Hello! I'm back.
Hope you enjoy this chapter, I really liked it. And also, I took some artistic license with Billy here. :) let me know what you think.
Stay safe!
KISS PROTOCOL
CHAPTER 5: MIDWAY.
Somehow, Jacob managed to avoid getting caught by Charlie. The chief had decided to give his daughter the opportunity to recover on her own terms after her first two nights without nightmares. Jake was very comfortable, tangled in Bella on her tiny bed. He usually was a heavy sleeper, but sleeping with the girl he loved, with her consent, and being able to touch her was wonderful.
Bella managed to untangle herself from Jake's tight grasp without waking him up. He had seemed very upset last night. She hoped that whatever had caused him to be distant was out of his head by this morning. She hated seeing Jake distant. One thing was seeing him angry, like he was when he first phased, but another thing was seeing him distant, and withdrawn.
She finished her business in the bathroom, and checked on him, only to find him snoring while hugging her pillow, spread on the bed. She smiled amusedly, snapping a picture with her phone before going downstairs to get some breakfast and do some chores while Jake woke up.
Bella ate, cleaned the kitchen, the living room and put on two loads of laundry before Jake woke up. It was actually funny how much he slept. It made her think of how many hours he was putting out there, trying to catch Victoria. All the wolves deserved a break. They all must be so exhausted.
Damn, Victoria, she had forgotten about her in these three days. She shook her head. There was nothing she could do about her.
Jake's arms snaked around her waist from behind. She smiled and reclined against his chest, feeling contempt. "Why didn't you wake me up?"
Bella snorted. "You seemed too tired. And I knew it would be futile since nothing can wake you up. So, I let you sleep."
Jake tickled her sides, making her squirm and step away from him. His joyful self seemed to be back in full this morning. She was glad to see it. She closed the distance again and kissed his cheek. "Good morning, by the way." He grinned at her. "Do you want something to eat?" She pointed towards the scrambled eggs and bacon that were left from breakfast. He walked directly to it, and put it on a plate, eagerly eating away the food. Once he was done, he cleaned his plate and fork and sat down again.
"I'm sorry about yesterday." He apologized again.
"Jake, it's ok if you don't want to talk sometimes. I understand it, but don't push me away, please." She looked him in the eyes. "I want to be there for you."
He grabbed her hands on top of the table. "I'm intimidated by your feelings for him." He admitted again. She was about to answer but he held up one hand to stop her. "I trust in what you told me about your feelings for me. But how could you be so sure, when you spent so much energy in trying to keep him a part of you?"
Bella sighed. How could she let him understand?
In reality, she was getting a little tired of explaining her feelings again and again. But she reminded herself she had to be patient. She would feel the same way if the situation was reversed. Hell, she would be less rational about it. That made her think. Had Jake had a girlfriend before?
Focus, Bella. You can ask him about previous love affairs another moment.
"Jake. Everyone has a history. People change. They grow, they mature, and so do their feelings. Yes, I did love Edward, but that's my past. I can't do anything about it now. He's wherever he went, and I don't care anymore. Because I'm with you. You know I have feelings for you, you know I want to try this with you, but it won't work if every time I mention him, or he comes up in a conversation, you're going to get withdrawn. Don't make me say something I'm not feeling yet just because you want to feel good." She let everything out. "I don't know how else to tell you about my feelings for you." She felt tears in her eyes. She angrily wiped them away. Every time she was angry, she used to cry.
Jake was stunned. He had never seen her get this angry. He sighed. She was right. Everyone had a past. And he had to accept that the leech was part of it. But the problem was that his family seemed to be wanting to get back to town. The pixie was still around, god knew why. But he had to accept that she loved them. And they held a special place in her heart, even if she was no longer romantically interested in the leech.
"I'm sorry. You're right. It's hard. But I know you're right." Bella nodded, thankful that he seemed to accept it. She wasn't in love with him, not yet. But she was way underway. She knew that it was easy to fall for him. He was gentle, truthful, loyal, and funny. He was also stubborn, sometimes had a quick fuse, he could be a gigant child, and he tested her patience on more occasions than she cared to admit. But he was hers, and he was willing to wait until she was in love with him, just as he had let her know that he was.
