**Disclaimer: Bella, Jacob, Seth, Embry, Quil, Paul, Jared, Sam, Leah, Charlie, Billy, Sue, Harry, and Old Quil are all characters from the Twilight Saga and therefore are not mine.
Jacob
I was running sure the cliffs couldn't be too far off. Bella would be at First Beach waiting for me. I hope.
Sam Bella's waiting for me, I have to go before she does something she will regret later. I promised her something and I'm not going to break another promise.
I pushed myself harder tuning out everything Sam was yelling back at me. I knew that Sam would yell as soon as I was human because I did this. But if Bella got hurt Charlie would kill me worse than Sam ever could. She was close; I could smell her and the salt from the ocean. She had to be close. I had taken little to no time to transform and at that same instant I grabbed Bella in a bone-crushing bear hug.
"Can't-breathe-Jake"
I let her go. "Sorry I guess I'm just siked that Sam let me come here with you, you know Sam" I lied. "Let's go"
We went to her truck and drove to the cliffs. It reminded me of the first time I saw Sam and the pack Cliff diving. I tried to remember the reason Sam had aggravated me so much.
I snapped out of it in time to realize where we were. "You missed the turn" I said looking back at the road.
"Where do I turn or can I keep going forward?" She said. I laughed at her comment. "What's so funny Jacob?"
"Bella, honey if you drive forward anymore, you're going to drive us off the cliff"
The truck stopped and I could smell the salt in the water again. I could see them as I took one step forward. I grabbed Bella's hand and started to run. I picked her up and in no time we were at the edge. I put her down but I still had her hand.
"Are we going to jump or not?" I asked my dark skin feeling warmer than normal while Bella's was kinda cold.
"Yeah I guess we are but is really as safe as you said it was?" she questioned looking down.
We walked closer to the edge and Bella looked terrified. The waves were rough and Bella started to look down. I put my hand on her face. I wanted to tell her that everything would be okay but I couldn't be so sure about that.
"Don't worry it's easier and more safe than the bikes, okay please just don't worry about this" I told her grinning.
I still had Bella's hand but I traded it for a hold around her waist. I pulled her in close to me.
"One… Two… Three…"
When I was sure she was secured I took her hand with my free hand and within seconds I flung us off the cliff. I hit the water first bringing both sinking deeper and deeper into the dark blue water.
Bella
We were plummeting towards the water when I closed my eyes. Jacob's warm skin was comforting as we hit the ice cold water. Due to his height Jacob hit the water first. He sunk fast dragging me down with him. The deeper he went the harder it was for me to keep holding his hand. Finally I couldn't reach him anymore. I used all my strength to push myself above the surface. I took a breath when all of a sudden a wave pushed me back under the water. I made it to the surface and another wave hit me, and sent me flying back against the cliffs.
I sunk like a rock this time. I hadn't heard his velvet voice. I would let go but I had no strength left to swim upward, I couldn't even tell what way was up.
No. Please no. I don't want to die. I thought. I was slowly loosing the air I had been holding in.
I had just plainly given up trying to swim. I remember starting to loose it before something had grabbed me.
*****
There was a feeling of real pain as another rock struck my chest. It was warm but I didn't have the strength to see it.
"Bella, Bella, honey please live" The rock paused. "For me" it added.
It struck again and I stared to cough. I took a painful shallow breath. It took me a second to realize what hit me wasn't a rock but my best friend Jacob Black.
"Please live Bella. Sam go get her truck she's going to need it or she'll probably freeze." Jake said.
"Why?" I heard Sam reply.
"Please"
"Fine"
I heard the trucks engine roar to life. Jacob struck my chest again and I coughed up even more water. I was finally able to take more than just one shallow breath. I could see Jacob. He grabbed my hand and pulled me on to his lap when he saw that I could breath on my own again. We stood up as my truck showed up with angry Sam sitting in the front.
"It's here." Sam said.
"Thanks" Jacob replied "Help me get her in."
"Why, what has she done for us?" Sam's whole upper body was shaking violently. "Why do you protect her? You put a girl before orders, before the pack, before OUR tribe." Sam was shouting now. "Jacob… You… Can't… Protect… Her." Each word was said as coldly and harshly as the one before it.
