A/N Here's another chapter for you guys. It was very emotional for me to write but I hope you enjoy and make sure to review.

Chapter 21

Billy looked up from his newspaper when he heard the front door open and close. He was pleased to see his son walk into the kitchen with a smile on his face. "You look happy," Billy noted.

"I am. Belle is doing good and is eating and drinking well. Everything is looking better than expected." Jacob walked to the fridge, taking out a can of coke before sitting at the table.

"Well, that's good to hear. The gods only know how much that girl has gone through." Jacob nodded sadly.

"I was thinking of going back after I've showered. Maybe pack a bag. I just...well I don't know. I don't want to leave her. You know?" Billy nodded knowingly.

"I understand son. I would too if I was in your situation. I will be fine. Don't worry about me. I could always go to Sue's if you're not here." Jacob nodded and left to take a shower, excited to see his imprint again.

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"What ya working on?" Paul asked, moving to sit in a chair by Anabelle's bed.

"Just some homework," Anabelle said nonchalantly.

"Your 24 hours post-op. You need to rest." Anabelle shook her head feeling a sharp pain in her chest making her head feel fuzzy. She wavered in her posture, making Paul catch her before she fell back on her bed.

"Are you ok, Belle? Do you need to push the button?" Anabelle nodded and grabbed the remote and pushed the red button, injecting more morphine into her system.

"This is gonna be a long week." She said, leaning back and nestling herself into her pillows. Paul gave her a sympathetic look before putting on a movie and leaning back in his chair. Her eyes were starting to droop but she held her tiredness at bay.

"So...were you planning on telling me about Jacob? Or was I supposed to guess?" Anabelle looked at Paul with raised eyebrows, not believing what she just heard. She didn't answer. Only staring at him, a smirk on his face. "Because if you were, I was just wondering when that would be. Ya know, I want enough time to write my big brother's speech and give him a nice ass-kicking."

Anabelle was now blushing deeply, her head tucked into her pillow some more, and her hair flowing all around her. She looked back up at him and muttered, "Well you probably know everything right?"

"I want to hear it from you," Paul said, sitting at the end of the bed, being mindful of her legs. Anabelle took a deep breath before looking at her brother.

"It's kind of hard to explain. We became friends rather quickly. A big contributor being him driving me everywhere. And once we got to know each other better, we just clicked. Always agreeing, never not getting along. I felt that I could tell him anything without any judgment. Then I started to see him differently. It started when the vampires came back. I just felt different every time I saw him. That's why I gave him my letter personally. I wanted to make sure he read it. I needed to tell him how I felt but I knew I couldn't do it face to face."

Hearing this, Paul understood things more clearly. He had noticed that whenever they were at Emily's, Anabelle's mood brightened immensely in Jacob's presence. Every day that Anabelle didn't want to go to school, the mention of Jacob's name would make her jump straight out of bed. Not to mention they're long conversations on the phone. Paul didn't understand imprinting, but he knew it was powerful. He just wishes that Jacob never breaks his sister's heart.

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Jacob was walking up the steps to the hospital when a voice called his name. "Jacob!" He turned to see Bella and her leech walk towards him. Jacob crinkled his nose, the vampire stench invading his nostrils. "Jake, I've been trying to call you all week. What are you doing here?"

"I'm visiting a friend." He said. He caught Edward's eye, a look of sympathy on his face. Stop reading my mind, bloodsucker.

"I can't block it out, Jacob. But I'll try not to read them." Jacob scowled while Bella continued to speak.

"I've been wanting to hang out but you never answer the phone. I call Billy, and he always says you're out." She frowned and tried to move closer to him but he stepped back.

"I've been really busy with the pack lately. And I got a friend in the hospital right now so I should be going." Jacob turned to leave but was stopped by a cold hand. He turned to see Bella, a sad expression on her face.

"Can we make plans to hang out this week? I haven't seen you in forever." Jacob sighed, not wanting to upset her but also tell her that he didn't quite consider her a good friend anymore.

"Look, Bella. You're a good friend of mine but you made your choice to join the leeches and that breaks the treaty. I can't be friends with the enemy." He saw Bella's face fall but ignored it. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have somewhere to be." He then walked off towards the entrance to the hospital, leaving Bella to wonder why Jacob was doing this.

Jacob slowly made his way to the elevator when another voice stopped him. "Jacob?" He internally groaned and rolled his eyes, turning around to see who called him. There stood Reyna, Seth's cousin that came to Harry's funeral. She was holding a bouquet of flowers in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other.

"Hey." He said awkwardly. He didn't quite know this girl but wanted to appear nice. Anabelle seemed to like her until she blatantly flirted with Jacob in front of her.

"I was just coming to see how Anabelle was doing. She helped me at the funeral by telling me about a job opening she heard about. She said she wouldn't be able to work so she told me about it. I now work at the Forks Public Library." Jacob smiled. Another thing he loved about Anabelle. She was selfless and willing to help people if they needed it.

"That was sweet of her. I can bring you up to her room if you want." Reyna nodded and followed Jacob to the intensive care unit. "So you are staying here permanently?" He asked, trying to be nice and start a conversation.

