Author's note: I'm impressed with how quickly I managed to get this chapter out. Thanks, as always, to everyone for your reviews. They make me happy :) Special thanks to DGarofalo84 for the advice and suggestions.

Chapter nine

The realisation hit me like a sledgehammer to the gut. The words were leaving Jacob's mouth as he continued talking, but my ears denied them entry. My hands were gripping the seat as it felt like my entire world was shifting and I was in danger of falling off. A creature I had always believed to be myth was suddenly anything but and I was finding it hard to re-establish my bearings. I suddenly felt very dizzy.

My left arm started shaking and I absently wondered what was happening.

"Bella!"

I returned to my surroundings and looked at Jacob. The car had stopped and he was staring at me, eyes wide with concern. He gave my trembling body a quick once over, before shifting to lean over the back of his seat. The next thing I knew, a large hoodie was thrown into my lap.

"Put that on," he ordered and I obeyed. "Did you hear anything I just said?"

I shook my head as I replaced my jacket with the hoodie. It was warm and smelt faintly of Jacob's aftershave. I wrapped my arms around myself and sank further into the seat as the engine started up again. I watched the scenery fly by and certain landmarks became familiar.

"Are you taking me to the Res?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

"Yeah," he replied. "I'm sorry but I kinda have to. When you called, Charlie was round and he heard me speaking to you. It took all my powers of persuasion to keep him from driving to get you himself. I knew he wasn't what you needed right now."

For the first time that evening, I felt a smile tug at the corners of my mouth. Despite our recent differences, I was truly grateful for all Jacob had done so far.

"We're gonna have to tell him what happened," he continued and a rush of panic struck. Before it engulfed me completely, Jacob rested a hand on my arm. "Don't worry, we won't give him the full story. You'll have to tell him about the guy who attacked you, though."

I hadn't even considered the fate of that scumbag until he mentioned it. Carlisle had looked as though he was going to rip the guy's head off and I gulped. Did he kill him? Part of me felt it was nothing less than the piece of shit deserved, but another feared what Carlisle might be capable of. I still couldn't mesh my previous impression of Dr Cullen with the bloodthirsty vampire I now knew him to be. It was too much to process at such a late hour and I shook my head clear of all thought.

"I'm glad we're going to yours," I told Jacob. "I don't really want to stay at home right now."

Jacob nodded in understanding and we spent the rest of the journey in silence. When we got to the Blacks' residence, Dad was pacing outside and, the moment the car's engine stopped, he was pulling the passenger door open and enfolding me in his arms. I couldn't help it, but started weeping into his chest as I balled the fabric of his shirt in my fists. He rocked me gently from side to side and stroked my hair, offering coos of comfort. Eventually, he manoeuvred himself to my side and, with his arm around my shoulder and my arms around his waist, we followed Jacob into the house.

Billy was waiting inside and his face was lined with anxiety, but relaxed the moment he saw me looking relatively unharmed. Charlie led me into the lounge and we huddled together on the sofa. After a moment, I realised the Blacks hadn't followed. Charlie clearly wanted to speak to me in private. When my tears began to dry, he levered my torso away from him slightly to get a good look at my face. I could tell from his expression that he was in Chief mode.

"What happened?" he asked and I relayed the whole evening to him-minus the vampire encounter. Although he tried to maintain a calm facade, the muscles in his jaw rippled from tensing and there was a fire behind his eyes. When I mentioned my defensive strike with the keys, I swore a glimmer of pride lit his irises. As my tale concluded, he nodded slowly, before pulling me to him again. "I'm just so glad you're alright, Bells," he breathed softly into my ear as we rocked together.

After several more minutes of quiet comforting, Billy was wheeled into the room by his son. Charlie and I parted, while Billy settled beside his friend and Jake occupied the floor by my feet after handing me a can of coke.

"Drink it all," he directed. "You need the sugar."

"Are you hungry?" Billy asked.

I refused, my stomach in no way ready to digest food. The volume on the television was raised and the four of us sat together to watch whatever movie Jake loaded into the DVD player. I was so grateful nobody wanted to discuss the incident further. Images flashed on the television screen, but I didn't take any notice. My mind was too occupied to focus on anything around me. So many questions, so much confusion. How was I supposed to process it all? I knew it was going to be a very long time before I slept soundly again.

