AN: Sorry for the wait, a long chapter to make up for it! Ah, so many of you upset with me because of Jacob's wolfy problem. Hehe, just keep reading, you'll see xx


Chapter Twenty Two

Once again, I was sitting at my desk in my warm office, gazing out the rain splattered window at the grey, dreary Seattle skyline.

I was reading an email from Marcus, which was again gushing at the success of the black tie gala and forwarding emails from other happy guests who wished to further their association with the library, either through a sizeable donation or suggestions for visiting authors. I was glad that despite my manic night, the event had been successful. So successful in fact, that Marcus had hired an event planner to arrange another gala just in time for Christmas. I was relieved that the weight of that party would not rest on my shoulders and I could simply return to my original job of quality and planning manager.

I was thankful that in the month and a half since the gala, Cole had not reappeared in my life nor had he tried to contact Mel again. She was blissfully happy, having cemented her relationship with Chris, who had decided to move in with her.

Although I wished I could be truly happy for her, my heart ached for Jacob, who spent every weekend in La Push, returning to Seattle to simply work and sleep. Now that the fear of imprinting no longer hung over us, I wanted to truly explore our new relationship – throw myself into it without holding back. But I could tell that Jacob wasn't entirely happy. As grateful as he was to not be a werewolf anymore, he was devastated that he could not help his brothers in the fight against the Volturi. He felt helpless and weak and nothing I said helped.

"Bella?" Marcus' head craning around my doorway snapped me out of my reverie and I smiled at him.

"I was just replying to your email," I said. "What's up?"

He looked at his watch and raised his eyebrows. "Go home!" he ordered. "Next week is Thanksgiving and I'm giving you strict orders to take the entire week off. You've outdone yourself since arriving and I don't want you to burn out. Go home and rest. I have your cell phone number and this place won't fall apart without you."

I smiled gratefully at him, hit the send button on the email and turned off my computer. "I'm really liking working here, Marcus," I told him as I gathered my things.

"We love having you," he replied. "Now go home and promise me you won't work too hard this next week."

I grinned as I picked up my bag, straining under the weight of the all the books I had crammed inside. "I'll read these and take notes," I said, "but seriously, I feel like I can barely call that work. Getting paid to do what I love."

He grimaced, "Just wait until you read 'Flowers under the Midnight Sky'. It is being heralded as the most boring book of the year," Marcus said with his guffawing laugh.

We said goodbye and I headed outside, putting up my umbrella resignedly and walked home in the unrelenting rain.

When I arrived home, my apartment door was unlocked. I kicked off my sodden tennis shoes and shook out my umbrella, leaving it in the hallway to drip dry. Walking into the living room, I saw Henry sitting on the two seater couch, while Jacob sat stiffly in the armchair. Neither was looking at each other, nor talking.

I cleared my throat.

"Hey guys!" I greeted them, wishing again that Henry would just go home.

To be fair, after the horrendous night of the gala, Henry had realised that winning me back was not on the cards, and had travelled down the west coast, using Seattle as a home base and me as a convenient resting house. Usually, if he was back in Seattle, I would go and stay at Jacob's place, but I had forgotten that he would be returning this evening.

Both men greeted me, and the warm look in Jacob's eyes made my skin tingle.

I strode into the kitchen and pulled open the fridge, pulling out the chicken I had defrosted for dinner. "So Henry," I began casually, "how long are you back in Seattle for this time?"

Jacob and I were driving back to Forks first thing in the morning, so I hoped we would be able to avoid him as much as possible.

"Well actually, as next week is Thanksgiving, I was hoping I could join you and Karin. Obviously, I don't have any family to spend the holiday with."

Jacob stood up and wandered into the kitchen, opened the fridge and pulled out a beer. He hesitated then took out a second one for Henry.

"You want to come to Forks?" I asked, surprised.

"Lots of vamps around," muttered Jacob almost inaudibly. "Would be a shame if he got eaten."

I kicked him gently and rolled my eyes. "Of course, Henry that's fine. Karin will be happy to see you, I'm sure. Maybe you can join her and the Clearwater's for the day?" Then of course I realised that Sue would probably want to spend Thanksgiving with Charlie and I cursed silently. "When do you think you'll head back to the UK?"

