a/n: So…hi. I know it has been a REALLY long time. And I have explanations…but they are boring and involve reality. When the completion of this fic is so much more fun to announce. It's taken me years to write this. And I have the two final chapters completed. This one and the last chapter, which I plan to post soon. There will be an epilogue (I'm working on it), but I wanted to present the final installments of my fic, at last. Because if anyone is still interested in this story, you deserve to finish it. :)

I want to thank all of my readers, past and present for reading BBD and for all the comments you sent my way. They were all read and loved! I hope you enjoy this chapter. And welcome back. I'm beyond grateful that you are here, reading this.

Thanks to DannoCH for being a wonderful Beta. And who also picked up editing this story for me after years of dormancy.

If you like, go back a few chapters (I would say, at least to Ch. 10) and reread to bring yourself up to pace.

Here it is…Chapter 16. Enjoy!

Chapter Sixteen

Truths

The rain continued outside, loud and angry as it pelted the hood of Charlie's police cruiser in the driveway. It didn't seem as though it would stop. The rushing drum of the storm seemed to mirror my own worried heartbeat. I was sure Edward could hear it, maybe even feel it, since his arm was snaked around my torso. Although he hadn't spoken for a while, I knew by his tense, short breaths that he was still harboring irritation at Jacob.

Jake, who had just been here. Raging and emotional. Who had come to tell my father that Harry Clearwater had died. Who had pressed up against me, his malformed bones jutting into my skin, and demanded to be loved. To be felt.

And I had sent him away with my father to La Push. It was the only protection I could give Charlie while he was on the reservation: A jealous, rampant, teenage werewolf who also happened to be my ex-boyfriend. Wild scenarios thrummed in my head. Jacob could lose his temper, phase too close to Charlie, make an excuse to leave his side, or start another war. Anything could set him off now. The more I thought of him, sitting in the kitchen, cheeks wet with grief for Harry Clearwater one moment, angry and pulsing as he demanded that I love him the next, the more unstable he seemed. He was so far from the person I had once known. But he was still a Protector, the alpha….my best friend. I just hoped it was enough to bring my father back home.

"Are you alright?" Edward finally spoke, and the suddenness of his voice made me jump. This only led him to hold me tighter, although he eased his face against my ear this time and said quietly, "He didn't...hurt you, did he?"

For a moment I thought he was asking about Charlie. And I wondered, how could my father have hurt me?, when I realized that wasn't what Edward had meant. He wanted to know if Jacob had been too rough with me when we had argued in the kitchen.

When Jake had kissed me.

I slowly reached my fingertips up to my mouth, tenderly feeling the soft tissue of my lips. Actually, they were a bit swollen. I was instantly grateful that my back was to Edward so that he couldn't observe that for himself.

I rolled my lips into my mouth, biting them. "He- no, he didn't hurt me," I answered finally, then added, "I seem to be the one that's doing all the hurting."

A muffled growl came from Edward. I could hear it rumbling in his chest. Definitely still angry with Jake for kissing me.

"You shouldn't feel too badly for him," Edward muttered, his snarl barely contained, "He is acting out like an insolent child. Throwing a tantrum when he cannot get his way."

I shook my head. "I don't just mean Jake," I clarified, running my hands up and down the length of my arms. My skin was cold to the touch, though I hardly registered it. "Charlie, Seth and Leah... Harry Clearwater." I listed the last name with a cracked voice. "What does all of this come back to? All the actions and choices made? They've been mine. Everything I do just makes things worse."

Light hands were at my shoulders, turning me round to face him. "That is not true. I decided to cross the border. I decided to break the treaty. I was the one who went after James and Victoria and came back to find you." Edward's voice was stern, commanding in his plea. "You are not the cause," he demanded, dipping his head so that his eyes were level with mine. I stared back at them, knowing he would never admit what I knew to be true. "That charge rests on my shoulders. As does the responsibility to keep you and Charlie safe."

Safe.

That word. It kept haunting me. A concept just out of reach. Wasn't that all I had wanted? To keep Edward safe from Jacob's attack in the meadow? To keep Jacob safe from a war at the border? To keep Charlie safe from Laurent? For the last two days, all I've wanted was for the ones I love to not be in constant peril. And yet, every decision I made only cemented their doom.

"Safe," I said out loud, and turned myself away from golden eyes, back out into the rain, "should not be this hard."

My eyes pierced through the thick veil of rain to the police car in the driveway. It sat there: still, unmoving. I pleaded with it internally. Please bring my father home. I knew it was impossible. Charlie had gone with Jacob in the Rabbit. How could the cruiser bring him safely home to me? But I didn't care of the logistics. I only stared, hoping that somehow it would.

Safe, I repeated internally and pushed away from the front door. The continual efforts I made to keep Charlie safe were only thwarted by my own desires to be with Edward or Jacob. Every moment I put myself between them-put myself in their world- Charlie was at risk. The realization of this hit me, and something hard and aching that I had harbored and questioned for a long time, I finally understood.

Safe. It was that simple.

Edward parried smoothly around me, allowing me walk past the kitchen, which still hinted of burnt milk, and to the base of the staircase. Peering up at the landing, I could see the door to the bathroom was still open from when I had tiptoed out in my towel earlier to dress. How different my mood had been then. I remembered nuzzling my face into my pillow and smiling, still reeling from my shower with Edward. Everything at that moment had been right and good and perfect.

I sank down onto the first step. An empty laugh erupted from my chest on it's own accord. Edward arched an eyebrow, curiously. He was standing in front of me, dripping wet with rain. His bronze hair somehow still in its constant state of perfection. I smiled pathetically, tucking my knees to my chest and wrapping them with my arms as I explained myself.

