she was mine.

"It's good to hear your voice," she murmured out of relief. Now, I was really worried. Was it Charlie? Renee? Was she sick? A million possible scenarios played through my head as I managed to calm my voice.

"What's going on, Bells?" I asked, hoping I didn't sound like the freaked out person I was. I could hear her sharp intake of breath as a door shut in the background.

"I'm sorry, it's just Angela picked up her last few boxes and left for real this time," Bella said, her voice catching. I could hear the sadness in her voice, and it broke my heart. I was willing to drive across town, speed limits be damned to give this woman whatever she needed.

"Why are you apologizing? I'm so sorry," I murmured. I opened up the second drawer of my desk, where a black box hid.

"It'll be okay, it's not like she's gone forever," she murmured, with a half-hearted chuckle.

"She's your best friend, sweetheart, it's okay to be sad," I assured her. Part of loving Bella was giving her assurance, that her feelings were okay. We'd worked so hard for her to open up and be vulnerable with me. I never took these moments of her opening up for granted.

"I know. I just gotta pull myself together for this shift," she said with a half laugh.

"You don't have to be put together all the time. Do you want me to come over after your shift?" I asked her. After her twelve hour shifts, she usually came home dead on her feet.

She hesitated for a moment before answering, "that'd be great actually. I should be home at 6:15ish, I know it's really early in the morning." Like I cared what hour it was.

There was one last thing I had to do to convince her I was in it, with her forever. If I was being honest, I wanted to do it the moment I knew I was in love with this woman. I twirled the box around in my hand.

"That's fine, Bella. Do you still wanna go out tomorrow night?" I asked her. I hoped and prayed she said yes because I'd been planning this for months.

"Yeah, I'll be good. I'll probably conk out as soon as I get home though," she chuckled.

"That's okay, babe. I'll meet you at your apartment at 6:15. Be safe tonight, okay? I love you, Bella," I said, placing the ring back in the drawer; I didn't want grease or something to crush it was it was in my pocket.

"I love you too, Jake." She said, my three favorite words from her falling off of her lips.

"You doing it tomorrow, huh?" Embry asked, coming into the office.

"Yep," I said, popping the 'p'.

"You already asked Charlie?" Embry asked, raising an eyebrow.

"The man gave me the same answer he gave me when I asked if I could date her," I said, shaking my head.

"Don't mess it up?" Embry guessed. I chuckled as a grin spread across my face.

"Nah, he said ask her," I replied.

Suddenly the small black box in my pocket felt like an anchor. Billy was with me, since he couldn't miss out. Going to Charlie's felt weird without Bella by my side, but this time it was for the best. I knocked on the door.

Charlie came around with a cup of coffee in his hand.

"Come on in, good to see you two," Charlie said, opening the door wide. Before I could control my mouth, I blurted out, "Charlie, I wanna talk to you about something." Charlie's eyebrows raised and a flash of recognition showed in his eyes.

"Sit on down. Can I get you anything?" He asked, pointing to the kitchen table. Billy rolled his wheelchair up as he looked at me to continue. I could feel myself sweating, I hoped I didn't look like the sweaty zoo creature I felt. I even put on a button shirt and non-ripped jeans.

"I love your daughter, Charlie. She's..." I paused for a minute, praying I strung these words together right. Perfect? The woman of my absolute dreams, but I'd dreamt of since I made mud pies with her? "Everything to me. And I want to be with her for the rest of my life." I said, my voice shaky.

"I know you love her, Jake." Charlie said with a nod.

"I want to marry her. And I know it's old fashioned to ask your permission, but Charlie, can I have your blessing to marry her?" I asked, hoping the words didn't sound as rushed as they did to me. A slow smile spread across his lips as he leaned back in his chair.

"About damn time, Jake," he chuckled.

"That's what I said, the boy looked like he was gonna have a heart attack," Billy said with a belly laugh. At Charlie's response, my heart began to beat normally again. I felt my body begin to relax.

"So I have your blessing?" I asked, hopeful. Charlie laughed in response as a grin spread.

"Yes, Jake, you do. As long as she says yes, that's my answer too," he said, as he went to open the fridge.

