A/N:
Lets mess with Jacob's head some more... mwahahaha! Can Jacob's resolve stand up to seeing Harry face to face again, or will Jacob's lower brain tell his higher one to piss off? Explanations abound, too bad they only lead to more questions. A story within a story, two for the price of one. Yall can throw tomatoes at me later for the goofieness. Oh, yeah, credit must be given to my friend for the term "shamans". I used something that made a lot less sense, so kudos to him.

Surrender to Strange Circumstances

Chapter 5: Questions and Answers

Jacob opened the door to his house quietly. He heard the shower running and caught a whiff of cedar and sandalwood. Harry then, Jacob thought. He eased into the room and shut the door just as the shower cut off. Harry emerged from the bathroom wearing only a towel slung low on his hips, with another towel in his hand scrubbing at his hair. Harry's head was turned away from Jacob, leaving him with an amazing view of Harry's well-toned and lean body.

"Guh…" Jacob said, his eyes glazed and jaw hanging open.

"Oh!" Harry yelped, "I'm sorry, I didn't think anyone would be up this early."

"What are you?" Jacob blurted out, his higher brain functions still in shock at the delectable sight before him.

"Pardon me?" Harry asked, confused.

"What are you? You smell off." Jacob said.

Harry sniffed himself. "I do not," he said, "I just showered."

"That's not what I meant." Jacob said, "You don't smell like a normal human."

"Oh, yeah." Harry said, catching on, "Um, can we have this conversation after I've put some trousers on?"

"Yeah, sure." Jacob said, "Maybe a shirt too." He muttered under his breath, following Harry to his room.

Harry smiled to himself. He'd heard Jacob's muttered comment about the shirt and noticed how his eyes never moved higher than his chest. He could still feel Jacob's eyes burning into him as he turned toward his room, swaying his hips gently as he walked, emphasizing his Quidditch toned backside.

He heard Jacob's breathing hitch when he dripped his towel to pull on a pair of boxers, he wondered how much teasing he could get away with before Jacob either hit him or kissed him.

"See something you like?" Harry tossed over his shoulder.

"Yeah…" came the whispered response before Jacob cleared his throat and turned his back, giving Harry a semblance of privacy.

Harry finished dressing quickly, not wanting to push his luck just yet. There would be plenty of time for that later, now apparently it was time to talk.

"You can turn around now." Harry said.

To Jacob's relief, Harry was fully dressed and sitting on the edge of his bed, gesturing to the desk chair in front of him.

"Sit down and I'll tell you whatever you want to know." Harry said.

"Anything?" Jacob asked, smirking.

"Within reason." Harry responded, smirking back.

"What are you?" Jacob asked again.

"Your Alpha didn't tell you?" Harry asked, confused.

"I am the Alpha, now answer the question."

"Oh for the love of Merlin, you're kidding right? Did your Council tell you nothing?" Harry laughed humorlessly.

Jacob growled at him and Harry swung back around to face him.

"NO!" Harry snapped, working up to a proper snit, "No, you do not get to growl at me because your Council left you in the dark! You hear me, wolf? Try that shit again and I'll hex you bald in both forms!"

Jacob snapped his mouth shut in shock. The last time someone scolded him like that, he was eight. He watched, fascinated, as Harry ranted and raved about sharing information and the incompetency of governing bodies in general. Jacob wasn't sure if he should stay out of the way or brave Harry's flailing arms to grab him and make him calm down. It was when things started exploding that Jacob made his move. He pinned Harry's arms with one arm and used the other hand to pull Harry's head against his chest.

Sparks flared up and down Jacob's spine as Harry melted into him, calming and silencing the ranting. This was not good. The Imprint was strong, it was true and it had the potential to destroy them both.

Harry remembered being upset, snapping at Jacob, ranting about… something. Then he was in Jacob's arms and everything stopped. The anger, the frustration, every negative feeling simply vanished, leaving only peace, calm and rather odd feeling sparks shooting along his nerve endings. Harry decided to ask questions later, right now he just wanted to enjoy the moment. He could feel Jacob's hand cupping the back of his head, stroking his hair, bringing him back to a more rational state of mind. Jacob lifted Harry's head so he could see the smaller man's summer colored eyes.

