"Bella, are you okay?" Jacob was the first to say something. He made a move to come towards me but Edward bared his teeth and growled. Carlisle put his hand on Jacob's arm to stop him from coming any closer.

"Jacob, let him be right now. He is lost in his instinct and he will not hesitate to kill you or any of us if we come too close to Bella. Just let him do what he wants."

Jacob's eyes shifted nervously around the room but he sat back down, and the whole family followed suit. Edward pulled my over to the empty love seat. He sat down and then pulled me onto his lap. I didn't complain as I curled up against him and he began stroking my hair.

"Alright Bella, lets hear it." Emmett was watching me and Edward. I knew he would attack at any moment if Edward hurt me. His feelings were mirrored by most of the family.

I took a deep breath. "Alright. The Volturi have officially declared war on me and they are going to use all of the Volturi to get to me." I looked at Adam, making sure I had the facts right and he just nodded.

"The whole guard?!" Alice's eyes bulged out of her sockets.

"Yes," I smirked. "So it seems I'm too popular for my own good." I was rewarded by a few smiles in the room. The biggest one was from Adam.

Carlisle spoke up. "Well, this is going to be interesting. Do you know anything more?"

Before I could answer Adam stepped forward.

"This is an operation that the Volturi are calling 'The Last Battle'. They view Bella," he gave me a look and I nodded my head. Although, his actions received a growl from Edward behind me but Adam ignored him and continued. "They view Bella as a threat. A threat that must be eliminated even if it wipes out the Volturi completely. I do believe they are sending a mediator in the next couple of days. The only problem is that, we don't know how many mediators. Sometimes Aro send one or one hundred. But they will come here to Forks to meet with you personally."

Everyone's eyes narrowed when Adam spoke. I could see the mistrust in their eye and I couldn't blame them. The last place they saw him was taking me back to the dungeon the day they came to save me. And last they heard of him, he had stabbed me in the stomach.

"Adam was an assistant under Demetri. He knows what he is talking about. Plus, we can use his skills when it comes down to deciding what you need to do."

"What we need to do?" Jacob looked at me, puzzled.

"It's either fight of flight right now." Everyone in the room tensed. I closed my eyes and swallowed. I took a few non-needed breaths but continued. "The Volturi are after me and only me. The only thing that would make me regret my life is dragging the family I love with me. What I am saying is that you have a choice right now. You can pack up everything and go. No matter how much I would miss you guys, I would rather have you guys leave."

"That's not an option." Carlisle voice was serious but I shot him a glare.

"Well consider it one! The Volturi will not attack you as long as you don't choose sides. Running would be the better idea and I wouldn't have to die knowing that my family died because of me!" My words shocked them. They all seemed to slightly back off. Even Edward stopped stroking my hair but his hand made is way around my waist and pulled me closer to him. I ignored the gesture.

"What do are you planning on doing? Dying?" I was surprised at Rosalie's anger.

"Yes, I do." A bunch of people sucked in their breath but I had to tell them the truth.

Jacob jumped up and made Edward straighten behind me. His grip was almost crushing.

"You will not die Bella! I don't care who or what the Volturi are! They will not be responsible for your death!"

"Jacob, calm down." My voice was smooth and completely calm.

"Calm down?! How the hell am I supposed to do that when you are planning to die! What are thinking? That we wouldn't give the Volturi a run for their money? I bet we could defeat them!" Jacob scanned the room for hopeful glances but he received none. My family knew the impossibility.

"Jacob, that's just it. We don't have a fighting chance. There is no way we could defeat all the Volturi. And so yes, I'm planning on dying. But the ways still varies."

"How so?" Carlisle's voice cut through Jacob's tangent.

"I have two options. If you choose to stay, I will give myself up in return for your safety. If you leave, I will give them a fight that they will remember. I would like to execute the latter but I am more than willing to do the first."

Silence filled the room. No one moved or even breathed, except for Jacob.

I was surprised when Jasper's voice cut the silence. "What if we fight with you Bella? What if we had a chance? What if we could get the pack in on this? We might be able to win. We could try. I mean, I am more than willing to fight to the death knowing there will be a few less murderers in the world."

He seemed to say what was on everyone's mind because they shook their heads in agreement.

"I would rather have that as a last resort but we still would be outnumbered unbelievably. And there would be no way out of death if that was your choice." I couldn't help but rub my face with my hands. This was not how this was supposed to go but then again, this was my family.

"We could get the pack involved." Jacob's voice was strong but quiet.

"Why would they help us? They hate us!" Emmett made a fist with his hand.

"Because their hate runs to all vampires. You haven't threatened anyone yet except for Bella. This fight would include them because the vampires are coming here. They would want to get rid of them as fast as they can and be more then willing to help us."

I shook my head. "I'm not sure about that Jacob. Even with them, it's still a fight to the death. To the death. I don't think the pack will like the idea of fighting with us, let alone dying with us."

"It doesn't hurt to ask." I met Jacob's eyes and they pleaded with me.

I sighed. "Alright, we will ask them."

"How are we going to talk to them? They have been attacking us every time we meet them and they don't seem to fair well with Jacob either." Emmett was annoyed at my willingness

"The pack meeting is tonight. We can meet them when they are joined with the whole tribe and then they won't do anything foolish. We will just have to talk to them."

