Disclaimer. All publicly recognizable characters, settings etc., are the property of their respective owners. The original characters, ideas and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. I only do this for fun.

Out of the Dark & Into the Light

A/N: This story is written as a collaboration by both Xo Bella Italiana oX and Katara Melody Cullen. If you have any questions, post them in my reviews and I will answer them in my next Author's Note at the bottom of the chapter. We hope that you enjoy the story and look forward to reading your reviews.-B

Chapter 20
(Crystal's POV)

I had just left my family and Bella behind to face the Volturi while I took Bree to hunt. I didn't know why the Volturi was here when they didn't even bother to step in and handle the situation themselves before the problems in Seattle escalated like they did.

Once we were further into the woods, I came to a stop. I turned and looked at Bree with a calm façade, not wanting to frighten her further.

"Okay Bree, you need to know that animal blood is not like human blood. It tastes distinctive and the hunting is a bit different. So, if you want to stay with my family and I, you'll have to withstand the taste of it. I'm not saying this to be mean, but the thing is that we have an image to maintain to the outside world, as well as a treaty with the wolves that you saw earlier and abstaining from human blood is a part of the terms." I warned her.

She looked a little put off by the thought of drinking animal blood, but didn't bother to say anything in response.

I stood to her side without touching her and gave her instructions on how to hunt. "First, close your eyes. Use your senses to feel everything around you. Use your strong sense of hearing to take in your surroundings." I told her. "There is a herd of deer about a quarter mile northeast from here. Try to pinpoint the location of the herd." I told her softly, watching her as she extended her senses

It didn't take her long to find the herd and their whereabouts, and I knew exactly when she found it by how her body tensed at their heartbeats. "I can hear them, they are close." She said to me, her eyes shooting open, revealing her now black orbs.

"Good," I nodded. "Let your instincts take over, and go for it." I told her before watching her shoot off in the direction I knew that the herd was grazing, making sure to follow closely behind her at a safe distance.

We continued on to a herd that consisted of about four deer. She took down a doe with ease and drained it dry before hurrying after the next, pouncing on it and snapping its neck before latching her mouth to its neck and drinking from it. She was a sloppy hunter, unlike the rest of my family, who were able to hunt without wasting a single drop of the red ambrosia. However, with her being so young, I could understand that our level of perfection takes practice, as well as being able to not let yourself be overtaken by the blood.

Once Bree was finished, she stood to her feet and looked over at me with blood smeared on her face as well as her clothing.

"I'm finished, and you're right by the way. That blood tasted nothing like a human's." She said with her nose slightly wrinkled and a hint of disgust in her voice.

I grinned, "I told you. Now, let's get you back to the house so that we can change your bloody clothes. Also, I need to warn you now that you're going to have to resist Bella's blood. She's Edward's mate and he will go to any length to protect her." I told her sternly, hinting around the obvious.

She gulped before grabbing my hand and letting me guide her back towards the mansion in silence, allowing Bree to think on everything that she had learned thus far.

When we arrived, I brought Bree up to the guest room that would soon become her own.

"Bree, this will be your room if you would like to stay. I'll give you time to think everything over, so you can give me your answer later. But for right now, you're going to need to take a shower and get cleaned up." I said to her. "I will also bring you some clothes and leave it on your bed. You look to be about Alice's size, so her clothes should fit nicely. If you need help getting dressed, let me know. I know that at your age, it can be difficult to handle things without destroying them. Just call me if you need me. I'll be in her room, which is just down the hall, or in my room, in the opposite direction." I told her sympathetically and left her to get cleaned up.

I walked out of the room, and headed towards Alice's to find something that she could wear. I rummaged through the overly large closet looking for something of hers that she would not wear and wasn't too flashy. I found a nice white tank top, and pair of blue ripped jeans thrown towards the back, as well as a pair of new under garments.

I walked out of the room, and headed back to Bree's room, and placed the clothing onto the bed before leaving her room.

Sensing my mate, I immediately began heading downstairs, rounding the corner where I saw him approaching the marble staircase.

"Jasper, I'm glad your back. How did it go?" I asked urgently, eager to make sure that their meeting went smoothly.

He shrugged, "They were lyin' about somethin', but I have no idea what. I'm hopin' to find out later after Carlisle gets back from treating Jacob at our family meeting. Maybe Edward heard somethin'. Not to mention, I'd like to get some information from our guest upstairs."

I narrowed my eyes. "None of that. I'm sure that she will tell us anything that we want to know."

His eyes flickered back towards me and he nodded, "I'm sure she will."

I sighed, hearing Bree shuffle about the room, hearing that she was managing just fine when it came to her clothing.

I spoke loud enough so that she could hear me, as well. "I'm heading out to meet my dad at the rez, I'm going to go and help heal Jacob. Bree's is upstairs in the guest room getting dressed, but can you at least try to get to know her, and be nice, please?" It wasn't really a question and he knew it, but nodded reluctantly, anyway. I smiled and leaned in to kiss him on the lips before taking off to the rez.

I ran until I came to the treaty line, stopping just before the border. Taking a deep breath, I crossed it with caution, taking note that there were eyes following me as I ran, but not taking chase.

