Chapter 17

Springing the Trap

Seth fought back the wind and fidgeted in the fallen powder, agitation in his gangly frame as he curled around her. Willow offered a palm, not wanting to overstep and he set his heavy chin on it with a puff. She twisted some bits of his pelt, double coated, and focused on the view as she began to pick the stubborn pine needles from places. 'He'll do what he can to keep her safe. He knows how much you love her, even if half the time she spoils the fun. But it's probably frustrating, being put to the side, huh? Especially since Jacob can fight and he, Quil and Embry aren't much older than you.'

He whined and those chocolate eyes were the epitome of a puppy dog. Willow stroked the shorter strands between them with a gentle finger. 'But take it from this angle? This means you're setting an example for the younger ones and your job, it's just as, if not more, important because you keep Edward in the loop of things and you're extra backup if something does go wrong. Besides, inside wasn't as fun as you'd think.'

He puffed a laugh, and she tweaked his ear. 'Yeah, yeah, yeah, laugh it up, kiddo.' The zipper went in the tent and Jacob slipped out with frustration clear on his face. Willow heaved a sigh and Seth helped her up as she steadied herself and made her way over to the tent again. 'Watch your back down there.'

The wolf looked at her, down at her, he had to be taller than Emmett surely. 'You're not telling me to back out?'

'No, because I have people I'm worried about too. Keep your wits about you, look after one another, remember what Jasper taught you.'

They were far enough from the tent that Willow could just hear murmuring, but heartbreak marred with anger and annoyance and Willow knew Edward had pulled another stunt. 'Take it from someone who's been the second choice,' she locked eyes with him, 'there will be a time where disappointment never leaves.'

He stepped towards her, towering over her, coiling rage, 'You know nothing.'

Seth snarled at her side, coiling around her, and she pressed a hand to his scruff. 'She deserves more than to be your second choice. Your Wolf has deemed her your Imprint and yet you fight it for someone who was never meant to be yours. You've born witness to Leah and Sam, and Emily, made fun of it, I'm sure, and all you're doing is making a second version of it. It hurts, I have no doubt, but you're hurting her too. And I bet you quietly hate it every time you rebuff her because you want her to be someone else. Let her,' Willow tipped her chin to the tent, 'go and let yourself heal. You deserve happiness too and she deserves to have all of you.'

Jacob flexed his jaw and stormed off. He may not have enjoyed what she had to say but apparently, Willow was the only one with enough balls to say it to his face. Edward stepped out, torn. He tipped his head to the tent. 'Stay here.'

'Why? So, they can both be torn? It wasn't the best fucking option, you dramatic ass, especially now, but you know he needed to know, and she'd flay herself alive rather than tell him. For fuck's sake!' Willow snarled, deliberately taking her hand off Seth so she wouldn't hurt him. 'Fuck off.'

He darted off, and Willow stood in the clearing, fury flooding her. She wanted to throttle all fucking three of them, each one worse than the last. She flung the cover to the tent open, snagged her day pack with snacks in it, and her drawing stuff and zipped it back up again before making her way over to the smaller rock and sitting on it.

After a deep breath, Willow looked at Seth. 'They're fucking morons. Please learn from this. Also are you allergic to anything?' He shook his big head and she rummaged for the snack box. 'Esme packed some food, and I did too but I'm too eh to eat anything more than maybe a bar, but like pick away. I'll act like your thumbs.'

And she did, the systematic breaking of a cereal bar into smaller pieces, including the chewier ones, settled the rage in the back of her mind. Seth nudged her hand softly and Willow jolted, realising she hadn't eaten more than a bite of her own, thoughts getting away from her. 'Should you be eating chocolate chips? Like is Mrs Clearwater gonna rip me a new one if this makes you sick?'

'They can eat the same foods as when they're human.' Edward stepped in and she pelted him with a bar. 'Would you stop?'

'Would you fucking think?' Willow stalked towards him, ignoring Bella and Jacob. 'We have less than a fuckin' hour till everyone is gonna be fighting and that was what you pulled in there? Now, not only is she gonna be sobbing and shit but he's gonna be a wild card. Putting everyone else in danger because of your ego.' She shoved him, finding comfort in the heat, feeling a bleed-off from Jasper. Edward absorbed the motion, stepping back. 'If anyone gets hurt, it's on all three of you because you're all so fucking selfish to realise that your problems are minuscule right now.'

