The wait was terrible. I fought for any minor distraction. Arming myself with a bucket and bleach, I scrubbed the tiny bathroom until I was dizzy with fumes and sweating. Once, midway through the cleaning job, Billy rolled down the hallway to find me elbows deep in the old toilet bowl. He raised his eyebrows, but said nothing and rolled back to the den. The kitchen was fairly clean, so it took only minutes to wash the few soiled dishes in the sink. Opening the refrigerator, I saw there was little more than leftover fish fry and outdated milk. Worrying my bottom lip, I combed through the cabinets and pulled out the few items I could find. I was staring at a jar of pickles and three cans of black beans, wondering what in the world I could cook, when the phone rang. The shrill sound caused me to jump. Just as quickly as that, my heart was pounding. My throat was dry. My hands were shaking. And I was acutely aware of how deadly a situation we were all in.

I turned, swallowing tightly, as Billy calmly answered the landline. His dark eyes and voice were steady. "Hello?"

I stepped into the den and didn't bother hiding the fact that I was listening. Billy stared at me as he nodded and said, "Yeah, Charlie. That would be nice. Bella is trying, poor thing, but she seems pretty tired."

There was a pause. Billy said, "I think she might be getting sick, herself. Will do. Yeah. See you then. Bye."

He hung up the phone and sighed, "Charlie is leaving the station. As far as I know, the Cullens are on patrol around the area. Somebody will be follow him here."

I nodded and stared at my shoes. Billy said, "It would do you good to rub your eyes a bit. You look tired, so that will help."

I nodded once more and turned back to the sink. I stood there until I heard the low volume of the television. I rubbed at my eyes just as suggested until they were watering profusely. After a moment, I sat at the rickety table and put my hands over my face. The silent tears fell and I let them. A warm hand on my shoulder had me startling. I looked up to find Billy passing me a mug of warm coffee with a kind expression. He said, "Those boys are tough, Bella. They know what honor is. You should be proud of them. Of Jacob."

My voice crackled as I whispered, "It's who he is. He keeps me safe even when I wish he wouldn't bother."

"Protectors, Bella." Billy replied lowly, "Their spirits are made for this."

"And if they die?" I demanded in a wavering voice. My wet eyes swung his way. We stared in silence. My breath hitched, "If Seth or Leah dies, that breaks their family apart even more. If Sam dies, he leaves behind a widowed fiancé. They all have families and friends. They would suffer because of me. If Jacob dies…I…I…"

I dropped my forehead to the table and began slowly rocking myself. I choked out, "He has to live. Nothing will make sense if…"

Moments passed with a thick silence. I didn't touch my coffee and neither did Billy. After a while, I wiped at my eyes and glanced toward my right. He still sat beside the table, but was no longer looking at me. His dark eyes, familiar eyes, were trained on the front window. The sky was a dark gray. Mist was swirling about and the weakest rays of sunlight were nearly faded from view. A moment later, Charlie's police cruiser pulled in. I couldn't see him, but I could hear the stomping of his feet and the slam of a door. Sitting up straighter, I glanced nervously at Billy. He said, "You look sick enough. Charlie's smart and will see through lies. You're upset and sick right now. He will know that. He just won't know the real reason as to why."

I rubbed at my eyes with a frantic hand just seconds before Charlie pushed the front door open. The wood was warped, so it stuck and required an extra hit at times. After Charlie stumbled through the door, he paused to look at us. With a sympathetic expression, he set down a box of pizza and a plastic bag filled with medicines. He asked, "You getting the flu, Bells?"

I nodded and muttered, "Probably."

"How's the fever, Billy?" Charlie asked as he took a seat. It didn't escape my notice that Billy's voice had taken on a much huskier tone since we had spoken moments ago. He replied, "Low-grade finally."

"You keeping any food down?" Charlie asked as he opened the greasy box and grabbed a slice of pizza. My stomach was churning and my heart was pounding a deep beat into my throat, so I just stared at the tabletop. Billy sighed, "Not much. Crackers."

"Yeah," Charlie spoke after eating his food, "Sue gave me a call. Said kids all over the rez are down for the count. I suspect Jake will be sick as a dog soon enough."

"Yeah," I croaked when I noticed Charlie's eyes on me. He had a slight frown and there was a question in his gaze that I pretended not to notice. I cleared my throat and said, "Jake's been so busy lately. He's not taking proper care of himself. He felt warm to the touch yesterday when I saw him. Could be where I caught it from."

Charlie's frown deepened. Billy piped up, "Kid has a good immune system. Rarely gets sick, but he's been working a lot this year. Won't slow down for nothing."

