Two updates in a month? What is this madness?

Well, the explanation is that it's a short chapter, and I once again wrote a big chunk of it a while back! Good news is the same is true of the next chapter, and chapter 21 (we won't talk about chapter 20 :P)

Full disclaimer, I know I am probably going to disappoint a few people with this one, but as I've explained a few times before, my focus is on twisting the story, not completely changing it. So my deepest apologies to those who were hoping to go in a different direction, and I hope you can still get some enjoyment out of my version of events.

Right, no more stalling - cue the drama!

Chapter 18: The Funeral

Before I was halfway down the stairs, I could see my brother in the hallway, the door open but no one immediately visible outside it. It took a few more steps to get to an angle where I could see Jules standing several feet back from the door with her nose scrunched in disgust. She seemed to be trying to veil her emotions, her expression carefully blank. But even from this distance, I saw the subtle way her hands shook, ripples of tension and anger tracing up her arms and stopping only at her rigid shoulders. The grim set of her features reminded me way too much of the day she'd tried to convince me we couldn't be friends anymore, and I was instantly on guard.

It didn't help that when I got to the bottom of the stairs, I could also see her Rabbit pulled up to the curb, engine idling, Jared in the driver's seat and Embry behind him. I didn't need to ask to understand – they had come in force, hoping to outnumber their enemy. But I also knew that the bravado was a shield for a deep-seated fear, and it made me angry and sad in equal measure to realise they thought so little of people that I knew were kind, gentle and harboured no ill-will toward them, casual insults aside.

Beau was in the middle of trying to coax Jules inside. "Come on, it can't be that bad."

She shook her head. "The whole place stinks. You really can't tell?"

"Smells fine to me," my brother said nonchalantly, turning halfway around as I joined him. "You catch any weird smells, Bells?"

"No, nothing," I agreed, matching his casual tone. "But Edythe was telling me the other night how certain things smell more distinct when you've got supernatural senses. Did you really call me down here to talk about smells?"

Jules jumped in before he could answer. "I needed to talk to you… and your friends." The word came out like it was some foul-tasting thing that she had to get out of her mouth. "There are questions we need the answers to."

"Well, they've stepped out for a bit," I said, doing my best to sound calm and unaffected by her hostility. "But you're welcome to come in, and maybe we can give you some of those answers."

Jules looked back at the two in the car; I followed her gaze and caught when Embry shook his head at her ever so slightly.

Irritation flared, and I couldn't help the sarcasm that dripped from my next words. "What, are you not allowed to be alone with us anymore? Your bodyguards can come do a sweep of the house if it will make you feel better."

I knew it was petty and childish, but it did feel good to watch her eyes flash defiantly before she strode determinedly up the walk and through the door; Beau and I had to move apart quickly to let her through. As my brother followed her further into the house, I took an extra moment to lock eyes with Jared and Embry, one after the other, doing my best to convey in that one look how silly I thought they were to think I would ever let Jules get hurt; there was a great deal of satisfaction in closing the door on them.

Jules had pulled up short just outside the kitchen, but was looking into the living room, taking in the mattress on the floor and the blankets and pillows still strewn about.

"Sleepover with the good doctor?" she asked sardonically, a slight sneer curling her lip.

"No," I shot back, riled up by her attitude. "It was Alice in the end. She just borrowed Carine's car. Not that it's really any of your business."

"Whatever," she muttered, stalking into the kitchen. She seemed to be scanning the room, like she was looking for something. Her posture was stiff, braced for attack as she began pacing back and forth, her agitation colouring every step.

Beau and I exchanged a look; I saw the same irritation I felt simmering behind his eyes. In the end, he was the one brave enough to step into her path and bring her up short. "Alright, Jules, enough with the attitude. What's got you so worked up?"

"I don't want to be here," she grumbled, and I couldn't stop the way I winced at the sharp bite of her words.

"Then you'd better get on with asking those questions so you can leave," I snapped, crossing my arms defensively. I knew I was being needlessly waspish; after all, I was the one who'd chosen to go to the so called 'bloodsuckers' last night. I'd pulled away from that perfect moment – I'd hurt her first. It was probably unfair of me to expect her, the younger of the two of us, to be the bigger person and let it go. I wasn't exactly being a good role model on that front.

