Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of the characters created by Stephenie Meyer

Thanks to Writing2StayHalfSane for her wonderful beta skills.

Bree POV

Fred was still on the large couch when we got back, watching a documentary with Esme.

I was relieved to see that Rosalie was on the smaller couch reading, as it meant I wouldn't have to block any sounds originating from the first floor.

"Where did you two get to?" she asked, looking up from her magazine.

"We just popped over to the cottage," Edward answered.

"Why did you go? Her eyes narrowed at Edward suspiciously. "You never go over there."

"That's not exactly true. I go when I have time," he corrected.

Her gaze shifted between us for a moment. She was apparently satisfied with the answer, as she returned to her magazine.

"Where are Jazz and Emmett?" Edward asked no one in particular.

"Rosalie wants to service the Jeep, so they went to pick up some parts," Esme answered. "Is there a problem?"

Fred sat up and turned around; he must have picked up on the worried tone in her voice.

"No, everything's fine, but I would like to call a family meeting," Edward said casually, but his tone failed to keep the vampires present in their seats.

"Why? What's happened? Did you see one of those dogs again?" Rosalie was up and across the room, closely followed by Esme and Fred.

"Nothing happened," Edward replied, rolling his eyes. "Bree has some things she would like to say, and I think it's best if we all hear her out at the same time."

"What have you said to her?" Rosalie immediately rounded on Edward. Then turning her attention back to me, she asked, "Has he upset you?"

"No, of course not." Why did she always have to overreact to everything?

"What's the matter then?" she persisted.

"If something, or someone is bothering you, you can always talk to me, dear," Esme said, placing a comforting arm around my shoulder.

"It's not that, I just..." I stuttered, suddenly feeling quite nervous. If I couldn't get the words out now, how would I be able to say anything when they were all here?

"Bree is fine; she just has some issues she would like to address, that's all." Edward tried to placate his mother and sister. I could see that Fred was worried, and I knew I had to find a way to let him know that there was nothing to worry about. I also wanted him to know what I planned to say. It concerned him too.

"Well, Carlisle is due back at ten, why don't we have it then?" Esme offered.

Fred held Edward's stare at Esme's revelation. He must have suspected Edward had lied to him, and I could tell he wasn't happy to have it confirmed.

I watched their faces to see if Fred had made a silent comment to Edward, but got nothing. Edward just said, "I'd like to see Bella when she gets back, so I'll return when she's asleep."

Not three seconds later Edward's phone vibrated, and we subsequently heard Alice's chirpy voice inform him that she and Bella were on their way back from Port Angeles, and she had a surprise for him.

"I'll meet you at Bella's," Edward responded, and was about to disconnect the call, when Alice stopped him.

"No, she's going to have dinner with Charlie tonight. They're having fish," Alice warned him. What a sap. He could withstand the burn in his throat day in and day out to be with Bella, but he would avoid the smell of fish like the plague.

"Fine," he agreed grudgingly. "What time do you suggest?"

"Oh, about eight thirty will be good." Alice barely got the words out, before he grunted a farewell, snapped his phone shut, and retreated to his room.

I joined Fred and Esme on the couch. The documentary was still on, but that didn't stop Rosalie trying to engage me in an article in her magazine. I couldn't focus on either. I wasn't especially interested in polar bears, or what everyone would be wearing in Paris in the fall. I had to find a way to get Fred out of the room.

I tried in vain to get Fred on his own for the rest of the evening. Rosalie wasn't having any of it. Eventually I had to settle for a scribbled note that I managed to pass to him during the few seconds of distraction afforded when Emmett and Jasper returned.

Edward came downstairs and sat on the other couch just before we heard Alice's Porsche on the driveway. She walked in and threw a magazine onto Edward's lap. On closer inspection, it turned out to be a Mercedes brochure. What did he need another car for?

"What did you do?" He didn't sound very happy.

"I didn't do anything." Alice replied, not bothered by his tone at all.

"If Bella even suspects..."

Alice waved his protest away. "She can suspect all she likes, but she'll find no proof. Her furry mechanic's not around, so she'll just have to deal with it."

