A/N: Ok people there is no Edward today, I apologize but he will be back with us very soon – do not worry!! Also this isn't the best chapter there is quite a bit of info – it was meant to go over a few chapters but that would have meant Eddie boy being away longer – and we can't have that!

Closer – Part 7

BPOV

Wait. What?

"Alice what are you talking about?" Okay, seriously I would have been the first one calling for the men in the white coats but after the night I just had, I really didn't know what was fact and what was fiction anymore.

"His hands are boiling Bella, he's changing. Carlisle told me about it." She briefly explained, not helping too much.

"I think she's mad." Jacob threw in flippantly, obviously bored with her.

She squared up to him again. "I'm not mad and you're a wolf. You must know about the Legends."

"Yeh little girl, the word there is Legends." He threw himself back down onto my bed making it creak a little more than normal, Alice still continuing to glare at him looking as if she was about to pounce on him.

"Okay, here's the deal, the stories are true, everything you have heard is true-" she was cut off.

"Yeh and Bella's the Easter bunny." He crossed his arms, staring her out.

"Alice, what does this mean?" I asked as I grabbed onto her hand breaking their staring competition. Lowering my voice "Is he dangerous?" I know it was ridiculous, Jake wasn't dangerous but a vampire who I loved had just tried to drink my blood about eighteen hours prior, it had me questioning a few things that I thought were impossible.

"Bella." His voice shouted, hurt evident in his voice. He stood up bending forward into my face. "I would never hurt you, you know me. Don't listen to this drama queen. Get back to your computer games and put a spell on to Henry, or who ever the hell the little wizard is." Jake shrugged as he finished off talking to Alice.

Alice rolled her eyes as I asked Jake to listen, just to what she had to stay.

"Fine." He grumbled as he took a seat on my bed once again.

"Right, you know about the legends." Jake nodded. "Well there true, they become shape shifters to protect there land, you shift to a wolf. I'm not exactly sure why a wolf but that's your tribe." He raised his eyebrows questioning her, studying her; she raised her hand stopping him and continued. I knew all about the wolves, Jake had told me about his tribes legends not long after I had arrived. "You change when there is threat to your land, you're the protectors." Alice seemed to just let the words fly out of her mouth once Jake backed down from his looks. "The thing is you don't tend to shift if there is no threat, we're not a threat, were expected."

"We're?" Jake questioned her.

"My family, were the 'Cold one's'." She even threw in the little air quotes too while rolling her eyes. "The Treaty, you must have heard about it." Jake only nodded again waiting for her to continue. "We came back and you're beginning to change…" Alice tailed off lost in thought.

"Edward." She called out as if it all made perfect sense as I felt my heart miss two beats with the mention of his name.

"Edward, your brother, he's causing me to become a werewolf?" Jake asked confused.

"I think so, last time he was in Forks, he was a strong vegetarian, no real threat." Alice mumbled to herself again looking upwards.

"What, because he likes a good steak now, suddenly were changing?" Jake asked. Completely missing the point, knowing nothing about Edward or the fact he was a vampire.

Alice never really paid attention to his words as she thought "Wait I know it doesn't make sense, let me think a moment." Alice rubbed her temples with her eyes screwed shut willing her brain to come to a conclusion as my own mind went into over drive ignoring Jakes words also. Jake just looked confused but he sat there waiting, patiently.

"Wait, that's it. He doesn't eat stake. He drinks blood" I began suddenly working it out finally clicking onto Jakes words.

"Blood?" he asked disgusted.

"The legends, you're a werewolf and we're….?" Alice asked, hoping for him to get it on his own.

"Vampires?" he asked disbelieving. He paused for a moment "Right well I think its time I'm off back to the rezzy." He announced, fed up of the game he thought we were playing.

"No, its Edward, he wasn't a vegetarian last time, he wanted my blood-"I tried to start before Jake cut me short.

"Wait he wanted your blood?"

Poor Jake, we were lost with this one, never mind him. He was half going along with it just to keep me entertained. I knew he was, he had the look on his face that screamed 'just smile and nod, just smile and nod'. He needed to be able to take this in, that it was the truth. He really didn't believe any of this.

"Jacob, will you just please listen. They are vampires, your changing into a werewolf. He was here eighteen months ago and he came back for me."

"He?" he asked.

