A/N: Hey guys, quick intro, this is from Jake's POV and goes back in time slightly. Enjoy! Or if you don't like Jake then please wait for the next chapter, you'll get to the same place. More later.

Chapter Nine:

My fist came down hard on the table, and from the corner of my eyes I saw Billy wince. I must have cracked it. But I didn't care; I was furious, my body trembling despite my best efforts to remain calm.

"What do you mean I can't see her?" I ground out.

Sam looked at me with those penetrating, authoritative eyes. "It is too dangerous."

He was thinking of Emily, that much was clear. The phone was ringing again, and I knew who it was. We all did. Bella was sick with worry, unwavering in her need to see me. I decided to change tactics.

"Look, I need to have this conversation with her. I can't just leave her high and dry." My mind flashed back to the Cullens, and I felt another hot flash of fury. Now I was no better than the bloodsuckers. "Look, I've managed more control in one day than most of you have in weeks. I can handle this."

I could see I was winning. What I said was the truth after all. "You can't explain to her about this," Sam allowed, and even in human form I could hear the thick layer of the Alpha wolf in his tone.

"Sure, sure," I bit back, my tone bitter.

I didn't have to wait long for this conversation with Bella, although when it came down to it I wished I had had more time to prepare myself. She looked worried. Probably because she thought I was mad that she hadn't been to visit me in such a long time. She noticed the change in my demeanor immediately.

"Jake?" she asked, climbing out of her truck.

"Bella." God, why did I have to sound so acidic?

Bella's brow furrowed as she noted my tone. "Is this a bad time?" she asked. She stepped toward me, and a sweet scent blew in with the breeze that ruffled her hair. It was thick, sickening. It was vampire. A growl escaped my lips before I could help it, and I saw Bella step back in fear.

I silently berated myself for that little slip-up. We were still standing outside the house, just in front of her truck. The curtains in the house were drawn, but I could feel all the eyes and ears straining to catch this little scene.

I sighed, frustration getting the best of me. Just when life had been going so great, this had to happen. I was finally getting closer to Bella, and then life reminded me just how unfair it was. I reached up to twist my hair but grasped air; it still took a while for me to remember that it was cut short. "Bella, I can't see you anymore."

Her mouth dropped open, and my heart died a little. "What do you mean?" she asked, her face beginning to crumple.

Please, no tears, not now. "Exactly what I said," I threw back, hating myself all the more.

Bella looked around, her face pained. I could see her hand snake its way up to her chest, clutching at her heart. She really wasn't going to take this well. "Jake?" she asked me, her eyes watery. I was silent; there was nothing I could say. Nothing I was allowed to say.

"You should go," I tried to tell her as gently as I could. My heart felt hollow. Bella just stared at me.

"Jake, I don't understand. What is going on?"

God, the look of hurt in her eyes nearly undid me. I dropped my new mask and fell back into being her Jacob. I closed the distance between us in one stride and gathered her into my arms, squeezing her tightly against me. "I don't either," I murmured into her hair. "I'm sorry, Bella." I wouldn't cry, even though I felt like I was ripping my own heart open with razors as I hugged her goodbye. I pushed her back gently then spun around and started walking back to the house. "Go home," I called back. It came out more harshly I had intended, but I was shaking now, unable to stem the intense emotions rolling out from me.

I didn't look back as I slammed the door shut behind me.

**

I paced my room all night after I returned from visiting Bella. Her room absolutely reeked of vampire, but I did my best to focus and tell her what she needed to know. Bella was smart, she would figure this all out, I tried convinced myself. I flopped onto my bed as best I could, exhaustion stealing over me. The only problem would be her reaction once she did.

Moments later the door slammed open, and I lifted my head up groggily. Light was streaming through my window. I couldn't remember falling asleep. My eyes slowly focused in on Bella's form.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you," she mumbled, blushing and edging out my door. "I'll just wait outside."

I let my head fall back into the pillow then, it's soft comfort so welcoming in my sleep deprived state. But then my mind kicked into high gear, and I shot up, scrambling off my bed to pull on some clean clothes. Bella was here. That meant she had figured it out.

A lump of worry and anxiety settled in my throat as I walked out my door.

