Okay so you guys wanted a quick update. here it is. Now everyone will be on the same timeline as of chapter 26. I got alot of OMG for the last chapter. I hope it was good OMG. I also got a lot of "awe she killed ppl, at least she didnt sleep with zach' themed mesages which is funny because outside of the twilight realm i f question your sanity. lol. No I didn't make her sleep with Zach. but your here to read the chapter not me so ill see you at the bottom.

Chapter 25: The Call

"Tell me something," I demanded pacing back and forth in front of the cave with the others.

Carlisle, Edward, and Bella had returned from their trip days ago, but since I was on Phillip duty I wasn't able to go back to the city just yet. They had visited me when they could but we needed to have a giant collective meeting to determine our next steps.

"Ben, Maggie, Stefan and Marcus say their guard will be at the ready." Carlisle recapped for those of us that might have missed the play by play.

Edward went on, "You should have seen Marcus's face when we told them about werewolves returning with a vengeance. He almost fell out of his seat."

My eyes widened, I didn't know him well, but from what I'd seen he had obviously grown bored with immortality centuries ago. Nothing excited him these days. "Marcus having a reaction to something? Werewolves must have been hell back in the day."

Edward grimaced, "From his memories they were, they terrorized northern Europe and Asia thorough out the 1500 and 1600s. Stefan's mind was helpful too, they were reckless and dangerous destroying villages and colonies in hours."

Carlisle went on, "The only plus side was that they could be killed rather easily and spotted a mile off. Now we're dealing with birthed werewolves and completely different abilities."

"But I've told you how to kill them, so it still won't be hard." Merit reminded feeling rather proud to be in the conversation.

Rami rolled his eyes, "Why is she here still?"

"Because she's the one that we know who's encountered a werewolf battle and lived to tell the tale." Rosalie answered cautious. She didn't quite know what to make of Merit's willingness to help us and honestly didn't trust it. Rose made it quite clear that she felt all of this could have been avoided if she had told Ness the truth that day she came looking for help instead of 'lying like a coward' as she put it. She blamed Merit for all of this and if she didn't have to get over it to work with her and get Nessie home that fact would have been made known.

Sami added trying to calm his brother, "And she can see werewolves. Asima and Alice can't."

Merit and Rami had a weird relationship, he didn't like or trust her, and made no attempts to hide it; and she found it amusing and rarely reacted to it, which pissed him off more. Phil swallowed the venom pooling in his mouth and shifted uncomfortably.

Jasper felt it too, grabbing Phil's shoulder and using his talents to give him a few minutes to clear his senses. "No offense, I have no issues with you being in Jennah, but you are pushing your luck by attending a meeting with a newborn."

"He won't hurt me," Merit responded, certain of the fact.

Alice looked at Phil and back at Merit carefully, she liked Merit and often used her to look into the future since none of us could see werewolves at all. "Futures do change Merit."

"Not this one, can't you see how determined he is." She pointed and when we looked at him, we could see it. His jaw was tense, and he was uncomfortable, but he hadn't made an attempt to lunge at Merit, or anyone else with a heartbeat since his first run. Maybe Emmett and Jasper together could work miracles. "Besides, you need me to help Renesmee. Unless someone else here knows what it's like to be under the spell of a werewolf…anybody? No?" Rami rolled his eyes at her but she just smiled at him, "I rest my case."

Jacob shook his head losing patience, pushing off the rock and on his feet, "Okay, so back to the Volterra visit if you don't mind. We have the guard at our disposal, now what?"

"The only problem is the guard is nowhere near as big as it used to be," Bella sighed linking her hand with her husbands. "There isn't enough for them to protect Volterra and fight with us if there's an attack on multiple ends."

"So tomorrow, we leave for Italy. We fight there same as before," Carlisle decided for us.

"What about Jennah?" Sami asked nervously.

Jasper knew what he was saying, "This place was targeted by werewolves, and it is a place of interest for a multiple attack technique. We can't leave it vulnerable."

"I know." Carlisle agreed resolved.

Edward didn't like what he heard in his thoughts and now I wanted to hit myself for not paying attention to deep in my own tactical plans. "Carlisle—"

"We've already left this place unprotected once, and we paid the price for it. Marcus and Stefan have every intent of leaving Volterra protected so we will leave a small army to do the same here." Carlisle decided. It was obvious that he had been thinking about this for a while, and I wish I had been with him in Italy to know what they talked about to make Carlisle want to split us up.

