Jacob Black, Rescue Ranger?

by Lady of Spain

Disclaimer: All characters are the property of S. Meyer. No copyright infringement is inferred.

Jake got up, still groggy from sleep. He stumbled into the kitchen nearly knocking over a chair and answered the phone. "Hello—oh it's you, Bells." He raised one arm in the air shaking his head to clear his brain, and yawned loudly.

"Hi Jake. I'm sorry. Did I wake you?"

"Yeah, but I'm up now. What's the matter?" He could practically hear the tension in her voice. Something was wrong. He knew her too well.

"Can you come over here right away? Mrs. Cheney's cat is caught up in the big spruce outside my window."

"And you called me? I'm not the fire department, honey."

"But Jake, you're so big and strong, athletic, muscular . . ."

He scratched his tousled hair as he listened to her ever growing list. He couldn't keep his lips from curling up at the mention of his attributes. Well whaddya know, she wasn't oblivious after all.

"Keep going." His ego was being stroked with every word spilling from her tongue.

"You're my hero," she touted.

Yeah, he enjoyed hearing her spout off his endearing charms but, damn, he was ready to drop from exhaustion. "I hate to burst your bubble there, but I haven't slept in like—three days. I'm dead tired, Bells. Have a heart. I'd just gotten into a sound sleep when you woke me up."

"Please, Jake, pleeee-ase! I'll make it worth your while. I made you a special dessert." She was well aware of his weaknesses, his stomach being one of them.

"What is it—Bella a la mode?" He would certainly love to lick the ice cream off of that confection.

"You're just a bundle of laughs today. Ha, ha."

"Yeah, well I don't feel very funny at this moment. Jeez, I've gotta get some shuteye," he groaned.

"Can't you take a nap over here?" Her voice took on that pleading tone again.

"No thanks, your couch is even smaller than ours." His eye lids were starting to droop. His bed was beckoning to him, and he looked back at it longingly. "Sorry, Bells, I've really gotta go."

"You can sleep in my bed." Boy, the things she had to do to gain his cooperation!

The fog in his head dissipated, his eyes popped open, and he was immediately alert. "I'll be right there."

Mrs. Cheney and Bells were waiting in the front yard for their hero. Bells greeted him as his motorcycle pulled into the driveway. He embraced her in his powerful arms, lifting her small frame off the ground. "Where's the little sleep-depriving kitty?"

Grabbing him by the hand, Bells led Jake to the tall pine tree outside her bedroom window. He spotted the cat and narrowing his eyes at the miserable creature, he muttered, "I can't believe I'm losing sleep because of you."

Jake was up in the spruce in record time. He snatched the cat from the tree branch and tucked it underneath his tee, letting its head peak out at the neckline. He climbed down quickly and handed the pesky critter to Bells, who in turn placed it safely in Mrs. Cheney's arms.

"Are you gonna take me to bed now?" he said, looking rather smug. Bells gasped, and instantly blushed a brilliant shade of scarlet. Mrs. Cheney raised her eyebrows. He shrugged his shoulders. "Hey, you said you would!"

"Don't listen to him, Mrs. Cheney. I only said he could take a nap there—alone, while I fix dinner downstairs."

"It's okay, dear, you don't need to explain. It's none of my business anyway." Mrs. Cheney was ashamed to admit that she didn't blame Bella one little bit if Jacob had been telling the truth. If only she were 25 years younger. The young men in her day never looked like that! She returned to her home, and back to reality. Sigh . . .

Bells folded her arms and glared at the boy with the loose lips. She wanted to take him by the ear, drag him to the kitchen and wash his mouth out with soap. He stood there, watching her, with the most innocent expression on his face.

"What did I say?"

She was fuming. "Good grief! Sometimes I'd like to put a piece of tape over your mouth. Do you realize what that poor woman must be thinking right now?"

"Yeah—she's probably fantasizing about getting in on the action. I'll bet It's really brightening up her day."

"Jacob Black! What am I going to do with you?"

"Oh, c'mon Bells, I can't help what comes out of my mouth today. I told you, I'm dead on my feet. It's on your head if you send me away; I could get in a serious wreck. Then who would you call to be your rescue ranger?" He gave her that look—the one that undid her every stupid time. Damn him and that look of his.

"Are you going to take me to bed or not? Please, I'm begging you. I'm really beat."

"Ugh! I am such a sucker." She extended her hand and Jake followed her into the house. She led him up the stairs to her room, and stood in front of the bed. He wrapped his arms around her waist as he waited behind her, resting his head in the crook of her neck. She pulled the covers aside and he sat down on it.

"Sure ya' don't want to join me?" he asked suggestively.

"Shut up you idiot; just lie down and go to sleep," she said in her no-nonsense voice.

Jake removed his shoes and climbed under the sheets. Bells turned to leave. "Aren't you gonna tuck me in?" he entreated in a childlike manner.

Exasperated, she let out a long breath and leaned over him tucking the sheet around his broad shoulders.

She leaned back ready to stand when Jake gripped her arm. He gazed at her, his eyes were shining. "Bells, do you think you could stay with me for a few minutes until I fall asleep? The last thing I want to see before I drift off is your face."

