Hi again, SO sorry for the major delay (for all my fellow HIMYM fans, "Major Delay"). Basically holidays + toddler = no time. Forgive me? Well here we are, so close to the end. I expect the last two chapters to go much more quickly, so keep an eye out. Also, if you haven't already, please add me to your author alert, so as this project ends, we all can stay in touch as other things come up. I'm thinking... Edward one-shot for Isle Esme is imminently imminent. Yeah. :)

Side note/rant... who else thinks it's ridiculous that BD parts 1 and 2 are coming out a year apart when they're filming back to back? Come on, there are rules in Hollywood that OTHER franchises seem to be following just fine (*cough* Harry Potter). I'm just sayin'. OK, rant over, moving on.

Mirror

I'd been collecting pieces of Victoria and Riley for several minutes, and the task was more than a little satisfying. I'd finally put an end to the vampire who had haunted Bella's dreams for so long. Unfortunately, I'd done it right in front of Bella. I still hadn't been able to bring myself to look into her eyes, not with how wildly her heart was still beating. Not knowing how terrified she must be of me.

I feared what I would see if my gaze met hers. There was no doubt in my mind that she was seeing me as every bit the monster I'd always tried so desperately not to be. Of course, it had all been necessary. There was no time to lure Victoria out of sight before I destroyed her, no way to keep Bella from witnessing her death.

In some ways, I'd been happy she had seen it. There would never be any question that Victoria was gone, and could never hunt her again. I had certainly enjoyed being the one to finally make her pay for all the pain and fear she'd caused Bella, but I still hated knowing that Bella had seen it first-hand.

A bunch of pieces flew over that way, Seth said, motioning with his head to the trees around us. And I think a few bits of them managed to claw their way under those rocks over there. Totally creepy, by the way. He shook his head in disgust as he went to retrieve the last few pieces. I followed him, though he didn't particularly need my help. I was just buying time before I would have to face Bella. I could still hear her ragged breathing as I followed Seth into the woods.

Bella's pretty brave, you know. Seth met my eyes for a moment before snatching up Riley's torso in his mouth. Stupid, and way too headstrong for her own good, but brave.

"Yeah, tell me about it," I muttered, remembering in far too vivid of detail the moment Seth was referring to. Bella's hand clutched tightly around a jagged piece of stone, her eyes wild with determination.

What the hell was she going to do, anyway? Slice herself open?

"What else?" I sighed, exasperated. "You can thank your tribe for having given her the idea, though." I smiled lightly so he would know I wasn't angry. I was far too grateful for his help to be holding any grudges.

Hey, don't blame the stories. You know Bella would have come up with some way of stepping in, as soon as she thought we were in trouble.

"That's Bella."

We were just stepping back into the campsite, and I listened before looking at Bella. Her breathing was softer, her heartbeat more steady, but when I lit the flame that ignited the pile of vampire carcasses, I heard her gasp. Within seconds, the air became thick with the scent of burning corpses. What happiness I might have derived from watching Victoria's body ignite was quickly diminished as I listened to Bella's shallow breathing.

"Get every piece," I told Seth.

More logs for the fire. Got it!

We circled the campsite together, making sure every piece of our victory was added to the flames. Seth was nearly euphoric, thinking about how much damage he'd caused.

Sam's gonna have to let me in on the next fight for sure! I mean, I did do most of the work myself. He laughed to himself, and I grinned at him. He'd earned his moment of glory. I reached my fist out to him and he bumped it with his nose.

"Nice teamwork," I said softly, eliciting another laugh from Seth.

You know, even if you hadn't been here, I totally could have taken both of them. Did you see the look on the red-head's face when she saw me? Especially with Bella playing decoy over there . . . I mean, I could have made today a two-for-one!

I was happy Seth was in such high spirits, but his words only reminded me that the time had come to do what I'd been putting off. I slowly raised my eyes to Bella, terrified of what I would see. How much damage had I caused, allowing her to witness such atrocities? With all my countless warnings of how dangerous we were when we turned ourselves over to instinct, how could she not have feared for her safety?

"Bella, love." I moved slowly toward her without breaking her stare. Confusion was written all over her face, and I wondered for a moment if she even realized what had happened – that it was over. "Bella, can you drop the rock, please? Carefully. Don't hurt yourself."

Of course I knew she hadn't drawn blood, but she was gripping the rock so tightly, I was worried it would pierce her skin if she didn't relax her grip. She stared at me for a long moment, and I felt my worst fears being realized. She was afraid of me. She was so scared, she wasn't even willing to drop her weapon. I'd expected it, but it didn't make the feeling any easier to take.

My hands were raised as if in surrender. I needed her to see – I'm in control. The fight is over. There's no danger. I was finding it difficult to form the words, and for a second, I wished she could read my thoughts. A moment later, Bella let go of the rock, and the sound of it hitting the ground lifted a small bit of the tension I was feeling. I continued my words of assurance, but her expression didn't change.

"You don't have to be afraid, Bella. You're safe. I won't hurt you. It's going to be all right, Bella. I know you're frightened now, but it's over. No one is going to hurt you. I won't touch you. I won't hurt you."

Finally, something registered on her face, and she blinked at me like I'd been speaking in a foreign language.

"Why do you keep saying that?"

