I don't own Twilight, Stephanie Meyer does.

Yay Team Jacob people! I'm slowly falling in love with these characters, they're so tortured and have so much baggage it's not even funny. I know a bunch of people can relate. So thanks, everyone, for following this story. Reviews and comments are my crack so, please! Let me know what you think!

Can I get a HELL YEAH! for the Chicago Bulls who took the series against the Indiana Pacers? Next!

I'll shut up now.

Ch 2

JPOV

The next morning, I rolled into work exhausted. I didn't sleep that well because I couldn't get my mind off Rose. How did this happen? I was doing so well, or at least I thought I was. My mind was trying to make sense of everything that had happened in the last couple years and that frame of mind was familiar. It was comfortable and I knew what to expect from it. But then meeting Rose turned all that on it's ass. Suddenly all those reservations didn't apply with her. But why the hell not? I had no idea what was so different about her. No one else had made me want to change my mind before. Let alone after a ten minute conversation. I was finally able to fall asleep once I decided to not think about it and not think of her as a woman. Avoidance. Yeah, that was really going to work with her being your neighbor and all. And looking like she does… and her hair and voice the way it is… and her friendliness and kindness... Shut up. Needless to say, I only got about three hours of sleep and I was a cranky bastard when I didn't sleep well. I picked up some coffee on the way in and trudged into my office, slamming my door, hoping that everyone got the point that today was not the day to poke this bear with a stick. Of course some people weren't very perceptive. There was a light knock on the door and Paul poked his head in.

"Morning, boss. Bad night?" Murder is a crime, murder is a crime, murder is a crime… I let my head drop onto my desk, rolling my head back and forth on my forehead, and cradling my cup of coffee that was still on the desk.

"Paul, I'll give you fifty dollars to not speak to me today. Do you think you could do that for me?" That wasn't rude, was it? It sounded polite.

"Uh, sure?" I reached into my pocket, grabbed my wallet, and fished fifty dollars out of it. Handing it to him without lifting my head from the desk, I grabbed his arm as he reached to take the money.

"If you forget our agreement or if I think you look like you're going to forget, I will put my hands on you. Is that clear?" I didn't hear anything so I assumed his silence was starting now. Good man. "Thank you. We'll revisit this agreement tomorrow." And he left my office in one piece.

The rest of the morning went smoothly but it was hard to keep my eyes open. Luckily, there was some extra work that needed doing in the shop so I took off my flannel and headed out to get dirty. Working on cars and motorcycles always cleared my head for some reason. The rest of the guys were making me laugh with the highlights from Tosh.0 that I missed last night and then Jasper surprised me with one of his stand-up shows on his iPod. We hooked it up to the stereo and I laughed until I cried. Daniel Tosh was fucking hilarious and I needed a laugh today. It kept me awake. Just then, Emmett hopped up, whistled toward the front of the shop, and jogged off. What the hell? Probably some new conquest or one of the women he had this past weekend dropping by for a conjugal visit. I looked up in time to see a flash of blonde hair getting out of an old Dodge Ramcharger that had been restored to beautiful perfection. No way, it couldn't be. I walked slowly toward the front of the shop and saw Emmett practically stalking Rose and I was suddenly furious.

"Emmett, heel! We need to get that bike out by this afternoon. Do you mind?" Emmett flashed me an evil glance and mouthed "cock-blocker" to me as he passed. Rose looked at me stunned but with a slight smile on her face.

"Jake? What are you… Oh, Black Dog Motors. I get it. Wait. You know that guy? That's the sleaze I was telling you about from the diner! He works for you?" Oh crap, how was I going to explain this without seeming like a dick. Hell, it wasn't my fault Emmett was a jackass. Truth is always the best policy.

"Yeah, this is my shop. And I do know that guy, he's one of my good friends. And, yes, he works for me. He's really not a bad guy, he's just a man-whore. Are you alright? Did he say something? Do I have to kick his ass?" I thought that was good and honest. Her smile widened a bit and she shook her head.

"No, he didn't say anything that would scar me for life and you don't have to kick his ass. Though it might be fun to watch! Rain-check?" I had to laugh at that. I was liking how her mind worked.

"Let's go in my office and get out of the rain, what do you say?" She smiled and followed me closely. As we walked through the shop, everybody stopped working to stare at Rose. It was understandable but so not cool. Rose deserved more than that.

