STEPHENIE MEYER OWNS TWILIGHT AND RELATED CHARACTERS

Thanks so much for the positive reviews, especially June Banks for telling me I was helping her cope with waiting for Breaking Dawn, that made my day!

Chapter Song: "Fighting For Your Heart (Let It Go)" - After Edmund

EPOV:

I pounded my fists into the nearest tree trunk and watched it crack and fall backward onto the forest floor. A massive snarl ripped from my chest.

Calm yourself, Edward.

"No, Alice!" I shot her a deadly look. "If you hadn't insisted on keeping with tradition, I would've been with her! I WOULD'VE BEEN THERE!" I roared at her.

Her expression remained calm.

I turned on my heels and tried to control the monster rising in my chest. I had never felt so much fury for one being in the entire century of my existence. In a flash, I raced back to the shattered glass on the lawn and retraced the putrid smell of werewolf back to the boundary line for the hundredth time. As soon as I neared the edge of our territory, Jacob's repulsive scent mingled with several others of his kind and became untraceable. I roared again, rage filling every fiber of my being.

Carlisle looked at me with a stern expression. Edward. We will find Bella, but first you need to get yourself under control.

"Control?!" The idea was utterly preposterous. I was never brusque with Carlisle, but I had lost respect for anything at this point. I continued to pace, clenching and unclenching my fists angrily, as a wave of serenity suddenly drowned me. I turned my glare on my blond brother. "Don't patronize me, Jasper!"

"I asked him to, Edward. You are obviously incapable of rational thought at this point, and we need to develop a plan." Combined with Jasper's mood tampering, Carlisle's tone made me instantly ashamed of my actions.

Though unnecessary, I took a deep breath. "I apologize, Carlisle. I'm sorry, Alice." I was sorry, but still resentful towards Jasper for making me realize it. I did not want to talk; I wanted to act. Now.

Alice's face was still smooth as she stood with Esme and Rosalie at our territory's edge, but all three had worry in their amber eyes.

Emmett came racing along the boundary line towards us. "Nothing. I feel sure he crossed over instead of running to the coast."

So we were nowhere. No trail and no blood on the shattered glass to help us track them either. I had never felt this helpless before; there was always a plan in place. Not this time, though. I hadn't seen it coming. I had invited Jacob thinking it was the right thing to do. Bella cared for him, and he deserved the right to choose. I had accepted his arrival as gracefully as possible, not thinking about his possible ulterior motives. Then, I had blocked everyone's thoughts from my head to keep Bella's appearance a surprise. I should have kept tabs on Jacob's mind at least, but I didn't. This was my fault; I had endangered Bella once again. My dormant rage flared momentarily before calmness overtook me once more. I shot a look at Jasper, acknowledging that I should be grateful, but also knowing that I wasn't.

"Have all the guests been informed?" Carlisle asked in an even voice.

Esme's beautiful voice answered him. "We told them there were complications with the honeymoon arrangements, and that Bella wanted to sort it all out before the ceremony was held."

Thanks in large part to the inferiority of human ears, no one but us had heard the window shatter. The cover story wasn't the greatest, but everyone seemed to accept it without question; even Charlie and Renee had talked extensively with Esme about alternative honeymoon options to try and help "sort it out."

This made my still heart sink in my chest; our honeymoon location was a surprise I had been saving for Bella. I felt my calmness slowly evolve into depression.

"Jasper, could you ease up a bit?" The anger from before returned but was not near as strong.

"Thank you," I muttered. "What now? We have to do something!" I clenched my fists again.

There was silence. I searched my family's thoughts desperately, but found nothing. I looked to Carlisle, pleading silently with him to give me some guidance.

"We'll have to cross the boundary," he said quietly, staring into the trees.

Esme opened her mouth to protest, but closed it silently, wanting to find Bella as much as, if not more than, everyone else.

I could hear the concerns about starting a war echoing in her head.

"The war has already been started," I growled and flew into the werewolf protected forests of La Push.

