Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight.

"Dammit burn my wood already!"Jacob yelled at the dead driftwood pieces that were just staring back at him, he and the rest of the reservation boys had been trying to start the bonfire for over an hour and yet there was still nothing. There were barely any sparks.

One of the boys looked over at the large man and started laughing, "Ha! Dude, that's what she said," he replied earning a groan from the rest of the party.

Jacob scowled, that didn't even make sense, the man looked around and saw that a lot of people from the reservation had gathered tonight. They were currently setting up an assortment of food and shelter in celebration of their long tradition and heritage. He looked up and saw the sun setting down to sleep so that the moon could shine; he checked his watch and smiled, not lon…

Before he could finish that thought however, the man was tackled to the ground by a very familiar body.

"Jake!" Bella screamed as she jumped on her best friend who she hadn't seen in months.

It only took a moment for the Jake to regain his senses and realise that his best was currently sandwiching him to the ground.

"Bella!" He greeted with equal fever, turning his body around to pin her to the ground.

After a moment of roughhousing, the two friends got up and brushed themselves off all the while laughing. When he had caught his breath, Jacob finally noticed Leah, Rose and Alice with four other strangers just watching them with amusement. He nodded towards the cohort and beamed when Alice waved back at him enthusiastically, admittedly, he was surprised that Bella had come with other people.

He slung an arm around the brunette, "Bella, you brought friends," he articulated in dramatic awe, "is this the same Bella Swan that I left back in San Francisco? You have friends, stop the presses people!" he finished with an elaborate hand motion.

Bella just scowled at her friend and made her way towards the Cullen's with Jake still on her persons, "Shut up you big oaf."

Jacob smiled earnestly, "I missed seeing your face," he whispered to her.

The brunette stopped scowling, she couldn't be mad at him after that comment. "Me too Jake," she replied giving him a soft smile, when they reached the Cullen's she motioned towards them, "Come on; let me introduce you to everyone," she said.

Later~

The introductions went exceedingly well with Jacob and Emmett instantly making friends by comparing muscle mass. Leah, who had also been raised on the reservation as well, went to reunite with her Mother and younger brother, dragging Rosalie along, not that she minded of course. Kate and Emmett decided to help out with the women in preparing food for the large festivities. And Edward and Jasper went on to assist the reservation boys in starting the bonfire and, after much swearing, frustration and yelling, were finally able to get the fire started. This earned the duo a loud holler from the boys and instant acceptance into the little group of misfits for the night.

Alice, after much catching up with Jake, decided to leave the two friends for some private time, she imagined that there was much to talk about between the two. Currently she was playing with the children who were engaged with wooden musical instruments that they had constructed themselves, she was absolutely amazed at their innovation and talent.

Bella was sitting on the sand watching Alice from a far, faintly smiling, she knew that her neighbour was pretty, but her unabashed awe was certainly something to admire. Her trance was broken when her best friend sat down with an ompf and a large plate of food, causing her to roll her eyes. They sat in companionable silence for a few moments with nothing but the waves of the sea speaking for them, it was good to be together again, they thought simultaneously.

Bella looked at her friend who was finishing his last hot dog, "I hope that it's ok that I brought people Jake, I know that you said that the reservation was having a bonfire, but I should have asked."

Bwlla had called her friend last night with the news that she was back in town, causing the male to almost go through the mobile line and choke his friend for not informing him earlier.

Jake just laughed at his friend's politeness, "Hey man, the more the merrier, gotta admit though, I was a bit worried because some of the folks here didn't really like the Cullen's but, everyone seems to be getting along. So, in a way, thank you for gluing the rift between them." It wasn't so much as they all hated each other; they just didn't know each other and their fear of the other just resulted in tension.

"It wasn't really my idea Jake," Bella replied taking a meaningful glance at Alice. When she had told the smallest Cullen that she was going to visit Jake, Alice had made a boisterous declaration that she was going to join, citing that she had missed him as well. Leah, overhearing the conversation joined because she needed to visit too and, when Emmett had heard that a party was to be had, joined in.

Jake really looked at his friend and noticed that there weren't bags under her eyes anymore, he followed her line of vision already knowing who she was staring at, "How are things with Alice?"

The brunette threw a half-hearted glance at her friend, "Cutting out the middle man?"

She had known that he was going to pick up on the altered relationship between herself and Alice and she also knew what he was going to infer, it didn't mean that she was going to completely agree with it however. She knew that there were thoughts in the back of her mind that made her feel guilty so, part of seeing Jake today was to also engage with those thoughts, Jake, for all his childish immature ways was also her stupid voice of conscience sometimes.

Jake smirked, "Ha, so you're not denying that there is something going on," he yelled causing Alice to incline her head towards the noise, she hadn't heard him but smiled at the two friends catching up with each other.

Bella's face coloured, "Shut up she can hear you," she gritted.

Jake started laughing at his friend's embarrassment, "Dude, are you- are you, blushing?"

