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Copyright disclaimer: Twilight is sole property of Stephanie Meyer

Chapter 11

Bella had never considered herself an animal lover. Perhaps, because she was never given the option of having one, but seeing Jacob's wolf was exhilarating. Her preconceived notion that he might resemble something off the National Geographic channel flew out the window as soon as he stepped in sight. He was freaking huge, not like any wolf she'd ever seen. More than that, he was beautiful; but somehow she could still see Jacob inside him. He looked straight at her, but she opted to stay on the porch. She wasn't afraid, just uncertain how she should behave. "Very impressive, Jake...thanks for showing me," she eventually said. She waved him off, and he went around the cabin. He soon came back looking exactly like himself, maybe a little meeker than she'd ever caught him looking.

"Well?"

"You were amazing."

"You could have touched me you know."

"Maybe, next time."

"So, there'll be a next time?" he sounded hopeful.

"For some reason, I think there will always be a next time with us Jake," that was the most honest statement she'd made to him, thus far.

She wanted to walk to the truck, but he put his arm around her so she could keep her weight off her leg. She led him towards the passenger side that time. They got started back towards Forks, she stayed pressed against the opposite door and stared out the window. He'd given her a lot to think about. She had to go home and face Charlie, call Dr. Thompson and talk to Seth.

"Hey," he called her away from her thoughts. "I have to go home, are you going to be fine?"

"I'm going to talk to Charlie, Jacob. I promise."

"That's good. I'm probably going to have some things to sort out when I go back, but if you need me; I'll find a way to come back over."

"Don't worry about it tonight. I'll be fine with my Dad. I'm probably going to ask Seth over too."

Jacob went around to get her. "I can walk again."

"Nope, these stairs are steeper, let me carry you up." They'd just reached the the porch when she heard an engine. Both their heads turned to make eye contact with the driver. It was Seth. He was there even though Bella told him not to come back until she called him.

He was out of the truck in flash, yelling, "What the fuck did you do, Jacob?" Jacob sat her down on the chair on the porch.

Seth had his hands on Jacob, before Bella could even register what was taking place. Jacob turned around to face him. "Calm down, Seth. Bella got hurt, I was helping her up the steps." Seth didn't back down, he shoved Jacob; who went backwards off the steps. He still managed to land on his feet.

"Seth, stop, he's telling the truth," she confirmed. He wasn't hearing her. He had one thing on his mind. He was obviously putting Jake in his place. Seth had been very patient about their friendship, but not any longer. He threw the first punch at Jake, but he dodged it. Instead of hitting him, Jacob took his legs out from under him. The two of them started scrambling around on Charlie's front lawn, so naturally Bella began to yell for them to stop.

Charlie came outside, alerted by her screams. "What the hell is going on out here?"

His commanding voice halted their scuffle. They both stood up, covered in dirt and grass; but neither looking like they had any real injuries.

Seth dusted himself off and approached Charlie. "I apologize, Charlie, but Jacob has been mistreating Bella and I've had enough."

"Who in the fuck do you think you are? Mistreating her? You can't be serious," Jake responded furiously, looking like he was going to jump on Seth again.

"Calm down, Jake. Both of you need to leave, so I can talk to my daughter. Don't think I won't call this in to the station and have you both picked up if this happens again." Charlie looked to Seth,"Son, you swore an oath to uphold the law in this town. How would it look for someone to see you having a brawl out on the Chief's front lawn?"

Jacob and Seth continued to stare back and forth at each other and even though they apologized to Charlie and Bella, she didn't think the fight was over. She tried her best to smooth it over. "Jacob, can you please leave? We'll talk later."

"Fine..." was all he said. He was not anything like the Jacob she'd just spent the night and a majority of the day with. He could turn at the drop of a hat. She didn't like that at all about him. He soon sped off on his motorcycle in a cloud of dust. She sat there on the porch with her Dad by her side.

Seth approached them, "What happened?"

"A lot, but Seth...I need to talk with my Dad in private, so can you come back in a few hours?" Charlie started towards the door away from them.

"Bella...you know, don't you?" he spoke in a low voice.

She nodded her head for conformation.

"Can I please give you my side?"

"Later, Seth and please don't go looking for Jake. I'll tell you everything, I swear," she urged.

Charlie stopped the door from shutting all the way. "You heard her, Seth. Give her some space and as your boss, I concur. Don't you dare go anywhere near Jacob the rest of the day."

Seth made his exit, not quite as dramatic as Jake, but he did not leave happy either.

Charlie helped her inside, and to his chair. "Sit there so you can prop your leg. Are you hungry?"