"I don't know Alice. I have to tread carefully." Edward sounded more hopeful.

"The car has been on order, and ready and waiting for weeks. Make the call, and have it delivered." Alice directed with her impish charm. "You can thank me properly when I think of a suitable reward."

What the hell was going on?

"The car is for Bella," Edward answered my thoughts. "Her truck appears to have died," he added, giving Alice a pointed look. "I've leased a more suitable model for her."

"You just got her a new car. What's the big deal?" He was apparently as rich as Midas. Why did he let her drive around in that old rust bucket anyway?

"Bella is very fond of that heap, and she doesn't like me to spend money on her."

The Bella I met seemed quite normal, but she voluntarily wanted to become a vampire. Now I was hearing that she had a mega rich fiancé and didn't want him to buy her anything. She would fit right in with these guys. Fred's theory about them all being former mental patients had been dispelled, but she was exhibiting a certain level of mental impairment on par with her future family's.

-00-MC-00-

"Sorry, it took a while to get away," Carlisle announced, as he came through the door just after midnight. "I'll get changed and then we can start. Is Edward home?"

"Not yet, he'll be here in about fifteen minutes," Alice informed him.

Carlisle acknowledged the information with a nod, and then went upstairs to get changed. I'd taken to holding my breath the minute I heard Carlisle step out of his car. Thankfully he always changed as soon as he got home. Edward, being equally considerate, came in through his window to change before he came down. We all took seats around the dining table. Carlisle sat at one end, and Esme was on his left followed by Rosalie, myself, then Emmett. Jasper sat on Carlisle's right followed by Alice, Edward then Fred.

"Well, Bree," Carlisle started as soon as Edward took his seat. "I understand you have something to tell us."

Their eyes were all on me, as I searched for the right words. I didn't want to sound rude or ungrateful.

"Just say it, Bree. Once it's out in the open, we can discuss it," Edward encouraged me.

I looked down at my hands twisting the fabric of my shirt, and mumbled, "I want to be allowed some time on my own, or time alone with Fred." Having started, I felt confident enough to raise my head. "I don't think we need to be watched all of the time."

"Out of the question," Jasper said immediately. I already had an idea that would be his response, so I didn't let it bother me.

"Hold on a minute, son," Carlisle said. "We need to discuss this. Although, Jasper does have a point, Bree. We have assumed responsibility for you."

"What is there to discuss?" Rosalie asked dismissively. "She can't be alone; it's not safe for her. Or Fred," she added as an after-thought.

"I'm with you on this, Bree. I would like some time alone too." Fred backed me up.

"They could be alone at the cottage. Maybe we could set some conditions," Emmett reasoned, seemingly oblivious to the glare Rosalie fixed on him.

"Emmett has a point," Esme said, leading him to nod smugly at his wife. I knew he would pay for that later. "We do need to preserve the treaty, at least until after the wedding, but we shouldn't deprive you of your privacy," she continued. "Maybe we should see if we could do both."

"I don't think Sam's up for anymore negotiating right now," Carlisle responded.

Alice was unusually quiet and sat with her head down, rubbing her temples. She hadn't made any comment so far, but I expected her to agree with Jasper.

I had no idea what her problem was. She couldn't possibly have a headache, and she didn't usually look so distressed when she had her visions. "Does this have anything to do with Seth?" she suddenly asked.

"What would it have to do with him?" Rosalie asked. Her voice got slightly higher and her eyes darted between Edward and me.

"Not helping, Alice," Edward muttered.

"We need all of the cards on the table, if we are to come to an agreement." Alice insisted.

What do I do now? If I told them about Seth, a fight was bound to break out, and I didn't want that. If this descended into an argument, we wouldn't get anywhere. But Alice had practically let the cat out of the bag.

"It's up to you," Edward said, letting me know he would keep our secret if I wanted him to.

I put my head into my hands and groaned, as I made the decision to come clean. "I talked to Seth on the phone when I went to the cottage."

I counted three gasps, a growl, and a solitary snigger before I raised my head.

"How did he get your number?" Rosalie demanded, glaring at Edward. Of course it didn't take her long to guess the culprit. There was no point trying to protect him.

