Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, or any of its characters. They belong wholly to Stephenie Meyer and I'm just borrowing them for a bit. I promise to give them back any time she asks.

A/N: So, I don't often write, only when a story works its way into my already crowded brain and won't let go. This one has attached itself into my mind and is refusing to give up unless its story is told. A short synopsis: My version/prediction of book four. 'Nuf said.

A/N2: This is actually a story I started writing a while ago under another pen-name, but I wanted to separate my Twilight stories from some of my other fics, now that I have time to write again a little bit. Those of you who are coming over here from that fic, thanks for your patience and for following me around. :)

I'm going to go ahead and rate this as M to be safe - though I'm not entirely sure that the chapters will get that racy.

This first chapter is just the Preface, so it's short... but don't worry, the rest of the chapters aren't!

Reviews are always greatly appreciated, and do seem to make the writing happen quicker.

And now that the author's notes are longer than the actual preface... On with the show!

Enjoy. :)

Preface

I don't know why my life never seems to get any easier. I suppose I stupidly had hoped that things would change, that I could ever be anything less of a danger magnet.

Some things do change. I was proof of that. Nevertheless, here we were, once again, preparing for a battle that would have us fighting for our very lives, fighting for our love, fighting for our family, fighting for everything that we cared about, everything that we held precious in our hearts.

This was a battle I had hoped we'd be able to avoid. One I'd been sure we could avoid. But that didn't stop it from coming.

All of us, everyone, had gathered together – one extended family- not quite knowing if we'd all return, if all of us would ever gather in the same room ever again. I looked around at all of the faces of those I cared about, memorizing them all just in case this was the last time I saw them. I paused longer on the last two faces, faces I knew I'd never be able to forget, faces that would stay with me forever, even if I lived for a million years.

I looked around the room again and the guilt stabbed me deeper. This was all because of me. I had brought this upon everyone. I had doomed us all.