Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.
A/N: I do not reread what I write because I'm insanely lazy. So there are probably lots of errors, please excuse and ignore them.
Sulpicia ran off practically right away; she claimed she really wanted to get back to the group to investigate the area the battle would take place in. I had hugged her goodbye when she put me down and I had tried to initiate a kiss, she turned her head away and gave me a scolding look. She tsked at me and reminded me that she had big plans for our first kiss, and then she ran off. I couldn't see Jane, though I knew she was there because she was told to be, but I guess she had decided to remain incognito.
It had been a while since I had made a trip to see Jake and actually feel nervous about it. The last time I was nervous to see him was the day confronted him about disappearing on me, I found out about him being a shifter that day. I was glad I confronted him that day because it saved our friendship. I was hoping that going today to apologize to him will also save our friendship. Well, I didn't necessarily want to apologize so much as make him understand why I made the choice to go save Edward instead of stay with him. I would have to also explain why I stayed instead of going back with Alice and Edward.
That meant I had to tell him about being mated with the Volturi leaders, all three of them, all three females.
I wasn't sure how he was going to take it. We had never really discussed what we thought about same sex relationships. I would like to think that he wouldn't have a problem with me being mated to a female. I could definitely understand if he was upset about being mated to three women at once. I just really didn't want him to be homophobic. I didn't want to lose one of the few friends I had.
I pulled up in front of Billy's house but I didn't say Jake's bike anywhere. It could have been inside his work area instead of outside. Or, he might not have even been there; he could have been at Emily and Sams' place. I knew that the pack spent a lot of time at their place both for eating the insane amounts they had to that they couldn't explain away to their families, and for pack meetings. I hoped he was at home so that I didn't have to have this conversation in front of the whole pack that I knew would instantly hate that I was mated to three vampires. It would be hard enough to talk about this with Jake and try to reconcile with him, I doubt I could do that with the whole pack.
As I was about to knock on the door, Billy opened it and gave me a barely disguised glare. I knew that since he was an elder with the tribe, he knew all about pack business, and I also knew that Jake didn't know how to keep things from Billy. So, understandably with his biased hate towards vampires, I knew he would be mad at me for picking Edward again. I doubt he would be upset with me for not picking Jake since Billy knew all about imprinting; or at least a little because at least one wolf, Sam, had imprinted already. Billy knew Jake hadn't imprinted on me and he never would, so I wasn't worried about Billy being upset that I picked to go out with Edward again instead of Jake. Billy was upset because I picked a vampire.
"Hey Billy." I greeted as I stuffed my hands into my jacket pocket.
"Hello Bella; how can I help you." There was no way Billy didn't know I was there to talk with Jake. He probably didn't want to tell me anything, but with his friendship with Charlie, I was hoping he would tell me where Jake was.
"I'm looking for Jake." I answered. "I'm here to apologize and to explain some things to him." I added in hope that it would get Billy to tell me truthfully, where Jake was.
"Explain what exactly?" Billy asked in his gruff voice as he crossed his arms over his chest. Even though he was in a wheelchair, he still managed to look intimidating.
"Why I left and why I didn't come back until now." I said as I gave him a pleading look. "And, why I'll have to leave again." There was no point in trying to hide the fact that I was leaving. Charlie already knew, so therefore Billy knew, so that meant the whole pack knew. The obviously didn't know everything since I couldn't tell Charlie everything, but I'm sure they could come up to some very close to the truth conclusions.
"He's asleep right now, but he's slept long enough. I'll send him out." Billy said before he closed the door on me. Well, at least he's going to at least let Jake know I'm here and send him out for that matter. Hopefully since Billy sent him, Jake would actually listen to me and let me talk and explain everything.
I leaned against the front of my truck as I waited for Jake to make an appearance. It was taking a lot longer than I thought it should have for him to show up. For a moment, I had actually started to think that he was going to blow me off. I didn't think Jake would do that, but with his temper and from how much I had hurt him, I wouldn't put it past him. Finally, after waiting for about fifteen minutes, Jake finally walked outside.
"Hey Jake." I greeted with a small smile as I continued to lean against my truck while I waited for him to walk to me.
