A/N: Surprise! After all your fantastic reviews this just flowed out in two days. Enjoy!

Strip It Down Part 3

Three days later…

Jacob sat on the floor by his bed, his eyes locked on Bella's unconscious form as he tracked every shallow breath. Her fevered skin shone in the light from the bedside lamp, shivers wracking her body periodically, the only sound in the room besides the quiet beep of the medical equipment she was connected to. He hadn't left her side in two days, watching helplessly as she grew worse as the hours ticked by, barely eating when Sue brought him a plate and checked Bella's vitals. He hung his head, ears still listening to the woman he loved struggle to draw breath as her heart beat sluggishly, the sound both a comfort and agony for him. Gripping the ends of his hair he tried to focus through the fog of exhaustion, he wasn't sure when he'd last slept, going over the last few days for the millionth time.

He'd been horrified to learn of the attacks she'd been suffering when she'd finally told him, wondering if the spirits were punishing him in some way, immediately sending Quil to fetch his grandfather from the Makah reservation. He was the only one who could give them answers about the mark and Bella's reaction to it. He closed his eyes as he remembered that night, Bella had been cooking dinner, although he tried to convince her to rest, when she'd suddenly let out a cry of pain and crumpled to the floor. Billy had immediately called Sue, Jacob frantically trying to wake Bella as he had cradled her unconscious body in his arms. Sue had come right away, accompanied by Seth, Mikahla, and Leah, and run what tests she could. Unfortunately she couldn't give them any answers, it seemed Bella's body was fighting something and losing as it slowly started to shut down.

Jacob flinched, self-loathing rising in his chest as he clenched his fists at his side. He would never forgive himself if he couldn't save her, torn between the want to stay by her side and the urge to track down Old Quil and drag him back by his walking stick, Elder be damned. He bristled at the thought of the old man, his wolf rising enough to growl low in their chest, furious that he'd vanished without a trace. Shortly after Bella's collapse, Quil had returned reluctantly, apparently his grandfather hadn't been seen around the Makah reservation for several days. Last they could track; he'd been in their archives and then nothing. Not even Quil's wolf had been able to find his scent anywhere near the Makah or La Push reservations. He watched another shiver run over Bella's body; she was running out of time. Putting his face in his hands Jacob did the only thing he could and prayed for a miracle.

The atmosphere in Billy's living room was tense, the various members of the Pack milling about quietly, the rest of them out on patrol. Seth sat on the couch, Mikahla tucked into his side as he watched Damon talk with Jared. He'd kept a close eye on his imprint's brother, still not sure he was trustworthy, but hadn't seen any definite evidence yet. Liz was talking quietly with Emily and Kim, Sam listening to them while he stood at the window watching outside. The former Alpha was almost fully healed, Sue had advised him to avoid phasing a little while longer to be sure, and he could see it was starting to take its toll on the older man. Being cut off from their wolves was agony for a shifter, the urge becoming almost unbearable to the point of pain.

He was pulled from his thoughts as Sue came out of Jacob's room, carrying an untouched plate from several hours earlier, and shook her head when everyone looked to her. "There's been no improvement, she's getting worse."

Seth sagged slightly against the arm of the sofa, Mikahla curling into him as she sniffed back a sob. He could feel the despair in almost physical waves, emanating from their Alpha down the hall and washing over them. Several of the Pack let out whines, their helplessness weighing them down, and Paul pushed himself off the wall in the corner with a growl. "There has to be something we can do!"

Seth watched him warily, he'd been on edge even more so than usual the last several days, and they could all tell it wasn't just Bella's deterioration that was bothering him. No one dared to try and discuss it with him yet, their nerves were all stretched thin as it was, and Sam shot him a warning look. "There's nothing we can do Paul. We can't take her to the hospital, Sue can only do so much, and we don't know what is even wrong with her. All of us want to see her recover; snapping at Sue won't do any good."

Paul sucked in a deep breath, his eyes flashing gold, and stalked to the front door as he mumbled, "I need some air."

