Chapter Summary: Bella's heart is torn in two as Jacob loses control in front of her upon Edward's return to Forks. The pack tries to keep the lines of the treaty from being crossed, but Jacob will not listen as he spills out his intent toward Bella and Edward is less than thrilled at what the young werewolf has to say. Victoria's plans are also brought into light.

*Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight and Team Edward fans can have Edward all they want. Us Team Jacob fans are doing just fine.

Chapter XXVIII Title: 'The Ghost of You & I,' by Story of the Year

Edward smiled warmly at me as I stepped out from behind Jacob a short half hour later after the pack and I arrived for the meet. Jacob started to move in front of me, but Quil stuck his hand out to hold him back by his pulsating forearm. Jacob shook underneath Quil's grasp anyway as I reached a few paces in front of Edward. I gushed over Esme, Carlisle, Jasper, and Emmett hugging them each. I gave a small smile to Rosalie and embraced Alice again, though I had seen her a few hours earlier; it was as if no time had passed. I felt my heart lurch when Edward continued to smile at me and a wave of calm ripped through me, despite me being anxious and feeling guilty for still caring for Edward the way that I did.

"Jasper! Quit it," I cried, abruptly realizing why I was puzzlingly okay all of a sudden.

Jasper tensed at my mention of his name from my lips but grinned. "Sorry. It was the least I could do after everything…" He looked ashamed.

"I've already forgiven you, Jasper." I smiled harder, feeling as though both of my worlds had been completed. I ran my hand along Alice's small hands and she fingered my hair for a second before taking a large step back.

"You stink, Bella. You really smell," Alice said.

"Funny. I actually think she smells nice," Emmett called.

"You don't smell 'dog' on her? It's disgusting." Rosalie replied nastily as her perfectly poised nose wrinkled. "No offense," her head motioning to the other wolves and men. Sam, Jacob, and Embry were still human but Seth, Jared, Paul, and Quil had taken the opportunity to phase. I thought it was a matter of trust.

"Well, yeah I smell that, but you don't smell her blood? Her body?" Emmett commented. "It smells…hot. OW!" Rosalie had slapped Emmett. "Sorry, babe."

"I agree," Jasper affirmed. "You do smell different. What is it exactly?"

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say she was in heat. OW!" Emmett's mouth continued to get him in trouble. "What? What did I say? It's a natural emotion for the human!" Emmett defended.

Edward's mouth flinched and I heard Jacob give a not so soundless growl.

Jasper looked quickly from left to right before clearing his throat. I felt his reassurance and calming effects as he began charismatically speaking to the wolves, "The reason why we are here is because Alice has seen some of what Victoria has planned. We would have been here sooner, but Victoria had been successful in blocking much of her planning and we were not completely sure until just a few short days ago." He paused. "The attacks in Seattle the past couple of weeks have been done by our kind; newborns…and a vargulf."

Murmurs and growls sounded through the wolves. Sam took a step back and Embry shuddered. Jacob kept his eyes on me and my proximity to Edward.

"What's a vargulf?" I asked.

Jasper gave me another tense smile and Edward shook his head. "She should know," Jasper argued. "She's already met Rover in Seattle."

I blinked. "Rover? Isn't that a common dog's name?"

Alice's honey brown eyes sparkled lightly at me while Emmett's booming laughter shook the nearest trees. "Well Rex and Spike were already too popular with the humans and their companions. I am sure the imps didn't think those names would sit well with a giant rogue hellhound. They have an image to maintain themselves."

I was confused. "So a vargulf is a werewolf? Like these guys?"

Everyone shook their head at my simplicity. Jacob's tone was calm, but he gritted through his teeth, "They are nothing like us. It is one wolf; one lone wolf. He is not a protector. He is not a brother. He kills to kill. He doesn't even kill to eat. He feeds off of hate, bloodshed, and carnage that he causes every chance he—"

"You are not werewolves either. Not by the true definition." Jasper tried to say it without harshness, but the entire pack still shook in anger from his words. "A vargulf is a true werewolf. He doesn't change at will nor does he change by moonlight as Hollywood suggests. Your tribe and talent are merely as shape shifters. You take on the animals you feel most comfortable—"

"Dude," Emmett sounded, interrupting Jasper. "You guys are copycats?" This time Alice slapped Emmett and he looked hurt. "What? Oh, I mean copy-dogs," he amended sheepishly.

