Author Notes!:

Whoo! 1st (technically 2nd) story on here. I'm so proud. Wrote all of it in the span of…2-3 hours? ^^ Be happy! I tried to do my best with the spacing dialogue and stuff. So be gentle!

Also, I do not own Twilight and/or the series. Stephanie Meyer does. Cause' she's awesome like that.

This takes place in Eclipse, right after the battle with Victoria is over.

-I do know that Jacob isn't Alpha Wolf til Breaking Dawn. But Beta Wolf seemed wrong with the flow of the story.

-Also, it's been a while since I've read the series (no time =[ ), so I don't vividly remember what injuries Jacob had.

"You don't know anything, Luna! Just stay out of my business! I love her!"

Those were the words that rung in my ears as I rushed to the Black house. Through the trees and twigs, I would soon see my Jacob. The boy who's always been my Jacob. Even way back when we used to play wolf pack in his backyard after hearing Billy tell tales of our Quilite ancestors.

___________

"Grr. You think you can beat me, young pup?" On all fours, I growled at my opponent, crouched low in the grass.

He answered my challenge, "I've done it before. I can do it again."

Jacob was only about an inch shorter than me, but it was something I could use to my advantage, "You can never take down the Alpha Wolf!...short stuff." I smirked a little.

Jacob scrunched a face and lunged at me. I avoided his first attack, but he was quick on his second wind. He ended up tackling me down on my back and tried to pin me, but he was off balance. I used his weight against him and flipped him over, yet he did the same with me.

"Haha! Say it! Who's the Alpha Wolf now?!" Jacob was so cocky sometimes.

"Never!"

I wrestled with my friend, trying to pull my arms away from his grip, but he was stronger, so the most I could do was push him off with my legs.

We grappled on our knees for a short while before Uncle Billy came out laughing at us, "Hey, kids! Snack time! Emily brought by some big cookies by!" Jacob and I raced past Billy, into the kitchen. "One cookie each! And only one!"

"Slow down, Jake!" I shouted the warning as I saw the table coming up fast.

"Aw, is someone being a sore loser?" Jake shot back and almost immediately hit the table, hard, knocking his cookie onto the floor. "Aw, man!" Jacob stared at his cookie sadly as I was about to dig into mine.

"Man, this is good!" I reveled in the chocolate chip goodness, but Jake looked sadly at the sweet in my hand, knowing he would never have his own. I broke off the half I hadn't bitten into and handed it out to him, "Here." Jake looked at me surprised, then took the half, and smiled, "Thanks Luna. You're the best."

____________

Obviously, a lot had changed since then. We continued to grow up together, Billy said I was like Jacob's long lost sister as much as I was over. But, eventually our friendship grew to be more than that, something much more magical. I realized that I was in love with him: truly and deeply in love. He could put a smile on my face, no matter what mood I was in. He'd always protect me from bullies at school on the Reserve, saying no one could pick on me but him. We would go on adventures in the endless foliage of Forks, talking about everything and nothing at all. He'd even let me in on his darkest secret; I guess he was Alpha Wolf after all. I thought nothing would stand in the way of us being together. That is, until a girl named Bella.

__________

"What do you mean you're going? Going where?"

It was just Jake and me on one of our walks back to his house, only this time he reportedly had to get some 'important items'. Today was going to be the day I told Jake how I felt: how I could float on air every time I was with him, how I got butterflies every time he wrapped me in his arms, how my heart skipped a beat every time I even thought I heard his name. Today was going to be the day, but he apparently had 'business' to take care of.

"You remember the girl I told you about? Bella?"

How could I forget? That was all Jacob could talk about this past summer. How 'Bella' brought him killer bikes to fix up, how 'Bella' went with him to shop for parts, How 'Bella' had the cutest laugh, how 'Bella' brought him snacks and worked this whole new 'aging system', how 'Bella's' hands felt when he taught her to ride motorbikes. Honestly, I knew more about this 'Bella' person than I ever wanted to know about any one person, EVER. It was evident that Jake was falling for her, fast, which was why I needed to let him know about my feelings now.

