Disclaimer: I do not own the Twilight series, its characters or world. I only own some OCs.

THIS IS NOW EDITED. Thank you, amgglekim and Masochisim!

The week of BD, don't expect any updates. I generally only have one day a week set aside to write or read. I read the Host, last week, the reason this chapter is so very late. I KNOW that I will be spending my precious reading time reading BD in an attempt to beat the spoilers.

The chapter goes to Anna, who requested the shirt.

Chapter Nine

The fall was more terrifying than going through the metal barrier. I had never been airborne in a car before, even though I had been in a fender bender once or twice. This was no little accident, however. Suddenly I was lifted up out of my seat, only my seatbelt keeping me from flying through the back window.

My car hit one large rock outcropping on the passenger side, causing my car to crinkle up and the window to shatter. Another ledge hit the other side, and I ducked to avoid being hit in the head with the jagged edges of the front window and connecting metal as it was sheared apart over me. The glass shattered and the pieces went flying, torn out of place by the cliff side. The force of the rock against the vehicle caused my poor car to spin in the air, making a complete flip so that the water was visible to me as I looked up.

The water was dark except for the whitecaps hitting the few rocks at the bottom. My clarity of vision did little to calm me. Instead, I panicked, trying to pull my body out of my seat without undoing the seatbelt, the wind and rain whipping against me.

My efforts were useless, and if I had been calm and able to think, I might have come up with a solution that actually worked, but it was too late for that. With a sudden splash, the water hit my skin with a force that jerked me in my seatbelt. I was submerged.

I tried to get the seatbelt undone, but it refused to move. I found it ripping away, shredding in my fingers as I clawed at it, desperate to reach the surface. The water was as restless under the surface as it appeared above, pulling at me, tossing me between the rocks, which might have shattered, had the density of the water itself not slowed me. I needed to get out of the disorienting ocean. My sense of sight, smell, and touch were all but useless to me. All I had was a dim recollection that up was…somewhere.

Did vampires sink in water? The thought terrified me, but then a voice in the back of my head answered, calming my nerves. They only sank if they didn't move. I knew I then that I had to move.

I swam out of the car, forcing my limbs to work the way I wanted them to, fighting against the violent currents surrounding me to reach the rocks. Rock wall climbing had never been my idea of fun, but I didn't like the loss of control I felt when the water washed over me, either. I hefted myself out of the Pacific Ocean, one hand at a time.

It didn't take me long to reach the top. This was not like gym class, when I had trouble lifting my body weight. I was able to vault myself higher with ease, grabbing onto the handholds I found and leaping above them. I stood at the top for a second or two, trying to regain control of the irrational terror that had seized me. I wasn't hurt. I couldn't be hurt. Everything was alright. I found myself laughing with relief, and quickly got myself under control.

Jacob and Leah had moved into the trees, out of the rain. I walked towards them, feeling somewhat normal now, and wanting to get out of the wet. If I had been human, I would have been very cold. As it was, I simply felt uncomfortable. My clothes stuck to my skin, and I crossed my arms, acutely aware that I didn't wear a bra underneath my pajamas. No doubt Jacob had seen worse, what with everyone in the pack sharing their thoughts. It still didn't change the fact that I felt embarrassed.

"Can I have my clothes now?" I asked, the sound of the water dripping off my pajamas lost in the torrents of raindrops falling out on the road.

Leah held out the clothes to me, and though they were wet, they weren't as drenched as the ones I was wearing.

"Thanks," I said, recognizing my favorite pair of jeans. As I took them, I noticed the package in Leah's hand.

"That isn't mine," I said, confused.

"Your sister told me to give you this one," Leah answered, shrugging, and held it out to me. I took it.

There was a note on the front of the black plastic wrap. To Samantha- You deserve a sympathetic man in your life. Besides, you never wanted Edward. Love, Brianne.

I tore the plastic off and unfolded the shirt. "Oh, my God. You have got to be kidding me."

I was holding a bubblegum pink shirt in my hands. On the front, it said "BFFL". On the back, in bold block lettering surrounded by hearts, it said JASPER CULLEN. Underneath the name was a small saying in flowery script. "The only man who really knows how you feel."

How could Brianne think I would like this? Dear God, it said Jasper Cullen with hearts. I could have handled anything but hearts. I hadn't liked hearts since I passed love notes in second grade and got caught by the teacher. Talk about mortifying. As bad as that had been, it was nothing like this T-shirt. "I am not going to be caught dead in this thing."

Leah's eyebrow moved upwards as she smirked. "Hate to break it to you, but you are rather dead. Pretty much a walking corpse."

"I am not wearing this. I don't care," I said stubbornly.

"Does it really matter?" Jacob asked. "Your sister gave it to you, and no one but us is going to see you in it. And frankly, you can stay in your stained, wet pajamas for all I care."

I looked down at the state of my current clothes, and then at the shirt in my hands. "Okay, okay, you're right. I'll wear it." I twirled my finger in a circle. "Would you mind?"

Jacob turned around, but Leah just snorted. "Get used to it. You think that privacy is something you can demand?"

"You think that she's going to run?" Jacob asked derisively. "Leah- will you just turn around already."

Leah bristled, but she obeyed, and I dressed as quickly as I could without ripping anything. The pink looked awful against my pale skin. "Bleh," I remarked quietly, not sure if I should be amused or irritated. Then I announced, "I'm done."

They both turned to face me again, and Leah laughed when she saw me. "No wonder you've got something against pink. Didn't someone tell you that pink and red don't go well together?"

"Red?" I asked. Leah simply tapped at the corner of her eye in response. "Oh. I forgot. I haven't seen my eyes yet. I know they used to be blue."

"Not anymore. You look hideous."

