I am evil and I am very sorry about that. Chapter 26 took longer to finish than I thought it would. But its done now and sent to Beta so you can all have the long awaited chapter 25. Thank you all so much for waiting and coming back to continue reading. You guys are amazing and its because you keep reading that I feel I have to keep writing. So thank you!

The Day She Died

Hands clasped around a cold mug of tea, eyes staring off into the distance, Sue didn't seem aware of her surroundings. Her mind was racing but, from her posture, no one would have guessed it. The clock on the wall ticked away in the oppressive silence. Without the love, laughter and life provided by its young occupants, the emptiness of her house was deafening. She had been told to wait for news by her son. Yes, she was listening to the advice of her 17-year-old son but she did so for good reason. At least, this is what she told herself this; however, said good reason eluded her. She tried to tell herself it would be okay; Seth would walk through the door with Leah and Bella any minute but, as time dragged on, she was coming to the realization she was wrong. Her daughters were in more danger than her son had let on.

As minutes turned into hours, hours into days, her ability to sit and wait began to dwindle. She had complete trust in Sam and the others to protect their people but she was definitely starting to lose hope. Dawn of the second day found her pacing listlessly up and down the length of their living space. After nearly forty hours of wakefulness, her body began to cry out for rest. She fought the feeling for a while longer before eventually deciding to sit.

She hadn't realized she had succumbed to sleep until her front door burst open, startling her awake. She threw herself up and hurried over to greet Jared. Praying he had news from her son, she made no pleasantries.

"What is it?" she asked hurriedly.

Jared's expression didn't fill her with confidence.

"We found Bella," he stated, his tone filling her with dread.

Her heart sank. It pained her to admit it but she couldn't help but care for her own daughter's wellbeing just that little bit more than her stepdaughter. She reasoned this was due to Leah's pregnancy and the wellbeing of her grandchildren but she also knew it wasn't the only reason. Blood wasn't supposed to matter when love came into it but Leah was her child, her first child, the small, vulnerable bundle given life through her body in this very house. Of course, her heart still ached for news of her safety but Bella was dear to her, as well, if not to the same depths.

"And?" she pressed, knowing there was more he clearly wasn't saying.

"It's not good," he admitted after an uncomfortable silence. "You'd better come with me."

Four hours earlier...

They had made good progress towards the outskirts of town when a crunch of leaves behind them brought his approach to their attention. They stopped in their tracks and Edward turned swiftly only to be greeted with the sight of a wolf advancing. He felt Emmett and Rosalie tense beside him but was quick to assure them there was no threat. The inner voice of Seth Clearwater spoke directly to him.

Nod if you can hear me, he thought, to which Edward hurriedly complied. They really didn't have time for chit chat. It was causing him physical pain to slow down their search, even temporarily, for this interruption.

Take me with you, Seth pleaded, his internal struggle nearly as painful as Edward's own. The need to save Bella and Leah from the danger they were in was overwhelming for them both.

"Does Sam know you're here?" he questioned quickly, almost certain Seth hadn't been given permission to come after them. As it was, he had been forced to wait outside while Sam and Carlisle discussed matters, something exceedingly difficult for Seth to do. Had such an order come from anyone else, he would have ignored them but Sam was his alpha and any order given by an alpha could not be disobeyed. However, Seth was a clever boy, as Edward gained from his thoughts. Although Sam had told him to wait outside, he hadn't told him to stay put and, as far as Seth was concerned, that was a vague enough instruction to provide a damn big loophole to jump through. Technically, he was still outside; therefore, he was still in compliance with his alpha's orders.

Edward admired Seth's determination to find a way around his obligation in order to find his sister. Still, this was no time to sit and talk…this was a time to act. Bella and Leah had been missing long enough and something had to be done.

Does it matter? Seth replied to his comment, a distinctly human expression flashing across the wolf's face. Edward shrugged and turned towards Emmett and Rose.

"He's coming with us," he told them and, despite Rose's mental protests, they set off once again.

First, they returned to the parking lot. Seth stayed out of sight within the tree line as the others scoured the area repeatedly, hoping to gain some kind of information from the scents lingering there. Even though they'd found no useful clues, it had given them a starting point and allowed them to retrace their steps. They had to have missed something. Nobody can just disappear.

Under the cover of the trees surrounding the town of Forks, they followed the direction the van had driven. Once they drew close to the intersection, they decided to split up. Agreeing to call if they found anything, they went their separate ways. Emmett and Rose went left at the junction while Edward and Seth went right. There was no way of guaranteeing anything good would come from their search but they had to try.

