Thanks to my beta, Kate Pedroso, for her work. I won't go on and on here but its a longer chapter for you...and I could not wait for 6 more reviews to post it. I really do appreciate those of you who consistently review. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: All characters belong to the wonderful Stephenie Meyer and her Twilight series...for now. Stephenie, I hope I did Jacob justice.

We halted at the edge of the tree line, about thirty yards away from them. We would have to move closer for Billy, Quil Sr. and Sue to interact with them without yelling. Carlisle halted where he stood and let us move in as close as we were comfortable. We got about fifteen yards from them when I felt Billy stiffen in my arms. It was as far as I would have gone anyway. The wind was moving towards us and the stench rolling off of them was enough to make me sick.

"Close enough?"

"Definitely," he whispered. It was futile; they would hear him anyway, but I didn't point that out.

I gently lowered him to the ground. He winced when I backed away. Damnit, why didn't I think of bringing something for him to sit on? As Sam and Quil set their charges down I looked around, but saw nothing in the immediate area. All of a sudden I heard a sharp intake of breath from Billy and growls from the wolves behind me. I whirled around to see that Edward had crossed the distance between us and was standing about five yards away. In his arms he carried a fairly large log. He looked at me and set it down before backing away.

I looked at him curiously. "It has a natural seat in it," he explained quietly. Of course, he heard me. I bristled, already irritated. Being around Edward always did that to me. It was bad enough that the rest of the pack could hear my thoughts when I'm a wolf, I hated it that someone could hear my thoughts in human form as well. Sam and I walked forward, bringing it back for the three elders to sit on.

I looked behind me to make sure everyone was in place. Wolves in all sizes and hues stood close by in a semi circle. Directly behind me I could see Collin and Brady, backs raised. "Calm down," Sam ordered quietly. I looked over at Embry. "Set?" He nodded his head once. I looked at Sam, who nodded, and then I squared my shoulders forward before laying a hand on Billy's shoulder, letting him know it was ok to start.

While Billy made introductions I looked at the Cullen's and avoided looking at Bella. They all had the same pale skin and golden eyes, all unnaturally beautiful. Gods among men, I thought, only half sarcastic. I won't lie; the other half was simply natural jealousy. Not that I didn't like how I looked. On the contrary, I knew I looked good. Bella had even told me once. 'You know, you're sort of beautiful.' I could still remember the way she used to blush and turn her head away when I'd walk into a room, half naked. Movement caught my eye and I saw Edward's head bow, a frown covering his face. Though he wasn't looking at me I knew he had heard my thoughts. I rolled my eyes. It was his own fault for listening in the first place.

Carlisle began to introduce his family. There was tension in the air, although it wasn't as bad as the last time we met here for newborn elimination training. I inwardly smirked at that. I knew how the wolves felt; I'm sure their discomfort mirrored mine to varying degrees. I looked at the Cullen's and realized they probably felt the same way…except for the big one. He was standing on Carlisle's right side, looking confident and wearing a big, goofy, confident smile. What was his name again…it took me a second to dig it out of my memory. Emmett. That one isn't afraid of anything. His mate stood next to him; blonde, gorgeous, and looking down her nose at us in disgust. I bet she's got a bit of a prissy side, the snob. On the end of that side was the one I would assume was Carlisle's mate, since I basically knew everyone else. She was beautiful in a very ethereal, motherly sense.

My eyes shifted to Carlisle's left. There stood 'The General', as I had referred to him when speaking with the wolves. I knew Jasper was his name, but who cares; the guy had a knack for battle strategies. He was definitely one I wouldn't want to run into alone. I didn't fear him exactly, but he would put up one hell of a fight, as would the pixie to his left. Alice was more of a danger to other vampires than to us since she couldn't see us in her visions, but she was vicious in battle. I had seen her in action and she was downright scary.

Finally my eyes settled on the last member of the coven; Edward. He was looking directly at me, a small smile on his face. It was friendly, but I wasn't interested in holding his gaze. I'm sure he was listening in on my reflections about his family. Bella was standing next to him, holding his hand. I caught her gaze. She was staring at me, her eyes soft but sad. I immediately looked away, back to Edward.

