A/N: I will be resuming regular updates on this story from now on. Sorry it took so long… it won't happen again. I'm aware that I left you with a rather unfair cliffhanger… I apologize for that as well. It should all be resolved in short order.

Enjoy the chapter, and please review!

~Crit.

Chapter 5: Fifteen Years Ago

Jacob felt his muscles begin to quiver. This couldn't be happening… he never should have left his pack. Leah was hurt… maybe she was dying. "What happened? Did somebody attack you? Where is she hurt?"

Seth cleared his throat. "Um… she isn't hurt." He paused. "She's not bleeding, like: injured, she's… … you know, like girls do."

It took Jacob a minute. "Oh-h..." he said when the meaning of Seth's words hit him. His first instinct was to be mildly grossed out… until he remembered a mental conversation he'd had with Leah long ago. He could have gone his entire life without thinking about Leah's menstrual cycle, and happily, but some things just weren't in the cards when you shared a brain half the time. "But… that's not possible. She said that stopped when her transformations started. It's been almost five years since then." Jacob was really confused. He wished he was there, so that he could know what was happening. "Can you both go some place to phase, right now, so that I can hear the whole story for myself?"

"I can't." Seth's voice was softer than Jacob had ever heard. And then he heard something even more shocking; a soft sniffling noise. Seth was crying. "I can't," he repeated, "Jake, I can't phase."

"What?" Jacob had just phased earlier that morning, to hunt with Nessie. He hadn't had any trouble at all. "Seth, just calm down… what do you mean, you can't? Are you somewhere where people would see you?" Of course, Jacob knew that wasn't the case. Why would Seth be this upset over something like that?

"I just can't!" Now the kid was starting to sound frantic. "Neither can Leah. She's a little preoccupied… freaking out about her body going through all sorts of girl stuff again… but I've been trying all day, and I can't do it. I've just lost it… it's gone."

Jacob felt like his skin was on fire. This was his fault, somehow. His pack was in trouble. He'd left them, and now something awful was happening. "Are you sure?" he said weakly. Of course Seth was sure. What a stupid question.

Seth sniffed again. When he answered, his voice was very quiet and small. "Jake, I'm scared," he said desperately. "How could this happen? It's not supposed to be this way… this is who we are! How could it just disappear?"

The wheels in Jacob's head were turning. Maybe there was an explanation. He'd moved away nearly three months before, following the Cullens. Who happened to be the only vampires in the vicinity of La Push, as far as he knew. He was living five hundred feet from their house. He could still phase. Leah and Seth, who were nowhere nearby, could not. "Seth, hold on. Do you remember what Billy told us once, about why we become wolves in the first place?"

"Of course," Seth said instantly, the history lesson distracting him from his misery, "To protect Forks and La Push from the vampires."

"And what happened when the vampires left?"

Seth's end of the line went silent. He'd figured it out too. "But it hasn't been that long," he protested weakly. "This shouldn't be possible, not this quickly."

"How would we know that? This has never happened in our lifetime. There are all sorts of things that could vary the amount of time it takes for the changes to stop." Jacob was struck by a creeping sense of dread. If all the Quileute wolves had stopped phasing, that meant he was alone. The only one of his kind. He suddenly felt the absence acutely, like there was a huge gaping hole in the middle of his chest.

"Jacob?" he snapped out of his reverie at the sound of Seth's voice. "Are you still there?"

"Yeah," he said dumbly. "I'm here."

"Leah just came in… she wants to talk to you."

"Okay." There was a pause while the phone changed hands, and then Leah was on the line.

"Well? What are we going to do now?" she said expectantly. No greeting, straight to the point. Jacob felt a sudden constriction in his chest. Leah. His beta, his right hand. He hadn't even realized how close they'd grown until he was faced with the thought of never sharing her thoughts again. It was almost physically painful. Jacob sat down, right there on his kitchen floor.

"I don't know, Leah." He felt like pouring his heart out the her, but he knew she would consider it a waste of time. She probably felt worse than he did, anyway. She'd just call him self-indulgent.

