Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight
Summary: Sequel to Four Walls. Dealing with the aftermath of Bella's violent disappearance, Alice tries to navigate through the dark without the light of her mate. Bella struggles to hold onto her humanity while in captivation and makes tough decisions. Everyone else fights to distract themselves on what goes on in the chaos around them with their continued blame they place on their own shoulders. Bella/Alice pairing. M for language, violence, and adult situations.
Author's Notes:
This is the sequel to Four Walls, so if you haven't read it you will be very confused. Just go on and click my profile to see it. For those returning, first of all thank you. I love each and every one of you. As usual, I'll try to update as often as I possibly can. I am currently searching for a job as my full-time job so I have lots of time to write when I'm not applying. Once again, I don't have a beta or anything so please mind my mistakes. I try to get these chapters out as soon as I write em.
This story will be quite a bit darker, obviously from where we left off. I'll be switching up the point of views a bit, but I'll try to keep it pretty low to avoid confusion. Also, this isn't a song fic but it is named after Bastille's (surprise surprise) song Warmth.
Please please please continue to review, they help me immensely. So, without further ado, I give you Warmth. Happy reading!
Hold me in this wild, wild, world
'Cause in your warmth I forget how cold it can be
And in your heat I feel how cold it can get
Now draw me close
Chapter 1: While You Were Dead
Liam POV:
It doesn't matter how many times I die, it will still be the same torture over and over again. You never get used to something like that. The burning and freezing taunt you to your very core, and soon you are left with just your humanity to blame for the pain. But giving into that would leave you with nothing, no hope or happiness. Just a big blank nothing. And I have something to hold on for.
"Liam? Liam can you hear me?" A man's gentle voice was calling me after I had awoken. I knew it meant me no harm, but I wasn't fully recovered yet so I held up my hand for a few moments to regain my composure.
Ok let's think. How did I end up like this? How did I end up dead? We were all watching the news, Bella came in, I asked her if she wanted to stay and watch with us, she said no, and then she went all tense and yelled at us to get down. Oh god what happened?
"Carlisle what happened?"
"There was a bomb planted. It went off and took you out."
"Oh my god Zoey! Where is she? Is she…?" I couldn't bear to finish that sentence. Last time I checked, Zoey was seated right next to me on the couch. If the explosion killed me, then surely….
"I'm fine Liam. I'm right here." Her beautiful voice squeaked out right beside me. I let out a relieved breath and studied her features that I thought I had lost. She looked like hell. There was a large bandage covering most of her abdomen, and she wasn't meeting my eyes. She appeared to have been crying violently for a long period of time. Were those my bloody dog tags clutched in her fist? I brought my hand up to my chest and found mine still in place. Whose are they?
"How are you-how are you alive?" I asked amazed at her lack of fatal injury. She bit her lip, still looking at her feet and not at me.
"B-Bella saved me."
"Oh thank god. Where is she?" I scanned the room where they had put me. It looked like a mini hospital, there were a few other people in the beds around me with various wounds, but no Bella. That's weird. If Zoey still got injured with Bella saving her, she must have taken a hit. Or at least be here when I woke up. I wanted to thank her for saving my mate. Carlisle came over and placed a hand on my shoulder and I glanced back down to the tags in Zoey's.
"Liam, there's something you should know."
"Do you wanna talk?"
"No." Zoey and I were currently in my room not speaking while I sat seething. I had gone into a rage after Carlisle told me everything and I had even tried to attack him in a blind fury. He had to inject me with a sedative, Zoey was trying to keep me calm now. I already apologized to Carlisle, it wasn't his fault, even though he thinks it is. No. It's only one person's fault. Mine.
I was the one that didn't hear the bomb. I was the one that wasn't paying attention. I was the one that couldn't even protect my own mate, forcing Bella to do my job for me. Why her? Why couldn't they have taken me?
"Where's Alice?"
"In her room." Zoey responded miserably. I got up, debating on whether or not I should go. I'm actually surprised Alice hasn't burst through my door already trying to kill me. I definitely deserve it. "She shouldn't be alone Liam." Zoey whispered, reading my unsure body movements.
"Have you talked to her yet?"
"No. I'm afraid she'll hate me."
"Zoey that's ridiculous. Why would she hate you?" Suddenly she started to cry again, sobbing herself into a ball.
"Because it's my fault! I'm the one that needed saving! She got injured because of me! And she knew! She knew exactly what would happen if she went to help me. But she was so worried about me that she still went anyways."
