AN- Changing POV... but I promise, I will not write this in so many POV's that you get a headache,

and forget who is talking. I am only planning to use Leah and Bella.

Hope that you like..

Chapter 4

Across the Universe

Bella POV

Jacob ran me swiftly home, depositing me at the edge of the woods, in full view of my back yard while he phased back to his human form. We had run in silence. I was grateful for this. Grateful to Jacob for being there for me. He had held me together while I tried to heal during the six months that Edward and I were "apart".

It wasn't fair to him. If I'd had any fairness inside of me, I would have walked away and let him go during the few weeks after his transformation when he was avoiding me. Over the last weeks since Edward had returned I had been berating myself continually over this whole situation. Now, it seems, I had reason to be grateful that I had not let go of the "claim" that I had to his heart. I needed him now more than ever.

I could feel the zombie hovering over me again. I feel I cannot explain what I know in my heart to be true. When Edward left me in the woods, and I believed his lie… his "blasphemy" as he calls it, I felt as if a part of me had died. Tonight, I feel as if I have fallen into a sinkhole. A bottomless sinkhole. I am still falling.

Jacob helped me up the stairs, and into bed. He stood there, looking bewildered. Neither of us said anything for a while. He kept trying to look me in the eyes, but I could not let him see the depth of my agony. I could not drag him into the bottomless chasm of pain that I was floundering in.

I know in my heart that it is over for Edward and I. That whole life that I had chosen… that we were trying to build together had just been ripped away from us. I stood there and watched it happen. Everyone saw it. Leah had imprinted on Edward! It was unfair. It was like destiny had conspired against us from the outset.

My heart had been ripped out of my chest once again, and now there was a whole army of newborn vampires coming for me. At this point, I truly welcomed them. I didn't want to live without Edward by my side.

Silent tears trickled down my cheeks. All of the thoughts rushing through my head were doing nothing to distance me from the pain, and the emptiness that was overtaking me.

Jacob stood there, watching me helplessly. I could feel his presence. I could see the panic in his body language as he hovered. I know exactly what he is seeing, and I don't want him to stand there, watching me writhe in agony, but I need him too badly to ask him to leave.

Jacob finally dropped to his knees beside my bed, and pulled me towards him. He wrapped his arms around me, and began to smooth my hair away from my face, tucking it behind my ear, and running his fingers through its length. It was such a soothing feeling. I pulled at his arms, encouraging him to climb onto the bed with me. He did, without much coaxing.

He lay behind me, pulling my back against his chest. I rested my head on his arm as a pillow, and he put his other arm around me, holding me silently. No words were needed. He knew my agony, and I knew his heart. I fell asleep, nestled in the warmth that was Jacob's embrace.

When I awake a few hours later, I felt cold. I knew instantly, before I could even see him missing that Jacob was not in bed with me anymore. I felt the trillion pieces of my heart shatter again, thinking that he had abandoned me. It wasn't fair to think that way, I knew it, but there it was. As I lied there, trying to will myself to move, I heard angry voices downstairs. It took only a second to recognize them. Charlie and Jacob were... arguing?

I got up as quietly as I could manage, and crept stealthily to the top of the stairs to listen in.

"Charlie, I know that you are confused, and I know what it probably looked like, but you have to believe me, I did NOT sleep with your daughter!" Jacob was saying.

"You did too, Jacob! I opened the door to check on her, and she was in your arms, and you are half naked… and you were most definitely sleeping!" Charlie choked out angrily.

"Okay, I may have SLEPT with Bella, but we did NOT have sex. Charlie, the only time I have even kissed the girl was when she broke her hand on my jaw!"

"So explain then, why you were in her bed!" Charlie seethed through clenched teeth. "I don't understand what the Hell is going on around here! First she is in love with that… that bastard who LEFT HER ALONE IN THE WOODS! Then, when she begins to move on with her life… seemingly with you, he returns, and OH YEAH… It's like he never did anything wrong, and I have to learn to accept that this ASSHOLE is going to be in her life. Yup, a friggin' package deal! I am learning to accept it! Hell, I actually am learning to kinda LIKE the guy. And now I go into her room, to find YOU in her BED? What the HELL, Jacob? Somebody had better start making sense, and soon, cause I do NOT want to think that my daughter is becoming some cheap little tramp!" By the end, I didn't have to try to eaves' drop on the conversation, as Charlie was literally screaming at Jacob.

"Charlie, this is going to sound AB-SO-LUTE_LY insane, so bear with me, okay?" Jacob pleaded.

