Thanks so much to my lovely pre-readers Tammy (Jackson's Cupcake) and Jen (anonymouslysufferingfromOCD), and to my beta Bridgette (A Jasper For Me).

*I don't own these characters.

Family Ties

BPOV

Having a sleepover with two vampires wasn't all it's cracked up to be. I knew Alice and Rose were trying to take my mind off of Edward, but anxiety was my constant companion from the moment Alice told us she couldn't see him any longer. I wanted nothing more than to go searching for him in La Push, needing to confirm his well-being for my own sanity. I eventually quit pretending I could be good company as the girls tried to keep me occupied with movies and pedicures, and took myself to my bed to worry alone.

As I lay there with fearful tears falling from my eyes, all I could think about was the fact I was ready for forever right then. The separation from my mate, with him being in danger and me being the vulnerable human, was simply not going to work for me much longer. I knew I would be able to protect my family, my Edward, much more effectively as a vampire, and I would never have to be apart from him ever again. The thought of no longer taking my birth control pills briefly entered my mind, but I'd never do something like that without talking with Edward first. It was a subject I would bring up with him very soon.

When Edward finally returned to me, all I could do was hold onto him as tightly as my body allowed. The relief of being back in his arms, connected to him, was short-lived when I saw the scars marring his perfect skin the next morning. Those markings only reinforced my determination to have that conversation with Edward shortly. Alice's facial expressions when I came down for breakfast reflected she knew my decision, although it was apparent she was hiding it from Edward since he seemed oblivious.

I ate my breakfast and listened to them all tell me what had happened the night before. I worried about Victoria and Laurent still being out there, but was happy with the decision of nobody going off alone again. It was smart to stick together. Alice and Rose told me Charlie left early with his fishing gear, while they pretended to be sleeping in the makeshift bed we had set up in the living room.

It surprised me Billy had called to invite him out there. I questioned what his real intentions were, since there was plenty of drama on the reservation last night which my dad was sure to hear. I began wondering how much of the truth Charlie could handle and if maybe it wouldn't be such a bad thing to let him know what was really going on in my life and my future. My thoughts were broken when Edward's phone rang. He turned to me after ending the call.

"Jacob's on his way over."

I nodded, knowing it was time we let him in. Although Jacob seemed much different, more mature and less intrusive, than what I expected from the vision, it was still nerve-wracking to imagine how he would react to everything we told him. My hand sought out Edward's, and he smiled as our fingers intertwined.

"I don't want to say anything about his imprinting on Renesmee," I told him, before looking around at my nodding siblings. "We can tell him about our chances of having a child and about what we know of how he or she will develop, but I think it's unnecessary to tell him about a life-long connection he may never have. I think he's proved to be an ally without that information."

Edward brought our linked hands up to his mouth and kissed the back of my hand.

"I think that's a good idea," Edward said. Everyone else tossed in their agreements.

"Should we be here for this discussion?" Rose asked. All of us turned to Alice, who shrugged in response.

"I don't know. I can't see anything, so I guess that means we're all staying. I have no idea if that is a good idea or a bad idea. Although, I should call Carlisle and let him know what is going on." Alice immediately called him, and we all listened as she explained Jacob was coming over to talk. She turned to me after hanging up. "He and Esme are going to stay there. He says Jacob will already have enough vampires to deal with."

I smiled at her sly grin.

Talk continued about Laurent and Victoria while we waited for Jacob to arrive. Jasper was sure they must have stayed in the water and perhaps made it through La Push to the ocean after one or both attacked Paul. It seemed the most logical explanation, although it was not clear why Alice still wasn't picking up any of their decisions and futures. Suddenly, Edward spoke out.

"He's close."

Edward must have picked up on his thoughts. When they all wrinkled their noses, I laughed knowing Jacob's scent had preceded his appearance.

"Just wait, Bella. You'll know how horrible the stench is eventually," Emmett complained.

I shook my head and got up to answer the door. I pulled it open just as he walked up on the porch.

"Hey, Bella."

"Hello, Jacob. Come on in."

I closed the door behind him, and he followed me into the living room. Jasper had moved to sit next to Alice on the couch, leaving an open chair for Jacob. I sat down next to Edward again, and he immediately grabbed my hand. I wanted to make this as comfortable for everyone as possible, so I thought I would start with introductions.

