We arrived at a driveway and pulled to a stop. I could see the Cullen's ridiculously nice house down at the end of the pavement: we were too far away to tell if anyone was watching our approach. I climbed down from the werewolf and gave him a peck on the cheek. Bella slipped off the vampire's back and took a few steps forward before looking back at the three of us with a puzzled expression.

"Jacob wants to change back and I want a word with Genevieve," Edward said. "You can go on ahead."

Jake and I shifted uncomfortably. But I'd been alone with Cullen plenty of times before, hadn't I? I hugged my sweatshirt tighter around myself and nodded to my sister and my boyfriend that it was ok. Bella began walking down the drive. Jake stepped around a tree, still audible as he switched back and rustled through the leaves to struggle on the pants I'd given him.

"What is it, Edward?" I hadn't expected things to be this bleak, this fast.

The vampire studied me for a long moment: reading my thoughts? If he was, they were a mess of anger and... No, actually my thoughts were only anger.

"You're the only thing that could change her mind," Edward said as I realized this. "And you're going to ruin it."

"Oh, don't start with-"

"And you know it, Gen." Edward glanced at the tree hiding Jacob as a snarl rang out. "Genevieve. You're angry at me. You blame me. You haven't exactly-" He winced as my memories of the wreck he'd left my sister blared out from my head. "-tried to hide that. But if you're angry at Bella, I don't know that she'll listen."

"And if I'm not angry at her... What?"

Edward sighed. "She doesn't want to hurt you or Charlie or your mother. It's the only thing holding her back." His eyes followed Jacob as the werewolf appeared and stalked over to us again. "And obviously, I can't ask your parents to talk some sense into her."

I reached a hand out for Jake and we wrapped our arms around each others' waists, watching Edward and the distant, dawdling, impatient Bella behind him. The werewolf was shirtless and his warm skin felt the perfect temperature as winds wound through.

"Jake?"

"The pack wants me to say something." He shrugged uncomfortably as Edward's gaze grew dark. "It might help."

Bella was starting to walk back toward us.

"Ok." I took a shaky breath and looked to Edward, throwing my thoughts at him. 'Let's go, Dick Cullen.'

Edward let out a long sigh. A second later he was at Bella's side, half a mile down the road. I flinched into Jake and felt his arm tighten around me as we walked to catch up.

"Should I just kill him now?" Jacob grumbled.

"Does imprinting give you an out on the treaty?" I asked. He shrugged. "I think a time machine would be more useful. I could go back and warn myself to be nicer to my sister. Or to knock her out before she had a chance to run away."

"The second sounds more like you." Jake teased.

I laughed but then my nose wrinkled in irritation. "Cullen's right isn't he."

"That you shouldn't yell at Bella? Probably." Jake considered. "Maybe. You don't think she really... she really wants to be one of them?"

"I think she's in love and it makes you stupid. Completely f***ing stupid."

"Yeah..." Jake glanced down at me and studied me for a second. "Very stupid."

We caught up with my sister and then considered the house. Logically, outside gave more room to run. Realistically, I was still not a fan of standing around in open spaces-especially knowing that other things could be lurking in the woods. But, again, logically my scent would stick around more inside.

I let the thoughts trickle out to Edward.

"You smell like werewolf, Genevieve." He reassured me.

"So disgusting?" Bella teased.

Jake cut in, rolling his eyes. "You smell just as bad to me, Bella."

My sister and I replied at the same time: "Really?"

"Yep." Jake grinned. "Two disgusting smelly twins."

"Jerk." I laughed. I looked to the house again and then to Edward, still waiting for a decision. "Inside, then?"

"Alright."

...

There was a series of friendly small talk between Isabella and the Cullens. Alice waved hello to me and I smile grimly back before finding a corner to stand vigil with my giant a** boyfriend. I was well aware that Bella would not necessarily think that we were being polite but I needed some semblance of power over the situation or I was going to break down into tears.

Edward's larger brother-I'd long ago forgotten whatever rude nickname I'd given him in my head-bounded over to us after a minute of looking bored with the others' polite comments.

"Congratulations, by the way. On the imprinting or whatever."

Jake just glared at him.

"Thanks, Cullen." Is his last name Cullen? I don't care.

"So when you imprint, do you become allergic to shirts or..."

"Emmett." Edward snapped.

"All werewolves are like this." I was already commenting, my voice just a shade too high to sound calm. "We've looked for a cure but no luck so far. Well, no luck for them. I don't mind so much." I think my brain is melting down, I thought to myself.

Emmett just laughed.

"I'd like to talk to everyone at once if that's okay." Bella intervened. I peeked around the vampire to see her finally looking nervous. "About something important."

I fought down the urge to sarcastically wonder what that could be.

Jacob stayed right behind me as I moved to a closer spot, keeping a distance from everyone but Edward.

Edward looked very tired.

Dr. Cullen gestured toward a side door. "Why don't we talk in the dining room? Is that alright with you, Bella? Genevieve?"

I let them all lead the way, the seven vampires, and my sister trailing ahead and gathering around a large oval table. There were just enough chairs for everyone but two. Jacob and I said nothing and found a corner again. Isabella sat comfortably amidst the vampires: amidst her friends. I let out a small sigh and tried to pretend every eye didn't shoot toward me and then back to my sister.

It was about then that I remembered that my hair was a mess.

"I'm hoping Alice already told you all what she's seen?"

"Everything," Alice piped.

Edward cleared his throat. "But Genevieve..."

"I know," Bella assured him. She turned to me. "Do you remember what I told you about the Volturi?"