TOGETHER [P. LAHOTE]

[12]

                  

"I don't understand," Skylar began. "Now you're both sticking together?"

Bella nodded, turning her head to glance at her twin in the backseat of Edward's car. "We'd both be more vulnerable if we were apart. I don't want to take the chance that one of us will get hurt."

"So what's the plan?"

Facing the front again as the trio pulled up in the Cullens driveway, Bella responded. "We're picking up Jasper."

Driving down the winding driveway, Edward jumped out of the car as soon as it was in park and made his way to Jasper. The pair talked quietly – not that either of the Swans could hear them. The twins sat in silence as Bella bit her lip, eventually breaking it. "You know... You could probably ask Paul to stay out of the fight."

Nodding, Skylar wryly chuckled. "Yeah, I could. And then he'd laugh it off and tell me I was the funniest person he'd ever met." Seeing the she was about to argue, Skylar quickly shut Bella down. "He won't sit out Bells, and I'm not going to make him sit back from the fight."

"But aren't you going to be worried?"

"Is that even a real question? Of course I'll be worried, but I know that he can handle it." Skylar said, confident in her imprint.

Bella nodded in response as Edward walked back towards the car. He got in, looking at Bella. "Jasper is going to meet us there. Along with Jacob."

♦♦♦

"You're not fighting? What, did you pull a muscle or something?" Jacob asked, walking towards the four in the clearing.

Bella jumped at Edward's defense. "He's doing it for me, okay?"

"Whatever. Just tell me the plan."

Jasper looked at Jacob. "This field will give us an advantage in battle. We need to lure the newborns with Bella's scent, but it needs to end here."

"Edward, Sky, and I are going to a campsite. Even if he carries me, they'll still pick up on our scents," Bella explained, making Jake lift his eyebrows up, looking at Skylar. "They roped you in on this, too?"

Skylar shrugged. "Ehh, a Saturday alone by myself or being in danger by camping above a vampire-werewolf battle – wasn't a hard choice to make, especially being a Swan."

Ignoring their banter, Edward glared at him. "Your stench, however, is revolting."

"Dude," Jacob started. "You really don't wanna start comparing stinks." Bella cut in. "What he means is that your scent will mask mine if you carry me."

"Done."

Edward shook his head at Jacob's quick answer. "This is not a good idea."

"Edward," Jasper began. "They won't want to get anywhere near his... odor."

Bella walked towards Jake. "Okay. Let's just try it." As soon as she got in arms reach of the boy, he picked her up, carrying her bridal style. "Eau de wolf coming up."

"Run."

The two vampires and Skylar watched as he quickly turned and started sprinting towards the tree line. After they were gone from sight, Skylar looked at the two boys expectantly. "Okay. Which one of you is carrying me?"

What seemed like hours later, which was really Skylar just being dramatic, Jasper appeared from the trail that Jake and Bella had taken. "All I picked up was wolf stench. No Bella." He closed in on Edward, who had a taunt look on his face. "This will work."