Sorry it took so long to update! Would have been sooner but couldn't get onto my account. Hope you enjoy the chapter!

*Bella*Bella*Bella*Bella*Bella*Bella*

I opened my eyes to see Jake's bedroom with his large and looming form watching me. My head was still a little fuzzy, but didn't feel like it was as much as before.

"Careful, Jake; you might hurt yourself staring so intensely!" I teased.

He laughed loudly. "You're definitely yourself! How do you feel?"

I thought about it, testing and wiggling different body parts to see if anything hurt.

"Just my neck and where the seat belt was," was my discovery.

"That's normal," Jake said. "Good; well, not good that you were hurt but that you aren't hurt very much compared to how much you could have been."

He helped me sit up and walk out to the living room. I sat on the couch near Carmanos with Jake on my other side. I looked at the time; it was only going on four-thirty in the afternoon. Billy rolled over from the kitchen. He was worried I could tell; his eyebrows were furrowed and his eyes looked concerned.

"I'll be just fine; I've had many concussions before," I told them; they didn't look convinced. "Please say someone found Charlie?"

Carmanos nodded affirmatively and I sighed in relief. "They did find him, and they are on their way to your father's house right now. We can return once you are sure you feel well enough to travel. He's doing great."

I was extremely happy my father was okay; Charlie didn't deserve to be hurt. Jake gave me a hug in happiness about it. Carmanos told us all what happened to Charlie after that. I felt sick to my stomach; he got up in a flash and got the trash can from the kitchen before returning and putting it in front of me just in time before I became violently ill. After a while, I eventually and eternally gratefully stopped. He changed the trash bag at vampire speed before taking it outside, for which Billy thanked him ecstatically.

"How are we going to get back if the car is destroyed," I asked my vampire friend.

He thought for a bit before answering. "Let me call and ask Ben; you should call Godric and Eric too. They are beyond worried."

I nodded, but only sent a text asking if it were possible for them to talk or if they were asleep. The response was instantaneous and came in the form of the familiar ringtone of "Miracles Happen" by Myra, since they were a miracle to me. They were definitely panicking when they heard me say 'hello' excitedly.

"Are you okay?" They asked this simultaneously.

I smiled at their caring. "Just a little achy in my neck and where the seatbelt was," I explained once again after I woke up. The faces around me were doubtful and so were the ones at the other end of the receiver.

"Are you positive, Bella?" Eric questioned hesitantly.

I felt a small frown grace my lips. "I've been injured enough times to know the difference."

"No offense, but I'd rather have you checked by a doctor tonight," Godric demanded.

I sighed, not wanting to go since it was pointless. "Is that really necessary?"

"Don't worry; we'll take her," Carmanos interjected.

After their thanks of approval, they were now onto the part of what happened with the car. They filled me in on what the Cullens were planning, and I was completely horrified. It was terrifying that their plan could have succeeded, and was so close to being completed. I didn't think it was possible for Esme and Carlisle to have done such things, but in my heart I could feel it was true.

After a short conversation following that about how I was feeling, we ended the call so Carmanos and I could go to Charlie's and get ready for the funeral. Ben came in Emmett's Jeep to get us, having been led to the house through the GPS installed. We made the short trip to Charlie's in utter silence, and my mind wondered to the Clearwaters. They were about to have Harry's funeral.

As we pulled into the white, two-story house Charlie and Renee bought in the early (and only) days of their marriage, I had this feeling in my stomach that something was wrong. Once parked, I jumped out ahead of Carmanos and Ben, racing to the front door. Before I arrived, the vampires that were hardly even a match for me, seeing as they were impossibly fast and I was extremely slow, seized my arm by the time I had taken five steps. Ben handed me over to Carmanos, who put me back into the Jeep.

The maker of the vampire beside me walked to the door briskly but not in a way that would make the neighbors suspect anything. He opened it cautiously and grimaced. He disappeared for a moment before coming out with a few bags: ours. He put them in my old-yet-perfect truck before motioning to Carmanos, who carried me there in vampire speed. We sat in the cab while Ben went back in the house. I wondered what was so bad he was getting everything. I posed my question to Carmanos.

He hesitated, and I wondered if Ben was telling him whether he could answer or not. "There is something wrong, Bella." Dread filled my stomach for the second time that day. "Apparently, some wild vampire newborn came to attack you. Emmett says her name is Jane and she has a gift of causing pain with a glance. She's from a group called the Volturi."

My stomach dropped and went cold. I felt like I was going to be sick again. "Is everyone okay?"

He answered immediately. "No. Emmett's injured but nothing that won't heal. Charlie, though, needs medical attention immediately. He'll survive though. He only has a broken leg and needs stitches. Emmett already called the ambulance."