BPOV:

I awoke from my fitful night with a pounding head and swollen eyes. I remembered where I was and let my head sink back to the floor where I had fallen asleep. I shifted my position and winced. I could feel where the edges of the dress bodice had dug into my skin as well as sharp pains in my ankles from wearing high heels too long. I kicked them off slowly, then tucked my knees to my chest. I had absolutely no reason to get up. Nothing awaited me that I wanted to face.

There was a soft knock on the door, then silence. I assumed he was waiting for me to answer.

I didn't.

I heard a slightly louder knock. This time he didn't wait for me to respond, and the door creaked open.

"Bella?" Jacob's tentative voice broke the silence.

I squeezed my eyes shut and willed him away. He took two large steps toward me and started to pick me up to move me to the bed. I jerked away violently, and sat up. Not liking being in a position of weakness, I rose from the floor and approached the washbasin.

"There's food… I thought you might be hungry." I glanced at his reflection in the mirror; he looked hopeful.

"I'm not hungry," I snapped, but my growling stomach betrayed me. I was hungry, but I didn't want to give him the satisfaction.

His expression darkened. "You need to eat, Bella."

I ignored him and busied myself with scrubbing my aching knuckles. They were still raw, but the pain from yesterday had dulled somewhat. I felt his eyes linger on me for a long moment. Then, the door closed, and I was alone again. I gripped the edge of the basin with one hand and clenched my stomach with the other. I recognized this feeling; it had happened the last time Edward and I had been separated. I was no longer whole with him gone.

Determination pulsed through my veins. I would not continue my life as half a person. Jacob still cared for me, so maybe I could reason with him; he had been my best friend, after all. I gazed at myself in the mirror. I would need to make myself look sane if I was going to convince him I actually was. 'Sane' looked slightly out of reach as I examined the shell of a person staring back at me. Well, I should look lucid at the very least. I splashed some water on my puffy eyes and tried to untangle my ragged curls. I pulled my fingers through the hair on the crown of my head, then paused.

Where is my veil?

I turned and scanned the tiny room, but the veil was nowhere to be found. Jacob must've removed it when he put the wet cloth on my head. I furrowed my brow; I didn't like the idea of him touching it.

My wedding dress was wrinkled and horribly dirty, but a quick inspection showed no signs of permanent damage. That was a relief; Alice would kill me if it got ruined.

Alice…

I clenched my fists to fight off the sadness enveloping me. I loved them all so much; to think I might not see them again, especially Edward… My fists clenched tighter.

No, I will see him again.

I paused. There were voices coming from the other room. I tiptoed to the door and pressed my ear to the gap between the door and the frame.

"What is wrong with you, Jacob?" I heard Sam Uley's angry voice echoing through the crack.

"I cannot believe you endangered us this way! Do you realize what you have done?!"

I heard muffled pacing, probably Sam.

"They can't touch us, Sam. I was invited to the wedding."

"You were not invited to take a souvenir!"

"If they come at us, it will be a violation of the treaty. On their part, not ours," Jacob said confidently.

"It is not a question of whether they will come at us but when, if they haven't started already," Sam spat back. "No wonder you haven't transformed for a while… You didn't want us to hear your foolish plan."

Jacob didn't respond.

"Do you not care about the rest of the pack?! You have put all of us at risk for some girl!"

Anger colored Jacob's voice now. "She's not just some girl."

Sam's pacing stopped at once. "Is that was this is about? Jacob, you can't force yourself to imprint on her. It would've already happened. Don't be stupid."

"I am perfectly aware of that, Sam." I could tell Jacob was fighting to keep himself under control. He took a heavy breath. "They were going to turn her. I can't allow that."

"That isn't our business until it happens. Only then will it be a violation of the treaty. I can't believe you were meant to lead this pack. Thank God you were too cowardly to accept the offer." I heard a door slam, then the only sound was Jacob's ragged breathing.

A crash suddenly erupted from the other side of the door, and the floor beneath me shook. I cracked the door slightly and peeked out. I saw Jacob's bare, sinewy back quaking with anger. On the floor was a pile of maroon debris, the remnants of the couch I had occupied the day before. I opened the door a little wider, trying to decide if I could make it to the exit without being caught, but it squeaked loudly and gave my position away. Jacob jerked his head around to glare at me with fiery eyes. My frightened expression made his face soften slightly.

