This is a work of fanfiction, I'm not S. Meyer. Not mine, no money.

RL kept this from happening faster, but everyone gets busy around the holidays. It wouldn't be here at all if it weren't for the delightful talents of Diamondheart and her lovely way with words.

Thanks to the usual suspects (pre-readers): Little Furry Cannibals, WolvesCanEatMe, and Taoist Elf. Without them, I'd have a very tough time keeping myself on track. Their comments help me be a better writer. I'd be more verbose, but I'm tired and desperate to post a new chapter!

Please enjoy Chapter 20.

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Bella POV

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The first thing I noticed when I woke was that I was…warm. That alone set this day apart from all others, and it kept me from panicking when I tried to move, only to find myself caged. For so long my dreams had left me with a desolate sense of abandonment when I woke, chilled to my bones and aching, haunted by the amber gaze that left me huddled and senseless on the damp forest floor.

But this was different; the weight was pleasant rather than confining, and I didn't smell the rotting loam of the forest. I smelled…Jacob. Something pushed at my side and moved under my hand.

Jake's face was nuzzled against my ribs and he lay curled on his side, my legs propped up over his. My bandaged hand was resting on his head; my fingers nestled in the thick cropped hair. We had settled diagonally across the bed sometime during the night to accommodate the length we occupied. When I slid out from under his arm and carefully onto the floor, he just rolled onto his stomach in a full sprawl, covering the entire mattress.

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I stood very still, almost afraid that the face in the mirror would dissolve and I would wake from a very strange dream. The face tilted in one direction, then another, catching the light in different angles to illuminate around the nose, the cheekbones, and the curve of the jaw.

My face had been pale and strained for as long as I could remember. I was so fair skinned that when I lived in Phoenix I had to take extraordinary measures to hide from the sun or risk a burn nearly every time I went out, and living with the hurricane that was my mother kept me washed out and tense. Once in Forks, I no longer shied away from sunshine—it was rare enough here and much weaker than in Phoenix—but I found myself avoiding its occasional appearance in deference to the Cullen's needs. Then… everything happened.

It had taken a toll.

I reached to the mirror and touched the surface, half expecting to sink a finger through, but met only the hard glass, chipped at the corners. The reflection smirked a little. Did you really think that was going to happen?

I wouldn't call it flawless skin, but it was smooth to the touch and petal-pink in the right places. My eyes were softer and looked…well they looked like they belonged on a girl who had a good night's sleep. But it wasn't just that.

I took a deep breath. I could take a deep breath.

My lungs filled completely, and the tight constriction never came. The smirk in the mirror changed to a real smile. I flexed my arms, rotating them like I had the morning before, and winced from the soreness. I was stiff, but I didn't feel the aches I'd endured for months- the ones that became a sharp pain over the last couple weeks.

For the first time in…forever, I had slept without nightmares or fits of anxiety and it was reflected in the calm face I was still gazing at. My bandaged hand rested on the counter, the adhesives holding the incision together pulled at my skin slightly as I moved, and I could see that the lump was gone. The skin wasn't red anymore either. Billy's impromptu surgery of the evening before was hardly the only thing memorable about last night and my face grew warm as I reflected that removing the mass in my hand wasn't the sole reason I had slept well.

I started the shower, amazed at the easy intimacy I had awoken to. By the time I was out, scrubbed and dressed in the clothes I brought in the bathroom with me, Jake was awake and sitting up on the mattress.

"Morning, Jake." He gave me a lazy smile and opened his arms for me to rejoin him. I pulled the twisted towel off my head and squirmed my way onto the air mattress to snuggle into his warm arms. He eased back until we were lying down again and kissed my forehead.

"Morning, Bells. How do you feel?"

I thought for a moment, then realized there was only one word that could describe it.

"I feel…free, Jake. Alive and free." The arm that had lain gently across my shoulders twitched, and then I was suddenly wrapped tight against him. We held each other and dozed, not checking the clocks and not caring what they said anyway.