"Aren't you supposed to be in charge?" Sometimes, when she made comments like this, Jacob knew that Leah was just teasing. But not today. "You'd better come up with something, and soon. If Seth doesn't stop bawling, I'm really going to give him something to cry about."

Jacob almost smiled. That acerbic wit was exactly what he needed to distract him from how terrified he was at the prospect of losing his pack. "I think it's because the vamps are gone. That's why my transformations haven't stopped."

"No kidding." Leah paused. "Sam came to see me yesterday."

Jacob had almost forgotten about the other pack. "Is his pack…"

"Same deal. None of them can make the change." She lowered her voice slightly. "He's scared, Jacob. He didn't say it, but I could tell. He was like an open book… Sam's never like that around me anymore."

Jacob pondered this. Sam hadn't figured it out yet, then. By this point, it was obvious to him. The Cullens had left, and there was no threat left to protect the humans from. The wolves were unnecessary. Except that Jacob knew the minds of his pack, and of Sam's pack. And he knew that to them, being a wolf was absolutely necessary. What had Seth said? This is who we are. Jacob made up his mind then and there.

"Leah, pack your things. You and Seth need to get out here as soon as possible. I'll go talk to Carlisle, we'll arrange for plane tickets."

He was expecting an argument, but to his surprise, Leah agreed with him. "I'll get all our stuff together. Give me a ring when you have a plan." If Leah was being this agreeable, Jacob mused, she must really be worried. He couldn't blame her.

They said goodbye and Jacob hung up the phone. He was still for a few moments before springing up from the floor and tearing out the door, heading for the Cullen house. Carlisle was home, he knew, and he would help. He had to.

Thank god for the Cullen family's connections, Jacob thought as he sped along the stretch of road heading to the small local airport. Carlisle had been able to track down a biplane and a pilot within a couple hours of Jacob barging into his office. He had agreed with Jacob; the changes had likely stopped because the Cullens had left Forks. The only way to test the theory was to bring Seth and Leah to where the family was now. It was a quick 45 minute plane ride, they would already be on the small runway when Jacob pulled up. His heart leapt with the thought of his small pack being reunited, despite the tense circumstances.

They were there, standing beside two small duffle bags. Seth, large and burly like Jacob, his shaggy dark hair just brushing his collar. Leah, with her long, sinewy limbs, standing rigidly next to her brother, sharp eyes blazing out from under a fringe of cropped black hair. Jacob slammed on the brakes and his pack mates rushed towards the car. Seth grabbed his shoulder as he climbed into the back seat. Leah rode shotgun, and as she got into the car she gave Jacob a quick, grateful glace.

"What did Carlisle say?" Seth asked. Jacob watched his youngest pack member in the rearview mirror. Seth was so young. He was only a couple years younger than Jacob, physically, but in some ways he seemed younger still. The transformation had come so early for Seth, and then his father's death soon afterwards. Jacob worried about him sometimes, probably more than was necessary. More, even, than he worried about Leah.

"He agrees with me," Jacob replied evenly, "But he's not sure what's going to happen when you're… reunited… with the Cullens. We have no basis for comparison, and in past generations once the vamps disappeared they stayed gone. He's offered to take a look at you guys, if you want, see what he might be able to figure out."

Leah scowled. "I can't believe we're going to Doctor Death for help with this."

"Leah, stop it. Carlisle has been really good to me, and to all of us. And he's Nessie's family, which means he's my family. Which means he's your family."

"Not in this lifetime," Leah muttered sourly. Seth met Jacob's eye in the mirror with a pleading, apologetic look. Jacob shot him a reassuring half-smile.

"If there's anything to find out, Carlisle will get to it," he said confidently. He wished he felt as certain as he sounded.

They were approaching the private driveway that led to the Cullen house. It was still about a five minute drive. Jacob was getting antsy, and even more so because the uneven, winding drive made it hard for his Rabbit to reach its top speed.

As if echoing his thoughts, Leah rolled her eyes and turned to him. "Should have taken one of the Vampmobiles," she said. "Can't we go any f—" Jacob turned to look at her. She was frozen in her seat.

