The Blood Of One. The Sins Of Many.

Chapter 36: New Future. Old Friends.

Disclaimer: I am not Stephenie Meyer; it's unfortunate, but true. I don't own Twilight or any of its characters either... Though I would love to, I can't take credit for that genius. The plot is my own, but all references to Twilight, its characters and the lyrics used belong to their respective owners. Thank you for letting me play in the playground!

Standing on higher ground
When you hear the sounds
You realize its just the wind
And you notice it matters who and what you let under your skin

Line of Fire by Junip

I felt so tired. Exhausted really, but there was still things I had to do. I had to find Edward, talk to Leah, who'd appeared out of nowhere, and Paul, and try and explain to Ryan who these people were and how they could help. Standing on the roof with the thunderous battle rent in the air just wore me down further. Not even the breeze that danced around me seemed to rouse me from the weariness I was feeling.

Well, until I felt a marble elbow in my ribs.

I looked over at Tanya, who was looking at me with her eyes lit up like she was at a party rather than a fight to the death. I didn't think I would ever truly understand the woman. It was probably better not to try. She was just one of those people who took everything in their stride, it was one of the things I loved most about her.

Introduce me. She mouthed, her eyes flickering to Ryan and back.

I blinked a couple of times in surprise before smiling back at her.

"Tanya, this is Ryan. Ryan, this is my good friend Tanya."

Rose sighed next to me, her head shaking from side to side against mine. She knew as well as I did that Tanya would be more than happy to help Ryan acclimate into this lifestyle. I knew Ryan well enough to know he would be good to her if it went in that direction, and maybe if things went well, Tanya would be able to finally settle down like she'd wanted to.

"Ryan, would you be okay hanging here with Tanya while we go and sort through a few things?"

He opened his mouth and shut it, looking between Tanya and me as though he was unsure what I was asking of him. Even now his instinct was to protect me but it was my turn to protect him. Maybe he could even be happy in this new life of his.

"Don't you worry about me. I'll be fine."

He nodded and smiled over at Tanya, his eyes drinking her in from head to foot. I don't think he realized he was doing it until Tanya laughed and looped her arm through his, leading him to the back of the roof and away from the fight that was slowly starting to die down below us. I watched them go, their bodies slowly gravitating toward one another as the spoke in hushed tones, the wind dancing around them. I felt better knowing that he would be safe and not have to worry about his bloodlust for a while. He'd been so careful around me.

I took a breath and looked down at the fight in the street again, my eyes searching as best they could in the dim light. Now that things had calmed down on the roof and Victoria was well and truly gone, her words echoed in my head. Not being able to see Edward made a small panic stir in my stomach as I searched and came up with nothing.

"Victoria said–"

"He's right there," Rosalie said gently, pointing to a set of deep shadows that showed nothing. "You're first instinct to not believe the shit she sprouted was the right one. Luke, however, is still putting up quite the fight. So maybe–"

"Take me down there. He needs a distraction and after what he did to me, I will be more than happy to oblige. Oh, wait there's five newborns in grocery store, if they get out..."

Rosalie nodded to the building I'd been holed up in. The flames were reaching into the sky curling like limbs reaching. It was all consuming and fast moving as it lapped at the roof of the building. I spared a moment to think of each of the men that were trapped inside, their fates mingled with Victoria's. It was my fault they'd been through what they had. I was the one that had created this situation, and their decision to bed me, had led to their deaths. I could never apologize enough for that.

I watched for a moment longer. From up on the roof, I could see two figures backing away from the fire, their bodies close as they walked away. I scanned the roof in the direction Tanya and Ryan had walked toward, and realized it had been the two of them that had set fire to the place. I marveled at the fact that I hadn't even heard them leave.

"Come on, space cadet. If we keep you moving it may help with the withdrawals."

"I hate that he did that."

"You should have been on the roof with us. Edward... Didn't take that well."

"Which is why he's busting Luke's ass."

"Yes, but he's been dragging it out, with a little help from Paul. Who, by the way, wasn't much better than Edward when he saw that shit go down. How many admirers do you have, girl?"

"Don't even go there." I groaned, feeling the weight of lethargy settle in again. I was starting to feel like I could sleep for a week.

"I'm gonna grab you." Rose warned.

