Author Note - Thanks for everyone who has read this so far. Not as many reviews as I would like, but hey, can't win them all.I would say though, that if you loved it or hated it or didn't have a strong emotion towards it at all, let me know so that I can improve the story for everyone.

Thanks to Content1- Wouldn't have got this far without your help and support and your ability to understand British language quirks.

This chapter will see us take Bella to a bonfire, freak out when she is late getting back, play security guard at her house and pick a fight with a werewolf.

Stephanie Meyer owns all things Twilight. I am just naïve enough to think I can play with it.

Team Major Whitlock ftw! Empaths rock!

Enjoy.

Chapter 17

En Guarde!

"Bella's future just disappeared." Alice hissed into her phone.

"It's okay, I know where she is and I know where she is going, Alice," Edward was on the phone, trying to reason with a rather panicked Alice. As soon as her sight vanished, she was on the phone demanding an explanation. "Jacob is in the house, testing the stranger's scent and seeing if it is familiar. If the pack has come across it recently, it might help."

"Just keep the mutt away from my little sister," She growled before snapping her phone shut and throwing it onto the sofa.

"What's the problem, Ossifer?" I asked lightly. I had been up the stairs getting changed when Alice began dialling Edward's number.

"Edward invited the wolf to Bella's house to see if it recognised the scent in Bella's bedroom," My happy-go-lucky attitude vanished and I was suddenly growling myself. This was our problem and we did not need the wolves to interfere.

"Is he fucking nuts?"

"Kali..."

"Sorry, Esme. But really? what the hell is he thinking?"

"It might help." Alice said quietly. Her anger was slightly better contained than mines was at that point.

"Bella is our responsibility, not theirs!"

"Kali, the pack care for Bella and want to help her. If it catches whoever is responsible, that can only be a good thing."

"I don't like it, Alice,"

"What choice do we have?"

"We find the intruder first," I said. Alice poked me in the ribs and giggled.

We waited for Bella and Edward to come back to the house to pick up the Volvo. We had, by Alice's reckoning about an hour before they arrived so she deemed it to be 'free time' and used three quarters of it trying to convince me that having a party for graduation was a good idea. I, personally, could think of nothing worse. Unfortunately, Alice lacked the moral compass that would tell her when to back down and behave when it came to such things. The thing was, if the evil little elf had designs in place for a party, I would be attending one, regardless of personal choice. She was downright devious at times.

We were still mid-argument when we heard the familiar rumble of Bella's rust bucket of a truck groaning it's way up the driveway. I had offered her one of my cars. I had a nice convertible Audi TT she was more than welcome to - It would have suited her perfectly. It was fast, quiet and more than a reasonable replacement for the dinosaur she was currently dragging herself around in, but she wasn't having it. She, for reasons that eluded me, loved that heap or corroding metal. The only hope that we had of getting her out of it was that it died a natural death, but seeing as the bloody thing was well past it's sell-by date, I think we were waiting on an apocalypse to take 'The Thing' down. I stood up to go and meet them in the garage when they arrived, but Alice grabbed my wrist, dragging me back down onto my arse.

"What the hell, Alice?"

"Just hold on a second," She said, still holding onto my wrist. I huffed my frustration and focused on Edward.

"I'll explain in a minute." was his silent thought. I huffed again. I hated being out of the bloody loop.

"What is that?" Bella asked. Her voice made no attempt to hide the horror of what she had seen. I saw from Edward's thoughts that she had spotted the bike. The gorgeous Ducati Streetfighter S in metallic silver.

"It's nothing." Edward said. I could see in the reflection of Bella's eyes that he looked thoroughly abashed.

"It doesn't LOOK like nothing, Edward." I watched the reflection as he gathered a carefully put together aura of nonchalance.

"Well, I didn't know if you were going to forgive your friend, or he you, and I wondered if you would still want to ride your bike anyway. It sounded like something you enjoyed." He shrugged his shoulders in a very blasé way.

"I wouldn't be able to keep up with you..." Bella whispered. I had a funny feeling that wasn't the problem.

"I'd keep pace with you, love,"

"That wouldn't be very fun for you,"

"Of course it would, if we were together." He reasoned.

