Disclaimer: All characters and things associated with The Twilight Saga belong to Stephanie Meyers. This writing is for pure entertainment only.

Summary: Set during New Moon. After Edward leaves, Bella is miserable and Jacob is there for her until things go too far between them, leaving Bella in an unexpected condition. When Edward returns how will Bella explain her situation to him? B/E B/J pairings

Chapter 36

Edward, Jasper, Emmett, and Carlisle stood outside the cabin, guarding the front steps to the house, all four standing as still as statues. They were waiting for the wolves to show up.

"Are they near?" Carlisle glanced at Edward.

Edward continued to stare at the woods ahead. "I don't know. I don't know how many of them are coming. I can't hear any thoughts yet…"

"We only saw one in the car…" Emmett's eyes grazed over the woods in front of him. "Not even sure who it was."

"We will be ready for them." Jasper said, with certainty in his voice.

"If they become too many, you will have to get J.J. and Bella out of here, Edward." Carlisle said.

Edward nodded, taking a deep unneeded breath. It was the last thing he wanted to do, to abandon his family, but he knew if he had any chance of keeping Bella and J.J. safe there was a good chance that they would have to run for it. He just hoped it didn't come to that.

Bella sat with J.J. in her arms as Esme, Rosalie, and Alice crowded around the front window of the large living room, their eyes glued to the men outside of the house. Aside from J.J.'s steady heartbeat, and constantly breathing, there was not a sound in the room. It was as if four statues had been placed there.

"Are you sure there was only one wolf, Rose?" Bella breathed after a moment. She couldn't take the silence.

"That was all I saw, but once I saw him Emmett really hit the gas…" Rosalie turned to Bella, almost apologizing. "There could have been more."

"If there is more, what are they going to do?" Bella bounced J.J. in her arms as she pointed, with her chin, toward the men outside.

"They are going to…handle it." Alice said, knowing exactly what Jasper would do if he needed to. Jasper was trained for battle and he would protect his own.

"I don't like how that sounds…" Bella said, honestly. "Jacob…"

"Jacob doesn't have any control over what he does in wolf-form…." Alice cut in. "If his alpha orders something…"

Bella face dropped; she knew that was true, but she never actually thought any of the Cullen's would hurt Jacob. Clearly, she had been wrong.

Esme could see the worry on Bella's face and turned calmly to the newest vampire. "Bella, don't worry about it…I am sure the boys will do everything in their power to get Jacob back into his human form…"

Bella just nodded, lapsing back into silence as she looked down at J.J. He was a spitting image of Jacob and she couldn't imagine him never knowing his true father, or being proud of his Native American blood.

Jasper was the first one to see the wolf's shadow immerge from the woods. He quickly stood up straight, his thoughts flying so fast it was hard for even Edward to catch them. Clearly, Jasper was looking for more wolves and coming up with a plan.

As the wolf came into view, however, Edward quickly realized he needed to stop Emmett and Jasper before either of them did something stupid. Both of their thoughts were only of killing the wolf already.

Before Edward could say anything, however, Emmett and Jasper had locked eyes and seemingly read each other's thoughts, lunging at the wolf.

"Stop! Its Jacob." Edward said out loud.

Jasper and Emmett turned to Edward in confusion, though they stopped from attacking the red wolf

"You are certain, Edward?" Carlisle asked, though he knew himself it was Jacob. Jacob had very distinct coloring for a wolf.

"Yes." Edward nodded, moving swiftly toward Jacob's wolf form, and noticing he was already badly injured.

"Damn it." Emmett grumbled, stepping back from Jacob. He knew Jacob was not the enemy.

"He's injured." Carlisle was behind Edward now, standing over Jacob's wolf form. "I need to fix him…"

"Jacob, switch back to your human form…" Edward said, towering over the damaged wolf.

I don't know if I can. It hurts too much…Jacob's thoughts seemed to cry in Edward's head.

