Disclaimer: (see Chapter 3)

A/n: Hello people, welcome to my new story, which occurs after my other story Sunset. You should go read that story before reading this one since a lot of stuff is explained there that I might not go fully into detail in this one; but I'll try my best to keep in mind that not everyone had read that story. This Chapter was written by Brianna, and looked over and edited by Vanessa.

Chapter Preview: In all relationships there a good times and bad times.

Quote of the Chapter: "No one should have to brave this world alone."

Chapter Four: Ups and Downs

"Bella- I have to go now- the pack is calling me." Jacob said, kissing my neck still. Since last night Jacob had been very…well, let's say friendly…after Edward left. It seemed weird to be saying goodbye to Edward every night before Charlie got home, I never used to say bye to him, because a few hours later I'd be laying next to him in my bed. But now it was Jacob and I who were lying in my bed, him kissing me gently and for the last half an hour telling me he needs to leave, but making no effort to move.

"What do they want?" I finally asked. I still hadn't gotten quite used to the fact that Jacob could hear the other members of the packs, as of right now- in his human form- he couldn't hear their thoughts, but (as he told me before) he knew when they were calling him.

"I don't know- it's not an emergency or someone would've come by now." Jacob said, kissing me on the lips, I smiled and leaned back against my pillows.

"Jacob- you should go, your family needs you." I said, even though I didn't want him to leave for any reason whatsoever.

"It's probably just patrolling." Jacob, complained, kissing me on the neck again, I closed my eyes and fell into. "I'd much rather do this tonight." he said softly in my ear, I grinned, and wrapped my arms around his torso.

"My dad's going to be back soon." I protested, giggling. He smirked and rubbed his palm down the side of my body.

"He's not here yet." Jacob suggested, kissing me gently with his warm lips. I smiled, and wiggled closer to his body (which was pretty hard to do at this point) and lifted his shirt off, revealing his tight, muscular abs. He grinned and kissed me on the neck, lifting my shirt off. I felt completely comfortable around him now, there was none of that awkward 'what am I allowed to do' kind of stuff; he knew what I wanted and I knew what he wanted.

Jacob stopped for a second, his hand about to unclip my bra, he looked out my window; the curtain was blowing in the breeze from the open window.

"What's wrong, Jake?" I asked, giggling, kissing his neck. He looked down at me and kissed me gently on the lips.

"Your…friend…is close- I can smell him." Jacob complained his voice hard. I leaned back on the pillow and kissed his hand.

"How close?" I asked, trying to avert his disgusted face away from the window.

"Close enough for me to smell him…" he answered.

"C'mon Jake, don't worry about him- worry about me." I said, I didn't want Edward being back now to mess up what Jacob and I had. I got out of his grip, stood up off the bed and walked over to the window, shutting it.

"Bella- I don't know if I can- I don't even know why you want him here…I just- I will not watch him hurt you again…I mean, why do you want him here- I can protect you on my own, I don't need him and his bloodsucker pals to protect you…or does that mean you don't think I can't actually protect you?" Jacob asked his voice low.

"Jacob- you know that's not it at all…I told you already how I feel why can't you just accept the fact that I want to be friends with him…" I said, I really didn't understand why he had to make this so hard, it's not like I forced them to be in the same room as each other every waking moment.

"Because there is no reason I can think of that you'd still want to be around him after what he put you through, the only reason I can think of is that you still lo-" he stopped, and I fell silent, having about to argue back. He looked down, and I looked at him, sadly.

"You think I still love him?" I asked, walking over to the bed and wrapping my arms around him. He looked into my eyes.

"It's just- now that I see you around him, I'm remembering back to how it felt when you and him were dating and how jealous and angry I was, and how your eyes lit up when he walked into the room and how deeply I wanted you to look at me the way you did him…and now that your mine, I don't want to take a chance in loosing you…" he had his head down, as if trying to cover up the shame in what he had said. I felt guilty now, I knew I shouldn't have accepted Edward back- I knew it there was a chance that it might hurt Jacob in some way, and I did it- I'm the most selfish person in the world.