"I can't believe an hour ago I was happy."

"Happy?" he asked.

"Elated, actually," I corrected and watched comprehension come over his face as it tilted up to view the staircase and finally…the shower. His eyes twitched back to mine and he returned my grin. Crookedly.

"So was I."

He fell into a smooth crouch beside me, his forearms resting lightly on his knees, which bumped against mine as he leaned closer.

"And now?" he asked.

My smiled faltered a bit. I settled my face down to my knees, tucking my chin behind them.

"Now I'm wondering the cost of my happiness. And if it's worth it."

Edward's lips drew to a line, his brows furrowing at my words. "Your happiness is everything to me. It is certainly worth—"

"Worth death?" I posed, "Worth war and violence? Worth the lives of my father and friends?"

"Bella," he whispered, "love, you cannot think that this war is because of your happiness. Because you…because you and I…"

He stopped, drifting off. Eyelids closed over his gaze as his lips returned to their tight line.

Looking at him, seeing the arc of his cheek, the wisps of hair falling along his forehead, the beautiful alabaster of his skin, it made my heart heavy to know that he could be all mine. If I let him. If I told him the truth he deserved to know. The truth I had promised myself to give.

"Edward," I breathed, and when he went to open his eyes, I moved to stop him. Letting the soft pad of my thumb ghost across the lids. I whispered, "Don't. Don't look at me until I'm done".

His brow knitted once, then smoothed as he nodded, transforming his face into that blank canvas he had perfected for school. Unreadable and unchanging. I went on.

"When you left, I was broken," I started, and let my fingers trace the line of his face as I spoke. Brushing past his temple, and forehead, whisking stray droplets of rainwater from his skin. "I- I couldn't set myself right again. And I thought that Jacob could," I inhaled, feeling a twitch in Edward's jaw at the mention of Jacob's name. "I thought he could fill the void that you made in me," I held my breath, knowing what I was saying was everything I had already known, but was too terrified to confess aloud. And I found myself closing my own eyes, letting my hands read Edward for me, as they nestled to cup his face between them. "But it was all so wrong. I pushed it too far, forcing him to be the right choice for me. But he wasn't. I slept with the wrong person for all the wrong reasons. It took me a long time to forgive myself for that."

My thumb had found the base of his mouth, and it padded lightly over his lips: hard and cool and stoic.

"So when I asked you this morning to make love to me, it wasn't because I was desperate to heal myself, or fix what had been broken, or to feel something that wasn't there. It wasn't a need to be fulfilled. It was a want. I wanted to see if it would be right with you."

I swallowed, stalling, and whispered. "It was perfect."

I heard his gasp of shocked relief, and then his forehead was suddenly pressed to mine. I could feel his cool breath on my face. Our mouths almost touching. Still my eyes stayed shut, and feeling upward, I knew that his were the same.

Our breathing had become synced. Our chests swelled and lowered with the other, moving together in rhythm with each breath.

"Are you done?" he asked, his voice ragged, as though he had just run miles.

I shook my head against his.

"No." I was just getting started.

"Bella." He panted, and I felt his arms climbing the length of mine, finding my own hands and covering them in his arctic clasp.

"It should have been with you, those other times," I rushed, hurrying myself to get it out, sealing my eyes tighter, "It should always just be with you. You make it beautiful and…right. After so many wrongs, I cannot begin to explain how much it meant to me to do something right."

"Are you done, Bella?" he asked again, and there was a quiver in his voice. His fingers wound themselves around my own, so that he was clutching on to me.

"No," I said firmer. My heart was beating faster, pushing me onward. "It proved to me that I was right to have loved you. Even when I was with Jacob. Even when I didn't want to. I had thought that love was what caused so much pain. Love that seemed to do nothing but hurt us. I was afraid of it."

I paused, my breath now rapid with Edward's, our chests heaving. We clung to each other, foreheads touching, eyes clenched shut, and hands entangled against Edward's face. I was almost there. I just had to say it.

Say the truth, Bella. Just tell him.

"So I lied," I admitted, and my voice held strong. Not wavering or crumbling. I spoke with flawless clarity and truth, "When you asked me in the meadow if I loved you and I said I didn't. I was too scared that we'd keep hurting each other. Again and again. But what I've learned is that it's not our love that hurts us. It's denying ourselves of it that's wrong. Letting myself love you is what feels right. It is what makes me whole. You make me that way, Edward. No one else. Not Jake. Not any human. You."

My breath caught in my throat, and my fingers spread widely across Edward's face, feeling for a reaction. I repeated, "I'm so sorry I lied. I do love you. I never stopped loving you and I don't think that's ever going to change."

This time he didn't ask if I was finished. He just reached over and closed the space between us. His lips found mine in the darkness. Cold to warm, stiff to soft. And I tasted his sweet breath so fully it was as though my own. His hands unwound from mine so that he could lace them into my hair, gathering it to pull me closer to him. There was a slight tilt of his head to the side so that his nose dragged along my cheek as he deepened our kiss. His tongue entered my mouth. I sighed, filling with his sweet, floral taste as my lips pursed against marble stone. The bubbling and prickling of my skin was alight once more. The memory of our shower now igniting it more rapidly than before. My fingers curled along his neck, feeling the muscles there move as his kissed me. Edward took my bottom lip into his mouth, sucking lightly on it, savoring it as I pulled at him. I kissed him passionately and finally. Because I didn't want my last kiss to be from Jacob. I wanted it to be from the man I loved. And who knew the truth of how I felt and loved me back all the same.

