✧

"Who was it? Someone you know?"

"This stranger, I didn't recognize his scent," Edward says as he keeps his eyes locked on Mia, who has her hands held together and is staring ahead deep in thought.

"A nomad passing through?" Esme suggests.

Rosalie disagrees, "A passerby wouldn't have been able to break through the spell and then leave. There's something more to this that we're not seeing."

Jasper and Emmett arrive after having attempted to trace the scent, but their defeated looks reveal they weren't successful. "The scent disappeared about 5 miles south of Mia's house."

"Someone's orchestrating this," Carlisle says.

Mia breathes heavily and runs her hands through her hair in frustration. She's growing extremely tired of dealing with more enemies placing a target on her. It's already enough with death eaters, her father, the Volturi, and now this unknown vampire. She could write a book about the mess her life's become and can guarantee it will be a number one seller.

"It could be Victoria," she suggests.

"I would have seen her decide," Alice has been keeping a close eye on Victoria's decisions ever since her abrupt departure. It didn't make sense for her to leave after having been adamant on going after Mia, so she would spend every minute ensuring no changes were made, but Victoria has been radio silent until her most recent appearance.

"Your visions aren't always certain. Remember that," Mia reminds her, making sure she doesn't forget the mistake that happened all because she believed she jumped off a cliff.

"It has to be the Volturi," Edward suggests and attempts to get close to Mia, but she stands up from her spot and takes the one furthest from him.

Mia knows she's acting like a child, but she can't stand the thought of him attempting to comfort her as if nothing occurred. Just because an unknown vampire is after her, it doesn't mean everything will be forgotten and she would accept his apology.

"I don't think it's the Volturi, either," Alice quickly disagrees. "I've been watching Aro's decisions, too."

The terrible thought that her father made another alliance with a vampire comes to mind. It worked well for him when James was included, so it wouldn't surprise her if history repeats itself. If that's the case, then that proves how much more dangerous this has become and she can't fathom having to deal with another rogue vampire and demented death eater.

Edward notices the pensive crease on her forehead and her eyes narrowing the same way they do whenever her mind is running with ideas. He might not be able to read her mind, but he's learned to read her body language. "What are you thinking about?"

"I was just considering if my father could have made another alliance with a vampire," she confides and the Cullens seem to be considering her idea. "But then again, I feel more inclined to believe this is about Victoria. She just made her first appearance recently, so it'd be foolish not to take her for consideration."

"But Alice didn't see her decide," Jasper argues.

"What's to say she's not getting help?" Mia pushes herself off the wall, now joining the center of the living room where Edward is standing. "She used Laurent before, but he's now dead, so she could have found someone else to do her bidding."

The Cullens turn quiet as they consider her suggestion. It makes perfect sense for Victoria to attempt getting help. She's never worked alone before, so what's stopping her from not doing the same?

"That could also be it," Rosalie agrees and Mia turns to her, noticing the blonde sending her a soft smile that she can't prevent from returning.

"For the meantime, we keep looking," Emmett is the first to break the momentary silence, glancing over at her with concern and understanding. He's fond of Mia and wouldn't want anything to happen to her, especially with how important she's become to them. Besides, he still hasn't earned her forgiveness, so he's determined in doing so before anything happens, which he really hopes it doesn't.

"I have some information," Isobel calls out as she barges into the living room and embraces Mia in an instant. Still not fond of the Cullens, she tries her hardest to maintain her expression neutral despite wanting to hex them, but she can't prevent from appreciating their willingness in protecting her daughter.

Mia feels a tad bit better knowing her mother is here. At least there's someone else that's still angry with them. Not to mention how uncomfortable it is being in the house that she destroyed in a fit of rage, especially when seeing there's still a lot of fixing that needs to be done.

"I have been tracking the situation in Seattle as well. I worried the attacks could have been linked to dark wizards, so I traveled to make sure it wasn't the case," Isobel's admittance takes Mia by surprise. She has been telling her that she's been staying late at the station, but it seems it was all a lie to cover up the fact that she had been apparating to the city.

"What did you find?" Carlisle asks.

"It's vampires. Lots of them," Isobel confirms their suspicions, which makes everything worse knowing that it could attract the attention of the Volturi. "But they're not like the ones you encountered before. They're reckless and conspicuous, as if they want to be discovered."

Jasper's expression drops as the puzzle pieces start connecting. He hasn't faced this kind of vampire in a long time, which makes the situation worse when realizing they will have to deal with a much stronger kind. "It's newborns."

"New vampires?" Mia questions, hoping she's wrong and this doesn't involve an uncontrollable and bloodthirsty set. Like always, having hope is for the weak.

"In the first few months after the change that's when we're at our most uncontrollable," Jasper explains, the gravity of the situation dawning on them at the official confirmation. "Vicious, insane with thirst."

A smirk tugs at the ends of Emmett's lips, "Something to look forward to."