Esme looked pained but agreed with her husband, "With Ciyan, Phillip, little Asima, and Rosabella here could you all focus properly if there wasn't at least a few of here to protect them?"

Seth clutched me close to him, "So who stays behind and who goes to Volterra?"

"I'm going to Italy." Emmett volunteered. There's a guaranteed fight there, here I might just be cooling my heels and wondering if my family's okay…

Couldn't blame him for that.

"I'm staying here," Leah decided looking carefully between Jabril and Jake. One glad to hear that because she wouldn't be in danger, and the other fuming because he needed his pack to get Nessie back. "Jake, don't be mad but think about it. Jennah's our home now. Our home. You'd have never left La Push unprotected. Not to mention we're linked so anyone else that stays can know what's happening."

He calmed down after that and nodded grudgingly. "I really need my Beta, but I understand."

"I'm still your Beta Jake, I'm watching your back and another part of your heart." She promised, and we all knew she was talking about his daughter. "So you go get the other half."

A flicker of a vision flashed in front of Alice's eyes and she looked across the cave at Jasper. "You're going to Italy?" He nodded but they didn't say anything else on it. His fighting level was needed. "Well I hope you know I am going to."

Jasper rolled his eyes and smiled at her, "Yes, because staying behind here would be the simple choice and you always have to be complicated."

"You know me well." She smiled back up at him, then he frowned, "You're not leaving my side are you?"

Jasper laughed, a rare thing for him. "And it seems you know me just as well."

"We're going." Bella said finishing her silent conversation with Edward. "Our daughter's out there somewhere."

Edward nodded, "And we made a promise we'd fight together no matter what."

Jabril made the decision as far as the leopards went. "Sami and Rami are staying behind. Their duty is to here first, I can't change anymore and if anything happens—"He looked to Leah apologetically, "Brothers, we have a whole new generation of leopards what need to be shown the way. My duty is alongside Asima."

"Not to mention your ability to absorb talents alongside Asima will be useful." Jasper agreed, from a tactical standpoint. No one took offense to it.

Seth knew I was going, and I knew he'd be with me every step of the way so it went unsaid that we were Volterra bound.

Rosalie folded her arms gesturing at Emmett, "I can't exactly let this idiot go off by himself and get killed. So much for a century of peace."

It made everyone laugh, even though it was only for a moment, but it was Esme's choice to not fight alongside Carlisle that surprised us. "I'll be sitting this one out unless necessary. Even though I have faith there will be no more trouble in Jennah it is home. I trust my boys to do whatever it takes to make our family complete again so, I'll keep the fires burning while you do."

"Forever Hestia," Carlisle smiled weakly, and gracious. Like this were a favor to him as well.

Esme giggled and shook her head, "Only you would compare me to a goddess Carlisle."

"So like that it's decided." Emmett nodded clapping his hands. Sami, Rami, Leah, Esme, and the other leopards would stay behind; and the rest of us would make the journey to Volterra to fight.

"Does anyone but me see the irony in fighting with the Volturi barely fifteen years after we made them fall?"

"Tell me about it," Jake sighed. "This time we can't even get help from the outside. Not enough time."

"And this isn't their fight," Carlisle reminded, "The only reason we fought together was due to us all being at risk. I couldn't in good conscience ask them to do it this time."

Phil held up a hand, "What about me?"

"You're not skilled enough to fight werewolves as a newborn." Jasper refused. "We can't send you to slaughter."

"But we can't leave him here unsupervised," I reminded. "He'll have to go."

Phil smiled at that, "Get Em to teach me some stuff, I'm a quick learner."

Em flexed his arm agreeing, and I rolled my eyes at him doing anything under his tutorage. "Jasper will work with you." I volunteered, at least he'd stand a chance that way. "If you can't catch on we're leaving you at the castle."

Merit cleared her throat, "Now that that's all settled, how we are traveling?"

"You're not going," three immortal voices declared at once.

"The only human surrounded by dozens of vampires is a recipe for disaster." Bella denied.

Rosalie rolled her eyes, "Pot calling the kettle black much?"

"Though the idea of being around vampires isn't fun, you're going to need me there to talk to your friend. None of you know how it feels when the connection is broken. I can relate to her." She defended.

I rubbed my temples, "Look, the vampires in Volterra don't feed like us, and their control is iffy at best because they've had no need for it. We can't protect you and fight werewolves and you can't fight them."

