16.0

When she reached Forks, Kate immediately went to her room and shut the door. She didn't want to talk to anyone. She and Charlie had made up and he thanked her for going to get Bella. The same couldn't be said between her and Bella. Neither girl forgot the words that were said in the hospital room. Kate ignored the numerous calls from Paul and Jared but after a few hours they stopped. She figured that Emily told them to leave her alone.

But she didn't want to be alone. Not really anyway. She wanted to talk to someone who wasn't involved in any of this. She contemplated calling Jessica but really didn't want to deal with incessant babbling about prom. So, Kate sat on her window nook and spent the evening drawing. At first the drawings were pleasant. She drew Jacob's car, Carlisle's living room, and she even drew some beautiful spring flowers. This didn't last long. Before she knew it, she was drawing dark figures, James, and the shadow that haunted her dreams all those days ago.

She went to sleep that night dealing with dark demons that seemed to but just at the edge of her vision. Once again, she had the dream of the wolves and the shadow. It was only a few hours before she woke up screaming after her dream self hit the water. Kate ran to the window to open it and let the fresh air in. The April winds immediately whooshed into the room. She took a deep breath and felt the tears on her cheek go cold.

Was it so wrong that she didn't want her sister to die, even if that meant she became a vampire? The worst thing in the world, she thought, would be to lose her sister. At the ballet studio she'd felt so helpless while her sister was writing on the floor. The image still burned in her brain. She wished she were strong enough to kill James. Right then and there, Kate swore to herself that she would never again feel like that.

The next morning Kate was getting ready to call Sam to tell him she wanted to practice when the door rang. She heard Charlie open it and begin to talk to someone. When she went downstairs, Kate's heart almost burst open. She practically ran at Billy and Jacob who stood in the doorway. Kate launched herself into Jacob's arms that securely wrapped themselves around her. Since the nightmare started Kate hadn't felt safe until that moment. They didn't say anything for a while but held on tight.

"I'm glad you're back," he whispered in her ear.

"Me too," she whispered back.

Billy's voice interrupted them, "We're all glad you girls are back and safe," Kate pulled back from Jacob and hugged Billy in his wheelchair, "Jake here was bothering me about seeing you as soon as you got in town."

Kate smiled, "Well bother away. Do you want something to drink?"

"Two beers," Charlie told her.

She smiled at them as she walked away. She heard Jacob's footsteps behind her.

"So are you really okay?" she heard him ask her.

Kate ducked into the fridge to avoid answering for a moment. When she reemerged, she faced Jacob and sighed, "Honestly?"

"Always."

Kate grabbed a bag of chips, "I've been better but I've also been a whole hell of a lot worse. Bella's just put me through a lot these past couple days. I'll get over it in a few days."

Jacob nodded and grabbed the bag of chips. He gave the stairs a fleeting glance before following her into the living room.

"How is she?" he asked her.

She handed the beers to Billy and Charlie before sitting on the second couch with Jacob, "Surprisingly good, really good actually. It's weird."

Jacob snorted, "You'd think falling out a window would make you crazy."

"You'd think that wouldn't you."

They passed the chips back and forth between themselves as they watched whatever was on TV while listening to their fathers. Kate kept stealing glances at Jacob hoping that he wouldn't notice.

For the first time, Kate realized how much she trusted Jacob. Sitting here completely vulnerable with him made her feel comfortable. She felt so at ease with him every time they were together. She was sure that he felt the same way. When they first begun to spend time together, it was a little awkward but over the past month, things had shifted between them. They had reached a deeper level of understanding that Kate couldn't describe. It was almost as if the two of them were in sync with one another.

~May~

It had been a month since the James fiasco. Charlie and Kate were normal once again. After yelling at her at the hospital, they made up and he thanked her for being there for Bella and bringing her home. Things were a little strained between Charlie and Bella though. He was still a little upset with her for what she said to him. If anything, Edward was the target of most of the aggression. Charlie hated Edward for what he did to Bella. Kate didn't hate him but she wasn't his biggest fan.

Bella was recovering nicely. All of her wounds were closed and the only reminders of the incident were a huge cast on her leg and a crescent shaped scar on her wrist.

