Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns everything in here except my imagination and some of the characters. I have also made some slight changes to her world.

I make no apologies for being British, but it does mean that sometimes my spelling/grammar or the words I use may be unfamiliar.

I have used my imagination to create some of the characters and their backgrounds. They are fictional and do not represent anyone living or dead from this reality. Although I can't speak for other realities….

A thousand thanks to my pre-readers Andrea and hubby Harry – I can't do this without you both!

Thanks to Butterfly Betty and Boonah, I love getting your reviews!

Bella's POV

Transformations

I did manage to get at least some sleep, but my dreams were of kind vampires and good looking werewolves! I should be scared, but for some reason I woke up feeling calm, ready for any other surprises that may be thrown my way today. I glanced out of my bedroom window to look for dad's cruiser but they still hadn't returned. I was desperate to know how Sam was. I used the bathroom, dressed and made my way downstairs for breakfast. Jake was already sat at the table with his trousers on but no top.

"Did you get any sleep last night?" Jake asked.

"A little." I ran my hands across his shoulders and back. "Did you?"

"A little." He turned to face me so I straddled his legs. "Do I get a good morning kiss?" Jake whispered.

"Maybe," I answered as I leant in. Just as our lips touched Billy shouted from upstairs.

"Jake? Can you help me downstairs please?"

"Yeah, dad." I sighed, got off Jake's lap and put the kettle on as he ran upstairs.

Breakfast was a quiet affair. Billy made Jake go and put a shirt on, much to my disappointment! Jake was starting to look quite muscular now so I took any opportunity to ogle him when I could.

Dad and Uncle Harry returned just after breakfast. As soon as they walked in, Jake and I began to fire questions at them

"Stop!" interrupted dad as he held both arms up. "Harry and I need a coffee first and a sit down. Then we'll tell you everything."

Once we were sat in the living room dad began.

"When Sam's father phoned us, Sam was in a bit of a state. He'd had an argument with Leah earlier in the evening, but he couldn't calm himself down. He told his dad he felt 'odd' so he went home. His father said he walked through the door, sweating and shaking, with an intense headache. He laid on the sofa, but he began to shake so violently the sofa moved across the floor!"

I gasped. Poor Sam.

Dad continued. "That was when Sam's father phoned us. By the time we got there Sam was still sat on the sofa, trying to hold his head, but was still violently shaking. At eleven o'clock last night the shaking increased until he shimmered and changed into a huge, black wolf right before our eyes! His clothes were shredded, along with the sofa. We herded him through the open front door and he ran off into the forest until four this morning. He eventually returned, still as a wolf. We told him to think about being a man once more, to concentrate really hard. He changed back and is sleeping it off. He's absolutely exhausted."

"Wow!" Jake shouted. "That's amazing! I can't wait until I'm a wolf!"

"Now it has begun, you will probably get your wish," said Billy, looking downcast. "I'm worried for you, son… and for the others."

There was a pause before dad spoke again. "We're just having a bite to eat and then we're going back. Do you want to come this time Billy?" He nodded. "Bella and Jake, you two can stay here. We won't be long. We're just going to check on him to make sure he's okay."

"Can't we come with you Charlie? I want to see if Sam's alright too," Jake pleaded. Actually, he sort of whined. Like a two year old.

"No Jake. He doesn't need an audience."

Jake huffed and sat on the sofa, sulking, right up until the men left. You would have thought we would have taken the opportunity to carry on where we left off before, but no. Our bodies were so tired that we curled up together on the sofa and fell asleep.

Dad wasn't gone long. Sam had finally accepted that he could change and found it easier each time. Uncle Harry, Billy and Jake went home, leaving dad and I to enjoy the peace and quiet. After tea, we had just sat down to relax when the phone rang.

I answered it, thinking it was Jake. "Hi, Swan resi… "

"I NEED CHARLIE NOW! I DON'T KNOW WHO ELSE TO CALL!"

"Who is this?" I asked. I motioned dad over and we both listened in.

The voice was sobbing now. "It's Paul's mum, please help! He's shaking and sweating. I can't calm him down!"

"We'll be right over," dad growled into the receiver before whipping it out of my hand and slamming it back down. "You're coming too. I'm not leaving you behind. Come on!"

We dashed out to the car and drove to Paul's. As we pulled up, dad paused and turned to me.

"STAY in the car."

"But dad… "

"No 'buts.' You're safer in the car. Promise me you'll stay here."

I didn't even get to answer as dad was out of the car and running towards the house. I wound the window down and listened. If I couldn't see what was going on then I could at least hear. Dad had left the front door wide open so I heard everything; the shouts of my dad as he tried to get Paul to listen to him, the wailing from Paul's mum and the anguished yells from Paul.

I shivered and a tear ran down my cheek. It sounded dreadful. Is that what it will be like?

