AN: Big thanks to those who reviewed! Glad you all are liking the story! To show my gratitude for all the support, here's another chapter.
Again, there's NM dialogue in here which is still not mine.
So, read. enjoy. review!
Another long day with nothing to show for it. Jacob thought drearily as he walked back to his house. The living room light was on from what he could tell, but he knew his father was already fast asleep in his room. His father always kept the light on for him. It was a little after one in the morning and he'd just finished up his patrol. He knew he was running himself ragged these days but he had several responsibilities to take care of.
He quietly entered the house, then closed the front door as gently as possible to ensure he didn't wake up his dad. He turned off the living room lamp on his way toward his bedroom, leaving him in darkness.
He stepped into his room and exhaled deeply, as if he'd been holding his breath for a very long time, at the sight of Quinn sitting on her usual perch on top of his desk. He closed his door behind him, never taking his eyes off of her as she gracefully slid off the surface and walked over to him. "Hey, you." she greeted in a whisper.
"Hey." he breathed, pulling her into his arms without hesitation and scooping her up bridal style. He took a few steps forward and then sat down on his bed, with Quinn in his lap.
These days nothing could comfort him more than just being able to hold her.
He nuzzled the side of her neck, a habit he'd somehow picked up. He suspected that it was just another wolf thing, or an imprinted wolf thing. Either way, Quinn didn't seem to mind whenever he did it.
His eyes fell closed when he felt her fingers thread themselves into his short hair, then proceeding to give his head a soothing massage. He pressed his forehead against the crook of her neck and breathed in her sweet scent as she did this.
"You're purring again." she pointed out softly, giggling.
He let out a throaty laugh before shrugging his shoulders, "I can't help it. My wolf likes it."
"As good as that is," he frowned when she suddenly pulled her hand away, forcing him to lift his head, "You really need to get to sleep, Jacob."
"I'll get around to it later." he promised. "I haven't seen you all day."
"You saw me earlier today before you left for your pack duties." she reminded. "When you were with Bella, remember?"
"Sure I saw you but I didn't actually get to hang out with you." As much as he loved hanging out with Bella, it was frustrating, and not to mention distracting, having Quinn there too and being forced to act as though she wasn't even there.
Whereas with the pack, Quinn couldn't very well go with him out on patrols because they could see her. Although they knew he imprinted, they still didn't know Quinn was his guardian angel and he wanted to keep it that way for as long as possible.
Needless to say, the actual amount of time he got to spend and actually talk with Quinn was unbearably disproportionate to the time he had with Bella and the pack, much to his dismay.
"Maybe you should postpone taking Bella cliff diving tomorrow morning so you can get in some extra sleep time." she suggested, lightly brushing his hair back with her fingers. "The dark circles under your eyes are beginning to look permanently etched onto your skin."
He sighed heavily and shook his head. "No, I promised her. She needs some fun. She's so stressed about the leech coming after her or Charlie…" he drifted off with a yawn, even though he'd tried his best to hold it in.
"Okay, bedtime for the little wolf." Quinn stated, hoping off his lap before he could even make a move to keep her where she was.
He snorted as he moved to lie down, mumbling, "There is nothing little about me." That much was evident by the way his legs hung over the edge of his mattress. He really needed a bigger bed.
"Uh-huh. Now go to sleep." Quinn leaned over him and chastely kissed his forehead. Smirking to himself, he encased her in his arms, catching her off guard and making her fall on top of him.
"Jacob, what on earth…" She immediately tried to get up but he held her down, keeping her against his body.
He shut his eyes and relaxed against his pillow. "Shush, woman. I'm trying to sleep."
She rolled her eyes and shook her head, resting her head against his chest nevertheless. She could easily pop out of his embrace if she truly wanted to, and although she knew she probably should, she couldn't bring herself to do so.
It had only taken a few seconds before he was out like a light, his breathing now steady and even.