I could feel Edward's lips peeling back against my mouth. He was smiling. Happy and sated. And I felt a pang in my chest at his joy.

We pulled back, and his smile was still there, lifting one side of his face in the crooked fashion that I knew so well. He scooped me up, into his arms, aiding me up into a standing position at his side.

I wanted to return his smile, to gaze back up at him and know that it would all be alright. That our love was enough. But I couldn't just now. Not with Laurent out there. Not with Charlie in danger. Not when I finally understood what my love for the people in my life really meant. And my responsibility to them.

"I love you," I whispered again, and swept my fingers along the shell of his ear "terribly and irrevocably. No matter what happens to us."

With that, the look on Edward's face changed. His smile faded as he read the underlying meaning in the last of my words. His body leaned away from mine, so that he could study me further.

"What is going to happen to us?" he asked solemnly.

I let my hand fall to his chest, letting it linger there on the stone of his body for a moment. And then stepped back, away from his touch. Away from the chill of his skin. It left my body pricking for more. But I quelled it. All of that could wait. It had to.

His family would be here soon. Now was the time to explain, before they came and crowded my thoughts with plans for Laurent. Edward reached to me with one open palm, but I shook my head and looked out, beyond him. Towards the door Charlie had walked through.

"I know why you left six months ago," I said, seeing through the glass of the front door once more. Out at the rain still pouring outside the house. Out where Charlie was vulnerable, "I mean, I understand it now. All of this with Laurent; it all comes back to me. No matter what I do, my one, same choice puts others in jeopardy. Poor Leah and Seth. Poor Sue. And Charlie…he's in so much danger because of me. It's too much." I turned back to Edward, who was quiet and still beside the staircase. I couldn't believe what I was going to tell him; after all we had been through.

"I can't be that selfish to put someone I love in danger for my own happiness. That's what you did, for me, when you left. I didn't really get it until now. And I forgive you for putting me through the pain of it. I only hope that now you'll forgive me," I sighed, taking a breath, "I need to protect my father. I have to…make him safe. I can't do that when being with you is a constant threat. Whether it's Laurent, James or Victoria, or a war with Jacob's pack, there's too much risk for Charlie to get hurt," I squeezed my fists, not wanting to continue but knowing I must, "I can't do this anymore—believing that I can be a part of your world without consequence. No matter how much I love you, or how badly it will hurt, I can't be with you, Edward. Not like this."

Edward walked forward a few steps, his hands now at his sides, no longer reaching for me.

"I swore to you that I would let no harm come to Charlie. That is a promise I will not break. Charlie's safety—"

"Comes first," I finished for him, cutting him off.

He paused, his eyes locking to mine with hesitation; until finally he nodded. "Of course. Comes first."

Edward was silent. The air around us felt heavier. The sound of the rain outside was quieter, as though the storm were moving away. It stretched the hush of the room further, making it seem empty and cold. I didn't want it to be that way between us. I didn't want to be cruel and uncomfortable with Edward. He was so quiet. So still. I clumsily fidgeted on my feet, needing him to tell me this was all okay.

"Say something," I pleaded, "Please."

Edward took a small step towards me, and I thought I saw an upward lift in the corner of his mouth.

"Yesterday, I thought you had chosen Jacob. You had gone with him from the meadow, leaving me there alone and quite literally broken," he said. He gave a slight shrug with one shoulder, as if to casually discard the memory of him in the meadow with one hand and one leg, begging for me to stay. "That was…difficult to bear," he continued. He looked up at me through his eyelashes, and a hand went to his own chest as he spoke in earnest. "I learned that the two of you had been intimate, by hearing Jacob's own thoughts at the border. It was then that I was sure that I had lost you to him forever." He stopped, shaking his head, remembering.

The rain outside had almost stopped. The closer Edward walked to me, the farther away the storm seemed. Thunder rolled subtly in the distance, drifting from the house as Edward took two more steps.

"When I overheard you tell him just now, in that kitchen, that you didn't love him…I thought maybe, somehow, I was being granted another chance." And then his mouth ghosted again with that hint of a grin. "Now, you tell me that we are right to love each other, a question I have struggled with since the moment we first spoke. And that you forgive me for the sin of ever leaving you, and that, impossibly, you love me in return after all that I have done," he broke out in a bright smile, his perfect teeth shining as he gave a soft chuckle, "Bella, love, there is no need to give me more than that. It is more than I could ever want."

With that Edward strode toward me, fast and deliberate, and lifted me into his arms. He wrapped himself around me, chest crushing against mine and breathed deeply into my neck, inhaling my skin and hair. "You give me more than I ever could deserve. You are loving and courageous and kind."

He whispered those words, his lips at my throat, breathing the scent that called to him. We both had come so far together, had changed so much from the people we were when we first met. We weren't even the same people who had walked into this house twelve hours ago. We were learning, clumsily, from our mistakes. And were still brave enough to put the ones we loved before us.

I put my hand to the back of Edward's hair. Still wet. It felt like hours, but not much time had passed since we were drenched in the rain with Charlie and Jacob. I smiled into the shoulder of his shirt, and was ready to suggest I go upstairs to change into something dry when Edward spoke again.

"There is only one thing I must ask, love. When this is all over, do not cast me away forever. I cannot go through that pain once more."

I pulled away, looking up at his face. No, I could not go through that again, either. That was obvious. "I don't know how it will work," I said honestly, "I will need time…"

"Apart?"

"I don't know."

