A/N Hey everyone, first of all I just wanted to let you all know how much I appreciate how many of you have added Red Dawn as alerts and favorites already just off chapter one. Also to those of you who took the time to review a big thank you too it's always really great to get feedback especially good feedback on something you've written. I'm sorry about the longer than expected wait, I really need to sort out some type of uploading schedule but for now just bare with me I will get a chapter at least once a week up for you guys. I've got rough written chapters for at least ten already but they need work before I can upload so I'll be sticking with one a week for now. Anyway don't want to bore you with author's notes here's chapter two.

I'd like to say a huge Thank You to my Beta The Overambitious Dreamer who has been a massive help with my work, with me being still a little rusty. So thank you.

RED DAWN

SUMMARY: Edward had always warned Bella that the pack were dangerous. Hostile, volatile and aggressive in nature. She ignored him, testing even Edward's own vampire instinct by staying friends with his enemy, Jacob. One event will change them all, Bella never truly understood the supernatural world. Didn't understand the aggression that lay dormant even in her controlled mate until it was too late. Warning: Violence and Character death.

Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight and all the Characters.


Chapter Two

Edward all but knocked both Carlisle and Rosalie aside in his urgency to be with Bella once they had reached the Cullen home. He found her placed now on his own bed in his room. She had yet to see the bed that he had purchased for the nights that he hoped she'd stay with him, now seeing her their laying with garish thick stitching covering her face and disappearing under the large shirt she'd been dressed in, an IV connected to her giving her fluids twisted in his gut. He'd wanted to share the new addition in his room as something they could enjoy together and now here she lay, broken. Edward found his anger weakening as she lay there like this and crawled gently into the large bed, making sure not to disturb her in any way as his hand reached up and tenderly caressed her unharmed cheek. He knew he had to start helping make arrangements with his family but seeing that she was here, that he hadn't lost her, she was stable. And from Carlisle's mind, Edward could see that with rest and time, Carlisle expected she'd make a full recovery. They'd been fortunate that they had blood in case of such an event that Bella would need it and the transfusion had helped her due to how much blood she had lost. It made her smell strange to Edward, but he couldn't care about it, she was his and for now she was safe. He dreaded what laid ahead for them both when she finally awoke.

"Edward, we should really talk about what's going to happen." Carlisle said, standing in the doorway. He was visibly upset and his mind gave away how deeply upset he was with what had happened to Bella and seeing what this was doing to Edward.

"Esme can stay with her for a little while we discuss what we're going to do. Then I have to insist we have her in hospital. While I'm confident she's stable now, I'd feel more comfortable her being in hospital for the next few days or weeks depending on her progress." Carlisle continued, but Edward's attention remained on his mate. Had her skin always felt so paper thin? Had it always felt so easy to feel the bone under her cheek of her face? Suddenly things he'd worried about endlessly felt even more heightened in this moment and he considered to change her, to begin the transformation. He couldn't bare it and yet he knew he had to.

Not until he had spoken to Bella. She wanted this but he'd need to speak with her before he reacted with his own panic and anger and did something she perhaps wasn't ready for. If he changed her now he'd take from her the goodbyes she'd hoped to have with her parents. While he didn't know if she'd forgive him killing the dog, he couldn't risk her resenting him for taking her parents from her without a goodbye too.

"Edward, son, we really must talk." Carlisle insisted now, seeing that he wasn't gaining any attention from Edward and feared perhaps everything was finally setting in on his son. Had he not reacted in a similar way upon the incident of her eighteenth birthday? He'd fallen into silence. Carlisle was only relieved to see that instead of finding ways to distance himself from Bella, Edward seemed almost clinging to her.

"I could have saved us all so much pain and complication had I simply given her what we both want." Edward said, knowing Carlisle could hear him, and yet his eyes never wavered from Bella's face. Then, finally turning to look at Carlisle evenly, "Once she's ready I'll change her."

This shocked Carlisle but he remained silent.

"We've drawn this out too long. I've refused to live without her; I've killed to keep her by my side. I've gone about this all wrong and it's almost cost me her so many times. I won't be so foolish any longer. A century of life, and I'm still acting more like a child then a man! She deserves better than that and so does our family." Edward said with a firm resolve, leaning down and kissing the top of her forehead sweetly, his fingers lightly tracing down along her cheek and moving away from her on his bed, nodding to Carlisle and offering his thanks to Esme as she moved into his room to take his place at Bella's side while his family needed him.

