Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight and its characters. No copyright infringement is intended.

All original characters, plots, and the storyline contained within this derivative work are the property of Lazykate. This story may not be reproduced or reposted without permission from the author.

A/N #1: In case you haven't read it, I very strongly urge you to read the most recent outtake I wrote (click on my profile and then IDBiV: Outtakes, Oneshots, Chapter Three) before reading this update. Yes, it's Jacob's POV, but it's short and it will give you a LOT of insight into the next couple of chapters, along with more detail from certain moments earlier in Bella's life. Just trust me and read it first, pretty please?

Chapter Twenty-Four

Whereas time had once sped up, now it seemed to move with excruciating slowness. Each time the red LED numbers on the cheap hotel alarm clock changed, I counted down seconds, one through sixty, for the next digital flick, another minute gone.

We spoke very little throughout the night. Carlisle called Rosalie and Emmett and convinced them not to return to Alaska. Emmett had been especially vehement in his desire to return and help protect his family, but in the end, Rosalie grudgingly agreed with Carlisle's logic and they made immediate plans to move further east into Canada, to wait for instructions on where we would be meeting them.

Esme had finally closed her eyes and relaxed after that conversation, and now she leaned easily into Carlisle, still sitting up on the bed. Jasper never once stirred from the window, his eyes the only thing moving back and forth as he searched unceasingly for any sign that the wolves would try and come after us in such a public place. Alice stood next to him all night, gently rubbing her hand over his back, her eyes going blank every few minutes as she kept trying to see any firm vision that would give us a hint of what to expect or do when day came again.

Edward and I stayed curled up together, me on his lap, in that shabby old armchair. I rested my head on his shoulder, my forehead against his neck, appreciating the feeling of his skin against mine, his arms surrounding my body. It was almost impossible to believe that only a few hours earlier, I'd thought we were facing the last few minutes of our too-short life together. We had the potential of eternity ahead of us; the thought of losing that was incomprehensible to me now.

I gently rubbed the locket he'd given me between my thumb and forefinger, lost in thought. I wore it all the time, although it was usually tucked safely away under my clothes, as I was afraid of losing it while hunting. I didn't need to open it to gain reassurance from the pictures within; the images were copied perfectly in my mind. The symbolism of carrying my parents so close to my heart, though, meant more than I would ever be able to explain in words.

As the hours ticked by, I wondered where the wolves had gone. Edward was listening for them, I knew, but he hadn't mentioned hearing them in the vicinity. Had they gone back to our home?

At that thought, my fingers froze on my locket, and I saw Edward's eyes flick to me as my movement ceased. It was petty to even consider, but I couldn't help but worry about their threat to burn down the house. Had they gone back to carry it out, to ensure we wouldn't have a home to return to? Would their frustration over not being able to reach us be released by obliterating all the tangible memories we had?

My journal… Edward's mementos of his human life… our family photos… they were all just things, but it made me ache to think of them being so easily destroyed. When the human memories began to fade in my mind, those things would be the only link I had to remembering Bella Swan and the humans who had loved her.

I burrowed my face into Edward's neck, shame battling with my concern, and of course he sensed my distress. "What is it, love?" he whispered.

Shaking my head, I pulled him into my shield instead of answering. I couldn't worry out loud about material objects when the most important things in my life were surrounding me; it would be an insult to the family I loved so much. Edward sighed softly and pulled me tighter against him, resting his cheek on my hair.

When daylight finally began to streak the sky, Carlisle quietly broke the silence. "Alice, is it going to be sunny today?"

"No," she replied immediately, and I realized she must already have some insight into how parts of the day would go. "It'll be overcast all day."

"All right," Carlisle said slowly. "We can't let our guard down, but we'll probably be safe enough out in public during the day. We need to get to the airport in Anchorage, and for that, we'll need coats, money, and a vehicle. Esme and I will go out and get the coats so that we'll all be able to blend in during the day, then I'll take care of the rest. If there's anything any of you need, make sure you get it today, and then we'll drive to Anchorage in the middle of tomorrow morning's commute. The wolves may follow us, but they won't be able to attack us as long as we stay visible and in public at all times.

"It goes without saying, though, that none of us should ever be alone at any moment, or out of public view. It would only take a split second for them all to be on us if we gave them an opportunity, and I have no doubt they'll be waiting for one."

"So what is the long-term plan?" Jasper asked tensely, and Carlisle shook his head.

"For the moment, my concern is for our family's safety, and right now, we'll be safest as far away from them as we can get. If we go to Italy and they follow us even there, at least we'll have the Volturi to help us."

"I doubt the mutts have the resources to track us to Europe," Alice said disdainfully.

"That's what I'm hoping as well, but we can't allow ourselves to become complacent." Carlisle stood quickly, and immediately Esme was at his side. Her face showed no signs of the agony she'd suffered earlier, and I assumed that she was fully healed. "We'll be back shortly."

It was silent for a few minutes after their departure, and then Jasper spoke. "I don't like it… leaving them alive like this. Leaving your enemy alive means you spend the rest of your life looking over your shoulder. I'm not sure I want to do that."

