A/N: Sorry for taking a while to come with the next chapter. Still, I'm trying to stick to my "once in two weeks" rule, which I haven't broken so far. As always, I'm looking forward to reading the millions of reviews that you will undoubtedly leave!

Thanks to dantemalfoy and Lineia for providing comments!

Warnings: drama, angst

Chapter 13: Romeo and Juliet

"You."

The word echoed in Edward's mind, increasing in intensity with every second that passed. It was like a gong had been struck in his inner ear, and instead of letting the sound die down, it was struck again and again until the noise became unbearable. So Edward stood, drowning in the chaos of that one word, deafened by the silence of the room, crushed by the twisted expression on the face of Jacob's father.

He seemed furious. His nostrils flared, air rushing in and out of his heaving chest. Edward could hear his breathing from where he stood. His mouth was twisted in anger, and his eyes shot bolts of lightning at him. His forehead was deeply grooved with wrinkles, so deeply did he frown. Overall, his face was like a spring thunderstorm reaching it climax.

"What the hell do you think you're doing here?"

Against Edward's belief, his voice hadn't rumbled like rolling thunder; instead it was quiet. However, it shook ever so slightly, the tremors in the words betraying the seething fury, which was contained by only the strongest of resolves.

When he felt some pressure on his shoulder, he became acutely aware again of Jacob's presence next to him. He moved to stand next to Edward, and joined him in the staring contest he was involved in with Jacob's father. But when Jacob had moved, his father had shot his glance over to Jacob. Immediately Jacob stopped dead in his tracks, seemingly scared by his father's ice-cold look. To Edward's surprise, he looked at his son with the same hate that he had when he had looked at him.

"Son." He uttered quietly, acknowledging his son's presence. His voice was still strung up, tense with hidden rage waiting to be unleashed at the smallest provocation. Jacob gulped.

"Hey, dad…" but his voice faltered, for his father's look made him swallow whatever explanation he had wanted to give. His father sighed deeply, closing his eyes briefly as he exhaled. Suddenly his eyes sprang open and pierced his son's gaze, sending chills through Jacob's body that made him shudder. With a voice cool as ice, but fuming with a hardly contained wrath, he addressed his son.

"Son, what the fuck is he doing here?"

Edward gulped. Billy Black, if he remembered the name Embry had mentioned the day before correctly, didn't seem like the guy to swear like that. A cautious glance over to Jacob showed him that he was right: at hearing "fuck" Jacob had turned a bit pale, betraying his fright at the turn of events. He gaped at his father in terror, not knowing what to do or how to do it. His father's patience was starting to run out, something that Edward definitely did not want to witness.

"Jacob Black, I will ask you again: what the fuck is he doing in my house?!"

The fiery anger that lay just shy of the surface was melting the ice that contained it; Billy's voice had been less controlled than before, shaking noticeably at some of the words. When he had uttered "fuck", he had spitted it out with such contempt that even Edward felt a cold tinge of fright creep up his spine. He shuddered but stood nailed to the ground, just like Jacob next to him, who shifted uncomfortably to balance his weight on his other foot. His grip on Edward's shoulder tightened, as if to say that everything would be okay. Edward noticed how Jacob drew a deep breath, but he drew it slowly and inaudibly; his expanding chest was the only evidence of it. Meanwhile his head had drooped.

Finally Jacob exhaled, louder than he had inhaled. He lifted his head and pierced his father's eyes. While his resolve seemed to be strengthened, he still looked horribly unsure of himself. He fidgeted nervously with the waistband of his pants as he started talking, his glorious torso still exposed.

"Dad…"

His father huffed, but remained quiet. He bowed his head down slightly but kept his gaze fixed on his son.

"…Edward is here because…"

Jacob gulped lightly while his father kept piercing his gaze, staring incessantly with eyes that radiated an increasing agitation. When Jacob spoke Edward's name, his father couldn't do but flinch a little. Edward caught up on it and felt a stone sink to his stomach.

Jacob sighed and closed his eyes. He waited a second before reopening them and re-attempting whatever is was that he wanted to say. Again he inhaled deeply while he clutched Edward's shoulder forcefully.

"Edward is here because I invited him."

Silence.

His father's eyes had widened at Jacob's statement and his breathing ceased for a moment. In his eyes developed a thunderstorm with clouds so black and so thick that it terrified the two teenagers. With a quiet voice that trembled from withheld wrath, his father spoke: "And why, my son, knowing full well my opinion on this vermin, have you asked our arch enemy so kindly into my house?"