"She's outside," Billy told me as I passed him. He didn't seem too happy.

I nodded at him as I made my way out the door, dread filling me up with every step. I saw Bella there, standing in the little bit of sunshine that we had today, and my heart melted for a moment, all the fear washing away as I fell back into being her Jake again. "Bella," I said, and she jumped, startled at my sudden voice.

"Sorry I woke you," she told me, though her eyes didn't quite meet mine.

I shrugged. "Do you want to walk?" I asked. I didn't like how there was this new tension between us, and my body tensed in response.

"Yeah." We walked in silence down to the beach, but I didn't hold her hand like I normally would have. At last Bella stopped and sat down on a large log. I was careful not to sit too close to her. I followed Bella's example of staring out at the water. "So you're a werewolf."

"Yes," I replied cautiously, staring at her in my peripheral vision. She swallowed once, trying to wrap her mind around this.

"Okay."

"Okay?"

Bella looked at me. She took a deep breath and smiled at me. "Okay."

My heart was speeding now, joy beginning to surface. "You mean you're okay that I turn into this huge, scary monster at will?"

Bella looked surprised for a moment. "No full moon?"

I laughed, a short bark really. I was too happy; this was too good to be true. "Movies don't get much right, I thought you knew that Bella."

Bella half smiled at me.

"So you're really okay with this?" I asked her, trying hard to beat down the hope in my chest.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

It was too much. I scooped Bella up in my arms and twirled her around me, laughing. It was as if a huge weight had been lifted right out of me, the bitterness and anger I had been feeling for the past month dissolved into nothing.

"Jake, I can't breathe," Bella gasped out.

"Oh sorry!" But we were both laughing.

"You're really hot," Bella told me.

"I know I am. But thanks for the compliment."

Bella flushed, a nice pink coloring her cheeks. "I meant your skin! Are you sick?"

"Easy Bells, I was just joking. I'm not sick, it's just a werewolf thing."

"Werewolf thing, huh?"

I grinned at her, still in an incredible high from her acceptance. We spent a long time talking, just catching up, until I remembered something that caused me to frown. "Bella, who is the vampire that keeps visiting your house? I thought all the Cullens were gone."

Bella practically jumped out her skin the moment the word Cullen was out of my mouth. She shifted around uncomfortable and my frown deepened. "Bella," I insisted.

Bella's eyes searched mine for a while. "Don't get mad," she asked me. I nodded my head, unable to promise anything. "It's Jasper, Edward's brother."

I felt like the wind was knocked out of me. "What?" I stared at Bella like she was crazy. "And what, he just stays over every night? Does Charlie know? Does anyone?"

"Yes, no and no." Things started to get blurry around the edges. This was not good. "Jake? Jake, listen. It's not like that. I mean, we're friends, and well, Jasper has actually helped me out of a few sticky situations." Bella wasn't getting anywhere. It was her hand on mine that stilled my trembling body. "Jake, please. I trust him. He won't hurt me."

This was too much. Bella was absolutely mental. So that's what had been going on, and for all this time. I stared at her, and I could feel werewolf Jacob kick in. "I'll be right back," I told her abruptly, then jogged into the forest.

"I hope Emily makes muffins again."

"I'm starving man."

"Stop talking about food, Paul!"

"There's another vampire in Forks." It was absolutely silent after I made this revelation.

Sam's sharp voice cut in at last. "What?"

"I'm talking to Bella. One of the Cullens is back."

"I told you not to tell her anything."

"She figured it out on her own." In werewolf form I could hear everyone's exasperated response to my newest revelation.

"Which one?"

"Jasper. One of the brothers." We were silent as we waited for Sam to consider this.

"Jacob, you can't be friends with Bella. It's too dangerous. He doesn't seem to have broken the treaty, but I do not want any aggravation to spark something."

"What? Sam, no! I just got her back. She accepts me, she doesn't care!"

"It is too dangerous. You cannot be her friend if she continues to surround herself with our enemy."

"She's not starting a war! You're blowing this out of proportion!"

"Need I remind you that we already have at least one other vampire running loose in the area? With one of the Cullens back, things will just get more complicated. What if the two are friends? This means we can only kill on our land."

