Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters. Stephanie Meyer does. Even though I wish I owned them…..

(Story picks up just as Edward leaves in New Moon)

BPOV

I looked around frantically trying to find the glint of bronze that would take the horrible pain from my gut. All that surrounded me was the sickeningly green forest and a terrible silence that seemed to echo from every tree. I felt my legs start to run after him in a futile attempt to follow a running vampire.

Time seemed to pass without my notice and I kept finding myself deeper and deeper in the forest. I hadn't realized is was raining until my hair covered my eyes and was difficult for my trembling fingers to push away. I sank to my knees and started to blend my tears with the rain. Gone. Edward was gone, and everything he had ever said to me was a lie. Secretly I wished he had killed me, for this was a far worse fate than dying in his arms.

I sank deep into my own thoughts and seemed to be content hanging to my memories of him there. If I hadn't been so damned fragile, he wouldn't have left. He wanted a strong beautiful vampire to be with. Not some wimpy little human who made his family go mad if she got a paper cut. A ripping sound tore me away from my thoughts. Minutes passed and I was beginning to feel annoyed when I realized the sound was my own sobs. There was a horrible numbness in my whole body yet my eyes found strength to cry as I laid there on the forest floor. The puddle of tears and rain felt like it was beginning to drown me yet I couldn't find it in myself to care. I closed my eyes and began to drift into nothingness. That's when I heard the voices.

Four or five different male voices seemed to be calling for someone. I hoped that they would find the poor soul so the forest would be silent again.

"Bella!"

My eyes shot open as I heard my name. The voice sounded familiar but that was all my mind would let me think. I began to close my eyes again when I heard rustling in the leaves just a few feet away from me. Deep down I guess I knew that I should be afraid but I didn't feel it on the surface. A dark shadow broke through the shrubbery with his hands up in a manor that told me not to be afraid. He slowly approached and knelt in front of me.

He placed his hand gently under my head after he realized I wasn't going to respond . As he started to lift me, he placed his hand under the backs of my knees and lifted me clear off the ground. He wrapped his arms around me protectively and began to walk with my limp body. I couldn't even tell if I was conscious.

The voices calling my name came closer as we began to exit the forest. My dad ran to Jacob the second he saw me in his arms.

"Bella! Bella, honey? Jake what's wrong with her?"

Jacob's eyes looked tense but he just looked down at the ground. They walked me to the car and placed me in the back. I don't remember the drive home or being placed on the couch but , I did remember feeling a light kiss on my forehead as Jacob Black said goodbye.

Five months passed since the night they found me in the woods. I don't remember them passing but the calendar never lies. I woke up as usual to my own screaming and tears rolling down my blank brown eyes. I fumbled through the dark to begin dressing for school when my reflection caught my attention. My brown hair fell lifelessly to my shoulders and down my back, it had seemed to grown a few inches and I looked ragged. Dark bags had formed under my eyes and seemed to be permanently etched into my pale skin. I looked more pale than ever and with a sick realization I found that the dark rings under my eyes and my pale flesh resembled a vampire. I felt nauseated even thinking the word so I promptly turned and ran from my room.

Charlie was just about to leave for work and was fumbling for the keys to his cruiser when I floated into the kitchen. He looked in my direction and frowned, "Damnit, Bella, I can't take seeing you like this anymore!".

I looked down at my pajamas and frowned, "I'll go change." I began to stand up when he slammed his fist on the table. A normal person would have jumped but I just glanced in his direction.

"Bella, It's not your pajamas. It's you! Look at you! You're a wreck and I'm tired of seeing you drag yourself around and pretend to be alright. I'm sending you to live with your mother!".

For the first time in months I felt anger rise up in me. I ran from the room and threw on some clothes and ran to my truck. Charlie must have already left but I didn't care. I wasn't going to school. I couldn't take having to "pretend" as Charlie put it. I slammed the gas and took off down the road. My old truck tried to keep up with my anger but, sadly, failed. I ended up going 35 MPH down the inter-state with my fists clutching the steering wheel. My knuckles where turning white and my face was flushed. I pulled off to the side of the road when the tears where too much to see past. I laid myself across the seat of my truck and cried into the leather.

There was a light tap on the window that made me jump. There was a russet colored boy standing at my window with a concerned look in his deep eyes. I motioned for him to come in and he sat himself next to me.

"You remember me, don't you?", He asked softly after the worst of the tears had gone.

"Yeah, You're Jacob. Billy Black's son. You found me when I, uh, got lost." Jacob smiled a huge grin at my recognition and it seemed like the sun had come out after a horrible storm.

