Hey guys, guess what? I've finally finished this book! No, before you ask this isn't the final chapter, there are plenty more to come.

And guess what again? I'm writing a book! Yay! Thanks for all your guys' help with names and stuff. I might ask a few more questions a couple of times, and I'd really love it if you guys helped me out.

Sorry about the not updating, I was away for a while, and I will be again soon. But I was actually a little sad that not many people reviewed last chapter. I thought it was a good one :( Thanks to all who did though, you just showed me you love me a bit more than the others. I do love all my reviewers and readers, but I want to know they love me too.

I 3 U all, here's the next chapter

38. Post Battle

I screamed as my shoulders had to be popped back into place. Sam and Jake had phased back into humans, the rest of the pack remained wolves around me. Jake held my still while Sam did the job, his eyes pained with each groaned, pant, and scream I voiced.

But I had to admit it felt much better as my shoulders were back in their natural alignment. Unfortunately, the rest of still felt pretty crap. Jake offered to carry me home, and I almost let him, but then when his hot skin pressed against my open, stinging wounds, I immediately squirmed, jumping out of his arms. "Sorry," I said, "but it might hurt less to walk."

There were a few moments of painful silence, in my case literally, before I had to break it. The question I asked happened to be at the forefront of my mind. "How did Victoria get away?" I asked my voice almost incredulous.

Sam's voice was gruff when he answered, a growling kind of sound. "We were faster than her, technically, but she was more agile. She climbed through the trees, jumping from branch to branch. We chased her, snapping at under her. Paul even tried to dislodge her from some of the trees. It didn't work. She was slower up there, but we couldn't stop her progress. She found her way to the ocean, and dived from the trees. Jarred took a bite out of her on the way down, but it didn't stop her. We didn't follow her into the water, where we would be at a disadvantage, be targets for her to take down one by one."

"I understand," I said. It didn't make me feel better though. Victoria was still out there; this had all been for nothing. If only I'd held her still for longer instead of running, if only.

I had to stop feeling sorry for myself; there was nothing productive about moping about what could have happened. I couldn't change the past, only the future. I planned to do that; I would change the future for the better. Victoria wouldn't live for much longer.

Jake was still vigilant by my side, and I found myself wondering if he was planning to, or was it only Sam, who walked ahead of us all. The whole pack was quiet in fact; the usual banter between Jarred, Jake, and Embry was gone. The silence was tense, but no one wanted to break it. Everyone wanted their ears trained on other sounds, the sound of Victoria's possible return.

I didn't feel safe until we were back at Emily's, and even then I could see the tension still in the boy's muscles. Emily ran out of the house, sprinting and jumping into Sam's arms. Their lips connected in a passion I couldn't bear witness. I heard it though, the relieved whispers, Emily's sobs. It made me ache for that kind of love.

I looked at Jake, who was staring into the forest. My eyes raked over his body, my mind now comprehending that he could be injured too, while I had been trying to attract Victoria. I saw no sign of injury, and relief flooded through me. I still stared though, waiting, waiting for that deep consuming love that was appearing behind me.

It didn't come, but my love did surface, it was just much smaller, subtler than the pair behind me. I walked over to Jake, putting my hand on his shoulder lightly. He turned to me, eyes pained as they took me in. I wrapped my arms around his waist, ignoring the pain of my body. Jake carefully wrapped his arms around me too, trying to be gentle with my torn skin.

"I feel left out," Jarred said, fake sadness in his voice.

"Don't worry man," Paul said and hugged the smaller teenager in his arms, mimicking mine and Jake's posture. "We can be a couple if you want," he copied the voice of those men in romantic movies, voice fake and deeper than usual. I laughed.

"How about a threesome," Embry jumped in, wrapping his arms around both teenagers. I laughed harder, my sore muscles vainly protesting against the motions.

"Guys, go do that somewhere private, it's disturbing us straight people," Jake called, his laughter shaking me with him.

"Just cause you jealous of this," Paul swung his leg over Jarred's waist, Embry doing the same on his other side. Jarred looked slightly uncomfortable in the middle.

"Okay guys, this is a threesome, not a rape." They laughed, and we joined in. Maybe today wasn't so bad, we may have lost each other, but none of us were hurt, or worse killed.

I decided I didn't want to go back to Forks, partly because of my state or disrepair, partly because our excuse had been camping. We kind of were camping too, just not in the woods. Me and Jake were in his shed, me watching as he did something mechanical.

Jake had been relatively happy since we got back. Billy hadn't commented on my state, simply grabbing the first aid and attending to my wounds. I had cooked up some dinner, and we ate, watching a comedy together and laughing. Then I'd sneaked into the kitchen, grabbed the stash of snack food, and hid it under the baggy hood-y Jake had leant me to wear. I went into the lounge and Jake announced he wanted to go into the shed, and I followed. Jake told his father not to wait up. Billy rolled his eyes and wheeled away, clearly knowing we intended to spend the night in the shed. "You know where the sleeping bags are," he had yelled over his shoulder.

