I sighed and rolled over for the thousandth time, lying on my back to stare up at the ceiling.

"Still not asleep?"

I didn't bother turning my head to look at Aaron.

"No."

"How come?"

"Guess."

He sighed.

It was the beginning of May now. We had made our move to Japan several months ago. But instead of going North of Sapporo like we had originally planned, we had set up in Kamakura, about an hour South of Tokyo. It was only temporary though. I knew that once I had left, they would have to move again. The land north of Sapporo was the perfect place to set up a house that needed to be hidden. So we moved to Kamakura so we would still have the option of going north and so we could learn the language a little bit.

But that wasn't why I was depressed.

I was depressed because tomorrow morning I had to go home. Home to Forks.

The days and months had flown by with incredible speed. If I hadn't known better, I would have wondered if Addi had messed with the time continuum. But I knew her. She would never do that to me. To us.

And so I had no choice but to try to accept the fact that it was time to leave my family, my world…again.

Was it any wonder why I was depressed?

On the plus side, I had kept up with my schooling through my special computer access so I was still on track to graduate in a month. I was grateful for that. I could focus on the threats more when school was out of the way. Of course, I might just go to college right after that, but college professors didn't care so much about your absence.

I wasn't aware I was zoning out until a poke to my stomach brought me out of my thoughts.

I jumped and then focused on Aaron, who was now leaning over me. I hadn't realized he had moved.

"What?" I asked.

"Cheer up," he told me. As if it was that simple.

"Easier said than done, *baka."

"Too bad."

I rolled my eyes and sighed.

"If you don't cheer up I'll tickle you to death," he warned severely.

I gave him a completely false cheeky grin.

He tried to hold on to his seriousness, but when I smirked at him he lost the battle.

With a snort and then a laugh, he collapsed onto the bed next to me.

I grinned and giggled along with him.

"You're such a brat," he said after we had calmed down.

I giggled. "I know."

He sighed and then pulled me into him, my back to his front.

"It'll be okay, you know," he murmured, running a hand through my hair that was long once again. Of course, it wasn't technically long. We had just reattached the extensions.

I drooped. "Not really."

"I know. But if you focus on the negative, you'll fall into depression again."

I snorted. "And what exactly would you have me focus on?"

"Well, for one, you don't have to repeat another year of High School."

"Hmm."

He laughed. "You get to see Angela again and assure her that the 'crazy people' haven't won."

I laughed. "Yes, that's a good thing."

"And you can think about how your going to tell your werewolf lover boy that you know his secret."

I heard something in his tone and twisted in his arms to look at his face.

"Are you jealous?"

"No."

But he answered too quickly and Jasper confirmed my suspicion through our link.

I grinned and rolled us so that I was on top of him, propped up on my arms so I could look at his face.

"You're jealous," my smile widened.

He didn't answer. Instead, he stubbornly looked past my head to stare at the ceiling.

I laughed. "You're jealous. And not even of one of your own kind!"

He eyes met mine briefly to glare at me before he went back to staring past my head.

"Not only are you jealous, you're jealous of a young, adolescent sixteen-year-old werewolf. A were-wolf that I have absolutely no interest in."

He didn't react to that but his expression was such that I knew if he had been human, he would have been bright red out of embarrassment.

I shook my head and laughed again. "I would have thought, that if you were to be jealous of anyone, it would have been Edward. Not Jacob."

He scowled for a moment before he turned his head to look at me.

His eyes were full of tenderness instead of the embarrassment I expected.

He placed a tender hand on my cheek. "Edward gave up his claim to you when he left you. If he comes back, you may belong to him again. But until then, you belong to me."

I was abruptly uncomfortable. I had acknowledged that I loved Aaron more than a brother or a protector. I hadn't yet decided if I was inlove with him.

I changed the subject…sort of.

"So basically you're jealous of a werewolf who isn't even half your age?"

He scowled, growling slightly. I giggled.

He yanked my arms out from under me and I collapsed onto his chest. He rolled us over so he now was on top.

"You…are such a brat."

I grinned. "Yep."

After a couple minutes he rolled off me and I curled into his side. Safe and secure in his arms, I finally succumbed to sleep.

About fifteen hours later, I walked into the house that I hadn't lived in for about five months.

It was so odd to be in a house that was surrounded by other houses and streets instead of just grass and forests. Even the house in Kamakura had been out of the way but still in the city. Sort of like the Cullen's house in Forks.

