Author's Note: I haven't read the entire Twilight Series. This story was inspired by the movie New Moon. I realize there may be some facts that are missing or wrong. Everything written here is taken from the movie; not the books plus movies. This is a work of fiction for all of those Team Jacob fans. This is not a Bella and Jacob story. There is strong language and sexual content-be responsible for what you read.

Twilight De Lune

Chapter 1: Home

The forest was a massive creation. It stretched for miles upon miles of land. The terrain was uneven and majestic in its beauty. Jade listened to the happy calls of the girls in her group. They were not working on the assignment. But then, neither of was she. None of them engaged her in the assigned activities that they were supposed to be doing. Not that she minded. She much preferred the quiet solace of nature. The four girls had long ago left her behind. Which suited her perfectly; she wasn't good with people.

Around her she could hear the faint echoes of birds. She could hear the soft conversation of the rest of her group as well. The people in her group were scattered throughout the woods. They each had their own assignments to do.

She should have been working on her botany project. But she much preferred to do other things on a Saturday afternoon. Jade let her mind drift over anything it wanted and found herself very much relaxed despite the pain she was in.

They had been hiking in the woods for over an hour. The thick greenery formed a canopy above them; allowing very little sunlight through. Not that there was much sunlight around here. Forks wasn't known for its sunny forecasts. With the grey clouds above and the smell of rain in the air; there's wasn't much light to let in.

On the ground; the earth was soft with loam. The rich, dark earth carried various scents. They all married together to create a perfume of Earth. Despite the limited light; the greenery around here managed to be vibrant. It reminded her of Ireland. All this green and the hills and mountains; yeah, it reminded her of the island she had called home for years.

Jade paused for a moment to catch her breath. Her hands were still clasped onto the straps of her backpack. Most of her ponytail had come loose. She kept having to swipe damp hair from her eyes. The humidity around here was intense. She had been here for close to four months already and still wasn't used to this place. Jade looked around at her surroundings. Huge, towering trees stood like ancient sentinels. They watched over the sprawling woods in a silent oath to protect it. It was like being on a foreign planet.

The group was farther ahead of her now.

Jade made no effort to catch up with them. She was tired and her ankles were hurting. She hadn't known this morning that the field trip would like this. When their teacher said it was a walk through nature; she assumed it was a field or something. But this: hilly, wooded terrain was too much for her.

Ever since the car accident she had been limited in her mobility. It was a real piss-off. She used to be an Olympian athlete for heaven's sakes. She used to be able to run ground like this easily. She'd train for hours in the hills and glenns of Ireland. But not anymore. It was a challenge to just walk down a sidewalk.

The accident had reduced her to a hobbling cripple. She had thought herself adjusted to her new life. But this, this hike was testing her. She was struggling to not collapse and let the pain hold her prisoner. She'd been fighting it off for the last half hour. Her teachers knew she was unable to run, climb and jump. So why had he not advised her of this? Or given her another project?

Frustration and anger warmed through her and she was able to move on. She held onto her rage and it propelled her pain-ridden body forward.

Her mind was so lost in her thoughts she didn't see the hill dip down until she tripped and flipped ass over tea kettle. The soft ground cushioned the tumbling pass she completed with failing arms. She hit the basin and lay on her back. Her mind was spinning and she was gasping for breath. She was at a bad angle because of her backpack; kind of arched over instead of flat on the ground. She lay there; gasping and trying to assess her body. Pain was roaring through her blood and muscles. That as something she could deal with. But she was exhausted and scared. She could have seriously hurt herself.

As she lay there, calming her breathing, she stared up through the canopy. Grey light fell in slats of pale illumination; splintering over branches and wide leaves. It was beautiful. Like a water fall of dry light; cascading around her. The show of light gave this place an oddly alien feel.

It was incredibly peaceful. A sense of calm filled her and the panic and pain slid away. She didn't care now if she was hurt. This was so beautiful.

It had been years since she spent any time in Forks. Her father had packed her up and left when she was fourteen. He had moved them across the world to the country of Ireland. And there she had stayed until he died in the car crash, two years ago. She had been slowly making her way in the world since then.