I crossed my arms and purposefully directed a thought at him. You know, you could make this a little more comfortable for these three. Do me a favor and sit down; having you all standing is putting everyone on edge. I knew they were lightning quick, and that sitting on the ground wouldn't make them any less dangerous if they wanted to attack, but it might at least comfort Billy and the other two.

He gave a discreet nod and sat, pulling Bella down with him. The others looked at him questioningly, but he was able to convey his purpose easily enough with a simple tilt of his head towards us. Carlisle nodded once and sat as well, the rest following.

Thanks. Again he simply nodded once, his face now blank of emotion. He was probably listening to everyone now. You could do me another favor and try not to listen in on everyone's thoughts tonight. You might not like us, but we agreed to come. Give them a little privacy. I didn't expect a response to that and I'm sure it wouldn't have mattered; he would listen in anyway.

Billy visibly relaxed a touch and pulled out a piece of paper outlining the terms before he started. "We knew this was inevitable, and we've come to new terms." We all settled in, the coven's full attention on Billy. "First and foremost, you must leave before Bella is turned. We do not want a young vampire in this area." I looked at Bella but she was looking at the ground. I wondered what she was thinking.

"Secondly, if you accept these terms you cannot return for some time. This is simply because we assumed that if Bella accepts your lifestyle it will take her some time to gain control of herself. We do not have a specific time frame but I would assume you would use good judgment on that matter." The images Paul projected to me the other day popped in my head; Bella hunting, feeding, maybe slipping up a time or two. Edward's brow furrowed.

You know this is what she'll become, don't know why you're frowning about it. You've already agreed to turn her into this sort of animal. I didn't even bother looking at him when I said it. I knew what kind of damage my thoughts would do.

Billy continued. "Thirdly, you must inform us before making any visits or if making plans to return here to live. Bella has a number where you can reach us, for awhile anyway. If it is after we've passed it is your responsibility to find a way to contact us. If the pack discovers you in the area without proper warning the treaty is null and void. Term four; if or when you return, hunting will not be allowed within fifty miles of Forks and La Push…the border law remains. Number five, if Bella returns she is to be escorted by at least three of your kind." That one brought confused stares from the coven.

Billy tried to explain. "From what we understand, you are turned completely over to your instincts when you hunt and, as it takes time for you to learn control, we are taking no chances by letting her hunt by herself. She will have an escort so that if something goes awry you will be able to control her, or stop her if necessary…because if you won't, we will." His voice was stern and the threat was obvious. They nodded their understanding but I could see them bristle. They didn't like that thought.

I looked over at Bella to see her reaction. She was still looking at the ground, but now I could see that tears were falling quietly down her face. I ached to hold her. Instead, Edward removed his hand from hers and put his arms around her. She buried her face in his chest.

Jealousy flared in me. If you weren't so selfish she would remain human and things like this wouldn't have to be said. I'm sorry that this is hurting her but this is the way it is. If she is going to be one of you she'll have to accept the terms. Even I can't argue with them. Even I won't make exceptions. Edward's eyes flashed toward me, the pain and struggle within them obvious. I felt no regret for the thoughts and no sympathy for him.

Billy looked at Bella too, and I knew he felt bad for what pain this was causing. He cleared his throat and continued. "Lastly, this is the only exception that we will ever make. If you turn anyone ever again you will pay the consequences." He paused. "These terms are absolutely inflexible. If there is a problem, it's your own and you have the right not to agree to them. Just remember that if you won't agree you must leave and never come back. If you ever do, even after we've all gone, the pack will have no choice but to attack. This new treaty will go into effect immediately before you turn Bella. And we expect to be notified of that date. Do you understand? "

Carlisle looked to the others in the coven who all nodded their agreement to the terms. Lastly he turned to Bella, whose head was still buried in Edward's chest. "Bella, as part of the family, you will have to agree to these terms as well before we make it final," he said in a soft voice.

She looked up and I could see then how red her eyes were from crying. Edward's shirt was soaked in her tears. It took everything in me not to cross the gap and steal her away, to protect her from all of this. I remembered all those times when she'd let me fold her into my arms. None of this would matter if you would just stay! I wanted to scream it at her, to beg and plead with her…all just to stop her from hurting.

