CHAPTER 5

Charlie's cruiser was in the driveway when I got home. I prepared myself for the inevitable conversation about my relationship with Jake.

"That you Bella?" Charlie called from the living room when I walked through the door.

"Yeah Dad," I replied.

"I wasn't expecting you until later," he said, glancing at the clock. I took a seat in the recliner across from him as he sat up, muting the TV. There were a few moments of awkward silence, and I could see the wheels in his head turning, wondering how to open the subject of Jake with me. I let him off the hook and spoke first.

"Jake said you overheard him talking to his dad and Sam today."

He gave me a small, crooked grin, clearly relieved. "Yeah, sorry about that. He didn't realize I was standing so close to them." He paused, really looking at my face for the first time since I'd sat down, and his smile grew. "You look… really good Bella. Happy — happier than I've seen you in a long time." He paused again, studying me some more before shaking his head and continuing, "Jake's a great kid and he's been a really good friend to you. I can't say I'm surprised… if you ask me, he's been crazy about you for a while now. You're lucky to have each other. Heaven knows you deserve some happiness after everything you've been through."

"Thanks Dad, I am very happy. I don't know what I would have done without Jake." I smiled. I really was so lucky to have him. I shook my head and continued. "So, we are having dinner with Sam and Emily tonight, as you heard. I just came home to freshen up a little and make sure you had something to eat for dinner.

"Don't worry about me sweetie. Sue sent some food home with me today, so I'm taken care of for the next few nights at least… in case you have plans." He gave me a knowing look. Between Jake and Alice, I probably would have plans of some sort most nights for a while.

"Oh, well, that was nice of her."

"She's got food coming out of her ears over there, so she was happy to send some our way."

"Alright then. I think Alice is coming back over to stay the night again when I get back home, as long as that's okay with you. She's only going to be here for a couple more days, so want to make the most of the time."

"Sure thing. Alice is always welcomed here."

"Jake will be here in about an hour, so I'm just gonna go freshen up a bit.

I went to the kitchen first to call Alice and let her know the plan for the evening. I also wanted to make sure she was okay speaking with Sam to try to work out some sort of compromise. She agreed to talk with him but wondered if it would just be easier if she went ahead and left. Maybe it would be, but I convinced her to stay. There was no way of knowing when she would come again.

I decided I had enough time to take a shower. Now that I was aware of how offensive the vampire scent was to Jake, I didn't want to take the chance of anything still lingering on me.

When I got out of the shower, I blow-dried my hair and was pleased with the outcome. I rummaged through my closet and decided on a light-weight sky-blue sweater and dark jeans.

I was just finishing brushing my teeth when I heard a knock at the door, and I suddenly got butterflies in my stomach. I told myself I was being ridiculous, it's just Jake. But everything had changed, and he wasn't just my best friend anymore. He was my… what? Boyfriend? I guess that's what he was to me now, though that word really didn't do our relationship justice. He was so much more to me: protector; healer; savior; safe harbor. Those were just a bit too much for normal everyday life. Boyfriend would have to suffice… but also still my best friend.

"Bella, Jake's here," Charlie called up the stairs.

"I'll be right down," I called back, giving myself one last assessing look in the mirror. Not too bad… at least I had some nice color in my pale cheeks from the nerves. I took a few deep calming breaths then headed downstairs.

Charlie and Jake were standing in the front hall talking and I nearly missed a step when I saw Jake. He had done away with his normal cut-off shorts and t-shirt (or no shirt) for the evening. He was wearing jeans and a casual white button-down shirt, untucked, with the sleeves rolled up just past his elbows. The top few buttons of his shirt were undone, leaving part of his muscular chest exposed. His hair was even styled in short messy spikes. He looked… freaking gorgeous. I was stunned and I was pretty sure my face showed it. It felt a little like I was really seeing him for the first time.

He stopped talking when he saw me and gazed at me intently and I could have sworn there was something like pride shining in his eyes. A huge grin spread across his face, melting my heart and making my insides do flips.

I smiled back, feeling suddenly shy again. What was wrong with me! It's not like I haven't spent nearly every available minute with him over the past several months.

He took my hand as I reached the bottom step and the warmth of his touch spread up through my entire body.

"You look beautiful Bella," he said, his voice husky. When I reached the bottom of the stairs, he held out a bouquet of wildflowers to me.

"Awe, thanks Jake. They're pretty."

I took the flowers from his hand, then he pulled me into his warm embrace, pressing a kiss to the top of my head. He breathed in deeply, probably enjoying the absence of vampire scent. I embraced him back, overwhelmingly aware of Charlie standing nearby, watching. After just a few moments, I reluctantly withdrew. I was pretty sure I was going to end up with permanently red-stained cheeks from all of the blushing I was doing.

"I'll just put these in some water," I said, going into the kitchen. I got down a vase and placed the arrangement in the center of the kitchen table before returning to the hall.

"You ready to go?" Jake asked.

"Yep," I replied, then looked at Charlie. "See you later Dad."

"Okay, you kids have fun," he said with a decidedly proud smile on his face.

