Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Authors Note: Holy shit, y'all! I actually edited and posted. I owe a lot of hugs and gropes to HeavyInfinty for being patient with me. Jesus, sometimes I don't know how she does it. Anyhow, this chapter was a bit of a struggle for me to write and has actually been sitting in my inbox for a month or more waiting to be edited. From now on, I can't make any promises on how fast my updates will be. I am loaded down with school and have had other real life issues come up. With that being said, I hope you enjoy your time here on the story.

Carlisle POV

I watched as my family took sides. It seemed like we were against Edward, and in reality, we probably were. I had to seem neutral in the matter, but the truth was set long ago, decades ago really.

I had been in Volterra, visiting the brothers when I had received a call from a panicked female.

*Flashback*

"This is Carlisle Cullen..." I said into the receiver.

"Mr. Cullen, this is Mary Alice Brandon," the female voice said. "I need you to listen very carefully to me. Please, sir, I beg of you."

I heard the urgency in her voice, and with my unexplained compassionate nature towards the panicked voice, I decided to hear her out.

"Yes, I'm listening, Miss Brandon."

I heard her sigh into the phone.

"Thank goodness," She sounded exasperated. "Mr. Cullen, I need your help. In only four days' time I will arrive at your house with another vampire. He needs to go into hiding to avoid the Volturi."

She must have known that I had some ties with the Volturi, but I couldn't figure out how she knew.

"Miss. Brandon, I find myself very interested in and have to ask, how do you know about my connections with the Volturi?" I asked her in a questioning tone.

"Mr. Cullen, sir, I have to go. I don't have much time. I have to find him."

There was an audible click and she was gone.

I stood there wordlessly for a few seconds, and quickly made my way to the brothers stating that I had an emergency and had to leave as soon as possible. Aro readily agreed that my coven came first and told me to let them know if I needed anything.

Four days went by and there was still no sign of Miss Brandon and her companion. I was beginning to become convinced that they wouldn't even come, but surely with as frantic as Miss Brandon sounded on the phone, they would be here.

I had called a family meeting and discussed it with the family, while Edward and Rosalie were skeptical; Esme and Emmett were fine with the newcomers joining us.

I could hear them as their feet kicked the dirt up along the barren road that led to the house.

"It's time," I smiled reassuringly at my small family, ushering them out into the yard to meet our guests.

Gently placing my arm around Esme's shoulder, I gave her another squeeze of reassurance. I watched as a tiny woman, no bigger than 5 feet tall, made her way up to my family. She smiled brightly and bounced on the balls of her feet.

That's when I noticed her companion. Our eyes locked in and we exchanged an understanding look as we nodded at each other. We stood there silently before Miss Brandon made a dash straight into my arms. Surprised by the intrusion of this stranger, I stood immobile with a semi-shocked look on my face.

I glanced over to my family who looked just as shocked as I was.

"Miss Brandon, I presume?" I asked, while awkwardly unhooking her arms out from around me. She stood back and smiled, nodding minutely at my presumption. I smiled back at her with a quizzical look on my face as the voice didn't match the image in my head that I had seen. I turned my head sharply as Edward scoffed at the image in my head.

"She doesn't match the description that you thought of, Carlisle." I shook my head, letting out a low chuckle, and returned my sight back over to the newcomers.

I watched as Miss Brandon made her way over to the one vampire I had met decades ago. I let my eyes wander up and down his form in remembrance of how lethal he actually was. I quickly cleared any thought of my past encounters with Jasper Whitlock before Edward had caught on.

A low growl escaped from Edward's lips and my head snapped back over to him.

"Son, what is it?"

"I can hear his thoughts..." he trailed off, narrowing his eyes towards Jasper.

"Edward, I'm sure there is an explanation for his thoughts," I said lowly while attempting to usher them into the small house. "Let's get all acquainted inside, shall we?"

I waited while I watched the others file into the house and stood back to let Jasper and Miss Brandon through before closing the door behind us.

I watched as each member of the family eyed the newcomers, particularly Edward, whose gaze never left Jasper.

"Miss Brand..." I started to say, but she cut me off.

"It is Alice, Mr. Cullen. And this," she said pulling her companion flush next to her. "This is my mate, Jasper Whitlock."

For decades, I watched as the tension went on within my family because of the secret that Jasper and I had kept locked away. I observed as the bonds grew between the siblings, especially between Jasper, Rosalie, and Emmett. It was natural for Edward and Alice to bond with her foresight and his mind reading. They had become quite close, even sometimes going as far as isolating themselves within their own group and relied on each other when the tension got extremely thick.