"What do you want Bella?" Jake said in a defeated yet angry tone. To say I wasn't hurt by his tone would be a lie, but that was why I came here: to fix this.
"Look Jake, I wanna talk to you, I want to explain everything to you." I started but paused when he scoffed at me, thankfully he let me continue. "But, you have to keep an open mind. I don't want to lose you." I put as much emotion as I could behind my words and I think it affected Jake just like I wanted it to.
"I don't want to lose you either Bells." Jake admitted. Good, this was good. Hopefully this meant he would be open to actually listening to everything I had to say and hopefully by the end of this discussion, we would still be friends. "I, I just don't get it Bella. He left you alone in the woods, practically to die." I couldn't help but wince at his harsh words, but it was true. I was a miserable mess when Edward first left me. "How could you run off to save someone that hurt you that badly?"
I could work with this. I didn't have the best reasons at the time, but now I do. Or, at least, I had a new theory that sounded a lot better than just saying I ran off because I loved him so much and even though he was okay with leaving me alone to die, I didn't want to do that to him. Yeah, thinking back on it, I was definitely pathetic to do that. But even now, thinking how pathetic I was, I would still do the same thing because otherwise, I wouldn't have met the queens.
"I couldn't let him die Jacob." I said in a nearly desperate tone. I was quickly getting emotional and I didn't want to. Jake could have enough issues handling his own emotions, his anger. I didn't want him to deal with mine also. "I loved him." I added weakly.
"He's not good for you though Bella." Jake yelled and flung his fists into the air as he started to walk towards the forest where I knew there was a trail he followed that led to the beach. He wasn't running away, so I assumed he still wanted to talk. So I followed him.
"That doesn't matter anymore Jake, but the point is, I couldn't let him die." I argued as I followed after him. He was walking fast, still not running, so I was struggling to keep pace with him and not trip. "If you hadn't answered my phone and let me answer it instead, since I lived there, he wouldn't have tried to get himself killed."
I really didn't regret Jake answering the phone anymore, at first I did though. I was upset that he answered it, probably purposefully, at least subconsciously, gave a vague answer. I will admit that if Jake hadn't answered the phone, chances are I wouldn't have gone to Italy; I wouldn't have met the queens. In some weird way, a way I'll never admit to Jake, I owe him at least partial thanks for setting in motion my ability to meet the queens.
"He left you to die though Bella." Jake had quickly spun on his heel, so quickly in fact that I hadn't been prepared for it and nearly walked right into him. "Why did you have to save him when he obviously didn't care about you?" Jake spun back around and started walking towards the beach again.
I couldn't answer his question. Well, at least I have, but Jake wouldn't accept 'I loved him' as an answer. He didn't seem to understand how powerful an emotion love can be; hence why I knew he really didn't love me like he claimed to. I still wanted to completely come clean with him, but if I start telling him more about what had happened while I was Italy, he would only get more upset and I would definitely lose my friend. I would have to try a different approach. Instead of arguing with him, I should agree with him; which on some level, I did.
"Okay, okay, I get it. You're right." I admitted as we broke through the tree line and onto an empty stretch of beach. "I probably shouldn't have just blindly gone after him to a different country; especially after how he left me. But I don't regret it."
I could actually visibly see Jake relax a little. He thought he was winning this conversation, I'm not sure what his goal out of this was, well I did but I didn't want to think about it. He was going to be shocked when he learns about everything; when he realizes he really doesn't stand a chance to win my affections; not when the queens are his competition.
Jake turned around and faced me; his face looked a lot more passive than it had when he first walked out of his house. He still looked upset but I felt like his anger was at a much more manageable level.
"Why don't you regret it, if you know you shouldn't have gone?" Jake asked, his eyes pleading to understand. His voice still reflected his anger, but his eyes had softened and I was able to still hold onto the hope I had for this conversation.
"Because what I got out of the trip is worth so much more than anything I could have ever had if I hadn't gone, if Edward had never left me." I answered.
