Hi,

And on we move to part 9 where you all can finally gauge Bella's reaction to all that information that she was suddenly given.

Thanks for the reviews for the last chapter go to The all mighty powerful M, Twisted Musalih vriend, Astilbe, April-Showers82, Rose, melodia, Crisely and Mandy may, your reviews have all kept me motivated to keep writing even when all I want to be doing is lazily stretched out in the sunshine and defrosting for the first time since fall kicked in last year. Thank you for the encouragement. I appreciate your thoughts and comments very much so when you're done reading please do type a quick note and hit the review button, getting them in my inbox makes my day and keeps the muse happy and well fed and a well fed muse means more motivation o keep writing as quickly as possible.

This story is Beta'd by SeptemberSkies. As always, I want to thank her profusely because without her influence this piece would be rougher than rough and there is a good chance it would also be a lot more confusing. Thank you for your time, effort and words of encouragement!

Lastly, the same disclaimer from the introduction still applies.

Happy reading (and hopefully reviewing)

Chapter 9

(BPOV)

Imprint.

Soul mate.

I wasn't even sure that I understood the words. I didn't even know him. I knew his name was Jacob Ephraim Black. I knew he was ages with me. I knew he had three siblings, two sisters and a brother. I knew that his mother had died when he was young and that his father was in a wheelchair. I knew that our families had been close when I was a child. I knew that he smelled like home and that I liked the way my body responded to him as if it knew that I was safe. But that was all I knew. What I didn't know seemed much, much larger.

I didn't know his favorite color or food or movie or book. I didn't know if he liked art, music or literature. I didn't know anything real about him. Did he have goals for the future? Did he want a family, children, a home? Did he want to go to college? Could he? What did he want to do with his life beyond protecting people from vampires? Was it possible for him to do anything else if he spent every waking moment hunting vampires, if it was possible did he want to do anything else or was he content with being a vampire hunter for the rest of his life? How long did shape shifters even live?

In all of my visions of grand romance, love at first sight and living a human life, I had always assumed that my family would be there. My parents were meant to be grandparents to any children that I ever had, be a part of my own family's lives. What happened next? What choices did I really have? It wasn't just my life that I had to make a decision about; my choices would affect Jacob directly. If I chose a life without him then what would happen to him? Would it destroy him? Could I do that to someone?

I nearly jumped out of my skin as two solid thumps sounded from my truck bed. I swerved slightly, adrenaline shooting through my body as the back driver's side door opened and slammed shut again. A cold hand descended on my shoulder and I was relieved to see Emmett looking at me when I looked into the rear-view mirror.

"You good to drive Bella?" He asked me and it was like something inside me started to crumble, I was overwhelmed and tears blurred my vision. I shook my head, already in the process of pulling over my truck and putting it into park.

"What happened?" Jasper asked as he opened the driver's side door and helped me out. "You two are like an emotional rollercoaster."

"Leave it Jaz." Zach snapped as I let Emmett hug me, his solid arms creating a barrier between me and the world. I pressed my forehead against his chest and held onto him tightly. Having a soul mate was supposed to enrich my life not take things away from it. I couldn't imagine being happy living a life without my family in it and yet the idea of never seeing Jacob again made a sob escape from my throat.

"Come on Bella, let's get you home." Emmett managed to bundle me into the backseat of the truck without loosening his grip on me. From the almost cautious way my truck was being driven I was pretty sure that Jasper was driving rather than Zach.

"What happened, Zach?" Jasper asked as calm infused the truck and I started to find it easier to breathe again.

"I think we should wait for the whole family for that explanation." Zach responded grimly. "They didn't hurt her; I don't think that they would." He expanded when the look on Jasper's face turned murderous.

My brothers seemed to accept his answer and silence descended. I shivered. After having spent time so close to Jacob, Emmett seemed colder than normal even through the layers of clothing we were both wearing. He leaned forward and fiddled with a dial on the center console, within moments warm air was blasting in my direction taking the worst of the chill away with it. The head ache was starting to throb behind my eyes and I sighed. This was going to be one hell of a night.

