Hey, guys! Next chapter is up, yay!! I hope you guys enjoy, and please REVIEW!!

Previously…

"What happened?...Bella spilled something?" Jake asked, genuinely curious though there was a growing smirk on his face. I gave him an evil look as he paused to look at me.

"Oh, it was nothing. We just, uh…caught her off guard," Charlie answered, chuckling under his breath.

Jake looked at me with a look that told me he'd ask me about it later. Great, that'd be a fun conversation.

Bedtime

Jake was trying hard not to laugh as he stood up and shook Charlie's hand.

"We'd best get going, it's getting late and Mason needs to sleep," he explained, then nodded to Sue and gently took Mason from my arms.

Jake carried Mason out the front door, and I rose and hugged Charlie and then hugged Sue.

"Thank you. I'll, uh…see you soon," I lamely told them and hurriedly made my way out the door.

Jake had the passenger door of the truck open and was standing beside it, still holding Mason, who was sleeping soundly.

As I got closer, Jake asked me, "Do you want to drive or hold him?"

I considered this momentarily. Although it felt, dare I say it, good to hold me…son, it was still uncomfortable. However, he was asleep now and I honestly couldn't remember the specific way to Jake's house, so I decided to not drive.

"I'll hold him," I answered, walking over to him.

Jake tried to hide his bright smile at my decision, but I saw it. How could I miss it? His smile is beautiful…and contagious. I returned it and my reaction fed his smile even more.

He nodded then. "Just get in and I'll hand him to you."

I hopped into the truck and sat down, turning to accept Mason. Jake lifted the boy up to me as if he weighed nothing and sat him on my lap, and Mason unconsciously snuggled into me, his arms wrapping around me. I froze, but smiled. I looked at Jake, who was watching me with an intense look in his eyes. He was doing it again, catching me and rendering me useless with his eyes. All my thoughts were roughly stopped as I looked into his two brown orbs, staring into mine. I could think of nothing except the beauty of his eyes, the depth of their gaze. He looked like he was searching for something…probably some remnant of his…wife, which I wasn't. Or maybe I am…no, definitely not.

"Are you ready to go home?" he asked softly, snapping me out of my trance.

I glanced at Charlie's house, my house, and shook my head.

"I'm already home, Jake," I stubbornly replied.

He sighed, and the moment we'd shared was gone. But, I didn't relent. I would not give him false hope. Jake's house wasn't my home, and it never would be. I belonged wherever Edward was.

Jake closed my door and was soon sitting beside me in the driver's seat. He started the truck and backed out of the driveway. He didn't bother with his seatbelt, but I wasn't afraid for him. He was stronger than any vehicle, and he was an excellent driver. Thinking of this made me remember when Edward and I were driving and I noticed he wasn't wearing a seatbelt. They were both the same in that respect, both so very strong.

We were both very silent, the only sounds our own breathing. Mason didn't stir at all the whole way, and Jake spoke not one word to me. I knew my comment had hurt him, but I couldn't get his hopes up. I didn't belong in this time with Jake and Mason. This wasn't my future. It was a mistake. I wondered about what I would do if this wasn't a mistake, but didn't like thinking about it so I just focused on the scenery of La Push as it passed by in a blur of darkness. From what I could tell, we were actually quite close to where Jake used to live with Billy.

Jake's house appeared soon enough and Jake pulled into the driveway. He turned the truck off and got out. I sat still until he came around and gently took Mason from my arms again. He still wouldn't speak to me. He didn't even offer me a glance of acknowledgement, and I sighed dejectedly.

Jake carried Mason inside with me close behind. He took him straight to his room and laid him down on the bed, pulling the covers up and over his small form. I lingered in the doorway, hesitant to go any further. Jake smiled at his child and placed a gentle kiss on his forehead. Then, he rose and walked right past me, heading for the bedroom. Startled, I hurried to follow him, but he was already coming back in my direction with a pillow and two blankets. He paused long enough to close Mason's door and then continued stalking into the living room.

"Jake?" I asked, unsure of his motives but quite sure that he was angry with me. "What are you doing?"

