~A/N Hi there! Remember this story? I do. Not sure what happened, but I thought I'd lost touch with the readers or something for this one. Still plan on finishing it. In fact, it's almost done, just a few more chapters.

Listening recommendations: Nate Ruess, of FUN. "Nothing Without Love" Watch the video if you can. I knew when I heard it the first time, I'd write this beach scene to it. It gives me major feels.

Copyright disclaimer: Twilight and all recognizable characters are sole property of Stephenie Meyer.

Chapter 20: All the Impossibilities

Jacob sat in solace after hours and hours of searching. He'd taken a leave of absence at work. Searching had become his full-time job. He was near the water, not even caring in the least the tide was coming in getting him all wet. Being there reminded him how close to the edge he truly was. It had been a week, actually one week and a day since his entire world was turned upside down.

His children were safe and that meant so much but a life without Bella made him feel incomplete. He recollected the moment he discovered the kids. His loyal companion had come through in the biggest way but at first it wasn't making much sense. Tiki was a smart, strong animal, but how had she'd managed that rescue all alone? Uncle Paul reached in to lift Brooke while Jacob knelt to wake up AJ.

"Look," their eyes all honed into the baby's shoulders. She had two distinctive sets of teeth marks that went through her clothes.

Jacob reached for his son and saw that he was completely nude. He was also burning up with fever.

He said with certainty, "He phased."

"No way, man. He's too young."

"Yes, look at him. He had no choice. The drive to save his sister pushed the wolf to emerge." Jacob tried to gently shake him, "Alexander, son wake up." The small boy shuddered and moaned like he was in the worst misery imaginable. Jacob knew exactly what he was feeling since he'd gone through the start up twice in his life, but he was so much older and stronger when it happened to him. His poor baby wasn't even three years old.

Paul was holding Brooke who was starting to fuss. She seemed scared and confused. She was normally grumpy after a nap until she was fully awake. She needed her Momma. Jared caught up to them. He heard about the emergency on the police scanner. He told Jacob, Kim and Rachel were nearby and they had carseats so they could get the kids back to the reservation.

AJ wasn't waking up, he seemed to get hotter by the second. He needed to do something or his son might have a convulsion.

"Alpha order him, Jake."

He was glad Quil thought of it. His mind was such a mess, he wasn't thinking straight.

"Alexander, don't phase. Relax. Brooke is fine. You did it, buddy. You're all safe. I repeat don't phase again." AJ stopped moaning and twitching so much. His eyes fluttered. Tiki moved closer and rubbed her head underneath his palm. Jacob helped him pet the animal and then stood up. He took his other hand brushed it over his sister's downy head. He kissed both his children and told them to go with their uncles, that they were going to see their cousins and that everything was fine. He whispered his love for them. Jared and Paul ran with them to find the car. He would later make an excuse to the authorities that his sister had the kids the whole time. The investigators would only know that Bella was the target and considered missing. At least, they knew there were no bodies inside once the fire was extinguished.

Jacob's kids were good, other than missing their mother. Alexander cooled off quickly and never showed signs of phasing again. He wished Embry had fared as well. He lost that injured leg high up on the thigh. It was a huge blow to him when he came around. Samantha was extremely worried since he was very depressed. He felt guilty about Linx's death and Bella's abduction. That was not his fault, Jacob told him with certainty. It was a giant mess, all Cullen's fault.

Jacob's only regret about finding the leech would be that he knew it wasn't possible to hurt him as badly as he deserved. Ripping his head off would be quick and easy. He was barely sleeping, because it was all he could dwell on. Jacob wanted Edward to suffer endlessly.

Leah tentatively approached. He told the pack to leave him alone unless they found out something.

She wasn't in on the direct mind link any longer, but she probably knew he wasn't in the mood for talking.

"Hey, I'm not going to ask how you are, because I know you're not doing well. I really want to help if you'll let me."

"No offense, Lee, but that's not possible."

