New Blood- Chapter 1
Edward slid down the steps with ease and a furrowed brow. He raced his palm against my waist and held me tightly, inhaling my hair, all within a quarter of a second. Strangely slow. "Edward?" He raised his head and opened his eyes, a glorious gold.
"Carlisle wants me to assist him with his work, at the hospital." The uneven, unnecessary breathing continued. He stared into my eyes, trying to decipher my thoughts. "Oh!" That was all I could say; it was a wave of happiness combined with a wash of nausea and worry.
"I know. That was all I could say at the time. Carlisle merely chuckled." I registered Edward's tone of voice before mussing his hair. "You can do it." I encouraged him. "You have more self control than vampires who have lived for decades among humans!" His crooked smile returned, but only fleetingly before his mind raced ahead into a crash landing.
"What if I lose control...we all can." His marble skin creased into folds above his eyes, a familiar pain stabbed through my heart. "Hey! Why do you hold onto those memories?" I cupped his face. "Jasper made a mistake; it's not yours to repeat!" I smoothed his forehead and kissed his cheek reassuringly. "Come on, the Edward I know, doesn't use the phrase 'What if...It's not in his vocabulary." I smiled and turned him away towards the stairs."Go accept Carlisle's offer." I pushed him quickly, he almost stumbled. I snickered; my newborn strength hadn't subsided yet! He turned around and rolled his eyes before racing up the stairs with a childlike excitement. I smiled to myself; he's such a kid sometimes. Speaking of kids, I thought to myself. After a minute, I growled quietly under my breath. It only took one word. "Jacob...!"
"She's right here, right here! Just like we agreed! Only two hours to play! Although I deserve more time..." Nessie ran into the room, with enough gusto in her steps to lift up a couple of floorboards and jumped into my arms. "How's my little buttercup?" I crooned. I hadn't seen her since the morning! She raised her palm and placed it against my cheek eagerly, watching my expression flitter. It must have been quite humorous to her. "You what?" Jacob's face looked alarmed and then terrified at my thunderous growl. I felt the air vibrate around me. I'd worried Edward. Jake quickly waved to Renesmee and raced out of the backdoor. A peal of laughter split the murderous intent in my head; I looked down to see Nessie fully enjoying the entertainment.
"This time, I will kill that mongrel!" It didn't take long to pick up the stiff tension in the air with a couple of thoughts. "He shouldn't be letting her ride motorcycles! Nessie's not unbreakable!" He growled and lifted her out of my arms. To teach her a little lesson about safety precautions no doubt. I didn't think the helmet and leather jacket in the garage would be of any assistance to my daughter's new found hobby, as a daredevil. A thrill seeker just like her mum.
The sun was beginning to set overhead as we headed back to our cottage. Nessie was tucked up in Edward's arms, she looked like motionless art. Edward noticed my brooding stare and smiled in response.
"Bella, you really have given me everything I could ever have wished for in this life. I am forever grateful to you." The expression in his eyes was like the rising of the sun, full of passion and pride. It caught me off of guard. If I could have blushed...
"Edward, it was you who brought me to life," my voice was quiet, but not inaudible. Never, inaudible. His confused expression surprised me and I lifted my eyebrows in disbelief. I faked a small cough, 'It is as if you were designed for this life' I quoted Aro's powdery voice. Edward burst out laughing and asked me to mimic Cauis, shortly followed by Rosalie. After setting Nessie to sleep, I climbed onto our bed and fell into Edward's arms, which fit perfectly. "Mmm...comfortable" I trailed off into thought. Time had certainly passed since our last encounter with the Volturi. It had been quiet ever since, peaceful. A little too peaceful.
"Can we play now?" Edward held out his hands to cup my face, obviously itching to reason my long silence. I could now open my mind at ease for his delight. A big change from before, where he was previously shunned due to a supernatural glitch in my brain.
"I was just thinking about the Volturi..." Edward's head jerked up and his expression froze.
"You don't need to worry about them Bella, matters have been settled. Alice is keeping tabs on them as we speak." He rushed to console me but it was simply an errand thought after all those impressions I'd done.
"No, no Edward, I'm not worried. I was just wondering because it's been a while since our last encounter. Isn't it time for another obstacle to crop up?" I pointed to myself. "I still attract danger, you can't ignore the evidence." He looked amused to my surprise and hugged me closer; another big change, from his accustomed defensive and overprotective attitude.
"Ah, my little durable Bella with an amazing gift. Nothing can hurt you" My body stiffened and my expression turned sour. He perched on his elbow to get a look at my reaction.
"It's nice to be protected every now and then..." I turned to face him and pushed out my bottom lip in a pleading pout. Edward's eyes widened at my strange behaviour. And, that was the end of any conversation for that night.
The wind glided along with me, like running silk sheets across the arms; my morning jog. Nessie had been demanding to see Jacob since she'd woken up, the adrenaline must have worn off. Edward scowled next to me, disgruntled by his daughter's infatuations. I tried to lighten the air. "It's a lovely day," clouds hovered above, rolling and darkening "we should take Nessie out somewhere. The whole family out together, that would be nice, right Nessie?" She looked up and placed her warm palm against my cheek. "Yes...Jacob will be there, obviously. It's hard to not be seen without the werewolf." I looked up cautiously to study Edward's reaction. It was serene, he must be plotting something. It's a look I now often recognised from my muddy pre-vampire days.