Jacob grew more upset. "We are not a copy of anything! We are the protectors of our land! We are the descendants—"

"We know of your legends and we are not trying to be rude. Please?" Carlisle held up his hands toward Sam though Jacob had been speaking. Jacob began to shake more violently and Carlisle caught it. "I did not mean to interrupt, young warrior, but there isn't much time. Victoria plans to move quickly within this next month or so and we still do not have all the answers to her plans. We may have two more weeks, three at the most, if we are lucky. She has been very careful, as we mentioned before. Both sides care deeply for Bella. I am proposing a truce between the two sides; for her sake and for the sake of the people in Forks. We do have a plan and a way to stop the vargulf and Jasper is an expert when it comes to dealing with newborns." He paused in the middle of his speech. "You have no reason to trust us and you may stay in whatever form you wish, but we are here to fight. That is why we came back. We will leave as soon as the battle is over."

My heart broke at Carlisle's last statement. I awkwardly gasped and Alice rubbed her tiny cool fingers into my back.

Sam stepped forward. "Fair enough. We will speak with our elders and relay the news. We will let you know by tomorrow—"

"There is no truce!" Jacob yelled out suddenly. "Our grandfathers made a truce with them already! WE DON'T HAVE TO!"

Sam's eyes narrowed at the blatant outburst of disrespect. "Jacob, calm down," he warned.

Jacob would not back down and his trembling continued. He seemed to have started convulsing as his body's vibrations ripped through his back and his skin turned fiery red in minimal blinks.

"Jacob, stop!" I cried. I took a step toward him and Edward reached for me, cutting off Alice who had been pulled back by Jasper. Jasper looked nervous. My werewolf's rage might have been too much for him to push back down. "Jake!" I felt Edward's hand over my wrist as he stepped half in front of me and pushed me back with his arm.

Jacob shouted furiously, "DON"T TOUCH HER! Why did you come back? She was done with you—she was over you!" Jacob's hands tore into his hair.

Edward was passive, "I came back because she needed me. She needs my help. I am sorry that this upsets you Jacob, but I am not leaving until she is safe and in the same condition as I left her in."

"Same condition?" Jacob sneered. "Do you know what she was like when you left? Do you know how Sam found her? Do you know how much pain you left her in?"

Edward paled and looked more remorseful than I had ever seen even as a human. His eyelids closed and he grabbed his lower stomach as small, uneven breaths escaped his perfectly poised lips. The small sociable smile that his face had been carrying through most of the meeting barely held; a flaw of his vampire nature of never needing emotions.

My chest started to heave as I grabbed a hold of Edward. "Jacob, what are you doing? What are you doing to him? You have to stop this!"

"He needs to see what he did! How could you let him back—?"

"Don't you dare pass judgment on him! Whatever you're doing, stop it! Stop it NOW!"

Jacob looked at me. "A few memories shouldn't hurt him. He is immortal, after all; a perfect Cullen," he mocked.

I started toward Jacob to try and reason with my best friend, but Edward clutched me. My foot staggered back. Jacob's chest started to cave in as his fists clenched.

"Bella, please!" He begged me. "Don't let him do this to us! We don't need him—you don't need him! Tell him what we are, Bella! Tell him what we are!" He screamed.

I shook my head as Edward suddenly widened his eyes while looking into Jacob's dark black ones. His lips parted a little as his hand slowly trailed up my arm, my shoulder, and fingered through my hair. My head went forward a little out of reflex when Edward gently shifted two fingers to the back of my neck. I gasped almost as quickly as Edward did. The wolves who had already phased stepped forward and Embry suddenly shook in fear and alarm. They knew already.

And now Edward knew too.

"You—you marked her? When did you…?" Edward's eyes closed and what was left of his smile disappeared as his lips snarled, "You beast! You defiled her! You destroyed—"

"I what? You parasitic—" Jacob howled and his face contorted into a longer form with a black muzzle, his eyes erupted into a yellow glare, and his hands lengthened into paws.

"JACOB, STOP IT!" I was mortified and clutched at my neck and stomach. I screamed at my half phased friend and was completely beside myself.

"He marked her?" I heard Emmett say. "But doesn't that...don't animals do that when they—"

"Emmett!" Alice called out as she silently regarded the weight of Edward's accusations and covered her mouth.

"Whoa! Bella's doing a wolf? Kick ass! I can't believe she's still able to walk—OW!" Rosalie cut Emmett off, but the damage had already been done.

I felt claustrophobic and wanted to disappear. Tears flooded my eyes and my cheeks reddened. Everyone stared at me. It felt so much like Florida. If felt too much like nothing had passed. I was still unable to be with the one I truly loved and now I was worse off than when Edward had left me. I could barely hear myself as I continued to scream at Jacob, my words hollow and my voice winded.

"How could you?" I accused. "How could you have done that to me?"

Jacob looked torn as he fought to keep from phasing. "I had to! You wouldn't love me! You wouldn't stay with me!"

"And this was your plan to keep me?" My tone was vicious. "You mark me like an animal? Like property? What's wrong with you?" Tears left my eyes and my hands reached for my hair.

