Bella’s stomach was in knots as she walked through the woods toward La Push. Overhead the trees branches and their leaves formed a near impenetrable canopy; the occasional breaks where light could filter through a sort of dismal gray. But that was Washington for you; always gloomy, always rainy. No wonder Seattle had the highest suicide rate in the country. A person could get depressed in a place like this, but then maybe that was just Bella’s current mood talking. Today had been a day of hard decisions. She’d found out she was pregnant, told Jacob, been forced to face the family of her ex-fiancé with the news, and now they had to face the task of telling their parents. For whatever reason they’d decided to tell Billy first, which was where Bella was going at the moment.

Normally she drove her truck to La Push; it was a long walk, quite a few miles, but she was trying to kill time and admittedly procrastinate. As though that would save her from her fate. Strangely enough she was convinced that Billy would take the news better than Charlie, which was saying something considering that Jacob was the younger of the two. Bella knew without a doubt that had her seventeen year old son brought a pregnant girl home she would have been furious. Which meant any negative reaction that Billy had was not only expected but warranted. Shoving her hands into the pockets of her hoodie, she kept walking, dragging her Converse clad feet to further slow her down.

Her mind drifted over the events of the last few hours. Slumping into the front seat of Jacob’s Volkswagen Rabbit, Bella had stared wide-eyed through the front windshield, body shaking like a leaf as the image of Rosalie’s infuriated topaz eyes burned into her brain. She’d nearly punched Jake when he’d shut the driver’s door beside her, hands gripping the steering wheel as he’d replied, “Well that went better than I’d thought it would.” Bella had turned bleary brown eyes on him, her brows creasing in the center of her forehead just in case there was any doubt in his mind how she felt about that comment. After they’d stopped at the Cullen’s for her “check up” Jake had left her to go back on patrol.

He had to run them more frequently now because of the pack split. He’d told her to meet him at his house in the evening. He’d already told Billy that they wanted to talk to him, so now doubt the preface to the conversation had him itching with curiosity. Worst case scenario he’d figured it out, or at least suspected it. But then Billy always gave Jacob the benefit of the doubt. Maybe he just thought they were coming forward with their relationship. After all, Bella had been spending every day in La Push since she came home, or vice versa.

The air was growing colder, a sign that it would be raining soon and Bella suddenly wanted to kick herself for opting to take this route. Jacob would be very upset when he found out she’d walked the whole way and even more upset if she showed up soaking wet. He was already becoming protective of her, not letting her do anything on her own and it was only the first day that she’d been aware of her pregnancy. Picking up her pace a little, she managed to arrive at his house just in time for the water to come pouring down. Standing on his porch she knocked quickly, her sweat shirt weighing 30 pounds at least with all the water it’d absorbed. When he opened the door and saw her it was Jake’s turn to frown, as clearly he’d noticed the lack of a truck behind her. “I felt like a walk,” she said before he could scold her, “are you going to let me in?”

(OOC: I figured it’d be more funny if Billy opted to go with them to save Jake from Charlie’s shotgun. HAHA!)

The scolding look melted away, Jacob clearly deciding that getting her out of the rain took priority over chewing her out. The temperature in the house was infinitely more comfortable than the biting cold outside and Jacob’s arm draped over her shoulder only aided in the warming process. Bella shivered beside him, letting him guide her through the entry way deeper into the three bedroom house he shared with his father. Her shoes sloshed with every step, her socks squishing annoyingly; not to mention everything was dripping, a water trail following behind her. Bella noticed it and frowned as Jacob’s booming voice echoed through the room, requesting towels as they stopped in the living room. After handing her a towel and digging through his dresser drawers for a shirt, Jake left her to get switched out of her soaked clothing.

Jake’s departing words replayed in her mind, causing Bella’s movements to become slow and zombiesh, “We’ll be in the living room when you’re done.” Keyword ‘we’ll’ as in both Jake and Billy, waiting for her so the pair of them (she and Jake) could deliver the devastating news to his father. How Jacob could be so nonchalant and calm mystified Bella. Didn’t he know how disappointed his father was going to be? Didn’t he understand that this could go horribly, horribly wrong? And then of course there was their differing attitudes on the matter to consider. Jake seemed almost elated with the news of impending fatherhood, meanwhile Bella was terrified… Her entire life was going to change by the time this child came around and she’d be just like her mother.

