Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. But I do own the idea for how Alice became a Vampire.

Bella woke to feel someone's eyes on her. She opened her eyes slowly and a dark figure slowly came into focus. She rubbed her eyes with a sigh when Jacob came from out of the shadows.

"What are you doing here? It's after two."

"You knew that Leah was pregnant when Sam broke up with her to be with Emily," he accused.

"Yes," she said quietly as she turned the light on.

"Sam has a son somewhere that he doesn't know about," he said as he sat on the edge of the bed.

"Leah asked me not to tell you."

"Never in a million years would I think that was what she was hiding," he said as he dug his palms into his eyes.

"It took her a lot of courage to tell you."

"How did you find out?"

"She went to school in Arizona, not far from where I lived. I ran into her one day and she needed someone to talk to, even if it was a fifteen year old who wouldn't understand."

"She plans on telling Sam when he gets back this weekend."

"I know it's hard to see it now, but one day when their son is old enough he's going to want to know about his parents. You're going to be the man that she made a life with, not Sam. You can't look back on it and regret that it happened. If you do it's going to eat you alive."

"How do you know that?"

"Because that's what happened to Phil when he and my mom first got together. It took Phil three years to deal with it before he finally accepted that he wouldn't have any children of his own. You and Leah will eventually. Do you know how lucky you are?"

"I hadn't thought of that," Jacob said with a sigh.

Bella wrapped her arms around his neck to pull him to her and rubbed his back soothingly. He rested his head on her shoulder before wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Thank you," he said quietly.

"What are friends for?" she asked as she lay down on the bed, pulling him with her.

"Hopefully Paul doesn't come by and get the wrong idea," he mumbled.

"If he does, I'll set him straight."

She continued to rub his back as she felt his breathing slow. She fell back to sleep with his heart beating steadily against hers.

XXXX

The sun was shining through her window when she woke up the next morning. Jacob was still asleep with his arms wrapped around her. She moved out of his embrace gently, careful not to wake him. She made her way downstairs to see that her dad had already left to go fishing.

"I wasn't sure if I should call Paul and tell him about the boy in your bed or not," Alice said from the table.

"God, you scared me!" Bella said.

"Is that Jacob?"

"Yes. He got some news last night that was hard for him to deal with."

"He had you in a death grip. I was going to wake you, but I didn't want to take the chance of waking him up too. He must be pretty worn out if he didn't wake up when I climbed through the window."

"The threat is over, so he had his guard down."

"How does it feel to not have to look over your shoulder in fear?"

"Wonderful," she said with a sigh.

"Why exactly did you call me to come over?"

"I am going to have a conversation with my dad when he gets home. I was hoping to have Jasper here, but I didn't think that he would come over."

"You're right, he probably wouldn't have. So you need a voice of reason?"

"It's more like I need a buffer. My dad doesn't get mad when you're around."

"Is everything okay down there?" Jacob called from the top of the stairs.

"You can come down."

"Who's down there with you?"

"Alice Cullen," Bella said as she walked to the bottom of the stairs.

"I'm gonna go put my shirt on," he said.

"Don't do that on my account. I've already seen you without it," Alice called.

Jacob came down as Bella was making him a mixing bowl of cereal. She set it in front of him as he sat in her dad's chair. He started to eat while Alice watched him. He smiled bashfully before spooning another spoonful of cereal into his mouth.

"How long have the two of you been friends?"

"Since I was four and he was two. We lost touch while I was in Arizona, but we picked up where things left off when I came back. It was like I had never been gone."

"I had a friend like that as a child. Her name was Claudia; she lived next door to us until we were thirteen. I saw her just before I got sick and we were starting to be friends again," she said sadly.

"And then your mother had you committed?" Bella asked in concern.

"My mother was a very controlling woman. I wasn't the kind of daughter that she wanted, so she found a way to sweep me underneath a rug so to speak," Alice explained as casually as she could.

"Your mom had you put in a hospital?" Jacob asked.

