Omg guys, guess what? We broke eighty reviews!! I am ecstatic! I never ever ever expected this story to do anywhere near so well, and now, here I am with seventy reviews! Thanks sooo much for your patronage (big fancy word-yay me!) and I hope you keep it up!

Another thing: I'm going to start mixing up the POVs here in a bit, this one is Edward's, but I'm going to have Carlisle, Rosalie, Charlie, and maybe even Renee in there later. So be sure you check the POV before you start reading so you're not totally confused.

Next thing: I have a new poll in my profile that I really need you all to vote one-it refers to my next story after The Change and Solstice, and I really really want opinions, so please vote!

Okay, me, being known for excessively long author's notes, have some news.

This will be my last fanfiction chapter for awhile. I'm taking a break from fanfiction and actually exploring writing some of my own characters and storylines. I'm going to start out with a storyline I came up with back in 6th grade and work with it. I'm really excited, actually, to get back to those characters. But, I won't be completely deserting you. I just opened a free-webs site, which will basically be a following of my writing journey. I'm not saying you have to go there and read my writing samples and blogs (which as of now don't exist, but they'll be there later) but if you want to I'd appreciate it beyond belief.

The link-minus the spaces, of course. If you want a direct link, it's in my profile.

www. free webs . com / writing journey /

I hope you'll go, at least to look.

I will be returning to the world of fanfiction when my characters get too frustrating. Usually, when I get writer's block I go and write something completely opposite, which will be fanfiction in this case. So I will be returning every month or so.

Oh, and yes, that does mean that I actually did get over my BD shock. I love it now.

Wow. That wins the prize for the longest author's note ever!

Thanks for reading and remember to review after this!!

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Edward's POV

I took the phone without a single moment of hesitation.

"Hello?"

"Edward? Where are you?"

"Fort Nelson."

Other explanations were not necessary. Carlisle knew the landscape and towns of every country better than most geographers.

"You have to keep moving. The wolves are following us-we've started down toward Phoenix to try to avoid them. I've no doubt they have a few trackers on you as well."

I nodded, simply an affirmation for myself.

"We'll hunt today and leave tonight." I paused.

"Carlisle…"

"Yes?"

"What should we do if they attack?"

A deep sigh resonated through the other line.

"Avoid confrontation if possible. But if they do…"

The pause lasted a few moments.

"Edward…do what you have to do."

His words held so much more than what he said. I wouldn't let my surrogate father down.

"I will." I snapped the phone shut, my words resonating through my head with the responsibility of his expectations.

I turned my head around, away from the wall that I had been facing, taking in the room of vampires, my family. It was my job now to protect them and to get them away from what I'd placed them into.

I wouldn't fail them.

My eyes traced them, from Emmett to Jasper, my eyes lingering on Alice's face. I nodded.

"We need to do some planning."

Our meeting, as it were, took place in the kitchenette. Jasper found himself uncomfortable discussing such intimate plans with Bella in the room, even though she was soundly in slumber, so it was either the kitchen or the bathroom; Alice fervently refused the latter. She was perched up on a counter now, which actually was taller than her. Her legs dangled off, swinging in a seemingly leisurely motion, but her thoughts proved that she was concentrating on not smashing the cabinet.

Emmett and Jasper merely leaned against the wall, not really needing the support, but acting human was so much ingrained in our heads that we acted in that manner without really noticing what we were doing.

I took a chair from the table across the room and sat in it.

I interlaced my fingers and rested my head on the platform they made.

"What are we doing, Edward?"

The harsh words came from Emmett.

"We are having a meeting, currently Emmett. Though I'll guess that's not exactly what you were referring to." Alice was the one to answer him, trying, as she does, to lighten up to mood, glancing at me with her tiny grin as she finished.

"You are correct. I don't know what we're doing. That's why we're here."

Emmett opened his mouth to speak again, but I raised a finger, asking him to pause.

"Let me at least lay out the facts before we debate. Firstly, we are currently heading toward Alaska, to take refuge with the Denali clan so we can sort things out. This act is now unnecessary, seeing as we are sorting these things now. Alaska is still an option, though.

"Secondly, there are eight wolves following us as we speak. Their obvious motives are to kill us, seeing how they have right to now. Thirdly, Carlisle, Rosalie, and Esme have just hit the Californian border and have no intentions to meet back up with us. They are also being followed."

