A/N: Jacob inspiration struck me again! :) I hope you guys all like this one!

I'd heard all about the guy and what he was like. Most of the guys didn't really like him. They said he was too smug and acted like he was better than them. Leah had horrible taste, they all said. And when I saw him, I thought the same thing. He looked pretty plain, tan and blonde and beachy. A surfer boy. Kowabunga dude, and all that. He didn't really look like much, nothing special.

But I guess I was wrong.

In a word, I was confused. I was very confused. Bella was still staring at Leah's new boy toy, and he was still staring at her. He was looking at her with an expression that made my stomach simmer and my blood start to boil. I suddenly felt like getting up and socking him in his stupid face. Who the hell was he, anyway?

"Bella?" I said, and I sounded like a child. God.

"I can't believe it's actually you," the guy, Chris, said. My face got hot and my hands started to shake, just slightly. Sam made a tiny noise and I swiveled my head around to look at him, and the look on his face told me to relax. I took a deep breath to stop the tremors.

"I thought you said she was in California," Bella said incredulously. She turned around to face me finally, but I almost wish she hadn't. The gleam in her eyes, the blush spreading across her cheeks, the slight drop of her lips, was like a knife stabbing into my chest. What was that look for? Who was this guy to her? And what had she been keeping from me that brought this out of her?

"We were in California," Chris said, and Bella whipped back around like a shot. "I was in LA."

"What about your dad?" Bella asked. How did she know his dad?

"He said he was tired of making me move around, so I followed a few friends to California when we graduated high school." Sure you did, pretty boy.

"Where is he now?" Bella was angled towards him, her body leaning closer. It set my skin crawling.

"Bahrain. He was sent over there last year." I couldn't take it any longer. I got up, ignoring Sam's glaring.

"Hold up." Chris was so tiny next to me. I stood up nice and straight, trying to look intimidating. "What the hell is going on? How do you know him?"

"He was my best friend," Bella said, not looking at me. Best friend? She'd never mentioned him before.

"When we were kids," Chris said. He smiled at her, and she smiled back, tiny and timid. I tried to relax. Ex-best friend was better than ex-boyfriend, right?

"You didn't tell me you knew Bella." It was Leah, and she sounded pissed. I smirked at Chris, but he had already turned around. I heard Sam exhale slightly, and my face dropped immediately.

"You didn't tell me you knew Bella."

"How was I supposed to know that she was important enough to even mention?"

"Exactly." I might not have liked the guy, but he had a good point. Leah was seething.

"Leah, I'm sorry," Bella said, leaning forward towards them. "We're probably being weird. I shouldn't have even been here. I'm sorry." I wished I'd listened to Sam and left her behind. This was just too uncomfortable.

"Don't apologize," Leah said, and I watched her manage to shake off the single shiver that ran through her. "It just surprised me, is all. At least it makes the introductions a little easier."

"Come in, please," Sam said, his voice tinged with the voice of the alpha. "We can talk some more once everyone is inside." Leah listened and came inside. When she grabbed Chris's hand, I reached out for Bella's, squeezing. The contact helped.

"Would you like anything to drink, Chris?" Sam asked, wandering into the kitchen. Chris shook his head and took a seat on one of the barstools by the island with Leah following. I pulled Bella back to the couch and sat down, putting a hand on her thigh. She leaned over and kissed my cheek, and I smiled slightly. She still wasn't looking at me, though. That Chris had all of her attention.

"So how do you know Bella, exactly?" Leah asked, shaking out her arm so that her obnoxious silver bracelets smacked together loudly.

"Can we please not talk about that right now?" Chris said in a low voice that I doubt Bella could hear. Leah stared at him for a moment before nodding slightly.

"I hope that, without so many people here, this is less intimidating," Sam said to Chris, coming back into the room and leaning against the wall, opting not to sit. I guess he wanted to be up in case something happened.

"It's fine," Chris said, smiling. I wanted to punch his teeth out.

"Leah, do you think you could tell us a little about where you've been, now that it's just us?" Sam asked, turning to her. She blinked at him, her face sour like she just sucked on a lemon.

"This is much better," she said, too chipper. Her sarcasm hadn't disappeared, I noticed.

"So what happened when you first got to California?"

They rambled on for an eternity, but I tuned most of it out. I didn't care where Leah had been, not really. I was only there for Sam's sake, because I knew he wanted someone else there when she finally spilled. Plus, he knew Leah would never have agreed to go if it had just been Sam. Even with another guy, I knew she was still hurting; I could see it all over her face.

But things were okay. As they babbled about meeting and living together and whatever, I kept looking and Bella. She was interested for a little bit, probably hoping to hear more about where the best friend has been, but once she realized he wasn't really talking about any of that, she started drifting too. Her head would turn occasionally from the conversation to stare at the pictures on the walls. Her fingers would move to trace circles on the back of my hand absently. She would press her leg into mine every few minutes, like she was letting me know she was still there.

