Hey everyone! Thank you all so much for your reviews and adds. Again, I tried to respond to everyone's signed review(s) but if I missed you I'm sorry. This one took a little longer to get out because I got a lovely ear infection and was out for the count for a few days. I'm much better even though I still really can't hear out of my left ear but all is good. :) Anyway, this chapter jumps around a little bit and is probably more of a filler chapter, but I hope you all like it just the same. I've already got part of the next chapter written, so, you guys might get another one before weekend is over! Let me know what you think and thanks for reading!

Disclaimer: I own nothing associated with Twilight nor some of the dialouge in this chapter which comes from the 'Eclipse' movie.

Chapter Ten

Thanks to the unknown visitor Jacob and Sam had worked out an agreement with Carlisle and the rest of the Cullens. The Cullens and pack would take turns watching over Charlie, Bella, and I as well as search for the visitor and some redheaded vampire named Victoria that wanted to kill Bella. When I had asked who Victoria was Alice gave me a quick rundown. Apparently there was some big drama shortly after Bella had moved to Forks involving a nomad tracker vampire that wanted Bella's blood.

He'd been this Victoria's mate and since Edward and the rest of the Cullens killed him, Victoria wanted to make Edward suffer and to do that she wanted to kill Bella. So, needless to say my first official date with Jacob was put on an indefinite hold until things sorted themselves out. I wasn't sure how long that was going to be, but it wasn't like Jacob and I wouldn't be together on a regular basis. Especially since Carlisle had inadvertently planted a seed in Jacob's head when he said that our unknown visitor could be drawn to both Bella and I since he or she had taken articles of clothing from both of us. When Jacob had asked what he meant by that, Carlisle had reluctantly said that my 'scent' was almost as tempting as Bella's, especially when the wet dog smell, which covered up my scent after I had been around Jacob and the other pack members for a while, wasn't too overpowering.

It had only been a few of days since they made the agreement and things were strenuous to say the least between the Cullens and the pack, but things were going as smoothly as possible when two mortal enemies attempted to work together. Jacob barely let me out of his sight since that conversation with the Cullens on Sunday morning, and while I was sitting in my second period class that Thursday he was settled outside in his wolf form and hidden within the trees that surrounded the school. I had tried to tell him that since Edward and Alice were there that he didn't need to stand guard outside, but he acted like he didn't hear me as he kissed my temple and told me to have a good day before he said that he'd be waiting for me after school.

I was finding it hard to concentrate on the lecture Mr. Watson, my history teacher, was giving, but my mind was in a million different places. Thankfully, he gave us the last ten minutes of class to work on the worksheet he had handed out that was due tomorrow, and I slid down slightly in my seat as I stared at the light blue paper. I didn't really want to work on the worksheet right then, and I knew I could get it done at home tonight. After a minute, I turned my eyes towards the windows when I hear rain starting to pelt against the glass and I sighed heavily.

I was now even more worried about Jacob since the rain was coming down at a pretty steady pace and the trees probably weren't giving him much cover because of it. I knew that he wouldn't get sick thanks to his wolf abilities, but I didn't like the idea of him sitting out there in the rain because he was too stubborn to listen to reason. We would have to have a talk later because while I trusted Jacob's judgment and everything, he needed to loosen his reigns a bit. He was going to run himself in the ground and when or if the time came that this visitor or Victoria made a move, he wouldn't be at one hundred percent and he could get hurt or worse. I couldn't even think of that happening because it made me feel sick to my stomach, and if anything did happen to Jacob, I knew that I would not be okay in any sense of the word.

"You're Aurora, right?" a low tenor voice asked, drawing me from my thoughts, and I mentally laughed to myself. Not to be conceited, but everyone knew who I was before I even started going to Forks High School, and I'd been going to classes there for almost a month now. I knew that everyone in the small school knew my name, especially since there were plenty of rumors swirling around out there about my relationship with Jacob and just me in general. I turned my head to the right to look at the sandy haired boy that had sat next to me every day for the last three and a half weeks but never said so much as 'hello' to me before, and smiled.