"Well, kids like Jake and Bella have solid work ethic," Charlie replied, "but work ethic doesn't include making yourself sick. He's too young to be breaking his back at a job, don't you think, Billy?"
I watched as Billy shrugged and sighed. "The boy is stubborn as a mule. He's as tough as one, too. Most the time, anything I say goes in one ear and out the other."

"Have you tried, you know, mentioning something to him, Bells?" Charlie met my gaze with genuine concern. "What's the rush? Doesn't he want to finish school?"

"Jacob feels…" I hesitated before saying, "Jacob wants to help, Dad. You know how he is. He's good with people. Sam and the rest do what others can't do."

"Yeah." Charlie muttered, "I know. Only trying to help."

"I know," Billy replied in a low voice, "but things are different here than Forks."

Charlie eyed his friend oddly and asked, "Are we back to that again?"

"Now, I don't want any arguments, Charlie." Billy replied tiredly, "I appreciate your advice, you know that. Jacob has responsibility here and he sees to it like a good man should. He'll be running things on the rez long after we're both cold in the dirt, Charlie. The responsibilities won't wait or get any easier with time."

"Alright," Charlie grumbled, "Just make sure the kid rests before he falls out. You're both the ones telling me he likely has the flu."

"As soon as he's done with today's agenda," Billy said, "I've no doubt he will take some time to sleep."

Charlie munched on another piece of pizza. I stood up and plated a piece for myself, but only managed to nibble at it. The cardboard box went into the refrigerator. I poured a glass of water and brought it to Billy along with a sleeve of saltine crackers. He and Charlie were talking quietly amongst themselves in between commercials on the television. Billy thanked me. I sat down while casting looks out the nearby window every few moments. It was a pointless situation because there was nothing but blackness to see. I wondered how we were to convince Charlie to stay here tonight. I wondered what Jacob and the other wolves were doing. Were they fighting with Victoria? Had they even found her and her allies? Where were the Cullens? Were they safe from harm? Had anybody successfully tracked the enemy?

At half past eight o'clock, Charlie stood up and lumbered across the den. He was rinsing out a cup at the sink. I could tell by his movements that he was planning on leaving. I stood up, shooting an anxious glance at Billy, before darting down the hallway. I slammed the bathroom door and knelt on the floor just as I heard Charlie's worried voice call out, "Bella?"

I made a gagging noise and hoped it sounded authentic. I flushed the toilet and waited with baited breath. I heard the low murmur of voices followed by Charlie's hefty footsteps. There was a soft knock on the door. I gagged again before turning on the sink. Water ran with a trickling sound. I could just hear Billy saying, "Why don't you leave her here, Charlie? Sue will be stopping by early morning last I heard."

Charlie sighed, "No. I ought to get her home. I can drop her off in a couple days to pick up the truck."
I winced right before cupping water in my hands and standing above the toilet bowl. I gagged much louder this time and let the water drop into the toilet. It made a thick, splashing sound. I waited as Billy said, "You don't need to miss work. Sue can give her a look over in the morning. No sense in spreading the germs to you."

There was a pause. I flushed the toilet again and moaned, "Sorry, Dad."

"It's okay." He called back, "Do you need anything?"

"I-I don't know." I said, "I think I'm going to be here a while. Sorry, Billy."

"Don't worry yourself, Bella." He called out in a raspy voice that reminded me heavily of his son. I slowly sat down while leaning my head against the lip of the tub. The surface was cold against my skin. Tears were threatening to leak out, so I squeezed my eyes shut tightly. I could hear the drone of voices and then Charlie's feet as they disappeared from the hallway. "No, Billy, I work in the morning. You both need rest. I'll bring by some of her clothes in the morning."

A few moments later, there was the creaky sound of the front door closing. I stayed in the bathroom a second longer before darting out and demanding, "Why did you let him leave?"

Billy shrugged, "If we act out of the norm, he would become suspicious and demand explanations. With everyone patrolling, including the other vampires, Charlie's as safe as can be in this situation."

"Not if Victoria slips through the cracks." I insisted with tears in my eyes. Billy's expression was grave as he replied, "Life isn't safe, Bella. What would you have us do? Tell him the truth? He would certify us both as insane."

I shook my head and snapped, "A vampire nearly killed me days ago. He slipped right through the patrol line."

With that, I rushed to the front door and threw it open. Charlie's cruiser was gone. With my heart in my throat, I darted down the porch steps. Billy was hollering from behind me. "Bella! Bella, get back inside. You can't leave our territory. Bella."