"As much as I agree with you," Edward replied immediately, "The odds are not in our favor. Six vampires against eleven or more wolves… it's not worth it to risk losing any one of us."

"We could call Eleazar…"

Edward shook his head. "I don't think the wolves know about the Denalis, and if they all follow us out of Alaska, then they probably never will. It wouldn't be fair to introduce more of us to danger when right now they're relatively safe."

"It wasn't fair what the wolves did to Irina either," Jasper pointed out.

"I know, believe me. But are you willing to take a chance on losing Alice, just to win the battle?"

Jasper's rigid face softened slightly as he looked down at his mate, before it tightened again. "Of course not. It just goes against the grain, running like this. They killed Irina, they almost killed Esme, and you said Sam tried to kill Bella."

Edward stiffened under me at the reminder. "Jasper, there's nothing I'd enjoy more than ripping Sam Uley limb from limb and burning each piece in front of him before tearing his throat out. But now isn't the right time for it. I'm not willing to risk losing my wife, or any other member of my family, by acting rashly. If the wolves continue to pose a threat, we'll ask for the Volturi's assistance. With their help we could wipe out every damn Quileute at La Push."

"No," I said immediately. "Please… don't talk about murdering innocents when it's a small group that we have to be concerned about."

"I agree with Bella," Alice said quietly. "Plus, just imagine the publicity if an entire community was mysteriously destroyed. People would notice if all the Quileutes disappeared. The Volturi would never agree to do that."

Jasper nodded reluctantly and then looked out the window again, pulling Alice tightly against him. I sighed and put my head back on Edward's shoulder, and none of us spoke again.

My own thoughts were in turmoil… I desperately needed to talk to Edward, but I wanted to do so privately. I wasn't accustomed to being unable to communicate with him immediately and openly, and I could feel myself becoming more and more agitated as I focused on the red LED of the bedside alarm clock again. Edward sensed the tension humming through my body and he began to gently stroke my hair, occasionally pressing a soft kiss against my head. It helped, but I was so on-edge that I was ready to stand up and rip the hotel room door off the hinges by the time Carlisle and Esme returned, loaded down with bags.

Carlisle quickly dispersed coats, a handful of cash, and a cheap pay-as-you-go cell phone to each of us; he had been the only one to have his with him when the time had come to flee. "We already programmed everyone's numbers into each one of those," he said calmly. "Hopefully we won't need to use them, but I want us to be able to be in contact at a moment's notice."

"Did you see or smell them?" Edward asked.

"No, not a trace."

His arms still around me, Edward stood up then before gently setting my feet on the floor. "Bella and I are going out for a bit. We'll stay in town, in public. I'll hear them if they try to approach us, but I truly doubt they'll do it with humans around."

"All right, be careful."

Edward nodded silently before reaching down to take my hand; we slipped out the door and were halfway down the hall before we remembered to shrug into our new coats. I felt a brief flicker of anxiety at leaving the rest of the family and stopped to look back, wondering if my need to talk to Edward was as important as maintaining our strength in numbers.

"It's okay," Edward said gently, putting his arm around me. "It's daytime, and in a somewhat-public place. We have the advantage over the wolves when they're forced to stay in human form, and they know it."

Reassured, I allowed him to guide me back down the hall, opting to go down the staircase instead of waiting for the elevator. When Edward paused on the landing, I looked over at him questioningly. The look in his eyes stopped me short, and in a split second I had my arms wrapped around him.

"What's wrong?" I whispered.

He didn't answer for a moment, instead burying his face in my hair and breathing deeply. I felt a slight tremor run through his body and realized that I hadn't been the only one hiding their emotions from the rest of the family all night.

"Bella," he finally said quietly. "I had too many hours to think, after we got here. I just keep seeing Sam clawing at you over and over in my mind… hearing his thoughts at the same time… fury and determination and satisfaction. He wanted to kill you. And if I hadn't been fast enough…"

"But you were," I soothed him, my own anxiety forgotten in the need to comfort him. "I'm fine."

"No," he whispered, pulling back just enough to look down in my eyes. "You're not fine until you're safe, until all of us are safe. I won't go against Carlisle's decision, but if the situation arises, I will kill any wolf that even potentially poses a threat to you."

I swallowed hard, acknowledging that he knew I only cared about one wolf in particular. "I would do the same for you, Edward. No matter which one of them it was."

"Bella…" he moaned, and in the next moment his lips were pressed hard against mine. There was nothing romantic or even erotic about this kiss, though, it was a desperate plea for reassurance, to assure himself that I was there, that I was okay. I surrendered myself to his embrace, weaving my fingers into his hair, holding him tightly against me until his lips finally broke away and he lowered his forehead to my shoulder, taking in a long shuddering sigh. "I can't live without you," he finally whispered.

"I know."

"I agree with Jasper… I want to kill them all, to make sure there's no threat for us to ever worry about again. But Carlisle is right… it's not worth the risk of losing you. Our time will come."

