A/N: Thanks Costa, for pre-reading.

32

After Sam left, Jacob and Eden headed to Kim and Jared's house. The rain had stopped before Matt came over, so Jacob had suggested that they walk instead of drive. The Camerons only lived a few blocks away.

The air was moist from the passing shower, and there was a breeze in the air, so Jacob gave Eden one of his hoodies. The sleeves were pushed up so he could hold her hand.

"Here we are," Jacob said, as they stood in front of the Camerons' front door. He knocked three times and waited.

"Hi," Kim said as she opened the front door. "Come on in."

Jacob motioned for Eden to enter first and then he followed. "Hi, Kim. We're not keeping you from your patients, are we?"

Kim waved. "No, I stop by a few times during the day to check up on Tommy and Aaron." Kim shut the door behind them. "How's the arm?"

"It's good. It doesn't really hurt anymore." Eden pushed up her sleeve.

"The bandage got wet, so I put a new one on," Jacob interjected. "I know it's not a great as yours."

"It's not bad." Kim gently held her arm to examine it. "Did you get caught in the rain?"

"Yeah." She looked bashfully at Jacob. "That's a long story."

"With a happy ending." Jacob smiled, and Eden elbowed his ribs.

"That explains your clothes." Kim smirked. "So, I'm assuming you two worked everything worked out."

"Yes." They both answered together.

"Good. We like you, Eden. You'll help keep our fearless Alpha in line." Kim winked.

"How's Tommy?" Jacob asked.

"He's up and awake but not in the best spirits. He's blaming himself for what happened to Aaron."

"I'll talk to him." Jacob turned to Eden and pressed his lips to their joined hands. "I'll be right back."

Kim looked at Eden. "Make yourself comfortable. I'll take a look at your arm in a minute."

Jacob followed Kim down the hall to the room in the back. "I went by the Cullens' earlier and saw Brady."

"Carlisle has been keeping me up to date." Kim sighed. "He told me things got rough last night, but he's hanging in there."

"I told Carlisle to let me know about any changes, and I'll go check on him before I start patrolling tonight."

"Speaking of Carlisle, one of the council members demanded to know why Brady was with the Cullens and not here."

"What?" Jacob stopped Kim from walking. "When did this happen? Who said that to you?"

"Janice Kohn," Kim groaned while rolling her eyes. "She stopped by this morning before I left for work. She's always been a nosy woman."

Jacob groaned. "Damn it! I told my father what happened last night before I went to bed. I didn't want him to be blindsided. He must have informed the council."

"It's fine, Jake. I know Billy was doing his job as Chief by letting the council know," Kim said. "I just didn't expect the attack. Some of them are pissed that you let Carlisle take Brady, and they're angry with me because I didn't contest it."

"It was the only way to save his life!" Jacob threw up his hands. "My father understood that. He even said that I did the right thing!"

"Janice doesn't agree. She seems to think that we could have brought him here, or at the very least ask Matt's pack for help. Taking him to the Cullens was, and I quote, 'completely irresponsible'."

"It would have been irresponsible not to let Carlisle help." Jacob shook his head. "Brady lost a lot of blood. Steve was patrolling last night, and even if he wasn't, Brady wouldn't have made it to Port Angeles. Plus, you are already looking after Aaron and Tommy. I couldn't burden you with that if I didn't have to. Carlisle was the best person to look after Brady. They had blood, the manpower, and space to accommodate."

"You're preaching to the choir. I'll be honest, Jake. If you had brought him here, I don't know if I could have helped him, not with the tools I have. When I became a doctor, the threat of any of you being seriously wounded was basically gone. I was just checking on minor things, an occasional broken bone or something. Plus, it gave me a chance to learn about shifters' anatomy for the future generations. Ness is my most interesting patient, because she's a hybrid."

"If Janice calls again about that or anything else, let her know that things are being handled. If she has a problem with that, tell her to come see me."

"You don't have to tell me twice."

"Did Janice say anything about Leah?"

Kim's head whipped around. "What happened to Leah? Is she okay?"

"She's fine." Jacob waved his hand. "There have been some new developments. I'll tell you after I speak with Tommy."

"There's never a dull moment." Kim patted Jacob's arm. "I'll go look at your girl's arm. See if you can get Tommy to eat."

"Okay. I know you don't hear that a lot, but thank you for all you do."