"She didn't know any better. All she knew was that I saw things that other people couldn't. Luckily Carlisle found me before I could do damage to myself."

"She sounds like she should win mother of the year," Bella said as she rolled her eyes.

"I'm gonna go. I told Leah that I would come by this morning," Jacob said as he washed his bowl out.

"Remember what I said," Bella warned from next to him.

"It was nice to finally meet you," Alice said politely.

"You too," Jacob said with a nod.

Charlie came in as Jacob was leaving. Bella asked him to come into the kitchen and Alice stood to greet him.

"Well, this is a surprise," Charlie said when Alice hugged him.

"I hadn't seen you since I came back. I'm making you and Bella breakfast."

"Alright," Charlie agreed as he sat down at the table.

"I need to talk to you about a couple of things."

"You never have good news when you need to talk to me with someone else around," Charlie said giving her an even look.

"It's nothing bad, but I would like it if you kept an open mind."

"Go on," Charlie said with a nod.

"I've decided to hold off on going to college until next year."

"Why?" he asked skeptically.

"I want to take a year off. It's not like I'm not going at all, even if I only go to Junior College."

"You don't even know what you want to major in yet," Charlie pointed out.

"Actually I do. I want to be a grief counselor or maybe a social worker."

"Those are good professions I guess. What's the other thing?"

"I'm seeing someone."

"It's not Edward, is it?"

"No sir. It's Paul."

"That's just as bad," he said with a sigh.

"You hardly know him. You won't even give him a chance?"

"He's too old for you Bells," he said bluntly.

"Mom is five years older than you," she pointed out.

"And look how well that turned out. The only good thing that came out of it is you."

"I care about him."

"You cared about Edward too."

"Paul is different. We've been together for a month and he hasn't caused one problem. He's even helping with the house."

"I don't know if I like that we're having this conversation with your ex-boyfriends sister around," Charlie said nervously.

"I am pro Paul. I think he's very nice," Alice said as she mixed pancake batter.

"She's a great judge of character," Bella said giving her dad a reassuring look.

"I guess that I could give him a chance as long as you answer something for me. Is he the reason that you want to wait a year before starting college?"

"No, he isn't. I made that decision at the start of the school year. That's why there haven't been any college applications coming in the mail."

"Bring him around more often."

"I will."

"Breakfast is ready," Alice said sitting two plates on the table.

"That was fast," Charlie said adding sugar to his coffee.

Alice shrugged before running water in the sink. She busied herself with washing the dishes that she had used then cleared the table once Bella and Charlie were done. Charlie went upstairs to get ready for work while Bella went up to her room. Alice was gone by the time they came downstairs half an hour later.

"I should be home by eight."

"I had planned on staying at Leah's," Bella said as she grabbed her keys off the table.

"Alright, then I'll see you in the morning."

"Have a good day. Be careful."

"You too," he said before heading out the door.

Paul and everyone else were pulling up when Bella came out of the house to leave for work. Everyone went inside while Bella stood on the porch with Paul. He wrapped his arms around her waist and she wrapped her arms around his neck with a smile.

"I told my dad this morning."

"What did he say?"

"He's okay with it. He thinks you're too old for me. He doesn't want what happened to him and my mom to happen to me."

"Don't you feel better know that he knows?" he asked rationally.

"I do. There's some pancakes and bacon on the stove. Alice made way too much for my dad and me this morning."

"It will probably be gone by the time I get in there," he said with a soft laugh.

"Then I'll make you breakfast for dinner tonight," she promised.

"Yeah?" he asked with a tranquil smile.

"Yep, I'm staying with you again."

"Does your dad know?"

"I told him that I was staying at Leah's. I know that he won't be happy that I'm staying with you."

"We'll talk about that later," he said before leaning down to kiss her gently.

She pulled away when she heard a crash in the kitchen.

"Tell whoever that is that they had better clean it up," she said before pulling away.

He watched her get into her truck and she waved at him before pulling off. He waved back with a smile before going inside. Inside, Seth was cleaning up the broken glass that was scattered across the kitchen floor.

