Blood Moon
Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to SM.
Twisted
"Yeah, I'll always be your friend." Jacob said gruffly. "No matter what you love."
"Promise?"
Bella felt his arms wind around her, and she leaned against his chest, still trying to hold back her tears. "This sucks."
"Yeah." Jacob murmured. Then he sniffed her hair and grimaced. "Ew."
"What!" Bella demanded. She looked up to see that his nose was wrinkled again. "Why does everyone keep doing that to me? I don't smell!"
Jacob smiled a little. "Yes, you do – you smell like them. Blech. Too sweet -sickly sweet. And…icy. It burns my nose."
"Really?" That was strange. To Bella Alice smelled unbelievably wonderful. To her human senses, anyway. "But why would Alice think I smelled, too, then?"
Jacob's smile turned into a scowl. "Maybe I don't smell too good to her, either. Huh."
Bella sighed. "Well you both smell fine to me." She rested her head against him again. She was going to miss him terribly when he walked out that door. It was a nasty catch-22 -on the one hand, she wanted Alice to stay forever. She felt like she would die – metaphorically – when Alice left again. But how was she supposed to go without seeing Jacob for any length of time? What a mess, she thought miserably.
"I'll miss you." Jacob whispered, echoing her thoughts. "Every minute. I hope she leaves soon."
"It really doesn't have to be that way, Jake."
This time it was Jacob who sighed. "Yes, it really does, Bella. You…love her. So I'd better not get anywhere near her. I'm not sure that I'm even-tempered enough to handle that. Sam would be mad if I broke the treaty, and" – his voice turned sarcastic – "you probably wouldn't like it too much if I killed your friend."
Bella recoiled from him when he said that, but Jacob only tightened his arms, refusing to let her escape. "There's no point in avoiding the truth. That's the way things are, Bells."
"I do not like the way things are."
Jacob freed one arm so he could cup his big brown hand under her chin to make her look at him. "Yeah, it was easier when we were both human, wasn't it?"
Bella sighed again.
They stared at each other for a long moment. Jacob's hand smoldered against her skin. Bella knew that her face showed only wistful sadness – she didn't want to have to say goodbye now, no matter for how short a time. At first Jacob's expression mirrored hers, but then, as neither of them looked away, his expression changed.
Jacob released her, lifting his other hand to brush his fingertips along her cheek, trailing them down to her jaw. She could feel the slight tremor in his fingers- not with anger this time, but from all his pent-up emotions. He pressed his palm against her cheek, so that her face was now trapped between his warm hands.
"Bella." He whispered, tenderness showing in his eyes and coloring his voice.
Bella became still, her nervous gaze darting all over his handsome face.
No! She hadn't made this decision yet. She didn't know if she could do this, and now she was out of time to think. But she would be a fool if she thought rejecting his romantic overtures now would have no consequences.
Bella stared up at him. He was not her Jacob, but he could be. His face was familiar and beloved. In so many real ways, she did love him. He was her source of comfort, her safe harbor. Right now, in this moment, she could choose to have him belong to her.
Alice was back, but that changed nothing. True love was forever lost. The prince was never coming back to kiss her awake from her enchanted sleep. She was not a princess, after all. She was not living in a fairy tale. This was real life. The mundane kind that didn't break any spells. What was the protocol for those kinds of kisses?
Maybe it would be easy – like holding Jacob's hand or having his arms around her. Maybe it would feel nice. Maybe it wouldn't feel like a betrayal. Besides, who was she betraying anyway? Just the memory? A phantom ghost of a past relationship that never had any grounds in reality?
It will be like I never existed.
Oh, how those words of Edward's had haunted her! Still did, even to this day.
Keeping his eyes fixed on hers, Jacob inclined his heard forward. And Bella was still absolutely undecided.
The shrill ring of the telephone made them both jump, but it did not break Jacob's focus. He took his hand from under her chin and reached over and grabbed the receiver, but still held her face securely with the hand against her cheek. His dark eyes never left hers the whole time. Bella was too muddled to react, even to take advantage of the situation.
"Swan residence." Jacob said, his husky voice low and intense.
Someone answered, and Jacob's demeanor altered in an instant. He straightened up, and his hand dropped from her face. His eyes went flat, his face blank, and she would have bet the rest of her measly college fund it was Alice.
Bella recovered enough to hold her hand out for the phone. Jacob handed it to her wordlessly.
"Hello?" Bella asked, resting a comforting hand on Jacob's chest as she did so. She didn't want him to think he had to leave just because Alice was calling. They needed to talk about what had almost happened between them.
At first there was no response.
"Hello?" Bella repeated, a little more impatiently. "Is anyone there? Alice is that you?"
Then the smooth, velvety voice that she had spent so many months risking her life to hear breathed her name. "Bella! Oh, Bella, my love, you're alive!"
Bella's hand pressed harder into the skin on Jacob's chest as she fought to maintain her balance, her cheeks flushing a delicate pink. She heard him mutter 'filthy bloodsucker' under his breath as he reached out and steadied her by placing his hands on her shoulders.
