Disclaimer: Twilight is the creation of Stephenie Meyer

*** Chapter 5 – Changing My Mind ***

Mat woke the following morning to find that he was alone on the rocks. Stretching his front paws out in front of him "downward dog" style, he sat back on his haunches and shook the dew from his silver fur. One deep inhale of the crisp morning air brought the scent of the ocean waves that were crashing on the boulders below him, but didn't carry any traces of Bella being nearby. Checking into the pack thread running like a low volume radio broadcast in the back of his mind, he found that Quil and Embry were on morning perimeter run and Mat decided to join them before going in search of breakfast.

Falling in line with his brothers, he reflected on the evening's events, taking care not to reveal Leah's secret should anyone be listening in. Besides the wolf pack, Bella had no family.

Family? Vampires have no family, idiot. It's them versus the buffet of meals walking around, oblivious to the fact that they aren't too far removed from a cow in a field awaiting slaughter.

Her voice had been distanced and without emotion when she had shared how her father had been killed and she had removed herself from any interaction with her mother, from any friends or acquaintances she'd had before she the change it seemed. She had the power to walk the planet, take what she needed at will, and yet, she chose to stay on this little stretch of land living beside a people who despised her very existence.

What a lonely life…

Are you actually feeling sorry for her? Is your heart breaking over a vampire?

What? No! Maybe! Fuck…

No matter how much of an ass he had been since they met or the hate-fueled glares he had thrown her way, Bella had been open and honest with him about her past. She could have told him to fuck off, it really wasn't any of his business, but she'd answered his questions.

Even more irritating was the fact that he identified with her. He knew exactly how she felt.

Mat wasn't originally from La Push, but had grown up in San Diego with a father who had long since left his reservation and tribe behind, following his dreams of being an architect that led him to a place far from his childhood home. One afternoon, while sitting at his desk, a freak aneurysm left Mat fatherless, and his mother couldn't find a way to push past the loss. She had turned to alcohol as a companion for her sorrow, and had played a losing game of chicken with death by driving home from a bar one night drunk.

Orphaned and barely out of high school, Mat's uncle, who was also Quil's father, had shown up on his doorstep and insisted upon dragging him back home to the reservation. Mat went numbly, barely registering the change in location as he made his way through the days only because each morning the sun kept rising and he discovered that he was still alive. Days moved on to weeks and he found survival came from distancing himself from the past - remove the emotion, bury the memories and just act like each day stands on its own. If anyone asks questions, answer as if you were under police interrogation, "Just the facts, please."

When his inner wolf had been triggered, Mat was actually glad to have a new distraction, something that grabbed his attention and gave him focus. His body needed the physical release that came from running and play fighting with the other members of the pack. Targeting an enemy allowed him to siphon off the anger he hadn't realized had been caged in every cell of his body. Vampires equaled death, and death had stolen from him, so he would spend his days hunting down the enemy with vigilance until it was eradicated.

Except, she isn't really deadly, is she? Well maybe to that moron at the bar last night, but even then she held back…

Oh ho, now look who's been fooled by Bella's good girl act. Mind your steps, son, she'll drain you dry while you sleep by her side like some pet.

I'm no one's pet!

Keep telling yourself that…

The skeptic in his head snickered at him as if he was a fool. Mat shook of the inner argument as he came to a halt beside his bike and grabbed some clothes from an old duffel bag. He quickly changed and headed into the house to grab breakfast, stopping to look at his pack in various states of activity - Quil and Embry in conversation, Seth and some of the younger pups having a contest to see who could eat the most pancakes, Jacob and Sam sitting with their wives tucked into their sides. Paul and Leah were both MIA, but Paul would be holed up with Mia for several days, and Leah was probably still passed out from the previous evening's events.

Before his arrival, these men had spent years growing up together, sharing tribal celebrations, and going to the same school. Mat didn't even know them before his uncle had dragged him up north. They had warmly welcomed him into the fold, but like Bella, he would always be a transplant, someone grafted into the group.

