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"ELLORY HOPE CULLEN, GET READY!!" Emmett shouted as he rushed into her room with a wide grin on his face. "Why is that?" Ellory asked as she lowered her paintbrush admiring the new canvas. "Storm is coming," Emmett answered her, she could envision the grin on his face. Ellory put her things to the side, she knew this meant it was time for a game of baseball and guessing by Rosalie's annoyance, Edward would be bringing Bella along with him. She moved to get dressed for the game, she knew that Emmett would drag her out in her pyjamas otherwise. Her painting left to dry, she headed down the stairs and met up with her siblings.

The family headed out to their usual clearing in the woods as dark grey clouds filled the sky, Ellory closed her eyes and let the cool breeze brush through her hair. A hat was pushed onto her head and she opened her eyes to see Carlisle smiling at her. They turned their heads to see Edward pull up in the jeep with Bella in the passenger seat, Ellory waved with a grin before moving to her place in the field. "Glad you're here. We need an umpire," Esme told Bella with her usual sweet smile. "She thinks we cheat," Emmett commented with a teasing grin. "I know you cheat," Esme told her son before looking at Bella, "Call 'em as you see 'em, Bella."

Everyone took their place on the field as lightning struck, Ellory smirking at the sound of it and the flash within the sky. "It's time," Alice informed them. Alice throws the ball, Rosalie hits the ball at the same time as the thunder rumbles and runs around the bases. "Okay, now I see why you need the thunder," Bella commented with an impressed smirk. Edward chases after the ball through the woods catching Bella's attention, "It's gonna be a homerun, right?" Esme shook her head at that, "Edward's very fast." Edward takes the ball and throws it as Rosalie continues along the bases with Carlisle cheering for her.

However, Esme catches the ball thrown by Edward, Rosalie glides but Esme taps her out before looking at Bella. "You're out," Bella told Rosalie who glared at her. "Out! Whooh!" Emmett cheered with a smirk receiving an annoyed glare from his wife, "Hey, come on, it's just a game." Ellory raised her brow at Rosalie who scoffed and stepped to the side, shooting a glare at Bella. "Nice, kitty!" Carlisle called out with a smirk. Alice throws the ball, Carlisle hits it and runs, Emmett and Edward both jump in the attempt to catch the ball. They collide in the air and miss the ball, Carlisle gets a homerun as Edward and Emmett fall to the ground with a laugh.

"What you doing?" Edward asked with a chuckle. "Come on," Emmett shoves Edward playfully, Ellory smiling at her brothers. Jasper flips his bat before Alice throws the ball, Jasper hits it and runs. Emmett climbs a tree, catches the ball and throws it back. "My monkey man..." Rosalie comments with a smirk, Bella glancing at the blonde. Alice throws the next ball, Rosalie hits it but Alice suddenly becomes alert along with Ellory who tenses. Three figures are moving in their direction, Ellory spins to look at them and immediately is hit with a thirst she hadn't felt in years prompting Jasper to grab her arm and pull her towards him.

Edward also becomes alert, he moves towards Bella quickly. "They were leaving, then they heard us," Alice informed her family. "Let's go," Edward told Bella. "It's too late," Carlisle replied to his son. "Put your hair down," Edward advised Bella who took her hair out. "Like that'll help. I could smell her from across the field," Rosalie snarked as Ellory moved to stand in front of Bella despite the brunette being taller, Ellory could protect her if needed. "I shouldn't have brought you here. I'm so sorry," Edward whispered to Bella. "It's done, Eddie. We'll handle it," Ellory assured her brother through her own anxious worries.

The three nomads approached the family, Ellory focused on Edward's gift and was quick to learn their names and connections to the local kills. "I believe this belongs to you," Laurent, the coven of three's leader spoke as he held up the baseball and threw it. "Thank you," Carlisle replied as he caught the ball. "I'm Laurent, and this is Victoria and James," Laurent introduced himself and his quiet predatory companions. Ellory locked eyes with James, the blond nomad smirking as he looked her up and down like she was a little lamb for the taking; the action caused Jasper to glare and step closer to his little sister.

"I'm Carlisle, this is my family," Carlisle introduced politely as he looked from side to side at them. "Hello," Laurent greeted. "I'm afraid your hunting activities have...caused something of amess for us," Carlisle informed them. "Our apologies. We didn't realize the territory had been claimed," Laurent responded, his tone held some truth. "Yes, well, we maintain a permanent residence nearby," Carlisle expressed, his tone delicate and firm as a warning. "Really?" Laurent asked in surprise before looking to the side at James who was glaring at Edward, James' eyes were taunting and aggressively playful.

"Well, we won't be a problem anymore. We were just passing through," Laurent assured the family. "The humans were tracking us, but we led them east. You should be safe," Victoria added, her tone carrying pride for her games with the locals. "Excellent," Carlisle replied to her. "So... could you use three more players?" Laurent asked noticing the hesitance in their faces, "Oh, come on. Just one game." Ellory glanced at Edward who nodded slightly, the blonde lightly nudged Carlisle who smiled. "Sure, why not? A few of us were leaving, you can take their place. We'll bat first," Carlisle informed them before he tossed the ball to Laurent.

Victoria caught the ball in front of Laurent, "I'm the one with the wicked curve ball." Victoria's eyes darkened as she looked at Ellory, she had seen the way her mate was eyeing the little blonde and it angered her. "Oh, well, I think we can handle that," Jasper told her gaining the red-haired woman's attention on him instead of Ellory. "Oh..." Laurent muttered teasingly, everybody laughed except for James, Rosalie, Edward, Ellory and Bella. "We shall see," Victoria taunted them. Everybody starts to walk away, James and Edward continued their stares as Ellory moves to walk with Bella however, the wind blows through Bella's hair sending her scent straight towards James.

