I don't own Twilight or its characters. Stephenie Meyer does.

Cheryl, Noles, and Gabby, thank you for pre-reading, and April, thank you for editing. Any mistakes left are my own.

Ch. 16

Edward pulled to a stop in front of Uncle Charlie's house. I noticed his police car already parked in the driveway. I turned in my seat to Edward, who was turning off his car.

"Perhaps you should hunt while I visit with my uncle?" I suggested. I had noticed he hadn't gotten enough game the other night. That and I was afraid the two would argue the entire time. Not to mention the other complication.

"I'll be fine," he stated calmly.

"No, you're not. I can tell you need to hunt." I brushed his cheek with my fingers. "I'm perfectly safe here. I can take care of myself."

"I'd rather be here while you train," he insisted.

I frowned. "I'm not about to let him convince me to run off to Italy while you're gone."

He let out a breath and pinched the bridge of his nose between his fingers. "That won't stop him from trying. I know…I know it's inevitable you'll have to go to Volterra. It won't make me worry any less."

"I won't go without you. I always thought when it came down to it that you would be at my side," I told him.

"Wild horses couldn't stop me," he said firmly.

"Which is why I think you should hunt when you can. The Volturi have caught us off guard before, and you'll need your strength. I've looked into the future and unless something suddenly changes, Uncle wants to test my magic abilities and show me his family's Book of Shadows."

"And nothing else?' Edward raised an eyebrow.

"His friend, Billy Black, will show up to watch a game on television. With him will be his son in human form. But you already know I can handle a shapeshifter without any trouble." I grinned mischievously.

"They can be unpredictable," Edward warned, frowning.

"I will stay alert." I rolled my eyes, slightly annoyed he doubted my strength.

Edward's eyes narrowed but contained a glint of humor. "Did you just roll your eyes at me? You're picking up bad habits from the humans."

I giggled. "Actually, it was probably from Rosalie."

"Even better," he deadpanned.

I leaned in and kissed him lightly on the lips. "The quicker you go, the quicker you can come back. And then you can growl at the wolf all you want."

"It was only four boys today." He grinned roguishly.

"Five." I laughed as I moved to get out of the car.

He stopped me and gave me a deeper kiss, his hand snaking around my waist. I almost contemplated changing my mind and convincing him to stay. I was the one to break the kiss and pull back.

He sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "All right, I'm going. I'll be back in an hour or so. I wanted to talk to you about something anyways, and your uncle should hear it as well.".

"Should I be worried?" I asked in concern.

He hesitated. "No."

I didn't believe him, yet I trusted him enough that he would tell the truth later. I got out of the car and headed to the house. I entered and found my uncle waiting for me in the living room.

"Good to see you, again. Did you have a nice birthday?" he greeted me.

"I did. Edward took me to a restaurant up in Port Angeles." I kept the fact we were insatiable to myself.

"I'm glad you had a good time. Bit surprised that you were out in public though." He chuckled.

"Why? I thought you said it was safe to be around humans." I took a seat on his couch.

He nodded and looked at me uncomfortably. "Of course, your own mother didn't tell you, did she? Witches tend to go in heat around the solstices and equinoxes."

"Heat?" I was confused until I read his mind, then I started to blush. "She did tell me, but I can't get pregnant. Edward informed me vampires can't have babies."

"What about incubuses?" he muttered.

"What—"

Uncle Charlie interrupted me by waving both his hands. "Ask your mate, this conversation is getting too weird between uncle and niece."

He reached over and picked an old book off the coffee table. "This is the Swan family's Book of Shadows. I'm hoping my mother's spells will work for you," he stated as he handed it to me.

The cover was cracked and well worn. Inside the pages had yellow edges and some of the writing was faded, indicating that it was incredibly old.

"This is a lot thicker than my mother's," I commented.

Uncle Charlie frowned. "If anything, I would imagine hers should be thicker. May I see it?"

