A/N: Wow… have I mentioned lately that I heart the drama? Because I think that, at this point, I shouldn't have to tell anyone (like it's some big secret) but… some of the reviews I have gotten… I mean… WOW! Let me just reiterate for those of you just joining us… or too busy to read the other author's notes: I heart DRAMA. Me gusta DRAMA… mucho! Muy mucho! A whole helluva lot! (I'd do more languages but those are the only two I know) Not so much in my real life but in written form, yes. And moving on…

14/16

Why Do You Love Me

Edward raced through the forest with Leah, true to her word, easily keeping pace with him. The others lagged not far behind them each with one common mindset; this was war. Jacob was gone and Edward wanted nothing more that to make Sam pay for it. Edward and Leah reached the Forks, La Push border and blew past it without a moment's hesitation. Edward could hear the other wolves, hear their thoughts as they each caught the scent of vampire. Each registered surprise, phased, began rallying, planning their defense. Edward took note of their alarm as he and Leah raced past them, they could easily be dealt with by the rest of the Cullens and Jacob's pack. Edward listened to their thoughts, listened for any hint that they suspected what was coming, but they didn't seem to. They were all too surprised that the treaty had been broken. Edward allowed Leah to stay with him, Sam was bound to be with his second in command, Leah would easily deal with him.

Edward could hear Sam's pack warning him of their arrival, asking each other what they should be doing, when Leah and Edward came upon Sam and his lieutenant. Edward didn't even to listen to Sam's thoughts as he lunged, teeth bared, at Sam. Edward pinned wolf-Sam to the ground, Sam's lieutenant moved to intercept Edward but Leah knocked him off trajectory, sending him skidding into the bushes. All Edward had to do was bite Sam, just a nick, and the venom would kill him, hopefully as painfully as the poison had for Jacob. With any luck, Sam would die writhing in agony while everyone he knew and loved watched on helplessly, hopelessly.

Sam kicked off Edward and raced out of sight into the woods. Edward heard Sam instruct his pack not to harm the others, to stop fighting all together, and elude them until he returned. Edward looped after Sam, vowing that if Sam returned it would only be to die. Sam had the advantage here, he knew these woods, he didn't need to think about where he was going. He didn't need to think about going left or right and Edward had to slow down a pace to compensate. Edward could still smell Sam, still use Sam's link to the pack to see exactly what he saw, his mind unwillingly broadcasting his exact location to Edward. As Edward watched the scenery fly past Sam's vision he would pick out a land mark and make sure he passed it too. He'd count the seconds between when Sam passed the land mark to when he did and knew that he was gaining on Sam. Soon he would overtake him and make him pay.

'We need to talk,' Sam thought. 'Whatever Bella told you, it wasn't true. I was the one who found out that she had cursed Jacob.'

As he spoke Edward could see Sam's memory of the event, he saw Sam holding his own pack meetings to save Jacob. He saw their willingness to look at suspects Edward never would; Alice, Rosalie, Emmett, Bella. He saw them searching for clues, ruling out Alice, Emmett, and Rosalie, saw them closing in on Bella. He saw the evidence, the proof of it, in Sam's mind; Bella had tried to kill Jacob. He saw Sam go over to Bella's, tell her that he knew, demand that she make it right… Sam had given her a cure that he'd gotten from one of the Elder women in their sister tribe. Sam had figured it out long before they had, Sam had truly tried to help Jacob.

Edward slowed momentarily, allowing Sam's lead to widen. Bella's betrayal, so fresh in Edward's mind, still fresh in his heart, caused him actual physical pain. Bella's words as she left the Cullen's came back to Edward, like a slap in the face; "I want Jacob to die. I hate him for taking you from me." Her words before Edward had sent her away for good, that she had poisoned Jacob twice. Bella had been the one to change Jacob, the one who'd broken their imprint, the one who'd caused Jacob to rapidly age. She had done it no matter the cost, and Jacob had paid in blood. It made more sense than Edward wanted to admit; Bella was immune to his ability and with Jacob's involvement it made Alice's visions imperfect. Bella was the only person who could have done it and eluded them so thoroughly; it seemed idiotic now, that he hadn't figured it out.

Bella had been such a lovely creature, so pure, so innocent. How had she become such a monster, and without Edward even noticing? How could she watch Jacob suffer? How could she let Jacob die? How could she watch Edward suffer at Jacob's side?

