The Painful Truth

Disclaimer; all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

A/N-thank you very much for the kind reviews. I had a bit of writer's block with this story! Sorry….

Part Twenty Six

Jacob came home earlier then Bella expected. She was trying to distract herself, worrying that her talk with Paul, and his subsequent agreement to speak to Jacob was going to blow up in her face. Paul had promised not to tell Jacob that she had gone behind his back to speak to him. But Bella knew how much Jacob hated secrets. If he somehow found out that Lahote had only come to make peace because she had urged him to, she knew he would feel betrayed. She took her anxiety out on the food she was cooking. She was making a pecan pie. She thumped the dough hard with her small fists, before kneading it like a madwoman.

"Woah, who upset you?" Jacob asked as he came up behind Bella and slipped his arms around her waist. He pressed his chest to her back and propped his chin on her shoulder. Instead of relaxing in his embrace like she normally would, Bella stiffened. "Hey, you okay?"

Bella closed her eyes momentarily as she inhaled sharply. She debated in her head whether to come clean or not. She felt Jacob gently turn her around so she was facing him. He cupped her face in his hands. She opened her eyes again and met his concerned gaze. The decision was made. "I went to see Paul." She blurted out.

Jacob's brow furrowed as he let go of her face and stepped back. "Is this is a joke?" He said sharply.

Bella shook her head. "No."

"Who went with you?" Jacob demanded. His dark eyes were blazing with anger. He couldn't believe that she would have gone behind his back like this. He had banished Paul for a reason.

"I went alone." Bella said bravely as she looked at him steadily.

"Why would you do this? I can't believe you would do this to me." Jacob replied bitterly as he turned away from her.

Bella sighed softly. She stepped forward and pressed her body against his broad back. She felt the heat and the play of his muscles under his tan skin. He was like a coiled spring. He was obviously trying to contain his anger. He didn't turn around. "You can be so stubborn, Jake. You've been running yourself ragged, trying to do everything by yourself. You're worn down and exhausted. You won't let anyone help. Your brothers have offered, but you just shoot them down. They are all as concerned as I am. You can't carry on like this. If you do, you're placing not just yourself, but the others in danger. I won't let you carry on like this. You can be as pissed at me as long as you want. I don't care."

"Dammit, Bella." Jacob cussed. "You know what a hot head Lahote is. You could have been hurt."

"Did any of what I just said sink in?" Bella questioned in exasperation. She actually thumped his back in frustration. "Paul may be a hot head, but he would never harm me. He is part of the family. You need him as much as he needs all of you. He's learnt his lesson. He's coming here later to talk. When he comes you are damn well gonna listen."

Jacob spun around and finally faced her. His jaw was clenched. He was still wound up. Bella matched his steely glare with one of her own, folding her arms across her chest defensively. "Well say something, Jake."

"You….ugh!" Jacob threw his hands up in the air before pulling Bella into a tight hug. She relaxed against him, smiling. She could feel the tension ooze from his body. His fingers tangled in her hair as he gently pulled her head back and kissed her hungrily.

Bella smiled into the kiss. She felt triumphant. He may still be angry at the way she had gone about things, but he had finally listened to her. She had made the right decision. Hiding the truth would have only come back to haunt her. At the end of the day it all came down to trust. You couldn't have love without that. She loved Jacob unconditionally, and she wanted him to feel that he could trust her the same way she trusted him. They were both panting heavily when the kiss was over.

"When's your dad due back?" Jacob asked breathlessly.

"Not for another hour." Bella kissed the nape of his neck lazily, trailing her tongue along his smooth skin. He tasted salty.

"And my dad?" Jacob groaned as she practically climbed up his body and wound her legs around his waist. The way she was scraping her nails lightly along his skin and pressing her core against his hardness was driving him crazy.

"The same." Bella purred as she slipped her arms around his neck and clung on. "Why what did you have in mind?"

"I think you can feel what I have on my mind." Jacob laughed, his exhaustion slipping away as adrenaline mixed with desire coursed through his body.

"Then we better hurry." Bella teased. She let out a shriek when Jacob whipped around really fast, his sudden movement taking her by surprise, as he sprinted for the bedroom.


Charlie couldn't believe Carlisle Cullen's audacity. He strode into his office, having just come back from a particularly distressing call out, to find the head of the Cullen clan sitting nonchalantly in his chair. "How the fuck did you get in here?" His secretary had not mentioned that he had a visitor and she knew full well after the last time that Carlisle was not welcome, unless Carlisle had charmed her somehow.

Carlisle quickly got to his feet, his expression turning grave. "It was easy for me to slip past your secretary. As for why I've been forced to creep into your office, I have been given little choice. My attempt to have a reasonable conversation with the wolves has been brushed aside. I need you to be my mouthpiece."

"You are delusional if you think that I would ever…." Charlie blustered.

"Your daughter's life depends on it." Carlisle interrupted him swiftly.

Charlie frowned. "What does that mean?"

"It means that if you don't do as I ask, then within the next forty eight hours Bella will become a permanent member of my family and there will be nothing you can do to stop it." Carlisle warned him.


Jacob was feeling very relaxed and mellow. When Paul finally arrived, tensed like a coiled spring and ready for a fight, he was astonished to find Jacob kicking back and in a congenial mood. Jacob told him to sit and even offered him a beer. Paul looked at his Alpha suspiciously, wondering if this was some kind of trick. He saw Bella hovering in the background, working away in the kitchen, making dinner. "Well out with it." Jacob said, interrupting his thoughts.

