Chapter 9: Could It Be This Easy?

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in my story. They belong to the great Stephenie Meyer. Neither do I own the poetry written in this chapter. I also don't own any song or lyrics that are sung, played, or quoted in this chapter. No copyright infringements are intended.

Chapter Summary: Jake mourns his loss then gets a wonderful surprise.

A/N: To my Readers/Reviewers: I first want to thank you for taking out your precious time to read my story. I know there are thousands of great fics out there, but you chose mine, and I'm honored. Second, I love to read your reviews. They warm my heart and make me feel all warm and tingly inside. I try to answer each one.

((((( Jacob's POV)))))

"Man, what the hell just happened? I actually lunged for Edward, and fought Jasper. What was I thinking? They're family - I love those people. What've I done?" I cried to Billy. "Dad, I was so angry at him for interfering in our relationship. Somehow, I convinced myself that I hated them, but I don't. I love 'em - all of 'em. Dad, I miss her so much."

"Son, everything'll be just fine. Just let some time pass and things'll work out. They love you too. They know you're hurt too."

"But Dad, I think I would've tried to kill her father if I could've. I'm so stupid! Just like I was stupid for leaving her. I promised her that I would always be there for her."

"Jacob Black, listen to me. You did everything you could and then some. Hell, you were even willing to fight your own brothers to protect them. You've given her many years of your life - and for what? For her to disregard you like it meant nothing? You're much better than that. She needs to see how very special you are, and how much of a blessing you were to that whole family."

"Dad, what should I do?"

"Nothing right now. Wait a while. Let her miss you, and get her mind right - then call her. I guarantee you... things'll be different."

"Yeah, but what about now? I've never gone this long without seeing or talking to her. My whole body is craving some type of contact with her. It's like I'm being pulled towards her, but I'm holding back. Desperately. I don't know how long I can hold out before I run back to her, begging her to forgive me."

"Jacob, I can't tell you exactly what to do except what I've already told you. Sleep on it. Maybe it'll be clear tomorrow."

That night, I didn't sleep at all. I missed Nessie so much that my whole body ached to have her near me. Every instinct screamed at me - begging to be near her. The emotions were all consuming. I've never loved anyone so deeply and so completely. I can't imagine ever wanting to do this again. It hurts way too much. The imprint is a strong bond. I see it now, after only a few days away from her. I just want to forget everything and run back to her and beg her to forgive me. I want her to love me, but if she doesn't, that's fine too. I would hate for her to love me just because it's an unwritten rule that she has to, or that she's suppose to. Right now, I would settle for friends - like it's always been. That's why I never told her about our imprinting. She deserves a choice, and I want to give it to her.

It wasn't until the past couple of weeks, when she began questioning me, the imprint, and my personal happiness, that I even considered telling her. She's still so young, and being completely truthful right now may steer her in a direction that she may not be ready for right now. I just wish she would've heard me out. Even if she didn't love me, she would've known how I felt. But she was clear. My presence was only making it harder on her.

I ran through the many details of the past couple of weeks in my mind, until my mind grew tired, and I finally drifted to sleep.

The next day, I tried to get out of the bed, but my resolve was still to just go back to her. In fact, the pull was a hundred times stronger than yesterday. Dying would be easy. Loving her impossible. Billy left me alone the whole day, other than bringing me some food that Sue cooked. I only tasted it. I didn't have an appetite. I just lay in my small bed curled up in a ball crying until my tears no longer came. I thought about us and our future, and how it was all gone. I couldn't ever think past the moment. I couldn't imagine what would happen tomorrow. I didn't want to. A minute without her was hard enough. I knew days and years would break me.

After being home a couple of days, I still never left my room, but I was eating a little. I no longer had any tears. The pain was still tremendous and consuming, but I could breathe a little. That night, the phone rang. Our phone never rings, so it surprised both me and Billy. He went to answer it. Somehow, I already knew who it was.

"Hello," Billy said. When I looked at him, the look on his face was surprise, mixed with pain. He knew I wouldn't be able to resist talking to her. He knew I'd give in. His eyes were tight on me silently begging me to hold firm. He listened to her talk then paused for a long while. At first I thought that maybe the line went dead, but then he spoke.

"Oh... um... hi, Nessie. Jake's here, but he doesn't want to talk. He just asked me to tell you that he still needs some time." In the background, I was shaking my head no. I wanted to talk to her. I wanted her back. If she desired to have me, I would go. Billy was shaking his head - telling me to be quiet.

"Um, hold on..." Billy said, placing his hand on the receiver. "Jacob, she says she just wants to talk to you. She said it's not like she wants you to come back." He put his fingers up in quotes. "Are you willing to make a fool of yourself and further your hurt? Jacob, let time come between this mess. She still is not saying what you need to hear. Now, what do you want me to do?"

