Lost in Translation

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

A/N-thank you for the kind reviews. Nikki

Part Six-One Step Forward and Two Steps Back

Everyone could see the change in Bella. The haunted look had gone from her eyes. She seemed less reserved and more open to laugh and smile when something amused her. It was if she had finally released the shackles of her past and forgiven herself. Charlie was delighted with the change in his daughter. He could only put it down to Jacob. It was obvious, even to his eyes, that something had shifted between his best friend's son and his daughter. Even though they were trying to be discreet no one could fail to notice the secret smiles they flashed each other, or the way they couldn't stop touching or holding hands when they were together. Jacob was more relaxed and his heavy burden seemed lighter now that Bella had accepted him.

They had spent a whole day just relaxing and talking about inconsequential things. No mention had been made of the accident, the pack, or the inheritance that Bella had been left by Edward. Jacob and Bella wanted time to recover alone after the traumatic events of the last few days. So they walked hand in hand along the beach. Took a picnic up high onto the cliff tops, that was until the ever present rain ruined the moment, and they had to make a mad dash for the house. But this hadn't fazed them. They had come inside, drenched but laughing hysterically, just like the youngsters they had never been allowed to be. It had done Billy good to see them laugh so openly and without the tinge of hysteria or bitterness that usually lay behind any kind of mirth. They were happy, and it gladdened his heart. It had been too long since he had seen his son that way.

In the end they had spread the picnic out along the floor and invited the older men to join them. Billy and Charlie had swapped stories of their youth, making Bella blush and Jacob roll his eyes at the rose tinted view the older men painted. Jacob loved seeing the rosy glow on Bella's cheeks as she bit into her apple and looked wide eyed at her father as he regaled her with tales of his youthful crimes. He bet she had never known her straight laced dad could be such a rogue. It was kind of sad that it was only now that she was beginning to see the man underneath the policeman's uniform. When he exchanged a glance with her he could see the regret in her eyes that her self absorption had held her back from spending quality time with Charlie. Jacob guessed this was another thing she wanted to remedy.

As the sun set Charlie and Billy relaxed in front of the television as they watched a sports show, while Jacob and Bella headed outside to watch the sun sink below the horizon. The sky was blood red as the round disc descended. Neither of the failed to notice the irony as they gazed up at the heavens. Jacob put his arm across Bella's shoulders and she snuggled against him to keep warm. He was like her own personal sun. She had thought that so many times in the past, but it was more prevalent now then ever. She wished it hadn't taken so long for her to work out the inner yearnings of her own heart. It was like she had been asleep and only just woken up to the truth that had lain before her the whole time.

Bella knew she had to broach the subject of Edward's money. She had held back because she didn't want to disturb the new found peace she had found with Jacob. It was so rare to get moments like this, and she wished she could bottle the memory so she could revisit it later when she needed the reminder that life wasn't always fraught with danger and uncertainty. But she knew she couldn't put it off any longer. Sighing heavily she turned to look up at Jacob. He turned his head at the same time and she saw the same nervousness reflected in his eyes. "I called them." She confessed quietly. "I know I agreed not to, but I stupidly did. I'm sorry." Normally she would have hidden her face from him, but not any longer. She would own her shame and face his reaction head on.

Jacob didn't say anything for a moment. He hid his disappointment about what she had done. Her beautiful brown eyes shimmered in the half light as she tried her best to be brave. He stroked the back of her head reassuringly with his hand before leaning in and kissing her softly on the lips. "It's okay, Bella. Its fine."

"Is it?" Her lower lip trembled a little before she bit down on it.

"Yes. I promise." Jacob kept stroking her hair and he saw the anxiety fade from her face a little. He smiled at her and took her hand. "What did they say?"

Bella returned his smile, grateful that he wasn't going to kick off and make a big issue of it. "I spoke to a Mr, Albert, Pearson. He is the one dealing with Edward's estate. It doesn't just include the money, Jake. Edward left me a house in New Hampshire and his mother's jewellery."

Jacob's eyes widened as he let out a low whistle. "Shit." He hugged her closer as he tried to take in the import of what this meant. It was adding up to a staggering amount of money. In fact it was quite frightening. He could sense Bella felt the same, she now looked deeply troubled. "What happens now?"

Bella put a hand on his chest and lay her head on his shoulder. "I have to go and see them. I arranged it for next week. Their offices are based in Seattle. There is a lot of paperwork they need to go through with me and I have to sign some things." She paused for a moment as she tried to build up the courage to tell him what she had intended to do with the money. "I had this vague notion to um...donate the money to the tribe." She mumbled. "And also to Billy and my dad..." She stopped speaking when she felt him stiffen. "Jake?" She glanced at him again, feeling the anxiety return with a vengeance.