No one dared stop him, hoping he would cool off on his own, and Seth shook his head as he wondered what had gone on between him and Jen that was making him so explosive again. The witch hadn't been seen in days, no one could get her on her phone, and when Embry dared to ask Paul about it he'd received such a nasty look they were surprised he didn't drop dead right there. Seth wondered if she'd be any help, some kind of spell that would heal Bella or at least give them an idea of what was happening to her. He knew they could all hear her slowing heart beat and shallow breaths, their sensitive ears straining to hear any sort of change. Pulling Mikahla closer to him to try and draw any kind of comfort from his imprint he begged whatever spirits were listening for a miracle.

Paul stood outside in the driving rain, not caring that he was soaked from head to toe, trembling as he tried to hold himself together. He hadn't felt this out of control in a long time, his world was splintering apart and he could do nothing to stop it. His heart was torn, half over Bella, the woman who he now considered a sister, that had forced him to face his demons and move past them, who cared for him, was slipping away from them and no one could stop it. The other half focused all around Jen, although he tried his best to block that out, the pain so intense it nearly drove him to his knees. But the box was already open, the memories running loose in his brain.

He'd finally gotten her to talk to him, after they'd further exhausted themselves, begging her to help him make sense of the link between them. She'd given in, explaining what had happened the first night they'd been intimate, how she had unconsciously bonded them together with her magic. He'd listened quietly, watching her eyes so full of guilt and longing, pulling her close as he pressed his lips to her shoulder. She'd pulled back, frowning at him.

"Paul, didn't you hear anything I said? It was a mistake; I never should have done it. You are meant to be with someone else, you have an imprint out there!"

He'd growled, gripping her hips as he rolled her beneath him to stare at her face. "I don't care."

"You don't mean that. I've been trying to find a way to break the bond, undo the damage before it's too late."

He'd frozen at that, staring at her with hurt and anger on his face. "Why? Who said I want to imprint? All it's done in this Pack is cause problems. Jacob gets to choose who he loves, why shouldn't the rest of us?"

Jen gazed at him sadly, shaking her head as she'd pushed him away and he'd felt the sting of her rejection again. "That's not how it works Paul. Imprints are supposed to be your other half, be able to carry on the gene for the future of the tribe. I can't interfere with that, I have to break this so you can love her."

Grabbing her hand before she could get off the bed he'd pressed it over his chest, his heart pounding beneath the skin as he'd stared at her. "What about me? Don't I get a choice in this? What if I've already chosen who I want? It isn't just the bond blindly tying me to you Jen, there were feelings before that, I didn't know what they were then. But something inside me wanted you from the moment I saw you, even after you blasted me out of the air."

She'd let out a choked sob, ducking her head, and he'd reached out to tilt her chin up and meet his gaze. "All my life I've never been given a choice in anything, never been wanted by anyone. But you did want me, or this wouldn't have happened. So let me have this choice in my life. Let me choose you. Please Jen."

He'd watched her violet gaze, so intently he hadn't felt the heat in her palm until it was too late, her magic washing over him and sending him falling into darkness, her tear filled gaze the last thing he'd seen.

Paul snapped out of his memories with a snarl, blindly swinging his fist at the tree next to him in an effort to release some of the pain and anger he was drowning in. That had been three days ago, when he'd woken up several hours later Jen was gone and he hadn't been able to find her since. Her final rejection weighed heavily on him, threatening to crush him under its weight. He had hoped Bella would have some answers but now he was losing her too and it was all becoming too much. With a cry of rage and frustration he phased, tearing through the woods as he tried to outrun his pain and the violet eyes that haunted him.

Jacob awoke with a start, exhaustion having pulled him into a light doze, his gaze immediately snapping to Bella's face. She was still breathing, barely, and he slumped back against the wall. He could feel the lack of food and sleep taking its toll on him, but he was terrified to leave Bella's side, afraid that his presence was the only thing keeping her here. The helplessness was becoming too much and he felt a flare of anger rush over him, letting out a wordless cry as he lashed out at the wall. His fist went through the drywall, barely feeling the impact, and he heard pounding footsteps as people rushed for his room. The door flew open, admitting a panicked looking Sue who dashed to Bella's side, several Pack members hovering anxiously in the doorway. Sue let out a sigh of relief at seeing Bella still breathing, the others relaxing slightly as they looked to him in concern. He couldn't bring himself to meet their gaze, embarrassed he'd lost control when he was supposed to be the leader they looked to for guidance, and buried his face in his hands.

