Racoon! no I promise not to bring too much darkness into eclipse (try) and I can respond to you here. Everyone else, thankyou so much for reviewing, each review spurs me forward in my writing.

Guess what! I'm up to writing the part where Alice has come back (yeah, I'm about *checks word* 19 chapters or 80 pages ahead of what I've posted... think of that what you will)

Anyway, thanks again for all the reviews, I love you guys. I'm hoping this story gets more reviews than Haunting a Vampire (my favourite and second story) because you never know, I might start liking this story more than that one *doubt it*

You should read Haunting a Vampire though, after you read and review this chapter of course ;)

Yeah, I know I'm a little mean, sorry

20. First Phase

I called Jake; I couldn't stand being alone for the rest of the weekend. His voice was both relieved and worried when he heard my voice.

"Where are you Bella?" he asked.

"I'm just outside town, at our usual place," I answered.

"Are you alright Bella? You sound... odd," his voice was worried again. I sighed; I thought I was under control again. He heard the sigh. "What is it? You sound... dead. I'd almost think you were bored but I've never seen you bored before." His laugh voiced no humour, but plenty of concern and awkwardness. At least he was trying to break the tension.

"Jake, I'm fine, I just... I really want you to come... please. I mean, if you can't that's okay it's just... I really ... need you... right now, okay? Please come," I pleaded. My calm was all gone, my sadness leaking into the perfectly emotionless voice. Maybe it was the lack of animation that had alerted him before.

"Okay Bella, I'll be right there." His willingness to help caused me to sob; I didn't deserve to have any of Jake's time wasted on me.

I knew he had heard and was about to say something. I cut him off with a croaked, "Bye."

I clenched my hand in my hair, letting the other holding the phone fall to my lap. Why couldn't I do what I'd been doing the past couple of months? What had changed?

I already knew the answer to both questions; I'd seen Edward.

His stupid gorgeousness, his idiotic quest to keep me safe, it was as pointless as those no touch soap dispensers (A/N seriously, you're about to wash your hands right after you touch it. What's the point?) .

If he wanted me safe, he wanted me happy, and then I'd be happy, and safe in my own way. Vampires, definitely too dangerous for me – werewolves; they're completely safe.

And Jake was very good-looking, maybe not in the same perfect way as Edward, but in his own way. He was really sweet, maybe too sweet than what was healthy for him. Edward was sweet too, but completely over the top. Jacob would run after someone who stole my handbag, Edward would stop that person before he thought of it and then would whisk me away to somewhere far away where it was 'safer'.

As much as I loved Edward, as much as I was almost completely owned by him, I still knew there was a little part of me free, a little part that grew each day away from my vampire and with my soon to be vampire. I could learn to love him, it would be simple. And it would spite Edward with every kiss.

My smirk was back on my face; my eyes were alive when I caught my reflection. My hair was a mess, there were tear streaks on my face, blood spattered on my clothes, bruises bloomed all over my limbs, and my hands were... gross.

It wasn't surprising when Jacob gawked when he found me. He quickly ran to the car, disregarding the bike he'd arrived on. The heavy vehicle fell to the ground at the same time as he barrelled to my door. I unlocked it and he flung it open, eyes wide at my state of disrepair.

"B-B-Bella, w-what..." I didn't let him finish, two seconds of the frantic stares was enough.

I jumped him, smashing his lips shut with my own. His arms fell limp to his sides, his protests stopped. I pulled away.

He was... completely shocked. I could describe it but... shock was just the best word. I could say flabbergasted... but not with a straight face. Hehe, flabbergasted... what, it's a funny word.

Well, Jake didn't really recover from his flabbergasted-ness. I looked him up and down, frowning at the dried blood I'd dirtied him with. He looked a lot less tired, kind of rejuvenated since I'd left. That fact made me feel guilty; maybe being with him wasn't a good idea.

