Chapter 30: Truth and Consequences

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Derek and Leah? No—it had to be a joke, right? For Pete's sake—it didn't make any sense. But then, imprinting never did make any sense, did it?

The moony-eyed couple in the meantime couldn't tear their peepers away from each other. Leah sat down beside him. He touched her hand and they both shuddered at the contact.

"So, you're Derek, huh?" she murmured breathlessly.

Never averting his eyes, Derek answered, "Yeah, but I'm afraid I'm at a big disadvantage. You know who I am but I haven't the slightest notion who you are. And you know what? I don't even care. How 'bout that?"

Leah smiled provocatively. "Yeah, how 'bout that? I'm Leah—Leah Clearwater."

"Well, Leah, would I seem too bold if I asked you to take a walk with me."

"Not at all; I'm counting on it, handsome."

Derek, stood, drawing her up with him as he did so. He directed his gaze at Jacob and Bella, grinned like a fool, and raised his eyebrows. Then he shrugged his shoulders, turning away from the couple.

Jacob yelled after them, "Hey, wait. How are you getting home?"

"Don't get your shorts in a bunch, Jake. He can ride home with me," she answered, winking at him.

The two of them left the bonfire; Derek's arm draped at her shoulder, hers at his waist. They quickly disappeared from view, as they sauntered to the beach.

Jacob pivoted toward Bella, his mouth inviting in the mosquitoes. "I don't believe it," Jacob sputtered.

"Did you see the way they looked at each other—believe it!" Bella fired back. Then the little crease between her brows appeared. Now what?

"Holy Cow, I just remembered something Derek told me back in Florida. He had a great grandmother that was a full blooded Seminole."

"Yeah, well the blue eyes had me fooled."

"Jake—you should be happy. This is a win-win situation."

Rolling his eyes, Jacob snorted, "How's that?"

Bella readjusted her rear end on the hard as nails, log. "Well, you don't have to be jealous of him anymore, and Leah will be more laid back when you guys patrol."

"Oh, she'll be laying back all right."

Bella sighed. "There you go again, with the crude remarks."

"Just statin' a fact, honey. And my money's on Leah. Her wolf will eat him alive."

Liam started crying. Jacob picked him up, patting his back. "Maybe we should head home. I'm sure he's hungry again, and I'm lookin' forward to dessert myself."

She got his meaning right off the bat. Real subtle, big boy. It was still fun to play along though. "You already had dessert."

"Not the kind I'm talking about." He leaned in, planting a kiss at her neck.

Her eyes lit up mischievously, as she stood suddenly, leaving Jacob with his puckered lips kissing the air. "Last one to the Rabbit is a rotten egg."

She took off running to the car with Jacob trailing after her, complaining. "Hey, woman, that's not fair. I'm carrying the baby."

Leah dropped by with Derek the next day so he and Jacob could pick up a new alternator belt at the auto parts store. Jacob wondered if Derek had actually made it home last night, 'cuz those two looked a little too happy—suspiciously happy. Oh well, what did he care? He had his woman, and that was all that mattered to Jacob.

On the way over to the shop, Derek posed a question to him. "Hey, Jacob, do you believe in love at first site?" Uh-oh, he knew where this conversation was goin'. How should he answer this one?

"You mean, like how you and Leah seemed to hit it off so fast?"

"Yeah … you know when Bella was in Florida, it was painful trying to get her to like me. D'arvit, I practically had to do cartwheels to get her attention, and yet I didn't even know Leah's name, and we seemed to fall head over heels as soon as our eyes met. How do you explain that?"

A puff of air came spewing out from Jacob's cheeks. How did you explain that phenomenon? He didn't want to touch it with a ten foot totem pole.

Jacob was no dummy, so he played it safe. "That's something you should discuss with Leah. She can tell you about some of our tribe's legends that have to do with that very subject."

Is he serious? What in the world is he talking about? Legends?

The discourse on love was postponed indefinitely. They filled in the rest of the time jabbering about football legends, instead.

The men returned shortly with the belt, and in no time at all, Jacob had it installed.

Derek extended his hand to Jacob. "Hey, thanks. D'arvit, that was fast. How much do I owe you?"

