Sorry. I'm really busy but I'm updating because...je t'aime. Oui, je ne parle pas Francais bien but what can we do? Oh, here's the next chapter. I read over it. I hope it's good.

Chapter 3
One More Try

Edward's POV

He looked so pale, so gone, so dead. Jacob's eyes flattered shut tight and then, he slowly opened them. "Am I...dead?" he asked, softly, trying to understand everything and anything but I couldn't understand why he was feeling this way. I touched his heart and felt it thumping and he shook his head. "Dead, dead, dead," he didn't know he was talking and it was sad hearing him say his thoughts out with such a thick, and smooth, honey out of a jar, voice. Mostly because I knew I'd do anything to stop him from saying anymore. I touched at his face and he twisted his head away from mine.

We continued walking around to his house, and he knew, just knew, that was something going on. That the flame might get inside of his liver or heart, or anywhere and burn him to life. I saw those flames. They subsided before they dug inside of his skin. I should know. I have such a sharp vision that I could even taste the flames, gone and away, and I could smell its ferocity before I realized that it wasn't the flames. Jacob's flesh had this scent of hot, hot liquid that burns inside of people's hearts. If my heart could warm his touch, it would. Around him, my heart wasn't too cold or too hard, around him, my heart melted. And there was a scent of his furious burning alcoholic scent.

And I wanted more. Even if it was wrong. Bella was supposed to do that to me but she couldn't have. Not that fury. Not that burning alcohol. Not any of it.

When I had been walking him, there was this one thought that pulled me out of thoughts of the car explosion.

I wish that I can have one try at patrolling again; I bet I can do it.

I didn't know why but I thought that he needed that try too. One more try and it might be all over. It might make him feel better. It make encourage him to be happier and Bella would be ecstatic to hear that Jacob was doing all so well all so soon. When I had stopped by Jacob's house, uncertainty marked his eyes. No! I can't tell Billy...not yet... I remembered that dark certain 'never' as Jacob thought. I touched at his shoulders.

He didn't want to tell Billy because he didn't know if Billy might accept the fact that his only son had no hearing anymore. I could feel Jacob's thoughts running in my head; he talked about how he'd never hear Bella call his name. How he'd never hear me call him dog. How he'd never hear anything anymore. How that simple thing provoked him into thinking that he'd just wait until he died to be happy.

He turned around and I looked into those hard dark eyes to see something. I found nothing but coldness and anger. But behind that, I could almost see the thoughts, purging in and out of his pores, deep within his blood. I stopped in my position as I looked up and down his clothing. I knew people were staring so I told him to wait for a moment while I vanished, ran as fast as possible to bring him some article of clothing from my home.

He was sure still standing as I gave him my clothing. He went towards the woods to undress and dress himself. And as he walked out, his clothes were perfect. And I had changed mine when I was at home. I recalled in one of his thoughts that he didn't want me to mention this incident again unless necessary and he didn't seem to think it was necessary now. We looked back at Billy's house and his thought entered and exploded in my head.

Have something in mind, bloodsucker?

He cocked an eyebrow and I nodded my head. I simply pointed at the road, to say that we can go. He took time registering it but slowly understood. And he walked behind me, walked until I stopped by Bella's house. I thought it would be the best resort. She had been worrying over him. He wasn't going to break any rules, and neither was I. It would be a perfect place, Charlie would be as ecstatic as Bella might be.

I thought about Bella's eyes - her beautiful brown eyes - but then I could see Jacob's eyes. I could see how they both could be the same but there was something in Jacob's eyes that was preventing his eyes from being like Bella's. That anger he kept for the world. That bitterness that could turn into rage if the right things were said - or written even now. There was that coldness that kept him from looking in happiness. He wanted to be at home. He wanted to be safe. I could tell with just one look of his eyes; imagine what would happen if I probe through those dark surfaces?

I walked inside of the house, with Jacob trailing behind me and a smile lit up Bella's face. "Jacob!" she exclaimed.

Jacob looked in confusion and shrugged at me. Telling me that he didn't know what Bella had said, she continued to wrap her hands around his neck, telling and cooing how sorry she had been. "I won't let anything like that happen to you, Jake...I know you can't hear me but--" she stopped herself. She was right. He can't hear her. It was like talking to a dead person. It spiked fear in his eyes.

