A few weeks would pass in which Veronica would leave her sister and Jake alone to work on the refurbishment of the pile of scrap they were calling motorbikes. She saw no real interest in the project, seeing it more of a waste of time and money than anything else. She also had no real urge to willingly spend more time than necessary with Bella. 

The relationship between the sisters only became more and more strained as time was progressing. It did not seem to help their relationship as Bella appeared to be getting better. And Veronica knew she was not supposed to blame her sister for being ill, she was not supposed to hold resentment against her sister for the way she was behaving because Bella was unwell. But she did, Veronica found herself struggling more and more with the way Bella was as the months continued to drag on. She found herself questioning how Bella could go outside of the house and seem not quite back to how she was beforehand, but she could appear so much better around anyone who was not family. But the moment she was home, it was like they were back at square one and nothing could be done to make things better. 

Veronica knew the likelihood that they could ever really be 'true' sisters like she had dreamed was so far out of reach now that it may have been in another galaxy. And she held a lot of blame for that upon Bella's behalf. Something she knew she should not do because it was an unrealistic standard to expect them to gel so instantly considering they had spent most of their lives raised apart. But she could see step siblings who were in no way related to one another get on better and quicker than the pair of them. And she was jealous. She was jealous of a lot of things, and the problem was that Bella was at the centre of most of it. 

That was the real reason that Veronica stayed away from the bike building, she was jealous. She was jealous of all the time the pair were spending together, this new found mutual interest they shared. Veronica was never really into mechanics or cars or bikes like Jake was and with Bella coming around and suddenly sharing this interest, Veronica knew not where she stood with Jake. He was her best friend, her rock, her everything. And the more time she spent sat stewing over the jealousy she was feeling did she realise that the boy meant a lot more to her than just being her best friend. 

And she could feel him slipping out of her hands and into those of her sister. 

That was what hurt the most. 

That she had given everything for her sister and yet Bella just seemed to keep taking from her. She had taken Veronica's reputation, she had taken her sacred time with her best friend. Heck she had taken the freedom of Veronica's teenaged years away from her the moment she had arrived and dumped Matthew on the younger girl. Sure Veronica would not take away, nor go back and change the decision she made to step up into that mother role that the young boy needed, that stable parent he needed when nobody else wanted to. But there was a part of her, that resented the fact that she even needed to do so in the first place. She loved Matthew, she loved that baby like he was her own in the first place, like she had personally grown him and given birth to him. But she still had a niggling part of her that wished that things had been different. 

Thoughts that she squashed as quickly as they came to be. But thoughts that still existed. And as she watched as Jacob pulled away from her becoming unwell, she felt as though she had once again lost out to her sister. Veronica had initially been informed that Jake had contracted Mono, the kissing disease, which had slowly been passing its way throughout the reservation of which he lived upon. Yet she had not heard from him for nearly two weeks. He had stopped responding to her text messages, no longer returned the calls she left upon his voicemail and never seemed to be around when she called his home phone. 

Once again her sister had won and she was left to pick up the pieces. 

And as she fought with herself to try to explain to the baby she called her son, just why the man he had taken to seeing as his father was no where around and was likely not going to come back in the same manner, Jacob was fighting another battle of his own. 

Stuck in the small two bedroom cabin on the Reservation of which belonged to Samual Uley and his fiancé Emily was no other than the missing teenaged boy in question. He was not alone with the man of the house, rather he was also joined by his own friend Embry who had cut off communication a month ago, Jared Cameron a boy a year older than him who seemed nice but wasn't exactly a friend. And Paul Lahote the known playboy of the school. The little audience of which had gathered were present to hear the shouting match between the current alpha of the pack, and the rightful alpha. 

"You must understand for safety purposes you cannot be around any of the Swan family." The what was supposed to be authoritarian voice of Sam Uley cut across the open plan kitchen and living room.

"The Swan family is my family." Jacob argued back, his eyes strong and his shoulders tense. 

"I don't understand why this is so important to you."

