Note: I just wanted to apologize to whoever is still reading this for the extremely long wait. My time has been extremely occupied by work and family the past few months and I haven't had much time for myself. In any case I hope you will all continue to read my story and comment on anything and everything you see fit as I continue to try and keep this story alive.


Chapter Eight

"You've got to be kidding..."


Jacob's P.O.V.

As I back tracked through the forest, I could hear the confused chatter of the pack clearly in my mind. I was even thankful for it for the first time in my life. I didn't want to get lost in my head over so random...

Extremely fast and insanely gorgeous girl? Embry supplied, an image of him winking at me also forming in his thoughts.

With eyes as bright and blue as the sky on a clear sunny day. Seth's thoughts were much more dreamy, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes as he imagined giving her flowers. Her smile not only taking his breath away, but mine as well.

Of course, now that they all had their own images of this girl floating around in their minds... My own began to spiral out of control. That was until Leah, Paul, and Sam joined in, and I slammed my thoughts away. Though by the quizzical look in Sam's eyes I could tell he was confused as to why the three of us were all daydreaming of the strange pale blonde that had so easily captivated our attention.

What happened? Sam's voice was strong and commanding as he looked between Seth, Embry, and I. His eyes piercing into us with the same annoying alpha power his voice had.

Just show him Jake... Seth's voice was low and quiet, a side effect of the power Sam was exerting. Making each of us fall to the ground in defeat.

I grumbled a little, only wishing that Paul wasn't here. I knew he was going to act like an idiot if I showed him, and it was bad enough that Embry and even Seth seemed transfixed. Though slowly I began to piece the story into their minds. Starting with leaving Charlie's and noticing her disappear into the woods.

I wasn't sure if she was in trouble, or if she was with Victoria... Sam waved away my reasoning, wanting to get to the end rather than start from so far back in the memory. So I skipped quickly through the memory, images of me running at almost full speed through the forest. It took me nearly ten minutes to catch her, and each moment that passed I grew closer and closer to deciding to attack on sight.

Is she a vampire? Sam asked, immediately throwing the question aside as Embry thought back to the color of her bright blue eyes. Vampires had blood red irises, and even the Cullen vampires had matching Topaz eyes after feeding off of the animals of the land. Thirst caused their eyes to go black... So blue?

Maybe she's a dragon. I growled at Paul as he reminisced over the thought that had ran through my mind while Charlie had been shouting at Edward.

Anything is possible in this crazy monster infested world right? Seth chuckled darkly, images of witches and the boogeyman even making Leah laugh a little.

Please Continue Jacob.

I sighed and skipped to where she had seemed to stop suddenly, he hair whipping around as she turned to look back in my direction. An expression on her face that I still can't understand. Her hand slowly reaching out to me, but withdrawing quickly. Her eyes dropping to the floor as she took a few steps back.

"Joseph Black?" Her voice was shaking, and sounded forced. As if she were having a hard time believing in herself. Disbelief was apparent in Sam's mind, but he couldn't come to conclude how anyone knew of Joseph... He had come before the treaty, though he was the father of Ephraim there was no way the Cullens' could have known much about him. Joseph was a popular name though, lucky guess maybe?

"Don't you remember me?" She called out, her voice shaky yet hopeful. Her eyes were glued to mine, like she was waiting for something. Suddenly I became rather nervous, without thinking I slowly backed away from her and turned to run. I could hear the leaves crack from under her, and though I wanted to turn back and really talk to her I knew I couldn't. I had to keep going, she seemed to know too much already.

It was a good decision, Sam tried to comfort me, though even now I felt as if I should go back to search for her. In any case, I'm calling for a tribe meeting. One month from tonight's moon.

Then next thing I knew Sam was gone, and I had a sticky feeling in the pit of my stomach that told me Sam knew something. That's when I realized it, when Sam had told me to continue telling him the story, his voice had sounded so... off... Like he already knew what I was going to say, or at least an idea of what was going to happen. As if somehow the image of her had told him everything there was to know.

