Disclaimer: I do not own anything that you recognize. Everything that seems new probably is, and that makes it my own creation.
A/N: Thanks for the reviews my people. They make me happy.
So, my updates aren't happening as often as I would like them too – but that is because I have been busy, and I am making every effort to get the chapters out as quickly as I can, and I do apologize if I am taking too long for anyone.
A quick note to the annoying flamers – please at the least use your account (if you have one) to criticize my story. I had a warning at the very beginning regarding the content of this story. It was your own choice to read on. Constructive criticism is fine, I appreciate it, but please do not be an annoying pain in the ass and flame my story. It is not appreciated, and I would never do it to you – if you don't like this, it is simple really – Don't read it, thanks!
On a happier note – for those of you who like this story, I thank you. And for all of you I have the next chapter, and of course we are back to Edward's POV.
- Edward's POV -
Embry's small house looms in the distance as we drive aggressively through the tight roads of La Push.
"Is that his house?" I ask, looking over at Jacob and pointing to a small brick house on the corner of a no through road
"Yeah, that is his place. Just park on the grass" he answers, attempting a half smile at me.
My poor Jacob is hurting, he likes to act strong and in control as often as he can – but I have an all access pass in to his head. I know he is worried about what will happen when the Volturi arrive tomorrow – I know he is scared for our daughter's well being, as well as mine.
My thoughts are very similar – but mine run deeper due to my natural protective nature – I do not want Jacob involved in all of this at all. I would much rather have him and Sarah leave, to get as far from Forks as possible.
I know I could make that happen if I wished – I know that as his imprint Jacob has no choice but to listen to me. If I make a demand of sorts then I know he has no choice but to follow it.
But I just can't do that – I know he wants to be there when they arrive, and I know he is strong enough to take care of himself if the time comes. But the idea of telling him to run with Sarah is intriguing – I would like nothing more than to do that, but I know I won't because it will hurt Jacob, and that is the last thing I want to do – ever.
"Hey guys, what are you doing here?" Embry calls, running to meet us on the front lawn as we get out of the small silver Volvo
"We need to talk to you" Jacob answers, walking past Embry and taking a seat on the small wooden seat on the front porch
Oh god, what did I do? Are they going to tell me that they want me nowhere near Sarah?
"This is regarding Sarah, yes, but you are not on the right track with thinking we are going to try and stop you from seeing her – on the contrary we are here to talk to you about running away if the time calls for it when the Volturi arrive" I say, shaking his thoughts from my head
"Yeah, Jacob talked to me about that. He told me that if it escalates in to a fight that I need to run – to keep running – until I know that Sarah and I are safe" Embry says, sighing deeply as he takes the other small wooden seat
"I have some stuff for you" Jacob says, reaching in to his back pocket and pulling a forged passport and an envelope of cash out and handing them to Embry, who smiles sadly over at his old friend
"Do you really think it will get to that?" he asks, looking between both me and Jacob.
I really don't want it to get to that – I am hoping that we can discuss this like civil vampires and not have to resort to violence – Bella will be there, Alice had seen her – and although I am not in love with Bella, I do not want to hurt her, I still care deeply for her.
"We don't know, but we are not going to take any chances" I answer
Embry nods knowingly before taking the money and passports that Jacob had for him.
Jacob takes my hand and we head back to the car after a quick goodbye to Embry.
We pull up just outside our house – my entire family is standing there, all of them on edge and anxious.
"Edward, Jacob, we are glad you guys are back – you need to get in to contact with the pack. They are almost here, in about four hours they will arrive. We thought we had more time, but we don't" Alice explains, shaking her head and opening the door for Jacob before he even reaches for the handle.
The Volturi are almost here – and Jacob has not even had time to perfect all of his abilities. We have not had enough time with Sarah. This has all moved so quickly – how did we get it so wrong? Did they know Alice would be on watch and decide to trick us?
"I will phase and contact whoever is on patrol now" Jacob says, scrunching his hands and eyes tightly before heading off in to the surrounding forest. The loud crack of him phasing in to his giant wolf form fills the air. It is normally a sound that does not bother me – but for some reason that loud crack seems to scream 'this is all starting now'.
The rest of us head up to the main house, a sombre feeling in the air – it is tense, we all think this could turn out bad, even though we don't want it too, and none of us want to admit it either.
