A/N: OK, so you love me for the back story [although some of you have been confused] but you hate me for the long wait for the update. Not going to give you big long explanations, I'm sure it's of no interest. This chapter was planned for slightly later in the story, but the plot bunnies demanded it right now. So hey, here goes, love it or hate it, if you review it, I'll still give you part five.

Disclaimer: SM probably barely recognises them now, but they still belong to her.


I honestly felt like I was in the middle of a whirlwind. I could see the others, Harry and Michael talking about work, Charlie and Leah going on about the house, well Leah seemed to be going on about the house and poor Charlie was just listening, too frightened to move away while she was this excited. I could feel Bella and Dad's eyes on me, they knew something wasn't right but I couldn't find the words to explain what was happening.

If I had ever taken drugs or gotten drunk I might have words to describe what this felt like. I don't know if I'm hallucinating, no I don't think that's right, because I know what's going on but something else is happening too. I can see stuff, hear stuff that isn't right here in this room. It's like someone's playing a projector but I'm the only one that's seeing it. I can see places and people, but it's a if it's from a really old movie, everything looks like it does in the history books. I see people, wolves, lives, deaths, a baby being born, sacrifices, oh crap this is starting to hurt.

I try to look past it all, where is my queen? A noise by the door guides me to her, she's smiling with a plate in her hand but now she's frowning, why is she sad? It hurts, my head hurts. Bella hold me, I need you, but she's too far, talking to Leah, can't you see I need you? But Leah is going, almost dragging Charlie, demanding to see the house right now. Stuff the house, this hurts.

I try to lift my arms to hold my head but the pain is making me freeze. Bella please! But Michael is holding her, no she's mine. I make a sound but it's more of a roar. MINE! He let's go but she still doesn't come to me. I try to see in her eyes but all I can feel is her fear. It's so painful to my heart that it overwhelms the rest of the pain. I feel like I'm sinking, growing, shrinking, soaring, falling. I feel my mind turn in on itself and then it all goes black.

Ouch...

Urgh...

I can feel myself slowly coming together. It feels like I've been asleep for a week. "Jake?" the voice of an angel. "Bella?" I croak, trying to get my eyes to open. "Oh baby, how are you feeling?" I can hear the fear in her voice and feel it inside of me. "What just happened?" my voice sounds so weak, it's crazy. I tried to push myself up and my head lurched painfully again. "Easy son, you've had a bit of a well..." the voice trailed off, and I didn't recognise it either. I struggled to get my eyes open and looked around. I felt really disorientated as I assumed I was still at Harry's house but as I finally focussed I realised I was at the Elder's Lodge. I was on a rug on the floor and there was a cushion under my head. I reached out quickly, thankfully there was a blanket spread over me. It was one thing to hang everything out to the breeze around the pack, but not so cool in front of the Elders.

I flinched at a movement but then realised it was only Bella settling by my side. She raised a glass of ice water to my lips and held it as I sucked it thirstily. I hadn't felt this out of it since I phased for the first time. Even during those dark terrible times when she was away from me I'd at least woken up strong. But I felt like I been hit by a truck, that had then reversed several times back over me. I gradually began to make out all the faces. Bella was by my side, stroking my hair gently. Michael, Jared, Quinn and Embry were all pacing around looking stressed and tense. Then behind them was just about every Elder I had ever met.

"Ok, show's over" I wise-cracked quietly. "Now is someone going to tell me what's going on?" Suddenly all the Elders were talking at once. Words like "shifting" and "spirit forms" were being thrown around. My stomach flipped over from the pain in my head and I gripped onto Bella's arm. I could feel her getting upset "Will you all be quiet, you are just confusing him" she cried out. I was stunned at how strong she sounded, how powerful. My Queen.

"Jake sweetheart, you had an..." she paused for a moment. What had I had? The last thing I remember was a whole world of pain inside me. "Well, Jake you kind of changed..." Bella sounded unsure of herself. I tried to straighten up again "You mean I phased in the house? Was anyone hurt?" I glanced around for dad and Harry but they seemed fine. "No sweetheart, no one was hurt but this wasn't exactly your normal sort of changing". I looked over at Bella trying to focus on her, but it felt like my actual eyeballs were hurting. "Huh?" was the most intelligent thing I could come up with.

"Jake the Elders have been explaining some stuff to me, and they'll want to give you all the details soon but I don't think now is the time" she paused and I sensed her frowning at people. "Long story short, Alpha before alpha before alpha chose wolf because it meant something to him so you do the wolf thing, but it's not all you can do, for some reason your 'other' options" she made little air quotes "suddenly became available to you". I was sitting straight up now, looking at her with a combination of amazement and confusion "my other options?" She reached out to stroke my face "Jake do you remember being anything else?"

I sat back, trying to remember the feelings "I roared didn't I?" she nodded gently "Did I fly?" she nodded again "You did some other stuff too, but again we can talk about that later". I could hear lots of grumbling. Clearly the Elders weren't used to taking orders. She stroked my face again I caught her hand and kissed it. She made me feel so calm, even though this was weirdness central. "Any ideas why?" There was general whispering but no one seemed willing to cross Bella so I looked at her only, right now there was no one else in my world. She was the thread that was holding me to sanity. "They have lots of theories but if you want my opinion..." she looked at me nervously so I nodded. " Well the pack became wolves because the Cullens moved in, Michael started his transformation when he was at the hospital where Carlisle worked, and you just spent quite a bit of time in Jasper's company last night and today, it might be that the extra vampire exposure triggered it."

