Disclaimer: no, I don't own twilight and yes I hate Edward...

All hail Jacob! Team Jacob all the way...

thanks for reading so far, please do review if you have time. the ones italic are from the book.

"Don't start anything with Charlie over me, please." he murmured. "Don't worry about it," I said calmly. "If Charlie kicks me out, then there's no need for a graduation deadline, is there?" His jaw tightened. "So eager for eternal damnation," he muttered. "You know you don't really believe that." "Oh, don't I?" he fumed. ."No. You don't." He glowered at me and started to speak, but I cut him off." If you really believed that you'd lost your soul, then when I found you in Volterra, you would have realized immediately what was happening, instead of thinking we were both dead together. But you didn't – you said 'Amazing. Carlisle was right,'" I reminded him, triumphant. "There's hope in you, after all." For once, Edward was speechless." So let's both just be hopeful, all right?" I suggested. "Not that it matters. If you stay, I don't need heaven." He got up slowly, and came to put his hands on either side of my face as he stared into my eyes. "Forever," he vowed, still a little staggered." That's all I'm asking for," I said, and stretched up on my toes so that I could press my lips to his.

Now we were on our way back to my house before Charlie comes home, usually he would be late if he gets call from work. I tried to remember back everything that had happened, in this few days ago. I flew back from Italy after meeting a bunch of vampires, and I got grounded. I am also banned from seeing Edward again other than that almost everything is back to normal – the good, pre-zombie normal – in less time than I would have believed possible.

The hospital welcomed Carlisle back with eager arms, not even bothering to conceal their delight that Esme had found life in L.A. so little to her liking. Thanks to the Calculus test I'd missed while abroad, Alice and Edward were in better to shape to graduate than I was at the moment. Suddenly, college was a priority (college was still plan B, on the off chance that Edward's offer swayed me from the post-graduation Carlisle option).

Edward had already done the Harvard route, so it didn't bother him that, thanks to my procrastination, we might both end up at Peninsula Community College next year. With Edward back in place, it was almost as if the last eight months were just a disturbing nightmare.

Almost, but not quite. There was the house arrest situation, for one thing. And for another, Jacob black. I don't know why but I seemed to miss him more.

Yes we did sleep together but it's wasn't what i thought it would mean. I mean i did feel like, I was bonded with him some how but that's just because he was my first and nothing more. I want to believe that it was a mistake, I wasn't sure.. I thought he was the one but he is not. Edward is. Edward is my soulmate, but.. eventhough i want to believe that Jacob is not for me i just couldn't. And i don't know why,I couldn't stop thinking about him but he's fine i mean.

He was ok that the other day when i left with Alice.I wasn't at liberty to go to La Push, and Jacob wasn't coming to see me. He wouldn't even answer my phone calls.I made these calls yesterday and today morning, after Edward had been kicked out .I chose that time to make my fruitless calls because I'd noticed that Edward made a certain face every time I mentioned Jacob's name. Sort of disapproving and wary… maybe even angry.

I guessed that he had some reciprocal prejudice against the werewolves, though he wasn't as vocal as Jacob had been about the "bloodsuckers." And I am still finding the right time to tell Edward about me losing my virginity to Jacob. But I'm scared that he might leave again if I mention it. So, I didn't mention Jacob much.

With Edward near me, it was hard to think about unhappy things – even my former best friend, who was probably very unhappy right now, due to me. When I did think of Jake, I always felt guilty for not thinking of him more since all we have been through even the... mistake.

The fairy tale was back on. Prince returned, bad spell broken. I wasn't sure exactly what to do about the leftover, unresolved character. Where was his happily ever after? After thinking a lot about Jacob and fruitless calls, I vented one "It's just plain rude!" I already told him what happened between me and Jacob was a big mistake and mistakes are meant to forgive and forget.

Being angry about things was easier than feeling guilty. "Down right insulting!" Like a dripping faucet in the back of my head that I couldn't shut off or ignore. Drip, drip, drip. Jacob, Jacob, Jacob. Today morning when I called Jake but Billy picked the phone up. He said that Jake doesn't want to talk to me. Usually, before my trip to Italy, Billy just says he's out or busy or sleeping or something. I mean, it's not like I didn't know he was lying to me, but at least it was a polite way to handle it.

