Hey guys! So this is going to be my last chapter for the year 2010. As of tomorrow, I'm going to be really busy with finals, and the Christmas holidays are just going to be WAY too crazy for me to do any writing. I've got my birthday to celebrate on the 23rd, Christmas Eve at my place, Christmas Day I'm going to be visiting cousins in the States, and the 26th is my sister's birthday. Yeah, you do the math. As of the 27th, I'll probably be sleeping the next thee or four days away just to recoup before New Years.

Anyway, let's get this chapter started people!

Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyers, blah, blah, blah... me, blah, blah, blah.. You know the drill.


Ch. 7 Imprint

Cindy's POV

Jacob and I had gotten really close over the weekend, and I really liked spending time with him. He didn't act like any of the boys that I had met in the past hundred years- who usually talked about nothing but themselves, or would pretend they understood what someone else was talking about though they obviously had no clue. The only thing they cared about was who they could get to fill their beds. No, Jacob wasn't like that at all. He actually cared about what I had to say, and… I think I fell in love with him.

That's what scared me so much. First off, I had never thought of myself as someone who would fall in love. I'd always been so against the idea of love, stopping any and all romantic relationships before they even started and keeping to myself as much as I possibly could- and thanks to so many teenagers constantly worrying about their cell phones, it was easy to do so. Secondly, I had no idea if he even felt for me in such a way. I heard that he had been pining after Bella for some time.

Anyway, back to the issue at hand. The training had gotten harder than it ever was. I had partnered up with everyone at least three times each, beating my brother and the other Cullens with a little difficulty. But the wolves were just too easy to beat. It was like they weren't even trying to fight me. Sure, when they partnered up with someone like Edward or Rosalie, they attacked like they were ready to tear to shreds, but they hardly even lifted a finger in my case.

"Hey Jasper?" Bella asked as we walked over to the side of the jeep where she was sitting. Jasper looked up at her and nodded. "Is there anything that I can do? You know, to help?"

"You're already helping Bella," he answered. "With you spending so much time here, your scent's lingering more and more. It'll drive the newborns wild."

"Yeah Bella, and the more they're distracted trying to pinpoint where your scent is, then the easier it will be for us to destroy them," I added, smiling as encouragingly as I possibly could. Jasper smiled and lightly kissed my head before walking back to the clearing. After my brother left, I turned back to Bella.

"Hey Bella, I was thinking we could use something to really confuse the newborns. Want to try?" She nodded. "OK. Just give me your hand for a minute." When she placed her hand in mine, I closed my eyes and concentrated hard.

"This is to feel, this is to be. Shape and form it for all to see. By the power of three times three, as I will it, so shall it be," I chanted. (AN: This spell isn't mine. It's from a movie call 'The Craft'. Really good movie, I recommend you see it when you can.)

Jacob's POV

'OK, this is it. I'm gonna tell Cindy the truth. I just hop it'll go right,' I thought as I started pacing along the length of the large boulder. I caught Edward looking at me and he gave me what I only guessed was an encouraging smile. Yeah, he and I are cool now, now that I'm not fawning over his girl and we're working together, we're starting to become friends. Thin ice, I know but I'd do it for Cindy.

"Hey guys, maybe we should get going," I heard Bella's voice and turned to look and instead of seeing both Bella and Cindy like I was hoping, I saw and we're working together, we're starting to become friends. Thin ice, I know but I'd do it for Cindy.

"Hey guys, maybe we should get going," I heard Bella's voice and turned to look and instead of seeing both Bella and Cindy like I was hoping, I saw two Bellas.

"Bella?" Edward asked worriedly, and they both turned to him and answered, "Yes Edward?" 'What the hell?'

"Cindy, what on earth have you done know?" Jasper asked them. 'Wait, one of them is Cindy? I can't tell which! They're exactly the same! They even smell the same!

"Well Jasper, I had simply told Bella that we could do a little something that would trick the newborns-" one Bella said. "And she liked the idea of being able to do something else," finished the other. "We just wanted to test it first." This shot around, they both spoke. I was starting to get a headache.

