Folks, I'm really not good at this whole waiting thing. You just might end up reading the rest of this as it is written. That's my own fault, though. LOL. As always, I own nothing. S.M. owns it all. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. PLEASE REVIEW!
Charlie had dropped Bella off at the Cullen house early. Edward wisely avoided him from his corner of the home but the rest of the family had greeted him warmly. Bella walked in offering to help with whatever she could and ended up bombarded by Alice in a rush to get ready. She touched up Bella's makeup before helping her change into a strapless emerald green dress and high-heeled shoes dyed in the same shade. She pulled Bellas hair up quickly, leaving soft spiraling tendrils artfully hanging in some places.
"It is funny how things work out, isn't it?" Alice asked.
"What's fu-" Bella coughed as Alice assaulted her with hairspray.
"I bought you this dress in Paris six months ago," Alice rambled, scrutinizing her finished product. "I always see you in green. Even when you were with Edward and he insisted on blues."
"That's because Edward likes blue," Bella laughed. "And gold," she added, scowling.
"He fancied himself Tony Manero in the 70's, Bella. Just be glad that his love of gold is all that lasted." Alice said and Bella roared with laughter.
"Leisure suits?" Bella asked.
"Track shorts," Alice answered, pretending to shake in horror. "There are some things about her brother that a lady should not see."
Tears rolled down Bella's cheeks from laughter. "Shit, Bella," Alice said, attacking her with a tissue.
"Alice," Esme said, feigning shock from the doorway. "You look lovely, Bella."
"She will as soon as I fix this damn eyeliner," Alice grumbled. Esme chuckled as she walked away.
"Is Jacob bringing others from the pack with him?" Alice asked excitedly.
"Are you glad about that?" Bella asked in surprise.
"I am, actually. Wolves nearby mean fewer unexpected visions. I've been a bit bombarded by them lately and it's exhausting. The few things I get are all the same. It will be nice to just bullshit with Jacob and make the headache go away. I kind of figure that the more of the pack he brings with him, the more opportunity I'll have to actually pretend to be a normal person for a while. I just hope there are enough candles to cover the wet dog smell," Alice said, scrunching her nose with distaste.
Bella turned to hug her friend warmly. "Normal is overrated anyway, Alice," she said.
(JPOV)
Jacob turned to the side at the mirror, smoothing down the front of his shirt.
A black dress shirt, dark jeans, and boots were about as formal as Jacob Black ever got. He said goodnight to his father and headed for his car.
Quil and Embry better not act like jackasses tonight, he thought. There would be far too many humans around to risk anyone losing their temper. Jacob's thoughts shifted to Bella, wondering what kind of getup Alice would squeeze her into. To be honest, he couldn't wait to find out. Tonight, he hoped, would finally be a reprieve. Ever since the Cullens had come back, there had been no time to rest. Jacob frequently skipped out on time he should be sleeping to be wherever he possibly could with Bella on top of his usual responsibilities. Most of their time together was spent sleeping. As much as he loved and needed that time, Jacob craved social connections. He needed to be able to relax for a few hours and forget the impending doom breathing down all of their necks.
Jacob pulled up into Quil's drive and honked his horn. Embry and Quil ran to the car, both dressed fairly similarly to Jacob.
"You're gonna be fine, dude," Quil said, reassuring Embry.
"Fine about what," Jacob asked, pulling onto the highway.
"Angela is supposed to be there," Quil said and chuckled.
"Angela is a fucking sweetheart and I'll kick your ass if you fuck with her tonight, Quil," Jacob said, chuckling. Embry gave Quil a triumphant grin and turned back to face the front.
Yes, things were about to get interesting, indeed.
When they arrived, Jacob immediately searched for Bella, spotting her as she carefully descended the stairs with Alice in tow. Jacob was speechless for a moment as he drank in the emerald green fabric clinging to her curves.
"Those shoes are absolute death traps for you, honey," he said and chuckled.
"See?" Bella said to Alice. She scowled at Jacob.
