Revelations

I slipped out of the hospital through a back entrance to avoid the crowds, checking my surroundings to be sure the coast was clear before I made a direct beeline for the woods; Edward was already gone, obviously too preoccupied with his confrontation with Bella to think of much else aside from trying to appear normal, inconspicuous. Even though she was suspicious, he would still need to keep up appearances for the rest of the humans who knew about the accident; we didn't want to give them the chance to start up any unnecessary rumors. He was in enough trouble with the rest of his coven as is and there was no need for him to dig himself deeper into that hole. 

I got back to school around the end of second period and watched as most of the students who had gone to the hospital trickled back in throughout the day until only Tyler and Bella (as well as a handful of students who used the accident as an excuse to ditch) remained absent. 

I wouldn't get the chance to catch up with Edward again until Biology since he decided to skip lunch all together, more than likely to avoid his siblings and the inevitable explosion that was simmering dangerously under the surface. They were all at least tactful enough not to initiate anything while we were in school, no matter how angry they were, but I could tell as soon as I walked into the cafeteria that Rosalie was just barely keeping a hold on her temper. 

Yeah...there was a ticking time bomb hidden beneath that beautiful, platinum blond hair and smooth, ivory skin ready to explode at a second's notice...at this point I could only hope mama would be able to join us at the Cullen house after school to help us deal with whole thing...she, Carlisle, and Esme were all good at diffusing high stress situations like this, both alone and together and since today's discussion had such high stakes, we were going to need all three of them present to handle it, even more so since I knew Rosalie wasn't the only one with ill-intent... 

Even behind his carefully constructed mask, I knew Jasper was just as upset about the entire situation as his 'twin'; he wouldn't be quite as volatile, at least not outwardly, but I had a pretty good idea how his mind worked, just as I did the rest of our families'. If something felt dangerous, if he felt like something was going to hurt his family, hurt Alice, then he was going to do whatever he could to get rid of that threat, even if he had to kill an innocent to do it. He would do everything in his power to protect the one thing in this world that meant more to him than his own life. He would fight his own family if he had to, if it meant Alice was safe. 

An unavoidable thing, if he were to stay on this path, since he knew mama, Edward, and I would do everything in our power to protect her, short of killing him, of course. Bella was human, but she was a part of my family, and we weren't going to let any supernatural creature lay a finger on her. 

(That's all fine and dandy, but we've kinda got another problem to deal with here and now.) That inner voice warned as I walked into Bio; Edward was already inside, hunched over in his seat and staring at the blacktop. I frowned to myself at the distant look in his eyes, wondering what kind of La-La-Land he was in as Mr. Banner walked up to talk with him before class. Edward glanced up at his approach, but his gaze was still unfocused, far off; if I had to guess, his mind was, more than likely, on the other side of town, at my house with Bella, probably wondering what she was doing now, if she was okay. 

"I'm surprised to see you in class, Edward." Mr. Banner gave him a concerned look, furrowing his brows, "I've heard you and a few other students were involved in that awful accident this morning." 

"I wasn't hurt." I didn't miss the emotionless tone in Edward's voice, the hair on the back of my neck prickling uneasily as he stared back at our teacher without a trace of his usual charisma or charm. Mr. Banner, evidently sensing it as well, shifted his weight from one foot to the other, glancing away briefly as he crossed his arms, uncomfortable. 

"We were the lucky ones." I stepped up alongside Edward, quickly taking the reins as I put a hand on his back, digging my nails warningly into his hard skin while I gave the older man a reassuring smile; Mr. Banner turned his attention on me, his tense posture relaxing, just a little, "Edward and I managed to walk away without a scratch." I sighed heavily, dramatically and pinched my eyebrows, playing up the concern a little since I knew the others would be okay, "Bella and Tyler weren't as lucky..." 

Mr. Banner furrowed his brow once more, his forehead wrinkling, "How are they, Dawn?" 

"They'll both live, Mr. Banner, don't worry." I reassured him, shaking my head as though to dispel his worries further, "Nothing more serious than some superficial scrapes caused by the windows breaking. Probably won't need more than a couple stitches and rest. Bella was feeling a tad drained after the whole experience, though, so our parents took her straight home from the hospital." I dug my nails deeper into Edward's back, "I can't honestly say I blame her, though...I think Edward and I are beginning to feel a bit of fatigue ourselves...I guess the adrenaline from earlier must have worn off, so..." 

Mr. Banner nodded his head in understanding; it was usual for normal humans to get a burst of adrenaline during high-risk situations, like what had happened this morning. It was their fight or flight response kicking on in the face of danger, a natural response hardwired into their reptilian brain just as any other creature that roamed this earth. It was basically like a burst of energy you got when you drank something highly caffeinated or sugary. And, like any other burst of energy, once the initial danger that had initiated it had passed, it would eventually wane, leaving a person fatigued and, more often than not, in serious need of a nap. It was the perfect excuse to explain Edward's lackluster efforts around our human acquaintances. 

"Of course...will the two of you be all right?" He cocked his head, curious once more, as he eyed our hands, checking for any signs that could indicate low blood sugar. I nodded. 

"Yes, we should be fine. We made sure to eat a little bit at lunch." 

"Good." Mr. Banner looked between the two of us, "Just be sure to tell me if either of you feel faint or like you need to go to the nurse's office." I nodded gratefully after him as he returned to the front of the class, letting out a slow sigh that was covered up by the bell while I gave Edward a long, sideways glance. 

(Jesus, Edward, I know Bella's getting to you, but you need to pull yourself together.) I clenched my nails in his back to emphasize my point before pulling away, cracking my knuckles silently while I took my seat, (You've already dug yourself into a hole as is, you push your lucky any further, it's going to turn into a literal grave. Rosalie is on the warpath.) 

