*Hides under desk* Please don't be mad at me. I really didn't mean to take this long. I hope the chapter is good enough to make up for it. Don't hurt me!

Chapter 11

It took me less than half of a second to process what Alice had said and to pick myself up off of the ground.

I was a much faster runner than Alice, so I tossed her up on my back and headed for the house. With an uncertain future for all of us, there was no way I was leaving her in the woods by herself. Her extra weight would slow me down, but we would still get there faster than if I tried to keep pace with her.

In less than two minutes we were back to the house. I actually had to remind myself to turn the doorknob instead of crashing through. The last thing we needed if we were attacked was no front door.

Jasper, sensing our emotions, immediately came over and scooped up Alice of my back. Esme and Emmett gathered around them in order to hear what Alice was saying in regards to our current situation.

I walked into the living room to check on Bella and stopped short in the doorway. All the furniture had been pushed to the sides to make room for the small hospital bed that Bella now lay on. Carlisle was injecting an IV into her left hand and Rosalie was standing on her right side with a worried expression on her face.

"What happened," I asked in a voice that was barely above a whisper.

Rosalie looked up at me and answered. "We were on our way back from the bathroom and she collapsed. I caught her in time, but she hasn't come back around yet."

"Carlisle?" I asked.

"Her body is desperate for the nutrients that the fetus is rejecting. I'm going to try to give them to her intravenously. I don't know if it will work, but I'm running out of options." He finished with the IV and turned to look at me. The expression on his face was one step away from total defeat. I don't know how much longer she can hold on in this condition. I'm sorry but if this doesn't work there will be nothing left that I can to medically.

I felt the tears that could never be shed build up in my eyes. Pinching the bridge of my nose, I filled them in on Alice's vision or lack there of. Not only was it important information, but I needed to distract myself just a bit.

Carlisle left the room to go speak to Esme. As he passed he squeezed my shoulder in and age old display of comfort and support. I'm not giving up. I just want you to be prepared. Esme and I are going to hunt. I want to be here if anything else goes wrong.

As he left the room, I made my way towards Bella's sleeping form. Rosalie backed up to the stairs to give me the illusion of privacy. Far enough away to not be hovering but close enough to intervene if the need arose. I chose to pretend she wasn't there.

I brushed the hair back from Bella's face. It was sticking slightly from sweat, so I called to Alice to bring me a cool wash cloth.

Alice brought the cloth in to me in just a few seconds and I gently wiped her face clean. Once that task was done, I leaned my forehead against hers and closed my eyes. "Don't you leave me, Bella," I whispered. "I need you. This family needs you. If you go, I will follow. I see no other options."

I stood up suddenly as I felt a stirring in my mind followed by Seth's familiar voice.

Edward? Edward, you there? Okay, now I feel kinda stupid. His voice was immediately followed by Jacob's.

You sound stupid, too.

Think he can hear us?

I think so. Hey, Edward. If you can hear me – circle the wagons, bloodsucker. You've got a problem.

We've got a problem.

"Jasper. Emmett," I called.

Both my brothers were at my side before I even turned around. "Something's going on with the pack. Jacob and Seth are on there way here, and they are shouting out that we have a problem. I think they are coming on friendly terms, but on the chance that they are not I need you two with me."

Jasper nodded and Emmett grinned, typical responses for them.

I looked to the rest of my family as they entered the room. "Alice, take the back door just in case. Rosalie, stay with Bella." Everyone agreed with their assignments and Jasper, Emmett, and I headed out to the porch to wait.

After only a few minutes, Jacob and Seth appeared out of the woods. I waited till they were a few feet away before I spoke.

"Jacob? Seth? What's going on?"

I listened and watched quietly as Jacob replayed bits of conversations and images in his mind in reverse order.

He was running through the forest with Seth and Seth thought, I don't think I can fight them either. But they won't be any happier with the idea of attacking us than we are with attacking them. That might be enough to stop them right there. Plus, they're only eight of them now; I'll tell you what I know – I know that it's awful quiet. Haven't you noticed; Wait up. My legs aren't as long as yours.