She started to step toward me, and I instinctively backed away, leaving her the distance I knew she must need.

"What's wrong?" Her voice was soft, but concerned. "What do you mean?"

"Are you . . ." I suddenly found myself afraid to form the question I was so certain I knew the answer to. "Aren't you afraid of me?"

"Afraid of you? Why?"

She took another step forward, and her foot caught on a loose branch. She stumbled, and my need to give her space disappeared. I wasn't going to let her end up bleeding over a ridiculous branch when I'd just torn Victoria limb from limb to keep her safe. As soon as I felt her trembling body in my arms, my guilt amplified. I should have had Seth take her far away before I acted. I could have done something to shield her from such terrible violence.

"Bella, Bella, I'm so sorry. It's over, it's over."

"I'm fine," she insisted, though she was gasping for air. "I'm okay. I'm just. Freaking out. Give me. A minute."

I held her tighter, determined to push all her fears away. I kept muttering apologies, wishing they were more, wishing they were enough. We held each other while her breathing returned to normal, and when I felt her relax into my chest, I breathed a sigh of relief. Just as I was about to ask how she was feeling, she started kissing me. It was unlike any kiss she'd ever given me – frantic and desperate, like she didn't believe I was really there.

"Are you okay? Did she hurt you at all?" She could barely get the words out between kisses, and she seemed determined to cover every inch of me. I didn't understand her reaction, but I was so relieved by it, I decided to take a few moments to simply bask in it. I could worry about figuring her out later.

"I'm absolutely fine," I assured her, taking a long, deep breath of her hair. It was hard to believe it really was all over.

"Seth?"

I laughed, his nearly incessant gloating and self-praise still ringing through my mind. "More than fine. Very pleased with himself, in fact."

"The others? Alice, Esme? The wolves?"

"All fine. It's over there, too. It went just as smoothly as I promised. We got the worse of it here."

Even though Bella seemed fine – far more so than she reasonably should have been – I felt another wave of guilt. I hadn't seen Victoria coming, and that was unforgivable. Yes, she had covered her tracks well, and hidden behind the gaps in Alice's visions. Still, I should have known what lengths she would go to to get her revenge. I should have been better prepared.

Bella's posture suddenly changed, taking me away from my thoughts. She pulled back to look at me, confusion all over her face. "Tell me why. Why did you think I would be afraid of you?"

"I'm sorry. So sorry. I didn't want you to see that. See me like that. I know I must have terrified you."

I watched her expression, and even before she said the words, I knew what she was thinking. Once again, I'd assumed what would frighten my Bella, and I'd been wrong.

"Seriously? You . . . what? Thought you'd scared me off?" Then, she snorted. Actually snorted. Like I was a fool for having worried about frightening her. I touched my hand to her face, bringing her eyes up to meet mine. There was love, and relief, and perhaps even a touch of amusement, but no fear. Inexplicably, she truly was fine.

"Bella, I just – " I paused, wondering if I should say it out loud. Maybe she was blocking everything out. Maybe she didn't have a grasp on what she'd just seen. I scrutinized her a moment more before asking what seemed like a ridiculous question. "I just beheaded and dismembered a sentient creature not twenty yards from you. That doesn't bother you?"

She shrugged, like today was any other day to her. "Not really. I was only afraid that you and Seth were going to get hurt. I wanted to help, but there's only so much I can do . . ."

The image of Bella pressing the jagged stone to her skin assaulted me. I was furious with myself for having let Bella be so close to the fight that she felt the need to intervene, and in all honesty, quite frustrated with her for not having more faith in my ability to protect her. Had she really thought Seth and I were that helpless?

"Yes, your little stunt with the rock. You know that you nearly gave me a heart attack? Not the easiest thing to do, that."

She blushed, her eyes darting nervously away from my stare. "I wanted to help . . . Seth was hurt . . ."

"Seth was only feigning that he was hurt, Bella. It was a trick. And then you . . . !" I could tell she was already feeling badly about the whole thing, and the last thing I wanted was her worrying I was angry with her. Logically, I knew she'd had nothing but the best intentions, but considering how much my family and I had done to make sure no harm came to her, the idea of her harming herself was infuriating. I shook my head, trying to regain my composure. It was over, and I needed to keep reminding myself that was all that mattered. "Seth couldn't see what you were doing, so I had to step in. Seth's a bit disgruntled that he can't claim a single-handed defeat now."

Her eyes widened as understanding sunk in. "Seth was . . . faking?" I nodded, still fighting to disguise my frustration. She breathed a quiet, "oh," then looked over at Seth. I followed her gaze to where the perfectly content wolf was sitting, admiring the flames that were consuming the vampires he'd help defeat. He was proud of himself, as he deserved to be, but I could also hear his relief. I'd never say it out loud – though of course there was no hiding it from the rest of the pack – but he'd had his moments of fear and indecision. He, too, was happy this was all over.

I looked back at Bella, not sure of what I would see in her eyes, but to my great surprise, I saw a flash of irritation. "Well, I didn't know that," she said defensively. I'd been so lost in Seth's thoughts, it took me a moment to understand what she was referring to. "And it's not easy being the only helpless person around. Just you wait till I'm a vampire! I'm not going to be sitting on the sidelines next time."