Bella still hadn't said anything. She heard the echo of Edward's voice as he whispered her name again, his tone a little more frantic. "Oh, my hearts darling!" He cried. "Bella, please, talk to me!"
Bella's eyes flicked to Jacob, his face was smooth, expressionless, but his hands shook on her shoulders. He snatched them away and quickly averted his gaze. He would have moved back, but her fingers clawed at his chest, making him pause.
"Edward?" Bella finally found the will to speak. "Is that you? Is it really you?"
"Yes, its me." Edward confirmed in the same velvety tone. "Oh, Bella, you have no idea of the agonies I've suffered. I thought you were dead!"
A small frown marred Bella's forehead. "Alice told you about the cliff diving? She shouldn't have done that."
"Not Alice." Edward answered scathingly. "Rosalie."
"Rosalie?" Bella was confused now.
"Alice called her and then straight away Rosalie called me."
"I see." Bella said quietly. "Alice thought I was dead. Came back to Forks to investigate. Found I wasn't at home. Then called Rosalie. And then Rosalie called you."
"Something like that." Edward agreed. "Oh, Bella, I have so much to – "
"Please, Edward, don't." Bella said in a pained whisper. "I don't want to hear it."
"But you must let me explain, Bella. Oh, I so wish that I was there with you in person. It so difficult to express myself properly over the phone." Edward emitted a long, weary, frustrated sigh. "I've never been so grateful that one of Alice's visions was so wrong."
Bella wasn't really listening. She was becoming distracted by Jacob. He was looking over his shoulder now, as if someone had called his name from the other room. His eyes went wide and his body stiff, then he started trembling. Bella listened too, automatically, but heard nothing.
"Bye, Bells." Jacob spat out, and wheeled toward the front door.
"No, Jake, wait!"
In her haste to stop him, Bella dropped the phone, leaving it dangling on its long wire. She heard Edward's voice, sounding tinny now that the receiver was no longer cradled against her ear. Torn with indecision for a second, she debated whether to pick it up again, or pursue Jacob before he had a chance to bolt.
She chose the latter.
Runing after Jacob, she caught him just as he was about to wrench the front door open. He had his back to her, his whole body shaking with the effort to keep his wolf in check. Breathing deep, he closed his eyes, his trembling fingers resting on the door handle.
As she reached him, Bella stumbled, accidentally running into him. She became completely winded from the impact of their colliding bodies. Jacob spun around, cussing under his breath, knocking her sideways. Bella bobbled and fell to the floor, her legs now tangled with his.
"Shoot, ow!" Bella gasped as Jacob hurriedly jerked his legs free one at a time.
Bella struggled to breathe as she watched Jacob crouched beside her. Then he suddenly froze again as Alice appeared out of thin air, standing motionless at the bottom of the stairs.
"Bella." She murmured, her tawny eyes alight with excitement.
Bella scrambled to her feet and lurched to her side. Alice was brimming with joy. Her slim body trembling with delight.
"Alice, what's going on?" Bella demanded. She put her hands on Alice's face, trying to ger her to focus. "Edward just called!"
Alice's eyes focused on Bella abruptly, wide with glee.
"I know." She trilled. "Oh, Bella, this has all worked out perfectly. I was mad at Rosalie for interfering. But she did us both a favor. Edward is coming back to us, Bella. He made the decision as soon as he heard your voice. Isn't that wonderful? His long hiatus is over. He has finally realized he was mistaken in his choices."
Bella's body reacted faster than her mind was able to catch up with the implications of what this all meant. She didn't understand at first why the room was spinning or where the hollow roar in her ears was coming from. Her mind labored, unable to make sense of Alice's animated face and how it could possibly relate to Edward, while her body was already swaying, seeking the relief of unconsciousness before the reality could hit.
The stairway tilted at the oddest angle.
Jacob's furious voice was suddenly in her ear, hissing out a stream of profanities. Bella felt the oddest sense of disapproval. His new friends were clearly a bad influence.
Bella found herself on the couch without understanding how she had gotten there, and Jacob was still swearing. It felt like there was an earthquake – the couch was shaking so much underneath her.
"What did you do to her?" Jacob demanded.
Alice ignored him. "Bella? Bella, snap out of it. We should leave now if we want to make it to the airport in time."
"Stay back." Jacob warned.
"Calm down, Jacob Black." Alice ordered testily. "You don't want to do that so close to her."
"I don't think I'll have any problems keeping my focus." Jacob retorted, but his voice was a little cooler now.
"Jake? Alice?" Bella's tone was weak. "What happened?"
"You had some kind of fainting fit, I suppose. The shock of speaking to Edward again after so long was too overwhelming for you. You're alright now though."
Bella labored to pull herself up despite the dizziness. She finally realized it was Jacob's arm she was gripping for balance. He was the one shaking, not the couch.
