Hopefully everyone found the last chapter decent. I've been doing my best to re edit this story slowly. This chapter will be a lot longer than my last ones, however. Reviews and constructive criticism will yield faster updates! Thanks.

I don't own Twilight or it's affiliated content- only my OC's.

Chapter 10

Bella and I took our vehicles back to the house and made a plan for dinner. Uncle Charlie was going to be home in a couple of hours and since we hadn't cooked and had a meal together in a long while, it warranted it. It was lucky that she agreed, though she was curious as to why.

"It feels right. And besides, Uncle Charlie has been worried about us- added to the fact that he's working hard, and we haven't had a chance to all sit down lately. Plus, he knows far more than we give him credit for. Then dinner will help ease tensions and make the secrets we're carrying less stressful. Although, I'm starting to consider letting him in on some of them. It's hard keeping it all in sometimes." She sighed then, nodding in agreement.

"You're right Lily. Some of this is too big to contain on our own anymore. I hate lying to him all the time. But how does the dinner fit into it exactly? I don't get how this will ease stress and tension." Bella leaned against the counter, her wide brown eyes turning quizzical.

"It gives off the perfect illusion of normalcy and bonding. Sometimes a nice distraction is all it takes to refocus." I bent down into the cabinets below and found what I needed in the back. Pulling it out triumphantly, I set it onto the countertop near my cousin.

"Do we even have something to toss together that fast? He's going to be back home soon." Her brows knit together.

"We have what we need. I make a wicked fajita fettucine dish, and I know you can do an amazing salmon. I think it will be great with a white wine sauce; thus, the bottle. It'll be a nice treat for everyone." Bella laughed at me, and I joined in.

Uncle Charlie came in shortly after we had set the table. He looked clearly upset, though that lessened when he took in the food on the table. "What's the occasion girls? This is a nice surprise…. And a suspicious one."

"I love how everyone in the family automatically equates nice dinners with ominous news or ulterior motives. I didn't realize you and Uncle Brian were so alike. It must be a parent thing." I noted.

"Only when it comes to you girls. You in particular Lily."

"Can we not just do something nice for you out of love? Besides Uncle Charlie, fast food and diner food not only gets boring, but it's horrible for you." I took my hair out of my bun and let it fall as I gave him a pointed look.

Bella agreed and added "Yeah dad. We haven't sat down and ate at the same time in a long while. Lily and I thought it might be a good change. I know you've been stressed out a lot at work, and that I've added to it recently. I'm so sorry for that."

Dinner went on smoothly and Bella revealed that she and Jacob were on good terms again though she had no interest in dating him. She was still actively ignoring his crush and shrugging off his advances- and Uncle Charlie offered practical advice on how to deal with him should he disrespect her boundaries or do something that made her uncomfortable until he could deal with it.

"I didn't do that with Edward, even when I should have. I mean it Bells, I won't have the heartbreak or abuse repeated. And don't say that he didn't do things that weren't appropriate or defend his actions. You will not become a statistic. I can't bear to see you go through that." Uncle Charlie's face hardened as he finished, and Bella did not protest- at least at first. She looked down and I could tell she was fighting to keep her emotions in check.

"Thanks. I appreciate you concern. As for Edward- I won't make excuses. He hurt me. He did a lot of things that in retrospect weren't okay, despite the circumstances. But that doesn't mean he was abusive or that he didn't care about me. Were there things that should've been different and addressed? Yes. But I don't like how you clearly think of him. I also don't like how if you thought it was an issue, why you didn't address it then?"

She looked at him equally as hard and the glint of defiance in her eyes was apparent.

"I did- at least to your mother. She dismissed my concerns of course. This was after you came back from Phoenix. You ran off because you two had a fight, and it was bad enough that you left the state! Next thing I know you're in the hospital because you somehow fell down the stairs when he found you! I didn't say anything to you because I knew you wouldn't listen. You would have run to him and shut me out, meaning if something more serious happened, I could've gotten the call that you were dead. And there would have been nothing that I could have done."

