CHAPTER 23: Figuring it out.

"Bella?" Hurt was written all over his face.

"I want to say sorry. Really I do. But I don't regret my decision," I say matter of factly, watching both of their expressions closely. Jacobs in utter surprise, still not believing his good fortune in me choosing him over Edward. Then there was Edward... Horrible sadness. "I love him, Edward. This is hard to explain, but I've lived a few different realities. One where I picked you, one where I picked him, one where I was a child again, for some stupid reason, and one right here. I've lived this moment when I picked you. I'm sorry, Edward. It just didn't work. I love him." I look over at Jacob to see his eyes glazed over. I know exactly that stare.

JACOBS POV

As she utter the words of her love for me I saw her in a totally new view. I've felt this before in pack mind, but never myself. This was a once in a lifetime thing. A once in a lifetime woman. She picked me. She is mine. My wolf was giddy as a little boy on Christmas, happy to finally hear Bella, our mate, confessing the feelings we knew she had for us. After forever of convincing, she's said it, and my wolf is finally giving in to the feelings of the man. Overwhelmed in her, I didn't notice the leech in attack mode until he was on me, clawing at me, screaming at me.

My wolf went into total and utter protectiveness, knowing our imprint was this close to a vampire on rampage.

"Edward, stop! Get off of him! You have to let me go!" Her angelic voice was in the background, yelling for the leech to get off of me. While my wolf was fighting (quite easy now to beat him after the imprint) he couldn't help but fell smug. He remembered a time when she used to yell at me to back off of him.

I pinned him to the ground, growling in his face, while he snarled in mine.

"STOP!" We both stopped momentarily, looking over at the source of the sound, amazed at how such a tiny figure could scream that loudly. I pushed him out from under me in disgust, and crawled over to Bella, wrapping my arms around her waist, incredibly happy that I could do this without objection. "You once told me that if I decided to leave you, you wouldn't object. I can't do this, Edward. I love Jacob." Her arms wrapped around my neck as she leaned into me. How did she just randomly change this decision out of the blue? Has she been thinking about it for long? Why now?

"I've been thinking the same thing, " Edward muttered, so soft the I don't think Bella even picked up.

Her head snapped into his direction. "What did I miss?" She looked back and forth between us.

"Why did you just randomly change your decision?" I asked.

She sighed. "Well, as I said before, and this is going to sound crazy, but I've lived a few past lives. My first one, was normal. I fell in love with Edward, had a baby, turned into a vampire-"

"Had a baby?!" The leech and I said in unison.

"It's hard to explain but yes. I gave birth when I was still human." She gave us both a weak smile. "Anyways, you imprinted on her," I cringed. "and everyone was happy. A few years later, I started regretting my decision to change. Edward still loved me, and Nessie and Jacob still loved each other-"

"Nessie?" I asked without thinking.

"No more interruptions. Her full name was Renesmee, but we all called her Nessie. But I was unhappy, and I envied Nessie for having you when I didn't. One day when I was vampire crying (not really crying just making crying noises) it suddenly got dark, and I fell, my last thought being unhappy. I woke up at school on my first day. Human again. I lived my life with Jacob, and one night Charlie found him in my room, and so we had to run away. That night, I went even more back in time to when I was a child I think my last thought was being unhappy because I never knew if anyone was having doubts. I came here as a child and was upset when I knew I couldn't be with you until we were both older. Again, I was... Unhappy..." Bella went deep into thought. Her eyes were out of focused. Kind of like the tiny bloodsucker, when she sees a vision.

BELLA'S POV

Will happiness decide what point I shall live my life in? Will it change if I am unhappy? My last thoughts being in these alternate universes were about being unhappy. Is that the key to the missing puzzle? Unhappiness?

"Bella, what is it?" I'm suddenly aware of Jacob's arms around me.

"Unhappiness. Whenever I get unhappy, I turn into some other part in time!" They both looked at me like I was crazy. The only difference in their faces was that you couldn't wipe Jacobs grin off if you slapped him, and Edward was a depth of eternal sadness. "Yes! My last thoughts are always about being unhappy! I don't know how, it just is!" While I was ranting about probably the most important thing ever, Jacob and Edward were having a mind chat."Guys!"

"She's gone completely bonkers. She doesn't know what she's talking about. She doesn't want you. I'll be waiting for you to get your wet fur dumped on the side of the road, and she'll come running back to me." With that, Edward gets up and walks out of the tent.

I turn to Jake."You believe me right? Jake, it's true. You have to trust me on all of this. I'm serious!" We look at each other for a while before he gives up. I know he doesn't believe me, but he doesn't want to push it. I could understand. I guess this would all sound like off gone completely off the deep end.

"How do I know you won't leave?" His voice is so lost, so full of pain.

"You just have to trust." I lean down and rest my head on his chest. "Stay with me? I need you. I love you. I know you imprinted on me. You have to trust that I won't leave you like this. We're bound now." His head whips up in shock at my words.

"How did you know that?"

"I've seen that look on your face number of times now, hon'. What I say is true. I have no idea what the hell is wrong with me, but when I'm unhappy, my life changes. I don't know how, and I don't know why."

"Bella?"

"Yes?"

"Bella?"

"What, Jake?"

"Bella?"

"EARTH TO JAKE! I HEAR YOU! WHAT IS IT?!"

"Bella?" His voice starts to slowly fade away, being replaced with a new one.

"Bella?" The voice says again. Familiar... It was different though, like hearing it through heightened senses.

"Edward?" The world I'm in disappears and it feels like I'm flying.

Not again.

Sorry to burst your bubble, but my next update will be a chapter, along with the epilogue. Coming to an end everyone! Once I hit 10 reviews for this chapter, I'll post it. THE END IS NEAR! So review if you want to know what happens...