Again and again I repeat - I own nothing, and again and again, you ask of me what I own... (I do own Ella and the jackals who hurt her!)
Chapter Four: You Don't Belong
Emmett came home late that day and promised Ella he would take her out to the woods the next day. Surprisingly, Rosalie announced that she was going to go with them. Ella graciously told Rosalie that she was welcomed to come along.
"The more the merrier!" she had said. Rosalie just huffed and walked gracefully back into her room.
"She thinks I'm spending too much time with you alone," Emmett said sullenly as he shook his head.
"Oh yes, because I have every intention of breaking up the happily married couple," Ella rolled her eyes and sighed. "What a drama queen,"
Edward stifled a snort and Jasper smiled slightly from his position on the couch.
"Oh my God! I made him smile! The world's coming to an end! Everyone hide! Save yourselves!" Ella cried dramatically.
"And you called me a drama queen?!" Rosalie cried from her room.
Ella burst into laughter so hard that she was actually crying. Everyone in the room was laughing, actually, but when Ella collapsed and practically gasped for breath, Emmett and Carlisle were instantly at her side; Edward, Alice, and Jasper leaned back into the chairs, knowing that she was fine.
"I'm fine, really!" Ella tried to explain.
"She's just laughing too hard, let her breathe for a minute," Alice smiled at Ella and Ella smiled back in return.
A few minutes later, Ella was still giggling, but she wasn't laughing as hard so she could breathe.
"Are you ok now?" Carlisle asked, "Does anything hurt?"
"I'm perfect! That was perfect! Oh, I totally forgot she could hear me! Ha ha! Wow, guess I should watch it from now on, huh?"
Jasper nodded. "No more making fun of me. It backfires on you," Jasper flashed his first real smile at the girl, and Ella's face lit up like a light bulb. She grinned widely and nodded.
"Ya, I end up making fun of Rosalie, instead!"
Everyone snickered again and a loud 'UHG!' could be heard from the upstairs room.
"Ok, enough bashing on my wife."
"About time, ass," Rosalie called down the stairs.
Ella snickered and looked up at Emmett.
"You have to live with her." She joked. He tried to look stern, but her smile and bright eyes were too much for him so he cracked a grin at her. Emmett ruffled Ella's hair and told her to go to bed. When she stubbornly refused, he just shrugged and picked her up – ignoring the protest coming from Ella. She kicked and screamed and punched him to put her down, but when she realized he wasn't going to, she gripped his neck and buried her head in his shoulder.
"Put me down! Please!" she nearly sobbed, all joking out of her system, she was now terrified beyond belief.
"Emmett, put her down," Edward and Jasper came running out after their brother.
"She's scared to death! Put her down!" Jasper hissed.
Emmett placed her on the stairs, and Ella instantly curled into the fetal position and scooted away from him, sobbing quietly.
"Ella, sweetheart," Carlisle shoved past his three sons and reached out towards her, "Ella, sweetie, you're ok. Calm down. No one is going to hurt you here," Carlisle reached out towards her. "Ella?"
Ella looked up and locked gazes with Carlisle. "I can walk," she whispered.
"We know," Carlisle nodded and extended his hand to help her up. "But would you like some help?"
Ella nodded and took his hand as he helped her to her feet. Carlisle walked with Ella to her room and helped her into her bed.
"Sleep. You'll need it if you're going out with Emmett and Rosalie in the morning."
Ella nodded and pulled the blanket up over her head and fell asleep.
Jasper and Edward were talking quietly to Emmett in hushed, sharp voices just outside the front door.
"No, Emmett I don't think you understand," Jasper hissed, "She wasn't afraid of the flashbacks, she was afraid of you. Of what you could do to her."
"She thought you were going to repeat everything those men did to her and more. You were stronger than they were when you were human, Emmett! Think about how strong you are now and who you're dealing with! She was scared to death of you. The flashbacks only fueled the fear, they didn't start it," Edward advanced towards Emmett. "I know I never wanted her here, she shouldn't know about us, but she's been here for over two months, and she's like a sister to me, I know you feel the same, so don't screw this up! She was doing great until then."
"I didn't think she'd react that way!" Emmett hissed in his defense. "She was laughing and joking not two seconds before! I don't have the ability to read minds or feel other people's emotions. I didn't know that she wasn't playing anymore. If I had known I would have set her back down and backed away instantly!"
"Leave him alone," Carlisle came walking out of the house. "He didn't mean any harm, and Ella's fine. She's sleeping right now, but she still expects to be taken out tomorrow, Emmett. Do you think you can handle that? Should Jasper or Edward come with you and Rosalie?"
"No. Rose, Ella, and I will be fine. I won't make the same mistake twice," Emmett's voice was hard. He suddenly turned towards the forests and stalked off into the trees.
The next day, Ella woke up to Emmett's smiling face.
"Good morning!" Emmett's bright smile, combined with the sun that wasn't even shining through the window, was overwhelming and Ella just groaned and pulled the blanket over her head. Emmett chuckled.
