Need You Now

Disclaimer; all characters and copyright belong to SM.

A/N-thank you for the kind reviews!

Part Eight

Jacob kissed Bella deep and hard. The revelation that they had been imprinted all along had stunned him but at the same time made complete sense. Their connection was so natural, so real and enduring. When he pulled away he left Bella gasping.

"I can't believe this is happening." He was smiling so wide his face hurt.

"It's crazy." Bella became caught up in his enthusiasm. She couldn't remember the last time she had seen him so happy.

"Do you remember when I first told you about imprinting?"

"Yes." Bella rested her hands on his shoulders as her mood turned sombre again. She knew deep down inside it was when he had told her about imprinting that she began to pull away from him to protect herself against further pain. Edward's abandonment had cut her deep and knowing she could lose someone else she cared about was too much of a risk to take. She had seen firsthand how it had affected Sam, Emily and Leah. Her walls had gone up and she had kept him at arms length.

"You told me it's not like love at first sight, really. It's more like...gravity moves. When you see her, suddenly it's not the earth holding you here anymore. She does. And nothing matters more than her. And you would be anything for her. You become whatever she needs you to be, whether that's a protector, or a lover, or a friend, or a brother."

It surprised Bella how she could recall what he had said with perfect clarity. She could also recall the panicky feelings that had settled in her stomach when he had told her. They had been gravitating toward taking their friendship to the next level by then, but the possibility that she could lose him like Leah had lost Sam was just too devastating to think about. He had become her world by that point. Edward had been gone for months and she had finally reached a stage where she was open to the idea of trusting someone again. She trusted Jacob more than anyone, but trust meant little when he could be taken away from her through no fault of his own.

"Have I been those things to you?" Jacob's question brought Bella out of her melancholic thoughts.

"First, you were my friend when I so desperately needed one. Second, you were my protector when my life was at risk, not just from Victoria, but myself, too. And lastly you-" Bella blushed crimson as she nearly said the word lover. They weren't lovers. Not yet.

Jacob laughed at the burn on her skin. He leaned forward and kissed her deeply, his big hands spanning her tiny waist as he lifted her up against him. "Gravity definitely moved when we first met. You fell on my mud pies and squashed them flat." He teased.

"So it wasn't because I was clumsy. Gravity was playing tricks on me and it was all your fault." Bella smiled at the cute grin playing about his full lips. He was so beautiful. It wasn't an adjective you normally used for an Alpha male, but it described him perfectly. Jacob wasn't just handsome on the outside, he had a beautiful soul.

"Uh huh." Jacob kissed her again euphorically. He was so happy he could burst. She was so adorable, he loved the feel of her soft lips under his, so pliant, so sweet. He never wanted to stop kissing her. "Bella. Bells. My Bella. My girl." He loved seeing her smile. It had been so long since he had seen her smile like that. Not since Edward had come back into their lives anyway.

Thinking of the bloodsucker made Jacob uneasy. He glanced up at the sky. Black clouds were rolling in, heavy with snow. A storm was coming. They needed to be on the move if they were going to make it in time to meet Cullen at the campsite. Ambivalence settled heavily on his chest. Jacob returned his attention to Bella. She was gazing at him anxiously, picking up on his change in mood.

"I'm exactly right for you, Bella. We were made for each other." He said earnestly. He took her hand and placed it over his strongly beating heart. "Before Cullen came back everything was so effortless for us-comfortable, easy as breathing. I was the natural path your life would always have taken before he got in the way and messed things up somehow." He licked his lips to moisten them before continuing. "Our connection is special, different from the other imprints. Like you said it was such a natural feeling that we didn't even see it. I've always loved you. Always."

Bella felt tears well in her eyes. "I'm sorry for all the times I hurt you or caused you pain. If I had known or understood what was happening-" She breathed deeply as she tried to compose herself.

"It's alright, Bells. None of that matters anymore. It's what we do now that's important."

The first snowflake began to fall from the sky. The wind was beginning to pick up. It ruffled Bella's hair and made her shiver. She snuggled against Jacob as he wrapped his arms around her. "We need to leave." She whispered sadly.

Jacob looked up at the horizon. The black clouds scudded across the sky blotting out the light. The temperature was beginning to drop. They had delayed longer than they should have. The blizzard would be in full swing before they reached the campsite if they were following the little pixie's calculations. Thinking of Alice made Jacob's brow furrow. "I'm not happy about this." His gut was telling him that the storm was going to be much worse than the little psychic had predicted. "This storm is going to be bad. Pitching a tent in this on the side of an exposed mountain is a crazy idea. I can't believe the little pixie didn't see this coming."

