Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. Now on with the story.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Edward and I were sitting on the porch, watching a very rare Forks sunrise.

Alice had predicted a very sunny week. Carlisle called the school with a strep warning, implying that Edward, Alice, and I had it. The strep warning was real though, several other people had it, we would just seemingly be three others.

The sunrise would have been really beautiful, had it not been for the horrible events that took place yesterday afternoon marring my thoughts.

"Do you think we'll have to leave?" I asked Edward.

"I will not let them chase me out of the only home I have ever loved." He turned to look at me, "I have lived in many towns in many states. I have even lived in Canada a few times. Never, in my entire existence, have I loved a home so much. When we moved here a few years ago, I figured it would just be the same as everywhere else. How very wrong I was. I didn't think this small town could be special, but I was wrong, in this town, I met you."

I smiled, "When I sent myself here, I figured I was sending myself to my own personal hell. I hated Forks. I don't anymore. You have changed that."

It was Edward's turn to smile.

"You two were just made for each other." Alice joined us on the porch. "You're bags are still in Rosalie's car." She said to me.

I had completely forgotten about those. With all the events that happened yesterday, they had completely slipped my mind.

I stood up, "I should probably run those over to Charlie's."

"Why run?" Alice asked, "Just take the BMW." She tossed me the keys.

"Thanks," I said, "Will Rosalie be happy with me driving her car?"

"Rosalie isn't the mind-reader." Edward said.

"What she doesn't know can't hurt her." Alice put in.

"And if you totally wreck it, we'll come up with something to tell her." Edward finished.

"All right…" I said as I headed to the BMW. "I'll see you in an hour or so!" I called back.

"I'll be waiting." I heard Edward whisper.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I was driving.

For the first time since my change…

No, for the first time since I got my cast…

Wow, it's been a long time since I've driven.

I tried to remember the last time I drove.

I failed miserably.

I hadn't driven since my change. I hadn't driven at all in Phoenix, everywhere I went was either with my mom and she drove, or I walked, or took the bus if the heat was too much.

I hadn't driven before I left for Phoenix. I had only gotten my cast off a week previously and everyone was all too keen to keep me off my feet still.

I obviously hadn't driven when I had that wretched cast.

Let's see, before I got the cast…

Had I driven in Phoenix at all?

No, Jasper had done all the driving, except when I fled the airport to my mother's house, but I had taken a taxi then.

Before that, Edward had done all the driving for as far back as I could remember.

I couldn't honestly remember the last time I had driven. Wow.

I looked down at the speedometer. I was going 150 mph!

I slowed down, a lot.

I now understood why I would have to sell the truck. I would never be able to drive the poor thing again if I was subconsciously going these speeds.

Thankfully, I had slowed down considerably by the time Charlie's house loomed into view.

Another thing crossed my mind then. I really didn't have a home. Charlie's house was just that, Charlie's house. I didn't eat nor sleep there. I only spent a few hours of the day there, it was the place I kept my clothes. Nothing more anymore.

And the Cullen's house could not be considered my home. I mean, sure, I spent a lot of time there, but I couldn't consider it home. I know they had accepted me as family, but that still didn't make it home.

That was a depressing thought.

When I got to Charlie's house, I saw my poor-hasn't-been-driven-in-so-long-truck and Charlie's cruiser. He hadn't left for work yet.

I let myself in, which was a feat, considering I was holding five really big bags.

"Dad?" I called. "Dad, it's me Bella," I expected an answer.

But there was no 'I'm in here, Bella' or 'Bella, is that you?' the house was silent.

"Hello Bella." The voice came from behind me, but the voice was definitely not Charlie's.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I turned around, there sat Billy.

"How did you get here? What are you doing here? Where's Charlie?" I asked, trying to keep my voice even.

"Jacob dropped me off, I told him I'd call when I was ready for him to pick me up. I'm here to ask for you cooperation on something." He answered only the first and second questions.

"Where's Charlie?" I demanded.

"Oh, he's safe at our house. He will remain safe so long as you cooperate."

"And if I don't cooperate?"

"We're going to have to dispose of him."

"Killing your own friend! That's really low Billy, even for you."

