Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters; they belong solely to the original author. I only own the plot and other original creations.
Aftermath of A Broken Friendship
Loud music was booming through the house, and Bella could see her fellow students enjoying themselves. The party was a full success. Alice had outdone herself again. Hopefully this party wouldn't end like the last one. Bella was about to go looking for Edward when she saw Jacob, followed by Embry and Quil, enter the room.
"You've got to be kidding me," she hissed as Jacob walked towards her.
"What are you doing here?" Bella asked her voice laced with ice. Jacob wasn't faced in the least.
"You invited me," he said coolly, shrugging his shoulders.
"Punching you was my way of taking the invitation back, Jacob. You're not welcome here, leave," she said in distaste at his persistence.
"Come on, Bella. You know I'm sorry. I didn't want you to get hurt. I could blame the animal in me, but you know me," Jacob tried to appease her.
"That's the problem, Jacob, I do know you. You may be sorry I got hurt, but you are not sorry for kissing me against my will. And you won't stop interfering with my relationship with Edward. I won't tolerate that," Bella said determinedly, a look of distaste covering her face.
"You don't mean that. Bella do you really want to destroy our friendship because of a misunderstanding?" he replied, completely ignoring the fact that the very sight of him disgusted her.
"Here, I have something for you. I have made it myself," Jacob held up a pendant with a small wolf carved of wood. He waited for her to take it, but Bella shook her head.
"I can't accept this, Jacob, not after what you've done," she said, her voice like steel.
"Why not," Jacob asked harshly, stung at her rejection of his self-made gift. He made it with every ounce of delusional love he felt for her.
"You know why. You should leave," Bella replied and turned to leave. She was done. There was nothing more to say. It wouldn't matter anyway. Jacob wouldn't understand. He made that more than clear.
"Wait, Bella," he called, grabbing her arm before she could slip away.
"Let go!" she demanded coldly.
"No, not before we talk about this. You can't just leave like that," he said, still holding her arm in a firm grip. It was getting uncomfortable.
"Watch me," she stated and tried to pull her arm free without much luck.
"Release me. Now!" Bella hissed aggravated. But Jacob didn't react. He just stared at her silently.
"There is nothing to talk about. I have said everything there is to say," she spat.
"There's lots to talk about, Bella," he countered.
"No there isn't. We had this conversation already, and the last time you forced yourself onto me. Do you plan to do that again? But this time you won't walk out in one piece, that I can assure you," she promised. Jacob opened his mouth, but Bella wasn't done yet.
"Obviously you have forgotten where you are. Let me remind you. You are on Cullen territory, and you're violating the treaty. It would be in your best interest to unhand me this instant," she reminded him coldly. And this time she seemed to get through his thick skull. His grip loosened slightly. She felt his whole body tremble in anger and heard him growl. He was going to lose it.
"Jake," Embry warned him carefully. Jacob let go of her arm, and she turned to finally escape when she saw Alice come down the stairs and freeze.
"Bella…," Jacob tried to get out some more verbal diarrhea, but she cut him off.
"Alice," she called softly, walking towards her. Alice didn't answer her, still caught in her vision. Her eyes were glazed over and had lost focus. It looked eerie.
"What did you see, Alice?" Bella asked when Alice came out of her vision.
"The decision's been made," Alice whispered.
"What's going on?" Jacob asked, but he was ignored by both Bella and Alice.
"You're not going to Seattle," Bella stated softly.
"No," she affirmed. Bella saw the fear in Alice's eyes.
"They're coming here."
Silence. For a moment there was complete silence before Jacob broke it.
"Who is coming? What the hell is going on?" Jacob demanded, not caring that people started to look in their direction. The trembling was stronger now with the tension rising.
"This is not the place to talk about this," Alice stated quietly, the warning clear in her voice. Jacob growled lowly in answer. Instantly Jasper was at Alice's side.
"Be careful, dog," Jasper warned.
"Where can we talk?" Embry asked calmly, trying to diffuse the tension.
