Warning: This story deals with domestic violence and the struggles to recover. If you have problems with this issue please don't read this.

Disclaimer: Ms Meyers owns Twilight and all its characters.

Big thanks to my Beta's Taloolah, dizzygirl28 and Beate73. You girls are awesome; I appreciate all the work you do for me, helping me make my stuff presentable. Love you guys.

All about Jacob

EPOV

I woke up not knowing how I had gotten into bed. I remembered leaving the tattoo shop and getting into the car after saying goodbye to Alice, Jasper and Seth, and I remembered talking to Jake about... something, but I didn't remember getting home.

Rolling over to look at the clock, I realized it was morning; a fact that should have been made obvious from the sunlight peaking in through the bedroom curtains. Sighing I rolled over onto my back and winced, sitting up quickly as the memories of yesterday came back with a vengeance.

I felt Jake's arms slip around me just as my body started to tremor, flash after flash of Sam, Seth, the tattoo, the pain, the freak outs, all of it flooded into my mind. A small sob burst forth from me as I felt the bed shift and Jake move behind me, his legs coming around the sides of me and my head fell back onto his shoulder. I turned my head and buried it into his neck, taking in large gulps of air, his scent calming me down.

My mind and body started to relax slowly as his hands ran up and down my arms in a soothing motion. And just when I had pushed it all away another flash came to me and caused another tremor to rock through me, only this one was caused by excitement and happiness, a smile growing on my lips. Jake proposed. I'm getting married. My smile grew larger into the side of his neck and his grip tightened on me.

"We're getting married," I breathed out in a whisper.

"We sure are," Jake said and kissed the top of my head, before adding, "Are you okay baby?"

"Yeah, I just...memories, ya know? But then I remembered we are getting married." I turned to him, smile stretched across my face, his mimicking mine.

"I still can't believe you said yes," he sighed before leaning in and capturing my lips in a chaste kiss. I, of course, wanted more, so I twisted my body around, straddled his hips and reconnected my lips to his, my tongue finding its way into his mouth. His hands roamed my back, steering clear of the tattoo, and that was when I noticed I was wearing two t-shirts and one was glued to a sticky mess on my back. I pulled back from Jake and looked over my shoulder trying to see.

"What the heck?" The last thing I remembered was Seth putting on a bandage so why was I all sticky? My breathing started to pick up as I thought maybe I was bleeding. "Am I bleeding Jake? What h-ha-happ..."

"No, oh, God no, Edward," Jake replied pulling me closer to him, muttering "shit" under his breath.

"No, baby. God, I'm so sorry. You fell asleep in the car and I had to do the aftercare on your tattoo. You didn't even stir during the whole thing, so I knew you were exhausted. I took the bandage off and I smothered you in that balm stuff, then I put on a few t-shirts, like he suggested, so the stuff wouldn't get all over the place. It's just the balm that is making you feel sticky, baby."

I remembered hearing Seth talking about that and felt really stupid for thinking I was bleeding. I rolled my eyes at myself and chuckled at my own idiocy. "Sorry," I mumbled through my chuckles, then shook my head and bit my lip, looking at Jake apologetically.

"You have nothing to be sorry for, baby, I should have explained." He started mumbling to himself again, but I could only make out the words "how," "stupid," "Jake," "get," and "program." I laughed out loud at his ramblings, figuring he was berating himself for being stupid somehow; he always blamed himself for my stupidity. God, I loved him.

A flash of Jake's face, broken and twisted, his legs giving out under him as he gripped the table, flashed through my mind causing breathing to hitch.

"Oh, God, Jake. I'm so sorry about what happened at the tattoo shop. You and Seth… Sam, Oh, God..." I couldn't continue as it all came flashing back. Seth stayed away from Sam because of Jake.

Oh, God. Sam hurt Jake.

I collapsed into Jake's body forcefully causing all the air to be pushed from my lungs, and I couldn't catch my breath. I was gasping, trying so hard to fill my lungs, but I just couldn't get any air in. Then, everything went black.

As I fought through the blackness, I could see figures in front of me, fighting. Sam and Jake's faces kept flashing in and out of view as blood surrounded me. So much blood.

"JAKE!" I sat up as his name came bellowing out of me. My eyes blinking rapidly as I looked around frantically for anything I could use to help him. I had to save him.

