A/N:

You guys made so many great predictions. Most of you came to the conclusion that Edward wasn't getting out of the situation by himself, he was either going to die or someone was going to have to come to his rescue. Most of you thought that Bella would come. Let's see…

Thanks to ms. ambrosia, who literally got this chapter back to me in less than a half hour. Either her grammar skills are finally starting to rub off on me or she's just incredibly awesome (okay, so I still need a lot of comma help.) And she's a busy girl, so I'm even more appreciative that she spends her time on my stories, making them better for you.

If you're interested, you should check out the new website that ms. ambrosia has been working on, dedicated to awards specifically for vampire fics. It looks incredible so far and the categories are awesome. It's not ready yet, but you guys should check out the site: http:/collectedmoments(dot) com/vampawards/. And maybe think of some vamp fics that you might want to nominate.

Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight. I just her fabulous world and twisted it around to amuse myself.

Chapter 23

Strangely, as soon as I closed my eyes, I wasn't afraid anymore. I stopped breathing, every muscle in my body tensing involuntarily as I braced myself for the unavoidable horror of death. I was far from ready to die, but instead of dread, I felt an eerie sense of calm wash over me.

The moment passed and I was still alive. I inhaled deeply, the thick moisture in the air coating my lungs uncomfortably. My feet shifted in the sticky mud and suddenly I felt the strain in my jaw and shoulders, the dull ache of my tightly clenched fists. I sucked in another breath and reluctantly lifted my eyelids.

To say I was surprised by the look in Charlotte's eyes would be an extreme understatement; I was utterly astonished by the sight in front of me. Only moments before, she was standing within arms reach, poised to kill, but now she had retreated to the edge of the clearing and was crouched in a defensive position, her fright and distress unmistakable.

Her head snapped from side to side as if she were hearing something moving in the trees that I was entirely unable to detect. My heart beat so intensely and erratically that I couldn't think straight. I knew that I should take advantage of the distraction, whatever it was, but as if my mind and limbs were disconnected, my body wouldn't move. I scanned the forest frantically, my frustration growing with every heavy second that passed, yet I could see nothing. I listened for Bella's thoughts, hoping that she was coming to my rescue, but I could tell by the emptiness I felt inside that she was nowhere near.

Just as I was beginning to think that we'd be fixed in our respective positions forever, Charlotte crouched even lower to the ground than before, her knees and hands dipping into the mud as if she were about to sprint. Her red eyes narrowed and she started to growl like a wild creature. She seemed more animal than girl and I grasped for the first time how little humanity remained in her.

I felt all the hairs rise on my arms and the back of my neck, and rotated my upper body so that I could look behind me. Quietly emerging from the shadows of the trees, so agile and stealthy as to not make even the hint of a sound, was a giant, russet-colored wolf that I instantly recognized. He appeared almost as if he erupted out of the trees and earth, an indigenous component of nature itself. He moved forward excruciatingly slowly, each step of his massive paws graceful and deliberate.

I finally felt the use of my legs and wrenched them free from the mud, stepping to the side to move out of the wolf's path. Charlotte was frozen as if a statue, carefully appraising the creature as it neared.

The smell of the wet wolf reached my nostrils just as he turned one sharp golden eye knowingly at me. I returned Jacob's stare, not entirely sure what the wolf-boy was communicating. Before I could process that something was about to end our torturous standoff, Jacob and Charlotte launched themselves at each other, their bodies clashing in a deafening, violent tumult of arms and fur and blood.

As I watched the ferocious battle, the two creatures indistinguishable in the dizzying flurry of movement, I considered that Jacob's look might have been a warning to run and I scrambled to my car as fast as my legs would take me. My hands were shaking so badly that it took several tries before I was steady enough to even open the door.

I started the car and, with an immense sense of relief, I fled the scene, avoiding looking back at all costs. I was surging with adrenaline and so agitated that I found it difficult to drive without weaving and swerving all over the muddy road. I steered recklessly, veering over the edge of a fallen and decaying log at the edge of the road, scraping the side of the passenger door on a cluster of low-lying branches in the process. When I finally spied the break in the trees, I hurled the car toward the deserted highway, mud splattering from my tires.