And having her there, having her know Chris, made things surprisingly easy. I wanted to hate the guy for being in on our secret. I wanted to rip his head off – and Leah's, for that matter – for being such a threat. But I knew Bella's judgment. As flawed as it had been when she had befriended a pack of vampires, I knew she wouldn't just trust a human being who was dangerous. Her supernatural radar was off, but she was great at reading regular people. Unless this guy had done a complete 180 since they'd been friends, I knew we could trust him. It made it remarkably simple to not toss him off the cliff.

When they finally left, I was relieved and exhausted all at once. I hadn't realized how tense I'd been. It was like having to unhinge myself, like I'd been locked in place forever. I just wanted to get out of the house and kiss Bella. I really just wanted to go back to her place for a few hours...

"And Bell? Come here, I'll give you my number. We should catch up." I shook out of my disinterested daze as Bella left my side. I felt suddenly naked without her beside me. I watched with narrowed eyes as Chris handed over a piece of paper with some writing on it. I still didn't like the way he looked at her.

"It was really great to see you again," Bella said. I wanted to gag.

"Call me, seriously. I'll see you soon." He was all cool and collected. It was exhausting just to watch how nonchalant he tried to be. When they were out the door, I stood up and walked too fast to Bella's side, snaking an arm around her waist. I breathed in the scent of her shampoo, trying to clear my head again.

"We should get going, too," I said, glancing at Sam. His eyes were hard, but he wasn't going to argue.

"When will you be back in La Push?" I shrugged.

"I'll let you know." Sam nodded and opened the door again. I pulled Bella outside, heading for the car. I wanted to get out of La Push. I wanted to go do something. I was suddenly so full of energy, like I'd been stuck in a can and someone finally popped it open. When I sat down in the car next to her, I couldn't stop myself from grinning. I was bursting.

"God, I'm so glad that's over. Let's do something today. We have a few hours until dinner with Charlie. By the way, you still need to call him, right? We'll do that now, and then we can go do something. What movies are out? We could go-"

"Jake," Bella said, cutting me off. She reached out a hand and put a finger against my lips. "Relax. You're talking way too fast." I blew out the rest of the air in my lungs in a puff.

"Sorry," I said, averting my eyes. "I'm just...I don't even really know. It's weird that you knew the guy, I can't lie. But it makes it so much easier to not hate him. Plus, you can probably get a lot more out of him than we can get out of Leah. It's perfect." An uneasy look crossed her face, but it faded away just as quickly.

"I guess."

"This is good, okay?" I grabbed her hands. They were always just a little cold, no matter how hard I tried to warm them up.

"All right," she said, and she smiled. She was beautiful. I leaned over the console and kissed her like I meant it.

We went to the movies. I rummaged around in my car for a twenty that I knew was in there somewhere, and I even splurged and let her get a bag of popcorn. She was back to her old self again, laughing and joking. I tried my best to pay attention to the movie, but she was so distracting. Every time she reached into my lap to dig into the popcorn bag, she would shake her hair out and I would get hit with the sweet smell of her shampoo. I wanted to grab her face and kiss her like we weren't in public, right there in the theater.

We went to Charlie's after the movie ended. He had just gotten back from work, and he was putting away his gun belt and sheriff jacket when we walked in.

"Bella!" he said, too loudly. He was grinning wide. He reached over to her for a one-armed hug. "I haven't seen you in a while!"

"I'm sorry, Charlie," she said, sounding guilty. "I've just been really busy." He nudged her, and she looked up at his beaming face.

"I'm just messing with you, honey," he said, chuckling. He glanced over at me with an almost-smirk. "Good to see you again, Jake."

"You too, Charlie."

"So on the phone Jake mentioned something about a fish fry tonight..." His voice drifted as he walked to the kitchen with Bella. Their walks were so similar, both a little rigid and leaning slightly to the right. I smiled to myself and followed them.

As promised, Bella made fish, which was delicious. The three of us sat around the table eating, Charlie too wrapped up in his food to talk much. Bella told him about Maine with the Cullens, and he nodded at the appropriate places, his mouth too stuffed for much more of a response. He was happy to have us, though. I could see it written all over his face. He seemed lonely, now that Bella had moved back out. He and Billy probably did more together than Bella and I did, but I wondered if he missed Bella being in the house.

I volunteered to do the dishes so that Bella and Charlie could catch up some more. The two of them drifted into the living room while I stayed in the kitchen, my hands deep in the soapy water. I thought back to Bella's face when she had turned around to me, the amazement in her eyes. I didn't want to admit to being jealous, but I knew I was. And, if I was being honest with myself, I was a little pissed, too. Why had she never mentioned him? Would she ever explain it to me, or would she just keep it to herself? The last thing I wanted was to be the jealous boyfriend, especially if there was nothing to even be jealous of. I tried to just ignore it and keep washing.