When we reached his car, Jake opened my door for me, waiting until I was in so he could shut it behind me. He settled in the driver's seat and took my hand in his before pulling away from the curb. I happened to look back at the house as we drove away and I saw Charlie watching us from the front door, still smiling. It seemed he was extremely pleased with this new development in our relationship. The thought went through my head that if Charlie could have hand-picked a boyfriend for me, it probably would have been Jake.

I returned my attention back to Jake and smiled at him. "You look very handsome tonight. It's been a while since I have seen you in anything but cut-offs and a t-shirt… or no shirt," I laughed.

"What? You don't like seeing me in all my glory?" He gestured to his entire torso and gave me a little smirk. I just shook my head at him.

"I'm not going to answer that." He didn't need any help with his ego, and no matter how I answered it could be taken the wrong way.

Jake threw back his head and laughed.

We drove in silence for a little while, my mind going over all that had happened that day. Suddenly I had a thought about what I had shared with Jake that afternoon and the fact that all the guys will probably know about the voices before long and my stomach sank a little.

"Hey Jake, can I ask you a question about your shared thoughts with the pack?"

"Sure Bells, you can ask me anything you want about the wolf stuff."

I was just wondering… is it possible for you to keep anything a secret from the rest?"

"Sometimes, but it's not very easy… unless it's a super small detail." Jake looked thoughtful. "Why, is there something you don't want them to know?"

"Well, I was kind of hoping the whole "me hearing voices" thing could stay private. But it doesn't sound like that's really possible."

"Oh! I'm sorry, but no. I don't think I'll be able to keep that from surfacing at some point. I can sometimes keep thoughts away for short periods of time, but anything more takes a lot of effort. Like singing show tunes constantly or something equally ridiculous and annoying. You know how your mind will just wander through thoughts, processing them while you're doing other things, there is really no way to avoid it over a longer stretch of time.

"It's such a weird thing, our shared thoughts… hard to describe. But it isn't just the thoughts we share, it's also the feelings and emotions tied to them. So, they are all very aware how special this morning was for us, and it will be the same for our conversation this afternoon. They'll understand how much it meant that you shared those things with me… and they were meant to be private. I don't think any of them would ever bring it up to you."

"That makes me feel a little better, I guess."

"None of us really like the fact we can't keep anything to ourselves. Doesn't mean they'll always keep their mouths shut or not tease you about stuff at some point, and they'll definitely give me crap about stuff, but they'll be respectful of the super private stuff… or they should be. I know it sucks. I hope it never makes you feel like you can't tell me something."

"I'll try not to let it. I hadn't even considered it before, but I had never shared quite so openly with you before." I brought Jacob's hand up and pressed it against my cheek, closing my eyes and enjoying the heat against my skin. "Did they say much about this morning… have you even phased since then?"

"Yeah, we had a quick pack meeting in wolf just a little while ago. They gave me some grief if I thought about when we kissed. I have waited so long to be able to kiss you and hold you without making you uncomfortable, so it's been in my thoughts a lot today." Jacob smiled apologetically and rubbed his thumb on the cheek his hand was pressed against. "You know, we don't just share emotions tied to thoughts, but how we feel about people and just our mood in general. So, if one of us is happy, or hurting, we all feel that too. It's a lot to deal with sometimes, but it causes us to be sensitive to the people that other pack members feel strongly about. It helps us care more because we understand better what those people mean to that pack brother. It also makes us feel more protective of them. It took a bit for a couple of them to come around, but now, not only are the guys happy for me… for us… they also feel more protective of you Bella, and they want you to be safe and happy too. Especially Sam."

I let our hands fall back to rest on the console between us, threading our fingers together again. "So it's like I inherited a bunch of protective brothers?"

"Basically."

"And what do you mean 'especially Sam'? Why does he care more than the others?"

"Well, he's felt sort of protective over you ever since he found you in the woods. Like a big brother. He didn't really understand the urge and he obviously couldn't ever show it or act on it since he didn't know you at all before that night… he didn't want anyone to get the wrong idea if he checked up on you. He was relieved to get to see you sometimes when you were with me before the change… to see you coming back to life. It also pleased him a little when you figured out our secret… almost like he was proud," Jacob chuckled. "Even though he had ordered me not to tell you, because that's the rule, I think he felt maybe you should know. Plus, he's the Alpha, so he feels a bigger responsibility for all of us. And now that you and I are together like this, 'us' includes you, so his desire to protect you is nearly as strong as mine. He also feels like he can finally fulfill more of a big brother role with you because of our relationship. So, don't get weirded out if he acts a little protective of you or says something brotherly to you."

"Well, that's actually really sweet. A little weird maybe, but sweet. Makes me feel bad about the way I used to think about him."

"Nah, he won't hold that against you. You were only reacting to the information that you had… the info that I had given you, and that was all wrong. He understands."

We pulled up to Emily's house a short time later. Her little house was so warm and inviting. When we walked in, we were hit with the delightful aromas of dinner. Sam and Emily were both working in the kitchen, getting things set out on the table. They came over to greet us when we walked in.

"Hey guys," Emily said. "We're so glad you could make it tonight." She gave me a big hug. "It's good to see you again Bella."

