A/N: Well, It's 8:30 in the morning, and I got off work at 6. I just spent the last hour and a half writing up this whole chapter. I think it's good. It came to me while I was counting cigarettes at work at like 3 this morning. So I wrote down a few words, and kept on working. When I got home, I just started typing and here you go. Let me know how you like it.

Chapter 7

Sighing, I shut my front door. This one of the longest days of my life. First seeing Levi, then with Logan. Telling Sam and Emily my story. I was just glad that Sue said she'd take Lena for the night. Logan was staying in the hospital overnight to make sure there were no complications. So I was by myself. I felt along the wall of my kitchen for the light switch. Flipping it on, I was momentarily blinded by the light. Turning, I threw the keys on the table, and froze when my eyes fell upon a spot of something red. There was a trail of little spots of red leading out of my kitchen and into my living room.

I knew what it was. My nose told me. Along with the dizziness that came with the rust and salt smell. I looked around the living room, wondering how I got from the kitchen to here. Seeing the trail of blood leading up the stairs, my feet started moving by themselves. As I walked down the upstairs hallway, in the back of my mind, I thought about how much this reminded me of a horror flick. The girl follows the trail of blood and finds a loved one dead.

My bedroom door was closed, and there was a bloody smear on the door knob. Taking a deep breath I pushed the door open. It was pitch black, but I gagged at the smell that was in the air. It was rancid like something was rotting. Along with the nauseating smell of blood. Finding the light switch, I flipped it on.

I really, really wished I hadn't. On the wall behind my bed there were words written in blood. Not looking at them, I looked at my bed. My white sheets were now reddish brown. There laying in the middle of my bed was some kind of animal. I looked back up at the wall. 'They can't help you.' The animal had it's gut sliced open and all the internal organs were pulled out. Watching as a fly landed on the still open eye was the last straw.

Heaving, I ran back downstairs to the phone. Stopping twice along the way to get rid of whatever was in my stomach. Grabbing the phone, I dialed Sam's number. He had made me memorize it before we left the hospital, and I was so very glad I did.

"Sam" I whispered when someone picked up. I didn't know who, but I didn't care at the moment. There was something dead and bloody in my bed and I didn't know how it got there.

"Bella?"

"Please, come. There's something....." The memory of the animal flashed in my mind and I put my hand over my mouth. There was nothing left in my stomach, but a sob came out. I slid down on the floor and leaned against the counter. I could hear Sam yelling orders, and a door slam. He was talking encouragements to me, trying to get me to tell him what was wrong. I couldn't stop sobbing long enough to tell him.

It was like I couldn't control my body. In my mind, I was calm. I was able to rationalize everything. Someone was in my house. Not anymore, but at one point and time today. They had killed an animal and put it on my bed. Whether it was Levi or someone else, I didn't know. But I couldn't quit sobbing. Everything that had happened today was catching up with me.

The kitchen door burst open, well, it kinda slit down the middle, and Jacob came flying in with Quil and Embry on his tail. His eyes were wild as they flew around the room till they landed on me, and it was like all the tension just washed out of him. He turned and barked a few orders at Quil and Embry. Embry went back outside, and Quil went into the living room. I think he was going to follow the trail.

I really wanted to warn him what he would find, but he was gone before the thought crossed my mind. I watched, still detached from myself, as Jacob crossed the kitchen and took the phone out of my hand. He put it up to his ear all the while looking at me.

"Sam, yeah, the scents all around here. I don't know yet. Embry's trying to track it, and I sent Quil to see what got her all freaked. I'll let you know."

He hung up the phone then crouched in front of me. He ran his eyes over me, then back up. Looking into my eyes, he slowly reached out. Just seeing him, knowing he was here, that I was safe, my mind snapped back into itself.

Launching myself at him, I clung to him. His hot arms wrapped around me. Cradling me like I was a child, instead of a 26 year old woman. I buried my face in his neck, inhaling his woodsy scent. I always liked his smell. It might sound weird, but even Edward couldn't compare to how Jacob had smelled. Even as children, he always had this musky smell. I could never figure out how to describe it. But it smelled like home. Now, it was a blend of the musky scent with a hint of pine.

I felt his chest vibrate, and glanced up to see Jacob talking to Quil. Quil was paler than I had ever seen any of the Quileutes. He could give me a run for his money. They were talking too low for me to hear, but I caught different words. Like 'wolf', 'sign', 'not one of us'. The combination of heat, and Jacobs rumbling voice calmed me so much that my eyes started to droop. The last thing I was aware of was a floating sensation, then warmth and bliss.

I woke up to the smell of bacon. Groaning, I rolled over, only to find that my bed wasn't underneath me anymore. Landing with a loud 'oomph' and a thump, I looked around only to realize that I wasn't in my bedroom. The nights events came back to me, and I scrambled up on my feet. I stumbled from the living room into the kitchen to see Jacob standing at the stove wearing my pink flowery apron. Now any other time, I would have laughed. But I wasn't in the mood.

