Chapter 36

Bella's POV

"What did Alice tell you?" I asked him when he came back inside. But I felt scared when he didn't answer me. "Edward, please."

Edward turned his head and said in a low whisper, "The Volturi…are coming to Forks."

I felt like I stopped breathing. "What? When? Why?"

"They're arriving tomorrow early in the morning. Apparently, they sent a vampire to spy on us to see if you are…human or not." Edward said bitterly. "They're coming here and going to figure out who you are and the twins."

It took a moment for me to adjust to all of us but why did they have to come now? Everything was going perfectly in our lives now. But we both knew this was going to happen sooner or later but I was hoping for much later. Then, I remember all of my dreams of the Volturi and their guards in red, attacking the twins…the Cullens… the pack…Edward…me. I sat down on the couch, trying to think of ways to talk to Aro to not hurt this family. I have to prove to him that twins and I are not a danger to them and that the twins are not the immortal children. But how am I going to do that?

"What should we do, Edward?" I asked my hands gripping the baby monitor tightly.

"We plan something." He said to me. "With your powers, none of the Volturi can harm us including Jane. But like you said to me before a long time ago, we can show Aro my thoughts of the past few months. And hopefully, there will be no fight tomorrow."

"And if there is?" I questioned.

Edward kissed me gently on the forehead and whispered, "Let's hope it doesn't come to that, love."

"Maybe I should ask for Jonathon and Caleb to come –be witness for my existence. It might be the only way to prove something."

"And what about Rafael and his clan?"

I shook my head, "They're like nomads and I'm sure they don't want to be intervening with the Volturi. I can't ask him to do that after everything that has happened."

"Are you forgetting about the part that he killed Rebecca and kidnapped you?"

I snarled, "Of course I haven't forgotten about that. But I want to save as many people as I can include Charlie, he's human and you know what will happen if Aro figures that part out. Did Alice see anything else?" I asked, trying to control my emotions but felt a wave of calmness enter my body and figured it was Julian doing it.

But I was wrong.

Everyone in the family came in the house, hand by hand. Alice spoke first, "I can't see what they're doing right now and it's bothering me. It means Aro is changing his thoughts about tomorrow and I can't decide if that's a good or bad thing."

I looked at Jasper's anxious eyes, "I need your help."

He looked at me confused. "Help with what?"

"I need you to fight me…just in case if they attack first."

"No!" Edward snarled, taking my hand causing me to look at his angry eyes. "You will not fight! I won't allow it."

"I have to…for the safety of our children. We don't know what they will be thinking. Who knows if they just attack randomly without any talk? We don't know anything, Edward. This is just a precaution." I told him as I gently pull my hand away. "We need a backup plan."

"What about the dogs?" Rosalie questioned. "We can use them."

"No! We will not send the Quileutes to their deaths, Rose! I can't let anyone die for me or the twins. That's not right."

"Then what is right, Bella?" Edward questioned me. "We don't have enough time to ask for help from the other vampires. They won't fight with us against the Volturi."

"Edward, let Emmett and I help her prepare for tomorrow just in case." Jasper reassured him. "It's been a while since Bella last used her bow and arrow."

I turned and smiled at my brother-in-law, "Watch out Emmett."

Emmett laughed, "You're on, sis."

I grinned once more then turn to look at Edward. "Edward, please. If there is a fight, I can ask Rosalie or Esme take the twins as far away as they can or give them to Charlie. But we need to make a plan right now. We need to be prepared for whatever is going to happen tomorrow."

The sunlight broke through the windows, sparkling on everyone's skin. Edward's eyes have not moved from me and I know he could stare at me all day, and I could do the same. We both know what neither of us could live without: the other. But I had to make a choice and my choice is to fight. Hopefully, Edward will support on me for this. We waited for Edward's response.

Finally, Edward sighed, "Alright, fine we will do it your way. I don't like it but it sounds safe enough for our family. Should we ask any help from our friends?"

"I will like the twins' existence on the low for now." I said. "If you don't mind."

"Of course." Carlisle said.

"So Bella are you ready to train with us?" Emmett grinned at me.

I couldn't help but grin back, "Let me get my weapons."

"Wait, before I forget." Carlisle began. "You need to be careful around Alec and Jane. You already know what Jane's power is. But Alec is a lot different. He can cut your senses altogether. No pain, but you will have no sight or sound or smell. You can't feel anything."

"But Jane and Aro's powers are immune to me. Do you think it will be the same with Alec?"

"Let's hope so," mumbled Edward.

Emmett put his arm around my shoulder and pulled me away from Edward and outside. "Let's go, sis. We have a lot of training to do."

"Oh joy," I mumbled.

As I took my weapons out from a closet, the swords and bow and arrows a present from Alexander, I went to the twins' room and found Rosalie reading them a children's book. Both babies sitting on her laps while Rosalie held the book up, so they could see the pictures. It is so hard to imagine what will happen tomorrow. Knowing Julian's power, will he remember the events that will take place? Will he remember the Volturi's red and angry eyes? Will my children have nightmares about them like I do?

