He watched her lying on his large bed, eyes closed and breathing even as she waited in silent anticipation for the eternal damnation that his kind received; and his heart wrenched with helpless pain.
He looked on in hopes that his foster father would be able to convince the love of his eternally damned life not to throw her humanity away recklessly as Carlisle stepped forward, a solemn expression on his striking features,
"Bella, are you absolutely sure you want to go through the conversion? There might be other ways to prolong your lifespan to match ours."
His voice wavered in the uncertainty of his words as he wasn't all too sure of the second opinion himself; on one hand, he did not wish such an ordeal on Bella, yet on the other hand, he did not wish to see his first adopted son waste away as the human girl passed through their immortal lives in the blink of an eye.
The girl smiled gratefully at the worried tone the fatherly young man used, but she politely declined his offer,
"I want to do this for Edward and myself, Carlisle. Please understand."
He nodded, eyes watching her with worry as he wrapped his arm around his wife's waist. Edward sighed; he knew it wouldn't be easy to persuade her from the path she had chosen, but even then he had hoped that Carlisle would have been able to get through to the stubborn girl whom he loved with all of his damned heart. He wanted to tell her himself that he didn't want this and she would stop this madness, he knew she would; but then he would be lying because he wanted this just as much as she did. It did occur to him that he was being selfish in more ways than one, but he simply couldn't find it within himself to care; or simply put, he just didn't want to care.
"Bella, sweetie," Esme's pleasant voice was tainted with sadness, "this will be very painful. You do understand that, don't you?"
The beautiful woman seemed to be lost in her own memories of her own conversion centuries ago. Carlisle gave his wife a soft, reassuring smile as he held her close to him; their glowing, champagne-colored eyes never leaving Bella's form.
Bella nodded; an apprehensive look flashed across her features before disappearing just as quickly as it had made its appearance.
Alice had an encouraging smile on her face; her bright golden eyes -showing her well-fed physical state- was warm with confidence that Bella would pull through this ordeal without any implications.
Just standing beside her, Jasper towered over the delicate-looking female and his arm was slung around her tiny waist with the ease of someone who has been with his lover for many centuries. His stance was relaxed as he offered a gentle, reassuring smile to the nervous human female. Bella caught his golden-hued eyes and involuntarily -but gratefully- relaxed under the influence of his contagious calm.
A short distance away, another gorgeous female vampire stood. Rosalie's long tendrils of blonde hair hid her expression from Bella's searching gaze, and no one could tell exactly how she felt about this, but if one looked close enough, they would have been able to notice the slightest of trembles shaking her elegantly manicured hands which were tightly clasped together in front of her as if in prayer.
Standing directly next to her was a broad, muscular male; his thickly muscled arm pressed her willowy form against him as he forced her to take comfort in his presence. Emmett's eyes were lowered and he looked distinctly worried, but a broad grin split his face at the thought of little, awfully clumsy Bella joining their cozy family. Obviously, he didn't feel like there was a need to worry –unlike Rosalie- for he relied completely on Alice's vastly accurate predictions.
As a single family unit, the Cullens were gathered and they watched Bella with contemplative eyes while waiting patiently for Edward to fulfill his promise.
"Is there nothing I can offer for you to change your mind?"
Edward asked, finally making his attempt to stop her –not that he hadn't done so a hundred times over already-, bright amber eyes pleading for her to understand his feelings, even as his fists clenched tightly together in anger. This was his last attempt. If she continued the path she had taken, he could, at the very least, account for the guilt which would undoubtedly hang over him for eternity to come due to his unforgivable action of being the vampire to taint her pure blood with his venom.
The anger was directed at himself, for not refusing her request; at Bella, for she had been the one to make this foolish decision; and even at most members of his dearly beloved adopted family for not even attempting to stop this madness from happening.
Bella reached up to smooth her hand over his stiff, cold cheek lovingly -regretfully, for she knew how much this would hurt him- as she whispered,
"I want this, Edward. You know how much I want this."
And he knew.
