I've always liked Bella's birthday party at the Cullen's. You might think me slightly indifferent to Bella's suffering that seemed to come in its' aftermath for saying such, but that is hardly the case. I believe that Alice's intentions were for the best, though it couldn't be helped if Bella's more awful luck seemed to transpire and spoil the moment in its' entirety. Regardless, I've had my heart set on rewriting my own version of New Moon (including the major scenes, but switching out dialogue and adding in scenes of my own. Therefor, you might see where I'm going with this, so why explain further, right?
EPOV
"Happy Birthday Bella!" My family chorused as we made our way towards them. Esme, hardly able to contain her overflowing joy, came forward, hugging Bella tightly against her body. I shifted from foot to foot patiently as each individual greeting was made and more birthday wishes chorused. Alice grabbed my wrist, bubbling over with excitement, and dragged me towards Bella, as if I needed her help in coming closer. Bella looked up at me, an impish smile dancing on her lips and I was happy to know that it was us that had put it there, regardless of her reluctance to come in the first place. I wrapped my arm around her thin waist, cradling her to my side and she pulled away quickly as a flash went off. I glowered at Alice for ruining the moment when I wanted only to hold her.
'Trust me Edward, she'll appreciate the picture.' Alice explained mentally while directing her attention towards Bella, "I hope you don't mind. I found your camera in your bag and I know that your mom wants you to fill up your scrap book..." She explained flawlessly. Leave it to Alice...
Bella shrugged at my side, grasping my hand in hers, "Of course not." She replied casually and Alice clapped joyously. She would have taken the pictures anyway, of that I was sure, but it was more that Alice wanted Bella's approval to do so and I was grateful for that consideration.
"This one's from me and Rosalie," Alice said as she handed Bella a small box. Bella looked at it disapprovingly but once hearing that it was from Rosalie she accepted it quickly and I chuckled quietly. Would she ever seize to amaze me? I didn't think that was possible.
"It's a necklace." Rose stated as Bella peered at carefully.
"Thanks."
Alice seemed the most excited of us all as she reappered with another present in hand and Bella accepted it. She shook it carefully, like a child trying to identify its' contents without actually opening it. She pulled of the lid, quickly observing that the contents she was just looking for hadn't existed in the first place and she blushed.
"It's a radio. Already installed it in that piece of cra-," Emmett mused, but Bella whirled on him, a smile on her face, "Hey, don't dis the truck." She intersected before he could complete his statement. With that one simple interjection she seemed to win over my family for the night. Even the usually disdainful Rosalie couldn't help but smile and for the first time in nearly a century, I felt complete.
"My turn, my turn! This one's from me!" Alice enthused.
Bella's scent, always foremost in my senses, heightened, leaving a burning sensation to graze my throat. She drew her hand back, oblivious to what her scent was doing to me, and her heart rate seemed to falter. Her brown orbs widened, taking in the sight of a drop of blood on the tip of her finger, a dark glistening tear. My body stiffened, fighting my primal urges, though I knew I wouldn't harm her; I wouldn't allow myself that lapse in resolve.
Bella's head snapped up, gauging my reaction and I knew what she was thinking though it was almost appalling. Would I be able to handle this? Jasper's thoughts broke through my silent concentration on Bella, 'Blood. There's blood.' He was screaming internally and I was instantly attacked by an even greater onslaught of Bella's blood, the center of Jasper's focus.
'Can't do this. Need her...Blood.' Jasper's stance shifted downward so that he now stood in an assertive stance. He had years of practice, years of training in the ways of attacking another and all I had was the insight to his thoughts. I had never felt so vulnerable before, especially when his thoughts seemed hardly coherent.
It had always been claimed that a mother would move mountains, stop at nothing, so as to save her baby, though the next day, accomplishing such feats seemed nearly impossible. Was this because all urgency, all worry, had been erased? Was it because they had already been assured of their newborn's safety that their own desire to protect them had been relinquished entirely?
I felt as though I were one of those mother's, protecting something infinitely more precious, something that in my eyes was entirely perfect as I stepped before Bella, placing myself in Jasper's direct route of attack. Bella's fragile body hidden behind my more imperishable one, seemed to put me more at ease almost instantly. I would stop at nothing to keep her out of harm's way; Jasper wouldn't touch her soft skin, wouldn't taint her blood.
