DISCLAIMER: the wonderful Stephenie Meyer owns the characters and world of Twilight. Sadly, I only get to borrow them for a short while before handing them back, chastened and confused!

A/N: To my good band of FB friends who have supported me through recent tribulations and who've been good-natured enough to let this Twilight groupie bore them to death about a certain young fella she lusts after: I love you all to bits!

Action: Set during Eclipse - Night of the Tent – Bella, Edward & Jacob – my version of events, with Edward's musings as he battles his demons over Jacob's presence that night.

Warning: Lemon pith, with a sprinkling of juice.

Dedication: for Nic – a true friend, a great fragglicious purrson - Happy Birthday darling!!

Music Vibe: Jose Gonzalez – HeartbeatsThis piece fits the mood and is a simply beautiful piece of singing and acoustic guitar. One day I will play this tune, if it kills me!

CHAPTER 1: HEARTBEATS

Some of the action and dialogue is re-produced from pages 433-448 of the paperback version of Eclipse. No breach of copyright is intended. I merely wish to embellish and massage some of the recollections of the night concerned from the Edward's POV.

EPOV:

I heard the sound of the tent doorflap opening and Jacob crawling through the smallest gap he could possibly make without bringing the snow storm in with him. My poor Bella nearly trembled herself out of the sleeping bag at the shock of the additional cold air seeping in. Damned fool, what does he think he's doing? Oh no you don't....

"I don't like this," I hissed at Jacob as he closed the tent flap behind him. "Just give her the coat and get out".

Bella tried to speak but was unable to get her words out as she shivered uncontrollably.

Jacob threw down the parka he'd brought in and made a smart-alec comment. "You said she needed a space heater, and here I am". The dog gestured magnanimously, opening up his arms as if expecting a hero's welcome. Some welcome he'll get from me. Pah! Oh god, look at him – half dressed as per usual. He'll feel my fist connect with his teeth in a moment. Oh and that disgusting smell....

Bella made to complain about him phasing back to human form, but Jacob brushed her off by saying he'd warm her up nicely in no time at his normal running temperature. I couldn't stop myself from snarling at him after hearing that comment. I could barely stand to look at him. Oh hell no, the brazen fucker wants to get in Bella's sleeping bag!!! Over my pile of ashes....

Instinctively my hand gripped his shoulder like a vice. He reacted to me like the dog he was and flexed as if to rip my head off or punch my lights out. He growled at me to back off.

We faced off for a moment as I warned him sternly to keep his hands off of Bella. Fat chance – give him a moment in there with her, and he'll be all over her like a rash....

Bella tried to intervene. I felt sorry for her but couldn't bring myself to let him climb in her sleeping bag, much as it made practical sense. Making wise cracks about her toes dropping off doesn't help. What's his problem? Oh for God's sake does he think I'm stupid? What to do? ....God, it pisses me off but he's right. I'd give anything to keep her warm. Don't suppose I've got any choice... am going to throw up....

I retreated to the corner and gave in to Jacob's suggestion. Go ahead, break my heart, you bastard. He didn't have to read my mind. My thoughts were etched plainly on my face. Jacob chuckled when I warned him again to behave himself.

I glared at him in outrage as he barged his way into the sleeping bag. Hey - Bella looks pissed off too. That's my girl!

My angel tried protesting at Jacob's intrusion, but he blithely ignored her and clambered in. How the fuck can he even fit in there? I don't believe it – he's even zipped the damned thing up. Jeez, that's my Bella he's in there with. How can this be happening? Aaagh! I'll rip him limb from limb if he tries anything... if only I knew what she's thinking....she can't be liking this any more than me, surely?....

I could see Bella react awkwardly to Jacob's presence beside her, but also instinctively to his body heat. Jacob wrapped his arms around the love of my existence and pulled her to his massive chest. You make one wrong move towards her and so help me.....

I clamped down on my temper, waiting with bated breath for what might happen next.

He jumped in shock when Bella kept putting her cold hands on him. Serves him right! Oh stop complaining...... Hahaha!! Bet you're sorry now!

