BPOV

"Can you hand me a mixing spoon, please?" I asked Jake as I put together something for dinner. Jake handed me a wooden spoon and I mixed the mac and cheese with the ground beef, cheesey sauce and salsa before pouring it all into a casserole dish and topping it with grated cheese. Billy sat in the living room with my dad who came to join us. He could only stay long enough to eat then he had to go back in to work to help deal with the wildlife problem. He promised that he'd stay safe though.

Jake came up behind me and sniffed the air. "Smells delicious."

"Well it just needs enough time to melt the cheese so I won't leave you starving for long." I said, about to pick up the dish and place it in the oven.

Jake put his hands around my waist and kissed my exposed neck gently. "I was talking about you." He slowly traced my neck with his nose before kissing once more, just behind my ear. I whimpered. Where the hell did that come from? My breathing quickened as I felt something rising inside me. I tried to shake off the feeling but Jake took my messy bun in his hand and tilted my head with a gentle pull to give him better access to my neck. Then he took a small nip at my neck and I moaned. I moaned? Oh God! I hope my dad couldn't hear me. Why the hell was I being so vocal?

"Jake?" I said quietly. His free hand played with the hem of my shirt and I felt like mush. "I um... I need…"

"Yeah honey? What do you need?"

Holy… the desire that just dripped from his words was obvious even to oblivious me and it nearly undid me. Too soon. Too soon. Take a deep breath Bella. I breathed in deep which didn't help. The way Jake smelled made me delirious. Out Bella, breathe out. I shook my head and shoulder, pushing him slightly away and listened to my brain. Out.

"The food won't cook itself. My dad has to leave soon."

Jake growled at that but sat at the table, giving me the space I needed to get the food in the oven. After it was placed in the oven, I went to walk past Jake and head into the living room but he stopped me, spun me around and sat me on his lap.

"Jake!" I quietly squealed.

"Oh Baby, say my name again." Jake whispered in my ear, sending a chill down my body leaving goosebumps oddly on just the side he whispered into. I had to take a deep breath because if I didn't, my automatic reaction would have given him exactly what he wanted.

"That was a great game." I heard Billy say loudly from the living room. I hopped off Jake's lap and smoothed my clothes. When Billy wheeled himself into the kitchen with Charlie behind him, he winked at Jake. He must have been loud as a warning. Good thing too because if Charlie had caught me on Jake's lap, I couldn't imaging how awkward that would be for either of us.

The two men sat down and before I could even offer them some beers from the fridge, forgetting that my dad was about to head in to work so he couldn't drink, the timer on the oven went off.

Having dinner at Billy's seemed to be a habit we were making and it was one that I loved. When the four of us were together it was like a big family. There was happiness and teasing and laughter and it made me hopeful for my future. Of course some people thought the future was theirs to control…

DING

I pulled my phone from my pocket to find a message from Alice.

/Bella, it's getting late. When will you be meeting us at the treaty line? I can't see you and you know how uneasy that makes me feel./

I tapped reply as I listened to Jake talk to Charlie about Harry's health and that he would be home by next weekend.

/If you feel so uneasy, get Jasper to calm you. I'll be staying in La Push again tonight and tomorrow./ SEND

DING

Well that was fast, I thought to myself.

/Fine. What time will you be crossing to go to school Monday morning?/

/I broke my wrist. Having my school work emailed to me./ SEND

DING

"Jeez honey, quite the popular one tonight aren't you?" Jake smirked at me which helped calm my nerves.

"It's Alice. She wanted to know when I'd be home, likely to know when she could kidnap me." I looked down at my phone, Jake looked too.

/Those angry wolves Bella. They aren't good for your health. We can keep you safe here. No risks of broken wrists./ She ended it with a side eyes emoji and I shook my head at her tantrum.

/You mean like the entire reason you left in the first place? Jasper losing his shit and almost killing me on my 18th birthday? The party YOU forced me to go to?/ To copy her, I ended with an eye roll emoji. SEND

"What?" Jake snapped, beside me, his whole body shaking and his body looked blurred as he fought with his body to stay on two legs.

"It's ok Jake. I'm here. I'm good. Nothing's changed." My voice came out calmer than I was feeling as I tried to help Jake keep his cool. It seemed to be working until my phone DINGed one more time. "Stay with me, Jake. Please baby?" Did I really just call him that? And in front of our dads? I could die of embarrassment if it weren't for how well it worked. Jake took deep breaths, his body still shaking but his outline didn't seem to blur anymore. "That's it." I rubbed his arm and gave a small squeeze to his massive bicep and his eyes closed as his breathing calmed.

"Jacob?" My dad asked.

"He's fine." I responded, pulling on Jake's arm to let him know he should stand, and he did. "We're just going to go outside for a few, let him cool down a bit. Keep eating, enjoy it while it's hot." Jake and I walked outside and as I was closing the door I heard my dad say something about Alice saying something to upset Jake.

When we got outside Jake started pacing. "I want to know everything. Will you tell me what happened?" Oh my amazing Jacob. I loved how he respected me. No forcing me to talk, no threatening the Cullen's, he was so kind.

"Ok." DING. I closed my eyes and breathed deep as my phone's notification sound stopped. "I didn't want a party, not even a little bit. It was just another reminder that while I was getting older, Edward was stuck at 17 forever, and I was officially older than him. Alice knew I wanted nothing to do with a party, and hated the thought of presents. I felt… unworthy of their generous gifts. And Edward of course ignored my wishes and promised her he'd bring me over later in the day. Now, try and stay calm through this story because I WILL be saying things that you won't like to hear but you have to know that I was a dumb horribly stupid girl. I had no idea what love was or how to make a proper decision about my own future." DING

"I'm trying but that damn phone isn't helping anything."

