Title: Intrinsic Fascination
Author: pantheradraconis
Rating: T
Pairing: Bella/Rosalie
Summary: The world is filled with billions of people; a new breath is taken every second. The last breath is taken as well. But the cycle continues, on and on; who would bother noticing when someone doesn't quite fit into this cycle…
Chapter 9: Broken
"I definitely learned a lesson this time. I know that I can be broken. I am not as tough as I thought. I see it now. At this point, it's the only thing good that came out of all of this. I know myself better now and know what I have to do." - Henry Rollins, The Portable Henry Rollins
The next thing Bella was sure was real, was the pain of her leg being broken by James. The small cottage was warm and dry, the fire was roaring, and James was laughing.
It felt like a horribly bad dream; the kind where you're constantly running away from a monster that seems to appear around every corner. You run faster than you had ever run before, but no matter the speed, no matter the twists and turns, no matter the weapons - the monster simply was there, breathing down your neck, waiting.
Bella found herself drifting in and out of consciousness for what felt like days. At times, she woke enough to try to move her limbs, but the pain from her leg would snap her back into shock; drifting back into sleep was her body's way of preventing the pain from overwhelming her. Sometimes her vision would blur in to see James' mouth at her wrist, he almost looked like he was drinking from her veins. Bella's mind played with this idea and all she knew of vampires from movies and books. Her mind played horrible tricks in her dreams where she became a monstrous version of herself; her arms long and crooked, her legs wobbly and uneven, her teeth sharp and constantly slicing open her lip. In these dreams she attacked the ones she loved, she devoured them in unimaginable ways and left them dry on the forest floor. The worst of these dreams were the ones where she saw herself attacking Rosalie, draining her of all her blood while the beautiful girl watched on cold and confused. Sometimes, just to make things worse, Bella saw herself laughing alongside James while Rosalie rolled on the floor, her eyes sinking into the back of her head.
The storm raged on outside, the rain battering the windows of the small cottage, or maybe it was a cabin. Bella woke to see the walls light and weighing down on her. She felt like the space was small, yet open. She turned her head slightly to see a small kitchen, in the other direction, was a large bed and a door to a bathroom. She was lying on the floor, it was hard and warm. The fire was large in the fireplace towards her feet and the warmth was relaxing on her limbs.
Bella breathed in deeply and quietly. She closed her eyes and listened for any movement, but she couldn't hear anything. She didn't want to move, she didn't want to give away that she was awake. Her leg was still aching in a dull thrum and her arm had a stinging sensation starting at her wrist and making its way up her arm. She didn't want to think about that.
Bella laid motionless on the floor as the front door opened next to her. It was near the kitchen and the rain splattered all over the entryway. James walked in calmly, shaking his hair out and removing his jacket. Wearing dark jeans and a basic t-shirt the man looked much younger, possibly in his teens as opposed to the thirty-something he appeared to be in his suits at school. Bella looked down to notice the man wasn't wearing any shoes; her body involuntarily shuddered at how cold that must feel.
"She wakes at last, I see." James' voice was cordial and smooth as caramel. "Don't get up on my account." His voice purred and a short laugh escaped his lips. He was toying with her.
Bella's voice cracked out, "How long have I been out?"
"Merely hours, my dear." James moved to the kitchen, loud noises made Bella think he was making some food. "I'm sure it felt much longer due to the pain of your leg. I'm sorry about that, I really am, but you see, I can't have you trying to run off. It would ruin all the fun."
"What fun?" Bella wanted to say more, but her mouth felt dry.
The man inhaled deeply and replied with a smile. "You, my dear. You taste as amazing as you smell, you know that? I'm sure your friends have taken a taste or two; how could they possibly resist?"
Bella's head swam with this information. A taste? What friends was he talking about? She moved her arm, pulling her wrist in for inspection. A large bite mark took up half her wrist. She wanted to scream, she wanted to throw up. Instead, Bella merely dropped her arm across her chest and held back tears.
"And what does this mean?"
"Hmm?" James had lost interest and was focusing on whatever he was doing in the kitchen. "Oh, your wrist? No need to worry dear, you're not going to turn into me." He paused a few moments. "Not yet."
