Thank you for the reviews! And to everyone who is adding this to their story update and favorites lists! Each time I see that, it puts a smile on my face!

Thanks to my super beta who always gives it to me straight and has yet to simply placate me and always indulges my "Okay, hear me out on this one" emails.

Disclaimer: Oh, if wishing made it so…I'd have thought of this and Harry Potter, but alas, I did not.

**********************************************

Emmett pulls my truck right next to Edward's Volvo. As we pulled into the parking lot, Edward was pacing in front of his car, having, I'm sure, heard my truck's approach, likely from my house. I'm surprised, quite frankly, that he didn't try to intercept us. Then again, he's been lying pretty low.

"You've already explained all this to him on our way into the parking lot, haven't you?" I surmise dryly. Emmett turns and grins widely at me.

"Even the cat."

"Traitor," I mutter, but he just laughs loudly as we get out of the truck.

Edward's at my side in an instant, a mixture of relief, concern, annoyance, longing and love reflect back at me. He's happy to see me, but he's still upset. That makes two of us. Of course, now he's concerned I'm pushing myself.

"What are you doing here?" he demands quietly.

"I go to school here," I quip.

"You're not supposed to be back in school yet; you're still sick," he counters.

"How would you know?" I shoot back.

His eyes narrow and his jaw tenses. It's a low blow. Of course he would know. Not only am I positive he's been sneaking in to my room at night when I've been sleeping, like he used to do, but Alice would know if anything had changed.

"You should rest more," he runs a hand through my hair and watches it with his eyes.

"I'm not made of china."

"You are."

I sigh heavily and roll my eyes in response, after which I turn and head into school. All day long, Edward stays quietly by my side, his disapproval at my being there rolling off him in waves, but it feels good to be back. It's good to be around my friends again. It's good to be around him again. Jessica chats incessantly at lunch and fills me in on the gossip I missed while I was out. Angela likewise seems overly enthused I'm back. Lauren sits at the end of the table and scowls. I'm thinking she's not as happy.

When Advanced Biology rolls around, it's a lab I haven't done before. Edward's got his head propped up on his hand and is lightly running his finger up and down my arm. It's making me nuts. I'm trying to pretend I'm not affected as I peer into the microscope.

"Bella?" he says quietly.

"You're talking to me?" I murmur.

"You're the one who's mad at me," He counters.

"Because you're being a tyrant and I seem to recall quite the attitude from you, not to mention being called ridiculous and naïve," I say forcefully, finally looking at him. He looks unhappy.

He pushes himself up and leans towards me. "What if I apologize?"

"Would you mean it?"

"I'm very sorry I lost my temper."

"What about the tyrant thing?"

"Surely you can see the danger now."

I bite my bottom lip and peer back into the microscope. I do want to accept the olive branch. This is our first real fight. Well, other than the whole changing me into a vampire argument, which is an ongoing conflict of opinion. But this was a fight followed by stony silence and teenage stubbornness.

Edward tenses up a bit and then glares at Mike Newton before straightening up. "What's wrong?"

"Newton's happy you're mad at me," he shrugs. "He's hoping you're going to break up with me. Actually, it seems quite a few people think that." He glances around the room a bit curiously. "Is that all it takes to break teenagers up? One argument?"

"You know I don't know."

"You have had friends with boyfriends, haven't you?"

I look at him again and his black eyes look agonized. "I'm not going to break up with you, Edward; stop being dramatic."

"Am I forgiven?"

"Yes."

"At last."

"You might have been forgiven earlier, if you'd bothered to wake me up and find out." I give him a sidelong glance before peering back into the microscope. He smiles my favorite crooked smile.

"You need your sleep; you're recovering from the flu." He brushes my hair gently away from my face and over my shoulder.

"You know, just because you're forgiven does not mean there's nothing to discuss still."

He sighs and sits up. "Bella."