"What?" Leah looked like she was concentrating very hard on something. "Leah, what is it?" As Jacob watched, sweat began to bead along her forehead. He slammed on the brakes. "Leah!" He turned around. "Seth, get up here and—" He broke off as he caught sight of the younger man. Seth, like his sister, was frozen in place, sweating and staring straight ahead.

"Jake," he ground out, "I think I'm…"

And then, in the very next instant, there was a loud cracking sound. Jacob yelled as he felt himself pushed into the driver's side door, which buckled outward with the impact. He felt like he was being crushed for a brief moment before the door flew off of the car and he felt himself propelled backwards. Another loud crack sounded before Jacob had picked himself up from the pavement, and there was a sound of metal groaning and twisting, and then a very familiar snarl sounded from the direction of the car. Jacob flew to his feet, ignoring the shooting pain in his left leg. It was probably broken. He didn't care. In front of the twisted mass of scrap metal that had once been his beloved Rabbit were two panting, snarling wolves, huge and menacing and staring at him. Jacob gaped at them, hardly daring to believe his eyes.

"Well," said a voice from behind him, "I suppose that answers our first question." Jacob looked over his shoulder. Carlisle was standing there, flanked by Edward, Bella and Emmett. "Seth, Leah," he nodded at the wolves, "Welcome."

It hadn't taken very long for Seth and Leah to return to their old selves. It was less than eight hours after his pack had destroyed his tiny car by phasing inside of it, and Jacob was sitting in his house on the outskirts of the Cullen property, watching them scrap with each other as if nothing had ever happened. Seth was prattling on about something, and Leah was shooting glares and barbs at him sporadically as she tried to make them all something to eat. Jacob smirked as he watched them. Leah was a terrible cook, and she was completely aware of that fact, but she refused to touch Esme's cooking. This had happened before… Jacob knew it was only a matter of time before she caved and started eating at the main house. Seth was already moaning about the lasagna Esme had offered to make from scratch. Leah fixed him with a death glare as she shredded cheese over and egg-covered frying pan.

"You'll eat this omelet, Seth Clearwater, and you'll enjoy it. And then you'll say thank you and offer to do the dishes." Jacob snickered. Leah was always bossing Seth around, and it never seemed to take, no matter how authoritative she was.

Seth left the room to go wash up before dinner (his hands were filthy from all the running around he'd done after discovering that he could phase again), and Jacob strode over to Leah, leaning on the counter beside her.

"I'm glad you're here," he said quietly. Leah looked up at him suspiciously, but all Jacob could see were her strong, elegant features and deep, clever eyes. Despite the perpetual scowl, Leah was actually quite nice looking. Jacob appreciated for the first time how Sam could have fallen for her. She had a spirit, an electricity, that was completely unique, and suddenly Jacob couldn't imagine how he could live without her in his pack.

There was a sudden, sharp stinging on one side of his face. "Ow!" Jacob said, rubbing his cheek. "What was that for?"

Leah had backed up and was glaring at him. "Jacob Black, don't you dare look at me like that!"

"Like what?" Jacob was still massaging his face. Even in her human form, Leah had a mean smack.

"Like you love me," she said, her voice thick with disdain. "You're standing there over me looking at me with puppy dog eyes. It's disgusting."

Jacob howled with laughter. "Leah," he said when he caught his breath, "I do love you. But not like that. You're like my—"

"Don't say it," Leah groaned.

"—my sister. And I don't ever want to think about losing you, or Seth, again."

Leah rolled her eyes and turned her back to him as she went over to fiddle with something near the sink. "Stop it, please. I already have one overly sentimental little brother… I definitely don't need another." She started back towards the stove, on which the skillet was now smoking dangerously. "Oh, shit," She muttered, pulling the burned omelet off the stove. She threw up her hands. "That's it… I'm ordering pizza."

Jacob knew better than to suggest they call Esme right now. He took the pan out of her hands and dumped the charred mess, and then moved to the sink to wash the pan. When he was done, he turned to see Leah watching him calculatingly. "What?" he said, suddenly feeling a bit self-conscious.