His father's nostrils flared. "Are you two friends now?"

While he didn't raise his voice at all, the word 'friends' was loaded with disdain, making him sound truly furious when he reached the end of the sentence. In addition, a pang of humiliation now also bore through in his voice; evidently it became harder for him to control his emotions. His face was twisted from feelings of anger running over into sorrow. He stared wide-eyed at Jacob, waiting for another answer. Jacob was quick to do so.

"Yes dad, we are. If you would just give him a chance –"

Billy cut his son off harshly; his son, whose words carried notes of desperation. He had let loose of Edward's shoulder and motioned with it in an almost pleading way. His face was clenched in a tight expression of hopeful desperation. He didn't raise his voice, but he wasn't far off.

"What?" Billy quickly retorted, seemingly overcome with disbelief. "Give him a chance?"

He kept staring at Jacob, his eyes fixed on the beautiful boy. His expression had changed from pure anger to a look of utter helplessness and remorse. He stayed silent for a few seconds before he carried on, but in those silent moments his trembling lower lip was unmistakable. "Like his family gave us a chance, you mean? All those years ago?"

"Dad, I –" Jacob began, trying to salvage the situation that slipped more and more out of weakly trembling hands. Again, his father cut him off.

"No, Jake, there are no 'if's' or 'but's'. I'm not giving him a chance. His family never gave us a chance, so why should I give him one?"

Near the end Billy was nearly shouting in uncontained fury. He banged his clenched fist on the armrest of his wheelchair, after which he shook his head in disappointment. Jacob looked at his crazed father from a distance before he dared to proceed.

Jacob went back to stand beside Edward, but this time he didn't hold his shoulder; he held his hand instead. Edward looked at Jacob's face, slightly confused, as he felt Jacob's lean grasp. Jacob was staring at his face, piercing his eyes with newfound resolve. A glimmer of fear shone from them, and Jake's upper lip trembled shallowly. His grasp of Edward's hand further tightened. For Edward it was clear that Jacob was scared; very scared even. Unmoving, not taking his gaze off Edward's face, he spoke.

"Because, Dad…"

His father looked up at him. When he saw the two teenagers holding hands, their stares fixed on each other, his already twisted visage distorted further, into a frown. Jacob sharply rotated his head and pierced his father's gaze in a near-panicked haze of emotions. His muscular, naked chest was heaving with increasing excitement.

"Because he's different from what you think."

Billy was taken aback by that, raising his eyebrows as his lips curled and uncurled interchangeably. He didn't seem to be able to settle on a particular expression, so many questions were apparently flying through his head. Finally he spoke, his voice sounding more surprised than angry: "Excuse me?"

"Different?" he then added, a newfound rage surfacing. He stared in shock at both Edward and Jacob, as they stared back at him. Finally he fixed his gaze on his son, and Edward, too, glanced over to the boy beside him. There was a spark in his eyes; a new kind of energy that Edward hadn't seen before. Billy's face, meanwhile, was twisted in anguish, and his mouth stood in a crooked grimace.

"I beg your pardon, but I thought I heard you defend our worst enemy now! Please tell me I got that wrong?"

Billy seemed about ready to jump up from his wheelchair. His back was straight as a plank, making himself look as big as he possibly could as fury took over his posture. The weak, disabled man suddenly looked like the fierce warrior that he probably once was. Edward couldn't deny the mystical air of authority permeating from Billy's gaze; that spoke from his resolute attitude and the sudden steadiness of his voice. Jacob stood beside him and gulped, breathing heavily. It was obvious that he found it difficult to battle his father like that, but he felt honoured that he tried to do so anyway, on his behalf.

"Yes I am, dad! Look, you won't believe the things Edward endured the past weeks, I –" but once again his father cut him off harshly in the middle of his sentence.

"I won't believe?!" his father nearly shouted. Every restraint in his voice had set sail. "I won't believe you say? What I can't believe is that my son, my flesh and blood, is taking it up for Cullen's son!" Billy panted in anger, trying to regain his breath. The arteries in his eyes stuck out a fierce red against their ice-cold background, like an ice-cream truck stands out in a graveyard.

"By god Jake, how could you have thought for one moment, after all the grief his family caused me, caused us, that I'd be okay with him being here." His crazed stare fixed on Edward as he continued to yell at his son.

"They never wronged me dad, I have no idea wha –"

"Of course you know!" his father interjected brutally. He remained silent after that, his heaving chest evidence of his excitement. He huffed before he slouched back in his wheelchair, tapping an incoherent rhythm on his wheelchair's armrest. Jacob did one more try to break his father's defences.