I stared curiously. "Why doesn't someone just heal him with blood and then glamour the paramedics?"

He smiled indulgently. "It isn't good to heal someone over and over like that. They can become addicted to vampire blood or they can start to have their DNA change. They start the process of changing into a vampire because their cells start to mutate with the proteins in vampire blood, and they become partial vampires."

That was incredible. "Wow." That's the only thing my mind could think of.

Five chilly minutes later, the ambulance came to a screeching halt with a police escort. Mark, the deputy taking Charlie's place in the Forks Police Department, jumped out of the car and ran alongside the paramedics to the front door. They disappeared for a few more minutes, but when they came out, Charlie was on a wheeled stretcher. I panicked at the sight and tried to get out but Carmanos held me in place.

The ambulance pulled off, escorted by the cruiser with flashing lights and sirens. Ben quickly got into the driver's seat after throwing in another bag and then attempted to start the truck. It wouldn't. Once I told him about the extra time you had to push the pedal, it started with a loud roar and we pulled into the road in the direction the ambulance had gone. Since it had already gone out of sight, I asked if he needed to know which way to go.

He smiled slightly. "Not quite; I can smell the blood and follow the trail of the scent."

"That's awesome!" I exclaimed.

He and Carmanos merely chuckled. I called Billy, and he answered after the second ring. He was surprised too.

"Bella? I figured you would have had enough of us until the funeral," he joked, laughing.

I gave a small laugh in return. "I just wanted to tell you that I'm not sure if we'll make it to the funeral. Someone came and hurt Emmett and Charlie. We're on our way to the hospital now."

There was silence. "Poor Charlie can't catch a break."

I nodded in agreement, though Billy couldn't see through the receiver. "I'll call you when we get out, whether it's ten minutes or ten hours."

"I appreciate that. Thank you, Bella."

"You're welcome, Billy."

We pulled up to the hospital and I got off the phone. I rushed inside the hospital to find Charlie with Carmanos and Ben keeping pace with ease. I found the reception desk immediately, knowing where it was from the ten visits I've made for injuries in the past year alone, plus coming to visit Carlisle sometimes, dropping off something for Esme or him giving me a check-up because of an accident. They led Carmanos and I back to the room Charlie was in. They were stitching up his head and arm.

I quickly glanced all over to see if that was all that was wrong and couldn't tell. "Are you okay, Dad?"

He grimaced at the needle putting in the stitches. "I'll be fine, Bells."

I was still a bit panicky. I didn't quite think straight when it came to the stitches and blood. It was making me dizzy. Carmanos noticed immediately and quietly suggested that we stay in the waiting room to give them some privacy and room since there were two doctors surrounding him. One looked over and asked if I was in need of medical attention, and I told them that I just wasn't good with blood. They nodded understandingly and Carmanos led me back to the front after I said a temporary goodbye to Charlie.

Ben apparently made an arrangement with the doctors here while I was with Charlie. A nurse took me to the radiology department and made sure I didn't have any metal on. They gave me an MRI that took only about fifteen minutes. They sent me back out to the small, secondary waiting room where Carmanos was and relayed the process of getting the results. They would call tomorrow and tell us what the images showed. He filled out a few forms, with me answering a few questions before we went to the emergency waiting room.

Ben was waiting for us, looking bored but attentive to his surroundings. When we came out he stood up and motioned us to where the vending machines were. All three of us walked over there, him meeting us half way. We got drinks and snacks before finding somewhere to sit comfortably.

"I'm surprised you're not back there with your father, Bella," Ben stated.

"Blood," was all I had to say.

He grimaced at the thought. "I get it, believe me. It can be a bit hard for me if there's enough of it."

I looked at him curiously, wondering why since Godric and Eric hadn't shown any sign of it and they were younger than him. He looked at me and sighed.

"It's because of me being something else on top of being a vampire that I have a harder time than most vampires half my age. There is a darkness in me and it battles with the light constantly; every day. Sometimes I can't control it." He looked sad as he said this lowly, and I could easily guess that he hadn't shared that with many people.

I smiled slightly. "Thank you for telling me."

He returned the smile. "You're welcome."

I called my mates and they answered very quickly. "Are you okay, Bella? We felt you get scared again earlier."

I broke out into a large grin. "I'm fine. A vampire broke into Charlie's house while we were coming back from the reservation and when we got back, I got scared about whether he was alive or dead."

"What's this vampire's name," Eric asked.

"Jane; she works with the Volturi. However, she's no newborn like they claim. She just drinks human blood instead. Edward told me about her one time; she's centuries old."

