The Flower Moon

Year Eight, Chapter Twenty-Eight

Old... um, Friends?

Jacob's Point of View

David there you are, I said in my head, as I realized David's Wolf mind had finally joined with mine. I've been waiting in my Spirit Form for about ten minutes now. I might have been a little bit early.

Hey Dad, what's going on?

I didn't really like being like this for too long. It was still very disconcerting, not having a physical body, just kind of floating around everywhere. But it has been a while since I talked to Dave and there were a few things I wanted to discuss.

For one thing Nessie and I were graduating from Dartmouth next week and I wanted to make sure he'd received the plane ticket we'd sent him. There were ten altogether – one for him, Janet, Billy, Charlie, and Sue. Not to mention Rachel, Paul and their three kids. No red eyed Vamps were invited to the graduation so there shouldn't be a reason why he wouldn't come this time.

I was also interested to find out how he was getting on in La Push. I wanted to know if everything was going as well as he claimed over our phone and Skype calls. Billy would also call and Skype every so often; he'd tell me the same story I was hearing from Dave, that everything was going great between him and Dave, and as far as he knew between Dave and Janet, and Dave and Jared and his Pack. But I just wanted to be one hundred percent sure.

I tried searching through Dave's mind to get what I was looking for, but got nothing. It was almost as if I was talking to Jared, or when I used to talk to Sam, Alpha to Alpha. It seemed I could only hear the thoughts he wanted me to hear in this form. Damn! Well that was a bust, but at least I got to talk to my son again.

We spent the next forty, or so minutes, catching up on everything. He got the plane tickets and assured me everyone was planning on coming next week. While we talked I got to see through my sons eyes, and got to see Billy, when Dave went and visited him for me. It was nice to see him through something other than a computer monitor but I was also concerned to see how my father's health was still continuing to decline, since the last time I'd seen him. It wasn't just that his diabetes was catching up with him. He actually looked like an old man now. As much as Edward had helped rein in his diabetes, there was nothing he could do against old age.

After we talked about everything I wanted to, and I was about to float back down into my body, or whatever it was I was doing now, I started to phase back when Dave yelled into my head, Hey Dad.

I was... I don't know mid phase, maybe a little less, but still in my Spirit Form enough that I was still able to hear my son. It was difficult but I strained every fiber of my being, fighting off the change, but I was able to make myself stay in my Spirit Form. This was all still new to me, but somehow I managed.

It sounded like Dave's thoughts were urgent. What's so important Dave that you waited until now to bring it up?

I ran into a couple of bloodsuckers around the Cullen's old place. I was just doing some routine patrolling and had wandered by when I picked up their scent. I was going to attack them but they said that they were friends of yours. They claimed to be part of the group that helped save Mom from the Volturi, so I let them go. But they're still in the area and I wanted to make sure that they were telling the truth.

When did you first pick up their scent? This was a change in my son. Was this Jared's influence on him? I'm not sure if that was a good thing or not. I mean I didn't want him trying to kill every Vampire he came across, well not the ones the Cullen's counted as friends, at least, but I also didn't want him believing them at their word either.

It was this morning, if we didn't have this chat planned for this afternoon I would have called you about them right away, but I figured it could wait a few hours. Don't worry. There are a couple Wolves keeping an eye on them for now, making sure they don't do anything sneaky.

Okay, that made me feel better. At least someone was watching them.

Why don't you take me through what happened and show me who they were, David.

Sure, no problem Dad. He let me into his mind enough that I could feel the inborn hatred he had for them, but also how he didn't want to kill them if it would upset his mother. (It felt like a one time repayment of debt on Dave's part, for them helping to save his mother's life. If he came across them again, on Quileute land, I don't think he would let them go a second time.) What he showed me was just like he'd said; it started with him on a routine patrol, running in the woods, past some trees that were familiar, jumped the river that divided La Push from the Cullens land, ran a little longer until the Cullen's old house came into view, and then he'd caught their scents. When he approached them I instantly recognized the two Vampires he was talking about, Dracula one and two - Stefan and Vladimir, my least favorite of the ones who had helped us.