Without thinking I ran as fast as I could, only stopping at the break in the trees to phase and pull on my shorts before charging inside. The sound of Billy's voice telling me that he was either talking to someone here or on the phone. Quickly I jogged toward the kitchen to hear what seemed to be the end of the conversation.

"Very well, I'll find it and bring it with me tonight." Billy sounded defeated, and I was curious as to what could possibly have bothered him so much. He dropped his head into his hands and sighed, rubbing his hands down his tough wrinkled skin.

"What are we looking for?" I asked, stepping past him and wrapping my hands tightly around his wheelchair handles.

"Relax Jake. I wouldn't be able to reach it without you." I relaxed a little, but not completely. Too many times in the past had my father tricked me into missing out on something important, but there's no way he will this time. Not again. Not when Paul might know even more then I do. I shook my head a couple times and grimaced.

"Bella called for you by the way," Billy pointed out then, obviously trying to distract me from my new mission. Besides, I already knew that... that Edwin was there with her. I had sensed him, smelled him really, but something told me to leave. Told me to let it go for now. As if I was letting him have his moment. I assumed it was an omen, but now... Who knows?

"I'll get back to her tomorrow," I lied smoothly, pushing him out into the living room and waiting for him to realize I wasn't going to budge on this. We were going to find whatever it was Billy was asked to find together, and that was the end of it all. Hopefully he would just let it be.

"It's in the garage..." He sighed, rubbing his temples with his thumb and middle finger. As if everything around him was dragging him down. Without a word I wheeled him out the front door, though I wanted to ask him what was bothering him so much. He hadn't looked like this since Charlie and him had that argument about the local leeches... No, this was worse. More like he was revisiting old, more painful memories.

An image of my mother, Sarah appearing in my mind. Of course it was only a photograph I remember seeing when I was younger. She had died when I was young so I didn't know much about her. I looked down sadly at my father, worried about him and curious at the same time. What could my mother have to do with this strange girl appearing here in Forks?

Instead, I decided to ignore it all and focus only on whatever my father was hoping to find; though I couldn't imagine what in the world he could possibly hope to find in the old shed I had turned into my own personal work space. I didn't care much though, if he thought it was here, then I guess I would just take the time to look until he gave up or I found whatever it was we were looking for in the first place.

Finally I pushed Billy up the ramp leading to the garage and he wheeled himself over to my work bench. Opening the tool box, he took out a hammer and wheeled himself over to the far left wall and started tapping lightly against each pannel of wood. I chuckled under my breath a little, but the sound fell limp when a loud tink echoed loudly throughout the room.

"Alright Jake, come lift up this panel here," he rolled back and pointed. Confused, but compliant I stepped forward and leaned down onto my knees. My fingers moving of their own accord as I checked for a loose end, smiling a little when it popped up for me. I pulled it back slowly, and peered inside. It was hard to see at first, mainly because the hay that covered it all. There was a long light brown tube and a small black box that I could see of course, and quickly but carefully I reached in and pulled them out.

"There... should be a... silver necklace in there too," Billy murmured, his eyes watering over as he rest his head in his hands again. "It's th-the most i-important." He tried to smile a little, but it came out looking even more depressing than the tears did as they streaked his wrinkled russet skin. Quietly, he turned and wheeled himself towards the door to find some sort of peace I assumed before the meeting not far off from tonight. So, I let him go without bugging him about it. I knew how it felt to want to be alone at times. Now was probably one of those times, so I pushed everything aside.

Carefully I moved the hay around, hoping to reveal the necklace, but I found nothing. Confused I sat for a moment, wondering why Billy would ask me to look for something that didn't exist, and though the thought came to my mind that he was trying to trick me out of seeing what was hidden in the first two containers I ruled it out. He had left them here with me, not even reaching out to touch them at all when I had initially pulled them from there hiding spot. I sighed and closed my eyes, and then I heard it. A small faint sound, that I highly doubt even had rang, but I could hear it. The sound of bells, though muffled still quite beautiful.

