A/N: Well, it looks like the wolves really are planning something, and they plan on taking out one of their own. Makes you wonder who the real monsters are. Enjoy the new chapter!

Chapter 49 – It Begins

"I still say that this is a trap! Why else would Billy Black send Charlie a text message," Rosalie argued.

They had been debating the text message since Charlie had read the thing an hour earlier. The chief believed it to be a legitimate warning, while a couple others believed it was just a trap. And with the way relations between the wolves were crumbling faster than a sand castle, it was no wonder not everyone agreed.

Jasper could feel the agitation and anger Charlie was feeling, and he had a hunch that it was not exactly directed at his old friend. "Charlie, you haven't said anythin' yet. What do you think about Billy's warnin'?"

"Why would they be trying to do something to one of their own pack members? It has to be fake!" Peter exclaimed. He could hardly believe that he chose to side with the blonde bitch, but here he was, doing just that. Hell must have surely frozen over.

Shaking his head, Charlie furrowed his brow, frowning as he thought about what he wanted to say. There was something in the back of his mind and he was trying his best to bring it to the forefront. Hesitantly, he began, "I…I…I don't think it's a trap. I mean I do think it is."

"See!" Rose and Peter declared at the same time, causing Peter to look a bit ill.

"Let my dad finish!" Bella yelled and took a threatening step towards her closer adversary, Rosalie.

"Look, I'm not saying that this is or is not a trap, but we have to keep in mind that certain things changed the moment Charlie decided to become a vampire," Carlisle spoke up.

Emmett sighed, "Maybe we should have kept the European here longer. He might have been able to give us some insight into these vampires that will be joining James."

Jasper very seriously doubted that and he felt if they would have kept Laurent around any longer, it would have been even more dangerous. Yes, there was an inherent risk letting him go as well, but he had held up his end of the bargain by giving them all the information they had asked for and more, so Jasper could not in good conscious kill him; however, if he ever showed his face around Forks again, he would be BBQ. Now though, they had a bigger problem: the message from Billy. It could very well be a trap, but here was a chance it was an authentic warning. "Let Charlie speak. He knows Billy better than any of us."

"Major…" Charlotte began and stopped when Jasper shook his head.

Holding his hand up and shaking his head, the Texan staved off any other arguments, "Let him speak." His eyes turned to the new vampire and he was amazed again at the level of control Charlie and Bella had. It shouldn't have been possible and yet, it was staring him directly in the face. "Charlie, I know a lot of things are zooming through your head right now and it's not easy to focus, but try to concentrate and pick out what you need right now."

The new vamp took in a deep breath and tried to focus. It was harder than it should have been, harder than he ever remembered it being because his body and senses were on overdrive. He almost felt like he was the dog from that Disney movie Up...squirrel. He could do this though. He needed to tell them what he knew to be true, "He is warning us. The warning isn't a trap, he is telling us about the trap the pack is setting."

"How do you know?" Emmett questioned, his scowl almost as terrifying as Jasper's.

"He owes me, and we were best friends."

Bella asked the question on everyone's minds, "Dad, what do you mean, he owes you?"

Closing his eyes for a moment, he thought about it before he explained, "I saved his life and Jacob's life. Although, he might blame me for not getting to him in time. He's in that wheelchair because I wasn't fast enough."

"No, dad. He's in that wheelchair because he didn't take care of his diabetes."

"No, that's what everyone thinks. I mean he has diabetes that has gotten bad because he was foolish and didn't take care of himself, but that happened after the wheelchair…or right before. I can't remember which."

"He's not making sense!" Rosalie growled.

In a flash, Bella was up and had her hand around the blonde's neck. She was angry and could not control herself, and the way this one vampire had acted since the day they met, made Bella want to crush her sometimes. Her voice was low and menacing when she snarled, "Leave him alone and shut up. He is still a newborn and trying to sort through his thoughts, and from what I hear, he's acting better than you did. Now back off and listen, or you will regret it."

Jasper could have done something, could have probably stopped his mate, but even he had to admit Rosalie had it coming to her.

Releasing her hold, the brunette allowed her prey to fall to the floor before returning to her mate's side, acting as if nothing was amiss, "Dad, why don't you explain what really happened."

