The Madness of Jacob Black

by HelenT

Would fate do this to me? I'd already suffered through several levels of hell with Bella, and now I might have imprinted on a crazy person. Come on! How is that fair? Set halfway through Breaking Dawn A/U & Jacob/OC

1. Chapter 1

TITLE: The Madness of Jacob Black

AUTHOR: Helen Taft

GENRES: Action/Adventure/Romance

PAIRING: Jacob Black/OC

SUMMARY: Would fate do this to me? I'd already suffered through several levels of hell with Bella, and now I might have imprinted on a crazy person. Come on! How is that fair?

PROLOGUE

The smoke was searing her throat and the scorched ground hurt her bare feet. She was naked, alone, and afraid. Where was she? How had she come to be there? She stumbled on the uneven ground, falling onto her hands and knees. She was tired and in pain. Every part of her was aching and throbbing. Was this really what it was like to be human? She searched her memory but it was fragmented, incomplete. She knew she'd been punished, but she didn't know why. She saw a face in her mind's eye. His expression made her shiver. He was in so much pain, far worse than what she was enduring. His cup of suffering was overflowing and it was unbearable to watch. Would no one help him?

By the time she stumbled over the lip of the crater that had been her pyre, she'd forgotten most of what she'd already thought. Her body was whole but her memory was slipping away like mist. By the end, all she retained was his tormented face, so young and sort of beautiful.

TEN HOURS EARLIER

Despite all my fears…okay, I'll admit my loathing,the basketball-sized bulge of Bella's belly turned out to be a baby and not some fanged demon with claws. Covered in her mother's blood, Renesmee cried and jerked her arms and legs, all the time squalling with a piercing cry that hurt my ears, and then she was in Blondie's arms and gone. I hardly noticed: all of my attention was on Bella. So was Edward's. Urgency in every move, he grabbed a syringe out of a drawer and moved to stand over the pale, still figure on the gurney.

"What the hell is that?" I asked, edgy, watching, worrying. She looked dead and gone already. I couldn't bear to look at her face in case I lost it and started phasing. Hot shivers were already jittering up my spine. The next few minutes were a blur of pain and hope and loss and grief. When it was over, when I gave up, I felt like an empty husk, and the only thing I could fill up on was a black, seething rage.

Big surprise, I went for the baby.

I was living my own personal hell and hurting so much I didn't give a damn about anything else. I didn't care what the leeches would do to me after I ripped it's head off. Hell, I planned to take out as many out as I could. It didn't matter that hours earlier I'd thought of them as friends. I didn't go for Edward first because I wanted him to pay for Bella's death by living it. I blamed it. I didn't see it as a baby anymore. I wanted to destroy it, wipe it from existence for breaking Bella from the inside out, and killing the girl I loved. I wanted its end to be by mydoing. My head swam with hate and my body burned with it.

I got close enough, no problem. The leech caring for the killer was so wrapped up in the baby monster in her arms she didn't even sense me. I was a heartbeat away from phasing when Blondie lifted the baby up to her shoulder to burp her. Chocolate brown eyes in a tiny face looked straight into mine. I froze. Oh, crap. Bella's eyes. The baby had Bella's eyes. My heart stuttered in my chest. At the same moment I heard Edward's yell. I couldn't read minds like he could, but I didn't need to. Relief and celebration rang like a single bell in that one shout.

My belly rolled with guilt. Had I given up to soon? How could I have done that? I couldn't understand it. I listened and caught the heartbeat I'd been convinced had been extinguished. Bella was alive, at least alive enough to die the death that would save her. There was still a chance. I stumbled backwards, tottering back from my almost crouch, tripping over my own feet as I twisted round to dive for the door leading out to the hall again. I wanted, no needed, to see Bella for myself.

