F i r s t. I n. L i n e.
1. T i m e
Time: An interval, especially a span of years, marked by similar events, conditions, or phenomena; an era. Often used in the plural: hard times; a time of troubles.
It was funny how important time had always been for Jacob and Bella. For their relationship, for their feelings – for everything they were, had been and hoped, dreamed, wished to become.
They knew there was no time. There was never enough time. They had already wasted too much. For Jacob and Bella, there was no way to take things slow. Not anymore.
Years and years of childhood, and they had only been around each other for a couple of days. Hours. Hours they could barely remember, or had forgotten about entirely by now.
If there was something like faith, destiny, someone you are made for, then they had been robbed of time they should have had for each other.
Weeks, months, dreadful hours, agonizing minutes, aching seconds of time in which they fought – against each other. Jacob trying to fight himself, forcing his temper to calm down; to take things slow while knowing that there was no time for that. Bella fighting herself, fighting old wounds she, on the one hand, did not want to heal because it meant forgetting and admitting, coming to terms with, but on the other hand knowing that time was running out for her last chance, for the only second chance she had ever been given. Jacob and Bella fighting against each other because of what they wanted and wished to be, when all this time what they really wanted had been the same. And simple.
Each other.
So, after countless seconds, minutes, hours, weeks, months, years, decades, sunsets and sunrises, storms and cloud-passing, losses and blessings, dirt bikes and warm sodas, makeshift garages and spaghetti dinners, homework and wolf-back riding, cliff diving and stolen glances, fights and candies - after so much wasted precious time, Jacob and Bella finally crossed paths on a new level, like two straight lines meeting in the infinite.
And they knew time was running out…
2. C h o i c e
Choice: The act of choosing; selection.
It was Monday afternoon, sun hidden behind the thick, gray clouds. Tiny, pearl-sized raindrops were thrumming against the windows, books and papers scattered all across the bed and floor. The only light in the room apart from the diffuse daylight was Bella's switched-on bedside lamp.
With a content sigh she cuddled closer to Jacob, who was flat on his back on her bed, a history book open on his chest, his right arm wrapped around Bella while spinning a pen with his left hand, turning it back and forth between his long fingers.
It was a normal day. School was over, homework was the only innocent excuse for Jacob to come over now that they had become public. Bella hated to call it that. Public displays of affection had always disgusted her and she would never commit herself to something so embarrassing. What she and Jacob had was for them and them alone.
But since Charlie knew that they were… a couple, he had become suspicious about Jacob spending too much time in Bella's room and so they had settled for study again. Just like they had before, only the reason had been slightly different back then.
With a smile on her lips, Bella traced the prominent curves, rises and falls of Jacob's muscular chest, while he told her something about the French Revolution. She was not really listening, though. He knew that and she knew that he knew that. Actually, she barely ever listened to what he said, at all. She had always been much too captivated by the soothing sound of his husky voice.
It was always this simple between them. Because they knew what was going on between them. There was no need to put it into words. Words could never properly express what they felt. No description could ever pay justice to the real thing.
And so Bella nestled against Jacob, lost in her thoughts while he recited names, dates, wars, battles, places, and they understood each other on a more profound level than language and speech.
"Would you marry me?"
Bella's question interrupted Jacobs little speech about poor little Napoleon, and for a few seconds there was absolute silence. Not even the raindrops or the wind seemed to make a sound anymore.
She raised her head, resting her chin on his shoulder, meeting his gaze. It had been more of a rhetorical question the moment it had passed her lips, but when Bella saw the earnest in Jacob's dark eyes, she knew he took it just as seriously as her heart had subconsciously meant it.
"Of course I would."
She nodded and smiled, kissing the soft but firm skin on his shoulder once, before cuddling back into her former position, Jacob's chatter soon filling the room again.
And it was set.
Because time was running out…
3. W a i t i n g
Waiting: the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something)
They knew they could not just run off and get married. At least, not right away.
If they could, they would have done it. Not because they want to get married. No. Bella Swan had always been and would always be a strong defender of ´living in sin`. And Jacob Black never thought of it as being something substantial to a man's existence, either. But it felt so right to them. Like something they should be doing.
It took them twenty minutes of internet research (the day after Bella "proposed") to settle their plan. It was simple and it would work. Just like them.
They would have a Christmastime Wedding in Las Vegas.
They weren't able go right then because Jacob was still underage and they didn't want to ask Billy. He would probably agree, but they wanted to get married. And no one else needed to know about that.
So, they would wait until December for Jacob to turn eighteen. Due to Christmas, his school did not interfere with their plans and the six months until then were enough to scrape together the money they needed.
Officially, they would be on a five-day road trip through California. Just a little vacation. Time-off.
In fact, they would drive to Las Vegas with the Rabbit, book a room in some cheap motel, get a marriage license and get married in Graceland Chapel. Fifteen minutes. And they would be husband and wife.
Then they would drive to Los Angeles, take some pictures at Santa Monica Peer and the Walk of Fame for camouflage and would return home with the excuse that Bella dropped the camera and almost all the pictures got deleted.
And when the time came, everybody would know what they had really been doing. But for that point they had all the time in the world.
While for other things, time was running out…
4. T r u t h
Truth: Conformity to fact or actuality.
Bella was constantly giggling from the moment she shouted See you in a couple of days, Dad! until they reached the highway. They had made it. Five months and two weeks of sneaking around, lying, spying, acting like children – and they made it. They were on the way, on the road and nobody suspected a thing.