Bella shot up from the table then angerly and grabbed her jacket.

"I don't want to hear this Dad. And you Lily, I wish you'd back me up! The way you look right now it's like you're on his side! I'm going for a drive. Enjoy your dinner." She slammed the door and I sighed heavily.

"I'm sorry Uncle Charlie. Perhaps dinner was a bad idea. Last week was especially stressful for all of us."

"No. No, it wasn't. This needed to be said. It was bound to happen eventually and putting it off would have made the situation worse." I nodded in agreement.

"I'm guessing Uncle Brian talked with you recently. The statistics comment and the guilt on your face makes me inclined to believe that maybe you were trying to get through to both of us."

He looked over stunned. "I- "

"Don't. It's okay. You had a right to know. I gave him permission to tell you what I couldn't. I may be stepping out of line with this, but it probably wasn't the best idea to come at her like that. It takes a lot of time to process things like this and unfortunately, it's also really complicated. I promised I'd let you in more. And I really wish I could be candid with you now on this, but maybe take it easy on her. Right now, Bella needs us to be on her side."

"How can I after what he did to her?"

"Trust in your daughter. Bella will be okay and come around; so please just continue to love her and trust that she will make the right decision for herself in the end. It's all you really can do." He sighed.

"How did you deal with everything?"

"Time. And a lot of therapy. It took a long time to realize the situation I was in. Someday, Bella will too. The thing is, people can be toxic and have abusive tendencies without meaning to. It can be trauma or a product of how they were raised, and sometimes the person can think they're doing one thing and it come across another. I wish I could be more helpful in this."

"No. You're right. I just wish it didn't have to happen to her though. Or you for that matter."

"What will you do if someday she goes looking for him or he comes back?"

"I have no idea. I'm so terrified of it. Anything I do at this point will be like handing my little girl over to him. I can't forbid her. I can't keep him away if he decides to come back. I just hope I didn't drive her away again just now."

"I promise, she'll be back soon and everything will work itself out." I changed the subject.

"Something else happened today, didn't it?"

"Just like your mother… far too perceptive for your own good." He mused humorlessly. "You can say that it did. There was another attack. Two more people are dead. There's a search party organized to go after those wolves you girls found last weekend. I was supposed to already be heading that way... Will you be okay here?"

"Of course. It's nothing to put away food and wait by the phone for my cousin. I'll probably just watch a movie and read this new book I got in the mail until you guys get back." I gave him a hug before I continued, looking him in the eyes.

"Be safe please. Something is off; and I can't put my finger on it. I'd love to chalk it up to what just happened, but I've been feeling it all day. Being honest- I saw a shadow around you and Harry in my dreams. It's…. unsettling to say the least. I don't want to worry you, but you need to know. I swear I saw it today at the reservation too."

"Yeah, Emalyn talked about shadows like that too sometimes. I'll keep a look out and stay safe." He promised me, before heading off.

I sat back as the sky darkened, reading my book. It was still light out and the temperature had dropped enough that I had to go inside moments earlier. The air clung around me, and pulled me from concentrating fully on the pages I had read. I'd just settled back on the couch, when a number that I didn't recognize flashed across my screen. Something told me to answer it.

"Lily! Thank god you picked up. Listen, I just wanted to let you know something. Bella jumped off a cliff."

"She did what? It's freezing outside! Is she okay? I know this sounds like a crazy question, but was she trying to kill herself?" Jacob was breathing into the phone.

He paused before continuing "Yeah, she's fine. She somehow got it into her head that cliff diving would be a good idea. The scary thing was that it's a height not even most of us would do. And it gets worse. The red headed bloodsucker was around. It looks like she left again, and she didn't harm Bella. I don't think she will be coming for you. I took Bella back to my house to get warmed up though. She's taking a shower now. I just wanted to give you a heads up. I don't think she was trying to die but she almost did. Hang on- I'm getting a call on the other end."

My head was spinning and my line was also beeping to indicate a text. It was from Uncle Charlie. It read 'You were right to be worried. Harry had a heart attack. I am about to attend the funeral. I'll call you girls later. Keep me posted if you hear from Bella.'