I sympathized with Jasper when I found out that he was an empath on our first hunt together. But he always managed to stay strong; I guess that was the warrior in him.

For all long as those long decades, Jasper and I held that one trusted secret close. The potentially disastrous secret that would eventually rip my family apart…the fact that we knew each other long ago.

*End Flashback*

Today, here I stood, watching the bonds being formed over the decades break and reform again. It was still Jasper, Rosalie, and Emmett, but now Edward and Alice had become two separate individuals, all over a newborn vampire and a web of lies and deceit.

I listened and stayed downwind, trying my best to not feel anything as Bella, Jasper, Peter and Char all talked quietly in a clearing north of the house in Forks. It was never my intention to eavesdrop on the Whitlocks, and it's not that I didn't trust any of them, but now that Bella was changed, I had to know where their loyalties were.

JPOV

I was sittin' there across from Bella, just watchin' her as she whispered 'Why me?'. I chuckled softly and lay down next to her.

"Darlin', this started long before ya were born. This actually started with ya grandparents," I stated. I watched as Bella frowned and the sadness swept into her emotions. "Look at me, Bella," I commanded softly.

Her eyes left the trees and she shifted her body towards mine, makin' eye contact briefly, before she closed them.

"I can't remember them, Jasper," she whispered.

I pulled her close and pushed out reassurance as I felt the wind shift. Bella's eyes snapped open as she scented the air. She leapt up, immediately in a defensive crouch, standin' and runnin' as quickly as Edward.

"Shit! Peter see if ya can circle around and catch her," I said pushin' myself faster through the wooded area. "I don't know if she scented another human or not, but somethin' has thrown her off. Char, you go opposite." I roared.

We all separated and I headed straight followin' Bella's scent closely. I pushed myself to my limits runnin' as I could when I heard a feral snarl escape someone's lips.

A few seconds later, I found Bella standing with her back to me and someone pinned up against a tree. I walked slowly around her and my eyes widened when I saw her teeth close to Carlisle's neck.

"Bella..." I said in a commanding tone.

She glanced at me and snarled as I heard Peter approachin'. Peter came out from behind the trees followed by Char just seconds later. Bella's emotions were all over the place, and I needed to stabilize her.

I took one step forward and locked my eyes on hers. Her low growl was warning me to stay back. I advanced again and the growl became deeper. Her weight shifted slightly and I took the opportunity to throw her off balance, roughly yanking her away from Carlisle.

"Bella ya don't wanna do this, darlin'," I said softly. I tried to manipulate her into a calmer state, but it just wasn't working. She had her shield up in seconds, so I couldn't manage to get ahold of her.

I watched, horrified, as she went past me with an incredible display of speed and agility. In seconds she had Carlisle in her clutches again. I heard her take a sharp breath, and then she whispered, 'This is Pride'.

She descended on his neck and bit down. She placed her hands on either side of his head and pulled.

I watched in shock as Bella tossed his head to the side like a sack of potatoes. I couldn't get my mind to understand why she had whispered about pride when it was Victoria that had left the note. Bella had literally decapitated the patriarch of The Cullens.

"Peter, Char, get Carlisle out of here." I roared as I pulled up my sleeves and bared my arms. A deafening' roar escaped Bella as I advanced. I could see her rocking back and forth on the balls of her feet, while crouched. "I'm serious. She just tracked Carlisle; get him the fuck out of here."

I squared my stance as I felt my demeanor change. I breathed in deeply and fell over the edge of the cliff. I was no longer Jasper or the Major; I had now become the God of War.

A fierce snarl emitted from my chest as I no longer cared of the fact that this was Bella, my demon had taken over. I was ready to deal with an unskilled newborn. I had to force myself to remember that this was my mate and I would do anything to protect her, even if it was just from herself.

Protect your mate.

She is unskilled against me.

Protect your mate.

Remind her who is in control.

Protect your mate.

I demand respect.

I had lost the argument with myself as I snarled wildly at her.

"Stand up, Newbie..." I growled.

I watched as her eyes darkened. She was goin' to a place; a place where I couldn't even protect her. Groaning internally as the battle still raged at my goal of protecting her, I watched as her muscles coiled, just waiting for the moment to spring.

"If ya gonna do somethin', Newbie..." I growled again, my lips twisting into a cold smirk. "Give me ya best shot."

Snarling, she sprung at me. I braced myself as she approached me, but then she was gone. I listened closely for any sounds of movement, until I felt her hand on my neck before she plowed me into a tree.