Edward glanced at me out of the corner of his eye, giving me a look that said he could handle Rosalie; I pressed my lips in return, indicating I didn't doubt he could while I took out my textbooks for class, knowing we still had a show to put on, no matter how tired we might pretend to be from this morning. He knew the trouble he was in the uproar his saving a human would cause, he understood the dangers just as well as I did, but that didn't mean he would get off scot-free without explaining himself. 

The others would know I couldn't just stand back and watch a member of my family get mangled, they knew I would have needed to intervene, my life/secret be damned to hell. 

Edward did not have such an easy explanation to fall back on, even if his reaction to saving her had been about as automatic as mine. More than likely he would say he was preventing himself from exposing his true nature in a much more open and shocking way if he were to smell Bella's blood as it spilled across the pavement should the van have succeeded in crushing her in the first place. It would be enough to explain his actions...even though I had the very distinct feeling it would not be an explanation Edward would be using. 

(Hm...even if you did use that excuse, I dunno how much good it would do in the long run...) I leaned my chin against my knuckles, glancing at Edward again; his gaze was unfocused once more, eyes tracing the cracks in the brick wall next to the whiteboard, but I knew he could hear me. He shifted his weight, uneasy, his hands clenching in his lap, (Especially when it comes to Jasper, he's a lot more resolved about things than Rosalie -) 

Edward's back snapped into a straight line as my mind wandered to thoughts of what his brother planned to do, of his intentions to protect their coven, to protect Alice. His hands clenched tighter, the sounds of his knuckles popping overridden by the clench of his teeth, just quiet enough not to be detectable by human ears; a low torturous grinding noise, like metal brushing against itself, that made my sensitive ears flatten as his jaw clenched, pushing a vein out in his neck. The focus had returned to his eyes, but they were hard, slowly darkening with the rage that was overtaking him. The hair on the back of my arms rose with the suffocating aura of danger that choked the air, causing my tail to bristle invisibly, my muscles locking in preparation to restrain him; I was barely even aware of how close I came to snapping my mechanical pencil in my clenched fist, I was so focused on him. I needed to calm him down, he needed to get out of here, now. 

"Mr. Banner?" I was across the aisle as Edward was jumping to his feet, grabbing his arms tight in my hands as I swept his legs out from under him and pivoted around on my heel, blocking him from our teacher and fellow classmates' gazes; I staggered, feigning as though Edward's weight had set me off balance as I wrapped an arm loosely around his waist, inconspicuously pining his hands to his sides. He remained rigid in my grip, but didn't try to fight against my hold, his legs the only part of him to remain slack, adding to the affect, "Mr. Banner, I think Edward's not feeling all too well...is it all right if I take him out for some fresh air?" 

Mr. Banner and the rest of our class had turned to peer curiously at the two of us, a few of the students leaning over to their neighbors to whisper while our teacher pinched his eyebrows again, "Does he need the nurse, Dawn?" 

I shook my head, "No, no, I...I think he just has a bit of lightheadedness, that's all." I reassured him, slyly shoving my things back into my bag and snatching it and Edward's from the floor as I dragged him toward the door, "I'm sure just getting him outside will help. May I?" 

"Y-yes, of course." Mr. Banner stuttered, blinking slow as he tried to grasp the situation, "Take all the time you need." 

"Thank you, sir." I flashed a grateful smile and dragged Edward out the door before he could think to say anything else. Once free of the classroom, I pulled him into the safety of the trees and didn't stop again until we were out of sight of the school. 

"Edward, you have got to get a freaking grip!" I released him, frowning deeply as he straightened, turning to pin me with dark golden eyes, "Breath, in and out, in and out, okay?" I demonstrated the motion to him, encouraging him to do the same until he took in a deep breath of the cold, dry air, held it in his lungs, and then released it slowly. His posture relaxed a fraction, but his jaw remained clenched tight. I sighed slowly, "Christ on a bike, if you don't rein yourself in, you are going to deepen that hole you started this morning, which will only made Rosalie and Jasper even more adamant about what they think needs to be done." 

Edward continued to take deep breaths, closing his blazing eyes as he lowered himself onto the rock behind him. I set our bags by his feet and sat beside him, resting a hand on his shoulder. 

"I know you're upset about this whole thing...trust me, I don't like it any more than you do..." I let my gaze drift toward the edge of the trees, lips pressing into a single line, "But getting upset about it isn't going to help us...mama and I are going to need a calm, level-head on our side if we want to have any kind of chance against Rosalie and Jasper..." Not to mention Emmett, considering he would, more or less, be forced to follow his wife's lead in taking care of this problem once and for all. I didn't think any of the others would be on their side; Carlisle would be wholly against the younger vampires' plans, even if he would refuse to fight them physically in order to stop them. Esme wouldn't side with either, considering she thought of all the younger members of her coven as her own children and would be all for any kind of plan that kept her family intact. Her sense of right and wrong depended solely on the wellbeing of her family, especially Edward in this instance. 

(The way he described them before is pretty spot on.) I thought to myself, glancing at Edward out of the corner of my eye as I recalled what he'd once told me about his adopted parents, (Funny how easy it is to see Carlisle being the very soul of their family and Esme being the heart. His wise leadership and her deep devotion...it's really made them, no, all of us, a family, even with how things are now.) 

That would only leave Alice...depending on what she saw, I would imagine she would be siding with the winner. So, right now, that left three against three...more than likely Edward would take on Emmett since he understood him the best; even if the younger Cullen had strength on his side, Edward had his extra talent, too, which put him on even grounds with his brother. I was more assured of this since I'd seen the two wrestling multiple times over the years and saw them end it in a tie each time. Mama would be best equipped to deal with Jasper, the most experienced in battle than any of the rest of his family, since she was the best at reading body language and quickest out of all of us, which left me with Rosalie. I wondered if freezing her in a block of ice would be enough to cool that hot head of hers'. 

