All my CSI:NY people are wondering what in the world is going on. This came to me after reading and watching everything out there that is Twilight. It's also a poke at my friend who is a total TEAM EDWARD person. Sue me, I like Jake. Pure fluffiness to come if this is continued. Help me out and let me know.

ENJOY.

"Aren't you gonna miss this?"

And with those words, a dull ache, frightening grip, a dark cloud moved over Bella. Her mother was able to bring the visit to an end with her question. She'd been with her mom for all of spring break of her senior year and she'd felt the sun's warmth on her skin, the slow pace of her mother's life and almost forgot that vampires and werewolves really existed. She was on the complete opposite side of the country; almost as far away from the cold, damp, sometimes still snowy weather of Forks as she could get. Most of her friends from school were probably donning wetsuits that covered them from head to foot and paddling out to catch the few waves off First Beach. The thought of the water temperature chilled her to the bone and there she sat in shorts and a red sleeveless shirt sweating from the sun's rays. She was going to miss "this" for more reasons than one.

She felt relaxed and dare she describe it as happy? It was coming to the end of her ten day visit, compliments of Carlisle and Esme. The flight later in the evening would take her back to school, back to Charlie, and back to real life. The "real life" where decisions about college and how to spend her summer hours and finals waited. Where werewolves phased on a daily basis to protect the reservations from bad vampires. She laughed at the absurdity of her thoughts and shook them from her head. When she checked her bag in at the gate and the wheels of the place tucked themselves under the plane for the long flight to Jacksonville, she made an unbreakable promise to herself that her strange life and lingering misery, whatever of it was left, would be non-existent in the Florida sun. To her luck it hadn't rained for even a minute since she arrived.

There was hope that things were going to still be as quiet when she got back as they had been before she left. There were no more "incidents" since Laurent in the meadow. Alice kept in constant contact, updating Bella on the cat and mouse games that Victoria played with the Cullen family as they drug her scent everywhere they traveled. Alice even joked about coming to visit to pick up more of her scent in Forks to keep the red-head moving further and further away from the Pacific Northwest until the chance came for them to "deal" with her. Bella thought it was just a reason to visit. Bella had listened to Alice on the phone each time she called about the continents and countries they were in and how each of the family members adjusted to each change, but no word was ever said about him.

It really didn't hurt anymore to think or say his name. Sometimes when she thought about him there was even a hint of an eye roll. Poor Jake had been on the receiving end of the emotional deluge that broke from her one day in February that made it easier for her to think about him or at least changed how she thought about it. If it weren't for the added strength and reflexes he acquired with his own very recent change, he could have really been hurt. When Edward left, Bella broke and became a shell, spending most of her time trying to remember everything she could about the time she and Edward had together. But in the garage that one day she broke again.

Jake was working under his car and talking to some of the pack like he always did. Bella was in her spot on the futon that appeared on day, doing her homework. Someone mentioned how they cooked dinner for their girl and that he learned all his skills from the Food Network. A picture of the Cullens's kitchen appeared in her mind from the first time she was introduced properly to the family. The family faces, the food, shattered bowl crashing to the ground; one forgotten image flowed into another; memories long forgotten and not properly dealt with flooded her brain. Details that held little to no importance bombarded her clearly.

First, she was angry and the tools that lay innocently around her from the garage floor started to fly. The others of the pack disappeared quickly and Jake took cover behind whatever he could. She cussed everything about Edward that she could think of. Each time she said his name another tool flew and hit something with an explosion of sounds. The thuds against the walls made her feel a little better. Jake caught a few of the flying objects as she threw them aimlessly in all directions, but chose to wait behind the Rabbit for when the supply of weapons started to dwindle. During the clean up later, he would come to question why he had so many different wrenches, screwdrivers, sockets and pliers laying around for her to find and throw. But her cleansing had begun.

Next she was bawling, sobbing. Whatever tool she clutched was spared its flight and fell to the ground with a different sound. She mourned the loss of time in her life that she spent trying to hold onto him. Regretting what she put Charlie through; his worry and sleepless nights. Regretting what she put her mother through when she came to take her back to Florida for a change of scenery. Mourning the loss of her second family who left when he did. Crying at the loss of her friends at school she ignored while clinging to memories. Jake was there to catch her when the exhaustion finally hit and she started to fall to the ground still in uncontrollable grief and cradled her in his lap. With whatever she had left, her fists fought to push him away and pounded at his arms, shoulders and chest. But Jacob's strength allowed him to hold her tight to him until all the fight was out of her and the sobs cooled to sniffing and shutters and then finally to sleep. He rocked the girl in his arms until he was sure she was fully asleep and wouldn't be woken when he moved.

