Here's another relatively quick update. This chapter is pretty different from the rest, I think there might be a little disconnect but its the best I can work with. This is where I started to re-write time and time again. I just couldn't get it right. It had been a while since I read this chapter though (Currently writing its much farther ahead) but I'm relieved to read Jared. I really do like his character and have a lot of fun writing him.

I'd like to know what everyone elses thoughts are on him. I have tons more written between Nate and Jared but I'll probably end up posting most of it under a new story or one shot. But if people enjoy his character I might pay more attention to him in where I'm at right now in the fic. So let me know :)

Enjoy!

Nathan

I swam around in a pool of darkness. I always expected the afterlife to be a bright place, littered with trees and flowers, with the sun shining night and day. Were there days and nights in the afterlife? Maybe…

A stinging pain assaulted my head once my thoughts began to work. Why was I hurting…?

It took an unmeasured amount of time before I became aware of the rest of my body, there was no pain except for my head. The dull throbbing bothered me but I made no movement to change it. I was there in this dark limbo hoping for something to present itself.

My eyes were closed.

'Idiot' I chastised myself before opening my eyes. At first when my eyes opened all that was visible was a blinding blur of light. I could barely manage to make out subtle shapes around me – the only thing clear was that I was surrounded by a very bright, white something. My eyes shut of their own accord after a couple of seconds. I groaned and took my hands to try to siphon out some of the light as if I was looking through a telescope.

Could I be dead? This was definitely what I had imagined.

A figure stood at the base of a rectangular padded shape that was reminiscent of a bed. It took quite a while before I could make out a smiling face.

Nope. This was definitely not the afterlife, if I believed in hell that would have been my first guess. Jared stood in front of me with a smug grin and his armed positioned across his large chest impatiently. I still wasn't quite myself yet – he seemed ethereal standing in front of me. I examined him as if he was an object. His black hair was so short that it gave the illusion of a buzz cut. At first I would have thought it added to the roundness of his head; but picturing him with any other style seemed impossible. It suited him.

Jared was wearing very little compared to last time I saw him. He was standing there…probably around 5'8…wearing a black tank top with a pair of casual red gym shorts. The tanktop left little to the imagination, it proved my guesses at his physique earlier. His biceps were clearly defined and bulging in all of the places that would drive high school girls wild. Either he had just started lifting weights or he was careful not to take it to a point where his veins were builging.. Maybe that was just because he was fey. Other than his large arms, I could tell that the rest of him was just solid.

Jared took a seat at the foot of the bed and sat Indian style parallel to me.

"Are you done checking me out so we can talk?" Jared grinned, he looked pleased at my reaction. He completely misunderstood my gesture of staring at him. It was calculating – there had been no emotion or lust involved, but It took too much effort to correct him. I wasn't even sure I could speak..

"What?" I asked groggily and lifted myself up. It took more effort than it should have, I had no idea how long I was out but it wasn't nearly long enough. The room began to spin at my small movement.

"Don't you dare move until we have a talk.. We need to clear some shit up." He said – his voice and expression completely serious.

"Huh? Where am I? Why am I alive?" I hissed as if it was an infliction.

Jared glared at me. "Your little trick with the driver made my life a living hell the last 24 hours. Do you have any idea how hard it is to try to get someone who looks like a corpse on a plane? Do you have any idea?" Jared clenched his fists while he spoke.

I traced my memory back far enough and remembered what I'd done. At the time it seemed to be the simplest solution to…to what?

An image of Edward echoed through me, forcing me to face the hearth-wrenching pain that I had sought so desperately to escape from. I had to escape. I had to die. Without thinking, I forced myself up and prepared to run away. Run toward one of two things. Death or Edward – whichever came first.

The second my feet left the bed and touched the carpeted floor I was confronted with an onslaught of memories, each one more painful than the next. I remembered the first time we kissed…or the first time that Edward and I really met. The hike in the woods with him, I could still taste the subtle traces of the forest on the tip of my tongue. It made no sense but it was as if everything was in both fast forward and slow motion at the same time. The images ran through my head so quickly it was hard to understand what was going on – but I was able to capture every single painful detail of the visions.

I could hear the shrill sound of my scream but it sounded distant as if I was listening to someone else. The sensation of Edward touching me, even in vision, sent thrills down my spine of both ecstasy and misery.

