Chances

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

Part Twenty One-Jake and Bells

Charlie sat outside in the rare sunshine and smiled as he felt the warmth heat up his skin. He was sitting comfortably in his deckchair, an opened beer can by his side as he watched his four year old grandson, Jacob, play with the mud in the front yard. The young boy had a determined expression on his face as he patted the earth into a round shape before beginning to make another.

"What are you building, Jake?" Charlie called out to him.

"Pies." Came the prompt reply.

"Pies, huh?"

"Yes. Make pies for Nanna." Jacob sank his hands into another pile of mud and began to pat it into shape.

"You know you can't eat those, don't you?" Charlie told him as he took a sip of his beer.

Jacob stopped what he was doing and squinted in the bright sun as he looked over at his grandfather. "Bells eat mud pies."

Charlie choked on his beer. "She said that?"

Jacob nodded, an earnest expression on his face. Charlie shook his head, it sounded like something Bella would say. Sam and Leah's daughter could be quite precocious and she was fond of teasing Jake. Little Bella was only a couple of months younger than his grandson and the two of them were as thick as thieves together. They had been firm friends from a young age and hated being apart from one another. It was lucky that the house Charlie shared with Sue was not far from Leah and Sam's.

"Grandpa, when Bells coming?" Jacob whined as he strolled over to Charlie, his muddy hands shoved in the pockets of his shorts. Charlie sighed, he knew that Sue would be annoyed that he had let Jake get messy again, but that's what all little boys did.

"Soon." Charlie finished his beer and stood up, stretching the aching muscles in his back. "We better get you inside and cleaned up before they arrive."

A mutinous expression crossed Jake's face as he backed away from Charlie. "No more baths."

"Yes, baths." Charlie said sternly. "You don't want me to tell your Nanna that you didn't want to get cleaned up now, do you?" He played his trump card.

Jacob quickly changed his mind, not wanting to experience the wrath of his Nanna. "Okay." He agreed grudgingly.

Charlie smiled in satisfaction as he took his grandson's hand and led him into the house. "Good boy."

The bathroom was a soggy mess as Jacob, wrapped in a towel, jumped up and down impatiently. Water dripped from the ends of his hair and onto his neck as Charlie tried to dry him off. "Bells coming."

"Yes, I know." Charlie huffed. "Let me finish getting you dry otherwise she'll see you in just your boxers."

Jacob looked horrified. He stopped moving about and let his grandfather finish drying him off. Charlie sighed in relief when he was done and ushered Jake out of the bathroom. "Go to your room and put on some clean clothes."

"Okay." Jacob did as he was told and quickly ran off.

Charlie was just about to clean up the mess when there was a knock on the door. Leah and Bella were already here. He quickly dumped the wet towels on the floor and hurried out to answer the door.

"Hey Charlie, you look a little flustered." Leah greeted her stepfather with a smile.

"Just finished giving Jake a bath."

"Ah I see. That explains it." Leah laughed as she glanced down at her daughter. Bella was hopping from one foot to the other, dying to escape so she could see her friend. "Say hello then Bella."

"Hi." Bella said quickly as she gazed up at her mother. "Can I see Jakey now?"

Leah rolled her eyes at her daughter's impatience. She pulled Bella's long, silky black hair into a ponytail and wound an elastic band around it. "Alright miss. Behave though."

Bella pouted. "I behave."

"Mmmm..." Leah released her daughter's hand and watched as she fled down the narrow hall toward Jake's bedroom. Seconds later they heard giggling and then yelling.

Bella came running back out, her hands over her mouth as she giggled. Leah exchanged an amused look with Charlie. "What?"

"Jakey naked." Bella crowed as she began to dance around, repeating the words over and over.

"Didn't you knock?" Leah chided her daughter.

A moment later a red faced Jacob emerged. He was now fully dressed. Bella skipped around him chanting that she had seen him naked. Jacob folded his arms and glared at her. Bella stopped teasing him once she could see how embarrassed he was. She looked at him from under her long lashes and gave him her special smile.

