Closure: Prologue
Two SUVs, one truck and a small moving van pulled up into the drive of the enormous house on the isolated plain in Alaska. Bella turned her attention to the man sitting next to her just as Jacob took her hand in his and gently kissed it. Instantly her heart sped up. Jacob still had that affect on her even after all of these years. His handsome face looking no older than it had 22 years ago. It was as if time had stood still, but of course after everything that had happened to them, it was expected. Jacob, who was now technically 38 years old, would never look that age. At 16 he had gone through his transformation which left him looking like a 22 year old overnight. Now 20 plus some years later he still was incredibly sexy standing at 6'7 with an amazing muscular body that was to die for. Women still stopped and stared at him while others still came on to him. However, he was just as devoted to her and only her as he was when he had been a young teen.
On their way to Alaska they stopped at a gas station where three women couldn't keep their eyes off him, Seth or Charlie. One of them made eyes at her baby Jaxon. Bella had enough and had stormed over to let the woman know she was making eyes at a 13 year old and to knock it off. Bella knew it wasn't Jacob's amazing body or his fantastic looks that had kept her happily married to him all these years. It was the absolute love and devotion he had showed her. They had gone through so much in their lives, more than anyone would have ever expected them to go through. She had gone through the darkest depths of hell, sunk into the abyss and when she had thought to have drowned, it was Jacob and his unconditional love had pulled her out.
The front door to the house opened and out stepped Esme wearing a beautiful jade colored dress. Her beautiful face radiated with pure joy as Carlisle stepped out from behind her resting his arms on her shoulders as if to keep her in place. Bella watched as two teens got out of the SUV and truck and ran with supernatural speed to Esme's waiting arms. The oldest, a tall and handsome boy with a radiating smile, swept Esme up in his arms crushing her into a bear hug.
"Are you sure Jake?" Bella whispered. She knew this was more difficult for him than anyone of them.
Jacob watched the teens as Esme covered them with kisses. A moment later a younger teen with long dark hair and russet skin caught up with the older two and was caught in Esme's arms. Soon, he too was covered with kisses just like his older brother and sister. "Yes. We did the right thing Bella. It was time."
Bella looked at him for a moment. "I love you Jacob." She paused. "I know that this is hard for you. I know what you left behind, for me." She paused looking down, playing with her wedding ring almost nervously, her voice filled with regret.
Fingering her chin, he forced her to look up and gaze deeply in his eyes. Pure love shined from him. "Bells, I love you and our family. I will do anything to protect our family." He stated.
"Yes, it's hard moving away from our home and the tribe. But our children have to come first. People off the rez were starting to ask questions about them; about us. We are much more noticeable than my pack brothers and their mates. They are starting to age a bit slowly were as we are not. We had no choice but to leave." He paused for a moment, thinking about his family and the life they had left behind. "My brothers will ensure that the people are safe. I'm not too far away if they need me. Right now, you and our children are my priority. And you, my sweet mate, are my life." He closed his eyes and leaned forward to kiss the top of her silky head. "Without you, I have nothing." He whispered.
Bella nodded trying not to spill the tears that stung her eyes. It seems that these days she was more emotional than ever. Jacob hopped out of the SUV. The weather was relatively warm for Alaska; the green of summer making its way. But he knew that soon there would be nothing but cold. Those nights he planned to do everything in his power to keep his petite wife warm. He was grinning and thinking of all the delicious ways and what he could do because making love to Bella NEVER got old. Making his way toward her side of the car, he helped her down. Bella smiled up at him. His wife was the most beautiful creature that God could have created. Like him, Bells had stopped aging. Her alabaster skin shone, her mahogany hair had little burgundy highlights thanks to Kim's hair salon, while her face was simply beautiful. She looked no older than 20 years old in her cream colored sweater, dark blue jeans and UGGS. Taking her hand they moved up the steps toward Esme and Carlisle who were saying hello to their children and to Seth. Although his relationship with the Cullen's had dramatically changed over the years, he still had to hold his breath when he came near them because they stunk to high heaven. Nothing about the undead changed. Yet that didn't keep Esme from hugging him or him doing the same to her, even though he knew he stunk just as much to her.
Esme turned toward them and her eyes fell on the small baby bump under Bella's cream colored sweater. Her hand caught her sigh. Tears, if they could have fallen out of her eyes, would have at that moment. "Carlisle…oh my…Bella." She looked up at the handsome doctor. "We're going to be grandparents again."
Carlisle looked debonair as ever in a blue sweater and black pants. "This certainly is a blessing. Another addition to the family. "
Esme kissed Bella on both of her cheeks in a motherly fashion. "Come, we've prepared a huge dinner for you all."
"She's been cooking all day." Carlisle stated clasping Seth on his back.
They moved into the huge house, the kids jabbering with Esme. As usual, the artwork and the décor of the Cullen home were divine. Bella noticed that more caps and tassels had been added to the Cullen's gradation artwork peace, and smirked at the inside joke. The sound of running followed by booming feet seemed to jump over the first floor, landing with a thud. Thank God the foyer was made of pure marble.
