Chapter 2- Matters of the Heart

After landing in Port Angeles later that evening, Edward quickly hailed a cab that would take him to a nearby storage center to pick up his car. The payment for renting a unit had been electronically transferred from a bank account each month. He hadn't even batted an eye at the rather expensive receipt showing what he had spent in total on stowing his car there since he left Washington. After signing some paperwork closing the account, he retrieved his Volvo from the storage garage.

He then quickly sped out of the lot and veered toward the freeway, heading toward Forks. Thankfully his car showed no signs of the disuse it had suffered. The drive should have taken over an hour. Edward made it in 40 minutes.

He didn't bother to drive to his own house. He steered directly toward the house Bella had lived in before he had left. It had been nearly five years. He had no way of knowing if she still lived with her father, or if she would be home for that matter. But he had no other choice. He didn't know where else to begin. Thankfully, it was very late and the chance of Bella being home was higher than if he had tried to come here in the middle of the day, if she still resided there.

Not wanting to alert Bella to his presence unnecessarily, he parked his Volvo a few streets away and walked toward the Swan's residence. He didn't know what he would do when he got there, but that didn't stop him. He had to see her, no matter what. Even if it was just a stolen glance through her window to know that she was alive and well. He still didn't understand why Alice couldn't See Bella's future and he feared the worst.

He slowly approached the little white house and noticed that her truck was parked in the driveway. Smiling now with anticipation he came around the side of the house, peering up at Bella's bay window. He stood there for a long moment, contemplating climbing the tree when he heard a voice within the house.

"Shhh… go back to sleep," the voice said.

Then a dark figure appeared at Bella's window. The young man folded his arms across his chest and looked out at the forest behind the house. Edward instantly recognized him as Jacob Black. What was he doing in Bella's bedroom as this hour? The thought of the two of them together made his fists clench by his sides.

Jacob was alerted to Edward's presence almost immediately. He quickly glanced back into the darkened bedroom and said, "I'll be back."

He then opened the window, closing the heavy curtains behind himself. Then while holding onto the window sill he swung himself out onto the side of the house. With amazing skill, he closed the window with one hand while still holding onto the house with the other. Jacob then effortlessly leapt to the ground and came up to meet Edward.

Jacob had changed a lot since Edward had last seen him, and it was amazing that he recognized him at all. From the smell radiating off his body and the strength he just exhibited, Edward knew without a doubt that Jacob was indeed one of the Quileute shifters. He didn't realize that there were any more wolves in the tribe, though there was usually at least one. Maybe that was the reason why Alice couldn't see Bella's future. She really was with one of the wolves that gave his sister so much trouble.

The young man in front of him was a truly a wonder to behold. He was tall and muscular, but he still retained a boyishness to his appearance, probably because transforming into a wolf suspended his youthful form in time. This man was nothing like the lanky fifteen-year-old boy he had briefly encountered. The last time he saw Jacob, he had delivered a message that the Quileutes "would be watching" and that Bella should break up with him. Doing the math in his head, he realized that Jacob should be around twenty by now.

"What are you-" Jacob began angrily, before stopping dead in his tracks.

Edward watched as Jacob's face suddenly contorted into something that looked like shock. He stumbled forward clutching his heaving chest and looking very much as though he were having a panic attack. His breath came in sharp gasps and his heart rate quickened considerably.

"No! No…."

"Jacob…" Edward began. Feeling somewhat concerned he took taking a step forward.

Jacob held his hand out halting Edward where he stood and fearfully shouted, "Stay back! Just… stay away from me."

"I'm not going to hurt you," Edward replied, wondering why he would be so afraid when he could shift into a wolf designed to kill vampires. Jacob gave him an incredulous look and then began to back away.

Edward mentally reached out in an attempt to read Jacob's mind in order to understand, but found that he couldn't pick up on any of the myriad of thoughts flashing through the young man's head. It was as though he had learned to keep his thoughts guarded. Edward tried once more, but Jacob was obviously not willing to share.