It didn't take us long to get home or to be met by the rest of the family in the living room. I sat down on the couch next to Esme and kicked my boots off before curling my legs up next to me and sinking back into the seat. I pulled the blanket over my legs as Alice pressed a hot water bottle and a hot chocolate into my hands. I clutched both to me as my mother wrapped an arm around my shoulders and Zach started pacing the floor in front of the coffee table. I could see tension lines forming between his eyes as they flickered over to me.

"You get used to the head ache." I said to him and he nodded.

"What happened tonight sweetheart?" Esme asked.

"Alice didn't see?" Zach focused his attention quickly on my sister.

"My sight isn't very reliable these days." She shook her head.

"We think it has something to do with those damned mutts." Jasper said contemptuously, both Zach and I stiffened. Something in me wanted to jump quickly and firmly to the wolves' defense, to snap at my brother the way that I had earlier in defense of the family. Instead I took a steadying breath and looked over at him, he was frowning and I knew he was still reading my emotional response. "Something I said?" I chose to ignore him.

"When the Pack was here before, did Sam and Leah explain the connection between Jacob and I to you?" I focused on Carlisle's face, directing my explanation to him seemed the best way for me say what needed to be said.

"I'm assuming that they didn't tell us everything." He nodded. "Did they hurt you?"

"No!" I shook my head. "No, nothing like that, I promise! They call the connection an imprint; it seems that it creates a soul mate bond between two people." The minute the words left my mouth, Rosalie hissed through clenched teeth, Emmett got very large, his large hands curling into fists that I knew could pound a rock to dust and the rest of the family turned to statues as I explained what Billy Black had told us earlier. By the time I was done I was emotionally and physically exhausted.

"Bella and I get a choice in it, it seems like we can accept or reject the imprint and that, unlike us, the Quileute wolves don't have the same choice. Problem is that no one knows what would happen if we choose to reject it, no one ever seems to have. It's seems to be quite a connection, it's physical on our end as well as emotional, I've had a bloody head ache since we crossed that boundary line." Zach finished. There was a moment of silence and then it seemed like all my siblings were trying to speak at once.

"We need to tell them to shove the imprint up their fucking asses and get Bella and Zach as far away from here as we can!" Emmett exploded as Jasper snapped, "I told you coming to Forks was a bad idea," at Carlisle. "We can't risk Bella's physical or emotional wellbeing, we don't know enough." Alice was trying to shout over Emmett and Rose just kept muttering, "I'm going to kill those mangy hounds," over and over again under her breath.

"We can't leave dad." I was still looking at the too still figure of my father as I rubbed at my eyes. "Please, I don't know what I want to do except that I don't want to leave quickly without making an informed decision." My body was aching, I was pretty sure my soul was as well, and on top of it all I couldn't help but feel extremely overwhelmed.

"She's right; we don't have nearly enough information yet Carlisle." Zach said as my siblings continued to argue around us.

"Esme?" Carlisle looked at her as she pulled me close and I rested in her soothing embrace. She was my mother, no matter what she loved me and always had my best interest at heart; there was something comforting in that.

"I think you need to arrange a meeting with the tribal council. I don't care about the Treaty; Bella is our daughter and Zach a close friend of this family and therefore one of our own to protect." Esme's voice was steady and my siblings stopped arguing to look at her. "They need to know that where our daughter and Zach are concerned we expect full disclosure or we will all disappear and we have ways to make sure that they will not be able to find us."

"I agree." Carlisle turned to Zach. "Without your consent we will not include you in our ultimatum even though it is our deepest wish to do so."

"You have my consent." Zach shrugged.

"Then I have a phone call to make." Carlisle swept out of the room.

"I think it would be best for you both to try and get some sleep. We will let you know what Carlisle has found out in the morning." Esme said as she pressed cold lips against my forehead. I nodded my agreement even though I was sure that I would never be able to get to sleep.

I was wrong. The minute my head touched the pillow I was fast asleep.

