Hello everyone!

Here I am again, as promised. I wish that I didn't keep having these error messages from here... but I'm trying my best to post! Promise!

This chapter finds our Bella and Jacob not feeling so hot.

Thank you to Project Team Beta for their help!

Reminder: This is rated M for a reason. It starts out with Jacob and Bella, but will eventually… after a long emotional journey, be Edward and Bella.

Oh… I'm obviously not named Stephenie Meyer, so I don't own anything except for the house that I am trying to short sell.

Bella anxiously waited by the telephone for Jacob's call. She watched the clock and the phone in her hand, her eyes moving back and forth like a tennis match. As time lengthened between Jacob's departure and the present, the rhythmic shifting of her eyes increased. After about twenty minutes, she decided to call and make sure he made it back to his place. Automatically, her fingers mapped out his number on the keypad. She raised her eyes to the ceiling, waiting for the answer on the other end. The call went to voicemail, resulting in her staring confused at the receiver in her hand. She decided to attempt another call, which thankfully was answered by a wary Billy Black.

"Hi Billy, it's Bella," she began brightly. "Jacob wasn't feeling well when he left, so he said he'd call me to let me know when he got home," she explained.

Billy replied with a voice void of most of its emotion. "He's here."

Bella attempted to disguise the irritation she felt at her needless worry. "I was worried about him getting home all right. Is he ok? Do you need any help?"

Billy answered her in a clipped manner; a foreign reaction for him. "No, we don't need your help, Bella. He'll be just fine without you."

Bella was taken aback and a bit hurt by the tone with which Billy spoke to her. "Well … if you need anything, please don't hesitate to call. I'm happy to come by and drop off some chicken soup anytime." Bella couldn't help but sound surprised in reaction to Billy's attitude. He'd never so much as raised his voice to her in all of her years of knowing him.

"Bye, Bella," he replied, hanging up on her.

Bella stared at the phone in her hand in amazement and a bit of panic. The effort that she finally seemed to want to put into getting a sense of normalcy back in her life seemed to be sliding backwards. Taking a deep breath as she hung up the receiver, she decided that she would deal with her problems and Jacob the next day. As exhaustion set in, she made her way up the narrow staircase to her room and into her bed, where she fell into a dreamless sleep.

In the early hours of the morning, Bella woke with nausea undulating through her body. She dashed into the shared bathroom and heaved into the porcelain bowl. She soundlessly lay there until her father began to stir from his slumber.

The cold linoleum of the bathroom floor stuck to Bella's cheek where she was sprawled in her mild agony. Mike Newton had graciously shared the twenty-four-hour bug that he was currently still suffering with Bella. That was how Charlie Swan found his daughter before work that day.

"Gee-geez Bells…" stammered Charlie. "I guess no school today, huh?"

Bella slightly lifted her head slightly and shook it. She asked her father to call Newton's to let them know she wouldn't be in to work for the day. Charlie left her a glass of water near the nest she'd made for herself on the bathroom floor before he left for work.

Bella drifted in and out of consciousness all day. She didn't move much from the crumpled heap she'd situated herself in and the crushed towel she used for a pillow.

When her father returned from the station, he called the Newton house to check on Mike's progress with his illness. He wanted to get an idea of what he should expect from Bella.

In what he thought was a comforting voice, Charlie called up to his girl. "It looks like Mike's feeling better, Bells. You should probably feel better by morning."

Bella grimaced at the thought of more time in her current state. After yet another session of praying to the porcelain gods, she promptly rolled back onto her makeshift bed on the floor and fell asleep.

When her eyes finally reopened, she found herself staring at the ceiling above her bed. Figuring that Charlie must have moved her over during the night, she smiled at his thoughtfulness. She felt like most of her nausea had left her sometime during the night, so she drank down the stale glass of water resting on her nightstand and gingerly got herself out of bed. She controlled the slight dizziness that came with being prone for about twenty-four-hours and succeeded in getting down the stairs into the kitchen. Managing to consume a few crackers and dry toast, she alleviated the leftover discomfort in her belly.

Warily, Bella sat at her kitchen table and thought about the previous forty-eight-hours. She eyed the telephone on its stand and made the decision to call Jacob. She anxiously dialed his number and held her breath in anticipation of speaking with him.

Jacob answered the phone with a broken and cracked voice. "Hello?"

Bella smiled softly to herself in relief as she held the receiver to her ear. "Oh Jake, you sound like you're still sick."

He took a shaky breath. "I don't feel so hot, Bells."

"I'm sorry that you went out with us to the movie, Jake," she said remorsefully. "It's all my fault."

"This is definitely not your fault, Bells," sighed Jacob. "I'm glad we hung out one last time."

Bella was taken aback by the finality in his voice. "Don't talk like that, Jake," she soothed. "I'm sure you'll be better soon. We'll get together soon. I was only sick until this morning."

"You got sick?" asked Jacob in a distracted voice.

"Yeah."

Jake blew out a shaky breath. "I don't think I have what you had."

Confusion bloomed on Bella's face. "What's the matter?"

"My whole body hurts," he breathed.

"Do you need me to bring you anything?" offered Bella.

"No," clipped Jacob. "You should stay away from me."

Bella let out an annoyed huff. "Jacob! I kissed you. I should have already been exposed to whatever it is you have." She rolled her eyes at his caution.

"Look," began Jacob in a forceful voice, "I'll call and let you know when you can come down, ok?"

"But, have you even seen a doctor?" she asked.

"I have an appointment today," replied Jacob. "I really have to go now, Bella."

"Ok, Jacob," she sadly replied. "I hope you feel better soon."

"Yeah," he replied bitterly.

They silently waited for the other to end the call. Bella bravely spoke first.

"I guess, I'll see you soon," she timidly offered.

"I'll call and let you know when it's ok to come," he repeated.

Jacob abruptly hung up the line, leaving Bella staring sadly at the work wallpaper. She felt as if the small amount of hope that had been unconsciously taking root in her soul was suddenly in jeopardy.

Bella slowly placed the receiver back in its charger. "Oh, Jacob," she murmured as she stepped away.

She hadn't realized how much attempting to move on with Jacob really meant to her. She fervently hoped that nothing had changed between them.

** There you have it. I will get the next chapter out in about a week (hopefully I won't get any error messages). Let me know what you think, why don't ya.

kisses, Barb