BELLA'S POV, NIGHT BEFORE

He left me.

They left me.

My own husband asked my daughter to stay away from me. I slunk down on the couch and let tears fall soundlessly from my eyes. I was numb. Why couldn't Sarah stay with me? I need her. I need Jacob.

Is it happening all over again? Am I getting left in the woods? A familiar ache tore at my side. I clutched around myself. I've been left.

I knew Jacob would be upset with Sarah being there, that's why I snuck her out, but he was worse than angry. He ran away. He didn't have to be that angry. The Cullen's knew for sure that everything would work out. Nobody bets against Alice.

I just wanted to help. I wanted to be the one that helped and not be the one being helped. Couldn't Jacob see that? Sarah has the gift. I knew she would be fine. I trust the Cullen's with my life, so why shouldn't I trust Sarah's with them as well?

Everything turned out fine. Why did Jacob have to be so angry? Why did he have to lea….leave me? The ache became steady. I placed my head on the arm rest and stared out into space.

Please come back.

***

I didn't know how much time passed as I stared when I jumped from a loud knock. "Bella! Open up!"

"Leah?" I whispered.

"Yeah it's me," came a growl from behind the door. "I'm coming in." At that the door opened wide and Leah stood there scowling. "Get up."

I lifted myself into a seated position. I knew Leah's moods and this was one of them you don't mess with.

"Why the h*** are you here moping around?"

I looked at the ground under her feet. "Jacob left me."

"He didn't leave you. He's taking the long way home to give you some time to think. Now…what are you going to do about it?"

I shook my head, "nothing."

"LIKE H*** YOU'RE NOT!" She slammed the door behind her then came and stood over me. "You are the one in the wrong here. Jacob feels like second best to you, do you get that?!" I looked up at her confused and hurt. "The moment those bloodsuckers come back, you drop your family like a bag of trash. You delivered your daughter straight into the hands of the bloodsuckers after he said no! You didn't talk to him about it, you didn't let him even have a say." She started hollering loud enough for the neighbors to hear, "You turned him back into a freaking werewolf after fifteen years!!! I don't even know how angry he had to be to have that be possible!"

"I, I didn't mean for that to happen." I stuttered.

"He was scared! D*** scared that you two were lost to him. I saw through his eyes. He couldn't even get out a straight thought. He was terrified." I cowered down ashamed. "And now here you are clutching at your side playing the one who was hurt. YOU hurt HIM! Bella, everything does not revolve around you! I've been your friend for too dang long now. You always play like everything is based on how you think it should go. You have a family. You have a husband. You have a daughter. Now start acting like it!" She bent down to my face. "Think of someone else for a change." I dared look at her and her face was as furious as the first day I met her. She was someone else entirely. She was not the friend I had for sixteen years, she was the Alpha. She was protecting her pack, and that now included Jacob.

Oh God, what have I done!?

My eyes went wide and I stood up in front of her. "Leah? What do I do? I messed up bad! I need Jacob! What if I lost him? Oh God! No! I need him!"

She stepped away from me. "First off, you go take a shower. You smell like a freaking leech. You then figure out what Jacob means to you and how to show him."

I nodded and breathed deeply. "You're right Leah." I pulled my hands up and buried my face into them. "I thought I was helping. I didn't think about how angry Jacob would be."

She snorted. "That's exactly why you are in this mess. Now start figuring out how to fix it."

I walked away and grabbed some clothes before finding my way to the bathroom. I undressed and stepped into the hot shower spray. I let my thoughts wander about how exactly to make this up to Jacob. What can I do that will show him that I love him more dearly now than the day of our wedding?

That's when I knew. I knew exactly what I could do, but could I do it in only a few days? I breathed in the hot steam. Yes, yes I could.

For the first time today I smiled.

* * *

SARAH'S POV

I woke up to the steady tone of the alarm clock and what I thought was Mach and Patwin fighting downstairs. I hit on the off switch and sat up in bed stretching. I grabbed my toiletry bag and opened my door and peeked out. Daven's door was left a crack open so I walked over and peered in. He was still sleeping. He was laying on his stomach diagonal across his bed, one arm falling off. His plaid sheets had fallen down to his waist exposing the ridges of his back. I smiled at his sweet sleeping frame then I headed to the bathroom and locked it behind me. I wasn't chancing Daven, or any others in his family to stumble in.

I stayed in the shower for as long as I dared with five other people in the house and then dried myself off. I got dressed and wrapped a towel around my hair. I walked back to my room and Daven still wasn't up yet. I closed the door behind me and started blotting my wet hair with the towel. I walked over to the mirror and picked up my brush combing through the damp tangles.

I put down my brush and looked at the time. I wonder when Daven usually wakes up? Well now is as good of time as any I thought then I snuck over to Daven's room. I looked in and grinned when I saw him still flung across his bed. I gently pushed his door open and tip toed around to the opposite side of him. I sat down careful not to jostle the bed and just stared at him.