"I think this is an occasion for beer," Charlie suggested as he handed both of us a cold bottle.

"Hell yes," Billy said, winking at me as he opened his. I smiled back at him, although I knew it wasn't a true cause of celebration until she said yes.

Embry quirked an eyebrow at me.

"I thought I never see the day Charlie Swan was so chill about his daughter," Embry laughed. I huffed and shook my head. Charlie played it off cool, but I knew there was a sacrafice on his end. Bella was his whole world, especially since she came back to Forks. He had pictures of her everywhere, from her graduations to when she was in pigtails.

"Charlie plays it off, but he loves his girl," I reminded him.

"Oh yeah, but he loves you too, Jake. I mean, you gotta be like a son to him," Embry said as we started to walk back in the garage. There were already seven cars in the garage, two in need of an oil change and realignment and the rest were there because of scratches and dents.

Embry was right, I knew Charlie saw me as his son practically. That didn't stop him from having his antennas up because I was dating his daughter, though.

"Why don't you start on the two changes and I'll get started on this blown gasket," I said as I laid down on a creeper to go under a jeep. I managed to grab a few wrenches on my way under.

"You give me the easy jobs, huh?" Embry laughed.

"Naw, I'm just giving you the ones that are harder to screw up on. Now get to it, McCall," I replied. Working on cars was almost therapeutic for me. There was almost always a solution, sometimes a fairly pricey one.

Plus, it was fairly quiet, meaning I didn't have to talk to a ton of people.

"Yo Quil, did you hear Jake's proposing?" Embry asked, yelling as Quil came back out from under the creeper.

"About time, Black," Quil replied. I rolled my eyes.

"You ready for the ol' ball and chain?" Embry asked me as he wiped his hands from the grease. Bella wasn't a ball and chain. Embry hadn't imprinted yet, or been serious with a girl ever. Quil still had some time since Claire was ten. His emotions hadn't evolved past the point of a protective older brother yet. I knew they would, once she got older.

"She's not a damn ball and chain," I yelled back.

"I know, I know, that soulmate bullshit," Embry chuckled.

"It may happen to you one day," Quil said, which I'm sure Embry rolled his eyes at.

"God help me," Embry moaned. The rest of the workday seemed to lag on, all I wanted to see was Bella. Once I did hear the musical voice of Embry announcing it was quitting time, I nearly fell to my knees in thanksgiving.

"You going home?" Embry asked as I washed my hands in the sink.

"Yeah for a couple of hours. I got patrol then I'll run by Bella's," I answered wiping my brow.

"You're not doing it at six in the morning are you?" He asked, seriously questioning my sanity. I let out a belly laugh as I shook my head.

"I want her more conscious when I do it," I replied.

"Tomorrow night I'm taking her out," I added.

"Gotcha. Well Quil is going over to Claire's, so I guess I'm going out with Brady," Embry shrugged.

"See you later, man," I said, waving as I made my way to my car. Once I got to our house, I collapsed on my bed. I was absolutely wiped. After a three hour nap, I began patrol, which was monatenous at this point.

Soon Sam would stop phasing and retire from alpha, which left me as the next alpha. Luckily, since Victoria's death, we haven't had a run in with another blood sucker. We could never be too careful though.

Good luck tonight, Jake. I heard Leah's thoughts before nodding. There was a sting of disappointment in her tone, and I knew that was because of her own issues with marriage and engagements. She longed to imprint, which I could understand.

Leah and Bella had a good relationship, which was huge.

Don't fuck up. Of course Paul would say that. Paul and Rachel had been married for two years now, and Rachel was pregnant with their first kid. Rachel and Bella weren't best friends, but Rachel began to accept her.

Accepting her was huge, because before Rachel practically ignored or was rude to Bella. With Billy's help, Rachel gradually began to see Bella the way she should be seen.

Once my patrol was up, I threw on a pair of jeans and a white tee shirt before sprinting to my car. I knew I would beat her to her apartment since Bella drove like an old woman.

When her car came in the lot, butterflies had a concert in my stomach. I threw my car door open to walk over to her. She turned around, her hair falling over her shoulder and out of the bun it was in.