"Thanks Emily, it's good to see you too," I said, returning her hug. "Thanks for having us over. It smells wonderful!"

"Hi Bella" Sam greeted me as he put his arm around Emily. "We're all really happy for you and Jake." He was acknowledging our new relationship… almost like he was accepting me into the family.

"Hey Sam… thanks." I felt my cheeks heat again, and looked up at Jake, who smiled down at me. When I looked back at Sam and Emily, they were watching us with pleased looks on their faces.

"Anything new?" Jake asked.

"No, everything's still quiet for now," Sam answered.

"Well, I don't know about you all, but I am starving!" Emily said. "Everything is ready. What do you say we eat?"

The food was delicious, and the conversations were light and easy with lots of laughter. I really enjoyed spending time with Sam and Emily. They were so kind and welcoming to me… it felt like family.

After dinner, when there was a lull in the conversation, Jake looked at me with a knowing, reluctant expression on his face before turning to speak to Sam. "So, not to put a damper on the evening, but there are a couple of things we want to discuss with you Sam."

"Alright," Sam said, leaning back in his chair. "You don't think they can wait until the morning?"

Jake glanced at me, then shook his head and looked back to Sam. "No, I think it's best if we not wait. First, Bella told me something today that was a little disturbing." He looked down at me again. "Do you want to tell him?"

This took me a little by surprise, but I nodded and turned to Sam to tell him about seeing Victoria in the water.

Sam's eyes widened and flashed with concern. "Are you sure? You were pretty out of it that day."

"Yeah, that's why I didn't put it together until later. But I'm positive now."

Emily stared at me anxiously, then looked up at Sam.

"Well," Sam said thoughtfully, concern and frustration in his voice, "that's not good… way too close for comfort." His lips drew together in a straight line as he considered. "Seems your instincts about her circling around were spot on Jake. I'm so thankful he found you in time Bella… on both fronts," he said indicating both to save me from drowning and Victoria.

"Me too," I said gravely, and a shiver ran through my body.

"Bella and I have already talked about her staying away from the beach for now," Jake informed Sam. "I thought it was a good idea before I knew about the leech being in the water and seeing us there, but now it seems like a necessity."

Sam nodded in agreement, "Good. I never liked how much time you spent alone there anyway." There was the protectiveness Jake mentioned coming through… it made me feel safer somehow. "But I know there isn't a lot to do around here."

Emily spoke up for the first time since the conversation had shifted. "I told Jake this already Bella, but you are welcomed to stay here as much as you want to. It will be nice to be able to keep each other company while our guys are out working." She smiled up at Sam, but I could see the worry lacing the edges of her expression.

"Thanks Emily, Jake had mentioned that, and I really appreciate it. I will definitely take you up on the offer. Billy has been great to let me stay at his place, but he's not much of a conversationalist."

Everyone laughed lightly and agreed.

"And I can help you keep these guys fed! It's got to be a lot of work."

"That would be fantastic. It's like a full-time job sometimes."

We all laughed again and when it had faded, Jake continued with the other issue to discuss.

"So, Bella had an idea today. I'm still not 100% sure how I feel about it, but it may allow us to continue to watch over her when she can't be down here on the Rez while the little female Cullen is still here. Especially since Bella's going back to school and work tomorrow."

Jake shifted in his chair and cleared his throat before continuing.

"She was wondering how you would feel about reaching out to the blood… errr, Alice," he glanced down at me, and I smiled gently, knowing this wasn't easy for him, "to see if we can reach a temporary agreement that would allow us to continue to patrol the areas around wherever Bella is."

I could see the doubt and indecision on Sam's face, so I quickly added, "I spoke with her a little earlier and she is very willing to talk with you and try to figure something out that everyone is comfortable with. I have her cell phone number. She didn't mean to disrupt everything like this when she came… and she will only be here for a few more days."

"Gah," Jake suddenly exclaimed, leaning forward to rest his elbows on the table, his head in his hands. "I'm sorry to even ask you to do this Sam. I'm only considering it because I know I'm going to be going crazy if we aren't able to keep watch over Bella for the next few days." He obviously wasn't as comfortable with my idea as he was trying to appear.

I put my hand on his arm. "I'm sorry Jake," I said, almost whispering. I was starting to feel guilty about insisting Alice stay. I just wanted to spend a little more time with my friend… I didn't know if I'd ever see her again.

Jake looked over at me then he sat up straighter and pulled me against him, resting his cheek on top of my head and I wrapped my arms around him. "It's alright Bella," he said quietly.

I realized then that Emily had her hand on Sam's arm and was looking at him intently. After a moment he turned back to us. "This is definitely not an easy situation; I don't like the idea of leaving you so exposed either Bella." He paused, seeming to still be undecided. After one more glance at Emily he finally sighed, "I guess it won't hurt to see what kind of arrangement we can come up with… no promises though," he said, looking at me. "Let me have her number and I'll go ahead and call her."

"Thank you, Sam." I gave him a small smile as I handed him the paper with Alice's number on it and made a silent wish that they could work something out.

5