How was it that Bella got infected? We took every precaution possile including sending her to the other side of the country and yet she still manages to get herself into trouble? Is that possible?

"You said it was sinuses..." I reminded her sleeping body, as if that statement would make her realize that she was actually quite healthy. "Sinuses..."

A wave of dread came over me as I realized that she's been coughing for days. She was coughing on the phone as she talked to me from Florida! And I had just brushed it off like an idiot! You'd think that I, the Spanish Flu surivivor, would have more sense than that! Bella's forehead wrinkled slightly, causing a bead of sweat to roll down her forhead and into her hair.

"It's not your fault." Carlisle said as he placed his hand on my shoulder.

Whoever said that it was my fault? Sure, I should have seen the signs. I should have noticed that she was warmer than usual, despite the amount of time we spent apart. I should have sent her to Florida the minute I heard about this damn epidemic in the first place!

I brushed Carlisle's arm off of my shoulder and stormed out of the room.

Don't do anything rash, Edward.

Did he really think that I was a big enough jerk to kill myself while Bella was still alive? She was going to survive this. Worst case scenario is that she is no longer a human as she fights it. Then I'd have years to earn her forgiveness.

I slammed my car door shut as I made my way back home, intending to get all of the information that I was sure Carlisle left out from Jasper. She can't be too sick if she had the energy to walk.

A small part of me knew that this was going to happen. That part knew that when it really came down to it, I wouldn't be able to protect Bella. Was this punishment for the lives that I took? The life that was begging for me to take? Or was God reminding me that I had no right to Bella? That she was the angel, and I the monster.

I sped into the driveway and went straight for the door. The second my hand touched the handle I felt my body relax slightly; no doubt the effect of Jasper's influence.

"Alice!" I called. She walked to the living room, annoyed at my summoning her.

"What?"

"Is Bella going to survive?"

Alice looked at me as if I was slow. "The. Wolves. Are. Involved." she said each word indivisually. "I can't see anything, remember?"

Jasper walked slowly into the room behind her, looking uneasy at how we were acting. I understood that Alice was irritated that she couldn't see the future, and I'm sure Jasper hated the emotions swirling through the room, but could noone see that I was not in the mood?

"Well can you see anything?" I asked her desperatly. I don't care if God really was sending me a message. There is no way that I can just allow the love of my life to die.

Jasper cringed beside her and her hands balled into fists. "No." she answered coldly. "If that damn wolf would just die then perhaps I can." she hissed.

I turned my attention towards Jasper now, who's eyes widened at the gesture.

"Tell me what happened with Bella." I demanded.

He hesitated and then started speaking, keeping his eyes on the cieling.

"She was asleep on the sofa when she began to breathe heavily. Alice called down Carlisle and he took her temperature and she had a high fever. He told me to get ice but before I left the room she began to cough loudly. She couldn't gather her breathe. Of course she was awake by now, but after nearly a minute of coughing she fell back to the couch and began to gasp for breathe, her temperature still high. So Carlisle carried her to the car and brought her to the hospital."

Some images went through Jasper's head and I cringed.

"I'm sure she's going to make it, though." he said smiling. Jasper only smiled when he was trying to reassure someone.

"Does anyone else know?" I asked Alice now.

"Ummm.. Carlisle called Sam Uley telling him not to go near Bella's house in case he were to catch it."

.. This was not what I wanted to hear... "So the wolves know?"

Alice nodded her head as a picture of an infuriated Jacob passed through her mind. Suddenly the house phone rang. We all exchanged looks. The house phone never rang. Only our cell phones. Suspiciously, Jasper walked over and picked up the phone.

"...Hello?"

He instantly held the phone away frm his ear.

Oh great.. Jacob...

I took the phone.

"What do you want, mutt?"

"How DARE you get Bella sick?! I didn't allow her in the house and yet you still manage to infect her?!"

"She was sick before---"

"I can't even believe you! How do you defend yourself?!"

"Simple. She---"

"You know what, forget it. You can't talk your way out of this! Not only am I going to kick your ass, but you can forever have the guilt of killing Bella!" Dead Line.

I held the phone in absolute disbelief. The only words that really came to my mind were "Oh Burn". Jacob had just destroyed any ounce of me that wasn't already loathing myself.

"I'm going back..." I mumbled absently as I left the house yet again.

Was Jacob really speaking the truth or was he simply trying to cause me pain when he said all of those things? Did he really think that it was just my fault? Did my family think that it was my fault? It's true that I should have sent her home the instant that I read that article about the boy who was infected in middle school... but did her getting sick really root down all the way to that? Was that one detail really the reason why she was in this predicament?

Even after parking my car at the hospital for the second time that day I was sifting through any reasoning that might not involve casting the blame on me. I walked up to the desk and the secretary pointed at the door without even needing an explanation. I nodded my head in thanks and followed the outstretched finger.

To my immense disgust and shock, another familiar smell presented itself. This one not as pleasant as Bella's. It was actually downright repulsive. I opened the door slowly, praying that my senses were actually playing tricks on me.

I wasn't winning anything today.

"Look, it's the leech." Jacob said from his chair next to Bella. He rose and began to walk towards me.

"Jacob, I'm really not in the mood to argue right now. How about---" But I was interupted as Jacob's fist made contact with my right eye.

Shock was my initial reaction. Even as I felt myself hit the ground and Jacob begin to shake with anger, shock was all I could feel.

"How complicated was it to keep Bella safe? Did it confuse you? Did you misunderstand? Why is she lying in a hospital bed?!"

We both had talked often about killing each other. Quite often, actually. But we both managed to keep our composure so that Bella wouldn't worry unnecessarily. My previous emtion turned to anger.

"Because this hospital doesn't need somebody else using up a hospital room I'll spare you this time, pup." I growled, clenching my fists as I tried to control myself. "But I am in no mood and I'll kill you if you so much as breathe wrong."

Jacob's shaking intensified and the logical side of me told me to back off; while the larger vampire side was thinking of ways to kill the pup. We stood, glaring at each other for a long moment, trying to decide what the next course of action should be.

I don't want to fight him in here... Bella could get hurt.

"So help me god, Jacob.." I growled, still fighting my instincts to pounce. "I won't be able to control myself from killing you. You should leave. Now."

His eyes narrowed until they were barely slits as he walked to the door, shooving me as he passed.

Kill me, will you?

He glared once at me before walking out of the room.

I knew he was all talk...

Unable to resist the mutt's taunting anymore, I quickly caught up with him in the parking lot of the hospital, anxious to take out the anger that's been accumulating for weeks.

eh... i really didn't like this way that this chapter turned out.. i couldn't really get his emotion correctly- edward always blames himself so i got that down, but at the same time he knows that she's going to be changed- so he cant be suicidally depressed... so I figure that he has allll of this stress and anger inside of him that he wouldn't be able to say no to a fight with Jacob. Flame if you wanna, but he uses so much self control not to kill Jacob, and now he's so stressed, confused and angry that i doubt there's a whole lot left. Well thanks for reading and I hope to get reviews too :) Til next time :D