"In Carlisle's office. Follow me," Jasper answered and walked upstairs without a backwards glance, knowing everyone would follow. The rest of the family was already there, having heard the argument downstairs. Instantly, Edward was at Bella's side, guiding her to the couch and making sure she was far away from Jacob.
"I want to know what's going on. You bloodsuckers obviously hide something. The tribe has a right to know what happens," Jacob growled the moment the door was closed.
"You have no right to anything, mutt," Emmet replied coldly. His face stony and dangerous.
"Emmet," Carlisle warned. Emmet backed off, but kept his defensive stance, making sure he would intervene when necessary.
"We have kept an eye on the happenings in Seattle for a while," Carlisle explained.
"You mean the disappearances?" Embry asked.
"Yes," Carlisle confirmed.
"Why? Why is that of interest to you?" Quil asked suspiciously, interrupting Carlisle before he could continue. Edward sighed, shaking his head at the silent accusations blaring from the pack member's head.
"We suspect the involvement of one of our kind," Carlisle elaborated further.
"And I take it they are not the pet leeches you are," Jacob snarled. Rosalie hissed viciously at the insult, ready to rip the mutt's throat out. Emmet embraced her in his strong arms to calm her down.
"No, they are not vegetarian," Carlisle confirmed, ignoring Jacob's insult.
"Alice, when will they be here?" he asked.
"In four days," she answered solemnly.
"This could turn into a bloodbath," Carlisle sighed.
"Alice could you see who is behind this?" Edward asked taking part in the discussion for the first time since the meeting started.
"No, I couldn't see anyone we know…," Alice hesitated.
"Well maybe one," she continued. She recalled the vision, focusing on the image she wanted Edward to see.
"I know him. He is a local. Riley Biers. He didn't start this," Edward said.
"Whoever did keeps in the background," Alice replied.
"The person who is behind all this knows about your visions and apparently tries to get round them, that much is obvious," Carlisle stated, confirming everyone's suspicions.
"It doesn't matter, the army is coming, and we are not enough to protect the town," Jasper said matter-of-factly.
"Army? What the fuck," Jacob growled.
"Newborns," Carlisle answered.
"What are they after?" Embry asked.
"Bella. They are after Bella. In my vision I could see them passing around her scent. The missing red blouse," Alice explained.
"They're after Bella? What the hell is going on?" Jacob accused, glaring at Edward.
"We don't know, Jacob, but one thing is clear. This will be a bad fight, and there will be losses," Carlisle answered. Jacob looked at his pack mates. They nodded.
"We're in," Jacob said smirking evilly. He shuddered with pleasure at the prospect of getting to sink his fangs into some filthy bloodsuckers.
Bella shivered inwardly at his obvious satisfaction. She could see Emmet narrow his eyes at Jacob. He obviously wasn't pleased with their involvement. Though she didn't think they had the same concerns. Despite what Jacob did, she was still worried about the pack. Just because their friendship was over didn't mean she didn't care about the others. But she kept silent. She would never again give Edward the impression she would take the pack's side over his. Never again. Her loyalties lay with him and him alone.
"That's not a good idea," Emmet interjected.
He didn't trust the wolves. Especially Jacob. He was volatile and dangerous. After everything that happened, he didn't like the idea of the pack fighting side by side with his family. The chances that they could attack one of them were high. Especially when they didn't expect an attack from their allies.
"We are not asking for permission," Jacob sneered.
"Edward," Emmet urged his brother to give his opinion, knowing he wouldn't want them involved. Edward was silent for a moment, contemplating everything.
"It would mean more protection for Bella," Edward reluctantly conceded. Emmet looked defeated, but before he could say more Carlisle spoke.
"Jacob, do you think Sam would agree to extend the treaty temporary?"
"As long as we get to kill some leeches," Jacob stated with a sneer.
"Jasper, what do you think?" Carlisle asked, ignoring the uncomfortable tension that surrounded them.
