Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns all.

Rated M for a reason.

Chpt 22 All Dressed Up

BPOV

As soon as the others leave Char gets that shifty look I know so well.

"There's been a package delivered for you while you were in New Hampshire." She says.

"A package?"

"A big one."

With a squeal I realise what she's referring to. "Where is it? Where is it?"

"In my closet." An' I'm out the door an' up the stairs before she's finished speaking.

I skid to a halt in front of the garment hanger just as the others charge into the room behind me.

"Go on then." Char urges, hopping from foot to foot with excitement.

Slowly I pull down the zipper revealing my wedding dress in all its glory.

"Bella," Carla gasps "it's beautiful."

I nod speechless. It's not as poufy as what I'd at first imagined because when I tried on the fuller skirted ones I looked like one of those little dolls my Grandma Swan used to put over her rolls of toilet paper. Exactly, like one of those little dolls.

Instead it's a compromise with my passionate fairy princess fantasy. No pouf, but a gorgeous heavy train which flowed behind me with a life of its own when I tried it on in the boutique.

"Before we go completely girlie," Jonathan interrupts with mock sarcasm "maybe you should check this email you've just received?"

With an impatient snort I hold my hand out for the laptop, quickly reading the message from Alice.

"She'll meet me, the day after tomorrow, in Central Park."

"Excellent. We'll need to agree who is coming with you. I'm going to volunteer, I love Central Park. " Jonathan chuckles, then he flaps his hands at us. "Please proceed with the girlie stuff."

"Try it on, try it on." Char urges.

"Jonathan." Carla orders. "Go wait on the landing while Bella gets changed."

Grumbling good naturedly he ambles out closing the door behind him with a theatrical flourish.

"I don't have the right underwear on." I complain as I start shrugging out of my clothes.

Carla gasps as more an' more of my scars become visible.

"Sorry." I mutter, embarrassed.

"Don't be." She says quietly. "I wish I had half your strength. They're beautiful in their own way. Like silver filigree on your skin. You're a perfect match for Jasper."

"She's right sugar." Char says, giving me a quick hug. "You should never be ashamed of who you are."

They help me into the dress, lifting it carefully over my head an' lowering it down my body, the fabric feels soft an' cool against my skin. Carla holds the train out of the way while Char makes short work of the many tiny buttons at the back.

"Done." She announces stepping away as Carla lowers the train.

My cell rings before I can twirl myself round to the mirror.

"Don't move." Char commands. "You'll rip somethin'. I'll get it."

Quickly she fishes it out of the pocket of my jeans holdin' it up to my ear.

"Darlin'," Jasper says in his best sexy southern drawl "we're on our way home an' we're bringin' a human."

"Lovely." I respond. "Char's gettin' hungry."

I sigh at his low dirty chuckle as he ends the call.

"Human huh?" Char says, throwing my cell on the bed. "Dinner or guest I wonder?"

"Guest I would imagine, if we're gettin' warnin'."

"Damn." Char mutters. "I haven't hunted for a while."

Curious I turn my attention to Carla.

"I'm good." Carla assures me. "Never had much of an appetite."

"Me too." Jonathan chips in through the door. "I was actually hoping to try your diet while I'm with you."

"Brilliant." I moan. "I'm starvin' so I'd appreciate your help keepin' us apart."

"Your control not great yet?" Carla asks with sympathy.

"It's fine." I gripe. "I just hate the feelin' of bein' hungry around a human. I'm terrified I'm gonna slip, again."

"Again?" Carla's expression is full of sympathy.

"There was an incident . . . ."

Ding – Dong.

Ah, saved by the bell.

"Doorbell." Jonathan informs us unnecessarily.

Char flits downstairs to answer the door while Carla fusses around the train getting it properly arranged behind me an' Jonathan wanders in and plonks himself down on the bed.

"Have you decided what flowers you are going to have?" She asks.

Before I can answer there is a crash from downstairs.

"Stay here." I order them as I charge out of the room an' down the stairs, two vampire scents I recognise from Seattle filling my senses.

As I fly round the last curve of the stair Char comes into view, shaking bits of drywall out of her hair.

"Hello to you too." She mutters angrily as she advances on the two vampires surging through the ruined doorway.

"Stop." I command encasing our uninvited guests in my shield. They cannon off the invisible barrier an' rebound around inside the bubble I've created for a moment before coming to a stop an' fixing their deep red eyes on me.

"There you are." Char comments dryly. "That dress is shit for runnin' in I see."

"I didn't think I'd need to run away from Jasper at the altar." I shrug.

I regard our two dark haired visitors stonily. Takin' a deep an' symbolic breath, I summon up the image of Jasper backing into the fire. Instantly I feel the black eyed shutters clang down.

"Why are you here?" I ask them.

"My lord Vladimir sent us here to restrain you until he is ready to question you about his brother." The tallest one answers.