Even absolutely exhausted she was gorgeous.

"Hi," she murmured, her tired eyes meeting mine.

"Hi beautiful," I murmured, not wasting a minute to bring her into my arms. Without missing a beat, I began to carry her gingerly in my arms.

"Jake!" She protested.

"You're dead on your feet, c'mon Bells," I reminded her. She huffed in protest before she relaxed in my arms. She gave me her keys to unlock her door. I began walking us to her bedroom, where her queen bed sat waiting for her. Bella opened her bleary eyes before I laid her on her bed. Before she could fall asleep, she changed into one of my ratty tee shirts.

Once she washed her face and brushed her teeth, she began to close her eyes. She always fell asleep on top of the covers, the crazy girl. Effortlessly, I picked her up and gently placed her underneath the covers. I placed one arm around her as I whispered in her ear.

"Sleep well, Bells," which earned a small smile from her. Before long she was snoring, the cute soft snores she did when she was really out. As she laid in my arms, I couldn't help but think I could do this for the rest of my life.


BPOV

Sun streamed through my thin white curtains as I blinked a few times. Immediately, I felt like I was in a desert so I threw off my down comforter. Jake of course was the source of the heat.

He was sitting beside me, with his eyes closed.

"Jake?" I asked softly, wondering if he was awake. His deep eyes met mine as my favorite impish grin spread across his face.

"Hi, Bella. I would say good morning, but it's more like afternoon now," he responded with a chuckle. My eyes widened before I flicked my phone on. I really slept the day away since it was already five o'clock.

"Why didn't you get me up?" I asked, running a hand through my tangled hair.

"You were exhausted, you needed your sleep," he argued, shifting his weight so he was laying down on his stomach.

"My sleep patterns are far from normal," I chuckled.

"You have probably one of the hardest jobs in the world, Bells," he reminded me, his finger tracing the side of my cheek. I leaned into his embrace. Working on the pediatrics ward was really rough. Especially after last night, watching a six year old girl with the world before her find out she has months to live.

I shook the thought out of my head, choosing to focus on the man in front of me.

"I don't know, going under expensive cars all day and fixing them doesn't sound too easy," I said, my tone playful. He rolled his eyes as he threw a pillow at me.

"Jake!" I protested.

"Yes?" He replied, with his signature impish grin.

"Did you seriously just throw a pillow at me?" I quirked an eyebrow. Of course it was a rhetorical question.

"Your move, Swan," he said with a wink. Taking his bluff, I threw a pillow at his head.

"Oh it's on now," he hit my side with a pillow. After a few more gos at each other, we were doubled over in laughter. Jake was what I needed after last night, and I knew he could read me like a book.

"You ok?" He asked after a moment of silence. Did I want to bring home the woes from work? At this point, Jake was used to it. He was accustomed to be lamenting about my patients, the littlest warriors facing the biggest battles. Sometimes, they lost and as much as I wished I could leave it in the parking lot, I couldn't.

"One of the littles was given a few months to live. Leukemia. She's six. And I know I'm supposed to leave it in the parking lot, but it's just not fair. I'm supposed to save lives," I answered, playing with the tips of my fingers. In response, he pulled me closer so I was facing him.

"I know you want to save the world, Bella. This life isn't fair, and what is happening to that little girl is awful. You are giving her parents and her love and support during this time. You're taking care of her, babe. That's powerful," he reminded me, his smooth voice sounding like balm. I pursed my lips as I leaned into his embrace.

"Still don't get how a mechanic with grease on his hands ended up with you," he murmured, more to himself than to me. However I still heard it.

"Babe, I've been in contact with every bodily function multiple times, a little grease never did me any harm," I reminded him with a smirk. He pressed his forehead against mine as I felt a smile begin on his lips.

"Why don't you get ready while I run by that coffee place you like so much?" He asked, kissing my temple.

"Really?" I asked, excited he was going to get me coffee.

"Yes." He got off the bed before kissing me briefly.

