Back to the Start
Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to SM.
The Gift
Bella was ninety-nine percent sure she was dreaming.
The reasons she was so certain were at first, she was standing in a bright shaft of sunlight-the kind of blinding clear sun that never shone on her drizzly hometown of Forks, Washington – and second, she wasn't alone.
"Bella?"
She turned, knowing she didn't have to look to see who it was. This was a voice she would know anywhere-know and respond to, whether she was awake or asleep…or even dead, she'd bet. The voice she would walk through fire for -or less dramatically, slosh every day through cold and endless rain for.
Jacob.
Even though she was thrilled to see him-conscious or otherwise-and even though she was almost positive that she was dreaming, she held her breath as he stepped into the glorious sunshine.
And then she gasped. As he walked toward her through the glaring sunlight, she noticed he was holding the hands of two small black-haired children, no more than four or five years old, they looked like twins, one boy, one girl, with the same gorgeous red brown skin as Jacob.
Who were these adorable children? Who did they belong to?
In fascination, Bella watched Jacob and the children approach-he was smiling so beautifully that it felt like her heart was going to swell up and burst out of her chest-he stopped beside her, letting go of the children's hands and putting his arm around her shoulders.
Only then, as she looked at the bigger picture, did she notice the huge gilt frame that enclosed his form. Unsuspecting, Bella raised her hand that wasn't wrapped around Jacob's waist and reached out to touch the top of the children's heads. But to her astonishment, her fingers connected with nothing but cold glass…
With a dizzying jolt, her dream abruptly became a nightmare.
There was no Jacob. There were no children. Their images shimmered, vanished, all that was left was Bella. In a mirror. Bella stared in horror as someone else came to stand beside her. Someone she had hoped to never see again.
Edward, casting no reflection, stared down at her lovingly, still looking the same as the last time she saw him: white face, marble skin that shimmered with a thousand diamond facets in the bright sun, locked forever in the body of a seventeen-year-old.
He pressed his icy lips onto her soft cheek. "Happy birthday, Bella." He whispered.
Bella woke with a start-her eyelids popping wide open- and gasped. Dull gray light, the familiar light of an overcast morning, took the place of the blinding sun in her dreams.
Just a dream, Bella told herself. The Cullens are gone. They are never coming back. It was just her wicked imagination at play again. She took a deep breath, and then jumped again when her alarm went off. The little calendar in the clock's display informing her that it was September the thirteenth.
Only a dream, but a prophetic one in a way, at least. Today was her birthday. She was officially eighteen years old.
All through the perfect summer-the happiest summer she'd ever had, filled with the most amazing highs and lows. The happiest summer anyone anywhere had ever had, and the rainiest summer in the history of the Olympic Peninsula-this bleak date had lurked in ambush, waiting to spring.
And now it was here, it was even worse than she imagined. She could feel it- she was older. Every day it had been creeping up on her like a gremlin on her shoulder. She was eighteen.
And-even though Jacob looked more like a man in his twenties than a teenager, because of his insane growth spurt over the summer, due to his werewolf genes-in actual human years, he was still two years behind.
When Bella went to brush her teeth, she was surprised to see that the face in the mirror hadn't changed. She stared at herself, looking for some sign of impending wrinkles on her ivory skin. The only creases were on her forehead, though, and if she could just manage to relax, they would disappear. She couldn't. Her eyebrows stayed lodged in a worried line over her anxious brown eyes.
"Get a grip, Bella." She muttered angrily under her breath, as she nearly took the enamel off her teeth with all the hard brushing. "Since when did you care about age?"
She knew what it was. It was the dream. It was getting to her. Edward hadn't infiltrated her dreams since leaving Forks. That had been ages ago. So why was he invading her them again now? It had started off so lovely, with Jacob and those beautiful little children, then had quickly flipped into a nightmare with Edward's unexpected debut.
Still feeling agitated, Bella skipped breakfast, in a hurry to get out of the house as quickly as possible. She wasn't entirely able to avoid Charlie, and so had to spend a few minutes acting cheerful. Bella tried to be honestly excited about the gifts she had asked him not to get her, but every time she tried to smile, it was a struggle.