His breath rushed out and Charlie stared at the floor, concentrating on the jumbled memories he kept after his change, "Billy was depressed after his wife died and he wasn't coping well. Everyone was worried and there were many times the tribe was afraid for his children. On two year anniversary of her death, he called me and said he couldn't take it any longer. He…He had a dream and said his wife asked him to meet her and to bring the children. His daughter was at the Clearwater house that day, she had spent the night because Sue and she were doing something. He took Jacob and put him in the truck. They drove and Billy drove into a tree about fifteen miles from the reservation. I found him first. The truck was on fire. I pulled Jacob out first and got him to safety, and then I pulled out an unconscious Billy. They said it was a blackout from his diabetes, but it wasn't. He tried to kill himself and Jake. When he came to, he and I had a long talk. I don't remember everything, but I asked him if his wife would really want him to kill his kids. He regretted what he did and after that tried to be a good father and do whatever he could for them. The accident left him in a wheelchair. No one else knows what he did."

"So, this is probably payback for saving him," Jasper muttered.

"I think so. Plus we have been friends for most of our lives. It's hard. You say you will cut someone off, but you can't. I tried. After he almost killed Jake, I told him we couldn't be friends for a while. It was stupid and within days, I was in his hospital room."

"I agree with Charlie. This is a warnin' for what they've planned. They're probably goin' to have Paul instigate something. He has already caused problems and kidnapped Charlie in the past, and they probably think he's a loose cannon they can't control any more. What do you do to someone you can't control? You git rid of 'em, but they can't just throw him out because he is a shifter and could be dangerous. Wolves don't have the best temper. We take care of him and war is declared. It solves two problems with one stone."

"So we don't ask for their help," Alice announced.

His head swinging back and forth negatively, Jasper said, "No can do. I don't know what James has planned. If those sisters were just the top of the iceberg, it can get a lot worse. And as much as I hate to admit it, gifted vampires plus a small contingent of newborns, we need help. If the Denali are willin' to help, we might have a chance without the wolves, but even that's not guaranteed. We may have to use them, however, that doesn't mean we won't be prepared for their attack. If they're usin' Paul as well, then that means he'll more than likely make the first move against us. They'll claim it was of his own accord. We just won't let them have the opportunity."

"And how do you suggest we avoid it, Major?" Peter asked.

"When Paul attack, we defend and pin him down. If we don't kill him, they can't say we did anything to break the treaty. We'll leave and never come back."

Rosalie rolled her eyes, "Just that simple?"

Sometimes he wanted to slap her, instead he spoke to the room, "I didn't say it was goin' to be simple, but if we keep our heads and don't kill a pack member, they can't say we murdered one of their own."

"We'll follow Jasper's direction here. He's right. Although they gave us permission to change Charlie and Bella, they don't like it, nor do they agree. They are looking for an excuse to attack, and killing Paul would give them exactly what they want. We'll be playing directly into their hands," Carlisle ordered. This whole situation threw him out of his element, and Jasper was better equipped for this, ergo, he would defer to the younger southern vampire.

Alice started to speak, "The three with gifts will be here before dawn. James and Edward won't be here until tomorrow at dusk."

"Then we don't have much time. What else ya see, Alice?"

She wanted to say she saw the battle, but knowing the outcome might (quite probably) make certain people cocky and could alter the course of events. No, it was better to keep that to herself. "I still don't know what gift the male has, but the blonde female can take away your senses, kind of like Alec of the Volturi guard, but she has to be touching you. The other one is an empath like Jazz. He will send them to fight us first. They want to get rid of us before James and Edward can arrive. Once we are dealt with, James will kill Edward. They are under orders not to kill me or Bella."

"Why do they want you two?" Charlie growled.

"James has unfinished business with us."

''A battle of gifts. This may be something I don't want to miss," a voice spoke from behind them.

All heads turned to see who had intruded, and Carlisle smiled, "Eleazar, we weren't expecting you for some time yet."

"By the time I called you back, we were already on our way. I figured I knew what you wanted, and it is amazing how fast you can run when you are excited. No?"

