A/N: My chapter.

Sorry for the delayed update. This chapter ended up being much longer than the others (over 5,000 words), so it took some extra time to write.

It was dark outside when we arrived at the Black family estate. To make matters worse, the storm had intensified, bringing with it howling wind and heavy rain drops which pelted relentlessly against the carriage windows. Jacob quickly jumped from the carriage and raced around to my side in order to offer me his hand. Normally I would have considered such a gesture to be considerate, except for Jacob's unnecessary theatrics.

We ran hurriedly as Jacob guided me toward the house. I was relieved as we entered the foyer to be shielded from the rain, but my level of comfort immediately dissipated as I took in my surroundings. The Black's mansion was ostentatious, to say the least. High vaulted ceilings were offset by large marble pillars, and the walls were covered with tapestries made of the finest fabrics; rich velvets and soft silks. And although it was beautiful (and, admittedly, awe-inspiring), it was so very different from the welcoming light and openness of the Cullen mansion that I found myself feeling out of place.

My silent thoughts and observations were interrupted by Jacob's booming voice. "Leah!" he called sharply.

Within seconds a young woman appeared. She must have been around my age, except that she looked more haggard, more careworn. She was very frail and undernourished, and I found myself suddenly wondering when the last time she ate was. There were dark circles under her eyes, and the rest of her face held an equally harsh expression. She wore her hair in an extreme crop that was cut mere inches from her scalp, making her angular features look even more severe.

"Miss Swan will be staying the night. Prepare the guest bedroom for her," he ordered.

Leah merely nodded solemnly before turning without a word and scurried up the staircase.

I was so preoccupied with watching her that I barely noticed when Jacob reached out and, without permission, took my hand. I turned to find him staring at me with a very cocky smile on his face. "I'm sorry to have to leave you so soon, but I have some business to attend to. I'll see you in the morning. Sleep well." He then made yet another theatrical display of kissing my hand before releasing me. After one last wistful glance, he disappeared into the shadows. I breathed a heavy sigh of relief once he was gone, and hurriedly followed up the staircase after Leah.

By the time I reached the guest bedroom Leah was already gone, but in that short time she had managed not only to turn down the bed, but also to provide an expensive-looking pair of women's silk pajamas and a basin filled with hot water. I ignored the silk pajamas completely, but gladly accepted the hot water to wash the muck and grime off of my face and neck. I climbed into bed fully clothed; the pajamas were nice, but they seemed unnecessary to me. I wasn't planning to stay long, after all. I had accepted Jacob's offer to stay the night only as a necessity, and so I would get just a few hours of sleep and then leave as early as possible in the morning.

I lay awake in bed for a long while, despite the fact that I was exhausted and despite the fact that the bed in the guest room was very comfortable. Instead of sleeping I repeatedly ran through the day's events in my head. It was hard to believe so many consequential things could possibly happen in one day, and I wanted to remember all of them; I wanted to remember this day, every single detail of it, because it would likely turn out to be one of the most important (if not the most important) days of my life. This day could change everything.

That thought, although it was exhilarating, was also terrifying. I was still examining my impulsive decision to run away, but, truth be told, I couldn't bring myself to regret it completely. In the end I was glad for it, because it had made me realize, if I were to leave, how much I would be giving up. For the first time in perhaps my entire life, I felt like I actually had choices. Not only that, but I also knew exactly which choice was the right one. I wouldn't have traded anything for such a gift, and I would have gladly endured more harsh words over and over again from Rosalie just to retain that sense of truth.

I also had to admit, however reluctantly, that the situation had taken a rather interesting turn. I obviously would have preferred not to involve Jacob whatsoever, but I would have been lying if I said that his appearance in the woods had not been somewhat fortunate. At the same time, I had to wonder if sleeping outside in the rain would have been a more preferable alternative; Jacob's unwanted advances were not only becoming increasingly annoying, but also somewhat unsettling. But I would only be here for one night, and that was what I reminded myself of as I finally drifted off to sleep.