Rosalie's eyes looked up at me and I smiled at her gently before leaving the room, so the twins won't see me carrying weapons. Like he said, Emmett and Jasper were waiting for me outside as the sunlight caused their skin to sparkle. But seeing Jasper's scars so visible caused me to shiver, hoping that I won't endure another vampire scar on my body. "So what should we do first, boys?" I asked, carefully putting the weapons down on the ground.

"Let's see how good you really are, Bells." Emmett said. "Without using your weapons."

"Bring it on, old man."

Emmett put his hand over his unbeating heart, pretending to be hurt and whimpered, "Old man?"

I couldn't hold my laughter but stopped when Emmett tried to hit but quickly I ducked. It was like slow motion, Emmett's arm above my head as I went under it. I grabbed his arm and flipped him over my body as he landed hard on the ground. "Is that it? I thought you were giving me your all, Emmett?" I laughed.

"Oh you ask for it."

Emmett sprang, a snarl rippling from his throat, as he ran towards me. But was I ready for this. My foot spun around in a roundhouse kick, hitting him in the face, knocking him off course, and it sends him falling in the air to a tree. But I didn't have time to revel in my victory because Jasper sprang into action. He is a lot tougher than Emmett and I remembered the training he did with the others before the newborns arrived in Forks. This is going to be harder than I thought.

Quickly, I jumped up and slammed my foot into his chest and used my other foot to stand on Jasper's shoulder, and used both of my legs to flip him over. He was flying up in the air but the southern vampire landed gracefully on the dirt. This is going to be hard. "That was a nice momentum, Bella. Never thought you had this much strength in you." He smiled at me. "But let's see how long that lasts."

"Show me what you got, Jazz." I grinned at him.

Jasper then lunged at him as I dodged him and kicked straight up but of course, I missed since Jasper is faster than me. Suddenly, he was right behind and twisted my arm, and I couldn't control the piercing scream that escaped my lips. My scream turned to anger and I used all of my strength to elbow him under his chin. Surprisingly, he felt something and released his grip on my arm and I pushed his chest away from, spinning around until I crouched down like an animal. Jasper touched his chin, smiling at me.

"I think we underestimated our sister-in-law, Emmett." Jasper grinned at me, getting the dirt off his clothes. "Just a few more practices and I think Volturi wished they never threatened this family."

"Then, we can try using swords?" I asked.

The rest of the day, Jasper and Emmett helped me train for the Volturi. All of us were careful to make sure I won't bleed or get bruised or anything that involves having physical wounds because I know Edward will start yelling. Finally, nightfall approached us and my brothers-in-laws left to go back to their house as I went back inside and took a long and warm shower. Once I was done, I changed in to the nightgown that Alice got me last month and got under the covers. I could hear Edward's music playing through the baby monitor as he sang to our children to sleep. But I also fell asleep.

I heard laughter in the meadow and saw Edward with everyone else in the family with the twins. Edward was smiling and laughing as he lifted our son up in the air and caught him as his body fall. He turned his head and gestured for me to come forward and did. I laughed as I watched Julian and Faith play with the colorful flowers as they grabbed it with their small hands.

Suddenly, the sun's warmth disappeared as darkness waved over the meadow. Gray clouds took over the sky and a breeze blew around us. At the corner of my eye, I saw something move around the area and I saw it again but it had red eyes. That isn't good. But when I saw the color red, I knew it was them. They're here. Jane's red eyes stared me with an exultant evil grin on her pale yet beautiful young dace. The Volturi are here for two reasons; and the Cullens were standing in their way.

It was the nightmare that I've been dreading for days and it was finally coming true. I was furious. I won't let the Volturi take them away from me and from this family. They are everything to me and a part of me. The Volturi came closer, but drifted away from each other, ready to attack us. We were outnumbered. But this near-death experience is different than any other I have experienced because I will mix my fear and angry in this battle. They were coming closer as I saw the lust in their red eyes.

The war has just begun.

Air rushed into my body as I jolted forward; every nerve in my body twitching. I could feel sweat dripping down my back and neck as I tried to remember how to breathe. I pulled the covers off my legs and touched the cold floor with my bare feet. There was a note on the counter and it was in Edward's neat handwriting saying he went hunting with everyone and he'll be back before morning. But I looked at the clock and saw it was two thirty in the morning.

The sound of crying caused me to jump and realized one of my babies was crying. Quickly, I put on my nightgown and slippers and ran to the twins' nursery and saw it was Faith that was crying. Carefully, I pulled her in my arms and tried to soothe her. "It's alright, sweetie. Mama's here. Mama's here." I whispered, kissing her on the head softly.

"I'm not going to let anybody hurt you." I promised and hopefully, I will get to keep it.

A/N: I hope that everyone had a wonderful Christmas. I know I did. And I finally got a laptop, which I have been using since Christmas! :) So now, I can update my stories whenever I want...as long as I don't get caught and yelled at by my mom. Have a good New Year!

-DisneyRBD