"Yeah," I said lightly and he smiled at me.

"I'm Matt," he said as he put his right hand on his chest.

"Nice to meet you," I said out of my need to be polite and his smile widened as he leaned back in his seat. I'd seen Matt around school and in the cafeteria at lunchtime when I would sit with Bella, Edward, Alice, and the rest of Bella's friends. I guess he could have been considered cute with his light green eyes and dimples, but since meeting Jacob my view on guys' looks had become seriously skewed. I knew Matt was on the popular end of the spectrum in school, and I swear there wasn't a day that I had seen him without his letterman's jacket on.

"How do you like Forks so far?" he asked and I shrugged, trying to play indifferent. It wasn't that I didn't like the guy, I didn't know him enough to like him or dislike him, but the way he was smiling at me was kind of creeping me out. He was trying hard to be polite and I was wondering why he was even trying in the first place.

"It's nice," I said and he nodded before he looked away from me. I let out a quiet sigh of relief thinking that he was going to work on his worksheet and leave me alone, but I wasn't so lucky.

"You live with Chief Swan and Bella, right?" he asked and took a deep breath through my nose.

"Yes, they're my cousins," I said and he nodded again.

"Since you're Bella's cousin, you hang out with her and her boyfriend, Edward Cullen, right?" he asked.

"I do," I said slowly as I started to frown and he ran his hand through his shaggy hair.

"That means you're probably going to the party at the Cullen's house that Alice is having for their graduation in a couple of weeks," he said and I mentally rolled my eyes because I finally caught on to just why the boy was taking to me. He wanted a favor even though he didn't know me.

In spite of the unknown visitor and Victoria, Alice was still going through with her plans for a big graduation party. On Monday she had hand delivered invites to the entire senior class to celebrate their graduation at her house, leaving out pretty much everyone else except for me. I was the only non-senior that was going to be in attendance at the party, and it seemed like Matt was trying to weasel out an invite from me for him and likely his friends as well.

"It does," I said after a beat, finally responding to his inquiry, and his beamed another creepy smile my way.

"Well, do you think you could talk to Alice and maybe get her to invite my friends and me?" he asked and I sighed quietly. I had to admit that the guy had balls to ask me what he wanted out of me after barely a minute of conversation, and while I was tempted to be a bitch to him and brush him off, I didn't. It wouldn't do me any good in the eyes of my fellow classmates if I did that, and while I was content with the friends that I had, I would have liked to have a friend or two that wasn't some sort of supernatural being (excluding Emily and Kim of course). It would also be nice to have a distraction from the craziness that had become my life since moving to Forks by having a friend who knew nothing about what was going on; maybe then I wouldn't constantly worry about Jacob, the guys, and the Cullens.

"Alice Cullen isn't really someone you can convince to do something she doesn't want to, but I can try," I said and despite the slightly crestfallen look that darted across his face he smiled.

"Thanks," he said and I gave him a small smile in return. "So, is it true you're dating that huge guy from the reservation that's always coming around?" He sounded hesitant when he asked the question, almost like he was afraid to ask it, but his curiosity had gotten the better of him.

"Yes," I said, still smiling, "and his name is Jacob."

"Cool," Matt said slowly as he nodded his head before he looked away from me.

"He's nothing like people say he is, you know," I said and Matt looked at me once more. "He's not in a gang or anything like that. He's actually a really nice guy."

"No offense, but when I've seen him after school when he's waiting for you he doesn't look nice," he said and I laughed lightly as I tucked my hair behind my ears. I was once again wearing my hair in a long braid, but a few strands had escaped, like always.

"He's got an intimidation factor that's for sure," I said, "but he really is nice once you get to know him."

