Disclaimer: I'd bet Stephenie Meyer doesn't know the first words said in "Empire Strikes back"…. I do

Disclaimer Deuce: They are "Echo Five to Echo Seven, Han old buddy do you read me?"

Jasper's POV

"No… I understand… Yes… I understand if you can't make it… Yes… Well thank you for your time…" Carlisle turned back to me hanging up his phone.

"That bad?"

"Yes… nearly everyone has turned us down, everyone we have any contact info for. The amazons aren't coming, the Irish Coven isn't coming, I haven't been able to get a hold of the Romanian coven, Alistair and Charles aren't coming either… the only people that I convinced to come were the Egyptians, mostly because Benjamin insisted." I nodded.

I dialed the number I had for Peter. I'd been avoiding calling him but it appeared there was no way around it. We needed his help badly.

"Jasper… I can assume this is what all the buzz in the vampire world is about?"

"Yes it is."

"You always seem to be in the eye of the storm."

"It can't be helped. Will you join us as you did before?"

"Of course Jasper, we will stand next to you. But to sate my curiosity please tell me what this is all about."

"Of course, old friend. A couple months ago Embry found a vampire on the scent of his girlfriend, he told him to back off but he didn't. He let our secret out… We didn't think it was a problem because we thought we killed him." Peter laughed.

"How do you miss something like that? Come on Jasper, you're better than that."

"He's a multiplier." The air of lightheartedness disappeared from his voice.

"You don't mean Xavier do you?"

"Yes, why?"

"I'm sorry Jasper we can't help you."

"What? Why?"

"Xavier is the sickest most sadistic person I've ever known. Everything's a game to him."

"So what, there are plenty of vampires like that."

"Yes, but not like him there aren't. He's always one step ahead of you no matter what you do. He swore if I ever crossed paths with him he'd kill me, and everyone whose ever held any importance to me ever."

"You're afraid of him?" I asked in disbelief.

"If you're not you haven't seen him fight."

"I have… He wasn't even that good of a fighter."

"Then he wasn't trying." Peter insisted.

"I've killed him before."

"And yet he keeps coming back. He's letting you kill him, he's letting you win."

"Why would he do that?"

"I don't know… but you'd better figure that out before it's too late."

Embry's POV

I rubbed my fingers gently over my acoustic guitar and started strumming. I breathed out slowly and started to sing.

"A million miles away
Your signal in the distance
To whom it may concern
I think I lost my way
Getting good at starting over
Every time that I return

I'm learning to walk again
I believe I've waited long enough
Where do I begin?
I'm learning to talk again
Can't you see I've waited long enough
Where do I begin?" I said making sure no one was listening… good.

"Do you remember the days
We built these paper mountains
And sat and watched them burn
I think I found my place
Can't you feel it growing stronger
Little conquerors

I'm learning to walk again
I believe I've waited long enough
Where do I begin?
I'm learning to talk again
I believe I've waited long enough
Where do I begin?" I smiled at the literal sense of the song for me.

"Now
For the very first time
Don't you pay no mind
Set me free again

To keep alive a moment at a time
But still inside a whisper to a riot
To sacrifice but knowing to survive
The first to climb another state of mind
I'm on my knees, I'm praying for a sign
Forever, whenever
I never wanna die
I never wanna die
I never wanna die
I'm on my knees
I never wanna die
I'm dancing on my grave
I'm running through the fire
Forever, whenever
I never wanna die
I never wanna leave
I never say goodbye
Forever, whenever, forever, whenever" I yelled pushing my voice to near cracking state.

"I'm learning to walk again
I believe I've waited long enough
Where do I begin?
I'm learning to talk again
Can't you see I've waited long enough
Where do I begin?

I'm learning to walk again
I believe I've waited long enough
I'm learning to talk again
Can't you see I've waited long enough"

Sam's POV

I couldn't stop thinking about it the entire flight to MSP. It was gone… it I felt… free… I couldn't describe it… it felt like I wasn't tied down, like breathing fresh air for the first time… No… that's the wrong way to put it. I had enjoyed my life, but I knew it wasn't mine I was living. Granted there were definite down sides. The fact that I still deathly missed my amazing little girl, and the weight of guilt on my shoulders. Have I done this again? I stared down at the land trying to act like I was intent on it. Jared was sitting next to me.

"I can't believe Emily let you go." He said next to me. I ignored him. Let me go? Was I truly that bad?

"Sam?" I was shaken out of my errant thoughts.

"Huh? Yeah I heard you." I said staring back out of the window. There was one other thing that was getting to me. It was the aching feeling that I was going to come to head with the pain I unintentionally caused.

"What is it Sam?" Jared asked next to me quietly.

"Nothing… Just thinking about my angel." I said referencing my daughter I regularly called that…

"Don't you mean Angels?" he poked fun at me.

"Uh… yeah that's what I meant." Now it didn't make sense, none of it did.

