Your Pain is My Pain

JacobxBella

Rated M

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or the franchise, as it belongs to Steph Meyers

Your Pain is My Pain

Chapter 19

Bella stared confusedly at Jacob following what he said. Sam had Imprinted on Emily? And Imprinting, what was that? That wasn't a term she had ever heard before. And if she had, it probably wasn't in the way Jacob meant concerning Sam and Emily. She frowned before looking up at Jacob, silently asking for an explanation.

Jacob, seeing what the brunette wanted, looked off to the side for a moment before saying, "Imprinting in our case is essentially…it's pretty much finding your life mate. A soulmate, you could say. The person that gets Imprinted on becomes the Imprinter's whole world, and the Imprinter, a Pack member, can be whatever the Imprintee wants or needs them to be. They can be a friend to the Imprintee, a brother, a lover, whatever the Imprintee needs and wants them to be for them once the Imprint happens. But regardless, the end result will be a coupling because Imprinting is to help ensure the future Pack in the next generation or so. That's what Imprinting is, and that is what Sam and Emily are."

Brown eyes were wide as Bella listened, and she honestly couldn't believe what she had just heard. In fact, she was horrified by it, especially now that Jacob had explained the concept of it. Shaking her head slowly, Bella told him, "That's terrible, and it's not fair. This Imprinting is taking away both person's choice in finding and being with whoever they want."

"I know, and I agree with you on that, but that's just how it is."

"Well, it shouldn't be! Let's go back to Sam and Emily for a minute. If the Imprinter can be a friend or brother to the Imprintee without jumping straight to the end result, then why couldn't Emily have just done that? Why'd she have to take her cousin's lover as her own right away? She knew that this would hurt Leah, I know she did. Why couldn't she have just accepted Sam as a friend or brother figure? And they just expect everyone to be okay with it?!"

Jacob could tell Bella was getting worked up over this, and it was mostly on Leah's behalf, which he could admire and appreciate. Ever since Sam had Imprinted on Emily and they had gotten together, no one seemed to have been on Leah's side about this, so he was glad Bella was, even if the two girls didn't interact. Shrugging, he answered, "I don't know Bells, but we have no choice but to accept it, even if we don't agree with it."

Bella frowned further before asking, "Has anyone else Imprinted?"

"Jared has on a girl named Kim from his class, but no one else has."

"So, Imprinting can happen on just any person at random?"

"…Yes."

A horrible feeling suddenly came into the pit of Bella's stomach. Hearing Jacob say that, she suddenly felt scared. If that was true, then that meant that Jacob could Imprint on some random girl at any moment. She would become everything to him, and she would be left behind and alone all over again, just like when Edward had left her.

Her thoughts must have been present on her face, because Jacob wrapped her in a close, warm hug. He had a feeling as to what she was thinking, and he wanted to reassure her. In a soft voice, he told her, "You don't have to worry about me Imprinting, Bella. I won't ever Imprint, not unless it's on one girl in particular."

Wrapping her own arms around him to return his hug, Bella asked just as softly, "Who?"

"You, Bells."

Chocolate brown eyes widened before Bella looked up at Jacob in shock, though it honestly shouldn't have been that surprising. She had always been aware of Jacob having feelings for her, even if he never said so or fully showed them, or her even acknowledging them, but this was the first time that he had first openly admitted them to her. As she stared up at him in surprise, Jacob simply smiled down at her before letting her go and taking a step back.

"I don't expect you to reciprocate my feelings, Bella," Jacob told her, shoving his hands in his pockets. "I know you're not ready to get back into that, especially not after what the leech did to you, but I just wanted you to know how I truly felt. You probably already knew, but I wanted to let you know anyway, just to get it off my chest."

Bella opened her mouth to say something, but not being sure what to say, she closed it. She tried again, but still no words came out. Smiling, Jacob beckoned her to follow him saying, "Come on, let's get going. The day is just getting started and I have fun planned for us."

