Back to the Start
Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to SM.
Peaceful Interlude
Bella drove to La Push, glad to be able to see Jacob in person again, after such a long time apart. Two weeks had seemed like an eternity. He had called her that morning, asking her to come over. After extensive practice, Sam had finally learned to control his temper and his phasing. He had moved back in with his mother, which meant that Bella was now free to visit the Blacks whenever she wanted, without putting herself at risk.
Her mind was so preoccupied with the prospect of being with Jacob again, that the trip to La Push seemed to take only a few seconds. Before she was expecting it, the forest began to thin, and she knew she would soon be able to see the first little houses of the reservation.
Bella noticed a tall boy, his chin-length black hair hidden underneath an old baseball cap, walking along the left side of the road. She slowed down, certain even from behind, that it was Embry. He looked bigger than the last time she had seen him, no longer lanky, his frame had filled out with the prerequisite muscles of a toned athlete.
Bella crossed over to the wrong side of the road to stop next to him. He glanced up when the roar of her truck approached. She was shocked when she got a good look at his face. His expression was bleak, brooding, his forehead creased with worry.
"Oh, hey, Bella." He greeted her dully.
"Hi, Embry…are you okay?" Bella asked cautiously.
Embry stared back at her morosely. "Fine."
"Can I give you a ride somewhere?" She offered.
"Sure." He mumbled. He shuffled around the front of the truck and opened the passenger door to climb in.
"Where to?"
"Home, I guess." Embry shrugged.
"Where's home?" Bella was really concerned by his lack of emotion. He seemed depressed.
"Oh, my house is on the north side, back behind the store." He told her in the same dull tone. "I'm not taking you out of your way, am I?"
"No. I'm on my way to see Jacob."
Embry's eyes darkened. "Good luck with that."
"What do you mean?" Bella looked at him worriedly, waiting for his answer. "Have you seen him?"
"I saw him from a distance." Embry's brows drew down in an angry frown.
"A distance?" Bella echoed.
"I tried to follow him – he was with Sam Uley." His voice lowered, making it hard for Bella to hear over the truck's loud engine. She leaned closer. "I know they saw me. But they just turned and disappeared into the trees." His tone then took on a bitter edge. "I've been stumbling around in the forest for an hour, yelling for them. I just barely found the road again when you drove up."
"It's not what you think, Embry. I'm sure Jake just didn't see you." Bella tried to reassure him.
"He saw me, Bella. I know he did." Embry said resentfully. "Since he acquired all those new muscles, he thinks he's somehow better than the rest of us, and hanging out with seniors like Sam Uley. He never leaves Sam's side. Its weird."
Bella didn't know what to say to comfort Embry. It wasn't like she could tell him the truth.
"Jake's changed, Bella. The guy who used to be my best friend isn't there anymore. When I look at him, I just see some stranger."
"He'll always be your best friend, Embry." Bella tried again. "Don't ever think otherwise."
Embry's voice was low and rough when he answered. "At first, I thought it was drugs or something- you know – like steroids. He became really buff in such a short space of time. Then, I thought, I couldn't see Jake getting into anything like that…. but what do I know? What else could it be? And why aren't the old people worried?" He shook his head, and the despair showed in his eyes now. "I don't understand what could change him. I just miss my friend."
Bella glanced at him; her eyes full of sympathy. "It'll work itself out, Embry. Just give Jake time."
"Right." Embry grimaced. "Quil and I even went to talk to his grandfather about it. Old Quil is on the council with Jacob's dad. He brushed off our concerns, telling us that we were letting our overactive imaginations get the better of us."
Bella sighed. In her opinion the elders were really making a mess of the whole situation. She understood the need for secrecy, but the way it was impacting on Jacob's life: ruining his relationship with his friends, interfering with his school, meaning his grades were slipping again, and the heavy burden of leadership it had placed on his young shoulders, was unforgivable. They were so rigid in their rules, instead of providing guidance, they only provided empty platitudes.