"A little."

"Well, figure out everything we need to talk about while I get us a couple of sandwiches made."

Charlie set a couple of plates down on the coffee table, he brought Bella a soda and handed her a plate of food. He took a couple of bites and washed it down with his own soda. "Why don't you start out by telling me what is going on between you and Jake? That out front was pure jealousy on both sides. Bells, I'm confused. I thought you'd be a good friend for Jacob, but it seems like I led you astray."

"No, not at all Dad. Jacob and I made our own complications. You're right though, he and I aren't only friends." She held her head down because she was embarrassed to admit that to him.

"How'd you hurt yourself Bells?"

"I did it," was the beginning of the whole truth.

"Okay, but how?"

"Dad, I hurt myself on purpose," he looked extremely troubled,"and it isn't the first time. I have to tell you something. Please don't be mad." She went back to the time she first arrived in Jacksonville. She recounted all the instances she'd cut herself, the times she'd been in the hospital. She told him about the blood transfusions and about the medicines she was currently taking and what each of them were for. She explained how the night before had been upsetting and how she'd wandered off. She told him Jacob found her in the woods and bandaged up her leg. The leg she cut up with a knife, she'd intended to hurt herself in worse ways, but the cold overcame her. He never looked mad, just sad. He wiped his face several times, and he left the other half of his sandwich untouched. She'd destroyed his appetite.

"Why, Bells? How could your mother hide something like this from me?"

"It was all my doing. I begged her not to. I was too ashamed. I didn't want you know how weak and pathetic I was. Dad, I know I haven't always been the best daughter, but you're so important to me. I want you to be proud of me."

"I'm always proud of you, Bella. I'm sorry if I didn't make that clear. I screwed up by letting you stay away so much growing up. I thought since you were a girl, you needed your mother more than me. I read some stuff once, that a girl's choices in men are often a result of her relationship to her father."

"Dad, stop. There's no way you're to blame for my questionable choices."

"This is all because of the little bastard, Edwin, isn't it?" Charlie always fumbled the name on purpose.

"Dad, you know is name is Edward...yes, it all started with me not being able to handle his departure."

"What do I need to do to help?" Charlie had walked over to her chair and knelt down and took her hands. Maybe they had both made mistakes along the way, but she could never doubt how much he loved her. He might have been a man of few words, but his eyes spoke volumes. They'd come a long way in a few months.

"I'm going to ask my therapist for a special session, Monday. Will you go with me? Do you think you can get off work?"

"Yes, of course, I'm the boss. I'll be there. Now, about those two idiots that I caught rolling around my yard...Bella, you don't need that kind of stress."

"I know. I'm going to deal with them."

"How?" Good question since it was all she asked herself as well.

"Well, I've already settled a few things with Jacob, but do you mind if Seth and I have some privacy in a bit?"

"No, that's fine. If they both care about you, I think they should understand you need space."

She smiled hoping to reassure her father, but she was a little apprehensive. It wasn't as simple as telling them to back off, she also had a problem. She still felt like she needed both of them and it wasn't fair to any of them. She was at a crossroads and she still had one foot headed in the other direction. Running away was still in the back of her mind.

She managed up the stairs slowly and got some fresh clothes so she could take a shower. It was a first time she got a good look at her leg. There were at least 10 visible cuts of different sizes and varying degrees of redness. The one right in the middle of her thigh was the deep one. She took a hot shower and cleaned them up. She dried them and put antibiotic ointment on them before covering them again. Her feet weren't that bad, but she dug a couple of thorns and stickers out of them. She left a message for Dr. Thompson briefly stating she had a small emergency and her father was aware of her history. She asked for an appointment anytime Monday. She'd take a personal day if she needed to.

She assumed Seth would be over soon, but she texted him just in case and let him know he could stop by anytime he was ready. With her phone in her hand, she thought, that she might as well contact Jake. She texted him once to say that Charlie and her were good and that Seth was on his way.

He surprised her by calling, "Hey, you okay after talking to Charlie?"

"As good as I can be. We're going to Dr. Thompson, Monday."

"That's good," she could tell he was still troubled.

"What about you? I'm sure Nadia was upset."

"Upset is not the word for it. She trashed the place. I've been cleaning every since I came in. I've got a variety of messages from my Dad, Old Quil, and Emily. I don't want to go into it any further, because it's all my problem not yours. I know you need time with Seth, but I may come over after you've had some time to talk."

"Why, Jake? I don't know that's the best idea."

"Because, all three of us need to get some stuff straight."