"So, do we have a plan then?" Emmett asks, taking a seat on the couch – he looks so relaxed – he really wouldn't mind if this ended up in a huge fight
"We are going to talk to them, hopefully we can show Aro all of our thoughts and memories and he will see that Sarah is not harmful at all. But after that, I think we might have to fight. We will have the pack at the ready. That much we know, and Edward has his newborn strength but his old mind. So he will have a huge advantage. I just really do not want it to come to that – I don't relish the thought of killing the Volturi" Carlisle sighs, taking a seat on the couch next to Emmett
Sam is getting in contact with the others. They will be here in about ten minutes
"Jacob has told Sam – they will be here in about ten minutes" I explain to the family as Jacob thoughts enter my brain
Edward, I love you so much. I love Sarah so much – I really hope this is all works out ok
I smile to myself at Jacob's thoughts – he is amazing.
Jacob enters the house and stands just behind me, looking down at me and smiling
Do you think we could get in one more lay before the idiots get here?
"Jacob" I hiss, causing everyone to turn and look at us in confusion
"What secret are you two sharing?" Alice asks, raising her dark eyebrows at us
"I was just wondering if we have time for one more – uh – love making session before the leeches get here" Jacob answers easily, completely unembarrassed – I guess he would be used to it all by now with Emmett constantly having something to say about our sex life.
Jacob's pack brothers are fast approaching – the sounds of their heavy paws on the ground growing louder by the second
Incoming Qui calls, his voice echoing through my head.
"Hey guys" Jacob calls, opening the large door to allow entrance to his 'family'
"Jake, sorry about all this man" Jared says, giving Jacob a loud clap on the shoulder
"You have nothing to be sorry for man, this is all the damn bloodsuckers fault" Jacob says, smiling weakly over at his friend.
We all gather around the marble table in the kitchen, desperate to formulate a plan for the arrival of the Volturi.
"I think you guys should be in the woods nearby, within hearing distance, but not smelling distance, if that is at all possible" Jasper says, his voice entirely in army battle mode now
"Ok, Paul, Jared, heard out there now – phase – and get as far as you can until you can only just hear what we are saying in here. But make sure you can see the house from your positions as well. We will inform you when you return if the scent thing is a hit or miss" Jasper adds, nodding toward Paul and Jared who rush out of the front door.
The loud crack of their bodies phasing fills the air and slowly their scent lightens as they head off in the eastern direction of our house.
"Now, if this works the way I am hoping it will then all of us Cullen's are going to have to mask the packs scent. We don't want one of the Volturi, or their guard to discover the pack by following their scents" Jasper says, pacing up and down in front of the kitchen bench.
"Carlisle you will have to greet them when they arrive, along with Esme. We will all wait patiently inside until you invite them in – they may not enter the house without their protection, and if that is the case, we will head out in an instant" Jasper continues, placing his hand under his chin in thought
"Now, I understand that you guys have already spoken to Embry about Sarah?" he asks, turning toward Jacob and me before roaming his eyes over to his now peacefully sleeping niece on the white couch
"Embry has been told what has to happen if this escalates in to a fight, yes" I answer, smiling down at my child before turning my full attention back to Jasper
"Well, in that case, Embry, you will have to be inside as well. We can't afford having to wait for you to get here and take her away if this does escalate in to a fight" Jasper commands, nodding in Embry's direction.
Do you think they can still smell us dude?
I sure hope not Jared, normally I would be gunning for a fight with a stupid leech, but for Jacob, and Edward's sake, as well as the sake of that little girl, I really hope it doesn't turn in to anything of the sort this time.
I smile slightly at the sound of Jared and Paul's conversation in my head – I would have never imagined a day where the resident pack hot head – Paul – would not want to fight and kill some of my kind.
"Guys you can come back now" Quil calls from outside the window, looking to see if he can spot the two giant wolves as Jasper had just commanded.
Paul and Jared enter through the front door, looking eagerly around at the people in the room
"It was a success, we could not see or smell you, we will have to mask your scent's with our own so that they cannot follow the direct trail to you, but other than that it seems like a success" Jasper answers, not needing for them to ask the question.
"So, we all have a role to play. Edward and Jacob will have to remain calm because you are the two who could cause this to escalate in to a fight" Jasper says, looking over at the two of us "and, don't look at me like that Jacob" he adds, smiling at the disgusted look on my husband's face
"Carlisle and Esme will act as the ever hospitable hosts – they will allow Aro, Marcus and Caius in to the house – perhaps Bella as well – but everybody else will have to remain outside" Jasper explains, going over one more time roughly what is expected of us all.