Willow moved off, not realising she'd been putting weight on her leg, and sat away from them. The wind cut off most sound, but she was too on edge to look at them, let alone be in arm's reach. She curled up, eyes burning beneath her glasses, and she shook with anxiety and wrath. It made what little food she'd gotten down make her mouth water with acid.

'I need to sort something out with Seth and Alice.' Edward's voice came from behind her, 'And those two need to talk.'

'Fine.'

Seth nudged her softly and then scampered off, still four-legged and the only one she could stand, and Edward followed suit.

Willow had tugged Jasper's flannel on that morning before she had stepped out, and she took as much comfort as she could in the lingering scent of his cologne in the collar of it.

She wanted to be anywhere but here.

'You think I'm a terrible person.'

'Don't you dare come to me thinkin' I'm about to placate you,' Willow gritted out, and glared down at the trees before she turned that full glare to Bella, fed up with the girl, 'you're marryin' one but kissed the other, in which made him think he's got a chance with you? All you're doing is playing with your toys, and according to you, keeping everyone safe. You're not. You're a child throwing a tantrum because you're not getting your way. You thought becoming a Newborn would make it easier right now? You'd be a liability, probably nearly eat the town. You say you love your father and yet throw away whatever fucking bond you have the chance of creating again because of a boy. My best friend died for you and all you can think about is becoming a vampire too as well as trying and keep your wolf boy toy on the side.'

Willow was done playing nice. Had had it with the others pussyfooting around the brunette. 'You don't see the effect you have on others because you have tunnel vision.'

'I don't.'

'Yes, you do.' Willow locked eyes with her, and ate up the distance, following her faltering gaze because like hell this girl was running from this, 'The world doesn't revolve around you and your issues. Mr Clearwater dies and instead of you taking the prerogative and offering your sympathies to the Elders of the Reservation, who was one of your father's closest friends because no one picked up your text message, you go cliff diving. Because you thought doing something dangerous would make you feel alive. All that did was put others in danger. Fuck the consequences for you. You realise that you got on that bike, that you fell off with no helmet, that you could have died. If you were going any faster, you might have. And apparently, no one has said this to you because you felt sorry for yourself for three months.'

'You don't know what it was like!'

'You don't get to speak right now.' Willow cut across, sharp as a blade. 'Time and fucking again I have said that you two need to communicate and it's an endless cycle. You're in danger, he gets dramatic, you get dramatic, lives are in danger, and everything is fine. You're in danger, he takes the coward's way out, you get overly dramatic, he doesn't get all the information, and the cycle repeats. It's not just your boy in danger and if I had any more energy right now, I'd smack you. Quite honestly, I want you out of my sight. Or I will do something I will seriously regret.'

Bella scurried off, tears brewing, and shamefaced but Willow couldn't take any more. Not now. Edward slipped in to soothe feathers and Willow tossed a rock over with as much anger as she could.

Something in her stomach stilled, adrenalin and excitement making her mouth water and she knew then, with the sun at its peak, that the fight had started.

You know when you watch a nature documentary, where you follow the camera of a lioness and wildebeest hunt and it's like you can feel it on your neck?

Something was off in the trees around them. Willow remained calm, as calm as she could because the last thing Jasper needed was for her to surprise him and cause a distraction, and made her way over to the tent, feeling eyes on her skin, on her pulse, on her life. Edward slipped out with Bella; eyes locked on a direction. Victoria had found them.

'Go, Seth.' Willow encouraged, backing Edward up. If he managed to get behind Victoria and surprise her, it may just give them the upper hand. All those years of acting as Mother's show pony played off and she managed to get across to the two of them without giving away her limp. The young wolf hesitated, and she nodded and winked.

He darted off into the trees and Willow cocked her head. Edward flicked his gaze to her and tipped his chin down. 'How nice of you to join us, Riley.' Willow mused, as the blond stepped in after Victoria, a face finally being able to be applied to a name. 'and you must be the woman of the hour, I assume?'

