The Twilight Saga: New Moon is the work of Stephenie Meyer and is published by Little, Brown and Company of the Hachette Book Group, New York, NY USA. Movie-related rights belong to Summit Entertainment. All characters and plot belonging to above mentioned author are used for entertainment purposes only and any copyright infringement is unintended. No profit is being made from this work.

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Bella was back to what she was like before she re-befriended Jake. She looked surprised every day she woke up, as if she didn't want to see the sun or that she was expecting to die overnight. I was the one driving us to school in the morning, in the truck. It only took a few seconds to learn to drive a standard, and we were only going three miles down the road.

I hoped this wouldn't happen to Bella again, especially not because of Jake. It was so frustrating. I needed to stop the nonsense. By Wednesday, I was desperate. "Isabella, you're driving me nuts!"

"What is it Liza? You don't need yell."

"I can't believe you let guys do this to you!"

"What?" she said again.

"Edward and now Jake! It's like they're tearing you apart! You can't keep falling for the guys that are going leave you standing in the rain! Charlie and I can't keep catching you when fall!"

She gasped at my use of the name then shook her head. "Liza, you're kidding!" She yelled back. "Since when did you bother to care?"

"No. Why would I kid about this?" I whispered. "I just want to know what's wrong. Talk to me," I demanded. "Tell me what's wrong. Please." I looked at her, not even blinking back my tears. "You're scaring me. I'm worried. I can't lose you. Not now. Please, believe me."

I don't remember being that open with my sister before that moment. We were sitting in the truck, right outside the house, doors locked, phones off. Bella kept her head down, red faced. I was staring at her, as gently as I could.

"Jake's in trouble," she whispered back, "I think he's been pulled into a gang."

The idea was laughable to me at first. La Push was probably near the top of places least-likely to have a gang. But then again, Seattle wasn't too far away. There was a chance that someone from over there had moved into the area. I scraped through my memory for something like I had seen in Phoenix. It slowly dawned on me. "Sam…"

Bella nodded. "Jake was scared of him and now he's avoiding me and hanging out them instead. They chased off a drug dealer about a mouth ago. They call themselves 'Protectors'. They made him cut his hair and they got Embry too. Billy says it's like a coming of age thing."

I stared at her in disbelief. That didn't sound like a gang. It sounded like a, "cult." The word buzzed on my lips. "We have to get him out of there. Even if we have to kidnap him." I started the truck. "You up for this?"

She nodded. "I don't care what he says. I'm not letting him slip away without a fight."

We drove down to La Push as fast as The Thing could handle. As we entered town, Bella was looking out the window. "Hey, Quil!" she said to someone outside. "Liza, could you pull over to the other side of the road?"

I did and the boy standing beside the car. "Oh, hey Bella," he greeted, sounding dull. His face looked bleak and brooding. He was clearly worried about something.

"Are you okay, chico?" I asked him, leaning over Bella.

He looked up at us. "Fine." He looked sullen and maybe ill.

Bella looked at me, as if she was about to judge a reaction. "Think we can fit another person in here?"

"Sure," I shrugged. "It'll be a tight squeeze but I don't see why not."

"Can we give you a ride somewhere?" Bella moved over, and the boy got in.

"Oof," I muttered. "Are there growth hormones in the water here? Or is it just some genetic disposition to growth spurts?" Quil shrugged. "Where to?"

"My house is on the north side, back behind the store."

"Have you seen Jacob today?" Bella's question burst out before he finished his directions.

"From a distance. I tried to follow them, him and Embry." I could barely hear his voice over the engine. "They saw me but they just went into the woods. I think I was saw Sam and his crew too. I tried to find them, but I just managed to get out of woods before you showed up."

Bella gritted her teeth and I struggled to keep my eyes on the road. "Sam really did get to him," we growled in unison.

Quil stared at us in surprise. "You two know about that?"

Bella nodded. "Jake told me…before."

"Before," he repeated.

I wanted to go to Charlie before this got out of hand, but I needed more information. "How bad is it?"

"Never leaves Sam's side."

I didn't want to ask my next question. "Could it have anything to do with drugs? Or maybe some alternate belief system?"

"I can't see Jacob or Embry getting into something like that…but what do I know? What else could it be? And why aren't the old people worried?" He looked frightened. "Jacob didn't want to be a part of this. I don't understand what changed him. But," he looked me right in the eyes. "I think I'm next."