To say I was shocked would be an understatement. The funny thing was that I didn't know what surprised me the most – the fact that she now seemed angry with me because she hadn't been allowed to participate in the fight, or her unbridled enthusiasm at the idea of actually being in the next fight. I might have been upset, but something in her tone pushed all that away.

"Next time? Did you anticipate another war soon?" I'd been trying to make a joke, but Bella's brow pulled together and she sighed.

"With my luck? Who knows?"

I rolled my eyes, but I knew nothing else really mattered. The fight was over and Bella was safe. We all were – at least, for the moment. Bella seemed to remember the day wasn't over at exactly the same moment I had, and her breathing caught, her eyes widening.

"Hold on. Didn't you say something before – ?" She paused, probably trying to figure out what I hadn't wanted her to know. "About a complication? And Alice, needing to nail down the schedule for Sam. You said it was going to be close. What was going to be close?"

I glanced toward Seth, who was still sitting near the fire. You're gonna have to tell her soon anyway, right? I mean, unless you're planning on letting Bella come play with the wolves while you take care of those power vamps.

I ignored his attempt at humor, and turned back to Bella.

"Well?" she pressed,

"It's nothing, really. But we do need to be on our way . . ." I tried to get us ready to run back to the clearing, but Bella wasn't having it.

"Define nothing."

I reached out and touched her cheek, trying to reassure her. It was difficult, though, when I had no way of knowing what the outcome would be today. I could only hope our promise of Bella's imminent transformation would be enough once again.

"We only have a minute, so don't panic, all right? I told you that you had no reason to be afraid. Trust me on that, please?"

She nodded, though her eyes betrayed her fear. "No reason to be afraid. Got it."

I was getting ready to explain things in the clearest, least terrifying way, when a very vivid image filled my mind. My head snapped toward Seth and his eyes were filled with fear as we both watched in horror. Somehow, one of the newborns had escaped the attack, and was hiding. Leah had just spotted him and Seth could hear her every thought. She thought she could take him out alone – prove her strength to the rest of the pack.

"What's she doing?" I asked as we both watched Leah's approach helplessly.

No, no, no, Leah. Get help. Get Sam! Seth was pacing, his thoughts screaming at Leah, but she wasn't listening to anyone or anything.

There was, however, someone else listening to Seth. Jacob had heard Seth's desperate pleas, and was running as fast as his legs could carry him. There wasn't a coherent thought in his mind. He was pure instinct.

"No!" I called out, echoing Seth's frantic cry, but it was no use. "Don't – !"

We were too late. The newborn already had his arms around Jacob, and was crushing him. The pack was so closely joined, I literally felt the jolt of pain in my own body as it resonated through Seth's mind. He was howling in pain as Jacob's bones were shattered, and I felt my knees give out on me. I was no longer at the campsite with Bella and Seth. I was there – I was a wolf, I was part of the pack, and I was in total agony.

Then, Bella was at my side, and as soon as her skin touched mine, I was brought back. She was screaming my name in a frenzied panic, and I realized what I must have looked like to her. I still couldn't break out of the pack mind, but I tried to reassure her as best I could through the searing pain still incapacitating me.

"It's okay. We're going to be fine. It's –"

There was another sharp stab of pain as the newborn dropped Jacob in a heap onto the ground. His eyes were clenched shut against the pain, and I could hear the snaps and snarls surrounding him. Sam and Paul had just gotten to him, and it was over before the newborn had even realized he wasn't alone.

"We're fine," I repeated. "We're going to be okay. Sam – help him –"

They were rushing to Jacob's side, and started examining the damage. I've gotta go help him! Seth was staring helplessly into the forest, ready to run.

I couldn't begin to imagine what must have been going through Bella's mind, but suddenly, it was too much for her to take. She collapsed beside me, and I reached out to catch her. She was watching me weakly as my eyes darted back to Seth. He was still determined to try to help Jacob, but there was nothing he could do for him. The pack was doing everything they could, but none of it would matter if the wolves were still there when the Volturi arrived.

"Seth! No! You go straight home. Now. As fast as you can!"

But Jake –

"Seth. Trust me."

He watched me for several seconds before nodding and running off in the opposite direction. I listened, using his connection to the pack for as long as I could, but it wasn't long before the noise of their collective, worried thoughts disappeared.

I could offer no assurances to Bella. Jacob was broken and suffering, but he wasn't our biggest concern at the moment. The most I could hope for was that Bella wouldn't ask any questions about what had happened until our confrontation with the Volturi was over. We needed to take on one problem at a time.

Without another word, I scooped her up and took off through the trees. "Edward." Her voice was barely a whisper, and I could hear the panic that was still there. "What happened, Edward? What happened to Sam? Where are we going? What's happening?"

"We have to go back to the clearing. We knew there was a good probability of this happening. Earlier this morning, Alice saw it and passed it through Sam to Seth. The Volturi decided it was time to intercede."

She didn't speak again, but I felt her grip around me tighten. I listened again, waiting to be close enough to hear my family again. I was desperate for something, anything, that could help me ease Bella's fears.

"Don't panic. They aren't coming for us. It's just the normal contingent of the guard that usually cleans up this kind of mess. Nothing momentous, they're merely doing their job." Even as I spoke the words, the sounded like a lie. Far too easily, I could picture Aro's smile as Jane told him the news of my family's demise. He wouldn't feel a moment of sorrow, even for Carlisle, if it meant Alice and I would join their family. "Of course, they seem to have timed their arrival very carefully. Which lead me to believe that no one in Italy would mourn if these newborns had reduced the size of the Cullen family. I'll know for sure what they were thinking when they get to the clearing."