'Another human,' Victoria mused, mane of fire coiling wildly, husky toned and curious, head like a viper about to strike. 'My, my, you do have fun, Edward.'

Willow tipped her head and took everything in. That wasn't just a vicious look in her eyes, the bruising beneath the redhead's gaze spoke of hunger. How long had it been since she'd fed? 'The only one of Edward's is Bella, whom I assume you've had the pleasure of meeting.'

'You're…Willow.' Riley frowned, almost haunted.

She smiled. 'I must say, Mr Biers, I do happen to prefer you with a beating heart.'

It was funny, Willow thought, she always fell back to her manners when things were tense like they were a shield to hide behind.

Victoria turned her head before her eyes to Willow, torn between who she wanted first. 'But you have such a delicious one. So very fast.'

'Thanks.' Willow drawled, 'It's the childhood neglect.'

A wolf's howl echoed up the mountainside. How far away had Seth gotten?

'She doesn't smell human.' Riley looked at Victoria, confused.

'Because she's Mated to a vampire.' Victoria hissed and there was a flash of shock there in that fathomless black as the bite marks Jasper had left on her neck revealed themselves when Willow tossed her hair. 'Oh, ho, ho. Has the God of the Southern Wars been tied down by a human?'

'You touch me,' Willow chirped, blades of her own, 'you won't make it off the mountain. And we both know you have better survival instincts than that. What's your plan then, darling? Use Riley to bait Edward and go for Bella? Let him experience what you surely did when your James got taken from you?'

Riley glanced at Victoria again, confusion there. Edward lunged at the weakness. 'She's lying to you, Riley. Listen to me. She's lying to you just like she lied to the others who are dying now in that clearing. You know that she's lied to them, that she had you lie to them, that neither of you was ever going to help them. Is it so hard to believe that she's lied to you, too?'

'I mean, it makes sense.' Willow offered, disregarding the redhead. She'd get her time. 'You grew up here. Probably camped in this very park, I know the Scouts used it a lot. when you were in Forks before, to get Bella's shirt, I bet you didn't even have to follow the scent, right? Instinct brought you straight there because we're all taught by our parents to point out the Chief's house in case something goes wrong. Like it was a dream.'

She kept going then, as she saw the confusion blooming as it wrestled with memories. 'When she told you your purpose, that once you dealt with the Cullens, something in you recognised the name, right? Because the Cullens were the talk of the town for months after they arrived. She didn't change you because she wanted to spend eternity with you, Riley.'

'That was what she wanted to do with a tracker named James.'

Willow dragged her eyes off Riley and locked them onto the redhead, 'Who made the stupid mistake of trying to take someone who wasn't theirs and got a hell of a shock when she didn't go easy. Here's the thing, dearest Victoria, did you smell anything in that ballet studio, apart from blood and your Mate's venom as it split across the ground? What else was there?'

'The Cullens.' The redhead hissed, and Willow tutted and shook her head.

'Not just the Cullens, dearest.' She tipped her head. 'What your James didn't realise then, at that clearing, was that the vampire's version of Death was there, and he had a reason to get rid of a threat. And he's down there, in that clearing right now, tearing your so-called distraction to cinders, and burning them to ash. I highly doubt she intends for you to get off this mountain, Riley, so I would encourage you to take the out where it stands.'

Willow was going to be in such trouble for this. 'I mean,' she tipped her head, squinted, 'if you squint and cock your head a bit, I guess, Riley, you do look like what I assumed James looked like? Edward, you were there. Any thoughts?'

Now was the time for the inner petty bitch to come out, please, Edward. They needed to cause the loyalty between the two of them to be shaken. 'Only that he didn't wear shoes or a shirt. Or a terrible ponytail.' Edward sneered, before dropping his tone to syrup sweet, 'And the fact that she knows I will kill you, Riley. She wants you to die because she's bored of you, and doesn't want to keep up the charade any longer. Haven't you noticed it? How reluctant she is to have your touch, give you it in return, the lies to her promises. She's never wanted you. Every kiss, every touch, was a lie.'

