Alright ladies and gentlemen, I finally updated!!!!! YAY!!!!!!! Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter! Oh and remember, review please!!!

And as usual, I apologize for taking so long to update. I felt stuck here, I think I went through 20 different versions of this chapter XD

(Original story and characters belong to Stephanie Meyer; Amber is mine though.)

Bella

When he came in, I couldn't help but realize he'd gotten much bigger than I remembered him. He was no longer just toned, but actually buffed- not scary, just buff. I'm sure I'd noticed it earlier, but it was still such an amazing shock factor. His grin was still plastered across face, despite the ever hostile expression toward him from Jasper. Alice wrinkled her nose in disgust and I then realized I wasn't breathing again. I sucked in a breath of air, regretting it after. It smelled like wet dog.10 wet dogs actually.

"Ya'll don't smell too good either, precious." He replied to Alice's expression. Alice shrugged and sank back in her seat, pulling Jasper with her to calm him. How ironic.

I smiled faintly.

It was really quiet for some time. No one wanted to speak and Jake was making his coffee last more than it should have.

Had I not known any better, I would say Edward was very calm and diplomatic towards Jake, but I knew that he may well be imagining the different ways he could pop his head off like a Barbie doll. I didn't want to dwell on my assumption though, wondering if he would even be able to, considering how huge Jake was now.

Jake slid into the black Wolfmother T-shirt Amber had tossed at him, his dark, curious eyes going back and forth between Amber and me. For a significant amount of seconds, he stared lovingly into her eyes and despite myself, I found myself invading their minds.

"You know I love you, right?" he asked mentally. I could feel a hint of love, but the rest wasn't as friendly. She didn't really respond, just twirled a few strands of her hair, braiding it absentmindedly. Finally she made a quick glance in his direction.

"You know I'm going to return this amazing favor you did for me, right?" he said sarcastically. She threw him another glance— a glare actually. I tried not to laugh. Edward, however, seemingly doing the same as I, didn't bother hiding his amusement and smirked a bit - a gesture which Jake did not miss.

"Oh, you like that, pretty-boy?" Jake asked. Jasper hissed at him but he just roared in laughter.

"I was just asking," Jake teased, faking innocence. "Loosen up, Casper."

To that, Amber threw a pillow at him for. He growled lightly.

For a moment, all were silent. I began chewing my nails; a human habit I hadn't seemed to get rid of, not that it mattered now. Edward, noticing, took my hands in his. He pulled me closer to him, an apology it seemed. I smiled up at him, but quietly chewed the inside of my cheek instead.

"So," she began. "Where have you all been?" she asked. I found it a bit humorous the way she was trying to pretend we were all the best of friends— friends who generally are supposed to hate each other anyway because of our backgrounds. It was a sick sort of friendship, but I found myself yearning for it as much as she was.

"I still have one more question though…"Carlisle stated, ignoring her question.

"Shoot." Jake replied, pulling at Amber's recently finished petite braid.

"It's just that…I thought it was an impossibility for a hybrid to exist. That it could never happen because none could survive it. Failed experiments have been heard of, from the Volturi. The people….what happened to them was indescribable, but far from what I'm seeing with you right now, Jacob Black." He spoke each word slowly, confusion clear in each syllable. I wondered why he'd never mentioned these experiments, but I suppose if they were as horrid as he described, why would he?

"Jake is unique in blood." Amber stated. Somehow, the way she said it, I felt as though no other could know this as well as she did.

"His family was full of direct descendants from the first wolf man, which I believe has made him stronger than the average lycan. There is yet to be proof, but it is the only theory we have: since his blood is stronger, he was able to handle both changes. I think it fits, since unlike other vampires, his eyes and skin color changed little. His eyes only get darker with hunger, but never have they been as yours. Sunlight has somewhat the same affect on his skin, but not the same extent. He just has a slight glow about him."

'Like my people.' she thought.

I wanted to ask about the unspoken comment, but decided against it. I wasn't quite sure why, but I didn't know if I truly wanted to know the answer, if I was ready to know.

It was the scariest thing about this re-encounter with my beloved Jake: I wasn't too sure if he was still the person I wanted to think he was and I wasn't sure if I would like the changes. But something told me it centered around her.

Edward

He had a tattoo. I noticed it while he put on the shirt Amber had given him. It was a beautiful piece of work: a long, glossy-looking sword surrounded by dark vines. The blade began at the inside of his arm, around his elbow, and extended downward, the point of the blade touching his wrist. It almost seemed as though it were piercing through his flesh, though it was not. There was an elaborately designed eye at the hilt of the blade and in the reflection of it, there seemed to be the faint shadow of a faery woman with pale blue skin and closed eyes. She held her arms crossed at her chest, like she was protecting her heart. I blinked and when I re-opened my eyes, it almost seemed as though the girl had opened her eyes and they glistened, changing colors ever so slightly. I blinked again in disbelief, but the eyes were closed once more. I could swear her lips pulled up at the corners though and the eye at the hilt seemed to wink at me. I sat back, releasing Bella's hands, confused.

