For the Last Time

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

A/N-an oldie but goodie. Set two years after Breaking Dawn AU.

Prologue-Let's Pretend

The house was quiet, you could hear the sound of a pin drop or a breath being exhaled in and then out. A log fire burned in the grate lighting up the small room. The flames spluttered in the slight draft coming through the half-opened window. None of the occupants of the room ever felt the cold. Arranged around the small space was a pair of comfy, battered leather sofas and a wooden table, piled high with books and other paraphernalia. This was Jacob's room, his own personal space that he had taken for himself out of the many large, airy rooms in the mansion. He had picked it especially. It was far enough away from the main family rooms so that he would not be disturbed and he knew that the Cullen's would never venture into such a small, dingy space. The only other people who visited his little den were Bella and of course, Rensmee.

They were with him now. Renesmee was sitting on the carpeted floor between him and Bella, unwrapping a gift he had made for her especially, with his own two hands. He often made things, it kept him occupied and made the long hours spent alone pass more quickly. It wasn't often that they could all come together like this without Bella's husband constantly checking up on them. Edward hardly left Bella's side, except to hunt. He was out with the rest of the family now, probably drinking the blood of some poor, hapless animal.

"I love it." Renesmee squealed, interrupting his thoughts. "Thank you, Jacob." She always called him by his full name. Only Bella was allowed to call him Jake.

"I'm glad. You mentioned you wanted a horse to ride. This is the next best thing until you grow old enough to ride a real one." Jacob patted the wooden rocking horse he had spent hours carving.

"It's exquisite, Jake." Bella smiled at him affectionately as she reached out and ran her fingers over the wooden horse. Her hand touched his briefly, and as always, she snatched it back before he could hold it.

"Can I ride it now?" Renesmee begged.

"Why not?" Bella lifted her small daughter up onto the horse's brightly painted saddle and watched as Renesmee began to rock back and forth, her hands holding the leather reins tightly.

"You are so talented, Jake. You should really think about selling some of your work." Bella suggested, not for the first time. "We could set up a website and you could..."

"No." Jacob stopped her before she could go on.

Bella sighed. "Why not?"

"What would be the point? We will all be moving again soon. How could I possibly start up a business, only to abandon it half way through." Jacob pushed the back of the rocking horse, making it sway faster. Renesmee grinned at him, flashing her perfect white teeth, her long auburn hair was tied in a plait that was wound around her head.

Bella hesitated a moment before speaking. She tried to choose her words carefully. "Jake, you've given up so much to follow us. I know how sad you are. I know that you miss your family. Maybe you should think about going back home to La Push. It's been two years."

Jacob frowned as Renesmee stopped the rocking horse and glanced at him. She was only the age of a toddler but looked like a seven year old; she was as astute as a girl ten times her age. Her green eyes gazed at him worriedly. "Jacob, I think you should go home."

"What?" Jacob stood up suddenly, his hands clenched into fists. "Is this you talking or Edward?"

Mother and daughter exchanged an anxious look. "We care for you, Jake." Bella turned her head to the side, her long, lustrous brown hair fell forward across her thin shoulders. "We want you to be happy. Rennie wants to see you smile again, as do I. You are not happy here."

Jacob raised his eyes and looked up at the ceiling. He took a deep breath. Of course, he wasn't happy here. He hated it. Surrounded by vampires twenty-four seven. He was in love with one of them and imprinted to her daughter. How was that fair? He wondered at times what he had done to deserve such a fate. He hated the fact that he couldn't stop loving Bella Swan. She had a hold over him he couldn't explain. He had come to think of little Rennie as his own daughter. It was only Edwards's constant presence that burst his bubble. It was at times like this, when he was allowed to be alone with Bella and Rennie, that he managed to relax and pretend his life was normal.

"But it isn't normal, Jake." Bella once again interrupted his thoughts. As always, she could guess what he had been thinking. "This whole set up is not real. It is not right that we keep you here because we both selfishly love you. You need to go and live your life, Jake. Rennie understands. She will not hold you here because of the imprint. She will let you go."

"And you, Bella?" Jacob shoved his hands in the pockets of his worn jeans. "Will you let me go?"

"I am telling you to go." Bella held his gaze for a moment before dropping her eyes to the floor.

"That's not what your heart is saying." Jacob pressed.

"I don't have a heart, Jake." Bella held out her arms and Renesmee allowed her mother to pull her onto her lap and cuddle her.

Jacob ignored her jibe. "You both could come back with me. Charlie would love to see you."

Bella shook her head. "I can't do that."