"OK, you've had your fun. Now could you please go back to normal Cindy?" Edward whined.

"Only when you guess which of us is the real Cindy and the real Bella," one said.

"This isn't funny anymore Cindy," Jasper added, but I could see the amused look from where I was standing. "Now seriously, change back."

"I think I agree," Bella 1 said. "This is starting to get a little mean for a prank."

"That's Bella then," Edward sighed in relief and ran over to her. I was going to make my way to Cindy when I saw Edward go to kiss Bella, but she stopped him. Next thing you knew, the Bella in his arms changed back into Cindy!

"Fooled you, didn't we?" she giggled. Everyone laughed at the joke as Edward placed her back on her feet. "I knew you'd think I was Bella if I was nicer. I can read you like a book Edward Cullen!"

"Where the hell did you learn to do that?" Emmett asked. I heard Esme scold him for his language.

Cindy shrugged. "A simple illusion charm, some duplicating spells for the smell and stuff, and voila! You've got a perfect Bella double! I thought we could use it on a couple trees or something."

"Sounds like a plan sis," Jasper said as he walked up to her and draped an arm over her shoulders. I had to keep myself calm. 'He's her brother. He won't hurt her. He's her brother. He won't hurt her.'

"Umm, Cindy?" Edward called out, catching her attention. "Jacob needs to talk to you about something." 'Oh, he didn't!'

"What's the matter Jake?" she asked me. I shook my head for a second, nodded towards the bushes and ran back. I quickly phased back to human and tugged on the shorts I brought with me. When I came back out, everyone else was gone except for Cindy.

"Hey Jake, are you alright?" she asked as I got closer.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm alright," I said hesitantly.

"So what is it you wanted to talk to me about?" "Well… uh, you see, there's something important I want to say to you… and I'm not sure how you'll react to it."

"If it has anything to do with the fight, don't bother. I'm not actually going to be fighting," she cut me off.

'Wait, she isn't fighting? Oh, thank God!' I silently thanked every single person that I could think of.

"Instead, I'm staying with Bella and Edward so if Victoria finds us, Edward and I can protect Bella."

"What? No, you can't!" I yelled.

"What's the problem with my being a part of this fight? It's just as much mine as it is yours or my family's!"

"It's too dangerous for you!" "Newsflash Jake, I've fought a lot of things in my life long before you were even born, so don't you go and tell me that there's something that's too dangerous for me to handle, because that would be a load of crap!"

"I won't let you get hurt!" I said.

"And why the hell not?" "Because I'm in love with you!" 'Oh crap! It wasn't suppose to be like this!' I looked at Cindy to see her standing there with a look of complete and utter shock on her face.

"You what?" she eventually gasped out.

"I'm in love with you Cindy. I've been in love with you since I first saw you. I know it sounds like something but it's the truth. You remember the camp fire the other night?" When she finally nodded, I continued. "Well, that part about the imprinting thing is true. I thought it was some stupid thing that my dad added to the stories, but then it started happening with the rest of the pack, and I realized it wasn't a joke. And then I saw you, and I just-"

"Jake, just be honest with me," Cindy interrupted my rant. "Do you really love me?" She looked up at me shyly as she asked this and I nearly got lost in those perfect blue eyes.

"Yes."

That was the only thing that I could say because the next thing I knew, I was kissing her. I don't know who started, but at that moment I couldn't care less. It was just too perfect.

"I love you too," Cindy breathed out when we eventually pulled apart. I just smiled like the happiest guy on the planet and picked her up in my arms, spinning around and laughing like an idiot.

So Merry Christmas everyone! Feliz Navidad! Happy Hanukkah! Happy Kwanzaa!And all those other holiday greetings!

PLZ R&R! & I mean rest & relaxation! It's the holiday's for Pete's sake! Enjoy it!

Nancy (aka megamatchmaker)