"Uncle Emmet!" Charlie exclaimed as Emmet began to wrestle him in the foyer. Charlie who had been regional champion at Forks, along with his supernatural strength, was more than enough for Emmet as the two went crashing to the floor.
"Please, don't break anything. We just got here!" Cried Bella though mirth showed in her eyes. She looked over the stairs where Rosalie stood looking mind-blowing in a designer black wrap around sweater and jeans.
"Rosalie." Bella nodded.
"Hello Bella." She greeted with warmth. "Mutt." She hissed right before she gave Jacob a soft smile.
"Hello Blondie." Jacob laughed. He had some new blonde jokes that he had been dying to try out on her. Nothing amused him more as much as sticking it to her.
Rosalie went to hug Jaxon and Charlize. Bella watched the joy Rosalie had when she embraced Charlize in a hug. Rosalie loved Bella's children, all of them, but she was especially fond of her 15 year old daughter. Charlize was extremely beautiful both inside and out. She took after Jacob with her tall height standing at 5'7, yet, had Bella's thin statue; she was a golden goddess with russet color skin and long black hair that fell down her back. Wearing a pair of jeans and a pumpkin colored sweater, it naturally enhanced her beautiful face that spoke of her Native American heritage. She was simply stunning. She was also drastically different from her twin brother Charlie who stood at 6'2. Charlie had Bella's mahogany hair and her pale coloring and eyes, though was also fit with a lanky yet muscular frame. The twins were not only close to each other, but they were also very gifted. Because of their supernatural parents, they each had different gifts. One of the gifts being a special bond where they were connected with their minds. They heard each other's thoughts and often communicated that way. Charlie could read minds of just about everyone, except of his mother. He could also project his thoughts with a single touch. He also had supernatural strength and speed.
Charlize, she could touch an object and see its past. She also had the gift of foresight which Bella found out from Billy Black that Jacob's mother had. Like her brother, she too was strong and fast, but not as fast as her brother. Then there was their youngest son, Jaxon. Jaxon was all Jacob, the spitting image of his father. Although 13, he looked at least 16 with Jacob's hair, smile, and knack for trouble. He was all wiry muscle with long hair that was pulled into a ponytail. Their son also had a passionate streak that got him into mischief, not to mention the ability to manipulate then get off with a charismatic grin. He too had picked up his father's supernatural genes and had been phasing since he was 11. Jaxon was able to do it with little thought and had become the fastest of the pack though his father was still the strongest as alpha. Bella had a hard time keeping the girls off her son. All three of her children were impressively intelligent. But most of all, they were happy and committed to family.
Bella felt Jacob's hands slide over her tummy. She closed her eyes and leaned against his frame, melting in his arms. "What are you thinking about?" He asked as his teeth nipped and pulled at her ear.
"About this baby. I just wonder what he or she is going to be like."
"He or she is going to be just as amazing as our other children. Although if we have another one like Jaxon, I swear my hair will turn gray." Bella laughed at the thought. Thank God Jaxon had healing abilities because he was always breaking something or someone.
"Dinner's served!" Esme shouted from the other room. The family moved into the dining room where a banquet of all kinds of pastas with red and white sauce, two types of lasagna, stuffed shells, stuffed peppers, grilled Portobello mushrooms with goat cheese, T-bone steaks, lamb chops, roasted veggies, asparagus loaves of warm bread not to mention a plethora of pies and cakes.
"That's why we love you Esme. You sure do know how to make a feast." Jaxon stated kissing her quickly before grabbing a plate and filling it. Charlie, Seth and Charlize followed; though only Seth and Jacob could eat as much as Jaxon. Bella filled her small plate with the roasted veggies and grilled Portobello mushroom and began to eat.
"Bella I made you a wonderful banana and protein milkshake." Carlisle said as he set it in front of her glass of water. "I remember how much you craved them when you were carrying Jaxon."
"Don't remind me." When she had been carrying him, she was hungry all of the time. The little wolf loved to eat and eat and eat. She thought she was going to get a big as a house. Still, it had been a breeze compared to what she had gone through carrying the twins. Bella watched her family eating and talking, feeling a sense of peace. Only a few members were missing. Alice and Jasper were on a trip to Paris for their anniversary and would be back in a couple of months. And of course, Edward was missing. Edward had taken to roaming like a nomad. But she knew sooner rather than later that he would come home to his family.
A sense of sadness washed over her when she thought about him. She often felt guilty for taking his family away. However, he stated that he was more than happy for the time that Jacob and their children had with the Cullen's. Though the years had passed and transgressions had been forgiven, there was and would always be a tentative fragile bond between her and Edward. It was something that Jacob understood and accepted; however that didn't mean that Jacob could truly be comfortable with Edward. It wasn't out of his lack of trust or faith in her or their love because over the years she had proven where her heart truly lied. But there was so much bad blood between the two men that some things couldn't be forgotten. That was why she loved her children so much; they were the one thing that they had in common. They would both die for the children sitting at the table, they all would.
Two Hours Later
The trucks pulled into the isolated house around 30 miles from the Cullen's home. "Oh my God…" Bella stated as she got out of the car.