"Bella, love," he breathed, and there was true panic in his voice, "I will give you whatever time you need. But I will not be able to endure it for long. The pain… the…visions."

I stepped back. "Visions?"

"If that is what it was. It was only once," Edward explained, his hands now at my elbows as we held each other's waists. "It had been a dark day. Before I had decided to return home to Forks. I was alone and brooding. The pain of missing you was… intolerable. I had… what I can only call a vision. Not like Alice's," he corrected quickly, "A hallucination of some kind. A new torture my subconscious created for me. I saw you."

As he spoke, Edward's eyes became distant as though he were seeing it now in front of him again. "You were beautiful. Vibrant, joyous, and smiling. The wind was in your hair and you were atop a motorcycle with your arms were around some boy. Of course I immediately became enraged with jealousy—even though I knew it was only a product of my longing for you. A false reality," he admitted, shaking his head in chagrin, "Nevertheless, I called out to you. Out loud. In my misery, I yelled at you. That you were being—"

"Stupid and reckless," I finished. It was as if a light clicked on. Suddenly I saw myself riding with Jacob on his motorcycle, shouting for him to drive faster. And hearing the Voice in my head, scaring me enough to fall to the ground. Edward's voice, speaking to me.

Edward now only blinked at me. Floundering, he asked, "What? Love, how do you know?"

The shock in his eyes matched my own. It was impossible and yet…

I gripped him tighter, pushing myself on top of my toes.

"Edward, my God. Edward, I heard you. In my head." When he showed no sign of understanding, I hurried to finish. "I was riding on the back of Jacob's bike for the first time and I heard you call me stupid and reckless. It scared me half to death! I had let go and fallen off of the bike. Bruised my shoulder," I let out a short, heady laugh, and in spite of the situation, felt myself grinning, "I-I thought I was crazy. But it was you. It was really you speaking to me."

I broke away from our embrace, running my hands wildly through my hair as I tried to make sense of our discovery. Edward stood solid and confused, staring at the spot I had just occupied with an open mouth.

"Is that, normal for vampires? Has that ever happened before?"

Edward shook his head, his eyes wide and wild when they finally met mine again. "I have never heard of this—even between two of my kind. Bella, your mind is still silent to me. How could I have seen you so clearly that day?"

I shook my head, not knowing what to say. Somehow we had connected. Across miles, across months, somehow Edward saw me on that bike, and spoke to me. And that moment frightened and shook me to my core. It made me formulate the Plan to sleep with Jake. And from there… this whole mess had tangled and began. I had dreamed of the meadow, only to witness its realization when I stood there confronting Edward. I thought it might have been fate to dream of the grass. Had fate reached across our awful despairs to bring us together?

Maybe.

"Edward," I breathed in awe, "What does this mean?"

He opened his mouth to speak, but then closed it determinedly. His gaze shifted past mine to the front door as he reached forward to take my hand into his own.

"Perhaps we may find out soon enough," he muttered quietly, then glanced at me adding, "My family has arrived."

I wasn't sure what he meant by that. Would his family have some kind of insight to our linked minds? Would Alice be able to explain something so extraordinary? My head was buzzing with what Edward and I had uncovered, my confession, and every dueling emotion inside of me. Before I could even steel myself for the invasion of Cullens into my home, I heard them making their way to the front door.

Edward and I stood waiting side by side in the entryway, similar to how we had been only moments before. Our clothes still wet, our hair dripping down our backs, and hands clasped. Only now I was no longer waiting for Charlie to walk through the front door, but six vampires.

Alice came first, marching through the door with an umbrella in one hand and the other holding two garment bags high in the air so that they did not trail along the ground.

"Bella! I need you upstairs to change," she announced, wasting no time.

"Change?" I asked, as she swept by me, "There's no time for that. We need to make a plan for Laurent."

"Bella," Alice clucked, twisting around so that her good-eye was on me, "he is not going to attack when you have a house full of vampires to defend you," she said, and tapped her right temple gently with her finger. "I know these things, remember? You may, however, catch pneumonia from those clothes. So, the choice is yours." She tossed one of the garment bags to Edward, who caught it effortlessly and hung it over his arm.

"We do require a change of dress," Edward agreed, running his eyes over our bodies, "The two of us are soaked through."

"But—" I protested and looked to Edward for support, "Charlie."

He considered this a moment before nodding. "Charlie is of course at a risk being away from the security of my family. But, you do trust Jacob Black enough to watch over him at the reservation. Where, I may add, there is an entire pack of shifters on guard with him. If we know anything about Laurent's style of assault, it is that he prefers to isolate his prey through deception, rather than barging through a line of defense via force." Edward rested a hand to the small of my back and I felt the cold chill of my damp clothing against my skin. "Yours and Charlie's safety lies in numbers. And if Alice's intuition is correct," he said lightly, "Your biggest risk at the moment is catching sick from those clothes."

"Off course I'm right," Alice chimed, "Now, come Bella. Up we go." And she took my hand from Edward's to lead me up the stairs.

.

.

Once in my room, Alice leisurely hung the garment bag on the back of my door, allowing me privacy to undress. She unveiled a pair of skinny dark wash jeans, along with a half-sleeved, boat neck sweater in a grayish blue hue, and handed them to me without turning.

"Alice?" I asked, tentatively, slipping the jeans over my legs, "If you know Laurent is not going to attack here, can you see if-"

"No," she answered, cutting me off. Her fingers idly handled the garment bag as she spoke. "I know what you're going to ask. If I can see about Charlie. I can't. He's at the reservation now. With the wolves." Her face was still turned away from mine, but I could hear her frowning nevertheless.