"No problem. It's the least I can do for you keeping us safe."

Jacob knocked lightly on the door, then said, "Tommy, can I come in?"

No answer.

The door squeaked when Jacob pushed it open. The room was quiet, only the sound of the clock ticking could be heard. There were two twin beds facing the window. One was empty with a half-eaten tray of food on the nightstand. Aaron rested in the other, bandages over his chest and belly, his breathing steady.

Tommy was sitting in an arm chair, his eyes on his brother, holding his hand.

By all accounts, Tommy looked much better. He wasn't fully recovered, but the color was coming back to his skin, and he didn't look as weak. The dark circles under his eyes seemed to be lighter also. It was a good sign that he was shirtless, which meant his body temperature was getting back to normal.

Aaron was a different story. The good news was that he seemed to be resting peacefully. The bad: he was getting paler by the moment. There was a bag of saline connected to his arm, a trick that Steve, Matt's pack doctor, said would help flush out the venom.

"Jake." Tommy slowly lifted his head, but didn't let go of his brother's hand.

"Hey, buddy." Jacob pulled up a chair next to him. "How are you feeling?"

"Better." Tommy sat up. "Aaron's about the same."

Jacob nodded.

"I was hoping to talk with you." Jacob leaned forward.

"About the werewolves," Tommy finished.

"If you feel up to it." Jacob touched his shoulder.

"No, I want to help." As he looked Aaron, his lip trembled. "I want to help kill these bastards who did this to my brother, who did this to all of us." He turned to Jacob. "Jared told me a little about what's going on. How's Brady?"

"He's stable but in a coma. Carlisle's looking after him."

"Jared also told me about Eden."

"Yep, and it looks like they're after Ness too." Jacob ran his hand over his head. "Are they after all our females? What is their end game? I need answers."

Tommy pulled his hand away from Aaron's. "I can tell you that going after Eden had to do with you. A weak Alpha makes a weak pack, and a weak pack can't protect Leah. Their Alpha wants to create an army, and Leah can give it to him. I don't know why he's interested in Ness, but if I had to guess, it's probably the same reason he wants Leah. Imagine werewolf, human, vampire, hybrids running around. Now imagine those hybrids under the control of the Alpha werewolf. Even the Volturi would be shaking in their boots."

"Do you remember what they did to you?"

"Some of it." Tommy scratched his head. "They kept giving me venom so I couldn't phase. They were also testing how much I could take and still survive. I wasn't their first, although I was the first to survive that much venom. There were times when I thought I was going to die, but I always came back."

"Did you tell them anything?"

Tommy's face grew weary. "I didn't want to, but they said they would go after my mother and Aaron. They said they would go after the pack, too."

"What kind of questions did they ask?" Jacob kept his tone even.

"Most of it was questions about our pack, like who was what rank, how many members we had, things like that." Tommy breathed in deep. "Then they started asking about Leah."

"Go on," Jacob said, his voice gentle. "It's okay, Tommy."

"They already knew a lot about her, but they wanted to know what her role was in the pack. I told them she was our Beta. Then they asked if she was an Alpha female."

"What did you say?"

Tommy shrugged. "I told them I didn't know."

"She is, but we didn't know until recently."

"He wanted to know about other pack members, who was the strongest, who was the weakest, who was the best fighter, who was the most loyal to you. I thought maybe I could tell them a little bit and that would appease them, but they wanted to know more. I think I told them too much." Tommy started to sob. "I'm so sorry!"

Jacob pulled him into a hug. "It's okay, Tommy. I know you were only trying to protect your family."

"A lot of good that did." Tommy wiped his nose.

Jacob handed him a tissue. "Tell me about what happened on the cliffs."

"They had me tied up and gagged, with a bag over my head so I wouldn't know where I was. But I could hear the ocean and smell the forest. I grew up here, ran these woods as a wolf. I knew exactly where I was."

"They didn't give you more venom?"

Tommy shook his head. "I think it was a lack of communication. One thought the other gave it to me and vice versa. I could feel the venom wearing off, but I was nowhere near full strength.