I didn't get the chance, not then. Howls rent the air, coming from the immediate area of the forest by the house. I was abruptly wrenched back to reality. Bella and her baby were alive, but the danger wasn't past. Sam's pack was here. They were attacking now. I swore, long and viciously and changed direction, heading for the door and the front porch. With the exception of Edward and Rosalie, the Cullen's were all there, already fighting alongside Leah and Seth. My heart did a one-eighty, swinging dizzily back to not wanting the Cullen's harmed. My pack, my friends, and those I loved were fighting for their lives. Like a match had been lit, rage reboiled to turn me into a living furnace. I phased as I leapt over Alice, showering her in ripped bits of clothing, smashing into Paul as he charged this smallest of the Cullen's. My weight and speed dislodged him and we rolled over and over with the underbrush churning up under our claws, jaws snapping and biting, into the encroaching forest.

I was completed crazed. I'd had enough. I couldn't take any more. I just wanted all this crap to end and I was willing to fight for it. I honestly didn't give a damn if I lived or died.

We smashed into a tree. I remember the ripping pain in my side at the impact. The tree groaned and shook, and bark and splinters flew like confetti as I sought to get purchase with my hind legs. It came with no warning. There was a blinding white light that seared into my eye sockets. I heard Alice yelling my name only to be cut off by an ear-splitting shriek that made my ears bleed. I was utterly paralysed, helpless to move. I couldn't even writhe in pain and I wasn't the only one. Then the images burst into life in my brain.

CHAPTER ONE

(15 days later)

Carlisle came to the door in answer to my knock. Two weeks wasn't a long time, but it was long enough for me to have become re-sensitised to leech-reek now I wasn't practically living with them. I'd visited a few times, but I never stayed long. The stench knocked me back on my heels for a second. I recovered as fast as possible, keeping my expression neutral by dint of effort. I didn't want to offend him. I considered Doc Cullen to be a good person, if not exactly a man, and the hell of it was I liked him. He wasn't a bloodsucker to me, at least not a human one in the literal sense. It made a huge difference.

His smile was gentle. "Hello, Jacob." He opened the door wider in welcome. "Please, come in."

"Thanks." I stepped inside, trying to filter my breathing, hoping he'd leave the door open to allow fresh air inside with us. Eight vampires lived in this huge, white house with its acres of glass, meaning even the fabric of the building reeked of them. The membranes of my nostrils felt on fire. I forced my lips to curve into a smile. "I stopped by for an update. Have you found out anymore?"

An avid gleam entered those topaz eyes, blazing out from a marble-white face. "About our mysterious saviour?" he asked, leading the way deeper inside.

"Yeah, unless you've got another mystery brewing I don't know about."

Carlisle's smile widened. "Nothing so intriguing," his shrug was relaxed, "unless you count a sudden spike in unseasonal flu?"

My quirked brow was sarcastic enough without the need for a verbal response. As a werewolf, I'm immune to sickness, so unless there's an epidemic I likely wouldn't hear or retain any news relating to flu. I fought vampires, not viruses, those I left to the doc.

Edward sauntered down the stairs and walked up behind us. "He means the creature that managed to simultaneously pin vampires and werewolves in place and play a home-movie in all our heads."

Carlisle played along. "Ah, that one. I might have a supposition or two."

I wasn't listening anymore. Carlisle might as well have not been there. I stiffened at the sound of hisvoice. Okay, so Bella was kicking if not alive, but I still hated the bloodsucker for stealing my future with her. If not for him, Bella would be mine and no matter how hard I tried to shove it aside, the knowledge was a constant burning pain in my gut. If I were fully human I'd swear I'd have an ulcer or two by now. I looked over my shoulder. His expression managed to simultaneously smirk and look morose. He was feeling guilty and I knew why. I was the only one of the three of us still stuck in our pathetic love triangle. Edward was too grateful to want to kill me anymore, and Bella was now a vampire and her feelings had changed along with her body. She didn't need me anymore. I was surplus to requirements, and even knowing that, I still wasn't able to move on. Yeah, I'm a total sap.

It infuriated me that my pain was so damned public. "Stop picking around my brain, leech." I glowered at him and his lips kicked up in a crooked smile. He shook his head, refusing to be drawn into a fight.