"Nothing!" she said haughtily. "Where's the phone? If I don't get some Dominos in the next hour I'm gonna have to hunt. And as happy as I am that we can phase again… I'm not quite happy enough for that." Jacob just grinned and handed her his cell.

When she'd ordered them enough pizza to fill the freezer for a month, she handed Jacob back his phone, and then gave him another pensive look. "Is it something this time?" He asked sarcastically.

Leah waited a moment before asking, "Are you going to call him?"

Jacob didn't have to ask who she meant. Sam. Of course. When he'd called his former Alpha earlier, the phone had rung continuously for a minute and a half before Jacob gave up, figuring nobody was home. He glanced down at his phone. He really should call again. "Yeah, I guess I'll do it in a minute," he said slowly. He wasn't sure why he was worried about Sam's reaction. Leah was still giving him that mysterious, unreadable look.

"Can I?" She said suddenly. Jacob looked at her with surprise.

"Um… if you want to. But I've gotta ask: why?"

Leah shrugged defensively. "I just… I need to talk to him." She put out her hand, and then grated out another word, as if it pained her. "Please."

Jacob willingly handed over the phone. Leah took it and started for the door, shooting him a thankful look over her shoulder as she stepped outside. Seth was coming down the stairs, and he made a face as he smelled the burned remains of their dinner.

"Ew. I told her to let Esme cook." He look at Jacob questioningly. "Where's Leah?" he asked. Jacob gestured to the front door.

"Talking to Sam."

Seth whistled lowly. "Well. That's something." He threw himself over the couch. "I didn't think she'd ever talk to him again. You know what he told her, when he came to see her the other day?" Jacob shook his head as he moved to sit opposite his pack mate. "He told her that when he lost the ability to phase, his imprint on Emily disappeared."

Jacob sat up straight in his chair. "What?" He shook his head again. "That's not possible."

"Not according to Sam." Seth scowled, looking a little like his older sister. "He said that the moment it happened, all the memories of him and Leah together that the imprint had helped him gloss over all came rushing back, and he remembered how much he had loved her when they were together. And he realized all over again how much damage he'd done to her, and it 'nearly destroyed him'." Seth laughed, but there was no humour in it. "He actually suggested that it made him understand what she went through all those years ago."

Jacob was furious. He couldn't believe Sam's nerve. "What about Emily?" he said. He'd never seen anyone as devoted to their mate as Emily was to Sam. If he betrayed her, it would kill her.

Seth rolled his eyes. "Here's the best part, Jake… he's still with her. He never intended to leave her, thank god, and he insists he still loves her more than anything else." His upper lip curled up in a sneer. "He just 'wanted Leah to know'."

Jacob growled deep in his throat. "I'm glad I let Leah call him, then," he said in a low voice. "I could tell him off, but… she's much more impressive. And I think she's earned it." Seth broke out in a real smile, then.

"Oh yeah." They both jumped guiltily as Leah came back into the house, slamming the door behind her. She immediately turned to glare at Seth.

"You don't know how to keep your mouth shut, do you?" She said, not sounding half as angry as Jacob had expected. Seth shrugged.

"I figured he'd find out eventually."

Jacob got up to stand by Leah. "What was his reaction?"

She met his gaze evenly. "He's relieved. And he's glad we're safe. And he's staying in La Push."

"What?" Seth leapt up. "He's staying? What do you mean he's staying? He won't be able to phase if he's not near the vampires."

Leah looked at her brother with a ghost of a smile. "They had a meeting after we spoke the other day. They talked about possible outcomes, and this was one of them. Most of the pack agreed that they should stay in La Push, lead their lives as normal, and be present in case the danger ever returns. Sam feels that it's best… that was what we were created for, after all. To protect La Push."

Jacob could tell that Leah was not at all sorry about Sam's decision not to follow them. "You said 'most of the pack'. What about the others?"

