Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.
AN: Apparently a lot of you are very happy that Jake and Bella are together. I couldn't keep those two love starved kids apart for much longer. Thanks for all the awesome reviews you guys. You rock!
Jacob stood at the tree line, scanning the police station parking lot. If Charlie wasn't there; there wasn't any use in him making his presence known. Once he was sure that Charlie wasn't there he pushed off with the balls of his feet, sprinting towards Bella's.
Charlie's cruiser was parked in the driveway along with his truck. He was thankful that the Roadster was gone; he wanted to be able to talk to Charlie on his own. There wasn't any reason for Bella to have to deal with this. It wasn't like she had asked for it to happen. He gathered all the courage he had before ringing the doorbell for the first time that he could remember.
Charlie opened the door looking over his shoulder into the living room. The Seahawks must have been winning.
"What do you want?" Charlie asked, not looking at Jacob.
"Hey, Charlie," Jacob said to get his attention.
Charlie's head swiveled back around slowly, taking in Jacob's features. His face was expressionless as he gave Jacob a once over.
"Where the hell have you been?" he asked gruffly.
"I was with Rebecca," he said quietly, looking down at his hands.
"At least you were safe. You look good," he admitted, his features softening.
"You too," Jacob said with an easy smile.
"Bella isn't here. She won't be back until tonight," he offered.
"I know," Jacob said with a nod.
"It figures she would already know that you're back and didn't tell me," Charlie said with a light chuckle and a shake of his head.
"Can I come in? I need to talk to you," he asked, his eyes shifting nervously.
"Sure," he said opening the door to let Jacob walk past him.
Charlie turned the game off once they were in the living room. He sat in his recliner while Jacob sat on the couch a few feet away.
"I had a feeling that you would come back soon," Charlie said folding his arms over his chest.
"I came back as soon as I heard about my dad," Jacob reassured.
"He knew that you were with Rebecca?" he asked in concern.
"Becca called him the day I got there. I didn't keep much contact with him," he said, focusing on his hands once more.
"I'm real sorry about the situation that you were put in to make you leave," Charlie said sympathetically.
"It's in the past," Jacob said, brushing the subject off.
"Has Bella told you what happened?" he prodded.
"We haven't talked about Edward, no," he said with a shake of his head.
"She wouldn't want you to worry," Charlie said in concern.
"What happened? Did they fight a lot?" Jacob asked his face awash with worry.
"That's just the thing, they never talked about you. I was scared that she was going to sink into depression again, but Quil and Seth stepped in and made sure that didn't happen. Nothing could stop her from dreaming about you though. I can't tell you how many nights I sat by her bed and listened to her plead with you to come home, or if she could just have another chance she would have given you a reason to stay. Do you want to tell me what that means?" he asked with intrigue.
"It's part of a conversation we had last summer," Jacob said quietly.
"I'll leave it at that. So, what did you want to talk to me about? Do you want my permission to date her?" he asked seriously.
"There is that," Jacob said with a nod of his head.
He hadn't wanted to proceed with his relationship with Bella without asking for Charlie's permission. It was what Billy had done with Sarah and Syrus had called and asked for Billy's permission to date Rebecca and then marry her within three weeks' time.
"Have you talked to her about it yet?" Charlie asked the worry line at the center of his forehead visible.
"We're still sorting things out," Jacob admitted.
"I don't have a problem with you dating Bella. I'm all for it," Charlie said with a nod.
"There's something else that I need to talk to you about," Jacob said with a sigh.
"Let's have it," Charlie said encouraging him to continue.
"Before I tell you, I want you to know that I will never let anything happen to Bella. I have her best interest at heart, I always have," he promised.
"I know that."
"What I'm going to tell you is going to be hard for you to believe but if you would just hear me out, I can prove what I am about to say is true."
"Out with it Jake, you're starting to scare me," Charlie said his face a mask of concern.
"I know that you've noticed that I have changed in the last year," he began.
"It would be hard not to notice. You shot up what, a foot and a half in less than a month at the beginning of the year?" he asked with a laugh.
"That sounds about right," Jacob said, nodding his head in agreement.
