Running
As the train passes the woods he looks up, feeling an oh-so-familiar tingle going down his spine; he wants to get out of this fucking cubicle, put on his russet fur and run and run and just run.
He's been doing that a lot lately. Running. Running away from everything. Running away from lost loves and heartaches and the pack. He runs away. He leaves. It's just too much and imprinting on a child is just sick. He leaves and - surprisingly - nothing hurts.
He doesn't know where he's going. Where he's running away to. He's kind of surprised when he ends up in Italy.
It's hard; going to a foreign country - to another fucking continent - learning a new language, living on his own for the first time.
(At least he doesn't hear their voices in his head anymore, begging him to come home.)
He finally realises why he picked Italy of all places; the weather - sunny and warm and rarely rains; the surroundings - people and houses and people and stores and churches and people; the people and people and people - open and kind and loving and loud.
So much different than fucking Forks.
He's passing a building on the street and smells them - bloodsucking leeches - and then he curses under his breath because why does this fucking world of fucking vampires keep following him around.
He drops the small plastic bag with a few items on the floor and feels rage building inside him; towards Edward and Bella and Reneesme and Carlisle and Esme and Emmett and Alice and Jasper and Rosalie.
He tries to calm down, take deep breaths, forget about everything and pick up the grocery bag and go home.
But he can't so he leaves the bag on the floor and follows the stink.
"You're going weaker. The full moon affects you."
"What is that supposed to mean?", she can't possibly know, he muses. She can't possibly know about the nights where he wakes up in sweat or the moments where he wants to kill somebody or the days when he can't change.
"It means that soon Italy won't be the perfect place for you."
He asks himself how did he come from wanting to shred the Volturi to pieces to actually talking to one of them. He makes himself comfortable in the armchair and glances back at Jane, slowly sipping on the whisky in his hand. Finishing, he continues, "Why?"
"You're close to the first meridian.", she slowly answers, her red eyes on him, "It just makes things worse.", he looks at her gold locks hidden in her cloak; what's up with them and cloaks?
"So? What should I do?"
She just smiles, "Go back to Forks."
"No.", he's quick to answer.
"You imprinted on that child.", it's more of a statement, "Shouldn't the distance be killing you?"
"Nothing hurts."
They sit in silence for a few moments until she speaks, "Thank you for not tearing my head off, Ripper."
He chuckles, "You're welcome, cara."
He doesn't know when he started trusting her.
Months later they're walking down the streets of Rome on one of the rainy days. She's out of the stupid cloak and they're both soaking wet.
"You should leave.", she says, her hands in her pockets, turning her head to face him, "The full moons are becoming too much for you to handle."
"Says who?", he asks bitterly, "I can handle them just fine.", he takes a deep breath, "And I'm not going back to Forks."
She turns around completely in a flash, her hands on his chest, "Who said anything about Forks?", she yells, her red eyes staring into his brown ones, pushing him lightly by speaking, "Just. Leave. Italy."
"Why?!", he yells back and she flinches and closes her eyes at the noise.
"Because I can't handle chaining you to the basement walls one more time."
He almost killed a person. Almost being the key word. And Forks being the key place he has to go to.
"Forks?", she asks while he's packing his bags. When he nods, she continues, "Things might be rough for the first few months."
He looks up at her, "I didn't think they wouldn't, don't worry."
"How about I come with you?"
He looks at her with wide eyes, "I never knew you'd want to go."
"I can be good help."
"So now you can handle chaining me in the basement for a few more months?", he asks with a smile on his face while lying on the bed on which she's sitting on.
She doesn't answer.
He grabs her by the waist and pulls her into a hug. She pulls away quickly, "Move away.", she says, "You stink, Ripper."
"Nothing I haven't heard already, cara."
"Jake!", Bella yells when she sees him and runs to hug him. He stays stiff and doesn't hug back. Sensing his unease, she asks, "Jake, what's wrong?", Bella looks at Jane and then back at Jacob and he just shakes his head, "I went to Italy. Met her. She helped me a lot."
"She must have brainwashed you or something; there's no other explanation to why you brought her here."