"I have and I can again," She promised, "But you need me there. I'm telling you."

"Fine if she gets herself killed it isn't on our heads," Rami shrugged, mainly because he didn't want her in Jennah more than necessary.

Esme sighed, "We can't let her get hurt, Rami—Asima…" She looked at me pleadingly. If she's needed for Nessie to return to us safely then she needs to go…

"Fine, I'll look after her." I surrendered, if only for Esme's sake. "We'll be running to Cairo, and flying to Rome, from there well run to Volterra."

"Sounds exhausting…" Merit frowned.

Emmett laughed, "Only to humans. Are you sure you should go?"

"Fine, I'll be your distraction from the real issue for the time being, but you're going to have to make it sooner or later." Merit revealed folding her arms.

My head perked up, "What issue?"

"What to do about the werewolves. It's going to be a choice between you and them, and you'll have to make that choice." She revealed. "We could make it, but it'll be a harder one for you all since you are supernatural."

"What do you mean, we're choosing us." Seth insisted.

Merit tilter her head at him. "Then tell me your plan from start to finish."

"First thing is Nessie." Jacob rattled easy.

She turned to him, "And how are you going to break her connection to Zach?"

"Kill him" Emmett answered, "Removal of the head or destroying of the heart on the right side of their body like you told us."

Merit nodded in approval, "Okay, and then what?"

"We fight until they are no longer a threat to the Volturi or our family." Edward answered wondered where she was going with this.

Merit pointed to Edward, like that was what she was waiting for. "So, you're going to kill them all? Men, women, young, old?"

"No, we aren't monsters. If our life is no longer threatened we don't need to fight anymore." Alice shook her head.

Then I understood why she was there, her time as a complement Grey told her everything right down to the inside and out of the werewolf mind. "It won't be enough." I realized.

Merit nodded, "You'll have to kill them all. Werewolves aren't like everyone else. Family is everything to them, and if you hurt even one, the vengeance is terrifying. They won't care about how long it takes, protecting the secret from mortals, or anything, just punishing those who committed the infraction."

"So you're saying, all of them or no one of them? But we have to kill Zach so he'll break the connection. He isn't going to just let her go." Emmett frowned realizing the mess.

Merit sighed, "You can't afford to be merciful, if even one lives, they'll rebuild and come again."

"We're talking about massacring and entire species here, which goes against everything I've lived for." Carlisle pondered torn.

Jasper added his thoughts, "Even though they risk exposing us all on their quest for vengeance? The Volturi knew they were a risk, that's why they did it before."

"It's genocide," Bella thought shaking her head.

Sami frowned, "We can't be responsible for killing the last of their kind. There has to be good ones amongst them. Our way of life is doing what's right for the greater good. If humans knew we were different from them, they'd want to kill us. But does that make us all bad? No."

Jacob argued with her, "It's Nessie, she is the greater good."

"Okay…." I breathed sending a wave of calm over the torn hysterics. "Let's think about this logically. Is there any way that we can get her back without killing Zach?"

Everyone shook their heads.

I moved on, "Okay, then do the werewolves pose a risk to us if we kill Zach and bring her home."

"Definitely." Merit nodded. "Zach's their leader. They'll tear through Jennah, and wherever else."

"Okay logically we'll save more lives by killing them all." I concluded carefully.

Seth shook his head, "Well if you put it that way, we'll save more lives by letting the werewolves kill the Volturi. I mean they kill dozens of people every few days."

"But they do it without posing a risk to all of us," Jasper defended. "We can't kill everyone who doesn't live the way we do, but we can fight for our right to still exist."

"But what about the werewolves, do they have a right to exist?" Phil wondered, his red eyes confused about the platform we all stood on. "Doesn't everyone have a right to exist?"

Esme nodded, "They do."

"Okay… logically… the vampire world needs the Volturi. There are vampires out there that can't live without some form of government while others like us could function just fine." I added. "We can't let them go down."

"That's ironic since the reason they need our help is because of us in the first place." Leah shook her head.

Edward defended me, "Imagine a world with no type of structure or government. The chaos that would ensue. Now give those people vampire strength and blood lust. I shudder to think what would happen without them there."

"Why are we even talking about this? They have Nessie!" Jacob fumed losing patience. "I don't care what it takes to get her back as long as we do it."

