A/N: Wow, so it's been forever and I apologize! School get's crazy. Well, it's still Christmas for about 9 more minutes, so here's a Christmas present for you all! It's a little bit longer than most of the other chapters. I'm on break now, so hopefully I'll be posting chapters regularly again. Enjoy and please review!

Disclaimer: I'm not Stephenie Meyer, I don't own Twilight, New Moon, etc.

Chapter Eight

Why was my life always so much more complicated than I could even imagine? I stared absentmindedly out the window as Edward drove my truck back towards Forks. Was peace and quiet, one love, and a normal life really so much to ask? Apparently so.

Edward seemed to read the anxiety on my face, and he grabbed my hand lightly from where it was resting on the seat beside me. I sighed.

"It's been a long night," Edward agreed, rubbing the back of my hand with his thumb lightly.

"Is it never going to end?" I asked suddenly, and felt my eyes brimming over again.

"Oh Bella, love!" he moaned. He let go of my hand and instead wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me close. "We'll figure out exactly what's going on and deal with it," he promised. "You're safe now; I won't let you out of my sight."

"So you're going to just watch me every second until this is over?" I cried, my panicked voice jumping an octave in the process.

"Yes, of course; until you're safe again," he said soothingly.

I was much too exhausted to argue so instead I just leaned against his shoulder and closed my eyes. It seemed like only seconds later, we were pulling into the driveway beside Charlie's cruiser.

"So you're staying?" I asked as calmly as possible. I was trying to reel in my emotions; if Charlie still happened to be awake waiting for me, I would need to fool him.

"Of course," he said softly, brushing his fingers gently down my cheek.

"Okay," I said with a small nod, and turned for the door. I was careful when shutting and locking it, but the dark first floor of the house made it clear that Charlie was already in bed. Fortunately, this left me free to fall to pieces uninterrupted.

I moved quickly up the stairs and into my room; I had to stifle a scream when I turned to find someone was already sitting on my bed.

"You're unusually jumpy," Edward commented. "Even after all you've been through tonight, my presence shouldn't have been so shocking."

"I'm pretty sure Jacob assumed you'd be staying outside," I mumbled. Suddenly, the need to fall to pieces was no longer there. Since Edward was here, and apparently staying the night, and all feelings of panic were gone. I gathered my pajamas and turned for the door.

"I'm pretty sure he shouldn't assume things," Edward countered, flashing me my favorite grin.

"I'll be right back," I sighed. For whatever reason, I was so sure he would stay outside; I shouldn't assume things, either.

I hopped into the hot shower, feeling shaken enough to desire the hot water to calm me down. Of course, Edward would be perfect for that as well, but I couldn't give in. Once I had cleaned myself up, dressed into my pajamas and brushed my teeth, I headed back to my room.

He hadn't moved an inch. He patted the bed beside him gently, beckoning me to join him. I sighed and plopped down beside him.

"You really shouldn't stay in here," I said softly with no conviction to my voice. Who was I trying to kid? I didn't want him to leave.

"Not leaving my sight," he repeated from earlier. I sighed, and pulled back the covers.

"Whatever. Goodnight." He chuckled softly, and wrapped his arms around me. "Edward," I said warningly.

"Bella, love, be reasonable," he began, his tone light. "You can't honestly mean that you would have me go."

"I'm with Jake," I reminded him for what seemed like the thousandth time.

"That kiss in the woods today seemed to imply that you're not," he said, raising one eyebrow at me.

"That – I – ugh!" I groaned. Of course he would bring that up.

"Yes?" he asked, a hint of laughter in his voice.

"I let my guard down," I muttered, knowing it wasn't true. Having him here, and so close, reminded me of the relief that had swept through me when I realized he was there, and I was safe, even though vampires were once again threatening my life. I never really felt that sense of security with Jake.

"Bella, love," he said, and stared deeply into my eyes. That was all it took.

I threw my arms around him, pulling him as tightly to me as I could manage. This was different than the other kisses I had bestowed upon him since his return; I had regretted those. They made me feel extremely guilty, and I wished I hadn't done them. This one was different. I never wanted to stop. I knew, from the second I began, that all pretenses were over; Edward was who I wanted. Even though the bond between Jacob and I was ridiculously strong, it was nothing compared to what I shared with Edward. I had been so reluctant to let him back in after the way he hurt me, so desperate to give Jake his chance, but I couldn't help it; this was stronger than fate. I assumed that the way the wolves felt when they imprinted was a watered down version of the way I felt when I looked at Edward; nothing could compare.

He pulled away from me for a moment. "Are you sure?" he asked, eyes wide with concern.

