Disclaimer: Don't own anything Twilight related

JPOV

10 years.

10 years since my reason for living left me.

10 fucking years ago my imprint had been taken away from me…by her own family none the less…people I used to call friends. I could blame them all I wanted but the worst part of it was, she didn't fight to stay. She went oh so willingly without a thought to me or my well-being.

When the Cullen's had decided to take Renesmee with them when they left, I had felt as if my heart had been ripped out of my chest. Since imprinting on her as a baby I had waited 8 years for her to fully mature until I started seeing her as more than just a baby sister. 8 years of baby sitting and dolls and Hannah fucking Montana and I hadn't complained once. I had just stupidly hoped that my undying love and affection would be returned.

As soon as our relationship had progressed to a romantic level I was on cloud nine. Finally after years of waiting, Nessie would return the love that I felt for her. Our relationship had started out slow, under the watchful eye of Edward and after around a year of dating we had started taking physical steps. We were both inexperienced in the sex department and even though the first time had been a little awkward it was rewarding as well. After our first experience was out of the way I thought that everything would get magically better. Oh how wrong I was.

Nessie took her newfound loss of innocence as a sign that she was missing out on something. Craving more of a 'normal' life Nessie had started partying and meeting guys. The first time that she slept with someone else it felt like my heart had been ripped out of my chest. She had come crying back to me confessing her stupidity and undying love for me. It would never happen again, that's what she promised me. Well she lied. Time and time again her discrepancies would tear at my heart and each time I would let her back in.

After eight years, the Cullen's had long overstayed their welcome in Forks. People were noticing that they weren't aging and their moving was inevitable. I had always assumed I would be moving with them, well that wasn't the case. When Bella had approached me she had told me that they were leaving I told her that I needed to tell the pack that I was going too and step down as Alpha…well that's when the shit hit the fan.

"Jake we are leaving. Our time is well up in Forks and people are starting to notice." Bella said to me when we were out for a run in the woods one day.

"Yeah I figured that would be happening sometime soon. Ok well can you guys wait like a week? I need to step down as Alpha and hand it over to someone else."

I watched as Bella looked around nervously and bit her marble lip. Even as a vampire she still had some human tendencies left. She took a deep breath and looked up at me.

"Jake you have to understand. We want Renesmee to live as normal of a life as possible. She is half human which means she can experience things that we cant. That includes not having a werewolf for a boyfriend."

"What are you trying to say Bella?"

"Jake…you're not coming."

When the Cullen's left with Nessie no one expected me to survive. It was legend that a warrior could not go on living without their imprint. Well wasn't I living goddamn proof that that particular legend was wrong. 10 years I had been living without my imprint…well if you could call it living.

It had been the same everyday for the past decade. I got up, I ate, I phased, I went to work, I ate some more and then I would proceed to get ridiculously drunk to the point where my mind was numb and maybe I would be lucky enough to pass out at a decent hour before doing it all over again.

I knew I was hurting the people around me with my actions but I honestly didn't give a shit. No one could possibly know the physical pain I went through the first 3 years after she was gone. Every movement, every breath was like getting hit in the chest with a sledgehammer. After the third year it got to a point where the pain subsided a little. After 5 years it was at a tolerable level, and now…well now I barely felt it at all. It was just a dull ache in my chest, which could be easily cured by alcohol.

It seemed like a lifetime ago when I was just a normal 16 year old kid. I was scrawny, worked on cars and fantasized about hot girls. Then everything had changed and turned my world upside down. I phased, and then the girl I was in love with married my mortal enemy. Somehow he managed to knock her up, and then of course I have to go imprint on their child.

Of course Bella was ecstatic, this gave her cause not to feel guilty about ripping my heart out of my chest. Everything would be fine and dandy now that I imprinted…on their daughter nonetheless. The imprint did help with letting go of Bella, that and the fact that she was a bloodsucker.

So here I was at the ripe age of 36. Almost 20 years removed from being that scrawny teenage kid whose only problem was asking out the girl he liked. Oh what I would give for the blissful ignorance that came along with being normal. No shape shifters, no bloodsuckers, no imprints, no Alpha duties, just normal stuff.

Even though I was in my mid thirties I still had the body and look of a 25 year old thanks to my constant phasing. Sam had stepped down from his pack about a year after the meeting with the Volturi and the packs had merged, with me as the Alpha. As the years went on more kids started phasing because the Cullen's were still in the area. During the 8 years that followed her birth Jared and Paul had retired from the pack, wanting to age with their imprints. After the Cullen's left, vampire activity in the area was non-existent. Leah had yet to imprint and decided to step down as Beta and try to resume a normal human life. A few years after that Embry imprinted and retired from the pack as well. Quil was still phasing, but would probably stop soon since Claire just turned 20. So that left me, Quil, Seth, Brady, Colin, and the two 'newbie's', Liam and Brent as the current pack.