Seth's thoughts wandered to his sister as he sniffed around in the leaf litter and, as memories of Leah morphed to include Bella, Edward tensed. The visual reminder of her was painful. His fear for her increased ten-fold until the wind picked up and a familiar scent suddenly hectic his senses. For a split second, Seth and Edward's gaze met and it was clear they had both registered that smell. It was Bella. She was close.

With no thought for his companion, Edward sped off. Diligently following the trail of her scent took them away from their previous path and off towards a cluster of trees deep in the forest. The sight of her shattered his heart into a thousand pieces. All he had wanted was for her to stay safe but it appeared his prayers hadn't been answered this time. The only word he would use to describe her appearance was broken.

There, in the shade of an aged oak tree, she lay. His sprint ended as his knees hit the ground beside her where he instantly began taking stock of her injuries. Congealed blood painted her forehead, more splatters dried around her mouth as if she had coughed it up some time ago. Her swollen arm lay beside her at an unnatural angle. Bruising covered her forehead disappearing up into her hairline. However, it wasn't her outward appearance causing him the most concern. Her breathing was raspy, her heartbeat so faint he could only just detect it.

"Bella!" he cried, his fear at her condition increasing. He was only half aware of Seth appearing at his side.

She… his thoughts began but he couldn't bring himself to even internally verbalize what his mind was thinking. Seth, too, had taken account of his sister's injuries and her current state. She was completely nonresponsive even as the man she loved tried to rouse her.

His heart sank and he felt sick at the realization of what was happening to Bella. Her heart began to slow even further and her breathing deteriorated until it was barely noticeable. Panic surged within them both and Edward was completely beside himself. Life was fading from her and it was happening too fast for them to do anything to stop it. The idea entered Seth's head and while it caused him pain to even think it, someone had to. She couldn't die here, not because of the pack's failure. He butted his head against Edward shoulder to gain his attention as her breathing slowed to almost nonexistent. He worried it was too late but, when Edward looked in his direction, he found himself pleading for her life.

Save her, he thought, knowing he could…knowing it was the only way she could be saved. Tears pooled at the corners of the wolf's eyes as begged. Save her any way you can. Seriously, I mean it! he added at Edward's hesitation. Fuck the treaty! Do whatever you have to do. She would have chosen your life one day, anyway, and we all knew it. She doesn't have time and I can't let her die.

For one split second, Edward was torn. Fighting his inner demons, he wrestled with the idea of condemning the woman he loved to the half-life he abhorred. Oblivious to his internal deliberation, Bella's life began to slip away and he suddenly found himself acting on one empirical fact. He wouldn't live without her, even if it made him the most selfish person imaginable. He turned back to Seth, his brow furrowed.

"I've never done this before," he explained hurriedly, aware time was of the essence. "If I can't…if I can't stop, you must stop me before I kill her."

Seth's thoughts portrayed his horror and disgust at the idea of the vampire killing his stepsister. If there was any other way, he wouldn't be letting this happen. Another time, another place, he would have killed the man kneeling beside his sister for even thinking of changing her into one of their kind but it wasn't another time or another place…it was now and, against every instinct, he forced himself to watch as Edward leaned down to Bella and whispered, "I'm so sorry, love," before pressing his razor sharp teeth against her neck and biting down gently.

As the seconds ticked by, Seth began to agonize over actually having to intervene but, not without difficulty, Edward managed to pull away from her before leaning down again. Seth finally had to look away while he bit all her visible pulse points. Having done all he could do, Edward sat back and simply watched. His eyes didn't leave her until her heart rate suddenly began to speed up until it was racing. A scream tore from her throat and he rushed to her side.

Is that supposed to happen? Seth asked, tortured cries filling his sensitive ears. Edward nodded without taking his eyes off Bella. Seth felt bile rise up in his throat and rushed off to empty his stomach at the base of a tree opposite where his sister lay changing. He and Leah had discussed this possibility when Bella had started taking a renewed interest in the Cullens but they hadn't expected this outcome quite so soon. It made him physically sick to think of her as one of them.

Once his stomach was empty, he made an effort to contact Sam. His alpha was going to be just as appalled as he was but Seth hoped he would understand his reasoning. He received no reply from Sam but Jared and Embry were in wolf form and intercepted Seth's attempt to reach Sam.

What the hell have you done, Seth! Embry gasped, horrified by the thoughts Seth shared with his brothers. Seth's blood ran cold at the consequences they were contemplating but he hadn't known what else to do. He was instantly distracted from his brothers when the other Cullens they'd been with earlier came speeding in their direction.

