Disclaimer: I don't own the Twilight saga books or the movie. I am merely using the characters to my own advantages.

A/N: It has been a ridiculously long time since I've uploaded anything, but that should have no bearing whatsoever on this story. It is a one-piece that feature Bella and Jacob and it begins where Bella is thinking about diving off the cliffs. What more can I say, I hope some of you still still recognize my penname, but, more importantly, I hope this story will reach at least one reader who will appreciate it for what it is: some Bella and Jacob pre-romance in anticipation of the movie, which is coming out the 19th here. I am very excited. :) Enjoy.

The Change of Tides

She stood on the edge of the cliff, her mind willing her body to lean over it, even though her heart had long cowered from her initial intention. What was she thinking? Bella let her eyes make the drop down into the dark water that she had planned her body to make, unsure know whether it would follow or not. Her heart wasn't brave; it was weak, giving into the wrong things she knew were really right. Her mind, on the other hand, was very stubborn and often dragged her heart along for the ride.

But she couldn't do it, and sat down on the edge instead, Indian style and her hands trapping the strands of hair tucked behind her ears to keep it out of her face.

She was freezing and not able to endure like the werewolves. She shivered and wrapped her arms around her torso, but didn't move; she was too enthralled in her thoughts. She was so many things at once: scared, yet she felt safe; sad, but happy; and lonely, although there was always someone around her that caused her to violently fight off the butterflies that had started to occupy her stomach. She didn't know how to feel about the latter, though she did think that pleased wasn't how she was supposed to feel, or like this was how it was meant to be for her.

Maybe that was why she was so desperately clinging to Edward's voice, because it was all she had. He wasn't here or coming back for her, no matter how much she had broken down or effort it had taken her to keep herself together. If she was really fair, Jacob had done most of that for her, dependable and unselfish as he was, although she knew what he was selfish in his motivation for being so close with her. He was hoping for something more, a slipup on her side, or, as she looked at it now through fresh eyes, a confession.

She no longer thought it would be a mistake, not anymore. She had given Edward time to come back for her, and she had taken more than enough time for herself. She wasn't over it, but she had passed it, even though she would look back every now and then. That was normal, even for an abnormal relationship like the one she had with a vampire. But then again, as if her dating a werewolf would be so normal.

Nothing was ever normal for her, things were always too good to be true and just too damn hard to live through, but she did… and had. But for how long would she be able to continue; her life might be over before she knew it, especially with Victoria still after her. She'd be making it too easy if she simply jumped and she'd be leaving people behind whom she cared about and cared about her, and she couldn't do that. She wasn't as selfish as him.

Bella glanced down over the edge once more before getting up from her position on the ground; still busy steadying herself when a gust of wind fiercely blew up against her, taking her by surprise. It caused her to stumble and her body to sway dangerously close to the edge. She prepared herself to lean all of her weight backwards, but a hand grabbed her by her elbow and did the steadying for her, the grip gentle but urgent as she was pulled back until she was a safe enough distance from the edge to be let go of.

"Good thing I'm always around to save you, huh?" the question was rhetorical and earned Jacob the twitching of her bottom lip, but no smile. She hoped he knew how grateful she was to have him look out for her. If she had to look after herself, well, she didn't think she would do a good job at that.

"You know you shouldn't have been so close to the edge, right? You could've fallen off, hell you practically did."

"But I didn't." Bella tightened her grip around herself and looked at Jacob. "You wouldn't have let that happen."

"Why do I have a feeling that you're taking my job as your savior for granted?"

Bella's bottom lip twitched again. "You're my savior now?"

"Yeah, I upgraded myself from friend to savior. Tell me if I'm doing a good job." Jacob confidently raised his chin and shot her one of his boyish grins.

