Chapter 13 - Wuv, Twue Wuv

A/N: This was the hard one to write. It didn't lend itself to humor very well. Some of you may not be happy with this chapter. It's what I want to happen, though.

If you want to see an Australian Cattle dog, there's a picture of my dog Jack in my profile, its my Avatar. Mystic has less black and more blue, but you get the general fuzzy idea - their fur is so much like how I imagine werewolf fur!

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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Bella POV:

love for a vampire and a werewolf

love for a vampire and a werewolf Edward's comment echoed in my head.

Did Edward know my secret? Did he know how right he was? Thoughts raced through my head again, and I couldn't catch them. It wasn't fair - I knew I had been torn between Edward and Jacob as a human, but I thought that once I was Changed the answer would be easy .. Jake wouldn't want to be near me as a vampire. But even after the Change I was still attracted to both of them, and they were both attracted to me.

Knowing that Edward couldn't read my mind, I let my thoughts drift to the stolen kisses with Jacob ... Kisses I hadn't admitted to anyone, not even myself. I wanted to shake the thoughts out of my head, but I'd probably end up with whiplash shaking my head that hard!

Edward POV:

"Your love for a vampire and a werewolf." Did I really say that out loud? I knew that she loved me, but she also loved Jacob. She had said that she only loved him as a friend, but when he was angry with me, he would fill his mind with images of him kissing Bella. Were they real? Could someone really love two people at the same time?

Bella's silence seemed to confirm my worries. While she sat in my lap, I stroked her hair and back, thinking. I was stymied - in my over 100 years on this planet, I never learned what to do when your girlfriend is a vampire/werewolf mix who loves you (a vampire) and a werewolf. These things would only happen in my relationship with Bella. Haven't we been through enough? We survived my stupidity when I left her, but only barely. What the heck do we do now?

Bella POV:

I know that vampires didn't need to breathe, but there were some human habits that were harder to break than others. Taking deep breaths to try to calm yourself when you are anxious is one of those hard-to-break habits.

"You might be right." I finally said, looking up into Edward's beautiful topaz eyes. As what I said sunk in, I could see his eyes darken. "Wait! Please don't get upset! It isn't that I love you any less than I ever have."

It clearly wasn't enough. Edward's hand stopped stroking my hair, and his eyes had darkened considerably. "I know you love me, Bella. You know that I don't want to live without you. Our family needs to move from Forks soon, and we can't come back to visit. I also know that Jacob loves you, and that you love him."

I nodded, glumly. "I thought that when I turned into a vampire, my choice would be made for me - Jacob and I couldn't spend time together if we were mortal enemies." I laughed bitterly, "So of course I end up being the only vampire/werewolf mix."

"I don't want you to choose me by default." Edward said, his eyes meeting mine.

"I know, love, I know. I do want to be with you. Not by default, but because I can't imagine my life without you. I couldn't live without you before, and I don't want to try again." I paused.

"But you can't imagine life without him, either, can you?" He asked, his tone resigned.

"No." I replied, and leaned my head against his chest. "What do I do, Edward? What can I do? I can't stay in Forks, I'm dead. I want to leave with you, but I don't want to give up Jacob."

Edward kissed the top of my head. "I can't answer that, sweetheart. You're going to need to think about that for yourself. I wish I could help you, I really do." He looked me in the face, and I could see his beautiful crooked smile, "I think my advice might be a bit biased, though."

I smiled back. "Probably." I sat for a moment, enjoying the feeling of comfort and safety I always felt in his arms and in his scent. "I think I need to go out for a run to think."

Edward nodded. "I had a feeling you'd say that. Why don't you take Mystic and run as a wolf? You need practice in that form anyhow."

I blinked. "I figured you'd be advising me against taking that form, because it would make me closer to the werewolves."

"You are who you are, and you have the gifts you do for a reason." Edward answered. Then he smirked. "Plus, I like watching you phase into and out of wolf form."

I thwacked him, and was grateful I had Changed, because otherwise I would have hurt my hand. "You are such a teenaged boy!"

"Always and forever, Bella. I love you." He leaned down and kissed me deeply. I put my arms around his neck, playing with his beautiful hair, his arms were around my waist, starting to touch my skin beneath my tank top. I could have stayed like that forever, but he broke away. "You need to go for that run and think."

"You are trying to influence me with kisses like that!"

"I never said I'd play fair." Edward replied with a wink. "Lets go outside, you can phase, run, then call me when you come back, and I'll return your clothes."

"You're keeping my clothes hostage?" I said, pretending to be indignant.

