Chapter 8

Well, I was just plain happy at all of the views this has been getting. So I decided to churn out another chapter. It's funny how this story has taken on a life of it's own. megan39 mentioned some things I thought I should clarify, so hope this chapter clears the muddy waters somewhat. Though I don't see my boss being at all happy with me saying I can't work to write fanfiction. LOL!

Thanks for reading.

Jacob sat in the backseat with Bella. Her arms folded across her chest, elbows over her hands. Jacob was huge, filling the other two seats, having to lean over toward her just to fit in the backseat of the car. He looked over her carefully, tracing her outline with his eyes, restraining his own hand so that he didn't reach out and touch her like he wanted to. He wasn't sure yet if she would slap his hand away, so he didn't to avoid any possible rejection. The last time they had been together she told him she wasn't sure if she could ever heal from all that happened.

"Honey, are you ok?" he whispered to her, trying to get her to respond.

"I'm not sure yet. I need to know what's going on," she answered dully, not looking away from the window. She remembered the last time she sat in a car with dark windows and it was not a good memory.

"We're going to the hotel. I'll fill you in when we get there," he answered. Then, because he couldn't stand being this close to her without touching her, he leaned his forearm against her leg and tilted his head back against the seat. He breathed deeply taking in her scent, wishing that guy's scent wasn't brushed over hers.

Jacob chuckled as he remembered how Quil had given a good shove to that guy when he leaned in to kiss Bella. It was a jerk move, but Quil knew how much Jacob still loved Bella and couldn't stand by while she kissed another guy. Jacob was glad he didn't hurt her since the guy could've smashed into Bella instead.

Quil was proud of himself and he glanced back at the two and smiled. He was wondering why Bella was being so quiet. After all, she had promised to come back after she finished college, so what was a couple of months early?

"We're here," Jacob told Bella as he climbed out his side of the car. He walked around the back, meeting her as she climbed out looking around. It was nothing spectacular but thankfully nothing too shady either.

The guys surrounded her as they walked into the lobby and to the elevators. Having them surround her made Bella feel even more nervous than before. It was just 4 of them-Jacob, Quil, Seth and another guy she didn't recognize. Had more young men changed? She thought the Cullen's were gone, so why were they still changing?

They arrived at their floor and Jacob took a key card from his wallet and swiped it, opening the door after it clicked open. Jacob paused, taking a deep breath for unwanted scents and guided Bella in, leaving the others in the hall. Jacob wrapped his arms around her, squeezing her to his chest. He had missed her over the last 4 years and hated that he was here under these circumstances.

"Just rip off the band aid, Jake. I can't take it," she said, just turning in his arms but not pulling away.

"Can we talk about that day outside of Seattle?" he asked.

"You mean the day my baby was ripped from my body while I was drugged, the pack killed my husband and you burnt the house to the ground? That day?" she answered, maybe a tad bit snippy with him. She wasn't mad, but impatient that she didn't know why she was here and why she had so much protection.

Jacob sighed, loosening his hold, and slipping his hand down her arm to her hand. He pulled her toward the arm chair by the window. He sat, tugging her body toward his thigh to sit. Bella perched tightly on his leg, tapping her foot nervously, and nibbling an imaginary piece of skin from her thumb.

"The only ones that knew you were pregnant were Edward and Carlisle," he started. "Does that seem right to you? Do you think anyone else should have figured out what was going on?"

"Who else would know, Jake? I didn't call Charlie until after everything went crazy and we had to set up the whole cover story of the car accident. You didn't tell anyone," she answered.

"Think about it, Bella. One of them should have known exactly what was going on, someone should have seen it," he continued figuring she was going to catch on soon.

"She's emailed every year on the anniversary. I've just deleted them. I couldn't read her emails. Did she know? You said the pack came because they heard her screaming about Edward and Carlisle. I've always been so upset that she didn't see what would happen on the island. That she didn't warn us then. I never really thought about while I was pregnant what she saw. I always thought the family knew and was planning for the baby's arrival," she said to him, not entirely sure where this was going.

Without thinking, Bella leaned back into Jacob's chest, propping her feet on the footrest, and relaxing her body into his heat. She had missed closeness with someone, as she had blocked all personal contact with people. The most personal contact she had was with Charlie, and that was usually a quick hug, not much more.

"Do you think she could have stopped it from happening, Jake?" Bella asked him, turning toward his face so she could read what he was saying and thinking.

"I'm not sure she wanted to. I've thought a lot about it over the years. I think her reacting had more to do with the fight, than what they were going to do," he said.

"So what does that have to do with me now?" Bella asked, pulling her eyebrows together, staring toward the industrial carpet on the floor, finding little stains left behind by previous guests.

"Well, we had a visit from Rosalie and Emmett. They were worried Alice was becoming obsessed with how things went wrong. She's upset she couldn't save Edward and that you aren't with them. The plan was for Edward to change you after he told you that you lost the baby, and obviously that didn't happen. You weren't supposed to find out what really happened. Rosalie and Emmett left the rest of the family after they moved out of Forks. They'd only recently caught up with Carlisle, Esme, Alice and Jasper for a visit. They came to us to warn you. So we came right here."