Even as he hoped fruitlessly with all of his dead heart that she would spare him this all-consuming worry, he knew exactly how much this tiny, clumsy, slip of a human girl in his arms wanted to be with him for all eternity.
"I need this. I need you. Please don't try to dissuade me."
Her chocolate eyes were calm; searching his closely to make sure that he also wanted her to stay with him through eternity despite his numerous protests. His eyes swept closed and his long lashes trembled as he fought to hide his distress from her. Her mind shied away from the memories of when he had left her alone and unprotected. She had missed his presence so much she nearly went insane.
Edward felt her small, warm hands clasping his own, her callused thumb gently stroking over the taut skin of his hand in an attempt to comfort him. It didn't matter that she was still unsure of his love for her; all that mattered to her was that he knew how much she loved him. At her touch, his brilliant amber eyes opened once more as he managed a tense smile despite his inner turmoil,
"Don't worry. Nothing will go wrong; I won't allow it."
He remembered her suffering when he left, and he wasn't about to let her go through an emotional trauma of such multitude ever again if he could help it. Her wide smile was trusting as she looked up at him in adoration,
"I know; I can tell. Your eyes are the lightest shade of amber that I've ever seen. Your eyes are lovely, have I ever told you that?"
He allowed a small smile to grace his thin lips at the sound of her dreamy voice, his tender eyes roving her sweet features almost desperately in an attempt to imprint her face within his mind, not that she wasn't embedded deep enough as it is.
"Countless times you've told me so, Bella dear."
He bent down to her and brushed her lips with the gentlest of kisses, promising without words that he would bring her safely through this ordeal. Just as he pulled back to leave, her hands grasped compulsively at his arm as she blurted out,
"I love you."
His answering smile was slow, but even wider than the previous one as he chuckled quietly,
"Ever the blunt one, aren't you? Haven't I told you how much I love you yet?"
Seeing his amused countenance and even knowing that he was right, she shook her head stubbornly, wanting him to reiterate his love for her. Leaning close, his lips brushed the shell of her ear as his soothing voice reassured her of his feelings for her,
"You are the reason for my existence, Isabella Marie Swan. That's more than 'I love you' will ever say."
She sighed blissfully, easily pleased, and leaned into his embrace even as she scrunched her nose up,
"I'd never get sick of hearing you say that even though it's so cheesy. You just had to ruin it by using my given name, didn't you?"
He loved the way she was so sensitive over such small, insignificant details. He nuzzled her neck, breathing in her intoxicating scent; he never wanted to let this moment go. But Carlisle's voice intruded on them,
"Edward, we need to get this over with. The pain will become worse and even harder for Bella to bear if she is tired."
Even though the unusually good-looking man was addressing Edward, his eyes were on Bella, worried that the pain would become too much for her. Noticing the steady, worried gazes that every Cullen trained on her frail human body, Bella laughed cheerfully,
"Don't be so worried. Edward promised I'll be safe."
The Cullens nodded, albeit with the same amount of worry shining in their eyes. Bella felt Edward tug slightly on her hand and she knew the time had come.
Bella could see the painfully obvious doubt in his ability to keep her safe within Edward's eyes and he looked so tortured by what he was about to do to her that she felt her heart clench in response. Bringing her hand up to his beautifully sculptured face, she whispered lovingly to the only man who could make her heart beat impossibly fast and then stop the rapid rhythm altogether with a single press of his cold lips against her warm ones,
"I trust you."
Edward's eyes widened marginally as he bowed his head; humbled by her devoted belief in his love for her. His words were whispered so softly that the human girl barely caught them,
"Thank you."
Bella smiled. Tugging him close into a hug as her nose nudged his collarbone, she murmured lightly,
"That's my Edward."
Knowing what Carlisle said was wise, Edward took in a steadying breath and bent his dark head over Bella's wrist, amber eyes trained solemnly on Bella's warm hazel ones as his cold lips whispered his reassurances over the tender skin of her inner wrist before he sank his teeth into the sweet pulse of her delicious blood.
