Disclaimer: All the Twilight stuff belongs to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. I'm just playing in her sandbox.

Author's Note: I am in Daytona Beach for the start of Bike Week. Yes, I'm a grandma and yes, I ride Harleys! - can't miss the annual run to the sun! Had this chapter ready for next Tuesday, but, like Christmas, I can never wait . . .

Chapter 64 Dinner & A Movie

I knew that Jake needed Sam's help, but I also knew that Sam would need to learn a great many things about acceptance from Jacob . . . I only hoped that it was possible.

BPOV

When Emily came back downstairs, I insisted we go into town to get some things for her. Edward had a fit. He didn't want me anywhere near town again and it was under protest that he finally realized that I was going and he could just come with me if he wanted.

We walked to the garage and got in the Volvo; Emily, Edward, Sue and I. Rosalie, Alice, Carlisle and Esme followed in the Mercedes leaving Emmett and Jasper to go hunt. They were going to need patience and it was easier when they were not thirsty. Edward needed to hunt as well and promised he would when we got back home, but he insisted on going into town with me. I couldn't blame him. Though I knew his family would protect me, I always felt safer with Edward.

My family stayed on pins and needles while we were in town, apparently smelling Victoria everywhere but never hearing her. Alice made quick work of gathering items for Emily to try on and soon we had a few outfits that she was thrilled over and looked great on her. I helped her to choose some sleep wear and insisted she get some comfy sweats and t shirts, as well as socks, a change of shoes and some undergarments. We had the girl at the register put things in bags so that Emily wouldn't notice just how many things Alice was gathering and I had already swiped my credit card, paying for all the charges. Emily stepped to the register to pay for her purchases only to find, much to he distress, that they were already paid for and in bags, ready to go. She had done enough simply by coming with Sam and there was no way I was letting her pay for anything. Unlimited funs made some things much easier.

Edward and I went with Alice to the maternity shop just next door to see if Alice's order had arrived, but we were told it should be on their shipment arriving Monday. With the shopping out of the way, we took Emily by Sweet Treats on the way home to get ice cream. No one in the Cullen family minded this trip to my favorite shop because both Emily and Sue knew they didn't eat. They had no need of making a purchase or acting like they were consuming what to them was a vile concoction and were free to just enjoy sitting outside on the patio and enjoying the scenery and the afternoon.

Neither Sam nor Jacob had returned when we got back to the house, so Carlisle and Edward decided to go hunting and then look for them. Everyone else stayed quite close to home, still on the lookout for Victoria. I had explained to Emily that a couple of vampires that did not adhere to the diet favored by the Cullens were roaming about with a vendetta against me and she seemed to then appreciate the presence of all of Edward's siblings even more.

"Are you sure you don't need anything else, love?" Edward asked again as he unloaded and put away the groceries for me.

"No, sweetheart, you go grab some dinner. You haven't hunted since you were out with Jake on Wednesday . . . now go," I said kissing his soft lips and pushing him towards the door where Carlisle was standing, waiting for him. He put his arms around me and really kissed me, making me hate for him to leave as much as he was reluctant to go. "I won't be long, unless we run into Jacob. I'll call if we do," he said as they left.

"Is he always that overprotective?" Emily asked. She was taken back by the fact that Esme, Sue and I all said "yes" at the same time, and with the same exasperated tone in our voice. I couldn't help but laugh, which caused laughter all the way around. "Edward tends to go overboard, especially on being protective, Emily. He is getting better about it, but the fact that there is someone trying to hurt me right now brings it all to the forefront again," I told her, "Edward is kind of known for over reacting to things."

"Yes, dar, he has always gone for overkill in everything he does. Enough about Edward, He's out getting his dinner, meanwhile dinner for four, coming up!" Esme said as she started taking things from the refrigerator.

"I can do that for you, Esme. Bella doesn't have to cook and I know you don't eat," Sue offered.

"Oh, it's fine, Sue. I cook for Bella all the time . . . I rather like it to tell you the truth. It makes me feel like I'm taking care of her. It's not like I can fix dinner for my children," Esme said laughing, "I can't serve up a live mountain lion or deer on a plate!"

