Author's Note: The first bit will look familiar but I assure you the end is far from the same...ENJOY! :)
Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer rocks! All recognizable people and places belong to her.
Alternate Ending to One Bite Changes Everything
Without a Choice
Chapter 1 - Heartbreak
Jacob POV
Today is New Years Eve and I have big plans for ringing in the new year. While Bella works, Paul is going to keep an eye on her so that I can finalize the plans. My heart fluttered as I thought of her and I together for another year. I kissed her forehead and pulled her body closer to mine. She sighed and snuggled into me, kissing my chest.
"Good morning," she whispered gruffly against me skin, lifting her lips to meet mine.
"Good morning, my love. Did you sleep well?"
"I did." She stretched, shaking off the morning. "You still haven't told me what we're doing tonight," she accused.
"Tonight, we are going over to Sam and Emily's for one hell of a New Year's Eve bash," I grinned at her.
"But what are we doing this afternoon?" She wasn't going to let me off that easily. I'd promised to pick her up after the half day of work and show her a really special time. Since the words had left my mouth she'd been trying to get me to spill the beans that were my surprise. So far, I'd managed to keep it under wraps.
"It will be fantastic, but that's all I'm going to tell you. Now get dressed, you're going to be late for your date with Newton." She glared at me while I laughed at her expense.
We pulled into Newton's parking lot and I kissed Bella gently and then watched her disappear through the doors. I quickly walked around back to make sure Paul was in fact here and ready to protect Bella if the need were to arise.
"I'm here," he sneered. Paul's feelings for Bella had softened, he didn't want to admit it, but he did like her -- a lot. However, he resented the fact that Sam had ordered him to 'babysit' her.
"Don't forget to be extra watchful." He rolled his eyes and groaned. "Please, Paul."
"Fine," he snorted.
"I'll be back to get her after her shift."
"I'm on it, brother," he informed me, rolling his eyes. I chose to walk away rather than get into it with him once again.
Bella POV
The day seemed to drag on and on. As always Mike was here, but things had changed for the better. Mike had a girlfriend. He was head over heels for this girl and I couldn't be more relieved. He gushed on and on with Kevin about how wonderful she was. At first, I'd wondered if it was only for my benefit. But after weeksof it, I chalked it up to the real thing -- infatuation.
As the clock neared closing time, Mike became more and more anxious to leave. Kevin was already gone, claiming to be sick before happily waving to me on his way out the door.
"Hey, Bella. Would you be okay locking up? I'd really like to get out of here right at 2:00."
"I can do that," I assured him.
"Thanks! You're a life saver," his smile spread from ear to ear as he smashed the keys into my hand. "I'll come by and get them tomorrow, okay?"
"That'll be fine. Just call first and make sure I'm home."
"Deal. Thanks again," he hollered on his way out the door. I realized for the first time that I was now completely alone in the store. I walked back to the store room and pushed on the door, checking to see if it was open or not. It was. I jumped when I came nose to nose with Emmett Cullen.
"Hi, Emmett. Your turn to babysit?"
"I'm just making sure my favorite human is safe," he said, smiling.
"The pack's here too," Paul yelled as he emerged from the trees with his chest puffed out. I shook my head and rolled my eyes at his ego. Being so close to Emmett, Paul was already shaking.
"You just need to chill, Rin Tin Tin," Emmett replied, laughing.
I heard the exchanging of growls as I closed the door, locking it. I headed toward the light switches, worrying what those two might be getting themselves into.
I flipped the switch and immediately the entire store went black. My heart and stomach reacted to being alone in the darkness. I reminded myself to breathe and headed for the light coming in the front door with keys in hand.
Once outside, I slid the key into the lock and waited to hear the click signaling it was secure. I turned around and took one step toward my truck when I realized that Jacob was not the one waiting for me.
"Finally," Victoria cackled.
I tried to scream, but couldn't get anything to come out. I concentrated on my breathing as my heart crashed against the wall of my chest. She took a step toward me and I tried telling my feet to move. Nothing.
