[BamaFan121s]

"Bella?" Charlie turned to face me, surprise painting his face. "Bella! It is you, kid!" He rushed forward to meet me, extending his arms for a hug. I inhaled deeply and held my breath. I could feel Jacob move forward with me, staying very close to me in case I needed him. He was so close that I could feel heat radiating off him in waves.

As he hugged me, I felt a shiver run though his body. I wondered if it was in response to the ice cold temperature of my skin, evident even through my long sleeved shirt, or if it was because of something else… He pulled me back at arms length to examine me, taking me in from head to toe. "So," he began, "how was your first term in school?"

"It was great…top marks and everything. But it’s good to be home again." And I didn’t even kill any of the other students, I added silently in my head.

"Well, it’s good to have you home, kiddo! You hungry? Sam’s just about to take the burgers off the grill, and as you can see, there’s plenty of food. Sue and Emily have really outdone themselves."

I definitely was not hungry. "No, I’m fine," I lied coolly.

"Where’s Edward? Did he come with you?" Charlie glanced around the yard, searching, before turning back to me.

I was out of air. I was going to have to take a breath or continue the conversation though a series of nods and gestures. I leaned back the tiniest bit, moving my eyes around the yard under pretense that I was trying to determine his whereabouts too. Cautiously, I inhaled deeply. At once, burning fire began clawing at the back of my throat. I’d forgotten how very appealing Charlie smelled. Venom pooled in my mouth and I fought to swallow it down. I stiffened a bit, forcing myself to control my natural urges. I felt Jacob’s hand close tightly around my wrist and sensed him shift slightly as I stood there.

I turned my attention back to Charlie, "He’s here somewhere. Out front with Quil and Embry, I believe…." I felt Jacob loosen his hold.

"Ah…of course, talking cars no doubt." Charlie acknowledged. I couldn’t help but notice a subtle nervous edge in the tone of his voice as he glanced down quickly to where Jacob’s hand had been locked around my wrist a fraction of a second earlier.

"Food’s ready!" Billy announced. Charlie turned immediately to help Sam carry the burger and rib laden plates to the tables. I shot a thankful glance in Billy’s direction. He winked knowingly in response, "Hey Bella. Good to see you again."

"Thank you," I softly whispered to Jacob, so low only his ears would hear.

"Uh-huh." He turned and walked to the table furthest from Charlie. I followed him automatically, taking a seat beside him on one of the benches. "Seemed to get a little tense there for a minute?" He raised one of his eyebrows questioningly.

"Yes," I agreed. "For a minute."

"Are you still, you know…in pain being around people?" He looked away, not meeting my eyes as he finished his statement.

"Sometimes," I admitted, inhaling deeply. "But it’s easier to control now. Especially around you…you really do stink, Jake." He chuckled a bit in response to my teasing, but I sensed there was little humor behind the notion. He quickly became serious again.

"And…will it always be that way for you? Will it ever go away completely?"

I hesitated, suddenly realizing that I didn’t want to hear the answer spoken any more than he did. I gazed solemnly across the yard, focusing on nothing. "No, not completely. The burn will always be there. Sometimes more than others. Just depending…" I trailed off, questioning if I was unsure how to properly explain it, or if I just didn’t want to face the facts of the matter myself. "It’s a bit difficult to understand, I suppose." Guilt washed over me as I realized that it took an enormous amount of control for me not to kill even my own father. I shuddered at the thought.

"I might understand that kind of thing better than you think." He elbowed me lightly, and then gestured to himself. "You forget. I had to adjust to a different lifestyle too."

Suddenly, the realization of his words hit me. He was right—Jacob hadn’t always been a wolf. More than that, I realized that Jacob was someone I could confide in—someone who I could talk to and who would understand.

"You’re not alone, you know Bella," he continued. He looked at me as I spoke and I read the sincerity behind his coal black eyes. "I had instincts of my own to fight—uncontrollable anger and having to learn to control when I phased. I remember how it feels to stand in front of someone you love dearly and having to fight the urge to kill even them. I remember wanting to kill my own father. I remember wanting to kill you, Bells."

There was something very familiar about his words…it was like they’d been spoken to me before, but I couldn’t quite place them. One thing that was very clear, however, was that Jacob and I were connected in ways I’d never realized. I’d always been so quick to consider our differences, not as Jacob and Bella, but as werewolf and vampire, that I’d never given much thought to all the things that made us the same.

"And I know that through all that, I would have been lost without Sam there…without someone who understood…someone I could confide in who wouldn’t judge me." I understood the meaning behind Jacob’s words. He was offering to be that for me. I examined the irony of the situation. Jacob had wanted more than anyone else to change my mind about my decision to enter into this immortal existence. His desire was second only Edward’s, who had also wanted it desperately at the same time—that desire second only to my own. Yet despite of it all, Jacob was offering to help me through this tough adjustment, just as Sam had done for him and just as Carlisle had done for Edward.