Leaving my eyes closed in case the sound dissipated I crawled to where I thought the small tinging sound was coming from until a strange bright feeling made me stop in my tracks. My eyes opening to find that I had already lifted up the paneling that hid another black box. An old note folded and hidden just underneath. Suddenly nervous, I gazed down at the note and the box as if it would kill me to know exactly how the silver necklace really looked opposed to the image in my head, or what the note said.

"Well look at that," Billy's voice startled me, and I let out a long deep breath that I hadn't even realized I had been holding in. "I was worried it had been taken." He continued on, motioning for me to hand it off to him. Slowly, I reached down to take the small box in my hand, taking the note carefully, and pushing the loose plank back into their rightful place, before handing the box contents off to Billy.

"I'll get the other two," I mumbled, standing to return and pick up the last two. I kicked the other plank back in and turned back to Billy, the glint of silver catching my eye. Without even thinking to close my eyes I leaned down instead and gazed mesmerized by the design. It was quite easily the most beautiful handcrafted piece of jewelry I had ever seen, I was utterly astonished. It had to have taken years of patience to craft, and by the looks of it... it was probably hundreds of years old.

"Isn't it just gorgeous work?" Billy chuckled, his original self returning and causing me to smile too. It was just too weird to see my abnormally cheery father so down, especially when I didn't understand the reason behind it. I nodded, and he laughed again. His hands reaching out towards me in offering, mine also reaching out to feel the cool metal as it dropped into my hands. Cautiously, I placed my fingers around the main piece that dangled freely from the silver chain. It was all so beautiful, but what really kept me captivated was the small blue topaz crystal that was somehow caged within the gorgeous rose that I now had my fingers safely securing so I could get a closer look. There were hundreds of indent like features all over the flower to accentuate it's shape, and tiny clear drops that I assumed were water droplets created from the morning dew.

"Stunning really, who made this?" Billy's eyes seemed to glaze out a little as if he had disappeared in thought. Returning to Earth after several minutes, only to point at the long tube that I held in my hands. His expression seeming rather vacant as he waited for me to open it, my hands frozen in place. Maybe this was all just too much for me, especially since the answers I wanted remained unanswered while I only continued to stack up even more questions as I went.

"Let me?" He whispered, reaching out for the tube and sliding it from my stiff hands. The top popped off easily, the sound freeing me of my statuesque state. A carefully rolled up parchment hidden within. It even slid out with ease though I assumed it had been sitting for years. "Ready?" Billy asked, his eyes searching my face. I loosened my expression and chuckled, my muscles already stiff from the intense strain of the room.

Carefully my father unrolled the paper, first what I assumed to be dirt and grass revealing itself. Then a dark forest along with a gorgeous looking pond. It seemed that the water would take up most of the picture, but the paper continued to unravel until I could see a pair of pale feet standing just on the outer rim of the water. I even had to help my father extend it because it was so large. In the end the two of us both were at a loss for words, Billy because of the time that had past since he had last seen the painting... And myself because of the gorgeous blue-eyed blonde that stood gazing down at a man who looked a hell of a lot like me.


Bayleigh's P.O.V.

I awoke with a start. Sitting up, I pushed a hand through my sweat-soaked hair as my heart raced and every fiber of my being trembled in absolute anguish. I breathed through it, willing my mind and my body to calm. Long deep breaths, deliberate exhalation.

A soft knock at the door told me that Alice had probably heard me cry out at some point in my sleep. "Come in," I called softly. The door opened and the gorgeous, pixie-like brunette stepped inside. A look of worry clear on her face.