THAT WAS THE PETTINESS SHE WAS LOOKING FOR.

'I bet you killed that doctor because you knew who he was, right?' Willow clung to that mask she had, let her wacky heart run, and distract them, covering up the grief, 'Thought that it would make her see that you were in on this, the whole way. Wanted to show her that you could be the one by her side, paint the city red with blood, help fulfil vengeance. All it got was you getting snapped at.'

He stepped back as if Willow had struck him. 'They're liars, Riley.' Victoria tried a last ditched attempt, 'I told you of their mind tricks. You know I love only you.'

Victoria had more sway over the Newborn than they had hoped because those crooning words were enough to straighten his shoulders, shake off the confusion, and lock the emotions away. He slid back to stand beside Victoria and the two tensed.

Each vampire was primed for the attack, two against one, and there was only so much training Jasper could thump into the telepath before panic overtook.

The trees then vibrated with a blood-thirsty snarl and Seth had taken the wink for what it was.

Riley had barely any time to react as the young wolf tackled him, breaking Victoria's focus and the fight was on.

Willow tucked Bella behind her, watching the main issue. Victoria was the problem and Seth had something to prove, to himself, to the Pack, and she knew that Edward and she had tagged-teamed his loyalty enough, broken it down, that Riley's focus was spilt.

The bonus with being a telepath? Being able to be the exact mirror of your opponent, especially when they were tunnel-visioned on one goal. Except did her gift make her unfocused enough from her goal that she would try again? The redhead darted between the trees then, her black eyes flashing from Bella to the trees. She wanted Bella's head on a pike, but safety beaconed like a siren, its call nearly overwhelming.

Now.

'Don't go, Victoria.' Edward crooned, 'You'll never get another chance like this.'

The feral redhead hissed but remained still as Riley lunged towards the dancing Seth, down an arm and in pain, 'You can always run later. Plenty of time for that. It's what you do, right? It was the only true reason James kept you around. Your gift is useful for a male who finds the thrill in a dangerous hunt. A partner that can offer an escape, no matter how narrow. And yet he left you. Nothing more than a doll, cast aside. It seems a little silly, avenging a creature that offered no true affection for you. All you were to him was a convenience, a companion not dissimilar to that of a horse. I would know.'

He grinned, vicious and dark, and tapped his temple.

That was what sent her over the edge. She lunged for him and the dance picked up again, faster, both wanting it to end.

A yelp had Willow tearing her eyes from the main fight and noticing how off that limp seemed to be of Seth. Was he? Oh, you clever little shit.

Seth was feinting being hurt to get closer to Edward, splitting Victoria's attention first, especially with the idea of him having the teeth to tear into Edward if he wanted to potentially make her think she had the upper hand once more. 'You see what this vengeance has created?' Edward prodded, 'You made us allies over a common enemy.'

He stepped further as Bella tightened her hand on the back of Willow's coat, her breath hitching. 'Look more closely, Victoria.' She was seconds away from her guard being broken. 'Is he really so much like the monster James tracked across Siberia?'

Huh?

When the fuck was this going to be brought up? What was in Siberia?

There was a benefit of having the dance between Victoria and Edward pick up once more, Riley's attention had been torn, too focused on Victoria to realise the true power behind Seth's jaws. The little fighter lunged at him, tearing into marble flesh. It wasn't enough to do major damage to Riley, but it did give Riley the ability to strike back. With twice as much power, Seth took a full backhand to the ribs and Willow grimaced and flinched back when the rock he was flung back into shattered a layer and rained down on the two girls.

Willow pushed Bella back, watching Riley. That scarlet gaze was something Willow would remember for the rest of her days – hunger, rage, and vengeance, the need to prove something – as he stalked towards them, half-mangled and thirsty, near feral. Except, Seth was in the way.

And if neither of them did anything, well, Seth would be dead. Edward couldn't get a leg up on the fight; she might as well go all in.