"It doesn't matter!" Edward yelled. "You're the one that distracted us, you let Bella get in to poison him. You allowed her to torture him like that! You let her kill him!"

Edward put on a burst of speed, moving too fast to keep up with Sam's mind, breezing past places where Sam had turned and being forced to backtrack to follow him. Vengeance clouded his mind, became all that he could see, all that he could feel. He wouldn't allow Sam to sidetrack him with memories of Bella, eventually she would get her turn.

'Jacob's dead?' Sam asked.

Edward saw him stop, saw the forest around him stop moving as he came to a skidding halt. Edward caught up to him quickly; he lunged at the now human Sam and knocked him to the ground. Edward had Sam pinned beneath him, his mind howled for vengeance.

"Jacob's dead?" Sam asked again. He looked at Edward despondently; disbelief and shock clear on his face. Edward snarled at him. "How?" Sam asked.

"Don't pretend!" Edward growled. "Don't pretend that you and Bella didn't plan this."

"Bella?" Sam repeated. His mind raced as he thought of her, fast, too fast for Edward's distracted mind to keep up.

"You distracted us so that Bella could come in and poison Jacob," Edward accused.

"No," Sam said. His mind echoed with the statement until the cacophony rang in the hollow of Edward's mind. "She said she would save him. She promised ―she was going to reverse it. We were giving her a chance to do the right thing. Jacob is… Jacob was one of us, no matter what, I would never…"

Sam's thoughts turned to Bella, dark and malicious, he would harm Bella. Sam could harm Bella; he could make her pay when Edward couldn't. A part of Edward wanted him to, wanted to let Sam up and unleash him and his pack on Bella, wanted to let Sam exact Edward's revenge on her. But he couldn't, she was Bella, she needed protecting and Edward did that. Edward always put her first, above himself, even above Jacob in the end… it hurt to think of Jacob. It hurt to think of all the time that Edward had had with Jacob that he'd squandered thinking on Bella. To think of all the time that he'd spent pretending that Bella was more important, time that he could have used to… that he could have spent with Jacob. It hurt to imagine Jacob, every moment they'd spent together tangled in his mind, Jacob's last moments still brightest in Edward's mind. Edward moved away from Sam but remained in a low attack crouch.

"Bella is not to be harmed," Edward forced himself to say. He heard Sam arguing in his head for a long moment before he finally agreed. Bella, as awful as she seemed, was still human. In their world of monsters they couldn't kill humans, no matter what. Sam nodded, stood to his full towering height, then turned and disappeared into the woods.

Edward slowly stood, scrubbed his face with his hands, and looked around at the empty sullen woods. Even green and full of life it seemed bleak to Edward, lonely. 'Please, come back Jacob. Don't leave me.' It was all he could remember, the longer he existed without Jacob the less of Jacob he could remember clearly, the only thing he had left was Jacob's last few torturous minutes of life. All he could see in his mind were Jacob's death throes.

'Breathe.'

Jacob's voice rang in Edward's head, the simple word like a razorblade to his wounded heart. Jacob's voice was beautiful, a ghostly memory of Edward's loss sent to torture him. Edward vaguely heard Esme's thoughts, heard others calling for him, looking for him, but he shut them out and focused on Jacob. Even a fragment of his tortured mind was better than the nothing that existed without Jacob.

'I love Edward,' Jacob's voice said.

Edward crumpled to the slick, moss covered ground. Having Jacob's voice in his head was more painful than the hollow loss he felt. Having Jacob saying what Edward most wanted him to say, opening wounds that would never heal. Edward rose, he needed to get away, he needed to leave Forks and every painful memory behind. Edward fled through the woods, out towards the ocean and didn't pause when he hit the water. Running atop the water he made a plan; he'd go to Africa, or Australia. He would cocoon himself in his memories of Jacob; even as painful as it was he cherished it. He would live out eternity far from the world, away from Bella and her betrayal, away from the awkward comfort his family would surely try to provide. Vaguely, he heard Leah's mind screaming to him but he ignored it in favor of the ghostly remnant of Jacob's voice. Edward listened, enraptured, to every detail of thought. Everything, even the most simple, silly phrase hurt him but he held tight. When Jacob's voice suddenly stopped Edward turned back, headed to the coast, he would go to Florida. He wanted to stay away from Forks, he wanted to go as far away as he could get, but apparently he needed to be close to Jacob's memory… or his body… so he could hear Jacob's voice in his mind. Hearing Jacob's voice was like holding a hot ember in his hands, but Edward couldn't let go. It was Edward's last connection to Jacob.

