'She is very wise, but that is not her gift. It is not the gift of dreams either'

Eleazar mused.

'Two seers in one family; each powerful in her own way…'

He continued trying to guess at Bella's gift.

"You wouldn't do that Alice, would you? Promise me you will never give up."

Jasper spoke softly to his wife. Alice hid her face in his chest and sobbed. He knew that she couldn't promise it.

"I'm sorry Jasper." Bella apologized for upsetting my sister, barely above a whisper.

"Alice and I will call the wolves tonight to practice. Thank you Bella."

Jasper cuddled a sobbing Alice closer to him. He was grateful to Bella for her advice. Everyone in the room was awed at Bella's ability to convince Jasper to change battle strategy without argument.

"We'll come with you." Emmett and Kate spoke at the same time and chuckled. Rosalie, Irina, and Tanya were included in their statements.

"Did you dream about me Bella?" Peter asked, trying to relieve the tension in the room.

I felt the heat of Bella's blush against my chest, and knew she had dreamt about him too.

"Yes, you and Charlotte worked together; Emmett and Rosalie too. Laurent and Irina; Kate, Tanya and Zafrina worked together. Eleazar and Carmen, Carli…well, you get it." Bella stopped mid-sentence.

"Her emotions spiked Edward." Jasper thought to me with concern.

"Bella?" I asked.

"You do not know what she was thinking?"

Eleazar thought to me in question. He was struggling to make out Bella's gift. I did not answer.

"Edward, I-I can't"

"We need to hear it if it's important Bella. Please dear,"

Esme encouraged. Bella clutched my shirt in her small fists and hid her face in my chest.

"If you can help us plan better and help us all come back, please tell us Bella." Kate supported Esme.

Tanya actually growled at her sister in mind. She did not like it that Bella was the center of attention; that she sat on my lap, or the fact that every word she spoke made sense. She would have preferred if Bella had been an ignorant human trophy and a passing phase for me. I ignored her thoughts. There was enough of Rosalie in my life.

"One of you needs to sit out the fight" Bella stated quietly.

"Who?" I asked her.

"Mom" she whispered so low that only I was able to hear.

In that moment Alice was drawn into a vision. I watched with her as Esme's head was torn from her body by both Maria and Victoria. The vision was clear as day. There was no doubt Esme had been chosen as a target. Alice's horrified eyes locked with Bella's when she came to.

"I saw…" Alice began. "You're right Bella, it's the only other way."

"What is it?" Rosalie asked from her place on Emmett's lap.

"Esme must sit out the fight." Alice and Bella answered together. Everyone immediately understood why they would suggest it.

"Are you sure? I cannot be away from Carlisle at such a time, its…its…"

Esme struggled for words. She was frightened for all of us. She did not want to leave Carlisle to face the threat against our family alone.

"Esme, we have trusted their advice all along and we should also listen now."

Carlisle comforted. A part of him felt exactly like Esme, he did not want to let her go. Yet, a bigger part of him was relieved that she would be safe from danger.

"Mom, I'm going to drive myself crazy waiting for someone to call me with some news. Perhaps you could come with me to Florida?"

Bella suggested. There was a sense of determination in her voice. She was not offering Esme a chance to refuse.

"It's sunny in Florida." Esme countered.

"Actually, the sun will be hidden most of the weekend. You should be able to visit the beach at sunset on Saturday." Alice piped in.

"I think it would be wise to have Bella with one of us, in case she needs protection."

I added my support to Bella's suggestion. This was a win-win situation, since I had been worried about her safety while she travelled to her mothers'.

"Besides, Bella might need backup when she explains being engaged to her mother." Jasper added his support while teasing Bella.

"Great time to bond with the inlaws and borrow some of Bella's baby pictures. I'd like to have a video of her life playing in the backround at the wedding."

Rosalie added. She also wanted Esme to sit out the fight if both Alice and Bella felt strongly about it.

"Oh mom, please get something juicy enough to tease her senselessly with; the firsts of everything!" Emmett begged as he caught on that we all agreed to keep Esme away from the fight.

"I'll call the airline," Carlisle stood to get the phone.