"You could do that." Jacob wouldn't be swayed. "You'd like to see your grandpa Charlie, wouldn't you Rennie?"

Renesmee smiled at him and nodded her head. For a small moment she looked a lot younger. Bella glared at Jacob. "Don't encourage her. It's not fair."

"What's not fair is you just pushing me away for Edward's sake." Jacob said bitterly. "I've heard him demanding that I leave. That I'm getting in the way of your happily ever after. He hates the fact that I am imprinted to Rennie."

"He is my husband, Jacob and Rennie's father. You seem to forget that." Bella stood up, placing her daughter gently back on her feet.

Renesmee skipped over to Jacob and took his hand. He could feel her anxiety. He smiled down at her. "I'm fine. It's just a silly, grown up argument." He assured her.

"Go to La Push, Jacob." Renesmee urged him. "You will be happy when you go to La Push." With those words she let go of his hand and ran back to Bella's side.

Bella took her daughter's hand and began to lead her from the room. She glanced behind her when she reached the door. "I want you to be happy, Jake. Your pain is my pain." She whispered.

Her words made the breath catch in his throat. They exchanged a long look, full of meaning, before she quietly closed the door and left him alone to think.

Jacob didn't see Bella again for two weeks. Renesmee spent time with him daily; always with either Rosalie or Alice in attendance. The little girl would not be drawn on where her mother was or what she was doing, she just whispered to him that it was secret. Jacob became angry, annoyed at the fact that Bella was avoiding him on purpose. He hunted around for her but could find no trace. It seemed she was avoiding her husband too, as he overheard Edward complaining about Bella's absence on several occasions. It somehow made Jacob feel a little better that it was not just him she was avoiding, but all the men in her life.

He woke up one sunny day with the light from the sun blazing through the windows of his little room. He threw his arm over his head to shield his eyes. It was then that he heard a small giggle. Jacob rolled onto his side and peered over toward the door to his room, Renesmee stood there, a smile on her face as she laughed at his reaction to the sun shining in his room. She had obviously crept in and opened the curtains. She was getting good at creeping up on him unawares.

"Very funny, Rennie. Ha ha." Jacob gave her an amused grin. "What has you up so early?"

Renesmee put a finger over her lips. "Shush I've come to show you something." She whispered.

Jacob sat up in his bed and looked closer at the young girl. His eyes widened as he took in the dirty dungarees she was wearing. Her hair was swept up in a bun on top of head and she had what looked like grease smudges on her cheeks and forehead. "What have you been doing?" He asked her curiously.

"Quickly, Jacob." Renesmee urged him. "Before Aunt Alice finds me and forces me to have a bath."

"Wait outside. I'll be out in a moment." Jacob sighed. He would have to indulge her. Anyway, he could do with some fresh air.

Renesmee giggled again before closing the door behind her. Jacob quickly climbed out of bed and hurriedly pulled on a t-shirt and some shorts.

It really was an exceptionally beautiful day. The sun made Renesmee's auburn hair burn fiery red as she skipped happily in front of him. Her feet were bare as she wove her way through the long grass. They had been walking for over an hour through the trees. Jacob had no idea where she was leading him but he was enjoying the peace and quiet. The only noise was that of the wildlife surrounding them and the slight breeze rustling the leaves.

Eventually Renesmee slowed down. She crouched down in front of some dense shrubbery. "Through here." She told him before disappearing into the undergrowth.

"Rennie..." Jacob called after her. He fell to his knees and crawled after her. It was a lot more difficult for him to drag his larger body through the brambles. The sharp thorns tore at his skin and he winced as he felt some of the scratches bleed. What was Rennie thinking? He could only see her small feet in front as she weaved her way through the undergrowth. After a good ten minutes of this frantic dash through the briar's, Jacob finally emerged into a clearing. He breathed a sigh of relief as he saw Rennie standing up and calling out to her mother. Bella was here? Jacob pulled himself upright and ran after the little girl.

"Mommy, we're here." Renesmee called out again.

Jacob caught up with her and his eyes widened as he saw something right out of his past. Parked near the back of the clearing was the old red Chevy truck that Bella used to drive. It had been a present from Charlie when she had first moved back to Forks to live permanently. It had been Jacob who had fixed up the old engine so it was drivable. Bella had loved it. Leaving the red monster behind had been one of her biggest regrets. She always said she missed it even though she had her choice of expensive cars to drive. On closer inspection he could see that it had been heavily restored to its former glory. The old chipped paintwork was gleaming and the dents had been pulled out, the wheels replaced. In fact, it looked like a brand-new truck.