And somehow, me.

I couldn't imagine him dead. Even with the anger and the bitterness and the coldness, I couldn't imagine him dead. Charlie walked in from behind Bella. Was it night? I looked at the clock and noticed that it was. Maybe our afternoon walk ended at night. And we hadn't noticed. The stress was nagging him too much and the questions were flaring over my head too much. I guess he looked as shocked as I was. Charlie grinned at Jacob, "he's not really deaf, is he?"

I shook my head. "He is. He cannot hear anything at the moment. And he would appreciate it if you hadn't told Mr. Black yet because he didn't want to alert his father." He looked at me and slowly smiled at me, with a weak smile. Just a quick 'thanks' without saying or thinking it at all. Even if he hadn't known what I had said, he could tell from Bella's expression that I was saying the right words. "May he stay here for a while? Or had you already told Billy?"

"Was on my way to ring him. Don't worry, Jacob. I'll keep it a secret but not too long. I wouldn't want your dad to think that you were hurt or something." He wouldn't care. After all, I'm the indestructible werewolf? Jacob barked at Charlie in his thoughts. Bella was still hugging at him. Bells, please!

I chuckled. "Bella, you're killing him."

She giggled and let go of Jacob but her eyes were on me then. "I can't kill him. He's too strong for it."

Jacob sat down onto the couch but his eyes were onto the floor. And I wondered what was he thinking of. But his mind was clear as he looked up at Bella. Bloodsucker, ask Bella if she can make me dinner too. I'm starving. I laughed and turned to Bella, "fix him a plate too, would you, Bella?" And she immediately rushed to the kitchen, trying to make her best friend go through his rough time.

I sat down beside Jacob and felt him tense up. I knew that he tensed up because of the scent but as I was probing through his mind, I found so many things that tensed him, that stressed him, that put his eyes into a harder, colder state than they already were.

He didn't want to be here. He wanted to be with Billy. He wanted to be at home, in his couch, with his father and eating what he usually ate. Whatever was in the fridge. I chuckled at the thought and wondered if I could convince Bella to help me get Sam to agree on giving Jacob one more try at patrolling to show his efforts. And how good he was and could be even with his disability. I walked towards Bella where she was quickly added and ran freely through the kitchen. She was in a rush to please him. "Bella?"

She looked up. "This morning, Sam told Jacob to take a break from patrolling. Actually from being part of the pack," I started and she was full attention on me. "In his thoughts, he would do anything for another try. Do you think you can convince Sam to try?"

Bella's face lit up even more. "Of course, Edward." She grinned at me softly. "You're really trying for me, aren't you? I know that Jacob might be a grouch sometimes but it can be worth it." I understood that as I nodded my head. And she went ahead back to work, I walked her, run free through the kitchen, getting plates and forks, and spoons out to get the perfect amount of everything.

"Leave you to it, love."

I walked out of the kitchen and heard Jacob's thought. He thought that I was still in the kitchen probably. Why would Sam do this to me? The sound was heartbreaking. He tasted like Sam had betrayed him. I could understand why. Because Sam had been lonely once, and now, seeing Jacob lonely, he should help him. Shouldn't he? I turned to Bella. "Just a thought, Bella. I'll accompany you."

"I don't have to be watched around." Bella replied towards me. "I know how to handle myself around the wolves."

"I'll be more persuasive, love," I told her softly. She was stunning. She truly was. And she even smelled as beautiful as she looked. Her eyes were a warm chocolate brown - I wondered how would Jacob look like with those eyes. His eyes would make a big impact on his appearance."And I will not leave you alone with those werewolves without Jacob there to help tame them."

Bella sighed in frustration. "Fine."

I looked back at Jacob.

But I wasn't seeing him. I was looking through that thought.

Why did Sam do this to me?

It was more like Sam was the one who had made him deaf. Sam couldn't have. I knew this. He curled up on the couch as Bella gave him his food, he ate it silently and slowly. Something I hadn't seen in a werewolf, before he placed the bowl down onto the table and slowly ran towards the kitchen, brushing past me as if I wasn't there. I looked at what he was doing. He put his head in the sink and started to vomit.