I wasn't sure if they could be trusted or not. As far as I knew, the only reason that they were on our side back then was because they wanted to get rid of the Volturi. But I was pretty sure that they also wanted to become the new Volturi, or at least their former versions of what they were, when they were the ones in charge, over a thousand years ago.

They were very old and very dangerous.

I passed onto David everything I knew about them, their names, were they were from, the fact that everything that they had told David was technically true but I was still weary of their true intentions and he needed to be on his guard. I wasn't sure Dave should actually trust them or not. He needed to go back and get more information from them.

David agreed to talk to them again and find out why they were here, or there, I guess. He was going to phase back tonight around eight, letting me know more of what was going on. The two Drac's being in La Push got me more than a little worried. The Cullens were not their friends. They wouldn't be stopping by for just a friendly chat. Something was up.

Why exactly were Stefan and Vladimir looking for the Cullen's? Did they need their help? And if so, what for? Were they planning on attacking the Volturi again? Or maybe the Volturi were planning on attacking Stefan and Vladimir. Or the Wolves. Or the Cullen's. Or was it something else entirely? Whatever it was, those two Vampires being in La Push meant danger.

If there was a problem we needed to coordinate with Carlisle and the rest of the Cullen's and maybe even go to Washington.

My mind was reeling from all the possibilities. I spent the next few hours pacing on two feet. I didn't like waiting. Something was off. I could feel it. The tension in my body was too great and I couldn't take it. I needed to phase. It would be easier to deal with if I was on four. And I needed to burn off the extra energy I had. Phasing into my Wolf form and going for a run seemed better and better.

"Jacob, stop that!" Nessie half yelled – half smirked from the front door. "You've been traipsing back and forth so many times you've made a permanent bald spot in the lawn. Esme's going to be pissed."

Looking down I could see she was right. Damn-it! Instead of stopping I just moved and started pacing in a new location on the grass.

"That's not what I meant sweetheart. David's not going to phase for another fifty-two minutes. Why don't you come inside? I'm sure I can give you something much more enjoyable to occupy your mind," Nessie teased as she began walking back into the empty house, her blouse now airborne, floating down, towards my feet.

She didn't have to tell me twice. Before her shirt even hit the ground I'd picked up my beautiful Imprint and was carrying her to our bedroom.

Nessie always knew what I needed. I loved her so much.

Fifty-one minutes later we headed back outside, it was new record for us, and not in a good way. I didn't like having to rush like that, but at least worked through some of my pent up tension. Just as we walked out the door I saw Bella and Edward walking into their house from the woods. They must have gone hunting.

I chuckled as I saw Edward pinch the bridge of his nose, and wince. I guess Bella didn't have her shield up. Sheesh, he really needs to take that stick out of his butt. His daughter and I've been together for years now and we have two grown children together. Time to get over it and move on Eddie.

"I'm sure any father would react just the same if they knew the things that went through another man's mind about their daughter."

"Sure, sure. Like all your thoughts about Bella are PG." Edward was now standing next to me.

"Always," Edward lied. He tried not to, but I could see the side of his mouth twitch up into a smirk. Then we both started laughing.

"Isn't it time for you to phase, Jacob?" Bella said, coming over to us, with Nessie. They'd been talking to each other closer to the woods. While I hoped they hadn't heard what Eddie and I said, the possibility was very unlikely, and practically confirmed by the elbow to my ribs and eye roll Bella gave Eddie.

"Ow!" I yelped and rubbed my side, overdramatically exaggerating the pain she'd caused. After she apologized I phased, first into my Wolf form, and then my Spirit one.

Edward gave Nessie and Bella a play by play of everything that Dave told me, not that he could actually see me in my Spirit Form but they all stood next to my abandoned Wolf body and he could hear what I was thinking, nevertheless.

