Chapter 23
Authors Note: Sorry this chapter took me a while to figure out how I wanted it to go.
"Jakey" My eyes pop open, Bella sits near my head. "Are you awake?"
"I am now" I say, my voice feeling weird.
"Sam called looking for you" I look around for a clock; it was nine in the morning? "Said it was some wolf thing; I told him I'd wake you up" Groaning I get up out of the bed pulling on some shorts and head down stairs and out the door jogging swiftly into the woods; where I break out into a run heading for the Uleys.
"Hey Sam" I say reaching the back door where he and Paul stand. "Paul" I nod, he smiles at me but it seems there is more behind that smile.
"Hey, did you and Bella want to travel. We need someone to head up to the Florida Area"
"Uh we haven't talked about it; but I'm sure she would be fine with it that's where her mother is at the moment and I'm sure she misses her" Shoot I left my phone at home.
"Great, get back to me by tonight at the meeting bon fire." What meeting bonfire? "At seven" He clarifies.
"Yeah, right that meeting at seven"
"Paul you told him right?" He asks raising her eye brows.
"Hey Jake, bon fire meeting tonight"
"Thanks bud" Sam just shakes his head turning to walk back inside.
"Soooo Jake, how was your night?" Paul asks giving me a look; I glare at him before turning to head back home. Rain begins to fall as I reach the door, and I'm drenched as I get inside.
"So what did Sam want" She asks, standing in the kitchen cooking some pancakes.
"Wanted to know if we wanted to take a trip to Florida area for the wolf stuff"
"Can I see my mom?"
"Of course"
"Then yes, when do we leave?"
"Not sure, meeting tonight"
"Ok, should I pack?"
"Yeah, you're gunna need clothes… most of the time" She smiles flipping the last pancake on to my plate kisses my cheek and heads up stairs. I only get cheek? I swallow the pancakes without tasting them and head up stairs to pack a single bag, knowing Bella; being a girl, will pack many.
"Only one bag" I ask shocked to see she was done.
"Yeah, most of my clothes are with mom anyways. And I can do some shopping while were there." How did I get so lucky to get a less drama easy girl? I grab a duffle from the closet and throw in some shorts, an extra pair of shoes and some t shirts, socks and boxers of course. And then a couple handfuls of condoms.
"Gunna use all those?" She asks from the door, I spin around not realizing she was watching me the whole time. "Maybe we should see if they work first." She whisper making her way over to me, hands on my chest.
"Is anyone home" Dad calls as the door slams.
"Or not" She sighs.
"Yeah dad were upstairs" I call back putting the condoms on the bottom of my bag placing my clothes over and closing the zipper.
"Hey I heard you were heading to Florida possibly" Man word travels fast.
"Yeah, were gunna tell Sam tonight at the bonfire. Just finished packing"
"Only a bag each" He raises his eye brow.
"Yeah, we're taking a plane there. Then mainly trekking around to the different tribes"
"Gunna stop by Renee's?"
"Of course, wouldn't want to keep Bella from seeing her mom"
"Good, good" He says, looking at the ground. "You're gunna need some money" It wasn't a question. He pulls out his wallet handing over a roll of bills.
"Dad" I sigh.
"Take it" he cuts in, I put the bundle into my wallet.
"Thanks" I say, he smiles and heads down stairs. "What do you want to do for the rest of the day?" I ask Bella
"We could work on the Rabbit, since when we get back won't have much time too"
"Sure, or we could go see a movie?" Her face lights up.
"The Hunger Games just came out"
"Let's go then" I wrap my arm around her waist and head down stairs and to the truck.
X
"What are you doing up so early" I whisper coming down stairs; Bella sits on the couch reading a book. She scoots over a little bit when she sees me, but I pick her up taking her spot sitting her in my lap instead. She sighs and closes the book, resting her head on my shoulder.
