The italics in this chapter are dreams, not necessarily visions of the future. They only contain what Bella knows about Jacob, so there's nothing supernatural in them.

But don't get too excited about what this means - Chapter 12 is dreams about Edward (don't hate!)

Disclaimer: I, unfortunately, do not own any of these characters. If I did, I wouldn't be writing fanfiction, I would be swimming in a pool lined with gold. Thanks.

And if I only could,
Make a deal with God,
And get him to swap our places,
Be running up that road,
Be running up that hill,
Be running up that building,
If I only could, oh...

Running Up That Hill - Placebo

She felt the darkness recede, just enough, to realize that she was no longer outside. And from the feel of the air around her, she wasn't in La Push anymore, much less Forks.

At first, the only thing Bella knew was that she was in pain. Then her brain registered the aches and she groaned, softly, almost afraid someone would hear her. Well, she thought, maybe this means I'm not dead.

"Jake?" She heard herself whispering. "Jake?"

She heard the shuffling of feet and she struggled to open her eyes, though they felt heavy and her tongue was thick and seemed stuck to the roof of her mouth.

Finally, she was able to peel her eyelids back and she looked around, very slowly. It was dark, and there was barely any light in the room, the only glow coming from what she assumed was the moon that still hung overhead. The walls were cement, unfinished. Broken ceiling tiles were scattered in the corners, and she started to wonder if she was in a construction site. But the ache in between her ears interrupted her thoughts. She groaned again. Even her eyeballs hurt. They slid shut again, and Bella did not attempt to stop them.

"Hello, my dear," a voice hissed, filled with mock comfort. It was a woman's voice, but deep and sultry, as if in some way, it was attempting to seduce her with false hope. "How are you feeling?"

Bella grunted in response, her facial muscles tensed and she didn't open her eyes again. She was afraid if she did that she might see the face that belonged to the voice, and the knots in her stomach told her that it was not something she wanted to look at.

"Aww," the voice clucked scornfully. "Does your head hurt?" Bella felt icy fingers trace hollow lines across the left side of her face. "Go back to sleep, little one," She sneered quietly, her lips aligned with Bella's ear. "The pain will begin soon enough."

Jacob nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard a knock on his bedroom door. Bella peeked in at him with a smile, laughing at the expression on his face. "Did I scare you?" she teased, joining him on the bed.

He shook his head playfully, sticking out his tongue. "Where's my present?"

She tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Present? Why should I have bought you a present?"

He growled, reaching over with both hands to pin her shoulders to the bed, rolling his large body over hers. "It's my birthday, woman. I want presents."

Bella nodded slowly, pulling his face towards hers. He tried to keep his mean expression, but she smiled at him, and he couldn't stop the silly grin that appeared on his face. "Mm hmm," She mumbled against his soft lips, kissing him gently. "And what are you going to do about it?"

He shrugged helplessly, totally dominated by the tiny girl that lay beneath him. But instead of thinking, he leaned into her kiss. "I'm sure I'll think of something," he murmured appreciatively into her mouth, pressing his hips more firmly into hers.

She laughed at him, giving him a gentle swat on the shoulder, pushing his upper body out of her way as she moved from the bed and stood. His lower lip appeared and he pouted, disappointed that they wouldn't be spending the evening in that particular position. She ignored him, and grabbed his hand, pulling him in the direction of the front door. "Come on!" she commanded. "Let's go!"

He let her drag him outside and he amicably climbed in her truck. She didn't say much during the drive, and he watched her as the light from the street lamps cast shadows across her face. He had always known that he loved her, but it surprised him everyday just how much, and he told her so.

She blushed of course, an adorable pink in the moonlight. She didn't respond to his comment, but simply shifted the car into park and turned off the engine. She slid her keys out of ignition and turned to Jacob. "We're here."

Jacob looked at her, confused. "We're at the beach."

Bella slowly nodded. "Yeah... thanks for pointing out the obvious." She opened her door and gestured towards the water. "Come on!"

He stared at her some more. "But it's cold."

She rolled her eyes. "That's why I told you to bring a jacket." She raised an eyebrow at him. "Did you bring a jacket?"

"Yeah..." Jacob replied, looking at the coat he held in his hand like he wasn't sure what to do with it.

Bella rolled her eyes again and shut the door. "I'm going to be out here waiting for you when you decide to get your pansy ass out of the car!" She yelled through the glass.

Jacob sat there for a moment and watch her disappear around a sand dune. He pouted for a moment. "But it's cold..." he whispered to himself. But then he realized she wasn't coming back, so he sighed and slid his arms inside his jacket, opened the door and headed towards the water.