"Edward, if you thought I was going to fast, or thought I was going to crash, what would you do?" I was barely able to count to three in my head before I heard the forty different ways that Edward would save bella in a sitation similar to what she had desrcibed. He did not, however, vocalise these scenarios and his silence spoke volumes. Edward's eyes tightened around the edges as he forced a reasonably believable smile.

"This is something you do with Jacob. I see that now."

"It's just that, well, I don't slow him down so much, you know. I could try, I guess..." Bella said defensively.

"Let it go, Edward." Alice and I said in unison.

"Don't worry about it, love. I saw Jasper admiring it." He quipped, "Perhaps it is time for him to discover a new means of travel. Alice has her porsche now, after all..."

"Edward, I-" Bella began before getting cut off.

"I said don't worry about it, love. But could you do something for me?"

"Whatever you need," Bella responded just a little too quickly. I watched his thoughts as he angled his body behind the Ducati and retrieved the jacket and Helmet that Alice had stashed there. I watched as Bella registered the shape of the helmet while Edward slung the jacket over his arm. I watched as Edward went into full-blown 'dazzle' mode, causing Bella's heart-rate to stutter as she reached for the helmet that Edward held out for her.

"I will look stupid..." Bella griped, turning the red headgear over in her head.

"This girl will be the death of me..." Edward thought as his eyes rolled around the room before landing back on his other half.

"Bella, you will look smart," He placed both hands on either side of her face so she would look at him and pay attention. She really should pay attention. The boy wasn't known for his bullshit. "Smart enough not to get yourself hurt. There are things between my hands right now that I can't live with out. You could help me look after them,"

"Pulled out the big guns there, did he not?" I asked Alice who looked like she was going to start gushing all over the place. Bella's resolve would not last long under the weight of Edward's persuasion. The man should be a politician with his ability to pull that shit.

"I am slightly more trustworthy than the politicians, Kals," He thought as he continued to watch Bella give over to the 'Dazzle Effect'. I suppressed a giggle when Bella's resistance fell away completely.

"Okay, fine," She muttered. "What's the other thing?" She asked, suspiciously eying the lump of leather draped over Edward's arm. He held it out for her to inspect.

As he shook it out, his mind was suddenly a cesspool that even Mike Newton would have considered indecent. Images of Bella in the leather jacket rolled around his mind. In one of the images, she has an accompanying pair of leather trousers and some biker boots. Her hair was tousled and a little bit wild and the image drove the monster in his head half crazy with want and longing.

"Sweet Jesus!" I exclaimed, turning towards Alice. "Who would have guessed? Our Edward is a leather man." I managed to get the sentence out before dissolving into a bout of giggles. I heard Edward zip Bella into her new jacket and place the crash helmet onto her her. She sighed as he took a step back to admire the view. More fantasies of Bella in leather, this time, the outfits were smaller, more revealing. His self-control would have been compromised beyond all repair. The idea set off a new round of guffaws.

"Be honest," Bella squeaked. "How hideous do I look?"

"No, not bad, Bella. Actually you look..." He was at a loss for words. Well, not really a loss for words. Just a loss for words that a gentleman would use. Some of the ideas he had were extended a little bit further than his usual polite and female-friendly vocabulary. "You look ...sexy."

I had to stifle laughter again. He was embarrassed at having to use such a word but he truly came up blank when looking for a more appropriate one. Alice was on the floor now and clutching her sides laughing. I wasn't too far away from joining her. I silently vowed to buy Bella several leather outfits for after she was changed. He was definitely a leather man.

"Kals, you can buy them if you like but they won't last long on her." Alice was breathless as she informed me of what exactly would happen to the outfits. Scraps of leather were scattered in a trail that led to a closed door in her mind. I let out a loud 'HA HA' before leaning forward, wrapping my arms around my stomach in an effort to stave off the laughter. We had been too distracted to notice that Edward and Bella had left the garage and were now standing on the opposite side of the living room, looking at us like we needed straight jackets. My ability to focus on anyone's mind was long gone so I could only imagine what was rattling about Edward's head now.

