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Epilogue: The Treaty

Almost everything had returned to normal in less time than I would have believed possible. The hospital had welcomed back Carlisle with eager arms, not even bothering to conceal their delight that Esme had found life in L.A. so little to her liking. Thanks to a math test I missed while I was in Italy, Alice and Edward were in better shape to graduate than me. Not by much, but that fail really tanked my math grade. Suddenly the college decision was a priority (college was in my plan, but it was never something I'd really thought about doing immediately after high school. Lizzie and I were going to move in together in some beach house, then I was going to take a gap year and travel, now I had been thinking about a gap year to work, but with this vampire thing over my head…college was something that loomed) Many deadlines had passed and while I was still stuck on a gap year, Edward had a new stack of applications for me to fill out. He'd already done the Harvard thing, and I refused to even look at the application he'd put in front of me. My West Coast body would not survive the cold North Eastern winters. And thanks to my indecisiveness, we might both end up at Peninsula Community College next year. He was insistent that we go to the same place. But I was still not sure if I was interested in college for a year.

My father was not happy with me, neither was Prissy. I was on permanent dishes duty, and Little Mikey's chauffer/baby sitter. Work and school were the only exceptions I was allowed out of my house, and to get out of Little Mikey duty. Edward wasn't allowed to visit, which we both understood, but he still snuck in to my room, somewhat to keep me company and safe from another vampire, and the other bit to convince me to pick him.

Edward resumed his schedule from the beginning of school, which put him back in most of my classes again. Mike, who'd eagerly taken each empty seat next to me when Edward left, was forced back into his old spot behind me. Still Mike was my friend in the classes we shared, had always made me feel like I wasn't fucked up for staying close to him and Angela during my social withdrawal.

Almost, but not quite. Jake; my best friend, my boyfriend, hadn't spoken to me since that day I left for Italy.

I wasn't allowed to go to La Push, because house arrest. But he wasn't coming to see me. He wouldn't answer my phone calls, my emails, my texts. No one in the pack would.

I'd call mostly at night, before Edward snuck into my bedroom. I chose this time for two reasons; one it wasn't super late and if I called the landline and Billy picked up it didn't disturb him, and two Edward made a certain face every time I mentioned Jacob or called him. Sort of disapproving and wary, maybe even angry. At me or Jake for being together when he was gone.

But I still mentioned Jake as much as I wanted.

Even with Edward back in my life, I couldn't help but think about how I was making my former best friend and maybe former boyfriend unhappy. How I ruined everything. I was always guilty for not listening to him. For letting Alice take me to Italy. I could have stayed with Jake. I could have…but I didn't.

Weeks passed, and Jacob still wouldn't answer my calls, texts, and emails. Were we still together even? It started to become a constant worry. Like a dripping faucet in the back of my head in the back of my head that I couldn't shut off or ignore. Drip, drip, drip, Jacob, Jacob, Jacob.

Sometimes my frustration and anxiety boiled over.

"Can't he understand how much I fucking miss him?" I vented one Saturday when Edward picked me up from work. "Don't make that face, he's important to me!"

"I don't like it when you mention him." He replied, his face the same.

"Well, he listened when I complained about you, you can listen while I complain about him," I responded. "And thank you for picking me up, I'm sorry I went so long without fulling my gas tank."

Edward nodded resigned, "You are welcome; I have a full gallon in my trunk for you. Go ahead and talk about him."

"I called his house on my break. Billy said he didn't want to talk to me," I fumed, glaring at the rain oozing down the passenger window. "That he was there and wouldn't walk the three steps to the phone! Usually Billy says he's out, busy, or sleeping. So I guess Jake fucking hates me now, Billy too. Which is fair, but bullshit!"

"It's not you, Peach." Edward said quietly, "Nobody hates you."

"Feels that way." I muttered, folding my arms across my chest. It was more than a stubborn gesture. Like a piece of my heart was missing. A Jake sized hole.

"Jacob knows we're back, and I'm sure that he's ascertained that I'm with you," Edward said, "He won't come anywhere near me. The enmity is rooted too deeply."

"But I'm not with you with you." I reminded, "I'm still dating his stupid ass."

"Maybe this is his way of breaking up with you."

"That's not a good reason to not answer my texts." I glared out the windshield, seeing only Jacob's face in the rain.

"Peach, we are what we are," Edward said, quietly. "I can control myself, I can wait until you chose me. But I doubt he can control himself or live with himself when you don't choose him. He's very young. It would most likely turn into a fight, and I don't know if I could stop before I k—" he broke off, and then quickly continued. "Before I hurt him. You would be unhappy. I don't want that to happen."

