A/N: Our school year is off to a great start, but unfortunately that meant my writing had to take a backseat for awhile. We have settled into a good rhythm again, so I will hopefully be able to focus some more time on this story once more.

As always, I don't own the world or the characters, except any original characters that I add.

Happy reading!

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CHAPTER 50

~~BELLA POV~~

The school day passed without incident, and the ache of being away from Jake was a little easier than I remembered it being the week before… or perhaps I was just more adjusted to it. Sometime near the end of my last class, it went away completely, and I knew Jake must be near. I was only partly surprised to find him waiting outside the classroom door when I stepped into the hall.

"Hey!" I moved into him as he took my books from me. He brought his hand to the back of my head and pressed a long kiss against my forehead, heaving a great sigh through his nose. When he pulled back, I studied his face and dark eyes. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah, I just hate how exposed you are here at school." He put his arm around me, and we headed toward my locker. "I would stay by your side all day if I could."

"I can't imagine any vampire would try anything here with so many people around," I tried to reassure him.

His lips pressed into a thin line and he shook his head. "According to everything we've been told about normal vamp behavior, you're probably right. I've been thinking about it a lot though, and Doc's also expressed concern that everything happening in Seattle isn't normal behavior. Now that we know they're still after you, who's to say they won't try something unexpected."

"I hadn't thought about that." A kernel of unease formed in my belly as I unlocked my locker and began filling my backpack.

"I just don't want to assume anything, not where your safety is concerned." Jake took my fully loaded bag from me and slung it over his shoulder as we turned toward the front exit. "I'll be relieved when the school year is over. Then the only place you'll still be so exposed will be at work. You still need to go by and talk to Mrs. Newton today, right?"

I gave him a tight smile as we walked out of the school building, that kernel of unease beginning to unfurl and grow. "Yeah, I told her I'd be by today, but maybe I shouldn't…"

Jake pulled me to the side, out of the flow of students heading to the parking lot and took my face in his hands so he could lock eyes with me. "I didn't tell you any of this to worry you or get you to change any of your plans. I'm just sharing my concerns and thoughts with you." His thumbs brushed over my cheeks. "I could be wrong, but I want you to know what I'm thinking, in case I'm not, so you're aware."

I took a deep breath, my smile more relaxed as some of the unease left me. "Okay. Thanks, Jake. It means a lot that you don't keep me in the dark."

Embry and Angela met us at the truck, then Jake drove us to Newton's so that I could talk to Mrs. Newton about returning to work. She was happy to see me doing so much better after my accident and agreed to only two days of work per week until after graduation. I let her know that I would have a couple of trips coming up, but that I would have to give her the details once the trips were finalized.

When I was done at the store, they took me and Angela to my house then left immediately to run patrols for a few hours. I was surprised to see the cruiser parked in the driveway when we arrived.

We found Charlie in the dining room. "Hey Dad. What're you doing home so early?" I curiously eyed several unfamiliar chairs that he had turned upside down on the dining room table.

"Oh, hey Bells. I told Sue I would fix these old chairs for her. It was slow at the station, so I took the afternoon off to work on them. I also may have taken a little nap." He grinned at me like he'd gotten away with something. "I'm going down to Sue's for dinner, but I ordered pizza to be delivered later for you kids. You've had a lot going on, so I thought you deserved a night off from cooking Bells."

"You didn't have to do that Dad, but I appreciate it."

"It's not a problem. Now, I'm going to load these chairs in the car and head on down to La Push."

Angela and I helped Charlie carry the chairs outside, then we spread out at the dining room table to get our homework done and do some studying for finals. When we'd had enough of that, we moved to relax on the couch while we waited for the guys to get back.

"How're you doing with this new vampire running around?" I asked Angela once we were settled.

"I'm a little nervous, but I'm more worried about you. You're the one they're always after. How are you holding up?"

"I'll be honest, I've been better. That nightmare this morning was very unsettling… it was just so real. And knowing that guy has been watching the house…" I shuddered. "I just wanted to say to you how sorry I am that I've brought all this danger into your life. I feel like I've become a danger to everyone around me."