I awoke with a start the next morning, knowing immediately that I had overslept. It was not because I felt overly rested; on the contrary, it felt as if I had closed my eyes not fifteen minutes ago. But I knew that it must have been late morning because the sun was fully risen, although the light streaming through the open window was so bleak and grey that it was hard to consider it actual daylight. I had barely been awake for five minutes before there was a quiet knock on the door. Jacob entered the room carrying a large silver breakfast tray, which he proceeded to place next to me on the bedside table. "I thought you might be hungry," he explained.

I gazed warily at the tray, suspecting there was some sort of secret motivation behind his generosity. But I was starving, so I decided to take my chances by nibbling on a piece of toast. My stomach ended up getting the better of me, however, as I ravenously consumed everything that was on the plate. Jacob sat on the edge of the bed and watched me the entire time, and his stare made me increasingly uncomfortable. When I was finished I hurriedly pushed the tray back onto the side table and stood up from the bed. "Thank you for breakfast, but I think I should be going."

I was barely able to take one step forward before Jacob stood and placed himself in front of me. "But you can't leave; you've only just arrived!"

He was wearing that familiar wide eyed and innocent expression I had seen in the woods, but I was determined not to be so easily persuaded by it this time. I took a deep breath and tried very hard to keep my tone polite, but still direct. "Mr. Black, I thank you for all of your kindness and hospitality, but it really is time for me to go home now."

"Home?" Jacob smirked at me, bemused. "I was under the impression that you had no such place."

His words stung, but I forced myself to keep a straight face. "I did a lot of thinking last night, and I have decided to return to the Cullen's. I was foolish of me to leave in the first place."

Jacob reached out and ran a large sweaty hand down the side of my arm. "Nonsense! Really, Isabella, be reasonable. You said yourself last night that the Cullen's no longer require your services; so why not start fresh? I could offer you a very comfortable life here."

"I don't care about being comfortable," I told him frostily. "The Cullen's are my family now. My place is, and always will be, with them. No amount of money can change that."

Jacob reached forward to trail his fingers down the side of my face. I cringed away from his touch, disgusted, but he seemed unaffected by my repulsion toward him. "Your family? Come now, Isabella. All you ever really were to them was a piece of property; surely you must know that."

He laughed mercilessly, and I was so very tempted in that moment to slap the smug smile right off his filthy russet face. I was surprised at myself, for I had never really been a violent sort of person; except with Edward, but that was not the same as this. The excitable nature which Edward managed to stir in me was a reflection of my passion toward him. This was different; this was pure, unadulterated hatred.

But Jacob, apparently, was not finished. "You are a beautiful woman, Isabella. I can't say I blame Edward for wanting to keep you. But it seems almost cruel of him not to share; at least I would be generous enough to pay you."

I was suddenly so angry that I could hardly form coherent thoughts. My eyes saw red, my muscles tensed to strike, and my palms tingled with anticipation. Without even thinking, I pulled my fist back behind my shoulder and allowed it to snap forward with all of my strength. It came into contact directly with Jacob's nose, and there was a loud, sickening crunch upon impact. There was also a sharp pain that shot directly up my arm, but I hardly noticed; I was too preoccupied watching the steady flow of blood coming from Jacob's nostrils.

His gentlemanly façade had dissipated completely by now, and Jacob stared at me in wide eyed shock and fury. "You bitch!" he hissed. "You've broken my nose!"

"That was for Edward," I informed him as he stumbled and dropped to his knees. Then, having the perfect opportunity, I managed to land a heavy kick straight into his stomach.

"And that," I amended. "Was for me." Without a single look back at him, I stepped over his crumpled body and exited the room.

I tried to ignore the incredulous looks I received from the house staff as I practically sprinted through the halls of the mansion. I stopped running once I was safely outside and breathed in several large gulps of air. My body was still buzzing with adrenaline from my confrontation with Jacob, and with the excitement of being able to return home at last. One singular problem remained, however, and that was my lack of transportation. But then, as if it were a sign from the heavens themselves, I noticed a young, gangly boy leaning against the side of the carriage.