His eyes were mostly black, his pupils were so dilated that there was only the slightest rim of amber surrounding them. He was handsome; his hair a burnished bronze, his skin pale and flawless, his lips seemed to match each other perfectly beneath a straight nose that was in precise instead proportion with the rest of his face. He was looking at me as though he was in awe, or perhaps it was pain, but it made me shiver like I was standing out in the cold.

"So tiny, so fragile." His voice was soft, barely a whisper as his hand moved toward my face, slowly as if I were the danger to him and not the other way around. It was like I was frozen and couldn't move away as the back of one long finger brushed against my cheek. His touch was cold like he had had his hand submerged in a bucket of ice water.

I was frightened and yet, I wasn't.

"Why are you still awake Bella-bean?" The voice seemed to push away some of the fog and the fear. I was safe when I was with her, she was all that was warmth and comfort and the feelings of home. "Who are you?" Her tones which had previously been so soothing were laced with fear and made my heart pound in my chest. "Get away from my daughter!"

The face that had been hovering above me disappeared in a blur and I could suddenly move again. Arms and legs that were clumsy and uncoordinated rolled me over onto my hands and knees as she started to scream. The stranger had her body draped over his lap, his mouth pressed firmly to the side of her neck. The screaming stopped as suddenly as it had started, her body convulsed once and then she was still.

He lifted his head; his arms rolled her body forward until it landed on the floor with a thump. She didn't move, her light hair was spread behind her, her limbs askew and her eyes unblinking. The very sight of her made me shiver and freeze again. He looked over his shoulder at me, red clinging to his teeth as he flashed me a crooked grin.

"Renee! Bella!" The door flew open, smashing against the wall and the doorway filled by a tall man, his eyes wild as he scanned the room. I wanted to jump off my bed and run to him, beg him to keep me safe and not let the monster touch me again but before I could move the stranger had him by the neck. There was a pop and a crunch as he crumpled to the floor at the stranger's feet and didn't move again.

I scrambled backward as he turned slowly, his eyes fixed on me once more as my back collided with the wall behind me. I pulled my knees up to my chest and cried out. I didn't see him move but his face was hovering in front of mine, his eyes wide, his breath moist and metallic fanned across my cheeks. His hands reached toward me, fingertips brushing against my jaw and neck, making me want to cringe away from the contact. I squeezed my eyes shut and willed the wall to open up and swallow me whole, anything would be better than being here.

"Stand up, Edward, and move away from the girl." I didn't open my eyes as the fingers retracted from my face and neck and I could breathe again.

"Her blood Carlisle, I've never smelled anything like it." There was a quiver in his features.

"Oh Edward, what have you done?" It was a woman's voice, soft and sad.

"Move away from her Edward." The man insisted and the mattress in front of me moved.

"She sings to me, she's mine!" The words were a hiss, more animal than human.

"No Edward, she's a child, she does not belong to you." The man was clear and insistent.

There was a terrible hiss, and I held my breath so I wouldn't scream as the room shook and there was a large crash. My eyes snapped open almost against my will as I was scooped into large ice cold arms. My eyes moved to the face above me as the world shifted uncomfortably quickly around me.

"Don't think about where you're going, just go. I will contact you when we know what to do next. You and Rose need to keep her safe."

It was still dark when my eyes opened. I reached for the Tylenol and water on my bedside table, took two and sighed even though I knew it wasn't going to make my headache go away before I turned on my light. My eyes cast around the room for a minute before I picked up my jeans from where they lay and grabbed a bra and the flannel shirt I had worn to school Friday. The problem with thinking too hard about my biological parents was the dreams that came with the thoughts. I shuddered as I slipped my bare feet into my Chucks and headed downstairs.

I smiled at my brothers, who appeared to be in the middle of yet another epic Halo battle, as I walked past the living room and into the kitchen. Rosalie was the only one there, tawny eyes staring out into the darkness like a sentinel on duty. She was beautiful, her honey blonde hair falling down her back in perfect waves as she turned her head ever so slightly in my direction. She was what an attractive woman should be, all soft curves and subtle angles. Even in jeans and a t-shirt she looked perfectly put together and flawless.

