A/N: I am terribly sorry to all my fans. I did not mean to take this long. I ended up moving sooner than planned and things have been crazy. I apologize for upsetting any of you and still would love your support with this story. I still love you all and am back!! I will from this point on reply to all your messages and reviews because I can't afford to lose any readers. Thank you for being patient.

Disclaimer: I don't own it!!


Chapter 9 : Coming Together

BPOV

After everyone calmed down enough so Alice could explain herself, we settled in and listened as she told us of her vision. Victoria was coming with help. Alice saw her plus twenty or so newborns in the baseball clearing in about a month.

One month? That's all the time we have left? That isn't enough time to do anything. I knew it would be soon but not this soon. All I could hear were faint murmur and what I think was growling. My mind had shut off and I was fading from reality.

"Bella! Baby come on, don't leave me now! I need you. We all need you!" I could feel someone shaking me and was bale to look through the fog to see the one face that would give me the strength to not shut down completely. I wou8ld always come back for him.

"One month? What if something happens to any of you? I can't lose anyone! Especially not you! I just found you! I wouldn't survive it again. We...you..." He cut me off by crashing his lips to mine. Everything else faded. All that exisisted was us. He pulled away and looked me right in the eyes.

"I'm not going anywhere. Everyone will be just fine. I promise." I just shook my head.

"How do you know? How can you promise me that? Victoria will stop at nothing. And NEWBORNS! Not Laurent but newborns. They're lethal. I..." I was crying now, cursing myself for not being stronger.

"I can promise because of you. You give us the strength and courage to win. To fight and never give up. It's the will to keep you in our lives that will keep our family together." How could someone as week as me, do all of that?

"Bells, he's right. You've brought out the best in each of us since coming into our lives. It's not just doom and gloom or business only. We have fun. Hell I haven't wanted to beat the shit out of anyone lately. That in itself should say something." We all laughed at Paul's realization.

"Language Paul!" I hadn't seen the rest of the Cullen's show up until now.

"Sorry Esme." Everyone was fighting back the urge to laugh while Esme and Emily just rolled their eyes.

They were right. They were my family and nothing would change that. I could be strong for them. I will be strong for them. Now we just needed a plan.

"Hey Jazz!" I looked around the room until I saw the brother I was looking for.

"What's up little sis?" I went and sat by him, giving him a peck on the cheek.

"You know more than anyone how to fight. Especially newborns. Will you help them be ready? Please?" I turned on the puppy dog eyes which only caused him to smile and hug me.

"Bells, you don't need to give me that look. I was just thinking the same thing. Of course I'll help." I gave him another kiss on the cheek and hopped back over to Quil's lap.

"Thanks Jazz!"


QPOV

My girl was always worrying about things she didn't need to. That's just what made her special though. She didn't understand just how much the entire pack loved and adored her. She gave them all a reason to be happy again. She makes them all smile and laugh more than we used to. She is my reason for being.

We were sitting there listening to Jasper's history. I'll be honest with you, hearing how many innocent people he killed set me a little on edge. I could tell my pack brothers felt the same way. At the same time though, I had to give him props for fighting his instincts to find a new way of life. It takes a strong man to do that.

It was decided that we would spend the next few weeks training with Jasper in the clearing to get prepared. I had begun playing mindlessly with Bella's hair, officially tuning everyone else out. I had just got done wrapping a stand around my finger and letting it go while she laughed at something Jared and Emmett where talking about. Things got quiet when we heard raised voices across the room.

"It's just a thought. That would be why it was in my head." Jasper and Edward were in a heated argument about something.

"Don't even think it! It's not even and option!" Shannon was trying to calm Edward down while Alice did the same with Jasper. Each couple was arguing amongst themselves. The guys were obviously not backing down.

"Just think about it Edward! This way we know exactly where they end up. They would walk right into our trap." A loud growl came from Edward's chest. Shannon was still trying to get him to calm down, but from what I could tell she agreed with him. What the hell were they talking about?

"Hey not that a vampire rumble wouldn't be amusing right now, you guys want to fill us in?" What's with Paul making sense today?

"Jasper thought it would be a grand idea to have Bella in the field with us to draw Victoria and her army right to us." You could tell Edward felt protective even if they weren't together. Hell all the males in this room were. That aside, I was furious.

"HELL NO! Absolutely not! She could be killed!" I was shaking and so were some of my brothers. What surprised me was when I saw Sam actually thinking about it.

"Sam! You can't really be considering this?! I though you were a protector? Now you want to consider leaving her there like an all you can drink buffet?" By now I couldn't control my shaking. Emmett and Embry had already moved Bella behind them.

"Calm down Quil. Nobody said we were actually going to do it. Don't accuse me of not caring about my little sister! It's not a bad thought though." What?! Jake came to stand in front of me.

"Mayne we should all sit down and talk about this reasonably." Carlisle was trying to diffuse the situation before it got completely out of hand.

"I'll calm down but I won't agree to anything that puts her in danger." We all sat down, me with Bella back in my lap, and began throwing ideas around.