"Bella, you haven't brought danger into my life… you've brought love into my life. A greater love than I ever thought was possible. Without you, I don't know if I would have ever met Embry. It may not be the same as what you and Jake have—I don't think anything in this world could compete with what the two of you share—but it's so much more than a normal love.

"And it's not just what I have with Embry, but with you and Emily and Kim… and with the whole pack. We are all a family and I love my life and wouldn't change a thing about it.

"The danger is just a byproduct of this crazy world we live in! No one blames you. You couldn't control what happened to you while you were with Edward, and you can't control whatever is causing this new vampire to come after you now. You didn't do anything to cause this other than just being a human in a world filled with supernatural things beyond our control."

"Yeah, but if I hadn't become involved with Edward—"

"Bella…" Angela took my hand and I looked at her. "You have to stop blaming yourself for what happened with Edward. You know it wasn't your fault… we all know that. If Leah can come around to that fact, then surely you can find a way to let it go. And I have faith that the pack will be able to take care of this just like they took care of Victoria. Plus, we have the Healer now." She smiled and poked me playfully on the shoulder. "That takes a little of the risk out of everything."

I sighed. "I guess you're right."

"I know I'm right. Trust Jake, trust the pack, and trust the love we all have for you."

I gave her a small smile. "Thanks Ang." Sometimes it was still hard for me to accept that I meant so much to others. I had spent so many years making myself sort of invisible, my mind had trouble always remembering that it was all real.

"Good… and you're welcome." Angela's eyes brightened as she bent a leg up onto the couch and turned toward me. "Now, can we talk about wedding plans!? Have you guys set a date yet?"

My smile widened a little. "Yeah, we got to talk some yesterday." I groaned and dropped my head against the back of the couch. "I actually still need to call my mom to tell her about the engagement… and talk to her about Jake and I visiting her. We need to get the dates for that trip settled before we decide on the wedding date." Lifting my head again I looked hopefully at Angela. "You wanna be my moral support while I call her?"

Angela hopped up and held out her hand to me. "Of course!"

We settled at the kitchen table, and I took a deep breath as I dialed my mom's number, my heart beating a fast rhythm in my chest. She picked up on the third ring.

"Hey Mom."

"Bella!" She squealed and Angela's eyes widened as I flinched at the grating noise. "It's so good to hear from you, sweetie… it's been far too long. How are you? Are you catching up on all your schoolwork? Are you excited for graduation? How is that new boy of yours? Is he treating you right? Charlie said he was, but you know how men can be; they don't always pay the best attention. I want to know everything about him and everything that's been going on with you."

I let out a laugh at her onslaught of questions. "Wow, ummm, I'm not sure what to respond to first."

"Sorry, I'm just so excited to hear from you."

"It's alright, Mom. Well, I'm doing really well and yeah, I'm all caught up with school. And graduation can't get here soon enough, in my opinion."

"I can't believe my baby is getting ready to graduate high school. We haven't gotten our plane tickets yet, but Phil said he'd get that taken care of this week."

"Actually, how would you feel if Jake and I came to see you instead?"

"What? You want to come here to Florida? When?"

"Well, we were thinking of coming the weekend after graduation and staying for five or six days, if that suits for you."

"My baby is going to come to visit me?! I will make it work, you just let me know the dates and I'll take as much time off as I can. I have a bunch of vacation days saved up."

My mother's excited voice was so loud and shrill I had to pull the phone away from my ear and Angela covered her mouth to muffle her giggles. We figured out the dates and then I listened for a while as she listed out a dozen or so things she wanted to do while we were there. I let Angela listen in for a little bit, her eyes dancing with amusement. I wanted her to get a feel for what my mother was like in person rather than through my stories.

"Are you sure you don't want me there for your graduation, Bella? We already have the weekend free and have set aside the money for the tickets."

"Actually, I have some news to tell you and I'm hoping you can come a different weekend instead." I glanced at Angela, and she gave me and encouraging nod and smile. "Jake asked me to marry him… and I said yes."

There was an intake of breath on the other end of the line, and then silence. "Mom?" I braced for a lecture.

