A/N: From the previous chapter of A Place Under Heaven Interrupted

Jacob fell to the floor making animal sounds of anguish. His eyes stared past her vacantly, as if he was locked in his own cage of agony. Panicked, Tara fell to her knees beside him. His arm lashed out, knocking her to the ground. Tara leapt to her feet, looking around in panic but she could not see a phone.

She shut her eyes and screamed in her mind, "Edward … bring help!"

Her attention was so consumed by Jacob that she barely noticed another movement in the room. A tiny, dark-haired girl in a long cloak stood in the doorway. Tara wheeled around and took a step towards her.

Chapter 10: Desire

The gray wolf pushed past Tara, brushing her fur against her as she walked out of the door.

The noise of the wolves increased. "I'm going to go out there and phase. I need to give my brothers and sister some love," Jacob said, reaching out and caressing Tara's cheek. "Try not to trash the place any further."

Jacob pulled off his shirt and tossed it on the floor as he walked out of the house, unbuttoning his pants. Tara's eyes ran over Jacob's muscular back and Bella smirked, thinking, You don't need supernatural senses to detect that something is going on between Tara and Jacob. The thought brought her joy. For Jacob to find love of his own free will was one of Bella's fondest wishes. Shaking off the distraction, she focused on Jane.

The tiny almost-child who struck fear in the hearts of powerful vampires was huddled into herself. Bella remembered Jane's remorseless eyes as she tortured Edward in Volterra, but she also remembered Jane and her brother Alec, their dark heads touching, communicating wordlessly in the bond of twins.

Jane sat up, curling her knees up to her chest and pulling her cloak tightly around her. She was apparently still dazed. The intensity of her red eyes was diffused, but her suffering was still evident in her face. She spoke with some difficulty, the words seeming to be pulled from her. "Demetri is nearby."

"We have to contact him and keep him away from here. We don't want any more trouble with the Volturi," Bella said urgently. The wolves wanted vengeance.

Jane nodded her head, unspeaking. All the fight seemed to have left her.

Tara started to move around the room, setting it right.

Jacob returned shortly. "The pack wants to talk with you Tara. I'm assuming the two of you have got control of this one here," Jacob said, indicating Jane.

"Jacob, Carlisle is on his way. He needs to check you out," Bella said.

"This is a little more pressing. A vampire just attacked a wolf and everyone is very riled up."

"I'll go," said Edward, stepping forward.

"No. They don't want you in their heads." He turned to Jane. "How many more did they send?" he demanded.

"One," Jane replied.

"We'll find him. We won't kill him unless he gives us no choice."

He reached out his hand to Tara. "Come with me."

Out on the porch Jacob paused and turned to her. "You'll have to tell me what happened in there sometime, but I distinctly remember that it was really nice right before I hit the floor." He bent down and kissed her swiftly. "We are going to Quil's, he's my cousin. We'll talk to him and our leader Sam. It's the best place. There is nothing for you to worry about."

He started to walk forward and then he turned back. "Tara, Claire is going to be there, she's special," he said, his eyes shining. "Remember I told you about her? She will be fine, but we need to be totally calm for her."

Tara looked over her shoulder, back at the cabin.

"Don't worry, Edward and Bella won't have a problem with Jane," Jacob assured her.

It was Jane's emotional health that she was worried about, but Tara didn't think it would be wise to mention that to Jacob. She followed him off the porch.

---

Inside the cabin, Jane fidgeted uncomfortably with the laces of her cloak, finally removing it entirely and flinging it onto the slightly damaged couch. She paced the room and then gazed through the ruined doorway. The wolves paced restlessly, rustling the fern fronds and scenting the night air with edgy tension.

"How long do you mean to hold me prisoner here?" she demanded.

"You are here uninvited, you attacked Jacob. I don't think you should be complaining about your treatment. In fact, I'd say you owe Tara your life," Bella said in outrage, tightening her fists and preparing to strengthen her shield if Jane decided to attack.

Jane did not attack. "Tara..." she murmured, "That is her name." A fleeting softness crossed her face.