What we learned that night was disturbing, and so unnerving that Edward immediately started mobilizing everyone to make the trip to La Push, before I had even phased back.

Stefan and Vladimir wanted to go after the Volturi. And this time they wanted the Wolves as allies, instead of an army of other Vampires; thinking that they would have a better shot, since the Wolves held no allegiances to any Vampires… or so they thought.

Dave wasn't sure exactly what their plan was, nothing good anyway. Somehow, and I don't know exactly how, they had convinced Dave, and Dave had convinced Jared, and the rest of the Wolves, that Stefan and Vladimir's plan was a good one and they were making arrangements to go to Italy.

David this is madness. It's a suicide mission. You can't do this. I continued to try to reason with him while Edward was having Jasper book our plane tickets and everyone else started packing.

Going after the Volturi was stupid and reckless, and Dracula one and two didn't care about the Wolves. They didn't care how many of my brothers would lose their lives trying to go up against the Volturi. Dave didn't know that without Bella's shield they would be useless against Jane and Alec. They would either be numb or be writhing in pain before they even got a chance to fight. Stefan and Vladimir must have been counting on them taking out at least a few of the Volturi before that happened though.

Why are you even listening to them? You hate Vampires, why would you voluntarily work with them?

Why do you think, Dad? They're giving us the opportunity to take out the biggest coven of bloodsuckers on the planet. We exist to kill leeches. Why wouldn't we want to do this?

David, putting aside the fact that this is beyond dangerous, the Volturi are not evil, exactly. Okay so I hated them for trying to kill Nessie when she was a baby, or at least using it as a pretext to get Edward and Alice to join them, but I'd come to realize that they were a necessary evil. As much as I hated to admit it, they kept order in the Vampire world. Without them, Vampires everywhere would be much more of a problem than they already were.

Dave wouldn't listen to me and they were planning to leave tomorrow morning. We needed to get there first and stop them, but Alice couldn't see if we would arrive before their plane took off.

"Try reasoning with David again. You need to talk him out of the idea of going to Italy," Edward shouted to me.

What do you think I've been doing for the past hour? I shout/thought back to Edward.

I'm going and killing those leeches, Dad. Come with us. It'll be fun, doing what we were born to do. David wasn't listening to me, as usual, and now was actually trying to convince me to join them. Great, this was going perfectly. And did he say that he thought that this trip was going to be fun? More like suicide.

"Tell him you will go, Jacob." Edward shouted up to my general direction again. I don't know why he was shouting, I could hear him just fine.

What, why? I asked him, while temporarily blocking my thoughts from my son.

"It will give us the time we need to fly there while he waits for you."

Alright Dave. But you need to wait for me. I can't be there until tomorrow afternoon, at the earliest.

Don't bother coming all the way out here, Dad, just to turn around and fly out again. Our flight has a few stopovers along the way. One of them is near you, in New York. Just meet us there.

"You need to convince him not to leave until you get there." Eddie said. At least he wasn't shouting this time.

Duh... you think? He was starting to get on my nerves.

I don't think that's a good idea. We need to make a plan... come up with a strategy, and contingencies just in case. We can't do that on the plane, not with a bunch of innocent human passengers within earshot. And once we touchdown in Italy it will be too late. I don't mind coming to meet you; I can sleep on the plane.

Amazingly, after a little more convincing, he eventually agreed to wait for me. Unfortunately that also meant that I and the rest of the Cullen's would have to go and meet him in Washington. NOW! And that meant more Vampires around La Push, and probably more Wolves being turned if we stayed too long.

"Flights are booked," Bella informed me when I walked into Carlisle and Esme's house. "Jasper couldn't get us all on one plane, but with stopovers and transfers we should all get into Washington around the same time."

"Renesmee has your ticket. You'll be on the same plane as Leah. And there is a three hour layover in Ohio but we should still make it to SeaTac airport by 10:42am," Edward added.