"No one's trained these newborns, but this isn't random-"

"It's Victoria," Mia insists on her suspicions as she doesn't find these sudden attacks and her visit to be purely coincidental. Sooner than later, Victoria will come for her, so it would make perfect sense to bring help in order to acquire a successful revenge.

"I agree with Mia," Edward includes himself more in the conversation, hoping she doesn't reject his approach like she's been doing. He walks closer to her, but now it's Isobel shielding her from him and based on her loud thoughts, Edward refuses to take any chances as he wouldn't put it past her to hex him right then and there. "Victoria has a motive for creating vampires. Like Mia said, she had Laurent to help, so she could have found another to do the work for her."

A sense of satisfaction consumes her once finally noticing the Cullens taking her idea for consideration. Mia loves being right and even though it worries her having another problem, she's still immensely grateful to have figured this out before any of them.

Carlisle locks his hands together, his expression becoming adorned with concern. "An army is being created."

Emmett springs from his spot on the couch with eagerness, "Well, now we're definitely going to Seattle."

"Unless," Mia has a chance to kill two birds with one stone. If there's a chance to prevent the Volturi from coming to Forks and to stop Victoria from continuing her need for revenge, she's willing to do anything. "We can put a stop to her plan without fighting."

"How would that happen?"

"Victoria had many opportunities to attack me, but she didn't," Mia paces around, the wheels in her head running faster than ever. "She's arranging an army just to kill one person, which happens to unfortunately be me. I didn't get it before, but now I do."

It's moments like these when Edward can't prevent falling more in love with her. She's the smartest person he's ever met and listening to her devise a plan to protect all of them makes him admire her more than he already did. Her fearlessness, bravery, and intellectuality are incredible that he feels the most blessed to have met someone like her.

He knows where Mia is headed with this and softly smiles at her for figuring it out, "Victoria's afraid of you. She must have seen how you fought James, so she orchestrated this army as a way to protect herself. If she sees the fight is being lost, she will flee once again."

"Exactly," Mia points an agreeing finger at him, her heart leaping with ecstasy that he was able to understand her right away. "I will be leaving Forks soon, so once she knows I'll be heading to a place filled with witches and wizards, she won't dare set a foot there. Newborns will stop being created, which means there will be less disappearances and the Volturi will have no reason to step in."

"You would be killing two birds with one stone," Jasper is impressed with her plan. From his knowledge about newborns, he knows their recklessness will prevent them from thinking strategically. Facing witches is an entirely different thing than facing vampires, so this plan could work.

"But what about the stranger that broke through your barrier?" Rosalie's question makes everyone turn quiet, their minds running through various ideas on how it could have occurred without there having been any involvement from anyone else.

"There was no sign of any death eaters working with the newborns," Isobel reveals. "The person who brought it down must be working alone, but it worries me not knowing their intentions. If they were able to enter, there's a chance they will do it again."

"What if you both stay here?" Edward suggests and Mia nearly has a heartbreak at such a thought. "I know you're not fond of this, but it's the safest option. I'm not leaving you defenseless in a house that was already invaded."

"I would rather take my chances," Mia can't fathom staying in this house. Every corner reminds her of their past and the lies she had been fed. They're bitter memories she wishes to forget, but if she stays here, she won't be able to move on. "I won't be alone, anyway. I have my mother and..." she trails off before saying Jackson's name, knowing Edward won't be fond of his involvement.

"What?"

"Jackson can be there," Mia notices his shoulders tense and his already black eyes turn into an even darker shade, an indication he's not a fan of her suggestion.

Edward grew to dislike him after learning about what happened between him and Mia. Jackson made his thoughts explicitly loud about their kiss, which definitely ruined any chances of becoming acquaintances.

"The werewolf? Really?" Edward narrows his eyes in disbelief, shaking his head in denial.

"It's better than staying here," Mia raises her voice, but feels a pang of regret for admitting to this in front of the others. She glances to the Cullens, more specifically to Esme, "No offense. Look, Edward, I can't hide as it would only make Victoria think I'm afraid of her. Besides, it will be a lot of pressure for all of you."

Isobel agrees, "Your black eyes aren't proving your case, either. You're hungry, so if Mia stays here, it will be much more dangerous for her."

"You can't protect me, search for the intruder, and for Victoria," she pleads her case, already feeling her patience wearing thin at his refusal to take her idea for consideration. "And also keep yourselves fed. It's too much for all of you. With more help, it will be easier and I'll be safer."

Edward knows she's right, but he can't stand the sight of Jackson. He has feelings for her and even if Mia sees him as just a friend, his jealousy is greater beyond measure, preventing him from thinking rationally. "I don't trust him. Staying here is the better option."

She glares at him in disbelief, "Don't pretend this is about my safety when we both know the true reason."

"You know I care about your safety more than anything," he tells her, but she laughs in his face. "You can hate me all you want, but never doubt that everything I do is for you."