Bella, bless her heart, kept apologising to him. I love you dearly, but please don't be nice to the dog, Bella.

Then Jacob really tested my patience when I heard him say "Try to relax. You'll be warm in a minute. Of course, you'd warm up faster if you took your clothes off"

I'll swing for you in a minute, you dirtbag. Without thinking, I growled a warning. Jacob threw out another comment. Oh smug git – survival one-oh-one my ass....

Bella admonished him but didn't pull away from him. He threw insults at me and accused me of being jealous.

You bet your life I'm jealous, you smug bastard! I reluctantly agreed out loud with his comment, responding bleakly "You don't have the faintest idea how much I wish I could do what you're doing for her, mongrel".

I could have wiped his smug answer off his face and made him eat his words.

"Those are the breaks. At least you know she wishes it was you."

I had to agree with him, but how I wished it wasn't true that he could warm her up and bring her limbs to life.

Minutes passed.

My thoughts turned back to Bella as I stared at her in the gloom. She seems to be warming up a bit. Her shivering is easing, thank goodness. Wonder if I can toss him out of the tent now?....Perhaps a nice competition to see how far I can throw a wolf into the trees.....I'd have to deal with the pack afterwards though....

My momentary musing ceased immediately when I heard the interloper ask my Bella if he could kiss her lips warmer for her.

I really wanted to strangle the bastard for that quip, but could only sigh in frustration.

Thankfully, Bella warned Jacob against such talk but still put a knife through my heart when she snuggled into his shoulder. I could have dry sobbed. Rubbing my hands over my face, I tried to dispel the vision from my head. I did however give a wry smile as Jacob flinched every time Bella's cold hands touched his skin. Go on girl, give him goosebumps where the sun doesn't shine......hope his dick falls off....

That last thought gave me a certain vindictive sense of satisfaction. From the look on Bella's face, I guessed she might be feeling the same way. My smile was still grim.

I heard her kick her feet around. Must be taking off her boots. Haha don't like her cold feet much, do you dog?!

With unease, I watched Jacob gradually get a bit more comfortable and cuddle Bella more closely. I watched him like a hawk. No tricks now or I'll have you...

After a while, Bella seemed to become more relaxed herself. She tentatively asked Jacob why his hair was longer. At his answer that he knew she preferred it that way, I couldn't help but laugh. He was embarrassed. I'd give you a short back and sides in a heartbeat you mongrel – with my teeth! You'd be laughing on the other side of your ugly face!

After a while longer, Bella drifted off towards unconsciousness. She wasn't fully asleep yet, but I could hear her breathing become more measured and her heartbeat slow steadily now it was not struggling to push warming blood out to her extremities.

Jacob's heartbeat on the other hand was starting to pick up a little. The dog would bear watching. I could tell he was enjoying himself entirely too much.

I heard a howl outside from the woods and became aware of another heartbeat approaching the tent. Scattered thoughts were musing on the arctic storm, what kind of an adventure it would be to sleep outside on such a night and of course what tomorrow would bring.

It was Seth, coming to take up position and guard the tent. I could hear him push his mind out seeking Jacob's thoughts but realising, now he could smell him, that Jacob had phased to human and was inside the tent. His mind filled with laughter at that notion.

I pointed out Seth's arrival to Jacob, whose reaction was fairly typical. He made another wisecrack about taking care of my "girlfriend" for me while I attended to other things. Insolent pup! It took all my discipline not to haul his ugly butt out of the tent and beat him to a pulp.

Stirring herself, Bella admonished him on my behalf, while I stayed silent, seething away quietly.

The hour moved on. As the storm lashed the tent and the trees, whipping up snow, I could sense Bella slipping away to a fitful sleep. I wondered what she was thinking as she drifted off.

My mind was suddenly assaulted by lascivious thoughts of Jacob as his body took stock of its proximity to Bella.

"Please, do you mind?" I hissed at Jacob. He naturally tried to act the innocent. "Do you think you could attempt to control your thoughts?"