"I know we've both been busy lately, but is something up?" Jared asked. He still could read me that well. It was true I hadn't seen him in months. Why haven't I? We used to spend hours on end together, we killed vampires together… I stopped myself from talking. There were two things that struck out clearly that shook me to my very core. I realized I no longer love Emily and that I still had very strong feelings for Leah.

Ayden's POV

Daddy is getting better, I know it. Auntie Leah always tells me how he's the biggest and strongest wolf there ever was. I knew he was. The adults were busy but made time for us. I really wanted to spend time with Layla but Leonard was always with her… and he was always so mean to me. I just wanted to spend some time with Layla. I wanted to be Leonard's friend too but he was so mean. I sat out on the railing on the porch watching cars drive by. I heard the door open and I saw Jacob walk out next to me.

"Hi Ayden."

"Hi Jacob." He looked out and saw Leonard and Layla playing together in the trees.

"Why aren't you playing with them?" He asked.

"Leonard said I can't. He said they don't want me to." Jacob nodded.

"Really… Leonard said that… What did Layla have to say about it?" I shrugged.

"She wasn't there when he said it."

"I see… well it seems I've got something I've got to do." Jacob walked in to the house. I sighed and went back to looking out past the road to the countryside. Leah stomped out of the door I turned to look at her and she looked angry.

"Hi Ms. Clearwater." I said a little bit scared.

"Hi Ayden." She said warmly before angrily turning to the trees.

"LEONARD!" she yelled. He jumped out of the tree quickly and ran over to see us.

"What Ma?" He said slightly annoyed. Layla made her way out of the tree and was walking back.

"Get in here! We need to have a talk!" after they left Layla walked up to me."

"Hi Ayden."

"H-hi Layla." I said. What's this feeling… I want to talk to her but I don't?

"You want to go for a run?" I frowned.

"I can't phase like you and Leonard." I said sadly.

"So what? We can go for a run in this form just fine!"

"But Leonard said you don't like running out of form." Layla made a disapproving sound.

"Whatever, come on, see if you can keep up with me!" I smiled and chased after her.

Wow she's fast. I'd been chasing her for a good fifteen minutes and we ended up down by the river. I could hear it flowing over the sound of my heart beating out of my chest. I'd never ran for that long before. She stopped short. She turned in to the high weeds.

"Where are we going?" I asked. She smiled and led my down through the weeds out to the river.

"I like the sound of running water." Layla said bending down and running her fingers through the water.

"Yeah… it's nice." She sighed.

"I want to go ice skating but the river hasn't frozen over yet and I don't have ice skates."

"Ice skating?" I asked

"Yeah, there's ice on water and then you slide around on it..."

"That sounds like fun!" I said excitedly.

"Well we can't do it because there's no ice." I thought about it for a moment before putting my hands in to the water. I focused and felt the water hardening around my hands, then it expanded to feet, then yards, then further still.

"Oh Wow Ayden! That's so great!" she said. I felt a warm feeling in my face and pulled my hands out of the ice. She stepped out on it first and took a couple steps sliding each time. I tentatively followed her.

"If only we had some ice skates." She said sliding away. Ice skates? Like the ones daddy has in the basement? I'd seen them before and lifted up my left foot and putting my hands on it then on my right. I took a normal step then another and then I was sliding across the ice. I glided around Layla as she saw me she put her hands on her hips and pouted.

"Hey! No fair, where did you get those!" she complained.

"I made them… see?" I said showing her my ice ice skates.

"Can you make me some?" she said almost jumping up and down.

"Okay but I'm going to need your foot." I said. She happily put her right foot out and I put a ice blade on it, and the same with her left and we started skating together.

Embry's POV

"Wow… your son is smooth… I guess he didn't get it from you." Jacob said commenting on Ayden's makeshift ice rink.

"Look at your daughter, both the boys want her." I commented.

"Sorry I'm late… I had to disciple Leonard." Leah said walking over by us where we were watching.

"Wow… Ayden is smooth."

"That's what I was saying."

"I mean, making an ice rink AND ice skates for a date."

"Well hey, at least he didn't make fun of Leonard for not being able to phase and lied to Ayden about Layla… repeatedly." Leah made a sound of disapproval clenching his fist.

"He made fun of Ayden because he can't become a wolf?" Jacob nodded.

"Yeah I overheard him doing that." He said.

"And the thing is Ayden is trying to include Leonard but Leonard is trying to ditch Ayden… by doing things like saying 'hey let's go on a wolf form run' you know stuff like that." Leah growled.

"I'm going to talk to him about it." I nodded not wanting to push the subject anymore.

"I think I'm going to go for a run." I said finally.

"I'll come with you." Leah said turning her back to the ice show.

"Nah, I think I'd rather go by myself."

