Jacob's POV

I was wrapped in my lover's arms as he trailed kisses from my lips, across my jaw and down my neck to the ticklish spot he had discovered. We were lying on his bed in the quiet empty house and I was positive that tonight we would take our relationship to a new level.

We were already halfway there. Our shirts, socks and shoes were lying somewhere on the floor and my body was tense and tingling with need. I ran my hands up and down his back, digging my fingers into his cold skin occasionally drawing moans from him. I whispered his name as his tongue touched my left nipple. My hands went to his hair feeling the soft strands wrapping around my fingers.

"Jacob. Are you sure you want to do this?" He asked as his hand ran down my side to the edge of my shorts.

"Yes, Edward, Yes." I breathed. His hands moved to my zipper and we spent the rest of the night proving that we were very happy to be together. It was rough and even animalistic at times, but there were times it was gentle and sweet.

When we were finally exhausted, we lay there wrapped in each others' arms as the sun rose over the trees. "I love you, Jacob Black." Edward repeated to me for the third time.

"I love you too, Ed." I replied as I snuggled in closer to him. He always worried that I would get cold if we stayed so close together for too long and I always had to remind him that my higher body temperature meant that the cold would not affect me as much as it would a normal person.

"I'm worried for tonight." He admitted to me. Sam had lifted the treaty on Edward because with the imprint they would not be able to hurt him anyway. Tonight there was a bonfire on First Beach that Sam and I insisted Edward should go to as a way to get a little more familiar with the pack.

Sam had been showing so much support for my relationship with Edward that I had been a little suspicious at first, but when I asked him about it he told me that he understood what it was like to imprint on someone unexpected and have it turn your life upside down. All he wanted was to make the whole thing a little easier on everyone, especially me. I was so very grateful to have his support.

"It's going to be fine, Edward. You know Sam won't let them be too horrible to you and you have a certain charm that no one can hate." I was positive that Sam had given some kind of order to the guys and Leah to be civil and I knew that Edward was going to try his best too. "We'll just go for a little while and if things are too awkward or tense, we'll leave and then we can at least say we tried."

He wrapped his arms tighter around my waist and pressed his nose into the back of my neck. He never said anything else about it and I did not press him. I had come to learn that sometimes it was best to let Edward work things out on his own rather than get him to talk about it. I closed my eyes and fell asleep hoping that the bonfire would turn out well.

o0o0o0o0o

Embry's POV

The bonfire starting on First Beach in an hour was going to be like any other Quileute bonfire except for one major detail. Jacob was bringing his imprint which would not be a big deal except that his imprint was a vampire.

I myself had decided that I did not care who his imprint was as long as he was happy. We had almost lost him a few months ago over the whole thing and I was not willing to lose him again. Because I knew, if things did not go well between Edward and the pack and Jacob had to choose, he would choose Edward.

Walking down to the beach, I thought of the ways I could help make tonight easier. The best solution I came up with was to be nice to Edward and talk to him and get to know him. I was willing to do anything for Jacob, my best friend.

The fire was already roaring when I arrived. Most of the people there were pack members and their girlfriends or what have you, but there were also some kids and recent grads from school who lived different places around the Rez. Quil practically ran up to me thrusting a beer into my hand. He had a smile on his face which was quite natural and contagious. I smiled back at him.

"Dude! Tonight is going to be awesome! We should get drunk!" He was speaking pretty loudly making sure he was heard over the music blaring from the back of someone's pick up.

"You know I don't drink that much, man." I replied.

"Yeah but we're off duty tonight and we got nowhere to be tomorrow." He argued.

"I'll think about it." I wanted to talk to Quil about the whole Edward thing. If anyone was going to agree with my 'stick-by-Jacob' plan it would be Quil. He was not only Jacob's other best friend but his cousin too and he thought of Jacob as a brother. "Hey, I need to talk to you." I nodded my head toward the ocean and he followed me to where it was quieter.

"What did you want to talk to me about?" asked Quil.

"I plan on being nice to Edward tonight. I want to try to get to know him. I don't want to push Jacob away by not supporting his relationship." I was so hoping Quil felt the same way.

"I feel the same way, dude." He said, to my relief. "We can't let his being with a vampire ruining the friendship we've had for as long as I can remember. Besides from the times we have spent with Edward, he seems alright."