BPOV

This was just getting ridiculous. I have been sitting here for the last hour listening to them bicker back and forth about me and my safety. Quil has started shaking more than once causing me to have to jump off him. I have had enough. I jumped off of Quil's lap and put my hands on my hips.

"ENOUGH!" Every person in the room stopped all chatter and looked over at me.

"Baby what's wrong?" I just glared at him. He quickly sat back down while some of the guys just snickered. I shot them all withering glares instantly silencing them.

"Bella, you must teach us your secret. We can never get them to shut up that fast." Shannon was just standing there laughing at the looks on the faces of our 'men'.

"Bella, honey, why don't you tell us why you're so annoyed." Thank you Jasper for refocusing me.

"I'm tired of sitting here listening to the lot of you discuss ME as I'm sitting right here. Does anyone care to know what I think?" I looked at each of them as they hung their heads like scolded puppies. Then again they kind of were.

"I think it's a good idea. M..." Before I could even finish my sentence the room erupted with growls and snarls. Oh my Carlisle they should really just stop. Quil was the first one to start speaking.

"What the hell Bella? Do you have a death wish? I guess you do if you like that plan. Did you not hear what Paul said earlier?" I'm sure he would've continued if it wasn't for the fact that Leah whacked him upside the head.

"Idiot." Leah shook her head as she sat back on the floor.

"Now if you are all done acting like puppies then I'll continue." Quil wasn't having it though.

"QUIL ATEARA! Shut up and let me talk or I'm going to go find Victoria and throw myself at her!" That shut him up but I felt bad for yelling. I went and sat in his lap and gave him a quick kiss.

"Now what I was going to say is that maybe not that plan exactly but one similar to it." Most of the guys seemed to visibly relax.

"What did you have in mind Bellsy?" I just rolled my eyes at Emmett's nickname for me.

"What if we laid a false trail that led them right to the field? Then I wouldn't necessarily have to be in the field. She wouldn't know until it was too late." They all looked to be thinking it over. Sam was the first to speak.

"It's a good idea but she'll know something is up if she smells your trail leading away from the clearing. Plus she'll expect your scent to be tied to Edwards. What happens if she doesn't catch his scent with yours?" So he wasn't shooting my idea down, just finding flaws. Dammit I never thought that through.

"What if Edward laid the trap with her the night before? That way she can smell them both." Rose had been quiet up until this point. Her idea could work though.

"That still leaves us with the problem of getting Bella out of the clearing without leaving another trail." So we were back to square one.

"Wait a minute. You guys can't stand the smell of us right?" Where was Seth going with this?

"Usually yeah. We're just so used to it...Oh! Point for the wolf!!" Rose was actually bouncing. I was so confused.

"You guys wanna clue us in?" We all looked at the two of them clearly confused.

"Oh geeze. We use one of the wolves to disguise her scent. It can't be Quil though or it would be pointless." That actually made total sense. Yay we had a semi plan.

"Okay so now all we have to do is set the trap and figure out logistics." Jasper was in full military mode now. It was going to be a long night.


QPOV

The next few weeks went by in a whirlwind of training, patrolling, and new wolves. That's right, two new wolves phased not long after we got the warning from Alice. Collin and Brady are only fifteen. They just keep getting younger and younger. After the meeting with the Cullen's weeks ago, we came up with a pretty solid plan about the whole setting the trap idea I still think is nuts.

Collin and Brady were going to stay behind and watch La Push. They were just too young to fight. Seth was going to stay at the spot we chose to hide Bella, that way we knew what was going on at all times. Bella and Edward were going to lay the trap the night before the battle and Sam was going to run her to the campsite where I would be waiting. Since the battle was this Saturday, there were only two more days of stress to get through.

Bella was, of course, a worried mess. She played it off in front of all the others but she couldn't hide anything from me. Mom was taking her out tonight for a girls night at the movies so I plan on talking to my grandfather about it. If I was being honest with myself though, I was a little scared. I wouldn't let her see that though.

"Where you at Crazy Q?" Bella and I were currently sitting on the beach enjoying the beautiful afternoon before my mother stole her from me. I looked down at the woman in my arms and remembered why I would make it through this. Her.

"Just thinking babe. You ready for some serious bonding time with my mom?" She snuggled into my chest a little more and smiled.

"I'd rather spend every second with you. I want every moment with you that I can get." I just pulled her closer and kissed the top of her head.

"We have forever Bell. Nothing is going to take me from you. You're stuck with me until we are both laying six feet under." She turned around and kissed me deeply. She was saying so much with this kiss and I answered back with my own.

We stayed another hour or so at the beach until it was time for Bella to leave with my mom. We walked slowly back to my house, neither in a hurry to leave one another. Bella had hopped on my back about halfway to the house. I think she could tell we both needed the closeness. By time we got back to the house we were laughing and joking back and forth.

"Piggy back ride huh? Careful son, next you'll be carrying her purse." I just shook my head at my dad.

"Hey I do what I can to stay out of trouble." Bella smacked me on the shoulder and started to giggle. I went to drop her which only caused her to latch on tighter.

