Disclaimer: All Twilight characters belong to Stephanie Meyers, while I'm just teasing and bending them for a bit. No profit is being collected from the fiction contained within.

The storyline and non-Twilight characters are my creative fault and mine alone.

All language boo boos, whether it is in grammar or spelling or other miscues they lie at my feet, oh I could blame MS Word but heck fire that would be just silly.

XXXXXXX

Chapter 4

Assessing the situation, Alice knew the three of them were in deep trouble. Observing the four vampires who were encircling them she felt the odds of the three of them coming out of this unscathed let alone alive was pretty damn thin. It was easy for her to tell that three of the men were recent newborns, still adjusting to the changes in their body. Instead of moving stealthily around fallen tree limbs in their way, they just trampled them into twigs. The fourth vampire, Alice judged to be the leader of this group moved with the grace of an elder vampire. His motions were fluid, assured and silent as he darted through the undergrowth.

It wasn't that Alice wasn't a decent fighter; in actuality for her petite size she was quite an excellent warrior. She was flexible, quick and could jump higher, thanks no doubt to her ballet training, then most vampires. Yet, the thing that made her extremely formidable as a combatant was her gift, her ability to predict her opponent's moves. Unfortunately being in such close proximity to Jacob and Leah her biggest advantage was gone. All of these factors, along with the knowledge that neither Leah nor Jacob had fought against a newborn made her leery of their chances of survival.

None of that meant she wasn't going to try her damnedest so giving out a feral growl Alice leaped towards the newborn charging towards her. She kicked him squarely in the gut sending him backwards into a tree causing it to crack on impact. Landing nimbly on her feet Alice went to continue her attack before the male could recover.

"Remember the female vampire is to be taken alive," Dante called out to the one taking on Alice and then to the one going after Leah he added. "In capacitate the female dog do not kill her. I want to take her as well." When the French Canadian had realized that the exotic woman with the petite vampire was a shapeshifter he was intrigued. He knew Caius would enjoy playing with her and Dante was counting that this would move him closer to being one of the inner guards to the Volturi. Watching the biggest male take on the russet wolf he grinned. "Him, you can kill."

Outrage fueled her beast at the causal way Dante spoke of taking her and Leah, but a small minute of her being realized his orders put his men at a disadvantage. Giving the male she was combating with feral smile, Alice dodged his swinging arms and dropped to the ground kicking his legs out. Twirling quickly she began kicking at the man's head like it was a soccer ball she was trying to take down the field exuberantly ignoring the fact it was still attached to his body.

Leah, like Alice was quick, but her experience in fighting vampires was only instinctual, she had, had no first hand knowledge. She darted in and out, trying her best to get her fangs into the male who was attacking her, but the bastard was very fleet of foot evading her efforts. After few attempts the wolf woman picked up that the male was leaving his left side completely open. Using this insight, Leah whipped her body around making like she was going for his right leg but instead snapped her head and latched her jaws onto his left leg and bit down with all her might.

Howling loudly in frustration, Jake leapt towards the large vampire bearing down on him. The young man had tried to contact the other wolves but Paul who he had placed on sentry duty after the bonfire apparently hadn't shifted yet. Until the arrogant lazy man shifted Jake could only hope the sounds of their battle would be heard and the rest of the wolves would come running. Fighting this vampire was different then Laurent. Not only was it one-on-one, this vampire was way stronger, even stronger then Bella, who had tussled with him upon her return from Italy.

(Flashback)

Jacob's teenage body reacted before the wolf in him could catch up to the fact that Bella was no longer human when he first saw her. Observing her vampire form he had to admit she had gone from average beautiful to heart racing stunning. His breath was snatched away as he gawked at her. Without thought his dark eyes roved over her ivory skin lingering on the curve lines hidden by her clothes. Her long chestnut hair had grown richer in color, a deep mahogany brown with dark red highlights and he itched to run his fingers through the silky tresses.

None of the thoughts, feelings running through him were what one felt for a friend. No, they were what a lover would have or in his case a want to be lover, but those feelings were not returned. Bella had made it vividly clear on several occasions that she loved him only as a friend, a best friend but nothing more. Jake though didn't believe her. As far as he was concerned it she didn't truly know what she wanted or was feeling. It was all because of the leech and his lure over her. There was no way his Bella, if her mind hadn't been fogged, would choose a bloodsucking leech over him.