"I mean you no harm. I came to get Carlisle," Jane announced.

Bella looked startled, but Edward did not.

As if on cue, Carlisle entered. His quick eyes noted Jane and the posture of the others.

"Hello, Jane," he said levelly, looking around the room and realizing that Jacob was gone. "I seem to be missing my patient."

"Greetings, Carlisle." She gave him an appraising look. "You are looking well. Aro sent me and Demetri to find you. We come in peace."

Bella's eyes flashed. "Peace..." she said derisively, "… Carlisle, she attacked Jacob."

Edward placed a gently restraining hand on Bella's arm.

Carlisle looked at Jane and her eyes wavered from his steady gaze before she quickly recovered her veneer.

"I was curious about my effect on the shape shifters. I was always in control," she asserted.

"Jacob and his pack are our friends," Carlisle said firmly, in a tone that left no question as to his disapproval. "While you are here with us you will not harm anyone." His voice softened. "How is Aro? We heard that he was not well."

"Yes, Aro is not well. He sent me to ask you to come. Our request is for your help."

Carlisle and Edward exchanged significant glances.

"Jane, please excuse us, I must speak with my son and daughter," Carlisle said.

The three retreated to the front porch to talk. Edward spoke in a low voice, aware of the keen ears of Jane and the wolves.

"It's as I thought - they are afraid. They wanted Jane to come to see if any of us were affected by this fever. I do believe they want your help. You are the closest thing to a vampire doctor anyone knows."

Carlisle was silent, remembering. His history with the Volturi was long and he had a friendship with Aro in the past, although they differed philosophically.

Edward knew his father would go to the aid of his friend, but he felt compelled to warn him, "Carlisle, you don't know what this is; you don't know if it is contagious."

Bella knew Carlisle's compassion made it impossible for him to deny anyone in need. "The Volturi aren't to be trusted. They fear us and they hate what they fear," she said with conviction.

"I'd like to learn more from Jane," Carlisle said. "Do you think she will help us?"

Bella nodded. "Jane seems to be affected by Tara's touch as I was. Maybe she is feeling humans in a different way."

"Just now she was remembering the feeding of the Volturi with horror," Edward said.

They returned to the cabin where Jane was waiting. She approached Carlisle with eyes downcast. Her tone and posture were humble. "Demetri volunteered to come here because he was trying to change. He had been a vegetarian, as you call it. I… I would like to learn more about your ways."

The emotions that crossed Carlisle's face were profound. Bella could only imagine what it must have been like for him initially –a lone voice in the wilderness–and how it must affect him to hear that others within the Volturi bastion were considering his way of life.

The joy in Carlisle's voice seemed to confound Jane. "Of course, my child," he said gently.

At his choice of words, a spasm of pain crossed Jane's face and she was speechless.

"I will seriously consider how we can help. I must speak to my wife, Esme about these things."

----

On the ride to the Quileute reservation, Jacob anticipated introducing Tara to Quil. His bond with Quil was so close. They were family, wolf brothers and both of them had a very unique imprinting experience. The wisdom was that imprinting was a supernatural way for shape shifters to find mates, a primal lifetime connection. Both Quil and Jacob had imprinted on young children, Quil on Claire when she was two and Jacob on Nessie when she was newborn.

Even I thought that Quil would eventually marry Claire when she got older– until it happened to me with Nessie. Now Claire was twelve and Nessie was grown up and it was obvious things weren't going according to that plan.

Jacob had tried to analyze his feelings for Nessie and how he had known at first sight that he would be hers forever. He had felt superior, overbearing and possessive of their mystical bond. Jacob remembered the day of his reality check. He was bragging to Bella's father, Charlie, about the depth of his imprinting bond. Charlie had listened patiently and then fixed Jacob with his brown eyes and said in his matter-of-fact way, "Well Jake, that sounds just like I feel about Bella. Pretty much every dad feels that way about his daughter."