His mouth was still open, but now was starting to move as if he was trying to form words. I giggled a little. "Well, that's one way to shut you up." He blushed at my words, and his mouth snapped shut. I smiled at his shyness. "Thanks for coming Jake."

It took him a while, but eventually he managed to stammer out. "It's o-okay, I-I wasn't w-with an-anyone anyway."

I smiled wider and ruffled his hair. He swatted away my hand absently, and then caught it before it fell to my side. He stared at our entwined hands in wonder, gently squeezing then turning it, as if examining them. I watched his eyes, his dark eyes glinting. He smiled at what they saw.

His black eyes found mine, and his cheeks coloured as he saw me watching him so intently. "What happened?" he asked.

I tilted my head, confused. "What do you mean?"

"Why are you letting me do this?" He squeezed my hand again. "What changed all of a sudden? Before, you were so aloof that I thought..."

"You thought I didn't know?" I giggled. He blushed again.

"Was it that obvious?"

"No, it wasn't 'that obvious'. 'That obvious' is when you paint it on your forehead."

"I wasn't far from doing that. But you didn't answer my question. What changed?"

I felt no desire to lie to him. Telling the truth for once would be a welcome change. "I saw Edward."

He flinched at the name, anger suddenly touching his eyes, turning his smile into a grimace. "I'm sorry," he said eventually.

I shook my head, smiling reassuringly. "Don't be sorry. It was actually... rather enlightening."

His eyes grew hard again. "Did he hurt you?" he growled, looking at my bloodied up body.

I laughed, and he cringed at the sound. It wasn't happy laughter, and even I heard the insanity seeping through it. "Yes, oh yes he did, but not in the way you think."

His eyes grew wider and he swallowed audibly, Adam's apple bobbing. "He didn't... um... force himself..."

I laughed again. "No, he didn't rape me, if that's what you're thinking. He didn't actually do any of this to me... intentionally. I just had to relieve a little anger."

"Bella, that's really bad. Maybe you should talk to somebody."

"But I am, I'm talking to you," I smiled, he cringed at the smile and it dropped from my face.

"Come on Bella, let's get you cleaned up." He pushed me to the passenger's seat, jumped behind the wheel and gunned the engine. I let him without protest. My eyes travelled his body as he drove, and knowing I was watching him he fidgeted and tried very hard to keep his eyes from straying to me.

I smiled at each peek, and he shook his head and turned back to the road. Eventually I gave up trying to please him, to show him nothing was wrong. I turned to the window, crossing my arms, wincing as my hands touched my flesh.

I took a good look at them now, scratches and gashes covered swollen, black-green-blue-purple hands that were covered in red-brown flaking dried blood. Yellow pus touched the rim of the deepest one, and I could see it gaping open wider at every flex of my hand. The pain wasn't soothing anymore, but at least it wasn't that annoying tiny sting you get from small cuts. I stopped moving them both, letting them hang useless off the edge of my seat.

They started to burn, any trace of the numbness that comes with the shock of first impact gone.

Jake drove quickly, pushing the Chevy almost as much as I usually did. He took me to his home, and I barely had the thought to wonder why he didn't take me back to Forks. We were barely parked before he was jumping out, running to my side to pull me out of the seat. He locked my hands together above my shoulders, trying to stop the blood that had started to flow. Yeah, it probably wasn't a good idea to have them hanging in the car.

He rushed me inside. Billy was already up, his hair ruffled and eyes squinty as he tried to make coffee. He was in his dressing gown when we barged inside, and he looked a little embarrassed for a few seconds before he took me in.

His dark eyes widened, mouth open.

"Yeah, I know," I said in reply to his shock. "I fell, but in my defence that part of the forest was really steep."

"You... you fell?" he asked, disbelieving.

"Yeah, I was hiking," I said strongly, hoping Jake would get it and not but in. "I wanted to get to the top of this ridge, I didn't realise it got so much steeper further up. I was pulling myself up with the trees and things. I put my weight on this big boulder; I thought it was big enough to support my weight. As soon as I did it moved and I let go of it so fast I fell and slid all the way down the hill. It was about to roll over me but I just moved in time. It only rolled over this hand." I showed him the palm with the deepest gash in it. He cringed and then quickly wheeled away, calling for Jake to clean my cuts while he gets the first aid kit.

