"Why didn't you tell me that before, Sam?" I shouted. Well, I couldn't really shout. I was still too weak. It was more than a whisper which was the best I could do at the moment. Nessie was playing nursemaid to me like I was a dying animal. Apparently, that's exactly what was happening to the animal inside me. It had been four days since the graduation party and Ness hadn't left my side for a moment. She cooked my meals, kept me company, and even helped me shower.

I was starting to feel a little better so I called Sam that afternoon to ask him about his experience when he gave up his wolf and left the pack. If Carlisle's theory was correct, Sam Uley was the only one who could help me. Sam married Emily five years ago and they had Luke a little over a year later. After Adam joined the family Emily convinced him it was time to give up his pack obligations and focus on the family. I took over as Alpha and everyone wished Sam well. He was the first to attempt to quit the pack life and he never expressed any problems in doing so. We all assumed there were none.

While on the phone, he explained to me that he stopped phasing and for a few months felt fine. Then he started noticing subtle changes in his wolf senses. Finally, the fever set in just as it had at the beginning. He said it went on for a few days, like he had a really bad flu. When it was over, his temperature was down to 101. While still above average, his hearing and sight were no longer supernatural, and he knew he couldn't phase anymore.

"I'm sorry, Jake. I would have said something if I'd known you were trying to stop phasing" Sam said.

"I'm not! That's the problem. Why is this happening?" I whisper shouted again. It didn't slip my notice that although I was very angry my body hadn't begun to shake at all.

"Well, my guess would be your giving up Alpha and moving away from the pack triggered the change."

"But Sam, I practically live with eight and a half vampires! How could I stop phasing surrounded by that large a coven?" I demanded. It didn't make any sense.

"I was able to quit phasing, Jake. That was long before the Cullen's left Forks." He paused and let that soak in. "How often do you phase out there?" he questioned.

"I- I can't remember the last time. Quil's been updating me with text messages. He says things have been quiet since I left" I answered still confused. When was my last phase?

"You mean it's been quiet since your friends left" he jabbed. I ignored that.

"Crap, I know the last time. I phased the night I proposed to Ness. That was February" I admitted. Had it really been that long?

"So three months?" Sam asked. I could hear the surprise in his voice.

"Yes, I guess so. We've just been busy. Ness has been hunting with the others lately because I've been working extra hours at the shop, and we've been planning the wedding. We both just had finals at school. Shit."

"We don't have any records in our history about this, Jake. So I don't know what to tell you. I think it must be due to the length of time you went without a phase. Like it's a muscle you have to exercise regularly. I can't be sure. I suppose we should add this to our records for the next generation of wolves" Sam suggested.

"I was planning on being around to tell them myself, Sam" I groaned.

Realization flooded my mind. If this was all true, I was aging again. Fuuuuuck. I looked over at Nessie. She was sitting quietly on the edge of my bed, listening to our conversation. Her expression was still and lifeless. She didn't even blink. She's never looked so much like a leech before. Or a grieving widow still in shock. I thanked Sam for his advice and told him I had to go. I hung up my phone and went to Nessie's side. When I touched her face with my hand she blinked and looked into my eyes. Then the tears rolled down her cheeks.

I wanted to take her in my arms but I still felt slightly dizzy and weak so I lay down on my bed and she slid back to join me. She buried her head in my chest and sobbed. I wrapped my arms around her and let her cry because I didn't know what else to do. I knew sometimes girls just needed to cry. When her tears subsided she sniffled and let out a long sigh. I wiped her tears away with my hand and tilted her head up to see my face. I kissed her then. My lips were soft and gentle at first but the kisses quickly grew intense. Nessie squeezed me like she was afraid to let go and I had no intention of pulling back. She kissed me with an urgency I'd never felt from her before. My fingers tangled in her hair and I drew her closer to me. We kissed like that for a long time, until we were both out of breath and our lips were sore. We stayed in bed the rest of the evening and fell asleep in each other's arms.

The next day, Carlisle came over to take my blood. He said he wanted to run some tests. I didn't need the results. The needle really hurt when it pierced my skin and I could barely smell his vampire stink even though he was standing right in front of me. I couldn't even hear Nessie's heartbeat. I knew the change was complete. We stayed in my apartment all afternoon waiting for Carlisle to call. He finally did as we were washing the dishes from dinner.

"Your tests came back 100% normal. You're completely healthy, and entirely human" Carlisle confirmed. Big surprise. I thanked Carlisle for his help the past week and hung up the phone.

Ness was turned away from me. Putting my hands on her waist I tried to spin her around to face me. She wouldn't budge.

"Ness, talk to me" I pleaded.

I knew she'd been holding back her emotions. She had been so focused on taking care of me the past week that we hadn't talked yet about what this would mean for us. I don't think either of us wanted to think about it. I swallowed my fear and made the first move.

"Renesmee, please tell me what you're thinking. I can't take the silence anymore." I sat at the kitchen table and waited for her to speak.

"You promised me" she whispered. She still hadn't turned around but I could tell she was crying.