Jules' eyes narrowed, her posture and expression reminding me of Sam (which only annoyed me more, of course). Her voice was clipped as she spoke, each word delivered with a sharp efficiency. "Another one of the Cullens has come to stay with you?"

I nodded stiffly. "Alice. Like I said before." No matter how uncomfortable she was with the idea of a vampire having a name, I wasn't going to let her ignore it; somehow, I would make her see them as people.

Right now, though, Jules was still all business. "How long will she be here?"

"As long as she wants," Beau said, calm but firm. He was keeping his cool better than me, but I could tell he felt the same way I did. We were united again, and there was nothing in the world that gave me more confidence than that. "We've fed Charlie a story about visiting for Spring Break, but I'm sure we'll come up with something if she needs to extend her stay."

"And she knows about everything that's been going on?" Jules asked, now far too calm for my liking; if she wasn't bad-tempered, I had no excuse to be snippy with her in return.

"As I believe Edythe already explained to Bonnie," Beau said pointedly, like he was talking to a small child that was struggling to understand a simple concept. "She's been in touch with the rest of the Cullens since we first ran into Laurent. They're all well aware of what's been going on with Victoria."

I didn't remember that conversation happening, but then I recalled how I'd been lost in panic for a good chunk of our first meeting with the Quileutes. There was a not insignificant chance that a lot had been said that I hadn't heard; honestly, I was impressed Beau had been paying enough attention to know about it.

I thought Jules would continue with her interrogation, but she didn't immediately ask her next question. Instead, she seemed to mull over what Beau had said for a few moments. She looked out of the windows, her eyes tracing across the trees that edged the yard. Her face remained stoic, but I could see the façade starting to slip, just the tiniest twitch of her fingers giving away how tense she was.

"Are they all planning to come back?" she finally asked, and her hand clenched into a fist before she forced it loose again.

Beau had naturally settled into taking the lead, and I was glad I'd let him; my throat was tight, and I had no idea what my face might be giving away. As it was, my brother's tone was just a touch sharper as he replied.

"No. As far as we know, the rest of the Cullens are staying exactly where they are."

Jules nodded. "Alright, well, that's something. We're going to need to talk to Edythe, see if she wants to extend their patrol scope now that there are two of them. We've been covering some territory that's technically theirs, and we wouldn't want to step on any toes." The last part came out just a little snide.

"Heaven forbid," I commented, not trying to hide my sarcasm.

My twin kept his cool somehow. "I'll call her, see if she wants to come back now, or set up a meeting later. Give me a minute – my phone's in my room."

"Sure."

With one more glance at me, Beau retreated down the hall to make the call. Jules and I stood in awkward silence for a moment before she moved to leave the room too.

"I'm going to wait outside – the stink's really getting to me."

"Whatever," I grumbled. "Wouldn't want you to be uncomfortable."

"Alright," she said, still maddeningly calm. "See you around, I guess."

She walked out of the kitchen without a backward glance, her soundless steps disconcerting in the extreme. I strained to hear any sound of her retreat once she disappeared – the door, the car, anything – but all was silence.

I squeezed my eyes shut, willing myself not to cry. It was all so frustrating. How could one day, one choice, one miraculous reunion that I'd never dreamed of happening lead to such a change in my friend? Did I blame Jules, or Alice, or Sam, or myself?

Most importantly, would I ever be forgiven? Edythe and Alice would be gone eventually, and I'd counted on having Jules with me when they went, but was that such a certainty after all? And how was I going to cope if it wasn't?

I moved clumsily, almost staggering, until the secure support of the kitchen counter was behind me, holding me up, and pressed the heels of my hands to my eyes in a weak attempt to hold back the tears. The whole situation was such a mess, and there was no way of denying that it all led back to me. Part of me wished Edythe and Alice had stayed away; it would have at least made things simpler. Almost immediately, the thought filled me with shame, and then a stab of anger, impotent and undirected, because there wasn't one person I could be angry at. The universe seemed determined to make me choose a side, to weigh my friends against each other and see which one I valued most. It was an impossible decision, and I wanted to run away from all of it.

"Bella?"

Jules' voice wasn't loud, but it was sudden; I started, my head snapping up to see her hovering in the kitchen entryway. There was wetness on my hands and I could feel my cheeks were damp too; despite my efforts, I was definitely crying.

For a moment, she stayed where she was, watching me warily. Then her expression crumbled into one of intense sadness as she crossed the room in three long strides, grabbing me in a warm, protective hug.