A low chuckle from my right drew my attention away from the image of the blond encased in ice as I turned my head to gaze at the vampire beside me, quirking a brow; a faint, but amused smile had touched Edward's lips, his expression relaxing, just the slightest bit, the blaze of his eyes fading into a light smolder. He glanced at me, still smiling faintly. 

"You'd need an entire glacier to cool Rosalie down right now." he whispered in a strained voice, putting a hand over mine and squeezing tightly. I smiled and let out a quiet laugh, nodding as I rub his arm with my free hand and sighed, "I know, I know...but then we'd have to worry about global warming, wouldn't we?" 

His smile widened, just a fraction, expression relaxing further as he wrinkled his nose in amusement, "We wouldn't be worrying about it, we'd be experiencing it." I snort, shaking my head as I turn my hand over to entwine my fingers with his and lean my head on his shoulder; his skin was just as cold as the stone we were sitting on, even through the barrier of his shirt and jacket. He absentmindedly pushed the hair back out of my face, sighing, "We're going to get through this, Edward..." I whispered, taking his free hand and squeezing it reassuringly in mine, "Even if it was just you, me, and mama against the rest of your coven, we'd manage, you know neither mama nor I would let them near Bella until we knew it was safe. We won't let Rosalie, Jasper, or Emmett hurt her. " 

Edward hummed under his breath, rubbing his thumb smoothly over the back of my hand, his eyes following the movement, "You guys can't be on the defensive all the time...every single second of the day..." 

"It might not come down to that, you know Carlisle won't let it." I reminded him, watching his finger thoughtfully, "But, if it did, maybe we could convince her to go home." I felt him stiffen beside me, the thought of her leaving an obvious pain, even greater than his thirst for her blood, "Or, a safer option might be putting her in the protection of my mother's family...it's large enough that they'd be able to take care of her and keep Rosalie, Jasper, and Emmett from getting anywhere near her." 

Edward hummed quietly in thought, knowing the entirety of my mother's side consisted of supernatural beings, mainly demons like us, and that they all lived very close together, meaning they would be able to keep an eye on Bella at all times. Even if we weren't quite as indestructible, demons were still a force to be reckoned with. We bled, like any other creature with a heartbeat, we still bruised, but our reflexes, speed, and our strength, not to mention our healing capabilities were a great deal faster than a human's. We could keep up with a vampire where humans could not. They would be able to keep my stepsister safe until the heat was off, if it came down to it. 

"If all else fails, that'll be our plan B." Edward sat up straight and looked down at me, the ghost of a smile on his pale lips. I lifted my head from his shoulder to look up at him, nodding in agreement while I squeezed his hand gently in mine; my ears perked at the familiar nasal sound of the school bell echoing from the direction of the school, announcing the end of the period. Edward let out a slow sigh as I sat up straight myself, both of us knowing he would need to get back for his final class with Emmett. I peered at him out of the corner of my eye, frowning as we stood to sling our bags over our shoulders. 

"You gonna be okay for your final class?" I asked as we slowly made our way back to school; Edward stares ahead, lips pressed together in thought. I gently grabbed his arm, pulling him to a stop just before we reached the edge of the trees and turned him to face me, looking up into the warm liquid gold of his eyes, "Edward..." 

"I'll be okay, Dawn." He offered the whisper of a smile, even though I could clearly see his mind was still preoccupied with what his siblings were planning. My ears folded sadly against my head, but I knew I wouldn't be able to do much until we were free of school and in the privacy of the Cullen home. We couldn't afford to make things worse, not right now. He squeezed my arms gently in his hands, sensing my anxiety over anything else happening in the final hour of school, even though I knew Emmett would be there to keep him from blowing his top if it came down to it, "I promise." 

I let out a slow breath, inclining my head in a quiet nod, "Okay, I trust you, Edward, just...please, try to take it easy, don't let your temper get the better of you." 

"I can't make any promises about that." His chuckle was low, strained, as it escaped past his lips, "But I can try..." he squeezed my arms gently again before he released me, the weak smile on his face slipping as he turned away and stepped out of the cover of the trees, toward the Spanish building, "I'll see you after school." 

I followed him out of the trees, watching him cross the damp lawn toward the red bricked buildings until he was out of my sight; I sighed, letting my eyes scan the school grounds. Only a few stragglers remained, hurrying through the cold, dry air as fast as they could; no one would pay attention to anything outside of getting to their classes on time. 

Tugging my hoodie tight over my head, I stuffed my hands into the warmth of my pockets and dashed across the grounds toward the student parking lot; even with the layer of ice that covered everything, I reached my car within seconds, tossing my bag onto the passenger seat and locking it safely inside before turning to Bella's truck. I'd texted Charlie around lunch, promising I'd bring Bella's truck back home this afternoon, knowing I would have time during the final period to do so before the meeting at the Cullens' house. Thankfully for me, I'd managed to snag the key from Bella amid the chaos this morning. 

Rounding the back bumper, my eyes sought out the tan car parked on the other side, checking for anything out of the ordinary, anything that could hint toward the supernatural. I was only able to relax, at least somewhat, when I saw that the bumper looked as though it's suffered nothing worse than, maybe, a minor fender bender; Emmett had been successful in erasing any evidence of the damages either Edward or I had done to the car when we'd been pushed back into it, a relief in of itself considering how distinct I was sure the impressions had been when the metal had reshaped itself around us. A dull ache reverberated in my shoulders at the memory, and I grimaced, rolling them to alleviate the pain, internally grateful for my vampire genes, which prevented major damage in situations like this morning and the quick healing factor from my demon side. Thankfully, even if I had been hurt, it likely would've only taken a couple hours for my injuries to heal; I would've just needed to make sure no one else, including Bella, knew about the injury beforehand, least I raise any further suspicions. 

