*A/N: Thanks to my lovely beta and awbffe NessiesMomma for beta reading.*

*Disclaimer: I do not own twilight or its characters, SM does. I do however want Edward Cullen to spend eternity in my bedroom ;]*


Victoria was coming.

My time was up. The weeks of training and stress about this moment finally built up until I was shaking behind Edward. I wasn't nearly ready for what was about to come. Would Jasper and Emmett's techniques help me defend myself? Was I even capable of it? This was a two on one fight. Why had she chosen now? The truth swelled up in me. She believed she could beat Edward.

I swallowed hard.

The influx of air into my lungs brought with it the sense of another presence besides Victoria.

"Edward," I whispered, "she's not alone."

From his crouched position his hand reached back and took my own, squeezing it. He knew. The footsteps slowed a few feet from us until Victoria and a young male appeared from the underbrush. He couldn't be much older than me. His face still held a youthfulness and boyish look to it. He had sandy blonde hair and bright crimson eyes.

Newborn.

The boy would have more strength than Emmett. But…would he be stronger than me? I knew Victoria's evasiveness was no match for me. I had only a couple weeks of practice. I decided I could handle the newborn while Edward dealt with Victoria. I only hoped it would be enough.

"Riley," Edward breathed as he addressed the young male. "She's using you."

Riley had a confused, hurt look on his face as he stared from Edward to Victoria. His eyebrows furrowed just before Victoria reached up and brushed his cheek in what seemed to be a loving gesture. She blew a kiss his way and Riley smiled.

"It's all lies." Edward continued. "She had a mate, James. She brought you here to avenge his death. She wants you to distract me so she can attack my fiancé." Edward stepped forward. "She knows I'll dispose of you quickly."

Victoria sneered at Edward, then brought her face to Riley's ear. "Would I lie to you, baby?"

Her voice didn't go with her appearance. One look at her and chills traveled up your spine igniting the flight response in your bodies "fight or flight" instinct. But, when Victoria opened her mouth, it seemed like her voice went better with a stringy haired blonde who chewed gum and twirled her finger in her hair. The voice was that of a naïve girl, easily taken advantage of. That was not Victoria.

Riley shook his head, locked in Victoria's spell. He turned swiftly towards us and began to stalk Edward. Edward moved with Riley in a slow circle, though he never moved far enough from me. The circle continued back and forth until Riley's impatience got the better of him and he attacked.

Edward saw the move before it happened and was able to out-maneuver him. But that brought Victoria closer to me. Both she and Riley cornered us forcing us to choose our fate. I felt and heard the frantic vibrating of our cell phones. Alice had seen this. I could only hope that help was on the way, for I knew Edward could not protect me and fight two sadistic vampires.

I leaned forward and breathed into Edward's ear. "I can do this. If you worry about me were both gonna get killed."

Edward turned, fractionally, and I saw the hurt in his face. I simply nodded and dropped further into my crouch. The only chance we had of winning this was to change the odds. Edward had to let me attack Riley first so that he could face off with Victoria. In a split second of decision, Edward faked a move at Riley just as I pounced over him and knocked Riley to the ground. Edward reacted, quickly blocking Victoria's attempt at me.

I couldn't focus on what was going on between Edward and Victoria because now I had to remember what Jasper had told me about fighting newborns. He said they fought with instinct and were ruled by it. Easily distracted and always went for the easy kill.

Riley was able to push me off his body. And, with each frantic beat of my heart, I saw the slow loss of his control. Riley was thirsty.

I smiled. This was going to be too easy. I craned my neck to the side exposing my throat and with a lift of my hand I moved my finger in a "come hither" motion. He took the bait, racing towards my exposed throat. His hands were stretched out towards me, waiting to grab me; with eager quickness I took both my hands and ripped his arm out of his socket.

"Ah!" Riley yelped in pain.

I threw his arm far off into the woods as Riley staggered back. He growled in agony and faced me with hatred. We began to dance in circles, each of us waiting for the other to strike. Behind me I heard the cracking of a tree as it broke and crashed to the ground.

Riley's nose scrunched up in disgust, and he quickly turned behind him. I wasted no time as I raced towards him and swiftly ripped off his head and tossed it. His remaining lips were ripped off him and I worked to tear off every piece I could from his body.

Just as I was removing his last leg from his torso, I felt heavy breathing behind me. I turned around and there was a russet colored wolf. Jake.

