Finding her even more improved after we returned from the porch, Carlisle had given the okay to disconnect Bella from everything other than the IV, which he still wanted to use to keep her hydrated. After that, it didn't take long for seven vampires to rearrange the furniture again and put the living room mostly back to its original state. Rosalie had procured a couple of thick blankets and wrapped Bella in them tightly, then propped her back onto the couch. Esme, meanwhile, had gone to find some of Emmett's clothes that she could leave out for Jacob. I hadn't had to tell her that with no home to return to, Jacob's last phase had shredded the last of his available clothing. With Bella's situation still what it was we knew he would return to the house eventually, so Esme left them in a bundle on the front steps.

His return was even sooner than expected.

Rosalie and I were seated near Bella, a movie none of us were really paying attention to glowing on the big screen. I heard his mental voice outside, finding the clothes, appraising them...trying to beat the vampire smell out of them before putting them on. In other circumstances, it would have been rather funny, especially his initial reaction, suspecting Rosalie of leaving him nothing but a sundress to wear.

Once dressed, he came into the house without knocking. He knew that we knew he was there.

I gave him a small smile when he walked into the living room, over to where Bella and I sat on the couch and Rosalie reclined on the floor near Bella's head. When Bella saw me look up, she glanced up, too, and beamed at seeing Jacob in front of her.

Jacob's reaction was immediate and involuntary: it made his heart soar for her to be so obviously glad to see him, but it also caused him pain. Married...stupidly head over heels in love with the stupid bloodsucker...pregnant... Why does she have to look at me like that? It would be easier if she just told me to get lost.

I frowned a little. Her response to seeing him did seem a little over the top in the circumstances, but it was very...Bella. He was someone she loved, whether she loved him in the way he wanted to be loved or not. She couldn't help her enthusiasm. What concerned me more was how bothered he was by it...and how happy he'd been at first to see it. I had hoped he was starting to get over all of that by now. For the sake of all three of us.

"They just wanted to talk," Jacob volunteered, his voice reflecting his exhaustion. "No attack on the horizon."

"Yes. I heard most of it," I replied.

He was surprised by that. They had been a fair distance from the house. "How?"

"I'm hearing you more clearly—it's a matter of familiarity and concentration. Also, your thoughts are slightly easier to pick up when you're in your human form. So I caught most of what passed out there." All of it, actually, but I didn't want to make him uncomfortable, thinking that no matter where he was, I was spying on him.

"Oh." I was correct—the thought that I had heard everything didn't sit well with him. "Good. I hate repeating myself."

"I'd tell you to go get some sleep," Bella said, "but my guess is that you're going to pass out on the floor in about six seconds, so there's probably no point."

He was pleased at the obvious improvement in her voice, that she seemed so much stronger already. He felt comfortable enough with it to allow himself to sleep for a while, and turned to go back to the door. "One Mississippi...two Mississippi..." he counted teasingly.

Rosalie couldn't resist a crack at his appearance. "Where's the flood, mutt?" She had never bothered to address him directly before as far as I could recall, so she must have been in a better mood, too.

"You know how you drown a blonde, Rosalie?" he asked without stopping. "Glue a mirror to the bottom of a pool."

I couldn't help laughing at that one. So apropos of Rosalie.

"I've already heard that one," Rosalie called after him sarcastically.

I gave Bella's blanketed feet, currently propped in my lap, a squeeze, then carefully lifted them out of the way so that I could get up.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"There was something I forgot to say to him," I explained.

"Let Jacob sleep—it can wait."

"It will only take a moment." I was already at the door, hoping to catch him before he headed into the trees and phased into wolf form.

He had heard me coming, and was standing in the yard waiting, looking annoyed. "Jeez, what now?"

"I'm sorry," I began, then hesitated, trying to think how I would phrase what I wanted to say.

What's on your mind, mind reader? he asked silently.

"When you were speaking to Sam's delegates earlier, I was giving a play-by-play for Carlisle and Esme and the rest. They were concerned—"

He interrupted impatiently. "Look, we're not dropping our guard. You don't have to believe Sam like we do. We're keeping our eyes open regardless."

I shook my head. "No, no, Jacob. Not about that. We trust your judgment." We did, but we were also confident enough in our own abilities to stay vigilant. "Rather, Esme was troubled by the hardships this is putting your pack through. She asked me to speak to you privately about it."

He was surprised. "Hardships?"

"The homeless part, particularly. She's very upset that you are all so...bereft."

