A/N: Part II is the direct continuation from Rising Tide: Jacob Black. It happens days after. My plan is to take Rising Tide into a different direction. All the mistakes, the problems with Part One I made, I'm hoping to fix with Part II.
As with any story, there will be new characters in addition to the old. Yes, Bella and Edward Cullen will be featured in this story, but they will come later on. If you come here after reading Part I, you'll remember that this is not so much Bella's story as it is Jacob's. This is the alternate direction of his life had he not imprinted on Renesmee. And my fictional counterpart of Jacob Black from Meyer's has been through much more than I anticipated. Through death and back.
For those of you who read this going like "This story says Jacob, and there's no Jake, wtf mate?" I ask for a little patience. If you read between the lines, you'll see that Jacob is very present in this story and will continue to be.
Thank you for all your support and all the reviews I've had, both good and bad. Writing is something I love to do, and if it entertains people in the process, then I'm all for it.
Let's get this pah-tay stahted!
Rising Tide Part II: Burning Rave
Continuation from Rising Tide: Jacob Black
We all have to walk through that abysmal black tunnel of hopelessness to find the light at the end.
I remember...It was afternoon. Washington getting sun. How rare was that? Once in a blue moon, and if the moon could represent moods, maybe a blue moon would be a perfect fit. The afternoon's orange sun rays burned my eyes as they peaked through the tiny crevices between the trees. The battle seemed to be over. The Volturi had been run off. I knew that. I could see and smell only a few figures ahead of me.
My pace was too fast for Seth behind me.
"Leah!" He called from a distance. I ignored him.
"Leah! Come on!" Seth called again, even further away as I batted off a branch in my way that opened the scenery. There was the crowd of black surrounding a fallen figure. I gripped the 'key' to my chest. It was a key to me. It was what made Jacob Black what he was before he...died. The minute Seth closed his eyes for him, I knew it was over. I knew his heart was still and silent and perhaps utterly destroyed. There was probably no way to save him. Under Paul's 'order' I gave the area a clean sweep. But there was no sign of the vampires that wanted so desperately to kill the youngest Cullen. Not even a corpse. They must have escaped. We ran them off, but that surely didn't mean that they were gone forever. No, far from it .
That wasn't my problem then. I couldn't take my eyes off Jacob's face. The way he looked. A long time ago, my Dad once said that those who die peacefully, have a smile on their face. Their souls are taken from their body effortlessly. And then there are the others. The ones who sinned...or perhaps lead a life filled with pain and tragedy. There is no smile on their face.
Jacob wasn't smiling.
The crowd of Cullens parted when I was near enough and I knelt behind Jake's body. There was talk of moving it. I wasn't going to have that, obviously.
A few drops of the purple liquid dripped on his wet jacket from the point as I brought it up. I couldn't believe what I was doing. I don't know at all what I was doing. Whether it was saving Jacob or not. Could it have done more damage? Could it bring this lifeless body light again?
What more harm could there be done?
"Don't," The musical intonation of this voice startled me and I jumped a little to see Edward Cullen standing away from his family in front of the house a few feet away. I could hear my breath catch while he watched me, those curious golden eyes boring into mine. Behind him was Blushing Bella herself cradling the monster child that started this whole thing, not truly paying attention to us. Perhaps she was comforting the baby.
I don't know why looking at Bella did it. I don't know what came over me, but suddenly I felt a violent desire to do what I came here to do. Edward was still looking at me and when my eyes met his again, he spoke.
"You don't know what will come of it,"He said. "If it'll be the same. If it'll be the same...at all... anymore,"
That's all he said. That's all he needed to say. Because I knew where he was going with it. I didn't know what would happen. I had watched some of Jacob's humanity shed already from this...but I also know Rachel said he was close enough to death before he was taken to Italy... True, perhaps one could say he died heroically.
But I didn't have to be an idiot to see what had been happening in him.
And past Edward it was Bella's face that got me going again. She was smiling, obviously. I didn't detect a single piece of sadness...Did this one not learn how to mourn or at least pretend to mourn? What about Jacob? Did this whole ordeal mean nothing? But I realized …
Jacob was the only casualty in this.
Edward sighed, a resigned look. One that clearly spoke of a weary person. Funny, I didn't know the vampires got sleepy, but he seemed to be. He gave me glance which clearly said:
"If you must."
"I love you, Jake," I whispered, lowering my head so I could whisper in his ear. Drawing back, I plunged the needle into the mass of wetness at the front of his shirt into the very core that started his darkness.