"Good afternoon, guys..." Bella announced herself properly. I managed to sober up enough to be polite.

"Hey Bells, how's it going?"

"Yeah, good thanks."

"What you kids up to tonight?"

"Oh, I..um... I'm going to La Push," She said in a small voice. "They are having a bonfire and Jacob invited me and Edward said he would take me and pick me up and-"

"Bella, breathe." I said softly, masking my complete and utter horror of what she had planned. Edward was in BIG trouble. His head snapped to me when he heard that thought. "Yeah, you heard me. BIG FUCKING TROUBLE!" I thought loudly, causing him to flinch slightly. "Sound's like fun, Bella." I said, forcing a genuine enough smile onto my face.

"Edward is taking me to the boundary line in five minutes. I just have to call Jake," She said, flitting to the kitchen.

"Well, this is gonna get interesting..." I muttered, throwing daggers at a, rightfully abashed, Edward.

I looked at the clock again. "If anything has happened to her, I swear to God, I will rip that wolf's goddamn throat out and dance in his stinking blood!" I growled. "Then I will dismantle you!" I bellowed to Edward.

It was just after eleven pm. Bella should have phoned hours ago and I was pacing the floor in the living room, slowly but surely wearing a path into the carpet. I knew Edward was doing the same thing outside, next to the Volvo. Alice was sitting on the sofa again, fingers pressed so hard to her temples that she was bound to leave indentations, searching for Bella's return.

"Oh, fuck this! I'm waiting outside!" I stormed out of the house and went to walk over to Edward. The look of agitation and pain on his face made my own worry intensify. Not just for Bella, but for his sanity.

"She will be fine," He said quietly. I wasn't too sure who he was trying to convince exactly.

"If she doesn't call in the next fifteen minutes, I'll call Charlie to go and get her." The words were barely out of my mouth when we heard the tiny electrical circuits in Edward's phone start click and fire. His hand was shoved into his pocket and the phone to his ear before the first ring even sounded.

"Bella?" My whole body froze.

"It's Jacob," said the rough voice on the other end of the phone. An involuntary hiss broke through my teeth, splitting the still, night air.

"Is Bella alright?" Edward demanded, climbing into the Volvo as he spoke. I wasted no time. I opened the passenger-side door and hopped in.

"She's fine." Jacob retorted. His tone suggesting annoyance but all I heard was arrogance. God, I hated that fucking dog. "She fell asleep at the bonfire."

"Are you heading to the treaty line now?" The keys were in the ignition of the car and it was shooting off before I even shut the door. The engine thrummed loudly as Edward pushed the accelerator down.

"I just got her into the car, we are leaving now,"

"I will meet you there. Same place as before." Edward snapped the phone shut and threw it over his shoulder into the backseat. "She's fine," he breathed with relief. His head turned to me and was almost surprised to see me.

"I'm going to make sure that you are okay," I explained. "Besides, it's late and I was bored."

"You cared about me and Bella." He stated.

"I'm already convinced I have lost my mind, Edward. Don't provide me with the proof of it." I quipped, ducking as he tried to muss my hair. "Knock it off! Can you focus on the road please?"

"Thank you for coming all the same." He said, patting my shoulder.

"I'll ride with you to the boundary and run back. Carlisle will be home by twelve so we will leave after that and go to Bella's house. Me and him got the night shift tonight."

"Thanks."

"Stop it. If we didn't want to, we wouldn't."

"We just have to get whoever did it. They are carrying her scent so we should-"

"They have her what, now?" I said, glaring at him.

"Bella's red shirt and pillowcase and some other things."

"Shit..." I muttered.

"I panicked earlier. I didn't have a chance to say."

"We will work it out, Edward." I assured him, touching the hand that he had clamped to my shoulder now. I hadn't realised how close to the border we had gotten until the stench of wolf hit me. I scrunched my nose as the Volvo rolled to a stop.

"God, it stinks," I complained, rubbing my nose in discomfort. I opened the car door and stepped out as the sound of a rough, stuttering engine broke the through the night. A rusty Red Volkswagen Rabbit rumbled into view, about a mile down the road. "You get her home and keep her safe. I will see you in an hour." I said as I closed the door. I had no desire to be around the mutt. I didn't have that kind of patience. I needed to get home and change.

