AN: Hello again to all my readers. I know its been longer than I'd like since the last update, but I've been busy over the last month. I should have some more time in the near future to write, and I have the outlines pretty much done for the next half dozen chapters. As always, I hope you all enjoy and please review. TTFN.

Chapter 18

Shield Breaker

(Edward)

This was bad. Alice's latest vision shown that an expeditionary force from Italy would be coming soon. Five members of the guard, including Jane, Alec, Demetri, in addition to two vampires I don't know. I focused on the vision again. We had two days at most; they'd be leaving on a private plane this evening. The orders coming direct from Caius, which was unusual. Aro normally gave the orders, while Caius and Marcus would follow suit.

But that wasn't the most disturbing thing. All of us were writhing on the ground under Jane's torture, even Bella. It made no sense; powers normally increased with time. Bella should be able to shield us even better than before. This would be something that I'd have to talk to Eleazar about. If it was a way that a vampire could neutralize a shield, this was horrible news for us.

As before, Eleazar and Carlisle were discussing what could be done about the Volturi vendetta against our families. As many times in the past, Carlisle could tell when something was bothering me. I still didn't understand it; I mean, I was the mind reader and he could read me like a book. I decided to let them know what was going on before I worried them even more.

"Eleazar," I started at which he looked up at me.

"Yes Edward?" His expression was soft and kind; the look that certainly made Carlisle find an instant comrade in him when they met in Volterra. The two of them were some of the very first vampires in history who actually valued all human life.

"Have you ever heard of someone who can penetrate a shield?"

The look on Eleazar's face turned into one as serious as anything I had seen from him in more than fifty years.

'A shield breaker,' he thought with a shrug. "I only thought that it was a theory," he spoke this part out loud for the benefit of Carlisle. "Every power has its antithesis, like Jane and Alec. But for one to be able to defy a shield, that would be very devastating for our families."

It wasn't hard for me to follow his thoughts. This was bad news. Bella would be helpless to stop Jane's torture. Eleazar didn't know if this would apply to Bella or not, but did that really matter; they'd be able to kill us all without a fight. But my thoughts still went to Charlie; maybe whatever gift he had would equalize the odds.

"Yes?" Eleazar asked seeing something on my mind.

I looked at Carlisle, who had to be putting the pieces together. We were doomed; maybe even more so than four years ago. Not only because of allowing Angela to change, but killing one of their guard. "What about Charlie? Could he even our chances?" Carlisle asked hopefully.

Yet again, a shrug from Eleazar. He honestly didn't know. "A vampire's gift materializes when it is needed the most. In fact, I've known some vampires who didn't develop their gifts until they were a few decades old."

"But you're sure that Charlie's will be offensive and similar to Jane?" I asked more for the benefit of Carlisle. I had seen through Alice some of the Volturi dead at Charlie's feet, with flames shooting from their heads, despite the fact that none of us held a torch.

Just then a pained scream came from the attic, which was where we were keeping Angela. Carlisle and I both felt incredibly guilty for her and I could empathize. Carlisle told me about my transformation; how I couldn't stop screaming and cursing the fire, and Rosalie couldn't bear to be around Angela with the suffering she was in. It just reminded Rose too much of her own transformation, so she and Emmitt went to Alaska. Angela was just screaming and crying; well more like whimpering. Esme hadn't left her side, and it showed in her eyes, not almost as black as pitch.

"You need to hunt, my dearest," Carlisle plead with Esme. "She'll need us to be at our strongest to help her resist." What went unsaid, but we all knew was that we needed to help her resist human blood. Not choosing this life and having her fiancé ripped away from her just might be too much and Angela might well become a true monster. We had taken a huge risk with letting the change proceed, but Alice's vision of both Angela and Ben was of them with golden eyes.

"I'll hunt when she does!" Esme snapped at Carlisle. This wasn't like her; she was always really gentle, but now she actually looked like a vampire.

"Please, mom," I begged trying to convince her. "Alice and I can keep her calm, and besides she's getting to the point that she'll remember this. We need to take advantage of the time."

Esme examined every inch of Angela's exposed skin. It had begun to turn harder; not quite as impermeable as our granite-like skin, but closer to that than human. It even had some of the prism-like effect on light like ours did.

