The next morning Jacob woke with a start. As if by fate, Grace was running past on the beach just in front of his house. He jumped up and ran after her. He grabbed her elbow from behind, and she spun around as if to hit him.

"Oh, it's you. What do you want?"

"Are you always so jumpy, I thought you were going to clobber me, were you running from something, or do you always run as if being chased?"

"I don't know, do you always feel it necessary to be so under clothed?

"Am I making you uncomfortable?"

"Back to my original question, what do you want?"

"Your sister wants me to apologize, for what I said the other day."

"and are you going to?"

"I don't know, are you going to apologize for calling me a dog?"

"If the collar fits."

Jacob felt the anger rising in his chest and tried to suppress it.

"Alright fine, I'm sorry for calling you slut and a liar"

"and ?"

"I was clearly correct about the bitch part, so no apology necessary there."

"You know what Jacob you don't have to worry about, because tonight, I'm on the red-eye back to NYC, and you can go back to lusting after sister. Now if you'll excuse me."

As she turned and ran away from, Jacob felt the urge to stop her. He didn't know why she was clearly insufferable, but he felt like she was his, and if he didn't protect her what would happen. Jacob shook his head and told himself to stop being dumb. This wasn't Bella, Grace could clearly watch out for herself.

--

Normally running helped clear Grace's head, but today she seemed to be having a particularly hard time getting the image of a half naked Jacob Black out of her head. As she picked up her pace in an attempt to exhaust herself into distraction , she found her way blocked by a stunningly beautiful red head.

"Well, well I never would have taken you for a recreational runner. Not very smart of your keepers to let you wander so far down the beach by yourself, whose going to save you now?"

"Listen lady, I have no keepers, and I don't need saving, certainly not from a chick like you."

"Strange, you don't reek of your normal stench of fear. This takes some of the fun out of things. O well maybe I'll just mail you back to them in pieces, that could be fun."

"Um, I'm not sure we're understanding each other. I'm going to finish my run, and you go ahead and head back to whatever nuthouse you escaped from before you get hurt."

At this the redhead began to laugh. Suddenly Jacob appeared from the woods and stood in front of Grace blocking her from the redheads path. He turned his head to whisper to Grace."

"When I tell you to run, run."

"Run from what, I can take this girl down, I already told you Jake I don't need you."

"I'm serious, run, as fast as you can, and don't stop till you reach the Cullen's. Promise me. Promise me you won't stop until you find Edward."

At this point Grace had noticed the waver in Jacob's voice and how every muscle was in his body was tensed.

"Jake...?"

"NOW RUN NOW!"

Grace didn't think she turned and began to sprint away, pausing only once to see Jacob shift and the Redhead lunge.

--