The boy was younger than me, probably only fifteen or sixteen. He, too, looked underfed, which was exacerbated by his natural tall lankiness. His facial features reminded me very much of Leah, and I found myself wondering if the two of them could be brother and sister. They were not alike in temperament, however; there was no trace of anger or bitterness in the boy's face. He smiled warmly at me, and I immediately felt at ease in his presence. "May I help you with something, Ma'am?"

"Yes," I told him breathlessly. "I need to get out of here. Can you help me do that?"

The boy seemed to be able to sense my trepidation, but he did seem worried or frightened by it. "Of course; I'd be happy to take you anywhere you need to go."

I eyed him suspiciously. "Won't you be in trouble with your master for helping me?"

He shrugged. "I suppose so; but I can't just leave a lady in distress, can I?"

I scrutinized the boy's face again looking for some sign to contradict his seeming trustworthiness, but all I found there was genuine sincerity and kindness. "What is your name?" I asked.

"Seth, Ma'am. Seth Clearwater." He tipped his hat politely.

"Well, Seth, I am very glad to have met you."

--

I allowed Seth to take me as far as the forest's edge before I asked him to stop.

"Really, Ma'am," he'd insisted. "It's no trouble for me to take you further."

"Thank you, Seth. That's very kind of you. But I'm rather fond of walking."

And I was. It seemed appropriate for some reason, a "penance" of sorts, that I should be alone in the woods once again for the final part of my journey. And although it was filled with more worry and uncertainty the first, my journey was not altogether unenjoyable. The sky was bleak and overcast, but the forest was still beautiful in that muted blue-grey light. The thick green moss and tiny white blossoms that accompanied it covered every available surface, and they curved around the path and the trees in such a way that I could have sworn they were guiding me home. And when the trees began to part and I caught my first glimpse of the Cullen mansion, it took everything I had to prevent myself from sprinting headlong toward it.

There turned to be no need for my self-control, however, as an object flew at me from some unknown direction with so much force that it knocked me to the ground upon impact. I was momentarily petrified as I thought I was being attacked, but then as my mind gradually started to register the soft textures and the delicious scents of vanilla and cinnamon, I immediately recognized the tiny struggling lump on top of me.

"ISABELLA MARIE SWAN! You will NEVER do anything like that to me EVER again!"

I tightened my grip around Alice's body and inhaled her wonderfully familiar smell. "I'm sorry Alice. Truly, I am. Please forgive me."

"Well, of course I forgive you," she sighed, releasing her hold so that she could sit up next to me on the cobblestone. "I just don't understand. I know Edward can be overbearing; that's to be expected. But I'll never comprehend why you would want to abandon me." She sniffled, and my heart nearly broke as her bottom lip began to tremble. "I think of you like you were my own sister, Bella."

"Alice, to me, you are my sister."

"Words!" she growled.

"I'm so sorry, Alice," I said again, sitting up so I could wrap a comforting arm around her shoulders. "I was so stupid. I never should have listened to Rosalie . . ."

"Rosalie?" Alice's mock anger quickly dissipated now that her mind became preoccupied by this newfound piece of information. "What does she have to do with any of this?"

I continued to explain to her the full extent of Rosalie's involvement with the situation. Alice eyes widened, then narrowed, and then she blurted out a word that sounded very foreign in her trilling, ladylike voice. She was on her feet then, stomping toward the house with her hands balled into fists and a look of utter fury on her face. "I am going to rip her hair out!"

I caught up behind her and quickly encircled my arms around her waist. She grunted kicked and squirmed a little, but I was stronger than her, so it made no difference. I released her once she seemed to have regained control of herself, but she immediately re-curled her hands into fists and began to pace back and forth in front of me.

"Just wait until Edward hears about this," she fumed. "He's been on the verge of tearing her limb from limb for weeks already. I don't think even Emmett will be able to stop him this time if it turns into a bloodshed. You certainly won't catch me trying to stand in his way."

"Edward?" I asked hopefully. "Is he here? Where is he?"

Alice stopped pacing and folded her arms across her chest. Then she turned to shoot me an accusatory glare. "He's upstairs, resting. He and Jasper were out half the night looking for you. They just got back a few hours ago."

