A lot of you have been wondering if this will be a Bella and Edward. I can assure you it is not. It is a Jacob story. And it's barely out of the starting gate. The rest of the story will be majorly in his point of view. I love this chapter for the family time (:

Jacob PoV

While Edward was gone, I did everything I could to make up for how he'd embarrassed me. My best friend, Devon, laughed at me and tried to tell me I had no chance. Ignoring him, I spent a lot of my time thinking of how to make her laugh and during desperate times, how to embarrass Mike in front of her. I've heard my mom say that all's fair in love and war.

Bella was really starting to like me. She invited me to sit at her table at lunch a few times. The juniors gave me dirty looks and snide comments but were honestly a tad afraid of a Cullen. Also, Bella told me that I made life in Forks much more bearable. I think that was a compliment.

The only thing that ruined my happiness with her was when she asked about Edward. Carlisle told me to say that he was visiting family. She asked if he was mad at her. I thought about saying yes so that she wouldn't like him, but I didn't.

Edward returned a few days later. It was a snow day, and everyone was enjoying the weather, me especially. I missed our house in New York with the huge hill to snowboard down. I got into several snowball fights before the day was over. Mike Newton lobbed one at the back of my head. I probably deserved that.

The best fight was with my aunt and uncles. Jasper was the best fighter, managing to pretty much bury Edward. I'm glad I was on Jasper's team. I was so clumsy that I had trouble moving out of the way of attacks. Damn growth spurt. Alice focused on catching the snowflakes in her hands because they didn't melt so quickly there. We were all soaked when we got to Lunch.

We were having such a good time that I decided I'd sit with them instead of Bella. I alternated tables a lot, but they were usually least on the list. We enjoyed flicking the snow that was still on Edward's head at each other. He finally shook his hair like a dog making us all laugh. A few people turned to look at us, including Bella. I smiled and waved at her, but she was looking at Edward. That hurt my ego a bit. Edward gave her a look that was curious and casually friendly. Bella turned back, her cheeks red. Edward frowned, confused.

"Don't let it wound your ego, Edward. She's just really shy." Edward smiled at me, happy that we were cool and enjoying hearing new information about her. It must kill him to not know what she's thinking.

When lunch ended, I knew Bella was worrying about Biology with Edward. I went up to him, "Be nice to Bella, don't embarrass me."

Edward laughed and clapped me on the back, "I won't do anything you wouldn't."

Bella caught our exchange and smiled. She trusted me already so it looked like she would trust Edward.

I worried about her and Edward my entire French class. I hated French class anyway. I already knew the language because of my mom and Alice's weekend trips to Paris with me so during the class I let my thoughts wander. I worried that Edward would freak her out, and Bella would be scared of him and, by association, me. My deeper worry was that he would charm her and then I wouldn't have a chance.

When my last class ended, I almost ran to the Volvo. He showed up later with a cocky smile.

"Hello Jacob, how are you on this fine day?"

I scooped the snow off the roof of the Volvo and lobbed a snowball at him which he caught. "Shut up. How was Bella? Did she mention me?"

"Possibly. Get in the car," he said. I did, stealing Jasper's front seat. He raised an eyebrow when he got in the back. I smirked in the rearview. Alice was smiling at Edward in her knowing way. Oh no, he had gotten along with Bella. I'd been trying to piece together what Alice saw about Bella on her first day. I knew that since she had seen anything, it meant I wasn't involved because she couldn't see me for a weird reason. That was disappointing. I also knew it involved Edward, and that Alice looked at him in a way that would make Bella blush.

Edward's laugh caught me by surprise. He was looking in the rearview mirror at Bella's truck. It was an ancient Ford. I wondered where she got it from. Edward was watching her avoid hitting someone's car. It was pretty funny. Alice watched us laugh like we were crazy. Was no one else seeing how hilarious she was? Bella gave us a look as we left. I waved, but she kept driving. Maybe she hadn't seen me.

When we got home, Dad smacked me in the chest with a snowball. He had a huge pile of snowballs behind a snow fort. The war ensued like it always did on snowy days. While my family had to skip out on beaches in the summer, we relished the snowy winters. It was always this way growing up, and I couldn't imagine another lifestyle. How could Bella hate this?