Jacob's voice cut in just then and I realized he was still on the line. I hung up on accident. Today was quickly turning far too dramatic and heavy. I called him back and it took a second to come through. "Jacob. I'm sorry. I got a text, and I'm sure you already know about Harry."

"Yeah; that was my dad- he told me. They're all going over there now."

"I'm sorry… Thank you for taking care of my cousin though. If it isn't too much trouble, I'd be grateful if you could bring her home soon. You don't have to rush or anything though." He promised to have her back within a couple of hours and hung up.

It wasn't too long after this that I heard a car approaching and headlights appeared in the kitchen window.

I was on high alert as a short woman dressed in stylish clothing that was apparent even in the poor lighting stepped out of the driver's side, accompanied by a taller male whose wavy golden hair cut through the shadows. Who are these people? The poise they displayed made only one word come to mind- vampire. They did have the decency to ring the doorbell, but I understood why. I quickly grabbed a lighter. It may not do much against them, but at least for the more civilized it proved I wouldn't go down without a fight. Most didn't bother with me after that. I opened the door slowly and was met with a bubbly girl with golden eyes.

"Hi Lily! It's so wonderful to meet you. I'm Alice- may we come in? It's urgent."

The man remained stoic beside her but something was different about him. I couldn't place it. "Depends on two things. What are your intentions exactly and is this vampire with you Edward?" My tone held ice in it and the air around is was tense.

The man spoke low, and I detected a hint of a southern drawl "No ma'am. I'm Jasper. We came at Alice's insistence. She said it was necessary I be here with her."

"You still haven't answered why." Even as I said this, I opened the door wider and stepped out of the way. They stepped inside the threshold. Jasper glanced down at the bags of herbs and crystals in surprise. He must've seen the wards that were laid down.

"We're here because I had a vision. Well, I've had several actually, since you got here, but that's not the point. I can't see Bella anymore, and this last one I saw her jumping off a cliff." Alice seemed genuinely concerned.

"What? No, Bella's fine. I mean, she did apparently cliff dive, but it was recreational. Though with all due respect to you both, she isn't exactly a concern of yours. Especially since according to her, you all left because this guy over here" I nodded in Jasper's direction "apparently lost control and tried to drain her." Jasper flinched and Alice visibly recoiled as though I'd struck her.

"That was an accident. We never meant to hurt her like that or for any of this to happen. We all love Bella."

"But there was an incident right?" It was Jasper who spoke up.

"Yes. And you have no idea how sorry I am for it."

"Even still. You guys hurt her more by leaving. You were supposed to be her friends and you just disappeared completely. If you're going to pull that shit, you could at least have the decency of wiping her memory away with magic versus the gaslighting technique. I still don't understand why you'd come back now. And I'm not trying to be rude, but I don't know you. All I know is that you've done both great and terrible things." I softened, looking now at Jasper.

"It isn't my place to judge you. And perhaps it's unfair of me to be so defensive, but you didn't see how Bella's been since everything went down."

"No- it's understandable. You don't know us. It's smart that you don't automatically trust us." He spoke, leaning against the wall. His stance was casual and clearly trying to downplay his strength so as to appear more calm. I turned to Alice then.

"You said you had... visions. Can you explain that to me please?"

"Oh, right!" Alice piped up.

"I can see visions of the future. It's a gift I have, though it does have limitations. For instance, you're a little blurry, but I can still see you. As for the answer to your question, Edward didn't want me to look into Bella's future. I tried to respect his wishes but I wasn't going to leave her alone unless I knew she was going to be okay. I knew you would help her and that you were really important. I'm sorry. We should've called and we can get out of your hair soon. I just want to see for myself that Bella's okay first."

I looked Alice over, taking in her impossibly perfect features. She was saying all the right things and a part of me wanted to believe her. What harm could this do though? Was it really a good idea for them to see my cousin again then just leave her? I noticed Jasper studying me intently. It was terrifying the waves he was giving off. He was definitely an intense presence. I could tell with his lean muscles defined by his shirt that he was clearly powerful. That wasn't what had me on edge however. No, it came from how magnetic he felt. It was like I couldn't hide or turn away and I felt utterly exposed.

