AN: By the way, I just thought I'd just add real quick that I realize now that Renee was dancing around and walking and talking only moments after giving birth. I just wanted to clarify that I in no way am trying to downplay the pain and effort that goes into giving birth, and a giant hurrah for all the mothers who pull that off. But I thought it was a little more Renee-ish to be doing something like that, I was accounting for her super-healing factors, and obviously I also did not want to include all the details. Just thought I'd quickly mention that. :)

Chapter Sixteen:

Bella's POV:

We gathered up our hidden purchases and began walking back to the car. We were all very, very excited to see how this party would turn out. Would Alice be surprised? The excitement was bubbling up in all of us, at times it felt like we were about to burst.

We dropped Seth off at the boundaries, trading off with Jacob as he handed Renesmee back to me. She was laughing as we walked back to the car, and she readily began to tell us of the great time she had had with Claire today, and some of Jacob's and Quil's funnier antics to keep the two girls entertained.

Edward pulled up to the Cullen main residence, parking the car quickly. Before Alice could possibly jump out of the house, we were off, racing through the woods with the bag that held her present. We had the perfect spot to hide it in our little home in the woods, everything would be perfect. And, with Renesmee on my shoulders, we knew that Alice couldn't see what we were doing, should she happen to wonder why we took off in the direction of our secluded house so quickly.

We made the distance within a minute easy, and placed the present in the hiding place. Renesmee was elated at the prospect of surprising her Aunt Alice just as much as the rest of us. She knew not to tell Alice the secret.

Edward and I turned and, more leisurely this time, began walking back towards the main Cullen residence once again, acting as though our behavior from a few moments ago was not strange at all. Edward held Renesmee on his shoulders as I walked beside them. Renesmee was still telling us all about her day.

It was a perfect moment, bathed in the subtle moonlight.

And then the moment was quickly ruined.

Before I even knew what I was really doing, I had snatched Renesmee off of Edward's shoulders. Both of them looked disgruntled, and I knew I had surprised even myself, but for that fleeting second, some instinct I didn't know I had told me to hold Renesmee as fast as I could.

And it payed off.

From nowhere in particular, a figure leapt out from the canopy, snarling as it fell towards Edward. Edward was already in position to face the oncoming and sudden opponent, while I turned to rush away with Renesmee. I knew that Edward would be fine, and while I would worry, Renesmee had to stay safe.

But as I turned, I saw two more shapes stalking quietly towards me, their eyes dark in the pale moonlight. Two more vampires.

No self-respecting vampire would've just come after another vampire without backup. Especially when it would appear to be outnumbered by other vampires.

I didn't exactly know what to do. Edward was still snarling and fighting his own opponent. I was sure that Alice would see us in danger in a moment, and she and Jasper and most likely Emmett in tow would come to our rescue. But until then—

Suddenly the unthinkable happened. Renesmee was out of my arms.

I had barely noticed, but where I thought the vampires had stealthily been sneaking up on me directly in front of me, in actuality a vampire appeared on my left, wrapping her arms around Renesmee and dancing away from me. The two vampires before me vanished like a mirage.

A gifted vampire with illusions. But my mind was mainly focusing on how Renesmee was not in my arms.

She was in this strange vampire's. Renesmee glanced at me with wide eyes that shone with apprehension.

"Arthur!" the vampire holding my child said, whispering harshly. "Let's go!"

Oh, I don't THINK so, lady—

I growled, and again surprised even myself. The sound ripping through my throat was not like any other growl I'd heard myself make. It was feral, yes, like any other time I'd heard a vampire growl. But instead of a panther's chuffing snarl, this was more like a rumbling, groaning, growl, just barely stopped in my throat; Yearning to be let out like a lion's roar. If there was one adjective that could be used to describe it, it would be dangerous. And that's exactly how I felt. I was dangerous.

The female vampire kept her eyes on me, as Renesmee squirmed in her grip.

I leapt.

Time suddenly seemed to slow down, and for a moment I was terrified that it was because of the vampire in front of me. Was there a possibility that a vampire could have time control as a gift?