"Little bunny and you brought a snack," James commented referring to Ellory and Bella before he moved to attack but the family was quick to jump back in front of Bella. Ellory kept close to the human girl, her darkened gaze locked on James who smirked in amusement. "You're human?" Laurent asked in intrigue. "The girl is with us. I think it best if you leave," Carlisle warned them. "I can see the game is over. We'll go now," Laurent told them before moving to leave only to notice that James hadn't followed, "James?" Laurent, James and Victoria leave but Ellory spots the fear and anger in Edward's eyes and assumes that James found something new to hunt.

"Get Bella out of here," Carlisle told his son. "He wants Ellory too," Edward told Carlisle who sighed before nodding. "Ellory, Bella, let's go," Edward told them. Ellory climbed into the backseat of the jeep and frowned as Edward got in after trying to assist Bella with her own seatbelt. "What now, he's coming after us?" Bella asked Edward as he sped through the woods towards the road. "Listen to me. James is a tracker, the hunt is his obsession. I read his mind. My reaction at the field set him off. I just made this his most exciting game ever. He's never gonna stop," Edward expressed to Bella whose eyes were wide with fear.

"And why Ellory?" Bella asked as Ellory reached forward and grabbed the brunette's hand within her own. "It'd be the protective nature we showed over her. He views her as... pure and he wishes to tear that apart," Edward answered her, his hands gripping the wheel as he tried to push away the images that James had created about his sister. "Then what should we do?" Bella asked him. "We have to kill him, rip him apart and burn the pieces," Edward told her. "Where are we going?" Bella questioned him as she noticed the road they were on. "Away from Forks. We'll get a ferry to Vancouver," Edward told her but Ellory shook her head, "It's too dangerous!"

"I need to go home, now, okay, you should take me home," Bella told him sternly. "You can't go home. He's just gonna trace your scent there. It's the first place he's gonna look," Edward replied to her. "But my dad is there!" Bella exclaimed. "He won't harm Charlie, Bella. It's about the hunt and only the hunt. Chasing you is the utmost importance to the tracker," Ellory told Bella, she knew about Trackers and their desires. "It doesn't matter!" Edward exclaimed causing Bella to look down in thought before she looked up at Edward, "My dad, we have to go back! We'll figure a way to lead the tracker away somehow, I don't know, but we have to do something." Ellory looked at Edward who sighed before turning right.

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Ellory waited in the car as Bella and Edward staged a break up and Bella's decision to leave Forks to clear her head, she sympathised with the brunette as she snapped at her father before leaving to get into her own car. Ellory got the signal from Edward and she took over driving the jeep, she followed Bella as Edward jumped onto the back of her car before climbing in and taking over the driving. Once they reached the Cullen household, Ellory got out and followed behind them into the home where they bumped into Laurent walking with Carlisle. Edward hissed at Laurent who raised his hands in surrender.

"Wait! He came to warn us. About James," Carlisle stopped his son. "This isn't my fight and... I've grown tired of his games," Laurent began as he sent them a sympathetic smile, "But he's got unparalleled sense, absolutely lethal. I've never seen anything like him in my three hundred years." Ellory lowered her eyes at those words, it meant they'd have to kill him which will only anger Victoria who'll turn out to be another problem for the family. "And the woman, Victoria, don't underestimate her," Laurent added, his eyes trailing over to Ellory who looked up at him in gratitude. "Thank you, Laurent," Ellory spoke softly, he bowed his head before leaving.

Edward, Ellory and Bella followed behind Carlisle as they headed out into the garage. "I've had to fight our kind before. Not easy to kill," Jasper spoke up. "But not impossible. We'll tear him apart and burn the pieces," Emmett replied to him with certainty, no denying that he was willing to do so. "I don't relish the thought of killing another creature. Even a sadistic one like James," Carlisle spoke up with sorrow in his voice, a reminder as to why he was the Patriarch of the Olympic Coven; His compassion for life. "What if he kills one of us first?" Rosalie asked but it was clear she was talking about Ellory due to James' interest in her 'innocence'.

"I'm gonna run Bella south, you lead the tracker away from here," Edward told his family after a moment of silence. "No, Edward," Carlisle told him, "James knows you'd never leave Bella. He'll follow you." Ellory nodded in agreement with their father. "I'll go with Bella. Jasper and I will drive her and Ellory south. I'll keep them safe, Edward," Alice promised. "Can you keep your thoughts to yourself?" Edward asked her. "Yes," Alice replied with a nod. "Rosalie, Esme, could you put these on so... the tracker will up Bella's scent?" Edward asked as he tosses Bella's coat to Rosalie. "Why?" Rosalie asked as she put the coat aside, "What is she to me?"

"Rosalie, Bella is with Edward. She's a part of this family now. We protect our family," Carlisle told Rosalie with a firm tone. Carlisle hands Rosalie the coat, she takes it from him and walks away knowing better than to argue further. Ellory hugged her parents before embracing Emmett, Edward and Rosalie; she took a steady breath as she got into the car with Bella, Jasper and Alice. "Oh God... if anything... no... if anything happens to you, I swear to God..." Bella whimpers to Edward as he leans in the window. "Nothing's gonna happen. There's eight of us, and there's two of them. And when everything's done, I'm gonna come back and get you," Edward promised her, Ellory looking away wishing she had a love like that.

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Rosemary Speaks

Oh wow... So I bought this story back as I missed writing Twilight!

Any thoughts on this chapter? Questions? Suggestions?

Thoughts on James' view on Ellory?

Opinions on Ellory's acceptance of Edward and Bella's relationship?

See you in the next chapter!