'Please, come back Jacob. Don't leave me.'

The words ripped through Jacob's mind like a tidal wave. Edward's voice resounded in Jacob, filling Jacob with need. Edward's voice awoke the missing part of Jacob, the part that he had only been able to remember but never feel. He could feel Edward, feel his need of Edward, and he was whole again. Awoke the Alpha wolf inside of Jacob, not a child trying to adjust to the love and devotion Edward showed him but the man who felt the exact same things. A man who was so in love with Edward that it made his head spin… or it could be the lack of oxygen making his head spin.

'Breathe,' Jacob told himself.

He opened his mouth and slowly drew in a deep, ragged breath. He felt his lungs flex again, blood to start flowing, his heart started to beat a strong, even tempo. Jacob opened his eyes; Esme stared down at him, her face full of shock. Jacob furrowed his brow; the skin on his face stretched and popped, crumbled and broke like dry leaves. Esme reached out to him, her acidic sweet smell burning his nostrils, and peeled a small portion of skin away. She held it up against the bright light coming in from the window.

"Jacob?" Esme breathed in astonishment.

"Esme," Jacob said. He smiled hearing the rich healthy tone to his voice, and the skin around his mouth molted and flaked as he did. Esme stumbled backwards, a hand to her mouth.

"Carlisle," Esme said. She rushed forward again, brushed Jacob's face softly with her hands. A smile spread, like warm honey, across her face and Jacob knew that he'd never seen a woman so beautiful before.

In moments Carlisle was at Jacob's side, Jacob watched each of Carlisle's movements knowing that, were he still human, they would have been too quick to see. Carlisle picked at the flaking skin on Jacob's arm and made his 'interesting' face that always threatened to make Jacob laugh. Jacob sat up, feeling the skin on his back stretching and expanding, he could feel the loose skin rub between his nightshirt and his back.

"Interesting," Carlisle said.

Jacob belted out a quick, booming laugh and Esme jumped. It felt good to laugh, Jacob's deep, thunderous baritone felt right in his throat. Jacob tossed aside the covers and jumped easily out of the bed that, only minutes ago, had felt like a prison to him. He stretched lazily, the dead skin on his body popping and snapping as he did. He pulled Esme into a firm hug and squeezed her tightly against him until her arms tightened around his back and he felt like he was going to suffocate. When Esme let go she grasped Jacob's face between her cool hands and smiled at him.

"He's strong," Esme said, "as strong as he was before." She turned and fixed her eyes on Carlisle's perplexed expression. "What's happened?"

"I'm not sure," Carlisle admitted. "He seems to be sloughing off the dead skin," Carlisle picked off a patch of skin on Jacob's arm and examined it, "like a snake."

"I'm not a snake," Jacob said.

"No," Carlisle agreed. Jacob snickered at the precise tone Carlisle took, as if Jacob might actually think he was a snake. "I need some time to figure this out." Carlisle clapped Jacob on the back, a wide smile on his face, and walked away leaving Jacob and Esme alone.

Esme beamed brilliantly at Jacob, grasped him by his upper arms, and said; "This is wonderful! Edward will be so pleased, he's just―" The smile slipped from Esme's face and she turned towards the window. "Edward."

"What?" Jacob asked.

Esme turned back to face Jacob, an air of forced casualness about her movements, and laughed girlishly. "It's just that Edward has stepped out for a moment. Don't worry, I'll go get him."

Before Jacob could protest Esme swooped gracefully out the window and disappeared into the surrounding woods. Jacob wanted to follow her, to see where she was going, but instead turned and looped downstairs to find Carlisle. He was in his study, transformed into a lab during Jacob's long illness, working at one of the long metal tables that lined the walls.

"Esme's gone to find Edward," Jacob said casually. Carlisle's entire body tensed almost imperceptibly and he glanced over his shoulder cautiously at Jacob. "She said that Edward had 'stepped out' for a minute."

"He has," Carlisle agreed. Carlisle paused again, this time turning to face Jacob. "Jacob," Carlisle asked inquisitively, "you do care about Edward, don't you?"

