big surprises in this chapter. Let me know if y'all like it. Enjoy :) REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW!
Lizzy
"Jake. What are you doing here?" He walked next to the tree in the front yard, but didn't come any closer. "Come here so I could get a good look at you."
"Um, I really can't…" I gave him a confused look before the front door opened.
"Back away from her, Jacob."
"Leave him alone, Edward! He wants to talk to me, let him." I stood up, but Edward placed me behind him anyway. I banged on his back, but I guess he didn't notice.
"No, Bella. It's okay. I really can't be around you yet…" He laughed lightly and I still stared at him, confused.
"Just wait there. I'll be back in a second." Edward disappeared in a gust of wind and was back before I took a breath. He threw something blue at Jacob and then turned back to face me. I met his eyes and saw the apology there. I smiled at him and he leaned down to touch his lips to mine.
But right before he reached mine, Jacob cleared his throat. I leaned around Edward with an apologetic look and saw Jacob standing under the porch light. He smiled hugely and I returned his smile. His hair was extremely long, reaching his waist, and he looked slightly off balance in his body. He was wearing a pair of Edward's jeans and his feet were bare and dirty. I realized why Jacob couldn't come near me. He had no pants.
"Jacob…" I lunged forward and threw myself into my best friend's arms.
"Hey, Bells. I missed you." His arms wrapped around me tightly and we breathed in each other's scents. When we pulled away he said, "So you're not a bloodsucker yet, I see." His tone was joking and I laughed.
"Yeah, not yet." We laughed again and Edward cleared his throat this time.
"Don't keep her away for too long." Jacob nodded and grabbed my hand. I looked back at my porch to see Edward looking after us without a trace of jealousy or restraint. I smiled at him and he waved before disappearing into the house again.
"Where can we go to talk, Bells?" I looked up at him and smiled, dragging him the same way Alice took me earlier. We walked down onto the beach and I removed my sandals. Jacob reached down to roll up Edward's jeans. We walked along the water for a long time before either of us spoke.
"Jake. What are you doing here?" The realization that he was actually here with me hit me suddenly.
"I had to talk to you. And I heard you and Edward arguing. I think we need to talk about that last part…" I looked away from him and out to the water.
"I'm sorry you had to hear that…" I still didn't look at him and I felt him stop next to me.
"Bella. It's okay." He grabbed my shoulders and looked deep into my eyes. "Listen to me. You should never feel bad for me. We loved each other before. There's no denying it. But now neither of us are in love with the other anymore." We both smiled at the realization. But my smile slowly faded.
"You aren't in love with me anymore?" I wasn't upset, but I was surprised. Did he finally imprint?
"I guess you haven't spoken to your sister all night. But she has some news for you…"
"Who? Rosalie?" What could have possibly happened to her that involves Jacob?
"Yeah. We'll go to them after we talk. But as I was saying, you shouldn't feel bad for me anymore. You'll know why…" He smiled and I smiled back. We fell back into step together.
We spoke about everything. I told him about the rest of the wedding after he… left. I told him about my honeymoon, without all the details. He then told me about his huge conflict with the pack after they forced him to leave the wedding. He said he eventually relaxed enough to leave. He's been away from home this whole month, always in his wolf form. That's why his hair was so long and he was so off balance. I laughed at that part. He said he traveled around the country for a long time before he went back to Forks. He spoke to Sam and found out where we were and came to 'win me back' as he so put it. But then he ran into something that he won't tell me about until after I speak to Rose. So I went on to tell him about Dartmouth and Lucas.
"So that's why you two were fighting…" Jacob snickered and I smacked his arm.
"So not funny, Jake." He laughed and we kept walking.
"Well, shouldn't you trust Edward? If he says something's up, you should believe him."
"I guess you're right…" I looked down at my hands and Jacob grabbed one of them. He started pulling me towards the path back to my house and I smiled. "Time to see Rose?"
Jacob laughed. "Yeah, Bells." I cheered and put my sandals back on. We walked up the path and saw Edward waiting for us on the front porch.
"I can't believe you knew before any of us," said Edward. He took my hand and the three of us crossed the street. Alice, Jasper, Esme, and Carlisle were all waiting for us. Everyone was sharing knowing looks.
