A/N: These wonderful characters and all things Twilight still belong to Stephenie Meyer. Oh, but I can dream……

EPOV

Bella and I were just sitting in our meadow enjoying the first signs of the sunrise. I lay with her cradled in my arms, trying to keep her calm so that she could face the huge task in front of her. She seemed content, but I hoped that she wasn't just hiding her anxiety. More than ever, I wished I could read her mind. Occasionally she would look up at me and gently kiss me, with a small smile on her face. I found myself wishing that we could stay here forever, but the reality was that we would not see this meadow again for a very long time.

Suddenly the phone in my pocket vibrated. I didn't even have to answer the phone to know who was calling and why. The caller ID read "Em," and I had the phone to my ear before it could finish the first vibration.

"We'll be right there." I said to Emmett.

Although I already knew, Emmett went on to tell me what they discovered. "We're almost home now. Rose and I were hunting about a mile from the treaty line when we smelled them. You think they're attacking this soon?"

"I'm sure they want to catch us by surprise. And if any of them found out that Billy was here last night, then they wouldn't want to take a chance of us having some kind of plan."

"Okay, we'll be there before you, so we'll let the others know." Emmett hung up and I put my phone back in my pocket, feeling Bella stiffen in my arms. She had an angry look on her face now. Of course she heard the entire conversation between Emmett and myself.

"Ready?" I asked, squeezing her hand.

"As much as I can be, I guess." She looked up at me, leaned over and kissed me passionately then. Her kiss was intense, as if she were trying to draw some sense of security directly from me. If we were human, we surely would have suffocated.

Once we regretfully tore ourselves apart, we ran at full speed and were home within 5 minutes. Everyone was either standing or sitting in the living room waiting for our arrival.

"Bella," Carlisle came over to us first. "How do you feel?"

"Okay, I think." She was still holding on to my hand very tightly, almost enough to be uncomfortable.

Carlisle put a reassuring hand on her shoulder, and spoke to all of us. "I think once they get close we need to steer them away from the house. If we can surround them, keeping them all together and forcing them into an area they are familiar with, then Bella can project her ability to them and have this over soon."

"But, Carlisle, if we leave the house in organized groups, won't they suspect something and split up?" Jasper grabbed Alice's hand, and spoke from his past military training and experience. Our attack, though, would not involve the kind of war Jasper was familiar with from his human life.

"They may, but their desire to eliminate us should force them to follow our groups. They won't risk letting some of us get away. We will just have to make sure our timing is accurate so that they will all be affected at the same time while we stay a safe distance away."

One part of the plan would be crucial to me, and to Bella. "Everyone please keep me updated through your thoughts. It will be our best offense to know exactly what their position is, and what their direction is." Everyone nodded and understood.

The plan was simple enough. Emmett and Rose ran towards the treaty line, to the west, about a mile out. Once they could smell and hear the wolves, they would call my cell phone and the rest of us would leave the house. Alice and Jasper would run to the northwest, and Bella and I would stay to the south, circling around. Esme and Carlisle were going to go slightly due north to make sure that none of the wolves were out of Bella's range.

We waited anxiously for Em and Rose's call, which seemed to take forever. Bella still held a vice grip on my hand, and I was tracing small circles on the back of her hand with my free one. It seemed to calm her just a bit.

Suddenly I felt the ominous vibration, and we jumped into action.

Everyone ran in their assigned direction.

Bella and I headed south as we planned, and before long I could hear the rest of the family's thoughts.

Alice: I can hear them Edward. They're about two miles away from you now.

Rosalie: Ew, I can smell them, Edward. Disgusting.

Emmett: Bro, they're getting really close. Rose thinks she can smell them.

Carlisle: They know we've left the house, Edward. They weren't sure which way to go at first, but now they are headed your way.

Bella and I sat on some rocks that skirted the edge of a small clearing where the pack was headed.

"How are you feeling, love?"

She looked up at me with a frustrated look on her beautiful face and grinned, "Like I wish I had a nickel for every time someone asked me that today." I quickly got the hint.

"I'm sorry," she explained, thinking that she hurt my feelings or something ridiculous like that. "I think I can really do this, Edward. The only thing that bothers me is that if I don't do a good enough job, it could make things worse for us."

"Bella, I have complete confidence that you will be the reason we can all go on living a normal life, and I include the wolf pack in that statement. And we will come back to Forks someday to live again. There's not a doubt in my mind."

At that she smiled her beautiful smile at me and said "Well, then I'm glad one of us is confident. I think it's almost time.."

"Can I do anything to help?"

"No, just sit there." A strange but determined look crossed her face then. "Your memories of Mike will be erased, too."

"Bella…" I was stunned. As usual, Bella said the last thing I ever expected to hear. She had been so vehemently opposed to erasing my memories of Mike that I wondered for a moment if she was feeling a little overwhelmed.

"Edward, I know what's important. Those memories of Mike aren't important anymore. I need a clean start just like everyone else here today. Knowing that you have those memories is very tempting sometimes, and I really believe in my heart that they should be gone.

"What's important now is how we can live our happily ever after. I know with those memories kicking around somewhere that won't happen. Besides, why should you have to remember them when Mike's own family won't?"

If tears could have come to my eyes, they would have. Bella had no idea of the gift she was giving me, and I never wanted her to know.

"Thank you." I whispered, and kissed her forehead.

"You can thank me when this all works." I just gave her a knowing look and hugged her close. She was right, the wolf pack was getting closer. I could hear them now.

Next chapter - Bella POV as she uses her abilities on so many..... Please, please review! I know there are many out there who are reading, and I'd love to hear your thoughts and comments before this story is finished.