"Yes," I said gently, and then slid my hands down to cup his face and force him to meet my gaze. His topaz eyes held so much anguish and frustration that it nearly broke my heart. "Come on, let's go. We need to talk."

He took another deep breath and then turned his head to kiss my palm where it still rested against his cheek. "Yes, let's go. I'll be listening for them… please, Bella, if I tell you to do something, will you trust me enough to do it immediately, no questions asked?"

"I will," I replied simply, knowing that he needed the assurance that I would keep myself out of harm's way.

"Okay." He kissed my palm again and then reached up to surround my hand with his. "Let's go."

We emerged from the stairwell and out the side door of the hotel, both of us automatically on alert for any sign of the Quileutes. After a moment's surveillance, Edward pulled me close to his side, still gripping my hand, and we proceeded at a normal human pace towards the main street.

"Edward… how did you know?" I queried after a few steps.

"Know what?"

"Know that I wanted to talk to you… privately."

He shrugged and gave me a small smile. "Partly because I could tell you needed me, and partly because I wanted to talk to you as well. There is a lot I don't mind saying in front of our family, but even more that I know you like to keep between us."

My chest throbbed warmly at his words; he knew me so exquisitely well, there were times I almost believed he was reading my mind again. "Thank you," I murmured.

He rubbed his thumb over my hand. "In some ways, we haven't had a chance to decompress from everything that happened yesterday. Only you and I. I need that connection with you just as much as you need it from me."

"Yes," I breathed, grateful that he could so aptly put into words the feelings that were raging inside of me. I'd felt safe surrounded by our family, but I needed time with just Edward. Escaping death not once but twice, the terror that I wouldn't be able to protect us both, the fear for my family… I hadn't truly released the anxiety from the day before, and knew I wouldn't until we discussed everything that had happened.

We walked in silence for another block before coming upon an old-fashioned diner, the type that all small towns have. "Fancy some breakfast, Mrs. Cullen?"

I wrinkled my nose against the thick greasy smells emanating from within, so unappetizing that it overpowered even the more tantalizing scent of the humans. "I doubt they'll have what we want, but this is probably as good and safe a place as any for us to be."

Edward chuckled and held the door open, and then we seated ourselves at the booth furthest away from any other customers. A waitress quickly dropped off two sticky plastic menus and poured us each a cup of coffee, promising to return and take our orders in a few minutes. I eyed the menu askance; even the thought of human food made me ill now.

"Can we actually eat any of this?" I asked him quietly.

"Technically you could, yes. We can eat and drink, just like a human could eat dirt if they really had to."

I shuddered. "Then what?"

He smiled patiently. "Our bodies aren't able to digest anything but blood now. If you were to drink or eat any of this, it would just sit in your stomach until you… got rid of it later."

"Do you mean throw it up?"

"Yes," he confirmed, before grinning at my disgusted expression. "I don't think it would be a wise thing for you to attempt today, love, but at some point, you'll end up having to eat human food to blend in. Today you can just slip it into your napkin and then throw the napkin away before we leave."

The waitress returned just then, and I ordered the first breakfast special without even reading the description. Edward placed his own order and then handed over our menus. After the waitress walked away, we simultaneously reached across the table to each other, desperate to reclaim a physical connection. Our fingers wove together and we rested our hands in the middle of the table.

"I love you," Edward said after a moment, conveying more in that simple statement than if he'd spoken for an hour straight.

"I love you too. Are we… are we going to be okay? All of us?"

"I think so," he said slowly. "It will take some ducking and dodging on our parts for a little bit, but Carlisle's plan is a solid one. There's nothing the wolves can do to us in public, and we have the advantage of endless resources, as well as friends and shelter across the world. Carlisle is hoping they'll give up if we throw them off our trail long enough to get to Europe."

"To stay with the Volturi?"

Edward hesitated. "He isn't happy about the idea of going to the Volturi, actually. He recognizes that Volterra is probably the safest place for us to be, but he's concerned about taking you there."

"Why?"

"The Volturi are traditional vampires, Bella. They drink human blood. Carlisle doesn't want to expose you to such casual disregard for human life when you're still so young… newborns are notoriously impressionable."

I blinked, his words stung. "He thinks I'd give up you, and my family, just from being around traditional vampires?"

"No, of course not," Edward amended hastily. "But imagine being around human blood, with it being spilled and drunk as a part of daily life, treated as though it's a normal, proper thing. It would be a temptation to any of us, but an especially unfair strain on you. You don't need to struggle more than you already do."

I looked around the diner, feeling somewhat mollified. We had arrived after the breakfast rush and it was mostly empty, but even so the delightful scent of the few humans made my throat burn. I turned back to Edward, forcefully pushing the thought of feeding away. "Carlisle knows them?"

"Yes, he lived with them for several decades. Intellectually, they enjoyed each others' company very much. The Volturi appreciate art, science, medicine… any new discoveries or endeavors are fascinating to them, and in that sense Carlisle became very good friends with them. But in the end he could no longer condone their lifestyle by remaining there."

"What are they like? Will I meet them?"

