Being There
Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.
A/N-thank you all so much for the lovely reviews. I really do appreciate the support.
Nikki :)
Part Thirty One
Leah waited out Bella's reaction as she watched her absorb the surprising news. She had hoped that Bella would share her happiness but she was frowning. "Well? Aren't you pleased for me?" Leah demanded eventually.
Bella sighed. "This has happened rather suddenly."
"Not really. This has been building up for a while. It just took time for Sam to sort his head and heart out. He told me he feels free, Bella, free of the imprint." Leah took her hand and grasped it tightly. "Tell me you think this is for real. I need to hear it."
"I want to, Lee. Nothing would make me happier than for you and Sam to reconnect. But what about Emily? He hasn't even told her yet." Bella cautioned her.
"Look I haven't told you everything yet." Leah suddenly looked uncomfortable. "I was waiting for Sam to finish his talk with Jake, but they seem to be taking forever so I'll just come right out with it. Sam thinks that if Jake takes his place as Alpha the imprint will be broken permanently between him and Emily. The Alpha needs a mate but when Sam made the decision to step down he said that was when the final bond between him and Emily snapped. He was never meant to be Alpha, Jake was."
A cold chill ran down Bella's spine as her old fears about imprinting resurfaced. She snatched her hand back from Leah. "So what you're saying is that you want Jake to take over to free Sam to be with you, but it could mean that Jake will imprint himself as he will now be the Alpha."
Leah's happiness faded. The thought had not occurred to her; she had been so happy to be reunited with Sam that nothing else mattered. "I can't believe that would happen to Jake. He's different, he has loved you forever."
Bella sank back in her seat and cradled her belly. "Since when has love stopped imprinting? Look at Jared for example, he sat next to Kim for a whole year in school and never gave her a second glance. Then bam he looks at her after he phases and that's it." She said bitterly.
"I still believe that it would not happen to Jake. His head is always filled with you; it's like he has imprinted but never acknowledged the fact because he was so deeply in love already." Leah said gently.
"You can't be certain though, can you Lee?" Bella questioned her. "I could give birth to his child and then one day some random girl could look his way and my life is ruined."
"You knew these risks, Bella. Why are you freaking out more now?"
"Because of you and Sam and what you just told me about the Alpha needing a strong mate. If it happened to Sam it could happen to Jake. For all I know Emily could suddenly become his imprint if she is destined to be the Alpha's mate." Bella was becoming hysterical the more she thought about it.
"Bella you're blowing this way out of proportion." Leah warned her. "You need to calm down."
"You would say that now you've got what you wanted." Bella yelled at her. "Well good for you."
"That's not it at all." Leah began to get angry at Bella's accusations. "You're being irrational."
"DON'T YOU DARE TELL ME THAT I'M BEING IRRATIONAL." Angry tears began to pour down Bella's face as the last few stressful days caught up with her.
The front door burst open and Jacob ran into the house followed closely by Sam. He immediately wrapped a quivering Bella in his arms and glared at Leah. "What the hell did you say to her?"
"Nothing. She is blowing things out of proportion." Leah looked at him imploringly.
"Just leave us alone for a while. I need time to think." Jacob said dismissively.
Leah opened her mouth to protest but Sam stopped her. "We understand. We'll talk more tomorrow. I'm sorry to dump this on you now. Come on Lee." He tugged on her arm and she reluctantly followed him out of the house, glancing back at Bella as she did so.
XXXXXX
Bella lay back on Jacob's bed and stared up at the ceiling. She hadn't said much since Leah and Sam's departure. He lay next to her and gazed at her worriedly. "Talk to me, Bells. What is on your mind?"
"Nothing." Bella wouldn't even look at him. She felt overwhelmed and most of all scared.
Jacob took her hand and held it over his heart. "We can talk about anything. Jake and Bells remember?" He pleaded.
"Not all the time. You kept things from me before." Bella said sadly, continuing to stare up at the ceiling.
Jacob frowned. He rolled onto his side and leaned up on his elbow so he could peer down at her. Bella couldn't bear the hurt look on his face so she closed her eyes. "Bells, the only thing I kept from you was about imprinting, nothing else. I don't understand."
"I don't want to talk about it, Jake. I just want to sleep. I'm tired." Bella turned her head away from him and kept her eyes tightly closed.
Jacob didn't know what to do; a part of him wanted to let her rest but the other wanted to force her to speak to him about her fears. She was lapsing into her old trick of shutting down, he could see it. The look on her face said it all. He cursed Sam and Leah for dumping more stress on them both. She was pregnant so he didn't want to push her, instead he leaned over and kissed her forehead. "I love you, Bells."
She didn't respond. She kept her eyes shut and pulled the duvet up to her chin. Jacob winced and got up from the bed. "I'll let you rest and then we'll talk."
Bella still didn't answer. He gazed at her sadly before leaving the room, closing the door gently behind him.
XXXXXX
Billy came home from his latest tribal meeting to find Jacob sitting at the kitchen table with his head in his hands. His shoulders were slumped and he looked utterly heart broken. Billy wheeled his chair over to him and gently touched his shoulder. "Jake, what is it?"
Jacob raised his head and Billy was shocked to see the wetness adorning his cheeks. He hadn't seen his son cry like this since Sarah's passing. "Jake." He said again. "Talk to me."
