Bella Swan turned the piece of pork roast over in her hands before putting it in her grocery cart and continuing down the grocery store isle. She moved on to the refrigerated isle to look at milk. She glanced up only to do a double take.

Just down the isle from her, looking at butter, was Erin.

Bella quickly looked down and glared at the milk so she wouldn't be caught staring. It was that girl's fault she lost her best friend and was banned from the reservation.

FLASHBACK

Bella paced back and forth in the living room, chewing anxiously on her thumbnail as she waited for Charlie to come home. As soon as she heard the front door open and close she spun around, nearly falling on her face.

"Well?" she demanded when Charlie entered the room.

Charlie sighed tiredly. "I tried, Bells. But Jake and Billy are sticking with the decision. You're not allowed in La Push anymore."

"But-but you're the Chief of Police! Surely you can overrule any order they make." Bella tried desperately.

"I don't have authority over there unless Billy and the Council ask for my help, I certainly don't have authority over Billy. If the Council made the decision, it's officially law."

"But that's not fair! I didn't do anything wrong!" Bella argued, stomping her foot.

Charlie looked his daughter over for a moment. "Bells, be honest with me. Did you attack Jake's girlfriend at the cliffs?"

"Wh-what? What makes you think…Did Jake tell you that?" Bella stuttered over her words in complete shock.

"Doesn't matter who told me. Tell me the truth, Bella." Charlie answered sternly.

Bella swallowed, wringing her hands together. "Well,…she was harassing me. She was saying horrible things about Jake and I was just defending my best friend." she explained meekly.

Charlie narrowed is eyes doubtfully, looking like he didn't believe her. "Somehow I doubt that's the whole story, but it's too late to do anything about it now, anyway. Jake's decision is final, there's nothing I can do to change it. He told me to tell you that if you think he's kidding, that you're in the same position as the Cullens, whatever that means."

Bella felt like she'd been punched in the gut. Jake couldn't possibly mean…If she crossed the border, would she get the same greeting as a vampire? Would they destroy her?

END OF FLASHBACK

Bella gritted her teeth as she remembered the day Charlie had come home telling her he hadn't been able to change Jake and Billy's minds. Since that horrible day a couple months back she hadn't seen her best friend, her sun. She'd seen his wolf at a distance when the pack and Cullens were training for the battle, but he wouldn't even spare her a glance. And she still hadn't received a response from when she sent him an invitation to her wedding, which was coming up in less than a month.

Bella glanced over once again, seeing Erin put some butter and yogurt in her own cart, which was nearly half full.

"Hi, Erin." Bella greeted her, trying to sound friendly.

Erin looked up in shock at hearing her name. At the sight of Bella Swan, she barely refrained from glaring. "Oh…hi Bella." she greeted dully before trying to push her cart past her.

"Wait." Bell reached out and grabbed the side of Erin's cart, causing the other girl to stiffen. "How's Jake doing?"

Erin looked her over suspiciously. "He's fine…Now, can you let go of my cart? I need to get going."

"I was just wondering if he planned on coming to my wedding next month. He hasn't RSVPed since I sent him an invitation a couple weeks ago."

Erin's brows rose without her intention. She hadn't been aware of Jake getting an invitation to Bella and the vampire's wedding. She didn't even know for sure they were getting married until now.

"Um,…I don't know. He hasn't mentioned going." Erin answered carefully. She didn't want to give Bella the satisfaction knowing Jake hadn't told Erin about it.

To Erin's surprise, Bella's falsely-friendly expression turned into a glare. "You're forbidding him from going, aren't you?!" she accused, pointing a finger in Erin's face.

"What?" Erin asked in complete shock.

"He probably wants to go but you won't let him because he's still in love with me, and that makes you uncomfortable."

"That's not true." Erin argued, trying to remember to keep her voice down. Emily would be pissed if she was thrown out of the store without getting all the food like she was supposed to. Her eyes scanned her surroundings, hoping someone would come rescue her.

"Of course it is!" Bella shouted, clearly not caring if customers or employees were attracted to their argument. "Jake loves me. Whatever he feels for you is forced. He had no choice in it."

"Please, keep your voice down." Erin suggested through gritted teeth, her eyes glancing around.

"Don't tell me what to do!" Bella snapped, taking a step closer only for two shadows to cross hers. She stopped and looked up, suddenly feeling nervous.

Jared and Leah were flanking Erin now, each holding something food-related in their arms as they glared down at Bella. Of course, while Forks grocery store had more options than the one in La Push, Jake would never allow his imprint to go to Forks alone and risk this precise confrontation.

"She's politely telling you to shut your trap so you don't get her and yourself thrown out of the store." Leah explained sharply, placing her items in the cart.