Sighing to myself as I rounded back to the drivers' side, I checked the door, which was, thankfully, unlocked, and slid inside. My ears flattened against my head in preparation, and I took a deep breath as I inserted the key into the ignition, (It's just a quick, ten-minute drive...you can do this.) I told myself as I started the engine. It roared to life with the simplest flick of my wrist, and I inwardly groaned at the sound, repeating it was a quick drive home in my head as I adjusted the mirror and carefully maneuvered out of the parking spot. In all honesty, the drive home felt like it took forever, partially because of the noise and partially because I drove like a little old granny the entire way; even with the chains on the tires, I wasn't taking any risks with Bella's truck, not with how bad this ice was. I wasn't going to give my stepsister another reason to yell at me or risk giving our parents another heart attack after all they'd gone through today. 

It was a relief when I finally pulled through the last of the trees onto our driveway and parked the truck in front of the garage; the house was quiet, though I didn't miss the unmistakable twitch of the living room curtains when I cut the engine. I shouldn't really be surprised, given how overprotective Charlie could be of us kids. Mama would have told him I was okay after I'd gone back to school, but that didn't stop my stepfather from worrying about me. I couldn't tell you how many times the twins and I had almost given that poor man a heart attack growing up, but let's just say we made a habit of climbing the trees that surrounded our house and often came back inside scraped up and bruised beyond belief. I think the only thing that kept Charlie from dropping dead when he saw us was the fact that he knew about our demon lineage, so he knew the boys and I were going to be getting into things most human kids wouldn't and we would come out just fine. Still, he worried over the three of us just about as much as he did Bella, even if Henry, Geoffrey, and I were better able to protect ourselves than our sister was. I guess no matter what happened, a parent's concern never fully disappeared. 

(Guess that's what you get, being married to a supernatural.) I hummed as I got out of the truck, tucking the keys into my pocket, (Normal human parents don't have to worry about shit like this.) Shaking my head, I shut the driver's side door behind me and flitted across the yard to slip back into the trees before my stepfather or sister could appear. There was a narrow footpath through the forest that led to the high school, which I used to run every day, at least until I got my license for my sixteenth birthday. If anyone asked how I got around without the bus or my parents, I would just tell them I came in with the Cullens, since Rosalie, Jasper, and Emmett had all been sophomores when they'd first started here, and it wasn't unusual for 10th graders to already be able to drive. I'd been careful to make sure I arrived at school around the same time they did, to keep up the story, even if none of our other classmates were ever really interested enough to probe further. They'd been too enthralled with the newcomers to really question anything I said, more interested in how close I got to the Cullens where no one else had been able to. 

(You'd think I'd just made contact with an alien species with how everyone carried on...) I shook my head at the memories, thinking back on how a lot of the other students, including some of my old friends, had bombarded me with questions about the siblings, demanding to know my secrets so they, too, could get to know them. Knowing what I did about them, I'd just told everyone the family usually liked to keep to themselves and weren't exactly interested in making a lot of friends...needless to say, that had ticked off more than a few people and I'd lost a couple friends of my own in the process. Even after knowing each other for years, they couldn't get over the fact I didn't even try to introduce them to the vampires or help set them up with the only single one of the five. I'd learned the hard way who my real friends were that year, but I was better off in the long run if they got all bent out of shape over something so trivial, especially if they were going to be starting baseless rumors about Edward and I because of it. Well...there was at least one advantage, I wouldn't have to deal with petty arguments or a whole lot of drama, something I liked to avoid as much as possible. It just caused unnecessary stress and complications we really didn't need in our lives. 

Sighing to myself, I set off at a leisurely pace down the path, deciding to just enjoy the peace and solitude while I had the chance. It gave me time to listen to music and go over what was going to happen shortly, mentally prepare myself for it. If we could settle this thing calmly, all the better, but I wasn't going to hold my breath, especially when it came to something so important. I had to be ready. 

The final bell rang just as I strolled back onto the school grounds and crossed to where I'd left my car. My eyes automatically swept the lot, scanning the groups of students trickling in from the surrounding buildings, eager to escape and enjoy what was left of their day, and landing on the 'twin' blonds that were crossing to the silver Volvo parked several spots away. Rosalie's expression was as stormy as it had been this morning, her cold golden eyes flickering in my direction as though sensing my stare and narrowing dangerously, lips splitting into a silent snarl. I pursed my lips in return, nonverbally telling her to cool her temper before someone noticed as Jasper put a silent hand on her shoulder, directing her into the backseat of the Volvo before casting me his own disapproving stare, the only indication of what he was feeling as he kept a cool, composed expression. I sighed quietly as he climbed into the car with his sister, frowning to myself while Alice appeared next, obviously staring off into the near future as her eyes were glazed, brow furrowed, causing creases in her usually smooth forehead. More than likely wanting to see the outcome of our discussion, what the others were going to do, most likely Jasper, etc. 

Edward and Emmett were the last ones to arrive, the usual easy smile on Emmett's face absent in light or our current circumstances, brow pulled into a furrowed line that cast an uncharacteristic shadow over his eyes. Edward walked purposely toward the car, back straight and shoulders squared, expression as resolute as the look in Jasper's eyes, ready to take on the preverbal battle ahead. His butterscotch eyes met mine over the hoods of the other cars, just for a split second, not quite surprised at seeing I was still there even though I wouldn't have had a reason to be, but rather, determined, holding a silent promise that he was going to put everything he had into this fight, that he wouldn't let any more harm come to my stepsister. I offered a faint smile in return in gratitude, inclining my head just the slightest bit before he climbed into the drivers' seat of the Volvo, and I got into my Camry to follow them to their house. 

