EPOV

Despite the truth in his words, I couldn't help it. Danger made me horny.

We left the house under the leering stares of my brothers and the stifled giggles from Alice, none of which I thought Bella had noticed.

If I knew my girl, she was wrapped up in her mind now, trying to process everything she just learned.

I offered to drive and, thankfully, she let me. It was quiet for a while. I wanted to let her take the lead but I was starting to get impatient. Just as I cleared my throat to indicate I was going to speak, I heard her voice.

"So…" she started off, dragging the short word out. I could feel her eyes on me but couldn't bring myself to turn my gaze to her. At least not until I knew where this was going. I then felt guilty for thinking this through too much. She deserved my honest thoughts, not my well-crafted façade.

"Are they really dangerous? These other vampires that are coming?" I'm sure she expected this to be a straightforward question with a yes or no answer. But it was not.

"Not necessarily. I mean, yes, these are some dangerous creatures, but without knowing the true intention behind their visit the threat can't be properly assessed. Jasper is a bit of warrior and looks at situations strategically with our protection in mind. Carlisle has lived with the Volturi and has seen firsthand how they work.

"Curiosity about the size of our family and strength of our gifts may be the primary motivation, but should something seem out of place to them, they wouldn't hesitate to condemn us. The Volturi do not suffer perceived threats to their power lightly, no matter how unfounded."

I thought I felt her shudder in the seat next to me. When I turned towards her, her eyes were down. I couldn't read her and I wondered if I may have scared her too much unnecessarily.

"Hey," I said, trying to get her to look at me. I reached out my hand to lightly grasp her chin and pull it in my direction. "I really think everything is going to be fine. Our family is strong and if it is just Felix and Dimitri, then we outnumber them considerably."

"Yes, but at what price? How many of you could they hurt before you stopped them?" She had a point. But I didn't see the need to express that to her. It would only make her worry more.

"It won't come to that. Carlisle won't let it." I could only hope she heard the conviction in my voice. If anyone could prevent a fight from starting it would be him.

She nodded and turned to look out the window, staying quiet for the rest of the ride back to her apartment.

When we got to her front door, I hesitated. My intentions were to stay with her tonight and head back to Forks in the morning. She had classes to occupy her for the next couple of days while I dealt with our visitors. It would all be over by the end of the week and we would resume our regularly scheduled life.

But I wondered if I shouldn't just go back now. I was torn between my love and my family. I've never been in this position before and I was at a loss for what to do.

As if sensing my indecision and subsequent stress, Bella lifted her hand to my cheek and stroked it with her thumb. The heat from her hand felt good and was warming more than just my face.

"You can go back tonight. It's ok, I'll be alright. Well, I'll worry about you, but I know it's important for you to be there with your family."

I shook my head at her perception. "It's not that I want to leave you…I don't know what to do." Then I felt the all too familiar buzzing in my pocket.

I pulled out the phone and read the text from Alice. It's ok to stay. We'll see you in the morning.

Bella pulled my hand with the phone down to read the text herself.

"Come on; let's go inside before Angela sees us."

BPOV

Something happened on the ride home. I was too busy going over all of the worst-case scenarios in my head though, to pinpoint exactly what happened and when.

To say I was scared at the prospect of two unknown vampires coming to Forks for a friendly visit was the understatement of the year. The potential damage this could cause Edward's family was something my tiny human brain did not have the capacity to imagine.

Back at the Cullen home, I was crippled by my fear. But somewhere between there and my front door, that fear and apprehension had been replaced with something else. Courage, perhaps? Determination? Strength, even?

Someone was threatening Edward and his family and I found that I couldn't allow the old, shy cautious Bella back to be a burden on them in this time of danger, however real or imaginary that danger was.

And even though I had only just met them, because they were a part of the man I loved, I loved them now, too. If they were his family, then they would be my family, too.

Realizing that I just admitted that I was in love with Edward, I knew this would change everything. It was only a couple of days ago that I acknowledged my need to "take things slow" but I was just kidding myself. Edward wasn't the only one transformed by our relationship.

I was determined not to let cautious Bella stall any longer. I needed to tell him how I felt. I needed him.

But first, I had to deal with his sudden mood swing. I found myself taking on the role of consoler. I was consoling Edward. The look on his face as we approached my door sent a shiver up my spine. He looked torn and I had no doubt why. I couldn't let him think that he was obligated to stay with me when his family needed him more. I would be fine, the danger was not coming here to Seattle, it was going to Forks.

