Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer definitely wrote this better than I ever will. I am using her already brilliant idea.

Nearing the end now. Just the epilogue to go after this chapter and it will be up by the 20th.

Chapter 11

The anti-climax was almost worse than open war. That much, Bella had been expecting. Faced with everyone being alive and well, and the Volturi's promise that they would remain so, Bella had no idea how to feel. She finally cried herself out sometime after dinnertime that night, but no amount of cajoling would make her eat. She called Charlie, her voice hoarse from sobbing, and told him that she was going to stay overnight and probably wouldn't be at school on Friday.

Since Bella's voice sounded pained and upset, Charlie agreed instantly and then demanded to speak to Dr. Cullen, because obviously Bella was worse than she was letting on. Once Carlisle had assured the Chief of Police that, no, Bella was simply suffering from a mild case of the flu, but was running a slight fever, Charlie calmed down. At least as much as Charlie ever calmed down where Bella's health and safety were concerned. In any other circumstance Bella would have been amused, but since she had not moved from Edward's cold arms in over an hour – not since Esme had taken her away to the bathroom to change into dry and more comfortable clothes – Charlie was the very last thing on her mind.

Edward had long since given up on comforting platitudes and even Alice's voice had finally fallen silent, since assurances of the state of the future were obviously meaningless. The sheer emotion was just too much.

Bella didn't protest when Edward carried her upstairs to his bedroom some while later, on his father's suggestion. Exhaustion was the only thing that pulled Bella under, still lying safe in his arms.

Friday was a little better. Bella woke to actual Forks sunshine and no more tears.

'I'm sorry,' was the first thing she said when she blinked her dry eyes open to find Edward still watching her.

'For what?' he asked, taken aback.

'For last night.'

'Bella,' he admonished gently, 'there is nothing to apologise for. Yesterday was emotionally overwhelming for all of us. If you hadn't needed to work through your own emotions, Jasper would have been controlling them as much as he was the rest of us.'

'Oh. I...I didn't know that. I just...I couldn't stop crying.'

Edward smiled at her and brushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear. His hand moved to cup her cheek and she leaned into the cold touch. 'Sometimes, humans need to cry. It often is the best thing for you. Do you feel better this morning?'

'Surprisingly, yes. But I'm glad I don't have to go to school. Class just seems...sort of pointless after yesterday.'

'Quite,' he agreed. 'How do you feel about breakfast?'

'Pretty good,' she admitted.

'I'm glad,' he said. 'I suggest a human moment and then breakfast should be ready for you.' He quickly kissed her and then drew away, easing off the bed. 'Esme went to a bit more effort than usual this morning.'

Bella opened her mouth to protest.

'And you didn't eat dinner last night, remember, so you are going to eat what she's made and enjoy it.'

It was Bella's turn to act surprised. 'I am, am I?'

'Yes, you are,' Edward said, turning his full dazzling ability on her.

Bella's heart stuttered to a stop and then picked up again. 'Um,' she swallowed, 'of course.' Edward left her to it, laughing easily at the slightly dumbfounded look that graced her face.

A few minutes later, still in the PJs Alice had picked for her the night before, but feet in fuzzy slippers and human moments taken care of – mostly teeth and hair brushed – Bella slipped downstairs to find Esme dishing out a plate of homemade blueberry waffles with crispy bacon and a bowl of fresh berries and yogurt. On any other day, Bella would have protested immediately at the sheer amount of food, but due to missed dinner and a night of crying, she was starving enough to take Edward's advice.

He sat with her while she ate. 'You aren't going to school, right?'

'I'm not, since it's nearly nine o'clock. The others left early to hunt, just before the sun broke through the clouds. Normally Alice and I would stay home, but she said it's temporary. They'll be full cloud cover again by lunch. Alice will manage on her own. We can only hope that Charlie does not find out I missed school and wonder why I stayed home with you. However, if he does, at least we can honestly say that Carlisle was here too,' Edward said, nodded as his father entered the room.

'Morning, Carlisle,' Bella managed around a mouthful of fluffy waffle, enjoying it too much to care how impolite a motion it was.

Carlisle gave her a bright smile. 'Good morning, sweetheart. How are you feeling?'

Bella swallowed the mouthful. 'Hungry. And cried out. I'm okay, really; it was just all...'

'Overwhelming?' he finished for her. 'Yes, I agree. I hardly dared to believe that the meeting would end so optimistically.'

Edward flashed him a look that said otherwise.

'What?'

'Nothing, Bella,' he told her.

