Mimic | Jacob Black

35. Confessions

---

"River, how are you not worried?"

River looked to his left, where Bella was walking through the opening in the woods, the moonlight washing over them. He looked forward again, eyes getting heavy. Still, he didn't think he would be able to sleep even if he was at home during this ungodly hour. He was glad he had his jumper. The cold would certainly be an issue without it–especially since he didn't think he'd ever see his jacket again.

"Have you just not been paying attention the past few months?" River asked. "Of course I'm worried, but it's always one thing after the other. If I took everything to heart I think I would explode."

"So what, your plan is to dissociate your way through every problem?" Bella said.

"For now, yes," River said. Easier said than done, though. His fears would always seep through, no matter how much he repressed them. "Better than suffering more."

"Relax, you two," Edward chimed in from ahead. "This is going to be easy. The newborns will be completely taken by surprise. They'll have no idea that werewolves even exist. I've seen how they act in a group, the way Jasper remembers. I truly believe that the wolves' hunting techniques will work flawlessly against them. And with them divided and confused, there won't be enough for the rest of us to do. Someone might have to sit out." He said that last part teasingly, to try and lift the mood.

"Because vampires and werewolves get along so well," Bella mumbled.

"If it bothers you this much, why don't I take you back home?" Edward offered.

"No," Bella answered. "I'm coming."

After the party, Edward took them back to their house, but neither one of them felt comfortable staying at home when two groups of supernatural beings that hated each other and were also important to the teens would be meeting. Their parents were already asleep, so they got changed and Edward carried them through the woods at top speed. He stopped not far from the area, and now they were walking through the large open field, towards the other Cullens. It took River a few moments to realise that it was the baseball clearing. That was the last "relaxing" day they had with the vampires before everything fell apart. River felt strange being here again, to say the least.

"River looks pretty tired to me," Edward said.

"As if I could sleep right now," River answered.

"You know what," Bella said in a new thoughtful voice, "I think it's all connected. Not just the two, but all three."

Both Edward and River glanced at her in confusion.

"What are you talking about?" River asked. Clearly, the clearing had also reminded Bella of their unfortunate encounter with Victoria and her now dead companions.

Bella held up a hand, ticking off her points with a finger each. "The newborns in Seattle. The stranger in our house. And Victoria."

Edward frowned. "It wasn't Victoria in your house."

"She can't make new friends? Think about it. If it is Victoria doing this in Seattle, she's made a lot of new friends. She's created them."

There was no hard evidence to prove that Victoria was the one behind everything, but it did make more sense the more River thought about it. He thought it might be Caius, but this didn't feel like something the Volturi would plan, despite their lack of interference so far. Both the Volturi and Victoria had very reasonable theories for creating this army. Edward confirmed his thoughts.

"It's possible. I still think the Volturi are most likely–especially Caius. But your theory–there's something there. She's tried so hard to get to you both so far, and this plot would put her in no danger at all from us, if she sits safely behind and lets the newborns wreak their havoc here. And maybe little danger from the Volturi, either. Perhaps she's counting on us to win, in the end, though certainly not without heavy casualties of our own. But no survivors from her little army to bear witness against her. In fact, if there were survivors, I'd bet she'd be planning to destroy them herself... Still, she'd have to have at least one friend who was a bit more mature. No fresh-made newborn left your parents alive..." Edward nodded to himself, smiling at Bella. "Definitely possible. Regardless, we've got to be prepared for anything until we know for sure."