"What does that have to do with what's going on?"
"That isn't the only change I've gone through," Jacob said slowly.
Jacob exhaled deeply, running his fingers through his hair nervously. Now that he was about to unload everything he was starting to have second thoughts. It would be best to just let Charlie down easy by focusing on the positive things that had happened and not the negative. He didn't want to give Charlie added reason to worry. Once he got to the part about the Cullen's Charlie would be worried enough, he didn't want to scare him on top of everything else.
"I came from a long line of defenders of my tribe. It goes back three centuries," Jacob said as gently as he could.
"Do you care to elaborate on that?" Charlie asked expectantly.
"Not everyone is chosen, it's very selective and once it chooses you, you can't deny it."
"You're speaking in riddles, Jake," he said with a nervous laugh.
"I descend from a line of great warriors, who take the honor of our tribe very seriously," he said trying to make things sound better than they seemed.
"That's great, but what does that have to do with Bells?"
"I think it would be best if I showed you, because my trying to explain it isn't coming out right."
"Okay," Charlie said slowly.
"Come outside with me," Jacob said standing.
He walked out of the room and a few seconds later the squeaking of the recliners springs let him know that Charlie was following behind him. He walked out the back door and across the yard and a good half a mile into the forest without saying a word. He turned around to see Charlie a few feet away from him, giving him an expectant look.
"You might want to stand back," Jacob warned before pulling his sweatshirt over his head.
Charlie walked backwards ten feet before stopping. Jacob gestured for him to keep walking with one hand as he pulled his jeans down with the other. He waited until Charlie was almost to the edge of the woods before concentrating on phasing. He recalled to memory how Sam had told him that phasing could be as easy as slipping from one thought to the next. He closed his eyes as he pulled up a mental image of himself in wolf form. It helped that Bella was a part of it. It was the night that he had gone to the clearing for vampire training and if he focused hard enough, he could still feel her fingers running through his fur.
"Oh sweet Jesus," Charlie said just loud enough for Jacob to remember that he was there.
Jacob opened his eyes to see Charlie staring at him with wide eyes. He towered over Charlie, who had to crane his neck almost completely backwards to take him in. He didn't look scared, just astonished. Jacob slipped back into human form effortlessly and Charlie took a few tentative steps towards him. He watched him as he stopped half a football field away.
"Could you get dressed Jake, you're making me uncomfortable," he said with trepidation.
"Sorry," Jacob said picking his clothes and dressing quickly.
"I'm going to ask you one last time, what has Bella got to do with this?" he asked sternly.
"I'm getting to that, I promise. I just didn't know how to tell you about-"
"The wolf thing, I get it," Charlie said putting up a hand to stop him from explaining.
"There are more like me, like I explained earlier. To keep the line going, we have to find our match, our soul mate for lack of better words."
"Bella's your soul mate?" Charlie asked with concern.
"Yes Sir."
"I have a question, I'm just curious. Does Edward fit into this somehow, is that why you two didn't get along?" Charlie prodded.
"Yes," he said quietly.
"Is it harder to explain than what you showed me?"
"He is the reason that Bella has been put in danger ever since she came to live with you," Jacob said, his lips forming a hard line.
"Does Bella know that?" he asked with worry.
"She's known all along," Jacob said with a scoff.
"How does Edward fit into this?" he asked with a muted sigh.
"You know those horror movies that you like to watch?" Jacob offered.
"Yeah," Charlie said giving him a blank look.
"It turns out that Werewolves aren't the only things that are real."
"You tell me what is going on right now Jacob Black or I'm hauling you down to the station," he warned.
"The Cullen's are vampires Charlie," Jacob explained.
"All of them?" Charlie asked as his face turned white.
"Every single one of them," he confirmed.
"Charlie?" Someone called from behind Charlie.
"That's Carlisle," Jacob said with a sigh.
"What am I supposed to do?" Charlie asked, panicked.
"Answer him, he won't hurt you," Jacob said with a laugh.
"I'm here," Charlie called, loud enough for Carlisle to hear.
