Summary: (AU)TAKES PLACE DURING NEW MOON, this is my version on if Victoria had found Bella. Do NOT read if you have not read the sequel, New Moon!: Bella Swan is being hunted. Victoria still wants her to die. After something tragic happens, Bella is forced to try to find Edward.
This takes place right after Bella met with Laurent unexpectedly that day in the clearing, the whole rest of the book except for the fact that Victoria was hunting her and that Edward was gone is ignored. This is my version of a different take on the situation.
Disclaimer: I do NOT own Twilight or New Moon, sadly. And, the first two groups of italicized quotes belong to Stephenie Meyer out of her New Moon book, and farther down towards the end, the last group of quotes, again, belongs to Stephenie Meyer, but are taken from her Twilight book. For both sets, I do cut out some of the content, and are replaced by '. . .' for all you people who may review saying something about the quotes. Again, I DO NOT OWN THE ITALICIZED QUOTES! They belong to Stephenie Meyer. Anyway, on with the fiction already, I'm probably boring you.
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Unplanned Immortality
Chapter One - The Fire
Bella's POV:
I was being hunted.
The amount of fear that rose up in me was unbearable. I had no idea if Laurent was dead or alive, if he had survived that attack of the wolves three days ago in the clearing.
The clearing. The same one Edward brought me to that day months ago to show me what happens when he's out in sunlight.
I shuddered in my bed as I thought of those words Laurent told me so harshly.
. . . "She thought it more appropriate to kill you than Edward 最fair turnabout, mate for mate. She asked me to get the lay of the land for her, so to speak. I didn't imagine you would be so easy to get to. So maybe her plan was flawed 最apparently it wouldn't be the revenge she imagined, since you must not mean very much to him if he left you here unprotected."
The words echoed through my head and burned the hole in my chest. That great, big, black empty hole ripping me apart didn't seem to get any better with anything that I've been doing.
. . . "I'll be very quick. You won't feel a thing, I promise. Oh, I'll lie to Victoria about that later, naturally, just to placate her. But if you knew what she had planned for you, Bella . . . I swear, you'd be thanking me for this."
I pulled my arms across my chest as I felt my insides burn at the thought of those horrible words. I had been so scared. Not even Edward's velvety voice could have comforted me through that.
I had been terrified the next few days. I still am. I was sure that Laurent had had enough time to get back to Victoria and tell her what had happened, if he did survive, that is. I knew that she'd be out hunting me at this very moment. Any moment she could come and attack me.
Any moment. I pulled the comforter over my head as I shivered at the thought.
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My alarm woke me up with the same dreary tone at six in the morning. I sighed with relief that I'd made it through another night without being found by Victoria.
Victoria. I wrapped my arms around my chest and shivered at her name. No, no, I was shivering because of the cold, I persuaded myself. I truly wasn't sure if I was shivering at Victoria's name, because of the cold, or both.
Without letting my mind dwell on that thought any longer, I walked over to my dresser. I pulled on one of my normal outfits, grabbed my bathroom bag, and headed out to the hall and down to the bathroom.
I turned on the hot water, letting it fully heat up. Once undressed, I slipped into the running water, letting it take me away. That's where I wanted to be, was away. Away with the person who I missed the most. Away with where my heart lied. Away with a vampire.
Away with Edward.
I washed my hair quickly, shut off the water, and dressed myself in my pre-selected outfit. Not caring enough, I threw my hair up into a messy ponytail, and sighed as I exited the bathroom, and back to my room. I tossed my bathroom bag back into its place, and checked the time.
Right on cue, I heard the door shut to Charlie's police cruiser. Off to work with him, off to school with me.
I slowly walked down the stairs, too tired and heartbroken to care. I don't let Charlie know it as much as I used to, but I was being ripped apart at the seams still because of Edward's departure. Sure, it had been how long now? But still, I was hurt. And, one of the worst parts was now I didn't have much of a social life because I've been so depressed at school, so I don't have any real friends to run to and say my feelings. No one to hold me like true friends and tell me it will be alright. Of course, even if I did have someone to go to, I couldn't just spill all that I felt, since no one but me, and possibly Jake, knew what Edward truly was. It would be a little weird going to one of my friends and telling them 'I can't take it anymore! My heart has been ripped in half because I've been left by my vampire lover!' Imagine the scene that would cause.
I sighed one more time, and walked over to the kitchen. I took a bowl out of the cabinet, grabbed the box of cereal on the counter, and poured some into the bowl. Putting back the cereal, I took out the milk and splashed some into the bowl, watching my Cocoa Crunchers moisten upon contact with the milk.
I swallowed the last bite of my cereal, and washed the bowl and spoon. Placing them on the dishtowel to dry, I walked to the living room and grabbed my backpack. I sat down on the couch and opened my backpack checking that I had everything I needed.
With it confirmed that I had everything I did need for today, I slipped on my sneakers and grabbed my truck key off of the key rack hanging up near the door. Closing the door behind me, I started my way over to my truck.
As I opened my truck door, I heard something come out of the bushes at the side of the forest. I ignored it, thinking it was a squirrel or something.
Then, I felt the hoarse deep breathing I feared on the back of my neck.
My mind raced in circles. I dropped my schoolbag and the truck keys with it. I slowly turned around, and sure enough, my fear was standing right in front of me, staring.