"Of course… they would consider it an insult if we moved so close and didn't pay them a visit. I've never met them myself, Carlisle will have to tell you more about them."

"They hate… wolves?"

Edward grinned wryly. "Passionately. Although their experience is with true werewolves, not Quileute shapeshifters. Not that it would make a difference if any of them showed up in Italy. They wouldn't even wait for a reason to kill them."

I thought about that for a moment. "Edward… why do the wolves hate us so much? Why can't they leave us alone? Why don't they believe me when I tell them that I'm happy, that I'm where I want to be?"

He rubbed his thumb gently over my hand, clasped in his. "It's more than just you, Bella, or their anger at seeing you as a vampire. That is a powerful motivating factor for their actions, but it's not the only one. Their hatred for vampires is literally bred into their very being. We are their natural enemy, and no amount of explanation or rationalization can automatically eliminate that. It's why they killed Irina, without even knowing her. It's why they're willing to kill you, even as they claim the 'murder' of a human Bella Swan as the reason for their actions. Does that make sense?"

"I suppose it should, but it doesn't."

"I understand exactly what you mean," Edward said tiredly. "When we first encountered them, decades ago, there was no violence only because their chief at the time was a man of uncommon wisdom. I would go as far to say that Ephraim Black was the Quileute equivalent of Carlisle, and it's probably the only reason a truce was agreed upon in the first place."

"Ephraim… Black?" I repeated, shocked. "Jacob's great-grandfather?"

"The very same. Did he tell you about him?"

"Not really… only that he was the last chief of the Quileutes. It was something that Billy and Jacob were both proud of."

"And for good reason. He was a fair man, cautious and wary of us, of course, but he just wanted peace for his people. It's a trait I wish his descendants had inherited."

"Maybe they have," I murmured, thinking again about Jacob, wondering if there was any way I could talk to him, explain to him…

"The little of their history they shared with us at that time makes it a little easier to understand how such hatred could become an almost instinctual thing. Evidently a pair of vampires, or 'Cold Ones,' almost completely annihilated their tribe hundreds of years ago. Innocents and warriors alike were killed. It was the beginning of a completely antagonistic relationship, and we know that they killed at least a nomad or two even while we were there. Now that they consider the treaty dissolved, we are as fair game to them as any other vampire."

"So it's not just about me?" I asked, my heart sinking. I'd hoped to appeal to Jacob, make him understand that the Cullens had saved me, not destroyed me.

"At the most basic level, no. Although it is what keeps them pursuing us so relentlessly. They'd do the same if it had been any other member of the tribe who was killed, or changed."

At that moment the waitress came over and deposited heavy white plates in front of both of us. I looked down at the messy pile of greasy meat and runny eggs, hoping that my horror didn't show on my face. Edward laughed a little and picked up his fork. "Just push it around on your plate. If you don't, she'll assume something's wrong and come back over here."

I cringed, but followed Edward's example. "So… if we're leaving town in a hurry… what about all our things? If… if they didn't destroy everything after we left, that is."

"Don't worry, love, we've had to do this a few times before. There are specialty moving companies that will pack up everything for us and ship it anywhere in the world. If possible, Carlisle will come back and supervise. He'll be safe as long as he's surrounded by humans, that's the strongest advantage we have in this particular situation."

"It's safe to have strangers going through and packing your things?"

"Yes, it's not ideal, but it's why we're careful not to leave any damning evidence about our existence lying around in our homes. We have some cash and documents there, locked in a safe, but the majority of the most private things are in vaults and safe deposit boxes across the world."

"What about my journal?"

"Believe me, Bella, these people are paid handsomely for their discretion and their speed. They'll have no reason for looking closely at anything they pack for us."

I took a deep breath, still disconcerted about the idea of strangers touching the things that were so personal to us. "That's if they didn't go back and burn the house down, I suppose."

Edward smiled sadly. "Yes. Now pretend to eat, love."

I jabbed my fork into the eggs a few more times. "I still don't understand why they won't listen. I mean, I do understand what you've told me, but how can they condone murder without provocation? The Quileutes are good people, not barbarians."

"They don't consider us to be alive," he said simply. "We aren't human to them; they regard us as demons, a threat to all humans everywhere."

"But we aren't, and they know it!"

Edward set his fork down slowly; he'd done a much better job than I at pretending to eat. "If it helps you to understand, other vampires feel the same way about them. As far as we know, we're the only vampires to have ever formed a truce with a natural enemy. Any other vampire would kill them on sight, without provocation. I'm not saying it's right, Bella, but from a biological standpoint, it makes sense. Kill or be killed. Self-preservation above all things."

"Oh," was the only response I could manage.

"Granted, their anger about what they feel we did to you is what is keeping them so focused on us specifically, but it's greater than just that. Based on what I got from Sam Uley's mind, there is nothing we can say or do that will change his mind. This isn't Ephraim Black we're dealing with now."

"Edward, I…" I paused for a moment. "Do you want to kill them?"