Before I had the chance to convince him to go home, he got a text message. His face lit up and relief flooded his expression. I couldn't help myself from pulling the phone over so that I could see what had him so happy all of a sudden.

It was a text from Alice, assuring us that it was fine for Edward to stay here tonight. With that settled, I realized that we were still in the middle of the hall. I didn't want to run the risk of Angela or anyone else seeing us and expecting us to hang out, so I opened the door as quickly as possible.

"Come on; let's go inside before Angela sees us. It's not that I don't love her to death, but I just want to be alone with you right now," I said as I walked in.

As soon as the words left my mouth, I was pulled back against his hard chest as his arms encircled me. His cool breath on my ear simultaneously sent shivers down my back and heat up my chest.

"And why do you want to be alone with me?" he teased, as he walked me further in to the room. His boldness didn't surprise me, it was almost as if he could read my mind and knew my feelings had accelerated.

I lost all coherency at that point as he placed wet kisses up and down my neck, detouring every now and then to suck on my earlobe.

"Mmm, well, we, mmm, haven't, um, been alone, ahhh, for a while, you know." I was clearly losing the use of my words.

We continued on into the bedroom where he turned me around and pulled me up so that my legs could wrap around his waist. He put one hand under my ass to hold me up while the other hand went straight for the back of my head, bringing it to him.

I matched his actions: my hands attacking his soft hair, my mouth attacked cold, marble lips. Our breathing picked up into rough pants. Soft moans vaguely registered in my consciousness.

When I pulled away to catch my breath, his eyes were wild and feral in their blackness. He didn't let me pause for long before he kissed me again with the same urgency.

I felt movement and then I dropped on to the bed with a loud squeak at which he smiled before climbing on top of me and moving us to up to the center of the bed. As he let some of his weight on to me, I could feel his body conforming to mine. We fit together perfectly.

"Edward," I half spoke, half moaned, in the hopes of getting his attention.

He was leaving a burning trail of kisses up my neck. "Mm?" He managed without stopping.

"I…I just wanted to tell you…I love you." That stopped him. For ten heartbeats everything was perfectly still.

He raised his head slowly until he could look into my eyes and for the first time, I couldn't read his reaction. His face looked calm, but how could he be anything but? I was a nervous wreck at my admission now, waiting for him to give some indication that he was pleased at what I said.

"Did you just…did you say what I thought you said?" The disbelief in his voice nearly broke my heart. I had to make it clear to him, make him believe me.

"I love you," I said again, with as much force and conviction as I could muster, what with still being pinned under his body on the bed.

He remained still, eyes burning in to mine, for another nine heartbeats and then he attacked. My lips, my neck, he covered every inch with fevered kisses.

"You don't know how I've longed to hear you say that," he whispered in my ear. I knew I was blushing, my body was so overheated and I didn't care. More needed to be said, but that would have to wait.

We passed the next couple of hours this way, wrapped up in each other – and a blanket to warm me against his cool skin – whispering our "I love you's" until sleep won out and dragged my away from him.

**********

I awoke alone. He had left some time in the night, as planned, but that didn't lessen the disappointment I felt in his absence. He would be with his family now, planning for the unknown and there was nothing I could do to help him.

"Bella, are you in there? Do you want to go to breakfast before class?" I thought this over as I walked to the door to greet Angela. The distraction might do me some good. Besides, I hadn't eaten in so long and my stomach started growling at her words.

"Hi Angela," I said as I opened the door. She had her hair pulled up and was wearing her workout clothes with just a hint of a sweat. She must have just gotten back from a run. "Breakfast sounds great. Just give me five minutes to wash up and change?"

"Sure. And, uh, I want details."

"Details?" I panicked, not know what she could be refering to. Was the Cullens imminent danger or my declaration to Edward written all over my face?

"Yeah, didn't you and Edward have dinner with Charlie this weekend?"

Oh, right. That seems another lifetime ago.

**********

"So, spill it. I need something good. Someone else's family drama for a change." She said before taking a sip from her coffee. Someone else's family drama. If she only knew.

"There's not much to tell, really. It was uncomfortable, that's for sure. I know I don't know Charlie very well, but he played the role of the typical father to perfection." I laughed to myself and wondered what could ever be considered 'typical' again. I couldn't believe, after all that happened this weekend that I was sitting here discussing it with Angela like it was no big deal.

