I'll be home for Christmas

Chapter 63

Chapter 63 - I'll be home for Christmas

Disclaimer: the characters and all recognisable situations belong to Stephenie Meyer - this is a work of fan fiction, except for the legends and histories of the Quileute that, of course, belong to them. I pay my respects to their gods.

Thanks to BanSidhe [ruadh sidhe] and Feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading.

Josh and Jasper had worked out the strategy for the battle, but Josh hadn't quite told Bella what her essential part was going to be. Or at least how she would be doing that essential part.

"You need to be able to move as fast as or faster than a vampire," he finally told her one night.

She looked at him doubtfully. "And exactly how will I do that?"

"Well…"

"Josh?" she warned. "What aren't you telling me?"

"Do you remember the night you rode me?"

"Yes." That horrible night that he had panicked after being in Sam and Embry's heads; sharing their memories of a fatherless childhood.

"You have to ride a wolf."

She blinked. "During the battle and presumably keep the shield up."

He squirmed. "Yeah."

"You don't think you should have mentioned this before now?"

"Probably."

"Who am I riding?"

He was concerned; she was taking this too well. "I want you on the fastest wolf."

She raised an eyebrow.

"That isn't an alpha. So that makes it Seth," he answered.

"Seth. Does he know about this?"

"Maybe…" he could see the trap.

"So you have already told Seth and you are only just mentioning this to me, now?"

He tried to hug her in close to him but she pushed at his chest. "I definitely should have spoken to you first," he said.

"Humph."

She tried to be irritated with him but it was hard to resist him when he was touching her.

She huffed out an annoyed breath. "Can't I ride you?" she complained to Josh.

"I have other things to do and you can ride me anytime," he purred at her.

She chuckled. She knew he wasn't talking about as a wolf. "That would be an epic fail."

He chose to be offended. "You think I couldn't get it up under that kind of pressure?"

"I know you could, that's why it would be an epic fail."

He chuckled.

She poked him in the chest. "So what you are really telling me is I need to find the time for wolf riding lessons?"

"Yeah and I know you already have so much to do."

"Gah. Do I ever."

She bit her lip.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"The shield… it's just not strong enough. I am terrified that—"

"We'll be fine."

"No. I've seen Jane torture people… it's terrifying, Josh."

He wrapped her in against him, murmuring comforting things.