It seemed like miles had passed before I could mercifully no longer hear the clamor of the terror I left behind. The piercing sound of a vampire screaming in agony would haunt my mind for days to come.

Even when I was safely ensconced in my kitchen at home, the door locked behind me, I wondered if I was safe at all. Though I hoped that Jacob came out on top of the scuffle, I had no idea what Charlotte was capable of and I hadn't stuck around long enough to find out for sure. I had been sitting at the kitchen counter for ten minutes, the horrifying sounds and images of skin being ripped open, limbs severed, blood splattering on the trees replaying over and over in my mind.

I prayed that Jacob had won the fight. Not just for my own sake, but because I felt a profound feeling of gratitude toward him. There was no doubt in my mind that he had risked his life for me. Whether his motivation came from a sense of loyalty to Bella or just out of an innate benevolence didn't matter in the least. He had saved my life and I would forever be thankful.

I could hear Alice and Emmett upstairs and willed them to stay there until I knew that we were safe, that I hadn't been followed. All my senses were on alert as I listened to every little whisper of noise: the creaking of the floorboards, the wind caressing the trees outside and streaking across the boundaries of the house. A passing car in the distance made a low humming purr that cut through the sounds of the weather, bristling my already overstressed nerves.

I worried about Alice and Emmett, hoping that just by being in the same house, I wasn't putting them in danger by default. My thoughts drifted naturally to Bella and I was struck with a jolt of panic that she might also be in trouble. Where was she and why hadn't she come to save me from being attacked? My anxiety peaked at this thought and I couldn't sit still. My fingers began to nervously tap out a rhythm on the counter - unconsciously reaching out to graze the invisible piano keys of my imagination - that slowly evolved into a calming melody in my head.

I heard a door open upstairs allowing a cacophony of pop music to flood across the house, interrupting my own musical ruminations, and then the click click of Alice's heels on the upstairs landing. I craned my neck to listen as the bathroom door at the end of the hall closed. I breathed a sigh of relief and dropped my shoulders. I stood, feeling a general achiness throughout my entire body, and moved stiffly toward the foot of the stairs.

As I grasped the handrail the doorbell rang. I jumped backward in surprise and fear, painfully slamming my ankle against the bottom stair, but in my frantic state I could barely feel the sting. My heart thundered in my chest, my fingers winding themselves around the handrail as if to hold time from moving forward. The doorbell rang a second time and I awakened from my paralysis to see Alice sweeping down beside me, stopping to throw a frown in my direction before hastening to the entryway.

I was reaching out fruitlessly to grab Alice's swinging arm when the doorbell rang for a third time. I catapulted myself forward just in time to stand next to Alice as she swung the door open widely to reveal the tall, wounded and bleeding body of Jacob Black.

Alice took a huge step backwards, nearly stumbling over her own feet in her eagerness to put some distance between her and our visitor. Jacob winced, but didn't say anything. He was teetering, unsteady on his feet, his arm draped awkwardly across his torso, his large hand splayed, covering a gruesome wound from view.

His tattered shorts hung low on his hips, revealing several deep gashes that already appeared to be healing. A drop of blood seeped through his fingers and dripped onto the tiled floor, and I caught Alice's eyes widen with fear, her hand rising to cover the gasp that slipped from her lips.

"Alice, go get the first aid kit," I barked at her, as I reached out to grab Jacob's arm and pulled him forward into the house. Alice disappeared quickly without making a comment. Jacob's huge body fell into mine, and without hesitation, I wrapped my arm around his broad shoulders to keep him from falling. His body was burning hot and solid; I worked up an instant sweat as I led him into the living room and lowered him into a chair.

Alice skittered into the living room an instant later, out of breath and flustered. She looked at me in confusion, but the silent intensity of the moment was not broken by any of us. Alice hovered beside me, but made no move to assist me. I slid the medical kit from under her limp arm without her acknowledging that she'd even noticed.

I carefully lifted Jacob's bloody hand and he twisted in pain, clenching his jaw and turning his face toward the chair. What had at first seemed like a significantly serious wound was now only a seeping cut in his side, the remnants of torn flesh literally binding together before my eyes.

