A few quick notes about timeline and Au-ness of this world:

The James thing didn't happen, so this Bella has not been attacked nor bitten by any vampires (yet).

While Bella and the Cullens both know about the wolf pack on the Rez, Jacob is not a wolf at the current time.

Edward and the Cullens have not left.

If you have other questions about this world and they aren't answered in-story I'll post answers here so leave questions in the review section.

Happy Reading!

Bella woke in the morning from a lovely dream. Her and Edward laying intertwined in the meadow. Also, Edward was shirtless. Yumm..

Though she opened her eyes to an equally lovely sight.

The real Edward, with a shirt on.

"Good morning love." He had a soft, fond smile.

"Welcome home." She wrapped her arms around the love of her life.

"Have a nice dream?" he asked with an amused smile.

She groaned in embarrassment. "How much did you hear?"

"Nothing coherent, but you sounded happy."

"Of course I was, you were there. Instant good dream." She leaned up to kiss him, he met her halfway and they kissed for the first time in three days.

Best morning ever.

It was electric and breathtaking, her head spun in all the best ways and her heart hammered a million miles a minute.

He pulled back to let her breathe and she could feel the burning flush in her face.

"I missed you."

"I always miss you."

"You should get ready for school. Don't want Charlie getting suspicious."

She groaned again and buried her head in his chest. Memories of the day before flooding back. "Are you sure we can't play hooky for one day?"

A faint kiss to the top of her head was followed by a laugh. "Not that it doesn't sound fun to runaway with you, but I think that would attract attention."

"I know." She stood up from the bed and grabbed what she needed to get ready for the day. Not that anything would help her get ready to see Jack Argent again. But she may as well put on a show. Plus Edward was back, so she wasn't alone in her only class with him. She could handle this. Everything was going to be okay. It had to be. She couldn't handle it if something happened here like it did in Phoenix.

Nope. Those are the worst thoughts her head could summon.

Focus on other priorities Swan.

She wanted more coffee.

"Hey, Bella. If you're awake I'm heading to the station!" She heard Charlie call from somewhere in the house.

"Okay!" She called out, not sure if he heard.

A few seconds later it was obvious he was gone because was behind her as she brushed her teeth. She could see him in the mirror.

She crossed that off her vampire questions list months ago.

She finished up and looked him in the eye via the glass. There was a worried expression on his face.

"I have a confession to make, Jasper mentioned you had a rough day at school yesterday. I rushed back and managed to arrive earlier than planned."

"Of course, he said something." She sighed and turned around to face him directly. "A guy from my past in Phoenix showed up in Biology. We have an ugly history."

"That bad?"

"Worse. Much worse."

"I'm sorry. If he causes you trouble I'll deal with it."

She let a fry humorless laugh, "Jack doesn't cause trouble, he is trouble," she sighed. "Be careful around him. He's as dull as a crayon but he's observant. He'll notice things."

"We always are. But thanks for the warning."

The dread she had fought was back, knotting and twisting in her center. She didn't need her magic to tell her when something bad was about to happen.

Jack woke up that morning hating life. Werewolves, Bella and whatever her new friend with golden eyes was.

Staying in bed has never sounded so great.

Except it wasn't an option today.

His dad was insistent that he at least go to school.

Maybe she wouldn't be there today, maybe she wanted to skip as much as he did. If that's true and she was there anyway, she would be cranky. Crankier.

Everything sucks.

Except for that wolf from yesterday. The grey one. They had haunted his dreams. He could still see those eyes.

The last time he felt like this was with…her.

But he couldn't think about that.

Prioritize.

Focus on Bella first, then if he survived that encounter maybe he could think about romance.

Maybe.

Probably not.

Bella will likely kill him first.

Maybe there was some way to stave off her wrath.

Then again, last time he tried to do that the only way he could find was shooting her with a poison arrow.

Which was probably a large factor in her hating him.

Combine that with all of the other things that his family has done to her…

There was no way he was going to be able to talk her out of anything.

Best course of action was probably to avoid her. To put as much distance between him and her as possible was better for everyone.

The last thing as anyone in any town needs is an angry witch on the war path.

Jack took a deep breath and finished getting ready for school, tumbling a little over the still packed boxes from Phoenix.

Bella was on edge all day. Just knowing Jack was here was setting off every nerve in her body. If she had her Pulse Sense, she'd know where he was and what he was up to. It wouldn't change anything but she would feel better. Mostly she didn't want to be blindsided again by him appearing out of fucking nowhere.

