A Little Thing Called Destiny - Chapter Six
Title: A Little Thing Called Destiny - Chapter Six
Rating: T
Warnings: None
Summary: "So, now that we've bumped into each other a total of two times in less than half an hour, what do you say we introduce ourselves? I'm Jacob." The tale of two people brought together by fate. Pure fluff. AH. AU (Click to start from beginning.)
Jacob places his shoes in a corner and smirks at Bella. "Ha ha, very funny, Beautiful." He lifts their bags, prepared to take them to his room but Bella stops him before he walks down the hall.
"No, Jacob, I'm serious."
His tone is less joking when he speaks this time. "Bella, please don't mock me. I know you don't believe in what I do, and 'finding' a picture of us in my childhood home is really cruel." He makes to take a step towards his room again.
"No, no, no! I'm not mocking you. Look, here's the freckle under my right eye." She points to the picture. "And this is the cut that caused the scar on my left knee. I got it the summer before I moved to Phoenix!"
Jacob puts the bags down on the floor. "Okay, Bella. Let's say that is you. I was too young to remember, but why don't you remember that picture being taken, or me for that matter?"
"I - I don't know. We were kids. Some days I can't even remember what I had for lunch the day before."
Jacob sighs. "Beautiful, as much as I'd like to believe-"
"Alright, kids! Let's eat," Billy says as he comes back into the living room. Bella watches as he assesses the scene before him. "What's going on here?"
"Bella thinks she found a picture of herself." Jacob slips the photo out of Bella's hand and gives it to his father. "That little girl," he says pointing to the picture, "is not Bella, right?"
Billy scrutinizes the picture and makes his decision quickly. "Course not. That's Izzy, my best friend Charlie Swan's girl."
"See, Bella; I told you. That's-"
"Jacob…"
"-Izzy, Charlie Swan's girl. You're Bella-"
"Charlie Swan's girl."
"What?" Jacob and Billy look at Bella quizzically.
"Jake, Charlie Swan is my father." She can see the two men trying to make the connection. Billy glances from the picture of the kids, to Bella and then to the picture on the mantle of the three men which Bella guesses features her father. She's waiting for Jacob to say something, but he doesn't. She's surprised when he hugs her tightly.
"Oh, Beautiful," he kisses her cheek, "I told you this was fate. I told you this was meant to be." Bella sees Billy quietly slip out of the house to give the two of them privacy.
Bella doesn't know anything else to do and whispers, "Yeah, you did say that."
"Bella?"
His tone of voice scares her. "Yes?" He's smiling so widely, she's afraid of what might come next. She hasn't healed yet.
"I know its only been two months but, Beautiful, I know I'm falling in love with you. It may be too early to tell you this, but that picture - us as kids! - I just…" He hugs her again and it's all too much for Bella. She thinks of her past, the depression that followed. Flashes of her past flood her mind. The one way plane ticket, the depressing week spent in the hotel, the ad for a roommate that saved her spirit, Angela.
"I can't do this."
"You what?"
She's shocked even herself in saying it but she knows that she can't go through this again. She's shaking her head, almost in tears. "I can't, Jacob. I have to go."
"Where the hell are you going to go, Bella? You don't even have a car here!"
"I don't know!" She runs out of his house and down the road. She takes a ride from a woman going in the direction of Forks, which goes against every survival instinct she has, but walking would have taken forever. She ends up at her destination safely.
When she knocks on the door, she thinks maybe she's gotten the wrong directions from the woman in the car who assured her that everyone in town knew where this house was, but a minute after she's knocked, the door opens.
"Izzy?"
She waves awkwardly. "Uh, hi, Dad."
She laughs in surprise when he brings her in for a tight hug. He doesn't let go for a while. "Oh, Izzy, it's so good to see you in person! That computer screen doesn't do you any justice. You look great, kiddo." He ushers her into the house.
"Thanks, Dad." They sit down in the living room, him on the recliner and her on the couch.
"I've missed you, Izzy."
"Same here, Dad." She smiles at him, so happy that she's decided to come see her father, even if it is the cause of her running away from her problems with Jacob. She takes some time to look around the place. It's nice and tidy, and there are even flowers on the coffee table. There is the big flat screen TV that she expects to be here due to Charlie's love of sports, but that is really the only hint of a man in this living room. It takes a glance at the pictures on the wall to figure it out. Just after the last picture of Bella from graduation, there's one of Charlie and a woman close to his age, smiling and in love.
"Dad," she says surprised. "You've got a girlfriend!"
Her father looks a little embarrassed, but Bella can hear the pride in his voice when he answers. "Her name is Sue. We've been dating for almost two years. She's really something. I'm thinking of proposing soon."
"Oh, Dad, I'm so happy for you. I just know she'll say yes."
"I want you to meet her while you're here."
"I'd love that, Dad!"
"So, Izzy," Uh oh, she doesn't like his inquisitive tone, "is there anyone new in your life?"
With some hesitation, she tells him about Jacob. Everything from the way they met and his persistence, to the dates and how he makes her feel. Needless to say she leaves out all the times they've had sex.
"Sounds like you've got a real catch there, Izzy. I'm happy for you. So where is the lucky guy?" She'd also left out the way she just walked out on him.
"He, uh, he's at his father's house. He's actually Billy Black's son, but we didn't know until today. I found a picture of myself."
"Oh wow. Little Jacob Black and my baby girl. You kids were so close, Izzy. Attached at the hip, actually. Before you and your mom moved it was hard to even get you to leave La Push to come home. Must be fate."
Bella can't take any of this right now. She tells her father she needs the bathroom and walks upstairs for a much needed break. She's rinsing her face with cool water when her phone buzzes with a text.
How are things with Lover Boy and his Daddy? - Ang
I um… we had a fight. - B
A FIGHT? I didn't think that was possible for him. What happened? - Ang
I found a picture of myself. - B
On his phone? That's normal. Such a stupid thing to fight over. - Ang
No. In his father's house! - B
Angela doesn't respond as quickly as before and Bella is about to go back downstairs when her phone rings. "Hello?"
"What the hell? In his father's house? What a creeper!"
"No Ang, not of me now. As a kid. Jake and I knew each other as kids."
"Shut the front door!"
"And he was so happy about it."
"So you fought? This isn't making any sense, hon."
"I left him there. I came to my father's house and I - I just couldn't go through that again, Ang."
"Bella! I can't believe you! Why would you do that?"
"He told me he loved me!"
Bella can hear how frustrated her friend is. "And that is not a reason to walk out, Bella! I know that you are afraid but you need to realize that not everyone is the same. Yes he believes in divine intervention, but he is a good man and you deserve someone like him."
"But don't you remember-"
"He's not Edward!"
Bella goes silent.
"Bella, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to snap at you. But honey, you can't be afraid of men hurting you. Give him a chance. He deserves to know the truth and I bet he'll understand."
Bella sighs. "I know… I know he does."
"Bella, I'm going to hang up now, okay? Go back to Jacob and talk to him."
"I will, Ang. Thank you - again! You're always there for me."
"Save the sap. Go get your man."
Bella hangs up with Angela and runs back downstairs. She laughs off Charlie's joke about her falling in and tells him she needs to do something important. She runs to the front door and opens it, surprised. "Oh, Jacob!"
"Hey, Beautiful. Come on, let's talk."