She frowned and told him he might have spoken too soon. "The kids, especially Brooke are keeping you up at night. I know, Mom told me. She also said, she's out of Bella's milk and she isn't taking to the formula too great."

"Yeah, at least she likes most of that pureed mess, so I know she isn't starving."

"Jake, this might sound weird and I wouldn't offer it except Bella's practically my sister in every way that counts." Leah explained she always had a surplus of milk for her son, Harry. "I'll share. Hell, I'd even be her wet nurse if it didn't creep ya'll out, but let me take the kids for a few days so you can sleep at night. You need your strength, Bella is counting on you."

Jacob had been adamant before that the kids stay with him at night so they would feel that sense of security even though they didn't know why their mom was absent. His head fell forward into his hands. He couldn't go a day without crying in front of someone. He told her Bella would be overwhelmed with gratitude at Leah's selfless offer and no, there was nothing creepy about it. This was family and if Leah could calm his daughter, and offer comfort and nourishment, he didn't mind. He told her just a few days maybe, because she was right, he was running on empty. Leah's husband had rented a place near her mother over a year ago, so they could travel back and forth from the res and the city. She was still taking it slow and enjoying her son while he was small. She was only seeing a couple of mothers that weren't due anytime soon. She could devote her time to her son and his kids as long as Jacob needed her to. She promised him it was fine.

Jacob always stopped off to check on Embry each day. He was much better physically, but mentally he was a mess. Who knew, maybe his buddy was mad at him for not letting him die. Some people were that stubborn and didn't want to live with a disability or be dependent on others. Jacob didn't care, he told Carlisle to save him at all cost. He wasn't sure it was possible. That special bullet, similar to the one that shot him years ago was laced with venom. The bloodsucker never realized they had divine intervention which saved his life. He wanted the deadliest weapon on earth. The venom kept Embry from any sort of healing. It was quickly killing him and Carlisle had no idea how far up the venom had spread. He thought it might be too late and that taking the leg wasn't going to be good enough.

It was and Samantha thanked him everyday for making the call. Jacob never cared if Embry did the same. He knew it was the right thing to do. Losing the kid had almost broken them all beyond repair. The young ones were taking it particularly hard. They had the body cremated by that funeral home that the Cullens used when Ness passed. Jacob kept the remains in an urn at Charlie's. They had yet to hold a memorial. He really thought Bella should be present. Linx's family was shit, but he delivered the news personally. His mother seemed shaken, but still told him to do whatever he wanted. She knew she had no say so, since she'd all but turned him out at sixteen. No one even knew where his dad was and he had a couple of sisters that had taken off years ago. The pack was his true family.

After all the junk Abby put him through, she was very grieved about losing Linx. Kim and Emily were taking turns caring for her. They made sure she continued to take care of herself. The baby still had a couple more months before she was ready to be born and they couldn't allow Abby to self-destruct. She'd already come to Jacob in private one evening.

"Do you honestly think you'll find Bella?"

"Yes, there's no other option. I will find her."

"You know I'm not the mother type, don't you?"

"Yes."

"You know what would be the best decision too, I'm sure of it, so will you?"

"Yes, Abby, Bella and I will adopt your baby. I already know her answer."

It was a lot for him to shoulder. He had to find Bella first. He still had all these people depending on him, but he felt like he was drowning in a pool of nothingness. Being separated from her had become like being lost in a void.

Jacob went through the motions of a shower, dinner and kissing his children goodbye when they went with Leah. He fell into bed after talking to Charlie for an hour or so. He looked almost as bad as he did. Charlie, Jared and the Cullens were working leads same as the pack. Nothing but dead ends turned up.

Jacob actually lost his temper with Alice the day before. He never believed any of them supported Edward any longer, but he snapped. "What the hell is wrong with your visions? The two of you were up each other's ass when I lived there. You knew everything about him."

"I know, but when he changed and drifted away, I lost that. I've tried. I can't see him and I don't know what he does to prevent it."