As Jacob walked away, calling for her to follow him, Bella finally found her voice. "Jake…"

Later that evening, Bella was still troubled by the Pack Imprinting situation. It just honestly wasn't fair. She hated knowing that Jacob and the rest of the Pack that hadn't Imprinted would be bonded to someone random for the rest of their lives with absolutely no say in it. And even with explanation of how Sam and Emily got together due to Imprinting, she was still immensely bothered by that situation. She just couldn't get over how everyone just seemed to ignore the fact that Leah got hurt by the two people she loved and were important to her. Yes, it may have been beyond their control, but they hadn't even tried to explain anything to her, or even give her a viable lie that she could accept. Bella knew it was ridiculous that she was so worked up over this, especially when it had nothing to do with her, but she just couldn't help but see the negativity in it, or fathom how they all could just be alright with it. She just couldn't imagine Edward leaving her for someone else because it was supposedly fate or ordained by the Quileute gods, or Jacob for that matter. It just…it just wasn't right.

"Bella, are you alright, kiddo?" Charlie asked, his voice suddenly cutting into her thoughts.

Blinking in surprise, Bella looked at her father from her place on the couch, seeing him standing in the entrance of the living room. She blinked once again before saying, "Huh?"

He was looking at her in concern before moving to sit next to her on the couch. Once he was settled, he said, "I asked if you were alright. You seem completely deep in thought about something, and you've had a frown on your face for the past hour. Is everything okay? What's wrong?"

Bella looked at Charlie before looking down in her lap. She wanted her dad's opinion on what she was thinking about, but she wasn't sure how to relay everything to him for his thoughts while keeping the Pack secrets untold. After taking a moment to think of how to word her question, she finally asked, "Dad, do you think that it's okay to leave someone that you love for someone else because it's supposedly fate and not even try to fight to be with the person you're leaving?"

Charlie was completely befuddled by his daughter's question, wondering why in the world she would ask a question like that, or where she had even gotten that idea. However, he could also tell that whatever made her pose this question to him must be bothering her to the point she just had to ask someone about it. It made him wonder what happened while she was out with Jacob earlier that day. He took a moment to think about her question before he finally speaking.

"To answer your question, no, I don't think it's okay. It isn't fair and it isn't right. It's not fair to the person being left because they are the one getting hurt the most. Just because something is fate and is supposedly supposed to and may happen, doesn't mean it is for the best, or that one should have to accept it. Especially if there is inner conflict within for one of the parties involved, it shouldn't happen. We as breathing and living beings should be able to forge our own paths and make our own fates. Life allows room for that and allows us to make choices and mistakes to learn from. We shouldn't be confined to some rules or path already paved out because we're expected to follow it, even in concerns to finding and being with a romantic partner. The person should evaluate if that situation is really alright with them, or if they are simply doing it because they feel and believe that they should. So no, you leaving someone you love for someone else because it's supposedly fate isn't alright and no one should have to accept it."

Bella nodded in understanding, surprised at the insight her father gave her. It didn't just apply to what she had asked him about, but it seemed to apply to life in general. He had answered her question and more, and she was grateful to him for that. Giving a small smile, she hugged him and said softly, "Thanks dad."

Returning her hug, Charlie replied, "You're welcome, Bells."

Standing up, Bella told Charlie she was going to her room, as she was feeling somewhat tired. The truth was that she was still thinking of his answer and wanted to be alone to think more on it. However, before she left the living room, her father asked, "Before you go, can you tell me where that question came from?"

Bella, while still thinking, answered distractedly, "Sam broke up with Leah for her cousin and now he and said cousin are living together with plans to wed with no warning."

Completely bewildered by this reveal, Charlie couldn't help but splutter in bewilderment and anger, not believing that this was the first that he was hearing of this. Not only that, but that Harry, one of his best friends, was okay with and allowing his daughter to be betrayed and completely heartbroken like this by two people closest to her. What father would allow this? If Harry truly called himself a father, he would show up at Sam's doorstep with his double barrel in his face defending his daughter.

Ignoring her father's angered grouching, Bella wished him 'goodnight' before ascending the stairs and going into her bedroom. Lying on her bed, Bella now had some clarity and fully believed that Imprinting was wrong. It was wrong and it shouldn't be allowed up to fate to decide who the Pack should end up with, especially for the rest of their lives. As she thought about this, she couldn't help but think about Jacob's words to her. She remembered how he had told her he wouldn't ever Imprint, not unless it was on her. Jacob was willing to Imprint on her, meaning that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.

Not being able to help it, Bella blushed brightly at the thought, her heart fluttering in her chest. Rolling over onto her stomach, the brunette buried her face in her pillow at the thought, her mind still replaying Jacob's sincere words to her. She couldn't help but wonder if she was really that special for Jacob to want to only Imprint on her. There was nothing special about her, not that she could think of anyway. And yet, Jacob seemed to think she was.