*DISCLAIMER: I do not own the rights to the Twilight Saga and it's characters. This is purely artistic fiction drawn in inspiration from Stephenie Meyer's words.

*Whew! Sorry for the delay on getting this one done, ya'll. I've been pretty busy writing/editing a book! Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter! Please let me know what you think! I love hearing from everyone! :)


Quil opened the door to the house, allowing everyone else to pass through the threshold. Bella trailed behind, a concentrated look painted on her face.

"Why the long face, babe?" He asked.

Bella blinked rapidly before replying. "Huh? Oh, nothing. I was just thinking."

"Thinking about what?" Jake responded.

"About how much I hate getting older."

"Bells, you gotta get over that stuff. Everyone grows old. Charlie, me, you, even Quil and Embry. Everybody."

"I know, but that doesn't mean I have to like it." She pouted.

"You're really not gonna like what comes next, then." Jake rounded the corner and entered the living room. Bella followed him along with Quil and Embry. As soon as she turned the corner, there was a loud pop sound and confetti in the air, followed by a resounding chorus of 'Happy Birthday'. Bella flinched, wrapping her arms instinctively around herself. The sound of a glass table shattering, piano keys breaking, and panicked voices rung in her ears, drowning out everything around her.

"Hey, you okay?" Jake asked, pulling her into his arms.

She rubbed her eyes and looked at the assembly of people before her. Sam and Emily were standing in front of the kitchen counter. Jared, Kim, and Paul stood slightly to the right of the island, and Leah, Sunny, and Seth were crowded into the corner by the refrigerator. Her dad and Billy were positioned in front of the back door. There was a huge assortment of food on the island and along the counters. Mostly finger foods, but a lot of grilling as well. Paul was already stuffing his face.

"Yeah, I'm fine. A little shell-shocked I guess." Bella muttered.

"It was my idea to throw a party. Didn't mean to scare you, honey." He rubbed her shoulders.

"Not scared. Surprised, that's for sure." She lied.

Charlie came up to them, standing a few feet away with a beer in hand. "Jake pitched the idea a few days ago, kiddo. I remember your 18th birthday. Came home with your arm in a sling, wrapped like a mummy. Thought you were gonna faint with how pale you were. You hardly said a word and went straight to your room after. Figured you could use some good memories to replace the old ones."

"Oh. So it was a group effort, huh?"

"Yup." He nodded, taking a swig of his drink. "Well, don't stand there all night—go get some food. The boys were cooking out back and Emily brought most of the spread on the island."

"I see that. I'll bet it's yummy." Bella smiled softly, pushing some of her long brunette hair behind her ears. There was a clawing feeling in the back of her throat, but she ignored it.

"C'mon. You got a gift, too." Jake said, rubbing her shoulders.

"Gift?" She blanched. "Another one?"

"Easy. It's just one thing."

"But you already bought me a ring and that outfit. Jake, this is too much. I have nothing to give back to you."

"Would it make you feel better to know I didn't spend any money on it?"

"Slightly, yes."

He led her into the living room and pulled his keys out of his pocket, sifting through the o-ring for the right one.

"What're you doing?" Bella asked, confused by his action.

"You'll see." He removed an emerald green colored house key. "Hold out your hand."

The sudden realization hit her. He was asking her to move in. Now.

"Jake," she covered her mouth, "no way."

"Yes way." He replied, beaming from ear to ear.

"But it hasn't even been that lon—

—I know that, but we've known each other our whole lives. Besides, you've been borderline living here since we reconnected. It's not that big of a deal."

"Yes, it is. Moving in is a huge deal. Monumental even."

"How so?"

"You'd have to put up with me 24/7. Are you sure you're ready for that commitment?"

He scooped her into his strong arms, embracing her in a tight hug. "More than anything, Bells."

Her heart felt so full that it might implode. Wait. That means Charlie must already know. He had to.

"Did you already ask my dad?"

"Yep. He's fine with it. We're adults and you're free to see him as much or as many times as you like. Just like he's allowed over here as much as he likes."

"That's strange. Would've thought he'd been protective."

"Yeah," Jake paused, "he did threaten me a little."

"With his shotgun?"

"No. His pistol. I'm not worried about it." He said with a wink.