Jacob had a look of disbelief and began shaking his head. "Did you know Bells?"
"No," she answered while still looking at the magnificent home. "Esme only said that she found us a home."
"Had it built it is more like it. It looks just like our home in Forks." And it did, only bigger.
Charlize, who had been driving the other SUV, got out and started running toward the structure. She was quickly followed by Charlie and Jaxon. Bella wrapped her arms around Jacob as they made their way into their new home. They stepped inside to find the house fully furnished and most of their items that they shipped were placed where they had been in their old home.
"This was Esme's doing. She wanted us to feel like we were home." A note was on the door. Welcome home! We thought you'd like something special to come home too. There are a few changes because of the size of your family is growing."
Jacob nodded. "I do see some additions. There's a lot more room for the kids."
Seth stepped through the door looking muscular in a tight black T-shirt and jeans. "There's a guest house on the other side of the drive, a basketball court, and a small gym for me. It's fully loaded with a living room, full kitchen and bedroom."
"Good thinking to Esme." Jacob muttered with appreciation.
Bella turned as Seth went back out to his truck and looked to have started moving his things. Seth was more than just Jacob's pack brother and friend. Seth was family and when the family decided they had to move, he moved with then. Of course he had to since much to the chagrin of Jacob; Seth had imprinted on their 15 year old daughter. Bella found that she didn't mind it as much because she knew that Seth would do all he could to protect and see to Charlize's happiness. Though when they first decided to move it would have been strange for Seth to be in the same house as Charlize. Charlize only had eyes for Seth and now as she was getting older; her feelings for him were beginning to develop. Jacob often kept an eye on those two. Bella teased him that God was getting him back for all the moves that he had pulled on her when they had been teens.
Stepping outside on the walk around porch she walked down toward the SUV. The French doors from the second story opened out and her daughter came out on the landing breathing the fresh air. "My room is double the size!" She yelled.
"Woo hoo! There's a swimming pool!" Cried Jaxon.
Bella couldn't help but laugh as she watched Jaxon climb out of his room and balance himself on the banister. A moment later he laughed and jumped and phased in mid air and came down on the ground stories below him. Jacob shook his head and grabbed a hold of his son/wolf as he was just about to take off. "No, you aren't going to explore on your own." He said to the russet wolf. "Just wait and I'll go with you. It will give me a chance to layout the land and create a perimeter. I also want to see if there are anymore wolves in this area." He shrugged out of his shirt, his sneakers and then cargo pants leaving him naked. His muscular butt looked amazing right before he phased. It sent tingles up Bella's spine. She never got tired of looking at his fine body.
"Eww…gross." Charlize gagged when she saw where her mother's attention was. "Why can't you act like everyone else's parents who hate each other?"
"Your father is NOT like everyone else." Bella stated.
She turned when she heard rustling and saw that Seth had phased as well and was next to Jacob and Jaxon. Three wolves, though Jaxon was smaller because of his age. Suddenly Charlie was next to Charlize and then launched himself off the second story only to land perfect on his two feet with grace as if he had jumped off a step instead of stories. "Wait for me! I'm going to go hunting. The food that Esme prepared was good but I'll need something more substantial."
Bella shook her head at her son. "Mind your father okay." The handsome teen smiled and kissed her before taking off his shirt and running with basketball shorts behind the wolves.
"And what about you my dear?" Bella asked her daughter who was starting to look more like her sister.
"I'm fine. I'm sure Seth will take me to explore later. Besides…" Charlize began to say as she went to her mother's unnoticed. "I can see clearly what's in Charlie's head. I'll know where everything is."
"So, you'll help me with the unpacking?"
"Yup. Although we will have some help soon."
"We will?"
"Yes, Edward is coming. He should be here by nightfall."
A small waver covered Bella's face. "Don't worry mom." Charlize said with a brilliant smile that reminded her of Jacob. "He will be just as happy with Reneesme as we are. The news of the pregnancy won't upset him. Remember he just wants you to be happy."
"Reneesme?"
Charlize pulled a long strand of hair behind her ear as she opened the van door to take some boxes. "It's her name."
Bella's hand stilled on her stomach. "You see her. You never told me."
"Well, you didn't want to know the sex of the baby and then today, you changed your mind."
Unlike Alice's visions that changed; Charlize's gift of foresight was certain. "Don't worry mom, she won't be like Jaxon. She's going to be so amazing. You'll see. However, it seems that you and dad can't seem to have normal children even if you tried. "She said with laughter as she made her way to the truck.
"She's gifted too?"
"Yes. She'll be VERY gifted." Her daughter said as she walked toward their home. Bella turned and looked toward the horizon.
The one thing Bella had learned a long time ago was that life was unpredictable. It had taken them a long time to get to this point. This strange blended family of vampire and werewolves was something that nobody ever expected. No one could have seen this coming. Certainly not when she had moved to Forks at 17. And definitely not the day Edward had left her broken in the woods. Or the day that Jacob Black made her forget her pain. Yet they had gotten to this point and it had all started strangely enough when Edward Cullen came back to Forks to reclaim her 15 years earlier.