"Come on guys, deadlines?" They begrudgingly returned to what they were doing but didn't take their eyes off her. That must get old really fast.

"Sorry about that, they can be assholes. Was that your Ramcharger outside? I'm jealous! I wish I could have helped you restore it, it's beautiful." It was nice and I was surprised, very pleasantly surprised, that it was hers.

"Yeah, she's my baby. I wanted to get a once-over done? The basics, y'know. Oil change, check the brakes, tire rotation. I changed the air filter myself this morning and the battery too so I don't need those. I didn't know this was your place, Jake. It's nice!" Was she kidding me with this? Rose was full of surprises and I liked them all so far.

"Sure I can do that for you and thanks. Do you want to wait for it or come back later? Do you need a ride?" At first I wanted to suck those words back into my mouth but then I thought better of it. This is your job, you're being you. Remember, she's Rose, she's not a woman. She's Rose, she's not a woman.

"I guess I'll wait. Actually, I was thinking about going over to the diner to get something for lunch. Would you like to join me? Or are you too busy? You're probably busy, I'm sorry… I'll uh…" Was she pausing in embarrassment? Was she flustered? Don't think about it. You're hungry, right? Just go have lunch with Rose.

"Sure, lunch sounds great. I'm starving actually. One of the guys will have it done for us by the time we get back." I saw her smile fully for the first time and I couldn't help but smile back. Part of me was anxious about being with Rose but the other part of me was excited about being with her. I was looking forward to getting to know her better. Again, unfamiliar optimism without expectation. It was nice for a change.

I grabbed my flannel and we headed out of the shop toward my car. The rain had pretty much stopped and it didn't look like we'd be getting any more for a while.

"Looks like the rain has stopped, Rose. What do you think about walking?" She smiled widely again and nodded in agreement. She had a great smile and it was cool that it came so easily to her. Smiling wasn't my go-to expression. People usually said I looked pissed off all the time. Either pissed off or in pain. Truth is, I usually am. So they're perceptive.

We walked up the sloped drive up to the main road and made to cross the street. Some jackass sped out of the next drive way down and almost clipped Rose and me. I instinctively stepped forward and threw my arm in front of her to keep her from continuing into the street, wrapping my hand around her hip. She took in a sharp breath, huddled in close to my body, and clutched my arm against her chest. We stayed like that for more than a few seconds to catch our breaths and to realize what almost happened. Shit, that was close. My heart was racing so hard and fast, I was convinced anyone would be able to hear it through my chest. Then it dawned on me that I still had my arm around her waist from the front and holding her to me by the small of her back and that she was holding onto my arm for dear life with one arm and had the other wrapped around my waist. I could feel her heartbeat against my back and her breath against the skin on my neck. Seriously? You almost just died and this is where your mind goes? I couldn't help it. It had been so long since I had been this close to someone, my body just reacted like any normal red-blooded male would. I let my grip on her loosen slowly and she did as well. I turned to her and took her face in my hands to look in her eyes. Yeah, that's too much. We can't take too much of that while trying to be respectful. My hands then moved to her shoulders and arms.

"Jesus, Rose, are you ok? That was so close. Did I hurt you?" She still had a bewildered look on her face, obviously still shaken. She shook her head slightly and eventually spoke.

"No, I'm ok. You didn't hurt me. Thank God, Jake. Thank God you were here!" And she pulled me into a firm hug, her chest still heaving from the scare. Holy Christ, was she trying to kill me? I returned her hug without thinking and was able to bury my face in her hair. Oh man, I didn't know what that scent was but I wanted to roll around in it. She felt so soft against me and I didn't want to let her go. Then… I remembered what we were supposed to be doing before we were almost killed. Lunch. Let's just go eat lunch before you maul her in public.

"It's alright, Rose. C'mon, let's go get something to eat." She released me from the hug and held onto my elbow as I shoved my hands down into my pockets pretending to warm them. To be honest, if I didn't do that, I would have let my hand roam unsupervised over her back and who knows what else.

