DISCLAIMER: I own nothing. I'm crawling out from under my rock for the first time in seventy three years. What'd I miss, guys?

Here's the next chapter. I've been at NCLEX boot camp all week so I decided I would work on this story, as a treat. (Which is my vague way of saying I'm officially a college grad! What the fuck?) Also NeedMoreZzz's posted the new chapter of On the Run so if you haven't checked that out yet; how many times do I have to say it? Ten? Nine? Eight? We only have so many chapters left here, folks.

Anyway, here's another chapter.

XXXII

I drove Bella back to Charlie's house, cloaked in silence the whole time. She curled up against the door and rested her forehead against the glass, chin propped up with her wrist. Her stare was fixed on the forest as it whizzed past, but I could tell she wasn't really seeing any of it. After a few failed attempts at getting her to talk, I gave up. I puffed up my cheeks and then let my breath out slowly through pursed lips.

She was the only one left who was still worried about facing the newborns. I wanted to explain to her how silly she was being – it would hardly even be fun now, with the Cullens' help – but somehow she had decided this was the end of the world, and I knew better than to try and change her mind about something once she'd settled on it.

I was already on thin ice after what I'd said in the car earlier, though I had my suspicions that Bella had completely forgotten about our fight. I wanted to avoid the subject, afraid I would get just as mad as before and say something I'd really regret.

The silence wasn't awkward, but the curious whispers in the back of my head wondered if she was upset because she'd seen her old leeches, the ones who had kept her as some sort of pet. Did it hurt to be near them again? To have to work with them to defeat the red-head?

When I pulled into the driveway and looked over at her, there were wet, hot tears melting down her face. My heart lurched forward with remorse, wishing I could make her step in my shoes – metaphorically, of course, because my last pair of sneakers had been mutilated beyond repair weeks ago – so she could feel how devotedly I loved her.

I put my hand under her chin and leaned her face up to look at me. "Could I please have just a few seconds of your undivided attention, Miss Swan?"

She sighed wearily. "You always do," she replied.

I kissed a tear as it rolled down her cheek. "I got you a graduation present."

She glared up at me through her eyelashes. "I thought you knew I didn't like presents."

"I know. But you'll like this one, I promise."

She rested her forehead on my shoulder, slumping against me. "Now isn't the time to celebrate anything. You should take it back to the store."

"Don't be a poor sport. Besides, I can't take it back. I made it myself. Took a really long time, too." I didn't mention I had made it years ago, before I'd known about packs of werewolves and vampire armies.

She didn't say anything, but her breathing got ragged.

"Oh, c'mon, Bells. You have nothing to worry about. We're going to get rid of Victoria, you'll see, this is going to be easy."

"And if you get hurt?" She asked, sitting bolt upright, fire lighting up her eyes. "If any of the wolves die because of me, Jake, I swear – "

"No one is going to get hurt," I promised. "Don't you trust me?"

Bella groaned. "Aw, Jake, you know that's not fair."

"Do I?"

"You should."

She leaned forward, peering up, trying to look into my eyes. I looked away, over her head, avoiding her gaze.

"Jake?"

I refused to look at her. It was her turn to deal with the silent treatment.

"Hey, you said you made me something, right?" She asked. "Was that just talk? Where's my present?" Her fake enthusiasm was unimpressive, but at least I'd gotten her interested.

I rolled my eyes and grimaced at her. She kept up the lame pretense, holding her hand open in front of her.

"I'm waiting," she added expectantly.

"Right," I grumbled sarcastically.

But I also reached into the back pocket of my jeans and pulled out a small bag of loose-woven, multi-colored fabric, tied shut with leather drawstrings. I set it in Bella's outstretched palm.

"Hey, that's pretty, Jake. Thanks!"

I sighed. "The present is inside, Bella."

"Oh."

She had some trouble with the strings. Her hands were shaking too much to get a good grip. I sighed again and took it from her, sliding the ties open with one easy tug of the right cord. She held her hand out for it, so I turned the bag upside down and shook out the silver chain. The metal links clinked quietly against each other as they fell into her palm.

"I didn't make the bracelet," I admitted. "Just the charm."

Bella held the little figurine between her fingers to look at it closer. Her eyes grew wide as she examined the details, and she gasped in awe.

"It's beautiful," she whispered. "You made this? How?"

