Jacob POV

I was happy for all of two minutes when Bella first told me she finally realized she wanted to have another baby. For just a moment, I pictured her human, without Edward, living happily ever after with a kid and some other guy that wasn't a vampire. And yeah, okay, maybe the other guy in this scenario in my head happened to look a lot like me. I knew it was a dangerous thought process and never going to happen, but I couldn't kill the involuntary flare of hope. Besides, even if it wasn't me, better any other human that wasn't going to sink his fangs into her.

Then she explained that she wanted to find a way to have a baby with Edward, and I fucking lost it. Not because it wasn't me (though obviously that was still a sore point I'd never admit), but because how stupid and selfish could she possibly be? It was hard enough having to get used to seeing my best friend live with vampires and hoping none of them would suddenly want a midnight snack, but a baby? It was completely irresponsible and dangerous to bring a baby into that environment.

"Bella, you can't…that's not…You're not thinking clearly." I stammered, realizing how hard it must have been for her to even admit it at all. I knew how fragile she'd been; I couldn't just stomp all over her feelings no matter how crazy they were.

I tried to start again.

"I mean, they support you on this? Edward, and the others?" I asked, incredulous.

"Yeah, they do. Their support is a big part of why I was finally able to realize why I've been dragging my feet on all of this," she admitted.

We'd had our differences, but I'd never actually taken the Cullens for stupid. This, this was stupid. Someone had to have told her that, right?

"But how…Bella, I get that you want a baby. That makes sense to me, and I think you'd be a great mom. But with him? In that house? How could you even think that would work?"

"I don't know, okay!" Bella's voice began to raise. "I don't know. For months all anyone has asked me is what's wrong and how am I doing and what do I need. Well, this is what I need!" she shouted. "We're going to figure something out."

Did she seriously want to lose another baby? Because as far as I could see, bringing a human kid into that house was another tragedy waiting to happen.

"The only thing to figure out is that it's not going to work. You're being selfish." The words came out of my mouth before I could stop them.

The look on Bella's face was a mixture of shock, anger, and hurt. Her voice faltered when she spoke again.

"I think you should leave," she said.

"I think you're right," I agreed.

I stood and headed for the back door. I couldn't wait to get out of these clothes and put a few miles between me and this whole mess.

I needed to leave before I said something else I couldn't take back, but something made me hesitate. I stopped in the doorway and turned back to look at Bella, really look at her. So much had happened to the girl I had fallen for two years ago. She'd been made an absolute emotional wreck by these bloodsuckers, first when Edward left her, and then again now. They were slowly destroying the girl I used to know, piece by piece. Maybe not physically, yet, but from the inside out. And she was so broken she couldn't even see it.

"Bella, you can hate me if you want, but I'm not ever going to tell you a lie you want to hear just to make you happy. Don't let yourself be fooled by a house full of yes men agreeing with you because they feel guilty for ruining your life. The Bella I know is smarter than that," I told her. "I know you know this is wrong."

I ran out the door and didn't look back. I didn't want to hear any other weak or desperate excuses she had been reassuring herself with. I didn't want to think about what would happen if Bella lost her mind and brought a fucking human baby into a house full of vampires. My body began to shake just thinking about it. It felt like I'd somehow made it to season five of some fucked up series that should have killed me off ages ago. I wanted to be done with it all.

I phased and took off into the woods and ran as fast as I could from the unmistakable sobs coming from the Cullen house.

That had been a week ago, and I was at a loss for what to do now. I knew I was right about all of it; there was no way Bella could bring a human baby into the Cullen house. But I also knew I had been really harsh on her and that she was going through a lot.

For what felt like the hundredth time, I thought about running and never looking back. Part of me knew I'd be better off and that I was some kind of sick masochist for sticking around. I thought for sure that Bella marrying the bloodsucker was supposed to cut that cord for me, but I had never really expected her to remain human for this long. I had gotten sucked back into her world over and over again in the name of being a good friend in a time of need. Bella's life had become a high-risk category of constant drama and need, and I never quite knew how to walk away. I knew I should probably just cut my losses and get out of it all before shit really hit the fan, but damn if I was going to leave her surrounded by a bunch of leaches that were so scared of hurting her feelings that they were going to let her go and do something that she could never take back. Something that would break her beyond repair when it went wrong.

Edward POV

I was upstairs when the shouting had started. I had been trying not to eavesdrop on their conversation up until that point, but my politeness had its limits, and I drew the line at sitting by idly as my wife was insulted. If Jacob had done something to upset Bella enough to make her raise her voice, maybe I needed to step in. I removed my headphones and tried to assess the situation before intervening.

I gathered that he at least had the sense to remove himself from the situation and decided that I didn't need to interfere. Bella had done a great job standing up for herself, and Jacob had been completely out of line with his comments. Surely he knew that Bella was in a fragile state. The last thing she needed was criticism and shame being heaped on her by someone whose opinion she valued a lot.