"His father beat the crap out him dad, he has nowhere else to go…" Jacob muttered, sounding somewhat defeated. He shifted his gaze from his father to Edward and back, as if to add a modicum of drama to his words. Billy didn't respond immediately, but soon he muttered "serves him right" under his breath. Jacob's nostrils flared upon hearing his father's utterance.

"Serves him right?!" He shot a wild gaze back to Edward before fixing it back on his father as he took two menacing steps towards his wheelchair. "Carlisle beats his son almost to death because he's gay and you just say 'serves him right'?"

Their gazes locked on as sparks of tension flew all around. Billy seemed a bit uncomfortable now. He shifted in his wheelchair, repositioning the cushion against which he leaned his back, but without taking his eyes off his son. He seemed to stick to his opinion, much to Jacob and Edward's dismay. The hate was, apparently,s extraordinarily deep, and these words would not salvage the situation. Jacob stood in front of his dad, a fist clenched and in a stance that looked like he was ready to pounce. Then he relaxed though, and drooped his head. Softly he spoke: "What if I were gay, dad? Would you beat me up too?"

Billy's heart, even though it was crowded with anger, seemed to tear up. Through his frustrated look a glimmer of sadness shone through. "Jacob," his father sighed. "Jake, I would never do that. That you would even say that…." He tried to sound reassuring, but too much anger still lay in his speech to sound entirely convincing.

Billy's eyes shot to Edward. "You, Cullen," he began, startling the teenager out of his dreamy trance. "I want you out of my house."

"You're throwing him out?" Jacob immediately retorted. "Seriously?"

Billy's eyes shot fire once again at hearing his son's sharp words of resistance. "We need to talk, Jacob. Even if he were welcome in this house, it still would be none of his business." Jacob tensed again.

"After what I tell you, you're still adamant in your opinion?" He sighed deeply, trying to calm himself from his frustration. Edward moved over to Jacob and touched his shoulder lightly.

"Jake, it's fine. I'll leave, I –"

"Fuck no, it's not fine, Ed!" Jacob retorted bluntly as he twisted to face Edward with a bewildered expression of frustration. "You're not being kicked out of another house, not after all that you already endured!"

Jacob confidently turned to face his father anew, who seemed utterly shocked by the developments. His face turned red with outrage as he sat in his wheelchair, trembling with barely contained fury ready to erupt.

"I want that damn Cullen out of my house, immediately!" He shouted with trembling voice, "and you, Jacob Black, will stay here and explain yourself!"

"Edward is not going anywhere, dad," Jacob reacted, calmer than Edward would have thought. Again he tried to interject, hoping to shush the tensions by claiming he was fine to leave at his own will, but once again Jacob demanded him to stay put. Finally his father had enough.

"Fine Jake, have it your way. If you want to stay so badly with your precious Cullen, perhaps you should both leave this house!"

This time, Billy didn't yell, though his voice was raised, and his clench fist, which rested on his wheelchair's armrest, trembled with restrained agitation. Besides the anger, however, a sense of defeat also manifested itself in his voice. For a few more moments he looked at his son with a murderous look, before he rotated his wheelchair. Without looking sideways or saying farewell, Billy disappeared from the door opening. Somewhere else in the house they heard a door close with a bang.

Defeated, Jacob stared at Edward. He went to put on a shirt and his shoes, and, grasping Edward's hand, led his friend out, into the chilly morning.

"I'm so sorry, Jake," Edward admitted. Jacob merely sighed deeply in response.

They had made their way into the forest in silence. Together they now sat on the cold earth, leaning against the rough, damp bark of a big pine tree. Both of them had their head drooped. Jacob was fidgeting with a twig he had found on the ground, and Edward merely stared out into the void. He had never thought this morning would end up like this. He glanced over at Jacob. The poor boy seemed anxious as hell. Subtly Edward inched closer, but not without Jacob taking notice. He lifted his view up to meet Edward's gaze. He stared at Edward briefly with eyes filled with tired regret before focusing his attention back to his twig.

"Hey…" Edward tried, wrapping Jacob's powerful shoulders in his arm. "You'll be fine," he then added, hoping to cheer the boy up. He seemed utterly deflated. To Edward things seemed to be looking up though, compared to how his father had treated him…

"It could be a lot worse, you know," he spoke, remembering the beating.