I cut a large piece of gauze, dousing it with a generous amount of alcohol and dropping to my knees. I gingerly wiped around the edges of the cut while Alice put her hands on my shoulders, leaning in tentatively to view more closely.

"Edward," she urged, her hushed voice finally ending the quiet tension. "We should take him to the hospital."

"No!" both Jacob and I yelled simultaneously. Alice shifted away, blanching at the passion and certainty in our tone, her expression troubled.

"What's going on here?" she asked us both and then placed her hand on my shoulder again, bending over to whisper in my ear. "Who is this, Edward?"

"Alice…please…just please don't say or do anything yet. I can't think…" I said as I wiped more of the dirt and blood from Jacob's raw skin. "I need to talk to Jacob, okay?"

Alice stood gaping, watching me tend to Jacob's wounds, her hands on her hips and not moving. Her sharp eyes blazed over his body, taking stock of the situation, and I could almost see her mind drawing strange and wild conclusions.

"Edward, I don't understand what's going on. Why is he here? Why are his cuts healing so fast? Do you know him?" she asked again, pelting me with questions I had no way of answering adequately.

I was formulating a series of vague answers in my mind when Jacob sat up straighter in the chair and looked around our living room as if he had just wakened and realized he was in a foreign place. His eyes focused on Alice and miraculously his mouth curled into a mischievous smile. His arm darted out to her, his dirty fingers outstretched.

"Hi Alice, I'm Jacob Black," he said, his voice only slightly strained.

"Um…oh…um hi," Alice muttered in response, flabbergasted. She surprised me by placing her tiny hand in his and shaking gently as if she could hurt the massive boy with her delicate grip.

"Thanks for your help, Alice," he said, smiling again at her and she actually blushed a fiery red. "I'm sorry about the mess," he said, gesturing to himself from head to toe. "I'll be okay…just a few scratches really." Alice's eyes once again scanned his body, this time though, her eyes lingered on his bare chest for a few beats too long before she looked away, embarrassed to find herself openly ogling the nearly naked boy.

"Edward and I do need to talk. Could you give us a few minutes alone?" he asked sweetly, stunning both Alice and me with his natural charm. Though I knew he was burdened by profound secrets, he seemed so honest and genuine that Alice couldn't help but respond positively to him. When she turned away to walk back up the stairs, she seemed perfectly happy to comply with Jacob's wishes. Jacob had somehow manipulated the master manipulator in our house, his easy manner making Alice disregard her own misgivings and for the moment, suppress all her suspicions.

We watched her ascend the stairs and as soon as her door closed, Jacob turned his face to mine. Despite all his wounds, his face was still stretched in a broad grin and I couldn't help but wonder if he was a bit crazy.

"Dude, you're going to have to come up with something to tell her. I can tell she's the type not to give up when there's something she wants to know," Jacob said casually as if we had been friends forever.

"Did you kill Charlotte?" I blurted, getting straight to the point.

"Was that the bloodsucker's name? Yeah, I ripped her to shreds and burned her before I made my way back here," he said dispassionately. I was incredibly comforted by his words and yet, I still worried about Bella and her whereabouts.

"Um, she didn't hurt you, did she? 'Cause Bella would kill me."

"No," I answered, my heart stuttering at the mention of Bella's name. "She didn't hurt me."

"Are you sure? 'Cause I thought I saw her with her hands down your pants. Did she squeeze your nuts?" he asked jokingly and began to laugh. His laughter was infectious and I couldn't help but chuckle with him.

"She did get…kind of…friendly," I recalled.

"Well let's just keep that part between us, okay?" he asked, rubbing his hand over the rapidly healing gash on his stomach. I nodded, watching his fingers as they skipped over the tender flesh. "I heal fast," he responded to my questioning gaze.

"Where's Bella?" I asked him, finally voicing the question that was in the forefront of my mind.

"She'll be back tonight. You should ask her."

"Did she ask you to watch me?"