Jacob couldn't keep the laughter from bubbling up in his chest and bursting free, it was such a silly question. "I love Edward," Jacob said easily.

Carlisle smiled at him, a slow beautiful smile like sunrise, and laid one cool hand to the back of Jacob's neck affectionately. Without warning Carlisle spun Jacob to face the door and gave him a light push in that direction. "You should take a shower and change… you look dreadful."

To emphasis his point Carlisle ruffled Jacob's hair and chuckled when white flakes fell around him. Jacob rolled his eyes but relented, he sulked off upstairs and took the quickest shower in the history of his life, only taking enough time to clean off the flaking skin and wash his hair. When he stepped out of the shower his own reflection in the mirror startled him. Once again he was covered in solid muscle, his skin was pristine, dark caramel, his hair as black as night, his sharp eyes were once again clear. Jacob leaned over the sink, his face close to the glass, and moved his mouth. He made faces at himself, watching as the face in the mirror mimicked him. It was difficult to believe that his entire transformation had only taken six months, six long and impossibly short months for his body to degrade and deteriorate. Now, looking into the mirror at the body he had once known to be his own, it seemed foreign to him. It seemed like he'd cheated somehow, gone back in time and gotten a do-over. He was young; he would be young, potentially, forever. He and Edward had an eternity together. An eternity that Bella had wanted for herself, an eternity she had almost been willing to kill for… that she had killed for.

Jacob could hear other voices downstairs, easy to distinguish with his heightened hearing, and he could smell each of their unique scents. Esme, Embry, Paul, Rosalie, Emmett, Leah, Seth, Alice, Jasper, Quil, Carlisle, all downstairs and talking rapidly. Jacob followed their voices to the stairs, he stopped halfway down to watch them, it seemed like forever since he had truly been able to see them. Forever since he had been able to use his heightened senses to catch every remarkable aspect to them. It was all too easy to miss before, the last time he'd been able to see them through wolves' eyes, just how fantastic they all were. How precious and beautiful, unique and majestic, how much he would miss them if they were gone. It felt cheesy in his head but poignant in his heart; he'd miss them, he had missed them. The boy that Edward had brought back to them, the old man who had died among them, neither of them had truly been Jacob. Neither of them truly felt as he did, cared as he cared, neither of them. Just watching his family, the Cullens and the pack, made Jacob's heart swell. The only thing missing was Edward's presence.

Leah caught sight of Jacob first, her eyes drew up to him, her mouth fell open, her breath hitched and she grasped Emmett's arm for strength. Jacob grinned at her, chucked at the sight of it. Four months ago, imprint or no, Leah wouldn't even come within a foot of the porch, now she clung to Emmett like a pillar. Leah's attention drew the other's and soon they all gaped up at him. Jacob smiled at them and descended the stairs slowly. He couldn't keep visions of himself as the Queen, waving regally at them, out of his head and barely contained the laughter that wanted to burst forth.

"This is what I've been trying to explain," Carlisle said. "Jacob is not dead."

"How?" Embry asked.

Before anyone could respond Leah vaulted into Jacob's arms, pressed herself tightly against him, and turned her face into his neck so she could inhale his scent. Jacob wrapped his arms around her back slowly, he'd forgotten this, forgotten how things should smell. He'd forgotten the overwhelming burn of vampire scent, how seductively musky Leah's scent could be in comparison. He'd forgotten how, when the two scents mixed, vampire and werewolf, they blended into an aromatic perfection of smell, a symphony of the senses.

"I can't believe it," Leah breathed against Jacob's neck. The hair on the back of Jacob's neck stood on end, everyone of his senses seemed hyper extended, as if his time without them had made them even stronger. Jacob pat Leah's back affectionately until she was ready to let go and step away.

"How is this possible?" Paul asked.

"I couldn't say," Carlisle said.

"Bella," Jacob interjected. He could see the level of animosity rise in the room when he said her name but he ignored it. Bella had to have done it, she'd said that she'd poisoned him and Jacob had died. If she had truly hated him enough to kill him then he doubted that he would be alive again. "She did this."

"Yes," Leah said, "Bella killed you."

"But I'm alive," Jacob said simply. "Where's Edward? We should go talk to her." Suddenly the floor was the most interesting thing in the room, no one looked at Jacob; no one met his probing eyes. "He's… okay, isn't he? He's not… hurt? … Where's Edward?"

