(Disclaimer- no ownageee.)

:D okay. so watermelonflavored is the ONLY one who asked the most important question!
"but wat was alice and edward talking about before about jake if bella knew?" !! no one else
asked that question! i put that conversation in the last chapter to make you guys ask questions about it. its a big
part of the story line. :D good job watermelonflavored on asking the big question! and i understand
that most of you probably were wondering about that conversation, but probably just forgot by the end of
the chapter. a lot happened in that one. but the answer to that question can be found in this chapter.
so reeeead it! :D i have the next chapter done and i CANNOT wait to put it up here, so hurry and leave
me some reviews! :P this is back to bella/anna's pov, by the way.
and thanks for all the nice reviews!
oh! just one more thing: this is probably going to be very confusing. but thats okay. its supposed to be.

Mirror, Mirror

I was nervous. My hands were shaking and almost every inch of my skin was covered in a thin layer of perspiration. I watched distantly as my fingers repeatedly curled in on my palms, recoiling after only a second. Faintly, I could hear the whizzing of cars driving past, see the blurred streaks of color in my peripheral vision. I was having a hard time focusing, but I didn't care to even try to concentrate. I knew that I wasn't missing out on any conversation.

Alice had been extremely quiet during the entire drive—an extraordinary feat for the small vampire woman. She'd spoken only twice, when she'd questioned my judgment, uneasy with the idea of dropping me off at the treaty line. She looked at me now, her topaz eyes searching my face for some sign of doubt, some excuse for her to keep driving. I did feel a little indecisive, but I was careful to keep my poker face on this time.

"Are you sure you don't want me to drive you to the house, Bella?" She asked again, her slight hand rested on the lever beside her, itching to pull the car back into drive. Her eyes raked over me again worriedly, assessing my ability to travel on foot. I thought briefly about reminding her of my hitchhiking experience, all of the dangerous exploits I'd been involved with lately, to prove to her my capability. I could take care of myself.

I nodded instead. "And you didn't tell him, right…?" I raised an eyebrow, checking. I'd told her beforehand that I didn't want Jacob to know that I was coming, that I wanted to surprise him. Honestly, that wasn't the case. I was truly just a coward. I was terrified of the possibility that Jake wouldn't recognize me. Just because Edward had been able to identify me didn't mean that Jacob would be able to do the same. After all, he didn't have the same advantages as Edward—he couldn't base his confidence of my identity on the fact that he couldn't hear my thoughts or that my blood smelled better than everyone else's. He could only go by what he witnessed with his dark eyes and how sincere the words that fell out of my mouth seemed to be. There was always the possibility that he wouldn't believe me.

Of course, he could always just ask Edward if I he didn't trust what I was telling him.

I choked on the thought, stunned by how utterly tactless I was. It was horrible enough of me to have agreed so quickly to come here. I'd hardly even taken the time to think about it—to consider how terribly this would affect things…things like Edward. He'd tried to hide his pain from me, to shove it into the back of his mind so that I could be happy, free, to do what I wanted, but I saw past his apathy. I knew that he was hurting—because of me. Though his face had been smooth and his words unconcerned, his eyes had shown me what I was doing to him. They'd proved to me, like a mirror casting my true reflection, just how disgusting a person I really was. I'd received so much more in my life—the two of them, now—than I'd ever deserved, while he, the beautiful, praiseworthy creature that he was, was given only me.

He deserved so much better than that.

I stared at my hands as Alice confirmed Jake's oblivion, trying hard to hold myself together so that I wouldn't break down and cry. If I couldn't get a grip on myself, Alice would—without a doubt—turn the car around and take me back to Edward. Either that or she'd personally carry me into Jake's house and pass me over to him so that he could take care of me. She would not leave me alone to walk the streets if I had an emotional breakdown right now. I'd just have to save the waterworks until she drove away.

I swallowed hard, slipping off of the leather seat and stepping down into the muddied earth on the side of the road. I was glad that Edward hadn't come. He would have seen past my expression of ease—he'd never have let me leave the car by myself. But I needed that alone time right now. I needed to be able to sit by myself in the ditch on the side of the pavement and cry for my own selfish heartache.

I was a despicable person.

"Thanks, Alice." I said as indifferently as I could manage, pushing the door closed. The day was absurdly sunny, the shining rays reflecting off of the spotless deep blue vehicle blindingly. Alice grinned at me as I inspected the exterior of the car, and I knew what she was thinking. I completely believed that she would be asking Edward for this car for Christmas this year. I could see the admiration—the fixation—in her eyes when Tanya had grudgingly handed over the keys. Alice loved sports cars.

With one last, apprehensive glance at my face, Alice fired the engine and shot away from me, pulling a sharp u-turn and flicking her skinny hand out the window to wave. My own hand shook when I raised it to return the gesture, and I breathed deeply to soothe my nerves before she could notice. My eyes were stinging with the oncoming tears, and my knees felt weak. I sighed in relief when the speck of cobalt drifted quickly into the distance and out of sight.