"Thanks again, Kals,"

"Any time, brother. Any time." I winked at bolted into the woods to begin my first shift in my new job. Bodyguard.

"Ready to go, Carlisle?" I called as I strapped myself into my running boots. He had gone upstairs ten minutes ago. Alice had provided us both with an outfit for our security detail and demanded that they be worn. I personally thought that I would look like a bank robber from a 1900's silent movie in my black leggings, black jumper and black jacket. I was half convinced she would pull out an eye-mask and a swag bag when she presented the ensemble to me. I dumped half of it. The jumper was fine. and I swapped out the jacket for my purple leather one and the leggings for some dark khaki combats. Alice told me that I 'Looked like a freakin' boy'.

"Just a second," Carlisle breathed in a rather rough voice and I immediately put a fist into my mouth to prevent the laughter escaped. Emmett and Jasper, however, weren't quite so gracious. The roar of their laughter shook the windows and doors, prompting a rather flustered Carlisle to come down the stairs with one sock and shoe on, a shirt unbuttoned, and a hand running through his uncharacteristically messy hair.

"Jesus, really? Couldn't that have waited?" I asked, shoving my hands onto my hips in frustration.

"Didn't have a choice, really..." He said and I could only imagine what he meant by that. "Will you boys try and calm down?" He asked, causing the giggle twins to laugh so much harder. I ghosted over to them both and grabbed a hold of each of their ears. They squeaked as I pulled and twisted.

"If you two don't can it, I will tear these off and bury them under the river. Behave yourselves. It is just sex." I said, leaning down so that they could stare into my face. I heard Carlisle shift uncomfortably as he made himself a little more decent, causing the boys to laugh harder. I twisted their ears just a little further, causing Emmett to yelp and Jasper to hiss.

"Leave it be." I warned as I released them.

"You are a dangerous woman, sis," Emmett said as rubbed the side of his head and pouted.

"You have no idea, Emmett." I threatened with a smirk. "Besides, it's not really Carlisle's fault. Well, not all of it. Esme is also to blame. Aren't you, mother?" I called. Emmett and Jazz buckled again, clutching each other for support against the spasms of laughter.

"It's allowed." Esme said, refusing to come down the stairs.

"Quite right, Esme." I said before turning to her conquest. "You ready to go now? We are going to be late..."

"Let's go before I get into trouble." Carlisle said, making for the door and grabbing his car keys.

"Oh no, I don't think so. You drive like a bloody maniac. I'm driving." I said, grabbing the keys to the Mazda and rocketing out of the door and to the garage.

"My driving is perfectly fine," he said, pouting uncharacteristically. "I hear yours is worse." He climbed into the car and buckled his seat belt. I rolled my eyes and I put the car into reverse, swinging the front end out in a 'J-Turn' before flooring it down the driveway.

"My driving is just nifty, thanks." I commented as we hit the highway and I let the car hit 120mph, heading for Bella's house.

We got there at around 12:30am and I could smell that Bella and Edward were inside and in her bedroom. There was also a wolf nearby.

"Just keep the hell out of the way, dog." I muttered. A low grumble was the response from nowhere in particular. I gave a little growl myself before I focused on Edward and moved towards the house, just below Bella's window.

"Edward," I thought "myself and Carlisle are here now."

"I heard," He thought back. "You picking fights with wolves?"

"Don't be jealous, Edward. There are loads of them to play with."

"Thanks for coming." His thoughts were fervent and completely unnecessary "Yes they are necessary."

"Quit it. Apart from the one, very smelly wolf, there is nothing out here. We will run circles around and keep an eye out. I'll let you know if I can see anything."

"Thanks again." He thought, before I saw him squeeze Bella a little closer to him. His thoughts now were nothing but pure, unadulterated, end of the world, heartbreaking love. The love of a mate. It caused a little lump to catch in my throat. I had to admit to myself, I was a little jealous.

"Are you alright, Kali?" Carlisle asked, placing a hand on my arm.