My silent scream brought Edward's attention back to me. Now there was a mixture of anger and loathing in his eyes. It pissed me off. Don't you even think about looking at me like that! I can't help it that it is my reaction. I love her and I've never left her when she was hurting; I made her a promise. He looked away, settling his chin on Bella's head.

Everyone's eyes were still on her, waiting for a response. She reached up with her left hand to wipe away her tears and I saw something there sparkle. I closed my eyes and sighed, feeling my heart twinge a bit as it started to tear open. One more reminder, I thought. I let out the breath I had been holding in a quick burst. Damnit, this is harder than I thought it would be. I took another deep breath and pulled myself together.

"I agree," she said, my eyes opening at the sound. Her voice was still thick with tears though her face showed no particular emotion. She could be hurting, but she could be angry as well. More than once she had reminded me that her anger was hardwired to her tear ducts.

Carlisle nodded and turned back toward us. "Your terms seem fair and we agree to them." Billy and the others relaxed for only a moment before Carlisle continued. "There is something else that we wanted to discuss with you while you are here. We had discussed the fact that we invited our sister coven in Denali."

"Yes, I remember," Billy said. "I informed the pack of that. Did you receive a response?"

"Yes." Carlisle looked toward Edward and Bella before continuing. "They are planning on attending the wedding. They will be here for three days prior to the wedding and at least two days after."

"If they share your… feeding habits… and respect the treaty already set in place then we will have no problem. However, it will be your responsibility to inform them of the terms. If they disobey them…" He left that warning hang in the air. We all knew what would happen if they did not abide.

Carlisle shifted where he sat, clearly uncomfortable. That surprised me, he was always so composed. There was something going on.

"That was what we wanted to discuss. Yes, of course, they share our way of life. However…" He stopped.

I stiffened; something was wrong. I looked to Sam and I could tell he felt it too.

Carlisle went on. "I don't know if they will accept all of the terms of the treaty." I could hear growling behind me, low and continuous, from all members of the pack. "What the hell do you mean you don't know?" I asked, I could feel the anger rising inside me. All of a sudden I could feel a wave of calm wash over me. I'd felt it before. I looked at The General accusingly. I didn't like being manipulated like that.

Carlisle's voice brought me back to him. He looked at me, regret in his eyes. "Did you ever wonder why the coven from Denali did not come to our aid to exterminate the newborns?"

To be honest, I'd never given it a thought. Now I was curious and confused about where he was going with this. If the covens were so close, why didn't they? "No."

"One of the females, Irina, took it personally when you killed Laurent."

It hit me then; I understood. "Who the hell is Laurent?" Sam asked.

"The dark haired leech who tried to kill Bella in the meadow," I said, emphasizing the word. I looked at Edward. You can all take it personally if you like, but that thing was a leech.

Carlisle nodded. "She is holding it against the pack. The coven refused to fight with us unless we allowed them to take down the pack and, of course, we were not going to let that happen."

"That asshole deserved it," Emmett piped in. "If he had done anything we would have taken him down ourselves anyway." The blonde next to him slapped him on the arm and told him to shut up.

Now it was Sam who responded, his voice was steel. "We appreciate that, but the fact remains. If they come into this area and don't respect the terms of the treaty we will do what we were made to do."

Carlisle looked pained and I realized that the coven was between a rock and a hard place. "As much as I would regret anything such as that happening, we understand your position."

Sam went on, widening his stance and crossing his arms. "Then it has to be asked. If it were to come down to a fight, where would you stand?"

Carlisle looked around. "That has yet to be determined."

I turned my back to the coven, interlocking my fingers and placing my hands on my head. You know it would be wrong, but you don't know what you'd do about it? Cowards! I growled, the rest of the pack following suit, and then turned around. The volume was becoming like thunder. My comment fueled fire in Edward's eyes and they flashed with fury. Coward, I repeated.I wanted nothing more than to taunt him right now.

I looked to Bella whose eyes were wide with comprehension. If there was a fight, her soon to be family would only have three choices; to stand on the sidelines and let the pack and the Denali coven fight, to fight with the pack; or to fight against them. Where would she stand, with us or them?

"We do not agree with them, but we have also known them for many years; they are friends. There is no easy decision," Edward snarled between clenched teeth. His hands were in fists at his side. Bella was still sitting there, stunned.