"What is there to understand? Why can't you get it through that thick head of yours? Veronica and Matthew mean everything to me and I will not stop talking to them because of your anger issues." Jacob continued to fire back, unsure as to how the man was still continuing the same argument that had been going on for nearly an hour now.

"He is not even your son." At Sam's words Jacob could have sworn he'd seen red. For an statement like that to come out he was surprised he had even remained in control.

"He is my son. Matthew has been my son the moment he arrived in Forks. Biologically or not that is my baby and I refuse to leave him or his mother."

"I'm sorry Jake but my stance remains the same. It is too much of a risk." Sam tried to console, the two large personalities clashing against one another as they continued to argue a point the younger boy had been pushing for, for a matter of days at this point. 

"I-" Jake's next words were interrupted by the shrill ring of his mobile phone. The one of which he had only just been allowed back a few hours prior. Instantly his attention was drawn by the device, and he looked down to see a contact flash across the screen, the one of which he had been so desperate to talk to in the two weeks he had been banned from speaking to her. The one he missed more than anything else. 

"Jake?" He voice came through the other side of the phone and he could feel as though a pressure had been lifted, one of which could only be eased by hearing her voice.

"Veronica." He sighed out, like a hopeless puppy in love.

"I... I know your unwell and this is way too much to ask but I need some help and didn't know who else to call." Veronica started on the other side and Jacob knew that it did not matter that he was supposed to be faking having a contagious illness anymore Veronica needed him and he had to be there. 

"It's okay really. What's wrong."

"The piece of junk I call a car has broken down and I can't get it to start up again no matter how much I try. Dad's still at work and you know my sister. Is there any way you know of someone I can call for some assistance to get me back on the road."

"I'm on my way. See what I can do to get it running." Jake had long since forgotten the argument he was having with Sam stood in front of him, his focus now completely focused upon the teenaged girl on the other side of the phone. His anger had disappated and he had no intent to wait to see what Sam's opinion on the matter was going to be. 

"Are you sure. I don't want to trouble you."

"You'll never trouble me. Are you still inside of the car?"

"Yeah. Matty and I are still in here."

"Okay get the both of you out and on the grass a few feet away from the car just in case. I'm leaving mine now should be with you in 10 or so minutes." Sure Jacob was bending the truth slightly, but he would make it to wherever she was in under 10 minutes he would make sure of it. 

"Wait Jake?" 

"Yeah?"

"I'm on the B42 between mine and Newton's shop about 3/4 of the way to the shop." Veronica added on and Jacob was happy she had said this considering how difficult it would be to explain to her how he had found her otherwise. 

As the phone call came to an end. Jacob turned to look at the others in the room, expecting some sort of unwanted comment, like he had become used to hearing from them. Only to hear nothing back. Taking this in his stride, he moved towards the front door, when no further protests were heard. Jacob was out of the door and towards the truck of which he had used early in the morning to travel from his house over to that of the pack leaders. 

A figure joined him in the truck, Jake had half expected it to be Embry, someone who knew Veronica well and would be interested in her wellbeing. Part of him expected it to be Sam Uley himself, wanting to continue their conversation at any given point. Yet coming to see Paul sat beside him was unexpected. Yet Jacob said nothing in response. Rather he allowed the other teenager to make the initial conversation. Yet nothing was said, rather the pair spent the first five minutes of the journey in complete silence. In the horrible awkward silence which came when the pair were not exactly friends.

"Paul why are you here?" Jake broke the silence, confused as to why the boy was even in the car, and also unsure why he had even let him come along for the ride. 

"I don't know. Felt like it was something I had to do." Paul seemed a little bit confused himself and Jake took a moment to take his eyes off the road and give the boy a look of 'wait really'.

"Haha, very funny."

"Well tell me more about this Veronica then. You've basically put her up on a pedestal."

"Veronica is the best person. She's kind, charming and incredibly beautiful."

"Sounds like you've got a thing for her man."

"Maybe I do, maybe I don't. That's not the problem here. What is, is that she stuck in the middle of nowhere whilst that red haired vampire is running around." 