I nodded and squeaked as she pulled me into her arms and leaped from the building to the dark road below. There were fires being lit as the last of the newborns were disposed of. There were a few fights still going, but even I could see that my friends and family were more skilled and experienced than any of Victoria's minions they were fighting. It was all about numbers. Victoria had more than we'd known about and that was evident from the piles of vampire bodies that were burning. She'd been far more prepared than we'd assumed.

Rosalie and I jogged toward the alley where Edward and Paul were taking in turns with the vampire that had once been a familiar human to me. I felt terrible about using him as I had, because he'd been right. I hadn't been invested in the relationship I'd had with him. I was mourning the death of my father and hurting over Jacob's betrayal. I shouldn't have dragged anyone into my life, but I needed to forget. I'd need someone to take charge and just make me feel more than the emptiness that had begun swallowing me whole. I could take responsibility for what I had done to him, but I couldn't take responsibility for him loving me. I'd told him I was broken, but he'd insisted on the friends with benefits relationship we'd already started.

He'd never said a word about love when we had been together. He'd never even shown it. We went to bed together every night, we had some good sex, but at the end of it there was no hugging or spooning. We rolled over onto our respective sides, back to back, and fell asleep. There was no affection, no goosing or stolen kisses. How was I have supposed to have read that? I'd been forthcoming about my situation. How anyone could have fallen in love with the shell I had been was beyond me.

Every eye in the alley turned to Rose and I as we entered. There were two vampires and one wolf. The three of them seemed to scan me for injury. Paul and Edward seemed relieved that I was untouched. Luke alone seemed filled with disappointment. It was typical really. What else could I have expected of him at that point? He'd been stewing over my leaving him for a good long while, with Victoria in his ear egging on the loathing and resentment, it was a wonder he didn't kill me on sight.

As Luke stepped toward me, Paul's lips peeled back off of his long canines, his ears flat on his head. Edward growled so loud the sound reverberated from the walls and echoed in my head, making Luke freeze where he was.

"You have been a busy girl." Luke drawled. "How many more men would lay their lives down for you, peaches?"

"You never knew when to shut your mouth, did you?" I snapped. "Maybe you shouldn't try to figure things out, Luke. You never get it right."

"So, you're saying that these men don't have something for you? The vampire perked right up when you walked over, and the wolf–" He looked to Paul who was looking between us. He stopped the moment the vampire's eyes were on him and flattened his ears to his head again. "–I think he would hump your leg if he could."

"You're sick–"

"Then there's that poor guy, Ryan. He was head over heels for you."

"Stop it."

"Getting under your skin, tootsie pop?"

I hated that nickname. He'd used it since the fist time we'd been together. It was a sexual reference that I really wasn't into, but being as high as I was, I'd never corrected. With the memories all filtering back with the name, he was making me nauseous.

"There's the look I was waiting for. The amount of times I took you with that empty stare in your eyes."

Rose put her hand on my back out of support as the blood rushed to my face. I hated that I had a history with him, more than that, with every word he spoke, I was regretting the sex more and more. He knew how empty I'd been. I was broken and I was finally staring to realize that he'd used me, just as much as I'd used him, and I hated him for it. I hated myself.

Edward chose that moment to strike, his body coiled like a snake before striking out and pushing Luke face first into the brick wall. He leaned in, his anger worn like a badge. I'd never seen him looking so pissed off before, and I'd done a lot of button pushing.

"Don't you dare speak to her like that, you sick bastard."

"When I've been inside of her, I can speak anyway I choose. I know you feel me. I can smell her on you."

Paul's teeth snapped together, his growl pouring from his throat until the saliva dripped from the huge fangs in his mouth. Edward wasn't any less effected, his muscles became one tight line, his neck becoming rigid as his black eyes glazed over in a death mask. Luke wasn't walking out of this alive.

"Seriously, why are we still letting him talk?" A familiar voice said from behind me. I spun around and smiled at the woman leaning against the wall at the end of the alley. She was like a breath of fresh air through my stodgy, coagulation of thoughts.

"Leah." I broke away from the others and ran to her. She embraced me in a warm hug before backing away and looking at me.

"You look like shit, B."

"Thanks. I've been working on it, it's just the look I was going for."

Leah rolled her eyes and shot a look at Paul. "Stop fucking around. Do what you have to, but I have to check in with Sam before he shits bricks."

