IC Time: April 17th, 2007 evening
Location: Cullen Kitchen
Synopsis: Bella and Jacob discuss things changing over Pasta
Submitted by: Bella
It is dinner time at the Cullen household. Something that really means little to any of the residents except the human one. So Bella is in the kitchen right now doing one of the things she likes best, one thing her clutziness tends to shy away from, cooking. She looks to be cooking pasta, and currently working on the sauce, from fresh ingredients. All the other Cullen residents are either out or in other areas of the house.
Jacob arrives, walking as silently as ever. Not many people can get into the house without someone noticing, and yes, usually, even for Jacob that's true but this time the path was clear and they haven't smelled him yet. His voice is tentative, "Bells? I'm not, disturbing you am I.." "I can go… I mean, if you're busy."
Well clumsiness evades her until she gets startled of course by the sudden appearance of his voice. The pasta spoon drops to the floor as she places her hand to her chest to keep her heart in there, "Jacob Black, you trying to kill me?" She asks before she smiles over at him, "Of course not, you eaten dinner yet? I got plenty of sauce here and can throw in some more pasta?" She asks as she bends to retrieve her spoon.
Jacob eyes the food, "It's all about food here isn't it? Can't I just visit because I wanted to see you?" He smiles his sideways grin. Tonight, it's old, easygoing Jacob. "I wanted to see you.", he repeats. "… and if some food happens to be included, well — bonus prizes!"
"Jacob, you don't know how good it would be to actually eat with someone. I have taken to making meals when they are busy, they try and sit around the table, trying to make it seem normal, but when I am the only one eating…well its awkward." Bella says with a hopeful look to her best friend, there is an edge to her actions as if she is a bit upset over something, but she as usual is trying to keep a good face.
Jacob sits at the table. He offers another smile that leaks into his eyes, "Pasta would be excellent!", he says easily. No teasing, no walls tonight, no playful comeback, just…. Jacob.
Bella seems to relax as he agrees and goes to add more pasta to the pot to boil. She goes through the actions of cooking the meal. Cutting up herbs and spices, slicing up some vegatables to throw into the sauce, then some ground beef. She then sets it to cooking before looking over the counter to look at Jacob, "So how are you going today?"
Jacob thinks, "It was a pretty good day.", he says, radiating optimism. "I didn't see any Volturi and the pack gained a few friends. Some of the Children of the Moon are staying on our land now. They say they'll fight if the Volturi look our way." "My dad had his annual physical, and he's stronger than I am…. almost." His eyes twinkle in mirth, but you can tell it's been a stress for him, waiting to hear what the doctors say about Billy. He lets out a long breath, "It's even been a while since we had anybody new join the pack." He asks in return, following a non-threatening line of conversation for the moment, "How about you?"
Bella just listens quietly, perhaps happy to listen to all these little things that have little to do with her, except the tightening of her eyes as the Volturi are mentioned. "Thats good to hear about your dad. I am sure him and Charlie will celebrate with a fishing trip." Bella says with a grin before turning back to her cooking and grabbing out some bowls to serve the meals out in. With careful steps she brings out the bowls and sets one in front of him and settles down in the seat across from him.
<Connect> Esme has disconnected.
Jacob makes a face, "My dad makes a good fry… but its me that usually has to clean them… the fish I mean." His shoulders sag a little, as if letting go of the weight of taking care of his dad. It's a moment of relaxation, shared. Then, softly, "What's on your mind Bella?" "You haven't said my nickname since I got here." He raises his eyebrows, "You only use my nickname when you're happy — or like my little league coach, when I'm about to get benched. "Jake, I hope you understand…" He chuckles a little.
Bella laughs a little about the Fish, "Well at least Charlie deals with the cleaning, I do the frying." She says as she starts to stir the pasta around in the bowl. She looks up sharply at the question and starts to shake her head, making a vague little gesture with her hand. "You know…the usual…lot of stuff going on." She gives a little shoulder shrug, and twirls the fork into the pasta.