…

"Damn." I muttered. "He had to learn last night?"

"What's wrong?" Jake asked, eating the last of the eggs and sausage while I pushed my cereal around in the milk.

"My dad sent a text. He wanted me to text him back."

"So? Text him back." Jake scraped his fork to get the last bits off the plate and bit his toast. We had slept late, and in the confused trauma of the night before, my phone had simply been forgotten. He stopped chewing when he noticed my dismay. "What?"

"He sent the text last night. He wanted a response last night." Jake's forehead creased and he rubbed at it with the heel of his hand.

"Gimme the phone." He held his hand out.

"What?"

"Just give me your phone, I'll handle it." I felt my eyebrows rise and held out the phone, wondering how Chief Swan would welcome a call from his daughter's boyfriend after not hearing from her the night before.

"Relax Bells. I'm going to tell him the truth." His tone was matter-of-fact, but I thought I detected a gleam of humor in his bland expression.

I frowned. "What truth? The one with the vampires, the one where you're a wolf, or the one with my hand getting cut open?" I held up my bandaged hand for emphasis.

He made a deft lunge and plucked the phone out of my other hand. "The one that lets him know you're okay…and gets us off the hook." Jake gave me a grin that was more confident than he had any right to feel. I got up and sat next to Jake, huddling over the phone to hear the whole conversation.

"Speed dial one, right?" He held the button down until the phone dialed. It picked up halfway through the second ring.

"Hello? Bella?" My dad's voice was anxious.

"Hi Chief! It's Jake. How is the big city?"

"Jake? Uh, the city's fine." My dad paused, and I could swear I heard him fingering his gun belt. "Where's Bella? Is everything alright?" His voice took on his official tone and I knew Jake had to make it good.

"She's sleeping in today. I didn't want to go in her room and bother her, so I'm just waiting around for her to wake up." Jake frowned for effect. "Bella is fine, but just so you know, she had a little accident yesterday, and we were up a little late afterwards."

"What the hell happened this time?" Charlie said, clearly exasperated.

"Nothing serious. She fell on the beach and cut her hand. We had to clean some junk out, but it looks better." Jake waited and held up two crossed fingers.

After a few seconds, I heard my dad let out a little sigh. "Stitches?"

Jake laughed and gave me a thumbs-up. "Naw, not this time. Sue just used some adhesive and bandaged her up, and she's gonna drop by today to look her over."

"Sue's going to check on it? When she's done, can you have her give me a call and let me know how it's doing?"

"Sure thing. Congratulations, by the way."

"For?"

Jake grinned. "Learning how to text. Welcome to the twenty-first century, sir."

"Can it, kid. And it's 'Charlie' to you. Can you have Bella call me when she gets up?"

"I'll let her know you ca-" Jake paused, pointed at me, then the phone. "Hang on, I think there might be signs of life." He raised his voice a bit. "Bells? Your dad's on the phone!"

I took the phone and shook my head at Jake. He was entirely too good at this. "Hi Dad. How's Seattle?"

"Fine. John and Andy send their best. How's your hand?"

"Sore, but okay. I'll have to be more careful next time I, you know...walk." He laughed. "What are you three up to today? Big plans?"

My dad spent a couple minutes telling me about plans that he had with John and Andy to check out a couple of details in the Biers case, the missing person who owned the car found in Forks. It all struck me as pretty boring and routine, but Charlie sounded as bright as if he'd had a good day fishing; being around his old friends obviously made all the difference.

"Well, whatever you do, be careful, Dad. I love you."

"I love you, too Bells. Give me a call tonight, and don't stay up too late. Jake said you were pretty tired, so make sure you get some rest."

"I will."

"Oh, and you should give your Mom a call this weekend. She should be back from her trip." He cleared his throat, out of things to say, so I said goodbye first, but not before telling him I loved him one more time.

...

