I know, it's been a while since I updated, I was trying to see if waiting would get more reviews, but apparently it hasn't worked . But I bet I'll get over it. Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter.

CHAPTER 23

"No, I didn't really want something. I just came to say good bye…we're leaving to go start patrols… and I didn't know when I'd get to see you again," the look in his eyes cleared a bit but finally I determined that it was disappointment, and perhaps a slight tinge of disapproval.

"Oh, well, bye then. But, I wanted to invite you to the wedding…I didn't really think it would be so soon, but I really want you to be there Jake. And the rest of the pack, if we can work that out…"

He have a skeptical snort, "come on Bella, you and I both know that someone has to be on guard, and on that day, it certainly isn't going to be any of your…family…" he said, hesitating that end, obviously unsure of what to call the Cullens.

"I'll talk to Carlisle, maybe by then we won't need guards, maybe Victoria will be taken care of…I mean, it's happening in five days, that's plenty of time for us to vanquish the evil monster…" I said, knowing that I was practically pleading and hating myself for it.

"Fine, I'll tell the pack then. See ya later Bella. Take care of yourself." He started down the steps again.

"Jake," I said.

He turned around and waited for me to continue.

"Be careful…please?" I asked beseechingly.

He grinned the grin I always loved and winked, "sure, sure." He was at the door when I burst out, "I mean is Jacob Black!"

I heard him laugh as he closed the door behind him. I clenched my teeth and rolled my eyes thinking about all the insufferable males that always seemed to be drawn to my area, even if they weren't drawn to me specifically. I walked at human speed back up to the bedroom, just because I felt like doing something that was once normal to me.

Emmett was no longer lying on the bed when I returned to the room. He was standing by the window, newly changed into some camo gear.

"Going hunting?" I asked, a grin on my face.

He turned around with a contemplative look on his face. "Actually, yeah. I think you should go too, if you're going to be cooped up in the house until this weekend you'll need to hunt now to keep your strength up. But Carlisle said not to leave…"

I contemplated this new predicament for a while. "I think you should just call him and ask him if it's alright. I don't see why it wouldn't be, I mean, with the two of us, we shouldn't get into too much trouble…"

He nodded, pulled out his phone and plugged in the numbers for Carlisle.

Emmett? Is everything alright? What's wrong? Carlisle asked.

"Yeah, everything's fine. Nothing's wrong. It's just…I think Bella should go hunting one more time before she's confined to the house, but we wanted to ask you first," Emmett explained.

Oh, I guess we didn't think about that did we? Um, I don't see a problem with it. But Emmett, you need to be extremely careful. Take Jasper and Rose with you if you have to, Victoria will be searching for an easy way to get to Bella. If you aren't prepared, she'll find this a perfect opportunity.

Emmett was nodding even though he knew Carlisle couldn't see him. "Alright, thanks Carlisle. You guys be careful too. Just because she wants Bella doesn't mean she's above attacking you."

Yeah, we'll be careful. Take care, we'll be back in a while.

Emmett snapped his phone shut and looked at me. "Well, are you coming or what? I mean, I suppose I could go alone, or maybe Rose would like to come with…" he said nonchalantly.

I growled and hit him on the arm hard. "Ouch!" he exclaimed, rubbing the arm that I hadn't hit, plainly showing that my smack hadn't hurt him at all.

"Yes I'm coming. Let's go, we should take Jasper and Alice with too, it'll be more fun and Alice will be able to tell us if anything's going to happen."

I took his hand and led him downstairs. Jasper, Alice, and Rosalie were sitting on the couch, staring at the TV. "Hey, want to go hunting?" I asked cheerfully.

Alice looked up at me, "I thought you were no house arrest…?"

"We talked to Carlisle and he agreed that if I'm going to be stuck here for a week I might as well feed now, to hold myself over… but he also said that it would be a good idea to invite you guys to come so… you wanna come?" I asked.

Rose was up in a flash, "sure, I have nothing better to do since Edward is sulking in the bedroom." She grinned and rolled her eyes.

Alice and Jasper looked at each other and shrugged, "why not? We haven't been hunting in a few days. I guess we can suffer through a hunting expedition with you two love birds," Jasper teased.