Edward moved into the large living space. Rosalie must have added the linen and clothing she and Carlisle had worn while working on Bella because it was clear that fabric was still burning within the flames of the fireplace. The scent of burned fabric was bitter against his sense of smell and it made him scrunch up his nose. Jasper and Emmet were leaning over the coffee table on either side, sitting in love seats, preemptively planning offensive attacks for the possibility of fighting what remained of the wolves. Both had come to the clear conclusion after Jasper had thought about it that Sam, while still young, would be smart enough to control the remaining members, to hold them off until they had a plan in place. With Jacob and Paul, the two who challenged Sam the most often gone, he would more likely find his attempts to control the pack easier; that would certainly add to Sam's power now that the rightful Alpha was gone. It also would give him the freedom of not being worried about being removed from his place of power should Jacob disagree with him too readily. Edward was surprised at how well Jasper had been able to read into the situation and predict the motives behind certain emotions he'd experienced around the members of the pack.

"Why would we wait to strike now? They'll be mourning, unprepared for another blatant attack on their own lands. We've got more than enough right to end them after what happened to Bella." Emmet said. While Emmet was more than capable fighter, his impatience to get into a confrontation could make him brash. It was true he never approached anything too seriously, but Emmet wasn't completely disregarding the pack, at least in his mind anyway.

"You'd be going in blind. I wouldn't know if you were to make it out without any casualties." Alice said walking into the main room holding a small plastic capsule case and throwing it in Edward's direction as he caught it swiftly in his outstretched hand. "Contacts. You'll be around humans. Can't have them seeing you with red eyes." she said simply and Edward nodded in understanding. The contacts wouldn't last long in his eyes due to the venom that coated his eyes, but for the purpose of remaining undetectable he'd have to endure the irritation of feeling the lenses on his eye for now.

"If Edward could take on three it should be a cake walk!" Emmet said, throwing his thumb towards Edward and smirking at him, somewhat trying to antagonize Edward slightly but also believing if Edward had managed it then the family as a whole wouldn't struggle.

"Edward is the most capable against this enemy." Jasper said simply to Emmet, only looking to Edward from the corner of his eyes. "He's trained well in combat, extremely fast for our kind. His ability to read minds and the fact the pack share a mind makes Edward the perfect brand of destruction for them." Jasper finished without delving deeper, and Emmet looked towards his brother Edward with a proud smile, his thoughts congratulating Edward for this assessment on him.

"It also helped that they were completely unaware of and ignorant to believe my danger. You touched on it earlier, they saw me as weak because of my constant silence against them. Jacob believed he'd beat me without aid, he attacked without even worrying about my mind reading. He signaled his entire attack and I effectively ended him without much effort. Embry and Paul posed a much harder task. Even though I could share in their mind reading, it was clear to see that once they had numbers they were more affective against me. I had to rely more on using their vulnerabilities and size against them. Once I realised how suffering deep pain affected the shared link, I bit Paul and injected venom into his system. It all but brought Embry to heel once he experienced that agony alongside Paul." Edward explained to his family. Carlisle had been the one to mention how lethal he believed venom from them could be for the wolves. He'd wondered for many years what effect on the shifters it would have. He'd never voiced it but Edward had seen it in his mind and then he'd used that weapon Carlisle had wanted to hide.

"You bit one of them." Carlisle said hearing everything Edward had said and feeling slightly betrayed by this action somehow, and while he knew Edward had to protect himself and his mate he couldn't put together the Edward he'd known for his entire existence with this man who stood before him now. He'd never been ruthless and Carlisle had never believed Edward to truly wish to harm people, even when he'd hunted the humans for blood. He had directly targeted those who wished to harm other people. Even in his attempt to kill, he'd also looked to protect.

"Yes. You believed it would be toxic to them and I agreed, so I bit him. His death was drawn out and he suffered greatly. Our venom acts like an acid through their blood stream, burning up every part of them and shutting them down a piece at a time. By the time it reached his heart he'd begged for death, and it came quickly." Edward said now with a clearer mind, being able to look back at his confrontation with the wolves with clearer sight without the instinct. Things his heightened sense had picked up on without his true detection while he'd been only focused on getting to Bella and having Carlisle help her.

