A/N: I've had a hard time figuring out all the little details that pull the story together, but I think I've got it. I hope to have Seth's POV up by tomorrow night. As always, tell me what you think.

I began to like the way running made me feel now that I felt confident doing it. I finally felt like anyone watching wouldn't look at me and say 'Hey! Look at the fat girl trying to get into shape! Good for her!' I know I looked pretty good in my running clothes. More than that, I liked the feel of the sand between my toes. I don't think I'd like it as much if I actually wore shoes. I learned to like running in the rain because it kept me from getting too hot. I even loved my playlist. I constructed it using songs that kept my pace where I wanted it to be and for how long. Today I was on my short run playlist. It was more intense, but shorter in duration. Adjusting the length of my runs determined where I began the run, but I always turned around at the same place. It was comforting. I wanted to get back home and make Seth breakfast which I hadn't done all week.

I pondered on all the fun things we'd done this week and I concluded that this was the best spring break ever. My favorite part of the entire week was the evenings I spent alone with Seth just talking and kissing. My body didn't always agree with his self-imposed law of chastity, but my heart did. It made our nights sweeter and more intimate instead of just being about getting off. There were times when I felt like I just couldn't get enough of him, but one of us always pulled back and diverted the other's attention from the throbbing need the hormones induced.

I marveled how our friendship was ever present, but magnified. We still argued about the same things and he loved to push my buttons and get me worked up. Sue saw him doing it at her house the other day and pulled him into the kitchen by his ear and told him to knock it off before she told me to dump his butt. He found me alone in the kitchen about an hour later and showed me how sorry he was by assaulting my neck with his lips. He knew that was my favorite spot.

I also loved the way he let me do things even though it scared the crap out of him to watch. Cliff diving was a trip. I knew that with the wolves there that I was going to be okay. If I controlled my launch and body position while entering the water, Seth and the others would take care of the rest if something went wrong. So, while they were arguing about who was going to go first, I ran towards the edge, planted my foot the way I'd see them do 100 times before but was to chicken to join in, folded my arm across my chest, and waited for impact. There were three splashes behind me and we all surfaced laughing in adrenaline induced giddiness. From everything we'd done and all we accomplished I was just sure that my life could not get any better than it already was. Or I was on a running-induced endorphin high that just made me love everyone and everything as I thought back on it.

Nate Ruess was singing about keeping one foot in front of the other and I was I lost in his message so I didn't notice the dark figure that stepped out from behind my turn around rock. When I finally recognized Gerry's form and stopped, it was too late for me to get away. The gun in his hand would halt my retreat if he chose to use it. I could see his lips moving so I pulled my ear buds out of my ears. I didn't say a word.

"I thought you'd be here." Gerry repeated conversationally. He didn't bring attention to the gun in his hand so I didn't either. I was scared. I wondered how he knew that today was the only day Seth hadn't come with me. Maybe he didn't know. But I knew someone was doing patrol and someone was bound to see something, right? God, I hoped so.

"How are you here?" It was the only question I could come up with to ask him out loud. He was supposed to be in the hospital. He was four hours away from his friends and family in Portland who would help him. How did he get out of the hospital? How did he get up here to La Push? Where did he get a gun? How'd he know where my rock is? Well, the last question I guess I had given him the answer. I had described to him my running pattern and how much I loved that rock because it meant I could turn around. He had laughed with me about that and shared his soccer training horror stories with me.

"Let's just say that my dad is a complete idiot and leave it at that," Gerry answered with a smirk. He apparently had not made any progress in his therapy. He was here to finish the job he started and I hoped that job did not include killing me. I also wondered why I hadn't taken any martial arts classes. I was in shape now, I should learn karate. I mentally placed that on my to-do list. I wondered why I wasn't more scared. And then I heard the rumble. That's why. I knew the sound of the wolves rumbling and I could hear it in the trees. They were here watching and waiting for the right opportunity. All I had to do was keep him talking. I was safe…or I had to keep telling myself I was safe. Even if the rumbling was in my mind, I had to keep telling myself they were not too far away.

"Therapy is doing wonders for you I see," I blurted out before thinking. The look on his face was amused. That was good, because I almost regretted saying it, not knowing how he'd respond.

"You're friends really know how to write a contract. My dad's lawyers couldn't find a loophole," Gerry explained. "That doctor didn't believe I was sincere like my dear daddy did." His tone when he talked about his father was mocking.

"So he knows you're here?" I asked totally confused as to how he got out, got a ride, and got a gun. Surely his dad wouldn't give him a gun.

"I said he was stupid, not me," Gerry answered. He always had a way of responding to questions without answering therm. "So, how's life been treating you since the last time I saw you?" he asked conversationally. "It's been almost two months. I've missed you." He stuck out his bottom lip in a mock pout.

"Well, I've been busy," I could talk about light stuff. Maybe that could distract him. "School and exercising and stuff." And, I didn't want him to think that he had affected my life in a negative way.

"How come you haven't come to see me?" When I didn't answer he added, "Your boyfriend did."

