Author's note: This chapter was both exciting and painful to write. I never wanted to write the death of a character, but one thing that always bothered me about Stephenie Meyer's saga was that everything always worked out perfectly for the "good guys." It wasn't realistic (not that vampire/werewolf stories are...haha).

I hope you'll forgive me. Oh, and sorry in advance for the cliffie!

I also want to take the opportunity to thank my betas, mrsz and oceanwaters2006. They rock my socks and are awesome in every way.

I do not own.

**

I woke up too early the next morning. Jacob was nuzzling me awake.

"Bella, baby? We have to get going."

I opened my eyes, confused for a moment before I remembered where I was. Jacob and I were sprawled across the Cullen's living room carpet, pillows and a blanket from the couch strewn around us. I was wrapped tightly around his torso and we were both naked. My face immediately got red when I remembered the previous evening, but I couldn't stop the grin from spreading on my face.

Jacob and I made love.

He kissed my temple. "I love seeing that smile, but the blush has got to go! Last night was perfect…there's nothing to be embarrassed about. Even if it does smell like sex in here."

"Oh God," I groaned, covering my eyes, my smile fading. The moment they stepped in their house, the Cullens would know what we had done. And then I remembered the pack. The second Jacob phased, they would know too. I turned to my smiling boyfriend. "How are we going to face everybody?"

He shrugged, nonchalant. "It's not a big deal in the pack," he said. "We try to ignore those private thoughts when we can, but I promise no one will give you a hard time about it. They'll be so happy for us, Bells. They've been dealing with my lovesick, horny virgin ass for months…those emotions and frustrations affect them too. They'll probably throw us a freakin' party!" He stroked my hair. "And as far as the Cullens go…well, they practically told us to go ahead. What, with leaving us alone for a whole night and conveniently dropping condoms on the couch…what did they think was going to happen?"

I heard what he was saying, but it didn't make it any easier. But I didn't want to ruin this moment. I pressed against him, running my tongue across his lips and nipping at them. "I love you, Jacob," I murmured. "Let's get this day over with so we can replay last night all over again."

"I'd like that," his voice was husky, and we had to stop ourselves before we let things get out of hand.

I stood and wrapped the blanket around myself. We cleaned the mess from the previous night's dinner, and I grabbed a cold roll and a few leftover strawberries to fill the gnawing void in my stomach. I didn't have much time. Jacob watched me devour the strawberries with an amused expression on his handsome face. I held one out to him but he just shook his head.

Why isn't he hungry? He needs to eat, I thought, my worry increasing. He needs his energy for the fight. Will it weaken his reflexes if he's hungry? Why am I tormenting myself? My hand, still holding the unaccepted fruit, dropped. Stop overthinking this, Bella. He'll be fine — you're only going to make yourself crazy!

We dressed in quick silence. My mind still shouted its nagging apprehension, but I didn't want to sidetrack Jacob with my fears. He had to mentally prepare for the most dangerous day of his life, and I feared I would only be a distraction.

It seemed as though neither of us wanted to voice the worries in our hearts about the day ahead — if Jacob was worried at all, he never showed it. The tension from our unspoken concerns was electric in the room.

Soon I was decent, although my hair was a curly mess. I pulled it back into a ponytail to minimize the chaos. My change of clothing for the day was still in the bed of my truck, to minimize scent contamination, so I just wore the same clothes from school the previous day. Jacob prepared to head into the woods to phase and I was nearly ready to leave for Emily's aunt's house to shower and change. I turned my back to him so he couldn't see my trembling lip. As I folded the blanket we had snuggled in, two tears fell before I could stop them. In a flash, Jacob had me in his arms, stroking my tangled hair. He was fighting a losing battle with his tears too.

"I'm so scared, Jake," I quaked. "I'm afraid something's going to happen to you. It's killing me."

"I'll be fine, but you know I feel the same way about you being there," he whispered, his eyes making my hair wet. "Don't do anything reckless, okay Bells?"

We stood there clutching one another until we had no choice but to let go. The schedule for the day was tight, and didn't allow for long, drawn-out goodbyes.