He swooped his arms around Bella, grinning at her happily. "You look beautiful, honey." She smiled up at him as he plopped a kiss on her forehead. "Thanks for the shoes, Alice. I'll just have to carry her everywhere," he said, bending down to pick her up.
"Don't you dare," Bella squealed, shuffling away from him. "This dress is way too short for that."
"Thanks for that too," Jacob laughed, nodding to Alice. She giggled and winked before dancing off to find Jasper.
"You are just full of it already, aren't you?" Bella asked him.
Jacob stepped back and lifted her hand, beckoning her to turn around. She carefully spun around for him to see the whole view.
"You get to keep this thing, right?" Jacob asked her huskily. She giggled.
"Why? Do you like this one me?" Bella teased.
Jacob leaned in close to her, gently grazing his nose along her jaw. "I'd like it even better on your bedroom floor," he whispered into her ear. He laughed as she flushed bright red, glancing around quickly to see if anyone was paying attention.
"I'm going to get you back for that," she grinned.
"I'm looking forward to it, honey," he said, leaning in to kiss her.
(BPOV)
Guests began to arrive shortly before sunset. The house had been rearranged and colored lights hung in random places, giving the modern mansion a nightclub vibe. Jacob had arrived with Embry and Quil in tow. Angela had found Bella when she arrived. She was swept into a hug from Jacob before being pulled to the dance floor by a laughing Quil. Embry stared after them, seemingly lost in thought.
Jacob was in a playful mood, helping to keep up the high spirits of those around him. As the night wore on, Bella had noticed Embry watching after Angela repeatedly. She took a rare opportunity to escape the others and approach him quietly, nudging him with her elbow.
"You're watching my friend," she said. Embry gave her a side-eye and chuckled.
"She's a sweet girl," he said.
"She's amazing, really," Bella said. "One of the truest friends I've ever known."
"She's my imprint, Bella," Embry confided. Bella's jaw dropped in surprise. Embry chuckled.
"Do the others know?" Bella asked. She felt suddenly very sad for her sweet friend who didn't deserve the kind of constant stress that the pack and their loved ones were under.
"No," he said. "I saw her during one of the searches for Mike. She was out there stumbling around blind, sobbing really. It about ripped my heart out," he admitted, never taking his eyes off of Angela, who was laughing at Quil's terrible dancing.
"Will you tell her?" Bella asked him.
"Probably not," Embry said. "If she doesn't feel any kind of pull towards me, I'm not going to push that on her. She's safer away from me."
"Embry, you don't know that," Bella said, "You should talk to her more. Get to know her better. She's more understanding than you know."
"Does she know about the Cullens?" Embry asked.
"No," Bella sighed. "I've wanted her to be safe, too."
Embry nodded, understanding. "She also just buried her boyfriend."
"Which is exactly why she needs a friend," Bella suggested. "Look, I know Edward didn't die, but Jacob picked up the pieces for me."
Embry looked at her skeptically. "You two already had a connection, Bella."
"And so could you two if you try," Bella encouraged. He continued to look skeptical, "Seriously, just try. Go talk to her."
"What the hell am I supposed to say?" Embry asked seriously.
"Just ask her how she is. Talk to her like she's already an old friend. It's not like you haven't hung out around each other a dozen times already. It's easy to be around Angela. You'll see." Bella said and winked at him. She gave him a gentle push. Embry stuffed his hands in his pockets awkwardly and made his way towards Angela.
"That was good of you," Edward said from behind her. She spun to face him, stumbling in her heels. He reached out to steady her and then quickly returned to where he'd been standing.
He's trying to not overwhelm you. Bella blushed and took a step backward.
"Thank you," she said, embarrassed. "Alice knows I have no balance. These shoes are a death trap," Bella laughed. Before she could protest, he was kneeling at her feet, helping her step out of the too-tall heels. Bella wiggled her toes against the cold floor and sighed as Edward returned to his distant position.
"Better?" he asked her, grinning.
"Immensely, thank you." She said.
"Your boyfriend is annoyed with me," Edward smirked.
