A/N: All original Twilight characters are © Stephenie

Meyer. Original Perfect Forever characters are the sole property of MissP1987, and may not be used or published elsewhere without my written consent. I feel it's really silly that I should feel a need to add that last part, but alas…all is not perfect in our little fanfic world.

A/N x 2: It has also come to my attention that several of my current and/or former students have found this story. I STRONGLY ADVISE YOU TO READ THE TWILIGHT SAGA FIRST! THEN, IF YOU ARE A 6TH GRADER OR ABOVE, READ AND ENJOY. IF YOU ARE A 5TH GRADER OR YOUNGER, GET PARENTAL PERMISSION FIRST! Sorry, teacher first, writer second.

Chapter 17

Ground Rules and Undercover Defections

By Sunday morning, the long drive back to Forks was over, and the new arrivals had been introduced to all the necessary people. The boys of the Tribal Warriors had been assigned Edward and Bella's cabin as their sleeping quarters – Edward would be their chaperone – while the four girls would be sharing space with Renesmee in the main house – Bella would act as their chaperone. Now it was time to talk logistics…ground rules.

So, the Quileutes – numbering a total of nineteen since the population explosion of last year, the Ahtenas – eight members strong, and all eight of the Cullens were gathered around the great room of the Cullen mansion listening to Ethan as he laid down the proverbial law.

"Look. The last thing we want to do is treat you all like kids. The fact is, you're all here to do something that most normal adults will never have to do in their lifetime. You're here to fight for your survival – your existence – here on this planet. So, as long as you give us no reason to treat you like children, we will treat you as our equals. But, to make life a little more bearable, and to keep you as safe as possible, there are a few rules we want to request that you follow. One…use the buddy system. Never go anywhere alone…"

With a wide grin spreading across his handsome face, Collin, one of the newest members of the wolf pack, leaned as close to Meekah as possible considering Willa was sandwiched between them, and drawled, "That's right, Babe. Anywhere you need to go. I'm your man. The shower…the bed …"

Jacob reached over and smacked Collin in the back of the head…hard.

"Owww!" Collin grimaced and rubbed the throbbing knot.

Emmett nudged his nose into Rosalie's blonde curls and purred, "The pup does have a valid point, Babe."

Rosalie hissed and smacked Emmett in the back of the head…hard.

"Owwww!" Emmett winced and rubbed his head.

The entire room erupted in laughter and noisy chatter replaced the quiet order from before the disruption.

Ethan cleared his throat in an attempt to focus the attention back on the discussion at hand. But, considering there were thirty-eight people talking all at once, the attempt was futile. He considered firing a round from his pistol holstered at his side, but didn't think Esme would appreciate having to repair the hole in her dry wall.

However, before Ethan could contemplate further ideas, Edward stood up, stuck his fingers in his mouth, and delivered a shrill ear-piercing whistle. Immediately, the room fell silent and Ethan gave Edward a slight nod before clearing his throat for the second time and continuing with the directives.

"Two…and this one goes for the wolves as well as the warriors…check in daily with your chaperone or assigned member of the Cullen camp. Sam's pack will check in with Emmett. Jacob's pack will check in with Jasper."

To Ethan's left, Paul growled under his breath and muttered, "Why should WE have to check in with THEM?"

Sam rolled his eyes and raised his hand to stop Ethan as he opened his mouth to explain.

"Because, like it or not, WE are the most vulnerable when we're in human form. And, since Alice can't see around us with her visions, Dallas could use that against us. So, unless you'd like to phase now, and stay in wolf form for the next month, I suggest you cooperate."

Although Sam used the word suggest, the tone of his voice made it very clear that he actually meant it as an order.

Jacob simply looked over in the direction of his pack with a raised eye-brow as if to say, "Ditto."

No one challenged him.

Ethan once again cleared his throat, but this time a bit uncomfortably. He looked over at Leah sheepishly and said, "Okay, Babe. The rest of it is yours. Have at it, Wolf Girl."