"Sorry."

Jacob couldn't stay angry at her. He never could. His face suddenly broke out into a sunny grin and his green eyes sparkled as he caught hold of her hand. "Bells, wanna see pies?"

Bella smiled back at him as she nodded. The two of them raced back out of the house, still holding hands.

"They are so much like them." Leah said wistfully to Charlie.

He patted Leah on the back as he became lost in memories. "They sure are." He agreed.

Sam came to join his wife for dinner at the Swan's. As soon as he entered the house he was nearly knocked backward by both his daughter and Jacob throwing themselves at him. He laughed as he picked them both up easily.

"Daddy." Bella yelled. "You late."

"Sorry little one." Sam kissed her on the top of her head. "Work was busy."

"Nanna pissed cos dinner burnt." Bella folded her arms and shot him a glare just like his wife's. His daughter was a mini version of her mother.

"Don't say pissed." Sam warned her.

"Nanna say pissed." Bella replied innocently.

"Auntie Lee say pissed." Jacob echoed her.

Sam sighed. He loved his wife and his immediate family, but sometimes it was exhausting being around such feisty women. He carried the two children into the kitchen. Charlie raised his eyebrows at him. "Your dinner is in the oven."

"Burnt from what I hear." Sam put the children down and pulled out a chair. "Where's Sue and Lee?"

"They are out the back enjoying the last of the sun." Charlie told him. "Beer?" He offered.

"I would love one." Sam took the cold can and snapped it open. He just put the can to his lips when there was a loud crash. He exchanged an alarmed look with Charlie. "What have they done now?"

Two guilty looking children filed out of the laundry room. Sam got up from his seat and strode over to them. "What happened?"

"I didn't mean it daddy. The washing jumped." Bella muttered, her hands behind her back.

"Jake?" Sam questioned.

"It did too." Jacob agreed. "The basket jumped and the washing flew."

"I bet it did." Sam was too tired to call then out on their lies, they always backed each other up anyway. "Come on then, we better clear it up before your Nanna sees the mess."

Jacob and Bella exchanged an anxious glance. The last thing they wanted to invoke was Nanna Sue's wrath. They quickly ran back to the laundry room to help Sam tidy up.

Charlie and Sue stood in the doorway to Jacob's room and watched him and Bella sleep. The two children had exhausted themselves getting into mischief as usual. They had both fallen asleep on the couch and Charlie had told Sam and Leah that it would be easier for Bella to stay. She could get grouchy if disturbed.

"They are growing up so fast." Sue said sadly as she held onto her husband's arm.

"I know." Charlie replied softly. His eyes wandered to the photograph that stood in pride of place next to Jacob's bed. His daughter and Jacob were both smiling into the camera, laughing. Jacob had his arms wrapped around Bella and she had her cheek resting against his. They looked happy vital and alive and that is how Charlie wanted his grandson to picture them. "I miss them both so much."

Sue kissed him on the cheek. "I know, we all do. I promised Billy we would go with him to visit their graves tomorrow. We can buy some flowers and let young Jake put them there."

"I'd like that." Charlie smiled affectionately at his wife. "We'll bring Bells with us too. Jake is always better when she's there."

"It's good that they have each other." Sue squeezed his hand. "Come on and let them sleep. I'll make you some hot coco and perhaps we could look through the family album."

"I love you Sue." Charlie whispered.

"I love you too." Sue gave her husband another gentle kiss before leading him down the hall.

FIN...

A/N-thanks for reading! I really wanted to give Bella and Jake their HEA in this story, but it didn't really fit in with how I saw the story playing out in my mind. I could never imagine Jake being able to carry on without his Bella and vice versa. Bella had overused her powers and I felt I wouldn't be staying true to the story if I had her just miraculously recovering when I hadn't set up the plot that way. This way they are together, watching over the next generation. Thank you all for following the story and the awesome reviews. I really appreciate you all taking the time to read and review. Hugs, Nikki :)