A/N: And…here it is. The final installment. I am so sad to see it end. But I hope you have enjoyed going on this adventure with me. What would I do without you, dear readers? You have done so much for me already, but I will ask one more thing of you: if you finish this chapter, review it. I don't care if it's just a smiley face. Flood my inbox. Then I will be content with what I have done, and be able to say goodbye to these characters more gently. Thank you once more, sweet readers. You are the wind beneath my wings.

VVVVVVVVV

Chapter Fifteen

"Let me not to the marriage of true minds

Admit impediments. Love is not love

Which alters when it alteration finds,

Or bends with the remover to remove:

O, no! it is an ever-fixed mark,

That looks on tempests and is never shaken;

It is the star to every wandering bark,

Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken.

Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks

Within his bending sickle's compass come;

Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,

But it bears it out even to the edge of doom.

If this be error, and upon me prov'd,

I never writ, nor no man ever lov'd."

-Sonnet 116, William Shakespeare

bella

I couldn't open my eyes. It felt like my entire body was made of lead, and I was sinking deeper and deeper into the soft darkness that surrounded me. Pain thudded through my veins, dull and frustrated, into the tips of my fingers and the ends of my toes, twisting around one concentrated spot at the base of my neck. My chest rose and fell once in a while, but shallowly. It was the only movement I was capable of.

But I could hear.

There were two voices drifting around in the air outside of me. One to my left, the other to my right, perhaps nearer my feet than my head.

"Who said you could come in here?" one deep, fiery voice demanded from my left, though his tones were hushed.

"A simple 'thank you' would be sufficient," the other voice, like a knife concealed by a thin sheath of velvet, replied. They were both familiar, one more than the other, but their hard tones were foreign.

"Answer my question," the first voice ordered.

"The doctor. If anyone has authority over this room, I would assume it is he."

"A lot he knows," the first voice snarled. "He wasn't out there today when you—"

"When I what?" the second cut in. "Saved her life?"

"I don't know what you were doing," the first muttered. "I don't think you did either."

The second voice was silent, then sighed minutely.

"You do know that I was trying as hard as I could to be helpful. I cannot help what I am." The velvet voice quieted. "And in this case, it seems like a good thing that I am what I am."

Silence fell, and I could hear nothing but the slow beating of my heart. Absently, I wondered if one of them had gone. Then, the first, deep voice spoke, very quietly.

"All right, then." He paused. "Thank you."

Tension released like a vise grip let loose, and I heard the bearer of the second voice take a deep, purposeful breath.

"You're welcome. I am glad I could do something."

I registered very light footsteps. The second voice spoke again.

"Please let her know that I would like to see her when she wakes up. Nothing important, I just…" I almost sensed a smile. "She has beautiful eyes, doesn't she?"

The owner of the first voice breathed too, but his breath was ragged.

"Yes, she does."

"Very well. I will see you later." A door opened and closed.

My brow furrowed, and a wave of pain swept up my throat and into my head. I grunted.

Instantly, a soft, warm hand pressed to my cold forehead, and the heat of that touch pushed the pain back. I drifted back down into unconsciousness, unsettled and confused, content to let the darkness take me again if it meant the pain would ease…

VVV

I opened my eyes. It took effort. A lot of it. In fact, it was the only movement I could accomplish, I'm sure. I blinked once, and my eyes focused on the figure in the chair beside me.

I could tell he had been watching me for a long time. He was dressed in black again, and he leaned his elbows on his knees. His topaz eyes assessed my face. I still marveled at how pale he was, and how his dark hair made him appear even whiter. I had never seen anyone so perfectly beautiful.

"Am I dead?" I whispered. Edward frowned.

"What—you expect to see me in heaven?"

I was confused.

"Um…yes."

He smiled gently at me.

"I knew I saved you for a good reason."

"Saved me?" My voice was hoarse, but there was no way I wasn't going to ask. He nodded.

"A vampire bite is poisonous. If I'd left that bite untended, you would have undergone a horrible process and then become a vampire yourself. I…" he paused. "I sucked out the poison."

"I'll bet that was hard," I murmured. "Not to keep…sucking…I mean."

He looked at me.

"It was."

"Thank you."

He smiled again.

"You're welcome."

I tried to move my head. It didn't work.

"Where's Jacob?"

Edward sat up and glanced at the door.

"Not sure. I know he went to get something to eat, but I sneaked in here." He arched an eyebrow. "We're not on the best of terms right now."

"Why not?"

"Because he's scared," Edward said simply. "And he's a werewolf. I'm a vampire."

I sighed painfully, tears welling up because of my weakness.

"Not that again," I choked.