"Restrain?" I laugh mirthlessly at that irony before enquiring politely, "And when will your Lord Vladimir be here?"

No reply. Okay, I can do the hard way. Deliberately I shrink the bubble until it starts to push them gently together.

"When?" I demand. "An' don't dick with me. This visit had better not pose any risk to my fuckin' dress."

The tall one glares at me defiantly, the shorter, stockier one however, looks much more uncomfortable.

I shrink the shield a little more an' continue to do so slowly until the two are forced to face each other an' embrace.

"When?" I ask again, quite reasonably.

"In an hour." Shorty gasps out.

Immediately I relax the shield allowing them to move apart.

"I don't believe 'em." I inform Char. "Get the others an' get ready to leave. Now."

Nodding she flies upstairs as I complete my graceful descent, flicking my train out behind me. God I love this dress.

Within minutes the three of them are gathered before me toting rucksacks, including one for me. Char also has my jeans an' discarded t-shirt.

With a complete lack of modesty I change quickly.

"What do we do with these two?" Jonathan asks.

"Incapacitate." I state simply. "Char!"

"Ma'am." She nods joining my side as I head over to the bubble.

We stop right in front of them while they watch us warily, I bestow an evil smile on them.

"Three, two, one!" I count, dropping the shield on one as Char an' I leap forwards an' rip their heads off with an ease borne of frequent practise. Grimly we remove their limbs too, throwing the parts around the hallway to hinder their repairs.

A new sound outside causes me to jerk my head up. "More comin'." I shout. "Run!"

As one we flee out of the kitchen door over the deck an' halfway across the manicured lawn before we realise we are surrounded. Three vampires have followed us through the house an' five more are waitin' for us in the grounds. We slide to a stop, huddled together, nobody moves.

"Fuck." I spit out, realising I've left my cell in the house, as usual. "Anyone got their phone on 'em?"

Three heads shake regretfully.

"Fuck." Think Bella, think.

Frowning slightly in concentration I attempt to make the shield soundproof, I've managed to mute a radio before but as we're inside it, I have no way of knowing if it's working.

"When I give the signal I'm gonna blast my shield at the three right in front of us." I whisper, just to be on the safe side. "We won't buy much time so when I say go it's real important that you follow me as fast as your legs will carry you. If we can get some space between us I can use my shield to prevent them trackin' our scent an' we can double back to meet up with the others."

They nod in agreement but before I can act a voice cuts through us like a set of nails scrapin' down a chalkboard.

"Miss Swan." It says. "I would like a word with you."

Turning I see another vampire, one who matches Carlisle's description of Vladimir, emerge from the house.

"Sorry." I mutter. "No time. GO!"

I throw my shield out towards the trees with as much force as I can muster and as instructed my three companions join me right against the leading edge. We streak through the gap in the cordon it's created an' take off into the night like bats out of hell.

Within seconds we can hear the sounds of pursuit. Three, four, five, sets of running feet. Instinctively I turn towards the highway, no one is going to see us at this speed, an' push myself harder. We need a bigger gap before our lack of scent can be of use in hidin' us.

We reach the highway an' turn south, away from the city, sprinting along the grass at the road's edge.

"We're not gonna out run 'em Ma'am." Char hisses.

"I know." I snap back. "When we spot a suitable area we're goin' to have to turn on 'em an' take 'em out."

"It's not dull spending time with you Bella." Jonathan laughs.

"Will you guys be okay?" I ask, concerned about their ability against superior numbers.

"We're not Whitlocks." Carla says with a hint of amusement. "But you don't live with Gus an' Matty without picking up a thing or two. We won't let you down."

We run on until I spot a dark mall parkin' lot up ahead. Great, not somethin' that brings back happy memories.

I veer onto the lot as soon as we reach it an' the others follow. We screech to a halt in the centre an' whirl to face our pursuers. If it's possible to be relieved in this situation then I am relieved that scary ole Vladimir is not one of them. Flingin' my shield out to knock 'em on their asses I scream "NOW!" an' we charge forwards.

JPOV

I detect the smell of unknown vampire an' the silence in the house before the others, terror adds wings to my feet as I leap from the still movin' car an' race up the steps to the front door.

Inside, the main hallway is a picture of devastation, furniture destroyed, walls punched through and the acrid stench of venom clingin' to everythin'. In the centre of the chaos is a crumpled an' torn weddin' gown, saturated with Bella's scent.

In all my years The Major an' I have never fought to share the same space, although since I met Bella more of me has bled through into him, as a result he's far more animated, human even, than he used to be. The Major used to be my emotionless protector.

No Longer.

Yet despite this change, The Major is the only way I can hope to deal with what I see before my eyes.

Throwing my head back I let go of everythin' I have struggled to control since my change, roarin' my fury into the night sky.