Then I collapsed onto my knees in the soft dirt and sobbed.

--

There it was. The house was perfectly tiny and painted in red. The dirt of the driveway was so familiarly beautiful that I could have kissed it, the garage just beyond it, finishing the magical scene. I'd seen it only in my head, but yet my eyes were strangely accustomed to its charm. My breathing accelerated as I stared at the dream-like picture with tears in my eyes, fixated on the open door of the garage.

A man stepped out just then, a can of soda in his hands. He was tall, more than a foot taller than I was, ducking his head to get past the doorway. His shirt was gray and tight, smeared with grease. His jeans were ripped at the knees, faded in color, and his muscles protruded noticeably through his clothing. The jet-black hair on his head was cropped short, choppy and slightly spiked above his exquisite face. The russet color of his skin was incredible in the rays of sun that touched him. He was magnificent, flawless.

Jacob.

I gasped, choking a little bit on the sudden breath, and his head turned to look at me. My eyes were huge as I watched him, my heart skipping too many beats. His black eyes traced over the image of me, and, though he looked a little confused, a huge grin stretched over his mouth, exposing his white teeth. He marched forward, heading straight for me. My breath found no escape from my mouth. I was frozen in time.

As he came closer, I noticed subtle differences in his appearance. His skin was paler than I remembered it—still russet, but a lighter shade. Also, his eyes were not quite as dark as they'd always been in my dreams, and his face was slightly rounder. His lips, too, were not as full. My dreams had apparently not been as correct as I'd thought, but still, his features were not so dissimilar that I could object to who he was. There was no doubting that he was Jacob. He was still just as beautiful, strong, tall. He was mine.

I'd missed him so much.

"Jacob?" I whispered as he drew nearer. His smile widened and he tilted his head to the left a bit, his eyebrows furrowing. The muscles in his right arm twitched, and his long red-brown hand reached out for me. My body locked into place, and I turned into stone right there before him. His feverish skin brushed against mine, nudging me, waiting for a response.

"Yes, Miss?" He said, voice deep and wonderful. A tingling sensation rolled along my spine, and my heart picked itself up and restarted, faster than before. I blinked hard, my lids suddenly heavy with exhaustion. My head slumped a little bit, the greenery around me spinning wildly. He looked as though he was rocking, standing there in front of me with a stunned expression. "Miss." He repeated, grabbing at my arm. His hand was so hot. His face was so beautiful.

He was Jacob, and he was calling me Miss.

He was here, but he had no idea who I was.

My face crumpled and I sagged against him. His strong arms shot out around me, supporting my weight, and his brown eyes enlarged. His breathing grew anxious as he pulled me into his arms, cradling me like a small child. I was hyperventilating, terrifying him. He looked ready to run me to a mental hospital where I belonged. I needed to control myself.

So he didn't know me. He had no idea who I was, but he was here in front of me. I'd never have the nerve to encourage him to go to Edward if he didn't believe what I would tell him, but I did have to tell him. I had to let him know that I was Bella, that I was here because I loved him with every inch of my heart. He was the only one that I could tell about my dreams, the only one that I…no. He wasn't the only one that I wanted to be with, but he was the one that I planned on spending my life with. I had to tell him.

And I would—eventually.

"Sorry." I murmured, trying hard to reign in my crazy behavior. I didn't want to scare him away. For now, I would simply act normal, see how he reacted to me. I missed him too much to waste this time now crying because he couldn't recognize me. I had to spend this moment wisely, take the time to look at him and simply thank God for his existence. It was stupid of me to be wasting time like this. So stupid.

He shook his head, smiling kindly down at me. "'S okay. Don't worry about it. Are you alright, though, sweetheart?" His grin became flirty as he stared at my face. I blinked in amazement, blushing deeply.

"I'm fine, just really tired." I muttered slowly, eyes wide.

He nodded, his eyes sparkling, searching me suggestively. He seemed attracted to me, at least. It made me entirely joyous that he hadn't changed in that way. The fact that I still seemed to appeal to him delighted me. I smiled at him warmly, glancing away in subtle embarrassment. He raised one eyebrow, indicating his interest with a smirk. I cleared my throat quietly, nervous to be so close to him.

Jacob Black was finally holding me again.

"So, what're you doing later?" He winked, pulling me closer. Biting my lip, I considered my answers. Of course I would go anywhere that he wanted me to, but his forward advances were putting me on edge. I hadn't remembered him to be like this. I didn't know what to think of the change.

He raised his eyebrows, tilting his chin lower into his chest, waiting for an answer. I smiled again, sheepishly this time, and snuggled closer to him. He didn't seem to mind being so close to a stranger, and I fully intended on taking advantage of it. Apparently understanding what I was going for, his face inched closer to mine, lips extending. My heart thudded chaotically in my chest. Jacob. My Jacob.

"Jacob Black! Get your mouth away from her right now." A familiar voice shouted from not too far away. The words came out as a barking order, spoken the way that a parent may speak to a child.