"Is that why we're going back?" I could hear the fear in her voice, and I wondered if she was questioning how necessary our presence was there. If I could shield her from another encounter with the Volturi, I certainly would, but it would be more dangerous for us not to be there. It was better to be upfront and honest with them, and if Bella and I stayed away, they might think we were trying to hide the fact that Bella was still human from them. That alone would give Jane all the excuse she needed to take matters into her own hands. And she had no desire for us to join their clan.

"It's part of the reason. Mostly, it will be safer for us to present a united front at this point. They have no reason to harass us, but . . . Jane's with them. If she thought we were alone somewhere away from the others, it might tempt her. Like Victoria, Jane will probably guess that I'm with you. Demetri, of course, is with her. He could find me, if Jane asked him to."

Bella seemed to be stifling a shriek, and what came out was more of a whimper. I hated to see her cowering in fear when we should be celebrating the fact that Victoria was no longer a threat. Just then, I heard Alice's thoughts calling out to me. It sounded like she'd been thinking the same thing over and over, waiting for me to be close enough to hear.

Edward, hurry. They're nearly here, and as long as we're all together, we'll be all right.

I breathed a sigh of relief. "Shh, Bella, shh. It's all going to be fine. Alice can see that."

She instantly understood what that meant. "The pack?"

"They had to leave quickly. The Volturi do not honor truces with werewolves." Her breath caught, and I knew she would fear for their safety. "I swear they will be fine. The Volturi won't recognize the scent – they won't realize the wolves are here; this isn't a species they are familiar with. The pack will be fine."

My thoughts instantly jumped to Jacob, and I wondered if my words were a lie. It was true the pack wasn't in any danger from the Volturi, but they had not made it through the fight unscathed. I listened as Bella's breathing picked up again, and I should have known that even with the threat of the Volturi right around the corner, her thoughts would find their way back to the issue I'd been so carefully avoiding.

"What happened? Before. When Seth was howling? When you were hurt?"

I tried, but I couldn't make myself say it. What would it do to her if Jacob didn't make it?

"Edward! Tell me!"

I knew I owed her an explanation, and with everything we'd be dealing with in a matter of minutes, I couldn't leave her with unanswered questions. "It was all over. The wolves didn't count their half . . . they thought they had them all. Of course, Alice couldn't see . . ."

"What happened?"

"One of the newborns was hiding . . . Leah found him – she was being stupid, cocky, trying to prove something. She engaged him alone . . ."

"Leah," she breathed. There was no hiding the relief if her voice, and my heart sank as I thought about having to tell her the whole truth. "Is she going to be okay?"

I took a deep breath and steeled my resolve, but the words still came out a whisper. "Leah wasn't hurt."

I waited for it to sink in, though a part of me suspected she already knew. She and Jacob were so connected, I wondered if she would feel his pain too. When she didn't speak again, I decided she wasn't ready yet, so I resumed my previous methods of avoidance.

"We're almost there." I could smell the fires that consumed the defeated army – stronger, more potent than the fire we'd set for our two. As I slowed to a walk, Bella began to shake in my arms.

"Edward," she whispered desperately. "Edward, someone got hurt." It wasn't a question.

"Yes."

"Who?"

She knew. She had to know. Why was she making me say it when it wouldn't fix anything?

"Jacob," I admitted softly.

She nodded as she muttered, "Of course." Then, she fainted.

I sped back up to a sprint, closing the last of the distance between us and my family. The wolves had left awhile ago, and I was surprised when I heard that one of them had returned. He was speaking with Carlisle, and without me there to translate, he'd been forced to come in his human form. I could tell there was at least one other wolf along with him.

"You're sure Jake's gonna be okay until you get there?" he was asking. "I mean, he's healing really fast, but nothing is where it's supposed to be. He's so messed up."

"I'm sorry, but there's nothing else I can do now. I wrapped him as best I could with what we had available. It's good that he's healing, even if it means we have to re-break some bones later. It won't be pleasant, but he'll live. You have to go back to him. Tell him I'll be there as soon as possible, but you must get away from here now. If we could help we would, but we cannot leave."

I was just stepping into the clearing as they were leaving. Carlisle was clearly troubled that he couldn't be of more help, and Esme placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

Oh, for goodness sake. Alice was shaking her head and rolling her eyes as I carried Bella's limp body to where my family was gathered. I set her down gently on the ground, and knelt beside her.

"Is she okay?" I asked, my eyes darting between Carlisle and Alice.

Carlisle walked over to us and reached out to check Bella's pulse, counting silently to himself. "She'll be fine, Edward. She's just in a bit of shock. This day must have been very trying for her."

I laughed humorlessly at his understatement, my gaze moving to Alice as I wondered how much my family actually knew of the second fight none of us had anticipated. "I filled them in on the details, at least as far as I could see," she told me, her voice instantly apologetic. "I'm so sorry I couldn't offer you any warning. She really knew what she was doing."

"I know. It's all right. It's all over."

"Well, not quite all." An image of the Volturi's approach filled both our minds.