The brunette just smacked his arm trying to get him to settle down, "Will you let me talk, so that I can deny everything that you're saying?"

She hung her head and hoped that the blush would stop, justifying her immediate embarrassment as being almost caught out for talking about Alice by Alice. Jacob grinned at his friend's lively reaction as she was currently attempting to either hide her discomfort or suffocate herself with her hair.

Bella waited until she felt her cheeks return to normal, "I told her about Ashley," she suddenly stated, momentarily breaking the previous topic.

Jacob's eyebrows almost whipped off his face because he was that surprised by the statement, he looked at the brunette and gave a slow nod. Bella continued, "She seemed to take it well," she gave a half smile, "I think that she was just relieved that I finally told her," she finished honestly. She didn't really know where she was going with the admission; she was just making conversation really.

The man next to her just hummed in acknowledgement, "You know, I remember the first time I met Ashley," he began. It felt strange being able to say the name again but he persevered when his friend gave him a downcast smile, "You were so nervous that you choked on a piece of bread, the girl had to save your ass with that Heimlich thing," he finished with a chuckle.

Even though, that was the first time he had ever met Ashley, Jacob knew that she was the one for his best friend. It was demonstrated in the way their eyes lit up for each other, how in love they were with each other, Jake had all but welcomed his best friend's one and only lover with open arms. When Ashley died, he didn't just lose Bella to the currents of grief, he had lost a friend in Ashley as well. It was cathartic being permitted to openly talk about the departed woman like this with his friend.

Bella and Jacob sat for a few moments thinking about Ashley and how she had graced their lives. "You know," Jacobs started gently, "Do you really think that Ashley would have wanted you to wallow in grief for so long after she passed? Bella, I don't think that she would have wanted you to grieve at all."

Jacob had always known that he would have to breach this topic with his friend, but he felt that she was finally ready for this talk, to come out of her shell and allow her heart to be open again. It was evident in the way she hadn't flinched when he spoke her wife's name and the way her relationship with Alice had deepened. He believed that the cracks that were in her heart were already beginning to be filled and he knew that he had the tiny Cullen to thank for that… speaking of.

"Alice is a good person Bella, you and I both know this, I think Ashley would be proud if you two, well, you know," he let the sentence hang in the air not really sure if he should finish it. He knew that Bella was ready, that she was already in the fray; however, did Bella herself know that?

Bella sighed neither disagreeing or agreeing with the man's words, Jake's comment about her wife jarred her a little, as it was the exact same statement that Alice had made night's ago, she frowned.

"It's not that simple Jake."

Jake smiled patiently, "Yeah it is actually, you're just making it more difficult than it needs to be," he replied, Bella just hummed and stared out into the distance.

The man stared at his friend, "Bella, it's been almost 18 months since Ashley moved on, when are you going to do the same?"

Bella looked back at him with confusion, "What is that supposed to mean?"

"It means, that you're so stuck in the past that I've aged two years and you still haven't said Happy Birthday to me," Jacob replied half serious. He didn't mean it to be a malicious statement.

Bella understood what he meant though, as yet again, the conversation with Alice from a few nights ago relayed in her mind. She had been living, but she hadn't been alive and, in doing so, she had been unconsciously negligent of the people around her, guilt erupted within her.

"I'm sorry Jake, I know that I haven't been such a good best friend since then."

Jake just wrapped an arm around her, accepting her apology, he understood why she had been the epitome of the walking dead and honestly didn't blame her. But, she needed to know how she had changed since then and the significance of what that change meant. He scanned for Alice who was by the edge of the water, playing with a little girl, just running back and forth, chasing and running away from the waves. The scene made him gush on the inside at the cute display.

He looked at Bella again, "Maybe there's a reason why you moved across the road from her," he started again gently.

"Or maybe it was just a coincidence?" Bella replied a bit defensively, breaking her gaze from Alice.

"A huge fucking coincidence," Jake said rolling his eyes.

"Why did you decide to move to San Francisco anyway?" he asked her, finally feeling able to talk to her about the topic. When Bella had made the sudden decision move all those months ago, he hadn't felt right asking her why she specifically wanted to live in that particular area. He was scared that she would just shut him out, so, he just went along wordlessly not only for the ride, but to make sure that she was safe.

Bella gave a half smile at her friends long overdue question, she rubbed her forehead with the palm of her hand and then looked up at the greeting moon, "Because I wanted to lose my head in San Francisco, to wait for the fog to roll out, but then, I found it in a raincloud and it was smiling down."

If it had been anyone else other than her best friend, they would have given the brunette a bewildered look, Jake however frowned as he fully understood where her choice of words had proliferated from. "Really Bella? You moved to San Francisco because of a song that was playing on repeat at your house?" he asked incredulously.

Before Bella could reply, Alice cut in, after learning the hard way that, although she loved children, they were so darn energetic. "What song?" she asked the pair, taking her place next to her neighbour.

