Chapter 2. Losing
Everyone on our side just stared at the newcomer. No one knew what she was talking about. I glanced again at Edward to see if he knew, but he was just staring into space, looking more preoccupied than I had ever seen him before. More preoccupied than I had ever seen any other vampire, now that I thought about it.
Carlisle seemed to have noticed the difference as well. He frowned and stepped forward again, obviously trying to figure out what was going on.
Aro turned towards his guard, ignoring the rest of us completely.
"Our job here is done my dear ones. We can return home knowing we have achieved our objective."
As he spoke, I saw Carlisle halt. He was looking more and more upset as Aros words sunk in.
"Aro, I don't understand. Why would you come all this way for no reason? And what did you mean earlier when you said that you knew a breach had not been made?"
Aro answered with a small smile.
"Carlisle, my friend, please try to understand that not everyone sees things the way you do. We ran into a... friend of yours on our way here... Alice"
I heard people taking quick sudden breaths all around me, and my head started to swim as I put together his words and the unknown vampire's words, not too long ago.
"It is done master. They now belong to you"
She didn't... couldn't possibly mean Alice? And jasper?
"Edward" I managed to spit out through the haze that was my mind at the moment.
He didn't answer
"Edward!" I said a little louder
All of a sudden my stomach seemed to twist. And I just knew I didn't want to look up into his eyes.
But I still did anyway.
He was watching me.
"I'm very sorry" he said
"But do I know you? You look kind of familiar?"
I grabbed my stomach. I had no doubt that if I could have throw up, I would have. My brain was screaming at me, trying to twist his words into something I could understand.
I suddenly became aware of the people surrounding us, looking up I saw the rest of my family, and all the friends we had gathered around us to help save our daughter.
OUR DAUGHTER
I grasped her and pulled her into my arms.
"Renesmee" I said to her softly.
"Can you say hello to daddy? I don't think he's feeling very well"
I saw the sharp glances from the rest of my family as I said those words. And I could see the wheels in Carlisle's head start to turn as he put together the bits of information we had scrapped together so far, with the words I had to spoken to the child in my arms.
She reached out for her father, who took a step backwards and looked at me like I was the crazy one.
"Daddy, can I have a hug please?" my daughter sounded too sweet and innocent that I felt the need to cry. What was happening to all of us?
Edward looked terrified
"I'm so sorry little girl. I don't know you. I can't be your father. I am something that can never have children. Although you do remind me of someone..."
He trailed off and looked at me again.
I passed Renesmee over to Rosalie and tentatively took a step towards Edward.
"Edward sweetheart," I said as softly as I could.
" Don't you know who we are? I'm your wife. Renesmee is your daughter."
He laughed. He actually laughed at me. I could feel my rage at the situation boiling up inside me. Emmett must have noticed. He took hold of my arms as Carlisle came to stand in front of me.
"Bella dear, go and stand with Renesmee. She's a little upset. I will talk to Edward."
I turned and saw he was right. Renesmee had her hand against Rosalie's face, silently asking her question that I knew I didn't want to answer. I went over and took her out of Rosalie's arms, hugging her to me and burying my face in her hair. I felt someone put their arms around me, and I didn't have to look up to know it was Esme. I leaned on her, wishing with everything I had that when I looked up things would be back to normal. And this would just be a nightmare.
Of course it wasn't. When I looked up I could see that Carlisle was once again facing off with Aro.
"I guess I have some explaining to do Carlisle. First of all though, let me introduce you to my latest guard member, Imogen"
I heard the sweet little giggles again and looked up disbelievingly. She sounded as innocent as Renesmee when she was trying to hide from Jacob, or when she tried to escape bath times by out running me or Edward.
But I knew that sweetness and innocence was just a facade for something bad. Something really bad.
And my suspicion was confirmed when I heard eleazer murmuring behind me
"I don't understand Aro. What is this? I have never come across anything like it before in my existence"
Aro looked up and flashed us another small smile.
"No I should think not. Let me explain quickly. Then I'm afraid my friends, we shall have to be taking our leave."
"Imogen is a rare creature. When I met her I knew immediately that I wanted her for my own. And luckily she was agreeable to the idea. She has a very rare talent. She is able to, recreate memories. To change things in people's minds. To make them forget things completely if that's what she desires. She has done me a great favour here today. For a long time, I have wished that I could convince certain members of your coven to join me Carlisle. And today it seems I will get my granted."
And then he looked at me and smiled even wider.
"well.. Apart from one. But you know Bella you are always welcome to join us at anytime. You know how to find us I assume?"
He smiled again and looked over his shoulder.
This seemed to be a command for everyone assembled behind him to start there depart.
He glanced back at us as he turned.
"Edward my child, it is time for you to join me."
I saw red. I flew towards him, growling noises coming from my throat. Completely forgetting everything else around me. Unaware of anyone else surrounding us. Ii had finally realised what he meant. Edwards's memories. They had changed them, or erased them. Made him think he was part of them. And he wasn't, he was so completely and utterly a part of me that I couldn't imagine my life without him.
I reached Aro just in time to see demitri and Felix come thundering towards us. Aro quietly grinned and grabbed hold of me.
"Stop fighting it Bella dear. You will one day sit beside me and my family and all this nonsense will be forgotten"
He murmured this in my ear so quietly no one else but I would have heard it.
I snarled and thrust my head forwards to connect with his face, the impact made him fly backwards towards the area the rest of the guard were still standing in formation. Demitri and Felix grabbed me, and despite my newborn strength I could not break their hold.
I continued to struggle and snarl as aro picked himself up off the ground and held up his hand to his guard.
"Peace my dear ones. Bella will not harm me. Not when she fully understands that I have her sister, brother and husband on my side. I'm sure she does not want to stand against them. Do you my lovely?"
And again with that awful smile.
He called out to Edward again
"Come Edward. Your true future is waiting for you."
As Edward started past me in the clearing I struggled with more fierceness. Using every part of my vampire abilities to force the two monsters at my sides to let me go.
"Edward !" I yelled
"Edward it's a trick! You do not want to go with them! Edward. Edward please! Please! Come back to me. We will fix this Edward. No!!!!"
He paused as he walked and slowly turned around and came towards me.
"I'm so sorry that I seem to be causing you pain. I wish you only good things. I'm sure your family will help you recover from whatever is wrong with you."
I looked into his eyes and saw nothing to tell me that he was playing along, lying to get to Alice and jasper.
I let out a broken sob as I watched him walk away from me. My love, my life, the reason for my existence. And he didn't even know my name.
As the grey cloaks swirled and started to disappear, demetri and Felix suddenly let me go. I fell to the floor and crumpled, feeling pain like I had never before imagined in my life. I felt them leave me there and join the rest of the guard as they made their exit.
I don't know how long I lay there, consumed by my pain unable to process anything. But eventually a thought began to break through the barriers surrounding me.
Where was my family?
I was unable to believe that not one of them had made any move throughout the entire situation. Either to help me or to stop Edward from moving.
I looked up as I stood and turned. And what I saw made me gasp again.
My entire family, all the friends we had brought with us, stood there like zombies, with their faces blank and eyes staring at nothing.
I walked towards them warily. And said to no one in particular
"Hello? "
No one answered me.
And once again my knees came into contact with the forest floor as I realised that my family, my friends, the quileietts, were all alien to me. No one knew me. Not even Renesmee.
My head dropped to my chest as a wail came out of my mouth and I gladly succumbed to the numbness spreading over my mind. I lay down on the ground and waited for something, ANYING to happen. Anything that would show me why my world had crumbled around me.