"Of course. But you've seen they're not a threat."

"That doesn't mean it won't be difficult. We'll have to watch every word. There's also one minor complication I hadn't previously taken into account."

I didn't understand the irritation that had returned to her tone. I was going to ask, but then I heard a voice I didn't recognize. It was confused and scared – childlike in a way I couldn't comprehend. Who was with us? And how was it I hadn't heard them right away?

"Who is that?" I asked, looking around, but not finding anyone.

"That is the complication. Jasper is very unhappy, but Carlisle and Esme insisted."

Baffled, my eyes continued to search the space, until finally, I spotted Jasper. He was standing next to one of the fires, his stare fixed on a small, female vampire crouched beside him. Her eyes were shut tightly, and fear was written all over her face. I felt sick as the only possible explanation for her presence occurred to me.

"You left one of the newborns alive?" I shouted, horrified.

"She surrendered. She told me she didn't want to fight, and didn't want to hurt anybody. It's not our right to destroy her when she means us no harm." Carlisle's voice was calm, and Esme stood beside him, smiling comfortably. Their expressions told me there was no point in arguing with them, no matter how insane their decision was. Alice sighed loudly.

With a new, uncertain variable now sitting fifty feet away, I instinctively held Bella closer to me. I brushed my fingers against her cheeks, hoping my touch would bring her back. "Carlisle – it's been five minutes."

"She'll come around when she's ready, Edward. She's had too much to deal with today. Let her mind protect itself."

I stared at her helplessly, but even as a part of me wanted to let her recover like I knew she needed to, I also couldn't ignore the threat that was mere minutes away. The last thing I wanted was Bella unconscious when the Volturi arrived. It was very likely they would want to question her about her upcoming transformation, though I would protect her – and speak for her – as much as they would allow.

"Alice, how long do we have?"

"Another five minutes. And Bella will open her eyes in thirty-seven seconds. I wouldn't doubt she can hear us now."

Esme sat down next to us then, and stroked Bella's hair lovingly. "Bella, honey? Can you hear me? You're safe now, dear."

I leaned down and whispered the words I knew would ease her mind, if she truly was able to hear me. "He's going to live, Bella. Jacob Black is healing as I speak. He'll be fine."

A few moments later, there was a small twitch beneath her eyelids, and I might have thought she was dreaming if she hadn't simultaneously lifted her chin just slightly. Even without opening her eyes, I felt her searching for me. "Oh, Bella." I sighed as I kissed her softly, the warmth of her lips bringing me a perfect moment of peace.

"Edward."

"Yes, I'm here." She opened her eyes and I breathed another sigh of relief.

"Jacob is okay?"

"Yes."

She was staring at me like she didn't believe me, like I was lying to save her further despair. I turned to Carlisle, my eyes pleading. I hadn't been there when Carlisle had looked him over, but I trusted he was telling the wolves the complete truth when he'd said Jacob would be fine.

"I examined him myself," he told Bella. "His life is not in any danger. He was healing at an incredible rate, though his injuries were extensive enough that it will still be a few days before he is back to normal, even if the rate of repair holds steady. As soon as we're done here, I will do what I can to help him. Sam is trying to get him to phase back to his human form. That will make treating him easier." He smiled, glancing at me for a brief second. "I've never been to veterinarian school."

Bella was quiet as she asked, "What happened to him? How bad are his injuries?"

Carlisle looked at me again and I nodded. "Another wolf was in trouble –"

"Leah."

"Yes. He knocked her out of the way, but he didn't have time to defend himself. The newborn got his arms around him. Most of the bones on the right half of his body were shattered."

Bella winced, and Carlisle quickly switched gears. "Sam and Paul got there in time. He was already improving when they took him back to La Push."

"He'll be back to normal?"

"Yes, Bella. He won't have any permanent damage."

Relief washed over her face as his promise sunk in. Then, another image of the Volturi passed through my mind and I struggled to keep my eyes on Bella. I just wanted a few more minutes before fear would undoubtedly take her again.

"Three minutes," Alice said softly. Bella understood instantly, and she started to stand up. As soon as she was on her feet, a slight breeze blew across the field, and as soon as it did, I heard the surrendered newborn's thoughts scream out.

It's her! The one we've been hunting! Sweet, delicious . . . burning pain!

If Jasper hadn't been standing over her, controlling her with his threatening gaze, I wouldn't have been able to take it. I could hear her need – her raw desire for Bella's blood – and I might have defied Carlisle and ended her myself, but for the assurance in Jasper's stare.

Don't worry. One wrong move and this is over! He was looking for an excuse to end her, and I didn't immediately understand why. Then, I heard his fears. I felt foolish for not having thought about it sooner, when Alice had called her a complication.

If the Volturi think we've been creating our own army, they'll show us no mercy. Everything we've done will have been for nothing.

He refused to take his eyes off the newborn, but I could tell he wanted to look at Alice. His greatest fear was always losing her, and anything that posed a threat was an instant enemy. It was probably why he understood my unrelenting need to protect Bella so well. I looked down at Bella then, and saw that she was staring at the frantic newborn, confused.

"She surrendered," I explained. "That's one I've never seen before. Only Carlisle would think of offering. Jasper doesn't approve."

Her eyes turned to him, and she must have noticed the way he was rubbing his arm.