"Bella, it's natural. I understand him," Edward soothed. "Right now, I'm frightening, because to him, I represent in some part that which is threatening you. But you'll be all right. And then he'll be all right. We all will."

"I don't know about that," I confessed. "I'm freezing to death."

Edward smirked.

"Well, luckily for you…I think I know someone who can help with that. Be right back." He kissed my forehead, which didn't help my temperature, turned and left the room. My attention drifted.

I don't know how much later it was, but Carlisle finally stepped into my room—followed by Jacob. I saw them as if they were a dream. Jacob wore his jeans and blue t-shirt, and his arms were folded over his chest, but he was listening to the doctor.

"She has hypothermia," Carlisle explained. "And nothing we've tried has worked. She's had a transfusion, and we warmed the blood before it went into the IV. But she just keeps getting colder. It's like her body is locked, shutting down—she needs something to shock her system, to wake it up again."

"What can you do?" Jacob asked. Carlisle shook his head.

"Nothing. But maybe you can."

Their voices faded away. My hands and feet felt like ice to me. Almost numb.

I caught sight of Jacob. He approached the right side of my bed. He gazed down at me, then stripped off his t-shirt. He also pulled off his socks and shoes. He lifted my covers, climbed on my bed and slid in beside me.

I gasped. Warmth so intense it almost burned struck my skin. It was like when I played in the snow with my bare hands, came inside and put my hands under hot water, only to recoil in pain. But Jacob did not back away. He slipped his muscled left arm beneath my head and pulled me in so my face rested against his chest. He took up my hands in his other hand and pressed them to his heart. They immediately started throbbing. He scooted closer, wrapping his right arm around my waist and pressing the length of his body against mine. He even pressed the tops of his feet to the bottoms of mine, making my toes tingle.

It was as if I had been flash-frozen and had now been put in an oven to thaw. My heartbeat quickened, sending shooting needles through my wound, but I could barely hear my own heart next to the raging noise of Jacob's. He held me very tight and very still, forcing heat into every part of me. He rested his cheek against my forehead, and the warmth of his breath washed over my face and neck.

He held me there for a long time, never shifting. The ice slid out of my veins, the warmth starting at skin level and gradually penetrating deeper and deeper, to the core of my chest and down through my legs.

After about two hours, his warmth faded into what it had always been—not scalding water, but soft, intoxicating comfort. I took a deep breath.

"Now I know what I have you around for," I grinned softly, then I lightly rubbed my nose back and forth against his chest, and wiggled my toes. He choked and let out a kid-like laugh, and his feet twitched away from mine.

"Hey, Bells, cut it out," he chuckled, pressing a hand to his chest. "My feet are majorly ticklish."

"Smart move, telling me that," I said wickedly. "I'm so going to get you."

"Maybe later." He settled against me again, wrapping me up. "Warmer?"

"Um, if I wasn't, I think I'd have to be a corpse."

"You almost were a corpse," he murmured.

"Not even close," I countered. I leaned my head back then, so I could see him. His face lay on my pillow, and his eyes searched mine. I raised my eyebrows.

"What—you think you could get rid of me that easily?"

"Edward was biting you," he whispered, as if he hadn't heard me.

"Untrue," I said. "The other one did."

Jacob frowned.

"The other one?"

"Yes. The blonde monster. He bit me, I shot him in the throat, then Edward, Jasper and Alice killed him. Then Edward came over and sucked out the poison."

Jacob propped himself up on one elbow.

"Poison?"

"Yeah, didn't you know that?"

"No."

A slow smile spread across my face. I shouldn't be playing with him like this. But it was his fault. I was delirious with heat.

"I think I'll just bask in the moment here," I murmured. "The moment when I know something weird and supernatural and you don't."

"C'mon, Bells," he urged. "What poison?"

"Oh, fine," I sighed. "Vampire bites are poisonous. If Edward hadn't sucked it out of me…I would have become a vampire, too."

"He said something like that," Jacob said thoughtfully. "So did Dr. Carlisle. But…I wasn't sure I believed them."

"I believe them," I said firmly. "I could feel that poison inside me. And then I could feel it go out of me when he sucked it out."

Jacob hung his head, let out his breath in a rush and ran his right hand through his hair.

"I probably owe him an apology."

"Yep." I nuzzled against his bicep. "You have to be nice to him."

"Why?"

"Because I said so."

He snorted.

"Since when do I do what you say?"

"Since I found out your feet are ticklish."

"Totally not fair," he objected.

"I want you to shake his hand," I said.

"Bells…" he moaned. But I wiggled my toes again. He almost fell out of the bed.

"Okay, okay!" he yelped, trying to control his laughter. He tucked himself back in next to me. "You win. I will as soon as I see him again."

