New Additions to Old Stories

Entry for the Anonymous Fall Festivities One-shot Contest on Jacob Black-N-Pack where it tied for first place.

Title: New Additions to Old Stories

Pairing: Jacob and Bella

Rating: Mature

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the  property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Warnings: From previous reviews I've gotten, it might be wise to have a tissue or two handy.

Word Count: 6,564

No one said a word when Leah Clearwater arrived a bit late to the yearly, end-of-summer bonfire held at First Beach in La Push, Washington. They didn’t even say anything about the fact that she had showed up with a strange man who seemed a little younger than her. They knew she rarely came to La Push anymore. They knew her life was her own and a very private one at that. Even her brother, Seth, rarely had updates on her life once she had left the reservation for good nearly fourteen years ago.

Quickly she steered her companion towards the table full of food where they each loaded a plate full of grub, grabbed a soda, then made their way towards an empty log near the bonfire. Before they had a chance to settle down, Embry made his way over to the couple causing them to slow down their walk.

He glanced at the man first before his eyes connected with Leah’s. Although there was a smile on his face, his stance was deceptively relaxed as Leah caught the wariness in his eyes.

“Hello, Leah,” he greeted in a pleasant voice, “Long time, no see, but I’m glad to see you are looking well.”

Leah gave him a small nod, she wasn’t fooled by his warm welcome. She knew he hadn’t approached without being told to do so. The pack might not be phasing anymore, but they still seemed to be the unspoken protectors of the tribe and its traditions. Also, just because they no longer became wolves, it didn’t mean their enhanced abilities had disappeared.

She knew whatever was said out loud, even in a whisper, if there was a former pack member around, they would still be able to hear it. It was the same for her.

Looking at her companion out of the corner of her eye, she spoke to Embry. “Thanks Embry, you know I try to make the end-of-summer bonfire every year…at least.”

“Yeah, believe me, there are a lot of people who are glad of that.” He looked over to her companion once more, so this time Leah took the bait.

“Embry, this is a student of mine, BC. BC, this is an old friend of the family, Embry Call.”

BC held out his hand, as a friendly smile stole over his features. “Nice to meet you, Mr. Call.”

Embry obliged him with a quick handshake and a welcoming smile that still didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Welcome to La Push, BC.”

He nodded once more to Leah. “Well, I’ll let you get to your meal, stories should be starting soon.”

Leah knew that was a sort of warning, but she didn’t remark on it as Embry walked away from them. Instead, she motioned for BC to follow her to the log where they settled in to eat their food. They had just sat down when Embry suddenly stood up to address the small crowd.

He waited until they mostly fell silent before he spoke in a solemn voice. “Since the night is almost over, it is time for the traditional storytelling to begin. Tonight, I will start with the story of The Thunderbird.”

Embry returned to his seat, getting comfortable before he began his tale. Leah turned to smile at BC, letting him know with her eyes that it was time for him to listen to the history of the Quileute tribe. He returned her smile, then turned to give his full attention to Embry as he began his story.

BC listened intently as Embry told the tale of how the bird was large enough to carry a whale in its claws and how the sound of thunder was created from the beating of the Thunderbird’s wings. By the time Embry was done with the legend of the Thunderbird, BC and Leah had finished their meal, setting their empty plates aside as Embry wrapped his tale up then motioned to another man who sat close by.

The man nodded to Embry before turning to gaze at the people around the fire. “Now that Embry is done, I will tell you the legend of Q’wati and how he came to create the Quileute tribe.”

Leah leaned over to whisper to BC, “That’s Sam, another friend of mine.”

BC nodded, sharing a secret look with Leah. The two of them had known each other for a year now. A year during which he had come to learn all about Leah’s history with the Quileute tribe and some of its inhabitants. He knew Sam was the man who had broken Leah’s heart so many years ago, yet he also knew Leah had healed once she had finally left La Push and all of the painful memories behind.

Sam sat back down then proceeded to tell the story of how the Quileute tribe had been created, along with some of the neighboring tribes, by the hero, Q’wati. Not only had Q’wati created the Quileute, but he had also been responsible for teaching the warriors how to phase into wolves.

Throughout this story, BC was glued to every word Sam said. Not just because he was an excellent storyteller, but also because the creation of the tribe and of men turning into wolves fascinated him. Sure, Sam had the perfect voice to instill the right amount of inflection and gravity to this particular story, but BC had other reasons for enjoying the story so much.

When Sam finally finished the entire story, Leah leaned close to BC and simply whispered, “Breathe.”

He sucked in a lungful of air, resisting the urge to cough as Sam stood up to nod towards an elderly man sitting in a wheelchair across the fire from him. BC knew who that was without Leah having to tell him at all. He turned to her and mouthed, “Billy Black?”

She nodded her affirmation of his guess.

BC turned back to watch as Billy let his eyes roam over the small group that now remained around the bonfire. It was obvious that this next story was going to be even more serious or intense than the one that Sam had told. Plus, Leah had once told BC just how good of a storyteller Billy Black had always been.

Billy’s eyes swept over BC, before landing on Leah where they settled for a few moments. Something seemed to pass between the two of them before his jaw tensed up as he looked away. Whatever silent communication Leah and the old man had just had, it seemed Leah had won that round.

Still looking a bit tense, Billy looked to his left where an imposing man sat with a slender woman by his side. Once again something silent passed between the old man and the other one whose presence seemed to dwarf all others there. Finally, a subtle nod was given to the old man, who turned back to face the fire.

Clearing his throat, he began to speak. “The gift that Q’wati bestowed upon the warriors of our tribe turned out to be a useful one, as you all will see, once I tell you the story of how they fought against those that came to be known as The Cold Ones.”

As Billy launched into the story, BC could see that Leah’s praise of Billy Black’s storytelling abilities had been an understatement. With each word that passed the old man’s lips, BC was transported back in time, to a land where the undead walked the earth in search of the blood of living human beings. In his mind’s eye he could see the evil beings terrorizing the small Quileute village until the spirit warriors stepped in to destroy them all.

As Billy’s majestic voice continued to weave the mesmerizing tale, BC’s mind sped up in time to witness the arrival of a clan of Cold Ones called the Cullens. It was Billy’s grandfather who led a pack of wolves against the Cullens, who claimed they were unlike other Cold Ones since they did not feed on human beings and chose a peaceful existence among them. Through Ephraim Black, a treaty was forged with the Cullens, allowing both wolves and Cullens to co-exist with certain rules.

However, the Cullens didn’t remain in the area too long so as to hide the fact that they didn’t age from those who did not know what they really were. In time, they were forgotten and Ephraim’s pack was the last group of spirit warriors for a very long while.

Billy’s story suddenly came to a stop, jerking BC back into the present in time to see the old man turn his gaze back to the commanding figure sitting next to him. This time, that man rose to his feet, unfurling his body to reveal his impressive and foreboding height as his dark gaze took in everyone around the bonfire. Unlike the old man, he didn’t pause to look at Leah or BC as he finally spoke for the first time.

“The truth of the spirit warriors had all been turned into nothing but legends by the time my father became chief of the Quileute tribe. He might have been witness to seeing his grandfather phase into a spirit warrior, but none of the generation that came after him believed that such a thing was possible. At that time, there were no longer any spirit warriors alive to show proof that the stories had once been true. That all changed when the Cold Ones once again returned to our lands.”

He paused long enough to sit back down, doing so with incredible grace and fluidity despite his tall, bulky frame. “In the year 2003, the Cullens returned to Forks. Pretending to be a family, they inserted themselves into the community with no one being any wiser. No one except the elders of the Quileute council, that is. It wasn’t until the first of a new group of spirit warriors began to phase that it began to be clear that the stories were not just legends.”

He folded his hands in his lap as he continued on. “The Cullens had been here for almost three years when the descendant of Ephraim Black finally phased to join his fellow spirit warriors. Yet, the Cullens weren’t just responsible for causing this new pack to appear. No, they were also responsible for leaving behind so much pain and heartache by the time they finally left again.”

Once more he stopped talking to look around the bonfire. This time, even BC looked around to see that almost all people were gone now. All those that remained seemed to be sitting in small groups, like families…the descendants of the spirit warriors and their loved ones.

BC’s gaze moved back to the man only to see his penetrating stare directed straight at him. BC swallowed beneath that unwavering, intimidating gaze. It wasn’t until he felt Leah’s hand in his, giving him a comforting squeeze, that made him turn to look at her.

She wasn’t looking at him though. Her equally unwavering gaze was locked with the other man’s as if she was challenging him to say something about BC’s presence. When the other man gave a sigh, BC turned back to look at him.

Not looking at BC, the man spoke once more. “Only those who sit here with me today, know the story about the Cullens and the last wolf pack that existed after Ephraim Black’s. Everyone here knows this story to be true and everyone knows that this secret is to remain among us, for the safety of both the tribe and humans everywhere.”

BC knew those words were directed at both Leah and him even though the man’s gaze didn’t return to either of them again. Then, with those final words of warning, the man launched into the story of how a girl named Bella Swan had returned to Forks to live with her father since her mother had remarried. It was through Bella that the tie between the Cullens and the spirit warriors was renewed since she had been a friend of Ephraim’s great-grandson, Jacob Black.

BC knew that the imposing man was the very same Jacob Black of the story. He was now telling this story as the newest addition to the other traditional stories of the Quileutes. It was Jacob who told how he and Bella became best friends after one of the Cold Ones left her and broke her heart. Jacob had patiently tried to put her back together, nearly succeeding in making her fall in love with him, when suddenly the Cold One known as Edward Cullen had come back into her life.