Jake threw the pillow down on the head of the couch, dropping the blankets to the floor. He then proceeded to pick up one of the blankets and began laying it out on the couch. Oh, so that was it. He was giving me the bed. That was a very nice gesture. Leave it to Jake to be the gentleman. But, I couldn't let him do this. This was his house, and I wouldn't let him sleep on the couch.

"Jake, you are not sleeping on the couch!" I squeaked, surprised and embarrassed.

Jake paused his actions and took a deep breath. Yeah, he was mad.

"Bella, I really don't mind. I know that my sleeping in the same bed as you would make you uncomfortable," he answered finally, calm again, and continued situating the blanket and then reached to pick up the other.

But, I got to it first. I pulled the blanket from the floor and stepped away from him. He looked positively furious.

"Jake, please…you don't have to do this. I don't want to be uncomfortable, it's true, but I'd rather me be uncomfortable than you have to sleep on the couch in your own home…for me," I explained, "Besides, we're…we're still best friends…always will be, so…it doesn't matter, really. Please don't sleep on the couch."

Jake was completely calm now and I thought I felt victory in the air, but then he shook his head.

"No. You wouldn't be comfortable and I would rather sleep on the couch than you be uncomfortable," Jake adamantly replied, then chuckled, "But, you know what? If we sleep apart, neither of us will get a wink of sleep."

My eyebrows furrowed with confusion. "What?Why?"

Jake sighed. "We've tried sleeping apart, Bells. It just doesn't work. When you went to Florida to see your mother last year, I couldn't go because we were having some pack trouble…you came back exhausted. I literally had to carry you in from the car," He laughed, "We just can't sleep without each other. We're spoiled."

That was probably the sweetest thing I'd ever heard, but in no form or fashion could I let Jake know that I felt this way. I nodded.

"Well, uh…I guess we'll have to sleep in there," I told him, looking at the floor, uncomfortable with looking at him.

He sighed and I thought I saw him nod. He grabbed the pillow and pulled the blankets from the couch. He started back towards the bedroom but stopped when he was beside me.

"You can take a shower if you want. I'll take one after you," He told me, and then walked towards the bedroom.

A shower…yeah, that sounded great. Maybe that would help me feel better. I really wanted to be alone. I needed to be alone. I needed time to think about things without Jacob there and without someone watching my every move. So, I turned and made my way into the bedroom, not even pausing to notice Jake in the room, and went to the dresser I had noticed earlier. I looked through each drawer until I found what looked like my underwear (that's weird), and then found some pajamas, making sure to get pants, in the drawer just below that. I also grabbed a clean bra to put on, because I was not not wearing one around Jake. Then, my feet quickly carried me to the bathroom.

I rummaged in the cabinet below the sink and found a towel and washcloth. I laid them out for me to use and turned the water on. I adjusted the temperature and began to undress. When I had extricated myself of all clothing, I threw the wad into a corner. Then, I remembered my ring and took it off, laying it on a table beside the sink, pausing just a moment to stare at it. I made sure that there was shampoo, conditioner, a razor, shaving cream, and soap in the shower before I stepped inside.

The water raining down my back felt heavenly. It was so warm and it felt amazing to my tired body. I just stood there for a while, breathing deeply trying to stay calm. But, being alone, I started to feel all the stress from the day. I suddenly couldn't contain it anymore. I was prone to fainting. It was just something I did often if I was stressed out. But, I didn't this time. This time, I just cried. I cried for myself, I cried for Jake, and I cried for Mason, who probably wouldn't exist if I ever found my way back to my own time. This wasn't my life, I kept telling myself.

"It's not mine. None of it is mine," I whispered as I cried, wrapping my arms around myself to hold myself together.

As I cried, I suddenly realized that this life was perfect. This life with Jake and Mason was beautiful and easy, and I found myself wanting it…badly. Jake was my best friend, and according to him, we were in love now. Hopelessly. Eternally. I wanted that…but I wanted that with Edward. Jake was my friend, but even so, I found myself wanting this life he and I had supposedly made for us.

I tried to cry as quiet as I could, but I knew that Jake would hear me. He could hear the sound of a pin drop from miles away with his werewolf hearing. But, I didn't really care. I needed to cry, so I did.