"So what are you doing so close to La Push? Don't you have school today?" I smiled and shook my head slowly,

"I ran away." A loud booming laugh began to come from across the seat. I look at him for a couple seconds before starting to laugh too. We laughed for what seemed like an hour before he finally reached over and brushed hair out of my eye.

"Well, I'm sorry if you had planned a get away in your high performance car here but I have to take you back. Charlie would murder me if he knew I let you drive off into the rain." I smiled at him

"I wasn't going to run away forever I just had to get out for a while. I feel so lost Jake."

All those summers of playing with Jake up at La Push where coming back to me and I felt like I could trust him. He was the only person who had made me feel in the past months and that had to mean something. He reached over and took my hand in his. He was so warm that I felt a wave of warmth crawl up my arm and reach my dormant heart.

"I know you're pretty hurt and stuff Bella, but there are people here for you. You can talk to me any time you know."

We began talking and I knew that he would be good for me. I smiled for the first time in months and he could make me laugh. By the end of the conversation he was holding my hand and smiling at me sweetly. I just sat there with my hand in his hand and pretended not to notice. This would be the usual behavior for the next three months.

I bounced my knees to the beat of the music wafting through my room as I brushed my teeth. I had a bit of time before I had to be at Jake's house so I could dawdle around a little bit while getting ready. I picked out a green long sleeved shirt and a pair of light blue jeans and bounced through the door of my closet into my main room to change. After inspecting the wisp of hair that just wouldn't lie flat, I decided to get into my truck for the long rainy truck ride to Jake's house.

I finally drove over the La Push boundary line and arrived in front of Jake's house shortly after. He must have heard the rumbling of my truck because he was bounding out of the house before I could even park.

"Bella!" he roared happily.

"Hey J-" was all I managed to get out before he plucked me out of my truck and squeezed me as tight as he possibly could in mid-air. His rumbling warm laughter vibrated into my heart and made me smile. I never knew I could smile after he left but somehow Jake brought out the best in me. Well, the best I could be right now.

"Bells, I missed you!" he sighed as he took my hand and started to lead me into his house. I didn't mind that he held my hand but the fact that he wanted it to mean more bothered me. We had grown so close in the past few months that I based my schedule around seeing him. He seemed to love me as more than a friend but I couldn't force myself to see him as anything but my best friend. It hurt him sometimes when I didn't cuddle as close to him as he'd like me to or if I pushed his arm off me or something. I needed Jake as a friend but I wish I didn't have to hurt him.

We walked into his house hand in hand as always and went to his tiny little room.

"Gosh Jake, it's cold, shouldn't you put a shirt on?" I asked. He smiled at me with a mischievous little grin,

"I don't get cold Bells. Besides, we're inside now. Unless it bothers you?" he looked at me awkwardly but I smiled,

"No, It's alright. I just wondered if y-" I was suddenly cut off by a loud knock on the door and two boys burst in.

"Hey Jake! Wow, who's your friend?" Quil said bit too loudly. Jacob shot him a murderous look,

"Quil this is Bella. We're just about to leave so..." Jake trailed off. Quil shot his friend Embry a suggestive look and his friend burst out,

"Sorry Jake, we didn't know you were busy!" With that the two ran out laughing before Jake could swing and hit them. Jacob looked at me through humiliated eyes,

"Jeez Bella, you don't have to blush so bad. It's not like we were making out or anything!" If that was supposed to make me feel better it didn't. I just flushed a deeper shade of red and stood up awkwardly. I looked at my watch and sighed,

"Are we going to go to the four o' clock showing? If so we're going to be late." Jake smiled at the change of subject and leapt up.

"Yeah, but I'm driving." And with that we left for the gruesome zombie movie.

Walking into the theater, we were greeted with the smell of popcorn. He took my hand and lead me to the ticket booth. I walked behind him and glanced around the theater. We stopped walking abruptly when Jacob walked into a red faced Mike Newton.

"Hey Bella, I didn't know you had a new boyfriend." he sneered at me. I'd never seen him so angry but I walked in front of Jacob to address him.

"Mike this is my friend Jacob Black. Jacob, this is Mike Newton. He goes to my school." I emphasized the word friend for the benefit of both the boys but they still seemed to be glaring at each other in an attempt to stare each other down. Mike seemed to relax at the fact that Jacob was my friend, I guess he saw that he was back in the game or something. Mike stuck his hand out at Jake,

"Great to meet you." He said with a bit more force than the phrase called for. Jake took his hand and shook it roughly. It looked as if they where trying to squeeze the life out of each other. Jake won that battle and Mike freed his hand and flexed his fingers.