Although she had been mentally prepared, Bella couldn't help but jerk in surprise, nearly dislodging Edward's teeth from her wrist as a sharp pain pierced through her. After the initial shock, the pain didn't seem quite as bad as an odd numbness seemed to spread through her veins, paralyzing her prone form as she whimpered a little at the unusual feeling, trying to shake off the stupor that was sinking into her bones. She could feel the venom pulsing through her vaguely. The numbness buzzed in her bones, making her shut her eyes as her wrist trembled finely under Edward's lips.
Edward could taste the intoxicating scent of her blood clouding his senses, drowning his eyes in glowing topaz shadowed by the slightest hint of darkness as he suckled her life giving blood hungrily, mind slowly sliding away from sanity as the beast took over him. He struggled fruitlessly as his mind got swallowed by the blood lust pounding through his head. He could feel it; the incessant humming of hunger in his bones. What he had feared the worst had come to pass; he was addicted to Bella's drugging blood. Clamped lips over her wrists continued to relentlessly pull the crimson essence out of her body and Edward found that he simply could not stop. He stiffened his jaw in an attempt to unlatch his teeth from Bella's wrist, but it was futile. His jaw was so tensed that it ached fiercely. Then a soft voice tore him out of his reverie when appalled cries from his family couldn't,
"Edward?"
He lifted his onyx eyes to her frightened chocolate-colored ones and almost instantly, he regained his control. With great difficulty, Edward forced his teeth to release its firm hold on her wound and staggered back from her prone position on his bed; his breathing was excruciatingly labored. He thirsted for her blood so much he thought he was about to turn mad from the lack of it. His knuckles turned white as he clenched his fists tightly and braced himself on the wall at his back, all the while staring at her with eyes that swirled between a dim amber and dark obsidian.
By now, the venom in her blood was taking a stronger hold of her and Bella cried out in pain as fire rushed through her, scorching her from the inside out. She reached out for him, face etched with pain and fingers outstretched as she pleaded,
"Edward, please."
He shook his head, tawny hair falling into his eyes as he realized just how close he had come to the edge of insanity as he took her blood. He had nearly killed her and that was utterly unacceptable. Even as he drowned himself in guilt, Bella's body convulsed as she opened her mouth wide to scream; but no sound came out. She shut her eyes and moaned in agony, outstretched arm falling to rest on the edge of his bed as she twisted her body in an unconscious effort to get away from the slow, steady, burning pain. The pain was growing faster than the human girl could handle; tears ran down her cheeks as she called for Edward, the all-consuming pain rendering her unable to move.
Subconsciously, Edward had lifted his sleeve to wipe the delicious blood off his lips. When he noticed, he stopped his movement and stared down at the bright red blood staining the pristine white of his shirt sleeve. For some odd reason, he was greatly enamored by the splash of color against a white background. The continued sight of Bella's spilt blood was what reminded him that he had left her in pain all by herself.
Edward lifted his head, slowly walking over to Bella whose body was continuously twisting in pain, as if she were trying to run away from the all-consuming agony.
After several excruciating minutes that felt like hours, Bella barely registered the cool hand that placed itself into her limp, perspiring one. She forced her eyes open to see Edward's tightly drawn face staring down at her; she smiled weakly,
"Are you better now?"
The vampire let out a harsh bark of laughter as he leaned his forehead against hers, turbulent eyes watching her dark copper eyes which were cloudy with pain.
Brushing his cold lips with its sweet smelling breath over her forehead, Edward closed his eyes and inhaled her scent as he forced a short chuckle,
"It's just like you to worry about me when you are in far deeper pain. What am I to do with you, Bella?"
Smiling through the foggy pain, Bella held his hand tighter in her grasp as she suggested,
"Love me."
Looking helplessly down at her, Edward pressed closer to her in a slight hug as his breath caught in his throat desperately,
"I already do love you so much I think it would kill me to love you any more."
His voice soothed her pains like an incredibly effective balm.
"I doubt love would find it easy to kill you; you are impossibly stubborn. My clumsiness would be a good comparison to your inane stubbornness."