So we grabbed them and went down to the shed, our torches crossing in the dark. Jake probably didn't need it very much, with his super smell and hearing and stuff, but my sight wasn't superhumanly great and I needed the light. Jake shone his torch at the cloudy sky above, the beam showing in the foggy air. I grinned at him, not daring to copy him for fear of those evil roots that threatened to jump out of the ground and trip me. Yes, roots are evil like that.

In the shed we had ate our stash, the strewn wrappers were now all over the floor. I'd gotten through a packet of M&M's, half a pack of warheads, and a third of a packet of double choc cookies. Jake had finished the rest, which included a packet of skittles, and chips. I was amazed after how much he'd eaten already at dinner. Okay, so I wasn't amazed, but it was still weird how much food he could go through.

When the stash was gone he moved to his tools, doing something with something about something. I really didn't care too much for mechanics, the profession, not the person. I always though mechanics were hot, but I might be biased, as I'd only really met one, who was right in front of me.

Seeing his back muscles bulging and flexing up to his broad shoulders, well, I kind of couldn't help it when I kneeled beside him, running my hand up and down his back. "Bella," he said gruffly, "you're kind of hindering my work."

"It can wait." I ran my hand down his arm, pushing a tool out of his fingers.

He nodded, "I guess it can wait," he agreed. I smiled, pulling him up, away from the pointy tools, to the smoother ground where we'd laid out the sleeping bags. I pulled him down, folding my legs under me. He obliged a slightly nervous expression on his face, when I proceeded to do nothing his expression grew suspicious. "You didn't just want me to stop did you?" he asked.

I smiled at him, running a hand up his arm. "I could do more, but you need sleep, it was a big day today."

"For you," he pointed out. "I still have lots of energy," he grinned, eyes sparking. He seemed a little too eager to me, my eyes narrowed.

"Jake, at this rate you won't even be getting a good's night kiss," I threatened. He pouted, looking so cute that I had to move to him, shuffling over on my knees. "Okay, maybe one kiss, but then sleep."

He held his hand up, "I promise. Scout's honour," he smirked.

I giggled. "You've never been a scout." I edged closer to him.

"Yeah, the uniforms were just too gay." His eyes were on my lips, he leaned closer to me.

"I'm pretty glad you're straight," I whispered, my mouth just ghosting over his.

I didn't expect what happened next. Most days I started our kisses, most days Jake was really gentle, but not today. Today he grabbed me pulling me to him. His lips crashed onto mine, fervent and fast. I responded a little slower than usual, my surprise freezing me for a few moments. Soon I was just as involved as Jake, straddling his waist, and roughly pulling his hair.

Wherever Jake's hands travelled burned half because of his high temperature, half because of the cuts over my body... or maybe I was falling for Jake harder than I thought. Kissing him, I could forget everything, I could forget Edward, forget my dirty jobs, forget that Victoria could be outside about to run in and kill me. I forgot everything but the physical, enjoying the kiss probably more than was healthy.

Somehow we had ended up on the ground, under a couple of sleeping bags and food wrappers. I probably would have kept going, kept kissing Jake, but something made me snap. Jake's hand was at the back of my shirt, across my back. There was nothing wrong with that, I liked his warm hands there. What broke me from the kiss was when my bra strap came undone under his fingers.

I pulled back, my hair falling into his face. I glared at Jake, and he blushed under the scrutiny, giving me a sheepish smile. "Do you know where you hand is mister?" I asked, in what would have been a teasing, motherly sentence, of not for my tone. Jake didn't answer. I jumped off of him, redoing my bra strap behind my back. "You aren't getting lucky tonight Jake."

He looked away guiltily, and I walked away from him, turning the lights off. I felt my way back to my sleeping bag, and crawled in. I felt Jake's eyes on me, and I tried to go to sleep. I was sure I had a frown on my face from my concentration. I couldn't sleep with him watching me, with the tension so thick between us. I opened an eye, seeing his outline. His head was propped up with one elbow, and he was watching me, I had no doubt he could see me clearly in this light.

"I'm sorry Jake, I overreacted." I rolled my sleeping bag closer to his, quiet an achievement if I do so myself.

"No, it was my fault, I'm sorry."

I reached a hand out, placing my palm onto his cheek. "I just don't think we're... I'm ready for that Jake."

"You mean... you didn't... with the leach?" he asked awkwardly.

I smiled sadly, "No, not with anyone."

He seemed satisfied somehow, like if he couldn't get me, it was okay as long as no one else had either. He didn't comment further, and after a few minutes I realized he'd gone to sleep. I rolled over myself, settling down to try and reach that restful bliss of when I had no dreams.

Of course, I didn't reach it... I never did.

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