AN: It is such an honor to read all of your reviews! I expect as the story evolves their tone may change, but I don't even care. It is such a thrill to know people are enjoying this story as much as I enjoyed writing it.

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I said that I wouldn't do anything ever again to hurt Jacob Black, and if that meant sending Edward away, I would do it. A thousand times. Even if meant feeling like I was going to die, or worse—actually doing it.

Before I could say any of this, the front door of my house crashed open. Charlie stood there with his pistol cocked and pointed directly at Edward Cullen's head. All four of us halted, the air crackling with fear on all sides and the baying of wolves echoing out of the woods as though from a nightmare.

"What's he doing here," Charlie muttered. In spite of my racing pulse, I noticed he wasn't angry, really…He was still sleepy, but clearly awake. Clearly aware of what was happening…or was he?

I slowly stepped up beside my father. He had to know, in spite of Edward's posture, that nothing bad was happening. I had to make him believe something outrageous but rational, or crush his vision of the world. I put my hand on my father's shoulder and he immediately relaxed and put the gun in its holster, casually strung over his shoulder. The safety had never been off. I grinned with relief. Of course Charlie wasn't that impulsive.

Edward had managed to straighten himself up into a reasonably human position. Leah strategically draped her long hair across her body and slid out of the porch light.

"Hello, Chief Swan." Edward's calm tone contrasted with his bristling posture. Charlie surveyed him warily.

"You're not welcome here," he said, and glared at me; I was oblivious to the moment, because an outrageous but rational lie had just occurred to me.

"Dad, Edward was here to help Leah get her dogs home." I pointed out to the yard. Leah didn't wave back, and I sighed with frustration.

"What?" Charlie looked at me and then looked out to the dark again. The wolves were somewhat more subdued, but I could still hear the underbrush snapping and loud pants coming from just beyond the trees. "That is the weirdest thing I think you've ever said."

Count on Charlie to make me laugh right now. Leah gently coughed out in the yard, and then I continued. "Her dogs have run all the way here from La Push, can you believe that? Edward was just leaving to help go round them up."

"Dogs?" Charlie was still looking at me like I was crazy. And hey, to be fair, I was, at least a little bit. "I didn't know Sue had any dogs." I tried to reel in the frenzied tone of my voice before I spoke again.

"Sue doesn't—these are Leah's dogs. Right, Leah?" I looked out at her. What else could get Edward to leave? What else could explain the howling, once Charlie recognized what he was listening to? It was the best I could do.

"These are definitely my dogs," Leah said. I could feel her eye roll from the porch. "Come on, Cullen. Let's get out of here." Her clearly unfriendly hiss carried all the way back across the lawn towards us, and I hoped Charlie wouldn't bother trying to understand anything that was happening. I hoped this was just feasible enough to allow him to sleep.

"I'm going to go up to my room," I shouted my hints at Leah just as she began to disappear. "I'll talk to you soon!" She made no reply. I hoped she knew whom I'd really been speaking to.

Edward was standing firmly on the bottom stair. His devastated face was breath taking in the muted glow of the porch light. I looked down at him and put my hand on Charlie's shoulder again.

"Good night, Edward. I promise I will call you tomorrow."

"But don't come back here." Charlie leaned towards him, ignoring my hand. "I don't care what Bella says about that, either. You're not welcome." He turned his head to stare at me before standing upright again.

Edward backed away slowly towards the street. I knew he wasn't going to leave, but I also knew he understood I meant to see Jake no matter what the consequences. He would give us enough room to be alone, while still being close enough to intervene if things were as dangerous as everyone seemed to think they would be. With that thought, my heart began to race again. Respect my choices, I thought as I looked at Edward. My heartbeat was already focused on Jake.

"Bella," Charlie began, never taking his eyes off of Edward's retreating figure, "I don't appreciate you inviting that kid over once I'm asleep." He looked down at my hand but didn't shake it off. "And I don't know why the hell Leah Clearwater was half naked in my front lawn at eleven o'clock at night, but I don't want that happening again either. You clear?"

I was clear. I was also aware of the difference between now and when I had lived here before. Charlie's words were well chosen; I was not allowed to invite people to his house and disturb his home, but he would not attempt to control who I saw or why if it wasn't happening on his property. Charlie knew I had grown up.

"Alright Dad, let's get to bed."

"Oh, now she's ready," he muttered, "after a pack of wild dogs scampered on to the front porch and naked girls and weirdos swarmed up after them. Now she's ready for bed." I laughed again as we walked inside together, but it died in my throat when I thought about what might be waiting for me tonight.

"Bella…" Charlie hesitated ahead of me on the stairs. "Bella, I love you." He peered back at me for a split second before muttering a good night. His words caught me by surprise, and it took me a moment to follow him. That was another thing I'd found and then left in Forks that I'd never had before: a real parent. I brushed my teeth and heard him start to snore peaceably in the old bedroom, and closed the door on my way to bed. I didn't want him to hear anything else unusual tonight.

And what was it he would hear, I wondered, as my feet turned towards my own bedroom and began a silent, hesitant march towards my door before lurching to a halt. It was closed.

I hadn't closed it.

It couldn't be Victoria, not with all the wolves in such close proximity. Had Edward ignored what I said? Had he blatantly chosen to invite himself in against my wishes? I began to feel the same small flicker of fury building inside of me as my hand rested on the knob. But what if…what if Jake was already inside? Waiting…

I opened the door. I looked around once and quickly closed it behind me, not wanting Charlie to hear me scream, and needing just that second to make sure that I wouldn't.

I smelled him before I saw his eyes glistening in the dark. The hulking mass breathed deeply in the corner of my room, close to the open window. Jacob had grown. I could tell without seeing him standing up, as my eyes adjusted to the dim light coming from the streetlight outside. It seemed like the whole world had suddenly stopped rotating. I don't know how long I stood, my hand still pressed to the doorknob, my chest pumping frantically against the vacuum.

"Bella…" His voice sounded like it was crawling out of a dead man's chest. He was naked, with dirt and twigs stuck in his hair and even his skin, his long spine arched to form a deep crouch. His head was cocked slightly to the side, and I could feel him inhaling the scent of the room. One of his monstrously large hands slid lightly along the floor, allowing him to take in more of my face. The fingernails on it had long since become claws, sharp and deadly. His eyes gleamed through the long, matted black hair hanging over his face.

Jacob was a wolf. I completely understood each word that Emily hadn't said.

If he attacked me, no one would be able to save me.