But it took me a second to realize… I was still moving at what appeared to be a normal speed. It was everyone else that was frozen. And the whole clearing was vampires. Super-fast vampires. Yet I could still see Edward and the male vampire snarling and fighting, as if only at a normal human's pace. The female vampire in front of me, holding my child, still hadn't moved, her eyes concentrated on the spot I had leapt from.

And I felt a wilder side come over me. An instinct-driven, primitive, bestial side of me, straining to break the surface of my mind. I felt the raw strength that this incomprehensible nature offered me, and I allowed it to take over my control, if only for a moment.

All this registered in my brain in an instant. A moment. I didn't need more than that.

The female vampire didn't stand a chance of running away as I plowed into her, moving at a pace I could almost barely keep track of, myself. In a moment I realized with relief that Renesmee was back in my arms. Now came anger. Blistering, raging anger that this vampire woman before me would dare to steal my Renesmee.

My vision went bloodred.

I watched as the wide eyes of the vampire in front of me widened, fear radiating out of every surface of her body suddenly, as she tried to run from me. But I wouldn't let her get away that easily.

With a bound, I crashed into her, my fingers forming claws as I dug into her back. She fell face-first into the snow as I grabbed the sides of her head, prepared to either smash her skull between my hands, or yank her head from her neck I hadn't decided yet.

And suddenly, one small thought broke through the anger-filled haze over my mind.

Renesmee, it simply said. I turned.

Renesmee was standing behind me a few paces, watching between me and Edward. I couldn't let this newfound wild side obliterate this vampire with my two-year-old daughter watching.

I remembered through my weaker human memories how Edward had beheaded Victoria. That seemed much less… graphic, than the current methods I was thinking of to dismember the vampire beneath me.

Cleanly, I reached down and bit into the vampire's neck, before pulling. I knew that to Renesmee, this would look as though I had merely kissed the vampire's neck or some such thing, and it came off. Much less graphic.

My fingers ached to cause much more harm to the female below me in the snow, but I knew I couldn't while Renesmee was still here.

I turned, snarling at the vampire who was fighting my Edward. He was fast. Edward was fast too. It almost seemed an even fight.

Almost.

I shot forward, snarling as time suddenly seemed to speed up again. The other vampire glanced at me out of the corner of his eye, and I saw his eyes flash with fear as he knew he was about to be outnumbered. He turned as if to run, but Edward wouldn't let him leave just yet.

Together, Edward and I were on the other vampire in an instant, and I neatly beheaded him the same way I had taken the other vampire's head. I rolled, coming onto my feet with the head still in my hands. I felt wild, primitive, and filled with anger. It took me a few seconds to finally realize that there were no more opponents to face. Just Edward piling the vampire pieces together and pulling out a lighter and Renesmee.

Renesmee bounded over to me and jumped up in my arms, before placing her hand gently against my cheek. I saw myself through her eyes, as she replayed the smaller-scale battle from her perspective.

There I was, staring into my hands for a moment only, as I had a shocked expression on my face. Then slowly, deliberately, I turned to face the vampire holding Renesmee. Shock turned to fury on my expression. I thought that that was terrifying enough to behold, but then I saw something that surprised me mildly.

I couldn't place my finger on it, but something suddenly came over image-me, multiplying the aura of power and rage that image-me was exuding. The strange snarl ripped out of my throat, and I leapt gracefully through the air, hands extended to shred the other vampire to pieces.

The memory finished, ending with an inquiring note; what happened?

I held Renesmee close as I felt the strange primal urges leave me, and reason came back. Looking back on what she had just shown me, I surprised myself with how absolutely feral I had looked. "I'm sorry Renesmee, I don't know what came over me. But I would never let someone hurt you. You know that, right?"

Renesmee nodded, and wrapped her arms around my neck as I hugged her.

Silently, I pondered over what had happened to make me appear so much fiercer. Something had come over me in Renesmee's memory, something that was as noticeable as light against dark, and as completely invisible to the eye as a breath of wind. There had been no discernible change to any part of my features, but suddenly something was so different about me it was like I couldn't recognize myself for the few moments that the battle had taken.

I heard a sharp hiss behind me, and I turned to see Edward standing over the pile of vampire pieces, lighter in hand. But in his other hand, he was holding a small square of fabric, as if he recognized something on it. As I began to walk to his side with Renesmee, he quickly stuffed the fabric into his pocket.