I wondered if a red-hot barbecue fork might break through that stone-cold skin of his. I was certain he'd react then. It would set fire to his clothes if nothing else. A diamond-tipped drill straight to that dead heart would get his attention too. I'd have to test it one day—soon.

He was right about the home-movie though. Identical images had flashed through our minds that night. All had been of Renesmee: showing her as a toddler, then as a beautiful little girl, and finally as an even more beautiful woman. Emotions had crowded in with those images, letting us in on a secret. Despite being a half-breed human and vampire, Renesmee would be a fun-loving, tender and compassionate person. She'd be a danger to no one. We weren't going to be allowed to kill her, or each other.

We got the message and stopped the fighting. No one, least of all Sam, wanted to screw around with an entity powerful enough to have done what was done that night. I happily agreed with that decision. The treaty was reinstated, no muss no fuss.

Since that night, Carlisle had been on a mission to find out what or who the entity/creature/thing was; I figured he wanted to thank it for saving his family, and the treaty. Every couple of days I dropped in for an update. Hey, I was curious too. It was also a reasonable excuse to see Bella and flagellate myself some more. Sonot a good idea, but I couldn't help myself.

Yes, I was still a masochistic idiot with a fixation on what I couldn't have. Cold turkey was beyond me. Leah could kick my butt from here to Wyoming and it wouldn't make a difference, and she frequently tried. Seth just whined at me dolefully. The constant sympathy, and/or butt-kicking was getting on my nerves. Iwas getting on my nerves.

"Edward, some civility, please," admonished Esme as we walked into the luxuriously appointed space they called a living room. She'd obviously heard us as we walked through the house. She smiled at me too, full of welcome. It still weirded me out how they seemed to like having me around.

Edward held up his hands and backed up, laughing low. "Show him what you've got," he suggested to Carlisle.

That snagged my interest. "You've got something new?"

The Cullen's lived well. They didn't shop in discount stores, no sir. Everything they owned was top-quality with money no object. At a polished thick glass table Carlisle turned the screen of a laptop so I could see what it showed. Even in human shape, my eyesight was supernaturally good. I didn't need to move closer, but I did anyway. There was a photograph showing.

"What is that?" I moved closer yet, staring at the screen. "Is that the crater in La Push?"

"Yes, Jacob, it is," Carlisle adjusted the resolution and zoomed out. "Tell me what you see."

I double and triple checked before committing myself to saying, "Looks like a pair of giant wings inked into the ground." I shook my head, marvelling, "Is that what all that burnt black stuff looked like from above. You couldn't make it out on the ground. The earth just looked scorched as if there'd been a forest fire or something."

"The area affected is so big you'd have to have an aerial view to make it out."

I grinned at him, not in the least surprised. "Is that what you did, went up in a plane?"

He didn't deny it. "I have copies of the photographs for you to take to the council. This is on your land so they should have all the information."

I reached out to take the large envelope he handed over to me. He'd been as prepared as ever. "They'll appreciate it. We don't have resources to get this done and the elders decided against bringing in the feds."

Edward folded himself in an armchair, saying, "Understandable, although I'm surprised they haven't come knocking anyway. There are stories in Forks that either an alien ship or a small asteroid has crashed into the reservation. The impact caused quite a stir in town."

I didn't bother looking over. "We know. Charlie's been talking to my dad about it. We've got it contained, no one except the packs are allowed near the site." I rolled my eyes. "The souvenir shop by the beach was selling alien merchandise to the tourists, trying to cash in. We had to step in and make the manager ditch the stuff. We don't need that kind of attention."

Carlisle leaned against the table. "Did you get any of the scorched ground analysed."

"Yep, we have a small lab on the reservation attached to the high school. They didn't find anything unusual. We've been over every inch of that site and found nothing but the burnt stuff and the crater. We still don't have a clue what caused it."

He looked disappointed. "That's a pity. I thought…" he trailed off with a sigh.

I'd never seen his cold, perfect features so full of animated, readable emotion. He'd never seemed more human. I couldn't help asking, "Why is this so important to you?"

