i guys, I hope you will enjoy this update! I have a longish A/N at the end, so I hope you stick around long enough to read it. I explain Zoe's aging since it is mentioned in this chapter.

Ms. Meyers is the owner of all the Twilight characters. I am merely borrowing them for my own story.

Enjoy!

Chapter Four

A Truce

My body was stiff as a board when I awoke, but I felt fresher than I had in days. It had been a long night. Arriving in Forks had been a lot more dramatic than I had been prepared for. Learning about werewolves, and accepting the offer to stay the night at The Vampire Inn, was not exactly the image I had in my head on the ferry over from Seattle.

I hadn't even seen my father yet. And I wasn't sure I would ever make that visit. Ignorance was bliss, as the saying went. I doubted Jacob or Billy was going to run off to tell him his daughter was in town. Not after what I had witnessed. Besides, Jacob nearly bit my arm off. I was sure that would be something they would want to avoid my father finding out.

I felt the weight of the bed move. I yawned as I squirmed in the bed.

I arched my back, trying to make it crack as I sat up. I was in a cocoon of bed covers, which I thought was Zoe's way of giving me some warmth.

Sat next to me, my sister and Esme were huddled on the bed, outstretched, with the iPad between them.

"You're awake!" Zoe said, glancing up from the screen. "I'm teaching Esme how to play Angry Birds."

"She is an excellent teacher," Esme said fondly. "Carlisle had a few early appointments, but he left some painkillers for your arm. How are you feeling?"

"Better, thanks. How long was I out?" I stretched a little more. The painkillers were sitting by a tall glass of water on the nightstand. Since my arm was on fire, I didn't hesitate to take them.

"Not long," Esme said. "It's only mid-morning. Alice is making you both some breakfast. Would you like to shower?"

After the large gulp of water I had taken with the painkillers, a warm shower sounded very welcoming. "I will have a quick one, then we really should leave." I got to my feet without much dizziness.

It had always been my plan. I didn't want to over stay our welcome. At least until I was able to think. Being in a house of vampires wouldn't have helped one bit.

Our suitcase was propped up on the leather sofa, so I dug out a few essentials for my shower, and laid out clothes for Zoe once I had found some of my own.

Alice came in with the food before I could take off for the shower. She set a tray filled with food on the bed. "I wasn't sure what either of you liked, so I made up a bit of everything."

Zoe set down the iPad and crawled across the bed to inspect the beautiful scent that was wafting up the room. My stomach growled.

"Eat," Alice said taking my clothes out of my hand. "The shower isn't going anywhere."

After a slight hesitation, I sat on the edge of the bed. Several plates of food were crammed onto the tray.

Toast; bagels; bacon; pancakes; fruit; and waffles.

My mouth watered as I watched Zoe pile a little of everything onto a separate plate.
"Eat," Alice prompted again.

Without further thought, I copied my sister. It was blissful. My last meal had been at a diner on the way to Forks, which tasted like garbage compared to Alice's exquisite breakfast menu.

"For someone who probably hasn't eaten food in decades, you make a pretty good meal," I said after swallowing her melt-in-your-mouth pancakes.

"It's all so yummy," Zoe chimed in as she stuffed another waffle in her mouth. I rolled my eyes. She didn't pick up her manners from me that was for sure.

Alice smiled modestly, before ducking out of the room.

When she came back, she was holding a plastic cup with a lid and straw in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other. The plastic cup was a solid color, so I couldn't see the contents inside, but from Zoe's reaction I could tell what it was.

Alice handed me the coffee cup and Zoe the plastic one.

I watched in astonishment as the vampires didn't even seem bothered by the blood while Zoe sipped away. My uneasiness faded as I drank from my own cup.

"How do you do that?" I uttered.

"Years of self-control," Esme answered. "It takes practice, but I believe any of our kind can be the same if they just tried."