"Good, because I think they're going to get enough trouble from Paul and Leah." The two expressed their hatred of the vampire when Sam told us about letting up the treaty on Edward and inviting him to the bonfire. Leah had thrown a fit and said she would never so much as send a smile toward the vampire and Paul had gotten so angry, he threatened to leave the pack over such a "disgrace" until Rachel, his future wife and Jacob's sister, had told him that she was supporting her brother no matter what and if Paul "loved her at all he would suck it up and do the same."

As we made our way back to the fire, I could see Jacob and Edward standing on the edge of the group. Seth, that wonderful kid, was already greeting them. He had always liked Edward, even before we knew about the imprint. That kid was always just so kind and open-minded. Quil and I made our way over to the couple.

Edward seemed a little uncomfortable, but it was Jacob I noticed the most. He seemed tense and alert as if he were waiting for someone to make a move or say something. They were not holding hands or even standing that close together like you would expect a couple to do. I felt a bit sad that they would feel so uncomfortable.

I reached Jacob first and with a smile I took his hand and clapped him on the back. "Hey, man. What's up?" Quil walked up beside me and held his hand out to Edward with a smile. Edward returned the smile and they shook hands. Then Quil and I traded. He went to greet Jacob the same way I had and I turned to shake Edward's hand.

In the instant it took me to hold my hand out, I made a decision. As Edward took my hand in his I stepped closer and used my other arm to hug him the same way I had Jacob. He stiffened, but knew what I was doing and I did not prolong the contact for fear of upsetting him. When I let go and looked back at him he had a genuine smile on his face, unlike the one he had given to greet me.

Jacob had been watching , of course, and he stepped closer to Edward. "Come on, Edward's so cold he needs to stand closer to the fire and get warm." Quil and I laughed at the joke and Edward only rolled his eyes with a smirk.

"Hey Seth, give me that." Jacob said, taking the beer out of his hands. Seth began to protest but Jacob said, "You're patrolling tonight. You know better, Kiddo." Jacob swigged the beer down and handed the empty can back to Seth with a smirk and a 'thank you.'

Jacob was already starting to relax at our warm welcome to his boyfriend. I had always been able to tell Jacob's moods pretty easily. It might have been because he tended to be pretty open with his emotions or maybe it was because I just knew him that well. But I could see now that the tenseness he had earlier was melting away.

The five of us moved closer to the fire and Quil left to get another beer while Seth left to go bug his sister about something. Jacob wrapped his arm over my shoulders and leaned in toward me. "I can't thank you enough. You, Quil, and Seth are definitely keepers."

"Ah, no problem man. So what have you been up to? I haven't seen you in like a month, besides on patrol." I really had missed Jacob's presence around the Rez, but I had a pretty good guess as to where he had been.

"Oh I've been spending most of my time with Edward. He's a pretty demanding boyfriend." He quirked. Edward through him an annoyed look and he laughed. "I'll be hanging around more, I promise. I was just keeping my distance until this whole thing became old news."

"Well, now you'll be able to bring Edward around. I'm sure you'd love to see the Rez?" I asked Edward.

"Oh yes. I've heard a lot about how beautiful it is here and having been banned from it for so long makes me curious." I nodded. I would be curious to see something I had been banned from for so long too.

"Well, when you finally get your tour, make sure Jacob takes you cliff diving and give me a call when you do." I responded.

"Cliff diving?" asked Edward, in a tone that said that did not sound very fun or safe.

"Oh yeah. There is this cliff out that way that hangs out over the ocean. We jump off it all the time. It can be a little dangerous, because there are rocks at the bottom, but the best part is when you are hanging there for a second with nothing touching you but air. It's a thrill."

"It sounds dangerous."

"It would be to a normal human, but to a supped up, fast healing shape shifter, not so much." Edward still did not look convinced and he looked to Jacob with a bit of concern in his eyes.

"Don't worry, Edward. I've done it lots of times and never got hurt. Hell, Bella did it once." Jacob stopped. He had realized a little too late that that was a bad example, but he continued. "And she's fine."

"Yes, but that's only because you saved her life." he retorted.