"Alice, Rosalie, Emmett and I will remain inside unless the Volturi do not wish to come in alone, and then we will head outside" he says
"The pack will all be in hiding, Paul and Jared will show you where" he says, nodding at Sam and Quil
"Embry you are going to remain close to Sarah the entire time. You may play a key role in this, as will you Jacob and Edward" Jasper says, effectively confusing us all.
"What do you mean; key role?" Embry asks, his face contorted in to one of confusion
"What I mean is that Marcus has that uncanny ability to sense the bonds between people. I know there is nothing stronger then the bond between a wolf and his imprint. So, if Caius or Aro look like they want to escalate this in to something more then we want, we will concentrate on Marcus. I know the last time they were here – when they learnt about Jacob's new abilities and relationship with Edward – Marcus was almost bored, he didn't seem to want any part of this, and I think that is because he sensed the bond between you two. I am hoping that he will also sense that bond between you and Sarah and he will be more inclined to persuade the others to leave it be" Jasper explains, much to the admiration of Carlisle.
"I, of course, will be helping with keeping everybody calm. I have never had to concentrate on keeping that many people calm before, but I have been practicing, and I think I can do it. If not, I know I can concentrate on those who are losing control slightly, hopefully stopping this from heading in to real battle territory" Jasper adds, smiling when Carlisle claps him on the back and whispers how proud he is for coming up with all of this in to his ear.
"So, we have it all pretty much planned, but what happens if it does turn in to a fight?" Emmett asks, clearly being the only one game enough to ask such a thing when we are all trying to remain optimistic
"If it turns in to a fight then we go for the kill" he says, shaking his head, clearly not relishing that thought "and I mean we kill them all" he adds, looking over at Jacob and me and offering us a weak smile.
I had almost forgotten about Bella until that point – and Jasper has just reminded us that if we need to – in order to protect our daughter, my husband, my family and Jacob's pack – we might have to kill Bella.
"I just thought of something" I say, looking over at Jasper, who automatically gives me his undivided attention "what if Bella has vampiric abilities of her own? If she does, and this happens to turn brutal, we don't know what we are up against"
The air in the room seems to get thicker at that point, and everyone's thoughts are assaulting my head
Wow, I thought of everything else, except that.
I sure hope she has no powers; I don't want them to have an unfair advantage.
I don't want to hurt Bella, she was my friend. I can't even imagine how Jacob and Edward must be feeling about this.
Now we really need to pray this doesn't turn in to a blood bath.
"Can you all please quieten your thoughts down, I am having trouble even singling out individuals in their" I sigh, placing my fingertips on my temples.
Jacob wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me against him – his heart is racing at a million miles an hour. It almost sounds like he is close to having a heart attack.
"Do you think Bella will have some sort of powers?" Embry asks, sighing heavily as he slumps down on to a nearby chair.
My mind races back to how Bella was always immune to my powers. I could never read her thoughts. It was as though she was on a different radio frequency, like she was on a channel that my head could not pick up.
This makes me almost positive she will have some form of vampire power. If she was that strong as a human I can only begin to imagine the kind of power she may have as a vampire.
"I think she will have some ability, yes" I answer, looking down at my hands before turning my eyes up to Jacob.
He looks sad, and determined at the same time – he has a look that screams 'I just want this over with so I can get on with my life'.
We spend the rest of the evening going over battle plans and fighting techniques, just in case.
"Guys, we really don't have much time" Alice calls, looking nervously around the room at everyone
"Well, I guess we will see you guys later then, hopefully not in a battle sense" Sam says, shaking hands with everyone in the room – Paul, Jared and Quil follow suit before all of them head off in the direction that Paul and Jared had went earlier
"Ok, Alice, Rose, and Emmett – can you guys go out and mask the trail to the wolves as much as you can?" Jasper asks, looking over at the three of them. They all take off at the speed of light, leaving only Embry, Jasper, Carlisle, Esme, Jacob, Sarah and myself inside.
The rest of them take off around the house a moment later, leaving Jacob and I alone with our daughter – who is still sleeping peacefully on the white couch.
"Do you think you could do it babe? Kill Bella, I mean?" Jacob asks, taking a seat on the end of the couch and looking over at me
"I think if it came down to a choice between killing Bella and losing you or Sarah, then yes, I could kill her. If she even lays a hand on either of you I will make her pay" I answer, placing myself on the floor near Jacob's feet
"It will be hard though. She was your girlfriend" Jacob says, running his hand along Sarah's delicate cheek as he speaks
"The keyword there is was, she was my girlfriend, but I have you and Sarah now. It will hurt if I do have to kill Bella, or even harm her in anyway, but I know where my loyalties and priorities are" I say, flashing him my crooked smile "what about you love, could you kill her?"