I remembered what Jake had said in the kitchen, hearing his words with perfect recall in his husky voice. I'm not sure that I'm even tempered enough to handle that…you probably wouldn't like it so much if I killed your friend. But he'd been able to handle it, that time…

"Edward Cullen," I said in a serious voice. "Were you about to say 'killed him'?"

He looked away from me, staring into the rain. In front of us, the red light hadn't noticed turned green and he started forward again, driving very slowly. Not his usual way of driving.

"I would try…very hard….not to do that," Edward finally said.

I started at him with my mouth hanging open, but he continued look straight ahead. We were paused at the corner stop sign.

"Well," I said, and took a deep breath, shaking my head to dispel the words in my head. "Nothing like that isn't going to happen, so don't worry about that. My dad is probably staring at the clock right now. So please get me home before I get in more trouble for being late."

I turned my face away from him.

When I turned back to see if he was ashamed of what he said, I recognized the expression on his statue-still face.

"You're already in more trouble, Miri." He said softly.

I slid closer to him as I followed his gaze to see what he was seeing. I don't know what I expected—maybe Victoria standing in the middle of the street, her flaming hair blowing in the wind. Or a line of tall black cloaks... but I didn't see anything at all.

"What? What is it?"

He took a deep breath, "Charlie…"

"My dad?" I screeched.

He looked down at me then, and his expression was calm enough to ease some of my panic.

"Charlie…is probably not going to kill you, but he's thinking about," he told me. He started to drive forward again, down my street, but he passed the house and parked by the edge of the trees.

"What the fuck did I do?"

Edward glanced back at Charlie's house. I followed his gaze, and noticed for the first time what was parked in the driveway next to the cruiser. A shiny, glossy black, impossible to miss. My motorcycle, flaunting itself in the driveway.

Edward had said that my father was ready to kill me, so he must know that—that it was mine. There was only one person who could be behind this treachery.

"Shit!" I gasped. "What the fuck was he thinking?" A sting of betrayal washed through me. I had trusted Jake implicitly—trusted him with every single secret I had. He was supposed to be my person. The one I could always rely on. Of course I fucked things up between us, but I didn't think he would do this.

I deserved this I knew. My father was going to be so mad—and worse than that. He was going to be hurt by this. Because I knew how much he hated motorcycles. I betrayed him, but I never would have imagined Jake could be so mean. I had been betrayed, by the one I betrayed. We were even.

"Is he there?" I asked.

"Yes. He's waiting for us there." Edward told me, nodding toward the slender path the divided the dark fringe of the forest in two.

I jumped out of the car, launching myself toward the trees with my hands already balled into fists for the first punch.

Why did Edward have to be so much faster than me?

He caught me around the waist before I made it to the path.

"Let me go! Fucking let me go!" I shouted.

"Charlie will hear you," Edward warned me, "And once he gets you inside, he may brick over the doorway."

I glanced back at the house, and it seemed like the bike was haunting me.

"Just let me talk to him! I'll deal with my father later." I struggled futilely to break free.

"Jacob Black wants to see me. That's why he's still here."

That stopped me cold—took the fight right out of me. My hands went limp. He doesn't want me anymore.

"Talk?" I asked. "To you."

"More or less."

"How much more?"

Edward moved some hair behind my ear. "Don't worry, he's not here to fight me. He's acting as…spokesperson for the pack."

"Oh."

Edward looked at the house again, then tightened his arm around my waist and pulled me toward the woods. "Your father still hasn't seen my car yet. We should hurry."

We didn't have far to go; Jacob waited just a short ways up the path. He lounged against a mossy tree trunk as he waited, his face hard and bitter, exactly the way I knew it would be. He looked at me, and then at Edward. Jacob's mouth stretched into a humorless sneer, and he shrugged away from the tree. He stood on the balls of his bare feet, leaning slightly forward, with his trembling hands clenched into fists. He looked bigger than the last time I'd seen him. Somehow, impossibly, he was still growing. He would tower over Edward, if they stood next to each other.

But Edward stopped as soon as we saw him, leaving a wide space between us and Jacob. Edward turned his body, shifting me so that I was behind him. I tried to move around him, to see Jacob. But he threw his arm out stopping me from getting close.

I would have thought that seeing his resentful, cynical expression would make me angrier. But it reminded me of the last time I'd seen him, with tears in his eyes, as I turned my back on him. My fury weakened as I stared at my maybe-boyfriend. It had been so long since I'd seen him—I hated that our reunion had to be like this. Instead of me kissing him, being held by him.

"Miri," Jacob said as a greeting, nodding once toward me without looking away from Edward,

There was a lump in my throat, "Why did you do that?"