"Okay?" she seemed more to ask than respond. I jogged away lightly. The truth was she didn't need to know how painful phasing was for me, and she definitely didn't know about all the other pains I was going through. I breathed out slowly calmed my breath down and…

Tanya's POV

Mike's progress was good and bad. It seemed the more controlled he became the less he could use his powers. It's gotten to the point where he can only use his power if he is angry. Granted he is angry all the time, but he can't use his power when Jasper is forcing him to be calm… every other moment he's as blood thirsty as any other newborn. Like any other newborn, you expected something different? He IS a newborn. I know but I could have hoped. It was tiring making so little headway in the way of this and he knew it. I know he could see how frustrated I was with him. Garrett had asked me to leave for a while because of it. I was told later he was even more agitated than usual when I was gone.

I couldn't take the fact that the man I loved was a monster now, and didn't seem to be getting any better. Patience. I kept telling myself. I breathed out and in calming my nerves and then back to training.

"Ironman" Jack Elzam's POV

"Private Schmidt, how does the mark II Zealot handle."

"Much better Commander, the speed and strength are exceeding expectations in the 47 percentile."

"How does that rate them against the Mark I Zealot?"

"Sir, They're 100 percent faster and stronger than the Mark I"

"Any negative side effects yet Schmidt?"

"No sir, but the energy read out shows dispersion at a rate much higher than anticipated, current output levels only give us roughly a half hour time running."

"The blade?"

"The blade works exceedingly well, cuts through anything including vampire bone as tested…" I noticed something else he was leaving out.

"But…?" I asked.

"But energy necessary to keep it running for any time is enormous. The suit fully charged can only run with the blade on for five minutes."

"Five minutes?" I said in disbelief.

"Yes Commander."

"I'll have our techs look in to Plasma blades."

"Cold or hot?"

"I don't know which one is better suited, I'll leave that to them. Now, crash test dummy Nate Schmidt, suit down."

"Yes Commander." He opened pressed the release and the mask opened, then his chest guard, and then his legs stepping out of it cumbersomely.

"Commander? How are the other frames progressing?"

"The Bahamut frame is progressing slower than expected, they've hit a couple bumps that were unforeseeable, general frame ideas have been faxed to me already, I'll go over them with you and the team next week."

"Yes sir." He said finally freeing himself from the Frame.

The first thing I noticed was a large gash on his head. When did he get that? Then I noticed bruises up and down his arms.

"Private Schmidt, please remove your shirt and long pants." I said as straight as I could.

"Sir?"

"I assume you're wearing underwear."

"Of course sir."

"Then do it, Boots and socks as well."

"I don't understand Commander." He said as he stripped down. As I thought he is bruised and scratched all over just from using the Mark II Zealot.

"You have nothing else to report about the new Zealot?" He looked down at his body noticing all the bruises and cuts.

"Sir… it Kind of hurt, it had no stabilizing forces and going twice as fast led to faster stops and caused bruising and injuries."

"Thank you Private. Schmidt I need you to tell me everything, THEN deal with the problems, if it favors the right side say it, if jumping is harder in the Mark II than the Mark I say it, if the shields only perform at 70 percent of estimated proficiency say it. Do I make myself clear Private?" I said with a straight face. Schmidt didn't he cracked and laughed at me calling him Private in his underwear.

"Yes Commander."

"Good, now get to the medical room, have them see you then Ice bath."

"Yes Commander." He said and left the room. My phone was ringing. I picked it up and looked at it. It wasn't the same number that I got calls from the Research or financial division, those were the only two companies who were supposed to have this number so I did what I knew.

"Hello Domino's Pizza, how can I help you?"

"Hello Elzam." It was that dark almost scratchy voice, it was hard to describe but unmistakable.

"How did you get this number Havik?"

"I've got a proposition for you."

"What is that?"

"I have access to a video feed through my… contacts. The video feed will interest you… but it will cost you."

"What is the feed?" I asked not completely interested or disinterested.

"A vampire war."

"So one from the past." He laughed.

"No… A war is coming, this one is in a few weeks."

"And you know this how?" I asked

"That answer isn't one of my services I sell."

"Besides the payment which I assure you will be substantial, I demand one thing."

"Oh and what is that?"

"Under no circumstances must you try and track these vampires."

"Why is that?" I heard his dark laugh.

"Simple. You don't stand a chance currently."

"What do you mean currently."

"To take down either of the two groups fighting, you'll need to at least triple your teams size, and have much better gear than you have."

"How do you know what gear we have?"

"That answer isn't for sale either."

"Why are you helping us?"

"Helping you? Hahah, you think I'm helping you? No… I've been hired to do this job for you."

"Why?" I asked not expecting an answer.

"The world is heading for a culling, the weak will die and the strong will survive… I'm just doing my part to make sure it happens."

Oh man, if that's not foreshadowing I just don't know what is. So yeah, that and it's building to the Volturi coming… it's crazy but I'M excited for it like you. like before I have a full chapter completed waiting for a lot of reviews. Yes I enjoy writing I find writing my story something like reading it, but unlike reading it I can make Embry start doing a polka for no apparent reason whatsoever and you can't… MUAHAHAHAHA! And that's all folks, remember knucks, high fives, rolls of twenties, and reviews. Catch you on the flip side.