Jacob had stared openmouthed. Nessie already had a father that loved her but she was born into such turmoil, it was pretty obvious why she needed extra support from Jacob. His relationship with Nessie had taught him to love in a way that his desire to possess Bella never had. Soon after it had been clear that Claire had special needs too, but exactly how Quil fit into Claire's life had yet to be revealed.

They pulled up in front of Quil's house and Jacob got off the motorcycle and put out his hand to help Tara, but she had already jumped gracefully off, pulling off her helmet and spilling out her shining brown curls. His heartbeat accelerated as he looked into her green-gold eyes and she smiled at him encouragingly.

Jacob felt like she was finding pieces of him and reconnecting them in new ways. I'm a pretty big piece of baggage, he thought, that comes with a tribe and a pack. They all hold on to a part of me, but no one has room in their lives for all of me. Now that Nessie doesn't need me, no one wants what I have to give.

Jacob twined his fingers with Tara's and gave her hand a gentle squeeze as he led her into Quil's house and into another part of his world. Quil would certainly appreciate Tara's looks and he was very tolerant of the Cullen clan. Sam, the oldest of the wolves and leader of the pack, was less so. Jacob felt his stomach clench in anxiety about the outcome of this meeting. He wanted the pack's approval for Tara.

The small clapboard house didn't look like much from the outside, but inside it was an oasis of calm. The rich cream-colored carpet on the floor was soft and thick. Two large sectional sofas in fawn suede faced each other to form nearly a circle in the center of the room. In the middle of them were several beanbag chairs covered in a plush fabric. A corner of the room near a large window was devoted to art. Several large, bright paintings were hanging on the walls drying.

A young, slender girl with long, straight, blue-black hair was standing in front of the easel, painting broad strokes in bright yellow. She didn't look up as they entered, engrossed in her work. The fingers of one hand tugged at her earlobe as she methodically spread the paint.

"That's Claire," Jacob said softly. "Give her some space to get accustomed to you. I'll go get Quil and fill him in."

Tara walked into the room and sat down, watching Claire. She was delicate, very tiny for her age. Jacob had told her that Claire was autistic and did not connect with new people, although with support from her parents and Quil, she had developed into a highly functional person. The painting was quite good. It was a sun shining down on a rock face, the colors were vibrant yet unexpected and the lines were bold.

After a few minutes, Quil and Jacob returned to the room. Quil stopped short and Jacob walked directly into him. The sight that met their eyes was astonishing.

Claire was sitting on Tara's lap, her forehead pressed against Tara's neck. The dark curtain of her hair hid Claire's expression, but Tara had a look of wonderment on her face. They were each breathing slowly in unison. Tara gently moved her arms around the girl's delicate torso and Jacob could see Claire tighten her hold on Tara until she was straining, squeezing herself into Tara's body. Jacob heard Quil's sudden intake of breath.

Quil moved to kneel beside the couch. His voice was gentle and full of love as he said, "Little fawn, I'm here." Claire raised her head and looked at Quil.

"See how pretty my Tara is," she said as she ran a little finger over Tara's cheekbone, leaving a small streak of yellow paint against the faintly golden skin. "She's my sunshine."

Tara smiled at Quil who sat back on his heels in astonishment, for once in his life at a loss for words.

Jacob felt himself becoming undone and in that instant he had faith he had not been forgotten. His need for Tara beat in his heart and he didn't care if she was a new gift to the universe, a salvation, or a cure for anyone but him. He had found her. The glorious joy swept him to a certainty. He knew it, knew that he loved Tara. Everything slowed as the breath flowed in and out of his lungs and he gave all the pieces of himself to her. Neither of them moved. The room separated them but the moment was profoundly intimate. Jacob did not say a word, but he felt like he was shouting.

Tara smiled for him alone.

"I heard you," she whispered.

To Quil she said, "Quil, it is nice to meet you. Would you mind if I speak with Jacob privately?"

She handed Claire over and stood up.

Jacob noticed that her skin was flushed a delicate pink and she was looking at him intensely. He moved to stand in front of her.

Quil looked between Tara and Jacob. "Maybe you two should get a room," he jested.

Jake smacked the back of Quill's head. Hard. "Show a little respect, cuz."