"You've been… more than I could have asked for," Bella told him, untangling her hands from around herself, but wringing her hands together again quickly. She was very aware of Jacob's gaze on her; it wasn't invasive but guarding. Still, she dropped her arms to her sides. "And I just need you to know how appreciative I am of that, of you being here for me, despite…" She sighed, crossing her arms in front of her chest only to let them fall back down a second later. Her eyes wandered back over to the edge she had been standing on not so long ago, symbolically as well: she had been ready to give up and she would've if Jacob hadn't been there to save her. She smiled a sad smile and tore her eyes away, resting them on Jacob's face instead, a sharp contrast from the turbulent waves beneath them. His features were calm as ever, everything he was feeling transferred to his eyes as they were severely consumed with emotion. "I was, well I wasn't exactly in a good place when I came to you the first time…" she paused between sentences as the memory rushed through her. "…And I'm still not, but I am in a better place," she quickly added, the sudden worry in Jacob's expression causing her to ache on the inside. She had really begun to care about him. "And you can take all of the credit for that, Jake."

A content smile broke through, instantly softening his rigid features and causing him to briefly look the age he really was. However, it didn't last long as his smile vanished just as quickly as it had appeared. He ran a hand through his hair, his head down as he spoke, "I can imagine it's been a little less carefree these past weeks, with me morphing into teen wolf on regular basis and you being confined to the reservation while we go out and hunt for that red-haired blood sucker. We're probably having more fun than you've had in a while."

He carefully met her eyes and she reassuringly reached out and slipped her fingers between his. "I've accepted a long time ago that my life wasn't going to be normal and you changing has been difficult, but I'm glad to have you back now. And to have you and your family look after me and Charlie the way you all have been doing. I can't tell you how grateful I am for that and for feeling safe with you. I owe you—"

"You don't owe me anything Bells."

"So you're doing all of this out of the goodness of your heart then?"

Jacob shrugged. "I'm doing this because you want us to be friends and that's what I'm trying to be. I mean, I'll always be hoping a little, but I know where you stand and I respect that."

Bella looked at him, realizing how good of a man Jacob really was and how good he had been to her. She was lucky to have him in her life and to feel the way she did when she was around him. She tightened her grip on his hand and naturally leaned into him a little more when the wind started up again.

Jake tugged her even closer, tucking her cozily against his own warm frame. Both never questioned why the fit was so perfect, it just was. "So how are you doing, Bella? What are you feeling?"

"I'm feeling lots of things," she answered him vaguely, distracted by her own thoughts and Jacob's consistent circles that he was absent-mindedly rubbing on her hand with his thumb. It was something automatic and it calmed her.

"Like what?"

"Scared," she named the first thing that came to her mind.

"Of Victoria?"

She nodded, turning her body slightly so she could rest her head against his chest.

"She won't get the chance to get to you," he told her, letting go of her hand to wrap a protective arm around her.

She nodded again. "I just don't want you to get hurt in the process, or anyone for that matter."

Jacob chuckled and playfully touched his nose to the top of her head, taking in her smell. "We won't. We're built for this," he dismissed her worries. "What else are you feeling?"

"Sad, but happy, and worried," she babbled.

"Those are a lot of emotions you're feeling."

"Is it even okay to still be sad about Ed—him leaving," she quickly corrected herself," but be happy at the same time?"

A low and silent growl escaped Jacob's lips and she felt the slight tremor that went through his body, but she didn't so much as flinch, knowing he'd control himself. He always did around her, handling her as if she were his most precious asset. "You deserve to be happy, and it's normal to have a sad moment every now and then." He was silent for a few seconds. "Just make sure it doesn't happen more often than that 'cause that means I'm not doing something right."

Bella smiled against his t-shirt. "You're doing everything right Jake. It's me who has been keeping myself unhappy," she softly added, admitting it out loud to herself for the first time. She could only pine after Edward for so long. She didn't even know if she did it out of love, or out of the need to, because it had felt like destiny when they had been together, but someone's destiny could change. Maybe Edward had done the right thing for her? There were so many things to think about and they were all hitting her at once. She pressed body against Jacob's, getting as close as she possibly could and placed a hand on his chest, feeling his heartbeat. It was normal and human, and he was warm and not cold and hard: inhuman and always untouchable in a way. He wasn't afraid to touch her and tell her things. He instinctively wrapped his other arm around her as well and rested his chin on top of her head, smiling to himself at how it had become the norm to them to look to one another for comfort. He felt normal around her and the idea of eventually stopping with being what he was actually sounded nice.