Leah grinned and stuck out her tongue playfully as she left her seat on the floor beside Seth and came to stand beside her husband. Once upon a time, the use of that nickname would have earned someone an angry retort. But Leah wore it now as a badge of honor. She was determined to be a positive role model for the four young female Ahtena Warriors. So, it was mainly for their benefit that she spoke her next words.

"Alice and I have been working together on something to make things a little easier on the girls. Actually, it'll make it easier on the guys, too. We've set up tents strategically throughout the forest for the sole purpose of dressing after you phase back into human form. Alice has been kind enough to go shopping and buy enough extra clothing for all the Warriors and all the wolves. We could all phase fifty times a day and have a new set of clothes every time. We've put up four tents total, and in each tent there's a plastic tub for each of you full of your size clothes. You've got jeans, t-shirts, undies, socks, and shoes…use them."

Leah knew it was coming. She realized she left the door wide open no sooner than the statement had left her lips.

"So, what if we don't wear underwear?" Embry asked with a mischievous grin. A collective groan echoed throughout the room and Embry ducked to avoid the pop on the head that Jacob attempted to deliver.

"T. M. I. Embry. TMI!" Emmett teased with a twinkle in his amber eyes.

And for the second time that morning, the Cullen's great room was filled with laughter and friendly banter until the moment when the loud musical chime of the front door bell sounded at the same exact time that Alice stood and gasped with a horrified expression on her angelic face and Edward jumped to his feet with a menacing growl.

As Carlisle went to answer the front door, Alice stood in the center of the room very nearly hyperventilating…which was actually impossible, so the situation was obviously as bad as it seemed. Edward's eyes were dark and foreboding while his face was pained and almost panicked.

"I can't see them!" Alice wailed in utter frustration.

"Who, Alice? Who can't you see?" Jasper shook her by the shoulders.

"Dallas and Felix…their whole army. Something, or someone, is blocking her vision of them." Edward spoke in a flat monotone voice that would almost have indicated calm had it not been for the wild throaty growl that followed his words.

Alice buried her face in her tiny delicate hands and shook her head furiously.

"It's as if they've just disappeared! …Just fallen off the face of the Earth! A whole army of 52 vampires…gone!" Alice nearly shrieked, her voice rising a little higher with each word.

Bella could feel the anxiety level in the room rise and fall as Jasper fought to keep everyone calm. They all relied on Alice to keep them informed, but without her vision, there was no way of knowing when Dallas and his army would arrive or what special gifts the vampires in that army would be using against them.

"Wait. Let's think about this logically."

Bella stood with her hands on her hips as she spoke in a confident tone.

"Alice's visions are virtually foolproof except for when there's a shapeshifter somewhere close by…we all know she can't see around the wolves. Could the Volturi have captured a shapeshifter and somehow forced him…or her to become a part of Dallas's army?"

"That's a very logical theory, Bella. However, the Volturi have no shapeshifters in their midst."

While Bella was speaking, Carlisle had quietly re-entered the room holding a letter printed on parchment paper. Even from where she was standing, Bella could see the elegant script and make out the Volturi seal.

Carlisle sighed and placed a loving hand on Alice's shoulder before speaking dryly.

"We have just received a letter via messenger from the Volturi. I believe it will clear up much of the confusion if I read it to you. May I?"

All eyes turned on Carlisle as he began to read from the letter he held in his hands.

"Dearest Carlisle,

We do hope this letter finds you and your beautiful family doing well. Please give our best to them all…especially the lovely Alice and beautiful Isabella. As for precious little Renesmee, allow us to convey our admiration and affection through the small token we have enclosed with this letter. We hope to receive a visit from Edward and his talented family soon so we can all see the extraordinary young lady his daughter is growing to be.

Now, for the rather unpleasant purpose of this letter. Forgive us in advance for any offense or distress it may cause. We have recently been apprised of an unsettling situation concerning shapeshifters and the threat they pose to the existence of our kind. Dallas of Denali has diligently been seeking out bands of the species from all over the world and systematically destroying each one. His latest report is that only two bands remain…the Ahtena tribe and the Quileute tribe. Dallas has reason to believe that the two tribes have recently united due to the marriage of an Ahtena warrior and a Quileute wolf. Consequently, we have accommodated him generously by lending him Felix and giving him unlimited resources in order to complete his quest. After all, the destruction of their species only serves to strengthen the existence of our own.