"Edward?" I asked, not fooled as he bent down and lit the pieces of vampires aflame. Purple smoke rose from the crackling flame as it ate up the last remnants of our two attackers. "What was on that fabric?"

Edward took a breath. He looked up to me for a moment, saying nothing, as I waited for his response. After a moment, he looked back at the burning embers again and sighed. "I'll show you later. Not right now."

Instantly I was on red-alert. What could be on the fabric that he had taken? It wasn't much bigger than a handkerchief. I wondered if that was what it had been. Edward had moved fast enough that I hadn't gotten to study it closer before it was out of my sight. From the sound of his voice, Edward had not been happy to see it.

Edward took my hand after a moment of silence, and began once again leading me towards the main Cullen house. His eyes were continually scanning for more threats, as were mine, as we made our way silently towards the house.

We walked up the steps, and relaxed to some degree as we walked into the familiar white house. We could hear Carlisle up in his study, Jasper and Esme talking about how much longer we could stay in Forks, due to the population of herbivores in the area beginning to drop below their comfort levels.

Alice, however, was standing almost right in the doorway, her eyes wide as she stared up at us.

"I saw!" she said, somewhat ominously. "I saw you two! Getting attacked!"

Edward nodded, and Alice looked mildly pleased. Like I had mentioned before, Alice was getting extremely frustrated that she hadn't been able to see us recently. At this point, she was desperately trying to prove that her gift wasn't leaving her. We were close to cracking and breaking the surprise to her, but we had to stay strong. Just two more days. Two more days…

"We have something we need to tell everyone," Edward said in a normal volume, but the entire house could hear him, I was sure. "Where are Rose and Emmett?"

"Gimme a sec…" Alice said, riding on her latest success. But in this, her forehead creased as she tried to find Emmett and Rosalie. The rest of the family came into the room shortly after. "Almost… have… them…"

After a moment more, she sighed in defeat and pouted a little. "All I can get is that they're grocery shopping at the moment. Something for Jacob and Charlie maybe?"

"That's fine Alice, thank you very much," Edward said, "I'll tell them when they get home."

Alice nodded. Edward pulled out the fabric from his pocket and set it on the table.

"Bella, Renesmee, and I were just ambushed in the forest by two others just a few minutes ago. We took care of them pretty easily, but I found this on the shirt of one of them."

My family gasped as they took in the fabric. For a moment, and a moment only, I didn't see why they were acting almost—I suppose the best word would be afraid—of the fabric.

Then my eyes adjusted.

On the black fabric was a black emblem stitched into the cloth. It had no real meaning to me, but it looked somewhat familiar. Searching through my vampire memories, I wondered where I could have seen the symbol. I gasped just as loudly as the rest of the vampires when I finally recognized it.

The Volturi's seal.

The world felt like it was spinning under me as I sat down in a chair behind me. It was a strange sensation, panicking as a vampire. Everything seemed both magnified, and subdued. I didn't need breath anymore to gasp in and out, and I couldn't faint or black out. But the wild flurry of emotions twirling through me was tenfold of what panic or fear had felt like in my human life. And yet I could keep completely still, have the most unwavering poker face in the world, and be freaking out on the inside.

I tuned back into the conversation.

"I don't suppose that that could just be coincidence, can it?" Esme asked, staring at the fabric like she was repelled by it. "Maybe they took a shirt from Aro or something? A gift, like Bella's necklace? Or perhaps they were here for other reasons?"

"I could tell from their minds that they ambushed us originally because they were thirsty, and they couldn't resist Renesmee's scent. But past that, it was blurry. I only got glimpses. They were sent to watch us and wait," Edward said.

"So the Volturi are checking up on us?" Carlisle asked, frowning.

"I don't think it was necessarily so much of checking up on us as—" Edward began, but stopped himself. He looked reluctant to say whatever it was he was holding back.

"Edward," I whispered. "Please. What's going on?"

Edward looked at me for a moment, and sighed. "—so much as making sure we stay in one place."

Alice's eyes immediately glazed over as she checked the future. Immediately, hers and Edward's faces fell a little.