Like Bella….

He looked around the room, but he already knew she wasn't there for the family breakfast.

Probably out eating a deer or something….

Aw, are you disappointed that your new friend isn't here to pet you on the head and tell you you're a good boy?

The snide little voice mocked him. But Mat, straightened his spine as he pulled out a chair and sat down to eat.

Yeah, I think I am…

The sun was setting on the beach at La Push, and a bonfire had already been formed to ward off the chill of the evening. Someone had dragged out a radio that was sitting on top of the cooler, pushing music into any gaps in conversation that were found. Sam was manning a small charcoal grill, flipping burgers, while Leah and Cali were placing various sides on the folding table that had been brought out for the evening. Bella and Leah were laughing and chatting with Mia, trying to welcome her into the family, though Paul refused to let the girl move from her perch on his lap.

As usual, someone had dragged a football out to the party, and the boys were starting a game on an empty stretch of the beach, dividing into teams – shirts versus skins.

"I call Bella," Seth declared.

Bella turned from the girls, and arched an eyebrow at the boy, "Then I'm assuming you're shirts, right, Seth?"

Seth blushed a bright red, and some of the other boys were bent over laughing.

"Of course…Bella…I mean I would never try and trick you into…" The boy stumbled over his explanation.

Mat had already been picked by Jacob's side, and he tossed his shirt into the sand while Jacob reminded his team, "Keep an eye on Bells, boys, she cheats."

Mat had never played with the group, "Cheats?"

"You'll see," Quil nodded in the direction of the other huddle, "Just try and keep her distracted, or we'll never get a point."

They formed up on the line, and the ball was hiked to Mat. He backed up to throw a pass to Jacob, while Quil and Chase went straight for tackling Bella from the start. Mat could hear Bella laugh as she jumped over the boys, and he launched the ball into the air, while Jacob turned to catch it. At the very last moment, the ball diverted its path and flew to the right of the projected receiver. Seth pushed past Jake and grabbed the ball before it hit the sand, Embry and the rest of his team running in front of him to guard their boy until he could make it into the end zone.

"Seriously, Bells!" Jacob stood with hands on hips, staring at the girl who was holding a helping hand out to Quil.

Putting on her most innocent smile, she replied, "I have no idea what you're talking about, Jake. It's very windy out here tonight, don't you think, Seth?"

Seth grinned from ear to ear, "Absolutely, sis, I mean, did you see the way that ball just drifted away from Jake? Crazy cross winds…"

Mat stared at the interchange before turning to Quil, "Did she…?"
"Yeah, she did. She used her little force field to block Jacob from getting the

pass," Quil explained, "Seth's always quick to call Bella onto his team. Now you see why."

They lined back up, only this time Mat lined up directly across from Bella. She looked him straight in the eye and winked. He growled in response, bringing forth a giggled from her.

Quil glanced over, "You got this man?"

"Absolutely."

Bella snickered, "Someone's awful confident."

Seth hiked the ball to Dakota, and Bella flew past Mat, making sure to push her shoulder into him and knock him off balance. The move only furthered his determination and he took off after her. Gaining distance on the sprinting female, he launched and tackled her down, the combined forward momentum digging a trench in the sand until the two smacked into a fallen tree.

The rest of the players ran over to where the two lay, having abandoned the ball to check on their team mates. Mat rolled off the woman trapped in the sand beneath him, and moved to stand while Bella just lay there laughing hysterically.

Seth's words were colored with awe, "You took her down."

Jacob grabbed Bella's left arm and pulled her into standing, only to notice that her right hand was bent backwards from her lower arm, "Um, Bells, your hand…"

Bella bent over to shake sand from her hair, still giggling, and looked at her hand, "Crap, Jake, can you pop it back into place?"

