Author's notes: This is a story I thought about a while ago but I thought I'd better finish Heat of the Moment first. Now that's complete I started this one. It's a Bella/Jacob fic based on one of the many ways they could have ended up together if Edward had never returned. Enjoy. :D

The House That Jacob Built

Why the change?

Edward had been gone for months and I had finally started trying to get on with my life. I had been spending a lot of time with Jacob recently and it was only when I overheard one of the girls at school talking about him and the other members of the pack that I started to question how I really felt about him. She was telling her friend that she had seen some boys from La Push and how big and muscled and hot they were. I felt jealous in seconds. I was annoyed that someone else was talking about my Jacob that way. Then I started to question the way I felt about Jacob Black. Speaking off whom....

"Bella!" Jacob called. He waved to me and jogged over to meet me.

"Jacob." I greeted. "How are you?"

"Better now you're here." He replied. "I've been bored all day."

"Come on, let's walk down the beach then." I said.

"Sure,sure." He replied. He put his arm around my shoulders and we started walking to the beach. I blushed at the contact and shook my head to myself. Since when had Jacob being so close bothered me? I blushed as I realised no matter what happened now things had changed between us. I guess I always knew how Jacob felt. He had told me he wanted more than friendship, even when I was with Edward. So I guess now that I was wondering whether I felt more than friendship I had become more aware of everything he did. Maybe that itself was a sign that there was more than friendship going on here.

Most of the part of the beach we were on was large rocks so we found a flat one to sit on and looked out at the water. Jacob started tossing small stones into it.

"So have I missed anything fun?" I asked.

"I finished the bikes." He said. "That's why I got so bored. I have nothing left to do with my free time."

"Have you tried them?" I asked him, excitement building.

"Sure, sure but only briefly when checking that they work and are safe." He replied.

"Can we try them out?" I asked him eagerly.

"Not today, look." He said, pointing at a huge black cloud in the sky. "It's going to rain any moment it's too dangerous to have you learning to ride a two wheeled vehicle in the wet."

"I hope that wasn't a dig at my co-ordination skills, Jacob Black." I glared at him. He just laughed in response. As his laugh died an awkward silence followed. A blush began to cover my cheeks at how close we were.

Jacob leant forward, his face kept coming closer and I knew what would follow. I felt his lips touch mine first softly and then suddenly more forcefully. His lips crushed mine, stopping any possible protest. He kissed me angrily, roughly, his other hand gripping tight around the back of my neck, making escape impossible. I couldn't move, couldn't respond. My mind wouldn't think properly. I didn't know if I wanted this or not. I pushed against his chest but I doubt he even felt it let alone moved away. I waited for him to stop and pull away.

"Are you done now?" I asked in an expressionless voice.

"Yes," he grinned. "Sorry." I looked up to see the biggest grin of his face. I couldn't help it. I knew it wouldn't do any good. I just couldn't stop myself. My fist flew forward and made contact with his face. Silence. Then....

"Ouch! For the love of-" I screamed, clutching my arm to my chest and hopping on the spot as agony pulsed through my hand and up my arm. I was almost certain it was broken. "What the hell is your face made of?! I think you broke my hand!" Jacob chuckled.

"Bella, you broke your hand, you punched me." He said. "Let me look." He reached for my hand but I snatched it away from him.

"I'm going home." I snarled, standing up and heading back to the house. Rain started to fall as I reached my truck.

"Bella, can you even drive with that hand?" he called behind me. "Let me drive you."

"No." I said, going to open the door. He stopped me.

"I won't try anything I promise. I'll just drive you home." He said. I made a 'hmph' sound and stormed to the other side of the truck. I climbed in and sat glaring straight out the windscreen. I knew I was being childish but I couldn't help it. To be honest I wasn't even angry until I saw that cocky look on his face. I looked down at my throbbing hand as Jacob drove me home.

"Didn't I hurt you at all?" I asked furiously.

"Nope." He replied smugly. "If you hadn't started screaming, I might not have figured out that you were trying to punch me."

"I hate you, Jacob Black." I muttered under my breath, knowing he could hear me.

"That's good. Hate is a passionate emotion." He smirked.

"I'll give you passionate," I muttered under my breath. "Murder, the ultimate crime of passion."

"Oh, c'mon," he said, all cheery and looking like he was about to start whistling again. "It wasn't that bad."

I didn't say goodbye to Jacob when he stopped outside, I just got out and walked inside. I went straight upstairs to the bathroom and slammed the door behind me.

Jacob POV

"Hey, Charlie," I called casually, following Bella inside.

"What's wrong with her?" Charlie asked me.

"She thinks she broke her hand," I replied. Bella came downstairs went to the freezer and pulled out a tray of ice cubes.

"How did she do that?" Charlie asked.

"She hit me." I laughed in response. Charlie laughed, too, and Bella scowled while beating the tray against the edge of the sink. The ice scattered inside the basin, and she grabbed a handful with her good hand and wrapped the cubes in the dishcloth on the counter.

"Why did she hit you?" Charlie continued, curiously.

"Because I kissed her," I grinned, unashamed.