"Ta dah! What do you think?" Bella finally appeared. She was wiping her hands on an old rag. Like Renesmee she was wearing an old pair of dungarees, covered in oil. Her hair was swept up in a ponytail, her white skin was smeared with grease. She looked like she used to, unkempt but absolutely stunning at the same time. Her eyes were glowing as she smiled at him widely. "A little piece of home."

"How did you get the old heap here?" Jacob said in wonder as he reached out and touched the cold metal of the truck. "And who did all this work?"

"We did." Rennie said proudly.

"You did. You two?" Jacob sounded disbelieving.

"Yes, we did." Bella laughed at his disconcerted expression. "It took me two whole weeks of work to get her back into shape."

"Bells, you are not a mechanic." Jacob lifted the hood of the truck and peered inside. He touched a few wires and studied the engine. It looked sound.

"I taught myself. I ordered a book on line on how to restore this exact model. Rennie is such a speed reader, she learned all the right tools to pass to me, didn't you sweetheart?" Bella ruffled her daughter's hair as Renesmee beamed with pride.

"I did too. I can recite them all to you if you'd like, Jacob." Rennie boasted.

Jacob laughed. "Not right now. Maybe later." He opened the door of the truck and slid inside, switching on the engine as he did so. It roared to life. Bella and Renesmee clapped their hands in delight. "Well, girls, I have to admit you've outdone yourselves."

Bella laughed as she gave her daughter a high five. They had achieved what they had set out to do. Jacob was smiling again-a real smile.

Bella rested her back against a tree as she watched Renesmee and Jacob enjoying the simple picnic she had prepared earlier. They had all driven the truck around the clearing, both the girls glad to see Jacob so much more relaxed and happier than he had been of late. It hadn't been easy getting the truck delivered to the site in secret without anyone, including her husband, knowing about it. Bella had paid a lot of money to get it brought halfway across America from Washington State to where they were now living. It had arrived in a very poor state and she wondered whether she would be able to fix the old girl up at all, but with her new skills and extra strength, it hadn't been as daunting as she had thought. Rennie had helped her on several occasions; her daughter had become her closest ally as she kept Edward at bay when he tried to find out what his wife was up to. All the effort had been worth it. Maybe now, seeing the truck, would make Jacob more nostalgic for home.

"I take it you enjoyed the food." Bella said wryly as Renesmee copied Jacob and licked her fingers when all the food was gone.

"Sure did. That was the best meal I've had in a long time. I can't remember the last time you cooked." Jacob gazed at her for a moment.

Bella shrugged. "It was certainly strange making so much food. I do miss cooking, although I can't eat any of it." She sounded regretful. "But seeing you both enjoy it more than makes up for that."

Jacob came over to sit beside her. Renesmee was turning cartwheels in front of them. She was spinning so fast that his eyes could barely keep up with her. She really was a unique child and so easy going. "I was thinking we could drive the truck up into the hills tomorrow and maybe spend the day exploring. Rennie would like that and we could bring some..."

Bella's happy smile faded and she dropped her eyes to the ground. "I can't, Jake. I'm sorry."

"Why?" Jacob reached out to touch her, but Bella shied away from him as always.

"Because I haven't been around much these last two weeks, Edward has got it into his head that we need some time alone to get reacquainted so to speak. Rennie and I leave for Europe with him in the morning." Bella picked at the grass near her feet and wound the tall stalks around her fingers.

"Fucking bloodsucker." Jacob roared as he jumped onto his feet and hit out at the tree.

Renesmee stopped spinning and stared at him wide eyed. "Jacob?" She said uncertainly.

"It's alright sweetheart." Bella quickly went to her daughter's side and hugged her. "Watch your temper, Jake."

Jacob leaned back against the tree and closed his eyes to get himself under control. He was finding it hard to keep it together. Damn Edward, he had done this deliberately. He always had to have Bella to himself, night and day. "I'm sorry." He said when he felt calmer. He opened his eyes to see Renesmee gazing at him concern.

"Are you sad again now, Jacob?" She asked.

"I'm fine." He lied.

Renesmee could see right through him. "Perhaps you should go to La Push." She suggested hopefully. "You will be happy in La Push."

"I will be very happy to go home." Jacob locked eyes with Bella who was still holding onto her daughter.

"Good." Renesmee beamed at him. "Jacob will be happy now."

"Yes." Bella smiled at her weakly. "That's all we ever wanted, isn't it?"

Renesmee nodded. "You go now, Jacob?"

"I'll be gone by tonight." Jacob was still staring at Bella.

"You are doing the right thing." Bella whispered. "We'll miss you."

"You won't have time to miss me." Jacob saw Bella frown.