Victoria stood there silent for about three seconds. Her bright red flaming hair frightened me. Then, she took one step towards me. I instinctively tried to back up away from her.
Bad idea. I hit my leg on the side of my truck, and I winced with the pain. I'm such a klutz.
Victoria's mouth twisted into a sinister grin. "Bella, so . . . nice to see you again," she hissed.
I was too panic-stricken to speak.
"You must know why I'm here," her cold voice spoke.
Silence was all that came from me.
I knew exactly why, but I was too panic-stricken to utter a word. Her lips relaxed from the evil smirk that was upon her face.
"I want you to die," she said calmly, placing her right hand on her hip and the other hand in the air, palm up, flat. She looked sort of like an agitated teenage waitress without the tray of food on her hand. Her lips curled back to reveal her teeth, the teeth I feared very much.
They were the same style as James' had been. They appeared the same as normal human teeth, but with a lot more . . . bite. I shook at the sight of them. Oh how I feared seeing teeth like that again.
Her teeth glistened in the rare sunlight peering through the leaves in the trees.
I trembled at the thought that Edward, my Edward Cullen, had the same ominously threatening teeth as the flame-headed vampire standing in front of me. I could not seem to grasp the fact, now thinking about it, that his teeth were coated in venom, that his teeth were ready to kill an animal or person that happened to get too close.
But Edward was a good vampire. A vampire who never hunted humans, just animals. A vampire who tried to live as normal a life as a normal seventeen year old kid would.
A vampire who loved me.
Reality snapped back quick as I ended my fantasy that started in my head. Victoria took another small step forward.
"You killed James, and I want you to die in return." She paused. Her lips uncurled, and she returned to a stern face. "And, as I have come to find out, you are also the cause of Laurent's death as well."
So Laurent was indeed dead? Did I just hear that?
"L-L-Laurent's dead?" I asked, or, more like stuttered.
"Yes, and its all because of you, Bella." My body trembled. "You will die," she repeated.
Die, die, die. She repeated that word over and over. I would die, she said. Over and over. It echoed in my mind.
She showed her fangs one more time, before jumping at me. The force was so unexpected that I slammed hard against the truck again, as she held me firmly to the truck with one hand. She took my hand where I had the odd shaped scar, from James' bite.
"This was given to you by James, correct?" she asked, although she knew the answer.
"Yes." One word. That's all I needed to say. Her hair seemed to be glowing brightly, a reddish-orange color. Maybe it was what always happened when she hunted, I thought.
"Now, James had tried to kill you by biting you on the hand and letting you suffer," she said as she paused for a minute. An even more sinister grin than before, if that's possible, emerged from her lips. "I could be nice and bite you on the neck or at another major vein spot so that the venom spreads quickly, but, it would be much more fun to watch you suffer. Suffer until you die."
Die. There's that word again. She looked at my scar, and revealed her monstrous killing machines of teeth once more. Then she looked up at my face again momentarily, as if she was surveying me.
My heart pounded. I couldn't think straight.
After what could have been milliseconds or minutes, I was unsure of which, it happened.
Her mouth met my hand, as her cold fangs broke skin. I gasped in pain, as I felt the venom start into my hand. I tried to wriggle my hand free, but that was a bad idea. She just bit harder, and I screamed.
Or I thought I did. I was unsure if anything more than a whisper came out of my mouth.
My mind flashed back to that terrorizing day in the dance studio.
I was reliving the scalding pain. The scalding pain that was burning the veins in my hand.
"My hand hurts," I tried to tell him.
"I know, Bella. Carlisle will give you something, it will stop."
"My hand is burning!" I screamed. . . .
His voice was frightened, "Bella?"
"The fire! Someone stop the fire!"
I could feel the venom start to burn my entire hand. First the very top, where Victoria's sharp teeth stabbed my hand. Then, it spread, burning my palm, and my fingers.
"The fire!" I screamed as hard as I could. As it turned out, I merely whispered with agony.
"Yes, good, it's working," Victoria hissed once she removed her teeth.
"Edward, stop the fire!" My mind was still locked in the flashback.
"Oh your precious Edward isn't here to save you Bella. You will die just like James and Laurent," her voice said coldly.
I slumped farther down, gripping my hand with the pain. It only made it worse. The fire spread through my wrist and up my arm, as I gripped just below my shoulder with pain. It singed my arm and stung, and I heard a shrill, cold-hearted laugh.
"Yes, Bella, apply pressure. It will only make it worse. You see, you may not be aware, but vampire venom spreads faster with pressure." Another chuckle.
I was in too much pain to hear a word she said. I opened my eyes and let them wander to Victoria, who was standing a mere two inches away on an angle, smirking.
I still gripped my arm, but Victoria seized my hand once again. I cringed as I saw her bite me again with those deadly teeth, and I yelped with pain. This time it was much worse.
A huge flame of venom shot up my arm, and up my neck. I, with the hand that had been gripping my upper arm, clamped it on my neck as I slid down the side of my truck, and landed on the cold gravel in the driveway.
Something must have startled Victoria, as I saw her stop biting me and she threw my hand back at me swiftly. I groaned with pain, as I felt the fire shoot down my body. She looked towards the woods, and took off.
All I heard was footsteps and an arm wrap around me as I faded into a black sea of darkness.