Four months ago she had returned to her home of Forks. Her mother had been happy that Jade was coming home. But with her career, her mother was rarely home. As a result, Jade spent a lot of time by herself. Most of her friends had left this place or had married their sweethearts. Those that had stayed were in different places then she was. Conversation was hard at best. Jade didn't bother to try anymore. But not all of them had left. A few friends had stayed.

She had taken to spending a lot of time with one in particular.

"Tigger!"

She turned her head toward the frantic call. There was only one man in the world who called her that. She saw him appear at the top of the hill. They stared at one another for a moment. He didn't pause before stepping forward to slid down the wall of the ravine. It looked as if he were snowboarding. The action was graceful. It took incredible strength, power and balance to do that. He made it look effortless.

Jade watched as he approached. He ran across the uneven surface like it wasn't there. His dark t-shirt and jeans didn't hide the muscled body. When he had gotten so buff, she had no idea. But the effect wasn't lost on her. She enjoyed the view of watching him ascend to her. She knew for a fact he had a six-pack of abs and powerful arms under his black t-shirt. His black jeans covered powerful, strong legs. The man was breathtaking in a swimsuit.

There was nothing clumsy, or crippled about Jacob Black. He was powerful, graceful, handsome and a good guy. He was one of the few people she was actually glad to see still in Forks.

He ran to her side; crouching down. "Tigger!" He touched her hair; sweeping it back from her face. "Say something."

"Hi," She muttered.

He smiled. He had a wonderful smile; all white teeth and dimples. His golden skin was accented by the dark coloured hair that he kept short. He kept it above his ears.

Jacob's expression was serious. "Did you hurt yourself?"

Jade shook her head. "Nothing new." She attempted to sit up; but her left side protested. She lay back down; "Okay, perhaps I did hurt myself."

He looked her over with worried eyes, "You're not bleeding, I can't smell any blood."

Jade knew Jacob was a werewolf. A honest to god, werewolf. She'd seen him in his animal form a few times since coming home. SHe wasn't sure if he knew that she knew or not. She hadn't exactly told him to his face that she knew. It seemed to be something no one talked about. A part of tribe lore that was actaully real, but never admitted to openly. Jacob the wolf was huge. He stood taller on four legs the any man could on two. His wolf form was close to six to seven feet long, from nose to tail. The wolf was massive; big a truck. He was huge.

Jade smiled at the complete look of worry on his face. "I'll live."

He sighed, "Well, try to move again. We should get you up."

She didn't want to move; she was hurt and oddly comfortable right now. "Do I have to?"

He smiled at her again. Humour filled his eyes. "Please try. If nothing else works I'll carry you."

"The hell you will," She said gently, "You're just using this as an excuse to put your hands on me."

He chuckled. The dark gold of his skin deepened with his blush. "Perhaps a little." He offered a hand, "Come on."

Jade sighed and knew this was going to hurt. She could already fell her ankles tightening up. Her back aching; her left side was burning. But she wasn't going to wuss out. She was going to stand.

Jacob helped her come to her feet; basically supporting all her weight as he stood and took her with him. He was incredibly strong; the strength of a thousand, in a single arm. He could have carried her, effortlessly; but she wasn't about to let him.

The temptation to cuddle up against that muscled body was too much. Even at this distance she could smell his scent. The mix of man and wolf that clung to him. Jacob didn't need cologne; he smelled amazing the way he was.

No, the thought of him pressed again her....Jade shuddered. None of this had been a problem when they were kids. But they weren't kids anymore.

She was going to make it on her own two feet...

Jade stood on her feet for all of three seconds before her body refused. Her legs buckled and she was caught against a hot body. Jacob's body temp was around 108 degrees. Normal for his kind; he always ran hot; like furnace on legs. It also explained how he could eat as much as he did and never gain weight.

He held her against his chest; her arms around his back. God, the man felt good under her hands. She wanted very much to touch the rest of him. The scent of him filled her skull and she choked on it. Her body didn't want to move. Nothing in her wanted to move away from this man.

But she forced herself to let go and try again.

