Disclaimer: Oh, my...ya know what word gets old after a while. The word "disclaimer". It's like pickle. The more you say it, the stranger it sounds. For a real disclaimer (yuck), see all ones from previous chapters that weren't nonsensical.

WOWWWWW. Thanks for all the reviews. Lily T is one happy camper, and as such will leave you song comments.

Albnal33: " Theeeee sunn'll come out...tomorow. Betcha bottom dollar that tomorow... (inserts rest of Annie song here).

Nobodyparticular: Yes, poor Edward, and thanks for your reviewship dedication. By the way, I live like 45 minutes away from your town. Yes I am a proud Tennessean. Go Vols!...It's a small world after all (insert Alice in Wonderland song here)

Euphoria falls: I love YOU! (Whitney Huoston's 'i will always love you' of course) Thank you for making my review screen so wide that I have to use the scroll bar on the bottom.

Eatyoutoo: You'll like this chap. I feel like. ("You are my sunshine")

Melody Cullen: Yes, I did too. Poor Eddie poo. Let's give him a fruit basket...with a mountain lion inside. ("Tearin up my heart" – insync)

Mattybabe: You tell em' matty! You tell those fictional characters! LOL. Jk. Edward Cullen is REAL I tell you, REAL!!!!! And thanks. ("DUNNO")

INVX: Everytime I look at a puddle, for forever, I shall think of you. Puddles were happy places for duckies, and then I saw your comments...lol. jk. Your comments make my day. Death by puddle makes me laugh every time. THANK YOU...you get a fruit basket – minus the mountain lion. ("Old Mcdonald had a farm..ey i ee i o...and on that farm he had a duck...ee i ee i o...with a quack quack here...and a quack quack there...here a quack, there a quack. Every where a quack, BLUPP. 'I don't think Duckie is coming back up' – Old Mcdonald)

Chapter 8

It was dawn. I could tell not by the sunrise (it was Forks), but the time on my digital clock.

My feet were wearing holes in the floor with their pacing. I knew which boards creaked and which didn't, which ones to walk on so that Charlie wouldn't wake up. I hadn't slept a wink all night. How could I? This was the first night in ages that Edward hadn't been with me.

Using my incredible skills of oblivion, I tried to block from my mind thoughts of Edward's dismissal and agony (not to mention violent, grotesque, horrific machete- related visions of Josius' death that would put M. Night Shalyman to shame). Instead, I tried to focus on Edward's confessions of undying love, and of course my Monopoly massacre of Tanya. Thank you, Milton Bradley.

Bending my attention towards the good, not the bad, combined with my oddly calming lack of sleep, was forcing my brain into a logical, reasonable pattern.

Some of Edward's last words to me – Bad choice of words, my mind chastised.

Some of Edward's miscellaneous-and-assorted-but-definitely-anything-but-last words to me had been to call Jacob.

There were only two explanations for his saying that:

Option one: I was in mortal peril. As in, grab a pen and write your last will and testament NOW peril.

Option Two: He had lost his Carlisle-given, undead mind.

I decided that in this case, both were correct.

On to the next order of business: calling Jacob.

If my life were in that much danger, wouldn't Jacob's be, too?

Could I really ask him to fight evil, mind-controlling vampires after all I'd done to him?

The answer was no. I couldn't, no matter how much Edward begged.

I would not involve Jacob again.

Sighing and exhausted, I flopped down on my bed.

It felt a lot better than I thought it would. It was just so soft and fluffy – Why was everything dark? I don't remember closing my eyes...Maybe I'm blind. Then I could get a Seeing Eye dog. Maybe it'd be green. Green dogs are cool. Like guacamole. Guacamole dog...Edward...

Awaking to a loud crash, I bolted upright. It sounded like something had been broken, like multiple things had been broken.

Someone was in the house. Someone who didn't bother knocking or being sued for property damage. My mind flew to one name – Josius.

By now, I should be used to this "imminent death" feeling, but, like Edward, it never got old.

Speaking of Edward, maybe I should have called Jacob.

Angry footsteps were flying up the stairs- oops.

