Disclaimer: I do not own any character you recognize, all you don't are mine.

Chapter 8:

Fight or Flight

Too shocked to cry I was sitting on my bed with my knees up to my chest and I was shaking. My head was pounding and I couldn't keep my breath steady, I was getting dizzy and felt nauseous. Everything was such a mess, and I was not only in the middle of it, but the cause of it. The Hoh wolf pack was trying to kill the Cullens, Jasper was already injured, and Sam might be losing his pack, all because I couldn't keep my mouth shut. Now, on top of everything else, Edward would never forgive me for what I did with Jacob. Though I would never take it back, that's not the way I would have had him find out, let alone how fast it happened when Edward and myself were doing so well. We were starting over and the first chance I get I demolish all chance we could have at even being friends.

Jacob hopped through my window and looked around the room. His dramatic, yet fluid entrance had no effect on me; mythical creatures had been coming and going through my window more than any door of any house. His presence on the other hand did not escape me. I looked up but couldn't bring myself to smile.

"Bella," he said running over to me on the bed, "What happened?"

"Jasper…" was the only thing I could choke out.

"Jasper what?" he said confused, he sat down on the bed and took my hands from my knees and kept them in his. The gesture made the shaking slow but not dissipate; he unfolded my legs and pulled me too him, hugging me tight, and my stomached stopped turning.

"He's injured," I said coming back to life but it was still hard to talk, "Edward knows."

"Well I would hope so he is jasper's brother," he said sarcastically but noticed I didn't laugh, "Bella, that's good, he can take care of Jasper." He looked into my eyes and I just shook my head, that's not what he knew. Jacob clued in and dropped his arms, "he knows about today?"

I nodded.

"What do you want to do?"

That was my Jacob, the Jacob I loved, Edward was his worst enemy and had stolen the love of his life from him for two years; but when it came to me and how I felt about our situation, he would do anything to make me feel better, I hoped that even meant going over to the Cullens with me to make things right. Edward still needed to know some things and I needed to know if Jasper was alright.

"I need to go over there," I said but couldn't make eye contact with him.

"Fine, when?" He said and I looked up at him, his eyes were kind, but he was making them do that. His teeth were clenched along with his fists; I knew he wasn't happy about my decision.

"As soon as possible."

"What about Charlie?"

On that issue I was stumped, it was 2:00 in the morning and I was on parole. If I left the house and he found out I wouldn't be able to leave the house again till I graduated. Waiting wasn't an option though, Jasper was hurt now. I didn't have an answer; I just sat there looking at Jacob.

"Ok, I have an idea," he said and he got up off the bed, after he kissed my forehead, "I'm gonna go, if the phone rings don't answer it, let Charlie get it."

"What are you going to do?"

"Just don't answer the phone, get into your pajamas and pretend to sleep." He said and jumped back out of the window. I perked up and did what I was told.

About twenty minutes later I heard the phone ring downstairs, but I just kept ringing. What if Charlie didn't wake up? The phone went silent and my chest fell, then it started again. Charlie's bedroom door opened and I heard him stumble down the stairs.

"Hello?" I heard him say when the phone stopped ringing. "Billy, do you know what time it is… no way, she just got done being grounded today… why, what happened… is he ok… do I need to come… she's sleeping Billy… I don't know… ok, fine, but Billy she needs to be home in one hour… Yes, tell him one hour before I go and get her myself."

I heard him stumble back up the stairs, and I rolled over in my bed to pretend to be sleeping. Two knocks on my door and creaking as it slowly opened. "Bella," Charlie said in a whisper, trying to wake me up. He came over to my bed and put his hand on my shoulder and shook me gently. "Bella, wake up." I turned over and rubbed my eyes, I have to admit I was playing this off well.

"What is it Charlie?" I said in a pretend raspy voice.

"The La Push tribe is having some sort of secret tribe meeting, I guess Jacob wants you to go."

"A secret tribe meeting? When?"

"Right now?"

"Can I go?" I said looking hopefully up at him.

"Billy says he will be there and I guess Jacob has been depressed lately, so… yeah, I guess you can go it's not a school night." He shook his head, not only could I not believe what he was saying, but I don't think he could believe it either. I threw my arms around his neck, and got up out of bed.

"Thanks Charlie."

It took about another 15 minutes for Jacob to drive back over and knock on my front door. I had gotten re-dressed and was waiting in the living room. I persuaded Charlie to go back to bed and opened the door. I practically ran to the Rabbit and got into the passenger's side door and strapped in.

I drive felt like it was taking forever and Jacob was just staring at the road. He didn't say anything and for that I was sort of grateful. This must have been excruciating for him but I didn't have the words to make him feel better; it was just something I needed to do, and I wouldn't apologize for it.

We pulled up to the Cullens house and light was shining through every window. "Stay here," I said to Jacob who frowned at me, "I don't think they really want to see me right now, let alone us together." He nodded and I ran to the front door. I put my fist up to knock, but the door swung open before I could make contact. Rosalie was standing there holding the door looking very smug.

"Bella," she said pointedly.

"Can I come in?"

"Were having some family issues right now, I don't think it's a good time," she said and I couldn't help but notice this did not make her voice unhappy; she almost smirked when she said it.

"Let her in Rosalie," I heard a familiar high pitched voice call from inside the house.