When my tears had subsided, I began to wash my hair, still sniffling a little. When my hair was clean, I shaved my legs and under my arms. When that was finished, I washed myself and then shut the water off. I got out and dressed numbly. Crying always made me tired and emotionally spent, but the shower had made me even more so. I again found the comb I had used earlier and combed the tangles from my clean hair. I didn't bother to dry it, not caring nor feeling like drying it. I picked up the ring and again placed it on my finger and then retrieved the dirty clothes and the towel and washcloth and exited the bathroom.

Taking the clothes to the laundry room, I dumped them into a basket obviously meant for the purpose. Then, I put the towels in a separate place so that the clothes wouldn't mildew.

Too tired to worry about anything else and too tired to start a load of laundry, I crept back to the bedroom. Jake was lying on his back, shirtless again, and was staring at the ceiling. The lamp beside him on the nightstand cast a warm glow on his body. He looked gorgeous, but I was too tired to care. Nor did I need to care.

He looked up as I walked over to the bed.

"Are you finished?" He asked me, looking sad for some reason. Then, I remembered. He had probably heard me bawling my eyes out in the shower.

"Yeah. It's all yours," I told him, sitting on the bed beside him.

He raised himself up and was about to get up when his gaze turned back to me. I refused to look at him, just wanting to be alone again. But, his hand touching mine made me look over into his eyes. His were dark and solemn as he looked at me.

"Bells…," he whispered, his face concerned, "Why were you crying?"

I immediately became uncomfortable. "I…I wasn't."

Oh, smooth, Bella.

Jacob sighed. "Bella, you know I heard you."

I opened my mouth to speak, but decided against it. Duh, of course he'd heard me.

"It was nothing…it was just…a long day," I mumbled, looking away from his eyes again.

"Bella, I hate seeing you so sad. If…if you want to talk some more, we can. I can take a shower later," He told me, rubbing small circles on my hand.

"No, I…I honestly don't want to talk about it anymore. I need some rest. Maybe we can talk more tomorrow," I answered, then suddenly remembered that tomorrow was Monday. "Wait, doesn't Mason have school tomorrow?"

Jake chuckled. "It's spring break, Bella, and you teach at his school, so you don't have to go anywhere tomorrow either."

I was a teacher? Really? Hmm…that was fine. I always thought I'd make a good teacher.

"Oh," I answered, surprised but content.

Exhaustion was creeping up on me quickly and Jake obviously noticed as my shoulders slumped.

"I'll go take a shower and then I'll be back," he told me, releasing my hand.

Jake grabbed a pair of what looked like boxers and pants before leaving me alone in the bedroom. A few seconds later, I heard the water thrumming against the shower wall. I leaned over and turned off the lamp beside the bed, engulfing the room in total darkness. I situated myself underneath the covers and turned over on my side, facing away from Jake's side of the bed. I tried to scoot as far away as possible from his side, as well.

I laid there, expecting sleep to come easily and as tired as I was, I was honestly expecting myself to just pass into unconsciousness as soon as my head hit the pillow. But, I didn't. My mind seemed to stall, as if waiting for something. I remembered what Jake had said about us not being able to fall asleep without the other, and then chuckled. Yeah, right. I was determined to prove his theory wrong. I resulted to counting sheep, which is stupid, I know, but I was desperate.

Because Jacob didn't have to take time for a crying spell and he didn't have to shave, his shower was shorter than mine. He was done in between five or ten minutes and I tried to will myself to sleep even harder. It didn't work, though, and soon I heard the door quietly open and knew that Jake had returned. I tried not to breathe as I felt the bed give under his weight. He situated himself under the covers and then he stopped moving. All was silent in the bedroom, except for the sound of crickets softly chirping outside. I began to breathe again and some of the tenseness of the moment melted away as I once again realized just how tired I was. My eyes fluttered closed and I didn't even have to try to fall asleep this time. Maybe Jake had been right.

WOOHOO!! That was a fun chapter to write! Sorry about the shower part, I know it's sad. I was writing it and making sad faces at my computer. It was funny, but anyway, PLEASE REVIEW!!!