Two weeks had passed since Jacob's surprise, bringing Christmas closer and with it the anxiety everyone was feeling about the Volturi's visit. Not to mention things felt off since Alice and Jasper had left shortly after Alice's vision without a word of where they were heading.

It was made pretty clear the chance of them returning was slim, if even existent, when their friends Peter and Charlotte showed up at the Cullens' house and couldn't answer Esme's question about their plans or whereabouts.

With the arrival of each vampire friend's arrival, more and more young wolves were turning. Jacob and Sam had been working together to ensure each transition went smoothly and not as panic-filled as Sam's had been, but I could see it on both of their faces: the process was exhausting them.

"How many are joining Sam's pack?" I had asked Christmas Eve night, as Jacob sunk into the couch after returning from another 9-1-1 call from Sam.

"Hard to say. We might split them evenly, but most of them will probably go to Sam." He groaned, throwing his head back to stare at the ceiling. A moment passed before his eyes met mine, a small smile on his face. "Guess who's joining our pack?"

"Who?"

A slight pause.

"Embry and Quil."

"No way!" I squealed, clasping my hands together. "Awh Jake, that's great news!"

"They're pretty stoked too." He chuckled softly. "It'll be good to have them around again."

"I know what you mean." I glanced at the wall beside the hallway where a new photo of Chloe and I hung proudly in view, taken by Mom at the baby shower.

"Do you need any help wrapping presents for tomorrow?" He changed the subject, eyeing the small pile on the floor beside me.

"No, I think I can manage." I smiled in response. "There's only a couple left anyway."

"I'm going to go check on my dad and Rachel then. See you at Charlie's?" He stood up to leave, kissing my forehead before heading for the door.

"Don't forget you're driving with Bella and Renesmee!" I called after him, earning a thumbs up over his shoulder. "Love you!"

"Love you more."

The click of the door sounded in the brief silence following his exit before muffled voices outside the window caught my attention. Seconds passed and the door swung open again, this time revealing Mom and bags of groceries hooked to one arm while a cake box was held in the other.

"Let me help you." I scrambled to my feet, taking the cake box before it toppled over. "Is there anything else you need to be brought in from the car?"

"No, this is everything." Mom replied, setting the bags down on the dining room table. "Just a few last-minute things needed for dinner tomorrow."

"That sounds so normal," I giggled, shaking my head. "I think that's the first 'normal' thing I've heard since we moved to Forks."

"I guess you're right." Mom chuckled with me. "We'll make the time for 'normal' every once in a while, especially when the baby comes. Deal?"

"Deal." I grinned at her over the cake box.

"Speaking of baby, how do you feel?" Mom asked, placing the back of her hand against my forehead. "You look a little pale."

"I feel fine," I said as I mentally checked myself. "Nothing seems off to me."

"Are you getting enough sleep?"

"Not exactly," I admitted honestly. "I still have nightmares every now and then, and they seem to be intensified with the pregnancy."

"It could be because of your magic," Mom said thoughtfully. "You're growing a human inside of you. That's bound to have some kind of effect on your powers. I'll look for your grandmother's recipe book she gave me when I was pregnant with you and see if I can find a tea to help soothe your nightmares."

"Thanks, Mom. I appreciate that."

"A mother's job to take care of her child doesn't stop when that child becomes a parent." Mom kissed the top of my head. "I'll always take care of you until I'm no longer here physically."

"I know." I stifled a yawn as I hugged her. "I better get the last presents wrapped before I end up falling asleep."

"I'll be here in the kitchen if you need me, okay? I have some baking to finish up."

I nodded in response and made my way back down the hallway to the living room where I had left the gifts and wrapping paper. Sitting down on the floor, I took a deep breath and slowly released it before diving back into the task at hand.

Twenty minutes later, Mom found me curled up on the couch passed out, a pile of wrapped packages stacked neatly near the Christmas tree.

* * * * * * * * * * *

"Merry Christmas, Watson family!" Chloe's voice rang out from the front door, startling me out of sleep. Rubbing my hands over my face, I sat up from the couch and blinked a few times. My old quilt was draped over me and I held the worn material gently, confusion lingering in my mind.

"I didn't want to disturb you last night." Mom explained as she walked through the living room from the kitchen, flashing me a smile before meeting the Marshalls in the hallway. "Merry Christmas, guys!"

"The house looks beautiful, Julie!" Margaret exclaimed, taking her coat off to reveal the matching pajamas they agreed to wear every year since Chloe and I were 13 and had our own matching sets. "You really outdid yourself this year!"

"I can't take all the credit." Mom laughed, hugging her best friend. "Autumn did most of it while I was working at the bakery."

"Well, it looks incredible, Leaf! You're just like your mama." Margaret beamed proudly.

"It's nothing," I mumbled, blushing at the sudden attention. "Mom does so much for me... I just thought I'd help with the decorating this year."

