Chapter 29: The Christmas Party

My eyes shot to the calendar on the wall as I cleaned the dishes from dinner. December 22nd. It had been a whole week since I was brought to the cabin by Edward. A whole week since I had seen my family.

As I rinsed another plate, I let out a heavy sigh. I hated not being with them. I hated not knowing what was going on.

The whole week had passed with some days better than others. But I was surprised, when on Wednesday, Sam ended up being my company for the day. There was an awkward air between us to begin with. Sam watched TV, while I sketched out my family in the new sketchbook I had brought with me. As we sat on opposite ends of the room, I noticed Sam glance my way a few times. When I would feel his eyes on me, I would look up and he would glance back at the TV.

After doing it one more time, he finally spoke to me. "Hannah… I've actually been wanting to talk to you."

I lowered my sketchbook to give him my attention. I was surprised he was wanting to converse with me. He turned the TV off, and then moved in his chair so he could face me. His dark eyes met my amber with guilt.

"I feel the need to apologize to you," he spoke softly. "For every ill thought I've had of you... This morning when I helped you catch a deer for blood, I could see the look in your eyes when I killed it… Seth and Jacob were right. You are not evil or a monster. You are blameless. An innocent girl who suffered because her pack family let her down. You became what you are because I did not take the warnings seriously about Victoria coming for you." He frowned deeply. "I let you down, and I never gave you a chance. I'm sorry for hurting you so much in the past."

His words sunk inside me. I was certain my mouth was open a tad from shock. My heart was loud in my chest. Sam was apologizing…? I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

I dropped my gaze from him. "I never wanted to be your enemy, Sam... At the beginning of all of this, I didn't want to hate you. But I blamed you for a lot of my hurt when the pack started to form the beginning of this year, because you always seemed in the center. After I realized what was happening, I wanted to open my heart to you for Emily's sake… and when I became a werewolf, I hoped you would at least take me under your pack even if you couldn't accept my other form. The moment you told me I was banished from La Push though, and threatened to hurt me if I tried to come home, I wasn't mad at you… I was scared of you… and heartbroken that you were always thinking of me as a threat to everyone."

I took in a deep breath.

"But I can sense your sincerity, and I do accept your apology… I just hope you can continue to see me for who I am and not what I am."

He nodded. "I'm starting to."

It felt good to finally break the tension between Sam and I. Perhaps he also felt there was a possibility our time was short, and he wanted to get some regrets out of his system before the enemy came to kill us. Whatever the reason, I was glad he was finally accepting me as more than just a vampire.

Apart from Sam, I had multiple visitors throughout my time at the cabin. Seth was there almost every evening, and would leave in the morning to go back home for school. Sometimes Embry and Quil would come over too after school. But Monday through Friday I was pretty much with Jared, Paul, Leah, or Sam. I had no issues with the company- I was glad not to be alone- but I missed the Cullens, Jacob, and Renesmee the longer I was away.

Putting the last dish in the drying rack, I headed into the living room where I heard Seth waiting. He had come to have dinner with Sam and I. Emily had made us a lasagna, and it was definitely delicious. Seth had offered to help me clean, as Sam drove back home to return to Emily (Sam usually ran here but he didn't know how to balance food on his wolf back. I laughed when he said this). I smacked Seth as he reached for a dish, and told him to go relax since he had been at school all day.

Once I was done cleaning, Seth and I decided to go for a walk in our wolf forms. I phased at least once a day just to get some freedom from the cabin. I loved having a shower and bed, but the confinement was a bit stressful.

As I walked with Seth, I asked him what was going on at home. He let me know everything.

Okay… I might butcher some names. There are seventeen vampires! Not including the Cullens. The day after you came here, The Denali clan arrived. Tanya and Kate, plus some dude named Eleazer and his wife Carmen. That's four already. Jacob told me they reacted a bit terrified to Renesmee at first, but they allowed Edward and Bella to explain, and Renesmee won their hearts.

He thought for a moment, trying to remember who came next. The images of the vampires from Jacob's mind shot through his mind, and I was glad to see in one they were smiling around Renesmee.

So after they arrived, two more vampires came that same day. They were sent by Alice and Jasper… Peter and Charlotte.

I was shocked. Then relieved. Alice and Jasper are okay?

Seth nodded. Yeah… Looks like Sam's assumption about them abandoning your family was wrong. They are looking for witnesses too.

I let out a breath of air. I was so glad to hear about my sister and brother who had disappeared without a word.