Mia's eyes narrow into slits, "Oh, Edward, stop lying and just admit you don't want him near me because you're jealous that we kissed."

A tension fills the room, one that makes everyone turn silent and exchange equally concerned looks. They know better than to involve themselves, but with how crucial it is to make plans, they wait until one of them decides on making the first move.

Rosalie is the one to take the first step, hoping Mia doesn't bite her head off for interrupting. "Edward, Mia's right. Whether you like Jackson or not, you need to acknowledge how he took care of her when we weren't here. Mia trusts him and that should matter more than any jealousy you feel."

Edward hates when his siblings are right. It makes him feel like a complete fool and now that Rosalie has gotten involved, he's certain he looks much worse than he sounds. "Fine, but I won't take long to hunt. I'll get there as soon as possible."

Mia rubs her forehead with vexation, "Take all the time you need. The more the merrier."

Edward doesn't say anything as he knows it'd be foolish of him to argue back. He lost the right to comment on her decisions when he left, so as much as he doesn't like or trust Jackson, Mia does. For her, he's willing to push his dislike aside. Well, he'll attempt to, which will prove to be harder.

Mia walks out of the living room toward the stairs. She stops in front of the blank wall that once held the canvas made out of graduation caps. It took them a lot of years to create and it's only now when her anger has slightly faded that she regrets having burned them. She overreacted and the right thing would be to restore everything to how it was.

"Mia, let's go," Isobel says from the bottom of the stairs, gesturing with her hand toward the car parked in the driveway.

Closing her eyes for a moment, she holds up a finger to let her know she needs a minute. She walks back into the living room, everyone quickly standing and giving her their attention. "I would like to apologize for what I did to your home. It was wrong and I shouldn't have done that."

Carlisle speaks up, "Mia, you don't have to-"

"No, but I do. I went overboard, so I'm going to fix it," Mia stands in the center of the living room, her gaze setting strictly on the damaged parts and the spell being casted effortlessly. It's hard maintaining her expression stoic when seeing the amazement in their faces. Their eyes are staring up at the fragments of broken glass, broken vases, artworks, the piano by the window, and the ashes from canvas start returning to its glory. The house is soon restored as if she hadn't destroyed any of it and she automatically feels better for remedying her mistake.

"I really love magic," Emmett smiles in admiration, still continuing to stare at the last remaining pieces reaching their rightful place.

"Thank you, Mia," Esme surprises her by holding her in an embrace. She tenses at her touch and is tempted to pull away, but Esme's hugs make the hole in her chest start getting smaller. It will take a long time for her to trust them, but she also can't deny how much she missed this feeling. The feeling of being safe and loved, but like always, her mind betrays her by making her believe it's a lie. No one can love her as she's bound to become a monster and she would rather stay apart than take anyone down into her darkness.

"I have to go," Mia leans away and practically storms out of the house.

Edward tries going after her, but Alice prevents him from doing so. She gives a slight shake of her head, letting him know it's not the right time just yet. There's still resentment and continuing to insist won't get him back on her good side. He knows his sister is right, but it physically hurts him being away from Mia.

The days and nights are longer, the colors aren't as vibrant as they used to be, the stars don't shine like before, and there's the fear that she will never forgive him. She told him that a month ago and he refused to believe it, but he hasn't made any progress. Mia is still angry and regardless of what he does, she rejects his approaches.

"Give her time, Edward," Esme tries to comfort him, but she knows nothing will ease the pain he's in.

Mia's his mate and being apart leaves an emptiness behind, one that only be healed when the two are together. How the moon depends on the sun to shine and the earth depends on the sun to survive, neither can continue without the other. The gravity between them will tie them together with its invisible string, transforming their moments into wondrous times, but it was his attempts at cutting their bond that wrecked their tie.

"I'll wait for her for as long as she needs," Edward says in a low voice, barely audible for a human. He looks down at his ring, the one she gave him and never took off, "She's my person and I won't give up on us."

"Good," Alice says before walking past him. "Just don't ruin it again or I'll take you to the Volturi myself."

Edward rolls his eyes as he leaves the house in the direction of Mia's. Even if he's no longer allowed inside, he will make sure to guard the property and ensure no intruder enters. It's the least he can do after all the damage he caused and even then, it's not nearly enough.

__________________

Mia grabs the keys to the motorcycle Jacob lent her and walks to the driveway. It took a lot of convincing, but with the promise of taking care of it as if it were her child, he chose to cave and take her word. She took slight offense that he believed she would bring damage to it, but considering how reckless she drives, she understands where he's coming from. Would she let him know? Of course not.

When she arrived home last night, she called Jackson and filled him in on everything. He quickly agreed to help her and offered to pick her up before school, but knowing how much protection she will have over the next two weeks, she suggested she could drive herself to school and then they will stay together for the rest of the day.

Like expected, her suggestion was denied.