Since she didn't sleep, she aimlessly traced invisible patterns on Jacob's skin as she listened to his heart beat against her ear. Her fingers followed the veins in his arms up and down before she allowed herself to ghost over the several little scars sprinkled across his body from when he was younger. She could clearly remember how he'd gotten every single one.
Since her face was pressed up against his chest, his hot skin burned her cheek, but not in the painful way. It was more of a tingling sensation if anything.
A sensation she rather liked.
She shut her eyes and sighed. That was bad. What she was doing was bad. She shouldn't be feeling this way.
But things have changed between them. Ever since she found out that he could see her, she didn't think of him solely as her charge anymore.
She's been watching over him his entire life and yet now she can't seem look at him in the same way anymore. Or have the same feelings for him as she once did for that matter either.
She'd never been in love when she was alive. Sure she had crushes and dated people, but there was never that all consuming love she'd read about in books or seen in movies.
But that was then.
Now she knew what it was like to crave someone's touch all the time, to yearn for said person's kisses, to feel her entire body close in on itself whenever she was apart from him for too long.
Sometimes her feelings were so intense she could hardly stand it.
Maybe the heightened emotions came with being an angel but either way she knew she was in love with Jacob. There was no way around it, no alternative solution.
There was nothing she could about it. She had to keep pushing these feelings down, even though it felt like every time she did, it just got harder to do so.
She couldn't cross the guardian/charge boundary line like that.
She was already pushing it enough as it was. If she wasn't careful, she could ruin everything. Jacob could be reassigned a new guardian. She could be stripped of her title and never be allowed to see him again.
The very thought made it hard for her to breathe.
She shook her head and tried to reign in the tears she felt coming on. She tried not to let her fears for the future ruin the present, but that was so much easier said than done since there was always that voice in the back of her head saying, "It's only a matter of time before someone finds out."
She sniffled, feeling a lone tear travel down her cheek. She lifted her head off Jacob's chest and swiped it away before it could land on his skin.
Even though she wanted nothing more than to keep him closer, she forced herself to move out of his arms and off the bed. She picked up Jacob's literature book from school, half hidden underneath various articles of clothes he had strewn across the floor. She dusted it off and sat down on the Jacob's desk with it in her lap.
She had just finished reading A Tale of Two Cities when a sharp howl pierced the otherwise silent sky. Her head snapped up just as Jacob jumped out of bed and bolted for the door. She hopped off the desk and walked over to his bed, peering out the small window in time to see a blur of reddish brown disappear into the shadows of the forest.
She prayed that everything was alright.
A few hours later…
.
.
Santana hummed the latest Madonna song as she idly watched Bella pace around in front of her.
Story of her life.
She glanced up at the gray, murky sky and deduced that a storm was definitely on its way. She looked back at her charge and shook her head. There Bella stood a few feet away from her on First beach, just asking to be struck down by a bolt of lightening.
She snickered at the very thought. Seeing that would definitely make her day. No, scratch that, make her existence.
"Argh!" She unenthusiastically lifted her head at Bella's little groan/grunt, whatever it is you wanted to call it. Her brow furrowed when Bella started walking away from her, away from the forest, away from the water, but toward the cliffs.
Now she was intrigued. "What are you doing?" she wondered aloud, pushing herself off the driftwood she'd been sitting on before following her charge.
She trailed behind the girl as Bella followed the trail up to the top of the cliff, the one made popular for cliff diving.
Santana stopped. Holy shit. Surely that girl knew better than to cliff dive alone?
She popped up to the very top where she found Bella peering over the edge.
Apparently not.
"You can't be serious!" Santana exclaimed, storming over to her charge's side even though she knew the girl couldn't hear or see her.
Santana shook her head, partially in panic. "C'mon, Swan. You are smarter than this! You know this isn't a good idea! Don't do this."
"You won't stay with me any other way." Bella murmured.
Santana's eyes narrowed. "Okay, who are you even talking to in that itty bitty head of yours? Cause I know for a fact it ain't me!"