Carlisle's Mercedes and mama's minivan were parked out front by the time we arrived; Edward pulled into the garage while I parked beside mama's van off to the side. Well, hopefully having them there would keep things from getting out of hand... 

Upon entering the house, the six of us made a beeline for the dining room; like the kitchen, this room was more for display purposes than what it should be used for, furnished by a long oval mahogany table surrounded by chairs. They were all meticulous when it came to having the correct props in their home, to appear normal. More often than not, though, it was used as a kind of conference room for serious matters like the one we are facing now. According to Carlisle, having such a room when our family had so many different, but strong, personalities was necessary, so we could all sit and discuss things calmly. 

Today, though, I got this very distinct feeling it wasn't going to be of much help... 

Carlisle, Esme, and mama were already seated at the table when we walked in; like our previous discussions, they were seated on the eastern side of the table, Carlisle seated at the head, in front of the glass wall. Esme and mama sat on either side of him, Esme to his right, holding his hand on top of the table, while mama was on his left, her hands folded in her lap. The three leaders of our united family, coming together to guide us back to peace. 

Esme was watching Edward worriedly, her expression troubled, full lips pressed into a single line and eyebrow furrowed; there was the undoubtable look of a mother, worried for the safety and happiness of her child. The fear of losing him, having to say goodbye... 

I glanced at Edward, who seemed to lack even the energy to offer any kind of reassurance as he took his seat beside Esme. She took his hand under the table, holding it tight. I sat next to mama, taking her hand as she gave Edward her own concerned frown, her eyebrows arching before her eyes slid to the other end of the table, evidently aware of what was to come as everyone took their seats, drawing their own lines in the sand on where they stood. 

Rosalie took the seat facing Carlisle, fixing him with a glare that did not waver in the face of the obvious pain in his eyes, the creases in his forehead bringing an older look to his face that didn't quite belong. Her gaze then slid to where Edward was sitting, eyes ablaze, like golden fire as Emmett sat on her right, expression drawn, conflicted, as he glanced anxiously between his wife and the rest of our family. After a moment of hesitation, Jasper took up a spot leaning against the wall behind Rosalie, his expression impassive, as though he couldn't care less about the discussion at hand. Only his eyes continued to betray his resolve on his next course of action. 

Alice trailed in behind the rest of us, her eyes still unfocused, still mulling over the results of our decisions. She moved to my and mama's side of the table and took the empty seat on my other side without a word, thin lips pressed even thinner as she reached a hand up to rub her forehead, as though to sooth a headache; I took her free hand in mine, squeezing tightly and she glanced at me out of the corner of her eye, squeezing gently in return, mindful of her strength. Jasper twitched, as though he wanted to join her, but stayed where he was. 

I lifted my gaze to meet Edward's and we exchanged silent looks before he took a deep breath, preparing to speak as he turned to regard his siblings. 

"I'm sorry..." He said softly, first meeting Rose, then Jasper, and finally, Emmett's gazes, "I didn't mean to put any of us here at risk...what I did today was thoughtless, and I take full responsibility for my actions..." 

Rosalie narrowed her eyes, glaring disdainfully at him as she cut me off before I could interject, "What do you mean take full responsibility? Are you going to fix this?" 

"He won't be taking care of it in that way." I spoke up then, drawing Rosalie's glare, "And he wasn't the only one who acted without thinking today, I did, too. Edward and I are both at fault here and we will handle it." 

"I'm the one who initiated it." Edward frowned at me, imploring, "I will take care of it, Dawn. If it will make things easier on everyone, I'm willing to leave." 

"Edward..." Mama protested as Esme quickly shook her head, "You can't just leave, you're a part of this family." 

Edward squeezed Esme's hand, giving her and mama a weak smile, "It will only be for a few years, until we all move on." 

"But what if we never see you again?" I clenched mama and Alice's hands tight, "You and the coven might move to remain undetected, but we've put down permanent roots here...we don't want to lose you." 

"I can come and visit...in secret..." Edward promised and my ears flattened, "You mean without being around Bella." 

"Edward, I know this is difficult, but running from your problems is not the answer." Mama pointed out gently, voice soft, comforting, "You tried that once already, and you know how that worked out..." 

"Besides, we need you here now more than ever." Emmett piped up, peering sadly at his brother, his face scrunching, "We need to know what other people are thinking...I mean, I know Geo can read people's minds, but we can't just pull him out of the middle school every time we need someone's mind read..." 

"I'm sure Alice could watch for anything major." Edward pointed out feebly; Carlisle and mama looked at one another, shaking their heads before Carlisle spoke up. 

"It won't do to have you just disappear Edward, it could cause the girl -" He broke off at the look mama gave him, her eyebrow quirked, "ahem...Bella...to speak up...either all of us leave," He indicated the rest of the coven and I could swear my heart splintered, "Or none of us do." 

"She won't say anything." Edward insisted firmly, glancing at Rosalie, who was curling her fists, looking ready to explode. Carlisle's frown deepened. 

"You don't know her mind, Edward." 

"No, but I know her." I piped up, turning to Carlisle as mama nodded, "Carlisle, I practically grew up with Bella...she's very reserved and quiet, doesn't like to talk to others about her problems, no matter how small they are, much less something as big as this. It's why mama, Charlie, and I agreed to tell her our secret...if we thought we couldn't trust her, we wouldn't let her know...she's just like Charlie, she would take secrets like ours to her grave." 

"I can't see any future that involves us ignoring this..." Alice chimed in, glancing warily at Rosalie and Jasper now, knowing both were so sure of what they needed to do that there wasn't any possible future that involved us turning our backs on this incident. 