Going back further I could hear the conversation between Sam and Jacob.

Jacob – you can't turn your back on the tribe.

Ephraim Black's son was not born to follow Levi Uley's.

Do you belong to a coven now, Jacob?

I don't know, Sam. But I do know this – I will stand between you and the Cullens. I won't just watch while the pack kills innocent…people. The pack is better than that. Lead them in the right direction, Sam.

The last thoughts he went through carried no images, just words that rang with the horror that gripped me.

Unnatural. Monstrous. Abomination.

We can't allow it.

Protecting Bella Swan.

The safety of our families, of everyone here, is more important than one human.

We have to kill it before it's too late.

And finally Leah's angry voice: She's dying anyway. We'll just shorten the process.

Fury boiled in blood. I hissed and leapt off the porch, landing in a crouch, ready for any attack that may come. "They want to kill Bella?" I was sure my voice was nothing even remotely human and right then I didn't care.

Apparently, Emmett and Jasper thought I was talking to them and referring to Jacob and Seth, because in the next second they were right beside me ready to attack. I heard Seth's slight panic, and quickly made to remedy the situation.

"Em, Jazz – not them! The others. The pack is coming." They both immediately backed down.

Emmett looked to me. "What's their problem?" he asked.

"The same one as mine, but they have their own plan to handle it. Get the others." Oh, shit! Carlisle and Esme were out hunting. "Call Carlisle! He and Esme have to get back here now."

"They aren't far."

I'm going to go take a look, run the western perimeter, I heard Seth think. I looked over at the young wolf. I like the kid and the last thing I wanted to see was him get hurt.

"Will you be in danger, Seth?" I asked.

Don't think so, they both thought simultaneously. Then Jacob continued, But maybe I should go. Just in case…

They'll be less likely to challenge me. I'm just a kid to them.

You're just a kid to me, kid. Me too.

I'm outta here. You need to coordinate with the Cullens.

Seth took off then and I sent up a silent prayer to keep the kid safe. I really did like him.

I entered a sort of stare off with Jacob while Emmett was inside relaying information to Carlisle. Jasper was worrying about Seth's safety and I heard Alice come out onto the porch. She looked at Jacob, but thought out to me. Bella's condition is still the same and Rosalie is with her. Carlisle and Esme are on their way back and the metal sheeting is down on the back window. I nodded ever so slightly and she made her way to Jasper's side.

I finally broke Jacob and mine's little stare down. "This isn't the first time I've owed you my gratitude, Jacob. I would never have asked this of you."

Yeah, you would.

I almost chuckled internally. "I suppose you're right about that."

Well, this isn't the first time that I didn't do it for you.

Wasn't that the truth? "Right."

Sorry I didn't do any good today. Told you she wouldn't listen to me.

I cringed at the reminder of what I had asked him to do, as well as my collision with the local vegetation via Alice's foot. "I know. I never really believed she would. But…" I didn't really now were to go from there.

You had to try, I get it. She any better?

I thought of Bella lying pale and weak on that hospital bed in the living room, of the IV stuck in her vein. "Worse," was the only word I could get out right then, as pain ripped through me once again.

After a moment of tense silence, Alice spoke up. "Jacob, would you mind switching forms? I want to know what's going on."

I answered for Jacob. "He needs to stay linked to Seth."

"Well, then would you be so kind as to tell me what's happening?" I tried not to be angry at her tone. She was just as scared as I was.

I had to work to keep my emotions from spilling out as I gave her a quick rundown of our current situation. I was focusing so hard on that, that I wasn't completely sure of what all I said to her.

Apparently, I got the point across none the less. Alice let out a hiss that would frighten just about anyone, regardless of her small stature.

Seth came back and began mentally speaking to Jacob.

Nobody out here. All's quiet on the western front.

They may go around.

I'll make a loop.

Emmett came back out side and announced to no one in particular that Carlisle and Esme would be here in no more than twenty minutes.

"We should take up a defensive position," Jasper said. Ever the efficient soldier.

I nodded in agreement. "Let's get inside."