RPOV

I woke up feeling refreshed. My dreams weren't plagued by scenes of the desert or by soft whispers last night. Instead, I was surrounded by trees with a steady wind blowing through them, a light rain hanging in the air. I was filled with a sense of calm and safety and I remember trying to stay asleep to keep that feeling with me for as long as possible. When I awoke, however, I noticed that it was actually raining outside and the wind was blowing through the trees. Eric and Godric were laying quietly next to me, patiently waiting for me to wake up. I rolled over and buried my face in the thick fur of Eric's neck. This was the best morning I had had in a long time. And I laid there for a good while before I ventured out of my warm and cozy bed, my grumbling stomach was becoming very demanding. I sat up at the edge of my bed and the boys leapt down, racing for the kitchen.

I looked out the front window of the house staring at my truck knowing it needed to be checked out after the long trek up here to the great middle-of-nowhere. I noticed a garage off the main road as I drove into town so I decided to make that my goal for today. I also decided, however, that I would take care of the air filter and the battery on my own. Those were things I could do easily and I didn't see the point of paying someone to do something I was perfectly capable of doing myself. I didn't feel like getting unnecessarily dirty today, though, so I'd leave the oil change for them. Give 'em something to do, right? Right.

It was pouring by the time I started to head out for the garage. This was the first substantial rain since I moved here. Up until now, it had been just sprinkles, light rains and the like. But this was more like it. This was rain. No joke. It was awesome. I pulled into the lot for the garage, got out of the truck, and was almost immediately accosted by the sleaze ball from the diner. Shit. Seriously? I was having the greatest day so far and he was going to ruin it if he acted like he had the last time we had met.

"I knew you wouldn't be able to stay away for long. Let me know who told you I worked here so I can thank them." Then he winked at me. So horrid! What person under the age of seventy winks anymore? This guy. Thankfully, someone called after him forcing him to abandon his weak attempt at being suave. This guy made me want to take another shower. I turned to see who saved me and found Jake walking toward me and shooting Emmett a death-glare. Thank God. And shit, Jake looked good. His skin glistened with sweat from working in the shop, grease smudges on his hands and arms. Now, as he was walking toward me in the rain, it took a great deal of restraint to not just lick him. Seeing him totally made up for this most recent Emmett encounter. Growl. Yep, I growled. He was just so damn delicious! Tall, dark, and handsome definitely did it for me. Down girl. We went to his office to get out of the rain and he apologized for the rest of the guys in the shop staring at me. That kind of thing really didn't bother me anymore. I was able to tune it out pretty easily. It was only when guys invaded my personal space, like Emmett did, that I had a problem and usually let my acid tongue put them in their place. The problem was, however, I had only met one man who didn't approach me like that and took the time to get to know me for who I was. Only one. And he left to keep a promise. He didn't want to, he was honestly conflicted, no bullshit. But he left, still, leaving me to deal with more of the same crap as before he came into my life. Though it was years ago, the feeling was still fresh in my mind. Hell, the feeling was still fresh in my entire body. I had ached for him ever since, the hole still gaping inside me, no one ever coming close to filling it again. Until Jake. Similar feelings were being stirred up again and it scared the shit out of me. So there was this bitter tug-of-war in my heart between letting me feel those things again (add in the sex drive of a jungle cat), and the crippling fear of going through the greatest pain I had ever experienced in my life. To say I was conflicted would be an understatement. Honestly, I hoped I could just forget everything that happened before and just move on. But fear is a powerful thing. Deep sigh.

I decided to just let what happened happen while paying close attention to my insecurities. Of course I told myself that, but letting it actually happen was different. I was a walking mystery. And I was hungry. I brought up the idea of lunch and, when I did, Jake looked scared! I tried to back-track but I couldn't rescind an invitation. Was it an invitation? Crap, I had no idea. At this point, I didn't even know what my name was. Thankfully, he agreed, and we started out of the shop. The rain had stopped and we decided to walk. The diner was only across the street and down a few blocks anyway. I loved the smell of asphalt after it rained. Don't ask me why, I know it's weird but it just makes me happy. As I was about to cross the street, however, I almost died. No, literally. I almost died. First I was walking, then Jake became a human seat belt. His arm shot out in front of me, his hand gripping my hip and pulling me behind him and into his body. That's when I saw the car almost spin out and squeal down the street, weaving through traffic. I was clutching Jake's arm and had a death grip around his waist. Ok so let's take a moment here to let this scene sink in. Huge protective factor, yes. Strong? Oh yes. His arm was rock sold and his entire body felt like he was ready for a prize fight against a really big person. And I was so close to him… that alone almost made me pass out. He smelled so good! It was a heavenly mixture of soap, laundry detergent, and man sweat. Holy hell. Hot? Can I get a HELL YES? That and I was actually scared. My heart was beating a mile a minute and I was trying very hard to not cry like a little girl. He slowly loosened his grip on me, which was heavenly by the way, and turned to take my face gently between his hands. His eyes were so warm and concerned, it seemed like we were both there transfixed for hours until he moved his hands down to my shoulders and arms, saying something about hurting me. All I knew was that I had to be the only person in the world who can be scared for her life and incredibly turned on at the same time. I had to say something to bring me back to the present.