"Oh," I said quietly.

Alice rolled her eyes, but a tiny reluctant smile tugged up at the corners of her lips. "Come along, then. I'll take you to him."

Alice tugged on my arm impatiently as she led me across the grounds. I couldn't tell which made me feel more elated; the fact that I was home, or the fact that I had a home to come back to. My happiness was short-lived, however, as we entered the house to find Rosalie standing on the far end of the foyer. Her mouth fell open and her eyes narrowed dangerously when she saw me, but I forced myself to keep my eyes straight forward as Alice dragged me up the staircase.

She led me down the hallway toward the room which Edward and I had once shared. Just as outside the mansion, I was unexpectedly flooded by another violent deluge of memories and emotions. Alice knocked quietly on the door, and after several moments passed with no answer, she pulled a set of keys out of the pocket of her dress so she could unlock it. The door creaked softly as she pushed it open, and I was surprised to find that Edward was nowhere to be found within the large blue room.

Alice must have read the confusion on my face, because she took my hand and lead me to the opposite end of the room. We approached the door that lead to the small adjoining room where I had once slept. Alice pulled out another key and unlocked this door, but she did not push it open like the last one. Then she placed a hand on my arm and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Take as much time as you need," she told me before quietly slipping out of the room.

For the first time since I'd arrived home, I felt a pervading sense of fear. Would Edward be happy to see me? And if he wasn't, what could I possibly say to him to defend my actions? What would he say about my encounter with Jacob? I tried desperately to control my breathing as my heart accelerated and threatened to beat out of my chest. Placing my hand on the door handle, I took a deep, calming breath. I entered the room, unprepared and unsure of what awaited me on the other side.

It was very difficult to see at first; the room was dimly lit, the only light provided by the bleak, grey daylight streaming through the open window. As my eyes refocused I was shocked to discover Edward lying in the bed where I had once slept; the bed where we had once slept together. He was on his stomach with his face resting on its side against the pillows. The blankets and sheets were wrinkled and twisted and barely covering him, as if he had been tossing and turning in his sleep. He was shirtless (of course), but this surprisingly did not hold my attention for long; instead, I found myself utterly transfixed by his face. The way his features relaxed in sleep made him look so peaceful that it was hard to believe he could be capable of such a harsh and temperamental nature. I did not have the heart to wake him, so I silently took a seat in the rocking chair in the corner so I could watch him sleep.

I cannot be sure how long I sat there watching him. It could have been minutes, or hours, even. I remembered Edward having once told me that he had trouble sleeping, and I wanted to watch him while I could; I wanted to remember him this way. He was still restless, however; constantly tossing and turning and mumbling things in his sleep. Most of his babblings were unintelligible, but I could have sworn I heard my own name a few times. This triggered a violent fluttering sensation in the pit of my stomach; my body always had this involuntary reaction when he spoke my name, even when his voice was thick with sleep.

Some time a while later he eventually began to stir. His eyes opened slowly and then blinked rapidly as they adjusted to the room's dim light. After several short moments which felt to me more like an eternity, he turned on his side and finally became aware of my presence.

"Isabella?" he mumbled.

I discreetly tried to clear my throat, but my voice still came out sounding hoarse and shaky. "Yes, it's me."

Edward drowsily propped himself up on one elbow and rubbed a hand across his face. Then he squinted his eyes and peered over at me across the dimly lit room. "Why are you sitting so far away?"

So you won't strangle me, I thought sardonically to myself; but I made no further attempt to answer him.

Edward readjusted his position so that he was sitting upright and leaning back against the pillows. He patted the empty spot next to where he lay on the bed, and gestured for me to come closer. As if my legs had developed minds of their own, they raised me to my feet. Then the traitorous limbs carried me slowly, cautiously across the room and toward him. When I reached the bed I sat down on the very edge of the mattress, as far away from him as possible in the limited space.

Edward studied my face for a long moment before his eyebrows pulled together and his expression shifted to one of confusion. "What's the matter with you?"

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Well, you look . . . terrified."