I let out another breath, "Ok logically—"

"Can you stop with the logically Asima, there is nothing logical about genocide. If we're going to talk about this let's call it what it is." Alice demanded losing patience.

Rami put a hand on her shoulder, "We're not going to argue with each other. It won't help. Now, we're a family and families do things together."

"Like commit mass murder—" Rose cut in.

"Like make decisions," Sami corrected patiently. "So if we're going to do this, we're together. Even those that stay behind have to have a say. We either kill them all, protect the secret of vampires and so on, and ensure they don't hurt us or anyone else again. Or, we let Ness go and don't fight at all because I don't think we're getting her back without killing Zach."

There was a long silence, the weight of our options out on the table. No one breathed, no one wanted to speak first. Everyone wondering what their mates were thinking, what their choice would be, and if they'd view each other the same once it was made. We could live for centuries and say we were good people but if that fact was never tested we'd never know for sure.

Up until now, we'd all thought that refraining from hurting humans, only feeding on animals, loving and helping each other were our tests, and that we passed them all and were wholly good. We were wrong, this moment— that was our true test.

"I'll do it." Jake volunteered. "To save Nessie. I'll do anything. I'm sorry but she's my imprint, and that means I'm whatever she needs me to be. If she were okay, if she were happy, and even a hint of it were real. I'd be happy for her, I'd be able to let her go—but I can't. So I won't."

Jasper agreed, "We can live in a world without werewolves, we can't live in a world without the Volturi."

"We can't live in a world without Renesmee." I added for good measure. "I'm in."

Seth didn't hesitate. "We're in."

"She's my daughter. We're getting her back." Edward agreed. "So there's no question on our end."

Bella looked up at him, "I've walked through hell for love before, and she's my baby girl."

"I lost my old life because of all of this. Someone has to answer for it. Ness is the reason I met all of you." Phil was in.

"I'm in," was all Emmett said.

Alice did the same, "Me too."

"Yes for us." Sami and Rami said at the same time.

Jabril and Lean nodded, but said nothing.

"I want my family whole," Esme answered looking at Carlisle, who no doubt this would weigh on the most.

We all gave him privacy in his mind as he weighed it all out. When he thought it through, for once he looked his age. "As do I. God help us…."

"So it's decided," I took over the meeting. "We in the morning at dawn. We're only a few days from their change so we'll have to move fast. Everyone go home, spend the night with your loved ones and take time together. We won't see each other again until this is all over."

And like that, we disbursed. It took a little convincing for Seth to go back without me, but one of us needed to spend time with our children.

Phil and I sat in silence for a little while, staring at our feet. Suddenly he tilted his head up. "Asima…"

I knew what he was thinking and I was already refusing. "No Phil, it's too dangerous."

"But I want to see them. I can't go into a fight with werewolves without knowing if I'll see them again. I'm all they have." He argued his case. "You can't fault me for that."

He was right, I couldn't fault a man for wanting to say goodbye to his kids, to say that he loves them and to see that they were okay. Hell I'd be doing the same thing if I didn't need to make sure Phil could control himself. "No—no I can't."

"Then let me see them. I can control myself I know it." He vowed coming to sit closer to me.

I eyed him skeptically. "How do you know?"

"Because I hurt you." He answered truthfully, ashamed. "You were my first love, and my best friend, and I promised I'd never do anything to hurt you ever. I met Kiya and had a family because of you, and when you trusted me enough I bit you. Literally."

I didn't say anything, I just listened.

"Once you said that I hurt you, something in me snapped. It's too easy to blame it on being a newborn, and since I knew it was going to be difficult that's probably why I gave in without attempting to fight it. But I promise you, the pain I felt after realizing I hurt my best friend is reminder enough to make sure it never happens again."

I believed him, "I don't blame you Phil. You're new to all of this, and it's my fault that this even happened. If you never knew me you wouldn't have to be this way at all."

"You should blame me, Asima. I need you to expect more out of me, because I am capable of better, don't shoulder my mistakes on you. What happened to Kiya was tragic, but it isn't your fault, and I made this choice to stay with my children the only way I knew I could." He lectured taking my hand and making me look up at him.

It was still weird. He was exactly the same and completely different. "You're right, and part of me knows that. I just really didn't want this for you."

"Well I wanted it," He smiled flashing all white teeth making me smile for a second before he went serious again. "I never thanked you—for staying with me. I can't imagine how hard it must have been for you to sit thorough that."