When she didn't answer and instead crouched down and leaned forward, ready to spring, Santana huffed out a long line of Spanish obscenities.
"No, Bella!" she yelled out just when the girl suddenly launched herself over the side.
"Fuck. My. Afterlife." Santana swore under her breath, watching as Bella sliced through the surface of the water.
He almost had her. He was this close. If he'd have been a few seconds faster, he would've been able to stop that bloodsucker from diving into the Pacific Ocean.
Take it easy, Jacob. You did your best. Came Sam's voice after hearing his thoughts.
Yeah, man you were great. Embry encouraged.
Jared and Paul merely snorted their indifference.
Okay, now Jared, Embry, and Paul, I want you all to patrol the waterfront to make sure she doesn't double back. Jacob and I are going to check in with Billy and Emily briefly and then join you back at the beach. Sam ordered.
The five of them branched off to their new assignments. Sam and Jacob briefly ran together before splitting up, one heading left to Billy's house while the other headed right to Emily's.
Jacob quickly phased, throwing on his shorts as he walked. He was eager to see Quinn again, make sure she was okay. The same with his father, but of course the feeling wasn't as dire.
Quinn must've sensed his presence because she abruptly appeared in front of him, bringing him to a halt.
"Are you okay?" he asked instantly, pulling her into his arms and lifting her up. "How's my dad? Nothing happened, right?"
"Jacob, please." she pushed at his shoulders, indicating for him to put her down. "And no, nothing happened. He's fine. I'm fine. We're both fine."
His eyebrows knitted together in confusion after reluctantly setting her down, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing." she assured, her gaze downcast as she smoothed out her dress.
His eyes narrowed. People who lied always had trouble making eye contact. "Don't lie to me, Quinn." Using his finger, he gently titled her chin up, forcing her to meet his gaze. "Tell me. What's up?"
She sighed heavily as she pushed his hand away. "We really need to stop this, Jacob."
He frowned. "Stop what?"
"This." She gestured between the two of them. "We're getting too close."
He took a few steps back, thinking that was what she meant. "No, Jacob." she said instantly, still shaking her head. "Not like that, I just mean, you and I…our relationship…it's too…" She huffed in frustration at her inability to properly say what she needed to say.
"Look, you're my charge. I am your guardian angel. Even though you can see me, it's still my responsibility to keep this relationship strictly professional and I haven't been doing that."
He swallowed hard, his heart rate kicking up for some unknown reason.
"We're too close." she said again, this time softer. "We shouldn't be hugging and holding hands and sleeping together, even though I know I don't sleep but still, we-"
"Why are you bringing all this up now?" he sharply interjected, "I thought you were okay it. You never told me you weren't or said anything-"
"I was, well, am, okay with it. But that doesn't make it right. That doesn't make it okay. In fact, it's wrong."
"Wrong?" he repeated. "You really believe it's wrong?"
"It doesn't matter what I believe." she replied lowly. "It's a fact. A rule. Angels and humans are not meant to be anything to each other."
His jaw tightened as he stepped forward, closing the space between them. "Do you love me?"
Her eyes widened, taken aback at his question. "What?"
"You heard me, Quinn." he said seriously. "Do you love me?"
"Of course I love you. You're my charge. I've been here for you since you were born…."
"Not like that, Quinn." he growled impatiently. "And you know it. I mean do you love me as more than that. As more than a friend."
"Jacob, just stop." she warned, her usually bright eyes dangerously dark. "We cannot have this conversation." She turned on her heel, her hair whipping his chest as she did so, before walking away from him.
"I love you." he called out after her. "If you even care!"
He went after her when she stopped, even though she still had her back to him. "Don't tell me you don't feel this bond we share." He grabbed her arm and pulled her to him when she tried to walk away again.
He knew if she truly wanted to get away, she could simply do her angel disappearing trick. So he knew she was willing to hear him out.
"You really love me?" Had it not been for the heightened hearing, he knew he wouldn't have been able to hear her.