"Just processing," she said quietly. "Are you sure this is what you want Bella?"

"I've never been more sure of anything in my life."

"Well, um…" She let out a breath. "I'm sorry, you just caught me off guard." She laughed and most of the brightness returned to her voice. "I'm not surprised this is happening. Your dad and I used to speculate whether you two might end up together when you were younger, you were so close. Then when you started seeing each other this past spring, I was almost certain this would happen… just maybe not this soon."

"So, you're not disappointed or upset?"

"Heavens no, Bella, I am so happy for you. I just needed a moment to absorb the news. You've always been so responsible and steady, and you've never made rash decisions like me. Yes, I know I'm too spontaneous sometimes, but that's not you. If you say this is what you want, I know you've thought it through and are certain."

There was silence again for a few moments and then I heard what sounded like a muffled sniffle.

"Mom, are you alright? Are you crying?" I grimaced at Angela, worried that my mom wasn't being honest with me and was actually really upset that I was making a mistake. A few more excruciating moments went by before she spoke again.

"My baby is growing up so fast… too fast…" Her voice was weepy and the sniffles had started happening in earnest. "I'm sorry, sweetie. I'm truly overjoyed for you. Getting married!" She gasped. "When? Have you set a date?"

"We were waiting until I got to talk to you about our visit there to decide, but it'll probably be June 24th. I need to talk to Jake again to be certain."

"So soon!" The tears were gone, and her excitement was back in force. "That's not much time. Is there a reason for the rush?" Her voice almost sounded hopeful, and I had to laugh at the difference in her reaction at the possibility of me being pregnant verses Charlie's.

"Not the reason that you're thinking. No grandchildren yet."

Angela's eyes went wide and then she had to smother her giggles again.

"Oh." Her voice was decidedly disappointed. "Well, that's probably for the best."

Thankfully she was sufficiently distracted and didn't ask again for the reason we were getting married so soon. We talked for quite a while longer, and she definitely didn't seem to have any reservations about my getting married so young. It was very much a relief.

When I hung up the phone, I looked over at Angela and blew out a relieved breath.

"Your mom sounds like a riot."

"Yeah, she's something else for sure. That went way better than I thought it would." Angela knew all about what my mom had always said to me about marriage.

We settled back on the couch and Angela wasted no time getting back to wedding talk.

"Okay, so you have a probable date for the wedding."

"Yeah. It's only six weeks from now… do you think that's crazy? Is it even possible to get it planned that quickly?"

Angela laughed. "Well, it's a little crazy, but that's kinda par for the course, don't you think? I mean, your fiancé can transform into a wolf, and you have the power to heal people Bella! You can't gauge your lives by normal standards anymore. Anyway, we have time to make it work. There's a lot to think about though. Do you have any idea where you wanna have the ceremony?"

"I was thinking about the beach," I said with uncertainty, "but the weather is so bad most of the time that the likelihood it would rain is pretty high, so I don't know if that's the best idea."

"Not in the summer. June and July have way less rainfall. And you can always have a backup plan, like a tent or canopy or something. If that's what you want, you should at least try. That beach has a lot of memories for you two. Isn't that where those pictures of you as kids were taken?"

"Yeah, we spent a lot of time there as kids actually. Then that's where we reconnected last year and have spent so much time together down there… even if it wasn't all under the best circumstances. And, of course, that's where he proposed."

"I think it's a great idea!"

Angela and I spent the rest of the time talking about ideas. I was so thankful to have her help. She thought of so many small details that would have never occurred to me. I wasn't sure if I would be able to bring myself to make all of those decision, so I may need to let her and Emily take over all the small stuff.

About an hour had passed, and we were deep into discussions about table setting ideas for the reception, when the front door suddenly burst open. Angela and I both let out startled cries and jumped up from the couch as Jake and Embry rushed into the living room.

They took in the sight of us then made quick work of prowling through the rest of the main level, before bolting up the stairs.

"Jake, what's wrong?" I called after him as Angela and I followed up the stairs as fast as we could.