There were shocked outcries. I had briefed the key Elders but it wasn't general knowledge yet that I was rubbing shoulders with a bloodsucker. Hell I'd even driven around in the car with him. I looked at Michael and the others, hadn't some of them seem Jasper last night, but I get that was just in passing. I'd sent them all away, and it had only been myself and Paul earlier on. Hold on, Paul? My head whipped to Bella "Where's Paul?" after a second her eyes widened and she looked to the others. Quil and Embry shrugged. Jared spoke quickly "Can you call him?".

I held on to Bella, I really didn't like the feeling this gave me, and right now I could hardly hold myself up. I reached into my mind "Paul?" I could sense him but his mind was a blur, there was such panic and confusion and...shame? "Paul where are you? Are you ok?" I called out. "Jake? What the hell is happening to me?" I was overwhelmed by his panic again "Paul, calm down, are you phased?" it was hard to be clear on what he was, my head felt so messed up. "Yes and no" he replied. I nodded and spoke out loud so the others could hear us "yes you're phased but no you're not a wolf?" I could feel his agreement "Can you phase back? we're at the Elder's lodge trying to figure this out". I felt the strange sense of shame again. "I'm stuck, I can't seem to phase back" he admitted. I suddenly got a clear read on him and burst out laughing.

"Paul, what the hell were you doing when you phased?" I couldn't stop laughing and I could feel how pissy it made him. "I was just in the lounge, my head started to hurt and I fell down, I couldn't get up and all I could see was one of my mom's china pieces". The tears were rolling down my face now. I told him to get here and cut the connection. I was laughing so hard I could barely feel the pain anymore. Bella was looking at me with a very concerned expression "It got him too, he's got himself stuck in a phase, I guess he's too stressed to phase back" I managed to get out in between howls of laughter. Everyone in the room was looking at me oddly, especially the pack.

"Bella, do you remember his mom's china?" she looked at me and her mouth crinkled up beautifully "the ones near the dolls?" I nodded, I was laughing so hard I couldn't speak anymore. She clapped her hand over her mouth "he didn't?" came the muffled squeak. Tears were leaking out of her eyes now and she was bright red with the effort she was trying to put in to not loosing herself in the laughter. I put my arms around her and we laughed together in spite of all of the confused faces.

Several minutes later, the laughter spread throughout the room. Jared had seen him first and dropped to his knees howling. Paul made him way into the room heading straight for Bella. She scooped him up in her arms and cooed at him "Awww aren't you so sweet" she said in a little baby voice. I leant back on my elbows taking him in. He stood maybe ten inches tall. He was perfect, right down to the little balls of curls round his ankles and the end of his tail, but it was the colour that had me shaking my head. Here he was fearsome member of the wolf pack, now a very sweet, very pink, minature toy poodle.

Quil and Embry were on the floor rolling with laughter. Even the Elders were chortling away amongst themselves. Paul ran straight at Quil trying to nip him in the ankles, but Jared was too quick for him and hoisted him straight in the air, playing a very inappropriate game of catch. Bella ran into the middle trying desperately to catch him "No don't you'll get him all dirty" she complained. I was more worried for Paul if she did actually try to catch him, I'm not sure a poodle would survive a missed catch. Eventually Quil placed him in Bella's arms and she fussed over him.

I had managed to get to my feet by this time. Dad wheeled over and passed me some shorts from under the cushion on his chair. I looked at him strangely but he just smiled "figured you might need some at some point". I slipped them on and stretched, cracking my joints a bit. I really didn't feel quite right, it was just like when I had phased for the first time, that feeling of being slightly out of control. "Probably best just to sleep on it all for tonight and try to figure it out tomorrow, at least it's Sunday so I won't be writing you another pass.

I rubbed my forehead, damn school again. I looked at Bella where she was still fussing with Paul. "Dad I don't think I'm going to be up for school until I get this under control". I saw Bella's eyes narrow. "Jake you can't cut more school, remember what you said about the whole role model thing?" I nodded but stood up straight now "Bella, you just told me I turned into a Lion, some kind of bird, and who knows what else you haven't mentioned yet, he's stuck as a lap dog and you really want me to risk being in a school right now. Please sweetheart, don't give me a hard time about this".

I felt the hurt snap my heart through the imprint. Crap, fix it, fix it now. "What about home schooling? Just for a bit?" Ok hurt softening, good. Bella frowned tough "I'm not qualified yet, the state won't allow it". There was a clearing of the throat from the back of the room "I could do it, if the school would grant me a leave of absence". I looked up to see the Elders turning in surprise. Dad's eyes were so wide they looked like they might pop out of his head. "If that would be acceptable Alpha Black, after all you have made progress with your extra-curricular learning" I looked surprised at Ms Stillwell and smiled "well my beloved, would that be acceptable?" Bella rushed over a wrapped her arms around me. "I think that would be very acceptable".

The Elders began to disperse, Harry drove Billy home. Bella and I walked slowly along. I just needed a moment of peace with her, well with her and the pink ball of fluff that was trailling at her ankles. "Bella, are you still on board with all of this?" I asked as we walked along "I mean you signed up for an imprint who was wolf, not a crazy could be anything sort of guy, if you need time to think about this I'll understand". Bella stopped and turned to face me, she reached up and pulled me down to her lips "You're my Alpha Jake, no matter what shape you come in". I let out the breath I hadn't realised I was holding and smiled as she kissed me "even if I come home like that one day?" I gestured to Paul who let out an irritated yipping sound. Bella giggled then snorted "well as long as you let me put a bow in your hair..." suddenly her gaze turned to Paul "actually now I think of it..." Paul took off towards the house as fast as his little legs would carry him and Bella ran along behind teasing him about the bow.

I watched as they played. It made me feel a little better hearing her peals of laughter, but deep down I felt truly terrified of what I was becoming.