"Couldn't sleep" She sighs kissing my neck. "And you were dead asleep, so I came down here"
"We could hit the road a little early. Sam is loaning us his car so we don't have to take a plane." She nods, and starts to get off my lap. "Hey where do you think you're going?" She looks at me confused. "I'm not done with you yet"
"Good morning Bella, Jacob" Dad calls from the kitchen. Damn it.
"Morning" I mumble sheepishly.
"Leaving early I hear" He asks rounding the kitchen an apple in his hand. "Drive safely" A small smile on his face. Bella gets up and I follow to grab out bags and get dressed. I throw on some old gym shorts and a tank, while Bella puts on short shorts, and a tube top.
"What it's going to be hot in the car, and then hot in Florida" She argues, more for her own sanity then mine I'm assuming.
"I didn't say anything"
"You thought it" She counters.
"Prove it" I mock pulling her bag into my hands, and head down to the car putting the bags in the trunk.
"Shot gun"
"No Bella I thought I'd make you ride in the back seat" I roll my eyes, a small smile presses to her lips making me want to kiss them.
"Are we there yet"
"We haven't even crossed the border yet"
"But car rides are boring" She whines playfully.
"Do you want to walk instead" She sighs glaring in my direction.
"Do you even know where you're going?"
"If I told you yes, would you believe me?"
"No"
"Good, cause I have no idea"
"JACOB"
"I'm kidding"
"That's not funny"
"Is too, you should have seen your face"
"Jerk"
"Oh I'm a jerk?"
"Yes"
"Ok, fine"
"What?"
"Nothing"
"Tell me"
"Nope" I pop the 'P' at the end.
"But Jacob"
"But Bella" She pouts
"Hey so it's almost summer and then next year we'll be seniors"
"You're a grade younger than me"
"I did a little extra work with the vampire teach, she said I'll be a senior next year with you. Or if I wanted finish my senior year this summer"
"Can we both do that?"
"Maybe, if you play your cards right"
"Please Jacob?" She pouts again.
"That's awesome Jacob to you" I say a huge grin stuck on my face that I can't seem to get rid of, her hand slaps my arm but I don't feel it.
"You're just going to hurt yourself"
"Jerk"
"You like it" She bites her lip; ha I was right she did like it.
"Who is behind us?"
"Jared and Kim, behind them is Leah and Aaron, and then Seth and Embry"
"I thought we were going alone"
"We are, they have their own areas to look after, Leah and Aaron have the west coast, Jared and Kim have lower mid-west, Seth and Embry have the upper mid-west, and we have the east coast. Some of the other pack wolves are taking Canada and Mexico" She nods still looking behind us; making faces at Leah; who is making them back. "You're weird Bella" I taunt, missing the attention. She doesn't look at me but sticks her tongue out.
"I'm gunna take a little nap" She informs me, I nod and she pushes her chair back and lays the seat down, curling up into a ball closing her eyes, and finally her breath becomes distant.
X
"Bella" I coo, kissing her neck. The sky was dark and muggy, only the lights of the gas station overhead made it easier to see. There was no moon to night, either new or cloudy I couldn't tell. The stars weren't up yet. I don't understand how people could live in this heat; sure I didn't feel the cold but the temperature was hotter then I was, and I could feel it; especially with the sweat on my back. And to think we were only in Kansas; the point where we break contact with Seth, Embry, Jared and Kim. Leah and Aaron broke off our little train of cars a few hours ago, heading towards Oregon.
"Are we there yet" I laugh.
"No honey just a pit stop, Kim wants you to go to the bathroom with her. Something about the harry potter character Moaning Myrtle died in a bathroom and now its unsafe to go alone. She sighs and stands up stretching, imidatly getting snatched by Kim's hand rushing towards the outside bathroom on the dark side of the building.
"Jake want to fill up your ride too" I nod as Embry and Jared run inside to pay, I guess theyre freaked out by the darkness too.
"Who are you" A voice calls out, my eyes adjust to the darkness as twenty figures stand a few yards away. "You smell of shapeshifter"
"Yes, you do to" Seth calls out, I punch his arm.
"Why did you come here"
"We need your help" I call, this time Seth punches me. Their alpha steps into the light, he looks similar to us.