Carlisle came out of trees in between Jacob and Charlie. He looked between the two of them gravely. Jasper came out behind him a few seconds later. Carlisle turned towards Jacob with his arms clasped behind his back.
"Welcome home Jacob, it's good to see you," Carlisle said with a warm smile.
"Thanks," Jacob said, giving him a hard look.
"I know that you did not intentionally tell Charlie about my family, you couldn't possibly know the repercussions that would come from it," Carlisle said gravely.
"What are you talking about? Bella's known for over a year," Jacob asked defensively.
"She has?" Charlie asked, looking between the two of them.
"Why do you think that we've been trying to protect Bella, Jacob? It was not just from Victoria and her army," Jasper explained.
"Bella didn't tell me that anyone else was after her," Jacob said shaking his head.
"There's someone after Bella? And who the hell is Victoria, and what is this about an army?" Charlie asked tensely.
"Victoria and her army are no longer a threat Chief Swan. I am sorry to say that who is after her will now be after the two of you as well. And they are much more threatening than a spurned female vampire, Jacob," Jasper said calmly.
"If we could go inside, Jasper and I will explain everything," Carlisle said before turning to walk towards the house.
"You don't know what's going on?" Charlie asked as Jacob fell into step with him.
"No," he said, his mouth forming a thin line.
Charlie was taking things very well, almost as well as Bella had. Jacob should have known that would happen. Bella did get her level headedness from Charlie. Even he could see that Jasper was rendered useless. Carlisle put a hand on Jasper's shoulder, speaking to him quietly. Jasper veered towards the front yard as they came out of the clearing.
Inside the house Carlisle and Jacob sat side by side on the couch while Charlie paced. His hands were clasped behind his back as he worked a hole in the floor.
"How much does Bella know?" he asked, breaking the silence.
"I can't speak for Jacob, but she knows everything about us. I think that to save yourself some grief and worrying that we should only tell you what you need to know," Carlisle reasoned.
"Don't do me any favors, Doc," Charlie said giving him an icy glare.
"Don't be mad at Bella, she didn't tell you for a reason," Jacob said pleadingly.
"What reason would that be Jake?" Charlie asked, turning his glare towards Jacob.
"To keep you safe; I can't believe that she didn't tell you about the Volturi Jacob," Carlisle answered for Jacob, shaking his head in dismay.
"Would you please tell us who they are?" Jacob asked.
"The Volturi are the royal family of Vampires. They are very few rules in our world. The number one rule is that humans cannot know that we exist. The results could be fatal. They are already after Bella," Carlisle said in concern.
"Then why would you tell Bella?" Charlie asked.
"We didn't, I still don't know how she figured it out."
"I told her," Jacob said as it dawned on him.
"What?" Charlie asked.
"I didn't know that it was true at the time, I was telling her legends about my tribe and the Cullen's were brought up," Jacob said as he put his face in his hands.
"How bad could this be for her?" Charlie asked, fear lacing his voice.
"It could be deadly for all three of you if the Volturi find out."
"What have I done?" Jacob moaned.
"You didn't know," Carlisle said, putting a hand on his back to sooth him.
"Since Jacob has told me a little about himself, why don't you tell me about your family? I mean, it's a little late for secrecy now."
Carlisle started from the beginning and nearly an hour and a hundred questions from Charlie later, he was finished. Jacob had heard most of what he had said already from Bella, so it wasn't much of a shock to him. When he was finished Charlie looked to Jacob expectantly. It was his turn to talk again.
"There are a dozen more people from my tribe like me. Seth and Leah Clearwater included," Jacob explained.
"What about Sam, I noticed that he has a tattoo like yours."
"Him too, the tattoo represents our being tied together in brotherhood," Jacob said with a nod.
"Do you have any special powers like the Cullen's?"
"Nothing too extreme; we have super human strength and we can read each other's minds when we are in wolf form. We can heal very rapidly and only one thing can kill us."
"What is that?" Charlie asked, intrigued.
"Vampire venom," Jacob said quietly.
"You forgot your temperature," Carlisle reminded him.
"Thank you. Our bodies run a little hotter than yours does. It's why I burn off all of the food I eat so quickly."