No amount of persistence or persuasion could change Bella’s mind though. In the end, she had said goodbye to her friends and family. Two days after she said goodbye to Jacob, she had married Edward Cullen, then left for her honeymoon, never to be seen in Forks again. Not long after that, the rest of the Cullens had left too, thus ending the addition of any more spirit warriors.

Still, the damage had been done. Bella had left behind parents and friends who grieved for her, thinking she had died in a fatal avalanche ten years after she had left for Denali, Alaska. Jacob had already been grieving for her when she left after her wedding, knowing what she would become. He had just been getting over her when Charlie gave him the news that Bella had died in the avalanche.

He had known what that meant. She was now a Cold One, his enemy. That news had sent him back into the dark place he had barely crawled out of. It was with the help of his fellow pack members, and the love of those he called family, that he had managed to put himself back together again. Unfortunately, the scars that both the Cullens and Bella had left behind would always remain with him to the end of his days.

It was because of that, plus the damage to other members of the pack, like Sam and Leah, that a new decree was made. Jacob had become Alpha at the age of eighteen, but he didn’t take up the mantle of chief of the tribe until he was twenty-seven. It was when he became chief that he discussed the idea of the decree with Sam, Billy and other members of the council.

A few months later, it became official. The Cold Ones known as the Cullens would no longer be welcome to Forks and the surrounding area. The treaty with the Quileutes was considered null and void. In order to prevent more pain and heartache to future generations of Quileutes, it was better if the Cold Ones stayed as far away from the tribe as possible. None of them wanted their descendents to have to go through what any of them went through if they could help it.

Jacob wrapped up the story after that, saying that the Cullens and Bella Swan had never been seen again and hoped that for the sake of future generations, that would remain true. When he was done, BC blinked back the tears that had unknowingly formed in his eyes.

Although Jacob’s face had remained stoic throughout the entire story, his voice had been lowered to a husky timbre. The tone was one that hinted at the sadness and grief he claimed that the Cullens had left behind. Just like Billy had before him, Jacob had become a master storyteller much like one that BC hoped to become himself, someday.

As silence settled around those left at the bonfire, BC sat staring at Jacob Black in awe of both his talent and the man himself. It wasn’t until Leah nudged him a few moments later that he became aware that the rest of the audience was slowly disappearing, indicating that the storytelling, and therefore the night, was coming to an end.

He glanced over at Leah, who gave him an encouraging smile. “Let’s toss our trash then I’ll introduce you to our chief.”

BC nodded before he got up and followed Leah to dispose of their trash. Once done, Leah led him to where Jacob Black was standing and talking with his father, Embry and two women. As they approached, the group grew silent.

Leah motioned to Jacob as she said, “Jacob, I’d like you to meet BC. BC, this is Jacob Black, our tribal chief.”

BC held out his hand to Jacob, hoping that the man wouldn’t be upset that Leah was introducing them. When Jacob took his hand for a brief, yet firm handshake, BC relaxed a little.

“It’s an honor to meet you Chief Black.”

Jacob gave him an embarrassed grimace. “Thanks, but please, call me Jacob.” When BC nodded, Jacob motioned to the others with him. “BC, this is my father, Billy Black. You’ve met Embry. That’s his wife, Lilly. And this is my wife, Katie.”

The last was said as he gently placed his arm around her shoulders just as BC heard Leah take a swift intake of breath. Jacob’s eyes snapped to Leah before he gave her what looked like a condescending smile.

“Why so surprised, Leah? You knew I was seeing Katie the last time you visited La Push.”

Leah glanced quickly at BC before mumbling, “Yes, but you didn’t seem serious about her then.”

Embry’s lips thinned as he said, “You would have known if you had come back sometime in the last two years…or at least talked to Seth during that time.”

Leah ran a suddenly nervous hand through her hair. “I got busy, okay?”

“For two years?” asked Embry.

“It’s okay,” interjected Katie, albeit in a soft voice. She gave Leah an apologetic smile before addressing Embry. “Em, would you mind helping me get Billy into the car before you and Lilly take off?”

Embry glanced at Jacob as if asking for permission. When Jacob subtly dipped his head, Embry nodded to Katie, then moved to help Billy wheel his chair out of the sand as Lilly followed closely behind.

Once they were gone, Katie turned to Jacob and said, “I’m just going to load the rest of the stuff into the car, then take Billy home. I’ll see you at the house okay?”

As Jacob nodded, Leah stepped towards Katie. “Do you mind if I help you out? As a way of apologizing for my rudeness?”

Katie glanced at Jacob for a moment before saying, “You weren’t being rude, Leah. But yes, I appreciate the help.”

Leah reached out to give BC’s arm an encouraging squeeze before following in Katie’s wake. As the women left, BC swallowed his fear then proceeded to engage Jacob in conversation.

“Jacob, um, I just wanted to say that Leah once told me that you and your father were great storytellers, but it wasn’t until I actually heard the both of you tonight that I understood what she meant. Honestly, I think what she told me about you two was an understatement.”

Jacob raised an eyebrow before he answered him. “Thank you, but I really wouldn’t consider myself a storyteller.”

“Oh, but you are! The way you told that story, with your tone and the deepness of your voice, it drew me in. Made me feel all of the emotion you were trying to get across. Your father is the same way. It was as if I was really there, watching all of the events take place, like a movie.”

At this point BC could see the slight blush on Jacob’s face despite the deep russet color of his skin. That blush lessened the intimidating factor Jacob had been broadcasting as well as the soft words he uttered next.

“Well, I’m…I’m flattered that you think that, BC, but it’s really nothing. I mean, the only time I tell stories is during a bonfire such as the one tonight. So it’s not a skill I’ve tried to practice, if you catch my drift.”

BC nodded. “Oh, I understand. It’s just that, well, someday I want to be a storyteller too. It’s my hope that I’ll be able to do it the way you and your father do it. Using my voice and my words to transport listeners to another place and time.”

Jacob gave him an encouraging smile. “I’m sure you’ll be able to do that, if that’s what you really want to do.”

“Thanks,” BC paused as he looked at the fire that had dwindled down quite a bit, yet still provided just enough light for them to see each other. He gathered up his courage before looking back at Jacob.

“Um, I don’t mean to keep you from leaving, but I was wondering if you could listen to a story I’ve been working on. Maybe…maybe listen to it just a bit? I’d like it if you could give me some pointers, if you could.”

Jacob nodded as he motioned to a nearby log, “Sure, sure. I don’t mind listening, although I still think I’m not as good as you make me out to be.”

BC shrugged. “It’s okay, I’d appreciate whatever you can do.”

The two of them got settled on the log in no time at all. Jacob folded his hands in his lap as he turned his attention to BC. “Okay, ready when you are.”

BC took a deep breath then blew it out, trying to steady his nerves. He knew that the story he was about to tell had a sensitive subject that not many people would like to hear. He only hoped that the story went over well with a man like Jacob.

Turning to look at the fire, BC steeled himself, then launched into his story. “There once was a young girl who was engaged to her first love, a man whom she believed she was irrevocably in love with.”

He turned to look at Jacob as he said the next words, “However, she also had a best friend whom she knew was in love with her.”

Jacob raised an eyebrow, but didn’t stop BC from continuing.

“At first, the young woman rejected her friend’s advances, telling him time and again that she was in love with her fiancé and would remain so forever. No matter what her friend said or did, nothing could change her mind. Still, he never gave up trying to persuade her and she never really told him to stop.”

Once again BC turned to look at the fire, losing himself in the flames as the rest of his story unfolded. A story that Jacob didn’t seem inclined to interrupt.

“What no one really knew, what the young girl herself refused to admit, was that deep down inside, she really did have some feelings for her best friend. But she tried her best to ignore them, believing it was for the best.

“It wasn’t until two nights before her wedding that she decided it was time to put things to rest for good. She knew she had to talk to her best friend one last time, to explain to him why she was marrying a man whom everyone, including her best friend, seemed to think was completely wrong for her. She knew she had no choice, there were circumstances beyond her control.

“So she made her way to her friend’s house, trying to keep her courage to tell her friend the truth, yet when she came face to face with him, she chickened out like always. Instead, she simply told him that she wanted to spend that one last evening as friends before she got married and moved away from him for good.

“As the night wore on, the knowledge that she would never see him again began to take its toll on her. Then, seemingly out of the blue, she began to cry. Her friend tried to find out what was wrong, but she wouldn’t tell him anything. So he simply held her, offering what comfort he could as she continued to sob in his arms.

“It was getting late when her tears finally seemed to subside. Then, just when her friend was about to ask her what was wrong once more, she took his face in her hands and kissed him like she had never kissed him before.

“Needless to say, neither one of them said another word after that. Both of them seemed to know what the other needed in that moment in time. As the last of the night began to disappear, the girl and her best friend moved to his bedroom. There, she gave him the greatest gift she thought she could ever give him and hoped that he would treasure the memory of what they had shared just like she knew she, herself, would.

“When the first light of dawn crept across the sky, the girl left his bed while he was fast asleep with a contented smile on his face. She never looked back as she left, knowing if she had or if he had been awake when she left, she might not have been able to ever leave him.

“Two days later, she married her fiancé who at that point had no idea what had really happened between the girl and her best friend that night. All he knew was that she had gone to say goodbye to her friend one last time.