I looked around the room.

"Fourthly, and finally, there is a girl asleep in the room over there…" I changed my train of thought, glaring at Emmett sharply. "Who will not be killed."

I held up my palm for silence, continuing.

"We need to make a plan, today, before we hunt. We must leave tonight, as early as is possible. It is our job now to protect everyone who I've pulled into this mess, including Bella."

"It's the least I can do." My voice came out softer than I had wanted.

"Edward…" Alice's softness paralleled mine.

"But how?" Jasper voice was scathing.

I raised my head, staring him in the face.

"We cannot fight unless absolutely necessary." I closed my eyes. "That is for Carlisle."

"This is my plan. We continue on to Alaska as before and wait. The Denali will help us when the wolves show up; we can easily overpower eight if there are more of us. Then we can go home like none of this happened." Emmett's thoughts, as would be expected, were centered around a fight.

"There's no need to engage them." Jasper sent a wave of calm out as he spoke. "Perhaps we can meet with them and form a new treaty, even if only temporary." He paused, looking thoughtful. "But it would be best to have Carlisle for that. They trust him. As much as they can trust any of us, anyway."

I looked at Alice.

"Would it work?"

She furrowed her brow, thinking her hardest. "Of course, I can't see for sure because it involves the wolves. But my guess would be that they wouldn't want to give up the chance to kill us. It's what they've been waiting for."

Jasper sighed.

"It appears that a fight is the only way out. It either that or running forever."

I met his gaze.

"Then perhaps we will run."

Silence.

I cleared my throat.

"We continue on to Alaska. Though they can follow us to the ends of the earth, will they be so willing to walk into a combined clan with equal members to their own, ready for a fight? Perhaps. But perhaps not. If they get too close, we can move on. Enemies or not, I want to avoid killing here."

Alice shook her head.

"They'll follow us for years. There would be no end to it. There has to be a way out without killing or running."

Jasper cleared his throat.

I turned back his way.

"Yes, of course, we could always try to forge a new treaty, but it's not likely it would take. That would likely end in a fight. We would have to find a way to contact them and arrange a neutral meeting place-no attacks, negotiations only. But it's unlikely they'd agree to even meet us without hostility."

"Perhaps it's the only chance we have."

There was no sound for at least three minutes. Then a creaking sound rang out from the other room. Either Bella was still restless or she'd just woken up.

I turned to Jasper quickly.

"We'll try. I don't know how we'll make contact, but we'll try. If it doesn't work, we will run." I hated the cowardly sound of the word.

I looked at the clock on the wall. It was nearing eight o' clock.

"Alice, call room service for Bella. We'll have to hunt now."

Bella's POV

I woke up unwillingly. My mind was suddenly alert, but my eyelids wouldn't open, and when they finally did, it felt like they were coated in lead. I groaned, rolling over in the bed, cringing at the loud squeaking tones.

The Cullens' were gone, from my sight line anyway; I could hear them quietly conversing in the other room. The muted speech became quicker suddenly, as if they'd sensed I was awake.

Great.

I swung my feet out of the bed, pausing for a moment. There was a blanket draped over the farthest end of the bed.

Had someone put a blanket on me when I'd fallen asleep?

If so, who?

…Would Edward?

I hurriedly shook the thought from my mind and stood. My legs were pure lead, an impossible weight to lift, so I stood where I was, trying to orient myself before moving.

In the end, it wasn't necessary, though. Alice came flitting into the room, grabbed the phone off of the wall and started murmuring random food items into it.

So this is breakfast.

I flopped back down in the bed, laying my feet on top of the blankets. Moments later, there was a knock on the door, which Alice opened. A man walked in, handed Alice a silver tray, and left.

She turned to me, dropping the tray in my lap from such a height that the biscuit that had been sitting on the edge bounced off and landed in the floor. I reached down to pick it up and set it back at the edge of the tray.

Eggs, bacon, everything typical for a breakfast. I glanced up, looking at Alice, who had turned her back to me.

"Thank you." I whispered, before grabbing a strip of bacon and biting into it like it was the last meal I'd ever eat.

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Expect another chapter coming soon. I don't want to end it here, but it's three in the morning and I want to post it, so I swear I'll get another chapter out very soon before continuing with my website.

Please review and Vote on My Poll, please!!