The fear reflected in Bella's eyes. "Your parents aren't helping?" She shivered at the thought.

"My grandfather's on the council with Jacob's dad. They think Sam Uley is the best thing that happened to this to town. They're not even concerned." Neither of us could reply, so Quil just said, "I'll get out here."

I looked at the small rectangular building as I pulled onto the shoulder. "Bye, Quil," I managed to say.

"We're going to wait for Jacob," Bella said with a hard edge to her voice.

"Good luck," he mumbled, slamming the door and walking away. With his shoulders slumped, he shuffled away.

"Can you drive?" I asked Bella. "I can't do the U-turn thing." We switched seats and drove to Jacob's house, killing the engine and rolling down the windows. We settled down for the wait.

I slid out of view, put my hands on my stomach, and stared at them. I had a lot to think about. Did I want to bring a child into my confusing world? A world with supernatural 'hocus-pocus' and immense inner battles? How would I explain Auntie Bella and her strange behavior? Of course, if I choose adoption I wouldn't have to worry about answering the questions. But then again, that would give him or her more questions. Why did she give me up? Does she have a family? Who's my dad? Were they in love? Were they criminals or just poor? Were they even alive?

Someone knocked on the side of the truck. "Bella, what are you doing here?" he growled.

I pulled myself back onto the seat and held back a gasp. Jake wasn't Jake anymore. He looked bigger. Not taller or wider, but more muscled. The veins on his hands were popping up, and the look on his face was foreign. Hostile, unsmiling.

"Jacob?" my sister and I asked in unison.

His eyes were dark and angry, but he wouldn't look me in the eyes. He was too busy glaring at Bella. I looked behind him at the four other members of the cult. If I hadn't already known who each one of them was, I would have thought they were brothers. They were all glaring hostilely at Bella and ignoring me. Expect Sam. He looked me in the eyes, as if daring me to fight all of them.

I started to get out of the truck. "Should I leave and walk home, Bella?" I asked.

Jacob finally looked at me. His eyes turned gentle. "No, May-May. Please, don't." He looked back to Bella and was back to being hostile. "What do you want?"

"To talk to you," she whispered.

"Well? Go ahead."

"Alone." Her voice gained the same edge and I flinched.

Everyone was looking at Sam, waiting for his response. He nodded said something in Quileute, and walked into Billy's house. The other boys followed.

I got out of the truck and left Bella and Jake standing there alone. I went into Billy's house. "Mind telling me what the hell is going on here?"

All of them were glaring at me. Billy was with them and they had been talking. "Oh, hello May," he said, casually.

"That's all you can say?" I was shaking with anger. "I can't believe you'd let your own son do this to somebody! My little sister is hurting because of him! Because of all of you! You're all a bunch of—"

"Relax," Sam ordered. "You shouldn't be stressed in your condition."

"I don't care if I have a miscarriage! I care about Bella!"

Apparently, only Sam knew that I was pregnant. Billy and boys were looking at me in surprise.

Sam grabbed my shoulders. "May." His voice was sharp. "You need to listen to me."

"No!" I tried to push him off me. "My sister and I have been attacked by gang members, vampires, and a pack of wolves! I'm not going to let heartbreak kill her!"

"May," he repeated. "We're not going to let Bella hurt herself."

"Then why are you making Jake stay away from us?" I demanded.

He glared at the rest of the crew and they went outside. Billy rolled into the hallway. "May, Jacob cares. You know that, don't you?"

"Of course," I mumbled, suddenly feeling ashamed. "I'm not doubting that."

"In the clearing," he whispered. "With that blood sucker, something happened, didn't it?"

"What?" How did Sam know that Bella and I had been in a clearing with a vampire? He wasn't there. Other then Bella, Laurent and I, there were the wolves. I thought for a moment. "Are you the black wolf?"

He didn't answer, but his face said it all. "Just tell me what happened."

"One of the wolves was rust-colored. It—no—" the next word was weird, "he, was staring at me. Like he knew who I was. Like he didn't want me hurt. He didn't look away until another wolf told him to." I could barely believe what we were talking about. I was personifying a pack of giant wolves. It sounded insane, even to me, and I was the one saying it. "Why the hell do want to know?"

He smiled, knowingly. "I thought so."

"What is that supposed to mean?" I demanded again.