"What do you mean?" Jake asked; his face scrunched up in confusion. He scratched the back of his head as he further relaxed. I guess that was why he led me to the beach. He was able to be a lot more relaxed here. We were having an actual conversation instead of him yelling at me and me repeating everything I say. "Dad said, Charlie said that you were staying in Italy now. I didn't listen to the whole reasoning behind it, but I know it was a lie. How could you be okay with staying in Italy, away from home?" Jake asked, starting to get mad again. Since it worked before, I would use the method of agreeing with hi first and then explain.
"You're right." I'm pretty sure everyone loves hearing those words. "I did have to lie to Charlie because I had no choice. It was either lie to him, or tell him nothing; I couldn't do that to him." I admitted with a frown. I didn't like that I was initially forced to stay there, against my will, but it turned out that I was actually okay with it. I was glad they made me stay.
"Why didn't you have a choice, though Bella? Did Edward or that Psychic have anything to do with it?" Jacob demanded, making himself angrier as he continued to talk. "If they did something, if they forced you to do anything, just tell me Bells and I'll make them regret it." Jake threatened.
"I live there now because I chose to Jake." I said quickly, hoping to calm him down. Perhaps I should leave out the part of the queens making me stay there? I didn't think I would get a chance to explain why they did that if I told Jake that part. "I couldn't leave because it would hurt too much to leave." I added.
"What do you mean?" Jake asked; confused by what I meant. I saw his eyes move up and down my body, not in a perverted way, he was looking to see if I actually was hurt. Even though I clearly wasn't, it was probably an instinctual response born from his feelings for me.
"I found my soul mates there Jake; I couldn't leave them if I wanted to." There, I told him, in not so many words, that I had more than one soul mate. I could see he instantly caught on to my wording and he paused, seemingly for me to continue talking. I had nothing else to say until I knew what he thought though.
"Mates? As in more than one? That's not possible Bella." Jake said, grinning like he was about to laugh at a joke that was about to reach its' punch line.
"I didn't think it was either, but when I met them, I just couldn't be away from them." I gushed. I could practically feel my eyes glaze over as I spoke about the three women that I now never wanted to be away from. "They are so amazing Jake. They care so much about me, give me anything I want, even if it is just cuddling the day away with them." We hadn't actually done that, but I knew without a doubt that I would eventually ask for that and they would gladly oblige… as long as nothing demanded their attention, which I doubted. From what I understand from Sulpicia when we were talking about the entertainment room, she had mentioned that they didn't get nearly as many vampires requesting their audience as someone would think. She said that the most common occurrence was the group of people that Heidi delivered for them to eat… she had quickly changed the conversation after since I wasn't, and still not, particularly happy about they basically flock the humans like sheep to be slaughtered.
When I first started talking, Jake had a small smile on his face. It was like he was happy hearing me talk about the queens. For a brief moment, I actually thought that Jake was going to be okay with everything. Just as quickly as I had thought that, his smile left and a frown took its place. He was angry again.
"Are they vampires Bella?" Jake angrily asked.
I barely managed to resist an eye roll; that definitely wouldn't help with his anger. I couldn't imagine what else he would have thought the queens were. He knew that Edward went to the vampire rulers to get himself killed; he knew I went to see more vampires.
"Yes they are." I answered and then before he could talk again, I decided to add in a fact that I hoped when benefit me. "They are the rulers of vampires Jake; they are strongest of their kind. I'm safer with them than anyone else in the world." I smiled at that thought. With their resources and wealth that they have accumulated over their long lives, especially Athenodora since she's supposedly a lot older than the other two, there's no way I could ever get hurt when in Volterra. Or even just around them since I doubt anyone would want to provoke their ire by trying to hurt me. Plus, any enemies would have to get through their guard of insanely gifted, strong and old guard.
My smile was quickly wiped off my face though by Jakes laughing. It took a good several minutes for him to calm down enough to be able to tell me what he thought was so funny.
"Look Bella, I just can't believe that. I'm sorry but being mated to more than one person is impossible." Jake said. I mentally yelled at him that it was only impossible for shifters because they imprint, but it's obviously different for vampires. "If this was just some elaborate way to try and let me down, you could have just said you weren't interested."
I once again exercised extreme restraint, this time from yelling in frustration. Jake just couldn't let it go that I didn't have feelings for him. I didn't know how else, short of making out with one of the queens in front of him, to show him I didn't have feelings for him.