"Edward and Carlisle have a theory about it. They think the pack is some kind of blind spot in my visions, since everyone's futures vanish the moment one of them is near. They just—disappear." She stooped and zipped up the bag in one sweep of her arm. Perhaps a little too powerfully, since the zipper shattered with a crack at the top of the bag. "They're like some kind of black hole, sucking everything around it. Why else would I think you and Edward had died in the meadow the exact moment the wolves arrived? Why would only Edward's future return once you had gone with the pack?" She stopped; assessing the damage to the garment bag, and then turned to me, a grimace on her face.

"I'm sorry, Bella," she admitted, "I'm being bitter about it, I know. But, they already have one eye over there," she motioned to her patch, which was now a deep shade of purple, "did they really have to take the other?" She sighed and then added with a happier tone, "But, it doesn't mean everything's not going to work out. Once Charlie's back and we've got this plan of yours in place…"

I jumped on this, happy to leave any hostility for Jacob behind, "So you can see that the plan will work?"

She shook her head, "No. We haven't decided on one have we? But once we do…then maybe if the beasts can stay at bay for long enough…." She trailed.

"Alice," I said, stopping the actions of getting dressed. I had one arm through the sweater and the other sleeve hung empty at my shoulder.

"Hmm?" She hummed, tilting her head slightly and pouting her lips. I looked at her, eye-patch and pixie haircut and perfectly outfitted in all her designer glory.

"Thank you," I whispered, my throat thick, "for saving my life. For being my friend. For," my breath caught, "everything."

She grinned widely. "You're welcome. Now, you must tell me," she added, prancing over to where Edward had punched a hole in my wall, and pointed to it with delicate fingers. "How exactly did this happen?"

I laughed. Really laughed. I didn't know how badly I needed to do that. It felt so good to leave behind the fear and unease of the day, even if only for a few moments. I was able to choke out a description to Alice of how her brother had punched straight through my bedroom wall, and how I had somehow convinced Charlie that it had been me. Soon, Alice joined in, and we were both giggling at the purple hole in my wall. I grabbed her once more, holding her tight against me as our laughs died down. She returned a light squeeze.

"I missed you, too," she said.

.

.

When I finished dressing, Alice and I descended the stairs together and I saw, for the first time, the entire Cullen family occupying Charlie's living room.

Carlisle and Edward were speaking quietly to one another in the furthest corner of the room, while the rest were looking up at me while I descended the stairs.

"Bella!" Esme was the first to greet me, extending her arms as she walked forward. "It has been too long," she smiled and enveloped me into a loose hug around my shoulders. I eyed Edward from across the room at her words, and saw the slightest twitch in the corner of his mouth.

"You and I have unfinished business," a voice projected loudly from the living room. I turned to see Emmett, standing up from the couch to his full height. Surely, this would be a threatening image to any normal human being and would send them running in the other direction. Instead, I crossed my arms to address him.

"If this is about your truck, you can accept it as retribution for hurting Jacob. Or you can see what happens if you really piss me off."

Emmett straightened himself, shaking his head he answered in a deep, gruff voice. "You don't mess with the Jeep."

"And you don't mess with my best friend," I countered. I had dropped my arms, ready to defend myself and Jacob further when I saw that Emmett's face was unsuccessfully suppressing a grin. One side of his mouth was twisted upwards, as though he could not constrain it much longer from breaking out in a wide, toothy smile. Relaxing at this, I let my guard come down and smirked back at him. He was teasing me.

But then another voice came, and this one did not sound amused or light-hearted in it's mock.

"Of course," Rosalie said. She had been standing beside the mantle, but strode to Emmett's side in three sharp clicks of heels on the floor. "Next time your best friend," she stressed the words, "is trying to decapitate Edward, Emmett will just let him."

I met her gaze. It was stone cold.

"I didn't mean it like that."

"Rose," Edward growled, pushing past her as he walked briskly towards me. "Don't get involved."

"But I am involved," she said, opening her arms and gesturing about the room to her family, "We are all involved here. Every time Bella is in danger, we get involved. Isn't that the protocol? Bella gets a paper-cut, we leave town. Bella may be targeted by Victoria, you drag Emmett and Jasper down to Texas. A shifter has her on La Push, we break the treaty to rescue her. Correct me if I'm wrong here, brother, but I am sensing a pattern." Her cool eyes turned towards me, "Just what were you doing on the reservation, anyway, while my family fought for you?"

I could feel my cheeks flaming. That was a question I certainly did not want to answer, especially not in front of Edward's entire family. Luckily, I didn't have to.

"You know Laurent had her," Alice chirped from behind me. She effortlessly glided next to Jasper by the sofa and smoothed his hair with her fingers. "She almost drowned, remember?"

"Exactly," Rosalie exclaimed, her palm smacking down to her thigh, "Now we have to track him down as well as deal with a war."

I looked up at Edward, my hand finding his and squeezing it. "See," I said lightly and nudged him with my shoulder, "Rosalie agrees that it's all my fault."

"Rose thinks everything is your fault," Emmett shrugged, "Don't take it personal. Ow! Hey," he said, after she had smacked his arm.

"Look," I said, removing my hand from Edward's as I shifted in front of him. I wanted to speak for myself, to not have his presence shielding me from his family. "I appreciate what you all have done for me. Everything Rosalie said is true. I owe you all my life, and more. But now I ask not only for me, but for Charlie, that we stop Laurent." Thinking of Charlie again, my eyes began to sting. I swallowed hard, trying not to get upset.

