Troubleshoot

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to SM.

Test Run

Bella cleaned the house the next morning-waiting for Jacob to call and trying to shake off the latest nightmare. Edward had featured heavily in this one. She had been running through the crowded streets of Volterra to save him, but as the way it was in all dreams, her movements were slow and jerky. The faster she tried to run, the slower she became, her limbs becoming heavy, as if they were strung with heavy weights. Far in the distance she could hear the town clock tower chiming, in tune with her heartbeat, it counted down the last few seconds until the final chime boomed like a death knell. It was twelve o'clock. Bella hadn't even reached the fountain. The push and pull of the crowd of red-cloaked tourists jostled her back and forth, while Edward, stepping out into the bright sunlight in order to provoke the Volturi, was yanked back into the shadows, dragged before the Volturi kings to await his death.

Shuddering, Bella shoved the dream out of her conscious, hoping it would stay locked up somewhere and not escape again. What had happened in Italy was the past. She had reached Edward in time. He had survived. Her subconscious was simply taunting her, revealing the hidden worry that he might do something as equally reckless again now that she had broken off their engagement.

Charlie was outside washing the cruiser, so when the phone rang, Bella dropped the toilet brush and ran downstairs to answer it.

"Hello?" She asked breathlessly.

"Bella." Jacob said, a strange, formal tone to his voice.

"Hey, Jake."

Just hearing his voice made Bella instantly feel better.

"I have a surprise for you." His tone was thick with implications.

It took Bella a second before her thoughts caught up. "Jake, do you mean….?" She was so excited; she couldn't even finish her sentence. What perfect timing. She needed something to distract her from nightmares and her morbid thoughts about Edward.

"Yeah, its running as smoothly as it ever did."

"Jacob, you are absolutely, without a doubt, the most talented and wonderful person I know. You have my lifelong gratitude for this."

"Cool!"

Bella laughed. "I'm on my way up. Well…as soon as my dad has finished cleaning the cruiser."

The car that Edward had gifted her lay abandoned on the side of the road. There was no way that she was ever going to get behind the wheel of the Mercedes again. Her original intention had been to return it, but as the family had left so abruptly, without leaving so much as a forwarding address, she had no idea how to contact them to take it away. As she had no intention of keeping it, she had decided to sell it on, donating the proceeds to her favorite charity when she did so.

After ending the call, Bella threw the cleaning supplies under the bathroom counter and grabbed her jacket.

"Hey, where are you going in such a hurry?" Charlie called out when he saw her rush out of the house.

"Headed to see Jake." Bella answered, having difficulty hiding her impatience. "You were giving me a lift, remember?"

"Oh, so I was." Charlie hid his smile. He knew why Bella was so eager to get going. Jacob had already confided that he was close to fixing her truck. He knew how much Bella had missed the old iron monster. He had worried at first that even someone as skilled as Jacob wouldn't be able to breathe life into the old girl, but it seemed that the red Chevy wasn't prepared to go the metal junkyard in the sky just yet. "I'm nearly done here. Why don't you lock up?"

"Okay." Bella fished for the front door key in her pocket and fitted it into the lock. She was on tenterhooks, thrilled at the thought of getting behind the wheel of the old truck and giving her a test run.

After what seemed several lifetimes-where Charlie spent an ordinate amount of time polishing the hood of the cruiser-they were on their way. Bella was like a little kid, bouncing in her seat all the way.

"You need to calm down, kiddo." Charlie chuckled, secretly exhilarated to see his daughter so lively and full of energy. He had been concerned she might fall back into her former depression once Cullen took off again, even when it had been her idea to break things off with him. However, much to his relief, after a short period of grieving the end of the relationship, she had come out the other side, still slightly sad, but determined and looking ahead to the future.

They reached La Push in record time. Charlie dropped Bella off at the end of the dirt track leading to the Black's house. He wasn't staying as he was due to start his day shift at the station. He had a pile of paperwork in his in-tray to catch up on.

"I'll see you tonight, Bells. Have fun." He waved her off with a grin.

Bella barely heard him. She jogged down the dirt track, her eyes wide open, eager for the first glimpse of her beloved truck. And there it was, parked proudly in front of the little redwood house. The ancient Chevy, the faded red paint just the same, the big, rounded fenders and the bulbous cab bringing tears of joy to her eyes.