I met his eyes. "Let's make a promise. It's 6:05 in the morning right now. Let's promise that we'll give each other a kiss in exactly 24 hours…if we put it in our plans, then we have something to motivate us today."

"You're all the motivation I need," Jacob said, catching my chin in his hand and tilting my head up so we could see one another. "But I will never pass up an opportunity for a kiss. I'll put it on my schedule. I promise."

"Good, it's a date. Don't keep me waiting," I said, pouring my love and concern in my last kiss to him.

As soon as my lips left his, we both whispered to each other, "Be careful. I love you."

**

I cried the entire way to Emily's aunt's house, pulling over once when my tears momentarily blinded me. I was frightened for everyone I loved who was in danger today. And I was terrified for Jacob. It seemed silly that only a few days ago I had worried about the whole imprinting thing, and now our lives were in danger. I knew he was capable of taking care of himself, but I couldn't imagine him facing off against nearly a dozen vampires.

Emily was waiting to take me into her arms when I arrived, and I was looking forward to the comfort she always provided. However, I quickly realized that she herself was in desperate need of soothing.

"Bella!" she sobbed, wrapping herself around me in an impossibly tight embrace. "I can't lose him…I don't think I have the strength without him. I've never been so scared…" Even though the same thoughts echoed in my head, I didn't repeat them — Emily had said it all. I simply held her tightly, murmuring words of understanding through my tears.

We wept softly and clung to one another for a moment before time demanded that we get going. I didn't have long before we needed to enter the woods. Emily's aunt's home was empty right now — she was off teaching a semester at a college in Oregon as a visiting professor. It was also a werewolf-free zone. That was the main reason we chose this home for our meet-up.

I showered quickly, making sure to use generous amounts of my strawberry shampoo and my body wash. I scrubbed every inch of my skin, knowing that Jacob's scent covered me from head to toe. I almost regretted washing him away from my skin. I rushed to dry off and get dressed, leaving my hair damp. Emily and I piled into my truck and drove to the head of the trail.

"Beautiful morning for a hike," Emily's scratchy, sob-weakened voice couldn't hide her nerves as we got out and prepared to enter the woods.

I stopped her. "Hold on a second." My head swimming, I reached into my bag and pulled out the knife I had brought with me, feeling slightly sick at the thought of what I was about to do. Emily's eyes widened.

"What are you doing, Bella?"

I didn't meet her eyes. "Jasper said I should do this. It will distract the vampires and give the wolves even more of an advantage."

"But, Bella…"

"Don't you want me to help Sam and Jacob in any way I can?" I said, a bit irritably. I was not looking forward to this. I pressed the tip of the knife on the criss-cross of blue veins at my wrist, but it took me several seconds of deep breaths to finally slice it into my skin a bit.

My blood spilled out — not rapidly, but enough to leave droplets on the ground. I grabbed one of Charlie's handkerchiefs I had packed and wrapped it loosely around my wrist. Then I turned to Emily.

"You're going to have to make sure I don't faint," I told her, and she nodded, her eyes large and scared. She grabbed my hand and we began walking.

Alice gave perfect directions through the woods, sending us on different paths when they crossed the trail in front of us. Every thirty feet or so, I shifted the handkerchief from my wrist and squeezed my arm, sending a scattering of blood droplets to the forest floor. I felt nauseated as we walked, and my head flushed and pounded, but Emily's firm grasp on my hand was my lifeline.

We walked like that for three hours. At some point, the wound on my wrist congealed and clotted, and I stopped Emily while I made a similar slice on the opposite arm. This one was slightly deeper, and I didn't have to try as hard to force it to flow onto the dirt floor below us.

Emily tried to make small talk. I learned that, after Alice's phone call the previous day, the pack and the Cullens had reorganized slightly, choosing to keep Collin and Brady near the resort and R.V. park in case a newborn vampire came too close to any tourists who remained behind. I worried that it would cut into the pack's advantage, but Emily reassured me it wouldn't.

"Sam is confident in the fighters, and the Cullen girl says she doesn't anticipate that they'll be outnumbered."