"That's why I said it's dangerous for humans." I put in. I did not want them to get into an argument. Jacob had told me that Bella was kind of a touchy subject for the two, but it was more on his part than Edward's. Jacob had tried to talk to her, but she had ignored him and taken off for Florida for a while. She was back now and I hoped she would be willing to speak to him this time because I knew it was eating away at Jacob to have hurt her so badly. That was why, I was sure, Edward rarely brought her up, to avoid hurting Jacob.

I went to get a beer and saw Quil along the way. He was talking and laughing up a storm to some guy who was in his gym class last semester. Seth was over near Leah who seemed to be angry at him. She was gesturing toward Edward and I guessed she was probably telling him to stay away. Seth, though, had his arms crossed over his chest. There was no way he was going to do what Leah wanted this time.

I got my beer and headed back around to the other side of the fire. I stopped in my tracks when I saw Paul stiff and angry staring at Jacob with malice. Jacob stood tall, his arms to his sides and his hands clenched in fists. The only thing between the two was Sam who was saying something to Paul, though I was not close enough to hear. Edward was right beside Jacob with his hand on my friend's chest in an attempt to calm him, but not to hold him back.

I stayed a safe distance away. Close enough to hear what was going on, but far enough not to get caught in the middle. It was not my fight and Sam would handle any attempts to stop them. It took me a minute or so to notice that Rachel was standing behind Paul with her arms crossed over her chest and an angry look on her face. The argument was probably about her.

"She's my sister, Paul." I heard Jacob spit out.

"Yeah, well I'm sure that still doesn't give her immunity from your bloodsuckers." Retorted Paul.

I saw Edward murmur something to Jacob, but he did not respond and Edward did not persist. I was glad he seemed to understand that this was solely between Paul and Jacob and any interference from him would probably anger Jacob and make him feel like he could not handle it.

"Guys," Cut in Sam. "Not here and not now." But Paul and Jacob were not listening to him.

"You know what, Paul. I don't give a damn what you think. Edward's not going anywhere and if you're sticking around with Rachel you'll have to get used to it. They'll be a lot of family get togethers in the future." Jacob stepped back and looked as if he were going to turn and leave, but Paul was determined to get the last word in.

"Bella must have been really terrible in bed to turn you both queer." I felt my mouth drop open. That was so wrong and he was going to pay for that. Edward's hand left Jacob's chest and he stepped back out of the way, his face devoid of emotion.

That's when Jacob's fist met Paul's face and he fell on his ass in the sand. Jacob turned and walked away. He did not look at me as he passed, too angry for interaction with anyone else. Edward followed after him. I stood and watched Rachel kick some sand in Paul's direction before she stomped off the beach and toward home.

Sam bent down to say something to Paul, but I did not stick around to hear it. I was pretty sure what he planned to say so I wandered around searching for Quil, who had missed the entire thing. I gave him all of the details.

"Man. Paul just has to make everything worse. He needs to grow up." I nodded my agreement. The two of us headed back to Quil's house where we played some video games and watched a movie. The argument between Jacob and Paul had kind of taken the party mood out of us and left us with the weight of our pack problems. Things were a bit shaky right now and we feared that the slightest thing could tear our makeshift family apart. And that was the last thing any of us wanted.

o0o0o0o0o

Jacob's POV

I could barely keep my attention on the road as I drove through Forks. My argument last night with Paul kept replaying in my head. Over and over I listened to his words and they drilled deep holes in me. But his lack of trust in Edward and the rest of the Cullens was not what got to me. I knew exactly how he felt about that, and frankly, I cared very little. It was his homosexual slur that bothered me. It was low even for Paul and I wondered if he was just trying to get under my skin or if he actually disliked me for my choice in partners.

Queer. It had felt like a slap in the face. I knew I might hear things like that in the future. But now? From a member of my own pack? It stung then and continued to tingle now. But the punch I gave him was not for the insulting name, it was for the comment about Bella. No one but Edward, Bella, and I knew what had actually happened between us. And how dare Paul suggest that Bella was to blame for any of it.

Bella had been in the back of my mind since I woke up in Edward's house. I had ruined all of her plans and I was sure she hated me for it. Edward tried to tell me otherwise but I refused to believe him and when I tried to see Bella and explain, she ignored me, supporting my hypothesis.