"Now."

"Now? What do you mean, now? I don't even know where he is."

"You don't have to." I poked his forehead with my fingertip. "He's a mind reader."

He sighed mightily.

"Go on," I prodded. "Call him."

His head plopped down onto the pillow next to me. I leaned up and nuzzled against his neck, another spot where he was really ticklish.

He grinned crookedly, shoving his shoulder in the way of my face.

"Fine, fine." He took a breath and spoke in a normal voice. "Edward?"

Instantly, Edward stuck his head in the door.

"You called?"

Jacob slapped a hand to his heart, halfway sitting up.

"Good night, man, don't do that."

"You called me," Edward smiled, stepping inside. Jacob shifted and cleared his throat, as if he wanted to be standing up to say this, but he didn't want to leave me cold. Edward quickly raised a hand.

"It's okay—you can stay where you are."

Jacob looked at him, and swallowed.

"Listen, Edward, I…"

"It's okay, Jake," Edward said gently. "I got it." And he stuck out his hand. Jacob looked at him for just a moment, then gripped Edward's hand firmly. They shook once. Then, Edward let go, but he didn't leave.

"I…" he started, then lifted his head. "Bella, your dad's here."

A second later, Dr. Carlisle entered, talking to someone behind him.

"This is her room."

"I can't believe I didn't hear about this car accident—I was on patrol when my car got a flat—" Carlie, fidgeting with his hat halted when he passed the threshold.

"Bells!" he said in relief. Then he hesitated. He pointed subtly at me and glanced at Dr. Carlisle. "Um…why is Jacob in the bed too?"

A moment of silence followed, in which we tried valiantly to restrain ourselves. But then it was simply too much, and Edward, Jacob and I burst out laughing.

VVV

I had known that when I attempted to bring a werewolf and a vampire together on common ground that if it went well, it would bring changes to both peoples. However, I had no idea how much change. The battle in the woods had been the catalyst, and then the seal, of permanent and deep-felt change.

The world turned upside down.

First of all, the truce was tested beyond war time when the Cullens devised to do something for the pack to thank them for executing justice, and for helping to kill the enemy vampires. Jacob made one suggestion: food. And the Cullens took to it like fish to water.

They had never used their state-of-the-art kitchen before, and so they threw themselves into the task of creating a feast. They invited the whole pack, through Jacob, and Jacob made sure to let his pack know that this was not an alpha command, but something they were free to decide upon for themselves. The meal was to happen on the night of Epiphany, January sixth. Jacob and I helped as the Cullens nervously got the house ready (they never entertained) and we waited anxiously to see if the pack would arrive.

And guess what? They came.

Not only that, but to Esme and Alice's delight, they ate everything. The steak, the rolls, the mashed potatoes, the steamed vegetables and the pumpkin pie. We all sat around the huge dining room table and the Cullens watched as their feast was politely devoured. Everyone was clearly a little antsy at first, but Jacob, Edward and I placed ourselves strategically around the table: I sat right between Paul and Rosalie, Jacob sat between Carlisle and Emmett, and Edward sat between Leah and Sam. We purposefully made conversation with the people all around us, asking questions, prompting discussions about irrelevant topics. Before long, as the pack tasted the steak and found it delicious (and unpoisoned) people began laughing, speaking out on their own to add to the discussion, and even doing a little teasing. Jacob, Edward and I set the example there, as well, showing that it was okay to tease each other, as long as it came with a healthy dose of respect and friendship.

Soon after that dinner, the Cullens received an invite to a beach party in La Push. I went with Jacob to deliver this invitation, and it was greeted with the proper amount of pleasure and shock. They had never been to La Push. After their initial astonishment wore off, Carlisle said yes, as long as it was cloudy, they would be able to come.

And they did. And to their further astonishment (and mine as well) Charlie was invited, as were several other families from the tribe that were not werewolves. Understandably, at this party, there was no talk about the different races. Thus, it did for everyone what Christmas had done for Edward, Jacob and I. It allowed them to be normal. We raced on the beach, tried to keep the fires from blowing out in the ocean wind, roasted hot dogs, and played Frisbee. It was a blast. Especially for Carlisle and Esme, I think, because I could sense that it had been a while since they'd been able to socialize with parents their "own age," and happily pretend that there was nothing at all extraordinary about them. They just didn't eat, but no one seemed to notice.

From then on, the relationships between the two peoples just caught on like a house on fire. It was unbelievable. Parties, get-togethers and hang-outs were regularly scheduled at the Cullens or at La Push, and everyone was always invited, including Charlie and me. The Cullens' new favorite thing was cooking (Alice couldn't get enough of it) and they just loved making tons of food and watching it be eaten.

