Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. Stephenie Meyer created it all. All credit goes to her for the lines utilized from her books.

A/N: I apologize in advance for the multiple POVs in the first few chapters. I have to establish the background, but promise it will change soon.

Jacob POV

We were heading down the highway south of Forks when I saw Bella's truck and two cars. Sam started slowing, obviously having spotted the same thing. I didn't even pay attention to the occupants of the cars, and jumped out of the truck before Sam even stopped, running over to her truck. After opening the door, two smells hit me … blood and vampire. I saw what had been written on the seat in blood, and it doubled me over for a moment. Spinning to face the things behind me, I saw him kneeling in the dirt, and my rage knew no bounds.

"YOU," I growled and bunched my muscles, phasing on the lunge forward.

Sam stepped in front of me and commanded, "Jacob, stop."

I strained with every ounce of my werewolf body to ignore the Alpha's command, wanting to rip the bloodsucker to pieces. The two women kneeling beside him looked up at my changed form and crouched in defense. Another large bloodsucker and the one known to be a doctor darted between us as well. The larger one adopted the same fighting position, but the doctor held out his hands towards me.

"Jacob, we don't know what occurred here. Calm down first, and we will determine if the treaty has been broken," Sam warned.

The doctor startled at the mention of the treaty, and then he said, "We just arrived. Edward didn't have anything to do with what occurred with Bella today."

THE HELL HE DIDN'T. I threw my head back and howled remembering just how Bella looked when Sam found her, deep in the woods where he had left her, and the comatose state she had existed in for months. I also remembered how she looked the day she came to my house the first time, with the motorcycles. How she kept doing reckless things as if she was trying to kill herself and all the injuries she had received. How it had taken her forever to look human again.

His body jerked and he finally "graced" me with his eyes. He was horrified. WHAT - were the legends true - we had heard that some of the bloodsuckers had powers - it was like he had read my mind.

So to see his reaction, I remembered that day in the meadow when the other blood sucker had attempted to kill her. He needed to see how she had so willingly stood still for death, and the revenge he had left her to face.

She thought it more appropriate to kill you than Edward - fair turn-about, mate for mate. She asked me to get the lay of the land for her, so to speak. I didn't imagine you would be so easy to get to. So maybe her plan was flawed - apparently it wouldn't be the revenge she imagined, since you must not mean very much to him if he left you here unprotected."

His body moved as if I'd kicked him. I kept pacing back and forth, attempting to find the strength to break through Sam's command. Just one shot, and I'd pay him back for killing her.

"I didn't kill her in the way you mean Jacob, although I guess it doesn't really matter how I killed her now," he barely spoke as he stood, looking almost shaky for a vampire. So it was true that he could read my mind.

Then, he lunged through his family to stand before me.

"And I don't want to exist without her. I know what you want. Do it. Do it now," he said, collapsing to his knees in front of me.

YES! I thought lunging for his arm, wrapping my teeth around it.

Edward POV

Hearing the car pull up made me realize I had waited too long. The family had arrived, and I didn't know how I would succeed in getting away from them. I'd kneeled in this exact spot and pawed the ground to release her scent that the rain had soaked in to the dirt. It was excruciating agony, and I deserved every tear, every stab, and every hunger that the scent sent through my body. I was an animal. The most beautiful person in this world had been destroyed because of me. Her body lay somewhere in the ocean below, and the damned thing was that I couldn't drown with her. I had been attempting to gain my feet to get back in the car, but had been immobilized by the pain.

In another part of my brain I was already planning the trip to Volterra. I would ask nicely first for Carlisle's sake, but one way or another, I would cease to exist there. Now I would have to plan wisely, to fool them into thinking everything was okay so that I could get away. Alice would be my problem. One necessary to figure out, as there was no way I could live with what I'd done.

Esme's thoughts were overwhelming as she ran to me. "Oh God, No. She can't be gone. Edward … oh, please, no!"

Surprisingly, I also heard Rose's horrified thoughts, "No, No…I needed to tell her I was wrong. He was supposed to be happy now."