“After the wedding, the couple flew off to their honeymoon and it was there that the truth came out. For you see, there was a maid who came to the house on their first day there. This was no ordinary woman since she had the gift of sight. She took one look at the man and knew there was something wrong with him. With a gasp, she whispered to the man, demon, how dare you bring this innocent young girl to this place! I will not let you take her life!

“Then, she turned to the young girl and widened her eyes as her sight told her something else. Gripping the girl’s arm, she cried, Oh my child! It is not too late! You must come with me! Let me save both you and the child you carry.

“The young girl gasped before turning frightened eyes on her new husband. Yet instead of the anger she expected, she saw a mix of hurt and longing in his eyes. She knew that he now knew the truth. Since she had never once slept with him, he knew who the only other man was that she could have been with.

“Since the truth was now out, they cut their honeymoon short in order to fly to their new home where his family was waiting. There, they explained what had happened right before the young girl’s husband tried to persuade her to give up the baby once it was born.

“The young girl would have none of it, for she knew the baby was the only thing she had left of the best friend she would never see again. Immediately, she managed to get her husband’s two sisters and his mother on her side. All of them insisted that the young girl could raise her own child since they were perfectly willing to help her. Not even his two brothers, nor his father, would take his side since they refused to go against the wishes of their significant others.

“As the girl got settled into her new room, a room she didn’t share with her new husband, she began to realize something else. With this pregnancy, her eyes had been opened…she was no longer in love with her husband. And as the days turned into weeks, then the weeks into months, she knew the truth of it all.

“She had never loved him, it had all been a trick that came easy for one of his kind. He had once told her that when they had just met, yet she had already been lured in too deep to pay any attention to his words. Now she knew the truth, and she knew that if it wasn’t for the love she felt for the baby she carried, she might still be under her husband’s spell.

“As the time of the baby’s birth grew near, her husband’s mother decided to give the girl and her impending baby a useful gift. She had a small cottage built behind the family home. It was comfortable enough so that the young girl could raise her child on her own, yet still be close enough to them just in case they were needed.

“It was finished just in time for the birth of the girl’s son, allowing them both to move in when they were able to. Even as she settled in with her newborn son, her husband was still trying to persuade her to give up the baby and remain with him. She could become one of them, he said, over and over again, thinking it was the one thing she would never be able to resist.

“Yet she did resist him, asking him for a divorce while saying that she intended to live out her days raising her son, watching him grow to adulthood, then seeing her grandchildren before she said her goodbyes to the world.

“Her husband wouldn’t divorce her. He wouldn’t let her go and she couldn’t leave because if she did, the lives of the loved ones she had left behind would be in danger. So she stayed and raised her son in that little cottage. She gave her son her maiden name, refusing to let her husband claim a child that wasn’t his.

“And as the boy grew older, she began to tell him stories. Stories about his father, whom she believed he would never meet. And she told him stories about fantastic beings. Beings like giant thunderbirds and men who could turn into wolves as big as horses.

“Then, sometime during the boy’s tenth year, she went skiing, a hobby she had acquired over the years of living in the area. She had gotten quite skilled at it, despite the fact that she was normally very clumsy in all other aspects of her life.

“That day, she had decided to go alone and it just so happened that she was caught up in an avalanche. One of her husband’s sisters had caught wind of the avalanche as it began, so they were able to find her before she had frozen to death or suffocated. Still, the damage had been done.

“The fast, tumbling snow had shoved her into the end of a broken tree, impaling her through her chest. When she was found, she was barely holding on, waiting long enough to make her sisters-in-law promise that they would protect and raise her son for her. Her husband tried one last time to persuade her to join him, to become like him, but she refused for the sake of her son.

“She died knowing her son would grow up safe and sound, just the way she had dreamed he would. The sisters and their mother kept their promise. With the help of the entire family, except for the girl’s husband, the little boy grew up surrounded by love and the memories of the mother he would always miss dearly.”

BC stopped his story at that point, slowly turning to look at Jacob, who had remained eerily silent the entire time. As their eyes connected, BC saw the dawning knowledge in them. It was all the encouragement he needed to finish up his story.

“However, there was one thing that none of the family saw coming. Not even the sister who always seemed to know when things would happen before they actually did, could see it. The boy had barely turned fifteen years old when he showed concrete proof that he was indeed his father’s son.

“Like the stories his mother had once told him, he became one of those men who could turn into a wolf as big as a horse.”

Jacob’s eyes went wide as BC continued. “The effects of that were instantaneous. His sham of a stepfather became angry in the way his mother once thought he would when the pregnancy was first discovered. He railed against his deceased wife and demanded that his stepson be taken away for good. There was no sense in keeping the boy when he wasn’t anything like them at all.”

BC took a deep breath before he looked into Jacob’s eyes. “It was Rosalie’s idea to find a way to get the boy…to get me…back to my father. She and Alice did some research and located Leah who was actually living not too far from us at that time. We had moved to Vermont, a little town of Dover, near the Green Mountain National Forest so that the family had some hunting grounds close by. Alice found out that Leah lived in New York, so Rosalie and Emmett went to track her down.

“They managed to get her to listen to them and when she found out about me, she agreed to take me in. I spent the last year of my life with Leah, learning all there was to know about controlling my spirit warrior and the truth about the stories my mother used to tell me. Leah told me about the end-of-summer bonfire here since she believed I would be ready by the time it rolled around.”

He stopped for a few moments before he added, “So here I am. Finally returning to the land of my ancestors, hearing the stories my mom used to tell me, knowing that they weren’t just make-believe like I once thought they were. And all I can think about is that mom never once believed that I would ever see all of this. She never thought I would get to meet my real father or tell him why she never gave in to him.”

Jacob stared at the boy sitting next to him. The words of the story still swirled in his head as his heart thudded in his chest, making it hard for him to breathe. He had never expected such a story to come out of the boy’s mouth, yet he knew without a doubt that the boy was who he said he was.

BC was Bella Swan’s son…and he was the only child that Jacob Black would ever have, since doctors had declared that Katie would never be able to conceive children due to past health complications. Yet, the thing that stuck in his mind the most was that BC was the only connection Jacob had left to the girl he still loved.

He swallowed the lump in his throat, hoping his voice didn’t crack as much as he knew it would. “Your…your mother? Is she….”

BC nodded. “The avalanche story is true. When it happened, Carlisle and Esme thought it best to tell Charlie, they left out the details of course, but it was the truth.”

Jacob closed his eyes. “Why didn’t she let him…why didn’t she stay alive for you?”

BC wrapped his arms around his middle, a move his mother used to make when something upset her. “Mom refused to become a vampire because she had me. She wanted to raise me as a human. He thought once I was older that she might change her mind, but Rosalie told me that mom never had any intention of doing that. The glamour of vampires no longer affected mom once she became pregnant with me and she knew she had always been in love with you. It was her love for you and for me that made her want to live the rest of her life as a human.”

Jacob turned his face towards the dying fire, allowing BC to see the glimmer of tears in his eyes. “If she didn’t love him anymore and wanted to stay human, why didn’t she come back home?”

“This is the part she had intended to tell you that last night she was with you. She didn’t have a choice because of the Volturi in Italy. When she had gone there with Alice to rescue Edward, the Volturi only let her go because Alice showed them a vision that promised that mom would become a vampire soon. They have a rule that no human can know of their existence, so it was either be turned or die. Plus, mom knew if she didn’t go with the Cullens she would be putting everyone in La Push and Forks in danger.”

“Do they know that she was never turned then?”

“Yes, but they also know that she died, so everyone is safe from the Volturi now.”

“Even you?”

BC nodded. “They don’t know that I exist, just like they never knew that the spirit warriors existed. All they had been concerned about was making my mom a vampire. Now that she’s gone, they have turned their attention elsewhere.”

A lone tear slid down Jacob’s cheek which he impatiently brushed away before asking, “And the Cullens? Do they intend to come here? Or do you intend to go back?”

BC tightened his arms around his middle. “Leah knew about the decree you made, she told Rosalie and Emmett about it. They promised that the Cullens would never set foot anywhere near La Push or Forks ever again. All they want is for me to be with my real family, to have the chance mom never got to have. Well, except Edward that is. He’s going to stay away because he can’t stand the sight of me. I’m a reminder of what he never had.”

Jacob nodded as another tear slid down his cheek.

BC’s lips wavered. “She loved you, dad. Rosalie wanted me to make sure you knew that. I know it’s the truth too. I heard it in her voice every time she told me stories about you. It was her love for you that made her refuse to ever be with Edward or allow Edward to officially adopt me.”

A frown formed on Jacob’s face. “But your initials are BC.”

A smile appeared on the boy’s face. “It’s the initials of my first and middle names, sort of. The name mom gave me, the one on my birth certificate, is William Charles Swan. They called me Billy, so Leah came up with the idea to call me BC while we were here. At least until I could talk to you.”

Jacob smiled through his tears. Bella had named their son after her father and his.

“Mom would have given me your last name, but she thought it would be a little weird since no one other than me would have that last name. Rosalie said I could have it changed later if I wanted to. I mean….if I…well…”

When BC’s words trailed off, Jacob suddenly wrapped his arms around him and pulled him close. Holding his son in his arms for the first time ever, he whispered to him.

“If you still want to change it, I wouldn’t object to it at all.”

Jacob could feel when his son relaxed and wrapped his own arms around him. His voice was a soft croak as he said, “Thank you…dad.”

Jacob closed his eyes as he replied, “Welcome home, son.”