"What happened?"

"It was wet; it slipped right out of my hands," Seth said sheepishly.

"Be more careful next time," Paul said as he patted him on the back.

Paul went upstairs to Bella's room where the furniture had been moved so that they could paint the room. Jacob was pouring paint into a paint pan while Embry spread a tarp on the floor.

"I can do that Embry. Why don't you go start taking the boards off the stairs so that I can put the new ones on?"

"Sure," Embry said before leaving the room.

Jacob had his back to him stirring the paint while Paul watched him.

"Where were you last night? I tried to call you twice."

"I was here. I must have slept right through it."

"Why were you here?"

"I needed a friend," Jacob said with a shrug.

Paul nodded, letting the subject drop. If something serious had been wrong Bella would have told him. He would just have to be more trusting when it came to Jacob. He wasn't blind, he knew that the kid had feelings for Bella before he imprinted on Leah. They had still been there for a while afterwards, but now the feelings seemed to have turned towards Leah, even if they weren't as strong. He was just glad that Bella had been smart enough not to lead Jacob on.

XXXX

The house was quiet except for the sounds of the TV from downstairs. His eyes scanned the room meticulously, wanting to memorize every part of it. He knew that he was supposed to wait for Victoria's command, but he hadn't heard from her in over three weeks. It was time that he took matters into his own hands.

It hadn't taken him long to find out where the girl lived. There were only two listings for the last name Swan in the phone book and he knew that the other address couldn't have been hers. His fingers ran over the bed slowly, pausing to hold the dream catcher in his palm.

He would need something to take back to the others so that they would know her scent. He scrunched up his nose in disgust when the smell of wet dog mixed with hers. He would have to be careful not to alarm the animal when he went downstairs. His eyes scanned the room once more until he saw a laundry basket by the open closet door.

He rifled through it, looking for something that would draw everyone's attention. It had to be something that she had worn recently so that her scent would still be fresh. His hand paused on a flannel shirt. He brought it to his nose and his throat was overcome with fire. Her scent was sweet, making him wish that she were there.

He headed down the stairs quietly towards the sound of the TV. A man slept on the couch with a magazine lying open on his chest. He leaned over him, taking in his scent. His scent wasn't as appealing as the girls. He smelled of a man who spent a lot of his time outdoors.

The desire to kill the man was strong, but he knew that he shouldn't. He didn't want to raise any red flags before the time was right. He pulled away slowly; satisfied that he had been able to control himself. Victoria would have been proud of him.

He made his way back to the girl's room and was out the window ten minutes after he had climbed in. With his job done, he had a little time before the sun came up. Maybe he would check in on his family while he was in town. He had missed them terribly after Victoria had changed him. He worried about his mother and younger brother and sisters from time to time.

He climbed through the window of his old bedroom and the lamp by the bed flicked on. His ten year old brother stared at him with wide eyes. He put a finger to his lips to silence the boy when he opened his mouth to speak.

"No one can know that I am here."

The boy nodded his head quickly as the man made his way across the room. The boys smell almost over powered him and he had to stop at the foot of the bed.

"What are you doing in here?"

"I come in here sometimes when I can't sleep. Being around your things helps me sleep."

His eyes scanned the room to see that the room hadn't changed since he had last seen it.

"Where have you been?" The boy asked curiously.

"Seattle. You cannot tell anyone that you saw me. Do you understand Darrin?"

"Yes, I understand. Momma and Daddy are still looking for you."

"I know they are," The man said with a nod.

"Why are your eyes red?"

"I am not the same person I was when I left here. That does not mean that I love you any less."

"I love you too Riley."

"Is Elisa still here, or is she away at college?"

"Momma wouldn't let her to go to college. She didn't want her to turn up missing."

"I'm going to see the girls. I promise that I will see you again before I leave. Now go to sleep," Riley said with a kind smile.

"I want a hug."