"Edward gave me his number, and I called him," I confessed.

"Oh great, the minute the pup phases, Sam's gonna know," Jasper spat.

"How do you think that's going to go down?"

"Edward, do you think that was wise?" Carlisle didn't sound as angry as Jasper, but they were definitely on the same page.

"They both expressed a desire to communicate as friends. They are a similar age, and considering they have coped with two face to face meetings without any consequences, I didn't think a phone call would be a problem," Edward said in his defence.

"I think you've been a bit naïve, son. The phone call itself is not the problem. Despite our recent alliance, I don't believe Sam will welcome any unnecessary contact." Carlisle voiced his concerns.

"It's not that we don't want you to make friends, dear," Esme said. "It's just that it may complicate things."

"Why would you want to call him in the first place?" Rosalie asked. "What on earth did you talk about?"

"Nothing much, just stuff." No way was I going to discuss our conversation with her. I hoped Edward was planning to stick by his rule on this one.

"What stuff? You can't possibly have anything in common." Rosalie continued to dismiss my fledgling friendship, and I saw red. Jasper must have sensed it, because a wave of calm crashed into me, and almost stopped me answering.

"What's the big deal? Why is it okay for Bella to be friends with a werewolf, and not me?" I forced out as angrily as I could, while battling against Jasper's influence.

"To be fair, Bella and Jacob were friends before he was a werewolf," Edward interjected. "I tried to end that friendship, and could have lost her because of my actions," he continued while looking directly at Rosalie. "Seth's a good kid. He doesn't have any ulterior motives. As far as he's concerned, Bree's just someone his age, who knows about our world, and might be good to chat to once in a while. He knows she's a newborn vampire, but he knows that's not all she is."

Was that what he really thought about me? Could he see past the monster?

"Hmm." Emmett rubbed his chin, like an old man concentrating on a game of checkers. "Edward may have a point."

"Don't you dare side with him on this," warned Rosalie the moment the words left her husband's mouth.

"Is it okay if I side with Bree?" he shot back.

Anger flashed briefly in her eyes before she turned to her new ally. "You must be concerned for her safety, Fred. Surely you don't think this friendship is a good idea."

"Honestly, I don't see the point in it." Rosalie cast her husband a winning smile before Fred continued. "But if they're just talking on the phone, what harm can it do?"

Rosalie's eyes narrowed at Fred. I guessed their new friendship was going to be short lived.

"Bree dear, I am neither your father nor your creator. I can not, nor would I want to, forbid you from making your own decisions regarding your friends." Oh no, Carlisle's statement didn't fill me with hope. "I will not raise any objections to your communicating with Seth on the phone, but I would advise against any face to face contact."

Oh, so getting around all that funny way of talking he had, phone calls were okay, but no meeting up. Cool. The phone was better anyway; I didn't have to put up with the smell. I guessed Edward was eavesdropping again by the way his shoulders shook as he tried to smother his laugh.

"Another point to take into account is Sam's reaction when he finds out," Carlisle continued.

"It can't affect the treaty. I can't bite him through the phone." I knew I was being facetious, but I didn't care.

Carlisle gave me a disapproving look before he explained. "Unlike me, Sam can stop Seth having any contact with you. He is his Alpha. If Sam forbids it, Seth will not speak to you again." His voice softened. "I just thought you should know. If he doesn't return your friendship, it may not be within his control."

Well that was a brief victory, and I still hadn't made any headway on getting some time alone.

"Can we get back to the original point?" Jasper asked. "Considering the Seth issue wouldn't have arisen had Bree not wandered off in the first place, I don't think giving her more freedom is a good idea."

"He's right, Bree, you were lucky it was Seth you ran into and not Sam," Rosalie said. "I know you think I'm exaggerating, but it really isn't safe for you to out there on your own."

"There is also the very real possibly that you could kill someone. That can't be allowed to happen," Carlisle added.

"What about me? I have no desire to form any kind of relationship with a wolf, but I would appreciate some time to myself," Fred said.

"We're in the middle of nowhere. I've never seen any humans between here and the cottage." I was aware my voice was becoming a bit whiney, but I thought their objections were ridiculous.