"It's easier when you have lived among people for as long as we have," Alice said. "They remind us of our humanity and the emotions that come with it. It's easier to control the thirst when you think of all the human friends we have known over the years."

Zoe's eyes shifted toward me with a guilty stare, but I shook my head an inch in warning. For some reason, I was afraid to let them know that Zoe's blood supply didn't always come from a donated bag.

"I guess it's like the difference between vegetarians and those who eat meat," I said as if nothing had happened. Alice or Esme didn't remark on my little exchange with Zoe, but I was sure they saw.

"Exactly," Alice said. "I suppose we are like vegetarians of sorts, but in the most opposite way possible compared to the human definition."

Zoe was being quiet. She finished her blood and pushed her food away. The conversation was making her feel guiltier than she already did.

"Well, I'll take that shower now," I said getting to my feet. "Zo, you wanna come and wash up?"

Zoe hopped off the bed and hurried out of the room.

"Thank you for the spread, it really was amazing," I said hurriedly, and then followed Zoe into the bathroom. I locked the door and took sanctuary in the large bathroom once again.

While Zoe brushed her teeth at one of the sinks, I took a moment to inspect myself in the mirror.

I did a double take.

As white as paper; I could have passed as a vampire. My eyes were a little bloodshot and as I examined myself further, I inspected the bruise that had caused so much attention. Lifting my hair, I saw that the red-head vampire's fingers seemed to be imprinted into my skin. The sight was worse than it had been the previous morning.

I felt along my head and winced when I touched the spot where I must have hit my head when I was attacked. The pain was a lot duller than it had been, but my arm was still on fire, despite the painkillers.

I looked at the bandage. I was tempted to open it up and see the damage for myself, but Zoe had finished brushing her teeth and I didn't want her to see again.

While Zoe got dressed, I got into the shower and enjoyed the warm water against my skin.

-x-

Once Zoe and I had finished in the bathroom, the guest bed room had been cleaned, with the bed freshly made up, and the breakfast tray and cup of blood nowhere to be seen.

It felt good to be clean, with fresh clothes, and my teeth brushed. I braided Zoe's hair, while I left my own to dry naturally. A lame attempt to hide the awful bruise on my neck.

If Zoe had already seen, which I was sure she had, she hadn't said anything.

After putting all our stuff back into the suitcase, I zipped it up and checked the room for anything left behind. "Do you have Rory?" I asked Zoe. She held up her beloved elephant. "The iPad?" Zoe looked around the room and picked it up from the nightstand. "All right then, let's go."

Zoe helped me pull the suitcase down off the sofa and opened the bedroom door ahead of me. The house seemed silent as we reached the stairs. Before I could drag the case down, it was lifted out of my hands.

"I'll get this; you concentrate on getting yourself down the stairs in one piece." Edward was glancing down at me with an amused smile lingering on his face. I made to grab the suitcase, but he glided down the stairs before I could even blink.

"What was that supposed to mean?" I said through clenched teeth.

"Let's just say Emmett was right when he said you were a magnet for danger," Edward said from the bottom of the stairs. Zoe headed down after him, while I huffed in my anger.

"Meaning?"

"Meaning you have two left feet," Edward said trying not to laugh.

A warmth of blush spread across my face. Although I seemed to have out grown it, my whole childhood had been littered with accidents. Mainly falling over my own feet.

I stomped down the rest of the stairs like a child. "See, one piece." I fanned my hand downward and out. Edward was still trying not to laugh.

I took the suitcase handle from him and rolled it towards me. "I don't know how you knew that, but I would have managed myself."

"Trust me, Bella, you needed the help," Alice said. She was sitting on the bench by the glossy grand piano.

Sucking in a breath, I let Edward's comments go. "Fine, if you say so," I said. "I wish everyone were here so I could say thank you in person, but we really do need to go. We should have left hours ago if we want to get somewhere before nightfall."