"I'll be back in about twenty, is that enough time?" Jake asked, and I nodded. I didn't need a whole lot of time to get ready. As I heard the door close behind him, I heard him turn the lock.

I rushed into the shower, knowing I probably smelled like hospital. Somehow I managed to blow dry my hair almost all the way dry before gliding on some mascara and eye liner. I threw on a nice pair of jeans and a new shirt from when Angela and I went shopping last.

Usually, Jake was back before I was half-way finished. However, I had yet to see his smiling face. I glanced at myself once more, my hair still half dry. Even though my work schedule was crazy, we always somehow made time for a date.

Finally, I heard the door open. I let out a sigh of relief as I heard him call for me.

"Coming!" I yelled back as I threw on a pair of booties. As I slung on the right one, I nearly did a face plant.

With his stealth reflexes, Jake caught me easily.

"Easy, Bella," he said, the coffees were safe on the bannister.

"Thank you for saving the coffees," I said in relief. Jake chuckled as he balanced the coffee tray and wrapped one arm around me.

"I wasn't just saving the coffees, babe. You almost did a face plant on this hardwood floor," he reminded, tucking a stray hair behind my ear. "C'mon," he said in my ear as he handed me my coffee.

My cheeks heated as I pressed closer to his side. He closed the apartment door behind us as we began the trek to the parking lot. The wind blew August warm air into my face. As always, he opened his car door for me.

"I never got to ask you how your day was," I said, in amazement. A slow grin spread across his face as he began to back out of the parking space.

"We were busy today, so I was under a car most of the day. I didn't get to do expense reports or start paychecks," he said, with a slight frown. Jake was too stubborn to admit he could benefit from a bookkeeper or an office manager.

"If I was any good at math I'd help you. But you know Kim was the math major, and I'm sure she could help," I offered. His pursed his lips together as he considered my idea.

"That's not a bad idea, Bells," he replied. He kissed the back of my hand as he drove by the usual diner we went to for dinner. My eyebrows furrowed as I turned to him.

"Where are we going tonight, Jake?" I asked, fiddling with my fingers.

"I thought we'd go drive around for a little bit. Do you trust me?" He asked, his deep brown eyes meeting mine. It felt like a trick question, there wasn't a bone in my body that didn't trust him. He'd been there in every trial during the past five years. He was constant, never wavering.

"Yes."

"Okay, well, we're almost there," he said as he pulled into my old dorm's parking lot. Now, I was royally confused.

"Jake?" I asked, seriously questioning his sanity. He parked the car and threw me a lopsided grin.

"C'mon," he gestured, getting out of the car. I took a deep breath as I joined him outside.

"This was the exact spot I saw you, really saw you," he murmured. I looked around at the parking spots beside us that were all empty. Also, I noticed he was parked crooked.

"Why are you parked crooked?" I asked, immediately wanting to smack myself. Jake let out a belly laugh.

"You parked really crooked that day," he replied cheekily. My heart beat out of my chest at his recollection; he truly did remember everything.

"What do you mean really saw me?" I asked, raising my eyebrows.

"When I saw you, standing here barely managing a box in your hands, I imprinted on you. All I could see and all I ever saw after that was you," he explained, pressing his hands gently on the side of my face.

"I knew I wanted every chance to get to know you, to love you, and to protect you," he added. Without missing a beat, I threw my arms around his neck to press my lips against his. He responded eagerly, wrapping his arms around my waist to push me closer. I could feel his heart beat staccato in his chest.

After a moment, he pulled away with an impish grin.

"C'mon, pretty girl. We gotta go to our next spot so you can do that again," he said cheekily. I laughed as I walked back over to my car door. We drove for a while longer back to La Push. Recognition flooded me as we drove into Emily and Sam's driveway.

"They're at Em's mom's house, so we're here by ourselves," he answered my unanswered question as we began to walk in their back yard.

"This is where we had the bonfire, where you fell asleep on my chest. I saw you speak up for yourself in front of Rachel. I saw your strength, Bells. I was still just learning you at this point. But God, I couldn't shut up about you. I couldn't be anywhere with the pack and not think about you. After the bonfire, that was the first night I did a round by your house, to make sure you were safe." He shook his head, his intense gaze meeting mine. I pursed my lips as I felt my eyes water.

