A/N: As always I do not own anything but the plot.

Chapter ten - look what the cat dragged in

Bella's POV

Texas was beautiful and the fact that Peter and Charlotte's house was nowhere near humans was even better. I could walk beside the lake without fear of being seen, I could swim and bathe without having to worry about any human stumbling upon me. Their house was beautiful its self it wasn't as big as the Cullen's house, wasn't as grand as the Volturi's castle but it was somewhere I'd dreamed of living since I was a little girl. It was medium in size, a cabin of sort's three stories, four bedrooms, three bathrooms and a barn out back. It wasn't modern, it wasn't anything spectacular but it felt homely and most importantly, like a home.

"Hey B, we're going for a hunt, want to join? All that bunny blood has got to have you hoping at the idea of fresh human?" I knew he was joking, it was the same joke he'd use every time he came to visit, whether it be the bear blood gets me grizzly, the fish blood - ew - has me watering at the mouth and the lion blood had my stomach roaring in pain, they were stupid jokes really but I couldn't help smile at every one he made.

"Can you handle what will happen?" I wasn't sure if I was right but part of me knew that even a drop of human blood would have the part of me that I buried away break free, screaming and killing as it went. I had control of the Goddess now and wanted it to stay that way.

"I'll see you later then," he smirked and ran, taking Charlotte's hand and leaving me in front of the lake as the sun set.

Peter's POV

We've been here three days now, and each day I would try and work up the nerve to tell Bella that tomorrow she'll be coming face to face with the Cullen's, people who'd abandoned her, left her for dead essentially and dammed her to this life. But I just couldn't do it, I couldn't bring myself to tell her, I knew if I spoke the words she would react badly, the goddess would come out and I knew I had to keep it in until they came face to face, whatever the consequences of that choice are. I needed to get control of the situation when it arrived, I had to be at my full strength in order to save some, if not all of the Cullen's.

"What do you think she'll do when she sees them?" Charlotte asked as she squeezed my hand slightly, I knew she was worried, not about her life, not about the Cullen's but about Bella's emotional state, I wasn't exactly sure what this was going to do to her, but that little nagging feeling I got whenever something was going to happen to me or to someone I loved was telling me to keep quiet and that it was important that I do.

"I don't know," I shrugged but continued to run further past villages and towards the town.

"We should tell her, she needs to know." I shook my head, I'd told her that wasn't a good idea a thousand times and each time she would say the same thing, that we needed too and that Bella deserved to know.

"Just trust me okay? Garrett is coming tomorrow with them, he'll be able to stop her from going straight for their throats and buy them some time but we need to be there to support her, no matter what happens." she nodded as we reached the town, splitting up and hunting down our own prey, we needed to be prepared for tomorrow or all hell was going to break loose, I could feel it.

Bella's POV

It wasn't till sunrise that Charlotte and Peter returned, I was looking forward to today, since arriving Char had been complaining about the clothes I was wearing, given pants suits, pencil skirts and tight dresses weren't the best thing to wear in a place as hot as Texas when you wanted to fit in, you know in case any humans did wander too far from the road, but seven years of wearing formal and business looking clothes and nothing else will kind of limit your wardrobe choices. I'd explained this so Charlotte had promised that today she would take me shopping in town for some 'decent' clothes, lending me some of her own to wear there.

I was both a little nervous and excited to be honest, when I was human I didn't care about shopping or clothes or anything like that, but when I was turned I found I did, I liked to go shopping even if I was refused and was talked out of doing so, I liked to wear nice clothes because I liked the way they made me feel and being able to choose my own instead of someone choosing for me was a bonus. So as soon as the pair came running through the woods I was there, a huge smile on my face ready and waiting.

"Someone's eager?" She laughed as she took my hand and pulled me towards house, "let's both get changed and we'll head out." So we went to her room where I was handed a pair of extremely tight and short shorts and a black vest top. "Put these on." I did as I was told, slipping off my dress and pulling on the shorts and vest top, smiling at the way the rough denim and lose fabric felt against my skin, before walking towards the mirror and turning a little to observe just how short these shorts were.

"Err Char, do you not have anything a little longer?" you could see everything; well I guess not everything, the denim ended just underneath my cheeks, but still enough to make me pull at them.

"Nope, they look good on you, now put these on," she handed me a long box and I walked to the bed before I pulled of the lid and almost gasped at the pair of beautiful black cowboy boots that were sat inside of the tissue paper. "Peter and I bought them a few years back and were waiting for you to actually be here before we gave them you, like them?"

"Love them," I wrapped my arms around her before I stepped back and pulled the boots onto my feet, loving the way the material felt against the bottom of my legs. After fluffing my hair out and applying a little lip gloss I was ready to go.

-) -

If I was human, I'd probably be dead.

Charlotte had insisted on going into every single shop we could see, browsing every single clothes rail that was in her sight and then having me try on anything she thought would look 'cute' or 'sexy' on me. I enjoyed our day out don't get me wrong, it was one of those rare days where the sun didn't shine so we could walk around unnoticed and if the sun did peek through a little, well the Volturi took care of that problem a few years back and now the towns folks don't look twice at us models who are trying out a new skin scream to make our skin sparkle some. Plus with my help I could tone the sparking down some to just a faint glimmer.

