Chapter 52

"It, pretty much, started when we arrived, and I had to come to Abby's house to warm her up." Seth started. "Usually, he doesn't care what we do as long as we let him know what we're up to. But, this time, he was all over me. He wanted to know what you guys were doing about Abby or, if you all were staying out of it. He also wanted to know what Abby was doing and what had happened to her.

"What did you tell him?" Carlisle asked.

"Nothing really, just that Alice told me to come quickly because Abby had fallen into a lake or something and needed my help to warm her up."

"What else did he ask?" Again, it's Carlisle talking.

"Wanted to know how many vamps were here and the lay of the house. He also asked how many people lived there." Seth replied.

"Interesting." Jasper whispered.

"Care to elaborate." Emmett asked.

"It seems like Jacob was already under the influence of someone going after Abby." Jasper replied.

"It seems so." Carlisle added.

I was turning my attention back to Seth and Leah for them to continue their story when someone gasps to my left. Everyone turns to the person.

"What is it, Reneesme?" Bella asked.

Instead of answering her mother, Reneesme walks over to Bella and places her hand on Bella's cheek. It doesn't take long but both Bella and Edward are scowling.

"All right. Now, that you two know something, can you please tell the rest of us?" Emmett said, aggravated.

"It seems that Jake was already asking about coming here late last year. Ness showed us that he left a week before Christmas to go see his dad but when he came back, he seemed different. Now, that I'm thinking about it, he did seem distant." Bella answered.

"She's right." Replied Edward.

"He couldn't have gone home. Sam or Emily would have said something to us when we went home to see Mom." Leah said.

Seth nodded his agreement.

"Hang on a sec." Will said, cutting into the conversation. "Didn't something happen to your car, Abby? Right after Christmas."

My hand was midway to my mouth when every pair of eyes locks on to me. I quickly shove the forkful of food in and chew. After a few chews I swallow.

"Two of my tires were slashed." I answered.

"That's right. Did you ever figure out who it was?"

"Nope!" I replied while shoving another forkful of food.

While Jasper and Will carry on about my car being vandalized, I feel Tanya stiffen next to me. I look over and see that her eyes had darkened, and her left hand is clenched in a fist.

"You okay?" I asked rubbing her leg.

"To think those dogs were that close to you and I wasn't around to protect you…" She trailed off.

"Nothing happened to me." I reassured her.

"No, but it could have." She whispered.

"They could have been there reconnoitering." Jasper said.

"That's what I would have done." Will stated.

"What did you do in the military?" Carlisle asked, turning.

"I was an army ranger. I did several different jobs, but mostly special ops in Afghanistan." He replied.

I didn't know that. Now, that I'm thinking about it, his current job is doing security work for some company I can't name.

"Hey Jamie, have you see anything suspicious around your street?" Will asked.

He finished chewing and said, "No, but there is an empty house four houses down from me. It's been empty for almost a year now. Not sure why no one's bought it."

"That's where they're hiding out." Jasper states and Will nods in agreement.

"When we get back into the Springs, I'll go take a look around." Will said.

"I'll go with you." Jasper said.

Everyone turns back to Seth and Leah to continue their story.

"What happened next?" Carlisle asked.

"Well, like I said, they were grilling me when I returned, and I told them what I just told you all." Seth replied.

"After that, they were constantly huddling together and planning stuff that I paid no attention to." Leah said. "Sorry."

"So, they pretty much shut you two out?" Edward asked.

"Yeah. I should have paid more attention and warned you what was going to happen." Seth said.

"We couldn't. They kept a close eye on us and made us stay at the campsite. Every time we tried to leave; they would get in our faces asking where we were going."

Leah stated. "It was pissing me off. Jacob has never acted this authoritative around me. Usually, he's laid back and never gave a rat's ass about what we were doing. He just wanted us to let him know when we left and when we returned."

"Yeah, it's been really rough the last few months." Seth agreed.

"Question." I said raising my hand, like I was in school still. "When did you start noticing them changing? Was it gradual or one day they were normal and the next they were acting all weird?"

They sit there looking at one another for a minute. Edward is nodding his head agreeing with them. "It started out slow and the last couple of months they have gotten really bad. They were really agitated about something and not being able to do something. Now, I see that it was to get to Abby." Seth said.