"Another advantage we'll have to use should this become too much of a danger to our existence." Jasper replied before Carlisle could say anything to stop where his family were going in plans to attack the Quileutes. "Because of their size it offers ample opportunity to deliver the bite and then just watch them die without risk of losing any members, though getting that close could create alternate risk to our own person." Jasper mused more to himself than anyone else, even if he'd spoken his thoughts aloud to the rest of them.

"This can't be the only solution." Carlisle shook his head "Hasn't there been enough death? We already face so much risk with the newborns and Victoria. Adding this would only cause us to be stretched too far. I can't agree to killing those young men." Carlisle said, deeply disturbed by where his family were taking this conversation. Killing was wrong and he couldn't condone it in any sense. Even though he'd understood the need to destroy James and now Victoria, he couldn't accept that this was what had to happen. The pack were only slightly older than children. Some actually were just children, and killing them simply for one's mistake did not sit well with Carlisle's beliefs. Even more so, he believed it completely wrong to attack without need to. It was one thing to defend the family; to Carlisle it was another to outright seek the destruction of someone. Carlisle thought about the conversation he'd had. It hadn't been a conversation he'd heard from Quil Ateara or 'Old Quil' as he was known amongst his fellow tribesmen. They had discovered the three boys: Jacob, Paul and Embry, the latter warning them of what had happened even though Old Quil, whose father had been a member of the original pack and usually less antagonistic towards the Cullens, had struggled to control his anger.

"You send your son. Carlisle, you send your son to pay for the lives he has taken from our people. Give us his life and I will be able to mend these broken binds. Without this we shall be at war. He crossed our lands, he took the life of our future Chief. He took another young man's life with his bite and then left a third boy to lay amongst the dead, paralyzed, ridding him of his most sacred ability gifted to him by our ancestors." Old Quil had demanded harshly. Carlisle had often wished to deal with Old Quil over even Billy Black the chief of the council due to his usually wiser thoughts and more tolerable way of interacting, but now Carlisle could see even old Quil could not help this situation without some type of punishment.

"How can you expect me to give you my son when he was protecting his mate? He did what anyone of us would have done. Bella was harmed by Jacob and Edward reacted. He did what he had to. If our roles were reversed, wouldn't you have done anything to protect your loved one?" Carlisle had tried to reach out to the man with compassion. After all, Edward's initial reaction had been to defend his mate, a most deeply rooted instinct in the very nature of all immortals.

"I find no pleasure in this Carlisle. I was deeply upset to hear of Isabella coming in harm's way. I loved my wife Molly Swan very much and wouldn't wish any of her family harm but Isabella knew the world she wanted to be part of held risk to her. She came to our lands willingly; your son broke our treaty. Unless you can give us the boy we cannot fix what ails our people." Quil had urged Carlisle, of course he'd hoped that Old Quil's wife being a relative to Charlie and Bella Swan would have helped in making him see sense in not asking for Edward's life.

"I can't give you that, not my son. Even in spite of his actions I can't turn him away. He did what any of our kind would do to protect our mates as any shifter would do to protect the imprint." Carlisle made one final attempt to make Old Quil see sense. He knew Old Quil would be the only one to view the events without the blinded hatred the other's felt.

"Then we are at war, Carlisle." Old Quil paused for a brief moment, and Carlisle could only hear his breathing. "I am sorry this has become of our people. My father would be deeply saddened by these events."

The phone went dead as Old Quil hung up.

"You know I won't go to them, not even for you." Edward said. Finally seeing the conversation Carlisle had had with the more tolerable member of the Quileute council. "You may feel what I did was wrong but I won't feel remorse for doing what I must to get to Bella. You aren't me Carlisle; you don't have to hear the vile hatred they carry, the constant taunting and threatening. You didn't hear how quickly they all disregarded her injuries in favour for killing me. I had one option. End them and get to Bella, or die with her." Edward said with a dark edge to his voice, looking to his sire, his closest friend in this existence. Even with the closeness he'd had with Alice since she had joined the family. Carlisle would always remain his closest friend in this existence but he couldn't live to the standard Carlisle wanted any longer. The family was in danger, there was no room for a pacifist in their family when they were at war, and his desire to end things peacefully would put them all in harm's way, especially Edward with how the pack would now feel towards him.