I heard the new arrival's thoughts as they pulled in, and recognized Jacob Black's mind, but not the other. Jacob was making a mad dash to the truck. His horror as he saw the words scrawled on the seat and the moment he recognized our scent was apparent. The only thing that gave me any hope was the fact that his smell was familiar. Maybe I wouldn't have to make that trip to Volterra after all. I'd just find a way to provoke him.

I heard him growl "YOU" just before the air shimmered. Standing in Jacob's place was a huge, angry, russet colored wolf, already crouching to leap at me.

The other man that Jacob called Sam stepped in front of him and commanded, "Jacob, stop."

He continued, saying, "Jacob, we don't know what occurred here. Calm down first and we will determine if the treaty has been broken."

Carlisle added, "We just arrived. Edward didn't have anything to do with what occurred with Bella today."

Jacob howled THE HELL HE DIDN'T at the same time as my mind cried THE HELL I DIDN'T. I saw Jacob's thoughts. How the man called Sam had found her deep in the woods, curled into a tight ball. She had attempted to follow me. I saw a person that could only be Bella, but she was haggard and unkempt. Thin to the point of emaciation. I also saw her hauling two motorcycles to Jacob's and her various self injurious behaviors. I saw just how long it had taken her to even look human again.

Horrified, I forced my eyes from the ground, and toward the spot where Jacob paced. Satisfaction welled within me when I saw just how big a werewolf he had become. He would be able to destroy me within seconds. A surge of relief went through me, seeing my demise in front of me. Then, I heard his recognition of my power but felt no interest in the fact that the Quileutes knew that some of us had such abilities.

My mind was flooded with a horrific picture. Laurent as he stood before Bella in our meadow. The scene was being replayed through Jacob's eyes. Sam, the alpha, had given orders to not attack unless they determined that Bella was in danger. So the werewolves stalked the shadows in wait. I heard Laurent's voice through Jacob's memories.

She thought it more appropriate to kill you than Edward - fair turn-about, mate for mate. She asked me to get the lay of the land for her, so to speak. I didn't imagine you would be so easy to get to. So maybe her plan was flawed - apparently it wouldn't be the revenge she imagined, since you must not mean very much to him if he left you here unprotected."

Bella stood looking at him, not even attempting to avoid her death. My body jerked when I realized she had given up. Jacob was trying to find a way to break through Sam's command. He wanted just one shot at killing me in retribution for what I had done to Bella. I realized in that moment that Jacob Black had loved Bella as well. His love for her made him erratic, which meant he was perfect to put me out of this misery.

"I didn't kill her in the way that you mean, Jacob, although I guess it doesn't really matter how I killed her now," I said, as I struggled to get to my feet. I watched my family for an opening and lunged through it to fall to my knees before him.

"And I don't want to exist without her. I know what you want. Do it. Do it now."

Hurry, Jacob, before they recover and stop you. I heard the other car pull up and realized that the odds for the werewolves had just increased, and for a moment, I found hope that my family would have to leave me here to my destruction, in order for them to survive. I said a silent goodbye.

YES! Came his exultant cry as I felt his teeth rip into my arm. I bowed my head to give him better access and pondered at the same time in my head the fact that the tearing of my flesh by his teeth was less painful by far than the damage inflicted by Bella's loss.

Alice POV

My vision changed as Bella stood up on the face of the cliff. I couldn't see where she was going, but knew she wasn't going to throw herself off. I flipped the phone open and called Edward, receiving the stupid beep again. He and I were going to have a very long discussion about the cell phone. You generally bought cell phones so that people could reach you.

"Jazz, I think we are going to be okay. She's backing away from the cliff. Edward's not going to get there in time to stop her from leaving, but we can just track her down."

He looked over to me as he was speeding along the highway. He took my hand in his and brought it to his mouth to kiss.

I grinned seeing his future. "Yes, you'll get to tell her how sorry you are. I've already told you that before."