"Ness, come sit with me. Let's talk" I said. She finally complied as she glided to the empty chair beside me.

"You promised to love me forever, Jacob. For all eternity. Now you're leaving me. You can't l-le-leave me!" she sobbed, burying her head in her hands. Tears started falling from my eyes as well as I scooted my chair closer to her and threw my arm around her. I'd never experienced such excruciating pain as this, witnessing my soul mate mourn the end of my supernatural life. Nessie didn't know anything about the beauty of a natural human life. Everyone she loved was immortal, until now at least.

"Ness, we'll figure this out. There has to be something we can do" I said trying to comfort her.

I couldn't stand seeing her cry. I didn't think I'd ever seen her like this before. This whole situation had me scared, sure, and angry, and confused, but I didn't feel sad. I mean, I wasn't actually dying. Not for fifty years or more. We had time to come up with a plan.

"What if we moved back to Forks? Maybe being near the pack would help. I could try to get it to happen again" I suggested. She shook her head.

"Sam still lives on the reservation. He sees the guys all the time. He hasn't changed back" she insisted.

"You're right" I admitted.

"And besides, if the solution was to stay near the pack what would we do there, hide on the res forever so no one in town would know we weren't aging? I can't go through that isolation again."

She had a point. There were no vampires left in Forks. And so no new wolves had joined the pack in over a year. Eventually Quil, Embry, and the others will have to stop phasing so no one realizes they haven't aged. Maybe with the threat of vampires gone this generation of wolves was coming to a close. Maybe this was happening to me because every wolf had a lifespan that would someday come to its natural end. I'd have to discuss that theory with Quil later.

I couldn't think of anything else to say. Was there no hope then? Nessie was immortal, and now I was not. Would she still want to marry me? I promised her eternity and now I couldn't give it to her. I felt a sudden pang of insecurity stab me in the chest. I couldn't bear the thought of her leaving me any more than she could stand my leaving her. I still felt the effects of my imprint. It hadn't left me. I had no choice, not that I wanted one, but to love her for the rest of my life. The imprintee always had a choice. What would she choose? Panic set in. My heart started to race and she noticed, looking up at me with red rimmed eyes.

"Ness, does this change your feelings for me? I mean, do you not want to marry me anymore?" I asked so afraid of the answer my hands trembled. She looked at me with a horrified expression.

"How can you ask that, Jacob? I still want to marry you, don't be ridiculous! I am going to marry you, Jacob Black. You're right that we can figure this out, together. I'm not wasting a single moment I have left with you!" she exclaimed. She took my face in her hands and kissed me. Her tears started all over again and we sat together until we were both too tired to talk anymore. I carried her to bed and we held each other tightly as we slept.

I woke up the next morning feeling strangely at peace. I'd gotten cold during the night and slept under the covers for the first time in years. I'd forgotten how comforting it is to sleep curled up in between the sheets. I took my morning shower and the water actually felt hot on my skin. It was amazing, like a gentle massage soothing my muscles. When I made breakfast I couldn't hear the Lamberts arguing in the apartment above mine like they usually did every morning. It was strange not having my wolf senses anymore, but felt oddly liberating.

I had to work today. I'd been out "sick" for six days. Nessie was still sleeping when I went in to say goodbye. I kissed her forehead to gently wake her. After the night we had I didn't dare just disappear from the apartment. I let her know I'd be back around 4 and she reminded me she'd made plans with her school friends. I kissed her lips and told her to have a good day. She grinned, her eyes still closed, and rolled over to snuggle my pillow.

The shop was busy that morning. With me out for so long the other guys had gotten backlogged. It felt good to be busy and useful in the garage. I'd always used my garage at home to help clear my head. I was thankful for a long shift so I could do just that. I was feeling better and better as the day wore on. When I got home that night I found a note from Nessie. I liked that she preferred to leave notes instead of sending texts. It's so much more personal receiving a message in her graceful script.

I hope you've had a good day. I left a plate of food in the fridge. Call you when I get home tonight. Love, Nessie

I went to find the food she left me, she is the best, and shoved it right in the microwave. As I watched my lasagna rotate and the cheese start the bubble I pulled my phone from my pocket and called Quil. I was interested in hearing his opinion on my theories.

"Jake? Hey man" Quil answered after a few rings. "I was going to call you. How are you feeling?"

"I'm better, thanks. It still feels a little weird though. Um, did Sam tell you much about our conversation yesterday?" I asked. I assumed the entire pack knew all the details by now.

"Yeah, he filled me in. It's crazy, isn't it? There really is no part of this life that's left up to our own choices, eh?" Quil said.

"You're right about that, I don't know why I expected anything different. That's actually what I'm calling about." I pulled my dinner out of the microwave and set it on the table. "We've always known that the pack isn't permanent. Once the threat of vampires is gone, the pack isn't needed anymore, and the traits are passed down in our genes for future generations to start a new pack when the need arises." I paused to take a bite.

"Yeah, so?" Quil pressed.

"Shit! Hot! Ugh, I burned my tongue. So, the Cullen's have been gone for almost a year and in that time there haven't been any new wolves, right?" I asked.

