.:Jasper's POV:.

When the bridge's support collapsed, and Edward, Rosalie and Victoria fell toward the water, Victoria used that distraction as her escape method. There was no denying her cleverness. Her ability to strategize was close to rivaling my own, aside from the fact I had much more experience over her. But even as I planned the perfect trap to get the feral woman locked in my arms so I could tear her to pieces, somehow she proved more difficult. She slipped right through, not only my grasp, but Emmett's. It was the same way she had barely escaped my family and the wolves before. This woman clearly had a knack for evasion.

The instant Victoria got past our defenses, Emmett and I were off after her. There was no pause, no hesitation. We didn't let the slightest opening appear between us and our enemy that would allow her any chance to get away from us completely. We were not letting her get the best of us, and we would not lose her or this fight. After the treachery that was just committed, this threat was ending here and now. I would make sure of it.

As we ran, Emmett scooped up a massive fallen branch from the ground and threw it with all the strength he could muster. Hearing the whistling of it in the air, Victoria darted to the right before the branch could spear her in the back. No, it wouldn't have harmed her or incapacitated her in any way - but it would have slowed her down just enough for us to catch up. Again, she barely managed to get away in time. Emmett growled in frustration.

When we made the turn to follow Victoria, Alice was suddenly there. She was ahead of us, probably having to do with the fact she anticipated this outcome.

I watched anxiously as my mate swerved swiftly throughout the trees, inching closer and closer to the dangerous redhead. Alice was fast. Maybe she'd catch up with Victoria. If she can only slow her down then I could get there and finish her off. Hopefully before Alice gets thrown again...

There was another problem, though. And it was arriving rapidly. Emmett and Alice had to be aware of it, too, because they both hissed simultaneously.

Victoria was heading straight for the treaty line that separated our ground from the Quileutes. The thought she could cross it and we could not irked me. Victoria needed to be stopped before she reached that point.

"Hurry, Alice!" I yelled to her. She pushed her tiny legs harder.

Just as the invisible line cutting us off from La Push came into view, and Alice prepared to lunge herself at Victoria, something flashed in my peripheral vision. My eyes snapped to find out what it was while a new scent entered the air. Emmett cursed. And, suddenly, there were others! More vampires that were on Victoria's side. My eyes widened, because it was instantly apparent that these newcomers were freshly born.

My brother snarled as one rammed into him. But I paid no attention to Emmett - I knew he could take care of himself for the moment - because two newborns had sprung at Alice before she could do anything. Her face shifted into surprise and confusion; she hadn't seen this coming. Before her or the newborns had time to act, I was there by Alice's side, sending one crazed attacker flying in the other direction, and wrapping my arms ruthlessly around the other. I snapped his neck and ripped it from his body. As I tore at his arms, so the body was no longer threatened to put itself back together quickly, Alice sounded.

"No!" she snarled.

I turned quickly, afraid she had been targeted again. Instead, I witnessed Victoria making a clear leap over the treaty line. We hissed at the retreating enemy, along with two others. Rosalie had arrived, taking out a newborn that had clasped itself onto Emmett's back. Alice's head swayed back and forth between the newborns and Victoria. I could see the spark of fury in her bright eyes - she had wanted revenge for her friend, and for her brother. But it was too late, and there was a greater enemy to attend to now. I allowed Alice her moment of deliberation but I could not hesitate.

"Emmett, don't!" I shouted as I watched him charge straight on with a vampire that matched his size. He wasn't listening, and I threw a small female into Emmett's would-be opponent before they could make contact. Emmett's eyes shot to me in confusion. "Don't go head on with them - they can counter that easily," I told him and Rosalie. "Keep spontaneous."

The few newborns in the clearing screeched furiously at me. There were only four of them. Given, to were massive in size, and their double strength would be a problem for just one of us. But as long as these were all there was-

Shock and fear shot through me. There were no longer just four. The ones in front of us had friends. Emmett and Rosalie were backing up, alarmed and tensed, as the newborns were swarming into view now. In her rapid retreat, Rosalie had taken out the two smallest of the four already here - she was good, I noted. The larger ones came at Emmett and I. Their take down was easy enough with us capable of working together. But with every vampire defeated, their numbers only grew, until we were grossly outnumbered.

"Victoria!" Alice hissed again.

"Alice, forget about Victoria!" Emmett said.

"We need-" I started to say, finishing off one newborn and landing beside my wife. Half of me, like Em and Rose, was incredulous she was still worried about the fact we let Victoria get away when there was something much bigger approaching us. However, the other half of me was panicking, and I was debating whether to just throw Alice over my shoulder and make a break past the treaty line and straight for the ocean, swimming with her as fast and far as possible.

I could not leave my family behind, though. It was unthinkable. Alice would never forgive me, either.

But the prospect of us winning this was grave, and I was about to tell them we needed back-up or we'd lose...badly.

Out of nowhere, a deafening growl erupted in the forest.

Every newborn turned with wide eyes, tensing, unfamiliar with the noise. My head spun, and I saw what Alice was trying to say before.