She opened the door just a little bit more and I squeezed past her into the house. The amount of light that filled my eyes almost blinded me. Everyone was sitting on the couch or around the couch facing the same thing. Carlisle looked like he was sewing something, Esme was crying and being comforted by Emmett. Alice rushed over to me and took me by the hand, her eyes were puffy, and I'm sure they would have been red if they could have been.

"Jasper was attacked, Bella." She said hugging me.

"I know, Emmett said…" we walked over to the couch and I couldn't finish my statement. Jasper was lying on couch seemingly unconscious while Carlisle was holding his arm. As I took a closer look I noticed a thin line where the arm meets the shoulder, that's where Carlisle was adding pressure. "What happened?"

"We don't really know, all I saw in my vision was three dark figures run at him and attack him. I ran to where I saw him, but by the time I got there he was just laying there and his arm was about three feet away from him." Alice said in shock, "I couldn't see Bella, I didn't know…"

"You did the best you could Alice, my guess is that whatever did this heard you coming and ran, this could have been a whole lot worse." Carlisle said not looking away from Jasper.

"Is he going to be ok?" I asked and waited to hear the worst.

"I think so, the limb is already starting to reattach itself, but I don't know why he isn't responding." Carlisle said and put a hand on Jasper's face.

Alice gasped next to me at Carlisle's words, so I pulled her towards me and put her head on my shoulder.

"Carlisle, I think I know who did this," I said hesitantly, I didn't know if now was the right time. Everyone's eyes lit up and looked at me, "Sam's cousin Ayden, he's from the Hoh tribe…" everyone's face turned cold, they must be familiar with him, but they let me continue, "His pack is in town, and they are trying to take over this territory. Sam tried to talk to him but…"

"His hatred for our kind is absolute; we have met him before, while we were hunting. He won't see reason." Carlisle slowly closed his eyes as he realized that more violence might be coming. I nodded in agreement.

I looked around the room and noticed that Edward was absent. Rosalie caught on to my wandering eyes, "He never came home," she said with acid in her mouth, "After being with you."

"We…" I tried to explain but Esme cut me off.

"No need Bella, that's between you two," she said kinder than I deserved.

Inaudible yelling came from outside and I rushed to the door remembering that Jacob was still in the car waiting for me; Emmett ran after me followed by Alice. I got outside and Edward and Jacob had squared off, both were leaning forward about to pounce, but surprisingly Jacob was still in human form. I ran to the middle of them and put my arms out to separate them.

"BELLA MOVE OUT OF THE WAY!" Edward yelled and my heart sunk.

"NO! Both of you stop." I said and Emmett grabbed Edward from behind and was pulling him towards the house.

"I know that it's not perfect, and I know that I told you I want you to take some time, but I didn't mean this. We can work out our issues Bella; the philia can be dealt with." He said pleading with me.

"I'm so sorry Edward…" It came out as a whisper; that was all the strength I had left.

"His people attacked Jasper, how can you choose him?"

"We didn't do shit, you need to think before you point fingers bloodsucker," Jacob yelled back with a huge growl.

"Oh that's rich a mutt telling me to think, go sniff someone else's butt, dog, Bella's mine." Edward snapped back.

That was it; within seconds Jacob mutated and lunged at Edward. The split second change caught Edward off guard and Jacob was able to land a huge paw across Edwards face before Emmett pulled him off and threw Jacob thirty feet into the same tree I crashed into a month ago.

"STOP!" I screamed and everyone looked at me, silent and still, "Jacob, get back in the car we are leaving."

He walked back over to the car and pulled out a pair of shorts from the backseat with his mouth. He ran into the tree line and emerged back in human form; he walked over to the Rabbit and got in slamming the door behind him. I looked over at Edward who had three huge slash marks in his face, but were healing before my eyes. I walked over to the car and tapped on the window. Jacob rolled the window down and scowled at me.

"I'm staying here," I said

"No Bella."

"I have to, I need to explain, it's the only way I can feel right about this."

"Fine," he said and rolled up the window turned on the car and skidded away.

I turned back to Edward, Emmett, and Alice and waited for their reaction. Alice walked over to Emmett and took him by the arm leading him into the house.

I took a few steps toward him and stopped, already I could feel his drawing power and I didn't want to get sucked in. I had made my choice and no matter what happened I had to stick by it.

"I know you don't want to hear it, but I have made my choice, I'm sorry… but my choice is Jacob."

"I should have guessed, but I just don't understand. I mean weren't we doing well?" he said and he walked towards me.

"We were, he just makes me feel real, like everything I wanted was real," I said as his hand touched mine.

"Come on," he said gesturing to his car, "I'll drive you home."

I hated leaving without saying goodbye to everyone, but I'm positive they had enough to deal with and I just seemed to make it worse. I got into Edwards car and we zoomed off, he always drove too fast, but tonight that was a good thing. I only had about five minutes to get home, being that I was let out of the house in the first place that late at night, I didn't want to even remotely infringe on any of Charlie's rules. While in the car Edward and I talked with the time we had left, about Jasper and the Hoh tribe, it wasn't until we were a block from my house that he even brought up our personal situation.

I was getting out of the car and walking the rest of the way, so that Charlie didn't see who was driving me home, when he said, "I know you have made your choice, Bella, but just so you know, and you can tell him this too, I'm never giving up. I will always fight for you," gave me his crooked smile and drove off into the pitch black night.

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