*A/N: This chapter was unplanned, but I had a muse (of course it was J.) and I had to write about it. I just liked it so much that I worked it in. And I want to thank sillygirl15 for her review (I couldn't respond back) and tell her that I was entertained by her colorful description of Bella. :-D I also wanted to say that I did not begin writing this story for JxB to be just friends. I just don't like rushing my characters. They really do tell me what to do by themselves.

My best friend, Eric, and I listened to this song on a bus on the way back from a cross-country trip for hours. It was a great song then and it's still great now.

And today is September 11th. My father lost his bout to cancer, but he made it home even after the Twin Towers fell. That determination was its own brand of courage within itself.

Chapter Summary: A surprise call from Renee, Bella's mom, asking for a visit sends Bella and Jacob to Florida, testing the strength of their friendship and wearing down Bella's walls that she worked so hard to keep up in Jacob's presence. On another note, Jacob invades the one last place that Bella can see Edward, but was he wrong to assume that she needed him?

*Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. And the word 'dosed' is not even a real word, yet it explains so much...

Chapter Title XIX: 'Dosed,' by The Red Hot Chili Peppers

(BPOV)

"Bella, honey when are you coming to Florida to visit? Those plane tickets will be expiring soon and I really think you should use them. Oh—and you should bring your friend! Jacob, is it?" Renee giggled like a school girl over the phone.

I twirled the phone cord through my fingers and rolled my eyes, regretting that I had even told my mother about the plane tickets from the Cullens. I was even annoyed by the fact that my mom pretended not to know Jacob's name. I was sure that Charlie had already briefed her about our growing friendship and I really should have known that it would only be a matter of time before the questions would start.

Jacob and I were still friends. That much was true. I was slowly allowing myself to smile and become more of myself again with him around. That much was true too. Jacob was still a werewolf and had other duties to the pack. That was also true. "I can come down. I don't think Jake would be able to make it," I stated uncertainly. "Besides, Char—Dad would never allow it anyway. Us traveling on the plane by ourselves."

"Nonsense. You're eighteen years old now, Bella. You are a legal adult. I already spoke to Charlie all about it anyway and he thinks it's a great idea for you to see your mother. And I did miss your graduation. It's the least you can do, really."

The guilt trip was working, but I still didn't want to commit Jacob to anything. "I doubt Dad was actually okay with it—"

"Ask him yourself when he gets home. Now really, you graduated a few short days ago, you didn't find a summer job yet, and you already told me you're taking the semester off to reinvent yourself—whatever the hell that means."

"Mom!" I exclaimed. That fact was true as well. Since everything about my future had been determined by whether Edward would turn me into a vampire or not, I hadn't put much thought or energy into college. It hadn't seemed right. I just started applying for the spring semester when Charlie had started to voice an opinion about it a few months ago. Now all I had to do was find a job to help pay for at least the first semester. And this was after I figured out just where I wanted to go.

"Don't 'Mom' me. I am serious Isabella Marie Swan; you are to visit me before you start find yourself. I miss you too. If I had known that you would have taken to Forks so much, I would have stayed there!"

My bottom lip quivered and the fight was lost. "Okay, okay. I got it. I will talk to Charlie and see when he gets in."

"Oh good. And mention Jacob coming too. Bye!"

"Wait, Mom—I didn't say anything about Jake—" Click.

A few hours later Jacob and Charlie were eating my spaghetti for dinner when I asked them both at the same time. Charlie muttered an "okay" while Jacob nearly grinned in the middle of his shoveling. I was dumbstruck.

"Dad, you're okay with Jacob and me going to Mom's in Florida? Alone?"

"You won't be alone. Your Mom and Phil will be there. And Jake here is a respectable kid. He'll protect you, right?"

Jacob laughed with food still in his mouth.

"Ew. Gross, Jake. Will you finish swallowing first?" I flicked spaghetti sauce in his general direction before asking, "Jacob, want to go to Florida with me? Is that going to be okay with your Dad and…the guys?"

"Sure, sure. I could use a vacation anyway," Jacob stated. I grinned without hesitation while I continued to stare at Jacob, who was in the process of using his stealthy fingers to creep onto my plate to steal one of my meatballs.

He was a growing werewolf, after all.

Jacob's grateful smile reached his eyes and I experienced déjà vu of a long lost love that use to smile the same way, only this time I didn't feel a pang of worry or fear as I stared into my best friend's warm brown ones. Edward wouldn't have been able to go outside much in the Jacksonville sun anyway; his sparkles would have been a little hard to explain to my mother.

(JPOV)

The breeze felt different on my face tonight. It felt like hands; Bella's soft fingers interwoven in my fur, snorting air hard through my nose just to taste it on my tongue. Just because the scent that was her rushed into my lungs, making my chest puff out and swell with pride as if I was Alpha already. It was glorious to be alive and it was even better now that I had Bella back. And just beyond where I was patrolling, I thought of the angel that was sleeping peacefully in her bed, just a little beyond my reach.

Shit, J. Everything reminds you of that broad. A voice wheezed somewhere behind me.

My ears reared back, already feeling a growing pool of saliva form in my mouth. I snapped, Why on God's green earth did I have to be stuck patrolling with you?

Paul grinned. Trust me, I asked Sam the same question. We all are stuck having a share of the great wonder that is Jacob Black. I don't like being here with you either, bro.

Don't call me that! I growled back.

Ooh. Oh no, please don't hurt me, killer. Paul taunted.