"Couldn't you wait a little while longer until Carlisle got back? I know he really would like to say goodbye," Esme said appearing from nowhere.

The hopeful tone in Esme's voice made me feel guilty. She was so sweet, so kind. She reminded me strongly of my own mother. I looked away. "I'm sorry," I said. "You have been so welcoming. And we are both so grateful you put us up for the night and took care of us, but we really must leave."

"Oh," Esme said, disappointed.

"Tell the others goodbye from us," I said.

"The mutts wouldn't come here looking for you," Edward said. "If that is what you are afraid of."

"It's not the wolves," I said avoiding anyone's gaze. "It's not anything really." I looked up. Everyone was watching me cautiously. I sighed. "Look. For two years I've had it in my mind that… vampires are something to fear. But now I am trying not judge you completely on your nature. I would be a hypocrite if I let your nature influence how I feel about being here with you. I fought against my father for that very reason. He didn't understand Zoe and judged her on it. I don't want to do the same here."

The eyes on me were intense. I had said too much about my father. Even Zoe was looking at me with questions on her face. She didn't know that she was the reason I had a fight with Charlie.

I stared at the floor, but I could still feel the prodding eyes, and silent questions.

"We understand," Esme said drawing the attention away from me. I couldn't have been more grateful. "It must be hard to let anyone in, let alone all of us."

"You have amazed us that you stayed in the first place," Alice said. "If its space you want, then you could go to Port Angeles. That way we could be there quickly if you need us."

I could feel all eyes on me again.

Zoe peeked up at me. She wanted to stay. I swallowed my pride and nodded. "We'll go to Port Angeles until I decide what to do."

"I'll bring your car around." Edward took the suitcase off me before I could say anything else further.

Once he had disappeared through the front door, I sat on the stairs while we waited for him to come back.

"You could still see your father, you know," Esme said as she sat next to me. "I'm sure he would be more than delighted to see you again."

I tried to swallow the guilt. If Charlie ever did find out I was here and hadn't been to see him, then our relationship would have been pushed to breaking point. But I tried to convince myself that it was for the better.

"He was the reason we were here in the first place, but now it sounds like a bad idea to see him," I said, with a hint of regret. "I'm sure he's doing fine without me, anyway."

"You weren't visiting just to catch up with him," Alice observed. "You wanted his…help?"

"Help?" I pondered. I hadn't thought of it that way. "Maybe. In hind sight, I don't think Charlie was the best person to go to, no matter the reason I was dropping by."

I wasn't sure what I expected Charlie to do. He was a man of the law and he had already proved he wanted nothing to do with anything non-human. My fists clenched as I tried to push away a memory that I swore not to visit. I had already forgiven Charlie for that, but I didn't want to bring back all the ill feelings I had previously held towards my father for abandoning us when I needed him the most.

A wash of calmness trickled through my body. It was like someone had poured tranquility into me, exiling all the bitter feelings I had towards my father at that moment.

When I looked up in a peaceful daze, Jasper was leaning against the piano with a small smile on his face. It was the first I had seen on him.

"You're doing this," I said. "How?"

"You have your secrets, we have ours," he replied, but the small smile didn't disappear.

"Touché!" I laughed, giddy with calmness. The front door opened and Edward dangled my car keys in front of him.

"Rosalie gave it another once over, so it's ready to go," Edward said as I got to my feet.

I went to grab the keys off Edward, but he pulled them back. "We have no idea what the wolves are thinking, so we feel it is not safe for you to drive off on your own. We'll get you both to Port Angeles in one piece."

"I don't think so," I said trying to grab the keys.

"It is safer," Esme agreed. "The Quileute's may have changed their mind about your sister. They won't meet us to talk. They don't have a treaty with her. To them, it's their duty to protect what they feel is a threat."

"She is just a child!" I protested.

"They won't see her as a child. She is unknown, which is a threat either way," Alice said. "We will see you out of town. I doubt they would follow you into the city."

