Another Chance (L. Clearwater)

Chapter Sixteen

Riding on Jacob the next morning, Keiko looks around until they approach Jasper, Edward, Bella, and Haruto. Leah let her come because she's trusting Jacob to keep her safe and she knows that Haruto would be there with Edward, Bella, and Jasper, and she knows how much Keiko misses her dad.

"Dad!" Keiko slides off of a still-standing Jacob and runs to Haruto's open arms.

"Hey," Haruto murmurs and he wraps an arm around her.

"Hi, Jasper," Keiko greets. Unlike the pack, Keiko likes the Cullens. She respects them, really. That, and her dad is one now. Haruto Suzuki Hale like Rosalie and Jasper.

"Hello, Keiko," Jasper greets in return.

Jacob leaves the bushes in a pair of cut-off shorts that he had Keiko carry and he looks at Edward and Bella. "You're not fighting?" he asks in a mocking tone. "What, you pull a muscle or something?"

'His jealousy is so unattractive,' Keiko thinks and Edward gives her a look of agreement.

"He's doing it for me, okay?" Bella speaks softly.

Jacob stares at her for a second and then at Edward before he shakes his head with disdain. "Whatever," he grunts. "Just tell me the plan."

Jasper steps forward slightly but also keeps a decent distance, which makes both him and the shapeshifter more comfortable. Not much, but more.

"This field will give us an advantage in battle," Jasper states. "We need to lure the newborns with Bella's scent. It needs to end here."

"Edward and I are going to be on the campsite," Bella says to Jacob and Keiko. "Even if he carries me, they'll stick pick up our scents."

Jacob looks at Keiko and she shakes her head. The newborns don't know her scent, they'll think she's an everyday hiker or something. He turns back to the others.

"Your stench, however, is revolting," Edward says.m

"Dude, you really don't want to start comparing stinks," Jacob growls.

"Jeez," Keiko groans. "I get it, you both smell bad to each other, get the hell ofer it. This isn't about you. It's about keeping Bella and every other human in Forks safe from the army of newborn vampires, now stop being idiots."

Jacob glares at her and Keiko merely raises an eyebrow.

"Your scent will mask mine if you carry me," Bella says once Keiko stops the impending fight.

"Done," Jacob says quickly.

"This is not a good idea," Edward says.

"You guys say that vampires and wolves stick to each other," Keiko says.

"She's right," Jasper says. "The newborns won't want to get anywhere near his... odor."

"Let's just try it."

Haruto keeps an arm around his daughter as Jacob runs with Bella in his arms and Jasper follows for a while before coming back.

"All I picked up was wolf stench," Jasper says. "No Bella. This will work."

"Great."

Haruto kisses his daughter's head as they wait for Jacob and Bella to return.