Jacob mirrors his friend, twirling his own pasta and eating it while the fingers of his left hand trace an intricate pattern on the table. He laughs more earnestly now, "Come on, Bells… since when has anything with you been 'usual'" "You're getting married, that's big… huge! You should be happy." "You're … going to … " he can't bring himself to say it exactly but he stiffens like a statue, holding so still for a long enough time it's almost …. uncanny. "Be happy, or I'm going to have to start tickling you like that time we had that dirt fight…"
"You know…well Alice has the wedding under control, so I don't have that to keep me busy. So I got school, but still have to worry about the Volturi about the place." Bella shakes her head, still just turning the pasta in the bowl, "Hoping I even make it to the wedding. It is still a month away…what if that is too long for them?" She asks at least voicing some of her worries in a low voice. As he 'stiffens' she reaches over and gives him a nudge, "It won't be like that…I will be like the rest of them…fully mobile and animated." She says with a roll of her eyes.
Jacob takes a deep breath, "Those thugs, the Volturi…" "I hate that name. It makes them sound more important than they really are. Like they crap marble or something." "They're just… bullies." He lowers his voice, "They're not here for you, Bells." "Just keep your head down and nobody's going to let them touch you… nobody." He is quiet for another long moment, too long. Reluctantly he says, "I'll miss the sound of your heart." No doubt he can hear it now. "But, when all your other friends have aged — Angela, Jessica… I'll still be keeping my promise." "… and I'll still be able to talk to you. I'd give /everything/ for just ten more minutes with my Mom." "Just ten minutes… at least, whatever happens, we won't ever have to say goodbye, not for a long time."
Bella looks like she is trying to take his words on the Volturi guard on board, looking back down at her food, "Yeah, I suppose that is what that one told me the other day. She wasn't here for me yet…" Finally she brings a fork to her mouth, but most of the pasta slithers off the fork before it reaches it. She sighs and goes back to retwirling. She cants her head at him, "It is just an Organ Jacob…I will be Bella again…" She responds with an encouraging smile, "Knowing my luck, I WIll even be the first clumsy vampire." She tries to give a little laugh at that, but holds his hand over to him as he speaks of his mother, "No, we won't and that I do treasure."
Jacob agrees, taking the hand that she offered, covering it mostly, with his own large one. "I'll… I'll be okay Bella. I mean it, I'm not going to do anything stupid. I know you /and/ Edward are worried about how I'm going to react, you know, after the wedding." "I… as long as I know you're happy and safe, I'll be okay." "… and as long as you never really say goodbye."
Her hand is indeed swallowed by his, its heat radiating into her hand though she doesn't let go. "I know you won't…maybe a year ago I wasn't so sure, but now…I see how you are with Esme and she with you. Seth and Edward…There are ties made that connect us all. The treaty has been reforged into an Alliance, if not in words, then in deeds." She says softly. "I might be a little out of touch after I am changed, but when I …find myself again you will be the first one I call."
Jacob's warm smile returns, "Who says you're going to have to call me at all. I'll be there when you open your eyes, if I can… if only to verify that whoever changes you didn't kill you." He nods, and lightly says, "I'll be close enough to hear every scream. I'm not going to shy away from your last moments of being human. In the Tribe, we honor all rites-of-passage — even painful ones, death and birth deserves to be looked at straight in the eye." "How can I do less?… after everything, when Edward left and you found your way back. We found it, together. This is no different, Bells."
Bella looks up curiously at Jacob's reply, grimacing only slightly at the description of her change. She has felt the pain before, the cooler mark that presses into Jacob's palm gives testiment to that. "I may need you strength when that time comes but I need you to promise me something…" Bella says with a note of ernest to her voice, "If …when I wake up they tell you to leave, please listen? You are far too human I think and I worry ….I would hate that in those moments…well when I am less than myself …I hurt you." This is the only part of the process she has really worried over, even more than the pain. That Newborn stage. Especially after Victoria and her newborns last year.
Jacob agrees, "I'll leave… but I won't go quietly." "If there's anything left of /you/ Bells… I don't think you'll hurt me.
Jacob agrees, "I'll leave… but I won't go quietly." "If there's anything left of /you/ Bells… I don't think you'll hurt me." "Besides… I'm tough enough to take a few licks before I'm really in any danger. I'll only leave if I /have/ to — and that means you might take a few chunks out of me first." He cuts up his pasta and takes another bite. "If you're that worried about it, you could still say…no." he reminds, but this time there's no false hope in his voice that she's going to back out. "Stubborn fool.", he laughs.