Just like that, the family had decided where Esme would be during the fight. Our guests thought it was comical. Everyone understood the reason why we would all vote to protect Esme.

"No, I'm not leaving." Esme spoke softly but sternly.

Bella raised her chin defiantly and threatened; "I get the feeling I'm going to get lost at the airport and miss my flight." She narrowed her eyes at Esme.

"I will be distracted during the fight if I have to worry about your safety."I spoke my concern.

"You'll miss the chance to get your hands on baby Bella photo's and life story. I bet her mom has home video's to share too." Rosalie taunted.

"Without you, Bella will not be able to convince her mother that marrying Edward so soon is the right thing for her to do." Alice piped in "I have seen it."

"We might end up having to plan something unpleasant to make sure she is changed within the right timeframe. Bye-bye human Bella wedding bells." Emmett sighed with loud sadness.

"Carlisle will be distracted with worry, mom. Even if you stay at the house, we don't know what the enemy has planned. They might find a way around us and come here. Edward will pair up with Carlisle. Of all of us, he is the best to look out for him." Jasper spoke seriously with an authority he rarely used.

"Please, Esme." Carlisle tried to reason with her as he proceeded to book Bella and Esme into the same flights.

Esme's face was expressionless. She was torn between staying by Carlisle's side or allowing him a chance to survive, by staying away.

"I am terrified! Is that us in a few hundred years?" Carmen asked Eleazar.

"Looks like it. Laurent is not too bad. But, can you imagine the kind of mates Kate and Tanya will bring home? I shiver at the thought." Eleazar exaggerated his motions. They were teasing Carlisle and Esme for having a house full of teenagers.

"Char, I don't want to adopt anymore. Teenagers are too much trouble." Peter blurted

"Too late, two of the wolves are coming with us." Charlotte informed him.

"Hey, they're too big and hairy to be mine!" Peter exclaimed.

It took a moment before we all laughed at the idea. Charlotte was the same height and built as Alice, which translated into 'very tiny' compared to the wolves.

"Speaking of; there were two vampires in my dream who fought with us. I don't know who they are. I think they are mated. Have you seen them Alice?" Bella asked my sister.

Alice searched the future. I watched a glimpse of them through her visions. I did not know them either. "I can see, but I don't know them."

"No one I know." I confirmed too.

"I hope Maria and Victoria were not so stupid, as to send scouts." Jasper gritted his teeth together.

"They're actually fun. You'll see Jasper." Alice announced carelessly and moved on to talking about the latest fashion line with Kate.

I held onto Bella tighter. I wondered where the safest place for her would be. Around our family, friends and the two strangers; or at her home. In the end, Jasper made the decision for me.

"Bella will be safer here, with more eyes to watch over her." He thought to me.

"They arrive tomorrow and I don't see any incidents." Alice thought to me while she continued her conversation with Kate.

"You'll love Renee, I promise." Bella hugged Esme goodnight. before I took her up to our room to sleep.

She slept peacefully that night. Whatever had been disturbing her sleep, had to do with the fight. She offered her advice and suggested mom accompany her to Florida. I wondered why she couldn't remember her dream for three days while it denied her restful sleep. Perhaps we were not ready to hear what she had to say, or there were still decisions to be made; like Jasper's final pairings and strategy.

I then remebered Bella had said that she was good at locking away painful memories. Perhaps she had locked the dream away and could not remember it. I shut out the voices of my family and friends and focused on humming Bella to sleep.

Eleazar was still wondering what Bella's actual gift was. Tanya was listening to me, wondering if I had written Bella the song I hummed to her. Carlisle was comforting Esme, convincing her that leaving with Bella was the right thing to do. Jasper wondered about the two unknown vampires who were coming to 'help'.

Emmett, Zafrina, Peter and Charlotte played board games, while the rest of the females were in a heated debate about the latest fashion. Things were relatively calm, almost normal. Just before midnight, Alice and Jasper gathered the others to meet with the wolves for practice. As they left, Alice was drawn into a disturbing vision. I couldn't help the growl that left my lips when I watched the vision play out with her.