I jumped when I felt arms go around me, and I screamed. "JAKE, PLEASE, GOD, NOT JAKE!" I struggled like a maniac against the arms that where encasing me, trying to break free to help Jake.

My mind started to clear and words became clearer as I heard his voice in my ear. "I've got ya, baby. You're safe now. I'm here. Please, baby, please. I'm here."

"Jake?" I slumped backwards and turned my head. Taking in a deep breath, his smell invaded my senses. Jake was holding me.

"Jasper, please, is he okay?" I heard Alice's sobbing voice, cracking on every other word. She sounded terrified. Tears pooled in my eyes and spilled over as I took in shuddering breaths.

"I-I'm..." I took myself to my happy place, taking in deep breaths through my nose and exhaling out of my mouth, repeating the mantra, "Breathe, Edward, breathe." My hands reached down and grabbed hold of Jake's strong arms, and I could feel myself pulling his strength from him and making it my own. With one last deep breath, I raised my head and looked at Alice and Jasper standing at the edge of the bed, Alice wrapped up in Jasper's arms and shaking like a leaf.

It pained me that I had caused her more pain, and the look in Jasper's eyes tore through my chest. I cleared my throat and took another cleansing breath.

"I'm fine. I'm so sorry. Did I...um...pass out?" I looked down at my hands encasing Jake's forearms and sighed. When would this shit be over?

"Yes, baby. You were talking about the tattoo shop, and then you were talking about Sam and me, and then you just... God, Edward. You scared the crap out of me. I love you so much, baby." Jake's voice cracked on the last word and I knew he was crying. They all were, again, because of me. But this time, instead of blaming myself, instead of hating myself for causing pain, I actually felt relief. Relief that there were people in the world who loved me so much, and who cared for my well being enough, that any time I suffered, they suffered with me.

My heart swelled with that fact, and for the first time since my parents died, I actually felt worthy of being loved. That thought alone shocked the hell out of me.

"I love you too, Jake. So much. You have given me my life back. You, Alice and Jasper, along with the other Cullens. You have no idea how much you have helped me. I finally see it now, ya know. What love is supposed to be - what it means. What Sam did to me and how he treated me..." I shook my head rapidly, trying to stop the images of Sam doing those things to Jake. Well, not all of them because, well, they are related...I snorted out loud at that thought. How the hell can I make jokes? I knew in that moment it was because I felt loved, at peace, and finally, something I never thought I would feel again, safe.

"Jake, you make me feel," I paused and turned to look him in the eye. I wanted him to see exactly what I was saying was the God's honest truth, and I knew Jake could read the emotions in my eyes.

"You, Jacob Black, make me feel safe." Jake threw his arms around me and hugged me so tight I thought I was going to snap in half, but I hugged him back just as fiercely, holding on to everything that was him. I truly think they broke the mold when they made him. And all my suffering, all my pain, was worth it in the end because I got to have him. It seemed like an even trade to me.

"Thank you, Edward, thank you. You have no idea how much that means to me," Jake said through his tears. I turned slightly to see Alice and Jasper holding each other, both crying. It was all so surreal, but wonderful. Being surrounded by the people that loved me the most in the world and feeling absolutely safe for the first time since my parents died. I had no real words to communicate exactly how I was feeling.

Alice and Jasper left a few hours later, after Alice made us discuss wedding plans yet again. She always found a way to bring it up in any conversation, no matter how distant it was from the topic at hand. But this time when she brought it up, I felt my own excitement boil up inside me. I was going to be Edward Black.

"Edward Black, or Edward Masen Black, I can't decide." I was thinking out loud again, obviously because Jake threw his arm around my shoulder as he rejoined me on the couch, after showing Alice and Jasper out.

"What about Jacob Masen?" Jake asked, and I was a little blown away that he would take my name. But I couldn't see him as anything other than Black, the name suited him somehow. I couldn't explain it any better than that; I just knew that he should stay a Black and that, for me, taking his name just made me all that much closer to him. So I shook my head, no.

"I want to be a Black and I want you to stay a Black. Okay?" He leaned over and kissed me softly before pulling back and nodding his head.

"Anything for you Edward, you know that." I sighed with content at just being in his arms, and I buried my face in his chest. Breathing in his scent, I whispered, "Home," and placed a kiss on his cloth covered skin.