"And by 'we' you mean…?" My question hung for Jacob to finish.

"No." The word came out of Edward's mouth in a growl. I looked at him but his eyes were locked with Jacobs. Most of us were still surprised by Edward speaking.

"There is no other way! They don't trust anyone else and we certainly can't go alone! Bella and I are the only ones that they might listen to. They knew Bella before and they might listen to her reasoning. Plus, she is the reason that the Volturi are coming anyway."

This time, a growl the erupted not from Edward but from Adam.

"No, it's not her fault. If Bella protected by you two," motioning to Edward and Jacob, "she wouldn't be in this mess to begin with. So the blame comes all way down to you."

Edward began to stand up but I pushed him back in the chair.

"That is enough! You guys are impossible! You make a girl go crazy!" I massaged my temples, trying to focus on the matter at hand. "I would have to agree with Jacob. He and I are the only reasonable choices to go and talk to them." Edwards arms tightened even more.

"When should you guys leave?" Esme asked Jacob, trying to take the tension out of the room.

"Probably sometime around one thirty. We should park farther away and walk up the beach so they know we are coming. Surprising them might be bad."

I would have stood up but Edward still had a tight hold on me. So, I just situated myself into a more comfortable position.

"Alright, so this is how it's going to work tonight. Jasper, I want you to talk to Adam and try to get a plan down when the mediator or mediators come. Two plans, one with the pack and one without would be nice. Jacob, I think you should warn Billy beforehand but ask him not to mention it to the pack, just the elders. I have a feeling they will be better listeners. And then I want everyone back here tomorrow morning so we can go over the plan. Oh, and Alice, it would be lovely if you could try and focus your energy on the Volturi. Nothing else really matters besides that."

Alice nodded and stood up to go. Jasper walked over to Adam and they went to go discuss plans in the library. Carlisle, Esme, Emmett, and Rosalie were kind enough to leave the living room so that I could talk with Edward. Jacob was the last to leave but he gave me a smile, leaving a wake of silence after him.

I took a deep breath, savoring the quietness of the room. Nuzzling my head in the crook of his neck, I inhaled Edwards scent.

"Edward?"

Silence was my only reply. My hand went up and trailed face. I then leaned back and had him look in my eyes. To my surprise, I met midnight black eyes. There was no gold or even a hint that there was ever a lighter color.

"Edward, come back to me."

His eyes just stared at me. Edward didn't seem to be taking in anything other then my face. I closed my eyes and kissed him on the forehead.

"Please, come back to me. I know your still there, somewhere. Please come back love."

Edward moved his head so that his eyes could appraise my full face. His eyes lingered on my lips and my eyes. But still no golden color showed through. I realized I was looking into a hollow shell and tears welled up in my eyes. Everything I did, it had hurt him and then Adam taking me put him over the edge.

"You promised Edward. You promised you wouldn't leave me. Are you going to throw that promise away?"

Still, nothing came to Edwards face. He stared emotionless into my eyes. I could feel the tear in my heart opening. The old wound that had never healed started to bleed again. Pulling my eyes away from his, I couldn't let him see the light in my eyes diminish as I started to revert back. Suddenly I could feel Is taking over. The emotionless side that would still able to function for my family and I couldn't help but chuckle. It had been only been a day since I told Adam I never wanted to become Is again. But here I was, falling apart and becoming an emotionless shell. My eyes closed, accepting defeat.

"It's not like that promise ever held any truth anyway." I whispered it to myself, letting myself fall into the oblivion of my mind. It was then that I felt Edward's powerful arms grip my arms.

"Don't say that Bella."

Just before I completely slipped away, I opened my eyes and looked into Edward's. They were midnight black but around the iris was a spark of gold. I just stared at it for a while.

"Bella, I'm sorry. Don't slip away, I am here. I'm sorry I lost control. Please." Edward then leaned in and kissed me. At first, I didn't feel anything. It was numb because I was afraid of getting hurt again. But Edward next kiss blew me away. It was soft and gentle and it seemed to just drip with compassion and love.

I couldn't help but smile. Lifting myself up a little, I returned the kiss. Hoping it relayed all the emotions that were filling my head; remorse, love, sadness, longing, and most of all forgiveness. Willing myself to lift out of the oblivion I had almost fallen into.

He moved next to me and whispered in my ear, "Welcome back my love."

"Welcome home Edward," I replied quietly. I sucked in my breath, letting all my senses fill with Edward. His touch, his smell, his face, and his velvet voice telling me that everything was going to work out ok. My eyes shot open, he didn't remember the conversation the just took place in the room.

"Edward, we need to talk." I finally let out.

"Yes, yes we do love. But that can come later."


Bella almost slipped back into being Is! I believe if Edward never woke up, she would fight as Is and then die because Edward was forever gone. But, thank god he came back! Yeah!! How is it the Bella always beings the guys that like her into the picture. I find that hilarious...but...this is a serious time now!

The war. Oh no. I would love to explain more...and I do...in the next chapter. So hold off all your questions till then! But please review. This is the home stretch ladies and gentleman! We are almost to the conculsion! Don't worry...I am working!

P.S. Everyone, the next few chapters are going to be super long! And when I mean super long, I mean SUPER long. Ii don't want to break things up at critical moments anymore, so...yeah. Just a heads up.

-Gina