My eyes widened at Jacob's statement. It couldn't be true. I would know if this little girl was a vampire . . . right?

I looked down at Sable who still cowered in my arms. True she was terribly beautiful, cold, and pale—all the things that fit the characteristics of a vampire, but, it just couldn't be true. She was too sad, too young to be a vampire. Jacob must be wrong.

But . . . what if it was true? That it was true that in my arms I held a child killer. The thoughts went round and round in my head. I kept looking from Sable to Jacob and back again.

Jacob's face softened a bit, but never lost the fear.

"Allie, please. Put it down," he said more softly.

Frantically, my eyes searched his. If I didn't do something quick he was going to take her from me with force. I couldn't allow him to do that. If in fact Sable was a vampire, she had done no harm to me—I wouldn't let Jacob hurt her.

"She hasn't hurt anyone . . ." I started to say before trailing off. The corpse in the clearing. Could that have been Sable? No matter. She hadn't hurt me. I would not let anyone hurt her.

"But it could, Allie, it could hurt someone."

I shook my head at him and backed away from Jacob and the pack. My maternal instincts taking precedence over my own well-being.

"No. No. I won't allow you to hurt a little girl!" I yelled still walking away from them.

Jacob took a step forward. "Allie," he pleaded, "It's for your safety!" Jacob was so close to me that I could clearly see the anger that flashed in his eyes, how his body shook, the upper curl of his lip.

"Please, please, no. She didn't hurt anyone! She's just a little girl who's lost, and scared and looking for her mom! Even if she is a vampire, I won't let you touch her!"

Jacob was livid now. His body was wracked with shaking.

"I won't ask you again," his threat was as visible as his fury.

My eyes widened for a moment before I narrowed them at Jacob. I couldn't believe he was taking it this far. I hugged Sable to me closer and her grip around my waist grew painful.

"If you touch her, I'll hate you forever."

Silence.

"Allie," his whisper was carried away by the wind.

"Goodbye Jacob," I whispered back. And with that I turned and walked off into the forest.

………………………………………………………………………………………….

JPOV

I watched her walk away. I wanted to go after Allie. I wanted to run after her and take her into my arms—hold her tight against me and whisper that I loved her. But I knew that going after her would just alienate her further. That was my Allie.

Even so, I was irate that she walked off with a vampire. A newborn at that. That child was an abomination. Shaking with fury I watched them disappear into the forest.

"Follow them," my voice was rough.

Embry and Quil took off like shots into the woods, following Allie's scent. I knew they wouldn't let her see them. As for me? I headed off into the woods, running towards the one place I knew I shouldn't go—the one place I needed to go.

I started towards the Cullen's.

………………………………………………………………………………………….

APOV

I walked for some time, tears silently falling down my face.

"Why are you crying?" Sable's eerie voice echoed throughout the forest, bouncing off of trees and fog.

Placing Sable on the ground I wiped my face with the back of my hands. I looked down at the small girl in front of me.

"Because, I'm sad," I told her.

Sable looked at me with those large eyes of hers and walked to me. She wrapped her arms around my legs and pressed her face against my torso—hugging me.

"Don't be sad, Allie," She looked up at me and smiled, "I don't want you to be sad. If you're sad, then I'm sad."

I laughed and my voiced echoed back to me. Smiling at Sable, I smoothed hair from her face.

"Thanks Sable. I'll try not to be sad anymore."

The little girl just grinned at me before releasing me from her hug. Sable gently took my hand and together we started back through the woods.

Soon I was exahausted. Vampire's didn't get tired so I knew Sable was fine. But I was close to collapse. I sat down on an especially springy patch of moss and Sable followed me.

I leaned back and shut my eyes, letting sleep take me.

Sable's cold hand on my arm woke me. Sunlight filtered through the canopy of the forest casting green light down to where I slept. I blinked rapidly—there was hardly ever any sun here.

Sable was looking away from me, her little hand on my arm. I jumped. Her skin was glowing. No, not glowing. It was sparkling. Like someone had poured glitter all over her skin it was sending rainbows of light every direction.

"Sable?" I whispered. She seemed alert.