"You're up early." Rose said her eyes moving back to their watch.

"Couldn't sleep." I replied as I started pulling out cereal and tea making supplies. We left it at that as I prepared my early breakfast and a pot of tea. "Where are mom and dad?"

"Carlisle is at the hospital and Esme went hunting with Alice. Carlisle said that Billy Black would call, after he had spoken with Jacob and the rest of the council in the morning, with their response." She turned as I pulled myself up so I was sitting on the island, food on one side and tea on the other. "Try not to fall off of there and break yourself." I stuck my tongue out at her and she smiled indulgently.

"Have you seen them tonight?" I asked around a large mouthful of strawberry laden granola.

"There's a big red one out there pacing now." She nodded. "Doesn't look too happy either. You know who it is?"

"It's Jacob." I nodded. If I was honest I'd known before she had answered me, my headache was barely there anymore. "He's doing better than last time I had a bad dream." Her head whipped round to look at me sharply. "You don't think I got up at four in the morning for the fun of it did you?" I asked rubbing at one of my eyes.

"Want to talk about it?" She was giving me her full attention.

"Do you want to talk about the night Edward killed my parents and you lost a brother?" I asked her with a raised eyebrow. It wasn't as if everyone refused to talk about what had happened or why Carlisle's first son lost control of himself and was subsequently lost to them, we just didn't by unspoken agreement. Esme had sat me down when I was just about ten years old, after my first really vivid dream about the night Edward found me and had told me what I needed to know, given me details that up until then I hadn't been told.

"I will if you want me to." Rosalie answered pouring fresh tea into my mug as I put my empty cereal bowl down on the table behind me.

"I don't." I shook my head as I slipped carefully off of the counter. "I'm going to go talk to Jacob." I pulled my sweater a little closer around my body as I moved to the backdoor.

"No you're not!" Emmett snapped, one hand pressed against the frame of the door in front of me.

"What he means is that it is not safe to go talk to the dog." Jasper said from the other side of the island. I shot him a dirty look; I did not like it when they insulted Jacob.

"Personally, I'm all for no way in hell are you going near him ever again." Rose and I gave each other a level look.

"I have every right to talk to him; no one has declared war yet. If it would make you guys feel better, I'll go bring him back into the yard so you can all see exactly what's going on." I pulled a coat off the hook and shrugged it on.

"No!" Rose and Jasper said together as Emmett said, "Then I'm going with you."

"I'm not asking permission and I don't want or need anyone to come with me. I'm going to go talk to Jacob. I'll be back in a little while." I reached for the door handle and tugged. The door didn't budge and Emmett growled. "Really? I'm you sister, not your prisoner, back off."

"This isn't a good idea." He was glaring at me.

"Or safe." Rosalie added.

"Maybe not but it's what I'm going to do. You can say I told you so if you have to come out and rescue me." I tugged on the door a couple of times before Emmett finally released it. "I'll shout if I need help."

(JPOV)

I was pretty sure that my brother was a saint. To be as calm and mild mannered as he was despite the circumstances in which he was raised, and now he was constantly stuck dealing with Leah and I. I didn't understand him, if I had had to deal with Leah and the twins verbally hacking each other to pieces while I had gotten Dad home and sorted I would have snapped. He had even volunteered to split the longest route that hugged the coast line almost to Port Angeles before heading back along the edge of the National Park with Tristan so that Leah could stay near the boarder the surrounded the Cullen house, while I zig-zagged through La Push and Forks.

Don't give me too much credit Jake, you still owe me one. Embry's thoughts were a distraction. Bella had been relatively peaceful for the last couple of hours, her confusion and anxiety ebbing gradually away in such a way that convinced me that she had fallen asleep, but it didn't stop me thinking about her or constantly examining the calm I was feeling that definitely wasn't my own. It's trippy the way you seem to be so in touch with her emotions. All of the imprinted wolves seemed to have different levels of awareness when it came to their imprints and mine seemed to be stronger than most.