Soon, we saw a break in the tree cover ahead. Stumbling off the path through the brush, Emily and I came out in the Clearwater's expansive back yard — just as we planned. Emily glanced at her watch. It was slightly past noon. Alice had estimated that the battle would begin around one. I shuddered as I looked at the woods where we had just exited. The vampires were already on the move, on their way here.

"Go, Emily," I whispered. "Get out of here…" My voice was shaking violently. Her eyes filled with tears as she looked at me in terror, then she turned and ran to the car waiting in the Clearwater driveway. I walked to a picnic table near the house and sat. It was eerily quiet — no cars, no voices…just silence. Even the birds were keeping their cacophony to a minimum. The breeze blew in from the direction of the forest, just as Alice had predicted, and wisped my hair around my face softly.

Everyone should be in place. The wolves were within earshot of me, but their scent would blow away from the direction where Victoria and her friends would approach. They were the first wave of my defense. The Cullens waited a half mile behind them, to head off the second group who sought to surround the area where I was.

I lost track of time, and got up to start pacing across the large yard. I paused on a small, bare patch in the grass, feeling incredibly tired and feeble as I waited. At one point, I looked down at the second cut on my arm, and noticed with shock that there was a small pool of red on the ground. I swallowed back the nausea and knotted the soaked handkerchief tighter around my wrist, my heartbeat pounding in my ears. Now was the wrong time to have a stupid reaction to seeing my own blood. But I couldn't ignore the crimson smears and drops decorating my skin and clothing. I just wanted to lie down and breathe deeply to get rid of the tingling feeling I was feeling in my fingers and lips. I closed my eyes.

A light, tinkling laugh sounded in front of me. My eyes flew open and I was momentarily blinded by the sun and several shimmering forms casting light back at me. I blinked again, checking to see whether my mind was playing tricks on me in my weakened state. She laughed again as she regarded my face. Victoria.

She stood at the edge of the yard, framed by the forest she had just exited — her eyes wide and ecstatic, her fiery hair wild, a mirthful smirk on her flawless, sparkling face. On either side of her were six figures, with pale, twinkling skin and brilliant crimson eyes. They quivered as they looked at my dripping arm — only Victoria's outstretched arms and the low snarl emanating from her chest kept them from leaping at me. She controlled them.

"After all this time," she said in a surprisingly girly voice, "it's so easy." She took one step toward me. "You don't know how much I've done to prepare for this, Bella." Her lips curled into a sneer when she said my name. Behind her, the newborns edged forward too. "Stop," she shrieked wildly, turning her head slightly to the side to address them. "She's mine. After I finish her, you can have your fill from the townspeople of Forks. Just don't forget to leave the police chief to me…"

Through my weakened condition, I heard her words and was possessed with a surge of rage. I lashed out. "You stay away from him, you bitch!" I clenched my fists and glared at her in fury.

She answered with a delighted giggle, taking another step forward.

"Go ahead, fight," she said, "Physical exertion only makes the blood pump faster." She lowered herself gracefully into a crouch. My eyes widened and I took an instinctive step back. "But it won't be quick, Bella…oh, no. I plan…"

She stopped her words with a confused look crossing her face. The newborns behind her didn't notice her change and were continuing to eye me with bloodlust.

Victoria's nose wrinkled. "It's that smell again," she muttered to the vampires behind her. For a moment, she looked unsure — but by then it was too late.

Dark figures leapt from around the house and out of the side woods, two wolves making sure to position themselves between the tree line and the group of vampires. A massive, russet wolf positioned himself in front of me, vibrating the very ground with his growls.

She snarled in surprise and rage, whirling around faster than my eyes could follow. She realized they were surrounded and outnumbered, eight to seven. My heart seemed to stop as I watched the tense standoff with wide eyes, holding my breath.

"What is this?" she seethed. The wolves answered with deafening roars. The group of vampires quickly recovered and sank into a terrifying defensive stance.

Time stood still for a long second. I heard my ragged breathing in my ears and the far-away scream of a gull as the opponents paused in the moment before battle. Before I could blink, the vampires and werewolves leapt at each other, fangs bared and eyes black with hatred.