"You make me sound evil. I let you get away with murder. Remember last week when you and Paul thought it would be fun to throw me into the water? Did you get in trouble then?" I was about to protest and then remembered that Paul got in trouble that day.

"Or when you and Emmett thought it would be hilarious to put sand down my bathing suit?" She was now sitting quite smugly still on my back with her chin resting on my shoulder.

"Quil Ateara Jr! You guys did what to her?" Oh crap. Now I'm going to get it.

"You're in for it now." Dad was laughing hysterically now. Bella hopped off my back and ran to give my mom a hug.

"Come on Bella, let's leave the children to their own vices." I gave Bella a kiss and then watched as they walked out the door.

"Hey grandfather. Can I talk to you?" He nodded his head and led me to the kitchen. I guess dad saw no more opportunity to embarrass anyone so he left.

"What's on you mind young one?" I hesitated at first because I didn't want to show weakness to my grandfather. I wanted him to be proud of me.

"It's about the battle coming up. I tell Bella that there's no reason to be worried and that we will all be just fine. How can I keep promising her that if I'm starting to not believe it myself?" I hung my head and waited for his answer or disappointment. Which ever came first.

"Look at me Quil." I looked up and met his eyes. "No one can know for sure what the outcome will be. Not even the one with sight. The only thing you can do is keep positive and not add to the worry. I'm not going to promise that people wont get hurt. They probably will. I can promise that you will not lose the ones you hold dear. The fates are not that cruel." What he told me made sense. Was I still going to worry, yes. Would I let it ruin the last few days we had for certain, no.

"I can't lose her grandfather. I wouldn't survive. I can't breath unless I'm with her. I can't concentrate if I don't know where she is. It scares me to know that it could all be ripped from me in an instant. I wish I was as confident as Sam." I bashed my head on the table and let it just sit there.

"Quil, do you honestly think that Sam's not scared? That he's not worried about losing people? You two are alike in that you want to keep up the tough guy front when inside you are both scared boys. It's called being human." He was right.

"You're right. Thank you. And thank you for loving and accepting Bella into the family. It means a lot to me." I got up and gave him a hug.

"I knew the first time you brought her home that she was going to be part of this family. She loved you before she realized it. Trust me. I know." With that he headed off to bed. Bella wouldn't be home until late so I decided to head to bed myself.

I laid there for who knows how long. I thought about all the good times Bella and I have had up to this point. Most people wouldn't say that the day we went to the meadow was one of the best days. It was probably one of mine. Oddly enough. It was when Bella told me she loved me and I her. My favorite memory though is from a few weeks ago. Right after all this started.

**Flashback**

The pack had decided to have a picnic on the beach with our imprints and family. We couldn't have asked for better weather. It was in the 70's and the sun was shining bright. The Cullen's had agreed to cover our patrols so we could spend some time together. They really weren't that bad.

We had just got done playing a game of volleyball and were sitting down watching the girls play in the water. We all just sat back and watched as they dunked each other and laughed. Everyone was so carefree. Happy and laughing. The guys all shared glances and grins. Before the girls knew what hit them, we were in the water with them over our heads. Yes, we dropped them.

The rest of the day continued pretty much in the same manner. At one point I just sat back and watched Bella interact with all her brothers and Leah. She truly did bring out the best in all of us. Sam actually acted like the 22 year old he actually was. Paul and Bella were a force to be reckoned with though. The only thing worse than those two together was simply throwing Emmett into the mix.

The day was perfect. A family bonding with each other and sharing laughs. No person could ask for a better day. We ended up leaving at sunset and went our separate ways. I walked Bella back to Sam and Emily's and said good night. I fell asleep that night with a smile on my face and thoughts of my future with Bella.

**End Flashback**

I decided that I couldn't wait to start a family with Bella. Not anytime soon but I knew there was a future. I couldn't wait to raise our kids with this family. I want my kids to know the closeness a family should have. The love and support that family should have for each other. I couldn't wait. I closed my eyes and pictured my future. With Bella.

I must have dozed off because I woke up when I felt the bed sink next to me. I rolled over to see my angel crawling under the covers and snuggling into my side. I put my arms around her and was confused as to why she was in my bed. This usually wasn't allowed.

"Your mom said it was okay. She trusts us to be responsible. She could just tell that we needed each other. Do you mind?" She looked worried about what I would say. I just chuckled and kissed her deeply.

"I don't mind at all. Like I said awhile back, I love waking up with you in my arms and I wouldn't have it any other way." She curled into me tighter and kissed me quickly and then laid her head on my chest.

"Quil, everything will be okay. I realize now that we were meant to have a future together and nothing has the balls to take you away from me. Paul's not even stupid enough to try." She let out a giggle and closed her eyes.

"You're stuck with me. Remember that. And sadly you're stuck with Paul too." Even though her eyes were closed, I knew she was rolling her eyes.

"I love you Skuttle. With all that I have."

"And I love you Kitten. More than you know."


A/N:So what do we think? The next chapter will be action packed and dramatic. I wont make you wait as long cause I really have no excuse anymore. Please leave me lot's of love and I PROMISE to answer them all. Unless it won't let me.