I shivered and a blanket was placed on my shoulders. "I suppose it's a bit colder here that it was wherever you were, huh Bells?"

I smiled. "Yeah, dad. Just a bit."

He smiled. "I have to admit. It's good to have you home. I've really missed you."

"I've really missed you too dad. How is everything going here?"

"It's been alright."

"How about the killings? Are they done now?"

He shook his head and I gritted my teeth. Apparently I had underestimated Victoria.

"No, they haven't. They have decreased though."

We were silent while I mulled over this information.

There was a fairly large pack in La Push. Sam, Jared, Paul, Embry and Jacob made five. Assuming Quil had also joined that made six. It had been about seven months since they started hunting Victoria. She had to have some kind of instinct for avoiding danger. There was just no other way for her to escape a pack as big as the one here.

It made sense. Whether James was actively tracking me or not, he wouldn't have just picked some random red head to be his "mate." Especially since knowing how powerful I was after the encounter with his second mate, Veronica. They were the perfect pair. The lethal tracker and the instinctive danger avoider.

I had to find away to get to be friend with Jacob again. And find a way to be "in" with the werewolves. Not to mention Emily.

I leaned on my elbows and rubbed my temples.

"So are you gonna take my memories away again?"

I glanced up in surprise. "What?"

He gestured to his head. "That little thing you put on my head to keep me from spilling the secret."

"Oh, that," I frowned, thinking. "I don't think I will. With Edward and the Cullen's gone, there really isn't a danger having you be in on the secret. You know how to act well enough with the guy's down in La Push that it's okay."

"What are they down there?"

I grinned. "Supernatural. Just…a different kind than the Cullens."

He scrutinized my face. I wondered what he was looking for.

He opened his mouth to say something but then changed his mind. "So how are your kids doing?" he asked instead.

I smiled in a way that only a mother could when thinking about her kids.

"They're great. Growing way too fast, but still good."

"Even little Jasper?"

I hesitated.

"Bella?"

"Well, little Jasper isn't exactly little anymore."

He cocked his head. "What do you mean?"

"Well, him and Ryan seemed to have picked up a super-advanced growth rate. So-"

"Hold on. Who's Ryan? Did you get pregnant and have another kid while you were gone?"

I quickly shook my head. "No. Sorry, I forgot you didn't know. A couple months after I had left Jasper with Aaron, Aaron found a little Indian baby in the woods. He adopted him and he's now as much my son as the others are."

"Ryan, huh? And he's like Aaron and the Cullens?"

"He's like the Cullens and the guys down in La Push mixed."

Dad frowned.

"Don't think about it too much," I told him. "It'll make your head hurt. We don't really understand it either. But anyways. Technically, they're like one but have the physical and mental age of a fourteen year old."

His jaw dropped.

I snorted. "Yeah, I know. Scary as heck but there isn't really anything we can do about it. Rose and Emmett's growth rates are slowing down though so that's a relief. I imagine they'll reach full maturity of age eighteen next year or so."

Dad shook his head again. "And I thought you grew up fast."

I laughed, humorlessly. "Tell me about it."

"So what do you do now?"

"Now? Now, I have to figure out a way to become part of the "in crowd" if you will with the guy's at La Push. I have to figure out a way that I can officially know they're secret."

Dad frowned in confusion. "But you already know it."

"Yes, but I'm pretending to be normal and non-supernaturally. If I was normal, I wouldn't know his secret."

"Your life is way confusing."

I giggled and he rolled his eyes. "Just be safe, Bells."

"Always, daddy. Anyways, I'm going to bed. Long day, long plane ride. Super glad tomorrow is Saturday."

"'Night Bells."

"Night Dad."

I quickly made my way up the stairs and began to unpack so I could get to bed. As I was finishing, I noticed a package that I had not put in my suitcase. No doubt from Aaron.

My curiosity piqued, I opened it and then slumped to the floor, laughing.

It was a set of fleece pajamas. But it wasn't the normal kind you could get at a store. Well, I suppose you could if Aaron hadn't created these especially for me. Unless you knew what each picture represented, they would appear to be just normal pajamas. But they weren't.

There was a symbol for each of my kids.

A white rose for Rosalie and her blonde hair with a cape like wrap attached to it. Symbolizing Demetri, no doubt.