Her ankles held this time; though it sent searing blades of pain up her legs. Her back was hurting like a bitch; she could feel the muscles tightening up. She wasn't going to make it.

"Well?" He asked. He still held her right arm. His palm was hot against her skin. The look of worry on his face was genuine.

She couldn't make it back without help. But couldn't admit it. Something in her refused to admit she was too hurt to quit. She stared at the dark earth on her clothes. Black jeans; blue sweater-simple things- now covered in dirt, moss and leaves.

Jacb sighed, "Just admit you need help, Tigger. I don't mind carrying you." He paused and looked over his shoulder.

Jade glanced up at the sudden tension in his body. She looked past his shoulder as the others appeared. She stared up at Sam as he stared down at them. His face was serious; eyes dark. Sam and she had grown up together. They had never really been friends, per se. But they had a respect for one another. Sam was the only one who understood her. He knew her secret, just as she knew his. But neither of them admitted knowing it. Some things just didn't need to be spoken aloud. Not ever, not to anyone, not for any reason.

Sam looked to Jacob. "What's the hold up?"

Jade realized something then. She looked to Jacob. "You heard me fall."

Jacob looked to her. His expression was frustrated. "I left the group to come and help you."

Jade looked over and saw Jacob's friends; they were also his pack mates. It was not a good idea to abandon your pack in favor of saving a human. She knew enough about their rules to know that was a serious no-no. She looked to Sam and realized he was not happy, not with Jacob and not with her. Had Sam not been standing there she might have relaxed and just let Jacob help her. But she couldn't with Sam watching them.

"She's hurt." Jacob called out to Sam.

"I am not." Jade quickly corrected.

She hated to admit defeat in front of them. These men were werewolves; she was but a lowly human. Sam was the alpha; she wasn't going to be seen as weak in his eyes. Something in her told her to never show weakness in front of him. Even if it killed her.

Jade pushed away from Jacob; forcing her body to take two steps. It was stupid; childish and reckless. And she didn't care. He body screamed at her to stop; to let them help her. Yet she took two more steps.

Jade picked her way through the loamy ground and giant trees. Her breathing was ragged with pain; but she kept going. At one point she paused. She could feel Jacob tracking her. Some part of her, a primal part, said that she was being followed. Her instincts told her that a very dangerous predator was watching her. It felt like ants marching under her skin. Jade turned her head and could see Jacob's body move smoothly through t the trees. She searched for Sam and saw him watching her from the distance. It was a greater distance then any human could see. But then, Sam wasn't human. She looked away from him and kept going. The trek back to her car required her complete focus. She knew Jacob wouldn't hurt her; he just wouldn't. She wasn't sure about the rest of the pack; but she knew Jacob wouldn't hurt her.

There was no sense of time as she walked. Or rather stumbled her way through the woods. She'd lost count of the number of times she'd stopped, leaned against a tree. But she kept going. And Jacob kept following her. Occasionally she could glimpse him out of the corner of her eye.

Jade paused against another tree. She could barely shuffle her feet. The pain had clamped around her entire skeleton. She was struggling not to fall and never move again. Looking ahead she saw the forest opening. She heard the chatter and laughter of her classmates. She kept going.

Eventually she stepped out of the woods. A moment of pride made her feel better. She'd done it on her own; thank you very much.

A few of the students looked over; snickering at her. She looked down; she was covered in dirt and mud. It had been a rough hike. Her hands were dark with earth; she knew her hair was full of it. Her clothes, dark as they were, were smudged even more by earth.

She sighed; partly to keep from snapping at her classmates; partly to dismiss the negative talk in her head.

Making her way to her car; she opened the rear passenger door and tossed her backpack inside. Reaching under the seat she pulled out a canvas bag. Unzipping it she took out a black sweater. Shrugging off her blue one she felt the wash of cold air against her arms. She wore a black undershirt over her bra. And wasn't concerned about people staring. She was too old to be concerned about people seeing her. She wasn't naked anyway. And there was no point in hiding her body.