I was quivering with anger now. Another wave of calm passed over me as well as the rest of the pack I'm sure. "Knock it off," I growled at the one controlling this wave. He just stared back at me, disgust in his eyes. "We have every right to be upset."

Sam continued on, ignoring my outburst. "Nevertheless, we will do what we have to. We will leave Forks for you to protect since you say they are no threat to humans. We do not want to…ruin your plans, so we will simply patrol our own border during that week or so," Sam said. "I would suggest you do what you can to prevent a run in between us."

"I do not know if Irina or any of the others have any overt intentions to attack the pack at that time; we will know more once they arrive. I would hope that they will remember the reason why they have been invited and respect that any type of fight would be unacceptable during that time," Carlisle said, more to himself than to anyone else. His eyes were on the ground. There was a pause before he finished. "That was all that we had to discuss this evening."

Billy responded in kind and the coven stood to leave. Edward, I said, knowing he wouldn't be able to avoid hearing his own name. I want to talk to Bella for a minute if she's up to it.

Edward glared at me. I didn't know if he would pass on the message or not. If you don't ask her I'll come over there and do it myself. His eyes narrowed a bit and his top lip pulled back, baring his teeth. He bent down and whispered in Bella's ear. She looked up at him and then over at me. He and the rest of the coven retreated into the trees, but I knew he wouldn't be far away. She stood there waiting for me.

I put a hand on Billy's shoulder. "Dad, I'll be right back." He looked up at me with concerned eyes but nodded once.

I walked over to her. She watched me come, fidgeting with her fingers as I neared. "Hey, Jake." Her voice was soft, music to my ears.

I couldn't control myself anymore; I wound my arms around her tiny frame and nestled her into my chest. She was stiff for a moment before she returned my hug. She smelled so good; underneath the stench of vampire that is. She was so soft; I had to remind myself to be gentle. After what seemed like forever I put her down but kept her hands in mine.

"Sorry about that, I couldn't help myself." I smiled, hoping she would understand, that she wouldn't pull away.

She left her hands in mine and gave me a small smile back. "I missed you too." She looked so sad.

I gently rubbed my finger down the tracks her tears had made. "No need to cry; its just business," I said, trying to lighten the mood as much as possible. It was easier now that the bloodsuckers were gone.

She laughed once, despite herself. "I know, but it still seems awkward to talk about it like this. And it all seems to be coming so fast." Her eyes were distant as she lost herself in thought.

"You know it doesn't have to be. I'm sure they wouldn't rush you, Bella. Besides, you always have the alternative." I didn't want to get into that conversation again. I knew it might make her mad, but I couldn't resist throwing it in one more time.

She smirked. "I know, Jake. I know… But there is more to it than that." There was an awkward pause.

There was so much I wanted to say to her, but this was not the time. "I was wondering if you wanted to come down to La Push one more time before the 'big day'. I miss my best friend." I pretend to pout, knowing she wouldn't be able to resist that.

She looked at me and I knew she was torn. "I don't know if that would be such a good idea." She looked back into the trees, out to where Edward would be waiting somewhere.

I pushed on. "I'm not going to kidnap you and run away Bella. I just figured it might be nice to spend one last day together. Especially now that I'm all healed."

"One last day…" she whispered, again lost in thought. She shook her head to clear it. "Okay. I'll have to get back to you on when though. Alice has me tied up in plans for the next week at least, but I could always call you later. Sound good?"

I couldn't help it; I gave her the biggest smile I could manage. "Sounds great." I gathered her up in one more bone crushing hug. She wrapped her arms around my neck and held on tight for a moment.

"I love you, Bella," I whispered before I released her.

She looked up at me. "I love you too," she whispered back. "I'll talk to you later." She turned and walked into the forest.

I stood there for a moment and then turned back to the pack.

So there it is, the negotiations, the big issue...or at least one of them. I hope you enjoyed the chapter, now please click the 'Go' button below and leave me a review. Thank you again to my consistent reviewers. You guys are great! I especially want to thank L.M. Lachance for giving me constructive criticism on the technical aspect of my writing itself. I can always use it!

If any of you want to discuss this storyline, the characters, or whats to come go ahead and leave a review or PM me. I ALWAYS respond to each and every message I get.