A/N: Another one down and who knows how many more to go. The big question everyone has is, were they related to Alice since she was a Brandon as well? You'll find out sooner or later. Charlie also needs to make some decisions and he needs to be told the whole truth. Plus we still need to worry about the wolves, a couple of whom have gone off on their own. Granted they were reined in by Sam, but for how long? Enjoy the new chapter.

Chapter 44 – Truth

Tick tock. Tick tock. The room was deadly quiet and the only sounds that could be heard was the ticking of the grandfather clock. Even breathing was being executed with minimal sound. The human heard nothing, and the vampires, while they heard more, it was eerily quiet for them too as everyone sat in the living room staring at each other.

As soon as Jasper and Peter had returned, the family was waiting for them the moment they walked through the door. The major didn't even have a moment alone with Bella before he and Peter had been ambushed, as even she had been waiting for him in the crowd; and the only one missing, Charlie, came running down the stairs a couple of minutes later. It seemed before anything else happened, they would have to tell everyone about the stranger they found.

And that was why everyone was gathered together in one room. Jasper held tightly to Bella because he needed to feel her against him and she still couldn't be fully trusted around Charlie. Emmett stood next to Rosalie behind the couch ready to spring on her if she tried to say anything; the tension between the couple could be felt and practically seen by everyone who looked on. Charlie sat in a chair near the couch but furthest away from his daughter, and Alice had situated herself behind him. Holding his own mate in his lap, Peter sat next to Carlisle with Esme on the other side of him and Bella on the other side of her. Everyone was there, but no one was talking… yet.

"Are you going to tell us what happened or just sit there like a bump on a log?" Emmett finally broke the silence, anxious to hear the story.

Jasper had been sitting there gathering his thoughts, allowing his mate's presence to help calm him down when his brother spoke. Glancing up at the woman who stood behind Charlie, he finally said, "The wolves were there when we found her, but we were able to kill her."

"That's why…" Alice began, but did not finish.

"That's right. It wasn't your fault. You just keep doin' what you are and we'll handle anythin' that gets in the way." He could feel the surprise coming from a couple of people in the room. Most had discovered recently that Alice's visions were subject to some criteria, however, not everyone had known about the possible holes when the wolves got involved.

Charlie scowled, "I think you need to tell me exactly what the hell is going on around here. You're talking about murdering people. Emmett is talking about fighting and war. Not to mention you talking about this James guy and Edward and wolves. And Alice saying that an option would be to change me… I'm finding myself in the middle of something and having a hard time keeping up. I want to know exactly what it is I'm getting involved in… what you already pulled my daughter into. And I need you to speak so that I understand it all."

Jasper's eyes found the police chief's and he nodded, "You're right, but are you ready to actually hear it?"

"Son, it doesn't matter if I am or not. If I wanted to, I could arrest you for murder."

Charlotte laughed, "Do you really think your jail could hold him? The major is smarter than that."

"Not to mention stronger than the bars that would be holding him," Peter mocked.

Charlie started to grind his teeth in frustration, the urge to run them all in just for the hell of it almost overwhelmed his good sense.

Holding up his hand, Jasper silently asked everyone to shut up. It was sheer willpower that kept the smirk off his face when he spoke to the other man, "Charlie's just as involved as the lot of us are and he has the right to know what's about to happen."

"He's right," Bella defended.

The southern vampire eyed the other man for a couple of minutes again before he started speaking, "Every once in a while a vampire will come across a human that they can't resist. The call of their blood is too much and the vampire can't control themselves. We call these people the vampire's singer. Their blood sings to 'em."

"What does…? Charlie tried to interrupt.

His daughter snapped, "Just listen, dad. He is trying to tell you what's going on." The burn in her own throat made her antsy. She could hear the blood pulsating in her father's throat, smell the lure of it calling to her, increasing the pain in her throat. Her only salvation and the reason she didn't sink her teeth into his neck was Jasper's arms holding her tightly so she couldn't get away, and the fact he was using his mumbo jumbo gift to calm her down. God how she needed a drink and she had only just fed that morning.

Jasper continued when everyone had quieted down again, "Bella was Edward's singer. We managed to protect her from him and prevent her from bein' killed, however, he has not given up. He's teamed up with the rogue vampire that was doin' all the killin'. We took care of the others that were with that particular pest, but James is also after your daughter and Alice. Due to all this, Bella decided to become a vampire as well. They're plannin' on comin' back and makin' war with us to get 'em. We won't let 'em and we'll fight. That's what's happenin'. Alice had a vision that you'd be pulled into this as well because Edward knows who you are. We couldn't allow that to happen. That's why we brought you here instead of leavin' you at the reservation. The wolves would have been able to protect you too, but only to a point."

Again the police chief interrupted, "Wolves?"

His eyes scanned those of the others around him before the Texas man sighed and nodded, "Some members of the tribe can shift into large wolves. The same wolves you saw when Paul was a shithead and kidnapped you."

"The…They were real? I thought… I thought maybe…"

"You thought you were imaginin' things. We know. You weren't though and you really did see 'em."

