CHAPTER ONE

HER

"It's not like love at first sight, really. It's more like... gravity moves... suddenly. It's not the earth holding you here anymore, she does... You become whatever she needs you to be, whether that's a protector, or a lover, or a friend." Jacob Black

Jacob walked down the beach barefoot, eyes on the turbulent waters of First Beach. He'd gotten back from Canada the night before, and he'd learned that not only had Bella actually went through with marrying Edward, but she and Edward had a daughter now, and they lived on the Cullen's private island. If he had to guess, she'd moved there because Renesmee was half vampire and half human, and her condition might raise brows among normal society.

But he actually didn't care in all honesty. He'd probably gotten over Bella's choice somewhere in the first year he'd been gone and living in Canada. He knew she wasn't his imprint, and he sort of wished now that he hadn't exhausted so much of his energy and devotion in her.

He was only back now because his sister Rachel and his fellow packmate Paul Lahote were getting married in a few weeks, and he'd been begged, pleaded with and in Paul's case, nearly coerced into returning. As far as he knew, Washington held nothing for him now, and he'd already planned to leave when the wedding was over and done with, as soon as he could.

"Nothing and everything, apparently, has changed." he muttered to himself, slightly bitter. By now, everyone in his pack had imprinted.. Everyone but him, of course. He wondered if when he'd 'faked' his imprint on Bella all those years ago was the reason why, if this was some sort of cosmic justice or karma or something.

It bothered him a little, seeing them all up the beach a little farther from him, happy, laughing. Not as much as he'd thought it would when he'd come home, but still, it bothered him, just a little.

But then it happened, and in a split second, everything changed. The second he saw her again after so many years of having not seen her, smelled her scent on the wind, suddenly, everything made sense. He gaped at her as she ran past, chasing a laughing little girl who looked like she might be 3 at least, she was totally unaware of him at the moment.

But he stopped in mid walk, stared after her, his hand in his long dark hair as he tried to process what'd just happened, and who it'd just happened with. The fading scent of overripened strawberries hung in the air around him heavily, and he bit his lower lip before laughing aloud a little bit.

She got farther down the beach, she was carrying the little girl now, and he muttered to himself in shock, "Amie? It was Amie the whole time?" before taking off after her at a fast jog, tapping her shoulder. While he waited on her to turn around, his heart raced so fast he thought it'd beat right out of his chest.

Amie felt a tap to her shoulder and Maddie's giving a shy wave had her turning around to see who stood behind her. They'd been out all morning, looking for shells and glass littering the beach's light brown sand and she'd pretty much been having a normal day, just spending time with her daughter before she had to go in to work in a few hours and drop her daughter off at her father's.

"Jacob?" she asked in shock as she gaped at him. She hadn't seen him since she was around 12, and he'd been her best friend that summer. She'd gotten a bit of a crush on him too, but she'd never told him or anyone else that. She knew he'd been living in Canada for a few years now, he'd made the move just before she moved to Forks to live with her father permanently.

It was a complete and total shock to her system to see him here, to see the man he'd grown into. Biting her lower lip, she smiled and said "This is Maddie, my daughter."

As soon as she said that, an unidentifiable expression lingered on his face for a few moments and it looked like he was upset about something. But he managed a smile and asked, "So.. Are you here visiting Charlie or something, a family vacation?"

The little girl shook her head, surprising both Jacob and her mother when she said quietly, "We lives here." as she pointed to a beach house on the bluffs just above the beach, nestled in with a few others almost identical to it.

She lived in La Push and not in Forks?

He looked at her a moment and she smiled a little as she said quietly, "Yeah, I moved back here when I found out I was pregnant with Maddie.. You'd moved to Canada by then." a slight pout forming on her lips as she looked up at him.

Jacob nodded and said quietly, "Yeah.. I just had to get away from stuff." as he watched her, his eyes roaming slowly over the grown up verison of his childhood best friend and truth be told, first crush. Amie nodded and said quietly, "I heard about it. She's always been " she trailed off, putting her hands over both of her daughters ears before continuing, "Fucking insane, I think."

"Not a fan of your brother in law?" Jacob asked with a raised brow as Amie laughed a little then said "Nope, not in the slightest. Gotta say though.. Her being an idiot could be a good thing. At least it leaves the better guy free.. Right?" she asked, slightest trace of hopefulness in her voice as he looked at her a moment, chuckled.

He'd forgotten how outspoken she could be.. But if she were indirectly asking if he were single, did that mean that he'd assumed wrongly just seconds before when he assumed that just because she had a kid, that she was also taken and happy?

He shrugged and then said "Yeah.. but I'm not a great guy, I mean.. I'm sure the guy you're with.."

This made Amie laugh hysterically for a moment as Maddie piped up with an impish grin, "Mommy by herself. It just me and her."

Jacob smiled as the little girl looked at him and asked "Oh really.. Well that's not good." while looking at Amie for a moment, his gaze lingering heavily as he added, "Where's your daddy?"

"Don't has one." Maddie answered as she held her arms out, went to Jacob who held her, looking at Amie who muttered "She's never seen him, actually. And more likely than not, she won't ever see him. He didn't want anything to do with either of us.. So he hauled ass before she was born, never even looked back. I'm over it now though. I mean it's his loss."

'Lucky for me.' Jacob thought to himself as he looked at her a moment, managed a smile. He could tell that like him, even though she pretended to be fine with things as they were, she probably wasn't. Amie smiled back and then asked quickly, "So.. how long are you in town? I mean I haven't seen you in so long.."

"It depends." Jacob said casually as he looked at her and added mentally, 'As long as I'm wanted. As long as it takes to make you mine, Amie.' before speaking up again, asking her "What made you get a place here? I mean you stayed in Florida when Bella moved down here in the first place.. Just curious, not that I'm not glad to see you again."