There was a pause and then Edward answered for him. "Carlisle thinks this is the work of an angel."

Whatever I'd been expecting it wasn't that. I goggled at my nemesis, my jaw dropped. "A what?" I turned to Carlisle. "Why? Do they even exist?"

Carlisle straightened and looked me dead in the eye. "I believe so, although I have no proof, just my faith."

The simple statement blew my mind. "You're like…a believer?"

He smiled. "The cross in the hall is not just an affectation, Jacob. I once believed my life would be in the church. Being a vampire hasn't changed my beliefs."

"Wow. I didn't know." I didn't know what else to say and so I shut up: always a wise move.

Carlisle turned back to the screen. "What else could possibly have caused such a pattern? You yourself said the marks look like wings."

I scratched my chin, uncomfortable. "Ah, it'd have to be one big angel, Carlisle. The imprint of the wings or whatever it is, are over a mile long each. I'd lump this in with crop circles and forget about it. Maybe it was just a big bird, or the dinosaurs are marking a comeback." I smiled to show I was joking, but I was certain it was less out-there than his suggestion.

"And the crater?" asked Edward, out of interest.

"You said it yourself, lots of people saw a flash of light and a boom, and we all know there was a hellova a fire. Maybe we have a firebug with an itchy trigger finger. It's up to the cops to find out who set the charge. Neither pack found anything off and we've been thorough. Only humans and wildlife have been around there." I shrugged. "We're being vigilant, but I don't think this is connected to that night."

Edward didn't let it go. "Explosives leave a chemical residue, your lab tests would have picked up in it."

"It's a big crater. We didn't sample every speck of dirt." I wanted a change of topic. "Where's Bella and Ness?"

"Gone hunting," said Edward smoothly, no expression crossed his stone face.

My smile held no humour, only bitterness. "Let me guess, they impulsively decided to go hunting the moment you realised I was heading up the drive."

"Of course not," lied Edward, "Why would you think that? Bella loves you."

Not like she did, not since she became a leech like him. The thought was knee-jerk and agonising. Abruptly, I was furious with myself for coming here and putting myself through this again. I kept using any excuse to come here, but I saw her kid a lot more than I caught sight of Bella. She was avoiding me—for my own good, of course, weaning me off my addiction. I could hear the grind of my teeth as I clenched my jaw, reaching for a suddenly slippery control. "Fine," I gritted out. "Tell her I said hi." I turned to go, tossing a brief, "Thanks for the photographs" to Carlisle.

No one stopped me. Alice came in as I was passing through the door and pressed back against the wall to let me pass, she was perceptive as well as dainty, likely recognising I wasn't in the mood for chit-chat. She'd know the reason why too. Who the hell didn't know? It was common-freaking knowledge. Shame scalded me and I picked up my pace, fists clenched hard enough to crack some knuckles. I needed to get out of this house, off this land and out of my damned clothes. I needed to run.

I didn't go home. I drove the bike close to the beach, staying near the edges of the forest. I stripped so fast anyone watching might think my clothes were on fire. Not that anyone was watching as I'd made sure. I wasn't that far gone, yet. I shoved the envelope, my leather jacket, clothes and shoes in the bike's rear compartment. The second I was free of restriction I phased, loping into the cover of the trees. Leah was waiting for me.

Didn't I tell you not to go? Idiot! You never listen.

Shut-up, Leah!

I felt her irritated sigh in my mind. Fine, I'll zip-it, but only because I know you won't listen in this mood. Go run it off. Do you want me to tell Billy you'll be gone for the day?

She wasn't going to bug me. She wasn't going to nag and bitch at me! I was surprised and grateful. It took the sharp edge off my self-directed fury. I felt a spurt of warmth and let her feel it. Thanks. Do that for me. I'll catch up with you later.

Feel free to take as long as you like. Pity parties bore me when they're not my own.

I raced, haunches quivering, flattening my ears to my head and lunging for speed. Leaves and undergrowth blurred under my paws. I clawed and sprinted and slid and rolled, using tree trunks as springboards to fly over fallen logs and gulley's like gashes in the earth. I didn't think about where I was going, I just ran.

