Chapter 6 - Cool hands, Hot hands

A/N: This is a story inspired by the many (wonderful) stories about Bella being torn between Edward and Jacob, as well as some others about powers she gets after the Change. This chapter is another not-very-funny chapter, because it's hard to make 3 days of pain funny.

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, New Moon, or Eclipse. I just like having fun with the characters and world the wonderful Stephenie Meyer created.

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Jacob POV

I helped Edward carry Bella through the woods, Mystic at our heels. Bella seemed to need my heat and Edward's cold - if ony one of us was holding her, she would scream more.

When we arrived at Edward's parked car, I tried to assess what was going on. Edward had some blood on him, but I seemed covered in it. I ripped off my bloody shirt, not wanting to get any ... mosquitoes interested in me. That's when I noticed that I had some cuts, too. The sharp rocks in the creek must have cut me when I dove down to help Bella.

Edward needed to get a blanket out of the trunk, so I held Bella close to me, skin to skin. This wasn't how I wanted our first skin-to-skin encounter, but despite the horror-movie quality of the scene, she still felt so good against my body. I worried slightly about the possibility of mixing blood with her, and that the venom could get to me, but I figured the venom couldn't be everywhere yet.

Holding Bella safe and tightly too me felt so right, I buried my head in her hair, inhaling her beautiful scent. All too soon, Edward had set up the back of the car so that I could lay Bella down in some semblance of comfort, and without getting the car covered in blood. I sat carefully in the back, trying to help Bella find a comfortable position, but she kept screaming in pain.

Edward POV

I couldn't bear listening to Bella scream. I hated that I couldn't hold her as I drove home. I could feel Mystic's warmth on my leg, and I saw her head on my thigh, looking at me with what seemed like sympathy in her eyes. I patted her gently as I drove as fast as I could to our house. I wished that I could refuse admittance to Jacob, but Bella found comfort with him and me, and I wanted her to have as much comfort as she could during the pain I caused.

"Let's get her out, and into my room. We can try to make her comfortable until Carlisle can help her." I said, throwing open the doors and working with Jacob to hold Bella. Mystic followed us almost silently, her eyes on her mistress.

The house was quiet when we walked through the door, but I could hear their thoughts in other areas of the house. "Everybody listen!" Suddenly Carlisle and Esme, Jasper and Alice, and Emmet and Rosalie were in the entryway. "Bella fell in the creek. She was bleeding too much, and I had to bite her. Jacob was there and absolved me from the treaty."

"Why is he still with you?" Rosalie asked with a bit of a sneer. I could hear a bit of a growl from Jake.

I held tightly to my poor Bella. "Bella needs both of us with her right now - she seems to get comfort from Jacob's heat and my cold. If it helps her get through the change, I'll do anything."

"Go upstairs and get her comfortable, Edward. I'll be up with some morphine in the hopes that it will dull some of the pain." Carlisle moved towards his office. He stopped for a moment and turned back to us. "As soon as you can, you should change out of your clothes. The blood will be a distraction for everyone, and Jasper might be able to help Bella if there isn't so much blood around her."

Alice popped up at my elbow, startling me. "Let me clean up Bella, Edward. You and Jacob take quick showers - I'll do my best to keep her comfortable. Jasper does want to help, and if everyone's cleaned up he can."

I looked at her, surprised, then nodded. "That sounds like a good idea." I turned to Jacob, "Jasper can help change people's emotions. He might be able to help her calm down." Jacob's eyes widened, and then he nodded.

"I can take her now." Alice reached out her hands, and Jacob and I both handed Bella to her. As soon as she left our arms, Bella started screaming again. Alice held her close murmuring to her, then raced upstairs to clean her off in one of the bathrooms. I couldn't hear much from Alice, she was so worried for Bella, but I could hear a few passing thoughts: I hope I can help her feel better. I'm glad the boys can work together to help her. It would have been perfect if she had worn her "Bite Me" shirt for the picnic today! I hate not being able to see what is going to happen when the werewolves are involved. I stopped focusing on Alice so I could get cleaned up quickly and comfort Bella myself.

"Emmett, can you grab Jacob a change of your clothes? I don't think he'll fit in mine." I asked, moving towards the stairs to go shower. Jacob followed me, with Emmett right at his heels. I looked around for a moment for Mystic, then realized she had followed Alice upstairs. That dog stuck like velcro to Bella.