"What the fuck did you do?!" the blonde screamed at Edward. Seth was shocked by her reaction. He hadn't thought any of them might feel similarly to how he felt.

"She was dying, Rose," Edward replied, his voice low and choked with emotion. It occurred to Seth then that he was trying to comfort her through what was clearly a torturous experience.

"I'll call Carlisle," the other man said, reaching into his pocket to dig out a cell phone. He, too, didn't look overly thrilled with this turn of events. It would appear even the vampires themselves weren't keen on the idea of making more. As much as the idea of his sister being one of them pained and sickened him, he knew it was the right thing for her. She would have wanted this, eventually, he reasoned with himself.

Hearing her scream in pain was proving too difficult for him to handle and he soon found himself backing away from the vampires gathered around her. The voices of his brothers broke through his troubled thoughts again.

You okayed this? Jared barked. You actually let them do this to her?

Sounding every bit his teenage self, Seth replied, I couldn't let her die.

Sympathy for their pack mate was clear in the thoughts that followed.

Come home, Seth, Embry encouraged. You did what you thought was best.

Jared may not have agreed but he wouldn't let Seth down when he needed all their support. We'll get through this together, bro. It'll be alright.

Seth glanced over at the Cullens again before making his decision. They had the situation in hand and he was no use to them. What he had done was something so horrifying, so against his very nature, it affected him in a way he had never experienced before. Now, he needed to be with his brothers.

Without looking back, he left the vampires behind to deal with his way of saving Bella, misguided though it may have been, and raced back to where his pack mates waited for him.

The departure of the wolf made it easier to discuss their situation. Edward's thoughts went briefly towards Seth before Rose's voice caught his attention.

"We need to move," she stated, apprehension firmly planted behind her eyes, now. Bella's screams were too loud and they were too close to a road to keep her suffering hidden for long. It wouldn't be easy to explain this away to a random passer-by. Now was a time for action and action was what they took.

"I'll go find us a ride," Rose announced before sprinting off back in the direction of town. It made sense for her to go. After all, she was the best at hotwiring a car. Emmett avoided his brother's gaze for a few minutes but his thoughts betrayed him. He was having difficulty taking everything in. Unlike the rest of them, he had never seen anyone change before. Being the last one Carlisle had changed, he hadn't had occasion to witness the pain from an outsider's view. To experience it was one thing, to watch it was quite another.

"She's going to be fine, Emmett," Edward found himself saying, his attention briefly taken from her.

His brother nodded, Yeah, "I know."

Silence fell over their conservation. Bella's pained cries were the only sounds as she endured the fires burning through every cell of her body to transform her, to save her from a human death come far too soon. It had been their only option but it would still haunt him for years to come that his resistance had been so feeble. In the end, he acknowledged this was a selfish act on his part but he wouldn't…no, he couldn't live without her. He couldn't let her go and now, if she chose, she would live forever by his side. He could only hope and pray she would understand…that she wouldn't resent him for this decision as Rosalie had resented Carlisle for a very long time after her change.

Time passed and soon Emmett's cell rang alerting them both to Rosalie's success in finding a suitable vehicle. Granted, it might have been simpler to just run home with Bella cradled in his arms but, if they chose that path, the chances of alerting the various hikers and residents of the surrounding areas to a problem would have been greater. They made swift work of settling into the truck Rosalie had commandeered and headed home.

Seth had phased back to his human form by the time they reached the Cullen estate. Still visibly upset by his decision, Edward sympathized. He had made an impulsive decision and it would probably trouble him for many years but, with or without his permission, Edward would have made this choice. He wouldn't have just sat there and watched her die. He wanted to reassure the young man of this but his attention was focused on Bella as he carried her through the house up to his room. He was aware of the presence of the other wolves, as well as Bella's human stepmother, but he didn't dwell too long on it. She needed him, now. This was his choice and he would see her through it.

Laying her carefully down on his bed, he offered her what little relief from the burning he could. His cold hand was clasped firmly over one of Bella's when Sue Clearwater disrupted his vigil over the woman he loved.

"What the hell have you done to her?" she shouted, grief and outrage coloring her tone.

Edward looked in her direction, noticing how much the distress fueling Sue's outburst clouded her mind. Although he wanted to comfort her in a way she would accept, he didn't know how. Thankfully, Sam arrived and herded her away from the cries of her stepdaughter. It wouldn't do her any good to have to witness this. In fact, when Bella woke, it would quite likely do the exact opposite of good for Sue to be this close to her. Thankfully, they had some time, as Jasper's thoughts reminded him when he sought sanctuary upstairs, away from the human woman currently sobbing uncontrollably in their living room.