Leah sighed loudly and stepped forward. "He left. We thought that you were dead ―we watched you die― and he left."

"He left?" Jacob asked in disbelief. "He just… left?"

"You were dead," Leah countered, "it's not like he would have just left you."

Jacob smirked at her, defending Edward's actions, he couldn't stop himself. When had things changed so drastically? Leah was defending Edward, the pack was mixing it up with vampires like it was nothing, and Rosalie couldn't stop smiling at him. It was like the change in Jacob and Edward, whatever it was that had put them together, that link was contagious. They were all infected and it was still spreading, getting stronger, deeper. It wasn't half bad, Jacob decided, having his two families merge. Still, there was a piece missing, a big gaping hole that Jacob could feel in his soul. He needed to find Edward, he needed to talk to Bella, he had work to do.

"I'm going to find him," Jacob said. "I'm going to bring Edward home."

"I can help," Alice chimed in. "I'll look for him."

Jacob grinned at her, already making his way up the stairs. "Let me know if he disappears."

Jacob raced upstairs and into his room, he rummaged through the drawers, pulled out clothes and stuffed them into a bag already laid out on his bed. The bag was big enough to hold two changes of only the most basic clothes, small enough to be tied around Jacob's ankle. Alice was amazing like that, she was a shopping maniac but she had an uncanny sense for it. When Jacob had gone through his transformation Alice had been there the entire time, keeping his wardrobe fresh so he never felt awkward in clothes that were too large for him. They were all, each of them, kind and loving in their own ways, even if they rarely showed it.

"Florida," Alice said from the doorway. "That's the last place Edward decided to go." Alice glided into the room and hefted the small bag from Jacob's bed. "You're going to talk to Bella." She hadn't posed it as a question but Jacob nodded his agreement anyway. "We used to be friends, her and I." Alice sighed wistfully as her vision seemed to fix elsewhere. "I thought we'd be sisters, once. Tell her that she's the one who changed that. Tell her that she could have been a part of our family too, if she hadn't tried to cuckold Edward. Tell her that I know that she did it on purpose."

"Did what?" Jacob asked. Alice fixed her dark, angry eyes on the wall behind Jacob for a long moment before looking up at him.

"I saw the decision Bella made to sleep with Mike," Alice said. "She did it on purpose, to force Edward to stay with her."

Jacob scoffed and then laughed. "Bella wouldn't do that." Alice shrugged her thin shoulders. "Bella's not like that," Jacob added unsurely.

"She's done worse lately," Alice reminded him.

Alice handed the bag to Jacob and pecked him sweetly on the cheek before he jumped from the bedroom window and raced into the woods. A fair enough distance away Jacob stripped and stuffed his clothes into the bag then tied it around his ankle and phased. It felt odd to be a wolf again, like putting on a pair of ill fitting pants. But it had been his skin before, he had no doubt that he would get used to it again. Jacob bound through the forest, quickly becoming accustomed to his new body ―his old body― again. It wasn't long before he was at Bella's house.

Jacob phased back and dressed then stood concealed in the woods staring at her front door, too afraid to knock. He could hear Bella inside at the kitchen sink. He could hear the baby too; hear both of their hearts beating strongly. It was at once the most beautiful and the most heartbreaking sound he'd ever heard. He could imagine her in there, the way she had been, full of love and life, and the idea of who he would actually find inside terrified him. Steeling his courage, Jacob moved so that he could at least peer in the window at her. Bella stood at the sink washing dishes, her once illustrious hair now dull and hastily thrown into a ponytail. Her always pale skin was flush with the exertions of the day, her heartbeat still strummed with labor in her chest.

She was a pale remnant of the girl Jacob had known, a pitiable copy of Bella. Her eyes had lost the luster Jacob remembered, her face didn't seem as jubilant. Jacob had always heard that motherhood made a woman glow but it seemed to have the reverse effect on Bella. It seemed like her son was stealing the life from her. Bella finished the dishes and rested against the sink for a moment, allowing the hurt and frustration she felt to pass over her face before she forced it away and walked into the front room and out of Jacob's sight.

