Birds chirping loudly outside my window lulled me out of the restless slumber I was in. The area around my eyes was heavy with grogginess, almost as if I spent an entire day in a pool without sunscreen and my face was burnt as a result. Groaning as my body stretched against the soft cotton sheets, the sound of my phone beeping caught my attention; opening one eye, I suspiciously stared at the device on my nightstand until it beeped again. As I rolled over on my left side, I managed to see Edward's name flash across the screen before it went dark. The first message popped up as I flipped the phone open.

E: I know you're still angry at Bella, but please come with us today.

I rolled my eyes and opened the second text, yawning before reading the screen again.

E: Please, Autumn. I'd like to talk to you alone.

Well, that didn't sound very promising, I grimaced to myself. Knowing that Edward would show up on the front porch if I didn't answer, I sat up and typed a message back.

A: Fine. But there better be a good reason for this "talk." And hot chocolate.

A few seconds passed before a ding sounded off in the quiet bedroom.

E: Already waiting for you. Meet you outside Bella's in fifteen.

With a sigh, I tossed the comforter away from me and swung my legs around to the side of the bed. There wasn't any use in delaying the inevitable, so I headed toward my closet in search of comfy jeans and a dark green sweater; judging by the gloomy skyline outside the bay window, rain was definitely a possibility in today's forecast. Expertly twisting my hair into a secured messy bun on top of my head, I double-checked that I had everything before wandering into the kitchen. Much to my dismay, Mom was already gone to the bakery, according to the note attached to the fridge.

"So much for talking this morning," I muttered under my breath, reaching for a banana off the stand on the countertop.

My fifteen minutes were almost up, so I grabbed my keys from the hook hanging next to the front door and locked the house up; I was halfway down the sidewalk to the Swans' by the time Edward and Bella stepped outside.

"I'm not just gonna hide, while you're taking all the risks for me." Bella directed heatedly at Edward as she followed him down the front path.

"If it's Victoria involved... I need to keep you as far away from the fight as possible."

"Jasper said that I could be of help!"

"We won't need your help," Edward told her gently before nodding at me in acknowledgment and handing over the promised hot chocolate. "With the wolves in this, it's an easy win. The rest of us aren't gonna have enough to do."

"Okay, either it's so dangerous that I have to hide... Or it's so easy, that you're gonna be sidelined too. Which is it?" Bella asked pointedly, stopping in front of the driver-side door of Edward's Volvo. Her arms crossed over her chest, she held her gaze against him.

"It's dangerous for you. It's easy for us."

"I think it's dangerous for us to be apart. How many times do we have to prove that? I'll be worrying. You'll be worried. And we'll both feel more horrible."

"Okay, you're right." Edward looked off thoughtfully.

"So, I'm coming with you." Bella nodded.

"No, we've got to stay away together."

"I can't make you choose between me and your family, it's..."

"The only way I can protect you is to be with you." Edward reassured her before opening the door and helping her inside. Shaking my head silently at their exchange, I climbed into the backseat without saying a word.

The silence was deafening as Edward drove reasonably to our destination. Bella avoided eye contact with me after the first five minutes of her attempting to start a conversation was met with a glare. Cheeks flushed, she turned her attention back to Edward, who kept stealing worried glances in the rearview mirror.

I knew he was trying not to listen to my thoughts as I struggled with my feelings about the fight with Bella as he turned onto a hidden path a few miles away from town, the car carefully treading through a dense part of the surrounding woods. His eyes shifted back to meet mine, and I knew I was right.

You have nothing to worry about, I directed to Edward as I rested my head against the window and shut my eyes. I'll get over it eventually.

A few minutes later, I felt the car pull to a stop. Opening my eyes, I glanced out the windshield to see Jasper and Jacob waiting in the middle of the clearing. Jacob beamed when I quickly scrambled out of the backseat and launched myself into his arms, laughing as he caught me before I tipped us over.

"Good morning to you too, beautiful." Jacob kissed me deeply, lifting me off the ground as he wrapped his arms around my waist.

A throat cleared and suddenly I was back on the grass. Jacob turned to face Bella and Edward, his eyes shining mischievously. Jasper was standing several paces behind Edward, his expression observant and alert.

"Wait... You're not fighting? What, you pull a muscle or something?" Jacob asked jokingly, his eyes darting to Edward.

"He's doing it for me. Okay?" Bella huffed, her expression hardening slightly.

Clearly, the humorous tone of his voice didn't get comprehended in her brain's translation.

Realizing it was pointless to explain he was only joking, Jacob looked at her, before turning back to Edward. He shook his head with disdain.

"Okay... Just tell me the plan."

As if on cue, Jasper stepped forward slightly. He turned to face Jacob and Edward, his gaze shifting between the two.

"This field will give us an advantage in battle. We need to lure the newborns with Bella's scent. It needs to end here."

"Edward and I are going to a campsite. Even if he carries me, they'll still pick up our scents." Bella added.

"Your stench, however, is revolting." Edward joked, a hint of a smile tugging at his lips.

"Dude, you really don't want to start comparing stinks." Jacob laughed, shaking his head.

"What he means, is that your scent will mask mine if you carry me." Bella shot Edward a look that said, shut up now.

Jacob tore his gaze away from them and met mine with a raised eyebrow. The others waited quietly, the only sound coming from distant animals in the treetops. Even silent, I knew what Jacob was asking: are you okay with this? As much as I wanted to say no, this was a bad idea, I nodded and he smiled warmly before facing the others.