"I'm sorry," she murmured into my hair. "I broke my promise again, didn't I?"

I shrugged as much as I could in her hold. "I probably deserve it. This is all my fault."

Jules pulled back, the mingling of misery and resignation on her face pulling sharply at the place where my heart used to be. "Hey now, don't do that. I know how much you care about them. I don't understand it at all, but I should have expected you to pick them."

I didn't correct her, didn't point out that my culpability went so much farther than choosing the Cullens over her. I also didn't try to combat the disgust that was written across her face; that was a battle that was lost before it was started, at least right now. If I was going to change Jules' mind about the Cullens, it would take time and careful, gradual management. Not that they would be around for long enough for it to be necessary.

Jules was on the same wavelength as me. "It's okay, Bells. They'll leave soon, once we've dealt with the redhead, and then everything will go back to normal. We'll be like we were before."

I frowned. "I can be friends with all of you at the same time, Jules. Haven't we already proved that these last few weeks?"

She was shaking her head before I was finished. "No, we haven't. Think about it – how much do you have to censor yourself when you're talking to one of us so you don't bring up the other one?"

"Edythe doesn't have a problem talking about you," I griped. Best not to mention Alice – or her snide comments.

But my argument was weak and didn't phase Jules in the slightest; she went on like I hadn't spoken. "And we'll never all be able to hang out together – none of us could stand being near each other for long without getting in a fight, and I don't think you'd like that very much. So you'd always be splitting your time, feeling torn in two, and that's not fair to you."

I had no rebuttal for that. I'd already been feeling that split, struggling with being caught in the middle, trying to be all things to all people and ending up in pieces because of it. Really, I shouldn't have been surprised that Jules would understand me well enough to intuit all of it. The last few days – few weeks, really – were just proof that living like that would never work.

"Don't worry," Jules said softly, cupping my cheek in one large, warm hand. "I can wait."

"And you'll still be my friend?" The words were barely a whisper, desperate and uncertain – I hated to hear myself sound so weak. "Even though I love them too?"

"Always," she said, the unmistakable sound of a promise in her tone. "No matter what happens, no matter who you love. I'll always be here for you to come back to."

Her dark eyes burned into mine, and suddenly the air around us seemed to thicken. I was still pressed in close to her, her hand warming my cheek; her other hand released its hold around my waist to cradle the other side of my face, her fingers sliding a little way back into my hair.

"Bella," she breathed, barely a sound to my name, and then, just as softly, a quiet melodic word I didn't understand.

My breath hitched, caught in my throat, and I was statue-still. I thought I had decided, yet so much was still up in the air. I hadn't shaken that sense that I was somehow betraying someone, giving up when there was still a chance, no matter how slim a sliver of possibility it might be. The words of my hallucination echoed in my memory, grey and lifeless now – be happy. I could be happy with Jules, I knew I could. This wasn't the perfect moment from the other night, but it could still be a beautiful beginning. Or not a beginning at all, really, but a continuation, an evolution of what we already had. I could hold her hand and take her comfort and feel like I had a real claim to it. She could be my Jules, and I could be her Bella. It could be exactly what I needed to finally start feeling human again.

But my hands were still shaking as she moved closer, her intent absolutely clear, and part of my mind was searching for the words – or the will – to tell her to stop.

The sudden clamour of the phone broke the stillness, a hammer against the glass of the little cocoon we'd made for ourselves, and we both jumped. Yet Jules still held my gaze, reaching blindly for the receiver, which was just within arm's length where she stood. The annoying little voice in the back of my head told me I should use the distraction to make an escape, but I was locked in the orbit of her eyes, unable to unscramble my muddled thoughts enough to actually move.

"Swan residence," Jules said gruffly; she listened for a moment, and whatever she heard made her let go of me like I'd burned her, every muscle in her body abruptly tense. Her nostrils flared and her jaw clenched tight, and I was almost certain that one of the girls was on the other end of the phone.

Except, if Beau was already on the phone with Edythe, why would they be calling the house? As fast as I had begun to relax, a new lump was forming in my throat, and I held out my hand impatiently for the phone, hoping Jules could see in my face how important it was that she give it to me right away.

But she ignored me, looking over my head as if I wasn't even there. "He's out right now. Sorry." She practically spat the last word, negating the apology completely.