I paced back and forth between two trees not a few yards from Bella's bedroom window. I felt exceptionally protective of Bella tonight. It felt like something was going to go wrong. Initially, I was almost certain that I would have to beg Sam to be given the opportunity to watch over Bella, but he had been surprisingly okay with it. He knew I was up to the task and the fact that I had already been with her so many times just this week made certain that I knew the in's and out's, the hidden trails, and the recent back ways all throughout the wooded area just beyond her house. I didn't care what Sam's reasons were for having me watch Bella's house; I just didn't want to lose her.

Could you please not talk to me for tonight? I asked impatiently. I was, however, upset that Sam deemed it necessary to partner me up with Paul the first night of my official "Bella duty" though.

'Could you please not talk to me tonight?' Paul mocked back. Could you please not talk about your Bella tonight? I'm sick of it already. I'd rather hang out with Embry. At least when he thinks about your Bella, her mouth is so full of him that I can't actually hear her—Ugh!

I pushed Paul back with my forelegs, his body thumped onto a nearby boulder. His head went to my right and I turned, swinging my hindquarters into the dirt so that I could pull the fur of his collar with my teeth. He made a small gurgling sound as I almost immediately began to gag from feeling the grit of his neck in my mouth.

Geg…off! Paul was barely able to hold in his breath or think clearly as my teeth began to crush his windpipe. I suddenly felt pain as his front paw stomped onto one of my mine by sheer luck, since my hold was now causing him to begin blacking out. I grimaced, but kept my grip as Paul tugged me with him, our feet wrestling back and forth in the dirt for a few more seconds before our Alpha screamed, Knock it off! Do I need to find someone to pet-sit you two? This is getting old.

He started it! Paul cried as soon as I let him go.

He said something about my imprint, I complained.

'He said something about my imprint!' Paul continued to tease me again. El cachorro es una verdadera coño.

I glared at Paul, not even bothering to care what he said about me. You can barely master our language and now you picked up Spanish?

I don't limit myself to one thing. That's for guys who are whipped by their imprints.

I rolled my eyes and sat down. Sam was quiet in the background now that Paul and I had stopped fighting. I didn't dare say or think anything else as Paul paced a few steps in front of me and grumbled. What now?

I want to go home. This wolf thing isn't fun anymore, Paul whined. I'm missing a date to patrol with you.

I didn't want you here, I stated. I would have been fine doing this on my own.

Yeah, yeah. We all know you're Superman.

Ask Sam to send you home, trying not to appear too happy at the prospect of Paul being allowed to go leave me alone to my thoughts.

Why don't you send me home as acting Alpha?

I arched my eyebrow. Now you address me as Alpha?

Long enough to send me home.

I snorted, figuring that he had to be joking when I suddenly heard a crash in Bella's room. It sounded as if something had fallen off of her desk, but I had to be sure. I ran on all fours, phased back to human, and was in my blue sweats seconds after I heard the initial noise. "Cover me!" I harshly whispered into the darkness, knowing that Paul wouldn't go very far anyway. He never liked missing any action, if there was any to be had.

My fingers shook as I pulled on the window and hit the floor in the same breath. My adrenaline was high and my senses were alert as I scanned the room, caught between relieved and grateful that there was nothing in the room besides my best friend and a broken, clear CD case on the floor. I waved at Paul who was looking up from the forest floor, making sure I was not keeping him from anything pertinent. I was intent on rejoining him when Bella suddenly began panting heavily. I looked behind me, nervous that she had caught me in her room without permission but her eyes were open but filmed with exhaustion, her hair in a light frenzy, and she clutched her body pillow with such desire that I would have thought it was a long lost love that she had been holding onto.

"Edward," she muttered.

I growled instinctively. Figures.

I tried not to let my feelings get hurt, but I knew better. I couldn't actually be mad at her since I was technically invading her privacy at this very moment, but I grew annoyed anyway. I sniffed and smelled her; her heat all but set fire to the room that we were both in. I shook my head, not wanting to get caught in her room by her, but also not wanting to leave her just yet. Regardless, I was punishing myself and either way, she was not dreaming about me as she moved under her bedroom sheets.

Suddenly Bella yowled. Shock at the sound overtook me as I stepped closer to her; Bella turned toward the window and started shaking into the pillow, sobbing. I thought she was in pain. I ripped the covers off trying to find the hindering creature that was hurting her; maybe I couldn't see it under the blanket. All I saw her was her legs, barely covered by her long sleep-shirt. I gently touched her to rouse her awake when Bella started to shake more violently against me. Fear attacked and burrowed its way into me as I jumped into her bed, clutching her, afraid that she would knock something else down in her sleep.

"Oh Edward, you're here…It's hot. Edward. You're never hot. Are you sick?"

I kept my mouth closed, trying to fight back my growing resentment for her vampire, whom she shamelessly had been expecting and calling out for. I almost screamed into one of her pillows myself when Bella suddenly climbed on top of me. I gasped. Suddenly, I was not the only one hot in the room as I felt a slight tingling between her legs.

"Edward, you feel like Jacob. You feel just like him." Her mouth moved closer to my ear and I groaned, trying to shoulder her weight away from my own growing excitement. My arms dropped a little and she whimpered. "Jake…"

I swallowed hard. "Yeah, honey?"

"You stole a meatball off of my plate at dinner," she stated calmly with her eyes closed.

I held back a laugh. It appeared the nightmare was over. "I'll buy you a whole plate of meatballs in Florida."

"Mmhh…okay." She pushed her face into my neck and I increased my grip as she wrapped her legs around my right thigh. My lips touched her burning forehead and her heartbeats quieted, as she wrinkled her nose before smiling lightly. I knew she wouldn't be having any more bad dreams that night; I would make sure of it.