Charlie turned on the television for background noise, but he and Bella kept talking. She wanted to know about how things had been going down at the station, and to me it sounded like he was pulling stories out of his ass just to keep the conversation going. But, whatever, I wasn't going to judge. I just settled into the couch and watched the show, some reality towing show, and half-listened to Charlie's not-so-exciting ramblings.

I felt the hairs on my arm stand up before I heard Sam. His howl was off, slightly crazed, and I knew instantly that something was wrong. I sat up ramrod straight, my head whipping towards the sound, and I felt my hands start to shake. Bella touched her fingers to my arm, and I almost recoiled from the touch. I was so on edge suddenly. I turned back to her and tried to calm down.

"What was that?" Charlie asked, staring at me with raised eyebrows. I stretched my fingers out from my palms and retracted them a few times.

"I thought I heard my cell phone," I lied, pulling my crappy cell from my pocket. I pretended to check it for messages, and when I thought I'd let enough time pass of me staring at the screen, I glanced back up at Charlie.

"Trouble down in La Push?" he asked, looking concerned. I guess I didn't look as calm as I hoped I was. I managed a smile.

"Everything's cool," I said easily. "Quil's car broke down and he's asking for a ride home. I should go help him, though. It's supposed to get pretty cold later." Charlie nodded, standing up. Bella stood with me, her hand wrapped around mine. I avoided looking at her until we were outside, having said our goodbyes and apologies to Charlie. I knew exactly what I would see all over her face, and I was right.

"What's wrong?" she asked immediately, pulling me to a stop. I tugged her to the car, not looking back at the house.

"Don't let Charlie think anything," I said in a low voice. "I'll tell you in a second." We got in the car and I turned the key in the ignition too fast, having to try three times before the engine caught. I waited until we had pulled away from the house before glancing over at Bella. Her eyebrows were furrowed intently.

"I know something is wrong," she said indignantly. Her forehead creased slightly, the tiny line that always popped up on her face when she was frustrated.

"I'm not sure," I said carefully. I didn't want to worry her. "Sam just called, though."

"Was it important?"

"I just want to get back to the res to make sure, okay?" She bit her lip slightly, and I reached out a hand to pull her teeth from her lip. "Everything is fine, I promise."

"Promise?"

"Sure, sure." She rolled her eyes, and I grinned. She seemed to relax a little, and I turned onto the main road, heading to her house.

"Call me as soon as you can," she said firmly, standing on her doorstep and pointing a finger at me accusingly. "I mean it. I want to make sure you're okay."

"I promise, honey." She lowered her hand and wrapped her arms around me, her tiny hands not even reaching all the way around. I hugged her back, kissing the top of her head and smoothing back her hair from her face. I leaned in and kissed her hard, my head dizzy and spinning when she finally pulled away. I grinned, and she rolled her eyes, fighting a smile.

"Call me," she said again, turning around and heading through the door.

"Love you," I said, and she turned back to me, the light from the house glowing behind her.

"Love you more," she replied, smiling back at me as she shut the door. I took a breath, giving myself a few seconds before heading back to my car. I drove too fast back to La Push, my mind racing with a thousand thoughts, most focused on Chris. I hadn't wanted to freak Bella out, but I had a sinking feeling that he had done something stupid. I dropped off the car at my house and ran into the woods across the street, stripping off my clothes and phasing easily, like instinct. Instantly, I was bombarded with thoughts.

This is terrible.

I can't imagine what this will mean for the pack.

It'll be just like before, all fun and games.

Jake. I could pick Sam's voice out from the others. Meet us. I could see the clearing through his eyes, and I ran to them, trying to tune out the din of voices. When I got to the rest of the pack, everyone was pacing around, no one sitting still. I glanced at Sam in confusion before it finally hit me. Instantly, every hair on my body stood straight up with the smell, and I almost snarled.

Vampire, I managed, my mind reeling. I could hear the rest of the pack mutter in agreement and shared contempt.

Do you recognize it? Sam asked.

It's not a Cullen. It's disgusting. It's like it's rotting.

Exactly.

It only took me a moment, only a few short milliseconds of the flurry of thoughts around me, to pick out the one common thought.

They came for Bella early.

I was screaming. I was raking my claws down my face. I was thrashing and throwing myself against the earth, the trees. I was dying.

Jake, calm down, Sam ordered, the alpha tone thick in his voice. We need to figure this out.

They had come. They were early. Alice had been wrong all along. I had to get back to her. She wasn't safe. I turned and started to run to Forks, but three huge figures stepped in front of me, blocking my path and pushing me back into the clearing. I gnashed at them, but they wouldn't let me go. I couldn't even hear any thoughts anymore; I was lost in agony.

