A/N: Time for another chapter update. Sorry it's been too long since the last. I have not been feeling the best and I appreciate all of your patience. Hope you enjoy this next chapter and please review to tell me your thoughts on it. Love hearing from each of you! :-) Thank You! Till Next Time...

CHAPTER SEVENTY-SIX

(JPOV)

Bella continued to work herself tirelessly over the following weeks to make the room for us feel more like a home. She had far more than pulled her weight when it came to household duties and I was watchful of her, my gaze lingering over her movements when she made dinner and took care of Billy. Something she had been doing a lot more of lately, despite my insistence that she didn't have to. Her devotion to him touched my heart and always put a smile on my fathers face. She got his meds for him when he needed them and regularly fixed his meals, even going as far as to ask him to make a list of his favorite dinner dishes, so she could run to the grocery store and purchase the fixings for them. Billy had pulled me aside after breakfast this morning, asking if I thought she had been pushing herself too hard.

"I don't want her to wear herself out, Jacob. She hasn't taken a real break around here in days. I think she feels like she owes us for letting her stay. I want her to know that this is her home now as much as it is ours. Maybe you should have a talk with her."

I glanced toward Bella, who was scrubbing the dishes and cleaning the counters, her long mahogany hair piled up high in a messy bun on top of her head, and her face flushed as she continued to scrub.

"Yeah... maybe I should." I replied, stepping out around Billy and pausing when a faint knock came to the front door.

Bella dropped the dish in her busy hands back into the sudsy water and rushed to answer it.

"I got it. You two relax. Isn't there a Mariners game on soon?"

"At four! Hopefully they'll play better than last time." Billy griped, tossing me a doubtful look.

"You keep hoping for that, dad." I teased, tapping him on the shoulder when I passed by to see who was at the door.

"What are you doing here, mom? Is dad alright?" Bella asked in concern. Renee stepped in with a sorrowful expression on her face, her eyes puffy from crying and her arms carrying two suitcases that looked to be packed to the brim. I glanced back at Billy as he let out a heavy sigh and wheeled himself in to join us. His expression now growing to be as grim as Renee's.

"Your father is fine, Bella. I dropped by to say good- bye to you... To all of you."

Bella stilled by the door, her expression changing from irritation to regretful upon hearing this from her mother.

"You're leaving, Ren?" Billy hesitantly asked.

"Yes, Billy. It's clear that coming back here the way I did wasn't my best choice."

"Mom- what happened? Last time I talked to dad, he said the two of you were managing." Bella sighed, offering her mother a seat on the sofa.

"Managing? Oh Bella, your father is just being kind with his words. I'm sure he's trying to spare you all the nasty details of our mess. You don't need the headache."

I nodded in agreement and saw Billy shake his head to her.

"What happened with you and Charlie all those years ago won't just fix itself, Ren. The two of you need some space."

"I know, Billy. That's why I booked a plane back home."

I saw Bella's face fall and winced for the pained expression she now wore.

"Well- mom... if you think that's best."

"I do. It doesn't mean I won't be visiting again real soon. So don't worry. With you expecting, I don't want to be gone too long. Just long enough for me to find my own place back in Florida and to get some things in order from the divorce with Phil. There is still so much that needs to be dealt with before its final."

Bella went silent at this, only nodding once to acknowledge Renee's comment before rising from the sofa and heading for the kitchen. I caught the sight of her brimming tears and was quick to follow behind her. She paused before she reached the sink, turning on her heel to see me there, and trying to stop the tears that came anyway.

Despite how heated things had gotten between Renee and Bella lately, I knew deep down that she didn't want her to leave like this. As much of a headache as her unplanned visit to Charlie's had been, Bella had taken some comfort in knowing that if she really needed Renee, she wouldn't be far from her and now that all was changing.

"Honey..."

She stared at me with a look of sorrow, her hands quickly wiping away the tears.

"She's leaving. No big deal, right? Not as if I'm not used to it by now. It's alright."

She tried to walk out around me, but I moved myself in front of her, seeing her advert my gaze while trying to hold herself together.

"It's not alright." I sighed, drawing her into my arms. "You want her here. Tell her that, honey."

"There's no point, Jacob. She's made up her mind. Her bags are packed. There's nothing I can do and besides, I'm sure Charlie is relieved at this point."

"Bells- What do you want?" I pointedly asked her, feeling her press herself closer to me.

"I don't know anymore."

"I think you do. She's your mom. It's okay to want her closer by right now."

"I have you and that's enough for me, Jake." She replied, stepping away from me with a heavy sigh. I watched her as she approached Renee then, offering to give her a ride to the airport. I saw Billy glance my way with a worrisome expression as Bella picked up one of her mothers suitcases and headed for the door.

"We should get going, mom. Don't want to miss your flight."

I took the heavy suitcase from her, meeting her gaze as she reached for her keys and ushered her mother out of the house. My heart was heavy for her, knowing that if she was being honest with herself, this wasn't what she wanted.