"He has nothing to do with any of this. He just…he has the unfortunate luck of being my dad." I admitted, blinking a little too rapidly. I tried quickly to change gears from Charlie. "As for the treaty…I…"

I wanted to say I would speak to Jacob. That I would make him call off the war. But I didn't know if I had that kind of clout anymore. Not even with my own best friend.

Carlisle moved into view. He had been standing silently in the far corner of the room as though waiting for his turn to speak. "The war with the wolves is an unfortunate situation that is not of your doing, Bella. My sons crossed that border, not you. And while I know negotiations were…challenging, it was still imprudent to do so. That is something I have discussed with them, and a matter I will take up with the pack's alpha once Laurent has been dealt with." He hesitated a moment, as if contemplating how best to continue. "Forgive me for asking, but, how is Jacob?" he prodded carefully, "Edward mentioned he stopped by this morning. His injuries at the border were…severe. I have been wondering if his pack was able to set things straight again." The way Carlisle spoke of Jacob, it was obvious he was concerned. Yet also intrigued. I'm sure he didn't encounter battered shifters very often in his line of practice.

I gulped. How was Jacob? Let me see. He was violent, emotional, vulnerable, intolerable, and physically marred. But that wasn't exactly the answer Dr. Cullen was looking for. How could I explain about Jacob? The heat was still in my cheeks from Rosalie's question before, and I didn't want to make it any more obvious there was awkward tension between Jacob, Edward and myself. So I tried to swallow down my embarrassment and answer the question as objectively as possible.

"He's…." I floundered, "in pain. His bones are all out of place. I can tell it bothers him but…" I felt my blush darkening, "he tries to hide it."

Carlisle shook his head. "If only they had let me tend to him on site. He would have recovered properly in no time." He looked back up to me. "Well, I do have you here. If you wouldn't mind, I would like to conduct a short follow-up exam. There is some bruising around your nose, which is common for a break, but I would like to check all the same."

I bit at my lip. We had wasted so much time already. As if sensing this, Esme spoke up.

"Laurent will be dealt with, Bella," she said smoothly, "And your father will be safe. As will you. Please, let my husband do this so that we can ensure you are as fit as you need to be for this plan."

I nodded, realizing the sincere concern in Esme's eyes. "Alright. And…" I said, my throat thickening. I cleared it as I made a point to look at each of the Cullens. The ever-composed Carlisle, Alice, spiky haired and beaming encouragingly at me, Jasper, discreetly perched on the arm of the couch, Emmett, large yet affable, Rosalie, austere in her striking beauty, and finally back to Esme. Only weeks ago, I had felt so alone. And here was a room full of people who loved and cared for my wellbeing. Who, after everything, I still considered family. "Thank you," I finished, "I mean that from the bottom of my heart. Thank you all."

"Jasper, is it you?" Emmett called, turning his head to his brother, "because things are getting a little too maudlin in here for my taste."

I let out a laugh, and Esme was beside me, her thin cool arm wrapping around my shoulders once more. "It is good to have you back."

She guided me to the easy chair Charlie had slept in the night before. The disarrayed blanket was still strung about the arms. Esme kneeled next to me on the floor as I eased myself into the chair and kept a hand on my arm as Carlisle came forward, leather medical bag in hand, to examine me.

He checked my nose first, feeling around for the point of breakage. The skin there was tender, and I winced a little as he prodded. Esme ran her hand up the length of my forearm as though to console me. I gave her a soft smile, hoping that she knew how much I appreciated her maternal instincts.

Carlisle pulled back. "The break is healing quite well, with only minimal bruising," he assessed, "Your breathing and heart-rate are normal, too." I gave him a questionable look before I remembered that vampire doctors probably didn't require the use of a stethoscope. "And," he continued, "you seem stable on your feet. You're healing well. Although your lungs sound clear of fluid, I would still recommend the practice of a spirometer."

He turned and bent over his bag. From it, he extracted a clear plastic apparatus that was composed of two cylinders and a tube protruding from the center.

This couldn't be good.

I recoiled a bit and Carlisle chuckled. "It's not so bad. You just blow on this end here, and try to raise the markers in the center as high as you can. That's all."

There was a definitive snort from behind Carlisle.

"I don't think Bella has any experience with blowing," a voice muttered and I wasn't surprised to see it was Emmett, not so quietly speaking to Jasper, who had a hand feebly covering a smirk. "Or making things rise." Emmett erupted into laughter as Jasper shook his head.

"Shut up, dude," Jasper whispered, elbowing his brother in the ribs. But his own amusement was apparent on his face.

There was a low snarling noise that I knew to be Edward's as he wordlessly threatened them from across the room.

I, however, remained unphased. I knew it was only a matter of time before the jokes started. Emmett was still under the impression that I was a virgin, and he had promised an onslaught of teasing on the subject. I was slightly impressed that he had lasted this long.

If he only knew, I thought to myself, thinking of Edward and I in the shower. I then had to immediately correct that thought with: he must never find out. Imagining Emmett armed with the knowledge that I had slept with both Jacob and Edward made me cringe in my chair.

Yes, the virgin jokes I could handle.

"Our apologies, Bella," Esme spoke, standing from her position on the floor, "My sons still act as though they are without decades of maturity under their belts."

At the words "under their belts", Emmett only laughed harder.

"Maybe we'll save this for later," Carlisle suggested and placed the contraption on the table, behind the lamp and out of sight.

"Stop being such a child," Alice scolded, shoving Emmett with her hand.

"Yo, Jazz, your one-eyed monster is touching me!" Emmett called over his shoulder.

"Stop calling me that!" Alice shrieked.