Then there was a brown-haired cartoon type girl holding a teddy bear symbolizing Emmett and Liz. I was sure that they hadn't seen these pajamas; otherwise Emmett would have thrown a fit.

There was a pair of green sneakers, symbolizing my green-eyed Jasper with his speed.

It was way obvious who the little wolf cub symbolized.

And then there was a bear with a girl sitting on top of it with long brunette hair. Symbolizing Aaron and myself.

It was cute but it was immensely humorous too.

I got up and quickly slipped the pajamas on-sighing in contentment with the warmth they brought- before climbing into bed.

I didn't sleep for long.

My eye popped open, my inhuman senses registering danger while my human ones tried to catch up.

I stilled, my muscles locking in place while I tried to discern whether I was in danger or reacting unnecessarily.

There was a knock on my window and I sat up, relaxing.

After all, Victoria would not have come knocking on my window. So I could think of one other person who would come here.

A couple seconds later I was proved correct.

"Bella!" a voice hissed. "Ouch! Damn it, open the window! OUCH!"

I waited two seconds, because it was normal and because I was fighting a small smile. It appeared the Jacob Black was going to solve my problem about werewolf involvement on his own. I wondered idly how he got around the alpha order before I got up to open the window.

I shoved the window open, my "normal" mask firmly in place. It felt weird pretending, after being free from the restrictions for about six months. I hoped I was still good at acting.

"What are you doing?" I gasped.

Jacob was clinging precariously to the top of the spruce that grew in the middle of Charlie's little front yard. His weight had bowed the tree toward the house and he now swung – his legs dangling twenty feet above the ground – not a yard away from me. The thin branches at the tip of the tree scraped against the side of the house again with a grating squeal.

"I'm trying to keep" – he huffed, shifting his weight as the treetop bounced him – "my promise!"

I suddenly remembered that I was supposed to be dead tired. And if that had been the case, I wouldn't completely be coherent and able to fully process things.

"When did you ever promise to kill yourself falling out of Charlie's tree?"

He snorted, unamused, swinging his legs to improve his balance. "Get out of the way," he ordered.

"What?" I asked, playing dumb. In reality, my foot was already scooting backwards. I stilled my movement. I had to work on this 'normal' thing again, apparently.

He swung his legs again, backwards and forward, increasing his momentum. I realized what he was trying to do.

"No, Jake!"

But I ducked to the side, because it was too late. With a grunt, he launched himself toward my open window.

He swung agilely into my room, landing on the balls of his feet with a low thud.

We both looked to the door automatically, holding our breath, waiting to see if the noise had woken Charlie. A short moment of silence passed, and then we heard the muffled sound of Charlie's snore.

A wide grin spread slowly across Jacob's face; he seemed extremely pleased with himself. It wasn't the grin that I knew and loved – it was a new grin, one that was a bitter mockery of his old sincerity, on the new face that belonged to Sam.

My teeth snapped together in anger. I looked to the floor while I pulled the fire back. All the other werewolves I knew weren't bitter harpies. Was there something genetically wrong with the ones in La Push that made them so…so cocky and uptight? Or was it just the council and Sam's influence?

It was a bit much for me.

Even though I knew the reason, I had cried over this boy. His harsh rejection had left more then a few scars alongside the ones that Edward had made. And now he was here in my room, smirking at me as if none of that had passed. Worse than that, even though his arrival had been noisy and awkward, it reminded me of when Edward used to sneak in through my window at night, and the reminder picked viciously at the unhealed wounds.

But if I thought about it, the reminder did not take my thoughts to Edward. Instead, Jacob's arrival served as a reminder of the vampire I had just left. Combined with the fact that I was dead tired…well, it didn't exactly put me in a good mood.

"Get out!" I hissed, putting as much venom into the whisper as would be considered acceptable for someone who was really tired.

He blinked, his face going blank with surprise.

"No," he protested. "I came to apologize."

"I don't accept!" I snapped, crossing my arms.

Suddenly I swayed. Whether Jasper was helping -or intervening. Whichever- or my exhaustion suddenly caught up with me, I didn't know. I struggled to keep my eyes open.

"Bella?" Jacob whispered anxiously. He caught my elbow as I swayed again, and steered me back to the bed. My legs gave out when I reached the edge, and I plopped into a limp heap on the mattress. Well, my sudden exhaustion would help with my acting at least.

"Hey, are you okay?" Jacob asked, worry creasing his forehead.

