It is more then an honor to have been added to your favorite story/ author's lists. Thanks!
If I haven't said it before, Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer not to me. I own Valerie/ Janet/and Ryan.
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Chapter 12
I quickly leave them to finish up and rejoin the others with a grin on my face. The Cullens seem to be working out a hunting schedule… around me. Carlisle has a job teaching the university medical department's evening classes. Esme is doing a home renovation a few towns away. The others have classes. I snuggle into my Edward's side as they settle on Jasper going every week with Alice and Edward alternating as his partner. The others would go as needed.

I frown. "That doesn't sound right… It takes about 2 weeks for your eyes to go from the pale topaz to black. Isn't that right?" Edward nods. "Ok… so why aren't you taking that into account? Edward you just went with Emmett, so you shouldn't have to go again before 2 weeks from now…right? And what if Alice wants a little time for brother /sister bonding? Jasper has better control now too, right? So he doesn't need to go every week. Listen, I'm attached to the whole family, this time. Anyone can stay with me when Edward's gone, and I don't really need a baby-sitter. Now that I know he's going to be coming home to me all the time, I think you should all go as needed. I'll be fine. There's no dangerous vampires coming after me at the moment, so don't worry about it."

Edward's lips make instant contact with mine. "I love that you're so much more confident and independent. Thank you for taking this so well."

I smirk and try to lighten the mood. "Hey, guys, did you hear that Charlie's gun wasn't even loaded? Isn't that funny?"

Emmett responds to this by baiting Edward. "Yeah, Eddie-boy, you got the fear of God and Charlie Swan put into ya by an empty gun!" Rose and Jasper snicker.

Edward just growls at them and hugs me closer to him before saying, "I wasn't afraid for me. I would've been fine. I just didn't want his shot to hit Bella when it bounced off of me… and I don't know how we would've explained my survival if he had shot me…"

Alice glances at Edward. "I'm so sorry I didn't see that part…I was focusing on you and Bella, not him." They all laugh and Edward grumbles under his breath for a moment. I start to get restless so I get up and start walking around the room with Edward holding my hand. Charlie and Jake come in.

I stand close to my dad as he starts to say something. "Bella, now that you're all settled and safe, I'll be heading home tomorrow. That being said…Can someone get me a…"

"Here you go, Charlie." Alice hands him an open beer.

He seems surprised but goes with it. "Uhm thanks Alice."

One hour and several beers later…
Edward looks at me. "Charlie is situated on the fold-out couch. Jake and the rest are in the trailer out front. It's time to meet with the pack, love." I yawn and nod. He holds my hand and together we walk out onto the porch. Everyone else is there already. "The swing is open, love. Let's sit…" As we sit and wait for Jake to tell us why we are here, Edward focuses his gift on the trailer. He grimaces. "Aww, come on! Anything but that!"

"What is it, Edward?" I ask.

He shudders. "He's singing that stupid song 'Who let the dogs out?' in his head. I hate that dumb-ass song!"

Emmett gets up acting all serious for a second before suddenly dancing around and singing (BADLY) to the song. Everyone starts to laugh at his antics.

"Shhh! Charlie's sleeping, guys!" I say in an urgent whisper.

The trailer door opens and the pack comes out. Jake and Valerie stand in front of Edward and me. Leah and Seth have grim expressions as they take their positions flanking them. All joking stops… This looks official. The Cullens orient around me… the weakest link in their chain.

There are 2 faces of Jacob Black…The Alpha and my Jacob. It is the Alpha who speaks now. "Isabella Black… As Alpha of the wolfpack out of the Quileute reservation in LaPush, the council of elders has given me the authority change the terms of the treaty made by my ancestor, Ephraim Black, if I so choose. I will be deciding whether you become an allied vampire or an enemy one. Please state, in your own words why you want to become a vampire."