"It's happening," they both said at the same time. The melancholy air around them was just enough to strike a pang of fear in my unbeating heart.

"What?" I asked, now desperate for information. "What is happening?"

Alice's eyes remained glazed, but Edward sat down beside me, holding my hand as he watched Alice's visions with her.

"The Volturi have decided to try and sneak-attack all the covens they can recall who stood with us two years ago. They've already eliminated the Romanians and they've begun to hunt down the Irish Coven and bind them to the Volturi using Chelsea," Edward said somberly. "The Egyptian Coven seems to have been alerted already, and Ben has fled with Tia."

"They're coming here, to the States," Alice added in, her eyes still glazed. "But they'll be neck-neck with the Volturi right on their tails as they touchdown in the airport. They'll have to be quick."

I felt like I should be shaking. Like I should be impersonating an earthquake. I felt like I should have fainted with fright long ago. But I would never again know unconsciousness.

The Volturi were attacking. They'd already taken out a few of us; with more planning to come soon. How many more would the Volturi kill before they were sure that the rebellious vampires from two years ago were completely destroyed?

And suddenly I was thrown back into the panic and dismay I had felt in their first confrontation with us, when Renesmee's life was in danger.

Edward noticed my panic, he didn't have to be an empath to read the fear on my face.

"We'll deal with it, Bella, don't worry," he said, automatically reassuring me. "I'm sure that we can stand together like we did that day two years ago. We'll be fine."

"But not everybody," I replied instantly. I wasn't ready to lose anyone. Even those that I didn't perhaps know so much. It wasn't right. "You can't know that. Somebody will get hurt."

"That's the cost of war," Edward sighed. "There's nothing to be done about that."

"Are we really?" I asked, turning to face him. Jasper looked troubled behind Edward, as he crossed his arms and thought hard. "Are we really at war?"

Edward's expression seemed to steel. He took a deep breath, and looked at Jasper. After a moment of reading Jasper's thoughts, he turned back to me.

"Yes."

Leah's POV:

As we walked towards the tribal elders' town hall, I couldn't help but smile in triumph as I walked through the streets of La Push. It was still early morning as we walked through the 'main street' of La Push. The sun was just barely beginning to light up the darkness of the night, and I could feel the reservation beginning to come alive again for another day. There was the occasional early-morning jogger who passed us, but didn't spare more than a passing glance at Rye.

I could feel Rye grow confident as he walked alongside me, his hand in mine.

"So, where are we going next?" he asked, looking around him at the small shops and houses that littered the 'main road' of La Push.

"We're going to meet the elders. They'll want to meet you, I'm sure," I said.

"Oh," Rye said, and suddenly I could feel him tense up again. I paused.

"We don't have to go meet them. I just thought they might like to meet you," I said. "I mean, we can still turn around and walk aw—"

"Leah!" a voice called from behind me. Crap. "Leah, what are you doing up so early?"

"Oh, uh, just 'pack' stuff," I replied, not turning around to see my mother walking up to me and Rye in her jogging suit. She went on early-morning runs? "Showing Rye around."

"Since when did the pack need you up this early?" my mother said, before she finally noticed Rye standing beside me. "Hello, who are you?"

For a moment, Rye glanced between her outstretched hand and her face like he was genuinely surprised. "Um, hi, my name is Rye."

"Nice to meet you, Rye," my mother said, visibly noting Rye's ever-shifting skin with nothing much more than curiosity. "What brings you here?"

"Rye, this is my mother," I said, introducing Sue. "I was just showing Rye around La Push. He's never been here before."

'And, y'know, he's my imprint,' I added in my thoughts. I didn't tell her that just yet. I wanted to give the news to her and Seth tonight at dinner—or for breakfast, I supposed.

"Well, I hope you enjoy yourself here," Sue said. She looked around a little, as if looking for someone. "Where are your folks?"

Rye's expression darkened a little, and he replied, "They're out of the picture."

Sue adopted the appropriately abashed expression. "Oh, I'm sorry to hear that."

Rye shrugged. "Eh, it's fine."

But the look on his face suggested that it wasn't fine. And the tone he used only mildly hinted at the anger behind his words. Anger, not sadness. I squeezed his hand subtly to comfort him, and he acknowledged with a squeeze of his own.