He really was quite handsome. I looked at the muscles in his arms and how they carried over to his shoulders. The muscles in his back were clearly defined. I placed my finger at the top of his spine and followed the bumps downward. I held back a giggle as he mumbled something. I let my finger move around tracing the outline of each muscle. I then laid my hand flat and started rubbing circles along his back and shoulder blades. He let out a content moan. I smiled and pulled my hand back.

"Don't stop now Honey, I was just getting to enjoy it." I sighed and shook my head smiling. I scooted in next to his side and rolled the blanket down over his shorts. I placed my hands on his back and he shivered. "Sarah, your hands are like ice!"

"Not everyone can be as hot as you Daven." I saw his lips turn up to a smirk, but he didn't say anything. I started rubbing over his back and massaging against his muscles. He moaned contentedly. I smiled and continued working knots out of his shoulders and neck. I continued for a few minutes before I leaned down and kissed him right under his ear then pulled away.

He turned over to his back with the biggest smile plastered to his face. "You are just making my mornings better each day." I smiled and rolled my eyes.

"Come on now. Get up. We'll be late for school."

"Ugh!" He rolled back over and pulled the pillow over his head. "Five more minutes Mommy!" He mumbled.

"Oh get up!" I laughed and tried to pry the pillow away from his deadlock of a grip. That was going nowhere. I had to think of something I could do without werewolf strength. I grinned mischievously to myself. Oh man, that's cruel. I leaned down to him and let my cold wet hair trail across his back.

"HOLY COW!!!" He jumped off the bed into a defensive standing position almost immediately. He stared wide eyed at me.

"Oh good you're up." I smirked and stood off the bed. I went and wrapped my arms around his waist and hugged into his chest.

He groaned, "That was mean Sarah. Very mean."

I pouted up at him, giving him puppy eyes. "Would breakfast make you feel better?"

He tried to hide a smile and looked to the wall. "Maybe."

I pulled away and grabbed his hand, "come on then."

Emily had breakfast waiting; waffles with strawberries and whip cream. Mach and Patwin were fighting over the whip cream making piles and piles on their waffles. Emily swiped at them with the back of a spoon. "Leave some of that for Daven and Sarah." They turned around to us and a chorus of "woooo's" started.

"Mom!" Daven grumped.

"Alright that's enough you two." She scolded. "Sarah your mother called while you were in the shower."

I pulled my eyebrows together. "Oh? Was she okay? Is everything okay?!" I asked starting to get upset that I had left her when she was so broken like that.

"Yes, yes, she was fine."

I was confused. "Why did she want to talk to me?"

"She didn't want you to worry about her. She was heading out today for a while. Why don't you call her back and I'll get your waffle ready."

"Okay." I said as she handed me the phone. I called our home number and Leah picked up. "Leah? Is my mom okay? What happened?!"

"Whoa, whoa! Hold it there princess. Your mom is fine. She is making us some food right now for our trip."

"Trip? What trip?! Where are you guys going?" Oh no! I should have never left her with Leah!

"Dang, hold your horses." You could almost hear her eyes roll. "We are just going to Port Angeles."

"Oh, okay? What are you guys doing?" I asked confused. Why are they so excited for Port Angeles?

"Sorry Princess. That's for us to know and you to find out."

"Do I even get to talk to my mom?"

She laughed, "let me get her."

There was a moment's pause before my mom picked up. "Hello."

"Mom what's going on?"

She laughed. "Nothing bad dear. Leah and I are going to go into Port Angeles today. I didn't want you to worry if you got out of school and I wasn't here."

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine Sweetie. I'm just going to try to make things up to your father. Listen I've got to go but I would like you and Daven to come to dinner with me. Six O'clock good?"

I turned to Daven and he nodded. Of course he heard the whole conversation. "Yeah. We'll be there."

"Love you Sarah. Bye."

"Love you too. Bye."

I turned around and sat at the table next to Daven who was already down to his last bites. His mouth was full of food so he could hardly speak, "so they are going on a road trip huh?"

"I guess so."

He swallowed and stabbed another piece. "What do you think Leah said to her?" Emily then sat a delicious looking waffle in front of me.

"I don't know."

We finished our breakfast and went back upstairs. I finished drying my hair while Daven was in the shower. I was putting some make up on and caught a glance of him walking past in the mirror. He was dripping wet in only a towel. My eyes went wide, "WOW!" I shouted involuntarily. I immediately blushed and stared straight forward into the mirror.

"I heard that Sarah." He laughed from the hall.

I blushed worse. "You could have taken clothes with you," I murmured under my breath.

"Yeah, but this was way more fun!"

I finished up my get ready routine and started gathering my books when Daven came to the door.

"Ready?"

"Yep." I grabbed my bag and walked over next to him.

He put his arms around my back and pulled me in face to face. "It's going to be hard not to have you around all the time. I'm beginning to really like it."

I rose up on my tip toes and gave him a sweet quick kiss. "Come on it's time to go."