"And I'd like to point out, coming from someone who's been in Jake's head on a regular basis since he got your invitation, he has no intention of going. He has plans that night." Jared added calmly, putting his things in the cart as well. "Now if you'll excuse us, Bella, we're finished shopping and we have some frozen items that need to get to Emily's before they melt." he continued, gently nudging Erin forward with his hand on her back.

Erin pushed the cart toward the front of the store with Jared and Leah flanking her. She went through the motions, mostly letting Jared and Leah put the food on the conveyor belt in the line and pay with the money Emily's had given them. She mostly sat in blank shock in Jared's car for most of the ride down to the reservation.

"Why didn't he tell me about the invitation?" she finally asked quietly as they turned a bend toward Emily's house.

Jared glanced nervously down at her. "I think he didn't want to worry you. He knew the second he got it that he had no intention of going, though. He would've ripped the invitation to pieces but Billy wants to go to support Charlie."

Erin nodded slowly, her brain working too much.

When they parked in front of Emily's house Erin took a paper bag and followed the others into the house. Several pack members were sitting around the kitchen when they entered. Erin kept her eyes focused ahead when she placed the bag on the kitchen counter. She silently helped Emily put the groceries away and only when she finished did she realize it was surprisingly quiet.

Slowly, Erin turned and peaked over her shoulder. Jared was sitting next to Jake, quietly muttering something in the direction of Jake's ear. Everyone's eyes were fixed on them, their expressions serious. Everyone except Jake. His eyes were fixed seriously on Erin.

Knowing what Jared probably told him, Erin bit her lip before silently making her way out of the kitchen and into the living room. She slipped her shoes off before curling up in the comfy recliner. She leaned her head back against the headrest, closing her eyes to try and clear her head.

It was quiet for several moments, maybe a few minutes, before she felt a familiar, warm, work-calloused hand take hers. He lifted it and brushed his lips over her knuckles.

"You going to look at me anytime soon?" Jake asked. Erin's face heated up with the feeling of him staring up at her. Giving a sigh, Erin opened her eyes and looked down at where Jake was sitting on the ground in front of the chair.

"I didn't tell you about the invitation because I didn't see the point. It just would've been another thing for you to worry about. I have absolutely no intention of going to Bella's wedding. I'm sorry if you felt like I was hiding something from you, and I'm sorry you had to find out from Bella of all people, but I promise I wasn't hiding it from you for any mean intentions."

Erin smiled down at him, giving his hand a squeeze. "I know. I'm sorry, I know I overreacted. I just couldn't think of a reason for you to keep it from me. But I get it now."

"Good." Jake gave a grin before standing up and pulling her to her feet. "Now come on. Since you guys bought ice cream we can make a sundae to share."

Erin smiled happily, allowing herself to be pulled back into the kitchen.

XXX

"Can you hand me my wrench?" Jake's muffled voice asked from below the Rabbit.

Erin wordlessly got up from the couch and grabbed the wrench from the ground next to where Jake was laying back on his creeper. She handed him the wrench before sitting back on the ground next to him, her eyes shamelessly landing on the spot visible where his t-shirt rode up, revealing a sliver of toned, tan skin with ridges of muscle.

"Jake!" two voices called from across the yard. Erin looked up out the front door of the garage in concern while Jake wheeled himself out from under the car to sit up. A second later Quil and Embry appeared in the doorway.

"Sam says Dr. Fang called a meeting, just to update us on their plans and stuff." Embry announced.

"Don't know why he can't just tell Sam over the phone, but, whatever." Quil grumbled with a shrug, his arms crossed grumpily over his chest.

Jake sighed, looking equally frustrated. "As if I have nothing better to do than hear about the leech and Bella's honeymoon plans." he grumbled, wiping his hands off as he stood up. It'd been a month since Bella confronted Erin in the Forks grocery store, and if Jake remembered correctly, Bella and Edward's wedding had happened a couple days ago.

Erin stood up as well, her arms crossed over her stomach anxiously. Jake leaned down and kissed her firmly for a few moments until she relaxed. When he pulled back he looked her in the eyes for a moment.

"It's fine, Erin. It's just a meeting. Why don't you hang out inside with Rachel and send Paul out? I don't want you hanging out alone if you're worried about this."

Erin refrained from rolling her eyes at his worrywart behavior, but she nodded.

"Be careful." she whispered before heading inside. When she opened the backdoor of the Blacks' house, it was to the sight of Paul and Rachel making out on the couch.

"Ugh!" she groaned in disgust, her hand flying up to cover her eyes. "I'm going to need to bleach my eyes!" she whined.

"Oh, don't be so dramatic." Rachel responded, only slightly out of breath. Erin carefully peaked out from between her fingers, seeing that Paul and Rachel were sitting next to each other on the couch and watching her with amusement.