I almost doubled over at the vision that came to my head of her trying, though. I actually had to sit down I was laughing so hard. Esme looked smug that she had made me laugh but Emily looked shocked. I could only imagine that she was surprised about how flippant I was over my new family's diet.

We all helped prepare a wonderful meal of baked chicken, rice and fresh steamed vegetables. Esme was so cute, always insisting that I eat well, now that I was pregnant. It was only an excuse, she tried to stuff food in me well before she knew anything about the baby.

"Anyone up for a chick flick?" Rosalie asked, holding several new DVDs in her hand and gesturing to the living room.

"Great idea! I love watching movies and Sam never just wants to sit and pay attention when it's a love story and there is no fighting or action in it!" Emily declared.

"Emmett is the same way," complained Rosalie. I swear I don't know how Bella and Esme get Edward and Carlisle to watch with them, but they always do.

"Oh you do so, dear. It's all in the incentive," Esme grinned and winked at us.

"Mom! Please! That's just gross," Rosalie cringed. Apparently Esme promising Carlisle something sexual was more than she wanted to think about.

Rosalie and Sue sat on the sofa with Emily while Alice leaned her back against it, sitting on the floor. Esme sat on the love seat and I chose to sit in the chair to one side . . . much easier to get up from! The evening passed with the six of us laughing and some of us crying at the film we were watching. I had never really had slumber parties growing up, but it seemed as though if I had, it would have been similar to this . . .

~oooOooo~

Victoria POV

"Just put her in the damn car, Riley," I told him as he shoved her down across the back seat and slammed the car door.

"Why the hell do you want to take her home with us, Victoria? It's just stupid," he ranted.

"She is not dinner, Riley," I told him for the hundredth time as he stared at the mousy little brunette. He had hit her so hard that I could only hope she would wake up. Idiot. "You have to learn some control and having her around to tempt you will help you to learn to be around humans, baby, without always having to drain them," I said in my most sickeningly sweet voice. I needed the little prick for just a few more days, then I could be rid of him. Thank God! He drove me crazy.

I sat in the passenger seat as Riley drove us back to South Carolina and to the house we had been staying in for the last month or so. It was a really nice house, complete with flat screens in every room and jacuzzi tubs to indulge in. I could not wait till I could afford to live like that all the time with no danger of the owner coming home and becoming a problem.

The basement had a sort of root cellar. I guess the owners thought it was cool or environmentally sound or some such shit, because there were two bedrooms, a kitchen and a bathroom build down there with no windows. Perfect. It was the perfect place to keep this girl. Riley had to learn to control himself or I would never be able to keep Edward's girl alive long enough to convince him to do as I said, or to make her suffer.

The long brown hair on her head was matted against her face, undoubtedly from the blood flowing from the cut on her head, which only made it harder for him to control himself. Good. Served him right for hitting her d=so damned hard. "Take her down stairs and lay her on the bed in the room on the left, Riley, and bolt the door. Do not hurt her, do you understand?" I asked him.

"Yea, I got it," he said as he flung her limp body over his shoulder and headed into the house. Luckily we had parked in the garage so that there was no way his little display was seen by anyone, even if we had been in site of any other house near there . . . or the highway for that matter. I had chosen the house well. It accommodated our needs inside with the rooms in the basement making escape even less likely, even while we were away from the house and there was no other house for at least two miles in each direction. Perfect.

"Let's go make a run into town and walk around while she's still out. I need to keep our scents on all the walkways and paths there to confuse them when I take her," I said, more to myself than to anyone else as I grabbed the keys and Riley followed me to the car.

~oooOooo~

Jacob POV

I pushed against Sam's shoulder, shoved him really, repeatedly until he got the message to run into the woods and leave the vampires be. Even Bella had been there watching and she didn't need to get upset about anything if it could be helped.

Damn it. I knew that Sam had a short fuse, but he had just gotten here and there he was, phased into wolf form with Edward crouched ready to spring and six other vampires there to back him up. Idiot. Here I thought that Sam was here to help me, to teach me how to regain my human form whenever I wanted to. Shit.

We were a few miles back in the forest when Sam stopped and turned to me.

"So how the hell did this happen, you associating with leeches?" Sam asked.