"This is ridiculous!" But I knew they were speaking with more logic than I was thinking. "Fine, but I can manage once we are out of Forks."

Alice walked Zoe and me out onto the porch. "I took the liberty to program all our numbers into your phone, so you have no excuse not to call when you get to the motel." She gave me a light hug.

"We'll call when we find somewhere to stay," I promised.

"Take care," Esme said before she embraced both Zoe and I at the same time. "Be in touch soon, okay?"

"Thank you for allowing us to spend the night," I said. I was so caught up in everything, that their nature was nearly forgotten.

Edward was waiting at the bottom of the steps. "Do you need assistance down the porch steps? I wouldn't want you to break your neck."

I gave him a cold look, but then I smiled. Alice and Zoe laughed as I made a show of taking the porch steps as slow as possible. I flared my eyebrows at Edward, showing I made it down safe, but he just smirked.

"Bye, Zoe," Alice called. Zoe waved and gave smiles to everyone as she hopped into her car seat. Edward took the driver's seat without asking, which left me with shotgun.

As Edward started the car, I noticed Rosalie and Emmett standing by the garage where they had kept my car.

Emmett gave us a huge grin and a wave, but Rosalie just stared indifferently before taking off into the trees. I watched from the wing mirror as Emmett disappeared after her.

"Friendly," I murmured.
Edward glanced through the rear view mirror, but didn't say anything. "Are you sure you don't want to see your father before we leave?"

"Positive," I answered.

I closed my eyes as we drove. I didn't want to see the rest of Forks. I just wanted to forget I had ever lived there once upon a time.

"Forks is a funny name for a town," Zoe commented after a few minutes of silence.

I laughed. "I think I said the same thing at some point. I wonder why they named if after eating utensils."

"Maybe 'Knives' was already taken," Edward said and Zoe laughed.

"Or spoons," she said with a giggle.

"Or plates," I said joining in.

"Cups!" Zoe yelled in delight.

"Bowls," Edward added.

"Pots!" It was if Jasper was in the car, as my emotions were still leveled out with calmness. I found myself smiling genuinely for the first time in so long.

"Pans!"
"Spatula!" My mind was racing through all the kitchen utensils I could think of. As the car sped up, the atmosphere seemed to shift. Edward had stiffened in the seat next to me. His face had turned to stone, his hands tight on the wheel.

"God dammit!" Edward cursed, pressing his foot harder on the gas.

"You can't name a town that, silly!" Zoe said, unaware something was wrong.

"What's happening?" I whispered, but I knew the answer.

"Hold on tight," Edward said as he pushed the car to the limit. "They just couldn't leave it alone!"

A unmistakable wolf howl bellowed around us.

"Crap!" Glancing back, Zoe was shaking in her seat.

"They've come for me," she whispered, her eyes wide in horror.

"Over my dead—"

We swerved to avoid something. Edward was cursing furiously under his breath as he tried to gain control of the car. "One of you take the car and get them out of here!" For a minute I thought Edward was talking to Zoe and me.

But I quickly realized the others must have followed us through the trees.

Edward slammed on the breaks and my whole body snapped forward.

"Are you both okay?" His tone was like steel, but his face softened as he met my eyes, before checking Zoe in her car seat.

I nodded stiffly. "What is it?"

"A road block!"

I squinted through the window, but it was empty.

"Wolves?"

"Yes. Some in human form," Edward said. "They want to talk."

"Then let's talk," I said determinedly. "Either way they will not touch my sister. This ends right here, right now!"

Edward started the car up again. "There is a dead-end around the corner. We can meet them there."

I bit my lip nervously, glancing back at Zoe. She looked so fragile cowering in her car seat. "If they such as look at her in the wrong way…"
Edward lent over to the glove-box and fished out the gun that Charlie had left me before he stormed out on us, but had almost forgotten about. "Here, just shoot them," he said.