Finally, the wolf inside him squashed down the lustful craving of the teenager as overly sweet scent associated with the leeches permeated his brain and replaced it with burgeoning rage.

"Bella what the hell did they do to you?" He exploded out followed by a deep growl. "I kill them! Kill them all!" The muscles in his body were trembling as he glared at her.

The human Bella would've flinched and ducked her head but that girl died. No there was no cringing from her. Instead, she hauled back and slapped him and sent him stumbling off to the side. A part of her reaction was instinct, his dirty wet dog smell was causing her throat to burn and now she understood what Alice meant about how the scent of the wolves triggered aggressive impulses in vampires.

"If you had been listening to me instead of ogling my body, you would have heard me say I chose for this to happen," hissing at him and baring her newly sharpened teeth. "You knew I wanted to be a vampire Jake. It was no damn-fucking secret. Edward was appalled by my choice."

Yeah he knew but he had dismissed her feelings and desires out of hand. Just like Edward, Jake figured he knew what was better for Bella then she did. Not only was she physically clumsy but emotionally as well putting her life in danger because the girl chose the wrong path.

In capable of words or thoughts as rage towards what she had done coursed through him, Jake unable to control himself shifted into wolf and charged at the girl. Jake was in for the shock of a lifetime. Passive Bella was gone, replaced by a more self-assured, more aggressive girl, she wasn't going to put up with anymore shit from anyone, not even her best friend..

As he lunged at her, his jaw open, his fangs gleaming, Bella sidestepped out of his way and slammed her hand into his side cracking a few ribs along the way. As he tumbled he whimpered from the fire that erupted in his ribcage.

Bella shook her head at her best friend. "A word of warning, I'm stronger than I look and I'm still adjusting to this power so I could really hurt you without meaning to. I'm doing my best to keep myself under control but if you continue acting like an idiot I may lose all my restraint."

With a faint nod of his head, Jacob conceded defeat, even though the wolf inside him protested. He didn't really want to get into a life and death struggle with Bella; he still wanted her even if she was now a bloodsucker. Besides as the pain lanced through he realized he would be the one on the losing end.

"Jake we're best friends and I'm going to need you more then ever before," she added giving him a slight smile.

Again he dipped his head and wagged his tail. Jake felt his heart bloom at her words. Sure she was stronger then him but she needed him and that was all that mattered.

(End Flashback)

The memory brought a kernel of an idea to him as he watched the male before him. The newborn was still adjusting to his power but unlike Bella he had no restraint. He lacked control. As the male made another swing towards him Jake seized the moment and dove into the man's right side and sunk his fangs deeply into the vampire's hardened flesh. With a great tug the wolf tore the chunk locked in his jaw away from the body. The male screamed grasping his side and forgetting for the moment all about wolf.

As the fight continued, Dante was simultaneously disgusted and impressed by what was being played out in front of him. What he had thought would be a quick battle was becoming a dangerously long one it had been going on for nearly seven minutes. His three newborns were getting their butts kicked by two young dogs and one tiny sprite of a vampire.

So far the rest of the mutts hadn't made their appearance but he knew their luck wouldn't hold if he didn't take control of the situation. Ticking his head he finally heard Victoria going after her prey as he heard the distinct cracking of a tree. His eyes landed on the russet wolf and a cruel smile spilled out onto his lips as plan formulated in his mind. Moving swiftly, he tackled Leah who though doing well against her opponent, was injured and tiring from her match. Pinning the female wolf to the ground he motioned the vampire who had been fighting her to grab Leah's hindquarters.

"Hey dog boy," he yelled over at Jake as he avoided Leah's snapping teeth. "Do you hear that noise? That's you're dear sweet Bella." Yeah, Dante had heard the last part of the three's conversation, "right now she's fighting Victoria."

The information had the effect the French Canadian was hoping for the russet wolf stopped tearing into the downed vampire and turned his head towards the woods the noise was coming from. It also made Leah thrash harder to free herself from him and the other vampire, making Dante smile at her attempts. The female wolf's gray coat was smeared with blood from various lacerations on her body and he knew she had some cracked if not broken ribs. He admired her tenacity to continue struggling through the pain.