He snorted at the idea that a vampire could have any maternal instincts.

He very much underestimated Esme Cullen in that regard.

"We're tough," he replied. "Tell her not to worry."

"She'd still like to do what she can. I got the impression that Leah prefers not to eat in her wolf form?" I had clearly heard them discussing that fact, but again wasn't prepared to let on exactly how much I knew.

"And?"

"Well, we do have normal human food here, Jacob. Keeping up appearances, and, of course, for Bella. Leah is welcome to anything she'd like. All of you are."

"I'll pass that along." He had no doubts that Leah would rather starve, but would relay the message anyway. He knew Seth would appreciate it.

"Leah hates us," I said simply.

"So?"

"So try to pass it along in such a way as to make her consider it, if you don't mind."

"I'll do what I can."

"And then there's the matter of clothes."

He glanced down at what he was wearing. "Oh yeah. Thanks." Even though they reek like bloodsucker.

I couldn't help a small smile. He wasn't as good as my family at concealing his thoughts from me, especially when they jumped into his head without premeditation. "Well, we're easily able to help out with any needs there. Alice rarely allows us to wear the same thing twice. We've got piles of brand-new clothes that are destined for Goodwill, and I'd imagine that Leah is fairly close to Esme's size..."

"Not sure how she'll feel about bloodsucker castoffs. She's not as practical as I am."

Maybe not, but I was still determined to convey the offer. "I trust that you can present the offer in the best possible light. As well as the offer for any other physical object you might need, or transportation, or anything else at all. And showers, too, since you prefer to sleep outdoors." I hesitated a moment, then added softly, "Please...don't consider yourselves without the benefits of a home." I hoped that came across to him as sincerely as I intended it.

Jacob was again surprised, and blinked at me as he tried to find words to respond. "That's, er, nice of you. Tell Esme we appreciate the, uh, thought. But the perimeter cuts through the river in a few places, so we stay pretty clean, thanks."

"If you would pass the offer on, regardless."

"Sure, sure."

"Thank you."

Jacob started to turn away, but suddenly stopped cold at an unmistakeable sound coming from the house: a low cry of pain. Bella! My dead heart leapt into my throat at the same time as I sprinted for the house. Fortunately, the terror that cry inspired propelled me forward rather than paralyzing me to the spot.

Inside, Bella was sitting up on the couch, doubled over, panting. Rosalie had an arm around her shoulders. Both Carlisle and Esme were beside them. "Bella..." I began to say as I rushed over, frantic.

Carlisle was speaking at the same time. "Bella, I need to have a look at you. We need to get you upstairs."

She held up a hand, motioning for us all to wait. "Give me a second, Carlisle," she panted.

"Bella," he pressed, shooting a quick glance my way. I already knew from his thoughts what he had heard, what they had all heard—what had made her cry out that way.

The sound of bone cracking.

"I heard something crack. I need to take a look," he continued.

She didn't dispute the assessment. "Pretty sure...it was a rib," she said between panting breaths. "Ow. Yep. Right here." She pointed to her left side.

It was breaking her bones from the inside now! Because starving her wasn't enough!

My sanity wasn't going to hold through much more of this.

I wanted to howl out loud, to let go the way the wolves did when something distressed them.

I wanted to scream and throw something through a window.

I wanted to tear the house down, and rip all the trees in the forest up by their roots.

I wanted to lose it completely, and vent all of my frustration and grief in any way, on any thing available.

But I knew I couldn't. This wasn't the time.

I needed to stay calm. Like Carlisle.

"I need to take an X-ray," Carlisle was telling her in an even, rational voice. "There might be splinters. We don't want it to puncture anything."

Bella nodded, sucking in a deep breath. "Okay."

Before I could move, Rosalie had carefully lifted Bella into her arms. I was about to argue—this was my wife—but Rosalie just growled. "I've already got her." Esme preceded us up the stairs, and Rosalie turned to follow. Carlisle and I were on her heels.

I was vaguely aware that Jacob Black had come back into the house and that we passed Alice on the staircase, but none of us paused for discussion with them.

Carlisle worked quickly, even by vampire standards. Within seconds he had the X-ray machine at the ready, and, with Rosalie's help, had just about finished preparing Bella for the examination. Although I desperately wanted to, I knew I would be in the way if I went to her side, so I waited impatiently near Carlisle's desk, forcing myself to stay still other than clenching and unclenching my fists in frustration and anxiety. I barely managed a grateful smile when Esme slid up next to me and wrapped her arms around me.

