Author's Note: I wrote this this morning before my Writing and Thinking class. It was fun to write, I don't completely remember what song I wrote it to. But whatever it was worked! This story will be more complex than the other two. I'm already starting to realize that.


Chapter Two

Jacob stared back at La Push, a backpack slung over his shoulder. His father had refused to come back with them. Not because he would be living with the 'bloodsuckers' as he so called them, but he said he had to stay, it was his duty. Someone had to stay behind to protect their home even though Jake had told him that there was no way that they weren't going to guard La Push when they were on patrol, but there was no convincing him. It was with a heavy heart that he headed back for the Cullens, his mind weighed down with so many thoughts it made his head spin.

It had occurred him that he was growing older where as Edward would never get older, he would always remain the same. A part of him had begun to wonder if it was fair to Edward to watch him grow old, to watch him eventually die while Edward and probably the twins would still remain alive. The thoughts came every night while he slept, feeling Edward's eyes on him while he slept. And god, they weren't even officially married, and he wondered if perhaps that would make any difference now. They were a family, they had children together, did it really matter what the laws said about them? Not in Jake's mind, it didn't matter to him. As for the rest of the thoughts that were burrowing nasty thoughts into his mind, concerned poor Seth laying in the bed, injured and there was really nothing they could do. Not to mention that, at least to the pack, it was so damn apparent that Carlisle was not as 'straight-edge' as everyone seemed to think he was. Sam saw it, did anyone else? Or had he just become that observant.

And Seth, damn it if anything happened to him, Jake would be sure that they would rot in all seven layers of hell for hurting him. If he died, well, it's not smart to anger a wolf pack. And Sam, what was up with him? Jake repeatedly found the older wolf staring off into the woods, his mind completely blank. What the hell was going on? His head snapped up at the sound of a pained cry coming from inside the Cullen house. No, damn it let it not be… Jake thought as he dropped his bag and sprinted inside to where Seth had been put. Carlisle was standing over him, holding the wolf down as he thrashed in the bed. Jake could see everyone of Seth's veins dark crawling over his body like spider webs. The boy's eyes were shut tight, struggling against Carlisle's hold. Jake's eyes searched the room and found the syringe on the floor. With a quick glance at Carlisle, he picked it up, piercing Seth's skin and injecting whatever it was into his body. The thrashing soon stopped, his body going limp. "Carlisle what."

"He woke up. He's in a great deal of pain Jacob. If I can't find that damn plant that counteracts it," Carlisle said leaning against the wall, running a hand through his blond hair. He shook his head. "No I will find it, I won't allow someone else to die in this house. There's been too much death in here already." As he straightened up, Jake blocked his way out of the room. "Move Jacob."

"Let me help. You're needed here Carlisle, its no use if you get caught and hurt too. If you did then there would be nothing left, we would be out of options. No one knows medicines as well as you do. What are you looking for?" Jake asked him, his gaze hard, unrelenting.

It was weird to see Carlisle chew on his lip like that, almost nervously as he took a pad of paper out of his pocket and wrote down what he needed. "I need all of these plants. I need them by the end of tonight or else…" His voice dropped, his eyes turning back to Seth. Carlisle didn't need to finish the sentence. If Jake didn't find all the plants by tonight, Seth would die. "Hurry Jacob."

He didn't have to be told twice, as he left the room bumping into Sam as the older wolf walked in to check on the youngest member of the pack. Jake stuck the list in between his teeth and shifted, running off into the forest determined to find each of the damned plants before sundown. It wasn't hard to find most of them, except for the last one on the list. The little blue flowers, and it was starting to grow dark. Jake swore and looked around his eyes finally landing on them. He grabbed them and sprinted as fast as he could back to the Cullen's house, bursting through the door and thrusting the plants into Carlisle's arms, the vampire leaving the room and vanishing inside Seth's. Everyone's eyes were on him; Jake was breathing heavily from running as fast as he did, his hands on his knees.

"Daddy." Jake glanced up and smiled at Conan, the little boy toddling over and wrapping his arms around his legs, his tiny black tail wagging. "Daddy back." It was one of the cutest damn things Jake had ever seen. He scooped Conan up in his arms and kissed his son's cheek, earning a big wet kiss from the boy in return. His body was wet with sweat and he probably stank something horrible. But Conan was not about to let him go.

The twins had started to talk a month or so ago, mainly with each other occasionally calling Edward and Jake 'daddy', they didn't differentiate between the two of them, they were both 'daddy'. Jake wondered if one day they would realize that they would have to come up with two different names for them, or they would just be confused. But for right now it didn't matter. "Yes daddy's back," Jake said and smiled, sitting down on the couch in between Edward and Jasper. What's with the face Edward? Jake asked, looking at him questioningly.

Edward looked to him before glancing back down at the rug where Xander was coloring with crayons. Something's wrong with Carlisle, he's been acting strange since he killed Aro. It's almost like…like…

He killed someone he really cared about?

Yes! But it doesn't make any sense; Carlisle wouldn't care about someone like him. Aro was insane he tried to kill us. And Carlisle would never do anything to hurt Esme.

You're right Edward. It's probably nothing though. Just your imagination. So perhaps Edward was not the best choice for him to tell his thoughts too, at least concerning his father. Maybe he should talk to Sam? That could work. At least Jake hoped so. Otherwise he wasn't sure how much longer he could go without blurting something out that would end up hurting someone.


Carlisle gently poured some of the medicine into Seth's mouth, rubbing his throat encouraging the boy to swallow it. "Come on Seth, I know it tastes horrible, but you have to swallow it," he said softly, even though he knew the boy couldn't hear him. "You have to get better, for the people who care about you," he said softly, kneeling by his bed, pulling the blankets back over his body. There was no response from Seth, only time would tell if it actually worked, and Carlisle prayed that it would.

At the sound of the door opening and closing, he glanced up and met Sam's dark eyes. "How is he?" he asked in a low voice, his gaze moving from Carlisle's face to the bed where his pack member lay still, barely breathing. The look of concern on Sam's face only made Carlisle feel like if Seth didn't get better, that it would be his fault.

"He should be okay, I gave him as much of the antidote as his stomach would allow. But only time will tell," Carlisle told him as he stood up, suddenly very aware of how close Sam was to him. "I've done all I can. He's strong Sam, he'll pull through."

Sam nodded, brushing some of Seth's dark hair from his face. "He's burning up." Carlisle didn't feel the need that to him, every werewolf felt like they were on fire. "And you? How are you dealing since our little talk?"

The question took him aback glancing at him before he sighed. "I'm dealing Sam, that's all I can say. I'm dealing. Can't tell you how much I wish I could just close my eyes and sleep. God, I haven't been able to sleep in so many years, I think that I might have forgotten what it's like to have dreams." Carlisle paused. "But then I look at Conan and Xander, see the light in their eyes, the hope that they have. And that's what I try to hold onto, the hope." The heat from Sam's hand touching his shoulder nearly made Carlisle jump. "And I think I should talk to Esme…" He said in a voice little more than a whisper. "She deserves the truth."

"I agree Carlisle, and no matter what happens, you won't be alone. Just remember that." The words startled him more than the heat from Sam's hand. "Alright?" With a nod, Carlisle left the room, if he had a heart it would be racing from the nerves he was feeling. He would talk to Esme, but not tonight.


Well???? What do you think? What will Esme's reaction be? What will happen to Seth? And the twins will continue to grow more adorable.

Next time on "Snare of Darkness"