A/N: Ok, I'm not entirely back on my game yet, but this update is coming sooner than the last. This is a shorter chapter (not by a whole lot) and there is a surprise POV (well not entirely a surprise once you scroll down a bit) Haha. I hope you enjoy it regardless.

And, I normally don't do shout outs to anyone but AprilDenise deserves one for being such a good friend to Lisa ;)

Thanks to my wonderful beta LittleLea05. I miss you!

Disclaimer: Plot mine, everything else, Stephenie Meyer

A Fireman's Life
A fireman's life is one big surprise,
Usually he laughs, sometimes he cries.
There's always stress, toil and strife,
Hoping he's good enough to save just one life.

His wife understands, when he misses dinner,
If he runs out of church, don't think he's a sinner.
Answering a call, is tops on his list,
Regretting each one he's ever missed.

He tries and tries, but can't make us see,
The happiest men, still work for free.
Jumping from bed, fighting the cold,
Knowing what to do, without being told.

He rushes to the station, jumps on a truck.
Depending on skill, never on luck.
Putting his life on the line, for an unknown friend,
Hoping and praying, it won't be the end.
"The Bravest Men in the World", the title is fitting,
They all do their best, never come close to quitting.
Next time you see them, all their lights blinking,
Take just a minute, to think what they're thinking.

It's a hard job, so show them you care,
And help them out, with a little prayer.

-- Daniel S. Driscoll. –

Chapter 15 – Out with the Old

Jacob POV

Back in December, when Bella disappeared and the whole station went all haywire, I planned for this. Two months ago, I started looking. It was never my idea to leave Seattle. I loved it here. But I couldn't sit by and watch anymore. It's one thing to still feel a connection to an ex-girlfriend; it's a whole other playing field when you still love her. I still love Bella. That, I am afraid, will never change. But in the same respect, I do love Leah too. You can be in love with two people at once. I was walking proof. But please, don't ask me to define which I love more because I'm not sure I can. I'd like to say Leah because she provided me with my beautiful baby boy…but Bella…there has always been that something special about her.

It's been years since we dated, and even then, we were only together for a very short amount of time. But we spent every waking moment with each other. It was love at first sight with her. She was my everything. She told me things she had never said to anyone before and I thought for sure I had found my soul mate. Then I met Leah. She was a spitfire. She challenged me, made me think and be spontaneous for once. She turned out to be one of my best friends.

I never meant to cheat on Bella. I would like to blame the alcohol for that night I spent with Leah, but I would just be masking the truth with a lie. I full well knew what I was doing and I figured I could get away with one night, that's all Leah was suppose to be – one single night. But a few weeks later she came to me with a pregnancy test saying I was going to be a father. I panicked. I just started my probationary period, I was in a happy loving relationship with Bella yet here was my best friend saying she was pregnant after a one night mistake. Well, I wasn't going to be that guy. I broke things off with Bella, albeit not in the best of ways, and married Leah. I was going to support her and my baby – do the right thing.

Except for the fact that the right thing felt entirely wrong. I saw Bella every day at work, except now she had this indifferent edge to her. She could care less whether I was there or not. It hurt; I'm not going to lie. But it hurt even more when Leah lost the baby. I was a man split in two. Part of me was so fucking torn up at the thought that my baby had died. I had lost the chance of being a father at such a young age. I didn't even realize I wanted something I never had so badly. But the other part of me, the part I'm ashamed of, feels guilty for even thinking that it was good timing. Neither Leah nor I were ready to be parents.

Over the next several years, Leah and I fought, constantly. We started doing couples counseling and that helped, a little. It wasn't until we had Trevor in September did things really change. Leah gave me an ultimatum – we leave Seattle or she leaves with my son. And it really wasn't until Bella and Edward came out and were serious did I finally realize what was going on. I was sabotaging my relationship with Leah. I was punishing her for not being Bella. And that was severely wrong of me.

So I agreed to go with Leah. When Bella took off in December and I felt so elated that she hurt Edwards' poor feelings so bad, I knew I had to get out. I started looking for another job elsewhere. I couldn't sit by and watch them fall in love and create a life I'll never get to have with her. I needed to work on my own marriage and be the husband and father my dad would have wanted me to be. I at least owed it to Leah to put Bella out of my mind and give her a real shot at making our marriage work. We were several years into ours and it still felt like we were dating, or even just roommates that fucked everyone once in a while.