Riley paused at the door and fear gripped him. He should have known that Darrin would ask him for a hug. He would have to push his feelings aside and do what the boy asked. He wished more than anything that things could be different. He couldn't go back and change them now. He walked back to the bed and knelt down to his brother's level. His smile was back as he leaned in to wrap his arms around the boy's thin body. He pressed his lips to his forehead with a sigh before pulling away.

"You're so cold," Darrin said.

"I know; I'm sorry. There's nothing that I can do about it. Go to sleep now."

"Okay," The boy said sleepily.

Riley left the room and paused outside the door across the hall. His parents deep, even breathing came from inside as he quietly pushed the door open. The TV was on, casting a white glow on his parents sleeping forms. He wanted so badly to pull his mother into his arms and hold her, but he knew that it wouldn't be possible. It had taken everything he had not to bite Darrin when he had hugged him. He stared at them sadly before walking out of the room and closing the door behind him.

The door at the end of the hall was open and he walked in to see the oldest of his younger sisters asleep with her body turned towards him. He reached out to touch her forehead but stopped himself when he realized that he shouldn't. They had been the closest of all of the children not only because she was only three years younger than him but because they shared the same views on everything. He could tell her anything and he knew that she wouldn't tell anyone. He left the room because seeing her had been too much for him to take. The door next to Elisa's was closed, but he could hear his baby sister's quiet warbling.

Brytini had only been a few months old, and a complete surprise to everyone when he had seen her last. He opened the door silently, not knowing what to expect. All of the others hadn't changed since he had seen them last. There was no doubt in his mind that his baby sister had changed in the year since he had seen her.

He crossed the room to see the little girl sitting up in her crib. She looked up at him with curious eyes before letting out a quiet whimper.

"Please don't cry little one. I won't hurt you," he said brushing a finger down her cheek tenderly.

She looked just like Elisa and their mother; the same big blue eyes that he had as a human stared back at him. He wished that he could hold her, but that was out of the question. He watched her in panic as she started to whimper again.

"Shh," Riley said soothingly.

She started to wail as he frantically looked for her bottle so that maybe she would settle down. He found it underneath the blanket and found that it was empty. He growled deep in his throat as she reached out for him to hold her. He held his breath as he picked her up and immediately noticed that she was wet. He carried her to the changing table and changed her quickly before carrying her out into the hall. His door opened and he quickly ushered Darrin back inside.

He made Brytini a bottle and she took it from him as soon as he held it out to her. He ran back up the stairs quicker than he had ever run before and laid her gently in her crib. He covered her with the blanket and her eyes closed almost immediately. He was back in his room within seconds.

"I told you to go to sleep," he said sternly.

"I didn't think that you were still here. I was going to get her," Darrin said as he looked down at his hands.

"I promised that I would say goodbye to you before I left. Have I ever gone back on a promise?"

"No," The boy said with a shake of his head.

"I won't be able to come back again. I want you to know that I love all of you and I miss you terribly."

"I can't even tell Elisa that you were here?"

"No," he said as he opened the window once more.

"Bye," Darrin said sadly.

"Bye," Riley said before climbing out the window.

Going there had been a mistake. He would want to come back even more now that he knew how much his younger brother was hurting. He would have to be more careful about checking to see if anyone was up the next time. Victoria said that he was weak for being so nice and gentle with the younger newborns. His love for his brother and the baby had carried over into his new life. It was something that he refused to change.

XXXX

Bella lay next to Paul on her side facing him. He faced her and there wasn't an inch of space between them. Her arms were wrapped around his neck in her sleep and one of his arms was draped over her hip. He felt someone's presence almost immediately. He pulled away from her and she stirred.

"Go back to sleep," he said before kissing her forehead.

"Where are you going?"

"There's someone outside. I'll be right back," he said pulling his shorts on.

"Be careful," she said tiredly.

"Stay inside," he warned before pulling the door slightly closed behind him.

He walked through the house quietly, nearly tripping over Bo when he stopped in front of him with a snarl. The cloyingly sweet smell of syrup burned his nose and his defenses went up.