"Jacob, I'm sorry- I didn't know- I…" I spat out

"No, Bella- you have no reason to be sorry…I mean, I understand…you want him back in your life- you never even wanted him out of it- and at the time I was…convenient…" he said quietly.

"Don't say that!" I commanded, hitting his arm, angrily, "Jacob, I love you- not Edward- so no matter how unreal or unbelievable that may sound to you, I do- I love you and I will always and forever love you and do not think for one moment that that is not true!" I stood up and walk into the bathroom, slamming and locking the door, tears were falling down my cheeks, it annoyed me how sensitive I was emotionally. But I couldn't believe that he thought I was still in love with Edward when I tried to make it more than clear I was in love with him. And how dare he think he was the 'better choice at the time' and that I am the type of person to leave him just because my ex-boyfriend came back.

Knock

Knock

Knock

"Bella, please open the door." Jacob's voice was low and apologetic, but I didn't care- he shouldn't have said what he did.

"Just go to your pack now, Jacob; just leave me alone for right now." I answered back, trying to keep my voice from shaking.

"Bella please, I'm sorry- I didn't mean what I said- I didn't mean to make your cry- Please Bella, just open the door." Jacob begged I knew I shouldn't have walked over to the door and unlocked it, and give in so fast, but-I did. Jacob walked in hurriedly, as if expecting I would close it if he didn't get in fast enough. He grabbed my hand and pulled me into his chest. "Bella- I'm so sorry- I didn't mean it, It didn't come out right. I know I'm not perfect, not like you think Cullen is- but I will try my best to be as close to it as possible, and I never want to hurt you, so I won't bring it up again, Bella- I promise- please don't cry." I buried my face in his chest, and he held me tightly, his face buried in my hair, rocking me gently.

"Don't ever say I don't love you, Jake, just…don't…" I told him softly, muffled, into his shirt. He kissed me on the top of my head.

"I'm in love with you Bella Swan, I always have and I always will." Jacob told me, and again as he said it my heart leaped again, like it normally did. I smiled lightly in his chest and he kissed the top of my head again.

"I love you" I replied, simply, into his chest, and wrapped my arms around him. He lifted me up, and carried me to my bed, laying me on my purple comforter. He wrapped his arms around my waist and kissed me once on the lips.

"I should go now… and Sam is now calling me, I think he wants us to go on night patrol or something- I'll probably be in a lot of trouble if I don't go now." Jacob joked; I smiled gently and kissed him again.

"Alright, but come back tomorrow." I said, kissing him again on the cheek. He grinned and kissed me on the lips.

"First thing in the morning." he answered, as I kissed him again, wrapping my arms around his neck. No matter how mad I was at him a minute ago, it all dissolved away to a point in which I barley remembered it. All I wanted was for him to be with me as close as humanly or wolfly possible.

"Bye bye, then." I giggled, kissing him on his lips again; he smiled and kissed me back. After about three minutes we broke apart, panting heavily. "You really should leave now." I said, laughing. He smirked and stood up, pulling me up with him.

I walked him to the door, where we spend another five minutes, telling each other goodbye. After awhile he left, leaving me alone in the house as the rain began to pick up again. I went to the kitchen to start dinner for Charlie and me and had just put the casserole in the oven when the phone rang.

I picked it up and heard a beautiful, musical voice.

"Bella- are you okay?" Alice asked, urgently, "Edward's coming over."

"What why?" I asked, confused, "What happened?"

"I couldn't see you for a long time again, Bella- so Edward got all worried and is about to come, he should be there by now-" the doorbell rang, and turned around, suddenly startled.

"Um- yeah, I'm pretty sure that's him now." I said, setting the timer on the oven and walking over towards the door. I unlocked the bottom lock and opened the door, Edward stood there, hair and clothes soaking wet.

"Bella- what's wrong? What happened? Where were you? " Edward asked, showing himself in, and looking around.

"Nowhere- I've been with Jacob this whole time…well he's gone now, but-"

"Jacob- the wolf?" Alice said on the phone, "Give the phone to Edward real quick, Bella, please." Alice asked, I handed Edward the phone. They spoke quickly and quietly, I heard the oven beep in the kitchen and went to take out the casserole.

Edward came in a moment later, putting the cordless phone back on its charger.

