This chapter is dedicated to AshleyCullen0021, because you doubt your love of Jasper. :D

The weekend came quickly. It was the eleventh, and Silas and I were on an abandon beach with the guys.

I was talking to Embry about why the flame on a burning ocean log was blue. He said it was the salts.

We both jumped when Jacob suddenly shouted, "Paul, are you insane?" Jacob sprang to his feet and I glanced the direction he was headed.

I felt my heart die a little.

Paul was holding Silas, and they were on the top of a tree. Jacob said, that through the others' memories, he saw what happened the day I broke my leg. I could understand his fear. I felt it myself.

This tree was not as high up, but Silas was not as big. If he fell he could die!

Paul snorted, "Calm down, Jake! I won't drop him."

I ran after Jacob and demanded, my voice both shrill and harsh, "Get him down, Paul! Now!"

Paul rolled his eyes and hung Silas over the branch, dropping him into the safety of Jared's waiting arms.

Jacob snatched Silas and fretted, "Are you okay, kid? No scratches, or bruises?"

Paul dropped out of the tree like a cat, landing nimbly on his feet.

Silas promised brightly, "I'm fine, daddy!"

Jacob handed him to me, and then whirled around on Paul. I turned Silas' head away as Jacob's fist connected with Paul's jaw, sending him flying back a few feet.

Embry raced over there, "Jake, calm down!"

Paul glared murderously at Jacob, and his body began to tremble. Jake, too, shivered down his spine. I watched in horror as Paul's body exploded. Jacob phased a split second later and they sprang at each other, snarling.

Jared panicked, "Embry, get them out of here!"

Embry stepped in between the vicious fight and us. He urged, "Bella, come this way."

I was half dragged about a hundred feet away. Silas was watching the fight with wide, horrified eyes. It was three wolves now, as Jared tried to break up Jacob and Paul.

Jared growled at Paul, and the smaller wolf suddenly flopped onto his stomach. Jacob skidded in the sand to stop himself from running into Jared.

My attention was totally removed from the werewolf battle when Silas pressed his face into my shoulder and started crying.

I sat down, snuggling him close to me. "Silas, baby, it's okay. Don't cry."

He clung onto me like a life jacket and blubbered.

I rubbed his back in an effort to calm him down, and glowered murderously at the three wolves now staring in this direction.

Jacob started to come this way. Jared cut him off. They glanced at each other before the pack was racing into the woods.

Embry stayed with me, hovering like a bodyguard or something.

After a few minutes, Silas had calmed down. He was not crying anymore, just hiccupping.

I gently lifted his head. His wide, wet eyes looked up at me. I could see terror in their depths.

I promised him, "It's okay, honey."

He whimpered and buried his face against me again. Flashes of the battle started to etch themselves into my mind. The strongest, most vivid, picture was Jacob as his body exploded; as an animal bigger than what Silas had seen before replaced him, an animal more fearsome than any other.

Jacob. was. dead. After I killed Paul, that is.

I kissed Silas forehead and tried to soothe him. "Daddy is fine, Silas."

He whispered sadly, "Are you sure?"

I glanced Embry, a silent question if it was safe to be with the others again. He nodded.

I asked Silas, "Do you want to go see him?"

Silas nodded, wrapping his arms around my neck and resting his head on my shoulder as I stood up and began to follow Embry through the woods.

We were just entering Jacob's back yard when he saw us. He sprang to his feet and darted across the space between us. Silas reached out for Jacob, and I handed him over.

Silas's eyes were still huge, "Are you okay?"

Jacob smiled, "Why wouldn't I be?"

Silas's lip quivered, "I saw that wolf eat you! How did you get out?"

Jacob looked confused. I gently announced, "Silas, the wolf didn't eat Jacob. The wolf is Jacob."

He glanced at me and asked, "What?"

Jacob smiled, "Do you remember what I told you about werewolves? How we thought you had to be friends with a wolf to become one?"

Silas nodded.

Jacob continued, "We were wrong. Some of us are born as werewolves. We can become werewolves whenever we want to."

I took in Silas's face critically. He frowned, and his eyes started to water.

Uh oh.

The poor thing started crying again. I took him back and fretted, "Silas, what's wrong?"

He clung to me and wailed, "Daddy's the scary wolf!"

I gently mussed with his hair, "Daddy is a good wolf, Silas."

Silas shook his head stubbornly.

I glanced at Jacob and ordered, "Phase."

Jacob looked stunned, "Why?"

I insisted, "Just do it. Please?"

I watched Jacob's eyes melt and he took his shirt off, tossing it at Jared. He threw his shoes aside and then phased. Silas jumped when he heard the pop and started sobbing.

I patted his back, "Silas, calm down. Mama's got you."

He ignored me as I walked forward towards Jacob. I motioned for him to lie down, which he did. Reaching one hand out I experimentally pet Jacob's muzzle.

It was odd, touching a werewolf for the first time. He was still very hot, but he was really soft.

I urged Silas, "Look Silas. Mama's fine."

He peeked over his shoulder warily. I watched him speculate the idea of my actually touching Jacob's intimidating other half.

Jacob slowly stretched forward, nudging Silas with his big nose. Silas smiled a little bit.

I kissed his cheek and asked, "Do you want to sit on him?"

Silas nodded eagerly. I set him on Jacob's shoulders. He laughed and hugged his neck.

Paul wandered over to us and complained, "It hasn't stopped bleeding yet!"

He noticed we were here, and quickly tucked his gashed open arm behind his back so Silas didn't see it.

Jared promised, "Give it another thirty seconds, you'll be fine."

I asked, "What are you two talking about?"

Paul smiled, "We heal ourselves. It's a survival thing. It's the reason Jared wasn't affected by that guy's venom."

Jared snorted bitterly at the mention of his lost battle with Jasper.

I asked Jared conversationally, "How did you get them to stop so fast?"

He glanced at Jacob, then back to me. "Do you know about the alpha command yet?"

I nodded. Sam explained that to us before Jacob even phased the first time.

Jared looked more relaxed knowing I already knew. "The beta of the pack can use it, too. I had to get Paul to stop or Jacob wouldn't pay attention to me."

It didn't surprise me to learn Jared was second in command. Paul and Jacob never got along well, and Embry was too new to the pack.

Silas suddenly announced, "I'm hungry, mama."

I laughed a little bit and decided, "Maybe we should go home now, then."

Jacob whined.

I awkwardly pet him by his large ear. His tongue lolled contently at the affectionate contact.

I promised, "We're still coming over Monday."

Monday was the start of Spring Break. Silas and I were staying here for a few days, just for the hell of it.

I set Silas on the ground and he grasped my hand, rocking back and forth on his feet with impatience as I said goodbye to all of our friends.

I recommend the story Scratched Out written by decemberisforcynics. It's an abstract and totally awesome Jasper/Alice.

Read. It. Now. --- :D