Disclaimer: As much as I would love to own anything dealing with The Twilight Saga, I sadly do not. All that belongs to the very talented and amazing Stephanie Meyer, I am just borrowing a few of her characters for my storyline.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Bold and Italic is flashback

Jasper's thoughts are in italics

Someone talking to Edward with their thoughts bolded and underlined

April 21, 2006 (7 AM)

Somewhere on the west coast…

Victoria smiles evilly at her passed out prisoner. She has had a lot of fun with him these last five days. She smiles as she thinks back on how she kidnapped him.

She had circled the house and found the back of the house was close to the forest. She snuck into the house and found Bella's dad asleep in a chair. She laughed at how easy this was. Of course, laughing woke up her victim.

Charlie jumped out of the chair and made a run for his gun by the door. Victoria beat him there and smirked. "You can thank your daughter for all the pain you will endure."

Charlie froze and yelled "How do you know my daughter!?" That was all he was able to say before she laughed and then knocked him out.

Victoria is pulled back to the present when she hears Charlie groan. She only learned his name yesterday, not that she really cared what it was. He had gotten tired of being called bait and had told her he wasn't bait as his daughter was missing. His name was Charlie and he was the police chief of Forks and if she didn't let him go she was going to be in huge amounts of trouble.

Before he finished waking up, she had better go hunting again. It was taking a lot of will power not to just eat him. She needed him alive for a little longer though. With that in mind, she went to go find herself a snack.

(8 AM)

Back in Canada…

The original Cullen clan is on the porch welcoming their cousins. They had decided to have everyone else go to the other houses until they had time to explain everything to the Denali coven. "I am so glad you made it safely. We have a house built just a little ways away for you all. This way you will still have some personal space but we will be able to help protect each other with you closer." Jasper states. They seem very nervous. Hope they take all this information well.

Tanya replies "We can't thank you enough for letting us come here." She turns and looks at Carlisle "You said you have a few things to explain to us when we got here. What's going on Carlisle?"

Before Carlisle can respond, Edward snaps his head towards Alice as she was pulled into a vision. It was a short vision, but enough for Alice and Edward to finally know WHERE Victoria is at. When Alice comes out of her vision, Edward and Alice smile at each other.

"Carlisle, we know where she is. We need to explain everything as quickly as possible so we can tell EVERYONE what is going on." Edward states. Carlisle knows immediately understands.

"Well, then let's go to the Denali's house. We will show them around and then explain everything." Carlisle says with authority.

(9 AM)

The Denalis are all sitting in silence, totally shocked by what they have been told. None of them were sure what to think. Finally Irina spoke. "Okay, so if this is all true, where are these kids and the rest of the people you spoke of? Though we did smell others, we saw no one when we got here except you."

Edward responds "My kids and the rest of them are waiting in the smaller houses outback. We were not sure how you would react and we wanted all involved to be safe. You see, everyone is VERY protective of those kids. So, if you reacted badly, it would have ended even worse."

"I will call them in. I think it will be okay." Alice states as she tries to see the outcome. She is very annoyed she can't see the wolves. Plus, the kids making things hazy doesn't help either. She sighs in annoyance.

Jasper smiles at Alice and sends her some love. "Okay, call Bella and have her gather everyone and meet us at our house. There is more room there." Jasper says. He only feels confusion and interest coming from all of them. Except Tanya, she seems more upset. But that could be because she didn't win Edward over. Edward, am I right?

Edward glances at Jasper and nods then runs out the door. He is eager to get back with his family. He also wants to make sure he is there before everyone else so he can make sure no one is going to act out.

When the rest of them get to the Cullen's house, they find the others there waiting for them. Tanya freezes and stares at the kids and Bella. She does not miss how Edward is standing on guard near them. It doesn't matter, they must not be mates or they would be standing next to each other. That makes her smile. She may still have a shot.

Edward glances back at Bella. Sure, they weren't standing next to each other but he was sure it was because they were both guarding the children. They had explained to everyone the bad experience the Denalis had with immortal children, so everyone is on guard.

Eleazar is the first to speak. "I can't believe this is something that was even possible. Carlisle, did you have any idea this could happen?"

Carlisle shakes his head then gets to introducing everyone. Once he is done he turns to Alice. "Now dear, please tell us what you saw."

Bella's head shoots up. She had been talking with the kids trying to ignore the looks Tanya was giving Edward. She didn't like the way Tanya was looking at him at all. But she didn't feel she had a right to say anything. "You saw something?!" She asks eagerly.

Jasper smirks. If much more jealously comes off Bella I may end up attacking anyone that even glances at Alice.

Edward looks over at Jasper. He watches as Jasper chuckles then continues. I, of course, cannot be sure why. But if you look at the way Tanya keeps looking at you, it isn't hard to be pretty sure why she is jealous. No mate would like to have their mate looked at that way.

Edward smiles and looks back at Bella. This is good, maybe she will come around soon. Then they can put any of Tanya's thoughts behind them both.

Bella notices Edward smiling at her and wonders who said what to him. But she had more important things to worry about right now. She focuses her attention on Alice.

"Yes. She made a mistake. We figured out she knows how to hide by not making any set decisions because of the information Irina gave her. Her mistake is that while she was hunting I saw familiar surroundings. She must have realized what she was doing and then she disappeared again. BUT it was long enough for me to figure out that she is in Seattle."

