Speak Now or Forever Hold Your Peace

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

A/N-thank you for all the amazing reviews. Nikki :)

Part Fifteen

The next few days flew by. Both Bella and Jacob were busy with their new jobs, and because Bella's hours were quite anti-social, Jacob would pop into the diner of an evening just so he could see her. Often he would bring either Quil or Embry with him; once it was Sam and Emily. Bella had found talking to Sam rather more difficult then expected. She had always found him very abrupt and got the sense he did not like her very much. However time had softened his demeanor, or maybe because he was no longer under the intense pressure he had been forced to endure back then, whatever the reason, the change was welcome. Bella found him much more pleasant to speak to and Emily was as sweet as always.

One night Jacob was accompanied by Seth Clearwater and his sister, Leah. Bella was shocked at just how much the young teenager had grown. He now towered above his sister, and was not much shorter than Jacob now. His muscle mass had increased exponentially too, and Bella noticed he got a lot of admiring glances from the younger female patrons. Leah however looked the same; her hair was a bit longer, but she still looked fierce and intimidating. She was still overly protective of her younger brother, glaring at any female who looked his way. Bella was worried about the reception she would receive from the she-wolf, but Leah was polite in her usual blunt way, making Bella laugh when she told her what she had planned for Melissa.

"That will definitely put her off." Bella said in awe as she served all three of them dinner.

Leah had cracked her knuckles, causing several of the nearby diners to look at her in alarm. "She won't be bothering you again that's for sure."

"When are you planing on making your visit?"

"I will choose my moment." Leah had grinned, the smile lighting up her face and softening her expression. Bella thought she should smile like that more often. She was a beautiful woman anyway but when she smiled she became exceptional.

The end of the week neared and Bella got her first pay check. She counted the contents, adding on the tips and was surprised to see that she had earned more than she thought. This put a spring in her step, and her good mood lasted all the way home, that is until she stepped inside the house to hear her parents arguing once again.

"Why are you still here, woman?" Charlie raged.

"To keep an eye on you." Renee yelled back at him. "Someone has to be here while your daughter works her fingers to the bone every night in that diner."

"I do not need watching. I can take care of myself while Bella is at work. Anyway she is enjoying her job." Charlie sounded aggrieved. Renee's pointed words had made him feel ashamed once again that he had forced Bella into working in the diner when she had trained for years to become a teacher.

"You have not changed have you? In all these years you are still the same closed off man that I married." Renee snapped. "Why can't you just accept help when it is offered?"

"Because with you it usually comes with strings attached." Charlie retorted. "Where is that boy you married? Fed up with you already is he? We haven't seen or heard from him since you've been here getting on my damn nerves."

Renee's face reddened as she stared at her former husband. Easy tears welled in her eyes as she flounced out of the room and grabbed her coat and bag. "That's it, Renee, run off like you always do. You are so good at that." Charlie yelled after her.

Bella hardly had time to stop her mother leaving. Renee shook her head as Bella tried to speak to her, and she fled the house, slamming the front door behind her. A scowl crossed Bella's face as she marched into the front room and confronted her father. "Why did you say that to her?"

Charlie ran a hand through his hair as he twisted his chair around to face her. "Hello to you too." He said moodily.

"Dad, for goodness sake. Can't you cut mom some slack? She has been an enormous help to me since you came home." Bella said in exasperation.

"I don't need her running after me. I am getting better at getting around in the chair. She is not needed here of an evening." Charlie replied stubbornly.

"Oh you stupid man." Bella's patience finally snapped. "It is for my piece of mind that she comes here to sit with you. I worry constantly in case something happens. Until we move to the new apartment there are some things that you still need help with. You have only been out of the hospital for a matter of weeks. Stop making my job harder than it already is."

"I don't want your pity either." Charlie yelled. "If it is too much trouble then you can leave too."

Tears welled in Bella's eyes. She was tired, so damn tired of this. She knew Charlie was a proud man. She had no concept of how hard all this was on him, going from a healthy, active life, doing an important job that he loved, to this, being stuck inside for the majority of the day, having to rely on the help of his daughter and his ex-wife, plus the generosity of his friends. It must be killing him inside, she knew that and tried to empathise. But his self pitying attitude was wearing everyone down. She had even heard Billy snap at him only yesterday, something that was a rare occurrence.

"I am not going anywhere." Bella finally replied, trying to keep her voice calm. "I love you dad. Lots of people do. We are all here for you. Please help us to help you. We are all walking on eggshells here and it is becoming more difficult by the day."