"If you say so," Matt said with a smile and I laughed again, thankful for the slight distraction for my worry about Jacob. Matt and I continued to talk about nothing in particular after that, but I had a feeling he was being nice just to make sure that I would go forward with my promise to try and get him and his friends invited to the party Alice was throwing. When class ended Matt patted my shoulder and gave me a thumbs up as he left and I rolled my eyes as I left the classroom, adjusting the strap of my backpack on my shoulder.

Of course, I had no plans on asking Alice anything because I knew that Matt and his friends wouldn't be invited. Since it was obvious that Matt was trying to use me to get invited to the party, Alice wouldn't take too kindly to that. Hell, I was pretty sure that none of the Cullens would take too kindly to that since they all liked me despite my connection to the wolves.

"You're right there," came a smooth voice from behind me as I made my way to the library, where I always spent my free period, and I practically jumped out of my skin at the suddenness of the voice before I stopped walking and turned around to see Bella and Edward standing behind me.

"Jeez, you scared me," I said as I looked at Edward, our eyes almost even, and the boy grinned as he looked at me.

"I'm sorry," he said and I laughed as I shook my head before I turned my eyes to Bella.

"So, what am I missing out on?" Bella asked, a small smile tugging on the corners of her lips. Since I'd been let in on all the secrets that Bella had been keeping, she had warmed up a bit to me. We weren't best friends or anything like that, and I highly doubted we ever would be, but things were better between us than they had once been.

"A guy in my history class talked to me for the first time only to see if I could get Alice to invite him and his friends to your guys' party," I said.

"Really?" she asked with a raised eyebrow and I nodded.

"Yeah," I said lightly and she shook her head in slight disbelief, "but it's all good. I'm not going to ask her because I already know she won't."

"That's true," came Alice's bell like voice from behind me and I jumped as I turned around to look at her.

"Seriously, you guys!" I exclaimed quietly as Alice moved so she was standing beside me and I looked between Edward and Alice who were smiling. "Can you give a girl a warning or something because I'm losing years off my life here?" Edward and Alice laughed while Bella smiled at me and I couldn't help but laugh with them. However, our little gathering was broken up before we could say much more by the warning bell sounding and Bella sighed quietly.

"We need to get to class," she said and I nodded, my thoughts straying to Jacob then. I wondered if he was okay and if I should go and grab my rain coat so I could go outside during my free period to check on him.

"He's fine, Aurora," Edward said quietly as he put his arm around Bella's shoulders and I looked at him. "And he wouldn't be very happy with you if you went out in the rain." I huffed and nodded, knowing that Edward was right. He smiled at me before the three of them left me on my own, as the hallway grew empty. Turning on the balls of my feet I continued on to the library, my thoughts still on Jacob.

When school let out, I met up with Bella, Edward, and Alice before heading outside. I wasn't the least bit surprised to find Jacob's bike parked next to Edward's car and the boy in question leaning against the hood of Edward's car, his arms crossed over his chest. He was dressed in the black t-shirt and jeans he had been wearing when he dropped me off at school, but as we drew closer he looked far more tired than he had when we partied ways that morning. I picked up my pace a bit, fully aware that a few wayward glances were thrown my way, and Jacob righted himself as I drew closer. He smiled at me as he uncrossed his arms from in front of him, but I didn't smile back.

"What's wrong?" he asked and I sighed quietly as I raised my hands to his insanely warm face, where I ran my thumbs underneath the dark circles that were now present under his eyes.

"You need to get some sleep," I said and Jacob shook his head as he wrapped his hands around my wrists and gently pulled my hands from his face.

"I'm fine, Rory," he said and I felt the others come up behind me.

"No, you're not fine, Jacob," I said. "When was the last time you actually got more than an hour or two of rest? I'm guessing it was Friday night since that was the day before all this mess started. That's a week ago, Jacob."

"I'm fine," he repeated, his dark eyes serious as he looked at me and rotated his grip on my wrists so that he was holding my hands. "You need to stop worrying about me."