"I don't want it." Jacob said fiercely. He looked mad. He felt Bella recoil a little and he instantly regretted his harsh tone. It just made his blood boil just thinking about that leech's money being offered to them as if it made up for anything that damn family had done to him and the others. It was blood money, and he didn't want any cent coming his way.

"I'm sorry." Bella whispered brokenly as she retreated into her shell again. "It was stupid of me to think you would want any..."

"Hush." Jacob leaned down and kissed her again before she could say anymore. He felt her hesitate before she slowly reciprocated and kissed him back. He tangled his fingers in the back of her hair and pulled her onto his lap, intensifying the kiss as he did so, eagerly devouring her lips. He was hungry for her and the small moans escaping from Bella showed him she felt the same. When they parted they were both breathless. He could feel Bella's heart fluttering like an angry bird in her chest. Jacob cupped her face between his warm hands and made her look him straight in the eyes. "Give all of it away, Bella. We don't need any of his crap. Pass it on to a charity or something. I want none of it here. Sell the house, give it away and refuse the jewellery. Its tainted all of it."

Bella swallowed thickly as she nodded her agreement. He was right, it was tainted. Edward had brought her nothing but grief in the end, and his money was more than likely to do the same. "When I go and meet with them, I'll sign it all away." She promised.

Jacob relaxed as he shared another, more tender kiss with her. "I'll be right by your side when you do." He felt her smile in relief against his mouth and he tugged her closer. "I love you."

"I love..." Her words were lost as he crushed his mouth back onto hers.

The next few days were busy ones for Jacob. He had a lot to sort out. Mainly his issue with the elders and the pack. Sam and Leah had come out into the open. Sam had confronted Emily, and although it not gone down very well, he had ignored Emily's tears and empty threats, and moved all his stuff out of their shared house and into the Clearwater's. Emily had gone straight to Old Quil and the other elders. She had been livid by Sam's treatment of her, and was at a loss to explain how he could defy her entreaties for him to stay. He had told her in no uncertain terms that the imprint was broken and he felt nothing for her but a duty to make sure she was cared for. He had left her everything, and only taken the clothes on his back and a few personal items with him. Emily had the house and all the furniture as well as their limited savings and the truck. Sam wanted nothing of their shared life with him.

Quil was ecstatic that his connection to Claire was at an end. He would always be fond of the little girl. None of this had been her fault, she was an innocent. He had gone to see her and was pleased to find that she seemed unaware that their imprint bond was gone. She chattered happily as she always had done. Quil had been relieved and had left the house feeling more at peace then he had in months. His grandfather had approached him once he had been told about Emily and Sam, and had asked to know was he going to do the same as his former Alpha and neglect his duty. Quil had felt nothing but pity for the old man who had replaced his errant father in his life. The solid foundations of the elders world had begun to crumble. First with Katie's news and now his. He had listened politely and been nothing but courteous as he explained imprinting was nothing to do with duty or honour, but was all about control. "You have to accept that we have taken back what was always ours. You have to let go, grandfather." Were his only words as he left to go and celebrate with his brothers.

Even though his imprint was at end, Jared had decided to try and make his relationship with Kim work. They were now on equal footing and she was aware that she was going to have to make some changes in her own life if she wanted to keep him. Kim genuinely loved Jared and didn't want to lose him. With Emily's influence over her at an end she reverted back to her former shy and compliant state. Jared had come to care for her over the time they had been together and after a long heart to heart they agreed to start over completely, and begin dating like a normal couple.

Jacob had been summoned before the elders as they demanded answers. His own relationship with Bella was picked apart. They were infuriated that he was putting his relationship with an outsider above his allegiance to the tribe. Like Quil, Jacob just pitied the older men. He stayed silent while they spoke and when they had run out of steam he told them his side of the argument. They listened in stunned silence as he pointed out that times had changed and they had to change with it. The old rules no longer applied. The modern world was knocking on the door and the old men could no longer keep it out. He was in charge of his own destiny and he assured them that he took his duties very seriously and he would always give them his full attention. But he would not be dictated to on who he could love. That was his choice alone, and they would just have to accept it. When he was finished he was pleased to see that the old men had been cowed. Old Quil and the others agreed to listen to the terms he had set out, and Jacob left the meeting with a tentative hope that the changes he wanted set in place could actually happen.

The week passed quickly and soon the day that Bella was due to meet up with the lawyers dealing with Edward's estate rolled around. Jacob was coming with her, and she was thankful. They hadn't managed to spend a lot of time together over the past few days as he had been so busy with the pack and his tribal duties. But now that his plans had been set in motion he felt satisfied enough that he could take a couple of days away from La Push and accompany Bella to Seattle. He wanted all this messy business with Edward's estate sorted out as quickly as possible so he and Bella could begin to move forward. He was toying with the idea of asking her to move in with him onto the reservation, but he held back asking her until this meeting was over.

