The Consequences {Jacob Black}

Chapter C

I felt so nice that night to get into Jake's room and lock the door before we went to bed. Hell, no one was even at the house. But it was just good to have an actual door to lock. In truth, I hadn't even noticed at first when I walked into the house. I was just so excited to be back home and have everything bad behind me. It took me a little while to realize that he was leaning against a door that was several shades lighter than the doorframe. It's the little thing in life that matter and for some reason, Jake taking the time to get a door for his room made me feel so special.

Until the next morning when Jake walked into the door on his way out to patrol. I bolted upright at the deafening crack while Jake cursed and checked the door for cracks. He turned around after a moment, hunched over like it would make him smaller and quieter.

"I didn't mean to wake you up," he whispered. I just laughed and shrugged.

"At least it was just you and not some gun shot," I giggled. He frowned at my words and came to sit on the bed next to me. "You know, you used to wake me up before you left in the morning," I commented. He pressed a gentle kiss to my forehead and smiled. "And I miss waking up to say goodbye to you." The hand on the back of my head came around to rest on my cheek and brush over my skin.

"You had a rough week and I know that you didn't get much sleep when we were in Seattle. It's summer break, time to cool down and relax. Stay in bed, sleep, relax. I'll be home in a little while and we can play house," he said with that devilish little smile that I loved so much. I laughed and reached up to peck his lips.

"You're making it hard to leave," he groaned.

I slapped his cheek lightly. "Get going, Jake. And be safe." He laughed like the second statement was pointless and managed to open the door and leave.

"It's going to take some getting used to," I whispered to myself after he'd closed the new bedroom door. I laid back in bed, cuddling against Jake's pillow and going back to sleep for the next hour or two.

When I woke up and made my way to the kitchen, I noticed the peeling paint in some places. There was nothing better to do. And Billy had always said that I could do whatever I wanted with the house. I was flooded by memories of Sarah talking about how she always wanted a green kitchen. With a quick text to Billy to make sure that he wouldn't mind, I was off to the hardware store. If he didn't want me to repaint the kitchen, I could grab more of the white paint that was already in there.

Do whatever you'd like Ryanne, Billy sent me back. I smiled and deviated from the whites to the greens.

It was time for a change. And for Billy and Jake's to officially become somewhere that I had a little more input on. The house was great, but it could use a woman's touch, like it used to have. I taped the sheets down over everything and made sure that all of the edges were well sealed before I was going to start. The I left a three inch border of white around the little wall right in front of the stove, giving it a geometric look. Superchick came on then, blaring through the radio.

"And hey, hey this song is for you," I sang in my terrible way, dancing through the kitchen to dip the brush again. I brushed it against the tape, so absorbed in my own little world I didn't hear Jake come in. But I did feel him haul me off my feet and back against his chest and I definitely heard my own little squeal that erupted from my chest.

"You know, when I said that we could play house, I had something else in mind," he laughed, the sound rumbling against my back. I felt his muscles shift as he surveyed the room.

"It looks nice in here," he said. I beamed and turned to look at my work. "But there are other things that we could be doing."

"You are a horny monkey," I laughed, reaching up with the brush to scrape it along his cheek. He pushed me away angrily, stooped, and flicked the paint at me. I scoffed and threw the brush at him, watching the paint smear across his chest. He reached his whole hand into the paint then and charged me, hand slipping under my shirt to paint my stomach.

"Jake!"

And so the war began. I would use my hands to paint his chest. He would trail his fingers down my back and chest. At one point he even wrote his name on my skin. Neither of us was willing to give an inch until Jake was finally lying on the tarp covered floor, covered in paint. I stuck my tongue at him, my hands trying to pin his wrists to the floor while I rubbed my wet cheek against his.

"You are terrible," he said, hands pressing on the old pair of his sweatpants I was wearing. I rolled against him before lying on his chest and kiss him, loving that for once, I was in control. The phone rang out, ruining the silence of the house.

"Every time we get a minute," Jake growled. I smacked his arm.

"Just give me a minute," I said to him, pushing on his chest to get up. "Black residence."

"Ryanne, it's Edward." Jake growled audibly in the background. "I need your help."

"No."

"Bella needs your help, Ryanne. Please."

"No." I was finished helping her. Jake was still growling behind me, no beginning to pick up the paint that we had played with. We were like children sometimes; probably worse than children if truth be told.

"She's dying, Ryanne. She won't listen to any of us. If I have any chance of saving her, it's by having you talk to her." Did he really think that his speech was going to work? My sister had almost killed me on more than one occasion. And now that I had finished being the good sister, now that she was married and she was officially someone else's responsibility, I didn't have to care anymore.

"Please Ryanne."

"There's no reason why I should have to talk to her. You have sisters that she loves more than she's ever loved me. She confides in them all the time. They'll be able to talk her out of whatever it is you think that I'll be able to help you with."

"That's the thing; they can't. My sisters are in agreement with Bella. Please Ryanne, I cannot lose my wife now."

"No. I'm sorry that you're seeing just how stubborn my sister is now that you're married, Edward. But I can't help her. And even if I wanted to, the pack would never let me cross onto your territory again. Not after what happened the last time," I reminded him.

"Jonas is gone; he knows not to come around Forks again."

"It doesn't change anything Edward. Your family has either been the source of my pain or failed to protect me. I don't trust you, Edward; any of you. My sister made her decision and she is your problem now." Jake growled in agreement behind me, glad that I was still holding my ground.

"Please Ryanne, I am begging you. I will give you anything that you want. But you are the only one who can save your sister now. No matter what you think, I know that Bella loves you and that you mean a lot to her. Please Ryanne; I need your help." He sounded desperate. And while the sound of his voice begging me to help him was tugging at my heart strings, my resolve to have my happy life was much greater.

"Edward, no matter how much I would ever want to help you, which isn't very much, I have no desire to help my sister. And nothing will ever make me want to help you or her," I said firmly.

"She's dying, Ryanne. Your father will lose your sister forever," he begged now.

"What is so wrong with my sister that you think I will be the one who can fix it? I can't keep saving her life, Edward. I did it the entire time that you were gone. I saved her more times than you will ever have claim to? Why should I do it again?"

There was a long pause on the other end of the line, not even breathing come through the receiver. Finally there was a sharp inhale and Edward's voice whispered,

"She's pregnant."