He was in the hallway.

I stood from the mattress to face my doom.

A blur, and then a massive object barreled into me and then proceeded to hold me to it.

Well, this sure was a new twist.

The unidentifed object was warm – too warm for a vampire – too warm for a human, and it smelled like salt and forest. It smelled like Jacob.

Lungs imploding – ribs cracking, "Can't breathe," I gasped.

The death grip loosened, but strong hands grabbed my arms, "Jeeze Bells, I thought you were dead or something," the werewolf told me.

"Me, too," I muttered, not making eye contact.

"Who'd you think I was?" he asked suspiciously.

"Nobody," I lied, my eyes wandering around the room...Oh look – a wall.

"Don't even try that one," he said, "You were scared out of your mind when I got in here. I could smell it."

Darn him and his super wolf senses.

I finally brought myself to look at his face. Same old Jacob: dark features, defined chin, chiseled beyond belief. "So, how'd you know I was in trouble?"

Jacob smiled, glad to see that I had finally looked at him, "Oh – besides the fact that you always are," he teased.

Yep, same old Jacob – my eyes shot daggers.

"Cullen called," he finally confessed. I could hear the suppressed snarl. "All he said was "Save Bella". What was I supposed to think?"

I bit back the tears. Jacob continued, "He sounded really weird though. Bella..." he said, finally looking down at me, "What's wrong?"

One traitorous droplet escaped from the corner of my eye. How my tear ducts still had water to spare was completely beyond me.

Jacob looked pained. I was hurting him – again.

I told him everything. "The Cullen's minds are being controlled by one of the Denali vampires named Josius. And Edward thinks that he's trying to get to me for some reason, but I'm the only one immune to his power, so no one believes me. And then I guess he called you, and he sounds weird because of Josius, and, and...he's just so helpless, Jacob!" I cried.

Ugh. Word vomit.

Jacob's arms encircled me, "It'll be all right, Bells."

At last, someone who would believe me.

I didn't stay in his embrace for long, though. It felt too much like betrayal. Him standing in my room felt like betrayal, so I led him to the sofa downstairs.

Jacob turned his dark eyes on me, "Bella, why the hell didn't you call me?" he scolded.

Was he serious? "I didn't want you to get hurt, obviously."

"Bella, I can take care of myself, especially with the pack to back me. You, though, are not allowed to die."

I rolled my eyes. "Sounds like it'd save everyone a lot of trouble if I did, though," I told him, only half joking.

"Andddddd you are not allowed to talk like that, okay?" His tone was fed up.

I huffed. "Fine."

"Good," he said, clearly relieved, "Now, what to do about the crazy vampires..."

"Vampire," I corrected.

"Right, vampire," Jacob repeated, then contemplated for a moment. "Well, I could rip out his throat, tear his head off, or impale him on the Eiffel Tower," his tone was joking. "Take your pick."

An uncharacteristic sadistic grin lit up my face. "All of the above?" I suggested.

Jacob was not prepared for this answer, and his eyebrows rose. "You really hate this guy, don't you?"

I nodded vigorously. "Could you...do it now?" I asked tentatively.

"Bella, I'm sorry, but I'm not going to the Cullens' place. I'll send the pack on patrol around here, but I'm not going to attack a house full of vampires. I promised to protect you. Just you." I could tell by his pitch that he wasn't going to budge on this.

In a blink, the conversation was serious again. The casual pace, the one that made me believe we could start where we left off, was broken. I should've known that he wouldn't save Edward. It hurt. Edward's actions were being dictated by an evil vampire who had some sort of deal with a strawberry blonde goddess called Tanya. They could be... I refused to think about it. In that moment, I wished Josius would come tonight. Guilt for Jacob quickly stopped those thoughts, though.

"Fine," I said, getting up off the couch and stomping back to my room.

I grabbed my phone and tried to call Edward. No answer.

I dialed Alice's number. No answer.

This waiting would be the death of me.

A/N: that last chapter was SUPPPERRR intense... What was a light story turned into a deeper one. With drama and suspense. What can I say? I fluctuate.