"Yeah. I currently live with my parents and am trying to find enough money to move out. I kinda like it here." She then looked at him with a smirk and continued, "I don't really know what's here. Would you mind showing me around some time?"

Jacob was thrown off by the question. He noticed how Reyna was looking at him, it was exactly how waitresses look at him when he's out. He gently smiled, not wanting to sound mean. "I don't really get out a lot so I would probably be of no help. But I'm sure Seth or Leah could help you. They're your cousins, they would know what you're interested in."

Reyna looked a little dejected but held her composure. "Oh ok yeah, I think I'll ask them. Anyway, is this your first time visiting Anabelle?"

"No actually. I've been here since she was checked in. I slept on the chair next to her. I'm planning on staying until she comes home." He saw how Reyna wore a look of confusion before she spoke.

"So are y'all like together? I noticed at the funeral that y'all were rather close."

"We've actually agreed to go on a date after she recovers. I asked her last night." Reyna looked rather sad but again, held her composure.

"That's great! I'm happy for y'all." They stopped at the doors to the ICU when Jacob pushed the button, alerting the receptionist.

"Hello?"

"Hi, I'm here to see Anabelle Lahote." The door then buzzed and Jacob opened it, leading Reyna to the front desk.

"Hello dear. Back already?" The receptionist asked Jacob. He smiled sweetly before walking to Anabelle's room.

He arrived to find Paul outside the room, a worried expression on his face. "What's wrong?"

Paul sighed deeply, keeping an eye on his sister's room, which was covered by curtains. "Belle had pains in her chest earlier so she shot herself some morphine, but that wasn't enough. She was uncomfortable and couldn't breathe well. The doctors decided to give her a sedative so she can sleep off some of the pain. They said she was trying to do things to fast for her body to handle. They're administrating it right now."

Jacob deflated in his stature, a look of agony filling his face. "So she'll be asleep for a few hours."

Paul nodded gravely, "Probably for the rest of the day." Reyna made her way to Paul, handing him the bouquet of flowers.

"I'll come back tomorrow to see how she's doing, until then here are some flowers to brighten up the place." Paul smiled, touched by the gesture before Reyna turned and left, leaving both Paul and Jacob to stare at the curtain covered windows.

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Paul and Jacob sat quietly, watching Anabelle sleep in her bed. Paul quietly growled. "He should have been here already."

"Maybe he's in traffic. Or he got lost." Jacob said, not really believing himself.

"There's never traffic in Forks. And he's been here a million times, he doesn't get lost." Paul bit back glaring at the door. He then quickly stood up, glaring at his father who then opened the door to come in. "You're late." He spits.

"I know. Right when I was leaving the house, I got a call from one of my partners. There was a problem that he needed to talk to me about." Paul scoffed.

"Yeah, and that was more important than coming to visit Belle, right?" Gene sighed and wiped his face before looking at his son with a condescending look.

"You know I do all this to pay for your sister's medical bills, right? I do all I do for you and your sister. So y'all can have a better life than I did." Paul went to stand in front of his father, Jacob following in case Paul did something irrational.

"You only had a shitty life because your dad didn't even show up to your own birth. Well, guess what dad? You're no better. You never show up to ANY of hers. Just look at her." Gene didn't. He just stared at his son. "Look at her!" When Gene complied Paul continued. "She was raised to believe her birthday wasn't important enough to be celebrated on the day. Instead, she was raised to believe it was normal to push it back a week."

"Ok son. I get it-"

"Do you?" Paul grounded out. "Do you get it? Yeah ok, dad. You give us things that money can buy. Phones, video games, souvenirs in the form of clothes. But let me ask you this? Do you remember when taco day is? It's Tuesday if you didn't. What about pasta day? It's on Friday. Do you know the kind of special detergent I have to buy so Belle doesn't itch when she wears her clothes? Do you know what kind of inhalers she has? What are they called? Do you know that she sleeps with her door closed so she can lead me to believe that she isn't scared of the dark, but she turns on her lamp on her desk? Do you know that we visit mom almost every two weeks so Belle can tell her what great grades she's getting in school? Because our own father never has time to hear it."

"You think you know Dad. But you don't. So stop trying to make me believe you because I won't." And with that, Paul left the room with Jacob following behind him, leaving Gene alone with an unconscious Anabelle.

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Jacob found Paul in the cafeteria eating lunch. He sat down in the chair next to him and waiting for him to finish eating. "You've been waiting a long time to say that, I'm guessing?"

Paul scoffed and chuckled dryly. "You have no idea." He then sighed deeply before looking up at his packmate. "Jacob you have to understand that Belle didn't grow up with a mother figure, much less a father figure. We've always been a team growing up and nothing will change that. But you have to promise me to protect her, whatever the cost."

Jacob nodded. "I will always protect her. With my life. I just want her to be happy."

"But there's something else. I know the whole imprinting thing is strong. I've been in your head, I know. But try to dial it down ok? She's not used to people cornering her and not letting her breathe. So just lean into the protectiveness. Ok? Don't suffocate her." Jacob nodded, understanding. "She hates feeling indifferent. It's one of the things she can't stand."

"I promise. I just want her to be happy." Paul nodded, hoping he was speaking the truth.