I had been giving her space. I desperately wanted to explain myself to her, but I did not want to bug her about it. Maybe I was being selfish. Maybe it was best just to let Bella move on with her life and think whatever she wanted about me. After last night, however, I was even more determined to speak with her. I wanted her to know that none of this was because of or in spite of her. I needed her to know that I still loved her and I was sorry for what happened.

Driving my small Volkswagon through Forks, straight to her house, I almost chickened out and turned around twice, but the apology bouncing around in my throat kept me going. I pulled up in front of her house, cut the engine, and sat there. Charlie's cruiser was sitting to my right and the truck was on the other side. Charlie was probably home for lunch. I wondered if that would help my attempt to see Bella or hurt it.

I took a deep breath, got out of the car, and strode up to the front door before I could change my mind. Just as I was raising my hand to knock, it opened revealing Charlie. He was wearing his coat and gun so he must have been leaving. His eyes narrowed when he saw me standing there and I, in a very unconfident and un-me-like way, diverted my eyes to his shiny black shoes.

"What are you doing here?" The lack of hatred in his voice gave me courage to look him in the eyes.

"I just need to talk to her." I answered. He glanced into the house and then looked back at me. He seemed to be analyzing my intentions to see if he trusted me enough to let me in. He must have seen something in me because he sighed and stepped around me leaving the door open.

Before he got in the cruiser he called back, "Don't make a bigger mess of things."

I turned back to the front door and stepped in, closing it behind me. The house looked just as welcoming as always and I relaxed slightly. I made my way to the kitchen where I heard the sound of dishes being washed. When I reached the door, I saw her at the sink cleaning up lunch. I leaned against the door frame and just watched her, wishing that things were not about to become awkward.

I cleared my throat. She jumped a little and turned around. Her eyes were wide until she saw it was me and she relaxed, but her face took on an annoyed look. "Jacob, what are doing in here?"

"Your Dad let me in. I had to talk to you. I couldn't take it anymore." Honesty was going to be my answer for everything. I planned to lay it all out as best I could and hope she wouldn't totally hate me for it.

"I don't think there's anything to talk about." She said turning back to the sink.

"Bella, please."

"Okay. Sit down and start talking if you really want to." I took a seat at the kitchen table. Bella went to the refrigerator and pulled out two slices of cake. She set one in front of me with a fork and sat down across from me with the other.

"Thanks." I said. I had expected her to try and throw me out as soon as she saw me, not give me cake. "I know you don't want to talk about this."

"But I knew we would have to eventually." She put in.

"I just wanted to say, I'm sorry." I took a bite of cake, suddenly finding the design in the icing so fascinating that I could not bring myself to look up and see Bella's reaction.

"You don't have to apologize, Jacob. It was an imprint. We both know how unavoidable that is."

"That's not a good enough excuse. I loved you. I still do and the last thing I ever wanted was for you to get hurt." Another bite of cake and some heavy silence.

"Look this is going to be hard if we beat around the bush trying to say what we want without being blunt and to the point." She pushed her cake away, folded her arms on the table, and fixed me with a 'you better pay attention' look. "My fiancé fell in love with you. You imprinted on him way back when you still hated him for being a vampire. Edward left me to be with you. You almost died trying to keep away from him. And now the two of you are together. These are the facts, the way I see them. How are they from your perspective?"

I could not think of anything to say. Her words seemed to take hours to seep in until I was finally able to respond. "I imprinted on your vampire boyfriend. Tried to deny it and almost died. I ran away so I wouldn't ruin the happiness I thought the two of you would have together. I didn't know he had feelings for me. I think you hate me for what I've done. These are the facts as I see them."

Bella nodded and picked at a spot on the table. The silence grew, but I knew it was her turn to talk so I said nothing. "I could never hate you. I know you well enough to know that you would never steal my boyfriend on purpose. "

"You should hate me." My voice was so low, she probably barely heard me.

"Jacob, look at me." I looked up from the table. She reached across and took my hands into hers. "I have had a lot of time to think about this. I went from hoping there was some kind of mistake to numbness. Then I cried. Then I became so angry at the both of you, I would have punched you if I ever saw you again. But now, I understand. He found things in you that you had wanted me to see and you found things in him that he kept hidden from everyone."

I squeezed her hand. "You have got to be the best person ever." I let go of her hands and finished my slice of cake. "I was afraid that you would fall apart when he left…like last time."