'No, what?' she tried again, putting her fork down to turn fully towards her boyfriend.

'Not all of yesterday's outcomes were what we had hoped for.'

Bella sighed heavily and gave Carlisle a long suffering look. 'This is about my change, right?'

'Of course it is. I did not want your choice given into the hands of the Volturi!' Edward exclaimed.

'Edward,' Carlisle began, but Bella cut him off.

'Edward, you need to listen to me. Screw the Volturi. I've made my decision. I thought you'd made yours. You do want me to join you, right?' There was a slight note of worry in her voice, as there always was when they discussed her future as a vampire. Bella still wasn't entirely convinced that Edward was on board with the idea; in practice, at least.

His look softened. 'Of course I want that. I want you forever, Bella, please believe me. I just don't want the timing left to the Volturi.'

'Well, it is. And we're going to have to deal with that. I don't care. This year or next; what does it really matter? We do it this summer and delay...Dartmouth,' she said, hesitating still over the name. 'If I manage alright, maybe we can go next year. Or never. It doesn't matter to me about university. All I care about is being with you,' Bella implored him, trying to convey one last time everything she felt.

There was a long pause and then she saw it; Edward had finally given in.

'And I with you. Very well. We will forget all about the Volturi. This summer we will go to Alaska and start our lives together. But I'm still hoping for Dartmouth next year.'

Bella laughed lightly, shaking her head. 'We'll talk about it. Next year.'

'Eat, love,' he told her, turning back to Carlisle.

'We should begin organising the move. I'll contact Dartmouth about delaying until next year.'

'Esme will see the house readied. We still have some time to plan for this,' Carlisle said, though it was clear he was referring to more than just moving states.

Edward didn't respond to that and Bella decided she'd already won enough battles for the day and resumed eating. They could talk about that later. There was time enough to plan for her death.

Bella took an unnecessarily large bite of breakfast and tried to ignore the conversation going on behind her.

xxx

Surprisingly, it was Sam Uley that asked for a meeting. It had been five days since the Volturi had left. Alice was keeping a sharp eye out, but she had yet to see anything beyond their return to their rule in Volterra. It was not enough to entirely put Edward at ease, but it seemed to be enough for Bella.

They set the meeting for that Friday night and Bella once more used the excuse of a weekend sleepover and shopping trip with Alice. Charlie had given her a sharp look this time when she had asked, perhaps because he was beginning to wonder why she spent so much time at the Cullens. Or rather, at Edward's house. Still, he had let it pass once more, and Bella was too concerned with the meeting that evening to give it much thought. She dutifully completed her homework, made them both dinner, and was ready to go by eight when Alice arrived to pick her up. They went right to the meeting location at the border, some miles outside town.

It was a shock to see the pack in human form. Apparently they must have concluded that the Cullens weren't going to attack them, or Sam had at least seen sense. It certainly made talking easier.

'You requested a meeting, Sam Uley,' Carlisle began.

Sam stepped forward, all seven feet towering even over the blonde vampire. 'We've got some things to discuss. There's the treaty, or the old one. The Elders want a new one written.'

'I believe that would be best, considering the circumstances. I assume there are conditions they wish met?'

Sam growled almost too low for Bella to hear. In fact, if not for Edward's immediate stiffening, she might have thought it was the rising wind in the trees. 'Absolutely not!' Edward shouted; taking a step forward before his father's restraining hand stopped him.

Something passed silently between them before Edward whispered, 'they have issue with Bella's...future life.'

'Or lack of it,' Jacob butted in, anger clear in his voice.

'Jacob,' Sam hissed, ordering the boy back. 'I'll take care of this. We heard what those Volturi said. We know they'll come back to check on you. And if she's still human,' he spat the word, though Bella didn't think it was that word he had a problem with. 'They won't think twice about attacking. We got that. The Elders believe that your rulers may return to check on us as well, whether you're here or not.'

'It is...likely,' Edward admitted. 'I read Aro's mind. He is not terribly interested in your existence, but he will bow to Caius on this issue. They may well send the guard.'

'Six of us can't fight them all,' Sam admitted, as if it pained him to admit it. Around him, his pack shifted restlessly, just as they did when in wolf form.

'You wish for our help, when they do return.'

The wolf leader inclined his head.

'We agree to offer our support if the Volturi do return here,' Carlisle said easily, sounding as if he had already thought this one through.

'You're leaving Forks, right?'

'Washington, in fact,' the doctor admitted. 'We will leave immediately after graduation. For a time we will stay with the Denalis in Alaska. There, Bella will be changed.'

