[A/N: So, bad news and bad-er news. One, I am falling behind already in school—I know, weird—and two, I'm losing my touch. And patience with this storyline. It's all over the place, not to mention my updating patterns; as said before. So, for a few weeks—three max—I am taking a break from the HTLWW universe and chilling for a while. I will be back, though, so don't you worry your pretty little heads.]

How To Live With Werewolves.

Rule Number 11;

You can never go back. Not from this.

Last time:

"Jacob" I breath, coming to a stand and leaning my weight against the house. His eyes catch mine but his focus is intense, set on the bleeding man in his arms.

Bleeding?

Oh no. God, no. Glass shatters inside and I move, pushing the screen door open. They place Sam on the table, all the plates and cups pushed to the floor.

~!~

"She said one thing before she got him. Before she punched a hole through him." the words fell from his lips in a breath that had been held too long.

"What… what did she say?"

He didn't open his eyes when he said this, but I felt eyes watching me.

Waiting.

"You can't save her," he breathed.

I was tired of being afraid. So very tired. Around every corner, she was there, grinning toothily at me and when she wasn't around every single corner I turned, I could feel her breathing down my neck. It was frustrating to say the least. Mostly, though, I watched over Sam while Emily cleaned every speck of dust. When she wasn't cleaning she was sitting beside the bed with Sam, holding his hand and reminding him he had a job to do—and she would be there for him.

The love in the room was too much, some days. But when I turned to Jacob, distant but sometimes there, he would smile.

He was in his own thoughts.

We were attuned to each others every move and every sound. When I spoke, he would look up at me from his place on the couch and it would be weird. Like he was going to say the same thing.

When I cooked—Emily was asleep this particular night—Jacob cleaned and stacked the dishes I had used to cook. There wasn't much to go on, so I made whatever was left. It was enough food to feed a small village. Scrambled eggs and the bacon that was three days shy of going off. I made some garlic bread from the flour and whatever butter and garlic was left, cooked up the rest of the burgers in the freezer and set it on the table. I grabbed the can of Tomato soup and heated it up while the pack sat down to eat. Before they took a mouthful, I turned and smacked the wooden spoon on the table.

"Say grace." I said, and although I had never been into religions, I knew that sometimes it helped to put your two-cents in. They all bowed their heads in prayer, some unwillingly and whispered their thanks and sent out hopes for Sam.

I took two bowls of soup to Sam's room, where Emily lay bent at the waist, her lower half seated on the chair while her top half lay on his slumbering form.

"Emily…" I cooed gently.

At the smell of food, she looked up through red eyes and I handed her the bowl, placing the other on the bedside table.

"It's hot, so be careful, and there's some for Sam."

She looked me in the eye and whispered "Thank you."

And then she tried to cajole Sam into eating.

I left the room with a smaller mind then before.

The council were contacted by Jacob, and so, the house seemed smaller when they arrived. We had to move some of the furniture in the lounge so we would have space for them. Sue Clearwater was one of the members, and she gave me a grateful smile.

I excused myself from the room as they spoke in a language I was unfamiliar with but one Jacob had used before. I stacked and cleaned dishes, but heard their voices mingling together lowly.

I called Charlie when I was done, telling him Sam had been in an accident, that I would be home soon. He sounded so tired that I felt tears in my eyes.

He would be happy to stay in the normal portion of the world if he knew these mythical beings truly existed. But that didn't make me feel any better.

I sat with Seth who looked like he hadn't slept in days. He smiled up at me warily, and I saw what was being done to him. The worries, the constant stress and the night patrols. The loss of his father, the realization of what he was. No boy should have to go through this at his age.

"How are you?" my voice sounds cautious, rough. He just sighs and shrugs.

"Hungry. As always."

"Hey, I need to run into town to get more food. You want to come with?" he looks up, his eyes sparkling with hope and a dire need to escape, if only for those few measly minutes at a shopping centre.

He's smiling. None of the fake smiles that the pack is giving. Truly smiling. He breathes in the scent of meat as we cross the deli, where the butcher is slicing pieces of ham.

"Excuse me, can we sample a piece of that?" I ask the big burly man and he smiles at me too. It feels nice to know that in this normal side of the world, I'm being accepted. Not that I ever felt unaccepted by the pack, but it feels nice, this difference.

He passes over two big slices and I give them to Seth who scoffs them down greedily. I laugh as he moans in content and we travel down the aisles until I bump into someone—

"Sorry!" I look up into the eyes of Angela.

"Oh my God! Bella!" she cries and flings herself onto me, hugging me tightly. I blink rapidly over her shoulder, surprised.

"How have you been?" she asks, pulling away and appraising my choice of clothes—I changed this morning, into jeans and a singlet. She raises a single brow.

"And who is this divine creature?" she asks, looking at Seth. He smiles shyly back.

"That's Seth Clearwater," I tell her. They shake hands and she murmurs "Sorry about your loss.."

He just grins at her, shrugs. "It's okay."

And the fake smile is back.

"I'll see you at school, yeah?" she asks, walking away. I nod and turn to Seth.

"Would you like a treat?"

"What kind?" he asks with excitement in his eyes. I laugh, pull him to my side and ruffle his hair.

When we arrive back, Seth shrinks back into the seat, ducking his head and a small whine escapes his parted lips. The way the light from inside the house comes onto him makes him seem smaller, scared.

"Oh no," he breathes.

"What is it?"

