Author's Note: I've created a facebook profile for this story. It's filled with visual aids and other fun stuff. Join me by adding "Ayah Papaya" to your friends list.

I'm not Stephanie Meyers, in case you got confused! ;-) Review review review!

We surpassed over 1500 hits yesterday, and 331 visitors. With all you guys reading, it helps to know that you like it enough to tell me. 3

Keep up the good work.

**

Bella's POV

"Bella, nothing happened! I stopped you." He grasped my shoulders for emphasis, as he continued, "I knew you would feel this way in the morning, but boy did you beg me last night." He winked at me, and I wanted to beat him.

"We were both naked!" I hissed.

"Yeah, um. No, we weren't, but YOU were." He was holding back a laugh; I could see it. "I managed to talk you out of it, but you demanded that I sleep next to you. You said you didn't want to be alone; that I would keep the bad dreams away." His face hardened, as if the idea of me having bad dreams was repulsive.

"When am I going to be normal again? I hate having patches of my life disappear, Jake." Suddenly I wanted to hug him; I needed that physical comfort. "Hug me, Jake. Please?"

"Aw honey, you don't have to say 'please'!" He held out his hand, to help me stand. We stood in the bathroom, me still in my towel, and he hugged me. That ring box sat in the back of my mind, nagging at me, but then again, so did Edward. Edward held that ring box, as if it had some sort of toxic disease. Wonderful. Even in my thoughts, those two didn't get along. "Do me a favor, Bells?"

What could he possibly want me to do for him? "Hmm?"

"Could you please put on some clothes. You've been killing my self control all weekend" This time, it was my turn to laugh.

I stopped suddenly, and peeked up at him, all joking leaving my face. "Jake? What if I don't want to?"

His eyes bugged open before he smashed them shut, clenching his fists, "I'll go beg the lady downstairs for a babysitter. It'll get expensive though because it'd be a while before I'm done with you!"

"Yeah. I'll bet." I rolled my eyes, and gave him a playful shove as I walked out the door. "Sparky." I kicked the door shut behind me, a satisfied smile on my lips.

His voice was muffled by the closed door, but it was something to the effect of, "Don't start with the wolf cracks, Pale Face."

After getting dressed, I bathed and changed Aaron, did his brushing exercises, and we went out to the pool. Jake swam with him a bit, and I sat, in a tasteful one piece, to get some sun. The weather was so nice, and the sun felt good on my skin. "What time are we going out, Jake?"

I looked up from a magazine, to see his enormous form sitting in the kiddie pool. I suddenly pictured an elephant trying to bathe in a thimble; it was the most ridiculous things I've ever seen. "I reserved someone from six to eleven, but no bike tonight, honey. Sorry." He really did sound sorry; the bike had been a big part of our bonding experience. "Don't worry though, Bells; I got somewhere good to go tonight!" He stood and did a little jig. "I hope you've got your Rasta cap. It's Jamaican night at the Karaoke bar down the street." He wrapped the baby in a towel, and started to sing Bob Marley songs. All the way back to the hotel room.

"You can be so stupid sometimes." My flip flop slid out from under me, but he caught me before I could go sprawling.

"Hey now, be nice! You were the one whining for Jamaican rum last night. You brought the Jamaicans into this." It was our own little private joke, and he took advantage of it whenever he could. He danced into the door, smacking my backside on the way to the bed to dry Aaron. He sang "Three Little Birds" the entire ride to the park. I was mortified. People's reactions were ranging from mild amusement to absolute revulsion. Jake has a husky voice, and when he sings, it sounds like somebody spent the entire day scraping his vocal cords with steel wool. Am I painting a pretty enough picture? I hope so.

His phone rang while we were in line to enter EPCOT. It was Charlie. "Hey Charlie! The weather has been gorgeous. Everybody's good. Better than good, man; they're great!" He blew me a kiss that was his blatant attempt at being obnoxious. I slapped him on the back of his head, but he didn't seem to notice. "Yeah, I sure did. Went fine. We'll see how it goes." What I wouldn't give to be able to hear Charlie's side of the conversation too. "Nah. Only two drinks last night. That lightweight. We're going Rasta style tonight though." He nodded to something he was hearing. "Don't worry, Charlie. She's safe with me. Want to speak to her? Okay. Take care, Chief. We'll see you tomorrow at noon. Don't get lost; Forks can be a big place sometimes!" He tossed me the phone, laughing loud enough to stun my son, who'd taken perch upon Jake's shoulders.

"Hey dad!" My enthusiasm surprised us both, and he was quiet for longer than necessary.

"God, Bella, you sound good! He's treating you all right?"

"Yeah Dad, he's been good to me." Better than I deserve, I thought sadly.

"How's my grandson? He saw Mickey? You take pictures?" I hadn't taken any, but Jake sure had.

"Yeah Dad, Jake's taking pictures."

"Good. You have fun, Bells. I'll see you guys tomorrow. I love you, honey"

"I love you too, Dad. Hey, call Sue and tell her to cancel tomorrow night, and come Tuesday afternoon instead."