"I was wondering about that. I asked your dad why you weren't as big as a house once and he said that I wouldn't believe him if he told me," Charlie chuckled.
"We are going to need to start patrolling again. I can have Alice keep a look out for the Volturi," Carlisle offered.
"You guys have had a threat like this before?" Charlie asked with wide eyes.
"Remember Victoria and the army we mentioned earlier?" Carlisle asked.
"Yeah," Charlie said with a shrug and a blank look.
"Victoria wanted to kill Bella, so she formed a twenty vampire army. We were able to fend them off pretty easily," Jacob assured him.
"The Volturi won't be as easy Jacob. They haven't lasted for three millennia without being careful and cunning," Carlisle warned.
"Three thousand years?" Jacob asked shock.
"I told you that they were the strongest and most lethal family in all of my history."
"Take my mind off of it. I can't think about it anymore," Charlie said his face a mix of pain and anguish.
Bella's car could be heard pulling up in the driveway and the three of them froze. When she came through the door a minute later they were staring at her. She froze where she was, taking them in. Charlie stared at her like he didn't know her, he was hurt. Jacob was staring at her like he was about ready to explode. He quickly recovered and gave her an even look. Carlisle gave her a sympathetic look that let her know exactly what had happened.
"Bella, could you come in here please?" Carlisle asked.
She crossed the room slowly to stand next to her dad, she took one of his hands in hers and he looked down at her unsurely.
"I'm sorry for not telling you. I didn't want anything to happen to you," she said with remorse.
"It would have helped if you had told me the truth. I wouldn't have told him if you had," Jacob said, giving her a tense look.
Charlie squeezed her hand tightly before letting go. She walked around the coffee table to stand in front of Jacob. She placed her hands on his shoulders before he finally met her gaze.
"I didn't tell you for the same reason I didn't tell him. I don't know what I would do if anything happened to the two of you. You are the two most important people in my life," she said apologetically.
His face softened before pulling her to him. He buried his face in her hair, not caring that there were other people in the room. He breathed deeply, feeling his anger and resentment towards her melt away.
"What about you Bella? What are you?" Charlie asked.
"Me? I'm just Bella," she said what a nervous laugh.
"No you're not. You're more amazing than the pack and the Cullen's put together," Jacob said.
"You do have something that most people don't," Carlisle said.
"What is that?" Bella asked, confused.
"The ability to keep Edward out of your head and what you did with the Volturi last spring was pretty impressive," Carlisle marveled.
"But I didn't really do anything to the Volturi, and I don't know why Edward can't read my mind," she said shaking her head in confusion.
"He describes it as a defensive wall that you have put up to keep unwanted people out," Carlisle offered.
"Edward wasn't unwanted," she stated.
"He knows that, he thinks that you were so used to keeping people at bay that you couldn't let it down for him. He was not offended, I assure you," he said kindly.
"I was able to break through it," Jacob said smugly.
"And look where that got me," Bella said rolling her eyes sarcastically.
"Are you complaining?" he asked, arching an eyebrow.
"Not at all," she answered with a smile.
"Maybe we should give them a moment," Carlisle said to Charlie.
"I think I'll stay," Charlie said watching them stare at each other lovingly.
"Come on Charlie," Carlisle said pulling him gently from the room.
Jacob cupped Bella's face in his hands before putting his forehead to hers. He kept his eyes on hers, not caring that Charlie was in the next room. He would hold back the urge to kiss her until they were alone. In the kitchen Charlie grabbed himself a beer before coming to sit at the table. Carlisle leaned against the counter with his ankles crossed.
"Coming from someone who has seen two of his daughters fall in love, I can tell you that Jacob is a good match for Bella. He makes her happy and he loves her with his whole heart," Carlisle said reassuringly.
"This coming from her ex-fiancées father," Charlie muttered.
"I have always thought that Jacob was a good person. He's a little brash and reacts without thinking at times, but he's a teenager. I have one just like him," he said with a smile.
"I know that Jake's a good kid. Hell, he's a great kid. I have never had the first problem with him. But the idea of him dating Bella…I've gotta be honest with you Doc; it gives me heart palpitations," Charlie said worriedly.