How could she deny him this little request? She sat by his side, stroking his face and ruffling her fingers through his thick hair. He continued to stare at her, but little by little his eyes closed and his breathing became soft and even. His hand slid down slowly away from her arm. She kissed it and gently slipped it under the covers. He looked so peaceful.

Right now, he was her sweet Jacob—not that annoying Jacob—the one that minutes ago had tried her patience in front of her neighbor.

As she stood there fondly gazing at that angelic face, she found herself yawning. What the hell—she pulled back the sheets and climbed in beside him. She nestled her head on his chest while his shoulder became the resting place for her arm. The steady sound of his breathing lulled her to sleep.

Her dreams revolved around—who else—her Rescue Ranger—Jacob Black. There's no way the fantasies of Mrs. Cheney could ever compare with the subconscious videos playing in her head.

Bells woke up with a start. Her dream was becoming a reality. She was face to face with the ranger himself. Their noses were practically touching and his warm breath was tickling her chin. He was moaning in his sleep, her name escaping his lips every so often. His arms were wrapped around her like tight rubber bands. Between the heat and the suffocating embrace, she was desperate to extricate herself. Good lord, the strength of this guy! The more she struggled, the more he tightened his grasp.

She looked at the clock—crap—Charlie would be home in 15 minutes. It was getting dark outside. Panic was setting in. Why in the world did she have to sleep so long? She finally put her hands overhead and wiggled down out of his arms, climbing out of the foot of the bed. She heard a low whimper; then he murmured in a sleepy haze, "No, Bells, please—don't go."

The sound of his whimpering pulled at her heartstrings, and she returned to his side. Caressing his cheek, she cooed, "It's okay, Jake. I'm here. You can go back to sleep now." He let out a loud sigh and turned over in the bed, snoring softly.

Bells raced down the stairs and out the door. The first thing she did was wheel Jake's bike over to the other side of the house to hide it from Charlie. If he saw that glaring reminder that Jake was in the house, how would she explain why he wasn't anywhere to be seen? Uh, dad, he's upstairs sleeping in my bed. That would certainly start a rousing conversation.

Then she rushed to the bathroom and grabbed a hairbrush to untangle all the snarls that accumulated during her nap—another telltale sign that they were sleeping in the same bed. She made sure that the door to her bedroom was closed, hoping that her dad wouldn't poke his nose in there or investigate the sound of the snoring going on. But, Dad, nothing happened, I promise. We were only sleeping together.

Darn that stupid cat. If it hadn't got stuck up in that tree, none of this would be crashing down around her now—and Jake wouldn't be snoozing in her room. What was she going to do if he was still asleep tonight? What if she couldn't wake him up without making a ruckus? Good grief, there was a distinct possibility that she might have to share her bed with him again until he woke up. Oh, for the love of Pete—why in the world did she get herself into this ridiculous situation? Next time, she would definitely call the fire department instead.

Trying to focus on dinner, she suddenly realized that the smell of the food might actually wake him up, enticing him to descend the staircase. Would he be dumb enough to come downstairs, following the scent from the kitchen? Yes, he would—Jake was a loose cannon—utterly unpredictable.

With the food cooking, Bells ran back up to her room. She leaned over Jake and shook his shoulder; that didn't get much of a response. She tried blowing in his face. He waved her away with a hand and turned over in the opposite direction. Even shoving him from behind didn't budge him an inch. He was like a beached whale and she had no way to get him back out to sea. She needed a tugboat! Well, crap, she'd just have to face the consequences. Resigned to her fate, Bells walked out the door, shutting it tightly.

Charlie ate his meal quietly. Bells was on pins and needles, glancing toward the stairs every now and then, expecting to see Mr. Sleepyhead coming to join them. She breathed a sigh of relief when the meal was over and she had washed the last dish.

Charlie was out in the living room watching the news. Bells leaned over the top of the couch and kissed him on the cheek. "Hey, Dad, I'm going to take a shower and get in bed. Good night."

"Night, Bells. See you after school tomorrow."

Bells got her toiletries and PJs and headed to the bathroom. Jake was still sawing logs when she returned to her room 15 minutes later. She tried patting his shoulder a few times to no avail. "Jake," she whispered in his ear, "Jake, you need to wake up!" A bomb could have gone off, and he probably wouldn't have so much as twitched.

What if she slept in the rocking chair tonight? Pulling a blanket out of the linen closet, she wrapped herself with it and wriggled onto the hard wooden seat, trying desperately to get comfortable. An hour went by and sleep evaded her. The stupid chair was as hard as a rock, and it was starting to get cold in her room, too. She remembered how warm Jacob had been earlier. She wanted to get some sleep tonight; she had classes in the morning, darn it!

Well, consequences be damned—she hurried over to the bed and climbed in, snuggling up against Jake's broad back. If Charlie happened upon them now, they would both be toast. But, gosh—he was so warm, like her own personal heating pad. In no time at all, she was asleep.

Sometime in the middle of the night, Bells was having a vivid dream. Jake had climbed the tree and brought down a puppy. He handed her the little dog and it began licking the side of her neck. All of a sudden, she awoke to realize that her neck was indeed wet, not from a puppy, but from a dog—of sorts.