Jake, Embry said, his voice finally breaking through. You have to get a grip. We need you to call the bloodsucker. We need her help right now.

I can't, I pleaded. I can't phase back right now.

You have to try, Sam said deeply. The faster you phase back, the faster we can make a plan.

It felt like hours before I could calm down enough to phase. And when I did, the silence was deafening. I was suddenly alone in my torture, and I felt like collapsing in on myself. I tried to get a grip and looked around for a phone. Sam motioned his nose towards the woods to his left, and I wandered around, feeling blind, until I found a tiny black cell phone in a pile of clothing. I pulled it out and mechanically dialed Alice's number, slightly appalled that I knew it by memory, and put the phone up to my ear. The ringing stung like knives.

"Hello?" Her voice was chipper, too happy. I wanted to scream.

"Alice," I managed. But that was all I needed. I heard her gasp, the sound tiny and pained.

"Where is Bella?" she demanded, screaming into the phone. I felt like I was dreaming, everything fuzzy.

"Home," I choked out.

"So she's all right?"

"For now." She breathed loudly on the other end, her relief tangible.

"Don't you scare me like that, Jacob Black!" she chided, her voice almost manic. "What the hell is going on?"

"I think they came early." There was a second of pause, then another, then another. The silence dragged on for a lifetime, an eternity. I was swallowed by her silence.

"Tell me everything," she finally said, her voice small and even. I could barely breathe.

"We found a new scent," I said. I sounded dead already. "It's not one of yours. We think we know what it is."

"I'll be there as soon as I can," she said quickly, and there was a loud series of banging and bumping around. "Give me a few hours. We'll figure this out."

"Alice, hurry."

"I will. Until then, don't you leave her side, Jacob. She needs protection." I nodded, though I knew she couldn't see it.

"Just hurry." I felt like a robot, repeating myself over and over like an idiot.

"I wi-" She cut off with a gurgling noise, and I felt my stomach tighten.

"Alice? What happened?" She was quiet for another moment.

"Bella?" Her voice was so full of wonder, so full of amazement. "Is that you?" And then the line went dead.

I threw the phone into the dirt and ran back to the clearing, phasing so easily and quickly that it was barely a thought. The collective pack mind was comforting in its noise, and I tried to just let the ocean of chaos calm me down.

First, we need to follow the trail, Sam was saying. He turned slightly. Collin, you and Brady follow the trail north. Paul, take Embry and follow it south. Be careful; we don't know what we're dealing with. The four wolves cleared out in a blink, darting away from us in each direction.

Jake, you need to get back to Forks, Quil said uneasily. The last place you need to be is here worrying. I nodded, and Sam motioned for me to head back.

Don't alarm her, Sam warned. This could be a vampire simply passing through, after all. Don't tell her anything until we know what we're dealing with. I agreed lifelessly and trudged out of the clearing, still blocking out the thoughts of the rest of the pack as I ran. The muscles in my legs hurt for the first time ever. I wanted to slow down, but I ran, as fast as I could, until I got to her house. I didn't even care that I was a huge wolf out in the open, running around in a small neighborhood. I just wanted her safe.

Dread set in when I realized she wasn't there, her truck gone. I needed my phone back to call her, but it was all the way back in La Push. I thought for a split second, trying to think where she might be, and decided on Charlie's. I ran again, pushing myself faster and faster, to get to their house. I circled the house, but she was gone, leaving Charlie in his room snoring.

I was exhausted. I needed to rest. I sat for a minute, trying to think about where she might be. There was no vampire smell around her house, so I doubted she had been taken. And, there was no scent around Charlie's either, which was a good sign. I tried to be positive. Maybe she'd just gone out for a minute. She was probably already back home, and I was just overthinking it. I talked myself into a positive mindset before taking off again, this time at a more reasonable pace, for her house.

Her truck was back in the driveway when I got there, and I instantly felt my chest begin to loosen. As I stepped closer, though, I could smell something, a vampire, but one I recognized. I snarled at Edward's scent, furious that he was with her, furious that he had probably taken her from the house when he heard me coming just to mess with me. I crept into the shadows and phased back, my mind suddenly quiet. I snuck in through the front door with the spare key Bella kept hidden in the plant bed, and inside it was dark. I opened her bedroom door and saw her lying under the blanket, her eyes closed and her breathing even. I felt myself reassemble, relieved beyond words.

I changed into a pair of spare pajamas that I had left there a few weeks ago and lightly climbed into bed. She moved slightly, shifting to curl up into herself. She was so beautiful, so peaceful. I didn't want to wake her. Instead, I laid down beside her and stroked my hand through her hair, watching her sleep. I was exhausted; my eyelid drooped. But I was wide awake and alert, and I knew I wouldn't sleep tonight. I was listening for something, anything, as Bella curled into me. Something was coming, but for now, she was safe.