'Georgie was heartbroken. Is heartbroken.' Memories caused Riley to stop, and hesitate. 'Remember her? Bright, stubborn, headstrong Georgie who was too good for you. Who thought the world of you? And Victoria took the chance with life with her away from you. All because she has the wrong information.' The redhead had Edward in a lock, and Riley was a statue, focused on Willow alone. 'Think back Victoria, back to that studio. Under the ash, the accelerant, the glass, wood, and blood, whose scent is there? Not Edward's. For so long you thought it was him, right? Wanting him to feel that pain, even if it meant Laurent dished it out. Who was it?'

Riley's gaze turned to Victoria, Willow having distracted him enough to ignore Seth getting up, shaking off the broken ribs she was sure.

Scarlet met hardened hazel green, and realisation washed over Victoria's face like a tidal wave. She dropped Edward, lunging for her true target and Edward struck as Seth took on Riley from behind, going for the neck this time. The clearing screeched in harmony as Edward tore Victoria apart, clear, and efficiently and Seth took a little bit of anger out on Riley, shaking him until his head popped off.

Willow stepped towards the telepath, handed him the pack of matches, and watched, numb as he began to create a pyre.

Victoria's head was like a Walker's, Willow mused, nudging it with the toe of her boot where it lay, teeth gnashing on air, eyes fixated on her. The rage in her had gone cold in the pace of the fight, but it was there as she crouched down by that head and grasped it by the scalp.

By the time Seth had coiled around her, and Edward had gotten Riley on the pyre, the venom had begun to dribble down her arm, sticking to her hands. Edward gave them a moment and Willow tossed it into the flames and relished the sounds of the popping bubbles of venom, the etchings of pain across the face of her father's murderer. as the heat began to eat away at the redhead.

'You got a peaceful end by our hands, Victoria. Know that, had Jasper been here, you would be begging at the end.'

She found her water bottle, the yellow thermal canister had fallen off the rock close to the tent along with her day pack and Willow rinsed her hands and arms of the venom. It was oddly viscous, sticky, and smelt awful. Like a mix of kerosene and glucose. Sweet and burning.

There was a part of her that knew Willow was disassociating, distancing herself from the adrenalin that had her hands shaking, her leg working with a limp and the flicking colours of the venom fuelled flames had her lost in thought. The bond with Jasper warmed and Willow shuddered as sound boomed in her head again.

Her leg went from under her, and Seth caught her with a quiet grunt and steadied her as the food and water came up, burning her throat. Not here. Not now.

Willow wrestled the panic, the fear, back and spat the bile out, rinsed her mouth out. Someone beside her had her jolting and Seth's heat was more comforting than she thought. She cupped the boy's head in her palms. 'Are you okay?'

'He's fine.' Edward murmured, voice low and soft beside her. Why did it sound like a megaphone in her head? Fucking panic.

She ignored him and Seth nodded his head. She pressed a kiss between those ears of his and pressed her forehead to his. 'Now you have something to lord over the others, kiddo.'

'You knew?'

'The limp, in the beginning, was off. But I felt that backhand. Be gentle with those ribs.'

'They healed by the time you had Riley distracted. He wants to carry you down.'

Fuck, the Volturi. Seth nudged her up onto his bag and it felt like a weird motorcycle as she settled there and righted her bag. 'We'll meet you down there.'

She tangled her fingers in his scruff and Seth took off.

Willow got him to stop before Pride Rock and cupped his head again. 'Go straight home. Leah will be worried sick, as will your mother. Promise me.'

He nudged her stomach with his snout and cantered off into the trees and Willow turned as awareness slid over her. Something she hadn't felt in a little over two days. Her arms flung themselves around Jasper's neck and she buried her face, shaking, into his neck.

'What happened?' he ordered her, surely smelling the venom on her hands and setting her down, feeling her for injuries before cupping her head.

'Victoria.' She croaked, before clearing her throat. 'She followed Edward's scent, and never meant to be here. She's dead. Riley too. Seth's fucking scrappy I can tell you that.'

Her phone buzzed in her pocket, and it was like an electric shock. Jasper shushed her gently, smoothed that hypersensitivity and took the weight off her leg as she took her phone out and saw a couple of texts from Scott.

Fun fact, private planes? Fucking great.

Oh, yeah, Aro gave the go-ahead. Be there in twelve hours. F, D and the twins are coming.

