The Cullen graduation party was in full swing by the time the wolves arrived. Emmett hovered around. Bella had invited Aleida and he was hoping she would attend. The longer he went without seeing her, the more restless and anxious he grew.

"Jake, what are you doing here?" A furious Bella glared at the Quileute boys.

Jacob shifted on his feet awkwardly. "You invited us, remember?"

"In case my right hook was too subtle for you, let me translate: that was me uninviting you" Bella scoffed.

"Don't be a poor sport. i brought you a graduation present and everything."

"Take it back to the store," Bella told him. "Look Jake, I've gotta go"

Leaving the boys, she made her way in search of Alice. Just a few moments before the wolves had arrived she had received a vision and Bella was determined to know what it was this time.

"Alice, what is it?" she asked in a hushed voice as soon as she found the girl.

Jacob was behind Bella in an instant. "Bella, Aleida wanted me to give you a graduation present. You have to at least hear me out for- what's going on?"

"Nothing." Jacob narrowed his eyes at the human girl. She was a horrible liar.

"What did the bloodsucker see?" He sneered, his voice getting tense. Quil and Embry stiffened behind him. If Jacob instigated a fight, they knew they wouldn't win.

"Jake, chill," Embry hissed, pulling on his best friends shoulder. "Aleida will kick your ass if she finds out you're pulling this shit."

Jacob shrugged him off without a care. He hated when Bella lied to him, when he left him out of the loop and put herself in danger. Whatever the pixie vampire had seen, it was something to get them all rattled.

"I'd like to see her try."

Embry and Jasper were their in an instant. Jasper could feel he fear radiating off of his mate. Emmett had heard the way Jacob spoke of his mate, how he was willing to fight with her and it had him fuming.

"We have the right to know." Jacob growled.

The boys tense, as if preparing for a fight. "Hey, hey!" Bella said, adding a slightly hysterical chuckle. "This is a party remember? Plus I'm pretty sure you're all dead if you don't remember your manners."

The wolves visibly relaxed, slightly defeated, while the vampires looked confused.

"Don't tell her," Embry whispered in fright.

Bella looked the shifters in the eyes. "Behave and I wont't. This goes for the rest of you. I'll tell Esme."

Slowly the vampires relaxed and Bella felt quite proud of herself for avoiding a conflict.

Jacob glanced at Alice while Japser glowered at him. Alice's face was suddenly thoughtful.

"What did you see Alice?" Bella asked, not being able to take the suspense any longer.

She stared at Jacob for a second longer before turning to Bella, evidently having chosen to let them hear.

"The decision has been made."

Embry had to suppress a snort at how dramatic she was being.

"You're going to Seattle?"

"No."

The color drained from Bella's face and the vampires looked at her in worry. "They're coming here." She choked out.

The Quileute boys watched silently, reading every unconscious facial expression Bella made. They were rooted in place, and yet not completely still. All three pairs of hands trembled.

"Yes."

"To Forks," Bella whispered.

"Yes."

"For?"

"One of them carried your red shirt."

"We can't let them get that far, There aren't enough of us to protect the town." Jasper spoke through tight lips.

"I know," Alice said, her face suddenly desolate. "But it doesn't matter where we stop them. There still won't be enough of us, and some of them will come to search here."

"No," Bella screamed. "Alice, I have to go, I have to get away from here."

"That won't help. It's not like we're dealing with an experienced tracker. They'll still come looking here first."

"Then I have to go to them," Bella compromised desperately. "If they find what they're looking for, maybe they'll go away and not hurt anyone else."

"No!" Alice's voice was disapproving.

"Hold it," Jacob ordered in a low, forceful voice. "What is coming?"

Alice turned her icy gaze towards him, her eyes calculating. "Our kind. Lots of them."

"Why?" he ground out.

"For Bella. That's all we know."

"There's too many for you?" he asked.

Jasper glared. "We have our advantages, dog. It will be an even fight."

"No," Jacob said, determination clear in his voice, a fierce half-smile spread across his face. "It won't be even."

"Yes," Alice hissed. "Everything just disappeared of course. It's more of a flicker actually, that's inconvenient but all things considered, I'll take it."

"We'll have to coordinate," Jacob said. "It won't e easy for us. Still, it's our job more than yours."

"Wait, wait, wait," Bella interrupted.

"Yeah, let's just wait a sec, Jake," Embry voiced. "This isn't your decision."

"Whose decision is it?" Alice asked at the same time Emmett spoke, "What? Scared of a fight?"

"It's up to the rest of the pack. Mainly Sam and the council," Quil answered.

"No,"Bella whispered, finally understanding Embry's hesitance. "You can't, it's too dangerous."

"I'm not scared of a fight," Embry growled at Emmett. "I'm scared for whose's fighting."

Bella felt panic rise inside of her. She wouldn't let her fight for her, not when she wasn't strong enough.

"Who then?" Alice asked in annoyance.

"Aleida," Jacob whispered. Emmett stiffened at the name, his siblings looking to him in alarm. He felt fear rise in him for the first time in a very long time.

"No," Bella growled.

"Aleida in an Elder and a pack member. He vote counts twice," Embry explained. "It's basically up to her, but if she votes yes then she has no choice but to fight. It's part of her oath."

"I'll speak to her," Alice states.

Emmett couldn't listen anymore. Both of his options were difficult. He either spoke up and refused to help of the wolves o protect his mate but let his family ultimately die, or he let her fight and possibly lose her forever. His chest ached, every instinct was telling him to go to her and ensure she was okay, that she was safe, yet he couldn't. She was so far, she was allied with his enemy, and she didn't want to see him.

He didn't know if he could exist with his situation with her for much longer.

·····

The pack watched her, waiting for her deciding vote. She had refused to be swayed, instead having turned to her element for guidance.

Sitting in the dirt crossed legged, she listened and waited for any kind of sign.

the sound of a truck door slamming brought her from her concentration.

"You have to vote no." Bella's voice was slightly breathless.

"How did you get here? Does the leech know?" Aleida choice to ask instead of properly addressing her.

"I snuck out," she admitted sheepishly. "They were fighting,so it was kinda easy."

Aleida narrowed her eyes. "Who was fighting?"

"Emmett and Edward."

She nodded her head in understanding. Of course he would try and prevent her from fighting by any means necessary, even if it meant his own destruction. Aleida had considered this, him fighting and dying without their aid, but she had to put the tribe first now.

All the pros and cons weighed evenly until now.

"I have made my decision," Aleida announced. The pack perking up and rushing forward to hear. "I will admit it was incredibly hard, but resent insight has aided me. Eat well, and prepare yourself, because we have a fight to win."

The boys whooped and hollered, even the members who had voted no grew excited by her words. Sam looked to her, wanting to make sure she was sure of her decision. A single nod had him going after his pack.

"Why?" Bella whispered. "You'll get hurt. You could die, they could die."

"It is my duty now, as it is theirs to protect, but that is not the reason." Aleida stood to her feet and stretched. "It was yours and Emmett's care that made me chose. The worry you felt for me has led me to believe that you have grown from the girl I had originally met. Emmett's care is simply an added urge to fight, my vow to protect him runs through me still as fierce as it will ever be till the day I die."

"Are you not scared to die?"

"Death would be an awfully big adventure," Aleida tells her wistfully. "I have lived for many years, one grows bored. If it my time, I will not put up a fight. Now come, I must make arrangements with your bloodsuckers."

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