Still, it doesn't mean Mia's giving up that easily. She got up earlier than usual and is planning on riding to school in spite of anyone's objections. It's been a while since she's had time for herself, so this morning ride is the one thing she's looking forward to.

She places the key into ignition, but a strange sound emits from the engine. Thinking she might have placed the key wrong, she tries again, but the odd rumble continues. The motorcycle worked perfectly last night, so it doesn't make sense for it to stop working out of nowhere. Now Jacob will never let her borrow his motorcycle ever again.

"Damn it," she complains.

The sudden sound of the familiar Volvo catches her attention. Sure enough, Edward parks in front of her house and heads in her direction. He briefly looks at the motorcycle and she notices there's a hint of guilt in his eyes. It's then when she realizes what he did and she's beyond infuriated.

"Did you do this?" Mia gestures to the motorcycle, not an ounce of uncertainty in her question.

Edward pauses for a few seconds, "Mia, you have to understand your safety is everything to me. It's dangerous for you to be by yourself."

"So you're just going to be hovering over my shoulder all the time?" Mia scoffs in disbelief and removes the keys from the ignition. "I'd rather take my chances than be anywhere with you."

"I know you don't want to be near me right now, but it's important that we're together so I can keep you safe," he argues, now trailing after her as she walks past him in the direction of the road. "Just let me drive you to school, Mia."

God, she hates how controlling he is. She understands it's important to be cautious, but he went too far by wrecking Jacob's motorcycle. If he wants to earn her forgiveness, he needs to try harder and not act like a possessive ex, but apparently, she's asking for too much.

"You're forgetting I have Jackson, so we don't need to be together all the damn time," Mia knows it's useless to argue with him since it's like she's talking to a wall, but he always finds a way to get under her skin and bring the anger she's been trying to repress. If he could just take the hint for once, everything will be better.

"Werewolves like him have no control," Edward hastily says.

She stops in her tracks, refusing to let him speak of Jackson in that tone. Not just because he's her friend, but it's the fact that he's judging his condition as if vampirism wasn't just as dangerous, or not, even more. "And vampires like you do? You left because you were losing control, so don't you dare use that as an excuse to try to keep me away from him."

"Well, I'm sorry, but I don't trust him," Edward argues.

Mia glares up at him, "Well, I trust him more than I trust you, so your opinion is the last thing I care for."

He winces at her hostility and tries to maintain his expression neutral, "Even if you don't trust me, I will still care for you-"

"I don't want you to take care of me," Mia's gaze hardens as her fists clench. She has tried so hard not to express her anger by only offering indifference or being sarcastic, but her patience has now disappeared. It's hard being around him as she's only reminded of what he did. She thought she could handle his return, but it's getting harder to breathe.

It doesn't matter if she loves him. He broke her trust and no matter his claims that everything he said had been a lie, she doesn't believe him. If he was able to tear her heart and break it into a million pieces while claiming to love her, what more will he do in the name of protecting her?

"I was able to take care of myself for months without your help, so don't believe for one second that I need you now," she speaks in a lower voice, saying the words slowly as if hoping they enter his skull. "You want me to forgive you, but you're not doing anything to earn it. Being controlling, breathing down my neck, and including yourself in everything I do, it's suffocating. I know that you want to be here, but you don't have to."

"Mia, I-"

"I went through hell when you were gone and it nearly killed me," Mia recognizes the shame and the pain in his eyes and it breaks her heart to be doing this, but she needs him to understand. "But I am working on healing myself and you won't let me. You keep looking at me as if I'm bound to break or as if I'm some defenseless girl needing a knight in shining armor. I can't move forward with you constantly suffocating me, so I am asking you to please leave me alone."

Edward is silent as he takes in her words. It destroys him knowing how much damage he caused and how much he's still giving. All he wants is to protect her, to shield her from the dangers of this world, and to let her know how much he loves her, but he's making everything worse by doing so.

"I know you don't need a knight in shining armor," he takes a deep breath, never once taking his eyes away from her. "You are the strongest person I have ever met, so I know you can protect yourself, but I can't stand back like I did months ago. I left you and there's never a day when I don't regret it and hate myself for what I did. I know it will take a lifetime to earn your trust and forgiveness back, but being here for you and taking care of you is my way to show you that I love you."

It's taking everything not to break at his declaration. He sounds so honest and like he means everything he's saying, but the wound inside her is still open and refuses to let her believe in him. She's afraid of getting hurt again and not having the strength to stand up. How can she ever trust him again?

"If you love me, you will give me space," she pauses, understanding the circumstances will only complicate things. "But I know our current situation needs us to be close, so once I leave, this will end. You will let me go and let me heal. Can you do that for me?"

Two weeks.

Those two words are his torment. He has two weeks by her side until she's gone and it's maddening having to give her his word that he will stay away. She could be leaving in a few hours, a few weeks, a few months, or even years, and it wouldn't be enough time.