"Jacob, I'm not sure you have been properly introduced to everyone, but this is Emmett, Rosalie, Jasper, and Alice," I said, pointing everyone out.

There were no handshakes, but everyone was cordial with small smiles and nods of acknowledgement. It was probably the best I could hope for at that time. Then I felt Edward's grip on my hand tighten, and I looked to see his anxious face watching Jacob.

"Jacob, you need to tell her," Edward said as Jacob sat back, looking a little hesitant. I watched Jacob rub the back of his neck before looking at me.

"Well, basically my dad's pissed. He considers the treaty broken since Edward and Dr. Fa….er, Carlisle were on the reservation last night." He paused, and I wondered what he was going to call Carlisle before he corrected himself. I decided to ask Edward later, not wanting to interrupt. "Bella, I'm pretty sure he's going to tell Charlie about the Cullens."

A few hisses were released around the room.

"He doesn't care that Edward and Carlisle were there to help?" I asked.

"He feels betrayed. It's my fault, I guess," Jacob said, looking down.

I remembered in Alice's vision how Billy finally came around, when Carlisle helped after Jacob was injured against the newborn army. Apparently, it wasn't as offensive to him when it's his son's injury being tended. My opinion of Billy couldn't sink much lower.

"You did the right thing, Jacob. You did what was best for everyone, especially Paul. It's sad he can't see that," I told him. Everyone else was remaining silent and I cleared my throat. "As for the treaty, you're the leader now. You can forge your own treaty. I'll figure out how to deal with my dad."

He sighed heavily and leaned forward, rubbing his hands over his face.

"You should know...it's bad. The fallout from my decisions last night has the elders in an uproar. Yeah, technically I'm now Chief, but when my own father basically disowns me, I'm not sure exactly what it means."

I didn't think I could be angrier with Billy than I already had been, but those words proved me wrong. I looked around at my family and all their expressions showed they likely felt the same as I did.

"Do you regret your decisions?" I asked him. He raised his head and looked at me.

"No. Paul probably would have died otherwise."

I nodded to him and took a deep breath.

"Jake, I'm going to tell you what we know now and how we know it. After hearing it, we can decide the best way to move forward. Is that alright with you?"

"Shoot." His small grin showed he was able to still show his playful side, even in the midst of all this drama. It made me smile that the circumstances hadn't broken his spirit.

So, I began. I told him about the vision coming to Alice suddenly, her relaying the information to me in Phoenix and then to her family. I explained how she saw the relationship between Edward and I develop, and how she had originally seen the arrival of the nomads. I went on to talk about Edward's guilt, my insecurities leading to a split and how he and I had become closer in the time of the Cullens absence. He paid close attention when I talked about the trip to Italy and the Volturi, but squirmed uncomfortably when I told him about his feelings for me and how they led to his unhappiness. His fists clenched when I told him about the newborn army and seemed interested when I revealed the alliance between the wolves and the Cullens. He nodded when I discussed Edward and I getting married, but his mouth gaped in shock when I revealed my pregnancy and his role of protection and help in delivery of the child. I told him he was close to our child, leaving out the imprint part, and how eventually there was peace between the whole pack and the Cullens. Finally, I told him about the arrival of the Volturi and how they stood with us in the almost-battle. It was definitely a shortened version of the whole vision, but hit all the major points.

When I had finished talking, everyone watched Jacob closely, sitting silently as he absorbed all the information. After a few minutes, I started fidgeting while my vampires were still as statues. Finally, Jacob spoke.

"Holy shit."

Everyone chuckled at him.

"Well, uh…wow. That's a lot to take in. I guess things are different now though." He looked over at me. "That's why you looked so freaked when I told you about my dad wanting to hook us up, isn't it?" he asked and I nodded. "Sorry I was kind of an asshole."

I laughed.

"There are a lot of things we all learned from the vision and didn't want to happen in reality," I told him.

"I was wondering how you two were so close, so fast. My dad really paid me money to go to your prom?" he asked, laughing.

"Yeah," I said.

"I can see that. Totally something he would do." He hummed to himself a little. "So, do you guys think this Victoria is going to try something similar and start making a bunch of vamps?"

"It's a possibility," Jasper chimed in.

"Some things seem to be happening more quickly than was anticipated. We think some things may be inevitable no matter how we try to change was what originally seen. Like the car accident at school. We kept Bella away from it and tried to prevent Tyler from driving, but it still occurred in a different way," Edward pointed out to Jacob.

