If you recognize it, then I probably don't own it

Chapter 8: Temper

We ended up on the beach again, wandering aimlessly. Jacob was still full of sunshine for engineering my escape.

"Do you think they'll come looking for you?" he asked, sounding hopeful.

"They already know I'm past the border, so I doubt it. They're going to be furious with me tonight, though."

He picked up a pock and chucked it into the waves. "Don't go back, then," he suggested again.

"Charlie would love that," I said sarcastically.

"I bet he wouldn't mind."

I didn't answer, he was probably right. My dad's blatant preference for Jake irritated me. I wondered if he would feel the same if he knew the choice wasn't actually Jake or Edward, but actually death where I die for real and death where I die and just can't go into the sunlight.

"So," I leaned into him, causing him to lose his balance slightly, "what's the latest pack scandal?" I asked lightly.

Jacob skidded to a halt, and he stared down at me with shocked eyes.

"What? That was a joke."

"Oh," he looked away.

I waited for him to talk to him, but he seemed lost in thought.

"Is there a scandal?" I wondered.

Jake chuckled once. "I forget what it's like, not having everyone know everything all the time. Having a quiet, private place inside my head."

We walked along the stormy beach quietly for a few steps.

"Jesus Christ Jake," I whined, "I wanna know too."

He hesitated for a moment, as if he weren't sure how much he was going to tell me. Then he sighed and said, "Quil imprinted. That's four now. The rest of them are starting to get worried. Maybe it's more common than the stories say…" He frowned, and then turned to stare at me. He gazed into my eyes without speaking, his eyebrows furrowed in concentration.

"I would rather have helmet hair then windblown hair right now, too." I said feeling self-conscious.

He sighed, "You look good."

Jacob started walking again. Without seeming to think about it, he reached out and took my hand. We paced silently across the rocks.

I thought of how we must look walking hand and hand down the beach—like a couple—and wondered if his imprint saw us…would she be okay with it? That's one reason to object to the way we walked, Edward object too it if he saw. But it was us.

"Why is Quil's imprinting such a scandal?" I asked when it didn't look like he was going to go on. "Is it because he's the newest one?"

"That doesn't have anything to do with it."

"Then what's the problem?"

"It's another one of those legend things. I wonder when we're going to stop being surprised that they're all true."

"Okay, so you're making me guess."

"You'll never get it right. See, Quil hasn't been hanging out with us, you know, until recently. So he hasn't been around Emily's place much."

"He imprinted on Emily!" I gasped, "Sam's gonna kill him!"

"No, I told you not to guess."

"You issued a challenge!"

"No, I didn't."

"Um, yes you fucking did."

"Anyway…" he said, "Emily had her two nieces down for a visit…and Quil met Claire."

He didn't continue.

"Well, the only way it's icky is if Claire is four."

"It's not, because he's a werewolf." Jacob cast his eyes down.

"How old is she?" I narrowed my eyes, appraising him.

"Claire is two." Jacob told me.

Rain started to fall.

"And we're not supposed to judge or anything 'cause she's his imprint. Doesn't make it any less weird." He said, mirthlessly.

"But she's a baby."

He bent to grab another rock and sent it flying out into the bay it skipped several times before sinking. "It happens, or so the stories say. And they're all acting, like, because Quil isn't going to get any older, he'll just have to be patient for a few decades."

He looked at me with dark amusement.

"I…I…" I was horrified. Until now, nothing about the werewolves had bothered me since the day I'd found out about them. But this. This was…

"You're making judgments," he said. "I can see it on your face."

"You want me to be supportive?" I accused, "This is fucking creepy!"

"I'm glad you see it that way, too." He said, "I know what it's like though. It's hard to describe. It's not like love at first sight, really. It's more like…gravity moves. When you see her, suddenly it's not the earth holing you here anymore. She does. And nothing matters more than her. And you would do anything for her, be anything for her….You become whatever she needs you to be, whether that's her protector, or a lover, or a friend, or a brother. I've seen what it's like through Quil's eyes. There's nothing romantic about it, at all. Not for Quil, not now." He voice suddenly vehement and full of acid.

"Quil will be the best, kindest big brother any kid ever had. There isn't a toddler on the planet that will be more carefully looked after than this little girl. And then, when she's older and needs a friend, he'll be more understanding, trustworthy, and reliable than anyone else she knows. And then, when she's grown up, they'll be as happy as Emily and Sam." He couldn't wipe the disgusted look off his face.

