Bella POV
There was a plan on the tip of my tongue, but I wasn't sure I'd reveal it. Everything was going so well, I knew my idea would not be a liked one. The pack and the Cullen's were communicating well and going over different tactics. Things were going to change with this new truce now. With no divides and a hopeful trust, catching her would be easier.
Though I wondered of a way it could get even easier. I thought it through, visualizing how it could go. There were risks, but it could work in our favor. I glanced up and out of my daydream and saw both Jacob and Edward staring at me. I attempted a poker face. Edward nodded towards me as Jacob asked, "What are you thinking about."
And face failed.
"Nothing."
"Lie." Edward said and narrowed his eyes at me, making everyone else look around.
"Wait, what?" Sam asked.
"Bella has an idea." Alice said and got that glazed look in her eye.
"Oh jeez, there goes the psychic." Paul rolled his eyes.
Edward looked to Alice, and I knew he was reading her mind, for he then turned to me, appearing livid.
"Don't you vamp glare at me."
"Have you lost it? Did your head get his that hard?" He said to me, voice rising.
"Take your emotional ties out of it. Now tell me it's a bad idea." I knew I had him there when his jaw clenched. "That's what I thought."
"Anyone want to share with the class here?" Quil asked.
"It's your pitch." Edward said to me.
"Fine." I looked around at the others. "I have a plan, and it's risky but hear me out."
Alice, Same, Jared, Paul, and Jasper seemed more open minded than Edward, Embry, Quil, and Jake. I suppose that over protectiveness ran deep. "I was thinking of using bait."
"Like what? We're fishing?" Embry asked sarcastically.
"And what's the bait Bella?" Jake asked with his clipped tone telling me he had already guessed.
"Me." I said and had nearly everyone glaring at me. "Hear it out. I'm not saying we put me on a platter with an apple in my hands offering it to her. It's a plan that could really work. As I said to Edward, take the emotional part out of it for a minute, and think. Trust me first."
Edward nodded and I realized he too remembered our earlier conversation. "Go for it." He said.
"We all know that Victoria doesn't think highly of the werewolves. She sees them like an obstacle but not a threat. She sees the Cullen's as one. And us together is a threat, but us apart is not."
"We can't split up Bella, it's not wise at this point." Jasper said, but Alice hushed him.
"I never said we'd split up. But she could think we did."
"How?" Asked Sam.
"She's smart. We'd have to make sure she witnesses something and think that a fight broke out. The idea I had was to draw her out by having her think I was alone with the pack, but in their human forms. She will think I'm easier to get to then. When we know she's there, one of the boys and I can seem like we're fighting and one of them phase and I'll be to close when it happens. Not that bad!" I quickly added when Sam paled, looking at the house where Emily was somewhere visiting. "But my blood will distract her, a cut is all we'll need. Not only that, but she knows how the Cullen's are with me, they're defensive. She'd believe they'd show up once I'm hurt to fight the pack."
"But why would she need to see us fight, wouldn't she run because we're all in one place?" Paul asked.
"Not if she thinks I'm left secluded enough. That, along with my blood, and along with there being witnesses would be irresistible to her. Alice and Edward will know the exact second she'll advance on me, and can signal for you all to switch to her."
"It is a great idea." Jared admitted.
"There's a major flaw though." Alice said.
"We could control how we 'hurt' Bella, so it's only a minor cut. Since we'd know what we're doing ahead of time, we could control it." Quil added.
"Oh, oh, let me do it!" Paul waved his hand in the air, and I stuck my tongue out at him.
"That's not the flaw." Alice continued. "While Edward and I could likely see in time when she'll strike, we may not move quickly enough to both get Bella away and take down Victoria. It could very well be that we only get Victoria. She wants Bella dead very badly, and not only that, she wants Edward especially to see it. That's the point. She'll be very fueled by seeing Edward seemingly distracted, Bella bleeding, and knowing he will see it happen."
"That's true. Not to mention she wouldn't have to do much to kill you." Jacob ran his hands over his face. "It's a smart idea but a big risk."
"That might be what we need to get her though." Embry pointed out.
"That's all I got." I shrugged.
Edward stood suddenly. "Excuse me a moment." He said before walking off. He didn't look angry or I would have been as well in frustration. Instead he looked upset, which confused me. Despite our talks, I still expected his stubborn protective side. Now, he looked almost tired and very sad. Before Alice could get up I waved her off and went to him myself.
He stood by the trees, leaning against one as he had been last night. I didn't say anything at first, but let him know I was there. I could feel he was in pain. I didn't know the reason why, but I knew this wasn't what I wanted.
"Look it was an idea of mine; it doesn't mean we're doing it."
"The idea was a brilliant one Bella. We just have to weigh the probability of success. I admire that you can make those plans without being emotionally attached."
"Then what's the matter?"
"I can't remember being normal. It's blurry after this long, that I can no longer remember the feeling."
"What feeling? Being human?"
"And what goes with it. The bliss that came with ignorance. Not having to come up with plans." He slowly looked back to the others, and then to me, his eyes solemn. "Then there's what we could have been."
I snorted, but those eyes stopped me from brushing the idea off. Instead I wanted to see what he saw. "What would we have been?"
He smiled crookedly and I knew he was seeing it. "We would have met somewhere unexpected, like a bookstore. You would have been stubborn as I pursued you, maybe even having other callers. Eventually I'd get lucky enough that you'd give me a chance."
"Why would I be stubborn?"
"Because it's you. And our connection would freak you out."
"Ok, Danielle Steel."
"We'd date for a few months, but after a few days I would have known."
