Chapter 6 Jacob's Story

**character death in this chapter**

Twilight still belongs to that lucky gal, Stephenie Meyer.

Bella stepped into the shower, getting ready for the day. As the warm water poured down her, she tried to relax but it just wasn't going to happen. She washed her body, feeling the scar, the place where her little one had lived until it was nearly big enough to be born. She never got the chance to see her baby at all. The only baby item she owned was the little blue and yellow blanket Jacob had given her. She leaned her head against the shower wall as that horrible day came back to her…

Bella listened as Jacob recounted what had happened. She wasn't really sure how long she had been out of it, but she felt groggy and was in a considerable amount of pain.

"I had driven my car all the way back to LaPush when I realized I'd left my cell here. I had to patrol soon, so I ran here. I would have just left it but I was worried something would come up and you would need me. When I walked up to the front door, Edward was walking out with a wad of shirts in his hand. He seemed stunned to see me, so you can imagine how I felt actually surprising the bloodsucker when he usually knows what I'm thinking 5 minutes out," Jacob began the tale.

"'Jacob, what are you doing here? Sam said you were needed to patrol,' he asked me all suspiciously and paranoid. I told him I'd forgotten my phone and I needed to get it before heading out to patrol. I asked what he was doing and how did he not know this already. Bella, he just gave me this glazed over look and started walking away, telling me to hurry up and get my phone and get out of here," Jacob recalled.

"As soon as I walked in the door, I could tell how slow your heartbeat was and I looked around to see what was going on, because it was too slow for just sleeping. Carlisle walked out, seeming surprised to see me as well. He asked if everything was ok and I told him I'd just forgotten my phone and was heading back out. But that's when I looked at him a little closer and Edward's odd behavior clicked. I raced out the back door and followed Edward's scent," Jacob continued while Bella watched with tears beginning to form in her eyes. Jacob took a deep breath chancing a short glance Bella's direction and he had to look down at the floor knowing he had to go on.

"When I finally caught up to the bastard, he'd already been filling a hole. I asked him what the hell he was doing and what was in that bundle he just buried out in the middle of nowhere. He turned around with his eyes black and his lips pulled back, sneering at me that is was none of my 'god damn business' and I was supposed to be back in LaPush patrolling, not here fucking things up," Jacob swallowed hard, knowing the last of it hadn't been told. He was hoping beyond hope she would not hate him forever, that she would understand.

"He came at me, and I cowered back, not believing that Edward was about to kill me while I just stood there unprepared. But out of nowhere, the pack had come having heard Alice's shrill screaming about Edward and Carlisle. Paul leapt in between us, knocking Edward over. A fight started between him and the pack. I'm sorry, Bella. Edward didn't survive, and neither did Embry," he breathed in and stopped gathering his thoughts.

"Jacob, what was in the bundle?" Bella asked him warily, already sensing she was not going to be happy with the answer. He looked up to her, tears streaming down his face. Leaning in, he tried to place his forehead on her arm to comfort her, and himself.

Bella started shrieking at him, "what was in the bundle, Jake? What was in the bundle? Where is my baby boy? Where is my little guy, Jake? Did you take him? Did you kill him?"

Jacob sniffed, reaching for her hand. "NO! Don't touch me!" she jerked her hand back. "Tell me now Jacob."

"I'm sorry, Bells. I want to tell you everything was fine, that the baby is being taken care of in Forks, but I can't. I can't tell you that because it isn't true. Carlisle and Edward had already aborted the baby before I got here. There was nothing I could do to save her," Jacob cried out, trying again for her hand. This time she let him hold it, but she didn't squeeze back. It was too much. She couldn't take it all in.

Pounding on the bathroom door made Bella snap out of her haze. "Bella, are you trying to see how many gallons of hot water it takes to empty the water tank?" Charlie asked with humor in his voice. She could tell there wasn't a lot of hot water left.

"Sorry, Dad," she called out, shutting the water off and grabbing her towel. "Just had to work a kink out of my neck." She dried herself off and unlike usual, gazed at herself in the mirror. It was hard to believe that had been her reality. So much had changed. She missed Jacob, but she had some things she needed to accomplish in her life. She was always living her life for someone else and now she was living for herself. As she got dressed in some jeans and a t-shirt, she heard the doorbell ring. Charlie answered it and Kathryn could be heard downstairs chatting happily with Charlie.

Bella hopped down the stairs and walked over to her friend. She gave her a small "forgive me?" look with her eyebrows raised. Kathryn opened her arms welcoming her friend and telling her without words that she didn't need to know yet.

"It's ok, Bella. We don't have to talk about it. I'm sure one day you'll be ready to share. Want to get lunch with me and Matt?" Kathryn asked her gently.

"Yeah, sure. Let me grab my purse and let Charlie know I'm off," Bella told her as she turned back in the house. Bella took a deep breath and closed her mind to Memory Lane. She had remembered most of the awful time and could get back to the present for now.