A/N This chapter was way too much fun to write. I'll go ahead and warn you that the first part has A LOT of information, to sift through it as best you can and I'll provide some kind of key later. (You'll know what I mean.)

Also, please review. I won't stop updating regardless, but I'd really like some feedback so I know how well my story is received.

Enjoy! :)

Nessie's POV

After learning of Tamara's betrayal to the Volturi and the more than probable threat against my family and Elena's tribe, we approached each day with heightened senses and a tangible anxiety toward the future. It was unclear whether or not the Volturi would act soon, as Alice hadn't seen any visions pertaining to Volterra, but Carlisle predicted that Aro would take time to plan his attack carefully, and the rest of us agreed. After their defeat nearly seven years ago, they needed numbers and talents to counter ours. It could take an entire decade to amass an army of that magnitude.

It wasn't a reassuring prospect, but neither did it deter us from living somewhat normally. Edward informed the Denalis of the possible battle, and Garrett and Kate immediately set out in spreading the word to our neighbors in such a way that no one would grow suspicious. The vows of support were overwhelming; our previous victory instilled admiration and confidence in those who would rally to our cause.

Meanwhile, Kathleen, Morgan, Embry, and Leah were on a new mission: researching Native American legends for any hint of shape-shifting potential. Carlisle helped, of course: even though he was a vampire, his resources were unprecedented and his intuition, flawless. The plan was to send the four of them out before the new school year started simply to negotiate with the other tribes. We weren't sure how the tribal leaders would react, or when the Volturi would choose to strike, so if other shape-shifters existed, they needed to know of the threat as soon as possible. Elena even established contact with Philip, Anthony, Miranda, and Lily, her former wingmen, in hopes that they would consider reassuming their elk forms for a short period of time. The women were hesitant due to their families, but all four of them agreed that in the direst situation, their prowess could be helpful.

Kathleen found a lead about two weeks in, so the four of them left immediately for Turtle Mountain, where a band of Chippewa lived. The legends pointed to Thunderbirds, mythological beings that had divine power in many Native American tribes, but in the Chippewa culture specifically manifested themselves as hawks. There was no mention of a common spirit among the people of the culture, but it was the only lead that we had.

Hannah and Chad were left in our care when Embry and Leah left, which Chad naturally grumbled about. Claire and I kept Hannah entertained, though, and Chad took advantage of the opportunity to discuss protection with Jacob, Edward, and Jasper. There was no way to teach Chad how to fight, being a mere human, but he wanted to learn the most effective ways of hiding or evacuating the people of La Push, if it ever came to that. Carlisle especially was pleased at his initiative.

Our four diplomats hadn't returned three weeks later, and Hannah, Elena, and I grew concerned that they had been attacked or captured, especially since Alice couldn't see their future. Jacob phased to search for them, however, and learned that the Chippewa could indeed shift into hawks and were assisting our friends with the researching process. Apparently they had wondered the same thing for decades but never sought the legends out because there was no need. They planned to leave for a reservation of Arapaho along with two members of the hawk fleet. Presumably the stories of the great spider warriors and monster-slayers were well-known among North Dakota tribes.

I was excited to learn that more shape-shifters existed, and that their forms were many and varied. The possibilities seemed endless. Eventually I wanted to know them all; fortunately, I had eternity to do it.

Jacob was of a similar mindset. As long as we planned to live forever, he hoped to catalog the different shape-shifters and which tribes they belonged to, the same sort of categorization my family had done during the last Volturi battle. Of course, it was much more difficult to find nomads, so that project would likely never be completed, but the Native American tribes seemed fairly constant. Jacob's ultimate goal was to design a network that only shape-shifters could access. They wouldn't form a front, necessarily, but different warriors would be accessible to each other in the event of an attack. Jacob planned to make it clear that these shifters would not harm my family or any other vampires unprovoked, for which I was extremely grateful.