So, after they arrived, the next ones showed up the day after. The Irish vamps. Three of them. There's two females and a male. I can't remember their names. Maybe Mag is one? He huffed. Too many!

I smiled. Hey. You're trying.

He nodded and continued. After that the Egyptian vamps arrived. Amun's the leader, and there's a younger vamp named Benjamin, who can control all four elements. That was pretty neat to see in Jacob's head. There was another male and female with them, but I can't remember their names either.

That's up to ten, right?

He nodded.

There were a few nomads that Emmett and Rosalie found. Some dude who's name has left me and a female named Mary. Also some guy named Garrett showed up as well. At this point Emmett, Rosalie, Carlisle, and Esme returned. Then the rest came flooding in. Two chicks from the Amazon- not even going to try their names- and then two dudes from Romania. Those two vampires I heard were a surprise.

And… they are all willing to stand with us?

Seth glanced over at me and gave a nod. Your family did it, Hannah. We have the assistance we need.

I was so relieved. I felt my eyes moisten. We had a chance. My family would hopefully survive. Renesmee could keep living. There was a chance.

With seventeen vampire witnesses, my vampire family, and the pack, we had the chance to stop the Volturi in their tracks long enough for us to show them Renesmee was not what she was believed to be.

On Saturday, Seth had to go over to Charlie's house with his mom. Bella, Jacob, and Renesmee were going over and they wanted Seth there to ease Sue's concerns as well. In Seth's place, Embry arrived with thrill. He was excited to take me out on a hunt. He'd never tried to catch an animal as a wolf before, and he made it a game.

Once I had blood, Embry and I sat on the porch swing for a little bit. He let me know Seth would be back over soon, and Quil was also going to pop by.

"Are you worried… about the fight?"

Embry pondered over my question. Then he shrugged. "Honestly, I'm petrified. But protecting our land is what I was destined to do, and I don't mind going down in a blaze of glory." He smirked. "Also, I wouldn't mind tearing up some more human killing leeches."

I fell quiet, taking in what he said. Then I let out a heavy breath. "Hey, Embry…"

He looked over at me to show I had his attention.

"Will you… teach me how to fight?"

Embry was surprised by this. He hesitated. "I… I don't know Hannah. From what I understand our goal is to make sure you don't have to fight if they attack. Carlisle told Sam the night Alice and Jasper ran off that he didn't even want you in the area when the Volturi came. Since you were so insistent, we all agreed we'd do what we can to keep you hidden and safe as long as we can."

I stood and faced him. I was desperate. "Please, Embry! I'm not saying I'll fight. I just want to know some good moves in case I need to tackle a vampire. When I fought Victoria and Riley, I had no clue what I was doing. I just jumped on them and bit them like I saw Seth do. There was no strategy… and from what I understand strategy is the only thing these Volturi vampires care about!"

He thought about it for a moment. Then his face twisted into understanding. "Okay... We'll wait for Quil. He can be the practice dummy. But, Seth and your family can't find out about this."

I nodded. "I'll try not to think about it around Edward. And if they do find out I'll let them know it was my idea."

He let out a heavy breath. "Okay… but we'll practice in your wolf form only; Since that's the form you'll be in that day."

About an hour later Quil came up to the house. We had some lunch, and then Embry let him know my desire.

Quil was hesitant too. He rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't know… Seth may not like it if I accidentally hurt you… And I heard you weren't actually supposed to fight anyway."

I argued again. "Isn't it better I know how to, though, just in case?"

Quil pursed his lips. Then he gave in with a deep sigh. "Okay… I guess this will work out since you can't hear my thoughts anyway. I can give a few surprise attacks. Just howl if I hurt you and we'll stop."

I promised him I would. Then I smirked. "Hey. I might be the one to hurt you."

He laughed. "Well, you did fight a newborn vampire back in September. I wouldn't be surprised if you could chuck me a few yards into the forest."

A few moments later Quil and I were both in our wolf forms. I was definitely a foot shorter than him, but I knew I had more strength and speed. Embry started to teach me as Quil gave a wolf grin.

"Okay. First step when facing an opponent. Never take your eyes off of them. That's the first mistake during an attack, because your sight is essential. You need to watch their every move."

I narrowed my eyes at Quil. He winked at me and took a step forward. I took a step back in unison.

"Good. Mimicking their actions is a good step also. Of course you won't be able to do that forever. Eventually you'll have to go in for the attack. With vampires, the best route to go is their arms and hands to begin with. Vampires usually like to grab their victims to break them. If you disarm them and take away their ability to grab you, then you have an easier chance of getting to their throat. Your goal is going to always be to behead them."