Billy had been out all morning with Sam, and when they arrived at the house around lunchtime, Emily came with them bearing a picnic style lunch for all of us. She and I chatted while Sam, Billy, and Jake sat in the living room watching TV and occasionally discussing their plans for the evening in hushed voices. It was nice to talk with Emily, since the circle of people I could really speak with openly with had shrunk over the past year. That, combined with the dishonesty inherent to my situation, had left me feeling like I was on an island in treacherous seas.

Emily didn't demand conversation, but told me all about living around the pack, cooking for Sam and his favorite dishes, and what she brought for lunch. We set the table leisurely and soon we all gathered to eat. Jake sat by me on a too-small chair from my room.

"I saw Sue a little while ago, Bella." Billy remarked conversationally. "She asked how you were and I said you slept fine, and looked like you were getting some color in your face." The same color felt like it burned in my cheeks for a moment. "She says she'll be by this afternoon to check on the bandages and make sure the adhesive is holding. She did say she was sorry she didn't manage to get a sample of...it, but that perhaps it was for the better."

There wasn't much to say to that, so I just kept eating. I actually had an appetite. After lunch, we all cleaned, bumping into each other in the cramped kitchen, but then, with nothing left to actually do, the atmosphere began to feel a little tense.

Emily stood and took the repacked basket by the handles. "Well, if everyone's fed, I think I'll head back." Sam handed Emily the keys and kissed her scarred cheek. With a goodbye to Billy and Jake, she left the four of us alone with a plate of her famous homemade muffins for a snack later.

Sam stood by the door, drumming his fingers over the frame, watching through the little window in the door as Emily drove away. The glass fogged as he pressed a little closer, tracking the movement until he stared distantly toward the curve in the driveway.

He turned back to face the table; Jake and Billy both sat up straighter in their chairs and I felt left out and edgy, not knowing exactly what to expect. Abruptly, I stood and refilled my water glass.

"I'm sorry last night went the way it did," Sam began carefully; he ran a hand roughly through his hair and over his face. "Sue said your hand looked good, and that she's pretty sure Billy got everything out. You-" Sam paused his status report. "You look better today."

"Thank you," I replied, looking back at Jake and Billy. "I am better."

Sam tilted his head and looked at me appraisingly. "Good." He fell silent, but glanced at Billy.

"But?" I ventured.

"We never really got to talk last night." Sam stated plainly at my prompt. "Our meeting with the Cullens is tonight, and we need to know everything we can before we go."

I felt my back stiffen at the mixed feelings that dampened my earlier contentment.

Billy leaned forward. "Bella, what Sam means is that if we are going to work with them, we need to be on the same footing."

I frowned. "I don't understand. Why wouldn't you be on the sa-"

"Edward." Jake interrupted with a faint snarl in his voice. He paused and visibly collected himself, then continued, "You said he reads minds, right?" This was asked with less rancor. All three men watched me, waiting as I put the pieces together.

Jake had told me about the meetings in the past, and that Edward had been at them. Edward could read minds, so he would have known what the pack leaders were thinking then, leaving them with little real room to maneuver.

I felt my forehead crease. "But you said he wasn't here now, right?" They all nodded. "So they don't know what you've been thinking since they came back?"

The mental wheels in the room were spinning. "They still know the pack structure, and how we operate." Sam reminded us, but he was looking at Jake thoughtfully.

Billy smiled, and it was not lost on the two young men. "Haven't you two been engaging in some new leadership styles?" He asked knowingly, clearly amused by something. Sam clenched his jaw and Jake started laughing, then tried to explain something but Billy waved a hand to stop him.

"Nope, don't tell me. The fewer people who know the details of how you two are working things out, the better." The smile that had brightened his words left. "Just make sure you're doing your job." He said more sternly.

Jake and Sam appeared to communicate something silently for a moment before giving each other a tiny half smile of agreement, then they turned their attention back to me. I suddenly felt the overwhelming need to refill my water glass again.