My dear friend, we are well aware of your family's attachment to the Quileute wolves. However, it is our fervent hope that you as their matriarch will succeed in deterring them from interfering in any way with what must be done. We do not wish harm to fall upon even one member of the Cullen clan. But, in the unfortunate event that interference occurs, Felix will not hesitate to deliver swift and permanent justice.

By the way, we have discovered a rather interesting new gift in a young vampire from Ireland. She has the ability to block mental gifts such as mind reading and seeing the future. Much to our amusement and their chagrin, Alec and Jane were both rendered powerless in her presence. I'm very curious as to how your Bella would fair against her as well. Perhaps someday we will be in the privileged position to put it to the test.

As always, it is our wish that our age-old friendship will serve as a reminder to the rewards of loyalty.

Do make plans to visit soon. We miss your intellectual conversations.

Best regards… Aro, Caius, and Marcus."

As Carlisle finished reading, he folded the letter neatly and returned it to its unmarked envelope. No one spoke. The atmosphere in the room was one of dread and resolve.

Suddenly, Jacob stood and faced Carlisle with a determined look on his face. But, before he could open his mouth to speak, Edward clasped his hand firmly on top of Jacob's shoulder and spoke in a tone that left no room for argument.

"No, Jacob. We will fight with you regardless of what that letter says. The Quileutes stood with us in our time of need, so the Cullens will not abandon you in yours."

Carlisle clasped his hand on Jacob's other shoulder and said stoically, "Edward's right, Jacob. You're part of our family now. We don't abandon our family. Aro knows this…in fact, he's counting on it. So, if you all will excuse me, I have a few phone calls to make and a video conference scheduled for this afternoon. Let's see how many more of our friends will stand with us."

Carlisle emphasized the word us while ruffling Seth's hair. Then he turned and dropped something shiny into Edward's outstretched hand before he walked from the room with a confident smile.

While the gathering of vampires, wolves, and large cats dispersed to go practice fighting techniques with Emmett, Sam, and Jacob, Bella eyed Edward curiously as he turned the shiny object over in his hand to examine it more closely. As she recognized the shape and content of Aro's gift to her daughter, Bella was thankful that she had sent Renesmee to Charlie's for the day. She would have been very reluctant to give up the sparkling blue diamond carved into the shape of an elegantly scripted R hanging daintily from a white gold box chain. Bella had to admit, it was a beautiful gift and a generous gesture, but there was no way in hell she would ever give Aro the satisfaction of allowing it to hang around her daughter's neck.

So, holding out her hand and smiling deviously at Edward, Bella asked, "May I?"

Edward grinned her favorite crooked smile before handing the necklace over to Bella. Bella held the shimmering blue stone up in front of her eyes for one brief moment before palming it in her right hand and crushing it into a powder with only a slight squeeze.

Alice grimaced beside her as she watched Bella wipe the dust from her hands.

"Such a waste of a perfectly good fashion accessory," she murmured sadly.

Bella rolled her eyes and Edward gave her a wink before taking her hand and lifting it to his mouth to plant a kiss into her palm.

"My Bella has never really been concerned with fashion, Little Sister. That's your department," he teased.

"Thank goodness! Otherwise, poor Nessie would never know the difference between Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior," Alice pouted.

Bella smiled sweetly at her favorite sister and purred, "I believe she would survive, Alice. You spoil her way too much."

Alice gasped in mock surprise, laying her hand over her non-beating heart, and mouthed, "Me?"

Bella and Edward both chuckled before Edward looked at his watch and said, "Speaking of our overindulged daughter, it is time we picked her up from Charlie's if we intend to make the concert on time."

Bella bit thoughtfully down on her bottom lip and mused quietly, "Edward, are you sure we should still go into Seattle tonight after everything that has happened today?"

"Bella, Renesmee has been looking forward to this Debussy festival for months now. I refuse to disappoint her especially in light of today's events," Edward stated in a matter of fact tone of voice.

