A/N: Hello again and I can also say hello to all our new friends who joined us over the weekend! We got bumped up by 20 more people so hi! I'm so excited for all of you to see this next phase of the story because it's going to be WILD!

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When You Love Someone

Chapter 18: Rhiannon

Alec

"So, what exactly is the plan when we arrive brother o' mine?" Jane asked a bit hotly as she glared, flying the jet with ease as Carlisle sat a few seats away from us, talking quietly with his wife. Apparently, Jasper and Emmett were already in Alaska, having been called by Alice a day before, leaving Carlisle to travel with us. Safe to say the short trip has been awkward.

"We get whatever information we can and go from there" I whispered as Jane shook her head.

"Honestly, Alec that's your plan? We're going in here blind!" She hissed as I clenched my jaw tight.

"No, we're not, we can trust the Cullen's in helping Bella, we have a common goal and if anything, we have the advantage," I said checking my watch again.

"Checking that watch isn't going to make us go faster. I'm flying as fast as I can, it takes some time; we'll be there in less than an hour." Jane smirked as I avoided her gaze. "I've never seen you so smitten before, it's nice to see this side of you" She commented softly as I stood silent.

"She is a dear friend who doesn't deserve this treatment, she needs my help so I will provide it"

"Of course, just like you run out of the castle and search night and day for all your 'dear friends'?"

I stood silent as she chuckled and started to descend into Eleazar's private port. Carlisle stood with a flourish and came in a step behind me in the hanger.

"Bella arrived a few hours ago as did the rest of my family, we can regroup and see what our options are and see if we can put the pieces together" Carlisle instructed as the plane came to a stop and Janie made quick work before we were off and running towards the Denali residence.

Janie took the lead in front of me and I slowed, taking these last few moments to ponder. Would Bella even want to see me? She seemed so angry, so hurt, would she believe me that I had no part? Would she listen? She's been hurt so many times and the last thing I would want is for her to think that I would betray her in that way. Always so guarded yet so easy to talk with, she makes it feel so easy to be around her, to stay silent, or to talk for hours. About her life, my life – both of us having spectacular failures and triumphs that we match in every way. The electricity that flows through me every time our fingers touch or her hand brushes mine is both welcome and terrifying.

A match for me, who would think, a companion of sorts; would it be that far-reaching emotion that makes men fall to their knees? Would I allow her so much power over me?

Seeing the lights in the distance, knowing in a few short minutes I would see her, to plead my innocence; then yes, yes I would allow her, it seems she's had the power all along and I was as useless to stop it as she.

Now would I be brave enough to admit these secret thoughts to her? To admit them to myself proved terrifying but to have her know and reject…. that is a pain I do not think I can bear. So, I will hold back, if for now, to protect her. To give her time

As we approached closer, I saw Carlisle's mate approach us first before the two others made haste to Carlisle as they whispered and hugged each other hello. I stood to the side, waiting for a signal, a sign that I was okay to come forward. After an ordeal with a clone of me, I did not want to frighten her. I would wait for her. I would wait as long as I needed to; yet after a few moments, she never appeared.

After a quick scan of the house and the inhabitants, I realized the same thing Janie had a few moments before.

"She's not here!?" She screeched as she glowered at the Cullen's as Rosalie met her stare with hardened eyes and I immediately stared at Edward who appeared in the doorway.

"No, she was near the snowbanks talking with Edward but Alice and Jasper went to retrieve them, and, Edward, why don't you explain the situation again?" Rosalie glowered as Edward shifted from foot to foot, throwing glances towards the banks and staying quiet.

"Son, what happened? Where did she go?" Carlisle asked, tenseness in his voice.

"It's…complicated," Edward said softly as he met my eyes as he knew my intentions the moment I thought it.

Springing forward, he didn't stop me as I tackled him to the snow and held him to the ground, and took his sight away, his gasp signaling he was under my control now. Janie sprang into action ready to cast if anyone grew difficult but to my satisfaction (and slight surprise) they stilled and watched the scene with careful eyes. Good to know most of them had a brain.

