Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Stephanie Meyer (unfortunately). I'm just experimenting with her greatness.
Author's Note: OK, so I stumbled across a website that gave me the idea for this fic. It takes place during Eclipse, after Jake goes to see Bella at school and tells her they can still be friends. What if, instead of "kidnapping" her on his bike, this had happened? Just a little bit more of the love triangle - I was looking for a change.
It was another dreary day in Forks, and the only bright spot in my life was currently leaning against my kitchen counter.
Edward hummed to himself as he absentmindedly twirled a strand of my hair between his fingers. I, on the other hand, was trying to steady my breathing at his touch while washing up the plates from dinner. I glanced quickly upwards, and saw amusement in his eyes - no doubt listening to the constant flutter of my heart - as I blushed. He started to speak in a teasing tone, but was abruptly cut off when Charlie called on me from his place in the den.
Promising to be right back, I headed towards the distant sounds of a baseball game.
"Yeah, Dad?" I looked in the direction of the easy chair, but Charlie wasn't in his usual spot. Instead, he was by the window, grinning broadly at something on the other side. He gestured for me to move closer, and only spoke when I was about half an inch away from him.
"Jake's out in the yard." He spoke in a muted whisper, clearly trying to stop Edward from hearing, and I couldn't help but smile. It had been nearly a week since I had seen my friend - not since he had come to school to tell me we could still hang out, on his side of the boundary. Naturally, Edward hadn't let me out of his sight since.
Charlie's grin broadened as he saw my happiness, and he cleared his throat before speaking in a louder voice.
"Would you mind putting this in the trash for me outside, Bells?" He winked.
"Uhhhh...sure Dad." He returned to his chair as I left the room and walked towards the door, peering towards the kitchen to see if Edward had heard us. He was nowhere to be seen, presumably still against the counter. I opened the door and slid out, shutting it softly behind me, before running across the lawn to where Jake stood, grinning.
"Jake," I called quietly, coming to a halt in front of him. "It's great to see you!" I smiled, and hugged him quickly, but kept my voice low, glancing back at the house.
"Hey Bells," he said, and my heart flooded with warm familiarity. My strange behaviour wasn't lost to him though, and he raised an eyebrow. "Something wrong?"
"No, it's just..." I floundered for a second, before sighing. "Now's not exactly the best time for avisit, Jake. I'm sorry, it's just that Edward's right-"
"Here." Jacob and I both jumped as Edward materialised a few steps behind me. I should have known he had heard Charlie. Stupid Bella! I mentally kicked myself as he and Jacob looked at each other. Jacob immediately became their Jacob, although Edward's face remained civil.
"Jacob," he said, no hostility apparent in his tone, although he did inch closer to me.
Jacob completely ignored him. Instead, he fixed his black eyes on mine, and spoke.
"I won't stay Bells - there's a horrible smell around this place." I clicked my tongue as I frowned at him, but he just chuckled at his joke and went on. "I just came to ask if-"
He didn't get a chance to finish. Obviously, Edward didn't like the question he knew was coming. He let out a low hiss, and suddenly the civility in his tone was gone.
"You cannot be serious, Jacob Black. If you are, you're even more half-witted than I originally thought. Absolutely not a chance in Hell."
"Hey.." I tried to intervene, but nobody seemed to hear me.
"I wasn't talking to you," Jacob spat, never moving his eyes from my face. "It's got nothing to do with you, Bloodsucker - stay out of my mind."
"Don't I-"
"I don't care who you were talking to, dog, she's still not going." Edward's voice was laced with vemon, his beautiful eyes now swirling with loathing.
"Excuse me!" I cried, waving my hands to remind them of my presence. I stepped in between them to try and diffuse the situation. "Going where? Jake?" I looked towards him expectantly, but he just shrugged. When he opened his mouth to answer his voice was heavy with sarcasm.
"Why don't you ask your bloodsucker boyfriend? Since he's such a know-it-all when it comes to my thoughts."
Edward laughed then, but it was cold, hard - nothing like the delicate chuckle I was used to. His topaz eyes were fixed on Jacob's.
"I know far more than you do, Jacob Black: I've been around for much longer."
"Oh, so you admit you're unnatural?" Jake was quick, a sneering look decorating his usually warm features.
Edward growled menacingly, and took a half-step forward, so I turned and slammed my hand into his chest. Hard. He didn't even move.
"Edward," I warned him. "Don't do that! Now, what is going on?"
"Nothing."
He spat the word out like a bullet, his voice harsher than I had ever heard it, and I flinched involuntarily. His eyes immediately dropped to mine, his fingers reaching up to stroke my face in a silent apology. I knew his rage wasn't directed at me, and offered him a small smile, letting him know I didn't blame him. He assessed me briefly with his eyes, and then spoke again, visibly working to keep his voice velvet-smooth, though it was still ice-cold.
"Nothing, Bella. We're leaving." I opened my mouth to protest as he reached for me - damn it, someone was going to tell me what was going on here! - but Jake got there first.
"Doesn't like competition much, does he?" he jeered, and Edward hissed again, louder this time.
"There is no competition Jake!" I snapped, looking round at him, and then immediately regretted it as pain rippled across his features.
I could have sworn I saw the corners of Edward's mouth twitch, and I glowered at him briefly.
