Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. Stephenie Meyer created it all.

A/N: Just a heads up, I did something this chapter I've never done before, I switched voices mid-chapter. It's just a small bit at the end, but it was necessary.

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Chapter 21: Laurent- Flight or Fight

I was snuggled up to my boy on the couch when Edward busted in the house nearly knocking the hinges off the frame. Frantically he looked around the house, at first I thought he was looking for Bella, for some reason, but she came in behind him and her eyes were just as questioning as my own.

"Laurent, Tanya," he called her name a little louder since she wasn't in the room. She must have been who he was searching for. "I need to speak with you both... outside," Edward said somberly yet hastily.

Huh, I thought, that's an odd pairing, what do we have in common?

"Actually Laurent, a few things." Edward answered my unspoken question as he walked out the door and waited for Tanya and me to follow. Tanya ran down the stairs to join us.

Getting right to the point, Edward said, "There is a small Volturi Guard coming, apparently they heard about the upcoming wedding and Aro sent them, I couldn't tell why just yet. The problem is that it's Demetri and Irina. Irina isn't too happy about the thought of seeing you, and she doesn't know about Jacob."

"Not to be callous, but what does this have to do with me?" Tanya asked.

"I need you to run with Charlie, this might get ugly and I don't want any humans around for the Volturi to use against us. That's includes Jacob, Laurent, we definitely don't want the Volturi to be aware of any Vampire-Werewolf alliance. It's not safe. I wish I could explain more, but you guys need to go now. The guard is less than a mile and a half out. We can't take a chance that Demetri will be able to track Charlie or Jacob."

Tanya and I ran in the house. Jacob and I wouldn't need anything, so I hugged Bella and promised that I'd be back soon. I've seen that look in her eyes before, that look of abandonment. It made me feel sick that it was me doing it. Really, I was running to save my boy, but I couldn't distinguish between him and myself anymore, so it like I was leaving my family behind in a crisis and selfishly running to save myself. I waited to see that Tanya and Charlie were coming down the stairs so I would know that they got out safely and then we took off.

We ran as fast as possible out of Denali and southward towards the states. I still hadn't told Jacob why we were running but I begged him to trust me.

Jacob ran as a wolf. It amazed me that he could keep up with me, and actually he could outrun me. It was a learning and humbling experience. I wondered what he was thinking, he saw Bella when we left, he knew Tanya and Charlie were leaving, too. Could he have pieced it together? Of course he could, he was the rightful leader of his tribe and quick thinking and strategy came to him easily. He wouldn't be happy at all when I told him, that much I was sure of. So the goal for now was to run as far south as Jacob would allow before he would demand answers.

Somewhere in the southern Yukon Territory, maybe northern British Columbia, Jacob slowed.

Trying to divert Jacob queries, as soon as Jacob phased I asked him if he were tired or hungry. Jacob only shook his head 'no' and kept walking beside me. I continued to make idle small talk, but as a general rule, it wasn't something we normally did.

Finally I asked, "Aren't you going to ask me why we left?"

He stared at me for a moment and let out a long sigh, "I was kinda hoping you would just tell me. Whatever it is, you can tell me, you don't need to shelter me." Disappointment was evident in his voice and I could feel his disappointment in my judgment right to my core.

"Well," he hedged.

After a few hems and haws, I explained, "The Volturi sent a guard when word of Bella and Edward's marriage got out. While they were out, Edward over heard them as they were approaching. They sent a tracker and Irina. I can't have the tracker being able to follow you, so we ran. I didn't want Irina seeing you either, I don't want her trying to go after you. Tanya took Charlie, too."

"Wait, we ran because of your ex-girlfriend? You know as well as I do that I can hold my own when it comes to vampires. We're going back," he said decisively and began to head back.

I grabbed his arm. "No, we're not," I countered. "It's not just that, the Volturi don't know about your wolf pack and your alliance with the Cullens, I'm trying to protect you, can't you see that?"

"I can protect us by going back and taking care of those Volturi!" I knew exactly how he meant it.

"That will just make more of them come, it will be a never-ending battle. This is the best thing to do right now." I still had a hold of his arm and I pulled him closer. Looking up into his eyes I begged, "Please, just come with me."

He wrapped his arms around my shoulder and leaned into me. I could feel him smelling my hair. "Why do you have to pull the 'imprint card' on me?"

"I did not!" I said defensively as I pulled back a little.

"Hold me, Jacob, I'm scared." He mocked.

"I did not say that!" I said indignantly and then added, "And you're not going to use reverse psychology on me to make me go back."

"So, where are we going?" he asked as he gave in.