Then I saw Bella arriving in California with the older couple that picked her up. I searched for a sign or something that would give me a clue as to where they were entering California. For now, all I got was a welcome to California state sign. Damn. Well, Highway 5 was the most likely way to enter California from the direction of Washington. Then, I hit the jackpot, seeing the tag number. Emmett could hack into the system in a heartbeat and trace down the location.

Another vision started, and I was immediately dismayed. I saw Edward arrive at the pull off and the horrific nature of Bella's message on the seat as he viewed it. He thought she was dead, and as he pawed at the ground he began planning for his own destruction at the Volturi's hands. We had to stop him before he disappeared and made that mistake. Obviously, he wasn't going to answer my calls, so I reached for the phone and began dialing Carlisle.

As the phone began to ring, everything went totally blank. I couldn't see any of our family. They had simply disappeared.

My gasp drew Jasper's attention.

"Hurry, Jazz, I don't know what just happened, but everyone has disappeared. Carlisle isn't answering the phone."

"We are just around the corner," his softly accented voice reassured me.

We saw the pull off with four vehicles already parked. Just in front of us, another car pulled in and we squeezed beside them. Jumping out of the car, I realized the smell of werewolf permeated the air, and that three huge men from the other car were heading over to the edge. That is when the scene before me registered.

A huge werewolf lunged at Edward, who knelt at its feet with his head bowed in surrender, as my family slowly came to life and began to bunch for attack. All hell was about to break loose. I heard the werewolf's teeth sink into Edward and opened my mouth to scream.

Bella POV

I dreamed about Edward and Jacob as I leaned against the window of the car. For the first time in many months, my dreams were good for them. I saw the joy in their faces as they were surrounded by their families, the peace each face held. Blatantly obvious in my dream was my notable absence.

I startled awake as we passed the Oregon state line. The visuals of the dream haunted me. It would seem that life went on for them, happily ever after. For me, well, life would go on. I had to stop thinking about them or at least have some way to firmly remind myself when the selective memories threatened to charm me.

I snuggled back into the blanket that Dot had given me and stared at the landscape that flashed by. The feelings I had, I couldn't solely lay them at Jacob and Edward's feet. I realized that for so long, what I had also wanted was somewhere to fit in. I thought that along with love, that I'd found those places both times. A family with Edward and a place in Charlie's world with Jacob. Alice's face flashed through my mind, and the pain intensified. She had rejected me as well, along with Carlisle and Esme. I'd meant nothing to them or at least so little that leaving me had been easy.

I said good bye to my two personal saviors several hours later. Dot and her husband were continuing south from Sacramento, but this was as good as the next stop for me. I ventured into the local twenty four hour super store and bought a new jacket, then wandered up to the bus station.

"Where do you want to go?" the ticket attendant asked me.

"Just give me a ticket to the next destination that isn't north of here," I told him in a monotone voice.

"Hub number six," he said, motioning to the left.

I didn't even look at the destination when I boarded the bus. I was asleep again before the bus even left the station.

I would love to know what you think! Unlike my other story where I couldn't ask for reviews, I'm soliciting your thoughts here. Please!

As always, I want to thank my Betas – please check out their stories here on FF – they are incredible:

In honor – CullenFest – My first contact in the FanFiction world. She has encouraged me in ways that cannot be described. Her life has a new exciting path, and in respect I've chosen not to burden her with my horrible grammar. My gratitude will never cease, however. See the link to her profile below:

.net/u/2075199/

hopeforastalemate – A better name for this woman would be Volturi Girl. I'd started this story months ago, during short breaks from Harvest Moon. So… in response to her love of the 'Italian scum' and her personal invitation for me to write something a little darker, my planned sweet, angsty story between Bella, Edward, and Jacob took a dramatic turn. Hence the ten other chapters now residing in my recycle bin. I hope I make you proud. See the link to her profile below:

.net/u/2173996/

Crmcneill – For his patience with me (contrary to how he presents himself on his FF profile) and his incomparable editing skills. Male twilight fans are not a myth – they do exist, and I am so glad I was able to connect with him. I've called many men 'friend', but I've never called one master until now. "Strong is the power of the comma. Mind what you have learned. Save you it can." See the link to his profile below:

.net/u/1933926/