Thank you guys so much for the support! I'm trying to update more regularly and hopefully everything will calm down a bit before Finals and the AP exam [yikes!] I hope you like this chapter; my favorite line is in this one! (: Please review and leave your criticism! Enjoy!

Chapter Seven: My Commitment

I didn't know what was so wrong. Sam had commanded Jake to phase back with such finality and strength in his voice, his words were metal fists in the vulnerable targets of your stomach. You had to obey him. You had no other choice and was frankly too busy keeping yourself from trembling under his glare to search for a loophole. At least…that was my reaction. Jake was totally different. He did phase back, but he gave Sam a glare like no other. It was mixed with forced respect and cooperation. He was pissed off and hated the only one bold enough to say something he wasn't too keen with. It wasn't until he locked eyes with me, huge pools of warm brown irises linked with mine.

"Jake," I whispered, my voice as strong as I could get it at the moment. "Calm down…it's okay…" I kept his gaze, watching him inhale and exhale deeply; each inhale was slower than the exhale and I could see his temper deflating. The wolf let out a howl of pain as his being began to shrink until only Jake was left behind. My Jake. Naked. In all his natural, fully exposed glory…sitting on the floor.

"Man, I need to find some girls," Jared muttered, looking away. Embry sighed.

"I'll go see if we have any more un-shredded jeans left."

"I'll help." Quil trailed behind him, seeming uncomfortable with the scene. His eyes were awkwardly darting between Jake's birthday suit and thin air; his head was turned deliberately away so there was no incident in seeing him. He seemed uneasy.

"You'll get use to it," I heard Paul mumble as they passed him in the doorway, going into the hallway. Emily didn't seem affected at all. Then again, I assumed she's had a lot of experience in this area…mostly for intimate sensations with her soul mate. My chest ached as my heart thudded threateningly.

Soul mate. I had one, didn't I? Somewhere. Was it Jake? My mind skimmed over the memories I'd recovered, scanning everything that contained meaning. Jake. He was my everything. Did I love him? Yes, of course. I loved him enough to protect him, throwing myself in the line of fire to shield him from the worst, if not all of it. He was all I had right now. But…why did I get the feeling I loved someone else more? I didn't understand.

I stood against the wall, leaning against it so I could maintain the balance I'd seemed to grasp; it was a miracle to me. Sam dragged fully clothed Jake and the rest of the wolf pack out in the hall. Now the whispers were beginning again. Emily had volunteered to stay in here with me, to keep me company. And distracted.

"Emily, what's happening?" I asked, unable to control myself. Something was wrong. And the mystery was going to drive me crazy. "What are they talking about?" I had a feeling she knew and if she didn't, she would know in due time. She smiled at me warmly, her eyes doing the heavy lifting as she comforted me and spoke useless words at the same time.

"Don't worry about it Bella." But that didn't make me stop worrying.

"Bella…" Emily's mouth had not moved a muscle. The voice was deeper, strained painfully, and my remedy to the chaos going on inside and around me.

"Jake." I stood up automatically, walking to him and without thinking about it, wrapped my arms around his waist, absorbing his warmth as I laid my head on his shoulder. I breathed in his scent of pines, earth, and nature. It seemed to depress my frantic nerves and my body relaxed with relief. His arms slowly encased me in them; surrounding me completely with irresistible heat. His lips pressed gently against my hair, I listened to his forced intake of breath.

"Bella…I don't want you to see them…I don't want you to remember…him…" I looked up at him as he looked down at me.

"Them?" Who was them? And what was he so afraid of my remembering? There was a note of pure agony in his voice. Did he think I would leave him?

No. Never. He is my everything now. No matter how it was before. I couldn't imagine living without him.

His eyes darkened with hatred, slight tremors shook his body and me. "Alice and Carlisle are here."

Carlisle. It seemed so familiar, so…comforting. I knew Carlisle. I couldn't place his face but I knew his name.

"I want to see them." There was another tremor. His arms tightened their hold, threatening to leave bruises on my back and arms. But I didn't care. He was clutching me like a child would their favorite toy when they knew they were in trouble and it was about to get taken away. "Jake…I'm not going to leave you. I promise."

"Of course you're not leaving him," Paul said, coming into the room as well, with the others. "We're coming with you."

"Just in case," Sam added, confirming what Paul said but making it sound as if they weren't there for my protection. Did they think Carlisle would hurt me? Something inside my head, a voice buried underneath the ruins of what was left of my brain cells, told me they wouldn't hurt me. Alice had the opportunity before but had instead tried to talk to me; Carlisle…just seemed gentle for some reason. I didn't know why.

I nodded. "Okay."

"They're expecting us." Sam eyed Jake's hold on me and I kissed Jake's cheek. No matter the placement, I didn't kiss him as if he was going to lose me. I kissed him to show him he wouldn't. Ever.

"I think you missed his lips."

"Shut up Jared."

"What if I shut you up Embry?"

"Jake," Sam's voice boomed. "Time to go." Jake slowly released me and nodded gravely.

I saw them through the large glass window in front of me. My tired, aging truck whined as it inched closer, followed by the several wolves around us, developing a circle of protection. I wasn't so sure we wouldn't need it. The sight of Alice again, the vampire…had me catching my breath. Jake's hand appeared on my knee, squeezing gently for comfort.