Jacob tore his attention from his twig and lifted his gaze up to the sky. He exhaled quietly as he leaned his head onto Edward's. "I suppose you are right," he answered, though hopelessness was the only thing that spoke from his voice. "I'm not sure what I'm going to do, Ed."

"You'll go back to your father and try to talk to him. Your father didn't kick you out of the house, you know."

Jacob repositioned his head so as to be able to look Edward in the eyes. They locked gazes briefly before Jacob resettled his view on the void in front of him.

"Then why do I feel like he did?" he finally questioned. Edward remained silent, mulling the question over. He glanced at the black hair that tickled his cheek. It glistened beautifully in the weak morning sun, and was still styled in a neat, forward running crest. He hadn't shaved himself though: small stubbles coloured his cheeks and the area around Jacob's mouth a light grey. It suited him very well, made him look manlier.

Edward sighed. After they had run out of Jacob's house, holding hands, they had walked in silence for a while. Jacob had kicked against pebbles, hands tucked firmly in his pockets. Every time Edward had tried to get a hold of him, Jacob had rejected his touch. When finally he had cried out his name and told him to stop stomping around like that, Jacob had turned around, an expression of pain on his face. He hadn't cried; not even sniffed, but from the way his brows were pulled down and his lips were curled it was evident that he was moments away from collapsing down onto the floor. At that moment Jacob reminded him of himself, when he was flung out of his parent's house. Even though Billy probably had never meant it to come to this, he could see why it felt like that for Jacob. For, even if Billy hadn't kicked him out, what he had done was perhaps equally bad: he had not reassured Jacob; he had not told him that it would be okay. Instead he told him to leave. What's worse: he had not told him to come back either.

Briefly retreating from his murky thoughts, he shot a glance to the boy still leaning onto him. Jacob was breathing quietly and steadily. Edward bent forward shallowly to gaze at the beautifully sculptured face. Jake had closed his eyes. Edward slowly stroked Jake's cheek, admiring the gilded radiance of the native's sun-drenched skin. The weather was beautiful, even if it were a bit chilly.

It seems as though he has taken it that way… Edward thought to himself. He couldn't do but feel guilt-ridden. If he hadn't been there, this would have never happened. How was it possible that wherever he went, catastrophe would follow? As if he were bad luck himself. And now they sat in the fresh, morning air, basking in a young sun's glow, under an emerald-green pine tree. The moment felt so satisfyingly simple; the fact that it was the result of more hate and hurt was painful all by itself. Even the good moments thus were the consequence of darker times.

How did he get here again? How had he managed to drag this beautiful boy into his miserable plight? There had been one thing in the world that he had wanted, one thing only, and that was to be happy with Jacob. That required Jacob being happy too, though.

Edward awoke from his thoughts when he noticed Jacob ruffling through his hair with a hand. He made to sit up, leaving Edward's warm flank. He turned round to face Edward properly, a faint smile lingering on those masculine jaws.

"Jake…" Edward began, frowning, awaiting approval to continue. Jacob merely nodded, a softly spoken "Yes, Ed?" to reassure his friend.

"Jake," Edward restarted, "I'm so sorry… I only seem to break things down, never make them whole again…."

Jacob frowned at that, his smile faltering as his lips uncurled. He looked at Edward for a moment like that. "Ed, that's bullshit. Why would you ever think that?"

Edward was slightly taken aback by that, surprised by the sudden fierceness of his young friend. He said opposite from him now, cross-legged and his arms resting on his knees, sporting a smug grin in annoyed amusement. "Please don't tell me that you are now blaming yourself for this?"

Edward looked down and nodded plainly, "Yes Jake, I = do… I heard what your father said. He hates me. This is never going to work, Jake, not with him staying in your life." Edward lifted his gaze back up to meet Jake's, but was instead rewarded with a view of the crown of Jacob's hair. The boy scratched the back of his head lamely before resting his hand back on his knee, but he took a moment to sit straight again. Finally he sighed and lifted his gaze to meet Edward's. Together they stared at each other.

"I don't want you to give up on family for me…" Edward spoke, his voice trembling lightly. He spoke from experience. He had never wanted to part with his family in return for being who he was, or loving the person he loved; that's just the way it went. He would never be able to bare Jacob parting with his father because of him.

"Fuck my father, Ed. You're more important to me."

