The Consequences {Jacob Black}

Chapter CL: Jacob's Point of View

Of all the moments for things to go wrong, it had to be the moment before I revealed her gift to her? Fucking seriously! And then there was the added problem that I found myself fighting the urge to kill her father. I had made it clear on more than one occasion that I didn't want his daughter to come around on Christmas. I wanted Annie to enjoy it without thinking that there was going to be a fucking problem. I just wanted her to enjoy our first Christmas together. Was that too fucking much to ask for?

"What...what are you doing here, Bella?" Charlie asked. He tried to sound like he was surprised that she was here, but it was terribly done. "I, uh, I thought that you were coming later on tonight," he murmured. Apparently the old timer still hadn't gotten it through his head that we were all able to hear. The dead look on Annie's face said that she hadn't heard it. Her eyes were locked on Bella's face, terror piercing her eyes. Charlie cleared his throat. "You should leave, Bella."

"This is my daughter's first Christmas and I will not miss her opening her presents with out family," Bella screeched.

"Daughter?" Rebecca asked, looking at Rachel before she stared at me.

Annie snapped out of it immediately and looked at my sisters. "Bella is, uh, a little attached to our cousin. Nessie grew up a few blocks away from where Bella lived with our parents," she quickly lied. "Bella took care of Nessie and thinks of her as her daughter. And, of course, it's Nessie's first Christmas with our family." I squeezed her hand a little bit. "But Nessie has made it clear that you were not welcome around her, Bella. So it might be best if you leave."

I could see that she was trying to take care of herself and her niece without letting my sisters know just how much it should bother them. I rose to my feet, the gift that I had spent countless hours planning gone from my mind. Now, I needed to protect my family. "I have a right to be here!" Bella screamed.

"Oh! I forgot something at the house!" Annie shouted. "Billy, it's that, um, thing in the closet," she continued, pointing like she was trying to remember the thing.

"Of course!" Dad said. "Come on, girls," he continued. I almost wanted to laugh at the two of them. Dad trying to cover for Annie who was once again trying to protect the rest of the world. "Take this old man home," he replied. He pulled the keys from Annie's purse as he wheeled himself by, motioning for my sisters to follow him. Once I heard the engine start and fade in the distance, I spoke.

"Get the fuck out of our lives," I snarled, standing chest to chest with Bella and trying not to let the stench completely burn all the hairs off of my nose.

"We agreed that you were going to come later," Charlie muttered.

"Shut up! I can still hear you," I snarled. "And I told you that we were supposed to have a good family Christmas and that does not include vampires." Annie's hand slid into the crook of my arm, squeezing a little to try to reassure me.

"Jacob, my family includes both of my daughters," Charlie explained.

"Your daughter, the one that is still living of course, is under my protection. And because of her, Nessie is under my care as well. And my care means that I'm in control of the amount of time my girls spend with these parasites. Now you ask her to leave, or I take my girls," I said, staring the man straight in the face. Annie sucked in a breath as she heard me speaking to her father. I hadn't meant for it to come out as forcefully as it had, but the thought of Bella getting the chance to say anything to my imprint hurt my heart.

"You don't get between a father and his daughter unless you're willing to die for it," Charlie quoted. I'd heard my father say it from time to time, back when Rebecca and Rachel used to date.