It's not exactly pleasant. I supplied, stopping outside of my father's bedroom window for a moment as had become my habit when patrolling the reservation. I listened to him take a handful of deep even breaths before moving back toward into the woods. I shook myself and tried to push the image of Zach that Leah seemed fixated on out of my head as I tried to focus.

Fuck, god damn it, fuck! This is so fucked up, I can't even think straight! Leah was all explosive expletives, she had been since the moment Zach left and she phased. Internally she was a hot mess, she hated imprinting more than the rest of us and watching Zach walk out of the door with Bella had only caused the old wound to open deeper. If Sam was allowed to be happy then she felt she was entitled to happiness. Fucked up!

She was miserable and Tristan, who was normally a giant goof ball, was becoming more and more irritated the longer he patrolled with us. Nathan hadn't been lying, Sam had been pushing them hard and the lack of sleep was wearing Tristan's temper thin and without his twin around to balance him he was only escalating - but then Tristan's fuse was a whole lot shorter than his brother's. Mixing him with Leah had been a mistake and Embry and I were paying the price for it.

Go home Tristan, get some sleep before you do or say something you're going to be made to regret. I said to him. His mind disappeared instantly.

God damn it! Leah went off on another of her bouts of expletives. She had gotten to the point in her pacing and angst that she was barely registering the fact that Embry and I were with her any longer. Maybe it was best that way; the illusion of privacy was as close as any of us actually got to the real thing these days. This isn't working Jake, I'm going to head to Sol Duc, I'll skirt around the Park and cut back across Hurricane Ridge.

I'll take Forks and La Push; you can worry about the Cullen boarder if you want Jake. Embry sighed as Leah ran like she was possessed toward Olympic National Park. What wasn't working to stop Leah crawling out of her skin worked for me so I acknowledged the new patrol routes with a shrug, the area was being covered all be it a little farther than we usually went.

The original plan was to have a relaxing jog on the way to the Treaty line. I had been focusing so hard on breathing and stretching tired muscles that when I felt fear and panic tugging at me from the ball in my chest I almost stopped breathing entirely. Shit! She had been completely peaceful just a second before, it was like the first day we had imprinted all over again, her instant shift from fine to not and it was that memory that made me refuse Leah and Embry's offer of help and safety in numbers even as I powered forward at a desperate run. If I was right and this was just another dream I was not going to score points turning up at her house with the Pack in tow again.

God, what if I was wrong and couldn't get to her on time? She had every confidence in the Cullen's ability and intention to protect her. What if it was the Cullens that were frightening her? It took every ounce of will power in my body to stop within the trees that signaled the end of neutral territory and the beginning of Cullen territory. My eyes scanned the house, the two younger males were in the living room, the blonde female in the kitchen, Bella's bedroom light was off and there was no visible sign of Zach, the two other females or the doctor.

Zach's in the room with the light on next to Bella's, the doc left alone in his Mercedes twenty minutes ago and the two females headed out toward the national forest about the same time. Leah supplied as the panic faded to be replaced with an emotion I didn't understand and frustration. I under stood what frustration was like, not being able to cross the invisible boundary line was frustrating rational thought right out of my head. All of the Cullens were accounted for, Leah knew exactly where Zach was and he wasn't panicking or she wouldn't have been able to leave and I couldn't see or smell anything out of the ordinary in the area.

Bella's light turned on and I froze for a minute to watch her silhouette move around behind the blinds. The blonde female was watching me as I started pacing the boundary line, wishing that Bella would just open her blinds long enough for me to get a good look at her, for me to have a moment to make sure with my own eyes that she was whole and unharmed.

She's fine, just run the stupid half mile loop around the house it'll make you feel better. Leah suggested pointedly ignoring her own body's desire to turn around and do exactly what I was doing just in case Zach walked past a window.

I stopped pacing and staring and started doing laps of the perimeter. She was completely calm again which made it easier to concentrate on the way she had felt in my arms earlier that night as I pressed my lips so softly against hers. Her body had relaxed against mine; her hands had kept me close to her and had insisted that we stay close to each other, even as I made myself stop kissing her. Her lips had been so soft; she tasted like honeysuckle, vanilla and mint. I rolled my eyes at the not too subtle gagging sounds coming from Embry and Leah.