"It means more to her than you realize," Margaret whispered in my ear as she pulled me in for a hug. "Good job."

"Thank you," I mumbled back, letting go when Casey started squealing in her grandpa's arms, arms reaching out for her grandma. Everyone laughed at the joyous shrieking and Mom led the Marshalls into the living room, our annual tradition of opening presents together on Christmas morning commencing with a hearty "Ho ho ho" from Mr. Marshall.

"When are we supposed to go over to the Swans' house?" Margaret asked Mom after all of the presents were opened and the wrapping paper was cleared from the floor. Mom glanced at the clock on the wall as she handed her friend a fresh cup of coffee.

"Charlie said we can come over around noon to help Sue set up the food... he wanted to give Edward and Bella enough time to spend Christmas with Renesmee and Edward's family before they come."

"I'll help Jameson take home our gifts and I'll meet you over there. Fifteen minutes?"

"Sounds good."

"I'm going to stay here with Autumn," Chloe turned to her mom. "I'll take Casey so you can take stuff home."

"I'll leave her diaper bag in the hallway for you." Margaret looked over at Casey playing quietly on the floor. "She might need a diaper change before you head over."

"You can change her upstairs in my room," I said, nodding to Chloe. "I'm going to change anyway."

"Don't want Jacob to see your pajamas?" Chloe teased, her eyes darting to the fuzzy slippers that matched the purple plaid bottoms and gray top I was wearing.

"More like I don't want Quil and Embry to see them." I joked back, giggling as we thought about the boys' reaction to finding me in my pajamas at the Blacks' house a few weeks ago. They weren't used to seeing me first thing in the morning with messy hair and tired eyes, so when I emerged from Jacob's room with my hair in a bun and wearing flannel pajamas, they jumped as if someone had intentionally scared them.

Jacob was still laughing about it at Thanksgiving, earning grumbles from his best friends.

"I think it's really cool that everyone's spending the holidays together," Chloe said as she laid Casey down on the rug to change her diaper while I headed for my closet. "When your baby comes, spending that time together is going to be really important. Especially for you."

"That's what Mom was saying the other day." I agreed, sorting through my clothes. "I'm extremely lucky that I have that, that our kid is going to have a large family behind them."

"It's okay to be mad at him," Chloe said quietly, catching the look of hurt flashing across my face. "He should've been a better father to you."

"It just sucks..." I trailed off for a moment, taking a slow breath to compose myself. "He wasn't there for me, and now he's not going to be there for his grandchild."

"That's his loss. But you're right, it does suck."

"Have you heard from... them?" I asked, raising an eyebrow curiously.

"Not since her birthday." Chloe sighed. "Maybe they just feel guilty about what Reed did, to both of us... but Casey shouldn't have to suffer the loss of grandparents just because her father was a bad person."

"Hear, hear." I echoed sadly. We shared a weak smile before our eyes flickered to the small child cooing on the floor.

Finally deciding on what to wear, I quickly changed while Chloe finished getting Casey ready before taking over so Chloe could change in my bathroom. We double-checked that we had everything before walking over to the Swans' house, meeting Jacob and Bella outside as Bella shut her car off in the driveway. Casey babbled happily when she saw Renesmee, waving to her friend from Chloe's arms.

"What's wrong?" I asked immediately, glancing at Bella's face before darting to Jacob's. "Is everything okay?"

"Let's give them a minute." Jacob turned to Chloe as he reached for Renesmee. "Merry Christmas, Peaches."

"Merry Christmas, Jake." Chloe murmured, her eyes searching mine. I gave her a quick nod to follow him, and they made their way up the path, leaving us out in the snow.

"He's upset that I won't tell him what's going on," Bella spoke first, her voice rushed. "But I need you guys to just trust me. It's to keep all of us safe, I promise."

"Because if we don't know what you're up to, Aro won't be able to find out," I concluded, smiling in satisfaction as Bella gasped in shock. "Come on, Bells. I'm your best friend. I remember what Kate said about you being a shield, and that's why Edward or Aro can't read your mind. It's not rocket science to put the pieces together."

"Thank you for understanding." She said quietly after a few moments of stunned silence. "For trusting me."

"That's what friends are for." I gave her a reassuring smile. "Now let's go enjoy some family bonding time before you have to go handle whatever business Alice left for you to take care of."

"You really are the best." Bella laughed as we headed inside.

"I try." I laughed with her, letting go of the uneasiness slowly building in my chest for now.

********

"Hey, Leaf?"

I looked up from the floor of my bedroom later that night to see the hesitant gaze of Edward, lingering just outside the door frame as he took in the notebooks scattered open around me.

"Is this a bad time?" He asked, nodding to the book in my hands. I smiled warmly and set the book aside, waving him into the room.

"Not at all... I was just going through some of Giuliana's journals to see if I can find anything helpful to use against the Volturi. What's on your mind, Edward?"