"Actually that's a good idea," Tara said.

When they were alone, Tara closed and locked the door.

Jacob stood bemused, trying to wait patiently for her to talk. She looks so beautiful standing there, he thought, radiant. The new realization of his love sung in his heart but he was hesitant to speak.

Finally she raised her green-gold eyes to him and Jacob was lost in their depths. She seemed to be fighting an internal battle. Jacob could wait no longer.

"Spill it, Sunshine," he said, wiping the little streak of paint off of her cheek with his thumb.

The color in her cheeks deepened. "Sunshine?"

"You need a nickname."

"What, Tara's not short enough for you?" She smiled, but her smile quickly faded. She licked her lips and swallowed hard. "I'm thirsty."

Jacob was relieved. He had been so worried about her not feeding. He stepped close and stroked her hair. "No problem, we'll get you something right away. What do you want? Just tell me and I'll get it for you."

Tara buried her face in his neck, and her skin felt warm even to Jacob.

"I'm not sure I can control myself any longer," she said frantically.

Jacob felt the brush of her teeth against his earlobe. Even though her bite might be dangerous, the feeling of her soft body against his, the sweet scent of her, and the delicate graze of her teeth against the sensitive skin, wiped his mind blank and he didn't want to push her away. What a way to go, he thought.

"Hey!" he gently reminded. "Biting is bad, remember? I prefer not to introduce any venom into my bloodstream, even yours. Tara, if it is food you want, you'd better stop distracting me."

"It is not food I want, it's you," Tara said, pushing Jacob back against the door.

Before he had time to wonder what she meant, she was pressing her lips against his passionately. Jacob responded enthusiastically, his heart pounding for joy as he realized she did not plan to kill him and suck his blood. He reveled in the softness of her lips and body and the feel of her silken skin against his own. He took full advantage of the situation, kissing her lips open and sliding his hands down her hot skin and over her body.

"Jacob I want every part of you," she said. Jacob was again astounded at how she seemed to speak to the deepest needs of his soul and understand things he had only just begun to realize.

Tara was desperate and wild. She seemed driven by an insatiable need to connect with him. After their frenzy abated, she touched his face lovingly and gave him long slow kisses, her eyes clear and deep. Jacob felt a deep wave of peace wash over him. Tara brushed her soft lips against his ear and cool droplets of shivers slid pleasantly down his spine.

"I heard you Jacob Black," she whispered tenderly.

"I hope everyone in the house didn't hear me," Jacob said, a bit embarrassed.

"They might have, but I'm talking about when I heard your soul in Quil's living room when you finally realized that you loved me." She stroked his face and looked at him with such tenderness that Jacob was not afraid of his feelings.

He took her face in his hands and said, "I'm glad you can hear my soul, but I want to tell you with my lips. I love you Tara." He waited for a few seconds, holding his breath.

She wrapped her arms around him, hugging him so tightly to her that his ribs flexed.

"Wanna know a secret?" she asked, standing on her toes. "I love you too. I crave you, I need you. You are my heart's desire."

The woman I love chose me, Jacob thought. The joy that spread through him wasn't exultant or triumphant; it was so intense and intimate that Jacob was humbled. He cupped her face in his hands and looked into her bright green eyes.

They were rudely interrupted by Quil's pounding on the door.

"Dude, you need to come out, Sam is here!"

"Damn. Give me a minute!" Jacob hollered, pressing another kiss to Tara's lips.

"Is my hair messed up?" Tara asked. Her brown curls were tousled in all directions.

"Yeah," said Jacob, grinning.

From further down the hall, Sam's voice boomed in seeming disapproval. "JACOB, GET OUT HERE NOW." There was a two second delay before he finished, "AND BRING THE SUCCUBUS WITH YOU."

Jacob burst out laughing as Tara made a face at him.

"Well, I think we just found you a nickname."

A/N – Tired of my restrained love scenes? JacobsTara published an alternate on this chapter called Desire: The Deleted Scene on Twilighted(dot)net. Rated NC-17, respect the rating.