"Don't presume I would so simply send you off to your death. I don't want to fight, I don't want to kill but I will help defend my family. I can't help but believe though that there is another solution to this rather then killing the entire pack." Carlisle said more firmly towards Edward than any family member could remember witnessing before. The room was tense and Jasper did his best to try and keep his family all level headed. They couldn't afford to be at each other's throats now.

"Old Quil told you we are at war. He told you the only way he could even hope to somehow fix the treaty was for me to be handed to them so they could kill me. What aren't you seeing Carlisle? We are at war; do you think they would hesitate to kill you? What of Esme - do you believe they would hesitate to harm your wife, your mate? - because I can promise you, they would not. You feel the need to save them from death but we're past diplomatic solutions. I destroyed the treaty. I have done what we promised never to do, and I will do it again to ensure I get my eternity with Bella." Edward said, fiercely pointing and hitting his chest audibly with his finger. He wasn't going to let Carlisle's doubt and compassion make him doubt himself. Edward knew he would only ever have to answer to Bella for the things he had done and hoped she'd be able to forgive him one day.

"He's right Carlisle. This can't be avoided now. We have to handle the pack so that we aren't caught off guard by both the pack and Victoria. We'd hoped to use the pack to aid in the battle with Victoria but now we don't have such luxury." Jasper stood from his seat, moving to place himself between Edward and Carlisle. While he doubted that they would come to physical confrontation, he couldn't trust this slightly more hostile Edward that had arrived since he'd found his mate close to death.

"I've already contacted Tanya. While she couldn't give an answer for her sisters as they were hunting she believes they will come to aid us now. I've seen the conversation going well once Irina knows that we aren't protecting the wolves." Alice said and Carlisle could feel the unease as his children planned war against people he'd never wished to come to harm. He felt a failure. The treaty had been something special to him, proof that two beings could overcome natural instincts to live together. Seeing those he viewed as his children, he feared that he'd been wrong all along that animal blood didn't make them less dangerous than those of a normal diet. It just gave them the patience to be within the family.

"This isn't your fault Carlisle" Edward said, now seeing, his thoughts moving to him and placing his hand upon his father's shoulder, sighing. "I can't say I regret what I have done. Perhaps in time I shall feel shame for my actions, perhaps when Bella knows of what I've done I'll have to repent in some way to earn her trust and forgiveness for killing her friend. I can't even say if my intentions hadn't been to kill him the second I saw his thoughts. All I knew was Bella was hurt and I needed to get to her. They wouldn't have let me leave their lands, not with her dead after I'd crossed. I had no choice but to kill them. Bella is what is most important to me. I've started this war because I was fool enough to let Bella continue the friendship with those who needed no true reason to fight us; I've given them one now. I don't expect you to kill if you don't want that but don't prevent us from keeping our family safe. They may be innocent to you but given even a chance they would take from you everything you hold dear." Edward said gently to Carlisle, trying to make his compassionate father see sense, trying to make him see that there was no option in what was to be done now.

"Carlisle, we wouldn't hold it against you if you wanted to leave for a time." Emmet was the one to finally speak out, offering Carlisle a way to be removed from the situation and Carlisle looked at them all, wide eyed, seeing that his family were now trying to protect him from having to do something he'd feel great shame and regret for.

"I couldn't abandon you." Carlisle said, shaking his head, looking down at the ground, his mind accepting what was coming and for that moment stepping aside almost as leader of the coven and relinquishing his leadership to those who would lead them through the coming wars. Carlisle, with all his years of experience in this life had no idea how to lead his family through these hard times and he knew his desire to not harm would hinder them and possibly harm them. He only hoped he wasn't making a mistake by allowing his sons to plot war, he hoped that they could live with what they planned to do now. "I'll get Bella ready to relocate her to the hospital. I'll have them set up a room for her. Alice do you see what the best course of action is for a cover story?" Carlisle asked, the need to be with Esme growing more by the second. He needed her reassurance and comfort now. He felt deeply upset.