Edward looked to me involuntarily, like I'd called his name. But I'd been thinking of Bella. What was this claim on her he thought he had? How come it had to be Bella? My uncle looked to me with the same look of confusion. I wanted to ask, but Dad threw a snowball at me, knocking me on my back. I'd only worn a hoodie so now I was soaked.

"Ahh, shh…" I laughed, but my mom still came over to worry.

"Oh, Jacob, you're all wet. Are you freezing? How come you only wore a hoodie today? Emmett, was that giant snowball really necessary? Now he'll catch a cold!" I laughed at her worrying. She was such a mom.

"I'm fine, mom. Just a little water," I answered, but she had already pulled me up like I was a child. It was weird how I'm so much bigger, but she's so much stronger.

"No, you're shivering! Come in and change."

"Moo-om," I whined. I bear hugged her, soaking her clothes. She shrieked and then laughed, "Jakey, you're getting me wet." She used my name from when I was a little kid. She likes it, but I hated being called that so my family used it to embarrass me.

I let go and smiled at her. She wasn't feeling the cold, of course, but she looked very wet. I laughed, and she gave me her look that meant she was trying to be mad and not succeeding.

"Sorry, mommy," I said as innocently as I could. She smiled, and we headed towards the house. The snowball fight was over. Mom, Aunt Alice, and Grandma were fussing over me and mom. It was getting a little tired after being doted on for 15 years, but Edward had once explained that caring for me made them happy so I let it go on. We changed into dry clothes, and Esme made me a huge mug of hot chocolate. She always knew when I was hungry. I fell asleep on the couch during a foreign film Alice got.

RPoV

I pet my sleeping Jacob's hair while he slept. Good thing I was small because he took up most of the couch. It was around midnight. All the boys were on a quick hunt mostly for Edward's benefit. We used to go on those for Jasper. Although he knows that life and death are not to be taken lightly, he's been a little smug lately. Us girls were watching the movie's heroine get the man, the job, and overall success. Very predictable, but it reminded me of Jacob's crusade for Bella Swan.

"What's going on with that Bella girl, Alice," I asked in a very blasé way. I tried to approach the topic casually.

"The visions aren't changing, Rose," she said in a tired tone. I was the only person doubting the absoluteness of her predictions, "But she and Jacob are getting on fine if that's what you mean. Also, she and Edward talked for the first time today. He was so happy when he came back from Science class today."

"That's nice," sighed Esme. The rest of the family already saw Bella as a sister or daughter except for Jacob and me. Even Emmett had more faith in Alice's visions although he claimed he wasn't happy about it. They've only talked once, for Pete's sake.

Alice continued, "I think Edward and Bella's relationship is going to change very very soon though. She's a smart girl, and she's noticing things about us. That we're different."

I expected this. The secret was being blown. I wasn't really one to talk since I had adopted Jacob, but he was raised on secrecy. We couldn't expect a normal girl to keep this supernatural secret.

I hissed, " Is Edward's crush worth all our lives?"

"Rose, if Alice's visions are true than we know Bella will be with Edward for life or longer, and if he chooses to trust her then we can trust her too," Esme said.

"If she attracts any trouble... I'm not letting her hurt Jacob."

Esme rubbed my back like my mother used to, the same way I did for little Jacob when he was upset, "We would never let anyone hurt Jacob or our family. We will always keep him safe." Then she kissed my hair and pushed Jacob's black hair back. I nodded. The secret and all our lives were in jeopardy, but Jacob would be safe.

"You know Jake really likes Bella," I said.

"I've noticed. I believe we have a competition on the horizon," Esme said. I know whose side she's on.

"Is it a fair fight, Alice," I asked.

"Well, the first day when he talked to her, there was a moment where her future disappeared too," she admitted. My spirits lifted. Jacob had a chance? "But after she met Edward, that changed. There have been a few instances where the phenomenon repeated, but it always reverts back to Edward." I frowned, but all hope wasn't lost.

"May the best man win."