"Wow. I was so ready to believe that she changed her mind." My heart began to beat quickly, but still I felt a pull toward the phone - desiring to hear her voice once more. I held back, shaking my head. "Go ahead, Dad. Tell her to stop calling." I walked into my room. My stomach was in knots, and tears were threatening to resurface. I heard him take a deep breath and put the phone back to his ear.

"Um, Nessie, he won't. He says he just doesn't know if he can be just friends with you. He's very hurt, and needs you to not call again."

Nessie must have tried to argue the point. When Billy responded, he was a bit more harsh than I would have preferred him to be with her. "Nessie, please. You made your choice. He accepted it, now accept his." He hung up.

I felt my heart drop. I ran back into the room. "What did you do?" Tears began welling up in my eyes. I grabbed the phone from him, "Dad, I never told you to say that I didn't want to be friends with her! I just need some time to accept that!"

"Jacob, please. You'll never be only friends with her. You love her too much. You..." Before he could get anymore out, the phone rang again. "Jacob, let me get that."

"No, just stay out of this! You've done enough!" I walked into my room, slamming the door behind me.

I answered the phone. "What Renesmee!" I said sternly.

"Jake... I... I'm so sorry..." she began weeping into the phone. "Jake, please, don't do this. I need..."

"Renesmee, listen..." I had to pause for a moment. My resolve was quickly fading every second I heard her crying. I knew I needed to keep it short before I made a fool of myself. "I'm sorry too. I expected something of you that you were unwilling and unable to give to me. For that, I am... I was wrong. I only wanted you to be happy. I still do. So, that's why I'm asking you to not call here again. It hurts me too much to hear your voice. Maybe in time we can begin talking again, but now..."

"Jake, wait... hear me out, please. I was wrong. I love you. I know that now." Her voice began breaking up after each word. Her emotions confused me. If she didn't want me to come back, why was she so emotional?

"Renesmee..."

"Jake, please stop calling me that," she requested sweetly.

"Nessie, you've always loved me. I knew that. It just hurt me when you refused to talk to me about the imprint, even after you knew. I love you, but I really need some time to get past this, and I don't know how long it'll take. I need you to respect what I'm asking. I need my space from you and your family. I've given everything I had of myself to you. Now, I need to take care of myself and get myself together."

"Jake, no. Please, you're not understanding me... I..." I hung up on her. I knew that another moment on the phone, listening to her like that would break me. I threw the phone against the wall, breaking it into a thousand pieces.

"Dammit! Dammit!" I screamed, grabbing fists full of hair and pulling. "Why does fate hate me so much! How could I love two women in the same family and get rejected twice?" I fell to my knees. My heart no longer wanted to fight. It wanted me to run out of the house and back to Victoria, tonight. My body felt like it was broken into a thousand little pieces, and came back together. At every point, pain existed. A dense, all consuming pain flooded my heart.

My mind went back to years ago when I loved Bella. I had given her all I had, too. I desperately fought for her, and still, I lost her to Edward. It hurt, but once I saw Renesmee, I couldn't remember what had drawn me so closely to Bella. She's been my whole world ever since the day she was born. The pain I felt for losing Bella doesn't compare even a tiny bit to the pain I feel today.

I thought I didn't have anything to worry about. The imprinting would pull us together regardless, and I could truly love again one day. I was wrong - very wrong. Maybe if I had put some effort into our love and told her years ago - things would be different today. I was so stupid. I should've known she wouldn't love me. She is Bella's daughter after all. It's always someone else.

I walked over to my stereo and pressed play to what ever was in there. The Fray song, "You found me" was playing. Oh, how perfect. I did find her, but I was way too late. Now, I am lost and insecure. The song began to piss me off. I yanked the cord out, and threw the stereo into the wall.

Billy came rushing into my room in his wheel chair. "Jacob! That won't to fix anything! Calm yourself down, boy!"

"Get out of my room! I don't need you trying to fix anything else! Get out!" I screamed at him.

His face fell, but he did as I asked. He turned around and left. Moments later, I heard the front door close.

The next four or five days went by in a blur. I was no closer to feeling better than I'd been a week earlier - and I didn't know what to do to make it better.

When I got up to get myself a sandwich, I happened to look up at the calendar.

Nessie's birthday is this week. I've never missed any of her birthday celebrations. Damnit!

In fact, I made her a promise bracelet many years ago, and every year, I add personalized charms to it. I guess last year was her last one. I took in a deep breath, registering what I just thought. "Wow. How did I even get here? How did it all go so wrong?"

I stood there, imagining her smiling and laughing. It wasn't very clear in my mind anymore and that bothered me. I allow the pain to stay. It reminds me of her, but my memories are even more important. Without them, what do I really have?