Bella sighed, as if speaking to herself -and she probably was, not intending for the rest of the family, including Edward, to overhear her odd little habit of mumbling incoherently to herself-, making an odd little sound of contentment at the back of her throat; the pain of the venom racing through her veins had been momentarily forgotten, but not for long as it came back with ferocious intensity. She stiffened as pain ran through her like a humming thread, continuously without stopping, only varying occasionally in its intensity.
Edward, who had been previously smiling almost unnoticeably at her humanness immediately turned stoic; pain, fear, and rage directed solely at himself for her sake was visible in the churning depths of his deep amber eyes. He watched with utter helplessness as pain wrapped its spindly fingers over her unbelievably delicate body made of flesh and blood.
Fire raced up and down her arched spine, spreading out spindly arms to wrap around organs and squeezing them so hard her breath grew short with the effort of keeping the agony at bay. All this unbearable torment battering her in less than a few hours after Edward had infected her bloodstream with his venom. Bella wondered despairingly how she was to ever withstand such utter torture for three entire days.
"Edward, take the pain away…Please, it hurts so much!"
Her voice caught in a sob as she squeezed his hand in short spasms, feeling hot tears run down her cheeks as she writhed, limbs violently shaking. After she said that, she immediately felt guilty for pushing the consequences of her choice on Edward's burdened shoulders. It was thoughtless on her part, and only happened because the pain was making her lose control of her actions. Edward stiffened as he heard her helpless plea. It hurt him like nothing else could to see his Bella in so much agony. Weathering the prickling pain, Bella gasped out,
"I shouldn't have said that. I'm sorry, please don't listen to me."
The words rushed out almost incoherently and it was all she could manage before her mind was once more taken over by blinding pain. A scream left her throat and she recognized it vaguely as her own. Edward's voice washed over her like the gentle waves of the ocean waters, repeatedly apologizing,
"Bella, sweetheart, I'm so sorry. I should never have let this happen. It's entirely my fault for allowing you to go through with this. Please stay with me Bella, please Bella, I'm begging you!"
Bella choked on a scream as she tried to calm Edward down; her body felt feverish and ill. Opening her mouth, her throat was raw as she croaked,
"I'm not going anywhere, Edward."
She could feel his large frame shaking next to her, jarring her body as he held her hand tight, desperately whispering his apologies repeatedly. Edward would be crying if he could. He swore he could feel the fiery pain gripping his Bella in its unyielding hold, twisting her organs and bones in multiple consecutive convulsions. The Cullens watched this intimate scene from afar, praying to God that just this once, He would listen to the damned and let this precious girl of theirs pass safely through the change.
Rosalie's knuckles were white as clenched her hands together in helplessness and she looked upon this scene in horror; Emmett closed his eyes and inhaled sharply in agitation before choking on the acrid scent of fear and worry in the air.
Jasper's eyes were shifting restlessly as his every sense honed in on the faint scent of spilt blood still circulating through the air; Alice's lips were pinched tightly together in nervousness and at the same time, she rested a small hand on Jasper's arm to calm him. She knew the ravaging effects that the delectable scent of human blood wrought on her lover and she knew how it drove him quite mad when he had to endure it for an extended period of time. It pained her to see how hard he fought to restrain the feeding frenzy that the scent of human blood unleashed within him.
Every pair of cat-like eyes remained trained on Bella.
Bella felt her consciousness drift from her grasp and as she lay on Edward's bed, she closed her eyes and wondered if there was a chance that she would actually perish from the horrid, acid-like pain eating her up from inside.
"Edward?"
She asked, blinded by pain as she lifted unfocused eyes to hone in on his hunched form. Edward murmured prayers repeatedly to any God that would listen to one of the damned, hard lips pressed tightly against the back of her hand as the stone cold lips trembled finely with the speed of his quiet murmurings.
"What is it, Bella?"
His voice was hoarse with worry as he shut his amber eyes and leaned into the back of her hand, holding her warm hand to his forehead as if to reassure himself of her presence. Without the current physical contact with her to convince him that she was safe and well in his arms -albeit in bottomless pain- , he would've probably gone mad by now.