"Charlie stopped being my friend the minute he stopped protecting you."

"Protecting me from what? The Cullen's aren't dangerous. You're more dangerous to me than they are."

"He won't have to die if you cooperate."

"What do you want me to do?" I asked out of curiosity.

"Get the Cullen's to leave and stay behind."

"What makes you think I'm going to do that? Even if I did convince them to leave, I'd go along with. I told you, I'm not turning to your twisted path."

"I do not ask you to turn to my path, only to turn away from the Cullens'."

I shook my head in disbelief. "I won't do it."

"You're forgetting that I have Charlie."

I couldn't believe he had gone this low. This was blackmail. "I'll see what I can do." I said finally.

"Very good Bella." He pulled out a cell phone and obviously called Jacob. "My work here is done."

It took maybe five minutes for Jacob to arrive.

As Jacob came in to get his father, his eyes flashed to me. Sorry, he thought, as if he knew that I could hear him.

I wondered if he could.

I only shook my head once more as they pulled out of the driveway, then I grabbed the bags and lugged them upstairs.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I put away the clothes mindlessly. Then I proceeded to change the clothes I was wearing. Seeing as I put them on late Sunday night, before my life took this horrible twist.

I didn't even notice what I put on until I caught sight of myself in the mirror. It was the black shirt with the rose on it and a pair of black jeans. It was if I was subconsciously mourning the events that were taking place.

The black contrasted greatly with my pale skin. I noticed that my eyes burned red under my contacts. I took the contacts out. I wasn't going out in public anytime soon. Anyone who would see me for the next couple of days would be a vampire or a werewolf.

I ran down the stairs and picked up the phone. I couldn't take it any longer. I dialed Edward's number. He needed to know just as much as I needed to tell someone.

"Hello?" He answered, obviously surprised to have me call him.

"Edward, it's Billy, he's taken Charlie, and if I don't get you guys to leave and stay behind myself, they'll kill him." I managed to choke out.

"He has gone too far!" Edward growled. "Stay there Bella, I'll be there in a couple of minutes."

"Okay," I whispered.

"Bella, no matter what happens, I love you."

"I love you too," I said, barely above a whisper, but I knew he heard me.

I sat down, shaking. The reality of the situation setting in. Had I been human, I might have just gone into shock. Now I just felt empty. My whole world was being turned upside down.

When the doorbell rang, I flew to get it.

There stood Edward, with Alice right behind him. Both of them were wearing identical looks of horror on their faces.

"What's wrong?" I asked, immediately worried.

"There's going to be a war between the vampires and the werewolves, and it's going to happen soon." Alice answered.

(I could have cut you off here, but I didn't!)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"What?" I whispered.

I let Alice and Edward in and we all took seats in the living room.

"But there are so many of them and just five of us!" I exclaimed.

"I'm calling Jasper, he'll come and help." Alice said.

"If I don't call Emmett and Rosalie and tell them what's going on, Emmett will be…disappointed. They'll come." Edward added.

"Plus we have people in Alaska who'll help us." Alice piped in.

"And we have the one thing that they want." Edward said quietly.

"What?" I asked.

"You." The two of them replied in unison.

"Me?"

"Don't you get it Bella?" Alice said, "They want you, for whatever reason, they want you. They don't just want you to stop being with us, they want you to turn to them, no matter what Billy says. Did it ever occur to you what would happen if we left and you stayed?"

"No,"

"Good, don't think on it."

I wasn't going to argue with Alice.

"What are we going to do?" I asked finally.

"Call everyone who is needed to help us, then, we go off to war." Edward said.

"Are you leaving me behind?" I figured he would.

"No, if you don't go, there is no war, but there is no retrieving Charlie either." Edward said, I knew he didn't like it, but it was true.

"And if we don't fight now, it's going to get worse than it already is." Alice put in.

I nodded. I felt as if I was condemning myself to my doom, but I was ready.

On the plus side, the only way they could kill me was if they tore me to shreds and burned me.

I was more worried about Edward or any of the other Cullen's getting hurt than me myself getting hurt. Once again they were putting themselves on the line for me.

No sense of self-preservation whatsoever.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A/N: Well, there you have it. I promise to update tomorrow!