Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight, I just enjoy borrowing her characters for a while.

AN: Thank you all for continuing to read and especially review. I got some thought provoking reactions to the last chapter and I spent some time adding more to this chapter to hopefully give it some more depth. It was a difficult chapter to embellish. Lots going on, including some controversial things that I can't seem to help writing. I seem destined to divide opinions in my stories but I still hope you enjoy it.


Tomorrow's Wishful Thinking

Jasper

We had to force Edward to extensively feed before we were able to derive any semblance of calm from him.

That he was almost completely starved had been obvious from the deep obsidian of his eyes, his lack of lucidity and the fact that he hadn't managed to fight us off. Due to the advantages his gift usually bestowed, there would normally be no chance that we would be able to manhandle him several miles while he was attempting to vigorously resist us but we had managed it.

When Alice presented Edward with the first deer and nicked its carotid artery so its blood ran free inches from his mouth, he fell onto it savagely, greedily drinking in a way none of us were used to seeing from him.

Alice darted back and forth, bringing animal after animal, barely keeping up with Edward's insatiable thirst.

"Even as a newborn, he was never like this," Carlisle murmured to us worriedly.

Finally Alice stayed with us rather than disappearing back into the forest in hunt for the next nearest prey. Her eyes glazed in the way they always did when she was scanning the immediate future. "It's enough now," she told us and I noticed Edward's gulping was less frenzied. After a few tense moments, he threw the carcass from him in disgust and warily regarded us. Something of Edward had returned, but he still wasn't right. He looked almost like a ghost in a low budget horror film, his clothes dishevelled and dripping in blood and his expression tormented. His emotions were still roiling but he was no longer actively resisting my calming influence and a spark of sanity had returned to his eyes.

"How?" he demanded and he didn't need to elaborate. We all knew exactly what he was asking.

No one spoke but I'm sure their thoughts, as mine did, went straight to the horrific days we had fruitlessly searched for Bella, knowing she was being tortured then turned by Victoria and helpless to prevent it.

Edward collapsed on the floor, clawing at his head with his hands as if bombarded by noise despite the silence. I could only imagine what it was like for him, hearing our memories of that day assaulting him all at once but I didn't need to imagine the pain he was feeling. It erupted from him like lava from a volcano. Unrelenting. Unstoppable. There was nothing I could do to stem its flow, all I could do was protect myself from it. I tried instead to cut it off at the source. To redirect my thoughts away from Bella and I knew the rest of the family were likely doing the same. Edward's anguish was hurting us all.

Mine and Edward's gaze both flew to Alice at the same time. While the rest of us had focused on Edward, she had lost herself again. She had the faraway look that told me she was reliving past visions rather than searching for future ones. I rushed to her side and protectively pulled her to me, sending out calming waves that I hoped would soothe her. This has happened a lot in the beginning after we lost Bella.

While the rest of us knew what Bella had been through, Alice had seen every second of it. She had been so focused on Bella and Victoria, trying to see anything in her visions that would give us a clue to where Victoria had hidden Bella that she had almost lived through the torture that Victoria had inflicted on Bella herself. While we understood that it could never compare to what Bella had had to suffer, it did leave its own scars. After we failed to find Bella and then failed to locate her after her change, Alice would suffer flashbacks. I'd studied psychology extensively and if she was human, I wouldn't have hesitated in diagnosing her with post-traumatic stress. Her failure to save Bella had left her guilt ridden and eroded Alice's vivacious personality. I think that if it hadn't been for my gift, I might've lost her to madness to those first few weeks. I could tell from her emotional state that she was lost in those flashbacks once again and Edward would be seeing everything Bella had suffered because of him through Alice's memories.

"No. No. No, no, no, no, no, no, no,no,no,no," Edward started chanting, his distress an almost palpable thing that seemed to fuel Alice's despair and interfere with my ability to calm either of them.

xWx

Bella and Garrett didn't come with Jake and the two wolves accompanying him the next day. I was relieved. It was going to be hard enough dealing with Edward without the agitation her presence would cause. He was standing a few feet behind me, loosely surround by the rest of the family, all poised to act if they needed to but at the moment he was calm and still. The best way to describe his emotional state was catatonic.