It took him a few minutes, but Charlie finally cleared his throat and in a husky voice asked, "What else? Is there anything else? Alice said that one possibility is me changing."

Jasper's eyes flashed to Alice's before he answered, "As a human you're more vulnerable than we are, however, we don't have much time before they get here, so if you wanna be changed, you'll need to make the decision pretty quick." He would leave the fact he was Alice's mate quiet for now.

"Were the vampires from earlier from this James person?"

"Yes, sir. They were sent by him as the first wave. Alice, was this second one part of the three you saw?"

With her eyes closed, the petite woman shook her head, "No. Three will join him on the day he arrives."

"Then we have three more we have to worry about in addition to James and Edward," Carlisle announced worriedly as he ran a hand through his hair.

"Plus the newborns they're bringing," Rosalie supplied.

Emmett asked, "Is it still ten or less?"

Alice nodded, "Yes. I don't see any more than that."

"Can we trust her visions?" Rose asked.

"All y'all can," Jasper was quick to answer with authority. "When the wolves get involved it creates holes she can't see around. It's not her fault. We're leavin' the wolves out of it until the last minute so she doesn't have to worry 'bout 'em. Sam knows we may need 'em and will be ready when we call."

"Can we trust the wolves?"

"We don't have much of a choice. They may be helpful." As much as Rosalie was getting on Jasper's nerves, she was making some good points for the time being.

For Charlie, he was having a hard time wrapping his head around everything. He still hadn't quite grasped his daughter's new found life and now this? He just wasn't sure what to think. Add into that the fact the giant wolves were real and he felt like he was about to have an identity crisis. Everything he thought was make believe and imaginary was turning into reality. How was that even possible? To make matters worse, he didn't have time to think about it, allow it to marinate and set in. It was either an accept or reject mind frame. So what was he going to do? Looking at his daughter sitting next to her mate, he couldn't deny her existence and he didn't want to live a life where he had to pretend she was dead and buried; and yet, all of this was still so hard to believe. Behind him was a woman who could see the future and in front of him sat a daughter with red eyes, porcelain skin, and an appetite for blood, who no longer felt comfortable alone with him because she wasn't sure what she would do to him. Around him were other vampires and he just learned there were giant wolves. His world had just been turned on its side. "If I decided to be changed, what would we need to do? What about Renee?"

"It isn't like you ever see mom, and she never comes up here," Bella answered the question about her mother wondering why her father was concerned about his ex-wife in the first place.

Charlie hung his head, "It's just that, she calls to check on you and I won't know what to tell her."

"You don't have to tell her anything."

"Bella's right. If you decide to go through with this, you don't have to tell her anythin'. She doesn't call often enough to warrant you givin' away your secret. As for Bella, we'll cross that bridge later," Jasper added. "If you really want to do this, we'll just need to call Billy and give him a head's up."

"Why?" The chief's head shot up quickly.

Carlisle answered, "We have an agreement with them. We aren't actually supposed to bite any human, but we were given special permission for Bella, and given the circumstances, the same argument could be made for you. Sam is the leader of the wolf pack and we need to talk to him and Billy."

"And if they say no?"

"Talkin' to 'em is more like a technicality. We can still do it, we just won't ever be welcome here again," Jasper stated. "And that will include you. Before you decide what you want to do, if you choose this, you are goin' to have to turn in your badge. You'll be a newborn for 'bout a year and won't be worth much to the force."

"Plus on sunny days, you can't be seen by people," Emmett added.

"What happens on sunny days?"

Snickering, Bella told him, "You sparkle."

"Spark… What?"

"It's true, dad. Vampires have to stay out of the sun because when it's sunny, they sparkle like diamonds. If humans see it, they will know they are different. That's why we have to stay out of the sun."

He ran a hand over his face, "Out of the sun. Got it. Anything else?"

"We'll have to keep both y'all secluded for the next year, but that's 'bout it," Jasper said.

"Both? Bella and I?"

"Yep."

"Why secluded?"

"Can't run the risk of you tryin' to bite a human. As a newborn you run on instinct alone. So we'll keep you as far away from the general population as possible and then acclimate y'all slowly."

Charlie sat there for less than a minute before he said, "Let's do it." The decision had been made and nothing would change his mind.

If Alice's heart had been beating, it would have momentarily stuttered to a halt. Her mate had chosen this life without knowing about her. On one hand that made her feel elated, but on the other she was scared. What would he say when he realized she was his mate? Because once he was turned there was no hiding that fact. Would he be angry? Happy? Upset? Confused? She didn't know how he would react and she wondered if she should tell him before he went through with the transformation.

On the reservation…

"Are you sure this is alright with the rest of the elders?" Sam spoke with Billy at the older man's home while Jacob was out running patrols.

Billy nodded, "Yes, it has been decided. Although they had permission, they are no longer welcome and this will kill two birds with one stone."

"It will be done," the alpha stated before leaving the home and shifting into his wolf form. Apparently the elders had decided how to handle the multitude of problems that had fallen at their doorstep and it would all start with the war the Cullen's were bringing to Forks. God help them all.