"This time was different." She responded. "Last time I thought he had left because he didn't love me. This time I know he left because he thought he might love you more."

"I still love you too."

"I know, but neither of you can love me the way you used to. And that's ok." I watched her as she took our plates to the sink and washed them. I had never expected her to be so understanding. It was not like Bella at all, but I was not about to question it. I had my best friend here with me and I was going to do everything I could to keep her.

"So, maybe we could hang out sometime? Like old times?" I saw her head nod but she did not say anything. I chose not to try and make plans right now. When she was finished washing the dishes she took her seat across from me again.

"You and I will always be friends and I want things to be like old times too."

"And you and Edward?" I asked. I knew Edward would like her friendship as well.

"Edward is a little different. He didn't imprint on you and his feelings started before you ran away. He left me. I know he never meant to hurt me, but right now I couldn't be around with the two of you being so happy and knowing I could have had that. Eventually, I will be able to completely forgive Edward, but I'm not ready yet."

I nodded. She had every right to feel that way and I was just glad she felt she could eventually forgive us both completely. The day had worn on, but I was not ready to leave. We stayed in the kitchen and talked about things unrelated to Edward or our unexpected love triangle.

By the time I left, the sun was starting to set and my face ached a little from smiling too much. I felt as if a weight had been lifted off my shoulders and I walked with a lighter step. Coming to see Bella had definitely been a good idea.

o0o0o0o0o

Edward's POV

I had not seen Jacob yesterday. He had spent most of the day with Bella and I had not wanted to bother him. But this morning as the sun rose, I found myself almost desperate to see him. So I headed toward the Reservation.

I parked my Volvo in front of the small red house and got out. The sky was overcast, like usual, but not gloomy. I listened for sounds of life around the place and heard the clinking of metal coming from Jacob's makeshift garage. I made my way over there at a humanly pace.

The doors were open and as I approached, I could see him under the hood of that Volkswagon. His white t-shirt was smudged with grease, but like his pants it clung to his body nicely. I stood watching him at a far enough distance he would not smell, hear, or see me.

Watching him work was something I always liked to do. When he was really concentrating hard, this crease on his forehead would show up, his eyes would narrow, and he would block out the sounds of everything around him. In his mind I would see nothing but the object or task in front of him. He would often use his forearm to wipe sweat of his face and sometimes a streak of grease would be left behind. It was sexy and something I am sure I would never tire of seeing.

I walked to the door and stood there with my arms folded and a smile, or maybe smirk, on my face. He stopped what he was doing. I had not made any sounds as I approached, but he could smell me. He ducked out from under the hood. There was grease on his right temple, stretching back into his hair. The smile he wore was as dazzling as he considered my skin to be and I wanted to rush up and wrap him in my arms. But I always refrained from doing that for many reasons.

"Good morning, Edward." He found it funny to address me formally for some reason. I only ever found it entertaining when he decided to attempt a posh British accent to go along with it, but I always indulged his banter by replying in a formal way. He enjoyed it.

"Good morning, Mr. Black." He liked it when I called him that whenever he was in a playful kind of mood. He grabbed a towel to wipe his hands on and strode up to me, leaning in for a kiss without hesitation. I quickly complied.

"I was going to come over when I got done." He said, turning back to his car.

"I couldn't wait that long." I stated simply. It was the truth. I was going crazy and if it hadn't been for a promise I made I would have shown up in his bedroom last night.

I sat myself in a chair off to the left. Jacob was not about to leave until he had finished whatever he was working on. I had no problem sitting here talking with him and watching him work. It sounded like a great way to pass the time to me.

Jacob went back to work and I sat looking around the shed that I had come to know quite well in the past few months. This was where Jacob spent any free time that he did not spend with me. It was his haven, his peace. I often felt like I was intruding, but I learned that if I just sat here quietly he would eventually talk to me and tell me things that were on his mind.

The small shed was really like any other garage. It had tools, a work bench and smelled like oil. A fragrance I now solely associated with Jacob. He thought I smelled like the forest with its trees, dirt, and plant life. Jacob, to me, smelled like hard work, oil, and aftershave. We were a strange combination, but it worked.