I followed Jacob's scent to where I knew his house would be, smelling my father the closer I got. The smell of wolf also continued to grow as I neared what looked to be a one story house with a large shack out in the back. The house was being heavily guarded by many of the shifters, whose eyes followed me with scrutiny as I approached, the sounds of Jacob's screams making just about everyone wince.

Scanning the faces, I noticed a man in a wheel chair, grasping the hand of a middle aged woman, who stood behind him next to a man I recognized as Bella's father, Chief Charlie Swan. The atmosphere was taut and on edge, even more so when I came into their line of sight.

"I'm here to help my father." I announced seconds before I heard my dad walk through the inside of the house and stick his head out the front door, past all of the faces to my own.

"Crystal, I'm glad you're here." My dad said to me.

I approached the door, no one speaking a word as I entered the small house. "What do you need me to do dad?" I asked him in a low voice.

"I've already popped the bones back into place, I just need you to heal what you can." He told me calmly.

I nodded and softly as we entered the room where Jacob was bandaged up and drenched with sweat.

Approaching the bed, I spoke in a calm, soothing voice. "Hey Jake. I'm here to help."

His eyes met mine, but I could see that he was too out of it from the pain medicine that was slowly burning through him and slightly dizzy from the pain itself.

I placed my hands gently along Jacob's side that was bandaged and watched as my hands glowed a soft golden color. I moved my hands up and down his limbs, trying to heal him to a certain extent so that he couldn't feel the pain any longer. Sure, the pain meds would help to a degree, but his body temperature was burning it off quickly with every beat of his heart.

When I was done, I moved my hands away from him, noticing that he had passed out and walked over to my dad. He looked down at me, nodding and walked back out of the house. I followed closely behind him, but looked up when I heard the sound of Bella's voice asking about Jacob.

"He's sleeping now, and will be for a time, but he's been asking for you, Bella." Dad tells her. She nodded and ran inside the house,

Following her with my eyes, I decided I would wait for Bella.

"Thank you, Dr. Cullen."Mr. Black says to dad while shaking his hand with genuine gratefulness shining up at him.

"Of course, Billy. Jacob is an exceptional young man and it is my pleasure to do anything that I can to help." He replied before giving him a sympathetic smile and walking away.

Pausing, he turned to look back at me when he had noticed that I had not moved from my spot. "Crystal sweetie, are you coming back with me?" He asked.

I shook my head. "No, I'm going to wait for Bella." I said back to him.

He nodded and walked over to his black Mercedes. "Dad," I called, causing him to look back up at me. "Can you check on Jasper and Bree for me when you get home?" I asked him. He just smiled, giving me a single nod and slid into the car.

We stood in silence for several moments, before Charlie announced that he was going to get back home to get some sleep since it was obvious that he wouldn't be able to help any more tonight, what with Jacob sleeping. He asked Billy to tell Bella that he would meet her back at home.

Once the only human not 'in the know' had gone, the chatter picked back up.

"So, Buffy the vampire slayer, you sure have a great fighting style. I love those weapons of yours." One of the wolves spoke with a cocky grin on his face. I didn't know who he was, but from the look he had given my father earlier, I'm guessing that he was Paul.

I rolled my eyes as I spoke, "My name is Crystal, not Buffy, and I'm guessing you're Paul, right?"

"Yup, that's me." He said with a smug smirk.

He was about to say something else when Bella slipped silently out the front door.

"How is he?" Billy asked eagerly.

She shrugged, "He's still sound asleep. I couldn't bear to wake him."

As she continued to chat with Billy, I looked around at the faces of the wolves, peeking into their thoughts. I couldn't help but to stop on Leah as I heard the train of her thoughts. She was thinking back on Jacob's thoughts when he was running to meet us in the field, replaying a kiss that he had with Bella in the mountains. I couldn't help the feelings that stirred within me and I grit my teeth.

I walked to her side and leaned in to murmur in her ear. "Bella, we need to talk now."

She looked at me warily, but nodded, following me around the back of the property near the large shack, which I discovered was actually a mechanic's garage.

"Bella, we need to talk about something," I began. "I'm going to say this only once, but it needs to be said. I do not like what you are doing with my brother and Jacob. I can't help but find entirely selfish how you seem to be leading Jacob on, regardless of your feelings for both of them, while you fully intend to remain with my brother. Don't you get it? You're the reason why these boys hate each other so severely. They would probably get along for the most part otherwise, despite being natural enemies. You're playing with their hearts and you might think you're doing nothing to encourage Jacob, but you are."

I spoke harshly, but I couldn't help the way my voice took on an edge, as flashes from what seemed like another lifetime flashed across my mind. "You made your choice when you chose to marry my brother, so I suggest you talk to Jacob and tell him how it is. The more you drag this out, the worse they will feel, and it will only end in turmoil and lead to heartbreak, hatred, and mistrust. I know all of this from personal experiences. Luckily, since I found Jasper, my pain is pretty much gone, but it never really completely leaves you."