On the way to school she tried to get a grip on herself. The dream turned nightmare continued to haunt her subconscious, increasing her sense of foreboding. By the time she reached the school parking lot and spotted Jacob leaning casually against the restored VW Rabbit, his handsome profile making her heart flutter and lifting her spirits, she finally managed to shake off her agitation and relax.
As her despair vanished, wonder took its place. Even after all this time with him, she still couldn't believe her lucky stars that she had found someone like him.
Parking the truck in the only available space, Bella quickly scrambled out, slamming the door carelessly, sending a shower of rust specks fluttering down to the wet blacktop. Jacob immediately ran over to greet her, hoisting her up into his strong arms, and swinging her around in a circle.
"Happy birthday, Bella, honey." His breath was warm against her ear.
"Shhh!" Bella hissed, glancing around the lot to make sure no one had overheard him. The last thing she wanted was some kind of acknowledgement about the unwanted event by her friends.
Jacob's amused laughter rumbled deep in his chest as he set her down gently back on her feet. He thought she was being silly about the whole thing. It was just another one of her quirks, he knew she hated being the center of attention, but never seemed to understand that she was just the kind of girl to attract it.
"Sorry, honey, I forgot." He didn't look or sound sorry at all. "Do you want to open your present now or later?" He asked eagerly.
It was only then that Bella noticed that he was holding a small package in his hand. "Jacob." She whined. "I told you not to buy me anything."
Jacob sighed in exasperation. "I know the rules, Bella. You told me a hundred times. I promise no money exchanged hands. I made this."
"You made this?" Bella's interest was piqued despite herself. She was dying of curiosity now. "Okay, give it to me."
Jacob grinned, trying not to laugh again at the quick turn around in her mood. She had her hand extended in front of her, tapping her foot impatiently. He set the small package on her open palm. "Happy birthday, Bella, honey." He said again, more solemnly this time.
Bella smiled up at him, her brown eyes showing enthusiasm for the first time. She ripped off the silver wrapping eagerly, her eyebrows rising in surprise as she studied the small bag that was contained inside. It was made with loose-woven, multi-colored fabric, and tied shut with leather drawstrings.
"Oh, Jake, that's so pretty. Thanks!"
This time Jacob did laugh. She was just too cute and adorable for her own good. "The present is inside the bag, honey."
"Oh." Pink kissed Bella's cheeks as her she smiled at him sheepishly. "Silly me."
She had some troubled with the strings, which frustrated her immensely. Jacob took it from her, sliding the ties open with one easy tug of the right cord. Bella waited with baited breath as she held out her hand, watching as Jacob turned the bag upside down and shook something into her hand. Metal links clinked quietly against each other.
"I didn't make the bracelet." Jacob admitted. "But I promise I didn't buy it. It used to belong to my mother. I made the charm, though."
Fastened to one of the links of the silver bracelet was a tiny wooden carving. Bella held it between her fingers to look at it closer. It was amazing the amount of detail involved in the little figurine-the miniature wolf was utterly realistic. It was even carved out of some red-brown wood that matched the color of Jacobs's skin. It was exquisitely made, and held much more meaning knowing that Jacob had carved the charm with his own bare hands-and to gift her with Sarah's bracelet-only made it more precious.
"Its so beautiful, Jake." Bella blinked away the sudden moisture in her eyes. She was truly touched by how special this gift was. "You made this? For me? How?"
Jacob shrugged, trying to hide how moved he was by her reaction. "It's something Billy taught me. He's better at it than I am."
"That's hard to believe." Bella murmured, turning the tiny wolf around and around in her fingers admiringly.
"Do you really like it?"
"Yes, its unbelievable, Jake. And I don't just like it. I love it!"
Jacob smiled happily as Bella held out her left wrist. He took the bracelet from her and fastened the catch easily, though it looked too delicate for his big fingers to manage.
"There you go. You'll always have part of me with you, wherever we're apart."
Bella melted from the love shining in his dark eyes. She felt truly blessed. Reaching up with her hand, her fingers encircled the back of his neck, pulling his head down until their lips connected.
In the moment of the kiss, they were their most pure and vulnerable selves, the heightened emotion of their connection soaring through them. It was one steeped in passion, the promise of realness, of the primal desire that existed just below the surface. They were both breathless when they parted, foreheads touching, staring deeply into each other's eyes.