"You got it. It's good to hear--" He paused, holding back emotions "It's good to hear you, honey. You sound real good."

"Bye dad."

"Later honey."

Jacob pulled the tickets out of his back pocket, and handed one to me. We strolled through, and had the nicest day. It was if we truly were a family; as if we always had been. On and off throughout the day, that ring box floated through my mind. What was I going to do about that?

Alice's POV

I brought them the appropriate medicines, as soon as I'd seen the need. I also brought some of Edward's things; things he kept with him to remind himself of her. Mementos of their time together, if you will. He was going to try to use them to help her come out of her awful coma. A combination of the right medicines, and my brother's love had to be infallible, right?

We three, perched in a tree, peeked into the window of her home. She sat in a chair, looking out. She was waiting this time. Edward was right, when we came into view, there was a flicker of recognition. Something a human eye would not detect, but our eyes missed nothing. No part of her moved; she was still as a statue. With the haze in her eyes, the narcotics, no doubt, she really did look several days dead. Carlilse had gone through the bathroom window, to get directly to the medicine cabinet. Edward and I snuck into the bedroom with her.

I knelt just in front of her, my stone cold hands touching her knees. "Bella? Can you hear me? I have some things to show you." I took the little backpack off my shoulders and pulled out a small, leather bound, photo album. I carefully watched her for reactions as I turned the pages. Edward sat cross legged, immediately to my right, eyes fixed on her. His arms were partly outstretched; to catch her if she fell, or remembered, I thought.

'She's not moving, Edward. That flicker upon first sight is all we're gonna get.'

"Keep showing her, Alice." He was curt, but it wasn't his fault. I could see he was annoyed with me, so I stepped aside, to let him continue.

My mouth dropped open, in both shock and surprise, as he lifted her out of the chair. He carried her over to the bed. He wrestled to get her into a comfortable position; nestled in his arms. My poor brother. I couldn't help but shake my head. I'd never seen someone try so hard; it hurt to watch. Our kind caused death in humans, we did not try to resurrect them from it. He started at the beginning. "Remember this one, Bella? It was the one Angela took the first day I drove you to school? You're still wearing my jacket. See?"

'No, Edward. I don't think she does.'

"Shut up, Alice!" Very unlike him; he's never rude. "Oh, and this one was right before the baseball game. Look! There's Alice and Esme in the back. Emmett took this one, remember?" His eyes flicked from her face to the album about 150 times each second. He was afraid to miss a thing. "These are from Prom. You were the most beautiful lady there, Bella. No one could hold a candle to you." We both saw that same flicker. "I know you're in there somewhere, Isabella Swan. Come back to me. I love you." His voice broke as he turned the page again, and it was a photo taken by Bella's camera. The one given to her as a birthday present. She twitched. He flipped the page to another one, from the same set. It was the two of them, looking awkward. It was a picture taken just before he'd left her. A picture taken after the party had already happened.

It was if he'd electrocuted her. She started to flail and thrash just as Carlilse walked in. "Hold her down, Edward."

He pulled out a pre-filled syringe, and jabbed it into her thigh. "Do you think anyone heard?" I asked, as I listened to the sound of snoring in Charlie's room. The child was asleep; I could hear his light and even breathing in their little office. "Is anyone downstairs tonight, Carlilse?"

He was helping Edward restrain her, and examining her, at the same time. "I didn't hear anything. They're alone tonight. Hold her, Alice. Edward needs to continue."

Edward shifted carefully, so that I could take his place. She would be still in a moment; she would feel better soon. Once I had a good grasp on her, he sat next to her on the bed and started the album again. The pattern repeated itself over and over again. Carlilse gave her something to help her sleep, and Edward settled next to her.

"The baby is beginning to stir in the other room, we'll have to leave soon, Edward."

"No, Alice. I'll go to him. I'm not ready to leave her yet." He was stroking her face, the burning man again.

"He's only stirring because I took a blood sample. He doesn't look like a Williams child to me. Don't worry, Edward. He didn't feel me stick him. It was me holding pressure on the wound that disturbed him."

Bella's eyes were fluttering; she was starting to fall asleep. Soon after, her breathing and heart rate slowed. "We should go, Edward. The sun is rising. The house will be awake soon."

"It kills me to leave her, Carlilse." He kissed her forehead as we ghosted to the window.

"I know, son. Tomorrow will be different. Her medicine will help. When we see her tomorrow; she'll be more herself."

Jake's POV

This bar was a little skeevy by Bella's standards, but I couldn't resist the Jamaican theme. One of the first times I'd visited her in New York city, she'd been crushing all over this tall skinny guy with dreads—he had no personality at ALL. Turns out she wasn't his type. At all. Ever since then, I've teased her about it. Picturing Bella with dreadlocks brought me to, near hysterics in the laughter department. I wouldn't make her stay; when she'd had her fill, we could leave.