"No one said you had to listen. Get out of my head"

"I wish I could. You have no idea how loud your little fantasies are. It's like you're shouting them at me"

"I'll try to keep it down."

Silence....

Jacob mused that he bet I wished I was where he was right now. He teased me about my jealousy and how he was more suited to her generally. He was really starting to get on my nerves, so I told him so with a suggestion that he should shut the hell up and go to sleep.

He commented that he would try because he was really comfortable where he was. I couldn't find a suitable retort due to the fury in my soul.

Jacob then silently asked me if I'd answer some questions, since we were confined together for the night and he was curious about me.

I wasn't too sure what he had in mind, but cautiously agreed to answer honestly. Not going to make any promises though, mongrel.

He asked me about my jealousy, figuring it was eating away at me. He also suggested there was no way I could be as sure of myself as I seemed. I agreed that dealing with the jealousy had been pretty bad and that I still resented the time Bella spent in his company. It hurt me she seemed to need Jacob in her life so much, but I'd come to the conclusion that if spending time in his company made her happy, then I'd have to honour her wishes.

I could have punched his lights out when he asserted that Bella loved him too. A hole opened in my chest because I knew he was probably right.

When I'd left her to suffer all those months, I'd caused a major rift that was still being sealed. It was like a big open wound that was taking time to heal from the inside. Even when healed over, there would always be a scar, a reminder of a ghastly experience for both of us. I had nobody to blame but myself that Jacob had sewn Bella back together in his ham-fisted fashion. He'd left marks on her body and her soul, just as much as I had.

Jacob commented on me not being able to read Bella's mind. I grudgingly admitted it still bothered me, but so long as she was happy then I wasn't going to worry about something I couldn't control. I also grudgingly admitted I was glad of his assistance tonight and I'd decided to be pragmatic on account of Bella needing his warmth more than my love at that moment. I hated that for tonight he could do for her, something physically positive that I could not. No need to be so damned smug about it Jacob!

Jacob, with uncanny insight, devilled his way to my biggest worry: that I would not be enough for Bella ultimately and that I might never ever be able to make up to her the hurt I'd caused her.

I could feel Jacob's hopeful thoughts as he tried to persuade me he was far better suited to her than I was. Dammit, will I never get peace with Bella? I want her so badly. Whatever will I do if she decides to jump the other way?

I hated to see Bella torn between us, but I couldn't be so unselfish as to step back from her to make a decision, could I? Not after all we'd been through?

Jacob continued to pepper me with questions about my time away from her, how I'd coped (well I hadn't had I?) and what I'd felt through it all. When we hit the subject of her leaping from the cliff, the blackness threatened to overwhelm me – even now, after being reunited with my heart and soul, I feared she would still be ripped away from me by being drawn to another love. How could I compete with life when all I could offer was an eternity of missed opportunities and losing loved ones?

Despite Jacob's urging, I couldn't bear to recall how I'd felt when I'd thought she'd taken her own life. I did recall grimly how I couldn't wait to be dead fast enough to be alongside her. I'd so hoped there was an afterlife at that point. Either way, I was doomed to die. Again.

Jacob persisted in wanting to know why I'd left Bella behind and why I'd come back. My thoughts were bleak as they went back to the time in our lives which was seared with pain.

While we were being so honest with each other, I asked him about the story of the Third Wife which had intrigued me. My blood ran to ice when he told me the significance of it. Oh my Bella, how am I going to protect you tomorrow if you are willing to sacrifice yourself at the drop of a hat?

Jacob's questions started to get on my nerves. I just wanted him to shut up, offering to render him unconscious the hard way.

Belatedly, I wished I'd kept him talking, because it would have distracted him. It was something I came to regret during the night.

This would be a night to remember, and one we would try desperately hard to forget.

A/N: This was going to be a one-shot, but given we are dealing with both Edward and Jacob, I thought it only right it be a "two shot"! So, my lovely readers, this is what happened next....