"No, I'm ok. You didn't hurt me. Thank God, Jake. Thank God you were here!" And I hugged him. I couldn't help it. He saved my life and his main concern was about whether or not he had hurt me in the process. Is he determined to make my life difficult? Apparently so because the rest of the walk to the diner, he kept his hands in his pockets so all I could do was wrap my hand around his elbow. All the adrenaline had been transformed into unbridled sexual energy. Poor Jake. I didn't know if I'd be able to keep myself in check during lunch. I didn't even know if I was hungry anymore. I think all the blood had drained from my extremities for the fight/flight thing to my low. I was being ruled by it now and I knew I was blushing. Jake just happened to pick that moment to look at me to check if I was still alright.

"Rose? Is everything ok? You're flushed. Are you sick? Maybe we should skip lunch." Yeah, I think that was a good idea. Especially if he didn't want me to attack him in the diner.

"Yeah, I'm not really hungry anymore. I'm sorry, Jake. I don't know if I'd be able to hold anything down if I ate." Also true. I was actually starting to feel a bit ill, to be honest. Maybe the blood was redistributing itself again.

"No, don't apologize! I'll take you home. Do you have anything at home for when you get hungry later? Can I pick up anything for you?" Where did this man come from? Was he real? I reached out and touched his arm to make sure, playing it off as a friendly gesture.

"I'm sure I can come up with something and I would really appreciate a ride. Are you sure you have time? I don't want to take you away from the shop." Now that really was a genuine statement. I didn't want to interfere with his responsibilities.

"The benefits of owning the place, Miss Rose. C'mon, let's get you home." We walked back to the garage, his arm around my waist now, and I welcomed the contact. He was body was so warm and he was so caring, I was instantly put at ease. The guys in the garage stared at us but more so at Jake now, especially when he helped me into his truck. I had no idea what they might be thinking but I didn't care. He said something to them that I couldn't hear and they all snapped their heads back to what they had been doing. Jake was a leader, that was for sure. Damn, that was sexy. Can it, Rose. What? It was. This truck was sexy too. It was huge and huge for a reason, you could tell it was used often and in a not-so-gentle way. Sexy. Honestly. You still have to make it through the drive home with this guy. Right. He finally climbed in and we were on our way and the CD automatically kicked in. A smile spread quickly across my face, hearing Korn's "Coming Undone" blasting from the speakers. He quickly turned it off, blushing.

"Sorry about that, Rose." He looked embarrassed.

"Don't be, I love Korn. They're great in concert." He turned to look at me with an amazed and fascinated look on his face, his mouth gaping open. I reached over and nudged underneath his chin with my index finger, flashing him a bright smile.

"You've seen them live? Seriously? You like them?" Why was this so hard to believe?

"Of course! I saw them in San Francisco for the Summer Sanitarium Tour with Metallica and System of a Down in 2000." His eyes returned to the road but his jaw had dropped open again. I figured I'd let him take care of that this time because I wasn't sure I could stop with just touching his chin.

"Wow, Rose. I'm jealous. And Metallica too? In San Francisco, no less? Holy shit. That must have been an awesome show." He looked lost in thought for a while. "You intrigue me, Rose. More and more." We just smiled at each other and enjoyed the rest of the drive to my place with Korn playing in the background. I intrigue him? Awesome. When we arrived at my house, I found myself moving slowly to get out of the car. Not to make my time with Jake last longer, but because I was really starting to not feel well. Jake was at my door waiting to help me out of the car and when I took my first step, I stumbled, my legs almost crumbling underneath me. What the hell? Was this shock? As much as I was enjoying the Jake-time, this so wasn't cool and I hated the fuzzy feeling. Before I knew it, Jake had scooped me up into his arms, grabbed my keys, and let us quickly into my house. He spun around slowly trying to decide on a good place to set me down. All I could do was wrap my arms around his neck and rest my head against is chest. I felt dizzy and clammy and just wanted to sleep.