000

My phone taunted me as it lay on the floor. I didn't even realise I had forgotten it until I entered my bedroom. My anxiety returned as I stared at it for an immeasurable amount of time. Then sense kicked in, telling me to stop being such an idiot and just pick the damn thing up! I retrieved it from the floor and perched on the edge of my bed as I pushed the unlock button. Nine missed calls and three text messages. Eight of the calls were from Alice, and I saved the unknown number, knowing it was Jacob's. Gathering all my resolve, I began to read the texts, which were, of course, all from Alice.

'Bella, I am so, so sorry. Just answer the phone and we can talk.'

'Please pick up. I need to talk to you.'

'Alright, I know you're scared and I completely understand. I just want to know you are okay, but will wait until you're ready. When you do want to talk, you have my number.'

I deleted them, flung the phone onto the bedside table and rested my head in my hands. I was physically and emotionally exhausted and it was too late to continue dwelling. I couldn't be bothered to change into bed clothes, so I simply took off my jacket, jeans and socks and climbed into bed, burrowing under the duvet. In the quiet darkness, the dwelling that had seemed such a chore a moment ago was suddenly the only thing my mind wanted to do. The shadows of the room loomed ominously over me, but, when I closed my eyes all I saw were images of the night's events. As predicted, sleep had to fight long and hard to claim me.

000

"Morning, Bella," greeted Jacob as I stumbled down the stairs towards the kitchen. "Well, afternoon, actually."

I squinted in the daylight and was extremely glad I'd decided to throw on some sweat pants before leaving the bedroom. The day was shaping up to be a disorientating one. Firstly, my clock had informed me it was past midday when I finally woke-I rarely woke later than nine. Secondly, I realised I'd fallen asleep wearing a bra, the discomfort being the reason I got out of bed in the first place. Thirdly, Jacob Black was stood in my kitchen cooking. I shuffled to the table and sat down, rubbing my eyes to rid them of sleepy dust. The unmistakable smell of sizzling bacon permeated the air.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"It's good to see you too," he retorted, plonking a plate in front of me. Bacon, eggs and a couple of slices of toast sat patiently, waiting to be devoured. "Charlie was going to take the day off to keep an eye on you, but I offered instead." He took the seat opposite. "Y'know, just in case you needed to talk some more."

I nodded and proceeded to shovel food into my mouth. The previous day's exertions had caught up and I felt ravenous. I lost myself in the task of eating and it wasn't until I had almost finished that I looked up to find Jake watching me, a smirk on his face.

"What?" I queried, mouth full of toast.

He laughed and reclined in the chair, balancing it on the back two legs. "Did anyone tell you how sexy you are when you eat?"

I scowled, scooping the last forkful of egg into my mouth. He took the plate and placed it in the sink. "Oh, I forgot to mention that your dad called into work for you. He told your boss you wouldn't be in for a couple of days."

I had completely forgotten about Jerry up until that point. Not having to face work cheered my day immensely, until the location of Thunderbird and Whale reminded me of other businesses in the area. Would Alice be expecting me at lunch? Again, I feared the idea of her coming here to see me.

"Thanks for coming round today," I said, hoping to convey all the appreciation I felt in my tone. I got to my feet and enjoyed the popping sounds coming from my limbs as I stretched. My legs ached from all the running I'd done the night before. "And thanks for breakfast-or lunch, I guess. You okay if I take a shower? It'll help me feel human again." A shiver ran up my spine after the word 'human' left my lips. Even mundane conversation was going to be a struggle, it seemed.

"Sure, sure," he replied, heading for the lounge. "I'll be in here."

"I won't be long," I promised, climbing the stairs.