"Maybe, but you need to get your head out of your ass and realize that you're not Superman," I said, causing Alice and to snicker behind me and Jacob's eyebrows to raise as he looked down at me. "I'm serious, Jacob, you're wearing yourself thin and if anything . . . if anything happens, you're more likely to get hurt if you're not at your full strength." I heard someone shift behind me and I was pretty sure it was Bella because I could never hear any of the Cullens move around.

"Rory," he said quietly, but I shook my head.

"Please, Jacob, go home and get some sleep," I whispered as I shuffled closer to him.

"I'm not leaving you alone," he said and I sighed through my nose.

"I'm sure Edward, Bella, and Alice wouldn't mind me tagging along with them," I said and his grip on my hands tightened. "We've talked about this, Jacob. They won't hurt me." His eyes narrowed before he lifted his head and looked over mine to where Alice and Edward stood. I heard Edward scoff, but I kept my eyes on Jacob's face and watched as he raised an eyebrow. I glanced over my shoulder then, in time to see Edward nod and that left me curious, especially after Jacob spoke.

"Fine," Jacob reluctantly said and I turned my eyes back to him, "but I'll be by your place tonight." He had finished in a whisper, his thumbs making small circles in the palms of my hands and I nodded. He leaned down and kissed me chastely, the warmth of his lips and the tenderness of his kiss left me breathless and after the brief contact he smiled at me. "See you tonight," he said and I nodded as he let go of my hands and moved over to his bike.

Edward, Bella, Alice, and I climbed into Edward's car and I waved at Jacob before he pulled away and barely a second later Edward did the same, the four of us heading to the Cullens' house for the afternoon.

Alice had disappeared the second we walked inside, but Edward had taken Bella's hand before he gestured for me to follow them and I did as he wanted. As we walked further into the house I heard what sounded like a TV, and for a minute I was surprised because I didn't think any of the Cullens actually watched the TV that they had hanging on the wall in one of the many rooms in their house.

"Seattle is in a state of terror," I heard the woman reporter's voice and I realized just why the Cullens were watching TV. They were watching the news coverage about all the missing people and murders in Seattle, and I couldn't help but wonder why. "Police are baffled by the escalating murders and disappearances." Bella, Edward, and I reached the TV room only to see Jasper, Emmett, and Carlisle sitting with their eyes focused on the television. "Theories range from a vicious new gang to a wildly active serial killer. Reporting live-," the woman made to continue, but Carlisle cut her off by turning off the TV.

"It's getting worse," the good doctor said. "We're going to have to do something."

"It takes more than one of our kind to cause the damage they're reporting," Jasper said and I frowned, "quite a few more; and their undisciplined, conspicuous."

"It's newborns," Edward said and I blinked.

"What, like new vampires?" Bella asked and I was suddenly very aware of just what they were all talking about.

"Wait, all that stuff that's going on in Seattle is vampire related?" I asked as I held up my hands, drawing all the attention to me.

"I'm afraid so," Carlisle said softly as he looked at me and I blinked a few times as I lowered my hands back to my sides.

"Awesome," I said in a whisper, but I knew four of the five people around me heard it. "How do you know that it's . . . newborns behind everything?" I asked.

"In the first few months after the change," Edward said as he looked between Bella and me, but he trailed off and Jasper finished for him.

"That's when we're at our most uncontrollable," he said. "Vicious. Insane with thirst."

"Something to look forward to," Emmett said with a grin as he looked at Bella, who grimaced slightly, but said nothing. I realized then something I should have realized a long time ago, but didn't put the pieces together until then. Bella was going to become a vampire. I really shouldn't have been surprised, but I was and it wasn't exactly something I was thrilled to hear; however, it was her life and it was her decision on how to live it.

"No one's trained these newborns," Jasper said drawing my attention back to him, "but it isn't random."

"Someone's creating an army," Carlisle said.

"Well, now we're definitely going to Seattle," Emmett said as he stood quickly and I frowned as I looked at him.

