Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of it's characters. They belong to the always awesome Stephenie Meyer.

AN: I am going to take a few minutes to do something that I don't normally do, but I have to give credit where it is due. I was feeling a little self-deprecating when I updated one of my stories a few weeks ago and one of you guys called me out on it. Dottyanne is someone that I have had many conversations with and she is a delightful person. She also has a story that I am in the middle of reading and I wanted to recommend it to you guys because it is phenomenal. I know a good writer when I see one and she has real talent. Her story Guilty is one of the best that I've read recently. So I encourage all of you to go and read it. You'll be sorry if you don't because it's that good.

Nothing could prepare Bella for what happened once the Cullen's and the pack started preparing for their unwanted visitors. She was wracked with guilt. A thousand questions ran through her mind and all of them had the same answer: She was just as gullable as a damsel in distress in one of the many bad horror movies that Jacob had forced her to watch in the early stages of their friendship.

She felt like a sitting duck with a neon arrow pointing at her with the words 'you're next' flashing over her head. Jacob wasn't letting her be a part of the planning process and she was being watched twenty-four/seven. The only good thing to come out of the situation was that Jacob and Edward were getting along.

Jacob was running himself ragged every night. He was losing his focus in school and his grades were starting to suffer because he found himself falling asleep at school at least once a day. He was piling more responsibility on himself than anyone else and it was starting to take a toll on him.

Bella worried about Jacob whenever they weren't together. She was losing sleep and she had kept Charlie up the last two nights in a row with all the noise she was making. He found her vacuuming the living room at two 'o clock one morning when he'd decided that he'd had enough. He unplugged the vacuum and she whirled around in surprise.

"Did you forget that there are people sleeping?" he asked tiredly.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't sleep," she said apologetically with a sigh.

"Trust me, I know. You're lucky that Bec can sleep through anything."

"But I can't," Billy called from the spare room.

Bella drug a hand through her hair nervously before sitting on the couch. She placed her hands in her hair as she felt her throat tighten. She was not the type of girl who cried over the smallest thing. Her lack of sleep was starting to wreak havoc on her emotions. She could hear Charlie in the kitchen running water then rummaging through the cabinets. He put something in the microwave and three minutes later it beeped to let Charlie that it was ready. He brought Bella a cup of tea so hot that it had steam billowing from it. He cradled his phone between his shoulder and ear but the person on the other end was talking in hushed tones.

She took the tea and placed it on the coffee table knowing that it was too hot to drink. Charlie hung up with a sigh a few seconds later.

"Please tell me that you didn't call Jake," she grumbled.

"No, I called Dr. Cullen, he's sending one of his boys over. He said he'd be able to help you sleep. He didn't tell me why though."

"Is it Edward?"

"No, the one that was with him the day Jacob told me the truth. The blond one, his name starts with a J, right?"

"His name is Jasper."

"How will he be able to help you to sleep?"

"He can control people's moods; he's an empath."

"Ah," Charlie said with a nod.

Charlie urged her to drink her tea before going back upstairs. She went to check on Billy and apologize for waking him up.

"It's alright. I'm worried about him too. Get some sleep and you'll feel better," he said with an easy smile.

She sat at the table drinking her tea when headlights flashed through the window. She set her cup in the sink before making her way upstairs. Jasper was already sitting in the rocking chair, shrouded in darkness. She knew better than to say anything because odds were that he wouldn't say anything back. She heaved a heavy sigh as she got comfortable underneath the covers.

"Sleep well, Bella," Jasper encouraged her soothingly.

She felt all of her weariness and fatigue leave her and peace and calm replaced them. She was asleep within minutes. She never heard Jacob come in or Jasper leave at dawn. She slept through Jacob climbing into bed with her and wrapping his arms around her in protection. He didn't like being put into a situation where he had to fight for her safety again but he did not blame her for it. He would defend her without complaining and when it was over they were going to have a long talk about what would happen in the future.

XXXX

Rachel had woken them up early the next afternoon so that Jacob could go to a meeting with the Cullen's. Bella saw Seth, Brady, and Colin in the front yard while Rachel explained to her that they had plans.

"Do these plans include my entourage?"

"You know they do. You need to take your mind off of things."

"Can I get something to eat first? My stomach is starting to claim mutiny."

"You can eat where we're going. The sooner you change the sooner we can leave," Rachel said, gently pushing her up the stairs.

"What about Rebecca and your dad?"

"Bec decided to stop playing the invalid card. She's gonna stay with him. Hurry up," she ordered her.

Bella changed quickly and was downstairs in five minutes. The boys were as excited to see her as she was to see them. Seth, Colin, and Brady reminded her of a younger Jacob, Quil, and Embry. They climbed into the bed of Paul's truck while the girls rode shotgun. Bella hadn't spent much time with Rachel since Jacob had come home. She felt guilty because Rachel had become one of her closest friends; much to Paul's dismay.

"Where are we going?" Bella asked over the roar of wind rushing into the cab.

"Sam and Emily's. You need a girls day."

She did need a girls day, a day where she didn't have to think or worry about what was going on. Soon, they were pulling into Sam and Emily's yard. Sam was working on his jeep and nodded politely as the girls passed. Emily was sitting on the porch wrapped in a thin blanket and the girls sat with her.