I knew Jake was special after that night, but it took me longer to fall in love with him.

"The way you felt in my arms, I knew I wanted that. If that meant waiting years, or waiting in the wings, it didn't matter to me," Jake said, his own cheeks reddening. He never used empty words; he wasn't a man of many words but he made his words count. He waited in the wings for months, while I was busy putting myself together.

When I was a little girl, I saw men as expendable. Renee frequently brought men home, said their name once, and that was it. I didn't have access to Charlie as much as I wanted to, partially because of her.

I couldn't blame her for that; Charlie was a grim reminder of what she left behind. Even though I took him for granted during that year in Forks, his presence proved to me that men could stay.

Once I returned to Forks, he took me back with open arms further showing me he stayed. However, Jake showed me a man other than a father figure could stay.

"You know I wondered for a long time when you would leave, not if," I murmured lowly. I felt totally exposed as I met his tender gaze. He grazed his finger against my cheek as he nodded.

"But with time, I learned you would stay. I'm sorry I ever doubted you," I admitted. In response, he pressed me close to his chest and planted a burning kiss on my forehead. We stood there in silence for a minute, his tight hold showed his forgiveness.

"C'mon, Bells, I gotta show you the last place," Jake said, drawing me out of my thoughts. I nodded, taking my hand in his. Once we got in the car, the sun started to fade back behind into the sunset.

"Any reason why you're driving like a bat out of hell?" I asked, curiosity sparked within me as he drove faster than he usually did. Jake looked determined, his jaw was prominent as he pressed his lips together.

"You gotta see this place at sunset," he replied, with a slight grin.

"Where are we going?" I quirked my eyebrows. The familiar parking lot, sand invading the pavement greeted us.

"The beach? We've been here before," I reminded him. He scoffed, before pulling the car in park.

"Not at sunset." He raced to the trunk of the car, grabbing a blanket and trying to balance a few tin covered disposable serving ware. I came over to try help him, offering my arms.

"I got it," he replied proudly.

"Don't be stupid, you have like five things of food you're trying not to drop," I said, studying his faulty grip.

"Can you grab the blanket?" He asked, giving in. I easily grabbed the blanket as I walked beside him. He began to speed up and I cursed at him.

"C'mon, Swan, pick up the pace up a little," he urged, throwing me a cheeky grin. I rolled my eyes at him, as I began to speed walk.

"You're over six feet tall and a werewolf, this isn't fair!" I fought to keep up with him as we finally reached the sand. I threw the blanket down and began smoothing it out.

"I brought dinner tonight," he announced as he put the tin containers on the blanket.

"That one is mash potatoes," I observed, noticing the mashed potatoes leaking out of the side.

"Dammit," he cursed, noticing the leak. I giggled as I grabbed a napkin to wipe the side.

"Did you make this?" I asked, curiously.

"It would all be burned if I did. I got it from Fork's Diner," he answered, fishing out two plates. He handed me one as we began to serve ourselves dinner. I criss-crossed my legs as we talked about what was new with Embry, Quil, and the rest of the pack.

Once we finished, he pointed out to the sunset before us, the sun barely holding on behind the clouds.

"You weren't kidding, Jake, it's incredible," I marveled as I studied the sun glimmering against the black water.

"It's beautiful," he agreed, his eyes meeting mine. We took a few more minutes to watch the sun go behind the clouds as darkness closed on us. He helped me up, I grabbed the blanket as we walked to the car.

"We have one more place to go," Jake said, nervousness in his tone. I peered at him, as I fastened my seat belt.

"We've been all over La Push and maybe half of Washington," I joked with him. My weak attempt at a joke made his eyes lightened up.

"This is the last one, it's not too far," he replied. I pressed my head against the window, as I drifted off to a slumber. Sometime later, I woke up to being bounced up and down as we drove on a gravel driveway. Trees enveloped us as a gold light shined against the night light. I noticed the wooden cabin coming into view.

"Jake?" I asked curiously.