"What do you mean?" She said tentatively.

"Because you and Rennie are coming back with me." Jacob stated firmly.

"This is blackmail." Bella whispered fiercely to Jacob.

He just shrugged nonchalantly as he kept his eyes on the road ahead. Renesmee was sitting between them on the bench seat of the truck. She had fallen asleep and her head was resting on Bella's lap.

Bella glanced down at her daughter as she stroked her long hair which was coming undone from its braid. "I can't believe you used the imprint to manipulate Rennie like that."

Jacob scowled. "I didn't manipulate her. Deep down she wanted to go. She wants to see her grandfather and Forks again."

"Maybe so but you pushed your wants onto hers. You made her beg to go and in doing so forced me to go too because I cannot leave her. You got what you wanted, are you happy now?" Bella was beyond livid.

"You are so full of crap, Bells. Even after all this time. If you didn't want to go yourself you wouldn't be sitting next to me in this truck that you, you Bella Swan, repaired yourself. It wasn't for my benefit you had the thing brought half way across the states, it was for yours. You're feeling nostalgic for who you used to be. Admit it, you're happy ever after turned out to be nothing but eternal boredom, living with a man who constantly tries to control everything you do and whose ego you have to shore up every minute of every day." Jacob retorted as he glanced her way.

"For goodness sake, Jacob. What do you hope to gain out of all this? We turn up at my dad's house and then what? I am a vampire, you seem to forget that and the last time my dad saw Rennie, she was a baby. Now look at her?" Bella snapped impatiently. "There is no going back for me or her. Only you. Let us out the truck now and go on your way." Bella begged him.

Jacob gripped the steering wheel tighter with his fingers. He needed Bella to shut up, she was putting a dent in his plans by her constant harping. "Charlie will understand." He said through gritted teeth.

"He is not that forgiving. I haven't seen him for two whole years." Bella said bitterly.

"And whose fault is that?" Jacob put his foot down to overtake a particularly slow-moving truck.

Bella glared at him. "Edward is right. I had to stay away. It is just better that way for everyone."

"Yeah fucking Edward Cullen." Jacob cursed. "Still pulling your strings. You are so weak, Bells."

"If Rennie wasn't here, I would show you who's weak." Bella warned him, her eyes flashing dangerously.

"Anytime, honey, anytime." Jacob gave her a meaningful glance.

"Fuck off Jacob." Bella swore.

Jacob laughed at her disgruntled expression. At last she was showing some spirit.

Jacob pulled over for some gas. Renesmee woke up when she felt the truck stop moving. She yawned as her hair fell into her eyes. "Where are we?"

"At a gas station in the middle of Nowheresville." Bella muttered irritably.

"Mommy, are you mad?" Renesmee asked worriedly.

"Not with you, sweetheart." Bella assured her.

"Oh, you are angry at Jacob." Renesmee guessed. She peered through the window to see Jacob standing by the pumps filling up the truck with gas.

"Rennie, is this really what you want?" Bella touched Renesmee's cheek gently. "Or are you doing this because you sense this is what Jacob needs?"

Renesmee pursed her lips thoughtfully. "I want to see Grandpa, and yes I am doing this for Jacob, but for me too." She hesitated for a moment, her creamy cheeks blushing. "And for you."

"Me?" Bella felt bewildered. "Sweetheart, I explained why we had to stay away."

"No mommy, daddy explained. You just agreed. You've been unhappy. I can see it, Jacob can see it and daddy senses it. That's why he has been clinging to you so tightly."

Bella stared at her daughter in astonishment. Renesmee had voiced aloud what she had been feeling inside for a long time, but refused to admit to herself. How had her young girl become so astute and self-aware? Had her feelings been that obvious? Bella had thought she had been masking how she felt. "What makes you say all this?"

"I've seen you looking at the old photographs of grandpa and home. When you tell stories about Forks your face lights up and you look happy. Most of the time you just pretend to be happy, but underneath the smile I can see your sadness. I feel your sadness. Just like I feel Jacob's sadness." Renesmee said simply.

"You feel my sadness? How?"

Renesmee crawled onto Bella's lap and placed her thin arms around her neck. "Because I am the imprint." She whispered into Bella's ear.

"Sweetheart, I don't understand." Bella whispered back to her as she hugged her daughter tightly.

"I am the imprint between you and Jacob. I am the glue that binds us all together. He is not my soul mate, mommy. He is yours. He belongs to you and you belong to him. I am the part of you that is still human and alive. Jacob didn't leave his home behind because of his connection to me. It was because of you. Deep inside you have always known." Renesmee rested her head on Bella's shoulder as a single tear fell down her cheek. She was crying because her mother wasn't able to.

