Side Note: Apologies for the delay. Also, for clarification to anyone that is new to the story: This fanfic is Non-Canon/AU.

Do Not Own Twilight.

"Unrest of spirit is a mark of life."

- Karl Menninger

- A Vision of You and Me -

- One Month Later -

The dreams continued. Every single night since the first. Some were the same, others were new, but they all revolved around a memory with Jacob. Almost as if he were pointing something out to her. Something long forgotten. No matter how hard she tried, she could not place it.

So she filled her day with cooking, taking care of Billy, and spending time with the pack members. If it weren't for Paul, Bella knew Billy would have deteriorated by now. Paul became a constant presence in the house. Especially when it came time to clean Jacob's room.

Neither Bella, Billy, nor Charlie had the strength to remove anything from the space that belonged to their loved one. He took it upon himself to clear it out for them.

The day after, when she sat on her mattress silently weeping, Paul came into her bedroom with a pile of shirts in his hand.

"Here Bells."

She picked one out of the stack and inhaled the faint, lingering scent of Jacob. She didn't hear Paul leave, and she didn't hear the door close; her entire focus was on the black material in her hands. She lay down and closed her eyes; willing herself to go to sleep so she could see Jacob again...

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

When Bella's eyes fluttered open, she was sitting next to Jacob in front of a roaring bonfire. His low, throaty laugh made her tear up. He scoot closer to her and put his arm over her shoulder; his words came out in a breathy whisper, "Remember the histories we always thought were legends? That's why we're here honey, to listen to the stories of how we came to be. The histories of our people and the spirit warriors."

Bella snuggled into his warmth - she missed him so much. He held her closer to him, and she wrapped her arms around his waist; pressing her face to his shirt, taking in his wonderful scent.

She wanted to tell him how much she loved him. Even though this was a memory, a dream, she wanted to share her feelings with him.

"Jake, I need to-"

He pressed his finger against her lips, "Not now Bells. I know what you're going to say."

Bella frowned at him and shook her head. He smiled at her and pressed his lips against her temple, "You have to remember. For me. Please. You'll know where."

The atmosphere changed around the blazing heat of the fire. Paul and Embry sat up straighter; Jared pulled Kim closer and rubbed the side of her arm. Bella glanced over at Emily and Sam; she was holding a spiral-bound notebook and a pen, her attention focused on where the Elders sat together.

Billy began telling the story in his rich, deep voice. The words poured out with precision, as if he carried them in his heart. A symphony of history soaked into Bella's very being. She understood what her next step was...

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

The bright sun streamed in through the partially opened window. Bella rubbed the sleep from her eyes and with renewed energy prepared herself for the day ahead. His scent saturated the room. She breathed in heavy gulps of the precious aroma.

After lying in bed for a few more minutes, she resolved to talk to Billy. About her dreams, the vision she had on the mountaintop, and seek his guidance.

The conversation did not go as planned.

Billy was upset that she kept this information from him.

"Why didn't you tell me, Bella?" the sadness she heard hurt her more than she was expecting.

"I didn't want you to think I was crazy. I mean, hell Billy, I'm hearing him. I see him in my dreams. I smell him everywhere when I wake up. Does that sound remotely sane to you?" She fought back the urge to cry.

He gestured for her to come closer. Bella sat on the chair next to him, and he hugged her. She didn't hear what he was saying, all she knew was that for once, she was being comforted.

"I wouldn't have thought you were losing it, Bella. You have to understand that I believe when people have these kinds of dreams, or visions if you will, it is for a purpose. I don't know what that is yet. But this does concern my son, and I wish you had confided in me sooner." - his short, roughened laugh surprised her - "It seems Jake has not strayed away from your side, even in death."

He soothed her until she was calm. She knew if Billy had any idea on where to go from here, then maybe there was a way to interpret what was happening.

