Xxx

I wasn't to crazy about letting Bella and Jacob speak alone, I knew Jacob wouldn't hurt Bella intentionally, but I also knew the potential was there that he might lose it.

"We're going to let Jacob and Bella speak privately," Edward explained cautiously, eying everyone in the room.

"Over my dead pile of ashes!" Rosalie exclaimed, she moved closer to Bella, hovering over her protectively. I couldn't help it, I snorted back a laugh at what Rose had said, it was…well it was too funny not to laugh at and I haven't really had much to laugh at the last few days.

Edward seemed to ignore both of us though, my laughter and Rose's protectiveness, he continued as if he hadn't been interrupted.

"Bella," he said "Jacob wants to talk to you. Are you afraid to be alone with him?"

Bella had a confused look on her face, she looked over at me and seemed to read my face, more than that it was as if she could read my mind, like she knew I shared my brother's concern regarding Jacob. She understood Rose's feeling on the matter, but she couldn't believe I shared those feelings.

"Rose, it's fine. Jake's not going to hurt us. Go with Edward." Bella said softly, she looked over at me again "you too Chris, it'll be okay."

"It might be a trick," Rose growled looking at me for confirmation, something I sadly couldn't give her, I understood my sister's concern, knew she was just looking out for Bella's wellbeing, but I knew this was not a trick.

This whole thing made my insides twist a little, if that is physically possible, the family was literally divided here, and what made it worse was the fact Rose thought for even just a second that Carlisle and Edward would resort to tricking Bella in order to achieve what they felt was necessary. It suddenly felt that our years as a family meant nothing, that we were strangers to one another.

"I don't see how," Bella admitted gently.

"Carlisle and I will always be in your sight, Rosalie, Chris will know if we are planning anything," Edward pointed out. Rose sighed "We're the ones she's afraid of."

"No," Bella whispered. She was crying and I winced. "No, Edward. I'm not. . ."

"I didn't mean it that way, Bella. I'm fine. Don't worry about me." Edward smiled gently at her and then looked at the rest of us, literally Bella's army vs. Edward's "Everyone," Edward said, his hand stiffly motioning toward the door. "Please."

The others all followed Edward's order swiftly and for the most part so did I, sort of. I made it as far as the doorway, waiting for Rose to follow. Edward gave me a look, only instead of his usual glare, this was him literally pleading with me

"Rose," Bella spoke up "I want you to go, it's okay. Please."

Rosalie looked towards the door, she glared at Edward and made a hand gesture, ushering him out first, and I felt my shoulders sink, Rose and Edward rarely get along, but this tension was on a whole new level, I hated to see this happening. Rose gave Jacob one last glare once Edward left, she walked over, put her arm around my shoulder and we left the room. Leaving Bella and Jacob to their discussion.

I honestly tried not to eavesdrop, and for the most part I succeeded, but Jacob's voice was loud enough that it carried through the house and I couldn't help but wince at the conversation.

Even as I sat at my computer, staring at the blank screen with Chaplin perched on my shoulder, I was torn with my decision, and my role in what could be Bella's death. I heard Jacob's heavy footsteps on the floor, heading for the front door, it slammed, and I waited to hear his bike roar to life, but I didn't.

I moved to my window and peered out into the yard, catching a glimpse of him as he headed towards the woods, his bike abandoned. Chaplin squeaked and moved to my other shoulder to see what I was looking at, I sighed and rubbed my temple, this wasn't going to end well.

I knew one of two things were certainly going to happen. First and more likely Jacob would come back with the entire pack ready to take us on to "rescue" Bella. Or second and what I honestly was hoping for, Jacob would finally accept defeat and leave and never come back.

I felt bad for him I really did, but I didn't want a fight with the pack and though I felt kinda bad for Jacob, especially since we kind of connected via car talk I'd rather he give up entirely and never bug us again then a war with the pack.

Hours ticked by, I kept half my ability in tune to profiling Bella making sure she had EVERYTHING she needed and the other half preparing for a pack of raging werewolf emotions coming to attack.