"Annoyed is probably unavoidable. As long as he's kind, he can be annoyed all he wants," Bella said and laughed. She looked up across the room at a frowning Jacob. She winked at him, flashing a teasing smile. It was all he needed to drop the scowl from his face, returning to his conversation with Alice and Jasper.
Alice's tinkling laughter could be heard over the music, enticing grins throughout the room.
"Hmmm," Bella said, "I've never noticed that before."
"What's that, Bella?" Edward asked.
"Alice's laugh. It affects people somehow, doesn't it?" Bella asked, her back to him as she watched the others.
"It affects Jasper," Edward said. "Her happiness is his, and he tends to project that to others."
"I hope you find that," Bella said softly.
"What's that?" he asked, stepping closer.
"The person that inspires you to be truly happy," Bella said. "The one that you're supposed to be with."
Edward chuckled. "I thought we were all under the general consensus that I don't deserve that at this point."
Bella spun to face him, surprised to find him much closer than she'd realized. She blushed again, silently cursing her pounding heart that she knew he'd been listening to since he'd first approached her. He smiled at her sadly.
"You deserve someone," she said after taking a calming breath. "The right one, though. The person you're truly supposed to love."
"Well, I had her. I messed it all up." He said ruefully. "But, I'm beginning to realize that maybe she was never supposed to be mine." He gave her another sad smile.
"I'm sorry, you know," she said. "No matter how much it hurt me when you left me, Edward, I truly don't wish you pain."
"I know," he said and took a step away.
Warm arms wrapped around Bella from behind. While she wrapped her arms over his lovingly, she simultaneously gave Edward a sad smile.
"Bells, would you like to have a dance with me?" Jacob whispered. She turned to face him.
"Because you know I'm just great at dancing," she said sarcastically. Jacob leaned down and gave her a pout. After a few seconds, she caved, sighing loudly. "Fine, Jacob, but I'm not putting those damn shoes back on." She glanced up at Edward who gave her a genuine smile before heading over to talk to his little sister.
Jacob led Bella slowly onto the dance floor. She was surprised to find a slow dancing Angela and Embry, the two of them talking softly more than actually moving. Lights were dimmed as the song changed, a still slow but sensual beat vibrating the floor between her feet. Without the shoes, Bella held onto Jacob's upper arms while his hands roamed her back and waist gently. She started to move using his hands as a lead. Jacob smiled at her lustily, glancing down at the swell of her breasts behind the emerald green satin. Only a slight hint of the bruise was left above her collar bone, something Alice had worked on diligently to cover with concealer and makeup.
"I suddenly feel very driven to put that mark back," Jacob said and laughed.
"I don't have a clue how Charlie didn't see it," Bella said and blushed. "Aside from Paul, though, no one has said anything."
"You look really beautiful tonight, honey," Jacob said sweetly. He cupped her cheek with his palm, leaning down to give her a soft kiss. She stood on tiptoe to kiss him back happily. She swayed with him through the next song, nearly forgetting all of the others in the room.
It was Alice's blank expression on the stairway that finally caught her attention. She grabbed Jacob's hand and pulled him along through the crowd. Unsurprisingly, Jasper, Embry, and Quil followed suit. Bella searched for Edward who stood perfectly still on the far side of the room, looking worried.
"Alice, what did you see?" Bella asked eagerly.
"They're coming," she said frantically. "The newborns. They're planning their attack."
"Could you see when?" Jasper asked.
"Tomorrow," she said. "They'll be here tomorrow. It was only just decided."
Bella's head swam. She looked around the room at her numerous friends and family. "We need a plan," she said firmly. "When are we wrapping this up?" she asked Alice.
"Now," Alice said. "It's ten-thirty and Forks still has an 11 pm curfew. Half of these kids are still seventeen."
With those words, Emmett called out that the final song was about to play, "so the kiddies can all get home safe." Bella couldn't help but chuckle as Rose discreetly plucked a leaf from the back of Emmett's shirt. Rose looked like she'd went for a run through the woods as well, her hair usually perfect hair disheveled. She smiled wickedly at Bella, her eyes sparkling with mischief.