Victoria was sprinting back this way. Frustration was written all over her expression and weaved throughout her every facet of emotion - as was panic. Two giant wolves were on the chase. Another pounced from the side in an attempt to snare our enemy - of course, Victoria dodged, the wolf missing by an imperceptible margin.

I had never felt so grateful about seeing werewolves.

Although Victoria slipped passed that wolf, she couldn't get by all of us. And when she dove under another wolf who had tried to attack her, she encountered Alice, who's foot slammed into Victoria's chest, sending her backward into a large, black wolf. He was one of the few I could actually put a name to. Sam's teeth latched onto Victoria's leg and smashed her head first into the floor. Victoria's scream was, rightly, very pleasing to my ears, despite how unwelcoming her emotions were.

At their creator's cry, the newborns were on a rampage. The half closest to the wolves took action. I was only able to take out one before they all crossed the treaty line. I saw Alice had successfully taken out another. Then her eyes darted to me, wide. At that moment I sensed someone behind me. I pivoted on my heel, my hand swinging up to grab the newborn by it's throat, but Alice beat me to her. She dove - as one would into a swimming pool - clear over me, it seemed, since she came from above me, and clasped her hands onto the newborn's shoulders, her nails attaching tightly. The newborn howled, and as Alice's feet swung over, planting on the ground, Alice flipped the newborn over her head.

Edward very suddenly appeared in the clearing, entering at the exact space that newborn Alice had thrown was aimed for. Edward's hands turned into claws, and he braced himself. When he caught the newborn, it writhed in obvious pain at the impact and screamed, but Edward did not lose his grip. He then used it as another weapon, and threw it into a wall of newborns ganging up on Emmett.

All three of my family members smiled at their team work, and I felt my wife's smugness at her clever manuevering. Her lips twitched upward. I was glad that whatever had been obscuring her visions just minutes ago was no longer a problem.

But this fight wasn't over yet.

I growled as two small newborns came at me from the side. I swept them off their feet, snapping one's neck instantly while pinning the other down. Just as my teeth sank into their neck, Victoria dashed by me, startling me. I stood up, ready to chase after her, dropping the torn newborns I had at my feet. The distraction the wolves were having with the newborns that crossed onto their territory had made an escape route for their creator to take. I debated whether to run after her, but I refused to leave Alice unprotected - even if, at the moment, she seemed to have things under control. It only took one slip, one miscalculation or surprise attack to trip her off, and I could not fathom the idea of her hurt in any way.

Then, right as she nearly disappeared beyond the shadows of the trees, Carlisle brushed by her at a tremendous speed, knocking her into Edward's and Rosalie's awaiting fangs. I was surprised, as well as a little impressed, that Carlisle did not hesitate or hold back. He tossed aside the arm he managed to take off in his hasty move.

With Victoria's death a heavy cloud of anxiety had been visibly lifted from my family's shoulders. There were simply the newborns to contend to now.

As the fighting continued, my peripheral sight was taking in the other's whereabouts.

The wolves were a blur of teeth, fur and paws. They smothered their enemy vampires with enthusiasm. And apparently they were content with allowing us to do the same. Victoria had given us a common enemy, and so we were unpsoken allies for the time being. Together, we'd take care of the vampires she created to detroy us. My family and I would deal with the ones on our side; the wolves would deal with the ones on theirs. I knew their priority was the people of Forks, La Push, and Bella, but I was thankful for their help nonetheless. Counting that there were at least twenty newborns, I knew that, alone, my family would have been severely, inconsolably damaged when this battle ended.

My attention landed on Edward and Carlisle. They were fighting back to back, and that wasn't right.

I shouted a warning at them, telling them to get away from that position, and they immediately darted in opposite directions, just as two newborns collided, each having their opponent just disappear. The two grew so furious at each other for smacking into them, that I knew instantly we didn't have to worry over them anymore; they would tear each other apart within seconds.

I destroyed another unfortunate vampire in my wake, and searched out the other members of my family. I knew all too well that it was dangerous to worry about anybody over yourself in a fight. Did I have much choice, though? I've spent decades in an environment not that much different than what must be hell, and I only ever took care of myself, only worried over myself. Nothing else mattered to me, and I was miserable. Now, I had people worth fighting for, worth protecting, worth loving and worrying over. As much as I knew that perhaps I should be in my old frame of mind while battling newborns again, I simply could not go fully there. I was stronger now, and I refused to go back, even for a moment, to how I used to be.

And besides, I've learned how strong love can make a person. We still had less numbers on our side, but we nevertheless had the advantage. We had something to fight for besides ourselves. We had love.

Alice was flipping and cartwheeling around as she made her job that of leading newborns into unsuspecting traps. The death portion of those traps were instructed by Rosalie. Emmett seemed more than fine on his own - he seemed to be relishing in this challenge, finally able to test his brute strength to it's fullest ability.

Edward and Carlisle were still teamed up. Every vampire Edward speeded by, piercing their limbs with perfect precision, Carlisle was right behind him, finishing them off and throwing them in a pile, murmuring an apology before every shredded body.