It was more horrific than I ever could have imagined. The sounds…my God. I clapped my hands over my ears in a vain attempt to block the dreadful snarls, growls and screams. A sound similar to metal scraping together filled the air as I saw a chocolate brown wolf tear a chunk from the torso of a screaming male vampire, who couldn't have been older than 15 when he was turned.

I couldn't look away. My view was sometimes blocked by Jacob, who was circling me rapidly, leaping forward to assist in a fight when he needed to. Every member of the pack was paired off with a vampire, and their blurring figures were an intricate dance of death. I couldn't tell who had the upper hand in any of the skirmishes, hearing occasional yelps mixed in with the horrible metallic sound.

The large, black wolf I knew to be Sam knocked over a red-haired male but before he could leap on the fallen form, the vampire was at his side, punching him in the ribs with a granite strike. Turning his snout, he snapped at the arm and managed to rip a piece of the upper arm away.

To Sam's left, the small grey wolf — Seth — was dodging and weaving his female opponent on nimble paws.

Paul's silver form was less graceful than Seth. He attacked with brute strength and anger, succeeding in weakening his rival, but also sustaining several injuries.

Next to him, Leah battled her adversary, barking out sharply when the red-eyed boy successful latched onto her leg and snapped it in his white hands. A horrific yelp escaped her muzzle and she scrambled up, balancing on three legs. Sam, distracted by her cry, came running. He tackled the boy from the side, securing the vampire's head in his massive jaws. With a screech and a twist, the boy's body fell. Sam turned back to the red-haired male, Leah at his side to assist as best she could on three paws.

The fight went on and on. The sides were very evenly matched and I began panicking at the thought. The pack had always been so confident — I expected them to have the upper hand by now.

To the left of me, a loud crack sounded, followed by a tree falling into the yard from the tree line. Emmett came gliding out of the forest, spinning around to meet a red-eyed newborn that was hot on his heels. Behind them, more figures made their way into the yard. Esme was dancing around her foe, dodging rather than attacking. Jasper's furious snarl could be heard over all other sounds. I tried to count the newborns, but had trouble because they were moving so swiftly. There were at least a dozen, including Victoria.

Remembering her, I snapped my head back to where she was fighting. She seemed to be completely intact, obviously a good fighter. As I watched, she snapped at the wolf facing her, her sharp teeth clicking just inches from its throat. I gasped at the close call, and wondered who the wolf was. It was grey and black, with a small patch of silver on its chest. I remembered. It was Embry.

He was already favoring one of his front paws, but was still leaping aside with every lunge. If not for their growling, it would have looked like they were playing a strange game. Then, without warning, her teeth found flesh.

I screamed at the same time Embry gave a sickening yelp and fell. She leapt upon him, tearing the fur and skin at his neck. The wolf's cries faded to a gurgle. I turned and retched into the grass as Jacob roared, soaring forward to meet his friend's attacker. I wanted to run to Embry, but he was separated from me by several dueling pairs. I turned this way and that, blurs and snarls surrounding me on every side. At that moment, I felt as though I were in the very center of Hell. I sank down to the ground, drawing my knees to my chest and making myself as small as possible, wanting to shut out every sound, sight and smell.

Jacob and Victoria began a slow, deliberate path toward one another, circling closer and closer, as if gravity were forcing them together. I didn't want to watch, but I found myself unable to stop myself. In my peripheral vision, I saw Jasper tearing his opponent to pieces, flinging the largest chunks several dozen feet away and turning to assist Alice. To my immediate right, Sam and Leah managed to lock their jaws on the neck and torso of another male vampire. Twisting his muzzle back and forth while Leah held the vampire down, Sam separated the head from the body. They both then fell upon him, ripping limbs from the torso. It was always accompanied by the horrific screeching metallic sound.

I heard a familiar female's voice scream and gasped when I recognized it. Esme! Standing suddenly and whipping my head around, I found her at the corner of the yard, clutching her beautiful face in her hands. My heart dropped. Was she crying? Had something happened to one of the Cullens? She pulled her hands away and I saw it — a massive chunk was missing from her cheek, marring her perfect appearance. Her opponent paused to crouch for her final spring at Esme and I closed my eyes, not able to bear the sight.

