So, here's another chapter for you!

Kate's POV:

We knew the battle was coming, but, of course, we didn't know exactly when. Alice's vision had said that there would be snow on the ground, and snow was sure to come in the next few days. Alice. Her betrayal stung...or was it betrayal? It scared those of us who knew her well. She and Jasper were fiercely loyal, and we'd never have believed that they'd have left until they did. Then again, no one would believe Irina would leave, either, and she did far worse. Alice's desertion only proved to us what we'd known from the start: there was no hope, or, at least, not enough to bank on.

As the battle came closer we were hunting multiple times every day, because we needed to be ready for them, whenever they arrived. Most of the vampires were having to borrow cars, or run huge distances to feed, and I was surprised when Garrett didn't join them. Surprised, but pleased. While we were hunting I decided to ask him why.

He looked insulted as he said, "I'm not going back to that!"

"Not even now?" I asked, sitting down on a log. He sat next to me, and though I still felt the thrill of electricity it was a familiar thrill now.

"Not ever," he said, and he had the resolution in his eyes to back it up, "You changed me, Katie, and I'm not going back now."

I was touched, and didn't really know how to say it. Before I could say anything though, Tanya, Carmen, and Eleazar ran in, looking frantic.

"Edward says that they're on their way!" said Tanya, who, for once, wasn't looking daggers at Garrett.

"You've already hunted?" confirmed Carmen.

We nodded.

"Good," said Eleazar, "We'll need our strength." As he said that it hit me that this fight was going to happen. I'd never been more frightened than I was in that moment.

We ran off, and as we ran I was aware of Garrett beside me. I was torn. Was it worse to die without telling him, or to die with things awkward between us? I didn't know.

Garrett's POV:

When we arrived in the clearing Carlisle was telling us all where to stand. I was reluctant to leave Katie, who looked more terrified than I'd ever seen her. I doubted that anyone else could tell, because, as always, she was doing her best to hide it, but I could. Carlisle positioned Katie on the far end of Tanya's coven, which was directly to his left, and I was further to Katie's left, glad I wasn't too far from her.

As the Volturi approached I felt terrified and exhilarated all at the same time. Finally someone was going to challenge them, and I was thrilled to be part of it. However, in challenging them, we were almost guaranteed certain death. That wouldn't have bothered me before, when all I had to live for was the fight for whats right. When I lived for the adventure and fighting for my beliefs, dieing for them was never a real concern. Now I had something more to live for...

Aro, as usual, conducted the proceedings, and they seemed to accept that Renesme was not, in fact, an immortal child. We were beginning to gain hope when Caius did the unthinkable. Before anyone could really register what had happened, Irina was dead.

I looked towards Kate to see that she'd already pushed Rosalie aside. Emmett grabbed her around the waist but she shocked him so violently that he fell to the ground, his eyes rolling into the back of his head. Without really thinking I rushed forward and grabbed her around the waist, holding onto both my wrists with my opposite hands. If she made it over to them we were all dead. She shocked me with even more intensity than she had that day, but I wouldn't, I couldn't let go. If she got over there she was as good as dead, and I refused to let that happen, point blank. I couldn't see, my eyes had rolled into the back of my head, and I was shaking with the pain and the sheer force of the electric charges that were coursing through her. I'd never felt this much pain in my entire existence, but I wasn't giving in. She was growling in anger and pain, thrashing against me as she sent waves of electricity through her. We were in the snow, rolling around as she thrashed, waves of electricity still coursing through her. Her growls turned to moans as her sight disappeared. Unfortunately, that didn't stop her from fighting, both physically and through her gift. Suddenly, it stopped. I had no idea what had done it, but it had. My vision refocused as my eyes rolled back around, and I could see her again. She was still thrashing, but I pinned her down in the snow, and eventually she stopped.

"If I let you up, will you knock my down again, Katie," I whispered.

She whimpered, and clung to me in the snow.

Carlisle spoke then, and his words seemed to calm both Katie and Tanya, "Listen to me, Tanya, Kate. Vengeance doesn't help her now. Irina wouldn't want you to waste your lives this way. Think about what you're doing. If you attack them, we all die."

Katie was finally perfectly still, except for the dry sobs that racked through her body.

"Katie," I whispered, pulling her towards me, "We won't let her death be in vain, I promise. No matter what I'll make sure of that, but you must not attack them first, or we die. I don't know what I'd do if I lost you..."

Kate's POV:

I was furious. More than. I'd never wanted someone to die more than Caius. Ever. I was in agony. And I couldn't kill him...not yet. Garrett was right, if I struck now, we were all dead. Did I really care anymore? Tanya would be willing to die for her....was there really any point? I thought of the arms that were now around me as I sobbed. I was angry, but not that angry. I couldn't ask Garrett to die for me, even if he'd have been willing.

I lost track of the conversation for a while as I calmed myself down. When I was ready, Garrett helped me stand up, but kept my hand as we faced the Volturi.

Aro had finished interrogating witnesses, and had ascertained for himself that Renesme was, in fact, half mortal. However, we could all see that he was grasping at straws, and trying, no matter the cost, to come up with a reason to hurt Renesme. It made me even angrier.

"Let us not be hasty," Aro was saying, "Let us look at this from every side." How infuriating. He was trying to appear all benevolent, when his real goal was to destroy our family, and he knew it, and we knew it, and he knew that we knew it, so I didn't understand what the pretense was all about anymore.

Suddenly, Garrett let go of my hand and step forward. If my heart was still beating it would've stopped then. "May I offer a side to be considered?" he said, quite calmly, which surprised me.

As he spoke, his words cut through the air like a knife. They reached to the truth of things, and made the line between truth and lies apparent to all that had not already seen it. I was in awe at his words, and when he declared that he would stay and fight, I was not surprised that he did the right thing. He always did the right thing. The nomads that the Volturi had brought to witness looked troubled, as though they believed his words, and I hoped they did, because what he said was right. If we lost, so did they. The Volturi would not let them leave this place, I was sure.

When Garrett stepped back he returned to my side, crouching down in preparation for the attack.

Aro managed to come up with a half-believable response to Garrett's condemnation, and he, Marcus, and Caius went to council.

Garrett's POV:

I realized how close we were to the fight, and was glad to have a moment with Katie beforehand, while Marcus, Caius, and Aro consulted.

"If we live through this," I said, turning to her. I had to tell her, "I'll follow you anywhere, woman."

She smiled, for what I felt like was the first time in years, "Now he tells me," she said, with her characteristic smirk and an eye roll, before leaning forward and whispering, "You know what? I'll follow you anywhere too," and she leaned forward that extra inch, and our lips touched. It was short, but it was perfect. Every feeling I'd ever had for her emanated out of me in that kiss, and I could feel what she was trying to tell me. She cared about me in the same way I cared for her...she loved me.

So....tell me what you think!!! There'll be about 2 or 3 more chapters after this so tell me how far you want me to go.

XOXO

GossipGirlHere