"Let me pass please." Billy's voice sounded from the hall, making Jacob flinch, and he kept his head down as he heard his father's wheelchair roll into the room. "Thank you Sue. Can you give us a minute?"

She murmured an answer, closing the door behind her and Jacob waited for his father to speak. "Jacob. Look at me son."

He slowly raised his head, shame at his weakness darkening his skin, and met Billy's gaze. Instead of disapproval in his eyes, he saw only compassion and his father leaned forward to clasp his hand on his shoulder. "It's okay Jacob. No one is disappointed in you. You've been far stronger than anyone else would have been in your place. You and Bella have gone through too much to lose each other now. We will find something; she is going to get better. Bella is a fighter, so are you. And you just need to focus on her and you for now. Even an Alpha is allowed time to grieve."

The conviction in his father's voice ignited the tiny spark of hope that had dimmed in his chest, feeling some of the weight lift off his shoulders, and he let himself be just Jacob for a minute as he clutched his father's hand, tears on their faces as they watched the unconscious girl fight to live.

Seth was leaning against the back of the couch, exhaustion coaxing him into a light doze, Mikahla stretched out beside him, when the front door flew open with a bang. The wolves were on their feet in an instant, bristling as they looked for the threat, and Seth could only stare open-mouthed at the rain soaked figure in the doorway.

"Where is Jacob and the Swan girl? I need to speak to them at once."

Old Quil bustled into the room, his grey-white hair a tangled mess beneath his dripping baseball cap, eyes bright as if with fever as he looked around impatiently. "Well? Is anyone going to answer me?"

Seth snapped out of his shock, a low growl of anger rumbling through his chest to be echoed among the other wolves, but before he could say anything Sue walked out of the kitchen. "Where. The hell. Have. You. Been?!"

Seth flinched out of habit, it wasn't often his mother used that tone but when she did everyone knew to duck. The normally sweet and caring woman was a force to be reckoned with when she was pushed too far. He watched from the sidelines, perfectly content to have his mother unleash her fury on the Elder. Old Quil frowned; Seth admired him for not quaking at the raging woman in front of him, and tapped his walking stick on the ground in agitation. "Doing research on some important subjects. Now where is young Jacob?"

Sue flushed darker in anger, jabbing a finger against the old man's chest as she waved her other hand at the occupants of the room. "If you had been where your grandson could find you, you would know the answer to that! We've been searching for you for three days, hoping you would have some idea of how we could save Bella's life! And you've been wandering around in the woods!"

Seth saw Old Quil pale slightly; leaning on his walking stick as he finally seemed to notice the somber mood of the room. "Miss Swan is unwell?"

Sue threw her hands up in the air, storming back to the kitchen with a huff, and Seth was half convinced she was getting a frying pan to beat the Elder with. Stepping forward he cleared his throat, nodding when Old Quil turned to him. "Bella's been unconscious for three days. Something's been wrong with her for longer than that, she told Jacob just before she collapsed. We've been trying to find you, hoping you would know something that could save her."

Nodding sharply the Elder straightened, looking around the room with a frown. "I was hoping she wouldn't be this bad before I returned, but there's still time. Where is the witch? We need her magic."

Seth swallowed, everyone looking very panicked, when Paul's voice rang out from the doorway. "I can find her. How long do I have?"

Old Quil turned with the rest of them to see the wolf slumping slightly against the doorframe, dripping water and blood from the healing scratches on his body. Emily looked concerned; moving to check him, but Paul waved her off and looked firmly at the old man. "How long?"

Leaning on his stick the Elder studied him for a moment, as if trying to see into the volatile wolf's head, and answered gravely. "If she is as bad as they are telling me, a few hours at most. I can try to give you more time, but in order to preserve her life I need the witch and her magic."

Paul nodded, straightening and vanished out the door with a determined look on his face, leaving Seth and the others to do nothing but wait.