"Why would someone create an army of vampires?" I asked as I shook my head.

"They've been created to fight someone," Jasper said as he looked at me, but Edward spoke before I could.

"We're the only clan even close to Seattle," he said and I felt my stomach sink as his words registered.

"Regardless of why they were made," Carlisle said, "if we don't put a stop to them, the Volturi will. I'm surprised they've let it go on this long."

"What's the Volturi?" I asked, my frown returning, but my question was ignored.

"Maybe they're behind it," Edward said. "In Italy, I read Aro's mind. He wants me and Alice to join him, but he knows we'll never choose him as long as our family's still alive."

"An army could solve that for him," Jasper practically growled and I found myself taking half a step back as I looked at the deathly glare that was on his face

"Can one of you please tell me what you all are talking about?" I asked, my heart racing in my chest, and the four vampires looked at me while Bella stared off into the distance a slightly fear filled and concerned expression on her face. Carlisle gave me a small smile as he stood and walked over to me.

"Come with me, Aurora," he said gently, in an almost fatherly tone. "There's still some things we haven't told you." I swallowed hard and nodded my head before Carlisle put his cold hand on my upper back and led me from the room and towards the kitchen where my poor brain was undoubtedly about to be overloaded with even more information.

Edward took Bella and I home a few hours later, and I had pretty much been quiet after Carlisle told me all about the Volturi and what had happened the year before that led to the Cullens returning to Forks. He'd fixed me a cup of hot chocolate before he laid everything out for me, and it wasn't until everything was said and done that I realized he'd done exactly what my mother used to do when she had big news to tell me. I figured that Edward or Alice had something to do with that, but I didn't really care because I was glad for it. It was a comforting gesture that made the news a little easier to bear.

Bella and I walked through the front door and shared a look with each other before we both headed towards the kitchen where we heard Charlie shuffling around some papers. He looked up when we walked in and gave us both a tired smile. I walked over to the table and sat down, looking at the file and notepads he had laying out in front of him. It was a missing persons file, and I couldn't help but wonder who had gone missing.

"Did you have dinner yet?" Bella asked her father as she moved to stand beside him, leaning back against the counter and Charlie looked at her.

"Uh, no, I haven't," he said.

"What's all this stuff about, Charlie?" I asked as I gestured towards everything in front of him and he sighed as he looked at me.

"This kid, Riley Biers, disappeared over a year ago," he said, "and his poor parents have been papering Seattle with these things ever since."

"Do you think they should just give up?" Bella asked and Charlie shook his head with yet another heavy sigh.

"Well, I wouldn't if it were you," he said as he looked at Bella and then turned his eyes to me, "or you," he finished and I knew he was dead serious by the look on his face. He hadn't just added me in to make me feel better, and I had come to the startling conclusion that Charlie thought of me like I was his own daughter and nod the daughter of a cousin he hadn't seen or spoken to in decades. "Not ever," he added with another shake of his head as he looked between us and I felt tears spring to my eyes while Bella moved closer to Charlie and he put an arm around her. Bella and I shared a look, me with my watery eyes and her concerned expression. We both knew that after she was changed her in person contact with her family would likely end, and neither one of us were sure how Charlie would take that.

Jacob hadn't come that night when I had expected him to and in all honesty I was a little miffed. I had wanted to see him if only for a few minutes because after everything I had learned that night I just wanted him to hold me for a little while, tell me I had nothing to worry about, and give me that small slice of comfort that I was looking for, but he'd been a no show and he hadn't even bothered to call.

It was quarter past ten and I was in the bathroom getting ready for bed, while Charlie was watching the news downstairs. Bella had already turned in for the night with Edward at her side. I had learned not too long ago that he spent his nights with Bella, holding her while she slept since vampires didn't sleep, and I would admit to no one that I was slightly jealous of that little fact of their relationship. However, I was currently angry with my boyfriend of less than a week as I pulled my hair up into a messy bun on the back of my head, brushed my teeth, washed my face, and changed into my cotton shorts and two sizes too big gray t-shirt. He could have at least called me and told me he wasn't coming over anymore, that way I wouldn't have gotten my hopes up to see him.