"So there are things you think we can't prevent?" Jacob asked.

"Yes, it appears that way. Although, we'll do everything possible to keep information about Bella away from the Volturi."

My Edward was first and foremost worried about me. I wanted to lean over and kiss him, but settled for a longing smile.

"Did you get a chance to ask Paul if it was Victoria and Laurent that attacked him?" Edward asked.

"I haven't been able to talk to Paul yet. I was busy most of the night and when I did get to stop by, he was still out of it. I'm pretty sure it had to be vamps though." He looked at Edward, who nodded in agreement. "It sounds to me like we need to make sure Laurent is ended even more than Victoria."

Everyone looked at Jacob in question. Everyone except Edward. Jacob went on to explain.

"It was Laurent that got hooked up with Irina, who was the one that got upset and went telling lies to the Italian bloodsuckers. Actually, maybe we should go take out this Irina in Alaska and eliminate that path altogether?"

I looked at their faces. Alice and Rosalie both looked a little shocked at the suggestion, Emmett was scowling, Edward looked a little sad, and Jasper appeared contemplative.

"Jacob, we can't just go kill Irina. They're extended family. Not only would Carlisle never allow it, but then we would make enemies of Tanya, Kate, Carmen, and Eleazar," Alice chimed in. Jacob shrugged.

"It was just a thought," he said. The room was silent for a moment before Jake broke back in again. "I should let you know, Embry's phasing." Jake put his head in his hands again. "I can't believe how many of us are going to change." The sad tone of his voiced thoughts made me want to comfort him.

"Maybe the size of the pack won't end up exactly like Alice's vision, Jacob. If we can somehow prevent Victoria from making the newborns and keep the Volturi away, maybe not as many of your friends will be affected."

While I tried to offer hope, my words seemed to ring hollow. Victoria had already escaped, and we didn't know where she was.

How could I think we could prevent the other things from happening?

Jacob raised his head and looked at me again.

"That's great, Bella. How do you propose we stop them all? We can't even catch the red-head alone," Jacob said, voicing the fears that were in my mind.

"I don't know, but I'll always help protect you."

I would protect the wolves if I could, despite the animosity of the elders and Sam. Jacob started chuckling.

"No offense, Bella, but you aren't going to be much of a match for a vamp or a wolf," Jacob scoffed.

I looked over at Jasper and he winked at me, neither of us mentioning my current shield capabilities just yet. Jacob didn't notice our silent communication. He shook his head, remembering more details of Alice's vision.

"Do you really want to become one of…" he trailed off, looking around before turning back to face me. "I mean, are you planning to change like in her vision?"

My eyes focused on his. My answer was really going to determine whether Jacob was as understanding as he seemed.

"Yes, I am." I squeezed Edward's hand. "I know I want to be married to Edward, have a child with him, and be with my family forever."

He didn't say anything. I decided to go out on a limb.

"You gave your blessing for Edward to change me in the vision. Can you give that to us now?"

He sighed heavily.

"Do you even have a clue what you're asking of me? That goes against everything I've ever known. It goes against the treaty all of you wanted us to keep with you."

Maybe I had brought the topic of my becoming a vampire up too soon. Perhaps he needed more time to get used to the idea.

"Just think about it, Jacob. It's not going to happen tomorrow."

Unfortunately.

I added that caveat only in my mind.

"What about Charlie?" he asked me.

"I'm hoping he'll understand, just as he did in Alice's vision. You know Jacob, you were the one that came out to him first," I pointed out. He laughed.

"Yeah, I guess I did. I really didn't want you guys to leave, did I? I wonder why I was so attached?"

I didn't want to go any further in that direction of the conversation, so I decided to lighten the mood.

"Because secretly, deep down you love us all," I said with a wink. Jake laughed when Rose growled. I couldn't help joining in his laughter.

"I really am going to be disowned," he said jokingly. I wondered how much truth was behind it. He cleared his throat. "So, is there anything else? I can't stay too much longer. I need to get back and check on Paul and Embry and find out if Sam has come across any new scents."

There was one more thing I wanted to show Jacob. He had scoffed at my intention to protect.

Well, he was going to be in for a surprise.

I looked over at Jasper, who was watching me with amusement.

"Before you leave, I want you to see something, Jake. Would you come outside?" I asked.

