Being There

Disclaimer; all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

A/N-thanks for the awesome reviews. I really appreciate the support. Nikki :)

Part Twenty Eight

Renee wandered around the small kitchen running her fingers along the paintwork. "I see Charlie has not changed anything since I left." She mused. "How is he?"

Bella was surprised that Renee would even bother to ask. "He's fine, great actually."

"Really?" Renee shrugged. "I always picture him living a lonely existence. All work and no play. Is there a woman in his life at the moment?"

Bella tried to keep her voice calm. "No, but he has a great social life and lots of friends. His job is important to him."

Renee finally seemed to realise she had upset her daughter. She gave her an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry baby girl. I was just curious. Nothing seems to have changed in here. I just assumed..."

"That the world revolves around you." Bella finished for her.

Jacob chose that moment to interrupt, he strode into the kitchen and put a comforting arm around Bella's shoulders. "I've put your bags upstairs."

"Thank you." Renee said politely as she pulled out a chair and sat down. "It will be fun sharing a room won't it sweetie." She gave Bella a small smile.

"You can't stay here mom. There's no room. I have a friend staying at the moment. You'll have to go to a motel or something." Bella informed her. She watched Renee's face fall.

"But sweetie. I have no money. Phil has all my credit cards and everything. I have nowhere else to go." Renee pleaded.

Bella exchanged a look with Jacob. "Why would Phil have your credit cards? Mom what have you done?"

Renee looked sheepish. "You know me baby girl, I've never been good with money. How was I to know I maxed out all my cards. Phil could have been a bit more understanding but instead he yelled at me, said he had enough." Easy tears began to well out of her eyes as she spoke.

Jacob could see that Bella was getting anxious. The last thing he wanted was for her to have to take on her old role of supporting her mother. It might upset Renee but she needed to be told. "You can't keep dumping your problems on Bells. She has enough to deal with and doesn't need the extra stress." He stated bluntly.

"Jake..." Bella said warningly. "No."

Renee looked shocked to be addressed by him in that way. The tears stopped and she stared at him. "Excuse me but what right do you have to speak to me like that?"

Jacob stared her down. "I have every right. I'm Bells boyfriend and she is carrying our child so as I said she doesn't need the added stress of sorting out your mess."

Bella hung her head as Renee turned her piercing stare onto her. "You're pregnant?" She demanded.

"Yes." Bella half hid behind Jacob.

"Does Charlie know about this?"

Jacob pulled Bella into his side. "Yes, Charlie knows and after he got over the initial shock he has been nothing but supportive."

Renee ignored Jacob and kept her eyes on Bella. She shook her head in disbelief. "You stupid girl. Have you learned nothing from my mistake?" She snapped.

Bella raised her head and stared back at her mother. She felt like she had been punched in the gut. "Mistake? Is that what I was, a mistake?" She cried out.

Jacob wrapped both arms around Bella as she began to cry. "I think you should leave." He said coldly.

Renee stood up, she swallowed nervously. "Sweetie, I didn't mean it like that. What I meant was that I didn't want you to end up trapped here like I was."

"Bells won't be trapped here." Jacob was finding it hard to keep his cool. " She is not you, she wants to live here."

"Really?" Renee snapped back at him. "Or is this you talking? You sound just like Charlie all those years ago. He trapped me here, wouldn't listen when I said I couldn't breathe, he thought I was just being silly. I begged him to move but no, his life was cemented here in the middle of nowhere. I won't let you do the same to my daughter. She will not spend lonely days staring at the walls. She may tell you now that she's fine with how things are and wants to make a life here, but I know Bella, she needs to be free. You can't chain her here. It's not fair."

Jacob's arms tightened around Bella as if she was going to disappear in a puff of smoke. His arms began to shake as Renee's harsh words got under his skin. Bella knew that he was struggling and needed to get out and phase. She pulled away from him and took his hands. "Go." She urged him.

"No, you need me here." He said firmly, even though his arms were still trembling.

"Run it off and come back. I need to sort things out with her. I'll be fine, now go." She pushed him gently away from her.

Jacob took a deep breath and nodded. "I won't be long." He gave Bella one last desperate glance before he left the house.

Renee watched him go, a confused expression on her face. "Why did he leave?"

Bella sat down and glared at her mother. The same feeling that had coursed through her as she faced the elders flooded through her now. "Sit down mom and just shut up. You're going to stay quiet and listen to me for once, no interruptions. Do I make myself clear?"

Renee sat down in stunned silence. Bella had taken the wind out of her sails. For the first time she really looked at her daughter and it finally hit home how much she had changed. She was no longer the shy, dutiful daughter with low self esteem. She had blossomed into a determined young woman. It had been so long since Renee had seen Bella in the flesh and she felt a hint of shame for the way she had reacted. Despite everything Renee did love her daughter. "I'm sorry."

"I know," Bella said tiredly. "You always are, mom. You need to understand that I can't do it anymore. I can't be the one to prop you up when you mess up. I had years of it. When you married Phil and he took on my old role it was a relief. For the first time I had time to think about what I wanted. I came here to live with dad so I could sort my head out but you know what I fell right into another trap. I started a relationship with another controlling individual who took over my life just like you did and it nearly consumed me."