I nodded and gave it to him. He flipped through its pages, examining it closely. He muttered something under his breath and the lines in his forehead deepened when nothing happened. He closed it and ran his finger over the crest.

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised, seeing how protective Renée was over you. She cast a spell to hide its secrets and it can only be broken by kin's blood. I'm about to give you your first lesson." He conjured an ornate dagger in his hand. He flipped it over and held the handle out to me. "It will only take a drop of blood. Prick your finger then press it over the crest. State your name and ask for your ancestors to reveal their secrets to you."

I nodded and pricked my finger and placed it on the emblem. "I am Isabella Marie Swan. Ancestors, I pray thee to release your secret to me."

Almost instantly the book doubled in size and weight. Astonished, I flipped through the pages, seeing things that hadn't been there before. Stuck in between two pages was a piece of parchment addressed to me in my mother's handwriting. I put it to the side and looked at the page.

"A handfasting ceremony?" I wondered out loud.

"You haven't heard of one. It's a handfasting ceremony to celebrate the joining of mates—similar to a wedding," Uncle Charlie explained. "If you would like, I can perform one for you and Edward. I joined your mother and your father."

"I would really like that—I think Edward would too. We'll have to wait until the waxing of the moon," I murmured, looking over information.

"Earliest would be a few weeks from now," Uncle Charlie agreed.

"We can use the meadow." I thought about a ceremony under the stars.

"Sounds like a plan. Just tell me when and where, and I'll be there," he said before the doorbell rang. "Perfect timing."

He opened it and moments later returned with Billy and one of the tallest men I had ever seen. He would've appeared intimidating if it weren't for his large boyish smile.

"Bella, you remember Billy and his son, Jacob," Uncle Charlie said.

"I do. Nice to see you, again." I smiled at them.

"You too, dear. You put on quite the magic show last time." Billy chuckled.

"Hopefully, not on me this time." Jacob laughed, then stopped short at my uncle's expression.

"About that…I wanted Bella to practice her magic, and since she needs an assistant, I thought you'd be the best candidate," Uncle Charlie said.

"You want me to be a Guinea pig?" Jacob gave him a leery look.

Uncle laughed heartily and smirked. "No. We already know she is capable of altering another's form. She changed Emmett into a bat," he said proudly.

"Then use one of the leeches for your experiment," Jacob suggested.

"Excuse me. What did you call them?" My eyes narrowed dangerously.

"I'm going over here out of the line of fire," Billy muttered, wheeling over toward my uncle.

"I said…" Jacob shifted, then seemed to change his mind. "The Cullens. Didn't Dr. Fa…Cullen volunteer?"

"What I want to try out won't work on a vampire. I wanted to see if Bella can heal like my mother," Uncle Charlie explained.

"And I'm the lab rat. I thought I was coming here for pizza and the game on a big screen." Jacob was clearly reluctant.

"Did you think it was going to be for free?" His father snickered.

"You knew?" Jacob looked betrayed.

"Uncle. Clearly, he's not comfortable with the idea. I refuse to use magic on anyone unwilling unless it unavoidable," I stated.

"Thank you. At least someone has some sense." Jacob relaxed his stance.

"Well, if the boy is chicken, then I'm sure Embry would be up to it. He has always been more daring." Uncle shrugged.

"What exactly do you want me to do?" Jacob grumbled.

"I was thinking of something simple, like a cut," Uncle told him.

"Wait. Edward would be back here soon. If I can't fix him, won't the blood be an issue?" I asked.

"No, the wolves smell foul to vampires so there will be no temptation. And even if it doesn't work, the wolves heal quickly on their own, one of their perks. Jacob is not in any danger. We could always try a broken limb," Uncle teased.

"All right, all right. I'll do it. I better be getting my own pizza." Jacob grabbed his left arm with his right hand and snapped it.

I gasped in horror, not expecting him to act so quickly—I wasn't ready at all. "Why would you do that?"

"Boy, it was a joke." Uncle grabbed his book and flipped to a page.

"Cuts heal too quickly." Jacob growled in pain, holding his injured arm.

