The time they had left together sped by too fast. Bella hung onto Edward with a death grip while Jake and Charlie spoke quietly across the room. Bella watched them wishing she had supernatural hearing. Towards the end of their conversation tears welled up in Charlie's eyes. He stood up and wrapped his arms around Jake holding him as if he was a small child.
Bella looked over at Edward. his brows were knitted together. "What is it? What were they talking about?"
Edward shook his head. "That's between them." lifting his eyebrow he said, "But I can tell you why your father wants you to be dating him instead of me."
"Right," Bella huffed. "Dad's big dream of me ending up with Jake. I hate to be the one to break it to you, but I'm pretty sure that dream died when he saw Jake turn into a giant wolf."
"Maybe," Edward smiled softly. "But he already sees Jake as a son. With the way he helped you after I…" He swallowed thickly. "After, and the fact he knows he helped raise a good man, he was hoping for the title of 'son' to become legitimate."
"Well I guess he will just have to adopt him." Bella Joked.
Carlisle walked in with Esme on his arm. Bella's grip tightened on Edward. "It's time." The doctor announced.
Instead of an awkward pat, like the first time they went off to fight, Charlie hugged Jacob tightly. Then to Bella's utter surprise her father walked over and held out a hand to shake Edward's. "You keep him safe, you hear me?"
Smiling, Edwared said, "Loud and clear."
Bella wrapped an arm around Jake while still holding tight to Edwards arm. He kissed the side of her head. "It's almost over."
"Don't jinx it." she chastised.
He gave her a sad smile before walking out the door.
She wrapped her arms around Edward's neck and buried her face in his shoulder. "I would stay if I could," He announced, "but who else will save the day with their awesome mind reading talents."
Bella sniffed. "Promise you'll come home to me."
"Always." He bent and kissed her lips softly.
"What about me?" Alice pouted, pulling Bella away from Edward. "Don't you want me to come back?"
"Of course, Alice." Bella hugged the little pixie and kissed her on her cheek.
Esme wrapped her arms around Bella and pulled her to her side, "Remember dear, it's just reconnaissance right now. They are not jumping in blind."
"Right, but they will be 'jumping in'." Bella sniffled.
Esme smiled at her. "Yes but we are strong. Even more so together."
Bella nodded her head.
"You know," Esme said, "I bet those boys in the yard could probably benefit from some of your delicious cooking. How about we get them some."
Bella knew Esme was just trying to distract her but she was glad for it. It would help her to focus on mundane tasks instead of the constant dred of another battle.
Bella piled one plate with pancakes and the other with spaghetti and meatballs, getting a third for brownies. Concerned with Esme's safety around Sam, Bella made a snap decision to ask her father for help.
"Hey dad? Will you please grab this other plate and bring it out to the yard for Seth and Sam?"
"You want to serve two giant wolves food on dinner plates?" Charlie blinked at her.
"What else am I supposed to serve them food on?"
Charlie opened and closed his mouth a few times trying to come up with an answer. He shook his head, and grabbed the plate of spaghetti following Bella out the door.
Rosalie stood in the yard scowling into the forest. Following her line of sight Bella walked to the trees, Charlie shrugged his shoulders following behind her. Even in the dim light of the cloud covered dawn they couldn't see the wolves.
"I thought you might be hungry." Bella spoke quietly.
Charlie squinted his eyes trying to see who or what his daughter was talking to. He saw a tanned arm reach out to grab the plate of pancakes before the rest of Seth's form came into focus.
"Thanks Bella." Seth said.
"Charlie has spaghetti if you want it Sam." Bella said, looking in front of Charlie.
Charlie turned, seeing nothing there. He squinted harder, moving his face closer to the trees. Suddenly a huge black furry wolf face peered back about a foot in front of him and a head above him. "Fuck!" Charlie stumbled back dropping the plate to the ground.
The monsteress wolf huffed at him then lowered his face to the ground to eat the spaghetti.
"Was that necessary?!" Bella chided Sam. "He has already had one episode with his heart tonight, he doesn't need another one!"
"Bella, it's fine." Charlie swallowed thickly. "Can we please just go back inside now?"
"Yeah, I'll make us another pot of coffee."
Back in Seattle two wolves and five vampires climbed out of the water.
"The sun is rising fast." Edward smirked, looking over at the Russet wolf. "What do you say we have that race we talked about?"
The wolf huffed in agreement. They took off, Edward used the tops of the buildings for cover while Jake tried to avoid any humans seeing him on the ground.
'Hey Jackass,' Paul thought. 'If I phase to human, can you order me to phase back when I get there?'
'Why?' Jake thought back.
'Because the humans are waking up. And aside from some drugged up bums Just staring at me, I'm pretty sure seeing my furry ass will cause some chaos.'
'And seeing your naked ass won't?'
'Paul,' Sam butted in. 'I recant my alpha order on your phasing.'
'Thanks Sam.'
'Yeah, Yeah, Just learn to control your temper and find a way to cover your naked ass. If you get arrested I'm sending Charlie to come pick you up.'
'Got it. Out.' Paul phased out.