"Hey mom, do you think that Rye can have some breakfast with us?" I asked casually. Casually was good. "So I can talk with him about 'pack stuff'?"

Sue shook her head. "Sorry sweetie, but we've already made plans to go have some breakfast with Charlie and Renee, since she's in town."

"That's fine," Rye said quickly. "I wouldn't want to get in the way of your plans, Ms. –?"

"Clearwater," Sue said. She glanced at Rye again. "I'm sorry. I would normally invite you to come with us. But Charlie is still new to this world of ours, with all the shapeshifters and Cold Ones and whatnot. He doesn't take the sight of shapeshifting well."

Rye quirked an eyebrow at the mention of 'Cold Ones.' For a moment I was confused. Then I recalled; right, he's never heard our legends.

"Yeah, I know what you mean," Rye said. His voice was level, but something about the way he stood, or perhaps the way he spoke told me that not being invited because of his shapeshifting was really irritating to him. He smiled as if it didn't bother him in the slightest, probably just being polite.

"Mom, I—" I began, but realized that it would probably be fruitless to try and invite him anyway. So I settled on the next best thing. "I don't think he has a place to stay yet. I was just going to show him to—"

"That's alright, Leah, I'll just crash with the Cullens for a little longer," Rye said. "I'll see you later?"

"Yes," I said, almost immediately. "I will see you later."

Rye nodded, and began loping off back the way we had come. It was about a fifteen mile trek to make it back to the Cullen's house, and I wondered if he knew that.

"Leah," Sue said, and I turned to face her, "why is Rye—?" she said, gesturing to her skin.

I shrugged. "Rye is probably a shapeshifter like any of us, but he's definitely not a wolf. We don't really know what his other form is," I said.

"Hm," Sue said. She stares off after the direction Rye had gone. "Be careful around him, sweetie. Something about him… just tells me he's dangerous."

I nearly snorted on my own uvula. "Mom, I'm dangerous, remember? Besides, he wouldn't hurt me."

I think she misinterpreted my words. "No, I know you're also dangerous. But something about the way he walks, or maybe the thing he shifts into, whatever it is, just gives me the same feeling as the Cullens. Dangerous. Lethal. Maybe even more than you and the pack."

"Mom," I said, trying to be as clear as possible, while still also trying to surprise her with my news later. "I know he won't hurt me."

"Whatever. Just please be careful," she said, checking her watch quickly.

I could see that she wasn't necessarily listening to my words. No matter. She would understand later today.

"I'm going to go home and grab a quick nap, if that's okay?" I said, yawning. "I should be up by the time we need to go to Charlie's."

"Okay, rest well," my mom said. I nodded and began walking away. "Leah?"

"Yeah?" I asked, turning around. Was there something else she wanted to ask me?

"Home is that way," she said, pointing the other direction. I frowned.

I hadn't even realized, but I had started to walk off into the woods. I knew that this wasn't the way to home, and yet I had started walking automatically after a certain red shapeshifter. Weird. Was this a part of imprinting?

"Right," I laughed, hoping she wouldn't attach any importance to the direction I had opted to follow. I turned and began walking back home, but I couldn't help but feel like I was walking the wrong way; like walking uphill on a somewhat steep incline.

Imprinting was so weird.

I made it to my room, and plopped down on the bed. I didn't have the hang of simply falling asleep like Seth or Jacob or the other pack members could do. It wasn't exactly fair. So I just laid there, waiting for sleep to take me. I was tired, but my body wouldn't seem to succumb to the engulfing oblivion of sleep.

It must've been nearly thirty minutes I laid there in my bed, eyes closed as I waited to fall asleep, because I suddenly heard Seth come into the house.

"Leah? Mom says it's time to go," he called from the doorway.

I groaned and sat up. Ugh. I was tired. Didn't get pretty much any sleep last night. But it was worth it. "Uugh…"

I heard Seth clomping through the house towards my room. I stood up.

"I'm coming, I'm coming," I said, throwing on a fresh shirt.

Seth opened the door. I scowled at him.

"Don't you knock?"

"Only when I think about it. C'mon, we've gotta go," he said.

"Geez, you're weirdly eager to get going today," I grumbled, tying my sneakers on.