"Are we done yet? I'm a vampire and even I'm exhausted!" I complained for the fifth time that day as we made our way back to Peter's truck, the one he said we would probably need cause Charlotte likes to go overboard, at the time I thought he was joking, apparently not.

"Fine, plus it may be good to get back, Garrett and some friends will be here shortly, they may even be here now," I looked at her then as I climbed into the passenger seat after loading the bags into the back as well as the back seats, there was something off with the way she said friends, I had known Char for a long time now, well seven years and I knew when something was off.

"Who are these friends?" we were driving back now and I wasn't sure if it was what she was saying or the fact that I needed to hunt that had me on the edge of my seat with nerves.

"Huh? Oh remember the Major? Just him and his coven," she smiled and sent a little wink while I sat with my eyes wide. I'd heard stories of the Major, the God off war, Major Jasper Whitlock, I'd giggled to myself the first time I'd heard that his name was indeed Jasper, I had pictured Jasper Cullen tearing people apart and being the man in the stories I'd heard and the thought was amusing to me, the Jasper I knew seemed so closed off, so shy that to share the same name with someone as scary as the Major was just, well it still makes me smile. I was fascinated though, Major Whitlock is someone I always wanted to meet, to have someone who had another side to their personality like I do was astonishing, the brother's refused me of course, so as soon as I met Peter and Charlotte I made them promise that someday they would introduce us.

I was becoming excited now, not only was Garrett coming, someone who I considered a brother, but the Major and we were getting closer and closer to the ranch.

"When will they be here?" we'd just turned onto the drive and was exiting the car when I smelt it, Garrett was closest his smell was something that confused me, growing up and being the Chief's daughter you got used to the smell of gun fire and the smell of bullets, I didn't understand why his scent would be similar to those, it was only a year back that he explained that he was a man of war and it just stuck. There were seven with him close behind, I didn't recognise their scent they weren't vampire's I had met in Italy but as I tried to familiarise myself something struck me and almost, almost had my mouth watering.

Towards the centre and closest to Garrett was the most enticing scent I have ever come across, honey, bunt wood and fresh grass, smells I considered homely, it was to these smells I was drawn to and if Charlotte hadn't been stood with me I probably would have ran towards it.

"Hey B," Peter came behind me and whispered in my ear, knowing our guests could probably hear him if he spoke at full volume, "I heard that Garrett has been saying that you're losing your touch, that you can't sneak up on a fly never mind him." I knew he was goading me, knew that Garrett and I liked to play pranks and tricks on one another, the newest one to our game was who could attack who without the other knowing.

"It's on," I shot back and I zipped into the woods and towards the side I knew Garrett would be, I was slightly distracted by the scent of the others but that didn't matter now, my target was Garrett and he was going down.

I pulled back slightly when he came into my view, noting for a second that the others had dropped back and out of my sight, shaking the stab of disappointment away I moved forward slowly, as he moved towards the tree line I moved towards him, as he took his first step out into the open I pounced and landed on his back with a laugh of glee.

"Shit!" he cursed as he swung around to try and get a grip.

"Who's losing their touch now Garry?" I sung while laughing knowing exactly how much he hated that name.

"Fine, will you get down now?"

"Nope," he'd stopped walking in the middle of the field and for the first time I noticed that not only was Peter and Charlotte stiff but so was Garrett, "what's wrong?" I wondered and was instantly on high alert, I couldn't sense anyone that shouldn't be there, I could smell and sense that the ones he travelled with were now stood directly behind us and if I turned my head I could see them. Then I realised something, I was on top of Garrett and had yet to address them."Fuck, sorry," I hoped down, straightened my clothes, put a smile on my face and turned around.

Jasper's POV

The closer we got to Peter's and Charlotte's the edgier I got, it didn't help when Garrett met up with us a few miles back and informed us that he was sent to help. The way he said it didn't sound like he was helping us with the Volturi but was helping us with something that was going to happened when we arrived, his emotions were running wild, worry, concern, eagerness, happiness, sadness, one after the other they came and went as each thought passed through his head, after a while I blocked it out and focused on things around me.

I missed Texas, home, I missed being in a place I linked to my human life, I also missed my brother and sister and was eager to see them again

I was so focused on everything around me and the emotions of my family that when a vampire jumped at Garrett I was stunned and stopped in my tracks as the most beautiful laugh filled the air.

"Shit," I smirked, it had been a long time since Garrett was caught off guard that even I couldn't till the last second and even then he could sense my presence.

"Who's losing their touch now Garry?" I wasn't sure what was happening, the laugh itself had me wanting to laugh along with her without the need to understand the joke, but the vampire's voice had me taking steps towards it just to stand closer just to hear it up close something that's never happened in the presence of another and especially unfamiliar vampire.

"Fine, will you get down now?" he huffed as the family gathered around me all wanting to get a closer look.

"Nope," they'd stopped in the middle of the field now, "what's wrong?" a strange urge came over me as I looked around trying to figure out what had caused her stress, wanting desperately to remove it so I could hear her laughter again. But noting was amiss which was unnerving as she was noticing something that I couldn't. "fuck, sorry," I watched as she jumped of his back and took a breath I knew she didn't need, then straightened out her clothes and turned around towards us.