I was so damned tired again; all the emotional displays were draining me and I was still exhausted from the day before. Jake, of course, sensed it, and before I could say a word, he picked me up and carried me back to bed. Stripping off the clothes I had dressed in during Alice and Jaspers visit, he pulled the covers back and placed me in bed before tucking me in.

"Stay with me?" I asked as Jake went to walk out of the room.

"Of course, baby, just let me go check I locked up properly and turned everything off. I will be right back." He walked over to me, kissing me before leaving the room.

I must have been more exhausted than I thought because the next thing I knew, I was waking up. My back felt all sticky again, but I was wearing new t-shirts. Jake must have cleaned my tattoo again. The thought brought a smile to my face.

Rolling over in bed, I threw my arm and leg over Jake, resting my head on his chest and kissing the bare skin there, earning me moans from him. His chest rumbled lightly under my lips, and his arms came around me and pulled me closer. "Hey baby, did ya have a nice nap?" He asked, leaning down and kissing the top of my head. I sighed and snuggled in closer to him. I loved being wrapped up in his arms.

"Mmhmm," was all I said. I was too content to even form words. I knew we needed to talk, I needed to know about Jake and Sam, but I wanted this moment to last a little bit longer.

I let the contentment wash over me, feeling all of Jake's love and basking in the safety of his arms. Occasionally, I would turn my head and kiss his chest, and he stroked my back and arm. It was a perfect moment in time, one I wanted to freeze forever until I remembered that this was my forever. This was how I would spend every night, and I could be wrapped up in his arms whenever I felt the need. That thought, coupled with being in his arms, gave me the strength I needed to have the conversation I was dreading. But I needed to know.

"Jake?"

"Yes, baby?"

"Tell me about what happened with you and Sam." Jake took in a deep shuddering breath and blew it out slowly. There was no preamble, he just began at the beginning and told me the story of his youth.

"When I was younger, Sam was bigger than me. He used to get pleasure out of making my life miserable. It wasn't so bad when my mother was alive. She would put Sam in his place pretty quick." He chuckled slightly at the memory and my heart broke a little, knowing his mother was no longer with him. He had never spoken much about his parents, so I didn't know his mother had passed.

"She was a great woman. I still miss her terribly, and my father hasn't been the same since. Though he pulled it together for us kids, you can see the sadness in his eyes. Anyway, Sam was a jerk, plain and simple, and I really did hate him. He would hit me with sticks, throw rocks at me and generally torture me."

"Before my mother died, he couldn't physically harm me or my mother would pull him by his ear to his front door and tell his parents to control their son. The next day Sam would appear with a black eye or bruises of some kind. I guess that's how his dad dealt with it. But after my mother was killed..."

"How did she die?" I cut him off, wanting to know more about his family. He smiled at me and kissed my head.

"I will get to that later, okay?" I nodded and he continued. "As I was saying, after my mother was killed, things got bad. My dad was in the hospital and I was being looked after by my sisters. My Aunt, Sam's mom, would come over and look in on us every day and bring us food and that kind of thing. Sam used that as an opportunity to begin what I later called, 'Project Torment Jacob'."

"He would, as I said, hit me with stick, throw stuff at me and generally attack me whenever the occasion struck. I was seven when my mother died, and from that time on, until I turned sixteen, I spent my life trying to avoid him."

"When I turned sixteen, something amazing happened - I grew up." He chuckled and squeezed me to him. "I'd begun working out when I was fourteen, and by the time I was sixteen, I had grown up and out. I was six foot tall and my muscle mass just kept getting bigger. It was then I decided to seek him out." He sighed and took another deep breath. I could hear the sadness in his voice.

"I found him with Seth. He had him cornered at the edge of the cliffs and was running his hands all over Seth's body. Seth was only fifteen and he looked terrified. I had told Seth many a time to keep clear of Sam, and as you know, Seth had witnessed me being beaten by Sam. Seth knew to stay clear, so I knew for sure that Sam had followed him and was trying to... Anyway, I grabbed Sam by the shoulders and pulled him off of Seth. I told Seth to run, but he just stood off to the side frozen in place.

"Sam lunged for me, but the only sound I was aware off was Seth screaming. He sounded terrified. I, of course, was not worried; I had been preparing for this day. I had taken self defense classes, karate and a few other things. And that day I beat Sam to a pulp." I felt Jake shrug his shoulders, as if it was no big deal.

"From that day on, Sam avoided me, Seth and anyone else I was friends with. That's the story of Sam and Jake."