As he circled around the sand dune, he stopped short when he saw Bella standing next to a telescope, smiling at him. Next to her feet was a picnic basket and a load of fire wood.

"What's this?" He asked, pulling her close to him. "Hmm?" He gave her a small kiss, drawing her into his body to protect her from the cold.

She smiled and pointed to the telescope, already shivering in the cold January air. "Happy birthday."

He looked at it curiously. "You got me a telescope?" He tried to hide the confusion in his voice but he knew he didn't succeed.

She laughed and gave him a light slap on the shoulder. "Look in the lens, silly."

He leaned over and placed one eye over the lens. When he finally focused, he drew in a sharp breath. "It's beautiful," he whispered. He was amazed at the dazzling bright star he was staring at. He stood up right and pulled her into his arms again. "It's beautiful, Bells."

She leaned back and smiled at him, the light in her eyes dancing mischievously. "It's yours."

He stared at her, drawing his thick dark brows together, confused. "It's mine?"

She nodded, blushing and pointed towards a large cluster of stars. "See that? That's-"

"Canus Major," Jacob interrupted. "Greater dog."

She nodded again and her arm moved as her fingers identified the different objects. "There's Sirius, there's Murzim. Look to the left there… that star. That star is now named hac'h shí pa…"

His mouth fell open and he stared at her. She noticed his eyes and she blushed again. She turned to cuddle into the broad expanse of his chest, keeping her eyes locked into his. "Beautiful black…" she translated softly. She leaned down and picked up a framed certificate. "It's all right here."

Jacob continued to stared at her, his mouth hanging open. "You bought me a star? In Canus Major?" He whispered. Her face felt like it was in a constant state of embarrassed pink. He gently took her reddened cheeks between his palms. "What made you pick that constellation?" he asked softly, rubbing the side of her face with his thumbs.

She smiled, shrugged, and leaned into his touch, allowing herself to practically drown inside his large hands. "It just seemed like… the place in the sky where you belonged. That when I looked there… I found you."

He shook his head slowly, then smiled and leaned down to rest his chin softly on the top of her head. "Thank you," he whispered. He kissed her then, a slow, soft, gentle and senuous kiss... one full of all the emotions that they felt and couldn't find the words that fit. Her scent intoxicated him, and his heart beat so loud that it drowned out the crashing of the waves. She felt his tongue drift into her mouth and she moaned into his lips, amazed at what just his mouth could do to her.

Breathless and trembling, Bella pulled away slightly, her lips swollen and wet. Jacob's eyes were glazed over and she was excited by the dark, hungry look in his eyes. "I'm... glad you like it," she managed to finally say.

He laughed, and it was deep and husky. "I like you best." He gave her a light kiss on the nose and rubbed her shoulders as she shivered. He looked down and noticed the other items near them. He inhaled loudly, and then gestured at the basket. "What's in there?"

She laughed and leaned down to open it. "Well..." she said, beginning to lift things out. "I've got fruit... cheese... Some smoked salmon… bread... and some wine." She held it in the air, a devilish look on her face. "I figured you would be hungry. And then I was hoping to ply you with alcohol and take off your clothes."

He blinked, his eyes wide and innocent. "I have no clue where you would get the idea that I would enjoy any of those things."

She laughed again and began to spread the items out on the blanket she had brought. Jacob placed the stack of wood into the fire pit, quickly setting it ablaze to keep them warm while Bella opened the containers and prepared the rest of the food.

Jacob then opened the wine, dug out the glasses and poured them each a small amount. "So here's a toast..." he said softly, raising his glass towards her. She lifted hers in response. "To us..." he whispered gently, gazing into her eyes.

"To us..." she repeated, taking sip. "I think I like that one."

"Wake up, sweet Miss Bella," the voice taunted as bucket of cold water was thrown across her face. "Time to get up! I'm hungry…" The words trailed off into sick laughter and Bella winced, but still refused to open her eyes.

"Is she awake?" It was a man's voice this time, and she was almost certain it was the voice of the man that she had met on the cliff.

"Yes…" the female sneered. Bella flinched as a pair a steel fingers grasped her chin, pinching it between a thumb and forefinger. "But I think she's afraid." The tone was condescending, disdainful.

"Open your eyes." She demanded. Bella was frozen, the horror making it impossible to move. "Open your eyes, bitch!" The pinch on her chin turned to a slap, and Bella gasped, the sharp sting of her now pink cheek causing her eyes to fall open involuntarily. "Ahh, that got your attention."