His jaw clenched and his eyes went hard. "Of course I do, Bella. I will kill anyone or anything that poses a threat to my family in general and my mate specifically. I wanted to kill Jacob Black and all of them from that first moment he put his hands on you and tried to take you back to La Push. Can't you understand that?"

"Of course I do," I hissed back immediately. "But you have to understand what is tearing me apart… I would do anything to protect you, I would die for you, I would kill for you. Unfortunately it's my former family who is posing that threat. My instincts are dictating one thing, but everything that's still human inside of me hurts to know that I would kill them for any reason."

Edward's face softened. "There is so much that is still human and beautiful in you, Bella. It's only one of the many reasons that I love you. And you're right… I don't understand what you're going through. I swore off taking human life decades ago, but I would do it without a second thought to protect you. I know you'd do the same, but the lives you would be taking aren't random strangers to you."

"Thank you," I said quietly. "I feel horrible even admitting that those thoughts have crossed my mind. But you don't doubt that I…"

"No, love," he interrupted. "I know how conflicted you're feeling, but I also know you'd fight to protect me to your last breath, just as I would for you. I've never doubted that for a second. Just promise me that you won't try to do anything on your own. Please, Bella, trust Carlisle in this. You can't count on your former relationship with Jacob to protect you, especially now that he's under an alpha's orders. He has no choice but to obey them."

"I promise," I said automatically.

Edward smiled at me and started to reply, but then the smile suddenly faded from his beautiful face as he snarled quietly and turned to look out the window. I followed his gaze.

There, standing across the street, were Sam and Jacob.

They had evidently acquired more clothing from somewhere, although they were still very obviously under-dressed for the frigid temperature. Sam's face was impassive, Jacob's expression was one of frustration.

"What are they doing here?" I whispered, automatically pulling Edward into my shield. "Can they hear us?"

"No, their sense of hearing isn't as acute as ours, especially when they've shifted back to their human bodies," he growled.

"What do they want?"

"Just what we knew they would… they're keeping tabs on us." Without taking his eyes from the two, Edward picked up his cell phone and quickly dialed. "Carlisle, Sam and Jacob are here, in human form. I don't doubt that they have someone watching the hotel as well, they may even be inside it. Be careful." He clicked the phone shut.

"What are they thinking?"

Edward paused for a moment. "Jacob is very angry… Sam evidently gave him an order that he doesn't want to follow. Sam is just thinking about what our plans are, trying to figure out what we're going to do. They're both surprised that we're so blatantly out in public like this. They hadn't expected that."

We both watched, frozen, until Sam spun around and walked quickly down the street, away from the diner. Jacob was close behind him.

"Can I get you two anything else today?" It was the waitress, I'd been so focused on Sam and Jacob that I hadn't even heard her approach, but half of the food on Edward's plate had vanished, and he gave her an easy smile. "Just the bill for us, please, my wife isn't as hungry as she thought she was."

I was hungry, though, and I had to pull my eyes away from the waitress as she fumbled for the guest check in her apron pocket. My throat wasn't burning so uncontrollably that I felt I needed to leave immediately, but the fire seemed to be directly related to my anxiety, and seeing Sam and Jacob had definitely ignited that.

"Do you mind if we sit here a little while longer?" Edward turned the full force of his smile on the waitress now, and she blinked dazedly before replying.

"No… of course not. You're welcome to stay as long as you like."

"Thank you," he replied, handing the guest check back to her along with a large bill. "Keep the change, we appreciate it."

"Oh… um, anytime. Come back soon!" She backed away, a silly-looking grin plastered across her face.

"Edward!" I grumbled.

"Don't worry, love, you know that no one compares to you. I just didn't want her hovering around."

"I'm a very possessive vampire. I don't like to share."

"Neither do I." His eyes darkened a little. "I can't wait until we're away from here… when we can go back to trying to be a blissfully-happy newlywed couple."

"I am blissfully happy… just worried."

Edward studied me for a moment. "Are you thirsty?" he finally asked, and I frowned.

"Yes… it's not as bad as I thought it would be. I suppose there are too many other things on my mind right now. But being nervous makes it worse."

"That's understandable… your body will automatically crave what gives it strength if you're facing a stressful situation. Try not to worry… as silly as I know that sounds."

"I'll let you know if it gets bad. I just don't know what we'll do for hunting if it does get to that point."

Edward shoved our plates to the side and reached out for my hands again, the comfort of his touch immediately calmed me. "Carlisle will get blood from a hospital or a blood bank, if absolutely necessary. Neither of us want you to ever taste human blood, but we'd rather you have it that way than to lose control, especially after we get to Anchorage."

I shuddered slightly. "Is it that much harder to resist after you've had it once?"

His gaze was unwavering. "Yes. That's why we'd rather it not come to that."

My hand went unconsciously up to my neck, the burn felt like a very painful sore throat, but it wasn't excruciating just yet. "I think it would be easier for me to just hold off until we're safely out of town, then. Tanya said that my shield might help me to resist human blood, maybe I should start practicing that."

"Perhaps, but it won't make you infallible," he cautioned. "If it gets to be too much, you have to let me know. We'll find a zoo if absolute push comes to shove."