Paul followed the slight pull in his chest, he wasn't sure exactly what it was that was telling him to go this deep in the forest but he was trusting it was the bond between Jen and himself. With the storm unleashing it's fury above he was without half of the senses he depended on, even in wolf form. He could barely see through the blinding rain, the occasional flash of light from above enabling him to see as he struggled against the wind. He wondered why he couldn't feel their connection earlier; maybe Jen had changed her mind? He growled as he shook the hope out of his head, she'd made her decision and he wouldn't let himself get his hopes up. Pushing on, the tug in his chest getting stronger, he could barely see the entrance to a cave in front of him. He paused, trying in vain to catch a scent, and huffed as he shifted back, yanking his cutoffs up his legs. He didn't bother to button them, the urgency of his mission foremost in his mind, and carefully eased his way under the low entrance.

The sounds of the storm were muffled outside the stone walls, giving his enhanced senses a reprieve from the over stimulation and he sucked in a deep breath. Sage and lavender filled his nose, his head jerking up as he moved deeper into the cave before he was conscious of the decision. He found himself in a dimly lit chamber, strange runes drawn over the stone as a fire burned low in the center, throwing sharp shadows across the room. He took this in in an instant, his gaze drawn to the woman kneeling in front of him by the fire as she chanted in another language. Her back was to him, but he would recognize her platinum blond hair, tipped in green today, her tattoos on her arms swirling in designs he had memorized with his fingertips only a few days before. He held himself back; wanting nothing more than to feel her pressed against him, and cleared his throat to get her attention.

Jen spun to face him, her pale face and tear-filled violet eyes causing a sharp stab of pain and he found himself exhaling as if he'd been punched in the stomach. Her eyes widened, freezing as she knelt in front of him, the same agony he'd felt for three days reflected in her eyes. "Paul…what are you…how did you find me?"

He swallowed before answering, trying to get a grip on his warring emotions, and tapped his chest. "I don't know. I just knew where you were."

She rubbed her own, frowning slightly, and he forced himself to focus. "I need you to come with me."

Jen shook her head, slowly rising to her feet. "I can't. I have to finish this tonight."

He looked around at the cave, frowning slightly and his gaze came back to rest on her as a dull pain throbbed in his chest. "You found a way to break the bond."

She bit her lip, avoiding his eyes, and he clenched his jaw as he couldn't help the growl that rolled through him, echoing in the chamber and making her flinch. "Paul…"

He held up a hand, her broken whisper grating on his pain, and snapped, "Save it. There are more important things going on right now, which you'd know if you quit thinking of yourself for a minute."

Her mouth dropped open, anger replacing the guilt in her eyes and she glared at him as she rested her hands on her hips. "I'm thinking about you, idiot. And what are you talking about?"

He scoffed at her statement, shaking his head which seemed to irritate her further, and gestured to the backpack against the far wall. "If you'd turn your phone on you would know. Bella is dying, from something, and now that Old Quil has finally reappeared he says he can help her but he needs you and your magic to save her. So you can finish your little spell later, now you need to come save your friend's life."

Jen stared at him, a horrified look on her face, and whispered, "What do you mean Bella's dying?"

He shrugged, the helplessness he felt weighing him down as he sagged against the wall. "I don't know. She's been unconscious for three days. All I know is you and Old Quil are the last hope she has, and Jacob can't lose her again. We can't lose her. She's pulled us together somehow, we need her. Please Jen."

Her hand reached out slightly, as if to comfort him, but she pulled it back as she gestured at the symbols on the cave wall helplessly. "I've been trying to finish this for two days. If I stop now, I won't be able to do it for another three months. We'll still be tied together."

He sneered at that, crossing his arms as he schooled his face into a stoic mask. "So? You've made your opinions on the issue clear enough. Bella is more important, for her life I think I can manage to ignore you for another three months. You've done it for three days no problem, it must be easy."

She flushed at that, in anger or hurt he couldn't tell, and turned her back on him. "Fine. I'll stop the spell then."

He leaned back against the wall, watching as she muttered some words and tossed some powder into the fire in front of her. The energy in the cave changed, nearly knocking him off his feet as he felt the tie between them snap together, the weight on his chest lifting. Jen sagged to the floor, he was beside her before he was aware of moving, and let her lean against him as he peered at her face. "What's wrong?"

