Disclaimer: I am not Stephanie Meyer. I do not own Twilight.

Chapter Thirteen

Jake's POV

I stared down at the unidentifiable cafeteria food on my plate. I sighed and pushed it away, leaning back in my chair.

"You need to eat," Leah scolded, pushing the food back towards me.

I just shook my head and looked around. There weren't many people in the cafeteria besides Leah and myself. The rest of the pack was hanging around in the waiting room. We were all hoping to hear good news from the doctors, but Bella had been unconscious for nearly a week. It wasn't looking good.

"She's going to be alright, Jake. But if you don't start eating, you won't be," Leah continued.

"Leah, just drop it. Please," I sighed, looking at her.

"Fine. Don't blame me when you fall over from lack of food," Leah grumbled and stood up.

She walked away, leaving me alone. Blessed silence.

I placed my head in my hands and squeezed my eyes shut. My heart throbbed painfully and I struggled against running through the halls to Bella's room. I needed to be with her, but Charlie had threatened to kick me out permanently if I didn't get something to eat. I couldn't let him bar me from her room. I was pretty sure I'd be locked in the psyche ward if he did.

God, this had been the worse week of my life.

Bella and I never should've left Forks Sunday. I knew Victoria was getting braver. Hell, she'd almost had Bella at the beach on Saturday. We shouldn't have tested Fate so soon after.

Flashback: Sunday morning

I was fuming as I left Sam's house.

I had found Victoria's scent around Bella's house that morning when I left. I'd immediately called in back up, but we hadn't found anything. Just another trail to the ocean. The only place we couldn't follow the bloodsucker.

I slammed the door open and heard my dad saying I'd just walked in. He pulled the phone away from his ear and handed it to me.

"It's Bella," he explained.

I felt all my anger melt away and was instantly able to breathe easier. I smiled as I took the phone.

"Good morning, beautiful," I greeted huskily, grinning all the while.

She started telling me about how her friend, Angela, had invited her to Port Angeles. I tried not to let my worry creep into my voice. Maybe getting Bella out of Forks would be a good thing.

I laughed at her surprised tone when I said it might be fun. When she told me who all was going, I decided to add to the list. With Victoria snooping around, I didn't want to take any chances.

I hung up, telling her I'd see her soon. I picked the phone back up and dialed Quil's number.

"What up, dude?" Quil asked.

"You free to go to Port Angeles today?" I asked.

"Hell, yes! When we leaving?" Quil whooped.

"I need a shower. We're going with Bella and some of her friends from Forks," I told him.

"Aw, man! Bella Duty?" Quil grumbled.

"Shut up, man! Victoria is taking more risks. I don't want to send her anywhere alone. Now, call Embry and get him to agree. Seth and Leah are coming, too," I growled.

"Easy, there, Jake. I'm kidding, alright? Me and Em are in, no worries. See you in a sec," Quil said, hanging up the phone.

"Dad, I'm jumping in the shower then headed to Port Angeles with Bells and some of the guys," I called as I raced into the bathroom.

"Alright, son," Billy replied, his attention focused on the pre-game shows.

I hopped in the shower before the water even had time to warm up. I gritted my teeth against the cold and took the fastest shower I could, getting out just as the water started warming. I hurried into my bedroom and threw on the first thing my hands landed on; a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. I shoved my feet into sneakers and walked into the living room. Quil, Embry, Leah, and Seth were waiting, watching the TV with Billy.

"Let's go," I said, walking out the door.

I noticed Quil had brought his Cherokee.

"Seth, Leah, you're with me and Bella," I called, walking to my Rabbit.

"Yes, master," Leah glared, climbing into the back.

I ignored her and back out of the driveway.

End Flashback

I never should have agreed. If I had said no and told her Victoria was too close, she wouldn't be upstairs, unconscious in that hospital bed. I should have stuck to my original plan and have us hang around La Push all day. Then she would have been safe.

I sighed and ran my hands through my hair, growling slightly at the thought of Victoria. It was too bad that bitch was dead because I had the sudden urge to kill her all over again. She had crossed way too many lines Sunday.