I shivered at the thought. My mouth tasted vile thinking about beheading anything. However, I kept my cool. I had to get over my feelings if I was going to protect my family. I gave Embry a nod.

"Okay. Let's practice some defense first. Then we'll move to attacks. The important thing you need to know about fighting vampires is you don't want them to get a hold of you. If they manage to grab you, then they can break you. You remember what happened with Jacob in June… a vampire got hold of him and crushed his ribs. We don't want this. Dodging is your best friend. And you always want to dodge at the last minute." Embry stepped back. "Quil… don't hurt her. I really don't feel like Seth smashing our heads tonight."

Quil rolled his eyes. He then bared his teeth playfully. I planted my paws firm to the ground, ready to dodge him. He shot towards me with speed. I jerked to the right, but he changed direction in enough time and smashed into my side knocking me over. The impact only hurt for a second. I was back up with a huff.

Embry spoke. "Good try, Hannah, but you moved too soon. You have to wait until there's only a small space between you. That way your opponent doesn't have time to change direction. Try again."

I shook it off and tried again. Quil looked at me with concern. I smirked at him to let him know I was okay. He let out a heavy breath. He got back into a stance and lunged again. This time I waited. When I felt his body warmth, I jerked to the side again. He missed me this time and landed in the spot I had been.

Embry was thrilled. "Good job! Try again!"

We practice defensive moves for half an hour. In that time I was only thrown on the ground or into a tree five times. Thankfully it didn't hurt too much in my wolf form. Just a discomfort to my muscles.

We switched to offensive moves then. Embry taught me where to aim at my vampire opponent with my claws and teeth. Quil wasn't thrilled about this part of the training, because it meant he was the one getting shoved down constantly. I tried not to hurt him too much as I smashed into him, swiped at him, jumped around him, and snapped my teeth at him. Quil was having fun though, dodging my attacks when he needed to.

Soon Embry was no longer training us: Quil and I were just wrestling. He coughed a laugh as I missed him and I turned growling at his cocky attitude. I jumped on his back and we both crashed to the ground. As I went to get back to my feet, my paw slipped in the mud from the rain earlier that morning, and I yelped as I went down. Quil took the advantage and pinned me down to the earth. He snarled playfully. I growled and tried to struggle from beneath him. I knew if I used my real force I could knock him back a few yards, but I didn't want to hurt him.

Steps approached the cabin suddenly. Silence fell over us. Quil, Embry, and I looked over to see Carlisle and Emmett. Carlisle was horrified by the scene before him. Emmett was amazed and bewildered.

"What on earth is going on?!"

Carlisle's shout rang around us.

Embry cringed and covered his face in disbelief. Carlisle was the last person any of us wanted to discover our training. And the fact I was the one pinned to the ground right now and not Quil probably made the situation worse.

Embry turned to my adoptive father and explained. "Hey… welcome back from your trip by the way. And, Uh… Quil and I were just showing Hannah some fighting moves. Hannah was doing pretty good until she slipped in the mud from her clumsy nature."

Emmett laughed. "Clumsy even as a wolf! I love it!"

Carlisle growled. "I don't." He crossed his arms. Quil had gotten off of me at this point. I got to my paws and was surprised by Carlisle's frown. "Hannah. Go get dressed. I need to speak with you."

His tone showed he was about to scold me. I whined. I didn't get what he was so mad about. I was practicing to help them fight if we needed to. He should've been proud I was willing to learn for the sake of our family.

I headed behind the cabin and dressed. When I came back around, Emmett gave me a comforting smile. Quil was human again, and he and Embry were sitting on the porch steps in disbelief. Carlisle waited for me at the wood line.

I walked over to him with confusion. He started to walk away and I followed him. We were quiet for a moment as the woods surrounded us. Finally, Carlisle spoke after taking in a heavy breath. "I'm sorry for reacting the way I did. However, I want to make one thing perfectly clear..." He stopped and grabbed both of my shoulders firmly. "If a fight does occur, which I pray it will not, the only thing I want you to know how to do is defend yourself. Let us do the fighting… I promised Billy I would protect you. Allowing you to go on the offense will be a break in my promise to him."

I argued. "So what? I'm supposed to sit back and watch you all die?! No! I want to help you fight! I can't lose you all! You're my family!" Tears fell. "I'm not going to just stand back if the Volturi attack! I already told you, I'm not abandoning anyone! I'll fight and die with you! I don't want to live without you and the others!"