"Well, not as much to start going to Charlie's as to hear what you have to say to me and mom," Seth said, waggling his eyebrows in a Jacob-like manner. I glared up at him.

"What do you mean?" I asked, my heart secretly pounding.

"I mean something you have to tell us about you and a certain red-skinned stranger who walked into the town late last night—" Seth said, making a face at me.

"Shut up," I muttered, but I could feel my cheeks threatening to betray me. "How did you even figure it out? I haven't even seen you yet!"

"Jacob was thinking about it when I went for a morning run," Seth said, shrugging.

I grumbled some probably rude things about lousy secret-keeping Alphas, and looked up at Seth again. "Does mom already know?"

"No, I thought you would like to tell her that," Seth said, becoming serious. He sat down next to me on the bed. "I didn't come in here to tease you so much as congratulate you. I know that you were—let's say paranoid—about this happening."

"Paranoid?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "That's what you came up with?"

"I'm trying to have a tender moment here, Leah!" Seth chuckled.

"Obviously you're very good at it."

"Shut up and give me a hug."

Rye's POV:

I loped steadily through the forest. It was taking much longer going back than it was coming from the Cullen's house. I hoped I wasn't getting lost.

Who said I had to run? It would be faster to fly anyways.

I took off my shirt, wondering if I would be able to shift my wings into existence. I was mildly surprised when they popped into view at the thought, almost as if my shifting nature had been responsive to me for once.

I flapped, and shot into the air. The forest was beautiful from this height. I could see everything. The beach Leah had taken me to last night—First Beach, I think she called it—the small town in the reservation… I could even see the hint of Forks in the distance. I started heading in the direction of the town. I was pretty sure I could find the Cullen's house quickly.

The house was easier to spot than I had expected. The large white structure sat in a small clearing with a river flowing nearby. It reminded me sort of like a helipad as I landed in the front yard. As soon as I hit the ground, my wings vibrated, and popped back out of existence. It was strange, having them actually appear and disappear as if on cue. I started walking towards the door.

I hadn't even gotten onto the porch when I felt like something was off. Some hidden instinct told me that there was something distressing or dangerous in the aura surrounding the house. Something was troubling whoever was in the house right now.

I walked in, and the tension in the air was palpable. I had no idea what the Cullens had been talking about, but immediately I could feel that it was bad. Really bad.

Bella glanced at me, her eyes widening for a moment with surprise before they returned to their previous expression of grief. Edward's face seemed to be determined, but his eyes hinted at great sadness within. The other vampires seemed to mirror either of their expressions.

"What's going on?" I asked, looking around the room. "What happened?"

Jacob walked over to me, his expression a little crestfallen. "Come with me, I'll explain."

I scanned the faces in the room once more, wondering what could've changed in so short a time that they could all look this distressed. And I had a feeling I was about to find out just what it was.

Jacob led me outside the house. He took me to stand by the river, where he began.

"Rye, how much do you know about vampires?" he asked me at first.

"I know enough. Glittery diamond skin, gifts, super-speed and strength…" I replied.

"Do you know who rules the vampires?"

"There's a vampire king?" I asked, curious.

"Sort of. Technically they're like a government, but if you really look into it, it's a three-way monarchy," Jacob said, sighing. "They're called the Volturi."

The name seemed to ring a bell, but it was like I had heard of them a long, long time ago. Jacob continued.

"About two years ago, the Volturi came to the Cullens threatening to kill Bella's daughter, because they thought she wasn't supposed to exist. We only avoided a battle because the Cullens had friends. Lots of friends, who stood with us. The Volturi felt threatened.

"All of the Cullen's friends went their separate ways after the battle, back to the continents and places they'd gathered from. And we thought that if the Volturi came back—when they came back—we'd be able to band together again, and stop them.

"But something we didn't account for was if the Volturi decided to simply get up and attack us. Edward only found out last night, but the Volturi sent spies to keep watch on us. They're coming, and they've already taken several of the family friends. As soon as they feel confident that they outnumber and outgun us, we'll be dead."

I took all this silently. I absorbed the information readily, knowing that I was in dangerous waters.

