Chapter 14: After Effects

Edward was sitting at the top of a tree, looking out at the state of Washington. The last few days were a nightmare. He was trying at all costs to avoid Carlisle and Bella now. He closed his eyes and leaned back against the tree.

Bella was sitting in her truck closing her eyes tight with a shaky sigh. She pressed her hand against her forehead and sniffled a little. "What have I done?" She asked quietly. She put her hands over her eyes and tried to calm her nerves. "What did I do? What did I do?" She kept asking herself. Just everything that happened in her room with Edward three days before was haunting her mind. She looked up when she saw Jacob pull up in his car. She got out of her truck and felt the air leave her lungs. The first thing that came into her mind was run. She did just that, she turned around and ran as fast as she could.

"BELLA!" Jacob called to her confused.

Bella ran through the streets of Forks, running as she could. The mud sprayed up and hit her pant legs but she didn't care. All she could think about was if this came out how it would hurt Jacob. She could just imagine the hurt in his eyes as she ran into the forest.

Once in the forest, it didn't stop her speed, in fact going down the hills only made her pick up her speed. At one point, she tripped over a stick and fell on the ground, sliding quite a few feet from running so hard. She didn't pick herself up from the ground for the longest time, she just lied there on the ground crying softly. She sat up on the ground and wiped her muddy hands on her pants, even though it didn't do any good. "How could I be so stupid?" She asked sniffling.

Bella lied back on the ground and stared at the rainy sky, the raindrops falling and hitting her but she didn't care. She rested one arm over her stomach and the other up by her head. She closed her eyes as the sound of the thunder seem to calm her nerves. She kept her eyes closed and she drifted off, not to sleep, but her mind drifted. "Bella?" A voice called. She opened her eyes and saw Jacob there. She sat up and Jacob was kneeling in front of her. "What happened?" He asked. She shook her head.

"Jake I'm stupid," she replied.

He placed his hands on her face. "What are you talking about?" He asked. She shook her head slowly.

"Oh Jake I don't know what I was doing," she told him.

"Bella, you'll need to tell me what happened if you want my help," he answered.

Bella shook her head. "You'll hate me as you should," she answered quietly.

"I could never hate you Bella," he told her.

She stared at him with tear filled eyes. "Jake…I lied to you, I lied," she answered.

"About what?" He asked.

Jacob wiped a tear from her face. "About what happened three days ago, Jake it was Edward in my room…" she started. He suddenly pulled away and Bella stood up from the ground.

"Edward? The leech that kidnapped you?" He asked.

She bit her lower lip. "Where is he?" He asked.

"What?" She asked.

"Edward where is he?" He asked.

"I don't know I haven't seen him since then," she replied.

Jacob growled and Bella saw him starting to shake. "Jake no," she insisted grabbing onto his arm.

"I'll kill him, I'll kill that son of a bitch!" He snapped.

He was suddenly tearing off his clothes and running as he did so. "JAKE!" Bella shouted. Jacob suddenly let out a growl and jumped, turning into his wolf "JACOB NO!" She shouted as she ran, trying to stay up with him.

Edward looked up when he heard a howl and jumped down from his tree to find Jacob right there. "I trusted you! I thought you really were here just to protect her!" Jacob snapped.

"Jake…" he started.

Jacob snarled and lunged at him, pinning him to the ground. Edward grabbed a hold of Jacob's head, trying to keep him from ripping his throat out. The vampire maneuvered and threw the wolf off him. Jacob quickly picked himself back up and growled. Edward was in the crouching position, only to defend himself not to attack.

Bella could hear Jacob's howls and ran towards the howls. "JAKE! DON'T!" She screamed.

Jacob growled as he tried to attack Edward again, but the vampire was too fast or him. "Bella's mine!" Jacob snapped. Edward was silent as he dodged another attack. "FIGHT ME LEECH!" He shouted.

"Jacob I'm not…" Edward started.

He hit the ground with a loud crash with Jacob on top of him again. He grabbed a hold of Jacob's neck, trying to shove him off again. "JAKE!" He heard Bella shout.

"BELLA DON'T!" He shouted at her.

Bella ran over and grabbed onto Jacob. "JAKE GET OFF HIM!" She shouted. Jacob snarled and swung his head, knocking her off him. She flew back and hit the ground hard.

Bella felt her head hit something hard and darkness claimed her.

Edward was waiting for Jacob to rip his throat out when something invaded his senses. "Blood…" he thought. He shoved Jacob off him and ran over to Bella. He placed his hand on the back of her head and pulled it away, Bella's blood coated his fingers. "You idiot!" He hissed at Jacob. Jacob's anger quickly dissipate when he saw his girlfriend lying on the ground unconscious.

He hurried over to Bella and saw the blood. "I'm taking her to my father," he told Jacob moving to pick her up.

"You will do no such thing!" Jacob snapped.

"Do you want to explain to her father how this happened?" He asked angrily.

Jacob growled but then Edward lifted Bella up into his arms and was about to take off when they heard laughing. "Well Edward, you just made it easy," a voice commented. Jacob looked around with a growl standing in front of Edward when the three nomads came from the forest. Edward carefully placed Bella on the ground.

"You're not going to touch her," Edward answered.

"On the contrary, we will you've made it easier for us," Laurent answered laughing.

James grinned when all three ran at them. Jacob and Edward growled and lunged. Jacob ran over and stood in front of Bella with a growl when the vampires tried to get close. A group of howls could be heard and Edward stood next to Jacob as the rest of the pack showed up. "Let's get out of here," James hissed as they took off. Edward looked towards Bella and picked her up again, running off with Bella in his arms.

-------------------------

Bella woke up and saw that she was in the Cullen house. "What happened…where's Edward?" She asked quietly.

"Jacob knocked you over and you hit your head, Carlisle was able to stitch you up just fine," Esme replied.

"Where's Edward?" Bella asked again.

Alice sat next to her friend. "We don't know, he just gave you to Carlisle and left. Jacob is outside waiting," she informed. Bella nodded her head slowly and Jacob came in.

"Jake I'm sorry," she whispered.

Jacob walked over and hugged her gently. "We'll talk about it later, right now I'm just happy you're okay and I'm sorry for knocking you over," he told her quietly. Bella held onto him and closed her eyes.

Edward was sitting outside the window and closed his eyes for a second before disappearing into the forest.