"It looks like today's my lucky day," she whispered, blowing her disgusting breath in my face. She grabbed a handful of hair and ripped my head back with such force my knees nearly gave out. "I am going to enjoy this."
"Jacob," I managed to squeak out, breathless.
"What about your beloved Jacob?" she mocked.
"He'll be here any second," I threatened.
"Good. Then he can watch me destroy you," she laughed with such intensity my ears ached from the sound of it.
"Please don't," I begged.
The whole world turned upside down in the seconds that followed. I heard growling and snarling and was knocked hard to the ground. I realized it was Victoria standing over me.
"Jacob," I whispered as my head was smashed back into the asphalt, everything going dark. I felt excruciating pain as something hard pounded against my body, snapping my bones like little twigs. I screamed out in agony. Please help me, Jacob. Help me. I love you, I thought as the burning began.
Jacob POV
I rushed up to the front of Newton's to see Victoria standing over Bella, her red hair blowing wildly in the wind. As I approached, she shoved Bella back, sending her head slamming into the asphalt. I looked around frantically, wondering where Paul might be.
"Paul!" I shouted just before the transformation to wolf began. I snarled at the bloodsucker standing above my precious Bella. Victoria took one step away from her and I seized the opportunity. I hurled myself at the leech, knocking her to the ground right next to Bella.
As I tore at her body, she leaned her head over and sunk her teeth into Bella's flesh, releasing deadly venom into Bella's bloodstream. Bella screamed out in pain and horror.
In the moments that followed, I heard my brother approaching. Where the hell were you, Paul! I screamed.
I uh... he stammered as his eyes found Bella.
I don't want to hear your lame excuses now. Finish this! I ordered, leaving the final blows to my brother. I ran for the trees, phasing and covering myself before moving as quickly as I could toward Bella.
I gathered her bleeding body in my arms and held her tightly against my bare chest. I noticed the bite marks on Bella's skin and my stomach tightened. I fought the urge to vomit. My brain was swimming as it attempted to wrap itself around the fact that Bella had been bitten and consequently was going to be one of them.
"Jacob, I think..." Emmett spoke softly.
"I don't care what you think, you filthy bloodsucker!" I growled at him.
"If you'll only listen," he tried again. "We can fix this."
"The only way you could fix this is if you went back three years and had never set foot in Forks, Washington. You've done your damage. Now leave us alone!" I roared.
"Jacob, it hurts," Bella whimpered against my chest. I kissed her cheek and began to run. It was my first instinct. I had to get her away. I had to protect her. If I ran fast enough, maybe I could make the world reverse on its axis like the old Superman movie I'd seen as a little boy.
I ran until the sun went down. I watched the fireworks light up the sky. Happy New Year, I thought. All I wanted for the new year was to be with Bella, uninterrupted by leeches. That isn't going to happen now, my thoughts continued bitterly.
Bella had slipped into unconsciousness hours ago, but now her body began to shiver and convulse uncontrollably. I knew I could no longer keep her to myself.
I took her to the only place I could think of -- Sam's.
"I wondered when you'd show up," Sam whispered as he opened the door. I walked in, laying Bella on the bed in the master bedroom.
Upon hearing what had happened, Emily changed the sheets on her bed, insisting that Bella would be most comfortable there. Emily rubbed at the tears on her cheeks while she wiped Bella's head with a cool rag. The rest of the pack entered one by one. They all wore a sad expression. Quil placed his hand on my shoulder.
"I'm sorry, man," he whispered. I took a deep breath, biting back the emotions that wanted to erupt from my body.
"What's the plan?" Paul asked abruptly. I leapt to my feet and slammed his back against the wall, my hand on his throat.
"We wouldn't need a plan if you hadn't lost your head -- again! Sometimes I wonder what good you even are," I roared, seeing red flash in my eyes as the anger continued to build. I held him there with my eyes locked on his, breathing through the fury that was fighting to consume me.
I felt a hand on each of my shoulders and heard a soft voice in my ear, "that's enough, Jake," Embry told me. I looked at the other hand and it belonged to Quil. "Why don't we take you outside and you can cool down a bit," Embry suggested.