He didn't answer, he just headed straight to my room. When we reached my doorway, Embry was standing in the opening watching Jake moving around in my room, sniffing the air, the window, my bed. Embry moved to the side to let me through, then wrapped his arm around Angela's shoulders.

"Jake, what's going on?" I asked, stepping toward him. Fear had started to creep into my voice.

He came back to me and held me gently by my upper arms, a slight tremor in his hands. Bending down a little to be more on my level before finally speaking, his voice gentle. "That bloodsucker was in here."

The air left my lungs, and I swayed a little in his grip, the edges of my vision starting to close in.

Jake must have guessed how I would respond, which would be why he'd held onto me before telling me. And if he wasn't sharing his calm with me, it meant he wasn't very calm either. He gently lowered me to sit on the floor and told me to put my head between my knees and breathe. I did as he instructed and he stayed down on one knee beside me, rubbing a hand over my back, though his hands were still trembling.

"What the hell man?" Embry finally asked. "How did the freaking leech get in here?!"

"Her window was unlocked is my best guess," Jake said quietly. "I don't think we can leave Bella alone at all anymore. We should also call Carlisle to let them know."

I lifted my head and looked at Jake. "Do you know when he might have been here?"

"I didn't notice anything when we dropped you off, but I didn't come up to the house. It smells like it was probably sometime this afternoon while you were at school." He looked more closely at my face, "You okay? Your lips are still white baby."

"Charlie was here all afternoon," I whispered hoarsely, my throat tight.

Jake rubbed my arm, "He's okay though. Whoever this leech is didn't hurt him."

I took a deep breath, "Why is this happening Jake? Is it ever going to be over?"

"Yes. We're going to figure this out and put an end to it once and for all."

Jake put his hand under my chin to get me to look at him again. I pulled us into our solitude for the fourth time in less than 24 hours. Jake pressed his forehead to mine and as the peace washed over us, his hands stopped trembling and my breathing calmed, warmth returning to my face. Once we were both calm, I let the solitude slip away again. Jake helped me up and we headed downstairs so he could call Carlisle.

Both Carlisle and Edward showed up a little while later and I led them up to my room, Jake right behind us while Embry and Angela waited downstairs. It felt very strange to have Edward in my house again, but especially odd for him to be in my room again.

Jake stayed close with his arm around me as they walked a few steps into the room and breathed in the scent for a moment.

"No surprise, but I don't recognize the scent," Carlisle said.

"That's the same vampire I found snooping around the area," Edward said. "Before we came in, I found the scent outside, starting from Bella's window, and followed it to the next street over where it disappeared, so he must have come in a car this time."

"He's probably trying to conceal where he's going," Jake said. "He doesn't realize that we've already figured that out."

"That sounds likely," Carlisle said. "I'm surprised that he risked coming inside the house. The wolf scent is pretty overwhelming all around and inside this house."

"I was actually wondering about that myself," I replied.

"He's been watching the house for a while now," Edward said, "so he probably had a good idea of when it would be safe to attempt to come inside. The real question is why? Why risk it at all?"

There was a brief pause, then Jake looked down at me.

"Bella, do you notice anything missing or out of place?"

I went past Carlisle and Edward, Jake right behind me, and started looking around my room more closely.

"I'm pretty sure I had a sweatshirt that I'd worn several times hanging over my chair this morning." But it wasn't there anymore. I went to the hamper, and it wasn't in there either. I looked around again. "Oh! My pillow is missing!" I got down on my hands and knees to look under my bed and on the other side of the bed. "I know for certain I had two pillows this morning and now there's only one."

Jake pressed his lips together. "I think he was after your scent Bella. Your pillow is what we used to lure the red head in when we killed her because it was saturated in your scent."

Oh no. My eyes went wide, and I rushed over to my hamper and dumped the contents out on the floor. The bloodied clothes were gone.

"I had some clothes at the bottom of my hamper that had blood on them, from when I umm, hit my head in Carlisle's office." I glanced at Edward who winced at the reminder, then focused on Jake. "I was going to find a way to throw them out when Charlie wouldn't see them, so I stuck them in a trash bag at the bottom of my hamper and they aren't there anymore."