The pack was the only thing left that kept me somewhat sane. I took my duties as Alpha seriously and was a natural born leader. However I wasn't the person that Seth and the old pack once knew. I used to be a good kid, even after I phased I was always trying to please, I always tried to have a positive playful outlook on life. After her, everything changed. I overhead Brady's thoughts once and he thought that I reminded him of post Sam/Emily imprint Leah. I didn't even deny it. I was bitter and angry and unless it was pack business I didn't talk with anyone. I knew that it had put a serious strain on my relationship with everyone, people who used to call me friends now just looked at me with pity.

It didn't help seeing everyone so happy with their imprints and families. They all had moved on and I felt like that Jock from high school who still wears his state champs jacket when he's forty. I don't know why I kept phasing…I think a part of me wished that she would come back, even though the sane part of me knew that was never happening.

So there I was a 36 year old werewolf sitting on my ass by myself in my house. I had just gotten home from work and was starting my nightly ritual of drinking myself into oblivion. I was just about to crack open another beer when I heard a knock on my door.

God damnit couldn't a guy get some peace and quiet in his own house?

I walked over to the door and scowled when I opened it to find Embry on the other side.

"What do you want dude?" He took a step inside and stared me down.

"You been drinking again Jake?" I glared at him.

"Yeah so what. Am I not allowed to drink in my own house?" Embry sighed.

"Billy sent me. He needs your help with something."

Billy. He deserved better than me for a son. I knew this and tried my hardest to help him whatever way I could.

"Come on I'll drive you over."

For once I didn't protest as I followed Embry to his car. Our relationship had been strained since the Cullen's departure. Embry knew about my nightly ritual but couldn't really say anything about it. It's not like the only thing I did was drink and run patrol. I worked full time for an auto design company and was actually making a name for myself, not to mention a three-figure salary. I had quickly moved up the ranks to the point where my designs were put to use.

I had thrown myself into my work after she left and slaved for hours and hours over my designs to keep my mind off of her. In the beginning a wishful part of my mind also thought that if she ever did come back I would be worthier to her than I previously was. It wasn't until a couple of years after her departure that I turned to booze to fix my problems. The council was shocked that I had actually survived this long with out my imprint and were still pondering how I was still in existence…like I was some sort of freak of nature for still being alive.

When we arrived at my old house Embry and I entered without knocking and found my dad in front of the TV. A smile crossed his wrinkled face when he saw me and I couldn't help but look down ashamed at the son I had been to him over the past decade.

"Jacob I'm glad you came." I only nodded and sat down on the couch.

"Someone new just moved onto the reservation and I volunteered your services to help them fix up their house."

"Um what?" Billy ignored my question and continued rambling.

"The council says that the new owner of the old Hall house is Ryan Fleming. I told them you would go over there tomorrow to start working on the house." He had to be kidding my. I had more important things to be doing on a Saturday, like drinking.

"Dad come on. I have a job, you can't just expect me to drop everything I'm doing to go help some old guy fix up his piece of shit house!"

"Jacob. You are a part of this community, no matter how much you want to deny it. Our community helps each other out and lets face it, you could use something to get you out of this slump you've been in. Be at the house at 12 o'clock sharp tomorrow. This is undebatable son." He nodded to Embry and Embry left. Billy rolled himself over to me and placed his hand on top of my trembling one.

"Son look at me." I complied, shooting daggers in his general direction.

"Jake I'm going to be totally honest. I'm scared out of my mind for you. I can't say that I know what you went through when Renesemee left because I don't. But I know the man my son used to be, and who I see before me now isn't that man. I can't sit here and watch you kill yourself Jake. The drinking, the drugs, it has to stop. I lost your mom too soon; I cant loose you at well. I love you too much." His voice cracked at the end and I couldn't help the shame that flooded me at his words.

"I'm sorry." I managed to whisper. "I'm sorry for everything Dad. I promise I will try my hardest to be better. It's just…everything hurts without her."

"Time heals all things Jake. And all you have is time. It will get better." He reached out and hugged me and when we pulled back he was smiling.

"Now how about you spend the night with your old man, for old times sake."

I couldn't help but grin and nod my head as we settled down to watch the Mariners game.