"We're in trouble." and as soon as the words leave his mouth, Jacob, Paul and Jared come outside, looking like a whirlwind of anger.

"Where the hell have you two been?" Paul barks out, jerking the door open.

"Shopping," I mumble back, grasping the bags and pulling them inside. That doesn't stop the torrent of questions.

"Did you tell anyone you were leaving?"

"Come on, Jared, give her a break…"

"Shut up, Seth."

"Did it ever occur to you to actually tell someone?"

Seth grumbles in reply, sighs. I whirl on the three figures with a glare.

"Why does it matter? The house was low on food, so we went and got it."

Jacob moves, stepping in front of me, teeth clenched.

"It matters because you had an uncontrollable new wolf with you—

"Hey!"

"And that redheaded bitch is still out there." There's a pause, as the words fall on me, heavier then before.

"All of our efforts could have been for nothing. You were out in the open, and she could have gotten you," Jacob clicks his fingers, his hands shaking, for emphasis "like that."

"Sam is hurting now because of her."

Because we tried protecting you isn't said aloud. But it's obvious.

"I'm sorry," I whisper, then turn and pick up the bags, placing them on the kitchen table.

Seth walks past, pats my shoulder with a grimace and then goes down the hall. Jared and Paul follow suit.

I stare at the food as I pack it away. Ham on the leg, two cartons of eggs, a block of cheese, 12 bottles of spring water, two bottles of Coca Cola, two boxes of panadole, and—

A hand reaches out, grabs mine, tugs. I'm forced to look into the dark eyes of Jacob Black.

"What you did was stupid." he says, and it breaks my heart that his voice could be this cold.

"I know," I answer back, just as platonic.

"And utterly moronic."

"I know," I grit out.

"Seth could have-

"He didn't." I jerk my hand away, turn back to the groceries.

I put the things away in the nearly empty fridge. Drinks first, cheese in the shelf and-

That same hand yanks my shoulder back, but it doesn't hurt. My spine meets with a sold chest, and his arms wind around me, pulling me close, breathing in the scent of my hair and neck.

"God damn it, Bella…" He sighs, rests his head on my shoulder.

"You scared me, alright?"

I bob my head up and down in a nod, like a child caught doing something utterly idiotic.

"If she ever…" he whispers, and his hands tighten on my hips. I turn in his arms, grasp his face in my hands.

"She won't," I tell him, though I'm not entirely sure. But ignorance is bliss, right?

He eyes take in my face, my lips, my cheeks, my eyes. Finally his gaze falls to my lips again and lightly, he presses his to mine.

I forgot why I was so mad in the first place.

"Hey—Whoah!" Paul laughs, holding up his hands in surrender.

"Jeez, didn't mean to startle you, Jake. Anyway, just wanted to say sorry, Bella." he smiles at me and it looks different on his face. Nicer.

"You're a good kid." he says firmly and pats me on the head on his way out, Jared following with a shy sort of grin.

And just like that things go back to the way they were. Sam is given some panadole—though he looks as if he needs pain killers, and he sleeps soundly through the night, Emily's hand clutched tightly in his. I notice her other hand rests on her stomach, rubbing absently and bite my bottom lip.

I was truly tearing everything apart.

With that on my mind, sleep didn't find me that night.

I go back to Charlies the next night with Jacob and Jared outside in wolf form, just near the forest. They pace, their shadows long and winding, and I don't notice three hours later that the russet wolf is replaced by a grey haired one. Another wolf stands by, eyes wary.

Leah? I ask myself, but finish cleaning my room, head downstairs and do the dishes. I check on Charlie before I got to shower, notice the bottle of sleeping pills on his desk and feel my heart clench. Everything had been really tough on him, lately, and if he knew about the world I was in, where mythical creatures stalked the night, he would probably be a lot worse.

I pursed my lips, run through a long hot and wanted shower and walk into my room, towel wrapped around my head when I see a figure climbing in through my open window.

I bite my tongue to stop from screaming.

Of course it wouldn't be Victoria. Not with two giant wolves outside, waiting.

It's Jacob.

"What are you doing?" I ask, noticing the bags under his eyes.

"Can I… I know this is stupid, but… can I sleep here, with you tonight?" he asks, and the worry is stretched plainly across his face. I nod, and he turns, closes the window and the curtains, allowing me to change into my pyjamas. I slip on the comfortable fluffy kitten pants and tank top and climb into bed, draping the towel over the headrest and running fingers through my damp hair. He turns out the light and slips into bed with me, the mattress sinking slightly as he throws a sheet over us-he's too warm for a blanket, and I sigh softly against the sheer warmth of him.

I curl against his chest, eyes closed as I feel his arms wrap around me securely.

"Love you…" he says, kissing my temple and I don't get to reply, his breathing and heartbeat sending me into a peaceful slumber.

[Review Rant?]

Okay, so this whole tag review chase thing is killing me, I feel like an utter complete asshole for not updating this fanfic sooner and I want you guys to know how grateful I am.

RealLifeWolfGirl

jwstahle

jharv241

I'mAMusicGirl

VampireLover010

noin37

Preetoaka Raven Potter Weasley

You have all stuck with me this far and there are no words to express how grateful I am. SO! I shall be writing a lust-filled-lemony-smutty-gritty-fluffly-funny chapter soon! Probably gonna be chappy 13, seeing as the next one is gonna be epic. So hold on tight guys, and know that I'm ever so thankful for your kind words and appreciation.

[End Rant]