IC Time: May 28, 2007
Location: The Waffle House
Synopsis: Jacob and Esme discuss pie.
Submitted by: Esme
The late night crowd has arrived at the 'always open' waffle house. A few police officers, some young people making a ruckus over in the corner but otherwise the place is pretty barren. Or at least, very subdued. Jake is here, sitting at a table for four even though it's just him. About half the table is taken up with two pies, one, banana creme — the other, pecan. He's working his way through them both, sipping on some coffee for good measure.
Although likely unheard by the crowd in the waffle house, it's certainly not unseen, as the white Mercedes parks outside and one Esme Cullen steps out. She can be seen from the window seats walking towards the waffle house and making her way in. Once inside the vampire sniffs, in a discreet fashion, of the air, before smiling and sitting herself down at Jake's table, not waiting for an invite.
Jacob invites her, looking up from his pie, "Esme! Do you like pie?", he asks "Come have some pie!" "I just had the best talk with Charlene… mmm.. I'm telling you… we're matched."
Esme laughs as she hears Jake's enthusiasm. "Mmm, pie!" she gives in an enthusiastic fashion, that only the wolf in the room would know as completely fake. "What kind are you having, Jake?" she questions with an upraised brow before she tilts her head. "Really? Care to tell, or are you gonna leave the aunt-in-law in the dark?"
Jacob tells, smiling like a school girl, "Pecan and coconut creame." "She told me about the drugs…." "I was hoping she would…"
Esme hmms and feigns delight at the wolfs words. "Sounds good, I think I'll have the same," she states with a nod of her head. "She has? That's wonderful, Jacob. It's good to know that she's admitted it, it'll make it easier, I'm sure, to help her get clean."
Jacob nods. "It's.. complicated though.. I don't want to rush into all sorts of options and scare her away… she's so brave for wanting to do something about it in the first place." He eats another bite, "What's your favorite, Esme? You like it with ice cream?" "How is everybody over at your place?" So many questions. It must be the coffee.
Esme nods slightly as she listens to the wolf. "She's got a positive influence in her life now, Jakey," she points out, emphasizing his name so that he gets the point. "Me? Oh, you know, apple pie with vanilla ice cream, it's the best," she states, grinning between the lies. "We're all good. As you know, Carlisle's getting a new car, and he and I are going to have to go shopping soon, actually for… stuff," she waves her hand. "Edward got a hold of us a few days ago, all is good in honeymoon land, you're around enough to know how we are."
Jacob agrees, saying bluntly, "I'm around enough to know that something's not right. I figured it was just Edward and Bella adjusting." He shrugs. He might one day be less blunt, but that's not today.
Esme quirks a brow, and even tilts her head. "What do you mean, Jake? What's not right?" she questions, brow still raised as her honey hued eyes peer intently at the wolf.
Jacob blinks, "It's… tense. I don't know why. I mean, Bella's transformation went well. She's got her man… everything should be good. I'm glad Carlisle didn't have any thing with the car wreck.. except the car…" "I don't know, forget it.. I'm probably just being stupid."
Esme shakes her head. "You're not being stupid. It has been tense, we've all felt it, actually, or, Carlisle and I have. I think we're all just getting used to the changes in Bella and Edward's relationship," she says, though she truly means Bella's transformation. "We're dealing, Jake. I know some of us are wondering why we're… umm… so stable," as in, not moving.
Jacob says, "It wouldn't be Forks without the Cullen’s." "You guys do so much for this town." "I wish the pack could say we were doing as much for La Push… we are doing a blood drive next week… I hope that goes well."
Esme chuckles as she hears Jake's words. "Well, you know, we can't stay here forever," she points out, her voice significantly lower than any human ear could pick up, good thing Jake's not entirely human. "We do try to do as much as we can for the community, all things considered," especially as it'd look horrible for the richest family in the town to not contribute. "And, you know that you guys do do a lot for La Push, a blood drive'll be good, I think, just don't expect to see us out there…" a wink is added on to the end.
Jacob looks a little sad, "You're… leaving so soon?"
Esme shakes her head. "No! No, the family would have to sit down and discuss that first. But, Jake, you know how we don't like to be around blood… well… outside of Carlisle, and it's La Push," she gives with a light laugh. "You'll know well ahead of any moves, Jacob Black."
Jacob goes a little pale. Not really possible with his russet skin, but he tries, "How …. far?"
Esme sighs. "No, Jake, we're not moving," she gives. "Not yet, anyway, you know that's a family decision, and no decision's been made yet," she gives, trying to calm the wolf down as best she can.
Jacob sighs, putting his chin in his hand, "It's.. just that, traveling is hard on a bike…." He shrugs. "I'd be a pain to come visit if you were in, say, Lille."
Esme shakes her head, again, and moves to rest her ice cold hand over Jake's. "Jacob Black, if and when we'll move, we'll find a way to make sure you can still get to us, we can't just leave you," she points out.
Jacob nods, "Okay… okay that's good. I mean… I don't exactly need Bella the way I used to but. I can't bare to lose another mom… not yet. I'm almost 18.. it's supposed to get easier then, right?"
Esme awws slightly. "Oh, you'll always be able to get a hold of us, Jake, you're family," at least to Esme, he is. He's the son that she got to watch grow, in a literal sense, unlike her three vampire sons. "You certainly won't actually be losing us, and not in the same way…”
Jacob begins to feel a little better. "Okay… okay good." He goes back to his pie, "You didn't order any for yourself?", he says, looking up with a little bit of whipped cream on his upper lip.
Esme offers a sheepish grin. "What can I say? I forgot," she gives with a shrug. "Besides, I probably wouldn't eat any of it. I like my mom's recipe for apple pie, that's what I grew up on," and considering she's a child of the late 1800's to early 1900's, it's probably a good recipe, too.
Jacob widens his eyes, "Do you still have it? The recipe I mean?" "I… I mean I don't really need it.", he begins, having an attack of machismo "But you know, now and then… " He sighs, unable to keep a secret from Mom. "I bake." "Don't tell the guys, they'll laugh at me more than they already do…"
Esme laughs as she listens to the wolf. "Of course I do, a little relic, so to speak. It's tucked away, brought out when there's a need to," which is to say, never. "If you warn me before you come over next time, I can make some for you," she notes, laughing. "Or just give you the recipe, it's not like I'll be passing it down to anyone."
Jacob agrees, "That'd be fantastic!" "I'll save so much money on pie!" Indeed, one of the staff looks a little dismayed that they might loose a good customer.
Esme offers a hopefully dazzling smile towards that particular staff, pulling out all the Cullen/vampire charm she can before she turns back to Jake. "I'll just make a copy of it for you," she notes, nodding as she speaks
Jacob finishes his pie without even so much as a burp. "Thanks Esme…. I kind of missed out on doing things with my mom. There's more to life than fishing and sports." He sighs. "I'd better get home, it's late, and Billy waits up for me even though he doesn't want me to know that he does."
Esme smiles. "No problem, Jake, it's nice to have a 'kid' around the house," she notes with a chuckle. "And tell your dad that you're always in good hands when you come to Forks, you always seem to run into a Cullen," she points out before getting to her feet, and proceeding to pay for Jake's pie and coffee, because she does things like that.
