Warning: This chapter contains a little bit of swearing. Seemed Jacob-appropriate, though Bella wouldn't approve :D


Chapter Four – Confrontation


Jacob Black, his head low, hands in his pockets, stepped quickly down from the Swan's front porch as Charlie Swan watched from behind the screen door.

"Careful driving home, Jacob," he called. Jacob gave him a nod without raising his head.

"And we'll find her, Jake. We will," Charlie said softly. At that, Jacob turned and looked into Bella's fathers eyes. He saw that Charlie truly believed what he said. Charlie Swan, still in the black suit he had worn to his daughter's funeral the day before, believed his own words one-hundred percent.

Jacob gave him a weak smile and waved once more, heading towards his car. He'd much rather run back home, but unfortunately, Charlie wasn't aware of one small fact about him--that he was a werewolf. He needed his car for the pretense.

The pretense. Jacob scowled. He wasn't even sure anymore what that meant. Was he pretending that they hadn't buried Bella 24 hours ago? Or was he pretending that they had?

He wanted desperately to possess the faith that Charlie held—that Bella was still out there. And yet, he had been the one to see her. His beautiful Bella, his best friend. He had witnessed her drowning. He had seen the terror on her face. But he hadn't been able to save her. She was gone because he couldn't save her. If he wanted to back up even further, Bella was gone because he'd been too busy that morning to meet her.

You were protecting her, how were you to know she would chose that day to jump from the cliff? Sam had argued after hearing Jacob's thoughts of guilt and pain.

They had been at such a great place together. Jacob finally felt that Bella was moving on from all the pain the bloodsucker had caused her. She seemed almost—Bella again. She had been smiling a lot, laughing. Jacob's heart swelled with love at the thought of his best friend's laughter. Sharing a joke, a smile. She's gotta be out there, I can't survive without hearing that laugh again. There was a void inside Jacob, and it hurt more than he could say. He needed Bella back.

Jacob was lost in a memory of Bella as he pulled over to the side of the road, driving his car into some thick bushes. He wanted to run tonight. He would pick up his car later. As he locked the door and turned to depths of the dark forest, he suddenly paused and sniffed the air. A foul smell met his sensitive nostrils and he grew more alert, ready to morph at any second.

"Jacob Black?" questioned a voice from the trees. Jacob spun around, trying to find the source.

"Who's there?" he called out, not afraid, but tense and ready.

"I never would have thought…but it makes sense…when did you before a wolf, Jacob?"

Jacob looked into the woods, incredulously. Who--? But there could only be one answer. Jacob snarled.

"Show yourself, Cullen. Show yourself for the coward, the bastardly coward that you are!" he yelled, feeling himself start to lose control. He turned in a slow circle, his sharp eyes scanning the woods around him.

Suddenly, a cold arm was around his neck, choking him. Jacob clawed viciously at the stone that cut into his own warm flesh.

"What happened to her?" whispered the voice threateningly, "What happened to Bella?"

Jacob yanked himself out of Edward Cullen's grip, surprising the vampire with his strength and causing him to step back.

"Don't touch me," he spat. "Don't you fucking touch me." Jacob's heart raced as he took the vampire in. Paler than he remembered. Large dark circles under his black eyes. Hair sticking out haphazardly. Definitely not the neat, groomed vampire Jacob remembered from Bella's prom all those months ago.

"Haven't been getting a lot of sleep, Jacob," spoke Edward dryly, hearing Jacob's thoughts. Jacob stared at Edward.

"Right. She told me you could do that," he sneered.

"Bella," he practically choked out her name, his black eyes pleading. The pain was evident, even to Jacob. "What happened to her?" he asked again, his arms dropping to his side, the fight leaving his cold body.

But a spoken answer was un-necessary. Edward heard it all in Jacob's head as he played back the events. Jacob watched as Edward's face crumbled.

"There was even a funeral. Casket and all," Jacob said, glaring at the vampire, his eyes full of hate.

"Why…why was Bella jumping off a cliff?" asked Edward, shaking the funeral images from his head.

Jacob lowered his head and took a deep breath.

Because she loved doing dangerous things. Because I wasn't around like I'd promised but she wanted to do it anyways. She jumped without me and disappeared.

"Bella liked doing dangerous things?" Edward questioned doubtfully.

"Yeah. She did. Guess you didn't know her that well. Broke her heart and left her destroyed, you filthy bloodsucker."

And then Jacob shot out a mental image of how Bella looked when she had come to him that day, months ago, with the pair of beat up motorcycles.