Dog Days

Pairing: Jacob/Bella. Rating: MA (because I label it that way regardless of lemons, but really, this is a T, yeah, lame I know.) Genre: Romance. Universe: AH. Beta: None. Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Author's Note: This entire story is written in a dog's POV and it is inspired by the banner that Obsessedtwibrarian put up for adoption. She added in the quote for me and voila, a one-shot was born.

Here's the banner by OTB:

Dog Days

Lifting my head from my paws, I yawned widely. A soft glow from the edges of the window curtain made me leap from my bed to trot over to the window. Nosing the curtain aside, I could see the sun barely beginning to rise.

Something told me it was going to be a perfect day for walking in the park.

Excitement seized me as I bounded away from the window towards the bed in the center of the room. I buried my head beneath the covers, letting my nose guide me to what I was looking for. As soon as my nozzle touched the cloth-covered leg, I gripped the edge of the cloth with my teeth and yanked.

I kept yanking until the leg was almost hanging off the side of the bed when a sleep-filled voice came from beneath the covers. “Not now boy!”

The foot jerked slightly before trying to disappear back under the covers, but I was persistent. I wanted to go to the park today, really badly. I knew it was the perfect time too. Most humans liked going early before it got too hot, plus I knew she would be there.

On days like this, she was always there, walking with her human. The sexiest bitch I’ve ever seen. Fur all thick and shiny. Completely black except when the light shone on it, making the tips white. Even her eyes were dark like her fur.

With her image in my mind, I continued to tug on the cloth until the leg was once again hanging off the side of the bed. Once it was, I dove back under the covers for the other leg. As soon as I gripped it in my teeth, I tugged at it too.

A human growl came from beneath the covers right before my human’s torso bolted upright. Sleepy eyes glared down at me but that didn’t make me let go of the leg.

“Jocko! I’m trying to sleep, you idiot! It’s my one day off with no interruptions! Go….find a toy!” He plopped back on the bed, yanking the covers over his face.

I let go of his leg to glance at the window. I was losing time.

With a low growl, I turned back towards the bed and let out one loud, insistent bark. When there was no response, I began barking some more, keeping it up until a pillow came flying from the bed.

“Jocko! Shut up!”

I ducked the pillow then continued to bark until my human sat up in the bed again.

“Jesus, dog! What the fuck do you want?” growled my human.

I ran out of the room, raced down the hallway and almost missed the door to the living room as I skidded to a stop. Getting my feet back under me, I loped to the front door where my leash hung from a peg. Standing on my hind legs, I pressed my forepaws on the wall and stretched my neck until I could grasp the leash in my teeth. Yanking hard, I managed to easily pull the leash down then sauntered back to the bedroom.

As I approached the bed, I could see that my human had gone back under the covers while I was retrieving the leash. I dropped it with a whine, then dove back beneath the covers in search of a leg again.

This time my human rolled onto his side and glared at me. “What?”

I whined again as I picked up the leash in my mouth and moved closer to him, letting him know what I wanted.

He groaned. “You can’t be serious! Now?”

I whined again before setting the leash on the bed right in front of his face. Putting my paws on the bed, I licked his face trying to tell him that I really wanted to go walking.

He sighed as he rolled to his back and scrubbed his face with his hands. “Okay, fine. Let me get dressed and we’ll go for a walk.”

I began to wag my tail in excitement, trying to wait patiently for him to get out of bed before getting ready to go out. It was hard to do that though, because he took his time getting out of bed, going to that little room where he gave himself a bath then came back into the bedroom to find something to put on since he didn’t have fur like I did.

By that time, I was bouncing around him, trying to let him know time was running out. Finally, he picked up the leash that was still on the bed, then walked over to me to attach it.

“Okay, Jocko, we’re going, calm down!”

I tried to do as he said, but seriously, it was five blocks to the park. We needed to go now! As soon as he had the leash on me, I leaped for the door, but he held on to the leash as he tried to pull me back.

“Hold on boy, I need to get my shoes on!”

I barked in protest, he should have already done it before he put my leash on.

I began pacing as he tugged on his tennis shoes, then tied the strings. As soon as he stood up, I was leaping for the door again.

This time, he let me drag him to the front door where he quickly grabbed the keys and a jacket to further protect him from the cool air. As soon as he opened the door, I wanted to run down the hallway, but I knew he would need to lock the door since I wouldn’t be there to protect our home.

This time, I walked besides him as we made our way to the elevator that would take us to the ground floor. Inside the elevator, he squatted down besides me to run his hands over my head and flanks.

“You’re rather anxious to go walking aren’t you, boy? What do you think is out there huh? I know it’s not the change of seasons, so what am I missing?”

I simply sat there wagging my tail while my tongue lolled out, happily enjoying his petting. Giving him a lick to his face before I gave a soft chuff, making him chuckle.

“Yeah, yeah, I know. You’re welcome. Just don’t make it a long one, okay? I really want to catch up on some shut-eye today.”

The elevator came to a stop, making him stand up as I readied myself to take off as soon as the doors opened. I could hear him chuckling as I began dragging him towards the front doors to the building.

“Hi, Jake! Jocko’s in a rush I see,” called the doorman as he held the door open for us.

“Yep, woke me up ‘cause he’s anxious for a walk. Thanks Henry!” My human said as I continued to drag him out the door.

Once we hit the sidewalk, I turned in the direction of the park, trying to break into a run, but his hold on the leash prevented me from doing so.

“Whoa boy! You wanted a walk, so walk!”

I turned my head and let out a bark, letting him know that I wanted to hurry. He let me drag him for a few feet before he tugged firmly on the leash.

“Jocko! Heel! Now!”

This time I knew I couldn’t ignore him when he used that command. I had learned early on to obey him when he used certain words or I would pay the price. If I ignored him now, I wouldn’t get what I wanted, so I stopped and waited until he came to my side.

Bending down, he patted my head. “Good boy, now, we’re going to walk okay? You dragged me out of bed to walk, so we walk.”

With that, he set off at a leisurely pace, too slow for my liking, but I knew I couldn’t push him again. I walked besides him this time, trying to be patient.

However, as soon as we got to the last block, I could see the trees of the park in the distance. My patience was now gone as I once again took off, dragging him with me. I could hear him cursing, but he picked up his own pace, jogging behind me.

Soon we reached the park, jogging by the entrance until we were inside. I began turning my head this way and that, hoping to catch a glimpse of the bitch I’d come for. We continued our walk through the park as I lifted my head to sniff her out, still looking around for her too.

After a while, I began to give up hope. We must have missed her, we came too late. I lowered my head, letting my tail droop too. My human walked us over to a bench and sat down. I plopped down on the grass next to him and put my head on my paws, letting my disappointment overwhelm me.

My human leaned over to run his hand over my head and back. “Aw, Jocko, why do you look so sad? We came for a walk, isn’t that what you wanted?”

I simply moved my eyes to look up at him as I whined, wishing I could make him understand in words. We missed her! We were too late!

“It’s okay boy, I’m here. You don’t have to be so sad, you got me. I know I’m never sad with you around.”

He continued to pet and pat me as he talked. “You’re my best friend, you know. I can talk to you about everything and you don’t judge me.”

He sighed. “Mom called me again yesterday, nagging me about when am I going to get a girlfriend because she and dad want grandkids already. I told her she has you, but noooo, she wants a human grandchild. Can you believe that? Why the hell would I want a girlfriend? They’re too much trouble! They want too much attention, too many gifts and they like cats! Cats! What is up with that?”

He continued to ramble on as he petted me, but I tuned him out, letting my sadness wash over me. I thought of the last time I had seen her, my black beauty. Her human had let her off the leash, allowing her to run inside the small fenced area where we were allowed. I waited patiently until she finally turned my way, my human was standing near the fence talking on the phone with someone.

The moment our eyes met, she lowered her head coyly, letting me know she was interested in me. I watched as she ran through the grass, coming closer, then bounding away, then closer again. She repeated this a few times and I let her, knowing she was flirting with me. A few more times, then I was chasing her, sometimes close, sometimes farther away.

She would slow down enough to let me get close enough to nip her on her shoulder or her leg, then she would take off again. We continued our game for a while until she finally stopped and turned towards me, panting as she did.

I couldn’t help but stare at her, at the way her eyes glowed warmly, the way her tongue lolled out in happiness. She was so beautiful with her black fur tipped in white from the rays of sun that broke through the trees.

I sauntered over to her, slowing down as I got closer in case she bolted again, but she didn’t. She waited for me, waiting until I got close enough that our noses touched. As soon as I touched my nose to hers, she chuffed, then licked me.

She licked me!

I wanted to howl so badly, but I refrained as happiness bubbled up inside. My own tongue lolled out, all ready to return her lick when her human called to her.

“Queenie! Come, girl! We’ve got to go now!”

She turned her head towards her human, giving out a bark before walking towards her. She stopped long enough to turn back to me, giving me a wistful look which I returned in full force.

I barked at her, trying to call her back. She took a step towards me, but her human had caught up with her, attaching the leash quickly.

“Queenie! I said come on! You know better than to ignore me!”

I watched as she walked away, sad that she had to leave so soon. She had turned to look at me a few times, but continued to follow her human when she tugged on the leash. When I could see her no longer, I let out a forlorn howl, hoping she could hear me saying goodbye.

I whimpered again, as the memory continued to run around in my head, prompting my human to get off the bench before squatting next to me.

“Jocko? What’s wrong, boy? Are you hurt?” He began to look me over as I remained lying there, not wanting to let go of my memories.