Amie shrugged and said "Just wanted to be closer to my dad. I wanted to raise Maddie in a small town, and I always liked it here when I was little. Besides, my dad, he loves having her around. He's helped me a lot, raising her by myself. I'm not worried about him being alone here, so it's pretty much a win win." adding to herself mentally, 'Because I finally got the guts to tell you how I felt, but you were gone. I came back to make an attempt to try and get you for myself.'

Jacob smiled and then said "Yeah, can't say I blame you there." as he looked at her, the three of them walking down the beach, Maddie showing him the seashells she'd picked up earlier. He could feel the gazes of his other pack members, and he ignored them for the moment, he'd explain everything to them later.

For now, all he wanted to do was be around her.. As much as he could. This whole situation he'd been in for years now was starting to actually go his way, and he was happier than he'd actually been in a few years now, not just going through the motions.

Maybe it had been her all along. He wished he'd have known it sooner now, he suddenly felt like an idiot having wasted the obscene amount of time he had on her twin sister Bella.

Amie took Maddie from Jacob and put her on her shoulders as she said with a smile, "I just can't get over seeing you again. I mean according to your dad, you weren't ever coming back."

Jacob shrugged and then said simply, "I didn't think I was. I'm actually glad I did. I don't think I realized how much I missed it here until I got back here."

"It was the same way with me." Amie mused as she checked the time on her cell phone, frowned a little. Maddie pouted as she asked, "You has to go already, mommy?"

Amie nodded and said "Yeah, sprout, mommy has to go into work now. But you get to go fishing with Grandpa. Didn't you want to go fishing earlier?" while smiling at her daughter, who climbed down from her shoulders and into her arms, excited, jabbering to Jacob a thousand miles a minute about her 'fishing trips' with her grandpa.

Jacob chuckled and looking at Amie said "You have to go in to work now?"

"Yeah, sadly. But I work in Port Angeles, it's probably an hour drive with this traffic and all that.. I'll see you around later though?" she asked hopefully as he nodded and smiled before replying, "Yeah. Maybe we can get together or something later and catch up."

"That sounds like a great idea." Amie said as she and Maddie began to walk back to their beach house and Jacob walked down the beach, flopping onto the sand, staring out at the ocean. A throat clearing had him looking up and Seth flopped down, asked him casually, "So.. That girl.."

"Was actually Amie Swan.. And yes, Seth, I did imprint on her." Jacob mused to himself, still getting his head around it in all honesty. Seth smirked and high fiving Quil and Embry, who sat nearby, he said "I knew it!"

"So... does this mean you're finally going to bring your ass home?" Paul asked as Jacob shrugged and said calmly, "Don't know yet. I'm gonna take this one day at a time. But from what I figured out just now, it's not entirely impossible."

He just needed time.. They needed to reconnect, but just now, he could tell.. The slight spark he felt around her when they were 12 was definitely still there. He found himself wishing she'd moved back instead of Bella. Maybe right now, things would be completely different.

"Great.. he's spacing out now." Quil grumbled as Jacob glared at him and said "I am not spacing out. I'm just thinking, okay? I'm trying to figure out my next move."

Which he was, actually.. If he wanted to do this, he was going to do it right. He was definitely going to make her his. And her little girl.. Little girls needed fathers.

Meanwhile, Amie got her daughter ready, drove her to Charlie's house for the afternoon while she was going to work, just like she always did. This time, however, she smiled a little to herself. She'd told herself a long time ago, if the chance presented itself, she was going to finally make a move for him. And now that he was back, she was seriously contemplating just how soon was too soon.

She hadn't been this anxious, or wanted to do anything this much in a really long time. It felt good to want something so badly again that she could taste it. As she pulled onto her father's street, she saw Billy's truck sitting in the parking space in front of the house and smiled a little. Her father stood in the yard talking to Billy about something, and whatever it was, they looked like they were in an intense discussion.

Blowing her horn, her father looked up and waved at her. She got Maddie out of the car and Charlie called out casually, "So guess who's back?"

Amie laughed a little. Her father couldn't be more obvious right now, if he tried, honestly. She smiled and hugging Billy hello she said calmly, "I know, Dad. I just actually ran into him down on the beach while Maddie and I were out getting a few seashells."

Maddie giggled and said with a grin, "Mommy like him."

Amie bit her lip and blushed as she shrugged and chose not to give an answer either way. For all she knew, he was here a few days, for the wedding, then he'd leave again.

But if she could help it, somehow, he wasn't leaving again until she got it all out in the open, finally. It was high time she told him how she felt and just let things happen as they happened. She had to take the chance or it'd drive her crazy knowing she'd had it to take and she didn't.

Billy chuckled, remembering how close Jacob and Amie used to be around Maddie's age. He smiled at her and then asked Maddie, "So.. someone looks ready to go fishing, huh?"

Maddie nodded excitedly and said "Grandpa got me a pink fishin pole." while smiling. Billy left and Charlie turned to his daughter then asked, "So... What'd you two talk about when you ran into each other?"

Amie laughed as she replied casually, "Subtle, dad." before giving him a hug, handing him the book bag with Maddie's extra clothes, a book, her food and sippy cups and a few toys in it, adding "I gotta get to work. You two don't have too much fun without me though, right?"

Charlie smiled as he waved at her, called out, "Be careful." while chuckling to himself. Okay, so he and Billy had been discussing Jacob and Amie, an attempt to sort of set the two up while Jacob was home for Rachel's wedding. But judging by that up to something grin on his daughter's face, he and Billy just might not have to do anything.

All he wanted was to see Amie happy. Jacob had always made her happy when they were kids, it was worth a shot..