"They tied the ropes pretty tight, and they put tape over my mouth so I couldn't talk." Tommy rubbed Aaron's shoulder, his eyes watery. "I heard Aaron's voice. They took the bag off my head, and I saw my big brother on his hands and knees begging them not to hurt me. He told them about Ness." Tommy looked at Jacob, his expression pleading understanding. "He tried not to, but they threatened to push me off the cliff. I know he's not a fan of hers or the vampires, but he would never do anything to endanger her. He only told them to save me." Tommy laughed harshly. "It didn't matter. They pushed me anyway. I remember hitting the water and it stinging from both the landing and the cold. I was trying to break free of the ropes when I heard another splash. I looked over and saw Aaron. I don't know if it was my wolf trying to help or what, but I broke the ropes and swam to Aaron just as he was sinking. I pulled him to surface and tried to wake him up. I could barely see the shore. I swam as fast as I could, struggling to keep Aaron afloat. It felt like there were rocks in my feet, not to mention the water was freezing. I was pretty out of it, but I remember Emily grabbing me and saying that everything was going to be okay."

"It was pure luck that she was out there with Kim."

Tommy laughed. "Kim made us strip. I was in and out of consciousness, but I do remember being naked with Paul and Jared."

Jacob smiled. "Yeah, I'd try and block that out too." As Jacob rose, he put his hand to his chin, pondering. "The werewolves don't know you survived."

"Right, which means, they don't know that I was able to pass on the information."

"Exactly." Jacob snapped his fingers. "We might be able to use that. You've helped a lot, Tommy."

"Jake?" Tommy pulled his hand from Aaron's shoulder. "Kim says I'm getting better, and the venom is almost gone. When do you think I could start patrolling again?"

Jacob lowered back down in his seat. "Tommy, I don't know if that's a good idea." He already had one wolf that was out for revenge.

"Jake, I have to do something. I can't just sit here and watch my brother like this. I need to be out there protecting. It's what I'm supposed to do. Besides," Tommy looked at his brother. "Aaron didn't give up on me."

"How about this, Tommy. When Kim gives me the "all clear" on your status, we'll talk about it."

"Okay. I'll take it." Tommy nodded his chin.

"The first thing you can do is eat." Jacob pointed at the half-eaten tray of food. "The sooner you get your appetite back, the sooner you'll get your strength back. Get some rest, too. Just concentrate on getting better. Aaron would want that."

~*}{*~

Renesmee never thought of herself as the jealous type. Her best friend and aunt were two of the most beautiful women in the world, and she was never jealous of them. Then again, they never made her feel inferior.

No, she wasn't the jealous type.

That was before Mrs. Littlesea brought Wendy Gray to Black's Auto Shop.

Apparently, she had gone to the same high school as Collin, who made a point of telling her she hadn't changed one bit. Wendy was tall and lean like a supermodel with silky smooth light brown skin. Her long, slick black hair brushed her waist. She had high cheek bones, a radiant smile, and big brown eyes with thick black lashes that fluttered at anything and everything Collin said.

And Collin, the loving and friendly guy he was, welcomed her, apparently missing the subtle flirting she was shooting his way.

But Renesmee didn't miss it.

Every member of the pack was gorgeous in their own way. But there were times when Collin made her heart stop. That coppery skin that was warm to the touch, those big hands that held her so securely, that loving smile that put anyone at ease, and that fierceness within him that always lit a fire in her soul. Even now, covered in oil, dirt, and sweat, Collin managed to get Renesmee's blood pumping.

Yes, she was lucky to have Collin.

And for the first time, she wondered if she deserved him.

Although, Renesmee was a few inches taller than her mother, she wasn't nearly as tall or thin. She never thought of herself as ugly, but was she was pretty enough for Collin?

Mrs. Littlesea loved Wendy. She couldn't stop spouting about all her adventures she had while living in Seattle.

Renesmee was at peace with the fact that Mrs. Littlesea might never invite her over for dinner, but everyone else that was important in Collin's life liked her. She could be civil to Mrs. Littlesea if needed. It was a small price to pay to be with the man she loved.

"Are you back in town for good?" Collin asked Wendy, a slight twinkle in his eye.

"Yep." She tossed her long hair over her shoulder. "I'm here to stay." More of that eyelash fluttering.

Mrs. Littlesea was practically beaming and making sure that Renesmee knew it by shooting her smug glances. She decided she wasn't going to take this lying down. Renesmee took a deep breath and channeled her inner Leah and approached. She stood right next to Collin, pasted her friendliest smile on her face and stuck out her hand. "Hi, I'm Ness."