"I'm not sure, but can we maybe go back to La Push? Don't you want to see your dad?"

I wasn't ever allowed on the reservation, but at the time my eyes were still red, and although Jacob trusted me, the rest of the pack did not. I met his father, but only once when he came to visit. He smelled more like human and wasn't able to stay long because of Bella.

"Do you think we'll have to stay off the reservation still?" I asked as he continued to think. I felt almost child-like as I, in a way, asked permission. The dynamic of our relationship was always ever-changing, versatile if you will. We weren't like Edward and Bella in that what Edward said went, and Bella followed suit. In our relationship, sometimes I took that upper hand and sometimes I was the one to follow suit. Seldomly, like earlier for instance, we would both try to take charge. Usually when that happened I would win, shamefully I'd admit, via the 'imprint card' as Jacob called it.

"I'll talk to Sam about it. If not, we can stay in the Cullen's house, you know we could use some privacy."

"Actually, I was hoping that we could stay there anyways, I just wanted know if we could visit. That's all." I smiled impishly.

"Okay."

"Did you want to stay here for a few hours and hunt with me?" I asked as a way to test the waters. I hated the tension, I just wanted us to be okay. After a few minutes of him not answering, I began to walk again. I wondered what had him so deep in thought.

Suddenly he snagged his finger in my belt loop to stop me, "Wait, stop making that face." I scowled and turned to face him.

"No, not that face," he corrected, "the one where you're all unsure and stuff."

"You couldn't even see my face," I accused, even though I knew he was right.

"No, but I know you're doing it, I can hear it in your voice. Of course I'll hunt with you. I guess I just didn't realize that you would want to get to know my family and friends."

It was his turn to feel unsure, and I look at him incredulously, "Of course, I do. Why wouldn't I? Do you have any idea how much I love you? Everything about you?"

"Everything?" he asked me skeptically.

"Everything," I confirmed with a kiss, "Even when you do boring things like sleep." Admittedly, he wasn't as interesting as Bella used to be in her sleep, but he was just as beautiful and he was mine. As I cupped his face in my hands, the possessive emotion poured into our continued kiss. I let my hand slide down his neck, feeling his vital pulse, then to his chest and on down to the waist of his pants.

"Aren't you supposed to be hunting?" He asked breathlessly, "I don't want you to devour me." Hearing the double meaning of his words made it all the harder to pull away, but I really did need to hunt.

"Okay, we'll do the quickest hunt in the history of the world, but we can pick up where we left off." I kissed him one last time. I backed up a little as his removed his shorts and phased. He definitely wanted me, too.

I broke myself out of my stupor and began my hunt with Jacob following on my heels.

~o~x~o~x~o~

R~W~M

~o~x~o~x~o~

Tanya

If there was one thing I was good at it was entertaining humans. But Bella's actual father? He was different, all I can say is yum! That mustache and all that heat, and he had this way of saying the funniest things without trying or realizing that he was funny. He had that older man thing going for him and, oh, that uniform! I would lick the man, anywhere and everywhere, thank you very much. I've known the man all of, what, two hours? I've already changed my panties once in that time frame.

So I was sitting in his guest room as he continued to unpack contemplated the ways to have my way with him. He probably had morals, he would take some persuading to be with a 'younger' woman such as myself, after all, I was technically his daughter's age.

The perfect opportunity landed in my lap when Debby Downer, AKA Edward, tells me I get to run away with this fine human specimen. Sure, I'd have to tell him about the Volturi and all that, but the way I see it: it's building the trust. That's just one step closer to horizontal land. I smiled to myself.

Now, to be clear, I was not just some lust ridden kitten. I did feel wrong for leaving my own coven to deal with the potential ire of the Volturi, that I did not take lightly. And yes, I did want to see my sister, but she left to be with the Volturi, of all the places to go! I wasn't too entirely worried, she'd come back in a few hundred years and everything would be fine.

I reach over and grabbed Charlie's hand, we managed to get into one of the cars before the guard arrived. He took my hand easily, he seemed to be in need of support. A sad man, eh? I could work with that.

"What's on your mind?" I prompted.

"This year has been so much for me to handle, almost too much. I can't wait until it's all over..."

He continued to tell me everything that I overheard him telling Bella earlier. I knew he was talking about this year and the craziness of everything that's changed in his life, but I can't help but think about his human life, it will be over soon, too. What was another forty or fifty years? I feel a small twinge in my stomach and it wasn't just wanton lust. I push it aside and continue to assault him with my seduction, it's what I knew well, and those were emotions and actions that I could deal with.

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A/N: Be careful what you lick, you'll get Strep.-Cindy & Tanya

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