A/N : I'm not even coming out of my hiding place right now. Sheesh! It's been forever since I updated. SMH. My schedules are super crazy and even if I'm dying to write, I don't get enough time these days. Eh, I shouldn't be giving reasons. Sorry for the late update.I hope you all are still here. Also, if you haven't heard back from me about your review, it's because of this schedule again. Just know that I've read them all, love them all, and they put a big smile on my face. Thank you for all the reviews and alerts. :)

This story wouldn't be here if not for the efforts Tami and Fran put into this. A big thank you to both of them for everything they are doing for this story. Lots of love and wolfy hugs, my lovelies. :D (33

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.

Chapter 3 - Reunions and regrets.

After two and a half days of walking, it seemed like they were finally nearing their destination. All throughout their journey, Jacob had carried Callie - refusing to let her walk, even for a short distance, though she claimed her ankle felt better. Her heart melted remembering the way his arms wrapped around her, the way he brought water and picked wild berries to nourish her, and the way he cradled her to his chest during the night to keep her warm while she slept. When she'd hesitantly admitted his nakedness bothered her, he had stolen a pair of baggy shorts from a nearby clothes line at the edge of the woods. Though they had walked in silence for the most part, Callie realized Jacob didn't appear to be as dangerous as she had believed, but she was still wary and cautious of this supernatural being. She knew it was important to remember that after what she'd seen in the forest, she didn't know exactly what he was or even what he was capable of.

Callie could see some houses just beyond the edge of the forest. She'd been looking for an escape route the whole time, and if they were in public, it would be easier for her to get away from her captor. Before she could get excited about seeing civilization again, Jake unexpectedly put her down. She'd been in his arms for so long; the sudden change in him made her anxious, and yet, piqued her curiosity.

She stood next to him, observing him intently. Jacob stood still; his hand tightly gripped a nearby tree. Tears welled up in his eyes as he stared at something beyond the tree line, his breathing laboured. Callie never knew a man who could be so feral one minute and so vulnerable the next. He looked like a lost child cowering in a corner, afraid of the outside world. As much as she hated to admit it, she had the urge to reach out and comfort him. Contemplating her every move, she took a tiny step toward him, but stopped herself before she placed a hand on his shoulder.

"That's…" She heard him whisper, pointing at something she couldn't see yet. His voice was thick with emotion as he finished, "Home." There was something about the way he said home that went straight to her heart. For a moment, all her fear toward this wolf-man vanished. The desire to hold him tight and comfort him overwhelmed her, forcing her to move closer and place a reassuring hand on his shoulder. She quickly came to her senses and jerked her hand back, wondering what had just happened.

Jacob turned around, the first voluntary touch from his mate added to the emotions filling his heart. His eyes searched hers for comfort, for reassurance, but her guard was up again. He lifted his hand to caress her cheek, but when she pulled back he stopped himself. After a moment of awkward silence, he sighed and offered her his hand. "Come on. Let's get going."

As they stepped out of the woods and started moving toward the little red house, Jake's heart started pounding in his chest. With every step, his fear increased. What if his dad refused to talk to him? What if his dad wouldn't forgive him? Even worse, what if he didn't even get the chance to apologize? No, Jake couldn't bear the thought of that. That just couldn't happen. The what ifs drove him crazy as he finally stood in front of the house. His house.

He took a moment to gaze at the place where he'd spent his childhood. How he had longed for home. It still looked the same, warm and welcoming. He hoped it felt the same. Many nights this place he loved had been in his dreams. Now that he was back, a piece of something that had been missing was put back into place. Mustering all the courage he had, he stepped on the porch, gently pulling Callie along. His whole body seemed to freeze as he lifted a hand and knocked on the door.

Seconds passed, but he didn't hear the familiar squeak of the metal against the wooden floor. He could hear the heavy footsteps on the other side, could smell the person who was about to open the door. He knew that scent, but he couldn't place the name. What bothered him the most was; he knew the person on the other side of the door was not his father.

Unknowingly, Jacob's grip on Callie's hand tightened as he held on for dear life. His vision blurred as tears welled in his eyes again. The door opened, revealing a tall muscular figure. Blinking the tears away, Jacob tried to focus on the man he'd known all his life. Standing there with shock written all over his face was none other than his best friend, Embry Call.

"J-Jake?!" Embry gasped, a wide spectrum of emotions ranging from doubt to pity to realization to pure joy played on his face. In disbelief, he exclaimed, "Jake, is that… is that you? Oh, God!" He reached out to hug him tightly. "My God! Jake! I thought I'd never see you again."

Callie was surprised to see all this. The other man seemed pretty normal, but she didn't understand his reaction. Jacob Black seemed to have a really messed up past.

Jacob was so overwhelmed; he couldn't react to what Embry was saying. He just patted Embry on the back, and pulled away to look at him again. Embry looked the same as he did all those years ago, only bigger and more mature. Gulping, Jake tried to ask about his dad, but the words refused to come out. He was afraid of the answer.

"Embry… "He tried, searching Embry's eyes to see if they revealed something. "Where's…?"

Jacob stopped midway when he heard something. At first he thought he was imagining it, but the gruff voice from inside the house confirmed that he had really heard the squeak. That squeak from his dad's wheelchair.

"Who's at the door, son?" Billy Black wheeled out into the living room. Hearing his dad's voice, Jacob rushed through the half open door. Embry followed him in and Callie hesitantly moved closer, very curious to figure out what was going on.

Stepping inside, Jake stood right in front of his dad. A wave of emotions hit him. Relief, shame, guilt, but most of all… love. As father and son stared at each other, time stood still. The old man who had spent the last six years of his life praying to the Great Spirit for his son's well-being and safe return, took a moment to let it sink in. Tears slid down his lined face as he regarded the massive man standing in front of him.

