Ok, soooo. Turns out I'm writing up this chapter now! I feel like I have stamina. Plus, I don't have school and mid terms til Monday. *wink* Bring on the weekend! And hopefully one or two reviews!

Chapter 2 - Distraught

Jacob's POV

I didn't know what to do without her around. I had gotten used to her wanting to see me every day. It had become habit that she would call me, or drop by, whether it was to fix up the bikes, or hang out, or lately, to check up on what was going on with the red headed leech. It was weird not having to protect her. With her gone, we didn't have to patrol the forests mercilessly. With her gone... There was nothing for me to do.

So I spent most of my time in the forest, in wolf form. Things were easier to deal with that way. Every once in a while, one of the pack members, my brothers, would come and see if I could be persuaded to come home. Whether I would result to my human form, see my dad, eat a meal. But what was the point? All that humanity brought was bitter loneliness and empty dreams. All sitting inside the house did was remind me that Bella wasn't sitting beside me, watching tv. Food didn't taste right any more. It felt cold, and boring. That's what life was, without Bella.

When Bella came back, would she be a vampire? Not a leech, like the Cullens, not a blood sucker, but a vampire? They weren't the same. Bella was quiet, sweet, adorable. Sexy, smart, and caring. She could never be like the Cullens. I couldn't think about it. Bella couldn't become one of them. If she did, I wouldn't ever be able to see her. Would she come back to Forks, when they were done in Italy? Would they survive Italy? If it came between Bella being alive and Bella being a vampire, which would I prefer?

I was astonished to find that I would rather her be a vampire. She had to be alive. Otherwise, I don't know how I would deal. I don't think I imprinted on her, not yet. But still, life without Bella, from what I could tell so far, sucked. Badly.

I was sitting on the forest's edge, overlooking the beaches in La Push when a shuffle came from behind me and I whipped my head around to see my dad rolling over. How he made it through the brush and so on, I didn't know for sure, but I had a feeling one of the pack members helped most of the way out.

"I know you're not going to shift, and you don't want to talk, but I thought I would come out and see if I could try," Billy said, and I let out a snort. I went from my sitting position, to laying down, placing my head on my paws. I know I looked like a lost mutt, but that's just how I felt. I felt incredibly lost.

"Would you like to talk about anything? Maybe come home for a warm meal?" I heard my dad ask. I let out a huff and then shut my eyes. The pack knew I couldn't refuse my dad. Probably the only thing besides Bella I couldn't refuse.

Come on, Jake. She'll come back, you know she will... Quil said in my head. I growled a little.

What do you care if she comes back or not. None of you even liked her, I thought, but then stopped. Now I couldn't get away from anyone. I decided talking to my dad, who couldn't read my mind, was better than sticking with the lot of the pack. I sat up and gave a short whimper before I moved into the bushes and shifted. I poked my head over the bush to look at my dad and a pair of pants caught me in the face.

"I was hoping you'd see reason," Billy said, and I couldn't help but smile slightly. I grabbed the pants and put them on, drawing the strings and tying them before coming out from behind the bush. Billy smiled at me and I shrugged a little, running my hand through my short hair. I was used to the feel of it now, and I found I even kind of liked it.

I walked back to the edge where I had been sitting before and found a tree to lean against instead. I wondered where Bella was, right this minute, what she was doing. Was she in Italy now? It had been, what? A day? Two or three? He lost tracked after the first new sunset. It was midday now.

"I bet she's standing in the middle of a bunch of cold ones, right now, wishing she was back here, having a bonfire with the rest of us and eating fried fish," Billy said from behind me. I rolled my eyes a little. What did I say about my dad not being able to read my mind? I let out a breath and crossed my arms over my chest. I couldn't bring myself to look at my dad, feeling like this forgotten puppy, sitting in the lonely woods.

"You know she'll be back, Jake. We all know, which is why we're not worried. And that cold blooded jerk she's going after, no matter what he thinks, Alice is with her. Alice won't let harm fall upon Bella-"

"But that's the problem, dad. That pixie witch took Bella in the first place. What happens if she catches that idiot in time? She's still surrounded by no one knows how many vampires. And whay if she's not in time? She's still so hung up on him that I'm afraid she's going to run in and be the hierarchs next lunch!" I said, trying not to sound whiney. I ran my hands through my hair, clutching my head in the process. What if she was standing in front of the vampires right now, looking death in the eye? Would she beg to be turned into one of them?