I'll run the perimeter with Seth. If I get too far for you to hear my head, listen for my howl.

"I will."

We back our way into the house, and locked the door. Not that that would stop a wolf, but it might slow them down just a little bit. I pushed Jacob's and Seth's thoughts to the back of my mind. I would notice any warnings, but I just didn't want to listen to their whole conversation. Before too long, they were far enough out that I couldn't hear them.

I moved to Bella's side to wait for whatever would come to pass. Because of the help of the wolves, not that I'm grateful for it, we were flying blind. Our future was now tied with theirs, effectively blocking Alice's visions.

Carlisle and Esme came back soon after, but I didn't leave my vigil at Bella's bedside. Carlisle worked around me to hook up various machines to Bella in order to monitor her. I just watched him with dead eyes.

As Carlisle was finishing up, a sudden howl sounded form somewhere out in the night. I jumped up and ran to the window, reaching out with my mind to try and figure out our exact situation. Emmett and Carlisle ran to the front door while Jasper and Alice headed for the back. Rosalie and Esme took up positions beside Bella.

Finally, I heard Jacob's voice in my head. False alarm, false alarm. Relief and a bit of annoyance washed through me. Sorry. Seth is young. He forgets things. No one's attacking. False alarm. There's nothing out there – you got that?

I nodded and turned back to the room, facing a lot of confused expressions. As I was about to explain, Bella starting moaning in her sleep. She was obviously in pain, even unconscious, and there was nothing I could do. An involuntary shudder crawled up my spine.

Bella was quiet once again and everyone looked back at me for an explanation to the howl. "It was a false alarm. Seth was upset about something else, and he forgot we were listening for a signal. He's very young."

"Nice to have toddles guarding the fort," Emmett grumbled.

Carlisle responded quickly to Emmett's statement. "They've done us a great service tonight, Emmett. And at great personal sacrifice." He doesn't mean to sound ungrateful.

"Yeah, I know. I'm just jealous. Wish I was out there."

There's Emmett for you, always ready for a little action. "Seth doesn't think Sam will attack now," I said. "Not with us forewarned, and lacking two members of the pack."

"What does Jacob think?" Carlisle asked. He is the older and more experienced or the two.

"He's not as optimistic."

We all stood around as the severity of the situation weighted on us a bit more. I went over to Bella's side and went to brush a wayward strand of hair back from her face, but before I could Rosalie got a death grip on my wrist.

"Don't touch her! You'll wake her up," she said.

I sighed. Now I couldn't even touch her.

"Rosalie," Carlisle attempted to reason with her, but I knew it was pointless. The girl was pigheaded at best.

"Don't start with me, Carlisle," she practically snarled. "We let you have your way earlier, but that's all we're allowing."

Carlisle gave her a look, but she just glared back. I dropped my shoulders and made my way to Rosalie's now vacant seat. I better look at Bella now before Rose decided I couldn't even do that anymore.

I sat there for a while, when suddenly Bella starting making choking noises. I jumped up as her body jerked and she whimpered. When Rosalie's hand touched her forehead, I saw red. She could touch her, but I couldn't!

For a moment I imagined ripping Rosalie in to pieces. Emmett must have noticed because he was suddenly in my field on vision.

"Not tonight, Edward." At least he seemed to understand why I was so angry. "We've got other things to worry about."

I turned away from him and my eyes collided with Jacob's through the window. After a moment, he dropped from the window and his thoughts floated back to me.

Worse. Yes, she was worse.

Once again, my knees hit the floor.

Can I come out now?

I to thank everyone for being patient with me. I really do try to get these out in a semi-decent time frame.

And a special thanks to SparklingTwilight for listening to my bitching and for her help on this chapter. You should all go check out her story Breaking the Silence. It is amazing.

So, please review – and for those who have read A Past Life's Future, I have a poll on my website for a sequel. It would be awhile coming, but it would pick up with Marcus and Kaila. (For those of you who don't know, I designed Kaila after my baby sister; name, looks, attitude, the works. She just isn't a teleporting vampire.)