"Let's not test that theory." She hugged him back, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Hey, you're the birthday girl. Let's get back to the party."

"Oh. Right. Kind of forgot already." She didn't want to go back, but a part of her missed her friends and family.

They rejoined the group in the kitchen. Jake grabbed platefuls of food while Bella only had a few items on hers: salad, fruit, and some grilled potatoes. Everyone, mostly the pack members, seemed to quickly scarf their food down. Bella took her sweet time, still trying to rein in her mind from earlier.

The group had split up into separate conversations. Quil, Embry, and Jared were all arguing about video games. Paul was on his fourth plate, shoveling food in his mouth. Although, he was complaining to Jake that there weren't better foods available, like chicken nuggets. His favorite. Billy, Charlie, and Jake were all discussing the most recent sports event. Leah and Sunny were whispering sweet nothings to each other in the corner, already finished with their food.

Sam, Emily, and Kim were talking about potential baby names, and Seth was the odd man out. He walked up to Bella, who was sitting in a bar stool at the only available spot on the island.

"Happy Birthday." He said, a cheerful smile tugging at the corners of his full lips.

"Yeah, thanks Seth." She replied in between munching on a stick of celery.

"Thought I'd say it for good measure."

"That's kind of you. Have you ate?" She gestured to his empty hands.

"Yeah, I ate when Leah did."

"Ah," she fidgeted in her seat, "so how's work going?"

"Same old, same old. Nothing really changes there. How're you doing since you moved back?"

"I'm doing okay. I started going to therapy recently, and I'm thinking about getting a part-time job while I go back to school."

"Wow. You don't take things slow, do you?"

"No, I guess I don't." She said, poking her fork at an errant piece of lettuce on her plate.

"You look like you're doing well. You've got most of your color back, and I see the fullness of your cheeks again."

"Been eating a lot more now that I'm not around... the Cullens." She whispered the last word, like it were poison on her tongue. Thankfully, she hadn't taken another bite. When she swallowed, it felt like a lump of sand was stuck in her throat.

"What about them?" Jake side-stepped toward Bella, leaving Charlie and his dad to their conversation.

"Nothing, Jake. I was saying that I've been eating more now that I'm not around them."

"You're doing good, honey. One step at a time." He reminded her, pressing a curt kiss to her forehead.

"I know."

"I'll leave you to it, then. Good seeing you, Bella." Seth grinned as he turned around, walking back over to lean against the wall near Paul.

"Bye, Seth." Bella said, worried she scared him off.

"He's been a loner since Leah found Sunny. He's the only one who hasn't imprinted." Jake whispered into Bella's ear.

"Oh. I wondered why he was so quiet. It's not like him."

"I know what you mean. I'm practically his older brother. It's hard to watch sometimes, but I know he'll find them soon."

"I hope so, too."

The rest of the group finished eating and both Sam and Emily stuck around to help clean up, even though there weren't any left overs. Bella was working on washing some of the dishes when Emily came up behind her and grabbed the plate out of her hands.

"You shouldn't be doing dishes on your birthday, love."

"But I—

—shh. Save it. Sam won't let me lift a finger at home, so I'm itching to get my hands on something."

"You cooked though!"

"And? It doesn't take that much energy to do dishes. No matter what Sam says."

"If you insist." Bella stepped away from the sink and wiped her hands off on a hand towel that was hanging up by the sink.

"So, how was your birthday this year? A great deal better than the last few, I'm sure."

"Yeah," Bella glanced back at Jake who was messing around with Jared and Paul. "I'm really grateful for him."

"He loves you, Bella." Emily said, a wistful smile on her face. "You should've seen him when you left. He was a wreck."

"I can only imagine." Bella gulped and wrung her hands together.

"Oh, hun', I'm sorry. I wasn't saying it was your fault. Sam told me what vampires do. That they're expert hunters, everything invites their prey in. They're master manipulators."

"I know it's not my fault but I could have chose not to go."

"I don't think so. Not at that time. You were wrapped around Edward pretty good."

"I wish I didn't do it." Bella shook her head. "I missed out on so many good memories I could have had. How happy I could've been."

"But you're happy now, right?"

"Yes, very happy."