"I would never do that to him.", Jane says and before Bella could continue, she cuts her off, "We should go now, Jacob. There's a lot you need to explain to the pack."
"Explain what?", Edward asks, turning up behind Bella, but his voice has a knowing tone to it. Jacob's glad he's giving him a choice.
Don't tell her anything. "Full moons."
Edward simply nods as they move away.
"So.. You're.. only changing on the full moon? Like.. a werewolf? The real deal?", Quill's nervous look is roaming around the room at each member of the pack, at the end finally settling on Jacob.
"If you would just let Jane-"
"A vampire is not getting an invitation into this house.", Sam yells and Emily puts a calming hand on his shoulder. He closes his eyes, takes a deep breath and continues, "First thing's first; I want to find out why this happened to you and how, but there is something more important I want to ask.", he pauses, lets Emily out of his grip and walks towards Jacob, putting his hands on his shoulders, keeping eye-contact, "Did you hurt anyone?"
Jacob's eyes widen. How will Sam react if he tells him about the almosts?
Sam feels his building rage and not knowing what he might do he tightens his grip on Jacob's shoulders, their eye-contact not breaking. Jacob calms down and slowly speaks, trying to keep his cool, "No. Jane made sure that I was tightly chained to the basement walls every full moon. I didn't hurt anyone."
"She chained you?!", Paul yells and Jacob could see his breathing going faster.
"Paul, calm down.", Sam slowly orders, removing his hold on Jacob, letting his hands fall to his sides, "Embry, take him out of here. Go to the woods."
Embry nods and pushes Paul out of the wooden house. As they pass Jane in the front yard Paul tenses and Embry tightens the grip on his shirt. Still, Jacob appears in front of them almost instantly, pushing them away.
"Don't you even think about hurting her.", he growls and Jane gets up from where she was sitting.
"Jacob.."
"Because if you do as much as touch her I won't be the one desperate-"
"Jacob."
"-to get out of town."
"Jacob! Lasciatelo stare, lui non aveva intenzione di fare niente."
Jacob turns around to face her, his breathing heavy, "E come fai a saperlo? Si puo strappare un vampiro apero in cinque secondi."
The rest of the pack look at the exchange with puzzled look on their faces. Maybe it's because the two are speaking italian.
"Posso badare a me stesso - o hai dimenticato che, mutt?"
"Quindi questo e un 'grazie' ho per cercare di salvare il culo imortal, cara?", he replies sarcasticly and she puts a smile on her face.
"Checosa vuoi di piu, Ripper? Non puo averti ottenere tutti viziati."
"Maybe we should go back in.", Seth is the first one to speak in english and most of the pack follow him in when Sam adds, "You too, Jane. Come in."
"How do you handle this?", Sam asks after Jacob's screams fill the room. He's secure in the basement but it is as if he is in the room with them.
"I don't."
Seth breaks the armrest on his chair and Paul shatters his fourth glass. Jane gets up before Emily even has a chance to move and starts collecting the broken pieces, "I'll collect this,", she turns her head towards Emily, a small smile on her face, "and you should go to sleep. We're going to be here all night.", Emily nods and whispers something to Sam before leaving.
Jacob screams again and her hands shake, dropping some glass, "I apologise; the sounds are too loud to my ears.", she says with closed eyes. She gets up and goes to the basement door. Jacob screams once more and she flinches to the sound. Loud noises come from downstairs and she bangs a few times on the door in anger. She then leans her forhead on the wooden door.
A few more screams fill the room and she doesn't move an inch.
"He's going to be okay.", she says, but her voice is weak.
The guys know she's just reassuring herself.
In the morning she's tending his wounds with a careful touch. She slowly runs a wet towel over the dried blood. Her fingers find old scars and lightly trace them, shivering.
"Do you love me, cara?", he asks, barely conscious, a grin spreading over his face.
She smiles, "No; I hate you with a passion."
On the next full moon, things get worse because Bella decides to come and brings the kid along with her.
Is that girl stupid or she just can't use a calendar?
"Are you crazy?!", Jane yells when she sees them approaching the front yard, "What the hell do you think you're doing?!"