Jacob's name among the Cullens was "Mutt." It might as well have been on his birth-certificate, because none of them ever used his real name, except Edward. It wasn't insulting at all. He loved it, because it was said with such endearment, and he had never had a nickname before. I had special names for Jacob and Edward, myself. I called them "lambkins," or "chickadees." They let me do it, and never knew why I chose them—they thought it was funny to be compared to such mild things, for both of them were so terribly fierce.

Over time, I felt like I'd gone from being an only child to being a member of a family of dozens. I could count the whole pack as my brothers and sister, and the Cullens were getting there (Jasper needed some work, but he was definitely improving). Plus, whenever we all got together, the families brought all their little kids. And that was what Esme loved the most.

Esme beamed brilliantly as she watched the little black-haired kids run between the adults' legs, toddling and squealing and tugging on their parents' sleeves. She soon started keeping candy around her house, and they all came running to her begging for pieces. In return, she would request kisses, and she would instantly be covered with them.

Rosalie watched the children at first with distant longing, not daring to assert herself with them. That is, until Jacob observed her. Then, around the kids, he began casually referring to her as "The Gingerbread Lady." Intrigued, the kids pressed him for an answer. He just told them to climb in her lap and they'd see. The kids immediately went to Rosalie and demanded to climb in her lap. Confused, she sat down, and before she knew it, four little kids were on top of her, wrapping their arms around her and leaning against her chest.

"She does smell like it!" one little boy cried. "Jacob was right! She smells like gingerbread!"

I have a feeling that Rosalie would have cried if she could. Jacob had found a way to crack her armor.

She fell in love with those kids, and absolutely spoiled them. And also, with much effort and persistence, Jacob teased, sweet-talked, complimented and even hugged Rosalie into loving him, too. I saw the bond they formed, and was happy for it. Rosalie never got to have children, and I could tell she wished she had. The fact that she reminded Jacob of his mother doubtlessly eased the pain for both of them. When she thought nobody was listening, she called him "Pup." Also, because she and Jacob finally got along, she was much nicer to me, too.

Sometimes, later in the evenings, the rough-housing, horseplay and games would settle down, and we would gather around either the Cullens' fireplace, or a fire on the beach, and the "elders" would tell stories. The elders of the Quileute tribe would spin tales much like those Jacob had recited to me on Christmas Eve, when he had been pointing out stars. At the Cullens', Carlisle would speak. To those who were not in the know, Carlisle was simply an avid history buff—that's why he could describe the Revolutionary War in such detail. To those of us who did know, well, we sat enraptured, entranced by the opportunity to hear it retold by someone who had actually been there. I loved these nights the best. Jacob and I would huddle together, and I would keep warm next to his heart, and we would whisper comments to each other as we listened.

Jacob and I loved each other fiercely. The fear of his imprinting still hung in the back of our heads, like a shadow in a sunny room. But there was something bittersweet about living each day with the thought that it might be the last. We never fought. If we disagreed, one of us gave way so easily that there was never a hint of friction. Anything other people might fight about seemed irrelevant to us. We were extensions of each other, always near each other, except when we slept. Our relationship was endlessly fascinating to Edward, whose life stretched on behind and before him for such a distance. He valued the reminder of a mortal life.

"He is so strong, Bella," he quietly told me once, when Jacob was helping Rosalie in the kitchen. "His worry over imprinting only makes him love you more deeply. And that is his greatest weapon against it."

Edward was not the only one fascinated by the unique relationships amongst us all. It was true that one aspect of the friendships between the peoples allowed them some normalcy. But it also let them enjoy and share in the fact that the pack and the Cullens were absolutely superhuman.

It wasn't long before a clandestine activity was arranged especially for those with "special abilities." Of course, since I went everywhere with Jacob, and knew the secrets, I was included as well. And what a treat that always was.

Whenever a thunderstorm arose over Forks, the pack and the Cullens would meet in a broad field in the mountains. And then, when the thunder began to rumble, and the clouds began to flash…

They played baseball.

They were mixed teams, werewolves and vampires on each. And they practically tore that field apart.

When they hit the ball, it was like a crack of thunder. When they ran, it was like lightning. When they slid, it practically caused an earthquake. The pack played in human form, of course, but their strength and speed and agility were still extraordinary. They all teased and bantered, and talked trash to the other team. They also let me play—they called it "an exercise in touch;" practice throwing it at less than light speed, I guess. My hits looked like a weenie hit the ball, even if they were good hits by normal standards. Nobody ever made fun of me, though. I flatter myself thinking that they just liked me around. I was their compass, their anchor. Still their common ground.