I wanted to retort, say something to make Sam take back his words, but I couldn't. He was right. He always was. "But Bella-"

"She is not of your concern. She has chosen her side." I knew I was dangerously close to getting the alpha command turned on me, and I would do anything to avoid that.

"Sure, sure."

"Jake-"

I returned to my human form before Sam could get any further. This was beyond unfair. I finally got Bella back, with a new level of intimacy, and here I find out she's hanging out with a vampire all day long, and now Sam practically forbade me to be her friend. This really sucks.

My face must have reflected my cynicism when I returned to Bella, because her brow furrowed and she reached out to place her hand over mine. How could she do this? What did they have to offer that I didn't?

"Jake?"

"Why?"

"Why what?"

I snatched my hand away form hers and turned on her. "Why do you have to do this? Why can't you be normal, just have normal, human friends?" I was being unfair, but hell life was unfair!

Bella narrowed her eyes at me. "For your information, Jacob Black, if I was 'normal', I wouldn't be your friend, so I don't see what your point is."

"You know what I mean!" I growled, jumping up to pace.

"I'm not going to stop seeing him," Bella threw at me. I rounded on her, my body trembling with rage again. "Any more than I'm going to stop seeing you," she continued, sensing the danger.

She has chosen. She is not your concern. Sam's words echoed in my head like a mantra.

"Bella!" I had to take a few breaths to calm myself before I continued. "Bella, I can't be friends with you if you insist on spending all your time with my one, mortal enemy. The one thing that made me like this." I lowered my gaze to hers for a moment, and the look of pain etched on her face stabbed at my heart. "We can't be friends, Bella." It was silent for a moment. Bella's heart, just audible to my ears, was beating quickly as she tried to find a way to remedy the situation. It was hopeless.

"Jake, please."

I did my best to frown. "I don't think we can see each other any more."

"Y-you promised you wouldn't leave me. That you'd always be here for me." Oh god, she was going to cry. I had made her cry.

"Bella." My voice broke. I reached out to her, gathering her tiny frame into my own. I hugged her tightly, not wanting to let go. If I let go, she would slip away from me. Again. "Bella, stay with me. Forget about the vampire. Please." I was begging and I knew it. But I couldn't let her go. I needed Bella. I loved her.

"I can't," she whispered into my shirt, and the last piece of Jacob Black from before, the last shred of Bella's Jake, died within me. My arms fell loose from around her and I stepped back. I couldn't feel my own face, only the tension in my body, the mechanical movements, the bitterness returned. I looked at Bella again, the sun that was beginning to dip in the horizon highlighting the red in her hair. I tried to keep a memory of her, memorize every detail. Because things would never be the same. She'd no longer be my Bella. And I was no longer her Jake. The words came out before I registered them.

"Goodbye, Bella." My body moved on its own. I went from beach to forest in a moment, from Jake to monster in even less time. I didn't look back.

**

This was stupid. Absolutely ridiculous. I definitely had a death wish. If the bloodsucker didn't get the job done, then Sam would. One way or the other I wouldn't survive this night.

Bella had been crying, I could tell. God, but the place reeked of vampire. I almost turned around. Too late.

"Jacob."

If I were still in wolf form, my hackles would definitely have been raised. We were a good ten feet away from each other, as though an invisible wall separated us. He was just as tense as I was.

"So you're the leech that's been staying with Bella. Jasper." The name was poison on my tongue, and I wanted to spit. Did we really have to both have names that started with J?

"I don't want to see you any more than I have to, but I do have a bone to pick with you, if you'll pardon the expression."

I grimaced slightly. Of course I knew what this would be about. I repeated my thoughts to him, informing him that I already told Bella we couldn't be friends. Each little syllable that shot from my mouth was like a knife stabbing me.

"She needs you."

Well if that didn't just take the venom right out of me. Bella needed me. Just as much as I needed her? It didn't matter. Sam's earlier words came into my head unbidden. "I can't." It was difficult; I wanted to rip my tongue out and berate it for be so traitorous.

"Why not?"