Jake tossed and turned despite how exhausted he felt. The bed never felt right without her. He wondered how the kids were but Leah sent a few texts to say they were great. She even took the dog. AJ was being a big helper with the two babies. Her husband was keeping him entertained with a matchbox car collection. He continued to rehash the disappointments of the day. They had to catch a break somehow, but so far it wasn't happening.

Jacob was wandering the beach again. It was a bright moonlit night. Sleep was a bust, he first assumed. He felt surprisingly calm for once in over a week and wasn't sure why until he spotted her.

"Bells!" How could she be there? He had no idea how she got away. Why didn't she come to him first? She went to the beach, at night? It didn't make much sense. Her scent proved to him it was definitely her. She was still his perfect Bella. Jacob breathed in the second scent, so delicately soft and pure. He recognized it somewhat, but it was new to him as well. He continued to run, but she kept sitting peacefully, not at all phased by his shouting. Her attention was on the source of the other scent. When he got closer, he realized she was gently rocking a baby in her arms atop a large piece of driftwood. She was dressed in a long, billowy dress and he wasn't sure if it was a wedding dress or a nightgown. He studied the way it floated in the breeze. The baby wore a pink dress that stood out against Bella's white clothing. He knew it was a girl, but it wasn't Brooklyn.

"Bells, honey, didn't you hear me calling you?"

Her finger moved to her lips. "Shh, Daddy, our new little princess is asleep."

A lump formed in his throat because it wasn't adding up. He was pretty sure he hadn't seen her for eight days, so how could they have a new daughter? It was only then that reality came crashing down on him. He remember his conversation with Abby about Linx's daughter. That's the baby Bella held, but he knew she wasn't born yet so that made this all a very vivid dream. He didn't really have her back, but even a substitute Bella in his sleep was somewhat comforting.

He sat in the sand near them. Bella continued to gush over their daughter, "Isn't she beautiful? I love her so much, just as much as Alexander and Brooklyn."

He smiled. One day this was happening for real and he knew they'd feel the same way. He spoke to her in a hushed tone since the baby was soundly sleeping. "Bella, tell me how to find you."

"What?"

"There has to be something I'm missing, maybe you know what it is. Our connection is solid and all consuming. In the beginning, I thought it would lead me straight to you."

She was quiet at first. He wasn't sure she could actually hear him. She was so engrossed in the baby, and it wasn't even really happening no matter how real seeing them seemed. He pressed her again.

"Honey, we need you back... I need you. Please, help me if you can."

Bella moved the infant to her shoulder. She was a pro even in his vision. She had a gift with the children, all of them, even the pack's pups. He was convinced it was no use, but she finally said something. "I'm sick."

She looked perfect to him. He could smell illness normally. "What? How?"

Bella stood up. She handed the baby to him. He wasn't sure about that at first, but he accepted her into his arms. It was so surreal. Was he actually seeing the face of their unborn daughter that they never expected until the tragedy occurred? As soon as she saw he had her safely cocooned in his embrace, she pulled one side of her dress off her shoulder and then turned around. Jacob gasped. His mark was a fiery red, and horribly infected wound. It never looked like that even when he gave it to her.

Before he could react, she took the baby back, but she didn't sit back down or say anything else she started walking away, so he ran after her. He was sure to catch her because she could never outrun him, but she vanished into a mist that appeared out of the atmosphere.

Jacob fell to his knees. He didn't want to let her go so soon. Seeing her was the only good thing that had happened, even if it wasn't real. Was that wound real? She looked like she'd been attacked by a wild animal. The mark was the source of healing for her. How was the separation having the opposite effect? If she really was in that bad of shape, he had little time to find her. An infection like that would be come systemic if left untreated. The bloodsucker was a damn crazed fool, but if he was so obsessed with Bella, surely he was attempting some type of medication.