"Where did she go," I asked in a deadly voice as Edward kept his lips shut and stubbornly stayed silent. Fine, if he would make this hard, we'll make this hard "I'll ask you again before I take more away from you: Where is Bella?" I growled, trembling from anger.

"If I talk, she'll be in even more danger. You need the deniability, they all do" Edward gasped out before he began to shake violently, and I knew Janie's patience had run thin.

"Stop it!" A female voice screeched, and I noticed the human girl from last time with tears running down her cheeks, being held back by Emmett.

"I'll stop as soon as he decides to cooperate," Janie said calmly before she stopped, and Edward lied there still before groaning.

"You don't understand if Aro knows Bella is dead" Edward groaned out as I quirked my eyebrow.

"Humor me, I've been in the Volturi court for centuries and I know how to hide from Aro if need be" I ground out as I glared at the boy on the ground.

"She went to get an ingredient, the same thing that caused that scar" Edward muttered looking pointily at my arm.

No.

NO!

"You let her go hunt one of those creatures" I roared before I leaped for him only being stopped when I felt my sister's arms holding me back. "Janie let me go, he needs to suffer! Do you know what they will do to her if she is successful!? You, absolutely selfish, son of a prick! Do you not care for her at all! She'll be sentenced or worse! Not to mention if the creature is volatile it will ruin her! She has no experience fighting those things!" I yelled as I struggled against Janie who was having a hard time restraining me and yelling at me to stop. Meanwhile, Edward stood there with everyone's eyes on him ranging from anger to disgust to shock.

"Edward…. please tell me that's not true. Edward, say that your lying, that you would have stopped her, and she went somewhere else." Esme tearfully whispered as he shook his head.

"I tried but she was insistent; she needed to; it was the last thing she needed for it. Who am I to stand in her way" Edward whispered as I broke free of Janie and grasped him by his throat, lifting him above the ground, his eyes trained on me as I whispered my vow. "If she dies Edward, you die by my hand".

I unceremoniously dropped him to the ground as I took a few steps back before I felt Janie's hand on my shoulder, leading me inside the house while the others talked softly amongst themselves. I turned to Carlisle who was whispering to Eleazar and casting looks at Edward.

"So, what's the plan now Carlisle, are her whereabouts known at all?" I asked frustrated as he shook his head.

"No, Eleazar told me that Jasper, Alice, and Bella took their jet an hour ago, and Alice turned on the cloaking feature. They could be anywhere." He said gravely as I snarled.

"Damnit!"

Bella

"So how do you know they were spotted here?" I asked as the plane descended into England.

"I have friends who visit this area frequently, one of them is familiar with the scent of a child of the moon, and he came across one about twenty years ago. They tend not to stray too far away from one location to the next and even so, this is the only lead we have." Jasper explained as we landed, and I looked out into the gloomy rains.

"Bit of a stereotype don't you think? Werewolves in London or I guess on the outskirts of it?" I questioned as Jasper quipped a smile at me.

"The irony isn't lost on me; however, the weather and conditions are quite good for them. We have many similarities with them, one of which is we both value discretion, of course, that's why they make good enemies." He replied

"Uh-huh and why exactly don't we get along aside from the obvious," I asked

"Mostly it comes down to food source and how the change affects us. When we turn, we can keep some of our memories, a bit of our molecular structure is there just frozen. Most importantly our minds are still able to create and grow if we have a stable source of blood. That's what keeps us alive. Without blood, we descend into madness and a fate worse than death. However, werewolves don't have that luxury." He said as he opened the door to a waiting car, Alice gracefully slides into the driver's seat as I sit in the back.

"The molecule structure isn't stable at all. The physical brain changes each time a phase happens and with each change more trauma is inflicted on the brain. The shapeshifters in Forks, their brains aren't affected, just their physical bodies which is why they are able to have control. The children of the moon don't. That's what makes them dangerous, they act on pure instinct with little control. It's like when a newborn first awakes because their brain is still catching up so to speak, but for moon children, their brain never catches up." He said grimly.

