Apologies to the delay. Thank you for telling me that I had put up the wrong chapter.

"Babe, I thought I told the boy to tell you to call me as soon as you get this phone, or did he not tell you?" Douglas's voice roused her from her thoughts. Ruby looked at the phone, seeing that it has been going on for ten minutes. "Have you been listening to a word I said?"

"Ah... um..." she struggled for any type of recognition, "Marcus?"

"I haven't said a word. Boss called me into the office," he confessed. "Anyway, what was up with you and that Jacob boy?"

"Nothing, really." Well, she thought it was nothing. "He was sick when I first came over... and then when he gave me back my phone a few days ago, he fell into another fever..." Douglas waited for her to continue. Ruby always continued speaking after a long pause, especially if she had a secret to spill. "Hey Douggie." He hated it when she called him that.

"Girl, I'm warning you. Don't make me get my ass over there and get you." He chuckled. "I know you only get like this when you need me to zip my lips. Now spill."

"Well, as I've said," she started, "Don't tell anyone this..." Of course he wouldn't. Who would he tell? The boyfriend was probably cheating on him and most of the bimbos he worked with were... well, bimbos. "Jacob Black tried to commit suicide."

"Say what?"

"Remember the day I came into town? I crashed Bella and Edward's wedding for a while and then I didn't get a chance to interview them, so I was going to the reservations instead. Then I remembered seeing Jacob's name on the list, so I figured that he would still be there or something, so I decided to wait for a while before I check them out..." she narrated, "So I was chilling in the meadows... at least until he walked by and he was standing by the cliff when I caught up to him. When I called out to him, he jumped."

"Are you sure you didn't scare him into jumping?" he teased. It was still a good possibility, Douglas decided. With Ruby, anything might have happened outside the girl's good intentions. "Anyway, kiddo, this is big news. You don't even have to finish the story if you don't want to. Just publish this story about lover boy's problem and you're well on your way to tabloids." Of course, he knew she wouldn't do it.

"Douglas, I'm not going to ruin his life," she frowned. "I don't want tabloids, Douglas. This story is getting stranger and stranger. No one wants to talk about this feud. You'd think that if someone were to come to this town and ask about the Native American's side of the story, they would be eager to tell the world of the Cullen's injustice, but no one wants to say a word. Even Billy Black was reluctant to give me an interview."

Douglas raised another eyebrow. She has a pretty good potential to this interview thing... "So you got one from him?"

"Not really," she murmured, "I've secured one. But I had to leave in a hurry this morning because I stunk and I told him I would be back for the interview. Then I couldn't find my phone and... here we are."

"Ah," Douglas mouthed, nodding at Stephen who stared at him with a peculiar look. Personal phone calls at the work place was a no-no, but who gave a damn? These two were best friends and well, bedfellows as well if Stephen ever got drunk. The boy never recovered from waking up with that kind of view. Hah. Douglas held up a finger and turned his chair around, "What about the other people, babe?"

"Well, I got one with Dr. Cullen and his two sons," she said, "I'm heading there tomorrow to check them out... or at least, whenever this rain clears up." Ruby glanced outside as she said so. It has been pouring the day after Jacob left and it didn't seem like it was going to let up soon. Either she had to find a good day to ride her bike up there or rent a car.

Sighing inwardly, Ruby brushed her hair back behind her ears. Renting a car sounded like a good idea, but she was flat broke. Her funds were reserved for renting the hotel—at least for the next month and she was running out of money for food. The plane ticket back was already on the budget... basically, given the expenses she already calculated for, Ruby could not afford to spend money. No way in hell was she going to call her brother for cash. Her pride had to be stomped, ripped, and spit on if that were to happen at all.

Should she tell Douglas about what happened? She didn't have a problem trusting him, but she wasn't sure if it was the right information to spill at this time... she could have misinterpreted what he was trying to say. Instead of thinking it over, Ruby allowed the words to leave her lips. She had to tell someone. "Something weird happened the other day... with Jacob."

"Girl, you do realize that he's jail bait, right?" Ruby WOULD somehow get involved with someone younger than her, Douglas chuckled. Not that he could blame her anyways, she had barely graduated from high school for a year.

"Of course! Douglas!" she whined, feigning mock indignation, "You know I wouldn't do that kind of stuff... besides, he's the main subject of this story, I wouldn't get involved with him in... you know, that way."

"Of course you wouldn't," he agreed gravely, unable to hide the sing-song tone in his voice, "Now spill. I promise I won't tell a soul. Not even that rat bastard Marcus."

Ruby frowned, hearing the way Marcus was addressed. "Marcus? Did something happen? Douglas, are you guys okay? You know you can talk to me if you need to, right? You're my best friend and you know, if you want me to say something to Marcus or talk to him or-"

"I know, I know, babe, you're avoiding the subject right now. What's this weird thing that happened with Jacob the other day?" Douglas asked.

"Well, you know how you gave him my address so he could give me back my phone?" Ruby twirled a lock of hair, waiting for Douglas to offer his confirmation. When he did, she continued, "Anyway, after he dropped off the phone, I asked him if he wanted to have some coffee. While I was making the coffee, he fell into a fever and I let him sleep over at my place for one night."

"Uh huh?" Douglas nodded into the phone, completely ignoring Stephen by now, who seemed to have a crossed look on his face. When the man opened his mouth to say something, the journalist held up a finger and mouthed, "Can't you see I'm busy?"

"Well, when I started waking up, he had carried me to bed and just when I woke up, he had kissed me on the forehead and called me Bella!" she finished. Well, this was certainly juicy, even for him.

"Damn, it doesn't look like you'll be getting that interview any time soon," Douglas stated the utmost obvious. Ruby rolled her eyes. "Girl, I'd help you out but I'm on the other side of the country."

No, bestie! Don't do that! Ruby pouted as she let out a whimper, "I don't know what to do anymore, Douglas. I mean, I've looked at all the newspaper in town and there wasn't much more I can learn about the feud. The stories are incredibly biased because of the people writing it. Obviously everyone from Forks would color the Cullens a nice family because they had done them a favor in keeping the Indians away, but it's kind of hard to get this story around if I don't know what the victims, if they ARE victims, are feeling."

"You mean you don't know what to do about the boy or the interview?" Douglas smirked, waving at Stephen after he stuck up his middle finger and left the cubicle. "You do realize I just pissed Stephen off for you."

"Both." Grinning into the phone, Ruby snickered, "Oh yea? How so?"

"Ignored him for ten minutes while talking to you, and Ruby, you don't mean..." Well, this wasn't good. Even though she had told him earlier that she wouldn't-

"I don't know anymore, Douglas."

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