-Jasper-

I have been pushing Bella's limits, now knowing that her shield works better alongside her emotions. Her range has expanded, giving her the ability to show memories and feelings to people, along with occasionally her thoughts. The more she worked with it, the more I wondered if she could use her shield as a weapon.

"Bella, I want you to try something."

"What?"

"When you expand your shield, I want you to search my mind instead of projecting yours. Search for my happiest memory and when you feel it, pull it forward and try to see if you can visualize it."

"How do I do that?"

"Just relax, expand your shield out and search my mind." We worked on that particular thing for over two weeks, her searching my mind until finally, she pulled it forward and it replayed inside of the bubble, almost as though it was displayed on a movie screen, I was completely immobilized, watching my memory play out before me. Alice came and sat at the diner with me, her pixie hair framing her kind face. I knew she was like me, but different. Her eyes weren't the same.

"I have been waiting a long time for you." She whispered and a beautiful grin lit up her face. I am slowly pulled from the memory, the realization of my surroundings coming back to me as she withdrew her shield, the euphoria dropping. I could feel the ground under my feet again, and the gentle wind against my cold skin. I look at her, knowing that my eyes were wide with the realization of just how powerful she could be.

"Okay, now I want you to search for my most painful memory."

"Jasper, I don't want to do that."

"Bella, just do it."

She expands her shield, and I feel her searching my mind pulling tendrils of memories until one surface. I feel it come into focus and my arms begin to burn, every bite mark that I have ever received starts to blaze, as though a fire was quickly spreading through my veins. I couldn't move, I felt as though I was burning in a forever eternity in place. I was trapped, and motionless-completely defenseless. I drop to the ground and scream out in pain.

"Bella, stop!" Her shield has already begun to pull away from me, gradually weakening. I was on the ground, laying there staring up at the sky, a scream being pulled from my throat. I felt Alice's hands on me, gently caressing my face until I saw her face clearly, her golden eyes staring back at me. She's always saving me from my own misery somehow."Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." I choke the words out, getting back up on my feet. "You did great, Bella."

"No. I'm not doing that again."

"You have to, when you do that to somebody, you completely immobilize them, they can't move they can't think. They are trapped at that moment, feeling every pain as though they're living it.

"You don't understand, Jasper. I feel it too. I see everything that you do. I may not feel it, the pain that you feel, I witness it." I feel her emotion rising, franticness slowly building. I calm her, spreading my aura over her feelings. "That's not fair."

-Bella-

I slam the door of the truck, storming away from Jasper and Alice. I can't believe that I did that. I start the engine and pull out of the field. I can't believe that I just did that, the feeling of everything washes over me and I pull over as the panic runs through me. Edward was possibly building a small army, how was I supposed to help? A human who can wield a stupid shield? I don't even have it fully under control, how do they expect me to be able to do anything when the time comes? Are they supposed to fight their own family? Are we going to have to kill him? I start hyperventilating and I lock the doors as I curl up into a ball in the truck. The dark thoughts pull me into sleep as the exhaustion from the day overtakes my body.

The sound of my phone finding pulls me from my dreamless sleep, tearstained cheeks welcome my batting eyelashes. I sit up, forgetting that I am on the side of the road in the truck. The sky is dark, and the trees look ominous as they line the winding road.

"Hello?" I answer groggily.

"Bella? Where are you? Alice said that you left, I stopped by the house and you weren't there." His voice sounded slightly frantic.

"Jake, I fell asleep on the way to the Reservation. I just..." I breathe out and stare into the night. "I just got overwhelmed."

He is silent for a moment. "Are you okay?"

I pause for a moment as I weigh his question. "No, no I'm really not."

"Do you need me to come and get you?"

"No, I'll be home in a minute. Wait for me?"

"Always."

I take a minute, staring into the darkness, I realize that the monsters that I used to be scared of I have seen in the daylight as well. Vampires, Werewolves. All of the things that I used to wonder if they existed from stories and scary movies were a part of my life. I turn onto the road and head towards the house. Jake is sitting on the steps, his usual tan shorts and tennis shoes, stretched out against the steps. I watch him for a moment, as I pull up to the house. He turns to face me, the stubble on his chin and jaw is starting to grow in, darkening his face up as his scruffy hair hangs into his eyes. He stands and walks towards the truck, his hands shoved deep into his pockets. I know he's worried, it's written all over his eyes.

