Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s): T, Shadows
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Prompt: Technology

"You need to feed, Bella," Alice said, grabbing my arm and pulling me in spite of my growl.

"Alice, don't push her," Edward said, placing a hand on her arm to stop her. "If she's had enough…oh." His eyes grew wide. "Are you sure?" She nodded. Turning to me he repeated her words. "You need to feed, Bella."

"Why?" Emmett asked, faster than me.

"They're kidnapping humans. They're bringing them to the confrontation and plan on tormenting you with their blood. They think if you kill one we'll reject you from our family." Alice's words made my stomach clench. If I'd been human I would have been violently ill.

"What?" Birds flew as my voice screeched through the trees. A calming wave hit me, but a glare at Jasper made it stop. "Why? Why would they hurt them?"

"To hurt you, and by extension, to hurt me," Edward said.

"And to hurt us all," Esme added, coming over to put a hand on my shoulder. The rest of the family circled in, forming a wall of support. "Bella, even if you fall and kill one of the humans, you are still family. We will love you and help you all we can. Don't ever think we would ostracize you for this."

Warmth flooded me as I took in all their faces. It came from inside, so it couldn't be Jasper's doing. It swelled, reaching for them, all until it seemed my love for them wrapped around them in a giant hug. Each person shined like a bright spark within my mental grasp. The brightest glowed next to me.

My head fit comfortably into Edward's shoulder. It was softer than it used to be. "Don't let me kill anyone."

"I won't, but let's take the proper precautions." I nodded in his chest. A sniff of the air later and I was running in the direction of something that smelled much better than elk. Edward was smiling beside me, keeping pace, letting me know what I'd picked up was safe for consumption. The rest of the family fanned out, searching for their own prey. No one wanted to fail tomorrow.

We hunted all night, joined by our non-vegetarian allies. They didn't want to break either. As Garrett so aptly put it, "Anything that binds us together is a good thing. We are fighting for the right of all of us to live our lives as we see fit. Within reason, of course."

At dawn everyone's satellite phones rang. Alice insisted we spend as much time hunting as possible, using the technology available to call us together when it was time. We didn't bother answering when we saw the number. We turned and ran for a meadow in the middle of the Cascades.

It took an hour for everyone to converge. Judging by the eye color of some members their meal hadn't been vegetarian, but I took comfort in knowing they wouldn't bow to the pressure of the Volturi either. Hands were joining hands as people expressed their love and friendship with those nearby. A few goodbyes were shared, just in case. How I wished I could grab them all and run far away, protecting them from what we were about to face.

Warmth bloomed in me again, stronger than the first time. It spread around my family, and then reached past them to others. As each person was added the warmth grew, as if the spark I saw fed the fire, giving it strength until all were blanketed underneath.

The wolves arrived, but remained in the woods behind us, Jacob leading the way. If Esme was here, so was Marta. Where was he hiding her? She must be on the reservation. His smile was tight, worried but determined, warming me further. The warmth spread to encompass him, making all the wolves shine like sparks in my mind. We were one, united in purpose.

"They're here…" Emmett said, pulling my attention forward. The cadence of marching feet reached me long before I saw them at the top of the hill. The sun broke through the clouds, reflecting off their skin, seeming to light the entire valley with rainbows. Row after row of vampires came over the ridge, becoming less regimented as they went back.

"Are they all part of the guard?" I asked Edward.

"No, only the first few rows. The rest are here to witness our offenses and eventual destruction." He paused, cocking his head to the side like he often did when listening. "Some of them are hungry, wanting the humans at the back. Others are outraged that the Volturi would expose them like this. They think it's a waste of food, though a few wonder if the guard intend to change them."

"Do we know the humans?" Carlisle asked.

"I can't hear them, Alex has them covered." Edward looked at me and explained. "Alex blocks all their senses. They can't see, feel, hear, anything. All I hear is panic and memories of seeing Alex. They don't remember other people."

The advance line disappeared behind the trees below the ridge. We watched the stragglers follow after. Even at this distance we could make out when they jumped in surprise at seeing our group and looked back at something behind them.

Eventually the last of the stragglers reached the top of the trees. "Where are the humans?" I asked.

Edward drew in his breath like a hiss. Alice gasped beside me. "Oh, no," she murmured before taking hold of one of my arms. Edward grabbed the other.

That's when a line of vampires dressed in cloaks crested the ridge. Each of them had a human thrown over their shoulder. My eyes sought out Jane, walking at the far left, and the feeling of sickness returned when I saw how young the girl she carried was. No more than twelve, I surmised. I took in the rest. The ages of their victims seemed to increase until I saw Demetri.

He carried my father.

*Runs and hides*