Edward smiled weakly. That was a problematic statement, and it pained Edward that Jake's disappointed anger was still too fresh in his mind for him to notice it himself. As much as he liked that Jacob chose him before his family, he knew from experience that this choice wouldn't hold. The fact of the matter was that Edward had been thinking back to his own family during the night. The hot and horny session with the proud native that, back then, had been quivering in front of him like a terrified, small boy, had brought back some memories of an altogether not so pleasant nature. Again and again had he been replaying the scenes at his parent's house; had he recalled the faces of his family. Above all he recalled the expression on his mother's face. The crazed visage of his father was one thing, but his mother was something else. He hated her for not stepping in; he hated his siblings for not opposing their father.

And yet.

He couldn't vouch for Jasper, Emmett and Alice, but his mother's face had been different. He distinctly recalled how she nervously bit her lip, clenching the paper tissues as she blew her nose. Where he had seen fury in his father's eyes, he had seen fear in his mother's. Where he had seen disgust in Emmett's face, he had seen pity in his mother's. Where he had heard confusion in Alice's sobs, he had heard genuine pain in his mother's. Finally, where he had seen humiliation in Jasper's stance, he had noticed guilt in his mother's. These observations had been bugging him for a while, and only during the past night had it hit him: his mother did not hate his gayness, nor did she want to see her house relieved of him. No, her only sin was anxiety.

"I choose you Ed, above all else, you have to understand that. You give me what nobody else can give me, Ed…."

Jacob's words pulled Edward back into the present. He had closed in on him and was reaching out to his cheeks. So they sat, on the cold forest floor. He approached Edward's lips, connecting for a kiss, before retreating and smiling wearily. Edward responded with a feeble smile of himself. As he dropped his head he sighed, and clenched Jacob's flanks in his warm hands before looking up at his face once more.

"It's not that easy Jacob; please don't give up on your father. He loves you, but he is confused. I read it in his eyes."

"You're not one to talk though, are you," Jacob retorted wistfully. He let loose of Edward's cheeks and leaned backwards, supporting himself on his muscled arms as he sat down on the damp earth. "You gave up on your parents, why shouldn't I do the same? You heard what my father said."

"No Jacob, I did not give up on my parents; not entirely anyway. Don't let anger cloud your feelings." Jacob was starting intently at Edward as he listened to his words. Finally he grinned lowly, "Ed, you sound like Yoda."

Edward chuckled shortly, before returning to his moody frown and sighing as he glanced away from Jacob, ducking his piercing, dark eyes. "Jake, you need to go back to your father and talk to him."

"But you heard him, he told me to get out if I want to stay with you. What do you want me to do, anger him even more?" Jacob sounded scared above all else. Fright was implanted in those words, mixed with a genuine sense of helplessness that by now had breached Jacob's expression. His mouth twisted in pain at the thought of his angry dad – his only true blood relative at this point.

"Yes Jake, and I'll come with you. If it doesn't work out, you're not alone. You'll have me. And I have Brad and Angela. I'm sure they'll be happy to help wherever they can." Edward tried a faked smile, hoping it would reassure the boy in front of him. He needed to know that he would be there for him, and if all else failed, that he still had a home to go to. If things were like he thought, though, it wouldn't come that far.

His father loves him.

It seemed to have worked, for Jacob sported a faint smile again. Upon seeing it, Edward stood up and held out a hand. "You coming?"

Jacob looked up at him, heaved a heavy sigh, and reached out to grab Edward's hand.

"Only because you'll be there." The resolve in his voice was unsteady with conflicting feelings of pain and anxiety, but it was better than no resolve at all.

"Of course my pup, I'll be there for you," and Edward smiled warmly.

Their hands connected in a tight clench. With a brief but hard tug that had Edward lean backwards, he pulled Jacob up from the ground. His body, heavy with muscles, straightened, but Edward didn't stop there. He kept pulling, reeling Jacob into a warm and loving embrace. They stood hugging for a moment. When Edward meant to disconnect, however, he felt Jake trembling, and shaking ever so softly. Instead of loosening the hug, he squeezed Jake's body repeatedly, patted him on the back a few times. The boy needed comfort as his grief found an exit, a doorway into the world. His shirt became wet with Jacob's salty tears that roamed freely into the outdoors. Finally Jacob's tears dried, the trembling stopped, and he leaned out of the hug. With an arm he wiped his eyes, snatching a final tear from his eyelashes. Edward eyes him with a smile.

"You'll be fine," he whispered reassuringly. Jacob nodded softly, his eyes and cheeks still wet with sorrow. "I'm afraid Ed," he spoke lowly, but his voice broke as another sob ruptured his vocal chords. Edward's smile disappeared, but his eyes kept radiating a caring love that quieted his native friend.