But as Edward stares at her pleading eyes, he knows he can no longer be selfish with her. He loves her more than anything that he will willingly take on any pain and any burden to ensure her happiness. She's his inspiration, his solace, his fate, and he will honor her in any way that he can, and this is the first step.

"You got it," Edward forces himself to say, but seeing her relief and hearing her heart return to its regular speed brings him ease that this was the right decision. Even though it feels wrong, this is what he needs to do if he wants to earn her forgiveness and trust back. "But let me take you to school."

Mia looks over at his car and debates on whether to accept or not. She longs for the time when she would have agreed in heartbeat, but they're memories now. Nothing will return them to the way they once were and it's painful coming to terms with it.

However, Jackson arrives before she can make a decision. He parks against the side of the road and approaches them, his brown eyes transforming into a darker color at the sight of Edward. "Everything okay, Mia?"

She nods, "Yeah, it's fine."

Edward tries his hardest not to lose his temper, but Jackson keeps insisting on showing him everything that happened between him and Mia while he was gone. "Can you at least keep your thoughts to yourself?"

Jackson clenches his jaw, "How about you stay the hell out of my head?"

"It's hard when you keep throwing what you did to my face," Edward snaps.

Mia rolls her eyes, already growing tired of this rivalry, "Can we not do this? If this is going to work, then we need to be able to get along. For now, at least."

"Fine by me," Jackson says, but the hostility of his tone reveals his contradiction.

Edward only nods in response before redirecting his focus only to her, "Be careful. I promise I won't take long."

"Don't rush. You need to hunt," Mia assures him. "I'll be safe, so you can go."

She walks over to Jackson, who quickly wraps his arms around her shoulders. Already knowing what he's intending to do, she removes herself from his hold and enters his car. If she wanted to have drama, she would have stayed home to watch those cheesy rom-coms.

From inside, she watches as Edward storms off toward his car and drives away at the most erratic speed. A part of her worries about what Jackson showed him, especially since it's the one thing she regrets most, but even though she and Edward weren't together, she can't help from feeling like she betrayed him in some way. It's an absurd way of thinking, but it's inevitable not to feel this shame.

"Care to tell me what you showed him?" Mia asks once he enters the vehicle.

Jackson sighs heavily, "I think you already know."

"Why do you insist on trying to form an argument with him?" Mia glares at him with intensity that she considers hexing him at this moment.

"After what he did to you, I can't stand the sight of him," he turns the engine on, but she prevents him from putting the car into drive. "What? Don't tell me you care what he thinks."

"I care that you keep showing him something that was meant to stay between us," she tells him. "It was a mistake, so I don't need you to show him how we kissed every time you see him."

"It didn't feel like a mistake," Jackson mutters to himself, but she hears him perfectly well.

Mia internally scolds herself for having kissed him that time. She's not sure where the impulsivity came from, but it's too late to backtrack on her past decisions. She knew it would have been foolish to hope he would forget, but she just didn't expect him to bring it up to Edward all the time.

"Well, it was, so stop thinking about it," Mia harshly says, hoping it's enough to get his stubborn self to move past it. "Please, Jack. I'm asking you to forget and keep your thoughts to yourself. At least that one."

Jackson knows she's right and since she doesn't need more stress added to her plate, he chooses to let it go. "Okay, fine. I'll try to silence my thoughts around him, but he needs to learn how to stay out of people's heads."

Running a hand through her hair in frustration, she can't bother continuing to argue against this. "How about you learn to master Occlumency then? It's how I prevent him from reading my mind."

"I've been trying, but it's a hard spell to master," he admits. "But I'll keep practicing. Also, there's a party we're going to tonight."

Mia has grown to dislike parties. All of them she has attended always ended terribly. If it's not one of her friends being attacked by a vampire or death eaters placing curses on her, it's safe to say parties are the place she wouldn't want to be in.

However, she would rather keep her mind distracted. Staying at home worrying about the newborn army or any possible death eaters lurking around would drive her crazy. Besides, she will be leaving soon, so any chance to make more memories, she's not wasting it.

She sighs heavily and puts on her seatbelt, "Fine, but there better be good food or alcohol."

__________________

Ill fortune always follows Mia Grey. Whether it's a simple coincidence or she's a magnet for trouble, she would rather avoid such events and hope nothing occurs in her absence.

Attending a party the pack is having to welcome its new members brought a sense of reassurance that nothing could go wrong. Victoria wouldn't be foolish to set foot into the territory with lots of shapeshifters and the chances of Dimitri attacking are fairly low. In the reservation, it appears she's the safest.

"I feel like a party crasher," Mia admits as she walks alongside Jackson toward the bonfire situated in front of the Black home. "I hope I'm not kicked out 'cause that would be really embarrassing."

Jackson playfully rolls his eyes at her, nudging her on the shoulder. "Come on, Grey. You're basically a part of the pack now."

She looks toward the bonfire, noticing it's not just the pack attending, but what appears to be the council members. "I thought you said this was a party, but it looks more like a meeting."