I turned my phone on silent and continued to explain everything that happened. "I wanted to be with Edward, for as long as possible which meant, I wanted him to change me." Jake struggled to keep calm, his teeth clenched and his fists tight at his side's causing his knuckles to go white. "Edward refused. He wanted nothing more than to keep me human."

"Wow, something I can actually respect about the guy."

"Anyways Emmett, Rosalie and Jasper gave me my stereo system that you saw mangled in the truck. And Alice and Edward… when I went to open their present, I got a paper cut. Jasper was never good with human blood and always kept his distance with me as a precaution because it was just harder for him in general. Well the second my blood dripped out of my skin, all bets were off. Fending off Jasper caused me to collapse into a glass table, more cuts, more blood, room full of vampires. Carlisle kept his calm and ordered everyone around him trying to keep me safe. They took Jasper out and got any glass out and me all patched up. That was when Edward decided being here was too dangerous for me and they left. Not that night. A few days later and he barely walked into the woods. I… I tried to follow him when he left which is how I got lost."

"Wait, Miss-I-Can-See-The-Future never saw your paper cut coming or what happened next? How is that even possible? Isn't Jasper her mate, wouldn't her visions be like, hyper fixed on him or something?" Jake asked and I realised he was right. None of it made any sense.

"Oh God, do you think maybe she wanted it to happen, maybe… maybe she was hoping I'd get turned?" The past year of my life flashed in front of me, looking for any details that this could be true and everything I saw, everything put me in harm's way. Alice should have seen it. Should have seen James when she invited me to baseball. Should have seen James bite me when I went to Phoenix and that he was tricking me. She was just a few seconds too late when he bit me. She had that vision just before we left. What all did she hide from me? "It makes so much sense. Everything that's happened. It's all been Alice pulling the strings. She's even the one who convinced Edward to come back here. How could I have been so stupid?"

"Honey, she's a what? Hundred year old vampire who can see the future? Pretty sure stupidity has nothing to do with her playing you."

"Roughly, yeah, a hundred year old mental patient."

"Woah, what?"

"That's what James said. He was after her while she was a patient at an asylum for her visions. They said she was crazy. He wanted her. He took me because someone saved her, by turning her which he hated because he couldn't get a chance to taste her blood anymore. So he took me from them like she was taken from him."

"So this guy had beef with Alice and somehow she never saw that coming? I don't buy it for a second. Edward, however, oddly enough he seems the most normal. I hate myself for saying it but he actually cares for you. He left to keep you safe. Not sure if the rest of them are that good but obviously Rosalie has a conscience too. Maybe it's just the ones Carlisle didn't change himself? Does he have that big of an influence over his children?"

"As you know, some vampires are gifted with abilities, like Alice, Jasper and Edward. I always thought Carlisle's ability to be around human blood was his, but maybe it's more than that. Maybe his compassion creates compassionate vampires. He passes his ideals onto those he creates. Emmett and Esme are amazingly kind and… I can see it now, Rosalie. I always thought she hated me but I think she just wanted me to stay human, something she never got."

"That… kind of makes sense." I knew Jake hated the thought of understanding a vampire but he needed to know that not all of them were bad.

"I think we should set up a meeting with the entire household. Tomorrow? During the day."

"Hey, if you think that's best, I am right there with you. No way am I going against your gut anytime soon." Jake winked at me and smiled. I'm glad he was calm.

I pulled my phone out of my pocket and found five new messages from Alice and one from Edward. I decided to check Alice's first.

/That's different and you know it. Jasper is good now./

I shook my head, no he was not.

/I need you safe. Please just let us help you./

/Are you okay, Bella? Why aren't you answering? Has that dog done something to you?/

/Bella, please. I'm worried about you. I can't see your future and I hate that so much./

/If I don't hear back from you, I'm coming down there, treaty be damned./

I sighed to keep calm and looked at the message from Edward.

/Alice is worried. She's acting irrational. Could you please just message back so she doesn't do anything stupid?/

I hit reply.

/Edward, I'm fine. I want to meet, the whole family at the treaty line tomorrow at noon. I'll see you then. Tell Alice to chill out until then. Phone's dead. See you tomorrow./

Send. I turned my phone off to keep up the ruse and put it back in my pocket. Just then my dad and Billy appeared in the doorway.

"So Billy told me about Sam and Leah." Charlie said, like learning that there was also magic was somehow just another day at the office.

"Uh yeah. Actually I meant to talk to you about that. I have a feeling Leah will be a bit preoccupied tonight and I know I'm an adult and don't need your permission, but I wanted to know if you'd be ok with me staying here. I'd sleep on the couch."

"No you will not." Billy chimed in shocking all of us before clarifying. "I tidied up the twins old room. She can stay in there." I smiled then turned to my dad with a hopeful smile on my face.

"Given the circumstances, it would be stupid to ask you to go to Leah's when she might not even be there to help keep you safe. Just please, Bella, don't do anything…. Questionable."

"Dad, I'm not a kid, I think I'll be ok. Thank you." He walked to his cruiser and as he hopped in I yelled, "Have fun at work!" like I had no idea he was fake hunting wolves or giant bears while also trying to avoid killer vampires, actual giant wolves and a family of somewhat friendly vampires that also wanted to kidnap me. Just another Sunday.