She was trying to comfort me, but I also got the sense that she wanted to make sure I stayed in place.

It didn't take long for the X-ray to confirm what we already knew: the creature was no longer just bruising Bella with its kicks. This time it had managed to kick hard enough to crack a rib, low on her left side.

I clenched my fists tightly and didn't bother to unclench them. As if of my jaw's own accord, my teeth clamped together as well, my lips a hard line.

The only good news, Carlisle announced, was that the rib hadn't splintered. So while it was no doubt painful, at least it was not at risk of puncturing her lung.

I found that a small comfort. Which rib would be next? Which other bone?

It was difficult to focus on Carlisle's words as he explained the situation to Bella. "There's not much that can be done to set a rib, unfortunately, Bella. I can tape it up a little to keep the area at least somewhat immobilized, but even that's a bit difficult with your abdomen so distended."

"Is that a nice way of saying I'm a whale, Carlisle?" Bella joked. Her eyes flashed in my direction. Her expression was nervous, but I knew it wasn't because of her own physical condition: she was concerned about my reaction.

Her concern was well-placed. My body felt like it was vibrating with tension.

"Edward..." she started, licking her lips as she tried to decide what to say. "It's not bad. Really, I'm f—"

"Bella, I've said this before. If you value my sanity, please do not say you are fine." My words were quiet, spoken from between my still-clenched teeth.

Rosalie rolled her eyes. "Oh, for heaven's sake, Edward. A cracked rib isn't going to kill her."

I lunged across the room, but this time it was Carlisle who grabbed me before I could reach my sister's throat. I could feel his easy strength; it wasn't something he used or displayed often, but it came with his great age.

I exploded. "Carlisle! This has to stop! It's breaking her bones now! How can we just sit by and let it happen? What if the next kick goes right through her? We have got to get that thing out! Now!"

"Edward!" Bella's shout startled us all. It was rare for her to raise her voice about anything. "Calm down, dammit! It was just a rib! It doesn't even hurt that much! And what did I tell you about calling this baby a thing?"

"Bella." I took a deep, needless breath. "You are no longer rational about this. It has become way too dangerous. I cannot—will not—just sit by and..."

Edward...Carlisle squeezed my shoulder as he directed his very clear thought at me, wanting to catch my gaze. I clamped my mouth shut on the words I was about to say and turned to look at him. His eyes were serious but imploring. Nothing has changed. Her mind is made up, just as it was before. You acting like this isn't going to make a difference, other than to add to her stress—which is the last thing she needs.

I forced another deep and useless breath. I certainly didn't want to make her worse. But they were asking me to do the impossible: to simply sit back and take it as this creature destroyed my reason for existing. It ran counter to every instinct in my body, every molecule in my being which directed—no, commanded—me to take action to protect the one I loved. I wasn't sure I could do it and remain sane.

As if he had heard my thoughts, Carlisle continued. You have to stay strong, son. I can completely understand how you feel. But you have no choice. You have to be strong enough to make it through this with her.

He was right.

It would take every ounce of strength I had, but he was right. Bella's decision and my family's decision to support her meant that I had no other choice.

"Edward..." Bella's voice was a whisper now, as she reached out to take my cold hand in her warm, soft one. "I promise. It's not that bad. I can take it."

I turned to look at her. Her eyes were wet and pleading and filled with concern...for me. With everything that was happening to her, she was overwhelmed with concern for me. Whether I could make it through this.

She had already decided that she could do it. The only question still remaining was me.

I crumpled against her, my body wracked with dry sobs. "Bella...What you're asking me to do...it's harder than anything else, anything yet..." Learning to tolerate her scent, learning to touch her without wanting to drain her blood, learning to make love to her without ripping her apart...all of that was nothing compared to what was required of me now: to sit back and watch her die because of something I did. To sit back and watch her fragile body be slowly torn to pieces because I had wanted her. Because I had been too weak to wait.

Her arms slipped around my shoulders. She cradled my head to her chest, softly stroking my hair as I gasped into her shirt. "It's hard, I know it's hard," she murmured. "But I will make it and it will be worth it. I promise you that. I swear it, Edward."

I felt Carlisle's cool palm on my back. "It won't be that much longer. The baby is almost developed enough to be delivered."

"Trust me, Edward," Bella added. "I'm not a china doll. I'm strong enough for this and so are you."

I pulled away far enough that I could see her face. Despite the broken rib and the stress of the moment, her colour was still decent. With the help of the blood she had drunk, she still looked better than she had for days. "Bella..." I breathed, shaking my head slightly. "If this...if you..." I couldn't make myself say the words.