"You're my friend, I wouldn't leave you when you needed me. I wish I could have helped." I admitted remembering the pain of his transformation from beginning to end.

He gave my fingers a squeeze, "You did help. I don't know what you did, but there were times when I felt like I couldn't take it anymore, and then you'd do something, and for a minute or so it felt bearable and I could remember all of the reasons I asked for this."

"Well I'm glad I could do something." I nodded standing up and taking his hand. "But I can do a little more. I'll take you to Jennah."

He ran with me, and I prepped him as best as I could on what to expect with little Asima and Kyle. What to do, what not to do, and how they would physically look different and not to show any anger at that.

"And if you can't handle it, tell me and I'll get you out." I promised when we slowed to a stop approaching the city walls.

Phil was annoyed slightly by that point, "I've got it, Asima. Geeze, I swear you'd think you—"

He stopped staring at the four leopards running the perimeter of the city. It was late, almost eleven. Why were they out by themselves? I frowned, but then mellowed when I saw Jabril sitting on the highest wall supervising.

"They felt you coming." Jabril smiled proudly. "They wouldn't let us not meet you."

Phillip and Ciyan broke formation swirling themselves around me, gently rubbing against my arms and back.

Mother, I haven't seen you in days! Ciyan exclaimed nuzzling the crook of my neck knowing I could hear her.

Is it true, are you leaving for Italy? Will you bring back Aunt Ness? We've missed you terribly… Phillip thought excited, but also a tad sad. He had grown out of being mommy's little boy years ago, but his love was very much there.

I smiled, "I've missed you both too," I looked up to Jabril. "Can I spell them?" He nodded. "It's late, change back, and meet me at home. I want to spend some time with you before I go."

They did a few brushes against Phil before leaving and I relaxed when I saw he wasn't fighting any urges.

Uncle Phil!

Wow you look different! I like it. Ciyan complemented.

I rolled my eyes, "Ciyan things the change suits you. They're glad to see you."

He put his hand up to stroke the side of Ciyan's head. "You've got to be Ciyan, all affectionate and what not."

"Alright, change— both of you." I instructed once their pleasantries were over. I looked around wondering where my other leopards were. "Where's the twins."

"Right here," Kyle answered dropping from the wall holding his sisters hand. "We wanted to change first."

Asima nodded, "Prince Sami and Rami say that meeting someone as a leopard is a sign of hostility and we didn't want to do that meeting dad."

Phil was frozen his mind calculating how different they looked. Their adolescence was still there, but they were leaner, slightly longer than he remembered. He tried to think back but the haze of mortality clouded a lot.

I hugged both of them, "Welcome to the family both of you. I've heard you've caught on quite well."

Kyle rattled off about how much he'd learned and how exciting it all was, and didn't stop until Asima furrowed her eyebrows. "Dad why are you standing way over there."

"He's just happy to see you." I explained taking their hands and leading them over. "He's okay, he's just missed you."

They stared up at him. "We've missed you too Dad." Kyle promised, his skin flashing hot, not quite as much as it would if he felt real danger, but enough to let him know to be careful.

"You look different…" Asima noticed, her skin doing the same.

"I had to change, so that I could stay with you and take care of you…" He explained carefully now realizing that his kids might just associate him with the one thing that took their mother away from them.

I watched them carefully stepping out of the way. "We know, you're a vampire now." Kyle answered simply. "Prince Jabril told us, but he said you'd be like the Cullen's and not hurt people."

"And it doesn't bother you…" he asked suspiciously looking up where Jabril was still supervising.

Little Asima shook her head, "Why should it? You're still our Daddy, and you did it for us."

"We still love you," Kyle promised.

If it were possible for Phil to still cry he would have been. "I love you both too. Very very much."

"Can we hug you now?" Asima begged losing patience.

And it was almost like he didn't have to think about it. He zipped to them in one second and his arms were around them in the next.

"Prince Sami says we have forever now…" Asima went on. "You're going to love Jennah Daddy. We even have a house now, but Esme says we can't live there until you come back, so we've been staying in the palace and sometimes we stay over with Rosabella or with Ciyan and Phillip…"

She prattled on like he'd been away for a business trip, not changing into a vampire. Are you good here Phil?

He nodded over their shoulders, Yeah, it's not bad at all. Thank you Asima.