"Promise me you won't ever leave me again, please?"
Edward's head jerked back to face hers. Her soft request staggered him. Edward knew his abrupt departure from her life barely a year ago still haunted her, but it never occurred to him that the damage he had inflicted upon her was to such a deep extent. His slow, steady breathing grew ragged as he swore a fierce oath,
"I won't ever leave, Bella. Please believe me; I'll never be away from your side ever again - this I swear to you."
Relaxing slightly at her gentle smile, he laughed quietly as he nuzzled her palm, placing it over his chiseled cheek. His larger palm engulfed her small hand as he pressed the fragile appendage to his cheek; he shifted his head to place a small kiss on the inside of her palm and on the inside of her wrist, tickling her as she giggled, voice catching unexpectedly in a pained sob as fire seared her insides once more, its intensity strong and merciless.
Bella gasped; the urge to vomit descended on her without a warning, causing her throat to convulse involuntarily as she heaved dryly. She pulled her slender hands from the cool hold of his as she clutched at her concave stomach, blunt nails digging into the soft skin there, leaving behind red crescent-shaped marks along with long, thin, scratches that marred her unusually pale skin. Her stomach hurt so much she just wanted to tear it out; if only the pain would go away. Edward's face paled -if that was even remotely possible for a bloodless vampire- in horror at the unbearable sight of his beloved Bella literally tearing herself apart from the outside.
"Stop it! Stop, Bella, please! I'm begging you."
His shout of anguish tore through her heart and the dead hearts of his family members even as he held her hands once more in a tighter grip, pressing them to his chest as he breathed harshly. If Edward had been human, one might have mistaken his volatile expression of his multitude of sorrowful emotions for a heart attack instead. Edward choked on a ragged breath, his hands trembling with the slightest of tremors as he murmured soft, quivering words of encouragement amidst his own pain at seeing her drowning in the utter torture of the conversion.
When her hands stopped convulsing with the need to press down on her hurting stomach, Bella shifted the position of their hands so that she now cradled his large palms within her own smaller ones.
"I'm fine, Edward."
She paused to catch her breath, shutting her eyes tight for several tensed moments before slowly opening them to face Edward once more.
"Don't be distressed by this. We'll get through it; I promise you that I'll never leave your side."
Her voice was quiet and soothing, like a cooling breeze ghosting over feverish skin as she offered him a soft smile. He didn't say anything, but through waves of fire cleansing her human organs, she faintly felt the trembling of his hands lessen considerably. She smiled and squeezed his hand weakly in reassurance. It didn't escape her pain-fogged mind that whenever the torture reached its pinnacle and grew unbearable, it was Edward's voice that alleviated her pains.
Then suddenly, the situation took a turn for the worse. A scream echoed through the house as pinpricks of fire burned through Bella's veins; flames grew unbearably hot within her, seemingly melting her from within to rearrange the structure of her body and then to piece them back together again to form a marble-like shell in place of her weak human one that had infinitely paler skin; the body of a vampire that held her fragile human soul within it's strong enclosure.
Edward could see beads of perspiration sliding down the sides of her forehead as she took in deep breaths, trying to calm herself down. Dizzy spells assaulted her as black spots blinked across her vision, blurring Edward's anxious features in her line of sight. The headache that had been nagging at the back of her mind came to the forefront with a vengeance, pounding a painful rhythm in her head and causing Bella to shut her eyes so tightly that colors burst behind her closed eyelids.
Despite the discomfort that assailed her, Bella's soft, breathy voice broke through the agonizing silence suffocating everyone present,
"Edward, smile for me. Please."
Bella knew she was being unreasonable –for how could she expect him to smile when she was in such pain?-, but she loved the sight of his brilliant smile that never failed to cocoon her in its lovely warmth. Those smiles were rare, but she needed to see one adorning his handsome features to reassure her that she could –and would- get through this ordeal with him standing steadfastly by her side.
Watching her hopeful expression, Edward's sensual lips trembled in helplessness as he forced a beautiful smile for Bella's pleasure, one that displayed the feral qualities of his teeth, yet expressed the gentleness of his love for her; an emotion that would serve to help pull her through the pain that was in store for her.