"I guess Billy hates me now, too. It's not fair!"" I bluttered out.

" It's not you, Bella," Edward said quietly.

"Nobody hates you."

"Feels that way," I muttered, folding my arms across my chest.

It was no more than a stubborn gesture. There was no hole there now – I could barely remember the empty feeling anymore.

" Jacob knows we're back, and I'm sure that he's ascertained that I'm with you," Edward said.

"He won't come anywhere near me. The enimity is rooted too deeply." That's stupid.

He knows you're not…like other vampires." There's still good reason to keep a safe distance." I glared blindly out the windshield, seeing only Jacob's face, set in the bitter mask I hated.

" Bella, we are what we are," Edward said quietly.

"I can control myself, but I doubt he can. He's very young. It would most likely turn into a fight, and I don't know if I could stop it before I k –"he broke off, and then quickly continued.

"Before I hurt him. You would be unhappy. I don't want that to happen." I remembered what Jacob had said in the kitchen, hearing the words with perfect recall in his husky voice. I'm not sure that I'm even-tempered enough to handle that…You probably wouldn't like it so much if I killed your friend. But he'd been able to handle it, that time…

"Edward Cullen," I whispered. "Were you about to say 'killed him? Were you?" He looked away from me, staring into the rain. In front of us, the red light I hadn't noticed turned green and he started forward again, driving very slowly. Not his usual way of driving.

" I would try…very hard…not to do that," Edward finally said.

I stared at him with my mouth hanging open, but he continued to look straight ahead. We were paused at the corner stop sign. Abruptly, I remembered what had happened to Paris when Romeo came back. The stage directions were simple:

They fight. Paris falls. But that was ridiculous. Impossible

"Well," I said, and took a deep breath, shaking my head to dispel the words in my head.

"Nothing like that is ever going to happen, so there's no reason to worry about it. And you know Charlie will be arriving any time now... You'd better get me home before I get in more trouble for sneaking out of the house." I turned my face up toward him, to smile half heartedly.

Every time I looked at his face, that impossibly perfect face, my heart pounded strong and healthy and very there in my chest. This time, the pounding raced ahead of its usual besotted pace. I recognized the expression on his statue-still face.

" You're already in more trouble, Bella," he whispered through unmoving lips.

I slid closer, clutching his arm as I followed his gaze to see what he was seeing. I don't know what I expected – maybe Victoria standing in the middle of the street, her flaming red hair blowing in the wind, or a line of tall black cloaks…or a pack of angry werewolves. But I didn't see anything at all." What? What is it?" He took a deep breath.

"Charlie…" "My dad, he's here already?" I screeched. He looked down at me then, and his expression was calm enough to ease some of my panic. "He's gona kill me for sneaking out with you

"Charlie…is probably not going to kill you, but he's thinking about it," he told me.

He started to drive forward again, down my street, but he passed the house and parked by the edge of the trees. Edward glanced back at Charlie's house. I followed his gaze, and noticed for the first time what was parked in the driveway next to the cruiser. Shiny, bright red, impossible to miss. My motorcycle, flaunting itself in the driveway.

Edward had said that Charlie was ready to kill me, so he must know that – that it was mine. There was only one person who could be behind this treachery.

" No!" I gasped.

"Why? Why would Jacob do this to me?" The sting of betrayal washed through me. I had trusted Jacob implicitly – trusted him with every single secret I had. He was supposed to be my safe harbor – the person I could always rely on. Of course things were strained right now, but I didn't think any of the underlying foundation had changed. I didn't think that was changeable!

What had I done to deserve this? Charlie was going to be so mad – and worse than that, he was going to be hurt and worried. Didn't he have enough to deal with already? Jacob did this just so he could get revenge because I chose Edward over him I would have never imagined that Jake could be so petty and just plain mean. Tears sprang, smarting, into my eyes, but they were not tears of sadness. I had been betrayed. I was suddenly so angry that my head throbbed like it was going to explode.