"You'll be fine, I promise, Jake." Jacob nodded dryly, and they went on their way.

The Black residence was veiled in a peaceful silence. In the distance they heard a car backfire, but for the rest the rustling of the wind in the leaves and the infrequent chirping of birds were the only things to disturb a silence that was otherwise as definite as in death.

The smallish house with the red wooden walls and white door lay in front of them. Jacob sighed as he made towards the door and opened it. He turned around, waiting for Edward to join him, but Edward shook his head. Disappointment washed over Jacob's face at that, prompting him to close the door and move back to Edward.

"You said you'd be there for me, Ed, every step of the way!" He sounded accusatory, panic permeating the words, colouring them an angry red.

Edward nodded dryly as he grasped Jacob at his thighs, pulling him closer. "I know what I promised. This is something you have to do alone; I fear I'll only anger your father. You need to face him by yourself. I will remain close though. I will stay near the front door and listen to your every word. I'll be here for you."

Jacob nodded meekly at the words. A lone tear had left his dark eyes, to find its way toward the cold earth below it. Edward dried the salty trail with a thumb, watching his own movements intently. He then smiled warmly, and kissed Jacob lovingly.

"Now go Jacob. Make me proud; show me my pup is a strong Shepherd."

Jacob smiled at that. "Anything to please you, Ed…" he spoke, revelling in a submissive delight that didn't befit his current task. For now he had to stand his own, face the confrontation head on and hope for the best. He made his way to the front door again with Edward on his tail. He opened the door, but didn't close it behind himself. He left it open, where, just around the corner, Edward had sat down to follow the conversation.

Creaking floorboards.

"Dad?"

Jacob's voice was hoarse and unsure, trembling unsteadily, echoing in the small house. The silence was deafening and permeated everything. Jacob ventured further into the house, the sound of his shoes on the wooden floor betraying his every move. He did his best to step as lightly as he can, but the wood was unforgiving: it cracked and creaked with every step, however lightly Jacob placed it.

"Dad?" he called again, sounding even more unsure than previously.

"In here," he finally heard from his father's bedroom. It was definitely his father, and he sounded broken. His voice had changed dramatically from when he had sent him away.

Edward sat outside and heard Billy's voice. He smiled to himself, recognizing the regret and despair in it. It sounded like he hated himself for how he had reacted. Maybe he was going to make amends?

In the house, Jacob had proceeded to his father's bedroom. The door stood wide-open, enabling him to peek cautiously around the corner. He found his father in his wheelchair, sitting at the window. He was facing it, but he wasn't staring outside. Instead he was glancing downward. His head was tilted to the left, supported by an arm. Jacob went inside.

"Dad?" he once again called, carefully and a bit more steadily. At least he wasn't being shouted at, nor did his father demand him to leave. He approached cautiously.

When he stood behind his father and made to touch his manly shoulders, his father suddenly sighed. Startled, Jacob retracted his hands swiftly, holding his breath in anxiety. "Jake," his father only uttered, his voice laden with a heavy weight as he exhaled deeply. He straightened his head, but kept his arm in place, fumbling with his fingers: as if he had imaginary bread crumbs in-between them that he was trying to get rid of. Finally, though, he rotated his head to the right, and with his right hand he patted on the bed. "Come and sit next to me, son."

Jacob could nearly cry with relief. After how his father had sounded just a few hours ago, this sudden change in tone felt as a warm summer breeze warming up his drenched body after a swim in the cold Atlantic. Billy's voice was imbued with calm, loving warmth. The way he had patted the bed was gentle and inviting to Jacob, who quickly made to the spot his father had assigned him.

Sitting outside, Edward fidgeted nervously. After hearing "In here", he had lost the signal. He moved closer to the door, where he just about heard a voice say "…son". He took it for a positive development, and smiled, but it wasn't good enough; he wanted to hear more. Softly he stood up. Before he walked in he took off his shoes, and toed further into the house, making sure not to make any of the floorboards creak under his weight. Fortunately he was leaner and lighter than Jacob, and he managed to glide towards Billy's bedroom without raising anybody's awareness of his presence. When he arrived at the door to the bedroom he peeked inside, hungry with curiosity, and was happy to see Jacob sitting next to his father. They were sharing a long look at each other. The atmosphere was tense, but friendly. Edward smiled and slumped down next to the door, leaning against the doorframe. He sat just out of sight; if any of the Blacks were to turn around for some reason, they wouldn't see him. Assuring himself that all was good, he tapped back into their conversation with his full attention.