"An animal attack. It's the only thing I believe will work with her injuries. I can't know if the pack will dispute this but they don't go to the hospital, so I imagine we will be the first to report what has happened." Alice said, her mind looking for anything that may cause a problem and then nodding, offering a forced smile to Carlisle.

"We'll have to tell them she was hurt and managed to get away, called me and then we went out looking for her. It'll be the only way to explain why we're bringing her to the hospital." Edward spoke out to Carlisle, but sensing a deep rift forming between him and Carlisle he felt that he'd disappointed his father figure. But he couldn't dwell on it, if they survived the coming trials he would then try to work on fixing his relationship with his father.

"Once we have her in the hospital we'll need to contact Charlie. He's already called here multiple times and I can't imagine he's getting any answers from Billy or any of the council at the moment. I'd suggest Esme to break the news to him, he's always been more susceptible to her comforting influence than anyone else in our family." Jasper offered as Carlisle then simply nodded and exited the room quickly. Emmet slumped down back into his seat, sighing loudly and slapping his thighs, looking very human and frustrated in that moment.

"Why do I get the feeling that we've just broken his heart?" Emmet said sadly as Rosalie moved to sit on the back of the chair, wrapping an arm around her husband's large shoulders.

"Carlisle respects all life, he'd never wish any of us to come to harm, but this isn't what he wants either. For us to go out and just kill for the betterment of our family probably reminds him too much of how the Volturi are, too." Rosalie said as Edward nodded in agreement with everything she said completely. He doubted Carlisle would involve himself with the pack now. Unless he had to defend himself or a member of the family directly he'd certainly not seek them out or try to stop the family knowing it posed to put them at risk.

"Unfortunately we have little choice in any way of handling this without bloodshed; I'd suggest sticking in groups until we decide a direct plan for dealing with them. Right now we have to accept that we need to stick together; Bella being in hospital does give us reason under the guise of needing to be all in one place together. For now I'd suggest sticking to the hospital for a main base until either the Denalis arrive or Bella is discharged. When we hunt we'll have to hunt in groups of three no less to ensure we're not caught out there, though because we've all hunted recently I'd suggest forgoing hunting until the Denali arrive and we have the added numbers. They won't come head on; I can't imagine they'd make the same mistakes that the others did with Edward. They aren't going to make this easy, and we've got the added concern of Victoria. We know she's still around closing in. The deaths in Seattle are still growing too." Jasper rushed out. It would have been simply too fast for human ears to detect what he was saying, but to the enhanced hearing of his family, they picked up each part of his ideas.

"Right now, though, I'd say it's Edward they want most." Emmet added quickly.

"I'll be at the hospital with Bella. I refuse to hide from the pack but for now I can't leave her side for too long. She's going to need this all explained to her and I don't see this going well if it's anyone other than me. She's always believed me to be controlled and incapable of hurting her and I'm positive that me killing members of the pack will hurt her; more than I wish to believe. I need to be there when she wakes or I'll be vulnerable, too distracted to defend myself completely." Edward admitted. He knew that while he'd been fighting with the pure instinct of protecting and saving his mate, now he was calming, he'd feel the same doubt and second guessing come back with his more logical thinking. Bella's reaction to all of this would make him question himself and he'd need his family's constant reminding that there was no alternative now. "Even if she begs me to stop the fighting I'll need you to help keep me firm on this. I love her enough to want to give her anything. If I'd been firmer perhaps this could have been avoided." Edward said, allowing his family to see that he knew that part of the blame was held directly with him. He'd let her continue to deal with the pack alone even though he'd known how little was needed to set them off. He knew that Jacob was growing only more hostile the more Bella refused his advances and with the closing in on graduation all had known that Bella's time as a human was coming to an end.

"She'll be upset, angry I'm more than sure, but she made her choice. She wanted to be one of us, she can't have it both ways. They would have been her enemy eventually and changing her would have broken the treaty also. They'd have killed her, it wouldn't have mattered who she was once she was a vampire." Jasper added, letting Edward know that he would help him keep firm in what had to be done now. Jasper respected that Edward could recognise his own weaknesses and that his desire to please Bella, no matter the cost, could become something that made him second guess his stance in fighting the pack with the family.