Jake followed my gaze to his arm. I thought he would make a comment about it but instead he flipped his arm over, covering the image from my view. I felt released, as if the tattoo had me in a trance and now I was free. I looked up at him, inquiringly but after giving me a hostile glance, he looked towards Amber, who looked at me. She smiled sweetly, but it didn't feel sweet in the least.

"Is that a good enough answer?" she asked lightly, not looking away from me. Something about her eyes reminded me of the girl, something I didn't like.

"Not really, but it will have to do for now, I suppose." Carlisle finally said.

"And we haven't done too much in a while, Amber." Esme said, answering the girl's initial question.

"Come now, we've described our lovely past. Can't you all return the favor?" Jake teased.

"We were separated. For about 80 years." I said. I knew no one wanted to talk about it, especially not Esme, since Bella was back. I could feel her tense next to me. I took her hand in mine again reassuringly.

"Edward…" Jasper growled.

"After we left Forks, I didn't want to brood around my family, knowing they were much happier than I was, so I separated from them. I roamed throughout Brazil with some family friends for a while, but they too tired of me so I went off on my own. Alice managed to find me in Alaska and brought me back to the group and we've been to and from Alaska and some nowhere towns in Washington then came back here where we ran into you and Bella. Alice what did you do while I was away?" I asked, still staring at Amber, who did not take her eyes off me either.

"Edward…" Jasper repeated. I glared at him then returned to Amber. She smiled again.

"Alice, answer please."

"We…" she began, "We've just been, um… doing stuff. It's nothing too interesting, I don't think." She joked nervously.

'What the hell are you doing, Edward? You're going to destroy Esme with this if you don't—" she was cut off.

"They were putting me back together." Esme finished for her. The room fell silent and despite Bella having been a vampire now, I could feel her shaking under my touch.

'Would you love Jake more now?' I thought to myself.

Bella

"When Bella left, we were all devastated, even Rose. Edward, obviously, took it the hardest. When he left us, I didn't speak for about a year and a half and then…" she paused, "Then we got news from the Amazonian vampires. They informed us that Edward had been with them for some time, but they had him removed from their territory because of…accidents."

I felt Edward's grip tighten on my hand and I trembled. Did I want to know all this either? It felt like I was learning far too many things in one night, things that all were terrible, and all because of me. I wanted so badly to be able to cry.

"He had killed mortals. 3 of them." Esme's voice was as thin as air now. I gasped. I turned to Edward but he wouldn't look at me.

"I didn't know how to help, even less where he was now. Alice tried to help for years, trying to track him down but he covered his tracks fairly well." She gazed lovingly at Edward, unrelenting love from a mother to child. I could feel him recoiling from me now, as though he were afraid his touch would taint me. I held him firmly now, held on to my fallen angel.

"I couldn't control myself." He said weakly, his voice apologetic and remorseful. I wondered if he saw their faces as he spoke, if he could still taste their blood and flesh on their lips at night, when all is quiet and he was alone. I removed my hands from his and wrapped my arms around him, holding his head to my chest. For a moment, I forgot anyone else was there. In that moment, I realized I wasn't the only one who was broken so long ago and that perhaps he had been more damaged than I. His hands came up to my back, nails digging into my flesh but I didn't care. I would heal.

"I think that's enough for tonight. Could we finish this some other time?" I asked shakily.

Jake gazed at Edward not with the usual dislike, but pity. It wasn't exactly what I wanted to replace the previous feeling.

"Jake? Can I see you again?" I asked bluntly. He nodded, still gazing at Edward.

As we stood, I held my hold on Edward, looping my arm through his. It was a bit strange to see him so vulnerable for once.

"Wait though." Jake pleaded. We all paused.

"Cullen, I know I may not be the person you would want to hear this from but…I know. I know it kills you to think about it. If you want to talk about it," he paused, "I know it's cheesy, but if you want to talk, I'm here."

We all stood, baffled. Edward sucked in a breath. I think he must have been unsure as to whether or not he should laugh. He smiled and nodded though, turning away from Jake.

'Jake, it wasn't the same though. The people he killed were innocent, the ones you did were far from! Don't sympathize with that!' Amber scolded.

I could feel my face hot with rage, even though it wouldn't show. Immediately after, I let go of Edward, who looked surprised. I was glad for this: it meant he hadn't heard her thoughts.

I stepped toward her and without even thinking, I grabbed her by the neck and threw her out of the glass doors, cracking through the surface easily. She hit her body against a tree before falling to the ground.

"That is NOT the way you 'make everything better,' bitch." I growled across to her. She lifted her gaze and for a moment her eyes seemed to turn icy blue. I turned to Jake who was too shocked to move.

"Sorry." I said to him, but I wasn't. He knew I wasn't. And surprisingly, he didn't stop me as I went out the door, my family quickly behind my pace. Confused, Edward stared out at Amber then followed slowly.

I knew I had just made it harder for our group to make amends with each other. For the moment though, I felt right.