Bella woke the next morning in Jake's bed. It smelled like his soap and skin. Pulling the scent into her lungs, she remembered what had happened the night before. Groaning at her behavior, she stretched and started to plan her day of apologizing and thanking Jake for whatever he did. The melodious rhythm of snoring drew her attention over the edge of the bed and to the floor below. Jacob was curled up on a sleeping bag like a four year old holding his blanket and taking a nap. Fading dark marks in his skin showed where a few of the tools had hit him but they would be gone before they made it to the breakfast table. There was truly nothing more beautiful than this boy in a man's body and it was rare that she got the opportunity just to take a long good look. Wearing only shorts, like always, there was a lot to look at and study.

The short cut hair made it easier to see the strength in the muscles of his neck and shoulders. She followed the natural lines of his body and examined how big his arms had really gotten. The torso he rarely hid under a shirt was a finely chiseled piece of art that she got to look at all the time but without his eyes on her, Bella stared and felt the urge to touch, but held back and continued. She wondered what strength in his upper legs his shorts hid underneath.

"See something you like?"

Her eyes had been looking at the sculpturing of his lower legs when she was caught, but ignored the question. The blush could not be ignored and neither could the shy smile "Hey." The greeting scratched out of her dry throat and met his eyes.

"Sleep good?"

"Yeah. Thanks for staying close." Words were chosen carefully and spoken with deepest appreciation.

His eyes slid back shut at the praise and grinned her grin before wetting his lips to speak again. "You would have slept better with me up there with you." And he snuggled into the pillow under his head missing the eye roll from Bella, but not her verbal come back.

"Next time."

His eyes popped open to see her face and read the expression but only saw the white of his pillow before she wacked him in the head with it from above.

The time they spent together during the rest of February and into March was much better, comfortable and playful, easy and carefree. They spent most of their time away from school together and Jake sometimes found her while he was phased. As Jake, they joked and laughed and talked and became closer. They held hands, sat close while watching movies, hugged and held more often, but it was light and easy. Two best friends who had an understanding and enjoyed what the other was offering.

The few times he'd come upon her in the woods during a run with Embry and Quil he was flirty and mischievous; sometimes he was over the top with his attention begging behavior. He ran circles around her and nuzzled into her hand or arm looking for her touch. The other two would disappear howling about "puppy love" in their minds loud enough for Jake to hear. Bella would lean back against him and draw her fingers through his thick coat and talk about school, memories of them growing up, Phoenix or her mom for hours. Jake almost purred with contentment and found her more often when he phased.

A week before her trip she was digging in the bottom of her closet for a lost shoe and she found a bag stashed in the back corner that held all the gifts from her disastrous birthday at the Cullens. Most of them held no significance except the one from Carlisle and Esme: open ended tickets to Jacksonville to see her mom. The papers held her attention for a long and she pondered their use. It wouldn't be until the next day at school, when someone mentioned their big plans for Spring Break that she decided to use the tickets to go see her mom the next week and show her how much better she was. The thirty minute phone call from her mom to check up on her every other day was seriously cutting into her time.

The conversation with Charlie about her plans didn't go at all like she expected that night at dinner.

"What's this?" Was his question when she slid the paperwork across the dinner table.

"It was a birthday gift from Mr. and Mrs. Cullen…before they left. I want to use it to go see mom for Spring Break."

Charlie first was amazed that Bella didn't flinch when she spoke the family's name and then took a good look at the paper work. "Well, that was generous." He carefully read what information was presented and the kitchen was silent.

Next, two things happened at the same time that had nothing to do with each other. Charlie asked a question and Bella announced the arrival of a familiar car in the driveway.

Charlie: "What are you gonna do with the other ticket?"

Bella: "Jake."

Bella left the table to greet the sun and sunshine in her life. Not to be disappointed, Jacob's arms banded around her immediately for one of his signature hugs that equaled safety and security to her has well as complete ease. It was always this way now with his touch. She craved his warmth and heart. She wouldn't tell him yet, but something new was starting to build inside of her for him.

Not knowing what her father was left to consider when she got up, the two teens reentered the kitchen to make Jake a plate of food.

"So Jacob, you're gonna go with Bella to Florida to see her mother for Spring Break." It was more of a statement than a question and it was met by two blanks stares. Quickly Bella caught on and tried to cover awkwardly.

"Dad, I hadn't mentioned anything to him about that. I needed to make sure you were alright with the idea." She looked between the faces of the two men in her life gauging what was being thought.

"You two spend enough time together here, what difference would it make in Florida? It's fine with me. Clear it with Billy and your mom."

Bella took the empty plate from Jacob's hands and put it back on the table, then led the stunned to silence young man out the back door and out close to the tree and tire swing slightly swaying in the chilly breeze. It was just out of ear shot of the kitchen, but close enough that if they needed to go back and talk to Charlie about something they were right there. Jacob looked more like a guppy with his mouth opening and closing in rapid succession than the tall, tough, commanding human being that he was. He pointed back at the house to where something just happened and he had a lot of questions.

"What just happened in there? Did I hear Florida?"

