-Bella-

It had been three weeks since I had seen my mom in Arizona, and it felt like a lifetime ago. September was already over and the town was getting ready for Halloween, while I was getting ready for a fight. Alice and Jasper have been trying to teach me how to use my shield. Progress isn't going the way that I had hoped, it felt like I was stuck in one place and no matter how fast I ran I couldn't move. Seeing my shield was the easy part, I could push it about three feet away from me but the problem was expanding it and holding it for a long period amount of time. I felt useless, no matter how hard they pushed me I couldn't do more than that. The pack keeps finding more trails of bodies but no Edward or Victoria, the more people that wind up dead the more that I question if I ever knew Edward in the first place. With a lot of reluctance from Charlie, I moved out of his place and into the old Cullen house with Alice and Jasper, though Jacob didn't like the idea as much as I didn't enjoy it, it was the best option to keep Charlie safe. I hadn't really heard from Renee since we left except for a few messages here and there, but that was typical of her. She was probably wrapped up in things with Phil.

The Pack had given Alice and Jasper a little bit of leniency to hunt, but not by much. They weren't enjoying being trained by a vampire but they were taking what they could get. Seth seemed to like Alice, he was always over at the house with Jacob, doing patrol. I step out of the shower and change into a pair of black leggings and a blue sweatshirt. I had started jogging with Jake, Jasper said that it was important to keep my body in shape so that my head was clear. It wasn't something that I thought I would grow to like doing. Yet, here I was in gloomy weather getting ready to go running with a wolf. The trees had started to change color, fading into yellows and oranges as they littered the ground. I sat on the steps and waited for Jake.

"Hey, beautiful." Jake's voice calls out as he emerges from the trees.

"Hey."

"You ready?" I nod and we start to jog towards the main road. "What's on your mind, Bella?"

"I just..." I trail off and focus on my breathing. "I just am questioning everything. How much I knew Edward, how much of himself that he let me see. If he was like this the whole time and I just never noticed."

"Bella you have to quit torturing yourself. Honestly, you know that I never liked the guy and that's not the Wolf side of me talking either, but that doesn't mean that what you two had wasn't real. He left because that was the best thing for you, he realized that his being here was just causing you pain. He had more strength than I would've, I don't think that I could've walked away from you. Sometimes it makes me wonder if he was the better man."

"Jake, you're the better man. You don't hurt me-intentionally or not. You were there for me and always have been, no matter where we stand. You were fine with being just a friend, or something more. That takes a strong man to do something like that when you're in love with someone."

We keep running in silence. Looping up the main road, towards the first row of houses about a mile and a half up and back down towards the house again. "I was thinking that we do something human tonight...if you're up for it?"

"I think that sounds nice." I loop my arms around his waist and step up to kiss him. "What did you have in mind?"

"I was thinking...dinner and a movie? We could stay here if you want. I hate the stench but I get a kick out of leaving the house smelling like a dog as Alice puts it."

"Okay..." I smile and back up towards the house. "The last one to the house is cooking." I take off running hearing his laughter behind me as I reach the steps of the house.

"That was cheating. You distracted me with a kiss and then ran!"

"It was called using my resources, Jake."

"Oh well, I can think of other ways you can use your resources. What do you want for dinner?"

"I can think of a few things..." My voice trails off as I realize that we have the house to ourselves. I step backward towards my bedroom, watching him as I slowly remove my shirt.

"Oh, that is definitely using your resources all right." He stalks towards me, his face darkening. I bite my lip and toss my shirt at him. He catches it and lunges at me, his arms wrapping around my waist. He spins me pinning me against the wall as his breath is hot on my neck. "Is this what you wanted?" His hands run up my side, and I break out in goosebumps. He kisses me, long and slow, slipping his tongue into my mouth tasting me. I moan into his lips. He picks me up and I wrap my leg around his waist, his hand snakes into my hair pulling my head back until my throat is exposed. He kisses it, leaving a trail down to my collarbone, one hand firmly holding my ass as he pins me against the wall. He nips my neck softly, teeth brushing against my skin.