'Fuck.' she growled, adrenalin shaking her to the bone. 'No signal on the Mountain, I wouldn't have gotten them.'

'Querida.' Jasper's voice was hypnotic as he smoothed her face, pressed their foreheads together and she clung to it. 'Settle for me a second.'

She couldn't. It was like someone had turned every sound up to maximum and no matter how much shoving she did, the panic was not budging. 'Help me.'

Tranquillity, warmth, and calm washed over her and that arm around her waist became an iron band as her knee went again but Willow let it settle her before they moved.

There was a Newborn, curled and utterly terrified, with Emmett standing guard as Jasper came to get her. 'You with us, Crawford?'

'Give us five minutes.' Willow threw to Emmett and Rosalie caught her hand and squeezed.

The Newborn was tiny. Long dark chocolate hair curled and bright red, doll eyes. Something in her had Willow opening her mouth as she fell behind Jasper's dominant side. 'Look, kiddo, you go for my throat like I'm a human Capri-Sun, I will actually throw your ass onto that fire. I have had a Day, and I might actually snap so in the lone chance that through the blood haze your brain is working, maybe don't.'

Jasper backed up her threat with a bone-chilling snarl and the girl fell silent, terror on her face, and distracted Willow enough that her hand dropped to a wet patch on Jasper's jacket. Wait hold on. She pulled it up and found a fresh scar, on the back of his forearm and her gaze went to the fire, not realising a snarl was trembling on her lip. He touched her cheek gently with his other hand and quietly soothed that bloodlust that had arisen.

'Nothin' a hunt won't fix.'

Willow frowned up at him but leant into the touch as she glanced to the others who nodded that they were cool. The girl was staring at her, more focused on her than Bella, keening into the dirt, baring her teeth at her. 'I feel a little special right now. Usually, everyone wants to eat Bella. Also don't bare your teeth at me, it's rude.'

'It's your heart rate.' Carlisle pursed his lips at her, and Willow pouted.

'Why'd you have to take the fun out of things, Carlisle?' her eyes went to the Newborn, 'Also why aren't you dead?'

'She didn't want to fight; we're offering her asylum.'

Willow flicked her gaze up to Jasper, saw the expression on his face, and kept her thoughts to herself, just giving a nod. She highly doubted the girl would get past the Volturi. Jasper nudged her back, and she went, trying to see anything of the Guard in the tree line. 'The Wolves?'

'Leah took on more than she could handle for a second,' Jasper debriefed, 'she had it when she got her feet under her, but Jacob made her unstable and he couldn't get his defence up fast enough.'

'He alright?'

'I'll be headed down once we speak with the Volturi,' Carlisle spoke, 'No doubt having to reset his bones, but he should make a full recovery.'

She nodded and there was movement in the trees. One second nothing, the next five cloaked figures joined them. Willow ignored the majority of them and only focused on one. Scott Forrester looked good. That familiar face was exactly the same, except in HD.

'Lovely for you to join us, Chancellor, how was the Senate?'

He had the damn cloak on, and it broke the tension. He gave her a dimpled grin and rocked on his skate-shoed feet. 'Pretty good actually. You?'

'Check your emails when you get back.'

'Nice.'

And it was just like the three months of distance hadn't happened at all. He winked at her and something in her relaxed. Willow wouldn't lie and say that she hadn't worried about him but seeing him there, comfortable, confident, and still somehow making skate shoes work with the cloak, helped more than one would imagine. Willow'd bet her inheritance he was channelling Anakin, the dramatic fuck that he was.

Fuck she had missed her best friend.

Felix looked about the clearing and pouted. 'We missed it?'

'If you arrived an hour ago,' Jasper quipped, hand on her outer thigh, 'you'd've had your pick.'

Scott lifted his nose and sniffed, said to her, 'Why do you smell like venom?'

A vicious grin stretched across her mouth. 'Because I chucked the bitch's head on the fire. Didn't take in the viscosity of venom, mind.' She nudged her glasses up, 'It's very sticky.'

Amusement flashed across his face and Willow flipped him off. Jane let her eyes dance over the area, the gouges in the dirt and grass, the dwindling fire. 'I don't understand.'