My heart did a mini jolt at the sight of the weapon and I almost laughed.

"Don't tempt me," I said taking the gun and storing it back in the glove-box.

"Don't worry, we are better than guns," Edward said with ease. "Neither of you will be harmed." And he meant it.

Edward parked my car at the side of a muddy road with only trees ahead. The clearing was empty, but within seconds the rest of the vampires came into view.

"The wolves?"

"Hidden," Edward scoffed. "They will show once they get the orders to."

"Orders?"

"The alpha," Edward told me. "The Commander- in- Chief that has the final say in any decisions the mutts make as a pack."

"So much to learn," I whispered. "Golden eyed vampires…werewolves…"

I hoped that the list wouldn't ever grow. But I was learning not to be surprised at anything that landed in my life.

"You are the first human I've met who has known about us," Edward said thoughtfully. The anger in his voice was being whittled out as he spoke. "You've taken this in your stride. Even the wolves. You seem to be dealing with it fairly well."

I wasn't sure if Edward thought that as a good thing, or if he thought I was stupid to not be terrified of them.

"I still have my reservations," I said slowly, choosing my words carefully. "I was so overwhelmed last night. The wolves and then you guys. Trust me; it occurred to me that you were treating us like Hansel and Gretel. Being nice to us, fattening us up… before eating us." Edward chuckled, shaking his head. "But your eyes are somewhat easier to trust."

"Hansel and Gretel got away alive," Edward recalled. "But in this story, the wolves are more like the witch than we are. We want peace and to do what is right for you both."

"This is what I meant when I said I needed space to think," I began to say, but Edward wasn't listening.

His attention was snapped away from me and focused on the trees in front of us. The other vampires stood at either side of the car.

"Esme will stay with Zoe," Edward said. "She will keep her safe. And if it comes to it, she will drive away with her. It's you they want to speak to. You don't have to." He sounded like he didn't want me to. But I needed to speak with them. They had to listen.

"I will be okay, I promise" I told Zoe, feeling the fear quivering off her. "Just stay here. Esme will keep you safe. Don't come out until I say so, okay?"

"I promise," Zoe said, stretching her hand and held out her pinky. I locked my own little finger with hers.

"Love you," I said.

"Love you, too," Zoe whispered. "To the moon and back."

I couldn't smile that time. I slipped out of the car, just as Esme replaced Edward in the driver's seat.

As I walked with the others to block the view of the car, I tried to rein in my anger. I would have only made the situation worse if I lost my temper.

But when I saw Jacob Black emerge from the trees in human form, I almost ran to attack him. "Easy," Jasper said as he filled me with calmness like before.

"No. Give me back my own emotions. I will behave," I said. I didn't want to do this with artificial emotions. It wouldn't have felt right.

Slowly, I began feeling the anger that had been weighing on me the minute I knew the wolves were back. But I was in control.

Behind Jacob were several of the magnificently huge wolves that I had seen the night before. Even in wolf form I could see that they were excited, like a bunch of puppies exploring the world for the first time. But these dogs were no puppies.

Lastly, a female followed in after Jacob. She was in human form, too.

"Is she the alpha?" I questioned.

"She wishes," Jacob replied as he came closer. "Bella, I can't even begin to tell you how sorry I am. I never meant to hurt you!"

"Too late to apologize," I spat. "You were aiming for my sister. My sister, Jacob!"

Jacob recoiled. Several of the wolves growled at my words.

"Yes," I said addressing them all. "My sister."

"A blood sucker!" the girl spoke. She had a sneer of disgust on her face. My mind strayed back to the gun in the glove-box.

I tried to wipe that thought immediately from my mind, in case I actually acted on it.

"Half human, half vampire," I corrected as calmly as I could muster.

"Who cares? She is still an abomination," the girl growled. A few wolves snarled with her, as if in agreement.

"Listen to me, you little bitch," I said, my vision almost red with anger.