"I'm not leaving Bella," I informed the group, daring them to make me leave. I released my hand off of Paul's throat and weaved my way through the crowd to Bella's side. I knelt next to her and once again took her hand, pressing it to my lips. I could already smell their stench overtaking her and fought to keep my composure. I did not want to break in front of my brothers.
Sam cleared his throat and I forced my eyes to look at him.
"We do need to come up with a plan, Jacob. She can't stay here," Sam spoke calmly.
"I know," I growled. "It's just..." My voice broke and I chose not to finish speaking.
Quil's eyes caught mine as he smiled weakly, finishing my sentence, "it's just hard. We know," he said the words encouragingly. "What would you like to do?"
"I don't know," I whispered.
"Does anyone have any suggestions?" Embry asked diplomatically.
"We are wolves. She is now a bloodsucker. We have to kill her," Paul said matter-of-factly. A growl rumbled in my chest and I felt my body start to shake. Embry and Quil rushed to my side and Jared ran to Paul's.
"Dude, are you trying to get him to rip your throat out?" Jared hissed to Paul.
"Can you do that?" I snarled at Paul.
"Huh?" he looked stupidly at me.
"If we leave you with the assignment to take out Bella, could you do it?" His eyes looked at Bella's fragile body laying on the bed, then he looked at me while rubbing at the back of his neck. "Could you?" I roared. "Come on, you're such a tough guy! Could you kill Bella?" I asked the question again, yelling.
"You know I couldn't," he spoke softly, turning his back to the room, looking out the small window. I thought I saw him wipe at his eyes. I wondered if he were crying the tears I felt, but couldn't bring myself to shed.
"Jacob," Bella mumbled. I crawled into the bed, pulling her into my arms. I kissed her lightly on the head. Her body tensed from the pain infecting her body.
"Jacob?" Emily addressed me quietly, her eyes pleading with me through their tears. "You know what you have to do." I stared at her refusing to comprehend what she was telling me. I pulled Bella's body closer and shook my head back and forth, trying to shake off the realization of what Emily was saying.
"I can't," I confessed softly.
"You can," she sat on the bed, placing her hand on mine. I looked up at her and noticed that we were alone. I let the first tears fall, giving in to my anguish. "Jacob, you can do this -- you have to." I bent my face down to lightly press my lips to Bella's. "Take as long as you need." She stood to leave me alone with Bella. "Remember though," she turned with her hand on the doorknob, "you only have two days."
With Bella in my arms, I made my up the Cullen's drive. My tears flowed freely down my cheeks. Bella had drifted back into unconsciousness from the pain, so I experienced mine without an audience.
As the big white house came into view, I kissed Bella sweetly. "Goodbye, my love," I whispered right next to her ear. "He will take care of you, I promise. I love you. I love you. Never forget, I love you." I placed my lips against her skin for the last time and willed my feet to move forward.
I rang the doorbell and within seconds the door flew open revealing all of the Cullens with Edward rushing out to meet me. His eyes ached as they looked at Bella. When the finally met mine, they contained only compassion.
"Tell her I will always love her," I muttered.
"I will," he assured me, attempting a weak smile.
"Edward, please take care of her."
"I promise."
I placed the love of my life into the arms of the man who would now love her for eternity. My heart broke as he looked down at her with love in his eyes. I wondered if my body could actually endure all this heartache. I knew I had to finish this now.
"This has been very hard on the pack," I choked out. "Please stay away from Forks until we are all gone."
"You have my word," Carlisle promised from over Edward's shoulder.
"Jacob," Bella mumbled and for a moment, I second guessed myself. I took one last look at my love and turned away from her.
"Goodbye," I whispered as I began running. My feet soon changed to paws and I put a voice to my anguish -- a howl escaped my body.
Author's Note: I am actually going out of town and will not be back until Wednesday. I'm hoping to have a couple chapters to share by then...Wish me luck :) REVIEW!!!