About five minutes later, Esme finally relented but she always hated to hunt alone. Rose and Emmett went with her and the three headed towards the Olympic Range, where there had been reports of mountain lion attacks. That left Carlisle, Alice, and I with Angela. Carlisle began telling her softly what she was becoming, about what we all were. Alice wanted to tell Angela that she wouldn't have to give up Ben, and there was more to it than that. She was hiding something, even from me. When she started thinking about it, Alice started to translate the Polish National Anthem into Korean. But Alice let something slip. She thought about where Bella was, and that she was hopefully bringing Ben back. I just hoped she knew what she was doing. We didn't need even more trouble with the Volturi. We had seriously more than enough of that already.

"Ben!" Angela cried out for her love.

"He'll be here soon," I whispered softly into her ear as Carlisle tried as much as he could to comfort her.

'I've gotta say goodbye to him,' she thought. We had told her that she was changing, not dying but Carlisle did say that under the circumstances she would be unable to see Ben for a while. I hated that he had said that, but there was no other option at the current time. She could still see Ben until her change was complete, but after that it would be far too dangerous for them to be close. She didn't choose this life and that would probably result in her being like most newborns. She'd never forgive herself is she hurt Ben and it was doubtful that if indeed he was her true mate that the call of his blood more than any other would be too much for her.

"You will see him again, my dear Angela," Carlisle echoed my statement gently into her ear, while softly trying to sooth the back of her head. Carlisle felt absolutely horrible for Angela, despite the fact that Alice had seen this as a possibility, but she was unsure of exactly who would be changing Angela and possibly Ben in the future. I hoped it would have been an act of friendship or love, not the savage act of aggression that actually began Angela's transformation.

"Ben!" Angela whimpered again. "Please Ben, hurry."

(Ben)

This had been weird. Austin and I met this girl I recognized from La Push at the B-Dubs just off of campus like three nights ago, and then he disappeared for like two days. Then he comes back with her and a friend of hers last night and he looked like absolute hell. I mean, he had leaves and all sorts of nastiness in his hair, and god did he stink. Even after he took like an hour long shower, he still smelled like dog piss. I mean, I heard of people going on benders, but this seemed out of hand, not to mention completely out of character for Austin. He rarely drank anything; we would split a pitcher on occasion but that was it.

Then as I come back from dropping some books off at the library, here's Bella Swan, or I guess Cullen now, standing on the stairs looking just way too different from how I remembered her. After I invited her in, there was Austin still standing with the girl, Leah and her friend Collin. She said something about how he needed to calm down, but I didn't know what the hell she was talking about. Austin was about as mellow as it got, but his whole body was quivering now. But what still rang through my head was the last thing that Leah said to Bella. Before we went to breakfast. "Not a chance parasite."

Even after Bella did whatever she did while we attacked the buffet, which was a good description of what Austin, Collin, and Leah did to it, that sentence still rang in my head. Why the hell would she call Bella a parasite? Bella was my friend, well more Angela's, and kinda Austin's too. I wanted to ask Leah about it, but I didn't think that it was something that I should bring up in front of all of them.

Then there was something else when we got back. Bella was waiting in the common area of the dorm for us. The first thing I noticed was her eyes; weren't they like almost brown the last time I saw her and now they were almost gold. That seemed like an odd color for contacts. And then there was the way she sat. The word statuesque came to mind; she literally looked like a friggin' statue. I shrugged it off and went back to mine and Austin's room to pack an overnight bag.

Apparently something had been settled while Austin and I were upstairs, because Leah was sitting the driver's seat in my car, and already had the car running. Bella waved at me and said, "Ben, you're with me." I smiled a little and got into the passenger side. Man her ride was sick; a new Ferrari 488 Spider convertible. It only sucked that it was raining and we wouldn't be able to open the top up, and to see how fast this thing could really go. Oh well, I wasn't disappointed.

As soon as we were back on the highway, Bella opened the thing up even in the light rain. I mean we were flying. "Slow down Bella, you're gonna kill us."

Her response was so off. She laughed and went even faster. The speedo was creeping up even higher; we were going way too fast, now almost 120. "You scared?" She asked in a teasing tone.

My eyes got wide. There was something about her that changed a lot in the last few years. She actually looked a little scary now. "Not really, just don't wanna end up wrapped around a tree if we can help it," I lied. I didn't know if I was more scared about her hurting me herself or her getting in a wreck or something.