Suddenly he stopped as he gave an exasperated sigh. “Great, it’s her. I swear, if I bump into her one more time, it’s too soon! Do you know, she almost ruined my presentation the other day when she spilled her coffee all over my notes! That’s the last time I’ll go for a coffee break at that place!”

I ignored his ranting, content to wallow in my pain until a scent reached my nose. Jerking my head up, I turned to gaze in the direction it was coming from.

There she was!

My black beauty was rolling in the grass just inside of the fenced area. She turned her head, locking her gaze with mine. As her tongue lolled out in a happy greeting, I leaped to my feet.

I barked once, then took off in her direction, my own tongue lolling in happiness. I heard my human curse as I felt my leash jerk tight. Barking in frustration, I pulled as hard as I could, refusing to let her get away again.

She rose to her feet, lowering her head coyly before answering my barks with her own. Her need for me made me pull harder against my restraint until I finally turned my head to growl at my human for not letting me go.

He glared at me. “Did you just growl at me? Keep it up and see if you get to come here again. You know better boy!”

I barked at him, not in the mood to placate him. Turning back to where she was I whined, then turned to bark at my human again.

This time, he looked in her direction. “Oh, I get it. See something you like, huh boy? She is a beauty, isn’t she?”

I barked again, then turned to tug at my leash.

“No boy, I don’t think you should go to her. Her owner might not like you being with her. Come on, we should get going home.”

Oh no he didn’t! Just because he didn’t like bitches didn’t mean I was the same way. I began tugging harder, barking as I did so. In no time at all, we were in a fierce tug-of-war, our struggle gaining attention.

“Jocko! Stop it! Heel boy! Heel, I said!” he snapped.

I could hear her barking at me, urging me on as I continued to struggle with him. Then I heard another voice, over my human’s.

“Queenie, no! Stop! Come back here!”

I managed to turn my head just in time to see my beauty running towards me. Her fur flying beautifully in the wind. She leaped over me, coming to a stop between me and my human until she crouched down and growled at him.

“What the….” I felt the leash go slack as my human stared in disbelief at her.

She remained between us, her gaze never leaving him as she guarded me from him.

“Oh my God! I am so sorry about this,” exclaimed my beauty’s human as she came running up to us. “Queenie, heel!”

As soon as she had snapped those words, my beauty sat down and turned towards her with a whine.

As the human female frowned at my beauty, my human rose to his full height. “You! This dog belongs to you?”

She turned to look at him. “Yes, I’m….oh, it’s you.”

I could hear the same contempt in her voice that had been in my human’s.

“Yeah, it’s me!” he snapped. “You should learn to keep your dog under better control.”

Me?” she snapped back. “I didn’t see you doing any better with your dog!”

My beauty and I sat there quietly, watching as our humans got into it. As their talk seemed to get more heated, I padded over to my beauty’s side. She turned her head to me, leaning closer to give me a lick.

I chuffed before giving her a lick back.

We began to ignore our humans as they fought. Instead, I turned to sniff at my beauty as she sat there quietly letting me. Then, she slowly lowered herself to the ground, rolling over slightly, exposing her stomach to me. She whined, I pawed at her belly before sniffing it.

She whined again and I leaned over to lick at her fur.

She lifted her head, reaching out to lick me where she could reach. We continued to lick each other for a while, ignoring the silence around us.

“Well I’ll be damned,” came my human’s amazed voice. “Oh man, I’m sorry, um, I’ll get him…”

“No, that’s okay, just let them be for a moment.”

“Um….sure, sure…”

We continued to ignore them as we groomed each other, then she finally rolled over at my prodding. Sitting back up on her haunches, she looked up at me. I let my tongue loll out before I moved to sit next to her. Settling down, I waited until she settled next to me, then curled around her. She lowered her head to her paws, relaxing with a sigh. I waited a beat before I settled my own head over her neck, releasing my own sigh as I did.

Closing my eyes, I simply enjoyed being this close to my beauty, letting her scent wash over me. As we rested, I could hear the two humans talking quietly from the bench where they both now sat.

“I guess I know why he was so anxious to come walking today.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, he woke me up on my one day off.”

“Oh! I’m so sorry!”

“It’s okay, I’m just amazed to see this. Um, you don’t mind do you?”

“No, not at all. I honestly didn’t think Queenie would ever take a liking to any other dogs.”

“Queenie?”

She chuckled. “My mom named her. It stuck.”

“Right, well, can’t be as bad as Jocko.”

Laughter. “That’s his name?”

“Yep, courtesy of my dad.”

Again came the laughter until it tapered off into silence.

Then she spoke up. “Um, would you like to walk down to the corner café with me? I owe you a cup of coffee anyway.”

He chuckled. “It’s okay, you don’t owe me, but I’ll go with you anyway. I’m sure those two would like a little more time together.”

“Yeah, my thoughts exactly.”

I heard rustling as they seemed to rise from the bench, then…

“I’m Jacob by the way, but you can call me Jake.”

“Nice to meet you Jake, I’m Bella.”

“Hi, Bells.”

*********************Two Years Later***********************

I whined as I poked my head around the corner again.

“Jocko, boy! Be patient! You’ll get to see them soon!” I turned my head towards my human, whining again.

He came to kneel next to me, “I know you’re worried boy, but she’ll be fine. She’s in good hands.”

His own voice carried worry in it, which he wasn’t hiding very well from me. I could tell just how anxious he was from the way he was frantically petting me.

I whined again as I returned to looking around the corner, trying to wait as patiently as my human was trying to. Then, the door at the end of the hall opened as my human’s mother strode through with a huge smile on her face.

“It’s a boy!”

My human leapt to his feet. “Really?” came his excited voice. “Can I see them?”

“Yep, go on in, I’ll take Jocko.”

I waited patiently for the female to motion for me to follow her. She led me down the hall to the same door. As I entered, I noticed my human sitting on the edge of the bed, leaning over his bitch and their new pup.

They were both smiling down at the squirming pup in her arms.

“He’s perfect, Bells,” said my human in a hushed whisper.

“Yes he is, Jake.”

I padded over to the edge of the bed, rising up until I could put my forepaws on the edge.

My human looked over at me with a grin. “What do you think, Jocko? He looks like he’s gonna be a strong one, huh?”

I gazed at the little pup, naked except for a dark patch of fur on its head. Then, I gave a soft bark, letting my tongue loll out in happiness. Their pup did look healthy, smelled healthy too.

My human laughed. “There, you see Bells? Jocko approves.”

His bitch giggled. “Yes, he does. Thanks Jocko.”

I gave another soft bark before dropping back to the ground. Well, I had yet another human to protect now, but I didn’t mind. I knew I’d have help.

Turning to peer into the corner where my so-called help lay, I couldn’t help but let my tongue loll out again. She was still as beautiful as the day I’d laid eyes on her, even more so now that she had given birth to four healthy pups two weeks ago.

She looked up at me, sleepily. Giving a soft chuff, she beckoned me closer. I slowly padded over to where she lay on the bed that our humans had made for her and our pups. Sitting next to her, I licked her face as she nuzzled my side. She was as happy as I was that our humans had finally had their own pup to care for.

The four pups that slept soundly next to my beauty were our second litter. The first litter having arrived a year ago and were now living in good homes, one of which was my human’s parents. I knew that with this litter, my human was going to choose one to stay with us before letting his bitch give one to her parents, then the other two would go to good homes.

I was proud of my beauty. The way she weaned them, then let them go out into the world with little protest amazed me. Still, I knew she wanted to keep one by her side, raising it with me. So it was nice that my human was letting her do that this time around. We had room to grow now that our humans had moved us to a bigger house with many rooms.

There was even a huge fenced yard for my beauty and I to run around in. We had both taken great advantage of that over the last year, especially that large shed my human had built for us…it was where our pups were conceived, after all.

I nuzzled her head before settling in with a contented sigh. Life was good. I had my beauty and my human had finally gotten over his dislike of bitches to fall in love with my beauty’s human.

Ironic wasn’t it?

Turns out, my beauty’s human was exactly what my human liked in a bitch. Aside from her clumsiness, she wasn’t much trouble at all. She liked working just as much as he did, didn’t like being showered with gifts or too much attention. But most of all….

She loved dogs.

THE END

It's A Black Life

Pairing: Jacob/Bella. Rating: MA (because I label it that way regardless of lemons) Genre: Romance. Universe: AU. Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Author's Note: This was the idea I had for my entry into the JBNP 3rd Anniversary ANON One-Shot Contest, but I was unable to finish it in time. However, I promised Niamhg that I would write it regardless, so with the inspiration of the banner Lady of Spain created and I adopted, I was able to finally complete it all.

Now, since she is always encouraging me to write my stories, I dedicate this one to my Soul Sista, Niamhg. Thank you chica, for being you. :D

Banner by Lady of Spain. Thanks for the inspiration chica!

“But why can’t I be the one to cook the chicken? You always get to do it!”

Jacob tried not to roll his eyes at the whine he could hear in fourteen-year-old Sara’s voice as twenty-year-old Jacy answered her in a calm manner. “You can help me cook it, Sara. I didn’t say you couldn’t.”

Before Sara could start stomping, because he knew that was next, he interjected in his own soothing tone. “Sara, honey, Jacy knows how to cook it since she’s the one going to culinary school.”

“But daaaad!”