"Jake, I want to try something that I learned today...is that okay?" I stand there in the drive, my hands shoved deep into my pockets. "I have to know that I can do this on somebody that I care about...but it might hurt."

He eyes me skeptically for just a second. "Whatever you need, Bella."

He stands there staring at me in the darkness, his eyes glistening under the light of the moon, defying every midnight story that I had read about what a full moon does to somebody who changes into a wolf. How did the stories that I used to read when I was younger turn into my reality? When did this all become real? I pull myself from my thoughts and close my eyes, feeling my shield pull off of me and expand towards him. I start to search desperately for the memory, this was harder than it was with Jasper, he knew what I was looking for so that meant that it was pulled up in his mind. Jacob was unwilling and unknowing to the fact that I was searching his brain for one of his worst memories. I finally find it, tugging at the strings as though I was the ventriloquist and he was my puppet. I feel his pain wash over me as it plays in my mind.

-Jacob-

I feel something tugging at me, as though my thoughts are garbled and mixed together. Suddenly, I am dropping to my knees as the thing I fear the most comes to life in front of my eyes. The memories replay themselves as they mash together. Bella, lifeless as I pull her out of the water in front of me, trying desperately for her to just breathe. Her face slowly morphs into my mom's, her lifeless eyes staring back at me, dark black hair cascading over her shoulders. The pain rocks through me, pulling me further and further down into a whole. I feel myself changing, my hands stretching, bones breaking as they morph into the beast within me. The pain sends me over the edge, and soon all that I can feel is the pit in the center of my stomach. I hear her calling my name, it seems like so far away, attempting to pull me out of the void that I stuck myself in.

"Jacob!" Her sweet voice pulls me, tugging at my very being back towards the surface before the void can suck me under. My vision starts to clear, eyes coming into focus of the scene in front of me, senses slowly taking in my surroundings. Lungs, strained as I feel myself gasping for breath. Bellas wild eyes come into focus and I notice myself in a lunged position towards her, hands reached out as they caress my neck.

"It's okay, Jake. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have done that. I'm sorry." Her eyes are filled with grief and guilt. I phase back into myself, feeling fur turn to skin. I reach out and pull her against me, making sure that she is real as I caress her flesh. Her warm living body presses against mine and it's not enough to make me believe that she is real. I pull her face to mine as I kiss her, taking in every bit of her that she is willing to give. Her breath is hot against mine, soft pink lips pressed against mine, salty from the tears that spill down my cheeks. "Jake..." She breathes my name against my lips and I come undone. I lift her up, stepping backward and pressing her against the tree. I feel the hard pine against my hands, and her soft skin contrasting the roughness of my pain. I have to feel something other than the pain of losing her, the feeling of growing in my own grief. I had to remind myself that she was real, I had to make myself believe that she was here by losing myself in her instead of the painful memory that left traces of itself on the backs of my eyelids. She sighs into my ear as I kiss my way down her neck, reveling in her touch as her hands cling to me. She is my stability. I walk her towards the truck, never letting my lips leave hers as I lift her onto the tailgate and lean her back against the cold metal of the truck. She gasps as her skin makes contact with the different temperatures. She pauses and pulls back from me, as though the cold made her come back to reality.

"Jake, are you okay?" I ignore her, and she presses on. "Jake..?"

"Bella...I just need you." I barely get the last word out as my eyes meet hers, she pulls me towards her and kisses me softly. She presses softly on my chest as she pushes me onto the back of the truck. I watch as she climbs on top of me, shimmying out of her jeans. I raise my eyebrows at her braveness and realize that she never fails to surprise me with the strength that she carries. This woman is a goddess. I admire her figure against the dark sky, the moon gently kissing her pale skin, as her dark hair falls against the curve of her shoulders and spills against her breasts. Wrapping her legs around either side of me, she places her hands on my chest and leans down, her lips brushing against mine. Electrifying. She buries me inside of herself, and I lose all sense of time except this moment. I groan, her hands splayed onto my chest as she rises and falls faster and faster until we're both coming undone under the light of the stars, the night air kissing our blazing skin.