For nearly an hour, I was asked questions about the minutia of the Cullen family, from how old each member was to what jobs and training they'd had. I told them about Carlisle and his devotion to life and making it better; I described Esme's motherly compassion, her acceptance of me into her family and the way she took care of her adopted children; Emmett's strength and humor that seemed at odds with the distant and haughty Rosalie; and finally Alice with whom, next to Edward, I had spent the most time.

"So, Jasper-" Sam prompted.

"I don't know much about him. He's married to Alice." My uncertainty was plain in my voice and I half-shrugged apologetically.

"You said he helped in Phoenix, right? You would have spent some time with him then?" Jake said encouragingly.

I chewed the inside of my cheek. "He and Alice were sort of my guards there. He…helped me sleep."

Jake inhaled sharply but Billy shot him a look of reproof. "If they were guarding you," he said, stirring his coffee, "Then how were you attacked? Did several nomads come after you?"

"No," I swallowed, and my hands began to tremble. "There were three in the coven, but only James came after me. He, um, contacted me, and made it sound like he had my mother, so I…I ran away from Jasper and Alice to…" My voice faded.

"To do what, Bells?" Jake said gently.

I took a drink of water and struggled to swallow, my throat unable to coordinate itself. The stark clarity of hindsight allowed me to see my horrifying and dangerous actions from a new perspective. When I spoke, I sounded distant. "I was going to offer myself in trade." Soft growls rumbled from Jake's chest and his outline rippled. I laid my hand on his arm and it subsided. Sam took deep breaths and pressed on his eyes.

Billy recovered first. "You said there were three. James is dead, and you said Laurent was a member. What of the third?

"James' mate, Victoria. She didn't say much, but she stayed very close to him."

"Did the Cullens kill her, too?" He asked.

"No, she wasn't there when James attacked me, and…the Cullens never really talked about her afterwards." I frowned at the table. It had never occurred to me to question that omission before.

"What was she like?" Billy asked, turning to the coffeepot for his third refill.

"Wild. James was calculating and vicious, she seemed more…unpredictable. You have to understand, the Cullens were different because they didn't drink from humans." All three men shifted uneasily. "At least, that was Carlisle's theory, he said it made them calmer and more, uh, human in a way." I shivered. "Those three were animals. All I could think about when I saw her was wildfire."

Jake and Sam looked at each other with confusion. "Why wildfire?" He asked.

"Her curly red hair. It had a mind of its own in the winds-" The words died in my throat when I saw their eyes widen with alarm. Jake's hand clamped onto my forearm.

Sam, suddenly by my side with his hands on the table, demanded my full attention to his dark eyes. "Bella, think hard. Have you ever seen the red haired vampire since? Do you even think you may have seen her?"

I searched my mind, frustrated by all the blanks in my memory from the months I'd spent wearing blinders, but I was certain I would have recognized that hair and the demonic feline movements if I'd seen them.

"No, I don't think so."

Sam stood back up and looked around unseeingly, processing the deluge of information we'd been through. When I looked at Jake, he appeared to be doing much the same. They met each other's gaze with a nod and stood, excusing themselves to step out and talk.

I cradled my face in my hands, resting my head and arms on the table. Understanding crept into my numbed mind, and I felt a warm touch stroking my hair. Billy was letting me know everything was okay. I couldn't handle anymore words and he seemed to understand that.

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Jake POV

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Sam and I walked quickly from the house to the far end of the driveway.

"Christ, that redhead leech is no damn nomad." Sam said flatly.

"Did you hear the way she described the Cullens? The way they stay with their partners for so long? Those are mates. The fucking redhead lost her mate. That bitch isn't just wandering through, man, she's here for revenge!" I could hear my voice rise as I talked, the panic making my voice crack over the word 'revenge'.

Sam watched me as I trembled and shook, and finally pulled me towards the trees by my arm. "Let's go, Jake. You need to run it off." We phased and took off fast on a gridline, picking up the patrol loop and pounding the ground with our paws. We sidelined the conversation until I could be more rational, then we slowed down and made the return trip.