"It means you and Bella can't hang out with Jacob anymore. I'm sorry, but it's not wise for you to say good bye."

I could tell he didn't mean it. "'It's not wise for you to say good bye.' You're unbelievable! I'm not giving up on him! He used to be my best friend! I haven't gotten a chance to apologize!" I was crying again.

Billy rolled out of his room on the phone. "Yeah, they're on their way home." "Bella and Jake had a fight." "They're all pretty upset." "Why didn't you tell me May was pregnant?" "No, I guess it's not any of my business." "Bye then." Billy looked at me, eyes full of pity as he hung up.

"Bella!" Billy called out as we left the small house. "Charlie just called. I told them you were on your way home."

"Jacob!" I yelled. "I don't know where you are, but if you can hear me: THIS ISN'T GOODBYE! I'M NOT GIVING UP! I PROMISE!"

I ran to the truck and spoke to Bella. "You want me to drive?"She got in the driver's seat. "I'll take that as a no." I slid into the cab, feet-first. I watched Bella's face, still pissed. It was empty and lifeless, like after Cullen left. I could almost feel the cold coming off her body and it wasn't because she was soaked.

Charlie was waiting for us, as Bella pulled over. "Billy called. He said you two got in a fight with Jake—said you were pretty upset." He opened Bella's door.

"That's not exactly how it happened," she muttered.

"Sam Uley's a jackass!" I screamed sourly, "So is Jake for that matter!" I opened the other door and slid my feet onto the road and followed them toward the house.

Charlie looked over at me, with a strange look. "What?"

I rolled my eyes. "Sam Uley," I replied slowly, "told us to stay away from Jacob and Jacob didn't do anything about it. He wouldn't even look at me."

"You really think something's wrong with that Uley kid?" he asked in disbelief.

Bella spoke, "I know there is. Jacob wouldn't tell me what, though. I'm going to go change." She went upstairs.

We were both dripping water on the floor. I hadn't even noticed it was raining. I rang out my hair. Letting out a puff of air, I sighed.

"What happened?" His voice morphed from Charlie the dad to Police Chief Swan. "Tell me as best as you can."

"Shit," I muttered, "How to explain this?"I sat down. "I told Bella we needed to see Jake before this gang of Sam's got out of hand. While she was talking to him, I went inside and had some words with Sam."

"What was said?"

"Some cursing. He kept telling me to relax, but then he told me to leave without saying goodbye to Jake. I think they were both hiding something, Dad. I'm just—" I screamed, "UGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

His face was lost in thought. "I need to make a phone call, May. Sit tight, okay?"

"Billy, this is Charlie. I need to know what happened."

My heart started to thumb in my chest and my breath caught in my throat. I wasn't sure if I wanted to hear this.

Charlie turned angry. "I'm not buying that. It doesn't make any sense." "Don't you put this on them!" I jumped slightly, but when he spoke again, he was careful and his volume was lower. "Bella's made it very clear all along that she and Jacob were just friends…No, he's not the father. May's 100% sure of who the father is. I know my daughters. If they know something's wrong—"

"What do you mean I don't know my daughters as well as I think I do?!" He paused, his voice taking on a low hiss. "If you think I'm going to remind Bella of that, then you had better think again. She's only just starting to get over it and mostly because of Jacob, I think. If whatever Jacob has going on with this Sam character sends her back into that depression, then Jacob is going to have to answer to me. You're my friend, Billy, but this is hurting my family."

I plugged my ears and curled up in a little ball on the couch. "I can't hear anymore of this," I whispered.

After a minute, Charlie came out of the kitchen mumbling. In a split second , he was sitting beside me. "What is it?"

I got up and straightened out my clothes. "Nothing," I lied. "I'm gonna go take a shower."

The shower didn't help me any. The sound of the water couldn't drown out my thoughts. Nothing could keep me from the horrible things running around in my mind. I just need to talk to someone. Someone who knew me better then I knew me. Someone like Cullen. As the water turned cold, I stepped out, wrapped a towel around my body and peaked into the hallway.

A tall figure was leaving our room, and I struggled to hold back a gasp. Laurent wasn't that tall, but it could have been any vampire either he or Victoria had come across. I stepped back into the bathroom, and closed the door without a sound.

We're dead, I thought. If Bella's not already.

I quickly grabbed my dusty flatiron, stood up on my tip toes and struck the figure on the head as it passed.