He swore he blinked once and then it was light out again, but he was no longer on the beach, he was at the edge of the forest. A flurry of activity whisked by him. Jacob suddenly smelled leech. He went into action and phased. He felt the pack mind fill his thoughts, two nomads were on the run. They were in pursuit. He was inundated with unfamiliar voices. How did he not know all these boys? He knew his pack backwards and forwards, but he heard different names tossed around, but some he knew, like Wyatt. Wyatt was running with the pack chasing vamps which made no sense, but he kept on running. By the time he got to the clearing, parts were flying. They did their jobs with little instruction from their alpha. He briefly wondered if was even the alpha of this unusual pack.

Jacob phased back human. He was letting them take care of it when a young man no more than fifteen started racing towards him. For a second, he thought he might know him.

"AJ?"

"No," the kid laughed, "did you run into a tree during the chase, Dad? I'm Lincoln."

"Dad?" This kid called him 'Dad' but he wasn't his first born. It was then that Jacob really studied the boy. It was evident he was most definitely his son. In fact, he had so much of his mother in him, Jacob was rendered speechless. Most people thought AJ was his carbon copy, but Lincoln was the spitting image of Bells other than his jet black hair.

Lincoln? Of course, Bella would've wanted to name a son after Linx, that was his actual last name.

"You're my son, mine and Bella's."

Lincoln put his arm around him, "I was only joking. You sure you're okay? Did you see that? We turned those bloodsuckers inside out. It's been a while, but one has never gotten past us yet."

"Sure, sure, kid... you all did great. Probably don't even need me anymore."

"Naw, we still need you, Alpha." He said they should be heading home, his mother promised them a big dinner tonight.

"Are there more of you?"

"What does that mean?"

Jacob was meeting a new son after he'd just witnessed Bella with another daughter. That put them at four, but maybe there were more.

"I just meant, we have a big family, don't we?"

"Um, yeah, I guess, seven's a big family."

"I have seven kids?"

"No, I was counting you and Mom. Damn, Dad, I think Aunt Lee might need to x-ray your head."

Jacob was going to ask about that fifth child, but when he tossed his arm over Lincoln's shoulder, his arm moved through thin air. The vision disappeared. The two separate visions proved something to him. His time with Bells was just beginning. They were adopting Linx's daughter, and were going on to have two more children. He was still alpha of a second generation pack. His hope was renewed. The bloodsucker would be defeated and he would get her back. She was going to be fine. Now, if he could figure out how to go about that the quickest way possible. Right now would not be too soon.

He was feeling restless, maybe he was waking up. He was thankful for the visions, the hope for the future, but he wished there had been more answers.

Jacob was no longer in clearing, but he wasn't awake in the spare room at Charlie's. He was sitting on a large rock, the sound of running water echoed in his ears. He opened and closed his eyes. He knew this spot. He'd been here before but it had been a very long time ago. As soon as he heard the tinkling laughter and smelled the memory, he turned in every direction anticipating the impossible. Where was she?

In the glare of a bright light, she slowly appeared. Almost exactly the same but more mature.

"Ness."

"Hey, Jake." He stood up, he was going to grab her up and spin her around like when she was small, but she stopped him. "You can't touch me."

"Oh, okay. Sorry." He had so much to ask, but mainly he was happy seeing her so radiant and at peace, no longer sick like his last memory of her. "Are you here to direct my path? I have to find your mother. We have so much life ahead."

"Right. You'll find her. I'm just here to tell you, never give up. The path will be visible when you least expect it."

"We both miss you."

"I know, I feel your love, but this is how it was meant to be. I told you, I was meant to bring you back together."

"Yeah, yeah, you were always right, Lil Boss."

"And I still am, trust me, before you wake up, you'll know."

Ness opened her hands and pulled out flower petals. She used to tear them apart and watch them drift away with the current when he took her to their favorite spot. She released them into the water, Jacob turned to watch them this time. He was paying attention to each and every detail he was experiencing just in case something was revealed to him about Bella. He turned back to speak to Ness but she was gone.

All Jacob saw was the powerful ocean rolling in. He'd come full circle. He was back in the same spot he started at and it was dark again, but this time he was alone.

And then he wasn't. A warrior approached. He knew from Bella's description exactly who it was.