"That's…. that's awful." I whispered as Jasper nodded

"It's a fate to be pitied but not impossible to come back from. It's possible to control, although it's harder. Like us, they can choose to hunt a vegetarian lifestyle and few do and live, however, that was a long time ago. The ones who are still around now, well, let's just say they didn't mind the loss of their humanity."

"How do you know all of this?"

"Back in the time of the southern wars, Maria had the idea of recruiting children of the moon. I was tasked with finding and collecting any would join and dispose of those who wouldn't. In that time I was able to find some but not many were content to hunt and live as they wanted so I left and the rest who managed to hang on to their humanity…... were killed not long after by either other vampires or were lost to time. If there are some out there, they have done a phenomenal job of concealing themselves and I hope they are never found" He said gravely as I nodded, resting my arm on the car window.

"Regardless, the one we're hunting has been around for a long time, she's been living in this area for a while according to Peter since there have been constant disappearances resulting in unfortunate deaths."

"Unfortunate deaths?" I asked wearily

"Same food source, remember? But in our case, we go for the blood…they go for the meat"

"Gotcha" I whispered feeling sick.

"We 're almost there," Alice said softly, a hint of fear in her voice with Jasper grabbing her hand and casting a worried glance at her.

"Are you okay?" I asked, as she's been quiet the whole trip and Jasper squeezed her hand.

"I can't see them, just like your friends on the reservation. They are a total blind spot for me."

"Then Alice why did you come?!" I said dismayed as Jasper gave a subtle nod while she gave me a hard look in the mirror

"For you," She said simply as I sat back stunned and Jasper frowned looking away.

"Jasper you can't let her come any further" I turned as Jasper gave me a look and Alice glared at me fiercely.

"I can see you and Jasper clearly, if you disappear, I know they are close. Jasper wanted to come with you and wherever he goes, I go. Jasper can't stop me, so what makes you think you can?" She challenged me as I sat back in my seat, shaking my head. "Alice you'll be a sitting duck." I tried to persuade her as she mumbled something under her breath.

"I've been trained extensively by Jasper and I have my own combat experience. I'll be fine and we'll have the upper hand. In and out, it should be quick."

"Right…in and out" I repeated not as confident.

Soon we found ourselves out in the countryside and with the sun dipping below the horizon, the whole setting felt rather ominous. Alice quickly pulling over to the side and I looked around the grove, fully nestled in darkness.

"We walk from here," Jasper said grimly as we followed his lead, expertly tracking what I couldn't see.

"So, what exactly are we looking for?" I asked quietly, the tension mounting as Alice was looking quickly over our surroundings.

"Not exactly looking per se but smelling, it's faint, like a whisp but its here, I know she's here," Jasper muttered as we continued through the brush.

Whisps of silver caught my eye and when I went to look, strands of silver hair danced in the setting sun as the putrid scent of salt and bone hit my nose.

We slowed some as we came to a clearing and I felt eyes on us from everywhere.

We weren't alone.

I heard rustling in the trees before Alice's scream, but it was too late. I felt, rather than saw, the moon child's claws on my abdomen as she snarled and snapped her jaw at us, her silver hair covering her face.

"Ahhh!" I fell to the ground as my stomach throbbed, the pain shooting through my veins like literal fire on my skin. It was violent looking wound, my skin ragged and misshapen as I screamed in agony, the poison slowly covering me; smoke rising.

Meanwhile, I could barely make out the snarls and whimpers as Jasper fought the creature. She had silvery, pale looking skin, like a sickly grey but her lips were pale white; her silvery hair whipped in the wind as she snapped and growled at Jasper.

Alice was doing her part, dancing around her trying to keep it distracted so Jasper could have a good angle. I tried to stand yet any movement was met with pain. It was torture and I had to stop it. Searching through the haze in my brain I tried recalling, anything, from Didyme's recipes that may be useful.

"Alice her hair!" I screamed as suddenly the recipe I needed came to light. It would be a long shot considering it wasn't finished but I'm sure her hair maybe what I was missing. I didn't know why her hair exactly at the time but I'm glad I did.