"So, let's go get changed and enjoy a little quality time with our daughter, shall we?"

Bella took Edward's hand and led him out the front door of the Cullen mansion toward their little cottage and their awaiting wardrobes for the evening- including accessories that Alice would deem as most appropriate.

By the next weekend, life in Forks for the Cullens and their shapeshifting friends had settled into a comfortable if anxious routine. The morning hours were filled with strategy sessions as Jasper, Ethan, and Jacob planned how exactly to utilize each persons' strengths and how best to overcome the deficit in the numbers between the Forks army and the Volturi sponsored regime.

Carlisle had enlisted the help of the Denali coven with the exception of Eleazar and Carmen. Eleazar refused to fight in a battle he said was not his to fight. Understandably, Carmen had sided with her mate, but, Kate, Garrett, and Tanya had arrived in Forks within the next day after Carlisle's call. The Amazons had immediately pledged their support and had arrived on Friday, but the American Nomads and the European Nomads could not be reached. Carlisle's video conferences with the Irish and Egyptian covens had not been as fruitful as he had hoped. Benjamin and Tia had arrived on Saturday, but Amun and Kebi both refused to join the fight. Then, Maggie had shut Carlisle down almost immediately stating that she had no loyalty to the wolves therefore her coven would not join a doomed mission. So, despite his best efforts, Carlisle could only secure the help of eight of their friends which meant the Forks army was going to be seven members short of the fifty they needed to even up the odds against Dallas's brigade.

Evenings were filled with training missions and combat exercises. Since the mental abilities of every supernaturally talented vampire had been rendered useless by the Volturi's accruement of the Irish power blocker, this would be a fight of hand to hand combat. Everyone had to be prepared to fight to the death – by skill alone – if the Forks army was to have a chance at all of winning this battle.

By nightfall on Sunday, even Jasper was having a hard time controlling his temper and calming the frayed nerves of the group.

"Alice! You can't rely on your ability to see what's coming next. The power blocker will…" Jasper admonished her – not so gently this time – for what seemed like the hundredth time in a row, Alice had thwarted Jasper's attempt to catch her in a head lock by anticipating his next move with her ability to see his decisions before he completely acted upon them.

Alice held up her tiny hand to stop him mid-sentence with an angry scowl and yelled, "I know that, Jazz! But, it just isn't something I can turn off and on! Unless of course, there's a power blocker within ten thousand miles of me!"

Immediately, Jasper felt horrible for getting irritated with Alice. She had been so stressed out since the arrival of the letter from the Volturi. He reached out and pulled her into his arms, cradling her to his chest and whispered into her ear.

"I'm so sorry, Sweetheart. Forgive me for being short-tempered with you. I'm just terrified that I won't be able to protect you during this fight. If anything ever happened to you, I don't know…"

Alice reached up and shushed Jasper by laying one single tiny finger on his lips.

"It's okay, Jazz. It's all going to be okay. Do you mind if we call it a day?"Jasper smiled and took Alice by the hand, leading her out of the forest toward the Cullen home.

To Jasper and Alice's left, Emmett and Edward were in the middle of a training exercise with Tahla and Meekah, both in cat form, while Seth and Jacob, both in human form, were on hand to shout commands at the girls as they used techniques that Emmett had taught them would work well in a fight against a vampire. At one point, Tahla's agile yellow gold lioness leapt up on top of Emmett's massive chest, but instead of going for his neck, she opted to go for his left arm. Emmett used the opportunity to grab hold of her neck with his other arm and throw her to the ground. In the split second it took her to get her bearings, Emmett was on top of Tahla, pinning her to the ground with a vice grip around her throat. Then, before Emmett had time to stand up and allow Tahla to go free, he and Edward were surrounded by seven snarling large cats and nine of the youngest wolves, growling ferociously. Jacob, Seth, Ethan, and Sam sprinted to stand between the offended shapeshifters and the two exposed vampires.

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!" yelled Jacob.

"Back off!" commanded Sam.

"Walk away…now!" demanded Ethan.