Pieces of vampires began to litter the area, and, while Carlisle had already started the piles, I told Alice to start the burning. I watched her back, tearing apart any creature who dared attempt to get at her.

And as I the tearing of vampire skin died down on both sides of the treaty line, and as my alert eyes took in the battlefields, I realized this fight was well on it's way to over. We would prevail. I smiled when Emmett's booming victory cries emphasized our win.

Edward left immediately when he knew we had everything under control. He was anxious to get back to Bella - and who could blame him? Just imagining Alice in the situation Bella was in... Unspeakable.

The destruction of Victoria and her uncontrolled army pleased us all. Of course, relief did not drown out the guilt Carlisle felt as he sympathized with our fallen kind. He knew my history, and he knew as well as I that these twenty plus newborns were, on a level, innocent and did not deserve their fate. It was a sad way of life to be changed simply for the sake of battle and sacrifice.

How many other things would I be reminded of today that I should feel appreciation towards?

Perhaps, my gift of empathy? It isn't always pleasant, connected with the emotions of every person within a certain radius, but, as I stand beside Carlisle at the edge of the treaty line waiting for the wolves to return - as most had run off after newborns who were trying to escape - I understood how helpful my talent was. The wolves' tempers, for one thing, were less of a danger with me around to calm them.

"What's taking them so long?" Emmett complained. "What, can't two handfuls of werewolves handle a little batch of vampires?"

"Emmett." Carlisle's voice was disproving. "They have done us a great favor today. We owe them."

"Mind you, they didn't do it for us, Carlisle," Rosalie said.

"It does not erase the fact they did it, nor the gratitude I feel."

Rosalie was irritated. It was obvious he just wanted to go home and move on, back to as normal a life as possible. But the Cullen way has always been standing together as a family, even in the event of thanking those who gave us their assistance. And my sister was loyal, so she would not leave us.

"I am sure they also would appreciate being informed of the event leading up to this conflict, regarding Bella and her condition."

"Oh yes, lets tell the werewolves we had been careless and let Bella slip right through our defenses, resulting in extraordinary amounts of suffering on her part. Yes. That will get us on their good side," Rosalie retorted. "Trust amongst us is definitely in our near future."

She was loyal, yes... But there was no denying that she had always been aggressively outspoken.

When the pack finally arrived, one by one, my adoptive father seemed to be actually deliberating Rosalie's sarcastic words. I wondered vaguely if he was planning on lying, but quickly trashed the thought. Carlisle must be simply debating whether to thank the wolves for all their help and then leave, or to tell them the whole story right now.

As my power encompassed the pack, I took my own perspective. Now might not be the right time for a history lesson. The wolves were heated, still entwined with their animal instincts, and, even with my ability, the slightest anger could set them off on us. Carlisle was realizing this, and I felt his confusion on what was right finalize as his mind concluded an answer on the matter.

I'd never know what that answer was, however, because after Carlisle's sincere thankfulness, the wolf (the female, I recognized) that was farthest from the pack's circle, snarled at something on her left. Instantaneously she had bounded after whatever she saw. I felt the emotions in them all go haywire, ranging from alarm to fear to anger.

And suddenly, a stray newborn jumped from the trees, and the female wolf lunged straight for it.

"No, don't!" Alice and I shouted together. My feet inched to help automatically, but I had to stop myself; we could not cross onto their territory. And right now, even if they had made an exception due to our intentions of helping them, they might mistake us for another enemy in their state of mind.

In any case, I cringed, as it was too late anyway.

The newborn locked it's diamond arms around the wolf. They rolled across the ground, the wolf's jaw snapping viciously at the creature in a pointless attempt to get free.

The intense fear in the area spiked when the vampire exposed it's venom-coated teeth about to make impact with the animal it had captured.

Luckily it never got that far, the other wolves closest to them had descended, and a russet colored one managed to get the newborn free from his fellow pack memeber. But it was a costly save. The newborn got it's arms around him instead, and he didn't hesitate before squeezing his arms together to snap the opponent. A crying yelp of pain shot through the forest, and the wolf went limp, smacking into the floor when his friends freed him from the deathly arms that crushed him.

A tiny gasp came from my wife. "Oh no..." she whispered. There was something about this wolf's well-being that meant more to Alice than the other canines. There was only one assumption that put reason to it: that was Jacob Black.

The other pack members fiercely, angrily obliterated the newborn they had missed earlier, who had now hurt one of their own.

Carlisle's resistance was nearly nonexistent when someone was hurting, when he knew he could help them; he immediately stepped forward to plead that they let him treat Jacob. The offer was not lightly taken up on. But, in the end, they really had no choice but to use a vampire doctor. It was amazing that even the wolves could not deny Carlisle's humanity, no matter what level they accept.

"Well..." Rosalie murmured in a low voice, her tone impassive. "We can add immense guilt to Bella's diagnosis now."

Alice gave our sister a look. But we all knew it was the truth.


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