"Then there was Jake. That situation didn't help –"

"Wait. Who's Jake?" She interrupted.

"He's the son of Charlie's friend, Billy Black. They live on the rez at La Push so I doubt you would know him. He's nice enough, I guess, but he and Edward did not get along. I also think Charlie would prefer me to date him instead." At this point, the thought of being with anyone else but Edward was inconceivable.

"I know exactly what you're saying! My father would much rather I date the son of one of his parishioners. He thinks he's a fine young man," she emphasized 'fine young man' in a voice I assumed to be her father's. "But little does he know the kid is a pot head. Ben is so much better. I wish he would just butt out and let me make my own choices."

I wanted to tell her to be careful what she wished for. I was left pretty much to make my own choices for as long as I could remember. I love my mother, but she was too hands off when it came to me and my needs. It was her needs first – for both of us.

The grass is always greener…

"Well, at least he's not forcing you to see this guy, right? Charlie invited Jake over to dinner knowing that Edward was going to be there. How awkward." And not the best way to re-establish a relationship with your long-lost daughter, I thought.

We finished up breakfast and headed back to campus for our classes. I had two today and then planned to spend the rest of the afternoon at the library studying.

My goal over the next couple of days would be to catch up on my class work, maybe even get ahead, and keep my mind off of the goings-on in Forks.

I was sitting in the library around three thirty when I realized that I hadn't heard from Edward all day. No calls, no texts. We were so wrapped up in each other last night, I didn't think to ask him if he'd be checking in at all. I guess I just assumed he would. He knew my classes ended today at two o'clock.

Maybe he didn't want to be disturbed, maybe he was hurt and couldn't contact me. The panic started to rise in my throat at the thought of losing Edward. I picked up my phone and texted him. I needed the assurance that he was ok.

Fourty-five minutes later and I still hadn't gotten a reply from him. I gathered up my stuff and made my way out the door to my car. If he was ok, I thought, he would have replied.

I know it was stupid but I was going to Forks. I would go to see Charlie and just swing by the Cullen's on my way.

I opened the passenger side door to throw my stuff in when I felt the vibrations from the phone. Finally. But it wasn't Edward. It was a text from Alice. Or, at least, so I thought.

I lost my phone. At your place maybe? I'm fine, stop worrying.

Then another text.

I love you.

I sighed heavily as I got into the car. He was ok, I could relax.

**********

I was woken by a ringing phone. I slowly opened my eyes to see the clock state that it was only eleven o'clock. Bored for the past 2 days without Edward, I had gone to sleep early, hoping that excessive sleep would make the week fly by. He texted again today to let me know he missed me but other than that, I was on my own.

I didn't recognize the number of the person calling. Usually I wouldn't answer, but given the hour and the precarious situation with the Cullens, I felt that I should.

"Hello," I answered, my voice groggy from sleep.

"Bella, are you ok?" I barely recognized Jake's frantic voice on the other end.

"What? Jake, is that you?"

"Yes, it's me. Just tell me if you're ok!"

"Yes, I'm fine. And awake now, thanks to you. What's going on?"

"War." That was all he said to me, but I could hear him whispering to someone else.

"War? What are talking about, Jake?" I hoped that this was just the flare for dramatics he'd been exhibiting lately and not something to do with the Cullens and their visitors.

"There are more of them. More of those filthy leeches showed up today. But they won't be here much longer. Look, I have to go now Bella. I just wanted to check and make sure you weren't with the Cullens before we attack." He hung up. Attack?

My heart was pounding in my chest at his words. Jake was going to the Cullen's to 'attack'. And he said 'we'. I didn't know who that meant but it couldn't be good.

My first instinct was to call Edward, but then I remembered that his phone was here with me. I found it in my bed last night. So I called Alice, having her number in my phone from her texts.

When she didn't answer, I panicked and almost called Charlie. Sure, send your human father over to investigate your vampire boyfriend and his guests. Oh, and don't forget to tell him his best friend's son is on his way over to attack them.

I had to go. There was no way I could make it before Jake's "attack", but I had to do something, didn't I? I would keep calling Alice on my way, just in case.

I threw on some clothes and stuck a note under Angela's door, telling her that I had to go see Charlie unexpectedly, but I'd call her as soon as I could.

When I got to my car I wondered if I was doing the right thing. But given the lack of other viable options, I let out a shaky breath and headed to Forks.

A/N

Hmmm. What's going on in Forks, I wonder?

Thanks for reading!