I looked up wearily. I didn't say anything. Merely raised my eyes. I didn't really have to answer such a stupid question did I?

He dark skin seemed to flush slightly. "Right. Of course not. I-I'm so sorry, Bella."

"Why did you come here, Jake? I don't want apologies from you."

"I know. But I couldn't just leave things like they were those months ago."

I winced at the reminder. "It doesn't even matter."

"Of course it does."

"Fine. I forgive you. Now see ya."

He shook his head quickly. "No, wait. I want to explain –" He broke off suddenly, his mouth open, almost like something had cut off his air. Then he sucked in a deep breath. "But I can't explain," he said, still angry. "I wish I could."

"Why?"

He was quiet for a moment. I twisted my head to the side – too tired to hold it up – to see his expression. It surprised me. His eyes were squinted, his teeth clenched, his forehead wrinkled in effort.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

He exhaled heavily, and I realized he'd been holding his breath, too. "I can't do it," he muttered, frustrated.

I bit my cheek so I wouldn't grin. And I was a little flattered. He was trying to break the Alpha's order. For me. Unfortunately for him, Alpha's orders couldn't be so easily broken.

"Do what?"

He ignored my question. "Look, Bella, haven't you ever had a secret that you couldn't tell anyone? Something you had to keep from Charlie? From your mom? Something you won't even talk about with me? Not even now?"

My eyes narrowed. I had actually, quite the number of times actually. Not that I could tell him that.

"Can you understand that I might have the same kind of…situation?" He was struggling again, seeming to fight for the right words. "Sometimes, loyalty gets in the way of what you want to do. Sometimes, it's not your secret to tell."

I knew that. Couldn't exactly tell him that, but I knew that. I kept my face slightly defensive, playing my part.

"I don't know why you came here, Jacob, if you were just going to give me riddles instead of answers."

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "This is so frustrating."

We looked at each other for a long moment in the dark room, both our faces hopeless. His was actually hopeless; mine was a mask in place.

"The part that kills me," he said abruptly, "is that you already know. I already told yon everything!"

"What are you talking about?"

He sucked in a startled breath, and then leaned toward me, his face shifting from hopelessness to blazing intensity in a second. He stared fiercely into my eyes, and his voice was fast and eager. He spoke the words right into my face; his breath was as hot as his skin.

My muscles locked in reaction to his proximity. I tried to relax them, it was just Jacob. But it didn't really help.

"I think I see a way to make this work out – because you know this, Bella! I can't tell you, but if you guessed it! That would let me right off the hook!"

"You want me to guess? Guess what?"

"My secret! You can do it – you know the answer!"

I blinked twice, giving the pretense of trying to clear my head. It wasn't hard. I was so tired.

He took in my blank expression, and then his face tensed with effort again. "Hold on, let me see if I give you some help," he said. Whatever he was trying to do, it was so hard he was panting.

"Help?" I asked. My lids wanted to slip closed, but I forced them open.

"Yeah," he said, breathing hard. "Like clues."

He took my face in his enormous, too-warm hands and held it just a few inches from his. He stared into my eyes while he whispered, trying to communicate something besides the words he spoke.

"Remember the first day we met – on the beach in La Push?"

"Of course I do."

"Tell me about it."

I took a deep breath and tried to concentrate. "You asked about my truck…"

He nodded, urging me on.

"We talked about the Rabbit…"

"Keep going."

"We went for a walk down the beach…" I flushed slightly from embarrassment at the memory of my flirting. I felt a twinge of jealousy down my bond with Aaron. Looks like he was listening in after all.

He was nodding, anxious for more.

"You told me stories…legends."

He closed his eyes briefly. ""Yes." The word was tense, fervent, like he was on the edge of something vital. He spoke slowly, making each word distinct. "Do you remember what I said?"

Gee, how could I forget?

He looked at me with eyes that knew too much. "Think hard."

"Yes, I remember."

He inhaled deeply, struggling. "Do you remember all the stor –" He couldn't finish the question. His mouth popped open like something had stuck in his throat.

"All the stories?" I asked.

He nodded mutely.

Of course I remembered. More than remembered, I knew. I had already known when I had asked them too. I was silent for a moment, pretending to think and then I shook my head.

Jacob groaned and jumped off the bed. He pressed his fists against his forehead and breathed fast and angry. "You know this, you know this," he muttered to himself.