"Out with what?" Paul watched as Jacob popped the cap off his beer bottle and took a long drink.

"Well you came here to grovel, didn't you?" Jacob stated succinctly.

Paul was on the defensive at once. He growled, his fingers clenching around the bottle he held in his hand. Bella came out of the kitchen and hit Jacob on the back of the head with a wash cloth. He frowned, looking back at her irritably. "Poor choice of words, Jacob." She scolded him.

"It was just a joke, jeez." Jacob muttered.

Paul relaxed again, a smirk crossing his lips as he watched his Alpha being tamed by a girl half his size. "Now I see who's really in charge."

"Where you are concerned that is me." Jacob threatened as his congenial mood vanished. He cuffed Paul hard on the side of the head. "I am still waiting for the apology."

Paul scowled. "I'm sorry." He ground out. "I was wrong to do what I did."

"I didn't quite hear that, Lahote. Say it louder." Jacob demanded.

Bella hid her smile as she watched Paul's face darken. Jacob was doing this on purpose, getting some of his own back. She left them both to it. Something was beginning to burn in the oven.

"I said I was sorry." Paul had to force the words out. It was humiliating. He knew Jacob was doing it on purpose, and it aggravated him, but he also knew it was a necessary evil. Because he was sorry, more than any of his brothers would ever know.

"Good." Jacob sat back and drank some more of his beer. "You step one tippy toe out of line again and there will be no crawling back. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal." Paul agreed.


Charlie was shaken. He had difficulty concentrating on the road as he drove back to La Push. Carlisle's warning rang in his ears. He felt physically sick. Jacob had been right all along to worry. He had hoped that with Victoria's death that life was going to settle down. Billy had hoped the same. Now both of their hopes had been shattered. The twenty minute drive seemed to take forever. Charlie had to pullover halfway so he could lean out of the door and be sick. His stomach was in knots. He was a brave man, but this, this was something he could never have envisioned. After a few moments he continued on his way.

When he pulled up outside the Black's redwood house, which had begun to feel like a permanent home to him, Charlie could hear the laughter coming from inside. By the loud sound it had to mean most of the pack was inside. Nausea welled in his throat again. He climbed slowly out of the cruiser, holding tightly to the driver's door to steady himself. More laughter erupted from inside the house. He heard Billy's voice, he couldn't quite make out the words, but his tone sounded happy. There was more laughter. Charlie groaned, as he continued to walk toward the house on unsteady legs.

He was right; they were all there, except for Sam and Jared, who had to be the wolves out patrolling. Charlie felt his face heat up as all eyes turned his way. Billy called out a greeting. Bella hurried over to him, a plate of delicious smelling food in her hands. Her face was glowing. She looked so vibrant and alive. He saw Paul in the background. So, they had allowed him back into the fold. Good, Charlie thought grimly, they were going to need him.

"Dad, you're late." Bella chided him. "Don't worry. I managed to save you some food from the rabid wolves."

"Hey." Quil and some of the others protested jokingly.

"Tuck in, Charlie." Jacob urged him as he came up behind Bella and slipped his arms around her waist. Seeing them together like this, so affectionate, so in love, just about killed Charlie. His eyes left them and met Billy's. He watched as the wide smile on Billy's face disappeared as comprehension dawned. He hated himself in that moment. He hated being the bearer of bad news.

"We need to talk."

"Dad." Bella's voice faltered as she finally picked up on his despair.

"Charlie." Jacob was frowning.

"Sit down all of you." Charlie took the plate of food out of his daughter's shaking hands. Jacob guided her to an empty seat and stood beside her protectively. Embry got up and let Charlie have his chair. Everyone could now see that the older man looked like he was going to collapse.

"What's going on, Chief?" Billy asked grimly as he sat forward in his wheelchair.

Charlie rubbed hand over his face wearily as he met each pair of eyes looking his way. "Danger is coming." He replied. He then told them what Carlisle had divulged to him. He explained about the new born army that Victoria had been building up over many months, that without her to keep them in line, they were going crazy, holed up in Seattle and causing untold mischief. There had been a spate of bloody murders nightly, and the Seattle PD was run ragged trying to work out what was behind it. With too many spying eyes now honing in on their hiding places the newborns had gathered together and the leaders among them had decided to carry out the last orders that Victoria had given them. They had left Seattle and were heading for Forks, with Bella's shirt in hand, they planned to hunt her down and create as much carnage as possible.

But that wasn't the worst of it. The newborns reckless actions hadn't only attracted the attention of law enforcement, but a higher power had been alerted. When Bella heard the Volturi's name spill from Charlie's lips she let out a faint cry. This couldn't be true. Jacob quickly gathered her in his strong arms and tried to comfort her. He had some idea of who the Volturi were, Bella had briefly explained what had happened during her time in Italy, but he didn't know the full import. Charlie was forced to shatter everyone's allusions and tell them what the consequences could be if the newborns were not destroyed quickly.

"Alice had a vision. She saw….." Charlie choked on his words as his eyes sought Bella's. By the panic on her face she knew what he was about to say. "She saw the scum…the Vulturi carrying out their threat that Bella would become one of them. We have less than forty eight hours to prevent it. Carlisle Cullen wants us all to band together to defeat the newborns and prevent further tragedy from befalling us all. The Volturi must not learn about the wolves, and must not be allowed access to Bella. Otherwise the consequences will be catastrophic."

A/N-thanks for reading!