"Bella, honey, I love you. Please come back to LaPush with Charlie now, so we can keep you safe," he finished, looking at her, while she stared at the floor. He listened to her heart beat fluctuate as he waited on her response. He knew how stubborn she was, but he wanted to give her time to think about what she was going to do.

"What about school, Jake? I'm almost done. I want to earn my degree. I've come this far," she turned to him, breathing out a little unsteady, those unsteady breathes when one begins to cry. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer to him. She turned pressing her face into his neck, letting the tears trickle down. She couldn't believe this was happening. She was supposed to be living a normal life. She came to sunny California for a reason.

Jacob thought for a while before he answered. "You'd have to have one of us with you all of the time. I'm not sure we could pull that off. We don't want her to get you at school. I'll have to talk to the guys, see if they're willing to wait for you. You'd have to accept having a 24/7 bodyguard. We can't patrol here, honey."

He rubbed his hands up and down her body tenderly as she thought it over. She just felt relieved to feel comfortable and safe. She cried for her past, she cried for all that she had lost, she cried for her lost innocence. Bella had to think about what she should do, weigh the benefits to the dangers. They couldn't approach her here. It was too easy to expose themselves, but it was harder to be protected out in the open.

"Ok," she breathed. "You can be my 24/7 bodyguard."

She bounced as he laughed at her. "It wouldn't be just me," he said, kissing her head, rubbing his chin over her hair, casually covering her with his own scent. "Although, I'll be your bodyguard every night," he stated quietly, with a wide smile on his face.

Bella chuckled and lightly slapped his chest for amusement, as it wouldn't actually cause him pain. "Your big body wouldn't fit in my bed, anyway," she jibed back to get a response.

"Oh, I'd find a way to fit with you. We fit in this chair just fine, don't we?" he smiled, while looking down at her still nestled tightly in his lap. He loved every minute of it. He had made her promise she would come back after graduation to see him. She hadn't promised that she would move back, or that she would give him a chance, but she agreed to come see him during the summer before she started her adult life in the real world.

"Tell me what you've been up to," she deflected, changing the subject.

"I finished my classes at Peninsula. So I've got a degree in Green Building. I've been helping fix up houses around the res making them more energy efficient, better insulated, just better all around. We had cut back patrols to overnights since there's been no bloodsucker activity around. I've been preparing for my important chief responsibilities. Learning the language, learning the legends, making ties in the community. Just keeping busy, waiting for the four longest years of my life to end," he told her, as he looked down meaningfully.

"Wow, Jake. I knew you'd make something of yourself. You've always been great with your hands and fixing things. How's Billy doing? He taking care of himself?" she was trying to keep her mind off the news Jake had shared with her.

"He's doing good. Rachel and Paul moved in with him and stay on him to keep healthy and out of the house. Of course, he misses Charlie like crazy. Who else to bring him beer and junk food, you know?" Jacob chuckled, looking toward the wall, while picturing his absent family.

"You moved out?" she asked, trying to picture his room without him living in it.

"Of course, I did! I'm an adult now, alpha, training to be chief. I don't want to live at home anymore. I want to have my own place," he answered. "Besides, it's like I have my own kid since Quil is my roommate." They both laughed at that. There was a thump on the wall behind them. "You know, I love you, man," Jacob called back toward the room next door.

They sat in silence, absorbed in their own thoughts. Bella thought about the past, and her future. Jacob wondering what was going to happen from then on. He felt Bella's phone vibrate in her pocket, but she didn't take it out.

Finally, Jacob looked at the alarm clock sitting on the nightstand next to the king size bed. "We'd better get you back soon. Charlie will be wondering where you are," Jake said hesitantly, not wanting to let her out of his arms since she seemed so comfortable. He was comfortable with her there.

"All right. Let's go," she said, getting up slowly and stretching her arms above her head.

Jacob took advantage of her tank top coming untucked from her jeans in the back, and ran his fingers across her soft skin. Bella jumped a little and turned toward him. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and walked toward the door.

They drove back to Bella's house. No one was really talking. They had all prepared for the possibility that she would want to stay. Some of them would have to head back to the res, but Jacob would be staying here until Bella and Charlie came back. Since Paul was second, he'd be in charge running the pack's day to day responsibilities. They'd switch out who was here with Jacob so they could take care of things back at their own homes.

As they pulled into the driveway, the guys froze, not opening the door. Quil turned around and looked at Jacob. "What should we do?" he asked.

Bella's heart raced. Was something happening here? "What?" she asked with panic in her voice, terrified something had happened to Charlie while she was out.

Jacob looked at her, not really wanting to be the one to tell her this. "What time was Charlie expecting you to get home?" he asked.

"I told him not to wait up," Bella blushed because she had been out on a date.

"Well…it seems Charlie thought you'd be out later," Jake smiled at her.