"I'm fine, Carlisle. I was just talking to Edward, letting him know that we are here. I caught a glimpse of his mind, that's all." I explained, still staring up at the window. "Carlisle, I have never seen a more committed mated pair than those two. It's intense. It's beautiful." Carlisle beamed at me, his hand sliding down my arm to capture my hand and give it a squeeze.

"Kali, you will find someone again." Ladies and gentlemen, the doctor is in the building, mending the word's broken hearts.

"I don't know about that, Carlisle. I had Euan before, but it was never like that." I said as I nodded towards Bella's window. "I just got a new family. I think that will be my focus for a while anyway. I'm just glad those two have each other and love each other."

"That they do."

We were silent for a few seconds before I tore my gaze from the window. "You know, seeing as we are here and Alice has provided us with what I can only describe as 'ninja' outfits, why don't we do some work?" Myself, Carlisle and Edward all chuckled quietly.

"I'll stay close to the house, Carlisle, if you want to run a little wider?" I suggested. I needed to stay within mental hearing range of Edward, just in case I needed him. Carlisle nodded once and made for the trees. I walked around the house once to judge the best route to run. When I reached the start, I began to jog at a human pace, slowly increasing my speed with each revolution. I focused on Edward's mind as I ran. I needed to hear the minds of everyone close by as they ran and I could do that better if I focused on his.

Carlisle's thoughts were a mixture of love for his mate and children and concern for their safety. I was shocked at the depths that Carlisle, the eternal pacifist, would go to in order to protect what was his. I was probably more impressed than shocked.

I could hear Edward's thoughts. He was thinking of his family and what he might be able to do to pay us all back for helping him keep Bella safe. He thought of Bella with nothing but overwhelming love and pride. He thought of the book that he was reading as he tried to pass the time. 'Wuthering Heights'. I personally hated that book. The characters were idiots who were equally sadistic and masochistic.

I could hear the wolf, who turned out to be Jacob Black. He was also patrolling the house. His thoughts were protective of Bella and inappropriately envious of the fact that she now lay in, what he considered to be, his mortal enemies arms. He loved Bella to the bottom of his soul and he was ten shades of jealous about the fact that it wasn't his arms that were wrapped around her. I could hear the other wolves in his mind, but on the whole, the pack was too loud and jumbled for me to get any kind of coherent thought from them. It was almost painful to listen to it.

"Honestly, Kali, I struggle with it myself." Edward thought "Just try to focus on other thoughts." His advice shocked me out of my concentration, causing me to giggle.

"Damn it, Edward!" I muttered once I had regained my focus.

"Sorry," He thought. "Just trying to help. Anything out there?"

"Other than Doctor Vamp and the wolf boy? No. Not a thing." It was his turn to laugh now and I could see him lifting Bella away from him gently so that his shaking form didn't wake her. "Carlisle is running further out and the wolf in in between me and him. Everything alright in there?"

"Perfect." he sighed out loud this time. I could see that even without asking the question, he was never more content than he was when he was holding Bella. "You're right about that." he thought, causing me to laugh again.

"Knock it off, man. I don't need commentary for my thoughts." I giggled.

"What the fuck is she laughing about?" The tone of the wolf's mind instantly set my teeth on edge and caused my hands to claw.

"Calm down, Kali." Edward silently urged.

"If that MUTT doesn't watch himself, I will launch him half way to Tacoma." My own thoughts started taking on a disturbingly murderous tinge.

"I would gladly help you with that, but for the fact that My Bella is rather fond of him." Edward thought ruefully.

"That's alright, I'll buy her a puppy. She will get over it." I quipped before giggling again at Edward's amusement. I could tell he had considered that option before.

"If that fucking leech laughs one more time..." Oh fuck this!

"You'll do what, Wolf?" I said loudly, literally spitting venom in the direction the thought came from. "Keep your mind on the job and stop being an insufferable arse hole!" The air shimmered lightly when I got to the end of my tirade.

"Watch your mouth, bloodsucker."

"Jacob, do yourself a favour, either pipe down and keep doing what you are here to do, or fuck off back to the dog pound. Unlike you, we can do this seriously. I can guard her and have a laugh. I can defend and protect without wondering about whose arms Bella lies in or how much it kills to think about it. Get your goddamn head in the game or piss off." My hands flexed open and closed in a pointless attempt to relieve some of the tension that was building.

