Note: I own nothing.

This story has been in the works for a while but thanks to the Type 2 Error I was unable to post what I had written. Enjoy.

{1. A Future Worth Fighting For}

{Edward}

When I closed my eyes I could see Tyler's van careening towards a frightened and dumbstruck Bella Swan. I could feel her vital organs smash against her bones. Smell the blood pouring out of her open wounds. Hear the cries of the school children as they ran over to investigate the horror that had befallen them. The vision haunted me. Thank God I had prevented it.

My actions that day went considerably unnoticed save for a few who paid close attention. Like my family. Just one second I was by my car and the next I was pulling Bella out of the wreckage. I'll never forget the way she looked up at me. Like I was some heavenly being sent to save her. The gratitude and reverence in her eyes would have been enough to make me cry had my body still been capable of producing tears.

I realized at that moment that the strange pull I'd felt towards this average human girl was much stronger and more complicated then I'd ever expected. Somehow the instinct to protect this frail ball of mush over road the instinct to hide. It over road my self preservation. Let me assure you that that was no easy feat.

So later on, as my family stood in the dining room of our home prepared to do battle against a helpless teenager I wasn't surprised when Alice intervened. I'd known since the accident that she was seeing the future shift drastically however she had not allowed me to access the information as to why.

"We have to take care of this now." Rosalie was demanding. Jasper nodded to the sibling he shared his last name with.

"We can't." Alice stated. "We can't harm her."

"Harm her?" Esme and I both asked in unison. I had been so busy concentrating on Alice that I had missed the ruthlessness in Jasper's thoughts completely.

"She must be eliminated." He stated simply. Rosalie nodded.

I stared at them in disbelief. My jaw popped open, my eyes wide.

"I'm sorry,"Jasper apologized and on some level I knew he meant it. "But I will not have Alice in danger and Bella Swan just became a threat." I tried to argue that this whole thing was my fault. That Bella had taken no active steps against us and therefore it was ludicrous to think that killing her was the only way to solve the problem. Jasper would not budge. He was convinced that the only thing that would make us safe again was silence. Permanent silence.

"If we kill her, Jasper, it would only cast more suspicion our way. Alice has seen no threat in the future. I've heard no questions in the children's thoughts. I just don't see how this is rational."

"Maybe it's not." Jasper shrugged. "But it's what needs to happen." I looked from my brother to my father who stood perfectly still with his chin resting on his closed fist. His eyes cast at the floor. I didn't need him to meet my gaze or speak. His thoughts were clear enough. He didn't want to agree with Jasper. He wanted to share in Alice's enthusiasm and rejoice in the fact that I had possibly met my mate. But he was thinking about Esme and the life we'd worked so hard to create. He didn't want to move again. In a word, he was conflicted.

Esme hated to see her family so upset. It was physically making her ill. Across the table Rosalie was pissed. Pissed at me for exposing us. Pissed that our family was actually debating the issue. And whether she'd like to admit it or not, she was pissed that Bella Swan had caught my attention enough to find her worth saving. Emmett was on my side in the way that he didn't think that Bella was a threat and worth destroying. But he wasn't apposed to the idea if the situation changed.

Standing in the far corner Alice was in mourning. As the debate went on and peoples minds kept changing the future bent and shifted and as it did she saw her friendship with Bella slipping through her fingers. "But she's my friend." She whimpered. Jasper moved to be near his grief stricken wife.

"She's not one of us, Alice." He tried to explain softly.

"But she IS! Or she would be if you'd give her a chance!" Everybody stared at Alice. Jasper stiffened taking on the posture of a well trained soldier. "Please Jasper," Alice begged. "Please, just listen to me. Bella is Edward's mate. They may not relize it yet but they're destined to be together. And Bella and me, we're going to be friends. Real girlfriends. She'll love us. All of us. Just give her a chance to prove that she can handle it. I know that everything will work out. I can see it." Alice stared at Jasper with such desperation in her eyes that I had to fight the urge to go to my knees and beg Jasper myself. In Alice's mind I could see image after image of Bella and I. Holding hands. Touching, kissing, loving. Sometimes we were in my special meadow. A meadow that was destined to be our sacred place. Sometimes we were in her bedroom. Lying in her bed. Our bodies entangled in each other. My heart ached as each image crashed into each other.

"Please, Jasper." I whispered. Unwilling and unable to control my voice. He looked at me then at his wife. I could see his resolve cracking. He could never deny Alice anything. Rosalie huffed as her ally conceded to his wife's request. Alice leaped into Jasper's arms and kissed him silly.

"I'll give her a chance to prove that she isn't malicious." Jasper drawled. "But if I see one sign of the contrary then I will not hesitate to remove her."

"Then we wait." Carlisle declared. Relief washing into his thoughts. "We wait. We reassess the situation and if it's not resolved then we will take action."

"Wait, hold on a second!" Rosalie piped up. "How will we know the situations been resolved? The only people who will know are Edward and Alice and what's to keep them from lying to protect their precious Bella?"

"You think I would put my family in danger?" I gasped. "Do not forget that I've been in this family longer then you have and I've worked hard to build us up to what we are today!"

"I'm saying you're both so love struck you can't see straight!" Rose countered. "We have no way of knowing if your gifts are tainted in this area."

"Then what do you propose we do, Rose?" She shrugged. "I thought so." I turned my attention to the rest of my family. "You guys, you have to believe me that I can keep us safe. If you don't then there's no point in me staying here."

"We believe you, Edward. Please don't go." Esme whined.

"Edward and I will do everything in our power to protect our family." Alice stated. "Without killing her."

Rosalie was unimpressed to say the least but with her arms across her chest she uncrossed her legs and rose from her chair. She took turns glaring at Alice and I before exiting the dinning room for parts unknown. With the main antagonist gone the house grew quiet and quickly each family member went on with their evening.

My evening consisted of watching Bella sleep as it usually did. I used to think of myself as a creep for invading her privacy but tonight I could justify it. Bella needed me now more then ever. I tried to wrap my head around the idea that she was my mate and as my mate I most protect her at all cost. It was an odd feeling, knowing that I wasn't alone anymore. Odd but not unpleasant. I wondered if she would understand the concept. If it would frighten her to know that she was forever tied to a monster.

As I followed the eastern trail I was not surprised when I rounded the corner and saw Alice waiting for me. She looked up from the anthill she was studying and smiled but I could see the stress in her eyes. "You must tell her. Everything. Tonight. It's the only way to keep her from asking questions. It's the only way to keep her safe."

"Jasper really will kill her, then?"

Alice nodded sadly. "Only you can stop him."

"Me?" I sputtered. "The choice isn't mine. It's Bella's. She has the power to expose us."

"But she's already made up her mind. She's decided to accept the truth no matter what it is. However it's the fact that she will dig for the answers to her questions that puts her on a collision course with Jasper. Only you can prevent it by making her understand why her cooperation is so important." Alice's thoughts became sharp and urgent as she spoke the words. I could see Bella's future curiosity echoing through the future. I could see it clashing with Jasper and his militant ideas on how to solve a "problem". Then the vision flipped to Bella and I sitting in my special meadow. It was an image that was so bright and innocent that I would do anything to defend it. Bella and I deserved a chance to have that future.