He fell to his knees. He wasn't sure if that was the correct procedure, but he was in the presence of an ancient chief.

"Taha Aki."

"Alpha Black."

Jacob couldn't begin to thank him for giving them their lives back. He knew he had a purpose and had been entrusted with so much responsibility. Had he failed by allowing the leech to get his hands on Bella again? He spoke all his fears and worries to his elder.

"No, you haven't failed your family or this pack. I knew you wouldn't. You were born for all this. You could never comprehend how powerful this evil was. I'm not talking about the evil you expect from any cold one, I mean the darkness that comes from jealousy, revenge and hatred. The cold one has harbored all these feelings against you since you first healed your mate's heart after he broke it. Those feelings have festered and magnified over the years as it became evident to him, she was truly yours, not his. Don't let the days of hopelessness kill your resolve. You've seen the future, so you know love will overcome. Keep going, don't give up. You have the blessing of all your ancestors."

As good as it was to hear those praises and encouragement straight from Taha Aki, Jacob needed more. He had to tell him something concrete, but it wasn't happening. The spirit turned around to leave, most likely soon to vanish like all the other visions. Jacob was filled with panic.

He sprung towards him. He wasn't beyond begging. "No, not yet. Please, I need more to go on." Ness said not to touch her, but Jacob grabbed for Taha Aki. He felt the hem of his garment. At that second, Jacob's mind was filled with a bright image. It burned him from within. He struggled to focus but finally realized what it was. It was a building, a place of business. He had to see more, a blue and red sign came into view, but he never could read the white lettering. Jacob racked his brain trying to guess what it all meant. Both hands pulled and grasped at the fabric. He needed another clue, but it soon became evident, he was no longer in the dream state. He woke up to find his bed sheets between his fingers. He'd practically ripped all the linens off the mattress. He rolled over to find them drenched in his sweat. He'd not perspired that way since changing into the wolf perhaps. It was dark outside, but he knew it couldn't wait. He sent out a message to his entire pack. He left his room and turned on the lights. He knocked on Charlie's door to wake him up. Jacob turned on the computer, just as Charlie stumbled in the room. He tried to shield his eyes as they grew accustom to the unnatural light.

"What the hell is going on?"

"I saw something and we're going to sit here and brainstorm until we figure out what it was."

Charlie quickly became coherent. The pack started filtering in and Sue got up to put on a pot of coffee. She said she'd start breakfast even though it was four in the morning. Jacob explained the visions. They were all concerned that he believed Bella was sick. Either, the leech's presence made her that way, the separation or a combination of both, but they knew time was of the essence.

They were all talking among themselves about possibilities when a light bulb went off. Edward didn't take Bella to watch her die. Jacob never believed he wanted her changed either. They were pretty damn positive her new body wouldn't allow that. The mark protected her. Edward was always way more enamored with the human Bella than the vamp Bella.

"He's trying to get her well. I'm sure of it. The sign. I think I recognize it now. It's a pharmacy.

They pulled up the one he had in mind and sure enough, the logo was read and blue. Now came the real dilemma, "Which one? There's literally hundreds up and down the west coast."

Charlie said they should print a list. They would divide up the locations and cross them off one by one. Jacob was confident that one of them might detect a scent if they found the right location. He started to divide them into regions. They'd start close first and move outward. He doubted the leech had her nearby. It was most likely, he took her pretty far. In his gut, he didn't think she was still in Washington, but they all promised to go to the ends of the earth for her. It was going to be similar to searching for a needle in a haystack, but at least it was an actual lead.

He thought about his children, all of them, even the ones yet to be born. The dream was a promise to be fulfilled and he wasn't giving up. Jacob would bring her home. Perhaps he'd never rid the world of all bloodsuckers, but he knew without a doubt, one was most definitely on borrowed time.

~Thanks for reading.

I would love to hear your thoughts on Jacob's vision. I worked really hard on this chapter and the next one I'm attempting multiple POV's as a climatic scene unfolds.