Between Jasper's war stories and Rosalie's confidences, I thought I'd never get to sleep. The multiple alarming thoughts running through my brain must have tired me out, because I seemed to doze off almost the minute I lay down. I awoke with a start in a completely dark room.

"I'm sorry," I heard Edward whisper. "I didn't mean to wake you."

"It's okay. I'm glad you're back." I found my way into his arms, kissing him drowsily. He responded, threading his fingers through my hair, placing gentle kisses along my neck before returning to my lips. The relief I felt at having him with me again made me daring, and I moved closer as I kissed him, until our bodies were pressed together, then hooked a leg over one of his. I assumed that would put an immediate end to things, but Edward, after a moment's hesitation, actually held me tighter for a few sweet seconds before sighing and moving away. I was getting to really hate it when he did that.

I sat up in bed and turned on the small lamp on the nightstand. After a little recovery time, I asked, "Is Charlie home?"

"Yes, he got back around 10:30. He looked in on you a short time ago."

"What time is it?"

"Just after midnight. I sent Rosalie home."

"Is everything okay?"

"It's fine. Well, as fine as it's going to be for now. Jasper had some ideas, and Carlisle wanted us to go over them before we spoke to the werewolves in the morning. I assume you want to attend that meeting?"

"Of course."

He took my hand and kissed it. "Everything seems to be in an uproar. Danger from all directions. I look forward to getting this resolved."

"You're very sure it will be resolved? I mean, without any of you getting hurt?"

"Very sure, yes. Positive beyond a doubt, no."

"I wish there was something I could do," I said, hating my helplessness.

"I'm sure you do. The last time we were in such dire circumstances, you ran to certain death with a readiness that still alarms me."

"It seemed necessary at the time," I said, embarrassed at how easily James had tricked me.

He kissed the top of my head. "Can we talk about something else for now?"

"Absolutely. Oh - actually, I wanted to ask you about something. Rosalie and I had a talk before you came back."

"Yes, I heard about the talk in Rosalie's thoughts. I hope she didn't upset you."

"No. Well, some of it was awful, of course. I didn't know all about what happened to her, back then. But mostly it was a good talk."

"And you wanted to ask me something about the transformation process?"

"No, not that. I was wondering about something else she mentioned. About when your family were living in Alaska."

He looked puzzled. "Yes?"

"Rosalie was saying that...well, that you never had any interest in her, or in any other woman."

"Not until I met you," he said, his voice like velvet.

"Well, she said that you stayed with a family that had several females."

He seemed to become a little nervous.

"I got the impression that at least one of them was interested in you; that maybe..." He avoided my eyes. "Apparently my impression was right." I braced myself. "What happened?"

"Nothing happened, Bella. Nothing of the slightest importance."

"Then why don't you want to talk about it?" He said nothing. "Okay. I guess you're entitled to your secrets. You were alive a long time before I was around, after all."

"Bella, there is nothing in my life I want to keep secret from you. And I wasn't alive before you were around - not in that way, certainly." I crossed my arms, not convinced. He sighed. "One of the females, Tanya, expressed a little interest. I politely indicated I did not return her interest. That was the end of it."

"Then why were you so reluctant to tell me about it?"

"Because it doesn't relate only to myself."

"So you were protecting Tanya? But why? Did you assume I'd hunt her down if I thought she had designs on you?" He chuckled, but he still looked uneasy. "So...it was more serious on her side? She was in love with you?"

"No, definitely not. Her interest in me was...casual."

"Casual?" It finally clicked. "You mean, she just wanted...?" Holy crap! A gorgeous - presumably - female vampire had wanted my Edward to be her friend with benefits!

He looked intensely embarrassed. "It seems extremely ungentlemanlike to reveal these things, but I don't want you to be concerned. Especially when there is no reason."

I fell silent a minute or two, thinking. "Tanya is beautiful, I assume - like all vampires?"

"I suppose she could be considered pretty."

I snorted. "What does she look like?"

He shrugged. "She was in her twenties when she was changed. About 5'6", I believe. She has strawberry blonde hair that she's very proud of."

A blonde; it figured. I thought briefly and uncharitably of Lauren Mallory. "But you didn't like her?"

"Of course, I liked her," he said blandly. "I like the entire Denali family."

"You know that's not what I meant."