Jake didn't say anything about my excuse, just did what his father told him. An intense look of frustration and concentration burned from his eyes. His mouth was set in a hard line. I could tell he was trying to be gentle as he cleaned my wounds, but his emotions made him jerky and he pressed too hard against the open wounds. I bit my lip to keep from whining and gasping with each painful stroke.

When he was done the cuts didn't look nearly as bad. They were barely grazes; I'd get more if I really did go hiding. The gash in my palm wasn't nearly as deep as I thought. I was glad, because I wouldn't need stitches. My knees and elbows and arms were grazed as well, but there were so many and they were so minor all they needed was some antiseptic cream.

Billy bandaged my hands, much more gentle than his son had been. All the while Billy chastised me slash teased me, but it had the same affect. I wasn't to go climbing anything alone anymore, and to be more careful when I went hiking. I nodded with each round of advice/orders, actually touched that he cared enough to give them.

I gave him a thankful smile when he finished, and Jake dragged me to his room.

As soon as we were out of earshot of Billy – or as close to that as we could be in this small house – Jake rounded on me. His eyes burned dark. "Bella, tell me what happened? How did you really hurt yourself?"

"I don't think I want to tell you that."

"Of course, because you never want to tell me anything," his hands flew up in exasperation.

I turned away from his gaze, hating that I'd caused his anger. Jake was always so happy.

"Don't you turn away from me," he ordered. When I continued to look away his hand roughly turned my face to him. I felt tears on my cheeks.

"Jake, you don't want to know," I said, my voice cracking.

"No, and I probably don't want to know anything else about you, about what you do at night, hey? I'm worried about you Bella, can't you see that?"

"I can't tell you," I whispered.

He released my face, almost pushing me back in the process. "Bella, why are you pushing me away? I've tried to go along with everything, at first I was just happy you wanted to spend some time with me, but it's gotten bad Bella – you've gotten bad. I just... I don't know what to do. I..." and that's when he started shaking.

I felt a prickling in the air, almost tasting it in the air.

No, not yet. He can't be phasing yet. I thought we still had a few more months. Why is he changing so soon?

The fury in his eyes answered my question. I had to calm him before he changed in this tiny room, he'd smash a wall not to mention what would happen to everything inside here. I rushed over to him, pressing myself to his shaking form. He seemed unaware of the convulsions.

I knew what to do, or at least my body did. I somehow knew exactly where to press, to stroke, to touch to calm him down. My efforts stopped the shaking, and his eyes softened. His eyes were still hard, his jaw still clenched.

"Jake," I said softly, gently. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, but you don't want to know. Sometimes you keep things from people for their own good, and this is what I'm doing for you. Jake, I just want you to know how thankful I am that you've been here for me always, no matter what, and I really want to return the favour. You can tell me anything Jake, remember that." I said the last sentence with extra emphasis. "I have to go Jake, but remember what I said." I placed a quick peck on his cheek and walked quickly away, ignoring his protests.

I passed Billy before I left the house.

"Billy, I think you should get Jake out of the house. I have a feeling it might get a little... messy... in here." His eyes widened, and his brow furrowed. "Yes, I know Billy," I answered his unvoiced question. He gawked. I ran.

I ran out to my car.

I ran away from the house.

I ran away from my friend, my friend who was about to become a werewolf.

Okay, you know the drill, 15 reviews, instant chapter.

The story is about to get really dark, and I mean really dark, darker than anything so far already maybe. So, I'm offering you guys one chance. I say, you get me 20 reviews, and I'll post all of the dark part up, which is more than one chapter. How does that sound? Yes, I know you're probab;y saying mean, but I'm like that... sorry.

So 15 for an instant chapter, 20 for several instant chapters... your choice.