Angela hesitantly made her way over, pulling Bella into a tight embrace.
"Everything alright?" she asked.
"Of course," Bella lied, smiling. "Are you alright?"
"Hmmm. You're still a bad liar, Bells." Angela said. Bella grinned.
"That nickname is a privilege few get away with, you know," Bella teased.
"It suits you when you're happy. I saw you talking with Edward over there. You've come far in a few weeks," Angela said.
"You are… far more observant than I give you credit for," Bella said and laughed.
"Maybe I'll go be a cop with your dad," Angela joked, stealing a glance in Embry's direction. "I'm going to head on home," Angela said, yawning. "I feel like I haven't slept in so long." She chuckled but Bella could see how weary Angela was.
"Are you okay to drive home?" Bella asked her. A concerned Embry was watching anxiously. From behind Angela, Bella could see Jacob silently slip his car keys into Embry's hand. Embry looked at him in surprise.
"You sure?" he whispered.
"Our friend is exhausted, Bro. Make sure she gets home safe," Jacob said and winked at Embry.
"That's not necessary," Angela said, turning toward them.
"Ange," Jacob said, pulling her against him for a hug. "You're exhausted, sweetie. Let Embry drive you home. In fact," he said, yanking over a chuckling Quil, "How about letting Quil follow home in your car? Then you won't have to come to get it tomorrow." He gave her the same pout he'd used on Bella earlier. She chuckled and shook her head.
"Fine," Angela gave in, laughing. "That's dangerous… Bella, he's dangerous."
"Don't I know it?" Bella said, "Go get some rest. I'll call you soon."
"Thank you, guys." Angela hugged Bella again and left, the two boys following closely behind her.
Bella and Jacob waited behind as the Cullens ushered everyone else from the house, reminding them all to be safe. Once the doors were shut, the family regathered. Quil and Embry returned shortly, followed eventually by the rest of the pack, who refused to come inside. A plan was formed hastily to best protect Bella during the battle. The Cullens began their preparations and the pack all raced for home. Jacob, Embry, and Quil headed for Bella's house, finding it empty. A note from Charlie on the fridge let her know he'd be spending the night at Billy's and reminded her to "be safe!"
"That's convenient," Jacob said with a chuckle.
"Yeah, at least this time, I won't have to hurt him so that I can run," she said guiltily. Bella wrote a note back for her father, telling him she and Jacob were going to go camping with Alice and Jasper. After changing clothes, they rushed to pack a few necessities and sped back to the Cullen's house. Flashbacks of her flight away from James flooded her in spades. She fought to hold back tears, shakily making her way inside.
An argument was underway between Jasper and Edward, instantly putting Jacob on alert.
"What's the problem?" Bella asked them boldly.
"Jasper thinks having you in the clearing would ensure…" Edward began.
"You are not using her for bait," Jacob said angrily. "No fucking way!"
"Wait a minute!" Bella yelled, stepping in front of Jacob. "They're after me, right? Wouldn't it make more sense for them to go where I will be?"
"Hell no, Bella," Edward said adamantly. "All it will do is put you at more of a risk. There are too many ways we could all be distracted and leave you vulnerable. I won't do that!"
"I hate to admit it, but I agree with him," Jacob snarled.
"They'll be looking for me," Bella insisted. "There has to be something I can do to help."
Bella argued with all of them for far too long, getting more frustrated by the minute.
After too much time deliberating, the same plans were made as in the story you all know well. However, Bella would be spending the night on the mountainside alone with Jacob while the Cullen's hunted. To Bella's dismay, Seth and Edward would be coming to guard Bella in the morning while Jacob went into battle. Seth's being comfortable around Edward was as much of an asset as Edward's gift and speed in her protection. As the second-largest wolf and one of their best fighters, Jacob needed to be part of the battle, something which had Bella in tears half of the evening. While she felt guilty for wanting him to be with her and know he was safe, she felt immense guilt for even considering wanting his pack to fight without their future alpha.