"You need to, Jacob." Edward told him. "Otherwise Carlisle can't help you."

Alright. Jacob concentrated, trying his best to slip back into his human form, despite the awful pain coming from his midsection.

A second later, a naked Jacob lay on the floor. It was apparent to Carlisle instantly that Jacob's two right ribs were already broken. Jasper and Emmett had done some real damage in such a short amount of time.

Bella knew it was Jacob the second the red wolf moved out of the forest. She did not hear her thoughts to recognize her best friend. She quickly handed J.J. off to Rosalie, not thinking twice, and moved toward the door.

"Bella what are you doing?" Alice beat Bella to it.

"That's Jake…" Bella pointed out the window, but the second she did, she saw Emmett and Jasper attack. "No!"

Everything else happened in a blur. The next thing Bella could see through the window was Jacob lying naked in a heap. She quickly turned to the bag Emmett had put on the floor when he and Rosalie had arrived back from watching J.J. and grabbed a pair of Emmett's jeans before pushing past Alice, who did not try to stop her this time.

Bella rushed out of the house, jeans in hand, and made it to Jacob just in time to see her best friend, and the father of her child, rolling on the floor in pain. She looked frantically to Edward.

"He's broken some ribs…" Edward understood what Bella was asking without her having to say the words.

"Jake?" Bella called softly to her injured friend.

Jacob grinned slightly up through the pain. "Bella…"

"Emmett…put these on him…" Bella chucked the jeans at Emmett who looked down at them as if he didn't know what to do. However, after a second, he did, with the help of Jasper, slide the jeans onto Jacob.

"We should get him inside…" Carlisle spoke. "I can examine him better that way."

"Jake? Can you move?" Bella asked.

"I…yeah…I think…" Jacob said, wincing a bit as Edward, Emmett, Jasper, and Carlisle carefully picked him up, moving him toward the house as Bella bounced along side of him, her eyes full of concern. That was when Jacob noticed it, Bella's eyes were not brown anymore; they were bright red. "Bella…your eyes…"

Bella looked surprised slightly. Jacob would notice such a thing when he was so hurt. "Oh…yeah…I…well Edward…"

"She's a vampire." Emmett smirked up at Jacob as he supported the wolf over his shoulder.

A flash of hurt moved across Jacob's face before turning to resolve. It was final; that was it. He had officially lost Bella now. She was one of them and now the only fight he had left was for his son; to keep J.J. safe.

Sam moved swiftly on the trail of Jacob, and as hard as anyone else from the pack tried to fight against him, they could not. He was the Alpha; he was their leader. As they hurried on Jacob's trail, Sam was growing furious.

Pick up the pace, Seth. Sam's thoughts ordered.

Though he wanted to slow them down, Seth's paws obeyed and increased in stride.

This is wrong. Embry thought. If Jacob trusts them we should too.

Jacob is blinded by what he feels for Bella. He can't make a rational decision. Sam thought.

It's his kid. Paul joined in for the first time to fight against Sam.

Paul, shut up. Jared sneered at his friend. He wasn't sure if Sam was completely correct, but he knew Sam always had the pack and the tribes best interest at heart, and if Sam believed Jacob's child was a threat, he was probably right.

Jacob is blinded by his love for his child. It is a shame this is how things must be, but that child is not safe. Sam said, almost sadly. He could understand the love for a child; and although he didn't see it, the thought of taking Jacob's child from him was a burden. Still, Sam had to look at the safety of the tribe; and Jacob's child threatened them.

As the pack continued to move, Jacob's scent grew stronger, and suddenly, Sam could see smoke in a distant clearing as the air smelled of vampires. He knew they were close to where the Cullen's were staying.

Carlisle quickly patched Jacob up in his office as Bella buzzed worriedly around her best friend and father of her child. She was relieved to see that Jacob seemed to already be healing, she had been worried Emmett and Jasper had really hurt him.