"How is she?" he then asked, remembering why he was here. He glanced up at Bella's window wondering if she might have heard their exchange.

Jacob eyes flashed up at the window as well and the anger he had exhibited earlier returned in full force. "How is she? How dare you! You have no right to ask me that!"

"Listen, I'm not here to disrupt your lives… Alice couldn't…"

"I don't care!" Jacob yelled in rage. "I just want you out of here!"

"Jacob…" Edward tried once more, growing impatient.

"Leave us alone!" he yelled, his entire frame shaking as though he might fly apart.

Edward tried to shush him, hoping that they didn't wake the neighbors. "I won't wake her up, I just want to see-"

"Go!" Jacob screamed, but it came out as more of a growl.

Suddenly the clothes he was wearing were ripped to shreds as his body transformed into massively large wolf. His fur was a reddish brown and he stood nearly tall as a horse. Jacob crouched down low as though he was getting ready to pounce, and it was enough for Edward to back away fearfully. He had only encountered one of these wolves once before, but he was well aware of the damage they could do. They were designed to kill vampires after all.

"Go!"

Edward nodded and continued to back away. It was probably not in his best interest to try seeing Bella tonight. Now that he knew that she still lived here, he could come back any time and see her.

Jacob pursued Edward as he backed away from the house. He kept to the shadows, still crouching low and snarling all the while. Edward didn't turn his back to the wolf until he was sure that he wasn't still following him. When the wolf stopped at the street, Edward quickly turned and headed back to his Volvo. He heard the wolf let out a soft whine, but he ignored it. When Edward got to the car he quickly started the engine, put it in gear, and sped past the house, Jacob still standing guard.

Edward sighed deeply, not sure how he felt about tonight. He at least was able to determine that Bella was alive and still living at her father's house. Her truck was proof of that, as was Jacob's presence. Apparently she was with him now, and Edward was left feeling jealous and sad. He had left her so that she could have a normal life and she hooks up with a werewolf? How twisted was that? Did she just have a knack for finding herself in dangerous situations? Or did she find supernatural creatures appealing? Was that all that had attracted her to Edward in the first place?

He headed towards home at an alarming speed. He would spend the evening mulling things over and make a plan when to try and see Bella again. It was just something he had to do, no matter the consequences.

Jacob watched as the Volvo sped out of sight, still shaking from the encounter. He waited a few minutes to ensure that Cullen wouldn't be back and then took off for the woods- running as though his life depended on it. He was due for patrol in a little while anyway, but he needed to clear his head first if he was to be of any use. He was thankful that none of the other pack members were in their wolf form currently.

He ran for several miles. He ran until his muscles ached with fatigue and headed down the mountain side to beach that ran along the La Push reservation. His large paws sank into the cold, wet sand and he slowed to a trot. His ragged pants caused large white puffs of breath to freeze in the cold night air.

The ocean waves crashed loudly against the shore, but Jacob took no notice. He couldn't shake the awful feelings that were welling up inside him since the encounter. Without realizing it, he shifted back to his human form and sank to his knees. It was freezing outside, but Jacob barely felt it he was so filled with such agonizing emotion.

"Why is Cullen back? Why now after all these years? And why did this happen? What am I going to do? I can't let the pack know," he said aloud. "Tell me what to do!"

It was almost too much for Jacob to handle. He bent forward, gripping the wet sand with his hands and placed his forehead on the ground trying to squash the hurricane of emotions raging inside him. He screamed into the sodden earth all of his frustration, pounding the beach with his fists. He had to get it together before the pack figured out what was going on. He sat back on his legs and ran his sandy fingers through his hair absentmindedly trying to form a plan.

"We'll just avoid him… move to the rez... won't even have to see him…"

What if moving wasn't enough? What if Jacob wasn't able to avoid him? What would happen then? Edward couldn't know about her!

Shaking again, Jacob fluidly shifted back into his wolf form. He then raised his massive head back and let out one long lonely howl into the dark night sky, desperately suppressing his torturous thoughts from his brothers.