Once I was changed and cleaned up, I left the bathroom and went into my bedroom only to hold back a scream when I saw someone standing at my desk holding the framed picture of my mom and me in his hands. It took me less than a second to recognize the bare broad shoulders and ink black hair, but his sudden and unexpected appearance in my room scared me to death.

"Jacob," I hissed in a whisper when he looked at me and I hastily closed my bedroom door. "What are you doing here?" I asked him quietly as I walked further into my room and he smiled as he sat down the photo before he met me halfway.

"I told you that I would come over tonight," he said, his eyes doing a quick scan of my body and I remembered then that I wasn't wearing a bra so I felt my face warm in a blush. Thankfully, my shirt was too big for him to really notice anything, but knowing Jacob's keen eyesight he could tell.

"How'd you even get in here?" I asked. "I doubt Charlie would let you come up to my room and wait for me, let alone pay a visit this time of night." My heart was racing when I realized that this was the first time Jacob had been in my room. I didn't count the brief time he was in there when he picked up the visiting vampire's scent since he'd only been in there for a second and by the way he seemed completely at ease in my room I had a feeling he'd been in there a while. There was no telling what he'd been up to while I had been getting ready for bed.

"Just like the night you passed out, Edward lent a hand," he said and my blush only deepened when he took hold of me by the upper waist and pulled me close to him.

"I'm going to have to have a talk with him about letting strange boys into my bedroom at night," I said as I pushed away from Jacob and walked around him towards my nightstand.

"Why are you upset?" he asked with a sigh as I picked up my alarm clock and set it to go off at five, but I didn't answer him. "Rory," he said gently before I felt his hands on my hips as I put my alarm clock back down on my nightstand and he turned me around so I was facing him. "What'd I do?" he asked and I sighed as I crossed my arms over my chest.

"You could have at least told me what time you were coming over," I said as I looked up at him. "I was expecting you to come earlier and I . . .," I trailed off when I felt traitorous tears prickle at the corners of my eyes and his grip tightened on my waist. "I needed you," I finished in a whisper and he frowned.

"Why didn't you call?" he asked and I shook my head.

"I don't know," I whispered realizing that I could have called Billy, but didn't. "I've had a lot thrown at me tonight and I guess I wasn't thinking."

"What happened?" he asked and I shook my head as I uncrossed my arms.

"I don't want to talk about it right now," I said as I wrapped my arms around his neck and he was quick to envelop me in his arms. "Can you stay?" I asked and he seemed surprised.

"What?" he asked quietly.

"Can you stay with me tonight and just hold me, Jacob?" I asked and he raised his right hand to my face.

"Are you sure you want me to? You'll get a little over heated if I hold you all night," he said softly and I shook my head as a tear made its way down my cheek. I wasn't sure why I was crying or why I suddenly felt so vulnerable, but I just needed Jacob that night and I didn't want him to leave me.

"I don't care," I said as I rested my head on his bare chest and closed my eyes. "Just, please, stay with me, Jacob." His right hand moved to rest on the back of my neck and his left arm tightened around me as he pressed me even tighter to his body.

"Okay," he said quietly. "I'm not going anywhere, Rory," he promised and I buried my face in his chest, "but we might want to open a window. That way you won't get too warm and pass out on me again." His tone had turned teasing and light, and I knew he was trying to help break me out of my suddenly melancholy mood, and it worked a little bit. I laughed lightly as I lifted my head and looked up at him.

"You're never going to let me live that down are you?" I asked and he shook his head, a crooked grin on his lips.

"Nope," he said, popping the p sound as he did and I smiled a teary eyed smile at him before he kissed my forehead. I closed my eyes at the contact and for the first time that day I felt completely at ease.