"If she done anything to you or Sarah, sure, in a heartbeat. But like you said, it will hurt. I never even meant to hurt her in the first place, but I did, and I still feel bad for that, even though I know it was out of my control, but I would hurt her again if she dared touch my husband or daughter" he answers, pulling his head down and pressing his warm, soft, tasty lips in to mine
"I am still holding hope that it won't come to that point" I whisper against his lips
Jacob nods his head slightly before dropping down on to the floor and pressing me down in to the soft and fluffy rug in the centre of the room. His body is pressed flush against mine and his hands are tangled tight in to my hair as our tongues battle for domination over one and other.
"Dudes, we are coming in, and we can hear your heavy breathing Jacob, so please stop whatever the hell it is you are doing" Emmett calls before opening the front door, not actually giving us time to separate "Oh, damn, I was hoping to walk in on something much more exciting" he adds, giving us one of his cheeky grins before taking a seat on the armchair beside the couch
Jacob sits up, pulling me with him; he is sitting between my legs, with his head resting back against my chest, his legs outstretched and his arms sitting neatly across his stomach.
"You guys are so cute together" Alice says, smiling happily over at us before snapping a picture – I didn't even see that one coming. Damn, she is getting good at blocking her thoughts from me – or perhaps I am just not as used to them again as I assume I am.
Everyone is back in the living room, laughing and having a good time as Alice takes more candid pictures. Sarah is lying happily on Jacob's stomach, smiling around at everyone in the room.
Alice pulls her camera out again, taking a picture of Jacob and Sarah on the floor before showing me the small LCD screen – it is an adorable picture – one that I will have printed and put in a frame for the house once this is all over and done with.
"We are five minutes from the Cullen residence. I need all of you behind me. We are not there to fight. We will allow explanations first, and if they do not suffice, we will do what needs to be done"
The streets of Forks are a blur in the background as the Volturi, along with their full guard and wives head toward the house. Bella is running among them, her red eyes gleaming in the moonlight.
"They are coming, in five minutes, I just had a vision" Alice cries, causing the mood in the room to turn a lot more serious and sombre.
Jasper directs Embry toward his room in rushed whispers as Jacob quickly pulls himself off of the ground, pulling Sarah closer to him
"I love you honey" he whispers in her ear before pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. She responds by placing her small fists against his cheeks.
Jacob hands Sarah to me before heading over to have a quick conversation with Embry as well.
Sarah's bright green eyes are staring up at me – her bronze hair is fluttering in the slight breeze coming in through the open window and her lightly tanned skin seems to be glowing in the moonlight
"I love you" I whisper, pressing a kiss to her cheek before holding her tight against my chest. Her small hands press up against where my heart would be and she smiles up at me – that same smile that Jacob has. She is a beautiful little girl.
"Are we all ready?" Jasper asks, calmly taking a seat on the couch and flicking the TV to the sports channel
"Good luck guys" Embry says, smiling sadly over at Jacob before taking Sarah from me and heading in the direction of Jasper's bedroom.
Jacob walks over and takes a seat on the white couch, pulling me down in to his lap. His heart is racing again and I can almost feel the waves coming off of him – he is so scared, determined and angry.
"I love you Jacob" I whisper against his ear, running my pale hand through his dark hair
"I love you too, Edward" he whispers, turning to face me – his lips automatically connecting with mine.
The strong smell, now familiar to me, of Aro, Caius and Marcus – as well as the scent from our house before – Bella – is heading directly in our direction, the sound of their feet in the dirt and grass is evident and clear as well, any moment now the Volturi will knock on the door and it will be make or break time.
Ok, so I am sorry if this chapter sucks, but it really couldn't be over exciting, that is for the next few chapters, obviously. I bet you all can't wait to hear what Bella has to say for herself – I know I want to hear that!
Anyway, again I apologize for taking so long; it is just that I have been busy with some stuff lately. Nothing overly exciting unfortunately, but never the less it has to be done – gosh how I wish I could jump in to a fiction life sometimes.
Well anyway, please review and read. Don't be mad that I took so long. I am hoping it won't take me this long anymore, but I can't make any promises. I am just kind of taking it a day at a time at the moment! LOL!
Thanks for sticking with me guys!
PrettyTwisted x0x
