The morning was peaceful, though the peace was unusual. Since the war started there have been bombings and shootings and it was frightening. Nervous, I held my infant child, Leo, closer to my chest and walked faster. Suddenly, in a matter of seconds, the sound of gunshots and angry shouts broke the morning peace. I heard someone yell "look out!" before strong arms wrapped around me and my baby, launching us behind a brick wall.

Okay, let me backtrack a little. My name is Mary Alice Brandon, though everyone calls me Alice. I recently went through a divorce with my first husband. Why, you ask? Well… I found out that I was not attracted to the opposite sex as I had believed my whole life. Though he had fought hard for custody of the baby, they let me keep him and I couldn't be happier. Besides, he wouldn't have been able to handle the baby's condition. I even had a hard time at points, but I'll figure it out. Shortly after the divorce was final the war moved into our area and all hell broke loose. Even with this true, I couldn't find it in myself to regret having Leo.

"Are you okay?" a female voice asked me. It was filled with pain and I was brought back to the present. The first thing I saw was two chocolate brown eyes.

"Yes. I'm… I'm fine. Thank you," I said. I looked at Leo to see that he was fine, and then looked up at my savior.

My savior was a tall female whose arms were hardened with muscle. She held a small pistol in her hand and had the other hand pressed against her lower right leg, which was bleeding profoundly. The fabric around the wound was turning dark scarlet. She turned to me and I saw a dark, angry scar running from her hair line above her right eye, through the same eye, and down to her jaw. Her face was set in pain and her hair was hidden by a helmet worn by the military. Despite all that, I felt I knew her…

"Stay here. I have to go."

"But… your leg…"

"Stay. Here." She began to get up, but yelped in pain and slid back down the wall. "Shit," she grunted, biting down on her lip. "That's… that's not good." She moved her hand and looked at the wound, and then pressed back down on it. She put her gun away and took out a walky-talky.

"We need to get you to a doctor," I plead with her, but she shook her head, pressing the button on the device.

"Carlisle," she panted, clearly feeling the pain more than before.

This is Carlisle. What's going on?

"This is Lieutenant Commander Swan. I've been shot," she let the last part out in a breathy wheeze, closing her eyes. I then noticed that there was a wound on her abdomen as well.

Where are you?

"Behind the brick wall."

On my way.

The girl… woman… put the device away and pressed her newly free hand on her other wound, slumping back against the wall. Not long after a blonde man dived behind the wall and looked between me and the girl. He got right down to business. "Where are you shot?"

"My leg and my stomach." She removed her hands and he worked quickly, removing each bullet and cleaning.

"Commander isn't gonna like this, Bella," he said as he worked. Ah… so… she has a name. A name that tugged at the corners of my memory, but seemed just out of reach.

"Emmett can kiss my ass," she grunted back, gritting her teeth in pain. "Besides, she was in trouble. I couldn't let her get shot." She nodded her head in my direction and I held Leo closer to me. The man turned, finished with Bella's bandaging.

"Are you hurt?"

"No," I shook my head, knowing well that I was fine, though would be dead if not for Bella.

"She may just be in shock. She did almost get shot," Bella suggested weakly from her place against the wall.

"If anyone here should be in shock, Bella, it's you. You were shot twice, without getting to shoot anyone." Carlisle chuckled, seemingly sharing an inside joke.

"Right, because I just love all this fucking violence," Bella said sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

"Sorry, Bella, but think about it… you really do…"

"Yeah, yeah. It's kill or be killed around here."

Carlisle nodded sadly as none other than my brother dived behind the wall. "Holy shit! What happened, Bellsie?" Another stab of familiarity went through me, straight to my heart.

"I saved her from getting shot. Couldn't let that happen, you know." Bella closed her eyes in pain as the second bullet left her torso. Emmett looked at me and I raised an eyebrow.

"Ali-cat?"

I rolled my eyes at that. "Yeah. Thanks for looking over."

He hugged me gently (for him) and grinned at Leo. "Is that my nephew?"

"Oh!" I smiled at my son. "Yes. Emmett, this is Leo."

"Emmett, I know this is a big thing for you, but you need to help me get Bella to the tent. And bring Alice if you need to." Carlisle was checking around the wall and Emmett nodded, picking up Bella. He turned to me and Carlisle.

"Carlisle, keep Alice safe. Alice, stay close to Carlisle."

"Yes, sir!" Carlisle saluted.

"Sure," I smiled innocently at him. He gave us the signal and we booked it across the battle field and into a tent. Emmett set Bella down on a stretcher gently and ran back out.

"Behave, you two!"

"Roger," Bella saluted loosely with a grimace.

"So, Alice, how have you been?"

I froze. She tilted her head to the side, looking at my baby with pain in her eyes. She… said that like she knew me. Who was this girl?

"Who are you?"

Her eyes widened.

Whatcha think? Don't own twilight (dammit!) but… yeah.

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