"She was a shell, leech, a shell of Bella Swan. There wasn't anything left in her; she was barely holding herself together. Her arms were constantly wrapped around her body tightly. I think she was afraid she was going to fall apart, otherwise." I was afraid she was going to fall apart.

Edward was horrified at what he saw. What he'd done to his Bella.

"I left her to protect her," he whispered.

"You left because you didn't want her anymore," Jacob spat back, his voice shaking with anger.

"No," whispered Edward, the image of his broken Bella dancing across his mind. "I left for you, Bella. It was dangerous, I was too danger--" Edward's voice broke and he squeezed shut his eyes, not caring if Jacob Black was there to witness his pain.

Jacob glared at the vampire angrily and shot another image at him. Edward looked up, his eyes meeting Jacob's. Bella, looking much happier--hanging out with Jacob in his garage—laughing, smiling.

"Thank you," he said quietly.

"That wasn't supposed to make you feel better. That was to show you that she got on with her life. You broke Bella, but she was able to be put back together. She was so much happier." Jacob trailed off and looked away. So much happier. And then she was gone

"Because of you. You helped her," stated Edward, feeling both jealous and grateful.

"She was so god-damn heart-broken," Jacob muttered. Edward cringed at the zombie-Bella image again.

And again, the image shifted. Bella and Jacob sitting on a bench in a movie theatre lobby, holding hands. Edward winced, his fingers clenched, but instead of punching Jacob Black in the face, he filed the image away in his head. He would deal with that later. He pressed on.

"You're the last one that saw her. Do you think she's alive--somewhere? Lost, maybe?" Edward asked as he listened to Jacob's thoughts of Bella's last few moments; her head bobbing in the water, her yell of panic…and then nothing. He didn't need Jaspers talent to feet Jacob's helplessness as he dove down into the depths of the ocean, searching in vain for the girl he would never find.

"I don't know how she can be," admitted Jacob, his voice gruff with emotion. He turned his head slightly out of the moon-light, not wanting Edward Cullen to witness his grief. But his thoughts betrayed his words and Edward saw that he was clinging to a desperate hope.

"No body," said Edward softly.

"No body," replied Jacob. "But where could she be? Every square inch has been searched. Charlie has left no rock unturned. There are posters everywhere. It has been a week. No Bella."

"And still, no body," repeated Edward. He needed someone, even if it was Jacob Black, a werewolf also in love with his Bella, to be on his side.

"No body," echoed Jacob weakly.

Edward pinched the bridge of his nose between his forefinger and thumb.

"Maybe she doesn't want to be found," he said suddenly, looking up at the moon.

Jacob stared at him, incredulously.

"Right. Bella faked a drowning and is hiding out in a cave--perfectly fine--enjoying the comforts of the great outdoors. Probably cooking up a s'more as we speak. Sounds like Bella."

But Jacob's sarcasm couldn't rattle Edward as he shook his head.

"She's not dead," was all he could answer.

"Right, cause you have such a connection with her and everything," said Jacob sarcastically.

"I would feel it. I would know." Edward had to believe that

Jacob rolled his eyes.

"I didn't see you come running back when that other leech nearly killed her. In fact, I do believe it was me that saved Bella."

Edward's head snapped up. His eyes narrowed into slits.

"What did you say?"

He listened as Jacob went through the scene. Bella in their meadow. Laurant getting ready to bite Bella. Jacob and his pack tearing him to pieces.

"No." Edward swore, his mind working quickly. Jacob laughed bitterly.

"My, my…Edward Cullen swears. Too bad I don't have my video camera with me," he snickered. Before he could react, Edward had him pinned against a tree.

"I know you think you're clever, Black. You think you're stronger than me. Don't let Laurant's weakness misguide you," Edward let go. Jacob growled in anger, stumbled forward and spun around. But before he could lunge, Edward had disappeared.

"We're not done, Cullen!" yelled Jacob, his laugher sounding hysterical, even in his own ears. "I killed one of you once before. Cross my path again and you will be sorry."

But something was bothering Jacob and it had to do with the look he'd seen on Edward's face, right before he had pinned him. Like he'd found a missing puzzle piece. Jacob couldn't shake the feeling that Edward has figured something out. Something Jacob had told him had clicked. Jacob thought hard, his mind racing. What? What did I miss?

And then it clicked. And Jacob couldn't have felt more stupid. The pack had chased her to Canada. But she had made her escape...in the water. After everything with Bella, he had completely forgotten--none of it had seemed relavant anymore, when his best friend had just drown. But now--shit.

Jacob morphed quickly and took off into the darkness.