It was now February and I finally found a suitable job in a city that both Leah and I could agree on. We were moving to Boise, Idaho. I had found a job as a firefighter at a small engine just on the outskirts of town and there Leah could get a job as a receptionist like she currently has. The cost of living was less there and my pay was the same so we would be able to afford to live better than we could here. Besides, Seattle was only about an eight hour drive away so we could visit with our family often enough.

Bella POV

Things were great; which was surprising for me to even admit given my pessimistic manner about things. But since I got back from my impromptu trip to California and Edward and I figured everything out regarding us and life just started happening. I felt freer than I had ever felt before. I had a wonderful man who loved me that I loved back. A great job, wonderful friends, a potential niece or nephew on the way thanks to Alice and Jasper, and on top of all of that my dad had met someone too. It was almost as if I could close the book and say "…and they lived happily ever after."

Too bad I was waiting for the other shoe to drop. It just seemed logical that my life would be going along at a great speed and then something big happens. Like, I don't know, for instance, Jacob decides he was going to quit? This was one of those 'what the fuck' moments.

It was the middle of February, a cold Monday morning and Edward and I arrived with only five minutes to spare before work started. We were all congregating in the living room waiting as normal for Carlisle to come out and give us an update, orders and such for the week. What I wasn't expecting when I walked up the stairs was to see Jacob leaning against the pool table with some guy standing next to him. He looked young, probably around twenty two or so. He had massively dark skin just like Jacob and short cropped dark hair. But he had a total baby face, one you kind of just want to pinch.

Edward and I leaned up against the wall over by the kitchen waiting for Carlisle to come out. I felt Edward slid his arm around my waist and lean into my side, his hot breathe ghosted across my ear as he whispered to me. "Who do you think that is?"

I shook my head. "I have no idea. Carlisle hasn't said anything about any new probies or visitors so…your guess is as good as mine."

"Mmm…think anyone would notice if we snuck away before Carlisle came out." He whispered as he placed a small kiss behind my ear. I shuddered.

"Yes…" I felt breathless. "…I think they would notice. Anyway …didn't you get enough this weekend?"

He chuckled. "You tease me."

"How?"

"Just by standing here." He placed one more kiss on my neck as he straightened up at the sound of the office door opening. "Besides, I can never get enough of you babe."

"Oh good, I'm glad everyone is here and made it on time..." He shot a glance our way. Okay, so maybe we might have been a little late a couple weeks ago. But it wasn't necessarily my fault that Edward decided to wake me up that way, we just happened to get a little carried away. "I have an announcement to make, and Bella I want to apologize. Usually I keep you in the loop with these sorts of things, but this one was sudden and I needed to act quickly." I stood up straighter at that; fully aware that something serious had to have happened in order for Carlisle to pass over talking to me, his lieutenant and engineer, and make full fledge decisions for the station by himself. "I would like to introduce to all to our newest probationary firefighter - Seth Clearwater."

The name Clearwater bounced around in my head. It sounded oddly familiar and I couldn't really place it. Everyone mumbled a quick hello, I bypassed that altogether. "Carlisle? We have never had two probationary firefighters on at the same time…"

"Yes, you're right Bella, but Edward only has four months left of his one year term, plus…" He paused, and I swear he did it just for a dramatic effect. "This is Jacobs last week with the station."

"What?!?!" I heard myself ask loudly among a mumbling of 'When? Why? Where? And How comes?' coming from everyone else.

"Because I found a better job in Idaho, Bella." He addressed me specifically and for some reason that little gremlin in the pit of my stomach said it had to do with me. "Besides, Seth here is just out of school and will take my place." He clapped Seth on the back and I figured it out; why Clearwater sounded so familiar.

Seth was Leah's brother. I instantly disliked him by association. "Well, technically Jacob, Edward will be taking your spot and Seth will be taking his." I felt a little vindictive. Jacob had been a proverbial thorn in my side for the last few months and now he is just going to walk away? Actually…that sounded like a great fucking idea.

"Wait a second, how will that work if Jacob is leaving? He's my partner and I know you don't match two probies for a fire." Edward asked.

"Well, that's what I needed to talk to you about." Carlisle looked from Edward to Emmett. "You'll be partnering with Edward now and Jasper, you'll partner with Seth once Jacob leaves. For the rest of this week however, everything stays the same except Jacob will be training both Edward and Seth." My head was reeling. Jacob was finally leaving. That one thing in the back of my mind that was keeping me from being truly happy was leaving. Every day that I saw Jacob I was reminded of what he did and how it messed me up. I wasn't in that dark place anymore, I was moving on with Edward, and maybe now without the reminder constantly hanging around I could finally be free.