Bella looks hurt, but masks it quickly, "Visiting Jake. Nessie didn't see him in a year. Edward told us not to come, but I didn't see the harm i-"
"Tonight is the full moon, Bella.", Jane hisses, her eyes avoiding Nessie.
Nessie stays silent, probably scared of Jane, and Bella rolls her eyes, "I know, but Jake would neverhurt us."
"But that's not Jacob.", Jane is quick to retort. She would've said more, but hearing Sam's yells she runs inside and Bella, with Nessie in tow, follows.
Jacob, chained to the brick walls, tries to break the chains. Failing, he screams in anger. When Jane walks in, he calms down.
"Jacob-"
"Just let me go, Jane, please. I won't hurt anyone and you know it. Please."
"Do we need to go through this every time?"
"Please, J-"
"Jacob, no."
He rattles the chaines, tries to break them once again, "Please."
She comes closer to him and rests her forhead against his, her hands light around his neck, "Just one more time, Jacob, okay? Just this once and then it's over. Please."
He calms against her touch, "Anything for you, cara."
She smiles, removes her hands and turns to Sam, "He won't give you anymore trouble, I hope."
Sam looks at her and smiles, putting a hand on her shoulder in gratitude. As soon as he does that, Jacob rattles the chains again, his face filled with anger, palms formed in fists.
Jane chuckles and looks back at him, "Calm down, Ripper. I'm a 'one werewolf'" - because this is Jacob the werewolf, not Jacob the shapeshifter, and it hurts her that he has to go through this again - "kind of vampire."
Jacob calms down and gives her a light smirk, "Just checking, cara."
He watches her leave with Bella and Nessie. Sam, who left last, could have sworn Bella sent Jane one hell of a death glare.
It's all so natural; the hugs (as light as a feather), the looks (small, fast and yet say so many words), the touches (a simple brush of hot and cold, leaving a feeling of pain that is sensational). It feels natural and normal and just right.
How?
"Why are you packing?"
Jane lifts her head from the contents of her bag and looks at him, her face unreadable. She walks to the closet next to him, pulling out pieces of clothing and putting them in her bag, "I'm leaving."
When she turns around he's in her path and she's surprised at how she didn't hear him coming, "Why?", his voice is broken and she can't make herself look up at him, "Why are you leaving? I need you."
"No, Jacob. You don't.", she moves around him and grabs more clothing from the closet, "You have your family here; they can help you."
"I'm not talking about help, damn it!", he yells and walks towards her, "I want you. I fucking need you.", he moves even closer and her clothes drop to the floor, "I lov-"
"No!", she yells and moves away collecting the clothes from the floor and putting them in the bag, "No, Jacob, You don't. You can't."
"Says who?", he yells and walks towards her yet again, "I love you.", he moves closer and he's leaning against her back, "I.", he grabs her hands and turns her around, "Love.", he lifts her chin with his finger and when she looks up at him he brings her lips closer to his, "You."
And when he kisses her it's that same crash of hot and cold and it hurts, but it's the kind of pain that you get addicted to and want more and more and more and his hands are on the small of her back and her hands are in his hair and she doesn't want it to stop.
"What the fuck are you doing here?"
He doesn't yell, but anger is building up inside of him and he tries to controle it, not wanting - being scared, actually - to change, tighting his grip around the keys to his motorbike.
Jane is out in a few seconds and walks up to him, turning her head towards the visitor, "You're not supposed to be in La Push, Edward."
"Bella's worried."
"No shit."
"Jacob."
Jacob gives Jane an apologising look in his eyes, "Why is Bella worried, Edward?", he says, rolling his eyes.
"Your imprint.", Jane stiffens and Jacob notices so he comes closer to her, putting an arm on the small of her back.
Edward says nothing, but simply continues, "When they came over you didn't ev-"
"It's over.", Jacob cuts him off.
"What's over?"
"I fought against it. In a way. And posssibly that whole werewolf thing had something to do with it.", he says, his hand tracing circles on Jane's back, "But it's over and done.", he glances at Jane and she gives him a small smile, "So you can tell Bella she can stop worrying."
