( AN : AHHH! I'm having an emotional breakdown. Two spelling errors lead to catastrophe. Sorry, but I kept catching spelling errors that I then went and fixed them all but then I had to fight with this stupid thing to post the fixed version, not the messy version. Obviously, if this is up, then it worked - but not without me losing a few hairs. )

Chapter One: Two Weeks Later

"I'm going to be running toni-" he begun. I stared up at his face like he was a skyscraper. That is, if skyscrapers were six foot five Quileute indian teenagers. He was the whole package: tall, dark, and handsome. And oh, yeah – a werewolf.

"Yeah, no – sorry, Charlie, I thought you were Billy." As he paused to listen to Charlie, he looked down at me with love and care in his eyes, making me melt. At that moment I wanted nothing more than to be closer to him. Suddenly, I was clasped around his great thigh, practically falling off of the kitchen chair. He chuckled at my sign of affection.

"I knew you were staying at our house – Bella said … No so … Well, yes, sir, I am at your house now. I know it's late, but … just came to say goodnight. I'm sleeping at Quil's." He gave me a quick wink – Charlie had called twenty minutes before to tell me he was staying over Billy's for the night.

They were both struggling to cope with Harry Clearwater's death two weeks ago. Plus, it was 11:48 when he called and by the sound of it, he'd had a few beers. After the little persuasion I used, he had agreed to stay there. In less than fifteen minutes, Jake was knocking at my front door.

"No, you're not running me out … Yeah I had already been planning to sleep at Quil's anyway … No it's fine … Yeah, just take my bed … What was that? … Oh yeah? Okay …" I glared up at him as the conversation dragged. He was always over polite, as if he had to even try to win over my dad. Charlie loved him. But, in my opinion, his manners were nothing compared to a past friend (the word seemed unfitting and insignificant, but I did my best these days to not remember.) However, his manners were not so graciously welcomed. My haunting reverie was broken by Jake's voice.

"Yeah, I'll see you Charlie … Okay, I'll be sure to remind her … Okay, bye," he finished, hanging up the phone. I drew out a sign, Jake knew how his phone conversations with my father bothered me. Secretly, I felt like that's why he did it.

"I'm sorry, sweetie," he apologized.

"You are becoming more like your father everyday. Soon they'll as you to join their knitting circle and gossip like old women!" I complained.

"Ha. Ha. Very funny." His sarcasm was rushed, like he wanted to move on to some other topic. "And I almost forgot-" Yeah, ok, you probably played up to this one, I thought. "-Charlie said he's going straight from my house to work tomorrow. Won't be home until four."

The part he was waiting for. He took in every change in my expression as I went from taking in the information, figuring out the situation in my head, then showing off my teeth in a broad grin.

"I'll go get my bag," he said, following my unspoken, though mutually accepted, command.

He was gone and back again in a flash, I hardly had time to get up and walk to the sink to wash a dish before his arms wrapped around me. He lowered his head to rest it on top of mine and kiss it before he said, "That can wait."

He slid the dirty dish out of my hand. The speed of it all was incredible. It had barely been a minute and my head was close to spinning. I'd never seen anyone move that fast.

No. That wasn't true. I had, before, experienced movements much faster than that. He could have done exactly the same thing – gone outside, down to his car, opened it, pulled out a dufflebag, come back inside, put it in my room, and remove the plate from my hand, making my head fully spin - in less than thirty seconds. But no, I can't think of him. Of course, by telling myself that, I had to. No matter how much it hurt, I valued the fact that my mind was not a sieve.

Jacob released me, and, after muttering something along the lines of a quick shower after a day's worth of running, slipped upstairs. I slid into one of the mismatched kitchen chairs, pulling my legs up and wrapping my arms around them as I let myself succumb to the grief.

It had been two weeks ago since I experienced my delusions. They brought a sense of euphoria to me – a way I remembered him without sinking into a state of depression similar to right now.

FLASHBACK

Yes, it had been that fateful day two weeks ago. I had jumped off the giant cliff in La Push. As I plummeted into the icy surf and been convinced I was dying as I swirled in a limbo of seawater and delusion, I could only think of him. However, I was pulled out of my lowest point of life. Jacob had saved me; I said goodbye to my long lost Roman god.

I was saved by by new god, my god of light and of warmth. After I had spent the afternoon drying off and napping with Jacob, being informed of Harry's passing, and realizing how short life can be, it occurred to me.

I had decided I needed to be home for Charlie. I'd need to console him. Jake took me out to the truck and we'd begun to drive home when something dawned on him. He had swerved to the side of the road, turned off the truck, and pulled the key out of the ignition.

Still pensive, clearly thinking hard about something, he turned his body slightly to talk to me without taking his eyes off the road ahead.

"With Harry gone, Charlie will be spending much more time with Billy," he stated. I simply nodded. "I can't have you home alone that much with that leech still roaming the earth." I thought that last part was overly dramatic, but I blew it off.

"I'll be fine. Besides, at least if she comes we know she won't get Charlie too," I laughed it off.

"Bella, that's not funny." He had practically shouted it. I stared at him with wide eyes, fully aware of the results of any angry ourbursts he could have. However, I noticed I was in no danger. His voice was angry, but he still stared into space, pensive.

"Jack, what is it?" I asked hesitantly.

"Bella, I-I love you. I never want anything to happen to you. I never want to lose you." He turned to me with careful eyes, as if was hoping he didn't scare me off with his sudden commitment. I replied the way I felt best, what my heart told me to do.

"Good," I said simply.

It was all rather quick. We locked ourselves around eachother as we kissed. I had never thrown this much force, this much exhilaration into a kiss before – there had always been boundaries … before. Yet it all seemed so natural. Eventually, to both out displeasures, Jake let go and lightly pushed me away too. We leaned on opposite sides of my car, both gasping for breath. Suddenly, he spoke.

"I've got to tell Sam ..." And he jumped out the cab to run to the woods and transform.

"WHAT!?" I screamed, incredulous. I knew they shared thoughts, but that? That was too much!

"To tell him you're more than willing to stay around La Push more. To set up a watch over your house and defenses against the bloodsucker."

"Oh," I whispered with chagrin. I leaned back against the door and untensed. Jacob's clothes sat in a pile at the edge of the forest.

FLASHFORWARD

That was the day it all began. Ever since, we've been inseparable. We've been together. A couple. I enjoyed every moment of his presence I got, and I was pretty sure he felt the same.

As I sat there, remembering the reason that started this all, I felt guilty. Almost as though I was cheating. On both of them. I sighed and put my head down on my knees, thinking.

Just then, Jacob put his hand on my shoulder and lifted my face up. He took my posture as exhaustion.

"Bed," he said. He swept me up into his arms and carried me to my room.

( Disclaimer : I do not own the Twilight Saga or any of the characters present in it. )

( AN : I know this chapter's a little ... boring. But it sets up the story and I promise it gets better. Next update Friday! )

( Song : Love Hurts by Incubus )

( Read and Review, Please! )