UPDATED 29/05

Chapter 14

BPOV

Maybe he can change, as soon as I said the words Edward had seen red. It had taken both his brothers to restrain him and remove him from the house. Afterwards the room had become consumed with silence. I could feel everyone's eyes burning into me. I didn't need to look at them to know what they were thinking. They all thought I was mad. They didn't understand why I needed to save him.

I sat on the couch, fidgeting with the sleeve of my top as I fought with tears. I wanted to run up to my room and hide, pretend that none of this was happening, but I knew that wouldn't solve anything. I knew that I had angered Edward. He didn't understand my reasoning and I had to find a way to fix that.

Jacob and I had made mud pies when we were little. We had been forced to play together during my summer vacations here in Forks. Our fathers were friends, so we had spent many summers together. We were best friends... until I stopped visiting Charlie.

It stung to think of how much I must have hurt Charlie when I had made the decision to stop coming to Fork's. I was selfish and young, not thinking about him once.

Charlie had welcomed me back to Forks like nothing had happened. He had never made me feel uneasy or bad for what I had done to him. He had been so forgiving. I hadn't deserved it. I was grateful that I got those few extra years getting to know him. He was a good man, a good father. My only regret was that I hadn't made the effort in the past. I was too caught up trying not to be trapped in Forks, a town which now that held my whole life.

I was lucky to have a friend like Jacob too. He had accepted me back so easily, like I had never been gone. We slipped back into our old friendship in a matter of hours. He had always been so warm, my beacon of light... I was sure what happened between us was nothing more than a lapse. He was going through a hard time, struggling to adjust with his new found strength. He would be back to his old self soon enough. He would come back to me. I was sure of it, and in his return it would be like getting a piece of Charlie back.

EPOV

I was enraged by her words. Maybe he can change. He was never going to change, he was an uncontrollable monster. He had it in his blood. She was never going to be safe as long as he lived. I had seen his mind. He would track her to the end of the world if he had too. He had a need to claim her as his own. He wanted to have her, to savage her for his own needs and then discard her until he next needed her. Why couldn't she see that he was no longer the Jacob she knew? If only she could see that then she wouldn't feel the need to protect him.

Carlisle felt it was physiological. Bella still wasn't over her fathers death. In the weeks after Charlie had died, Bella's visits to La Push had dramatically increased. She was using Jacob as her a crutch. I hadn't been crazy about the fact she was spending most of her days there, but she had become so lost and disconnected from me, and the family, that I wasn't sure what to do. Carlisle had promised that she just needed time, and he was right. Bella had slowly made her way back to us all, but never fully releasing Jacob as her aid.

I punched the nearest wall in frustration. I flinched back when I realised what I had done. Though Esme's thoughts were more concerned for me than the wall, I still knew. I had trashed her home, something I vowed never to do out of respect to my parents. I knew how much it hurt her when my brothers destroyed things when they were fooling around. I looked down at the floor, ashamed. I had let my anger get the better of me.

I felt my brothers hands grip onto my arms. I struggled to keep their thoughts out of my head. I didn't want to hear their thoughts of pity. I didn't want to fight them either. I flinched hearing Bella whimper a sob. I was hurting her, just like him. I was no better than him.

I gladly let my brothers to lead me out of the house and into the forest. I didn't want to be there any more. I couldn't bare to watch her suffer and stand by helplessly. We ran for miles into the thick of the forest before they released their hold on me. They were trying ensuring that I had no chance of meeting any humans or wolves as we hunted. They didn't trust me to fight the temptation.

I let my body sink onto the ground. I knew I had to hunt, I needed strength for what I planned to do, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. The burn in my throat was constant, screaming at me to soothe it, but it didn't want just any blood. It wanted his. I knew I would taste his blood before the day was out, but for now a nearby animal would have to sustain me.

Jasper tossed an Elk at my feet. "Thank you," I whispered to him. I was grateful that he could read my emotions and give me what I needed when I didn't have the strength to do it myself. I leaned over and dragged the elk towards me. It's eyes were lifeless, its neck broken. An easy prey. I sunk my teeth into its neck, letting the warm liquid run down my throat, soothing the burn just a little.

They brought me another three Elks, I drained each of them quickly, but they soothed little of the burn. I tossed the last one to the side as I pulled myself to my feet. It was time.

"I have to go." I said looking at them for the first time since we had entered the forest. Both of their faces reflected my own pain.

"Yeah... see ya Edward." Emmett mocked.

"We would never let you go alone." Jasper said stepping forward.

"It's not your fight. Esme would never forgive me if I lost all her family to my own selfish needs."

"We're your brothers, we wont let you face them alone." Jasper said as he placed a firm hand on my shoulder. I sighed, giving up. His thoughts told me there was no way for him to be persuaded.

We set off in the direction of La Push without saying another word. In the matter of minutes I would be facing Jacob and I would take his life, something I had been waiting on for a long time. I was sure if I still had a beating heart it would be pounding through my chest in anticipation. The intensity of burning in my throat grew with each step that brought me closer to the kill.

As we approached the treaty line familiar voices echoed in my head. I slowed down, signalling for my brothers to stop. Up a head stood two familiar vampires and a wolf; my sisters and Seth.

"You shouldn't be here." I growled at Alice, knowing that she would have been the one that informed the others of my decision.

Alice smiled up at me. "The odds are in our favour if we all go." She skipped over to Jasper and took her place at his side. They starred deep into each others eyes, both conveying how they felt for one another without the slightest touch.

"You don't know that." I snarled, snapping her attention back to me.