"Is Jasper all right?" she asked worriedly.

His injuries weren't that bad – nothing, really, compared to all he'd been through during his early years. Honestly, it seemed like the memories the bites were bringing back to him bothered him more than the physical pain. I didn't want to trouble Bella with that unsettling truth, though.

"He's fine. The venom stings."

"He was bitten?" she gasped.

Another gust of wind blew, sending Bella's sent straight toward the new one. Every second, it was becoming increasingly difficult for her to control herself.

"He was trying to be everywhere at once," I continued, attempting to ignore the girl. "Trying to make sure Alice had nothing to do, actually. Alice doesn't need anyone's help."

"Overprotective fool," Alice muttered, glaring at Jasper.

His attention lapsed for a split second, and I heard the newborn's thoughts racing. She wondered how quickly she could get to Bella, and for a moment, I thought she was going to act. She was already imagining the way Bella's blood would taste – the way it would quench her indescribable thirst. She threw her head back and wailed, and I shot her a look that clearly said Jasper was the least of her worries if she made one motion toward Bella. Jasper snarled another warning at her, and she dug her fingers into the dirt, as if she was trying to ground herself. Jasper stepped closer to her, crouched and ready to attack.

Carlisle saw that Jasper was a second away from killing the girl, and he was at their side in an instant. "Have you changed your mind, young one? We don't want to destroy you, but we will if you can't control yourself."

Then, I heard her voice for the the first time out loud. Every word was nearly a shriek as she fought to hang onto a tiny shred of control. "How can you stand it?" she cried. "I want her." She was staring right at me, but she was frantically trying to see past me to her prey.

"You must stand it," Carlisle commanded. "You must exercise control. It is possible, and it is the only thing that will save you now."

She scratched uselessly at the ground again, and I was surprised to hear she was fighting an internal battle that had little to do with Bella. She didn't want to die, but she wasn't certain she wanted to live, either. She'd lost someone she cared for deeply. Someone named Diego. I was utterly stunned. I didn't think such a young vampire had the capacity to love. As she simultaneously mourned her lost love and fought against the unbearable burning in her throat, she held her head in her hands, rocking her body back and forth.

"Shouldn't we move away from her?" Bella asked compassionately. Unfortunately, hearing Bella's voice drew even more attention to her, and the young vampire nearly convulsed with the effort of staying in her place.

"We have to stay here," I explained as calmly as possible. "They are coming to the north end of the clearing now." I'd been so focused on the newborn, I hadn't heard the Volturi's approach as soon as I might have otherwise. Now that I was listening for them, though, I realized I could hear all their thoughts clearly. There were five of them, led by Jane, of course. Their thoughts were somewhat guarded, obviously having complete knowledge that I'd be listening, but I could hear a few pieces here and there. They were expecting to find my family at least partially defeated, and nowhere in any of their thoughts, could I find even a hint of remorse.

Moments later, I heard Jane's casual, yet callous, voice fill the air.

"Hmm," she sighed. So, they're completely intact. How interesting.

"Welcome, Jane."

Jane surveyed the scene in front of her – our family standing strong amid the billowing smoke of the fallen army. She was baffled, and clearly displeased, but as she was about to begin her false pleasantries, her eyes fell on the wild newborn.

"I don't understand," she said flatly.

"She has surrendered." Even as I said the word, I knew it would mean nothing to them.

"Surrendered?" she repeated, smirking through her irritation.

"Carlisle gave her the option."

"There are no options for those who break the rules."

I was flooded with the thoughts of my family – from Esme's desperate pleas for mercy, to Jasper's faint I knew this would happen – but above it all, was Carlisle's voice of reason. He wanted to save the girl, but his family's safety came before all. He was nothing but compliant.

"That's in your hands. As long as she was willing to halt her attack on us, I saw no need to destroy her. She was never taught."

"That is irrelevant."

"As you wish."

The words were simple enough, and I could hear that the young vampire knew her fate had just been decided. She'd already been through so much, she hardly had it in her to feel afraid. Jane was watching Carlisle, and trying without success to figure him out. She'd never understood the lifestyle we'd chosen, but seeing his compassion directed at someone she never would have given a second glance to was beyond her comprehension.

Finally, she shook her head, and resumed her composed stance. "Aro hoped that we would get far enough west to see you, Carlisle. He sends his regards."

"I would appreciate it if you would convey mine to him."

"Of course." She looked around once more, taking in the piles of burning corpses, and trying to hide her surprise. Aro had always wanted us for our special talents, and for a fraction of a second, Jane wanted us for our combat skills. "It appears that you've done our work for us today . . . for the most part." She glanced icily toward the young vampire. "Just out of professional curiosity, how many were there? They left quite wake of destruction in Seattle."

"Eighteen, including this one," Carlisle told her. None of them were able to hide their shock, and the spoke quietly amongst themselves. They had anticipated more fighting within the newborn army, and couldn't believe that their numbers had held strong. Even more inexplicable, though, was that the seven of us had been able to defeat them. Of course, there hadn't been seven of us, but that wasn't knowledge the Volturi needed to have.

"Eighteen?" she asked.

Carlisle felt a twinge of concern that somehow, the Volturi would know we were not alone. Even if we had tried to explain we'd had werewolves fighting alongside us, they never would have believed it. "All brand-new," Carlisle clarified. "They were unskilled."