"So, what? For now we remain in our family, stick together and watch out for any signs of something around us until we can have Bella out of the hospital or the Denalis arrive?" Emmet asked to make sure everything was clear for now with what was planned for the future of the family. He didn't like that they hadn't decided firmly to go out and attack, but he could respect that, for now, they needed to close ranks around Bella. While Edward had managed to fight to get to Bella when she was hurt, Emmet didn't expect Edward to be prepared to fight. While he worried over his mate's condition, he was content to wait and defend his family for now.

"Just for now." Jasper agreed with the statement as Edward, Alice and Rose nodded in agreement. "Like I've said, I highly doubt they will attack. Right now they are in mourning. Had Jacob or Paul been alive I would have believed them capable of running blindly into a fight, but with the more aggressive of the pack dead they'll wait before attacking." Jasper added, looking to Edward to see if he'd been correct in his assumption from the emotions he'd picked up from the pack in the times he'd been around them.

"Go, Edward." Alice said, kissing her brother's cheek as he stood tense and on edge. While he wanted to be with them, it was clear for now the plan was to stick to numbers, to remain a tight unit so even if the entire pack was to come for them they'd be capable of fighting against them. Being in a public place would also prevent any from such an outright assault. The pack didn't want exposure any more than the Cullens did, but there was the unpredictable danger of a large newborn army and a vengeful Victoria. He doubted she cared much for exposure now.

Edward didn't need to be told a second time as he moved to his room, instantly finding Carlisle and Esme getting Bella ready to be moved to the car. He could see from Carlisle mind that he'd tried to focus on Bella's care as a way to try and forget what was taking place downstairs. He truly did not wish for this to happen and had considered the offer of taking Esme and leaving. His loyalty to the family and not wanting to leave them while at risk kept him in place. Carlisle was truly a good man and Edward felt sorry that he couldn't be the man that Carlisle wanted as a son. Carlisle had already contacted his colleagues at the hospital to prepare a room for Bella and had said that he'd been able to stabilize her at his home, the urgency for needing to take care of her wounds before bringing her to the hospital gave them little time to waste. Edward wasn't surprised to see that they didn't question Carlisle's choice; it seemed the members of Forks Hospital very rarely did question Dr Cullen's methods for the fact of how well things often turned out for him. Not that Forks hospital dealt with nearly some of the more traumatic patients that a large city hospital was expected to deal with; it was widely known that Carlisle was a big fish in a little pond when it came to the doctors in the hospital.

"How is she?" Edward asked, moving to Bella's side and taking her small warm hand between his cool larger ones, caressing his fingers along the inside of her palm, using touch to comfort himself and hoping it somehow comforted her too.

"For now I have her on some pain medication. Her temperature is running a little higher than I would like it but the body reacts in such ways due to the injury inflicted. Right now she'll simply need a lot of rest, she was very fortunate that the claws hadn't gone deeper. Things could have ended very badly had he managed to cut just a few inches deeper into her chest; she's lucky. Right now the main focus is trying to prevent infection; I've never witnessed an attack from a shifter though I know of Emily having survived. An infection could be devastating for her weak body at this time." Carlisle said gently, not trying to say too much and upset Edward, he knew his son would understand more from his mind that he couldn't hide right now. Only time and care would tell how things turned out and Carlisle couldn't predict how this would affect Bella emotionally. The physical injuries could heal with time, though she'd be badly scarred for a long time, but there was the option of reconstructive surgery. This would be something that would need Bella and her parents present for though. Though if Edward was firm in his decision Carlisle knew that all it would take was his bite and the transformation for Bella's scars to fade, he'd suggest not to have any further surgeries if that was the plan that the both of them were sticking to. It would save her from risk and having to deal with months of recovery where it could be done in the three days change with just venom.

"We'll take her now." Edward said, already seeing in Carlisle and Esme's minds that they'd planned to move her before he'd arrived. He was glad he'd come now; he didn't want anyone to have to touch her without reason. Still very protective of her, even more so then he'd been, he'd allowed Carlisle and Rose to work on Bella when she'd been injured and he'd struggled to allow that, but now he just wanted everyone to back away and leave him to care for her alone. He wanted to take her far away from everyone and just help her recover; he knew that wasn't an option though for now.

