A/N : Hey everyone...sorry this chapter took so long. I haven't been near a computer for weeks. Don't expect any more updates any time soon, though, because I'm going on vacation tomorrow and won't be back until september. I might have time to post a few chapters while I'm there, but if I don't, don't get mad at me. I have about three or four more chapters written, but I need some time to type them.

With the single loud thump that echoed through the spacious rooms of the house, the entire atmosphere shifted drastically. The easy feeling of exhausted relief gave way instantly to the tense, edgy alertness that I'd grown accustomed to. Edward leapt up, an angry snarl already building in the back of his throat. I shivered at what I expected to happen next. Edward took my arm firmly and led me down the stairs into the bright openness of the main floor, where the rest of the vampires had already formed a protective circle with an empty space in the middle. Edward thrust me forward and I stumbled into the empty space, feeling slightly disoriented.

Carlisle stepped out of the circle towards the door calmly, his face a mask of courteous indifference. All of the Cullens held expressions similar to his, unwilling to betray the raging turmoil boiling inside. The only indication that anything was unusual was the protective stance that each member of the family had taken in an attempt to ensure my safety. As Carlisle slowly twisted the doorknob, I cringed, not sure whether to expect a single enemy, such as Victoria, or the entire army of the Volturi sent on a mission to destroy us all. I knew my own features must have been giving away the fear that the Cullens chose to hide.

When the door swung open, however, I let out a gasp of intense relief. The figure standing on the other side of the threshold was not a cruel and bloodthirsty vampire and certainly not an army of them. It was none other than Jacob Black, looking very angry, but otherwise exactly the same as the last time that I had seen him - tall, strong and rugged.

"Jake!" I cried enthusiastically. I tried thoughtlessly to push past Esme and go greet Jake, but she held me back.

In my excitement, I had momentarily forgotten about the tense atmosphere. Now, however, I was uncomfortably aware of the stares of six angry vampires and one angry werewolf.

"What are you all doing?" I demanded. "Oh, this is ridiculous, I know you hate each other, but I don't need protection, Jake's not going to hurt me and there is not going to be a fight. I know you all too well and you wouldn't do that to me."

Esme shook her head. "Sorry, Bella," she whispered, her eyes downcast in shame.

"Let me go," I pleaded, "Edward, tell her to let me go!"

"You can't talk to him anymore, Bella. I'm so sorry." He too refused to meet my gaze as I stared at him, hurt and confused.

I glanced at Jake apologetically, but he looked away obstinately and addressed Carlisle instead.

"I've brought a message from the pack." He declared evenly, with no trace of nervousness, despite his surroundings and the fact that he was outnumbered six to one.

"Well, let's hear it and be done with it," Carlisle said impatiently, in a rude tone I would never have expected of him.

"You've broken the rules. Our treaty is broken. You have three weeks to prepare yourselves for battle. If I were you, I would surrender." His voice took on a cocky malice. "We have friends joining us from all over the continent. There's even a pack coming over from Europe. Too bad vampires are such solitary creatures," he smirked, "I doubt you even have friends of your own kind."

I stood there, shocked, grappling for words.

"What are you talking about, Jake?" I stammered, "Why? Why are you doing this?"

"I can't stop this, Bella," he told me, with just the slightest trace of regret, "Not even for you. They've crossed the line. You must understand that, Bella. I can't believe you went along with the whole thing. "

"What do you mean?" I asked, "I don't understand what this is all about!"

Jake's expression turned from soft and apologetic to clear, exposed fury.

"YOU HAVEN'T TOLD HER?" he roared at the Cullens.

"She's sick!" Edward snapped, "She's been locked in a cell for a month being tortured by a psychopathic vampire who wants her dead! Do you think she needs any extra stress right now? I'm trying to protect her and if you care about her, you'll do the same."

"Right," Jake snarled, "Because we all know you always have her best interests at heart. Who do you think was protecting her when you were off on the other side of the world, leaving her here to fall apart completely?"

When Edward was unable to reply to this, Rosalie was the one to jump in.

"Don't pretend you have any idea what was going on in our lives then!" she hissed coldly, "You have no idea what his motives were. My brother is a good person! He was only trying to give her the chance to live a normal life. None of us knew what the outcome would be."

"Oh, well, why didn't he just ask your little resident psychic?" Jake demanded, "There are no excuses for what he did to her. It was just plain cruelty! That's the problem with you guys. Once your hearts stop beating, you feel free to walk all over everyone else's."

"Enough," Carlisle broke in sternly, "You delivered your message, now get out!"

"Not before you tell her," he insisted.

"Tell me what?" I was afraid of the answer.

"Nothing," said Edward, in a tone that was meant to be reassuring, "I'll tell you when you're feeling better. You should lie down, Bella, you're trembling." He reached out to carry me to the couch, but I drew back, afraid.

"Edward, you have to tell me," I begged.

"She has a right to know, Cullen, he's her father!" Jacob snapped.

"Charlie? What's wrong with Charlie?" I demanded frantically, 'What happened, Edward?"

"He's fine, Bella, I swear," Edward told me quietly, trying to take my hand. I pulled away sharply, and Edward shot Jacob a look of pure loathing.

"Then why did Jake come here? What did you do to my dad?" I screamed, panicked, my voice rising several octaves.

"Bella, you have to understand, it was Charlie's choice. He wanted us to do this. We were all only trying to keep you safe."

"But what did you do? I don't understand," I whimpered softly.

"Bella, Charlie is…one of us now," Edward told me slowly, reluctantly.

"One of…you mean…he's- he's a" I muttered confused half-sentences, until Jake supplied his version.

"He's a filthy bloodsucker, just like them. You won't be able to see him anymore, Bella. He's completely wild….a monster."

My eyes widened in shock and I turned to flee up the stairs. No one moved to block my escape this time, and I was free to lock myself in Edward's room to try and make sense of what had happened. It wasn't the fact that they had changed Charlie that bothered me so intensely. When I thought about it for a long time, I could even understand the mentality of it. Charlie was at risk, in danger. Now that he was a vampire, he was safe and no longer vulnerable. But for Edward to keep it from me like that was inexcusable. And they had taken no precautions in regards to the treaty. Now we not only had the entire Volturi after us, but the Quileutes as well. I had never felt so hopeless.

When I finally let Edward come in to see me, he looked terrible.

"Bella, I'm so, so sorry. Really, you don't know how much I wish I had told you or even consulted you first. It wasn't fair to you. That's not how I wanted you to find out."

After a long talk, I found myself forgiving him, simply because he was Edward and I knew he would never intentionally hurt me. Once he was forgiven, it was even harder to accept that he would soon be going to war against the werewolves, even though I knew that all seven Cullens would be needed to fight alongside whatever allies they managed to acquire. I still had no idea what was in store for me while they were at battle, but it didn't seem like the right time to ask. I didn't want to have any more things to worry about while I was recovering.

And, it seemed, I had a lot to recover from. Carlisle came in to examine me and, in addition to my external injuries, I was suffering from dehydration, malnutrition and pneumonia. I slept most of the time, and wished I were sleeping the rest of the time. It hurt when I moved, breathed, coughed, and sneezed. It hurt to exist. I don't think I would have gotten through it at all if Edward hadn't been there for me constantly, ensuring that I had everything I could possibly need. He left once, to hunt, and everyone else was left with strict instructions to check on me every half hour and be there in less than a second if I asked for them. Under the meticulous care of all these vampires, I slowly began to heal, and, after a week, found that I was well enough to get up and start doing things again. But at the same time, I realized there were only two weeks remaining until the war would begin.