"It is," he says. "It's in honor of the newest members. They will be told the tribe's histories."

"The tribe's histories?" Mia definitely feels like she's intruding now. If mentioning anything about the legends to outsiders is prohibited, she can only imagine listening to the histories is much more forbidden. "I thought they were secret."

"We all have a role to play and we're a part of this," Jackson tries easing her uncertainties as they get nearer to the bonfire. "And they thought it would be great for you to hear the stories."

"You should have told me to dress nicer," she glances down at her simple jumper and jeans, already regretting not having dressed for the occasion. "If I'm crashing this meeting, at least I should look good doing it."

"You don't need anything to look good. You always do," Jackson's gaze softens, the starlight twinkling in his brown eyes and casting a depth of intensity.

Mia can feel the blood rushing to her cheeks, warmth colliding against the crisp temperature. She hides her hands into her pockets as a way to hide their trembling, but senses he's already aware of it.

"Jackson!" Their momentary silence is broken by a young boy. He waves in their direction and meets them halfway in a sprint. His smile is the widest she's ever seen that it's nearly contagious, "It's about time you got here."

"Better late than never," Jackson says before introducing them. "Seth, this is Mia. Mia, this is Seth."

"You're the witch," Seth's eyes grow wide in amazement as he reaches for her hand to shake. "I'm a huge fan, like you can't even imagine."

Surprised, Mia wonders what he was told by the others that made him view her this way. There's nothing out of the ordinary with her, so now she's questioning what the pack has been saying. "A fan? What have they been telling you?"

"I'll be getting burgers. Have fun with the newbie," Jackson winks at her before parting away, leaving the pair alone.

"Bring me one," Mia tells him, earning a thumbs up before she turns back to Seth. He starts telling her about his interest in magic and how he's been dying to meet her ever since the pack mentioned her. She struggles in keeping up with how fast he's talking, but starts grasping after a few minutes.

"Leave the girl alone. She doesn't want to deal with you," a girl with short black hair walks up to them and ruffles his hair in a way a sibling does.

"Shut up, Leah," Seth complains while shoving her hands off.

Mia softly chuckles, "He made me feel like a celebrity, which I very much appreciated."

Seth glares at his sister with satisfaction, causing Leah to roll her eyes, "You see? She didn't mind."

"She's just being nice to you. Now go and keep watch on the burgers. Paul keeps trying to eat them all," Leah tells him and it's enough for Seth to rush back to the gathering. "You must be the witch."

"And you must be the new member of the pack," Mia notices her wary gaze, a clear indication of her distrust over newcomers (something she definitely understands).

"I thought you would have been taller and less... normal," Leah says as she scans her up and down as if studying her.

"Sorry to disappoint," she shrugs. "Maybe I should have worn my cloak and brought my spell books."

Jackson returns with two burgers, but decides on staying back when sensing the tension. Knowing how blunt Leah is and how quick Mia loses her temper, he can only hope nothing escalates. For now, he stands by like a bystander and prepares himself just in case their encounter intensifies.

"Oh, great. Looks like you met Leah," Jacob comments on the obvious as he and Bella arrive.

Mia greets the two in an embrace before looking back at Leah, "I finally had the pleasure of meeting her. I feel like we're off to a great start."

The faintest smile appears on Leah for a second, but quickly falters into a frown when seeing Bella. "I'll be heading back now."

And just like that, she's off with the rest of the pack and council members.

"Yeah, she really doesn't like me," Bella fiddles with her hand, wondering why the girl isn't fond of her considering she hasn't done anything upsetting.

Jackson hands a burger to Mia, who eagerly takes a giant bite from it. He looks back at the bonfire, focusing more on the Clearwaters than the rest, "Don't take it personal. She takes a while to open up to people."

Jacob scoffs, "Understatement of the year."

"Jake!" Seth runs in their direction once more, both he and Jacob greeting each other like a couple of siblings. "Like Mia and Jackson, you guys are late. Paul's been hoovering the grub, but I saved you some burgers."

Mia looks toward the grill and practically chokes on her food when seeing Paul grabbing more burgers than he can carry. "I don't know about that. It looks like he's taken them all."

"Paul! Those are mine!" Seth complains, but Paul only smiles at him in a mocking way, which indicates he won't give up the food that easily.

Jacob laughs at their antics, "Thanks for trying, bro. Bella and Mia, this is Seth Clearwater, Leah's brother. Newest member of the pack."

"Hi," Bella meekly says.

Gesturing between her and Seth, Mia moves closer to the group with her burger halfway done. "We actually already met. He's my greatest fan, did you know that?"

"I did not," Jacob chuckles. "But I can't say I'm not surprised."

"How can you not be her fan? She has magic!" Seth stares at her with delight before continuing to introduce himself to Bella. "Like Jake said, I'm the newest, bestest, brightest-"

"And slowest," Jacob ruffles his hair and both of them start to wrestle as if it were a regular thing.