"Five more minutes," Ella mumbled.
"I thought people only said that in the movies," Emmett joked.
"UGH!" Ella curled into a tighter ball and gripped the sheets tighter, "No morning person, leave alone. Bye-bye!"
Emmett laughed hysterically.
"Come on! The woods are waiting!"
"Woods can keep waiting."
Emmett sighed dramatically, but before he even realized what happened, Rosalie had dumped Ella onto the floor, thrown her toothbrush, toothpaste, hair brush, and a change of clothes into her lap, and stomped out of the room muttering about wasting time and wanting to get going.
Ella muttered to herself, as well, about spoiled rotten brats and annoying little-miss-perfects.
"Thinks she can boss me around and glare at me when she thinks I'm not looking… just wait until I get fed up with it… stupid brat… blonde hair engulfed her brain… beauty is just one more reason to pick on those less fortunate… ugh…" Ella muttered as she got dressed.
Emmett sat outside her room listening to her muttering and Rosalie's muted insults. Emmett sighed, wondering if the two would ever get along. Rosalie had been almost accepting of Ella when she first arrived, having known her pain of being raped. Now it seemed like a battleground between the two girls that Emmett loved. Alice was always treading lightly between the two – something about her visions really made Emmett frustrated. Alice knew something, but she wasn't going to influence it, or press it. Nor was she going to explain her madness to the rest of the family. Ella stayed away from Rosalie as much as she could, afraid of getting on her bad side – Edward had said that Ella would never admit it out loud, but she was afraid of Rosalie, and afraid that she might lose the only people who had ever cared about her if Rosalie sided against her. Emmett felt almost divided – he loved Ella like his little sister, and wanted nothing more than to spend time with her and keep her safe, maybe even attempt to heal the mental and psychological injuries. But Emmett loved Rosalie like he never loved anyone in the world – she was his soul mate, his one and only, and he wanted to make her happy. Ella tried to be nice to Rosalie, that was obvious, but Rose never wanted anything to do with Ella – and Alice was just being plain annoying about it!
"You really need to stop thinking, Em. You'll blow a circuit,"
"I can feel your frustration all the way out to the lake!" Edward and Jasper (the psych twins, as Emmett lovingly referred to them) walked up the stairs and sat down next to him. "The trip will go fine. If it Rosalie was going to do anything, Alice wouldn't have let you take her along," Jasper said quietly.
"Alice's visions change. And Rosalie's moods have been changing dramatically, so you can't be so sure." Emmett muttered.
"Want me to tag along?" Edward grinned.
As much as Emmett loved his brothers and knew they would never do anything, he didn't want them tagging along with them.
"I'm not going to eat her – no matter how many times she tells me to," Edward laughed as he remembered the times when Ella got frustrated with him and yelled 'eat me!' to shut him up. Edward would just flash his teeth and ask 'where and when?'
"I know that, but I think those two need this. I'll just play referee. I've got it under control."
Edward and Jasper nodded and got up quickly as Carlisle and Esme walked up the stairs.
"You should watch it out there, Emmett. She admitted that there was still one of those men out there, and if he's anywhere close – I don't want to know what the outcome will be," Carlisle whispered quickly so Ella couldn't hear. "I don't worry about her out there because of her injuries. I worry about her because there could be more threat."
"I know," Emmett answered and got up from the floor. "I'll make sure nothing hurts her. Rose will help to."
"Of course I will," Rosalie walked up next to Emmett and rolled her eyes, "What better way to spend my time than to baby sit a human brat?"
"Cool it, Rosalie," Edward warned. Rosalie huffed and stomped her foot lightly (if such a feat was possible), but kept her mouth shut.
"I'm ready," Ella said quietly from the door. The family had been so wrapped up in talking to each other; no one noticed when Ella walked out. It was hard to miss the look on her face that clearly said 'I heard everything you said, Rosalie'.
"Great!" Emmett cried.
"Be safe, Ella," Carlisle said after most of the group disappeared. "And don't be out too long," he turned to Emmett and mouthed, "I really don't like this idea,"
"I'll make sure she's fine, Carlisle. Nothing will happen," Emmett mouthed back. Emmett smiled and slung his arm around Ella's shoulders. "Let's get going!"
They walked at a leisure pace so Ella could take in the beauty of the forest, and when they made it to a clearing Ella just stood in the middle and admired the scenery.
"Out doorsy girl my butt. You look like you've never seen anything like this before," Emmett joked.
"I haven't. All the woods and scenery I've ever seen were close to Chicago. This is just stunning. I've never seen anything like this wood before… It's so new, and so refreshing!" She took a deep breath, breathing in all the scents and flavors of the woods, the waterfall that wasn't 50 feet away, and the misty air that always seems present in Forks, Washington. She didn't need a vampire's keen senses to pick out the different smells. She tested the ground and did a small cartwheel before stretching her muscles and trying a round off. When she was happy with the result and realized that she wasn't so weak that she couldn't dance and tumble, she flashed a big mischievous grin at Emmett.
