A/N: Sorry, guys. I've been busy with work and school for the last week. It was finals week and work has been super hectic with open enrollment started at the school I work at. Anyway, hopefully, I will get a few chapters in this weekend.So that was that. Jacob had no choice and as much as he despised the idea, he had to put Bella in danger again. But he was still telling himself just one more time, and then it's all over.

He was on his way back to Bella's house. He promised he would be back before she went to sleep. When he left her she was going to shower and pack with real excitement in her. He had been so happy to see her that way and now he was afraid that this whole situation was going to bring it all back. She's strong. Maybe it will blow over and be done quickly. And then we can move on. One. More. Time.

When he pulled up at Charlie's he sighed. He saw he peek out of her window facing the front of the house and could tell the excitement had not dulled in the few hours that he had been gone. But it was dark out now, and they would be alone soon and he would need to talk to her about seeing the redheaded bloodsucker. He was wishing he could see the future when a loud thump behind him startled him from his thouhts.

Jacob whipped his head in the direction of the thump and saw nothing. He searched the dark with his keen vision, waiting for somthing to jump out at him. His heart was racing and his skin felt hotter than normal. Something wasn't right.

"Jake!" Bella called from the now open front door. He turned back to the door and smiled. He dismounted his bike and trudged for the door. As he reached the front steps, he took one more long look over his shoulder trying to find the source of his instintual creep. When he still found nothing, he headed inside.

Bella took him into a hug before he made it completely inside. "I missed you! How did it go with Billy?"

Jacob chuckled. "I was only gone a few hours, and fine. We'll talk about it over dinner. Something smells good." Jacob took in a deep breath through his nose and the scent of beef cooking filled his senses.

"Yeah! I'm making spaghetti!" Bella bit her lip and tried to hide her excitement.

"Spaghetti, huh?" Jacob let out the grin that had been pulling at his face since he saw her in the doorway. "Sounds delicious."

Charlie walked in from the den. "It does!" Charlie nodded at him. "Jacob."

"Oh, Dad. I invited Jacob for dinner... and... to stay the night." Bella bit her lip and turned back to the stove across the room.

Charlie grunted. "I assumed."

They ate dinner in near silence as they were all stuffing their faces and nothing else was said about Jacob staying the night. Bella didn't know that Jacob had already had the conversation with Charlie, but that point was irrelevant now, because she had taken it upon herself.

After dinner, Bella headed upstairs to change and Jacob stayed behind with Charlie clearing the dishes to give her some privacy.

"I don't know what you said to her, but I have been begging her to go see Renee for a while now."

"She did mention..."

"Yes, she told me that you were going with her." Jacob avoided eye contact with Charlie. "Honestly, she's so much better already that I don't even want to know what you're doing to help, just... just don't run off like that other boy."

"Charlie..." Jacob sighed and the sound that came out was well beyond his years. "I always want to be around her. I still have school and most recently some mechanic work I've been doing, but as long as she wants me around, I will do my best to spend all of my time with her."

Charlie nodded.

"You coming?" Bella said quietly from the stairs. She was dressed for bed and had pulled her hair into a solid mess on top of her head. Jacob noticed the one curl hanging over her forehead and thought to himself how he loved everything about her, even like this.

Jacob nodded and headed for the stairs. He grabbed his pack from the hook near the door and followed her up the stairs.

Before he closed the door behind them well, Bella was already in interogation mode.

"How did it go with Billy?"

Jacob chuckled and started rummaging through his back for some comfortable clothes.

"It went fine. Billy is actually excited that I am spending time with you, and you know he always loved your mom."

Jacob was changing into sweatpants and a tshirt.

"And with Sam and the pack?" Bella eased herself down on the edge of the bed. She was biting her lip again.

Jacob moved across the room to her and tugged her chin with his thumb so she released her lip. "They agreed." She nearly bounced with excitement. "With a condition." Jacob sighed as Bella looked up at him with hesitation.

"What's the condition?" Bella asked.