Bella felt Embry's pain as if it were her own. No one should have to feel like this. They were in the heart of La Push now, and her truck was barely crawling along the empty road. She could see the village's only store not too far ahead.
"I'll get out now." Embry said. "My house is right over there." He gestured toward the small wooden rectangle behind the store. Bella pulled over to the shoulder, and he jumped out.
"Please don't give up on Jacob, Embry." Bella pleaded one last time.
"He's given up on me." Embry retorted sourly. "Thanks for the ride." He slammed the door shut and walked off down the road, his shoulders slumped.
Embry's face haunted Bella as she made a wide U-turn and headed back to the Blacks'. She knew he relied on Jacob a lot, more so than Quil. Jacob had confided that his friend's home life wasn't that great. Embry's mother, Tiffany Call, was a woman from the Makah tribe who moved to La Push when she was pregnant with him, and it was assumed that she had left his father with the Makahs. She worked long hours, so wasn't often at home, which meant Embry was alone a lot of the time. Jacob's house was like a refuge for him, he often escaped there to find company. With Sam temporarily moving in, it had cut off that escape, forcing Jacob to keep his distance at the same time.
Bella stopped in front of Jacob's house, killing the motor, and rolling down the windows. It was a stuffy day, no breeze, she put her feet up on the dashboard and settled in to wait. Jacob had told her he was going to do a quick circuit of La Push to check for any sign of vampire activity, before coming back to meet her.
A movement flashed in her peripheral vision- she turned and spotted Billy looking at her the through the front window. Bella waved once and smiled a tight smile, but stayed where she was. After seeing how low Embry was feeling, she didn't feel like being around any of the old men right now. She knew she would find it difficult to hold her tongue about the way they were handling things.
Billy waved back, looking a little confused, probably wondering why she preferred waiting in her truck, instead of coming straight in. Eventually he shrugged and let the curtain fall back against the glass.
Bella settled down, prepared to wait for as long as it took. She just wished she had something to do. She dug a pen out of the glovebox, and an old scrap of paper. She startled to doodle on the back of the scrap, outlining the figure of a wolf.
She'd only just drawn the tail when there was a sharp rap against her door. And there he was, in all his glory, Jacob Black.
Bella couldn't stop staring. In the two weeks they had been apart, he had changed so radically. His hair, still long and glossy, like black satin, was pulled back in its usual low ponytail. It was the planes of his face that were different, they seemed to have hardened subtly, tightened…aged. His neck and shoulders were different, too, thicker somehow. His hands, where they gripped the window frame, looked enormous, with the tendons and veins more prominent under his russet skin. He looked so much older, more mature. Not quite sixteen, now he could pass for someone in his twenties.
There was one thing that did remain the same, though, and that was his sunny smile, and the warmth in his dark eyes as he looked at her.
"Hey, Bella, honey." He greeted her. "Are you ever going to get out of the truck?"
Even his voice was deeper, huskier.
When she just continued to stare at him without saying anything, Jacob became worried. "Are you okay, honey?" He pulled the truck's door open, reaching inside and lifting her out as if she weighed nothing.
Bella couldn't stop gaping at him.
Jacob noticed her scrutiny. "What?" He asked, suddenly self-conscious.
"Nothing." Bella murmured, still staring. "I just hadn't realized before. Did you know, you're sort of beautiful?"
Once the impulsive words had slipped out, Bella found herself blushing with embarrassment.
Jacob's eyes sparkled. "Right back at ya, honey." He teased. "Just take away the sort of."
Bella's color infused cheeks dimpled with a blossoming smile and her eyes shone in a way that only deep happiness can bring. She glanced away from him, shuffling her feet awkwardly.
"I mean it, Bella." Jacob said earnestly. "You are the most beautiful girl I've ever seen."
Bella's blush travelled down her neck, reflecting the inner warmth inside at his sincere compliment. There was no doubting he meant it.
"I'm serious."
"I know. You're beautiful, too."
"Well, then, thanks. Sort of."
Bella giggled at his playful tone. "You're sort of welcome."