"If Charlie catches you fighting again, he's going to put you two in jail. He's not joking."

"I won't fight him, I swear it."

"Well, I should go. I guess I'll see you after awhile if you decide to come."

"Bye Bella."

"Goodbye," she ended the call.

Seth came over soon after she hung up with Jacob, and Charlie sent him up to her room so they could talk.

"Hey, come on in," Bella told him when she saw him peaking in the crack of her door.

She hated that things seemed awkward between them. All the progress they had made seemed to have disappeared after one bad night.

"Bella, seriously are you okay now that you know what I am?" was his first question. She motioned for him to join her on her bed. He slid in beside her and the two of them sat there propped against the headboard. Maybe it was wrong to be there with him like that only a few hours after she'd spent the night practically naked with Jake, but she snuggled under his arm despite her memories.

"Of course Seth. I use to date Edward, remember? My mind obviously isn't wired like normal people. I'm good with weird, not that you're weird...but you know what I mean. Seth, you're still you, but."

"But what?"

"I...I know all about imprinting now, Seth."

He took a deep breath and exhaled a growl. "It's not an issue for us. Don't even begin to think that could happen to me. It won't."

"Didn't Jake use to say that?"

"Well, I'm not Jake obviously. I only wanted to tell you the truth because of how close we were getting. I didn't want to lie to you any longer. I didn't want to scare you away. Don't worry about imprinting. It's rare."

"Seth, I need to tell you the whole story. I'm sure you want to know what happened. Jake didn't hurt me, I hurt myself. I've done it before. Seth, that's why I'm in therapy." She gave him a few of the details, so he'd have a clear understanding of her condition.

"Bella," he pulled her in so her head rested on his chest. "I knew something was going on, but I didn't think it was that bad. I should have never left you last night. Damn Jake. He sent me away and you needed me."

"He found me and took care of me, Seth."

"Bella, don't you see what he's doing? I'm so fucking done with him, he better not think about coming around me anytime soon."

"He's coming over," she blurted out.

"What? Why?" he was getting pissed again. She really wasn't use to Seth being like that.

"He says the three of us need to talk, but Seth he swore he wasn't coming to fight. Promise me, you will do the same."

"Again, I'm sorry what happened earlier. You know that's not me."

"It's part of being a wolf?" she was asking.

"Yes and no. We're all capable of it, but it was me, the man; I can't blame it on the wolf. I'm just sick of his shit. I usually have a handle on my temper. It's important since I chose law enforcement. I won't disappoint Charlie again." She hadn't been able to spit it out, that she thought they should break up or maybe they already were. She truly didn't know, she was still inept in that department.

"I think we should go downstairs. Can you help me out?"

Seth picked her up without hesitation, and went downstairs. Charlie looked away from the TV and watched them the whole way down.

"Dad, Jake's coming over and he, Seth and I are going to sort out some issues."

"I'm not liking the sound of that," he said as he rubbed over his mustache.

"Charlie, I'll behave, trust me," Seth promised.

"Okay, Seth...I guess, I'll head upstairs, but if I hear one raised voice I'm kicking you both out."

As soon as Charlie was out of the picture, Seth tested the waters to see where he and Bella stood. He took her face and got her to face him. He was asking her with his eyes. She wasn't sure of her answer.

"Seth, I think we need some time apart. I'm not saying permanently, but I'm confused. I still care about you."

"So we're breaking up? That's it?" She was wrong before, he didn't think they were broken up after the night before.

"No, I'm asking for space to figure myself out."

He looked extremely put out all of the sudden. She thought he wasn't accepting her response, "He's out there." He stood up and went to the door.

Seth stepped aside and Jacob came inside.

He sat in the chair, Seth returned to Bella on the sofa.

"What did you want to talk about Jake?" Seth asked him.

He looked at Bella, and she knew what he wanted to know. "It's fine, Jake. I told him about the cutting."

"I think Bella should see Kelsee. Something is wrong with the scar, Seth. Have you taken a good look at it?"

Bella exposed her arm to him. She cringed when he touched it. It was the same response Jacob produced in her.

"Does it hurt?"

"I can't explain it, but I don't like you or Jacob touching it."

"You said Kelsee. Isn't she dead?" Seth didn't look very impressed by the mention of this lady.

"No!"

"Well, I don't know why you'd want to risk Bella seeing that woman. I've heard the stories, she's a pauwau."

"What's that?" Bella wasn't going to attempt to pronounce it.

"She's a witch, Bella," Seth looked very serious, but she kind of laughed.

"Seth, do you really believe in witches?"