"The bloodsucker's girlfriend," I couldn't help but roll my eyes, "Yeah, I remember her." I sided with Jake on the whole 'vampire' concept. How could anyone be involved with someone who sucks the blood out of living creatures for food? Especially over a muscular, warmer, non-leeching, fluffy Jacob? It makes no sense at all.

"Yeah," Jake looked pretty hurt at the first part of my statement, but continued with what he was trying to say, "A new coven's after her, so the pack's gonna go help protect her."

"Why? It's not like she's protected you in any way," Harsh words, but it was the truth.

Jake looked at me and cocked an eyebrow, "Who stepped in your potato salad?"

"It's just…I thought you weren't talking to her anymore."

"So?"

"So, I assumed you were just gonna let Edward handle her and stay out of it."

"Well…times change."

"Has she changed?"

"What do you mean?"

I walked in front of Jake and stopped him, "I mean she left you. She obviously didn't care that much about you if she went back to Edward. Especially after he left her for Italy or wherever and you were right there."

"I can't just leave her out there, Luna. Carlisle said the newborn covens are way more dangerous. Those leeches won't stand a chance alone."

"They've defended themselves before, haven't they? They're the 'indestructible Cullens'. There's no reason to drag the pack into it. I don't want you getting hurt!"

Jake started in one of his shaking fits, but I didn't care. It was worse than losing him in a battle he had no place in. "Luna, Sam's already had us on watch for that red-headed one for a while. What am I supposed to do?!"

"Stay. Here."

"You know I can't."

"I know you're gonna do something stupid over 'Bella' like you always do!"

"You don't know anything, Luna! Just stay out of my business! I love her!" Jacob turned while he shook uncontrollably, and dashed into the woods. Lucky bastard, at least you can change shape when you're shaking and upset.

____________

Even after that, I stupidly raced to his house. None of the branches or times I'd nearly twisted an ankle through all of the exposed root could ever hurt me worse than he did that day. Yet, suddenly, none of that mattered now. Now I was rushing to him, scared to find more than the mangled mess that I thought that witch had left him.

___________

"What do you mean he's unconcious?!" He's such a dumbass! I told him he'd get himself killed over that girl!

"Calm down, Luna. He saved Leah's life, but the hit was pretty hard. It's gonna take a while for him to recover. I just thought I'd give you a call and tell you not to worry."

I was a little surprised it was Leah's ass he had to save. That girl looked like she could take on 4 of the guys with her hands tied. But it didn't matter who he was saving. Jacob was now hurt and unconscious. I can't even fathom how Paul could work up the gall to tell me 'not to worry', "Of course I'm worried Paul! You make it sound like it's some minor injury! He's unconscious for cripes sake!"

"Don't yell, Luna! The important thing is he's getting some rest in his bed. Carlisle did some extensive work on him, now all we can do is wait."

I felt sick. None of the pack had ever needed a doctor's visit, let alone an extensive one, "I'm coming over. NOW."

"Luna, you can't. There's no vis –"

___________

I emerged into the open space of Jacob's backyard. Slowly, I crept up to Jake's window Billy always left many of the windows open to let fresh air into the house, so now it worked to my advantage. I climbed over the sill and made my way over to his bed. Even far away, I could see the bandages on his face, but the numerous bruises on his body were a different story entirely.

"Oh, Jake…"

His scratches and scrapes hurt to look at, I couldn't even imagine what they felt like. I sat on his nightstand by his head, and stroked his hair.

"Jake. You don't even understand how much I want to tell you 'I told you so'." I laughed at the stupidity of my own frustrated words and pulled my dark, long locks over my shoulder, "I can't…keep doing this. I love…I'm in love with you Jake. But I can't stand by and watch you kill yourself over this…Bella person," I bit my lip and pondered over my next words, "I know you can't stop loving her. With the way I feel, I understand that it's asking way too much. I want you to be happy, but I have to find my own way to be happy too. So…goodbye, Jacob."

I knew he couldn't answer or hear me, but it would probably be better that way. I leaned down to carefully hug him one last time. As I laid my head on his feverish chest, I looked up at his sleeping face, and the innocence of the times we played as five year olds were still there. All at once, my memories with him flooded my mind and overflowed in my eyes. I touched his lips and realized: I had to kiss him. I needed to have that first and final goodbye kiss so that I knew being away from him wouldn't break me. I moved my head up and slowly placed my lips on his.