She led me from the end of the alley and into the empty street that was pickled with fires that were slowly dying to ashes. Everyone was working on throwing random pieces into the flames as quickly as they could. The human damage would have more of an effect than that of the vampires battle.

When the keening sound and screams filtered from the alley, Leah stopped and looked over her shoulder. I could see she was happy that the last of the red eyed vampires were taken care of and her shoulders relaxed before she looked back at me with sad eyes.

"Paul told me what Jacob did."

"Shit." I grumbled.

"The question is, why weren't you the one to tell me? Bella, you know I had your back."

"I didn't know for sure. I found out the day..." I trailed off, unable to bring that up again. I was raw enough as it was without dredging up that piece of my past. Seemingly understanding that I needed a change of direction in the conversation, Leah took over the conversation, steering it back to somewhat safe territory.

"Everyone's pissed off at him, Bella. You were part of the family, you still are. And I... Well, I told Jen."

I looked over at her with my mouth wide open. She'd told Jacob's imprint that he'd been unfaithful? Sure. I hated him for what he'd done to me, but that didn't mean I wanted her to suffer. She hadn't known, and he'd never told her. As far as I knew, she didn't know I existed.

"But–"

"She knew that Jacob was with someone before her, Bella. How could she not? You were a huge part of our lives. We spent months looking for you after you left. We all just assumed that Jacob had explained about you after he'd broken it off, that's when she started coming around. She heard Jake and I yelling after I confronted him with the truth and wanted to know what was going on. So I told her."

God hearing it said back in those terms just made me feel so angry. He'd had plenty of chances to break up with me. For the time he was with her, he still called me every night, still called me by pet names and he told me he loved me. Every night he would end the conversation with I love you, and I believed him. All the while he was screwing his imprint.

What was I supposed to do with that?

"I hate him, Lee."

"Right now, we all do. You're family, you always will be. One day though, if I know you as well as I think I do, you'll be tired of all that anger in you. You'll need to talk to him. When that day comes, I will stand beside you if you need me to."

"Thank you, Lee. I just– I can't right now."

"No one expects you to. Hell, he has a ways to go before most of us will acknowledge him again."

I ran my hands through my hair. I appreciated the solidarity, but they were his family, his pack. He needed them as much as they needed him. They worked together, ate together, and lived together. They were a family. I hoped they would let it go. It was a betrayal against me. I was the only one that needed to hate him. Though it wasn't like he cared.

"Right now though, I have to drag Paul's stupid ass back to La Push," Leah said with a sigh.

"How bad is it?"

"Not bad at all, actually, but don't tell him that. Sam's impressed by his initiative, he's just pissed he didn't come to him first. Like I said. You're family, Sam understands that."

This was what I missed about the wolf pack and being part of it. We had all been a big family, we looked after one another and they'd made my life so much better. To imagine that they still thought about me that way was just... It was overwhelming. I missed talking shit with Leah, and flirting with Paul, I missed Emily's cupcakes and sense of humor. I missed Embry's dumb jokes and ass pinching, Quil's quiet strength, Kim's need to debate everything, Jared's quick solutions, Sue's advice, Seth's big heart and Billy's wisdom about all things Charlie. I missed them all. They were a huge part of my life, just like the Cullens were.

"I miss you guys."

"We miss you too, but you can visit whenever the hell you want to. Jacob can go fuck himself if he doesn't like it."

I let out a small laugh and pulled Leah into another hug. She hugged me back until another warm body pressed into my back and the smell of Paul enveloped me. He leaned his cheek on the top of my head as Leah laughed.

"Bella."

"Yeah, Paul?"

"You smell like you bathed in vampires."

I shook my head and laughed, letting myself enjoy the moment with my extended family. They owned a part of me that had been buried for a long time. One I was determined to let surface again, because I wasn't going to stay away. I needed them, just as much as I needed the vampires that had stood at my back and protected me.

"Okay, well we're going to help with the clean up." Leah whispered, looking past me. "Looks like someone wants to talk to you."

"Edward?"

She nodded and smiled. "All worked out in the end, didn't it?"

"No," Paul said, playfully. "What about me?"

"We'll revisit that when you can say monogamy without going pale." Leah laughed, shoving him toward where the biggest fire was. I could hear them bantering as they walked. It sounded like wolves yipping in the forest when they thought no one was listening.