I couldn't breathe the pain was so intense. Not only was my heart on fire but my lungs fought for air – I came back to reality and each breath burnt through me, inducing a fierce cough.. Each breath I took was filled with the aroma of some flower I couldn't recognize; but the scent somehow made me comfortable even though it was entirely foreign.

The smell instantly relaxed me and made me feel more aware of my sorroundings…I'd been flailing about wildly from the pain until I slowly began to cool. There was a large black mass around me and I was back on the bed. I couldn't see much more than that, the tears that had formed during my vision blinded me.

Something was covering me, at first I thought I was being restrained so I didn't wreak havoc across the entire room in my madness. Was this black mass…Jared? It couldn't be. Warmth spread across my back and I could feel a hand rubbing back and forth across my back affectionately. It took some time, but sooner than usual I was able to breath and the pain had subsided so it was clear to think again.

"Shh…Its okay." Jared whispered soothingly.

The part of me that was capable of rational thought felt uncomfortable, but my body fought to stay in such close proximity to this entity that oozed a relaxing aura. Everything about it made me feel better; There was no more pain, just a bizarre contentment with everything. Jared sat next to me holding onto me in a tight hug, his warm hand tracing back and forth across my bare skin. Edward felt like a distant memory while I sat there sniffling.

"What are you doing?" I asked weakly. This was so out of character for Jared. I had no idea who he was…fey never needed an excuse to touch one another, but we were not even on amicable terms.

"Let me explain. Don't go running off this time." Jared said with his usual stern tone when he was serious. He gently let go of me and let me naturally fall against the pillows of the bed while he sat cross-legged across from me.

"You weren't supposed to get off the bed. It was just going to be a precaution in case you went nutty again." He eyed me guiltily.

"Huh?"

Jared paused for a while before starting to speak, but as he spoke he moved his hands around nervously.

"Basically, your mom sent me here for a lot of reasons. My kind….we're meant to ease the suffering of others. In the past my parents both used to attach themselves to humans that faced a certain struggle, their presence alone helped them through whatever they were going through. It didn't really happen with fey since we rarely see a loss so because we're immortal.. But Eliziah sent me with you in hopes that I would help make this easier…"

"You're lesser fey then?"

"I'm not sidhe." He answered – somewhat bitterly.

"I appreciate you helping, but it isn't necessary. You can go home – I'll be dead soon enough."

Jared grinned when I said this. "That brings us to the other thing I was going to talk to you about."

"What?" I eyed him suspiciously.

"Don't fuck with me." He glared.

"What?" I repeated

"You heard me. Don't fuck with me. I'm staying and that's the end of it. Its not in my nature to hurt you or make this any more difficult.…I already can feel what you feel. But that doesn't mean I'm going to let you think you're in charge here, because you aren't."

"Why waste your time?

I got up to leave the room. I needed to get the hell out of here…talk to someone…just not him.

"I wouldn't do that. The same shits going to happen once you step off this bed." He smiled smugly.

"Then make use of yourself and fix it." I hissed

"Not until you give me your oath that you won't try to kill yourself, me, or make this more difficult than it needs to be." Jared eyed me carefully as he said it, as if he was expecting a violent response. He wasn't far off…irritation flew through me. I wouldn't be able to lie…so he had me there. But was he as clever as Sidhe? Maybe I could dance around it.

I sighed and started to speak – I didn't even need to think about re-wording my sentences by now. "I swear by the Seelie throne that I will not attempt to kill myself, you, or intentionally make this difficult for you during my stay here."

I looked at him expectantly…and then he grinned. Shit.

"Attempt? How about… 'I wont kill or harm myself or you.'"

"Asshole." I growled.

"Are you going to say it or not?"

If looks could kill mine would have undoubtedly melted Jared's face off. Alas, faerie or not, I wasn't quite capable. I repeated his words verbatim and watched his pearly smile come to the surface once his victory was sealed. Don't get used to it I thought to myself. It was only a matter of time before I found a way around it. I never promised that I would stay here, wherever here was, and had no intention of doing so. I needed to find Edward…

Just thinking his name brought a new wave of emotions through me – each pain came one after another as if I'd never experienced it before. However by now…this feeling was oddly familiar yet each time it stabbed through my heart it was like striking a new nerve.