Edward moved soundlessly beside Carlisle, angling his body so that his back to his brothers, creating a sort of barrier between them and us. Emmett was still cackling as he tried to pry Alice's eye patch from her face, but she teetered from his reach seconds before he could take it.

Edward gracefully ignored them.

"Carlisle," he said quietly, "I would like to continue our conversation from before, now that Bella is here to participate. Bella, I had attempted explaining to my father what you and I had discovered earlier about… our connection. I would like him to hear it from your point of view as well, if you wouldn't mind."

Carefully, I recounted for Carlisle how I had been riding the motorcycle, exactly how Edward had envisioned me, when I had heard him inside my head, speaking to me in the precise words he had said aloud. How it had startled me, and –I had to avert my eyes as I admitted the last part—sent physical pain searing through my body. Carlisle listened intently, his eyes widening as I described the clarity of Edward's voice and the agony it had produced.

"Have you ever heard of such a thing happening?" Edward asked, "A link between the minds of vampire and human?"

Carlisle looked back and forth between the two of us, his eyes pensive as they scanned ours. He gave a slight smile and shook his head. "Never. But I do not believe it is a link between minds, Edward, but rather, between souls."

Edward tisked, his mouth tightening as he spoke, "Not this 'soul' philosophy again, Carlisle," he said dismissively. "You know my stance on the matter. Vampires are soulless."

"That's not true!" I interjected, and both Edward and his father turned to me in surprise. I stared adamantly back at Edward. "You told me before. You told me that-" I paused, noticing the sudden and complete quiet that had settled over the room. A quick check behind Edward confirmed my suspicion. All seven Cullens were staring back at me, listening and waiting for me to continue.

I shifted in the chair uncomfortably; now acutely aware of how personal my next statement was going to be. Still, I wanted to prove my point. So I continued slowly, with arched eyebrows directed at Edward in an attempt that he would remember with the slightest prompt.

"Remember? What you said to me about your soul…" I waited, eyes begging Edward to somehow inherit the ability to read my mind, and remember that in the shower he had told me that his soul was mine, no matter how damned it may be, until the end of his days.

But he now only looked at me in question, his eyebrows knit together in a line. I sighed and finished lamely "in the shower."

Edward straightened immediately, his eyebrows now raised high on his head. He cleared his throat and quickly responded, "I did imply that I possessed a soul, then," he said to me in chagrin, "That doesn't mean that—"

"No!" I defended, and stood from the chair so that I could address him straight on, "You have a soul, Edward. A beautiful one. And I know that deep down you believe it's there, because you promised it to me."

"Bella," he sighed, in exasperation and, "this is not a question of souls, but minds."

Carlisle clasped his hands in front of his chest, and nodded his head. "She's right, Edward. Our souls do not depart from us once we are turned. In fact, it is my belief that they magnify in character. Look at our personality traits, and how they have grown into gifts with our second life? Alice's visions, your mind, Jasper's emotional charisma. These traits carried on, even after our hearts stopped beating. The essence of who we are derives from of our souls."

He put a hand to Edward's shoulder. "I do not know how, but yours and Bella's souls seem to be so in tuned that they were able to call out, between space and time, and recognize the other. The pain you each described you had felt in the other's absence… physical pain at just the mention of the other's name…"

I pivoted on my feet. It had become warm in the room, somehow. Even with seven cold bodies filling it, the memory of how I had suffered each day, the pain of the Voice and how it had haunted me made me feel hot and lightheaded. I took in a slow inhale as Carlisle finished.

"You weren't just feeling your own despair. Your souls were sharing it, experiencing the other's longing and sorrow simultaneously with it's own. It must have been excruciating." He shook his head in sympathy. But then he smiled. "It is rare to have such a connection. And…remarkable."

There was a pause. I could see Edward turning Carlisle's explanation over in his head, his jaw stiff and frozen in thought. I felt overwhelmed myself and the need to sit down or faint seemed imminent. It was too unreal, even in this paranormal world. I was only a simple human. How could my soul connect to Edward's? How could we be so intertwined that our pain was shared by the other?

"How?" I breathed, "How is this possible?" I didn't know whom exactly I was asking. But when a tinkling voice chirped up from my left, I wasn't surprised.

"It's obvious, isn't it? You two are meant to be together," Alice cheered. She ran to me then, twirling around me and hugging me in her arms. "You can't tell right now because I only have one eye, but I am winking," she laughed, "Now if the two of you will stop playing martyrs for each other and just be together, we can all move on with our lives."

"Alice," Edward started, unlocking his jaw from its stone-like state.

"Edward," Alice sighed, "I say this out of love, but will you please just be with Bella already and stop dragging this out? It is the obvious choice!"

Edward winced, but said nothing. I frowned, not wanting to explain just yet the complicated workings of our relationship, but I couldn't let Edward take all of the blame.

"Actually, it's me," I said, clearing my throat. "I'm the one choosing not to be with Edward right now."

Alice frowned, ready to make a retort when I continued.

"My choice right now is to put Charlie first and make sure he is safe, and…." I glanced at Edward's face and he gave me an encouraging nod, "to not become Laurent's mate."

The Cullens exchanged quiet looks and from behind Carlisle, I watched Esme step forward. She reached out to me and hugged me close to her. "Which is exactly why we are here. You are part of our family either way."

"Let's get started," Carlisle said.

"Fine," Emmett drawled from his spot on the sofa. "But am I the only one who wants to know what happened in the shower?"

"Emmett!" Alice yelled and threw a nearby pillow at him.