That thought was abruptly shoved away. No…she couldn’t even allow that to enter her mind. There was nothing Bella found more terrifying than history repeating itself…she playing the roll of Renee and Jacob playing the roll of Charlie. What if things didn’t work out between the two of them and she wound up alone, raising a child by herself? All of these fears swirled around her, causing her to sit down on the edge of Jacob’s bed as she attempted to kick her sopping shoes from her feet. The wet denim clung to her legs as she set to work on her jeans next, drying them off with the towel she’d been left with. When she finally managed to kick them aside she lifted her sweatshirt over her head, leaving on her bra and underwear, which were only moderately damp.

Throwing the shirt Jake had provided her over her head, Bella hesitated at his door before finally twisting the knob. The carpet was wet in some places she’d previously stepped and as she worked her way toward the end of the hallway she felt that sick knot form in her stomach, nearly prompting her to make a stop at the bathroom just to make sure she didn’t heave. A few minutes of deep breathing finally put things somewhat at ease and she finally took the last step that would bring her into the living room. Billy’s chair was parked where it usually sat when he watched TV, except angled more toward the worn out couch this time. Bella passed by him, coming to sit next to Jake, wanting to take his hand, but far too afraid to move.

A part of her said she should say something first; after all she was technically the adult in this situation, fully responsible in every way. But her tongue felt like lead and as she tried to work the sound from her vocal cords nothing seemed to come out. Maybe best to leave this up to Jake…since he seemed so composed. Billy’s coal black eyes were looking from his son to her and Bella wanted to shrink under the couch and die. She did take Jake’s hand then, more to prevent her from doing just that than for comfort. Billy’s thick eyebrows rose and Bella gulped when he finally lost the battle with his own curiosity, “Well son…what is it the two of you wanted to tell me?” he addressed Jake first and Bella tilted her head up, trying to see if any of that composure had slipped away now.

Billy Black had always intimidated Bella Swan; even when she’d been a kid his coal colored eyes could deliver a glare that would make any normal adult wet themselves let alone a small child. Those were the eyes he turned on them now, the eyes that demanded answers. Jacob’s arm draped over her shoulder, pulling her closer to him and Bella took comfort in his warmth as she waited for their lives to end. Eventually the silence stretched out for far too long and Billy unabashedly broke it, asking Jacob what this was all about. He hesitated and in that moment Bella could see his fear showing around the edges; her heart quickened, threatening to break through her ribs and tap dance on the hardwood floor beneath her feet. Jacob recovered but his words held none of his earlier confidence, “Umm, well…as you can see…Bella and I are sort of…together. I imprinted on her?”

She squeezed her eyes shut at that statement. While she certainly didn’t have a better explanation for the sudden feeling of closeness between them, she wasn’t sure it was a good idea to go declaring something like that just yet. It just didn’t make much sense. Every other member of the pack who had imprinted, according to Jacob, imprinted the moment they saw the person they were destined to be with…that had hardly been the case between the pair of them. Billy seemed to make that assessment himself because his eyebrows slumped down to the center of his forehead, creating deep frown lines in his russet skin. “Is that even possible, son? I mean if it is I’m happy for you, but…” he didn’t get a chance to finish, Jake was cutting him off, attempting to get it all out into the open before Billy had the chance to fully relax. “Dad, that’s not all.”

This was the moment that Bella had been dreading and there was no way to conceal the sickened feeling that washed over her. The wave of nausea rushed up to meet her again as Billy eyed them suspiciously, “What is it, Jacob?” The next few seconds panned out like some sort of scene in a movie. Jacob dropped the bomb, a big gulp causing his Adam's apple to bob up and down before he managed to force the words out, “Bella’s pregnant.” Billy’s deeper voice repeating the dreaded word made Bella’s head swim and she tightened her grip on Jacob’s hand, the room suddenly dancing before her eyes, like some sort of twisted merry-go-round. She couldn’t sit there any longer, she was going to puke. “Excuse me,” she shoved up from her place on the sofa and bolted into the bathroom, slamming the door shut with a loud thud.