When I came to the highway winding along the east side of La Push, I was fully intending to sail over it in one bound, only to smack into the side of an articulated truck. What the hell was that doing there! I landed on my back on the asphalt and had to roll over onto my belly, shaking my ringing head to clear it. The truck driver must have heard the bang of the collision and was braking hard. Crap! I had to get moving. Get up! My legs tottered as I tried to obey my own command. I heard the blare of a car horn and jerked my muzzle round to see a tribal cop car was heading right for me. More brakes squealed as the cop driving the car tried an emergency stop, its rear-end fishtailing.

Still fuzzy-headed, I managed to get my back legs working and launched myself towards the thick underbrush lining the side of the road. I turned and looked inside the car as it drew level with me, almost at a stop now. There were two occupants. I recognised the cop by sight, but didn't know his name. There was a woman in the rear section. I caught a brief flash of hunched shoulders and a face hidden by a thick mass of long, wavy hair. I couldn't tell the colour and her face was obscured, but still my heart rate went into overdrive, like the damn thing was trying to hammer its way out of my chest. Dizziness swept over me as my spine heated up for no good reason. I had to force myself to take a deep breath.

Behind me, the truck driver gave a scared shout. Heart still pounding, I bounded into the cover of the forest.

I told myself I was just shaken and I'd hit my head, and that was all. There was nothing to worry about. Of course, that didn't explain why I didn't do the smart thing and head deeper into the forest. Instead, I crept around the trees until I could slink back to the road edge, keeping low and out of sight to look at the car again—and its occupants. The cop was out talking with the truck driver; they were shaking their heads and comparing notes about my massive size and their near miss. I didn't care and barely listened. The girl was behind the mesh and I could see her clearly from my new position, but her head was down, meaning I still couldn't see face. I could hear her heart and I had her scent. Instinct kicked in and I drew that scent deep into my lungs, muscles quivering as I committed every nuance to memory. I could find her now, or track her if necessary. Sweet, she smelled sweet and warm and amazing.

Who was she?

With human eyes I wouldn't have been able to make out her hair colour in the gloom, but with wolf eyes I could see the dark auburn colour. It was pretty and I desperately wanted to see her face. Come on! Look up, I willed. Look up. Look up. Look up! The cop was walking back to his squad car now, wanting to get on his way. Damn it! Would she ever look up?

I didn't take my eyes off her as the cop climbed in and slammed his door. She jolted at the sound and her head lifted slightly so I could see a softly round chin and straight nose. It wasn't enough I wanted to see her eyes. A whine escaped my throat before I could choke it off. As if she'd heard it, her head lifted higher and golden eyes tracked the edge of the forest, searching for something. Her face was white and pinched, filled with fear. It was like being hit by the truck all over again. My world spun and whirled, taking me with it. My breath locked in my lungs. When the car brake was released and it began to move off I felt unhinged, like I could fly off the handle at any moment. Anxiety ripped into me. Where was he taking her? It took every ounce of willpower not to lunge out of my hiding place and scare the cop into stopping again. I felt as if I'd explode if I didn't finish what I'd started. Whatever the hell that was!

What was going on?

I felt compelled to follow, I literally had no choice. The compulsion was a hundred times stronger than Sam's alpha voice and it worried me, but not enough to turn back. Every step I took, I tried to figure out what was happening to me. The squad car was heading into Forks. Crap! It was still daylight and I couldn't follow them into town. Reason fled, I knew I'd be breaking every rule in the book if I went into Forks in my wolf form, but I seriously considered it. It was like I didn't care. I felt as if I literally didn't have a choice. It was completely nuts, but I had to do it.

A familiar beep-beep and Seth shouting my name cut through the madness enough for me to slow and skid to a stop. We were on the edge of town and the forest was thinning. I whined as my eyes tracked the white SUV as it continued to cruise along the highway, heading for Fork's main street. Seth leapt off my bike and wheeled it towards me. I phased back to human right here, catching the pants Seth threw at me from the rear carrier.