"What's wrong?" Jared asked me with a refreshed concern – his manner was far too friendly for what we were. This arrangement we had was purely business…I was in no place to be making new friends.

"Where are we?" I asked, ignoring his question.

"Go take a look." He ushered me out of the bedroom and began to walk away without waiting for me.

I stepped off the bed hesitantly. The moment my bare foot grazed the soft off-white carpet I was prepared for an attack of the past. Luckily there was no such thing…relieved, I followed Jared's shadow.

The hallway was exactly what you would have expected from a quintessential tropical villa. Sunlight was billowing out from every corner of the hallway while I walked through – the place seemed moderately decorated just like most of the buildings that my family owned. There were subtle contemporary touches, the décor was minimal but tasteful. Even in my numbed state the warmth of the sun and fresh wind across my bare skin was pleasant.

Only then did I realize what I was wearing. It definitely wasn't the same thing that I'd gone to the airport in. All that I had on was a pair of gym shorts similar to Jared's. Had he been the one that changed my clothes? I thought acidly

I must have been staring at my outfit; or lack thereof, because Jared commented from the other side of the room "You were wearing a shirt. You ripped it off in the middle of a fit while you were sleeping.

"Oh.."

Once I took a few more steps I was completely enamored by the vision in front of me. Perhaps it was all of the time in a dreary place like Forks – but wherever we were was without a doubt the opposite. The ocean was a vivid blue that reminded me of the Mediterranean. The white beaches seemed to play with my fantasies during with my time there, and yet now…what I wouldn't give to go back just a short few weeks. Back to that dreary wasteland.

"We're on the coast of Siam, near the Malaysian border."

Jared's antiquated name for Thailand reached a sore nerve, Edward tended to use outdated terminology when we were together.

"Its called Thailand now" whispering my correction.

Jared took a handful of some sort of food and trotted over to my side happily. We both sat in silence. I had no idea what he was thinking at that exact moment…but I didn't really care. Just being around him made me relax and collects my thoughts with very few emotional distractions.

How long would I be here? It shouldn't take too long to evade Jared, even though he seemed very crafty and experienced, he'd shown a clear weakness to the touch of my flesh. I only had to wait long enough for him to trust me. It wouldn't be long at all…and this emotional numbness of Jared's aura would make it even easier to complete my task.

"So this is paradise." Jared commented jokingly.

"Maybe for you." I grunted, unable to keep the acidity from my tone.

"Of course not, Sidhe are never happy with anything."

I didn't make any effort to look in Jared's direction - just speaking to him made it feel like my chest was going to explode from the frustration of it all. He didn't seem to mind, but I could feel a tickling heat radiating against my bare arm, just next to his. Distances and personal space didn't really exist in the world of the fey, so it wasn't surprising he chose to stand especially close. However, there was an aching suspicion now that my mind wasn't being preoccupied by the loss of Edward. I could feel the sexual tension building in the room, Jared may not have noticed it yet but I felt every minute desire. Visions ran through me with the subtle fantasies that he was projecting. It was between him and I. This wasn't anything out of the ordinary so it was easily ignored. One point for concern...Jared wasn't the only one fantasizing.

I frowned and muttered, my voice filled with malice, "Remember your place - You are lesser fey. Don't dare presume you know anything about Sidhe" I spat.

"Don't feed me that bullshit, you're mostly human. Barely Sidhe at all. You aren't even immortal, so instead you have a babysitter with you." Jared growled back.

The jab didn't hurt - I was far beyond petty insults at this point. Words couldn't even compare to the pain that Edward had called me. Just thinking about him...there were no emotions this time. Instead I felt utterly apathetic and calculating while I went through the steps of a plan. Dieing without seeing him one last time, even if it was just for closure, seemed unbearable. All I wanted was to see his face, maybe even hear his voice...one last time. I would have to find Edward before I died. It was a reasonable decision by any means but there was a force compelling me to find him. This otherworldly pull acted like a promise, once I thought it there was no erasing it. Nothing seemed the same once it was made clear that this was the only option available to me, my entire body was tingling. This happened sometimes, my mother told me it was when your destiny changes, it was the goddess brushing up against you.

"What was that?" Jared asked suspiciously.

"The goddess..." I whispered

'Two weeks. I'd find Edward in two weeks.' I promised myself.

Hope you enjoyed! Please review and I'll try to get the next chapter out ASAP ;)