Bella sighed in frustration and whispered, "Damn it." I saw the wheels in her head turning. A minute later she asked, "What's on your mind Ben?"

I thought about it for a second then decided to just ask it. "Bella, why did Leah call you a parasite?"

Bella chuckled. Kind of an odd thing to do, all things considered. "Long story."

"Well we got like 8 hours," I said.

"Actually more like three. Wanna see how fast we can get back to Forks?" Yet again with that look that I saw on Edward's face in the past.

"Are you actually gonna answer my question?"

She sighed again, and even closed her eyes for a second. I was about to scream at her, but she must have seen why, there was a car that she managed to swerve out of the way of just before plowing into the back of it. "Bad blood between the Cullens and the Quileutes." She had a 'I really don't wanna talk about it' look on her face, but I couldn't let it go.

"I don't buy that. Why specifically?"

Yet again, a chuckle. "You really don't want to know."

"Does it involve why Angela didn't call last night?"

Bella closed her eyes for a second, and I started to reach for the wheel, but the smacked my arm. Man, she'd become really strong, but god was she cold. I was going to have a bruise from that, I knew it. And it hurt; Felt like I was just smacked by marble.

"Bella, could you keep your eyes on the road. I don't want to see how far you can get thrown from the seat." She didn't wear her seatbelt, so if we crashed it was a possibility. Yet again, the strangest reaction; she laughed.

Bella wrapped her right arm around my back, and for the first time I noticed something else. She felt like a rock; cold, hard, and a little rough. Her skin had just a little bit of grit to it, but also it was very gentle.

"Ben, have you ever heard any of the Quileute stories?"

It seemed like another odd question, but last Halloween, Austin had told me some old stories after the two of us left some lame bond fire and ghost stories that the student union was doing. The story of the 'cold ones'.

"A few," I said not trying to out Austin. "I mean it's tough not to hear some of them when your best friend's got some cousins on the Rez."

"That makes sense," she whispered. It was low, but I heard it. And then, the strangest thing came from her, a low hiss. Then Bella had a 'what the hell am I thinking' look on her face.

"What the hell was that?!" I shouted becoming scared of her for the first time. Something about the look on her face was just so off. She actually looked like she was going to kill me that the hairs on the back of my neck stood up.

"Sorry," Bella said as she pulled into a McDonald's. She looked at the sky, which was showing some patches of blue before she asked, "Let's go for a walk?"

I started to unbuckle my seatbelt, but before I could she locked my right hand in an almost shackled-like hold. Her hand was cold, really cold but her skin had this odd smooth texture to it that felt so reassuring. "You gonna let me out of the car or what?"

Her look was so Bella; kind of naïve but also mischievous, like she was in on some kind of secret that she didn't know if she should share or not. It was a look she wore around Angela and I for a while after the Cullens returned during our senior year of high school.

"I need to tell you something first, but I really shouldn't."

"Does it involve Ang?" Duh, what else could it be about?

"How did you?" she started but she couldn't finish her sentence.

"What's really going on?"

This was really weird. She didn't move a muscle for almost a minute; it didn't even look like she was breathing. "Bella?" I asked as I waved my free hand in front of her face. "Earth to Bella?" And then the strangest response from her.

She growled at me and grabbed my hand again. It sounded like something that a lion or something would do, not one of my friends, while the grab felt like she was gonna crush my wrist. Then she released my hand, and in a move so quick I almost missed it, got out of the car and was standing almost five feet from the door. I undid my seatbelt and got out of the car. "What the hell?" I asked.

She took a deep breath, but looked like she was deciding something for herself. About ten seconds later, she nodded her head and gently took my right hand in her cold left and led me into the woods.

The walk into the forest wasn't that long; we were gone maybe twenty minutes, but she became more and more certain of what she wanted to tell me. I could see it on her face. But she wasn't quite ready to tell me. Not just yet. There was something else I saw during the walk. The faintest shimmer off of her skin when the light hit her; almost a prism like effect. Now it was my mind that was racing. What had happened to her in the last couple years that could have changed her this much? She looked more like Edward and his family than how she did before. But I wouldn't have to wait much longer to hear the story. One thing was certain; this was going to be one of those things where the truth would be stranger than fiction.