"Jacob?" Bella's voice from behind me stopped me in my tracks. I was turning and moving toward her before I consciously made the decision to do so, thoughts of joining Embry and Leah's banter long gone. "Jacob? Are you still out here?"

She had already crossed her back yard and the boundary line into the forest. She was back in old jeans and a flannel shirt, a light jacket thrown over the top that didn't go with her shirt or her shoes. She had pulled her hair into a messy bun that sat at the nape of her neck and she was picking at her lower lip with her thumb and forefinger as she moved further into the trees, her eyes searching as she started moving in my direction.

Bella froze when she saw me, every muscle in her body tensing, her eyes wide as she looked at me. A gasp escaped her lips and her heart rate more than doubled as a tremor of fear seemed to travel through her body. I took a couple of steps toward her, alert to our surroundings trying to work out what it was that had frightened her as she took two large steps backward. Her foot landed on one of the untied laces of her Chucks and with a jerk and a grunt of surprise she landed on her ass.

It's you that's scaring the shit out of her you fucktard! Leah snapped at me.

I froze.

I couldn't seem to stop myself, I took a tentative step forward trying to exude comfort and calm, my head lowered so that it was level with hers in a way I hoped came across as nonthreatening. She flinched and looked away as her shoulders seemed to shoot up to her ears like she was protecting her throat and her fingers dug into the earth. My emotions hit me harder than Sam's punch to the face, led by devastation so strong it took my breath away and extracted a whimper from her throat.

Phase and talk to her, Leah and I are fine we'll call if we need you. Embry pushed his thoughts soothingly at me. I phased and in the three strides it took me to get to her I had pulled my shorts on and dropped to my knees. Why had I thought she would react differently to my wolf then she had to Leah's?

"I don't know what I did to make you so afraid of me but I'm sorry." I said resisting the urge to gather her into my arms and press her tightly to me. She looked at me for less than half a second before she had wrapped both arms around my neck, almost knocking me over as her body came in contact with mine, relief flooding her system and my own.

She was stronger than she looked, her arms were tight enough to almost be uncomfortable but I found I didn't care. I wrapped my arms around her torso, careful that I didn't squeeze her too tightly as her forehead brushed the corner of my jaw and she took a deep breath. I leaned back a little trying to disengage her arms enough to get a look at her face but she just moved with me.

"Bella, honey, are you okay?" I asked. She nodded into my neck and pulled in another deep breath before she loosened her grip on my neck and sat back on her heels where she had ended up kneeling between my legs. "I didn't mean to scare you, honey."

"You looked like… I mean, how aware are you when you're, you know?" She rocked back on her heels, one hand dropping to her side while the other trailed down my arm until her fingers brushed against my own. I pulled her hand into mine.

"I'm me, the wolf's instincts are sharper but I'm still in control of myself." I explained. Was that why she was afraid of the wolves, she wasn't sure if we retained any of our humanity or personality when we phased?

"You looked like you were ready to attack me." She chewed on her lower lip and her eyes drifted away from mine. Color flooded her cheeks and she gave a weak tug of her hand like she wanted to remove it from my grasp but I just tightened my grip and used my other hand to gently move her head so she was looking at my face again.

"Couldn't happen, wolf or human, I'd die to protect you." She stiffened as I spoke but stopped trying to pull away from me.

"I've never wanted that kind of responsibility." Bella breathed, her eyes fluttering shut as my fingers traced along her jaw and her head moved into my touch.

"Isabella Marie Swan, if you don't have your ass back in this fucking yard in thirty seconds I'm going to come drag it back!" Emmett's bellow snapped her out of the moment, her eyes opening and rolling as a smile tugged on the corners of her mouth.

"He means it." She stood and looked down at her hand which was still firmly clasped in mine. "Do you have time to talk?"