"It's not going to happen that way, Edward," she said firmly, stroking my cheek with her fingertips.

I couldn't quite share her confidence or her optimism, but the fact remained that I had no choice to do anything else.

Carlisle took advantage of the fact that I had calmed down somewhat to procure the items he would need to tape Bella's rib. I held her hand while he did it, and didn't miss the grimace she was unable to conceal when he touched the tender spot. When he was finished, he suggested that she get some sleep. Rosalie had enough sense to back off so that I could be the one to carefully lift and carry Bella to our bedroom.

"Stay with me?" Bella murmured as I placed her in the large gold bed.

"Always." I climbed under the covers next to her, but made sure to tuck the thick comforter around her before pulling her against my cold body. I was annoyed at myself when I couldn't help thinking that it would be nice not having to worry about the chill once she was changed.

She fell asleep easily in my arms, and I was grateful for a few hours of alone time to gather my thoughts and settle my mind. There was absolutely no way I would find anything resembling peace in these circumstances, but I could at least try to find acceptance of my lot.

Every time we found a way to take a step forward in this situation, it seemed like something happened which pushed us two steps back. If it weren't that I was so utterly convinced that Bella and I were meant to be, I would have thought the fates were deliberately conspiring against us.

I had never felt so powerless. Everything was out of my control, and I was going to have to find a way to cope with it or go insane in the process.

At least I still had Jacob Black's promise to kill me.

Perversely, it was the greatest comfort I had.

* * *

Eventually Bella woke and wanted to return to her place on the sofa in the living room. She protested that she could walk on her own two feet, but let me carry her downstairs anyway. She chuckled to see that Jacob Black was sleeping soundly in the front doorway, and I was glad to hear her small laugh.

Rosalie had suddenly appeared next to the couch, and waited for me to set Bella down. Wordlessly, we worked together to get her situated comfortably.

"Um, hello?" a familiar voice called from the open door.

I managed a smile for Seth Clearwater, who stood on the porch peering inside over Jacob's sleeping form. "Seth. Please come in."

He stepped over Jacob, whose only unconscious reaction to the newcomer and the activity in the room was a sleepy snort, deep in his throat.

"Hi. I, uh, just came to find out what happened to Jake. He was gone for quite a while."

"Well, as you can see, the fatigue finally caught up with him," I replied.

"Why is on the floor in the doorway?"

"I imagine that that's the place he finally settled down, and he left the door open for, uh...air." I was quite aware that the wolves felt about our scent the way we felt about theirs. The open door kept the wet dog smell at bay for us, too, so I wasn't about to close it.

"Oh. Right." Seth grinned apologetically. "I don't find it all that bad, you know. The smell, I mean."

"Thank you. I think," I answered wryly.

Seth wandered over to where Bella sat on the couch. "How are you feeling, Bella? You look better."

"I feel better, too," she said, shooting me a meaningful glance.

He frowned slightly. "Hmm. When I was running earlier, I thought I heard..."

Of course he had. The wolves' hearing was almost as good as our own. If he'd been in the forest nearby, he would have heard everything with respect to her broken rib.

"It's nothing." Bella waved a hand dismissively.

Having heard Seth's arrival, Esme floated into the room from upstairs. She was pleased to see him, and hoped it was a positive response to our offer to provide them with the comforts of home. "Seth, are you hungry at all? I just did some grocery shopping."

Ravenous, actually, he thought, but answered, "Oh, I'm okay. We hunted a while ago..."

"Don't be silly. We have all kinds of food here. I can make you whatever you wish," she encouraged, smiling warmly at him.

"I can do it, Esme." I leaned over to kiss Bella's forehead. "You're probably hungry, too, love, aren't you? It's near breakfast time."

She smiled. "As usual."

"For food? Or do you want more..." Rosalie started to ask.

"Uh...food for sure...but maybe both," Bella admitted, casting a glance at Seth. Understandably, she was still a little shy about drinking human blood in front of others.

"Rosalie, could you please tend to...that, while I cook?" I asked. I wasn't nearly over my anger with her, but knew we needed to stay civil with each other for Bella's sake.

"Of course. Bella, do you need anything else?" Rosalie reached for the blanket Bella had been wrapped in earlier. "Are you cold?"

"A little. I..." she started to say, but Seth jovially flopped down on the couch next to her.

"I have just the thing for that," he announced, and threw an arm around her shoulders, pulling her against his side.