"I love you, Bella! He is not for you! I AM!" He begged. "Bella—"

"Bella, how could you let him touch you like that?" Edward interrupted. "Is that how you forgot about me? By running into the arms of him? This insignificant—"

"Edward—no!"

"SHE'S MINE!" Jacob bellowed at the same time.

"She doesn't belong to you." Edward wouldn't look at him, keeping his eyes fixed on me. "She's not yours or mine, but I made her a promise. I said I would stay until it was no longer best for her. I am not leaving. You will just have to deal with it, pup—"

Sam grabbed me just in time as Jacob shredded his clothes, phased in the middle of Edward's sentence, and landed into Edward's side, propelling them both to the ground. Edward expected it and had used the opportunity to wrap his arms around Jacob's midsection and squeeze. Paul, as the silver wolf stepped forward, but Sam barked at him in his human form, "No, Paul!"

Jacob snarled and bit into Edward's looser arm, but Edward wrapped his legs around Jacob's back leg, pulling it at an awkward angle. I cried and tried to shake Sam's grip loose, but he wouldn't let go. I lunged myself forward unsuccessfully at the two forms. "JAKE! EDWARD, STOP! Stop it, please! Don't do this!" Edward looked at me momentarily as Jacob slammed his body into him with a force that threw him several yards in the dirt. It looked like a small meteorite's path had crashed in the clearing. Edward snarled back and bared his teeth as Jacob growled, kicked dirt toward my beloved's body, and jumped onto his shoulders. The power knocked Edward to the ground.

"Don't hurt him! Jacob, please! I still love him!"

Jacob looked up and Edward used his granite arm to knock him back. Edward started to run to me when Jacob's paws pressed into his back to knock him forward again, hitting the dirt face down. My wolf howled and sunk his teeth into Edward's arm with a sickening crunch.

"Jacob, please!"

Edward kicked Jacob in the stomach, throwing him off balance. Jacob hit the dirt beside Embry with a small thud. Embry tried to grab Jacob's tail, but Jacob pulled anyway, flinging Embry forward and making a move to attack Edward again. Edward put his hands out.

"Jacob, stop this. Look at what you're doing to Bella…"Edward began softly.

Jacob's teeth displayed even more and he salivated as he stood on his hind legs to look down on Edward. Jacob was easily eight feet and shot up another few inches though his ears pointed back and his head reared for another lunge.

"I don't want to hurt you, Jacob," Edward warned. "I am only thinking of Bella. You need to start thinking of Bella too."

Jacob stretched his front paws and his hind legs bent for the jump, shaking a small area of the clearing's ground. My hand moved toward the image of my two loves colliding. Edward got under Jacob, caught his short fur, and threw him into the tree. Emmett howled in cheer and Paul lunged, clearly upset that Emmett had declared a side so openly. The other wolves moved closer and Embry phased at that moment. Paul had Emmett by the throat, but Rosalie jumped on his back and twisted open Paul's mouth. I heard a deafening crack and turned back to Edward and Jacob. Jacob had gotten back up and sunk his nails into Edward's arm while I heard Paul (presumably) gurgling and gasping. Sam gently placed me on the ground and phased to step in between Paul, Emmett, and Rosalie. Jasper fought to keep Alice close to him, Esme ran over to the other wolves and Carlisle ran over to me.

Carlisle kept me in place as I gasped when Edward reached around Jacob's neck to pull it back. His mouth was open as if he were thirsty, but I knew better. This was how he hunted. This was how he killed. He was going to kill my best friend.

"NO, NO, NO!" My sobs broke as I fell to the floor.

Edward's hand froze and Jacob reached around to knock back Edward. Edward caught Jacob's front leg and tore it soundly, a horrible breaking noise reached my ears as Jacob whimpered and fell back. His stomach was half on the floor as Edward steeped closer before Jacob suddenly jumped and put his teeth into Edward's neck. Tears blurred my vision.

I almost didn't see another small gray flash appear from the edge of the forest as it howled and landed into Edward and Jacob's scuffle. I wouldn't commit myself to anymore feelings at that moment besides the immense relief of Edward kneeling in the dirt upright or Jacob's wolf form standing shakily on all fours. I heard a buzz from behind me as Sam had phased back. Quil and Jared were over Paul, trying to keep him from phasing back into wolf form. Rosalie was cooing a dirty Emmett and Jasper had finally let go of Alice, who was busy consoling Esme. I reached Edward and sobbed into his chest and looked at Jacob. His eyes were low and mournful as he turned from me.

"Oh no, Jacob—"

"LEE-LEE! Phase back! Phase back!" I heard Sam's howl erupt suddenly and I turned to the small group of naked teens. I saw a body of gray fur twitch in the nearby grassy area as Sam's hands covered as much as his enormous frame could cover.

He was crying.