None of that mental talk stopped her from hearing the gasps though. She knew what they saw. Scars; lots of scars criss-crossed along her back and legs weren't as bad; their problems were under the skin. The bones and muscles had not healed properly. The medical opinion was that they would never heal; she would never be right again. The car accident had been horrible; she'd been one of two survivors. And it was through sheer guts and determination that she had lived.

Jade ignored the soft whispers she heard around her as she pulled on the black sweater. Leaning on the door; she lifted one foot onto the rail and untied her hiking boot. She dug around in her duffle for her sneakers. She pulled them out and changed shoes. Her feet felt a little better. There was nothing she could do about the jeans; they would have to wait. Instead she took out a one litre bottle of water; and her faithful bottle of prescription medication. She hated the pills; they made her whole body feel numb. But it was better than screaming in agony with every breath.

She swallowed two and guzzled her water. At her back she felt Jacob and his friends watching her. She turned and sure enough; the pack was staring at her. There were five in total. She stared at them for a long time.

Jacob and his friends didn't attend the same school as her. He had gone out of his way to keep an eye on her today. A part of her was grateful; a part was sad. As children there had been no rules about the two of them being together.

Now, all these years later, there were rules. Lots of rules and not all of them made sense. Jade's mother had been a member of the Quileute tribe. Jade was a half-blood. It shouldn't have mattered, but it seemed to matter to some of them. Jade had inherited her father's pale, Irish skin. Her mother's dark hair. Her eyes were an odd mix blue and dark brown. As if her eyes decided to show her mixed heritage to the world. It often left Jade feeling lost. She was neither pale-face nor tribe. But somewhere in the middle of it.

Jade's mother left Forks and her tribe after her divorce from Jade's father. Now her mother spent most of her time in Seattle. Jade had no one to talk to about her feelings. No one except Jacob. He seemed to understand her conflict. Jade knew he was also struggling with his own conflict. But something held him back from telling her about it. She hoped it wasn't the fact he was a werewolf. She already knew that; she'd known all her life what Jacob would become. Jade hoped that whatever was eating him up was something more then his role in nature.

She nodded to Jacob; he returned it. Jade shut the car door. She walked around the back. God, she missed the days of being young and carefree. Jade climbed behind the wheel and sat there for a moment. There were so many things she missed. So many....

She turned on the engine. Music flooded the car.

Nice legs, Daisy dukes, makes a man go [whistle]
Thats the way they all come through like [whistle whistle]
Low-cut, see-through shirts that make you [whistles]
Thats the way she come through like [whistles]

She felt Jacob's prescence and looked over. He was almost at her car. She pressed a button and the passenger window slid down. He leaned in; resting his arms on the door. Out of respect of his hearing; she turned down the music. She loved to blast her music. But to his kind, such loud things were agonizing.

He looked around her car, "You okay to drive?"

She smiled at him; he was considerate of her. He didn't have to be; his kind was above humans. And it made her feel weak that he worried. But she also was touched by his kindness.

"I'll be fine. You're heading home?" Jade's fingers danced over her steering wheel.

He nodded, "Yeah, there's a meeting tonight."

"I see,"

There was a sudden moment of awkward silence.

A meeting was code for when the werewolves came together to talk. Something was up. Of that Jade was positive. But she knew better then to ask any questions.

She nodded, "I'll see you tomorrow."

Jacob nodded and stepped away from the car.

Jade watched him walk away. She sighed heavily. She knew Jacob was hurting about something. She had picked up on it the first time they'd met on the reservation. She'd been by to check on her mother's house. Jacob had been there and she'd seen the pain in his soul. Something or someone had torn his heart in half. A part of her was angry that he was hurting so bad. A part of her was jealous that he had fallen in love and it wasn't her. She had secretly loved him all her life. But this wasn't the time or the place to declare her feelings.

Too much time had passed for them.

She glimpsed Sam watching her. She drew in a breath. It would be so much easier if he didn't know. But he did. She sighed and focused on the matter at hand. She knew that Emily and Sam were still together. It wasn't against the rules for wolves to marry and mate, that was how the gene got passed on. But she wasn't full blood tribe. She knew without being told that people would object. The gene had to be passed along, with her being half-Quileute, there was no guarantee it would. She wouldn't take that away from her people. The werewolves were needed.