He swatted it out of the air and pointed at her, "You, one-eyed wonder, are going to tell me later. Because I know you know."

"Enough!" I yelled, and instantly shot Alice an apologetic look when she turned back to me in utter shock that I would yell at her. Emmett beamed back at me, raising his eyebrows above his head as though he knew exactly what had happened in the shower. I ignored him. "Look, I want to act now. I'm not going to sit around and wait for Laurent to strike first. So, I—I'm going to offer myself up as bait."

Edward groaned from beside me. "You are not going to be the bait."

I turned back to him and said in a hushed voice, "You have to trust me, remember?"

"I have been trusting you," he countered, his voice deepening. He inclined his head, his eyes widening "Remember?"

Those words sparked the memory of Edward stepping into the rushing water of the shower with me, saying that he trusted me. I remembered how he hadn't come between Jacob and I when we argued in the kitchen, even when Jacob had forced himself on me. Edward was right. He had been making conscious efforts to be more trusting when it came to my decisions. I had to do the same for him.

"Fine," I conceded, turning back to the group, "I'm open to other options, if anyone has one."

Edward shot me a crooked smile in gratitude and I returned it.

"You probably don't want to come anyway, Bella," Emmett said, "With Victoria, it should have been an easy fight with three against one. But because she had that guy with her, it got nasty."

Jasper shifted uncomfortably on his feet, his hand going to the back of his neck to rustle the hair there awkwardly.

"You had to bring that up, didn't you," Alice moaned.

"What?" Emmett asked incredulously, "I'm looking out for Bella. That's the point right? So Laurent doesn't eat her!"

"Actually, he doesn't want to eat me. He told me he wants to turn me so I can be his shield." The word 'shield' sent a chilling shiver up my spine as I remembered Laurent whispering it with such reverence on the cliff. I wasn't even sure exactly what it meant, but the way in which Laurent coveted it so thoroughly, I figured it was time I found out. I turned to Carlisle and asked, "What is a shield exactly?"

"Well," Carlisle clasped his hands behind his back, "as you know, our kind carry gifts over with us when we are turned into vampires. Traits that served us in our human lives may manifest into supernatural powers in immortality. Since we are natural predators, vampiric gifts are typically of the offensive quality. Meaning, they can be used as weapons for attack.

"However, there are some humans whose traits transfer over as defensive," Carlisle explained, "It is quite rare for a vampire to be able to deflect the powers of others. Vampires with this sort of gift have come to be known as 'Shields'. Of course, as said, it is rare. And most vampires do not covet such talent, as we are rarely prey. Although, there are some who seek out Shields for their own personal gain and protection. It seems Laurent is convinced that your immunity to his gift is foretelling of your future as a Shield."

I gulped. "So he thinks if he turns me, I'll become a Shield?" I asked and when Carlisle nodded, I winced. "Is he right?"

"He may be," he shrugged, "It is very curious that your mind is silent to my son. However, it has never occurred to me before that you may be a potential Shield. You see, nothing is guaranteed Bella. You may turn and lose all ability to block attacks. The lore of trait transfers is tenuous and vague. Much is still unknown. Although it does not seem as though these stakes bother Laurent. In his mind, he has nothing to lose by trying to turn you and, if successful, he has everything to be gained."

"We're not going to let that happen," Edward declared.

I nodded, but still felt wary. This talk of Shields and turning and transferring traits was unnerving. It made me wonder why Laurent would want a Shield in the first place. What awful things did he have planned where he would need protection?

If anything, it only made me want to go after him more.

"Then I should definitely be the bait," I decided, "I'm what he wants."

"A Shield may not be all Laurent desires," Edward mused, "He attributes much of your gift to my own doings. Killing James and Victoria, for example. I could lure him under the pretense of conquering the one who abolished his clan. He would have more than a possible Shield, then. He would gain legend."

"Would Laurent be so vain?" Jasper asked.

"Yes," I nodded. "He's extremely vain…with a flair for…the grandiose. Killing someone as gifted as Edward would definitely pique his interest."

Carlisle considered this, and then raised a finger to his lips, tapping them gently. "Negotiation may not be out of the question. Remember, this is the same vampire who came to warn us about James. Could he not be persuaded to drop this quest for a Shield? I would like to speak with him first, to find out."

Esme cautioned. "We would need to arrange it away from town, so there would be no risks of innocents."

"But not too far," Rosalie interjected, "to raise suspicion to our plan."

"Somewhere open and secluded," Jasper added, "if it came down to a fight."

Edward and I exchanged looks. There was one place we knew of that fit each of those qualifications. Before we could speak, Emmett perked up from his lounge on the couch.

"Hey! What about that meadow?"

Edward nodded, looking from his brother to Carlisle and then to me and asked, "When?"

"Today," I answered firmly. "While Charlie is out and Jacob is busy watching him."

Then all of us looked expectantly to Alice. Now that the plan was decided, she would be able to see whether or not it we would succeed through her foresight into the future. We all waited anxiously for her reply.

But Alice only looked back at us blankly. Her one eye wide and worried. "I—I don't know. It's not coming. I can't….see…"

With a curse under his breath, Edward gave a quick turn of his head to the doorway, his hand seizing mine in an instant, as he pivoted in front of me in a protective stance.

"There's been a change of plans," he growled.

.

a/n:

I hope you liked it! And that it was worth the wait. Ha,ha. It was a long chapter but I decided to post it as a whole instead of breaking it up. I'm sure you all could handle it ;) Chapter 17-THE LAST CHAPTER- will be up soon. And then hopefully the epilogue!

If you read this, please comment! I would love to hear from you.