"Fuck you!" The wolf growled.

"No thank you, I don't do inter-species. I know a nice poodle I could set you up with. Might take your mind off of Bella for more than thirty fucking seconds!"

"Kali! Enough!" Carlisle growled. Oh shit. I was in trouble now. I could feel that he was running at top speed to get to us and he would be here in less than twenty seconds.

"Busted, Kali?" Edward thought, not even trying to hide his pride and amusement.

"I know," I grumbled.

I felt the air shimmer again as Jacob phased in front of me, sending ribbons of shredded fabric in all directions. As much as I despised the little shit, to watch the phase happen, was a spectacle. Then it hit me. Carlisle was running here at full tilt and Jacob had just phased. If he laid so much as one single claw on Carlisle I would have him at a taxidermy studio first thing tomorrow fucking morning. Luckily for him, he stalked off before Carlisle arrived.

"Kali Douglas Cullen!" He yelled as he approached. He never yelled. Ever. I felt like a child getting caught pilfering sweets. "What are you playing at?"

"The wolf is having respect issues." I heard a growl in the distance.

"Does that mean that you have to have issues with it as well?" He asked, using the full power of his fatherly glare on me.

"I guess not. Sorry, Carlisle. And I apologize, Jacob." I said grudgingly, but at least attempted to make it sound sincere. I heard Edward hiss up in the room which told me that Jacob's answer was probably not that savoury. I ground my teeth together and focused on calming myself down. I focused on running after that.

I ran circles around the house for the next two hours without so much as taking a loud breath. I only slowed when the sky above the tree line went from black to that strange blue grey that you get about twenty minutes before sunrise. I shifted back down to human speed and stopped under Bella's window. "Edward, it will be too light out here in about ten minutes. We can't run anymore." I thought.

He ghosted to the window, appearing like a spectre in a haunted house. "Alright, Kali. Tell Carlisle I said thank you." He said silently, before turning back to the room and to Bella.

"Will do," I whispered. "Tell Bella I said good morning."

"No problem."
I turned and called for Carlisle. He appeared about thirty seconds later, his lower half splattered with mud and twigs and general 'running through the woods on a damp night' crap on his trousers and shoes.

"Edward, if you need anything, just call the house." Carlisle said, before turning back towards the car.

"Thanks, dad." He said softly and Carlisle beamed like a lunatic. We headed for the car with was parked just down the street from Bella's house and clambered in. I looked down at my feet as I shoved the key into the ignition. After running all night, we were both filthy.

"Oh no," Carlisle gasped and I immediately began to scan for danger.

"What is it?" I breathed, opening the door and I had one foot on the road, ready to run if I had to.

"Your car is going to be a mess when we get out." Carlisle responded soberly, genuinely horrified at the idea. I broke into fits of laughter once again, pulling my leg back inside the car and closing the door.

"Carlisle, don't think or worry about it. I'll have it cleaned."

"I'll pay for it, at least."

"How much money do you think I have, Carlisle?" I asked, turning to face him.

"I have no idea..." He conceded.

"Well, just so we are clear, I have enough money to fill three warehouses full of cars and have houses dotted all over the place and still have more than enough left over to take care of Alice and her kleptomaniac approach to shopping. I think I can manage a simple valeting service for my car."

"I insist." He urged, looking slightly uncomfortable.

"I helped make the mess." I pointed to my boots and khakis. " Therefore, it is my mess to clean."

"If you won't let me pay for it, I can do it myself..." He offered, still trying to help.

"Carlisle, I love you and I mean no disrespect when I say this, but shut it." His face fell and his mouth gaped as I turned the engine over and got it into gear.

"No-one talks to me like that..." He said quietly, still trying to deal with the shock.

"Well, you don't normally earn it."

"Try not to make a habit out of it though," He said, pointing a finger in my face. I grabbed it playfully before tugging at it.

"I wouldn't dream of it...DAD!" I said before laughing again. I hit the accelerator and zoomed out of Bella's street to the tune of both of our laughs and giggles.

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