Jake was facing her again, one hand in her hair and the other under her shoulder, curved around her back. He was moaning again, busily planting wet kisses down her throat and neck and muttering her name softly in his sleep. His mouth finally found hers and the kisses became more intense. She knew she should probably quit right about now, but good grief, his kisses were sending heat waves clear down to her toes. She couldn't find the strength—or the will—to stop him. She responded, against her better judgment; that was a big mistake. Bells heard him murmuring in his sleep induced fog. "I want you, Bells—please? I'm aching for you. I can't stand it anymore; I need you so badly."

To her utter shock, Jake was adjusting his position; nearly pulling himself on top of her. She had confessed her love for him only two weeks ago, and she wasn't yet ready to consummate their love—not like this at any rate. She grabbed a hold of his jaw, turning his searching mouth away from hers. A lone whimper escaped his lips. Scooting from him as forcefully as she could, she put a small distance between them. His arms shot out drawing her to his chest. They were both on their sides now, face to face.

Without warning, Jake's head jerked up in surprise; his eyes blinked several times. Suddenly, they were wide open. What the . . . ? He was stunned. "Jeez, Bells, I'm not complaining or anything, but how the hell did you get in my bed?"

"Your bed?" she whispered.

"You mean . . ."

"Yeah, you're still at my house, in my bed."

"And you're in here with me? Sweeet! This is a dream come true—which reminds me—man, I was having such a good dream before I woke up."

Bells looked at him with a serious expression. "Yes, I know!"

The light bulb instantly went off inside his head; the truth hitting him like a pie in the face. His mouth fell open in comprehension. "What . . .? How do you . . . ? No—don't tell me. I didn't do anything really stupid, did I?"

Her expression didn't change a bit. "That all depends on what you consider stupid?"

"Damn—I mean—I didn't make any moves on you or anything, did I? Please tell me I didn't."

"What do you think?" It was kinda fun, watching him squirm.

How was he going to get out of this one? He was always playing around making suggestive remarks, but he certainly would never act on them. He loved her to distraction, and he would rein in his own needs to keep her with him until she was ready to take that step. It had to be her choice, willingly.

Oh God, Bells, I'm so embarrassed. I . . . I . . . don't know what to say. I'm sorry. I guess now you know how much I love and want you, huh?"

Her face was still devoid of any emotion. "That's an understatement, to say the least."

"Don't be mad at me, Bells. I'm a guy, and you do these crazy things to my hormones. I can't help it. My body has a mind of its own. I'm nuts about you."

Doing her best to keep a straight face, she replied, "I'm not mad at you—and even if I was, you know I can never stay that way for long. I love you, Jake."

"Tell me again. Tell me a hundred times—a thousand times—I'll never get tired of hearing it. God, I love hearing you say that to me." There was that look again.

Bells repeated, "I love you, Jake."

"Can we seal it with a kiss?" His eyes danced with anticipation.

The moonlight streaming in from window set his face aglow. The boy was irresistible. Bells met his lips with her own. She felt like she was kissing her very own angel.

When their lips parted, Bells said, "That has to be our goodbye kiss. Charlie will be getting up in another two hours."

"Jeez, what time is it anyway?"

"It's three-thirty, sleepyhead. You've been out for 12 hours. By the way, I put your bike on the other side of the house so Charlie wouldn't see it. You'd better walk it down to the end of the street before you make that engine roar."

Jacob sat on the edge of her bed putting on his shoes. As he stood, he told her, "Thanks for letting me share your bed today."

"Anything for my Rescue Ranger."

He leapt out her bedroom window, landing with a soft thud in her yard. He looked back at the open casement and thought, I wonder if there's some way I could chase another cat up a tree. This rescue ranger business certainly has its perks.

He walked beside his bike to the end of the lane. With the slamming of his heel, a thunderous rumble erupted and it came to life under him. Jake rode home to La Push whistling all the way.

The next day, Jake was in the garage tuning up his Rabbit when his cell went off. It was his sweetheart again." Hey, Bells, what's up?"

"Jake—can you help me? There's another cat caught up in a tree."

His lips threatened to burst into a grin. "You're in luck. The Rescue Ranger is on duty! I'll be there in a few."

He was leaving the garage to wash his hands and change into a clean shirt when he spotted Bells heading his way. She was holding her cell in one hand and pointing to a pine tree with the other. Giggling, she shouted, "It's way up there!"

Jake closed the distance between them in three strides. Before she could blink, Bells was hoisted in the air and being swung around in a giant circle. Jake planted her feet back on the ground, and asked, "Hey, Loca, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be home fixing dinner for Charlie?"

"He's working late today. Anyhow, I was just in the neighborhood, and was feeling kind of tired." She pouted her lips. "Do you think I could take a nap in your bed?"

"Only if I get to share it with you," he smirked.

Bells gave him a sly wink, backing up slowly. "Last one in is a rotten egg!" she teased. Jake was hot on her heels as she ran to the house.

Geesh, kids these days! I don't think they actually got much napping done, do you?

The End