"Hmm," she sighed contentedly. "Right. I forgot how warm you guys are..."

The reminder of the wolves' raging body heat reminded me of a night in a tent in the woods not so long ago, and I was glad for the excuse to retreat to the kitchen.

We were settled around Bella on the couch a little while later when Jacob finally woke up. I sat to one side of her, holding her hand, while Seth sat on the other, one arm still wrapped around her shoulders as the other was occupied with his second heaping plate of food. Alice and Rosalie sat near our feet on the floor. With Seth present, Alice apparently found it easier to manage the headaches she was still getting whenever she was around Bella. Something about her inability to read the wolves either somehow helped keep her mind clear.

Bella was laughing about something Seth had said when Jacob blinked awake with a groan.

"About time. The chainsaw impersonation was getting a little tired," Rosalie muttered, without bothering to actually look at him.

Jacob pulled himself into a sitting position and slowly focused on us across the room, trying to make sense of what he was seeing. He was surprised to see Seth there, situated so comfortably in the middle of a group of vampires, and was even more surprised to see that Rosalie was leaning up against Bella's legs from her position on the floor, her head resting against Bella's knees. That one had surprised me, too, in truth. It was an oddly tender gesture from Rosalie, when her primary interest all along had never been Bella.

"Hey, Jake's coming around!" Seth announced around a mouthful of bacon.

What the hell? Jacob thought as he pulled himself to his feet.

"He came to find you," I explained. "And Esme convinced him to stay for breakfast."

"Yeah, Jake—I was just checking to see if you were okay 'cause you didn't ever phase back. Leah got worried," Seth added hurriedly, seeing something disapproving in Jacob's expression. "I told her you probably just crashed human, but you know how she is. Anyway, they had all this food and, dang,"—he turned to me gratefully—"man, you can cook."

"Thank you," I murmured, noticing that Jacob's gaze was fixated on Seth's arm around Bella's shoulders. I couldn't tell if he was more disturbed about seeing anyone else touching her, or about the fact that Seth seemed so completely comfortable in our presence. "Bella got cold," I told him simply.

Trying to pretend he suddenly needed both hands to eat with, Seth withdrew his arm.

"Leah running patrol?" Jacob asked Seth.

"Yeah. She's on it. No worries. She'll howl if there's anything. We traded off around midnight. I ran twelve hours."

"Midnight?" Jacob looked confused. "Wait a minute—what time is it now?"

"'Bout dawn," Seth replied.

Jacob was surprised and disturbed at how long he had slept. "Crap. Sorry about that, Seth. Really. You shoulda kicked me awake."

"Naw, man, you needed some serious sleep. You haven't taken a break since when? Night before your last patrol for Sam? Like forty hours? Fifty? You're not a machine, Jake. 'Sides, you didn't miss anything at all."

Nothing? he thought, and looked Bella over appraisingly. I didn't mind the opportunity to see her through his eyes for a moment. He wouldn't try and sugar-coat it.

He thought she looked better.

"How's the rib?" he asked.

"Taped up nice and tight," she answered nonchalantly. "I don't even feel it."

I clenched my teeth together but held my tongue. It was the frustrating equivalent of "I'm fine."

Jacob also found her assurance irritating, and couldn't help rolling his eyes. He distracted himself from it by making a joke. "What's for breakfast? O negative or AB positive?"

She stuck her tongue out at him and retorted, "Omelets," even though she had another cup of O negative propped on the couch between her thigh and mine.

"Go get some breakfast, Jake," Seth said. "There's a bunch in the kitchen. You've got to be empty."

We all heard Jacob's stomach growl as he surveyed Seth's plate, but he ignored it. "What's Leah having for breakfast?" he asked instead.

"Hey, I took food to her before I ate anything," Seth retorted. "She said she'd rather eat roadkill, but I bet she caves. These cinnamon rolls..." he gestured toward the last fourth of a roll left on his plate. They smelled sickly sweet to me, but he had certainly been enjoying them.

"I'll go hunt with her, then." Seth sighed as Jacob turned to leave.

"A moment, Jacob?" Carlisle had also drifted into the room.

Jacob had a grudging respect for Carlisle, and turned back with a controlled expression. "Yeah?"

"Speaking of hunting, that's going to be an issue for my family. I understand that our previous truce is inoperative at the moment, so I wanted your advice. Will Sam be hunting for us outside of the perimeter you've created? We don't want to take a chance with hurting any of your family—or losing any of ours. If you were in our shoes, how would you proceed?"