I stood frozen for a moment as she turned fully towards me, the sight of her knocking my breath away, not only for the familiarity of her but because as a vampire she was glorious! She'd grown during the transformation making her slightly taller than before, but not only that but her curves had grown into womanly ones, an arugulas figure being flaunted in shorts and a vest top leaving little to the imagination, oh but how my imagination could imagine nothing but those cowboy boots, I stopped myself and continued to stare, her face had become more defined, her cheekbones standing out a little, and her lips fuller and more pouty. None of this surprised me though, as a human she was always beautiful but as a vampire she was fully developed to how she would have been given a few more years and womanhood. What did surprised me was her hair, no vampire, none that I'd ever heard of or met had grey hair, not the grey you would see on an elderly lady, but a gun metal grey that flowed all the way to the middle of her back, not only this though but her eyes, a buttery gold that had red around the edges, a red that was becoming more and more pronounced with each second she stared at us.

"Bella?" I almost cursed aloud when Edward stepped forward and towards her knowing that he would only make this situation worse, also fighting down the part of me that was telling me not to let him near her, "is that really you?" my eyes flashed from Bella to Edward and then back again not knowing what to do or what was about to happen.

No one answered him though, we all knew this was Bella, who could deny the scent of strawberries and cinnamon that was filling the air a scent I'd been drawn too since day one, we were all kicking ourselves that we hadn't picked it up but no one was expecting this.

"Peter," I heard Garrett call as he slowly backed away from Bella's still form, "she needs you," I felt it before I heard it, the low growl that was rippling up through my throat and past my teeth at the words, confused at my action I pushed it down, swallowing as I remained still, watching with narrowed eyes as Peter approached her slowly as if, well as if she could hurt him.

"B," he placed his hand on her shoulder as another growl built in my throat, "they can't hurt you now," I heard Garrett snort silently but my eyes never left this, well goddess, "why don't we all head inside so we can talk?"

She closed her eyes for a moment as a stab of disappointment ran through me, I wasn't sure if it was my own or not, my attention was elsewhere so when Edward spoke once more I was caught off guard.

"Love?" I watched as her eyes snapped open and red stared back at us, what happened next none of us was prepared for.

"Bella?" Peter questioned whilst taking a small step back getting a good look at her eyes, "well shit."

"Bella? What's happening to her?" Edward needed to stop talking; I didn't need Peter's powers to know that he was the cause of this change in her.

"That isn't Bella anymore, and if I were you, I'd run!"Peter's words confused me once more, I hated this feeling and would be demanding answers shortly, but as I watched I saw a slow twisted smirk cross Bella's face and watched from the corner of my eye as Edward took the hint and ran, she didn't move though, the smirk was still in place as it grew wider and I with wide eyes I continued to watch as she lifted her hand and Edward stopped in his tracks like a wall was blocking him from moving.

"Leaving so soon?" a husky note was added to Bella's voice as she twisted her hand and brought Edward back to stand in front of her.

"This must be her gift; she's still young but look at how powerful it is!" Carlisle whispered.

"She's going to hurt him, you have to stop her," Esme begged Peter who in return shrugged his shoulders and watched on, concern clouding his emotions, not for Edward but for Bella.

"You see Eddie," she snarled his name causing all our attention to turn back to her, "I'm not your love, I have never and will never be your love again, you saw to that when you took your family and ran without so much as a fuck you or goodbye," his eyes went wide as she lifted him higher and higher of the ground, his hands clawing at his neck as if his airways were blocked, venom dripping slowly down his arm as if it was being tore from its socket "this is just a little something of what I, of what we can do, you call me love or even talk to me ever again well," a sinister laugh made its way through her tight lips as she lifted her other hand, clicked her finger and as if by magic a flame expanded from her fingers, "this is what will await you and don't think anyone can stop me, you'll be dead before they even try, do you understand?" he nodded his head furiously as she dropped him to the ground, dropping to her knees also.

Peter was by her side in a flash, "Bella?"

"Yeah, I tired Pete," a dry sob escaped her and again the urge to comfort her rose.

"I know, at least you didn't kill him, but I think you should let the others go don't you?" He lifted her to her feet as she flicked her wrist, I noticed then that it wasn't that I didn't want to move to help her or even Edward, it was because I couldn't, "come on, I have a feeling we need to talk, we all have a lot of explaining to do." They turned their backs to us as Peter, Charlotte and Garrett walked with Bella towards their home, looking as close to a family as one could.

A/N: So I am really sorry about the delay, it was hard writing this chapter, then for the past three weeks I have had a throat, chest and lung infection so I have been really ill.

Anyway good news! I finish Uni in exactly 10 days so I will have all my time to write this" which means I can update sooner.

Also I know I did a lot of jumping from POV to POV but it's cause some didn't make sense in other's so.

Still so ill so I am sorry if there's any mistakes you see, but for now I shall get ready to go to the boyfriends, he's looking after me cause I'm till ill.

Until next time,

Jess

x