"Then that's all that counts. You'll make up for lost time. Don't worry." Emily finished scrubbing a plate in the sink and set it to dry on the flat towel on the counter before grabbing another one.

"You're right."

"I can be wise sometimes." Emily giggled.

"I think you're pretty wise all the time." Bella said, "at least, all the times I've talked with you, you give the best advice."

"I'd love for you to come over soon. I know we both could use the girl time."

"I'll take you up on that offer." Bella grinned, "too much testosterone in the house with three boys."

"Trust me. I know how you feel." Emily shook her head. "We'll have a little boy by March."

"Ohmygosh, congratulations, Emily." Bella pulled her into a brief side hug.

"Thank you. I haven't really told anyone else. We plan on revealing everything at the shower in February."

"I'm honored to be the first to know." Bella replied with a quaint smile.

"Hey, you, I told you not to be doing any cleaning. I'll handle all of it for now." Sam chimed in, grabbing the plate out of her hands.

"See?" Emily sighed and then both she and Bella burst into laughter.

"What? What did I miss?" Sam said, confounded by the laughter.

"Nothing, honey. Just saying what a good dad you'll make." Emily swept a piece of hair away from in front of his face. He began scrubbing the dish he grabbed from her.

"I hope so..." Sam trailed off.

Sam never told anyone about his father. Only Embry kind of knew what a dirt bag he was. However, Sam was abandoned by both his parents. Growing up, he never knew what a functional family was like until he started hanging around Jacob and Quil. Both of their home lives were semi-normal. Sam enjoyed his role as pack leader, even though it was stressful for a little while. It was still rewarding to watch each member grow and blossom into a full on adult. Leah, too. No matter what their history was, he would always watch over her. He was proud and happy when she imprinted and finally found her peace.

"I know you will." Emily assured him, patting his shoulder with a kiss to his cheek. "Whew. The baby is kicking my insides, I better take a seat."

"That's probably for the best." Bella said, turning to face Jake who just finished up saying goodbye to Jared and Paul.

"Well, everything's taken care of. I'm gonna pack up all the plates and stuff we brought." Sam finished with the last plate in the sink and dried it off.

"Thanks for bringing stuff, Sam. I really appreciate it." Jake said as they shook hands briefly.

"Don't thank me. Thank Emily. She cooked all of it." Sam shook his head.

"I will." Jake nodded. "Regardless, it's nice to see you outside the shop."

"I'll say." Sam laughed, gathering up most of the plates and containers that were sitting by the sink.

"I'll see you Monday, old man." Jake and Sam engaged in a half-hug, followed by a mutual back pat.

"See you then, boss." Sam tucked the stack of plates under one arm and turned to face the living room, where Emily was. He walked across the kitchen, stopping in front of the couch she was sitting on. "Over do it?"

"No, the baby is kicking up a storm." She said, rubbing her growing belly. She wasn't really showing yet, but she wasn't as small as she usually was. Emily had an obvious glow from within; motherhood only enhanced her beautiful features.

"Lucky for you, you get to rest and I'll rub your feet when we get home."

"Oh, my knight in shining armor." Emily sighed.

"I told you not to be doing stuff. I'll take care of it." He helped her stand up, gifting dozens of kisses to her face. She reveled in his attention. Bella couldn't help but be jealous in the moment. She was craving some love from her Jake.

"I'll see you later, Bella. Happy Birthday, again." Emily said, turning to face the door.

"Me, too. Happy Birthday." Sam repeated as they headed toward the door.

"Thanks, guys. Later." She waved to them.

"Thank you, Emily." Jake called as they left.

He came up behind Bella and wrapped his arms around her middle, picking her up in a surprise hug. She squealed, swatting at his hands, and he twirled her around.

"Put me down!"

"You want me to put you down?" He asked, setting her back on her feet.

"Yes. Thank y—

—Jake hooked one arm under her knees and lifted her bridal style next. Technically, he kept his word. He did put her down. Once. He headed out of the living room toward the stairs.

"Where are we going?" She squeaked.

"Bedroom."

"Jacob."

"Yes, honey?"

"Quil and Embry are still here."

"Yeah, no funny business while we're around, Black." Quil said as he rounded the corner.

"I wasn't gonna do anything." Jake said as he set Bella down onto the couch.