It wasn't just Jake who was listening to what the vampire had to say, Alice was listening just as intently but unlike Jake she didn't stop her assault. By the time he had started talking she had managed to rip off one of the male's arms using it like a bat as she beat him with is own arm. The thought of Victoria anywhere near Bella caused Alice to lose any control over her beast. She needed to finish this battle and protect the girl. It didn't matter that Bella had hurt her just hours ago. The petite vampire still loved Bella and the idea of her hurting and taking on Victoria sent her rage into overdrive. Tossing the arm she had been using as a bat aside she leaped squarely on the offending vampire's back and sunk her fingers into his neck and began twisting and yanking at it.

"Have to say your girl wasn't looking to well when we passed by. Lying on the ground holding her head. I doubt she'll be able to put up too much of a fight against Victoria. I've a proposition for you, tell the female to shift back to human form and I will not order Tommy," nodding towards the newborn who was helping hold down Leah. "To help Victoria kill your Bella. If you do this we will leave. You can save your girl and be her hero."

Even before Dante made his offer, Jake had been ready to take off and abandon the others. All that mattered to him was to prove to Bella he could protect her so she would want him.

"For godsakes Jake, no!" Leah cried out in her mind. "We're winning."

If it was a choice between Bella and Leah, the wolf woman didn't stand a chance and he sure as hell didn't give a damn about the bloodsucker. "I'm not going to risk Bella coming to harm especially not for you or your fucking imprint."

"I didn't imprint on Alice!"

"You'd say anything to protect her. Shift back Leah," Jake said coldly.

"No, you fucking bastard." Her mind rebelled back at his traitorous demand.

"You will shift now, bitch!" He ordered using the full force of his alpha to get her to obey.

The wolf in Leah whimpered as much as she wanted to fight the order she couldn't. It was too ingrained inside her wolf's genetic makeup to deny her alpha. The young woman shifted back into her naked, vulnerable human form. Revealing how battered and bruised she was from her fight.

Turning her face towards the russet wolf that was already running towards the direction where Bella and Victories were, "goddamn you to hell." She whispered through the hurt of betrayal and physical pain consuming every fiber of her being.

"Oh God! Bella doesn't need rescuing you goddamn stupid mutt!" Alice cried out totally appalled by what Jake had done.

"Exquisite," Dante murmured as he wrapped one hand around her neck and the other began to caress every voluptuous curve of the warm coppery skinned woman who lay fighting under him. Squeezing his hand around Leah's throat he began to apply enough pressure to make her pass out but not kill her. "Tommy, take care of the little one."

With a nod the newborn leaped off Leah and grabbed Alice just as she had finished tearing off the head of the other vampire. The petite vampire wasn't about to be taken so easily and started kicking and slamming her fists into her new opponent.

"Unless you want to watch this bitch die, you'll surrender," Dante said calmly as he picked up Leah's unconscious form by her throat.

Seeing the Leah's limp body being manhandled by the blond vampire, Alice stopped even though she figured she could escape. She knew Jasper and her siblings would curse her for giving up all because of a mutt but she couldn't desert the tall woman. Sighing she nodded her head in resignation and was hit by a vision a mere second later.

(Vision)

Aro who appeared extremely agitated as he paced around the Taisa's small room his blood red eyes were nearing black from his anger. "He left survivors? That idiot!" Swirling around he kicked the young hybrid in the side sending her crashing into a wall knocking over candles in the process. "Everything I had Chelsea weave into Bella's mind will be for naught! Damn him to hell! Well, he can't bring her here, now." Glaring at Taisa who was lying against the wall her citrine eyes ever defiant staring back at him. "Continue watching between Dante and the Cullens. Damn him!"

(End of Vision)

"The Volturi sent you." Alice said horrified by what her vision had revealed to her. "They did something to Bella to make her do what she did.

Chuckling, "yes to both. You are very valuable to them and Bella; well she was the key to destroying what the Volturi saw as a threat, the Cullen coven. A necessary sacrifice, I believe is how Aro saw her." Adjusting Leah's unconscious form so he could carry it easier, he looked at the vampires who were lying on the ground. The one Jake had been attacking was withering in pain, "can you move on your own?"