Bella just looked at the small woman and noticed that she was covered in water which prompted her to immediately take off her jacket and wrap it around the small woman. She did so without thought, it was just automatic and, even though Alice knew that, should have known that her neighbour had always just been courteous like that, it still made her heart melt on the inside. Alice crossed her legs in a sitting position very much content where she was; she was so comfortable in fact that she wasn't even aware that her hand sought out Bella's knee in thanks.

Jake quirked an eyebrow at the display, but decided not to comment, "San Francisco by the Mowgli's," he replied instead, answering Alice's earlier question.

Alice tilted her head to the side, "You know what that song's about right?" she asked them. She had heard snippets of the conversation as she was walking towards them and was silently wondering if the song really was the reason why Bella had moved across the road from her.

Bella and Jake just looked at her with curious open eyes, causing her to scoff at them in disbelief, "Seriously guys? It's like two verses long."

After establishing that they really were clueless she continued, "It's a song that basically means love brings everyone together."

Jake looked at Bella had who frowned in thought and then gave his attention back to Alice, he wanted to laugh so badly at the irony but settled with a "Huh, no shit."

Alice nodded her head and then started to play with the edges of her short hair with her fingertips, she would really need to make an effort to get all the sand out. "Yeah, where did you hear it Bella?"

Bella rubbed her jaw and tried not to think about how her knee was still warm from where Alice had touched it, "It was Ashley's favourite song," she answered, "And yeah, I moved to San Francisco because of it. When she passed away, listening to that song on repeat was the only thing that I could think of that made me feel closer to her," she finished with a slight shrug of the shoulders.

Bella had never really been a musically inclined person, not like her wife was, but, when Ashley had passed, the brunette had surprisingly become enamoured by the melding of lyrics and melodies, it were as if she were engaging with her deceased wife through that medium. That particular song played on repeat day after day, month after month until Bella had actually moved to San Francisco.

Alice smiled at the ease to which her neighbour could relay information to her now, "She had good taste in music," she commented. Jake smiled, having the same thoughts as Alice; it was good seeing his Bella so receptive to people.

"Hey Alice, how's things with Tanya?" he asked after a lull in the conversation.

The small woman just frowned and wrapped herself up in Bella's jacket tighter, instantly feeling comforted, "It's going ok, we're still together."

Jake's eyebrow rose at the blasé tone she had given, "Why doesn't that scream have my babies?"

Alice just sighed, with her thoughts from a few nights ago plaguing her mind, "I mean, she's nice, I can grow to love her right?" she asked the duo, who instantly looked away at her semi plight.

"Sure," "Yep, uh-huh," the two answered simultaneously and unconvincingly. They both knew that the small woman had been dating Tanya for months now but her question in relation to her own feelings at them wasn't really re-assuring. Firstly, Alice's audience consisted of a woman who had her heart ripped from her and a currently single man and secondly, if she had to ask, well, thereupon laid the answer.

Alice scowled at their obvious scepticism, but somewhere inside her, she knew that they were right.

"How about you Bella?" Alice asked her neighbour who, in return just gave her a dumbfounded look.

"What? What about me?"

"Anyone piquing your interest?" Alice clarified, she believed to already know the answer, but, she thought she should just to double check. In response to question however, Bella just began to laugh long and hard but, when she noticed that the smaller woman wasn't joining in, she quickly sobered.

"Oh you're serious. Umm no, no, no and no," she replied with an emphasized shake of the head, feeling the tell-tale signs of a blush coming on.

Alice smiled, but on the inside she felt perplexed, she knew that Bella would eventually move on in life and she hoped to be there when that happened, yet, at the same time she felt relieved.

"Wait, why didn't you ask Jake?" Bella asked, cutting her neighbour from further thought.

Jake intervened, "Dude, I just broke up with someone, I told you like, weeks ago."

At this, Bella just whipped her head towards her friend, "Did you?"

Jake, bless him, just nodded his head, "Yeah man, but its ok, I'm ok, it just means that there's plenty of Jakey to be passed around," he replied taking his friend's forgetfulness in stride.

Bella just rolled her eyes, "I fear for the male population," she commented, causing Alice to giggle.

"Is everyone in this town gay?" Emmett butted in, as he walked hand in hand with his wife towards the threesome. He hadn't meant it to be offensive, it was just an observation, with all his siblings and siblings friends self-identified as homosexual and all.

In response, Bella just placed a hand on her chin thoughtfully, "I don't know about the guys, but the women probably just saw you as the alternative and decided to turn."

Jacob yelled "Burn!" as Kate and Alice started laughing, Emmett stood shocked at Bella's wit.

When his mind was finally able to catch up with him, Emmett too started laughing, "Alice, I really like this one, you need keep her."

At this comment, both the women just blushed and Jacob looked at them and chuckled, if he had ever shipped them before, he shipped them even more so now.

He looked towards the night's sky, which seemed to be spray painted silver, deep down he knew that Ashley was watching them, because she had always burned so brightly whenever she looked at Bella.

Jacob glanced at his best friend and couldn't help but feel his heart warm at the sight of her laughing; she's back he thought to himself.