I looked around, but there was no one there. Edward was no where around to have translated Sam's thoughts for me. Nothing made sense . . . until I saw the smile on Sam's mutt face and heard his voice in my head again.

"That's right, Jake. The pack can hear each others thoughts when we're in wolf form. I don't have to phase back to help you figure this out," Sam told me.

"What the hell" I thought, "You can hear what I'm thinking?"

"That's right, and you can hear me can't you?" Sam asked.

"Hell yea, I can hear you. At least there is one cool thing about this wolf shit. I was beginning to think the vampires had all the cool skills like Edward reading minds and shit," I told him.

Sam immediately stiffened and growled at me, "Never, ever compare anything about us to those bloodsucking parasites . . . understand, never! I'm going to have to calm down before I can even talk to you about why the hell you are here with them, staying with them, Jake. Have you lost your mind?"

"Edward is my friend, Sam. My best friend next to Bella and I intend to continue to be friends with both of them. Hell, Sam, they are even funding me starting my own racing company. I have never met more generous, caring people," I told him.

"People? People, Jake. They are not people, they are the living dead. Cold stones that walk and talk and feed off of innocent humans in the night. They're vampires, Jake. Vampires. Godless heathens that deserve only to be ripped apart and burned. What the hell has gotten into you? Do you remember none of the legends, none of your heritage?" Sam spat at me while he paced back and forth along the forest floor, wearing a path there as he continued to seethe and fume at my choice of words.

"Alright, alright, Sam. Look, I'm a lot more used to talking about things when I have two legs and two hands, not paws. How about helping me learn how to phase back into human and then we can talk about all this," I said as I sat down and stared at him. I wanted his help to learn how to control this wolf thing, but his attitude about the Cullens was pissing me off. I knew he didn't like them, but he was taking it too far. Edward and Bella had been nothing but good friends to me . . . the best friends you could ask for and I was lucky to have them.

"Fine. But you bet we're going to talk about all this, this, friends with vampires and staying at their house and . . . shit I can hardly think it . . . Bella having his spawn!" Sam threw the thoughts angrily out there. That was it . . . the final straw. I enjoyed harassing Edward by calling him a bloodsucker and maybe I invaded their privacy by intruding while they were busy in front of the fireplace earlier . . . but the thoughts I was now privy to in his head were violent, murderous even.

"Tell you what, Sam. You phase back or what ever it is you do to be human again. I'm gonna go find Edward and get him to arrange a flight out of here for you tonight. Fuck you and your attitude. I left La Push for a reason and this just adds to it. I'm not dealing with you anymore, I'd rather just figure out this wolf thing on my own. You did it alone I hear and if you can fucking do it, I sure as hell can do it without your help," I said as I turned and started to run back to the house. I didn't need his shit. Edward and Bella had been good to me and they were my best friends. He had no right to talk about people that he didn't even know . . . asshole.

"Jacob, come back here," I heard Sam bellow at me. My paws seemed to just stop on their own, like I didn't control them any more. I had no idea what the fuck was going on. Sam loped up to me and looked me in the eye, "I came all this way to help you deal with the changes into wolf form and that is exactly what I'm going to do. Emily even came with me, risking everything by being around the Cullens and you can damn well be grateful. With her here, I'm going to have to sleep in the house with her, so we don't have that long today to work on this. Come on, I'll tell you what worked for me . . ."

~oooOooo~

EPOV

"I just don't know, Carlisle. Bringing him here might not have been the right decision," I said out loud as we finished off a small herd that we had sought, "He may cause more problems than he is able to solve. Even Emily knew not to let him come here alone."

"Well, thank goodness for that," Carlisle thought. I was usually the only one speaking when Carlisle and I had conversations and today seemed to be no different than any other day.

"From what Bella has told me about her and what we saw today, I'd say that Emily is quite level headed and experienced at keeping Sam in check, at least let's hope so," I said.

"It would seem so, son. He imprinted on her, is that correct?" Carlisle asked silently.

"Yes. He was engaged to another when he saw her and knew that she was the one, at least that's how Bella describes it and how Jacob thinks about it," I replied, "Though I have no idea how imprinting works, it seems to give her somewhat of a large influence over him."