"Yes," I sighed. "I hate that I am, it makes me a really terrible person, but what can I say: I want you."

"You're not a terrible person," he objected, kissing my forehead. "You are a terribly noble person."

"I don't see how," I mumbled.

"We're meant to be together, Bella," he said with a sigh. "I came back when you had found someone new, and you tried to make that work for him. However, you and I, this is not something we're in control of. We both fought it for as long as we could, but there wasn't any way we could win that battle."

"Then why do I feel so terrible," I mumbled, laying my forehead against his chest.

"You're not," he promised, kissing the top of my head.

"I'm exhausted," I sighed. I didn't realize just how true this statement was until I was lying here in Edward's arms, exactly where I wanted to be.

Seeing how close to sleep I was, he grabbed the afghan from the end of my bed and wrapped it around me before pulling me close so that I wouldn't be cold.

"I've missed you so much," I mumbled against his chest, inches from sleep.

"I love you," he whispered in response, and began humming my lullaby.

I awoke slightly cold, and very disoriented. For a minute, I couldn't even remember what day it was. Once I looked into Edward's smiling face, I remembered everything; all the crazy events that had transpired in the past 24 hours, ending with me giving into my feelings for Edward. I had quite the mess to deal with now.

"Charlie is waiting for you to wake up before he leaves to go fishing," Edward whispered quietly. "I'll see you down there in a minute."

I was still a little too disoriented to really understand what he was saying, so I just rolled out of bed and headed downstairs for breakfast.

"Morning Bells," Charlie said cheerfully as I threw together a bowl of cereal. "Some bon fire last night, huh?"

He didn't know the half of it.

Suddenly, there was a light knock on the door.

"Who could that be? Maybe Jake's joining us for breakfast?" Charlie asked enthusiastically, moving toward the door. I somehow didn't think so, and felt a pang of guilt in my stomach.

"Good morning, Charlie," I heard Edward's velvety voice greet my father from the front hall.

"Edward?" Charlie asked, and I could just picture his eyes raking the hallway for his gun belt.

"Can I come in?" Edward asked pleasantly.

"What are you doing here?" Charlie growled in his most accusatory tone.

"I was hoping I might be able to speak with Bella," Edward said calmly, despite the homicidal thoughts I was sure he was hearing in my father's head right now.

"Bella," Charlie called, and I heard him moving down the hall back toward the kitchen, "you have a …visitor."

"Uh, morning Edward," I said awkwardly, refusing to lift my eyes from my cereal. Edward sat down in the chair beside me and smiled.

"So what are you doing here?" Charlie asked again, staring Edward down. I assumed he meant in our kitchen this morning, but Edward must've heard the true meaning to the question in his head.

"My mother didn't really enjoy LA," he explained. "She much prefers the small town life, and my father was more than happy to oblige her."

"What a shame you kids had to move again," he said, but even I could tell he didn't really mean it. "It's too bad you couldn't have just finished out the school year down there before going off to college."

I rolled my eyes, and Charlie shot me a warning look. I became immersed in studying my cereal once more.

"We don't mind," Edward said with a wince, but quickly turned it into a polite smile. What was that about? "We all missed our friends here in Forks, anyway."

Charlie made an indiscernible noise and refused to meet Edward's eyes. The awkwardness was almost too much for me to handle, and I wondered what horrible things Edward was hearing in Charlie's head to make him wince in pain like that.

"Uh dad, weren't you going fishing this morning?" I asked quickly.

"Hmm, did I tell you about that?" he asked. Oops. I guess not. Edward must have. "Well, yeah, Billy's been itching to do some serious deep-sea fishing," he admitted. "He borrowed a boat and everything. I wanted to let you know before I took off, but I guess I already told you," he muttered. "You gonna be okay here if I leave?" he asked seriously, eyes on Edward.

"I'll be fine," I promised, trying my best to look encouraging. "You go have fun with Billy."

"I'll probably see you in La Push with Jake later, right?" he asked, giving Edward a meaningful look.

"Uh, yeah, maybe," I muttered. "I've got a lot of work to do today though."

"Oh, yeah, okay, better get to it then," he said authoritatively, staring once more at Edward. "I wouldn't want you to be distracted and not get your work done."

"I'm okay Dad," I promised, "now go fishing."

"Bye Bells," he said, grabbing his fishing gear and heading out the door.

"That situation is going to take some resolving," Edward muttered, brow furrowed. He sat down in the chair next to mine. "So how are you this morning?" he asked seriously, turning to me.

"I'm fine," I said through a mouthful of cereal. I swallowed hard. "So do you have to have a meeting with the wolves now? You know, after yesterday?" I asked.