Don't get me wrong, I was grateful for what he did last night. And looking around, there was not one spot of blood anywhere. I was really really grateful. But after what he said, both before I left, then at Charlie's, I don't know if I could give him another chance.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"Cooking breakfast."

"You can't cook, Jacob. I have never known you to be able to cook more than toast."

I watched as he put what looked like scrambled eggs on two plates, then set the plates on the table. He then pulled out a chair and motioned for me to sit. I narrowed my eyes at him, but kept quiet and took my seat. He grabbed the second plate that looked like it had enough food on it to feed Logan, Lena, and I for a whole week, then sat down. He just stared at me, and didn't touch his food.

Rolling my eyes, I grabbed my fork and took a bite of eggs. I was pleasantly surprised that it actually tasted good, and I wasn't running the risk of getting food poisoning. When I didn't say anything, he smirked and dug into his own food. The meal was quiet. Neither of us saying anything. Just savoring the silence.

I heard the clatter of his fork on his plate and looked up to see him staring at me. The softness in his face from a moment ago was gone, and the hardness was back. I set my fork down, and stood up. Gathering the plates, I deposited them into the sink and turned to see Jacob standing in front of me.

"Well, get on with it. I know you want to say something, so say it." I told him.

"Why'd you leave?"

Well, straight to the point ain't he. I remembered his harsh words, they blended with Edwards. Each coming back to the same thing. I wasn't wanted, and I was no good for them. After all, how could I compare with perfection itself, and a bronze God? So doing the only thing I could do, I ran. Away from the heart ache, and the reminders that no matter what I did, I would never be good enough.

"Jacob, I couldn't stay here anymore. There were too many memories."

"Of the leech?!"

"Of everything. There was no where for my life to go anymore. All my hopes and dreams were gone. I was finally starting to get better, then I lost my best friend. The only one I had left. The only one that could deal with me. I had nothing left to live for anymore. Everywhere I looked, there was a reminder of what my life could have been. I couldn't deal with it anymore."

"So, you left because of me? Of what I said?" He asked slowly, as if he was telling himself instead of asking me.

Nodding I said, "Yes, that was the final straw."

"I came to you, you know." Jacob turned to look out the window. Looking at him now, as he was gazing at whatever, he looked so young. I could almost picture the boy I first seen at First Beach. So young and gangly. He turned back to me and I could almost see the transformation from boy to man. "I came to you that night. I was going to tell you to give me time. That I needed time to get myself together before we could hang out. But you weren't there. I waited till the next morning and you still weren't there. Charlie was going out of his mind. He had organized search parties. For a week, we searched. The pack combed every inch of the woods, hoping to find you, but hoping that we wouldn't find you. Because if we found you in the woods.....there was a strong possibility that you wouldn't be what you used to be."

Tremors wracked his frame, and I watched with a bated breath as he got himself back under control. Opening his eyes, he looked back at me. "Charlie called it off after a week. He said that your mother called him. You were on your way to Florida. That you decided to live with her after all. We didn't believe him. Sam sent Leah. She flew down to Florida to make sure you were still human. She watched you from a distance for a couple days before she came home."

"You spied on me?" I asked. I don't know why I was so surprised. The Cullens were excellent spies. But for some reason I always felt the pack was more down to earth.

"You don't understand, Bella. We needed to know. I needed to know." He was close now. I could feel the heat radiating from him. I felt myself lean forward. It was like a gravitational pull was forcing me to be close to him. I remembered how safe and comfortable I felt in his arms last night. My eyes went from his eyes down to his lips. And I found myself wondering it they were hard like Edwards, or painfully demanding like Levi's.

He must have been thinking something along the same lines, because I could feel his hot breath ghost over my face. You would think that anyone with that hot of breath, that it would smell bad, but it smelled like chocolate, and vanilla. Weird with what he usually smelled like, but I liked it.

Less than an inch apart, and the phone rang. I didn't even realize that I was panting. And we weren't even doing anything yet. Grabbing the phone I answered with a breathless Hello.

"Mrs. Uley, Logan Uley is ready to be discharged."

Hanging up the phone, I looked at Jacob. He was leaning up against the counter. He looked at me as I got my purse and keys. Giving him one last look I walked out the door to my car.

God, is my life ever easy? Jump out of one relationship, and into another? What the hell am I thinking? I need to get Levi taken care of before I can do anything else. And a relationship with Jacob is out of the question. If he thinks I'm just going to come running after what he said, then he's wrong. I'm not the same 17 year old girl anymore. I'm not going to swoon when a hot guy pays attention to me. I'm 26, and have two small children. I can't afford to be jumping into relationships like some high schooler. So, why am I so out of breath from only being next to Jacob? Why do I see his eyes every time I close mine? And why the hell do I think that they should bottle the scent of Jacob and sell it to every woman out there so when they are alone at night all they have to do is sniff it and get off?