"Good for you, kid," Charlie congratulated me. Bella didn't seem to happy with Charlie's reaction.

"Go home Jake!" she yelled downstairs at me.

"You can stay if you want you know." Charlie told me.

"Naw," I replied. "I'll leave her to calm down I guess. See ya Charlie."

"Bye Jake" Charlie said, as I turned to leave.

"Bye Bells!" I shouted up to her. "Hope your hand feels better soon!" With that I left.

Bella POV

I sat in the kitchen waiting for the kettle to boil and I knew Charlie was just itching to question me. I wished the kettle would hurry up.

"Bella?" I heard he call. 'Too late' I sighed and walked through to the living room.

"Yes, Ch-Dad." I replied.

"You want to tell me what happened earlier?" he asked me.

"No, I think Jake pretty much summed it up." I said, shrugging.

"So you don't think hitting him was a little bit of an overreaction?" He asked. I just shrugged again. "You know how the boy feels about you Bells. Now I'm not forcing you to feel the same by any mean but I hardly think he deserved a punch for it."

"Well it didn't hurt him." I muttered, sinking down onto the sofa opposite him. "I didn't punch him for kissing me anyway. I punched him for looking so smug about it."

"I see." Charlie replied uneasily. That was about as personal as the conversation went. I heard the kettle boil and made a dash for the kitchen.

"I'll apologise when he does Dad." I said, grabbing my tea and heading towards the stairs. "I'm still his friend. I just don't like people presuming things."

I woke up the next morning it was to the sight of flowers. My eyes widened in confusion. I sat up in bed. Jacob sat in my room holding a small bunch of wildflowers. Anger started creeping to the surface.

"What are you doing in my room?" I asked bluntly.

"I came to apologise." He said calmly. I pouted, despite my anger at him presuming he could invade my room I couldn't help but smile, as he handed me the flowers. He knew me so well. This was one thing about Jacob that was easier than Edward. Jacob knew my aversion to big grand gestures and expensive gifts and knew me inside and out. A small bunch of wild flowers was so me.

"Alright..." I murmured. "I'll forgive you."

"Really?" he asked.

"Jacob..." I sighed. "I wasn't mad at you for kissing me...it was the fact you were so smug about it." I heard him let out a deep breath and looked up to stare at his face.

"So you didn't mind the kiss part?" he asked slowly. "Because I really have felt that way about you for a long time Bella."

"I know Jake." I replied carefully. "I didn't really mind, it's just I'm not sure about my feelings for you yet."

"I'm not asking you to love me right now Bella." He said. He grinned easily. "I'm just asking for a chance, for you to see me as something other than the friend you used to make mud pies with."

"That's the problem." I said, sitting up properly and sighing.

"Sure,Sure. You only want me as a friend." He replied casually. "No problems Bella, I get it." He misunderstood me, but I can't say I blamed him I wasn't explaining myself very well.

"That's not what I meant." I said quietly. I suddenly felt very shy and embarrassed. "I think I already do think of you as more than a friend...I don't know when it happened but I've only just started realising that I do think of you as more than a friend Jake...I just don't know how much more and how I feel exactly. I don't want to get your hopes up only to realise..." I trailed off realising Jacob was already grinning like an idiot. He stood up came to sit on the bed with me.

"I brought you these to apologise." He told me, placing the flowers on the bedside table. "Bella, thank you, for giving me at least a small chance of being more than your best friend."

"Thank you." I said, gesturing to the flowers.

"Heaven forbid you should have to date a normal human boy." He grinned. We both laughed at that and I poked him on the arm.

"I never said I was dating you Jacob Black." I chided. I shook my hand realising that once again I had only hurt myself. I looked at my finger happy I had done no damage this time. "What are you made of?"

Jacob POV

I had a chance. She wasn't mad and she didn't just think of me as a friend. Now I couldn't screw up! I had to win her over. Maybe I could throw her a surprise graduation party at La Push. Nothing huge...just a big bonfire, plenty of food, the pack, Charlie and my dad too of course. A casual celebration. Perfect.

"I brought you these to apologise." He told me, placing the flowers on the bedside table. "Bella, thank you, for giving me at least a small chance of being more than your best friend."

"Thank you." I said, gesturing to the flowers.

"Heaven forbid you should have to date a normal human boy." He grinned. We both laughed at that and I poked him on the arm.

"I never said I was dating you Jacob Black." I chided. I shook my hand realising that once again I had only hurt myself. I looked at my finger happy I had done no damage this time. "What are you made of?"

"Nothing special." I shrugged. She looked at me for a second in silence before pushing a stray hair from my face. God I loved those big brown eyes.

"Well I, think that you're very special." She said softly. "I couldn't have gotten through without you Jake."

"You would have." I told her. Then I smirked. "It just would have been less dangerous and less fun." Then again knowing Bella I doubted it. She was the original danger magnet. Seriously, the first person who catches her eye in town is a stupid bloodsucker, then when all the vampires leave town she comes to hang out with werewolves. I wondered what strange mythological being she would manage to find next. Well whatever it was, that was just tough she was mine now and I wasn't letting go. It would kill me to let go.

Author's Notes: hope you like so far xx