A three hour layover? Wasn't there anything else to get us there sooner?

"It's not so bad," Jasper told me, sensing my nerves rising. "Alice and I are flying into Reno, then running the rest of the way. It's a direct flight, so it'll still be dark when we land, but only long enough to enable us to find some sort of shelter from the sun. Can't start sparkling and startle the humans," he smirked. "Alice says we'll get to the Reservation an hour before anyone else. Do you think your son would take issue if we were to approach him. I could tell him that you let us in on his plan and we would like to offer our help defeating the Volturi. We might be able to convince him to call it off, or at the very least learn something that you could use to do the same."

I hadn't told Dave I was bringing the Cullens with me. Seeing Jasper and Alice, without me, would not go over well. "He's most likely see it as a betrayal on my part. He'll think you're there to stop him." Which was true. "Dave might even attack you before you got to speak, if he feels threatened enough." I saw in his mind how passionate he was about this. Talking him out of it wasn't going to be easy. Jasper and Alice ambushing him was the last thing I needed. The Cullens were coming to talk to, and take out Drac one and two (if necessary). Talking to Dave and the other Wolves was my job.

Once we had all made it to Washington we met up at the Cullens former house, then drove to the La Push border. The plan was for me to try and reason with Jared while the Cullens interrogated Drac one and two as to the real reason why they were here. I was supposed to meet Dave at Billy's house before meeting up with Jared and the rest of his Pack. Jared was the Alpha in La Push now and if I could talk him out of going to Italy, make him see reason, the others would have to fallow along. And if I couldn't I had the Cullens on Speed dial.

As soon as the car doors opened I could smell fresh scent trails from Stefan and Vladimir. But their scents went in two different directions. This was wrong. They were joined at the hip last time.

"Do you smell anyone else with them?" I wasn't directing my question to any particular Cullen. It didn't matter, really. "Why did they split up?"

"It's just the two of them. But this is uncharacteristic of them. They normally stay together to guard each other's backs. Either they don't consider the Wolves a real threat or they are up to something," Carlisle answered me. Or both, I mentally added. Edward nodded; the only movement from any of the Cullen's who now all had the same stoic, yet confused or troubled, expression on their faces.

Great, now what?

"We split up," Edward answered my internal question, breaking out of his statue-like form. "We'll go this way after Vladimir," he said, gesturing, to the other members of the Cullen clan, then pointing to one scent trail that seemed to head towards the Cullen's old place. "You meet up with your son and the others as planned, but quickly, and convince the Pack to go after Stefan." That made sense. The trail he pointed at for me to follow seemed to head deeper into La Push.

"I'm coming with you," Nessie said to me. I wouldn't have it any other way. Well maybe if she stayed home, nice and safe in New Hampshire, away from all of the danger. But she would never do that. She needed to be here, for her son. Nessie was a fighter. And I loved her for it.

Felicity had agreed to stay home. At first she was a little hesitant, not wanting to be stuck around Nahuel and Leah. "Too much PDA," she'd exclaimed. She was right, those two put Rose and Emmett to shame.

But much to her relief Nahuel and Seth agreed to stay with her, while Leah came with us. The separation was going to be hard on them but I had a feeling I was going to need Leah's help.

A few seconds after the Cullen's had taken off, Leah and I phased and, along with Nessie, we were following the second trail east. I no longer needed to go to Billy's to talk with Dave first. Once a Wolf I could see that Dave, Jared, and another Wolf in his Pack, were already phased and searching for Drac one and two. Even though my son was now a part of Jared's Pack it seemed that I could still communicate with him like this. I wonder why? The other Wolf was a big blind spot to me right now, so it must have been because Dave was my son.

While I was glad that we could still communicate like this I was troubled about what I was currently getting from him. He was worried about something. But what?

David, what's it?

Oh, um… hi Dad. Guess he hadn't noticed I was here.