Wiping his hands on a rag, Jacob retorted, "What? You gotta be kiddin me. I'm not takin' your money. You can return the favor—maybe help with my homework or somethin'."

They shook hands, and Derek conceded. "Okay, as long as it's not Advanced Mechanics."

Jacob grinned knowingly. "No problem. Anyway, I'd be teaching that class. They could use a few pointers from Jacob Black."

Six weeks went by and Leah and Derek were like a couple of con-joined twins. Derek had an apartment just outside the rez, and Leah was either there, or he was at the Clearwaters' when they weren't at school.

One day, Jacob and Bella were visiting Billy, sitting outside in the backyard when they saw a disheveled Derek running out of the woods like his pants were on fire. Jacob ran to him, stopping him abruptly. The poor guy was caked with mud and forest debris and there were streaks of blood near his throat.

He grabbed hold of Jacob's shirt collar, pulling him closer. "Did you know? Did you? Leah was … And then … She was this … Oh, god" He collapsed on the ground, still babbling incoherently, with his head in his hands. Jacob sat on the ground next to him.

"I guess the secret's out, huh?" Right after uttering those words, Leah came loping out of the tree line.

She stood over him and with tears in her eyes, cried, "Derek, are you okay? I'm so sorry, sweetheart, but I had to let you know."

She knelt beside him, her arms at her sides, useless. No one spoke for a few minutes.

Looking up at her, his gray-blue eyes wide with fright, he finally gasped, "So the legends they spoke about at the bonfire that night—they're … they're true?"

"Yes," she choked out.

He turned to Jacob. "What about you? Are you—"

Nodding his head, Jacob interrupted him, revealing the truth. "Unfortunately, yup, me too."

His eyes narrowing, he asked, "Bella knows?"

"Yeah, she knows; almost from the beginning, she knew."

His face contorted in disbelief. "And she's okay with it?"

A furtive smile tugged at the corners of Jacob's lips. "Obviously—Liam's proof of that."

Derek peered down at the ground, pulling at a patch of grass nearby, scattering it in the air. "Maybe I should go talk to her then."

They all convened in Billy's kitchen, encompassing the table.

Leah sat there across from Derek, holding a tissue. Her eyes were red from crying and she was still sniffling. Billy patted her on the shoulder, and wheeled into his bedroom, to give the party some privacy.

Derek's hands were shaking as he placed them on the table. He tried to keep the trembling out of his voice; it was bad enough that he couldn't control the nervous movement of his hands. He looked into Bella's eyes for some sign of reassurance. "Help me understand, Bella. How did you accept the fact that Jacob was … well, let's say, less than a normal human."

Bella placed her palm over one of his quivering hands. "I guess it was because I knew that underneath all that russet fur beat a good heart. He didn't ask for this transformation; it was thrust upon him; the same goes for Leah. None of them wanted or welcomed it. There were circumstances beyond their control that tripped the gene. I'll let Leah explain that to you later. But the thing is, she's still Leah, and she loves you, Derek."

He was beside himself. He loved Leah, that was a given, but all the baggage that she was bringing with her was hard to contend with. Derek now spoke up quietly. "Leah," he appealed to her, "can you give me some time. I need to clear my head and really think about what I'm going to do."

Her head bobbed up and down in acknowledgement. After excusing herself, she left the house without saying another word. She had lost Sam to an imprint and now that she imprinted, her mate was rejecting her? Life was so unfair.

Another week had passed and Derek did his best to stay away from Leah. She complied with his wishes and made no attempt to contact him. Jacob was worried. A little thing like lycanthropy really freaked out this guy. What a wuss. Then he remembered how scared and depressed he himself had been when the shoe was on the other paw.

His worries were over on the eighth day. Derek couldn't stand being away from Leah a minute longer; he missed her terribly. Eating and sleeping had become impossible. What was there to think about? He'd never been happier than when she came into his life. So what if she morphed into a wolf. He became a wolf too, figuratively speaking, as soon as he touched her. He raced to her home and begged her forgiveness, and she took him back in a heartbeat.