When they entered the forest Edward jumped down from a tree to one side of Jacob while Jasper and Emmett came up on his other side. Edward shot off like a sling. Jacob tried to push harder, faster, but he just couldn't keep up; it made him feel a little better that Jasper and Emmet were trailing behind him. Edward got to the car a full two minutes before Jake did. He leaned his butt on the front of the car, crossed one arm over his chest and brought the nails on his other hand up to blow on them.
Jacob didn't bother to slow down, instead he skidded to a stop sending an ark of dirt in Edward's direction. The cocky vampire barely had time to stand before the dirt rained down on him.
Jasper and Emmet came to a stop pointing and laughing at their brother. Carlisle and Alice arrived shortly after them.
"What have you done!" Alice squealed at her brother.
"It was his fault." Edward accused, gesturing at Jacob.
"It was your fault." Jasper laughed. "You had way too much bravado."
'Where the hell is Paul." Quil thought.
'I don't know.' Jake thought back. 'He should be here any minute.'
Five minutes later they were about to go look for Paul when they heard him coming.
It was hard to miss the hot pink t-shirt dress that hung down to his knees. They all looked at him with open mouths.
"What!" he said. "Shut up! It was the only thing I found that somewhat fit me… I still look hot!"
"Yeah," Edward coughed. "Hot pink."
"Fuck you! Like you can talk with your dustbuster needing ass."
Emmett cleared his throat. "Why didn't you discard it and shift into your wolf once you reached the farest?"
Paul looked down at the dress and shrugged. "It's comfortable."
"Right," Emmet said. "Can we go kick some baby vamp ass now?"
They could hear the music blasting Before they could see the house. "Well we won't have to be quiet. They won't hear us coming over that." Jasper said.
They rushed forward bringing a solitary log cabin into vue. The paper covered glass in the windows raddled with each thump of the base coming from a sound system inside. Voices yelled above all the noise inside. Each one trying to drown out another.
When they got close enough, Edward scanned the occupants' minds. "There are fourteen down stairs and three up stairs including the one in transition."
"Is there any chance they will get away from us and go after the Swans?" Carlisle asked.
"They're not thinking about her." He wrinkled his brow. " It's unlikely. Alice was right, they are terrified of the sun. They also seem to think they're God's."
'God's that can't go in the sun?' Jake snorted.
Edward smiled. "I didn't say they were smart. Well, the two upstairs are. I can't tell about the girl. She is in too much pain for any coherent thought."
'Pain?' Jake asked.
"The change, it's… painful."
'What does it feel like?' Embry asked.
"It burns… like you're on fire, for three days straight."
'Does Bella know?' Jake asked.
Edward nodded, "she's felt it."
Carlisle fumbled with his phone. The guilty look on his face told them he didn't have to hear the whole conversation. He knew exactly what they were talking about.
Jasper asked, "What are you doing?"
"I'm calling Esme. I promised we wouldn't make a move before talking to her."
Edward said, "Maybe you should tell her not to come."
Carlisle looked at him curiously, "Why?"
"They're young," Edward frownd. " This will be hard for her."
Carlisle closed his eyes and turned his head away not wanting to know the answer, yet, still needing to hear it. "How young?"
"Mostly teens."
Carlisle sighed. "I'll let her decide."
Charlie, and Rosalie, sat at the kitchen table lost in their own thoughts. Esme hummed a low tune while Bella and she washed and dried the dishes. Everyone Jumped when Esme's phone rang.
"Hello,"
"Please put it on speaker." Charlie requested.
Esme hit the button and placed the phone on the table. "Carlisle?"
"Hello everyone," the doctor's voice cracked through the line. "First, Rosalie, Esme, you may want to stay out of this fight. Edward said they are mostly young teens."
"I feel I have to be there." Esme said.
"I'll be fine." Rose said. "As long as there's not small children."
"Edward says the youngest is fourteen."
Charlie gasped and cradled his face in his hands. Bella wrapped her arms around herself and blinked away the wetness in her eyes. A mixture of hate, anger and sadness crossed over Esme and Roses faces.
"How many altogether?" Esme asked.
"There are seventeen of them, they range between the ages of fourteen to nineteen."
One of Charlie's hands slammed down on the table, the other slid down his face to cover his mouth. His nostrils flared as he breathed deeply.
"Is everything okay there?" Carlisle asked.
Charlie huffed out a humorless laugh. "As good as they are over there doc."
Clearing his throat Carlile announced, "Um, Make that sixteen of them. They don't seem to get along."
"They're killing each other off?" Charlie asked in surprise.
"Yes, apparently there was an altercation over a video game."
Charlie grabbed his stomach. "I think I'm going to be sick." His skin was becoming more pale by the minute. "Are we in danger of any of them getting away from you and coming here like the other two?"
"Not that we can Tell."
Sam's voice came from the doorway making the Swans jump. "Seth and I will continue to patrol around the area, Just don't screw up again." He turned leaving as quietly as he came in.
Esme said. "We'll be there soon." pressing the button to end the call she hugged Bella and nodded a goodbye to Charlie then followed Rosalie out the door.
"Off to fight another battle in a never ending war." Charlie said to their retreating forms.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Bella asked her father.
Instead of answering her he said, "Sit down, we need to talk."
A/N okay so I did something. umm I rewrote chapter one of this story. i am going to publish it spritely from this story. I would appreciate any one who will go give it a read and tell me if I should replace the first chapter here or to leave it how it is. Thank you all.