He shrugged and thanked Jacob who handed him the beer. "I should head home soon; mother starts to fret if I'm gone too long and I can see that I am starting to overstay my welcome."

Manners nearly had me shaking my head and reassuring him, but I stopped myself in time. He was overstaying his welcome. I wanted to come home to my apartment on a Friday evening and relax with my boyfriend, not make awkward small talk with my ex.

The boys watched TV as I made a chicken casserole for dinner and put it in the oven. Then I went and showered, taking my time to let the hot water stream over my body. I lathered the shampoo into a thick foam and massaged it deeply into my scalp. I carefully shaved my legs and under my arms and then just stood under the stream of water, letting the heat penetrate me until finally I began to relax.

One week. That was all we had left until the Volturi arrived.

The fear clenched my stomach so hard I bent double, clutching my torso and sobbing out loud. Blind panic overwhelmed me and I sunk to my knees, the hot water pelting my back and dripping relentlessly down my face, mingling with my tears as they flowed freely down my cheeks.

And then Jacob was there. He drew back the curtain, turned off the water and climbed into the tub, wrapping his arms around me and shushing me as the gasping sobs that wracked my body slowed and finally stopped. I wiped my nose on my hand and sniffed, releasing my clutch on him and gazing up at him through bloodshot eyes.

"You're all wet," I mumbled.

He shook his head. "It doesn't matter," he replied quietly, standing and lifting me carefully under the arms, helping me out of the bath and wrapping a warm towel around my shoulders. "I could tell you weren't okay. Have you been like this all day?"

I shook my head. "No, it just hit me suddenly."

"We're going to be okay," he said quietly. "Look at our numbers Bells. And I've been down there, watching their training. They're organised Bella. Everyone knows where they need to be and what they need to do – you'll see. We've got this in the bag."

"You should touch wood," I mumbled, wrapping the towel closer around me and hating myself for falling to pieces.

"I don't need to," he said gently, holding me tightly and kissing my wet hair. "You'll see."

I dressed and went back into the living room. Jacob set the table as I took the casserole out of the oven and made a quick salad. The three of us sat and ate dinner, my mind wandering as Jacob made polite small talk about Henry's family back in the UK.

Was it really safe to bring Henry to Forks this weekend? He loved to fish, so maybe bringing him down to distract Charlie wouldn't be such a bad idea. We would simply have to send him packing before the Volturi arrived, and they weren't due for another week.

My stomach clenched again and I put down my fork, suddenly unable to stomach the last mouthful of chicken.

Lying in bed later that night, I whispered my concerns to Jacob. "What are we going to do with Henry when we get to Forks?" I asked.

I felt Jacob shrub then snort with laughter. "Maybe he could stay with the Cullens and their visitors."

I elbowed him. "Not an option," I muttered.

Jacob groaned. "Oh! I bet Leah imprints on him! That would just be my luck – I get stuck with bloody Hugh Grant for the rest of my life."

"Shut up," I teased, wriggling closer so he was forced to raise his arm and wrap it around me. I lay contentedly on his chest. "Maybe he can stay with Leah and Seth though? They have a spare room and Charlie doesn't."

"Sounds good, let Karin look after him for a while."

The next morning dawned bright and frosty. I woke to the delicious scent of coffee, wafting in from the kitchen, and snuggled in closer to Jacob, glad for the extra warmth on a wintery morning.

"One good thing about having Henry here," I mumbled into Jacob's chest, pressing my lips into his soft skin. "He knows how to make a good coffee."

There was a quiet knock on the door and Henry called through softly, "Breakfast's ready."

"Is this weird?" Jacob asked. "Your ex-boyfriend making us breakfast while we lie here naked in bed together?"

I made my eyes wide in fake surprise and pretended to gasp. "You're naked?" I ducked under the blankets and shimmied down, tickling his tummy with my fingers as I went.

Jacob squirmed and laughed and then groaned as I kissed a path down from his belly button. "Bella," he moaned then hissed as I took him in my mouth.

Breakfast was cold by the time we had dressed and left the bedroom, and I found that I couldn't meet Henry's eyes.

The drive to Forks was uneventful and we arrived at midday, just in time for Sue to ply us with food. Seth and Leah were also at Charlie's house, which of course meant Karin was there as well and we didn't fit around the small kitchen table. Instead we ate lunch off of our laps, perching around the sofas in the living room or sitting on the floor. Karin had slipped into life with Seth with ease, and her familiarity with his family made me jealous in a way I couldn't explain.