"Youre not taking our land are you, this isn't some kind of trick. Damn whose territory did Sam assinge Kansas too, it was right in the middle!
"No, there is a huge battle involvoing a few of our packs up near Washington." Embry and Jared run up behind us, making some of his men join him. They wore only cut offs. "Its involving the cold ones" I say, they gasp. Good I used the right terminology for them.
"And you need more packs to help you fend off this threat?" He asks, I nod, "They have too threatened our kind in this area. We were un aware there were more of you up north. Tell me how do you survive the cold"
"How do you survive the heat?"
"Our body temperature adapts to the environment around us. You will too soon enough. I assume you don't feel the cold"
"That is correct"
"And these must be your imprints" He nods to Kim and Bella running back to us hand in hand; slowing and standing back near Jared car in case of danger.
"Mine and Jared's yes" I correct nodding to Jared who is slightly behind Embry, flanking him.
"We will be happy to help you, but we will need to bring our families for we cannot go that long without seeing them" I nod, I understood perfectly. Seth pulls out his phone dialing Sam's number and handing the phone over for exchange of information, Bella and Kim make their way over to us, I pull her close to me, kissing the top of her head.
"Great, I guess will be seeing each other soon. I'll call some of the Elders for the packs I know of. Keep your wolves on the search though. Thank you, good bye" He hangs up the phone handing it back. "Keep up the good work, keep your shirts on; out here it's a sign of wanting a fight." He nods to us and heads back into the darkness.
"Man this is easier than I thought" Seth comments heading back to fill up his car. Embry fills up mine, and Jared fills up his while Bella and Kim stand near my car talking quietly.
"Ready to go" Embry taps my cars hood, I nod to him and he goes to get in his own car.
"I can drive" Bella insists, "You need some sleep to do the talking."
"Fine" I say, "But wake me up if you feel tired at all" Kim gets into the driver's seat and argues with Jared about it for like ten minutes until he gives up in defeat. I close my eyes just after I show her what highway to get on, quickly falling into a deep sleep.
X
"Wake up Jacob" I roll over feeling her lips on mine.
"I'm up" She was outside a diner.
"I'm hungry" She whispers, "SO I picked somewhere to eat"
"Ok let's go" I get out of the car, locking it and taking her into my arms. "Where are we?"
"Just outside of Alabama"
"Damn, why did you let me sleep for so long?"
"You needed it" she stops suddenly, I look to where she's looking seeing a pack over men who seem to be shape shifters.
"Stay by my side" I whisper and approach the men. "Hello" I call out. The largest one turns around, but he's just about my size.
"Hello" He calls in a thick southern accent, leaving his group to join us closer; the eyes of the towns folk on us. "Are you shape-shifter Jacob" He asks, I nod.
"Shape-shifter Mark called from Kansas informing me of your visit. I've been waiting for you." I smile not feeling as weirded out now. "I have brought together Alabama's packs for you, and now that you have found us we're going to head up to Washington, our imprints are already on planes headed that way. I also called ahead to each of the eastern states to have them do the same. Here is a map with the tribes of the meeting places to go to" I look at the map, it looks to be all rural small towns he marked; all along one highway.
"Easy enough, Thank you brother" I say, resting my hand on his shoulder like I had seen in Pocahontas.
"No thank you, this threat needs to end now. Many battles have been fought over them and this is the time to do it. Assembling the world's packs is the way to do it. They will be defeated once and for all"
He walks away after a small awkward moment, his pack and the other packs he assembled here following him heading for the direction the woods.
"Judy, let them eat on my tab" He calls to the woman behind the counter. I don't have time to argue they are already gone into the dense trees.
"You must be Jacob and Bella. Please order whatever you like"
"Two coffees" Bella whispers, knowing we both need the caffeine.
"And then two rounds of pancakes" I say she smiles at me, damn I'm good at this boyfriend thing. Maybe even better as a fiancé? Or should I start with a promise ring.
Review! (Hmmm what should Jacob do? Propose or promise?)