Edward looks interested, too. I take a deep breath and begin. "First and foremost, I want to be with the man that I love. He happens to be a vampire. The only way I can be a true companion to him…in all ways…is to join him in his eternal life… or existence. If I age much further, I will appear too old for him and therefore we will have to hide our love from the world. In order to stop aging, I have two options. One is to die and that is completely unacceptable. The other is to be changed into a vampire. The only draw-back that I see to that is the 'having to drink blood to survive' thing. I fully understand that either decision will cause some pain to the people I love. I'd hope that some of them would prefer that I were still around and happy on some level of existence then if I were dead and unable to keep in touch in some way. My father would get used to the 'changed me' once I was able to be around humans again. My mother, well, I haven't kept in constant touch with her over the last few years, so e-mails, letters and phone calls are all she really expects. There's only a few others I'm very close to, and they've…" I pause as a tear escapes my eye. I wipe it away quickly. "They've made their opinions known. Jake, I'll still be the person you see before you… I'll still be your friend 'Bella'… I can't be anything else! It should not matter what I am… human, vampire, werewolf… I still just see 'Jacob', 'Edward', and 'Charlie'. The Cullens are capable of keeping me from becoming a monster. They are a strong family unit! I need Edward to survive, and that's the bottom line. I can live without certain things. But he is not one of them…" I glance at Valerie. "Is what I want so different from what she wants, Jake? She knows she'll get older and probably die way before you even begin to age… I have the unfortunate opportunity to have that same experience many times over. With you and the Cullens not aging, I will have to watch as I get older and older and possibly get sick, while you and they remain eternally 17-ish. You have the ability to keep me from sharing her pain. I will marry Edward. If they change me and we are enemies; I will be very sad to see you leave my life, but that is nothing when compared to living through the emotional hell you want me to…" I feel tears streaming down my cheeks.

Valerie has tears running down her face. I know I just put her fears into words. She turns to Leah who hugs her and watches me.

Jake's face has shocked distress written all over it. "That will be taken into account." They turn and go back into the trailer.

Alice comes with a tissue box and holds my hand as Edward wraps his arms and a blanket around me. I look up at him dabbing my eyes. "They've asked me to try not to listen in to their private deliberations, love. I'm concentrating on you right now. As they were listening to your speech, which was very persuasive, by the way, they were all picturing themselves staying young while watching their loved ones get old, wrinkled, and sick and then dying… I have to say I did the same. Not that you as an older woman were anything but beautiful, but if I had to watch you wither before my eyes, day after day for the next 60 years or so…knowing that I could've saved us both from that pain…" He trails off as Jake and the others came back.

There are tears in my Jacob's eyes. "The decision is made, Bella…" He reaches out for me. I step into his arms. He shakes but I know it's not from anger. "Bells, we understand your desire…and we know the agony you speak of. As your friends …as someone who loves you, I will not allow you suffer that torture. As you said, I have the ability to keep you from sharing in that pain. It is inevitable for us and our imprints to go through it, we are not full humans after all is said and done. I will not sentence you to the same fate. You have fallen in love… so deeply in love with an immortal… that you have placed yourself in this unenviable position. I will not deny you your request to join him. We do however have a few conditions…"

My tears of joy pour down my face. "What conditions, Jake?"

"For one, I want it to be after your wedding. I want to ensure that he's as totally committed to you and your well-being as he possibly can be." He stares intently at Edward before continuing. "If something happens to endanger her life before that time comes, you will be forgiven for changing her early. Next, we have decided that you must stay away from North America while you are a newborn. Don't put me in the position of having to hunt you down if you stray from the Cullens' diet."

I look at Edward. He nods. "That's not a problem, Love. We can go on a year long honeymoon trip around the world. You can send postcards and letters or emails to your mom and dad and Jacob too, as well as making phone calls."

I grin and turn back to face Jacob. "Anything else?"

His voice wavers. "Never tell me if you did stray from animal blood. Please? I couldn't handle it…" He clutches me tighter. "One last thing… Never forget your humanity, Bella, or your human life…Never."

I look at the Cullens and back at the pack with a glowing smile. "I agree to all of your conditions." I lean forward and kiss Jacob on the cheek. "Thank you, Jacob… You have no idea how much this means to me."

He continues to hold me on the porch steps. His tears and mine fall together. "Bells …we'll be leaving with your dad. Live this year to the fullest, for me."

I nod. "I will, Jake, and you'll be at my wedding soon after this year is up."

Edward sits beside us. "Thank you, Jacob. I cannot express the true gratitude in my heart right now. Thank you so much."

I watch one last tear roll down his face. He wipes it away. "You're welcome. I promised her once… that I'd always be her friend… no matter who or what she loves. I'm keeping that promise." He takes a breath. "Now get her to sleep, or she won't be awake to say goodbye to Charlie and the rest of us in the morning."

Edward shakes Jake's hand and picks me up bridal style carrying me into the bed-room. He helps me change and lovingly wraps me in the blankets and his arms for the night.