Flashback: Shooting Range

I stiffened as the sickening sweet scent drifted into my nose. I saw Quil, Embry, and Seth straighten and knew they smelled it too.

"Hey, guys. We're going to get some air," I said, trying to stay calm.

"Sure, thing, man," Tyler nodded, loading his gun.

I got out of there before I did something stupid, like phase. Quil, Embry, and Seth were right behind me. We round the building, following her disgusting smell. I backed up on instinct as soon as we came into the alley.

Victoria was standing a few yards away, smiling.

"Where's your bitch, puppy?" She sneered.

I growled and lunged for her.

Before I was even close, she laughed and flitted away. I went to race after her, but Embry's hand on my shoulder stopped me.

"Wait, Jake! We need to find Bella," Embry said, pulling me back.

I closed my eyes, struggling to gain control of myself. I turned sharply and walked back to the front of the shooting range. Mike, Ben, Tyler, and Eric were standing outside looking for us. We walked right up to them.

"We have to find Bella," I told them through clenched teeth.

"Why? What's wrong?" Mike asked, worried.

I stopped. What the hell was I supposed to tell them?

"Bella has a stalker, Victoria. She hates Bella and is seriously intent on killing her. We just saw her down that alley. If she knows where Bella is, she'll try to kill her," Seth explained quickly.

I applauded him silently. All four of their faces became horrified.

"I'll call Angela and see where they are," Ben offered, pulling out his phone.

I watched the phone as he dialed his girlfriend's number. I prayed she'd answer and let me talk to Bella. I needed to hear her voice and know that she was okay. I waited, glaring at the phone as it rang.

"Damn," Ben muttered when Angela's voicemail came on.

No!

"Ang, call me back. It's an emergency," Ben said before hanging up.

"What do we do now?" Eric asked.

"I say we head back to the cars. If they aren't there at the meet time, we'll go looking for them. How many book stores could there be in Port Angeles anyway?" Tyler chuckled.

That's not what I wanted to do. I wanted to go looking for Bella now. Quil and Embry restrained me though.

"Jake, calm down. You can't phase," Quil muttered, leading me towards the theaters.

I growled at him, unable to hold it back while thinking about Bella being hurt.

"She'll be alright, Jake. Leah's with her. She'll be able to tell if Victoria gets too close," Seth assured me.

I relaxed a little.

Seth was right. Leah would know if Victoria was around. I let out a breath as we arrived at the cars. We only had about fifteen minutes to wait, but it felt like forever until I saw Bella hurrying towards me.

End Flashback

I had been so relieved to see Bella, nothing else had mattered. I'd wanted to grab her, throw her in the car, and drive as far away from Port Angeles as I could. Instead, I had stayed, going to the movies and dinner.

And she'd been taken.

I doubled over in pain as the guilt washed over me. I should've kept a better eye on her. I shouldn't have let her and Jessica go alone. I should've noticed Jessica was being controlled. I should've done a lot of things. Because I hadn't, Bella might not ever wake up.

I growled when I heard someone come up behind me. I didn't want to be bothered right now. I wanted to wallow in self-pity and pain at the thought of losing my Bella.

"She's awake, son."

My head jerked up to see Charlie smiling down at me. I stood up too fast, knocking the chair over.

"She's awake?" I asked, almost too afraid to believe.

Charlie nodded and clapped me on the shoulder.

"She's waiting for you," Charlie added.

"Thanks, Chief," I said, already walking away.

I had to force myself not to run the whole way to her room, but I glared and cursed the slow speed of the elevator. When I finally landed on her floor, I was bombarded by the pack. They'd all heard she was awake and wanted to share the excitement with me. I shoved past them, determined to see her.

I paused when I reached her door, unsure as to whether or not I wanted to go in and risk seeing her lying there with her eyes closed. I took a deep breath and opened the door, making sure to keep my eyes on the ground, just in case.

The familiar sound of her heart beat reached me and I closed my eyes, thanking God that she was still alive and here with me. I stayed by the door, slowly closing it, waiting.

"Jake."