Alice gave me a nod as she sprang into action, jumping high until she landed on the creature's back, subduing it to gather some strands of her hair while she withered and snapped her jaw underneath Alice. When she got what she needed, Jasper went in for the bite however she twisted her body and squirmed her away from underneath Alice, causing her to hit the ground hard and for the creature to get a swipe at her shoulder.

Alice screeched in pain as she tried to cover her wound while the creature snarled, and bared her teeth at Alice, going for her neck.

"Alice!" I screamed, fear striking my heart as Jasper was running towards it; their bodies colliding at the last moment as Jasper roared a ferocious, inhuman sound before the creature went limp.

At last, Jasper darted to Alice's side as she whimpered and uncovered her arm to reveal the wound. Jasper hissed at what he saw and murmured under his breath, communicating with her without words.

"Jasper" I bit out as he looked at me, the anger simmering in his eyes "I can heal her," I said brokenly as I tried to speak without pulsing my stomach too much.

"Black snakeroot, barberry, the bark of thistle and her hair." I ground out as Jasper looked on confused as I remembered he didn't know what the plants were.

With shaking hands, I pointed towards the tree in the distance "The bark" and then moved my hand to the whitened flowers growing and pointed to each one while describing the root.

With a curt nod, he went to work, collecting each ingredient while keeping a close eye on Alice as we lied in the wettened grass trying to keep the pain under control.

"Are you okay?" I asked lightly as Alice nodded, scrunching her eyes as she gave me a shaky smile as she breathed in deeply.

"Jasper's back" She whispered as I heard running footfalls when Jasper appeared in the trees, carrying everything that was needed.

Smiling I nodded as Jasper delivered them in front of me and my eyes landed on a few big rocks on the ground. With my eyes, I looked towards them mouthing "bowl" as Jasper's eyes lit up with understanding.

Dashing to get the rocks he made quick work until a crude bowl was made, as I instructed on how to get the extracts and make the balm. Every so often he looked over at Alice who was now sitting up, soothing her shoulder, and had her eyes trained on the limp, barely breathing creature on the ground.

Within moments Jasper quickly had the paste and made a rubbing motion with my hand, instructing him on how it works.

With the paste he dashed over to Alice lightly covering her shoulder with the paste as she hissed in pain, wisps of steam coming off her shoulder yet the bands of skin were coming together, healing the wound. Once Alice was taken care of he then dashed over to me, wincing at the look of it.

Jasper then dumped the rest of the paste onto my stomach as instantly the throbbing pain become like pinpricks all over my body as I felt the balm doing its work.

Within minutes Alice was healed and I could sit up, finally looking around at our surroundings and noticing for the first time the green, almost translucent liquid in the bottle resting against Jaspers hip.

"Is that it?" I asked softly, ignoring the dulling ache in my stomach as I spoke.

"Yes, I got as much as I could, a few more bottles of the stuff are over there" he gestured over his shoulder as I saw more filled bottles littering the ground, equally 5 in total.

"Excellent, we have what we need"

"Are you doing okay Bella? It was a nasty wound; it was literally burning you without flames. It looks like it will leave a pretty good-sized scar"

Looking down I could tell he was right, although it was healing it was still a nasty shade of red as it formed a line crossing my stomach.

"I'll be okay, are you both alright? Alice?"

"I'm fine, when she got me it wasn't so deep, but the poison was…it was intense" She flinched as she took one more glance at the creature. She looked back at Jasper as he nodded his head.

"She's not dead, just knocked out," Jasper said his eyes going black "It does not kill easily"

"But we have what we came for, so we need to leave before she wakes" Alice instructed as she handed me more strands of her hair. "Whatever it was that you did, thanks for helping me"

"No thanks given but we need to leave," I said as I eyed the twitching creature as we made our way through the brush.

The journey back was surprisingly slower than I thought and when we rejoined society, Alice was prepared of course by making reservations in a hotel in advance.

I sat down on the closest chair in the room and looked at my wound. Grimacing it looked painful with the gashed skin still healing.

"It will be better by morning, by then it will be just a scar" Jasper mentioned softly as he lifted his shirt to show a similar line.