Tanya stiffens and freeze. I'm sure it's taking all her centuries of patience not to launch and attack the two shifters. That, or take me somewhere safe.

"So, they pretty much have gone over to the dark side." Jamie stated.

Leah and Seth nod.

I hear someone sniff and look around and see Nessie tearing up. She turns and leaves the room with Bella following. I turn and see Jamie try to stand and go after her, but Rosalie still has him trapped and not letting him move. I can't imagine what Nessie's going through. The person you thought you were going to spend the rest of your existence with turns out to have a murderous plan for a cousin, niece. I still need to find out how all the Cullens are related to me.

"What do you think the pack will do, with you two gone?" Carlisle asked.

"They will probably go ballistic." Seth replied and shivers at the thought.

"Yeah. Their tempers have gone out the window." Leah said.

"Thank you both for coming." Carlisle said with sincerity.

"We had nowhere else to go." Seth whispered.

At that moment, Will's phone goes off and he answers it while walking out of the room. I go back to my plate and move the food around, not feeling hungry anymore. Tanya starts rubbing my leg again to reassure me that everything is going to be okay. I wasn't paying much attention. There were forces coming at me from every direction. I've messed the Cullens family and probably made it impossible for Nessie and Jacob to get back together.

"No one blames you, Abby." Edward says from his spot at the table.

"I know." I replied, "but, I blame myself."

Will walks back in.

"Abby, Josie's funeral is tomorrow morning at 10. His visitation is tonight from six to eight pm. Mom wants us to go down and meet at the funeral home. They already have marines standing vigil over him."

"Ok." I said.

I set my fork down and stand up. Alice and Rosalie have stepped back and releases me and Jamie from our place. The mood hasn't changed and seems to be getting more and more depressing. I look for Jasper and see that he has quietly left the room too. I guess the emotions are too much for him.

I'm in the shower mulling over the conversations downstairs and try to remember what I was doing 2 months ago. I think I was still in school. So much has happened lately that I can't get my head wrapped around. One moment I'm relaxing studying and the next I'm running for my life and finding stuff out that no normal person would be able to handle. And, I see myself as one of them. My first instinct is to run and isolate myself when I need to decompress as Jamie says.

"What is it Love?" Tanya says washing my back.

I didn't realize she was here.

"Trying to remember what I was doing two months ago." I replied.

"We were going to classes and finishing up grad school." She said wrapping her hand around my waist.

"Try not to worry too much. You have an army behind you that will do whatever it takes to protect and help you. Never forget that."

I only nod and shut the water off.

Two hours later we arrive at the funeral home. It's not quite six o'clock but there are several cars in the parking lot. I slowly get out of the car and Tanya is there waiting for me. Behind us, William gets out with Irina. He's wearing his dress uniform. They make their way to the front of the building and I follow slowly.

I stop in front of the door and see that the whole family is there. My heart is racing. I don't want to be here. Will opens the door and waits for me to enter. When I don't move, he reaches out and pulls me into a hug.

"It's not your fault." He whispers.

"I don't think they will say the same thing." I whispered back.

"It doesn't matter. I know and Josiah knows. That's all that matters."

He pulls back and shoves me inside.

Aunt Eliza sees us and walks over and pulls us both into a hug. Her eyes are bloodshot. When she finally pulls back and looks at us, she puts her hands up to my face and looks me straight in the eyes.

"I don't blame you baby. He knew what he was doing." She said.

My eyes are tearing up and I swallow to keep them at bay. I can only nod. One by one, the rest of the cousins comes up and hugs William and me. Except for Thomas. He stands off a ways and stares at the coffin. Good! I don't want him near me. Neither does Tanya and Alice, who are both standing next to me. I don't think they will let him within ten feet of me. And, both are staring at him, itching to give their two cents worth.

My uncle is last to walk up to me. He stares at me and before anyone could react and Alice see what he does, he slaps me so hard that I stagger. I'm seeing stars and hear everyone shouting and movement around me. Tanya pulls me back behind her and I can feel her shaking.