Jacob and I both showered quickly, and we appeared to come out of the two bathrooms at the same time. I walked with him silently to my room, and I knocked on the closed door.

"It's OK Edward, I've cleaned her up. You can come in." Alice's voice called from inside my room over Bella's moans.

Jacob's POV

The Cullens' house was huge! I couldn't believe it. I guess with all the people in there it needs to be, but still. Plenty of bathrooms for 3 people to get clean, with some to spare. I'm feeling very uncomfortable being here, the sickly sweet stench of them is everywhere. Bella's scent is everywhere too, though. It's a mix of unsettling and comforting. I took the quickest shower in the world once the little pixie girl took Bella. I was hoping to get to Bella before Edward was finished, but it appeared that we tied.

Of course, Edward looked completely proper in his clean clothes, whereas if someone looked at me they would have laughed. I'm much bigger than Edward or his blonde brother, but I'm still smaller than the huge one. So I've got some sweats and a t-shirt from the huge one, and the shirt is dwarfing me (which I never thought would happen!), while the sweats seem ready to fall down at any moment.

When Edward and I walked into his room, my eyes were on Bella, laying on a black leather couch. I glanced quickly around the room and realized there was no bed. I guess we'd have to get comfortable on the couch - at least there was a lot of music around. Bella's head was in the pixie girl's lap, and Mystic was curled up, snuggling her feet. Bella had been cleaned up, and was wearing something blue that didn't cover that much of her. Bella would be blushing like mad if she knew she was with Edward and me in those clothes! I thought, distracted by how beautiful she was, even in pain.

"Since Bella seems to need heat and cold to be comfortable, I took her head and her dog took her feet. I wish I could do more for her, but after I cleaned her up, I put her in a tank top and shorts because the Change felt like fire to most of us. But if she is acting cold, I put a blanket right there," the pixie said, pointing at a nearby throw blanket. Again, I was amazed to look in the girl's face and see love and pain - she truly cared for Bella and was upset she was in so much pain. This wasn't what I was expecting from them. Hunh.

She started talking again, "I know I saw this happening, and I know she wanted it, but it is still so hard to see her hurting so much." With that, she slipped out from under Bella's head, and walked towards the door. "I'll tell Jasper he can come up when he gets back. You'll have to yell or send a message if you need or want me - I can't see anything with him here."

Edward quickly slipped into the place his sister had been, stroking Bella's forehead. I sat with her legs in my lap. Mystic laid next to me, leaning against her feet. I felt jealous of Edward's place by Bella's head, but tried to quash that emotion."

"There will be plenty of time to change positions." Edward said, startling me. He must have "overheard" my thoughts.

"Yes. I'm not going to let my jealousy interfere with her care. Bella comes first." I said, gently caressing her legs. There are positives to being at this end of her, too. I thought, knowing he would overhear me.

Bella tossed and turned as she lay across our bodies, moaning in pain and calling both our names out at random. We tried to soothe her with our touch, and it seemed to help a bit.

Bella POV

I knew that being Changed was going to hurt, but nothing had prepared me for this level of pain. The from James' bite was nothing compared to this. I was alternately burning and freezing, my injuries aching. I had vague feelings of comfort and sanity from a hot body and a cold body, but nothing could dull the burning going through my body, and the feelings of cold that would sometimes follow the burning.

A few times it felt worse, so much worse - I was missing something, one of my touchstones was gone. A few moments later the heat or chill would return, and the pain would be more manageable. I could hear my voice moaning and screaming, but it didn't feel like I was controlling it.

After what seemed like forever, I started feeling less pain. I could open my eyes and look out. "Jasper! Thank you!" I croaked, my voice hoarse from calling out in pain.

Jasper smiled. "I'll do what I can to help."

"Thank you." I looked up, and Edward was holding my head, then looked down and found Jacob and Mystic by my legs and feet. "My two heroes!" I smiled at them both, but then another wave of burning pain seared through me, and I cried out. Four hands caressed me - 2 cold, 2 hot, and the pain was eased. Time passed, but I could only feel the pain and the soothing hands, and the waves of calm from Jasper.

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A/N: Please review! I've had a bad day with my chronic pain, and it will make me very happy. The next chapter will be more fun, I needed chapters 5 & 6 to carry the story along.