I exhaled sharply hearing the most beautiful sound in the entire world; Bella's voice. I looked up at her to find her looking at me, her left hand extended towards me. In the blink of an eye, I was by her side, holding tightly to that hand. Her beautiful brown eyes smiled up at me and I was lost.

"Oh, God, Bella," I choked as tears started rolling down my face.

I gathered her up into my arms and just held her. I was so relieved she was awake and alive. I trembled in her arms while she tried to sooth me.

"Shh, Jake. It's alright. I'm here. I'm here," she whispered, kissing my cheek and neck.

I took a deep breath and reveled in the smell of her skin. There was nothing like it anywhere. I couldn't believe I'd almost lost this, lost her. I tightened my arms around her, unable to let go. I was terrified that if I let go, she'd fade away from me.

Bella seemed to understand and held onto me just as fiercely. I could feel her own tears mingling with mine and tried to get a hold of myself. Bella needed me to be the strong one. I pulled back and ran my fingers through her hair, bringing her face up to mine. She blinked up at me, her eyes soft with understanding.

"Bella," I murmured, kissing her.

I was trying to be gentle, afraid of hurting her in her fragile state. I placed a kiss on her cheeks, her eyelids, her nose, her chin, her lips. Her mouth opened willingly beneath mine and I groaned at her uniquely sweet taste. She wrapped her arms around me, pulling herself closer and I couldn't stop.

I had been so worried about her, afraid I was never going to see her smile, hear her laugh, taste her kiss. All of it was brought out as I kissed her. I couldn't get enough. I knew I was probably being a little too rough, but Bella didn't seem to mind. In fact, she was writhing beneath me, begging for more.

I broke the kiss and stared down at her. Her eyes slowly opened to look at me, confused as to why I'd stopped. I sighed and hid my face in her neck.

"I've missed you," Bella said softly.

I choked on a laugh and brought myself up to look at her.

"Bells, you can't keep doing this to me. I can't take it," I rasped.

"I'm sorry," Bella smiled, running her fingers through my hair.

I leaned into her hand and watched her face. Her cheeks had a healthy glow to them and her eyes were sparkling as she watched me. Compared to how she had been an hour ago, it was a miracle. Her skin was no longer sallow and her skin was warm to the touch.

"I love you," I told her, taking her hand and kissing it.

"I love you, too," Bella whispered.

There was nothing better than hearing those words from her mouth. They were the sweetest words ever uttered.

I leaned down to give her another kiss, this one just a brief meeting of our lips. She smiled when I pulled away and it lit up my entire world. I couldn't help, but smile back at her.

"How are you?" Bella asked, tracing her fingers across my face.

I laughed and sat down beside her on the bed.

"You're the one who has been unconscious for a week and you're asking me how I am?" I asked.

"Well, yeah," Bella smiled.

"I'm much better now that you're awake," I admitted, shaking my head at her.

"You look awful," Bella contradicted.

"Well, thanks," I chuckled sarcastically.

"You do. Have you been sleeping any?" Bella asked, her fingers lingering under my eyes.

"No," I sighed, knowing there was no way to get her off her tangent.

"You should sleep. When's the last time you had a decent meal?" She continued.

"I just got back from the cafeteria," I grinned.

"Did you actually eat anything?" Bella asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Maybe a bite or two," I hedged.

"Jacob Black, what am I going to do with you?" Bella exhaled, shaking her head.

"Love me," I replied softly.

Her eyes glistened when they found mine and I felt myself falling under her spell.

"I already do," she whispered.

I was lying in bed with Bella as she traced designs on my chest. She had told me to go to sleep, but I wasn't going to waste time spent with her sleeping.

"Tell me what happened after I was taken," she insisted.

I tensed and my arms tightened around her. She shushed me and rubbed my chest soothingly. I settled back down and kissed the top of her head. She sighed and curled up closer to my warmth.

"You already know I was running to get you. When I felt her knock you out, I almost phased in the middle of the street. I saw Jessica walking down the sidewalk and ran to her, thinking she knew where you were. She just looked at me like she didn't even know who I was. It was creepy. When I asked about you, she had no idea what I was talking about. Quil came and took her away while I continued to the alleyway, thinking you might still be there.