"So let me get this straight. The Cullens are worried because there's an army coming for them, and they can't gather their friends together fast enough?" I asked. Jacob nodded. "Can't they hide, or leave?"

"The Volturi have a tracker with them, so Edward tells me, who can find you, wherever you might go, as long as he's met you before. His name's Demetri, and there is no escaping from him."

I frowned. "And what do the Volturi have against the Cullens?"

"They feel like they were undermined by the Cullens standing against them and winning the 'trial' they held. Now they want revenge, and they're planning to use the vampires who stood up to them as an example to others who try to fight back."

At this, I felt a prick of anger. Ah, I knew that sort of people. The people who liked to stay in power.

"So there's nothing they can do to escape?" I asked. I felt protective of the Cullens. They were the first people to naturally accept my strange form, and they took care of me and my imprint. I wanted to do what I could to help.

Jacob shook his head. "Not that any of us can think of. The only option is to stand and fight."

I rotated my jaw in indignance. "Can the Volturi 'legally' do that? Just slaughter an entire coven?"

"No, but they'll try to find even the smallest thing that they can use, and work it up until it's a death sentence. They've already got the reason of associating with us wolves. They don't need more."

I felt the fire inside blister a little and pop as I felt myself get angrier. I turned and began to head back to the house.

I don't know why I felt so overly protective, but it felt like these were my people. The Cullens were MY people, my friends, I'd even go so far as to say my family, now. These Volturi people wanted to take them away? Let them get through me first.

I opened the door, and I saw a small smile on Edward's mouth as he looked at me in gratitude. Bella looked hesitant for some reason, as if she was afraid of what I might say.

"I'm in," I stated. "What do you need?"

Everywhere she went. Somehow, she could always feel the eyes of the pack on her, watching her, ridiculing her, scorning her… Renee couldn't take much more of this.

It had been maybe a month since she had walked out of La Push. Charlie was as proud a father as any, but he could feel the tension in the air surrounding Renee. The fight with Billy had been forgotten in his mind, but Renee could only remember it too clearly. She kept seeing the slightest hints of her past wherever she looked. And it didn't help when Billy came to visit Charlie, even if only to pick him up to go on fishing trips. Whenever Charlie left the room, Renee could feel the harsh glare Billy gave her, even if only in his mind's eye.

Isabella was Renee's source of joy, nowadays. There were no other reasons, as Renee's connection to the outside world began to fade. There was only her and Isabella, in this world of grey and rain. Isabella was her sunshine, Charlie was Renee's moon. Charlie was the only connection Renee had left to La Push, really, since he and Billy kept getting together to spend time together. They were good friends, and it wasn't Renee's place to ask Charlie to stop his friendship with Billy.

Which meant she had to endure. She had to suffer every harsh glance, every word she knew was whispered in the mind of the pack as she walked by one of them in the grocery store, toting Isabella along in the shopping cart.

It began to weigh on her mind, and cost her sleep. Charlie noticed that Renee was depressed, and he tried many things to cheer her up. But how could he know the truth? The politics of the pack of La Push? What was really weighting her mind down?

But there was always Isabella, who was already so smart and learning something new every day. Just being in Renee's arms would be enough to calm Isabella down, if she was crying or upset about something.

Then came the day that was the final straw…

Renee was walking to the library, as always toting a happily gurgling Isabella in her arms. She barely noticed the three figures huddled around a store window as she passed by. One figure looked up to see her passing.

"Renee!" Quil said.

Renee knew that she couldn't deal with this right now. She walked a little faster.

"Renee!" Quil repeated, beginning to turn. Harry and Billy glanced up at Renee from the fishing gear in the Newton's shop, but did not pursue Renee.

Renee kept walking. She turned a corner to the library, ignoring Quil. She didn't want to have to deal with any of his painful accusations anymore. She couldn't stand it.

"I know you can hear me," Quil said, appearing behind Renee. "What, wolf got your tongue?"

"Shut up, Quil," Renee said, walking faster. "I don't want to talk to any of you."

"Yeah, I got that memo," Quil's voice said, hard-edged. "Y'know, when you abandoned all of us."

Renee kept walking down the narrow street.

"And for what? That's what really gets me. What was so worth abandoning all of us, your friends, your family, for a bunch of leeches that you're never even going to see again!?" Quil grumbled.