You're sure this was the only outcome? his brother questioned, drawing Edward's attention to his presence.

He nodded. "It was either this or watch her die."

Jasper sighed, which wouldn't have been option. "I understand."

After a few seconds of silence, Jasper spoke again.

"She won't be able to stay here long. "It's too dangerous.

"I know," Edward replied. "Where do we go from here?"

Jaspers advice was invaluable in this situation. He knew how to deal with newborns and Edward would be grateful for any help his brother could give him. This was his decision and his responsibility to see Bella through it.

There's a cabin in the woods in the Canadian mountains, he began, bringing up images of the secluded cabin in his mind. Edward had seen these particular images before and knew it to be a place where Jasper and Alice liked to retreat from time to time. This life was hard for Jasper and it was a safe place for them to be themselves.

"That's kind of you," Edward told him.

Jasper nodded once. "Last thing we want is for her to hurt someone." The wolves are about ready to kill us all right now, as it is.

Edward raised an eyebrow at the mental comment. Jasper took the cue and continued.

If Seth hadn't 'convinced' you to change her, they would probably have attacked us, by now. Carlisle is trying to smooth it over, as we speak.

The voice of his father caught his attention, his words to Sam and Sue careful and deliberate. He was trying to fix this very public mistake on their part. It was one thing to bite a human and break the treaty, it was quite another to do so to a person they cared for, in front of one of them, and then flaunt it under their noses. It would take every scrap of diplomacy Carlisle had to pacify the Quileutes.

"She's dead because of your son," Sue hissed at Carlisle.

"Mrs. Clearwater," Carlisle spoke calmly. "With all due respect, that is simply not the case. You may not see it as such but Bella is alive because of Edward's action. She would have died if he hadn't turned her."

"Either way, she's still dead," she replied fiercely.

Sobs erupted from the older women and she completely broke down. The last few days had simply been too much for her. All her fears for her daughters had boiled over into this singular instance of emotional release. One of her girls had been found but was no longer the same nor ever would be again. Bella was lost to her even more so than she had been before she'd been found and Sue grieved, realizing she'd just seen her for the last time.

Sam did his best to comfort Sue and called Seth to his mother's side. The alpha made no motion to include Carlisle in his plans, having no reason to.

"Jared," he called over to the other man. "Take them home. Then, we go find Leah and take her back from that monster."

Jared nodded once and did what was asked of him. All protest had been sucked right out of Seth, so thoroughly shaken was he by his own decisions and actions. Sam would help him through this…they all would but, right now, they had more pressing matters to attend to. If this sick asshole had been capable of sending Bella into what was essentially an early grave, he was desperate to get Leah as far away from him as possible. It was all he could do to resist the urge to return instantly to the spot where Bella had been found and continue searching from there.

However, there was more to this than had been said. Something about it didn't sit well with him and he couldn't help but think all this distraction had been the mutt's intention. Bella's appearance in a state little better than death had clearly taken their focus off Leah for a short time but Sam refused to be distracted for long. He would find her and he would see her home safe if it was the last thing he ever did.

The pounding of heavy boots echoed from beyond her room. She shifted her position on the floor, summoning what small amount of courage she still had left to face him after what had transpired that morning. She swallowed back tears as he slammed the door open to make his entrance into the room. She had been prepared to fight, to shout and swear but, against her will, tears streamed down her face at the sight of Bella's blood splattered all over his shirt.

"What have you done?" she moaned through her tears.

There was no remorse in his gaze as he looked down at her.

"What had to be done."

Leah's tears turned to sobs and she fell to the floor once again. Her chest ached at the confirmation of her sister's fate and she sobbed until her tears ran dry.

Soon, rage replaced her tears as he stared impassively down at her. She moved to stand, her height nearly on par with his.

"She didn't deserve this!" she screamed at him but, all too soon, the fight seeped right out of her. She was exhausted and her pregnancy was sucking all her courage, bravery and strength away. Her voice changed, reflecting the emptiness left behind.

"Why would you do it? she asked piteously. "I did everything you asked of me."

She had been stupid to believe a man who had abused and imprisoned her would keep his word regarding her sister's safety. She had been so foolish and now Bella was gone because of her.

"Yes, you did," he reasoned as he turned to face her. "That's why she will live. Well, if her friends find her soon enough, that is."