“Sara!” This time he put a little of that old Alpha timbre in his voice, which he knew didn’t always work around his children, but it was worth a try. “Jacy said you could help her, so I suggest you let her guide you, okay? You know your mom always said the best way to learn is to work with someone else.”

When his daughter continued to pout and glare at her older sister, he resorted to using his own brand of bribery. Giving her the same puppy dog eyes he often used on the girls’ mother, he pleaded, “Sara, my little miracle, please? Let Jacy show you how to do it. I really want this anniversary to be perfect for your mom.”

Needless to say the look on his face and the endearment he used were the things Sara never could say no to. Immediately her pique deflated as she threw herself into her father’s arms.

Hugging him tightly, she sniffled. “Okay, daddy. I’m sorry, I know you want this to be the best anniversary surprise for mom.”

Jacob hugged his little miracle back, trying not to squeeze her too hard, least she have trouble breathing the way he often made her mom do when he hugged her.

When he let go of her, she went to Jacy’s side while he watched as the two of them went to work on the chicken in a more amicable manner. He smiled at the way the older daughter patiently walked the younger, more excitable daughter through the process of cooking. Watching them together, he could see how much Jacy seemed to have the perfect mix of both him and his wife.

Like Bella, Jacy had been born to cook. From the moment the little girl had been able to walk, she had been glued to her mother’s apron when they were in the kitchen where Bella had willingly allowed Jacy to shadow her all the while. Because of that, it wasn’t any surprise to anyone who knew her when Jacy announced that she was going to culinary school once she graduated from high school.

Having finished her second year at the university, she had returned to spend a couple of weeks at home with her parents before going to work as an apprentice in Seattle where she also lived and attended school close to her older brother, Issac. Bella and Jacob were both glad to see Jacy for those two weeks and Jacy had timed it perfectly so that she could be there when they celebrated their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary.

As Jacy continued to instruct Sara, Jacob could see the calmness she had in her, just like he had in himself. Like Jacob, Jacy was a leader, one who could patiently guide others in whatever she put her mind to. She was also the one most of the younger generation ran to when they needed a shoulder to cry on or some cheering up. Her sunny personality always tended to win strangers over too, making them feel comfortable around her.

Yet the one thing she shared with both her parents was the need to always take care of others. Like Bella had cared for her own parents growing up and Jacob had cared for his father, Jacy seemed to take over those duties when she was old enough to do so. If Jacob and Bella were too busy running around, Jacy held down the fort for them. She was so good at it that Jacob had no qualms about leaving Billy in her care when she had been a mere teenager.

Even though Jacy had that mix of her parents qualities in her, she was the spitting image of her mother. Same hair, same eyes, same nose…everything down to the little mole beneath their chin. She had even looked like Bella had as a baby that her nickname had become, Twin.

All of their kids had their own nickname, which is why he had called Sara, Miracle. She knew when he said that, he was referring to her birth.

Despite the fact that Jacob and Bella already had two kids before Sara came along, they had been trying to add more. Two years after Jacy, Bella had gotten pregnant with what they thought would be their third child. However, due to Bella’s reproductive system, she had miscarried the child within three months of conception.

The loss had been devastating to Bella even with a six and two-year-old already in the family. While the loss itself hadn’t effected Jacob as much, it was seeing Bella’s pain that had devastated him because there was nothing he could do to make things better for the woman he loved. In the end, it was the love of her kids and Jacob that had helped her soldier on, so that she could heal until she was at the point where she wanted to try again.

Still, it had taken another two years before Bella was able to get pregnant again, which then prompted all of them to watch her with caution. Thankfully this time she was able to hold on to the baby, but the pregnancy hadn’t been kind to Bella. By the sixth month, the doctor was ordering her to bed, afraid not only for the baby but for Bella herself.

Jacob had even begun to blame himself for all of it, saying it was his fault for wanting a big family, talking Bella into it. But Bella had been strong throughout it all, insisting that Jacob hadn’t talked her into anything, she wanted a huge family too. From the moment she had fallen in love with Jacob, she had dreamed of having lots of his children and she refused to be denied that dream.

Six years after Jacy, Sara had been born amidst tears of relief and joy. Relief that both mother and child had survived the birth at all, for Bella had gone into labor a full month before she was due. Joy because after Bella had given birth, she had suddenly gone into cardiac arrest, flatlining for so long that the doctor was just about to pronounce her gone when her body had suddenly jerked back to life right before she began gasping for air.

When Bella had gone into cardiac arrest, Jacob had been shoved aside, stunned that his wife would leave him and their three children alone. Tears had welled up in his eyes as he’d leaned heavily against the wall, using it to support his body that wanted to crumble to the floor. He’d closed his eyes and pressed his forehead against the tiled wall at one point, amidst the shouting of “clear” and the sound of that horrible flatline.

Then through his sobs, he heard the sounds of Bella gasping and the doctor shouting orders to the nurses. Scared that he was imagining things, hoping against hope, he slowly lifted his head then turned to peek over his arm towards the bed. Once more he was stunned as the image of his wife’s wide eyes stared straight at him even while she reached out towards him in entreaty while ignoring the many hands trying to hold her down.

Unable to resist the plea in her eyes, he pushed away from the wall and stumbled to her side. Gripping her hand in his, placing it over his heart, he leaned over her to sob, “I’m here Bells, I’m here. I’ll always be here.”

She had nodded, still taking deep breaths with the oxygen mask she was now wearing. She wouldn’t let go of his hand while they worked on her to make sure she was stabilizing so they wouldn’t lose her again. Even when they had proclaimed that she was out of the woods, she still held on to him like a lifeline, but he wasn’t complaining because she was his lifeline too.

Later, when she had been moved to a room where mother and daughter were united for the first time, Jacob had held them both in his arms as he whispered into Bella’s ear.

“I love you, Bells.”

She had turned her head to look up into his eyes. Her raspy answer, had taken his breath away. “I’m getting another chance Jake. I came back to fall in love with you again, to love you more than before.”

Because of that close call, they had deemed Sara, Miracle, to represent both her birth and Bella’s miraculous victory against death.

“Daddy, can I have a soda?”

The exuberant voice of his eight-year-old son drew Jacob out of his musings. He turned to see Jonathan hovering in the doorway to the kitchen, practically bouncing from the natural energy he already possessed.

Giving him a smile, he moved towards the cabinet to get a cup for his son. “How about some juice instead?”

Jon rolled his eyes. “I want a soda.”

“I know you do, but you can’t have one right now. Only when mommy gets back, okay?”

The little boy huffed. “Kay, and grandpa wants a beer.”

Jacob could hear Billy chuckling from the living room. Shaking his head, he raised his voice loud enough to say, “Well, he is gonna get some juice too.”

He quickly poured juice into two cups for both his son and Billy. Handing one of the cups to his son, he followed him into the living room where Billy sat watching television in his wheelchair. As Jonathan made himself comfortable in front of the TV, Jacob handed the other cup to his father with a frown.

“Shame on you old man, trying to get your way by using my son, you know if I gave you a beer Bella would have both our hides.”

Billy graciously accepted the juice with a shrug. “No harm in trying, son.”

Jacob folded his arms in front of his chest. “Right. Even when you already knew the answer.”

Shaking his head at his father, he glanced over towards Jonathan to see him glued to the cartoon he was watching. For once he was sitting still as he sipped his juice through the straw in the cup Jacob had given him. Jacob knew fate had finally come to bite his ass when Bella had given birth to their youngest child who was nicknamed the Surprise for various reasons.

Jonathan may look like a combination of both of his parents, but in every other way, he was his father through and through. He was the one who always got into trouble although he wasn’t purposely trying to find it. Trouble always found him, just like it used to find his father.

He would often surprise his mother with gifts of croaking frogs and wriggling worms, proud of himself for finding the slimiest, most dirt-encrusted creatures. Not only that, but it was rare that a day went by that he wasn’t covered in dirt, sweat or blood. His parents had long stopped panicking every time he showed up with blood on him because no matter what Jon did, he seemed to take a licking and kept on ticking. The day he showed up crying would be that day they started to panic since he was always sporting a missing tooth grin no matter what.

However, the real reason for Jon’s nickname was the fact that neither Bella nor Jacob had expected to have another child after Sara. Due to the drama of Sara’s birth, Jacob and Bella had decided that three children was enough, so they stopped trying to have children. Unfortunately, they should have gone with Bella getting her tubes tied, but all they had done was put Bella back on birth control.

Six years after Sara, Jacob and Bella realized that somehow even the pills weren’t that effective anymore because their son came roaring into the world with a vengeance. Unlike Sara, Jonathan was an easy birth since the boy seemed eager to greet the world as soon as he could. Grateful that both the pregnancy and the birth had been extremely easy, and amidst jokes that Alpha wolf sperm was just that persistent, Bella finally decided to get her tubes tied as soon as she was able to.

With four kids, their family was complete. Sure the spacing of them was rather strange, but it couldn’t be helped. It hadn’t really mattered anyway since there was always an abundance of so-called cousins the children could bond with among the children of Jacob’s wolf pack brothers.

Giving his son one last look, he leaned over his father to whisper, “You handling things out here okay?”

Billy set his cup down on the end table next to him then waved a hand at Jacob. “I’ve got it, son. He’s not a problem today. We’re just chilling watching toons, you go back and get the food done before Bells gets back from Port Angeles.”