"I hate it when all of you know something and I don't," I said. Everyone laughed as we walked over to Emmett and Rosalie's house. We all waited on the porch as Esme knocked. The door flew open and Emmett's gleaming smile was as bright as ever.
"Come in," he said in a rush. "Rosalie is in the living room. Jacob," he greeted as they crossed each other. Jacob nodded at him and we entered the house.
It was a small and cozy house. The living room was to the right and the kitchen to the left. The dining room was straight ahead with the stairs going up to the second floor off to the side. It was beautifully furnished, thanks to Alice. She decorated all the houses. When I walked into the living room and saw Rosalie on the couch, I froze. I rubbed my eyes a couple of times before I spoke.
"Rose. Why do you have a child?" She laughed at me. There was a little girl hiding behind her long, blonde hair. I gave her a crazy look and Jacob moved to sit next to Rose. She growled lightly, but let him have a seat. "Okay. You guys hate each other… What's going on?"
"Bella, I think you should sit down." Emmett spoke as he pulled a chair up from the kitchen. I sat and Emmett sat on Rose's other side. I stared at the three of them on the couch and at all the others standing around the living room. What could possibly be going on?
"Bella… This is Elizabeth. Our new daughter," said Rose slowly. She got up with the little girl and placed her on my lap. She had wide blue eyes and blonde hair, a shade darker than Rosalie's. She gave me a shy smile, showing me her perfect teeth.
"Hi," she said shyly.
"Hey, beautiful," I smiled back at her, but then it dawned on me. "Wait a sec. You guys can't have children… How the heck do you guys have a daughter?"
Emmett and Rose laughed. "It's a long story," said Em.
"Well, start explaining. We have all night." They nodded and flew into their story.
"There was a family moving out next door when we finally moved in. They were a young couple and very nice. The first night here, they invited us to their house to get to know each other. We agreed and walked over to their house. We met their daughter, Elizabeth." Rose paused to look at the girl. I gasped.
"Rose! You kidnapped the baby?"
"No, crazy lady! Just listen." I relaxed a little and she continued. "They spoke to us about how they were struggling with the baby and the expensive house. So they were going to move. They said they were happy to have made some friends before they left. We even helped them start packing that night. Janet, the mom, took me aside and asked me a couple questions about Emmett and I. I told her we've been married for a couple of years and we were here with the rest of our family. She asked me if I liked kids and I told her of course, I just couldn't have any of my own. She smiled at me and we continued to pack.
"When we got home from the movies today, we saw that their car was gone. We knew they left and we felt so bad. We walked up to the porch and heard crying. We saw little Elizabeth, here, crying on the lawn chair outside. She had so many bags all around her and we didn't know what to do. I took her into my arms and hugged her as she cried. She calmed down enough to say that her parents left her here. Emmett and I decided to keep her. Inside one of her bags, Janet left me a note. She said they weren't ready to be parents and they gave Elizabeth to us. We couldn't just leave her with nowhere to go. They had no other relatives."
I smiled at Elizabeth, who dozed off in my lap. She was beautiful and she deserved to have a real family. "So, she's a Cullen now?" Emmett and Rosalie smiled with pride.
"We're planning on going to the local agency tomorrow," said Emmett. "She'll be a Cullen by Saturday."
"How old is she?" asked Esme, who took Elizabeth up the stairs to her new room.
"She's two," said Jacob. I gave him a long look.
"Okay, what do you have to do with anything?" He gave me a nervous smile while Rose and Em rolled their eyes. Edward gave a loud guffaw.
"Like I told you before, I came over here to see you. But Blondie and Burley over here found my scent behind their yard. Emmett came out to speak to me and I saw Rosalie on the porch with a little girl. When I locked eyes with her, my whole world fell apart and only she mattered. I imprinted on her." My mouth fell open and the proud, new parents growled in unison. "They explained everything to me while I was still in wolf form. Now, I need to stay here with her. And that's why I said I don't love you like that anymore."
"Wow," I said. "Well, when are you guys going to tell her she has a vampire family and werewolf imprint?"
"When she's old enough to keep a secret, we'll tell her," said Rose. "But that means we'll need a lot of your help, Bella. You're the normal one out of all of us. You can help her be comfortable around us."