The next morning Billy woke me up and I cooked him breakfast before heading to the Hall's old place. Regardless of our father son bonding time I was still pissed about having to fix up the house. It was a piece of shit and I pitied the poor schmuck who bought it. I pulled up in my F150 to the condemnable structure. How this place hadn't fell down yet was beyond fathomable and I wondered if it would be easier to just bulldoze the thing and start from scratch. I looked down at the post-it note in my hand.

Ryan Fleming

That was the only information I had about the guy who bought the house. I knocked on the door and was thoroughly surprised when it didn't fall off the hinges. After a minute no one answered so I ran the doorbell. I heard footsteps and my jaw dropped when I saw the person who answered the door.

She must have been in her mid to late twenties and had a pair of the most beautiful green eyes I had ever seen. Her long wavy blonde hair was pulled back in a messy bun and freckles adorned her pale face. She was covered in wet paint and I stopped the smile that wanted to make its way onto my face.

I quickly glanced around, making sure I had the right place and turned back to her. She gave me a hesitant smile.

"Um can I help you with something?" I mentally shook my head.

"I'm sorry I'm looking for a Ryan Fleming. Is he here?" The woman in front of me laughed and quirked and eyebrow at me.

"You're looking at her."

Say what?

RPOV

I pushed a strand of my sweat-dampened hair out of my face and looked at the room around me. The paint was peeling off the walls and various cracks and stains adorned the ceiling. The rest of this little house was in similar shape and I started to second guess my decision in buying it. I had gotten it for a bargain and I thought with a little elbow grease and a can-do attitude I would have it fixed up in no time. But I seemed to have severely misjudged my skills as a handywoman and I probably had a good couple of months ahead of me before the house could even function properly. I guess I would just take it one room at a time and see how it went from there. I had the money to hire help, but I was stubborn and I had bought this house with intent to fix it up by myself, as a sign of new beginnings. The house was located in La Push Washington, which was a small yet gorgeous Native American reservation just minutes from the ocean.

My thoughts of rebuilding were interrupted as my bundle of joy threw himself at me. He was covered in paint and I couldn't help but laugh at the guilty expression on his face.

"Mommy. Please don't get mad. I just wanted to paint my room and I'm so so so sorry. I love you so much." I sighed and looked down at him. He was laying it on pretty thick so what ever he did must have been bad.

"Just tell mommy what happened Patrick". He looked around quickly and then turned his big blue eyes up to me. Oh no now he was using 'the look'.

"I accidentally knocked over the ladder which had the paint can on it and then that knocked over the paint tray and the other paint can and it got all over the floor and I'm sorry and I love you." He said all in one breath. I laughed a little and bent down to pick him up.

"Alright show me where the damage is." I walked into the back room and surveyed the scene in front of me. It was like a scene out of a movie. Everything was knocked over and paint splatters could be seen all over the walls and floor. Little footmarks in blue paint could be seen from where Patrick stepped in it. At least I had put a drop cloth down so the floors didn't get ruined. As I looked everything over I couldn't help but feel a little annoyed at the thought of even more work, but any annoyance I had dissipated as I looked down to the worrying eyes of my son. I smiled at him before kissing him on the cheek and putting him down.

"Alright mister. You are going to have to help me clean this up ok?" He nodded enthusiastically at me and I retrieved some work towels to clean up the mess. Once the drop cloth was replaced, and the paint re-poured, we set to trying to paint the walls. And when I say we I mean I was doing the painting while Patrick made his own little designs on his part of the wall. I was just trimming the edge of a wall when I felt a little cold splatter on my arm. I turned around to see Pat giggling holding up a paintbrush. I laughed as I reached over and smudged some of my paint across his cheek. He shrieked and threw some back at me and before I knew it we were both covered in paint from head to toe and giggling uncontrollably. I sat down and Pat climbed his way into my lap throwing his arms around me. Even at the age of seven he was still such a momma's boy and I wouldn't have it any other way.

"I love you mommy."

"I love you too sweetheart."

Our sentimental moment was interrupted by the doorbell ringing. Hey at least the bell worked, that was one less thing I had to worry about. I got up and walked over to our front door, where I was met by a menacing looking man that took up the entire doorway.

He looked at me and his eyes widened a little before looking around like he wasn't sure if he was in the right place or not. He turned his menacing looking face back to me and I awkwardly cleared my throat.

"Um can I help you." My words seemed to snap him out of his funk and he smiled a little as he looked down to a post-it in his hand before meeting me eyes.

"I'm sorry. I'm looking for a Ryan Fleming. Is he here?" I couldn't help as my eyebrow shot up and a little smirk made its way onto my face. This happened to me all the time…downfall of having a boys name, people always thought you were a boy. I chuckled a little before meeting his dark onyx eyes again.

"You're looking at her."

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