"Do you believe in love at first sight?" he asked? I wondered where he was going with this.

"Uh, sort of." Charlie said, with a puzzled tone. Obviously he had no idea where this question was leading to either.

"Have you ever experienced it?" Jacob asked.

"Yeah, with Renee, I fell hard the first time I laid eyes on her. Then again with Bella the first time I held her." Charlie answered, sounding a little bit hesitant. "Where are you going with this, kid?"

"What if there is a form of 'Love at First Sight' that is stronger, deeper than you have experienced?" Jacob asked, his voice sounding unsure, almost like he was pleading.

"I don't follow. So, what if there is? What does it have to do with this situation? What are you not telling me?"

"Charlie, please, just hear me out. Last night, as the graduation party started to wind down, a few of us from La Push went over there, and talked to the Cullens. It was kind of tense, but we all decided that we needed to 'bury the hatchet' with the family. So, we agreed to joint up and have an impromptu meeting of sorts. All of my friends, including Sam went to meet with the family, and of course, Bella came along." Jacob was trying to gloss over so many truths. I could not believe he was going to let Charlie in on so much. I sat there, terrified that he was going to just blurt out everything.

"You see, our tribe believes very strongly in the idea of love at first sight. We have a word for it. We call it imprinting. We believe that sometimes, two spirits are so directly linked together, so 'meant to be', that all it takes is to look at this person, and your whole life's path will become instantly clear. Your souls are mated in a heartbeat."

"That sounds insane." Charlie stated heatedly. "And I still fail to see what it has to do with YOU BEING IN MY DAUGHTER'S BED."

"You see, after last night, Bella needed me for support. She needed someone to just be there for her!" Jacob said defensively.

"I don't follow. What is the connection Jacob? Stop beating around the bush and tell me what is going on. NOW."

"Leah Clearwater imprinted with Edward last night." Jacob stated finally.

"Oh." Charlie said quietly. "Oh, my. Oh, my GOD! Is she okay? Is it as bad as before?" Charlie asked as he started for the stairs.

"Well, I didn't see her in the beginning last time, but her eyes look like they did when she started coming over to see me." Jacob responded.

As they reached the bottom of the steps, and looked up to see me, they both paused. Charlie's face was pale, and his expression was so worried. I sighed, and walked down the stairs to meet them.

"Not as bad." I told him. At least, this time I already have Jacob to help me hold it together, I added mentally.

"Not as bad, but bad enough." Charlie hissed. His hatred for all things Edward increased exponentially in that moment. I could see the hatred burning in his eyes as he reached out to wrap his arms around me.

"I knew I should have forbidden you to see him after he returned." he seethed.

"You did." I reminded him. "And a part of me wishes I had listened. Another part is glad that I didn't."

"How can you say that?" Jacob asked in an accusing tone.

"It's kind of like that song that was popular when we were kids." I stated, and then quoted. "Our lives are better left to chance. I could have missed the pain, but I'd have had to miss the dance." I was amazed to find that I meant that. As I said the words, conviction began to take hold of me. I realized that no matter what happened from here on out; I would never regret the love that I experienced with Edward. My heart lurched inside my chest, expanding, and filling all of the emptiness that I had felt in these interim hours had vanished. I suddenly felt whole, like a curse had been lifted. I couldn't understand how it was possible, but looking into my father's eyes, in that moment, I knew that I was going to be okay, and that I would love again.

In my time with Edward, I had learned to open my heart to the possibility that someone could love me. Wholly, and unreservedly love me. I was loved by a wonderful man. Before fate stepped in, and took it away, Edward had loved me with his entire being. He told me that I was beautiful and wonderful. I knew enough about imprinting to know that his feelings for me had not been erased, they were merely trumped.

While Edward and I were separated, I had learned that I could heal. I learned that I could love again. My epiphany expanded with every breath. I suddenly realized that fate had stepped into our lives and orchestrated some amazing things.

Love takes many forms, and comes to us through so many avenues. Sometimes it pounces on us suddenly, taking us hostage in its greedy grasp, as it had done to Sam and Emily, and now Leah and Edward. Sometimes it offers itself as a present, waiting for you to open it, and revel in its beauty, as it had with Edward and I. Sometimes it sneaks up on us quietly, and waits silently to be recognized, as it had with Jacob and I.

I had slept peacefully in the wee-hours of the morning today. I had slept dreamlessly, feeling safe in Jacob's arms in spite of the wreckage of my heart. When I awakened without him beside me, I had panicked. This meant something.

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