A loud bang rent the room, making mama and I flinch and frown at Rosalie, who had slammed her palm down on the surface of the table and was glaring at us now, "Whether this human," She sneered the word tauntingly, refusing to even acknowledge my stepsister's name; my hair bristled, but mama tightened her hand around mine in warning, "Is trustworthy or not is not relevant, it's too risky to allow her to walk away scot-free. You can't know someone well if you haven't lived with them long, Dawn. Carlisle," She turned to her father, "You must see the danger here, even if we were to disappear, it isn't safe to leave stories behind. Our life is different enough from our own kind, and you know there are those who would love an excuse to point fingers the first chance they got. We must be so much more careful than the others." 

"We've left rumors behind before." Edward pointed out, earning Rosalie's glare once more. 

"Yes, but those were just rumors and suspicions, Edward!" She snipped, baring her perfect white teeth, "We never left any eyewitnesses or evidence to back them up!" 

"What evidence could possibly be left that hasn't already been covered up?" I frowned, clenching my jaw, "Because I'm pretty sure I didn't see any evidence left behind from the accident. Thank you, Emmett, by the way." 

Emmett gave me a faint smile, nodding to accept my thanks as Jasper nodded silently along with Rosalie, his eyes steely. Carlisle frowned at the two, knitting his eyebrows. 

"Rose -" 

"Let me finish, Carlisle," Rosalie held up a finger to stop him, giving him and mama a compelling look, "What happens doesn't have to be any kind of big deal. The girl hit her head when Edward saved her, right? So maybe we just make that injury turn out more serious than it initially looked." She gave a slow, nonchalant shrug, ignoring my glare, "Every human that sleeps runs the risk of never waking up. The others would expect us to clean up our messes, just like they would have had to. Technically," She leaned forward over the table, pinning Edward and I with a hard stare, "This would make it Edward and Dawn's job, but obviously this is beyond them." She returned her attention to Carlisle, "But you know I'm capable of control. I wouldn't leave any evidence behind." 

"Yes Rosalie, we're all aware of just how proficient an assassin you are," Edward snarled, a low sound from deep in his throat; her eyes snapped back toward him, a hiss escaping from between her clenched teeth. 

"Edward, please." Carlisle shot Edward a look, telling him to cool it before he turned back to the blond, "Rosalie, I purposefully turned a blind eye back in Rochester because I believed you deserved some kind of justice for what those men did to you. This situation, though, is different. Isabella Swan is innocent. Not to mention a part of Elizabeth and Dawn's family." 

 "It isn't anything personal, Carlisle," Rosalie said through gritted teeth, "It's to keep us all safe." 

"That's about as believable as my kicking your prissy little ass five ways to Sunday for pulling on my tail and saying it's 'nothing personal', queeny." I growled lowly; Emmett stifled a laugh behind his hand as Rosalie's eyes snapped to me, flashing angrily as she visibly bristled. A few of the others seemed to relax a bit at the familiar antics, a silent smile tugging at the corners of Edward's lips. It wasn't a secret, Rosalie and I did not get along all that well, considering we had vastly different personalities. We managed to remain civil through most of our interactions, but on a hot button topic like this, all bets were off. The others knew we wouldn't ever get physical, not really, but the barbs were flying. 

Carlisle was the only one who didn't give a visible response, his expression thoughtful as he carefully compiled his answer. He could understand Rosalie's concern for the safety of the coven, but when it came to the sanctity of human life, he didn't compromise. Ever. 

"I know you mean well, Rosalie," Carlisle said in a soft, clear voice, nudging us back on topic, "But I would like very much to have a family here worth protecting. Unfortunately for us, the occasional...accident or lapse in judgement is a regrettable part of who we are." It was always funny hearing him include him in the plural, even though I was sure, out of all of the vampires assembled, he was the only one who never had to worry about such a lapse, "Is another thing entirely. The risk Bella presents, whether she keeps her word or not, is nothing compared to the greater risk. If we start to make exceptions in order to protect ourselves, we risk losing something much more important...the essence of who we are." 

I could feel my respect for Carlisle sweep in my chest, pulling a smile onto my lips at his wise words. Mama gave him a gentle look, nodding her agreement as she put her free hand on his shoulder. 

"Well said, Carlisle." 

"It's just being responsible." Rosalie growled from the other end of the table, scowling at Carlisle and mama. 

"No, murdering in cold blood is being callous," Mama replied flatly, giving Rosalie a disapproving look similar to the one she would give my brothers, or I when we were in the middle of a temper tantrum as children. Carlisle nodded his head in agreement, "Eliza is right, every life is precious." 

Pushing her bottom lip out in a pout, Rosalie flopped back in her chair and slid down, reminding me of a child who'd been denied a treat. Emmett pat her shoulder, whispering reassuringly. 

"The question we're presented with now, though," Carlisle continued with a heavy sigh, "is whether it is time to move on?" 

"No..." Rosalie groaned, "No, we just got settled in here and I don't want to have to start my sophomore year all over again!" 

"You could keep your current age." Carlisle pointed out, but Rosalie was shaking her head again, "if we did that, we would have to move that much sooner." She sighed, earning a shrug in return. Rosalie's lips pursed, "But I like it here! There isn't a lot of sun, and we get to be almost normal." 

"Well, we don't have to decide anything now," Carlisle consoled her, "We could wait and find out if moving is necessary. Edward, Dawn, and Elizabeth seem certain of Bella's silence." 

Rosalie rolled her eyes, unconvinced, and gave a very unladylike snort, before she opened her mouth to retort. Her voice, however, faded into the background as I turned my attention from her to the still form behind her; no matter how angry she was or how much she didn't like it, Rosalie would follow Carlisle's lead. She was no longer a threat. 