"Yes, it's better we have her in place now. I've contacted the hospital. As soon as we get her there Esme is willing to make the call to Charlie, the plan of an animal attack is best. While I'm not sure the pack will agree, it will explain away the death of two boys and the Embry situation. It'll give the human's a story to consider at least, better then the reality." Carlisle moved to Edward's side then as Edward stood and eased Bella's body up from the bedding and, cradling her fragile body into his strong arms, he didn't recoil at Carlisle's closeness even though his body was hyperaware of how close he was to Bella. He'd need to find his control again soon, he couldn't react wildly around other human's; they wouldn't understand.

"Carlisle, about the pack..." Edward paused, though, seeing the look in Carlisle's eyes as he held Bella in his arms, moving to exit his room and carry her to the garage.

"I can't say I understand what you felt in the moment of seeing Bella harmed. I hope I never have to endure that pain. I understand your anger not only for her being harmed but for the months of having to endure someone trying to court your mate. I can't agree to killing them, Edward, I love you as my son and not a day spent with you have I felt anything but love. I'm pleading Edward... I beg of you to reconsider this plan. Could you live with it, these deeds you plan with our family?" Carlisle said, surprising Edward that he'd somehow blocked singling him out away from his siblings to plead with him to change his stance on the fighting and Edward simply shook his head towards the man he'd always tried to emulate and please. Eventually a son had to take control of his own path; he'd followed Carlisle for years, he'd rebelled as all children did against their parents and now finally Edward was ready to become a man. It had only taken him a century and finding his mate to make him do so but he could no longer sit back and simply be what he was expected to be. Change for vampires was difficult, Carlisle would always be a good man. Edward was finally beginning to see that there were shades of grey even within those of his kind.

"I pray you never feel that fear Carlisle. I stand with my family now, though, if you find this too difficult... if you find you can't bear what is to come please, I beg of you that you leave, dark times are coming father and I wish for you to be safe from it if you can't take your place at my side in the coming battles." Edward said, finally turning his back on Carlisle and moving through his home with Bella held against his chest at the human pace as not to jerk her body too harshly. As he moved through his house he believed that his relationship with Carlisle would forever be changed from this point. Carlisle had always been forgiving even when Edward had denied the diet they lived by to hunt humans. He'd welcomed him back without question. Edward did not believe Carlisle would be as forgiving for these acts this time, Edward had chosen his path. He'd made many mistakes and he knew himself enough to know he'd make more. This fight though, there would not be a mistake. Defending himself and those he cared for from a threat would never be a mistake to him. He'd always believed instinct eventually won out in the end even though he'd tried fighting his own his entire existence; wolves and vampires could not live in harmony.

Edward climbed into Emmet's Jeep, the larger vehicle better equipped to having Bella close in his arms while he sat in the back of the car with her head rested in his lap. Carlisle was the last of the family to move into the garage and Edward noticed the long lingering touch Esme rested on his cheek as they stood looking into each other's eyes silently communicating. Emmet hopped into the driver's side in front of Edward and then Carlisle quickly moved to join both of his sons in the passenger side. He'd be taking Bella from Edward once they were at the hospital to set her up in her private room with some of the nurses. Edward was not enjoying the reality of being separated for a time from Bella but understood he'd have no choice in the matter. The tension within the car as Emmet pulled away from the Cullen home was palpable and it made all three men wish Jasper had accompanied them. Edward watched as Carlisle tried his best to keep his mind focused away from what Edward had said in his bedroom to him, it was evident though to even Emmet who had overheard the conversation with the rest of the family that Edward had drawn his line in the sand. Carlisle would either join the family in what was coming or take the offer of taking a time away from the family while they dealt with the coming threats against them. It wasn't like other members of the family hadn't taken time to be alone, all members had needed space for other reasons. It wasn't always easy living together, especially when you considered how long they had spent as a family. This was different though none had ever offered Carlisle time away from the family and he was struggling with that. His children didn't believe him capable of handling this situation and he agreed with them, but he couldn't imagine walking away with Esme, especially should they come to harm's way. He had much to think about, he'd need time alone even if just brief with his wife and mate to find her opinion on what was happening.

"Here we are." Emmet said as he pulled the car to a standstill and, finally breaking the awkward silence that had surrounded them all, Edward took the capsules that Alice had gave him earlier and delicately placed the brown contact lenses into each eye, blinking rapidly at the itching irritation of them as they sat over his eyes. He could feel the texture rubbing on his very eyeballs but knew he'd have to endure it. He couldn't go walking around with blood red eyes around the humans, though they wouldn't be the light brown colour they would have appeared for any human they'd be a dark colour due to the effect of his bright red eyes lay hidden beneath.