"Mommy, can I get a motorcycle, like Jakey?" I was slightly sidetracked, not being used to hearing my daughters voice very often.
"Erm, I think it would be best if you confer with your father Nessie. He was the most upset by your decision, it seems. "I held back a bark of laughter and quickened my pace.
We arrived to the house, but something seemed off, different. "Hello?"I made my way through the front room and dropped Nessie onto the coach. Nobody seemed to be around. Edward was confused with the situation, which worried me more. Normally, it was a festival of greetings every time I brought Nessie to the house in the mornings. It was the only time she would eat human food.
"They can't be hunting this early, unless, it was an emergency." Edward stepped out to find Carlisle's trail and the others. A flicker of off- white, very out of place in this house, caught my attention by the dining room. I picked up the note and read the contents. "Edward!" I screamed, despite the cacophony of high soprano that erupted into the air.
"What? What happened?" I held out the note hastily, not in the right condition to present it out loud. The air whistled through his mouth; pointless breaths.
"Grab Nessie, we're heading to the hospital. It must be something else. It can't be them." Edward rushed ahead of me to get the car ready. I picked up Nessie steadily, but my mind oozed dizzily, all the thoughts processing in my head. And, not a single answer.
"We're looking for . It's an emergency, please. "The woman at the desk seemed slightly taken aback, as are all women who are unlucky enough to suffer from Edward's devastating beauty. She stumbled with a few papers before whispering the room number and Edward was off. The hospital used to hold memories of anguish and torment as a result of my clumsy stages, now it was a temptation that had to be restrained. The smell of human blood was like rain after a dry season of weather; everywhere. We reached room 108 and slammed open the door. Rosalie had her head on Emmet's shoulder and the pattern seemed to carry on. Alice jumped up at our arrival and hugged me closely, squeezing Edward's shoulders, she took him outside. "Hey...what's wrong? You really gave us a scare you know. Come to the hospital immediately, nobody home. I mean, we only live a few metres away, practically a second." The words rushed out angrily.
"Bella, Bella we're really sorry. But, Carlisle wanted to talk to Edward properly. He didn't just want his brain zapped and then have Edward plan out the entire situation without hearing anybody out, ok?" Rosalie pulled me towards a vacant chair. It was cold, probably Esme's.
"Fine, but, what, is going on? Tell me." I really wished they would skip the suspense.
"Carlisle has a patient in the special care unit. And, well, she's quite special. You would have to see her to understand. He should be taking you and Edward there shortly to meet her." Rosalie seemed to be acting like this was the apocalypse. The possibilities that had run through my head like fire wire, something had happened to the Denali clan, there had been an outbreak of newborn vampires, Charlie had been injured or a bitten victim.
"That's it...a breakthrough in Carlisle's research? Uh! Talk about melodramatics!" I sunk into the chair before leaping onto my feet. I was too angry to sit.
"Bella, it will be all melodramatics when you see her. Trust me." Emmet stood up to turn the football on, the plasma television screen bleeped to life. I huffed impatiently and then went to check up on Nessie outside with Edward. My first guess, he was as impatient as me, a mask to the fury beneath. His heel was clicking as he mimicked a husband waiting for his wife to go into labour. That ship has long sailed, thank god.
"What a lame ass thing to make us worry about." I rested my head against his shoulders and stared down the ice blue corridor. Why were hospitals always so depressing? Was it their job to mirror the patient's feelings? A lovely yellow is what my mum would have suggested, like she painted Charlie's kitchen.
"Yes, lame indeed." Edward turned to face me and laid Nessie onto one of the settees, she'd fallen asleep. So, adrenaline's her coffee? The passersby stared at us, a triangle of perfection to them I guess, statues that belong in Romanesque cathedrals. Carlisle arrived at that moment, stunning the crowd into relapse, there were more of them, they thought.
"I deeply apologise for the rash note and delayed explanations. It was Alice's idea and I think it worked well." Edward scowled down at the pale linoleum floor. "This way then, let's not delay." Carlisle looked tired despite his newborn excitement. He led us down a narrow hallway, the blue dispersed into grey and then shocking silver. At the end of the corridor, the double doors heeded a warning, 'No trespassers, only staff'. Carlisle held open the doors and allowed us through. There were a series of rooms locked off with wrought iron bars, whilst others stood open with no difficulty.
"It's through here. Carlisle seemed tenser as the doors flew past and the corridor ended. The last room on the left was kept ajar, a spoke of light spilled onto the empty ground. "After you." Edward turned towards Carlisle, reading his thoughts most probably, but Carlisle was singling quietly to himself. Blocking out any spoilers. We stepped into the room, our hands clasped together. My first impressions were that the room resembled some parts of Carlisle's home. White, sterile and cold. The next observation was the pale girl that sat idly on the bed, her knees hitched under her chin and long hair flowing forward. The colour of it seemed familiar. She looked up quickly and jerked back an inch. My last impressions were horror as I looked into a face, so achingly familiar, that it mirrored reasons of my own existence. The mirror might have been standing right next to her, where Edward stood opposite, his expression like he had seen a ghost. It may as well have been a ghost.