Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight.

Ch.20 Fight

My first thought when I arrived at Charlie's house was that I needed to call Dad. Panicking slightly at what he would say about this entire subject but knowing deep down he would know what's right and what needs to be done, I rushed to my phone.

I should be in school, learning something that I would need for college and future life, but instead I am calling my vampire father and asking what to do about a strange, possibly mythical, creature roaming the forests in the south.

The irony of the situation was not lost on me.

Grabbing my cell phone and running up to my room and pausing for a second before cursing irritably when I came upon the still locked door. At least Charlie didn't try and break it down to get to me.

I hastily went back outside the front door and around to the side of the house before jumping lithely (even for me) through the small window and landing gracefully on my feet.

Willow and Ainslie chirped from the other side of me, I turned my head and they both blinked at me in confusion. They obviously hadn't expected me to be out all day. It was a good thing I left the window opened.

"Where were you?" Willow tried to glare but she was too bewildered about my mysterious disappearance. I glanced at the clock and groaned when it read 3PM; I was in so much trouble.

Edward and the other Cullen's would have been worried about my disappearance and Charlie most likely would have gotten a phone call from the school…ugh!

I did not have time for this.

Quickly searching for my phone and pressing speed dial #1, three rings later Dad picked up, pleased from my call as ever.

"Bella," I could hear laughing in the background and a smile in his smooth voice so I could presume that they were all having a good day…until my call, that is.

"Hi, Dad," I paused. What was I supposed to say to him? I guess that I hadn't really thought this out all the way, but I couldn't really hang up on him…

"Bella?" Aro's voice loud and clear, I must have forgotten that he was on the line with me.

"Sorry, Dad." I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself.

"Bella, what is the matter?" I could hear the concern and worry ringing in perfect voice. I mentally berated myself for not just spitting it out.

"I found two injured animals today-they were injured pretty badly-I fixed them up, but I got some information about what had hurt them," I struggled with words, but once they were out they came out in a big wave fast mutterings.

"Wait." I could almost see the inner workings of my adopted fathers mind as he himself struggled with what I was saying. "You want to find what had hurt these animals, and have it killed," he sounded flustered as he tried to piece this together.

The laughter in the throne room had stopped a few moments ago.

"No, I just know that this won't be the last of whatever hurt them, and I don't trust that it won't happen again," I huffed. "I don't even know what to think or do right now."

"I understand what you are saying but what I am trying to figure out is why? You know that the Cullen's drink animal blood and that they this could be them, yet you continue to befriend them. Animals get hurt every day, you can't save them all," he spoke rationally.

"I know that, and I know that Edward drinks from animals, just as I know you drink from humans," I could almost hear the raised eyebrow from Aro at my Cullen choice. "I just have a really bad feeling about this, Dad," I pleaded with him.

"Okay, what kind of information did you get about who did this?"

I quickly rattled off the short description that Lindsay had given me about her attacker and smiled slightly because I knew that Aro would figure out something to do to handle this situation. For the life of me, I couldn't even truly process what was happening.

I could tell though, that something bad was coming, and I wasn't sure what to do about it.

"I will speak with the others; I will call you back as soon as possible. I would ask you not to worry, but that seems useless, even to me, so I will just say stay calm," he was using his persuasive voice, but it had no effect. "We need to find and identify those who are guilty of this crime."

I was wound up so tight at the moment; I thought that I was literally going to combust with energy and a mixture of emotions that pressed me down.

"Alright," I spoke brusquely and shut the phone. I paced the wood floor of my room as I waited for something, anything. I wasn't sure how long I followed my exact footsteps, but I could start to see a slight indentation on the floor when a knock sounded at the front door.

I quickly unlocked my bedroom door and raced down the stairs, eager to see if it was someone that I wanted to see, but didn't know who.

Thrusting the front door open when I reached it, I was greeted by an irate Edward.

"Where were you?" His question didn't stop himself from wrapping me in his cold arms and pulling me against his chest in a tight hug.