"Jake..." I moan his name as I feel myself getting hotter. "Please..." He moans against my throat and walks me towards the kitchen. He sets me down, hands grasping at my waist. I run my hands over his chest, slowly moving downwards. I slip my fingers into the hem of his shorts, soft flesh meeting hard warmth. I sigh against his lips as I start to pump my hand up and down his shaft. He deep moans, almost a growl escapes his lips. I unbutton his shorts and tug them down, dropping them by his ankles. I push him back and drop to my knees taking his length in my hands. I stare up at him, his eyes wide with desire. I take him in my lips and move my mouth down the length of him, taking him in fully. I repeat, bobbing my head up and down as I flick my tongue against his head. He grabs onto the table above me, as he starts to shake. I stop and look at him, he grabs my arms and lifts me up, pressing me against the table. Kissing me he pulls down my pants and throws them behind him, his eyes taking me in hungrily. He pulls me down towards him, his length pressed against my center. He slowly sinks himself into me, pressing me back into the table as he thrusts. He builds his rhythm faster and faster, pressing against my sweet spot as I feel the pressure building. I throw my head back as an orgasm rips through me, screaming his name. He collapses onto me, breathing my name as he comes undone within me.

-Edward-

I stare through the window, watching my prey. I have been studying her for two weeks now. Her patterns, her daily schedule. I've been waiting for the perfect opportunity to attack, to grab her when she is least expecting it. Although, she would never see me coming. Victoria and I have been moving city to city, slowly growing our small little army of newborns. She stays closer to the forest so that they don't draw too much attention to us. Soon, they will be ready to attack and our plan is almost completely in motion. I wait as the time draws closer, waiting for the moment for Bella to become mine again.

-Jacob-

We both lay there for a moment, her hand drawing circles on my back both of us coming down from our high. I realize how addicting she is, just how easily lost I get in her. I pull her up and grab a blanket from the couch and wrap it around her. Pulling my shorts up I watch as she retrieves her discarded pants and underwear. She smiles at me, her hair a mess as it frames her blushed face. I stalk over to her, kissing her softly before retreating to the kitchen. I open the fridge door and frown at the selection of choices. "Well, it looks like we either get to have old leftovers with something growing on them, or sandwiches and popcorn. Pick your poison."

She walks over to me and grabs the bread from out of the cabinet, afterward popping a bag of popcorn into the microwave. We snuggle up on the couch, watching a random show. Pretty soon we both fall asleep, her wrapped in my arms.

I'm standing behind Bella, and see her looking at me. I reach out to touch her, and my hand goes through her. "Jacob?" She's walking towards the other me, her hand outstretched as she approaches. He turns around as her hand presses into his back, my face slowly starts to morph into Edwards as my eyes glow red. He reaches out to her and she falls back, stumbling. "Edward, stop!" She's trying to get away and he is closing in on her. Suddenly the room is spinning and I sit up as my eyes spring open. I notice that Bella is still asleep. What was that? Her head starts to turn as she calls out my name in her sleep. Was that my dream? I pull Bella into my arms and carry her to the bedroom, setting her down gently. I watch her sleep for a moment, her eyes scrunched closed as she dreams. I nudge her arm lightly, trying to get her to wake up.

"Jake?" Her eyes open slightly as she pulls me closer to her.

"Good, he's right here. Please don't go anywhere, Jake." I pull back and look at her, but her lips don't move. I sit up and look back at her, watching her carefully. Am I going crazy? I just heard her loud and clear. "Please don't go." I jostle her awake.

"Bella, how are you doing that?" She rubs her eyes and looks at me sleepily.

"Doing what, Jake? What are you talking about? Come back to bed." She stretches out across the pillows and reaches her hand out to me.

"Bella, what were you dreaming about just now?" She looks at me and sighs.

"I was calling out to you, but when you turned you weren't you."

"Bella..." I pause. "I think that you just put-I don't know-how. I was in your dream with you, like I was watching your dream play in my head. Then I heard your voice just a minute ago..." She sits up and looks at me strangely.

"What do you mean? What-what are you talking about, Jake?"

"I think that you just pulled me into your head, Bella." She looks at me exasperated.

"No, that's not possible. Is it?" I sit next to her on the bed and grab her hands.

"Try it again."

"How? How am I supposed to try something when I don't even know how I did it in the first place?"

"Just breathe, Bella. Relax. Don't think about it, just think of something that you want to tell me. Just think of it in your head." She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. After a moment I see a small flicker, almost a though a little bubble went around her-barely noticeable unless you were looking for it. I start to see the moment on the beach in my head, except for Bella's view. Me walking away from her as she yelled after me to kiss her, I watch myself turn and start walking towards her then the image dissipates.

"See, I told you I can't do it. I don't even know what I'm doing."

"You were thinking of us on the beach, the night you first told me that you loved me." She lifts her eyes up to meet mine.

"It worked!" She throws her arms around me. "Okay, let's try it again."