Jacob walked quickly around the house and rung the doorbell, before he lost his nerve. Inside he heard Bella hiss and in no time she had the door wide open and she glared out. Her scowl gave way to shock as she registered Jacob's presence, then darkened and scowled again. Jacob had surprised her, with his heightened senses returned he could see her as she was, and she didn't appreciate his sudden intrusion.

"Jacob," Bella whispered, "up and around so soon? Come to rub my face in your joy?"

"Bella," Jacob said. "How's things?"

Bella put on an air of cheerfulness and closed the door most of the way behind her so that she could talk at a reasonable tone. "I'm a single, divorced, teenage mother who lives with her father, can barely make it to night school, and doesn't have a job. I'm peachy."

"So, it's all going to plan then?" Jacob said mirroring her faux cheerfulness. Bella narrowed her eyes at him, anger clear in her expression. "Alice tells me that you planned to get pregnant." Bella's face blanched, confirming what Jacob had wished wasn't true.

"She knew?" Bella asked. "That's why she stopped speaking to me… I just thought she was worried about you."

"Bella, why would you―"

"Why?" Bella hissed. "It was the only way I could keep my boyfriend. He thought he was 'in love' with you, he would barely even speak to me."

"And things are so much better now?!" Jacob yelled. The baby startled and began to wail.

Bella glanced over her shoulder into the house, sighed in resignation, and then fixed Jacob with a vicious glare. "You ruin everything Jacob Black. I wish I'd never saved your life. I wish I'd just let you die!"

"Then why didn't you?" Jacob yelled back.

Bella scoffed at him then turned and went inside to console her crying child, leaving the door open for Jacob. Jacob followed her in, shut the door behind him quietly. Bella leaned over and shushed the small child softly, rubbing his belly, until finally she relented and picked the child up. Once he was laid over her shoulder the child's cries became tiny sniffles. He peered over Bella's shoulder at Jacob, his eyes a warm, golden hazel; the perfect combination of Bella's rich brown eyes and the shock of Mike's blue. He gawked at Jacob, his round face so adorably cute that Jacob couldn't help but smile back at him and make a silly face. When Bella whirled around, fixing her dark eyes on Jacob, his smile immediately vanished.

"Like I could have let you die, Jacob." Bella said. "Sam made it very clear that if you died then I would, baby or no baby."

"Sam wouldn't―"

"Spare me," Bella scoffed. "I am not going to stoke your ego by detailing to you how much everyone loves you." Bella put a blanket over the baby's back and began patting him lightly. "Maybe Sam wouldn't have killed me but there are plenty of others who aren't so forgiving, betrayal and all of that."

"I thought we were friends, Bella." Jacob said. "I thought that we'd get through this. You were angry, I know, but I thought… I thought we were the same person."

"Funny," Bella said mirthlessly, "I thought we were in love. I thought that Edward and I were in love, I thought that we'd be together forever." Bella began to sway gently side to side and bounce on the balls of her feet in rhythm to her patting. "I had it all figured out, I'd have a baby and Edward… Edward was so gentlemanly; he'd have to stay with me. He'd stay as long as I needed him and I could use that time to win him back.

"But it became clear that he'd never turn to me if you were still around. It took months to get my hands on that ritual, and to be able to slip it to you without Edward noticing -- All of that work and Edward 'disconnected' from you when the connection broke." Bella sighed loudly. "When the imprint broke, it broke for you alone, Edward couldn't hear a thought in your head. All of that planning… useless. He just wouldn't let go, he held you two together, brought you back to him."

Jacob blinked at her, too surprised for words. Where had this Bella come from? Where had sweet, innocent Bella gone? Did Bella really hate Jacob enough to let him die? Would she have, even knowing that Jacob's death wouldn't bring Edward back to her, been able to let Jacob die? She had thought that her baby would reunite her and Edward, bind them together, now she was alone and taking care of a child.

"If you're here to gloat Jacob, don't bother. I've had enough of it to last me two lifetimes. I get it, you and Edward are in love, and happy, and you'll be together and happy forever."

Jacob smiled at Bella, it wasn't cold, or mean, or heartless, though she might have deserved it, but a genuine smile. "Bella, I want for you all of the happiness I want for myself, I truly do, and I hope you find it. I'm sorry things didn't end better for us."