It had been a very long night. I was exhausted and desperately wished the oblivion of sleep was possible. We'd established that Alice couldn't see the wolves or anyone associated with them in her visions. It explained so much. It explained why Alice hadn't seen Bella with Victoria until Victoria had made her move. Alice hadn't seen the threat to human Bella that Victoria presented because the wolves must already have been shielding her. It wasn't until Victoria made a decision that would successfully take Bella away from their protection that Alice had seen the danger. It was why we hadn't been in time to save her. It explained why Bella and Garrett had disappeared seven months ago. That must have been when they reunited with the wolves. It was a relief to understand but it didn't help us now. Alice could see nothing of what would happen. It made her so anxious, but just like yesterday she was keeping a tight lid on her fear and worry so as not to distract me.

"Bella isn't ready to see you," Jacob told us solemnly.

"Thank you, for coming anyway," Carlisle said, stepping forward to greet him. The rest of us adjusted our protective circle around Edward to compensate for his loss.

Edward couldn't hear the wolves any more than Alice could see them. It seemed it'd been part of the reason for his extreme distress yesterday. We'd speculated for hours as to why. The most likely theory was that the wolves had evolved beyond their ancestors and developed some sort of resistance to vampiric extrasensory gifts but it didn't explain why he hadn't been able to hear the vampires either or why my gift still worked on them. It wasn't working properly though I now realised. I hadn't noticed yesterday when I'd been pouring all of myself into Edward but it was obvious now. I could get a vague sense of what they were feeling but not at all the depth and nuances of emotions that I usually felt. I wasn't confident I could alter their emotion with any degree of skill either. Another obstacle we didn't need.

"You said you would like some amendments to the treaty," Carlisle continued, oblivious to my musings.

"What we would really like is for you all to leave," Jacob said. He eyed Edward speculatively as he began to growl and the rest of us moved a little closer to him. "There's no reason for you to be here and it's causing us additional issues that we could really do without."

"I'm very sorry for that but we won't be leaving until we have a chance to talk to Bella," Carlisle replied calmly.

"Why is that?" Jacob asked. "She's made it clear she doesn't want to talk to you."

"We would need to hear that from her. She's family and we want to know that she's well. That we'll help her with anything she needs. Now or in the future."

Jacob was gaping at Carlisle, astounded. "Family? Sure…." He drawled, bemused. He gave his head a little shake before continuing, "Well, if you're not leaving then we would need a concession to the treaty. We need to be able to hunt and kill vampires across a wider area than just the reservation. Not you, but others who don't share your philosophy."

"Unfortunately, I don't think that's something we can agree to," Carlisle responded. "We have friends who keep to the conventional way of hunting. We wouldn't want them harmed."

"Maybe you could write us a list," Jacob retorted, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Why? Would you stop and check their identification?" Rose snapped in the same tone and Jacob flicked her a derisive look before returning his attention to Carlisle and visibly attempting to draw on calm.

"We are having an issue with a vampire who is more dangerous than most. We can't allow her taint anywhere near those we protect. We need a wider perimeter than then current treaty allows," he explained.

"For all your posturing yesterday, you still haven't managed to kill Victoria?" Rose sneered. "That's pathetic. Your wider perimeter hasn't helped you up to now."

Jacob's hands started shaking slightly and his two wolves growled menacingly. I tried to use my gift to calm them but it was like a spider attempting to wade through syrup and the effect was marginal, so instead I concentrated it on Edward and Rosalie and let Carlisle try to calm the wolves with words where my gift had failed.

"We would be willing to work with you to stop Victoria," Carlisle said. "You are clearly not completely averse to working with those of our kind who share your goals? We didn't recognise the other two vampires and we are relieved to realise that there are other vampires who share our feeding choices." Carlisle could barely contain his curiosity.

"Fred and Bree are already an established part of our strategy for Victoria. We already have a plan for dealing with her. Things have been set in motion and we are very close to finally being rid of her. Your presence here complicates that."

"I don't see how. We will do nothing to obstruct you and anything we can to assist," Carlisle insisted without rancour.

"There are things you don't understand," Jacob was attempting to match Carlisle's patient tone but his frustration was bleeding through.

"We never will if you don't explain them," Carlisle said firmly.

"So it's a no then?" Jacob probed.

"Maybe we might be more receptive if Bella were to explain things," Carlisle suggested hopefully.

"She doesn't speak for the packs," Jacob shut him down instantly.

"Maybe she could mediate for us?" Carlisle persisted.

Jake narrowed his eyes but was stopped from whatever reply he was forming by an insistent buzzing. He pulled a pager out of his pocket and glances at the screen. "Fucking hell," he cursed at whatever he saw there and then spun away from us, exploding into his wolf as he turned. He raced into to forest without a backward glance at us, the other two wolves chasing behind him.