I was glad when they finally left, taking Henry with them. I helped Charlie in the kitchen with the dishes, humming quietly to the radio as we worked.

He cleared his throat and I rolled my eyes, knowing what was coming.

"You and Jacob seem to be getting on well," he commented.

I wiped a wine glass dry making sure that not a trace of water smeared the surface and considered my response. I decided that less was always better with Charlie. "Yup."

"Well okay then," he said, pulling the plug from the sink and letting the water gurgle noisily down the drain. "And will he be staying tonight?" He turned to face me his arms crossed.

I shrugged, "I suppose that's up to you, Dad. But he usually stays over in Seattle, if that's what you're wondering."

A small frown creased his eyebrows and his lips thinned.

"You love Jacob, Dad," I reminded him.

"I know," he grumbled, "but you're my daughter and it's hard for me to let go. He better be treating you right."

A small cough drew our attention and we both turned to look at Jacob's huge hulking form framed in the doorway. He rubbed his nose awkwardly. "I'm certainly trying, sir," he said.

"Well then," Charlie said, clearing his throat as well as we all stood in awkward silence. "I suppose it's okay if you stay. But these walls are thin and I sleep with my gun."

Heat flooded my face and I covered my face with my hands.

"I'll keep that in mind, Charlie," Jacob said, amusement in his voice.

I wanted to fall through the floor and disappear.

The weekend passed quickly. Henry, Charlie and Sue enjoyed fishing together and I encouraged them to go, wanting Charlie and Henry out of harm's way as much as possible. Karin and I sat and watched the training on multiple occasions and I was in awe of the work they had done over the past month. A glimpse of hope sparked inside me and I found myself believing that we might actually have a chance.

On Monday, Charlie returned to work and I convinced Sue to babysit Henry for the day as I joined the others in the clearing to watch the day's training.

I arrived early, and spotted Alice, perched lightly on a fallen tree. I hurried over and hugged her – we hadn't had a chance to talk in weeks and it was good to see her again. Her family stood with a group of vampires that I knew by sight but not by name and they seemed to be arguing about something.

"What's wrong?" I asked her, noticing that her delicate elfin features were concerned.

"Some of our visitors have conflicting ideas about the best methods to face the Volturi," she said, as if choosing her words carefully. "Edward especially disagrees with one of their suggestions."

"What's that?" I asked, registering the arrival of Jacob and the Quileute pack.

Edward had overheard our conversation and was by Alice's side in an instant. "It's out of the question," he snarled. "And highly unlikely to eventuate into anything concrete. Their hypothesis is entirely unfounded."

"What is it?" I asked, disliking the anger blazing in his golden eyes.

A dusty looking vampire with ash blonde hair and dressed in old fashioned black clothes moved liquidly over to us. His eyelashes were so pale they nearly looked grey and framed deep burgundy eyes. I felt Jacob move closer behind me and I stepped back into him, glad for his strength and warmth.

"You are a shield," the vampire said, his voice smooth and ancient.

"Don't listen to Vladamir, Bella," Edward said, "it's not important."

A group of vampires had come over to us and were listening intently to the conversation. A tall male vampire with golden eyes held his hand out to me. Hesitantly, I took it and he introduced himself. "My name is Eleazar," he said and shook my head gently. "And this is my wife, Carmen." He indicated a woman with dark brown hair and a slight olive tone to her pale skin. She looked like she could be of Spanish descent.

"Eleazar has come across human shields before," explained Carlisle in his quiet voice.

"It makes no difference, Carlisle," hissed Edward. "She's human, so the point is moot."

One of the flawless Denali sisters stepped forward and took my hand before Edward could stop her. She released it quickly, but Edward snarled at her, planting himself firmly between me and the other vampires. Jacob wrapped me in his arms protectively and stepped backwards.

"Never do that again!" snapped Edward, glaring daggers at the blonde Denali sister.

However, she was smiling. "Oh yes, she's a shield alright. That kind of voltage should have put her on her ass."

"Killed her you mean!" shouted Edward. "She's human, Kate!"