Some clinking and racheting noises came from under the hood of the car for a while. I sat quietly listening to it mixed with Jacob's heavy breathing. He was really working hard. Eventually, he resurfaced and wiped his hands on the same towel as before. He leaned against the car facing me. I knew he was ready to talk about whatever was on his mind. He was not in the constant habit of blocking his thoughts from me, but he always did when we were in his garage and other rare occasions.

"I saw Bella yesterday." He knew I already knew that, but this was his conversation starter so I prompted him to continue.

"How did it go?"

"A Hell of a lot better than I thought it would. She doesn't hate me or you. She's not even angry anymore. She just wants us to be happy…" he answered.

"You sound a little disappointed." He really did. As if it was not at all the reaction he had been hoping for from his best friend.

"Talking to her and getting her forgiveness didn't get rid of my guilt." He suddenly found something interesting to examine on the dirt floor. Jacob's guilt had been eating away at him and I had hoped his visit with Bella would help. "Now I feel like I don't deserve her forgiveness."

"Jacob, I love Bella. I do. But you're making her out to be someone better than you. If the roles were reversed and she had taken me away from you by imprint, do you think she would feel so broken and guilty about it?"

"I don't…"

"No she would be happy that she had finally gotten what she wanted and only sorry that you had gotten caught in the middle. You're allowed to be happy with me Jacob."

He looked at me with sadness in his eyes. He really had been suffering over this and only time would help him move on. He shuffled his feet in the dirt and looked between me and the ground. He was at a loss. He could not find the words to explain to me how he felt about the whole thing. Luckily, I already understood how he felt.

I got up from my chair and walked briskly to him. I wrapped my arms around his waist and drew him close to me. Our lips touched and I felt the familiar heat spread throughout me. We stayed like that, locked together, until he needed to breathe. I pressed my forehead to his. Jacob's eyes were closed and I could tell our conversation was still on his mind.

"I love you Jacob Black. I would have fallen in love with you no matter what. And there was nothing you could do to make me love Bella enough to stay with her. You forget that with you and I together, we all three get a chance at real happiness. When it was me and Bella, there was little happiness for you and it would have been the same for me if it had been you and Bella. Maybe Bella would have been happy, but I doubt it considering I left her. It must mean I did not love her as whole heartedly as I thought. Now she has a chance to find someone who will love her unconditionally for the rest of her life. She will never have to become immortal, she won't be in danger, and she'll never have to leave her family and friends behind.

"Maybe it seems like an awful thing right now, but in the long run it will all have been for the best." I wrapped my arms tighter around him in reassurance. He sighed and his body relaxed a little more. That meant my words had sunken in and were currently filling him with positive thoughts.

"I love you." He whispered. "I love you. I love you. I love you."

His hands found my upper arms and moved up to my neck. He pulled me in for a kiss. It was strong and needy and I did everything I could to satisfy whatever that need was. Our one kiss grew into more and more until we seemed to be climbing all over each other. I knew where this was going, but I wasn't sure the garage was the best place. Jacob must have been thinking along the same lines because through large intakes of air he said, "Bedroom…, Edward. My Dad's….gone all day."

I did not care if it looked ridiculous or stereotypical, I grabbed his ass with both hands and lifted him off the ground. He wrapped his legs around my hips and his arms around my neck. As I ran to the house, his lips caressed my forehead, temples, cheeks, and lips so passionately that I was not sure my vampire speed could get us there before my patience wore out.

We made it, however, to his small room, in his small bed where the world ceased to exist and there was only Jacob Black and Edward Cullen. So perfectly matched it was amazing we ever felt anything but love for each other. How I lived for more than one hundred years without this beautiful man was beyond me, but I never wanted to go through it again.

We made love for the second time. It was as amazing as the first time and I knew every time after would be just as amazing. He fell asleep with his arms wrapped tightly around me and I was lulled into a kind of restfulness by the gentle whisper of his breath on the back of my neck, the thump of his heart, and dreams that were also promises of a future I had not hoped for since I woke up with a frozen heart and a thirst for blood.

o0o0o0o0o

Well, I hope you liked it. I had a great time writing this story and I think it really turned out great. There will be a sequel but I don't yet know when I will get around to starting it. I will make sure to post a notice on this story to let eeryone know!

Let me know what you thought of the ending and/or the work as a whole. Or anything else you would like to comment on. I would love to hear from you!

Thanks to everyone who enjoyed my story!