"I'm sure neither of you has any intentions of breaking the treaty, but we can't be sure you will be able to exercise control if you came across a hiker. They do wander across our land occasionally," Carlisle reasoned.

They were all so negative. I noticed Alice had gone silent again. She probably knew my hopes were doomed before the meeting even started. Esme didn't say anything either, but she nodded in agreement with every comment her husband made. What was wrong with Edward? He suggested this meeting, but I wasn't getting any help from him.

"We could always escort them to and from the cottage," Emmett suggested, and I suddenly had a good feeling about what he was going to say. "If they agreed to stay put until we went back for them, that might work."

"That won't do," Rosalie disagreed. "What if a hiker wandered close while they were alone?"

"What are the odds on that happening? Besides, Alice can always have a quick scan ahead to see if it's likely before we leave them." Emmett nodded as if agreeing to his own plan.

I could work with that. It would be a bit annoying being walked over and dropped off like a five year old, but we'd get to be alone.

"Well, I think we need Alice's agreement before we take a vote," Carlisle seemed to be on board with this plan.

"Fine by me," Alice agreed.

"Well, I would be happy for Bree and Fred to be alone under those circumstances," Carlisle said, and Esme agreed.

"I'm sorry, but there is a lot at stake here, and too much responsibility will rest with Alice. She already watches Bella and Charlie, not to mention the Volturi." Unsurprisingly Jasper was against it.

"I agree. Alice has too much on her plate right now with the wedding so close. She doesn't need any more stress," Rosalie chimed in.

Stress, who did she think she was kidding?

"I think we should give it a try. It's going to be a couple of hours, tops. Bree knows there will be consequences if she wanders off." Edwards gave his agreement. Why was he having a dig at me? Did he just assume that Fred wandering off wasn't an issue?

We all looked at Alice; it was academic, as there were more votes for than against. But with Jasper's objections, she may not be willing to do her part. Without Alice on board, I was sure Carlisle and Esme would change their votes.

"I really don't mind looking out for Bree, but perhaps we could set a time limit. That would narrow down a time frame and make it easier. Say, no more than three hours at a time, and no more than forty eight hours after hunting." Alice placed a consoling hand on her husband's arm. "I promise to let you know the moment she even considers going walkabout." Alice reassured him while fixing me with a hard stare.

Again with the assumption it would be me that needed watching.

"Did it ever occur to you that Fred might wander off?" I shouted, slamming my hands on the table. Jasper must have caught the change in my mood again, as they didn't hit with as much force as I intended. Just as well, because I would have owed them a new table, and I had no means with which to replace it.

Instead of being grateful for his influence, the annoyance I was already feeling turned to anger. I leaned forward, baring my teeth and snarling at him. I felt Emmett tense beside me, but he made no attempt to touch me. "Would you stop doing that," I growled at Jasper, ignoring the stunned expressions on Carlisle and Esme's faces.

"I will, as soon as you've finished your tantrum," he replied evenly.

"Chill out kid; you got what you wanted," Emmett said reaching out to ruffle my hair.

"Don't do that," I snapped, batting his hand away. "I'm not five."

"Hah." He threw his head back and laughed. "Right now I'd say you were about three." His hand successfully connected with my head, and I let him rearrange the hair on top for a few seconds, before I shrugged it off.

He had a point. I had what I wanted. Why didn't I just keep my mouth shut?

"Sorry." I mumbled an apology to everyone.

"Apology accepted," Carlisle responded on behalf of the family. "Well, now that's settled. Was there anything else anyone wanted to mention while we're all here?" he asked.

Edward looked pointedly at Fred but both of them remained silent. No one else spoke up, so I assumed the meeting was over. "Can we go now?" I asked eagerly.

Everyone turned to Alice once again.

"It's fine," she said after a few moments

I was out of my seat in less than a second, pulling Fred with me. Emmett immediately volunteered to escort us, but Rosalie insisted she wanted a word with him. There was a possibility we would hear every one of those words as far away as the cottage.

A/N: Please leave a review, they are always appreciated.