What's wrong? I asked again.

Nothing, nothing, he tried to assure me, but I still got an uneasy feeling, his uneasy feeling.

Was it Janet? Has something happened to her?

No, I just left her a couple hours ago. She has dress rehearsal for the school play. She looks so beautiful in her Belle costume. I could feel a giant smile unintentionally appear on his face, as he thought about his Imprint. But he still felt something was wrong.

I don't know what it is.

I let him in on the fact that I knew he and the others were looking for Stefan and Vladimir. But something else seemed like it was bothering him. He wasn't angry, or rather he wasn't just angry that they weren't where they were supposed to be. He also seemed worried.

Probably just the situation, I guess, he again tried to assure me but the uneasy feeling wouldn't leave either of us.

Whatever it was would have to wait until after we dealt with Stefan and Vladimir.

Right, so Jared, do you want to let us know what's going on?

I could tell that everything wasn't as cozy as I'd seen before we'd gotten on the plane but I didn't know what had happened. Even though I could only hear from him what he wanted me to, Alpha to Alpha, I dove into Dave's mind and saw that they'd heard a warning howl to aleart them that something was up, but when they'd phased the two wolves guarding the two Dracs had vanished.

What? Why?

I don't know exactly. All that we are certain about is that no one has heard from Stefan and Vladimir escorts in over an hour. They didn't check in like they were supposed to, Dave said, downplaying the seriousness of the situation. They're MIA.

You lost them? Leah growled. I was equally pissed.

Hey, the Pack's not as big as it use to be. I have a couple Wolves guarding La Push just on the edge of the forest, the two that were watching the Vamps, then there's the three of us. That's it! He was trying not to lose it but there was an edge to his thoughts. It isn't like it was eight years ago. We can't be everywhere at once.

I needed to calm down. He was right. They couldn't be on patrol all the time. They needed time to sleep, and have a life too.

I see Stefan, he's just up ahead of us. I think he's actually waiting for us, Dave broke into Jared's and my thoughts.

He showed us his view of the forest he was in, a large rock that had been split down the middle years before I was born, an old twisted tree, and Stefan sitting up in one of its branches. I knew exactly where they were. We're close to you. Should be there in two. Wait for us.

In no time the three of us (me, Nessie, and Leah) ran up beside the three of them (Jared, David, and Quil), as they were closing in on Stefan. Dave looked like he as ready to attack. Something more must have happened than losing the Wolves, but I wasn't getting anymore from either Jared or my son. Jared just seemed concerned about his two missing Wolves. I still didn't know exactly what the hell was going on. Neither did he apparently. How could things have gone from planning to attack the Volturi together to getting ready to tear each other to shreds?

"You've been lying to us," Stefan eventually spat. "You've been working with the Volturi the whole time."

No we haven't. What's he talking about? I heard Jared think. I knew that was what he wanted to ask, but we were still in Wolf form, so he just shook his head.

Stefan seemed to understand his response but then held up something shiny, seemingly as proof. It was the necklace Bella had worn during our encounter with the Volturi. How did it end up here?

I heard Nessie gasp and saw my son's eyes nearly leap out of his head, but his thoughts were a jumble, frantic, not making any sense. I could feel his panic.

"Where did you get that," David cringed after quickly phasing back, faster than I'd ever seen him do before.

"I ripped it from the neck of the girl who was wearing it, of course," Stefan said as if he was commenting on the color of a beige rug. "Don't worry, I don't think she'll miss it. She was delicious however," he tauntingly added, licking his lips.

David's face went white before he collapsed on the ground.

Oh crap, Janet must have had the necklace!

How did this happen? How did she have it? And how did Drac one and two even get anywhere near her? She wasn't anywhere La Push. Janet lived on the Makah Res.

Damn-it! Stefan and Vladimir must have killed their Wolf escorts. But which Wolves were watching them? Who did we lose?