Edward didn't bother to let her ask the question. 'She surrendered.'

The Guard, mainly Felix and Demetri, exchanged looks and Scott shrugged off his cloak, handed it to Demetri and walked over, Alec following not far behind. It was only when he was closer, that she noticed a bit of black smoke around his nose and Alec's gift came to mind – he was blocking off scent from him. Handy. Scott crouched smoothly in front of the girl, revealing his knees in the tears of his jeans. 'What's your name?'

'B-Bree.' Her voice was like the clinking of glass, delicate and light.

'You know why you were Changed? Do you know how many there were?'

She shook her head. 'R-Riley never said her name. He didn't want us to be able to think of her. He said that our thoughts weren't safe.' Bree continued under Scott's nod, 'He told us that we had to destroy the yellow eyes here. Said it would be easy, that the city was theirs and that they were coming to get us. And once we took the city, the blood would be ours.'

'How many, kid?' Scott coaxed and it was like Willow was watching him calm Sophie down after a meltdown, soothing and calm.

'Eighteen.' She swallowed, 'We had twenty-one, but Casey was killed by Sara and Shelly and Steve got out.'

'Did Riley tell you anything else? Did Victoria?'

She shook her head. 'He said he'd come and help us, but he never did and then everyone was in pieces, and I wanted to run but they said they wouldn't hurt me if I didn't fight.'

Willow watched Scott and relaxed when she noticed the relaxing of his fingers. He must have seen something in her gaze. 'You sure you got them all?' Demetri asked and Jasper just tipped his head as Scott made his way back to his side. Everything in Willow wanted to snag her best friend in a hug and never let go but she was too jittery right now, and as much as Jasper would have gone for it, she knew he could only see Scott as a liability right now and wouldn't, couldn't, risk it.

'We split up too.' Carlisle gave with a smile and Jane looked to Bree. There was something off-setting about that little vampire, like every time she used her gift, the screams of pain were euphoric. 'We offered sanctuary but leave the final pass with you.'

'We could take her with us.' Scott threw out and Demetri looked at him.

'Because you want someone to play with.'

Scott rolled his eyes and volleyed back as he tipped his head up to the Tracker. 'Because you two bitch about your backs.'

Jane let her eyes scan over the group before landing on Edward, 'And the sire?'

Willow threw a thumb over her shoulder. 'Wendigo Peak. You break the tree line; the smoke was still thick when we left ten minutes ago.'

'The fuck did you go there for?' Scott gave her a look and she gave a bitch face.

'The Council decided, Scotty. And it was either there or Bandomeer.' her finger gestured around them.

He grimaced and let out a sigh. 'Right, fair enough. Lovely.' he rocked on his feet, 'So, what's the plan?'

Jane looked like a little creepy Halloween China doll. 'Broken rules have consequences.' Alec tugged her over and Willow nearly went nuclear.

Scott caught her eye, and she held her fingers a hair's width apart by her side. He tipped his head in acknowledgement, then Willow slid her hand into a pocket, and he shook his head. Rude. His eyes widen in agreement. No pockets? Seriously?

'Scott, anything to weigh in?'

It was like being caught talking in class again. 'Uh, what, I mean, she didn't know anything, and Marcus said it's the sire's job to teach their lineage the rules. So, if Victoria was the original sire of the army, and she's already dealt with, hasn't the sentence already been served? It's not Bree's fault she wasn't given structure and she's what? Bree, how long have you been a vampire?'

'Three months.'

'See? A baby, a foetus.'

Willow couldn't help the words out of her mouth, tired and her knee was threatening to give. 'Same age as you, dumb ass.'

'Exactly.' Scott snapped his fingers, gesturing to her, sending a grin, 'And you lot are doing such a good job with me, what's one more? If the Kings don't like it then fine, but we came here to deal out sentencing for a Newborn army, and unfortunately for Fee, the Cullens took all the fun away. So, the contract is fulfilled.'

'She's also tiny, smaller than you.' Felix shrugged. 'I agree with Scott. I say we bring her to the Throne Room, let Aro see what went on and then let him pass the final verdict.'