Leah's heart sank. He had just left Bella God knows where to die a slow, painful death. It was worse than she could have imagined. Tears rolled freely as he moved past her towards her meagre belongings beside the bed.

"Not that it matters," he added, grabbing up her bag. "You'd never see her again, regardless. We're leaving now."

"Leaving?" she questioned. He strode back and shoved the bag in her direction. She took it instinctually just before his large hand closed around her shoulder. She tried not to flinch visibly at his strength. Even though she had once been stronger than she was now, she had a feeling he would be more powerful even if she could phase to her wolf form. Perhaps his kind were, in general. Not that she had the energy to care.

"Where are we going?" she demanded as he squeezed her shoulder and steered her from the room. She hadn't seen the rest of this place before and tried to take it in as they passed through the rooms towards the front door.

He urged her rather forcefully outside into the evening light. She was immediately confronted with a familiar sight…the van he'd used to bring them here.

Ignoring her earlier questions, he urged her into the van with a sharp command, "In!"

Blood still stained the floor of the van where Bella had previously hit her head and all fight completely left her at the sight. It wasn't fear bringing her down but utter defeat. She hadn't been able to protect her sister. Despite everything she had done, she had failed her. Leah no longer fought…she deserved this. She truly believed it as she climbed willingly into the back of the van. As the doors closed, more tears were unleashed where she thought she had no more to shed. The sting of her failure was excruciating. She had potentially brought about Bella's death and didn't know how to process such a bleak prospect.

Wallowing in her own thoughts for what seemed like an eternity, she sat quietly crying, reflecting on every reason why this fate was her fault. So absorbed was she in her own mind, she didn't even realize the van had stopped moving until a sudden jerk flung her from her perch on the bench..

The engine still rumbeld away beneath her as she heard fast approaching footsteps. Panic mode set in and she scrambled to move away from the doors as hands grasped the handles and yanked them open to reveal familiar faces. Relief she thought never to feel again engulfed her whole body.

"Oh, thank fuck!" she cried at the sight of Sam Uley. Unthinkingly rushing over to him, she hugged him tightly, the emotions of the last few hours catching up to her. She sobbed into his shoulder, so grateful, so incredibly happy to see him, she put aside their painful history and embraced him as if he was the only thing grounding her to this world.

The sickening crack of bones breaking beneath explosive force broke the spell and she jerked back from Sam, her thoughts turning to the other members of their pack. At her urging, Sam assisted her down from the back of the van. He stayed close beside her as he led her to where the others were currently dealing with the man who had caused her so much pain.

The father of her children lay at the mercy of her pack mates and she grinned smugly at the sight of his blood coating the muzzles of the circling, snapping wolves. They were going in for the kill and she couldn't look away. After everything she had been through, it had all come down to this moment. In the end, it was Paul who dealt the final blow. She would have to thank him for it someday as he certainly hadn't let the bastard go peacefully. In one swift maneuver, his teeth sank into the mutt's thick neck. Snarling viciously, he shook his head back and forth, ripping and tearing with abandon. She took great pleasure in watching the life drain out of him as blood gushed from the mangled hole where his throat used to be. Although her stomach rebelled somewhat, it definitely soothed her soul to know he was gone.

They all stared at the brutal stranger lying still in death on the forest floor before Leah turned back to Sam.

"How did you find me?" Her first question before a more urgent one forced its way forward. "Is Bella okay? Did you find her?"

Sam's expression darkened and Leah didn't like its portent. She frowned but, before she could say anything further, Sam answered.

"Depends on your definition of okay," he explained, his words cryptic enough to cause panic to surge up her throat.

"With the last few days I've had, Sam," she began. "Just cut the crap and tell me. Is Bella alright?"

Sam swallowed. He didn't want to spring this on her; however, he had little choice as he could tell from the determined look in her eyes she wouldn't be satisfied with anything less than the truth.

"They didn't find her soon enough," he admitted.

"I don't understand," Leah replied. "You just said she was okay."

"She was dying, Leah," he sighed. "They say they had no choice."

Leah's heart sank as she began to piece it all together. However, what he said next confirmed her worst fears.

"She's changing, Leah."

Today, she'd gleefully watched a man's throat being torn out yet the thought of her sister, her best friend, changing into one of those vile creatures proved to be more than she could handle. Turning away from Sam, she vomited up what little food there was left in her stomach, his words ringing in her ears. She's changing, Leah.

That sentence was going to haunt her for the rest of her life, she was sure of it.