"Yes. I'm on patrol. To be honest, when she asked me to watch over you, I had no idea I'd be killing a bloodsucker so soon. I thought she was just paranoid…you know, overprotective. Turns out she was right to be worried," he mused, as if killing a vampire was an ordinary event for him.

"How many vampires have you killed?" I asked, looking over my shoulder apprehensively. He hesitated to answer, his eyes dropping to the floor.

"Two," he answered quietly.

"Thank you…thank you for saving my life," I murmured uncomfortably.

"I would have done it even if Bella didn't ask me to. It's like I can't even help myself when I'm around a vampire…when I saw her standing there next to you, I couldn't stop the transformation from happening. It's instinctual, you know? We're designed to kill vampires and to protect humans."

"The other night I actually came close to killing Bella…and it wasn't the first time. But when she had you pinned against the house, I could barely stop myself from charging at her. It's a weird friendship…a vampire and a werewolf," he said, shaking his head from side to side.

The next moment, he shot out of his seat to a standing position, ignoring the injuries riddled across his body, and sniffed the air, snarling. "Someone's listening," he growled.

Alice slipped around the corner, her head hanging low in shame for being caught eavesdropping. She lifted her eyes, her gaze flitting nervously from me to Jacob and back again. She took a step toward me, grasping my arm for reassurance, and I felt her body's frightened trembling. Her fingers squeezed my bicep as her mouth opened and then closed. She squeaked as though trying to speak under extreme duress.

"Edward, you guys are joking, right? I mean I guess I knew something was off…and Rose…she told me something was weird about Bella," she rambled, pacing in a frenzied way, her hands tugging on the ends of her short hair.

"But, what did he just say?" she stopped moving, her stare crazed as she searched my face. "Edward! How can I believe this? But you're huge and you were cut and bleeding and now you're not," she pointed at Jacob disbelievingly and accusatory, her hand cupping her mouth as if to hold back her words, her realization that every unbelievable thing she suspected was actually true.

"Werewolf…vampire…it can't be," she stated emphatically and then she seemed to simply lose the ability to stand, crumpling inward. She almost hit the floor, but Jacob reached out quickly and effortlessly, breaking her fall. She looked up in to his eyes and whispered her question, but we heard her clearly, "Bella…she's…she's a vampire?"

Before either Jacob or I could answer, the front door banged open and Bella herself stepped into the house. She marched directly over to me without pause, her clothes and hair damp from the rain, mud sloshing around the bottom of her thigh high boots as she moved. She didn't pause, but curled her arms around me, pulling me close.

"Are you okay?" she asked, caressing my face, running her hands along my chest and down my arms, as if to ascertain that I was all in one piece.

"Yes…Jacob," I stuttered the words. She wrenched her eyes away from me uncertainly as if she thought I might disappear when she did, turning towards Jacob and Alice.

"Thank you Jacob. I tracked her scent to the fire. I'll never forgive myself for not being there," she said, dropping her eyes remorsefully and pulling him in for a quick hug. As soon as she released him she pivoted to face Alice who was tangled inelegantly on the floor, staring at Bella silently as if seeing her for the first time, as if completely transfixed by her every move and every word.

Bella reached out her hand to pull Alice to her feet and Alice simply stared at it for several seconds while we all waited for her to react. At long last, Alice raised a shaky arm and slipped her fingers into Bella's cold, stone-like hand. She gasped at the shock of the unexpected, unnatural feeling of Bella's skin, but allowed Bella to gently lift her to her feet. As soon as she found her balance, Alice dropped Bella's hand like she'd been tainted by the contact and stepped hastily backward, crashing innocently into Jacob's chest.

"Bel-la," Alice murmured, her voice hanging in the air, neither making a statement nor a asking a question.

"Alice…hi," Bella said.

End Notes:

So, what did you guys think? Are some of you liking Jacob a little more? Even you Jacob-haters? Leave me a line and let me know what you think!

If you're interested in reading something different, please give my other story, Second Chances, a look. Some of you are already reading both. I'm thoroughly dedicated to both stories. I can't help myself. I have ideas for nearly a dozen fics; I wish I had time to write them all. Damn RL – always gets in the way…