"Edward." Saying his name killed me. "He couldn't do it. He couldn't kill me. He stopped drinking human blood after that but they must think he's going to drink here. They must be able to tell." It suddenly all making sense in my mind.

"Why didn't you tell me all this Bella? I'm your best friends and someone tried to kill you and you don't tell me" he looked hurt and he was definitely angry. I just hoped he wouldn't stomp out in a huff. It wouldn't be the first time.

"You had all the problems down at the reservation with Sam separating the guys." I shrugged, but knew the honest reason I never told him, I couldn't ever tell him about it. How do I tell him I have been thinking, dreaming of my crazy stranger, because really that how it would look? He could never understand it, the emotions, the jolt of electricity and most of all the need for this boy.

Alice chimed in "Separating?"

"Yeh last year there was a few of the older guys going around in a group." He shrugged as he explained. "You know, it was like some cult or something. Sam just started ordering all the guys around like he owned them."

Jake was pretty quiet on this delicate subject. He felt like he had been left out, that he wasn't good enough for them anymore. But most of all he worried what Sam could have over the other guys for them to react the way they did. Sometimes they weren't seen for days. The group settled down after a few months and became a bit more social in the reservation again but they still often took off and acted strangely. Jake finally accepted that he wasn't wanted and kept himself away from them. He was upset to be excluded but always said that he wouldn't ever be one to be ordered around by Sam either.

"A couple of his friends still keep away from him." I explained the touchy subject.

"Don't tell her that, that's my business Bella." He told me off.

"Sorry." I tried to apologise but not too convincingly and really with what had been said already tonight there wasn't many secrets left.

Continuing to speak to Alice "There were some bear attacks and they thought that they were like some kind of police, telling all the residents what to do."

"Bear attacks?" she thought this one through again.

"It wasn't bear attacks, that's what Charlie called it but I seen that thing, it was like a giant…." His words trailed off and the realization came to his face.

"Wolf?" Alice finished for him with a knowing look.

*****

Ok so it made sense. He fed the last time he was here and caused some of them to change, he's came back and it's starting again. The wolves are expecting him to kill again.

Perfect sense.

Right?

Right?

He came here and turned my world upside down – twice – and now he's doing it to my best friend. If I was able to hate him for this I would. To do this to me, fine. But to Jacob and his friends, it was unacceptable. Why did he ever have to come to Fork's in the first place?

Why couldn't he just have stayed away, left my heart alone?

And Jake.

In the background I could hear Alice explain that it wasn't the wolves attacking the humans but Edward. The wolves would have been out trying to protect the land and its people when he seen the wolf.

"Bella?" Alice's sweet tone called me from my daze, my head snapped to meet hers. "You need to go with him and explain, tell them what's happening. They can't have realized its happening again. Tell them were not here for bother and that Edward has left." Snap – there goes my heart again. I really wish she would stop saying his name so easily. I can hardly even think of it.

"You need to come with us, help us explain." Jake demeaned from Alice, his attention fully given now.

"I can't, the treaty." Alice simply said. "I'll go back to Carlisle and explain, let the others know."

"No. You need to come with us. I will let you on the land-" Jake tried.

"Listen, they can kill me if I do that. I have to stay off of the reservation. It's the only way to keep the peace." She argued back.

"They might not believe us. We need you there. Nothing will happen to you. I promise. You need to explain to them about your brother. They can't blame you then, you will be safe." Jake never begged but the look in his eyes was ones pleading with her. I knew he would keep his end of the deal. The thing would be could the wolves do the same.

"Okay." She whispered out in defeat "I will call Jasper and let him know what is going on."

We ran down the stairs to begin my lies to Charlie. I had to make something up. I had been in my bed all day supposedly ill and now I was up and ready to run out the door with two friends. This one was going to be hard but made easier that Charlie was so trusting of me and Jake. Alice slipped out the front door to call Jasper as I made up my excuses.

I stood at the bottom of the stairs looking over to him, I gave a small smile as he looked up to acknowledge me and Jake before his eyes went back to the telly. I had to try. I put on my own 'dazzling' voice to try and sweet talk him. I felt bad but I knew it was a necessary lie. I would be forgiven.