Bella started back to school in January, with Jacob by her side. It was hard for her to give up her stay at home job caring for Liam though. She would miss being with him, but luckily Grandma Sue agreed to watch Liam while his parents got their higher education.

The school gang all traveled together to WSU. They included Bella, Jacob, Leah, Derek and Embry. Derek graduated the same year and he and Leah got married that summer.

Fast forward two and a half years.

Renee had to eat her words as Jacob proved her wrong. He took marriage and his little family seriously; he was nearly there. The goal was in sight. Only one more semester and he and Bella would be out of the woods—well onto a better life anyway.

It was spring break and Bella was at the stove making Jacob's favorite—lasagna. He had just come from his job at the garage, his arms as always cinching her waist and tickling her neck with his nose as she was trying to arrange the noodles in the pan.

Liam walked into the kitchen, and asked, "What are you doin,' Daddy?"

His mother turned her head to look at him. "He's bothering me, Liam," she answered.

Liam cocked his head to one side. "Why are you bodderin' Mommy?"

"'Cuz, she likes it, don'tcha?" Jacob playfully nipped at her shoulder.

"I want you to bodder me too," his son pouted.

Jacob let go of Bella, saying, "Sure, sure." Then he growled, "I'm comin'— to bodder you, buddy."

He chased Liam into the other room. The small boy ran as fast as his little legs could carry him, giggling all the way. Jacob made a circle and swept back through the kitchen, with Liam trailing behind him. He picked Bella up in his arms, swinging her around in a circle, as her shrieks of protests rose to the ceiling.

"Jacob Black—stop bothering me. I'm trying to get supper done." She tried to look stern, but let's face it, folks, he was just too darn irresistible, and her smile won out.

He put her down, and crooned, "Okay, honey. But I guarantee you my bodderin' will continue later on tonight."

Liam smiled innocently and commented, "You love it, Mommy, huh, Daddy?"

That night when Liam was tucked into bed, Jacob fulfilled his own prophesy and was in fact, bothering his wife in the sexiest way possible.

Damn, he was in a hurry rifling through the nightstand, searching for the pack of Trojans. Where the hell were they? Ah, finally his hand grasped the box. Yes, folks, they were back to condoms again. Unfortunately, Bella was in between gynecologists. Her previous one had moved to Portland and so here she was out of luck and out of her pills.

After a very successful attempt at lovemaking—and obviously, with this couple it was always successful—Jacob was throwing the used condom into the garbage pail when he noticed it was leaking out the bottom. Uh-oh, his wolf vision caught the tiny fissure in the latex. Bella padded into the bathroom behind him to clean up. She saw the worried expression on his face.

She reached out, her arms encircling his bare shoulders. Tucking her chin into the crook of his neck, she kissed him behind the ear, and asked, "What's is it, Jake?"

He breathed out heavily. Damn, I hope she doesn't freak out.

He turned around, buzzing her forehead. "Let's clean up first and go back to bed, so we can talk."

Crap! Was he upset with her for telling him to quit bothering her? She was only fooling. He should know that by now.

They got back under the covers and Jacob held her tight. Okay, Jake, take it slow, so she doesn't fall apart.

"Um … Bells … I hate to tell you this, but I noticed a leak in that condom."

Bella shoved him away from her sharply, and sat up, startled. "Whaaat?"

He sheepishly ran his hand gently down her arm. "Now don't go blowing a gasket. This is the first time it's ever happened—only this once."

"Jacob Black …" she groaned. His distraught wife flopped back onto the mattress, her head hitting the pillow.

Lying down, he snuggled against her back, combing his fingers through her mahogany tresses. "It's okay, Bells. I'm sure everything will be fine," he murmured. Jeez, I hope so, or she's gonna kill me.

Bella covered her face with her hands. "Yeah, right—those sneaky wolf sperm are probably racing straight to their target as we speak."

True to her prediction, nine months later, Carlie Star joined her brother in the Black's home. So, see? It just goes to show ya—once is definitely enough!

The End

A/N: This story is done, finito, kaput. Don't even go there. I am not-I repeat not doing a sequel to this one, okay? All rightie then, adios from Lady of Spain.

PS: Someone want to explain to me why this story has been so popular? I don't get it. *scratches head*