"No," the injured man whined out.

"Pity, come Tommy we need to take our precious cargo and go before the other mutts arrive. Do not try to escape little sprite or the bitch will suffer a very painful death."

Alice only nodded, her mind focused on trying to see her future but for the moment nothing was coming to her. Without a backwards glance at their fallen comrades, the two holding Alice and Leah tightly blurred away from the scene.

(Scene Shift)

"I must say Bella for a newborn, you seem to be rather unimpressive." Victoria said casually as she sauntered around the girl. "Though your looks certainly have improved with the change, probably why Edward hung onto you once you became a vampire. I mean the only appealing thing about you when you were human was your blood. James said it was the sweetest he had smelled in decades. You remember James, my mate that your Edward killed, all because of you!"

Bella snarled at the redhead, her head might have been killing her and she may've been questioning her own sanity but it didn't mean she wasn't aware of the threat in front of her. Shifting her body as she cursed Victoria's timing Bella did her best to shove away the pain so she could put all her attention on the vampire. Oddly enough the dark voice in her head had suddenly gone quiet, perhaps the threat to her had brought the two halves of her psyche back together. She just wished had stopped the lancing pain in her head.

"He brought it on himself and as far as I can see no big loss to the world." She taunted back. "Since you're here I'm guessing you want to be joining him."

Hissing Victoria's fingers curled into claws, "bold talk coming from a bitch who was withering on the forest floor questioning her own sanity." Sounds of thunder and howls reached the two women, which made the redhead snigger. "It appears Dante got his party started already."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Bella demanded forcing herself not to look to where the noise of battle was coming from.

"Oh, just what I said. I didn't come alone. In fact we've been watching you since you're return from Italy." Seeing the disbelief she grinned widely, "oh yes, we've been near spittin distance to you, the Cullens and those mangy ass mutts many times. It's Dante's gift to mask our scent. You didn't even notice him and the three newborns we brought with us as they passed by on their way to their target."

Digging her fingers deeply into the ground Bella glared at the woman. "Their target?"

"The midget Cullen, who James knew, someone has apparently taken great interest in the little dwarf. The goal is to take her alive but if she is killed no big loss."

Perhaps if Victoria had been clued into the mind manipulation Chelsea had done to Bella while she was transforming from human to vampire, she might've rethought being alone with the girl. Yet, the redhead wasn't privy to the fact that she was now leering at a ticking time bomb and that she had just fast-forward the timer.

There was only one word; one image in Bella's tormented mind and that was Alice. There were too many emotions boiling inside of the young woman grief, shame, anger, despair and complete wretchedness. Flinging her head back, Bella let loose a silent scream, if it had been vocalized the sheer depth and force of it would of shattered windows from the town of Forks all the way up to Port Angeles. If ever there was a warning signal to flee and run at full vampire speed this was it, but Victoria didn't take advantage of it. She was too caught up in her own desires and witnessing Bella's distress was just too good a show to miss.

In one surging motion Bella, her eyes shiny and black like obsidian, exploded off the forest floor discharging plumes of dirt, pine needles and rock as she tackled Victoria. She didn't throw the startled redhead into the ground, oh no, she kept moving forward. The pair slammed into a young western hemlock, shattering the tree on contact but it didn't stop their momentum. Though Victoria did let out an impressive shrill as her head and back hit the tree and pure panic ripped through her. Having come out of her startled state the redhead was hammering on the smaller woman to no avail. Bella wasn't feeling any added pain there was more then enough undulating through her system as it was.

Finally their rampaging journey came to an abrupt end miles from where they started when they collided with a huge boulder. The energy of the hit did cause a noteworthy crater to form as well as sending shards of the boulder everywhere. Before Victoria could even remotely recover from having her back and head used at wrecking ball, Bella started pounding on her. Not just with her fists but with her head as well, which caused fissures to open up on both women's faces. Unbeknownst to both women, Bella wasn't just beating up Victoria, she was also battering that dark part of her, the part of her that had hurt Alice. Basically she was displaying transference aggression and the redhead was an excellent doppelganger for Bella crueler aspect.