"What's going on?" I asked, leaning again the kitchen counter, having set the food on top of the stove to cool off.

"Well, Alice has a theory that when you're with your wolf friend- she is unable to see you in her visions, and well…that doesn't make her very confident about us being able to protect you." Edward said, his eyes deeply locked in mine, in a way I felt almost trance.

"Well, if I'm with Jacob then you guys don't need to worry." I said, defending my werewolf boyfriend. Edward studied me, and after a second I felt uncomfortable and turned around to cut the casserole. I felt Edward's eyes still on me, so I took my time trying to cut it into neat squares.

"If you believe that…then I'll try not to worry as much…" Edward finished, and I finally turned around.

"Thank you…" I told him, feeling a tad bit awkward now. "Um- is there any news of the vampires?"

"Nothing much- that's what's disturbing us. There are no tracks, no traces of anything they left behind, nothing but the bodies of blood-drained children that neither the police nor we have discovered yet. We suspect that it's about two or three of them, probably very old- older than Carlisle; usually older vampires need younger blood to stay strong." Edward explained, as I put the some casserole on a plate for Charlie, then on another for me and the walking over to the table and placing it next to two glasses of water.

"I don't know what to say- I just hope they stop, I'm sick of having nightmares." I told, putting my hair up into a ponytail then putting the leftover casserole in the oven to stay hot in case Charlie wanted more.

"What nightmares?" Edward asked, following me, racing around the kitchen, with his eyes.

"Nothing…well- I don't know- it's just dreams." I explained, sitting down at the table, Edward stayed standing.

"So there's been more than one? About what?" Edward asked, he seemed frustrated with the fact that he didn't already know, on account of the fact that I was the only mind he couldn't read.

"About a little girl whose lost in the forest…her eyes were black…and she was crying…" I said, trying to remember back. "She kept telling me she was lost- and when I asked her who she was she wouldn't answer- but when I told her to come back home with me she told me I was lost too. And then she said 'Forks is next'" I concluded, and Edward's eyes seemed far away for a second, then they met mine.

"That's…interesting." Edward commented, he eased closer to me after sitting down next to me.

"It was just a dream…" I said, finishing my food. Edward stayed silent, and I didn't try to penetrate that silence, either. It felt awkward being with him alone, ever since he came back, but still- I did not want him to leave. There was something about Edward being there that made me comfortable and uncomfortable at the same time, and I didn't know which side to listen to. And the fact that Jacob didn't like him here, made me feel selfish- truthfully I didn't know why I wanted him here in the first place, I don't think 'we've been through too much' and 'I want to be friends' was enough for what he had put me through after he dumped me, but still- oddly- I did not want him to leave, no matter how much it tormented for him to be here.

"Bella…I should go- I know how you feel, and the less time I spent around you…the better- I think…" he said, he waited for my approval, but I didn't want to give it to him. I just nodded, and looked down at the crumbs left on my plate; he stood up, a look of uneasiness swept over his perfect face.

"I never meant to hurt you, Bella…I just wanted to keep you safe…" he said, quietly, barley auditable.

"It's always about wanting to keep me safe…" I told him, "I get that- I understand that…but…you're always looking for what you think is best for me, when the best thing for me…at the time… was for you to be with me, and just to keep me safe, with you here…"I told him, looking at my plate and fidgeting with my fork.

"I'm sorry…for everything I did to you…I wish I could take it back- but I can't, that's one of the many cruel things in life…" Edward said, he walked towards the door body looking like a moving statue.

"I forgive you, Edward…" I spoke softly, but loud enough for him to hear; he stopped where he was for about a second, and then continued towards the door, a little less stiff. I turned back to my food once I heard the front door open and close, I took a deep breath- having him here was harder than I thought it would be.

A/n: This is the end of Chapter four, I hope you enjoyed it, and understood anything. Sorry about any grammar or spelling mistakes I might've made and overlooked. Please review and comment, tell me the stuff you don't understand too because I feel like nothing is making sense right now- to me. Sorry about the slow updating, next chapters are probably going to be taking awhile since we've finally caught up to the chapters I'm writing (chapter 5). Again, please review and have a nice morning/afternoon/evening/night.