"Sure, I guess." He stood up and walked beside Emmett, both of them scrunching their noses.

"You know you stink, man," Emmett said. I gasped and turned back to glare at him.

"Emmett!" I shouted. Jake just chuckled.

"Believe me, the feeling is mutual. Bella, I don't know why you want to take on this stench. The sickening sweetness actually burns my damn nose."

I smiled, glad they were taking each other's comments in stride.

We all made our way out to the backyard. Edward stayed beside me, still holding my hand in his. Jasper, Alice, Rose, and Jake stood off to the side while Emmett moved across the lawn and faced Edward and me. He soon started in with his ribbing.

"Alright, mindreader. You're going down," Emmett said in a mock snarl. Jacob watched us closely, probably wondering what was going on. When he saw Emmett and Edward get down in crouches, he growled.

"Bella, get over here. You're going to get hurt," he shouted, before moving toward me.

"Jacob, stop. Stay right there and watch," I said, not wanting to put anyone else under my shield.

I concentrated hard and put the physical shield around Edward and me. I put myself in front of Edward, facing Emmett. I wanted to give Jake a good show. He kept yelling at me.

"Bella, what the hell are you doing?"

I smiled and nodded to Emmett. Emmett came at us fast, and I watched Jake's reaction when he saw Emmett hit an invisible wall in front of me and repel back hard into a tree. The force of him being thrown into the tree split it into two, right down the middle.

Oops!

I didn't know how I was going to explain that to Charlie.

All the Cullens were laughing, including Emmett, while Jake's jaw gaped in shock. I felt a little light-headed from the exertion, but Edward put his arms around me to keep me steady.

"Are you alright?" he asked in a whisper near my ear. I turned my face to his and kissed him on the cheek.

"I'm fine."

Even with my assurance, he kept his arms around me. I looked over at Jake, who was shaking his head.

"What the hell was that?" he asked, pointing to Emmett, who was extracting himself from the tree.

"That was Bella's gift," Jasper told him.

"But you said she blocked the mental attacks from the vamps in the battle, and she was one of you then."

"Bella's knowing about her gift has altered it, or advanced it perhaps, from what Alice saw. It's hard to know because in the vision, Bella hadn't been aware of her gift for long. It's possible she would have been able to bring out a physical shield in the vision as well if it had been expanded further. The fact is that at this moment, Bella does know of her gifts, and she's able to not only protect herself and others mentally, but also physically."

Jacob seemed amazed as he listened to Jasper. Then he turned to me.

"Well, hell. That's pretty fucking awesome!"

I giggled at his exclamation. However, I didn't want him to get too excited.

"It's fun while we practice like this, but I have to admit, it wipes me out when I try to protect anybody else under the shield with me."

I didn't want him to start thinking I could put up a barrier around Forks or some nonsense.

Maybe as a vampire….

"So, it's more of an emergency safety net then," Jake surmised. Jasper and I both nodded. Before we could explain further, I watched them all turn their heads toward the street.

"Charlie's going to be here in a minute," Edward told me.

I turned around to look at his face, wondering why he looked pained. He was obviously hearing something in Charlie's thoughts he didn't like.

"What is it, Edward?" I asked softly.

"He's unsure what's going on. Billy has told him we are vampires, and Charlie doesn't know whether to believe him, but he's scared for you," Edward said.

There were soft growls coming from my family.

"I'm sorry, Bella." Jacob sounded remorseful, even though it wasn't his fault. "I guess I should leave."

"Wait. Jacob, don't go. Charlie wants to talk to you. He knows you are here. I think you can help diffuse this," Edward said, looking at Jacob. "He's going to want to drive you and Bella to La Push to sit down and talk this all out."

I didn't want to go to La Push. I didn't want to be separated from Edward. He saw the pain on my face and the low whimper I released at the thought of being away from him. He placed his hands on my cheeks, touching his forehead to mine.

"It's alright, Bella. Take this time to assure your father. If worse comes to worse, we'll just tell him everything. He can come over to our house later, or the whole family can come here. We'll figure it out."

His lips touched mine lightly. I inhaled his sweet breath, like it was my last lifeline.

"Come on, Edward. He's here," Jasper said.

I knew they had to leave, but didn't want to let go of the grip I had on Edward's shirt. When Edward and I remained locked together, Alice came over and gently released my fingers.

"You have to go in, Bella. Just call us if you need anything."