I jumped as Paul came running out of the house, holding his head and still yelling. He looked like he was in pain as his arms were wrapped tight around his torso, but his eyes…. All I saw was fear. He collapsed onto the ground and his hands moved from his waist to his head. He was pulling his hair and making a growling sound. His mum appeared at the door with my dad right behind her. She was screaming, trying to get to Paul, but dad had tight hold of her. I looked back at Paul to see him shaking – violently. I screamed as his entire frame quivered faster and faster until he appeared to explode! Bits of clothing was floating around him, slowly coming back to earth while he, or it, tried to stand on wobbly legs. I blinked back the tears that were now streaming down my face as another wolf joined him and began to nudge Paul into the trees. This wolf was jet black, where Paul was dark grey. Both were absolutely huge. Bigger than the wolves you see around here. As they disappeared I decided it was safe to leave the car, so I quickly ran to dad. Between the two of us we managed to get Paul's mum back into the house and into a chair.

"Please, Cath, calm down," my dad pleaded. "He'll be fine. Sam is with him now." Dad pulled out his phone. "Hey sis, can you come over to Cath's house? Yeah, Paul has just changed; she's not handling it well. Thanks."

A few minutes later Aunt Sue drove up and ran into the house. At once she began to soothe Cath and calm her down. Dad bent down and whispered in her ear, "Sam will bring him home."

We left the house and drove home. Neither of us spoke until we were back in the house.

"I'm scared, dad," I whispered as we sat on the sofa. "Is that really going to happen to me?"

"I don't know, Bells. I don't know. What I do want to know is why these kids are changing now? The old stories say we have to have regular contact with vampires to activate the gene, but the only vampires to come onto the Res are the three Cullens and they only came here. So why have Sam and Paul changed? And why now? What is different from last week, or last month? I'm missing something here, I know I am. But what?"

The phone rang again so dad answered it this time.

"Hello, Swan… Hi Harry… You're kidding… What is going on?... Are you sure?... Okay, let me know. Bye."

I looked at dad. He seemed to age right before my eyes as he rubbed his palms over his eyes. "That was Uncle Harry. It seems we have another one – Quil."

"I'll come with you."

"No need. Harry is handling this one. Paul returned home so Sam has run straight over there and Harry will join him as soon as Sue gets back."

We decided to go to bed early. Neither of us could eat and there would be a good chance we would get a call about another change during the night. It was like a domino effect; it only seemed to take one change to set the others off.

Surprisingly, after a quiet night, I was woken by my own phone going off. It was Leah. I thought about not answering it, but then changed my mind.

"Hi Leah," I said sleepily. I glanced at the clock: 9.23am.

"BELLA!" Leah screeched, causing me to sit up in alarm. "He doesn't love me anymore, I know he doesn't! It's all her fault! I hate her! I really do!" She was screaming now and I found it difficult to understand her.

"Leah! Leah! Please stop! Start from the beginning and tell me what's happened."

She took a deep breath. "I had to go for some milk this morning and as I got to the shop I noticed Sam's car outside. I haven't seen him since the change so I was quite excited. I walked into the shop to find him making 'goo goo' eyes at guess who? I bet you can't can you? Well let me tell you – EMILY! Can you believe it? And she was just soaking up all the attention!"

Leah, did you go and talk to him about it? Maybe he was just…"

"WHAT! ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND? OF COURSE NOT!"

"Why?" I mumbled as dad came into my bedroom, complaining he could hear the conversation from his own bedroom, but I shooed him out.

"Why? Because… well… I just couldn't. I'm so angry!"

I went cold. "You're not shaking are you?" I asked timidly.

"What? No, no, don't worry. I'm not changing. Dad said it was only the males anyway. And what's wrong with that? Why just males? I could take on half of the males here and beat them good! Oh, I've got to go, mum wants the phone. After I told dad about Sam he ran off to Billy's and mum needs to ring him. See you later!"

I felt exhausted after listening to that. What was Sam up to? I wouldn't have expected that kind of behaviour from Sam and he'd never shown any interest in Emily before. Poor Leah. I went downstairs to find my dad in the kitchen. I told him about the conversation I'd just had with Leah, including the bit about Uncle Harry running off to see Billy. I was a little shocked to watch the colour drain away from my dad's face.

"Dad? What is it?"

"Back in a minute Bella." He got up, went to the phone and dialled.

"Hey, Billy, is it true?"

Pause.

"Yeah."

Another pause. What is going on?

"Yeah."

Yet another pause. Oh come on! This is killing me!

"It certainly sounds like it."

Sounds like what?

"Can anything else happen to these kids?"

WHAT HAS HAPPENED?

"Talk later. Bye."

My dad came back into the kitchen and put his head in his hands. He sighed and said three words:

"The imprint gene."

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