Bella screaming. Fuzz. Brown eyes. Blur. Edward laughing. Static.

Alice buried her head into her arms, slouching across the kitchen table, as far from Bella as possible while still keeping an ear open for news.

AsmallhandbloodmorescreamingimageimageimageEdwardBellaWho?

"DAMMIT!" Alice shouted, hitting the table and breaking it into two. She sighed and got onto her knees, trying to pick up the pieces of the shattered wood. The visions kept coming, uninterpretable and unrelated. She dropped the wood she was holding and held her head, moaning. Suddenly, it was blank. Her eyes widened, assuming the worst.

"Edward?!"

"She's fine, Alice."

She spun around and above her towered Jacob Black, holding out a hand uncertainly, his nose scrunched at the smell. She shook her head politely, gracefully pulling herself to her feet in no time at all. He smiled gratefully and shoved his hand back into his pocket.

"Jasper said you'd need my assistance," Jacob explained, checking the fridge for a pop.

"If Jasper's so worried, he could come himself." She glared at the wall leading to the living room, knowing he could hear her.

"He wants to stay with Bella and Edward, keep a calm autosphere. They're pretty freaked out, you know." He found one and cracked it open, taking a sip and making a disgusted expression. "Ugh, this can taste so good and bad at the same time. You guys smell terrible."

"You're not flowers and perfume yourself, mutt," Alice replied, smiling a bit and kicking the remains of the antique table. "Esme's going to be really disappointed. This was one of her favorite pieces."

"Well, it's in pieces now, that's for sure," Jake attempted, grinning sheepishly. She rolled her eyes and chuckled, her eyes still on the broken table. "Well, I mean, if you wanted, I could try to fix that up when all of this is over... if things go well, I mean." His expression darkened and his eyes got glassier. She looked up and noticed this, frowning.

"Look, Jacob, this may or may not make you feel better, but my gut is telling me to keep hope. My visions of the birth, they are... terrible. But I also get visions of after. Of some creature... I don't know enough about that. And of Edward smiling. We both know that wouldn't be possible in an existance without Bella. I don't know for sure, but I feel like this is going to end well somehow." Jacob groaned.

"That creature is killing her, you don't seem to understand that!" He began to pace. "It is breaking her ribs, it's taking all her health, hell, it's making her drink blood." He cringed. "It is a monster and we need to kill it." Edward hissed and growled from the other room. "Can it, leech. You were thinking the same thing until the little shit started getting thoughts." Another growl and then silence. Everyone was listening now.

"I'm sorry, Alice, I need to run," he muttered, walking towards the door.

"I'm coming," she replied quickly. She was in no mood for her headache to return so quickly.

"Bella?"

"They'll get us if something goes wrong." He nodded.

Alice was suddenly at the glass door, yanking it open silently. She extended an arm. "After you."

"Ladies first." A toothy grin, and she was gone. He followed quickly, chasing after her small form. She was running fast... challenging him? He pushed himself, eager to fall away from his doubts and worries.

He stopped, surrounding by wood and green. He spun around, searching for her scent, but it was everywhere, no certain trail.

"Does this mean I win?" a voice from behind him asked. He turned towards it, but all that was left were shifting leaves.

"Alice?" he called, a little frustrated. A giggle, then nothing. He grimaced and turned again, sniffing. Still nothing traceable.

"Is that the best you can do, wolf?" Her voice was in front of him. He saw her now, probably a halfmile away, running circles around his spot. He had to squint to follow her motion, but at least he could track her. He ran, locking his eyes on her tiny figure. She grinned and lunged at him, bringing an arm back to swing. He caught her arm and twisted her around, wrapping his free arm around her neck. "I win," he declared, panting. One second she was there, and the next there was an iron grip around his own neck.

He tried slipping a hand underneath her arm, but it did him no good. He was too big to get away from her. He sighed, his shoulders slumping. "You win...," he muttered. She let out a confident 'Hmph!' and released him. She walked away gracefully, leaning against a tree. He sank to the forest ground, staring intently at a nearby twig. He could feel her eyes on him, but he refused to meet them. Minutes went by.

"You don't take losing well," she offered, a tease in her voice.

"I can't say I'm used to it." He chuckled hoarsely, finally looking up. Her eyes weren't on him anymore, they were on the sky, considering something.

"What happened with Edward... that must be very hard for you," she mused, still not looking down at him.

"It gets harder every time I see them together," he admitted, sighing. She nodded, closing her eyes and humming quietly. He laid down in the dirt, staring at the clouds, finding shapes, people... He was tempted to change back into his wolf form, but he was in no mood to listen to Leah. Not after the drama and hurt she'd caused between him and Bella. He'd been relieved when Jasper asked him to console Alice; she was a good excuse to get away from all of that. He couldn't take another minute in that room, trying to explain to Bella how much he needed her, how reliant he really was on her. And knowing that even mentioning it would bring her more pain then she was in, with the little time she had left. He knew he would regret not telling her everything before she left, but he'd regret making her last moments miserable even more. It was all about Bella now, even he could agree with Edward on that point.

Alice stiffened. He straighted quickly and looked at her. "Do you hear that?" she asked, anxiety creeping into her voice.

He listened and nodded. He'd been distracting before, but now he definately heard something... screaming. He sprang up and followed Alice, who was already sprinting towards the house. He felt his heart sinking into his stomach, ripping and tearing at him.

"Bella..." Alice whispered, her voice tight. He glanced at her and she looked back. Something wasn't right.

Alice rushed into the house, but Jacob stood still at the doorstep, drowning. He couldn't hear a heartbeat upstairs, he couldn't hear anything but the baby's screams. The monster. He turned his back on the house, breathing roughly. Bella was gone. She'd died for that little spawn of Satan and there was no bringing her back, no hope, no life, nothing. He collapsed to his knees, sliding his head between them and holding onto them tightly. He remembered all the times he'd seen Bella in that same position, keeping herself together, crying for Edward and love and everything she'd lost. And he'd lost her.

He sprang into the woods, transforming and running, running, running because that was all he could do. Bella was gone, and now there was nothing.

Voices in his head begged him, pleaded with him to turn back and let them help him. He used his Alpha command, not caring about any morals he'd set down.

'Leave me alone and go back.'

They fought it, but in the end, they both retreated, leaving him to face the hole that was gaping inside of himself.