All three leaders were shouting commands at the same time, but the obedience was immediate as silence fell and heads bowed heavily.

Emmett stood to his full height, a wide grin spreading across his face.

"Damn! I think somebody woke up on the wrong side of the kennel this morning! Maybe a little catnip and some dog biscuits would unruffle the fur!"

Edward grimaced at his brother as Bella slid up next to her husband's side and slipped her hand into his. Rosalie stepped up next to Emmett and slid her arm around his waist.

"Look, we are all on edge. It's been a long trying week. Why don't we all take a break until tomorrow afternoon?" As usual, Carlisle was the voice of reason.

As the weary band began to break off in pairs and small groups, Garrett hung back, catching Edward by the arm. Edward looked at Garrett with a suspiciously sad and resigned expression. Both Bella and Kate looked at their mates with confused expressions.

"Go on ahead, Katie Girl. I have something I'd like to discuss with Edward." Garrett kissed Kate on the cheek and turned to move around her, but she blocked him by putting a hand on his chest.

"Not a chance, Garrett. We discussed this before we came. No more secrets." Kate spoke in a deliberate tone, leaving no room for discussion.

Garrett looked over at Edward imploring him with his eyes and mind to intervene and send the women on their way. Edward chuckled darkly and held up his hands in mock defense.

"Sorry, Garrett. Bella and I have long since been past the point of secrets. Besides, what you're considering is suicide. You'll never pull it off without being discovered, and Felix will destroy you."

Garrett's honey bronzed eyes narrowed as he spoke confidently.

"I have to try, Edward. Without Alice's vision, we're dead in the water. The kids know it. Hell, they've resigned themselves to defeat before the battle has even been fought. Besides, I've already been in contact with Dallas…"

"You've what?" Kate screeched.

Garrett continued with a little less confidence eyeing Kate carefully.

"I've been in touch with Dallas. He believes you asked me to leave Denali and that I have joined back up with Peter and Charlotte. I convinced him that I blame Ethan for our break-up and would like nothing more than to exact revenge on him by helping to kill his tribe of warriors. Dallas is expecting me to meet up with him and Felix in Ontario on Tuesday."

Kate's porcelain perfect face turned stormy with anger as an audible growl escaped her lips.

"Is that so?" she purred menacingly.

Edward and Bella exchanged worried glances before Edward gripped Kate gingerly by the shoulders.

"Kate, Garrett would be our eyes and ears now that Alice is incapable of seeing around Dallas and his army. As badly as I hate to ask him to risk his life, we need him there. Otherwise, we will have no way of knowing when or where Dallas will strike first."

Kate looked up at Edward with pain-stricken eyes.

"I know that, Edward. It would just have been nice to have been given the courtesy of a discussion before he decided on his own to possibly leave me forever."

Bella felt sorry for Kate. She couldn't imagine living through it if it were Edward joining the enemy's camp as a spy. She also understood how hurt Kate was in knowing that Garrett had made the decision without her. Edward had made numerous decisions without Bella in the past all in the name of protecting her.

"Kate, I…" As Garrett spoke, he reached out and took Kate by the hand and immediately sank to his knees gritting his teeth, his eyes rolling back in his head, as Kate used her supernatural power and delivered a full powered shock.

"I. Love. You." Garrett muttered through clenched teeth.

Kate leaned over and took Garrett's face into her hands and kissed him on the lips before declaring, "I love you, too. But, if you know what's good for you, you'd best come back to me in one piece. I will not exist without you!"

Following the ironing out of a few minor details concerning communication, Garrett left within the hour headed for Ontario to join up with Dallas and Felix's army.

By the start of Monday morning's strategy session, the morale of the group had taken a turn for the better. Word of Garrett's undercover defection had bolstered everyone's confidence…especially Alice's.

She was practically giddy with relief. Yes…The odds were still stacked against them. Yes…They were still facing almost certain defeat. But now, thanks to Garrett, they had a slight glimmer of something that had been missing since the day the letter from the Volturi had arrived. Hope.

A/N: If you're still reading…thanks for sticking by me! Reviews are welcomed!