I'm sooooo sorry for keeping everyone waiting for this chapter. Everything has been hectic this weekend that I didn't even have time to write. Thank you for your praises and reviews, keep em coming!!

Without further ado...

Chapter 12

I was standing in the fitting room trying on my sixth dress in this store. As I was twirling around looking at myself in the mirror, I was trying to remember how I even got here.

"Michael asked me to prom!" Sarah screamed in my ear when we picked her up for school. It had been several months since Sarah and Michael started going out. Jasper and Alice had a little hand in getting them together. We saw it as giving her something to be happy for. Slowly but surely, their relationship progressed and by the time everyone got back from winter break, they were a couple. As long as it tool Michael to officially ask Sarah out, it took him even longer to be comfortable around any of the Cullen's. Edward once told me it was because he was still unsure of Edward's intentions with Sarah, but was eased once Edward made it known that he intended on marrying me once we graduated.

"Oh my gosh, do you know what this means?!" I sometimes hated it when Alice pretends that she didn't see this coming. I groaned at the same time she yelled, "Shopping!" Alice heard my groan and hit me lightly on my arm from the back seat. She could barely contain herself at the thought. "Sarah, we were already planning on shopping for dresses so of course you are more than welcome on joining us." It amazed me how Alice never tired of shopping, knowing her, she already knew what Sarah's dress looked like.

I still remember the day that Alice came home and said we were going to prom this year, and how confused I was since we were sophomores. I was looking forward to a school year without having to deal with a prom, but Alice wasn't hearing it, and wiggled herself onto the prom committee and got all of us tickets to prom.

"Sure Alice, but please restrain yourself, you know the rules." Sarah was always firm with Alice when it came to dressing her. Alice didn't like the restraints but understood. Sarah was very much involved in her church, and even though we didn't dress too provocative, Sarah never wanted to take the chance on compromising her faith, so she was always the most conservative of our group. She was even able to get Alice to stay out of her hair all the time. Another rule was that Alice couldn't go overboard with shopping for her. Sarah didn't want her mom to get to suspicious of an overabundance of new clothes in her closet. I was so envious, why couldn't I of had it that easy? "Are we going to Seattle?"

"Yep, Oh Sarah, I know you're gonna look so glamorous!" Alice just oozed excitement. "Not Seattle, but don't freak out, we'll have you home before dinner, we'll make it a girls day. Are you free this Saturday?" I was pretty sure that Alice knew but she saw it fit to ask anyway.

"Umm, wait that's tomorrow. Yeah, I think so."

"Then it's a date."

And because of that exchange, I was being slowly tortured by shopping for dresses with my sister in law, my daughter, and Sarah. Having embraced shopping in New York, Renesmee and Sarah already had their dresses.

Renesmee choose a royal blue satin dress with a bustier styled bodice. It was floor length and a diagonally pleated under the bust line flowing into a full skirt. It also had beading that was embroidered along the bust and the skirt. She and Alice were able to find matching shoes and accessories. Renesmee will look absolutely stunning, I was sure of it.

Sarah's dress was much more formal. It was baby pink organza with a princess skirt. It was strapless and the top of the dress was satin with embroidered sequins, it also had a ribbon die in the back. Alice was also able to find her dress. She opted for something that was more conservative than what she's chosen in the past. Her dress was silver and it had a halter neckline with a sequin bust. It also had a really high front slit.

Leaving me to be the only member of the resistance. I left the fitting room slightly defeated. I was starting to get into the prom spirit, but the idea of shopping for special occasions always dejected me. I started to let my mind wander when I saw it. It was a turquoise chiffon gown with spaghetti straps and a halter neckline. It was extremely flowy and it looked absolutely gorgeous. Once I tried it on, I was actually in love with a dress.

We gathered our purchases and grabbed something for Sarah to eat on the way to the airport. Jasper met us on the runway and we told him about our fun filled day. At least Alice did, Renesmee and Sarah were knocked out beside me in the backseat. Alice was taking the guys out next week so they could get their tuxes. She wanted to make sure they were matched perfectly so there were no clashes. Michael was new to the bunch but he quickly picked up on everybody's attitude when Alice made up her mind. He saw that there was no stopping her.

As soon as we drove up to Sarah's house, I hopped out of the car as well. As I started running, I thought I heard Alice calling my name, so I called back that I was going hunting. I really wanted to hunt after being in close approximation with humans all day. Unlike Alice and Renesmee, I used bad judgment in not hunting before the trip and now my eyes were black as coal. The run was exhilarating but it took me awhile to find something tasteful. I kept catching a whiff of deer, but today I wanted something a little more satisfying, and deer was not it. It seemed at one point that I was running back to New York, even though I knew I wasn't running fast enough for that. The shift in the wind alerted me to some elk in the area so I quickly changed direction and was soon on top of my prey. I was slightly disappointed since elk tastes very similar to deer, but I really wanted to see Edward, so I settled for the elk.