"I know. I'm just not sure what to say, Bella. Tanya didn't really understand my refusal. Partly, it was because I'm averse to anything so, er, perfunctory. I knew I couldn't love Tanya except as a friend. And partly it was sheer lack of interest."

"But...you'd been single for such a long time. Didn't you at least think of accepting her offer, even for a moment? Did you really have absolutely no interest in...?" He was looking up at a corner of the ceiling. "I'm not going to be upset, Edward. It's just that...this is a part of you I don't really understand. If I'm going to be your wife, I should..." I broke off, surprised by my own comment.

Edward looked at me with equal surprise. "You seem to find saying that much easier than you used to."

I shrugged, embarrassed. "I told you I was working on it."

He kissed me suddenly. "I love hearing you call yourself my wife. I'll never get tired of it." He touched my face, which was probably turning red.

"Are you avoiding my question?"

"No, I'll try to answer you, but it's difficult to explain." He thought a second. "I've heard humans, when asked if they were hungry, answer rather equivocally, 'I could eat'. Not 'yes, I'm hungry,' if I understand the distinction; but 'I could summon an appetite if the situation called for it'." He looked at me, and I nodded.
"It was more or less like that with Tanya. The feelings that finally emerged in full force after I met you, they were dormant all those years before. Not completely dead, but sleeping. I think I could have accepted Tanya's offer, theoretically, but there simply wasn't enough of an incentive."
He looked thoughtful. "Carlisle and Esme speculated on why I was so...unmotivated. I thought there may be something wrong with me. Now, of course, I know that I was simply waiting for you." He smiled at me, and I nestled into his arms.
"It was a long wait," he mused. "Living with one, then two, and finally three perfectly matched, passionately enamoured couples could sometimes be trying."

I had a glimpse of his life: a century as the sole bachelor among these happy, affectionate pairs. It was a depressing image.

"When Carlisle first found Esme, and they fell in love," he went on, "I confess, I felt a little resentful at first, a little jealous. I had been Carlisle's only companion until then. He couldn't help but feel more strongly about Esme than about me, think of her more. She became the centre of his life. I suppose that was part of the reason I left for a time."

"You mean during your...vigilante phase?"

"Yes. I finally returned, and accepted the new arrangement. Carlisle and Esme made every effort to ensure I felt included in their lives, and I moved past any petty resentments very quickly. I was glad, truly, that Carlisle had so much happiness in his life. I was selfish enough to also feel a little envious, on occasion."

He caught my expression. "No, it wasn't that bad. I wasn't particularly lonely, because I didn't feel I was missing anything I truly wanted. And I would have waited ten times as long to finally have you.
"But Carlisle felt badly for me, and I'm afraid that partly inspired the impulse to save Rosalie when he found her dying."

"She thinks that was the reason."

"I know. She has every reason to feel bitter about that. Carlisle soon recognized that he'd been misguided in his decision to change Rosalie, but at the time he felt as if fate had intervened." He smiled at me suddenly. "They all - Carlisle and Esme in particular - saw your arrival in our lives as something amazing, something we'd all given up hoping would ever happen. They were convinced - as was I - that my heart was untouchable."

"I don't understand why it happened. Why me, I mean. I suppose it was because you couldn't read my mind."

"Why would that be the reason?"

"I'm not sure, but it's the one thing that sets me apart. That and the scent thing."

"Those are most definitely not the only things that set you apart. I was drawn to you almost from the first time I saw you, but every new thing I learned about you thereafter only added to your charm. It was like...a riddle I could never solve, but once I'd heard the answer, it seemed painfully obvious. Once I knew you, I understood you were what I had been waiting for."

I rested my head on his shoulder. "I don't really believe in fate, you know; but it seemed almost like that for me, too."

I yawned unexpectedly, and he laughed. "You should rest. You have an early day tomorrow."

I let myself be settled down in the comforter, Edward close to me. "You'll wake me?"

"Of course. Sleep well, love. Have sweet dreams."

I did sleep, soundly and peacefully, until I opened my eyes to find Edward kissing me awake. "Six-fifteen," he whispered. "Charlie has left for work. Have you had enough sleep?"

"I'll manage." I climbed out of bed and staggered to the bathroom. By the time I emerged, dressed, I was fully awake. Edward had made my bed and straightened out my books and CD's, but I noticed there was dust under the bed and a small pile of dirty laundry in one corner. "Thanks for tidying up," I said. "I should give my room a good cleaning."