"I don't know, Bella. Do you really believe in vampires and men that turn into wolves?" She sank back into the couch. Ouch, his words stung and made her feel stupid. "She's been exiled. She isn't even Quileute, she's from a different tribe. Old Quil exposed her decades ago. Jake, how'd you get mixed up with her and what could she possibly do for Bella?"

"She and I have been doing research together. I trust her. Old Quil made up all that shit up to protect his ass. She was his mistress, that's the real truth."

"Well, are you going to deny she wasn't snooping around in our archives? She was up to something. Bella has no business being around her. I can't believe you'd put her life at risk."

"My life?" Bella asked. Seth was being very dramatic.

"Yes, Bella. Jacob didn't tell you about the guy she killed."

"Oh my god, she killed someone, Jake!" She shrieked and then lowered her voice, remembering Charlie could be eavesdropping. She hoped not since they were discussing the supernatural. "She's a murderer?" she whispered.

"Seth, you need to quit listening to Quil, he only repeats what his grandfather says. He embellishes too. Bells, the guy was old. It was natural causes, nothing was ever proven or she would have been arrested." Jacob spoke directly to her, "I've already told her about you. She's working on the treatment," Jacob added.

"What exactly do you think is wrong?" Bella knew the bite mark never felt right, especially in the beginning, but she was use to it.

"I think you are poisoned, with venom. It's trapped in that scar and it's influencing your mind and body."

What Jacob was saying was crazy, but Bella knew what Seth had pointed out was also true. She knew the impossible existed so maybe she should consider what he was telling her. What if she was poisoned? She could never get a legitimate doctor to treat her. This lady, Kelsee might be her only option. Jacob trusted her and Seth definitely did not, but she trusted both men.

"I'll think about it Jake." Jacob had a very pleased look that he had gotten her to consider it. Seth looked back and forth between them.

Seth started shaking his head. "I can't believe how stupid I've been." He was studying Jacob. "All this time, I thought you resented me because I was free to choose. That's not it at all, you wanted her. I don't know why? You're imprinted! That's what all this concern with Bella really is? It's why you and I are fighting so much."

"Seth, we never set out to hurt you. I know it doesn't make sense..."

He cut Jacob off, "We?" he looked at Bella. "You too? Seriously, Bella; you've been cheating on me with him?"

"No, Seth. I...I only wanted to be friends, but I," she shouldn't lie. He was asking point blank. How could she answer, because she didn't even know herself what was going on. She feel anxiety rise up inside her.

"Seth, you need to back off. Bella is getting upset. She can't handle this right now." Jake was quick to notice when she would get overwhelmed.

"I need to back off...you arrogant prick. You need to leave and stay away from Bella. Go home to Nadia," He paused and then added, "The only place you were meant to be."

Jacob looked to her, waiting for a response. "I think both of you should go. Jacob, please leave."

He stood up, and told Seth, "Come on."

"No, I need Seth to hear me out, first."

Jacob did what she asked, he didn't look happy about it, but when he left she felt like she could breathe again.

"Seth, I mean it when I say that I care about you. I also admit that I care about Jacob more than I should. I know that is only going to end up hurting me. Let me sort out my feelings and then maybe we could start over. I don't want to lose you , but I'm not going to string you along."

He didn't give her another chance to talk. He kissed her, and she was reminded that she really did have strong feelings for him. "Sorry, I didn't do that to upset you, but I want you to know how important you are to me. We have started something special. I don't want it to end, so if you only need a friend right now; I'll be that for you, but please stay away from Jacob. I know I sound like a damned broken record, but look what almost happened to you."

She shook her head, "I'm going to distance myself. Okay, I get it. I understand what Nadia is, but I still feel for him. He doesn't deserve what has happened to him. I can't just turn off my concern." She couldn't give him any more answers, but she hugged him at the door. If she didn't have those confusing feelings for Jacob, it would be so easy to fall all the way for Seth. That's what he deserved, a woman that was totally devoted him. What if that woman was an imprint? She hated that word and she'd only known about it a few hours.

Bella got ready for bed and listened to her message from Dr. Thompson. "Bella, come in at 2 o'clock. I've made time for you and your father. Call before if you need me."

Bella also had another message from an unknown number. She listened, "Swan...you know who this is? We're still on for Tuesday night. I know something is up between you and my brother, you need my advice more than ever. No backing out. Later." Leah, couldn't be serious. Should she call her back and decline? Bella was hoping her leg would heal quickly, the last thing she needed was a broken arm. If Leah knew everything, that was happening some day; she was almost certain.

Up next: a night out with Leah! Thanks so much for reading.