"Sure you weren't, and I'm Mona Lisa." Embry chuckled, leaning in the door frame to the living room.

"I wasn't." Jake protested, throwing his hands up. "I was just gonna tickle her."

"Tickling leads to other things." Quil said with a wink.

"Not always." Bella replied.

"Maybe we're just different, huh Bry?" Quil wrapped one arm around Embry's side and pulled him in.

"Well, you are pretty weird, but I'm not so sure about that being the case with Embry." Jake crossed his arms over his chest.

"Thanks, Jake. I'll take your vote into consideration." Quil said, sarcasm dripping from his tone. He pressed a chaste kiss onto Embry's cheek.

"Well, what're we gonna do now?" Bella asked.

"Should we head over to Charlie's for your stuff?"

"Today?" Her voice cracked.

"Yeah, I'm sure Charlie won't care. He said he was going fishing today, anyway."

"I want to say goodbye before I leave."

"It's not forever, honey." Jake said, eyebrows arching. "We're not the assholes you used to stay with."

"You're right." She envisioned having dinners at the house with Charlie and Billy, the smell of cooked Alfredo and lasagna, laughter around the table, getting to know Rachel and Becca again. It was different. The good kind of different. In every sense of the word.

"So, let's go get your stuff. Four people is better than one."

"You won't need them. I only have a few totes and a box."

"So little?"

"Yeah. I don't really keep material possessions."

"We're so alike." A wide smile tugged on the corners of his lips.

"We'll hold down the fort until you guys get back." Quil said, facing Jake.

"Alright. Let's get a move on, girl." Jake grabbed her hands and helped her stand, even though she didn't need it.

"Okay. Hopefully Charlie won't be too freaked about it happening today..." She crossed her arms over her chest.

"I'm sure it'll be fine." Jake replied.


Jake and Bella pulled up to Charlie's house, parking in the drive way beside the cruiser and truck. Jake would follow behind Bella with the mustang. They exited the car and walked up to the door, just about to enter, when it popped open. Charlie was decked out in fishing gear, pole in one hand, tackle box in the other.

"Shit, Bells, you scared me." He gasped, leaning the pole against the door. "What're you doing here? Thought you two might be out celebrating."

"We came to get my stuff..." Bella trailed off.

"Already?" Charlie's demeanor changed, his face awash with a sad frown and furrowed brows.

"Yeah. Figured it would be easier to do it today since Jake's off work."

"I see. Well, don't let me stop you. You're a grown woman." Charlie faced Jake. "You take good care of my baby, ya hear?"

"I will, Chief Swan." Jake nodded.

"I guess you can just keep your house key, Bells. That way, you'll always have a safe place." Charlie set his tackle box down and pulled Bella into a tight hug.

"Thanks, dad." She said, voice muffled by the emotional embrace they shared. "I'll miss you."

"Yeah, but you're not going away this time. I'll see you every week, or every other week. Whatever works best. Wanna make sure you're doing okay."

"Sounds good. We'll have to have you and Billy over for dinner."

"I like that idea." Charlie released Bella and sniffled, straightening afterward. "I'm gonna get out of here. The trout and cutthroat are calling my name. Be safe, honey."

"I will. Love you." Bella said.

"Love you too, kiddo." Charlie picked up his tackle box and pole, exiting the house. "Make sure you lock up when you leave."

"Got it." Bella nodded, waving to him as he got into the cruiser.

Charlie waved back and turned over the motor, starting the car and backing down the drive. He disappeared moments later, slowly but surely.

"Let's get to packing." Jake said, placing both massive hands on her shoulders.

"Won't take long. Like I said, I only have a few things."

Jake beamed down at her, pulling her in for a long kiss before they headed inside. They took approximately thirty minutes to gather up all of Bella's belongings, another fifteen to organize them in the truck bed, and five minutes to double-check and make sure nothing was missed. Another chapter of Bella's life was starting. Likewise, Jake was getting what he always wanted, the beginning to his life shared with Bella.

All was well.


*Well, how was that for wholesome? :')

*I'm reaaaaally gonna try hard not to two ~almost~ two months between updates. No promises though...

*Stay tuned for the next chapter! Please leave a heart/review! I really appreciate them! 3