I sighed in resignation and kissed Edward one last time. I walked toward the house with Jake, turning around as I reached the door. I watched the rest of them walk into the trees with only Edward left in the clearing.

"I love you." My voice was barely above a whisper, but I knew Edward heard it loud and clear.

"I love you more," he told me before turning to leave with his family.

My heart ached, and I physically felt his absence as he moved farther from me.

"It'll be okay, Bella." Jake nudged my shoulder, trying to get me to smile.

I didn't know what there was to smile about. His father was a prick of mammoth proportions, and my dad was now suspicious of the Cullens and my Edward.

Just as we were walking through the kitchen, Charlie came through the front door. He looked over at us in the doorway with a slight grimace.

"Bella, Jake. I need you both to come with me."

I wasn't going to go without a bit of resistance.

"Where are we going?"

"I'm driving Jake back home, and all of us are going to have a talk."

"A talk about what?"

"Please, Bella. Would you two just get in the car? I don't know how much more I can deal with today. I don't need teenage attitude right now."

I huffed, grabbing my coat and making sure I had my cell phone.

I took the front seat, not wanting the glamorous position of sitting in the back of the cruiser like a criminal. My thoughts lingered on Edward and the anger I felt at Billy for forcing my hand so early. I just had to figure out how to make Charlie understand.

Nobody said a word as we pulled out and drove toward the reservation. Finally, I couldn't take it anymore, wanting my dad to come clean about what he knew.

"Dad, what is this all about?" I looked over and watched his face set in a frown of frustration. I understood he was only concerned for me, and I hated that he was worrying for all the wrong reasons.

"Bells, I know you're confused. Please just give me until we get there. We'll talk everything out."

I gave him a break and kept my silence, looking out the window at the vast forest passing as we whizzed down the remote road leading out of Forks. Jake sat quietly in the back, probably wondering how bad the climate was going to be when we walked into his home. As we neared La Push, my world literally flipped upside down.

A massive force suddenly rammed into the cruiser from the side. I heard a screech and felt myself being pulled and pushed as the car was flipping over and over. The seatbelt held my body fast, even as the glass shattered around me. None of it touched my skin; my shield must have unconsciously come out in protection. I didn't even have time to try to protect my dad or Jake before the car finally came to a halt, right-side up.

I looked out the crushed window and saw the fiery-red hair and evil smile.

Victoria.

My mind whirled. Edward wouldn't know we were here because Alice couldn't see us with Jake in the car.

Could I protect Jake and my father? Is my dad alive? Is Jake hurt? Where is Laurent? What is Victoria going to do?

"Nice to meet you, Bella," her high, shrill voice called out.

I used all my effort to concentrate on putting up my shield around the three of us. She didn't have a clue about my gift. I reached into my pocket to get my phone, but it was difficult with the door smashed against me. My eyes never left hers as I finally freed my cell. She came at me as soon as she saw it in my hand. I scrolled and dialed Edward just as Victoria was repelled back into the trees. The screech she released was deafening, but I clenched my jaw trying not to let my shield snap out of place from distraction. I didn't know how long I could hold it.

"Bella?" Edward answered.

"Hurry. Need you here now. Car crashed. Dad and Jake hurt I think. Can't hold my shield much longer. Victoria."

My words came out fast, stuttered, and shallow, while I used all my energy to shield us from another attack. I knew Edward heard me and was running toward us, even as I heard his frantic voice continuing to talk to me. I couldn't expend anymore energy on talking, but kept the phone grasped in my hand as I watched Victoria come at us again.

I felt my shield and my consciousness wavering as she was flung back once more. She roared in fury, and then fell silent. I heard nothing except the sputtering engine and my own heartbeat. I looked around in every direction, but didn't see her.

Is she hiding? Did she hear Edward over the phone? Did she sense the Cullens near and escape?

I don't know if minutes passed or just seconds, as I willed myself to concentrate. My protection was slipping and I prayed for Edward to get there before Victoria could attack again. I didn't think I could hold her back any longer. My thoughts began blurring, fading as if a mist was descending in my head. My body finally gave out when I heard my angel's voice near.

I used every last ounce of strength to warn Edward.

"Charlie's bleeding, be careful."

Then everything went dark.

AN: How did you like this twist? Are Charlie and Jacob going to be alright? Will the Cullens catch Victoria? How did you like Jacob's response to be told the truth?

Let me know what you think.