So, he started, This means we have a pissed off she-leech who's built a small army of new vampires, and according to Mr. Whitlock, has gotten a couple highly trained ones to help. Are you on board with that?

Yeah, I muttered. And those new ones haven't been around in a while, so we don't know what they're doing.

I think it's a fairly safe bet that they've backed off, waiting for something to happen before they make a move. I don't know if they know that we killed Laurent, but I think we should assume they're trying to work around us to get to Bella.

I snarled and snapped my teeth at the air, slowing to a trot as we got a little closer to the rez. So we just wait and let Bella be bait? Or do we spend the rest of our lives standing guard? I was angry at the lousy options they were leaving us.

Calm down, Jake. We have the meeting tonight, and we can hammer this shit out with the Cullens. It's not in their best interests to let this drag on either. Save it, and make sure you get yourself under control before tonight.

We talked through the things we needed to remember for the coming meeting and I calmed down. I knew I needed to tell Bella what we thought was happening, but I wanted a plan in place to handle the evening when we went to the meeting. Our borders were solid to the Cullens, but other vamps would not care about our treaty and if we were all gone, she would be an easy target.

We phased and continued talking as we walked to my house. Sue's car was in the driveway, and we jogged up to the door.

"Hello Sam, Jake." Sue greeted absently as we came in the door. She was wiping the back of Bella's hand with a cotton ball, a set of little bandages waiting on the table. When she was finished, and Bella's hand was sealed up again, she pulled casserole dishes from the refrigerator and started up the oven, letting Bella know how long to cook them.

"Like I said, we'll just have to wait and see what happens." Sue sighed. "I don't have access to the kind of equipment I'd need to really check you over for the effects, and I wouldn't know where to start if I did."

She and Bella spoke softly for a few minutes while Sam and I checked on my dad. We told him what we'd discussed and began plotting out our approach regarding the meeting.

"Do you think they realize who the redhead is? Should we just tell them?" I asked my dad.

"I don't know, but you should follow their lead at first. Let them guide the meeting for a few minutes and concentrate on keeping the pack under control." He gestured at both Sam and me as he spoke, implying that we should work as a team.

"So maybe as an opener, we introduce ourselves, then let them follow up…" Sam and my dad started to plan out the introduction process, but my attention was drawn to sounds outside.

My car had functioning locks, but between living in the woods and not wanting to get locked out when they decided to randomly break on me, I usually left it unlocked. I heard the unmistakable creak of the trunk and was about to walk to the door-

"Here's the new bandages, Jake," Sue said, handing me rolls of dressing and tape "But I think you'll be able to just use the butterfly bandages in another day or two."

Bella smiled. "Sue says it's healing up very well and there's no signs of infection." I heard a funny popping sound from outside.

I glanced at the door and managed to not drop the dressings Sue shoved into my hands. "That's great Bells." Bella said goodbye to Sue and excused herself to the bathroom. Sue re-packed her nursing bag and walked over to Sam and me.

"I realize this is a source of concern for you, but Bella seems to be fine. I don't know what the long term outcome will be, and we may not know for some time." She gently grasped my arm and gave me her best nurse smile. "Jake, keep an eye on her, but it looks to me like she's going to okay." She hefted her bag onto her shoulder and waved to my dad.

I heard my trunk slam shut, but Sue was almost to the door, so I couldn't push past her. She had the door open as a large body approached the house.

"Hello there, Quil. Sam and Jake are inside, and dinner should be ready in about twenty minutes."

"That's great! Night, Sue!" I heard him say. A second later, Quil burst through the front door with a huge grin on his face. "Dude," He started, glancing around the room at Sam, my dad and me. Quil was almost panting with excitement and Sam and I started laughing at him a little.

"What are you wearing, Quil?" Sam said, pointing to his long black pants.

"Dude!" He replied, eyes wide with glee. He wrapped his hands around the elastic waist of the pants and flicked his arms. The quick movement was accompanied by the popping sound I'd heard before, and the pants flew off him, flapping like crow's wings in his hands.

