Some time later I opened my eyes, startled by both the darkness and the silence. I was in bed, surrounded by at least a half dozen of my favorite soft, fluffy pillows. Someone had carried me upstairs while I was sleeping. I heard voices coming from outside; my mother and Jake were talking, but stopped abruptly as I stirred. I lay very still and began breathing in a soft, even rhythm.

JACOB

After I got bored listening to the bloodsuckers' 'How to Kill a Vampire' speech I slipped back inside the house to see if Nessie had finally gone to sleep. She was passed out on the couch, curled up into a ball. I reached over and gently pulled back some of the bronze hair. As I brushed her face I realized that her lips were moving, though barely any sounds escaped. I listened closely, startled as I heard my name.

"Jacob," she murmured, "Jake, come back."

Where am I goin? I thought skeptically. I wondered how long she'd been talking in her sleep and how that idiot dad of hers probably didn't realize that she'd have the same sleeping problems that Bella used to have. I slowly put my arms under her and lifted her up. She'd probably sleep better on her bed; that thing was stacked with those crazy fluffy pillows she liked. I walked up the stairs slowly, enjoying that familiar warmth I hadn't felt for a while. I hesitated when I reached her room. I wasn't tired. I could just stand there and hold her until she woke up. But then again, if she woke up… I sighed setting her on the bed and walking back down the stairs. Bella was sitting at the kitchen table, her head resting in her hand, as still as a marble statue. I'd never get used to this part of "the change". The Bella I remembered was clumsy and blushed easily while this Bella was all graceful and a little cocky sometimes.

"Jake, you're going to have to talk to her sometime," she said pointedly.

"You know I can't. I can't go near her right now," I said, listening to her steady breathing.

"You carried her upstairs," she said, a hint of a smile in her voice.

"You know what I mean."

"Yeah, I do, and I think it's stupid. You should have waited like I told you to, then this wouldn't be much of an issue," she said sharply.

"Hey Bells, did you know 'I told you so' has a brother? His name's 'shut the hell up.'"

"Don't get smart with me."

"Yes mom."

I turned my head quickly as I heard Nessie shift upstairs. A moment later I heard her breathing in a rhythm again.

"I think she just turned in her sleep," said Bella. She'd been listening too.

"Good," I breathed a small sigh of relief. "She talks in her sleep you know, like you used to."

"Really?"

"Yeah, kept saying stuff like 'Jake, Jacob.' Kinda gave me déjà vu actually," I laughed as she narrowed her eyes, remembering that night in the tent that I had once called one of the best nights of my life. Now it didn't even make top ten. "What's that about anyways?"

"What, the thing with calling your name? Probably the same as me, I was trying to distinguish your mood swings. 'Jake' would probably be the Jacob that was fun and happy and 'Jacob' would be the one that ignores her."

"Is that what that was? I actually had a different interpretation way back then, but whatever," I teased. The was no familiar rush of blood to her cheeks, instead she smacked me in the arm. I heard a small cracking noise. I wasn't worried though, it was probably already healing.

"Seriously though, how long did you think the 'I don't have an imprint on you anymore' act would work?"

"I can't believe he told you," I muttered. That damn leech would give her anything she wanted.

"Edward didn't tell me, I can hear a lot better now remember? And I'm not dumb; if it could be removed you would've done it a long time ago."

"Are you gonna tell her?"

"No, it's not my job. You do it," she snapped.

"It'd never work out."

"You can't know that."

"I thought you were against this, I was kinda depending on you talking me out of it."

"It's payback for coming up with that stupid idea to have her come with us when we're fighting the most dangerous vampires in creation."

"Yeah, yeah. You know that if you told her not to come, she'd find a way to sneak over and get herself in some kind of trouble. I need to be able to protect her myself."

"You really care, don't you," she said gently. It was more of a statement than a question.

"I love her Bells," I said quietly. "I need to be near her, all the time, every minute."

It tore me up just thinking about it. The overwhelming pull that brought me to her doorstep every day, the unconscious determination to try and make her smile and, of course, that desire to hold her so close so her warmth would never fade. I remembered making fun of Quil and Paul for these same thoughts they had had running through their heads, now I felt like a giant idiot.

"Why are you so afraid of letting her touch you?" she demanded.

"I think about her all the time. If she sees all my memories of her, if she knew how…intense…I felt about her… I don't think she'd be able to take it all in. She'd shut me out, like she did when she found out about the imprint."

"You're afraid you might scare her away."

"And that Seth might not like me as much."

"When's he going to get over that crush? Edward's gonna go nuts if he keeps hearing so many hormonal thoughts directed towards Nessie."

"He can't help liking her, and he definitely feels bad about it."

"And you're not jealous," she said. Another statement rather than a question.

Course I was, but I wasn't worried. First of all, Seth just wasn't that type of person. Secondly, there had to be some sort of wolf law that said that you couldn't try to take your alpha's girl. Besides, none of it would matter once she married that teal-eyed freak.

"She's not going to marry Nahuel, you know."

"I thought you couldn't read minds."

"No. I just figured that you'd be stupid and want her to be happy with someone more like her."

Leave it to Bella to be annoyingly observant.

"It makes sense."

"No, it doesn't."

"What's wrong with wanting her to be happy?"

"What's wrong is that you could end up being wrong and she'll end up miserable and start doing things like buying a motorcycle or cliff-diving."

For the first time in a while, I was stunned into silence. She hardly ever mentioned that time in her human life.

"Bella…" I started

"Look," she snapped, "You're the one who practically got on your knees to make me to accept your damn imprint and you're the one who kept telling me that it happens because it pointed you to exactly who you were supposed to spend the rest of your life with, your soul mate or whatever. So if you're telling me that you're going to be a pansy and toss that all out of the window because she freaked out a little when she found out about it, you don't deserve my daughter."

She gracefully jumped out of her chair and walked right out of the room without even tripping over the rolled up blanket on the floor.

*****

FINALLY able to post another chapter, tell me what you think, thanks! =]