Her features were pale and drawn, sweat beading on her forehead and she gasped out, "The spell must've been using more energy than I thought. Cutting it off like that kept me from reabsorbing it. I don't have enough to do a little spell now, much less what Bella needs."

Paul sucked in a breath, thoughts racing, and he spent only a second considering his options before he suddenly pressed his lips to hers. Jen let out a muffled yelp, shoving him away weakly, and she glared at him. "What the hell was that?!"

He steadied her, gripping her shoulders as he scowled at her. "You need energy. Bella needs you. Take it from me."

Her eyebrows shot up, an incredulous look on her face and he gave her a sharp look before she could protest. "You know it's the only way. Don't think I'm happy about it either. But Bella is more important. Now take it."

He could see the angry defeat in her eyes, mixed with the same desire he could feel rising in him, and he growled as she pressed her lips to his. Their two times together had been a mix of desperation and feverish want, but this was neither, their lips and teeth clashing in an angry kiss that he found more of a turn on than he expected. He could feel, just like the first night together, her drawing energy from him, like a gentle flow of water over his skin. Heat flared under Jen's hands where they gripped his shoulders, and he grunted at the mix of pain and pleasure, trying not to get too carried away as he dug his fingers into her thighs. Somehow he had missed her straddling his legs, now pressed firmly against him as she angled her head to deepen the kiss, swallowing the groan he couldn't hold back. Her hands moved from his shoulders to his chest, one resting over his heart, and he felt the pull of energy grow stronger.

Being a wolf meant he had more energy than the average human, but even he could feel it draining him, realizing Jen had been worse than she let on. He moved one hand to tangle in her hair, the short, silky locks sending a shot of want through him, and he pulled away just enough to growl, "Don't hold back."

She locked eyes with him, her gaze hooded with desire, and he felt her draw a final measure of energy from him, his heart skipping a beat, and she pulled away abruptly, breathing hard. Paul slumped to the floor, feeling his body shaking with exhaustion and darkness clouding the edges of his vision. Jen's hands felt frantically for his pulse, her gasps muffled over the pounding in his head. "Paul! Paul can you hear me?"

He groaned softly, he felt like he'd pulled double patrols for a week with no rest, and she choked back a sob. "I'm sorry, I took too much. I need to give it back."

She tried to place her palms on his chest and he reached up to grasp her hands and he forced his head up, meeting her frenzied gaze. "Do…you have enough…to save Bella?"

She started to protest and he gave her a sharp look, watching as she nodded slowly. "Good… Go. She's running…out of time."

He could feel his strength returning sluggishly, it would be hours and require a feast and half a day's sleep to fully recover but he was pretty sure his heart wasn't going to stop anytime soon. Jen watched him, torn between wanting to help their friend and staying with him, and he watched her seem to come to a decision. "I can't make it back in time, I hiked out here. I need you to be able to phase to get me there in time. Let me give a little back."

He gave her a dubious look, not sure she was being entirely truthful, but remembering the storm outside he sighed and gave in. He let her raise his head, not missing the tear track down her face, pressing one hand over his heart as she pressed her lips to his. While the last kiss had been all anger and taking, this one was soft and giving, the energy flowing back over his skin with a gentle caress. He clenched his hands, trying to keep himself from giving into what he knew he couldn't have.

When he felt he had just enough to phase and run back to Jacob's he pulled away, the sense of loss hollow in his chest. Jen looked away quickly, stepping back as he staggered to his feet and headed for the entrance, desperate to breathe fresh air and clear the pounding need from his body. He could feel her trail behind, the bond between them practically vibrating with the freshness of their energy sharing. He scowled at that, knowing it was going to make holding himself in check much harder. As he ducked out of the cave he was surprised to find the storm had stopped, quiet reining between the trees, broken only by water dripping down. He glanced at Jen, realizing her spell must have caused the storm, and shrugged it off as he stepped back, dropping his short just as she turned to face him.