True to her promise, Kate worked everyday with Sam on getting stronger. Her speed had been improving and her strength had slowly been getting better. She could now fight the boys in their human form just fine. It was their wolf form that was giving them some trouble. She could lift them off the ground but barely. It was progress. Sam was very happy with it. While he didn't like the psycho vampire coming after her, he did like how it made her want to fight and fight hard.

School was finally coming to a close. Jessica was insistent that Kate helps her get ready for the prom but she apologized because she already told Bella she was going to help her. Things between the sisters were on the mend. There was a couple of tense and awkward moments every now and then but on the whole they were fine. It seems that a vampire coming to kill them brought the two sisters even closer together.

"There, you look perfect," Kate said as she pulled the curling iron from the last piece of Bella's hair.

Bella fingered the piece gently, "You don't think it's too much?"

Kate slapped her hand away, "No. He'll love it. Now come on, klutz. Let's get you into this dress."

She helped Bella stand and hobble over to her bed where the blue dress that Alice lent Bella lay. It took a while but Kate finally got Bella into it. She went to grab Bella some silver ballet flats but Bella stopped her before she could.

"Come on, Kate. Not those," Bella whined.

Kate gave her a shrewd look, "Fine, but you have to wear the necklace."

Bella grimaced, "Fine."

Kate tied Bella's dirty converse onto her feet and helped her stand up. The last piece would be the necklace that their mother gave Bella for her sixteenth birthday almost two years ago. When Kate pulled back from her sister she smiled.

"You look amazing," she told her sister.

Bella gave her an awkward smile and thanked her.

As she helped Bella down the stairs, Kate saw Edward and Charlie quickly stand up from their awkward silence as they sat at the kitchen table. When he saw Bella, Edward's face broke out into a brilliantly white smile. Bella blushed under his gaze.

"Alice lent me the dress and the cast is..." Bella awkwardly muttered.

"You're perfect," Edward told her.

Kate leaned over and whispered into Bella's ear, "I told you so."

Bella softly swatted her sister away.

Edward held his hand out to Bella, "I'll take care of her Chief Swan."

"Uh huh, I've heard that before," Charlie was still none to happy with the boy.

Bella and Edward made their way out of the door and Kate watched them go. If she looked past the vampire part, they looked like a normal couple just going to the prom together. It was sweet. Kate and Charlie shared a little smile before Charlie went upstairs. Kate went to the living room and sat down with the TV on playing an old movie. She didn't know how long she'd been sitting there when the doorbell rang.

When she opened it, Kate's mouth dropped open. Standing in the doorway was Jacob Black but not the boy she was used to. Jacob was dressed in a dress shirt with a tie and nice slacks. Kate looked him up and down and his face split into a smile. She felt heat rush to her cheeks. She had no clue why she was blushing or why her heart had begun to race like she'd just been training but at the sight of Jacob's smile, it increased tenfold.

"Jacob," she choked out.

Jacob laughed, "Shocked huh?"

"That's an understatement. Want to come in?"

Jacob nodded and stepped over the threshold. They were in such close proximity in the small hallway that Kate felt hotter than normal.

"Uh...why are you all dressed up?" she asked him as she lead him back to the living room.

They sat on the couch together but this time it was different. As Kate tucked in the corner, Jacob sat right next to her. His arms were slightly touching hers. It honestly made Kate nervous.

Jacob rubbed the back of his neck like he did every time he was nervous, "My dad sent me to talk to Bella. He said to tell her to break up with her boyfriend and that 'we'll be watching.'"

Kate gave him a nervous laugh. So this meant that Sam was angrier about the James situation than he let on. She had no doubt that the pack was going to be looking for any excuse to attack the Cullens now.

"Scary..." she joked.

Jacob's laugh shook the whole couch, "That's dad for you."

"Well you want to join me in my night in?"

Jacob slung his arm around the couch. Kate glanced at him but looked down when he caught her gaze. Her face grew hot again and she knew that Jacob's eyes were still on her face. She set her eyes on the TV and smiled.

In that moment, she knew that she would be alright.