Even as she watched in delight at the gorgeous smile spreading across his beautifully sculptured face, Bella could feel exhaustion clawing at the edges of her mind, but fierce agony kept her from falling into deep sleep. Yet above them all, she could feel the warm, comforting gaze of Edward's on her, sending her waves of love and reassurance, providing with the strength to hold onto consciousness for just a little while longer.
His grip on her hand tightened, his smiling features smoothing into one of worry as his thin lips pressed themselves together tightly in barely noticeable agitation. He was wrapped up in Bella's agony and his body grew unbearably tensed at the twisted expressions flashing across her beautiful face. He watched her pained movements, mesmerized by the expressiveness of her features. Her face flashed pain, desperation, love, acceptance, and pain once again. Edward found himself unwilling to tear his eyes away from her and his gaze rested on her in a dazed manner as he watched her eventually slip into unconsciousness.
He watched as she occasionally whimpered and curled into herself on the spacious bed. Occasionally, Bella's wide eyes would flutter open and shift between dark mahogany and onyx. When she was awake, she would often give small cries of maddening pain and twist her body this way and that in a futile effort to rid herself of the clinging ache. Edward watched her fingers dig into his thick comforter as she rode out the waves of miserable pain. He watched the entire process; the desperate tossing of her brunette head on his pillow, the twisting and kicking of her legs in an effort to alleviate the burning torture, the reluctant cries for the unbearable suffering to cease; everything.
The time he spent sitting next to her restlessly slumbering form seemed endless; he felt as if he could stay there for an eternity, and not feel the time pass by him. He was so enamored by her littlest movements that he involuntarily jerked when a hand gently shook his shoulder, trying to get his attention.
"Edward! I've been trying to get your attention for hours!"
Alice exclaimed in a quiet whisper, eyes darting towards a restlessly sleeping Bella every few seconds to make sure the volume of her voice didn't wake her up.
He tore his eyes away from the sight of Bella's limp form with great difficulty to look up at Alice's pinched features,
"What is it, Alice?"
Her eyes were turbulent with strange emotions as she softly said,
"Carlisle is calling a family meeting in the living room. It's about…Bella."
Edward's every muscle tensed so hard his body ached painfully. His chest contracted so tightly he swore it was his heart clenching, though it was impossible. Frowning thoughtfully at the heavy, ominous feeling that had settled firmly over his chest, he murmured lowly,
"I'll be right there."
Alice watched her foster brother's body language carefully, nodding carefully, worry evident in her golden irises as she moved out of the room to join the others already gathered in the living room, leaving Edward alone with Bella.
He leaned forward with a small sigh, brushing Bella's forehead with the gentlest of kisses so as to not wake her from her restless sleep. It represented his unspoken words of reassurance that he would be back by her side soon. Standing, he straightened his white dress shirt stained with droplets of blood along its once pristine white sleeve where he had used it to wipe Bella's blood from his lips. Taking one last lingering look at Bella's prone body, he left his room –where the most precious of treasures had been carefully stashed away- and headed downstairs to the living room.
When Edward made his way soundlessly down the stairs, Alice looked up first, offering him a measured smile. Jasper's eyes followed Alice's and he dipped his head in acknowledgement. Jasper had his arm loosely slung over Alice's petite shoulders.
Emmett looked up from the top of Rosalie's bent head and gave Edward a solemn look tinged with wariness as he glanced back at Rosalie. She sat there, silent; delicate hands clenching into fists periodically. Rosalie was so distracted by her anger that she didn't notice Edward's arrival. It was only when Emmett gave her a soft nudge that she looked up and noticed Edward; she smiled faintly in greeting. She nestled even deeper into Emmett's tight hold as she turned back to concentrate on her twisting hands. A broad hand settled over hers to stop her movements and Rosalie gave Emmett a grateful smile that softened her beautifully sharp features.