Jacob chuckled as his father shooed him back into the kitchen. The old man may have been in his late seventies, but thanks to Bella’s stern hand, his diabetes was kept under great control. Jacob was grateful when Bella began spending so much time at Billy’s home where she could cook the kind of food that Billy could eat as well as tell him what he could and couldn’t do where his health was concerned. Jacob had tried on his own for so long, but with Bella’s backing, they had managed to prolong Billy’s life to the point that he seemed the healthiest he’d ever been.

The way she had seamlessly come into the Black house once she and Jacob had started dating, had only made Jacob fall in love with her even more. Somehow, with Jacob’s help, she had managed to get over the leech leaving her in the forest the way the cowardly thing had. It had been a long road to recovery, but along the way she had finally opened up to Jacob’s advances so that when the pack had caught Victoria before she could escape into the ocean, Bella was more than ready to take that leap into a relationship with him. They had celebrated by cliff diving together and Bella had never looked back.

It was almost as if her fear had disappeared beneath the ocean waves, so when she emerged from the water, she was the newer, stronger, more take charge kind of woman she had been destined to become. Of course, along with her new strength, she had approached her new relationship with Jacob with eyes wide open. Somehow Bella had realized how messed up her reaction to the leech leaving had looked to everyone else, thus she had set out to let everyone know she had learned her lesson and become a better person because of it.

She had told Jacob she wanted to date him like normal teenagers did, even with the supernatural part of his life involved. It had been hard on his part, because both the teen boy and the wolf in him wanted nothing more than to make Bella his, but luckily Bella had been strong for the both of them. Sure, they had begun having sex by the time Jacob was seventeen to Bella’s nineteen. And sure they had gotten married a month after Jacob had graduated high school when he was eighteen to Bella’s twenty, but it’s what they both had wanted.

Bella had been taking classes over the internet once she had graduated, but when she had gotten pregnant a few months after their wedding, she stopped the moment their son, Issac, was born. Sure, in between children she had somehow managed to finish her degree in management thus able to take over those duties once Jacob had opened his own garage right next door to the home the pack had built for their Alpha and his mate.

Having their business next to their house allowed both Jacob and Bella to spend more time with their children, plus the size allowed for Billy to move in with them once it got to be too much for him on his own. Granted, Paul and Rachel had lived with Billy in the little red house, but everyone agreed that Bella, Jacob and Jacy were the best caretakers when it came to Billy’s health. So, Paul and Rachel lived in the red house, keeping it in the family, while Billy moved in with Jacob and Bella.

Luckily by the time Billy needed more care, Jonathan had just been born, giving Bella lots more time to keep an eye on her father-in-law. Jacy was twelve at the time and on her way to being just as good as her mom at caretaking. The other two children, Sara at six and Issac at fifteen were at the ages where there were more important things that hooked their attention. Like toys and girls, respectively.

Of course, for Issac, it wasn’t just the girls that had his interest. He was also dealing with his own phasing issues like his father once had. It was really something else when Issac had celebrated his birthday with his family the night before, then the next day he’d gotten angry with his cousin over a girl and poof, two wolves suddenly started fighting in the Blacks’ backyard.

Luckily both Issac and Chase had grown up listening to the stories as well as knowing that their fathers were wolves or the phasing would have been a surprise to them. Like their fathers before them, the two were always at odds with each other and often ended up butting heads over the smallest of things. Unlike Paul, who had come to easily follow Jacob as the Alpha, Chase still didn’t like following Issac when it came to pack rules. To this day Paul was at his wits’ end trying to drill some sense of preservation into his son’s head.

Throughout it all, Issac seemed to remain much more level-headed, taking his father’s advice while leading the new smaller pack of Quileute wolves. Jacob smiled as he continued to think of his eldest son while he went back to cutting vegetables for the anniversary dinner.

Issac was the spitting image of him, but he seemed to have a good combination of both Jacob and Bella’s traits. Like Jacob, Issac was good at working with anything mechanical, but he also loved books like Bella did. He had a good head on his shoulders, but could be prone to fierce protectiveness and a quick temper the way Jacob could. On the other hand, he could also over think things the way Bella did until he worried himself sick over it. Thankfully those things didn’t happen too often since his best friend and Beta, Luke, was there to help him out.

Still, Jacob was glad Issac was protective of those he called his own. It made it that much easier for Jacob to relax when Bella made trips where Jacob couldn’t go with her, like today for instance. She was currently shopping in Port Angeles with Issac, not knowing that the reason Jacob had sent her to shop there was because he needed her out of the house to arrange the anniversary celebration. Issac had agreed to take her since amazingly, he was a mellow twenty-four-year-old guy who happened to like shopping.

Jacob chuckled to himself at that thought, who would have thought that his eldest son would be a metrosexual man who turned into a wolf when he needed to protect his people? Talk about a juxtaposition in nature, yet despite Issac’s affinity for clothes, he was still nicknamed, Wolfie, because of his animal side.

The timer on the oven suddenly went off, bringing Jacob back from his musings of his family. Glancing at the clock, he sighed. He waited until Jacy and Sara had removed the cake from the oven before speaking up.

“We’ve got to get a move on girls. The others will be here soon to help set up everything and Emily said she was bringing more things to help us cook.”

The girls nodded before placing the prepared chicken in the oven as Jacob went back to finishing his own task.

****************************************

Bella sighed as she stared out of the window at the passing scenery. It had been a long day of shopping in Port Angeles, but while she wasn’t tired, she was eager to get home to the rest of her family. She knew Jacob and Jacy could handle the younger kids and Billy, but she always felt much better when she was close by just in case.

Issac reached out to squeeze his mother’s hand comfortingly. As she turned to face him, he gave her a smile so like his father’s. “You okay mom?”

She nodded as she continued to hold his warm hand. “Fine, just ready to get home, I guess.”

Issac winked in understanding. It was yet another thing he had in common with his father. He always seemed to know just what his mother was thinking.

“No worries, mom. Everyone’s okay. I talked to Jacy at our last stop, to let her know we were getting ready to return. She said everyone is fine.”

Bella nodded. “That’s good then. Thanks for checking on them for me.”

“Sure, sure,” replied Issac before returning his full attention to the road.

Bella studied her son’s profile as he drove, remembering the times she had spent studying her husband’s profile. In fact, she still did it from time to time, finding him just as beautiful as the day she had fallen in love with him. Sure, now he was looking his age at forty-three, just like she was, but she still thought he was the most handsome man she had ever laid eyes on.

Of course, she wasn’t the only one who thought so. To this day, Jacob was still having to fend off the advances of females everywhere they went. It had to be the allure of his now hidden wolf or maybe there was something about him that just drew them in like moths to a flame. His sunny smile, his friendly presence or maybe it was the way he fit the tall, dark and handsome profile so well.

Whatever it was, Bella had done her best to learn to live with it, especially since deep down inside she knew Jacob had always only had eyes for her. Every day he let her know that and every day she tried to remember it. Most of the time, it wasn’t so hard, but there had been a time when it had been.

Bella could still remember it like it was yesterday. It had been when she was still pregnant with Jonathan, right after Jacob had finally stopped phasing since Issac had taken up the mantle of Alpha of the new wolf pack. Her hormones had been going crazy so much that by the sixth month she felt larger than a whale and uglier than the wicked witch of the west.

Jacob had been putting in more hours at the garage, making up for the time he had spent showing Issac the ways of the wolf while Bella had been stuck at home with the other kids and Billy. Eleven-year-old Jacy had been trying to help ease the burden on her mother, but Bella was still feeling the strain of it all. It hadn’t helped that she couldn’t remember the last time she had a quiet moment with her husband, thinking it had been months since that had occurred.

With that in mind, she had decided to make a lunch for him since the kids were in school and Billy was taking a nap. She figured she could eat lunch with Jacob before Kim dropped Sara off from preschool.

Imagine her surprise when she waddled up to the garage to see her husband bent over the hood of a car with a leggy blonde in a tight miniskirt and stiletto heels practically draped over him. As Bella had slowed her walk, Jacob had straightened up and turned to give the blonde his sunny smile. The blonde answered that by pushing her ample cleavage into Jacob’s chest while batting her thick eyelashes up at him.

Bella could only stand there gaping as Jacob chuckled at something the woman said as she placed a hand on his grease-stained bicep. As Jacob smirked at her, shaking his head while covering the hand she had on his bicep, Bella dropped the basket she’d been holding and turned to run back home.

To her eyes, her husband looked like he was flirting with the woman, but what she hadn’t realized was Jacob had been laughing at the woman’s pathetic attempts to flirt with a happily married man, while trying to be polite enough to remove her hand and chest from touching his body. He had attempted to let her know he was happily married, but she was being annoyingly persistent and not in a good way.

Luckily he had heard the basket hitting the ground, turning in time to see Bella beginning to run back to the house. Even though he was no longer a wolf, his senses were still rather good, so his nose told him that Bella had come to have lunch with him and his mind put two and two together, letting him know what kind of conclusion she had come to that sent her running for the house.

Calling out to Embry to take over for him, he had extracted himself from the clingy blonde, then ran after Bella, catching up to her before she had even gotten very far at all. Bella had been fighting back the tears as Jacob caught her and turned her into his embrace.

Holding her tightly, he’d murmured into her hair. “Bells, it’s me, you know I would never do what you think I did.”

She sniffled against his chest before she mumbled, “I know, I just…I miss you so much.”

He held her tighter. “I miss you too, honey.”

He pulled back to cup her face in hands, kissing her forehead first before pressing a soft kiss against her lips. “Come on, let me get the basket of food and we’ll go have a private picnic in our room.”