"You have to trust me. You promised to be patient with me." She pleaded.
"I promise, honey. I do." He answered quickly. "I'm sorry. I never meant to pressure you in any way. Or make it look like I was doubting you. I'm not." He leaned his forehead towards hers. "I'm trying. Ok. You have to be patient with me too."
She nodded promising him that she would. "Quite a pair, we are." She mumbled amused.
"We may have our rough patches, but we're good. So damn good." He vowed.
He was right. They were good.
Just as Jake shared his insecurities, she shared hers. She dived in impulsively and asked about any girl from his past, he said there was none. She told him about her epiphany the night before, about how she had been growing distant with Edward on her own. How she could tell now that she wasn't comfortable with how the situation with the Cullen's had progressed.
She had truly mourned Edward's leaving, but in retrospective, she could have used all her epiphanies at the moment. It would have saved her so much heart ache, to her and to Jake. She could be completely and utterly in love with Jake, on her way to her happily ever after. But she couldn't regret her path. She had grown emotionally in the last six months. Jake had been a huge part of her. Being with her on the way, but not being a rebound or a crutch to lean on in the way to recovery. He was her biggest supporter.
"We'll be ok." She assured him. It was more like a promise. She felt the veracity of the words deep in her core for the first time since she admitted having feelings for him. It made her optimist about the future.
He pecked her lips lovingly. "We will, honey."
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Billy called Jake to let him know that they didn't find anything in their history that could help Bella in her journey for answers. They had to come from herself and from serious soul searching. He apologized for not being more helpful, but it was a very unusual request. However, they wanted to ask for Bella's permission to add her story to the journals. A human who survived the bite of a vampire, who fell in love with a vampire, who was left by the one she loved. The human who found her strength and chose a wolf.
"I'll ask her and let you know when I get home tonight." It was all he could offer in return.
Jake knew Bella would be embarrassed to be the center of attention, but she would be willing to tell her story if it could help anyone in the future. Just like the stories they told about the spirit warriors.
…
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…
He had been right, he thought amused as he saw Bella, blushed cheeks and all, telling her story to Billy and Old Quil. She had to stop from time to time to give the old man the time to write down her words. There were so many things Bella wanted them to know about every little detail about vampires. Their way of thinking, their possible gifts, their strength, their heightened senses. Their goodness, their evil. How loving and conniving they could be at the same time. She told them about soul mates, the equivalent of imprinting in the vampire world (Jake thought). He put a pin in his head on the topic. He had to talk to her about it.
Billy smiled at Bella the whole time. It was a proud smile. After all this time, she had come stronger than ever, resilient, smarter. He was glad she had giving his son the chance to be with her. He knew they would make it to each other. They were destined to be together. Whether Jake imprinted on her or not, she was it for him. He could tell. He knew his son.
Bella needed someone that would bring her out of her shell, someone that would get her out of her comfort zone, that could challenge her. Jake needed someone to love him wholeheartedly, to calm him down when he got too much inside his head. He needed someone to soften the edges that phasing had sharpened. They would complement each other so perfectly. The way his Sarah and him had complemented each other.
A match made in heaven.
Once he was home, he looked at Sarah's picture in his nightstand. He smiled at it. "You did it, girl. I know you had something to do with this change of heart." He put the picture down before rolling to the bathroom to do his nighttime routine.
His legs might not work anymore, but his physical health could not be better. Sue Clearwater took it upon herself to force him into physical therapy, knowing that it would make him stronger, and it would reduce (or eliminate) any residual pain. However, cramps could come from time to time. She had showed him how to manage them. It had come in handy, especially with Jake patrolling now that he was a wolf.
"Dad?" Jake's head popped through the doorframe. "Do you need any help before I go to sleep?"
He smiled at his son. He had been so young when his mom passed. "I'm fine, Jake. Get some rest."
Jake palmed his dad's shoulder affectionately and retired to sleep until it was time to patrol.