Did he have to be so damn nosy? "I'm not allowed to," I growled, some of my earlier anger resurfacing. Suddenly the vampire's voice took a different tone. He was guilting me into staying her friend using his brother. Filthy, undeserving monster. Bella's Jake was resurfacing now, but it was Sam's Jacob that was trembling with indignation. "Why are you here?" I spat out in an effort to distract myself. I would NOT let my self control slip.

"The same reason you are." He had the audacity to sound nonchalant.

"I love Bella." I can't believe I actually said it out loud. But it was true. Why deny it now?

"As do I."

What? My mouth dropped open in surprise as an unpleasant feeling shot through me. My own expression was mirrored in his own. "What?" I stared at him, but the leech wouldn't say anything more. I clenched my hands, trying to control my breathing. So that's how it is, huh. Apparently good ol' Jake just can't compare to cold, lifeless bloodsuckers. I told him to send Bella my farewell.

But he wasn't done. He went on about how he just wanted her happy. Then he told me how I made her happy. I knew it, but to have someone else verify it, it was too much. I remembered Bella telling me about Jasper's powers, so I knew he couldn't be lying. I felt like I'd just been sucker punched. "I know."

"I won't stop her if she wants to visit you."

Was he serious? Would he really let me see her? Hell, I wasn't any more dangerous than he was, but weren't vampires supposed to be protective or something? I wasn't sure I'd let Bella visit him if the roles were reversed. It filled me with too much hope. "I promised I wouldn't leave her," I told him softly. Why was I telling him this?

"So did I."

It was hopeless. Despite everything, I knew Sam wouldn't approve. And I would have to tell him, the instant I became a wolf again he'd know. It wasn't fair! If Sam used his alpha command I'd stand no chance. Well, I would just defy him. Who cares? Maybe I just wouldn't turn into a wolf again. There were plenty of others, they could do without me.

I stared at the vampire before me, sizing him up, searching his motives. Jasper. Maybe he was more honorable than Edward. Jasper, at least, seemed more willing to do what made Bella happy than Edward. He would even let me see her, knowing full well what I was. It just might work. I nodded slightly, then turned to take my leave.

I would make it work.

**

"What were you thinking?" Sam growled at me.

I narrowed my eyes at him. I didn't want to tell him, but I didn't really have much of a choice if I wanted to get him to understand. "I was thinking that I love her too much to let her go."

"You could have been killed!"

"I wasn't."

Sam let out a strangled yell of frustration, running his hands through his short crop of hair. "Jake, listen. I know you love Bella, I get it, I understand. But there is more at stake here! What if something goes wrong? What if he breaks the treaty? If a war breaks out, do you know which side Bella will be on?"

"I won't let anything happen to her," I snarled. The mere thought of Bella, cold and lifeless like any other vampire, was too much to fathom.

"Jacob, you have to stop this."

It wasn't a command, he was reasoning with me. "I love her." Now that I'd said it once, I couldn't seem to stop. "I won't let her resign to any sort of fate that being with a vampire leads her to. Remember how heart broken Leah was? Well, I don't want to be like her."

I had hit a sore spot and I knew it. Of course I loved Emily, she was a hell of a lot more fun than Leah, and Sam knew I felt that way. But he still felt so guilty. Before he could retort, Paul burst in Sam's front door.

"Jared said he spotted one of them. The black haired leech, and a new vampire, someone we haven't seen before."

My heart nearly stopped. It couldn't be Jasper, could it? What if the two were friends? This would not be good. We waited until we just stepped into the forest before we transformed. Instantly we were all attuned.

"Where are you?"

"Deep in the forest, just outside the boundary line. Probably ten miles from you."

"Stay where you are, and don't move. We'll be right there."

"Sure thing Sam."

We raced through the forest, trees flying by as we quietly made our way towards where Jared and Embry waited. It took all of about ten minutes, then we circled close to peer through the foliage.

It wasn't Jasper. The black haired leech was there, but Jared was right, we'd never seen this other vampire before. He had brown hair, and he looked young. 17 maybe, or 18. His eyes were blood red.

We trailed them as they made their way deeper into the forest. This was dangerous. We were getting further from our land, and if we killed them here who knew what the repercussions would be? At last they broke out into a clearing, a meadow of sorts, full of flowers. It would have been beautiful, but the scene before me had my heart pounding in my ears and seeing red.