Carlisle hugged me to him, pressing his face into my hair. He ran his hand through my long strands, comforting me as I continued to cry. Once I calmed down, he brushed the tears from my face and cupped my cheeks to make me meet his gaze.

"You won't live without us, Hannah. I feel strongly we can reason with the Volturi. I believe we have a chance to come out of this without a fight. No matter what happens though, I want you to stay behind the pack and us on the day of the fight. I only agreed to let you come to the battle because I knew you would be stubborn and argue. If you fight with us, we will only be concerned for your safety and this will be a distraction. I want you safe, Hannah. Promise me you will not fight unless it is a last resort."

I let out a heavy breath. "Okay… I promise…"

He hugged me again. "Don't think this will end with death though… let's hope our plan will pull through."

When we got back to the house, Carlisle apologized to Quil and Embry for reacting the way he had.

Quil shrugged. "I told them it was a bad idea, but they never listen to me."

Embry smacked him on the arm.

As they argued, I stepped over to Emmett to give him a hug. "Welcome home. Have fun searching for nomads?"

Emmett smirked. "Not as much fun as I just had seeing my sister covered in mud and pinned to the ground by a wolf."

As he said this, I realized then that my hair had dirt in it and my skin was stained with dirt as well. I cringed. "I probably should wash up before Seth gets here."

A growl echoed nearby. "Too late," Seth muttered. He stepped out of the woods and over to us not looking happy. His eyes shot to the yard before him where our paw marks were shown. He looked at the tree that had snapped when Quil threw me into it. Then he shot his glare at Embry and Quil accusingly. "I told you to take care of her, and she's covered in mud?! What did you all do to her?"

Emmett burst into laughter. "Wow. You three are in a lot more trouble now."

I spoke up. "Don't blame them. This was my idea. I begged and they had no choice but to give in."

My vampire brother smirked. "I see… Renesmee is a bad influence on you." He looked over at Carlisle. "Your grand-daughter is teaching Hannah how to get her way."

Carlisle sighed. "That's fine when it doesn't have to do with putting her life in danger." He gave a small smile. "But I do admit you look very comical right now, sweetie. Go inside and get cleaned up. Then Emmett and I will catch you up on some stuff."

As I did what he suggested, I walked by Embry who smirked. "Rematch tomorrow?"

Seth snarled. "No!"

Quil and Emmett laughed. Carlisle shook his head to restate Seth's response.

Emmett and Carlisle did catch me up on some stuff after I showered. Although Seth had told me about the seventeen witnesses, I was surprised to find a lot of them had talents. One could project images in peoples minds similar to Renesmee. Another one could send electric currents through people and shock them. They did tell me they still hadn't heard from Alice or Jasper, and this caused me dismay. However, they gave me better news that Bella had a gift as well. They told me she had a shield against other vampire talents, and she could move the shield out from her to surround others. They were thrilled with this discovery, because her talent would be an advantage in protecting us from the talents of the Volturi.

The more I heard hope in Carlisle's voice, the better I started to feel about the dooms day ahead. I was still worried, but I was able to sleep a little better at night knowing there was more hope of survival.

Eventually Christmas day arrived. Esme and Rosalie visited me in the early morning to take me out on a hunt and then give me some gifts. Most of the gifts were souvenirs they got for me on their travels. There was a really pretty green scarab amulet that Esme and Carlisle got me from Egypt. Rosalie and Emmett had bought me a crystal wolf from Ireland. Edward and Bella had sent their own gift as well: a framed picture of Renesmee. I was shocked when I saw it. She looked another two months older.

I frowned in dismay. Esme asked what was wrong.

"I… I just feel like time is moving and I'm missing her whole life being stuck here. I wish I could see her again before the Volturi come…"

Esme smiled. "Actually, that's your fourth present. Charlie is having a Christmas party at his house, and he asked that you come. The rest of us have to be at home with the others, so we feel bad that you can't be with family for the holidays. We know it will cause you thirst, but Bella and Edward both agree you should go. They will be there with Renesmee and Jacob, so you should be okay."

I was amazed by her words. Then I beamed with delight. It had been over a week since I had been anywhere but the cabin. I did ask if they could catch me one more deer to feed on just in case, and they were happy to do so. By the time we got back after my last hunt, Seth was waiting at the cabin. We were going to run to Forks together. After giving Esme and Rosalie a hug goodbye, Seth and I took off.