Billy asked Bella to go to the store for him. They were running low on groceries with Paul and Jared's constant presence in the house. He called Old Quil once he was alone and relayed all Bella told him. He believed them to be visions, and Jacob was guiding her. Old Quil suggested calling a council meeting soon. This would give him time to search through the older journals and writings in regards to the warriors from the past. There was also another important matter to attend to with the pack.

Paul was officially rejecting his imprint to Rachel Black.

"This is an outrage! How dare you attempt to reject an imprint, boy! Do you know how blessed you are to have the opportunity to find your soul mate?" Elder Ateara's voice resounded throughout the small conference room.

Bella sat on the far corner, a good distance from the pack members. Jared did not want her close to them. The threat of an accidental phase always loomed when one of them became infuriated. If there was one thing to be said, is that they learned from their mistakes, and they were not taking a chance with Bella.

The pack stood behind Paul as he faced the council. He answered calmer than anyone expected. "I can and I will, Elder Ateara."

The older man glared at the younger man in front of him. His ire rising at the audacity of his claim. He glanced at the Chief and pointed at Paul. "Does this not bother you in the least, Chief Black? The boy is renouncing his imprint to your daughter. Do you have nothing to say to him?"

Chief Black remained silent as he contemplated why the young man stood before the Council of Elders. Then he motioned for Paul to stand in front of him.

"Why do you want to deny your imprint?"

"Because she is not worthy to be a wolf's imprint. Rachel Black abandoned her family, rightful Alpha Jacob Black's family. She left the day after her graduation, and refused to return to La Push. Her disregard for forcing so much responsibility on a child, her younger brother, speaks for itself. The manner with which she has treated you, her father, year after year, is disrespectful and disloyal. I refuse to accept that someone like her is supposed to be mine. I ask you, Chief Black, does that sound like the woman who is meant to be my soul mate? Do those actions speak of a worthy imprint?" Paul said with conviction.

"You know I cannot answer that. Only you can decide for yourself what path of life to choose... If this is what you wish, if you truly do not want this imprint, then do what you feel is right and just."

Paul nodded. He turned around and stared at his pack brothers and sister. "As a member of the Quileute wolf pack, I, Paul Lahote, reject my imprint to Rachel Black."

The instant relief on his face was palpable. The pack felt the aura of his imprint dissolve as soon as he spoke the words. Samuel Uley, dropped to his knees, the magnitude of what just happened weighed him down. Tears of guilt and sadness streamed down his cheeks.

His reaction startled every individual present. In an instant, his stoic mask returned. Bella had no idea what was going on. She stayed in her corner, nervously biting her nails.

Sam rose to his full height, his regret and anger radiated off him in waves. "Why was I never told we could reject an imprint?"

Silence.

"ANSWER ME!" he roared. Jared placed his hand on his shoulder, a calming gesture that did not go over well.

"Get. Off. Me." Jared staggered under the command; he barely registered moving away from his Alpha.

"Why does it matter now, Uley? You didn't care about me or my feelings when you imprinted. In fact if I remember correctly, from your memories, one look was all it took you took and any thoughts of me and our future erased from your mind." Leah's brashness was slowly coming back to her. Bella was happy to see Leah coming back to her old self... and for the other development.

Sam looked at Leah, this was the first time he'd had the courage to since seeing her at the funeral. "You're still angry with me, Lee. Imprinting... It didn't change the fact that I loved you. I just... God, I hated hurting you."

Leah gave him a sad smile, "I'm not hurt anymore Sam... Okay, so it does sting a bit because of how you dealt with all the changes back then. But that was your choice. You chose to lie to me. You chose to lead me on. You chose to pursue Emily before breaking it off with me. It was all you. You acted like a selfish child instead of a grown man..." - she stopped herself from continuing and simply sighed in relief - "... and I forgive you. For all of it. I'm seeing things differently, Sam. Emily is good for you. She gave you what you needed. But Paul is not you. He does not want this for himself. You felt it, just like we all did. He's free."

