Chapter 7: Battling Vampires

Without the Vampire Knife, Maria was forced to defend herself with her arms and legs against Jasper's ferocious onslaught. Thus, they were almost evenly matched, but even so, Jasper was at a disadvantage. His great fury lent him more strength that he might ordinarily have had, but Maria had grown stronger too, and her skill – already deadly – had increased. At least Jacques was too occupied with his shield to come to Maria's aid, Jasper noticed. The way Emmett and Rosalie were attacking it, the shield would come down the minute Jacques turned his attention to something else, and then the odds would be stacked in Jasper's favour.

Alice, lying on the floor some distance away from the terrible struggle between Jasper and Maria, followed the battle as best as she could, the Vampire Knife still in her body. But she was barely aware of anything, and thus had only the faintest notion of what was happening around her. She drifted in and out of consciousness with no sense of time, so she couldn't tell when it was she heard a soft voice above her.

"Alice." The voice was gentle, but pained as its owner took in the extent of her injuries. "Alice, can you hear me?"

"Carlisle", Alice gasped. Her head was reeling, her senses were fading…dazedly, she realized that the rest of the Cullens had arrived and had broken through the shield together, leaving Jacques weakened, but still able to fight. Emmett and Rosalie had immediately pitched in to help Jasper against Maria, while Edward and Esme circled Jacques.

"Alice, I need to take the knife out", Carlisle said gently.

"No!" Alice cried, fighting against the darkness that surrounded her and threatened to pull her under. At Carlisle's look of amazement, she explained haltingly, "Can't let…Maria get it. If it…stays in me…she can't just…pick it…up off the floor." Maybe it was foolish; maybe her thinking was flawed and feverish – but Jasper's safety was the most important thing to her now.

"Alice, don't worry", Carlisle assured her. "Maria won't get anywhere near the knife." His tone turned grim. "If anything, the knife will get her."

Alice nodded, satisfied, and Carlisle carefully drew the knife out.

Edward, from where he battled Jacques, had heard Carlisle's unspoken thought and he complied immediately. Switching places with Emmett, he dashed around Maria to take the knife from Carlisle's hand. His fingers wrapped around the hilt before he raced back to Maria – who was holding her own against Jasper and Rosalie – and stabbed her in the back with the knife. Maria stiffened and collapsed.

Jasper was about to snap her neck when he heard Alice's cry of pain as Carlisle did his best to treat her. He whipped his head around and saw her arching her back, writhing with pain, and the sight tore at his heart. Weakened and mortally injured though she was, Maria seized the opportunity and pulled his head down, slamming it against the concrete floor with what little strength she had left. Emmett, however, roughly pried her arms away from Jasper, breaking a few bones in the process.

"Go, Jasper", Edward told him as he pinned Maria to the ground. "We'll finish off here." Jasper nodded curtly and was at Alice's side in an instant, followed by Esme a few seconds later. Edward turned back to Maria and personally broke her neck with callous disregard.

"Good riddance", he muttered. Next to him, Emmett and Rosalie took vicious delight in categorically tearing Jacques to pieces. When that was done, Edward set fire to both the vampires' remains with the lighter in his pocket.

As he watched the flames go up, Edward couldn't help feeling a sense of relief that was strangely out of place. He was fairly certain it wasn't coming from Jasper, because the blond vampire was nearly beside himself with worry for Alice. Maybe it was just the fact that after all that had happened, after everything Maria had done – it was all over now. "And so it ends", he mused to himself.

Alice's scream brought him back to reality. Edward joined the rest of his family as they all gathered anxiously around Alice.

"Carlisle, can't you do something?" Esme asked desperately, and Edward could hear the tears she could not shed in her voice.

"I can't give her anything for the pain, if that's what you mean." Carlisle's face was drawn and haggard, his voice tight.

"Why not?" Jasper demanded, his face twisting in anguish as he felt Alice's pain.

"Because she doesn't have any blood circulation for a drug to go through!" Carlisle replied. He turned back to Alice and tried to focus on the wound.

"Shouldn't that have healed by now?" Rosalie asked anxiously, gripping Emmett's hand tightly.

"Under normal circumstances, yes", Carlisle replied as another tremor racked Alice's body. "Jasper, can you try to help her through?"

Jasper nodded. He wasn't sure if he could project feelings of love and tranquility when he was so strung up himself, but he did his best.