Two months later, Kathleen, Morgan, Embry, and Leah had rallied the spiders of the Arapaho, rattlesnakes from the Dakota tribe, and were on their way to a Cheyenne reservation in South Dakota to investigate some shape-shifting dogs, which Rosalie absolutely hated. In addition, Jacob effectively connected his mind and Sam's to those of the leaders in order to make communication easier and faster in the event of a battle. Since Embry and Leah needed to return home soon, the leaders agreed that Kathleen, Morgan, and two representatives from each tribe would continue the search and at least alert the other tribes that more shape-shifters existed. This was a relief for the two wolves, who desperately missed their imprints.

Embry and Leah returned, and the reunion with their imprints was almost too beautiful to watch. Leah collided with Chad and kissed him voraciously, their lips fusing as one and their hands touching every part of each other's bodies, as if to make sure the moment was real. Embry and Hannah, however, were much gentler with each other. Hannah melted into his strong body, soft tears staining his T-shirt, while Embry simply cradled her head against his chest and murmured soothingly into her hair, kissing her lightly. I had to look away because my eyes smarted.

Once everyone was together again, we decided that only my parents, Jake, and I would escort the wolves and their imprints back to Forks. Seth convinced Elena to accompany him in order to officially introduce her to Sam and the rest of the La Push family; Elena was concerned about leaving her herd, especially with Kathleen and Morgan gone, but Wesley assured her that he could take care of things and that the herd would be extra vigilant until she returned.

The deciding factor, strangely enough, was when Seth informed her that he would stay in Westhope instead of going home to see his family, and Elena wouldn't allow that to happen. In her words, "I could never deprive Seth's mother the privilege of seeing her only son." Sue was going to throw a fit when we came home.

We boarded a plane the next day, and I found that I couldn't contain my excitement at returning to La Push. Even though Seth, Quil, and Embry were more like my brothers than the rest of the wolves, there was something special about being at First Beach with the boys I grew up with. The white, glass house and Esme's cottage were where my family raised me and where I slept every night, but La Push was where I became Nessie, thanks to Jake and his ragtag pack.

I glanced over at Jake and squeezed his hand, projecting my thoughts to him. Jacob smiled, his eyes shining that I considered La Push my true home. I knew how much it meant to him; if we married one day—and really, who could doubt that?—Jacob would want us to live in Washington again, close to his mortal family, and mine.

Jacob angled his head so he could whisper in my ear, not that my parents wouldn't hear our nearly silent conversation. "Nothing would make me happier, aside from loving you for eternity, than to live in La Push as long as my family is alive," he told me, confirming my thoughts. "But I don't want you to be unhappy separated from your family. These short visits that we make will be sufficient if you want to stay with your parents." He grimaced slightly as he said this. His moving to North Dakota for four years was a huge sacrifice; staying away any longer would be unbearable.

I placed one finger against his lips, silencing him. "I love my family dearly, Jacob, but I have forever to spend time with them. And we…" I hesitated, not wanting to sound too forward. "We'll hopefully have our own family someday, and I want them to grow up where we grew up, where their heritage is. My family will always be close by, but this step is important for us."

Jake beamed and kissed my fingers with delight. "This will mean so much to Billy and Charlie," he enthused. "They'll get to spend time with us and see their grandkids grow up by the beach—"

"Whoa, slow down, Jake!" I laughed. I glanced furtively at my parents, who looked too deeply engrossed in whatever they were discussing. "I'm only a freshman in high school. We'll talk about children once we've graduated and gotten married." Edward smiled at this, and I knew he was grateful that I wasn't about to elope anytime soon.

"Well yeah, of course," Jacob answered. His happiness didn't diminish at my words. "There's definitely time. I'm just glad to know that our thoughts are in line, that we want the same things."

I planted a chaste kiss on his smiling lips. "When has that ever been any different?" I teased.

Jake laughed. "That's why we're perfect for each other," he said seriously, before kissing me quickly but firmly.

We arrived in La Push, and the welcoming committee was impressive. Billy and Charlie were at the front, Sue tucked into Charlie's side, and all of Sam's pack sprawled behind them, a few of the cheekier wolves holding up "Welcome Home!" signs. Their joy at seeing us radiated from them, even in the presence of two vampires and one vampire hybrid.