There was a quiet loll in the conversation as everyone took in the change that would be happening in the station. This crew had been through a lot in the last few years and I could only cross my fingers and hope that after Jake left and Seth got settled, things would finally even out and lay low for a while. "Okay...so today…" Carlisle's voice echoed through the room, "I would like us to get ready for the week. It's a decent sunny day outside for once so I would like to take advantage of that. The ladder crew will be working on their rig today, cleaning, inspecting replacing, and the usual. Jacob, Edward, I would like you two to wash the hose and fill all the BA tanks. Emmett, Jasper you've got inventory on the engine. Emmett, don't forget the medical bags again this time. Bella…you've got the probie. Show the station, explain things, you know…the norm."

"But Carlisle…" Jacob interrupted.

"Yes?"

"He's my probie. I found him and brought him to the station, I'd like to show him around."

"Yes, well, consider it a conflict of interest then, Jacob. Seth is also your brother-in-law. Plus, Bella is the senior officer and is more than capable of explaining the lay of the land to him." Carlisle's tone was terse and to the point. Because I had known him the longest I could tell he was irritated at Jacob, more than likely, for leaving on such short notice.

I internally groaned at the thought of having to spend the day with Engine 17's newest virgin firefighter, especially one related to the bitch incarnate herself. Everyone slowly trickled down the steps to go begin with their morning duties as I walked over to Seth. "Good Morning, I'm Engineer Swan but you can call me Bella." I stuck out my hand for him to shake. I was trying to be formal and not overly friendly to him.

"Yes, I know who you are. Nearly everyone in my family does." I winced. "Oh no, I mean, nothing too terrible, it's just Leah and Jacob's relationship hasn't exactly been hush hush and I have always wanted to meet the girl who could make my stubborn sister shut up."

"Excuse me?" I was quite confused.

"Anytime Jacob talks about the station and your name comes up, Leah literally shuts her trap, finally. Don't get me wrong, I love my sister, but I'm so sick of her making drama. It's like she loves to start shit or something. She lives for it."

"I don't quite follow…" I said as I lead him towards the lockers so he could drop off his bag.

"Well, there is something you probably were never told when Jacob and you were dating because, well, you didn't know my sisters side of things."

"I don't mean to sound rude probie, but I really don't want to rehash things from years passed."

"No, no, I understand that…but I think this is one thing you should know. I would like you to know so that you don't judge or compare me to her. I am nothing like my sister and I want us to start off on a good path. I know what Jacob and Leah did to you; I also know you didn't get all the truth, so I want to set the record straight."

I stood there staring at him dumbly for a few seconds trying to decide if this was really something I wanted to hear. Did I want to go back down the path of self doubt? But the desire to know what really happened, to know whether it was my fault, was burning me up. "Okay, you've got three minutes."

"Leah met Jake at that coffee shop around the corner from here and I know it was just a friendly thing between them at first. I mean, when I started my firefighter I academy, Jake was just ending his so I had met him and been sort of friends with him before. It was nice hanging out, three of us together because my sister doesn't usually have friends." I raised an eyebrow. "Let's just say that she is very good at making enemies instead. Well, Jacob, all he could ever do was talk about you and I know it made my sister jealous because I knew she was attracted to him and I knew what would come next. I tried to warn Jacob but he didn't want to believe me. My sister always gets what she wants and she wanted Jacob. So she persuaded Jake to come out drinking with us one night. She got him so shitfaced and then convinced him that she had to take him home. She has done this many times in the past. Well, as you know…one thing leads to another. Then she pulled the whole 'I'm pregnant' ploy to get Jacob to leave you for her, but what she wasn't counting on was actually being pregnant…and…well you pretty much know the rest from there."

I stood there, rooted to the spot, dumbfounded. It was a lot to take in and I didn't know how to even begin to process all of that. I figured Jake might have been drunk when everything happened, so it was nice to have that confirmed. I had wondered how they met, another thing crossed off my list of questions. I figured Leah was a bitch and now I knew for sure. It was nice to know that it wasn't my fault. He hadn't left me or got her knocked up because of my condition. It was all crap to begin with. Holy. Crap.

"Bella? Are you okay?"