They spent an enjoyable day on the beach, reconnecting, talking, laughing, having fun. The supernatural was put to the back of their minds as they let loose, deciding to act the teenagers that they were, instead of the adults they were expected to be.
Jacob threw Bella over his shoulder, running right into the surf, pretending that he was going to throw her in. She let out a high-pitched squeal, issuing a stream of threats if even one strand of her hair got wet. Laughing, he carried her back onto the beach, setting her gently back down on her feet.
"See, we're all good." He said, grinning.
"Are we?" Bella countered with a sly smile. She bent down, scooping some sea water in her cupped hands and flinging it at him.
"Hey!" Jacob protested.
Bella took off running, stumbling her way across the rocks, giggling as she glanced over her shoulder to see if Jacob was following. To her surprise, he was nowhere in sight. Confused, she turned around, only to find he had already overtaken her. Smirking, her grabbed her around the waist, lifting and pinning her against his hard body, spinning her around until they were both dizzy.
They hiked over to the nearby tidal pools. Bella loved them, she had been fascinated by them since she was a kid. They were one of things she looked forward to during her Fork summers with Charlie. Although, she had often fallen in. She remembered how Charlie used to yank her out, a patient smile on his face, as he handed her the obligatory towel. He was used to her clumsiness and was always prepared.
The hike wasn't too long, though Bella hated to lose the blue sky in the woods. The green light of the forest was strangely at odds with their youthful laughter, too murky and ominous to be in harmony with their light banter as they walked. Bella had to watch each step carefully, avoiding roots below and branches above. Jacob helped her through the worst parts, lifting her over the rockier ground, his hand always on alert to steady her when she stumbled.
Eventually they broke through the emerald confines of the forest and found the rocky shore again. It was low tide, and a tidal river flowed past them on its way to the sea. Along its pebbled banks, shallow pools that never completely drained were teeming with life.
Bella was very cautious not to lean too far over the little ocean ponds. Jacob was more fearless, leaping agley over the rocks, perching precariously on the edges. Bella rolled her eyes at his showing off. She had found a very stable looking rock on the fringe of one of the largest pools, and sat there contentedly, spellbound by the natural aquarium, and laughing at Jacob goofing around.
Finally, Jacob declared he was hungry. He took Bella's hand, helping her to rise. She shook out her stiff limbs, then keeping close to his side, walked with him back through the woods, until they reached the safety of the beach.
That night, Sam and Leah joined them for dessert at Jacob's house. The two were slowly repairing their relationship now that Sam had better control over himself and felt able to spend more time with Leah, even if he couldn't explain the real reason why he had been avoiding her in the first place.
Charlie arrived a little later, after being summoned by Billy. The atmosphere was still a little tense between the two men. Billy had bought an expensive cake that would have won over a harder man than Charlie. As the cake was shared around, the conversation finally started to flow more naturally through a range of subjects, and Charlie slowly began to relax, any resentment that he held against Billy dissolving now that he saw how easy Jacob and Bella were in each other's company.
Jacob and Bella skipped out early, to get some privacy. They went out to his garage and sat down in the Rabbit. Jacob leaned his head back, his face showing some of the exhaustion of the last few days as it finally caught up with him.
"Today was a good day." He declared, smiling tiredly.
"You need to get some sleep, Jacob."
"I'll get around to it." He reached over and took her hand. His skin was blazing on hers.
"Is that one of those wolf things?" Bella asked him with interest. "The heat I mean."
"Yeah. We run a little warmer than normal people. About one-oh-eight, one-oh-nine. I never get cold anymore. I could stand like this" – he gestured at his bare torso – "in a snowstorm and it wouldn't bother me. The flakes would turn to rain where I stood."
"Freaky." Bella teased.
"Yeah, freaky." Jacob agreed, gazing at her affectionately. "I've really missed you, Bells."
Bella reciprocated by squeezing his hand gently. "Me too, Jake." She said fondly. "Me, too."
A/N-thanks for reading!