She glanced up at him through watery eyes. “Are you sure?”

He nodded. “Embry’s got the garage until I get back.” He smiled down at her. “What do you say, honey? Lunch? Just you and me?”

She gave him a dreamy smile. “I’d like that, Jake.”

His smile bloomed into the one she loved the most, making her heart race. “I love you Bells, I’ll always fall in love with you more than I did the day before.”

He had sealed that proclamation with another long, sweet kiss before going to retrieve the basket. Taking her hand with his, they had walked to their bedroom, lounging on the bed and feeding each other until Sara had come home from preschool.

That memory had been one of many that had made Bella fall in love with Jacob all over again, just like she knew it had been the same for Jacob. Over the years there seemed to be something that they did for each other that made them love each other a little more. Something that made all of their years together seem better than anything they could have ever dreamed of despite the occasional bad day in between.

“Hey mom, we’re here.” Issac, interrupted with a soft voice.

Bella looked out the front window of the car with a smile as her home came into view. The garage was open, showing off the red Chevy pick-up truck that had been given to her all those years ago when she had first moved back to Forks. Jacob had managed to lovingly restore it to its former glory a few years back when he had both the time and money to do so since his business was flourishing.

Issac parked his car in the driveway next to the family’s SUV before turning to give her a smile. “Why don’t you go on in, I’ll get the bags.”

“You sure?” She asked as she unbuckled her seat belt.

He winked at her. “Yep.”

She grinned at him as she snatched up her purse, jumped out of the car then ran up to the front door, eager to see the rest of her family. She opened the door and stepped inside, but instead of being greeted by a ball of eight-year-old energy, the house appeared to be…empty.

She frowned as she set her purse down on the side table before heading to the kitchen where the family often congregated, if not the living room. Again, emptiness greeted her.

Her frown deepened as Issac walked into the house, arms laden with shopping bags. He set the bags down inside the door as he asked, “What’s wrong?”

Bella turned to face her son with the frown still marring her features. “It seems no one is here.”

Issac raised an eyebrow as he moved away from her, heading towards the back of the house. “Hm, that’s weird, I’ll check the back rooms.”

Bella sighed as she looked around the kitchen, then the living room for any clues as to where her entire family had disappeared to. She was still in the living room when she heard Issac’s voice calling her from the back of the house.

“Mom? Can you come to the game room for a second?”

His words made her quicken her steps as she hurried down the wide hallway towards the game room in the back of the house. Issac was standing in the doorway, with a frown on his face.

“What is it?” she asked, now worried.

Issac shook his head as he took her arm and ushered her into the room, bypassing the pool table and other games until he came to a stop near the sliding doors that led to the back deck.

Issac sighed heavily. “Take a look at this, mom.”

Then, with a sweep of his hand, he pushed back the curtains to reveal…a deck full of smiling people.

And at the forefront of them all was…her husband.

With her favorite smile on his face, Jacob approached her, holding out a bouquet of wildflowers to her. “Happy anniversary, Bells.”

With those words, the rest of the crowd echoed his sentiments before soft music began to flow through the area. Bella blushed as she took the bouquet from Jacob and turned to see Issac now wearing a huge smile.

She tsked at him. “You knew about this all along, didn’t you?”

He shrugged, “Hey, I’m good at keeping secrets, unlike others I know.”

Sara stuck out her tongue at her older brother before hugging her mother. “Happy anniversary, mom.”

Bella accepted the hug Sara gave her as she said thank you, then Jacy hugged her next. “Congrats mom, I’m so happy for you and dad.”

Bella chuckled. “Thanks baby, and I’m so glad you and Issac are here to celebrate with us.”

As she stepped back, Issac gave his mother a hug as he said, “You know we wouldn’t miss this for anything, mom! We love you and dad.”

Bella’s eyes were starting to tear up at the love her family was bestowing on her. She hugged Issac tightly before letting him go, then stooped as Jonathan ran into her arms. “Happy annie mommy!”

Bella laughed at his exuberance as she hugged him too. “Thank you, my little man.”

When she straightened up, Jacob wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her into his side. “You okay?”

She nodded as she wiped away a stray tear. “Yeah, just really surprised…and amazed. I can’t believe you pulled this together.”

He grinned as he helped her wipe away her tears with gentle fingers. “I had help, I’ll tell you more later. Right now, you ready to greet the others?”

With a nod, she let him guide her to the others gathered on their deck. It wasn’t really a huge crowd. Just those close to them. Namely both the old and new wolf packs and their families, plus Charlie. Bella and Jacob greeted them all with hugs and a thank you, plus smiles and laughter.

There was a table full of gifts for them and three other tables full of food which Bella soon found out was made by Jacob, Jacy and Sara with additions from Sue and several other women in the family. The set up had also been done by those in attendance and one of Quil’s sons was acting as the DJ since he liked to do that on the side. Luckily he was a very versatile DJ, using music that appealed to all generations instead of the younger one that he was a part of.

Surrounded by her family and Jacob, Bella soon relaxed enough to enjoy the festivities, partaking of the food and fun that had been provided. As she sat next to Jacob, having finished her meal, she patted her full stomach before giving Issac and Jacy a concerned look.

“Where’s Ariana and Landon?” Ariana was Issac’s fiancée and Landon was Jacy’s boyfriend.

Issac set his drink down before answering her. “Ariana knew this was just a family celebration, she didn’t want to interfere. She sent you a gift though.” He motioned to the table where all the gifts still sat unopened.

“And I didn’t think it was a good idea to invite Landon to this since we’re not that serious yet,” added Jacy.

Bella sighed as she sat forward to look at both of them. “You both know that your father and I wouldn’t have turned them away, right?”

Jacob growled as he narrowed his eyes at Jacy. “Speak for yourself.”

Bella punched him in the arm. “Oh stop being such an overbearing lug! She’s old enough to handle things on her own, Jake.”

He shrugged. “Not so long as I live.”

Jacy giggled. “It’s okay, mom. Dad’s just being a dad, no worries.”

Bella shook her head, but let it go since she didn’t want anything to ruin her good mood. Both Issac and Jacy seemed to be doing okay without their significant others there, so Bella wasn’t going to push it anymore. Settling back into the chair, she leaned into her husband’s side as he draped an arm around her shoulders.

Both of them were content to watch as their family talked and laughed around them, even joining in the conversations from time to time. Throughout the evening, the couple found themselves joining in some of the games, laughing over the antics of both themselves and others.

Then, the song they had deemed their wedding song came on, prompting Jacob to hold his hand out to her.

“May I have this dance, honey?”

Bella beamed at him as she set her hand in his. “Of course, you may.”

He led her to the area that had been set aside as the dance floor, taking her in his arms, holding her close as the music surrounded them.

Bella laid her head on his chest, enjoying the feel of his body wrapped around hers while listening to the beating of his heart against her ear. She sighed in contentment. She could feel Jacob pressing his face into her hair, taking a deep breath of her scent before murmuring to her.

“I still remember our wedding like it was yesterday.”

“Me too,” she whispered, knowing he would hear her words.

Their wedding had been a simple one, just like everyone had known they would have. It had been deemed a wedding fit for Jake and Bells, out on the beach during the summer, the weather actually cooperating as if the gods themselves were looking down on them.

Bella had worn a form-fitting cotton and lace dress with a small train that had been fitted with an elastic band to loop around her wrist to keep it from trailing in the sand. Jacob had worn a white shirt tucked into black pants, but no coat or tie. While their clothes looked a little formal, they both had remained barefoot.

It wasn’t until they had moved to the tribal center for their reception did Jacob’s shirt become untucked. He’d also rolled up his sleeves and undid a few buttons on his shirt since his body temperature still ran hot, but he hadn’t wanted to toss his shirt off completely during the reception, knowing Bella would have been blushing the entire time if he had. Bella had stayed in her wedding dress, but had slid into ballet flats to keep her feet warm while Jacob had remained barefoot.

Still, they had both been unable to stop looking into each others eyes since Bella had first locked onto Jacob’s while walking down the aisle towards him. Even as they were surrounded by the well-wishers at the reception, they had never let the other out of their sight nor had they ventured from each others side.

When their song had finally started, Jacob had enfolded Bella into his arms, whirling her around until the were in the middle of the dance floor where he set her on her feet and proceeded to dance slowly with her. Throughout the song, he gazed into her eyes, mouthing the words as she smiled lovingly up at him.

As the song came to a close, Jacob had leaned over, pressing his lips against the exposed skin of her neck and whispered, “Today, when you appeared at the end of the aisle, I realized you were going to be my wife, forever…and that thought made me fall in love with you all over again.”

With those past words now echoing in her mind, Bella leaned back from her husband to gaze into his eyes. The noise of their family, there to celebrate the success of Jacob and Bella’s twenty-five years of married life, surrounded them while making them feel cocooned in love and safety.

She smiled at Jacob, waiting until he returned it. Then, with her gaze falling into his, her soul linking with his soul the way it always did, she said, “Today, when you held out those wild flowers and told me happy anniversary, I realized that I’ve spent twenty-five wonderful years with you as my husband…and it made me fall in love with you all over again.”

His smile bloomed, shining bright both inside and out of him. “I love you too, Bells. Thank you, for choosing me to spend your life with. It’s been a wonderful life.”

She chuckled as various highlights of their life together seemed to flit through their eyes. “Nah, Jake, it’s more than wonderful…it’s a Black life.”

He responded with his own chuckle as he hugged her close as he murmured, “And I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

 THE END