Jake took a couple steps forward so that we were so close, we were almost touching. He took both my hands in his and gave me a pleading look. I suddenly felt like something very bad was going to happen.
"Bella, look, I don't understand why you are living in Italy. When I find out though that it does have something to do with vampires forcing you to stay there, I swear I'll get you back." Oh my God. Jake refuses to believe that I, now I am, choosing to live there. I bet anything he thinks I'm being blackmailed with Charlie's life, or my life, to keep quiet and just live there.
Before I had a chance to realize what was happening, before I could realize that he had thought what he just said was some sort of love proclamation, his lips were on mine. My eyes went wide at the contact. He pulled my arms slightly behind him, almost like he was trying to pull me closer by wrapping my arms around him himself. As soon as I had realized he was kissing me, I instantly pulled back to see a dopey grin on his face. His stupid happy look quickly turned to confusion when he realized I wasn't at all happy.
"Don't you ever do something like that again Jacob Black!" I yelled as I punched him as hard as I could. Thankfully with the adrenaline and anger coursing through my veins, I couldn't feel what I knew would be a painful hand from hitting him. "I just told you I was taken, how do you think that was a sign to kiss me?" I didn't wait for an answer; instead I just turned around and stormed off in the direction I thankfully knew Billy's house to be in. Unfortunately, Jake followed.
"Bells, I'm sorry. I thought there was a connection. I thought you would be okay with that." I immediately scoffed at that.
"That right there proves you're still just some kid that has a lot to learn." I angrily told him. "Being a shifter may have made you grow up a lot physically, but there's still a lot you don't know. I don't want to talk to you Jake."
As the tree line came into view, and my truck, Jake grabbed my hand and pulled on it so that I was facing him again.
"Listen Bells, just let me explain, I really think we would work well together if you would just get over this thing you have with the leech." Jake said, referencing Edward instead of the mates I had clearly already told him about.
"Do you never listen?" I asked skeptically as I tried to get out of his grasp, but it was impossible. He moved his other hand that wasn't holding onto my left hand, keeping me hostage, to stroke my cheek. That was point when I punched him again, with the same hand. I definitely felt the pain that time. Thankfully he let go.
"Bells, I'm sorry." He yelled as I stormed over to my truck.
"Don't you dare Jacob Black; I made it perfectly clear I wasn't interested and yet you still continue trying." I said as I struggled to open my door with not only what I was sure was a broken hand, but also with my anger. "Some people call that assault Jacob; like my father, Charlie, the police chief, he calls what you did assault." I said as I sat down in my truck and slammed my door shut. I briefly looked at my hand and it was already swelling and bruising.
"Come on Bella, it wasn't assault, I didn't mean to." Jake said. The one tiny thing that I could see that I was almost glad that came from this was that Jake didn't seem to be upset about me being with vampires again or living in Italy. That was probably because he thought I was about to rat him out to Charlie; which I almost wanted to. I couldn't rat him out though, I couldn't send a mythical creature to jail, not only would the tribal council somehow get him out; but what if somehow someone noticed he was a lot stronger than a teenager should be? That would lead to too many questions that could really hurt the whole tribe, as much as I should and sort of wanted to, I couldn't.
I didn't answer Jake and when he tried to get me stop from leaving so he could talk to me, I just slowly started to move my truck forward, into him since he was standing in front of my truck. I knew that I couldn't hurt him as I started to pick up speed so that I could leave, not only would he move out of the way before he seriously got hurt, but I was pretty sure he was strong enough to get hit by this thing and not feel a thing; or at least heal pretty quickly from it.
He finally stopped yelling for me to stop when I hit the main road that led out of the reservation. I normally didn't speed, but I was definitely beyond caring at that point. I went as fast as the truck could, which wasn't nearly fast enough, so that I could get home as quickly as possible. I wanted to cuddle up with Dora. I wanted Dora because in my mind, she was more of the fighter amongst the three and right I wanted to feel that protection. Not that I don't feel protected when I'm cuddling with the other two, but because of Dora's fighter attitude, I just feel like I needed her more than the others.