She turned her head and I gasped out loud at the shade of her eyes. They were a deep maroon color. With her dark hair, lashes and pale skin her eyes made her look sinister.

Sable put a finger to her lips.

I turned instantly still. If Sable wanted me to be quiet then I would be silent. After several long moments she turned back to me and leaned into my ear. She whispered in her peculiar voice.

"Two people are following us. They're the wolf-people."

My eyebrows snapped together in anger. I couldn't believe Jacob would actually attempt to follow me, especially after my ultimatum.

Angry tears sprung to my eyes at the thought of our confrontation. I didn't want to hurt Jacob like that. But, I just couldn't bring myself to believe that Sable, even if a vampire, was anything more sinister than a child looking for her mother. Maybe it was just my maternal instincts kicking in. I wanted to protect Sable from the world—from what I had experienced.

Getting to my feet I surveyed the glowing green forest. My human eyes couldn't make out anyone hiding. I took a deep breath.

"GO AWAY! LEAVE US ALONE!" I screamed into the woods.

My voice bounced back to me, echoing off the trees and brush. No one answered me, but the hair on the back of my neck prickled. They had certainly heard me.

I took Sable's hand.

"Come on Sable," I said as my stomach growled, "Let's get out of here."

She nodded and squeezed my hand. I winced from the strength of her grip. I needed to keep reminding myself that Sable was no ordinary child.

We wandered off into the green abyss.

……………………………………………………………………………………………..

JPOV

I phased as soon as I reached the property line of the Cullen's. I knew that the small one, Alice? had probably already anticipated my coming. Sure enough, as soon as I stepped onto their property she was there in front of me.

Her gold eyes beamed up into mine.

"I know why you're here. I saw her."

I nodded at her. Suddenly behind Alice was Bella. And to my embarrassment, Edward. I grimaced inwardly at the involuntary thoughts of what Bella and I had shared and my disappointment that she had become one of them.

Edward stared at me, his eyes full of meaning and put a protective arm around Bella.

"Then you'll know that we have to destroy her," I said coldly.

Alice's eyes fluttered with confusion. "Destroy her?"

"Yes. Of course! She's dangerous!" my fists clenched and I started to pace.

Edward gave me a long look and then looked at Alice. His eyes widened in understanding and a look of concern crossed his face. Bella felt the change in him and put a hand on his arm.

"Alice," Edward said never looking away from me, "he doesn't mean her."

My head snapped up from the grass. "Who?"

Alice looked at me, her gold eyes filled with sadness. "Allie . . ." She trailed off at a warning glance from Edward. Bella sucked in her breath.

My eyes flickered frantically from one grim face to the next.

"Allie?" my voice was breathless, "what about her?" I could feel my body start to shake. I was getting out of control.

"She . . . she's going to meet the Volturi . . ."

Red lights flashed across my gaze as what she said sank in. Allie. My Allie, was going to meet the Volturi! I couldn't let that happen—wouldn't let that happen.

"Jacob," Bella's strange new voice said calmingly, "who was the other person you were speaking of?"

But I couldn't concentrate, couldn't focus. All I could think of was Allie with those bloodsuckers.

"She's with a child. A vampire child. That's whom Jacob was speaking of previously," Edward said in explanation to Bella and Alice.

Alice's eyes narrowed in annoyance. "I didn't see a child."

Bella sucked in a deep breath and Edward held her closer.

I couldn't listen any longer. I needed their help and I needed it fast. Allie was in the forest with a child vampire and would soon be confronted by the most powerful vampire's in existence!

"ARE YOU GOING TO HELP ME?!" I exploded my entire body shook and my voice echoed in the silence following my outburst.

Three pairs of strangely colored eyes met my angry face. Bella turned to Edward and looked into his eyes. Alice peered at me.

"Of course," she said in her high soprano voice, "that thing needs to be destroyed."

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Whew sorry for the long time btwn updates. I've been busy, busy, busy. And i'm totally STOKED for twilight this friday! my roomates and i are all going to the midnight premier even though we all have class in the morning. lol. oh well. soo, since it's been a while i expect some reviews to make me feel loved. okay?

thanks you guys!

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