Your support is very much appreciated...
To Serenity1006: You brought up some excellent points in your last review and they will be addressed in this chapter.
To Stephanie MRV: Never fear, there are plenty of tricky and rough waters for our characters ahead.
To Roganjalex: I'm glad my little story caught your eye and hope it will continue to interest you.
To Saramicaela88: You don't have to be an imprint to get pregnant, (in this story anyway.) That said, Leah could consieve and carry until her transformation.
To Karma: I think Emily had to be strong and take charge with Sam falling apart. She is also sort of the alpha female of the pack.
To Miss teenageDream: I wouldn't be so sure if I were you, anything can happen.
Jacob just stood there before raising an eyebrow.
"Don't I get a say in my child's future? For as you obnoxiously pointed out four days ago- "I'm Pregnant Jacob Black! And I did NOT get there by myself!"
My eyes darkened at his mockery,
"How dare you- Do you really think that you are the only one who has changed?!
– The old me spent weeks being civil and persistent. Trying to figure out what happened to you and what I had done, so we could fix it. And each time – You cut me off and shut me out. Brutal Forcefulness was the only way to get through to you about the baby… So yes, that naïve version of myself died. In some ways I'm grateful to you Jacob. By treating me like you did, it woke me up to face the world for what it is. There's no place for anyone to believe that fictional characters like "Romeo & Juliet" can have a happy ending."
Black said nothing for several minutes.
I believe that was the first time he actually looked at me since he turned and judging by his expression it was as if I were the wolf instead of him.
"You're right Bella, it wasn't just me. I can see that now-" Jacob broke off with a sad glint in his eyes?
"Listen, …I don't want to fight. I know you probably won't believe me, but I am truly sorry."
There was something about the intense yet soft look in his eyes which reminded me of my Jake.
Swallowing my pride, I took a chance and honestly answered. "Thank you."
He sighed,
"Look Bella we got off on the wrong foot here and that was my fault."
I nodded my thanks before speaking "You were right too, he is your son as well as mine. I just want what's best for him"
"-So do I, and there's been enough innocent blood shed on account of the pack's existence."
I blinked "What?"
Jacob groaned,
"Did Emily explain to you about imprinting?"
"-She said it was the way werewolves find their soulmates."
"Sam before he turned was in a serious relationship with Leah, Harry Clearwater's daughter. But once he became a wolf, bound by our ancestral laws. He couldn't tell her anything and proceeded to push her away. Sound familiar?"
I nodded following along.
"-Until the day he met Emily (who was visiting her cousins) and imprinted. Cutting off all ties with Leah and entirely devoting himself to his imprint. She of course turned him down out of respect for her cousin but that level of affection is hard to resist and ultimately gave in. Leah in the meantime was pregnant with Sam's child. She didn't handle things as well as you. Never told him, and despite the numerous objections. From her parents and the tribal council, she went and had an abortion. Sam…Sam just found out the whole story this morning and is beside himself"
"Oh Jake," I sighed "No matter how angry or hurt I am. That is not even an option."
His shoulders slumped against the railing in relief, his face getting misted with the soft spray of the salt water.
"Did you really think I would?"
"I honestly don't know what I thought but I wouldn't have put it passed you"
"Jacob,"
I said attempting to take one of his huge hands in mine to gain his attention. "Even though I don't know who I am anymore, I won't punish him, I can't…"
"Then don't give him up,"
I raised an eyebrow. "That's the one thing I absolutely know to be true – I'm not ready to be a mother. Having a child, taking care of it around the clock is hard work. You also have to have the right mental state, I know from personal experience.
So… What do you suggest?
Rene is out of the question, Charlie has to work full time and Billy's in a wheelchair. Plus, I can't see you quitting the pack to be a stay at home Dad?"
He sighed before looking me in the eyes,
"I don't have the answer right now Bella. I guess all I'm asking for is… time. Please, give me a chance to think of a solution. Despite what others might say I won't marry you out of obligation and force you into a role you're not ready for. I want you to want it if that is your choice."
It was my turn to be relieved, "Thanks Jake."
"-And I do believe that there are certain facts about our child's parentage you didn't consider"
"Like?"
"Like if I'm a wolf then there's a good possibility he could be too. We already know he doesn't respond well to leeches as proven yesterday in the woods."
After a few moments of thinking it over I spoke up
"Okay here's the deal I'm offering: You asked for time, alright. So you've got seventy-four days. That's two months and a couple weeks until the end of my first trimester to come up with a reasonable plan. By the end of that deadline if you haven't, and if I'm still the way I am now and our circumstances are still the same. We will both agree to move forward with the adoption. Possibly looking at Quileute couples, given his genes. Deal?"
I purposed reaching out my hand. Jacob's warm one met mine in the middle as we shook.
"Deal," he echoed, resigned yet a glimmer of hopefulness in his expression. "Bella, you were right when you said that life isn't a fairytale. But there are good people that actually do exist in this life and you're of them…you just don't realize it yet."
The truce with Jacob brought me some peace of mind as I drove but not all of it.
Jake was on his bike ahead of me.
We both were hurrying to get back to Forks.
Just minutes after it was decided, he had gotten an urgent phone call from Sam – Harry Clearwater had a heart attack and was in the hospital.
Upon arriving in town, Jacob sped off in the direction of the hospital.
While I chose to first swing by home and the station incase Charlie hadn't heard. Jake promised he call me if he saw his cruiser in the parking lot.
It was a good thing that he and I split.