This continued happily for months. The get-togethers were always on: cloudy at La Push, sunny at the Cullens. And through all of it, when Jacob was not with me, he and Edward were inseparable.

Both families called them the Odd Couple, after that story about the totally opposite roommates. Their stream-of-consciousness communication continued, and it was often times comical, and I just had to laugh at them sometimes, shaking them out of their weirdness. But secretly, I loved it. Because of course, I took credit for it.

The two of them went running all the time. At first, Jacob phased to race through the woods alongside the vampire. Then, he started running in his human form. They would come back side by side, Jacob sweaty and a little out of breath, Edward not even ruffled. But they laughed and joked constantly. It was like Jacob was Edward's personal sun, chasing away his clouds. I was glad for him.

Once, I ventured to ask Jacob why he always ran shirtless, and Edward never did. Jacob pulled me aside, so no one could hear us, and whispered:

"He sparkles, Bella."

"No way."

"Yes way," he answered. "Apparently all vampires do, in the sunlight. That's why they can't go anywhere when it's a nice day."

"That's awesome," I declared. Jacob made a face.

"I dunno. I told him it was girly."

"Girly?" I laughed. "Edward is a stud."

"What?" he exclaimed. Then his eyes narrowed. "Am I going to have to start watching you two?"

"No," I shoved him. Then I winked. "You don't have to worry. I like my men with a pulse. But don't tell Edward."

"Don't tell Edward," Jacob rolled his eyes, then tapped my forehead. "He's a mind reader."

It was indeed difficult to keep anything from Edward—one, because he could read Jacob's mind, and two, because us three were hanging out together all the time. We drove to Seattle and went up in the Needle and went to all the museums, we went on hikes, we took road-trips all up and down the coast to the little fishing towns, and we went out to movies. Occasionally, Alice, or Leah, or Paul or Seth (or all of them) would tag along, and we'd make a Saturday day trip of it.

Jacob and Edward's runs continued all through the spring; however, each time, Jacob came back a little more fatigued. He was still in fabulous shape, but apparently it was becoming harder and harder for him to keep up with Edward.

One day, when they had just come back from a run that ended at my house, Jacob went inside to get a drink and I finally approached Edward in my driveway.

"Hey," I said quietly, staring at the place where Jacob had just entered my house. "Does he look…smaller to you?"

"Yes, I hope so," Edward nodded, gazing at the same spot.

"What?"

"He's been working on his control, Bella," Edward told me. "We've been training in the woods as often as we can. He's trying to stop phasing. To stop being a werewolf."

"He can do that?" I was baffled.

"Apparently," Edward shrugged. "That's what Billy and Sam have told him."

"Why would he want to do that?"

"So he can start aging again. To be with you." Edward gazed at me, and his voice grew thoughtful. "There's also the off chance that it might prevent him from imprinting."

"He's…He's willing to give up being an amazing wolf for me?" I couldn't believe it. Edward frowned at me.

"Of course," he said. "He loves you."

The training continued. Jacob became gradually weaker, but still remained very strong by human standards. I could think of no better teacher for him than Edward. After all, Edward did know something about control.

Jacob's hair grew back to its original length, and I loved twisting my fingers through it. (And by the way, he did purr.) Finally, at the middle of May, Jacob looked almost exactly the way he did before he had growled at Edward in the schoolyard.

We had a baseball game on the 18th of May. A storm blew up and the pack and the Cullens rejoiced. Jacob could no longer compete to the level he had before, but everyone still lovingly regarded him as the alpha, and it was never disputed.

I watched them all, just being cheerleader this time. I marveled, as always, at all of their beauty. And today, I had actually brought a camera with me.

Of course, I could not take video, but still pictures wouldn't show anything incriminating. And if they did, I'd just delete them—it was a digital camera. I took snapshots of Alice pitching, of Sam just creaming the ball, of Leah making faces at Emmett in the outfield, of Edward leaping into the air to catch a fly, of Carlisle calling Seth out at home.

Jacob came up to bat, bunted, and raced toward first. Alice snagged the ball and tossed it to Rosalie, at first. Jacob slid, but he landed hard on the arm he had hurt in the wreck.

"Ow, ow," he complained, hopping up, but holding his elbow.

"You okay?" Rosalie gasped, taking hold of him.

"Oh, bad arm," he muttered, then winked at her. He shook his arm out. "Hey, I'm gonna score-keep for a while." He came over to the third base line where I was standing, bent and kissed me sweetly.

"Are you all right?" I asked, rubbing his shoulder.

"Oh, I'm fine," he grinned, his smile very bright for his being injured. "Just fine."