It was a long drive to Seattle. Jacob and Bella hired a car and shared the driving. They stopped off quite a few times to rest and eat something. Even though they were both a little apprehensive about the upcoming meeting, they enjoyed the drive. It felt good to just be together, holding hands and talking. There were no secrets between them, nothing to divide them. It had been a long time since Bella had felt any confidence in herself, and she knew this was a direct result from her new relationship with Jacob. He was the only person she had ever been able to be herself with. She didn't have to worry if she was good enough, or just enough in general. He loved her despite her quirks. He adored that she was sometimes a little clumsy and goofy. She could see her happiness reflected in him. Despite the fact he now carried a heavier weight of responsibility she could see he had changed. He was no longer tense and full of bitterness. He had accepted his destiny, was actually embracing it, and Bella felt a little proud of herself that perhaps that was because of her. She completed him in an odd way, as he did her. They made each other better than they would have been alone. No one understood her like he did, and vice versa. Even in each others darkest moments they had been the ones to shore each other up, even when they were fighting.

By the time they reached the city they were tired but much more relaxed and focused than when they had left. They both assumed it was now just mere formality that stood between them and the end of Bella's association with the Cullen family for good. So it was with lighter hearts that they stood outside the palatial offices of Smythe, Pearson and Associates and peered inside. "Jeez, it looks like a funeral parlour inside." Jacob muttered as he strained to see through the darkened glass. "But then I suppose that's what drew the bloodsucker here. He'd feel right at home."

Bella shot him a look as she pushed on the door. A buzzer sounded signalling their arrival. It startled Bella and she felt a cold shiver run down her spine. She drew closer to Jacob as she sought his warmth. He was right it did look more like a funeral parlour than a lawyers office. It was filled with dark, old fashioned furniture and the dark wood panelling lent it a Victorian air. A door to their right opened and Bella felt Jacob stiffen. His eyes narrowed and his nostrils widened as if he had smelt something vile. To her astonishment a growl ripped from his chest as he pushed her behind him. "Jake?"

"Vampire." He hissed through his teeth as a skinny, white faced man dressed in a sombre grey suit and black tie entered the room. He was wearing a pair of dark glasses and his receding hair made his bald pate shine under the subdued lighting.

"Miss, Swan, I presume." The vampire nodded in Bella's direction, seemingly uninterested in Jacob's extreme reaction.

Bella felt her heart race in her chest with fear. She flicked her eyes to Jacob, she could see he was shaking and having a hard time subduing his wolf. Her throat felt dry but she knew she needed to speak. "Are you Albert Pearson?" She whispered.

"Yes." Albert Pearson finally turned his attention to Jacob. His mouth turned up into a sardonic smile. "We rather thought you would come alone."

"You bastard." Jacob felt Bella press herself into his back as he glared darkly at the cold one in front of him. He was dying to rip the bloodsucker apart, his wolf was clawing to get out. He hadn't felt this angry since the newborn battle. "You lured her here intentionally. I bet there isn't even an inheritance is there?" He snarled.

Something was bothering Bella. She stared at Albert. He made her feel nauseous. He was a human blood drinker, she was certain of that. Why else would he be wearing dark glasses indoors? She saw him lick his lips as he glanced at her again. She just wanted to throw up. Then it hit her, he had said we and not I. "Who else is here?" She couldn't stop the fear sounding in her voice. This was like being in Volterra all over again.

"My client of course." Albert Pearson seemed a tad bored with Jacob's animosity. He waved a hand toward the door he had just walked through.

"Who is your client?" Bella spat out, she was tired of this vampire's theatrics. She dug her nails into Jacob's palm as she tried to keep herself calm. If this vampire had powers she would stand in front of Jacob and protect him, she knew from experience she was immune. Her time in Italy had taught her that valuable lesson.

Albert Pearson smiled widely, showing off a set of perfectly white teeth. Bella shuddered. "You might as well come out, sir." He called into the room behind him. "You were wrong, she brought the dog with her after all."

Jacob and Bella stood still like statues, their eyes trained on the door behind the revolting Albert Pearson. Slowly, as if in a dream, the mysterious client emerged. Bella half expected to see Aro or one of the Volturi leaders come out into the light, but it was none of those. The breath was stolen from her body and she heard Jacob let out an expletive as none other than the supposedly dead Edward Cullen stepped out to face them. "Hello, Bella." He said softly as his amber eyes locked with hers as if they were the only two people in the room.

A/N-thanks for reading!