"Yep! You have to come back here eventually." Edward smiled at me again. I loved that smile. I couldn't live without that smile. I kissed him again, not caring who came by the front porch - love overcame modesty.

"You still need to think, love. Hand over those clothes!" Edward broke away, and held out his hand.

"OK. Remember that you told me to do this." I said, handing him my clothes and then phasing. Edward's grin after watching me change illuminated his face. I nuzzled Edward in my wolf form, then ran into the woods with Mystic at my side.

We ran for a couple hours. We ran everywhere. It felt good to have someone by my side, I didn't feel lonely, but I felt in charge of myself - when I was with Edward or Jacob, I felt like someone was taking care of me That's nice, but sometimes I need to be in charge of my own life.

I knew that Mystic would be getting tired, even working dogs need a break! We ran to the meadow, and laid down on the cool grass under the moonlight. The night was clear, and the stars were sparkling above us. Mystic's even breathing and heartbeat soothed me as I lay in the meadow thinking about my life and my loves.

Yes, I said "my loves". I love Edward and Jacob. In different ways because they are different people, but I still love two men. Even in vampire and werewolf culture, I don't think that's considered normal. What could I do? I can't stay in La Push or Forks, because I've been declared dead. If I could stay, I'd have to give up Edward. Since I'm leaving, I will probably have to give up Jacob. Either way, my heart is breaking under the stars.

Jacob POV:

I woke in the middle of the night, unable to fall back asleep. I left a note for Billy on the table, and went out for a run, phasing as I left the house. I ran through the forest, taking random turns, wanting to outrun my thoughts and my feelings.

I love Bella, and she can even change into a werewolf! A beautiful, chocolate brown one at that. She doesn't smell like the other mosquitoes, and she's still her loving self. She's been declared dead in Forks, so she needs to leave soon. I didn't realize at the time, but when I chose to let Edward Change her, I was choosing to let her go - I need to stay with the Pack on the reservation.

I ended up at the meadow, the one that Edward and Bella find sacred - the one where Bella was changed. I walked slowly into the clearing, the moon illuminating two prone figures - one a sleeping dog with a blue tint, the other a chocolate brown wolf; the same wolf I had been trying not to think of.

Hi Jake, I heard in my head. Yep, it was Bella.

Hi Bella. I couldn't sleep and went for a run, ended up here.

I could hear the echo of a laugh. I couldn't sleep either. I thought a run would do me good. Now I'm enjoying laying on the grass, looking up at the stars and the moon.

It's very peaceful. I agreed.

It's nice to see you here, Bella said. I was thinking about you.

I was surprised. Really?!

Yes, silly. I could hear the smile in Bella's voice. Edward had a theory about my werewolf side.

I had been moving towards her as we were talking, and now I laid beside her. She curled against me. For a second, I couldn't think straight. Edward has a theory? I managed to say.

Yes. First you have to understand that vampire powers are usually an extension of a person's human tendencies. So, say Jasper was very empathetic as a human, and now he can feel and control the emotions of others.

OK. I replied, wondering where she was going with this, but loving the feeling of her body against mine, in wolf form as much as in human form.

So. My vampire revulsion towards human blood is an extension of my dislike of blood as a human - it made me sick.

Got it.

So we're back to Edward's theory. Bella said.

I'm curious about Edward's theory.

Edward thinks I can turn into a werewolf as a vampire because when I was Changed into a vampire, I loved a werewolf and a vampire.

No words came out of my mouth. No words could make sense in my thoughts, either. I just looked at her, and enjoyed being next to her. Bella just laid there, as thoughts raced through my mind, bumping into each other, nothing making sense.

Finally, I was able to say, You are also loved by a vampire. And a werewolf.

I know. And I feel torn in two. How can my heart be whole? How can I be happy?

Edward POV:

As I walked into the clearing, I could hear their thoughts. Bella was telling Jacob about my theory. My heart ached knowing how much Bella loved us both, and how much we both loved her. Her thought, How can I be happy now? echoed through my mind.

I lay on the grass next to Bella's wolf form, on the other side of Jacob. The three of us laid there together, none of us saying anything. Finally, I broke the silence.

"I think the question is not how can you be happy, Bella. I think the question is what can Jake and I do to help you be happy."

Hunh? What do you mean? asked Bella.

That's what I was going to say. echoed Jacob.

"It seems like we have two choices - either we break Bella's heart by forcing her to choose between us, or we find a different path that might make everyone happy."

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A/N: Thanks for reading! Please review if you have a minute!