Based on the characters created by Stephanie Meyer, in her Twilight Saga series of books

HOME BY TWILIGHT

Chapter 4

Most of the humans got to bed at about midnight. The Cullens took up stations around the property, just as a precaution. Bella stayed in the room with Jenna. She watched as the woman lay almost perfectly still. Even her breathing seemed shallow, and very controlled. Connie had shown Bella which foods would help Jenna heal the fastest, and how to prepare them. Bella took over the two-hour feedings, so Connie could get some sleep. Renesmee was sleeping in Nita's room. Inwardly, Bella smiled; Renesmee's first sleep-over. Bella looked out of one of the windowless openings. She looked down and spotted Jasper. She gave him a short wave, then returned to watching Jenna.

Jasper had positioned himself at the Jeep, near the front door.

"You know, all this protection stuff is unnecessary," Bill had told Jasper before he headed for bed.

"A strong perimeter is always a good idea," Jasper seemed surprised at Bill's lack of concern.

"There's not a one of those freakin' werewolves got the balls to face us here." Bill spit at the ground, and rubbed in into the dirt with the toe of his boot. "Chicken shit mother..." Bill looked back at Jasper, "You'd think with Jenna down, now would be the time to attack, but naw. They don't have it in 'em. They only attack the defenseless. And if their prey isn't defenseless, they make 'em that way before they kill 'em."

Jasper nodded at the information. His military mind took in everything. As a member of the Cullen family, he had enjoyed the peace. Yes, there had been the occasional skirmish, and he had reveled in his ability to contribute to the protection of the family he had grown to love. But, for the most part, he had learned to enjoy his existence, especially with Alice. She had taught him what fun was; something that during his early years as a vampire, he had lost.

" Isn't that what they have done?" Jasper asked. "By taking Miss Jenna out of the equation, haven't they made it easier to attack?"

"You'd think so, but no!" Bill was adamant. "We're a solid group. A family. They know we'd fight to the end to protect her. Still too much work for them. More likely they were checking on her recuperative time."

"Then we will be here to alert you, when Miss Jenna wakes," Jasper told Bill.

Bill laughed loud and hard, "Boy!" he gave Jasper a friendly slap on the arm. "There's no warning for Jenna waking up. It happens in a split second, and just about the whole world hears it." His mood turned serious for a moment. "It will be nice to have some here that can maybe keep up with her," Bill looked Jasper in the eye. "She's going to do one of two things tomorrow. She's going to go check on the injured mustangs, or she's going after the wolves in Deeth. She goes for the wolves," Bill looked worried, "Well, she may not be ready for what she finds. We don't know how many there are. We don't know who the leader is. She goes there, she'll be going in blind." Bill took a breath. "And, there will be no stopping her." He stopped a moment and smiled a sad smile, "She goes for the horses, we'll have a better chance of reasoning with her." He gave Jasper a pat on the shoulder as he walked past him, "See you in the morning, boy."

Jasper laughed at the term 'boy' that Bill was so fond of. "If you only knew," Jasper whispered to himself.

"Only knew what?" Alice gave Jasper a hug from behind, and laid her cheek against his strong back.

"Boy," he smiled and turned around to face Alice. "You heard?"

"Sure!" Alice had a way of making serious, sound like fun time. "I hope there's no fight tomorrow. I'd rather get to know the humans I'm fighting with, before the fight starts. Learned that from Bella." She smiled up at Jasper, "Humans can be very unpredictable."

"We'll get more intell tomorrow. We need to know more about those werewolves, before we have to face them."

Alice watched as Jasper's mind mulled over some ideas as to getting the information he needed. She watched and allowed this for a moment. Then, she grabbed his chin, and just as he was about to speak, kissed his lips. Jasper gave up on the idea he had been about to voice, and surrendered himself to the woman in front of him, but only for a moment.

Alice pulled back from Jasper and smiled again. "I know," she turned and looked out at the dark desert. "Patrol time," and she took off, running a circuit around the house, out-buildings and property within a mile of the house.

Alice made sure to go a different way every time she ran her rounds, but she found Jacob every time.

"You should get some rest," Alice warned him on her third circuit.