"J-Jake… "Billy practically whimpered and wheeled closer, his hand reaching out to touch his child—one who he loved more than life itself.

The emotions weighed heavily on him as Jacob dropped to his knees, clutching his dad's legs tightly. "D-dad… I thought…" Gasping as his throat constricted, he rested his head on Billy's lap and sobbed. He'd bottled up his feelings for so long; he couldn't contain it any longer. Deep inside, he knew staying away for so long had been wrong.

"Jake…" Billy hugged his son against him as he ran his fingers lovingly over Jacob's head. He'd never given up, but it was almost hard to believe that his son was back.

"I'm so sorry, Dad. I shouldn't have l-left you." He choked out, "I'm such a bad son…"

Billy was almost overwhelmed with the love he felt. "Shh. None of that, kid." He soothed his son. "You're back. You're with me now. That's all that matters." Billy tried to console him, meaning every word. He had no complaints about Jacob. He had always been a wonderful son. What he did was because of the pain he'd endured. Billy knew how much Jacob had suffered before he left, and his heart broke a little every time he thought of it. The heartbreak over Bella combined with the pressure of being a Quileute Warrior had been too much for Jacob to handle. Billy felt partly responsible. It was his blood running through his son's veins. If he'd been better at helping Jacob cope with the pressure of it all, he might not have left.

Straightening up, Jacob looked into his father's eyes. "No, Dad. I screwed up. I shouldn't have… I wasn't thinking and I put you through hell." His eyes reflected the truth of his genuine apology. It came from deep in his soul. "I'm sorry." He whispered, the midnight orbs begging for relief from the guilt that was crushing him. He put his head back down.

Billy touched Jacob's head, his aged eyes absorbing all the changes. The disheveled appearance, long hair, pained eyes. He looked exhausted and broken. He wished his son could have a normal life. The kid deserved some peace. His voice was soothing and gentle. "I'm not mad at you, son. I love you. You have no idea how happy I am to have you back." He squeezed Jake's shoulder. "Let's let go of the past. We both made mistakes. It's a new beginning." He smiled. It was a smile he'd passed on to Jacob. It was a reassuring smile full of sunshine. His world was right again. A great burden had been lifted.

Callie stood in the corner, watching everything intently. For the moment, all thoughts of running were forgotten. Having grown up in foster care most of her life, she was really affected by the father-son reunion. Seeing the two men get so emotional had her in tears, and for reasons she couldn't understand, when Jacob cried, it hurt her. She could feel his pain in her heart.

Wiping away the tears, Callie looked around. The small house was neat and welcoming. The man who opened the door was now talking to a woman in the kitchen. She was tall and lean, but had curves in all the right places, the caramel skin, the facial features… she was beautiful. Callie didn't miss the baby bump, which added to her beauty. She could see surprise and shock on her face.

The woman came rushing towards Jacob and almost tackled him to the ground. "Good lord, Jake! About time you got your pathetic ass back here." Pulling back, she threw a hard punch at him, making Callie gasp. "You did quite a number on us, you moron. Don't you dare put us through it again, or I'll gut you with my bare hands, Black. You know I will." She was surprised to see the men chuckle at the woman's behaviour.

Jacob growled, in warning. His wolf was not used to being bossed around, but the human held back, remembering this was one of his pack.

Leah lifted her eyebrows, but seemed otherwise unaffected. "God! You smell like… ugh… I don't even know what smells this horrible. You need a shower. On second thought, maybe we should hose you off in the yard." Scrunching her nose, Leah pushed him away. Even Callie couldn't stop herself from smiling.

Jacob responded in a hoarse voice, "Leah Clearwater! The snarky she-wolf! I see you can still be a bitc… "Jacob stopped when Billy cleared his throat, raising an eyebrow at him. His wolf was agitated, but the man responded to his father.

For the first time since she met him, Callie saw the hint of a smile on Jacob's face. It would have reassured her, but hearing him call the pregnant woman she-wolf had scared her. Obviously there were more creatures like him.

Glaring at him, Leah muttered, "Go and shower, Jake. You're making me feel sick." She glanced at Callie. "And you have a lot of explaining to do." Beneath the playfulness, her tone was stern and serious.

Just as Jacob stood up, Billy held onto his hand, needing the contact. "Who's this, son?" Suddenly, all eyes were on Callie. Feeling insecure and nervous, she took a step back and fiddled with her fingers. Peeking up through her lashes, she saw Jacob walk towards her with sure strides. He put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. She tried to move away, but his grip was firm.

"This is Callie. She's my…" Jacob started.

Leah gasped. She was looking at the fresh bite mark on Callie's neck. "Oh, my God! What have you done, Jake?"

Jacob clenched his jaw and growled low in his throat before giving Leah an angry look. She had no right to question his actions… no right at all.

Callie saw them all looking at Jacob with shock, then back at her with curiosity. The man he'd called Embry focused on her intently as he moved protectively toward Leah.

Billy immediately noticed the volatile reaction from Jacob. The last thing he wanted was for his son to feel pressured. That could make him leave again. He took charge as he wheeled aside, motioning them to come forward. His voice was deep authoritative. "Get cleaned up kids. We have a lot to talk about."

Apparently, everyone in the room except her knew what was going on, and that irritated Callie. Taking a deep breath, she reluctantly followed Jacob as he pulled her further inside the house. She hoped she'd get out of this loony bin soon.

A/N : There you go. Finally! LOL.

Callie might seem too accepting of the situation, but she's just caught up in the moment. More on her thoughts about the reunion and how she feels about everything in the next chapter (which hopefully won't be this late.) Next chapter is big for Callie. Trust me, they are no where near rainbows and puppies.

Hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I did writing it. Thank you for reading. Good day. :)

Chamsp.