"I can't read your mind, but I can hear it whirring. If you want, I can talk to this Jack for you." Edward, the adoring sweetheart that he was, offered as they walked together.

Best boyfriend ever, even in situations where he was powerless.

"You're sweet. But I think it's best if I talk to him." She didn't want to but she knew she would have to. There was a lot of things needed to be said between her and Jack. She could feel it in her bones that this needed to be dealt with. Besides, he might know something about what happened to her powers.

She kissed Edward on the cheek. When they arrived at her classroom.

"I'll see you soon, my love."

Even with everything swirling her mind, that one word always brought a smile to her face.

"Love you."

The next hour she pretended to pay attention to the teacher. Her eyes front and she was looking at the board but she was thinking about what she was going to have to do about Jack. She breathed deeply in and out of her nose. She steadied her breathing and for a moment allowed herself to remember her life before she came back to Forks. How things between her and Jack used to be.

She had considered him a friend and ally. Sure he was always an idiot and somehow clumsier that her with a penchant for getting himself hurt in stupid ways. But despite that he had an infectious optimism and a knack for seeing the human in someone, no matter what they actually were. Terrible at taking care of himself and reckless to a near suicidal degree. He cared, about pretty everyone.

Was it any surprise that her cheerful childhood best friend fell in love with him at first sight?

Seriously though, he was a good kid.

That's all he had going for him.

He was still a scrawny, clumsy, useless, dumbass, sentient piece of garbage whose poor decision-making got eight people killed.

AND took her powers.

Son of a bitch.

Frankly it was amazing he was still alive.

Or her protection spell was just that good.

Jack was hiding.

He knew it was cowardly. Avoiding the cafeteria and everyone inside it. In a school this small, there was only one lunch hour, so it was safe to assume that Bella was in there.

He was on the floor with his back against the lockers, his knees were folded into his chest with his arms crossed over them and his head down.

He was nothing but a useless coward.

He deserved whatever Bella was going to do to him.

"So this is where you've been hiding. I've been looking for you Dumbass."

He jumped at the sound of her voice and slowly looked up at the looming figure of Bella Swan. "Hey."

"We need to talk."

He knew that even before she said it. But what could he say? He had a thousand things he wanted to tell her, but nothing sounded right given everything that happened last time he saw her. "Yeah, yeah we do."

"Do you want to start or should I just go ahead?"

She was the wronged party here, "You go first."

Bella stepped back away from him, to the other side of the locker hallway and leaned back against them. One leg was straight, one was bent so that her foot was against the metal, her arms crossed over her stomach and she was looking above him and not at him directly.

He knew this posture, had seen her do this enough times to guess at what she was thinking, This is painful. I don't want to do this, but I have to.

Her expression was blank, but Bella had a good poker face. Or at least she used to. "So, this is our life?" She laughed once humorlessly, she leaned her head back now facing the sky and closed her eyes. "This is so stupid. Of all the things that could have happened, this? Really? You think Kara can see this from the afterlife?"

A chill ran through the hall when she spoke the name of his dead girlfriend. Of her best friend.

"I hope so. I hope she can because she would probably be laughing her ass off."

"I hope she's at peace. I hope they all are."

She banged her head softly into the locker. "You know I was happy. Not just then, but now. I have a boyfriend and everything. It's all so fucking perfect, I was amazed nothing bad seemed to be happening." She moved her head forward and looked him dead in the eyes. "Of course the universe was just waiting for an opportunity to spring you back into my life."

"I'm sorry."

"Apologies don't change anything."

"What do you want from me?" He asked in a quiet voice.

"Two things. One, stay away from me." He was prepared for that. "And I want to know what was on that arrow you shot me with."

He blinked, his mind went completely blank.

She closed her eyes and sighed, "The poison you used."

"Bane-free witch tranquilizer. Doc's recipe."

"Bullshit." Her softer tone from earlier exploded into a shout of anger. "Absolute bullshit."

"What's wrong?"

"What's wrong?" She repeated. "You are un-fucking-believable."

"What did I do?"

"You have no idea, do you? Son of sociopathic bastard." She was shaking her head. "I should just fucking end you! Goddamnit Argent!"

Jack legitimately had no idea what she was talking about. Had the poison done something to her, some side effect he didn't know about? He had made the poison perfectly according to Doc's recipe. She should have been fine after she woke up!