"Go protect Bella," he said sternly before opening the door.

Bo's nails clicked across the wooden floor as Paul closed the door. He stood on the porch looking out into the darkness. He couldn't see anyone in the yard, so whoever it was, they were hiding.

"I know someone is out here. You smell like you took a shower with sugar water."

"You're smell isn't that pleasing either dog," Someone said from the side of the house.

Paul jumped off the porch and made his way around the side of the house. There was only one Cullen that he hadn't met. He had hoped that he would never meet Edward but he should have known that he was wishful thinking.

"How did you find her?" Paul asked.

"Jacob told me that she was here."

"Why are you here?"

"There was an intruder at her house tonight."

"Someone broke into her house? Is Charlie alright?"

"He slept through the whole thing. Whoever it was, they left their smell everywhere. It was definitely a vampire."

"Why did they send you?"

"I offered. I wanted to make sure for myself that she was alright," Edward said indifferently.

"She's never been safer than she is right now. How did you find out that someone had been there?"

"I went over there to talk to her," Edward said quietly.

"You planned to sneak in yourself, after she had asked you to leave her alone?" Paul asked as his blood boiled.

"I wanted to see her. She won't come near me any other way," he explained quickly.

"That's because she doesn't want to. The next time I hear about you attempting to talk to her I will rip you apart," Paul threatened.

"Keep her inside. Jacob and I are going to check the reservation," Edward said coolly before walking away.

It figures that Jacob would become friends with the only other person that he didn't like. Paul walked back into the house and found Bella at the island with a mug cradled in her hands.

"What's wrong?"

"I heard what the two of you were talking about."

"You did?" Paul asked in panic.

"Did you forget that the bedroom window was open?"

"I had planned on telling you. I wouldn't keep something like that from you."

"I know. God, why is this happening? I thought that the threat was over when you and Jake killed Victoria," she said as tears formed in her eyes.

"I don't know," he said as he wrapped his arms around her.

She set her mug down before falling against him. He rested his chin on top of her head as she tried to control her breathing. She wasn't crying, but she had come close for a few seconds.

"When did Jacob become friends with him?"

"Jacob hates him just as much as you do. I guess Jacob offered to help him so that you could stay here with me."

"You're right, I didn't think of that," he asked as he pulled away from her.

She sighed deeply as she wiped the unshed tears from her eyes. She hated that things were starting all over again. The two of them had taken three steps forward and now it felt like they were taking ten steps back. When would all of this end? Who was causing it?

"Things are going to are to be different this time," he promised.

"How do you know?"

"Because I will not stop until I kill every person that is after you. Even if that means that I have to kill a Cullen."

"You would do that?" she asked with wide eyes.

"I've done it twice and I will do it again," he said pulling her to him again.

"Thank you," she said quietly.

"Enough excitement for one night, let's go back to bed."

"I don't know if I'll be able to go back to sleep," she said, letting him lead her to the bedroom.

"Then we'll stay up," he said as he pulled back the blanket for her.

He always did that for her. No one had done that for her since she was a little girl. Her grandmother Swan used to do it when she would come to stay with her. Her grandmother lived in a retirement community just outside of town. Charlie and Bella went to see her at least once a week. She got situated next to him as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

After what had just happened sleep was the last thing on her mind. She lay on her side facing Paul with him lying on his back. The silence that fell between them was welcomed. Bo snored softly from his place on the floor on Bella's side of the bed. Paul's hand ran down her arm soothingly and she sighed. He could calm her down just as easily as she could calm him down. She was his voice of reason when he tried to talk her into some pretty sketchy situations. He had only succeeded once. She had yet to live down the skinny dipping incident from the last time she had stayed with him.

Jared had been a gentleman and turned around while she dressed while Paul had stared at her like he was ready to throw her down on the sand and have his way with her. They laughed about it now, but at the time she had sworn that she would never do it again. It was empty vow, she knew that if he suggested it again that she would do it without thinking twice.