He picked me up and flew down the stairs with me, setting me down lightly in the kitchen, where I ate a hasty breakfast. He checked outside for passers by, and finally went out the back door with me, picked me up and dashed through the small back yard and into the surrounding trees. He stopped a few minutes later. The other Cullens were already present, and we walked together, at human speed, the last few yards to the meeting site.

There were ten of them, the boys who'd met with me earlier, plus Leah Clearwater. They were talking a little angrily, it seemed to me, but broke off when we arrived, and turned to face us.

"Good morning," Carlisle said. A few of them nodded in response. "I think you understand the reason for our meeting?"

"Not exactly," Sam said. "It's about the killings in Seattle, right? You think it's others like you."

"To be specific, we believe it is newly made vampires. Probably many of them. Someone is producing them but not restraining them properly."

This caused a slight stir among the Quileutes. "Why would anybody do that?" Jacob asked.

Carlisle glanced at Jasper, who spoke up. "In the past, it has sometimes been done to produce soldiers or bodyguards. Vampires competing for territory would produce an army of newborns - new vampires - to fight on their behalf."

Sam swore softly, and the other pack members shifted uneasily. "So there's at least two competing groups like this around Seattle? Two armies, fighting each other?" Paul asked.

Jasper shook his head. "Unlikely. That kind of war largely ended years ago, and has never taken place in this region. We think there is only one group of newborns being produced." He glanced at Carlisle. "As the only family of our kind in the area, we are the most probable target."

One of the younger boys gave a snort of laughter. "You've got to be kidding! You must've really pissed somebody off!" Sam gave the boy a look, and he fell quiet.

"So that's why you're going to Seattle?" Sam said. "Because you think they're coming for you eventually?"

"Partly that. Also because they are killing freely and openly. That is bad enough in itself, but it could also bring the attention of...others."

"Law enforcement," Emmett clarified. The Quileutes looked puzzled. "Vampire law enforcement. They come in when any of us get too obvious, might cause humans to suspect something. You don't want them turning up, trust me."

Paul smirked. "It wouldn't be a problem."

"I'm afraid it would be," Carlisle said quietly. "I know your capabilities, and I do not underestimate them when I say, you would have no power against these individuals."

Sam snorted, looking offended. "What, they're stronger than average? Huge numbers of them?"

"They are a small group; they have no need of numbers, or of strength. Their weapons act primarily against the mind, and there is no defence against them. Please believe me: it is not in your interest, any more than ours, to have them arrive here."

The Quileutes looked sullen, but they seemed to believe Carlisle. "So what is it you want from us?" Sam asked.

"To join us when we travel to Seattle. We intend to investigate and, if the situation is as we suspect, to eliminate this newborn army before it does further harm."

"Before it comes after you, you mean," Leah called out. She looked as angry as ever.

"Ideally, yes. We feel we have the right to protect ourselves; but we would also be preventing many more human deaths, and possibly the intervention of 'law enforcement'. It would be to our mutual advantage to put an end to this threat."

"That makes sense," Seth said.

"How many do you expect?" Sam asked.

"Wait a minute," Leah put in before Carlisle could answer. "Why are we helping with this now?"

Sam turned to look at her. "What do you mean, Leah?"

"The treaty doesn't call for it. We agreed not to attack them, but we didn't agree to protect them against their own kind."

"But we'd be protecting everybody else at the same time," Seth pointed out. "It's what we'd want to do anyway."

"But they," she jerked her head toward the Cullens, "are already planning to fight these new vamps. Why don't we just let them? If they kill off all the new ones, problem solved. If they don't manage to destroy them all, we can step in and finish the job."

"But," I objected, "if you don't help, there's a chance some of the Cullens could get killed in the fight!"

"That's the other advantage," she said, with a triumphant grin.

"Jeez, Leah!" Seth said. She ignored him.

"What!" I prepared to rant, but Edward put a hand on my shoulder, and I reluctantly fell silent.

"I've gotta say, it makes sense," Jacob said. "Leah's right: the treaty keeps us from harming them, but we don't have to actually protect them. The best case scenario would be both sides wiping each other out."