I darted into Charlie's arms first, quickly moving on to Billy so Charlie could hug his only daughter. Billy chuckled at my enthusiasm and pulled me into his lap. "How's my favorite daughter-in-law-to-be?" he asked lightly, his eyes twinkling.

I wrapped my arms around his neck. "We're not engaged yet, Billy," I reminded him, inhaling the deep woodsy smell that Jacob always had.

"Yet being the operative word," he shot back playfully. He hugged me close. "I'm so happy for you two, kiddo. When Jake came home to tell me that you had started dating and were trying to treat each other right, I knew that you had something special in your relationship. I couldn't be more proud of Jacob's choice."

I blushed at the compliment. Billy never talked with me like this before, although his approval of me had always been clear. In a place where vampires were taboo, Billy amazed me with his easy acceptance of my strange nature. I was Jacob's best friend and girlfriend, nothing more.

Jacob strode over from his position next to Sam, so I jumped up and let Jacob lean over to hug his father. "Hey, Dad," he greeted softly.

"Jacob," Billy responded happily, pounding his son on the back, not that Jacob would really feel it. The gesture was enough, though.

We chatted happily for a few moments before Sue's voice rose above the din. "You imprinted?" she cried, her tone almost incredulous. Everyone grew silent and directed their attention to Sue's family. Elena, for once, looked out of place and nervous.

Seth straightened slightly and raised his voice. "Mom, I would like you to meet Elena, Hart of the Arikara herd," he announced proudly, wrapping his arm around his imprint's waist. "We imprinted on each other during my stay in North Dakota."

Elena waved timidly at Sue, her eyes nonetheless filled with adoration for Seth. "Mrs. Clearwater, it's such an honor to meet you," she said genuinely, extending her hand.

Sue stared at it for a moment before raising critical eyes to Elena's face. Elena dropped her hand awkwardly. "You're a shape-shifter as well?" Sue asked sharply.

"Yes, ma'am, my tribe shifts into elk," Elena answered quietly.

Sue's mouth twisted strangely. "And I suppose that Seth is planning to join your…herd?"

"Mom!" Seth admonished, his voice a mere whisper.

Elena drew herself taller. "That is, of course, Seth's decision," she said firmly. "However, I would love nothing more than for the two of us to lead my herd together. As immortals, we could continue to offer guidance to the tribe and thus strengthen our herd further—"

"Seth is needed here," Sue interjected. "If you wish to be with him, then you can move to La Push." And with that, Sue turned her heel and strode toward her house, dragging Charlie with her. He frowned apologetically at us and began whispering urgently to his wife.

Seth made as if he wanted to follow his mother, but stopped when he saw the utter hurt and devastation on Elena's face. He tugged her closer to him, his face still etched with fury. "I don't understand," he muttered, warring with his anger in an attempt to comfort Elena. "Mom should have been thrilled that you and I found each other."

"She's startled, Seth," Edward answered, surprising us. He stepped closer to Seth. "You've been a constant to her all these years, and in one fateful encounter, you've decided to move to North Dakota to be with your imprint. She wasn't ready for such a sudden change."

"Why isn't she happy, though?" Seth repeated, stroking Elena's hair. "If anything, she should be glad that I'm truly immortal now, that I won't have to age for my imprint. Besides," he added rebelliously, "I'm twenty-two now, way past the age of moving out."

"But to her, you're still her fifteen-year-old boy, Seth," Bella said sympathetically. "It's not just that she sees you that way. You stopped physically aging eight years ago, but you went through one final growth spurt when you imprinted on Elena. Everyone saw that. But Sue had no idea. I agree with Edward; she just needs time to get used to the fact that her little boy fell in love."

Seth didn't look convinced, but Elena dried her eyes with determination. "Bella and Edward are right, Seth," she soothed. "We'll give your mom some time, and if it means that much to her, I can live here in La Push for a time and leave my three wingmen in charge. After the potential battle is over, of course," she whispered hurriedly, not wanting to alert Sam too soon.

Seth visibly calmed. "We can do that," he agreed, kissing Elena's hair.

I was grateful for the shift in atmosphere, until Sam spoke up. "Jacob, you mentioned earlier that you have information for us?"

I sighed internally. It was back to the real world.