I wasn't entirely true to my word. The shower's warm water held a cathartic quality as it washed away the woes of yesterday. I spent almost an hour in that cubicle, relishing the warmth of the water and breathing in the steam, letting it open my sinuses. By the time I exited the bathroom, I felt much more like Bella Swan again. With Jacob downstairs, I knew the subject of the Cullens couldn't be avoided indefinitely. Although I never doubted Jacob's genuine concern, I knew there was a slight ulterior motive to his visit. I dried myself and dressed quickly, running a brush through my hair and letting it dry naturally as I joined Jacob on the sofa. I opened my mouth to speak, but he held a silencing hand up, his gaze fixed on the television set. I followed suit and saw a female newsreader sitting at a desk, clad in a bright pink suit. Beneath her, in bold blue letters, read an ominous headline:

Seattle Ripper still at large.

So they'd finally decided the murders were linked and given the killer a name. It had been a week since the previous murder, but last night's was every bit as horrendous as its predecessors. The second one to occur on Bainbridge Island, I was selfishly glad they hadn't got any closer to Forks. The show gave a brief overview of the victims so far and the newsreader's description of their cause of death made my eyes widen in alarm. My breath caught, the gasp escaping my lips wrenching Jake's attention away from the television.

"What is it?"

"Those deaths," I breathed. "Did they..." I couldn't finish. The idea made me sick to my stomach, but so much evidence pointed to my way of thinking. Corpses found in secluded alleyways, throats ripped out and drained of blood.

"Did what, Bella?" Jacob asked again, gripping my arm to turn me towards him.

"Did the..." I gulped. "...the Cullens...do that?"

"No," he answered with absolute certainty.

"How do you know?"

He looked at me. "There may be a truce, but that doesn't mean we don't keep tabs on them."

"We? So, does the whole tribe know?"

"Mostly."

"That's got to be a difficult conversation. How long have you known?"

"Not that long, actually. The kids have no idea, besides the stories they're told, which they believe to be nothing more than myths. The Cullens' true identities are a closely guarded secret-for obvious reasons-so they basically wait until we're old enough to keep our mouths shut."

"Which you clearly aren't. I mean, you all but told me the truth with the hints you gave."

"I wouldn't have had to if you hadn't decided to become best friends with Little Miss Bloodsucker."

I cringed at the astringent nickname, my sensibilities still a little delicate. Although I was perfectly aware of what they were, I hadn't been able to utter the V word since my realisation the night before and my thoughts were deliberately avoiding thinking too hard about the habits such a lifestyle involved. It opened up a gruesome world I wasn't ready to enter just yet-if ever. It didn't completely quell my curiosity, however. "Why is it only you guys know about them? No offence, Jake, but I saw Carlisle throw a full grown man over his shoulder like a ragdoll. If they caused trouble, what could you do about it?"

A secretive smile played upon Jacob's lips and his eyes fell to the floor. "We have our ways," he answered cryptically. I decided I didn't want to know.

"You're not expecting it, though, are you? You mentioned the truce-that they "sustain" themselves on animals."

"Yeah," he said slowly and it seemed as though he was unhappy about that. Was he hoping they'd fail? "And they've stuck to it, so far. The thing is, the truce forces them to restrain their natural instincts. Nobody's infallible, Bella; anybody can make a mistake and I don't want you to pay for theirs."

I shuddered when I thought of the time I was alone in the Cullen household, surrounded by the three of them. But nothing had happened. In fact, I'd left completely unharmed, without so much as a hint of anything untoward. I was scared to ask my next question, but it needed answering. "So...they've never..." I had trouble forcing myself to finish they query, but Jacob could tell what I was asking.

"Not while they've been here," he answered and a wave of relief washed over me. "I can't speak for their lives before Forks, though."

Hmm, that wasn't quite so comforting.

"But," he continued. "Regardless of their restraint, the very presence of those three provides opportunity for others to "visit" and they might not be such avid followers of the Cullen lifestyle."

I couldn't look at Jacob any longer; the whole thing was getting too much for me again. Inquisitiveness really felt like a curse at that moment. I'd always thought Forks to be a quiet town, but the past few weeks had definitely proven otherwise. During my seventeen years in Phoenix, not a single mentionable event had occurred-if you discounted maybe the last six months, of course-yet, in my three months of living in Forks I'd been nearly run over, almost raped and discovered the existence of Cold Ones. It would have been laughable had it not been so bizarre. My contemplative silence didn't escape Jake's notice.