There was another moment's pause; apparently whoever was on the other end was asking for clarification, because when Jules replied – the words seeming to drag themselves unwillingly out of her – she said, "He's at the funeral."

A second later, she slammed the phone back into the cradle with an irate growl. "Stupid bloodsucker."

"Who was it?" I asked, frowning.

"Earnest Cullen." She spat the name with a level of vitriol that only made my frown deepen; I was certain mild-mannered Earnest had never done anything to inspire that kind of ire in anyone.

"Why didn't you let me talk to him?" I could hear the frostiness in my own voice, indignation at this unfair treatment of a man who had always been nothing but kind to me.

"He didn't ask for you," Jules replied, her shoulders rising defensively. "He wanted to talk to Charlie, and when I said where he was, he hung up on me."

Before I could come up with a suitable reprimand, a ruckus in the hallway pulled my attention. I went to the entry, only to be met there by a frantic-looking Alice, Edythe and Beau coming out of the living room behind her with matching looks of confusion on their faces.

"Oh, Bella!" Alice cried, pulling me into her arms fiercely.

I hugged her back, throwing a questioning look at my brother, who just shrugged.

"She saw something," Edythe explained softly. "But she won't tell me what it is."

"Something changed," Alice murmured in my ear. "Someone talked to him… just now…"

"Earnest just called," I offered, pulling back to look at her and trying to channel the calm, assured way I had seen Jasper help her through an intense vision. "Could that be linked to what you saw?"

"Earnest?" She frowned, her head tilting curiously to one side.

"Yes, he called," I repeated. "But Jules picked up the phone, I didn't talk to him. Alice, what do you see?"

The frown melted away, horrified realisation taking its place; Alice's voice was hollow when she spoke again. "That wasn't Earnest on the phone. It was Edward."

Numb with shock, I turned to Jules, who shook her head. "He said Earnest, I swear."

"Wouldn't be the first time Edward's lied," Beau pointed out grimly. "And really, would you know the difference?"

Jules made a disgruntled noise. Her eyes were darting back and forth between the two vampires, as if judging the distances between them, her, and the two of us. Like an animal backed into a corner, getting ready to lash out at its would-be attacker.

Alice was still talking, staring in to the middle distance like she didn't see any of us at all. "Rosalie must have finally got through to him on the phone… I told her not to call him, but she never listens."

I could feel a rising panic, but couldn't work out its source; my brain was stubbornly refusing to connect her words together. "Rosalie? What…"

Edythe groaned, realisation obviously hitting. "Neither of us got around to calling the family. They still think you're dead. Edward must have called here to check Rose's story and…" She rounded on Jules, her dark eyes blazing and her tone edging further towards thunderous with every word. "What exactly did you say to him?"

Jules was defensive again, fists tight and shoulders beginning to vibrate subtly. "He asked for Charlie, I told him he was out, then he hung up. That's it."

"You said he was at the funeral," I chimed in, and suddenly the sourceless panic coalesced. "Oh God, he thought you meant…" I couldn't even say it.

Beau finished the thought for me. "He thought you meant Bella's funeral, Jules."

Alice nodded slowly, agony in her eyes as she finally came out of her daze. "He's on his way to Volterra as we speak."

Edythe let out a choked sound somewhere between a sob and a whine, staggering back two steps and half-collapsing against Beau's chest. He wrapped his arms around her waist and hugged her tightly to him. I envied her; my knees were shaking, and I would desperately have loved to have someone to help hold me up too. Jules must have guessed that I was moments away from hitting the floor, because she gently guided me backwards into one of the kitchen chairs. Alice moved with us, kneeling in front of me; Jules bristled, but I ignored her. In my head, the dim, imperfect memory of Edward's voice echoed, every syllable a stab of agony.

Well, I didn't plan on living without you, not for any longer than I had to… Even imagining it… the pain was too much. I thought of a few different options. I knew none of my family would help me… So I decided my best bet was to go to Italy and appeal to the Volturi.

"He can't," I breathed, and then again, a sharp shout that hurt my ears. "He can't! He can't do this, Alice!"

"He's already made up his mind," she said bleakly. "He had the choice all ready, he just needed confirmation…"

"But why?" I protested, hearing how hysterical I was getting and unable to care. "He left, he… he didn't want me. Why would he still… How could he ever…" My breathing was speeding up, cutting off every thought before it could resolve.