Looking around I see William has Uncle by the shirt collar and yelling at him. Irina and Jeremiah have both of his arms and are pulling him away but it's not working. He's in a rage and nothing will stop that. Josiah was the only one who was able to reach him. I walk around Tanya and go over to Will and shove him in the chest to try to reach him.

"Hey. William." I yell and reach up to pull his face to me and shake his head.

He finally looks down at me and stops. Jeremiah and Irina still have him by the arms.

"It's not worth it." I whisper to him.

His eyes bulge and he tries to break free and lunge at his father again.

"How can you say that?" He growls.

"Because he'll get what's coming to him." I replied.

I turn to my uncle and walk up to him. My eyes are blazing.

"I am done with you demeaning and disrespecting me. I'm done." I stated.

"I'm finding my mother and what do you think she'll do when she finds out how you and your son over there." I pointed at Thomas, "have treated me?"

"Your mother wanted nothing to do with you after your father died. She never loved you?" He spit.

"How would you know? You've turned your own sons against you. Look at William. He's ready to take your head off. I don't think you know what love is." I snapped back.

I was about to say more but was interrupted.

"Dad stop it!"

Everyone in the room looks at Thomas. He is still standing off to the side staring at Josiah's coffin. His hands are in his pockets and he slowly turns his head to us.

"Stop it."

The room is so quiet you can hear a pin drop. Even William stops his struggle and looks at Thomas. I would have never thought that I would see the day that Thomas would stand up for me. He doesn't say anything else and turns back to stare at Josie's coffin.

Uncle Jeremiah turns his back on me and walks away.

"That's all folks. Sorry about the little family affair." My aunt says to everyone around us.

It was around eight-thirty when all the guests left. Aunt and uncle left shortly after. I'm sitting in the last pew staring at Josie's coffin thinking about what happened. Tanya and Alice are sitting next to me. Since my uncle slapped me, they never left me, even when I had to use the restroom.

I see William, Elizabeth and Jeremiah walk down the aisle in their dress uniforms.

"Why is Elizabeth wearing a uniform?" Tanya asked, whispering.

"She's a doctor and served two tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. She retired after the second tour and has a private practice. She joined the Army to get her medical degree and served for almost fifteen years. She hasn't been out very long."

"I'm sure it was hard to wonder if she was going to see her brothers as a patient." Tanya said.

"She told me once that was all she thought about. Hoping that one of them wouldn't show up on her table."

Elizabeth served during both brother's tours of duty and Jeremiah after he enlisted in the navy. She left shortly after his ship arrived in the Persian Gulf.

"Does your family have a long line of servicemen and women?" Alice asked.

"I can trace someone who served in every war this country has fought in, even before it was a country." I replied.

I watch as William takes his beret out of the strap of his shoulder and puts it on. He relieves the marine from his duty and replaces him. He adjusts his beret and places his hands behind his back and stands at ease staring straight ahead.

"Their going to take turns, aren't they?" I asked.

"Yes. All night."

Jeremiah and Elizabeth sit in the front row and quietly talk. I look over at Jasper, who is sitting on Alice's other side.

"You wish you were up there too." I said.

"Yes."

My stomach makes a loud growl and I grimace. I see Elizabeth and Jer turn and look at me.

"I guess its time to leave and feed the human." Alice says standing.

We all stand and walk to the aisle.

"Hold on." I said and walk up the aisle to Josie's coffin.

I stare at the flag draped coffin and softly run my hand over it. I bend and kiss the flag and turn to leave. Elizabeth stands and walks over to me.

"I'm sorry about what dad did earlier." She hugs me. "I should have done something long ago."

"Its not your fault." I replied.

"Make sure you put ice on there, so it won't swell too much." She said rubbing my check.

It still stings.

"I will."
I know I won't get two steps into the house before someone is there with an icepack. Jeremiah stands and hugs me too.

"When did you get in?" I asked.

He's still in the navy and stationed in Norfolk.

"Last night." He said. "I want to apologize too, sis."

I wave away his apology.

"Try and get some sleep please, you two."

They only nod and sit back down. I walk back down the aisle and Tanya grabs my

hand as we walk out the door.

"Is Irina going to stay all night too?" I asked. She was siting on the other side of the aisle, across from Elizabeth and Jeremiah.

"Yes." Tanya said.