"They would be useful. The newborns don't know about their existence. We would have an advantage," Jasper approved. He didn't like the wolves' involvement any more than Emmet, but he wasn't about to turn down an advantage that could make a difference in the end.
"Then it's decided. We need to meet to discuss the details. And we will need to train. All of us. To fight the newborns we will need Jasper's experience," Carlisle concluded.
"Alright, just tell us when and where," Jacob said arrogantly. He turned to leave but stopped and turned around towards Bella.
"You should be happy, Bella. That's what you wanted, right. You wanted us to get along. Now we work together, just as you wanted," Jacob smirked, turned around and left, followed by Embry and Quil, leaving a shell-shocked Bella behind. Edward cringed at the thoughts that accompanied Jacob's last words. He hated the mongrel.
-E&B-
The training session with the wolves was arranged for the next day. Edward and Bella arrived at the designated meeting point. The wolves haven't arrived yet. The rest of the family was already here and had started the training. Bella watched as Emmet flew gracefully through the air and landed easily on his feet.
"Again," he said to Jasper. Everyone stopped when Edward and Bella walked towards them. Emmet glared at Edward, he was still mad at him for not backing him up.
"Give it up, Emmet. I don't like it any more than you do, but you know we have no choice," Edward replied in answer to the colorful insults Emmet through at him mentally.
"We could take them, Edward. You know that. We don't need the mutts," Emmet thought.
"Maybe, maybe not," Edward answered.
"What if they turn against us during battle, what will we do then?" Emmet challenged.
"They won't," Edward said his voice hard with finality.
"I hope you are right," Emmet said in distaste.
Emmet wasn't the only one uncomfortable with the prospect of fighting together with the wolves. Jasper was just as wary of them. The soldier in him was completely against working together with the wolves. They were their mortal enemies. With Alice's visions not working around them and Edward too far away to read their minds and to warn them if necessary, it made him uneasy. But they had no choice, just like Edward said. They would increase their numbers and their chances of destroying the enemy. They just had to be careful.
"What was that about?" Bella asked confused.
"Nothing," Edward reassured her just as the wolves broke through the woods into the clearing.
"They're here," he said and everyone turned in the direction of where the wolves emerged.
"They don't trust us enough to be in their human forms," Edward told his family as the wolves stopped at the edge of the clearing, clearly uneasy around the Cullens. Emmet snorted. Carlisle shot him a warning look.
"They came, that's what matters," Carlisle said kindly.
"Will you translate?" he asked Edward.
Edward nodded. Bella saw Jacob watching her intently and stepped closer to Edward. She shivered at his intent look. Edward pulled her into his side protectively. This obviously angered Jacob, because she heard him growl deeply until Sam intervened. She turned her attention to Carlisle as he greeted the wolves. She didn't want to give Jacob the wrong impression.
"Jasper has a lot of experience with newborns, he will teach us how to defeat them," Carlisle explained.
"Sam wants to know how they are different from us," Edward translated from Sam's thoughts.
"They are a great deal stronger than us, because they have their own human blood still in their tissues. Our kind is never physically stronger than our first several months in this life," Carlisle explained. Jasper stepped forward.
"That's right. And that's the reason why they were created. A newborn army doesn't need the same numbers like a human army. No human army could stand against them. But that doesn't mean they don't have weaknesses," Jasper paused, looking intently at his audience in front of him.
"They are stronger, yes, but they have one weakness. They are driven by bloodlust. Nothing matters more than blood and how to get to it. And that makes them vulnerable. They won't be able to stay in control for long. The bloodlust will cause them to lose their focus and concentration fast. They will be uncoordinated and will have no strategy when they attack. This is to our advantage," Jasper continued his explanation.
"The two most important things to remember are: first, never let them get their arms around you, they will crush you. Always stay out of their reach. And the second, never go for the obvious kill, they will be expecting that," he instructed.
"Emmet," Jasper called.
"Don't hold back," he told him as he got in position.