"You came back," Billy said, looking at his son nervously, but with a calm happiness in his eyes. "And without Edward." A smile seemed to be close to breaching Billy's nervous exterior, but his lips stayed stubbornly uncurled. "I'm glad you did," he added, whilst focusing his attention to a photo album that was lying on his lap.

"I was just looking at these photographs," Billy said after Jacob had sat down next to him. His heavy body created a shallow valley in the soft matrass, wrinkling the impeccable bed linen. Billy sighed as he flipped a page, uncovering several old photographs. Jacob leaned over to get a closer look, making the bed creak miserably under his shifting weight.

"You remember that?" his father asked, a sigh of melancholy soaking the words. Jacob stared for a short while, as a grin spread his lips. Jacob huffed, "yes, I do…."

His father grinned as they stared at the photo album together. "It's one of our trips to La Push. Your mother was still alive back then." Again it was silent for a moment. Edward nervously fidgeted with his fingers as he listened intently to the development of the conversation.

"Embry, Paul, Quill… they were all there, remember?" Jacob sighed an affirmative. "Seth was only a toddler," his father continued. Sadness bore through in his voice, a defeated tiredness drowning out the authority and anger that had been laid bare previously.

"Of course this was not the only time we went to La Push, but it's the trip I remember best." His father stayed silent for a moment, while Jacob eyed him curiously.

"I was sitting in the café, drinking a coffee, watching the kids play. You weren't there, though. Then your mother came to me, a grin on her face. She motioned to the door, and whispered that I had to come with her."

Billy smirked as he made to look directly at his son. Jake's eyes were glimmering in the morning sun that shone through the bedroom window, encasing him and his father in a golden spotlight.

"You remember your mother's grin, don't you? She'd always have it when something exciting to her was happening." Jacob nodded while Billy briefly looked down at the floor, smiling happily at the memories. A calm quietness hung in the air as the two sat beside each other. If he weren't so anxious, Edward might have been able to relax a bit.

Billy briefly chuckled. "God knows I just wanted to drink my coffee, but her grin was infectious. I followed her out the café, down to the beach, round a corner." He lifted his gaze and fixed it back on Jacob. A mischievous grin stretched his lips. Jacob smiled in reply, muttering a confused "What?" Billy merely glanced outside and spoke, softly and slowy: "You were right there."

Jacob felt himself turn red, even though he wasn't quite sure where his father was going with this. Edward could only imagine what his father saw there. Jake jerking himself off?

Billy repositioned his arms and settled them on his lap, interlocking his fingers. He raised his eyebrow, looking strangely uncomfortable. He opened his mouth, an almost inaudible bit of breath escaping before he closed his mouth and repositioned his head. He briefly looked down before he lifted his gaze and looked back at Jacob.

"Well," he began uncomfortably. "You weren't alone."

Edward's eyes widened.

"Embry. He…" Again his voice briefly faltered as he muttered some unintelligible syllables, trying to find the right words. "He was lying on the ground, and you sat on top of him." Billy glanced at Jacob, who was furiously turning red, fidgeting with his fingers anxiously. Billy merely smiled and patted his son's back.

"Son, don't feel ashamed. You didn't do anything indecent, but it did seem like more than just friendship. Do you remember anything of this?"

Jacob shook his head, "no dad, I honestly don't, but I wish I would have. It would have made other things so much simpler…. Can't believe you saw it." He looked at his dad with a stunned gaze. His father nodded curtly.

"From that point, your mother and I suspected you might be gay, but then you started to talk about the daughter of the chief of police. Bella, right?"

Jacob's blush vanished at hearing that name. "Yeah… People were so adamant about getting a girlfriend, that I thought I ought to try something. Never worked out of course."

His father merely stared at him, after which he gazed out the window again. "After your sudden attention to this Bella girl, I thought you were straight." He looked down at his laps and stared at his interlocked hands that lay on the opened photo album. He sighed and turned to face Jacob anew.

"Son," he began, sounding uncomfortable to ask this. "When, earlier, you asked whether I'd beat you up if you were gay…." He fidgeted nervously with his fingers while he returned to look down at the photo album. "Did you ask me because you are, in fact, gay?"

Jacob remained eerily silent. He was probably expecting the worst to happen right then and there. He then carefully nodded, shying away from his father's gaze, which had been redirected at him in the meantime. Upon seeing his son nod shyly, Billy sighed and averted his gaze again. Instead he looked out the window.