"Aww Jake, I'm sorry, I-" I moved to hug him, hating myself for hurting him this way, but was abruptly cut off when something cold wrapped tightly around my arm, restraining me. I turned to find Edward holding me back easily with one hand, his exquisite face a mixture of contempt and disbelief, dabbed with a little pain.
"Edward, wh-"
"Let go of her, bloodsucker!" Jake's voice was furious, and in my peripheral vision I saw him step forward as his body faintly began to quake.
"Butt out, Jake," I told him, begging him with my eyes to calm down. "I'll handle this." I saw him hesitate, and then step back again before I turned to Edward.
"Edward, what are you doing? Let me go."
"No." His voice was flat, non-negotiable. He didn't even look at me as my eyes narrowed.
"Edward, you're being ridiculous. I said let me go."
"No." He repeated the word again, this time looking straight at me, and his voice dropped. "I will not let him hurt you Bella, so please don't ask me to risk that."
"He won't hurt me," I protested, my irritation starting to boil over as I said the first thing I thought of to stop this whole "over-protective" thing he had going on. "You, on the other hand, are. So let me go. Please."
He should have known that I was lying - like I had told him so many times before, he would never be capable of hurting me - but even so, he dropped my arm as though he had been burned. His face flickered with some deep-rooted pain, and once more I cursed myself. I reached for him, wanting to comfort him, when Jake's voice rang out, victorious.
"Bad luck, biter boy - looks like she's made her choice." His face was smug, and the pain in Edward's eyes immediately returned to boiling hatred.
"Do not tempt me, pup." The threat was clear, sending shivers up my spine, but I had had enough. I threw up my arms and yelled.
"Enough!" I glared furiously between them as I went on, "For God sake, just grow up! Both of you!"
I saw Edward waver for a second, and heaved an inward sigh of relief, but Jacob didn't even miss a beat.
"I'm young Bells, I can't help it." He grinned my grin, and I felt my fury at their childishness melt a bit. But then he spoke again.
"Your leech, on the other hand, should know better...he must be about 100 by now, huh?" It was a simple question, but there was an edge to his voice that both Edward and I picked up on. I felt my eyes narrow once more as Edward began to retort.
"You're right Jacob Black - you should think about that. After all, why on earth would Bella want a mere child when she could have a man?"
I turned towards my boyfriend to see a harsh, satisfied smirk slide onto his face, marring his usually flawless features. He seemed pleased, obviously having hit a nerve. Jacob's face contorted in rage.
"A dead man!" He paused, shaking once more, and shut his eyes for a few moments as though concentrating. When the quivers finally stilled, he spoke again. "Maybe she wants to try joining the living..." He let his voice trail off suggestively, and offered a smirk of his own.
"You have no idea what she wants."
"THAT'S IT!"
I almost glanced around in surprise before I realised the explosion had come from me. Both boys turned to look at me; Jake looking slightly amused and strangely proud at my outburst, Edward's face soaked in concern. I glared at both of them, my temper finally having caught alight.
"For your information, she is right here, and perfectly capable of speaking for herself!"
They both opened their mouths, but I ploughed forward, really getting into my stride now.
"I don't need you guys to talk for me, and clearly neither of you have any idea what I want, or you both would have shut up and told me what the hell is going on here a long time ago! Urghhh!"
With that, I turned on my heel and stalked off towards the house. My dramatic exit was slightly ruined when I tripped over the newpaper and nearly went headlong into our hedge, but I managed to catch myself and walked on smatly, chin stuck high in the air. I saw Jake take a step towards me, and turned.
"Just go. Both of you." I turned to look pointedly at Edward. "And don't follow me."
And I stepped carefully inside, shutting the door behind me with a crash.
* * *
Charlie was back in front of the TV when I walked into the den, his eyes glued to the Cubs game.
"Hey Bells," he greeted me as I moved to sit down, one eye still trained on the TV. "Where's Jake?"
"Gone home," I grumbled, throwing myself into a chair and folding my arms across my chest. "Edward too." Either that or they're killing each other out on the lawn.
He looked cheerful at that statement, although his face darkened as I continued. "I asked them to leave."
"How come?" He removed both eyes from the TV now, planting them firmly on me.
Well Dad, they're mortal enemies - you know, the whole vampire against werewolf thing, and I got tired of them making my decisions for me, talking about me as though I wasn't there, and generally using me as a pawn in their power struggle against one another.
"Headache," I grunted, glaring moodily at the screen.
"You OK?" Charlie asked me, slight panic leaking into his voice. The last thing he needed was a sick teenager on his hands. "Maybe you should go lie down."
I nearly snorted. Three guesses as to where Edward was right now.
"I'm fine, Dad," I assured him quickly; no way was I going up to my room right now, not with him there.
"I think I'll just stay down here for a bit, you know, watch some TV."
"Sure Bells," he muttered, only half-listening, having turned back to the game as soon as he recieved confirmation that a trip to ER was not on the cards. "Whatever you want."
"If only everyone offered me the same courtesy," I muttered mutinously. It wasn't loud, but I knew he would be able to hear me, and took grim satisfaction in knowing he was up there right now, probably pacing silently, waiting for me.
Well, he'd have to wait for a while.
My resolve woud weaken as soon as I saw him, I knew it. But my God, was I going to make him suffer as long as I humanly could.
So I folded my arms, and let the newest power-struggle begin.
A/N: Reviews are always welcome!