"Very true, my friend."

"Kate and Carmen came with me. Tanya and Irina stayed behind. There has been a stranger lurking around our home and they wanted to set a trap."

"Is everything all right?" Jasper queried.

The stranger held up his hand and nodded, "It will be. I think he has been watching us, trying to observe us. He doesn't come within 200 feet of the house and only stays to a certain area. So, we are not sure who he is, but he won't be a problem for long. We have dealt with nomads before."

"Will they be okay alone?" Bella asked.

Smiling, Eleazar nodded, "Kate and Irina may not have gifts, but they are very skilled."

"We came to help," a blonde woman spoke up.

"Thanks, Kate. We'll take all we can git at this point," Jasper accepted. He turned to his mate and smiled, "This is Bella, my mate." He then gestured to the former police chief, "And that's her dad, Charlie. This is Eleazar, his mate, Carmen, and Kate."

"Well, if those three nomads will be here soon, we need to begin," Eleazar announced. "Where can we go? Space would be best."

"Baseball field," Emmett and Carlisle said together.

"Let's get started then," he smiled. Excitement burned in his eyes when he looked upon Bella and her father. Never before had he seen anything so unique.

Once they were standing in the middle of the open field where the Cullen's liked to play baseball, Eleazar ordered, "Kate, I want you to touch Bella. Start out at a low voltage and let's see what happens."

"Wait! I don't think that's a good idea," Jasper interrupted and stood in front of his mate.

"Jasper, if I'm right, nothing will happen to her."

"JW? What does he mean by voltage?" Bella asked.

Looking over his shoulder, he said, "Kate can shock you if you touch her or she touches you, and it ain't pleasant." His eyes darted to Eleazar, "Why don't you think it'll hurt her? I've had it happen a couple of times and it knocked me on my ass."

"You aren't a shield," the other man answered. "Jasper, you don't have the time right now to argue. We have to test it."

"Fine, but only low."

Kate laughed, "Yeah, yeah." She approached the newborn and slowly reached out her hand, and…nothing. There was absolutely no reaction.

"Just as I thought," Eleazar stated. "Turn it up."

Nodding, Kate pulled back and reached out her hand again. Nothing. "Do you feel anything?"

"Your hand is colder than JW's, but that's about it," Bella answered.

"Kate, full power," Eleazar instructed, and watched as once again the brunette did not feel the slightest twinge of pain.

"How?" Jasper asked.

Stepping forward, Eleazar explained, "She is a shield, and to some extent so is her father. It's one of the reasons, they are able to remain in control even as newborns. Think of it like this…your brain sends out electronic impulses that control your urges and instincts. As a newborn, those impulses are all over the place and over stimulating everything, which means a newborn cannot control his/her instinct. They smell something, they go for it. Kind of like a baby. When a baby is hungry, it cries until it gets food. If it needs a diaper change, it will cry until someone changes its diaper. Etc. A newborn vampire is the same. For Bella and her father, their impulses and such are shielded. They aren't over firing because their brain is protected. So they are more like a child that knows where food is, who is already potty trained. They know where to go and what to do and therefore, they don't need to cry and give into their impulses or instincts. They aren't perfect though and will have a hard time turning away if a delicacy is laid out before them, but unlike most newborns, they will be able to control themselves more. Now that is the only thing Charlie has as a gift. For Bella, it is a much more developed shield and probably one she has had her whole life. Edward could not read her mind because of it."

"He could read Charlie's though," Alice interrupted.

"As I said, Charlie's helps with control. It doesn't completely shield him like Bella's does hers. In fact, I have never seen something like hers before and I think it is ever changing, developing as she uses it and needs it."

"What about her feelings Jasper's emotions, and the others?" Emmett questioned.

Nodding, Eleazar explained, "Periodically, when two vampires both have gifts and are mates, their gifts will link up in a sense. Bella could feel Jasper and the ones he was with even from that great a distance because their gifts are linked. I was not sure if this was part of her gift or something new, but Jasper, your gift has changed as well, so I believe it is because you are linked as mates. Kind of like a psychic connection. No matter where you are, she will be able to feel what you are feeling. Maybe it only happens when each of you is in danger, but you should be able to do the same for her. In addition, her shield can protect you. Have you noticed your control is a little better than it was before?"