"Let me drive you." I offered, before Bella could climb in to her truck, my hand reaching for the keys she held.

"I really don't mind-" She began in protest, but stopped when I placed a kiss to her forehead.

"I know you don't, but... I do."

The ride to the airport was full of awkward and uncomfortable silence as we rushed to get Renee to her flight on time. Bella had sat in the middle, placing her head on my shoulder, her hand reaching for mine as we neared our destination. I glanced over to her a few times along the way, seeing the sadness on her face and wanting to fix it for her, but knowing I couldn't.

The airport was packed as we made our way through the many crowds of people with Renee leading the way. I kept an arm around Bella, hearing the rapid beating of her heart when her mother whirled around with a grin to thank us.

"Thank you for driving me here. You didn't have to do that, but I'm grateful! I'll miss you baby!" She exclaimed to Bella, pulling her into a hug, her eyes meeting mine as she wrapped her arms around her. "Take care of my girl, Jacob. I have a feeling I don't have to tell you that though, do I?"

I shook my head to her, seeing Bella step back with a nod, her tears brimming again as Renee kissed her cheek and gave my arm a small squeeze, before quickly joining the mass of people that were lining up to bored their awaiting plane. I wrapped my arms around Bella's shoulders, pressing a kiss into her hair when Renee looked back to us with a final wave.

We watched her soon disappear through the terminal and I felt my chest grow tight at the sound of Bella's tears.

"Come on, honey." I hedged, lacing her fingers with mine and heading with her for the exit. "Let's go home."

Bella didn't utter as much as a single word on the ride back, her silence making me worry for her as we soon pulled back onto the Reservation. I put the truck in park and pulled the keys from the ignition, my hand reaching for hers as she continued to stare blankly out the window. She looked as if she was miles and miles away from me when I spoke.

"Bells-"

She turned her head to meet my gaze, her expression unreadable as she let out a breath. "I shouldn't be surprised. But I am. I mean- I thought this time would be different. That somehow- she'd see I needed her more than whatever next adventure was calling her away. That's what normal mothers do, right? Shouldn't she be able to see that?"

The heartbreak and hurt in her voice made my own heart damn near break.

"She should- but she doesn't, honey. I think she tried... the best she knew how. Tell me what I can do?"

"You've already done it." She replied.

"I'm sorry she left the way she did but I'm here, Bells... always."

"I know- and I love you for it- and for so many other reasons."

Billy took notice of Bella's countenance the second we walked in and he told her not to worry about lunch or dinner, that he and Charlie would order something when the game came on in an hour. She offered him half a smile and thanked him in return, before placing a kiss to my cheek and heading off toward the bathroom for a shower.

"I'll be out soon."

"Okay, honey." I replied, waiting until she had closed the door behind her before turning my attention back to Billy.

"How did it go?" He asked, wheeling himself over to me with a concerned gaze.

"As good as to be expected. She's heartbroken and there's nothing I can do to fix it for her. It sucks."

"That's how Renee has always been. She tries and she truly does mean well, but her best laid plans usually don't end up panning out the way she intends them to. Seen it more times than I can count in all the years I've known her. You can't protect her from this- as much as I know you want to. She has to feel it."

I cringed from his words, sucking in a deep breath as my gaze lingered toward the bathroom.

"Doesn't mean I'll stop trying to-" I countered, seeing the understanding look upon my fathers face now.

"I know, son. She hurts- you hurt. It's how it works when you love someone the way you love Bella."

"Renee should have stayed... for her. I'm disappointed she didn't, dad."

He nodded to me in agreement, pausing from the sound of the front door opening as a conflicted looking Charlie walked in. His sigh heavy when he approached us.

"Charlie... you're early. Game's not on yet." Billy chuckled, opening the fried and gesturing for him to help himself to the six pack of cold beer sitting on the top shelf.

"I know- I'm here to talk to Bella. I take it Renee swung by here before leaving?"

"Yeah, sure did. She talked with us for a while before Jacob and Bella took her to the airport to catch her flight."

"How's Bella holding up?" Charlie asked, his gaze falling on me.

"Not great. I have a feeling she didn't really want her to go." I replied.

"That's Renee for ya'... I just feel bad for Bella. She wanted her around right now- needed her." Charlie countered. "Part of me thinks it's my fault. I wasn't exactly hospitable to her while she was here. I guess I should of put up and shut up."

"No- You did that for years before she left. Come on, Charlie. Don't beat yourself up for what she did. I know Renee meant well, but in the end, she did what she always does." Billy asserted, opening a can of beer for himself and toasting to Charlie who hesitantly returned the gesture.

They both grew silent as Bella suddenly emerged from the bathroom then, her hair soaked from the shower and her eyes red. She took one look at Charlie and went straight to him. He froze where he was, his eyes wide at first as she buried her head in his chest and began to cry. Charlie slowly wrapped his arms around her and looked our way, his expression full of sadness for her. I watched on as he comforted her, hearing him assure her that everything would be ok. Bella's tears felt endless and the more she cried, the more I longed to fix all this.