Wendy's smile faltered and her brow crinkled. Instead of shaking her hand, she looked Renesmee up and down. "You're the hybrid, right?"

"Excuse me?" Renesmee slowly dropped her hand.

"The hybrid. You know half vampire and half human." She waved her hand around, her tone with enough condescension to make sure Renesmee was paying attention.

Renesmee's smile stretched until it almost hurt. "What do you know about hybrids?"

"Everything," Wendy returned with her own saccharine grin.

"Oh, sorry." Mrs. Littlesea giggled innocently while lovingly wrapping her arm around Wendy's. "Wendy is joining the council. She knows everything."

"Yeah, I know all your secrets." She touched Collin's arm with a bit more affection than Renesmee was comfortable with.

Mrs. Littlesea grinned. "She's going to make a great addition to the council."

Collin cleared his throat. "Rebecca's joining too."

"I'm sure Billy is very proud," Renesmee commented. "It's a great honor."

"Yes, it is. Only true members of the Quileute tribe are chosen. It's too bad you can't attend any of our bonfires."

"Actually, Ness is allowed to walk on our lands." Collin placed his hand on the small of Renesmee's back. "She's the only one."

Wendy looked confused. "But she's a vampire, right? Shouldn't she be forbidden?" She quickly looked at Renesmee, her smile sugary-sweet. "No offense."

"Well, as you so graciously pointed out, I'm a hybrid. I'm half human. The council agreed I wouldn't be a danger."

Wendy twisted her mouth. "Really."

"Ness isn't a threat. She's proven that she can be trusted on our lands." Collin pulled her close and kissed her forehead. "Plus, she loves it there."

"I really do. It's my second home." She leaned closer to Collin, resting her hand on his chest.

Wendy's eyes darted between the two of them. "Wait, are you two…together?"

"Yes." This time Renesmee's was smile smug, confident.

"Aren't you full of surprises, Collin?" Wendy put her finger on her chin as she looked at the two of them. Her smile was almost challenging, like she was plotting something.

"Reese," Mrs. Littlesea said. Renesmee cringed. No matter how many times Renesmee corrected her, she still insisted on pronouncing her name wrong. She never even tried.

"It's Renesmee, mom," Collin corrected.

"I'm sorry, dear." Mrs. Littlesea smiled. "How is it again, Reneename? Renemy?"

"Mom," Collin said, his voice expressing the frustration Renesmee was feeling.

Wendy sniggered.

"It's fine, babe." Renesmee gently patted his chest and from the corner of her eye, she saw the smug smile slide from Wendy's face. "Yes, ma'am."

"I have a favor to ask." She put her hands together, sort of like a villain plotting an evil plan. "Normally when we have new members join the council, we have a celebration. Friends and family get together to congratulate them. All of the previous parties have been on the beach, but Wendy would like to meet at least one of the vampires."

Wendy nodded. "It's important to know all about those involved with our treaty, just to make sure everything is the way it's supposed to be."

Renesmee didn't like the tone of Wendy's comment, but she ignored it. "But my family can't walk on the reservation."

"Exactly." Mrs. Littlesea held up her index finger. "Which is why we need a different venue."

Renesmee twisted her lips, thoughtfully. "Well, we could have it at my family's home. The tent is still up for Angela's reception, and there is plenty of room."

Mrs. Littlesea barked out a laugh. "Some of the council members would have an issue with that. To be honest, I'm not so keen on that idea either. We need someplace on neutral ground."

"So, where do you think everyone would be comfortable?" Renesmee clasped her hands together.

Mrs. Littlesea's smile looked like the Grinch's when he came up with the idea to take all the presents and decorations from the people of Whoville. "What about your house?"

"Mine?" Renesmee's eyebrows shot up.

"Yeah, it would be perfect. You have a nice sized backyard, and it would be an ideal place to meet the vampires." Mrs. Littlesea spread her hands excitingly. "You live in Forks, which is neutral territory. Plus, with the wolves guarding Leah there, they'll be on alert, so the council will feel safe."

Renesmee narrowed her eyes. "My family is not a threat. We hunt animals, not humans."

"Until someone gets a papercut," Wendy snorted. Renesmee shot her a glare.

"Honey," Collin said, catching her attention. He put his hands on her shoulders and turned her toward him. "Maybe it would be better at your place. A lot of the council members haven't even met your family. It could be a chance to break the ice, and maybe break some old prejudices." Renesmee stared into those big, beautiful brown eyes and felt her doubt melt away.