He nodded, leaning down so that his forehead touched hers. "More than any human is even capable of loving another person."
"J-Jacob…" her breath caught in her throat and he watched in horror as tears began sliding down her cheeks. He almost looked up at the sky, just to see if they'd actually been raindrops, but he knew better.
God, seeing her cry was like someone dragging a knife through his skin.
He cupped her cheek with his right hand and smoothly brushed his thumb across her skin, wiping away the tears. "It hurts, physically hurts, to be away from you, Quinn. When I'm not with you, I feel so incomplete. Its like my heart's been ripped from my chest. You know how hard it is to function without a heart?"
She sniffled, definitely touched by his words. "Jacob, we can't." her hand slid over his before taking his hand away from her face, "Y-you deserve someone so much better. You deserve, no you need, someone who's actually alive."
"You are alive." he protested.
She shook her head, hastily wiping at her own tears as she stared up at him, "No, I'm not. I'm dead. I've been dead for the past fifty years."
"I am talking to you. I can hold you, touch you, feel you. You breathe. You laugh. If that's not being alive, then I don't know what is."
She forced a sad smile. "Jacob, just because I can do all those things doesn't mean I'm alive. That time for me is over. I'm never going to be human again. It's never going to be possible for us to be together."
He shook his head, gazing deeply into her eyes as she cupped her face again, this time with both hands. "If that was true, Quinn, I never would've been able to imprint on you."
She stared at him, mesmerized at his words. Jacob imprinted on her? She vaguely remembered him talking about imprinting once but right now her brain was so mixed up, she couldn't even think properly. The fact that Jacob was leaning down to kiss her really didn't help.
Stop him, stop him, stop him…
Pushing those thoughts away, her eyes fluttered closed at the soft brush of his lips against hers. The minor touch left her feeling as though electric currents were rushing through her veins, electrifying her entire body. She felt him pull her body more against his chest and just as he was about to really kiss her…she heard it.
Or should she say her.
Quinn jumped out of Jacob's embrace and turned her head to see Santana standing there. "Santana, what are you doing here?" Her tone might've come out a little harsher than she'd intended it to be.
Santana scoffed. "Well, sorry. My charge just jumped off a fuckin' cliff, but don't mind me, please," she gestured to Jacob like a game show model, "continue with getting your mack on."
Quinn felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment for a moment before she realized what Santana said. "Wait, what?"
"Bella decided to go cliff diving by herself. She jumped and now I am freaking out if you already couldn't tell!"
"Santana!"
"Don't Santana me! I tried everything! She was set on jumping. So get your boy here to save her stupid cliff jumping ass before she drowns and like, dies."
Quinn turned to look up at Jacob. "Santana says Bella went cliff diving alone."
His eyes widened. "What? Where the hell was Santana? Isn't she supposed to protect her?" he demanded, his temper slightly raised from them being interrupted.
"Quinn, tell your wolf to watch it otherwise I will go all Lima Heights on his furry ass." Santana threatened beside her.
Quinn kept her eyes on Jacob. "She did everything she could but angels can only help to an extent. Our charges still have their free will and if they're determined enough to do something, there's nothing we can do to stop them."
"I'll meet you guys over there then." Jacob stated before quickly running off into the forest.
Santana quickly took her hand and the two of them popped on over to the cliff where Bella had jumped.
The two of them dropped down to their knees as they peered over the edge, their eyes scanning the water for any sight of her.
"You see her?"
Quinn shook her head, her lips pressed firm with concentration. "No, nothing."
She could hear Santana swallow hard. "I would be able to like, feel it, if she was dead, right?"
Quinn nodded, recalling how it had felt when her very first charge had passed away. "Yeah, you would." She glanced back at the water and perked up. "Jacob's got her."
Santana looked back and sighed in relief, spotting the russet body slicing through the water with Bella in tow. Quinn stood up and grabbed onto her wrist, "C'mon."
"I swear to God if that girl ever does something like that again, when she dies, I will not hesitate in beating the shit out of her up on them clouds."