"Yeah, so what do you think?" The question was shy and hesitant because she was still dealing with the idea herself.

"What do you mean what do I think? What are we talking about? I showed up for dinner and a movie, and now I'm just confused …and still hungry."

"Edward's parents gave me two open ended ticket to Jacksonville for my birthday last year. I'm gonna use one next week and I guess Charlie assumed you'd be using the other. So…?"

"You're asking me to leave all this…" He opened his hands to take in the cold, wet atmosphere of the yard around them. "And spend time with you laying on a beach where it's warm. Why are we even talking about this?" He walked away from Bella causing a furrow to form in her forehead but he pulled his cell from the pocket of his shorts assumedly to call Billy. She only caught snipits of the conversation, but it seemed Charlie was on the other line with Billy discussing the details. Bella watched the menu of emotions play out on his face before his smile lit up the whole backyard and he started whooping and hollering. Bella took out her own phone and made the call to her mother and was met by shrieks of excitement from Florida that could have rivaled Jacob's.

Up in her room, he knelt down beside Bella's desk chair with an arm draped around her shoulders as they studied the flight schedules. They looked for the first flight out that they could catch Friday after school and the last flight out of Jacksonville the night before classes resumed. Jake voted for a flight Monday because rez schools didn't start back until Tuesday. His teasing earned him a punch in the arm that would hurt her more than him.

He waited patiently as the confirmation numbers were e-mailed to her account finalizing their plans in five days. Bella found images of the beaches and surrounding areas of some places they could go. She found the photos that her mom sent of the house on the beach where she was living. Web pages popped up showcasing things to do during their visit. The whole idea of getting away on her own had been great, but every fiber of her body hummed with excitement at the thought of getting away and taking Jacob with her.

Without warning she turned sideways in her chair and flung herself into his arms. "This is going to be so great." The words came out muffled against his shirt. "I just need to make it through the next few days and not explode."

Strong arms tightened low around her waist and he breathed in deep. "I know, just the thought of you laying on the beach day after day, rubbing lotion on your back so you don't burn, having your hands all over me doing the same thing. I don't know how I'm gonna be able to focus the rest of the week at school." The statement was thick with sarcasm and some hidden feeling as well. He wondered which she would pick up on.

"You can recuperate next week from all your mental anguish by doing nothing." One of her arms loosened and grabbed the hair at the front of his head like she did that first night he tried to explain what he was. She used her grip as leverage to angle his head. A peck from her lips on his cheek punctuated the end of the teasing. Kissing him on the cheek was happening as frequently as the light kisses he left on her forehead at least two to four times a day when he was close enough. She saw no harm in it and his eyes lit up in the most magical of ways.

A knock sounded on her open door announcing Charlie and they looked over at him still hugging. "Jake? You staying on the couch tonight or heading out? It's starting to get late."

"I'm heading out here in a few minutes. Dad will want to hear about the details." Bella drooped in his arms.

"Well, I'm turning in. 'Night kids." And he shuffled away down the hall.

"You're leaving? Stay, we could still watch the movie you brought, crash on the couch and be halfway with it tomorrow for school."

It didn't take much convincing to get him to stay. It never did; Jacob denied her nothing, especially when he had her in his arms. The phone call to Billy was short. Billy knew it was coming and heard it all before: "Staying to finish the movie, gonna crash on the couch, will check in tomorrow." Charlie heard it too, many times. Billy and Charlie laughed it off the first few time the two crashed at the other's house, saying that the houses were so small that they could hear every breath Bella and Jake made let alone any other noises that the two might create. Empty threats were made that if anything was heard, the "sleepovers" would end. There was no noticeable change towards something more being between Bella and Jacob, but the parents were just waiting. Until then, Charlie was ecstatic to see his little girl happy again and would not rock the boat with her recovery.

Jake took his seat in the corner of the couch and put his feet up on the coffee table. Bella folded her legs under her and ducked under his arm. He pulled her in close and held on tight. She always thought they fit together like matching puzzle pieces and got comfortable against his side.

The house was dark except for the flickering TV and it was quiet; the volume barely loud enough for her to hear. "A week with you in the Florida sun." The words escaped hips lips and disappeared in her hair. The shiver she made was felt between the two of them and he pulled her closer thinking it was caused by a chill in the air. She only trusted a head nod as a response. His fingers intertwined with hers and he studied how small hers looked compared to his. Heat rolled off of him and kept her warm, but she still shook with anticipation for something, not knowing what it was. "This could get interesting." He said quietly and seriously.

She met his eyes with hers with a turn of her head and his lips were two inches away. It was a place she was careful to stay away from. When that line was crossed there would be no going back and it wasn't fair to him to do things half way. She was almost ready to open her heart again, and the time was coming closer. When the line was crossed, whatever they were going to have between them was going to be intense.

"Should turn out to be an interesting week." She told him without turning away or moving her gaze from his mouth.

End? Continue? Review and let me know.