It smelled even wrose. But I realized that I didn't care about the scent as much now even though he reeked.

He turned his head towards me. Pale, his eyes were hard, but smooth, and so was his face. He looked like Alice. Like Jasper. Like Emmett. Like Rosalie. Like Esme. Like Carlisle...like me...he looked like a vampire. As pale as bone. As smooth fleshed as us. As hard as us. But his eyes still had that rage in them. And I wondered if he was sick. Did werewolves get sick? I realized that they were humans.

But they weren't all human.

So I watched as he curled back onto the couch, resisting the urge to finish the food, Bella turned pale with worry and they both looked like vampires. They looked like Rosalie and Jasper. Emmett and Alice. Carlisle and me. Esme and Alice. Alice and Rosalie...they looked like my vampire family. And I knew I needed to protect both of them from anything and everything. I knew that I wanted nothing to hurt them. Ever. Then she helped him up but a look of pain surged through his eyes, and she took notice as he fell back, as quick as possible. He let out a yelp of pain.

"Edward?" she asked for an explanation with those eyes. "What's wrong with him! There's been something you've been keeping from me!"

I thought back slowly to the car's explosion. The sparks of fire that had gotten into Jacob's back and then I stopped myself, as I twisted my head upwards and wrote in a paper. Let me see your back. He hissed at me but Bella looked at him with pure concern, she wanted it so much for me to cooperate with my theory as he stood up but winced when I touched his back. I knew there was something wrong instantly as my hands went down his shirt and I ripped it off.

There were deep spots, spots that were scars, and were a fresh purplish blue. I touched his back and he flinched in pain. He looked like he might scream and I told him to turn around again so I can inspect his back. There was something thick and green almost sewed into those scars, I touched that and Jacob stiffened in pure pain. His flesh turned red hot from agony and I brought the green serum between my fingers and a scent of it made me knew what it was. "Those vampires were following him." I realized. "They were stalking him - caused..." I stopped.

"Caused what?" Bella's eyes turned tearful.

My heart broke. Or felt like breaking. At that sight and that sight only. "Jacob's car explosion. His car exploded and I sensed something wrong just by smelling something unusually familiar - and then, the car just went off into an explosion. They weren't going to give up on him. He is a prey..." but a thought stung my head. "Why was he the prey though?" Bella shrugged her shoulders but it seemed like shrugging was all she could do. She was so fragile that she got to me.

"If they come for Jacob in his next patrol, I'll be ready."

Bella insisted on coming along but I assured her it was too dangerous. If it was dangerous for Jacob before, then it would dangerous for her now. If Jacob, a werewolf, couldn't handle it, then what would happen to my sweet Bella? I turned to Jacob, writting on a ripped paper, a paper torn in half, almost white, as I scribbled and threw the paper towards him. Go to Carlisle. I'll take you.

He snorted, "nothing wrong with me," he spoke out his thought. "Nothing wrong with me!" he screeched and torn the paper away. The pieces fell down onto the floor and he had thrown the pieces onto the floor. Torn with his spit, and there was something that shocked me. A speck of a droplet, something that human eyes couldn't see, something I could taste. Dry and bitter. Disgusting.

But shocking.

A speck of blood was on the paper.

And as I reached out to take Jacob to Carlisle, he twisted his body away and snarled at me. "Nothing! Nothing's wrong," he spoke out so softly and in his lightening stream of thoughts, he wondered if he ever said anything.

He spoke everything out.

So that Bella had a pale face and Charlie had a confusing one.

"Oh Jake..." Bella started.

"Nothing wrong with me!"

Everything was wrong with you, Jake. I wanted to say that but to let it fall out of my mouth, even if he couldn't hear it, would be as harsh as stabbing him in the chest. And I wasn't prepared to hurt Bella that way even if Jacob's ferocity was stronger than Bella's, the fire he released around my heart exploded...he was almost like Bella. Perfect. But not quite. Bella's bitterness was somehow in him. He made me feel remorseful for him.

One more try...

And this might all be over.

Done with the chapter. Review? ;) I know. I say this after every chapter.

So...how good is this going? Good or not?

Gab