"I didn't feel well so I stayed home today, sorry," I added the last part as an afterthought.

I was slightly surprised when he dropped his arms and when I looked into his eyes I was even more shocked to see him glaring at me.

"You're lying," he accused.

"I am not," it was partly true. I did have those bad stomach cramps this morning…

"Bella." Edward's voice was cold as he spoke my name. "You don't look very sick."

"How would you know I was lying anyways? Don't tell me how to feel," I glared right back into his pitch black eyes.

"Why can't you just tell me what you were doing?"

I noticed that he didn't ask where I was but instead asked what I was doing. Did he follow my scent into the woods? I surely couldn't tell him what I was really doing…

But this wasn't any of his business. How dare he? I mentally fumed at his behavior.

"How can I trust you if you won't even tell me where you were all day?"

Shock coursed through my veins as my mind and body froze from the impact that his words had over me. Edward doesn't trust me. He spoke it softly but I felt as if he had screamed it straight into my ears.

My body felt cold, like I wasn't really there, numb.

"Go," my voice was as frigid as my body at that moment.

"I just wanted to know what you were doing." Edward seemed at ease now, like he didn't have a care in the world. I wanted to smack him, but that would raise some questioning eyebrows and I couldn't exactly explain that…

"Leave," my voice was less than a whisper but I ended it dramatically by slamming the door shut and running back up to my room. I shut the window in there and made sure to get the blinds down so he wouldn't be able to see in.

Why did we have to fight the day after we tell each other our true feelings for one another?

Couldn't I be happy for just one day without any real drama?

Ring. Ring. Ring.

I glared at the small electronic device that wanted my attention, but I was too moody to answer it.

Was I supposed to tell Edward everything? He certainly had his own secrets, so why shouldn't I be able to keep my own. Good Heavens! This wasn't even one of my bigger secrets either; it was just a small miscommunication.

It was so much different from when Willow had asked me that question earlier.

Edward doesn't trust you.

Those troubling words went through my mind like a broken record or a scratched CD. I wanted to press stop but I couldn't seem to control it.

Ring. Ring. Ring.

I groaned loudly and dragged my heavy feet over towards the small nightstand that held my irritating cell phone. I did not miss the worried looks I got from Willow and Ainslie.

"Hello." My voice was curt; nobody needed to know the true edge of emotions.

"Finally! What took you so long? Never mind. Anyways, I actually found a vampire that had an encounter with something that fits that description you gave me. He wouldn't let me see into his mind, but I could tell that it's the same description you gave me earlier," I could tell that he was pleased with himself for figuring this information out.

Something struck me as odd in that statement though. A coven of three? That was unusual; it was usually just a mated pair or two friends using each other for companionship. I would have to look into that later…

"Do you think these creatures are hurting anyone else? Do you think that they might go after the humans, too?" My mind was almost completely off Edward now.

"I think that they already have. If they were killing animals, and vampires, humans would be a logical choice for them to try and feed on. They have sharp teeth because a coven of three had trouble getting away from just one, we need to try and eliminate these creatures, you were right," I could hear his distress about the situation in his voice.

Vampires weren't strong enough to defeat them. Even a coven of three was too weak to handle them. Aro would send Volturi members out to try and handle the situation but some would be injured or killed. I struggled with the thought of my family and friends being hurt on the job. They needed someone who could handle the situation without getting injured or anybody else for that matter.

"I'll go."

Hey!

I apologize for the late update! I know that I promised Saturday, but I had prior engagements and I was only on the computer for a brief time before I had to leave again. I just finished this chapter today, so I hope you all enjoy it.

I am not sure when my next post will be, I know that I will be busy for the next couple of weeks, my schedule is very busy but I will try to make it under a month. Thank you so much with your patience with me, I know I seem more like Renee at this moment than ever, scatterbrained. I promise I'm not, just busy.

So what do you think about this chapter? Be sure to let me know in a review, it means a lot!

Thanks,

~Heidi