Uncle held out his book to me, but I ignored it. Instinctively, I reached out and placed my hand on the injury. Jacob's already warm skin started to glow and tingle under my hand as it grew hotter. Within seconds, he had stopped wincing and wiggled his fingers around. I let go of him and stepped back.

"Feels good as new," Jacob said with a grin, flexing his arm.

"You are about as crazy as Edward's brother, Emmett." I shook my head, mildly amused.

"Don't compare me to the leeches." His good mood vanished.

"You know you're awfully self-righteous since your people were once called savages," I stated.

"This is different. If it weren't for them, we wouldn't be turning into wolves," he said angrily.

I shook my head. "I have seen your legends. The first shapeshifter of your tribe was because of one of your own tribesmen, Utlapa trying to overthrow his chief. Taha Aki fought back by pleading to the spirits, and they granted him to become a wolf. It had nothing to do with vampires. Even more so, nothing to do with the Cullens."

"I concur with my niece. Nothing is black and white, and we must look past prejudices to get along. I've lived long enough to know not all of one group is guilty of a select few sins," Uncle Charlie said.

"I agree," Billy spoke up.

"You have a valid point," Jacob yielded in a more subdued tone.

There was a knock on the door. Since I knew it was Edward, I went to let him in myself. He stood waiting with his eyes a healthy golden color.

"That wasn't an hour," I told him after greeting him with a kiss.

"I couldn't help it; I didn't want to be far." He glanced toward the living room.

I took his hand and led him to the living room. Edward nodded in greeting to the others. Jacob remained silent and watchful, his body trembled slightly, and I was nervous he would turn into a wolf.

"Edward, nice of you to join us," Uncle welcomed him.

"Charlie. I'm sorry to interrupt your lesson," Edward said.

"We were about done. I was curious to see if Bella could heal and she can," Uncle announced.

Edward kissed my forehead fondly. "I am not surprised." He then focused in on Jacob. "My family wasn't aware vampires trigger you to change. We will be more mindful in the future. However, this time I think you should consider other threats."

"So it's my fault." I felt guilty as Jacob's eyes cut to me.

"I have lived here a long time and at least two generations of Quileutes didn't turn." Charlie spoke up.

"Finally admitting your age, old man," Billy teased, then gave me a wink. "I don't think it was you."

"Agreed. I'm betting it's the impending visits from the Volturi," Edward stated.

"So it is her fault," Jacob said bluntly.

Edward growled at him and I placed my hand on his chest. "He's right. And for that I'm sorry."

"We are only starting to rehash and that won't get us anywhere. The Volturi will soon not be a threat, but only after she is properly trained. I'm not about to send her unprepared." He gave both boys pointed looks.

"I'm glad to hear it. There was something I wanted to discuss with you." Edward turned to my uncle.

"What is it?" Uncle asked, then paused thoughtfully. "I see. And you haven't talked to Bella about this?"

"You have been keeping something from me?" I turned to my mate, feeling hurt.

"It is only a theory, and I didn't think of it until you were asleep the other night. The following day was your birthday, and I didn't want to upset you." He kissed my knuckles lightly.

"Should we leave?" Billy asked.

"What about the pizza?" Jacob pouted.

"There are more things important than food." Edward glared at him.

"The boy is right; he earned his reward. Billy already knows my theories anyways, so it will be nothing new. Hold out your hands, kid," Uncle Charlie said, and he waved his hand.

Two boxes of pizza appeared in Jacob's hands, while a third sat in front of Billy on the coffee table. Jacob sat on the couch and flipped opened the first one and started eating. Uncle Charlie gestured for me to sit in his chair as he took the seat next to Jacob. Edward stood next to me with his hand resting on my shoulder.

"You want to know about Renée's death," Uncle said, frowning.

"What is there to know? She was killed by a priest." I scowled.

"How can a priest kill a witch?" Jacob scoffed with his mouthful.

I narrowed my eyes at his candor. "He thought she was doing the devil's work."