"I can't cope anymore, dad. I'm trying to be strong but it's just one crisis after another." He wiped the back of his hands across his eyes.
Billy placed a calming hand on his shoulder. "What has happened? Is Bella okay?"
Jacob shrugged. "She won't talk. It's like she's shutting down again. Sam came to see me today after we dropped Quil and Jess off at his house. Sam wants me to take the Alpha role, he and Leah are supposedly back together. He thinks he was able to break free of his bond with Emily after he made the decision to step down."
"And you don't feel ready to take on the mantle." Billy finished for him.
"No." Jacob admitted. "I've got so much to deal with already. I still have to find work, I've got assignments that need completing. I have no idea when me and Bella can even begin to work on building somewhere to live. Quil's in trouble and now Bells is shutting me out. With the patrolling added on top of everything I haven't got room to breathe."
Billy squeezed his son's shoulder in sympathy. "I wish I could make this easier for you but I can't. You were born to be the Alpha and nothing can change that, but that doesn't mean that you should have to bear that burden alone. You have the pack and although Sam wants to step down I am sure you can appoint him as your second, like a beta. It means he will not be in charge but he still has the experiance to do so when you are otherwise occupied. I am certain he will have no objections to that."
Jacob sat up straighter in his chair. "You think he will go for that."
"I am sure he will agree. It is the title that he wants to abdicate from. I doubt he wants to shirk the responsibility. As for Bella I think this whole triangle with Sam, Leah and Emily has thrown the issue of imprinting back in her face and she is scared." Billy cut straight to the heart of the matter.
"But we sorted that out." Jacob replied in confusion.
"She may have put it to the back of her mind but it must still trouble her. To be honest son we are all feeling our way through this time. The last pack's issues with imprinting were straightforward, but things seem to have changed. I have no knowledge of this ever happening before, but we are living in a different time and it seems that love and freedom of choice is beginning to break the power of the imprint." Billy said thoughtfully. "Where once the spirit wolf controlled the search for its mate, it seems that you all have greater control over yourselves than the last pack ever had and are able to fight against the pull of the imprint."
"Love conquers all." Jacob gave his dad a wry smile.
"Always." Billy patted Jacob's shoulder. "Go and wake Bella. I think it's time we thrashed this issue out once and for all."
Jacob nodded. "Thanks dad."
Billy smiled. "That's what I'm here for."
XXXXXX
Bella was not happy about being disturbed. She snapped at Jacob when he asked her to come and talk, but he wouldn't take no for an answer. Bella got up reluctantly and followed him into the kitchen. When she saw Billy was there she became angry. "I will not speak about my personal issues in front of your dad."
Billy expected her to be annoyed. He gave her an understanding smile. "That's right Bella and normally I wouldn't dare to interfere but I know about Leah and Sam and I expect it has brought the worry over imprinting back into the spotlight. It never does anyone any good bottling things up. Talk about your fears Bella and we may be able to calm them."
Bella sat down in one of the empty chairs and gazed at Billy sadly. "Now that Sam is asking Jake to take on the role of Alpha, he could imprint. Sam imprinted on Emily when he was the Alpha, isn't it logical that Jake could do the same?"
Jacob knelt down in front of Bella and looked at her beseechingly. "I told you Bells it won't happen. I love you. I only ever see you. I have never looked at another girl in that way ever and that is the truth. Ask any of the pack, they can see inside my head, you are all I think about. I love you."
Bella sighed and gently touched his cheek. "I know that you love me, Jake. That is not in question. But you can't be sure that..."
"I think he can." Billy interjected.
They both turned to look at him. "What makes you so certain?" Bella asked.
"Did you hear what he said, Bella?" Billy sat back in his chair and smiled.
"I don't get what you're trying to say." Bella said feeling completely bewildered. Even Jacob looked confused.
Billy gave a mock sigh. "You kids are so dramatic. Jake said he 'only sees you' and that 'you are all he thinks about' and 'he never looked at another girl like that ever.' My son has been in love with you since he first laid eyes on you. Charlie and I used to joke about it when you were younger, how close you both were and how devoted my son was to you. Jake was always devastated when you had to go home to Renee. When you came here to live he was ecstatic. Sounds like a classic case of soul mates if I ever heard one. Have you both ever considered the fact that Jake has been in love with you for so long that he wouldn't know the difference if he had imprinted?"
Bella's mouth dropped open as she glanced sideways at Jacob who was grinning at his dad. "You really think that he has imprinted on me and didn't realise?" She asked in disbelief.
"I don't think Bella, I know. Look at him, the boy is lovesick and a pain in the ass when you're upset with him." Billy laughed as Jacob rolled his eyes at him. "Now I think I deserve a beer after all this emotional upheaval. I'm going to ring the Chief and see if he wants to come over and watch the game tonight. I'll leave you two soul mates to make up or whatever." He gave them a smirk before heading over to the phone to call Charlie.
Jacob took Bella's hands in his own and smiled at her. "He's right you know. I have loved you forever. I wouldn't have known if I had imprinted. It was different for Sam and Jared. They never had any feelings for Emily or Kim."
Bella laced her fingers with his as the fear in her heart eased. "I've been an idiot. I'm sorry the thought of losing you freaked me out. I love you so much."
"Come here." Jacob pulled her out of her chair and into his arms. They held each other tightly as if they would never let go.
A/N-thanks for reading.
