Chapter 9: Burnin' Up

Author's Note: This Chapter might seem a little fluffy or whatever, but as I hinted in the last chapter, Jake needs to get away.

...

Who turned the temperature hotter?

'Cause I'm burnin' up

Burnin' up for you, baby (The Jonas Bros.)

As Jake trekked up the small beach, he could already feel the warmth from the sun and his own body already beginning to dry his clothes. As soon as he'd freed himself from the powerful crashing of the waves he instantly craved to feel them again. The cool relief they provided, even only for a moment reminded him of the way it felt when Edward's hard body was against his.

He did have to admit, the sloshing inside his sneakers was a bit aggravating, so he stopped for a moment and slipped them off, along with his socks.

It wasn't long before he was ducking under the doorway to his house, "Dad?" No answer. Billy must have joined the others at Sam and Emily's place. Good. He didn't really need an audience.

Jake quickly walked over to his room, ducking under one more time, grabbing a bag that sat next to the too small entryway. In a quick shuffle of motions he gathered all the things he need, three T-shirts, two pairs of pants (changing into a third, and throwing his wet shorts off to the side), he grabbed his deodorant and toothbrush, slipped on some boots and flung the bag over his shoulder and just as quickly as he had entered he was gone.

He hurried around the back of the house, grabbed his bike and brought it up to the front of the house. He was ready to kick up the small support stand and swing his leg over, but stopped when he noticed Seth standing on his porch, there was no way to avoid him. If he just started the bike and went Seth would notice the bag and surely follow. Jake shook his head and cursed under his breath, "What is it Seth?"

Seth turned his smile turning to a frown, "Dude, going somewhere?"

Jake tried to keep his calm, "Yeah, up to Seattle, I gotta grab some parts for the Rabbit."

"What's wrong with it?"

Nosy little prick, "Transmission's been sticking. I got word that there was the exact kind I needed in a junkyard up there, I wanna get there before someone else grabs it," hopefully he'd get the hint.

He didn't, "So, you're not coming to the party at all?"

What party? A toddler came to visit. Whoo! Jake did his best to hid his growing annoyance, "Nah, I'll see her tomorrow, if I leave now, I'll be back before midnight."

For a second Jake wasn't sure if Seth had bought it. Dammit. Had Leah gotten to him? Jake's mind started to work a little faster, but when Seth smiled and nodded, he calmed, "Alright, well, hurry back. We're gonna barbeque tomorrow."

Jake muttered a quick, "Great," before swinging his leg over his bike and kicking it to life, "See ya," he didn't look back to note Seth's reaction.

Jacob sped through the streets of La Push, past the store, onto the highway and down the road, he was about 8 miles out of the La Push limits when it hit him, where was he going to go? Jake turned onto a side street and pulled over to the edge. Where was he going to go?

He was sure he needed to get away, needed time to think, time where he wouldn't be wondering if the pack was going to sneak up on him, but where could he go. Seattle really didn't sound that bad, but where would he sleep? He sighed and shook his head. He only needed a few days, that was all he had, and sleep wasn't that big a necessity anymore, credit werewolf stamina.

Jake kicked the bike back to life and began down the road again, it wasn't more than twenty feet to the intersection and Jake had failed to notice the stop sign and the on coming car, the one coming right up on his side.

Out of the corner of his eye Jake saw the shiny silver car, he tried to stop and so did the driver of the car, but as the car turned on a hard angle and the tires squealed against the pavement, Jake tried to manipulate his weight to angle the bike away from the car, the bike fell, tossing Jake's large form on to the pavement.

The bike flipped over Jake, the unforgiving steel colliding with his head as it did. Jake's body followed the same pattern and rolled across the pavement, ending with a sickening thud.

Jake groaned and tried to move, but there was too much pain in too many places, particularly his head. he could feel some of the cuts and scrapes already healing, but there were other things that weren't doing so well; his head for one.

Jake could hear the door to the Volvo open, followed by another and then the lightest of footsteps, and then his crippled body was being picked up into a cool, hard embrace and before he slipped into unconsciousness, he could himself being pushed gently into the back seat of the car.

...

Alice and Edward sat across from each other, a chess board resting on top of a small table between them. In the last 40 minutes they'd each made one move. Alice couldn't decide what to do next, with Edward reading her every thought and every time Edward decided on a counter attack to each move she thought of she'd see it.