In the silence, she heard Mrs. Littlesea ask, "So what do you say?"

~*}{*~

"You said, yes?" Leah asked Renesmee incredulously.

Renesmee opened her eyes, then looked her hands, one holding Leah's, the other holding Rosalie's. Sometimes, it was easier to show, rather than explain it.

"What was I supposed to do?" She pulled her hands away. "Collin's mother barely even talks to me. I was surprised she even asked. Plus, Collin had a good point. If the council actually met my family on neutral ground, maybe they will see that they would never hurt anyone. They might even amend the treaty."

"Well, one thing's for sure. That Wendy person has her eye on your man," Rosalie said.

"I know. And what's worse, I think she knows that I know, and she doesn't even care! She wants him. Plain and simple. And I think part of him wants her too."

"Hold on," Leah held her hand up. "Where is this coming from?"

"It's the way he looks at her sometimes. It's like he's in a trance or something. You should have seen the way he smiled at her when she asked for his help."

"For what?" Rosalie's head shot up.

"She said that she needed some help unloading some boxes from her storage unit to her new place, which by the way is not that far from the Littleseas'. Being the guy he is, he offered to help. She practically jumped in his arms to thank him."

"And what did Collin do?" Rosalie narrowed his eyes.

"He was polite, as always and said that it was no problem." Renesmee rested her chin in her hands. "You saw how beautiful she is. How do I compete with that?"

"Red," Leah crossed her legs. "Why do you think you have to compete? You already have him. He's with you, not her." Leah patted Renesmee's shoulder. "Remember, he challenged his mother after she was so rude to you."

"And broke Jake's command and took on a pack of werewolves to save you." Rosalie chortled. "Not sure he would do that for Wendy."

"True, and he did kiss me goodbye when he left with her, a real good kiss." Renesmee grinned.

"Exactly," Rosalie said. "Do you know how many women have flirted with Emmett over the years, most of them female vampires? Look how far they've gotten. She's just testing the waters, and when she sees that Collin is not up for grabs, she'll move on."

"So, when is this party supposed to happen?" Leah asked.

Renesmee's voice was meek. "In two days."

"Two days?" Leah leaned forward. "We have to get this place ready in two days?"

"Yep. And we'll have to have it in the afternoon because of the patrolling schedule." Renesmee bit her lip as she cautiously looked at her roommate.

"So, technically a day and a half," Leah mumbled. "Is Mrs. Littlesea at least coming over to help?"

Renesmee snorted. "She said that she knows I can handle it and she, 'doesn't want to get in my way'." Renesmee rolled her eyes. "I know she wants me to fail, so she can say that I'm not good enough for Collin."

"Then we'll have to prove her wrong." Rosalie stood up. "You know how much Alice loves to plan parties. I'm sure she'll help."

"Are you going to make pies, Lee?" Renesmee asked.

"If you want me to, I will. And I'm sure we can get some extra hands. Eden, Rachel, Kim, maybe even Angela if she's up to it."

"Maybe Emily can take care of the food?" Rosalie looked warily at Leah.

Leah shrugged. "I'm sure she'll help if someone asks."

"I'll ask her," Renesmee said, patting Leah's hand. She understood that Leah was trying to keep her distance from Emily and Sam while they were going through their martial crisis.

"Yes, we got this." Rosalie clapped her hands.

Leah grabbed a pad of paper and pen. "So, we're going to have Matt's pack, Jake's pack, and a coven of vampires here." Leah looked around the room. "I think we could make it work. We can have the party mostly outside so we won't have to worry about feeling too cramped, maybe leave the back doors open."

"And not all of us will be able to make it," Rosalie said. "Edward and Jasper have been working nonstop to get information from the werewolf, so they probably won't come. That will probably be a good thing. The council can't say they're manipulating things. Carlisle will want to stay close to Brady, but Esme will probably come. She's really great with people. And Alice will want to see her handiwork."

"I'll ask mom. She might come too. I'm sure she needs a break," Renesmee said. "From what I hear, they're still having trouble getting anything usable from the werewolf."

"Ok. We're all set then." Rosalie pulled her cellphone out of her back pocket. "Let me call Alice. She'll have a plan ready in no time.

A/N: I didn't forget. John and Rebecca will be making an appearance soon. :)