"Jasper told me that you may be in some sort of distress, and that your emotions were... well, bumming him out." I did my best to smile, but nobody could fool Alice. She raised an eyebrow at my sad attempt, and moved to the edge of my bed before climbing in and taking a seat beside me.

"I'm okay, really." I mumbled weakly, and Alice chuckled under her breath.

"You're not fooling anyone. Especially me, and you're doing a horrible job at fooling yourself. What's wrong?"

"I think I'm just feeling a little lonely," I half lied to her, and she didn't seem to notice. "Maybe we should go shopping together tomorrow for some new clothes, start off the school year with a fashion-flavored bang."

The idea of a shopping spree instantly had Alice jumping for joy, and before I knew it she was running out of the room muttering something about needing to wake up early and getting some much needed beauty sleep. As if. Vampires were made "perfect" during the transformation, and afterwards, sleep no longer existed. It was an impossibility.

Good thing I'm still half human...

For the next few weeks, every day was the same; without warning I would be consumed by an unending, overwhelming grief. Then suddenly it would be gone. One day it simply didn't come, and I was left with a sense of absolute emptiness. I continued to dream of the enormous russet wolf, but there was no feeling in it. Other days I simply laid in bed wishing I knew where to find him, and trying to convince myself to look.

High school was dreadful, and did nothing to keep my focus off of the man who so frequently plagued my mind. It got so bad that I would even forget I was in a classroom altogether, and stair off into space even as the teacher shouted for me to pay attention.

"What's wrong with you?" Edward finally asked me after a particularly gruesome day. We were all sitting together at the lunch table, and I vaguely remembered Bella saying something about an intervention after the teacher had slapped my hand with a ruler, and I didn't even fake a flinch. She must have been getting tired of being ignored during our Calculus class together as well, and decided to send Edward in for recon.

"I don't know how to explain it to you," I sighed, tired of repeating the same thing so many times a day. I knew that my outlook was terrible, and that my whole life seemed to have taken a crash landing... But, but... Yeah, I guess I suck. "If I knew how to get out of this, this funk... I would. It's not like I honestly enjoy feeling so miserable, I just can't control it."

Edward and Jasper looked at me simultaneously then and Jasper almost smiled. "Something has to be sparking your shift in mood," Jasper said carefully.

"And you have been very adamant about keeping me out of your mind lately, Bayleigh." He used my full name in order to try and command my attention. I grunted, my mood slowly shifting towards frustration when the perfect thought hit me. It was so strikingly obvious I couldn't see why I hadn't thought of it before.

"Can I ask you for a favor Edward?" I batted my eyelashes, and he chuckled under his breath before answering.

"Good to see you may be returning to earth," He laughed, the others laughing lightly along with him as he teased me.

"I want to go with Bella the next time she meets the wolf at the line," Edward froze, and everyone's eyes fell on me. I waited patiently for the shock to wear off, and though it took longer than I had expected they did get over it.

"You do realize this time Bella is going to a tribe meeting right?" Edward finally asked, voice suspicious and accusing. "Meaning you'll be surrounded by shifters hell bent on destroying our entire race."

"It'll give me something to do for the time being, and maybe spending time with Bella and some other new people will wake me up." I left out the fact that I was searching for a very specific person who just so happens to be related to Bella's friend Jake.

"I think that might be a good idea," Emmett joined in on the conversation. "I want to see what Bayleigh can do against a pack of vicious, over-sized muts." Jasper and Emmett bumped fists, and immediately started placing bets on how many I could kill before being taken down.

"Just bring her back to me in one piece..." Edward whispered after a time, I could tell he wasn't looking forward to sending Bella with me alone. He could tell I had ulterior motives, but trusted me enough to watch over the love of his eternal life.

"Thank you," I whispered back, reaching out to take his hand from underneath the table in mine, and placing a silver serpent ring into the center of his palm.

That's all I have left of my father... We can trade back when I get Bella back to you. I directed my thoughts to Edward, and he smiled the old crooked smile he had given me before we had moved out here. Before I had forsaken his half-hearted love in search of what he shared with Bella, and only Bella.

