A/N: A lot of people are asking about the whole Jake and Edward use to be best friends situation. I've decided to clue you in a little earlier than I had planned.

Chapter 34

JPOV

I felt like I was being pulled in two different directions. Eighteen years with Edward as my best friend told me that he was still my best friend. We had even made a blood pact when we were younger. Blood brothers. The memory made me smile.

That day in the meadow changed it all. The look of fear in Bella's eyes was the final rip. I had to cope with loosing my best friend, but for him to take Bella's life would push me into non-existence. The thought angered me. His dying wish had been for me to keep her safe and if keeping her away from him meant that was possible then that's what I would do.

All my life I had grown up on the legends of the Quileute. It wasn't until recently that I had taken them to heart. You see when Emily told Sam about meeting Alice he nearly flipped. When I arrived home I was told to stay away from them and to warn Bella.

I couldn't tell Bella to stay away from them because that would just add another thing to Bella's plate along with the fact that she would ask multiple questions. My dad explained to me what they were and how dangerous they were, even though they swore they didn't drink human blood. I asked him if there were really werewolves, and he said that this was true. Well I didn't know I would experience it for myself.

That's when I became aware that Edward wasn't technically dead. I also found out that Sam was the leader of our pack. As the leader he was forced to rationally discuss the boundaries that our great grandfathers had already established. Flanked by Jared and Quil he found out that my best friend was no longer dead. I was niaeve to believe that Edward was different. The fear in Bella's eyes had just confirmed what everyone was trying to tell me. He wasn't my best friend anymore.

That's the same day that my body started to change. Sam had predicted that it would happen. With my great grandfather, the end was inevitable. I was to become part of the pack. This made my best friend my immortal enemy. After all thoes hours in pain I came to find that if I so chose, I could live forever. This scared the living shiznits out of me.

I asked Dad if Bella had called and he told me she did but it was a couple of days before. When I literally ran over to her house she wasn't home. Charlie had informed me that she was out but he wouldn't specify where "out" was. I ran home and plopped down on the sofa trying to figure out where to find her. Then I did the only rational thing, I called her.

I picked up my cell phone and held down the two for speed dial. "Hello?" Her voice came over the phone and she sounded like crap.

"Bella? Where are you?" I asked as she cleared her throat.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you. How are you doing?" She tried to shrug of the subject but I wasn't having it.

"Fine, where are you?" My mind was going in circles.

"Alaska?" She whispered inaudibly.

"Alaska? What the heck are you doing in Alaska? Who are you with?" I couldn't believe I let Bella go to Alaska by herself. I couldn't even count how many dangers there were in Alaska. What if she gets eaten by a grizzly bear, what if she got hit by a train?

"Chill Jake. I came for personal reasons and I'm with Alice. You don't have to worry about me. I'm a big girl." That's what worried me the most.

"A Cullen?" The recognition dawned on me and I felt my body start to tremble. She knows, and she's not going to be the same. They'll have her for breakfast.

"Yeah, what's wrong with that?" It seemed as if being with them was natural.

"Did you go to find him?" I knew she knew, and she knew that I knew.

"Yes, with no help from you." She sounded angry with me, for protecting her. Was she not scared of what he was? My whole body was shaking and then it burst into fur.

I knocked over the living room table and sent our glasses and plates from dinner flying onto the floor. "Not again Jake." My dad was angry and my growling was an attempt at saying every unintelligible word in the English dictionary.

"Jake? Are you there?" My ears pricked up at the sound of her voice on the phone.

"Jake will have to call you back." Dad rolled over and was now talking on my cell phone. "Be careful Bella." He warned her for me.

When I had calmed down enough to morph back I grabbed my cell phone and headed upstairs to get some new clothes. I quickly texted Bella and begged her not to leave. I would have to come get her. If she could accept Edward, then she could accept me. I dashed out the door leaving Billy watching me from the front steps.

"Be careful son." He called as I ran into the woods stripping down and tying my clothes to my leg before taking off at full speed.