I smiled in exaltation as I realized Edward and I were not alone. Edward! I quickly scanned the woods searching for him. I found him on his knees holding his hands to his ears as Victoria slowly stalked him. She was smiling and staring intently at him. Jake and I quickly ran to where they were and Victoria simply looked our way just as Jake fell to the ground and brought his paws over his ears and began howling in pain.

"Jake? What's going on!" I yelled and then turned towards Edward who was still on his knees in agony. "Edward!"

Victoria's smile was sinister as she gazed over at me. Her eyes were concentrating as she studied me and seemed to be forcing something towards me. Her smile fell when she realized her defeat.

"What are you?" She sneered in her annoying voice.

I felt the doubt well up in me. It wasn't possible for me to defeat Victoria. She had years of practice against me. With my men in pain and in no way capable of helping me, was it possible this was the end? It couldn't be. With my death would come the death of the two men beside me. Neither could continue on without me. Though, I was positive, Jake's wouldn't be suicidal.

I straightened my body and let the strength I knew existed deep inside me, the strength of my mother, take over my body. I let it fill up my veins and I pushed the unwanted flight response from my body. It would do no good for those that I loved if I ran now. Victoria would always find me.

I smiled and smirked in her direction. "Your worst nightmare."

"You're going to pay for what your family did to James." Her eyes once again concentrated on me.

I shook my head. "You're little gift doesn't work on me."

She huffed in annoyance and then her smile was back. At the same time both of the men I loved groaned in agony once again.

"Stop hurting them!" I yelled.

She shook her head. "You're bound to them. I can tell. Their pain is your pain. If I can't hurt you with my gift, I'll hurt them."

I lowered my body into a crouch, prepared to attack.

"You're just a useless hybrid." She cackled. "What makes you think you can defeat me?"

I charged her and we clashed with the sound of thunder. Her teeth snapped and missed along various parts of my body as we fought. Victoria would not be the reason these two were dead. She couldn't. The world couldn't be real without them existing.

I knew Edward had been right all along. I was stronger than I thought I was. I didn't need to become a full vampire to be safe because I had what strength and power that full vampires did not. It was this power and strength that my mother died for. The power and strength that pushed me towards… my family, the Cullen's. That brought me into the love of two amazing men. One of which I planned on marrying the second this was over.

Victoria had the upper hand until this revelation encompassed me. I pushed her down to the ground and let the elastic around my mind push out onto Edward and Jake. The howls and groans stopped the second I felt their presence. Edward was quickly at my side as he ripped the limps from Victoria and Jake bit off her head tossing it over his shoulder.

When she was no more than a mess around the forest floor, Jake grabbed several branches and stacked them together as Edward lit them. They ran around grabbing various body parts of both Riley and Victoria and throwing them into the fire.

I stood there in shock as the distinct smell of burning vampire flesh made its way into my air intake. When they were finished, both Jake and Edward looked in my direction and slowly walked towards me.

"Bella," Edward whispered. "Bella, are you okay? Bella, it's over."

I looked up into his face. He was worried about me. Worried as I had been when I saw him on his knees under Victoria's power. I never again wanted to see that look across his face. Jake was sitting behind him staring at me with sad eyes.

Edward reached me and cupped my face in his hands. "Bella, I'm here. You're safe."

I cocked my head to the side and then quickly wrapped my arms around his neck, tearlessly sobbing into his shirt. The build of adrenaline that was pumping through my body had dissipated and I was crashing as the reality of what just happened took over.

Me, the useless little hybrid, just killed off two vampires and saved the lives of the two loves in my life. I released Edward and raced to where Jake sat and wrapped my arms around what I could grab.

"Oh! Jake! You're okay! How did you know where to find us?"

He gestured with his head towards Edward and I turned around as Edward answered. "Alice called him. They couldn't get here in time and thankfully Jake was nearby."

"Thank you for coming." I ruffled his fur and Edward came to stand beside me. I wrapped my arm that wasn't holding on to Jake around him. "Thank you both for loving me enough to protect me."

Edward looked up at Jake, who nodded. "We didn't do anything, Bella. You saved us."

Jake stepped back from me and ran into the woods. I smiled sadly but he quickly returned wearing a pair of cargo shorts.

"I didn't do anything, Bella." Jake breathed as he approached me and placed his arm around my waist.

"What was she doing to you?" I questioned as images of them both in pain became forefront in my mind.

"It was a high pitched screaming in my ear." Jake groaned.

Edward agreed. "It was never-ending. She put it on me just as you defeated Riley. I never saw it coming because she didn't think about it. She just acted."