"Yeah, but I thought that's because I would never do anythin' to hurt Bella," Jasper replied.

"Maybe at first, but you still struggled with other people. True?"

"I guess."

"Now you don't?"

"No."

"That is her shield protecting you, controlling your urges."

"Amazing," Carlisle whispered softly.

Eleazar smiled, "It truly is my friend. I will warn you though, Aro has been looking for a shield like her for some time. You will need to be careful. Once her shield develops more and she practices, she should be able to project it onto others to protect them like it protects her, but I'm not sure how or what to do to make it happen. I can only tell you what the gift is."

Emmett frowned, "What does that mean?"

Shrugging, the other man said, "It means, if her shield is protecting you, other gifts won't work on you."

"So how come Alice's and Jasper's gifts work on her, but not Edward's?"

"Alice's gift of sight does not work on the mind. She sees the future. Jasper's, although emotions do start in the brain, it is based on chemical level and is more than just neurons. Edward's is about reading the mind. Now Kate's, although she is touching the arm, is a psycho kinetic energy that works on the nerves in the body. The nerves send a response to the brain and the brain decides if it is pain or not; therefore, it will not work on Bella."

"So basically, if the gift doesn't have to do with the brain, it'll work, and if not, it won't?"

"In a sense. Most vampire gifts do have to do with the brain though, so…I suspect about 75% of the gifts out there won't work on hers. She had a strong shield. One of the strongest and most developed I've ever seen. I will caution you though. Jasper you said something about fearing what would happen in battle. Once she learns to adapt to the link with you, she probably won't react the same; however, until then, she may react quickly and follow her instincts to help and protect her mate."

"Understood," Jasper nodded.

"Kind of makes a man feel left out and all," Emmett brushed away a fake tear.

Rosalie rolled her eyes and demanded, "What does?"

Snickering, he said, "All these people with gifts and some of us don't have any. They're starting to outnumber us."

Others joined in his laughter, and when it had calmed down, Jasper barked, "Okay! All y'all need to get ready for what's comin'."

They began their training. Dawn was not that far away in the grand scheme of things, and their military leader would not let them rest on their laurels. After several hours, they rested and waited. According to Alice, the trio would come through the woods, pick up their scent, and arrive at the baseball field an hour before dawn.

The time arrived, and just as Alice had predicted, three strangers arrived. The male sneered, "This is what we have to fight? My brother was afraid for nothing." His laugh echoed in the woods and clearing, sending birds scattering for miles. They would clean up the trash and James would have nothing to deal with except his newborns and the tagalong.

Crouching low, Jasper ordered, "Be careful. Don't let the blond touch you, and don't try to be a hero. Just because there's only three of 'em doesn't mean shit."

The male crossed his arms over his chest and smirked, "This will be fun. Mercedes, Katrina, attack."

His order was calm and quietly spoken, but the two women rushed forward. Jasper could already feel the pull of someone trying to control his emotions, but they apparently did not know who they were dealing with. Pushing back, he attacked the two women with his own gift. The fear he sent them, dropped them to the ground temporarily. He watched the other empath's eyes search for the one that could be attacking them.

There! The one with all the scars. He had to be the one doing this to them. She took one step back and gasped. So many scars. Instinctively, any vampire would be afraid of him, and her fear was overwhelming, choking her. Using her own gift, she tried to counteract the terror he was forcing upon them.

"NO!" The blonde stranger screamed.

"Jasper, be careful. Although these two are dangerous, the male is even more so. He has the gift to control fire," Eleazar informed his group. "He can hurl it from his hands, and only short distances."

"What?! No vampire should be able to do anythin' with fire!" Jasper gasped.

"He can."

"Shit!"

"How is that even possible?" Peter demanded.

Eleazar explained, "Certain chemicals and minerals can create a spark of fire. He controls those to create fire and sends it through the air. He never actually touches it and it happens in an instant."

"This shit just got more dangerous," Jasper whispered. He did not know how to even begin to fight someone like that. Were they all doomed even before the real fighting began?