"Your right, I don't..." She walked over to me, standing up on her tip-toes as she placed a kiss on my cheek. "but I don't need to see the future to know that the more of us that go the better chance of us all coming home."

I sighed. I knew that she was right. There was five of them. If we all went then we would have an advantage of one, but it was still a risk. We had already lost enough to the wolves, I couldn't stand to lose anyone else.

Alice pulled my face to look at her as she stood there pouting. Out of my family it was Alice who I was closest to. We both had a special bond, we both knew what it was like to be different.

If it helps your decision any... I can see all of our futures tomorrow, Alice pleaded. I closed my eyes letting her share share visions.

There was Emmett and Rosalie lying in bed, up to their usual past time.

Carlisle in his office studying. Esme cooking something to eat for Bella.

Jasper sitting reading in his room while Alice paints her nails at his side.

Then there is me, sitting alone in our meadow, wallowing.

The visions stop and Alice starts to recite the bible.

"Bella?" I asked suddenly worried.

"She's fine. I just think its best you don't see that one right now."

I nodded. Truth be told I wasn't sure I was ready to see what would become of Bella after what I was about to do. I knew it was best for her safety in the long run, but I knew that it would upset her. The question was would she ever forgive me or would I lose her forever? Whatever the answer I would learn to live with it. I would find contentment in just knowing he was dead and she never had to fear him again.

I turned my back to my family and looked in the direction of La Push. "Lets get this over with." I took off as fast as I could, leaving the others trailing behind me. I heard their thoughts call out for me to slow down, that we needed to do this as a group, but I was in the hunt. I was ready for the kill.

When we entered the village everything was eerily quite. There was no one to be seen. I expect they knew we would come. They would be hiding somewhere, waiting to attack. I came to a stand still, waiting for my family to catch up. I didn't want them to run into a trap.

As they all came to a stop beside me. We all shared glances, but none of us spoke. We didn't want to alert them to our presence. It was obvious that they had something planned.

Alice, Seth and I will go up to the left. You take Emmett and Rose and go right. We'll regroup in the middle. If you find them call out. We'll do the same. Jasper ordered. I nodded as I watched the three of them take off. If anyone knew what they were doing then it would be Jasper. I knew Seth & Alice would be safe in his hands. Emmett would take care of Rose. I only had to defend for myself.

I signalled to Emmett and Rose to go right before I took off in that direction, not waiting to see that they followed.

As I raced around the village I caught a fresh trail of Jacob's scent. He had been here recently. It led into the forest. He was hiding somewhere close by. I followed the trail and fled into the trees. Rose called after me warning me not to go in till the others caught up. I ignored her. I had him now, he wasn't getting away. I couldn't wait any longer.

About a mile into the forest I was greeted by five snarling wolves. Jacob was positioned in the middle. Standing high above the rest as he had positioned himself on top of a rock.

Alone are we? He laughed.

I growled as. I slowly made my advance towards him. Paul and Embry advanced towards me. It looked like I was going to have to fight them all to have the pleasure of killing him.

"Too scared fight me yourself?" I scowled.

Paul leapt through the air launching himself at me. I twisted away from him, grabbing his body as he flew past me, throwing him into the nearest tree. Embry dove on my back the second I turned my attention away from him. I managed to grab hold of his head as I fought to keep his mouth away from my neck. I knew if he got his teeth into me, he would rip my head off and I would be finished.

As I struggled with Embry, Paul was pulling himself back onto his feet. I had seconds till he was at me again.

Tell me... why would I want to fight you when I can watch you suffer? Jacob mocked me.

Paul came running towards me, diving into the air. In that split second I managed to pull Embry from my back by his head, flipping him over my head and sending him flying into Paul, knocking them both to the ground.

I looked up to see Quil and Jared were running at me. I didn't stand a chance against the four of them. This was it. I took a deep breath as I anticipated their move. Jared was the first to run at me, Quil was seconds behind him. Jared launched onto me, knocking me over onto the ground. He pinned me down, snarling and snapping, trying to bite me. I struggled with him, pushing against his neck, applying pressure to his wind pipe in the hope it would knock him out.

One second Jared was on top of me, the next he was gone and I was being pulled to my feet. Jasper stood at my side. I looked around to see Emmett wresting with Jared, while Seth and Quil were tearing each other apart, though Seth seemed to have the upper hand. I felt proud of him. He had come along way.

Jasper lay his hand on my back. You go for Jacob, we have this covered. It was the only words I needed to hear. Suddenly there was no one else in that forest but me and him.

Jacob was still standing where he had been when I first saw him. He was watching me, he knew I was coming for him, but he didn't care, he wanted to kill me just as much as I wanted to kill him. I raced towards him, jumping over and dodging flying bodies as everyone else fought around us.. Jacob launched himself into the air and we both collided with an almighty crash.

We fell to the ground. I quickly jumped into a crouch and sprung myself at him full force, sending us both back into a tree, it creaked and groaned under our impact, shuddering as it started to tip over. I grabbed hold of it, pulling it from its roots.

Just as Jacob was pulling himself back onto his feet. I swung the tree at him with my full force, knocking him along the ground.

I watched him struggle to pull himself back onto his feet. Then I leapt onto him, pinning him down. He was beat.

"This is for Bella." I whispered into his ear as I starred deep into his eyes. I could see the fear screaming out at me, but he never once begged me to stop. I sank my teeth into his neck. His blood was repulsive, vile, but I forced myself to drink it, each gulp soothed the burning fire that scorched my throat.

I finally released my teeth from his neck when his body was limp and his veins were dry. I sat on top of him, looking down at the beast. It was over, Bella was safe. Jacob was dead.