"You know, I never understood before," Edward said from beside me, making me jump. I turned into his arms and pressed myself against his body, my lips finding his neck.

"What didn't you understand?"

"When I found out about the wolves and you and Jacob. I couldn't understand why you'd want to be a part of that. It wasn't just Jacob though, you loved all of them, you are a part of their pack. They accepted you."

"I never understood it." I admitted.

"That's because you don't see yourself the way others see you. You never have. You're extraordinary."

"And you, my love, are full of shit."

"You'll see it one day." He promised.

"Shut up and kiss me."

He didn't hesitate. He leaned down and captured my lips with his, his hands pulling my waist against him as he indulged himself. His tongue moved against my lips and I gave him full control over my body. I arched into him, my arms linking around his neck as I fell greedily into his kiss.

"Hey, get a room." Paul shouted, and I flicked him the bird. "No, seriously, we need a ride. If you get a room you can take us north so we can run home."

I pulled back and looked over at the direction Paul was shouting from. Leah was pushing him and laughing, her head shaking as she yelled at him.

In the end, we took them north as they'd asked. Neither of them had seemed thrilled about running through Vegas in their human or wolf bodies, so Edward and I took the Mercedes and drove them to the outskirts where the desert met the city limits. I stared up at the stars as we waited for them to phase. My head was still swimming a little, and the daze of actually making it out of there alive was still blowing my mind.

Edward stood next to me, leaning against the car with his eyes on me rather than the beauty that hung like a canopy above us. It was darker out there, away from the city, but I felt a sense of peace. There was nothing in the dark to scare me any more. No shadow that threatened to come alive and take away everything that had a meaning in my life.

As I looked back over at Edward, I smiled. "What?"

"You. I just want to watch you."

I stuck my finger up my nose and smiled. "Still wanna watch me?"

He just raised his eyebrows at me in humor.

"You're classy," he drawled, his body rolled over mine and leaned into me so I was pressed up against the car. "It's why I love you so much."

"Hmm. I dress like a slob, cuss like a sailor and pick my nose. What's not to love?"

"Now you get it," he sighed with a laugh. He leaned in and pressed his lips to mine, but pulled back entirely too soon in my opinion. "Yes, Paul."

"What did he say?" I asked, looking over Edward's shoulder to the huge wolf sat at the end of the car. His huge pink tongue was lolling out of the side of his mouth as he watched the two of us, and I could only imagine what he was thinking in that perverted mind of his.

"He wants to say goodbye." Edward looked over at the wolf and nodded in respect. "I'll wait in the car."

He stepped away from me, and I slid past him toward both of the wolves that were sat patiently waiting for me. I leaned into Paul first, my hand diving into the course fur around his neck as I leaned my forehead against his cheek.

"I won't stay away for so long this time." He nuzzled into me with a soft purring in his throat, then looked over his shoulder to Leah and chuffed at her. I kissed him on the top of the nose and walked toward the more elegant of the two. Leah was all muscle in a slightly smaller and more compact body. She wasn't any less powerful though, and she was fast too.

I wrapped my arms around her neck. "You look after him and keep him out of trouble for me. I'll see you soon."

Leah bucked her head and licked my arm as I stepped away from her. She looked over at Paul and yipped. Paul's huge body was up in a second as the two of them took off. He nipped at her flank and she ran into his side the flat of her head butting at him as the sound of playful yapping filled the desert air.

Cool arms closed around my waist and I leaned back against the broad expanse of Edward's chest as I watched the huge wolves disappear into the inky darkness of night. Only their chatter left behind in their wake.

Considering how much had been taken away from me in my life, I couldn't help but feel complete in that one moment. I had a family, a large, diverse family that didn't always get along, but they all had one thing in common, they all loved me, even if I couldn't explain why.

Authors Note: Just a few more things to wrap up. We have a grand total of two chapters left. I'm gonna miss these guys. They're so much fun to write.

I want to thank all you guys for reading, adding to alerts and favorites and for the amazing reviews. You guys have been so supportive throughout this story and I can't thank you enough for sticking with me even when my schedule got insane. I love all you guys.

Pinkindeed, you're so patient and wonderful, thank you for being there.

Hev99 and Sabi's Sookie, I love you guys so much. There are no words!

MWAH!