I knew I had crossed the treaty line because my door flung open; nearly causing me to swerve off the road from fear at the sudden action, and Jane was suddenly sitting in my passenger seat.
"You're crying." She pointed out, concern actually showing in her voice. I hadn't really gotten that close to Jane, with her ice princess attitude and the fact that I was put with Heidi more than Jane, I hadn't really had the time to get that close. I was honestly shocked that she showed some sort of concern for me; I hadn't expected that from one of the most feared guard members. "And you're hurt." I could tell from just her voice that she was very upset. I could see from my peripherals, she pulled out her phone and put it on speaker, but before she dialed, I spoke up since I knew who, at least generally, who she was going to call.
"Wait until I get home." She moved her thumb to press the send button to call one of the queens and I really didn't want that yet. I knew they would instantly run to meet me on the road and then may or may not rush off to do something really bad to Jake and then start a war with the pack. There was no way the pack would win, I didn't want them to die or get hurt, even Jake, over Jake's stupidity. "Please." I tearfully pleaded. Jane reluctantly nodded her head and put her phone up as I drove home.
When I got home, I was crying so much that I almost couldn't see. The first thing I did when I got home was change into some comfy clothes and then promptly collapsed onto my bed. Jane hadn't called yet and paused in the doorway to my room when I collapsed onto my bed. Apparently she now deemed this a good time to call one of the queens. She put it on speaker and so that I could hear. She also tilted the phone slightly towards me so that even though I was crying, I would be the one to talk. I didn't realize it at the time, but she did that so that the queens would hear me crying and all three of them would immediately come to me instead of going towards the Rez where they knew I had just come from to try and figure out who had hurt me and then hurt them back. Jane seemed to realize that I didn't want to start a war, especially with one about to happen tomorrow. I sent her a tearful, appreciative smile to which she nodded to.
"What's wrong?" Sulpicia asked right away, probably hearing me cry right away.
"I need you, please." I couldn't think of anything else to say. I didn't even think to tell them that I was at Charlie's place. I just wanted them here and hearing her voice made me practically beg for it right away.
I imagine Jane actually supplied where I was since she paused a few seconds before hanging up the phone. I heard her footsteps walking down the hall and then down the stairs as I buried my face back into my pillow as I cried. I wasn't sure how long had passed before I heard three soft growls, but I knew it wasn't much time.
I sat up just slightly and outstretched my injure hand towards Dora. When the queens saw my hand, all their eyes went pitch black in less than a second and I knew that they were moments away from seeking out who hurt me to get revenge.
"Dora, please." I begged and thankfully she understood what I wanted. She was instantly next to me on my bed. She had maneuvered us so that we were both on our sides, facing each other. She had her one of her hands around my waist and the other was gently rubbing the back of my head as I cried into her chest. I felt her chin rest on the top of my head and I couldn't help but clutch tighter at her clothes. I was crying not only for the pain I felt, but for also what Jake had done and the fact that no matter how hard I tried, I apparently just couldn't be his friend and I really didn't want to lose that. But, I couldn't be his friend after this and it hurt.
I thought I heard one of the others, my money was on Sulpicia, start to move towards the door and I didn't want that. "Please don't leave." I begged them. Even though my face was very much in Dora's chest as I cried, I knew they would not only be able to hear me, but also understand what I said and what I wanted.
I felt Dora move backwards towards the wall and before I could even attempt to understand why she moved, I felt Didyme lie behind me. She wrapped her arms around me and had purposefully laid lower on the bed so that her head was buried in the space between my shoulders. I didn't know exactly where Sulpicia was, but I felt her hand replace Dora's on the back of head and her other on my shoulder. I had both Dora's and Didyme's arms around my waist, holding me tight, and Sulpicia's hands on my head and shoulder, giving me a gentle massage. Ignoring the reason why I was in this position practically crying my heart out, I couldn't help but feel so loved in this moment. I knew right then that no matter what Jacob, Edward or anyone else thought, I knew beyond a doubt that I had made the right decision in wanting to be with the queens.
A/N: I have received several requests for stories featuring certain pairings. I figure I would list on my profile page all the pairings I will eventually do. There is no specific order of the pairs and I have no idea when I'll actually get around writing it, but the entire list will eventually be done.