Quinn pretended to cough in her hand when really she was trying to cover up her laugh.
"Nah, I take that back. I wouldn't be able to wait that long." Santana nodded her head toward Jacob, who was currently driving Bella home after the long, stressful day, while she and Quinn were seated in the back. "Tell your boy I will grant him three wishes if he punches Bella in the face for me. No, wait make it the throat. Have him punch her in the throat."
"Santana!" she exclaimed, causing Jacob to look back at her quizzically through the rearview mirror.
"What?" Santana snapped. "The girl just jumped off a cliff and nearly killed herself! If I could've had a heart attack I would've. And that is not cool. No me gusta."
Quinn rolled her eyes, shaking her head, "You can't grant him wishes, Santana. You know that."
"Well then, just say you'll bone him all night if he does. Then he'll be down to do it for sure."
"You're disgusting, you know that?"
She scoffed. "Please, don't play that with me. By way you two were groping and grinding on each other earlier-"
Now it was Quinn's turn to scoff. "We were doing no such thing! We barely even kissed!"
Santana laughed at how red Quinn had gotten in such a short amount of time and pointed over to Jacob, who was now looking at her through the rearview mirror again.
Embarrassed, Quinn slid down in her seat, making Santana laugh even harder.
The car slowly pulled to a stop, making Quinn sigh in relief. "Good," she glanced out the window at Bella's house, then glanced back at Santana. "we're here. Get out."
Santana merely stuck her tongue out her and just as Bella opened up her side of the door, Jacob swore loudly. He reached across Bella and slammed the door shut, a low growl escaping him.
"What's wrong?" Quinn and Bella asked at the same time.
"Vampire." he spit out.
"H-how do you know?" Bella sputtered out, what little color she had quickly disappearing from her face.
"Because I can smell it!" he replied, hastily trying to get the keys back in the ignition. It would've been a lot easier had his hands not been shaking so bad. He finally got the car started again and just as he was about to drive away, Bella stopped him.
"Don't! Stop! It's not Victoria!"
Santana and Quinn both looked at each other.
"Stop, stop! I want to go back. It's Carlisle's car!" she pointed to a black Mercedes parked across the street. "It's the Cullens. I know it."
"Awesome!" Santana threw her fists up in the air, "More drama!"
Quinn ignored her and leaned forward to touch Jacob's shoulder, since he was trembling so badly that he was rocking the car. "Jacob, calm down. It's okay. There's no danger."
The trembling stopped as he relaxed against her touch. He glanced back at Bella, the hope of seeing a Cullen again showing in her eyes. He stared at her like she was insane. "There's a vampire in your house, and you want to go back?"
"Of course." she said, her voice blank with surprise at his question.
"You're sure it's not a trick?"
"It's not a trick. It's Carlisle. I'll be fine." Bella pushed open the car door and was running up toward her house before Jacob could even stop her. Santana was more than eager to follow her charge inside, leaving within an instant.
Jacob slammed his hands down on the wheel in frustration. "Shit!"
Quinn quickly moved to the front, plopping down in the passenger seat. "Jacob, it's okay. Trust me. She'll be okay. I promise you."
"If the Cullen's are back, this is their territory. I can't protect her here." he rambled on.
"You don't need to, Jacob. She's fine, she's with…" Jacob got out of the car and slammed the door shut behind him before she could finish. "…Alice."
Exhaling deeply, she popped out of the car and followed Jacob inside.
She was only a few paces behind him when she heard Alice say, with an exasperated sigh, "Bella! Werewolves are not good company to keep."
Jacob stepped forward into the living room before she could grab onto his hand. "Speak for yourself."
Quinn moved beside him as a precaution, instantly spotting Santana sitting on the armrest of the couch Bella was sitting on. Alice stood up with a look of disgust, probably due to Jacob's 'stench'. "Well, I'm not gonna hurt her." Quinn could've sworn her gaze flickered over to her before she glared back at Jacob.