Jacob, in wolf form, just shook his huge head and growled.

"Well, you better be careful. They all say she should be waking up at about six or seven AM. You probably don't want to be a wolf then." and off Alice went.

Jacob considered her advice and, as much as he hated to, took it. He loped back to the house through the quiet desert night. Jasper was there to greet him as he arrived.

"Hey, Jake," Jasper welcomed him. "Got a seat for you in the jeep, in the morning. That is, if you want it."

Jake the wolf nodded and padded up to his room. He changed to his human form, then got a pair of boxers to sleep in. His dreams were filled with images of werewolves chasing down the injured horses; then it was small children. Then they were chasing Renesmee, hungry for her flesh.

"NO!'" Jake woke up with a start just before dawn. He dressed and went to check on his Nessie. She was sound asleep on the lower bunk of the beds in Nita's room. Rose stood in the corner, keeping watch. They nodded to each other, then Jake continued to make rounds of the house.

Rose had spent the entire night with the girls. She had watched them play, and learn, and talk, and laugh. She had been concerned that Renesmee might inadvertently harm Nita, But she never came close. Renesmee had used great restraint, while playing with the human girl. And the human girl seemed to have been aware that her new friend could cause her great harm. Together the two had studied the stars with a telescope, painted works of art with water colors, and danced to music Rose had never heard. They had finally fallen asleep at about 11PM. Rose had then taken up her current position, and marveled at the two girls. It had been one of the most miraculous evenings Rose had ever had. She wished Emmett had been with her, to share it.

Emmett had overheard Tony voice a concern about the injured horses. He was arguing with Connie, about going out to the canyon, where they were trapped, and keeping watch. Emmett stepped in and solved the issue for them.

"Bella knows what to do for Jenna," he told Connie, "so you can relax. As for the horses," he turned to Tony, "I got nothing to do. I'll go out and keep watch." He had gotten the directions from Tony, told Rose of his plans, and was gone. As he jogged through the back door, he waved to Carlisle and Esme. They had taken up posts along the back of the house.

"What do you think so far," Esme asked her mate.

"I remember a story," Carlisle looked out at the desert. "Maybe a hundred years old or so. But I'm withholding judgment for now."

"Sometimes, Carlisle," Esme looked at him sternly, "you can be so damn cryptic."

Carlisle turned to look at her and smiled, "What?"

She just shook her head and walked back to the other end of the house.

"No, really. What?" Carlisle followed his wife. Sometimes she got in this mood, and Carlisle didn't understand why. Try as he might, he did not understand women. He and Esme loved each other. Sometime he felt that she was reading his mind, she knew him that well. But sometimes, she made no sense at all.

Esme needed Carlisle to talk to her. To tell her what he thought. Not to, "...reserve judgment..." . She had her own concerns. Should this be a fight that they should be involved in? Should they just force Bella to go back home with them? Esme knew they couldn't leave Bells here alone, but she had her doubts. "... reserve Judgment..." simply didn't cut it.

Esme was so angry at Carlisle, that she was face to face with Edward before she knew it.

"She is Bella's mother," Edward told Esme. "I can smell it in the blood."

She put her arms around Edward, "I'm sorry, Edward. I was just worried about everyone." Esme felt ashamed of herself, for what she had been thinking.

Edward gave her a hug,"I understand. This is all so... " Edward looked around the desert, before he finished the sentence. His vampire senses knew where everyone was. He could even smell the blood from the injured horses, and hoped Emmett was doing OK. "...weird. I just can't think of another word, except maybe strange.

"I knew that Bella was different, even as a human, but it never occurred to me that her mother wasn't human. We know that from the smell of her blood. Not even Jasper was tempted. We know that she can bring herself back from the dead, and heal herself." Edward released Esme to Carlisle, "We'll find out more tomorrow." And Edward went into the back door of the house. Bella would be coming down soon, for food for Jenna. He prepared the tray and took it up to Bella. They spent the rest of the night watching and feeding Jenna. Edward would hold her up, while Bella fed her. They were a team, in more ways than one. The others may have their doubts, but Edward didn't. Bella wanted to be here, so here they would be, until she got the answers she needed.