"It seems that way. In any case, let's hope so. Jacob may need him to learn to control his phasing, but Bella needs not to be upset any more before she has this baby. It's too close," Carlisle thought.

"I agree. Jacob inadvertently came back to the house today while Bella and I were making love in the living room. He didn't peek or try and look on purpose, but once he saw us he sat there and watched for some time. I didn't mention it to Bella for fear of upsetting her but I have given her my word that I would keep nothing from her. I have to tell her at some point, I just need to pick an opportune moment, maybe tonight when she is otherwise engaged and might not care," I mused.

"Well, son, right now you can use doctor's orders as an alibi. I do not want her upset . . . at all. If you can abstain from other activities, that would probably be good as well till Masen is born."

I laughed to myself, then realized that I had laughed out loud. "Dad, Masen is the one that insists that Bella needs me that close to her. He has promised to hug himself instead of fling his arms and legs out if he is startled and he even told me to tell Bella that he won't bite her, just like Daddy doesn't bite her," I said to my Dad, hoping he would not think I had lost my mind.

My father dropped the carcass that he had been drinking from and stared at me. His mind was absolutely blank, he was startled into complete absence of thought as he slowly came around.

"You're serious, son?" He asked out loud, "Masen talks to you about such things?"

"Yes. I have been working with him for a few weeks now and he has an excellent command of the language, though for him it is only thoughts and sounds. He is amazing, an absolutely amazing little creature, Carlisle. He is intelligent beyond all reason and he is already fiercely protective of his Mom . . . even insisting that his Dad make love to her because she needs that feeling," I said, "Though I'm not at all sure how I feel about him realizing what we are doing."

Carlisle was stunned. Absolutely stunned. We had no more time to discuss it at the moment, as I heard Jake in the distance.

"Finish your food, bloodsucker, I'm heading in for leftovers," he was thinking loudly, almost shouting it at me in his mind.

I shook my head. "Carlisle, Jacob is heading to us to have his dinner. It seems he prefers our leftovers to killing his own prey, though I'm pretty sure Sam won't go near these," I gestured to our kills, "He's yelling at me to make sure we are finished before he gets here."

Carlisle just stood and shook his head thinking about all the changes that had occurred in the last year and how odd it was to have a werewolf devouring the deer we had drained of blood . . . no different I guess than bringing the kill home to Charlie last week, having faked killing it with a gun.

Jacob came into the clearing followed by a larger black wolf that was Sam.

"Hello Sam, Jacob." Carlisle said nodding to both of them as they came into view.

"Hi there, pup," I greeted Jacob as he came into the clearing. He loped over, nodding hello and helping himself to one of the doe's we had just finished draining, making several foul comments about my having called him a pup.

Sam was irate, he was furious that I had called Jacob a pup and that I had not reacted like I cared that Jake called me a bloodsucker. He was having a hard time accepting that we were just standing there and Jacob was eating our kill, while we did nothing about it. I wondered why he thought we would care if Jacob helped himself, it's not like we ate the animals flesh anyway . . . at least it would not go to waste and it saved Jacob the trouble of killing another animal.

It was then that I realized fully that Sam was privy to Jacob's thoughts, otherwise he would not have known about Jacob calling me a bloodsucker. Jacob continued to talk to me with his thoughts, regardless of the fact that his mouth was full.

"So, Sam here needs a ticket home . . . today," Jacob told me, "He is going to cause more trouble than he will help and I don't want him upsetting Bella. He's an asshole, just like I thought he was when I was in La Push. He's too busy trying to talk me into coming back there with him to be the Chief and trying to get me to turn on you guys and take a couple of you out before we go. Especially you, leech."

I couldn't stifle the growl that came from within me at that idea. "I'll take care of getting Sam and Emily a flight home tonight as soon as I get to my computer, Jacob. I'm sorry it didn't help you. I had hoped . . . "

"Who the hell said I was going home?" Sam shouted at me mentally. I turned toward him and answered, "Jacob seems to think you should leave and Jacob's opinion is the one that matters here, Sam." He looked floored, completely taken off guard in his mind as well. He wasn't used to being dismissed and he was determined that was not going to happen this time.

"Fine, fine. I'll just help Jacob. You bloodsuckers just stay the hell away and I'll finish teaching him how to control his wolf," Sam thought.