"This is very disturbing," Carlisle said. "Between your pillow and the blood-stained clothes, he has a very nice sampling of your scent."

"He still has all of those newborns," Edward said, "he needs them to be able to find you too. But when and where?"

"Man, I hate this!" Jake exclaimed, running his hands roughly through his hair and gripping the back of his neck. "I wish we could just go find all of these bloodsuckers and end them."

"I know this is hard, Jacob," Carlisle said sympathetically, "but you know that would be unwise."

"Yeah, that's what you've said. Hard doesn't even come close to what I'm feeling right now. Doing nothing while Bella is in danger is nearly impossible for me to handle."

I put my hand on Jake's arm and he gave me a flat smile as he pulled me into him.

"I spoke with the rest of our family today," Carlisle continued, "and they all agreed to come back to Forks. I think it would be good if we get together with you once they have arrived to discuss how to proceed. Edward and I will continue to assist with watching over Bella in whatever way you need us."

Jake was nodding, but I looked between Jake and Carlisle in shock and spoke before Jake had a chance to say anything.

"Everyone is coming back? Even Esme? And Rosalie?" The idea of one excited me… the other put me on edge.

"Yes. We have all been separated for too long. We were trying to decide if we should head back East or if everyone should return here. When Jacob told us of what was happening yesterday, we made the decision to come back here and help take care of the problem and to protect you, Bella. Our presence in your life is what started this threat, so we feel obligated to help take care of it and make you safe again."

I smiled at Carlisle and then turned to Jake. "Are you okay with this?" I asked quietly.

He shook his head and sighed, then looked apologetically at Carlisle. "Sorry Doc, but it's not my favorite idea. However, I'd rather have the rest of your family here than a bunch of red-eyed bloodsuckers." Then he looked back at me. "And it means more protection for you, so we'll make it work."

"It's alright Jacob," Carlisle said. "I realize it's difficult for you. Please believe me when I say we all still care for Bella's well-being. And I promise we only want to right the trouble we unintentionally brought into your lives."

"I believe you Doc. And I trust the two of you and Alice to protect Bella. It's the only reason I can bring myself to work with the rest, even though it won't come as easily with them."

The doorbell rang and a moment later I heard Angela and Embry at the door.

"That's probably the pizza Charlie ordered for us," I said.

"Well, we'll leave you," Carlisle said. "Try to enjoy the rest of your evening. Do you want us to cover the house again tonight, Jacob?"

"Yeah, if you wouldn't mind covering the same time again."

"Absolutely. And I will let you know when the rest of the family has arrived."

Once Carlisle and Edward were gone, we all sat down at the dining room table to eat. Though I had pretty much lost my appetite, I forced myself to eat a slice. We were all quiet at first… still processing the fact that this vampire had come in my house… into my room. Jake and Embry eventually started talking about the plans for the next week and how to incorporate the Cullens into the whole thing. They both saw the benefit of having their help, but neither one of them felt very comfortable having them watch over me without at least one wolf present, even with my assurances that I trusted all of them.

It wasn't long before Angela was able to steer the conversation back to the wedding plans. I think the guys were happy to let her distract them with a cheerier topic and they were both grinning at her enthusiasm. She excitedly relayed much of what she and I had talked about earlier, asking Jake what he thought often.

"Honestly, whatever makes Bella happy will be fine with me," he finally said, caressing my cheek. "I do really like the idea of having it at the beach."

"Actually, we have a question for the two of you," I said, looking at Jake who nodded, then we looked back to the two of them. "We were wondering if you would be our Best Man and Maid-of-Honor?"

"Absolutely," Embry exclaimed as Angela squealed "Yes" and jumped out of her chair. With a huge smile on her face, she clobbered me with a hug and squeezed me tight.

When they left about an hour later, I went to take a shower and Jake came up to wait for me. I didn't want to be alone in my room yet, knowing that vampire had been in there. I knew I was well protected with two wolves watching outside and Jake staying on the couch, but I felt so exposed in there now.

Once I'd climbed into bed, Jake sat with me, gently stroking my face and hair, until I had drifted off to sleep with the hope of a dreamless night.