I took down a bull flawlessly without a scratch or drop of blood and started making my way to the house. The clouds were hanging a little low and I thought I heard thunder far away. "Ohh, I hope it makes its way to Forks, we haven't played baseball in a while," I said to myself. Just as the statement left my thoughts, I caught a scent, something familiar. Someone I knew. Vampire.

I ran even faster, tracking the scent through the mountains and forest. Everytime I thought the scent was getting stronger, it eluded me and went off in a different direction. I was starting to get worried when I realized that I was getting closer and closer to the house, so I ditched my tracking efforts and ran straight for it.

I let down my shield and hoped that Edward was listening. I was practically screaming in my head, "Edward, there is a vampire in the area. Is everyone safe?" I was running up the steps as Edward opened the door for me. "Did Alice and Renesmee get back yet? Edward what's going on?"

"Bella calm down," Edward was telling me, but there was something behind it. He put his arm around me and walked me into the dining room. Everyone was in there, standing around the table that we never use, except for meetings. Everyone was paired up with their mates, including Renesmee and Taylor.

"Are we having a meeting?"

"Of sorts." I heard Carlisle's voice among the faces that were now staring at me. "Alice had a vision after you left the car. So I did hear her calling my name. I couldn't believe that I missed her having a vision, especially now that it seemed to involve the whole family.

"Does this have anything to do with the vampire I smelled outside?" Everyone looked at me alarmed, including Edward. I guess he didn't hear me after all. Shoot.

"Bella," his arm tightened around my waist, "what did you say?"

"I was hunting, and I caught wind of a vampire in the area. It was familiar, I just couldn't place it, so I started following it until I realized it was coming closer and closer to the house. Once I realized that I came straight here. Now someone tell me what is going on, Alice what was your vision?" I was immediately glad that me and Carlisle were able to work on controlling my shields against my temper. I felt the heat of my anger rising up in me, but I didn't impair anyone's gift.

"It was only a snippet, if you will." Carlisle said in an even tone, "Aro has decided to send someone to us ahead of schedule. But it was a quick decision, as if he realized too late that Alice could see the future based on decisions."

"Demetri." I remembered the scent from my last encounter with the Volturi. Demetri smelled more gamey than the rest of the Volturi, probably because he was always tracking. I realized in that instant why the scent was so familiar. "It's Demetri, he's here."

"Demetri? Bella are you sure?" Esme and Rosalie spoke at the same time. If it wasn't for the severity of the situation I probably would have said jinx and started cracking up. Everyone was looking at me expectedly.

"I'm more than positive. I always found his scent more distinctive than the rest of the Volturi. It smells more outdoorsy versus the basement smell of the guard."

"What else could I have missed?" Alice was worrying now. "If he's already here, that means Aro made the decision a few days ago, but I just got it today?" The last time anyone had seen Alice this worried about her visions was when Victoria was blocking her plans from the army of vampires she created in order to kill me. "Bella when you were tracking him, how close to the house was he?"

I could see the turmoil in Alice's eyes, just as I could hear it in her voice. "The closest that I was able to track him he was about an hour's hike away from the house, in human measurements, I'd guess. But then, he'd run back further and deeper in the woods. Carlisle, what should we do?"

Carlisle closed his eyes and bowed his head in thought. His golden hair stayed in perfect place, he always reminded me of the Ken dolls that girls used to play with a century ago. "I almost want to say that we should lay low from Forks. You kids will stay away from school. And I have some vacation time from the hospital. But I don't see how that would help Sarah. Your scents are going to be all over her and her house. There's no telling what Demetri will do if we suddenly disappear while a human we are friends with is now left unprotected." At the mere mention of Sarah's name I shuddered. What if Demetri being here is the reason she may wind up dead?

I was still pondering the different directions that this could wind up when I vaguely heard someone knocking at the door. I whispered to Alice, "Who is it?" But she shook her head.

"I don't know, whoever it is hasn't made a decision yet on what they want to say to us." Poor Alice was still perplexed about her visions. I looked to Edward, but he shook his head also. "He's not thinking of anything, it's like his mind is completely blank." I didn't like this at all. Everyone followed Carlisle to the front door.

The door slowly swung open and I fell down into a crouched position. I instinctly growled and lunged at the figure standing at the door. "Demetri," I screamed and went for the kill.