I snapped my head up and looked at Seth. "Yeah…um…yeah…thank you Seth. That actually solved a shit ton of unanswered questions I had…and you know what? I think you'll fit in just fine here. Don't let Jake know that you told me all of that. In fact, don't even talk to him about me. I am so glad he's leaving now."

"Me too actually." His voice was quite, barely above a whisper.

"What? Why? I thought you were friends or something."

"We were but not so much anymore. I tolerate him because he is the father of my nephew. But him and Leah haven't exactly made mine or my family's life easy with their union. My sister drives me insane and I can't stand her drama filled antics. And Jacob? He is too hung up on you still to even see what's in front of him. So, them moving with each other away from here…let's just hope they don't kill each other maybe perhaps actually learn to love each other instead."

I decided from that point on that Seth was okay. He was proving to be nothing like his sister or Jacob and that made him decent in my book. I showed him around the station, explained how things operated, the tasks that needed to be done daily and our procedures on fire and medical calls. He was a very attentive listener and was catching on quite fast. I could see now why Carlisle hired him even if he was recommended by one of his family members. We usually didn't do that. Most hiring was done by several interviews. We all went through that hellish process and Seth did too, but in a much more relaxed type nature. Jacob's leaving was rather sudden apparently. Enough so that he didn't even give Carlisle enough time to schedule the other chiefs for the interview process. I couldn't help but think 'good riddance' that Jacob was leaving - the ungrateful bastard.

It was a rather slow day at the station, throughout the city really. We only received one call all day and we were cancelled before we even made it to it. I didn't really get to talk to Edward much until dinner time when he helped me prepare it like usual.

"So…how was training the new probie?" He asked as he began chopping up some veggies next to me on the counter.

"Well…I'm a little bias about the previous probie," I joked. "…but he is doing alright. Learning pretty fast too."

"Yeah…um…Jacob told me a little bit about him. Guess he is Leah's brother? I was hoping that wouldn't bug you too much."

"Actually no, surprisingly. Seth is pretty cool. He told me some stuff about Leah and Jacob that makes a whole lot more sense now in retrospect."

"Like what?" I quickly explained to Edward what all Seth had told me throughout the day. "Wow. What a bitch move of her."

"Yeah, well, women can be really cruel. So, I'm glad I know all of that. Makes coming to terms with things way easier."

"I imagine so…" He trailed off. His voice sounded a bit defeated.

"Edward." I stopped what I was doing and turned to him. I made him put down the veggies and knife and turn to face me. I pulled him into a hug, my arms sliding around his neck. "You have nothing to worry about. I am far over him. It's just nice to finally accept things the way they happened, that I honestly had no control over it and that it had nothing to do with my…condition. I had always wondered about that and I am so relieved to know that it didn't. You know?"

"I know Bella, I do. I'm glad his talk with you helped." He leaned in and kissed me softly. I tightened my arms around his neck and pulled him in a little more forcefully. I had just sucked his bottom lip in between my teeth when I started feeling my cell phone vibrate in my pocket.

I groaned and pulled away, "Dammit." I looked at the screen and saw 'unknown' written across the screen. I ignored the call and slipped my phone back into my pocket.

"Who was that?" Edward asked as he began again on fixing dinner.

"I have no idea. I've gotten several calls from an unknown number and I never answer it and they never leave a message. They probably have the wrong number or something."

"Oh…okay." He paused and cleared his throat. "So…there was something I wanted to talk to you about but I have no idea how I am suppose to approach you."

I looked over at him and he looked a bit nervous which I found odd. He always seemed so cocky and self assured except on a few occasions. "Okay…and that would be?" I tried to pay attention to my cooking instead of looking so interested in what he had to say. I didn't want to seem like I was scared of what he had to talk about. But it kind of felt like those four little words that shouldn't be uttered in any relationship - 'we need to talk'…yeah, nothing good comes of that.

"I was thinking…since we spend all of our time at each other's places constantly…I mean, other than here, when was the last time either of us spend a night at our own apartment alone?" I thought about it and I honestly couldn't think of a time in the last two months. The last time I could pinpoint was the night I came home from California. "See, that's exactly my point." He said, breaking me out of my thoughts when I didn't answer his question. "We don't. That's why I was wondering if perhaps you would like to…" He trailed off and his voice got quieter, a little less confident than normal, "Um…would you like to move in with me?"

A/N: Ok, yes, a bit of a cliffy…But…do you think it's too soon for them to move in together? Inquiring minds want to know….