Bella's vision was blurred, but she could make out two figures - man and woman. The blond… and a red head. "What… do you… waaant?" Bella finally managed to slur, and the movement of her jaw caused the ache in her head to grow exponentially.

"Such asinine questions," the female drawled. "Always the same. Who are you? What do you want?" She sighed and shook her head, making tsking noises in her throat. "I thought we were beyond that." She crouched down next to Bella, cocking her head to the side, causing her rich red curls to fall from her shoulders, blocking the view of the world beyond her body. "How's Edward?"

Bella blinked, confused. "Edward?"

The woman smiled a cruel smile. "Yes, Edward. Do I need to spell it out for you?"

"I… I don't think I understand. What does my boyfriend have to do with this?"

The woman laughed then. "I didn't believe the stories but now I see that it's true." She shook her head slowly, still surprised. "You really don't remember me?"

Bella studied her. She was tall, slender, with bright eyes and her skin was pale, like porcelain. It felt like a trick and she didn't know how to answer. Did she tell the truth, say no? Would the woman strike out, think that she was lying? Or did she pretend that she did know - would that help?

"I'm talking to you, Isabella! Fucking answer me!" She was in a frenzy now, enraged by the lack of response, and her fury made her skin tremble violently. She lashed out, her fist connecting with Bella's temple.

Bella cried out, the pain creating bright flashes of light in front of her eyes. It was agonizing, and it spread across her forehead like flames, ricocheting around her brain, echoing into the far corners of her body, finally claiming even her fingertips and toes. She screamed then, over and over and over, until the darkness claimed her once again.

Bella stared at the stick in her hand, watching it as it shook from the deep sense of nervousness that filled her. The seconds ticked by and she watched in disbelief as the stick slowly turned pink.

She stared at it some more, then grabbed the box, reading frantically for confirmation of what she already knew was true.

She rushed out of the tiny bathroom, running quickly through their small home, screaming his name. She found him out in the backyard, by the grill, where she should have known he would be, and had all but forgotten in her excitement. Flying through the open patio door, she screeched to a halt in front of him.

"Jake!" she said urgently. He nodded at her absentmindedly, fiddling with the steaks that were in front of him. "Jake!" she repeated. She jumped up and down, carefully keeping the stick hidden behind her back.

Finally, he looked up at her. "What's up, babe?" He said lightly, not noticing the excitement that was evident on her face. "How do you want your steak cooked? Oh, and I got a new wine that should be great with these. It's supposed to be good with these herbs that you used as a rub."

She rolled her eyes in amusement, not surprised that he was so blind to her at that moment. "I don't think I should be drinking wine."

"Oh," he said quietly, looking almost disappointed. He turned away, as if to hide his reaction, focusing his attention back on the steaks. "Ok, well, we've got other stuff. I guess that would be good too."

She laughed out loud this time. "Jake! You're not listening to me! Put down that fork thing and look at me!"

The corners of his mouth turned up and he willingly obliged his wife. "Ok, I give. What's up?"

She held out the stick, waving it in his face. "Look at the stick, silly! That's what I've been trying to tell you."

"What is this?" He said, staring at it with a confused look on his face. "Should I want to look at this?"

She smacked her forehead. "Geez, you are so dense sometimes that I think I married Quil." He glared at her and opened his mouth to say something but she managed to cut him off. "I'm pregnant, Jake!" His mouth dropped open again and he could only stare at her. She giggled and laid a hand on her stomach. "I'm having a baby… our baby."

The grin started small, but soon spread so far across his face that she thought he was going to crack. "Oh my God!" he cried, springing forward and taking her into his arms. He picked her up around the waist, spinning them around in circles. He laughed joyously, and she found it impossible to not join in….

The aching in her head finally fractured her dreams as a cold hand gripped hers. Bella felt the hand as shook slightly. Nervousness? Excitement? Bella didn't know. "I've waited long enough…." It was the woman again. The anger had lessened, it was no longer so obvious in her voice, but it was still there, just less vibrant. "I'm so hungry," she whispered, desire soaking her words. "So hungry…"

The pain was different this time, as something sharp dug into her wrist. She could finally open her eyes, and she saw the red head, seated next to her on the floor. Bella's eyes focused slightly, the burning in her wrist forcing the fog of her mind back, clearing her vision.

Her nails, long and sharp, had implanted themselves in Bella's soft skin, on either side of the vein. "What do you want?" Bella gasped, watching as the blood poured out of her body. She followed the movement of the drops as they vanished into a silver goblet that was waiting to catch the liquid as it fell. The nails slipped further into her skin, pulling another sob from Bella's lips.