It didn't take long for a tent to be set up for her to sleep in and a fire built. Even though it was May, the heat of the fire, and the blankets she was swaddled in, Bella's teeth chattered with cold. The temperature on the mountainside was dropping quickly. Jacob crawled into the tent with her, pulling her against his body to keep her warm. Once her teeth stopped chattering, she was finally able to relax against him, falling asleep.
Nightmares plagued her, though Jacob would wake with her to soothe her fears away. As the dawn began to break, Bella opened her eyes to find Jacob awake next to her on his side. He was staring at her sadly and reached over to brush her hair from her face.
"Honey, I need you to be safe today," he said, leaning forward to place soft kisses along her jaw. Bella wound her arms around him, pulling him over her.
"I love you," she said as she felt the fire that constantly burned for him begin to build.
"I love you, Honey," Jacob said softly.
"Are we still alone?" she asked him. "Is anyone else here yet?"
"Not yet," he said as he slowly trailed his fingers down her side.
"I need you," she said, her voice sounding small and frightened, even to her ears. She reached for the hem of his shirt, pulling it upward. Jacob ripped it the rest of the way off before crashing his lips roughly against hers. Bella slid her jeans off quickly, gasping as the cold tent floor brushed against her bare skin. Frantically, she shoved Jacob's shorts down around his knees as he braced himself over her. Wet and desperate with need, Jacob entered her easily. His inner wolf already on edge, and both in need of release, Jacob pounded himself into her roughly. Bella bit down on his shoulder to muffle her cries. Though it was over quickly, both orgasmed with an intensity that left them out of breath and speechless. A howl nearby made them both groan in frustration. Bella redressed quickly, trying to fight back an onslaught of tears as she tied her shoelaces.
"I'm sorry, Honey," Jacob said sadly, placing more kisses around her face. "I gotta go," he said, kissing her passionately again.
"Please come back to me," she whispered, her tears escaping. Jacob wiped them away with his thumbs, only for fresh tears to fall.
"I promise you," Jacob said vehemently.
"Please don't promise me anything, Jacob," she begged him sadly. "Just come back. No matter what happens, please just come back."
Jacob held her face gently with both hands, his obsidian eyes staring into hers. "Baby, I promise you that I will do everything I can to come back to you." He kissed her one last time, his lips brushing lightly against hers. It was reminiscent of the very first kiss he'd given her, one full of love and devotion. It was then that she saw it - the vision of her future with Jacob. A small black-haired boy was running to her on First Beach, his chubby little face and hands looking exactly like Jacob. Behind him, Jacob stood smiling happily with his hand wrapped around that of a little girl with Bella's eyes and Charlie's curls. She gasped as she pulled away, hope spreading through her. It was the future she and Jacob were meant to have, and she suddenly wanted it more than anything in the world.
"Bells, I want us to have a future together. I'm going to come back and give you everything I possibly can," Jacob choked out, blinking back his tears. She gaped at him in surprise.
"D-did you," she stuttered, "Did you see…"
Jacob nodded. "It's the spirits, Bella. It's what is meant for us," Jacob said. "Our future together, like it's supposed to be."
An anguished yell echoed from nearby, instantly filling her with dread. Bella shot past Jacob, scrambling out of the tent. Edward stood at the cliffside, his face distorted in pain.
"I told you to stay out of my head," Jacob said.
"Jacob!" Bella said angrily. "He can't always help that!"
"Your thoughts are a little loud," Edward spat heatedly. Jacob glanced from one to the other, scowling as Seth came out of the treeline.
"I have to go," Jacob snarled.
"Don't," Bella said sadly, as he turned to leave. "Don't leave angry, please," she begged him.
"I'm not angry at you," he said. "But, I do have to go." Seth's wolf huffed in agreement.
"They're almost here," Edward said bitterly. Without another word, Jacob phased and ran, the shredded remains of his clothing softly falling to the snow-covered earth around them.
Please Review :)