"Doesn't Claire get a choice?"

"Of course she does. But they're saying he'll be her perfect match. Like he was designed for her. Why wouldn't she choose him, in the end?"

"What if she's gay?"

He shrugged, "They act like it's not a possibility."

We walked in silence for a moment, till I paused to toss a rock in the ocean. It just sank into the water without any finesse. Jacob laughed at me.

"If she's gay, or doesn't want him… would he…would he give her up?"

He sighed, "If he were strong enough."

"Why did he chose her?" I asked quietly.

"It's not something you can control."

We were silent for a few minutes. Unconsciously, we both walked slower, barely moving at all.

"It' not supposed to be," he admitted. "But you have to see her—the one that's supposedly meant for you."

"And yours?" I asked, fearing the answer.

He looked at my face with suddenly piercing eyes. "I'll never see anyone else, Miri. Even when I close my eyes and try to see someone, something else. Ask Quil or Embry. It drives them all crazy."

I dropped my eyes to the rocks.

We weren't walking anymore. The only sound was of the waves beating against the shore. I couldn't hear the rain over their roar.

"I should go home then," I whispered, "Let you get back to her."

"No!" he protested, surprised by this conclusion.

I looked up at him again, and his eyes were anxious now.

"You have the whole day off, right? He won't be home yet."

"Yes, I have whole day. But, Jake…if it's what you're thinking…"

"Don't worry about me," he insisted, smiling with deliberate cheer, too brightly. "I know what I'm doing. Just tell me if I'm upsetting you."

"You're not, but do you want to be with your—"

"C'mon, Mir. Let's go back to the house and get our bikes. You've got to ride a motorcycle regularly to keep it in tune."

"I know, I told you that."

"So what's stopping you?"

I rubbed my neck, "I don't think I'm allowed."

"By who? Charlie or him?"

"Both, I guess."

Jacob grinned my grin, his it's-all-good grin, and he was the Jacob I missed the most, sunny and warm.

I couldn't help grinning back.

The rain softened, turned to mist.

"I won't tell anyone." He promised.

"Except every one of your friends."

He shook his head soberly and raised his right hand. "I promise not to think about it."

I laughed, "I guess I can let you ride bitch."

…

We rode our motorcycles on the back roads around La Push until the rain made them too muddy and Jacob insisted that he was going to pass out if he didn't eat soon. Billy greeted me easily when we got to the house, as if my sudden reappearance meant nothing more complicated than I'd wanted to spend the day with my friend. After we ate the sandwiches Jacob and I made, we went out to the garage and I helped him clean up the bikes. I hadn't been here in months—since Edward had returned—but there was no sense of import to it. It was just another afternoon in the garage.

"This is nice," I commented when he pulled the warm sodas from the grocery bag. "I've missed this place."

He smiled, looking around at the plastic sheds bolted together over our heads, "Yeah, I can understand that. All the splendor of the Taj Mahal, without the inconvenience and expense of traveling to India."

"To Washington's little Taj Mahal," I toasted, holding up my can.

He touched his can to mine.

"Do you remember last Valentine's Day? I think that was the last time you were here—the last time when things were still…normal, I mean."

I laughed, "When I traded a lifetime of servitude for a box of a conversation hearts? That's hard to forget."

He laughed with me. "That's right. Hmm, servitude. I'll have to think of something good." Then he sighed, "This feels like it was years ago. Another era. A happier one."

I couldn't disagree with him. I started that era like it was the dark ages. I stared through the opening at the murky forest. The rain had picked up again, but it was warm in the little garage, sitting next to Jacob. He was a good furnace. My furnace.

His fingers brushed my hand. "Things have really changed."

"Yeah," I said, and then turned my head back to the bikes, "Charlie used to like me. I hope Billy doesn't say anything about today…" I bit my lip.

"He won't. He doesn't get worked up about things the way Charlie does. Hey, I never did apologize officially for the stupid move with the bike. I'm real sorry about ratting you out to Charlie. I wish I hadn't."

I rolled my eyes. "Me too."

"I'm really, really, sorry."

He looked at me hopefully, his wet, tangled black hair sticking up in every direction around his pleading face. Then mischievousness flashed on his face.

"No, Jake," I warned. "No."