I nodded. "I can do that. I am her aunt after all." I smiled at the thought. I was happy for my brother and sister. They have wanted children for so long and now they finally have one. I yawned and everyone laughed at me. "You guys really need to stop laughing at me." They laughed again.
"Okay. I'm taking Bella to bed, everyone. Good night." Everyone chorused their 'good nights' and we walked to the door. I turned back at the last minute to look at Jacob.
"Jake, where are you going to stay?" Everyone was quiet and looked at Jacob.
"You can stay with us if you like...," said Carlisle.
"Thanks, doc. But I think I'll just sleep in the woods like I have been doing for a while now." I shook my head.
"No way. You're staying with us. I know you'll be more comfortable living with someone you actually talk to." He smiled and we both looked at Edward. He nodded with a smile.
"Okay. But I really need a shower and clothes. No offense Edward, but you're a little too skinny for me." He tried to stretch in Edward's jeans.
"Sorry," said Edward as he laughed. "Maybe Emmett's will fit you better." Em disappeared up the steps and came back down with an arm full of jeans, slacks, shirts, and pajamas. Shoes were in his other hand.
"Alice will always buy me more." Alice laughed and nodded.
"I'll even buy you your own wardrobe, Jacob." He nodded, too, and we all groaned. "Shopping this weekend," she sang and skipped out the door with Jasper, Esme, and Carlisle.
The three of us left the house short after. We gave Jacob a towel and sheets and he showered before knocking out in one of the spare rooms. I went into my bedroom and saw Edward reading a book on the bed. I crawled up next to him and kissed his cheek. He smiled and put his arms around me. He gave me a soft kiss on the lips and put his book down, shutting off the light. We snuggled close to each other and I fell asleep, listening to Jacob's loud snoring down the hall.
The next morning, we all played hooky to accompany Emmett and Rosalie to the agency. It was Friday anyway. We wouldn't be missing much.
Edward left a huge plate of eggs and pancakes for the still sleeping Jacob upstairs. We walked out of the house and to the waiting Hummer outside. Alice sat on Jasper's lap and Elizabeth had nowhere to sit.
"Why don't you sit on Aunt Bella's lap Lizzy?" Rose pointed to me in the car and I waved through the open window. The little girl nodded and I opened the door for her, pulling her on my lap. She snuggled into me and gave me another shy smile.
"You're really pretty," she said and covered her mouth quickly. "I'm sorry." Her little voice was so cute. I smiled at her.
"Don't worry about it sweetie. You are going to be a Cullen now." She smiled at that.
"I'm happy. My new mommy and daddy are very nice to me." Emmett and Rose shared a look in the front seat and I smiled at them.
"That's good. We will have lots of fun with you living with us." She smiled and we continued the drive to the agency.
When we arrived, Casey Jones was waiting for us in her office. Jasper, Edward, Alice, and I stayed in the waiting room as the new family entered the office. We waited, and waited, and waited. They took so long. I decided to call and check up on Jacob while we were there.
"Hey, Bells," he greeted. "I just woke up. I'm about to eat my awesome breakfast. Tell Edward thanks."
"Okay," I laughed. "Did you sleep good?"
"Awesome. Thanks again, Bella. I'm going to go out looking for a job later."
"Okay. Just know we don't need you to help pay the bills. We have enough money."
"I want to Bells. It will make me feel like part of the family." He laughed.
"Well, okay. My car keys are on the kitchen table and the car is in the garage."
"Thanks, Bella. I'll talk to you later."
"Okay. Bye, Jake." I hung up.
Just then, the new family came out of the office with huge smiles on their faces. We all got up as they approached us.
"Say hi to your new niece. Elizabeth Lillian Cullen." We all cooed and Alice and I hugged our new niece. It was going to be awesome having another human around. Even if it was only for a little while. "The paper work will be finalized by tomorrow. Now, let's go. Esme is dying to see her." We nodded and filled back into the car.
The drive home was filled with a comfortable silence. Everyone was exchanging glances and smiles with each other. I guess we were all happy for Emmett and Rosalie. God knows how long they've wanted this. And they will finally be able to be a real family with their new little joy. And they deserved it. Yeah, me and Rose have had difficulties before. But she said herself that we were going to be closer. She respected my decision on being human longer and I respect that she will accept me as one of her own soon enough.