I heard growling on the other side of the phone and wondered if I shouldn't have said that right now.

"How dare they violate the treaty?" Godric roared.

I got confused; I didn't know they had a treaty. I barely knew anything about the relations between the two types of vampires as it was though.

"Bella, do you know why they came to your house?" Eric asked calmly.

I looked up to Ben and Carmanos. Ben signaled for the phone and took it. "They were looking for Bella because they were working with the Cullens to have her killed because of a prophecy about their end once she turns into a vampire like us or if she was turned into a Cold One, they would rule forever."

I stared in shock, my mouth agape. I didn't hear the exact response from my mates but I could hear screaming even without holding it up to my ear.

While they made a plan for the Volturi, I saw Charlie being rolled up in a wheel chair with crutches in his hand and a temporary cast on his leg. I helped him get through all the paperwork before we were able to take him out to the car. Carmanos and Ben helped him into the cab of the truck. It was a very tight fit on the way back to Charlie's house, but it was only a ten minute drive. I called Billy with an update on Charlie being out and his injuries of only a broken leg and some stitches. He was glad his friend only had those instead of worse.

The road in front of Charlie's contained a rental company car and a second car with two agents waiting. Ben walked over to them and signed a few papers before getting keys and the agents left in the company's labeled car. Carmanos carried Charlie in and I carried the crutches. Ben was moving all the bags to the truck. I was stunned because when I came in, the house was packed up into boxes with the exception of a few things, like furniture, some food, and the TV. It was no surprise to see Emmett in there watching football and yelling at the television's announcers and players.

He heard us come I suppose because he stood up and helped Carmanos put Charlie in his favorite chair. Afterwards, he scooped me up into a hug and swung me around. I had missed Emmett's bear hugs. I beamed brightly as I became slightly dizzy before I was placed gently on the ground. He had Charlie's suit waiting in the living room and all the curtains drawn. I walked up to my room so I could get ready.

I put on the black stockings that Pam put in my bag; the longer black dress made of warmer material; the boots with fluffy lining inside; and had the gloves, hat, and jacket ready. When I walked out of my near empty room, I did turn to look at it nostalgically. After all, this is where I'd lived as a baby, and it was always in one place. While Renee moved constantly, Charlie was stationary. It was a small comfort knowing I could always come here and my room would be the same. It saddened me that once we left, this house would belong to someone else. I know that Charlie would be with me in Louisiana though, which was a comfort.

I walked down the stairs, carefully keeping my balance. Charlie, Carmanos, and Ben were all in suits with ties; Charlie in black, Carmanos in really dark charcoal that bordered on black, and Ben a really dark navy blue. They all had matching ties and white dress shirts underneath. We all walked out to the rental car Ben had delivered and got in. Charlie got in the back with Carmanos; I sat in front with Ben.

He started towards the Quileute Reservation, and once we were in the small coastal town, I gave him directions to where they were having Harry Clearwater's funeral. There was a large turnout, but we found Billy and Jacob quickly and easily in the dark sea of people since they were at the edge because of Billy's wheelchair. Charlie hobbled over on his crutches to Billy with us right beside him, his crutches sinking into the squishy ground with every step. Sam Uley helped Charlie get seated by Billy and the two vampires and I stood beside them with Jake.

"What happened to Charlie?" Jake asked.

I didn't get a chance to answer more than a broken leg before the funeral started. It proceeded as a normal funeral with a Quileute elder presiding instead of a priest.

"We have gathered here to remember Harry Clearwater, a beloved husband, a devoted father, an amazing friend, and an elder of our people. He loved his family, his friends, his community, and fishing and hunting just as much." There were a few chuckles at this. "He was much loved by those around him, and could make friends with everyone. He helped whenever he could, which kept the spirt inside him alive and generous. His spirit will never die; he will always be in the hearts, minds, and spirits of his family and friends. How he touched them is how he will always be remembered."

Everyone turned towards the waterfront near the cemetery as Sam Uley and Seth Clearwater stood up, walked the length to the shore, and pushed a red cedar canoe out into the ocean that was filled with straw in the shape of a man beneath a white cloth tied together. There were also a few of his favorite fruits, vegetables, and some beer poured into a paper cup. Seth used a torch to set the canoe alight before it drifted off and into the ocean. It burned about half way before being taken under by a wave.

The torch was then carried by Seth to the cemetery and placed in the mud near Harry's new tombstone. After the Quileute elder said a few more words, they lowered the dark wooden casket into the hole in the earth. Sue, Seth, and Leah all threw in a handful of dirt and a flower each before walking away towards their home. Seth grabbed the torch on the way by. This signaled the end of the funeral. Everyone walked towards their house as well for the wake, except those that couldn't like Billy and Charlie. Jake pushed Billy but Carmanos drove Charlie over while Ben walked with Jake, Billy, and me.