"Is that – ?" I questioned as I came closer to inspect it, Jasper lifting higher for me to see the scar going up his stomach leading to his shoulder.

"From my time in the wars, my first encounter with the beast although that time I wished I had that balm you made" He lightly joked as I looked up and noticed all the scars that littered his body for the first time.

They've always been there, of course, and when I first awoke; they had frightened me when I saw how much Jasper had endured. Not at him of course, although Jasper knew that. It seemed Jasper knew a lot than what most gave him credit for.

"Jasper I'm sorry, I don't mean to pry but – what happened? In the wars?" I asked quietly, my curiosity rising as Jasper gave a half-hearted smile and heaved himself into a chair, as if the stories he carried, the weight of them were too much to bear.

"They weren't the best part of my history or the history of our kind but hopefully it will serve as a reminder of what could happen in the future. They weren't good, at all. You know I served in the civil war as a confederate officer correct?"

I nodded, quirking my eyebrow at the word 'confederate'

"You know as well as I do the confederates weren't right but I was young and believed in my family that we were in the right, obviously I know the right thing now but it was another time, not as much education, but I served. On my way to the next checkpoint was when I met the sisters." His eyes took on a faraway look then as if he were recalling a past life. In a way, I guess he was.

"They were unnaturally beautiful, and it was very uncommon for three women to be traveling alone, especially during wartime. I pulled aside my horse to investigate and, well, you know the rest. I was reborn and I was a monster that they helped molded to fit their purpose" He spit out bitterly as Alice lightly danced from the bed and gave his shoulder a comforting squeeze.

"Newborn armies were a concept the sisters were willing to explore. As newborns, we are at our most powerful and vulnerable. The Romanian coven had fallen a few hundred years before and the Volturi were still building influence and power. The sisters felt they deserved it instead. I was trained for war and my gift served as a great asset to them, especially Maria. However, after winning many battles and securing the North American content they set their eyes on Europe which at the time was the Voltari's territory, their only territory."

"The battles were fierce and unfortunately or fortunately that was my first encounter with the Volturi and their military leaders; Alec, Dimitri, Chelsea, and at the time a vampire name Tamim."

"Is that why you referred to him as a lieutenant when we came to forks?" I questioned as Jasper smirked nodding his head.

"I can't speak for him, but I grew respect for his tactics, we had some interesting conversations in those days when we weren't trying to kill each other" Jasper chuckled

"Regardless we could never defeat them, and our numbers grew less and less, especially after the loss of Lucy. Maria grew desperate and Nettie provided a solution: the children of the moon; although in Nettie's arrogance she was lost and I took over as the head of locating them. It wasn't a pleasant task"

"I can imagine" I answered softly as I tried to imagine Jasper hunting those things.

"I came across many, some of which I spared for they weren't dangerous but asked for peace, of course, that was towards the end. Peter and Charlotte were gone by then"

"Who?" I asked as Jasper's eyes snapped to mine as a gentle smile came across his face

"Peter was the first and only friend I made in that place; he was different and tried his best to combat the violence of those times. He was very much like Carlisle in that aspect but of course, Peter had his own demons. When he met Charlotte, he made an escape plan and pleaded with me to come with them. I refused since I could cover for peter and the missing newborn since Maria wasn't easily fooled. If two vampires disappeared that wouldn't be much of an alarm; if I disappeared with them it would be a different story. My position was valued, and Maria depended heavily on me. I couldn't risk them."

"So, you stayed behind"

"I had too, for the safety of my friends and I also felt that I was waiting for someone, although at the time I felt like a fool, waiting for a miracle" He smiled softy at Alice who kissed him lightly on the forehead.

"At the risk of being too graphic I'll save the violence, but it wasn't pretty. Maria was enraged that one of her officers escaped and especially with a gifted vampire. A valuable one"

"Charlotte?"

"Yes, Maria felt Charlotte was the answer to the children of the moon, you see Charlotte can see the heart of the person, I believe some humans call it "aura" she could seek out those who were willing to join us and those who would turn against us. Once Charlotte was gone, however, we lost more soldiers in an attempt to persuade them than our actual enemy.