But I never really got to talk to her about her Jake imprinting on Elizabeth. I was pretty sure she wasn't ecstatic about the idea, but I wanted to get her side of it. I had to remind myself to ask her later. But I even got to have my best friend be a part of our family too. That was a plus I never would have expected.
"Esme," Emmett yelled at the house after our short walk over. "Come out to see your new granddaughter!" We all laughed.
Esme came running down the steps of the porch and collided with Emmett. I covered my ears to the sound of boulders crashing together and so did Elizabeth. They laughed and Esme came over to the little cutie standing at my side.
"Hey, Elizabeth." She grabbed her up in a hug.
"Lizzy," she said softly. "No Ewizabeff." She scowled a little and we all laughed.
"I guess she's just like you, Bella," said Edward. "She doesn't like being called by her full name." We all laughed again at the realization.
"Well, Lizzy. You can call me grandma." Lizzy nodded and hugged Esme. She smiled and carried her up the steps and into the house. We all followed and I smelled hot dogs coming from the kitchen.
"Smells good, Mom," I said, smirking a little. She gave me a wide smile.
"I thought you'd be hungry when you got back. I hope hot dogs are okay…" I nodded and followed her into the dinning room with Lizzy still in her arms. She set her down on a chair and I sat next to her. Edward came to give me a kiss.
"We're going for a quick hunt," he whispered in my ear. "We'll be back before you're done eating." I nodded and he kissed me again. He disappeared out the door with Alice and Jasper waving.
"Lizzy, honey," Rose said as she walked into the dinning room with Emmett. "We are going to the store with your aunt and uncles. Aunt Bells will stay here with you." Lizzy looked to me and smiled. At least she already learned my name. Rose kissed her forehead and stepped back.
Emmett stepped up and got on eye level with Liz. "You be a good girl with your aunt and grandma."
"Otay," said Lizzy with a smile. She kissed Emmett's cheek. "Bye daddy. Bye mommy." Their faces glowed with pride and Rose looked like she would cry if she could.
"Bye, Angel." Emmett kissed her forehead and they both left to follow the others.
Esme came in and placed a hot dog in front of me. I thanked her and picked it up, nibbling on the end of it. I looked over at Lizzy to see her hot dog with no bread and cut up in little pieces. She picked them up with her fingers and popped them in her mouth. She saw me looking at her and she gave me a smile. I smiled back. She was too cute!
"Bella," said Esme, poking her head out of the kitchen. "I made extra hot dogs for Jacob. Will he be coming over?"
"He said he would be out for a little while today. If you want, I'll take them to him later."
"That would be terrific." She disappeared into the kitchen again as me and Lizzy finished our lunch.
"What do you want to drink, Liz?" She looked up at me from her chair.
"Um, chocmate miwk!" She clapped her hands in excitement and I nodded at her. I walked into the kitchen and almost smacked into Esme. She was standing with a glass of chocolate milk in one hand and a Sippy cup of the same in the other. I smiled and took them from her.
"Here you go, honey." I placed the cup in front of Liz as Esme took her plate away. She squealed and pulled the cup to her mouth.
"So, what do you want to do?" I asked her when we were both finished.
"Barney!" She yelled. I laughed and picked her up, bringing her to the living room. I sat her next to me on the couch and put Barney on the TV for her. She was completely engrossed and I smiled, contented. Maybe having a little niece around wouldn't be so bad. My eyes started to get heavy and I felt Lizzy's head hit my lap. I sighed and fell asleep.
"Bella, honey. Wake up." Someone was shaking my shoulder and I felt the pressure on my lap lift. My head shot up, thinking Lizzy fell onto the floor. "Relax, Bella. It's just us." I looked up to see Edward shaking me awake.
"Where's Liz?" I looked to my other side to see Emmett with Lizzy in his hands. He smiled at me and walked out the door with her. Rose followed after them, yelling a 'thank you' over her shoulder.
"You want to go to the beach?" asked Edward. I looked out the window to the the sun safely behind the thick clouds. I nodded and he grabbed my hand. We walked out of the house and crossed the street. I saw my car in the driveway and gasped.
