Dream Warrior

Jacob

"Billy, Sarah! Come down and see your old man!" Jake called up from the bottom of the stairs in his home.

He could hear his two children running around upstairs. It was likely that his youngest, Sarah was chasing her older brother, Billy around. He did his best, but raising two energetic kids, each with a big personality of their own, complete opposites of each other, by himself was a challenge each and every day.

"Thanks for hanging out with them late today, Em." Jacob hugged his friend and kissed her cheek. Emily had picked the kids up from school, and stayed with them that evening since he'd had to work late. "But I think it's time for you to go home to Sam and your own babies."

"Of course, Jacob. Like I've said many times, I really don't mind helping out around here sometimes," she smiled warmly, but still made her way to grab her bag to leave.

"Bye miss Emily," the kids spoke practically in unison and each gave her a polite hug.

"Goodbye kiddos, I'm sure I'll see you again soon!" With that, Emily left out the front door, and little Sarah ran to her father to hug his leg.

"Daddy!!" She yelled in her excitement to see him.

"Hi baby girl," he grinned, picking her up to give her a better hug. "Hello, William." He greeted his son by his full name. William Charles Black was now ten, and quickly entering the stage of life where he wanted very little to do with his old man.

"Hey Dad," he responded, looking a little awkward from the other side of the room. "How was work?" He asked Jake, surprising him that he wanted to have an actual conversation.

"Long. But I'm glad to be home to see you both now," he answered, and set Sarah back down on her feet. "Sarah Renee, time to go put your jammies on," he told her. She pouted a little, but gave in, and made her way back up the stairs.

"How was school, kiddo?" Billy just shrugged in response, not offering anything else on that thought. Jake wanted to push him, wanting more connection from his son. But it had only been two years since his mother had passed, and if anyone could understand, it was Jake.

When his boy stayed quiet, Jake sat down on the wooden chair in the kitchen and started to untie his work boots. That was when Billy decided he had more to say.

"Dad?" He started, as he sat down at another of the kitchen chairs. Jake looked up at him, to let him know that he had his full attention.

"Do you think there is some way you can be home more? I think that I… I think that Sarah needs you around more," he asked innocently. The boy's question broke his dad's heart.

Jake wanted nothing more but to be around more. He loved his kids more than anything in the world, but he'd been grieving these past two years too. Plus, they were a family of three that lived on one income, he'd had no choice but to put more hours in at the shop, and he was still phasing, helping to train the next generation of wolves.

Jake had lost his wife, his best friend, his imprint, his Bella, but he'd be damned if he lost his children too. He'd find a way to be home with them more, there was no decision to be made, these were his kids and he would always put them first.

"Of course, son," he said as he stood and pulled his only son to him for a hug. Jacob wished that he could hold his children close like this forever, but he was reminded that children grew up when Billy pulled away from him. He had tears in his eyes, but neither of them acknowledged it. He simply nodded and made his way back up the stairs.

"Daddy? I'm ready for bed now, can you come tell me a story?" His little girl called from the top of the steps.

"I'll be there in a minute, baby," he shouted back. As soon as he heard her leave the stairs, and climb into her bed, he let out a heavy sigh and put his head down in his palms. There was a massive weight on his shoulders and he was exhausted. 'Give me the strength, Mama,' he prayed internally to his deceased wife.

With one more sigh, he put his game face on, and lifted himself from the chair. Once he made it upstairs, he headed straight for Sarah's room. She was waiting patiently on her bed, legs criss-cross applesauce, flipped through a book she was only starting to learn how to read.

"Princess and the Frog… is this what you want me to read tonight?" He asked, reaching for the book.

"No," Sarah's little hands pulled the book away from him and set it down on her night stand. "I want you to tell me about the spirit warriors."

That story was the last thing he wanted to tell his kid to put her to sleep, but he couldn't deny her as she looked at him with her mother's wide, chocolate eyes.

"Are you a spirit warrior too, Daddy? Is that why you have to be gone so much?" She asked him innocently after he'd finished telling her of the cold ones and the men that shifted into wolves to protect their tribe. What was up with them tonight? Were they trying to guilt him to death tonight? He felt like he could die from the guilt he felt at that moment.

"I'm going to be around more often from now on, babygirl, I promise." He told her instead of answering her question. It was the right thing to say, he decided, as she squealed excitedly and pulled him with her tiny arms to hug him. "But now it's time to get some sleep. So, lights out."

"Daddy… I'm scared to sleep. I have nightmares…" She whimpered. "I have nightmares about Mommy."

Jacob gave her a kiss on the forehead then said, "don't worry, I have just the thing."

He quickly left the room and pulled a small wooden box from his dresser. He took a deep breath to prepare himself as he opened it and was greeted with the scent of his wife. His eyes filled with tears immediately and he indulged himself for a moment and leaned in to smell the contents of the box.

Jacob had not opened this box, that had belonged to his Bells, or touched anything inside, save for a few moments of weakness, because he wanted to preserve her scent for as long as he could. This, he felt, was an instance worthy of breaking his own rules. Bella would have wanted him to.

He gently searched through the box, careful not to focus too long on any one thing, lest he be unable to control the overwhelming grief.

Finally when he found what he was looking for, he pulled it from the box and returned to his little Sarah Renee.

"Ok baby, I want you to be very careful with this okay, but it will make those nightmares go away, and never come back," he said so quietly it was almost a whisper.

She held out her hands and gave a little nod in understanding.

"A dream catcher?" She asked, and looked to the one already on the wall.

"Not just any dream catcher, Sarah. This one is tied to the spirit warriors and… and it was your mother's." Jacob's voice cracked with emotion.

Little Sarah's eyes grew wide and as gently as she could, she replaced the dream catcher that had been hanging with the precious one her Daddy had entrusted her with.