"You know, all of those stories are based in some truth," she said with a gentle look on her face. Her smile was warm even though her touch was ice cold. Bella was pulling me where she wanted to go. Man, was she strong now. "Have you ever heard the story of the cold ones?" She asked softly; friendly.

I couldn't speak. She knew what I knew. How is that even possible? I just nodded.

And yet again, she smiled gently. "As I've found out, most of the legends are based on at least some truth." Then came a pained look from her. "Unfortunately that one is a hundred percent real."

My eyes shot wide open, and my heart rate picked up from fear; the fight or flight instinct kicking in.

"Calm down, Ben," she whispered softly into my ear. Man did she smell absolutely incredible. "Remember how the tribal chief made the agreement with the cold ones because they weren't dangerous?"

I nodded, but still wasn't completely confident in this one. My heart began to slow.

"Well, we're… I mean all of the Cullens… were not really dangerous to humans, at least most of the time."
I started to run, but she moved so fast that she was blocking me.

"Ben, I'm not going to hurt you," she said with giving me a soft hug. Her skin had suck an odd feeling to it, but damn it felt really good. "All of the Cullens are vampires," she finally admitted after another minute, "but we only feed on the blood of animals."

"That's… kinda…" how did I describe it? There was only one word I could think of, and I was sure that she'd think it way off. "Cool," I finished with an admiring smile. I knew that she meant that she was also a vampire. "But how does Ang fit into this?"

Bella dropped her head in shame. "She had come back to ask Alice and Esme to plan her… no you guy's wedding, and to ask me to be her maid of honor, which I instantly said yes to by the way, but the next day she went to First Beach and got attacked by another of our kind."

"Your kind?" I asked, but I think I understood what she meant.

"A vampire but not like us. Some still prey on humans; well most in fact, but Carlisle's convinced a few to also join us in at least trying to feed only on large animals. The vampire who bit Angela wasn't one of them. We were able to stop him from killing her, but unfortunately…"

"She's becoming a vampire too?" I asked. If the legends were true, then being bitten could change a human into a vampire. Could I be one?

Bella nodded. "And that's why you have to say goodbye to her for a little. New vampires can't control themselves normally. Charlie and I were the exceptions."

"Wait, your dad too?" I asked but it was yelled in shock and panic.

She nodded. "Carlisle found out that dad had cancer, so he gave him the choice to die or be changed. He chose change, and I don't think he could be happier," her sentence accented with a happy smile. "He found his true mate in another vampire we know who lives in Alaska."

I put the pieces together. "So change me," I all but begged.

She shook her head. "Some vampires have extra gifts. Like Edward can read minds and Alice can see the future."

"Wait Edward can read minds?!" I yelled in surprise. I wonder if in Mr. Goff's class our junior year when he threatened to ask out Angela and made me super jealous into making my move on her if he knew how I really felt about her but was too scared to ask because she was so much taller than me.

Bella nodded. "Alice told me before I came to find you that if I tried, I'd probably kill you. And anyway, we can't right now."

"But later?"

"Maybe. But you can't tell anyone anything about any of this. Well you can talk to Austin. I'm sure Leah's giving him the whole story about the bloodsuckers."

"Why would you call yourselves that?"

Yet again, she was deciding something.

"That's what all the Quileute wolves call us. And Austin…"

I remembered now. "Wolves that turned into men," I whispered recalling another detail of the story. "Wait! Austin's… a… werewolf?"

Bella nodded. "It was a little late for his first phase, what they call it when they turn into wolves, but something must have happened that set him off. Normally it's being around our kind that trigger it, but it had to be something else."

"I wonder if it was that girl, what's her name. Leah?" I whispered thinking but Bella heard me.

"When did you guys first meet her?"

"The day that he disappeared."

"Well, don't worry. Between Leah and her friends, they'll help him figure everything out."

My thoughts turned back to Ang. "Well, can I call her or something like that after?"

"I don't see a problem with that, but we'll ask Carlisle."

We had got back into the car, and Bella took off again. It seemed like another half hour when I looked up to see that we already had made it to Snoqualmie. We'd be in Tacoma in less than half an hour at this rate, and in Forks another. My mind raced as I thought was I could say to her. Then I thought of it. Auf Wiedersehen; arrivederci; until we see again, my love. But that would be later; now I just had like a million questions.