Seth eventually manages to get an upper hand and disperses from Jacob, "Come on. Your dad's about to start."

The four of them join the bonfire and sit next to each other. Mia takes advantage of the opportunity to lean over and steal a burger from Paul, who's too distracted conversing with Embry to notice. She laughs to herself and hands it to Bella, seeing as she hadn't been able to acquire one due to Paul taking nearly all of them.

Billy waits until everyone gathers around, his expression becoming adorned with seriousness and making everyone turn silent. "The Quileutes have been a small tribe from the beginning, but we have always had magic in our blood. We were great spirit warriors, shapeshifters that transformed to the powerful wolf. This enabled us to scare off our enemies and protect our tribe."

Mia listens attentively and wonders why she has been welcomed into this meeting. Regardless if she already knows about them, she still considers this as something that should be reserved for insiders, but it only makes her grateful for being trusted with an important secret. They trust her and she's now learned to trust them.

"One day, our warriors came across a creature. It looked like a man, but it was hard like stone and cold as ice," Billy glances over at her and she finally understands why she's here. It's a way for her to learn more about the dangers vampires bring and to hopefully convince her to stay away from them. Something she's already planning on doing by returning back home. "It stood over the dead bodies of women from our tribe. Our warriors became filled with rage and attacked, but the creature had incredible strength, but our warriors' sharp teeth finally tore it apart, but only fire would completely destroy it."

She makes note of it just in case her plan in evading Victoria doesn't work. Casting fire is the easiest spell of the book that she has no doubt in being able to use it against the redhead if she decides to follow her.

"They lived in fear the cold man was not alone... and they were right," Billy continues, an eerie silence filling the bonfire and igniting goosebumps to trail down everyone's skin. "A woman soon came and she took her vengeance on the village." The woman must have been his mate and in a fit of rage and pain, she decided to avenge his death to inflict the heartbreak she felt. Mia understands her in that aspect, seeing as she would lose her mind if she were to lose her mate, but she would never take an innocent person's life. She would rather die than do such a thing. "Our elder chief, Taha Aki, was the only spirit warrior left to save the tribe after his son was killed. Taha Aki's wife could see that he would lose. She was no magical being, with no special powers but one... courage. She used her own blade against her, no doubt in her mind about her choice."

Mia can't prevent feeling admiration for the woman. She gave her life to ensure the tribe survived, which caused many lives to be saved from those vampires that dared set foot into their lands. It's truly inspiring, something she wishes to be able to do.

"His wife's sacrifice distracted the cold woman long enough for Taha Aki to destroy her," Billy is evidently just as inspired by her, knowing he would do the exact thing to ensure the tribe survives. "Over time, our enemies have disappeared, but one remains – the Cold Ones. Our magic awakens when they're near, and we sense it now. We feel the threat in our blood. Something terrible is coming, and we must all be ready. All of us."

Mia is more ready for anything to come. Even if she's unsure if her plan will work, she will make sure no danger comes to town. If Victoria decides on appearing later tonight or even tomorrow, she won't hesitate to use whatever means necessary to protect them.

No matter what happens, she will do anything.

__________________

It's nearing midnight when Mia is driven home. She's exhausted and just wants to get under the covers, but she also doesn't want the night to end just yet. It's been a while since she's had fun and even though this party had actually been a council meeting, her friends made it the most memorable evening.

It's making her departure much harder and a part of her is tempted to prolong it, but she knows it's time to head back. There's no use in staying in Forks for her safety when it's no longer safe. She's been under attack for months, so she would rather face this with her friends from back home. Besides, she will be able to join the fight and protect those she loves, which is more than what she's been doing here.

"Come on," Mia hops off Jackson's car and motions him to follow her. She heads to the maple tree in front of her window and holds onto the strongest branch. Her feet are placed on the right places, allowing her to climb up with ease to the roof by her window. She sits herself in the middle and hugs her knees together, leaning her head back and gazing up at the stars.

"I never took you as a climber," Jackson lands swiftly next to her and sits down. He notices her shivering and removes his leather jacket to place around her shoulders.

She snuggles deeper into it and blows warm air into her hands, "I'm full of surprises. I can do a lot more than be a magnet for danger."

"I love how you joke about this," he sarcastically says, worrying she's not taking this seriously.

Already sensing an imminent lecture, Mia interrupts him before he gets a chance to say more, "It's my way of coping, okay? I spent a long time letting my problems consume me, so I'm not letting them again. I don't want to go back to that time."

With her saying that, Jackson is reminded of the question that's been lingering in his mind for the longest. It's one that's worried him and left him awake at night. He's afraid of bringing it up and upsetting her, but he needs to know.

"Can I ask you something?"

She nods, but feels a tinge of unease at the seriousness in his tone and the gloom dawning on him.