"The Blacks are like family to Charlie, Edward; I need to tell him something. I can't just not see them; I need some kind of excuse. He won't accept me just avoiding Jacob."

His black eyes glance over my shoulder and fix at something on the wall behind me. He looks back at me with a look of determination and says simply, "Okay."

He met me as usual after all of my classes, being a little more physical as we walked than he normally is, not much, but enough for me to notice. So I was still surprised when I emerged from my last class and he wasn't there. I walked out to the parking lot and was even further surprised to see Rosalie waiting for me leaning up against her shiny red BMW, drawing stares.

She greeted me simply by gesturing to the passenger side door. "Edward asked me to pick you up. He and Alice are…occupied with something right now. I'm to take you home." A little warning on his part would definitely have been nice. He knows how Rosalie freaks me out.

"Occupied?"

"I'll explain on the way."

******************************************************

Edward, Alice, Carlisle, and I stand in a straight line in the middle of the clearing while the pack approaches. Sam Uley and Jacob Black are in their human form, but they're flanked by two phased wolves.

I didn't want Alice here, but I was outvoted. Carlisle and Edward thought her talent would come in handy, however, she hasn't seen a thing. I'm suspecting more and more that she can't actually see the wolves. She didn't see Jacob at Bella's house and she was very upset about that.

We've put off the meeting as long as we possibly could. Peter and Charlotte need to hunt and we need to know that they can leave unharassed. Charlotte wants to be able to say goodbye to Bella, but Edward won't allow it while they're this thirsty.

I send out a pre-emptive wave of calm; Sam and Jacob look at us more suspiciously now.

"You wished to talk?" Sam greets Carlisle flatly.

"We wish to discuss the treaty," Carlisle nods. "It seemed prudent with the reemergence of the pack."

"It remains intact," Sam assures, though he glares over at Edward. Jacob's face looks like nothing happened. The wolves seem to be quick healers.

"But there are new issues," Jacob interjects hotly. It doesn't appear that he took Sam by surprise, but Sam, as pack leader, is generally the spokesperson. Jacob's also a young wolf.

Alice and I don't have any experience with werewolves, at least not this species, so the others filled us in on all they learned last time they lived here; a lot was speculation though. Carlisle is hoping to have a better relationship with this pack.

"Isabella Swan is off limits," Edward's voice is soft, even, and extremely menacing.

"Bella is a human and protected by the pack," Jacob shoots back.

"She lives in Forks which is neutral and not protected by the treaty," Edward counters.

"You have guests that are not like you," Sam replies. "We simply fear for her safety. The treaty also prohibits creating any new vampires."

"Her safety is not in question," Edward says simply.

"It's always in question," Jacob retorts.

"Bella is with Edward by her choice," Carlisle says calmly, as I once again diffuse the tense atmosphere. "As such, the rest of us are sworn to protect her, from all dangers, including those presented by our own kind. No one in my family poses a risk to her."

"You'd fight your own kind?" Sam questions.

"To the death," Carlisle confirms. "We have killed our own kind before to protect her." Jacob and Sam seem to look at Edward a little differently now.

"Perhaps we should speak with Bella," Sam considered.

"Absolutely not," Edward immediately denies.

"Why not?" Jacob asks.

There is a low growl emanating from Edward before he answers, "The last time that you saw her, the encounter ended with you assaulting her."

"One representative from each side," Alice suddenly pipes up; Edward glares at her.

"Myself and Carlisle," Sam says. It looks like he might possess a shred of reasonableness after all. Edward is radiating tension. It's nearly all I can do to keep him from ripping out Jacob Black's throat.

"Tomorrow afternoon, right here, when Bella finishes school for the day?" Carlisle negotiates.

"Is there a reason that we can't do it now?" Sam replies.

"The sun is setting," Carlisle answers. "Bella is recovering from the flu. It would be better if she wasn't out in the cold at night."

"Tomorrow then," Sam nods in agreement.