I was too happy to see him to ream him out for riding my bike without a license. "How did you know?" I asked him. The anxiety was still a choking lump in my throat. They were getting away!

Seth grinned. "I was in wolf form too, just keeping quiet to give you some peace. Want me to follow the cop on foot and give you a chance to catch up."

I kept it simple as fell on my back and lifted up my pelvis to yank up my pants. "Yes," and added in a growl, "Don't lose them, Seth."

He took off with a final grin and I rolled to my feet and grabbed my shoes. Less than a minute later, I was back on my bike, decently dressed and unremarkable to the good townsfolk. The urgency balling in my gut was driving me nuts. Being human, I couldn't hear Seth in my head, meaning I had to find him the hard way. I wove in and out of the streets until I spotted him outside the police station. I didn't relax until I was dismounting and Seth jogged over with a self-congratulatory smile on his young face. "I didn't lose them," he crowed.

My relief was staggering. "Good job. Did he take her inside?"

Seth nodded, jerking a shoulder in a tight shrug. "She looked scared, man. I didn't like seeing her hauled inside. That cop is an asshole."

I was glad I missed it because my emotions were already strained. The jitters in my gut got demanding. I slapped Seth on the shoulder. "Thanks for the help, kid. Get yourself home."

He nodded happily, jogging backwards and tipping me a wink. "Good luck."

I scowled at him more out of habit than any real anger. My attention was on the station door. Charlie's blue and silver squad car was there, a stark contrast to the white SUV the reservation cop was driving.

I was here and she was inside. My feet felt glued to the ground. Was this it? Was I finally about to meet my destiny? A part of me was not happy at the idea. In fact, that same part was yelling at me to turn around and avoid Forks for the foreseeable future. One thing kept me standing there staring at the squat building of Forks police station: I hadn't given Bella a thought since I'd spotted a stranger in the back of a cop car. The rage and pain that had sent me running for the forest was gone, pushed out by the agitation still thrumming in my veins and driving me with a single desire—find her.

It was pretty simple really. I was sick and tired of being the male version of Leah, the pathetic and tormented side of a love triangle broken apart by the remaining two. For once, admitting I'd lost Bella carried only a small sting and that had me breaking out in a sudden sweat. My heart kicked up a beat too. Wow. Big change. No, make that a massive change, sort of like the axis of the planet shifting with no warning.

While I was standing there, the tribal cop came out and let the door slam shut behind him. He saw me and nodded. Seth's description of what he'd seen made it impossible to nod back. The heat came back into my spine, a warning of how unstable I was just then. There was a distinct tremor in my hands and my face felt set in stone as I watched him cross the tiny car park and climb back into his vehicle.

She'd been scared at being locked away in the back of the SUV, just as she'd been scared at being dragged into Forks police station. I didn't like it. I didn't know what she'd done to get picked up by a cop, but I still didn't like it.

My feet got me moving without any conscious direction from my brain. I climbed the steps and reached out to open the door. I'd been here hundreds of times with my dad. The familiar smells filled my nostrils as I walked inside: gun oil, coffee and apple Danishes with an undertone of peppermint chewing gum. Mollie Winnacker had been the despatcher here for as long as I could remember. Actually, her iron grey hair and round, lined face suggested a career spanning considerably longer than that. She knew me well and smiled when I approached her desk. I remembered how she used to pinch my cheeks when I was younger and sneak me bubble-gum. She was half my height now.

"I'm here to see Charlie," I said, big smile in place. When you're only a few inches shy of seven feet, you had to work up a harmless persona. It helped when people remembered you in diapers, sort of. "Is it okay if I go on back?"

She frowned. "Oh, well, he's kind of busy, Jacob."

She was going to refuse me, so I improvised. "It's about the girl the cop brought in. I just want to help."

Her brow cleared at once. "Oh, okay, in that case go right ahead. Charlie's talking with her now."

"Cool. Thanks."