Their demolishing journey through the forest did not go unnoticed, while myriads of wildlife were scurrying away from the path of destruction others ran towards it. Unknowingly to either woman they had moved far out of Quileute lands on to Cullen territory and two of the Cullens reached the scene just as Bella began her bashing.

Esme and Rosalie had heard the bullet train barreling through the woods and had gone to investigate. They had been out searching for Alice since she wasn't picking up her cell phone and it had been a couple of hours since the incident. Carlisle was at the house trying to console and sooth Edward, while Emmett was given the task to check on Jasper who still hadn't returned to the house.

Bella didn't notice, she was too lost in her wailing on Victoria and she just kept chanting over and over, "Alice."

Rosalie was rather taken aback by this manic Bella she was witnessing. "Something is fucking wrong with that girl." She muttered after a few seconds. "Why is she chanting Alice's name while she's beating the snot out the redhead bitch?"

"Sweet mother of God. I knew there was something not right with Bella since their return from Italy." Esme breathed out her hand covering her mouth in shock at what she was seeing. "Rose we have to stop her," the elder woman said concern lacing her voice.

Her daughter swirled her head around so fast it sent her blond lock's whipping around as if a microburst of air had captured them. "Do I look like Emmett?" She snapped out instead of, 'are you out of your fucking mind!' Which was what was really going through her head at the moment. "Those two are like two rapid dogs going at each other. There ain't no way in hell I'm stepping into that fray."

Seeing how the boulder was beginning to crumble under the pressure from the hits even with Victoria acting as a cushion, Esme could understand her daughter's point. She could tell Bella was too far-gone to be reasoned with and would turn on anyone who tried to intervene. The girl looked like one of the wild Maenads with her long hair in disarray and her clothes torn about her. Just then the sound of footfall and the smell of wet dog assaulted her nose and she knew it was one of the wolves from La Push. Turning her head she saw the russet wolf coming sailing through the woods towards them and she knew it was Jake.

Of course, if she hadn't recognized his fur coat, Jake made sure Esme knew it was him because he shifted back into his human form, which surprised her to know end. For the life of her she couldn't understand why he would shift to his more vulnerable form.

If Esme had Edward's gift of mind reading or if she had known where the young man had just arrived from she would've understood why Jake changed. Several minutes after he deserted Leah and Alice, Paul had shifted and the though Jake as alpha was better at keeping most of his thoughts private. The wolf in him was so proud that he had taken down a tick that the image flashed through his mind before he could squelch it. Jake knew he had to tell Paul something so he lied. He told the other wolf how he and Bella had encountered a small band of leeches led by Victoria and only the redhead was left. Then before Paul could inquire anymore Jake shifted worried another image might slip revealing his lie.

Rosalie wasn't thrilled to see the mutt but she couldn't yell at him to leave since Carlisle had made yet another concession to La Push mongrels when Bella came back to Forks as a vampire. They could have one wolf always patrolling the Cullens land.

Raising an eyebrow at Jake, "what the hell are you hoping to do stun them into stopping with your tailless ass?"

Just as Jake began to growl at the blond beauty, Victoria let a whimpered out a mumbling plea "no more." The redhead's face was a mess of cracked fissures and blackish venom was trickling from her mouth and flattened nose. She felt like her upper body was turning to ash from the beating Bella was unleashing on her and she was in utter agony. "Please just burn me."

It wasn't Victoria's entreaty that caused Bella to stop her direct assault. It was Jake's arrival. Along with his scent there were several others clinging to him and one was the spicy orange blossom she knew so well.

Though the pain in her head still hurt like a mother it was no longer clouding her senses or her thinking ability. "Where's Alice!" She rasped out.

Victoria thinking the question was directed at her and thankful that the beating had stopped garbled out, "Dante."

Letting go of the redhead who dropped like bag of cement, Bella whirled around towards Jake who took an involuntary step back seeing the vivid rage in the young woman's black eyes.

"Where. Is. Alice?" She demanded again from her friend. Inhaling deeply as she stalked over to the large man. "I can smell her on you!"