Then of course the Volturi made their final strike and most of our armies fell. I made my escape and Maria disappeared. I don't even know if she's still alive."

"Wow" I whispered as Alice rubbed his shoulders as Jasper sighed

"I suppose, I hope to never see that kind of violence again. To feel the negativity seeping from everyone around you. When I made my way out, I was a lost soul, looking for his beacon. Until I found it" He smiled grasping Alice's hand as she stroked his hair.

"You found me"

"Was it strong, the mating connection?" I asked quietly my mind drifting to Alec, not that I could help it.

"It depends on who you ask" Alice laughed lightly as Jasper smiled at the floor.

"For me, it was like a tidal wave, I knew from my visons that he was the one although Jasper was a different story, not that it was his fault"

"The mating connection is different for every vampire. For me, it was…difficult. My emotions, my heart, it wasn't ready to accept it. I wasn't ready to accept it." He confessed

"I had seen too much, do too much to think I deserved the love I sought for. Even though I knew it was there, even though I felt it pull every chance she was near I couldn't accept it. I thought that I didn't deserve it after everything I've done. I wasn't willing to put another through all the turmoil I had harbored in myself. I was afraid."

"You weren't willing to put her in harm's way," I said softly

"Exactly, however fate had other plans and one night I stumbled into that diner and I never looked back."

"You must have been so happy"

"Happy and scared. I had never been so vulnerable with someone and I wasn't prepared to build the bond"

"Build the bond," I asked as Alice smiled at me

"It's one thing to accept but another to build it. Just because you found your soulmate doesn't mean you stop working on yourself or your partner."

"I see" I shifted from side to nervously, suddenly aware that Alice knew of my confession. She had to by the way she was looking at me.

"You know don't you," I asked raising my eyebrow.

"I've known since the first time you both stepped foot in forks." She answered lightly as I hung my head.

"Of course, it wasn't me who figured it out first or Jasper or even Carlisle who's known Alec the longest. It was Edward who told us. Then again technically it was Jasper, then me" she confessed looking sheepish.

"Well might as well throw in the whole town of forks if everyone knew" I scoffed not looking at them.

"Bella, I understand that this whole thing is confusing, maybe even unsettling, but – "I let out a laugh of disbelief as I interrupted and stared incredulously at them.

"Confusing? Unsettling? Those, are the adjectives you use? How about horrifying or even terrifying, maybe impossible might be the better word." I bit out bitterly as I shook my head.

"Alec and I are…. or were friends. Remarkably close friends. Maybe even something more but mates? No, I can't. He can't. We can't" I stared desperately at them as the icy fear returned with a lingering sense of warmth. "It's too much, we agreed on friends and nothing more and then we were friends and now…. he might have tried to kill me." I whispered pushing back the memory of the stranger.

"Bella you can't believe it. You said it yourself it wasn't him; it was someone else, someone who cloned themselves to be like him." Alice said softly as I shook my head once more

"He was the only one who knew. Other than Caius now, I guess, I don't know anymore. It's all so confusing, I don't know which to believe" I confessed remembering the skirmish outside the Cullen home. His eyes were so….so defeated when I accused him of murder and even trying to kill me.

"Bella you've been through a lot the past few days. Why not try and rest, we have a long journey back to Alaska anyway." Jasper mentioned as he put his hand on my shoulder, a feeling of calm and relaxation hitting me.

"I know what you're doing, but fine, I'll take a walk or something."

"Or something" Jasper chuckled as I made my way out the door and into the night.

She is like a cat in the dark

And then she is the darkness

She rules her life like a fine skylark

And when the sky is starless

All your life you've never seen

A woman taken by the wind

Would you stay if she promised you heaven?

Will you ever win?

Fleetwood Mac- Rhiannon

A/N: Oooo so we are slowly but surely getting to the heart of the story and things are going to pick up quickly. All the buildup, the mystery, the suspense all of it is coming soon and I'm so freaking giddy when it comes. Please leave me your thoughts and honest reviews and I'll see y'all next Monday! Please Review, Review, Review I love hearing from yall and I always respond back!