Disclaimer: I own nothing in the Twilight universe.. I am simply borrowing some of Stephanie's charaters.

Chapter 6

Learning More About Bella

"Hello?" I said into the receiver.

"Bella, thank God!" Alice breathed. "I have been so terribly worried. Are you okay?"

"Yes, Alice, I really am." I stated truthfully. There was silence on the other end. I tend to think it was disbelief.

"Honestly, Alice. I am okay. I don't know how to explain it, but I am okay. How is everyone there?" I asked. I left out the part where I wanted to know if Edward was okay.

"I don't understand either of you!" Alice said, obviously angry, and through clenched teeth. "You are the love of each other's lives, and then you aren't? What the hell, Bella?"

"This is not a conversation to hold over the phone. I will explain to you soon, I promise, Alice." I said gently. "But right now, we need to talk strategy, don't we? When will they be here?"

This successfully distracted Alice from her train of thought, and reminded her that there were definitely more pressing issues facing us.

"Next Saturday. I actually called to ask if you know where Edward is." She stated flatly.

"Um, no." I mumbled, surprised that she would have to ask. "You're telling me that you don't already know what he has been up to?"

"No I don't. Actually, I was hoping that is had something to do with him grabbing you, and making a run for it, and just not deciding where to go for now. I can see that the other option must be true." She sighed.

"What other option?" I asked, confused.

"He is with the bitch." She spat into the receiver.

"Whoa, Alice, dial it back! Leah didn't ask for this anymore than you or I!" I insisted.

"What?" Alice practically screamed. "What did you just say? That... that GIRL just stole my family structure! She stole a whole life from all of us! Bella..." her voice died down into a sob. "Bella, you were going to be my sister, and I love you! I can't lose you."

"Alice." I sighed. "Edward may be with Leah now, and our relationship may have- no, HAS changed, but that does not mean I am not going to be a part of your life!" I assured her. "I will always love you. You ARE my sister, nothing is going to change that, no matter WHO Edward and I end up with."

"Oh, Bella!" Alice choked. "I am so glad to hear you say that. I have been so worried about it. It has been so hard recently, not being able to see ahead because of the wolves, and the stupid newborn situation! And, now, I cannot even see what is going to happen with either you or Edward." She began to go on a rant. "Which makes sense for Edward, because obviously he is going to choose to mate with a mutt, but why can't I see what is coming for you? I mean, yesterday… Yesterday I could see your wedding, and how beautiful you looked, and how happy you two were as you were saying your vows! Now, I can't see anything for Edward or you... and when I try to see Charlie, that is all muddled too… I keep seeing him holding a sweet little baby, but... Oh, oh! Bella?" her tangent came to an abrupt end.

"Alice, I don't think I want to know what you are seeing at the moment." I told her matter-of-factly.

"Have you tried calling Edward yet?" I asked her, hoping to distract her again.

"No, I have been stalling on that." She admitted.

"Why?" I asked.

"Because a big part of me knew last night when the wedding vision disappeared, that he was going to choose her." She whined. "And I don't know how to handle this."

"Alice, is there going to be another training session tonight?" I asked tersely, trying to dissuade her yet again.

"Yes, same time, same place. We actually plan to train all week."

"I'll pass it on to Jake and Sam. I am sure someone will be there." I told her. "I probably will be there too. It is my protection that this is all about, and I have no intentions of turning my back on that fact. I will not let you all go through all of this for me, and NOT be there in whatever capacity I can be to support you."

"Fine, I will see you tonight, then." Alice said tightly.

"Yes, tonight." I responded. "And, Alice?"

"Yes, Bella?" she asked sharply.

"Alice, I love you!" I said as I hung up the phone.

I turned back towards Jacob, who I had all but forgotten during the strained conversation with my dear friend, and almost sister. I was so glad that he was there. Without even thinking it through, I threw myself into his lap, and wrapped my arms around him, burying my head in his broad chest.

"Wow." Jacob said softly. "I was not expecting this."

He held me there for a few minutes, stroking my hair, and my back. The moment was so tender, and comfortable that I decided that I would throw all of my carefully constrained caution with Jacob out of the window. In that moment, I didn't care that there were hungry newborn vampires coming to get me. I didn't care that less than twelve hours ago, I was planning a life with someone else. I didn't even care that I had never admitted to Jacob that I had all of these feelings for him, or that I was indeed attracted to him. (No need to deny it to myself anymore, either) All I cared about was what we were feeling right now, in this moment, and it was beautiful.