"My daughter, you old goat," Renee finally spoke, not turning around. She was almost out of normal speaking range, even with her and Quil's werewolf super-hearing.

"Oh yeah, the leech-born kid. Totally makes sense now," Quil shouted.

Renee stopped cold. Isabella quieted her happy laughter, as if she understood that something was about to happen. Something big.

Renee turned around, slowly.

"What—" Renee said, making the word match her glare. "—did you call my daughter?"

"Leech-born. Since she was contaminated by the Cold Ones," Quil snorted.

The following glare that came from Renee was enough to have melted any normal person in their tracks. Even from the distance of nearly forty yards, Quil saw the fire in her eyes, raging past the point of no return. And yet she wasn't even shaking with the urge to phase.

With her glare on Quil, it was simply enough to make him finally realize what he had just said to her. How he and the others had treated Renee the past month. Like a sentence of condemnation, he suddenly saw it all in her eyes, how much their words had hurt her every day, and he noticed the bags under Renee's eyes. She looked as if she hadn't slept. He saw the faint lines streaking her cheeks that tears had fallen down. He saw all of this. And he knew it was too late to take any of it back.

Without another word, Renee turned. She briskly began walking away. She knew now, there was no more future here for her. She knew this with such absolute certainty, she wondered for a moment if it was some undiscovered Quileute thing. But she brushed it off. There was no longer enough of a reason to stay here in Forks.

Instead of heading to the library, she turned down a street and went immediately back home. She walked through the door and straight into her and Charlie's room. She grabbed a suitcase from under the bed.

Charlie walked in, and saw her throwing clothes and necessities into the bag. He looked confused.

"Renee, what are you doing?" he asked, his voice quiet.

"I have to leave, Charlie. I can't stay here," Renee said simply.

There was a moment of silence before Charlie spoke again. "Why?"

"It's complicated," Renee said, fighting tears that threatened to spring from her eyes. "But I have to leave."

"Renee, please stay," Charlie pleaded.

Renee shook her head, recalling every harsh look or word that the pack had shown her. "I can't, Charlie, I have to go."

She paused her packing and looked up at Charlie, who was kneeling at her side next to the bed. "Come with us. We can start a new life together. Just us three."

Charlie looked shocked. "What do you mean?"

"I can't stay here, Charlie. It's not my place anymore," Renee said. "I just can't stay cooped up in this tiny town any longer! I can't stand it here!"

This was partially true, but as Renee said the words, she felt more and more like they were completely true. She hated Forks. She'd been raised only just outside of the rainy town, but she couldn't stay another minute. All the harsh glares and words… she couldn't deal with them anymore. She had to get away.

"Renee, the town still needs the police," Charlie said. "I can't just give up—"

"You have deputies. They'll take over, and can appoint more deputies to replace their old slots," Renee said. "Forks will still be protected."

"But all of our friends," Charlie said.

"I'll miss some of them, really I will," Renee said, but suddenly she wasn't so sure. Who did she even has a friend in Forks? She didn't really speak to anyone other than Charlie's friends, but even half of those were from La Push, and were openly hostile towards her. "But it's a price we'd have to pay."

Charlie grasped Renee's hand. "Renee, please. Stay with me."

And Renee saw it. The light in Charlie's eyes that he wouldn't leave. He couldn't leave. He wasn't comfortable to leave Forks. He just wasn't that type of person, who could pick everything up and move to place roots elsewhere. He wouldn't come with her.

"You can't keep me here, Charlie," Renee said, suddenly knowing that she would have to escape the rainy town of Forks on her own. She closed the suitcase and walked to the still-open door. She turned to face her husband once more.

"Renee," he said, reaching out his hand, desperate to keep her there.

Renee fought a dry sob. She knew what she had to do; she had to make a clean break. And that meant she would have to completely break ties with Forks. She knew what she had to say to Charlie, and she knew she would have to hope that he moved on with his life.

"Just let me go, Charlie," she said, fighting the urge to sob. "It didn't work out, okay? I really, really hate Forks!"

She turned again, not waiting for an answer, and walked away. She barely noticed the rain as she walked into the great unknown for her life, Isabella her only companion.