I walked fast before she could change her mind. I could hear her heart already, its rhythm was fast and hard, and I wished mine would quit trying to crack my ribs. Charlie's voice was a gentle murmur, asking one question after another. I walked around the solid line of grey file cabinets that acted as an impromptu room separator and saw Charlie Swan, Bella's dad and Chief of Police. He wasn't alone. Fresh sweat popped out on my forehead. Intense curiosity wrestled with self-preservation. I was still half inclined to leave without risking a single look.

Charlie was leaning against the metal desk and talking to the bent head of the girl seated in the chair in front of him. He must have seen me in his peripheral vision because he turned his head to look at me. So did she.

Golden eyes met mine. Every single muscle in my body went tight.

The bottom dropped out of my stomach, sending my head whirling. My world tilted all over again and it took a concerted effort not to fall to my knees, or worse, my ass. I saw her in a way I'd never seen another girl, I saw her completely. Not even Bella had grabbed me by the throat so fast. Everything else disappeared. It was like my brain took a snapshot in super high definition, never to be forgotten. Her skin was delicate and fine as a baby's with rosy lips that were perfect for the pure oval of her face. Auburn hair so dark it looked mahogany in the evening light cascaded down her shoulders and halfway to her waist. She was barefoot and wearing a blanket wrapped around her body. My head was so messed up I didn't even wonder at her bizarre wardrobe choice. I did notice the fear shadowing her eyes and face.

I would do anything possible to get rid of that fear.

Charlie was talking, but I was too busy staring to make sense of the buzz his words sounded like to me. So much for super-wolf senses: I didn't realise he'd gotten up until he waved a hand in front of my face.

"Hey, Jake. Come on, kid, wake up." I blinked and dragged my eyes away from molten gold. Charlie's expression registered confusion. "Do you know this girl?" he asked me.

That gave me the idea. The big smile got trotted out again. "Sure, Charlie, she's a friend of mine. I came as soon as I heard she was here."

"Oh." I'd taken him by surprise. "That was pretty damned quick, Jake, she only just got here." He shifted aside so she wouldn't see him tapping his temple and lowered his voice. "I have to ask—is she sick? I've asked over and over and she either can't, or won't tell me who she is or where she's from." He frowned. "Actually, she's making no sense at all."

Once upon a time I'd been a really bad liar, but after a year of keeping secret the fact I'm a werewolf, and a ton of other freaky facts, I didn't hesitate. "Her name's Anna. She's visiting the Cullen's. I've run into her a few times there. She's nice, a bit strange, but okay." I scratched my head, pretending to be innocently baffled. "I don't know why she was brought in—it has to be some kind of misunderstanding."

Charlie's frown deepened. "Is she a relative of theirs?"

I nodded, happy to let my lies mushroom. "Anna's a distant cousin of Esme. Hey, do you want me to take her over there? Save you the trouble."

Charlie gave me a look I recognised. He crossed his arms over his chest, making it clear I'd tripped up somewhere. He didn't keep me in suspense. "If she's related to, and staying with, the Cullen's why was she squatting in a derelict barn on La Push? One of the Tribal Police found her and brought her to me since she obviously isn't Quileute."

Chocolate brown eyes, the same as Bella's—used to be—stared at me with just a hint of suspicion. I hurried to allay it. "Okay, here's the deal. She is a little mentally-challenged, sort of child-like which is why she's staying with Doctor Cullen. She plays games like a kid. It was probably something innocent like hide-and-seek and the tribal cop just over-reacted. They're probably searching for her. I really should get her back to them."

Charlie didn't budge, thinking it over, and then he reached past me and picked up the phone perched on the desk, saying, "I'll call Doc Cullen, see if he wants her brought to the hospital or taken back to the house."

If he was expecting me to panic at this point, he was going to be disappointed. I knew it had been a risk, but it was a calculated one. Okay, I was making a big assumption about Carlisle's quickness of mind, but I had faith. Just to stack things in my favour I said, "Tell him I'm here too: he'll relax knowing she's with someone she knows. Being around strangers can make her act weird."