Bella didn't speak for hours. She stared straight ahead, seeing nothing. Renesmee's words kept rattling around her head. Was this all true? It couldn't be. She had been so certain when she had married Edward. She didn't recall feeling any doubts, regret maybe, but not doubts. Not even when she was pregnant with Renesmee and her life had been at risk. But still Jacob had been there throughout. He had gone against his pack and his heritage to stay with her, even before the imprint with Renesmee had happened. She recalled how angry she had been when she had found out about it. She had actually had a physical fight with Jacob; was it because underneath she was jealous? Bella didn't like this self-analysis.

"I'm getting tired, Bells. I need a break." Jacob said wearily as he pulled into the car park of a motel.

"I can drive." Bella suggested.

"No way. You'll drive us all back again while I'm sleeping."

"You don't trust me?" Bella felt saddened by this thought.

"No, I don't trust his hold over you. Anyway, Rennie needs a bed to sleep in. This bench seat is uncomfortable." Jacob picked up a sleeping Renesmee in his strong arms and began to head toward the reception.

Bella sighed as she jumped gracefully from the truck and landed lightly on her feet. She followed after Jacob. They booked a double room with twin beds. As soon as they got inside Jacob carefully lay a sleeping Renesmee on one bed and he crashed on the other. "Wake me up at dawn." His eyes were already closing.

Bella nodded as she sat down by the window and gazed out into the night.

"Bells." Jacob's voice made her turn round.

"Yes?"

"I do trust you." Jacob said softly before he rolled on his side away from her and fell asleep.

They spent the next week in this way furtively moving from one small town to the next. They would stop off each night at a motel then continue on the next morning as soon as the sun was up. They were getting closer and closer to Washington state. The familiar damp and drizzly weather were the first sign. The clouds covered the sky for most of the day. Bella sometimes climbed out of the truck while Jacob and Renesmee drove on so that she could disappear into the forest and hunt. They would then rendezvous with her a few miles further down the road.

"I feel like I can breathe now." Jacob inhaled deeply as he wound the window down on the driver's side. "Can you smell the fresh air, Rennie?"

Renesmee copied him and breathed deeply. "Yes. I love it." She clapped her hands in delight.

Bella smiled fondly at her daughter. Little things pleased her. She wished that she had been more open to such simple pleasures when she was young. "You can almost feel the moisture in the air." She agreed.

"Remember the bonfires on First Beach?" Jacob asked her.

Bella's smile widened. "Definitely. I can almost smell the smoke from the bonfire when we used to roast hot dogs and marshmallows."

"Can I go to one of those?" Renesmee asked eagerly.

"We'll see." Jacob reached out and ruffled her hair.

"I want to taste a hot dog." Renesmee licked her lips. "And maybe play with some of the children."

Jacob and Bella exchanged a pained look. Renesmee had led such a sheltered existence because of who she was. Her one wish had always been to mix with other children and play with them. She noticed the tense expression on the adults faces. "I can, can't I? Please?"

"Of course." Jacob promised her rashly.

Bella frowned at him. "Jake, we can't make promises like that."

"Jacob will make it happen." Renesmee said trustingly.

Bella sighed and hugged her daughter. "Of course, he will, sweetheart. He's Jacob."

Jacob grinned at both of them as pulled into yet another gas station to top up the truck.

It seemed like they had been travelling for an eternity. Bella had purchased some new clothes for herself and Renesmee. They had left with nothing but what they were wearing. Jacob brought some stuff for himself too. They washed up in the various motels they stayed in and brought food with them. Bella continued to hunt when she could. Weeks had passed when they finally passed the huge noticeboard telling them they were about to enter Forks. Renesmee was sitting near the passenger window as she wanted her first look at the place she had been born. Her green eyes looked around in delight at all the people and the various buildings. Bella too was lost in memories as she recalled coming back here to live with Charlie after years spent wandering from place to place with her mother.

Jacob drove past Fork's police station and Bella pointed out to her daughter the place where her grandfather had worked all his life. It seemed smaller than she remembered. They passed through the main high street, which was still just a small collection of stores. Then moments later they arrived at the quaint two up, two down, whitewashed building that belonged to Charlie Swan. Jacob exchanged a look with Bella as he pulled into the driveway behind the police cruiser and parked up.

"We're here." He declared unnecessarily.

Bella swallowed nervously as she looked up at her old home. She felt a small hand holding her own. "It's okay, mommy."

"Yeah." Bella smiled tremulously as she watched her daughter climb down from the truck.

A/N-thanks for reading!