"You shouldn't be," he said seriously, ignoring my question. "You never did have the correct reactions to things; five vampires tried to kill you last night, and you're perfectly fine. I wish I could see inside your head."

"Yeah, yeah, my brain doesn't function properly, I got it," I muttered. Edward laughed. "Now, answer my question."

"Yes, we're meeting with the wolves this morning," he said. "I would insist upon leaving you here, but I can't be in two places at once, so you may as well come along."

"When?"

"About an hour," Edward said.

I got ready at a pretty leisurely pace; I had showered the night before, so I didn't need much time to get ready. The most irritating part was how Edward followed me room to room, watching me brush my teeth and my hair, wash my dishes, and clean up. I had to insist that he leave me alone for a minute while I dressed and used the bathroom; that would be crossing the line for anyone.

"Nearly ready?" he asked as I emerged from the bathroom.

"Yeah, just shoes," I said, placing my pajamas back on my bed.

"Let me help you," he offered with a grin, scooping me up and flying down the stairs. He set me down on the chair at the kitchen table, ran after my shoes, and had them both on my feet and tied in seconds.

"I'm not that slow," I muttered, rising to my feet. He was already holding out my jacket for me to put my arms through.

"Of course not," he said with a smile, "I'd just like to get there on time."

We walked to the back of the property and into the woods; a few feet in, Edward threw me on his back and began running as usual.

"So when are you going to dump Jacob?" he asked casually, never breaking stride.

"What??" I exclaimed, taken aback by his bluntness.

"I'm sorry, I was under the impression that last night," Edward began turning and giving me a meaningful look.

"Watch where you're running!" I shouted at him. "And, yes, I suppose you're right… I can't live without you." He beamed at my words. "But that doesn't mean I can just drop everything I have with him. That would crush him."

"You can't string him along forever, either, love," he said softly.

"I know I just… it's not the right time," I said firmly.

"Why not? Now is as good a time as any," Edward muttered, not looking at me.

"Well, the pack is under a lot of stress right now," I explained. "Last night at the bon fire, it turns out they're up to ten now."

"TEN?" Edward shouted, skidding to a halt.

"Yeah, it happened pretty suddenly, probably because of everything that's been happening." I explained.

"Who," Edward said, his voice hard, and his fingers pressed to the bridge of his nose.

"Um, well there's Sam, Jared, Paul, Jake, Quil, Embry, Seth, Leah, I think Colin and… shoot, there's one more, I don't remember his name," I said. "A few of them are really young, like thirteen or fourteen."

"Ten wolves," Edward repeated to himself. "They were holding out on us."

Oops. "You mean you didn't hear it in any of their thoughts, they didn't tell you?" I asked.

"No."

Crap. I couldn't help but feel like I'd just betrayed my friends. Sure, I had already done that in choosing Edward over Jake last night, but this was different; I was the middleman between two feuding families, and I had inadvertently failed to remain neutral.

"So what exactly is this meeting about?" I asked, trying to distract him. He began running again.

"Jasper has a few theories about what is going on," he explained. "He feels like the wolves should be informed so that we can better work as a team. However, if you would just break up with Jacob, involving them might not be necessary at all, and we could just handle it ourselves."

"I'm not breaking up with him yet," I said with a sigh.

"Well, we can talk about that later if you don't want him to overhear," Edward said quietly. "We're almost there, and I don't think you'd want him to find out this way."

"No, definitely not," I agreed.

"Then let's keep up the façade, shall we?" he whispered, and I could hear disapproval in his tone.

"I'm sorry," I muttered as he placed me lightly on my feet and stepped away, putting about a foot of space between us.

"Bella," Jake breathed, rushing to my side.

"Hi Jake," I murmured, trying my best not to sound too guilty.

"How'd you sleep?" he asked, wrapping his arms tightly around me.

"Oh, you know," I muttered, staring at the ground.

"We'll solve this," he promised, and kissed me lightly.

"If everyone's here, we should get started," Carlisle announced quietly.

Jake was the only wolf in human form; the rest stood gathered around as wolves, huge and menacing. All ten of them were here now. Apparently, they weren't keeping their numbers from the Cullen's anymore.

Edward stepped forward and began to speak. "Thank you for meeting us today. I realize that my actions last night should have voided our treaty, but I did exactly what was necessary to save Bella's life. The only part of the treaty I interfered with was crossing onto your land, but surely this can be overlooked based on the fact that I saved her life?"

"While I insist we could've handled it, Sam seems to think you're right," Jake grumbled, "so no breach of treaty."

"Excellent," Carlisle said warmly.

"With that matter sorted out, Jasper has some ideas about what could potentially be going on here," Edward said.