"Well, what movie are you seeing Bella?" Mike asked lightly. I hedged a bit,

"I think Jake wanted to pick so I don't know." That was the best I could come up with. Jake smiled when he understood that I was trying to avoid Mike.

"Well, we're going to be late Bella. Let's go." and with that Jake took my hand with a little too much gusto and lead me into the theater. Mike followed suit and I could swear I heard a low growl come from Jake's chest. I shrugged it off and took my seat next to Jake. Mike sat on the other side of me and I felt the tension in the air thicken. I seriously thought about acting like Charlie called and told me to come home immediately but I felt bad ditching Jake. I sighed as the movie began, this was going to be a long night.

We left the theater a bit after seven. Mike tried to hug me goodbye but was rewarded with a nice pat on the back and a death-glare from Jacob. At least they didn't beat each other to a bloody pulp. I rolled my window down while we where on the interstate and reveled the fresh air. By the time we reached Charlie's house Jacob still hadn't said a word. He looked a bit pale and I felt like it was my fault.

"Jake, are you alright?" I asked finally when I knew I only had a few minutes until I was home. Billy was at my house so Jake had a ride home after he dropped me off.

"I feel a bit off. I don't know why, maybe I'm coming down with something." I nodded and sat in silence for the rest of the trip. When we finally got to my house Jake looked like he was about to pass out. He leaned on me a bit more than usual on the way into my house and when we passed the threshold of the living room Billy took one look at him and rushed him home muttering something about being late to Charlie.

"I sure hope Jake's alright, he looked like hell." Charlie said sadly. I simply nodded and drug myself up to my room. Once again, my nightmare took hold and my screams where the only thing tying me to reality.

Two weeks passed and Jake wouldn't answer my calls. Billy always answered and said that Jacob had mono. I felt myself sinking back into the dark void that my life was before I started talking to Jake. My sobs ripped at my chest and I clenched my arm across my gut trying to hold myself together. The pieces that my heart had been torn into where jagged and ripping their way out. I had to see Jacob. There was no question about it. I let another week pass with no communication before I drove up to La Push to see him. Anger fueled my trip along with the feeling of self-preservation. I wasn't going to be alright without him and I knew it. I crossed the La Push line and headed to his house. I would see him. I stopped my truck abruptly and jumped out into the rain. I didn't care about throwing on a jacket or anything. I marched up to the door and knocked loudly. There was no answer.

"Jacob, please answer!" I screamed more to myself than to the house but something about my horribly ragged voice made the door creak open.

"I can't hang out today Bella." Jacob whispered. Something about his voice was cold and frightening. It felt like a slap to the face when he closed the door.

"Jake please, just talk to me! Where have you been all this time?" There was no answer again and I threw myself against the wall nearest me and cried my eyes out on the ground. I huddled myself into a ball with my back against the wall and let the hole in my chest consume me. Finally, when I was able to stand, I walked to my truck and drove myself home.

I walked through the door and slammed my keys down on the table next to the door. I ran upstairs and collapsed on my bed. There was a tapping at the window the instant I laid my head down. I looked up through swollen red eyes. Jacob was at the window. Hanging on a branch of the tree outside of my room. I stared at him incredulously and pushed myself up to walk over to him. I opened the window.

"Bella I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. It's just that there is so much going on and I-" before he could finish I was on the ground crying again. He jumped through the window with inhuman speed and wrapped his arms around me protectively.

"Bella please don't cry. I was just upset but it's alright now." my sobs grew louder and he held me close to him warm bare chest. He cradled me there in the floor and I could swear he cried too.

"W-what's w-wrong with you Jake?" I stuttered out between sobs, "W-what did I do?" He began to shake a little but he held me tight,

"It is nothing that you did Bella, it's me." I looked at him with a confused look in my eyes. He carried me across the room and sat me on my bed. I snuggled into him as soon as he sat next to me and clung to him for dear life.

"I missed you so much." I cried out. He gave me a pained smile and his eyes welled a little bit.

"I miss you too Bella. I'm going to miss you so much." I jumped and looked at him angrily.

"You're leaving me?" I cried out, I couldn't think of anything I did wrong. He shook his head slowly.

"I don't know what else to do." Meanwhile outside, an angry group of werewolves listened intently.

Sorry it's so short! I'll update soon!!