I shrugged modestly. "It's something Billy taught me. He's better at it than I am."

"That's hard to believe," she murmured, turning the tiny wolf around and around in her fingers.

"Do you really like it?" I asked.

"Yes! It's unbelievable, Jake." Her voice was choked and more tears welled up in her eyes. "Here, help me put it on."

She held out her left wrist. I fastened the catch easily, fingers lingering on her skin. I smiled when her heartbeat stuttered and got faster when we touched.

"You'll wear it?" I asked.

"Of course I will," she responded resolutely.

I grinned, the same smile I reserved only for her, my human smile. She returned it for a moment, then her eyes got clouded.

"Why're you so upset?" I asked, cupping her cheek in my palm. "This is a good thing. You can relax."

She shook her head. "None of you should be putting yourselves in danger for me."

I groaned. "You're being ridiculous, Bells."

"Why aren't you more worried?" She asked, eyes narrowing. "Last night you were telling me you were going to die, and now you're not even a little concerned?"

I shrugged. "We've got numbers on our side now. Plus, we got rid of three last night." I reached over her and rummaged around in the cluttered glove compartment until I found the three new pouches of ashes. Her eyes widened, and she gasped.

"Are you hurt?" She asked, throwing her hands up to rest on my shoulders.

I laughed at her concern. "Of course not," I asserted, puffing out my chest a little. "I'm big and strong, remember?"

She laughed. "How could I forget," she said sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

I sighed. "This is gonna sound corny," I warned. "But I gotta say it. I won't let anyone hurt you, Bella. I promise. And I won't break any more promises, okay?" I tilted her chin up to look at me. "You know that, right? That you're the most important thing to me?"

"I know. Thanks, Jake"

"Anytime."

I started to open the door, but she stopped me.

"You're taking me with you tonight," she murmured.

"Bells, you shouldn't stay up all night."

"You think I could sleep?"

I frowned. "This whole thing is dangerous. I can't promise it won't turn into a brawl. Are you sure you want to be in the middle of that?"

She sighed. "Please, Jake, I can't just sit at home and wait. You know me better than that."

It was my turn to sigh. Neither of us wanted a repeat of what happened this afternoon, so instead of making the same mistake twice, I grinned half-heartedly. "I guess I'm not surprised," I replied, taking her hand in mine. "When should I pick you up?"

"Will you stay tonight?" She asked, pulling away. Suddenly, a smile lit up her face. "I'm making your favorite – grilled cheese."

I grinned, then pressed my lips to the tip of her nose. "Of course," I replied.

"I'll unlock the front door after Charlie falls asleep," she whispered quietly as we walked to the front porch. "Will you come?" She asked hesitantly, pausing with her hand on the doorknob to look at me beseechingly.

My grin spread from one ear to the other. "Sure," I agreed.

The clock on the oven said it was just after six – Charlie would be home soon. I wondered if I would have time to ask her a question that had been bugging me since meeting with the Cullens.

"Hey, Bells?" I asked.

She was busy slathering butter on two pieces of bread. "Yeah?" She asked, grabbing a package of cheese and peeling the plastic off of two slices.

"Are you upset because… because of Edward?" I asked quietly

Bella was silent for a long time, staring at her work blankly. I worried that she hadn't heard me, but then she finally spoke, all the words coming out in a rush.

"I'm sorry, Jacob. I know I've hurt you because of him, and I regret it every day. I love him. But I stopped needing him a long time ago. All he ever brought me, in the end, was pain. And then, it was like you brought back the sun. Do you remember the first time I came down with the bikes? When you smiled at me something clicked – I'd forgotten how much I really liked you. I love you more than I ever loved Edward, but I do still love him, in a way. It hurts to see him again – of course it does – but it would hurt much, much worse if I lost you." She stroked my cheek with her fingers.

I took the opportunity to smash our mouths together. The kitchen disappeared around us, leaving only the feel of her lips on mine, my hands running through her hair. In the background was the smell of grilled cheese starting to burn.

Just as the bread had gotten extra crispy – Charlie grumbled that it was "burnt," but Bella argued it was "salvageable" – the cruiser's tires pulled up, and the headlights flashed through the window over the sink. Bella rushed to take the sandwiches out of the pan and onto a plate. I laughed, getting up to set the table.