Jade shook her head and made hers elf think about something else.

The medication was already at work and she felt better. She turned up her music; loud enough that everyone could hear. The pounding, fast rock-dance rhythm made her feel good. Backing out of the lot she turned onto the main highway.

There was nothing but forest on the left, to the right there was a steep cliff that fell into the ocean. It was a gorgeous drive and it was calming to her. With her music blaring around her; the scenery and the meds; she felt positively giddy.

The flash of red and blue lights in her mirror snapped her out of her daze. She looked into the mirror and saw the second of two cop cars in the town. She sighed and pulled over. The man in the sheriff's outfit was no stranger to her. He had been her father's friend.

She cut the engine and the quiet was heavy around her. He came to her window and she turned the key enough to power the window down. Quickly turning the music off.

"Hey, Jade." He muttered.

"Chief Swann," She glanced at him, "What's up?"

"Do you know how fast you were going?" He asked lightly.

As a matter of a fact she didn't. "No."

"Over a hundred clicks," He stared at her for a moment, "You were in a near fatal crash a couple years back, huh? You might want to slow it down."

She nodded, "Thanks for the reminder, Chief. I appreciate it."

He tipped his hat back, "Hey, Jade. How you holding up?"

She didn't want this conversation. "Fine, thanks, Chief Swann." Jade searched for something to change topics. "I heard your daughter came back to Forks."

He stared at her a moment, before nodding. "Yeah, she did. She's doing well."

"Good," Jade had never met Isabella Swann.

But this was a small town; she'd heard of the girl. Bella was with Edward Cullen, rumour had it they were engaged. Jade debated opening that topic, but changed her mind.

"Can I go now, Chief? I want to shower."

He looked her over and nodded slowly. "Sure, just drive more carefully.

Jade continued on her way, keeping her speed reasonable. Her father's old house was where she stayed. She could have stayed in her mother's place. But it felt strange living there. Jade and her mother hadn't been in contact much after she left with her father. Now, there didn't seem much point to staying in touch. Her mother was never in Forks and Jade had no desire to move to Seattle. She had missed the quiet of this little town. She had ached to return ever since the crash.

She could have returned to Ireland. But she had no desire to go back to her step-mother and half-siblings. For as much as she didn't belong in her mother's tribe. She belonged even less with her father's family. In pictures of her and her step-family she was the dark-skinned one. She was the outsider.

So she had come back to Forks. Finding a job here had been easy. She was in the process of finishing her botany degree. The field trip today was a final project for one of her courses. To keep money coming in, she worked from home as a software and computer specialist. She also taught two days a week on the reservation. The work kept her busy. And busy was exactly what she wanted.

Dublin had been a good place to live; but it had lost its appeal to her. Once out of the hospital and out of rehab; she had run her as fast her car would take her. She had run from the money, wealthy and insanity of her father's world; to Forks, Washington. Money and wealth were here; but it was discreet and not used as a status tool.

Jade hadn't been eager to make friends with anyone in Forks. She had come here to disappear; to vanish from the world. But Jacob had been dogged in his pursuit of her. He was determined to be her friend again. And recently, she wondered if he wanted more from her. It wasn't clear to her and she was too messed up to think he would. She wasn't his kind of girl anyway. Or at least that's what she told herself.

Jade parked in the driveway of her father's old house. It was a one-level four room house. Just enough room for three people; but that was it. The white siding needed to be repainted. The stone walk-way needed to be pulled up and replaced. There were a lot of things to fix and repair for this house. But she didn't dwell on any of it.

Climbing out of her SUV she grabbed but duffle bags. It was a slow trek up the path to the house. Her body was stiff; the pain had been medically numbed. But her body was still aching. Using her key she unlocked the door and shoved the door closed. Not bothering to lock it. In such a small town; there was no real crime. So she left it and crossed to her room just off the main hallway.

The hot shower that she stood under made her feel better. She let her eyes close and allowed the water to beat away the day.

Next order of business...sleep.

Too bad her dreams couldn't be drowned out with pills...

**