Edward curtly nods and leaves, leaving the couple alone in front of the house. When he's out of eyesight, Jane turns to Jacob and pecks him on the lips.
"I love you, too."
"Calm down, Jacob."
"How can I calm down?", he yells, "How do you expect me to calm down when they're coming for you?"
Jane looks down, and Jacob turns to the Cullens, "When will they be here?"
"Jake.."
"No, Bella! I won't calm do-", he is cut off by his own screams of pain, and they all turn to Jane. She ignores them and when Jacob kneels to the floor, she kneels next to him and starts apologising.
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, Jacob. You wouldn't calm down, I.. I had to-"
"It's okay.", he whispers, his voice broken from the screams, "Thank you."
She's surprised when he grabs her arm into his, but doesn't move away. The slight pain is natural to them now.
"When will they be here?", he asks again, his voice calm.
Alice answers, "Two days. They'll.. They'll be here in two days."
Jacob nuzzles his nose lightly over Jane's cheek and smirks.
"Then we'll fight."
She watches as he rips the man that was the closest thing she ever had to a father into pieces and she feels nothing. She turns around and searches for her brother. She feels a pang of guilt and sadness when flashes of him, too, getting ripped apart cross her mind.
She wants to give him a choice.
She turns to the russet wolf to her right and sighs. She's scared for him as much - if not more - as she is for her brother. It's the first time he turned this close to the full moon. What happens next?
The wolf runs past her and she follows quickly, catching him as he has a guy her age pinned on the floor.
"Jacob, don't.", she yells and the wolf turns around, his hold gripping on the guy beneath him, "Give him a choice."
The wolf nods - if it could be considered as that - and moves inside the house. She knows he can be out in a flash.
She turns to Alec and speaks, her tone cold, "Calm down; he won't hurt you unless you hurt me."
Alec nods, "Your eyes. They're lighter."
She straightens up, "So?"
"When was the last time you ate?"
She looks at him and answers, "Months ago."
"Jane.."
"Alec, leave it and listen. Will you stay here, or will they kill you?"
He shrugs and, for a moment, she's scared of his answer, "I have to make sure you eat. And none of that 'vegetarian' crap."
She relaxes.
To say he is surprised when the wolf comes and stands by his sister's side the moment they walk in is an understatement. She, on the other hand, acts like it's the most normal thing in the world.
"What did he say, cara?", Jacob asks her, his arms going around her waist.
"He-"
"I'm staying.", Alec cuts her off and and Jacob sends him a glare. He ignores it and continues, "And 'beloved'? Seriously? What the fuck's going on here?"
They ignore him and Bella cleares her throat before she speaks, "How do we know we can trust him?"
"Well, the fact that I didn't take your heart out the moment I walked in is a pretty good sign.", he replies and Jacob smirks.
"Jacob, the full moon's tomorrow."
"You think I don't know that?"
It's the werewolf talking.
"The fuck? The last time I checked he was a fucking shape-shifter.", Alec says, a look of confusion on his face.
"You know all those books I used to read?", when Alec nods, Jane continues, "Well, they came in handy."
He doesn't need any more explanation.
A few moments pass in silence and, after he notices the looks between them - the looks a shape-shifter - or a werewolf, or something in the middle, whatever he is now - and a vampire should never excange, he jokingly asks, "So.. when's the wedding?"
They're all surprised - and Jacob only laughs with him, tightening his grip on her waist and bringing her closer to him - when Jane answers;
"Definitely not on a full moon."
A/N: I'm not a fan of 'Twilight', but I am a fan of this pairing and the inspiration just came to me. This is the longest thing I ever wrote (so far), and I really like it.
The translating was done with 'Google Translator', so sorry if there are any mistakes - I do not speak Italian. Though, If you do, you can write me the correct translation and I'll change it. I think that probably most of you guys would put the English translation in the text, but I hate breaking the flow of the story.
["Jacob! Leave him alone; he wasn't about to do anything."
"And how do you know that? He can rip a vampire open in five seconds."
"I can take care of myself - or did you forget that, mutt?"
"So that's a 'thank you' I get for trying to save your imortal ass, cara?"
"What more do you want, Ripper? Can't have you getting all spoiled."]