I decided to leave her with that, I still wasn't ready to delve into details regarding my personal experiences just yet. So, I left her there at the rez and decided to go home and spend my time with the love of my life in hopes that he will take my mind off of everything I had learned tonight.

I ran all the way home, and walked inside the house to hear Jasper talking to Bree about how the two of them are similar in some ways regarding their entrances to immortality.

Seeing my face and reading my emotions, he rose from the couch in the living room and strode over to me, enveloping me in his arms. "Darlin', what's wrong? You seem upset," He asked me with concern.

I sighed, knowing that I couldn't keep anything from him. "I found out that Bella as ask Jacob to kiss her before the battle started. Edward heard Jacob's thoughts and found out." I mumbled. "I just don't understand why Bella would do something like that?" I shook my head, pulling back out of his embrace. "But enough about that, I think I'm going to head to bed. We should probably sleep here instead of in the cottage tonight. I have a feeling that it's going to be an early morning." I told him and walked up the stairs holding his hand, heading towards our bedroom.

Upon entering, I changed out of my black fighting gear and into a pair of shorts and a tank top. I turned towards the bed to see Jasper waiting for me in his own sweats. I pulled the covers back and climbed inside, cuddling against his chest as he wrapped his arms around me, helping me to forget.

The next morning, I woke up with a horrible feeling in my stomach. Thinking back, I felt bad for how harsh I was towards Bella. After all, it's not like the boys aren't partly to blame, as well.

I decided I would go over to Bella's house and apologize to her, and maybe give her some advice on what to do since she is obviously in a sticky but delicate situation. She needs to decide what she wants and lay everything out on the table for the boys, letting them know what's what and that they can either accept it or not.

I rolled out of my empty bed, and went into the bathroom to take a quick shower. I then dried off, and put on my favorite cherry blossom lotion on, and then a pair of boy shorts with a strapless sundress, and a pair of wedge sandals on.

After getting dress, I looked in the mirror and took in my reflection and saw my hair was still in its normal curly waves. Sighing, I walked away from the mirror and made my way down the stairs and out the front door with a call over my shoulder about where I was headed.

I walked over to my Bugatti and over to the driver's side door, pulling it open and sliding inside. I, then, closed the door and put the key into the ignition, and pulled my seat belt on over my shoulder. I turned the key and drove off down the long hidden drive towards the Swan residence.

When I arrived, I parked my car behind Bella's truck and turned the engine off, sliding my seat belt off. I pushed open the door and stepped out, closing the door behind me.

I walked up Bella's small front porch and knocked on the door. The door by one Charlie Swan. He stared down at me with a flare of recognition, yet he wasn't exactly sure who I was.

Deciding to be the first to speak, I smile politely. "Hi Mr. Swan, my name is Crystal and I'm Carlisle and Esme Cullen's daughter. I was wondering if I may talk to Bella, please?" I asked him politely.

He smiled down at me, opening the door further for me to enter. "Oh sure, she's upstairs." We stopped just inside at the staircase where he called up to his daughter. ""Bella, there's someone here to see you, and it's not Edward!" He called up for Bella. I also noticed he has a certain irritation towards Edward when he said his name, yet some pleasure when he mentioned how I was not my brother.

When he saw Bella coming down the stairs, he left the room to let us talk. Seeing my face, she paused and tensed before resuming her pace down the last few steps.

Once she got to the last step, she gripped the railing and swallowed uneasily. "Hi Crystal, I didn't know you were coming over." She said fumbling nervously.

I sighed with regret. "I just came here to apologize for what I said to you yesterday. It sort got to me, because of my own personal experience with a guy who playing with my heart while he was in love with another girl and knew that we would never be more than what we were." I told her sadly.

Bella didn't say anything, but I noticed how her tense frame relaxed a bit and she nodded, looking down at her feet as she spoke. "I understand why you said what you did, and you're right. It's just hard when you don't want to hurt either of them. I always knew that I should have laid everything out for Jacob before Edward even came back into my life this spring, but it was almost too late by then."

I let out a breath, placing a hand on her shoulder in comfort. "Look, you're going to be a part of this family, and I'm sure you don't like how this playing out, because in the end, you're always going have to leave someone behind whether you want to or not. We'll figure this out, but you need to lay it all out and the sooner the better." I said sincerely.

Just then, my phone vibrated in my pocket and I pulled it out to look at it with a frown. I typed a message back before tucking it away and looking back up at her.

"Bella, come on. We'll finish this later. We need to head back to the house." I told her while grabbing her hand and leading her out of the house.

She didn't say anything but a nod, allowing me to drag her to my car. She opened the passenger's side door, and got inside while I walked around the hood and did the same before reached up to strap my seat belt on across my torso.

I, then, started up the car and drove off back towards the glass house in the woods.

A/N: And there we have it! We hope you enjoyed the chapter! Any ideas on what's going on back at the Cullen's mansion? And what will Bella do regarding Jacob and Edward? Did you think that Crystal was too harsh with her or that she needed to hear this? I'd love to hear your thoughts! Review!

If you have any questions or comments, post them in my reviews and I will answer them in my next Author's Note!

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