Before he could think of a response Bella stormed off muttering something under her breath that vaguely sounded like a river of curse words and threats.

If he wasn't fucked before, he is now.

Bella knew it was going to be something stupid. She knew. Fucking Argents. Both of them. Argent Senior almost definitely had something to do with this. Jack can't fake that much confusion and ignorance. Sociopathic fucker.

Mr. "I have a homicidal family but won't say anything even if I know they're in town."

Was it any wonder why his son wasn't happy with him?

She went back to the Cullen table annoyed and mildly dejected. She sat down at the table and leaned her head on Edward's shoulder.

"Your talk didn't go well?"

"Banging my head into a brick wall would be more productive and less headache inducing."

"I'm sorry?"

"It's okay. I've always known he was a colossal moron." She sighed, "Useless piece of trash that can do anything right except-" she stopped when she remembered where she was and who she was talking to. She shook her head and groaned.

"Is this guy really that bad?" Emmett asked.

"He could be the most dangerous person in this entire town if he put his single functioning brain cell to it." She tone was cold and flat. It was a simple truth. "He's also an unbearably nice guy, he's just the most incompetent person alive."

"He's also absolutely terrified of you." Jasper quipped.

"He should be. I can and want to kill him."

"But you won't." Alice stated. "I don't see a future where you kill him."

"Heh. More trouble than even he's worth."

Alice tilted her head and frowned. "He's future's a bit all over the place."

"Yeah, that's not surprising. I'd give it a week before he's best friends with the wolves."

Rosalie gave Bella a look, for the first time it wasn't full of loathing it was closer to curious. Then she huffed and turned away. "So was he your boyfriend or something?"

Bella actually laughed. "Absolutely not. I'm not a furry and I prefer a man with an actual functioning brain in his skull," She responded in a monotone voice after her laughter died down.

Emmett doubled over laughing. "What the hell Swan?! That was the best thing you've ever said!"

Jasper was snickering to himself.

Rosalie and Alice staring quietly in shock.

Bella lifted her head to glance at Edward's face.

It was cold and dark. A chill of remembrance went up Bella's spine. She knew that look.

Edward was pissed off.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"Just got glimpse of his mind for a second. Now I understand why you hate him."

She rubbed his arm soothingly. "Whatever he's thinking about, it's okay."

"He shot you. With a poisoned arrow." Edward's sentences were stiff and jagged.

Bella was touched by her boyfriend's anger. "Yeah, yeah he did."

"If he lays a hand on you I'm snapping his neck."

"Aww…You're sweet." She kissed his cheek. "But that won't be necessary."

A silent rumble originated from his chest. She could feel it where their bodies touched. The other vampires could probably hear him growl.

"Easy Edward. He's way too scared to go anywhere near her." Jasper commented.

Bella stroked his arm and nuzzled into his shoulder. Contact seemed to calm him down. At least, the rumbling stopped. Or maybe it was Jasper. Either way he didn't seem to be planning a murder anytime soon.

Jack did not want to go to Biology. He wanted to leave the freaking state.

Maybe he could convince the teacher to make him sit anywhere else in the classroom. Preferably somewhere far away from where Bella and, according to some girl in his history class, her boyfriend sat.

Bella had a fucking boyfriend. Who was probably just as scary as she was.

Jack was going to die a horrible death. And then there was the talk in the hallway, he still had no idea what she was talking about.

What had the poison done to her?

How badly was he going to die?

He sat down in his chair, neither Bella nor this supposed boyfriend were there yet.

The other kid was though.

"So, you and Bella know each other?"

"Yeah, we..umm..used to hang out in the same circle." An understatement, but mostly truthful. This guy didn't need the gory details.

"That's cool. You think you could a guy up with tips?"

What was he even asking? "I don't think so. She and I didn't part on the best of terms." Another massive understatement but again this guy didn't need fine print.

"Damn. That sucks dude. Though I guess that explains yesterday. I've never seen her angry like that before. The look she was giving you… I got chills man."

"You have no idea." The first complete and honest truth he had said to the kid.

"Man… I was really hoping I could sway her away from Cullen."

"Who?"

"Oh, yeah he wasn't here yesterday. Edward Cullen, Bella's boyfriend and luckiest guy in the whole freaking school."

More like scariest guy in the whole school if Bella was dating him.

And then they walked in together.