Alice was pulling a small silver phone from her bag when Bella's bleary gaze managed to relocate her. Her fingers dialed the numbers so fast they were a blur.
"Rose, I need to talk to Carlisle now." Alice whipped through the words. "Fine, as soon as he's back. No, I'm heading to the airport now. Edward will be on the first plane out and I plan for Bella and I to be there to greet him as soon as he lands."
There was a pause as Alice listened to Rosalie's response. Whatever Rosalie said made the little psychic's jaw tighten. "It was just pure luck that he called the Swan's house to check. Thankfully he spoke to Bella. So, disaster is averted. Let that be a lesson to you, Rose. Bella is fine – I was wrong…. It's a long story."
Bella was struggling to take it all in. She was still clutching Jacob's arm like it was a life raft.
Alice's voice became very hard and her lips were pulled back from her teeth. "It's a bit late for that, Rose. Save your remorse for someone who believes it, and just be thankful that Edward had the presence of mind to call." She then snapped the phone shut with a sharp twist of her fingers.
By the time she focused her attention on Bella again, her expression was much calmer.
"Alice, did I hear you right? Ed – Edward is on his way back here?"
"Yes." Alice confirmed with a soft smile. "He's coming back to you, Bella."
Bella blinked, feeling Jacob stiffen beside her. She glanced up at his face, catching his stricken expression before he smoothed out his handsome features into an indifferent mask. He looked so much like Sam in that moment that it made her heart hurt.
Alice turned her penetrating gaze onto him at the same time as Bella. He stared back at her coldly, but held his place next to Bella, almost as if he was trying to shield her with his body.
"You keep him away from her." Jacob demanded as a tremor rolled down his spine, shaking Bella along with it.
Alice's eyes tightened at the corners. "This has nothing to do with you, Jacob Black. So stay out of it."
"The hell it does!" Jacob shot back at her heatedly. "He left. He didn't want her anymore. What difference does it make now? I won't let him hurt her again."
Bella rose to her feet, using Jacob as a crutch to steady herself. "He's right, Alice. Edward doesn't care about me. He made that very clear before he left."
It will be like I never existed.
"You know deep in your heart that's not true." Alice said quietly. "He loves you, Bella. He never stopped. He left you to protect you. He wanted you to live a normal human life – "
"How dare he!" Bella accused. Jacob rose as the same time she did, putting himself firmly between her and Alice.
"You don't need to protect me, Jacob." Bella snapped, elbowing her way past his trembling body with desperate impatience. She glared at Alice, her temper finally unspooling inside her at the unfairness of it all. "He left me, Alice. His cruel words not only broke my heart – they broke every part of me! Leaving me feeling worthless and ashamed."
Alice's expression turned pained. She put her hands on Bella's shoulders, holding her in place, her fingers flexing sporadically to emphasize her words. "Edward is so sorry for what he did to you. He may never forgive himself. He really did think it was for the best. He has been living a tortured existence since you've been apart. I cannot imagine how he lasted this long. Though I do know that he was on the verge of coming back anyway. He loves you, Bella. Please be assured of that. When you see him, he'll explain. Then you'll understand and forgive him."
Bella stared at her with her jaw clenched in frustration. How dare Alice just assume that she would be so willing to forgive Edward so easily?
"You have no idea the emotional torment I've suffered in Edward's absence." She turned to look at Jacob, his dark eyes were glittering with moisture, just like hers. "If it wasn't for Jake pulling me back from the brink – I don't know what state I would be in right now."
Jacob caught her arm with a shivering hand, pulling her back to his side. "Bella, please, don't go to the airport with her."
A lump filled Bella's throat at the pure desperation in his voice. "Jake, I – "
"You don't have to go. You really don't." Jake interrupted before she had a chance to finish. "You could stay here with me. Please, I'm begging you. Stay for me - Kwop kilawtley." He finished in Quileute, staring deeply into her eyes.
"Come on, Bella." Alice urged, irritably interrupting the emotional moment. Expecting Bella to follow, she flew out of the house and into the car.
The engine of Carlisle's Mercedes purred; the rhythm of the thrumming spiked when Alice revved it impatiently.
"Don't go, Bella. Don't."
Jacob's anguish pushed Bella past her silent tears. A sob broke out from her chest. In one quick motion she threw her arms around his waist and hugged him, burying her tear- wet face against his chest. He put his big hand on the back of her hair as if to hold her there.
"You never let me finish." She whispered; her voice muffled against his chest.
"Huh?" He said, confused.
Bella pulled his hand from her hair, and kissed his palm. She was too overwhelmed to look at his face. "I'm not going anywhere. I'm staying right here."
The door on the passenger side of the Mercedes was open and waiting. Bella saw Alice's white face peering out at her in bewilderment. Bella mouthed the word sorry at her, before burying her face in Jacob's chest again.
A few seconds later she heard Alice stomp on the gas – with the tires screeching like human screams – she sped off down the road and out of sight.
A/N-thanks for reading!