"What the hell?" Rosalie asked heatedly as she also caught the distinct fragrance of the tiny vampire mixing with other smells.

Jake's heart started hammering in his chest as Bella and Rosalie drew closer to him, he was beginning to feel like a jackrabbit surrounded by pumas with nowhere to run. "We were ambushed by four vampires and uh while I was taking on one of them they snatched her and were gone before I could stop them."

"What about Leah?" Bella punched out her hands clenching back into fists. All the emotions from before were still pumping through her, the anguish, the disgust towards herself and the anger, especially the anger as she glared at Jake.

"Leah?" He stumbled out caught unawares that Bella knew about the other woman. Rubbing his short-cropped hair as he spoke. "Uh they got her too. She was next useless in the fight so it wasn't hard for them to grab her."

Rosalie glowered at Jake with skepticism. If there was one thing the statuesque blond was good at that not many people knew was being able to see the lies in others. It was something she developed after she had been brutally raped by her fiancé and his friends, after she had become a vampire. There was no way in hell would she allow herself to be sucked in by the lies of others and right now Rosalie was sure that was what Jake was trying to do.

"Well, what the fuck are you doing here!" Rosalie snarled at the young man. "And not hounding them down like your suppose to do mutt?"

"The rest of my pack are after them," he growled out the lie. Finding it was easier and easier to do with time. "I came to," he paused knowing the real reason wouldn't fly. Bella hadn't needed his protection, "to help Bella with her." Pointing to the lump that was Victoria.

The said lump painfully raised her head to look at the group, "they won't be able to track them. Dante can mask his scent as well as those around them," Victoria didn't care about giving Dante up. She was damn sure he'd done it to her.

Grimacing slightly Bella found she couldn't look either Rosalie or Esme in the eyes as she spoke, "she's probably right. I didn't even detect them and they passed by me on their way to Alice's location."

While all this was going on Esme had been on her cell phone talking to Carlisle. She knew the redhead had answers they needed to save Alice and going berserker on Victoria for endangering two of her daughters wasn't an option, yet. Tilting her head she could hear Carlisle along with Edward almost upon them. Glancing at Bella, Esme wasn't sure how wise it was to have the young man coming along but the boy had insisted when he heard what had happened.

"Well that's just fucking great. First you and then the mongrel," Rosalie grounded out. Her eyes narrowing down as glared back and forth between the two. "If I didn't know better I'd say this fucking mess is something you two planned."

"But we do know better Rose." Esme replied softly. "There's no sense wasting time, casting blame amongst ourselves. When she," nodding towards the redhead. "Can provide us answers and then we can figure out how to save Alice and Leah."

Kneeling down Bella grabbed Victoria by her throat with both hands twisting the cracked neck every so slightly, "why did this Dante target Alice?"

"I don't know." She answered her voice quaking as she gazed into the eyes of death. "Dante didn't tell me."

Tilting her head Bella, "is she telling the truth Edward?" She called out to her ex whom along with Carlisle had just blurred onto the scene her voice was brittle and cold as she spoke.

The young man twitched his lips in displeasure as his eyes fell on the still naked Jacob who was at least covering his manhood with his huge paws. He then looked at Bella and Victoria and his sneer deepened. Even after Esme's description of Bella's behavior and seeing the images in his mind, Edward still couldn't look at the girl the same way ever again. She had humiliated him to no end as well as robbed him of the chance of claiming something of her for himself, her virginity.

"Well Edward?" Carlisle asked in his calm voice tossing Jake the light jacket he had been wearing before he wrapped one arm around Esme's waist his golden eyes filled with concern for Alice and Bella, but he was also keeping a focused eye on his son. "Is she telling the truth?"

Focusing on Victoria, Edward dived into her mind. "Yes, she has no idea why this Dante wanted Alice," he answered then his eyes widened as he probed deeper into the redhead's mind. "It was the Volturi. They took Alice. They made a deal with her. She could have Bella if she helped them."

XXXXXXX

This chapter does clear up the misconception on Jake's part in regards to if Leah imprinted on Alice. As you dear reader's can see she didn't imprint and Jake he is too lost in his need to prove himself to Bella, to accept the truth.

As always thanks for giving this story a try and for the reviews.