He leapt at me, his long fingers primed. "I'll stop tickling you, if you forgive me!"

His fingers fluttered at my sides.

I shook with laughter, "Okay! Fine! You're forgiven!" I gasped between breaths.

"Thanks, Mir." He smiled his innocent it's-all-good smile.

I grinned back as he slid off me, and then his face clouded over.

"You know that day, when I brought the bike over…I've been wanting to ask you something," he said slowly. "But also…not wanting to."

I held very still—a reaction to stress. It was a habit I'd picked up from Edward.

"We you just being stubborn because you were mad at me, or were you really serious?" he asked.

"About what?" I asked back, but I was sure I knew what he meant.

He glared at me. "You know. When you said I didn't know what I did…when I reminded him of the treaty about—about biting you." He cringed visibly at the end.

"Jake…" My throat felt swollen. I couldn't finish.

He crossed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Were you serious?"

He was trembling just slightly. His eyes stayed closed.

"Yes." I said with a face full of tears.

I stared at this face, waiting for his eyes to open.

"You know what this will mean?" He demanded suddenly. "You do understand that, don't you? What will happen if they break the treaty?"

"We're going to leave first," I said in a small voice.

His eyes flashed open, their black depths full of anger and pain. "There wasn't a geographic limit to the treaty, Mir. Our great-grandfathers only agreed to keep the peace because the Cullens swore they were different, that humans weren't in danger from them. They promised they would never kill or change anyone ever again. If they go back on their word, the treaty is meaningless, and they are no different than any other vampires. Once that's established, when we find them again—"

"But you already broke the treaty. I mean, you weren't supposed to tell me about the vampires."

Jake didn't like the reminder; his eyes hardened into animosity. "Yeah, I broke the treaty—back before I believed any of it. And I'm sure they were informed of that." He glared sourly at me, but not meeting my gaze. "But it's not like that gives them a freebie or anything. There's no fault at fault. They have only one option if they object to what I did. The same option we'll have when they break the treaty: to attack. To start the war."

He made it sound so inevitable. I shuddered.

"What happened to the Jake who was understanding that it was turn or be killed?"

"I cannot change the treaty, Mir. I told you that we would protect you. Not just me, but the whole pack will protect you. But if they turn you…then then there is no other way.

"You won't be Miri anymore," he told me. "My impr— important best friend won't exist."

We faced each other for an endless moment.

"Is this goodbye?" I asked.

He blinked rapidly, his fierce expression melting in surprise. "Why? We still have a few years. Can't we be just like this until we're out of time?"

"Years? No, Jake." I shook my head. He would not have a good reaction. "Weeks. We only have a few weeks."

He was on his feet, and there was a loud pop as the soda can exploded in his hand. Soda flew everywhere, soaking the both of us like it was spraying from a hose.

"Jake!" I shouted as his whole body began quivering with anger. He glared at me wildly, a growling sound building in his chest.

I froze in place, too scared to move.

The shaking rolled through him, getting faster, until it looked like he was vibrating. His shape blurred…

And then Jacob gritted his teeth together, and the growling stopped. He squeezed his eyes tight in concentration; the quivering slowed until only his hands were shaking.

"Weeks," Jacob said in a monotone.

I was still frozen.

He opened his eyes. They were beyond fury now.

"He's going to change you into a filthy bloodsucker in just a few weeks!" Jacob hissed through his teeth.

I nodded mutely, not interested in correcting his insult.

He face was green under the russet skin.

"Of course, Jake," I whispered after a long minute of silence. "It's turn me or kill me, and we don't even know when they're going to check in next. And if I'm not turned by then, they might revoke that option."

"You could do anything else! You can stay here! We can protect you! But you're just going to let them do that to you? You'd be better off dead. I'd rather you were."

Pain shot through me, anger like flames.

"Maybe you'll be lucky," I said lurching to my feet. "Maybe I'll get hit by a truck on my way back!"

I grabbed my motorcycle and pushed it out into the rain. He didn't move as I passed him. As soon as I was on the small, muddy path, I climbed on a kicked the bike to life. The rear tire spit a fountain toward the garage, and I hoped it drenched him.

…

I got absolutely soaked as I sped across the slick highway toward the Cullen's house. I couldn't go home and be alone. The wind was freezing the rain against my skin, and my teeth were chattering before I was halfway there.

I had to dodge a several dead squirrels in the road. Motorcycles were so impractical for Washington. I might was well sell this stupid thing.