"Dad, I'm feeling a lot better now after my sleep I was wondering if I could go out with Jake for a little to get some air." I tried to straighten my self up a bit, I was deflated after the past day but right now I didn't have time to wallow in self pity – I could do that tomorrow. Right now I had to check Jake was ok.

"Not tonight Bells. Sorry" he shrugged only briefly breaking his view from the television to me, his hand scratching the back of his head through his dark curly hair.

"Charlie, its fine she will be with me." Jake promised. Helping me, backing me up.

Charlie turned facing us, the look on his face changed. Something wasn't right. "I know she will be fine with you, but I'm worried about the both of you." Just then Alice walked back through the front door as Charlie continued. "There was a bear attack up just by the river break before you get to LaPush."

Edward

My heart stopped and the air left my lungs.

How could he do this?

How could he do this to me?

Leave me and then go and kill someone, some innocent. I heard almost a growl come from Jake in my ear.

Alice's face couldn't hide the shock either. Her head snapped up waiting for more information. "What happened?" she asked quietly, her voice taking on it's soothing charms that I heard last night.

"Not much to tell really, a young woman, back packing, passing through." Charlie shrugged clearly the image haunting his mind one more time. He never looked up, his eyes just kept straight at the television; he wasn't good with these kinds of things.

A woman

An innocent woman

Not me

This was all my fault

"Were just going to the reservation, we will be safe, we will keep away from the forest and along the river." She told him angelically with a small reassuring smile. She was doing it now. The sweet promise they gave, willing us to trust them, all in one look.

"Yeh Charlie, we will be in the house." Jake added with a smile. He could be pretty charming when needed but he never had to win Charlie over for anything. He was good but he wasn't Alice.

"Yes. We will all be safe. No harm to any of us." She told Charlie but finished of her last sentence looking at Jake.

"Completely safe." Jake rolled his eyes and grunted.

"Okay, but anything at all on the way and you get away. It might be the same bear from last time looking for its old hunting ground." Charlie warned.

Oh it was the same 'bear' but it should have found another hunting ground by now surely.

*****

"I'm calling Carlisle; he must know what's going on. Jasper was hunting and he said he would get us by the border." She looked at Jake sitting in the passenger's seat of her car while I sat on the back.

"I can't believe he killed someone." Jake let out gripping onto the seat. Once we made into the safety of the car we were careful to explain all to Jake. It was a lot to take in but he surprised me. He was a year younger, he should have been a little less mature for his years but he seemed to have a very level head, well excluding the motorbikes and his love for cliff diving.

"Watch the leather." Alice told him off. "It can't have been him, he left hours ago. I seen him drive away."

She picked out her phone and began calling. "Carlisle, what's happening, was it a real bear attack or something else…huh uh….ok….I'm going to reservation…I've been promised I'll be fine." On that line she glared at Jacob, obviously still unsure of his promise.

Her worry scared me on what to expect when we got to the reservation. Last night was bad. That look he had. I can't imagine ever getting that one from Jake as well. "Jasper is meeting me at the border…we can't wait…Bella's friend, we'll he's changing…" With a few more yes and no's she hung up.

"What does he know?" me and Jake demanded in unison in the car.

"It wasn't a bear; he said it was a vampire but not sure if it was Edward. The rain this afternoon had washed the scent away. Carlisle is trying to get him on his phone but it's off and he's not in Alaska either."

"He will still be driving." I put in, in the hope that he really still is.

"We can't be sure if it was him or not. Bella, we need to keep you close. Don't go anywhere without me." Alice started.

"Or me." Jake added.

"Jacob you can't look after her yet. You haven't changed and if Edward is still here you won't be able to fight him off, not for another couple of days."

Jacob let out a loud laugh. "I'm strong, I'm sure I will have no bother beating this kid's ass." He snorted.

"No Jacob, you wont, He will kill you easy." Alice warned, her tone becoming deadly serious. "Once you have changed you will be dangerous for a while until you can control it. I will look after her. You can guard. But only when you have changed." She raised her eyebrows expecting him to agree.

"Once I'm changed I'll be fine, I-" Jake began his argument.

"No Jacob! You won't be. This is Bella's life. We don't risk it for anything." Alice finished the argument.

I felt like a small child in a custody battle they both wanted to look after me, keeping the boy I wanted so much away from me. "Alice, will he come after me?" Panic swept through me that he was still here and back drinking human blood. I could never be close to him now. If he did it would just be to have me. Maybe that's all I could hope for at the moment.