I nodded and headed home to spend time with my own family Jabril's thoughts being exposed for my ears. I'll keep close just in case, but I don't see anything…

I didn't answer but he knew I was grateful. Not bothering to open the massive gate doors I just leapt and dropped to the other side. It felt good to feel the cobblestone beneath my feet, being gone for so long made me homesick, despite how close I was.

"I knew you'd be back." A smug voice said as I passed Ness's house. "You're a good person."

I turned to find Merit sitting on the porch. "I try to be. Shouldn't you be asleep? Out of all of us, you're the only one going that needs real rest."

She shook her head, "Nightmares."

"About what?" I asked genuinely concerned. She'd helped my family so much the least I could be was a listening ear.

She gave me a vague nonchalant shrug but her words didn't match the turmoil in her emotions. "A little of this and that, some you know some you don't know. Nothing to worry about."

"Doesn't feel like it." I contradicted politely.

She smiled playing with a bracelet full of trinkets and charms. "I suppose it's the universes way of punishing me for the choices I've made. It's not easy seeing things. I see flickers of pasts, ghosts of futures and I never know why... or what I'm supposed to do about them."

I felt a different emotion—guilt. "Just between me and you. When Nessie came to you, you knew what would happen didn't you?"

I only needed to ask the question aloud, it didn't matter if she lied or not. I'd hear the truth in her thoughts, or Maggie's gift would give it away if she was lying. All I had to do was put it out there.

She didn't lie. "I should have helped her… but I ran from it. And now I feel I have to set it right. I see visions, things I don't want to see, and knowing things you don't want to is a curse. Especially when you know you can't change them. So you run from them….hoping that maybe, just maybe you can stall them long enough for the universe to be kind again." She tucked her long black hair behind her ears and looked up at me. "But if anyone can understand that it's you. You've been running and eluding things your entire existence."

My eyes widened, I didn't even know why I'd be shocked she knew my personal past but she did. "When I touched you…" She explained sheepishly.

"But we all stop running eventually…" I admitted knowing exactly what she meant, I looked around at my home to make my point.

"Even if it's not fair?" Merit frowned. "Even if you don't deserve it?"

I shrugged feeling the weight of the day on my shoulders, exhausted and the only thing I wanted was my husband and children. "Who's to say what we deserve and don't? We all have to grow up, Merit. I want to spend some time with my children and say goodbye—we're leaving in a few hours."

I headed down the street towards my house and Merit stood calling behind me. "Asima!"

I stopped and turned around to hear what she had to say, but no words came out. Which was good, because I was too tired to hear anything else. So wordlessly I turned to head where I belonged.

—

"What are you writing?" Seth asked walking up— kissing my bare shoulder when he sat up in bed. We had spent a few hours with Ciyan and Phillip explaining our need to go to Italy and fight for Nessie and they understood promising to keep Jennah safe in our absence.

Then once they were asleep I kissed my husband. Trying to melt the pressure, fear, and anxiety of everything happening as I did it. In his arms, in our bed, in our home I lost escaped with him. We made love and we pushed everything else out of our minds. Ness… the werewolves… the Volturi… the potential dangers of an upcoming fight… Phil becoming a vampire…Kiya's death…all of it. Just for a bit.

"Meeting Ness, and the Cullen's. The first time I met you…" He smiled at that. "I just never want to forget this stuff you know?"

"I think there are some things I'd like to forget. Remember the time I was so focused on you I almost got crushed by Emmett while we were practicing? Or when Leah hated you?" I groaned at that but not seriously, and he pulled the blanket around me as he snuggled closer and it calmed everything even when I didn't know something was wrong.

I needed his touch, his kiss, his love for all of this to make sense, and Merit's words popped in my head again. It wasn't fair. What happened to Ness, the Cullen's pain, the choice we had to make. None of it was fair. The world was cruel and often made it hard to remember why we fought so hard to be good.

"Promise me something…" I started, putting the notebook down and sliding it in the drawer of the nightstand with every other musing I ever written.

Seth kissed my shoulder again, "I'm listening."

"Promise me, that no matter how cruel the world gets, that you'll never forget why we do all of this. Even when it seems like hope is gone you'll always fight. For this family, for the Cullen's, for me. Don't ever give up on life." I stressed looking out the window. The sky was still dark, but it'd be light soon.

Seth kissed me again, probably sensing my anxiety from the fight trying his best to melt it, and for a moment it worked. "I promise. I know why we're doing this and I know it's worth it. And I don't have to worry, because whenever I might forget— I'll think of you and everything will be remembered."