I walked the bike into the Cullens' cavernous garage and was unsurprised to find Alice waiting for me, perched lightly on the hood of her porshe. Alice stroked the glossy yellow paint.

"I haven't even had a chance to drive it." She sighed.

"Sucks," I spit through my rattling teeth.

"You look like you could use a hot shower," she said, offhand, as she sprang lightly to her feet.

"Yes."

She pursed her lips, taking in my expression carefully. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"No."

She nodded in assent, but her eyes were raging with curiosity.

"Do you want to go to Olympia tonight?"

"No. I want to go home."

She grimaced.

"Never mind," I said, "I'll stay if it makes it easier."

"Thanks," she signed in relief.

…

I went to bed early that night.

It was still dark when I woke. I was groggy, but I knew it wasn't near morning yet. My eyes closed, and I stretched, rolling over on my back. It took me a second before I realized that I was being tucked in. I rolled back over, trying to see. It was darker than last night—the clouds were too thick for the moon to shine through.

"Sorry," he muttered so softly that his voice was part of the darkness, "You looked cold; I didn't mean to wake up."

I tensed, waiting for the fury—both his and mine—but it was only quiet and calm in the darkness of his room. I could almost taste the sweetness of reunion in the air.

There was no friction in the space between us. The stillness was peaceful-not like the calm before the tempest, but like a clear night untouched by even the dream of a storm.

And I didn't care that I was supposed to be angry with him. I reached for him, found him in the darkness and pulled myself closer to him. His arms encircled me, cradling me to his chest. My lips searched, hunting along his throat, to his chin, until I finally found his lips.

Edward kissed me back, and when we broke apart he chuckled.

"I was all braced for your wrath that was going to make me wish I was eaten by grizzlies, and this is what I get? I should infuriate you more often."

"Don't try to be funny, you're not good at it," I kissed him again.

"Then I'll be sincere," he whispered against my lips. His fingers knotted in my hair.

"I'll be mad at you in the morning, then."

"Whatever you prefer."

"Welcome home," I said while his lips pressed under my jaw. "I'm glad you're home."

"That's a very good thing."

His hand curved around my elbow, moving slowly down my arm, across my ribs and over my waist, tracing along my hip and down my leg, around my knee. He paused there, his hand curling around my calf. He pulled my leg up hitching it around his hip.

His lips moved in the hollow at the base of my throat, and like every time we did this my body went ached and overreacted to his touch. His lips moved in the hollow at the base of my throat.

He rolled to the side, pulling me on top of him. He held my face in his hands, angling it up so that his mouth could reach my throat. My breathing was too loud—it was almost embarrassing, but I didn't care. I never did.

He pulled my face back to his, and my lips shaped themselves around his. He moved his hands to my hemline. Slowly, his hands dragged my shirt up my chest and I broke our kiss to help lift the shirt off. Then his hands slid to the waistband of my shorts. Sliding them off, as his hands left a trail of tingles down my legs. I broke our kiss to sit up on his lap, pulled him up by his shirt to kiss him again. My hands held his face, my mouth on his, as he tugged at his shirt stripping it off with little flourish, then he did the same with his pants. He grasped at them with restless hands I heard them rip and they were off too.

…

"That was very nice." He said, his arms around me as we laid in the bed.

"Very, very nice." I agreed, worming my way deeper into his embrace.

"Aren't you tired? I should let you go to sleep." He kissed my forehead.

"You should apologize first." I told him.

He chuckled. "I should apologize?"

"I'm angry with you remember."

"Oh, that."

I closed my eyes and nodded, "Go ahead. I'm waiting."

"I'm sorry. I was wrong. It's much easier to have the proper perspective when I have you safely here," his arms tightened around me. "I go a little insane when I try to leave you. I don't think I'll go so far again. It's not worth it."

I smiled. "Not even for the one mountain lion you found?"

I thought I felt him freeze for a second, but I must have imagined it. He sounded absolutely normal. "Still not worth the anxiety. I'm sorry that I had Alice hold you hostage as well."

"Yes." I agreed.

"I won't do it again."

"I will say that having slumber parties with you is always fun," I curled myself closer to him, pressing my lips into the indentation over his collarbone.

"Mmm," he sighed, "I have to agree with that."

"And Alice gets to keep her stupid fancy car?"