Jasper, however, was not moved; his expression remained stony, but his eyes were still bright, resolute, in his decision. He wasn't backing down on this, no matter what Carlisle said. It made sense, since his first couple centuries as a vampire were spent in a combat zone, being constantly on the alert, ready to fight at a second's notice. He didn't flout the rules, no matter how small...he'd seen the consequence of doing so too many times to allow something like this to go easily. 

"Jasper." Edward's voice intermixed with mine as we spoke the vampire's name, drawing his attention; he met mine, then Edward's gaze slowly, keeping his expression controlled. 

"I won't allow her to pay for my mistake." Edward told him quietly. 

"She'll benefit from it, then?' Jasper crossed his arms, "She should have died in that accident today, Edward. I'm just setting it right." 

"I -" Edward began in a taut voice. 

"WE won't allow it." I broke in quickly, giving Jasper a hard look as I pressed my lips together. Jasper glanced at me, blinking slowly. Obviously, he'd expected mama and I to fight, to protect Bella, but he hadn't thought Edward would be on our side, too. His eyebrows furrowed and he shook his head. 

"I won't let Alice live in any kind of danger." he rebuked, "Neither of you understand what I feel for her nor have either of you lived through what I have." 

"Neither of us are disputing that, Jasper..." Edward told him slowly, his own eyebrows knitting into a serious line, "But I – we're," He looked at me for a moment as I nodded, "not going to allow you to hurt Isabella Swan." 

Jasper eyed Edward and I silently, his eyes narrowing, expression not quite hostile but, rather, contemplative, analyzing. He was measuring us up, his opposition. There was a shift in the air, a nonphysical probing as he tested our mood, our determination. 

"Jazz." Alice's voice broke through the tense bubble, drawing our attention; I turned to look at her, inclining one ear in her direction while the other stayed trained on Jasper. He held Edward's gaze for a moment longer, then broke it to look at her, frowning. 

"Alice, please...I already know you can protect yourself. But that isn't why I'm doing this -" 

"I'm not going to mention anything like that." Alice frowned, pursing her lips, "I was just going to ask for a favor." 

My eyebrows rose in surprise at the request, having not quite expected it as Edward let out a low, audible gasp, obviously already reading what was going through her mind. I frowned at him before returning my attention to Alice while the rest of the table eyed Edward. 

"Jazz...I know you love me and want to protect me, but I would really appreciate it if you didn't try to kill Bella." Alice sighed heavily, "First of all, you know Edward and Dawn are both serious about protecting her, not to mention Elizabeth, and I don't want the four of you fighting. Second, she's my friend...or she's going to be, at least." 

Mama turned to stare at Alice in surprise while I blinked slowly, both my ears inclining toward her with interest. Edward was still staring blankly at her, evidently engrossed in whatever image she'd conjured in her mind. Was it an image of Bella's future...would she and Edward -? 

"But Alice..." Jasper began, taken aback by her words; I peered at him out of the corner of my eye, noticing the way his had widened, his mouth hanging open in surprise. Alice looked stern when I turned back to her. 

"I'm going to love her someday, Jazz, just as much as Dawn here does." Her cold fingers tightened around my hand under the table as her small brows furrowed into a single line, "And I'm going to be very put out with you if you don't leave Bella be." 

The determination of his decision finally seemed to waver as Jasper stared silently at his wife, looking torn as he considered her words. Alice let out a slow breath as something shifted behind her eyes, the vision in her mind changing with his decision. 

"You see? Bella isn't going to say anything. There's nothing to worry about." 

The way she uttered my stepsister's name, the gentle tone of her voice so effortlessly allowing it to escape her lips was surprisingly comforting. The sound of it eased away some of the tension, allowing my muscles to relax with the subconscious knowledge that Bella was going to be okay, that she would be safe. Alice wouldn't talk Jasper down like this unless she was sure things were going to be okay. 

"Alice," Edward choked out, drawing our attention again, "What...does this...?" 

"I told you there was a change coming." Alice told him with a gentle frown, "But, honestly, I don't know entirely, Edward...there are still things that could cloud it." Her jaw locked, eyes glazing once more, visions flashing behind her iris. Mama leaned around me to look at her, frowning quietly as we waited to see if she would mention anything about it until Edward gave an irritated huff, his eyes hard as he glared at her. 

"What, Alice?" His voice was low, strained, "What are you trying to hide?" 

Emmett grumbled irritably from the other end of the table; he'd always hated it when Alice and Edward had conversations only they could hear. The rest of us looked between the two, quietly observing from the sidelines as she shook her head slowly, deliberately, telling him to keep out. 

"Is it about the girl?" Edward's voice was hard, demanding now, "Is it about Bella?" 

Alice grits her teeth in concentration, doing her best to keep Edward from seeing what she didn't want him to see, but at the mention of my stepsister's name, her control slipped, expression slackening for the briefest of seconds, just long enough. His eyes immediately widened, stretching into saucers as he leapt to his feet, sending his chair toppling backward to the floor with a loud bang. 

"NO!" 

"Edward!" Carlisle was at his side in a flash, putting a hand on his shoulder. Edward's focus, however, remained completely on Alice, as though nothing else in the world mattered to him at that moment except her. 

"It's solidifying..." Alice whispered breathily, "Every minute you're more decided Edward, there are only two ways left for her now. It's one way or the other." Edward had started shaking his head in denial before she'd finished speaking. 

"No..." There was no volume to his voice now, the word escaping on a broken whisper as he braced his hands on the table, as though he was ready to collapse at any second. 

"Will somebody please let the rest of us in on the mystery?" Emmett complained with an uncharacteristic frown. Edward was shaking his head again. 

"I have to leave..." He whispered, more to Alice than anyone else, drowning out the rest of us. 