His expression and voice kicked my heart up a few notches. "What's that?"
"That you were it." He looked at me again as I tried to poker face it. "I would wait as long as I could to ask your father for your hand. And then we'd have all those things we won't be able to now."
"Just because you're a vampire doesn't mean you can't have those things Edward."
"Children." His eyes bore into mine and I nearly cracked. "I'm not trying to upset you. It's just hard sometimes to remember the life I could have had."
"And that's why you didn't want me to change." I knew.
"Mostly. I don't want you to ever have the thought that you're missing out and wish for normal."
"Those thoughts have already been there long before you, even as a human." I admitted. "And I've never been much normal."
"That's true." He smirked.
"And the life we have now isn't bad. Strategy meetings, nomads, and all."
"We?" He asked.
"I'm not out of your life Edward; I just play a different role."
"I'm thankful for what I have, believe me. I thought I lost it once. The feelings just come now and again where I wish for normal."
"I can get that."
"We should get back now." He said, sighing.
How much longer could I do this, I wondered. And be around him when I still felt too much? He was trying, he truly was. It was hard to deny this and us. I could give a little and embrace this new element of us.
The friendship.
"Edward, you Alice, and Jasper should sit with us at lunch if you guys want. You can get your human fix."
He looked to me asI said at as we walked back to the group. "I'd like that."
We smiled at each other and resumed our seats. Everyone seemed to prefer to ignore that we had left in the first place.
"What's the word?" I asked the others.
"Bird." Embry muttered and Quil elbowed him.
"If we take the emotion out of it, it's a helluva plan." Sam said.
"We'd have to consider practicing." Jasper put in. "Likely with Edward pretending to be Victoria, as he's the fastest. That way he can make the decision to attack you, we can see how long it takes Alice to see it, and one of us to intervene."
"Which one is fastest next to Edward? That way we can get this as close as possible." Jacob asked which was weird to hear him say this name.
Alice and Edward looked to each other and considered, then Edward nodded. "Rosalie likely."
"So we practice." Jasper continued. "Have one of you pretend to hurt Bella, and then Edward try and grab her while we're fighting and Rosalie see if she can stop Edward."
"That's probably the best we can do." Jared agreed.
Paul raised his hand and said, "I'd like to once more volunteer myself as her attacker in wolf form."
"Yes we ignored that the first time Paul." Sam rolled his eyes at him.
"Jacob would be the one to hurt her when the time comes if we do the actual plan for real."
Jacob nearly paled as he shook his head. "It has to be Sam or maybe Quil. This has to be someone with either age or really good control."
"I agree but I'd go for emotional restraint over that." Edward said and I nodded.
"He's right Jake. You like me most, it will keep you in control."
"Not necessarily." A voice said and we looked to see Leah approach.
Everyone was shocked. Since Leah had phased she'd done her damndest to deny the pack. I understood it more than anyone else. She could stand to be friends with Sam, but had the pain remain still. This was a big step for her. Perhaps bigger than working with Emily still.
"Me…" Sam said, his nickname for Leah. It sounded old from being unused.
"Hey You." She took a place sitting by Paul and Jared. "I should be the one to attack Bella if this little plan I've heard comes to fruition. I have more control, and it's more believable."
"How so?" Jasper asked.
While she seemed uncomfortable that Cullen's were there, she didn't shake once. "From what I've heard this broad has seen how Bella interacts with all of you. She'd know that even if you had a fight, none of you would lose control around her. She doesn't know me though."
We all had to admit Leah had a key point.
"And you could hurt Bella to show the point, but not seriously?" Jake asked.
"I'm positive. But that's not the biggest worry." Leah looked to me. "What did my dad, Billy, and Charlie always say Bella?"
"The bait always dies one way or another." I said, avoiding everyone's eyes.
"We'll try." Edward said, making me look to him. "We work well together and it's a good plan. We have to try." He looked at me now. "We can do this."
I could hear he believed and trusted. It meant the world.
"We have a plan then." Leah said we for the first time.
We all nodded and Morgan came out of the house with Emily.
"Bella, we have work, unless you want to call in."
"No, I'll go." I stood. "Good distraction."
"I'll run you there if you want." Edward said.
"I have to get my truck, and Morgan works with me. One of the guys would be more practical."
"We got them." Paul said and Embry nodded. "We'll make sure you get to Kim's fine later too."
Jared raised his hand. "Got that covered."
"Sounds good." Edward smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. He stepped aside, and once again I felt happy to see him trusting.
I walked off with Morgan as Paul and Embry came back in wolf form. I turned to see the Cullen's walking away and Edward turned to see me at the same second. He waved, but his expression like mine was haunted as we moved in different directions. Leah met my gaze, understanding.
I got up on Paul, and during the run I couldn't help but think about where I was going. I'd found the comfort of who I was here, and part of that was in the Cullen's. I found the acceptance in La Push though. Now that understanding I had craved with the Cullen's seemed like it was forming. Maybe I could have the two worlds be one, but had I accepted the one that Cullen's lived in, or was I still moving away from it, and him? Had I really forgave them yet? Could I? Was them now trusting my abilities enough?
Paul jumped a fallen log and I laughed as Morgan screamed when Embry did the same. I leaned down to Paul's ear whispering, "Let's take em." Paul bark laughed as he sped up. I tightened my legs on him, lifting my arms as I let out a whoop, enjoying what few humans could.
I was at a bridge between human and more. And loving the things I had that other humans didn't, while having my escapes into their realm as well.
It didn't matter for a moment that I questioned where I was going. For now I could just enjoy how I was getting there.