"There wasn't so much as a scent trail. I searched everywhere, but you were gone. Embry called Sam who had to actually drive to Port Angeles to make me come home. I didn't want to leave if there was any chance that you were somewhere in the city, but I couldn't disobey an Alpha command.

"The police got involved and everyone made a statement. We left Jessica out of it. She didn't know what she was doing, honey. If she had, she wouldn't have had to worry about the police getting her. I would've taken care of her myself," I growled.

"Jake!" Bella gasped, pulling away from me.

"Bella, she threatened your life. No one gets away with threatening your life," I glared.

Her eyes softened and she reached up to kiss me. I was losing myself in the taste and feel of her when she pulled away.

"Keep going," she said breathlessly.

I smirked arrogantly, knowing I affected her just as strongly as she affected me. The smirk fell off my face quickly once I started back on my story.

"You were gone for two days before you connected with Jared. Everyone was frantic, looking for you, assuming the worse. I… I was… not myself during those two days, Bells. I could barely contain myself. I spent most of the time in wolf form because it was easier to deal with the pain. I was so sure I'd lost you forever."

I had to stop as my emotions got the better of me. Bella's hand on my chest and her body pressed against mine reminded me that she was here, safe in my arms. I swallowed past the lump in my throat and continued.

"When Jared called for us, I thought the worse. I knew it had to do with you and I thought they'd… found your… body somewhere. I phased and listened while they all argued about what was happening. I can't even explain to you the absolute relief I felt when I heard you inside my head, honey.

"You know what happened after that. We were able to find you and kill Victoria. When you passed out, though, I thought I was going to lose you for real. You'd lost more blood than any of us had realized. I don't think you even knew you were hurt. Your wrists were completely torn up. Sam wasn't sure you'd even make it to the hospital.

"As soon as I got you here, you were taken into ICU. They pumped you full of blood and did something for your wrists. You were so pale, Bells. They told us there wasn't much they could do. There weren't any major injuries, just massive blood loss. And then they couldn't get you to wake up. You were fine, you just wouldn't wake up. They thought it was because of the trauma you'd experienced, but they couldn't be sure. Charlie and I have basically been living in these chairs, waiting for you to wake up and the pack's been living in the waiting room. We're all very well known amongst the doctors and nurses now. I think they'll miss us when we're gone." I finished teasingly.

I looked down at Bella to see her crying. I hurried to wipe her tears away.

"Hey, now. What's wrong?" I asked, frowning.

"I'm so sorry. I knew there was something wrong with Jessica, but I went anyway. And all of you have been so worried about me. I feel awful!" Bella cried, clutching my chest.

I was in complete shock. Only Bella could claim that having some psycho vampire intent on killing her was her fault.

"Honey, none of this is your fault. It's all that bloodsucker's," I murmured, smoothing out her hair.

She continued sobbing against me, clutching my shirt in her hands. I held her tightly and repeatedly told her it wasn't her fault.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled sleepily.

"It's alright, honey. You've had a rough week. Why not rest your eyes for a bit and go to sleep?" I suggested, settling her more comfortably against me.

"Will you sleep too?" Bella asked.

"Sure, sure," I grinned.

Bella smiled and closed her eyes. Her breathing started evening out and I watched the rise and fall of her shoulders. I brushed a few strands of hair away from her face, marveling at the beauty in my arms. I couldn't believe how lucky I was to have her here with me. Having her love was the greatest thing in the world and I couldn't believe Edward had ever wanted to give her up.

"Jake. Sleep," Bella grumbled, slapping me weakly.

I chuckled and closed my eyes. My girl was relentless.

I found it easy to relax with Bella sleeping beside me and was asleep before I knew it.

Ugh! I know it's short, but it's the best I could do. I covered everything I needed to, I hope. Next chapter will be back to Bella's point of view. A little teaser of information, the Cullens will be returning soon!! And, anyone remember Afton? Hmm? Well, remember the female vampire the wolves didn't catch? That'll be coming up again soon as well!! See you guys next chapter!!