EPOV

I made up my mind and I knew that this was the only way to ensure that I would stay away from Bella. I had to join the Volturi. I ran through the front door when I realized that the ball was still going on. I decided that the biggest decision of my immortal life could wait for a while.

I took a left and stepped on the golden door elevator. I took the elevator up to my floor and stepped off. Beautiful people passed by me in pairs with love apparent in their eyes. I envied them. I envied that they each had their significant other in this life with them. Too bad I was too selfless to do anything about it.

I walked slowly down the winding hallways stopping at paintings here and then to look at them. To an observant bystander it would look as if I were studying the meaning of the painting. I although knew this wasn't true. I knew that I was just buying my time until I arrived in my lonely room. I didn't want to wallow in my thoughts of things that I couldn't have.

Inevitably I made it to my room and I flipped on the lights. I slipped off my shoes and began to take off the monkey suit Tanya had given me. Tights just weren't my thing. I placed the clothes back on the hanger and then pulled a black button down and khaki paints on. I rolled the sleeves of the shirt up to my elbows and then fell back onto my bed.

I could faintly hear the orchestra from downstairs. I thought to myself and I felt as if I would give anything just to sleep. If I could dream, then I could dream of her. I lugged myself off the bed and flipped off the lights. I waited for my eyes to adjust and then I made my way back to the king sized bed.

I fell back onto the bed and my back hit the soft mattress. I let my thoughts consume me. It seemed as if my soul searched through my mind. It went far into the depths of my memories and searched every crevice.

Memories as far back as my childhood started coming back to me. Along with the memories came the hurt and the pain. All my childhood memories involved Jake and I wondered what he was doing. Did he hate me? Did I hate him? I found it completely ridiculous for me to hate him. He was after all my best friend of eighteen years. I still remember the Quileute legends that I would listen to down at La Push. His tribe was supposed to hate our kind.

Thoughts of Jake were depressing me so I let my mind drift to Bella. Our kiss had been amazing aside from her passing out. She was the one person that I would give anyone to be with, anyone but her. I would not let her throw away her life for me.

The sliver phone Carlisle had gotten me vibrated on the bedside table. I leaned over to pick it up and saw the caller's name.

"Hey Alice." I sighed into the phone.

"Hey Edward." She paused. "Listen, I know what your mind is set on but please don't join them. The Volturi is no place for you. They'll turn you into something that you don't want to be. I know, I can see it. You're not going to be happy there." Alice pleaded with me.

"What do you suggest I do then? I'm running out of options." My patience was running thin.

"I don't know, go to college. Become a teacher. Just don't throw your life away joining the Guard. They're not like us Edward. You don't want to be a monster do you? Would Bella want you to be a monster?"

"Don't bring her into this." I yelled into the phone. "I don't want to be this animal I have become. I have all the time in the world yet the only one I want is her."

Alice didn't say anything she just let me yell at her. "Do what you feel is right. Just don't come back for her if you choose the Guard. Don't do it, you won't be able to control your thirst and you will kill her. I can't watch you do that."

I felt dry sobs overtake my body and the need to hide my emotions was gone. I didn't care if Alice knew I was in pain. Not anymore. "I need her Alice." I whispered for the first time since my change. I admitted my weakness.

I could just see Alice brimming with self-approval. "She needs you too."

All of a sudden Bella's voice came over the phone. "Do you promise?" She whispered.

"I promise." I filled in my part of the dream.

"She's smiling Edward." Alice whispered into the phone.

It took all I was not to run to her that very moment. I said my goodbyes to Alice and started to think about my career options. I could become a teacher, architect, or even a lawyer. I could go to night and day classes to cut my graduation time in two. That's what I would do.

Now that I had a course, I could plot my progress back to Bella.

BPOV

Alice was blasting the music as she zipped onto the highway. I loved the feeling that Alice gave me. She made me believe that I was invincible and that I could do anything. I loved how she was so sure of herself. I wouldn't dare bet against her. If Alice believed everything would work out, then I would believe her. She was keeping me sane.

A/N: Here ya go. Two projects down, one to go.

Review! It would make me very happy!

Kayla