I searched his expression carefully, and, to my utter bafflement, all I found there was genuine worry and concern. "Aren't you . . . angry with me?"

Edward raised an eyebrow. "No."

I gaped at him, uncomprehending. "But . . . don't you know what I did?"

"Yes." His response was so simple, as if it were the most obvious answer.

I spoke very slowly and deliberately then, as if I were trying to explain some very difficult concept. "I . . . I ran away last night."

Edward raised both eyebrows this time, seeming amused. "Yes, I know."

My expression must have been something to see, because his smile widened. "I . . . don't . . . understand."

"Bella," Edward sighed. "I can hardly blame you for running away after the way I behaved yesterday afternoon; it was inexcusable. I went out searching for you, to apologize, but you were already long gone by then. I wanted to find you and literally beg you to come home with me . . . I'd be happy to get down on my knees and beg now, if you'd like," he added.

I blushed and looked down into my lap. "No, that won't be necessary."

"I'm just glad you're home," he said; and I had to look up at him then, because his voice was unbearably tender. "I'm glad you're safe." He reached across the space between us to touch my hand, and I ruined the beautiful moment by wincing as a sharp and forgotten pain shot up into my forearm.

Edward's eyes widened in alarm. "What's wrong?" He took my hand and examined it, and his eyes grew wider as they took in the dark purple bruises that were now blossoming across my wrist. "What in the hell happened to your hand!?"

"It's nothing," I lied unconvincingly.

"Bella," Edward said sternly. "Tell me."

I went on to tell him about everything that had happened in the last twenty four hours. I told him about my decision to run away, my terrifying experience in the forest, and finally, my encounter with Jacob. I left out certain select details, of course, but I did explain our confrontation, and the unfortunate way in which I had managed to damage my hand. I decided ultimately not to tell him about my foolish bargain with Rosalie just yet; the information about Jacob would be hard enough for him to process

When I was finished, Edward's expression shifted very quickly over the course of only a few short seconds. He was abruptly furious, but his expression changed as he brought my hand closer to his face in order to more fully examine the damage. It gradually started to morph into something else; something which seemed to resemble intense sadness. Then I saw his face contort in pain

"Edward, what's wrong?"

"This is my fault," he whispered. "If I hadn't lost my temper yesterday, you never would have felt the need to run away; you wouldn't have been in a position where you had to put yourself in the hands of someone as vile and untrustworthy as Jacob Black; and you certainly wouldn't be sitting here now, broken and hurt. I should have been there, Bella. I should have been there to protect you!"

"Edward," I sighed. "Please don't blame this on yourself. My decision to run away had less to do with your easily excitabletemper than it had to do with mine. And anyway, in case you haven't noticed, I am perfectly capable of defending myself."

His tortured expression did not vanish, but I did see his lips twitch up a bit at the corners. "Yes, I did notice. I'm proud of you, by the way; you must have put quite a bit of force behind that punch."

"All that I had," I admitted. "But not enough, apparently. All I managed to do was give him a bloody nose."

Edward's expression remained neutral, but I guessed that it took quite a bit of effort to keep it that way. Desperate to relieve some of his unnecessary guilt and tension, I decided to tease him a little. "So, aren't you going to congratulate me?"

His eyes snapped up to my face, and he was suddenly glaring at me as if I had lost my mind entirely. "Why on earth would I do that?"

"Well," I mumbled, surprised by his sudden intensity, "No one hates Jacob Black more than you do, Edward. Rightfully so. And, well, I thought you would have liked seeing him receive his due punishment, although you probably would have preferred to deliver it yourself. I thought you would be . . . happy."

Edward shook his head sadly. "Over something that's hurt you? I don't think so, Bella." And then, in a gesture I would not have expected in a million years, he gently raised my broken hand to his lips and placed a soft kiss on each of my bruised knuckles.

I hated to ruin another beautiful moment, but I knew that at some point one of us was going to have to address the giant elephant in the room, and I wanted to get it over with. "So, now that you know where I was last night, aren't you going to ask me if anything happened?"