For if Jacob hadn't, I'm not sure he would have been able to control his temper and phase right on the spot.
Parked in our driveway beside the police car was the black Mercedes which belonged to Carlisle Cullen and standing on the front steps was Alice in a heated argument with my father…
As got I closer I could hear little fragments of their "conversation":
"-Please just let me in to see Bella? I want to make sure she's alright" asked my one-time best friend in a sickeningly sweet voice but my dad stood tall and firm.
"How many times do I have to tell you Alice? She's not here and I'm not going to tell you where she is. You're not welcome here"
"- Charlie please! I-!"
"Alice!
While I know that you are not that little bastard who left my daughter devastatingly heartbroken and lost in the woods. You certainly are a contributing factor to her three-month comatose depression by not responding to her calls or emails! Totally abandoning your surrogate "sister" like the rest of your family or… maybe you're more like him: Bored, and you want your "toy" back,"
he spat disgusted.
"Charlie!" she cried,
"Dad!"
I called out making my presence known.
"Bella?" questioned Chief Swan, his demeanor different from thirty seconds ago.
"What are you doing here? I thought you were still in Port Angeles"
"I was but then I met Jake and he told me about Harry- I came to check if you had gotten the news."
He nodded, "I did, and was on my way out when-"
gesturing to a probably first time in her immortal life speechless Alice.
"Thank you Dad, for defending me like that. But you should go…see what you can do to help Sue, I've got it from here"
Charlie raised an eyebrow as he glanced between us.
"Fine but if there's any trouble. Call either Me or Jake, understand?"
I smiled softly as he passed by rubbing my back in assurance. Watching silently as he got in the cruiser and drove down the road. Once out of sight, I turned my attention to the pixie vampire.
"What are you doing here Alice?" I asked in a dead tone.
She was wise enough to keep her distance. "Is it true Bella?" she asked miserably.
"What is?" I crossed my arms and waited.
"What Charlie said, Edward… Did he really-?" she couldn't even finish, burying her face in her hands. "No! No! NO! It wasn't supposed to be this way! He promised us that you understood his deal and accepted it!"
"-What DEAL?!" I shouted, throwing my bag on the ground. Causing paperwork to spill out but I stepped over the pile and got right in her face. "There was no cotton pickin' Deal! He gave me NO CHOICE!"
Alice was taken back by my abrupt explosion. Sometimes I wondered if sharing my body with a baby werewolf had it effects on my temper.
After a minute or two the pixie's guts returned and she quietly asked "Bella please, tell me what happened that day we left. Obviously Edward-"
"-Don't! say… his… name" I intoned breathing heavy.
Alice nodded and rephrased her words. "He didn't tell us everything"
I scoffed, that's putting it mildly but obliged to her request – Giving her the real full version.
She was seething with rage by the end of it.
"No wonder you hate us! Of Course I'm not Welcome! Ed- He lied to us all! And we blindly believed and followed his lead. Thinking everyone was on the same page! Damn him!"
"Alice," I pointed out much calmer. "The ass already counts himself as damned."
She raised a delicate eyebrow, "You don't believe that?"
I shook my head, "There was a time when I would have argued that belief to be false. Nowadays, I'm not sure of anything. Everything I thought, everything I believed in has turned out to be one big lie"
"Oh Bella," she sighed,
Just then Jacob pulled up in our driveway and got off his bike in a heartbeat. "Bella!"
His eyes narrowing on Alice. "What are you doing back here Leech? We don't want you or any of your Bambi munching "family".
The pixie responded with her own level of spite. "Thank you for the warm welcome Dog but I'm here for Bella"
I raised an eyebrow, she is?
"Jacob has a valid question Alice. Why ARE you here?"
She sighed, "That was something I was hoping to discuss in private Bella, So can you tell the Dog to go home?"
I blinked, Is she kidding?
"No Alice, Jake has more of a right to be here then you do"
She looked at me crestfallen but resigned herself knowing now, how much she screwed up and lost.
"Very well, though I tried to follow his wishes and not look into your future Bella. I could still catch glimpses of you but lately they've grown fuzzy and more blurry. Then suddenly for the last two days it's been completely blank, total black out. I started to worry that something had happened to you. I guess impulse took over, I grabbed the nearest keys, got in the car and here I am-"
Before she could go into fuller detail, her cell rang and she excused herself to answer it as Jacob and I exchanged words:
"Do you think she's telling the truth?"
"I don't know but- How's Harry?"
"He's…He's gone Bella"
"Oh Jake! I'm so sorry" I pulled him into an involuntary hug.
Thinking how hard it's going to be on Charlie. He, Billy and Harry were really close. Despite the sad situation, I heard Jacob chuckling to himself for a moment.
I leaned out of our embrace and asked "What?"
He sighed,
"I know it's the wrong time but I just realized that soon when I try to hug you. It will be like having a beach ball between us."
"Jacob Black!" I lightly smacked his upper arm, "That is so not funny!"
Suddenly, before either he or I could say anything else. Alice had a vice grip on my left wrist as she towed me at a hurried pace towards the Mercedes.
"Alice Wait! Hold on! What's Going On?!"
She used her free hand to swing open the passenger seat door and shouted "Get in!"
"ALICE CULLEN! There is no way I'm going anywhere with you until you explain!" I yelled back. Jacob flashed in front of us, slamming the door so hard leaving a huge indentation.
"Answer us Leech!"
The pixie huffed, "Edward is going to the Volturi…"