There were big bins upon entering the place, and they were filled with various costume bits and bobs. I saw a wig/cap combo that would be just perfect for her. She said no because of the whole lice thing. Lice schmice. Let me get a few drinks in her; she'll be begging me to wear it. Truth is, I missed this side of her. She'd never been wild, by any means, but she'd been fun. We'd go out for drinks, and then go back to her apartment and talk. Once she met him, it was all over. She didn't invite me much because it made him mad. If I knew then, what I knew now, I would have killed him before she had her first class. Everybody has 20/20 hindsight.

She got her usual Mai Tai, and was very happy with it. It was seriously the size of a fish bowl with a fluted stem. We'd taken a cab so that we could have fun responsibly. I wasn't going to get drunk; somebody needed to be in control of her precarious situation, but I wanted the opportunity to have a taste myself.

Somewhere in the three drink range, Bella hopped up; it was her turn to sing. She's not much of a karaoke fan, but I figured I'd see what she came up with. The crowd went wild, though this seemed like a pretty wild bunch. As she was walking up, I saw her straighten her skinny leg jeans, unbutton two buttons of her collared shirt, the faintest hint of a lacy black bra peeking out; roll up her sleeves, and then she bent down to cuff her pants. She was a really good looking woman at the microphone, so every man in there was clamoring for piece of the pie. My pie. Anyone who knows me, knows I don't share food; unless it's with her. She can have the whole plate if she wants, as long as she saves some for me.

She curled her left hand around the mike, and was clapping to the beat. The song she picked was widely popular, at the time. There was nothing Rasta-esque about it, but not everyone was sticking to the theme. I hadn't realized she'd been a fan of 'Poker Face'; it was so not her type. Her singing was terrible; the kind of terrible that makes you want to gouge your ears out with spoons. She was having so much fun that the crowd cheered her on anyway. For such a small place, it was packed!

What surprised me even more was that her dancing was better than her singing. I'd always known her to be terribly uncoordinated, and I wondered when that had changed. Maybe the alcohol improved her balance.. Nah, she just grew out of the awkward adolescent stage. She whirled and twirled on that stage like a seasoned dancer, lithe and very flexible. I had the sudden urge to grab her and run off. The cat-calls from the audience were disturbing me greatly, and I didn't need her going home with some other man tonight. As a grand finale, she did something intensely sensual with her hips; something that sent my heart, and body into overdrive. She skipped off the stage, and in my jealousy, I was right there. Waiting for her, at the edge of the stage, catching her as she tripped her way down.

Temporary gracefulness. That's my Bella; she had it when it counts! She wrapped her legs around me, and scrambled up my frame like I was a tree; a big Indian tree. The kiss she hit me with left everything spinning. I couldn't see or hear anything other than the roaring in my ears. One thing I could do was feel. I could feel her soft body pressed against me, her lips touching mine, her hands around my neck, her legs wrapped around my waist. The sheer pleasure sent my eyes straight into the back of my head. The most gratifying thing of all was feeling the jealousy of every man in that room. That's right boys, this siren is MINE!

"Let's go back, Jacob." She cooed. Uh oh. I don't like that tone. I don't know if I can play the gentleman two nights in a row. She nearly gave me a heart attack last night when she climbed in my bed. Naked. I showered so long that the hotel ran out of cold water, and then I had to sit in the freezer. She doesn't realize how intensely sensual she can be, just by being herself; when she tried, she could light a building on fire. It was a wonder that her husband only managed to knock her up once...

"Let's watch a movie, Jake." She kicked off her shoes, and started to change into shorts and a t-shirt.

"What did I tell you about walking around half dressed, Bella?" She was undermining my self control. If I didn't love her like I did, I'd have pounced on her like a starving man on a steak.

"The way I'm feeling tonight, Jake; I'd walk around naked if I thought it'd get me somewhere."

Help! "That's just the alcohol talking." I couldn't help but laugh, quietly; the baby was fast asleep. She'd never remember this in the morning. "I am glad you're feeling better though, Bella. It's like having my best friend back."

"That's because I am back, Jake." She lay down on her stomach, next to me. She held something in her hand. I didn't notice it right away because it was so small. At second glance, I thought it was her cell phone. I looked really closely when she was engrossed in the movie, and saw it was the ring box. If she were sober at all, I'd be pleased that she was thinking about what I had told her. I meant every word.

It was back to the real world tomorrow. I would spend 12 hours a day back at my garage, and she would be starting her new job in less than a week. There wouldn't be so much spare time, and I wondered how that would change things. My dad volunteered to watch Aaron while she was at work, so I'd get to see her each day. I was grateful to Billy for that one, as he wasn't the little kid type; I owed him one, and he knew it. I had to get my hands on a Goldwing too. There was a Honda dealership in Port Angeles, wasn't there?

She sighed; how sweet. Lost in my own thoughts, I hadn't noticed that she'd fallen asleep. Her face was so lovely. When she slept, all of the angst and pain left it; she looked like the angel that she was. I was with her; she would have no bad dreams tonight. I peeked at her through my one open eye, and noticed that the box was clutched to her chest; close to her heart. Just a matter of time, Jake old boy. Just a matter of time.

**

Elephant bathing in a thimble? LOLOL! Thank you very much. That is all.