"Of course. It was a gift." He sounded insulted.

"Do you want to know what I did today?"

I felt him shrug. "I'm always interested in everything you do—but you don't have to tell me unless you want to."

"Even if I went to La Push?"

"I know."

"And I ditched school too."

"So did I."

I tried to study his tone, trying to understand his mood. "Is this a post-coital tolerance?"

He sighed.

"I decided that you're right. My problem before was more about my…prejudice against werewolves than anything else. I'm going to try to be more reasonable and trust your judgement. If you say you're safe, then I'll believe you."

My eyes snapped open. I stared at his face. Trying to find a trace of deception.

"And most importantly," he continued, "I'm not willing to let this drive a wedge between us."

I pressed my lips to his and he responded hungrily.

I broke the kiss and rested my head against his chest and closed my eyes, totally content.

"So," he said softly, "Did you make plans to go back to La Push again soon?"

I didn't answer. His question brought back the memory of Jacob's words, and my throat felt tight.

He misread my silence and the tension in my body.

"Just so that I can make my own plans," he explained quickly. "I don't want you to feel like you have to hurry back because I'm sitting around waiting for you."

"No," I said in a voice that sounded very close to crying, "I don't have plans to go back."

"Oh. You don't have to do that for me."

"I don't think I'm going to go back there anymore."

"Did you run over someone's cat?" he asked lightly. I knew he didn't want to force the story out of me, but I could feel the curiosity burning behind his words.

"No. I thought Jacob would have…realized…I didn't think it would surprise him."

Edward waited while hesitated.

"He wasn't expecting…that it was so soon."

"Ah," Edward said quickly.

"He said he'd rather see me dead." My voice broke on the last word.

Edward was still for a moment, controlling whatever reaction he didn't want to express in front of me.

Then he held me tight against his chest. "I'm so sorry."

"I thought you'd be pleased."

"Pleased? That he hurt you? I never want you to be hurt, Peach."

I relaxed into his shape, as he stroked my hair. But he was still tense.

"What's wrong?"

"It's nothing."

"You can tell me."

He paused for a minute. "It might make you angry."

"That's not a good reason to keep things from me."

He nodded, "I could quite literally kill him for saying that to you. I want to."

"Then it's good you have self-control."

"Goodnight, Peach."

"I have one more thing I want to talk to you about."

"What's that?"

"I was talking to Rosalie last night…"

His body tensed again. "Yes. She was thinking about when I got in. She gave you quite a lot to consider, didn't she?" His voice was anxious, and I knew he thought I wanted to talk about the reasons Rosalie had given me for staying human. He was right.

"If…if I stayed the same…way I am now. If we left every time Alice saw them come…"

"Yes?" he encouraged.

"Alice told me about the other family, in Denali?" I tried a different direction.

"We might go there, with Tanya and her family. But we also might not. It's better if we went places they wouldn't think of." His arms tightened around me.

"Tanya would be okay with that? Didn't she express interest in you?"

"Tanya expressed a little interest. I let her down in very courteous, gentlemanly fashion, that I did not return that interest. End of story." Then in a voice I didn't recognize, "Did Alice tell you about Tanya and me?"

I wasn't totally sure where I had heard that, "I don't remember, I must have heard it from Alice. But she didn't tell me what Tanya looks like?"

"Like the rest of us—pallor with gold eyes." He answered quickly. I felt him shrug. "You know what, though."

"What?"

He put his lips right to my ear; his breath tickled. "I prefer brunettes."

"She's a blonde?"

"Strawberry blonde—not at all my type." His lips moved slowly along my cheek, down my throat, and he kept going lower. He made it all to my stomach before I stopped him.

"Don't start something, you can't finish." I panted.

"Hmm," he said innocently against my stomach. "You're very adorable when you're jealous. It's surprisingly enjoyable."

"It's late, Flower." I said, unable to stop panting, "I should sleep and dream happy dreams."

He didn't move, "You are the only one who has ever touched my heart. So tell me, my only love, do you want me to stop?"

"No."

His head dipped and it was only a matter of time until I succumbed to his ministrations. And we relit the fire of passion that we had started earlier in the night.

…

Why does miri know so much? Am I just bad at foreshadowing or am I planning smthg. Guess we'll never know *emo dances*

Can you imagine if I was like that in person? ugh unbearable, but yesss to answer your question I have a plan. Also review if you like it