I was puzzled for a second when I realized what he was holding.

Then I heard a muffled gasp from the hallway.

Fuck.

Bella was standing at the edge of hall as it emptied into the living room and kitchen area, eyes wide in shock, her hand over her gaping mouth. She was staring into the living room at Quil- who was still waving the black pants proudly at Sam.

"Dude!" I yelled angrily, and leapt to stand in front of him. Bella had turned her head, shielding her eyes with her hand. Quil had the decency to look confused as I snatched the pants from him and tried to hold them up like a screen. Sam shook his head and put his face in his hand.

I looked down and Quil's eyes followed mine. His mouth fell open a little in horror and he cupped his junk hurriedly. He was standing in my living room completely naked and had been flagging more than the pants. He turned pink and snatched them back, crouching behind the couch and fumbling with the snaps. I could swear I heard my dad snicker.

"I'm sorry Jake, Bella! I just saw that something in your trunk was lifting up the back tray, and I wanted to make sure it wasn't the cooler from last night. I found the box, and opened it and found these… these…"

"They're tear-away pants from Newton's." Bella said shakily, still turned away. "We couldn't sell them so- oh god- we kept marking them down." She sounded a little choky; I couldn't tell if it was from embarrassment or laughter. Finally, Quil had the critical snaps closed and was pulling the pants on.

"Dude…" I muttered, and I walked over to Bella to let her know the coast was clear. Her face was bright pink as she and Quil exchanged awkward hellos.

The light outside was just beginning to soften to evening, and I got plates out of the cabinets in preparation to feed the pack. Quil helped Bella with side dishes and soon they were laughing at each other like they used to. You just can't be angry with him around.

The sun was getting closer to the trees when I heard footsteps outside the door. Embry, Paul, and Jared came in, their arms full of black fabric that they dropped in a pile inside the door. They set their other things down and greeted my dad and Sam, who had continued their conversation from earlier.

"Are these those pants the basketball players wear?" Embry asked Quil, who was fixing the last of the snaps down a leg.

Paul gave Bella an odd look when Quil said, "Aren't they the shit? Bella brought them."

"I, um, thought you could use them, since…you know…" She gestured weakly at our frames, "And the whole… you know…" She was flustered and glanced between Sam and me as if seeking guidance, then walked to the pile and picked up a few pairs. She handed me one and took one to Sam, who had grown stiff with what I was sure was pride.

"Um, here, Sam." She handed him one and he took it from her, but kept his arm extended and his eyes hard. The activity in the room ground to a halt and all attention turned to Bells and Sam. She swallowed nervously as if she knew how much was riding on this moment. It wasn't about the stupid pants, it was Bella's standing with the pack now. She had provided us information, and while that was honorable and appreciated, it wasn't the same as being accepted.

"I don't need…charity." Sam said quietly.

Bella froze, but stayed calm. "It's not charity, and it's not a gift." She licked her lips and set her jaw. "It's a thank you."

Sam looked a little surprised, and Bella went ahead.

"You saved me in the forest after…after he left me there. You and Jake and Paul saved me from Laurent. And now," her voice caught. "Now you are going to face more of them, for me, and fight with a dangerous vampire and her coven…for me." She caught her breath and looked around the room, meeting the waiting dark eyes. "Thank you." She finished in a near whisper.

Sam was quiet, his arm still extended, holding the pants in his hand. His jaw twitched as he considered her words.

"You're wrong, Bella." He said, and Bella made a tiny gasp but never lowered her head. The whole room held its breath.

"You're wrong because our sole purpose, the reason we exist, is to protect the people on this peninsula, and our land, from those unholy things. If only you were in danger and our wolf-spirits did not intend for us to guard and protect you, they would not have returned to us. You are a part of our mission, and we would never allow them to harm you without a fight."

The air in the room became lighter and we all took a deep breath. Bella smiled gently up at Sam. "Thank you, Sam."