Satisfied at the amount of pain she had just created, the red head slid her nails out of her victim's wrist, and keeping her crimson eyes on Bella's, she brought her blood soaked fingers to her lips, suckling them, draining each drop of the red liquid from the creases in her skin. Her smile was wicked and dangerous, and Bella stared as she brought the cup to her lips. "You, Bella," she whispered fiercely. "I want you… every drop."

Bella awoke that morning smiling as it dawned on her what day it was. Slowly she opened her eyes to the sunshine that came in through their bedroom's small window and was pleased to see a bright blue sky – perfect morning for anniversaries.

She extended her hand to her left, expecting to find her sleeping husbands' body, but was surprised to find nothing but an empty cool sheet. She turned over and saw that his side of the bed was vacant. Looking up, she noticed the bathroom was too. The digital clock next to their bed indicated it was only 6:15, and she noted that it was unusually early for him to be already out of the bedroom.

Bella shrugged into the soft green robe that Jake had bought her for Christmas and wondered downstairs, expecting to find him in the kitchen. But it was empty there too. She sighed and decided to go wake Ephraim, and hoped that maybe Jake was out to get her something nice for breakfast. As she turned to leave the kitchen, she noticed a note on the counter.

B –

Had to go in early. Hope to not be too late.

- J

She struggled against the tears that threatened to boil over. She couldn't believe after all these years that he had actually forgotten. Rubbing her forehead, she tried to think of all the reasons that today would have been like any other day for him. She knew that he had been working too many hours at Wolfman Garage since he and Sam had expanded the business to include a franchise in Seattle, but was it too much to ask for him to remember their anniversary?

"Mommy? Why are you crying?"

Bella looked down at her 7 year old son and tried to think of answer, but the only thing that would come to mind was, "I stubbed my toe on the corner, sweetheart."

Ephraim studied her with his deep brown eyes – eyes that reminded her of his fathers' – with such intensity that she hoped that he wouldn't realize that she was lying. But then he said, "Can I have some cereal?"

"Sure, baby," she smiled. She crossed to the cabinets, pulled out a box of Cheerios and then grabbed him a bowl.

As she placed his breakfast in front of him, Ephraim looked up at her with a concerned expression on his face. "You know, Mom, you shouldn't call me baby anymore."

She smiled at him, raising an eyebrow. "Oh yeah? And why is that?"

"Because I'm not a baby anymore," he frowned at her seriously. "I'm almost seven years old Mom. Seven is not a baby."

"Well, I guess you're right about that," She replied, laughing a little at the earnestness of her young son. "What should I call you then?"

His brows furrowed and he looked into his cereal as he thought of answer. Then his face brightened and he grinned. "You could call me R2D2. I like that name."

Bella rolled her eyes and groaned. "I think you've been spending too much time with Uncle Seth."

She watched him as he finished eating, barely able to listen as he babbled incessantly about something that had happened at school the previous day. She was practically a zombie as she showered, dressed, and drove Ephraim to school. She was on auto-pilot, not registering her own movements.

Bella suddenly found herself sitting at her desk, staring at a photo of Jake and Ephraim on their last vacation. It was taken while they were in Disneyland, after Ephraim had insisted that they ride "Pirates of the Caribbean" six times because he liked pretending to shoot at the pirates, no matter how Bella had admonished him, making loud bang noises while doing so. He and Jake were grinning, wearing the silly mouse ears that Ephraim had also insisted upon. They looked so wonderful together and it never ceased to amaze her how much Ephraim was taking after his father.

He had Jake's black hair, russet skin, and a smirk that appeared whenever he felt he had his own private joke that he couldn't share with the rest of the world. He brooded in his own seven year old way when something went wrong, and he didn't always like talking when he was upset. But he was polite, chivalrous and the smartest boy in his class. He, like his father, enjoyed the outdoors and often talked about what items he would find or the animals he would see when he was playing outside or following his dad around on long hikes. She loved him more then she thought she could ever love anyone and she couldn't have been more proud of the person he was becoming.

Her thoughts of her husband and son were interrupted by a knock on the door. "Uh, come in!" she called out, clearing her throat and shuffling papers on her desk, trying to appear like she hadn't just been day dreaming. She glanced at the clock and almost choked - she'd been awake for five hours and had barely noticed as the time drifted by. She had accomplished nothing so far.

"Um, Donald asked me to bring you these files from the Vancouver office. They want to open the new restaurant soon and wanted someone to look over things, make sure everything's kosher before they start scouting locations." Her secretary, Lydia, said, as she handed her a stack of files.