"You skipped over a lot of stuff, Jake." I said, worried as to why, and wondering just how bad the beatings had been.

"Well, you don't need to hear all the gory details. Let's just say that what he did to me was child's play compared to what you went through. Now, do you want to hear about my parents or not?" I knew he was trying to change the subject, and he knew it would work because I wanted to know about his mom and dad more than anything. I wanted that peak into Jake's life. So I nodded my head and waited for him to continue.

"Just after I celebrated my seventh birthday - about three weeks after - my mom and dad were invited to a party at Charlie's house. Charlie was my dad's best friend and the chief of police in a little town off of the reservation. Anyways, my mom was driving because my dad drank too many beers that day, which was always the case whenever he and Charlie got together. On the way home, about ten minutes outside the reservation, a drunk driver in a truck crossed lanes and plowed right into their car. My mom died instantly, my dad was left paralyzed. And every day after, my dad has wished he had been the one driving."

"I'm so sorry, Jake," I said and realized I was crying. My parents had been taken from me in a car accident, but unlike Jake, I had lost both. Jake rubbed his hand up and down my back in soothing motions.

"It was a long time ago, Edward. I've grieved and moved on. Yes, I miss her every day, but she will always be with me in my heart, and my dad and I found a perfect balance and get along great now. He was proud of me for becoming a police officer, and I get out to see him as often as I can. I actually can't wait for you to meet him. He is gonna love you, Edward." I could hear the smile in his voice and my stomach dropped.

I had never met parents before. Sam kept me hidden, and he was the only relationship I'd had. I was terrified that Jake's dad would see me for the damaged soul I was and tell Jake he didn't want him to see me anymore. I felt the shudder run through as Jake soothed me.

"It's okay, baby, you don't have to meet him until you are ready, okay? He already knows about you and is looking forward to it, but he understands it will be on your time."

"He knows...everything?" I felt my breathing quicken as I fought for control.

"Yes, he knows everything, baby. My dad found out most of it from my Aunt and he called me for the details." Jake sighed as I continued to shake and kissed my head, squeezing me tightly to him.

"So...he knows...that...that I'm...a...a freak?" I finally managed to get the words out.

"Edward, you are not a freak. Don't say that. You are the most perfect man in the world. My dad can see how happy you make me. He can tell just from my voice that I am the happiest I have ever been. And he wants to meet the man that does that for me. He is excited to meet you, Edward. And for the record, he thinks you are one of the bravest people for surviving all you have been through."

"Really?" Could he really think like Jake, Jasper, Alice and the Cullens? I truly hoped so, and as I thought more about it, I felt my apprehension slip away.

"Of course," Jake said, and I could hear the happiness in his voice.

The days turned into weeks as we prepared for Alice and Jasper's wedding and started to house hunt. Jake took care of my tattoo, making sure it healed correctly, and life was just falling into place. I was so content that even my regular patients started to notice the difference.

By the third week, my tattoo was completely healed and looked fantastic. Not even I could see any trace of Sam in it, and that alone had me grinning like the Cheshire Cat. Life was moving along perfectly, except for one thing looming in the distance.

Jake and I had grown closer, not just emotionally, but physically too, and I knew it wouldn't be long before I was ready for more than just hand jobs and blow jobs, plus the occasional rimming. Jake was teaching me, opening up a whole new world for me sexually, and I was excited by the prospects of what else he would show me. And I was really excited for the day I would be ready to have intercourse. We had penetrated each other with our fingers, and it was a daunting experience, at least it was at first for me. It was a little for Jake too, when I had managed to push three fingers into him. But the more we 'practiced' the easier it became, and in no time, it was as natural as breathing. Soon, very soon, I was sure I would be ready for making love.

That, though, wasn't what was bothering me. The date that had me all wrapped up in knots was the forthcoming Saturday.

I was going to meet Jake's dad.

A/N: Sorry about last week guys, I have been fighting a virus of some kind, and added to some stress I'm dealing with, well... sorry, I will try to keep up the weekly postings but if I miss a week please understand that R/L sometimes gets in the way. Again I want to thank all of you who are reading and reviewing. Over 700 reviews and counting, that is awesome. Also I wanted to let you all know on my fanfic page there is a poll for you all to vote for which outtake from LtLA you want most. So get over there and vote. Thanks again guys you all rock.