Chapter 42: Alliance

~Edward~

With our children tucked safely into bed under the watchful eyes of their grandmother, Aunts and Uncles, Bella and I left the house well past one in the morning along with Carlisle. It only took a full day after we all converged on Charlie's Forks home for Jacob to contact us, wanting a meeting. While we ran through the woods toward the clearing where we defeated the newborn army, none of us said a word. Carlisle's thoughts were still on a conversation he had with Eleazar regarding Lily's abilities. Eleazar was under the belief that some of what Lily did with her moving was connected in some way to a theory about Astral Projection. Astral Projection was something I'd heard of over the span of my long life, though until recently had never given much thought too.

"Do you think Lily is the key?" Bella's question quieted the thoughts in Carlisle's mind along with my own.

We slowed down to a brisk run rather than the sprinting speed by which we had all been moving. I glanced at Carlisle having heard his thoughts on that matter nodding briefly as Bella looked at him as well.

"Eleazar has never heard of any being mortal or otherwise who can do what she can. He believes that possible Joham may have been using her to collect or hunt down other half human half vampire children like Lily and your children."

As we approached the clearing the unmistakable scent of wolf assailed our senses and for now the topic of Lily and her abilities was closed. Upon stepping out of the woods the light of the moon shown down on the clearing as Jacob stepped out of the forest on the other end from us. Sam joined him, both of them in human form along with Leah Clearwater. The other members of their pack were hidden behind the trees further away, and while Jacob was at ease seeing us, Sam and Leah were still weary along with the other wolves. For a few long moments we all stayed where we were. It was Jacob who broke away from his group first, followed by Bella from where Carlisle and I stood on either side of her.

Jacob was trying to stay focused on what he wanted to say, but his mind kept drifting back to the conversation he had with the members of his pack along with his imprint. Half way across the field Bella and Jacob stopped with only a foot in front of one another. There was a sudden jolt as my wife dropped her shield allowing me to listen to her thoughts. Her mind was on our sleeping babies along with her worry for Jacob and his family. "Thank you for watching over my little girl."

It was evident that Jake was slightly uncomfortable because he began to shift a little from foot to foot. "No Problem, she's, well pretty amazing, just like you."

Bella's mind was filled with pride along with mine and Carlisle as well. "They have been through so much. Jake you don't have to do anymore. We are trying to find our own answers."

Already Jacob was shaking his head. "You are wrong. This isn't something we can just ignore. If there are more children like your two and Lily with such strong powers and someone is using them for doing bad, then it does affect us."

While Jacob kept talking, Carlisle and I walked toward them. Sam and Leah also began to converge into the field and the wolves drew slightly closer to our proximity. "This isn't something we can just hope will go away. It sounds like this blood, er, this vampire is making his own race for God only knows what reason."

His words brought back memories Jasper had about his time in the South with Maria, though their war was over humans for food. Joham's intent seemed more on making a superior race beyond Vampire and Mortal combined.

Sam stepped slightly closer to us. "With all that is happening we feel that for now the treaty is irrelevant. We need to work together and not have any lines that divide us."

Bella glanced back at me and to Carlisle who stepped closer as well. "Are all in your packs prepared to work together?" My father worried about some of the pack members like Paul, who Emmett almost fought Emmett back when our only worries were Victories Newborn Army

"Everyone has agreed that this is what is best for us. The only thing we ask is that you don't hunt on our land."

Carlisle nodded, assured by Sam's words, more so than me but maybe I had old prejudices that had not quite gone away. "There are two of our kind who are on their way here. A very old friend of my family has an ability to categorize the talents of others."

Jacob nodded as Sam tensed. "Are they like you?"

"Yes, they feed off of animals not humans. We are hopeful that when he gets here Eleazar can help us find some answers and possibly a way to find these others." There were a few growls from the distance but one growl from Jake was enough to quiet them. It appeared like us, the wolves wanted to see this Joham defeated and along with him the Children of the Night.

There was near silence in the house as we drew closer. Our children were still asleep and the somewhat peaceful thoughts of our family indicated that Renesmee and Anthony had not woken to notice us missing. "They didn't wake up."

Bella smiled taking my hand as Esme appeared at the back door. While Carlisle quickened his pace to join her, Bella and I remained standing outside. "What did you think of our meeting with Jake?"

Before answering, I reached out moving a few strands of errant hair away from my beautiful wife's face. "They are sincere in their want to help us. The need to protect their tribe and those around us has prompted this new found peace. None of them thought negatively about us being here, not even Paul."

My wife sighed, "They have come a long way; we all have. Do you think there will be a confrontation here as there was with Victoria and her army?"

"Let's hope not."

After an all too brief kiss, Bella and I went inside, upstairs to the room she once occupied when she was still human. Renesmee slept soundly in Bella's old bed hugging a new stuffed animal Seth had gotten her, one in the shape of a wolf. While Bella checked on Anthony in his Pack N Play, I knelt beside the bed watching my little girl as she slept. Her dreams were peaceful, mostly shapes and colors.

"I love watching them sleep," Bella whispered as she knelt next to me. "I understand why you stayed to watch me sleep. They are so peaceful, so happy."

"They will be happy once more. I think having Eleazar here will be helpful, and with Jake and the packs ready to lend a hand, perhaps we can gain what we haven't, an answer too all of this madness."

Bella nodded leaning against me while we continued to watch as our little girl slept.

AN: Alright, I know this is short, but it is a start and hopefully I can begin to get everything put together for a explosive ending. Thank you all for the great reviews, more to come eventually, hopefully sooner rather than later.

~Ella~