"I don't know Bella. I seen this in a vision, him drinking human blood, he knew he would have to keep away form you then. I didn't ever think he would do it. He said he was going north so he could stay vegetarian but I might have pushed him a little on that one before he left. I don't know what's happening. I can't focus on him for some reason, not since he left. Everything keeps changing for him, it won't stay still. I think he's doing it on purpose."

"Bella, just what kind of guys do you go for?" Jake mumbled, clearly a rhetorical question.

We pulled up to the border where Alice drove, stopping at Jasper standing, waiting for us. He slid into the back seat beside me before he began speaking. "Alice, I don't think you should do this."

"Japer, we need to help. There was a vampire attack late this afternoon. We can't tell if it was Edward though. The rain washed away the scent."

"Alice we can help, just not this way. Please." He pulled closer to her from between the two front seats, begging her. You could see the worry in his eyes at the thought of anything happening to Alice.

The look never made me feel more alone. Only last night had Edward looked at me so adoringly.

"I will be fine. Jake promised." She smiled softly, her look asking for him to accept it.

He turned swiftly to Jake. "If anything happens to her, the treaty no longer stands. You will pay." His voice was eerily calm; there was no argument from Jake, just a small nod. "I'm coming too." He quickly added.

"No Jasper. If Edward is still out there you need to find him. If you do, take him to Carlisle, he will know what is right." She told him strongly. This time Jasper gave the small nod.

"No one will hurt him will they?" I asked. I knew it was ridiculous. He had just killed a person, a woman and here was me worried that they would harm him. I knew he had killed before, he explained everything and I accepted it because I still wanted him. What would I do if he came back, would I be able to accept it again? He killed someone for the sole purpose of keeping me away, keeping me alive. I struggled to believe it. I knew he couldn't be responsible for this girl's death, there had to be some other reason.

"The thing with the treaty is that we can't kill on this land. The wolves will come after him if it was him. They will destroy him." Alice turned her cold stony face from me back to the windscreen. "He knew what would happen if he fed here." She looked up at me her face seeming sad in the small mirror. "He wants to be destroyed." It was as if she was beginning to believe it was him that had killed.

I ached from the thought of him doing this to himself, because of me. I needed him back, needed to talk to him for him to take us far away so they wouldn't find us ever again. I felt so much desperate need for this boy after everything. Somewhere deep inside, the pit of my stomach, I knew this was all wrong. I couldn't let him die because of me.

*****

Driving up to Jacob's house I notice Sam, Paul, Jared, Leah and Seth standing waiting for us in front of the house. I don't know what there doing here. Most likely today's current 'bear' feast has called for them to take up Charlie's role on the reservation once again. As we get out he car Sam is the first one to call on us.

"Jake, your new friend isn't welcome." His voice is sharp low and serious. This is a command.

"Yes she is. I need to talk to my dad with her." Jakes tone matched Sam's as Jake strode over in front of Sam hovering over him. "I have some questions and some news." His voice was quieter as he stood, Sam blocking his way into the house.

"No. She's to turn around right now, Bella can go for the now also." What did I do?

"No she stays here with me." He nods his head signalling us to come over as he pushes past between Sam and Paul.

Paul grabs hold of Jacobs arm pushing him back to his spot. "We said no."

"This is my house, my friends-"Jake began.

"Leaches, they are not our friends." Jared added.

"Why not?" Jake challenged as Leah and Seth began moving towards Alice. "Wait, leave them. You need to hear her out." Raising an eyebrow "The leach stays."

Before I knew it Billy was outside with us and a few of the other elders. The fact that Alice was on the land was bad enough, never mind stepping foot inside Billy's house.

"What do you call here for?" Billy nods to Alice. Alice pauses for a moment, thinking.

"I asked her here." Jake speaks up first. "I have learned a few things tonight. So let me guess? Wolves, right?" he pointed his finger along the line of Sam, Paul, Jared, Leah and Seth with that arrogant smile plastered onto his face. "I'm changing." He declared as he crossed his arms taking the smile off his face, his copper skin smoothing out and looking serious.

"We know, we were going to tell you tonight. Once you got back from Bella's. We knew that you were worried about her after Charlie called and that there was no point on arguing so we were waiting." Billy told his son. "I still don't see why she's here?" he nodded in the direction of Alice once again.