It would be after his words that the pair would pass a point on the road where a familiar black Mitsubishi sat parked on the grass verge. The car had its warning lights on and Jake could see a figure a few feet away on the embarkment holding a significantly smaller figure in their arms. He pulled up just in front of the other car, turning his own warning lights on before jumping out of the driver's side. He chose not to say anything further to his uninvited passenger and work his way towards the figure stood upon the grass. 

For just as he had expected stood Veronica Swan, the person he had missed more than anyone else in the world. Or maybe there was one other person he missed just as much. As in her arms was that of the infant boy he called his own son. And it all fell into place as he rested his eyes upon the two people that made up his entire world. Well as much as they could at 17. 

"You're both okay right?" He questioned when he was only a few inches away from them both. And Veronica wanted to be angry at the teenaged boy stood in front of her. He had completely ignored her up until this point in time, he had made her think that she no longer meant anything to him. Yet here he was, acting as if they had only seen each other a few hours prior. But in that moment in time that was exactly what she wanted to feel. 

"Yeah we're perfectly fine, the engine just cut out on me." She explained as Jacob continued to get closer and closer until he was close enough to wrap his arms around the both of them. No longer caring for the fact he was supposed to have a contagious infection. The trio stood for a while like that, making no attempts to move away nor make any changes. Jacob just like he had been the one to initiate the hug, would be the one to pull back. He took a moment to clearly look Matthew over before moving to Veronica. A quick sweep of her figure would lead him to looking into her eyes, just to check there was nothing she was hiding from him that he could gather in her eyes. 

But upon looking he felt this strong jolt in his body. Once of which had it occurred any place other than openly in public he was sure he could have dropped to his knees. It was not as the others had described seeing his life flash before his eyes, a future of which had his imprint at the centre. But rather an overwhelming feeling of completeness. A feeling of being whole, something he was until that moment. A feeling of rightness as he took in the fact that Veronica Swan, the person he had been harbouring feelings more than just a best friend of was his imprint. The sacred imprint the tribe leaders had spoken about over and over and over again. She was his world before then, but even more so now. 

"Jake are you feeling okay? I know you're still recovering but you look like you need to sit down." Veronica had moved one had away from holding Matthew to place it gently on his cheek, and Jake found it hard to refuse leaning into it slightly. "Oh handsome you're burning up. Why don't you introduce me to your friend, we'll get the piece of crap I call a car off the road and get you back to bed." Veronica's words were so gentle, so caring and Jake knew he was in trouble. There was no way he would able to deny the feelings he originally had for the girl. And sure they might have just been increased by the imprint but he knew that had she spoken to him like this without it he would have responded the same. 

"Yeah I'm sorry Vero, I'm still not 100%." He mumbled his own response before looking over to Paul. Paul who had been stood by the two vehicles watching the conversation closely, who had witnessed the imprinting occur. And Jake could see the other teenaged boy instantly open up more after realising just how important Veronica had just become to the tribe.

"This is Paul, he's gonna help jump start your car. Might even drive it back to yours if we ask nicely."

"Sure I really don't care what we have to do with it. I just want to get Matthew back before he comes down with something from being stuck outside in the cold for too long." Veronica was quick to agree and Jake had an idea. He quickly moved over to his truck to receive a jacket he had kept upon the backseats despite no longer needing it. Unlike usual where he would throw it at Veronica and expect her to catch it regardless of what she was holding in her hands at the time. This time Jake would gently place it upon her shoulders providing assistance for her to slide an arm in at a time to ensure Matthew remained tightly held before moving round to do the zipper up and trap the infant inside. 

"Will that work?" Jacob pondered running his fingers through the infants hair the boy having moved to gently rest his head upon Veronica's shoulder and allowing sleep to take over. 

"I think so."

"Great I can't do this separation thing again. 2 weeks was way too long without you both." He added and Veronica could only give him a small smile in response as his words worked to crush the fears she had been growing in regards to their relationship.

"Me neither. They were some of the worst weeks of my life."

"Great. And keep the jacket add it to the collection of my clothes you own." Jacob's words were teasing in their undertone.

"I... I can give some of them back."

"Don't be silly. Anyways I like you in my clothing. Show's the world you're mine."

EDITED APRIL 2023 !