We ran to Forks, and thankfully it did not rain. Seth tied my clothes to me with a rope. It was my first time ever running with something tied to my back leg, and it felt really weird. Seth couldn't help but snicker when I had trouble walking to begin with. Eventually I got the hang of it.

When we got to the area, we both phased back. Once I was dressed, I rejoined Seth who suddenly shoved a baseball cap on my head and pulled the visor down. "Just in case… You're supposed to be dead," he whispered. "Don't want the neighbors talking."

Seth took my hand as we walked out of the woods. Charlie's familiar two story home was just as I remembered it from when I came with my father and Jacob last year before all of this mess started. Edward's Volvo was already parked beside Charlie's cruiser and Sam's truck.

I heard the voices inside. I was a little anxious as Seth pulled me towards the front door. The cap I wore to hide my identity was starting to feel irritating on my head. I couldn't wait to rip it off inside.

We stepped in and immediately Charlie, Emily, and Sue's human scents filled my nose and lungs. But thankfully I had fed enough that the burn was only slight. I took the hat off and placed it on the post of the stairwell.

"Aunt Hannah!" A girl who looked two months older than when I saw her last week, ran over to where I stood at the entrance. My heart filled with immediate joy. I scooped her up, hugging her to me. She pressed her hand to my cheek. She showed me the family and how much they all missed me.

I smiled. "I miss them all, too. You the most, of course." I kissed her on the cheek, and then placed her down.

She moved to Seth, who picked her up also and kissed her on the cheek too. "Hey squirt! Hope Jacob saved us some ham." She pressed her hand to his cheek. He smiled. "Yeah. I figured he'd go for the dessert first." He placed Renesmee down, and she grabbed both of our hands guiding us into the living room.

The place was indeed crowded. Leah stood behind her mom, her eyes watching Edward and Bella with guard as they stood next to the lit Christmas tree. Charlie was on the sofa next to Sue, and they both had plates of food. Sam and Emily had their own plates and were on the opposite wall from the vampires. Jacob was sitting cross legged on the floor eating his own food, and Renesmee skipped back over to join him again.

I stayed near the part of the room closest to the front door in case my thirst got too strong. The burn had grown a tad as I got closer to the humans, but thankfully the four wolves in the room blocked the overpowering aroma.

"Hannah! So glad you could come," Emily said. Sam smiled kindly at me as he kept an arm around his fiancé. Emily continued. "It's been so long since I last saw you."

Charlie huffed. "That's because you all mysteriously killed her off." His comment caused an awkward silence. Bella stepped over to him and pressed a hand to his shoulder. He sighed. "Right. Need to know. I know." He met my gaze and smiled kindly. "Merry Christmas, Hannah."

I smiled and nodded. "Merry Christmas, Charlie." Then I looked back at Emily with kindness. "It's good to see you, Emily. Thank you for the food the other day. It was delicious."

She was delighted to hear.

I looked around then, and my face fell slightly. Edward caught my thoughts. "Your dad is with Rachel and Paul. Your sister Rebecca is coming home with her husband today, so they wanted to stay home and greet them."

I sighed. My first Christmas without my dad. Seth placed a comforting arm around me.

Jacob noticed my dismay. "Hey! You still got me, sis!"

I smiled slightly. "Yeah. I guess you'll do."

Everyone laughed. Jacob stuck his tongue out at me and I did the same. It felt good to goof off.

Edward and Bella came over to hug me then. Edward whispered that they missed me greatly. I let him know it felt weird not being home with them, but I understood the risks.

As festivities continued, I listened as everyone conversed about actual human lives. Sam and Emily were set to be married next spring (as long as Sam wasn't killed. I shivered at the thought). Sue and Charlie were officially dating, and Seth joked around calling Bella his sister and Charlie his dad. Everyone laughed at his comment except Charlie and Sue who just blushed.

I didn't eat a ton of food, not having much of an appetite, but I was glad to see Seth was enjoying himself. I thought about the future for a second. If we did survive, and we had more years ahead, I realized I would really need to work on my cooking skills. I would have a hungry husband to feed one day. Although, I was certain living with the Cullens the rest of our lives Esme would take over a lot of the cooking. She said it made her feel like a mom when she did it.

Thoughts of the future felt strange at a time when there was a possibility there would be no future. However, as I saw the joy and laughter on everyone's faces as Jacob lifted Renesmee to put the star on the Christmas tree, I prayed deep in my heart that the future would happen.

I prayed for a miracle.