Stunned, Billy was left alone in the room with his son, blinking slowly as he digested the situation. Jacob and Bella were together, he’d imprinted on her, but Bella was pregnant… He hadn’t known that bloodsuckers could reproduce, but then there was a lot about these things he didn’t know. But then slowly, the more logical conclusion began to form in his mind, the only one that could be the truth. It wasn’t Edward’s half vampire spawn, he was pretty sure that was impossible…something dead couldn’t reproduce after all, could it? His eyes slowly lifted back up to his son’s. Perhaps the question he asked next was rude, he knew Jacob wouldn’t like it, but as far as he was concerned could he really blame him for holding onto some glimmer of hope? What parent wanted this for their child? Their seventeen year old child! “Are you sure it’s yours?”

Bella heaved, holding her hair back as she got sick over the toilet in Jacob’s bathroom. She could hear Jacob shouting at Billy a few seconds later and she winced at his words. Of course Billy would think that…what parent wouldn’t want to hold out for that kind of hope? His son’s life was over…over because of their carelessness, his entire future would forever center on a child and the needs of that child…and he was only seventeen. Bella could understand Billy, even if Jacob couldn’t. It was obvious that his father’s question had enraged him and a few minutes later she heard his ascent down the hallway. She squeezed her eyes closed, sitting up and grabbing a piece of toilet paper to dab at her mouth.

His knuckles tapped on the door as Bella was getting to her feet. When she didn’t respond, his voice followed, clearly worried. This worry was becoming a trend since this whole ordeal started, “Bella? Are you okay?” She flushed the toilet, moving over to the sink and turning on the faucet. Scooping up a few handfuls of water, she washed out her mouth, spiting the bad taste down the sink as Jacob continued, “Bella? Answer me or I’m coming in.” She believed him. He’d break the door down in a heart beat if he thought she was in trouble. She dried her face off with the towel that hung from a hook on the back of the door, grabbing the knob and twisting the door open. Their eyes met, Jacob’s deep brown ones apologetic.

“I’m fine,” she promised, the queasiness still present, but not unbearable. She could see the traces of anger on his face and she reached for him, hugging him around the middle, “Its okay,” she whispered, quietly, knowing he’d still be able to hear her with perfect clarity. “How did you expect him to respond?” She could feel his muscles, tense beneath her though eventually her embrace was returned. “He didn’t mean to offend you…he just doesn’t want this for you…you can’t really blame him.” Jacob had enough on his plate; no one knew that better than his father. He was the alpha now that the pack had split; he had responsibility piled onto responsibility and now this to contend with.

She held him that way for a while, making sure he was calm before finally pulling back, looking at his face again, “Come on…we’d better finish this.” Perhaps it was the realization that neither of them was dead, that Billy hadn’t brought his voice to a fever pitch, telling them both how utterly stupid they were for getting into this mess…or maybe it was just knowing that Jacob was on edge and that one of them had to be strong when the other was wavering. Whatever the case, her fingers laced through his slipping around him and leading the way down the hall. Billy’s head turned toward them as they re-entered and she saw the look exchanged between father and son, Jacob’s expression still hard as stone, defensive.

She sat back down on the couch, waiting for Jacob to do the same before she spoke to Billy, “I am so sorry, Billy…I wish we had been more careful, but we weren’t and we’re both prepared to deal with that…whatever that means.” Billy’s think lips formed a straight line, but his eyes had softened considerably. “You’ll both do fine,” he said in an attempt at encouragement, “It’s just going to be a big life change…one I don’t think Jake’s ready for…and honestly Bella neither are you.” She nodded her head, but said nothing more. “Have you told Charlie?” The mention of her father’s name made Bella wince, her eyes squeezing shut. “No sir,” she managed. It was Billy’s turn to nod, “When were you planning on that?” She looked up at Jake, then returned her eyes to his father, “When we were done here.”

Billy chuckled, shaking his head in what could only be amusement, “Well kids…I’d better come with you; make sure Charlie doesn’t pull out the shotgun,” he looked pointedly at Jake.