He chuckled at my small joke, walking over to sit on the edge of my bed.

"That's what I wanted to talk to you... about when we face the Volturi."

"Okay..." My voice trailed off curiously.

"I know this isn't your fight," he held up a hand to stop the protest forming on my lips, "and I know that no matter what, you're going to stand with us. I'm not asking you to step back, I'm not that dumb. But I am concerned for you... you didn't think any of us wouldn't notice your magic is making you tired faster because of your pregnancy?"

"I'm okay --"

"I don't doubt that." Edward interrupted gently. "We just don't want anything to happen to you or the baby. You saw what I was like when I thought I was losing Bella and Renesmee... I don't want Jacob to go through that pain. None of us do."

"I don't either," I said quietly, shifting my eyes to the floor as images flashed to mind. "What do you want me to do?"

"Rely on Bella's shield to help protect you, and us, when the time comes." Edward replied. "Aro may not hurt you, because of his fondness of Giuliana. But we can't take that chance because honestly, Aro is a little unpredictable, which is ironic since Alice can see his decisions."

"And you can read his mind to an extent," I added.

"Exactly." Edward flashed a weak smile at my comment. "There is one more thing I want to talk to you about... there's a good chance this could end badly for us. If things start going sour, promise me that you and Jacob will take Renesmee and leave. If anyone is to survive the Volturi, it's going to be our daughter."

"Edward..."

"Promise me, Autumn. Please."

His eyes searched mine with a powerful sadness behind them, sucker-punching me in the gut as I realized the sacrifice lingering in his words. A father's unconditional love shone through, brightly and without strings.

The way it should be.

I nodded fiercely, trying to will the tears away as I spoke.

"I promise."

Edward tilted his head once in acknowledgment before getting to his feet. Without another word, he left the room to give me space to finish my research in the quiet.

Jacob found me the next morning curled up on the floor, wrapped up in my comforter that I had pulled off the bed shortly after Edward had left; reading Giuliana's journals until midnight had exhausted me, and I didn't feel like getting up to go to bed.

I mumbled in protest sleepily as Jacob picked me up and laid me on my bed, never fully waking up. As soon as my head hit the cool pillow, I slipped back into a slumber, not registering Jacob's chuckle as he made sure I was comfortable before leaving the room.

When I finally emerged from the restless sleep, the clock on my nightstand read 12:25 pm; the room was dimly lit from the graying sunlight outside my window. Yawning, I made my way over to open the curtains and froze when I saw the snow falling. It was sticking to the ground... just like in Alice's vision.

Which meant the Volturi was coming soon.

That lit a fire in my blood and I rushed to get dressed, mentally making a list of things to do. I was so focused on my internal process that I didn't see Jacob come into the room.

"Whoa, where's the fire?" He joked, causing me to jump at the sudden sound of his voice.

"Have you looked outside?" I deflected, motioning to the window.

"The snow is sticking," he grimaced. "It's almost time."

"I'm not ready for this." I blurted out, dropping one of Giuliana's journals onto my desk. "I'm not ready to protect my friends from an evil vampire who may or may not hurt me because of my ancestry."

"Hey..." Jacob closed the space between us in three strides, pulling me into his chest. "It's going to be okay. You don't have to do this all on your own... Bella's projecting has gotten way better the last few days. Plus, there are a lot of vampires with talents who can help you. And you got both packs backing you."

"I know... I just, I feel this burden on my shoulders that I can't explain," I murmured, attempting to keep tears from pooling in my eyes. "I have to protect my friends..."

"And if you fail, it'll feel like you're disappointing them all over again, just like you felt with Chloe." Jacob finished. "I understand, Leaf. But what happened to Chloe wasn't your fault. And you know she'd say the same thing. You didn't fail her, and you didn't disappoint her."

I didn't answer; instead, I buried my face into his shirt and took a slow, steady breath.

"Your feelings are 100% valid." He said softly, kissing the top of my head. "It's okay to feel scared... to be honest, I'm scared of this too."

"You are?" I peeked upwards at him from under my lashes curiously.

"Things could go badly," he admitted. "The Volturi might decide to end us all... the thought of losing you, of losing our baby... that shatters everything in me."

"I know."

Jacob rested his forehead against mine and we stood in the middle of my bedroom in silence, basking in each other's presence.

"We should get going..." I spoke first, breaking the spell of the moment. "Bella is probably waiting on us for lunch."

"She knows we're going to be a little late. I called her after I got you into bed this morning." Jacob smiled. "You looked pretty comfy wrapped up in your comforter."

"It was nice and toasty." I joked, eyeing my bed.

"Come on." He laughed. "You missed breakfast with all that sleeping. I'm sure your stomach is protesting."

"So is the baby." I gently patted the small bump under my shirt. "Little one has to eat too."

"When this is all over and we make it to the other side, we should definitely pick out names," Jacob said as he held my hand down the stairs.

"Sounds like a date to me."