A/N: Thank you to my betas, bookworm411 and IamLeahsConscience for their input.

I do not own Twilight or the characters within. I am grateful to Stephenie Meyer for having created characters and stories that are so fun to play with.

Parhelia

What if Bella never jumped?

From New Moon:

"No, Bella!" He was very angry now, and the anger was so lovely. I smiled and raised my arms straight out, as if I were going to dive, lifting my face into the rain. But it was too ingrained from the years of swimming at the public pool- feet first, first time. I leaned forward, crouching to get more spring…

Chapter 1 – Falling

As I prepared to fling myself off of the cliff, readying my skin to feel the rush of wind as I fell from the top of the cliff into the swelling ocean below me, my body jerked backwards. What was happening? Had my illusion come to life? Was Edward really here, stopping me- not just in my head? As soon as I was steady on my feet, I froze, afraid to see the face of my rescuer.

I don't know what I expected- to see his exquisite features, his eyes burning topaz, his face twisted in concern for my safety, for my sanity. And what did I expect to say to him- would I beg for him to stay? Yell at him for having abandoned me? I looked in the distance, focusing my eyes on the flames, small but bright, far out on the water as I mentally prepared my speech.

But the hands that held me now were too soft, too warm. The breath I felt on my neck was too hot and smelled, not floral, but woodsy.

"Jacob."

"What were you thinkingBella!" he yelled as he turned me around to face him. "Are you mental, or do you just have a death wish? There's a storm coming. You would have been smashed against the rocks or drowned, or…or…or worse!"

I opened my mouth to argue with him, but I didn't know how to respond. I didn't want to die, certainly, but I suppose I was trying to brush up against death. I looked at Jacob, who was shivering in anger- or was it fear?

"Jacob, what are you doinghere?" I finally managed to say. "What happened to following Victoria's trail?"

Jacob shook his head. "We followed her, but she took off into the water. I raced back here double speed – I didn't know if she was going to come after you, and I know how much you enjoy spending time down by the water..." Something in Jacob's eyes told me he was suffering. He wasn't telling me everything. I didn't actually jump off of the cliff or get anywhere near the water, so what could be the problem? I gasped, panicked, as I thought of what it could be. Jacob let me down beside him, releasing his tight grip so that I could breath.

"Oh no, Jacob, who did she hurt?" My thoughts flickered wildly through the faces of the Quileute pack: Paul, Jared, Embry, Quil, and Sam. Which of my friends had sacrificed something defending me?

Jacob bit his lip. "It's not that," his mouth twisted around the words. "It's Harry Clearwater. He's had a heart attack."

My momentary relief turned almost instantly into grief.

"Harry?" I shook my head, Charlie's good friend. 'Does Charlie know? Is Harry going to be okay?"

"We don't know, Bella. Charlie's headed to the hospital right now with my dad."

I suddenly felt very stupid and very selfish. Jacob was here, preventing me from risking my neck, instead of being where he should be: with Billy at Harry's side. What a stupid time to be reckless.

"What can I do?" I asked.

"I'm taking you to my house. You can stay there with me until Charlie comes back from the hospital."

I rode in silence as Jacob drove my truck to his house. When we got there, Jacob threw open the door, a little too hard and collapsed on the couch.

"I'm just going to close my eyes," he yawned. "Don't get any ideas."

I promised him I would stay. As I watched him slowly slip into sleep, the sound of his breathing, slow and deep, was so like a lullaby to me. The room was very warm, and I was so tired. I gave in to my heavy lids and drifted off to sleep.

For the first time in a very long time, my dream was just a normal dream. Flickers of blurred photographs, or were they memories, played on behind my eyelids: the sun in Phoenix, my mother and father's faces, paintings with gilded frames, a flame on the black water...

The last image was the only one that stuck in my head: a vision of a girl on a balcony in her pajamas, talking to herself.

Jacob rolled over with a grunt, and I was brought back to reality. My mind was still contemplating that last image: Juliet waiting for Romeo, Juliet wondering why her Romeo had left her. What if Romeo left, not because he was banished, but because he lost interest? Would Juliet have gone back to Paris, marrying him in the end, even though she loved him no where near as much as she loved Romeo? While I was contemplating Shakespeare, Jacob's rhythmic breathing lulled me back to sleep, still with Romeo running through my thoughts.

Jacob's face appeared in my thoughts, soft, warm, adoring, and most of all, here.Maybe I had it all wrong. Maybe myRomeo had never left me. After all, what better comparisons to draw between Paris and- I cringed as I thought his name in my sleep- Edward? The wealthy, established older business man, described as being made of wax, handsome and well built, who had held Juliet's heart. Maybe, just maybe, it was Paris who left, making room for Romeo, impetuous and reckless Romeo, to steal her heart.

I drifted further into sleep, comforted by the thought that mine might be a happy ending after all or at least a happy now. My dreams took me back to the cliff: Edward's voice, Jacob's hands, the strange fire out on the water. There was something about those flames, familiar in their coloring, but, of course, it couldn't have been real fire…

It was Billy's voice that woke me. The front door opened, and the light came on. Jacob awoke with a start, knocking me off of the sofa.

"Sorry," Billy grunted, "Did we wake you?" Sam followed him through the door.

Jacob seemed to be reading Billy's expression carefully, and after just a moment, hurried to Billy's side to take his hand.

"Oh no," I said, almost whispering. Hot tears started welling in my eyes. "I'm so sorry."

"It's going to be hard all around." Billy responded, to no one in particular. "Your father is down at the hospital with Sue. There are a lot of arrangements to be made. Jacob, why don't you take Bella home?Charlie shouldn't be too long, and someone should be there with him when he returns."

Jacob nodded, released Billy's hand, and turned to me. "Maybe I should drive."

Once we were in the truck, I could feel Jacob's eyes on me. "Are you okay Bella? You don't look so good."

"I guess I don't feel so good either." I paused and looked up at Jacob. His jaw was clenched. "Are you okay?"

"Sure, sure" Jacob said dismissively. He took one hand off of the wheel and pulled me close to his side. I leaned my head against his chest, listening to his heart beat, feeling the warmth come off of his body. I thought about how, in so many ways, Jacob really was my own personal sun.

"How will you get home?" I asked.

"I'm not going home. We still haven't caught the bloodsucker, remember?"

I froze in my seat. Victoria was still looking for me. Jacob and his pack were the last line of defense between me and death at her hands…or teeth. Was I willing to let Jacob risk his life, even if was to save mine? I turned my head towards his shoulder, his bare skin feverish on my lips, and he put his arm around me. "I know you don't feel the same way about me, Bella, but that's okay. Just knowing that I can do something to keep you safe… if anything ever happened…" his voice caught on the last thought.

Jacob pulled the truck into my driveway. He looked down at me, his affection for me, and his fervent determination both blazing in his eyes. Almost without thinking, I lifted my chin and met his lips with mine. It felt amazing, like kissing the sun: my chest ached, my heart burned, like flames.

Suddenly, something Jacob said to me earlier echoed in my head, finally sinking in. She took off into the water,he'd said, I was afraid she was going to double back to you.

My lips froze on his, and my whole body went rigid. I realized why I recognized the strange color on the water: Victoria's hair, blowing in the wind. She was right there, in the water. If I had jumped, it might not have been the water or the rocks that could have killed me. If Jacob hadn't been there…