The Wedding Crasher

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

A/N-thank you for the lovely reviews. Nikki :)

Part Four

It took a while for Bella to calm down after her revelation about being a good mother. Jacob held her the whole time she cried, until she ended up soaking his shirt with her tears. Eventually the weeping subsided and she pulled away; embarrassed now she had revealed her fear and that she had cried so much. She began to cross her arms across her waist, but one look from Jacob made her stop her old coping gesture. She sighed instead and sat cross legged on the ground. Jacob instantly sat beside her.

"Your fears are groundless you know." Jacob said gently.

"Really?" Bella stared down at her hands. "I haven't had the best role model in marriages or raising a family. Mom has always been like a child herself and I've only gotten closer to my dad recently. Even now though, since I married Edward, I can see he is pulling away."

"You've hardly been reachable, Bells." Jacob reminded her. "You surround yourself with the Cullen's at all times. How is he supposed to connect with you?"

Bella knew he was right. She continued to look at her hands, trying her best not to twist them in her lap. Jacob was forcing her to confront issues she didn't want to think about. Being a mother was something she had suppressed. It wasn't like she would ever get the opportunity with Edward anyway. Being a vampire seemed so much easier then having to deal with real life issues. Bella felt she had messed up so much already.

"Tell me what you're thinking?" Jacob asked her when she didn't answer.

"I don't know what to think and that's the problem." Bella confessed. "My future until about an hour ago was certain, now it is all up in the air again."

"Good." Jacob was blunt as always. "You need to really see what you could lose if you went ahead with this farce of a marriage."

Bella raised her head and glared at him. "Farce? How dare you? You act as if I have no idea what I'm doing. I married Edward because I love him. That has not changed."

Jacob flinched at her words. He didn't want to her about her love for the leech. "You can't love him that much if you have feelings for me." He snapped.

"You are the one who once said it is possible to have feelings for two people." Bella retorted.

"My point was that you can't marry someone when you love another." Jacob was getting angry with her again. She frustrated him so much with her back and forth. Why couldn't she just make a decision and stick with it? Every time she faltered in her commitment to Cullen she continued to give him hope, only then to shoot him down again. He was getting sick of it.

"This is my future, Jake. This decision is final for me, in more ways then one." Bella drew her knees up to her chest and looped her arms around them.

"You are still young, Bells. There is plenty of time..."

"You know in my case this is not true. Edward is frozen at seventeen." Bella sighed again and rested her chin on her knees.

"So that's what you want, to remain a teenager forever. Stuck in a cold, marble body drinking blood, attending high school over and over repetitively. You won't be able to settle anywhere for more than a few years. You'll have to give up your friends, family and watch them die while you continue to exist on and on, never sleeping, never being able to really feel anything ever again except regret about what you've given up. If that's what you want then go to the leech now, Bella. I am done." Jacob said in disgust. He jumped easily to his feet and began to walk away.

Bella hit her fists on the ground hard. Once again he had stirred her up and forced her to think about what she would really be losing. Damn him for always being right! She scrambled back onto her feet and began to run after him for the second time that day. "Wait." She cried out.

Jacob stopped, his shoulders hunched as he stood with his back to her. "What Bella?" He muttered.

Bella reached him and caught hold of his hand, trying to get him to turn around. He refused at first, still feeling resentful. But she kept up the pressure until he gave in and turned to face her. "What?" He said again.

"I'm sorry." Bella apologized.

"For what exactly?" Jacob questioned her, his voice full of bitterness.

"For always hurting you. I never wanted to do that. It hurts me here when you hurt." Bella declared, placing a hand over her heart. "I've just been so conflicted and confused. Seeing you injured in your bed after the newborn battle really made me see the consequences of my actions. I can't be responsible for putting you in danger like that again, Jake. Despite your wolf side you are human and could get seriously hurt. I can't take the risk that I might be responsible for that again."

"Bells I can take care of myself." Jacob took her hands and laced his fingers with hers. "No on can tell what the future will bring. Just know that I love you, surely that's all that counts at the end of the day?"