Bella jumps up. "Well, when do we go? We have to save my dad!"

Edward frowns as he replies "We have to figure out a final plan first. We can't leave just yet. Sorry, Bella." Edward walks closer to show his support to her. He would have hugged her, but figured she would push him away again. And he really didn't want Tanya to see that. It would give her the wrong idea for sure.

Bella sighs and sits back down. She understands, but just wishes they would leave already. She did feel a little better after Edward moved closer and stood near her and their kids. No matter how she felt about him she loved the sound of that. Their kids… Bella smiles a little at her thoughts. Though another part of her mind wonders what it meant for her to feel better as soon as he stood closer to her too.

"For now, let's wait and see if she makes any more mistakes. Seattle is large and we have no idea where in Seattle she is keeping Charlie." Carlisle states.

Everyone nods and goes off to do their own things. Kate, Irina and Laurent head off to their house to look around some more. Carmen and Eleazer follow the wolves and the kids to the backyard. They are excited to learn more about them. Everyone can tell they are already smitten with them.

Bella moves to sit in one of the window sills and stares off into space. The other couples had gone to their rooms to be alone for a while. Edward is watching Bella from a distance and dreading what was going to happen next. He can't even use Bella as a reason to leave him alone, even though he really wished he could. He sighs and turns towards Tanya.

"I'm sorry Tanya, but my feelings for you have still not changed. I only see you as a cousin, as family. I do not see you as anything more." Edward is trying to be polite but he is getting so tired of this. Every time they meet it was the same thing. She tries to get him to be more than friends and he would try to turn her down as nicely as he could. Maybe he needs to do what Jasper always suggested. Just be rude…

Tanya notices Bella turn to look at her and Edward turns to look back out the window. Edward didn't say they were together, so he was free game as far as she is concerned. They aren't together, are they? Tanya smiles at him seductively. One way to find out.

"Oh Edward, why do you tease me so? You know I could show you a really good time. Probably the best time you have ever had. Why fight the feelings between us anymore?" Tanya is now standing next to him looking him up and down.

Edward sighs again. He opens his mouth to speak, but instead Bella growls at her. "He said he wasn't interested in you that way! Leave him alone!" She is so mad she is seeing red. She had moved without realizing it, and was crouched ready to pounce if Tanya didn't move away from Edward.

Edward smiles at Bella. Is she finally realizing he isn't going anywhere and wants nothing more than to be with her?! His smile fades as he hears Tanya growl back "Oh, butt out you. It doesn't matter what he did with you while you were human. If it mattered then you would still be together as mates. Which, obviously, you are not!" Tanya is glaring at Bella.

Bella freezes. They weren't mates? Well, I guess it makes sense since he left her…but she still loves him and everyone says he loves her… "He still said to leave him alone." Bella says with as much conviction as she can. Then she runs out the back door.

Edward turns and growls at Tanya. "Don't talk to me or Bella or my kids ever again." Then he runs after Bella. He had to get to Bella before she believed what Tanya said. He would explain how it seemed she felt better around him as he did around her. Explain what Jasper has been showing him with their feelings. And thank her for standing up for him, just like a mate would. He has to convince her they are mates and, even if she wasn't ready, he would wait for her until she was. Even if that meant he had to wait years.

Tanya watches as Edward runs after Bella. She growls and starts to walk out the door to go be with her REAL family, but is stopped by someone clearing their throat behind her. She turns around to see Alice and Jasper standing there. Both with their arms crossed and looking at her with very angry expressions.

"What do you want?" Tanya huffs. She wasn't in the mood to deal with the Cullens right now.

"We thought we would fill you in on a little secret. While we told you all about the kids we didn't tell you about the trials and pain everyone went through. We will NOT be sharing that with you, but you do need to know they ARE mates." Jasper states with authority. I know I am not, but I feel responsible for protecting them both. And this is something I can help with.

"And, before you ask why they are not together, it doesn't matter. They are working through some things and you WILL NOT be causing them more problems. If you do you will be dealing with us. Do we make ourselves clear?" Alice yells.

By the time she is done, Rosalie and Emmett are standing behind them. They didn't know everything that was going on, but they had heard the end of what Jasper had said so they knew it was about Edward and Bella. And they would be damned if Tanya was going to hurt either of them.

Tanya looks shocked from one to the next. They had never been like this to her. What did this Bella do to them? "Okay, I will leave him be. But if they are mates why are they not together?"

"We already said, they are working through some things. That is all you need to know." Jasper states again.

Tanya nods and leaves. She isn't sure what is going on, but she does know that if they want to stay here where they are safe she will have to leave Edward alone. She sighs sadly.

Jasper turns to Emmett and Rosalie. "Thanks for standing with us."

"Of course. Bella is our family too and she doesn't need Tanya causing her anymore stress and confusion." Rosalie smiles.

Alice smiles. She loves that everyone is now truly acting like a family.

Alice's smile vanishes as she is pulled into another vision. When she comes out of it she is in shock. Jasper is holding her while Emmett and Rosalie look on worriedly.

"We need to get our family together now." As soon as she finishes speaking the four ran to gather everyone for a family meeting.