The next morning we were getting ready to leave.

"Oh Bells, umm, do you have any plans for friday night?"

"Oh yeah, you know, football games, parties, the norm." I answered sarcastically.

"Alright smartass, I was just asking. I wanted to go to a new place that opened up in Port Angeles."

"Aww, Jake! You gonna take me on a date?" I said laughing.

"Umm, well, yeah….actually." He said softly, looking at me seriously.

I stopped and just looked at him, not really sure what to say. It both excited and unnerved me. My heart felt like it would explode and my face felt like it was on fire.

"Really?" And it came out as a squeak. I suddenly felt very nervous, and he looked it too.

"Uh, yeah, well, I mean, if you want to, but umm.."

"No! I mean yes!"

Wow, we were just so good at this.

"Yes, I would love to go on a date with you." I said confidently. Because I did. No matter how much I told myself that we were better as friends, I wanted to be with him more than anything. He looked up and met my eyes.

"Really?" He asked, like he wanted to believe me, but was afraid.

"Really." I answered. His smile nearly shattered his face and I found my own smile mirroring his.

"Great! Ok, well, umm, how about I call you tonight and we'll work out the details?"

"Sounds good!" I felt like I was vibrating from either excitement or nerves.

"Ok. Umm, so I guess I'll see ya Bells." He fumbled as he got on his bike.

"Bye Jake."

I think I stood there for five minutes solid after he rounded the corner. What just happened? We were going out? On a date? Wow, just, wow!

I didn't remember driving to school, or even going to my classes, but I must have been there, because I came home with a ton of work and no knowledge of what I was actually supposed to be doing. Thankfully I knew someone who did know.

"Hey Ange."

"Hey Bella, how's it going?"

"Pretty good. I have a really stupid question for you, our history homework, I wrote it down, but I don't remember a thing from class, what did we go over today."

Silence on the other end.

"Hello? Ange? You still there?"

"Bella, were you really at school today?" Her tone was slightly condescending.

"Umm, yeah, of course, why?"

"Because I wasn't, and apparently you didn't notice."

"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry Angela, I'm so sorry! What's wrong, are you ok?"

"Yeah, act like you care now." She joked. "It was just a migraine. It's gone for the most part, but I'm gonna need a better explanation of why you were mentally MIA today."

"Oh, yeah, that. Well, umm, Jacob sorta….asked me out." I held the phone away as she shrieked, only to be followed by moans of pain. "You're an idiot." I scolded.

"Ugh, I know. Ok, so tell me the details."

I left out the disturbing catalyst of why he had come over, but I told her about the conversation we had before we went to sleep, and then of him being all cute and awkward when he asked me before he left.

"So, are you over your whole 'save the friendship' stand?"

"No, but now this gives me a chance to talk to him."

"Geez Bella, you're gonna piss this one away."

"No I'm-"

"Yes you are! You are gonna keep on and on about it until he thinks you are just coming up with excuses to not be with him, because you don't like him like that. He's gonna back off, then you're gonna think he's not interested anymore, you won't communicate, and then BAM, you've lost everything."

"So basically, I'm screwed regardless."

"No you idiot, are you not listening to me? Ok, let's try this. Do you want to be with him? Plain and simple, would it make you happy to be with him?"

"It's not that simple though, there is this whole other side to us.."

"No, no, no! Stop with the friendship crap. Ok, let's say you knew that this was a forever thing. Once you were with him, you were stuck with him for life. I know you're too young, blah, blah, but since you aren't acting like a normal teenager and living in the present, you're not allowed to think like one right now. So, say you have a guarantee that this will last forever. Do you want it?"

My answer was immediate. There was no other option. And really, I'm not sure there ever had been.

"Yes. I want it. Absolutely." My voice was almost a whisper.

"Ok, now that you have finally admitted that, knowing that there actually is a real possibility, not a guarantee, but a realistic chance that it could last, do you really want to try to hang on to this friendship instead of taking the chance at being so completely happy?" I let out a heavy sigh and finally admitted to her what I had been afraid to admit to myself.

"Of course I want to take that chance, but the thing is, if I can't have him all for my own, I want to have some kind of relationship with him. I can't be without him completely. I guess, I'm afraid of losing all of it, so I feel like I need to hold onto the part I know is definite."

"That's just it Bella, it's not definite." She said softly. "If you let him go, he will eventually find someone else. Someone that makes him happy, someone that he gets along with as much as he does you, someone that will love him and be his best friend. Now, where do you fit into the equation?"

"I don't like this conversation." I could feel my eyes start to sting just considering the possibility.

"I know Bells, but I just really don't want to see you lose him. The two of you just fit so good together. You balance each other out and bring out the best in each other. You are perfect for each other. And I swear, if you let this slip by, I will beat you to death." I laughed at her now, but knew she was probably more serious than not.

"Thanks Ange. Thanks for cutting through the crap for me. You know me better than I thought." I heard her laugh on the other end.

"Well, I'm still pissed at you."

"Awe, come on, you know my mind was up in the clouds."

"I know, and I completely understand about that. I'm not mad because you didn't notice my absence. I'm mad you picked today of all days to not pay attention. Now I'm gonna have to call Jessica to get the stupid assignment."

"Oh. Please, please please don't tell her about this weekend! The last thing I want is the Spanish Inquisition tomorrow. Ooh! That was what we talked about today, the Spanish Inquisition! I remember now!"

"That was last week Swan. Geez, you're hopeless."

"Well, I tried. Call me when you find out?"