I hoped that I would sense their emotions long before they got near our property I was hoping Edward wasn't so focused on Bella that he could keep an ear out so to speak for them, I hoped Alice's visions were working well enough that if any part of our future vanished she'd know it and we'd have that advantage over the pack.

I was trying to keep my concern in my mind only, trying to make sure Bella didn't see my concern not Esme. I wanted both of them kept in pretty much ignorant bliss. All of us have enough to worry about right now, my mother and Bella especially.

Edward's movement caught my attention and I looked over at my brother quickly. He was reading my mind and gave me a quick nod of appreciation, for what I'm not sure but I nodded back.

Bella had fallen asleep, but judging from her moments it was not a peaceful sleep, and I wondered what kind of nightmare was plaguing her mind. Did she know my concern in spite of our attempt to shield her from it? Or was it Jacob's words?

Edward walked over to his wife and placed a hand on her forehead, I twisted around from my perch on the floor next to the couch to watch carefully. It took a few seconds but Bella's body relaxed, her mumbling ceased and she moved into a calmer slumber.

I wish you could read her mind, I thought looking at my brother, I wasn't accusing or reprimanding him, just stating a fact. He seemed to accept that and nodded.

"You and I both." He replied softly "I wish she would listen to reason, to understand..."

I took a deep breath and patted my brother's arm

"She understands Edward, I can profile that much, and she isn't doing this to punish or hurt anyone, she's doing it because she feels it is the right thing to do. There is something about this...baby that is more important to her than her own life. Do I agree with it, no? But I can't deny what I profile Ed, what I see when I look at her. I see happiness."

Edward sighed, not liking my profile, but he wasn't going to argue with it, instead he looked towards the window.

Hours ticked by, Esme and Carlisle reluctantly left to go hunting, neither had done so since Edward and Bella had returned home so both needed it. In all fairness, we all did, but that's the way things were currently working, I didn't want to leave Bella's side, even to sate my own hunger.

Rose had already made it clear that she wasn't going anywhere, Edward wouldn't leave either. I think based solely on principle, Emmett, Jasper, and Alice wouldn't go anywhere either.

Bella's sleep calmed a little and I felt more relaxed when her body seemed to do the same.

For a brief few minutes things seemed to be calming down completely, then… Edward went stiff. His eyes went wide and I swear I saw a fear in his eyes that I had not seen in a very, very long time.

"Edward?" I whispered, slowly standing up "what's the matter?" he didn't answer, instead he moved to the front door.

Emmett, Jasper, and I exchanged a look before following him out there. In the back of my mind, my fear of Jacob returning here, only with the pack, ready to kill us, kept playing in my mind and I wondered if that was just fear talking, or an actual prediction of a coming event.

I climbed onto the overhang of the porch, my usual perch. It gives me a better vantage over the yard, and I can use the position to my advantage. I've done it many times play fighting my brothers. I'm smaller than they are, and I usually end up behind them in most scenarios, being on the overhang puts me on the same level as my brothers.

To my surprise though, Jacob and Seth came barreling through the woods in wolf form towards us. I could sense their panic, their fear, something was wrong, very wrong, the look in Seth's eyes was a kind of concern I'd never seen on my friend.

"Jacob? Seth? What's going on?" Edward asked, reading their minds.

Jacob began to pace back and forth in front of us, and behind him Seth was literally whining.

"Guys?" I whispered

"They want to kill Bella?" Edward suddenly snarled.

Friend or not, those five words were the only thing I needed to hear to literally spring into action. I was off the overhang and guarding the front door in seconds, growling. If Jacob and…Seth, wanted to kill Bella, they'd have to get through me first. I was not going to move.

Emmett and Jasper were by Edward's side instantly, baring their teeth, ready to take on the wolves if need be.

To my surprise, Seth's fur stood on end, he was not expecting this reaction from us and it made me realize, Edward didn't mean Jacob and Seth…my best friend looked at me, as if he was trying to get me to understand.

"E…Edward?" I said softly, Edward looked at me and our brothers quickly, realizing that something was indeed up, but it was not Seth or Jacob.