"I'm liking this human a hell of a lot more," I heard Emmett say at the same time as Alice said proudly, "Good girl!"

I ignored their comments. "You fear the unknown, that's fine. But if you want to kill Zoe, then you have to kill me first." I addressed the girl first, then Jacob, who didn't seem to know what to do, and lastly, I mustered the courage to stare down each of the wolves.

I could feel the tension rise.

"Zoe is half human, half vampire. She is a hybrid, just like you all are. She was born, just like you all were. She had no choice! She is a child, merely two years old!" I spat the last part at the girl, but it was if I hadn't talked at all.

If looks could have killed, I would certainly have been dead. She had as much ire on her face as I was feeling.

"We do not kill people," the girl snarled. "She is a blood sucker by nature. Half human or not! She is a demon leech that needs to be put down! How many people has she killed already? Dozens, I bet!"

"Leah, that is enough," Jacob said firmly. He was glowing with fury. Leah balked.

"You are not the boss of me, Jacob Black," she retorted like a five year old.

A huge black wolf stepped into view, his teeth bared at Leah.

The alpha.

He really was the commander-in-chief. Most of the wolves seemed to calm down in his presence. They were looking between the black one and the girl like a tennis match.

"Sam, you agreed that the child cannot be trusted, we can prove that," Leah said, a plead for the wolf to listen. There were a few barks from the others, which seemed to encourage the girl.

Turning away from the alpha completely, the girl stepped a little closer to us.

"There is a story among our people. A wife, who sacrificed her own life to stop a bloodsucker killing the rest of the people she loved," Leah said slyly. "She distracted the leech with its one weakness…"

The black wolf rumbled intensely, just as Edward turned toward the car. "Esme, go!"

I heard my car start, but I didn't turn to see it leave.

My heart did a flip. What was happening?
My answer came when Leah pulled a small blade from her pants pocket and slit it down her arm.

"No," I whispered as I turned to make sure Esme and Zoe had gone, but Esme was flying towards us, racing towards something that was almost a blur to me.

Both the vampires and wolves reacted, but Leah stayed in one spot, her arm bleeding furiously.

Emmett and Jasper attempted to lunge at Zoe, while Edward and Alice were trying to catch her from the other side. Zoe ducked under them all and leapt several feet into the air, straight for the bleeding girl.

But she collided with a wolf in midair. Her screams of fury were ear shattering as the wolf pinned her to the ground.

The vampires reacted swiftly as they fought to free Zoe, who was screaming so hard, I thought she would pass out. Fear almost paralyzed me as I watched her trying to scratch, claw, and kick at the wolf who was snapping at her face.

Edward, Jasper, and Emmett managed to tackle the wolf from each side. As if it had been light as a feather, Emmett picked up the snarling wolf, and with a whine, the wolf flew into the air. It landed with an earth shattering thud.

Despite knowing it was actually a human, I barely gave the wolf's safety a second thought. Other wolves were attempting to swipe at Zoe, but before they could so much as touch her, Rosalie picked her up and clutched her into her chest, hissing at anything that tried to go near her.

The noise was unreal. Wolves snarled and growled at either side of us. But it was Zoe who seemed to be making the most noise.

Even in Rosalie's vice clutches, Zoe was kicking and screaming, still trying to get free to attack Leah. She was a girl possessed.

"Get off me!" Zoe screamed. "Get off me! I want her!" Zoe was crazed. Blood lust was taking over. She was losing control. If she had been any bigger, she would have taken Rosalie down easy.

The wolves were descending tighter into our group. This was their plan. They were going to kill her.

"Stop!" I cried. "Jacob, make them stop!" But Jacob wasn't even human. The russet wolf was growling at Leah.

Rosalie and I were shoulder to shoulder, with Zoe shielded away against her chest, her screams somewhat muffled. The others formed closer together, with us secured in the middle. But I could feel that the wolves were closer still. The noise alone was startling. I wasn't sure my legs were going to support me any longer.