Games like this between the two of them, could go on endlessly, one time about twenty years ago, they'd had a match go off and on for about three years, but of course Edward still won. Go Team Edward!

They'd started this match because Alice could sense something wasn't right with her brother and wanted to help distract him, but so far even she knew it was a bit of a futile attempt.

Suddenly both vampire's looked up, something stingingly potent and almost familiar was in the air. It was like...blood, no, it was blood, human blood, but there was something different about it. It lacked the usual sweet, alluringness they craved, but instead it was as if they wanted to be away from it.

Something clicked in Edward and just then he picked up on something Alice couldn't hear, he stood and turned and was out the door in less than a second, Alice was hot on his tail. As they reached the outside of the house they could see an uncomfortable Rosalie pulling up to them, she looked at Edward almost fearfully.

Alice looked to him as well, "What is it?" He was silent, his jaw clenched his hands in fist, his eyes ice cold, she gripped his arm, "Edward!"

"Jake," he hissed so fast and so low she barely heard him. She didn't try to fight him as he vanished away from her and reappeared at the back door of the Volvo, just as Rosalie had stopped. The cold look from his face was gone, replaced with one of pure horror and agony.

That was enough to put Alice back at his side, the same expression on her beautiful face.

Rosalie stepped out of the car, "I didn't see him." Edward turned to her, he remained silent, but his eyes and the teeth he barred from behind his frozen lips, displayed everything he didn't say. She stepped back in fear and said nothing more.

Edward pulled the door open and gently pulled Jacob out, taking him in his arms, "What do we do?" Alice whispered.

Edward didn't answer her, instead he disappeared with Jacob into the house, Alice followed after them, but Rosalie stayed, still frozen by the expression of pure rage and hate on Edward's face.

Alice found Edward placing Jake gingerly on the couch in his bedroom, "Carlisle," was all Edward said as he kneeled by the side of the couch.

Alice knew she should move, but she couldn't pull her eyes away from Jake, he was so bloody. His clothes torn and tattered, his head was already bruising, his face swelling slightly...and he was still bleeding. Wasn't that something that was supposed to stop instantly with werewolves. Unless they were about to...

Edward interrupted her before she could finish, "Carlisle," he growled the name out this time.

And she was gone. Edward could hear her pick up the small device and dial the number and the faint sound of his 'father's' voice as he answered and then he was gone and the phone clicked as Alice snapped it shut. She was back in no time, "Five minutes."

Five minutes? Worry washed over Edward like a tidal wave over a small island, he didn't stand a chance against it. He brushed a stand of hair from Jake's face, feeling the warm blood against his fingers as he did so. Alice watched them, never blinking. She too knew the teen might not have five minutes either, Edward looked up at her, "Sorry."

He shook his head and disappeared and in less time than it would have taken to blink he was back at Jacob's side holding a black Tee to the side of his head, to try and stop the bleeding. Alice guessed it helped, but she could still see the red liquid slipping from under the soft fabric.

Suddenly Jake's eyes fluttered open slightly, both vampires could see how clouded and pain ridden they were, "Edward?" He coughed the name out.

"Hey," was Edward's soft response.

Jake squeezed his eyes closed and reopened them, a small forced smile on his lips, "You-" another cough, "You look so worried." Jake's words were followed by another chocked cough.

"You shouldn't strain yourself," Edward's tone was serious, but still soft.

Jake coughed once more, "Dude, come on," his voice was joking but obviously strained, "this is nothing."

Edward's eyes were beginning to become almost as clouded as Jake's, "Don't joke."

"You worry too much," was all Jake said as his eyes closed again. This time he didn't open them again.

"Jake," Edward held the shirt in place, applying a little more pressure. He put a cool hand to Jake's face. He was hotter than usual, "Jake! No, Jake, you gotta keep your eyes open. Come on!" Edward tried to plead with the boy, but he was unresponsive, "Please," he spoke so low not even Alice could hear.

Both immortals watched in horror as the young boy began to slip further away from them. They could hear his heart beating, his usually faster than normal heart rate was slowing to a pace usual for a normal human. Edward placed the back of his hand against Jacob's cheek, it was like touching fire, something that usually left him unaffected, but this time burned him to the bone.

Where the hell was Carlisle?

...

Author's Note: Okay, so I totally just thought of this on the spot, but I think it turned out okay. A little of a dramatic ending, but hey, a little drama's not too bad, right? You guys enjoyed it, right? Let me know.