A/N: 2 exams down, 3 to go :) So there is the reason for the long delay in this new chapter, but a big thank you to you all for sticking by this story despite the slow updating. Roll on the 15th June and my attention is all here! And that's a promise!! Thank you all for the reviews!! Please keep them coming, it really does mean a lot to get your feedback and views on the story and I'm so glad to many of you seem to be loving it!! Really does make it all worth it!

Right onto the story, it's jumping ahead a bit now from where the last chapter left off otherwise it's never going to get moving plotwise with BD!! This one's Carlisle's POV, it veers off a bit from the main story, but inspiration struck so I ran with it!! Anything in italics is flashback, again apologies for the delay, hope you enjoy and please review!!

Unlike others of our kind, I didn't hold grudges against our supposed mythical enemies. It was hard enough being what we were without the additional problems of feuds with those who, like us, had to disguise what they really were from the rest of the world. If anything, we should be able to get on, put our differences aside and work together to protect ourselves from the threat of mortals. Especially those who lived in such close proximity to one another, but it seemed us and the Quileute's were not destined to live in the peace I wanted. They were unable to accept that we were not like others of our kind, instead of getting to know us and make their own judgements, they instead went on what their handed down myths and legends told them about our kind. During our first stay in this area, when the situation between us and them began to spiral out of control, I had met with Ephraim Black, the tribe chief, in the hope that the two of us could hammer out some sort of truce, a deal that would satisfy both parties at no great loss.

"Mr Cullen" said Ephraim, his arm outstretched towards mine, this friendly gesture settled any nerves that I had held previously about our meeting.

"Carlisle, please". I shook his hand, his touch was like fire beneath my ice.

We both gave each other a knowing smile, this was the first time either of us had been in such close proximity to the other, at least not without the threat of a fight in the air. It was a chance to separate fact from the myth, but so far we were both living up to the myths presented to us.

"So cold" continued Ephraim, motioning for me to sit. "I take it you do not notice it?".

"No, much in the same way I'm sure you do not realise the heat emanating from yourself".

He nodded, understandingly.

"Carlisle, I must say I was surprised when you wrote, asking for this meeting."

"I thought it was the best way to settle our differences, for us each to explain ourselves, face to face, as the figure head of our 2 families, it's down to us to make sure no harm comes to either of our people".

"Your family?" repeated Ephraim. "From what I understood, your kind were loners".

"Conventionally, yes, but as I have tried to explain before, we are unlike others of our kind".

"Explain to me then, your family".

"I was changed, into this, back in the 1600's, it took a long time to reconcile with myself what I had become, to accept what I had become. I travelled around Europe before moving to the New World, by then I had come to accept that what I was. That I would always be this way. But over time I became lonely, I wanted a companion, someone I wouldn't have to hide from, the only way to do that was to create someone like myself."

"And you did this? You changed someone else? Condemned them to this?" his eyes ran up and down my body.

"It was the toughest decision I ever had to make, and not one I entered lightly, I pondered it for many years. Only when I was sure I had enough strength, and with the right person was I able to carry it out".

"Strength?" asked Ephraim, curiously, he was becoming hooked on my story, I could see it in his eyes, the concentration that lingered in them, the way he was sitting, almost on the edge of his chair.

"I did not choose this life, it fell upon me. When I realised, what I had become, I hated myself, I hated the urges that my body forced upon me, killing humans for food was not a thought I relished, I did not want to live that way, be that person. Then I realised, that as a human I had eaten animals, could I not do the same now? It does not relinquish the thirst in the same way, but it's satisfactory enough to live on and it diminishes the craving for more".

Ephraim raised his eyebrow, he had come here expecting to be able to criticise me, condemn me for the choices I should have been forced to make, but there was little to argue with.

"That is why we, my family, are different from others of our kind, we have chosen not to be the mindless killers of our psyche, but instead we control our instincts, some of us have had relapses, it's not easy. It takes a lot to perfect the self control needed to resist human blood, but we manage it".

"That is why you were on our land?" asked Ephraim, a look of understanding drifting over his face with every word I was saying. "You were not here to attack us?"

"Your land is tempting to us not because for the reasons you think Chief Black, but because of the livestock it holds".

Ephraim stood up, he turned away so that I no longer had his face as a marker of his emotions.

"I accept your explanation of why you were on our land, how can I not? We have been sat here in same room for 10 minutes now and here I am, still breathing. More to the point not a single human has died around here since you and your family have been here, I have no other choice but to accept your explanation."

He turned around to face me once more.

"And more to the point, your eyes are telling the truth".

I nodded, glad he had been able to believe me so easily.

"However, despite this difference, it does not change what you are, and more importantly, what you are to us. We are enemies Carlisle, we always have been. I'm sure your kind has passed down to you the stories about us, just like the stories about you have been passed down to me by my forefathers."

"Of course".

"I have my tribe to think about, not only that, but also the people of Forks, you may not be what I thought you to be, but you still pose a threat to us all".

"I assure you, me and my family, we would not harm anyone here in this town, and especially not one of your tribe" I said, careful to make eye contact, this was obviously important to him.

"The fact that you have come here, alone, says a great deal to me about your character Carlisle, and I have sat and listened to your explanation, and I do take your word. But sadly, it changes little, it is in our nature to fight one another, how can the two of us live side by side without someone's family paying too higher price?"

"With all due respect, our family, we have built a home here, we have proven that we are capable of living amongst humans, you cannot ask us to leave based on superstition".

"This has been our home for generations, La Push is inbuilt within our genes, it is not fair to ask us to feel threatened by your presence within our own home".

" What if we promised not to enter your land, La Push".