He accepted the pencil and notepad from Carlisle, the umpire, and watched the rest of the game with me.

When the rain threatened to overtake us, they called the game. Edward came over and whacked Jacob with his glove.

"What—did the puppy get hurt?" Edward smirked and walked past. Jacob tossed down the notepad, roared in mock ferocity, stuck the pencil between his teeth and jumped on Edward's back. Edward grunted, staggering forward, and Jacob wrapped both arms around Edward's shoulders, and pressed the knuckle of his thumb hard into Edward's sternum. Edward laughed and winced at the same time, and Jacob grinned broadly around his pencil, growling like dogs do when they're playing.

I don't think either of them saw me, but I took a picture of them then. It turned out perfectly, as if they'd posed for it. Both their eyes were shining with laughter and youth—they looked like two ordinary teenage boys goofing around—only brilliantly stunning. I printed that picture, framed it and hung it on my wall.

Now that picture is priceless to me.

VVV

We went to prom. I brought Jacob, as my guest, since he didn't attend Forks High anymore. Edward brought Leah. Edward had formed a soft spot for her at some time—I wasn't sure when. But they understood each other, and had become good friends.

I wore a slender red dress, and when he'd first seen me, Jacob had stared at me for a good ten seconds before he was able to speak. I'm telling you, nothing feels better than that.

We entered the dance arm-in-arm, Edward and Leah right behind us. The noise and bustle of the party soon surrounded us, and everyone was happy to see Jacob again. However, he rarely looked away from me.

"So…what do you think so far?" I asked, wrapping my arms around his neck and lacing them through his velvety hair.

"Of what? Prom?"

"Yes."

He shrugged.

"The decorations: so-so. The music? Meh. Seeing you in this dress, with your hair done up like that?" He grinned. "Need I say more?"

"I'm just amaze that you have a dress shirt and tie," I said, tugging on his collar.

"I don't," he confessed. "It's my dad's."

He smiled again, but I caught something in the edges of his mouth. My brow furrowed.

"You okay?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"You seem a little…sad."

He stopped dancing and just gazed at me. Then he glanced down briefly.

"Well…I promised I'd let Edward tell you."

Concern pricked me.

"What is it?"

"It's okay," he said quickly. "I mean, it's not okay…" He fumbled. "But…I'll go get him."

He left me, his warmth departing from my arms, and I stood there and watched as Jacob approached Edward and put a hand on his shoulder. They conversed briefly, and then Jacob danced with Leah while Edward came up to me.

"I didn't tell you before, but you look lovely tonight, Bella," he smiled at me.

"Thank you," I said, easily sweeping into his arms. Out of old habit, we stood as waltzers do, and it made us both smile in remembrance.

"Jacob said you had something to tell me," I prompted as we swayed. A cloud passed over his angelic face.

"Yes." He took a breath. "First of all, I need to express to you, for my whole family, our undying gratitude for what you've done for us. You made a bridge between us and the Quileute, something that no one on either side even wanted to accomplish for more than a century." His thumb absently rubbed the back of my right hand, and he gazed at me steadily. "It took bravery, raw nerve…" He smiled. "And some pure dumb luck…"

I chuckled.

"But you did it," he said finally, though keeping his voice down. "And because of that, our family has enjoyed friendships as we've never had before. The pack are immortal, yes, but they're also completely alive, and because of that, they brought us to life. Esme takes absolute delight in the children, Jasper and Emmett have had a great time with men like Sam and Jared and Paul. Alice and Leah are fast friends, Rosalie and Jacob..." He paused for a moment, as if searching for the exact words. "Bella…you don't know how many decades of pain have been erased from her mind because of him. It's like she's young again. And I…" Edward hesitated again. "I've never had a friend like Jacob. I mean, Carlisle and…and my whole family, but never somebody I could just be a guy with, you know? Not since I was…human." He swallowed. "The two of you have shown uncommon grace to us. Which is why our family has come to a decision."

My hand reflexively tightened around his, and I didn't take my eyes from him. He took another breath, and his gaze was resolute.

"I have come to know, on a deep and penetrating level, the curse that is werewolf imprinting. You might not know it, because Jacob hides it well, but from January to March, it was a constant torture to him, always in his mind. And Leah…" he sighed and glanced at the ceiling, as if burdened. "I can't even describe to you what she still feels because Sam imprinted on someone besides her. And in large measure, it is our fault."

"What?" I murmured.

"The Quileute wouldn't phase at all if it weren't for our proximity. We are their natural enemies," Edward explained. "They start the phasing process because their bodies sense the nearness of vampires." Edward was whispering now. "They turn to werewolves to protect humans from us."

"But you're not hurting anyone," I protested. He shook his head.

