The nightmares came back, worse now that Jacob was running extra patrols. She was trying to stay awake as much as possible, cooking and baking for the boys. Emily's house used to be the "home base", but now with two kids, she didn't have the time or energy to take care of everybody. Bella was fine with it, she found solace in baking.

She had gotten approval for the school and was going over lesson plans, although the younger ones here were already desperate for a distraction. She heard his boots in the hallways and set her laptop on the nightstand. She didn't know how she was going to approach both subjects she wanted to talk to him about..but she knew that they were both things that needed to be figured out sooner rather than later.

"Bells." He came over, kissing her softly before stretching out on the bed beside her. He looked exhausted and she almost reconsidered asking him, but he furrowed his brows at her pensive face and realized there wasn't any going back now.

"I… wanted to talk to you about something." She didn't look at him, just stared at her hands on the bed.

He sat up quickly. "Are you…" Her eyes flew up to meet his and she shook her head fast.

"No. No, Jake, I'm not pregnant." She chuckled slightly and grabbed his hand. "So I feel like I know the answer to one of these but I'm going to ask it anyways…" she trailed off, drawing circles on the inside of her palm with her finger.

"I wanted to know if I could get the school set up, and start teaching. I know it would be an extra patrol…but I just am losing my mind being cooped up in here all the time."

She heard him let out a breath and realized that he had been holding it. "I think we can manage something." He lifted her head to meet his gaze and warm pools met hers. "What else is it?"

"Well…" She was suddenly nervous trapped in his gaze and her teeth captured her lip. He stared at it for a moment, his eyes flashing before running a thumb over it, freeing it from its capture. "I-um...I was thinking…we sleep together all the time anyway. I didn't know if you wanted to just share a room, then we could have a room open with a few twin beds or something for the younger boys when they're over or whatever else you want to do with it." She realized she was rambling and when she looked back at Jacob he was grinning at her.

"I think…" He swept stray hairs behind her hair as he gazed at her. "That won't be much of a change than what we're doing already…on one condition." She raised her eyebrows at him. "We split this room, I like the windows." He grinned as he leaned in, his lips gently meeting hers. A smile played on her lips and she melted into him. She was so lost in him for a moment that she barely heard his phone ringing.

He pulled away from her reluctantly, eyes never leaving hers as he answered. His expression changed and he stood, gazing out of the windows. "Jake?" He turned, eyes meeting hers.

"What does that mean? What is a shield?" He looked confused for a moment, then startled as he stared at her. "How do you…" His voice trailed off as he listened. Who was he talking to? She furrowed her eyebrows at him, hoping for an answer and he stared back at her.

"Okay. Well…let me know if you hear anything else…thank you, Carlisle." And her mouth went dry.

They were basically already sharing a room and he tried to stifle his laughter when she asked about moving in together. They basically already were, although not officially. Yet it was such a Bella thing to ask. He was leaning into her when he heard his phone ring, contemplating letting it ring, he reluctantly answered staring at her beautiful face.

"Jacob? It's Carlisle." He stood, walking over to the windows as he listened. "I've been reaching out to a few friends of mine and it seems as though they think she's a shield."

"What does that mean? What is a shield?"

"My acquaintance believes that she is a Shield, well her power is which would make sense as to why Edward could never read her thoughts. It's like a form of protection."

He was confused for a moment, then startled as he stared at her. "How do you…"

"How do you use it? I'm not sure if she would be able to in human form..if she was one of us.." He trailed off for a second before finishing. "They can protect themselves, and others around them. Projecting their shield onto them."

"Okay. Well…let me know if you hear anything else…thank you, Carlisle." He was watching her the whole time, her expression startled as she heard the last word.

"Ca-Carlisle?" She looked completely bewildered and he felt guilty.

"I don't know how to say this…" He sat down next to her, contemplating how he would be able to come up with the words he was searching for. "Do you remember when Jasper called and wanted you to meet him? We were standing in the living room." He passed and she shook her head once in acknowledgment.

"There was this moment where it was almost like…like we were standing in a water bottle. This weird distorted, shimmering kind of look was around us. I didn't know what it was, and then you mentioned last night about some sort of bubble-it got me thinking and the only person I guess would have connections to get the answers I needed, was Carlisle."

"What? What did he say?" She looked nervous, but her eyes never left him. He was proud for a moment, with how far she had come and he couldn't resist touching her, drawing his fingertips across her cheek.

"He said that it sounded like you were a shield."

"What's that?".

"From his definition, it's somebody who can protect themselves and others. He said he guessed that's why Edward wasn't able to read your mind, and why Jane wasn't able to hurt you."

She laughed and stared at him. "This is a joke, right? I'm some sort of mythical person?" She threw her arms up in exaggeration as she gestured around the room. He raised his eyebrows at her humor.

"Well, you do have a strange tendency to draw the weird ones to you." He chuckled dryly and smiled at her.

"So how does this work, if it really is a thing?."

"I'm not sure, I have to get more information out of Carlisle, but from the sounds of it, you can protect yourself and others from mental attacks. Almost like a bubble."

She was silent for a moment and he watched her pick at her hands. "Can we try?"

"Try what?"

"To use my…" She stuttered for a moment. "My bubble."