I smiled and kissed him, this time not breaking the kiss, letting it grow into something more.

—

"Do you have everything?" Esme fussed checking a backpack for the third time before handing it to Emmett. Sunrise was coming in a few hours and we needed to get going.

Emmett swung it on his shoulder, "We got it mom." That earned him a smack in the head form Esme and Rosalie.

"You'll call before you take off in Cairo and after you land in Rome." Leah instructed handing him one of the cellphones from the drawer.

Jabril just kissed her, "I love you, stop worrying. We have a few more days before everything happens."

That didn't console Esme. "If there's any trouble don't hesitate to—"

A low vibrating came from the living room. Jabril checked the phone in his hand but it wasn't ringing.

"The drawer," Alice shrieked and Carlisle was going through it in the same second.

We didn't have a need for phones unless we were going out, so usually they just sat in one large drawer and we'd grab one when needed. No phone was assigned to a single person even though we had enough for everybody.

Edward and Bella were as tense as the rest of us. No one outside of us knew the numbers which meant it could only be one person calling.

"It's a Russian number…" Carlisle announced, and answered it, "Hello…"

A high scared voice came on the other end, and it made our hearts cry. I need help…

"Nessie? Is that you? Of course we'll help you, just tell us where you are." Carlisle breathed and all of us let out a breath, because we at least knew she was alive.

I wanna go home, please take me home Grandpa… She pleaded, still crying inconsolably.

"Tell her we're coming," Edward promised trying to comfort Bella as best he could.

Carlisle took a deep breath and told her words that rang true. "Nessie, I promise you, we will help you, but we need to find where you are."

It took her a few seconds to say anything and when she did it didn't make sense. The yellow hou— Uspenskoe—

We heard another set of sobs and the line went dead. "Hello? Nessie?" Carlisle called to make sure then let out a sigh, "She's gone."

"Who's gone?" Jacob demanded coming in with Merit behind, and holding a sleepy Rosabella, who was perking up from the commotion.

We quickly ran over what happened, the call, what she said, and how it made no sense.

"It sounds like she snapped." Merit concluded.

"What?" Jake snapped at her insensitivity making her flinch.

"When I say snapped I'm referring to the connection. When a complement or werewolf experiences something traumatic or emotionally damaging and the coping mechanisms don't work they lose it. The pain of everything bad they've ever done hits them at once and they suffer a breakdown."

"How do you know this?" I asked.

"Because it happened to me, I watched my dad die. It's what snapped me out of my connection. I wondered what triggered it for her?"

"Does it matter?" Jacob choked, "She's in pain, she needs me and I'm not there."

Merit sighed, "I suppose not…If you're going to save her now's the time though."

"How can we do that if we don't know where she is," I snapped. "What's Uspenskoe?"

Rosabella rubbed her eyes still tired. "It's the yellow Russian castle in Esme's book."

Esme blurred to the kitchen and came back. "Rosabella, you're a godsend." She declared opening the book and turning to the exact page. "There."

"This is close to Moscow," I read Jabril tossing me his phone before I needed to ask. "We can fly there instead of Rome."

"What about the rest of us?" Emmett asked not wanting to be left out.

Carlisle answered "We'll continue to Rome and meet them there someone with a talent needs to go in case there's trouble."

"I'm going." I declared getting off the phone with the airlines. "Edward, Bella, Jacob, we're leaving now. We literally have two hours."

The three of them were out the door Jacob only delaying to hand Rosabella off to Esme, but Seth grabbed my arm. We'd be separated again. "BE careful. They're still wolves no change or not."

"Don't worry baby, I'll meet you in Volterra." I promised kissing him and running out the door.

Now granted this might not be a super exciting chapter to you all, but it is to me. It was one of my favorites to write, which is probably why i finished it so soon. I think it's important to see the struggles they face and the things they sacrifice to be good. It also raises a hint of grey area in what we deem is right and wrong. The rest of the book wil be in VOLTERRA so youll have to bear with me. im not sure if there will be one or two chapters before the fight but we all know it's coming.

Review and review! I love for them, you should see the smile i get when i get an alert that someones messaged tweeted or reviewed. I love that im able to strike emotions so powerful within my readers. I'm also working on something really special for the end... so treat me good

Until next time

Carpe Noctem