JPOV:

Bella is sick. I've been worried sick about her lately. I couldn't understand the abnormality she had in comparison to me. I shouldn't have felt her temperature, for one. I run as hot as a kettle, while she's just a . . . cup of warm water. It's just really weird.

But even though Bella's sick, it won't stop me from caring for her and staying here. I owed her that much.

Charlie trusted me, for the first time, to stay with Bella last night. He seemed confident that Bella wasn't going to wake up in the next 12 hours or so. I wound my arms around Bella a few times because she got chills every now and then. I knew, though, that she was heating up more than the usual.

I tried my hand in making breakfast for Bella, just in case she woke up soon. I whipped up some pancakes. But again, like every other day, I get myself burned by the stove.

"Idiot," I mumbled to myself. I blew the burn on my finger, as if it there was a fire and that it'd subside. I just gave up.

I was lucky enough to find a bottle of maple syrup and butter in their fridge. I placed the pancakes on the table, careful of the burn on my finger. Ouch, it really hurt.

I went back to Bella's room and saw that she was finally awake. My heart suddenly beat faster and I felt myself melt. I grinned at Bella. She was still lying down on the bed, her body lying sideward, facing me.

"Hi," She said weakly. Yep, still sick.

"Bella! I'm glad you're awake." I smiled at her and sat down on the floor. I took her hand and placed it in mine. She was still hot. "Bella, are you a werewolf?" I smiled.

Her cheeks suddenly turned red. The color was so beautiful. "No." She mumbled and sighed.

"You're running on a one-oh-four last night, Bella. I bet it's higher now." I told her intelligently. Carlisle told me that it was higher than most cases.

"Oh," was all she could say.

"Yeah. 'Oh.'" I echoed. "I made pancakes for you."

"That's great, Jake. I'm practically starving." She said lowly but enthusiastically. "C'mon, let's go." She added. She tried standing up. I just rolled my eyes at her and carried her.

"Are you, oh so, seriously forgetting my being a werewolf, Bella?" I told her humorously as I carried her.

"Yes. Kind of. I can walk, you know." I set her down on the floor, hoping that she would realize how imbalanced she was right now. She couldn't walk at all. Her legs got all wobbly but she just smiled weakly at me. "Mmm-hmm. You sure know how to walk, Bella."

"Ha-ha." She replied. Sarcasm present in her voice. I just laughed at her and carried her again.

When the pancakes came into her view, she looked at it as if it wasn't enough for her. It was lacking.

"What?" I asked her as she was munching down the last piece of pancake. "Pancake too much for you?"

"No . . ." She blushed and continued, "I think I'm still hungry."

"Oh so, you're not only as hot as a werewolf but you're also as hungry as a werewolf. That's really nice, Bella." I said as I stroked her hair. She took my hand and held it in her small hand.

"Jacob? What happened?" She said, referring to my burnt finger. She was a bit alarmed by the idea of me being hurt. That was so Bella.

"While I was cooking . . ." I told her. "I accidentally touched the hot stove. It's nothing really. Happens to me all the time." I explained but she didn't seem convinced.

"But you're hurt."

"No worries."

"Jacob . . ."

"No."

"I'll get a band-aid."

"You're so stubborn."

"No, I'm not. Let me through," She pushed past me but I didn't let her.

"You can't walk."

"I'm not disabled."

"But you're sick."

"Doesn't matter."

I chuckled. Sometimes when Bella is sick, her being stubborn is the best part of my day. "Isabella Marie Swan," I started. "You are sick and you cannot walk. I am only burnt . . . in the heart by your love."

"You're being cheesy."

"No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes." She laughed a hearty laugh. "Now stop arguing with me."

"Alright, alright." I gave up but I thoroughly enjoyed that part of the conversation. It was a first. "No more arguing."

Maybe food was all that Bella needed. After that plate of pancake, her temperature was cooler. She was still hungry so I browsed through their fridge, looking for what she might like.

"Bacon and eggs?" I asked her.

"Please." She agreed.