"Not in my nature," Emmet grinned and ran straight at Jasper with full speed.
Jasper let Emmet attack several times to show the wolves what not to do before he showed them the best ways to dismember the newborns without being open for attack. Bella watched intently as every Cullen gave a perfect performance of their fighting style and technique. But not once did the wolves participate or show their own fighting techniques. They didn't reveal anything that could be used against them. Bella wasn't the only one who noticed. Bitterness at the realization started to spread through her. The wolves would never trust the Cullens. Whatever they did and say, it would never be enough.
After the training was over, the details of the plan were worked out, so nothing would go wrong when the time came to fight. Bella stood a bit away, contemplating everything. She hated to be a burden. She wished she could take part like everyone else. She wanted to finally be an equal member of the family. She was deep in thought and had let her guard down. So she hadn't realized that Jacob had prowled closer to her and was now nuzzling his snout into her. She shrieked in surprise and jumped back, but Jacob was relentless and followed her. In an instant, Edward was at her side, pulling her to him and bringing distance between them and Jacob. He pushed her carefully behind him.
"Don't even think about it mutt. Stay away from Bella," Edward snarled in warning. Jacob growled, advancing towards Edward.
Sam snarled, ordering Jacob to stop, but Jacob didn't listen; he was still advancing, ready to jump his enemy. Everyone watched, ready to intervene. The tension was palpable and stifling. Sam growled. This time the order was more pronounced and impatient. Jacob bristled and winced, but obeyed. Sam was the alpha, he had no choice. Slowly he stepped back, still snarling in obvious displeasure.
"Leave. Now!" Edward ordered. He had enough of Jacob's games and disgusting thoughts. Jacob growled, but a bark from Sam had him retreat. With a last snarl he turned and ran into the woods.
"We are done here. Everything is prepared. We'll meet at the discussed time at the clearing," Edward said coldly and dismissively. The wolves obviously didn't like his tone and started to growl, but Sam shut them up. It didn't take long for them to leave, leaving the Cullens alone in the clearing. The tension still didn't dissolve.
"Edward…," Carlisle started to say, but Edward was in no mood to listen to Carlisle's excuses. He had enough. Today was just another reminder that they would never change their opinions of his family. And Edward was tired of having it thrown into his face.
"Don't. I don't want to hear it, Carlisle," Edward hissed.
"Let's go," Edward said to Bella. She nodded, and he took her hand and walked towards his Volvo. The rest of his family stayed behind watching them leave. They knew how he felt. They would have reacted the same way if it had been their mate.
-E&B-
After the realization that Victoria was the mastermind behind the newborn army, their plans had to be adjusted. Carlisle arranged a meeting with Sam to discuss the change of plans. When Edward, Bella, and Jasper arrived at the clearing where the fight would take place, Sam, Embry, Paul, and Jacob were already there, waiting for them. Edward wasn't happy about Jacob's presence.
"So, why did you want to meet, I thought everything was already sorted out?" Sam asked, crossing his arms over his chest.
"There is a small change of plans. Edward won't take part in the fighting. He will stay behind with Bella as protection. She shouldn't be left alone in case something goes wrong," Jasper explained. Jacob snorted in derision.
"What, you're not fighting? Did you pull a muscle, or are you just scared?" he taunted, ignoring Jasper's explanation, enjoying the thought of Edward being a coward too much to let this opportunity pass.
"No, he is doing it for me," Bella defended Edward, glaring at Jacob.
"Why are you even here, I told you to stay away," Edward reminded him coldly, distaste written in his features.
"And I told you that won't happen," Jacob smirked.
"So what's the plan now?" Sam intervened before the situation got out of hand.
"Besides Edward staying behind, everything stays the way we agreed upon. This clearing will give us the advantage we need when fighting the newborns. We will lure them here with Bella's scent. The track needs to end here. They will go crazy, I guarantee that," Jasper explained.
"Edward and Bella will camp far enough away for Bella to be out of danger and sit it out until everything is over. But even if he carries her, her scent will be too potent, and they will smell her," he continued.