I didn't know what the vampires' plan was, but I wished they would hurry up and do something.

"Take them both, Rose," Edward whispered. "After three…" Rosalie took my hand without even looking at me, but before anything could happen, she dropped my hand like it was something disgusting.

I glanced up at her, but her eye was on something else.

The tight group around me backed off a little and I was able to see what was going on.

Carlisle had appeared out of nowhere. Like the black wolf was the alpha for the pack, Carlisle seemed to be one for the vampires. And the wolves somehow recognized the presence Carlisle brought with him and they instantly backed off.

The alpha wolf rumbled louder than the others, an order, and the noise almost died down completely. Even Zoe stopped screaming.

Even in wolf form, the black wolf looked furious. He had lost control of his pack, in front of vampires no less. He turned to Leah, who was still human, and still bleeding.

One powerful, sharp yip and the alpha sent Leah a warning, which was clear as day: back off now, I'll deal with you later. The girl twitched, as if she really wanted to protest, but she stormed off into the trees, before she took flight and turned into a huge grey wolf.

The alpha turned away from his pack, and faced Carlisle, as if waiting for him to speak.

"The girl is young," Carlisle said pointing to Zoe in Rosalie's arms. "We can help her. We can teach her how to live like we do. There is no need for war and bloodshed. She is still half human. She can live better than us, if she chooses to. If you extend the treaty to protect her, then we would take full responsibility for her."

With none of the wolves human any more, the question of how he would reply bubbled to my lips just as Edward spoke.

"We can't be sure," Edward said. His tone was flat, detached.

I frowned. Glancing around, no one else seemed to be as confused as I was. Was he somehow translating for the wolf? Edward went on before I could question it out loud. "The girl cannot be trusted around humans. We witnessed her lack of control."

"That stupid bitch set her up," I interjected. "She could have not only got Zoe killed, but herself. And she would have deserved it." A few wolfs snarled at me, but I couldn't hold my tongue.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Rosalie smirk, and I heard someone chuckle next to me.

"I assure you, if I had been aware of the reason as to why Leah insisted on joining Jacob in human form, I would have stopped her coming at all," Edward continued in a monotone. "But the fact still remains that the hybrid craves human blood. She cannot be trusted near our people."

My fingers dug into my palms so hard. I tried to keep myself from yelling again. I would definitely have made it worse if I pissed off the alpha.

"We have made negations before, for our newest family members, so I beg you allow us to do the same with Zoe," Carlisle said calmly. "We can teach her how to live like us. We will take full responsibility for her."

The red wolf stood forward, his muzzle drawn back, teeth bared. He growled furiously at the alpha. The alpha growled back, but the red one squared up to him, before lowering himself in a defensive pose. They circled, almost like a dance, around the small clearing. The others watched on with excitement, their eyes following the two wolves as they growled it out.

"What's happening?" I whispered.

"Jacob is fighting Sam for the final say," Edward told us, his tone suddenly normal and his eyes trained on the wolves. "The pack is in two minds. Some are for giving Zoe a chance. The rest…" Edward met my eyes, but didn't say anything.

"What will happen if they decide against her?"

Alice held my hand and squeezed lightly. "We won't let anything happen to her. Besides, do you honestly think a bunch of adolescent dogs can take us on? We were about to kick their butts until Carlisle came along." I could tell she was trying to placate me, but I couldn't bring myself to say anything.

I looked away from the wolves completely. There growls and rumbling was enough, never mind having a ring side view of what was essentially a fight about whether to allow my sister to live.

I focused on Zoe. She was quiet, buried into Rosalie's chest. Her shoulders were heaving gently as she cried. My heart was breaking, but I was afraid my human warmth would make it worse for her.

I tore my eyes away from her, too.

"How do you know this?" I questioned Edward, trying to distract myself. "How can you speak for the wolf?"