Until that moment, I never knew what people meant by some force pulling them to a certain person. It was amazingly powerful, and I couldn't break away. I kissed him more passionately and let everything I'd felt over the years gradually sink into the kiss. For a brief moment, I'd swear he kissed me back. Now I knew I definitely had to pull away before it hurt me more. Then I discovered that it wasn't a force holding me to Jacob, it was Jacob himself. For that one moment, he was returning a fraction of the affection I had for him. Almost as soon as the moment began, we stopped. I lifted my head shocked, and we looked deep into each other's eyes.

Without taking his eyes off of mine, Jacob reached up and wiped the moisture from my cheeks. The way my heart fluttered, I could barely tell I was crying anymore. I gasped and panicked at his touch; I needed to get away from him before my heart ripped itself apart. I fought silently against Jacob's vice grip around my waist for a few seconds before the sound of his voice penetrated my soul and suddenly made the entire earth stop spinning.

"Luna." The tears were uncontrollable; I didn't sob, and there was no sound. "You…loved me? All this time?"

I choked on my words as they found a way to my mouth, "Yeah. I guess I did."

"That's why you didn't want me to go."

"No," Silly Jacob, "The Easter Bunny told me to tell you not to go."

He laughed at the sarcasm, and I just smiled.

"Well, you know what? I should have listened to the Easter Bunny. Especially because I love her too."

I just stared with my mouth open. There's no way he could have possibly said that to me. Not after all this crap he made me go through. Not after he shattered my heart to bits to chase after some girl that could never love him the way I had. There's no way Jacob Black could have said that he loved me.

I smacked him in his chest, "You…you big jerk! How could you possibly say that?"

"Because it's true."

"It can't be true," There was no fighting the sobs slowly seeping into my voice now, "You chose Bella over me."

"But…I love you both," Jake looked away for a moment, "I guess I understand now what she meant."

Again I started crying like some stupid little girl. I was angry for letting my feelings control me this way, hurt for knowing Jacob would choose Bella over me at any time, and worst of all, in love with a boy who would never truly return all the feelings I had for him. I knew nothing about this would change, and I knew better than to stay here and let Jacob cradle me like the baby I was, but all I could do was let my cold tears fall on his bare upper body while he buried his face in my hair. This was all I ever wanted: Jacob surrounding me, holding me close, but I wasted my time as my eyes blurred and I waited for the next waterfall to cascade over my eyelids.

Just a minute passed by, and it felt like years. Jacob waited until I calmed down a bit to whisper into bangs while he weaved his fingers through my locks.

"I hate this. What this is doing to you. Doing to us. You've always been by my side ever since we were kids. You're funny and sweet and you kept me in line most of the time," He laughed and I squeezed him tighter, "But, when I'm with Bella I just – "

"Jake," I interrupted him and looked away. This was the last thing I wanted to hear. I pushed up on my arms to leave, but he held my forearms down. Just like old times.

"Sorry, I'm bad at this," He pursed his lips as he tried to come up with something else to say.

"No. I get it…You love her more," I knew the truth came out of my mouth, but with every fiber of my being, I wanted him to tell me that I was wrong. Jacob caught my eyes with a look that begged me to understand. I closed mine and tried to pull away again.

"Luna," I couldn't look at him for what he was about to say next, but I stopped enough to hear; "I do still want to be your friend. I am who I am because of you. I don't wanna lose that."

Jake let go this time, and I crossed over to the windowsill. I put one leg up and over before I gave my answer, "Doesn't change anything. Sorry."

As I crawled out, I realized this would have to be my last time at the Black's. I couldn't be 'just friends' with Jacob; it wasn't even plausible under the circumstances. Hopefully, Bella knew what she was getting: A protector, a teddy bear, a shoulder to cry on, a space heater, a total hothead, a complete sweetheart, a total prince, but most of all, a friend to beat all best friends and his unlimited affections. Everything I currently had to live without. I hastened my steps until I hit the trees, then I was running. I wouldn't be as fast as a vampire or a werewolf, but I'd keep going and going as far as my human legs would take me.