"Jake, come home. Come eat. We'll talk more about it later if you want, but I can hear your stomach growling from here, kid," my dad said, and I let my hands drop as I sighed, glancing out at the water one more time. I searched out the cliffs in the distance, and picked out the one Bella had jumped off of, so recently. I looked at the bottom of the cliffs, watching the water pound into rock. That could have been Bella's head... I looked down at the beach and tried to pin point where I had pulled her out, but I gave up. Something tugged at my heart as I heard my dad rolling through the wood chips and leaves. He reached up and shook my shoulder a little.

"If she doesn't come home in a week, I'll let you say 'I told you so' and deny your stomach. Until then, let your family take care of you. The pack is worried too," Billy said and I nodded a little, giving in.

How would my dad get back to the house otherwise? I smiled to myself.

Bella's POV

Alice was racing through the streets of Italy, throwing me against the sides of the sporty little car she'd stolen. The whole time we were driving, waiting, flying, driving... All I could think about was saving Edward. The thought of Jacob tried to surface in my mind several times, but I forced it away. Edward was the one who was going to show himself in sunlight and get himself killed by the Volturi. He was the one in danger, because of me.

"Alice, hurry," I whispered, unable to control my anxiety any more. We were driving up a long, narrow street. People were on the side of the road, here and there, walking. I watched them, all wearing red. Alice had explained earlier, the perfect scene Edward had set for himself. Even in his moment of death, he was going to be morbidly poetic. I stopped myself, trying not to think horrible things about the man I loved.

The bodies became thicker and I glanced around, feeling like they were starting to enclose the car. Suddenly, we stopped. I looked at Alice.

"I can't go any further in the car, Bella, you have to go on your own," Alice stated. There seemed to be this layer of distance between us now. Was it about the kitchen statement?

"Where do I go?"

Jacob's POV

I shoved a piece of steak in my mouth and began to chew. Emily was walking around the house. Apparently, the pack had really thought through what would go on if I came back home. Emily had been cooking the steak out on the grill, and had fish, biscuits, vegetables and rice spread all out along the counter. When I walked in through the door, she had immediately made me a plate, sat me down and put a fork in my hand. I couldn't tell you how glad I actually was that she had the food already prepared.

"So, the big, bad, love stricken wolf has returned," Emily said, taking the spot across from me. I looked up at her, trying to chew my mouthful of food. She held up her hand. "You don't need to talk, I'm pretty sure I've got the jist of everything." Jacob couldn't explain why, but he didn't want Emily thinking of him as this pathetic being that would have rather climbed under a rock and died rather than come back home without Bella.

"Whatever you understand about the situation, I'm sure it's off," I said, keeping my voice low. I jabbed at a few pieces of spare vegetables on the plate.

"Do you want more?" she asked and I shook my head, feeling a lead weight in my stomach.

"Would Bella really want you dwelling like this, Jake?" she asked, and I looked up at her. I looked back at my fork on the plate.

"I don't know what she would want... I only know that if she doesn't come back how she left, that treaty isn't going to hold me back," I said, twirling the fork as if there were spaghetti on my plate. I could feel the conversation turning onto a darker path, and I didn't want that. Emily had already been forced to experience one werewolf's bad mood. She shouldn't have to endure mine.

"I know you love her, Jake..." Emily said, and I looked up at her. She caught my eye and kept me there, and I knew what was coming. I gripped my fork tightly. "Did you imprint on her?" I swallowed and shook my head, very slightly.

"Not yet," I said quietly. I knew what was coming next and tried to brace myself for it.

"You know... That if you haven't imprinted on someone the first time you seem them after you shift-" I slammed my hand onto the table and dropped the fork on the plate, making Emily jump. I instantly regretted it.

"Damnit, I know! But there's still a chance! It's unlikely, but it could happen! And even if I don't imprint on Bella, I can't figure out what the hell this feeling is I have for her. I want to stand by her side, every waking moment of the day. I want to marry her, have kids with her. I want to keep her away from those dirty leeches, and I want her living in my house, in my room. I don't know what this is, if it's not imprinting," I finished, unsure of myself. Emily was at my side, rubbing my shoulder as I tried to gather myself. I felt more like breaking down than shifting into my wolf form. I didn't want to run anymore. I just wanted answers. Nothing made sense.

"You'll find out, Jake... As soon as she comes back," I heard Emily say, and I brought my hand up to rest my head on. I prayed she was right. I prayed Bella was on her way home right now, just so I could see her.

A/N: Ok, so what do you guys think? Just for clarification, this IS a Jake and Bella story. I just don't believe that Bella can switch her love just like that *snaps* from Edward to Jacob. It will be drawn out, lots of anxiety, heart break and so on, but that's how I like my stories! Oh yeah, and to clarify, there will be lemony lemons, but not til wayyy later, because I like drawing out those kinds of things too!

Read and Review, please and thank you! Let's see when my next chapter will come up!

~Tracy