A/N: Hi! I've had a shitty week, feeling shitty, with shitty behaviour from my kids. Thanks for your patience.

Thanks to Sherry too xx

Chapter 38

The next few days were full of lots of people coming and going. Edmund and I sat outside on a bench, watching it, for the most part. The kid was terrified. Even he knew that something big was about to happen. I wanted to reassure him that everything was going to be alright. That all the people he loved and cared for would make it through this alive, but they weren't reassurances that I could make, and that broke my heart. I should be able to protect my son from this, but I couldn't.

I knew that Edward was doing the right thing. He was doing what needed to be done to protect his family. He would no longer take the defensive stance, not while my father was out there, but I still didn't like it. Was it wrong of me to want us to run, to keep on running and hiding? It had worked for us for so many years. Sure, life had been hard, we were all exhausted, on the edge and unhappy, but we were all alive. Our lives didn't start falling apart until we became complacent.

"Who's that Mom?" Edmund asked, bringing me out of my thoughts.

I looked up to see Emmett dragging Jacob into the camp. The man was a mere shadow of himself. He was severely malnourished. His cheekbones were protruding, he had dark circles. His body was so skinny he looked like a bag of bones.

I turned to Edmund and cupped his cheek. "Go and find your Aunt Alice. I think she is in Uncle Jasper's den. I want you to stay with her until I come and find you."

Edmund nodded. I was so glad that he wasn't going to fight me on this. He got up and ran away from me, stopping after a few steps he turned to me and said. "Stay safe mommy."

I nodded my head as I fought back a lump in my throat. My son was scared that I was going to leave him again. "I will," I promised him as I motioned for him to move along with my hands.

I jumped up and followed Emmett. He took Jacob to my den. He knocked on my door and waited for Edward to answer.

I stood back, not wanting to interrupt. I wanted to see what Edward would do. Surely he wouldn't want to kill Jacob, not when he looked like this. Surely my husband still had some humanity and compassion left?