I opened my mouth to say something, only to come up blank. To her, I probably did look hideous, despite the unnatural vampire beauty. When you knew what it stood for, what a monster it hid, it was probably not as appealing. "No comment."

"Ready?" Jacob asked. Leah nodded, as I held up the wadded pajamas I no longer needed.

"What should I do with these?"

"Hold onto them for now. We'll get rid of them when we stop for the night," Jacob answered, and Leah grinned, making me both curious and nervous.

I held my hands out. "My wallet?" Leah handed it to me, and I put it into my pocket.

"Let's go," Leah said, and reached for the tie on her sarong as she ran forward. Jacob ran into the forest, too, keeping some distance between himself and Leah. I waited until I could hear their heartbeats slow for that of a larger creature, and the sound of paws against the ground. Then we were flying through the forest.

The storm had cleared up north. The night sky could be seen through breaks in the clouds, with stars brighter than anything I had ever seen before. It was breathtakingly beautiful. I loved it all; I was enjoying our travels, at least, until I saw what was ahead of us.

The ground dropped away into another river. On the other side, far enough that my previously human eyes would have only seen a blurry mass, was a green island. Or at least, it looked like an island. It could have connected with land further up, where I couldn't see.

I stopped walking, figuring we must be stopping here for the night. My thoughts were incorrect. As I was about to sit down, Jacob nudged me forward with his all-too-big snout. The prospect of his teeth being that close to my skin was not a thought I appreciated, however much my mind knew he wasn't going to hurt me.

"We can't be crossing that tonight. It'll be freezing," I told him. Jacob whuffled, and I realized he was laughing at me. "So the cold doesn't bother me. Sue me. Getting wet does. I just got into dry clothes, and I don't have body heat to help dry them off."

He nudged me again. I firmly planted my feet. "Why?" I demanded. "Why not just go across the land? You can scratch something out on the ground, can't you? Or change?"

Jacob rolled his eyes, and looked to the ground for a moment. Then his massive paw moved, scratching out the basic shape of Washington, and then Alaska. There was a square separating the two.

"Oh," I said, suddenly realizing what it was. "That's Canada, isn't it?" Jacob merely stared at me. Leah growled, stalking forward to the water impatiently.

Canada meant borders. Borders that were patrolled by humans. I couldn't cross them; the only way was swimming.

"I didn't know that you had to cross Canada to get to Alaska," I grumbled.

Jacob merely nudged me again, urging me forward. "Would you stop that?" I asked, exasperated. "I can walk, you know. Besides, I smell like you guys too much already. Forgive me if I want to keep my current clothes in a somewhat livable state."

He grumbled, a sound that was not quite a growl, but still managed to sound impatient. "Fine, I'm going," I told him, and ran forward and dove into the icy water. It was cold, but it was a familiar kind of cold. My body temperature was not so different. I broke the surface and began treading water.

"Well?" I asked the wolves, their figures black against the night sky. "What are you waiting for? Afraid of a little cold?"

I could hear Leah growling from here, and they both leapt into the water. "Race you!" I said, diving under the surface and propelling myself forward. It was harder to move with the pajamas still wadded up in one hand, but I had an advantage, and not just because I had a head start. I grinned. I didn't have to dogpaddle.

Had I been human, swimming this distance would have been far too much for me, taking an inordinate amount of time until I finally gave up and let the current take me. In my newer state, however, swimming was quite enjoyable. I could sense the fish in the water, in the currents that pulsed and eddied against my skin.

It was only a matter of time before I reached the other side, pulling myself up on the shore, closely followed by Jacob and Leah.

"I won," I murmured. Leah snorted, and I could imagine her telling me that this wasn't a game. Jacob shook himself off, spraying me with water, before walking forward, looking very pleased with himself. I could have been wrong, though; I was not adept at reading body language of werewolves.

"I'm still wet," I called after them, easily catching up. Leah abruptly sat down and stared at me as Jacob walked past her, into the trees. "Are we stopping here?" I asked.

"Yes," Jacob answered, coming back out of the darkness. "Leah is taking first watch."

He opened a sealed plastic bag and pulled out a lighter. "Let's get warm," he said, and set down to the task of making a fire.

"You carry a lighter?"

He nodded. "In a waterproof bag. How else do you suppose we destroy the bloodsuckers after we tear them apart? We don't breathe fire."

"I guess not." I watched him. "Am I?" I stopped, unsure if I should continue, but then I started again. "Am I one of those bloodsuckers to you?" I said, after a moment. It was easy to forget Leah was there, as she sat silently in her werewolf form.

Jacob flicked the lighter and set the sticks burning. "I don't know," he said softly. "I don't think I'll be able to make that decision unless I have to."

"If you have to kill me," I said softly, considering. "It would be easier, if you hadn't made your decision? If you hadn't made me… human, in your mind?"

He didn't look up. "Yes," he said softly, pausing in his movements for a second.

I nodded. "Sounds fair."

Jacob nodded and went back to work. The fire blazed a few feet into the air within moments. The warmth felt amazing. I moved closer to the fire, and felt my clothes beginning to dry with the prickling heat, enjoying the feel of it against my skin.

"Goodnight," Jacob said, and curled up across from me, near Leah. Within a few moments, he was asleep. She watched me, the reflection of flames dancing in her eyes.

My pajamas were quickly drying- I threw them onto the fire. The sparks flew up in a crackling frenzy. Leah still watched me, and I turned my gaze away, embarrassed.

The fire began to die as the night faded away.

Please review for your teaser!

Final thing! Evanescence songs, people! Which song belongs to which character? Jacob, Leah and Samantha all have one- and they are all from the three released albums by Evanescence, so not any of their singles or hard to find songs. Guesses will be accepted until the next update!You may get a cameo if you guess correctly!