"Should we follow them?" Alice asked, uncharacteristically unsure.

It didn't seem like the best idea to interfere but the curiosity was unrelenting. We decided to follow at a much slower pace so as not to seem threatening and stopped at the crest of a steep hill. The wolves were already down it and through across the sparse wilderness below. Our position gave us an excellent view for miles and we could see and hear where they were headed now, running at full speed they had been joined by blonde vampire who we now knew was Fred and the smallest grey wolf.

Close to the coast, but on our side of the border Bella was fighting eight vampires. Despite the distance, I could clearly see that they were newborns. Bella was graceful and skilled but vastly outnumbered. Several wolves were prowling the boundary line, watching intently but not interfering.

"Oh no," Esme said in horror. "They can't help her because of us." I'd realised the same thing. Our treaty allowed them free unrestricted movement anywhere they wished to go, but they could only engage in combat with vampires that crossed their borders.

In unspoken consensus we charged towards them. We wanted to help Bella but we were far too far away and the fight was brutal and rapid. Bella was knocked down and gracefully sprang back up, grabbing one of the newborns by his wrist and ankle and lobbing him towards the reservation. As the vampire hit the dirt and skidded over the boundary line, two wolves got hold of him and ripped him apart. Jacob, Fred and the other two wolves had almost reached them at this point but instead of helping Bella, they all crossed the boundary and joined the other wolves. Bella kicked one of the newborns square in the chest and he stumbled backwards. As soon as his foot touched the boundary line, Jacob locked his jaws around his ankle and dragged him over the border, destroying him easily.

Bella grabbed a newborn from behind, sinking her teeth into his neck and expertly beheading him before tossing his head to the wolves by the hair but she couldn't be everywhere at once and two newborns came at her from behind, she threw them off, towards the reservation but the newborns were forcing her further away and these vampires didn't reach the boundary line. The wolves snarled in frustration. The largest wolf that was Jacob appeared torn; desperate to cross the line to help Bella but throwing urgent glances behind him. As three newborns fell onto Bella and she disappeared under them, Jacob decisively moved to cross the line and come to her aid (do it, I was silently urging him, knowing my family would never punish them for helping her, knowing we were all appalled that we had failed her again). Suddenly Jacob's attention was drawn backwards as Garrett came tearing from behind the wolves. He leaped over them, looking like he was almost flying. He surged towards Bella, picking off newborns who were so focused on Bella that they were making no effort to guard their backs. Garrett threw them at the wolves which such force that they sailed over their heads and the wolves had to leap into the air to pluck them from the sky.

We reached them just as Garrett and Bella were working together to pull the last of the newborns apart.

We froze in horror, our aid no longer needed, staring at Bella. She was covered in fresh bites, her left arm was hanging almost completely off. The wound was beyond her shoulder and there was extensive damage to her left torso and hip as well.

"Oh God Bella," Jacob said, rushing towards her. "I'm so sorry." He'd been lent a pair of shorts from the leg of another wolf and was tripping into them and as tried to pull them up and reach Bella at the same time. "I was going to help…fuck the treaty, but Garrett arrived just in time."

"I take it the renegotiations didn't go well?" Garett hissed at him.

"No they weren't interested unless they talked to Bella," Jacob explained. "We knew she'd take advantage of this. She always strikes exactly when we're most compromised. Is there any chance we can still lure her?"

"Fuuuck," Garrett drew out. He glanced at Bella. "Maybe…."

"Don't ask me to do that Garrett," Bella implored. "I don't think I can."

"Of course not," Garrett reassured her. "It was just an errant thought."

Jacob shook his head slightly. "They offered to help deal with her. She'll be sensitive to any danger they might pose."

Garrett groaned in frustration.

"I'm so sorry," Jacob repeated, "I should've crossed sooner."

"It's not your fault, Jake," Garrett said, turning on us as he squared his shoulders and balled his fists. He clearly considered us completely to blame and his fury was blazing. Even though I understood, I would have to defend my family against him if he attacked us. I braced myself searching for a way to deescalate but not seeing any. If Alice had been so gravely injured, I would be reacting the same way.

Bella chose that moment to let out a pained moan as she clutched her arm. Garrett was instantly by her side. I wondered at her timing. She hadn't made a sound, despite her grievous injuries and she had chosen that moment to vocalise her pain. I could tell she was feeling protective. Probably of Garrett but was they any chance she might want to protect us as well?