I stood there, my eyes filling with angry tears, my hands balled into fists, until Esme came over and put her arms around me. I held onto her tightly to keep myself quiet.

"I understand," Carlisle was saying. "May I ask you to continue to accept our phone calls?"

"What for?" Paul snapped.

"We will try to notify you if our efforts fail, or if the newborns will be coming into your area. And we have one other request."

"Why are we taking their requests?" Leah asked angrily.

"This is a request you may not object to fulfilling, although of course you are free to refuse. We are concerned about leaving Bella and her father unprotected while we are in Seattle. If the newborns are being created to act against my family, it is possible they will identify Bella as part of that family."

"But..." I began, and again stopped as Edward touched my lips to ask me to be quiet.

"How would they identify her, if you're not with her?" Sam asked.

"Our scent is all over the house. And even if the newborns were not an issue, Victoria is still a danger. Would you be willing to protect Bella and Charlie during the time we are away?"

Sam nodded once. "That wouldn't be a problem."

"No!" Edward tried to shush me again, but I pushed him - ineffectively - away. "No, stop it, Edward! I don't want those miserable, double-crossing thugs guarding me!"

"Bella," Carlisle said, "it's necessary. We don't have a chance against the newborns unless we all go, and we can't leave you unprotected under the circumstances."

"We need to keep you safe, Bella," Alice said.

"But I wouldn't necessarily be safe with them." I glared across at the pack. "You heard them!"

Esme patted my hand. "They wouldn't let you come to harm, I'm sure."

"They might, if they thought it would hurt you." I spoke over their protests. "Leah would - I can see it. And she might convince the others. Hasn't she considered it?" I asked Edward.

"Yes," he said, glancing at Leah. "And other things, as well." Leah stared back at him, her lovely face distorted by fury. "But I can't say whether she'd put those ideas into action. They seem to be mere wishful thinking."

Jasper shook his head. "I can't be sure, either."

"One moment, please," Carlisle said to the Quileutes, and the Cullens moved a short distance away to talk. I came with them, but couldn't understand their conversation. It was too quiet, and too fast. After no more than fifteen seconds, they all moved back to the meeting site.

"Thank you very much," Carlisle said politely, facing Sam, "but we are withdrawing our request."

There was some nervous body language within the pack. "You don't want us to guard Bella?" Sam said.

"No, thank you."

"But...you're stuck with the same problem," Jacob said. "She'd be in danger if you left."

"I realize that," Carlisle said, "but we will have to find another solution."

I stood silently beside Edward, turning red and feeling miserable. I hated being the cause of all this inconvenience. I half wished I'd accepted the pack's offer instead of making such a fuss.

Several of the boys looked pointedly at Leah, who crossed her arms and scowled back at them. "Look," Sam told Carlisle, "Leah may get mad, but she wouldn't really hurt Bella. And even if she tried to, we'd never let her. She'd be safe with us."

"Maybe our definitions of safe are slightly different," Edward said. His voice was smooth, but there was an undertone of menace in it. "Mine would include being free from any threat of abduction, as well as physical injury." He looked at Jacob, and I remembered that Edward had heard vague plans to kidnap and 'deprogram' me in Billy Black's thoughts.

"Perhaps we are mistaken," Carlisle said in his most conciliatory manner, "and if so, we apologize. But we cannot take any chances with Bella's safety. She is too important to us. We appreciate your offer, but we will have to find some other way."
Sam seemed to be trying to find words. "We will, of course, still notify you if there is any activity moving your way," Carlisle concluded. "Thank you for agreeing to speak with us."

The family moved simultaneously, and I found myself in Edward's arms, the wind whistling past us, before I realized what was happening. They stopped, as before, close to the highway. "I'll take Bella home, then come back," Edward said. "We have to figure something out."

"I'm so sorry!" I burst out. "I should have kept my mouth shut and let them guard me. Now you have to..."

"Bella," Carlisle said, "you were perfectly correct. Edward was aware of their thoughts, and he would have pointed out the risk if you had not."

"We rely on every family member to indicate possible sources of danger," Jasper said. "You acted appropriately."

I nodded, feeling a little better, and Edward whisked me away.

He returned at the usual time, in his Volvo, to take me to school. "It's a nice day," he observed as he pulled away from the curb. "Warm enough for you, and cloudy enough for me."