"Em, Jazz, Chris, not them! The others. The pack is coming."

"Oh bloody hell," I hissed, "no…" The bloody pack…wait, that meant they were coming through the woods. Carlisle, Esme…they were still out there.

Out of the corner of my eye, I swear I saw Jacob exchange a look with Seth, a strange look between the pair of them which was then exchanged with Edward. Something else was up with them and I didn't like it. I waited for them to involve me and tell us what was going on, but they didn't, no one said anything else.

Emmett and Jasper exchanged a look, and Emmett moved closer to Edward to speak to him, but Jasper stayed rooted in the same spot, staring hard at the pair of wolves.

"What's their problem?" Emmett demanded, he looked over at me, nodding for me to come closer, but I wouldn't move, I was not leaving the porch unless I had to.

"The same one as mine," Edward hissed. "But they have their own plan to handle it. Get the others. Call Carlisle! He and Esme have to get back here now."

Jacob whimpered, realizing that the family was separated.

My stomach twisted again, my parents were out there, if the pack was in fact coming here to attack us…they were in danger, my parents may potentially run into the wolves out there and be…

If there was a reason that would get me off that bloody porch, it was my parents being in danger. Esme had practically begged for me to go hunting with them, I needed to go, why didn't I just go with her and Carlisle, the three of us. But Bella's wellbeing in my mind took priority, so I politely refused my mother's offer. Bloody hell, now I regretted that, I should be out there, with my parents.

Edward read my mind and looked at Emmett quickly, just as I jumped off the porch, ready to bolt towards the woods. Emmett realized what was going on and he reached over just as I ran by, grabbing me around the waist and lifting me off the ground.

"Emmett!" I growled "let me go, I'm the fastest, I can find them and bring them home quicker than any of you! Lemme go, lemme go!"

"They aren't far," Edward explained to Jacob and reminded me, I growled again, only this time at my Edward. He shot me a look and Emmett tightened his hold on me.

"Chris, no, it's not safe."

Emmett didn't realize it, but his words didn't help reassure me, if anything it made it worse. My parents were out there in the woods, with a pack of vampire killing werewolves out there too, ready to kill my parents without a second thought, it wasn't safe for me to go running out there, it wasn't safe for my parents to be out there unaware of the danger they were in.

My mind flashed, I could practically see the scene playing out, my parents returning home, taking their time, trying to enjoy the peaceful one on one time, unaware that following them was a killing machine, ready to pounce…rip my parents to shreds…bloody hell, I could practically hear the terrified screams…was that Esme? God mum, dad… I had to help them. Why did I stay home, how stupid was I?

"NO!" I shouted "Let me go, let me go! We have to help them, we have to warn them!" I exclaimed, struggling to get out of my brother's steel grip.

"Chris, no," Emmett said through gritted teeth, I've never been able to really give my brother a reason to use full strength, even as a newborn I was never stronger than him, just well, equal to him, but even then he never used full strength, afraid to hurt me, afraid that I was as frail as I appeared to be. This time was different as he held me tight, lifting me off the ground.

Jacob and Seth exchanged a look, a thought going between the two wolves, Edward reading their minds, had a look of concern on his face. Seth looked at me, nodding slowly, like he wanted me to know something, understand something.

"Will you be in danger, Seth?" Edward asked. And I stopped struggling, just for a moment, my friend being in danger was nearly as painful as my parents being in danger…was this it? Was this the fight that was going to destroy us all? I would lose everyone?

I stopped fighting Emmett's grip, I went limp, I wasn't ready to accept defeat, but the reality of this, the pain of this was too much.

Seth gave us all one last look, he tried to give me his usual doopy grin, but it was really forced.

Still holding onto me, Emmett pulled out his cell phone and called Carlisle. I knew he'd have his phone on him, he usually didn't when he was hunting, but things had been different with Bella's condition, he wanted to be fully prepared to come home if he was needed.