Edward smirked. "Like Jasper said, you have your secrets, we have ours."

"Don't tell me, you are the vampire equivalent to Cesar Millan? The Dog Whisperer?"

There was a chorus of laughter within our small group. Edward just continued to smirk, which was becoming insanely irritating.

"I'll figure it out. I pick up on things quickly," I told him confidently.

Edward looked as if he had a smart-assed retort on his lips, but his face suddenly went blank.

I quickly turned to see what was happening with the wolves. They were silent and only the alpha had stepped forward. I searched for Jacob.

He was standing apart from his pack. His big brown eyes were focused on me. He bowed his head, a wolf equivalent of a nod.

I was dizzy with relief.

"Giving the fact the girl was provoked," Edward translated for Sam, "I will consider your offer to take care of the girl. However, if one person in Forks, or the Rez goes missing, we will have no choice. But for now, we call a truce. We will not harm the girl."

"Thank you," Carlisle said sincerely. The alpha turned and the other wolves retreated back into the trees.

The red wolf was the last one, aside from the alpha. Jacob bowed his head again, before he ran off after the others. His alpha followed without as much as a glance back.

My whole body seemed to deflate. The adrenaline melted; I felt exhausted.

When we were by the car, Rosalie passed my sister into my arms. Zoe began to sob heavily into my shoulder. "I'm sorry," she cried. "I broke my promise. I'm a bad person. I'm a monster, like she said. I'm sorry!"

"No," I said firmly, anger waling up inside me. "You are not a monster. Don't ever think that!"

"I just want to go," Zoe sobbed. "I just want to leave!"

Several pairs of golden eyes were staring at us, waiting for my decision. Part of me felt guilty. They had helped us in more ways than I could ever repay them. But almost the second we had arrived, trouble had followed us.

I needed to do what I should have done the minute I had woken up at their house.

"We are going now, sweetheart." I looked towards the trees where the wolves had left. "And we won't ever be back."

The wolves had decided not to touch Zoe on the condition that no lives were lost by her hand. But I had seen enough bloodshed to question whether Zoe was able to sustain her control enough to not kill. If the others hadn't been there, she would have done a much better job at trying to kill Leah. And Zoe would have most certainly ripped to shreds.

The thought almost buckled me to the ground.

"I know I owe you, but I just can't do this right now," I said stiffly as I placed Zoe into her car seat, then got into the car and stepped on the gas. Not a vampire or wolf was in sight as we exited Forks.

Zoe's sobs continued as I drove on, but when they eventually stopped; my own tears began streaking down my cheeks.

My little world where Zoe and I existed happily was falling apart before I could grasp onto it. Everything was changing and I was too human to keep up with it. I was failing as a sister, her only protector, but worse; I was failing our mom, who had made me promise to keep her safe.

Everyone had a threshold of how much they could handle, and I was definitely crossing mine. Vampires, werewolves, and my sister constantly losing control. It was all a little much.

I was drowning in a world where I barely belonged.

Wow! Bad decision, Bella! That's all I'm saying! ;)

I can finally explain Zoe's age. Okay, so it's really lame with how I have aged her, but I needed to twist how hybrids aged from the book. For every six months, Zoe grew to what would seem to be one physical year. It has been two actual years since she was born, but that gives her the appearance of a four year old. Is my math correct? Lol. So she is only two years old, but actually looks four. However, Bella will mention at some point that she has noticed that Zoe has slowed her aging to the point where she is growing at a human rate. Does that make sense? I know it's ridiculous, but I said before that I don't want it to be the same as the book, where she would grow so fast. I know it's not cannon with the book, so I hope that it doesn't put anyone off the rest of the story.

Wow! Sorry for the long note! Like last chapter, reviewers get a sneak peek for the next one! This won't happen EVERY time, but occasionally, when I have the next chapter written in advance.

Thank you guys for reading!

-AThousandStars