"You almost here, Bayleigh?" Bella's voice sounded anxious, but my cell phone was having issues and it was hard to tell if I had only imagined that she was as nervous as I was. I had spent nearly two hours preparing for this night. Three pairs of chocolate brown contacts safely set in my pocket, while the ones in my eyes slowly burned away. My hair expertly tied back to be hidden under the the long super curly wig I wore.

Edward had made it very clear that I needed to be very careful with who I allowed myself to be seen with so instead of going as myself, I dressed myself as a girl Bella knew from school though I didn't much care for her personally.

"I'm pulling into your driveway now," I managed to laugh, and Bella let out a small squeal before running out to join me in the front yard. It made me feel good to know that Bella was happy for me to be joining her in La Push. She had been the one to provide me with an identity. Jessica had once met the boys of LaPush, but Bella doubted she had made a big enough impression for the men to see the very miniscule differences in my fabricated disguise.

We drove down there in a comfortable silence, both of us looking over at one another ever so often to giggle excitedly. It had been a looooong time since I had felt so good, and I prayed to whoever was listening that the feeling remained throughout the rest of the night if not longer.

"You really do look an awful lot like her with all... that," Bella motioned to my wig and the contacts that must still be intact if she was still very convinced with my act.

"Just remember to let me know if you see the blue coming through. Alice said to change them every few hours, but as a precaution..." She stopped me with a giggly laugh and waved me away. It was very confusing to see Bella this way since she was normally so cool and collected, but she must have been nervous as all hell too.

In the end it only took us about fifteen minutes to reach the border, but my heart sank when Bella explained that she had told Jacob that she would meet him on the beach because Edward wouldn't be with her. Bella had figured she would warn him about me early, to ensure that I was allowed to join in on the story telling. He made her swear to secrecy, but even though I already knew she decided to tell him I was ignorant and would remain that way to keep suspicion off my back.

Sadly, as we pulled into the driveway of Jacob Black's shabby home I could already see the several pairs of eyes that watched as the two of us climbed out of my car. "Bells!" Jacob exclaimed, running to her side and pulling her into a tight hug. She blushed furiously, and he ruffled her hair. Bella turned her embarrassed gaze to me then, and Jacob followed suit.

"This is Jessica. I'm sure you remember her along with the others that had visited the beach." I could see Jacob's eyes squint slightly as he looked me over, my heart racing as I tried to decide whether I wanted to blow my cover or remain silent. In the end my survival instinct forced me to remain silent and wait for him to comment on what Bella had said first.

"Nice to meet you," I smiled shyly, and gave a partial wave when he only continued to watch me. When he still didn't answer, Bella nudged him in the ribs and Jacob woke with a jolt just to be interrupted as he reached out to take my hand in his.

"Hey Jake," Two boys called out to him, and cut in front of him. "You've already got Bella. I think we can cater to her friend." The two boys flexed their muscles and laughed at each other before relaxing themselves.

"I'm Embry, and this is my friend Quil." The thinner one said, reaching out his hand to shake mine. Cautiously, I took his hand and smiled sweetly. The other boy laughed, and Embry turned around and started chasing him.

"I'm Emmy!" The boy shrieked as the other chased him down. "I'm a-" He was cut off by a bunch of sand being stuffed in his mouth, Embry had tackled him mid-stride.

"Interesting group, huh?" I giggled nervously, and looked up at Jacob. His eyes were still stuck to me, and even though Bella was trying her best to get his attention he seemed to be looking right through her. When he finally noticed I was looking at him again, a smile began to creep across his face, but Sam's loud voice easily commanded everyone's attention.

Everyone's but mine.


Thank you so much for reading! :D

Let me know what you think. Criticism is greatly appreciated.

Special thanks to: Everyone who is still checking up on my progress... :3