Welcome back!

So...not a lot of love for Jacob last chapter. I'd like to say he will completely redeem himself but I don't want to lie to you all. I will say that sometimes to be a hero to some, you'll have to be the villain to others.

Confused? Well good news, this chapter is Jacob's POV! So hopefully you'll get a better understanding of his motives.

Thanks to all of you for your continued support of this story, every word I write is for you guys!

Extra special thanks to c8499145, 6-natz-9, bezybee, Kasey Jones, TheGreatKanaka, sujari6 & TwilightSVU for following either this story or me as a writer, and to Edlovesme, jansails, VioletDream13, sassygirl156, majose, madkins & elliefrog for posting more amazing reviews. Waking up to an inbox full of all your alerts is my favourite way to start the day!

Okay...so let's find out what Jacob's problem is shall we?

:-D

JPOV

"Jacob? Jacob, did you find them?" Thomas asks as I slowly open my eyes. Without waiting for the haze in my mind to clear, I struggle to my feet and rush to the door of the hut.

"Yes, I found them," I reply. "They gave me some very important information that I must share with my father right away."

"Are you sure that is a good idea?" Thomas enquires hesitantly as he follow me back down the mountain towards our village. "He'll be angry when he finds out what we've done. You heard him, you'll be banished from the tribe for approaching those outsiders and I'll be sent away too for helping you."

As the first born sons of two if the most senior members of our tribe, Thomas Uley had been my best friend since birth. When I had decided to make contact again with the other time travellers, he had offered his assistance and put his place in the tribe at risk to make the trip up the mountain with me to our sacred ceremonial hut where the spirit rituals take place.

"He won't banish us," I say with certainty. "Not after he hears what I now know."

"And what is that?" he asks.

"I know how to save all our people," I state.

I briefly explain what I had been told by their so-called leader Edward, and about the tree that marks the spot where they made their leap through time, before the village comes into view. I don't want any other tribe members to overhear our discussion and run to tell my father before I can. After asking around, we eventually find him inside the meeting hall surrounded by the other elders.

"Father, I must speak to you in private," I say urgently. He raises his eyebrows in question while watching me suspiciously.

"Anything you have to say son, you can say in front of everyone," he says.

I take a deep breath and summon my courage. Regardless of how angry I know he will be, it is important that I tell him what I've discovered.

"Before I begin, I must insist that you hear me out before you make any rash decisions," I plead.

"I will promise you no such thing," he says dismissively. "You are in no position to make any demands. Now speak."

Predicting that that would be his response, I decide that it would be best to share what I've learnt before I tell him where the knowledge came from.

"I know how to save our decendants," I say simply. He immediately straightens his body, giving me his full attention.

"Go on," he urges.

"There is a special place nearby that has the ability to transport people through time, much like we can," I explain. My father looks around the room at the other elders. They all seem to be watching me with interest, but leaving the questions to my father as the Chief.

"Where is this place?" he asks impatiently.

"I don't know yet, but it is marked in the future by an apple tree," I admit. "The tree itself would have taken decades to grow, meaning it would be visible in our decendants time as well as the time I have visited. I intend to return to that time and find the tree."

"And if you do find this tree," he says eyeing me sceptically. "How will this help our future tribe?"

"I will continue looking for them and when I find them, they can use the magical place to transport themselves to a time after the extinction. It will give them a chance to start again."

"How do you know that this place is actually magical?" he presses. To anyone else it would seem like a simply question, but I know my father too well. He's turning the discussion into an interrogation.

He knows exactly where I got my information from. I may have broken his rules but I don't have to play his mind games.

"You know exactly how I know," I sneer, ignoring the disapproving murmurs from the other elders. "And yes, I defied your orders but I did it for the benefit of the tribe, now and in the future. I just did what any good leader would do, what you raised me to do. Protect our tribe at all costs!"

My father sits there, silently thinking over everything I've just said. I have put him in a difficult situation. If he banishes me now for doing what's right for our people, he will lose the respect of his fellow elders.

I have him backed into a corner and he knows it.

His face morphs into a deep scowl as he sighs.

"You have until the next full moon to find the location of the tree," he finally relents. I breath a sigh of relief that I won't be forced to leave my family behind and spend the rest of my days alone. Unfortunately he is not finished. "Then you must find our decendants and pass on this information. If you cannot do this, you must leave the village for good and I will find a more competent replacement. Just because you are my son doesn't mean you can get away with breaking my rules."

When he slowly turns away and begins talking to the others in harsh whispers, I take that as my not-so-subtle cue to leave.

With only weeks to accomplish my task, I can only hope that the other time travellers were being truthful.

My entire future depends on it.