Jasper stepped forward and began addressing the wolves as if he were giving a formal business presentation.

"Now, I have some experience with newborn armies," he began, and Jake cut him off.

"What armies??" he asked, shocked.

"Newborns," Jasper said once more. "It used to be very common for strong vampires to bite and convert people into newborn vampires to create armies for territorial disputes. Newborns are initially much stronger than other vampires; what they lack in skill, they make up for in strength. I can give you more details later, if you wish," Jasper said, as Jake had opened his mouth to interject once more. "I have reason to believe that someone has created a newborn army, and that is what is terrorizing Seattle. Likewise, I believe it was newborns that attacked last night." A grumble rang through the wolves. "All the signs are there, and we believe it may be Victoria sending newborns after Bella."

"I tracked her to the south this past fall, and that's where she likely would've gotten the idea for a newborn army," Edward added.

He had been tracking Victoria? I felt sick at the thought, and sank to my knees on the spot.

"Bella??" half a dozen concerned voices asked at once.

"I'm fine," I gasped, wrapping my arms around my knees. "Please, just continue."

Edward took a step toward me, but stepped back quickly at a look from Jake.

"If Victoria is creating a newborn army," Edward continued, keeping his eyes on me all the while, "we think it might be in all of our best interests to redraw our boundary lines."

Once more, snarls ripped through the line of wolves.

"Temporarily, of course," Carlisle added hastily. "We were actually considering dropping the restrictions altogether until the situation is under control. We could, of course, still remain distant from the reservation, if you wish, but trying to maintain the boundary between our two grounds has seemed to cause more trouble than it has prevented."

"Absolutely not," Jacob hissed at Carlisle.

"Sam is willing to negotiate," Edward countered. Jacob glared daggers at him, but Edward continued. "He is willing to allow for overlap between the two territories, five miles or so on either side, but asks that we do stay at least a mile away from their reservation, or anywhere Quileute residents might be."

"We accept those terms," Carlisle said, smiling at Sam. "Shall we shake on it?" he asked, turning to Jake. Jake backed away.

"Sam says he trusts us not to breach the treaty, and that, for now, a hand shake isn't necessary," Edward replied. "He isn't sure he can ask that much of Jacob's self control right now."

"Very well," Carlisle said calmly. "Jasper is going to be training us to fight newborns, starting tonight," Carlisle explained. "If you wish to learn how they fight, you're welcome to join us – we'll be doing it right in this field."

There seemed to be a murmur of consensus among the wolves: they were all eagerly nodding their heads up and down.

"I'll take you home," Edward said quietly, and walked toward me.

"Wait!" Jake said angrily, "did you want to come over today?"

"I'm kind of tired," I said with a shrug, "I didn't sleep well last night."

"Oh," Jake said, looking slightly taken aback. "Okay, no problem, go rest up. I'll see you tomorrow?"

"After school?" I asked.

"Bella, love, tomorrow starts our spring break," Edward whispered.

"Oh, seriously?" I asked. I seemed to lose all sense of time these days.

"Get back!" Edward shouted, suddenly pushing me away. I wasn't sure what was going on at first, but then I looked at Jake: he was shaking so bad, I was amazed he hadn't phased yet. "You'll hurt her!"

Jake gritted his teeth for one long, tense moment until his temper was under control.

"Duly noted," Edward murmured at him.

"Noted what?" I asked, voice shaking. I had no idea what had just happened.

"Just take her home," Jake growled, turning away from us. "I'll call you later Bella," he said through his teeth while looking back over his shoulder.

"Bye Jake," I mumbled, so confused as to what had just happened.

"Come on," Edward said, pulling me onto his back.

Once we were a safe distance into the woods, I asked Edward what had happened to make Jake lose his temper like that.

"Oh, he didn't like that I called you 'love'," Edward said indifferently.

"That made him lose his temper that badly?" I asked, shocked. I had seen Jake keep his cool in much more stressful situations.

"You'd be surprised at some of the things in his head, love," Edward said sadly. "Now, did you really need to get more sleep? You really slept quite well last night, actually… unless that was an excuse to not spend the day with Jacob?" he asked, flashing me my favorite crooked smile.

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I hope you enjoyed! just a NOTE: I am writing this with the assumption that anyone reading has, in fact, read Twilight, New Moon, and Eclipse, at least, so I'm skimming over a LOT of the new born army discussion sort of stuff - let's just assume that one night Jasper and Bella had story time at the Cullen's house and got all the info out then - I mentioned it a bit, and please fill in the rest yourselves - or brush up on New Moon/Eclipse if any of that sounds strangely unfamiliar to you.

As always, thanks so much for reading and please review!