Jacob rolled his eyes. "I understand that part. But a witch is more powerful, how could a human overpower her? I thought the Salem witch trials were all a big joke. All the people executed weren't real witches, just ordinary humans."

I was starting to get upset. "She didn't fight back and wanted to be back with her mate. She was hurting without him."

Jacob became sympathetic but still was perplexed. He didn't believe me.

I turned to my mate. "Why are we even talking about this? I've told you how she died."

Edward looked pained. "I don't want to upset you, Mía Bella, but I have been wondering the same thing."

"Can you explain it to them?" I implored my uncle.

He kept his eyes on his clasped hands. "A witch can be burned or beheaded with a silver blade. However, it would have to be a weak witch or a submissive one." He glanced up at me. "Both of which Renée was not."

I recoiled in my seat. "What are you saying?"

Uncle Charlie closed his eyes briefly then looked at me sadly. "I have shared the same theory as Edward for years. I don't think it was the priest who killed Renée."

"Then who? Why have you been lying to me?" My anger was building.

"We only have a theory, love. I wanted to be sure before I told you, because I didn't want to hurt you more if I was wrong. But I couldn't see your mother leaving after protecting you for so long unless you had your full powers." Edward rubbed my back, trying to soothe me.

"Who?" I asked again, venomously.

"We both believe it was a vampire…Volturi to be more exact, looking for you. She had to separate from you because her attacker was a tracker. He was still around when I got there," Uncle stated carefully.

My insides froze as pieces clasped together. All these years I blamed humans for mother's death when they were innocent. The Volturi made more sense, and my ire and grief grew. She died because of me.

"Why couldn't he find Bella?" Jacob spoke up, his voice sounded far away to me as I was in deep thought.

"Probably due to her shield," Uncle answered.

"I destroyed him," I mumbled, seeing the vampire in question in my uncle's mind. Tears streamed down my face as I faced what I knew now to be the truth.

"Is she doing this?" Jacob demanded.

"Watch how you speak to her. She is new to Jasper's powers," Edward snapped.

"Which is why he should train her to use them," Uncle responded.

"Stop speaking as if I am not here," I hissed.

I looked around the room to see the three men in front of me crying. My sobs only grew as I became inconsolable. Edward blocked my vision by kneeling in front of me. He too looked as if his heart was breaking. He took both my hands in his, and he squeezed them lightly.

"Love, why don't you go back to the cabin. I promise, I will join you soon." He brought my hands to his lips.

I nodded and closed my eyes to transport myself. When I opened them again, I was sitting in my mother's rocking chair with the Book of Shadows in my lap. I pulled the letter from it and opened it.

Dearest Bella,

You have always been my greatest joy and gift. I have kept many secrets from you over the years, the biggest being my Thomas was not your father. I believe the powers that be sent you to me. I cannot begin to explain how you came to be; except I had a vision of you shortly after the Winter Solstice.

From an early age, you showed a tremendous amount of power. So much that others coveted you as their own. By now, I am sure Charles has filled you in on the Volturi.

I am sorry for all my falsehoods. If I had told you the Volturi had come for me, I feared you wouldn't be able to protect yourself and would try to avenge me before you were ready. I wish I had heeded Charles' advice and trained you to use powers instead of hiding them. The day will come where you will prevail.

I wish you happiness with Edward and many years of love, laughter, and peace. I have seen your babies and wished I could have met them myself. I do not have any doubt half- witch and half-vampire children will be extra extraordinary—protect them.

Be strong my daughter and never give in to the evils of this world.

Love,

Mother

I reread the end several times and the words sunk in. She still insisted on babies. But Edward had said it wasn't possible. I closed my eyes and finally searched for the future. I hadn't before since I didn't want to see it empty.

I gasped as the image became clear as day before me. My hands splayed over my stomach protectively. Tears slipped down my cheek, but this time they weren't from grief.

A/N: Are you surprised. It has been hinted at a couple of time. Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me.