"Your stench however is revolting," Edward added.
"You don't really want to compare stinks," Jacob growled, taking a step towards Edward. Sam kept him at bay.
"What he means is that your scent will mask hers if one of you carries her. They won't want to get near your…odor," Jasper interjected before Jacob lost control over a misunderstanding.
"That's not a problem," Sam agreed.
"I'll do it," Jacob offered, stepping towards Bella.
"You wish mongrel," Edward snarled, blocking his way.
"That's not your decision leech," Jacob growled back, his whole body trembling with aggravation at being denied what he wanted most, his chance to be alone with Bella.
"Yes, it is," Edward replied.
"You won't be near her," he promised.
"Why don't you let Bella decide what she wants?" Jacob said smugly, expecting her to agree with him, like she had done before.
"Jacob, I already told you, I don't want anything to do with you. The last thing I would do is to consent to be alone with you for a prolonged stretch of time, let alone be in your arms, giving you the possibility to molest me again. In your dreams," Bella said calmly but decidedly.
"There you have it," Edward said with satisfaction. Jacob growled in answer.
"That's enough, Jacob. She made her choice. You have to accept that. Embry, you will carry Bella," Sam ordered. Embry nodded and walked towards Bella.
"Hey, Bella," Embry greeted Bella with a smile which she returned.
"Hey, Embry," she greeted.
"Ready?" he asked.
"Yep," she replied. He scooped her up into his arms.
"Eau de Wolf coming up," he joked before he ran into the woods, leaving the rest of the group in tense silence. Jasper waited a moment before he followed them to see if their theory worked. After a while Jasper returned.
"All I picked up was his scent, not Bella's. This will work," Jasper promised.
"Good," Edward replied.
-E&B-
The day of the battle arrived. Bella and Edward were waiting for Embry to arrive. While they waited, Bella walked around spreading small amounts of blood onto the trees and shrubs.
"What are you doing?" Edward asked taking her hand in his, looking at the self-inflicted cut.
"I just want to make sure they are enticed enough to come here," Bella answered.
"Don't you think you're going a little overboard?" he asked, concerned about her health.
"No, this is all I can contribute; I want to be thorough," she replied.
"The newborns will be frantic," Edward assured her smiling. Bella tried to pull her hand away, but he wouldn't let her.
"I'm fine Edward, I don't want you to be uncomfortable," she said.
"It doesn't matter. Your blood doesn't bother me anymore," he answered.
"Since when?" Bella asked surprised.
"Since I thought I lost my reason to live forever," Edward proclaimed, looking at her with love and adoration. And then he looked down at the ring that adorned her hand. He smiled before lifting her hand and kissing the ring.
"I love you," Edward declared passionately.
"I love you too," Bella returned, smiling. They were interrupted by Embry and Quil coming through the woods into the clearing.
"Hey, Bella," Embry greeted.
"Hey," Bella greeted giving him a small smile.
"Cullen," Embry nodded.
"Embry," Edward acknowledged politely.
"Alice said a storm is coming," Edward informed the wolf.
"Yes, I know. We should get going," Embry said and turned to Bella.
"Are you ready?" he asked.
"As ready as I'll ever be," she answered. Edward pulled her into his arms and kissed her gently.
"I'll see you soon," he assured her and stepped back.
He watched Embry scoop her into his arms and stride towards the woods. When they were out of side he started running towards the designated meeting point where he and Bella would hide until the battle was over. He arrived first and started to prepare the campsite for Bella's arrival. When he was done he stood at the edge waiting. When Edward finally saw them emerging, he sighed with relief. As soon as they arrived at the campsite, he pulled Bella into his arms and kissed her.
"I missed you," he whispered and then turned towards Embry.
"Thank you, Embry," he thanked the young Quileute.
"You're welcome," he acknowledged.
"You should get back before the storm hits," Edward said. Embry nodded and turned to leave.