Leah leaned in closer to the tall, muscular body beside her and grasped the large, tan hand. She looked up at the man next to her, the one who had been there for her through so much, and smiled lovingly at her mate, Embry. "We decide who is meant for us."

The deafening silence once again filled the air.

Bella rose from her seat and made her way to the front of the council members table. "Elder Ateara, Chief Black has talked to you about my question. I wanted to know if you discovered any sort of explanation, or even a hint of where I can go to find some answers."

"I apologize, Bella, but there was nothing I found that could explain the visions or why they are occurring with such consistency. However, do not be disheartened. Because where there is a will, there is a way. Chief Black searched through his own ancestors writings and found something he would like to share with you."

All of her attention came to rest on the man she loved as a second father.

"Please, have a seat Bella."

Bella shook her head 'no'. "I'm fine standing. Nervous you know, can't sit still."

"Very well... I will start with, you are not losing your mind. Jacob has not left you. He is guiding you as best he can. Unfortunately, I feel what he wants to share with you is something that you must discover on your own. I was frustrated with the minuscule information on dream-like visions. Then, as the night wore on, I came to understand that it is not my place. It is yours, as his imprint, and the love of his life."

Bella's chest ached as the sadness overwhelmed her. She missed Jacob more than anything. She came to live for those tiny pulls at her heart that felt like their imprint before Jacob died. It kept her grounded. It gave her hope. And to hear from Billy that Jacob was trying to show her, get her to figure it out, gave her even more hope.

Paul went to her side and put his arm around her shoulder. "Breathe Bella. It's okay. I'm here for you. We're all here for you. But you gotta let us in. Stop trying to carry so much on your own."

She nodded at him and slumped into the nearest chair. She glanced up at the Elders, "Thank you."

Chief Black smiled at her. A ghost of a smile reminiscent of the ones he used to shared prior to Jacob's death. Bella wished she could take his pain away.

The rest of the meeting passed without incident. Sam appeared to be lighter... almost as if seeing Leah and Embry together helped rid him of the guilt. Everyone else knew, except for him. Bella was glad Leah finally moved on from her first love. She deserved happiness, and Embry embodied what Leah needed. He kept her sane, nurtured her, and captured her heart. He reminded Bella so much of Jacob that it stole her breath away. The way he cherished Leah was truly a beautiful thing. She hoped imprinting would never be an issue for them. It wasn't for Paul anymore, and if Embry was even half as stubborn as Paul, Bella knew he would fight it as well.

A few days later...

Bella sat at the table, with a paper in front of her and a pen in her hand. Her head hurt. She could not piece the puzzle together. She was thoroughly frustrated and tired. Sleeping has not been easy. Even though she loved to see her Jacob, it was disheartening when she woke up and still did not know where to go. Piecing the hints together had been nearly impossible. So far, all she knew was it had something to do with the older tales and her visions.

A part of her began to wonder about the one she saw when they kissed. It was clearly a glimpse of their future; the small children running toward the forest caused her heart to skip a beat. She felt the recognition within her as the vision played itself out; the little boy and girl were her children, their children. How could that future be possible if Jake was gone? Why would she have that vision of their life together if he was meant to die?

Jared walked through the door, disrupting her train of thought. He took one look at her and huffed in frustration. "You need some rest. Go on. Lay on the couch while I make some dinner for you and Billy. Y'all don't have to worry about feeding me tonight. Dinner at Kim's folks."

The little eye roll did not go unnoticed, but Bella learned a while back that sometimes it was best to let sleeping dogs lie... no pun intended.

"If I fall asleep, wake me before you leave. Okay?" She said as she tiredly shuffled toward the living room.

"Will do. Paul is coming by after work. Figured I'd let you know."

Jared was not quiet in the kitchen. He loudly clanged pots and pans, and hummed to himself as he cooked. It felt oddly comforting.

She lay back on the worn-out couch. Five minutes. Then she would clean up her mess and set the table...