Alice came out of the house, she looked at Jacob carefully, then moved to Jasper's side. She looked over at me and held out an arm to me. I was still eying the woods, ready to bolt the minute Emmett loosened his grip on me

Alice nudged Jasper and he nodded, before reaching over and grabbing me from Emmett's arm, Emmett looked over and nodded letting me go to Jasper. Clearly my brothers weren't going to let me run off. Once I was with my brother and sister, Alice moved so I was in between them, there was no way I was going to the woods. Damn I hate being babysat.

"This isn't the first time I've owed you my gratitude, Jacob," Edward whispered, we could still hear him though. "I would never have asked for this from you." He paused as Jacob responded telepathically. "I suppose you're right about that. Right," he murmured.

I growled, I was not liking this one sided conversation, Alice squeezed my shoulders tighter.

"You really need to start conveying the other side of this Edward," I managed to growl out. Edward shot me a look and shook his head. He looked back at Jacob, and let Jacob continue his discussion. "I know. I never really believed she would. But . . ." Edward paused and let Jacob ask something, "worse, she finally fell asleep, but it's restless."

"Jacob, would you mind switching forms?" Alice asked. "I want to know what's going
on."

"Yeah," I added in a growl "what the bloody hell is going on?" I glanced towards the woods, following the same path my friend had gone with my eyes. Anxious for him to come back, anxious even more so to see my parents coming through the woods. God could time move any slower?

In answer to Alice's question, Jacob whimpered and shook his head, and I understood instantly, he couldn't transform because he would lose his link with Seth.

"He needs to stay linked to Seth." Edward explained

Alice hugged my shoulders tighter, trying to calm me down, it wasn't working, as each second ticked by my anxiety level grew. I could hear the clicking of my watch's hands, the louder clicks of our large grandfather clock…

"Well, then would you be so kind as to tell me what's happening?" Alice replied

Edward took a deep breath and sighed, he exchanged another look with Jacob and again I swear I saw a thought passing between them, a thought that they clearly didn't think the rest of us needed to be privy to.

"The pack thinks Bella's become a problem. They foresee potential danger from the... from what she's carrying. They feel it's their duty to remove that danger. Jacob and Seth disbanded from the pack to warn us. The rest are planning to attack tonight."

Alice hissed, and I felt my shoulders drop as Edward, confirmed my fears. Emmett and Jasper exchanged a look, then looked down at me, the three of us exchanging a look before we looked out towards the trees, each one of us expecting to see at least a dozen pairs of glowing yellow eyes staring back at us, massive hounds of Hell ready to destroy us.

"Carlisle and Esme are on their way," Emmett spoke up, giving me a reassuring look. "Twenty minutes, tops."

"Twenty minutes?!" I squeaked

"Kid, chill they will be fine," Emmett replied trying to reassure me again "if Jacob's right then the packs coming here, they won't be interested in Carlisle and Esme."

My brother had a point, but again I saw a strange look pass between Edward and Jacob when Emmett said that and I really, really did not like it.

"We should take up a defensive position," Jasper said in his usual militaristic style and I nodded.

"Let's get inside." Edward replied. Jacob nodded and stared at Edward hard, my brother nodded "I will," he said as Jacob turned on his heels and bolted into the woods, taking the same path Seth had taken, the same path I was still in my mind, fighting to go on.

Now that he was off the phone, Emmett resumed his original duty and took control of me as I was literally transferred from one brother to another.

"You're hearts in the right place Dr. Doolittle, but Esme would kill all of us if we let you go running through the woods with a pack of rabid villagers coming here with stakes and pitchforks." Emmett explained as he guided me into the house. I know he was trying to get me to laugh with his Frankenstein reference, but I wasn't laughing. He sighed "look kid they'll be fine I promise, they aren't that far and they're in the opposite direction of the reservation, the wolves would literally have to go out of their way to meet up with them.

Bella had woken up at this point, with all the commotion and whimpering outside I would've been surprised if she was still asleep. She was groggy and clearly not understanding what was going on, which was for the better, at least I thought so. I didn't want to be the one to tell her that her friends, the wolf-pack we had shared an understanding with an alliance with, had turned on us.