The two vampires entered the meadow, their skin sparkling slightly in the sliver of sun that was showing. Across from them stood Bella.

A low growl escaped from me, and I tensed, ready to spring into action.

"Wait."

I rounded on Sam. "Wait?! They'll kill her! I won't let that happen!"

"You can't be sure."

I nearly attacked Sam in my blind fury. How could he say this? If we waited, Bella might not live. A new scent entering the field stopped me dead in my tracks. I knew that scent. I whirled around and saw Jasper rapidly come up and push Bella behind him. A tiny piece of me eased, glad to know that she had at least some protection. But the fact that there were two vampires against Jasper snapped me back to reality. There was no way he would be able to fight and protect Bella from both of them at once.

"Jasper." It was the black haired leech. He stepped forward, his arms wide in a welcoming gesture.

Jasper stared at him, concentrating hard. Apparently he wasn't buying this sign of friendship, and neither was I. I crouched low, ready to come to action at a moments notice.

"Laurent." Bella was pressed up against Jasper, trying to disappear, and he stood crouched in a slightly defensive position himself.

"I wasn't aware that any of the Cullens had stayed behind." Jasper didn't answer. He was trying to maneuver Bella backwards while his eyes followed the circling motions of the two vampires before him.

"I thought you were in Alaska."

Laurent smiled wide, flashing his teeth. My fur stood on end. This was definitely not going well. "Well, I find it hard to stick so stringently to the 'vegetarian' lifestyle." He took another step closer to Bella and I took a step forward.

"Jacob."

I ignored Sam's sharp tone.

"Who is your friend?"

Laurent stopped for a moment, his eyes glancing over to the vampire next to him. "A newborn. His name is Dustin."

The new vampire, Dustin was it, smiled and took another step closer. "Hello. And who is your delicious smelling friend?"

Bella let out a little whimper, and another low snarl slipped past my bared teeth. "Bella! I'd nearly forgotten about you," Laurent joked, taking another casual step closer. They were only fifteen feet apart now, much too close for comfort.

"Sam?"

"I don't think this is going to end well."

"What are we going to do?"

Sam was quiet through the questions, but I was too focused on the scene before me to pay much attention.

"Now, I really do hate to do this, Jasper. And I don't want to hurt you, believe me. But you see, I'm on a mission. And here lies my goal, not ten feet from me. I'll have to ask you to step aside."

Jasper snarled along with me, and really crouched down into his defensive position.

Laurent sighed. "Now, Jasper. There are two of us and only one of you. How do you expect to win this?"

Jasper's lips curled up over his teeth. "Trust me, I've dealt with much bigger opponents than you."

There was a brief pause, a moment of absolute stillness and silence, then all hell broke loose.

Laurent lunged at Jasper, who reached forward to meet him, while Dustin leapt to the side, rushing at Bella. Fear held me frozen for a moment, and in that time span Sam and the others lunged forward as well.

Sam shot forward and hit Laurent in the side, rolling to the ground with him. Jarred and Embry rushed at Dustin and pinned him to the ground. It was Paul's movement that brought me back to life. He lunged straight at Jasper.

Jasper, surprised by the sudden turn of events, was unprepared, but Bella was more active. God! Only Bella would do something so stupid.

She jumped in front of Jasper, right in Paul's line of attack, his outstretched claws reaching forward to slash her to pieces.

A/N: Hey guys, I'm sooo sorry about the wait! My computer was being a jerk and so this took a long time. First things first, I'm really sorry but I probably won't be updating for two weeks this time, unless I can find time to write. I'm graduating from high school and I'll be really busy for the next two weeks. :[ So I hate to leave such a terrible cliff hanger, but :[

Also, the chapter I'm isn't quite where I want it to be, but I went ahead and posted this one so that I might get some inspiring reviews and/or feedback. But this chapter was done when I needed to break writer's block.

So I hope you guys will stick with me! I really am sorry for the long wait, and I'll try and squeeze in more writing in any downtime! Thanks!

Edit: Just fixed the bit where it was hard to read. Thanks Melinda.