"Their biology doesn't know that. It would be just like telling your body not to grow up."

"So…what does that mean?" I asked, afraid of the answer.

Edward's feet stopped moving. We just stood there, while the other people danced all around us.

"Jacob has nearly stopped phasing. I had hoped our exercises in control would be enough but—it's not. Almost. But not quite. So…we're leaving. Tomorrow morning."

"Leaving?" My throat caught. I knew I was repeating his words, but I just couldn't believe them. He nodded minutely.

"Our flight leaves at five in the morning. We're going abroad. Well, first we're going to Chicago," he amended. "I'm from there. I'd like to…see the city again. Visit my mother's grave."

Tears stung my eyes as I listened, but I tried to keep them back. Edward went on.

"Then we're heading to someplace in central Europe. Maybe Austria, or Russia, or Romania. I haven't really toured Europe, yet."

"That…should be amazing," I tried. Edward searched my eyes.

"Would it be all right if we wrote to you two?"

"That would be great," I said eagerly, letting go of his hand briefly to brush at my eyes. His hand remained on my waist. "I love getting real mail."

"We love writing," Edward said. "I do, at least, and Esme and Alice and Carlisle. And Rosalie will have no trouble writing to Jacob."

I nodded quickly, trying to hide my face, because I was going to cry.

"Oh, Bells," he said for the first time, pulling me into his chest and holding me. I wrapped my arms around him and gasped into his tuxedo coat.

"You've been my true friend, too. Have I mentioned that?" He kissed the top of my head. "I'll always love you for everything you've done—for seeing me and my family as humans, rather than monsters."

I felt him take a ragged breath, then he backed up and cupped my face in his hands, smiling.

"I am privileged to have known you."

"Hold on, don't say stuff like that," Jacob interrupted, coming up beside us. His eyes were glistening, and he was frowning. He cleared his throat and steadied his voice. "I'm going to issue an alpha command, okay?"

Edward opened his mouth, but Jacob held up a hand.

"Nope, there's no arguing. This is my last order, so you have to listen to it." He braced his hands on his hips. "If you are ever on this continent on Christmas Day, you are to come to our house and spend the evening with us. End of story. We'll have presents for you and everything, every year, forever, just to make you feel guilty."

Edward watched him, his smile broadening.

"Thank you, Jacob. We'll certainly try. Just make sure you pass on a way for me to find you."

Instead of answering, Jacob stepped forward and embraced Edward. Edward swept his arms around Jacob and for a moment, neither of them said anything. Then, Edward tugged on a piece of Jacob's hair and backed up. Jacob sniffed and swiped at his face with the back of his hand, but then he grinned unexpectedly.

"Good luck, leech," he slapped Edward's shoulder.

"You too, Mutt," Edward replied. "Have a good evening with your lady. I'll return to mine."

And with that, Edward swept away. I reached for Jacob, wrapped my arms around his neck and just held him. He answered, pulling me close.

"We aren't going to know what to do with ourselves when they're gone," I murmured. I felt him shrug.

"The same thing we did before, I guess. Run through the woods, watch movies and read scary stories." But his voice was very sad.

"Yeah," I sighed. Then, a remembrance struck me, and I frowned. I backed up and looked into Jacob's face.

"Wait—did you say come to our house?"

He gazed back at me solemnly.

"I did."

"And…what does that mean?"

"It means I want to marry you." He took a deep breath. "I know I'm messed up, and I have issues and complications, but…I'm going to try. I'm going to try so hard, Bells." He swallowed. "Will you have me?"

I stared at him. Then, I leaned up, shut my eyes, and closed my lips over his. He bent down and

pulled me up to him, lifting me off the ground, kissing me both hard and tenderly. I felt his heart against mine—both of them rushed and pounded, in perfect rhythm, just as they had the first time I'd met him.

I knew there were risks, even dangers. But there was no possible way I could leave him. And so, as I tasted his soft lips, I knew without a doubt what my answer had to be.

I withdrew my mouth from his, and he didn't set me down. I gazed straight into his eyes, ran my hand through his long hair, and smiled.

"Now that…is a stupid question."

His smile flashed. And with a triumphant laugh, he pressed in and kissed me again.

"My great miseries in this world have been Heathcliff's miseries, and I watched and felt each from the beginning: my great thought in living is himself. If all else perished, and he remained, I should still continue to be; and if all else remained, and he were annihilated, the universe would turn to a mighty stranger: I should not seem a part of it. - My love for Linton is like the foliage in the woods: time will change it, I'm well aware, as winter changes the trees. My love for Heathcliff resembles the eternal rocks beneath: a source of little visible delight, but necessary. Nelly, I AM Heathcliff! He's always, always in my mind: not as a pleasure, any more than I am always a pleasure to myself, but as my own being."