I jumped as Jacob's head shot up, looking in the direction of the shout with a horrified expression. Then, as he caught sight of who it was, he scowled, obviously unhappy. He placed me back on my feet, crossing his arms in front of his chest, snorting. His warm hand found mine and he pulled me against him anyway, tilting my chin up so that I was looking at his face. The action caused butterflies to stir in my stomach, but it also confused me. He didn't appear to have done this because of me—because he didn't want to be away from me. He seemed to have done it just to aggravate the person shouting at him, his face covered with an antagonizing grin.

I was curious as to whom the memorable voice belonged to already, but this act of defiance made me even more interested in who the other person was. Still, though, I was reluctant to get away from the man with his arm around me. I stared at him instead, mesmerized.

"Seriously, kid. You have no idea how gross that is." The voice gagged, right behind me now. He sounded disgusted by the idea of Jacob holding me. I made a face, insulted, while Jacob just stared above my head, looking confused. "This is wrong on so many levels. Drop her."

Jacob's mouth popped open, his eyes abruptly bugging out of his head, his understanding triggered by the puzzling words. He peered down at me quickly before returning his horror-struck face in the direction of the person behind me. "Wait. No." He muttered, his voice flat, shaking his head—an act of denial. I blinked, completely perplexed. "No!" He gasped in disgust, dropping his hands from me.

I staggered back, landing myself directly into another set of arms. I inhaled deeply, dizzy again. What was going on here? What had I done that had made me suddenly so unattractive to him? Who was this strange man yelling for Jacob to get off of me? Who did he think he was?

I could come up with only one possible explanation: he was the devil, this man. He was here with the sole intention of taking away my one true love, the happiness I craved most out of this world. I'd finally found my Jacob, only to be taken away by the arms of a demon. I supposed that I deserved this, after all that I'd put Edward through. He was so kind to me, and I was such a selfish, undeserving…well, bitch, for the lack of a better word. But still, what right did this man have to take me away from Jacob?

I twisted in his arms, looking for his face. When I found it, my eyes locked on his, and the anger that'd been brewing in my glare completely vanished, replaced with awe. I lost the feeling in my body from my head to my toes, staring at the beautiful, unbelievable face. My breath whooshed out from between my lips like the powerful winds of a tornado. I was sure my eyes had to have grown the size of watermelons.

"Jacob?" I gasped.

It didn't make any sense. Jacob Black was standing behind me, two feet away, his face molded into a mask of pure revulsion, and yet, here he was, also, keeping me from falling face-first into the concrete. I felt dizzy, sick to my stomach, like I'd just stepped into an episode of The Twilight Zone. Maybe my stress was causing me to see doubles.

Maybe. But it was unlikely.

"Bella." The Jacob holding me murmured, his warm lips brushing against my hair. Moisture rolled down his cheeks as he held me tighter, his body shaking slightly with emotion. His skin was the same shade as I'd remembered it, not a lighter tint at all. His eyes were black, his hair long, tied into a ponytail at the nape of his beautiful neck. He was the Jacob I remembered.

And he remembered me.

Suddenly, I was crying again, clinging to him as though the universe depended on me to keep it alive with the simple embrace. His fingers swept down over my face, tracing the lines of my features, stroking my jaw line with trembling hands. His lower lip quivered, eyes expressing torment and ecstasy all wrapped into one. This was the man that I loved, the man that I'd come here to find. He was the one that I wanted for the rest of my life—He was Jacob Black.

But then who was the other boy? He'd said his name was Jacob, and this Jacob—the real Jacob—had even called him Jacob Black.

I shook my head, my mind spinning in perplexing little circles.

"If you're Jacob…" I started, touching my Jacob's face, "Then who is that?"

Jacob's eyes changed, the ecstasy draining from them, leaving only the pain. His mouth twisted into a frown, looking quickly at his duplicate before glancing down at me again. His eyes closed then, and he pressed his cheek to the top of my head. I breathed deeply, so happy to be with him. He was exactly how I'd remembered. I should have known that the other boy wasn't the one I'd been looking for the moment that he'd flirted with me. My Jacob Black would never have flirted so intensely with a stranger.

"Bells," He whispered against my hair, pausing to turn my face back to his. He looked so sad. My heart could barely take it. I clutched at him, wishing that I could say something to take away the ache as he spoke again, his voice so beautiful and tortured.

But the words that came from his mouth were horrifying, impossible—because I knew what they meant. They meant that Jacob wasn't mine. He wasn't mine at all. He had a new life now. An entirely new life.

Without me.

His words echoed in my head, picking at my brain like bloodthirsty pigeons. With the blood, they also consumed every ounce of my newly-proclaimed sanity. My heart fell empty in my chest, and a layer of darkness slipped down over my eyes. It was too much to handle. My body, so weak, couldn't take it. With the words still bouncing in my vacant chest, killing me, I silently slipped away from myself.

"Bells," Jacob said, "he's my son."