He paused, seeing the blatant desire as she sucked in a deep breath, clutching the strap of her backpack. Turning away he let the familiar heat roll over his skin, bursting into his wolf before staggering slightly to the side. The energy drain was much more than he was expecting, his vision blacking out for a moment, and he shook his head as he steadied his feet beneath him. Jen touched his shoulder gently, concern on her face, and he shook his head as he dropped to his belly so she could climb on, waiting until she was balanced before he pushed himself up and shot forward into the forest.

Jacob stared at Old Quil, a mix of shock and horror stealing his ability to speak as he tried to comprehend what the Elder had shared with him. According to him, when Bella had been bitten by James and Edward had sucked the venom out to prevent her change he missed some, intentionally or accidently they weren't sure. Not enough to change her, the venom had simply lay dormant, trapped in the bite mark on her wrist that he remembered now was always cooler than the rest of her skin. Knowing the marking from Jacob was almost certain, he'd started looking into that as well, leading him to the Makah archives and somewhere along the way, the old man was a bit fuzzy on the details of exactly how, had discovered more information on the two marks Bella now carried. When the saliva from Jacob's bite had mixed with the vampire venom from her wrist it had caused a fight between the two. They all knew vampire venom was lethal to shifters, one of the few things that could kill them, and it seemed to be drawing strength from the shifter DNA in an attempt to turn Bella. If that failed, her body would simply give out from the strain.

The living room was silent, the storm outside having abruptly stopped a short while ago, and he could feel the disbelief from the other occupants. He barely heard Old Quil and Billy discussing the next step, something about needing Jen, and his head shot up. "Why do you need her?"

Old Quil scratched his forehead under his hat, a measure of sympathy in his eyes as he looked at Jacob. "I believe the only way to save her is through the witch's magic. I found some mention of them in the Makah records; she should be able to draw the venom out. Without her, there's very little we can do."

Despair nearly choked him, gripping his knees as he tried to breathe. Paul had been gone for over an hour, not telling anyone where he went, and no one had been able to reach him through the Pack mind. Jacob was close to losing it, Bella's soft exhales in the other room becoming fainter with each minute that passed. He looked to Billy, desperate for any kind of reassurance, and his father gave him a helpless look. He was ready to go search for Jen himself when the front door burst open, the frantic witch appearing in the doorway as her gaze darted around the room. Old Quil leapt to his feet, his spryness surprising everyone, and eyes alight with relief. "Thank the spirits. Come young lady, there's much for us to do and very little time."

Jacob leapt to his feet to follow them, and growled when Old Quil put his hand up. "I'm sorry young Alpha. You must stay here. In fact, you should go outside."

"The hell I will! I'm not leaving Bella!" Jacob could feel the shaking in his arms, his desperation making him see red as he glared at the old man.

"I know you want to be with her. But this is not going to be a pleasant experience for anyone, especially young Bella. It is better that you remain outside, with your Pack to restrain you if need be. We don't have time to deal with you losing control in the middle of this, even if it is an attempt to help her. Let us work in peace, the quicker we work the faster you can be reunited with her."

Jacob was torn, his eyes darting down the hall as he fought the urge to run to Bella's side, and Embry clasped his shoulder from behind. "Jake, we're here for you. You know what Bella would say."

He hung his head in defeat, knowing they were right, and forced himself to turn away as Old Quil pulled Embry aside and spoke to him in a low voice. The Pack followed him out, a heavy silence hanging over them, Embry the last one as he shut the door. Looking at his packmate he saw the nervousness in his gaze and he jerked his head. "What is it Em?"

Scratching his neck as he stared at the ground Embry sighed before meeting Jacob's gaze, wariness and an apology in his eyes. "Old Quil…he suggested that you…Alpha order me…all of us…not to let you in the house until he's done."

His heart clenched at that, why would the Elder suggest such a thing, but figured it was just in case he got too worked up. "Fine. All of you do not let me inside, even if I order you to, until Old Quil gives the all clear."

He hated the Alpha timber that rolled through his voice, seeing all the wolves tilt their heads to the side in submission as they murmured their agreement. He relaxed slightly, sure that the precaution would be unnecessary; when the first of Bella's screams rent the air.

A/N: Well, that was exciting! I really had a different idea when I started the story but the characters seem to have taken over. Like Jen and Paul. But it seems to be for the best! Hope you enjoyed and it made sense, let me know what you think!