"Where's your bedroom, honey?" Oh, how I wish he could be saying those words to me under very different circumstances. Things were getting even more fuzzy fast and I knew I was going to lose it any time now.

"Hallway…" And I was out.

JPOV

Holy shit, she passed out. Right in my arms. What the hell do I do? I stood there for a while just holding her because, honestly, I felt like I was holding an angel in my arms. So beautiful and sweet. Pull yourself together, man. The girl passed out. Do you want her to wake up with you still holding her like an ape? That would be a "no". I walked down the hallway to her bedroom slowly and, finally reaching it, I laid her down gently on her bed, adjusting the pillow under her head. Crap, what now? I took her Keen's off and looked around to find a blanket to keep her warm. As I looked around, I noticed how she had decorated the place. It wasn't too girly, but it had a certain softness to it and I actually liked. On my way back to her bedroom, I stopped by the restroom to grab a wet wash cloth. I draped the blanket over her after I elevated her legs with some pillows, tucked it under her feet and started to dab at her face and neck with the wash cloth. Shit, she was gorgeous. Even passed out, she was gorgeous. I needed to walk this "situation" in my pants off so I made it to the kitchen to get a glass of water for her when she woke up and one for myself because I sure as hell needed it. Setting the glasses on her nightstand, I pulled the puffy chair that had been next to her closet close to Rose's bed. I didn't feel comfortable leaving her alone this way, I had to wait until she woke up and make sure she was ok. Looking on her nightstand, I found a book that had obviously been read many times, the binding completely broken. I took hold of it and started to read it. The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton. Hmm. It was one of those period books that usually put me to sleep but this one seemed to be pretty good. I'd have to check it out of the library some day to see what it was all about.

I was well into chapter two of the book when Rose started to stir but she didn't open her eyes. She had a heart-broken look on her face, her fingers dug into the bed spread, and she was crying. Uh oh, this wasn't good. Was she dreaming? It couldn't be a good one, anyway. Then she started to sob.

"No, James, please. Please don't leave me here like this! You're going back to someone who you don't even love anymore, it doesn't make any sense! Please, don't do this, James. Please. Please, no!" What the fuck? Who was James? Whoever he was, he was definitely an asshole to hurt Rose to the point that she sobbed in her sleep. I moved to sit on the edge of her bed to try to soothe her because she was starting to pull at the blanket and her clothes. I whispered softly to her and tried to gently wipe her tears away.

"Rose? Rose, honey, wake up. You're ok, Rose. C'mon, wake up, honey." She opened her eyes, startled, and pulled away from me still bewildered from her dream. I suddenly felt like I had invaded her privacy and wanted to run out of there but something held me sitting on the edge of that bed. "Rose, you were having a dream. Well, a nightmare. Are you ok?" She shook her head and started to cry silently. I reached for her and she climbed toward me, hugging me around my neck and her breathing was ragged. I could feel her tears through my shirt and the heat of her breath on my neck. Poor thing. All I could think of was tracking down this James guy and ripping out his heart for breaking Rose's. I held her tightly with my arms, rubbing my hands up and down her back slowly to soothe her.

"You're ok, Rose. Shh, I'm here, you're ok, love." That made her cry harder, unfortunately, but her grip tightened and that was ok with me. At least she wasn't pushing me away and kicking me out of her house. After the crying stopped, she sat with her legs draped over my lap, holding me tightly with her arms around my waist, and her head resting on my chest. I didn't bring my hand above her knees out of pure respect (the last thing she needed right now was to be groped), my other hand resting on the small of her back. Her breathing had slowed finally and she spoke in a gravelly voice.

"I'm sorry about all this, Jake. You don't have to stay." Uh, translation please? No way was I going to leave her alone right now. Apparently, she was used to people leaving and I didn't want to count myself as one of them.

"I'm not leaving, Rose." She lifted her head to look at me, her eyes still teary and red but she smiled and kissed me gently on the cheek. I gathered her in closer to me being perfectly comfortable where I was. I also wanted to find out who this James guy was but I decided against it. Yeah, now was not the time.

"Thank you, Jake." I rested my chin on top of her head and kissed her hair as I rocked her slightly back and forth.

My Rose.