"Is he still here?" I hissed.

" Yes. I can hear his thoughts around here." Edward told me, nodding toward the slender path that divided the dark fringe of the forest in two. I jumped out of the car, launching myself toward the trees with my hands already balled into fists for the first punch.

Why did Edward have to be so much faster than me? He caught me around the waist before I made the path. " Let me go! I'm going to murder him! Traitor!" I shouted the epithet toward the trees.

" Charlie will hear you," Edward warned me. "And once he gets you inside, he may brick over the doorway."

I glanced back at the house instinctively, and it seemed like the glossy red bike was all I could see. I was seeing red. My head throbbed again.

" Just give me one round with Jacob, and then I'll deal with Charlie." I struggled futilely to break free.

I just wanted to choke him to death. Can't he understand that I don't want him...? I have Edward now. That stopped me cold – took the fight right out of me. My hands went limp. They fight; Paris falls. I was furious, but not that furious." I want to talk with him?" I said sternly

"I don't think that's a good idea" Edward said while he smoothed my hair back from my face.

"Don't worry; he's not here to fight me. He's acting as…spokesperson for the pack."

"Oh."Edward looked at the house again, then tightened his arm around my waist and pulled me toward the woods.

"We should hurry. Charlie's getting impatient."

"No, I want to talk to Jacob" I said while looking in Edward's eyes.

"Very well if that's what you wish" We didn't have to go far; Jacob waited just a short ways up the path.

He lounged against a mossy tree trunk as he waited, his face hard and bitter, exactly the way I knew it would be. He looked at me, and then at Edward.

Jacob's mouth stretched into a humorless sneer, and he shrugged away from the tree. He stood on the balls of his bare feet, leaning slightly forward, with his trembling hands clenched into fists. He looked bigger than the last time I'd seen him. Somehow, impossibly, he was still growing. He would tower over Edward, if they stood next to each other.

But Edward stopped as soon as we saw him, leaving a wide space between us and Jacob. Edward turned his body, shifting me so that I was behind him. I leaned around him to stare at Jacob – to accuse him with my eyes.

I would have thought that seeing his resentful, cynical expression would only make me angrier. Instead, it reminded me of the last time I'd seen him, with tears in his eyes.

My fury weakened, faltered, as I stared at Jacob. It had been so long since I'd seen him, since our 'mistake' – I hated that our reunion had to be like this.

" Bella," Jacob said as a greeting, nodding once toward me without looking away from Edward.

" Why?" I whispered, trying to hide the sound of the lump in my throat.

"How could you do this to me, Jacob?" asking about the bike. The sneer vanished, but his face stayed hard and rigid.

"It's for the best."

"What is that supposed to mean? Do you want Charlie to strangle me? Or did you want him to have a heart attack, like Harry? No matter how mad you are at me, how could you do this to him?" Jacob winced, and his eyebrows pulled together, but he didn't answer." He didn't want to hurt anyone – he just wanted to get you grounded, so that you wouldn't be allowed to spend time with me," Edward murmured, explaining the thoughts Jacob wouldn't say.

Jacob's eyes sparked with hate as he glowered at Edward again.

"What?" I heard Jacob said in surprise but I beat him to it.

"Aw, Jake!" I groaned.

"I'm already grounded! Why do you think I haven't been down to La Push to kick your butt for avoiding my phone calls?" Jacob's eyes flashed back to me, confused for the first time.

"Bells ... I ...don't ..."

"He thought I wouldn't let you, not Charlie," Edward explained again while cutting Jacob before he finished his sentence.

"Stop that," Jacob snapped. Edward didn't answer.

Jacob shuddered once, and then gritted his teeth as hard as his fists. "Bella wasn't exaggerating about your…abilities," he said through his teeth.

"So you must already know why I'm here."

"Yes," Edward agreed in a soft voice.

"But, before you begin, I need to say something." Jacob waited, clenching and unclenching his hands as he tried to control the shivers rolling down his arms.

