I walked into the forest and passed the treaty line. Truth be told, I was scared. Ever since the word liability escaped Paul's mouth it got to me that I was afraid someone would die because of me. It's a good thing I try and shut people out, although it hasn't been working in my favor lately. I sniffed the air and looked around making sure I was alone. After stripping out of my clothes and tying them to my ankle I shifted and ran, the pain lasting a few seconds. Apparently the more you shift the less it hurts, but I don't shift that often. Mainly because I don't want Sam to try and control me, although I don't think it's possible after everything that's happened. However, better safe than sorry. I caught the scent of Jacob and a rank, deadly scent as I came close to where the house should be. My nose hairs started to burn causing me to shake my head. I snorted and slowed down as I saw Jacob and one of the vampires.

"It's killing her, right? She's dying." Jacob asked Edward. I watched as the monologue continued. They were completely absorbed in their conversation they didn't sense me watching them. I sat in an alert position just in case.

"My fault," Edward responded as his knees caved under him. He crumpled to the ground looking vulnerable. I stood up and watched Jacob carefully. If he was going to attack this guy now would be the time. I didn't want him to hate himself for hurting Bella by killing Edward. I stood there waiting for his attack but it never came. I could see as I looked at him that all the fire he had was gone. He really did love Bella.

"Yes," Edward groaned into the dirt, like he was confessing to the ground. "Yes, it's killing her." Wait, what's killing her?

"So why hasn't Carlisle done anything?" Jacob growled. "He's a doctor, right? Get it out of her."

"She won't let us."

"You know her well," Edward whispered. "How quickly you see... I didn't see. Not in time. She wouldn't talk to me on the way home, not really. I thought she was frightened – that would be natural. I thought she was angry with me for putting her through this, for endangering her life. Again. I never imagined what she was really thinking, what she was resolving. Not until my family met us at the airport and she ran right into Rosalie's arms. Rosalie's! And then I heard what Rosalie was thinking. I didn't understand until I heard that. Yet you understand after one second. . . ." Edward half-sighed, half-groaned.

"Just back up a second. She won't let you." Jacob replied. "Did you ever notice that she's exactly as strong as a normal hundred-and-ten pound human girl? How stupid are you vamps? Hold her down and knock her out with drugs."

"I wanted to," Edward whispered. "Carlisle would have...No. Not noble. Her bodyguard complicated things."

I stood there watching them trying to understand what the hell was inside Bella and vaguely trying to remember who the names they muttered belong to.

"Maybe," Edward said. Maybe what? This was getting rather irritating. "Rosalie doesn't look at it quite that way."

"So take the blonde out first. Your kind can be put back together, right? Turn her into a jigsaw and take care of Bella."

"Emmett and Esme are backing her up. Emmett would never let us... and Carlisle won't help me with Esme against it..." Edward said, his lips starting to mumble. I really do hate when people mumble.

"You should have left Bella with me."

"Yes."

It was a bit late for that, though. I sat down again but remained alert.

"We didn't know," Edward barely muttered that I almost missed it. "I never dreamed. There's never been anything like Bella and I before. How could we know that a human was able conceive a child with one of us – "

"When the human should get ripped to shreds in the process?" Jake asked. Now who's throwing the punches? Damn.

"Yes," Edward agreed. "They're out there, the sadistic ones, the incubus, the succubus. They exist. But the seduction is merely a prelude to the feast. No one survives" He shook his head like the idea revolted him.

"I didn't realize they had a special name for what you are," Jacob retorted with venom.

"Even you, Jacob Black, cannot hate me as much as I hate myself. Killing me now doesn't save her,"

"So what does?"

"Jacob, you have to do something for me."

"The hell I do, parasite!"

"For her?"

"I did everything I could to keep her away from you. Every single thing. It's too late."

"You know her, Jacob. You connect to her on a level that I don't even understand. You are part of her, and she is part of you. She won't listen to me, because she thinks I'm underestimating her. She thinks she's strong enough for this..." Edward looked as he was about to choke from lack of oxygen. "She might listen to you."

"Why would she?"

Edward lurched to his feet, his eyes burning brighter than before, wilder. I stood back up and started walking forward a bit more. "Maybe," Edward said. Damn, this conversation was giving me a headache. "I don't know. It feels like it." Edward shook his head. "I have to try to hide this in front of her, because stress makes her more ill. She can't keep anything down as it is. I have to be composed; I can't make it harder. But that doesn't matter now. She has to listen to you!"

"I can't tell her anything you haven't. What do you want me to do? Tell her she's stupid? She probably already knows that. Tell her she's going to die? I bet she knows that, too."

"You can offer her what she wants." Edward said. "I don't care about anything but keeping her alive, If it's a child she wants, she can have it. She can have half a dozen babies. Anything she wants." He paused for one beat. "She can have puppies, if that's what it takes. But not this way!" he hissed as I realized what the hell was happening, Bella was pregnant. "Not this thing that's sucking the life from her while I stand there helpless! Watching her sicken and waste away. Seeing it hurting her. You have to make her see reason, Jacob. She won't listen to me anymore. Rosalie's always there, feeding her insanity – encouraging her. Protecting her. No, protecting it Bella's life means nothing to her." Jacob stood there stunned. "Whichever. Whatever keeps her alive."

"That's the craziest thing you've said yet," Jacob mumbled.

"She loves you."

"Not enough."

"She's ready to die to have a child. Maybe she'd accept something less extreme."

"Don't you know her at all?"

"I know, I know. It's going to take a lot of convincing. That's why I need you. You know how she thinks. Make her see sense."

Jacob stood there transfixed, thinking of everything Edward was saying.

"Make Bella see sense? What universe do you live in?"

"At least try."

Jacob shook his head fast. "Where is this psycho crap coming from? Are you making this up as you go?"

"I've been thinking of nothing but ways to save her since I realized what she was planning to do. What she would die to do. But I didn't know how to contact you. I knew you wouldn't listen if I called. I would have come to find you soon, if you hadn't come today. But it's hard to leave her, even for a few minutes. Her condition... it changes so fast. The thing is... growing. Swiftly. I can't be away from her now."

"What is it?"

"None of us have any idea. But it is stronger than she is. Already. Help me stop it," Edward pleaded. "Help me stop this from happening."

"How? By offering my stud services?" Jacob replied. "You're really sick. She'll never listen to this."

"Try. There's nothing to lose now. How will it hurt?" Edward waited. "A little pain to save her? Is it such a high cost?"

"But it won't work."

"Maybe not. Maybe it will confuse her, though. Maybe she'll falter in her resolve. One moment of doubt is all I need."

"And then you pull the rug out from under the offer? 'Just kidding, Bella'?"

"If she wants a child, that's what she gets. I won't rescind." Jacob was looking at Edward like he was a mad man and granted he kind of looked like one at this moment. "Not now, Not yet. Right or wrong, it would destroy her, and you know it. No need to be hasty. If she won't listen to you, you'll get your chance. The moment Bella's heart stops beating, I will be begging for you to kill me."

"You won't have to beg long."

The hint of a worn smile tugged at the corner of Edward's mouth. "I'm very much counting on that."

"Then we have a deal."

Edward nodded and held out his hand. "We have a deal," he agreed.