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OUTTAKE

BPOV: The day she tells Edward she wants to go see Jacob.

"No, Bella. Absolutely not! I keep telling you that werewolves, especially the young ones, have no self-control. You'll get hurt and I can't come on the reservation to help you."

"Edward, I'll be fine. I hung out with the pack almost the whole time while you were…anyway, there was only ever one incident and the others took care to keep me safe."

"Bella,"

"No, Edward! Jacob is in pain now and he needs me. He's my best friend and he helped me during my own dark days. I owe it to him to be there for him."

"Bella,"

"You made me a promise, Edward. Remember? I need you to trust me to make my own decisions. If you can't trust me then we're going to have problems."

"It's not you I don't trust…it's the dog!"

"I know Jacob, you don't…he'd never hurt me. Please…trust my choices and my judgment. I don't want to fight with you, but I am going to go see Jake. I have to and I'd rather not have to do it behind your back. You promised me…"

"I know…I KNOW. I should have guessed you'd want this though. Okay…I'll trust you…and the mutt…but if he hurts you…! Would you please do something for me too?"

"What is it?" Gone were the days when I would blindingly agree to that question! He'd gotten things out of me too many times that way!

"Would you please make sure to take the phone dad gave you? Just in case you need it for anything? It will make me feel better, especially since Alice can't 'see' anything when you're with the wolves."

"I can do that." I had actually planned on doing that anyway, but I decided not to tell him that. I'd let him have his little victory.

"I appreciate it, Edward. I know you're trying and I realize it's really hard for you to not jump in front of me and take control all the time. So, I just want to say thanks. Every time you restrain your natural impulse to 'direct' me, you're showing me how much you love me and how much you're willing to do for me and I'm so grateful. I love you, too. I'm sorry that my actions today distress you so much, but Jacob is my family too and I have to be able to help him. Please try to understand."

"I'm glad you recognize that it's difficult for me to do, but you were right. You are fully capable of making your own decisions. I'm not saying I won't be worried sick the whole time you're gone, but I won't do anything to prevent you from going." He sighed heavily and leaned his forehead against mine.

I leaned up and kissed him tenderly.

"Thanks."

xXx

…later on with Jacob…

"When?"

"When, what, Jake?"

"When do you plan to…let them…"

"Oh…after graduation."

"Graduation! What…No, Bells, I won't let you!"

"You…what?" I knew one day I would end up having this talk with Jacob, too. The problem with being surrounded by mythical beings who were all stronger and less fragile than you were was that they all thought that gave them the right to take over and tell you what to do…well, NOT anymore!

"I won't let you do this, Bella! I'm going to stand by and let you choose to end your life before it's even really begun. I'm not…"

"That's enough, Jacob Black! Let me tell you what you're NOT going to do! You are NOT going to tell me what I can and can't do. I'm an adult, hell; I'm older than you are, technically if not physically…certainly mentally… I will NOT allow anyone to dictate to me what my decisions or choices should be. Not Alice, not Edward and sure as hell not you! I make my decisions…no one else! If you can't accept that, Jacob, then I'm not going to be able to stay in your life. I know you probably won't want to be in my life afterwards, but I had at least hoped that we could remain friends until then. But I am done with allowing my life to be dictated to by others, so, I guess, you have a choice to make too." I waited anxiously. My heart would break if Jacob turned his back on me, not as badly as losing Edward, but badly enough.

"Bella, don't do this. Please…think of Charlie, your mom…. me. You're going to just turn your back on all of us for a…a…a heartless, soulless creature?" Jacob's face was full of pain and his eyes were glistening with as yet unshed tears.

"His heart may no longer beat, but he still has one Jake. And you know NOTHING about his soul. I don't want to say good-bye to you all; I'd like to find a way to keep you in my life for as long as possible, but I know I may not be able to. I love you and dad and my mother, but I cannot go on without Edward. He is my soul mate, Jake. We belong together and this is the only way that won't destroy us both."

"I love you Bells…pick me. Stay with me. Have a life, children and a future with me. I can give you everything he can't … please… choose me…" Jacob gently took my hands in his and the tears began to fall down my cheeks like a soft rain.

"I love you too, Jake…but it's not enough. I don't love you the same way. I don't love you the way I would need to, to build the life you describe. I've never really cared whether or not I had children anyway. My soul, my heart, my very being…recognizes where I belong and for whom I was made. I'm so sorry that you're being hurt by my choice, but it is my choice to make. Not yours, not my dad's and not my mom's. I think if my parents knew how…complete…I feel when I'm with him, that even if they detested the choice I was making, they would be happy that I got to feel that sense of absolute and complete love and 'rightness' in my life."

He let go of my hands and took a step back, shaking his head in denial.

"I can't imagine that you're parents would be ok with this if they knew. I know I'm not. I don't think I can stand by and watch this, but you're right, it is your choice to make. I've had some experience with having my 'choices' taken away from me…the whole alpha command thing…and I don't have the right to do that to anyone. Not even you. You have the right to make decisions for yourself…even if they're the wrong ones! I'm sorry…I have to go…I love you…but…" and he turned away from me, breaking into a run and then exploding into the russet wolf as he reached the tree line.

He stopped there and turned to look at me. I waved good-bye to my best friend as the tears fell.

"Good-bye Jake. I love you. I'm sorry."

He threw his head up and let out a howl of anguish and misery. My knees buckled and I fell to the ground, sobbing. He hung his head and turned to disappear into the woods.

I made it off the reservation before pulling over and waiting for Edward. I knew Alice could see me now and I was sure he would be here soon. The tears had stopped now. I was still sad by the loss of my friend, but I knew I had made the only choice that would make me whole. I turned with a small smile as Edward opened the door to my truck.

"He told me good-bye. He can't watch and I won't let him tell me what to do. He accepts my right to make my own decisions even if he can't accept my decision."

"You're sure you've made the right choice?"

I kissed him gently and placed my hands on his cheeks, my eyes never straying from his as I answered, "Yes. I cannot and will not live my life without you. You make me happy. You complete me in a way that I never understood was possible. You are my future…always."

He pulled me out of the truck and into his arms.

"Same goes, my love, same goes."

xXx

…about a month later…approximately one week before graduation…

The ringing phone woke me up out of a sound sleep. Edward and I had talked late into the night last night, about the future, about my change…about whether or not he thought he could handle a physical relationship BEFORE the change as I wanted to have that experience at least once while I was still human. I didn't know if I would want him the same way after or if the bloodlust would be too all consuming in the beginning. He wanted to get married first…it would push the time line for my change back a little bit, but I was considering it.

I looked around the semi-dark room. Edward was gone, hunting, with his brothers and I knew they needed some time together, so I was glad that I'd been able to talk him into the weekend trip to Goat's Rock.

I found the phone on my nightstand and flipped it over without looking at the display.

"Hello?"

"Bella? It's Jake."

"Jake?"

"I've decided that it hurts more to have you gone from my life completely, than the thought of what you will become does. If there's still room for me in your life, now and…after, I'd like to still be there?"

I smiled. I still had my sun.

A/N: This is it. I can't go beyond this without it just dragging on and on...I thought it was important that Bella and Jake had their confrontational moment too, but I don't see the need to go beyond this. Please R & R people... I love hearing what you all have to say! Thanks for the support!