The sneer vanished, but his face stayed hard and rigid. "It's for the best."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean? You can have fucking called me back."—Jake winced—"Do you want my dad to strangle me? Or do you want him to have a heart attack, like Harry? No matter how much I hurt you, no matter how mad you are at me, why did you do this to my dad."

My father knew about my motorcycle license, he hadn't been happy when I got it. He hadn't been happy when I learned how to ride a motorcycle. I hadn't even planned to getting one or riding one until… Edward left. But just because he knew, doesn't mean he was happy about it. One of the unspoken rules was that I wouldn't ride on when I was under his roof.

Jake didn't answer.

"He didn't want to hurt anyone—he just wanted to get you grounded, so that you wouldn't be allowed to spend time with me." Edward said, explaining the thoughts Jacob wouldn't say.

Jacob's eyes sparked with hate as he glowered at Edward again.

"Jake you fucking moron!" I groaned, "I'm already grounded and not allowed to see him! He just brought me home from work! Why do you think I haven't been to La Push to kick your ass for not answering my texts?"

Jacob's eyes flashed back to me, confused for the first time. "That's why?" he asked, and then locked his jaw, like he was sorry he'd said anything.

"He thought I wouldn't let you, not Charlie." Edward explained again.

"Stop that." Jacob snapped.

Edward didn't answer.

Jacob shuddered once, and then gritted his teeth as hard as his fists. "Mir wasn't exaggerating about your…abilities." He said through his teeth, "So you must already know why I'm here."

"Yes," Edward agreed in a soft voice. "But, before you begin, I need to say something."

Jacob waited, clenching and unclenching his hands as he tried to control the shivers rolling down his arms.

"Thank you," Edward said, his voice throbbed with the depth of his sincerity, "I will never be able to tell you how grateful I am. I owe you the rest of my…existence."

Jacob, and I stared at him blankly, his shudders still by surprise. He exchanged a quick glance at me, but I was just as confused.

"For being her friend, her confidant, for being there for her." Edward clarified, his voice rough and fervent, "When I… wasn't."

"Edward—," I stared to say, but he held on hand up, his eyes on Jacob.

Understanding washed over Jacob's face before the hard mask returned. "I didn't do it for you."

"I know. But that doesn't erase the gratitude I feel. I thought you should know. If there's ever anything in my power to do for you…"

Jacob raised one black brow.

Edward shook his head. "That's not in my power."

"Whose, then?" Jacob growled.

Edward looked down at me. "Hers. I'm a quick learner, Jacob Black, and I don't make the same mistake twice. I'm here until she orders me away."

It wasn't hard to understand what I'd missed in the conversation. The only thing that Jacob would want from Edward would be his absence.

"I don't want to hurt anyone," I whispered, locking eyes with Jacob. "There's so much going on right now; I love you."—Jacob looked hopeful—"But I also love him." I sniffled back tears.

Jacob made a gagging sound.

"Other than getting me shipped off to military school. And reminding me how much I love you and how angry we are at each other. What can I do for you?"

I saw Edward's body tense around me, a miniscule movement that I think Jake saw too.

His eyes stayed on Edward. "I just needed to remind your bloodsucking friends of a few key points in the treaty they agreed to. The treaty that is the only thing stopping me from ripping his throat out right this minute."

"We haven't forgotten," Edward said at the same time I demanded "What key points."

Jacob glowered at Edward, but he answered me. "The treaty is quite specific. If any of them bite a human, the truce is over. Bite, not kill," he emphasized. Finally, he looked at me.

It only took me a second to grasp the distinction, and then my face turned to horror.

"You have no idea what that means for me," I said horrified, tears in my eyes. My choice was made for me—I would die by the hands (or teeth) of the Vampire Mafia.

"The hell I don't—" was all he managed to say.

I didn't expect my hasty words to bring on such a strong response. Despite the warning he'd come to give, he must not have known. He must have thought the warning was just a precaution. He hadn't realized—or didn't want to believe—that I chose that. But if it was life and death, I wanted life.

My answer sent Jacob into near convulsions. He pressed his fists hard against his temples, closing his eyes tight and curling in on himself as he tried to control the spasms. His face turned sallow green under the russet skin.

"Jake?" I asked anxiously.

I took a half-step toward him, then Edward caught me and yanked back behind his body. "Careful! He's not in control." He warned.

But Jacob was already somewhat himself again; only his arms were shaking now. He scowled at Edward with pure hate. "I would never hurt her."

Neither Edward nor I missed the inflection, or the accusation it contained. A low hiss escaped Edward's lips. Jacob clenched his fists reflexively.