"Seth is coming in the morning. He will be the link to keep the connection to the pack so you can keep tabs on what's going on. He isn't happy Sam ordered him to stay behind, and he'll miss the action," Embry said grinning.
"Take care Embry," Bella said worried.
"Don't worry, Bella, I'll be fine. We all will be. This is what we are made for," he reassured her. Suddenly Jacob emerged from the woods. Edward tensed. He hadn't heard him approach. He had been too distracted with worry for Bella.
"Jacob, what the hell are you doing here?" Embry asked in irritation. The last thing he needed was Jacob causing trouble.
"I wanted to make sure, Bella was alright," Jacob answered.
"Why wouldn't she be?" Embry asked sarcastically, already knowing the real reason Jacob was here. Jacob just shrugged his shoulders.
"Well, you have seen she is fine. Now you can leave," Edward said coldly.
"No, I'll stay," Jacob sneered. Embry groaned. Jacob was up to something.
"No, you are not," Edward said, promising bodily harm if he was stupid enough to ignore his warning. Obviously he was.
"That's not your decision. You're not my keeper, Cullen. I'll stay," Jacob snarled hatefully.
"I guess it's better if I stay too. I'll make sure he stays away. I'll leave in the morning and so will he," Embry said, giving Edward an apologetic look and throwing a glare towards Jacob. Edward nodded.
"Let's go into the tent. It's getting cold," Edward said to Bella, guiding her away from the mongrel.
The rest of the day passed with Edward having to endure Jacob's obtrusive mind. He was ready to rip the wolf's throat out if it weren't for Bella calming him down. The night was even worse. Even though he and Alice had packed everything they could think of keeping Bella warm, it wasn't enough. The storm was worse than they anticipated. She was freezing, and Edward couldn't do anything but watch. He couldn't take her in his arms to keep her warm; his cold body would have the opposite effect. Over the storm, Edward could hear angry voices.
"No, Jake. You can't go in there," Embry shouted.
"Piss off, Embry," Jacob growled. Edward could hear a scuffle and a crash that followed. A second later, Jacob stormed into the tent, his whole body trembling.
"Get out!" Edward snarled.
"No!" Jacob snarled back. Embry stumbled into tent, looking as if he wanted to be anywhere but here.
"Jake," Embry warned.
"You have three seconds to leave, or I will rip you to shreds mutt," Edward threatened, completely ignoring Embry.
"I will not leave leech. I can't sleep with Bella's teeth shattering like this," Jacob gritted out. Edward read Jacob's thoughts and snarled.
"Forget it," Edward growled, losing the last shred of composure at Jacob's intent.
"You don't have much of a choice. Bella will freeze to death if she doesn't get warm very soon. Her lips are already blue. You need me. I'm hotter than you. She needs warmth, and that's exactly what you can't give her," Jacob replied smugly, hitting Edward where he knew it would hurt.
"You will not touch her. Over my dead body!" Edward spat.
"That can be arranged," Jacob replied; malice glinted in his eyes. He was more than ready to fulfill that promise. He took a step towards Bella. In a second Edward stood in front of Bella.
"She needs me," Jacob snarled, his body trembling with the effort not to shift inside the tent.
"I'd rather freeze to death than let you near me," Bella stuttered between clenched teeth.
"You heard her. Now get out," Edward warned.
"You heard her, Jake. Sam will have your head if you cause any more trouble," Embry warned him.
"She needs heat," Jacob spat in agitation at not getting what he wanted.
"And she will get it, but not from you. I'm sure Embry won't mind helping Bella get warm," Edward said not taking his eyes from a seething Jacob. Embry looked at Jacob before he replied.
"No, I won't mind at all," he said and went to Bella folding her into his arms. A moment later she stopped shivering and fell asleep.
"You let him help her, but not me? She is my friend. There is no difference, you are just doing it out of spite," Jacob seethed with rage.