"What is it about guys working on cars that is so intriguing to a girl?" Rachel asked.

"The fact that they can fix something with their bare hands. Right Bella?" Emily asked.

"She's right. I could watch Jake work on the Rabbit for hours."

"I rest my case and since you asked that question that tells me that Paul knows nothing about cars which is hilarious. Now, can the two of help me up? I should have listened when Sam told me I'd have trouble getting up," she said with a sigh.

"I've got her," Sam said before Bella and Rachel could reach for Emily.

In the house Bella got her fill of blueberry pancakes and maple flavored sausage. Rachel and Emily watched her devour three plates before she decided that she was full.

"Don't look at me like that. I hadn't eaten in over twenty-four hours," she said impishly.

"Jacob's not eating either, at least not while he's here," Emily admitted.

"Today's the first time I've seen him in days. He's usually asleep when I wake up and when I get home he's gone."

"This will be over soon. I overheard Sam and Jacob talking last night. It's supposed to be happen this weekend."

"Maybe you and Jake could go and visit your mom after this all blows over," Rachel thought out loud.

"That'd be nice," Bella agreed.

The subject was changed and Bella let herself relax and enjoy a few hours of girl time. The last time she'd done anything like this had been before she and Edward had gotten engaged. She really needed to unwind more often. Rachel left to go to work and Emily turned the conversation back towards her and Jacob.

"Stress aside, how are the two of you doing?"

"Good, I guess. It's not easy keeping the fact that we share a bed every night from my dad. It's good to be able to see him every day again," she said with a small smile.

"He was making the transition to Alpha when all of this happened. With all that's going on Sam thinks he's having second thoughts," she admitted.

"I wouldn't know. He doesn't talk to me about it," Bella said quietly, looking down at the table.

"What's going isn't your fault. You have to know that," she reassured her.

"It is my fault. I knew what I was getting into before Edward and I started dating, I just didn't care," she said with a sigh.

"People do crazy things to protect the people that they love when they're in danger. You, Jacob, and your ex are living proof of that. Jacob loves you so much that he's willing to risk everything. Sam is the only person that I've ever loved like that. I can't imagine what you've been through," she said in astonishment.

"Hell, this is my fourth time now," she answered with a tight smile.

"Is it okay that we're talking about it?"

"It is, you've given me a different perspective on things."

Emily smiled sadly before placing a hand on Bella's. Bella flipped her hand over and linked their fingers together. She had finally found someone who understood what she was going through and was willing to let her vent. She would find a way to thank Emily, even if it took her the rest of her life.

XXXX

If Jacob didn't stop what he was doing he wouldn't be able to face the Volturi. Sam understood that Jacob had a lot of going on but torturing himself wasn't the answer. He asked Seth to pass a message to Jacob to let him know that he needed to talk to him.

Jacob showed up at Sam and Emily's just in time for dinner. The smell of Bella's chicken parmigiana hit him in the face and his mouth watered at the prospect of eating a home cooked meal. Bella must have given Emily the recipe. He phased and dressed quickly and was greeted by Bella as soon as he stepped inside. He held her tightly, glad that she was there. Sam came down the stairs and Emily stepped through the back door silently.

Sam set the table while Emily pulled dinner out of the oven. The guys ate quietly while Bella and Emily made idol chatter.

"You'd think that the two of you would have run out of things to talk about," Sam stated.

"Honey, we're girls. We'll always find something to talk about," Emily said with a roll of her eyes.

"Can you stay here for a while? I want to talk to you about something," he informed Jacob.

"Sure."

"Great! You two can talk while you clean the kitchen," Emily said brightly.

"Looks like we walked right into that one," Jacob said with a light laugh.

"Come on Bella, I'll show you my plans for the garden."

Jacob knew something was up as soon as he walked in but he had brushed it off. Sam had used Bella as a buffer and now that she wasn't in the room he had no choice but to put things out in the open.

"Are you okay?" Sam broached.

Jacob looked up from the table, his arm frozen in mid-air giving him a quizzical look.

"In general? I'm good," he said with a short laugh.

"I only ask because I know you have a lot going on and I worry that it's too much for you too soon."

"I don't really have a choice,"Jacob said with a shrug.

"Of course you do. I can stay on as Alpha if you feel that aren't ready."

"That's not what I was talking about. I meant the whole defending what's ours routine," Jacob explained.

"I know that you can handle it, but aren't there things that you want to do first? Go to college, travel, be as normal a teenager as you can be?"

"Of course I want those things, but it's not realistic. I know you're trying to help but I'm not someone who goes back on their word," he said in defense.

"I know and I'll always answer whatever questions you have. I don't like the idea that you were strong armed into doing what the elders wanted," Sam said with a shake of his head.

"To think that I blamed my dad's pushing my tribal duties on you. You're not the bad guy I thought you were."

"And you're not the piss ant I thought you were," he said with a smirk.

"Do I really have to put up with Paul until Seth is ready?" he asked with a groan.

Sam nodded with an apologetic look. Seth didn't even know that he was destined to become second in command. A Clearwater had been second in command of every pack since the very first one three hundred years ago. Sam had a feeling that Seth would handle the transition the way he did everything else. The kid had nerves of steel and an unflappable sense of right and wrong. The pack would be in good hands with Jacob and Seth at the helm.