"Watch this," she cried. She ran a little and did a forward front flip, turned into a cartwheel, and sprung into a back flip without hesitation. When she landed on both feet without anything hurting, her eyes lit up brightly, and she smiled triumphantly at Emmett and Rosalie.
"THAT WAS SO COOL!" She cried, obviously pleased with herself.
Emmett, who had watched this with horror written all over his features, composed himself when she showed no signs of pain and smiled back at her.
"That was great!" he cried, pleased that she was happy with herself, "But don't ever do that again!"
Ella giggled and nodded.
"Yes, father," she called to him as she ran up to Rosalie and Emmett, who were still in the middle of the field.
Rosalie huffed and grabbed Emmett by the collar.
"Watch this, Ella," she smiled smugly and pulled Emmett into a fast waltz without music. Their movements were graceful on the uneven earth beneath their feet, and Rose was able to do many high kicks and intricate turns and foot movements. It was almost as if Rosalie was trying to say 'I got him first, and I win, but watch me gloat!' Ella hid her boiling loathing for Rosalie's actions with a kind smile. When Rose was done, Ella clapped happily.
"That was amazing, Rose! You're a really good dancer!" Ella praised her, and was pleased when Rose huffed again and threw her hair over her shoulder like a premadonna
Emmett suddenly stiffened and looked around. "I'll be right back. Rose, watch her."
"Why me?" But Emmett was already gone. "Ugh!" Rose turned to Ella and glared at her. "You don't belong here with this family, human. We were doing wonderfully before Emmett brought you home." She snapped.
Ella held her chin high and looked Rose in the eyes. "Look, Rosalie. I'm sorry you don't like me, but that's no excuse to act the way you do to me. I don't like you either, but at least I make the effort to be nice to you," Rosalie hissed, but Ella continued. "I don't know what you're afraid of, because I'm not trying to steal your husband from you, nor am I trying to steal your family. Emmett, Jasper, and Edward are like the big brothers that I never had. I love them, as I love Carlisle and Esme and Alice. I know it kills you inside to know that a human has invaded your family, but guess what! It wasn't exactly my choice. If I had my choice, my parents would have never died! Then none of this would have ever happened, and you would be happy. But no matter how much any of us want to change the past, it's set in stone. What's done is done. Can't you accept that and move on? You're tearing Emmett apart! I can't leave, Rosalie, I'm not completely healed. But when I am, you can be sure you'll never see me again,"
"Leave now," Rosalie hissed, "You're well enough to do back flips around this clearing, why can't you pack up and leave now?"
But Ella never got a chance to respond. In a split second, Ella was pinned to the ground, not by Rosalie, but by a man with a knife held up to her throat.
"You!" he hissed. "You are the reason all my brothers are dead! You are the reason I had to have knee surgery!" He let out a high pitched sort of wail as raised his knife to stab Ella in the throat. Emmett burst through the trees of the clearing and tackled the man, making him miss, but he was able to stab her in the shoulder before Emmett ripped his head off his body. Edward, Carlisle, Jasper, Alice, and Esme all came running into the clearing at that exact moment and it took all of them to pull Emmett away from the man.
"Ella!" Alice cried as she saw the blood leaking through Ella's shirt.
Emmett and Carlisle ran to her side to help her, while Jasper and Edward cornered Rosalie.
"Why didn't you help her!?" Edward hissed.
"Why should I have? She doesn't belong here!"
"She's part of this family now!" Jasper said in a hushed, sharp voice, "We've all accepted her, why can't you?!"
"You won't admit it to yourself, Rose, but you know you have more in common with her than any of us, so why is that you're the only one hostile to her?"
"Stop arguing!" Carlisle yelled; he fed up with the petty arguments the entire family seemed to be having ever since Ella entered the picture.
"I'll carry her back to the house," Emmett whispered as he pulled her to him. He didn't have to hold his breath; she was too close to his un-beating heart for him to drink her blood, even when it soaked through his own clothes. Emmett ran back to the house and ran straight to her room without hesitation. As he set her down on the bed, Carlisle walked briskly into the room and started all over again.
"This is why I didn't want her out there," he mumbled to himself as he gathered all his medical supplies.
"I'm sorry," Emmett murmured.
~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~
wow... been forever, huh? Well, here's the 4th chapter. Sorry it took so long, my USB stick was stolen, so I lost every document I had ever worked on... so I got to start from scratch! Oh boy! -groans- anyway, chapter 5, the last and final installment of this wonderful work of pure fandom, will be up the second my beta reader, who is utterly amazing for waiting for me and understanding my situation (I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!), is done beta reading it! I LOVE ALL OF YOU WHO REVIEWED!!! YOU ARE AMAZING!!!!!!!!!! -HUGGLES ALL REVIEWERS- and remember, flames will be used to heat my room this winter while I'm too freezing cold to get out of my bed and write stories and go to school. any constructive criticism is more than appreciated, and any comments are welcomed! I LOVE YOU ALL! PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!!!!