"You're not really going to talk about the weather, are you?" He laughed. "What happened after you dropped me off?"

"We discussed it, and came up with one or two possible solutions."

"Such as?"

"Asking the Denali family to take you in for a day or two."

"You mean, go to Alaska?"

"Yes. If we timed the trip to Seattle for the weekend, we could probably come up with a plausible reason for you to be away from home. An organized tour of Dartmouth would probably meet with your father's approval."

"Probably. What's the other option?"

"We could simply arrange for you to leave the area, by yourself. An actual trip to New Hampshire, for example, instead of a fictional one. None of us is really satisfied with the idea; we'd use it only as a last resort. Carlisle is going to talk to the Denalis today; then we'll know where we stand."

We arrived at school, and I tried to settle my mind enough to focus on the day's classes. Lauren Mallory greeted us as we entered the school building. "Bella, hi! What a cute top!"

"Uh, thanks." I looked down at myself. I was wearing an item I'd brought from Arizona: a three year old grey tee shirt with a fading picture of a cactus on the front. I looked back up in time to catch a quick smirk from Lauren, before she turned her attention to Edward.

"Edward, did you finish that English assignment? The 'compare and contrast' one?"

"I did." Edward put a protective arm around my shoulders. I assumed Lauren's thoughts were not particularly benevolent.

"I don't suppose you could help me with it? I'm kind of hopeless, and you always get perfect marks in that class. Maybe we could get together after school, so I could pick your brain?" She laughed lightly, running her hand over her sleek cap of blonde hair.

I realized she was flirting with Edward right in front of me. Senior year was running out, and she had decided to stake her claim openly. I felt a mixture of indignation and a sense of my own inadequacy, and I had no idea what to do or say.

A moment later, I had what was probably an epiphany of some kind. For a second or two I saw Lauren through Edward's eyes, and realized that her flirting was harmless, completely and totally inconsequential. Lauren may be taller than me and have a better figure than I do; she may have prettier clothes, professionally cut hair, and the ability to walk down a corridor without stumbling or running into something, but it didn't matter. She might have been a scarecrow in an old plastic raincoat, for all it mattered to Edward. For decades, he'd taken no interest in offers from even the most beautiful women, and why? Because he'd been waiting for me. The certainty of that, while it lasted, was breathtaking. I wondered where it had all come from.

"I'm sorry," Edward was telling her coolly, "but Bella and I usually have plans after school."

"Oh, of course." Lauren gave me a quick sidelong glance, and seemed momentarily taken aback. I realized my expression was not what she expected: I was smiling broadly. I couldn't help it. "Well," she said, turning back to Edward, "maybe you could give me a few minutes during lunch? If Bella can spare you, that is."

I grinned up at Edward, who seemed a little bemused by my reaction, but neither of us got a chance to answer Lauren. Alice came running along the corridor at that moment. "Lauren! I'm glad I ran into you. Here." She placed a large, pale blue envelope in Lauren's hand. "Graduation party," she sang, handing an identical envelope to me.

"Where? At your place?" Lauren asked, her voice betraying her eagerness. She'd never been a fan of the Cullens, but probably wasn't immune to the curiosity most of the school had about the Cullen house. In some of their minds, it was a palace with defensive ramparts and a fully functioning Bat Cave. They had no idea how close they were to the truth.

"Yes, the night of graduation. I hope you can come." She ran on down the hallway, handing invitations to fellow seniors.

"Is she inviting the whole senior class?" I asked Edward.

"That's my understanding," he said. "I have no part in it, beyond helping to choose the music. Excuse me, Lauren, but we're going to be late for class." He started moving down the corridor.

"Come join us at lunch, if you want," I called back to her cheerfully.

"What has put you in such a good mood?" he asked as we took our seats in the first period classroom. "Not that I object."

"Oh, nothing. Lauren."

He gave me a disbelieving look. "You wouldn't feel that way if you had to listen to her thoughts. She's a rather spiteful person."

"It doesn't matter," I said complacently. He sighed, probably with frustration over being unable to hear my thoughts, and I smiled to myself as I tore open Alice's invitation. I scanned it quickly, then my eyes stopped and fixed on the date of the party. I stared at the invitation card, my thoughts suddenly agitated, barely noticing when the teacher called the class to order. It was less than two weeks until graduation.