"Let me take Bella and I'll go in ahead. I know Esme wanted to call Charlie on the way here so it's best you stick with the rest of our family as we wait for Charlie's arrival." Carlisle turned to look at Edward over his shoulder before climbing out from the car and, with the help of Emmet and Edward, eased Bella from the back seats and into Carlisle's arms. And then, at a human pace, ran into the hospital leaving Edward and Emmet alone to wait for the arrival of the rest of the family.

"He'll do the right thing." Emmet said to Edward confidently

"I'm sure he'll do what he believes is right. However that doesn't mean he'll stand with us. He's disappointed in me, even a little angry that I've killed. He believes I killed Jacob not only because he harmed Bella but because of the threat he posed to Bella and my relationship. While I can't completely deny I've been worried about the closeness they shared she and the mutt, I don't believe I'm nearly as spiteful as he believes to take from her the choice to pick." Edward said simply, relieved somewhat to speak the thoughts that he had picked up on from the past and in the moments Carlisle's attempts to block him had slipped.

"Choice!" Emmet scoffed "I'm all in agreement about not understanding her friendship with them but she's made it pretty clear who she wants. It's not a choice. The mating bond is cemented in stone. I don't get why that's always been an issue. Human or not, Bella gets it. She knows your her world and you hers." Emmet reached over, squeezing Edward's shoulder while Edward forced a smile towards his brother, shaking his head.

"She called him her sun. She explained it to me once... or tried to. He was there for her, brightened her day while she suffered my absence. What happens when your world destroys the sun Emmet?" Edward asked honestly then of his usually less serious and amusing brother. It was a question Edward worried about too. He was dreading Bella's reaction to finally learning of what he'd done to those she considered friends. How could one do that to someone so close to them? She'd said he was like a brother to her but he wondered if the feelings had gone deeper. Edward knew she loved him, would always love him, but could someone have strong feelings for two people? Jacob had believed so, Edward hadn't wanted to imagine it.

"I'm sure she's going to give you hell. I'm sure you're going to give her some too, you've been angry with her for some time now and Rose said you seemed outraged with her. Alice has seen visions for weeks of you blowing up at her; I know she's human and delicate, I know you don't want to upset her, but Edward, it doesn't mean you have to become a push over; she's taken advantage of your guilt for leaving. I'm sure I'm just repeating what you already know but just... when she wakes up just remember its okay to be angry at her still for what's happened. She should have never been in La Push today. She told you she wouldn't and she went back on her word." Edward nodded and found he agreed with his brother completely, he hated getting angry and Edward couldn't honestly remember a time he'd ever wished to raise his voice or argue with Bella in the past but usually he caved and conceded to giving her what she wanted. He'd help her heal, he'd care for her in the best possible way and then he'd explain to her what had happened, he'd let her react and then he'd explain to her his own feelings. Feelings he'd kept locked up a little too long.

"They're here." Edward said as the car turned into the hospital parking lot. Rosalie pulled her BMW to a stop beside Emmet's Jeep and they all climbed out quickly and moved as a family into the hospital to wait on Carlisle. Edward turned to look at Emmet as he took his place at Rosalie's side, wrapping his bulky arm around her, and nodded, the two silently showing an understanding. Emmet was often seen more as a comedic pause in most of the family dynamic, he'd never been seen as insightful as Carlisle, as knowing as Alice, or even emotionally in tune as Jasper but Edward was deeply grateful to see that Emmet, even without gifts or experience could relate to Edward. That he'd seen how Edward had been handling the situation and could agree that he wasn't wrong in feeling the way he did. It felt like somewhat of a weight leaving his chest knowing it was okay to be angry at Bella. Edward knew that what had happened was in no way her fault, her coming to harm wasn't her fault. That solely sat on Jacob Black and his lack of control. But if she'd simply stuck to her word like she'd always demanded she did this may have never come to pass. With a final unneeded sigh Edward took the final step into the hospital entrance and followed Esme as she stood with one of the nurses guiding her through the reception area to a waiting room closer to Bella's room.