"Enough!" Alice's voice echoed through the group. "Bella is fine, luckily! But she may not be next time, and with all these shape shifters around I can't see. No more experiments."

Kate and Eleazar nodded, frowning and turned away from us. The old grey vampire named Vladamir continued to stare at me, his eyes hungry.

"You too, Dracula," said Jacob.

The vampire smiled, his teeth glinting, and seemed to float away from us.

"Creepy," Jacob muttered. "Come on, we humans need to find a safe spot to watch."

ooo

That evening, Jacob went to La Push to have dinner with Billy and Rachel and I claimed to need a night at home to catch up on my reading for work. I waved him goodbye, and as soon as his car had disappeared down the road, I pulled the keys to Charlie's cruiser from my pocket and hopped into his car, starting the ignition. It was a quick drive to the Cullen's house, and I remembered the route easily, turning off down the dark driveway that led to their house.

All the lights were on and the glow from the floor to ceiling windows lit the surrounding forest, promising warmth and comfort inside. It was hard to believe this beautiful house was currently home to those who would happily kill and eat me. Maybe I had made a mistake coming here, but I had to try.

I cut the engine, and saw Edward and Alice standing on the front step waiting for me. Of course, I hadn't counted on Alice. Without Jacob by my side, she would once again me able to see my actions clearly.

"Bella what are you doing here?" demanded Edward as I made my way up their steps.

"Am I unsafe?" I asked, meeting his steely gaze with my own.

After a moment's hesitation, he shook his head. "You should know the wolves are patrolling the forest outside our house to ensure no stray vampires go in search of food. Jacob will know you are here soon, if he doesn't already."

I shrugged but silently cursed at my own stupidity. Of course there would be werewolves patrolling – how had I been so stupid?

"I want to find out more about what Eleazar and Kate were talking about today," I said. "If I can help, I want to."

Edward shot Alice a significant look then turned back to me. Resigned, he stepped aside and let me through the front door.

The Cullen family were waiting for me in the entrance. Emmett hurried forward and scooped me up in a hug, lifting me off my feet and twirling me around. Rosalie came forward and delicately pecked me on the cheek. Jasper nodded from a distance and I smiled at him.

Someone cleared their voice and I turned to see the Denali vampires watching me from the doorway to the living room.

"I'm glad you came back, Bella," Eleazar said. "You want to know more about your power?"

I shook my head, confused. "But I don't have a power," I told him. "I'm only human, what power could I possibly have?"

"Well, that's what I think we need to find out. You see, shields are unbelievably powerful. They can protect the mind from all forms of mental attack. They cannot protect from a physical attack, but this is why Edward cannot see into your mind, and why Kate's voltage did not affect you. Now, I have met a few shields in my time. Vampires, of course. With much practice, they were able to extend the reach of the shield to protect others including themselves."

"And you think I might be able to - what was it? – extend my shield?"

Eleazar inclined his head delicately.

"How do I start?" I asked, eagerly wanting to help in any way I could.

"Even if she can help, there is no way Bella can be in that clearing during the attack. It is far too dangerous."

"Let's make that decision when we get closer to the time, Edward," Carlisle said reasonably. "Imagine for a moment if no one was immobilised by Jane or Alex."

Edward did pause to think and I thought I could see his resolve begin to weaken.

"How do I start?" I asked again, my voice strengthening as I gained confidence.

Kate stepped forwards, grinning wickedly. "You've proven you can resist my powers. Let's see now if you stop me from hurting others."

Before I could even yell at her to stop, she had grabbed Edward's arm. His whole body convulsed and he fell to his knees in pain. I screamed and ran to him.

He knelt on the ground, gasping for breath, a hand pressed to his chest massaging the skin there.

"You didn't even tell me what to do!" I snapped at her. "You can't just hurt him."

"Then stop me," she demanded. "Feel for the edges of your shield and push them out." Once again she placed a hand on Edward and he convulsed in pain. I focused on my mind trying to grip for the edges of something I wasn't sure was there.

If I focused hard enough, I could feel a…bump. Mentally, I grabbed for it and pulled, stretching it out, pushing as hard as I could. It felt like strong elastic, resistant to my will. I nearly had it, but lost control and it snapped back into place.

At just that moment, the front door flew open. Jacob stood in the doorway, glaring at me, his whole body trembling in rage.


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