Don't forget to check out the little bit I added to chapter 8. I don't want you to miss something.

Chapter 9 - Junior

"Hello?" A man answered the phone, he sounded like J, but definitely wasn't him.

"Where's J?" I asked, skipping the formalities.

"Who is this?"

I thought a moment before I answered. What should I say? Bella? Mrs. Cullen? Mr. Edward's wife? J had called me so many things over the years, but which would he have referred to me as to his co-workers.

"This is Mrs. Cullen. I need to speak with J, please." I responded.

"I regret having to tell you Mrs. Cullen, J is no longer with us." The man replied, his voice a little strained. I couldn't tell if he recognized who I was.

"Do you have his home number, sir?" I asked.

"No, ma'am, I mean to say, Mr. Jenks has passed on," He sounded a little choked up, "recently."

"I am so sorry to hear that." I said, Now what am I going to do, I thought.

"I'd be happy to assist you Mrs. Cullen. I am Junior. J was my father." He explained, another choke in his voice, "I am familiar with your needs."

"Thank you, Junior. I don't mean to intrude during such a difficult time." I apologized.

"No, it's okay, I could use a distraction. I can meet you in an hour?"

"Sure, that's fi-…well, actually I have to go to school."

"School?" Junior said, he sounded confused. Maybe his father hadn't divulged as much information to his son as I had assumed.

"Yeah, never mind, I can afford to miss a day. I'll meet you at the downtown office in, let's say, three hours. Okay?"

"See ya there."

I had to find Edward and let him know I wasn't going to make it to school today and somehow convince him to not come with me. If Junior was anything like his father the less contact with the rest of the family he had the better. They all made him very nervous after spending so many years working with Jasper.

I ran down to the main house, where everyone was waiting for me. Jacob was leaned up against his car, his left arm draped over Nessie's shoulders. They looked like complete opposites to the unknowing eye - a russet colored giant and a creamy pale little girl. If you looked closely you noticed how her head fit perfectly into the groove of his chest, his large hand perfectly contoured to hold her dainty one, and when they walked her quick tiny steps matched is wide lazy ones. They say imprinting doesn't affect the other person, that they only choose the one who imprints them because it makes the most sense, but after spending so much time around wolves and their partners, I couldn't accept this as truth. Nessie's world revolved around Jacob just as much as his revolved around her.

"I already told them." Alice called out from the front passenger seat. "He's going with you, don't even try to convince him otherwise. You aren't going to win."

As if on queue Edward walked out of the house, he had a backpack draped over one shoulder and a set of keys in his hand. "Are you ready?"

"I guess so." I said. "But I get to drive."

He smiled my favorite crooked smile and tossed the keys to me. "Whatever you say, Mrs. Cullen."

Three hours later we were pulling into the familiar neighborhood. What used to be run down houses turned apartments and a few shady business fronts was now upscale town homes and a swanky shopping plaza. There was only one building that didn't fit in to the new neighborhood - the law office. I couldn't believe it was still standing, yet there it was, boards still in the windows, and a man still whistling on the front porch.

I parked the car along the curb. "Stay here." I said to Edward, I gave him the look that said, you better listen or I'll…well I wasn't sure what I would do, but he better listen.

The whistler didn't even look up but said, "Maybe you shouldn't park that car there, lady. It might not be here when you get back."

"Thanks for the warning." I said, recalling this same conversation from two decades ago.

The man looked up this time, it seemed to pull a trigger in his mind too.

"Max, what are you doing still working down here?" I asked.

"Waiting for you to come back to me, my big bad supermodel angel." He winked, "How's the diamond smuggling business going, beautiful?"

I heard the door to the car open, and within moments Edward was by my side. Max put his hands out in front of him and shook them side to side, "I don't want no trouble man, back off."

"What did you say to my wife?" Edward asked in a near growl.

"Edward, stop, it's okay. Max and I go way back." I pulled him back closer to me than Max. This was exactly why I didn't want him to come with me. Edward knew how to handle humans, but he still hadn't nailed down his overreactions when it came to me. "Go back in the car, and stay there." I said, giving him the same look as before. "Please!" I smiled.

He reluctantly withdrew mumbling under his breath the whole way. I lifted my shield for long enough to think You should have just went to school, and then shut him out of my head again.

The meeting with Junior went very well. He looked just like his father, just a little taller, a little leaner, and a slightly improved fashion sense. J had told him enough that he wasn't riddled with nerves when I shook his hand. He said it would take him about two weeks to get the papers, I told him he didn't have to rush it the wedding wasn't for a couple more months. He looked relieved. We agreed that I would get a hold of him when they needed to be finalized and we'd arrange a time and place to meet up then. Edward had stayed in the car the remainder of the say, and all in all the meeting was a success. It seemed we wouldn't need to find a new illegal paper maker anytime soon, Junior guaranteed me the family business was going strong.

When I got back out to the car, Edward was in the drivers seat staring Max down. How could he even feel remotely threatened by an old man and his charm? I shook my head and just smiled at my overprotective, completely absurd, and ridiculously handsome husband.

"Give the man a break, Edward, he's just a little flirtatious. He doesn't get very many beautiful women down here. At least ones that will talk to him."

With that he changed his expression, smiled and waved to Max as we pulled away.