Bella had enough on her mind to contend with as it was, she did not need this worry on top of it. Besides, martyr Bella would probably do something drastic to protect us. But whatever she did would put the baby in danger as well so I wasn't entirely sure how that would work out.

Minutes began ticking by, even slower inside than they had out on the front lawn. Rose was trying to get Bella to choke down some soup, but like everything else we had tried, she wasn't able to keep it down, throwing it up quicker than she was eating it.

I really felt torn, I had been spending most of my time on the floor near the couch, within arm's reach of Bella if she needed me, but now, with the added worry of Esme and Carlisle's safety on the line, I wasn't sure where to be.

I wanted to be near Bella, helping Rosalie care for her, letting her squeeze my hand when she needed too, but I also wanted to be by the large window, watching the woods for signs of my parents…or signs of the wolf pack's attack.

I saw the tree line shift a little and I held my breath, praying in my mind that it was my parents. When I saw Carlisle step over the line and help Esme over a fallen tree that Emmett and I had 'accidently' knocked down a few months earlier, I couldn't help my sigh of relief.

Before anyone could stop me I bolted to the front door, threw it open and made a beeline for my parents. Esme saw me coming and held out her arms as I fell into them, holding her tight.

"Christian, sweetie?" she said softly hugging me

"We were worried about you is all." I explained, Carlisle reached over and joined the hug

"We're fine little one, I promise." Esme replied

"We ran into Seth but he was in wolf form so he wasn't able to explain anything and Emmett was slightly cryptic on the phone. Is Bella all right?" Carlisle asked as we moved towards the house. Edward was waiting for us on the porch.

"She's about the same," I explained "she did manage to sleep a little,"

"That's good," Carlisle replied rubbing his chin "has she tried to eat anything?"

"Rose is feeding her now, she still can't keep it down,"

Carlisle and Esme exchanged a look, then saw Edward. Edward was about to explain things when a loud howl erupted through the forest, I'll admit it, it made me jump up in fear.

"Edward?" Carlisle said "what is going on son?"

"That's Seth!" I said louder than I meant to

"Edward what is going on?" Carlisle repeated more insistently

"Chris, Bella is asking for you," Edward said quickly,

Esme slowly let go of my shoulders as I reluctantly moved towards the stairs, wondering for a moment why Edward wanted to explain the situation to my parents without me present. He was trying to get rid of me and not being exactly subtle about it.

When I walked back into the family room, Bella looked up at me weakly, she looked even more exhausted than she had before her nap, she held out her hand to me. I walked over and took her hand gently as she squeezed it.

"Are you all right?" she asked softly and I put on the bravest smile I could, nodding.

"'Course," I lied smoothly "are you feeling any better?"

"Much," she lied, I looked up at Rose whose eyes were full concern, over Bella's head she shook her own. Bella was getting worse, every day I could see it.

I heard the howl again and went stiff. I was trying so hard to make sure Bella didn't see it, but I didn't have to worry about that, her eyes had closed and she had drifted off again.

Before I had time to panic, Edward, Carlisle and Esme walked in, the whole room was stiff as we waited for an explanation.

"That was Seth," Edward explained "he just wanted to let us know everything is in the clear, he ran into Leah, apparently she has joined their pack."

I sighed and nodded, the odds were definitely better now, three wolves running the perimeter as opposed to two, but still I'd seen how big the pack was, how strong it was, we had all seen it in action against our kind. If the pack decided to attack, would we have a chance against them? We were already outnumbered, even with Jacob, Seth, and Leah.

I tried to keep the thoughts in my head private, but I knew Edward saw my profile…if the pack was to attack, right now…we'd be done for. There was no chance of survival.

I looked over at Bella, who looked so frail, so weak, my eyes shifted to my sisters, my brothers, and my parents, before moving outside to where Seth, Jacob, and Leah were. It would be a losing fight true, but I knew we wouldn't just take it.

xxx

A/N: Thank you guys for your patience with this fic, I swear I'm working as hard as I can on it, the next chapter is actually mostly done so that will be uploaded next week I promise.