"Carlisle!" Esme's surprised, anguished voice cried. I opened my eyes to see Carlisle locked in combat with Esme's attacker, a feral, animalistic expression on his handsome face. He made short work of his opponent, bringing her down with a fury I never thought possible for him.

Just in front of me, Jacob yelped. I fixed my eyes on him, a panicked, garbled shriek spewing from my throat at the sound. Jacob was shaking his wolf head, momentarily stunned. I noticed that Victoria was now missing part of her thigh and a large piece of her hip, but it didn't slow her down. She landed a bone-crunching blow on one of Jacob's legs, and I saw stars as the last bit of air escaped my lungs in a scream. I couldn't breathe as Jacob faced her again, limping temporarily as his leg bones began healing themselves immediately. He still didn't miss a beat, catching her hand in his teeth and tearing off two fingers.

All around me, the fight continued. Growls and snarls continued to fill the air, and I made a quick inventory of the fighters on our side. Carlisle and Esme crouched at the corner of the yard, Esme crumpled on the ground and Carlisle standing guard over her, leaping forward to aide his children every so often, when a fight came close. Jasper and Alice had finished off her attacker and were now assisting Rosalie and Emmett, who was having a surprisingly tough time with his opponent. Stars dotted my vision as I counted the wolves. Seven. All still fought, with the exception of Embry, who had dragged himself several feet from where Victoria had bested him and now lay still, phased back into his human form.

Tears stung my eyes as I looked at him, my chest finally drawing in a ragged sob. Had it only been a few weeks ago that he stood under my window and gave me advice about Jacob? I thought of his smiling face, and how he always treated me like a little sister, even though I was older than him.

Without warning, something that felt like rock struck my head and I screamed out in pain, blood pouring over my right eye. I looked down at the ground and gagged. It was a granite-hard lump of pale flesh — vampire flesh. As I stared at it, my own blood dripped onto it and I wavered where I stood, dropping to the ground in a daze. I had lost too much blood and couldn't keep my legs underneath me any longer. The scene in front of me wavered and seemed to be interspersed with large black spots. In a flash, Jacob detangled himself from his fight and was against me, nudging me urgently with his nose.

I knew I was dangerously close to losing consciousness, but I fought to shove Jacob away — urging him to return to the fight. Before he could turn to meet Victoria once again, she was already on him. I heard a sickening crunch, followed by an excruciating bark. Opening my eyes from my spot on the ground, I saw Jacob on the ground, panting heavily and immobilized. Victoria's small figure loomed over his bulking frame. An ecstatic grin stretched across her face, Embry's blood still covering her teeth.

Victoria had gotten her arms around him and crushed him. His right forepaw was bent an an unnatural angle and his torso twisted in a horrible, painful-looking way. With horror, I realized that Jacob could not move until he began to heal, which would take several minutes at least. He was completely vulnerable. Across the yard, Carlisle realized it too, shouting, "No!" He turned to help, but was cut off by a newborn.

Victoria's laugh filled my ears, sounding louder than any growling. I sat up weakly, and met her eyes. They were exhilarated and excited, and when she saw me looking at her, she laughed again.

I screamed "God, no! Jacob…please, NO!" with every ounce of strength I had in me.

She looked down at my Jacob, who was growling weakly at her feet, his brown eyes fixed on me, and slowly bent to his throat, her teeth bared. I tried to shake the black spots out of my vision, but the stress of seeing Jacob about to be killed had me teetering dangerously close to collapsing.

A flash of white passed me faster than a breeze and struck Victoria full in the chest, sending her flying back several dozen feet. Carlisle must have gotten past the newborn holding him up, I thought weakly. I struggled to remain conscious, but it was a losing battle. I looked up at my Jacob, and saw a figure standing over him protectively, in a defensive stance just waiting for Victoria to attack.

A lanky figure with beautiful pale skin and messy bronze hair.

Edward.

That was when I fainted...

**

Chapter End Notes:

A moment of silence for brave Embry. I cried while writing it. And poor Esme...

For all of you waiting for Edward's return...he certainly came back in a huge way, right?

Please let me know what you thought. Your reviews are amazing and I appreciate each and every one.

Come find me on Twitter: EllaB_twilight