Bella was on cloud nine, her happy gaze focused on the delicate bracelet fastened securely around her left wrist. It had been agonizing parting from Jacob, but at least she had this, a small piece of him, a reminder of what they meant to each other.
No one bothered to look at Bella as she took her usual seat in the back of the classroom. It was only Mike Newton who stared at her glumly. He had been an unwilling witness to her enthusiastic kiss with Jacob. He had broken up with Jessica, finding her too shallow and opinionated for his taste. Never having really gotten over his crush on Bella, he had turned his attention back to her, hoping she would be free so he could finally make a move. But to his disappointment it seemed she was still wrapped up in the guy from the res.
Mike had changed over the summer-his face had lost some of the roundness, making his cheekbones more prominent, and he had started wearing his hair in a new way, instead of bristly, he was growing it out, it was long enough to tie back into a low ponytail at the nape of his neck, mirroring Jacob's style. But Jacob's look couldn't be achieved through imitation, nor his toned physique. No matter how many extra hours Mike put in the gym, he would always look scrawny in comparison.
As the day progressed, Bella found herself able to relax. No one else was aware that it was her birthday, not even Angela. She had kept it to herself, like some closely guarded secret. She wanted no fuss, although she had a sneaking suspicion Charlie might have arranged something. He had looked shifty when he said goodbye to her that morning.
Bella had very pointedly asked – well, ordered really – that no one give her any presents this year. It looked like everyone concerned had ignored that request. She had never had much money, and that had never bothered her. Renee had raised her on a kindergarten teacher's salary. Charlie wasn't getting rich at his job, either – he was the police chief in the tiny town of Forks. Bella's only income came from the three days a week she worked at the local sporting goods store that Mike's parents owned.
At lunchtime Bella sat at her usual table for lunch. Mike and Jessica (who were in the awkward post-breakup friendship phase, if it could even be called that), Angela and Eric (who had begun to date casually after prom), Connor, Tyler and Lauren (still as bitchy as ever, but still hovering around the edges of the friendship circle) all sat at the same table.
Bella hardly listened to the conversation flowing around her. She was too focused on her bracelet, often smiling to herself dreamily as she replayed her kiss with Jacob in the parking lot over and over in her mind.
"Wow, Bella, that is lovely." Angela remarked, pulling Bella back into the moment. She was looking at the bracelet admiringly, marveling at the craftsmanship of the wolf charm. "Where did you get that? It looks expensive."
"Oh, Jake gave it to me." Bella felt herself blush at the memory.
"Wow, some gift!" Angela continued. "Is it for a special occasion?"
"Oh…um…Jake just wanted to surprise me." Bella mumbled, feeling her face flush harder.
"Oh, like an anniversary?" Angela probed.
"Yes. That's it." Bella nodded.
"Aww that's so sweet." Angela gushed in response. "He's definitely a keeper."
"Yeah." Bella's eyes turned soft. "He is."
"Ugh!" Lauren muttered from the other end of the table. "I think I might puke."
Bella ignored the other girl, not wanting to give Lauren the attention she so clearly craved. Angela raised her eyebrows, shaking her head in disbelief at Lauren's bitchiness.
"So, you two are pretty serious then?" Mike broke in sullenly.
Bella glanced up at him absently, nodding her head. "Yeah."
Mike covered his disappointment with a resigned sigh as he turned to Eric and began talking football. Meanwhile Jessica glared at Bella with a jealous fury. She was still upset over her breakup with Mike. She didn't consider it fair that someone as plain (in her eyes) as Bella attracted the attention of so many of the boys. She couldn't understand it, and it frustrated her.
She had spotted Bella often over the summer, on First beach in La Push, not just with Jacob, but with some other equally gorgeous male specimens. They had been playing volleyball. She had wanted to join in, but Bella had not issued an invitation, which just showed how selfish she was, Jessica decided, conveniently forgetting her own role in the breakup of their former friendship months earlier.
"I've seen better." She said dismissively about the bracelet as she grabbed her tray and flounced off.
Bella's eyes met Angela's, and they both sighed in unison, knowing that Jessica, like Lauren, would never change.
A/N-thanks for reading!