I snarled as I felt the impact and the tree cave as we both went down. She reacted quickly as I shot up and ran at her. As unpredictable as a newborn was, she was just like the rest and I couldn't judge her intentions as I rushed forward. She snarled as she leapt in the air, crashing down on me like a rock sinking' to the bottom of the ocean.

With an audible gasp, unnecessary air was removed from my lungs. I grabbed her foot and sank my teeth through her jeans and into her ankle. She struggled to kick free as I pushed my venom into her. She landed a blow right to the side of my face and I felt it crack beneath the force.

I knew I needed to subdue her quickly before this got out of hand, but as quick as she was, I only had one option.

I released her ankle with a blow to her thigh from my fist and got to my feet. She stood there with a cold look on her face as I watched her closely.

"Make your move, Major..." she sneered as she stalked forward. "If you don't, I will. And there will be repercussions, Major."

I growled and crouched defensively as she stalked forward. I chuckled as she called me Major. Her eyes narrowed as she snarled and ran at me full speed. I let her impact push me back as I held tight to her arms and tossed her into a tree.

"Ya know, Newbie...you are gonna have to do better than that," I chuckled, rubbing my jaw in memory of the blow she gave me earlier. Simultaneously, we both jumped and collided with each other. My extra weight gave me an advantage, and I quickly grabbed a hold of her, sinking my teeth in her shoulder and pulling as we crashed to the ground. She snarled in my face as I ripped her arm off.

I flung her arm away from her body as she kicked at me, somehow managing to get some leverage she flipped us over and sank her teeth into my neck. I groaned in displeasure as I placed my hands on her face as I tried to remove her teeth from my neck. She clamped down harder, almost removing a chunk of my shoulder in the process. I could feel the burn begin to spread through my body as she pushed her venom into me. The heat licked at my veins like I was changing all over again.

"Little girl, you've have already lost one limb. I suggest ya remove ya teeth if ya don't want to lose another one," I said as I felt the excess venom from Bella's bite trail down the back of my neck.

She growled while clamped down on my neck and I groaned at the displeasure that I hadn't felt in a long time with a newborn. I wrapped my arms securely around her chest and tightened them. The cracking of her bones seemed to get her attention, and her grip slackened on my neck.

I quickly threw her off, running as I kept pace with her airborne body, gripping her by the other arm as I pulled her close. Wrapping my arms around her waist, I grabbed her chin and yanked it aside to expose her neck. I sunk my teeth into her neck, clamping down hard, and push my venom into her. I gripped her tighter as she struggled. I sent out a dose of fear towards her as she snarled. Her hands began to frantically search me for every possible way to get away. Feeling her struggle underneath my touch, I realize that my actions with my mate had gone too far.

"Ya won't get anywhere doin' that, Bella," I whispered in her ear as she struggled against my grip.

I watched as her shoulders slumped and she let out an unneeded breath, finally admitting defeat. The tension that was just there, coiling beneath the surface, has now slipped away.

"What the hell just happened?" She whispered as her head bowed and her hair became a curtain to hide her face.

I could feel the shame rolling off of her as I let my arms fall from her waist. I turned her around and gently placed my finger under her chin to have her meet my gaze. I searched her features as I opened myself to her emotions again and I knew that she regretted something.

"Darlin', that was ya instincts takin' over. What did ya feel ya needed to protect, though?" I said as I looked in her eyes.

Her eyes fell towards the ground as she stifled the sob in her chest.

"Jasper, just take me home, please," she begged.

I swiftly picked her up and cradled her to my chest, running full speed to the comfort of the Cullen's home.

PPOV

The images flickered there in my head for what seemed like ages.

Bella.
Victoria.
Bella.
Edward.
Victoria.
Alice.
Bella.
Esme.
Bella.
Rosalie.
Victoria.
Bella.
Emmett.
Bella.
Victoria.
Jasper.
Bella.
Char.
Bella.
Victoria.
Carlisle.
Bella.
Me...

I groaned and palmed my face. How in the fuck was I supposed to make sense of those flickers of people's faces? It was beyond irritating that that was all I saw. The only thing I could think of was the battle that was about to come. The Volturi were patiently waitin' for this to happen, stayin' in the shadows and huntin' the streets in Seattle.

"Sweets, is somethin' botherin' ya?" Char asked me, bringin' me out of my thoughts.

I nodded lookin' at her as I quickly thought of the images again.

"I just don't get it, Sugar. I keep seein' these flashes of everyone," I said as I placed Carlisle's head atop his body. "It doesn't make any sense. I've never seen somethin' like this before. It's always been that I've just known and it's never been anythin' else."

I sighed, thinkin' that I had to make some sense out of what has been seen.