Edward continued placing kisses on my knuckles, and his nose skimmed lightly across the back of my hand as he shook his head back and forth. "No."

"Why not?"

He looked up at me then, and sighed. "Because I already know nothing happened, Bella."

"How can you possibly know that?"

"Because I know you," he said softly. "And I know the sort of person that you are. You have more bravery, more integrity, and more goodness in you than any other person I've ever met. You are not like Tanya, and it was wrong of me to have treated you as such. It was wrong of me to have doubted you."

That was the first time Edward had ever spoken Tanya's name in my presence. His apology, although I knew it was heartfelt, was not easy for him; and that made it all the more special in my eyes. There were still many unknown parts of Edward's past, but I knew that he would tell me when he was ready. I planned to spend eternity, every single day of forever, working to discover his secrets.

I reached out to touch him then, because I wanted him to know I was here, and that I loved him. So I ran my hands gently through his messy hair that I loved so much, and I traced the planes of his perfect face with my fingertips. He closed his eyes and sighed, leaning his face into my palm. When I was finished his eyes fluttered open again, but they were gentler now, softer than before.

"You never did tell me," he murmured. "What made you decide to come back? After the way I treated you yesterday, I didn't think you'd ever want to speak to me again."

"I was furious," I began slowly. "But I didn't get very far before I realized what a horrible mistake I was making. I realized that, despite everything, I'd still rather fight with you than make love with anyone else."

There was no need for any further explanation at that point, because suddenly Edward was kissing me. And it wasn't our usual sort of kissing, either; it was slow and gentle, yet still building gradually into a burning sort of passion. His kisses were urgent as if he were attempting to communicate something of critical importance, yet they were also exceedingly gentle with his bottom lip was nudged softly between both of mine.

He pulled me on top of him then, but rather than beginning to rip my clothes off like I expected, he instead pulled our lips apart and held me very close to his chest. He tucked my head underneath his chin, and we lay there in silence; just breathing, and being together. My senses were trained on the way his chest rose and fell with every breath, and I was just beginning to relax completely when he suddenly shifted his weight and tilted his head downward so he could look at me.

He reached out and gently traced his fingertips over the planes of my face, just as I had done to him. But his lips soon followed where his fingers had touched as he placed soft kisses across both cheeks, my nose, my eyelids, my forehead. I felt my eyes roll back into my head slightly but I forced myself to keep them open, because the way Edward was looking at me in that moment was definitely something I wanted to memorize. He was looking at me like I was the ultimate lottery prize; the sun at the center of his solar system; the answer to every question he'd ever asked. He was looking at me . . . like he loved me.

A/N: Okay, so a couple of things.

I realize there are quite a few references to Eclipse in this chapter. I'm not entirely sure why that happened; it just sort of did. I don't feel bad about taking exact lines from the books becasuse, for one thing, it's fun and everybody recognizes them. I also like to think of it as my little way of paying homage to the series.

I also "borrow" lines from movies occasionally. I personally don't consider it stealing, but, just so nobody accuses me of being a thief, I will always cite my movie references. In this chapter, for example, I borrowed a line from the movie "The Wedding Date". It was a completely horrible film, its only saving grace being one very unexpected and incredible line: "I'd still rather fight with you than make love with anyone else."

Anyway, onto more important things. It was important that Bella run into Jacob. This is that pivotal point in the story where Bella finally comes into her own as a character; she's gone from a poor servant girl with no options to a strong, independent woman who knows exactly who she is and what she wants. The way she handles the Jacob situation is meant to reflect that.

Also, there were quite a few requests to have Edward show up at Jacob's mansion and fight him to the death, but I wasn't quite satisfied with that particular turn of events. I thought it was important for Bella to defend herself against Jacob; it was her shining moment where she finally stands up for herself. Plus, it was important that Jacob live, and bleed a little, because he bloody well deserves it.

Oh, and Rosalie will receive her due punishment. Don't you worry about that.

And just so you guys know, we're getting toward the end here. Probably only two or three more chapters to go. But that's all I'm going to say about it, because just thinking about this story ending makes me depressed. I don't know what I'm going to do with myself after this is over.