"Jake," Bella carefully breached the comfortable silence.

"Bells," he teased, placing both hands on the small of her back underneath the shirt, letting the warmth seep into her skin. She gasped lightly at the contact, having become suddenly more intimate now that she realized it was okay for her to see him as something more than a friend. How hard it must have been for him to hold back.

"How would I go about telling my dad that I'm dating a werewolf?" She raised her eyes up and he caught them midway. Shock registered on his face while confusion clouded his eyes. His grip on her tightened and she heard his breath hitch in his throat, speechless because he didn't know how to react, and how could he when she had been reminding him constantly that all they could be was just friends. And he had been so careful not to cross that line.

"And how would we go about, uhm, dating, with you being a werewolf? Can we do everything or would you have to hold back because of that? So as not to hurt me?" He did a quick scan of her face, but she seemed incredibly serious about what she was asking him. She mistook his silence as something negative and braced herself against his chest, ready to detangle herself from him. "You don't feel that way anymore. Of course not," she mumbled on. "You met someone else, or you like someone else. God, I'm sorry, what was I thinking someone like you with someone like me… I'm a wreck."

He heard the tears in her voice and acted quickly, stopping her from pulling away from him by rewrapping his arms around her and bringing her back into his chest. "Bella," he almost chanted her name.

"It's okay, Jake, you don't have to explain a thing," she said without looking at him.

"Bella," he repeated her name a little louder this time, causing her eyes to jump back up to his.

"I feel so stupid."

Jacob chuckled, but stopped when he saw the hurt mixed with slight anger in her eyes. "I haven't met anyone else," he explained to her. He held up his hand to silence her before she could interrupt. "Nor do I like anyone besides you. And you're not a wreck, Bells, not compared to how you looked when I first met you. You're doing so much better."

"But…"

He shook his head. "No but. It just took me by surprise, but if you're ready to have me, and willing, that's the most important thing. I don't want you to feel like you owe me or have to because of my feelings."

She shook her head feverishly. "It's not like that, not at all. I've been waiting for him all this time to return and I've made myself nothing but unhappy while doing that, and you have made me… feel alive. I just want to know if we would be able to do everything?" she finished, lowering her head as a red glow came over her face.

Jacob's boyish grin lit up his face and a twinkle of excitement did the same with his eyes. He brought himself closer to her and tilted his body so he could bring his lips to her ear. "I can promise you we can do everything. And you know I'd never hurt you, right, in any way?" he continued on more seriously as he pulled back.

Bella, having trouble breathing and thinking straight, nodded.

"As for your dad," Jacob went on in a lighter tone, "I think he pretty much already assumed that we were, you know."

"Hoping, if anything," Bella added.

"You sure you're not just doing this to please him and make—"

"No, I want to be happy and you make me happy. I want to be happy," she said.

"You deserve to be happy," Jacob chimed in. "And I can make you happy," he promised. He smiled at her encouragingly and she smiled back, letting her hands slide down his chest and fall into his open hands. He squeezed them. "Everything will be okay, Bells."

"You won't leave me?"

Jacob shook his head. "I'll be here for you as long as you need me."

"And want you," she added, blushing at her words.

Jacob smiled. "You have no idea." He leaned in to affectionately brush his lips against her forehead, but Bella stood on her tiptoes, causing their lips to brush together instead. Hesitatingly at first, especially on Bella's side because she was used to having to hold back and on Jacob's side as well for the same reason. Jacob tentatively took control of the kiss, Bella's body crashing against his a split second later. Jacob fought to stay calm, keeping the kiss slow, wanting to savor this moment. It was Bella who broke away first, out of breath and needing to catch it.

Jacob chuckled, reaching for Bella's hand and pulling her close again. "Come on, we should be getting back before they come looking for us."

"What are we going to tell them?"

Jacob shrugged. "We don't have to tell them anything. They'll find out anyway when I morph into my werewolf shape."

"I forgot about that…"

Jacob placed a kiss on top of her head before leading her away from the edge. Bella didn't look back, confident with her choice.

If you would be so kind as to share your thoughts with me? Critique that is helpful is also very much appreciated. Thank you for reading if you made it this far. :) xoxo