The effect on Alice was immediate. She stopped shaking – though her back was still arched – and her screams lessened.

"Jasper…" she gasped.

"I'm here, Alice", he assured her, lacing his fingers through hers. "You're going to be all right."

"That's it, Jasper", Carlisle said encouragingly. "Alice, how do you feel?"

"It still hurts, Carlisle", Alice replied weakly. "It's just a little bit numbed now." She bit her lip, trying not to scream again. The black, inky haze was threatening her more than ever, pushing in on all sides.

"What do we do, Carlisle?" Esme asked, almost crying.

"We'll need to get her somewhere safer", Carlisle answered. "A soft surface will make her feel more comfortable."

Before he'd finished his sentence, Edward was already out the door. He reappeared a few minutes later with a key card in his hand.

"I got us two rooms at a nearby hotel", he said.

"Good, good…" Carlisle poked gently at Alice's unhealed wound, and she squirmed and let out a cry of pain. "I'm sorry, Alice", he apologized. "I need to see how bad it is." He examined the injury carefully. "I don't think it'll heal until the venom has run its course."

Alice whimpered and Jasper tightened his hold on her hand. A particularly sharp wave of pain passed over her then, and Alice couldn't keep from screaming. Then she abruptly went limp.

"Carlisle!" Jasper began in an anguished voice.

"She's alive, Jasper", Edward assured him quickly. "I can still hear her thoughts – they're fragmented, and faint, but they're there."

"And they will stay there", Carlisle declared, rising. "Jasper, carry Alice. Edward, lead the way. Rosalie, the knife."

It was astounding how the fast-paced events and actions of the past hour had faded into the quiet tension that pervaded the atmosphere now. Jasper, carrying Alice, raced after Edward as the mind-reader led the way to the hotel. Carlisle and Esme followed, matching Edward's paced, while Emmett and Rosalie brought up the rear, Rosalie gingerly holding the Vampire Knife.

They ran through the streets so fast all people noticed of their passing was an unnatural wind and a slight blur. They would be talking about it for days, but nothing more than that.

When they entered the room, Jasper gently lowered Alice onto the bed and watched her anxiously for any signs of change in her condition.

"Well?" he asked when Carlisle finished his examination.

Carlisle sighed tiredly. "It looks like the worst of it is over", he started carefully.

"Then why isn't her wound healed?" Emmett asked.

"Give it time", was Carlisle's reply. "It has begun to knit back together. She absorbed a lot of venom into her system."

"So she will be all right?" Jasper pressed.

"She should make a full recovery", Carlisle answered. The rest of the family heaved a great sigh of relief.

"When will she wake up?" Rosalie wanted to know.

"Soon", Carlisle replied. "Don't rush it."

"Well, I don't know about you guys", began Emmett, "But all the fighting has given me an appetite. I think I'll go hunting for a bit. Coming, Rose?"

Rosalie nodded and stood up, going to Emmett's side.

"I'll come with you", Edward said as he too rose. "Just let me call Bella first and let her know Alice is all right."

"No promises." Emmett grinned as Edward rolled his eyes and went into the adjoining room, cell phone in hand.

"Jasper, maybe you should go too", Esme said softly, noticing how dark his eyes here. "I'll stay with Alice."

"No", Jasper insisted stubbornly. "I'm fine. I'll stay with Alice."

"All right, son." Carlisle put his hands on Esme's shoulders. "Why don't we go with Emmett and Rosalie, Esme? Then when we come back Jasper can go." His tone was one that brooked no argument, so Jasper did not protest.

Esme nodded. "Okay."

One by one, the Cullens filed out, leaving Jasper alone with Alice. Once he was sure they were out of earshot, Jasper exhaled deeply, letting his shoulders sag and dropping his head into his hands.

It had been too close. If he had arrived just a few minutes later; if that knife had veered only slightly to Alice's left…he shuddered, glancing at the Vampire Knife which lay still and innocent-looking on the table. He looked back at Alice, to convince himself that she was here, and safe. Without really being aware of what he was doing, he drifted to her side and took her hand in his, waiting for her to wake up.


A/N: Chapter 7! I'm sorry to say this story will be over soon, but I am more than pleased to announce today's reviewers - give it up for The Violet Rose, xXKazaneXx, and Rogue903!

Disclaimer: Hmm...hummm...uh...no.