Bella cants her head at Jacob, arching her brow at his response. "Jake…I don't want to fight you on this. If Jasper or Carlisle asks you to go, go." Edward is not mentioned on this account. Perhaps she doesn't trust him too be unbiased on this regard. She shakes her head and looks up and out to the rest of the house, "Cause I know it will be worth it…once I settle into the new life, then it will all be worth it. I just hope they can keep me from making…mistakes." She gives a little sigh at that.
Jacob snorts, "Mistakes.. you mean murder.", he says bluntly. Yes, that would be ugly. He shies away from that topic for now and says gently, "I am Jacob Black, Spirit Warrior of Ephraim Black's line…", his voice takes on the strange and distant ring of his father in Council, "… the pack is strong, strong enough for the newborns… for Laraunt, strong enough to save your life." "You don't give me enough credit Bells. If you think I'm going to leave just because you break a nail on my arm, or because Carlisle Cullen and his little family get a little nervous, think again. I'll go only if you ask me to. Wolves don't taste very good to the bloodsuckers I'm told. You're not going to swollow me whole."
Bella grimaces and looks down at her meal, letting the fork drop into the bowl, "I trust them to protect me from that…Jasper's gift is strong, maybe he can keep me calm enough. Alice has not mentioned that I will…" Bella says with a sigh as she tries to release his hand. She cants her gaze to him, "Jake, You are a pest, you know that?" She says, her tone trying to sound light. A faint smile touches on her lips, "Well…if I can't get rid of you I suppose I will just have to accept it."
Jacob says again firmly, "If you ask, I'll go…" "But I'm not going to listen to … well, maybe Esme or Carlisle.", he admits, letting her hand go. He tried to hold onto it too long once, and has regretted it ever since. "There is one thing though… if you turn on a human, I'll have to stop you.", he says, "… and I'm afraid tickling won't work this time."
Bella takes a deep breath as she looks at him before nodding finally, "I suppose that is as much promise as I will get from you." She finally says as she tries to turn her attention back to food again. "I will inform Carlisle. He will know what to look for." As he gives his own vow, Bella looks up to him for a moment before nodding, "If I turn on a human, then I would expect nothing less Jacob."
Jacob says, "There is one more thing…."
Jacob says thickly, "Changing you is not allowed in the treaty." There's a sparkle of defiance in his eye. As if this might just stop her from all her plans. His last play. His trump.
Bella's jaw tightens at his words, "Jacob…you gave your blessing…" She starts before lifting her head proudly, "Surely though, it will make up for when you broke the treaty on the beach that day, by telling of the treaty in the first place?"
Jacob says, "I told you a story, Bella… and I did give my blessing, to you, and what you wanted — not to the Cullens. It's their treaty, not yours."
Bella shakes her head as she places her hands on the table, "Jacob…what are you saying?"
Jacob speaks clearly and carefully, "I hate the treaty Bella. It's outdated. Like you said, there's an alliance between us now. But, I'm not the Alpha, and I'm not the council. My voice is just…. one voice." "There are many against the idea of a transformation, even if the victim…" He says, "That's their word…" "Even if the victim is willing."
"Jacob…I am no victim. Even Edward…Rosalie…they have tried to talk me out of this. I know what I face. I saw it with my own eyes, but I still choose this for my love of Edward."
Bella shakes her head and pushes away from the table, "Why bring this up now Jacob?" She asks him with accusation in her voice.
Jacob chuckles, "Would you rather I bring it up after the treaty's been broken and the council forces everyone to leave Forks or fight it out?"
"I would hope you would have brought it up sometime in the last year…not a month before my wedding. I thought there was an arrangement…an understanding." Bella sighs and turns away from the table, "Maybe we can go…to the council, speak our case." Bella says as if speaking to herself, "Carlisle has been allowed on lands before…perhaps we can go…" She turns to face Jacob, "They know of our commitment and noone has warned us yet…"
Jacob says, "Don't get mad at me. Sam's really the only one…he controls the wolves you see Whatever the council might think, it's the wolves that do the deed."
"Well…talk to Sam…for me." Bella says urgently with a plead in her eyes, "I have done enough damage to this family without my love causing the treaty to be broken as well. "
Jacob does at least promise that, "I will talk to Sam.", he says, unflinchingly. Jacob doesn't make many promises but he keeps the ones he's made.