We talked about how it was a beautiful service and wondered what his family was going to do. Billy told us how he had gotten a life insurance plan that would cover every bit of medical expenses, give Leah and Seth a generous college fund each, and would let Sue not have to worry about anything; apparently he also had no credit card debt since he didn't really use them. Only around half of the people from the funeral stayed for the wake. Jake tried to question me about what happened to Charlie again. Ben answered for me and told him the truth: vampires from Italy that were insane.

As the sun was setting, I was getting a little jumpy. I eventually asked Carmanos about the vampires nearby and if they would get mad about us being here. I had heard a couple of vampires in Fangtasia ask for permission to stay from Eric. I asked him once and he said it was required.

"Just relax, Bella," he told me. "Eric and Godric have taken care of that. They know we are here."

After about an hour and a half of the wake, Charlie decided he wanted to go get some rest because his leg was hurting. We told the Clearwaters that we needed to go, them understanding entirely with Charlie walking on crutches, and we said goodbye to everyone there since we would be leaving, possibly for good. It was also a bit melancholy for that reason, not just the death of a family friend. I knew Jake and Billy and I would see them again soon, but I was also sure I'd see Seth again. I could feel it.

When we got to Charlie's little white house, there was a moving truck there that had one of the removable boxes. Emmett had gotten everything in the truck except a box of food that was already made for us. Charlie had apparently called them while Ben was getting us from the Black's house and gave orders for it to be brought to Bon Temps, Louisiana to Aunt Adele's until he could find someplace to live. He led Ben to Port Angeles, where we temporarily separated with giant hugs, since Emmett was going to make sure the truck arrived well.

Ben found a vampire hotel and we booked two adjoining rooms. Ben and Carmanos shared one and Charlie and I shared one. They made sure the door to our room was sealed well so no one could enter except through their room. There were two bedrooms in each room, which I was incredibly thankful for. Charlie went to bed quickly, exhausted I've no doubt and rightfully so after the hospital trip, funeral, and the horrible things he went through with the Cullens. I was rather tired myself and climbed into the surprisingly comfortable bed.

"Miracles Happen" started playing from my phone and I heard my mates' voices on the other side. They called and said good night, feeling how sleepy I was becoming. It didn't take long before I was in dream land.

*Carmanos*Carmanos*Carmanos*Carmanos*Carmanos*Carmanos*

My maker and I sat in the living room part of the hotel room at the Port Angeles vampire hotel. We had chosen this one because of the added security in place. I knew I had to go meet the sheriff of the area, even though we were only staying for less than twenty-four hours. We figured the best idea would be to leave as soon as we could. The plane was still at least seven hours from returning to Port Angeles. It was likely landing in Shreveport sometime around now actually.

We were thankful the sheriff agreed to meet me in the lobby of the hotel. We talked about ways to keep Bella safe from the abominations that call themselves vampires but are really sparkling, venomous knockoffs that were younger than any other species. I walked out of the room, hearing the door lock behind me, and made my way down to the lobby. I saw the sheriff, a man in his late twenties with dark hair and blue eyes, lounging patiently on one of the couches.

We discussed the reasons for being in the area, how long we were staying, and who exactly was here. We also explained about how he had a Cold One from the Volturi visiting and injuring innocents. He was extremely upset about it and had some of his men go form a search party for her. I relayed the message from my grandprogeny to inform them if the Cold One is found since she emotionally hurt their mate. He was fast to respond since he was terrified of Godric, having heard the stories of him with the name he made for himself: Death.

Once the meeting was over, I returned to the hotel room my maker was waiting in. I could hear him on the phone with his young mate. She wasn't used to being away from him and was extremely emotionally insecure so she needed a little extra reassurance that everything was okay and that he was coming back for her. I went back to the room I was staying in after concentrating on the room next door, noticing Bella and Charlie asleep. I was glad for both of them since they were exhausted and had been through a lot in the past couple of days.

I got my e-reader before going back into the living room and reading one of the many books I had stored on it. After around ten more minutes, he got off the phone with his mate and put the device in his pocket. We secured the room before relaxing, my maker slipping into his sleep. We were taking turns staying awake just in case. He only required an hour of sleep, and I only needed an hour and a half.

I merely read while he slept, and we flipped places once he woke up and showered. It didn't take long to fall asleep, which was dreamless. I woke up to find everything the same before showering myself. I got a text from Godric saying the plane was on its way back and should be here in about six hours from now. My maker and I simply read the night away.

A/N: The next chapter will finally show what's happening in Shreveport!