Carlisle threw his head back before laughing heartily. Jacob's deep rumble could be heard a few seconds later.
"What's so funny?" Bella could be heard asking Jacob quietly.
"I cannot begin to tell you how many times I have heard a father say that. Charlie you don't have to worry, you won't actually have a heart attack," Carlisle said once he was able to control himself.
"I'm glad that you find it funny," Charlie murmured, looking at Carlisle unsurely.
"Charlie I promise you that I will not hurt Bella. I may have broken one promise to her, but I am not going to make the same mistake twice," Jacob said loud enough for Charlie to hear.
Bella smiled up at him sadly remembering the night that he had promised that he would never leave her or let her down. Had it really been less than a year ago? He had done what he needed to do and she couldn't blame him for doing it. She honestly didn't hold a grudge against him.
"Did you really come over here just to tell him about you and the Cullen's?" Bella asked.
Jacob's face fell as he realized he hadn't talked to Charlie about the other thing that he had come over for.
"No. I still need to talk to him," Jacob said letting go of her.
He came to sit across from Charlie while Bella busied herself with finding something to make for dinner.
"I found out today that I'm not a match for my dad. Rebecca is and she and dad need to have the surgery as soon as possible. Rachel doesn't think that she'll be able to take care of them while they recuperate. I would able to help you take care of my dad and Rebecca after school if you'd let me stay here too. Plus, my dad would be closer to the hospital here," Jacob said giving Charlie a pleading look.
"The three of you can stay here."
"I'm sure Sue and Emily will be here when the three of us can't be," Jacob thought out loud.
"I don't have a problem with it," Charlie said shaking his head.
"Thanks, Charlie," Jacob said with a grateful smile.
His phone rang before Charlie could answer. He pulled it out of his pocket seeing Rebecca's name flash across the screen.
"Hey."
"I have good news," she stated.
"You scheduled the surgery?" he asked expectantly.
"Okay, so I have two pieces of good news. The first made me forget that," she said with a sigh.
"Dad's awake?" he asked hopefully.
"Rachel doesn't want him to know that we're here until we can go in together. Hurry up and get your ass here little brother," she said before hanging up.
Jacob hung up his phone before standing quickly. Charlie, Bella and Carlisle watched as he ran out the front door. Bella stood at the door watching him. He was at the end of the street, which was a good mile from the house when she shut the door. She would go and see Billy later with Charlie. The Blacks were in need of a long awaited family reunion.
XXXX
Rachael sat next to Billy's bed while the doctor explained what had happened to him. He said that while he had found a matche for him and that he was a donor list for a second kidney. Billy was baffled that they had found a match for him in less than two weeks.
"When will the surgery happen?" Billy asked weakly.
"The day after tomorrow," The doctor said with a smile.
"Will I be able to meet my donor?"
"Usually, we don't condone that, but I am willing to make an exception, just this once," he said with a nod.
"When can I see them?" he asked expectantly.
"They're on their way Dad," Rachel said reassuringly.
Her cell phone buzzed a few seconds later. She slid it open and then closed it again without texting the person back. She stood from her chair and the door clicked shut silently behind her.
"Where is she going?" Billy asked his face a mask of panic.
"She'll be right back. There are some people who have been waiting to see you."
There was a knock at the door a few seconds later. The doctor opened it and Billy stared at Jacob as tears formed in his eyes.
"I'll give the two of you a few minutes," The doctor said before walking out the door.
"Rebecca's here too," Jacob said after a few seconds of silence.
"Which of you is a match?" Billy asked quietly.
"Bec. Try not to talk too much. You need to save your strength."
"Have you seen Bella?" Billy asked, ignoring what Jacob had just said.
"We'll talk all about that when we get to Charlie's on Saturday."
Jacob had given Billy the answer he wanted without actually having to say it outright. Billy sunk deeper against the pillows with a smile before closing his eyes. He wasn't going to be happy when he found out that Jacob had told Charlie everything but he would deal with that later. Right now he was going to focus on the fact that his dad was awake and they had been able to talk for a few minutes before Billy fell back to sleep. He was going to take one milestone at a time.