Jacob was quieter than Bella, concentrating on the road, evaluating the impact of what they had done, what they were about to do. But there were no doubts. None. There would never be anyone else in his mind and heart than the girl next to him, breathing evenly now, head against the passenger window, eyes closed, hair a mess, sleeping, dreaming - maybe about the same things he did.
He was a little proud of them. Of how they had found perfect alibis, how perfectly everything had gone.
And so he drove and drove and smiled to himself about the way things were.
They arrived in Vegas and the motel they had booked two months before. Jacob carried a sleeping Bella into their room - small, dark and dusty, almost as if it had served as the set for horror movies before. It was a ridiculous thought, but Jacob pulled Bella as close to him as possible that night, securely wrapping her in his arms.
He didn't sleep much and if he did slip into unconsciousness, he still saw too much, felt too much, heard too much. His dreams were much too vivid. But he could forever dream these dreams here, as long as Bella was with him here in his arms.
They lay in bed until noon the next day, for once no time to hurry and rush because the day had come. When Bella opened her sleepy eyes Jacob smiled at her and kissed the top of her nose.
Three hours later, they left the Marriage Bureau, their marriage license in Jacob's proud hands. Bella's arm was locked with his and when they stepped out onto the busy street, she started to laugh – again. This time, Jacob joined in and some nearby passers-by surely declared these two for insane, standing there on the sidewalk, arm in arm, documents in hands, laughing as if there was no tomorrow.
And maybe there would never be. Who could tell?
Time was running out…
5. R e a s o n
Reason: The capacity for logical, rational, and analytic thought; intelligence.
It was harder than they thought, getting married. Not physically. No. It was way too easy to get all the way here and here they were, standing in front of the minister. Jacob in his cut-off jeans, sneakers and a grey T-shirt, Bella wearing almost the identical outfit - only her jeans were still full-length.
Jacob and Isabella, we are gathered here this evening at the Graceland Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas, Nevada.
We gather in the presence of God to join you in the bond of holy matrimony.
Marriage shall always, like life, be remembered as a journey – not a destination – and that its treasures are found not just at the end but all along the way.
They heard the minister's voice drone in the distance, lost in each other's eyes; for the first time really grasping onto the depth of what they were doing. And still it felt right.
Jacob William Black, do you take Isabella Marie Swan to be your wife?
To have and to hold
From this day forward
For better, for worse
For richer, for poorer
In sickness and in health
To love and to cherish
For as long as you both shall live?
It took Jacob a couple of second before he realized that he almost missed the most vital part in this whole adventure, and when he said his I do, it sounded surprised, as if he just said something he never had before and only now realized what it meant. And in some sense, not quite literally, it was true.
And do you, Isabella Marie Swan, take Jacob William Black to be your husband?
To have and to hold
From this day forward
For better, for worse
For richer, for poorer
In sickness and in health
To love and to cherish
For as long as you both shall live?
Bella was faster with her reaction, but weaker in action. She answered almost immediately, her eyes still glued onto Jacob's, but her I do was mostly inaudible, a husky whisper, almost as unspectacular as a relaxed intake of breath.
Jacob, if you will take the ring for Isabella and place it on her ring finger.
Their hearts fluttered a little when Jacob gently took Bella's left hand in his, their size and skin colour always such a remarkable contrast, while his free hand rifled through his jeans pocket, finally pulling out her ring. He chuckled a little at the sight of it before carefully placing it onto Bella's finger.
They had bought their rings a while back during a trip to Port Angeles in some weird medieval store they had ran into while escaping the gossip-cop-view of Jessica Stanley and Lauren Mallory. The two 10 $ rings were silver with a strange black-greenish curly pattern across it. Ugly, to tell the truth. But inconspicuous.
And Jacob, as you hold her hand and as you look at her, please repeat after me.
Isabella, with this ring,
I marry you,
I promise you my love,
My heart,
My happiness
And I will love and trust you
For the rest of my life
It felt strange, hearing him say those words out loud. For both of them. They were true, but they felt so unnecessary. Still, the smile on Jacob's face was as bright as ever and the goose bumps all over Bella's skin increased the shiver that already ran down her spine.
And Isabella, if you will take the ring for Jacob and place it on his ring finger.
Bella had the ring already in her hand, eager to get this over with, as she grabbed Jacob's hand with a slight smirk on her face, placing the ring on his finger, amused by the sight of Jacob paired with jewellery.
And as you look at Jacob please repeat after me.
Jacob, with this ring,
I marry you,
I promise you my love,
My heart,
My happiness
And I will love and trust you
For the rest of my life
The mood and atmosphere changed again. From playful to serious and Bella's voice was suddenly heavy, thick, her throat clamping. She fought against herself while forcing the words over her lips, fighting the tears that threatened to spill over. Not for this.
Jacob's thumb, which was brushing gently across her hand, did not help.
Jacob and Isabella, because this evening you both have come to this chapel saying vows that acknowledge your love toward each other's safe and tender keeping and by the power vested in me by God and the state of Nevada, I now pronounce you husband and wife.
There. They had done it.
Jacob, you may kiss your bride.
And that he did. With a bright, almost insane, school-boyish grin on his face, Jacob Black wrapped his arms around his wife and kissed her with all the passion he could muster. Bella felt as if this was what she had been waiting for all along, as if being here was the centre point of her life.
And for a single moment – time stood still for Jacob and Bella.