Bella swallowed thickly. "It does count very much."

"Well then stop fighting your true future. Stop all this doubt and self blame. None of us are perfect, honey. But you will have a great support network to see you through the bad times. Please just let yourself trust me. We could have a great future together if only you would give us a chance." Jacob held her hands tightly as he waited with baited breath for her answer.

Bella stared at him for what seemed like forever. What he said rang true. He would support her, she knew all of that. He had always been her savior in more ways then one. It was herself she had to learn to trust. Could she? Would she be able to finally let Edward go? Head to a future as just herself, the human Bella Swan. Was being a simple human who sometimes screwed up really such a bad thing to be? Jacob didn't think so, he loved her unconditionally, she knew that. With him she never had to pretend or be something other than she was. With Edward she was always afraid of messing up and she never felt like she quite lived up to who he wanted her to be. Her trust in him had been damaged when he had left her the first time and she had never completely got it back. In truth Bella was afraid to step out into the unknown, with a life without the security that Edward could bring her, but with Jacob by her side, maybe she would be just about brave enough to take the plunge. Ever so subtly Bella nodded at him.

Jacob broke out into a sunny smile and picked her up in his arms, whirling her about in a circle, laughing happily, until they were both dizzy.

It seemed as if Edward knew what was going to happen. Before the two hours were even up he was already sitting in the open plan lounge area waiting. He watched with dull eyes as she timidly entered the house. He saw Jacob hovering outside before Bella asked him to give them some privacy. He could see that Black wasn't happy with this request, but he gave in and retreated, probably still within hearing distance, but at least it was the illusion of privacy. Bella came over to Edward and perched on one of the leather chair's opposite him.

"You are leaving to go with Jacob Black, aren't you?" He said softly, his words barely audible.

Tears welled in Bella's eyes as she looked at him. His face registered his devastation and it about broke her heart. "I'm sorry, Edward. I can't deny him any longer. Or myself. I will always love you. A piece of my heart will always belong to you."

Edward gave her a heartbreaking smile. "Give him your whole heart, my love. What we shared together was magical and I will never ever forget what we had together. I will love you for the rest of my existence, there will be no other."

"Edward don't say that." Bella cried out. She reached out a trembling hand in his direction and he took it carefully between his own. He leaned down and kissed the back of her hand, letting his cold lips linger on her warm skin.

"All I ever wanted was for you to be happy, Bella. I think that you will be. Jacob Black can give you a full and happy life, with a family and one day children. Enjoy your human life, my love, and live it for me, for all my family. You will be in my thoughts every day." Edward abruptly let go of her hand and stood up. "I am going to go, Bella. I was never good at long drawn out goodbyes."

Before Bella could utter another word he had gone. She stared around the room, her lips trembling as the tears spilled over onto her cheeks. "Goodbye, Edward." She whispered for the last time before silently slipping out of the house.

At the top of the stairs where he was standing Edward pressed his back against the wall as silent, dry, choking sobs tore from his throat. Letting her go was the hardest thing he had ever done. He had meant every word he had said to her, but he knew he would never love another. Out of the shadows his sibling Alice appeared. She had already seen what had occurred. She sat beside him and put her arms around him as he continued to grieve for his lost love.

Jacob watched Bella as she emerged from the house. He saw her turn and look back a couple times as she wiped tears from her eyes. He had heard everything that had been said between her and Cullen. He waited until she reached him and then held out his hand. Bella wiped at her eyes again before taking it firmly in her own. The warmth from his touch soothed her nerves.

"You okay?" He asked.

"Yeah." Bella gave him a tremulous smile. "I am now."

Jacob tugged her closer and leaned down to place a gentle kiss on her lips. "What do we do now?" He asked her when it was over.

Bella took a deep breath before answering. "Now we better go and break the news to our dad's."

Jacob laughed at her gentle teasing as he slipped his arm across her shoulders and led her back to the reception.

FIN...