Jules rubbed my back clumsily, but I shrugged her off as I stood, suddenly needing to be in motion but not knowing what to do, where to go, how to fix this.

"What do we do?" I asked Alice, hoping she would have a plan that could drive out the frantic horror. Because he couldn't… there had to be some way… this couldn't be the end…

Luckily, she seemed to have had an idea; there was a fervent look in her eye, determined and decided. "It will be tight, and there's no guarantee. But if we can get to him, if he sees you, then there's a chance. We have to go now, though, to have any kind of hope."

It all sounded deceptively simple. "Will that really work?"

Alice grimaced. "I don't know! There's too much still undecided. He hasn't spoken to them yet, so I can't see whether they'll give him what he wants. We have to hope they don't, that they take their time deciding… anything that can slow him down helps us."

"Do you think they'll tell him no?" Edythe asked, her voice shaking; she was standing in the kitchen entrance now, Beau still a comforting presence at her back, her distress tempered but far from banished.

"There's a chance…" Alice's eyes flickered in and out of focus as she tried to search the half-formed possibilities. "Sulpicia and Carine have a lot of respect for each other, she wouldn't risk hurting one of us if she thought there would be backlash… But I'm not sure if the others will sway her decision… And he's already got a plan in place for if they do refuse him. He'll do something to disrupt the peace in the city, and they won't be able to let that stand."

"All I'm hearing are reasons we need to go now," I snapped, that need to move still thrumming through me and frustration mounting every second I was stationary.

Alice took hold of my arms, ignoring the way Jules growled at her. "Bella, you need to understand what we're asking you to do. We only have a chance if they say no and if he takes his time coming up with a way to upset them. And if we go to try and stop him, succeed or fail, we end up in the middle of the most dangerous city in the world for us. Like it or not, we have broken the law by letting the two of you know our secret. You know too much and smell too good for them to let you leave. I'm seeing exactly one chance of this going well for us, one chance in a hundred."

I looked her dead in the eye. "And if we don't go, then it's zero, right?" She didn't have to speak for me to know I was right. "What do I need to do?"

"Go pack a bag while I get us a flight." She was all business now, guiding me gently towards the hallway. "Just a few days of stuff, hand luggage only, enough that we won't get stopped in security. And please tell me you have a passport."

"I do." I thanked my lucky stars that one of Reneé's potential wedding plans had involved a beach in Mexico; it had never got far beyond the dreaming phase, but I'd made sure to get us all the papers we needed, just in case.

I hurried up the stairs two at a time, stumbling at the top, but Edythe was right behind me and steadied me easily. We didn't speak as we went into my room and both set about packing; she had a small duffel, and I dumped out my school backpack, throwing a few sets of clothes in and adding my wallet, phone, and that precious passport. I tried to ignore the aching déjà vu of rushing to pack a bag so I could run off with Alice – only this time, it wasn't my own life I was trying to save, and the bloodthirsty vampires were ahead of me, not giving chase.

"Here," Edythe said softly, passing me my toothbrush, as well as one of my notebooks and a pen. "You should leave a note for your father."

My stomach dropped as I realised I hadn't even thought about Charlie.

She saw the panic on my face and quickly clasped my hands reassuringly in hers. "Don't worry. The wolves can keep him safe. We just need to have a plausible reason for all of us to be gone."

"What do I say?" My mind was racing, but I couldn't seem to land on anything concrete, anything I could actually use.

"Keep it simple," she advised, a militant look creeping onto her face that I sensed was her attempt not to go to pieces like we both so desperately wanted to. "A family emergency. Hell, you could say something happened to Edward – he'll believe that you would insist on going with us for that. He'll probably be angry, but…"

"That's a problem for when we get back," I finished for her, not letting myself worry about whether we would come back at all. Terror and pessimism would only slow me down.

Dad, I scrawled across the paper, missing the lines completely in my haste but unable to care right now. I'm sorry. I know this is awful timing, but Edward's hurt – that at least sounded plausible, even if I knew it was impossible – and I have to see him. Don't be mad at Edythe and Alice. I'm making them take me. You can ground for as long as you want when I get back. I love you. Bella.

I ripped the page out and folded it in half, then led the way back down the stairs to find a good place to leave it.

