AN: Oh my god, people are reading this. holy crap. Hi people! So glad you're liking it. Love you all 3

Jacob

Jacob woke up the next morning to Edward getting out of the bed.

"Where are you going?" He asked, blearily groping for his phone to check the time. 7:00.

"School," Edward said.

"Hang on, I'll drive you," Jacob said, shoving off the blankets. He regretted that almost the moment he did it, but the sudden chill woke him up enough to go to the bathroom and splash some water on his face. Outside, the shock of cold hit them, waking Jacob up completely, and much faster than the coffee that Bella brewed and had ready for them.

"What time are you finished today? I'll pick you up," Jacob said.

"Around four? I'm not sure. I have track after school. I'll text you," Edward said. They pulled into the line of cars dropping off students. Edward shrank down in his seat a little as he spied his mother in her car, watching for him. She saw them at almost the same moment, and her eyes narrowed in an expression that could freeze ice. Jacob glanced from her to Edward.

"Don't worry. It'll be fine. She can't complain, since you're here like she asked."

"Yeah, I guess," Edward said. He got out of the car and jogged inside. Jacob waited in the line of cars until he reached the exit, and then he resigned himself to go meet with the detective. They planned to meet at a restaurant, a little cafe near Edward's school. He knew that if the detective was here, then his mother probably was, too, and strangely, he didn't feel anything. He expected to feel some kind of anxiety or fear, but he didn't. He was early, so he ordered coffee, and sat down to wait. He was scrolling through a web feed, when Detective Walker came up to his table. He gestured toward the seat across from him.

"Jacob, it's a pleasure to meet you." Jacob shook his hand. "I have some-" Jacob stopped him there. Until this moment, he wasn't sure what he wanted to say, but now it hit him.

"You should have left things buried," he said. "My mother is not someone I want in my life, so take her back where you found her, and leave her there." Detective Walker was definitely not expecting that. He started to speak, but Jacob wasn't finished. "I'm not sure what she told you, and frankly, I don't care. But she is directly responsible for what happened to my brother and I, whether she intended to be or not." He felt, more than saw, someone else approach the table. A woman, as blond as he was, with eyes the precise same grey as Embry's. He would know his mother anywhere, and expected to have some kind of emotion toward her, but he still felt nothing. "Mother," he said, radiating cold.

"Don't speak to me like that," she said, sitting down next to him. Her accent was heavy, and he remembered how she used to use "I'm still your mother. Look at you, how you've grown." He pressed his lips together to stop himself saying what he really felt, but then he realized he shouldn't have to. He stood up, taking advantage of his full height.

"You do not deserve the title of mother. A mother does not do the things you did." Detective Walker was looking back and forth between the two of them, confused.

"Jacob, it was not supposed to happen the way it did. You are my children. I would never hurt you on purpose."

"And yet, we were hurt. And you are the reason it happened. Your words now mean nothing." He pulled out his phone and found a picture of Embry that showed the full extent of the scar across his neck. "This. You are responsible for this. Embry can't speak, and because you did what you did, he will never have his voice back." She looked at the picture as if mesmerized. She traced Embry's face with a fingertip, accidentally swiping to the left. The next picture was of Edward. Jacob jerked the phone back. That was none of her business. "I think we're done here," he said. "Try to contact me or my brother again, and I will tell the nice detective here everything."

"Jacob, wait," his mother started to say, but he had no interest in anything she said. He walked away. And in truth, he was walking away from more than just her. There was a lot he'd always assumed he would deal with eventually. It looked like this was that moment. He would never have the opportunity to confront the people who had hurt him and his brother. And he didn't want it, even if it came. This chance to just walk away from all of it was what he wanted. He made it to his car, and sat in it for a long time. He felt drained. This meeting with the detective and his mother had taken no more than five minutes, but it was the longest five minutes of his life. Finally, he backed out of his parking space, and drove away from the cafe. He had a new home to look for.

Edward

Being back at school was weird for Edward. Almost all his friends had either graduated or were from a different state, but he'd never been a popular kid. Even before Tony outed him to the school, he never had that many friends. Somehow, he got through the day and managed to shower and change and leave without too many questions or comments his direction.

He decided to forgo track practice. Honestly, there was no way he could get through running multiple miles on coffee for breakfast and part of an apple for lunch. Once he was outside and free, he finally felt like he could take a breath. And there was Jacob, waiting for him. Of course, his mom was there, too.

"Elizabeth," she said, getting out of her car. "You need to let us know where you're going to be if you don't come home."

"I'm staying with Bella. Please, mom, just for a while. I need to-"

"Fine," his mom said.

"Fine?" Edward eyed her suspiciously.

"Yes. It's fine. Just be smart about it. You're old enough to make smart choices." His mother hugged him, and handed him a shopping bag. "Here, you could use some decent clothes," she said.

"...Thanks."

"Just so you know, we love you. We don't always agree with you, but we do love you."

"I know, mom."

"Go on, then. And don't forget to keep us posted on where you are at least daily." She got back in her car and drove off. Edward stood, watching her for a long moment, and then walked to Jacob's car.

"What was that all about?" Jacob asked.

"I think she just gave me her blessing," Edward said. He got in and put the bag and his backpack on the back seat. He turned to Jacob and finally exhaled.

"What?" Jacob asked.

"It's just really nice to see you," Edward said.

"It's nice to see you too. I want to show you something," Jacob said. He pulled out of the parking lot, and drove to an apartment complex, one of several that were new in the area, and parked. He led the way up the stairs to the second floor to an apartment, and unlocked the door. Inside was a new, unfurnished apartment, just waiting for someone to move in.

"What's this?" Edward asked.

"It's mine," Jacob said. "I thought that if I stayed with Bella too much longer, I'd probably outstay my welcome. But I was wondering if you'd… be interested in staying here?" Edward had been looking around the apartment, but he turned to Jacob at this.

"You want me to move in with you?" He asked, not quite daring to believe it.

"Yeah. I mean, for a few days or something, just until you're ready to go home." Jacob said quickly. Edward went to him and kissed him. If Jacob wanted to say anything else, the distraction sidetracked him. And then, as suddenly as the kiss began, Edward pulled away. What was this? What was he doing? Did he really feel this way, or was it just that Jacob was so… Jacob?

"Sorry. I just. I shouldn't have done that." He backed away, and this feeling that he'd totally betrayed Brady flooded through him. But when he looked at Jacob, all he saw was compassion. Jacob understood. He always understood.