Esme was tucked into the crook of Carlisle's arm as she played with his hands, twisting his long fingers this way and that. She was murmuring softly in a low voice as Carlisle's hand combed through her smooth locks thoughtfully, providing comfort for her as well as for himself. Both looked up briefly and Carlisle said,
"Come and sit, Edward. Alice has just informed the family of some disturbing events that are approaching us and I thought you, above everyone else, needed to know what exactly these events consist of."
Esme smiled encouragingly at her foster son, light champagne-colored eyes alive with worry,
"How's Bella?"
"She's fine."
Edward's reply was curt; he hadn't meant it to be, for he knew her intentions were kind, but he could not seem to control his body's adverse reaction to the wariness that lurked within him. It had taken residence inside him the very moment Alice had informed him that Carlisle was holding a family meeting and his gut feelings were usually spot-on; much like Alice's predictions on what the future held in store for them.
Everyone could feel Edward's tension screaming at their heightened senses, but no one was willing to be the harbinger of bad news, for none of them could anticipate his reaction; not even Alice. Dread locked Edward's muscles so tightly that he trembled with barely leashed frustration.
"What is going on?"
Edward snarled ferociously, eyes ablaze with a fury that was misplaced. He needed a way to vent the anger borne from his helplessness. The anger distracted him from Bella's pain; enough for him to remain sane even as he remembered how she had writhed in his arms, pleading for him to take her agony away.
Alice's voice was firm and hard as she lightly reprimanded Edward for his uncalled for behaviour,
"Edward, calm down. You need to be calm when you hear what I have to say."
She knew by the look on his face that he was about to retort impatiently -she didn't need her predictions to tell her that- and reinforced her words with a low, humming growl that still managed to sound dainty despite its rumbling tone,
"I said to calm down Edward! Or you leave me no choice but to withhold the information from you!"
'I can just imagine how envious Bella would be of Alice's ability to growl threateningly and still sound elegant,'
Edward mused contemplatively before he fully registered what Alice had said. Normally, his reaction would be instantaneous, but lately, his thoughts had been dominated almost cruelly by Bella and this occurrence thus greatly delayed his usually impeccable sense of reaction. Another way to put it was that he just couldn't get her out of his mind.
At Edward's disbelieving stare, Alice forced a patronizing smile even as her light ochre eyes glowed with triumphant,
"Yes, I'll accomplish that even with your mind reading abilities. Don't you ever underestimate me, Edward. I've done it before and I will do it again if the situation calls for it."
Edward's dark golden eyes were wild with the need to get back to Bella's side. Yet he knew he had to stay and listen to what Alice had to say because whatever it was, it was undoubtedly an important puzzle in Bella's future. Alice could clearly see the desperate need that coated Edward's eyes with the glaze of slight madness and she understood how he felt. It was the same feeling she had whenever she knew Jasper needed her presence by his side urgently, yet something or another kept her from him. Alice understood his needs and knew that in order for them to be appeased, he needed to behave. She verbalized her thoughts aloud,
"I know, Edward. I understand. Now behave and let me finish this quickly so you can go back to her side."
Recognizing the wisdom in her words -though not necessarily liking it-, Edward hissed in annoyance, but sat a little more comfortably, no longer perched on the edge of the white couch which he shared with Rosalie and Emmett. There was no need to further explain who Alice was referring to; his entire family knew by the look on his face. He glared at Alice, showing her that although his body language made him appear relaxed, he was anything but. Despite that, his effort to mitigate his temper was rewarded by Alice's satisfied nod and her willingness to give him the information that she had threatened to keep from him.
As Alice began to speak urgently to their family about what she had saw in her vision, Edward thought back to Bella; and with a resonating ache in his chest, he wished she never had the misfortune to meet him and his surreal family. For what good had it brought her? None. Her meeting him and his family had brought her nothing but grief so acute that Edward wished he could somehow erase all that has happened to her.
Of course he couldn't do such a thing no matter how much he wished to. He had tried erasing his existence from her life once, and where had that gotten them? It turned them both nearly insane; and that was something he could never allow to happen again. Not to him, not to his family and certainly not to his dear Bella.
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