I was by her side in seconds when I heard her crying. She sobbed wordlessly into my neck and clung to my shoulders with both hands.

"Shh, shh, my love. You did the right thing," I assured her. "It's going to be okay."

I wanted to run after Jacob Black and shred him for hurting Bella like this. Instead, I held her in silence and let her sob until she finally relaxed and fell asleep in my arms.

I didn't go wolf hunting until a week later.

Jacob POV

I was out running alone to clear my head when I picked up on the scent, his scent. I should've known better than to run so close to the treaty line. Next time I wanted to clear my head, I'd take off somewhere with plenty of sun, a guaranteed leach-free zone.

"Jacob," I heard his voice call out before I saw him standing about thirty yards away near the tree line.

Are you lost? I thought at him. No need to change if he was just going to read my mind anyway.

"We need to talk," said Edward.

"We" don't need anything. There is no "we." Go home. Maybe rob a nursery on the way. Test out a few samples.

Edward ignored the comment.

"You had no right to speak to Bella the way that you did," said Edward. "Do you have any idea how badly she's hurting?"

Do you have any idea how badly she'll be hurting if she loses another baby because you all gave her the green light to bring a baby into your house?

"Trust me, dog, I know. We're trying to figure out an alternative plan."

And you're here whining to me about it because…?

"Because Bella has been inconsolable, and I'm pretty sure having her best friend yell and storm out on her didn't help."

Great. So somehow this was my fault in his screwed up mind.

"Actually yeah, this time it is. You need to go apologize to her. Make things right. She needs your support, not your judgment," Edward accused.

I phased, suddenly annoyed with the feeling of having a one-sided argument in my head. There was just something more satisfying about saying the words out loud and choosing the ones I wanted him to hear, even if he was going to dig in my brain anyway.

"Did you ever stop to think maybe there's such a thing as too much support?" I said out loud.

Edward's eyes narrowed at the accusation. "No, I don't," he said.

"Well I'm not going to go crawling back begging for forgiveness for telling her the truth," I said defensively.

I knew I was being stubborn about it. I wouldn't apologize for telling Bella the truth, but I knew I probably did owe her an apology for the way it had come out and the way I had left things.

"You do owe her at least that," Edward agreed.

"Look, obviously I could have handled it a little better," I conceded, "but you can't just give her false hope and tell her what she wants to hear to try to make her happy for another minute when all you're going to do is wind up disappointing her in the end. You can't possibly believe that you'll find a way to keep Bella AND give her a baby. I know you're not that stupid," I told him. "You have to know that what's best for her if she really wants a baby is for her to just leave this all behind and start over. Vampire-free."

"Don't think it hasn't crossed my mind every day since I came back for her," he admitted. "I don't deserve her, and I loathe myself for complicating her life. But this is what she wants. For some crazy, completely illogical reason, I'm lucky enough to be part of what she wants. And as long as that's true, I'm going to do everything in my power to make up for the sacrifices that she's making to be with me."

Oh, good. So they were both being selfish. Maybe they were meant for each other after all.

"Bella is not being selfish," Edward argued. "She doesn't need you to guilt trip her for choosing her own happiness, and it's not up to you to decide what makes her happy. Besides, I thought you of all people would be pleased that Bella is making strides to remain human for at least a little while longer while she figures things out, Jacob."

It didn't feel like much of a victory anymore, not really. Of course I didn't want her to be one of them, but dragging out the inevitable was just making it harder on everyone. Part of me just wanted the bandaid ripped off, one way or another, once and for all. I felt guilty for even thinking it.

"Do you think you could put those on?" said Edward.

"Huh?" I had no idea what he was talking about.

He gestured to the shorts still strapped to my ankle.

"What, am I making you uncomfortable?" I shot back.

I was so used to being naked around the pack that it hadn't even phased me to be standing there stark naked in the woods with him. What did he care anyway? Maybe he was intimidated or feeling inadequate. I smirked at the thought.

"Hardly," Edward answered my thoughts.

"Get out of my head," I spat back at him. I reached down and pulled the shorts on anyway. Wouldn't want to go on making him feel bad.

"Look," Edward changed the subject. "You don't have to agree with us, I just thought you should talk to Bella. You hurt her, Jacob, and you should know that she has all the same fears you do about this not working out," he said.

"Then why is she even thinking about going through with it?" I asked.

"Nothing has been decided. The more we try to discuss options, the more she resigns herself to believing it can't work. Perhaps if you had given her a chance, she would have shared that with you."

I wasn't sure how or when I went from feeling right to feeling like an ass, but suddenly I did.

Edward laughed.

"Is something funny?" I snapped.

"Nothing, I just know the feeling," he said.

I sighed and caved.

"Fine, I'll call her."

"Good."

"You should know I won't lie to her," I told him.

"I'm not asking you to," said Edward.

When I picked up the phone later, I knew I might as well have been picking up a fucking shovel. I just wasn't sure whose grave I was digging anymore.