Only Fools Love

Before the Battle

The day was almost upon us, the day we would face the Volturi and die, or the day they would show mercy to something they do not understand. Honestly my money's on the first, but who knows. miracles happen after all Nessie was born and Garrett and I have been given another chance to be together.

We had picked a spot in the woods that would be our battlefield. Somewhere open and clear, but away from the nearby town of Forks. Far enough that no one would be able to hear what was happened and that no one would stumble upon us, thus causing more problems than we already have. We had also set up a campsite to stay at for the night. While it was nothing for us to make the trip to the field in a few minutes, we didn't want to stress Nessie more than needed before tomorrow, so a fun camping trip should help with everyone's nerves, even if just for a little while.

Nightfall came all too quickly, soon after Edward had put up the tents Jacob and Nessie would be using that night. Although something told me Nessie would be the only one sleeping that night. Jacob had gone and gotten some firewood to start a fire, even though none of us really needed it. Since we are all vampires or a wolf we are all set on the temperature front and seeing in the dark. The only person who would really use it is Nessie and her tent is too far away to really feel any of its warmth. I know as a vampire it's crazy to think, but I miss the warmth a fire use to bring me and my family during the cold nights in New York.

Jacob and Benjamin had started the fire, Benjamin who was all too excited to show off his powers of elemental control, as he had been since he got to the Cullen home. But it's a useful power. All my weather control has done is make me feel guilty about the snow, but I can't exactly make it anywhere above freezing during the winter in a part of the country that's lucky if it gets above 75 degrees in the summer.

Jacob claps his hands, rubbing them together as he sits down. "This is what I'm talking about. Little per-battle bond fire, telling war stories." He looks around to the rest of us who are standing in the shadows, more focused on the battle tomorrow would hold then tonight's festivities. "Or just standing there like freaking statues."

At this moment I feel a slight jerk on my hands and Garrett, who had been holding my hands and holding me, was now sitting on one of the logs around the fire. "Name any American battle. I was there."

Jacob chuckles and shakes his head before looking over to Garrett. "Little Big Horn."

Garrett smiles, remembering that battle, before holding his hand up, with his fingers close together. "I was this close to biting Custer, but the Indians got him first."

I laugh as I run over, sitting on his lap. "Don't sound so cocky, I remember you asking me to patch up your uniform after you took a few musket rounds."

He chuckles as he spreads his arms. "What can I say? I'm invincible and was still young enough to believe it too. Or maybe I just wanted an excuse to talk to the pretty nurse" he turns his fingers under my jaw as he smiles. I giggle softly, placing my hands on his cheeks and kissing him softly, as he places his hand on the small of my back. Which I can barely feel it through my winter coat. Even though we don't need them, we are all dressed for the cold weather, on the off chance that someone finds us way out here.

I feel a slight wind before looking over to the log across us to see Kate smiling smugly. "Try Oleg's Assault on Constantinople, he didn't win that one on his own."

The next to join our little group is Carlisle's friends from Ireland. "If you're talking battles, you're talking the 11 years war."

Garrett almost tilts his head confused. "You lost the 11 years war."

"Aye, but it was one hell of a rebellion."

Garrett smirks and points at them. Before I hear Jacob call out to me. "What about you, Kat? I mean, I know that you and Garrett were in the Civil War together but you've gotta have your own war stories."

I chuckle softly and glance down at Garrett. "Well, while I don't have the battlefield experience that Garrett does, I was a field nurse."

Jacob looks at me a little puzzled. "Wasn't that hard as a vampire?"

I shrug as I hear Carlisle's voice behind me. "She has a gift for compassion, much like I do. So it's a little easier to fight the urge to feed."

I nod, "Plus it's easy to feed during a war, so I wasn't really hungry. Actually, I think that's one of the main reasons I switched to being a veggie vampire."

I hear Lee laugh as he and Mary take a set as well. "I'll never forget when we first met Katherine. Mary and I were out hunting in northern Canada and this little thing here took down a bear."

I can feel Garrett's hand move up and down my back, as Vlad and Stefan sit on the last log, taking the last seats and everyone else stands around the fire. Before long Vlad and Stefan began telling their story. While I don't like them, they are the oldest here and have the most experience with war and loose. "When we ruled, everything came to us. Prey, diplomats, favor-seekers. Such was our power. But we never put on white hats and called ourselves saints."

"We were honest about what we were." Stefan shrugs.

"We sat still for a very long time. We didn't notice we were beginning to petrify."

"Perhaps the Volturi did us a favor when they burned our castles."

"We have been waiting fifteen hundred years to return that favor. We have been ready to do battle for ages."

I sigh softly, look over to Garrett, who looked back up to me. Softly brushing my cheek with his thumb. Of course being in his punk rock style he is wearing fingerless gloves and a tank top under his coat, but I'm not complaining, he is very handsome. But then again, I'd think he is handsome in everything he wears. (For real though, have you seen Lee Pace in just about anything else?? That man is so handsome in everything.)

Garrett and I, much like the rest of the couples there, spent most of our night cuddling and loving on each other, since we may not get another chance to after tomorrow. If I lose any of my new family or friends tomorrow I hope I am also one to go at the hands of the Volturi. After killing a few of course, but that would mean my death had meaning and that I wouldn't have to live without them.