I ignored him and made it to my truck. I cranked the engine, put the truck in drive, and lumbered my way down the muddy lane. My mind was racing quickly. I had to think of a reason to get Charlie back to La Push. Maybe I could tell him that Billy was taking a turn for the worse. Maybe I could claim I was feeling ill enough that I needed to go to the hospital in which case Carlisle could easily watch over Charlie within the building as I was being seen to.

The darkness felt as if it was creeping in on me as I drove. The rain was nothing more than a drizzle, but visibility was still poor. I didn't see any other headlights along the way to Forks. I had half-hoped I could flag Charlie's cruiser down even though I knew that would only alarm him. When I pulled into the driveway next to the cruiser, I nearly slipped in my haste to exit the truck. I slammed the door and jogged up the porch steps. By the time I made it inside, Charlie was coming down the staircase with a deep frown. His hair was wet and he wore a gray T-shirt and blue cotton pajama pants. He asked, "Bells? What are you doing home? Are you okay?"

"Dad, I…" I gulped and realized I had no idea what to say. There was no excuse or tale at the tip of my tongue. I blinked rapidly. He said, "I don't like the look of you. Seems you're fevered. C'mon. Get into bed. I'll bring up water and fever-reducer."

"O-Okay." I stuttered and reluctantly climbed the staircase. The house was cold and it seemed Charlie had only just turned the central heating on when he got home. I bit my lip as I sat on the edge of my bed. I wondered where Jacob was. I wondered if Billy had somehow contacted him. I wondered if I had messed up their schedule or plans. Likely, I had. After all, I knew I was meant to be in La Push. I felt guilt for potentially causing further stress on Jacob, the pack, and the Cullens, but I couldn't come to regret leaving La Push. Charlie needed protection, too. My being at home meant Billy would contact a wolf. And a wolf would inform Jacob. That would mean he or someone would be stationed outside my house soon. Charlie would be safe and that was what was most important.

I was still thinking heavily when Charlie knocked on the edge of my opened bedroom door. He eyed me carefully as he set a cup of water, a pack of crackers, and a bottle of over-the-counter medicine on my desk. He cleared his throat and said, "Wake me if you need me. See you in the morning, Bells."

"Goodnight." I replied. As he walked out of the room, I blurted, "I love you."

He paused, glanced over his shoulder, and blushed. He said, "Er, love you too."

I sighed heavily and stood up. Once he was in his bedroom just down the hallway, I closed my door and locked it. I paced in a circle for a few moments, debating if I should call Billy to let him know I arrived home unharmed. I would have continued pacing had a shadow not fallen across the floorboards. A cold gust filtered through the room. I glanced up, mouth opening to speak, but it wasn't Jacob crawling through my window. It wasn't anyone I recognized.

With my heart stuck in my throat, my body grew still. Air got caught in my lungs. I didn't dare blink. The figure was perched like a bird of prey might. I knew immediately that it was a male due to the broad shoulders. Short, golden hair was curled near his ears. He had full, rounded cheeks and a sharp chin. Pink lips were pulled up in a smile. If not for the piercing red eyes, I would have described him as angelic. His voice was smooth when he quietly greeted, "Hi. I'm Riley. You must be Bella. I've been wanting to meet you for some time now."

I swallowed heavily and croaked, "Where's Victoria?"

"Oh, don't worry." He gave another charming smile as he replied, "I'll be taking you to here shortly."

"Okay." I spoke unevenly, "Let's go. I'm ready."

"So eager." Riley chuckled, "Just as well. I don't much want to kill the old man. He's ignorant of his daughter's faults and killing him would be unfair, I think. He isn't the one who has wronged Victoria. You are."

A shaky breath released from my frozen lungs. I nodded gratefully. Riley said, "Come here. Don't be shy, yes, just step forward. I don't wish to be rude, but I'm going to have to carry you."

My legs were shaking as I stumbled across my bedroom floor. My eyes were darting around as if looking for escape or memorizing the familiar walls one last time. I inhaled sharply and abruptly came to a halt when icy fingers wrapped around my waist. Flinching, I closed my eyes. Riley picked me up and cradled me like an infant. The feel of his cold fingers on my hips, no matter how briefly they had been there, made me want to vomit. I tried swallowing, but my throat was suddenly dry. My heart was hammering laboriously, but it skipped several beats when Riley launched himself out of my window and halfway across the lawn within a single leap.

A wheezing, choking sound left my throat as my body was jarred from the impact. It felt as if my bottom and back had smacked against pavement, but it was only the granite-like arms of a vampire. Riley moved from tree to tree with such speed that I was forced to keep my eyes closed. The flashes of black and dark green had me swallowing bitter bile. In my mind, I pushed aside thoughts of Jacob. Charlie was going to live. He was going to live and even though I was to die, he was safe. I only hoped everyone else I knew would live as well.