"All?" Jane asked skeptically. "Then who was their creator?"

It was my turn to speak. If anyone was going to tell the tale of Victoria's demise, it would be me. Victoria was to have been the Volturi's solution, but instead, she became just another victim. "Her name was Victoria."

"Was?"

I motioned toward the hill on which Victoria had terrorized us for the final time. Jane stared at the tower of smoke, confusion written all over her face. "This Victoria. She was in addition to the eighteen here?"

"Yes. She had only one other with her. He was not as young as this one here, but no older than a year.

"Twenty." And yet they failed. I heard the word she was trying to mask – shame. "Who dealt with the creator?"

"I did." I was finding it harder each second to remain composed. It was difficult looking into the eyes of someone who would have much preferred your family to be dead.

Jane turned to the young vampire and glared. "You there. Your name." The girl glared back at her defiantly, and I felt a wave of pity for the suffering that would surely follow. She had no way of knowing what she was up against. A moment later, her screams filled the air, and I felt Bella cringe at my side. I tried not to hear the girl's agonized thoughts, but they were impossible to ignore. She was remembering her transformation, and wondering how she could endure such torture a second time. Relief washed over her when the fires disappeared.

"Your name," Jane repeated.

"Bree." As soon as she'd spoken, Jane smiled, and the torture began again. The girl screamed, and her thoughts cried out for death.

Carlisle is kind, why doesn't he just kill me? Can't the mind reader hear me and make this stop?

It was like she was speaking directly to me, even though it was clear she had no idea who I was. My pity for her only grew, and I spoke out of instinct, even if it meant Jane might turn her agonizing smile on me.

"She'll tell you anything you want to know. You don't have to do that."

Jane smiled at me and I braced myself for pain, but there was only humor in her eyes. "Oh, I know." She quickly turned back to girl and I was grateful her sadistic interrogation seemed to be at an end. "Bree. Is this story true? Were there twenty of you?"

The girl spoke quickly, terrified of more pain. "Nineteen or twenty, maybe more, I don't know! Sara and the one whose name I don' t know got in a fight on the way . . ."

"And this Victoria – did she create you?"

"I don't know." Don't hurt me, please, not again. "Riley never said her name, I didn't see that night . . . it was so dark, and it hurt . . ." She was trying to banish memories of that night, but they were consuming her. "He didn't want us to be able to think of her. He said that our thoughts weren't safe."

Jane shot a glare in my direction. No. None of our thoughts are safe. I don't know why Aro thinks it's such a gift. I find it more of a nuisance.

She turned back to Bree. "Tell me about Riley. Why did he bring you here?"

"Riley told us that we had to destroy the strange yellow-eyes here. He said it would be easy. He said the city was theirs, and they were coming to get us. He said once they were gone, all the blood would be ours. He gave us her scent." She pointed toward Bella and I fought against the surge of hatred I felt, as I thought about this young vampire, and so many others, hunting my Bella with fire in their throats. "He said we would know that we had the right coven, because she would be with them. He said whoever got to her first could have her."

Then, it was impossible to silence the low snarl that ripped through my throat. I tried to silence my instinct to run across the field and finish the girl off myself. Logically, I knew it wasn't her fault, but she was standing there telling us that Bella was the prize in this army's sick game.

"It looks like Riley was wrong about the easy part," Jane said sarcastically.

This is the story she wants them to hear, the one that doesn't implicate her.

My eyes flashed to Bree as I realized she knew more than she was letting on. She sat up, her posture showing a confidence that hadn't been there before. I hope their mind reader is paying attention. In her mind, I watched as she remembered Victoria's encounter with Jane. It was everything I'd suspected, and more.

I listened in horror as Bree quickly played the scene through her mind – the Volturi's visit with Victoria, their interest in how she'd stayed "off the radar" for so long, and finally, Jane's demand that they make a decision immediately. She'd told Victoria, in no uncertain terms, that their indiscretions wouldn't be overlooked much longer, and it was time for action. Work hard to please us, she'd said. My fists clenched as understanding set in. The Volturi would have been quite pleased if my family had been decimated.

Out loud, Bree continued to tell the story Jane wanted to hear, but silently, she was giving me everything I needed to know. It was her parting gift to us. As she thought about her brief time with my family, during the aftermath of the fight, I realized she'd heard the wolves howling. Although she'd simply thought it was another strange breed of vampires, she decided to keep their presence a secret. What a strange and unlikely ally we'd found in this young child, all because of Carlisle and Esme's act of kindness.

"I don't know what happened," she continued. "We split up, but the others never came. And Riley left us, and he didn't come to help like he promised. And then it was so confusing, and everybody was in pieces. I was afraid. I wanted to run away."

Then, she turned to Carlisle, and I could hear her genuine gratitude for the salvation he'd tried to give her. "That one said they wouldn't hurt me if I stopped fighting."

"Ah, but that wasn't his gift to offer, young one. Broken rules demand a consequence."

Whether for her dignity, or simply keeping up with her ruse, Bree feigned ignorance. She knew she was going to die, but her eyes betrayed none of her fear. Jane turned to Carlisle, her patience for the whole encounter wearing thin. Things hadn't gone the way she had wanted, and she was anxious to return home.

"Are you sure you got all of them? The other half that split off?"