"No, you're just a harmless Cullen. I'm talking about the other bloodsucker who's been trying to kill Bella because of you." Quinn grasped his arm and caressed the length of his arm soothingly.
Alice turned back to Bella, questionably, "Victoria?"
Bella nodded, "Yeah, Victoria's been around."
"I didn't see her. I didn't see you get pulled out of the water, either." Realizing why, her attention snapped back to Jacob, "I can't see past you and your pack of mutts."
"Watch it, tinker bell." Jacob growled, stepped forward only to have Quinn move in between them and push at his chest, "You do not want to get me upset. I'll rip you limb from limb if I have to."
"Jacob, please." Quinn said calmly, but firmly, "She's not here to hurt anyone. Relax."
Alice's brow furrowed in confusion. "Who's the blonde?"
Both Jacob and Quinn snapped their attention away from each other to look at Alice.
Bella frowned, "Blonde, what blonde?"
"You can see me?" Quinn whispered, her eyes wide with shock.
Santana rolled her eyes. "Seriously, Q, who can't see you these days?"
"You can see her?" Jacob moved in front of Quinn protectively.
"See who?" Bella looked around, still utterly confused.
"Her." Alice pointed to Quinn and Bella followed her line of view. "Alice, what are you talking about? That's Jacob."
Alice shook her head, "I'm talking about the girl behind him."
Bella stood up, now very concerned, "Alice no one's there."
Alice's eyes narrowed, her gaze still on Quinn. "Why can't she see you?" She took another step closer to get a better look but Jacob growled at her. "Back off." he warned, his body trembling again.
"Jacob, stop. Come on." Quinn took his hand and led him into the kitchen.
"How the hell can she see you too?" he demanded in a low hiss once they were in the kitchen, out of sight.
She shook her head, completely at a loss. "I don't know. They've never been able to see me before…"
"Before?" he repeated incredulously. "You mean you've been around them before?"
She nodded quickly. "Yes, but that's not the point. The point is-"
"Why?" he snapped, his eyes wild with fury.
"It really doesn't matter."
"Why the fuck were you hanging around blood sucking leeches!" he growled out.
"Do. Not. Take. That. Tone. With. Me. Jacob. Black." she said in a tone of voice that was just as intimidating as his growl.
"Don't tell me that vampires have guardian angels too. Was one of them your charge or something?"
She shook her head. "No, nothing like that. Guardian angels are only for the living. When a human dies, even if they're changed into a vampire, their angel is assigned to a new charge."
Jacob was about to ask another question but was interrupted by the shrill ringing off the phone on the wall. He reached over and grabbed the receiver before it could ring for a second time and pressed the phone to his ear. "Swan residence."
She could clearly hear who answered, even though she would've had an idea anyways by the sudden change of expression on Jacob's face. "He's not here right now." he ground out. "He's busy arranging a funeral."
He hung up the phone without a second glance, shaking his head all the while. His gaze locked onto hers. "Now what aren't you telling me about you and the Cullens?"
"Jacob, it's really pointless. There's no reason to-"
"Just answer me, Quinn." he sharply interrupted before adding, "Please."
She sighed heavily. "Over the years, even before you born, I've kind of been checking in on the Cullens from time to time…watching over them, if you will."
"Watching over them?" he asked with a slight scoff.
She nodded, watching him pace back and forth in front of her. "Just because someone's dead, doesn't mean they don't need looking after."
"But why would you…why them? What's so special about them?"
"Well, because…" she hesitated under his piercing gaze, "because I'm related to one of them."
AN: Any guesses on which Cullen?
P.S-Who is uber duber excited for next weeks Glee? Or is just me? Gah, I've been waiting too freakin' long for this episode. It is about time. It sucks when your favorite show's been lacking in your favorite character for so long. Man, cause lately the show has just been so...bleh. I mean I like the new characters, they're fine, but I miss the originals like so bad. Thursday's episode is gonna be epic. I can just feel it.
Any who, please review!