I gave him a winning smile, "Jasper, the only one who will have to suffer through it is you, because other than the two of us, you're the only one who can feel it, and we certainly aren't suffering."

Jasper grinned as well and led the way out the door. We were very cautious on the way, going slowly and silently to listen for sounds of people approaching. Soon we came upon a herd of deer. We'd agreed already to have two people hunt and three on watch, so I let Alice and Jasper hunt first, waiting my turn while watching out for an attack. When Emmett tried to urge me forward after Alice and Jasper were done, I shook my head and whispered, "no, I want to be last so that I'll have four others guarding me. It's not that I'm self-centered or don't trust any of you, it's just that she's after me and I think that the more protection I have the better."

"You're right, I'll be right back," Emmett said, kissing my cheek then turning to leap at an unsuspecting buck. Soon I was done as well and we were heading back to the house. To our surprise we met Carlisle, Esme, and Charlie coming back too. I wasn't to surprised to see that Charlie's clothes were torn and covered in blood, I was pretty sure I'd looked much the same after my first hunt.

"Bella, this is amazing!" Charlie exclaimed. All the things we can do now, the things that were impossible before." I don't think I'd ever heard him this enthusiastic.

I smiled because he was so obviously happy about being a vampire. While he had writhed in pain I sometimes wondered if what I'd done to him was right, if he would accept what I'd turned him in to. Apparently he liked his new life just fine. "Yes, it is amazing. Even more so because I get to spend the rest of eternity with the people I love."

Charlie gave me an endearing smile and slung his arm around my shoulders as we went inside, "that you do Bells, that you do."

Edward was coming down the stairs when we went inside, looking more vexed than I'd ever seen him. "Where did everybody go?" he demanded.

I so wanted to snap back at him, but Carlisle's words worked their way through my memory so I ignored him and went to sit down in the living room. I distinctly heard Rose reply, "we went hunting Edward. If you hadn't been in the bedroom sulking maybe you could have come with us."

I smirked then grabbed the remote and turned on the TV. I flipped through the channels looking for something to watch. I almost squealed in excitement when I noticed that The Princess Bride was on and it had just started. This was one of my all time favorite movies, one I had watched almost every weekend with a friend of mine when I lived in Phoenix. I immediately chose this and sat back to enjoy an action filled romance. Emmett snickered when he walked in to see me watching a "chick flick", but sat down beside me and wrapped his arm around my shoulders. I snuggled closer to him and lay my head on his shoulder.

Charlie walked in a little later, newly washed and dressed. "So… I suppose you couldn't tell me that Jake was a werewolf before either?" he asked, sitting in one of the many armchairs.

"No, I couldn't. I swore to Jake I wouldn't tell anyone. Besides, you know that you didn't really want to know about any of this until I was turned. You didn't even suspect before then," I said absently, still focused on the movie.

"True, but I still don't know how I didn't suspect anything. After everything that seems to happen to you…and the Cullens really aren't normal… and Jake and the other rez boys were growing so fast and I never questioned it…"

I shrugged, "you like familiarity. You don't like when things aren't how they're supposed to be and have a hard time accepting things that are more advanced than you are… a lot of people are like that."

Charlie made an odd sound in his throat and from the corner of my eye I saw him sit back in the chair and look at the TV, possibly for the first time. "Oh! This was your mom and my movie! It was playing in Port Angeles on our first date and we went to see it!" he said, sounding surprised that such a movie would still be played so many years later.

I didn't deign to respond to this outburst, what was there to say? Good for you? Instead I just focused on the movie and the feel of Emmett beside me.

I distantly heard Rose and Edward arguing about something in the background and it was almost tempting enough to stop watching the movie to listen in on them, but I decided that I probably didn't even want to know what they were fighting about. I just hoped that Edward hadn't told her about him kissing me, or about how he wanted me back. It was one thing for him to break my heart once, but to break the heart of the one he'd broken my heart for…that was unacceptable.

I used the movie Princess Bride because it's like my best friend's favorite movie. And in case anyone was still confused or anything, in this story Jake doesn't love Bella, they really are just friends. I wasn't sure if that would come across like I wanted it too… Oh, and next chapter will be REALLY long, like 3,000 words compared to the normal 1,500-2,000, because it's a very special chapter. To get a special preview send a review!