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Bella's opened her eyes and took in her surroundings. She panicked when she realized she wasn't at Billy's... no, this was her room. She was back at Charlie's house. She looked at her clothes and then rummaged through the notes strewn across her desk - March 8, 2005.

She remembers this date. Edward saved her from the drunken group of men on that empty street. The book she bought before that terrifying moment sat on top of her printer.

The book... of course. She searched for it online first; it helped her figure out the Cullen's true nature. She grabbed it and traced the shape of the Native American symbol on the front. A sad smile played at her lips. Jacob never liked leaving her clueless; he always helped her piece things together.

"I knew you could do it."

Startled, she jumped and nearly fell out of her chair. That baritone voice belonged to only one person.

"Jake!"

She turned around and there he was; wearing only a pair of cut-offs, sitting on the side of the mattress, and the grin she loved on his face. She jumped onto his lap and wrapped her arms around him. His warmth seeped into her, his velvet chuckle sent tingles up her spine.

His lips tickled her ear, "Come find me. You can do this. Help us get back to each other."

She nodded and held on tighter. The darkness already consuming the room, her warning that their time together was coming to an end once again...

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

"Bella!" Jared's frantic voice woke her.

"What the-"

He let go of her shoulders and pulled her into a hug. "Thank god. I was freaking out, you weren't waking up, and you kept saying Jake's name and..." - he carefully let her go, and stepped away from her, she noticed his eyes had misted over - "Don't scare me like that again. Dinner is ready. I'll see you later."

He left before she could ask him what was wrong.

Bella didn't let the confusion dwell. She replayed her dream and realized she was finally on the right track. She shot off the couch and ran to grab her keys and purse. Charlie wasn't there, but she still had a copy of the house key.

Bella sped the entire way to Forks. She wasn't one to break the law, but she needed to get that book.

She unlocked the door and jogged upstairs to her room. It looked as if she'd never moved anything out. Charlie had cleaned her room and arranged the remaining items in the same way she would have done. It didn't occur to her until now that Charlie might miss her more than he let on. Her affection for Sue increased. She was the one keeping Charlie together now. Bella smiled a little at the realization.

Just as she bounded down to the front door, a bright orange sticky note caught her eye. She snatched it off the cabinet when she read her name scrawled onto the paper in her father's handwriting.

Package for Bells. Take tomorrow.

She looked at the sender's information. Only a name and a country - R. McCarty, Santiago, Chile. The name wasn't familiar. She tucked the package under her arm. She would open it back at the house.

Bella pulled into the Black driveway and stared at the garage. The last time she set foot in there was with Jake. She looked at the book on the seat and sighed. For some reason it felt as though she was supposed to read the book in a place that was once theirs, away from everyone else.

She hid the package underneath her seat, and held the book close to her chest as she climbed out of the truck. The light to the dining room illuminated the outside porch. Billy and Paul must have eaten by now. Hopefully they weren't sitting up worried about her. She had a feeling she was going to be up all night reading. Good thing she grabbed an apple from Charlie's before she left; that should tide her over until she ate some leftovers.

As she opened the door to the garage, all of her memories with Jacob hit her at once. She gripped the handle, and attempted to steady herself. As impossible as the task seemed, she managed to lock the door behind her, and gradually made her way to one of the battered chairs.

Her eyes stung with unshed tears. She bit her lip to hold back the impending misery. It wasn't time to cry. Crying can come later. Now she had something important to do. Jacob pointed her in the direction, and now she needed to find out where to go from here. After a deep breath, she opened the book and began to scan the various legends on the wolves.

Next chapter up as soon as it's finished. This story only has two or three more chapters before it's complete. Thank you for taking the time to read. I appreciate it.

Notes:

The dream with bonfire had parts of Eclipse, Chapter 11 - Legends, by Stephenie Meyer.

And her hold the book of legends was from Twilight, the movie. In the actual book, Twilight, she did not go into the store to buy any books before the confrontation with the group of drunken men.