A/N: This is chapter 23 of Twilight in Edward's point of View. EVERYTHING BELONGS TO THE BEAUTIFUL GENIUS STEPHANIE MEYER WHO CREATED THE TWILIGHT WORLD THAT WE WISH WE COULD LIVE IN. A ROUND OF APPLAUSE PLEASE!
And on with the show…
Chapter 23: The AngelAlice, Carlisle, and I raced into the Phoenix ballet studio with Emmett and Jasper flanking us. I saw James' figure towering over Bella's hunched frame. I snarled loudly, making Alice shudder and clench her tiny teeth.
Emmett and Jasper pulled the vampire off of Bella as Carlisle and I ran to her side.
"Oh no, Bella, no!" I cried, horror laced in my voice. I heard the sounds of James' body being dismantled. Emmett's thoughts led me to believe he was enjoying this immensely. That's right you stupid son of a- I tuned him out.
"Bella, please! Bella, listen to me, please, please, Bella, please!" I begged. She lie there, motionless. My plan of action replayed itself in my head. Just a visit to the Volturi and I'll be with her forever. Alice snarled. I smelt her sweet blood running down her forehead and my vampire instincts kicked in.
Just a taste, just for a second. It smells so…mouthwatering. Wait! What am I thinking?
"Carlisle! Bella, Bella, no, oh please, no, no!" my voice broke and tearless sobs wracked my body.
Carlisle prodded my angel's head and she cried out. I almost smiled to hear her if not for the circumstances.
"Bella!" I gasped.
"She's lost some blood, but the head wound isn't deep," Carlisle said calmly,"Watch out for her leg, it's broken."
I held in my roar of rage.
"Some ribs too I think," he added.
Suddenly, I heard a small sound escaped from Bella.
"Edward," she said faintly. I almost cried with joy at her voice.
"Bella, you're going to be fine. Can you hear me, Bella? I love you."
"Edward," she said, clearer.
"Yes, I'm here."
"It hurts," she whimpered.
"I know Bella, I know," I turned to Carlisle, "can't you do anything?"
"My bag please…hold your breath, Alice, it will help," Alice nodded.
This is Bella, she thought. I can do this for Bella.
"Alice?" Bella whispered.
"She's here, she knew where to find you," I soothed.
Bella moaned something I couldn't quite make out. It sounded like hurt.
"I know, Bella. Carlisle will give you something, it will stop," I reassured her.
"My hand is burning!" she screamed. Her eyes began to flutter, but were clouded by the blood running down her head. I panicked. Sweet, smelling blood. Like freesias. I just want a taste of-NO!
"Bella?" The sweet aroma of her blood… STOP!
"The fire! Someone stop the fire!" she screamed. Her right hand twitched and I saw something flash. A closer look brought a gasp of horror to my lips.
A crescent shaped scar.
"Carlisle! Her hand!
He looked at it and inhaled sharply. "He bit her."
For the first time since I was human, I wanted to be sick.
"Edward, you have to do it," Alice said, moving towards Bella and brushing the crimson blood from her eyes. I held my breath as her vision flashed through my head.
Bella, running and laughing through the forest. Her eyes a liquid topaz…
"NO!" I yelled, trying to erase the image from my mind.
"Alice," Bella moaned.
"There may be a chance," Carlisle reasoned. I snapped my head towards him in desperation.
"See if you can suck the venom back out. The wound is fairly clean," I sucked in a sharp breath. Alice had doubts running through her mind.
"Will that work?" for the first time, her voice was strained with uncertainty.
"I don't know," Carlisle admitted, "but we have to hurry." I hesitated.
"Carlisle, I… I don't know if I can do that."
"It's your decision, Edward, either way. I can't help you. I have to get this bleeding stopped here if you're going to be taking blood from her hand." Bella withered and cringed, jostling her broken leg.
"Edward!" she cried out in agony. She opened her eyes and I could see the pain and torment in the sea of chocolate brown. As I looked closer, I realized with a pang of horror that blood red flecks began to appear and grow. I recalled my own transformation, the fire burning through my veins. The feeling that it would never stop and I would just burn from the inside for the rest of my life. My body being torn apart by the venom. Did I want this for Bella?
"Alice, get me something to brace her leg!" Carlisle ordered. Alice whipped off her belt and gave it to him as he tied it around her leg. He spared a fleeting glance at my still form before giving her a generous amount of morphine to help with the pain.
"Edward, you must do it now, or it will be too late."
I looked back down at Bella, the girl who had stolen my frozen heart and made it seem like it could beat again. Who had changed my view of this life so drastically. In a split second, I knew I didn't want Bella to be like my family and I. Not yet. I flexed my jaw and gently grabbed her hand. Slowly, I pressed my lips to the wound and began to drink.
The venom tasted sour mixed with her sweet blood. I could feel the monster inside me cheering and thirsting for more. It was gleeful and before I knew it the venom began to disappear.
Bella thrashed in Carlisle's arms, screaming at the top of her lungs. Alice sat by her side and murmured soothingly, trying to calm her. Carlisle had her head locked in a vise grip in his arms to keep her steady. Past us, I could hear Emmett and Jasper pulling boards up from the floor to fuel the fire on James' body.
Easy Edward, Carlisle thought, the blood is clean. Stop! You must stop!
"Edward?" Bella mumbled. She had long ago stopped screaming. I detached my mouth from her hand and wiped it on my sleeve. It left a stain of red there, but I didn't care.
"He's right here, Bella."
"Stay, Edward, stay with me…"
"I will," I chocked out. I was grinning from the inside at my triumph over the monster inside me. Bella sighed and I could tell she began to fall asleep.
It's the morphine, Carlisle thought. "Is it all out?" he asked out loud.
"Her blood tastes clean," I said, "I can taste the morphine."
"Bella?" he asked quietly.
"Mmmmmm?" she hummed. Alice giggled a little at her less than coherent answer.
"Is the fire gone?"
"Yes," she sighed, "Thank you, Edward."
"I love you," I said.
"I know," she breathed. I laughed tiredly.
"Bella?" Carlisle continued. My angel frowned.
"What?" I could detect a hint of irritation in her voice.
"Where is your mother?" I tensed, forgetting that fact.
"In Florida," I sighed in relief, "He tricked me, Edward. He watched our videos." She sounded angry, but she started to turn towards Alice.
"Alice. Alice, the video — he knew you, Alice, he knew where you came from." She tried to open her eyes but suddenly stopped. "I smell gasoline."
"It's time to move her," Carlisle said. I nodded as Alice ran to the video camera that was sitting in the middle of the floor. She retrieved it and stuck it in her bag. To watch later she thought.
"No, I want to sleep," Bella complained.
"You can sleep, sweetheart, I'll carry you," I soothed. I pulled her gently into my arms, letting the warmth from her body remind me that she wasn't gone. She was really here in my arms. James couldn't- wouldn't- hurt her again.
"Sleep now, Bella," I murmured before beginning to hum her lullaby. Carlisle, Alice and I ran out to the car. A few seconds later, Emmett and Jasper joined us, fist bumping each other a job well done. Bella sat in my arms as we watched the ballet studio go up in flames, with James' mangled body burning with it.
We didn't look back.
A/N: Well, there you have it. I hope you liked it! Sorry Stephanie, we couldn't wait to see what Edward thought about everything. Peace!
~Brooke