"Everything's gonna be fine, Bella." He says that before he gets out and leaves me to fend for myself against my oncoming hyperventilation. I watched him get out of the car and walk toward them with my heart in my throat.

"Didn't think I'd bring her?" Alice inclined her head and let a small playful, yet mocking smile spread across her face.

"There was doubt."

"Where is she?" The male asked. Clusters of several images flashed before my eyes, all of them including that face. Blond hair, young features, kind eyes and wise instincts. Carlisle. The father figure of Alice, his supposed adoptive daughter. It was coming back to me in blank splotches.

Jake walked to my door, opening it against the car's wishes for it creaked and squeaked in rebellion. His hand reached out for mine and I grasped it, holding on for dear life. They'd have to cut both our hands off if they wanted us separated again. I used my free arm to cling to his as the baby steps towards Carlisle matched the thudding of my heart beats. It was agony. Watching their eyes scan me over for god knows what; watching them get bigger and bigger in visual as the space between us gets smaller….and smaller…and smaller. I forced my lungs to work, when the first thing on both our minds was passing out and praying we woke up in Emily's guest bedroom again.

Then it was too late to turn around.

"Bella," Carlisle's voice was soft and slow, deliberately coherent; a hint that Alice had told him everything. His yellow eyes never moved from my face, though strained to appear gentle. There was something comforting about the air around him that made it easier to breathe. "Bella, I am Carlisle, Alice's adoptive father. A vampire," he added for clarification, doing the one thing Alice had not when she'd tried this introduction. "Do you remember me?" He asked. I nodded slowly, knowing I remembered his face, and a few situations between us came to light in those few seconds.

Scarlett blood is streaming down my arm from an open wound, filled with glass and metal, salt flavored blood, the most delicious thing in the world to a vampire. And that's how I got here. A paper cut, a bead of blood not even big enough to string a piece of yarn through; had drove Jasper to determination of my death. Forcing Edward to protect me; ending in more pain and bloodshed than necessary. Carlisle had offered to clean me up though I knew blood tortured him mercilessly like all the others. He was taking the minuscule pieces of glass out of my arm while the others waited at a safe distance. Including Edward.

Edward.

"What do you remember Bella?" I fought for the words to come out.

"Images…faces…names…" Carlisle's eyes glanced at Alice beside him and she flashed a smile of hope. It was a better substitution than the hurt expression I'd last seen on her.

"Do you remember Edward?" Jake's mouth was fixated, about to jump in but even he was caught by surprise when I nodded my head slowly. I felt the tremors and almost had a heart attack when I felt him ringing his arm back to him and away from me. My limbs cried out in protest as I firmly wrapped my arms around him.

Don't let go. I don't want him to let go.

"Bella." It is Alice's voice that drags me back to attention this time. "What do you remember about him?"

There's a flash of me and him in a small, perfectly round meadow filled with dozens of wild flowers-red, yellow, purple- covered in the most alluring bright yellow light that should've been green. Somewhere played the bubbling of a stream, the music of their soundtrack. The sun was directly overhead, making this place glow as holy land. I was awestruck, walking through the soft grass, swaying flowers, and warm gilded air-with him close beside me.

"I remember the meadow…and his face," My brain searched for others, translating the mush into something coherent. "I remember how we met in school…almost everything," I concluded when I felt Jake's body become rigid. Alice was smiling fully and genuinely now as she exchanged looks with first Carlisle, then Jake.

"Huge improvement." Carlisle, seemed to be in thought, thinking.

"It might make it easier if we brought Edward here-"

"No!" Jake's voice seemed to erupt from deep inside him. The volcanic animation made me shiver, nearly giving out of my skin.

"Bella." Sam, standing in ripped jean shorts came towards me, my bodyguard against Jake once again. He took my arm deliberately, moving me away from Jake who struggled to compose his form. Alice's eyes were on my back like daggers.

"Why would you want her to remember!? She was in pain when your leeche left! She could barely take a breath when she thought about him and you want to bring her back to that!?" Carlisle spoke calmly against Jake's rage.

"Jacob, neither of us wish to see Bella in pain."

"Then why are you doing this!?! You left her, not the other way around."

"We left for her protection; we thought it was the right thing to do."

"Well you didn't think about her! You never thought about anyone but yourselves!" I saw Alice's glare; her temper had finally reached a peak and it took both of Carlisle's hands to keep her put.

"Jake, we all agree on Bella's importance. She is valuable in both of our lives. We honestly tried to do what was best for her; I don't think our punishment should be ignorance on her part. We don't want to be forgotten just like you wish to always be in her memory."

"But once she remembers, you're leaving again…aren't you?" He accused, more out of blind sight but that didn't hide his accuracy.

But once she remembers, you're leaving again…No. No. I didn't want them to leave again. I didn't know why this caused me to tremble. I didn't know what was going on but the voice in my head was screeching. I didn't want them to go. I didn't want to remember.

"J…J…Jake! Jake!" It was automatic. I need someone to protect me from myself and the sound was immediate.

"We'll discuss this later," Carlisle concluded. Jake rolled his eyes, appearing beside me, arms around me.

"Sure, Sure."

"J…Jake," I whispered. "I want to go home." He nodded, picking me up in his arms, carrying me to my side of the car.

"I'll take you back to Emily's." I shook my head.

"My home." I wanted something familiar; I wanted to see Charlie. And I had a feeling I would be meeting something there. The other half to what started this whole thing.