"Jake? Jake, please, I'm exhausted. I'm no good at this right now. Maybe in the morning…"

He took a steadying breath and nodded. "Maybe it will come back to you. I guess I understand why you only remember the one story," he added in a sarcastic, bitter tone. He plunked back onto the mattress beside me. "Do you mind if I ask you a question about that?" he asked, still sarcastic. "I've been dying to know."

"A question about what?" I asked warily.

"About the vampire story I told you."

I stared at him with guarded eyes, unable to answer. He asked his question anyway.

"Did you honestly not know?" he asked me, his voice turning husky. "Was I the one who told you what he was?"

My teeth ground together. My confused-looking eyes shifted into a glare. How dare he ask me that when he wouldn't-couldn't-explain his bizarre reactions. Well, bizarre to a normal human, at least.

"See what I mean about loyalty?" he murmured, even huskier now. "It's the same for me, only worse. You can't imagine how tight I'm bound…"

Oh, I could imagine all right. That's how I had lived my entire life. Only difference was that my silence was voluntary.

He glanced over his shoulder reflexively.

"Look, I've got to leave."

"Why?"

"For one thing, you look like you're going to pass out at any second. You need your sleep – I need you firing on all pistons. You're going to figure this out, you have to."

"And why else?"

He frowned. "I had to sneak out – I'm not supposed to see you. They've got to be wondering where I am." His mouth twisted. "I suppose I should go let them know."

"You don't have to tell them anything," I hissed.

"All the same, I will."

"Why aren't you supposed to see me?" I demanded.

"It's not safe," he mumbled looking down.

His words sent a thrill of fear through me before I mentally slapped myself. He didn't know Victoria was after me. He was worried about himself phasing.

"If I thought it was too… too risky," he whispered, "I wouldn't have come. But Bella," he looked at me again, "I made you a promise. I had no idea it would be so hard to keep, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to try."

He saw the fake incomprehension in my face. "After that stupid movie," he reminded me. "I promised you that I wouldn't ever hurt you… So I really blew a couple months ago, didn't I?"

"I know you didn't want to do it, Jake. It's okay."

"Thanks, Bella." He took my hand. "I'm going to do what I can to be here for you, just like I promised." He grinned at me suddenly. The grin was not mine, nor Sam's, but some strange combination of the two. "It would really help if you could figure this out on your own, Bella. Put some honest effort into it."

I bit my lip, fighting the smile. I already knew. "I'll try."

"And I'll try to see you soon." He sighed. "And they'll try to talk me out of that."

"Don't listen to them."

"I'll try." He shook his head, both of us knowing the failure of that conquest. "Come and tell me as soon as you figure it out." Something occurred to him just then, something that made his hands shake. "If you… if you want to."

"Why wouldn't I want to see you?"

His face turned hard and bitter, one hundred percent the face that belonged to Sam. "Oh, I can think of a reason," he said in a harsh tone. I couldn't. "Look, I really have to go. Could you do something for me?"

I just nodded, frightened of the change in him.

"At least call me – if you don't want to see me again. Let me know if it's like that."

"That won't happen –"

He raised one hand, cutting me off. "Just let me know."

He stood and headed for the window.

"Don't be an idiot, Jake," I complained. "You'll break your leg. Use the door. Charlie's not going to catch you."

"I won't get hurt," he muttered, but he turned for the door. He hesitated as he passed me, staring at me with an expression like something was stabbing him. He held one hand out, pleading.

I took his hand, and suddenly he yanked me – too roughly – right off the bed so that I thudded against his chest.

"Just in case," he muttered against my hair, crushing me in a bear hug that about broke my ribs.

"Can't – breathe!" I gasped.

He dropped me at once, keeping one hand at my waist so I didn't fall over. He pushed me, more gently this time, back down on the bed.

"Get some sleep, Bells. You've got to get your head working. I know you can do this. I need you to understand. I won't lose you, Bella. Not for this."

He was to the door in one stride, opening it quietly, and then disappearing through it.

I walked to the window and waited while I watched him disappear into the surrounding trees.

"Thank you, Jacob. You've given me the entrance I needed to make this work. We'll fix this Jacob. And then we'll all be all right. You'll see."

I got back in bed then and fell asleep to the small jealous growls echoing in my head.

Thanks to Alice Vampire, MickeyMC, and Canis Lupus Lover for the ideas. I made this chapter long to make up for my two week absence. Remember to review and let me know what you think!