-Wuthering Heights

Epilogue

"Listen, my child," you say to me

"I am the voice of your history.

Be not afraid, come follow me.

Answer my call and I'll set you free…"

-The Voice

75 Years Later…

I can't remember why this tradition got started—I only know that my great grandma and grandpa, Jacob and Bella Black, began it, and it was linked closely with the rule that every firstborn Black daughter was to be named "Isabella." The tradition was this: every Christmas Eve, we set a carved wolf made of cherry wood—Great Grandpa had made it for Great Grandma—at one end of our long table. And at the other end, we set an extra plate. And, if someone came knocking at twilight, the eldest daughter (me, this time), was to answer the door, and invite the person to dinner, even if he was a complete stranger. We also set out seven presents for this nameless person, and they remained in a sacred place by the tree. We had never opened them. They had been bought and wrapped by my great grandma Bella.

The importance of these traditions had been very fervently told to me by my grandma Bells, who remembered how diligently her mother had set the place every single year. However, no one had come knocking on the door at twilight since my great grandparents' time.

Until tonight.

When the three sharp taps resounded through the house just as the clock struck six, every family member at the long table froze. Then, they all turned to me. I dropped my fork. It clanked down onto my plate full of turkey and dressing.

My mother's eyes were alight with both disbelief and excitement.

"Well, honey…" she said to me. "Go get it!"

Slowly rising, I left the table. Nervously, my heart pounding, I ran my hand through my long chestnut hair. I was the only kid in a couple generations that had not inherited jet-black locks. My cousins thought I was weird.

I had reached the tall front door. Taking a breath, I reached out, worked the latch and pulled the door open.

Seven people stood outside in the snow. A blonde man who looked like an angel; a woman on his arm with shoulder-length brown hair and a soft smile; a tall, burly young man beside a striking, blonde-haired woman; a tow-headed, handsome man next to a lovely, spritely, dark-haired girl—and right in front of me stood a tall young man. He wore a gray coat and black dress pants; he had windswept dark hair, white skin and deep, penetrating topaz eyes. I was struck by the idea that he bore himself like a gentleman in an old movie. His gaze searched me, eloquently displaying uncertainty.

"Excuse us," he said, his voice cultured and smooth. "Is this the Jacob Black household?"

The sound of my great grandfather's name upon his lips sent echoes through my mind; sounds from a story I barely knew, yet remained alive in my very bones.

"Yes, this is Jacob Black's family," I answered. The stranger smiled almost invisibly. He took a breath.

"Does his invitation still stand for twilight visitors on Christmas?"

Suddenly, I felt as if I was standing upon the precipice of my future—as if the decision I made now would determine the entire course of my life. I took a very deep breath, then smiled kindly.

"Of course it does! We've been waiting for you. Please, come in."

"Thank you." He stepped up one of the stairs. "This is my family: my father and mother, Carlisle and Esme; my brother Emmett, his wife Rosalie; Jasper and his wife—my sister—Alice. My name is Edward Cullen."

"I'm Bella." I extended my hand. He hesitated just a moment, watching my eyes, then grasped it. I gasped, and snatched his hand up and held it in both of mine. Our gazes caught each other, and suddenly, neither of us could look away.

Something happened inside me, then. Something like two pieces clicking together, sending a thrill from the top of my head to the heels of my feet. In the back of my mind, a small voice reminded me of all the times my family had spoken, both jokingly and seriously, about how my grandparents had met, and my parents. They said it was a sudden flash of insight…like a missing bit of a puzzle finally snapped into its place. Love at first sight. I had always laughed at that concept, finding it silly.

But now, as my fingers closed around Edward's, my derision hollowed and vanished, and I couldn't for the life of me shake those old stories.

"Your fingers are freezing!" I exclaimed breathlessly, recovering myself. I rubbed the back of his hand vigorously, and he laughed, disarmed.

"Come inside and get warm," I commanded, pulling him past the threshold with me. "All of you!"

"Thank you," Edward said, smiling broadly. "We will certainly try."

High is the moon tonight…

Hiding its guiding light,

Heaven and earth do sleep,

Still in the dark so deep,

I will the darkness sweep…

I will the moon to flight,

I will the heavens bright,

I will the earth delight…

Open your eyes with me,

See paradise with me,

Awake and arise with me…

I am the Dawn; I'm the new day begun!

I bring you the morning; I bring you the sun!

I hold back the night and I open the skies;

I give light to the world; I give sight to your eyes;

From the first of all time, until Time is undone,

Forever and ever and ever and ever!

FIN