Mat looked at the damage he caused and the color quickly drained from his face, "Did I do that? Geesh, Bella, I'm sorry. Why didn't you stop me? Couldn't you use your force field or something?"

Bella looked at his face, at the worry and started laughing again, "It's fine, Mat."

With a crunching sound, Jake pushed the hand back the right way, and Bella grimaced for a moment before holding it up for Mat to see, "All better."

"Boys, dinner!" Emily called and the group turned back towards the bon fire pit.

Bella passed Mat and playfully knocked her shoulder into him, "Let it go. No harm, no foul."

He stood there for a moment, watching her walk away with Seth who was teasing her about being a not-so-invincible vampire.

Jacob stopped beside him, "You made her laugh."

Mat looked over at him, "What?"

"She hasn't been happy like that for a while. Sure, she smiles, but there's always that darkness that lingers in her eyes. For a second there, she was the girl I used to know," Jacob clapped the man on the shoulder before following the group.

Mat just grunted in response.

After the massive mountain of burgers and dogs had been consumed, the group settled around the raging fire and roasted marshmallows. Jacob stood up from his seat beside Cali, placing a hand on her shoulder and she immediately covered his hand with her own. He cleared his throat to get the attention of his family, and waited until all talking had stopped and every eye was turned to him.

"Cali and I have a little announcement to make," Jacob looked down at the woman who was prettily smiling at her husband, "We're going to have a baby!"

Excitement erupted around the alpha leader, and everyone was quick to jump up and offer congratulations, embracing Jacob and Cali in hugs and showering them with well wishes.

Jacob looked across the flames and locked eyes with his best friend who had refrained from being part of the group. He crossed over to her and examined her face.

"You knew," he exclaimed, realization dawning, "You knew she was pregnant."

Bella smiled at her friend and tapped the side of her head, "Vampire hearing, I can detect their heartbeats."

Cali stopped beside her husband, wrapping arms around his waist, "Wait, their heartbeats?"

Bella's grin grew. Jacob looked down at the woman by his side, letting the words sink in.

"Twins?"

Bella nodded, "Surprise, daddy. You two are going to have your hands full, first time out."

Jacob pulled Bella into him for a group hug with his wife, feeling that his heart was going to burst. He kissed his wife's head, and then his friend's. Finally letting them go, Bella took a step back and looked up to see Jake's face had twisted into sadness.

"Bella, you know, I'll have to stop phasing…" He began.

"Jake, you don't have to explain…"

Mat caught the interchange between the two, and looked from Jake's sorrow to Bella's smile that was trying to mask her pain.

"It isn't fair …" he continued.

Bella gathered an inner fire, and it crackled in her eyes, "Jacob Black, you will not apologize on this night of celebration. She is your wife, and these are your children, and you are meant to share their life and grow old with them. And, I will watch over each of you until you take your last breath, just as you watched over me that day in the clearing, and I will continue watching over the generations that follow you."

A tear made its way down his face, and Bella wiped it away. Jacob let go of Cali and dragged Bella into a crushing embrace.

"Jake, can't breathe," Bella pretended to struggle.

He grabbed hold of her offered attempt to lighten the situation, "You don't need to breathe, stupid leech."

Letting Bella go, Jacob took Cali's hand and returned to the rest of the group to share the newest bit of news. Bella remained where she was, taking an unnecessary deep breath of cool night air.

Mat stepped towards her, "Bella, I'm sorry…"

The brunette turned her gaze towards him, and the darkness Jacob had described earlier was now a bottomless pit of grief pushing the amber irises outward until her eyes were simple onyx orbs.

She dragged in another gasp of air before saying, "I just….I just can't, right now."

Turning away, she took off into the night, leaving Mat to contemplate chasing after her.

A/N: Yeah, no matter how much I start off with some sex-filled romp, I end up a romantic at heart putting together two broken pieces. *Sigh* Hope you enjoyed it! Leave some love!

Have a Happy Easter! Best. Candy. Ever.