The idea got thirded by Demetri and Alec followed suit. Jane had a pout to her but was outvoted and Scott wandered back over and held a hand to her. 'C'mon, you're coming with us and we'll get you sorted out, How to Be a Vampire 101.'

'Class of Volterra University, 2010.' Willow quipped and Scott grinned at her again. They shared a look, one that said a thousand and one words before it passed, and Bree was slotted in behind Felix and Demetri. The girl was a mouse amongst lions.

Jane tightened her face before letting all emotion drop and looked to the Cullens, to Edward and Bella specifically. 'Do be sure to realise that the Volturi does not give out second chances and get that mortality issue sorted sooner rather than later.'

'The date is set.' Bella gritted out.

Since when?

'Come,' Jane turned to the boys and Bree, 'I want to go home.'

And just like that, Scott was gone, the last to leave with a wink to her and a wave, and it was finished, and they were at the house in less than five minutes.

How was it finished already?

Willow sat in the foyer at the bottom of the stairs, stripped of her outer layers, boots and multiple layers, mind racing, staring at nothing. It felt like the past week had been months and now it was only the wedding to deal with. What? Why didn't she feel better? Victoria was dead, she was supposed to feel like there was some closure but there wasn't, and it all hit her at once.

Her dad was dead. She was legally an orphan with her mother having repudiated her, Scott was dead and yes, Willow had seen him just seconds before but he was dead, and it was sort of her fault. Her dad was murdered, and she acted like everything was fine when it wasn't.

What was wrong with her? Had Willow been broken into so many pieces she couldn't function like a normal human being?

'Easy.' Jasper's voice was through cotton, and he lifted her when her knee went for the third time that day. 'Breathe for me. It's over, darlin'.'

Having him say that being in his arms, even with him hurt – oh God, Jasper was hurt, she was hurting him – Willow couldn't stop the tears and she couldn't break down in front of people. God, what would her mother think?

Even the emotional cocktail he was sending down the bond wasn't working as well as it should've, and she couldn't get a breath in and now she was panicking further. Willow keened into Jasper's neck, grasped with numb fingers at his collar, and tried to get at the skin there. But even that wasn't working. Too much, too much, it was too much.

She whined, confused when there was what felt like a tsunami of calm, so much so that she went lax in Jasper's grip. Her body felt like it weighed ten tonnes and her head an anvil as Willow couldn't help but let it drop onto Jasper's shoulder. There was that nice vibration coming from him as everything, all that grief, rage, anxiety, fear, all of it, just got turned off and they were on their bed. Every breath she got through her straw lungs Willow got the faint traces of his cologne, of tilled earth and as her glasses were removed, the maelstrom in her faded to exhaustion.

That nice vibration, along with the gentle rock and feel of Jasper's hand through her hair were strong competitors in her fight to stay conscious. 'Shh,' Jasper's voice came through the molasses of her tangled brain, 'sleep, I have you. You're safe.'

Well, if Jasper was there, then maybe sleep wouldn't be so bad. Maybe it would make tomorrow better. She felt his kiss and let Morpheus drag her under, giving into it, tangled around Jasper and wrapped up tightly.

Girly POPPED OFF!

and then had a subsequent break down which we all knew was coming.

ALSO HAHAHAHA DIDN'T KILL BREE! She has a reason for being alive. HEHEHEHEHEHEHE.

I will just say this, what Willow said on the mountain was said when she was not at her healthiest so things might change, might not, in the distant future, dunno yet. One more chapter and then we are onto the past book. Sad.

I've decided that for Breaking Dawn, we'll be doing alternate chapters but with a bit of a time jump with Scott's - his first couple of days, then the bond with D developing, bits of Italy and then the aftermath of Eclipse and Bree and then maybe the bits that we got to see in the movie with Irina and then we'll see. I remember a few of you saying that NM was a Slog so I'm gonna try and not make it as long to get through but Breaking Dawn is far more interesting plot-wise - even with Ratatouille - so it'll be fun to toy with both sides of the chess board.

Lemme know what you thought of Willow on the mountain with Victoria and how you think Jasper is gonna react when he finds out.

Anyway, stay safe and I'll see you next week for Fine Life Friday,

Enjoy,

K x