'Blocking my path. I want her. I need her. Edward get out of the way!' His thoughts roared and I flinched from the absolute desire to kill, within them. This wasn't my brother, he was far too feral to be considered as such and I wouldn't let my relations to him affect my decisions; I wasn't going to move.
As Bella's heart rate accelerated, drawing Jasper's attention to her pulsing center, I realized that what had just transpired, this realization between Jasper and I, seeming to be hours long, had only been a couple of seconds ticking by. It was these seconds however, that seemed to revive the rest of my family as they came to life.
Esme seemed to become impossibly paler, her hand instantly clamping down her mouth, reigning in her upset. Carlisle's thoughts flickered by quickly, thinking in advance, planning for every possible outcome. Rosalie watched intently, daring Jasper to make a move, while Emmett shuffled uselessly behind her. Alice's expression was that of shear terror and it seemed that Bella was only just catching up to what was now taking place; what would implicate us all.
Where I seemed to observe everyone's reactions, Jasper became more and more oblivious as his blood-lust took full control over his thoughts and reactions. He had been fighting, I knew this, but he had now succumbed to the monster inside us all and I wouldn't let him past me. My body shifted into a familiar stance I had hoped would never be deemed necessary again, as it readied itself for attack.
"Edward-," Esme began, seeing clearly that I was the only one not too far gone to urge into something more peaceful of a reaction but Carlisle held up his hand, "This is Edward's fight Esme." He cautioned.
In the moment, Jasper leapt forward, surging towards my most precious desire. If it had been anyone other than Bella, I didn't think I could do this, I didn't think I could fight my own brother but this was Bella and I wouldn't let him harm her. I realized in that one instant that I would do anything, anything she asked, anything at all, for her. This was my time of realization and as Carlisle had said, this truly was my fight.
I reached behind myself, making contact with Bella's warm skin. I pushed her, urging her back further, knowing that space would be required once Jasper came closer and even as I did this, Jasper collided with my body; stone on icy stone.
Glass shattered behind me, though I refused to let this brake my concentration as I threw Jasper backwards, his body soaring before landing upon my piano. It groaned and shuttered before finally crumpling under his unexpected weight. The piano, what had once been my life focus, now meant nothing to me as I protected something infinitely more precious.
Feral growls tore through his lips as he succeeded at leaping to this balls of his feet. Acting on impulse, Carlisle seemed to come alive like a live wire as he raced towards Jasper, working to restrain him though I knew he couldn't do so alone. Emmett seemed to come to this realization just as I had, as he too surged forward, grabbing Jasper's arm firmly.
Yet still Jasper seemed uncontainable as his teeth snapped at my shoulder, trying desperately to get to what I was shielding and I refused to move; refused him access.
Alice ran to him, holding his face between her hands, "Shh, Jasper. It's alright, it's just a little...blood." She faltered, as she sniffed the air, her voice becoming more strangled as she spoke and as I turned to look behind me, I knew why.
In my frenzied attempt to reposition Bella, I had exerted more strength on her than should have been allowable. I had pushed her into an onslaught of glass and cake. Glass seemed wedged into her arm cruelly, blood seeping into her dress and falling to the ground beneath her. I had thought Jasper to be a monster, but it was what I had done that hurt her.
Seeing my Bella crumpled and disheveled on the floor, unsuppressed fear and surprise in her brown orbs...The thought that I had been the one to hurt her, broke me. I had been set on defending her from Jasper, but I had still caused her further impairment.
"I can't...I can't do it." Alice whispered turning for the door, 'I'm sorry Edward, truly sorry. She's going to be okay.' She emphasized as she left, following Jasper as he was pulled through the door by Emmett and Rosalie.
Esme seemed frozen in a state of shock, though it hadn't taken Carlisle long to surmise the damage as he stepped closer to me, his hands held in front of his chest. I glowered at him momentarily expecting another attack before realizing that this was Carlisle and that he meant no harm to either myself or to Bella.
"Edward, let me help her." He urged and I straightened, allowing him his request, knowing full well that it was necessary for him to inspect the damage of my mistake. The only thing left for me to realize was that there was no repairing this; my worst fears had come alive to torment me.
Gosh! You wouldn't believe how long I've had this sitting on my computer desktop, completely and utterly forgotten. I had been so excited to write this and once I'd completed my chapters, I became oblivious to its' existence! Well anyways, this isn't another one of my start and stop stories; instead, I've already finished it and now I'm simply relying on your reviews to upload the rest, so: Please Review!
