A/N: Oh my goodness, the response to the last chapter was incredible! You guys are so awesome. Now this chapter is going up a bit earlier than I'd planned since it hasn't yet been validated on Twilighted, which is typically where I publish my stories first. But this has been such a great response that I figured you deserved to go ahead and get it! I will not be updating tomorrow. Instead I'll be spending the day with my husband and daughter to celebrate New Years'.

A couple people have mentioned that they hate that this story is ending. I do too, but it was a natural place to wrap it up, and I think you'll all be satisfied. I still have the final chapter and the Epilogue to post, which ties everything up nicely, I promise. On a good note, I have fourteen chapters of a new story already completely written. It will be called Coming Home, and I'll begin posting when this is finished. Updates on that will be 1-2 times a week, depending on my beta on twilighted. If you liked this story, you'll love that one. It's a little darker, a little hotter, and has some surprises in it. There will be a bit more action, some psychological thriller aspects, plenty of romance, and a few tear jerker moments. I'm really looking forward to posting it to see what you all think.

I will also be selfpublishing my first original novel, titled The Chosen, in January on Amazon. I'll update this with an A/N when it goes up, and I hope that you'll all read it. If you are an experienced beta reader who has some interest in helping me edit, I need one for both my new story and for my original. It lets you read chapters as I write them instead of when they're posted, so PM me if you're interested or know someone who might be. But with that, enjoy the chapter, and hold tight for the epilogue.

88888

Edward grabbed Bella by the face. "You must go, now. Demetri has your scent. He is heading to Emily's house. He plans to kill them all. Go, get them to Forks. I'll hold him off as long as I can, hopefully until the pack is done with the newborns."

"Edward-I-you're." Bella stuttered, her knees weak from shock and blood loss. She hadn't ever thought she would see his face again, hadn't ever thought she would feel his cold hands on her, be able to look into his eyes or feel his dazzle.

"Oh, Isabella. There is so much to say. And we shall say it all when this is over. I know all that has happened. With you and your wolf. And you know about my mate. But now is not the time. Now, we must concentrate on the battle. So go now and help Emily."

Nodding, Bella turned and ran, racing back the way she came. She gathered several more dents on the drive back down the path, fished her phone out of her pocket and dialed Emily's number from memory, her hands shaking so badly she had to try three times before she managed to get it.

"It it over?"

"No, Emily, listen to me. I'm on my way there. Get the kids, come outside. Demetri has my scent, he's on his way there. We have to get you out of there. Get them now!"

Emily hung up without a word, and Bella prayed that she would be ready when the truck pulled in. She had to be ahead of the vampire. She just had to be. The alternative was too horrifying to think about. She pushed the truck as fast as it would go, tore through the yard at Emily's because she missed the driveway.

And bless her soul, Emily was as efficient as ever. Maggie and Alicia were bundled up, Mackenzie holding each of their hands. They all three even had scarves and gloves on. Emily was rushing out the door, Landon wrapped in a blanket in her arms, one arm through her coat. Bella leaped from the truck long enough to load the three girls in the back. Within thirty seconds, Emily was in the front seat, and Bella was slamming her door shut.

"I'm taking you to Charlie. Call Kim and Rachel, tell them to get out of there. Go somewhere in public. They could have Paul and Jared's scents too."

"Aren't you coming with us?"

"No, I need to get back. My blood was working, but Edward showed up, and he can read their thoughts. I was the only one they could spare."

Emily tore a section of Landon's blanket, wrapped it around Bella's hand gently. "Then you need to save some blood for when you get back there."

Bella smiled gratefully. "Thanks."

"Were they winning? Is everyone still okay?"

"Jane's dead, so was the one who could control even me. A few of the newborns. They're hurt, but I didn't see anything life threatening. The good thing is that they heal almost as soon as they're injured. There are still ten or twelve vampires left kicking. And I'm pretty sure Alice saw some more coming. The rest of the Volturi guard was hanging back to come in at the end and finish everyone off."

"They're out numbered."

"Yes. But they're holding their own." Bella pressed the gas pedal harder, swearing under her breath. "I need to get back there. Come on!"

Ten minutes later, Bella whipped the wheel and slammed the brake to stop in front of Charlie's. She honked the horn until her father came out, looking sleepy. When he saw Emily and the kids, he was instantly awake and concerned.

"What's going on?"

"The Volturi are here." Emily handed him Landon, opened the back door to get out the girls. "We have to get them inside. We have to get Rachel and Kim out. Sue and Billy, too."

"Get inside. Bella, come on."

"I can't. Dad, they have my scent. They'll follow me straight here. Make the calls, then get them somewhere I haven't been or somewhere public."

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going back. I can help them. I have to help them."

Charlie took his gun out of her holster, pushed it into her hand. "You know how to use this. If you need to, shoot them. Won't kill the damn things, but it might slow them down." He hugged her hard. "Come home alive, Bells. You and Jake."

Fighting tears, Bella nodded and hit the gas, sending clumps of dirt flying as she surged back onto the road. Her fingers bit into the wheel, she recklessly passed cars, her head getting light from a lack of blood. The makeshift bandage was stained red, and she had pressed the wound against her thigh in an effort to staunch the flow. She shot onto the road to the reservation, then jerked the wheel onto a back road to avoid traffic.

She was almost there when she saw Demetri run into the road, being chased by Edward. The vampires clashed midair, Rosalie not far behind. Bella hit the brakes and squealed to a stop, glancing at the gun in the seat next to her. Rosalie blurred to the window, and she rolled it down.

"Stay here. If you don't leave, he'll try to take us out here to get to you. The pack almost has it. The Volturi is down to half a dozen or so." Rose smiled brightly, then ran back to the fight, helping her brother rip off one of Demetri's arms.

