Title: Flutter

Summary: "Maybe this was always meant to be because she can't imagine how anything so perfect could survive the odds they've had to face. Then she feels a flutter in her belly. Maybe it's not so hard to believe after all."

Disclaimer: Characters belong to Stephenie Meyer .This story is produced without profit.

Characters: Jacob/Leah, Ensemble

Genre: Romance

Rating: Older Teen- Young Adult

Warnings: Non explicit sex references.

Status: Completed.

Archiving: Please PM me

Inspirations/Dedications: I would like to give Sarah (Mediate89) a shout out for requesting this story. It is because of her that this story was written in the first place. Thank you, Sarah!

Author's Notes: This story is on my editing list so expect to see a longer, cleaner and more detailed version sometime in the future. You know the drill. If you read something that you feel should stay, go, change etc let me know and I'll keep it in mind during re-writes/revision.

There is also the possibility of sequels, prequels, one shots etc...never say never :)

Thank you to everyone who has read, reviewed, followed and stuck by this story over the years xx

EDIT: To hgmsnoopy: thank you for pointing that out. Being a Brit, I'm not too familiar with the law etc in regards to Reservations and couldn't really find the information I was searching for online so thanks for pointing that out.

Chapter Twenty

"Dude, wake up."

Seth jerks awake wondering just how and why Quil is standing in his bedroom. He hears the clattering of coffee cups and realises his mom is awake.

"What? Why? What are you doing here?" He asks. His eyes are bleary from interrupted sleep and his brain feels all foggy. He glances at the clock. 4:30 AM.

"Get dressed and hurry up! Leah and Jake are doing it." Quil tells him, face stretched so far in a grin that he looks botoxed.

Seth's mind jumps to the most literal interpretation of that comment and wonders what the hell it has to do with him. "Eww."

Quil shakes his head. "Not that, moron. They're getting married."

"What?" He asks groggily as he rolls out of bed and pulls a pair of shorts on. "Now? At 4am?"

Quil throws him a t-shirt.

"Yeah dude. You know how they've been about money..." He holds out a shoe. "Well, Leah just flipped. She even threatened to kill Embry for suggesting they get the invitations embossed."

"This is crazy," Seth mutters as he pulls on his sneakers. "Even for them."

Quil nods agreeably. "Tell me about it, dude. They've asked my grandfather to perform the ceremony on the beach-old school style."

Seth grumbles as he shuffles sleepily out the door. They meet Sue in the kitchen as she complains loudly about disturbed sleep and pulls a comb through her hair. They both sigh in unison.

"I am so not going to school tomorrow," he tells her as he heads off to the kitchen to fuel up.

….

"Jesus Christ, could you take any longer?"

Seth is not a violent person. He abhors violence which kind of makes him the odd man out in their little tribe but right now at nearly 5AM, after being dragged out of bed, he wonders if it would be really impolite to sucker punch the bride.

"Sorry but I was asleep half an hour ago."

She shakes her head. "Never mind. Go stand somewhere. We're just waiting on Old Quil."

There are only a handful of people on the beach. Embry has River, swathed in blankets to protect against the morning chill and Billy Black is looking tired and happy. There are no vampires. No friends. Only family. Rachel hands out mugs of coffee and scolds Paul when his complaints about the ungodly hour get too loud. Seth can only sympathise with the man.

"I swear they just get worse," he mutters, braving a death glare from Rachel.

The small crowd gives a collective sigh of relief as the Rabbit pulls up on to the sand and Jacob helps Old Quil from the passenger seat.

Jacob greets Leah with a quick kiss. Neither have bothered to dress up. He is wearing jeans and a tee. She is dressed in leggings and one of his sweaters. It drowns her slim form and hangs down to her knees but somehow, it makes her seem softer. Smaller.

"Let's do it," He whispers.

She smiles and walks beside him.

They've picked a spot on the beach, right next to the water. Light is just beginning to filter through the night sky as dawn approaches. Old Quil takes his place in front of them. Jacob and Leah join hands as a blanket is draped around their shoulders and sweet smelling incense wafts around them.

They bind themselves together in the language of their ancestors. A proper Quileute ceremony. Jacob looking strong and powerful, Leah looking more beautiful than she ever has. The wind whips her hair around her face, caresses tan skin and well defined cheekbones.

It feels like he's witnessing something ancient, something wonderful.

When Jacob promises forever, there is no doubt that he means it. He has already proven so much more.

As the ceremony comes to a close, Seth is reminded of everything it took to get here, a struggle that rippled through the pack and turned all their worlds upside down. Sometimes he had hated them for that, wished that they could just accept Jacob's destiny and stop torturing themselves with dreams of something more.

"I want our wedding to be like this," Rachel whispers beside him, snuggling into Paul's embrace and Seth knows that it isn't just him that sees it for what it is.

This is real love. Real magic.

And having seen it, Seth makes a decision to never accept anything less.

...

They all return to the house and eat whatever is left in the cupboards. They play whatever CDs they can find and dance and brawl and laugh. Something gets spilled, something gets broken, nobody cares.

"So, was it everything you ever dreamed of?" Jacob asks, smiling down at his new wife.

Leah nods her head, eyes showing the first glittering signs of exhaustion. "And more."

She means it. Standing on that beach today made her realise just how right their decision had been. It never used to be about dresses or flowers, just two people giving their pledge to one another. As far as she is concerned, none of the imprint weddings held a candle to hers.

"Glad to hear that, Mrs Black."

She pulls his face down for a deep, long kiss that stirs a growl from his chest. "I don't care what happens or how many fights we have as long as we end up back here." She murmurs against his chest as they sway lazily to a song neither of them recognise. The lyrics tell the tale of heartbreak and lost love but it doesn't matter. They only hear the music.

Jacob grins and brushes his fingertips over her forehead. "I love fighting with you," he says. "That's the secret."

She smiles against his chest. "It helps that I always win."

"Not always," he grumbles and they both pull back and laugh.

…

Once the party is over and everybody has left, they check on River and stumble sleepily to bed. There will be no honeymoon for them - - money is still too tight- - but neither of them care. At this moment, their life together is as perfect as it gets. They don't need anything else.

The money troubles and pack troubles and general life troubles can wait until tomorrow.

Jacob drops onto his stomach, still dressed, and stretches out across the bed. Leah knows she has to move quickly. Once he falls asleep there will be no moving him.

"Uh, and where am I supposed to sleep tonight then, Black?"

He lifts up an arm and gestures for her to come over. She does, curling up beside him and nestling her face against his shoulder. She lets out a contented sigh and he drops his arm over her body, huge bicep closing her in like a vice. Her body responds as it always does but tonight she wants nothing more than to curl into her husband and sleep.

Her husband.

She is somebody's wife. Jacob's wife.

She thinks of all the things she has and all the things she has been through to get to this point; how much hurt she has felt and how many tears she has cried. There is only one conclusion. It was all worth it.

If Sam had never phased then he and Leah would probably be away at college now; engaged or married. She and Jacob would never have fought, argued, learned to respect each other...

….fell in love.

She wouldn't have given Embry or Quil the time of day. She probably would have never even met Rosalie. River would not exist.

Leah turns her head to the ceiling, closes her eyes and feels a grateful flutter in her stomach as she thanks the heavens for her fate.

~fin~