I lifted my head, and placed a hand on the side of Jacob's face. I stared deeply into his eyes, and willed him to see the truth of this moment between us as I leaned in, and pressed my lips softly against his. His response was overwhelming, as he crushed me against himself. He didn't hesitate for a moment, sucking my bottom lip into his mouth, and caressing it with his tongue. I opened my mouth, inviting him to deepen the kiss. When our tongues collided, and caressed each other, I sighed deeply into his mouth. In all of the kisses I had shared with Edward, none had ever been like this.

This was a new experience all together. Our mouths were twisting together, both soft and yielding to the other. The heat radiating off of Jacob was comforting, and enticing. He was not pushing me away. He was pulling me even closer, allowing the need for closeness to guide him. There was not a need to keep me "safe". It was amazing, and beguiling. I didn't want to stop kissing him. I broke away long enough to breathe, but even then, the kissing didn't stop. He trailed hot wet kisses across my jaw, towards my ear, and down my neck. I began to feel things in my body that I had never experienced before.

I tangled my hands into his hair, and pulled his head backwards until I could see into his eyes. I stared deeply into their beautiful dark-brown depths, and saw in them nothing but love and trust, and raw desire. It was the desire that pushed me over the edge, and caused a response more animalistic, more wanton than I had ever experienced before.

I threw myself into the kiss with deep abandon, and shifted in the chair so that I was straddling his lap. I ran my hands over his bare back, and kissed his neck, his collar bone, and throat, tasting him, and moving against him. I could feel the evidence of his arousal against the inside of my thigh, and it made me groan with desire. I shifted myself so that the tell-tale bulge was right where I wanted to create friction, and began to grind my pelvis against his.

Jacob moaned loudly, thrusting against me. He slid his hands inside the back of my shirt, groping my skin. He shuddered, and growled as we ground against each other, giving in to reckless abandon. We were beginning to spiral out of control, and we both knew it. I was so far gone that I did not care whether this was right or wrong, I just knew that I wanted it.

"I want you, Jacob." I whispered as I bit at his earlobe.

Suddenly, Jacob froze. His breath was ragged, and he rested his forehead against mine, trying to catch his breath. He grabbed me gently by my upper arms, and he stood us up, holding me away from him.

"No." he said in a deep and gravelly voice. "Not like this."

"But I want you." I said huskily. I reached forward and placed my hand against his stomach, looking up at him through my lashes. I tried to siphon all of my lust and longing into my eyes as I looked at him.

"Damn it, Bella. We can't do this." He said, shaking his head, trying to clear his mind.

"Why? Why can't we do this, Jake?" I pleaded.

"Because if I make love to you, Bella..." He paused, and squinted, like he was searching for the right words. I waited.

"No," he corrected, "When I make love to you, it is not going to be under the shadow of impending doom, or the weight of your broken heart. When I make love to you, it is going to be a natural progression of the expression of our love. And, while it may be heated, and passionate… it will not be a knee-jerk reaction to some freaking "epiphany" you just had."

I locked eyes with him. I didn't understand why he brought that up.

"You think that I don't know that you were about to tell me that you just figured out that you love me?" he asked. "I know you Bella. I know you better than anyone else. Probably better than your Edward" he spat the name, "ever did. I have known that you love me ever since the night I tried to tell you about me being a werewolf. I knew back then that eventually you would figure it out. I also knew that you would try to do something drastic as soon as you did, because you are a person of extremes. When you make up your mind about something, you always try to do something concrete about it… something that will make you not want to second-guess yourself. I knew that at some point today you were going to kiss me. I knew it. I didn't expect you to try to seduce me!" he was laughing at the end of his little rant. And as hard as I tried, I could not help but laugh at myself.

I blushed deeply, and looked down at the floor. I was so embarrassed. I had almost done something similar to Edward when we first kissed. It was like there was this whole other version of me that I didn't understand. This other Bella was aggressive, sensual, and demanding; not shy and meek at all. They say you learn something new every day…

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