Title: Appreciation

Rating: PG

Summary: Jacob is an ungrateful little twerp who has gotten Charlie in alootttt of trouble.

Disclaimer: Steph Meyers owns characters.

"How are your ribs, Bella?" Carlisle touched my shoulder gently.

"I'm fine." I stood effortlessly and crossed the clearing to where Embry and Sam were trying to bring Jacob back to consciousness without much gentility. They shook his shoulders and pummeled him across the face a few times. I approached slowly, not yet sure of their reaction to me now that I was no longer a necessity to them. They both looked up at me with eyes full of uncertainty and indecisive confusion.

"Do you mind?" I gestured towards Jacob, asking permission to approach him.

They slowly stood, seeming to deliberately make no sudden movements. I realized with a start that they were…….afraid of me.

I crouched beside Jacob. His eyes were half closed and his breathing was labored. Carlisle said that he would be alright. His broken bones were almost entirely healed, but his unconsciousness was not something that his quick healing could speed up the progression of. The only thing that we could do for him now would be to get him safely back home.

Embry and Sam watched me cautiously as I slid my arms beneath him and lifted him, but they didn't object. He stank awfully, and he really was heavy. I had a brief memory of the big vampire struggling under his weight and grimaced with understanding. I was overly cautious to not touch his skin. The temperature was searing hot even through the fabric of his clothing. Even hotter to me now, I noted, than when I was a human.

"Lets get him back." I ordered as calmly as I could.

"Bella," Edward's voice came from behind me. "I don't think that's such a good idea. Billy-"

"Edward, I'm fine. I wont touch Billy. I smell humans everywhere, I'm handling this." It was true. I could smell traces of humans everywhere and my tracker instincts were telling me to pursue the appealing scents, but my morals and conscience were keeping me focused on the task at hand.

Edward's eyes were full of disbelief and worry, but he allowed it and suppressed any further arguments. I looked around the clearing at the many pairs of eyes scrutinizing me, waiting for me to make a move. I began to run, slowly… staggering under Jacob's weight. We ran in silence for a long time, no one speaking. Edward ran loyally at my left side and everyone else trailed shortly behind, keeping pace with me. Sam was the first to speak. He crept up on my right side and pulled me out of my thoughts.

"That was a very brave thing you did, Bella." He didn't return my gaze as I turned to look at him.

"Thank you, Sam."

"I… uh….was very impressed by your talent at tracking. Jacob owes you….. I mean, we, all of us, owe you Jacob's life."

I gulped. I had not expected this kind of graciousness, from Sam especially. I nodded in acknowledgment, not knowing what else to say. He retreated to his position among his pack.

"He's right you know." Edward spoke, "You kicked ass today, Bella. I was shocked at your instinct and talent in a head to head battle."

"I know. Its very out of character for me to be good at something." I mocked lightly.

"No, Bella, you know that's not what I meant. You saved his life today. If it weren't for your fast thinking and impulsive actions, we wouldn't have caught him and Jacob would probably be dead or in the hands of the Volturi right now."

"I know." I turned my head down to stare at the limp figure in my arms. I felt suddenly hostile and angry at Jacob's stupidity and wondered what on earth had possessed me to save his ass after all he had put me through the past two months.

"Dumbass." I muttered grudgingly under my breath.

Edward chuckled openly, clearly pleased with my lack of sympathy for Jake.

We reached the lawn twenty minutes later to find Billy pacing eagerly along the driveway. Luckily for him, he had spent so much time around the pack that he even smelled as repulsively as they did.

A genuine look of shock crossed his face when he saw me carrying Jacob, and his reaction grew only more severe when he noticed the Cullens mixed in the with the pack emerging from the trees behind us. He shook his head from side to side to focus his thoughts as I approached him with Jacob in my arms.

"He's alive." I answered his unasked question.

He responded my nodding in relief and opening the door for me so that I could carry Jacob inside. I needed no further direction, I knew my way to his room. I struggled momentarily with his door handle before letting myself into the bedroom. It was just as I remember, nothing had changed. I laid him cautiously onto the bed. My hand brushed briefly against his skin and I winced at the contact. His skin was searing hot to the touch and I flinched and withdrew my hand hurriedly. As if I had electrocuted him through the contact, he gasped loudly and his eyes flew open and locked onto my own.