"Let me check in with the patrol, I'll meet you closer to the house in a couple of minutes." I nodded and released the grip I had on her fingers. Hours earlier, when she had flinched away from me and then left with Zach I wasn't sure when she would be willing to speak with me again, but she was willing now and so long as Embry and Leah were fine I would grasp the opportunity with both hands.

"There's a bench swing by the fire pit at the side of the house." She shoved her hands in the pockets of her jeans.

"BELLA!" Emmett bellowed again.

"Emmett, I'm coming!" She yelled back in the direction of her home, annoyance laced through her voice. "Don't get your panties in a twist!"

"I'll see you in a couple of minutes." I smiled encouragingly at her as I watched her leave. I waited till she was out of sight to strip and phase.

What'd she want, Jake? Leah asked.

She wants to talk. I replied. Leah had just arrived at the hot springs and Embry was just passing Joshua Uley's house on his way out of La Push and into Forks.

Its quiet tonight, same as it's been since the Cullens moved in. Go talk to her. Embry encouraged and I could feel Leah's agreement.

Want me to ask about Zach? I asked her.

You're going to if I want you to or not, why bother asking? She snapped but she wasn't as mad at me as she wanted me to think she was.

If you guys need me, call. I waited for their affirmation and straightened once more. I pulled my shorts on before making the short walk to the treaty line and then across it into the Cullen's perfectly manicured back yard. I could feel their eyes on me, the sickly sweet scent of vampire burned the back of my throat and the hair on the back of my neck stood on end. Invited or not, I was still in enemy territory and they were keeping a careful watch on me.

At the side of the house was a large paved area with a large silver barbeque, a picnic table and a couple of bench swings all gathered around a large circular fire pit. A small fire crackled and burnt brightly making shadows dance across Bella's profile. She was sat with one leg pulled up to her chest, an arm wrapped around it as long fingers picked at the edge of a hole in the knee and she stared into the flames. I could practically see the thoughts swirling around in her head like a tornado.

She must have felt my eyes on her, her head turned in my direction; a soft smile played across her lips but never quite seemed to reach her eyes which looked so serious. It was those same brown eyes that seemed to look at me like they were trying to take all of me in at once or perhaps it was an attempt to see past my flesh and to my soul. I couldn't help but wonder what she saw there as I smiled back at her trying not to cringe as my bare feet met the cold flag stones that paved the area around the fire pit.

"Do you really have some time or do you need to go back?" Bella asked, changing the angle of her body on the seat so she was almost facing me as I sat down on the bench.

"It's all good, I've got some time." I tried to reassure her.

"You seem to be doing better than last time. I half expected you to break down the front door and try to stage a rescue with your pack." She said. I snorted.

"Trust me, it's what I wanted to do but I was pretty sure if I did that I would blow whatever chance I had of you ever talking to me again." I replied, glad that she didn't realize how the moment had almost derailed me. "Do you have them often?"

"Nightmares?" She frowned and I nodded. "Sometimes, I guess, not usually this frequently though." She shrugged after a moments consideration.

My hands twitched with the urge to reach out and interlock my fingers with hers. The serious expression on her face made me wish I could block all of the complications and worries from her life and only allow the good things in. A ball of cloth hit me in the side of the head and draped across my shoulder, making both of our eyes snap toward the open study window. Emmett was stood there, his massive arms folded across his chest as he glared at me.

I picked up the item only to realize it was a t-shirt. It was clean, smelling mostly of laundry detergent mixed with a scent I associated already with Zach and just the faintest hint of vampire but not enough to bother my nose more than it already was. I shrugged as I pulled it over my head; I wasn't beyond making good will gestures as long as I was being allowed to sit so close to Bella.

"Will you just let me talk to him for a minute without you hovering like an overbearing goon?" She looked exasperated as she eyed the large vampire. He made a huffing sound before turning and walking away from the window. She turned her attention back to me, her whole countenance radiated seriousness. "We do need to try and have a serious discussion." She said to me. My heart sank to my toes but I nodded, even though I had a feeling I wouldn't like what she had to say at all.