I wanted to hear her voice just once more. I picked up the phone and began dialing her number, but I hung the phone up. She's probably really mad at me right now for refusing to talk to her all week. She hasn't called in a few days, so maybe she's given up hope in seeing or talking to me. I guess I got what I wanted.

When Billy came back in from getting the mail, he had a smile on his face, and lifted a letter out of the pile toward me. "Jacob, she wrote you a letter. Do you want it?" he smiled and handed it to me. I just stood there for a moment - afraid to take it and read any type of rejection from her. I took the letter and went to my room. I threw it on my dresser and sat on my bed, staring at the letter. I wanted to open it, but without knowing what it said, I knew I wouldn't be able to. I put on a coat and went out back to my garage.

When I got back there, I pulled out my tools for making wooden figures. I knew it would take me two days to finish one if I worked all day, but what else did I have to do? I still had time to mail it to her even after the two days.

I began by drawing what I wanted to make. It was a figure of a man and a woman intertwined, but their actual bodies never touched - only their arms, legs and their heart. Each figure's heart was extended outside of their chest, meeting in the middle. I had planned on making her a heart, but this seemed more fitting. I began to work on it immediately.

I worked the whole day and night. I finally took a nap in the shop for a couple of hours, but I didn't want to waist any time on sleep. I needed to get this done. At the end of day two, I had the figure finished. I found a silver clasp to finish the jewelry. It was just four o'clock, and I had plenty of time to get it to the post office to reach her on Friday. I ran to the house, took a shower, got dressed in a white t-shirt and black jeans, grabbed the package and stopped.

When I grabbed the package, her letter fell to the floor. I stood there, staring at it. I walked off, still trying to make my way to the post office. When I got outside, something in me wouldn't let me leave without that letter. I took a deep breath and went back inside. I picked up the letter and sat on the bed. I opened it and read every word.

To my surprise, I read it again then again. "Wait...she's saying that she doesn't really know about the imprint. She doesn't know I imprinted on her?"

I'm sure Edward and Bella would've told her by now. Wouldn't they? Plus, she said he told her about it that day before I left.

I read the letter again. "Oh. My. God!"

He was only encouraging her to talk to me about it, but she obviously didn't know what theit was. I left for nothing! I fought her father and uncle!

"Dad!"

I ran to the living room where Billy was. "Read this!" He took the letter and read it, then read it again. He looked up at me in sorrow.

"Son, I'm so sorry. This could've all been avoided. I didn't help you."

"Dad, forget that! She loves me. I have to go," I said excitedly.

"Jacob, wait, what'll you do?"

"I don't know. I'll call you," I rushed out.

I ran out the house, ripping my shirt off, grabbing a tie and sack to put my pants, shoes, wallet, and her gift in. I phased when I hit the woods and broke out in a frantic run. I knew I could be there in a day if I hurried.

I suddenly heard a rustling sound behind me. It sounded like something large approaching. I stopped in my tracks, turning toward the sound, taking a defensive stance, pulling my lips back exposing my teeth, and expelling a slow growl.

Woah... Jake... it's Seth... relax. I was leaving my patrol and saw you running through the woods, so I came to check on you. Where're you going?

Back to Nessie. Go back home, Seth.

Now you know I can't do that. I'm with you again. Don't you realize you can hear me again?

Seth! Go back to the pack! I don't want a pack! I just want to be left alone. Plus, you know that your sister will follow you, and I definitely don't wanna deal with her. Go back now, Seth!

Sorry, Bro. No can do. If you're going, then I'm going.

What ever. We'll deal with this later.

We returned to running full speed for almost two days. There were some transitional areas where we had to phase to be unnoticed, but we ran the majority of the trip

My mind was racing, wondering about what would happen when I reached their home. My greatest concern was me having to face Edward and Jasper after our fight weeks ago. I really didn't know where their mind was about it, so I decided to call 'em before I just showed up.

When we made it to Victoria the next day, I stopped at a pay phone to call Edward's cell phone.

Alright my favorite readers. Tell me whatcha think. You've asked about Jake, and all of you wanted him back.

So… how do you think Edward'll respond when he hear's Jake's voice? What about Jasper? Nessie?

I just love how things are about to turn out.

~*O*~

Here's a preview of the next chapter:

====Nessie POV===

It was perfect… too perfect.

I took a deep breath in then hung my head. Seeing the car sent me through a range of emotions – happy, sad, then angry. It reminded me that Jake was gone, and would never get to ride with me. It also pissed me the hell off that someone went through Jake's things and finished what he should've. I sat down on the porch. I wanted to start screaming at them, but I felt like all of my fight had been kicked out of me.

"What's wrong? You don't like it?" I heard Jake ask.

~*O*~

Alright everyone… I know I shouldn't've done that, but I'm so excited to finally get Jake back. I hope you appreciate it too now show me some love. Let me know whatcha think… *kisses*