"Right… but none of us have lost the ability to phase" Quil said, sounding like he wasn't following my trail of thought.

"Okay, so maybe every wolf has a lifespan. Maybe Sam didn't just will his wolf away like we all thought. He was the first to phase, maybe that's why he was the first to stop" I suggested.

"But Jake, that doesn't make sense. Jared and Paul phased before you. Why would you be the second to lose it? Neither of them have any of your symptoms."

"Well, that's where my other theory comes in. Since I wasn't interacting with the pack in wolf form for so long it might have accelerated my change" I explained.

"So, you think we're all going to be experiencing the change soon? One by one?" he asked.

"Maybe. I don't know any more than you, Quil. I just wanted to tell you my thoughts and warn you, that's all." He didn't say anything.

"I mean, think of it this way. The purpose of the pack is to protect the people on the reservation without ever revealing the existence of the wolves. But… the wolves don't age which would eventually raise suspicions and threaten the secrecy of the pack. So there must be some kind of process to retire 'old wolves' to protect the pack from exposure."

"I never considered that" Quil said. "We know there was a pack formed when the Cullen's first came to Forks eighty years ago, and none of those pack members are still around" Quil said.

"Right, and the tribe history tells us that when a member stops phasing he will start aging again" I added.

"You might be on to something there, Jacob."

"That's kinda what I was afraid of. If this is the natural progression of the wolf's life, then there's nothing I can do to get it back" I said sullenly.

"I'll talk to the guys about it at our next meeting. I have to get going, I'll let you know if we come up with any more ideas" he replied.

"Sure, sure. Thanks, man. Say hi to Claire for me."

"Will do."

Later that night, I called the Cullen's house because I hadn't heard from Nessie yet and was starting to worry. I'd already tried her cell but there was no answer. I didn't want to alarm Bella or Edward, and I didn't have anyone else's cell numbers, so I called the house line. As it rang I thought about how much it said about my relationship with this family that I didn't even have their phone numbers. In eight years I'd never had reason to call any of them besides Ness and her parents. Finally, someone picked up.

"Yeeelllloooo?" said Emmett.

"Emmett? It's Jake."

"Oh, hey. What are you doing calling this line?" he asked.

"My fiancé isn't answering her cell so I was hoping someone there knew where she was" I said as casually as I could manage.

"Naw, man she's not home yet. She must still be with Carlisle" he replied.

"Carlisle? She told me she was going out with Ashley and Sadie tonight" I responded, all calmness gone from my voice.

Emmett guffawed into the phone. "Looks like you got played, pup… She asked Rose to drive her to the hospital hours ago so she could talk to Carlisle." He laughed some more.

"Thanks for the information. When they get back can you tell her to call me, please?" I asked, annoyed that he found this so humorous.

Why would Ness lie to me? I couldn't think of any reasons for her to be talking to Carlisle either. She must have wanted to talk with him at the hospital for the privacy, so no one in the house could hear. Then I realized it might have something to do with me- with my change. But Carlisle had done everything he could already. He didn't know anything about werewolf legend; all he could do was confirm the changes to my genes and DNA that made me human.

I tried to think positive. Maybe she was asking him for a prescription for birth control. After all this stress lately I really needed to get laid.

I was getting very aggravated by the time I finally heard from Nessie. She didn't call though; she was at my front door. When I opened the door she leapt forward to hug me. Planting a kiss on my chest she pushed past me and waltzed into my apartment like nothing was wrong.

"Hey!" she announced. "What's with you babe, you look weird" she said with a smile.

"Where have you been? I want the truth" I asked trying not to sound like a jealous boyfriend. Er, fiancé.

Her smile sank into a frown and she gave up her act. Emmett must have talked to her. Maybe he called Blondie after I hung up with him.

"Okay, don't be angry" she started, holding her hands up in defense. "I went to see Grandpa at the hospital because I needed his advice."

"Ness, why couldn't you tell me that's where you were going? I don't understand why talking to Carlisle needed to be kept a secret?" I was getting angry. With everything we were dealing with, not being able to trust my future wife was the last thing I needed.

She sighed heavily and flopped down on the sofa. I took a few steps closer to her and waited to hear her explanation.

"I didn't want anyone to know what I was asking him because I was ashamed, and embarrassed, and so afraid of everyone's reaction if they knew. I just wanted to know if it was possible. That's all. I swear. I just wanted to know if it would work!" She wasn't making any sense and now she was blushing. Not from embarrassment, but shame.

"Nessie, out with it!" I pleaded. "Is this about us? About my being human again? I know it's not what we planned but I'm really starting to think-" She cut me off.

"Urrgh! Okay, please don't be mad" she begged, pulling my hands down so I was seated next to her. "I asked Grandpa if he thought that since you were totally human again, you might not get poisoned by vampire venom if you were bitten like you would have been before. I asked him if it would be possible for you to become a vampire, Jacob. And he said yes."

Hey everyone! I told you there was a reason to my madness! Well anyways I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Please like, comment and share! Thanks!
-Love Nisha AKA Miss-Traveler