Bella glared at Jacob but he could see her lower lip beginning to quiver. Somewhere inside of her there was the old Bella, the same klutzy, adorable Bella that he remembered. Jacob could hold onto that, he knew that regardless of whatever threats Sam may or may not have made Bella wouldn't have let him die. He was sure that Bella would be okay one day. It hurt too much to think of the cold woman he saw before him as Bella, he would hold onto one thought; the real Bella is in there somewhere and one day she'd be set free.

"Just… get out, Jacob," Bella said barely above a whisper. She turned away from him as angry tears began to spill down her cheeks. Her back to Jacob once again and Bella's son gaped at Jacob innocently, his wide hazel eyes hurt Jacob's resolve to leave. In another life this could have been his child… in another life this could have been Edward's. Edward and Bella could have ended up together and lived out eternity as one. It could have all been so different.

Jacob wretched his eyes from the small child and slipped quietly out the door. In the forest he could still hear Bella as she began to cry. He could hear her sob; hear the fabric rustle as she buried her face in the baby's blanket in a fruitless attempt to quite herself. Jacob wished things could have worked out differently for Bella, to spare her feelings, but he was in love with Edward and he didn't wish that Bella could have him back. Jacob's thoughts of Edward gave way to a glorious epiphany; Jacob was alive, alive and in love, and Edward was out there somewhere. The man he loved was out there, in pain, waiting for him. Everything that Jacob wanted was in his grasp, the world was finally aligning in his favor and he only needed to take it. He only needed to find Edward, bring him home, and their lives could unfold together.

Jacob raced through the woods towards the outlying street. Alice had told him that Edward was heading for Florida, that Edward had gone to Florida, Jacob would go too. Anywhere Edward went Jacob would follow. As Jacob came upon the street he saw Jasper waiting for him, leaning casually against one of the Cullen's shiny cars. A new Dodge Challenger SRT8, definitely not Alice's car, she was an exotic foreign car driver. Jasper smirked at Jacob as he approached; eying the racing stripes accenting the gleaming muscle car, Jacob patted the trunk approvingly.

"Alice thought I might meet you here," Jasper said. Jasper tossed a cell phone into Jacob's hands then a set of keys. "Alice sends her love and luck. She says; 'Bring our family home'."

Jacob chuckled and examined the keys in his hands. Alice was always looking out for everyone else. "I appreciate it," Jacob said tightly. He glanced up at Jasper through his eye lashes, feeling Jasper's inquisitive eyes on him, Jasper looked him over appraisingly. It made Jacob want to laugh, hadn't Jasper seen enough of him in the last few months? What could he find so fascinating?

Jasper leaned forward quickly, using vampire speed he closed the small distance between them instantaneously, and pressed his lips to Jacob's. Jasper's lips pressed in a hard line against Jacob's he held his breath. The kiss lingered and a low growl emanated deep in Jacob's mind, not his own and clearly not pleased with the kiss. Jacob smiled, chuckled to himself at the unmistakable menace in Edward's growl, and extricated himself from Jasper's embrace. Jasper gazed up at Jacob, stared into his wide eyes for a long moment, and then shrugged. Jacob laughed loudly, his jubilant voice echoing into the surrounding forest.

"I just wanted to understand," Jasper said.

"And?" Jacob asked smirking.

Jasper grinned back at him and stepped away, opening the door as he went. "Good luck with Edward," Jasper said.

Jacob frowned at him. 'Good luck with Edward'? What did that mean? He looked at Jasper, from his cold pale skin that was so much like Edward's, to his rich golden topaz eyes so much like Edwards, to his thick lips that were not at all like Edward's. Jacob could hear his inner Edward grumbling as he admired Jasper and Jacob chuckled. Jacob shrugged his shoulders and moved to get into the car but Jasper caught him up short again. Jasper shut the car door, pinned Jacob's body against the car with his own, and pressed his lips once more to Jacob's. Jacob caught Jasper's face in one of his large warm hands and cupped his cheek gently. Jacob allowed the kiss to go on until Jasper's arms snaked around Jacob's waist, until his fingers worked their way under the fabric of Jacob's shirt and his cold fingers pressed into Jacob's skin. Jacob pushed Jasper away easily, companionably, and smiled broadly at him.

"'Good luck with Edward', huh?" Jacob asked.

Jasper shrugged and Jacob, with one final glance at Jasper, jumped into the car and sped away.

'Sorry Jasper, but my heart beats only for Edward.'