I eyed him suspiciously. "Have you ever…"

He chuckled. "Only once, many many years ago. It would be much more difficult now, with things like security cameras and such."

"Is this a story I want to hear?"

"It was Emmett's fault," he said quickly. "He used to put off hunting until the last second, because he and Rosalie were always so occupied with each other. We were living in New England at the time…" He stopped and his fingers went rigid in mine.

"What's wrong?" I asked immediately.

"You have got to be fucking kidding me," he muttered, just as I noticed a uniformed policeman heading directly towards our booth. His expression was cautious but resolute, and I could feel Edward stiffen even more as the officer stopped next to us.

"Bella Swan?"

I gave him a tight-lipped but polite smile. "My name is Bella Cullen. Is something wrong?"

"My name is Officer Davis, I'm following up on a report that was just made concerning you, ma'am. It's, ah, unusual, but we're required to check on it. We received a complaint on your behalf that you're being held against your will, and I need to determine if you're in need of assistance."

I blinked in shock and my mouth fell open involuntarily. "What?"

The officer gave me an apologetic look but didn't waver. "Are you currently in danger or being held against your will? Or would you like to discuss this matter in a more private setting?"

"No…this is…" I sputtered, before feeling the pressure of Edward's foot gently pressing down on mine, reminding me to remain calm. "I'm sorry, Officer, I'm just completely stunned by this. I'm not being held against my will by anyone. Who in the world told you that?"

"I can't release that information, ma'am. Are you certain you don't want to discuss this in private with me?" He gave Edward a long look, and I had to fight down a snarl.

"Officer, I can assure you that I am not being held against my will, although I can tell you who filed a false report supposedly on my behalf. I'm sure their names were Sam Uley and Jacob Black. They have been harassing and following me and my family, because of a past relationship I had with them. This man is my husband, and I can assure you that I'm definitely with him of my own free will."

I could tell we were attracting attention from the few patrons and employees in the diner now, but I was too angry to care. "Bella," Edward cautioned, too low for the officer to hear.

"If that's your statement, Mrs. Cullen, I'll have to take it. Do you have any ID on you right now?"

"No, I don't. Officer, my father was the chief of police in my hometown, I know I'm not under investigation here, but I am concerned that the two men stalking me have gone to these lengths to continue harassing my family. Isn't it illegal for them to have knowingly filed a false police report?"

"They seemed to be acting out of a genuine concern for your wellbeing, not necessarily maliciously."

"Believe me when I tell you it was malicious!" The pressure of Edward's foot on mine increased and I took a deep breath. "If it takes me having to file a restraining order against them, I'll do it."

"You're within your rights to do so, Mrs. Cullen. I'll advise them that I followed up on their report, and in the meantime, I suggest you try and stay as far from them as possible."

"Trust me, we try to," I said from between clenched teeth. Officer Davis retrieved a card from his pocket.

"If for any reason you need the assistance of law enforcement, you can dial 911 or you can call the Wasilla Police Department directly at this number." He glanced at Edward again, and then I saw his gaze flicker down to the wedding rings on our hands. "I'll also advise the complainants to maintain their distance from you, if you like."

"Yes please, we would appreciate that," Edward broke in smoothly. "My wife has been put under a great deal of stress due to their behavior. It's gone as far as attempting to break into our home, following us around town, and threatening me."

Officer Davis pursed his lips. "Is your family the Cullens who owns the hunting lodge outside of town?"

"Yes."

He nodded slowly. "I'll pass on what you've told me to the other officers. Mrs. Cullen, if their behavior is as you've described it, please do consider filing a restraining order. I thought their report was… odd… but we are required to follow up on all of them."

"I appreciate that," I replied tersely. "I'm sorry that they wasted your time for it, though."

He shook his head. "We never view it as wasted time. Please call us if you continue to have problems with them, otherwise we'll consider this matter closed."

"Thank you, sir." We both watched as the officer turned and strode out of the diner, nodding to a couple of the patrons on his way.

I finally turned to meet Edward's eyes. "Did that just actually happen? Did that really and truly just happen? What in the hell were they hoping to accomplish?"

He frowned. "I don't know… to try and separate us, maybe, or to distract us long enough to drop our guard? Or maybe just as harassment, to remind us that they're still watching us?"

"I was hoping he'd arrest both of them and throw them in jail," I said, gritting my teeth. "This is insane."

"We have to be aware now too that he may tell Sam and Jacob to leave you and your husband alone," Edward pointed out.

"I don't care, I hope he does. We can't live our lives like this, Edward! They can't get at us one way, so they come at us in another!"

"Shh," he said gently. "Soon we don't have to worry about them at all, remember?"

I dragged in a deep shuddering breath. "Let's get out of here. Let's go sit in the park. I don't care if it's freezing out there."

"You don't want to go back to the hotel?"

"No, not yet. I just want to be alone with you. I don't want to be around anyone else right now." I could feel my emotions starting to boil over, newborn frustration taking over my rational side.