"And that's on me. Not you. I can promise you that." I made up my mind and left to go find Alice. My feet carried me slowly, as if they were afraid of lay ahead. The normally loud and cheerful energy that ran through the complex had completely vanished. It was the atmosphere of a funeral home now. Finally reaching Bella and Alice's door, I found I was not alone. Rosalie was sitting just outside, crying silently.
"She doesn't want to see anyone."
"I figured. But she shouldn't be alone." Rosalie nodded at my words and I squatted down to her level. "How are you?"
"How do you think? One of my best friends is gone, in the hands of sadistic maniacs, and it just so happens to be my sister's wife."
"Right. Sorry. I didn't know what else to ask really." I grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze before standing upright again. "We'll get her back before you know it. I promise you that. I don't care if I have to bring her back myself, she's coming home." And with that, I pulled out my spare key and opened up my best friend's room.
Alice was curled up in a trembling ball on the bed, it was the most heart breaking thing I've ever seen. She had one of Bella's shirts in her arms and her eyes closed, maybe hoping Bella would appear next time she opened them.
"Please go away."
"I won't talk Alice I swear. I just know you shouldn't be alone." I sat down on the edge of the bed and looked down and away, trying to give her a little privacy.
"Oh yeah. How do you know that?"
"Because I don't want to be." A couple tears fell from my cheeks and I turned to face Alice. "I'm so sorry. I can't even begin to apologize. It should have been me, not her." I tensed, waiting for her to strangle me or something, but she surprised me with a desperate hug. Alice clung to my chest and sobbed into it. I finally broke down and cried as I held her, hoping that somehow I was trapped in the worst nightmare of my life.
"Don't say that Liam. I don't blame you at all, I hope you know that." I sighed in relief against her hair. "I just miss her so much. And I don't want her to be in pain, and I know she is. That's the worst part." She cried some more, shaking violently with me. "Thank you Liam. Thank you for keeping me company. You were right."
We sat there in our embrace for hours. Both of us didn't want to leave and have another day start. But eventually we needed to part, if I was going to bring Bella home I'd better start working with the search team. Alice thanked me once again and I kissed the top of her head before leaving. This would be her hardest day. Being without her mate would make her lost and confused along with the continuing ache of knowing who Bella was with. But I would help, I would bring her back for the both of us.
Bella POV:
"Alright get up. You've had enough time being a useless body." I felt a kick at my leg as I tried to remember where I was. Oh fuck, that's right. I moaned and sat up to face my dear friend Felix who had a huge smile on his face. "It's been some time. How's your vacation been?"
"Go fuck yourself."
"Ah. A pain in the ass as usual. Aro and Caius will be most pleased." I lay my head back down, I was obviously in a moving vessel of some sort. Most likely a truck by the feel. My shirt was still caked in blood and I felt naked without the chain around my neck. Felix continued his verbal taunting all the way until we reached what appeared to be our final destination. Although I couldn't tell for sure because a bag was shoved onto my head the second we stopped.
I was led around for a while. Up and down, left and right, twisted around several times and put into many different transports. Finally they stopped me in a cold and damp feeling room, probably a cave or something. Demetri ripped the bag off my head and kicked my knees out from under me so I was kneeling in front of Aro.
"My darling! My precious 173952! How we've missed you so."
"Wish I could say the same, but I'm afraid I just can't." I said confidently, that was the way to get underneath Aro's skin. Always act as though you are unperturbed by everything around you.
"Oh don't be so smug my dear. I see that little ring on your finger. You're not as unbreakable as you like to appear." I immediately tensed and growled at him, clenching my fist to prevent him from taking my wedding band. Demetri and Felix both tightened their grips on my shoulders, fearing I was about to attack. "Don't worry love. I'll let you keep the ring. It'll give you something to remind you of what you're missing." He laughed at my reaction and sauntered over to where I knelt. "But I will be finding out who has said matching ring. You can bet your life on that." Aro smiled his most sinister smile and I growled even louder as he caressed my cheek. I flinched away, still beyond pissed.
"Like hell you are. You'll be dead long before then." My careless façade had fallen after the mention of harming my mate. But Aro just continued to grin at my threat.
"Whatever you say my dear. Why don't you show her to her new room Felix? I'm sure you'll love it. I had the chains picked out just for you." I was pulled up forcefully and dragged backwards down a hall. "Oh and 173952, they'll be no early check out this time. Have a lovely evening!" He waved joyously at me as I was continuously towed by the neck.
But I held his eye contact right back. I would be out of here fast this time. I had a promise to keep.