DAWN (a Tori Vega and Jacob Black fanfic)

Chapter 6: Always

I woke up to the sound of hushed voices. One I recognized as Jacob's. The other, a male's voice, I had never heard before. I heard bits and pieces of their conversation.

"...She didn't turn..."

"...immune..."

"...still human..."

I was confused. Didn't turn? immune? What does that mean? Who are they talking about? And who was Jacob talking to, anyway?

I heard Jacob's voice again, "I'm going to check on Tori."

I shut my eyes and pretended to be asleep. I heard two sets of footsteps coming toward me. Then they stopped and I felt a warm hand reach up and stroke my hair out of my face.

I stirred at the warm touch and slowly opened my eyes. There was Jacob, gazing down at me with a warm smile on his face. "Jacob?" I asked, my voice soft.

"Hey," he said. "Someone's here to see you."

It was then that I noticed the figure standing next to Jacob. it was a man with pale skin and blond hair; his warm blue eyes twinkled as he smiled kindly at me. My eyes shifted back to Jacob.

"This is Carlisle," he said. "He's... a friend of the family."

Carlisle chuckled. "Hello there, Tori."

"Hi," I said, giving him a small smile.

"Jacob told me you got hurt while you were out in the woods. Are you alright?"

My smile falters and I nod. "Yeah... Something attacked me..."

Carlisle narrowed his eyes. "Like... an animal?" he asks.

I shake my head. "No. It was a man... At least, it looked like a man. But-," I paused, looking into his eyes. "It- it had- red eyes... and fangs. And-" I felt tears welling up in my eyes. "And he bit me," I whispered. "He bit my neck."

I shuddered at the memory of Rafael's cold fangs sinking into my neck and the feeling of my veins burning and my body weakening.

"It's okay, Tori." Jacob said gently. "He won't hurt you anymore. You're safe now." He rubs my arm soothingly. I smile up at him, my body relaxing from his touch.

"He's right, Tori," Carlisle said. "You're safe. We won't let anything hurt you."

I nod silently. They tell me I'm safe, that they won't let anything happen to me, but how can they be sure? How can protect me against something that's not even human?

I'm broken out of my thoughts by a ringing sound. I looked up to see Carlisle take out his cell phone from one of his pockets. He looked at the screen and puts the cell phone to his ear. "Hello? Alice?"

There's a pause while the other person- Alice- speaks. I can't hear what she is saying, but I can tell from Caralisle's shocked expression that it's not good.

"What?! When?!" he asks, alarmed.

Another pause.

"I'm on my way!" he ends the call and turns to Jacob and I. "I'm sorry, but I have to go."

"Its okay," Jacob said, reassuringly.

I nod. "Do what yo u have to do."

Carlisle gives us a small smile."I'm really sorry! I hope you get better soon, Tori! And remember: You're safe!" Then he sprints out of the room, and disappears from sight.

Once he's gone, Jacob turns to me.

"What's going on?" I ask.

"I don't know," Jacob replies, worry in his eyes.

"Will we see Caralisle again soon?"

"I hope so, Tori, I hope so," he answers. Jacob sits down on the edge of my bed and looks down at me. He reaches out and strokes my hair.

We sat like that in silence for a while. Then, Jacob said, "Tori, I have something for you." He stood up and walked toward the door. He paused and said,. "I'll be right back." Then he disappeared from sight.

Jacob returned a few minutes later l with a yellow ShopRite bag in his hand. He smiles. He smiled and sat down next to me on the bed.

"Oh, no.. You didn't buy me anything, did you? Because if you did that would be a bloody crime," I joke.

Jacob laughs and stands up. "Nope! Not even half a penny! I promise!"

I smile and Jacob hands me the bag. "I know it's not wrapped..." he said sheepishly.

"It's okay," I reassured him. I reached into the bag and felt something soft.

Like a blanket, I thought. But it's to small to be a blanket. So, what is it?

I pulled out the item and gasped. The bag fell from my hand and landed on floor next to Jacob's feet. He ignored it and watched as I stared in shock and wonder at the item in my hands. It was Midnight, my stuffed black cat that my parents had gotten me for my 5th birthday. Midnight's deep blue eyes stared back at me as I ran my finger tips over her soft black ears.

"How did you find her?" I whispered, my eyes never leaving the stuffed animal in my hands.

"It was in your backpack, which was next to you when I found you," he replied.

"Thank you!" I said happily. I pulled Jacob into a tight embrace.

"Your welcome, Tori." We sat there In silence, still wrapped in eachother's arms. I held Midnight to my chest, her head over my heart.

After a while, I asked, "Jacob?"

"Yeah, Tori?"

"Will you protect me?"

He kissed my forehead and whispered in my ear: "Always."