Charlie was in a foul mood, so he didn't say much during dinner, which was a good thing because if he had started asking questions Bella wouldn't have been able to lie. She was unusually quiet, too, stealing glances at me and then blushing into her plate. After dinner, Charlie pointedly asked if Billy still had his own house, and I reluctantly took the Rabbit back to La Push.

I was back at Bella's backyard soon enough, drawn in by the smell of another vampire.

Her house is really becoming some sort of vampire hub, huh? Embry bemoaned.

It was Edward, leaning against the trunk of the spruce tree, staring forlornly up at Bella's window. I barely recognized him.

But he recognized me.

"Fascinating," Edward whispered, almost to himself. "The pack mind truly is extraordinary. I wonder, can they hear me, too?"

Tell him to butt the hell out, Leah growled in my head.

He laughed with no humor. "I suppose there's my answer."

Get out of here, leech, I growled, my hackles standing at attention. You have no business here.

"My family thought it would be prudent to have one of us keep watch on the house, since we have no need for sleep, unlike you." His voice was soft, but there was an undertone of dismissal that had me bristling.

Too bad for the treaty, I thought. One of the only bloodsuckers I'm not allowed to kill, and he's stalking Bella. Figures.

"I suppose that is what I'm doing," Edward sighed. "But I can't see any other option. I must make sure she is safe, just as much as you."

Who died and made that your job?

"I did," he answered gravely. "Or, at least, the part of me that was selfish enough to hold onto her."

My eyebrows shot up to my ears.

He shook his head, looking down at the ground. "I suppose her side of the story is quite different. But I didn't leave because I grew tired of her company – on the contrary, I craved it more and more every day, as a flower in the winter craves sunlight – "

This guy must be a thousand years old, Quil complained, with the air of someone yelling at a TV screen. Who talks like that?

The vampire smiled, showing his teeth. "I apologize. I'll get to the point," he assured us. "I did not leave because I got bored of Bella, it was to save her life."

I was too stunned for words. Some small part of me wondered if he was lying, but his burning, tortured black eyes were full of sincerity.

"I am a monster, after all," he reminded me. "You're right to hate us. We try, but even with decades of experience, we are not perfect." He grimaced at the ground. "My world is too dangerous for Bella."

Agreed. So stay out of it.

"I have been, haven't I?" He growled.

Why didn't you take care of the redhead, then?

"I tried," he moaned. "But I'm terrible at tracking. I followed a false lead to Rio – I wasn't even on the right continent! Don't worry – I won't let Victoria taint perfectly good air by breathing in and out any longer. I will finish this."

And then you'll leave?

He hesitated. "Yes, if she tells me to leave, I will go."

She will, I insisted, remembering her words in the kitchen that afternoon.

The bloodsucker flinched as if I'd hit him with a taser.

"Oh," he groaned.

What's wrong with that guy? Paul wondered.

No idea, I replied. Hmm… maybe…

A vision of Bella and I intertwined on my bed flashed in front of my eyes. I focused on remembering the hot blood pumping through me, the smell of her sweat and mine mixing together, the way her cheeks bloomed like deep burgundy roses –

Edward curled over, holding his arms around him the same way Bella used to, holding himself together.

You don't like that, do you?

"Not at all," he hissed through clenched teeth.

Another memory popped up from Sam; Bella, limp and half-dead, lying in the woods with vacant, glassy eyes. The vampire's face twisted in agony.

This is kinda fun, I thought.

"Whatever you show me, I know I deserve it," Edward breathed, his voice so low I wasn't sure I was meant to hear.

How does that work? I wondered. Can you hear me now?

"Yes," he responded sarcastically. "You don't have to yell."

And the psychic… How come she can't see us?

"We think it's because the wolves are so unpredictable. You're completely ruled by your anger; things could change at any instant." Edward explained. "So it's difficult for her to see the decisions Victoria is making, because she is thinking of your pack. She only saw her after Bella made a decision that didn't include you. Now that we are involved, she sees more, because she has become accustomed to our family over the years. She saw Victoria again, but this time she was with the newborns, coming up over the ridge. Then it went blank, so that must be where you come in."

What am I going to do with Bella? I wondered to myself. I could take her up to the mountain… with her luck, she'd probably slip off the edge.

Edward, the mind-reading vampire who I was trying to ignore, laughed.