"What?" Jacob asked softly, "What should they have told me? Honestly, I'd probably understand it better coming from you anyway."

"I'm a wizard," Harry sighed, leaning into Jacob's hand.

"Okay, like some kind of run-around-naked-waving-sticks-for-the-goddess thing?" Jacob asked.

"Um, no." Harry laughed, "I mean I do have a wand, but religion doesn't come into it and the only time I run around naked is when I'm showering. I was born with magic. The wand just helps me focus it so I don't blow anything or anyone up."

"Wait, really?" I remember…" Jacob trailed off.

"What?" Harry asked, "Jacob, what do you remember?"

"There's a story, one of the old legends. People who weren't quite human came. They had powers like the Cold Ones, but their hearts beat. Some of them could change into animals. We called them Shamans." Jacob said in the slightly dreamy voice of someone remembering something told to them long ago.

"What else does the story say?" Harry asked quietly.

"The Cold Ones came and hunted, and so we came to protect what they were destroying, but we were small and weak and there were too many of them. We Called for help and the Shamans came in claps of thunder. They taught us to fight and how to use the energy of the earth around us and of life its self to heal and that energy helped us grow bigger and stronger. Finally, when the time came that were big enough to stand chest high to the Shamans and strong enough to fell a great Sequoia tree with one hit of our shoulders, the Shamans fought side by side with us and after the Cold Ones had been killed or driven from these lands, the Shamans disappeared again, with great cracks like thunder, and the wolves within us faded into silence. But from time to time, when the Cold Ones returned, the wolves rose up again, retaining the size and strength, but the Shamans never returned. They say when the Shamans do return, there will come a new era, and the world will change."

"Do you believe the story?" Harry whispered.

"I didn't used to, but now, seeing things shake and explode and hearing your explanation, I have to say, it sounds more believable. Besides, if I exist and the Cullens exist, why should the Shamans be any different?" Jacob said quietly.

"Wizards. We're called wizards or witches if you meet one of the female persuasion." Harry smiled.

The world dropped away as milk chocolate eyes looked down into emerald green pools that were rapidly darkening to the evergreen of the rain-drenched forests of La Push. Harry and Jacob stayed like that, absorbed in each other, letting the world spin without them for a while. Jacob leaned down, bringing his lips within millimeters of Harry's he saw Harry's eyes widened, whether in surprise, lust or horror, Jacob didn't know and at that point didn't care. Harry's hands slipped up Jacob's back, pulling himself higher and gently pressed their lips together. Jacob froze for half a second, and then pulled Harry harder to him, licking along the seam of his lips, smiling when Harry opened for him, sliding his tongue alongside Jacob's.

Billy cleared his throat and the two young men sprang apart, looking around. Harry was the first to recover.

"Mr. Black, I…, um, excuse me please. I have calls to make." Harry said, making a hasty exit.

Billy watched as his guest practically ran past him, and then looked back at Jacob, who was still staring after Harry, with his eyebrows raised.

"Jake?" Billy asked.

Jacob ran his hands through his hair as he snapped back to reality and sat heavily on Harry's bed.

"I… Oh, empty night, Dad… I… We… I didn't mean for it to happen… I just… I saw him and…" Jacob stuttered.

"Jake, boy, calm down and tell me." Billy said.

"I Imprinted on him, when I saw his eyes at the airport. It felt just like Sam said. I tried to deny it, but when he got so upset, I grabbed him, I touched him and it felt right." Jacob said slowly.

"Do you know that the last thing I heard you two say out loud was you saying 'I remember'?" Billy said.

"What? But I told him the story of the Shamans. We had a whole conversation! Did you know he's a wizard?" Jacob said.

"Oh, I knew. I thought you'd have figured it out for yourself though." Billy said.

"And how in blue blazes would I have figured it out? All I had to work with was a half remembered story, a couple of weird words and a funny smell!" Jacob yelled.

"So you Imprinted on him? Well, I suppose it could have been worse." Billy said, ignoring Jacob's mini-tantrum.

"How exactly could it have been worse?" Jacob asked snidely.

"Harry could have been a girl." Billy said laughing as Jacob's jaw dropped.

"Dad!" Jacob shrieked.

Billy's laughter followed him from the room as he rolled toward the kitchen to start breakfast.