"You know what they are?" Jacob asked.

"We could smell her coming along the road." Paul spat out. His face looking disgusted at the sight of Alice. I wanted to go up and knock the look off his face for him.

"Sam, keep your brother in line, Jake, yes we know who she is." Billy seemed to soften at talking to his son ever so slightly. I could tell that what Billy said here went, but it was Sam's job to keep the wolves in order. Turning to face Alice "So you came back, they always said you would but I never thought I would ever meet you. The treaty stands and you're on our land."

"I know but Jacob promised I was safe so we could speak. I didn't come here to cause bother." She said sincerely.

"What do you want to speak about then?" Bill asked.

"I was worried for Bella first of all with Jacobs changing, we didn't know if you knew."

Sam spoke up. "Of course we knew."

"Easy Sam, Please continue." Billy chides him.

"The change, it's because of my brother. It was him that fed here causing the last change, he came back and Jacob began changing. He's gone now so the changing should stop with Jacob." I still struggled with the thought of what we were doing here. We came to tell them Jake was changing, which they already knew, but now we were explaining Edward's behaviour surly sentencing him to death in order to try and protect the rest of the Cullen's. "Edward killed that woman today; he's pressing for you to act, to destroy him. The rest of the family have nothing to do with his feeding earlier and want to make sure the Treaty will still stand." You could see Alice worry; I have never seen her look nervous. She was but her features were still soft and hypnotic with it.

Billy Black was silent for a moment as he thought. "You know, one of you breaks the treaty, you all break the treaty." Alice nodded understanding his words. The rest wouldn't be killed but ran out of Forks with the death of Edward behind them, the wolves no doubt celebrating. It was clear to see, that here, between the tribe and the coven, an eye for an eye really did stand.

He looked at her, something on his mind, his brain was thinking, the look he wore was the same as Jake's when his mind was going, he looked just the same as him earlier.

"But, the thing here, It wasn't your brother that killed the girl. –"

"But Carlisle said it was a vampire attack."

"Your brother left, the pack was watching. That's how we missed her. You're not the only vampires here right now."

My heart burst at the thought of him leaving but it felt good knowing he never fed, that he hadn't killed the girl earlier. Alice looked shocked at his words, and then there was no expression. "Who?" she asked surprised.

"About a year and a half ago there were attacks, and then the boys began to change. There were four of them, bloodsuckers. Three stuck around together, the other one, your brother, he moved around between here and out to the city. He came here but never fed. He didn't stay long, we had picked him up to be in Forks one night then he was gone, gone until five days ago. We guessed when you all arrived he wouldn't be feeding. But the other three, they arrived last week and have been sticking to feeding outside the area until today."

This was too much. There were more of them. They fed here. Forks wasn't safe anymore for anyone never mind me.

"What will happen to them?" Jake asked looking perplexed. He knew what would happen to the Cullen's if they put a foot wrong but the others were not bound by the treaty.

"The boys will hunt them down when they come back on to our land or Forks. They will be destroyed." Billy told us all.

"But there are three, it will be hard, there are only five of you." Alice tried to warn. There was danger there; I didn't know how strong the pack would be against the three of them, after seeing Edward last night I worried.

"Jake will be the sixth and we will just keep trying, perhaps separate them and take them out one at a time." Sam informed. His bare muscular form illuminated by the moonlight. "We will manage." He bit firmly at Alice.

Fear rattled through my body. Jake couldn't fight against them, I seen Edward, I seen his strength, I seen his speed, I heard how he was almost invincible. Jake couldn't fight against them. I couldn't let it happen. Jake was the one infallible force in my life. He wouldn't hold me back when I had a crap day and all I wanted was to do something crazy – hell he was the one there holding my hand or pushing me off, what ever was required. I couldn't let him risk his life. I wouldn't allow it.

He was all I had left.

A/N: Ok so I had serious lack of reviews last chapter so I would love it if you would let me know what you are thinking of the story – anything at all!

ALSO!!! I have made a Trailer for the story – I'm not a vidder but I gave it a bash – the link is on my profile page so please check it out and let me know what you think! It also shows where the story is going a bit!!

There is also another Twilight vid linked to that account so please check it out too! I impressed myself with that one cause my comp has been giving me hell!!

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