"The difference is that he hasn't inappropriate thoughts about another man's woman mongrel. And you are anything but her friend. Now get out," Edward hissed. Jacob growled deeply before storming out into the cold. He shifted and howled into the night.
"Thank you, Embry. I really appreciate it," Edward said.
"No problem," Embry said.
"I'm sorry for Jacob's behavior. He just doesn't know when to quit," he added. Edward just nodded.
When Bella woke up the next morning she was alone. She left the tent and saw Seth coming towards her.
"Hello, Seth," Bella greeted the young wolf with a smile. She saw Edward walking towards her.
"Morning love," he greeted, giving her a morning kiss.
"Morning," she returned.
"Is Jacob still here?" she asked, worried he would cause more trouble.
"Unfortunately, yes. He's lurking somewhere," Edward replied bitterly. She sighed in resignation. What will it take for Jacob to come to his senses? She felt responsible, if she had listened to Edward and everyone else's warnings, maybe Jacob wouldn't be so delusional.
"What is he still doing here?" she asked irritated.
"He hopes to catch you alone so he can try to change your mind. He wants you to finally accept that you belong to him," Edward explained what he had read in Jacob's mind all morning.
"I don't believe this. I'm sorry, Edward. I feel responsible. If I had listened to you than…," she tried to explain, but Edward interrupted her.
"Don't, it's not your fault. You couldn't have predicted how he would react. You thought he was your friend," he comforted her.
"Still, I should have ended it sooner. I hurt you, and I'm sorry for that," she said with deep regret.
"Maybe, but everyone makes mistakes. You were hurt. I shouldn't have left. I think deep down you wanted to punish me for leaving, and that's understandable," Edward said when she wanted to deny it.
"We both made mistakes, but as long as we learn from them, everything will work out," Edward promised, making sure she knew that he had forgiven her. Bella wasn't the only one who made mistakes. He kissed her softly, caressing her cheek.
"I love you, Bella. I can't wait until you're my wife. Bella Cullen," Edward proclaimed passionately. He took her hand and gave it a kiss.
"You're marrying him? Have you lost your mind, Bella? You can't marry that bloodsucker!" Jacob yelled, storming towards them. Edward stepped in front of Bella, shielding her from Jacob's irrational wrath. This was getting old. It was time to put the mongrel into his place.
"Jacob, what are you still doing here?" she asked in surprise. His sudden appearance had startled her. He looked ready to attack Edward, his whole body was shaking, his eyes glaring with hatred, and he was snarling viciously. He was starting to scare her.
"What's the matter, Bella, do you have something to hide. Didn't want anyone knowing your dirty, little secret, did you," he mocked her.
"I don't have anything to hide, especially not from you. And it certainly isn't a secret that I will marry Edward. I love him, he is mine, and I'm his. The only thing dirty here is you and your disgusting delusions you have concerning me," she retorted angrily at his gall. She watched him tremble, anger, malice, and even a bit craziness radiating of him in waves. The tension was getting to her, and she had enough.
"It's time you leave, Jacob, and I don't want you to come back. Whatever friendship we had is over. After everything you have done, I just can't trust you. And to be honest, I don't want to. Too much happened," she said with finality.
"Go, just go."
"Fine. I'll go. It will be on your conscience if I'll be killed, because I couldn't concentrate," Jacob said maliciously.
"No, it won't. You won't guilt me into anything, Jacob. You are responsible for your own actions, and no one else," she said indifferently. She wouldn't let him manipulate her ever again.
He gave her one last hateful glare before he shifted into wolf form and ran towards the approaching battle. She thought she would feel sad or regret at ending their friendship, but she didn't. She felt nothing but relieve as she watched him leave for good. It was finally over. At least she hoped.
AN: This was the last installment of the Eclipse One-Shots. In the book and movie were so many things that irritated me, I just couldn't resist writing my own version. Every time Bella ran to Jacob, completely dismissing Edward's feelings, I wanted to groan and scream: Not again! Well that was it for now. Merry Christmas. I wish everyone wonderful holidays and a good start into the new year.