"I…uh…" I didn't know what I should say. I was the one who suggested that Seth go first. Of course Seth didn't want me going at all and this was his condition of allowing me to go if ever. I wasn't going to tell Gerry that, though.

"I thought it was sweet. I didn't know we were so close." Gerry looked down at the gun in his hand and inspected the back of his other hand. "Of course he didn't believe my sincerity, either." A venomous tone underscored his last sentence that sent a chill up my spine. "He reminded me of some things that were unpleasant and he's the one that made the doctor doubt my earnestness. I have a message for him."

"Well," I started trying to get off the beach and go somewhere there would be witnesses. What if the pack wasn't in the trees and I had only imagined the rumbling? "He's at my house if you want me to take you there."

"No," he said in a low and threating voice, "you're going to be my message." He started to move towards me. My breath deserted me and my chest heaved on my inhale trying to call it back. I didn't think to scream, it wouldn't have done any good anyway. I chose this portion of the beach to run on because no one ever came here. I probably would have lost all my strength and fallen down if I didn't hear the din of growling behind me. Suddenly my legs had strength. The pack was there. I was safe.

Gerry didn't know that though. His eyes grew to the size of saucers. I watched his grip on the gun tighten, but I didn't turn around. I knew what the threat was and it wasn't a threat to me. I wasn't even that worried if he shot one of them because I knew how quickly they healed and he didn't have enough bullets to do any real damage to them. It was Gerry's turn to be scared now and I wanted him to know that I wasn't.

The volume of the pack's growling increased as they got closer to me. I felt a cold wet nose touch my hand and I looked over and saw Seth and rubbed behind his ear before he pulled his head up to its full height. Gerry's mouth dropped open in disbelief. His eyes slid from one mammoth wolf to another. I looked on either side of me and they flanked me like a defending army. I knew them all by sight. Jacob was to my right flanked by Quill. My arm was cradled under Seth's massive neck and Leah and Embry stood to his left. I felt protected, but not safe. I wouldn't feel safe until that gun was out of his hand.

"What the hell?" His voice was full of awe but laced with fear. All the wolves had their teeth bared and I leaned into Seth for strength. "Are you a wolf whisperer? Are they tame?"

I laughed. When I thought about the whole situation all I could do was laugh. The guy who raped me cornered me on a deserted beach with a gun and a pack of triple large wolves approaches us and he asks if they're tame? Gerry looked a little irritated at my laughter and it broke the momentary spell the wolves had over him.

"No," I answered when I regained my composure, "they're not tame." Seth licked my cheek seemingly belying my point. "They can be brutal killers when a member of their tribe is threatened." It was true. The pack was to protect the tribe from all threats, not just vampires. Gerry was a threat to me and I was a member of the tribe. That was immensely humbling and comforting at the same time.

"You're crazy!" Gerry laughed. "You're trying to tell me that these are members of your tribe? I think you've spent too much time writing your tribe's legends. You've started to believe in them." The wolves grumbled again and Embry snapped his teeth at Gerry.

"Great, now you've upset Embry," I said. I smiled over at him. He yelped in response. I wouldn't have called the situation funny, but it was comical. If Gerry came to OUR land and territory to send Seth a message by hurting me he wasn't as smart as he thought he was. I would even bet that the woods were crawling with vampires, too. A few seconds later I felt a shock of soothe affirming that thought. So Edward and Jasper were both there.

"You've named them?" he asked incredulously.

"Their parents did," I answered back. "That's customary when someone is born." I was glad Edward was in the trees because I really wanted to know what was going through Gerry's head.

"You're seriously telling me that these are people from your tribe?" he asked again shaking his head and assessing each wolf again. He hadn't forgotten about his gun. I think that was the only reason he hadn't crapped his pants.

I felt a tremor run through Seth's body and I moved my arm. He phased back to human form and I unconsciously moved to step in front of his nakedness. I don't know why that was important to me at that time, but it was. He moved an arm around my waist in a very possessive gesture.

"Yes, that's what she's telling you," Seth said. "You have a message for me? Tell me, don't send it through Raven."

Gerry smirked, "Well you dog, you." I watched his grip loosen and tighten on the gun again. "Have you sealed the deal yet? Have you mated and marked your territory?" I could tell he was trying to goad Seth into attacking him. "I bet you do it doggie style."

Growls and barks thundered through the air again and I seriously wondered where he got his courage and audacity. Did he think because he had a gun that five large wolves couldn't take him apart? It seemed as if he saw his plan for revenge unraveling so he was trying to get them to attack him. Did he think that he would live through such an encounter? He was either suicidal or he underestimated the pack and their willingness to eliminate a threat.

Seth's arm tightened around me and pulled me closer to him. "You really have no idea, do you?" Seth asked him. Then, in an act never done in front of anyone but Leah, Seth lowered his lips to the space right below my ear and lightly kissed it. I sighed at the tenderness during the very tense situation. His arm trembled, but he was in control. Seth was displaying our intimacy and how that was something he would never have with me. Anger registered through Gerry's smirk as Seth delivered his own message.