" Thank you," Edward said, and his voice throbbed with the depth of his sincerity.

"I will never be able to tell you how grateful I am. I will owe you for the rest of my…existence."

Jacob stared at him blankly, his shudders stilled by surprise. He exchanged a quick glance with me, but my face was just as mystified.

" For keeping Bella alive," Edward clarified his voice rough and fervent.

"When I… didn't." Edward –," I started to say, but he held one hand up, his eyes on Jacob. Understanding washed over Jacob's face before the hard mask returned.

"I didn't do it for your benefit."

"I know. But that doesn't erase the gratitude I feel. I thought you should know. If there's ever anything in my power to do for you…" Jacob raised one black brow. Edward shook his head.

"That's not in my power."

"Whose, then?" Jacob growled. Edward looked down at me.

"Hers. I'm a quick learner, Jacob Black, and I don't make the same mistake twice. I'm here until she orders me away."

I was immersed momentarily in his golden gaze. It wasn't hard to understand what I'd missed in the conversation. The only thing that Jacob would want from Edward would be his absence.

"Never," I whispered, still locked in Edward's eyes. Jacob made a gagging sound. I unwillingly broke free from Edward's gaze to frown at Jacob.

"But bells. you don't.." I cut him before he finished again, I don't want to hear him talk, giving me unnecessary excuses

"Was there something else you needed, Jacob? You wanted me in trouble – mission accomplished. Charlie might just send me to military school. But that won't keep me away from Edward. There's nothing that can do that. What more do you want?" Jacob kept his eyes on Edward

"I just needed to remind your bloodsucking friends of a few key points in the treaty they agreed to. The treaty that is the only thing stopping me from ripping his throat out right this minute."

"We haven't forgotten," Edward said at the same time that I demanded,

"What key points?" Jacob still glowered at Edward, but he answered me. "The treaty is quite specific. If any of them bite a human, the truce is over. Bite, not kill," he emphasized.

Finally, he looked at me. His eyes were cold. It only took me a second to grasp the distinction, and then my face was as cold as his.

" That's none of your business." I snapped at him.

"The hell it –" was all he managed to choke out. I didn't expect my hasty words to bring on such a strong response.

Despite the warning he'd come to give, he must not have known. He must have thought the warning was just a precaution. He hadn't realized – or didn't want to believe – that I had already made my choice.

That I was really intending to become a member of the Cullen family.

My answer sent Jacob into near convulsions. He pressed his fists hard against his temples, closing his eyes tight and curling in on himself as he tried to control the spasms. His face turned sallow green under the russet skin.

"Jake? You okay?" I asked anxiously.

I took a half-step toward him, and then Edward caught me and yanked me back behind his own body.

"Careful! He's not under control," he warned me. But Jacob was already somewhat himself again; only his arms were shaking now. He scowled at Edward with pure hate.

"Ugh. I would never hurt her." Neither Edward or I missed the inflection, or the accusation it contained. A low hiss escaped Edward's lips.

"Let's go," Edward said. I looked back at Jacob, torn. Would I see him again?

" Sorry," he whispered so low that I had to read his lips to understand.

"Bye, Bells."

"You promised," I reminded him desperately.

"Still friends, right?"Jacob shook his head slowly, and the lump in my throat nearly strangled me.

"You know how hard I've tried to keep that promise, but…I can't see how to keep trying. Not now…" He struggled to keep his hard mask in place, but it wavered, and then disappeared.

"Miss you," he mouthed.

One of his hands reached toward me, his fingers outstretched, like he wished they were long enough to cross the distance between us.

"Me, too," I choked out. My hand reached toward his across the wide we were connected, the echo of his pain twisted inside me. His pain, my pain.

"Jake…" I took a step toward him. I wanted to wrap my arms around his waist and erase the expression of misery on his pulled me back again, his arms restraining instead of defending.

"It's okay," I promised him, looking up to read his face with trust in my eyes. He would eyes were unreadable, his face expressionless. Cold.

"No, it's not."