"Embry." Jacob felt his spirits lift for what must have been the millionth time that day. He still missed his old friends, whom he'd had to keep at a distance since the packs had split. Of course, Quil would never leave, not when Claire was back in La Push. From the sounds of things, the imprint eased up after the transformations stopped, but not so much that Sam didn't still recognize Emily as his soul mate. Jacob knew that Quil's life would still revolve around little Claire, in the same way that his own life would always revolve around Renesmee. But Embry… Jacob swallowed around a lump in his throat. He wanted his friend back. Leah was clearly aware of this. She grinned, looking more wolf than girl for a brief moment. "Sam wasn't too thrilled… it seems he took off some time ago. He's not sure where to… but I'm pretty sure I can guess at that."

Leah's guess had been correct, of course. It was a day and a half before Embry made it to the Cullen property, reacting in pretty much the same way as Leah and Seth had to the sudden proximity of the vampire coven. Jacob and his pack phased to greet him, and were surprised to find a new but familiar voice in their heads when they did.

Guess that seals the deal, Jacob thought cheerfully, from now on, we run together.

Jake. Embry nosed his pack leader gently. His head was lowered, as if ashamed. I'm sorry. This is the way it always should have been. I can't believe we never saw it.

Don't, Jacob thought in return. He opened his mind, letting all of his joy at Embry's joining his pack spill out. I'm glad you're with us now.

Seth lumbered over and bumped against Embry in a friendly bodycheck. The four wolves stood outside Jacob's house, mentally catching up. Finally, as the sun was starting to lower, Seth turned towards the door of the small house. Then he looked behind him at the three enormous wolves and snickered.

Well, it's good you're glad, Jake, because considering the size of your house, we're all about to be REAL cozy.

Leah snorted as she paced past her brother. You boys can have the lawn… I'll take the bed.

~~~~~The Present~~~~

Jacob shook off the haze of his memories. How long had he been standing there, at the top of the staircase, thinking about his pack? He sighed quietly. Leah, Seth and Embry weren't going to be here with him this time. They were staying with the Cullens in upstate, and would visit on occasion, but they wouldn't be together on a regular basis, and that made Jacob antsy. As happy as he was that it was just him and Renesmee now, he couldn't help but feel a slight ache and a twinge of guilt at the thought that once again, he'd left his pack behind. He started back downstairs.

Edward and Bella were seated at the piano, her head resting on his shoulder. Jacob didn't think they'd seen him on the staircase. Edward was running his fingers over the keys but not playing, saying a word or two now and then. Bella looked upset, and like she was concentrating very carefully on something. From the looks of things, Edward was replying to her thoughts. Jacob felt bad for eavesdropping, but that wasn't going to stop him.

"Try not to think about it," Edward said very quietly. "I know you do." A long pause. "No you won't, Bella." Jacob couldn't figure out what they were discussing. "He's trying." Edward shook his head. "I don't think we have to worry about that." Ah. So they were talking about him. Him and Nessie. Jacob frowned and kept listening. "Just hold on, Bella. A little longer, and then we'll go." He watched as Edward shot his wife a look he'd never seen before. Upset, and a little bit… Jacob straightened up. Was Edward Cullen frightened? "I'm right here," he said soothingly. It sounded a little forced. "If you get anywhere near him, I'll stop you."

Jacob froze. Edward couldn't mean what he thought he meant. Bella would never hurt him, Jacob was sure of that. She was his best friend, she had been for so long… she wasn't capable of it. Are you positive? that same nagging voice said in the back of his mind. Great… now he had voices in his head. He was turning into Edward.

Why was Bella thinking about hurting him, Jacob wondered. He knew she disapproved of him and Renesmee living together, and he knew why… but surely she knew she could trust him more than that? One thing was for sure: If Bella wanted to hurt him, then he was dead. He wouldn't be able to fight her, not Bella. Jacob knew he would never be able to live with himself if he did. If they fought, he would die.

Edward suddenly straightened, as if he'd caught a scent. And then he turned rapidly, leaping to his feet, and suddenly his eyes were boring into Jacob's. Bella took a moment to catch on. "Jacob…" Edward began.

"Oh god," Bella moaned. "You heard us."

Jacob couldn't move. All of his senses were heightened; he could hear the central air as it whirred quietly in the ducts, he could hear the creaks and groans of the old building, the metal-on-metal slide of the elevator. He felt himself begin to tremble.