"What's your message Gerry? We have other things to do today and I'm sure you have a therapy session to attend," Seth jibed.

Gerry's smirk dissolved into a mask of anger. His hand twitched on the gun again. Quill let out a long and loud howl.

"Now you've done it," Seth said. "You might as well give me the damn gun."

"Why?" Gerry asked looking down at it.

"Well, let's forget the fact that there are five fucking huge wolves standing in front of you who'd love nothing better than to tear you limb from limb. But that howl just called the other pack of wolves and they'll be here in a few minutes-their pack is bigger," he added. "Then, you have to realize that the bullets in your clip will not cause any permanent damage to any of us before we rip your measly little head off." Seth's voice was nonchalant but there was a menacing tone in it as well.

"Then I'll have to put the bullets where they'll hurt the most then." Time did that thing described in books and shown in movies, where it slowed down and I could actually, like, see everything. I saw Gerry lift his gun and aim it at me. The gun sounded as I felt Seth spin me around and yank me to the ground and I heard the gun fire again. I felt a searing pain in my lower back and then Seth was lying on top of me in the sand. I turned my head and saw that Gerry, too, was lying on the beach, but blood seeped from a wound in his head. Time returned to normal then. My mind was trying to register it all. Why was there a hole in Gerry's head? How? Who had a gun?

"You wolves better get out of here. NOW!" I heard Charlie's voice say. "Someone please bring Seth some pants." Seth pulled himself off me and I kept staring at Gerry's lifeless body with the blood leaking from the hole in his head. His eyes were open, but heavy lidded and his expression was blank. He wanted to kill me. He was going to kill me.

"Raven?" Seth called, "Are you okay?" His expression was very serious and I watched the color drain out of his face.

I tried to sit up, but I couldn't move my legs. "Seth, I need help." I lifted myself up and rested on my elbows and forearms and Carlisle was there in a flash.

"Tell Bella to go to Charlie's house," Carlisle directed in a calm but urgent voice to Edward who had also miraculously appeared. That's when I noticed the big pool of blood that was forming around my body. "Raven," Carlisle called, "Are you in pain?"

"What's wrong with her?" Charlie asked his warm brown eyes full of concern.

"She's been shot," Carlisle said. "And it looks like it has hit her spine. I'm going take her to my house and see what I can do." Carlisle rubbed his worried forehead as he thought. "Someone tell me their blood type is AB positive!" His voice became deep and loud and it seemed to penetrate everyone on the beach. I had never heard Carlisle so disconcerted. I started to feel dizzy. I was scared again.

"Why can't I move my legs?" I asked and my voice sounded a little hysterical.

"Calm down, honey," Carlisle whispered to me. His breath smelled very nice. "We're going to fix you up.

"I have AB positive blood. We just did that lab in biology last week. I'm glad I paid attention," Seth said. He had shorts on, but they were a little too big.

"Charlie, I'm going to have to take Raven back to our house. I have everything there that I need to treat her except the blood. For that I'm going to need Seth." Carlisle said as he leaned me back against the sand. "Roll over, Sweetheart," he said quietly to me. I did what I could to help him, but that wasn't much. He helped me and I turned my head away from Gerry's body.

"Why don't we take her to the hospital?" Charlie asked. "I can have an ambulance here quickly."

"A number of reasons, Charlie," Carlisle explained. "Firstly, that would take too long. Secondly, the hospital ran out of AB positive blood this morning. I only took note because I just finished Raven's rape report last night and her blood type is the same and there is no substitute for her. There is shipment on the way, but we won't have time to wait. And finally, if Seth does donate the blood we need, we can't do that at the hospital. You are aware that he is a shape shifter and we need to do this in our home," Carlisle explained. Charlie's expression was awkward and uncomfortable.

"Need to know, Charlie," Jacob reminded him.

"Baaaah! Whatever! Does Sue know about this?" he asked quietly.

"Leah tells her way too much for it to be a secret," Jacob said through a smirk. "She's in the woods looking for her clothes."

"Leah too?" Charlie's voice jumped up an octave. "That explains why Sue's never concerned when they're out all night."

While Jacob and Charlie were bantering, Carlisle had examined where the bullet hit me in the back and rolled me back over. Seth reached down and picked me up. "Oh, baby!" he breathed into my ear. "I'm so sorry!" he peppered my face with light kisses. "I'm so sorry! He just wanted to hurt me."

"Seth, give her to me and follow me home. We have more shorts at the house if you rip those," Carlisle said. He saw Seth hesitate. "I run faster than you unless you phase and you can't carry her if you phase." Seth acquiesced and gently handed me to Carlisle. He kissed me on the top of my head.

"Run?" Charlie asked.

"Need to know, Charlie," Jacob reminded. "Can you take care of this here? I can stay and answer questions if you need me to." Charlie nodded and before I knew it, I was being whisked off to the Cullen's house but I wasn't conscious by the time we arrived there.

A/N2: Been through this a second time, too. Hope y'all are still enjoying it!