"I'm sorry I burst like that this morning, Jake."

His father's confession noticeably did Jacob good. Edward had peeked around the corner while his father spoke, and he saw how Jacob's posture relaxed a bit. He had vaguely held his breath but was now breathing more freely.

"Are you angry with me?" Jacob finally spoke softly, ducking his father's gaze. At the question Billy huffed and took a deep breath.

"I am, Jake, but not because you're gay. You're my son, and I'll respect whatever you are and want to be. I see it as the duty of a father to do that."

Edward let a tear run free at those words. How he wished that his father had done the same! That right there was all he had wanted for himself: the simple acceptance of a parent that loves his child unconditionally. Also Jacob was noticeable relieved. He sighed deeply. His lower lip had started trembling more strongly. His father turned to face him and witnessed his son's condition.

"Oh Jake…" he spoke in a reassuring though pitying voice and, wrapping an arm around his son's powerful shoulders, drew him down from the bed. Jacob made to kneel on the floor, sat in-between his father's legs and bent forward, draping his tensing body onto his father's lap. His arms embraced his father's warm body as he buried his face in the warm sweater that veiled his father's aging torso. He cried silent sobs, his body shaking with uncontrolled emotions set loose into the world. His salty tears wetted his father's clothing, but every tear that did so, brought Jacob further back to life. He was shedding his fears with every tremble of his body, and every stroke of his father's hand through his hair relieved him of built-up pressure.

Edward sat at the door, and felt excluded. He could only stare from the outside, not daring to intrude on this precious moment between father and son. He himself now cried silently, feelings of jealousy peeling away his iron resolve, eating away at his emotions from the inside of his heart. He felt miserable. Slowly he made to stand up, when he heard voices ensue from inside the bedroom. Curiosity overshadowing his growing jealousy, he was prompted to stay put – for now.

Jacob's sobbing had quieted down. He lay still on his father, who was eyeing him with a look of passionate attention, a wry smile on his lips. "Jake, I'm sorry that you ever doubted me. I'm sorry for how I treated you earlier." Jacob released himself from his father's embrace and looked up at his face. A tear was lazily trailing down his cheek.

"You have to understand, Jake…. Last night I got a phone call from the police, during the meeting with the Elders." Through his eyes, wet with lingering tears, Jacob watched his father with sudden weariness. "What did they want?" he asked inquisitively.

"You should know!" he answered with sudden vigour that took Jacob aback. Edward widened his eyes.

The car.

"They told me that they had found a crashed car; said it was registered to my name. Wanted to know if I knew, and if yes, what had happened. Told me to get it towed away ASAP."

Here Jacob's gleaming eyes shone with recognition as he started to understand his father's earlier anger.

"Jacob, with some help of Sue I raced to the hospital. I had no idea what to think. I couldn't help myself from thinking you might be dead. You let me go through hell and back." Jacob gulped. It had never occurred to him this might happen. Feelings of guilt assaulted his precious heart as he understood what kind of trauma he must have caused his father. He had always heard that losing a child was the worst possible thing that could happen to a parent – and that was exactly what, for a brief moment, he had made Billy believe.

"Dad, I'm so sorry," he answered quietly. His father had become teary-eyed as he gazed down at his kneeling son. He hushed him with a wave of his hand after which he wiped his eyes with a tissue. "Jake, don't ever do that to me again, will you?"

Billy chuckled dryly as he wiped his eyes from the remaining tears. "Because if you do, I'll kill you myself if you aren't dead already."

Jacob bowed his head down in child-like submission, muttering another inconsistent "sorry". He seemed to be overcome with a bout of sadness upon realizing what he had done to his father, feeling selfish at being so wrapped up in his own emotions that he had completely neglected to tend to the emotions of others. And to think that, just an hour ago, he had told Edward that his father could go fuck himself…. He felt ashamed of himself.

They hugged once more. When they once again disconnected, Jacob couldn't do but ask: "But what about Edward?"

Jacob again bowed his head down, and muttered softly, almost whispered: "I care so much about him, you have no idea…." His father sighed deeply in response.

"Romeo and Juliet," he muttered sarcastically.

That was Edward's cue: he had heard enough. Softly he stood up and made his way outside, where he sat down on the ramp that led up to the front door. He didn't have to hear how Jacob defended him, or the insults Jacob would endure on his behalf. He'd hear the verdict when it was over.

And outside, the birds were still chirping like nothing in the world had changed.