Bella used to mock people who got sentimental over their old cars, treating the inanimate machine as if it was an extension of themselves, and here she was doing the same. The pure irony was not lost on her as she ran over to it, her fingers reaching for the door handle to swing it open.

"Hey, Bella, honey. Don't I at least get a hello?" Jacob teased as he appeared behind her.

Bella spun around, her eyes and face glowing with happiness. It started as a tingle in her fingers and toes, much like the feeling she had when she was anxious, but instead of worrisome it was warm. She felt it pass through her like a warm ocean wave, washing away the stresses of her nightmare, leaving her refreshed inside. As the wave faded, she savored the memory of its gentle touch, a wistful smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

Bella's happiness was infectious. The sheer pleasure of seeing her so elated and ecstatic over the truck gave Jacob a blissful evocation of time spent with her on the beach. How he loved those early days of their friendship, when they walked on the sand and simply talked, laughed, and made silly jokes. Those days were ingrained in his heart and his memory forever, and now he had another one to add.

"Ready to give the old girl a test run?" He asked.

"You bet!" Bella enthused.

They drove south out of town. The dirt road wove in and out of the forest-sometimes there was nothing but trees, and then there would suddenly be a breathtaking glimpse of the Pacific Ocean, reaching to the horizon, dark gray under the clouds. They were on top of the shore, above the cliffs that bordered the beach, and the view seemed to stretch on forever.

Bella was driving slowly, so she could safely stare out across the ocean now and then, as the road wound closer to the cliffs. The sound of the engine's loud rumble was comforting background noise. Bella hadn't realized how much she had missed it. She listened as Jacob talked about how he had fine tuned the engine, his descriptions getting technical, making it difficult for Bella to pay close attention.

That was when she noticed the rocky ledge. The same ledge where she had so nearly lost her life when she had recklessly gone cliff diving to hear Edward's voice. It was all so long ago, but seeing it brought a fresh wave of fear, bringing the nightmare back to the forefront of her mind. She slowed down, her fingers gripping the steering wheel tightly.

Would she forever be haunted by reminders of the past?

"What's wrong?" Jacob asked, finally noticing the anxiety on her face.

"The cliff…." Bella whispered faintly.

Jacob followed the direction of her gaze in understanding. "It's the past, Bells. You need to let it go."

"I know…. it's just seeing it again brought it all back." Bella stomped on the brake pedal, her eyes tearing up.

Jacob looked at her in concern. "You don't need to be afraid, honey. I'm right here."

"I know." Bella acknowledged, but her face remained strained.

Jacob suddenly threw open the passenger door and climbed out, causing a bolt of icy wind to blow into the truck's cab. Bella shivered, hastily following him out.

"What are you doing, Jacob?"

"I'm going cliff diving."

"What?" Bella exclaimed. "Is this some kind of joke? If it is, I don't find it very funny."

"It's not a joke." Jacob stared toward the opposite cliff grimly. In truth Bella wasn't the only one who struggled with bad memories of the place. It still haunted his dreams sometimes, finding her almost dead in the water that day. If he had been one second too late to rescue her, she would have drowned.

"Then what are you trying to prove?" Bella demanded.

Jacob turned to face her; his dark eyes lit up with determination. "You know the best way to deal with fear is to confront it."

"Is it?" Bella asked dubiously.

"Yes. This place will always have you in a chokehold if you don't confront your fear. So, we go cliff diving and create a new memory. One without fear."

Bella looked back at the cliffs. Seeing it with fresh eyes just reminded her how reckless and stupid she had been. Was Jake right? Should she confront her fear? Could she? Or would it prove as bad a decision as the first time?

"I don't think I can." She whispered frantically.

Jacob frowned at her, his face disapproving. "Bella, you can. You won't be alone. This time I will be with you. It will be fine." He grabbed her wrist. "I'm not saying we do it today. We have to wait for the weather to improve. But promise me as soon as it does, we'll do it."

"Okay, fine." Bella agreed reluctantly. The glacial breeze coming off the ocean was raising goose bumps on her arm. "I'm willing to try."

"That's my girl." Jacob said, breaking out into a grin.

A/N-thanks for reading!