I'll be home for Christmas

Chapter 69

Chapter 69 - 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 Old Quil sat cross legged with each hand holding the end of their own spirit stick and the other hand holding the end of the other's. They formed a small circle of two, with the sticks as the link between them. They chanted and sang.

With his greater wolf hearing Josh could hear the comments when the spirits appeared. He was helping Bella the best way he could. And when the pack had taken the twins out, he could phase and then he could help the packs. Without him as the bridge between them it would be difficult, but without Bella they would all fall. He poured his love for her into the song.

Jasper flooded the assembled vampires with doubt and despair. He just broadcast it at full volume towards them. Bella's shield didn't keep his gift out, so she couldn't protect her friends from the despair, but they only needed the guard to doubt for a few seconds before the wolves phased and attacked them.

The wolves screamed at the red-eyed cold ones. Their blood knew them as their enemy.

There was an instant after the first gunshot when the vampires didn't react; they stood, lost in disbelief that the Cullens had taken to modern weapons and leaderless as their leaders fought amongst themselves. Marcus was still trying to strangle Aro.

The Guard hesitated. Victims of Jasper's gift.

The Cullens moved when the wolves did. Everyone sprang into action. Edward scooped Bella up and rushed her to meet wolf Seth; already dashing out of the forest towards them. He was wearing the riding harness on his back. Edward helped her up and she grabbed the hand straps. They had practiced for hours but riding a wolf running at full speed was nothing like riding a horse, no matter how much Seth tried to keep his gait even and his back level for her. She had to be in the battle to shield the others but she could not run at human speed and survive. Nor could she concentrate on maintaining the shield while the wolf was running. The plan was that the Cullens would guard her.

She had to keep the shield protection up until Jane and Alec were ash. She could feel the thrum of tension in Seth's body as he held still, safe for the moment behind the wall of spirit warriors.

"Edw-" she tried to say but he cut her off.

"I'll be near," he said and then he was gone in a white streak.

Under the light of the full moon she saw the wolves dart off in all directions but she could only tell shades of darkness and not actual colors.

She could feel Jane and Alec battering at her shield. She was so terrified it would fail. If she had been a vampire, her skill would have been amplified and much easier for her to hold for any length of time, but she was still human. The Cullens and the pack had to hit the twins hard and fast just in case it did. No other guard members had skills that worked the way theirs did.

The golden light of the spirit warriors strengthened her. Josh was here for her.

Charlie and the deputies were using sniper rifles and night vision scopes. Thermal imaging was pointless with vampires as they have no body heat. They had one chance to get it right. The second bullet in each gun was a tracer round and once the fires started the light through the scope would blind them. Once they removed the scopes, their eyes would take time to adjust before they could aim properly and fire again. They tried, but could not target the twins as they stood among the guard; they were too short and their bodies were hidden behind their much taller companions.