There was Bella, standing tall and walking with her face forward. The guy who had to be Cullen reminded Jack of Jasper Hale, same eyes and skin. This guy was probably the same thing. Whatever that happened to be. They were physically closer than Jack had expected. He had seen her around people she was emotionally close to before, and she had never stood that close to anyone that Jack had seen. She was practically orbiting him, and he was doing the same. When they sat down together they both were leaning towards each other. Even in a crowded classroom their attention was solely on each other.

So, this is a Bella in love?

At the very least, she was happy. The happiest he had ever seen her.

That was comforting. That after everything he and his family had put her through she was finally happy.

Good for her. Something good came out of all of this.

He felt a twitch of a faint smile on his face.

"Today class we are going over the human heart. A complicated organ with numerous working parts. Can anyone tell me how many chambers the human heart has? Miss Swan?"

"Four, two upper, two lower."

Jack suppressed a quick laugh with a fake cough. Yeah, I bet being able to see heart beat and the flow of blood through the body made this class easy.

Blood magic was not to be fucked with.

Even he knew that.

The class was over quickly, neither Bella or this Edward guy looked at him. Which was probably for the best. Less chance of being killed by either.

His next class similarly uneventful, he and Jasper didn't even make contact.

Okay, if they wanted to avoid hm as much as he wanted to avoid them, that's great! The chances of him dying tomorrow decreases even further.

The relief made him forget about the wolf pack until long after he got home. His dad wasn't there, which Jack was glad for. Part of him wanted to ask if he knew anything about what Bella seemed so upset over and the other part was terrified of the answer.

He either did something to her without Jack knowing and given his father's track record he might get lied to if that is the case.

Or he didn't and whatever happened to Bella was entirely Jack's fault.

Jack felt as though he was going to throw up regardless of the answer and didn't want to know. As long as the box stayed closed there was a chance of the cat being alive right?

So Jack went for another walk into the forest surrounding his new home. He was still avoiding unpacking, some memories were best left in cardboard boxes.

After about ten minutes of walking he found a fallen, half-rotted tree covered in moist moss and random plant matter.

He sat down with a heavy sigh and placed his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands.

Was Bella ever going to forgive him?

Why would she, after everything?

He owed her everything, and all he could do was what? Stay away?

He hurt her. Apparently in ways he hadn't intended. Why on Earth would she ever forgive him?

Jack wanted to do right by her, at least once in his pathetic life.

Maybe pretending she didn't exist was the best thing he could do for her now. Regardless of what he might want.

She was angry at him but that anger came from pain. That's where it started and he had no way of resolving it.

He closed his eyes and he saw a picture of all them. The only one of the entire pack ever taken. He could see the smiles shared by everyone in the group. He pinched the bridge of his nose.

It was his fault they were dead.

There was a loud yipp of a wolf right next to his ear.

"Ahh!" He shouted and fell backwards onto the forest floor. Water soaked through his jacket and he felt and rush of pain throughout most of his body. "Oww…"

He looked up to see the grey wolf sitting on the other side of the log.

"Oh..uh…hi?"

The wolf blinked and tilted, hopefully her, head at him.

"Nice to see you again."

The head tilted back to its original position. He got a cold, narrowed-eyed glare.

"I don't suppose you have a name?"

He got a bark and then a growl in response.

"You don't like me either, do you? It's okay. I won't hurt you." Intentionally.

The wolf's head was now tilted in the other direction. The eyes were widened.

He stood up from the puddle of forest muck that he was now drenched in.

The wolf let out an apologetic whine.

"Don't feel bad, I'm a horrible clutz and I startle easy. This," he gestured towards himself, "was bound to happen eventually."

The wolf's tail half-wagged.

"Well, I'm glad I amuse you. So far all I've really done is annoy people, so at least I've managed to make somebody happy." He gave a half-hearted bow. "Anyway can you do me a favor and nod your head if you're a girl and shake your head if you're a guy? Just so that this isn't awkward later."

The wolf paused and nodded twice, slowly.

"Cool." Oh, thank the heavens. Is this wolf was a guy that would be so awkward. Jack was not a sausage fan. Jack stepped around the log and held out his hand towards the she-wolf. Then remembered than wolfs don't have hands to shake. Eternally awkward. Ugh.,,

Thankfully, the wolf stepped forward and nudged her head against his hand, leading it to him stroking behind her ears.

Jack's heart skipped a beat. And for the first time since he got here it had nothing to do with fearing for his life. She was a cute wolf. Oh shit, did she hear that?

She rubbed her face against him.

"I'd like to know your name."