I glared.

Quit reading my mind, I ordered.

"It's not something I can control," the vampire snickered. "And you have a funny mind. If you weren't destined to be with the woman I love, I might like you."

My face went blank with shock.

"Yes," Edward chuckled. "I picked up on it immediately. If I couldn't see it through your eyes, I wouldn't believe it. But it's obvious, isn't it? Fate. Destiny. I complicated things, it seems. I apologize."

I'm not going to forgive you.

"Nonetheless, I am sorry, and I intend to make it up by killing Victoria."

The redhead is mine, I growled.

"We'll see," the vampire smirked, leaning back into the tree and crossing his arms against his chest.

I was too annoyed to fight with him. Besides, the click of the lock on Charlie's front door reminded me that I was destined for bigger and better things, like being expected upstairs in Bella's room. I started preparing myself to shift back into a human.

"Will you answer a question of mine, first? Since I've answered all of yours."

No. Shut up.

"Humor me."

No.

He sighed. "Is she happy?"

Sounded pretty happy last night! Paul howled.

Edward flinched. "I suppose I should have seen that one coming."

Is she happy? I wondered.

I wanted to think she was. I had seen her when she was a zombie, and her eyes were dull and blank. Now when she smiled, her face was bright and soft, and her cheeks lit up with a splash of vivid color. And she loved me. That much I knew. Even if it wasn't always a romantic love, she'd been drawn to me from the start, just like I was drawn to her. She came to me with the bikes, after all. And she had to love me to put up with me turning into a giant wolf and tearing up all my sneakers.

But more importantly, I loved her enough that I didn't care if it were reciprocated; I would go on loving her whether or not the earth and sky were against it. Even if she were against it, I would still love her, because it was in my blood. And I would protect her to the last, particularly from dirty rotten bloodsuckers like him.

"That's all I care about," Edward murmured, staring back up at the window. "As long as she's safe and happy, I will endure any torture you have for me. I will walk the deserts of this Earth for the rest of my unnaturally long existence, completely alone, if she may live a long, happy life and be loved the way she deserves."

Cool it, man, I growled.

"I know, I've seen it – this imprint bond is possibly the most fascinating part about the whole pack," he replied, ignoring the murderous edge to my thoughts. "It's the only reason I can bear to leave her – because I know you will protect her with your life, and so will the other wolves. She needs it," his voice took on a warning tone. "The Volturi are not to be messed with. If they find her, they will kill her and the entire pack without blinking an eye. You will contact me if you hear anything from them," he ordered.

Suddenly, his arm was stretched toward me, palm out, holding a yellow post-it note with a number written in black sharpie.

How do you expect me to carry that?

"I'll stick it to you." The vampire smiled with half of his face. "Or in the pocket of your pants. Just a moment."

His figure twitched, moving so fast I could barely see him, finishing the task instantaneously.

That is incredibly annoying, you know.

"I know," he grinned again, his mouth bending in a crooked snarl. "But you should know that I will be keeping an eye on things here. You could slip up and lose her, you know."

Keep your distance, I warned.

Sam howled to get the packs' attention and I shifted back into human form. With one last glance at the vampire, I silently opened Charlie's front door and crept up the stairs into Bella's room.

She was curled up in a ball on the bed. It was too dark for her to see, but the door creaked when I opened it, and she bolted upright.

"Jake," she sighed, voice saturated with relief.

I grinned. "Hey, Bells."

"Come here," she whispered, reaching out to take my hand and pull me onto the bed.

We laid there in silence for a little while. She was curled up against my chest, nestled like a bird in a nest. My arms wound around her automatically, and I rested my cheek on her hair. I waited for her heart to slow down, but after five minutes it was still going like she was running a marathon.

I sighed, sitting up and pulling her with me. I cupped her face with my hands, forcing her to look at me.

"Please relax," I begged.

"Sure," she replied sarcastically.

"This is going to work, Bells. I can feel it."

Her teeth locked together stubbornly. I could tell she was about to go off by the way her eyes flashed up to mine, so I pulled her into my chest and interrupted before she woke up Charlie.

"Listen to me, Bella. This is going to be easy. The leeches aren't gonna know what hit 'em. This morning, when we got those three at the campsite – they didn't even know werewolves existed. We'll split them up, get them confused, there won't even be enough for the rest of us to do. The boys will probably sit out. That'll get Leah off Sam's back." I chuckled.