"I'll just have Jessica call you."

"I know where you live Weber."

After I finished talking with Angela, I got to thinking about what she had said about me and Jake, about how we were just so perfect together. How we fit together. I never got around to talking to him about what Leah had mentioned to me weeks ago. And I certainly didn't want to do it on our date, that would be weird. Maybe I could just talk to him over the phone? But was this something you brought up over the phone? I guess I could just talk to him in a few days, I just felt like this was something that needed to be cleared up before we went any further in our relationship though.

Thankfully I didn't have to wait too long on his call.

"Alright Swan, so what would you like to do tomorrow night?"

"Call me old fashioned, but isn't it the man's job to make that decision?" I teased.

"Hey, I've got to pay for this horse and pony show, you can at least carry your own weight here."

"Horse and pony show?"

"I don't know. Give me a break, I'm new at this."

"Yeah, sure."

"So what's for dinner tonight?"

"I decided to try out a homemade buffalo sauce, so I'm making boneless hot wings."

"You've got to be kidding! I come over and I get a blue box of mac and cheese. You're home alone and you're making hot wings. Can I express how crazy unfair that is? And that I'll be there in 15 minutes?"

"Woah! I don't think that's allowed, we're going out on a date tomorrow."

"Umm, this isn't a wedding, I'm allowed to see you before the date."

"Ok, but on the off chance of sounding weird here-"

"The off chance? That's pretty much a given isn't it?"

"Shut it Black. Ok, so there is a pretty good possibility that after tomorrow night, our relationship will be….different."

"And…?"

This conversation couldn't have been anymore awkward.

"But that doesn't happen until tomorrow night…." I continued.

"Ah, ok I get it. But I still want wings, so here's the compromise. I come over and eat wings, and we pretend that tomorrow night is not happening. We pretend tonight is just another night. Two friends, hanging out, nothing different."

I liked that idea. And maybe I could bring up the thing with Leah.

"Ok, sounds good. Now hurry or they'll be cold-"

The click of his phone cut me off.

Just under ten minutes later, he was knocking at the door.

"I should dock you three wings for driving like a crazy person." I said as I swung the door open.

"It's only fifteen miles." He shrugged as he pushed past me.

"It's raining."

"Which is the only reason I wasn't here in five." He smirked.

The wings were surprisingly good, usually I have to work out kinks in a recipe, but this one was fairly simple.

And it turns out, we're good enough friends to actually act like friends, because it was much less awkward than I thought it was going to be. Which boded well for my next topic.

"There's something I've been wanting to talk to you about." He froze, staring at me with fear in his eyes.

"Nothing good ever comes from a woman saying 'We need to talk'." He said, eyeing me. I couldn't help but snicker.

"No no, this isn't about you, well, maybe. I don't know, just listen."

I told him everything Leah had told me, about Sam, Quil, Jared, Paul and now Embry, which he confirmed Embry had indeed cut off his hair and was hanging out with all of them. He said they even all had matching tattoos now.

He got really quiet and had this faraway look in his eyes, and slowly got up from the table, and walked out of the kitchen into to living room.

"Jake, what's wrong?" I followed him into the living room. He was starting to worry me a little. He just sat down on the couch staring for a minute, and then he looked up at me, and he looked so much like a frightened little boy, and my heart broke for him.

"I'm so scared Bells." He said, just barely above a whisper.

I sat down beside him and wrapped my arms around him as he talked.

"It's everyone, all the guys around our age. They've just started changing and acting weird. It's true what Leah said, everything is true. I've noticed it too. I've mentioned it to dad, but he just acts like it's no big deal." He stopped and raised his head to look at me, fear marring his features. "What if I'm next?" his voice shuddered as he spoke. "Everyone that's older than me has already changed. It's like whatever it is, they've gone down the line, oldest to youngest, which theoretically makes me the next target. I don't know what it is, but I don't want any part of it."

I hurt for him so bad, I wanted to just take him away from all this. It was in that moment that I realized I would do anything for this boy. I would fight for him, and I would die for him.

I was in love with Jacob Black.

"Stay here tonight. Don't go back. Stay with me, and maybe we can figure this out."

He let out a bitter laugh.

"No, we won't. Embry noticed it before. He was on our side, said he didn't want any part of it. After he changed, he said we were wrong. Said he couldn't tell me the specifics, but we were wrong, and Sam was helping them. Man, doesn't that just sound like a cult? Why did Leah bring this up anyway." I dropped my eyes to my lap.

"She was warning me."

"Warning you? About me? Bella, I would never-"

"She said you would change, and you wouldn't have anything to do with me anymore. Just like Sam did with her." I had been fighting the tears up until this point, but it was a losing battle.

"Don't you trust me?" The hurt in his voice cut me.

"More than you'll ever know. But Leah trusted Sam, they were in love, and had been for a long time. And look what happened. I just, I just don't think I could…...I'm not as strong as Leah. I just don't know how I would function without you." I shook my head, still keeping my eyes down, away from him. "I know how pathetic that sounds…..."

Jake wrapped one arm around my shoulders pulling him to me, and the other hand lifted my chin.

"Even though I know you are, you don't have to be that strong. I would die before I let anything or anyone come between us."

And then he gently kissed me. In that kiss I felt his meaning and the love behind his words, and I knew he meant every word with everything in him. I kissed him back wanting him to feel that I trusted him, that I would be fighting too. This wasn't just him anymore, this was us.

"Stay with me." I whispered against his lips.

"Always."