"Alice's visions are subjective." Bella was forced to shout as the wind intensified. Breath pale against the numbing air, she watched as the snow fell from the sky like thick confetti. It coated her hair and eyelashes. "She sees things-things that might happen. Things that are coming. The future isn't set in stone. Things change."

"You're kidding me." Jacob was astonished at this piece of information. No one had ever mentioned this before. It was like it had been hidden from him and his pack purposely. If Sam knew he would have called the Cullens out on their bullshit plan. Jacob was incredulous that they had been relying on Alice's guidance when what she was seeing could change at the drop of a hat.

Bella felt the renewed tension in his body. She gulped, swallowing down her rising panic. "Alice knows what she is doing."

"You sound like you're trying to convince yourself." Jacob said bitterly. He glanced up at the leaden sky, feeling more uneasy than ever. Clumps of wet flakes began to fall off the spindly branches of the trees. They drifted down the side of the mountain, the wind chill increasing with every second. His jaw locked with tension as he made a sudden decision. "It never sat right with me, hiding you all the way up here on the side of the mountain. You're exposed here. It would be safer if we hid you in La Push."

Bella looked at him in alarm. "Jake, we can't go changing things now. Edward is waiting for us. If we make the wrong decision-"

"Camping out on the top of the mountain is the wrong decision. I always thought it was crazy. I only went along with it because I was certain the little psychic knew the outcome, but now I know her visions are as unpredictable as this weather."

The snow was coming down in torrents now. It was hard to see through the gloom. The clouds were so thick it was like night, the sleet impenetrable. The ground was stained with white, even in this short period it was building up into small drifts. Jacob pulled Bella's hood up over her head to shield her face from its worst effects. His arms muscles flexed as he stood up and sheltered her with his body.

"I'm done relying on unpredictable visions, Bells." Jacob told her as he began to run. He was sure footed as a wild goat even with the wild weather making things so difficult to see. "I prefer to rely on old fashioned instinct and mine are telling me to head home. You'll be safer on the res under the pack's protection then stuck out here on the side of the mountain. Do you trust me?"

"You're the only one I trust." Bella responded stoutly.

Jacob had to wonder whether she realised the irony in that statement. But he couldn't stop the warm glow of pleasure at her answer filling him with courage. She wasn't fighting him or raising any objections and more than anything this solidified his belief that everything had changed between them. "When we reach lower ground I'll phase quickly and let Seth and the others know what's happening."

"And Edward?" Bella asked worriedly.

"Cullen can do whatever the hell he wants." Jacob muttered as he battled through the wind driven snow to reach safer ground.

Jacob burst into his house carrying Bella in his arms, shocking Billy and Charlie, who were watching a sports show and drinking beer. The two men were spending the night in La Push before going on an early fishing trip the next morning. This was the ruse that had been used to keep Charlie preoccupied during the upcoming battle.

"What the hell? Bells?" Charlie leapt out of his chair and hurried over to his shivering daughter, spilling his beer in the process.

Jacob was running his hands up and down Bella's arms to warm her up as she stood in front of him trembling. "You should take your coat off."

"Jake, what's going on?" Billy rolled his chair toward them, his dark eyes full of worry.

Charlie was helping Bella take her coat off. He quickly shrugged off his own jacket and wrapped it around her. "I thought you were staying with Alice." He said in confusion.

"Change of plans." Bella's teeth were chattering.

"Bring her close to the fire, chief." Billy urged his friend. "I'll make us some hot drinks. Jake, help me." He gave his son a meaningful look.

Jacob reluctantly followed his dad into the kitchen. Sam had already torn a strip off him for making such a rash decision. Jacob's explanation had been brief and to the point; his revelations shocking his Alpha into stunned silence. It wouldn't be long before Uley made an appearance in person. The pack mind had been chaotic as Jacob had tried to explain himself. Poor Seth had been left to deal with the fallout from Edward. The bloodsucker was on his way back down the mountain now he had learned through Seth what Jacob had done. However he was still in the dark about the imprint. It had been decided that was best kept under wraps for now, especially from the Cullen family. Things were hanging on a knife edge as it was.

"What are you doing?" Billy asked sternly as he switched on the kettle. "Did something go wrong?" He glanced into the lounge where Charlie was fussing over his daughter. Bella was practically sitting on top of the fire.

"No, nothing went wrong. Finally, something went right." Jacob ran his fingers through his wet hair restlessly. "It's gonna be a long night, dad."

"What do you mean?" Billy didn't like the look his son was giving him.

"Because tonight you tell Charlie the truth, dad. No more excuses. No more lies. It's time."

A/N-thanks for reading!