"That should do it." Carlisle finally said. "Though I don't suggest you phase anytime soon, Jacob. It may damage what I fixed already…"

Jacob nodded, groaning a bit as he sat up. His ribs still hurt, though he knew they were not broken any longer. "Not a problem…"

"Jake? What happened?" Bella moved forward now, gently touching his arm.

Bella's could fingers caused Jacob to flinch. He did not like the thought of Bella being dead, her scent now bothered him in ways he had never thought possible. Still, even with red eyes, he could see his best friend.

"How's J.J.?" Jacob asked, changing the subject.

"He's fine…" Edward slowly entered the room, cradling a gurgling J.J. in his arms.

Jacob felt his heartbreak at how comfortable Edward was holding J.J. After all, it wasn't Edward's son, but aside from the complete color in skin pigment, both Edward and J.J. looked comfortable with each other.

Bella smiled, gently taking J.J. out of Edward's arms.

Edward glanced at Jacob, reading Jacob's thoughts of sadness, and knew he needed to give Jacob some time with his son. Edward gently kissed Bella, whispering in her ear. "I'll be right outside…"

Bella nodded, smiling gratefully at Edward for trusting Jacob with her, though she could easily see why he would now. Edward was no longer competing with Jacob. Bella was now Edward's forever. She watched as Edward left and then turned back to Jacob, whose eyes were focused on J.J.

"Do you want to hold him?" Bella asked. She knew Jacob had only seen her son once, a few weeks ago.

Jacob nodded, gently taking J.J. in his arms. He couldn't believe how much the child had changed in just a few short weeks. J.J. seemed more alert then ever, his big brown eyes burning into Jacob, and his dark hair had filled in ever more. There were hardly any traces of Bella in his features at all, except for the heart-shaped face. J.J. did have that.

"He got big, didn't he?" Bella asked, sitting down next to Jacob.

Jacob nodded, amazed. "He's beautiful."

Bella nodded, proud of her son. "He is."

There was silence for a moment as Jacob was mesmerized with J.J. and Bella was mesmerized with Jacob holding J.J.

After a long moment, Jacob spoke. "I did the right thing…leaving you two with Edward…"

Bella nodded. She knew it had been the most unselfish thing Jacob had ever done; he had given up his own son to his enemy just to keep him safe.

Jacob sighed, his eyes still on J.J. "The pack's coming…I managed to break away but…I am on my own."

"How did you do that?" Bella asked, curious. "I thought Sam had power over you…"

"He did." Jacob said, sighing a bit but deciding not to tell Bella he himself had become an alpha. It didn't matter anyway. "I managed…but they are close…they want to end all of this."

Bella just nodded, not really knowing what else to say she allowed a comfortable silence to fill between her best friend, her son, and herself. She knew, Edward and the rest of the Cullen's were in a near room and had heard all Jacob had said.

Edward glanced at Carlisle, Esme, Rosalie, Emmett, Alice, and Jasper. Bella had been right; they had heard every word Jacob had said about the wolves, and Edward had also read Jacob's thoughts, knowing Jacob had become his own Alpha. He, however, would not spill Jacob's secret.

"So what do we do?" Emmett asked. "I mean, you heard Jacob…the wolves are close…"

"We could run again." Esme suggested.

Edward shook his head. "We can't run forever…"

"But maybe a little longer…until Jacob is strong and J.J. is older…" Rosalie suggested.

The suggestion shocked Edward. Never, in a million years, would he have suspected her to include Jacob in any of their plans. He assumed it was because she had grown so close to J.J.; she now felt close to Jacob.

"Running wouldn't work anyway…" Alice said softly; she had drifted over to the window now.

All eyes were on Alice, in confusion, as she turned back to the group, her face even more pale then usual.

"What is it, Alice?" Jasper asked, concern in his voice.

Alice simply moved aside, so that the other six vampires could see the shadows of half a dozen large wolves making their way through the woods toward the cabin. All of the Cullen's knew instantly; they had run out of time to run, they would have to fight now.