Jared heard me and quickly focused on the two Wolves that had been guarding the Vamps. Brady and Scott. Scott was Collin's younger brother, who had just recently phased after Nessie was in La Push recovering from Felicity's birth.

That was stupid of Jared. What was he thinking having a newbie like Scott be one of the Wolves to guard Stefan and Vladimir? He didn't have the experience necessary to handle those two bloodsuckers.

Of course Jared thought they were allies with the two Dracs and had let down his guard.

Before I knew it Quil pounced on Stefan. Less than a half second later Jared, Leah, and I joined the fight.

David didn't help us, he hadn't moved from his slump in the ground. His heart wasn't into it anymore. His heart was gone, with Janet. Nessie stayed out of the fight too, attempting to comfort our son. We didn't need their help, anyway. Four to one was more than enough.

Stephan was quickly shredded and Jared started the fire while Quil and Leah started gathering the pieces to throw in.

"David, I'm so sorry -" Jared started after we all phased back.

"How did this happen?" I screamed cutting him off. His stupidity was going to kill my son.

"I don't know. Brady and Scott were watching them. But after their howl they must have phased back to human," more likely they were instantly killed by the two older, stronger, more experienced, and deadly Vamps, "because I never saw Vladimir or Stefan attack them, or go after Janet, or anything. I thought we were on the same side. That we could trust them. They helped save Renesmee before. I didn't think -"

"That's right. You didn't think," I spat.

Nessie was hugging our sobbing son, but lifted her head enough to meet my eyes; so I could see the warning look she was throwing me. "Jake, don't be so hard on him. This wasn't his fault. It's no one's but Vladimir and Stefan's. Stefan is gone and Vladimir soon will be too if I know my father and the rest of my family. We need to deal with the present situation."

She was right. There was no use yelling at Jared. There were more important things to deal with. Like how my son was going to get through this. If he could.

A Wolf really couldn't survive without his Imprint. I felt... I don't know how I felt. Dave had only been alive for a year and with Janet gone that was probably going to be it, unless a miracle happened.

I knew that if I lost Nessie I would find some way to end my own life as well. But I just hoped... somehow, David could get past this tragedy.

I don't know how but I would try to help him as best as I could. So would Nessie, so would the rest of the Cullen's, so would the rest of my Pack, and Jared's, and Billy, and Charlie, and Sue, and anyone else I could think of. But first there was something we had to do.

"Jared and Leah why don't you go see about Brady and Scott; finish casing the forest. Find them… or (much more likely) their bodies and then tell their families. We'll handle Janet's family," I said, after we made sure the leech was nothing more than ashes and the fire put out. "Come on David, Nessie, Quil."

"Just go away. Leave me here. I'm -"

"No, David. We have to go to Janet's parents, they deserve an explanation." Of course there was also the chance that Stefan had been lying and Janet was fine, asleep in bed, none the wiser. But judging by Dave's near catatonic state I had a feeling that he could sense the loss of his Imprint through their bond, or I guess the now lack of her pull.

He just responded to my words with a blank stare. Like he didn't understand what I was talking about.

"For why they'll... why they will never see their daughter again," I gently tried to explain.

David nodded slightly and stood up, but moved like a walking corpse. There was no way we could run all the way with him like this. I managed to drag him back to the rental car and we made our way up to the Makah Reservation.

Right away, as we approached Mr. and Mrs. Young's house, it was obvious that they knew there was something wrong. Janet had been gone for awhile, it was dark now. School had been over for hours, she missed dinner, and should probably be getting ready for bed by now.

I didn't need to be inside the house to know, I could hear them from outside. Her parents were making phone calls to friends and family, looking for their daughter, and talking to the local police, giving them a physical description - Native American girl, brown eyes, brown hair, 5'3", approximately one hundred twelve pounds, and so on. All the normal things you do when someone goes missing.