Yet again, Ephraim raised his eyebrows.

"What are you suggesting?"

"Our home is in Forks, what if we promised to not enter onto your land, La Push would remain yours, the threat would be lessened".

There was silence whilst Ephraim thought over the compromise that was being offered.

" The boarder begins where our land starts, I trust you know where that is?"

I nodded.

"There will be no end to boarder Carlisle, its indefinite. Even the ocean beyond, you will have your side and we will have ours, no exceptions".

"I thank your generosity".

Silence filled the air once more and seeing as the deal had been struck I took that as my cue to leave. I stood up and outstretched my hand towards Ephraim to seal the deal we had just made.

"You are a good man Carlisle, better than I expected. You're honest, and that means a lot to me. I came here expecting to meet a certain kind of person and I did not find that person here, and for that I am glad. You say that you are different from others of your kind and I believe that, but you cannot deny what you are, in return for your offering to stay off our land, I promise that your secret will stay with myself and my people. But I want your word that no human will suffer at the hands of your family, be it for food or as an additional member of your family, if a human is hurt by one of your family then the treaty is broken, providing you stick to the conditions then we have a deal, your secret is safe, we may not like it, but we will not betray you".

I was shocked a little to say the least, I hadn't expected an offer of any kind from Ephraim, like him I had come to the bargaining table with pre-made assumptions of the man I was meeting. And just like I had surprised Ephraim, it was now his turn to reverse the tables.

"Thank you, that means a lot. Like I said, this life was not our choice, we are doing our best to make of it what we can, therefore you have my word, no human will be harmed by us, for any purpose"

Yet again Ephraim's warm hands enclosed themselves around mine, the heat seared my hand.

"I accept your word, but now the boundary has been set there, and providing we all stick to our sides of the land, there is no reason for us to ever have a meeting like this again".

"Back to myths and superstition".

"It's the only way"

I nodded, I had gained more understanding than I had expected, but not enough for him to trust me. I accepted this, I could tell that Ephraim Black was a man who had been brought up on the stories of his tribe, they were his Bible, and here I was disputing what he had believed his whole life, yet he had been kind enough to listen and despite his reservations promise to protect our secret.

I was halfway out the door when I realised that despite saying so much there was one major thing I had forgotten to say. I turned around, Ephraim was still sat down, he hadn't moved.

"Thank you".

He looked up, his dark chocolate eyes bore into mine with a deep intensity, and for a second I saw a sense of compassion that had otherwise been missing, maybe he had understood more than I had given him credit for. He simply nodded, he didn't need to say anything, and with that I left.

Ephraim Black had been a good man, that meeting was the only time I had met him, but I had sensed from the moment I had walked in that door that he was the type of leader most could only dream of being, yet it came so naturally to him. We owed him so much, many other of his kind would not have protected us in the way he had, it was thanks to him that we were able to continue living in Forks then and be able to return again now. Looking at Jacob I was able to see so much of his great grandfather in him, there was a diplomacy in him, he didn't like or understand Bella's relationship with Edward, yet he allowed it to continue because it was what she wanted. I was surprised to learn that Jacob was not the leader of the wolves, as Ephraim's great grandson I had expected him to assume the role as Alpha role, he had all the traits needed to assume such a role. He was a better person then he gave himself credit for, and a better person then many of my family certainly gave him credit for. I understood why Edward held such resentment towards Jacob, but my other sons and daughter allowed his feud to become tainted by the very reason me and Ephraim had made the treaty. I had hoped that the treaty would lead to peace between us and them, and that the bad blood between the two of us would eventually die out. But it seemed with Jacobs latest bombshell that Sam was preparing his boys to attack us that everything me and Ephraim had wanted to protect was disintegrating before me. Just like Ephraim, Sam had been brought up on the myths and superstition, but unlike his predecessor, he lacked the compassion to look past the veneer of what we were in order to see who we were.

When I had promised Ephraim not to harm another human I had meant it, I had never thought I would need to change another human, I believed my family was complete, I was still living with such guilt for changing the existing members of my family, infact I still am. I never believed our self control would be strong enough for one of us to fall in love with a human, or that such a love would make that human want to join us in immortality until Bella came along. I had hoped to put off her transformation for as long as possible, one in the vain hope that she would change her mind and also because there was a part of me, a very large part of me, which was scared of the guilt I would feel once the treaty was broken. Ephraim had trusted me, trusted my word, and here I was, I had allowed events to escalate to such a point where there was no other option, but to break my promise. Perhaps in some ways I already had, I had promised him that no other human would be harmed by us, and here was Bella, in unrivalled and unforgiving pain thanks to us. She wasn't a vampire, and maybe she would never be one, but we had scarred her just as deeply as our venom would have. We had changed her just as drastically as the change would have, maybe we weren't as different from others of our kinds. Maybe despite all our best motives and intentions we were still the masochistic human predators. No different from Laurent, Victoria or James. Or maybe perhaps, we were worse than them? They killed people, quick and painless. But we had tortured Bella, we'd loved her, made her promises we hadn't been able to keep and worst of all? We were killing her, slowly and painfully. Maybe we weren't any better than the creatures of the Quileute legends? The only thing that I was sure of as Jacob informed us of Sam's decision was that I was wrong to have deserved Ephraim's word all those years ago, him and his tribe had always kept their word, yet I had let him down, allowed a human to suffer at our hands, not in the way he had thought, but Bella's pain was worse than any vampire kill. I felt nothing but emptiness as Jacob spoke of Sam's plan, for as I looked at him, all I saw was his great grandfather, looking at me with unbearable disappointment as I turned out to be just like all the rest, and that disappointment was more damaging than any battle could to my soul.