Jacob managed a very wolf-like howl in his human form, but stopped himself from making a dive at Edward, though he was clearly wishing to do so.

'Jacob!' Sam yelled. 'It must be this way. The treaty will continue as it was, except for two provisions. The first is that you can bite Bella. But she's the only exception.'

Cowed and defeated by his leader, Jacob backed down.

'Look, it's not like we go around biting humans all the time,' Emmett jumped in, annoyance clear in his voice. Rosalie kicked him in the leg.

Sam wisely chose to ignore the comment. 'The second is that, should your Volturi return here, you will provide whatever help you can. If you can get them to leave, that would be good.'

'Indeed,' Carlisle agreed. 'And the rest of the treaty stands?'

'Yes.'

'Then we agree. We will, of course, sign anything you wish if the Elders desire a record – '

'We have our oral histories and so was the last treaty based down to us. It will continue that way.'

Carlisle bowed his head respectfully. 'Of course. I must thank you Sam, for your assistance last week. I do not believe the outcome would have been such if you and your pack were not present.'

'Well, like you said, they'd have come after us when they got done with you. Better to stand together.'

'We are grateful nonetheless.'

'Very grateful,' Esme jumped in, coming to stand beside her husband. 'If not for you I may have lost my family. Thank you, Sam.'

Bella was sure she saw a flicker of amusement cross the Quileute's face. It seemed that Esme Cullen could work her magic on just about anyone, even a shape-shifting werewolf. Beside her, she saw Edward crack a smile, obviously reading Sam's thoughts.

'I will leave word with you of how to contact us, should anything arise,' Carlisle went on. 'Otherwise, we will leave Forks by the end of June.'

'You won't be coming back anytime soon,' Sam ventured, though it was more intended statement than a question.

The Cullen patriarch shook his head, a bit sadly. 'No, we cannot return to Forks while the current generation of residents still live; particularly those that know Bella. Though my family finds this area closer to a home than anywhere else we have lived. We will be gone for several decades, if not longer.'

'Good,' one of the other men muttered. Jacob shot whoever it was a displeased look, before turning a more longing one on Bella.

'Sorry, Jake,' she mumbled. 'But it has to be this way. I can't come back; not while Charlie's still...alive.'

'Yeah, figures,' he shrugged and seemed unwilling to add more.

Bella did not know what to say to him. This night might well be the last time they ever saw each other, but what could she possibly tell him? She had made her choice and things had fallen into their proper place. There was no changing it and even if, by some miracle, they could stay in Forks for a few years, she and Jacob could never be friends again. Bella would be as good as dead to him - or even worse - after she turned.

Sighing, Bella hunched closer to Edward in the now heavier rain, suddenly tired beyond measure. He wrapped a strong arm around her, the cold making her shiver even more. 'We should get home,' he said to her, though everyone heard.

'The new treaty stands?' Sam asked one last time.

'It stands,' Carlisle said, holding out his hand. With only a brief hesitation, the pack leader stepped forward to shake it, though he let go quickly.

'She's yours to protect now,' Sam said, turning his eyes to Edward.

'I will,' he assured the man.

Sam jerked his head in what was probably a nod, and the pack vanished into the darkened trees. Jacob lingered last, on the edge of the blackness, with a longing look.

'Bye, Jake,' Bella whispered, fighting back tears.

'Bye, Bella,' he called across the distance and then vanished.

'Come on: we need to get you dry,' her boyfriend whispered, bodily turning her back towards the path to the car. In moments they were inside the vehicle with the heat on full blast. Edward took the winding, now pitch-black roads faster than usual, arriving at the Cullen house in a blaze of light only moments later. He led her inside to the warmth, as he had a week before, and sat with her before the already crackling fire.

'I'm sorry,' he whispered, sometime later.

'It's not your fault. It has to be this way.'

'He was your friend.'

'Yes. He still is, at least to me. He always will be. I've known him longer than any of my other friends. I can't forget that,' she admitted, staring into the flames.

'You don't have to. Never. I'll remind you about him every day after your change and then you won't ever forget him.'

She drew back from Edward's arms to look at him. There was no trace of dishonesty on his face. He was telling the truth.

'Thank you.'

There was a long pause while she returned her gaze to the fire. The house was quiet. The others must have left to give the two of them some privacy or give themselves some.

'We need to talk about it,' Bella breathed at last.

'I know,' he admitted, staring at the flames with her. 'But not tonight.'

'Okay,' she agreed, lying back against him once more. 'Not tonight.'