Edward stood almost too quickly, and held out his hand to me, then helped me to shrug back into my coat. We made our way outside again, both of us pausing to check for any sign of Jacob and Sam. When we could neither see nor smell them, Edward snuggled me against his side and we set off for the park. I breathed in the crisp clean air, trying to calm down from the utter absurdity that we'd just gone through. We'd both been worried about supernatural wolf attacks; instead they'd called the police on us. It would have been laughable if it weren't maddening.

Due to the cold, the park was completely deserted and we settled on a bench, somewhat isolated but still within easy view of the street and a good distance from a thick stand of trees. I knew Edward was listening vigilantly for any of the wolves, but neither of us wanted to take any chances.

"Now you know why I wanted to take you to Isle Esme so badly," Edward said softly after a moment. "There are times when I don't want to be around anyone other than you; when I don't want to talk to anyone but you; want to share every second of the day only with you. There are times when I just can't get enough of you: making love to you; kissing you; just looking at you."

"That's exactly how I feel right now," I breathed. "I'm so tired of all this… I want it to be just you and me for a while, before we have to come back to the real world. I want our happily-ever-after. Is that too much to ask for?"

"Evidently, it is for you and I," he replied dryly, before placing a soft kiss against my temple. "Fate just keeps getting in our way. Know what I miss?"

"What?"

"Well, with the exception that I prefer your body impermeable and unbreakable now, I miss those few weeks we had in your apartment. We were living in the most idyllic little bubble then; our biggest worry was whether or not you'd have the energy to get up and go to class after making love all night long."

I smiled and felt some of the tension melt away from my body. "I miss having you all to myself during the week, but still getting to visit your family on the weekends."

"I miss taking you to our meadow."

"I miss you cooking for me."

"I miss that enormous box of La Perla underwear." We both laughed at that. It was one thing Alice hadn't packed up in advance, and it had been left behind.

"I ought to order more; since you prefer me to go without anything under my clothes, it hadn't even crossed my mind."

He hummed in pleasure. "Yes, please do. I miss taking it off of you every evening and kissing every inch of your body along the way."

"Do you miss me being human?"

Edward paused and seriously considered my question for a moment. "In all honesty… no. I miss the time we had together then, but I'm happy you're immortal and indestructible now. I can make love to you without worrying that I'll hurt you."

"What's your favorite memory of my human life?"

He thought again. "The day that you married me. Followed very closely by the night of the Halloween party. But definitely our wedding day, it was the culmination of everything I'd been waiting on for over a century."

I smiled and reached up to touch his cheek. "That's my favorite memory too. It's remarkably clear in my mind, actually."

"And what came after that…"

"Yes," I whispered, then tilted my head back for his kiss, warm and loving against my lips. He pressed several more gentle kisses over my face, before tensing and then growling a little.

"Jacob is coming."

I jerked upright and looked over my shoulder, making sure Edward was enclosed in my shield. Sure enough, Jacob was striding resolutely towards us, and I was immediately on my feet, Edward beside me, putting his arm protectively in front of my body. "What do you want, Jacob?"

My former best friend paused about ten feet away, the tension in his jaw giving away the frustration that was quivering through him. "What I want, bloodsucker, is to tear you into pieces."

"Jacob…" I whispered, and his dark eyes swung coldly to me before returning to Edward.

"So… Mr. and Mrs. Cullen, huh? When did that happen? Before or after you killed her?"

"Say what you came to say, and then get away from us," Edward snapped.

"Oh, I have plenty to say to you, believe me, but I'm under orders to deliver a message. Sam has a compromise for you."

"Tell Sam he can go to hell."

"This is the one and only time he's offering, bloodsucker. I wouldn't turn it down if I were you."

"When did he decide he wanted to negotiate with us? Did he have a change of heart after he tried to kill my wife?"

I saw Jacob flinch at the word. "Believe me, he still wants to kill you. We all want to kill you. But we know you're planning on taking off, and none of us like the idea of spending the next ten years chasing you around the world."

"You expect us to believe that?" Edward's voice was flat, and I wondered what he was hearing in Jacob's mind.

"You can take it or leave it."

"Why didn't Sam come to us himself?"

"Maybe I wanted to talk to Bella."

Edward tensed. "Again, you should have thought of that before your pack of mutts attacked our family."

Jacob's flint-like eyes narrowed. "This doesn't mean peace between us. We have no desire to renew the treaty with you, but there's no point in continuing to chase you when we know you have the advantage on us. Our terms are non-negotiable."

"And those are…?" Edward asked icily.

"We don't want you anywhere on the western half of this continent. We'll return to Washington as soon as you leave, but if you cross our path again, we will deal with you just as we would any other vampires. You have twenty-four hours to get out of here."

"You're claiming a rather large territory that you have no real right to."

"We're claiming it nevertheless. You can have the entire rest of the world."

"Thank you for your generosity," Edward said sarcastically. "Is there anything else you want to share with us?"

"You have five minutes to decide, and then I'll be back for your answer. If you're not here, just know that we'll catch up to you eventually, and there won't be any talking then."