A multitude of emotions flew across his previously vacant face as he soaked in every detail of my presence.

"Am I dead?" He frowned.

"No, regrettably, you will survive." I joked halfheartedly.

"Why are you here, then…."

"To save your ass." I raised my eyebrows.

"Leave." He broke eye contact abruptly.

I paused for a moment. I had expected this. I had prepared myself to be banished like this, I just didn't expect it to sting so badly.

"Fine." I let the resentment creep into my voice as I spun on my heal and made a fast exit, slamming the door behind me.

I was greeted outside by a very tense and uncomforting environment.

"How is he?" Billy stared at the ground as he spoke.

"Fine." I snapped. "In fact, he is fine enough to be an ungrateful little twerp and banish me without thanks. We'll leave you all alone now, I'm sorry to intrude. I'll be more considerate next time I come here with the intention of saving someone's life." Sarcasm dripped off of every word. I wasn't trying to hide that I was hurt. I was angry and upset with Jacob. He had the nerve to betray my trust and treat me so ungratefully when I generously rescued his undeserving ….. I let the thought trail off, not wanting to allow my temper to flare up any more.

"Lets go." I ordered authoritatively as I stomped off of the porch and in the direction of the cars. Edwards strong arms caught me and spun me around to face the crowd that I had been fleeing. Jacob appeared in the doorway that I had just left and stared out at us with fury in his eyes.

"Why are you here!" He directed the question at the entirety of the Cullen family.

I expected Alice or Edward to be the ones to deliver the response to him, but instead it was Sam who spoke up. "They are here because Bella was the only one capable of saving your life." He scowled back menacingly.

"Then you should have let me die." Jacob growled darkly.

I closed my eyes and erased all of my emotion. I felt a dark pit in my stomach threatening to engulf me completely, but I refused to break down in front of Jacob. I would not let him see that he had won. I forced myself to go completely numb.

"Lets go, NOW." I hissed through my clenched teeth.

Edward through Jacob a dark glance and led me to the Volvo. The rest of the Cullens fell behind and in moments we were speeding out of the driveway, leaving the pack in a cloud of dust.

Alice began grumbling something about "ungrateful mongrels" and ranted endlessly from the passengers seat. I stopped listening and focused on erasing my emotions entirely.

"Bella? Did you hear me?" Alice ordered my attention back to her.

"No, Sorry, what?"

"I said that they released Charlie from the hospital today. He will be arriving home soon."

"How soon?" I asked.

"Hang on, I'll see." She stiffened and sat perfectly still as the disconnected look filtered her eyes like she always did when she consulted the future. Edwards eyes closed simultaneously and he read her visions as they appeared to her.

Their body language mirrored each others. Both of them immediately snapped around to face each other with panic and fear in their eyes.

"What!?" Jasper frowned.

They remained silent.

"GUYS!" He protested. " I could cut the panic in this car with a knife! What's going on?!"

Still- No response.

"Edward!" I yelled.

"If you two don't start talking right now…." Jasper growled. "Don't make me stop this car!"

Alice's mouth opened slightly. "Charlie." She whispered.

"WHAT!? What about Charlie!?" I shrieked.

More silence.

They were unreliable and annoyingly unhelpful to me. I decided to depend on my own senses. I shut my eyes and focused on my nose. Charlie's scent was only 10 miles from us, I caught it easily. There were other scents too, I realized. One very recognizable one.

"Jane." I gasped. "NO!"

"Jasper, get to Charlie's house - now!" Alice shouted.

The car gained speed and lurched violently forward.

"What does she want with Charlie?!" I sobbed.

"He knows too much, same as you did." Edward whispered.

"She wont kill him, will she?" Jasper gasped.

"If we don't make it in time- yes." Alice sounded horrified.

My whole world was crashing around me. First Jacob, now this. What more could go wrong? I leaned my head back against the headrest and focused on retaining consciousness.