"MIRI," My father's roar echoed from the direction of the house. "YOU GET YOUR ASS IN THIS HOUSE THIS INSTANT!"

All of us froze, listening to the silence that followed.

"Shit." I trembled.

Jacob's furious expression faltered, "I am sorry about that," he muttered. "I had to do what I could—I had to try…"

"I know," I stared up the path, half expecting my father to come barreling through the wet ferns like an enraged bull. I would be the red flag in this scenario.

"Just one more thing," Edward said to me, and then looked at Jacob. "We've found no trace of Victoria on our side of the line—have you?"

He knew the answer as soon as Jacob thought it, but Jacob spoke the answer anyway. "The last time was while Miri was…anyway. We let her think she was slipping through—we were tightening the circle, getting ready to ambush her—"

Ice shot down my spine.

"But then she took off like a bat out of hell. Near as we can tell, she caught your little females scent and bailed. She hasn't come on our lands since."

Edward nodded. "When she comes back, she's not your problem anymore. We'll—"

"She killed on our turf!" Jacob hissed, "She's ours!"

"No-," I began to protest both declarations.

"MIRIAM SWAN! I SEE HIS CAR AND I KNOW YOU ARE OUT THERE! IF YOU AREN'T INSIDE THIS HOUSE IN ONE MINUTE…!"

"Let's go," Edward said.

I looked back at Jacob, torn. Would I see him again?

"Sorry," he whispered so low I had to read his lips to understand. "Bye, Mir."

"You promised," I reminded him desperately. "Still my boyfriend, right?"

Jacob shook his head slowly, and the lump in my throat nearly strangled me.

"You know how hard I've tried to keep that promise, but…I can't see how to keep trying. Not now…" He struggled to keep his hard mask in place, but it wavered, and then disappeared. "Miss you," he mouthed. One of his hands reached toward me, his fingers outstretched, like he wished they were long enough to cross the distance between us.

I reached for him, "Me too."

Like we were connected, the echo of his pain twisted inside me. His pain, my pain.

"Jake…" I took a step toward him. I wanted to wrap my arms around him and kiss him, be kissed by him.

Edward pulled me back, his arms restraining instead of defending.

"It's okay," I promised him, looking up to read his face. He would understand. "Let me go."

His eyes were unreadable, his face expressionless. Cold. "No."

"Let her go!" Jacob snarled, furious again. "She wants to." He took two long strides forward. A glint anticipation flashed in his eyes. His chest seemed to smell as it shuddered.

Edward pushed me behind himself, wheeling to face Jacob.

"No! Edward!"

"MIRIAM SWAN!"

"I have to go, Jake." I said panicked. Partially because of my father's scream, partially because I didn't want him to fight, "Bye."

I tugged on Edward and he relaxed slightly. He pulled me back slowly, always keeping is eyes on Jacob as we retreated.

Jacob watched with a dark scowl on his bitter face. The anticipation drained from his eyes, and then, just before the forest came between us, his face suddenly crumbled in pain.

I knew that was the last glimpse of his face would haunt me until I saw him smile again.

And right there I vowed that I would see him smile, and soon. I would find a way to keep my friend—even if he didn't want me as a girlfriend.

Edward kept his arm tight around my waist, holding me close. That was the only thing that held the tears inside my eyes.

I had some serious problems.

One of the boys I loved—my best friend—counted me with enemies.

Victoria was still on the loose, putting everyone I loved in danger.

And I had to become a vampire, otherwise the Vampire Mafia would kill me.

And now it seemed that if I did, the Quileute werewolves would try to do the job themselves—along with trying to kill the family that intended to save me. Even if they were evenly matched, they would get themselves killed in the attempt.

Very serious problems, I also had finals and the college thing looming over me. But as soon I saw my father's purple face, they all seemed insignificant.

Edward squeezed me gently, "I'll sneak in tonight."

I drew a deep breath.

That was true, he would.

I could survive anything for five seconds. Hell, I left the country without a passport and didn't get caught. I ran with werewolves, and spent time with vampires.

I squared my shoulders and walked forward to meet my fate, after all I made my own.

…

I SWEAR THIS ISN'T ENDGAME! MIRI DID NOT CHOSE EDWARD! I AM PLANNING SOMETHING! The next book will be called Et Superesse Bello Saucius it means The Wounded Survive War. Please join me there! Unfortunately, I don't have the book on-hand, and it will take around 12 weeks to get to me. I'll do my best to update before then! In the meantime please let me know what you thought of the end of the book! (even if I ruined it) I promise I'm not done with the love triangle (I know that's hated, but it's kind of the core of the series)!