I smelled rain, mud, and pungent soil. The air was icy-cold on my skin as Riley moved at such high speeds. The night was silent, as far as I could tell, except for the whistle of wind in my ears. I tried counting the seconds in my mind, but I was curiously blank now that I knew the situation was coming to an end. There would be no more sleepless nights. No more restless days. No more innocent lives lost to death or supernatural destinies. No more exhausted patrolling. And with those kind realizations came horrendous ones. With my death, Charlie would lose his only daughter. His only family. With my death, Jacob would lose his best friend. His lover.

I would have liked to believe that Jacob would move on after grieving me. Maybe he would have, had we both been normal humans in a normal world. If he hadn't been a werewolf and I hadn't captured the attention of vampires. If all was right and we were both ignorant to monsters, but that wasn't us. Not anymore. Somewhere along the line, Jacob had decided his life's purpose was to make sure I lived. Without that purpose fulfilled, I was certain Jacob would be very lost. I knew he would blame himself for failing to protect me. I hoped Billy and the pack would be reason enough for Jacob to continue on. Underneath the stress of the supernatural world, Jacob was sunshine. And the world couldn't survive without sunshine.

My cheeks, nose, and lips were numb by the time the whistling of the wind stopped howling in my ears. The unfamiliar chest pressed against my back and shoulder felt like a block of ice. My feet were dropped to the ground and I stumbled, arms wheeling about, but two hands caught at my wrists and gripped. Hard. I winced and blinked rapidly as my eye adjusted. The sky was dark and the moon was nothing more than a sliver of weak light. I squinted, glancing around. Shadows were towering above me from three sides. Trees.

I wanted to speak, to ask questions, but I remained silent. I licked my lips and slowly tucked my arms across my chest when Riley released me. I hadn't realized he had moved until a gust of cold wind blew across my face. Gasping, I startled and whipped my head in the direction that I saw a swift shadow moving. Suddenly, he was standing beside me again. He murmured, "She should have been here by-"

Riley's quiet voice was cut off by a hair-raising growl. He stiffened and inhaled sharply. My head turned in the general direction of the sound, but all I saw was blobs of darkness. I swallowed heavily and had taken a single step when steel bands were clamping around my shoulders. I yelped loudly.

"I'll snap her neck!" Riley shouted. I winced as he pulled me about as if I was a rag-doll. "If you attack, I'll make damn sure the human is bitten first."

There was the rustling of brush. I squinted into the darkness, but the hold on my shoulders kept me from being able to maneuver much at all. My heart thundered loudly when I caught sight of a huge, hulking shadow. A wolf. Definitely a wolf. Riley was moving quickly, but not as fast as I knew vampires could. He yanked me roughly until the back of my body was flush to his front. He called out, "Where is she? Where is Victoria? Tell me now or the girl is dead."

There was the slightest of pauses. He hissed in my ear, long and low, as a pale figure appeared out of the darkness. Edward's face and voice were both perfectly calm as he greeted, "Riley."

"Don't come any closer, Cullen." Riley snapped, "I mean it."

"Listen to me, Riley." Edward replied, "You were meant to be a deterrent. She knew I could read minds. I knew her plan only seconds after she sent you on your way. She knows how swift I am and that I would catch you."

"No." Riley growled, "No, you're a manipulator. She told me about you and your family. About the freaky powers you all have. She told me how your coven acts so oddly and denies others of our kind friendship. You lie."

"You're intelligent." Edward spoke urgently now. There were numerous growls, but they echoed oddly as if they were coming from far away. "Think logically. You have been suspicious of Victoria for some time. She is a strategist, Riley. You know this. I can hear it in your mind. She knows you love her and she used that against you. Victoria has been using you from the beginning."

Another hiss escaped Riley's mouth. I shivered and bit my lip to keep from yelping as his hold became even tighter. What pain was almost unbearable was now racing toward truly unbearable. I choked on a scream. Edward's golden eyes glanced anxiously at me. His voice was hard when he said, "Let Bella go, Riley. It is only a matter of time before my family and the wolves finish destroying the newborn army. They will rip you to pieces soon after. Just let Bella go and I will allow you freedom."

Riley laughed, but the sound was wet and pitiful. "You think you could win against me, Cullen?"

"Yes," Edward replied firmly, "but my interference isn't necessary."

Beneath the terror, I felt a moment of confusion. And then, I was thrown forward with horrendous momentum that jolted my entire body like a lightning bolt.