Alice and Jules were locked in a staring contest from opposite ends of the hall, both poised as if they would spring at each other at any moment.

"You can't guarantee you'll be able to keep her safe," Jules was accusing her angrily. "You said yourself, the chance is only slim. Even if I believed she's safe with you and your family, these other leeches sound like they're not going to be so well-controlled."

"You're right. The Volturi are the essence of everything vampiric," Alice said, somehow sounding hostile even as she agreed with Jules. "Every story you have ever heard that makes you scared of me, they live up to in spades."

Jules bared her teeth. "Who's afraid of you? The only thing I have a problem with is you taking my best friend to them like some sort of housewarming gift!"

Alice's eyes narrowed even further. "You think I should leave her here and let her take her chances with Victoria?"

Jules bristled. "We can handle her."

"If that were true, she'd be dead already."

"We don't have time for this!" I burst out. "You can fight when we get back."

Jules didn't seem to like that, if her expression was anything to go by, but Alice nodded tightly and headed for the door.

"Aren't you coming?" I asked Beau, looking at his conspicuous lack of bags; he hadn't moved from the spot we'd left him in, just outside the kitchen. "Come on, we don't have time to wait around for you."

He shook his head slowly, his arms folding defensively across his chest. "Not this time, Bell."

I frowned. "What? I don't-"

"I can't, okay?" he snapped, cutting me off. "I'm sorry. Believe me, sis, I want to be there for you, and of course I don't want Edward to…" Seeing the look on my face, he kindly chose not to finish his sentence. "But I just can't bring myself to race halfway around the world to help him. Not after everything he's done. Not when it's his mess in the first place. So this time, I'm going to stay here and do my best to keep Charlie from bursting a blood vessel when he finds out where you've gone, and do my best to deal with not knowing whether or not you'll come back."

Edythe stepped around me and took hold of his face, and for a moment I thought she might try to argue with him. But she just looked deeply into his eyes, as if searching for something. Whatever it was, she must have found it, because she leaned up to kiss him softly on the lips.

"We will be back, my love," she murmured, the conviction in her voice unquestionable. "Whatever else may happen, I will return to you, and I will make sure your sister comes home. Trust me with that much."

"I trust you to the moon and back," he promised just as fervently as he unfolded his arms to wrap them securely around her waist. "It's the rest of the world that scares me."

She smiled – not a happy look, but baring her teeth in something just shy of a snarl. "The world hasn't met me yet."

He gave her another tight squeeze and a deep kiss before reluctantly letting her go to join her sister. I hurried forward to take her place, and he didn't hesitate to wrap me up in yet another crushing hug.

"I'm really sorry, Bell," he murmured against my hair.

"I get it," I mumbled. "I just thought… that you'd be running with me this time." There were tears welling up and threatening to spill down my cheek, and I tried to wipe them surreptitiously on his shirt.

Beau kissed me on the head. "You never needed that. Besides, I'd only slow you down."

"He's right," Alice chimed in. "The three of us will have a much easier time slipping into the city. But that isn't going to matter if we don't get there, so we need to go now." When I looked up, she was bouncing on her heels, an agitated motion that gave away her desire to be moving, to be running, as soon as possible.

I handed Beau my note. "Give this to Charlie. It's not much of an explanation, but it's a start. Make sure he knows I'm the only one he should be mad at, okay?"

He looked like he didn't agree with that at all, but he took the paper and nodded grimly once.

I moved toward the door, only for Jules to grab hold of my arm and pull me up short. "Please don't do this, Bella."

I looked up into her pleading eyes, feeling what was left of my heart break as more tears fell. "I have to, Jules. I have to…"

"But you don't," she insisted, her voice wavering. "You don't owe him anything. Especially not your life."

The thought that I might never make it back, that this could be the last time I saw her, or my brother, stabbed through me harsher than anything I'd felt before, even in the depths of those awful first weeks. But I knew she was wrong.

Still, I couldn't leave her with nothing. So I stepped into her chest and clung to her for one more stolen second. She wrapped her arms around me, the warmth and strength enveloping me in a feeling of home. When I pushed away, she let me go, an expression of pure hopelessness painted across her face.

"Take care of my boys for me," I whispered. "Keep them safe, okay?"

Jules nodded, tears of her own beading up, though she seemed to be willing them not to fall.

I shot one last look at Beau, then followed the Cullens out into the yawning blackness of the night.