"Piece of cake," she mumbled tonelessly against my chest.

I stroked her hair with my palm. "You'll see. Try to get some sleep."

She looked up and stroked the bags beneath my eyes. "Do you ever take your own advice?"

I shook my head, a smile pulling on the edges of my lips. "Wolves are nocturnal, you know."

She rolled her eyes. "I'm pretty sure you need to sleep during the day to be considered nocturnal."

"Hey," I said defensively, "I didn't know you were a sleep expert."

"Maybe you should relax, too. You've been running yourself ragged this whole time trying to protect me – you sleep, I'll wake you up when it's time to leave."

It was my turn to roll my eyes. "I don't think so."

"Oh," she said, eyes alight with an idea. "Didn't you say Paul gave you some…" She trailed off, raising her eyebrows meaningfully.

I laughed, throwing my head back, then reached into my back pocket to pull out the dime bag I'd stashed there. My fingers brushed against the post-it note Edward had given me. I wondered if he would read it in my thoughts if I threw it out.

"You got a pipe?" I asked.

She nodded, then leaned back to dig around in her bedside table. She came back to the bed with a small purple one-hitter and a black lighter.

We opened the window and blew our smoke out into the night. I scanned the trees for Edward, but he was nowhere to be found, so I relaxed. Bella no longer coughed up her lungs with every drag, looking very expert as she pulled on the end of the pipe with her lips. I kissed her forehead sweetly, feeling fuzzy and light, like a balloon. I wrapped my arms around her waist to keep me tethered to the ground.

The rest of the night was spent on her bed, staring up at the ceiling as the moon filtered through the clouds and created dancing patterns on the wall. My arm was wrapped around her, elbow bent so I could run my fingers through her hair. She leaned on my chest, tangling up her legs with mine.

"What are you thinking about?" I wondered aloud. My body heat had burned off the high faster than a normal human, but Bella's pupils were still wide, her eyes glassy and red.

"I'm thinking about the people I love who are going to get hurt. Hurt because of me." She sighed. "I wish my bad luck would focus a little more carefully."

I snorted softly, trying to keep my voice down so we didn't interrupt the rhythmic snoring coming from Charlie's room.

"Is that what you call it? Bad luck? I thought it was recklessness."

I felt her smile against my shoulder. "You could call it that, too."

Bella didn't sleep. I tried to stay quiet and still, just in case, but the minutes passed quickly. It was soon time to leave, so I pulled her stiff body up into a sitting position.

"You ready?"

"How are we getting there?"

"I have an idea," I said ominously, leaning forward to press a kiss to her cheek.

Bella didn't argue when I insisted on carrying her down the stairs – I was a lot more silent than she was, and I could avoid the creaky third step without the risk of tumbling onto my face. When we were outside, I let her down, and began stripping off my sweats.

"Jake!" She hissed, looking away, her face burning red.

"What?" I asked, grinning. "It's nothing you haven't seen before, Bells."

She rolled her eyes and looked back at me as I attached the black sweatpants onto the wire wrapped around my ankle. I took a few steps into the forest for a buffer, and started to explain.

"Okay, so I'm going to shift, and then you can get on my back and ride."

"Really?" She gasped, eyes wide. "But I don't know how –"

"I won't let you fall," I interrupted, my hands already shaking. "You might want to look away."

She didn't listen, as usual, and so I ripped into a wolf with her wide eyes fixed on me.

I stopped two feet away from her, gauging her reaction. She stared up at me, eyes full of wonder and fascination. I crouched down on my front legs and dropped my head so our faces were level with each other.

"Jacob?" She asked breathlessly.

I chuckled, the noise rumbling deep in my chest.

She reached her trembling fingers out towards me.

I closed my eyes and leaned my head into her hand. I couldn't help the thrumming hum resonating in my throat when she ran her fingers through my fur curiously, learning the texture, stroking my neck where the russet color deepened.

Without thinking about it, my tongue licked her face from chin to hairline in a slobbery kiss.

"Ew! Gross, Jake!" She complained, jumping back and slapping me, her expression playful.

I dodged out of the way, laughter coming out in a coughing bark.

She wiped her face on the sleeve of her shirt, laughing along with me.