"Jacob…" I gasped, but he gave me one last hard look, turned and walked away without looking back. I swung to face Edward then. "What…"

Edward's cell phone was ringing and he answered it without looking at me. "Alice… yes, we're fine. Yes, they've been trying to get to us, but everything is okay. We'll be back soon." He snapped his phone shut and then took a deep breath before turning to look at me.

"I read his mind, love. He was replaying his conversation with Sam practically verbatim in his head, to keep from saying something he'd regret. Sam's offer is genuine. Like Jacob said, they don't want to spend their lives trying to track us down, leaving La Push unprotected, and they know we have greater resources than they do."

"Sam's a liar," I said immediately.

"He can't lie to Jacob. They share a group mind, remember? Sam might think he could get away with lying to us, but he knows he can't lie to another wolf."

"Why did he send Jacob instead of coming himself?"

He smiled grimly. "Because he knew that you at least would be less likely to kill that particular messenger."

I hesitated, my instinctual suspicion battling with the desire to be done with the wolves. "This seems almost too easy."

"I know," Edward said softly. "But Jacob wasn't lying. We're in a public place, and we'll stay here. We won't go anywhere with him, and he knows we have the advantage over him in human form."

"Should we call Carlisle?"

"We don't want to give the impression that we're ganging up on him. I don't hear or sense any of the others, and you and I are stronger than Jacob is. He wouldn't dare phase in public. And don't forget what Carlisle told you: our venom is lethal to them even in human form."

"If you're sure…"

He lifted a hand to run gently along my cheekbone. "I don't want to spend the rest of eternity looking over our shoulders, love. Remember, they don't know that I'm able to read their minds. Jacob's thoughts were very straightforward: he could barely stand to look at you; he wanted to kill me; but the compulsion of the order he'd been given overrode everything else. He wasn't lying. I can deal with living only the in eastern half of North America if it means our safety and peace of mind."

"I can't believe I'm about to say this," I replied slowly, "But I think you're being entirely too trusting."

"You're the one who wanted to try and talk to Jacob." He gave me a half-smile.

"Yes." I was silent for a long moment. "If you're sure they mean it, and that Carlisle and the others will agree with it too, then let's accept their offer."

"All right. I'll know in an instant if he changes his mind, or if it's a trap. If they do, run straight back to the main street of town."

"I will."

"He's coming," he warned me quietly, and I followed his gaze to see Jacob striding toward us again. He stopped a few yards away and stood silently, glaring at us.

"We accept your terms," Edward finally said. "As high-handed and arrogant as they may be. We'll require longer than twenty-four hours for arranging to move all our possessions, but then we'll leave and we won't come back. In return, you will all stay on your side of the country, no exceptions. You can't dictate our lives and actions without expecting the same in return. You know we're just as capable of killing you."

Jacob's lip curled up in a sneer. "I'd love to see you try, but I'm just following orders."

"Don't bother trying anything when we return to our house. We'll have humans with us."

"To help you move, or as a snack?"

I'd been silent up until that moment, but at Jacob's last words, my temper snapped. "That's crap and you know it, Jacob! Did Sam brainwash you or something? We may be natural enemies, but you don't see us hunting you down, or threatening your family."

He glared at me, his jaw clenched. "You don't know how sick it makes me to hear that."

"What?"

"That we're natural enemies. You were my best friend, Bella, but look what they've done to you! It goes beyond brainwashing. They fucking killed you! You're dead to me now!"

Edward growled softly beside me and I quickly reached down to take his hand, squeezing it gently to calm him. Jacob's eyes followed the move and disgust flared in them. "Do whatever you have to, but pack your coffins and get the hell out of here. We never want to see you again."

And with that, he spun on his heel and strode away.

xoxoxoxoxoxo

Say it with me...DID THOSE STUPID WOLVES ACTUALLY CALL THE COPS ON THEM? When will they learn to mind their own business? GRRR!

I loved reading everyone's preferences for the most optimal resolution to the situation...what do you think now? Could it really be this easy? And if no...why not? Jacob's telling the truth, after all...

Three quick things to share: first of all, THANK YOU and WELCOME to all my new readers, and an especially big THANK YOU to isakassees for her kind rec of IDBiV in her This is Not My Life update! If you ever find this story through a rec, please let me know so I can smooch the rec'er accordingly!

Second: mah fanfic-twin-for-life brits23 has a new story, and it's not my undying loyalty and lurve for her that makes me say ZOMG PLEASE DROP EVERYTHING AND GO READ NOW! Some fics are just entertaining, some are just titillating...this one is pure poetry. It's called There Once Was a King and you can find it here: www(DOT)fanfiction(DOT)net/s/6127359/1/There_Once_Was_a_King

Finally: I just started a new job that does NOT allow much/any internet/fan-fic-activity, even during my downtime, so my ability to reply to reviews will be dropping sharply. :-( If you have a specific question, though, don't hesitate to DM me here on FanFic, or Tweet me, I'm lazykatevamp on Twitter!

As always THANK YOU to everyone who continues to read, you all mean the world to me!