"Done."

"This is not a good idea," Edward spoke up, echoing my thoughts.

"Edward." Jasper warned calmly. "They won't want to get anywhere near his... odor."

"Okay, let's just try it." Bella continued before Edward could protest again.

Reluctantly, Edward nodded and motioned for Bella to do what she needed. She immediately extended her arms to Jacob. With a bemused grin, he scooped her up, holding her tight so he wouldn't drop her.

"Eau de wolf, comin' up." Jacob said playfully, trying to lighten up the mood.

"Run." Edward and I spoke at the same time, our tones matching in annoyance.

As soon as Jacob and Bella disappeared from sight, my shoulders sagged as I released a tensed sigh. Unsure of what to do, I wandered over to a fallen tree trunk and sat down, warily watching Edward and Jasper scan the area. Edward glanced in my direction before mumbling something to Jasper; with a curt nod, Jasper made his way to the other side of the clearing, just outside of hearing range. Edward motioned to the spot next to me and I patted the bark, scooting over to make more room.

"So, what's this 'talk' we need to have?" I spoke up after a few moments passed by.

"I wanted to tell you..." Edward paused for a second, gathering his thoughts. "I feel it's only fair to you if I told you my history with Giuliana since the rest of my family has."

"Oh..." I trailed off, trying to remember what Carlisle said about Edward knowing my ancestor. "In New Orleans, right?"

"Yes. Back in the 1920s. Before I tell you the story, I want you to keep in mind that that time in my life was a rough period. I was rebelling against Carlisle and Esme... against our lifestyle. I don't want to be that way again, but I don't regret the choices I had made at the time."

"What happened?" I asked curiously.

"I... killed humans, while I was in New Orleans. It wasn't random nor just for blood," Edward held up a hand to stop the protest forming on my lips. "I only targeted those who were criminals... rapists, murderers... I wouldn't say I was being a hero, because I know I'm a monster. That's just the way I saw myself, how I still see myself sometimes."

"I get it." I nodded for him to continue.

"The night I met Giuliana, I had stopped a man from mugging and assaulting a young woman who had left the theater alone. I was cleaning up in an alley a few blocks away from a jazz club, and the smell of blood had captured Giuliana's attention. She was trying to leave the club discreetly, but I hadn't known that then. She only told me that she needed shelter for the night, despite her clothing being torn to shreds and her bottom lip bruised, so I took her in. We ended up helping each other more than what we wanted to let on..." Edward's voice broke off, his eyes haunted as he relived the memories.

"Around the third night of us tracking down a criminal, we ran into a trio of vampires, two men and a woman. Giuliana had tensed at the sight of one of the men, who she knew from when she met Jasper. He was the brother of the man she once loved."

"Damon." I breathed, my eyes widening. Edward nodded.

"His brother, Steffan, embraced her warmly despite his cold demeanor and reassured her that he wouldn't tell Damon that he had seen her in New Orleans. They weren't exactly on speaking terms either, he was in a similar situation that I was in with Carlisle and Esme. The man urged Steffan to speed up the 'family reunion' before it got too much later; they had business to attend to since the man ran the jazz club Giuliana fled from, and the woman was his sister. Aside from the way they looked at Giuliana, the man looked familiar and I recognized him from Giuliana's mind. The connection piqued my interest, so I read their thoughts... the man was the one who attacked Giuliana at the jazz club."

Edward paused as he recalled the old memory.

"I won't go into too many details, but she managed to escape because Steffan recognized her. He threatened to end the man's life because hurting Giuliana meant risking exposure... they didn't want Steffan's ex-lover to find them because Steffan was the "Ripper." It was the nickname coined by the local news in connection to strange deaths that had been occurring all over the surrounding area of New Orleans, where the victim's limbs were torn from the body and then put back together like a puzzle... I don't want to frighten you with that story. Anyways, if the ex-lover found Steffan, she would ruin their plans... by either coming to see Steffan herself or by informing Damon, which also meant he'd find Giuliana."

"Wait, why would Giuliana be hiding from Damon?"

"The woman was also Damon's ex-lover." Edward said carefully. "And he was still in love with her."

"Ouch," I muttered. "And I thought our situation was messed up."

"After that night, Giuliana became my best friend; she kept me from turning into the monster Steffan had ended up as. She kept me from falling into a dark hole and eventually convinced me to return to Carlisle and Esme. If it hadn't been for her, I don't know if I would be here today." Edward sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I just wish I had been around when she died in that fire. Maybe she would still be alive for you to meet... anyways, I just wanted you to know that Giuliana was an incredible woman who had strength beyond belief. You remind me of her a lot... she would've been proud of you. And your mother."

"Thank you..." I reached over and squeezed Edward's hand gently. "And I'm sorry you lost your best friend."

Edward smiled sadly before turning his attention to Jasper across the clearing. Jasper called out loud enough for me to hear.

"It's going to work, Edward. I can feel your worry from over here."

Edward rolled his eyes at his brother but grinned sheepishly at his words.

"Are you worried it's not going to work?" I asked him, fidgeting with the hem of my sweater.

"I'm worried that Bella is going to be in danger somehow," Edward admitted quietly. "Just like Jacob was mad at himself that Victoria is still out there, able to cause harm to you. That's how I feel with myself. If anything happened to Bella because of me... I couldn't live with that guilt."

Silence thick as dense fog rolling over the bay settled over us, our minds pondering as we waited for Jacob and Bella's return with dread in our chests.