Dave looked like death. Nessie was in the back seat with him, trying desperately to console him. She didn't want to lose her son either. "David, you need to be strong now, just for a little bit longer, for her parents. Please... just try to hold it together for them."

Quil didn't look much better than David. He was preparing himself to have to console Clare, his eleven year old Imprint and Janet's little sister.

I was just taking the key out of the ignition, when my phone rang. Checking the caller ID I saw that it was Eddie. What could he want? I thought briefly that he might be calling with good news. That it had all been a mistake. That they had found Janet, alive and well.

"Edward, have you -"

"Jacob, is David with you?" he cut me off, yet spoke so quietly I could barely hear him.

"Yeah, he's right here. What's going on?"

"Listen to me, very carefully. We have a situation. You need to move out of earshot of your son," he continued to whisper into the phone.

"Err, I need to take this, guys, just wait in the car for a minute, please," I told everyone in the car, then quickly got out before anyone could object. I just hoped they stayed put.

"Alright, Edward. What's it?" I asked when I was far enough away. "Stefan's dead, along with Brady, Scott, and -"

"Yes, I know. That's why I'm calling. We found Janet," he cut me off again. "We followed the scent trail to Vladimir. I guess he didn't count on our response because he actually taunted me - showing me the tragic events that happened prior to our arrival. They never paid much attention to Bella the morning the Volturi came , all those years ago, and never saw her wearing Aro's gift. Seeing the necklace now made them believe the Pack was in league with the Volturi."

I needed to be in private for him to tell me this? "Yeah, Stefan pretty much told us the same thing."

"I'm so sorry, but if it's any comfort at all, please know that Vladimir is no more. We ripped him to pieces. His body will soon be nothing but a pile of ash."

"Great, Stefan's already is, but that isn't going to bring Janet back."

"No, you misunderstand me Jacob. We found Janet."

What? "She's alive?"

"Not exactly -"

"What's that suppose to mean?" I hated when he got all cryptic like this.

"I mean Stefan bit and drank from her -"

"Yeah, I already know that." I don't have time for this, get to the point.

"Yes, but she's not dead. Not exactly."

She's not dead? I wouldn't lose my son! Relief flooded my mind until it sunk in what Edward was trying to tell me. "Oh, she's... changing."

"I'm afraid so. Carlisle gave her the anti-venom he developed for you, but she'd already lost so much blood, and she's not a Wolf, or related to you in any way. He's doubtful it will work.

"So what do we do now?"

"We wait." His voice was coarse, unemotional. Devoid of hope. Crap.

"How long?"

"I'm not certain. When the syringe was inserted into Leah how long did it take before you started to see it work?"

"I don't know... five, maybe ten seconds. How long has it been for Janet?"

"Eighteen minutes," he dryly responded. If it hadn't worked by now it probably wasn't going to.

"What about Brady and Scott? Did you hear any news about them?" There was a chance, however small that they were still alive.

"I'm sorry, but Vladimir very clearly thought, seemingly for my discomfort, about how he and Stefan killed them. They're gone." He started telling me what the forest looked like where he saw them go down in Vladimir's mind. "Jasper and Esme are out now looking for the bodies."

"Yeah, so is Jared." Damn leeches!

"We're back at the old house. Why don't you meet us there and we'll discuss our options. I'll leave it to you to break it to David and the Wolves as you see fit. If there is anything I can do, please let me know."

"Yeah, thanks." I replied before hanging up and called Jared to let him know where to find Brady's and Scott's bodies. Jasper and Esme wouldn't be able to carry them onto the Reservation.

Great! How the hell was I supposed to do this? How was I supposed to tell my son that his soulmate... his Imprint, his reason for being, was currently being transformed into the one thing he hated more than anything else on the planet?

This was going to kill him. Literally. Probably more than him thinking she was dead.

I didn't want to do it. I didn't want to basically hand my son his death sentence. But he already thought she was dead, so he already had one. I knew what I had to do.

A.N. What do you think?

Please review.