"Oh, no. I left Jacob's food back at the house." I turned to go back, but Edward shook his head. He was gone and back in a few seconds with a plate of ten hot dogs. I smiled and slapped his shoulder playfully. "Soon, I'll be able to do the same thing." We laughed and walked into the house.
"Bella! Edward!" yelled Jacob as he came down the stairs.
"Hey, Jake. We brought you food." He smiled and grabbed the plate Edward offered him.
"Thanks, guys. I'm starving." He walked to the dinning room and we followed.
"What's new?" said Edward. We all laughed and I walked to the fridge. I pulled out a bottle of water. I walked over to the cupboard and pulled out a little bag of pretzels. Edward gave me a confused look.
"In case I get hungry," I said with an innocent smile. He nodded and moved to take the items out of my hands. He placed them in a bag he already had on the counter. I looked inside to see a towel and some wrapped plates. "How long will we be at the beach?" I asked.
"Until dark," he said with a smile. "That's why I packed dinner." I smiled and went up the stares to change. I looked at the clock and it said 4 o clock. I guess I fell asleep for a long time.
I pulled out the new, dark blue bikini Alice bought for me and pulled it on. Then, I slipped into jean short-shorts, a white tank top and my sandals. I walked down the stairs and met Edward and Jacob at the door.
"Ready?" Edward asked. I nodded and grabbed his hand.
"Jacob. Are you coming with us?" Not that I minded. Either way would be awesome.
"No. I'm going to go hang with Liz. She needs someone to play with her." I laughed and he smiled. "I'll see you guys when you get back." He opened the door and we all stepped out.
"Wait," I called after Jake, who was already down the street. "How will you eat?"
He laughed. "I'll go to Esme's before I go home. She always has food ready for me." I nodded and he continued down the street with a wave.
I smiled and turned to Edward. He kissed me softly on the lips and grabbed my hand. He led me down the path to the beach and spread out the blanket. We sat down and Edward removed my tank top. I smiled at him and took off his shirt. We laid down, snuggling, and Edward began to hum.
"What's that you're singing?" I asked.
"Just a new song I've had in my head today. I can't wait to write it tomorrow." I smiled.
"Who is this one for?" I asked teasingly.
He smiled and turned to lay on his side facing me. I turned, too, and waited patiently for him to answer my question. He moved his hand to stroke my arm, causing goose bumps to rise. I smiled at him and he looked deep into my eyes. We stayed that way for a long time before he finally spoke.
"Elizabeth."
"Huh?"
"I wrote a new song for Lizzy." I gave him the smile he loves and he smiled back at me. "Elizabeth was my mother's name…"
I gasped. "I completely forgot." He nodded. "Wow. That must bring many memories for you."
"It does. She reminds me so much of my mother. Or what I remember of her, rather." He sighed and laid on his back.
"You miss her, don't you?"
"Of course I do. She was the only woman I loved in my human life." He continued to look up into the sky. "I miss her, but I know she is always watching me. That's why I wanted to apologize about yesterday. My mother wouldn't have wanted me to yell at my wife that way." A smile spread across his face and he glanced at me.
"Well, your mom is very disappointed in you, Edward." I wagged my finger at him and he turned to face me again, his eyes sparkling.
"Oh, really?" he said and I nodded. He laughed lightly before I felt him grab me and pick me up. He started running at human pace.
"Edward!" I screamed when I realized what he was doing. "Stop! Put me down!"
"Not a chance," he said through his chuckles and I braced myself.
We both fell into the water with a huge splash. I came up for air and heard Edward laughing next to me. I turned and smacked his bare chest. He laughed and grabbed me in his arms again.
The rest of the afternoon was very sweet. After we finished our splashing war, we walked back to our spot in the sand and Edward built a fire. As our clothes dried and the sky got darker, I ate my dinner. We stood talking for a long time in front of the fire. And finally, we decided to head back to the house at 11 o clock. We sneaked up the stairs, as not to wake Jake up, and hoped in the shower together. We washed up and went to bed.
"I love you," Edward whispered. And that was the last thing I heard before I fell asleep. That and snoring from down the hall.