Charlie pulled a face. "That might explain a few things."

I felt a dash of pride at my skills of deception when he finally nodded and finished dialling. All I could do now was wait and see if my gamble paid off. I hoped Carlisle backed me up. I couldn't see myself overpowering my dad's best friend to make off with his suspect.

So far I've avoided looking at her, afraid Charlie would definitely think something was off if I fell into some bizarro trance again. Now I shot her a glance, wanting to see how she was reacting to my sudden appearance and claim of friendship.

She'd been staring at the floor, but at the touch of my gaze on her face she lifted her eyes and stared back. My belly tightened but I managed to retain motor control and my sense of reality—a big relief from my point of view. She was beautiful, a real jaw-dropper. I tried a smile and watched her eyes drop to my lips. Instantly they tingled like she'd touched them. Whoa. Self-preservation had me returning my attention to Charlie who was now talking to Carlisle.

"Hey Carlisle. Look, I'm sorry to interrupt your day, but I have a small problem here at the station. Do you have a distant cousin of your wife's staying with you, a girl called Anna?"

I stiffened, mentally cringing and looked down at the toes of my sneakers. Crunch time.

"No, there's no problem. Jacob's here too. He says a girl found in La Push is a visitor of yours. She was brought in for trespassing by a tribal cop."

He paused while Carlisle talked, then replied, "Don't worry about it. I'll smooth things over with the reservation police. They won't want to press charges since it's just a misunderstanding. It's not like she did any damage. I'll send Jacob over with Anna now. Sure, that's great. No problem."

He dropped the receiver back in its cradle and lifted his hands. "Okay, problem solved. She's all yours. He wants you to take her over to the clinic for a check-over, says he doesn't want Esme worried."

In my head, I high-fived the three-hundred year-old vampire. My smile was genuine this time. "Great. I'll take her straight over. Thanks, Charlie."

"You're welcome. Tell the Cullen's to keep a better eye on her will you? I don't want her hurt if she wanders off."

"I will."

He left me alone with her, totally accepting that I had a right to take responsibility for her. I took in a breath, puffing out my cheeks before exhaling and then steeled myself to look at her. I'd been expecting anything from anger to terror. I was surprised to meet a steady gaze that was no longer afraid, but curious, and oddly relieved.

"Is my name really Anna?" she asked me. Her voice was soft and feminine and totally without an accent. The hairs on my forearms rose up.

"Don't you know?" I asked just as softly.

She shook her head and her solemn expressed never changed. "No, but I know your name, Jacob Black." She tilted her head, "I'm glad your pain is less now. It's been hard to watch in my dreams."

That really rocked me back on my toes. I now understood what Charlie meant about her not talking sense. Great. Maybe she was crazy.

TBC

Author Note (1): I'm fairly new to Twilight, so please excuse any errors. I love the books and the movies, and Jacob Black is the character who has won my fickle, fannish heart.

As much as I like the books though, I have a few problems with Breaking Dawn. I don't like Jacob imprinting on Bella's baby and I don't like how imprinting was described in that book. I particularly don't like that, having imprinted, Jacob now no longer feels a connection to his father, his pack or anyone other than the baby. His heart is too big to be so narrow-minded (or should that be hearted?). I also don't like the insinuation that Jacob only loved and sacrificed so much for Bella because she would one day get pregnant with his imprintee (blech). Did Quil get a love-fest on with Claire's mother and we don't find out—I don't think so. To my mind this reduces what they've all suffered, particularly Jacob, to something quite ridiculous.

I've been writing for eleven years now in a variety of fandoms and original fiction. From a Twilight perspective, I've come to the point where I want to see/read/imagine Jacob with his own special (adult) person, who can naturally release him from his love for Bella, without diminishing what came before. Hence this fic.

The imprinting will be a tiny bit tweaked in this, but only a tiny bit. This change will however have a few ramifications for a short period. I hope this is okay- and I hope whoever is reading this will enjoy the journey.

Feedback would be hugely welcome. I'd love to know your thoughts. Thanks with virtual cookies. :-)