Rachel Black, one of Jake's older sisters, had moved back to La Push after graduating early from college. She'd ran into Paul at the beach and he imprinted on her. Jake nearly ripped his throat out in a huge, wolfy brawl before Sam managed to Alpha Command him to calm down. Since then Paul was a nearly constant fixture in Jake's house, which Jake found extremely annoying. Erin wasn't bothered too much by it until she found him eating her Doritos. She still tolerated him more than Jake, though. Which was why her and Jake had taken to spending more time in his room or the 'Taj Mahal' when they were at his house.

"Jake told me to send Paul out. The Cullens called a meeting with the pack." Erin explained.

The amusement instantly fell from the couple's faces. Paul rolled his eyes in annoyance while Rachel's eyes flew to his face, worry clear in her expression.

"Damn bloodsuckers." he grumbled, pushing himself up from the couch. He leaned down and gave Rachel a quick kiss before heading out the back door, messing up Erin's hair as he went.

Rach slouched back into the couch when he was gone, her hands running through her hair. Erin awkwardly walked toward the couch before taking a seat next to her.

"Jake wanted me to stay here with you while he was gone. If you'd rather I didn't, I could go to Emily's instead."

Rach shook her head with a small smile. "Actually, I'd welcome the company. I think we could both use the distraction from the fact that our guys are currently going to have a meeting with a coven of bloodsucking vampires."

Erin gave a weak smile. "Yeah."

The pack made the relatively short trip to the Forks border in a V formation with Sam in the lead. Soon, their noses burned with the overly sweet stench of leeches. They stepped out from between the trees and came to a stop at the border, facing the Cullens. All of them except the mind reader were present.

"Hello. Thank you for coming. I promise this won't take long." the leader stated, taking a step forward to be at the head of his coven.

Sam went back into the trees to phase out before returning in his human form, wearing only cutoffs. "What's this about?"

"We simply wanted to inform you that we'll be leaving within the next few weeks. Edward is with Bella on their honeymoon at the moment, he plans on changing her in the next few days. Alice and Jasper will be joining them in a couple days and then the rest of us will follow soon after."

Sam nodded once. "Good. And you remember that once she's changed the Treaty is void. You can never return here without risking a battle between us that could result in losses from either side. Even 100 years from now, the existence of your kind will most likely result in other generations phasing. Our kind will still be here to protect our Tribe. Do you understand?"

"Yes, of course." Carlisle nodded seriously. "You have my word, we won't return. And I am sorry for any problems my family has brought your pack."

Sam nodded once more. "Is that everything?"

Carlisle nodded again. "It is. Thank you for your time."

Slowly, both sides turned and left the border, someone watching each side's back just in case. As the pack began their trek back toward their homes, Paul thought, 'We had to go all the way to the border for that? What a rip.'

The rest of the pack either laughed or voiced their agreement, picking up the pace to run home.

Jake and Paul raced back to the Blacks' house, both wanting to get back to their imprints and tell them the good news. Nearing the backyard, Jake slammed his shoulder into Paul's, knocking him into the bushes. Paul's cursing still echoing in his ears, Jake phased out laughing. He pulled his shorts on and ran across the backyard and up the back steps to the backdoor.

Erin was sitting on the couch with Rachel, watching some sitcom on TV. They both looked up when he entered. With a huge grin splitting his face, Jake swept his imprint off the couch and into his arms, swinging her around. Erin's breath hit his ear and neck when she laughed, her arms wrapping tight around his neck.

After a few turns, Jake placed Erin back on the floor, moved his hands to cup the back of her head, and kissed her firmly on the lips. One of her hands rested on his bare, damp chest while the other one ran up and fisted the hair at the nape of his neck.

When they eventually pulled away, Jake looked over his shoulder to see Rachel in Paul's arms, her legs wrapped around his waist. Jake rolled his eyes, turning back around to look down at his girlfriend.

"So, what happened at the meeting?" she asked curiously.

"They just wanted to tell us they're going to change Bella in a few days and then they're leaving and they'll never come back." Jake answered with a shrug, his grin still present. Erin's smile grew.

"Really?" she asked excitedly before jumping up and giving Jake a tight hug around the neck. Jake laughed joyfully at her reaction, holding her tight.

"Really. No more worrying about leeches." Jake promised.

"Until another rogue leech runs through the area."

Jake put Erin down and turned to glare at Paul for even suggesting the possibility. Paul smirked and shrugged, until Rachel reached up and smacked him in the back of the head.

"Shut up, Paul."

XXX

I combined these two because I wrote the first part at the last minute and because I didn't want to waste an update on something short and Bella-centric ; )

So, you guys get a 2-for-1. Hope you liked it.