"Sure," Bella replied, taking them. She flipped one open and began glancing at it. "Thanks, Lydia."

"Um," Lydia mumbled. She stood in the doorway, staring at her feet as she shifted her weight between them.

Bella looked back up at her. "Something wrong?"

"Well, I don't know if this is my business, but I know it's your tenth wedding anniversary and I just wanted to say congratulations." She looked down at the carpet then back up at Bella. "I'm happy for you."

"How did you know it was my anniversary?"

Lydia blushed. "I saw it in your date book when I was making appointments for this week. I didn't mean to intrude. I just think a successful marriage is such a great thing. I think Jacob and Ephraim are amazing."

Bella managed what appeared to be a sincere smile, all the while stuffing down the resentment she currently felt for her husband at the moment. "Thanks Lydia. That's really sweet of you."

After her secretary left, Bella tried to read the files she had received, but gave up as she noticed that she had read the same paragraph four times. She snapped the file closed and sighed. She loved her job – at Riegal Industries she helped coordinate work for several popular and high powered chefs on the west coast, which included restaurant openings and public appearances. This way, she was able to be involved in the restaurant world without the stress of actually being a chef or entrepreneur. She was able to attend shows and openings in LA, San Francisco, and Vancouver.

Sometimes she worked from home, and other times she worked out of the office at of one Riegal's catering companies in Port Angeles, which allowed her to be home for every important family event. She couldn't be happier with what she was doing, but at the moment she also knew she wasn't getting anything done.

So she rose from her desk, stuffed the files in her briefcase and headed for the only place she knew she would find solace at that moment.

Bella drove mechanically, stopping at red lights, slowing around curves, but not really participating as her car carried her away, and she was desperate for the comfort she hoped to find in their special spot.

She pulled into a familiar parking spot and sat in the drivers' seat of her old red truck for a moment, letting the afternoon sun wash over her. There was something about this beach that just seemed to put her life in prospective. She knew that living by the water had been a blessing that many people never got to experience and she was glad for it.

She put the car into park, then tossed aside her blazer and heels. Her toes sunk into the warm, soft sand and the crashing waves instantly relaxed her. She adjusted her sunglasses and stared into the water. It was its usual dark blue green color and the seagulls soared overhead, squawking their song of the sea and she smiled at the serenity. Turning her gaze to her destination, their piece of driftwood, their slice of heaven, half buried in the sand, her mood was instantly muted. There was someone already there.

Her feet carried her slowly to it, her heart sinking lower in her chest. She felt like crying – she had been so happy to be there and knowing that she wasn't going to be able to sit there and enjoy the day just took all the wind out of her sails. She sighed and figured that it was just her luck – first, her husband forgot their tenth wedding anniversary and now someone had taken over her special piece of driftwood.

Bella was about to turn around and go back to the car when the stranger turned and smiled at her. Her jaw dropped and she couldn't believe what she was seeing. "Jake?"

He smiled at her then, his white teeth gleaming against the sweet darkness of his skin, and he slowly pulled one hand from behind his back, revealing an armful of red and white roses. "Happy Anniversary!" he called out to her softly.

A slow grin spread across her face and she jogged across the sand to him, running the final 20 feet and throwing herself into his arms. She pressed her lips to his urgently and he kissed her back wholeheartedly. He reached his arms around her, scooping her up as she wrapped her legs around his waist. She gasped into his mouth, and he tightened his grip on her hips. "I love you," he whispered, his lips moving softly against hers. The sparks hadn't faded in ten years and both of them knew they never would…

Bella heard voices then, loud and clear, and she that these sounds weren't coming from her head. She managed to keep still, struggling to keep from groaning in agony at the deep ache hammering in her temples. She didn't want them to know she was awake - desperately wanting to avoid a repeat of the blood drinking. Her wrist was throbbing still, and she twisted it very slightly - it still hurt too, but felt like it had at least stopped bleeding.

"What are you doing? Why don't you just bite her and get it over with?" It was the man again. He sounded nervous. Bite? The word rolled around in her head uneasily and it made the knots in her stomach tighten.

Bella heard a loud huff, and she could almost imagine the woman's face screwed up in a vicious scowl. "That's not the point. I don't want to turn her, you moron."

The man sighed, sounding resigned. "Then what is the plan? I'm the one who took all the risks here. I'd like to know what's going on."

"I want her blood. I'm not going to deny myself that," Her pitch was wicked, dark, acerbic, and her tone was laced with a hollow smile. "But I don't want to turn her, or kill her, at least not yet. He's going to come for her. And when he does, I want him to be watching when I slaughter the woman that he loves."