"Let her go," Jacob snarled, furious again.

"She wants to!" He took two long strides forward.A glint of anticipation flashed in his eyes. His chest seemed to swell as it pushed me behind himself, wheeling to face Jacob.

"No! Edward–!"

Jacob clenched his fists reflexively.I did what I think was best, i made my way to be between them. Now I was having Jacob on my left and Edward on my right. I saw Edward getting his stance, fighting stance. Oh god... I don't want them to want over me.

"Guys stop it…"I shouted

"if any of you make another move, you two are gona loose me." I said threatening them. Jacob's furious expression faltered.

"I am sorry about that," he muttered.

"I had to do what I could – I had to try…"Jacob's eyes were, red and with tears. God, I feel bad for making him cry. I heard Jacob said something "bells is this what you want?"

"Yes, Jake... this is it..." with that said, I saw Jacob turned behind and phased.

I was about to say good bye to him but I saw Edward's face. It was gloomy and sad. No wait... don't tell me his leaving again...

"Edward..?" I shook his body while calling him. He remained calm and motionless.

"Edward..?" I called out for him again.

"Bella, I would change you in one condition" oh god was I dreaming. Maybe I was because I felt quite dizzy and my surroundings were a blur but still I tried to put myself together. "What is it? I asked him while trying to cover my happiness and my dizziness...

"Will you marry me?" I heard him asked. Before I could reply, my legs lost its balanced and I felt into a deep black space.

My head felt heavy, like I was having a hang over, my body felt sooo hot like I was in an oven. I tried to open my eyes... but it felt heavy... I tried again and I succeeded. Before I could make sure where I was, I heard Alice say something

"Bella are you ok?" I heard her asking me.

" uuhh .. I guess so... "I answered confusedly.

I thought I was in the woods with Edward and Jake. I scanned the room, ok I was in bed... some ones bed and then I saw the Cullens all of them around me. Before I could ask more I heard, the door being slammed. It was Jake, I saw him rushing to me from the door ignoring Rosalie who was glaring at him because he pushed her while he tried to come to me.

"Bells... honey are you ok? Jake asked while taking one of my hands into his.

Ok... there has got to be an explanation for this. I thought we were in the woods and now here in the Cullens house?

"Jake, why am I here?" I asked him ignoring his question earlier.

"Well... while you were in the woods just now, you kinda fainted" he said while looking me in the eyes.

"How long have I been out?" I asked him, while thinking of Charlie.

"Well a few hours" he said while caressing my cheek.

"4 hours to be exact" I heard some one else said. Both I and Jake turned to see who it was. And it was Carlisle.

"Doctor Fang, her body is feeling warmer than usual." I heard Jake say to Carlisle...Dr fang? When did Jake get along with the cullens?

"Well, I guess that's some of the symptoms…" symptoms? What am I sick?

"What's going on me" I started shouting.

"Calm down bells..." I heard Jake said calm down..?

"You expect me to calm down! How the heck am I here ? I saw Carlisle trying to explain but was interrupted when someone came barging into the room. Now who in the heck could that be?

"Hey Blondie, move.I gotta see bella" wait that sounded like…

"Oh hey bells you're wide awake... how are ya? How's the big guy doing" Embry said with a big grin in his face... wait why is embry here? Big guy? Who? "Shut it embry" I heard Sam scolding embry.

Wait Sam's here too…i turned to look at Jake but his eyes were on embry and then I saw Jake smacked his forehead with his hands. I turned to see what bothered Jake that much... and guess what? I saw the whole wolf pack in front of me in the Cullens house...now I'm sure I'm hallucinating stuff.

I asked Jake ... " Jake why are they here? And am I sick?"

"Well bells...erm... erm..." I saw Jake fidgeting his hands wait why is he nervous? I couldn't wait for his reply so I asked Carlisle.

"Carlisle, what's wrong with me? Am I sick or something "

"well...bella… well based on what I observed so far ... I think you are..." I waited for him to say something... just answer me.

"Go on..." I said...

"Well, I think you are pregnant" my mouth went wide.