Charlie turned his chair around so Bella couldn't see the moisture welling up in his eyes. He knew every thing she said was true, but he just felt so frustrated and angry at the circumstances he had found himself in. Every day presented a new challenge and every time he thought there was some improvement, something would happen to set him back. "I am sorry, kiddo." He apologized in a low voice. "It's just all too much at times."

Bella came up behind him and put her arms around his shoulders. "We're here for you, dad. Please just let us in."

Charlie took a quavering breath and nodded, patting Bella's hand as he tried to compose himself.

Bella visited Jacob at work the next day. It had become a regular thing now that she would bring him lunch every day. It was one of the few times they had to themselves. She passed Jacob his sandwiches and sat beside him on an old upturned crate as he devoured them within minutes. When he was finished he reached out and touched her cheek; she looked melancholy and her face was paler than normal. He could see she was fretting about something.

"What is it, honey?" He asked.

Bella smiled weakly. "You always know."

"I know you. Talk to me. Is it your dad?"

"A little, but it's mom too. Something is going on with her, but she won't open up about it." Bella sighed wearily.

"Is it her husband?"

"Probably. Phil is almost ten years younger. I think it is starting to impact on them. I have a horrible feeling he has met someone else." Bella confessed.

"Then you need to ask her outright, Bells. Don't let her fob you off. You need to know what is going on. I don't want to see you worrying yourself into the ground. Look, I'll bring dad over later and I'll stay with him and your dad. When you finish your shift tonight, see if you can get Renee to open up to you." Jacob suggested.

Bella put her hand over his. "Thank you. What would I do without you, Jacob Ephraim Black?"

Jacob pondered this for a second. "Well you would probably have more food in your cupboards." He quipped, referring to his legendary appetite.

"That is true." A real smile crossed Bella's face this time. "Perhaps I should kick your ass out of my life?"

"Don't you freaking dare!" Jacob grinned at her as he leaned in for a kiss.

True to his word Jacob brought Billy over to keep Charlie occupied. The three men watched the sports channel, while Bella persuaded Renee to go outside and sit on the porch swing as it was such a lovely night. The sky was clear and free of clouds, which meant they could gaze up at the heavens and see all the stars.

"Isn't it beautiful?" Bella said in awe.

"Yes." Renee choked out. "Very beautiful."

Bella turned her head to look at her mother when she heard the emotion in her voice. She was alarmed to see tears rolling down Renee's cheeks. Her eyes showed her despair. "Oh mom, what is it? Talk to me, please?"

"I am so ashamed." Renee whispered.

"Why?" Bella put her arms around her mother and hugged her gently.

"I allowed you to leave your home all those years ago because of my own selfishness. I thought I had found the love of a lifetime. I thought Phil was everything I wanted in a man. He was young, handsome, seemed to know where he was headed in life. Being with him made me feel young again." Renee admitted.

"That's not selfish, that is being in love." Bella said, trying to be fair.

"No I was a mother too. You should have come first. I am sorry for that. If I hadn't let you go maybe all our lives would have been different." Renee insisted.

"Perhaps, but I happen to be in a good place right now." Bella smiled at her reassuringly.

"Working in a diner and looking after your father twenty four seven?" Renee said in astonishment.

"It's sad what happened to dad, and I wish it never had. But since I have come back here I am the happiest I have been in a long time. I feel like I have found my place in life. I actually don't mind my job, perhaps in time I will find that teaching job I studied for. But right now I am surrounded by good friends, I have an amazing boyfriend and seeing you every day has been great. So don't ever worry about me." Bella hugged Renee again.

"Phil has gambled everything we own away. All our savings, furniture, the house. It is all gone. I am penniless." Renee finally confessed.

This was not what Bella had expected. She took a moment to take it all in. Phil a gambler? She had no inkling. Her poor mother. "Did you know he had a problem?"

"I had no idea." Renee wiped at the tears falling down her cheeks. "He phoned me a few weeks ago and confessed everything. He was in tears. He's lost his sponsorship deal too. He is staying on a friend's floor at the moment."

"I am so sorry mom." Bella didn't know what else to say.

"I can't even pay for my hire car, I can't pay for my air fare back to Jacksonville, not that there is anything left for me there now. All I have is the clothes I brought with me. All my credit cards have been stopped. I am in effect, squatting in my ex husbands house because I have nowhere else to go." Renee's eyes filled up with tears again as she began to sob in earnest.

"It will be alright. We'll sort something out." Bella promised, although she had no idea what. As if she didn't have enough of a burden already? However saying this aloud was going to be no help to anyone. She put her arms back around her Renee and held her, a bleak expression on her face as tried to figure out what to do.

A/N-thanks for reading!