This time, I was careful. After I finished cooking the second part of Bella's breakfast, before I even had the time to set everything on a plate, she munched down the eggs.

"You're pretty hungry." I managed to laugh. She turned scarlet again. The normal pallor in her cheeks returned; maybe she was feeling better.

"Jake, don't you have patrol or something?" She asked. Doesn't she know me at all? I could take a few days off just to take care of her.

"Yeah, I do. I talked to the pack, they said they were okay with it. Turns out, Jared's object of imprint is out sick. He's on the leave too."

"That's two down then." I hadn't realized that she can walk until I saw her washing the dishes on the counter. "You could go patrolling today, Jake."

"Bella, I'm not stupid." I told her sarcastically as I took one of the dishes from her hand. She wasn't going to do some of the chores. "You're sick. Dr. Bloodsucker told you to stay at home and Charlie too. Don't you remember?" I added.

"I'm alright, Jake. Really, I'm alright. Maybe food was all I needed." She said as she took the plate from my hand. I took some foam in between my fingers and placed them on Bella's nose. I chuckled.

"No." I ordered.

"Please?" Her hand was snaking behind her as she faced me, her back towards the sink. The next thing I knew, I also had foam on my nose. I got cross-eyed just trying to look at it.

"Are you definitely sure that you're alright?" I asked her one more time. As much as I wanted to hover over Bella and take care of her all day, I also missed the boys. I wanted to go with them.

"Yes." I hated it when she used that spell on me. The spell she used when we walked at First Beach. It was some kind of magic that I couldn't refuse. I suppressed a sigh.

I sighed, and touched my temples. I imagined myself looking funny, a serious guy thinking things over while he had bubbles on his nose.

"How about this . . .?" I started. "I go patrolling all day but you come with me." I suggested.

She looked like I electrocuted her. Then suddenly she snapped out of it, "Jake, that's a great idea! But are you sure that it's alright with the guys?"

"S-s-sure . . ." I stuttered. Okay, I wasn't completely sure if the guys would be alright with it. But hey, they might bring theirs too sometime. It would be fun.

"All right. Do we have to leave now?"

"No, I'll give you an hour to . . . you know . . ." I didn't want to finish my sentence but it was a good thing that Bella got me quickly. She agreed with me, wiped the bubbles off my nose, and walked to her room.

One hour later, we were ready. I've given the medicine that Bella needed. She was all set. I told her to bring a raincoat because she was still sick. Good thing she wasn't stubborn.

"Jake, do you really need to do that?" She told me as I removed my shirt.

"Does my being half-naked bother you?"

"No," she answered quickly. "I'm still not used to it."

"Well, I don't want to run out of clothes, Bella. But if you promise to keep my supply of clothes stocked, well, I'd burst into a werewolf anytime without stripping half of my clothes." I humorously told her. She laughed at me and punched me on the chest.

I hid behind the bushes as I removed my shorts and hung them near my ankle. After I transformed, I motioned Bella to ride on my back. But—as the Bella she always is—she was too flabbergasted by the monster in front of her.

She blinked twice before she gathered herself to speak, "Jacob, I love you." She smiled. I raised a paw and placed it on her head.

For a moment there, her eyes widened as if in horror. "Jacob!" I wasn't paying much attention. When I looked at her, there were traces of soil on her shoulder. I snickered.

"Not funny, Jake." She mumbled, sarcasm obvious in her words.

I dusted the soil off her shoulders and hair using my snout. She twisted and turned, tickled by my fur.

"Jake, stop it." She kept on laughing. I snickered. I stopped and she looked at me thoroughly, she held my snout between her small hands and kissed the tip of my nose. Then she giggled.

I seriously didn't know what this was all about though deep inside me I knew. There burned the flame which was only kept alive by Bella.

I rolled my eyes and she giggled again. I folded my front legs and "bowed" so that Bella can ride on my back. It was time to travel before anyone saw us. I wouldn't want anyone suspicious towards the return of the 'bears'. I chuckled.

AN: Tell me what you think ;) Bella is as stubborn as ever! :p