"Come with me, I'll explain," he promised, reaching out his hand to me. I walked with him up the refurnished wooden stairs, as I looked at the wrap around porch. The cabin was beautiful. He stood right in front of the door, which had a white engraved sign that said "The Blacks."

"Is this yours?" I asked, he grinned at me. Before I could blurt out the rest of my questions, he pressed his finger against his lips. He came behind me to press his arms around me.

"Close your eyes for me," he murmured, lowly. I quirked an eyebrow as I sighed. Sensing my uneasiness, Jake spoke up, "trust me on this one," Jake pleaded. I complied, closing my eyes.

"I want you to imagine something. Remember when you graduated, and I promised I was working hard just like you were to create a life? You worked so hard for that moment, and since then you've been making a life for yourself. Your drive, your independence, and your love for others makes me fall in love with you every day. I've been working hard, too, to make a good life. And now, I want us to create a life together. But I want you to flash forward for a minute," he said, his voice strong and steady.

Butterflies danced in my stomach as I swallowed.

"I want you to imagine you in a white dress. Renee wanted you to look like a doll, but you choose a dress with a train that brushes the ground behind you barely. Your mom wanted you to wear heels, but you fight for the converse that have yours and my name scribbled all over them. Your hair is in beachy waves, that almost look like auburn in the sunlight. You have flowers in your hair and as you walk to me, I barely find the ability to breathe. We dance around the lights decorating the trees as Embry and all of his friends are drunk on the cheap beer.

"We move into this little house, you somehow manage to not stub your toe on the boxes this time. You come home to me, and we're crazy in love. Charlie comes and visits along with Billy come over, marveling at my craftsmanship of this house," he continues, my breaths coming out in pants at this point. Is he asking me to marry him?

"Before we know it, we have kids running around the house. We're exhausted, but we're so damn happy, Bella. I'm more in love with you every day, even though I can't imagine how that's possible right now. I lose my socket wrench all the time, and you somehow you manage to find it every time. I find your keys, each time you lose them. One day our kids move out and it's just me and you again. We have gran kids that visit, and I'm the happiest man to just hold your hand rocking in a rickety rocking chair. I want you until this whole thing ends," Jake said, his voice shaky. Suddenly, his arms disappear as the floor board creaks.

I feel his body heat in front of me.

"Open your eyes for me," he urges, almost a whisper as my hands shake.

"Jake..." I start, but he's down on one knee, looking more vulnerable than he's ever looked. The glimmer of a single diamond nestled against a rose gold diamond band makes my eyes pop.

"Bella, you are everything. You are the absolutely the best thing that ever happened to me and will happen to me. I want to build a life with you, Bella. I want to build a life with you like I built this house. I want you, I want to love you until this whole thing ends. I love you so damn much. Will you marry me?" Jake asked, his deep ember eyes meeting mine. My view of him is obstructed by tears flooding my eyes.

For a moment, I see the eighteen year old boy jogging up to me as I paint the sunrise on the beach. I see the nineteen year old boy as he holds me close after another nightmare and walks in with me to my therapy appointment. I see the twenty-one year old man's eyes watch me as I get my diploma. I see the twenty-two year old man's eyes meet mine as he announces the opening of his dream auto shop. I see the twenty three year old man laugh with me as I fall flat on my face as we dance around the dance hall. Then, I see the twenty four year old man, in front of me, with a product of his love for me behind him.

"Yes," I whispering, my voice almost as shaky as him. Without missing a beat, he bounds off the ground, nearly tackling me as he wraps his arms around me.

"Jake, air," I laugh as he squeezes me tightly. He immediately releases me.

"The ring?" I ask, and recognition floods him as he fumbles around the ring and luckily finds the ring encased in the box between us. He slides the ring on my finger, and I wrap my arms around his neck, my happy tears soaking through his shirt.


One year later, I'm standing in a simple satin sheath gown with spaghetti straps. As Jake predicted, my hair is in beachy waves and I have white roses in my hair. The train of my dress lightly brushes the floor behind me as I hold my father's arm tightly.

I spent most of the morning with Renee, Angela, Emily, Kim, and Jake's sisters. Rachel was even cordial with me today, which was a relative win. Charlie is silent before me as he clears his throat.