"We've already been over that, Edward." Emmett told him, "That's the best way you'll get the girl to start talking. Besides, if you were to take off, we wouldn't know for sure if she's talking or not. You need to stay here and deal with this." 

"I don't see you going anywhere, Edward." Alice pointed out softly, "And I don't think you have it in you to anymore." She raised her eyebrows pointedly, as though telling him to think about leaving this time around. Edward's expression tightened, pain evident in his eyes at the thought of having to leave her behind again. 

Another moment passed as Alice spoke to Edward in her mind and he analyzed Bella's future. Mama and I looked at one another silently, wondering whether to interfere now or not when Edward spoke up again. 

"I don't hear that, not anymore..." He murmured, shaking his head once more, obviously disputing her argument, "Besides, even if I left, Bella would still have Elizabeth, Dawn, and the twins to protect her." 

Alice gave Edward a hard look, as though scolding him; he groaned, dropping his head into his hands, "Why are you doing this to me...?" Her expression softened, just the slightest bit, understanding edging the corners of her eyes as she smiled faintly; whatever she said gave Edward pause and he slowly lifted his head, eyes wide again, "Love her, too...?" His whisper was incredulous. 

My own eyes widened, and I looked at Alice in surprise, "He's really going to...?" She turned to me, still smiling faintly, and nodded. I let go of mama's hand to thump the table triumphantly with my fist, a smile stretching my lips wide, "I knew it! I knew this was going to happen, there was no way you'd be so interested in Bella if it wasn't that! Hell, if I knew this was going to happen, I would have introduced you sooner! This is fantastic!" 

"No, it isn't..." Edward frowned, his voice strained, horrified, "No, I...I don't have to follow the course Alice sees, I'll...I'll leave. I will change the future." 

"You can try." Alice sighed, shaking her head skeptically. Mama cocked her head. 

"Edward, if I'm guessing this correctly, then doing something like that is not going to help you. Love works in mysterious ways, you know." Her expression was soft, understanding, as she gave him a gentle look, "No matter how much you might try to fight it, it's going to inevitably happen, just as the sun will always rise." 

"What?" Emmett spoke up, startled now, blinking as he let this news sink in while Rosalie rolled her eyes, gagging, "This is just so classically Edward..." She hissed under her breath, folding her arms angrily on the table while Emmett let out a great, booming laugh, "Is that what's going on? Oh man..." he shook his head, still laughing, "Tough break, Edward." 

Emmett was on his feet now as he came around the table to clap a hand on his brother's shoulder, only for it to be promptly shrugged off. 

"Love..." Esme said slowly, stunned, as she looked between mama, Alice, and I before turning her attention to Edward, her eyes widening in realization, "You're falling in love with her?" 

"What exactly do you see, Alice?" Jasper demanded, turning on her now; she lifted her gaze to him, then let out a slow breath, "It will all depend on whether he's strong enough to resist the temptation of her blood or not. Either he'll kill her himself," She turned a glare on Edward now, "Which would really irritate me, Edward, not to mention destroy you -" She took a slow breath, calming, "or Bella will one day become one of us." 

"Oh my." Mama put a hand over her mouth as Esme pulled in a quick breath, eyes wide. Edward whipped his head back and forth, insistent. 

"That's not going to happen!" He shouted, baring his grit teeth at the table, "Either one!" 

Alice ignored him, "Like I said, it will all depend. He might just be strong enough not to kill her...but it will be very close. It will take an incredible amount of control..." She paused, thoughtful, "Possibly even more than Carlisle has. He might just be strong enough...the only thing he won't be strong enough to do is stay away from her, though. That's now a lost cause." 

The room went still in that moment as everyone let this news sink in, each absorbed in their own thoughts; Carlisle glanced between Esme and mama, who looked at him and each other quietly before he cleared his throat. 

"Well...this certainly complicates things..." 

A few people nodded as mama cocked her head, "Perhaps it would make things easier if someone was with them...the last couple of times Edward almost lost control, Dawn was there to keep him in check." 

"I'm not a chaperon..." I sighed, happy to know things were going the way I'd hoped, but still not liking the idea of having to babysit the couple. 

"No, you're not." Carlisle concedes with a gentle smile, understanding my adversity to being the third wheel in this situation, "But we will need someone there to keep an eye on things, just to be safe. The rest of our plans will remain the same." He turned to address the rest of the family. "We will stay here and observe. Obviously, no one is allowed to hurt the girl." Edward stiffened at the thought. 

"No," Jasper murmured quietly, "I can agree to that...if there are really only two ways for this to go now -" 

"No!" Edward half growled, half shouted, his voice breaking in despair, "No!" He suddenly straightened, his expression hard, emotions flicking across his face so quickly it was hard to name them at first. Agony and pain were the only two I could pinpoint before he turned his back on all of us to stalk silently from the room. Esme stood, reaching for his arm as he passed while I got up, too, calling his name; he didn't react to either of us, though, as he left the dining room. We could all hear his stride quicken as he left through the back door, his footsteps fading under the heavy patter of the rain. Mama sighed, standing beside me to put a hand on my shoulder. 

"It looks like we've got our work cut out for us, pup." 

I looked at her out of the corner of my eye, then out into the dark sheets of rain that splattered the glass wall, nodding in agreement, "Yeah, we really do..." I murmured, putting a hand over hers, knowing what we needed to do now. Bella was destined to be with Edward, one way or another, and we needed to try and help that along as best we could. She needed to know she'd be safe and looked after, no matter what, even if she ended up rejecting the supernatural, like most humans did. 

(She isn't like other humans, though.) I told myself, feeling the smile tug at the corners of my lips at the thought, (No...she's fantastically different from the rest, just like Charlie. She can handle something like this. I know it.) 

It was time to introduce her to our world.