"Hungry now?" he asked quietly.

I just stared at him, evaluating the situation. I stepped cautiously out of the room. He took this as my answer and walked to a nook just inside the front door. I glanced around. Was there no kitchen here?

He returned with a paper plate that carried a small piece of charred meat. He stopped a few feet away from me and handed me the plate.

I stared at the meat suspiciously. Was it steak? I didn't know.

"Do you want me to eat this with my hands?" I asked him sourly.

A smirk belonging to the old Jacob appeared on his face as he thrust some old utensils at me. Not seeing anything resembling a table, and no longer having a place to sit, thanks to Jacob, I settled myself on the floor and leaned against the doorframe. Jacob watched me closely as I attempted to cut the mystery meat. It was unnerving.

"I don't need an audience," I snapped.

He snorted and backed up to lean against the opposite wall.

I reluctantly put a piece of the meat in my mouth. He seemed relieved that I was eating, and it pissed me off to please him. If I hadn't planned to get into his good graces, I would've rather starved. He snorted again.

"What?" I glared at him.

"You are still so stubborn," he said.

"This isn't a high school reunion, Jake. Of course I'm the same, it hasn't been that long since you saw me last." I channeled my irritation into cutting my food. I glanced at him as I speared another bite. His eyes were hurt.

Oops.

I had forgotten that the last time we were together I had broken his heart. I struggled to change the subject.

"Aren't you eating?" I asked as conversationally as I could.

He shook his head. "Already ate."

I took another bite and chewed thoughtfully. It didn't taste like steak.

"I have a change of clothes if you want them," he said. "They're mine from before I, you know, grew." His eyes twinkled, and I could tell he was trying to lighten the mood. It wasn't working.

I was torn about changing. I was uncomfortable in my wedding dress, but, at that moment, it was the only thing tying me to Edward. I decided to stay how I was.

"As for washing, though, you'll have to settle for that bowl in there." He pointed past me into the room. No shower, fabulous.

"Where are we anyway?" I tried to act indifferent, but I was desperate for an answer.

"Nice try," he said casually.

I shoved the plate aside. "Damn it, Jacob!" I dropped my face into my palms and tried to focus on the task at hand. This conversation wasn't going the way I hoped it would. I decided to try something different. It was a long shot though; I was a horrible liar.

I kept my face hidden in my hands so he couldn't see my eyes. "I wasn't going to go through with it."

"What?" he asked, though he knew full well what I was talking about.

I took a deep breath. "He wasn't going to change me. He backed out."

"Why?" Suspicion was evident in his tone.

"Would you want to damn someone you loved to an eternity of night?" I borrowed this from Edward's early refusal arguments.

He was quiet for a moment. "Look at me, Bella."

Uh-oh.

I tried to make myself believe the lie, hoping my eyes wouldn't give me away, and slowly lifted my head to look at him.

He scrutinized my gaze for what felt like an eternity. "I don't believe you," he decided quietly.

Frustration consumed me, and I threw the plate containing the unwanted meal across the room. Hot tears sprang to my eyes.

"Come on, Bella, I spent a lot of time hunting that deer," Jacob huffed.

Venison. That's why it tasted different. I paused as something clicked in my head. Hunting… We were in a hunting cabin in the mountains! That accounted for that lack of furniture and modern household comforts. The fire that had burned in my mind at this new discovery quickly faded as I realized we could be anywhere north of Forks, all the way up to Canada. I got to my feet to avoid another breakdown and crossed my arms across my chest.

"I would greatly appreciate it if you would return my veil," I said sarcastically through my gritted teeth.

He froze and looked at me carefully. "I don't have your veil."

Great. I was going to be livid if it was lost. "Well then, where is it?"

We both realized the answer at the same time.

His body tensed and his eyes grew nervous.

I, on the other hand, was struggling to suppress a smile.

R&R please
Thanks for reading (especially to the reviewer "me" who said she read it several times, lol)!