Sam was quivering through his whole body now. There was a tearing sound, and Sam was gone. In his place was a big black wolf. In that same instant Jacob through himself in front of me and started to shake as violently as Sam had.
"Calm" he muttered clearly for his own sake.
He had finally stopped quivering. He was noticeably upset with himself. Jacob pulled the doors open. He slid me in the passenger's side and walked to the driver's seat. He sat down and before he closed the door he looked at Sam.
"I can too help her." He turned from the wolf and looked at me. "Bells are you hurt? Can I help you? What can I do?"
Jacob looked younger when he was this frantic. I moved closer to him for the warmth of his skin. He looked down at me, and grinned the grin I had missed so much lately.
"IIIIII thinkkkk I'm okayyyyy but my throattt burrrrnns" I said shaking from the cold.
In record time we were back at Billy's house. I was lifted out of the truck and much to my surprise we went inside walking as close together as possible. We walked down the short hallway to Jacob's room. I sat on his bed and Jake turned to his closet. He grabbed two sets of clothes.
"Ummm they'll be kinda huge but it's all I got. I guess you'll need privacy" Jake said handing me the sweats. "I'll be in the other room if you need me."
It didn't take long to change into Jacobs too big clothes. I opened Jacob's door to see him rocking back and forth. He looked like he could use a good night of sleep. We walked over to his bed. I looked coordinated compared to him right now.
"Bella we need to talk." He said sounding a lot like Sam had earlier.
"About what?" I asked.
"Maybe, maybe, maybe Sam was right, maybe I can't save you or help you at all. I broke all the rules to see you, to keep my promise. I put you in front of orders, in front of the pack, the tribe and how I…" He stopped abruptly.
"Jacob if I'm hurting you that much, I'll leave." He grabbed my arm as I turned for the door.
"No, please stay… for me."
When I turned around Jacob was sitting his dark round pleading eyes following my every move. He looked tired but with me there he would suck that up.
"Whatever keeps the wolf happy" I said as I started to laugh. Jake did too.
"Sometimes I swear Bells, you're the only reason I'm sane. I lean on you so much I'm surprised you're willing to stay"
"Why would I want to leave?"
The phone rang three times before Jacob crossed his small room to grab it.
"Black residence," He was silent for a while and showed no emotion. "No, Billy's not here but what happened to Harry?" He was quiet again. "Does Charlie know?" Jacob looked sad, afraid even. "Okay, umm… I hope Harry recovers soon, Sue. I'll be down later to see him, promise." Click.
"What was that about? What happened to Harry?" I asked
"He had a heart attack. They're all at the hospital, Billy, Charlie, Sue, Leah, Seth, and Old Quil. None of them are fairing to well."
Jake came back to his room and he looked like crap.
"Lay down or you're going to pass out," I said. "Don't worry things will get better?"
He did and not too long after he was out cold. I thought about telling him everything. All my secrets, about his voice, about how broken I really am, and how I couldn't live without Him. Wouldn't telling him those things just lead him on more? I did need him and maybe I would love him I was given more time. I looked down at Jacobs limp body he looked so innocent. The last time I saw him like this, I called him a murderer.
Jacob finally woke up. He grabbed my hand like he wanted to say something but he didn't. It took a while but he broke the silence.
"Bella can we talk?"
There was a difference in his tone this time. He wasn't upset or anything he was just sweet, so I sat next to him.
"Bella we're really close right, like more than just best friends right?" I nodded. "So why don't you let me get any closer? I know it hurts you to think about but just because he's gone doesn't mean you can't get close to some one else." He grabbed my other hand. "I'm good for you Bells, but you keep running and maybe next time I won't be able to catch you."
He looked into my eyes. His were sad and pleading. He was right; I had to move on at one point or another. Jacob knew everything about me, everything that happened when he left. Jake was right I could be happy with him.
I had never noticed the way his dark eyes shined when he was around me. Or how upset he seemed when I had to leave. His dark features were so amazing. He looked like my Jacob, I half expected him to ask if I wanted to go to his garage. Their was a part of him right now that was Sam's, the look on his face when he was just barely holding himself together. I wanted to tell Jake that he could have all of me but I just couldn't do it.
"Jake can I have my hands back they feel like they're on fire." I said moving closer to him as he dropped my hands. "Jacob I… I…"