"What is it?" he asked.

I bit my lip and turned to him. "I'm finding it hard, is all," I said. "And they seemed like such nice people," I finished, somewhat lamely.

"I know," he responded, something close to empathy in his expression. "But you can't let yourself be fooled. She may be happy-go-lucky and the doctor may have a perfect bedside manner, but you can't let that blind you to what they are." He leaned closer and the look in his eyes made it clear I was to heed his warning this time. "They're killers, Bella, don't ever forget it."

000

Charlie got home at about five to relieve Jacob of his babysitting duties. After our deep discussion that afternoon, we'd spent the rest of the day watching television, although I managed to squeeze some housework in between. I would've had dinner ready if Jacob hadn't enforced my dad's strict orders of not allowing me to cook. Charlie offered him some of the pizza he'd bought, but it was declined and I was kind of glad to be honest-I hadn't forgotten the size of that boy's appetite.

The evening was a quiet one and, despite waking up late, I decided to retire for an early night. My phone had remained upstairs for the entire day and I quickly checked it to find two missed calls. Both were from Alice and I responded to neither. Just like the previous night, it took ages for me to finally fall asleep amidst all the twisting and turning of my brain.

The next few days followed a similar pattern. I started to feel a little stir crazy after the second day in my house, so the third and fourth were spent at the Reservation. Our activities at Jacob's were no different to what we'd done at mine the last couple of days, but the fact that La Push-home of the Quileutes-was a no-go for the Cullens meant I wasn't cooped up indoors by my anxiety. That annoying little voice of reason at the back of my mind constantly reminded me that I couldn't carry on this way forever, but I tried to ignore it as much as possible. I'd cross that bridge when I came to it.

When I awoke the fifth day, Charlie knocked on my bedroom door and proposed a father and daughter day trip. It was nothing special, just a drive out of Forks and our usual weekly dinner at The Lodge. He kept the conversation light, but peppered it with subtle questions about my welfare and occasional hints about me getting back into a normal routine, before shifting to the most distressing topic he could have possibly chosen.

"Have you spoken to Alice recently?" he asked and my stomach lurched at the unexpected mention of her name.

I was grateful for the excuse my mouthful of food gave me of not having to speak. Even without it, I doubted I would've been able to answer.

"I only ask," he continued. "Because I saw her yesterday and she wanted to know how you were doing."

I swallowed, but the food had lost all flavour. I really didn't want to talk about this, but Charlie wasn't aware of the situation like Jacob, so I had no choice but to concoct a lie as quickly as possible. "I haven't felt like talking to anybody," I replied, quietly.

Charlie nodded. I imagined my assault was nowhere near the first he'd ever dealt with and the reluctance of victims to discuss their ordeals was a common occurrence. I desperately thought of something to change the subject.

"I think I'll call Jerry when we get back," I said, twirling my fork in the half eaten spaghetti on my plate. "I can't really take any more time off. It's not fair."

"If you're sure," he checked, although I could hear in his voice that he was glad at this sign of progress.

"I am," I assured, managing to push the corners of my mouth up into a fake half-smile. If he didn't buy it, he chose not to say so.

It was starting to get dark by the time we got home and, despite the difficult conversation in the restaurant, I had to admit I felt a little better for having gone out. Charlie's foot kicked something on the floor as we entered and he bent over to retrieve it. After making room to let me in, he switched on the hallway light and I saw a small cream envelope in his hands. He turned it over to check the back before handing it to me. Isabella Swan was emblazoned across the front in an elegant script and I wondered who it could be from. Charlie didn't pry, opting to head straight for his usual spot in front of the television instead, so I hung up my coat and travelled upstairs to the privacy of my room.

Throwing my bag onto the floor, I got comfy on the bed and quickly studied the envelope once more before opening it. Inside was a single sheet of paper, both sides covered in the same stylish handwriting. Before reading the letter, I flipped over to the back and scrolled down to the bottom to identify who had written it. I dropped the sheet when my eyes fell on the author's name: Carlisle Cullen.

A/N: Dun dun dunnnnnnnn. Hope you enjoyed :)