When Jacob flew past the large green sign welcoming Jacob to Sarasota the sun was just setting on his third day of driving aimlessly. Three days since Jacob's death and resurrection, three days since Edward had left. It felt like longer to Jacob, each moment passing in slow motion until a minute without Edward became an eternity. Jacob wasn't even sure that Edward was still in Florida, or in which part, all he knew was that Alice saw him go to Florida three days ago. When Jacob had gotten to Florida, crossed the border from Georgia, Alice had called and said only that he should head to Sarasota.

Finally in Sarasota Jacob decided to stop and pulled off the highway at the first motel sign he saw. Jacob pulled into the parking lot at a Best Western and pulled out the money clip that had been left in the glove compartment for him. Silently thanking Alice for being thoughtful as well as clairvoyant, Jacob walked inside, up to the front desk, and playfully rang the small bell on the counter to catch the girl behind the counter's attention. Her dark eyes raked up Jacob's large frame, traveling up and up to Jacob's face. With a coy smile she brushed her dark hair off of her face, batted her eyes at him, and bit her lower lip softly.

"Checking in?" she asked. Her voice rang with a Spanish accent.

"Yes please," Jacob said smoothly.

"Just you?" She asked.

"For now," Jacob said. He'd meant that soon he'd have Edward but by the way she blushed he was sure she imagined he hinted at something else. She gave him a room with two queen beds, for him and 'whoever', and Jacob paid her.

"Room 415," she said with a smile, "on the second floor, near the exit."

Jacob borrowed a page from the Cullen's handbook and flashed a suave, dazzling smile before he accepted the card she offered and slipped away upstairs.

'415' he reminded himself, 'upstairs.'

'Found you,' Edward's voice rang loudly in Jacob's head and just as instantly his cell phone began buzzing.

Jacob dug into his pocket until he found the phone Jasper had given him. By the time he pulled it out the vibration stopped. Jacob rolled his eyes and sighed in frustration, but before he could put the phone away it began to vibrate again. When Jacob flipped open the phone Alice was speaking before Jacob could even get it to his ear.

"He's coming to you," Alice said. Her high pitched voice so fast it was nearly a squeak. "He wasn't making any decisions and then he was just gone. Wherever you are, stop."

Jacob smiled easily and said: "Done."

He snapped the phone shut and finished the walk to his room with a bounce in his step. Edward was coming to him. Edward would find him and they would be together, they could start forever. Jacob reached his room and opened the door, after only one false start fumbling with the electronic key card. Before Jacob switched on the lights he was pushed into the room with surprising force. Even with his strength returned whoever it was still had had enough power to make him stumble. Jacob righted himself and sank into a defensive crouch, preparing to phase, but the sweet scent that filled the room behind him made him pause.

Edward stepped into the room, silhouetted in the darkness by the light coming from the hallway, and shut the door loudly behind him.

"Who are you?" Edward demanded.

Jacob laughed in surprise but couldn't keep the nervous, almost frantic edge out of his voice when he spoke. "I'm Jacob."

"Liar!" Edward roared.

He lunged at Jacob, pinning Jacob against the wall. Edward growled in Jacob's face, his eyes the dark beetle black of hunger… or madness. Jacob's heart broke for Edward, what he had to have gone through. Jacob had felt time dragging on as he'd drove to look for Edward, and he was only looking for him, Edward had thought he was truly all alone. Edward had thought that Jacob was dead, Jacob could only imagine the torment those three endless days must have held for Edward.

"Stop," Edward hissed. He exerted more pressure on his arm over Jacob's collar bone. "Jacob's dead. Who are you? Why are you in my head?"

Jacob smiled weakly at him, tears stinging in his eyes. Was he too late? Had he taken too long? Had he lost Edward?

"Edward," Jacob breathed, "it's me; it's Jacob."

Edward pulled Jacob up and slammed him roughly against the wall again, making it shake feebly as he did. "My Jacob is dead," Edward growled.

'No,' Jacob thought, 'I'm not dead.'

"Liar!" Edward raged. He tossed Jacob easily across the room, Jacob landed on the bed and rolled off, sinking once again into a crouched position. "I'll kill you!" Edward yelled.

Edward lunged across the room, teeth bared, and connected with Jacob, hard.

A/N: And scene... seriously, you all talk a good game about how you hate me but I know that you really do love me... :P :D *hugs*