Again, I don't own any of these characters. Well, except Elena...

Please R&R!! It's so helpful!!

We Meet Again - Ch 2

I came back to reality when Sam was talking about what we would do about the situation. "We must honor the treaty," he said solemnly, amid the outbursts of the others.

"They broke the treaty anyway! They bit her," said Embry, outraged.

Sam raised a hand to stem more interruptions. "We don't technically know that for sure," he said slowly, with a glance at me. "But even if they did, what would any of you do?" Paul opened his mouth, but Jared smacked him in the back of the head. "Bella had befriended all of us; you know what she means to us, to you." Leah scoffed, but no one paid her any attention.

We were all thinking about the old days, the days before that leech had come back and taken her away from us. I missed her blushes that came so easily, her infectious laughter and smiles, even her clumsiness. I looked up and saw that most of the pack was looking at me. "Sam's right. No matter what, none of us would do anything to hurt Bella, physical or otherwise."

Nods circled around the group. The treaty now stood on very unstable foundations. "So now we wait?" Quil asked into the silence.

"And see what happens," I concluded, gently squeezing Elena's hand. We turned and walked back home the way we came. I heard low whispers behind us.

Elena's footsteps crunched through the dead brush. "Jacob…?" She hesitated.

I stopped and turned to face her. She reached out and took my other hand in hers. "Are you going to be able to handle this?" she asked me quietly, her grey-blue eyes worried.

I disengaged my right hand from her left and brushed a few stray strands of blonde hair off of her face, and nodded. "I love you, you know."

Elena laughed. "That's not what I'm worried about – you already explained the impression phenomenon. But I know you loved her… still do. I'm just worried that it will hurt too much when she leaves again."

I considered it. Would it send me spiraling into the dark denial and depression like it did when she left all those years ago? I looked at Elena's face, into her eyes, and knew that I would be able to get through whatever the future held. I smiled, reassuring her, "I'll be fine."

The rest of the day passed in a blur: lunch at Sam and Emily's, running errands for my father and Elena, dinner with Elena, Billy, and the Clearwaters. All too soon, it was my turn to run the rounds. I kissed Elena goodnight and stepped outside. I pulled off my shorts and threw them into the woods next to the house. I ran a little into the woods and phased easily. I picked up my shorts in my mouth, in case I encountered a problem. I began to run again; my paws threw dirt up behind me as I sprinted extra energy off.

Once I hit the border of our lands, I turned north and slowed a bit. I hung my head, sniffing at the different scents that crossed my path, the rabbits, deer and foxes that roamed the woods during the day. The night belonged to me now.

I headed west after a while, the path I ran on was now automatic, and I could think about other things while I ran.

The next smell stopped me in my tracks. It burned my nose with its sickly, too sweet smell. As much as I hated it though, I followed the trail hoping, and yet not, that I would find the one that had left this trail. I followed it farther and farther away from the path around the border.

The smell became stronger, until it was almost unbearable. I heard voices murmuring in the woods ahead. I phased back, half-hoping that I wouldn't be noticed.

Of course I was. Eight pairs of eyes flashed in my direction in the moonlight. The sky was clear for once, making the figures glow faintly and eerily. I pulled my shorts on quickly and entered the little clearing.

Then I saw her.