Carlisle nodded, the picture of composure as he silently thanked the wolves once more. "We split up, too."

This is preposterous. What am I missing? She was irritated, certain there was more to the puzzle, yet unable to find it. She attempted to fix a smile back on her face, but it was only halfhearted. "I can't deny that I'm impressed."

"Yes," the others agreed, equally surprised.

"I've never seen a coven escape this magnitude of offensive intact. Do you know what was behind it? It seems like extreme behavior, considering the way you live here. And why was the girl the key?"

She spared Bella the briefest of glances, not wanting to waste even a second on the girl whom she had deemed completely useless.

"Victoria held a grudge against Bella," I explained.

She laughed, clearly not expecting that. "This one seems to bring out bizarrely strong reactions in our kind."

Every muscle in my body tightened as she turned her eyes on Bella, even though she'd already proven once that her powers had no effect on Bella. Why can't I make you suffer? she thought, both smiling and glaring at Bella.

"Would you please not do that?" I spat.

Oh, where's your sense of adventure? She laughed quietly. "Just checking. No harm done, apparently." I hugged Bella protectively and Jane sighed.

"Well, it appears that there's not much left for us to do. Odd. We're not used to being rendered unnecessary. It's too bad we missed the fight. It sounds like it would have been entertaining to watch."

Jane was being cautious about any thoughts that might betray their involvement. She didn't know I'd already learned so much from the young vampire she was about to have murdered.

"Yes," I said icily. "And you were so close. It's a shame you didn't arrive just a half hour earlier. Perhaps then you could have fulfilled your purpose here." I wondered, idly, to what extent the Volturi would have gotten their hands dirty, if they'd been here and the fight had been close. If they could have helped the army defeat our family, without Alice or I witnessing it, could they have passed up such an opportunity?

Jane was glowering, frighteningly close to unleashing her talents on me again. I wished she had. I would have endured the pain, in exchange for such a blatant admission on guilt.

"Yes," she said, regaining her composure. "Quite a pity how things turned out, isn't it?"

What a waste this trip has been. Aro will be very disappointed. Oh, well. Only one minor detail left to deal with.

She turned her stare one final time to Bree, who knew without a doubt that her life was over. She glanced at me, having figured out not only that I was the mind reader she'd been speaking to, but that I'd been responsible for Riley and Victoria's demise. I only caught glimpses of it, but I knew they had caused her nothing but pain and heartache, and she was glad to know they'd been destroyed. She silently thought, thanks, and closed her eyes.

"Felix?" Jane instructed casually.

"Wait," I shouted. Deep down, I knew it was all useless, but somehow, I needed Bree to know I was grateful for all she'd done, and that I would fight for her to the very end. I turned to Carlisle, hopelessly. "We could explain the rules to the young one. She doesn't seem unwilling to learn. She didn't know what she was doing."

"Of course." He nodded, his expression pleading. "We would certainly be prepared to take responsibility for Bree."

How naïve. Almost endearing, if it weren't so absurd. Aro was right, though. Far too compassionate for his own good. Such an unfortunate character flaw.

I knew there was no hope of saving Bree's life, but I had accomplished what I'd set out to do. She was touched, and she knew for one moment, that not all vampires were eager to kill, and that this family, at least, valued her life.

"We don't make exceptions," Jane said. Bree didn't even flinch. "And we don't give second chances. It's bad for our reputation. Which reminds me . . ." She turned and smiled angelically at Bella, and my fists tightened again. "Caius will be so interested to hear that you're still human, Bella. Perhaps he'll decide to visit." Jane was imagining far too clearly, exactly how quickly Caius would act if he were to visit and find Bella human.

Edward, stay calm. Alice's cautioning voice stopped me in my tracks, and I heard her speak for the first time to Jane. "The date is set," she promised. "Perhaps we'll come to visit you in a few months."

If Jane considered my talents a nuisance, then Alice's absolutely infuriated her. She enjoyed the element of surprise when it came to exercising the Volturi's powers, and Alice made that virtually impossible. She didn't even spare Alice a glance, shrugging nonchalantly as she turned back to Carlisle.

"It was nice to meet you, Carlisle – I'd thought Aro was exaggerating. Well, until we meet again . . ."

Bree knew it was over. Her final thoughts were of someone named Fred, whom she obviously considered a friend. It sounded as if he might possess talents of his own – ones that involved the ability to remain hidden. Bree silently hoped that we would cross paths with him someday. Be nice to him, please, she asked kindly.

I'm sorry, young child, Carlisle thought miserably as Jane gave the command.

"Take care of that, Felix. I want to go home."

"Don't watch," I whispered to Bella, and though a part of me wanted to turn away as well, my eyes stayed locked with Bree's. I tried to send her strength and bravery, and I hoped Felix would have the decency to be quick with it. She deserved that much.

With two swift motions, and only one sharp cry of pain from our fallen friend, it was over. I was rubbing Bella's shoulders, and wishing I could pull her into my arms and run her far away from this place of suffering and death.

"Come," Jane said callously, when the last pieces of Bree were burning. I've had enough of all this. Although, I could fancy a quick meal before we leave. Violence always gives me such an appetite.

I clenched my eyes shut, and tried not to think about the unsuspecting group of humans whom Alice could see would not live through the night.