"That will be entirely up to Jacob," I said to Sam. "Right now, I'll get the flights arranged unless you tell me different," I said turning to deliver the sentence directly to Jacob.

Carlisle and I waited for Jacob to eat his fill, then we all helped to bury the remaining carcasses before heading home together. Sam had paced back and forth at the edge of the meadow the entire time Jacob had been eating, refusing to join him. In his words, "There was no way he was eating fucking bloodsucker leftovers." Jacob had simply told him to suit yourself and eaten his fill as Sam watched and grumbled from a distance.

As we walked in the back door, we saw the girls all sitting around the television watching a movie in the living room. Some of them were crying. I was beside Bella at vampire speed, my arms around her with her sitting in my lap, asking her what was wrong. The other women seemed a mixture of sad and happy but all mentally crying . . . and the humans faces were all tear stained. It was the most confusing damn thing I had ever tried to decipher.

"Are you alright sweetheart?" I asked her, anxiously brushing her tears away with my thumbs as I held her face. I knew it wasn't Sam this time, I could hear his thoughts outside in the woods.

"I'm fine," she sobbed as she buried her face in my shirt.

"Bella, you're scaring me. Please explain," I asked her calmly, though every muscle in me was tensed and all of my senses were scanning everything possible for an answer to what was happening.

"The movie was just so good and it was so sad . . . they were so in love and they got to live happily ever after," she told me as she continued to sob, drenching my shirt. I had no idea what to do . . . I was dumbfounded. Was she alright or not? Did I need to end someone, or were they having fun? I have never in my life been so perplexed or so at a loss as to how I was supposed to be reacting. I went on the only thing that mattered to me. Bella was in my lap, her vital signs were fine and she had told me that she was alright. I would just have to wait for an explanation so that I could understand the rest.

Carlisle started laughing and I was sure the laughter was directed at me and my reactions. "Son, you just haven't been mated long enough to recognize the combination of a chick flick and girls night. The results of combining the two can be dire, as we're seeing," he laughed.

Esme got up and put one arm around him and slapped his chest with the other, burying her face in his shirt as well, though there were no tears falling down her cheeks. "Take me home, I need you to hold me," she said as she led him to the door, the both of them murmuring goodnight to all.

"Emily, Sam would appreciate it if you would bring some of his shorts outside to the trees in back of the house so that he can dress," I conveyed the message that Jacob was screaming at me. Apparently Sam was going to behave himself and come inside, at least for now and probably because Emily was in here with all of us and that made him nervous.

"I should refuse and just make him walk his bare ass in here after the way he acted," Emily said.

"Emily," Alice laughed, "For the love of all that is holy, don't make me see your husband naked. There is way too much naked involved in this family as it is!"

"Alright Alice," Emily snickered, "But only for the benefit of protecting the innocence of your eyes."

"Ha! Like you could make that happen," Rosalie chimed in.

~oooOooo~

Sam POV

What the fuck. Who turned the entire fucking world upside down and stuck me in it? Vampires married to humans, having babies together, werewolves eating vampire leftovers and being best friends . . . what the hell was going on around here?

From what I could gather, on top of it all, there were two vampires that we apparently all agreed on that were worth killing, that were trying to kill Bella! I needed to go home. This place was fucked up. Jake could keep his bloodsucking leech friends and their rogue enemies for all I cared. If Bella was stupid enough to mate with a vampire . . . let him put his hands all over her and God knows what else, then she deserved what she got. Fuck her. Fuck all of them. I just wanted to get Emily and get the hell out of here, the rest be damned.

Sue could tell the council whatever the hell she wanted, I was done. They could throw me out for refusing to help Jake and Em and I would move somewhere and have our own lives . . . hell that's what Jake had done and it apparently was working for him. He was starting his own business and racing bikes that he loved, that wasn't a bad life.

Thank God. Here she comes, now we can get our things and leave this madness . . . they can have it!

"Sam, where are you?" Emily called to me. She had my shorts in her hand and she looked as though she had been crying. Shit. I couldn't take her tears and she knew it. I walked up to her and nuzzled her face in my fur, drying her tears and trying to comfort her. Her I did care about. Her I would do anything for . . . anything.