I cleared my throat before speaking- "No. I don't think that's a good idea. She's finally starting to move on and not break down at every left turn. For you to come back in and then disappear again…." I trailed off, and shook my head fiercely before continuing.

"I'm sorry. I can't allow that. The damage would be too much. For her sake, please leave."

"But!" Alice started to protest. I gave her a hard stare and cut her off.

"No! No buts. You guys shouldn't have come back, unless you're coming back for good, which I don't see happening. Plus, think about what happens when you leave her, again. At that point, you may as well be handing her over to that Victoria chick. Or I guess both of us, since I'll be the one that has to try and rescue her."

"Victoria's here?" Jasper spoke up in alarm. "Alice, why didn't you see this?"

"I don't know! I haven't been able to see hardly anything!" She turned to me then- "We can't leave Bella alone now! Look, you have every right to be mad. But I swear I didn't know Victoria was after her or we would've been back sooner. I personally, would've never left! You have to believe us. Forget what Edward said. I will not let her go through this alone or leave again."

"That may be so, but you've done it before. The wolves are protecting us now and we don't need your help. I certainly don't want it."

"Then you don't have to accept the help. But with us back, the treaty won't hold up on their end, which means we protect you by default, even if you don't want it." Jasper said quietly. It was infuriating, but there wasn't anything I could do. His shift in posture suggested he was expecting me to continue the fight, but his logic left no room for rebuttals.

"If you insist upon staying now that you know, I can't exactly stop you. Bella will be here shortly, and she can decide if she wants to accept you back in. I won't make that call for her. Regardless of what she decides, do NOT be a reason why she gets hurt. Or for Uncle Charlie to experience more heartache when he's trying desperately to put our family back together. I won't be held accountable for my actions if that gets taken away."

I turned and left them there. I didn't care if they followed or not. It was impossible to know what would happen now. On the one hand, I knew nothing good came from associating with them. Humans and vampires weren't made to mix long term. Deep down I knew that if Bella wanted them around there was nothing that could be done about it. I could only control my interactions with them.

I hadn't closed my door, and it turned out Jasper had followed.

"You're right about us, you know. The dangerous part. I probably shouldn't have followed you, but I had to make sure you were alright. You have impressive wards, by the way."

"I don't know how to feel right now. Dealing with your kind hasn't exactly gone well for me in the past. I'm probably a bit paranoid and overzealous compared to how I used to be... How did you know about the wards?"

"I've been around longer than I care to admit and seen a lot during those times. It's hard not to, bein' in the South and all." I nodded, acknowledging that it made sense.

"Right."

"So if you're doin' alright, I'll just head back to Alice then." He turned to leave. I realize I had never let the ward down.

"Wait! You don't have to go. Not unless you want to." He shot me a quizzical look filled with skepticism.

"But, you're afraid of me. Can't say I blame you. I don't know why you'd want me to stay."

"Look, if I'm going to play nice I will have to know there's another side to you than just bloodlust. Yes, your presence is very alarming for many reasons. You're powerful, older, and from your posture I would be you've been in war and wielded as much death as you've witnessed. Couple that with the fact that you lost control around my cousin and my past experiences with vampires, it will make it that much harder to be around you." I paused for a moment and let my gaze soften as I motioned him further into my space. He complied warily.

"I'm not good with words here. Perhaps I am saying everything wrong and too harshly. I guess what I am trying to say is… If you guys are going to be around like I know you are- then for Bella's sake, why don't we start over?" I grabbed his hand gently and noted how pleasant his cool skin felt against my own. "Hello, I'm Lily. And you are…"

"Relieved to hear you say that, though strange it may be." His voice was like honey and his scent reminded me of sunsets and peach iced tea. I tried to ignore it. He slid his hand gently away from mine and we both turned to the sound of the door downstairs hitting the wall.

"And that would be Bella….."