"Ready, Bells?" He asked, his voice gruff. I could see tears barely staying at bay.

"Yes," I replied. I'm holding wildflowers, similar to what Jake brought on our first date. We get onto the gazebo, which Jake built right in front of the meadow. I always wanted to get married in a green grass meadow with the ocean in the distance. We went back and forth on getting married on the beach, but ultimately decided a field was best. The trees surrounding us had lights strung on them.

Emily began the piano, as I we reached the edge of the pagoda. We found some land on the reservation people used often for weddings. It was on old tribal land, and was virtually untouched.

My eyes met my mother's watery ones as she mouthed 'I love you.' I smiled back at her as my eyes met Angela's, who winked at me. Finally, my eyes set on his. He stood there with his hands crossed. He looked absolutely handsome in his navy suit as I walked toward him. His misty eyes met mine as Billy met us at the end of the aisle. Halfway down the aisle, Charlie began to sit in his seat. I chose to go off the traditional script of him walking me all the way down the aisle.

I walked myself down the rest of the way to symbolize I was committing my life to him, and Charlie wasn't my keeper anymore. Jake's warm gaze met mine as he all too eagerly grasped my hands in his huge ones.

"Hi, gorgeous," he murmured. I smiled brightly at him as I squeezed his hands as tightly as I could. I wish I could say I was paying attention to Billy's words, but I was looking at him. He stared at me with such intensity my own cheeks reddened.

"Bella, are you ready to say your vows?" Billy asked, bringing me out of my trance.

"Yes!" I said, immediately wanting to face palm. The audience giggled as Angela handed me my vows. With shaky hands, I straightened my paper out.

"Jake," I started, meeting his gaze.

"I was complete before you. But with you, I'm a better person. You constantly challenge me, celebrate with me, dream with me, and lose with me when I fall short. You know when to let me talk it out and when to shut me up. You may not say much, but what you do say counts. Thank you for bringing me coffee in the middle of my all night shift, thank you for telling me my car is just fine every time I hear a noise, thank you for remembering to bring out an extra pillow every time I fall asleep during a movie because you know if I just sleep with one pillow, I will get the worst neck ache ever. Thank you for loving me for five whole years. I promise to find your socket wrench every time you lose it, laugh with you, cry with you, and tolerate old ACDC music coming from the garage." I said, my eyes shining with tears.

Jake's cleared his throat.

"Not sure I can beat that, Swan. I don't get to call you that much longer," he winked as he straightened out his own vows. Behind us, the audience giggled.

"I've dreamed of this moment since I was five making mud pies with you. I wrote these vows the first time when I was five, and they've gotten better. All I had back then was I promise to make mud pies with you, not spill my have chocolate milk on you, and sit on the porch with you the rest of my life. Now, twenty years later I'm promising you this. Bella, you are the absolute light of my life. You make me think more, you make me laugh, you make me listen, and you've made me grow. I'm a better man when I'm with you. You are the strongest and most loving human being on the planet, and I still have a no clue how you ended up with me. Bella, I promise to love you, honor you, laugh with you, cry with you, make you coffee first thing in the morning, find your keys when you lose them, and protect you until there's no more breath in my body." He promised, his brown eyes shining against mine.

"Bella and Jacob, I now pronounce you man and wife, you may kiss your bride." Billy said, as claps echoed around us. Without missing a beat, wrapped his arms around me.

"Finally," he whispered as he pressed his warm lips to mine. He lifted me off the ground, his lips moving in tandem with mine. He broke the kiss a minute later before giving me a cheeky grin as he carried me bridal style in his arms.

As we faced the small group of our family and friends, I felt sunshine began to shine down on us, breaking up the clouds as I turned to my own personal sun. Leaving Forks years ago to live in Florida I thought would bring me sunshine. Instead of reaching for the sun, I had to create the sunshine in myself again. Maybe I didn't need someone to construct the sunshine for me, I just needed someone to stand beside me and let me shine.


And that's all folks! I hope you enjoyed reading this story and let me know what you think.

-Princessinblues