HEY! I wanted to try another Carlisle/Bella story…so here you go! Please review! If you completely hate it…review and tell me why!
Flashback
The battle was going well. It was easy. Too easy. Victory was in our grasp. All the newborns were dead, except for the one girl that surrendered. Victoria had escaped once more, her lover Riley along with her.
Or so we believed. No one had thought that they would come back, but they did.
Riley ran up to Esme, grabbed her around the middle, and took off. It happened so quickly that even my vampires had to take a few moments to register what had happened.
I broke away from Edward and ran in the direction that I saw them go.
"Esme!" I screamed, legs pumping, heart racing. "ESME!"
Let this be a dream. I thought. Not Esme. Not sweet, caring, loving Esme.
Suddenly I felt arms around my waist. I looked up into the face of Victoria. I wasn't afraid though.
"Let her go," I pleaded. "Let her go, take me instead."
Victoria smiled and didn't answer me. She carried me, running at impossible speeds. I knew in my heart that she was running faster than even Edward. She ran over to a cliff and jumped into the ocean. The air knocked out of me and just as I thought I was dead she surfaced.
We seemed to be in a cave. The ones where you swim down go through a hidden door or rock, then surface underground. It was actually quite cozy.
"Esme!" I exclaimed running over to her, Victoria letting me. Esme embraced me tightly.
"Bella, my sweet Bella." She whispered into my ear.
"How touching" Victoria simpered innocently. "Now before I kill you, you are going to do something for me." She ran up to me and quickly broke my leg. I screamed out in utter agony. "And don't believe for a second that I won't kill you because I will. Understand?" I broke through the pain and nodded.
"Bella" Esme said. "Look at me" I did so, my movements masked with pain. She bent her head and whispered into my ear. "I love you daughter. Remember that"
Then my world went black. I drifted on the edge of consciousness, in and out of time. It could have been days, months, years even, as we waited for the impossible, waited for them to find us.
I remember clearly the moment when Riley and the other vampire disposed of Esme. For some reason Victoria let me say goodbye.
"Esme?" I asked, wanting to throw my arms around her and hold on forever. I was hesitant though, it had been a long time since she hunted-you could see it in her pitch black eyes. I didn't want to cause her any unnecessary pain.
"Come here daughter" She said softly, motioning for me to come to her. I ran over to her, ignoring my disfigured leg, and our arms surrounded each other. I started to weep into her shirt and she started rocking me gently. She was the one about to die and she was comforting me.
"I love you Esme" I sobbed.
"I love you too Daughter" She replied. "Listen closely now alright?" She gave me messages to each of her family members. I repeated them back to her, hell-bent on memorizing them word for word. We didn't say that it was unlikely that I would get out, we had to hold onto the one piece of hope that it would still work out.
"How touching" Victoria simpered once more. "I should probably tell you Isabella, that you will be joining her. You see, your family has found this cave and are coming to rescue the two of you" I nodded and snuggled in closer to Esme's chest and Esme started weeping along with me.
Then they began.
The pain. That's all I could register.
How is it possible? I asked myself. For one person to feel so much pain?
Then everything went black.
Then everything burned.
End Flashback
I lay still as stone. I knew I had it in my power to move, to breathe, to see. I didn't want that power. So I stayed still.
In my head I replayed the past years of my life down there in the cave. It was crystal clear. I remembered every breath, every broken bone, every lick of fire with such clarity that I hurt even now.
Against my closed eyelids I was back in the cave. Esme's arms were around me and mine around her.
"I love you" She whispered again in my ear.
"I love you too, Mama" I answered her, tears pouring down my face and landing on her shirt.
Someone squeezed my hand. I didn't move. That someone squeezed again. I didn't move.
"Bella?" Edward asked quietly. "Open your eyes, love," I still didn't respond. "Jasper is she…"
"She's there," came Jasper's voice.
"Then why isn't she moving?" Edward asked, impatient as ever.
"Don't forget Edward," Rosalie spoke quietly. "We don't know what happened in that cave." Edward sighed in response, the air brushing against my cheek. "We don't know what horrors they had to go through. She'll need time, Edward, lots and lots of time." Edward squeezed my hand again.
I didn't move. Instead I focused on the texture of his hand. It was soft, hesitant, almost like he was still trying not to break me. At that moment I hated Edward with such a passion that it had even Jasper hiss under his breath. All I wanted was someone to hold me, not with feather-like touches, but with strength. Something to keep me locked to the earth.
Someone moved closer to the bed, pushing Edward aside as he did so. A new hand held mine now with the firmness that I needed.
"Bella" Carlisle spoke softly yet firmly. "Open your eyes" It was not a request, but a demand.
Slowly I sat up, opened my eyes, and started to breathe. I stared into his eyes, not speaking. As if reading my mind, he wrapped his arms around me in a not so gentle embrace. With slow movements I wrapped my arms around his waist and leaned into his strong arms. Then I began to dry sob against his shoulder. He didn't say anything, he just held me tighter.
I clenched my jaw tight, trying to hold in the screams that threatened to erupt out of my body.
"Hey," Carlisle cooed. "Don't. Don't fight it baby girl, let it all out." And I did. All the pain and sorrow that built up in that cave came soaring out in the form of a voluminous scream that echoed around the room. His shoulder muffled the sound just a tad, I could feel the motion as Edward, Alice, and Rosalie winced.
"WHY?" I screamed. "WHY DID IT HAVE TO BE HER?" I pulled away from Carlisle and leaned over the bed, my stomach heaving as it tried to expel something that wasn't even there.
"I don't know sweetheart," Carlisle asked, pulling me back to him, so I was straddling his lap. He had his hands on my waist and he held me to him with most of his strength. "I don't know." I placed my head in the crook of his neck and wrapped my arms around his neck, clutching him to me.
I was acutely aware of all the others still in the room, and I was just contemplating removing them forcefully when Jasper spoke,
"Come on, let's give them some space." I felt everyone start to make their way to the door-everyone except, "Edward," Jasper warned.
"I'll stay," Edward spoke in that condescending tone that made everyone around him feel inferior. I straightened and peered behind me, I let out a loud hiss,
"Get the fuck out!" I snarled. Edward glared at me,
"Language Bella," he spoke down to me as if I was a child, "Really, talk like a lady."
"Edward," Carlisle growled, "I really don't have the patience. Leave. Before you regret staying." Edward rolled his eyes,
"I'm staying." He stated crossing his arms like a child.
"Get. Out. Now." I hissed, seeing red spots. Jasper glanced over my shoulder at Carlisle who then tightened his grasp on my waist. Edward stared into my eyes and I maintained the growl deep within my chest. "Edward!" I warned, "This is the last time. Get out before I make you." Edward rolled his eyes,
"Bella, remember who you belong to." He held out his hand as if he expected me to take it and leave with him.
I looked at his outstretched hand and tilted my head to the side, as if I was trying to understand what it was. With a small smile on my face I watched as the hand forcibly moved back to its original position at the side of Edward's body.
I glanced up at Edward's face and started laughing. His mouth was hanging wide open and his eyes had an accusatory look to them.
Edward. He looked wildly around the room, searching for the source of the voice. Over here. Edward minutely turned his head so he was looking me in the eye. You aren't the only one with mind tricks anymore. I winked at him and tapped my temple. I raised my eye brows and watched in satisfaction as he turned on his heal and ran out of the room.
I glanced over to Jasper and winked at his stunned expression. I then smiled in appreciation as he walked out of the room.
Without a moment's hesitation, I turned back to Carlisle and his shocked expression and buried my head in the crook of his neck as the sobs returned to my body at full force.