"It's a risk," Jacob admitted. He was a little annoyed by the question, but could not bring himself to be rude to Carlisle. "Sam's calmed down some, but I'm pretty sure that in his head, the treaty is void. As long as he thinks the tribe, or any other human, is in real danger, he's not going to ask questions first, if you know what I mean. But, with all that, his priority is going to be La Push. There really aren't enough of them to keep a decent watch on the people while putting out hunting parties big enough to do much damage. I'd bet he's keeping it close to home."

Carlisle nodded thoughtfully.

"So I guess I'd say, go out together, just in case," Jacob continued. "And probably you should go in the day, 'cause we'd be expecting night. Traditional vampire stuff. You're fast—go over the mountains and hunt far enough away that there's no chance he'd send anyone that far from home."

"And leave Bella behind, unprotected?" Carlisle asked.

As if I would leave her for a moment. I'd rather starve. And as irritating as it was, Rosalie felt the same way.

Jacob snorted at the idea. "What are we, chopped liver?"

Carlisle chuckled slightly, but his face became serious again immediately. "Jacob, you can't fight against your brothers."

Jacob's eyes tightened. "I'm not saying it wouldn't be hard, but if they were really coming to kill her—I would be able to stop them."

Carlisle shook his head. "No, I didn't mean that you would be...incapable. But that it would be very wrong. I can't have that on my conscience."

"It wouldn't be on yours, Doc. It would be on mine. And I can take it."

"No, Jacob. We will make sure that our actions don't make that a necessity." He frowned as he thought out a plan. "We'll go three at a time. That's probably the best we can do."

"I don't know, Doc. Dividing down the middle isn't the best strategy."

"We've got some extra abilities that will even it up. If Edward is one of the three, he'll be able to give us a few miles' radius of safety."

He and Jacob glanced at me at the same time. My expression made it quite clear that I wasn't going anywhere, and Carlisle backtracked quickly. "I'm sure there are other ways, too. Alice, I would imagine you could see which routes would be a mistake?"

"The ones that disappear," she nodded. "Easy."

Of course. Even Alice not being able to see would be enough of a warning of the wolves' presence. I relaxed slightly at the idea that my family would still be able to hunt, and I would not have to leave Bella's side.

"Okay, then," Jacob stated. "That's settled. I'll just be on my way. Seth, I'll expect you back on at dusk, so get a nap in there somewhere, all right?"

"Sure, Jake. I'll phase back as soon as I'm done. Unless..." Seth hesitated, looking at Bella. "Do you need me?"

"She's got blankets," Jacob snapped.

"I'm fine, Seth, thanks," Bella added quickly.

Esme suddenly appeared with a covered dish in her hands. She held it out to Jacob. "Jacob, I know it's...unappetizing to you, the idea of eating here, where it smells so unpleasant. But I would feel much better if you would take some food with you when you go. I know you can't go home, and that's because of us. Please—ease some of my remorse. Take something to eat."

As with Carlisle, Jacob couldn't help being slightly more kindly disposed toward Esme, especially when she was releasing the full force of her maternal concern on him. Her expression reminded him of his own deceased mother.

I knew the feeling.

"Uh, sure, sure," he mumbled. "I guess. Maybe Leah's still hungry or something." I knew he had no intention of either eating it or wasting his time trying to convince Leah to do so, but I was grateful that he did not want to hurt Esme's feelings. Don't you say anything to her! Let her think I ate it.

"Thank you, Jacob," Esme smiled.

He was startled by how appealing her smile was, with her soft dimples. "Um, thank you..." He felt uncomfortable suddenly, unable to help himself from feeling a slight abatement in his aversion to vampires and not liking it one bit. He started for the door again.

"Will you come back later, Jake?" Bella asked. I tried not to read too much longing into her voice. Her wanting to visit with Jacob was the least of my concerns right now. If it made her feel even slightly better, I had to be in favour of it.

"Uh, I don't know."

She bit back a smile. "Please? I might get cold."

He took in a deep breath. "Maybe."

"Jacob?" Esme took a few steps toward him as he backed toward the door. "I left a basket of clothes on the porch. They're for Leah. They're freshly washed—I tried to touch them as little as possible." I found it mildly irritating that we had to go to such lengths to suppress our scent, of all things, but was keenly aware of how much we owed the three wolves right now. I supposed it was the least we could do. "Do you mind taking them to her?"

"On it," he muttered, then vanished out the door.