"That night when you saw me transform, I noticed that you came from the lake," Jackson notices her expression drop and her body tense. The right thing would be to stop, but he's starting to head down a path with no return. "It was cold and dark, so I kept thinking as to why you were there. I wanted to ask you then, but I didn't think it was right of me-"

"You're right. It wasn't," Mia pinches her forearm, the pain serving as a reminder that she's awake and this isn't a nightmare.

Jackson runs a hand through his hair, wishing to take everything back and forget about this, "I'm sorry if I'm being an asshole by prying too much, but I'm worried you headed to the lake for reasons other than a swim."

And there it is.

The truth about that night is now unfolding and coming out into the open. She's never told anyone the reason for her visit. It's not that she's ashamed, but it's out of fear that admitting to it would become an invitation for the darkness to come. That month, it was the lowest she had ever been and it still hurts thinking about it.

"Why does it matter now? It happened a while back, so talking about it won't do anything," Mia avoids his gaze and focuses on the forest ahead, longing for any interruptions to prevent this conversation from happening, but it's as if the world decided on taking his side.

"It does matter, because it wasn't a while back. It was two months ago and I'm worried that what happened that night is going to happen again," Jackson admits in a voice that is so low yet also incredibly loud.

"And how are you sure something happened?"

"Because I can see how painful it is for you to talk about it," he moves to her direct sight and reaches for her hand, preventing her from continuing to pinch herself. "I know I wasn't here when your father hurt you the first time, but from what you told me, you sounded terrified of the lake. You avoided the water and tried pretending what happened to you wasn't hurting you."

Mia looks away and wipes the one tear that managed to escape. She doesn't want to admit the truth. She doesn't want to admit how she wanted to die and was ready to end it all that night. What if admitting it brings her back to the dark?

"You went to the lake that night. Why?"

Mia doesn't say anything for a while. She hugs her knees tighter and looks down, the feeling of wanting to die still lingering in the back of her head like a disease. It's become her personal demon and one she's afraid of never escaping, but having found the strength to swim to the surface that night, it brings her hope that she can fight this. She did it once, so she can do it again. Many do it, so why can't she?

"I died a year ago in that lake. For months, I tried pretending I was okay and that I could move past it, but I couldn't forget," she tries blinking away the tears, but they insist on forming and falling down her cheeks mercilessly. "I was getting better, but then Edward left and everything got so bad. I started understanding why everyone viewed me like they did. If the person who claimed to love me discarded me like I was worthless, then that meant everyone was right. I believed it."

Jackson swallows hard and forces himself to blink away the tears. Hearing the pain in her voice breaks him more than anything. He can't imagine how anyone could believe the worst of her. She's the greatest person to roam this earth and anyone would be blessed to have her in their life. Meeting her had been his greatest gift and he will forever thank the universe for placing her in his path.

But as he watches the tears fall down her cheeks, a sense of anger forms within him. Edward had been the cause for taking her smile. He hurt her in the worst possible way and believes he has a right to barge into her life as if nothing happened. How could he hurt someone as incomparable like her and claim to love her?

"I visited the lake for the first time that night," Mia's voice trembles and a massive pressure gathers in her chest, but she can't stop anymore. This has been her secret for the longest and it's been hurting her since that night. "I had recently lost my magic, I felt like I had no one left, and I felt this emptiness. I started thinking that everyone's lives would be better off without me, so I went into the lake and stopped fighting."

Jackson's heart stops beating as it dawns on him that his terrible suspicions were true. He can't believe how someone so beautiful and incredibly important to him would try to take her own life. She has so much to live and it destroys him knowing she felt there was nothing left.

"I wanted to swim. I wanted to fight, but then I thought, what's the point?" Mia tries controlling her cries, feeling pathetic for breaking down in front of him, but she can't find the will to stop now that her doors have been opened. "I was holding everyone back. I had become a burden and was thought of as a monster, so I figured, no one would care. I wouldn't be able to hurt them, so I stayed in the water until I couldn't breathe."

Jackson couldn't look away from her. The thought of her dying was more frightening than anything. She has become the most important person and the one he trusts with his whole heart. A life without her would be tragic, especially in knowing she wouldn't have the chance to live her life to the fullest.

"But I couldn't bring myself to end it. I couldn't do it," Mia isn't sure where she found the strength to swim to the surface, but she's grateful she did. She's now learned she has friends and family who care for her and wouldn't betray her for anything. If she had died that night, she wouldn't have become whole again or have the opportunity of returning to her home.

Jackson wraps his arms around her. He takes in her warmth, comforted in knowing she's still here and she's alive. It's relieving knowing she found the will to stay and he will forever be eternally grateful for the divine force in giving her strength. "I'm incredibly grateful that you're still here. Life without you would be tragic and I want you to know how much I love and care for you."

Mia cries into his shoulder and allows herself to release everything. She's been holding her feelings inside for so long that there's a sense of freedom in allowing herself to feel.

The two remain in their haven for a little longer, completely unaware that Edward heard everything and blames himself for the pain he caused her.