"You're welcome, Bella." He replied, lowering his arm and taking a look at the pants. The pack began to filter outside and through the window in the door I could see them trying out phasing in the pants. The snaps gave way, allowing the fabric to remain undamaged. Each time they tried it, I could see us saving a few dollars- how much money had we all lost due to phasing?

They laughed and horsed around, happy that the pants worked like they hoped. After a few successful tries, they were joined by Seth and Leah, who arrived in time for dinner and to test the new addition to their wardrobes.

The sound of forks clattering on the plates was sharper now that the house was quieter. I helped Bella set out glasses and peel the foil off the huge casserole dishes. She reached by my dad to retrieve some serving spoons and I heard him whisper softly how proud he was of how she handled herself. She just blushed and said that it was just the right thing to do.

When the kitchen was ready, I walked to the door and tapped. Within moments the pack was filing in and we settled into the serious business of eating. Bella had arranged a small plate for herself out of the way with my dad.

The sky was just beginning to darken, and our thoughts were all drawn in the same direction.

"So how do we do this? Shifts?" Jared said.

"Maybe just one stays behind this time, then we rotate it for the next time?"

"What if there isn't a next time?" Someone piped up.

"Well, we can't not guard the place. You said that red-head was after her, right?" Paul said bluntly. Bella's eyes flicked around the room at each speaker, but she said nothing.

"How about we start with Seth, then after he gets a round of training, he comes back and we swap out as we go?"

Leah growled. "Why can't he just stay here the whole time and do it whenever we actually fight these leeches. He'll stay safer."

"Hey! I want to fight, too!" Seth complained hotly, shooting his over-protective big sister a resentful glare. "Seeing it in Jake's mind isn't good enough for me."

A rumble of approval at Seth's answer went through the room. My dad stayed silent, but listened intently. Bella had stopped eating and was flexing her hand, looking thoughtful.

"Well, even if whoever is guarding isn't there, they get the training, too, right?" Embry said. "It's not like they're missing out."

Sam and I were sitting back in our chairs, listening to everyone's arguments. The table talk was quickly becoming deafening with my house and Bella the subject. She winced every time someone referred to her as a mark or target. She was frowning and finally surprised us all by standing suddenly.

"That's enough! Just shut up for one second!" The table went silent immediately. Everyone's eyes were wide enough to see the whites all the way around. Bella got quiet when she realized we were all staring.

"Um, thanks." She fiddled with her hands. "I was thinking, the Cullens have to burn themselves if they harm a person here, right?" We grunted in assent. "And all of you will be there at the meeting?" Another grunt, but Sam nodded slowly this time.

"Don't you all think that the safest place for me will be where all of you are?" Bella said, shyly but a little proudly.

"No. Absolutely not." Sam replied.

"Why not?" Bella asked.

"Because it's cold, dark, and far enough away that we have to phase to run there. And you are neither a wolf, nor a leech, and therefore are not a party to the treaty." Sam looked almost smug.

"No," Bella agreed, and held up her bandaged hand. "But even Sue says we don't know what could happen, and it's not like I can see Dr. Gerandy about this. And since the doctor I probably should see can't exactly make house calls…" Her voice dwindled away but her expression remained firm.

Sam grimaced and looked over at me. I didn't want her to go, but she had a point. A few points, in fact, and I couldn't deny that she was probably safest with the whole pack around her. And she was right- she needed to see a doctor, and only one would really know what to check for.

I shrugged at Sam, and he glared at me before looking to my dad for his reaction. He got a similar shrug.

"Christ," Sam muttered, and stood to clear his plate. He looked out the window and saw that the light was fading to gray and dark blue. He leveled his stare to Bella, who squirmed a little. "Dress warm," He rumbled at her, then headed out the door with his new pants over his arm.

Finally, right?

Thanks so much for reading. I know it's a shorter than average chapter for this story, but everything I added was just filler, so I chopped it out.

Thanks again- sfiddy