Bella watched the limb fly. It needed to be burned. She could see one of Esme's fires fifty yards off the road. Biting her lip and only thinking about it for a moment, she dashed from the car and scooped up the marble limp, running through the woods as fast as she could. She threw it into the flames, didn't even take time to look at the field, and turned on her heel to race back.

Within a minute, she was back in the truck. Her flight had distracted Demetri for a moment, and Rosalie had attached herself to his back. With a roar the vampire ripped her off of him and pitched her over the cliff. She screamed as she flew and the sound she made as she hit the rocks on the way down was horrifying.

Edward turned for a split second, and his eyes met hers. "She's fine, Bella!" and then he was back to fighting.

The men clashed over and over, the sound of marble striking marble ringing through the night. Bella found herself crying, though she wasn't sure why. Edward was weakening, and she knew it was only a matter of time. Looking at her hand, which had finally stopped bleeding, she slipped from the car again, and walked toward the fighting vampires.

"You want me so bad, you son of a bitch?! You come and get me!" she held up her hand, digging her fingers into the wound, opening it up again, sending blood streaming down her arm. "You want my blood? Better come get it before there's none left!"

Demetri turned to face her, practically drooling at the smell of the blood pouring from her hand. Edward jumped on him, but he threw the younger vampire off easily, driven by blood lust. Bella saw Rosalie crawl over the edge of the cliff, a little worse for wear, but in one piece. She took several steps back toward the truck.

Looking at each other, the Cullens charged Demetri, Rosalie sweeping in for the leg, ripping violently. Edward punched him in the face to distract him, and Rosalie managed to tear out a large chunk of thigh before he shook them off. They were making progress. But not fast enough.

"Dammit, I cannot believe I am going to do this again." Bella muttered to herself as she slid behind the wheel, pulling her seatbelt tight. She gripped the wheel with both hands, and her eyes met Edward's. He nodded, knowing what she was going to do. "Damn vampires. I think they live to mess up my truck. First car I buy and what do I do? I use it to run over vampires."

She slammed it into gear, her tires squealing as she stomped her foot on the gas pedal. Rosalie grabbed Demetri's arm, keeping him from running, and Edward held onto one of his legs. He struggled, he fought, but they were determined. And then, a split second before impact, they let go, and he put out his arm, driving it into her hood.

The sound of crushing metal and breaking glass hurt her ears. The hood crumpled, the airbags deployed, she felt the seatbelt snap her collarbone. And then, she was airborne. The truck sailed over Demetri, and she thought she saw his arm attached to her grill when it fell off. Black swarmed her vision, and as the car hit the ground and rolled, she was tossed around the cab, striking her face on the steering wheel, her wrist on the roof, knee on the wheel. By the time the car came to a stop, upside down, she was bleeding from so many places she couldn't keep track of them all, and consciousness was slowly slipping away from her.

8888

"What the fuck happened, Cullen?"

Edward looked up from where he and Rosalie were finishing the job of ripping Demetri apart. "I think it's quite obvious what happened, pup."

Jacob roared as he stomped toward Edward, wearing nothing but a spare pair of shorts Sam had thought to strap onto his leg before phasing. "Where's Bella? What happened to her truck?" he lifted his head, sniffed and smelled all the blood. "Oh my God."

He ran toward the car, dropping to his knees on the passenger side. Bella was hanging upside down, covered in blood and cuts. He used his elbow to bust out the window, wiggled inside, not even noticing the bite of glass and metal as he reached out to feel for a pulse.

Nearly crying when he felt her heart beating beneath his fingers, he twisted to look out the front windshield. "Call an ambulance! She's still alive!"

Sam was there in an instant, laying down on the ground next to the driver's side. "We have to get her out of here. There's a gas leak, and a single spark could set it off."

Edward was suddenly there, reaching in to check her neck. When Jacob and Sam both growled and Embry charged forward, he whirled, his eyes flashing. "I'm a goddamn doctor! Did you forget that? I'm not going to hurt her."

"You let her do this! Then you think I would trust you!"

Quil cleared his throat, shifted uncomfortably. "Jake, man, this seems to be her preferred method of taking out vamps. Remember?"

Jacob glared at Quil, but couldn't dispute the logic. Growling, he nodded to Edward, stood to take stock of the rest of his back. "You lick off one drop of blood and I'll have you in that fire in a heartbeat."

Edward didn't respond, but he concentrated on checking Bella's neck and back, making sure her spine wasn't injured. She stirred when he cut the seatbelt and slid her out, managed to open her eyes a little. Her hand lifted to his face, and she smiled softly.

"My Jacob." She took a shallow breath, her lungs wheezing as she took in air. "I knew you'd come for me." She curled against the cold chest. "Jacob, the baby. You have to take care of the baby. I meant to tell you sooner…."

Edward felt his dead heart constrict at the words, and his gaze shot to Jacob, who didn't seem to have heard the muted whisper. When the younger man turned and saw Bella in Edward's arms, he rushed over.

"What's wrong with her?"

"I don't know yet. I have to get her cleaned up. Send your fastest wolf to my house to get my medical bag. It's in my room, in the closet. It has everything I will need. I need somewhere safe and clean to take her."

Sam nodded. "My house is closest. But shouldn't she go to the hospital?"

"It may be necessary. Probably will be necessary. But it's better for me to take stock of her injuries and do field dressings before we do so."

"I'll take her."

Edward lifted his eyebrows and began walking in the direction of Sam's house. "No offense, but you're the one who let her get into this mess. I'm not about to trust you to carry the most precious cargo in the world. You'd probably drop her."

It took four wolves to hold Jacob back.