Bella tried to take a step and her left leg crumbled under her. Garrett gathered Bella into his arms, carefully cradling her arm so he wouldn't jostle it. Bella didn't protest but leaned into him, resting her head on his shoulder. He carried her over the boundary towards La Push, pausing briefly to exchange a few low words with Fred who nodded, then Garrett and Bella disappeared into the trees.

Jacob turned to leave as well.

"We'll agree to your amendments Jacob," Carlisle called after him.

"What about you precious friends?" Jacob said sarcastically, turning back to us.

"No one is more precious than Bella," Esme answered him.

The obvious truthfulness in her voice and the passionate way Esme delivered this pledge seemed to soften Jacob's attitude to us. "We will only ever attack a vampire who openly threatens us," Jacob told us. "It's covered in our alliance with Bella and Garrett."

"Why didn't Fred fight with Bella?" I asked. I needed to have a better understanding of the players in this deadly game if I were to have any real chance of strategizing effectively.

"He's pack," said Jake simply. "He's covered by the treaty."

"But Bella and Garrett aren't?" I probed, struggling to understand the dynamics.

"Bella, Garrett and Bree are our close friends and allies. Fred is pack." Jacob repeated.

"We wouldn't have known that," I told him, wondering distrustfully why he was sharing unnecessary information with us.

"Don't you have a mind reader in your midst?" he asked, eying Edward who'd been suspiciously silent throughout the entire exchange. I tested his emotions and it was like there was a void where he stood. He'd completely shut down, staring blankly at the place where Bella had fought the newborns.

"She's gone," Edward said suddenly, staring at area Bella had just vacated, his voice unrecognisable with grief.

I didn't enlighten Jacob that Edward could no longer read his mind. They didn't need to know we'd lost that advantage.

"Besides," Jacob added. "If Fred had fought, there'd be no way to stop Leah joining him."

Who the fuck was Leah?

Bella

Garrett had paused close enough that we could still hear this time. He wouldn't be tempted into any altercation with me injured in his arms and we both wanted to listen to what transpired.

Garrett smiled grimly, despite the awfulness of the whole situation. "Gotta love Jake," he whispered, "misdirection and subterfuge that even those vampires won't detect."

Jake knew that Edward couldn't read any of their minds while I was on the reservation. Making them think he didn't know that…I almost believed him and I knew better. Dangling Leah too…Just enough information to drive them nuts and they couldn't ask him to clarify without them revealing Edward's gift had been rendered useless.

We heard Carlisle say he'd redraft the treaty and agree a meeting later that day to sign it. Carlisle offered again to help hunt Victoria. "Sure, Sure," Jake gave his usual noncommittal answer. I knew he'd want to talk to us about it first.

"Come on, Jake," Garrett murmured but it was only loud enough for me to hear. It was as if Jake had heard him though and hurried to conclude his discussion with the Cullens. As soon as we heard the wolves part company with the them, Garrett was carefully carrying me to our refuge on the reservation. I loved everything about the abandoned lighthouse the tribe had agreed we could use as a base and I felt some of my tension ease as we entered, despite the unrelenting pain I was in.

Garrett lay me on the mattress and I winced as my arm jostled. "Sorry," he said. "There's no getting around how much this will hurt. Stay very still." He painstakingly cleaned and lined up my disconnected parts explaining how the closer they were to their natural positions, the quicker the healing would take and the less pain I'd have to endure and the potentially permanent discomfort that leaving even a speck of dirt in the wounds would cause. Once he was done, he watched me closely and I tried not to show just how much pain I was in as my injuries began to knit together at a ridiculously slow rate.

"I'm sorry," Garrett told me.

"It's not your fault, there were no good options. We knew that," I reassured him.

"I should never have left you," he lamented.

We'd had to position ourselves carefully for Jake meeting with the Cullens. The Cullen's house was far enough from the reservation that I wouldn't have been able to extend my shield over them. None of us wanted Edward to be able to read their minds. Garrett and I had located ourselves midway between the Cullen house and the reservation so that I could shield both packs. Then Sam's pack had come under attack at the far side of the reservation and signalled for help. Garrett had gone, but I couldn't without leaving Jake exposed. I remembered the terror I felt when I'd seen the newborns barrelling at me. So many of them! I'd run for the border, had almost made it before they'd intercepted me.

"Never again," Garrett swore. "I can't describe to you the fear I felt as you disappeared under them. That you held so many off so long is testament to your skill but no matter how fierce you are, there's only one of you and you're irreplaceable to me. From now on, I'll be by your side every single second until she's ashes."


AN: I would so love to hear what you think and I'll reply to every review as long as you are signed in and able to receive messages.