Just then, the Cullen's raced into the clearing with perplexed looks on their faces, as they took in the scene in front of them. Edward kissed my temple and walked towards them explaining everything in detail of what happened.

I turned and wrapped my arms around Jake's waist as he lifted them around my neck. Our signature hug. I snuggled into Jake's warmth and let my body calm down. Edward was far enough away that I felt comfortable with the conversation I knew I had to have with Jake.

"Jake?" I mumbled against his skin. "We need to talk."

"Well, isn't that what every guy wants to hear from the girl he loves after a near death experience."

I smirked and pulled back to stare into his eyes. "We have to."

"I know." He nodded.

He walked us over to a boulder and we sat together. I took my hand and placed it in his warm palm and leaned my head against his shoulder. Looking over towards Edward, with his family, made me realize the importance of this conversation. I needed to get everything I felt about Jake out and let us both move on.

I took a deep breath and began. "Jake, I realize now that you were the natural path my life was going. If we didn't live in a world with vampires and werewolves. Our relationship was as easy as breathing, and I was stupid enough to not realize I was in love with you."

"Was." He repeated in a soft whisper.

"I need Edward, Jake. Not because he's rich, not because he's beautiful, I'd much rather he wasn't either of those things. I need him, because I love him. But I love you, too. If Edward had never come along, I know without a doubt that we would be together. I've pictured our future and I'm stupid enough to want it, bad."

Jake interrupted. "I want it too, Bella." He squeezed my hand. "I want it all… with you. I could protect you just as well as he can. You wouldn't have to leave, and you Charlie and Seth could constantly be a presence in our life. Bella, I can give you children, a life… the sun."

"You can't give me him." I lifted my head to gaze at him. "I've loved you my whole life, Jake. And I was stupid enough to not realize it until now. It breaks my heart because I'm going to lose my best friend."

His eyebrows furrowed. "Who said you're losing me?"

"How can we be friends when we love each other like this?"

He turned his body to me and took my tiny hands into both of his bigger ones. "I'm always going to be here for you. It would hurt too much to let you go."

"It would hurt too much to lose you."

I bit my lip as Jake grazed his finger over the diamond on my left hand. He paused and his gaze dropped down to it. He looked up into my eyes pleading.

"Yeah, Edward kind of proposed."

"Oh."

I frowned. "I'll understand if you don't want to talk to me anymore."

Jacob seemed to deliberate that for a second and then he released a breath and smiled at me placing his forehead to mine. "Wouldn't be a wedding without the best man."

"Are you serious?" I hid my smile, trying not to get too excited.

He nodded. "Of course. Plus I'm dying to see Chief Swans face when you tell him."

We laughed together and all the previous tension dissipated. We stood and he didn't let go of my hand as we walked together to where the Cullen's stood. They all hugged me and were beyond excited to hear I was alright.

"I'm just so happy it's over." I mused.

"Me too." Edward stated as he pulled me close to him.

Jake still hadn't released my hand and I caught Esme and Alice staring. The truth was, I wanted to make him as happy as possible since I broke his heart, once again. Edward wasn't saying anything because he could probably read Jake's mind to know what had just transpired between us.

"It seems your shield saved the day." Jasper stated with awe in his voice.

"It certainly did." Jake answered. "That nails on the chalkboard sound was starting to get annoying. Right, Edward?"

Edward nodded. "Bella was on her own. The training she's been doing with Jazz and Em certainly helped. Plus a little of the stuff I knew she had inside her all along."

I smiled adoringly at Edward and then my pervy brain got the best of me. Standing up on my tippy-toes I whispered in his ear, "I want you to be inside me all night long."

No one heard me but the face Edward had on should've caused some speculative thoughts. Before Emmett could make a sexual remark, Edward composed his face and pleaded that we return home.

As I began walking, I felt my arm lose slack. I stopped and Jake hadn't moved. He gestured with his thumb behind him. "I'm going to head back to the Rez. I'll catch up with you later, Bells." He paused and looked at Edward. "Congratulations."

"Thank you."

I hugged him goodbye and kissed his cheek. "Bye Jake."

He turned and ran in the direction of La Push and I pressed my body closer to Edward. I watched half my heart walk away and now I wasn't going to waste any more time shedding tears for Jacob Black. With my head safely in the crook of his neck, I leaned up and nipped him.

"What do you say we head home, too?"

Edward smiled. "That sounds like the perfect plan."

I returned his smile and I knew, with Edward by my side, I could get through anything. But that still left the fate of my unresolved best friend. He needed his own happy ending if he wasn't going to be able to run off with his hybrid best friend.