"I was controlling?" Renee said weakly.

"Yes." Bella didn't hold back. "Everything was about what you wanted. I had no choice but to follow. I was a child and had no say, so whatever new venture you got into your head to try I was forced to go along with and then I was the one who had to pick up the pieces whenever it fell apart. Like I said I fell into the same trap when I dated Edward."

"But you always used to sound so happy in your e-mails and when we talked on the phone. You told me how much in love you were." Renee replied.

"I thought I was but it was only when he left and I started a normal healthy relationship with Jake that I realised just how bad my relationship with Edward was. He never let me be myself, he hid things from me and lied. I lost touch with the friends I made because he wanted me all to himself. I saw no one but his family. It nearly ruined my relationship with dad." She confessed.

Renee looked abashed. She wrung her hands in her lap and tears began to well out of her eyes. "I'm not controlling, baby girl. I just get stuck in a rut sometimes and the only way I know how to make things better is to move on."

Bella sighed. "But it never works though does it, mom. Look at you now, penniless with another failed marriage behind you. Did you even really love Phil? Did you love dad when you got married or was he just an easy option because of the circumstances you found yourself in?"

"How can you ask me that?" Renee sobbed. "Of course I loved Charlie. It was living here that I couldn't handle. I was young and needed people around me. I was lonely. He had his job and all I had was these four walls."

"Why didn't you try and make friends? What about Sarah and Sue Clearwater?" Bella asked in a more gentler tone. It was the first time Renee had opened up to her about the past.

"I didn't fit in. They never thought I was good enough for Charlie, they were very protective of him." She said bitterly.

"Are you sure you weren't reading them the wrong way?"

Renee began to bite her nails, a nervous habit she had when stressed. "They were always interfering. I couldn't do anything right."

"They were probably just trying to help you out, mom. Did you ever think of that?"

"I don't know. It was all such a long time ago. All I remember is feeling trapped and needing to escape. I did it for us, sweetie. You and me, we're a team." Renee gave her a tentative smile. "We were like best friends."

"No." Bella shook her head. "You were like a child and expected me to be the sensible one."

"I tried my best." Renee began to cry again. "I did the best I could."

Bella was feeling drained. She heard the door open and then shut and she turned, expecting to see Jacob, but it wasn't him, it was Charlie.

XXXXXX

Bella sat on the steps outside as she waited for Jacob to return. The shock on her father's face as he saw his ex-wife sitting at his kitchen table was still fresh in her mind. Renee had shrank back as soon as she locked eyes with him. Charlie had asked Bella if she wouldn't mind leaving them alone so they could talk. She gladly did so, relishing the opportunity to escape and let her dad handle it.

It was another five minutes before Jacob returned. As soon as he saw her he ran up the steps and engulfed her in a hug. "Are you okay honey?"

She snuggled against him gratefully. "I am now you're back. I spoke to mom and told her a few home truths. I think my dad is giving her more. He asked me to leave them alone so they could talk."

"I'm sorry I had to go. What she said upset me, I shouldn't have let it get to me." He admitted shamefully.

Bella gave him a wry smile. "Don't worry she has been getting under my skin for years. It's just the way she is."

Jacob held her for quite a while, rubbing her back and letting his comforting presence soothe her frazzled nerves. Eventually the door opened and Charlie came out. "Do you want to come back in, kiddo. Your mom has something she would like to say to you."

Bella nodded, Jacob helped her up and they went inside to find a much chastened Renee. She looked sadly at her daughter and tentatively held out her arms. "I am so sorry, baby girl. Please forgive me."

Tears began to roll down Bella's face as she launched herself into her mother's arms. Even though she hadn't openly admitted it to herself Bella needed her mom's support. She loved Renee and had yearned for the comfort and advice that only a mother could give. Renee cried too as she did what she should have done in the first place; she promised her daughter that she would be there for her and held on tight as Bella wept.

XXXXXX

It had been an emotional roller coaster of a day. Charlie had left to take Renee to a nearby motel which he was paying for. He did not reveal what he had said to his ex-wife to make her have such a change of heart, but whatever it was Jacob was grateful. Bella was a lot calmer now she had her emotional release and he wondered just how long she had been bottling up her fears about her mom's reaction to the news of the pregnancy.

"How long do you think Renee will stick around?" He asked Bella.

"She's promised to stay until the baby comes. She is going to find a job and somewhere cheap to rent." Bella lay her head on his chest as his fingers played with a strand of her hair.

"Do you believe her?" Jacob probed gently.

"I don't know. From past experience no, but only time will tell." She replied, a sad look in her eyes.

"She might surprise us." Jacob said hopefully.

Bella smiled weakly. "My Jacob,always the optimist." She teased.

Jacob grinned as he leaned down to kiss her. "Always. Love you, honey."

"Love you more." She closed her eyes and listened to the steady rhythm of his heart until she fell into an exhausted sleep.

A/N-thanks for reading!