"Sug, ya ain't Alice. Ya can't see the future based on decision, ya only see what will happen in the end," she said with assurance.

I couldn't believe that all of a sudden I had felt like I was Alice. I didn't see the future based on indecisive actions; I only ever saw the outcome. I had reassured Char that everythin' would be fine. And now, with everythin' that I had seen in the flashes, I was unsure.

"Sugar, I don't know what this is tellin' me and I can only think of the battle, but somethin' is naggin' at me that it's not what it seems," I replied, feelin' unsure about my gift for the first time in over what seemed like a hundred years. "I'm gonna have to talk to Jas about this."

She nodded but left the conversation open to discussion. That is what I loved about Char- she never pushed me. She just let it go and in time it would tell. I heard her snicker and watched as she covered her mouth.

"What is it, Sugar?" I asked as I looked at her and raised my eyebrow in question.

"It just seems odd that Bella would dismember Carlisle. She has always seen him as family, even when she was human," she said as she shrugged off the thought.

"Yeah, I agree. Somethin' just doesn't seem right, though," I said, givin' a quizzical look at Char.

I watched as she made her way around the Cullens living room, pickin' up stuff idly and rearrangin' it in a way that reminded me of our place in Texas. I smiled at the thought.

"She has a tracking ability, Peter," she said as she picked up the abandoned books from the coffee table.

"So, ya think she was trackin' Carlisle," I said, rubbin' my hands down my face. "It makes sense after what happened in Edward's bedroom and then out in the woods, Char. Jasper had even said it as Bella took off and we both even mentioned it as I watched her leap out the window."

She nodded in response as I found myself deep in thought again.

I replayed the images in my head. It just didn't seem to make sense that she would track the Cullen's, but I didn't know how Victoria came into the picture. I shook my head to clear my thoughts as I heard Jasper approach. I watched as he walked in the back door with Bella cradled to his chest.

He nodded and made his way up to his room with her.

"Char, sugar..." I said as I stood to make my way upstairs. "Keep an eye on Carlisle, will ya?"

She smiled gently and nodded.

CharPOV

I watched as Peter made his way upstairs and to Jasper and my thoughts went to what I had experienced in the forest. It doesn't make any sense that Bella would track Carlisle. She had nothin' to fear when it came to him. I idly picked up around the living room, hoping that Esme wouldn't mind. I was a neat freak and if it wasn't in its place then I would go back around and switch it again.

JPOV

I laid Bella out on our bed, for once feeling exhausted from what had happened. She tried her best to maintain a newborn status. Once again, her actions were like she was human again. I watched as she laid there with her eyes closed, breathing deeply, except with no heartbeat. Her inner strength had faltered during the fight when she felt like she cared. Her protective instinct took a back seat, but when she was protecting me, she went to a place that I couldn't even understand. If I had returned to my past memories to become the God of War, where had she returned to become who she was when I was fighting her?

I lay next to her, silently wondering if anything would become clearer to me as I turned my body to face Bella.

I thought back to the last few hours and nothing made sense. I replayed the memories in my head of Bella tracking Carlisle, my ability to control the fight, and I've never felt as confused as I did just then. The whole situation had become mind boggling to me. She has a tracking ability but she only went after Carlisle. Why didn't she go after the whole family? I didn't know the answers, but I sure as fuck wanted them.

"Darlin', I need ya to come out of whatever it is what is keepin' ya isolated and away from me," I said, exhaustion thickening my voice. "I don't know what happened back there, but I need to know." I said, sounding desperate.

She shifted in my arms, but didn't say a word. I don't know what was blocking her out from me feeling her, but whatever it was must have been significant.

I listened as there was a slight tap on the door. I smelled Peter even before he approached. I groaned in disbelief as I thought about what my brother had thought about the whole situation. I growled in response and watched as the door opened slowly to reveal Peter's outline. He clearly let out a sigh of relief.

"Peter, what is it?" I asked stroking Bella's jaw line.

"Jas, I don't know what is goin' on..." He hesitated, before makin' his way to the corner of the room. "Somethin' isn't right. I feel like I'm Alice."

I raised an eyebrow in question. It was never like Peter to second guess his gift.

"I just don't know, Jas..." He paused, as he put his hands behind his back and shifted from foot to foot.

I have never seen Peter so unsure of himself in all our years together. I tried to put the pieces together throughout the night, but it didn't make sense.

Bella had attacked me even with the mating bond.
She tracked Carlisle and dismembered him.
Peter was having messed up intuition.

Something wasn't right as I sighed and looked at Bella again. The only thing I could think of that offered a possible explanation to the last few hours was her gift.

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