Trying not to focus on what could happen, Bella tried to change the subject. "Where are we?"
James clucked his tongue. "Now, now, I can't give away all my secrets." A few clinks of dishware and cupboards followed before James appeared behind Bella, lifting her body up and pressing her back against a small couch. She bit down on her lip, not wanting to cry out and show any weakness. The pain of her leg brought spots to her eyes, she closed them tight. James laughed, "Try as you might, but I've already seen you beg for your life to end; I wouldn't mind an encore, but I'm sure your voice is quite sore from the screaming."
Bella's eyes opened wide, how much happened that she didn't remember? She looked over her body for any other signs of harm but saw nothing obvious. Just her leg and her wrist. James pushed a cup to her mouth, her head rocked back and a hot liquid swished into her mouth and down her throat. She coughed, but James had already moved the cup away. Bella licked her lips to taste a sweet tea and honey. Why had he given her tea?
"For your voice, my dear," James replied to the unanswered question. Bella briefly wondered if James could read minds like Edward. She wondered again how many similarities the two of them had.
"The Cullens," Bella said, a question in her voice.
"Surprising lot those ones are. I wonder what's taking them so long to find you." James sat cross-legged across from Bella, his own cup in hand. She peered inside but saw only tea. "I may just have to give up the wait and kill you."
Bella gulped. He talked about these things as if they were second nature, like how someone might discuss the weather or the mail.
"What will you do if they find us?"
"Simple enough, I'll change you." James took another drink of his tea. "Drink up while it's hot. I find tea to be disgusting at room temperature."
Bella looked down at the cup placed beside her. She raised it to her lips and took a small sip. The flavor was nice and the warm liquid helped soothe her throat and relaxed her stomach. Why was he being so nice to her? Just to toy with her again?
"What do you mean change me?"
"Make you a vampire, of course." He took another large drink.
"And why would you want to do that?" Bella continued to sip the warm liquid.
James finished his cup before replying. "Some say that the vampire that changes you becomes your master of sorts. That, when done properly, the master can control the vampire they created."
Bella choked on her tea. Coughing roughly she placed the cup on the ground. "You want to control me?"
James smiled a wicked grin, his eyes twinkled with a terrifying glee. "I want to own you."
Bella looked away, trying to control her breathing.
"I'm not the only one, I'm sure." James hummed quietly. "That Edward is more than interested in being your guard dog. And Rosalie is obviously mad about you, but then again I'm not sure either of you knows what to do with a rabid animal in love with its prey."
Whipping her head up to look at James, Bella gasped. Prey? She couldn't argue it anymore, it was too obviously true. "The Cullens are all vampires, aren't they."
James laughed, but his laughter was cut short. He twisted his head one way and then another, searching for a sound. He stopped and grinned like a madman. "The fun begins."
The vampire was on his feet before Bella could blink. He moved swiftly, blocking all the entrances with furniture and boards. He threw a few more logs on the fireplace, the fire was starting to edge out into the room. Bella shifted her body away from the heat but flinched as she tried to move her leg.
James slouched down at her side and inhaled from her neck down her arm and across her legs. He seemed to curse before making his way back up to her mouth. "Drink up, my dear."
Bella's eyes grew wide in fear as she watched James sliced open his own wrist with the sharp fangs of his teeth and press the bloody gash into her mouth. She screamed and choked and tried to wiggle out of his grip. Her leg screamed in shock, her wrist radiated with pain, and soon the blood of James' arm warmed down her throat and spread across her entire body.
Watching from the floor, Bella saw James get ripped away from her and thrown across the room. He crashed into a cabinet, shattering the glass and breaking the cups and plates. Her vision started to blur as a morphine-like effect took place over her body. Her throat bubbled up some blood and she let it dribble from her mouth as her head leaned over and hit the floor hard. She couldn't feel the landing but heard it echo in her ears. Her body was lifted and soon she was soaked in cold rain she could barely feel. Her body started to convulse. She blacked out again.
Her dreams came in sharp pictures, flashing before her eyes. They burned ideas into her head. She saw James smiling, that maniacal, menacing grin of his. She saw Rosalie standing over her, beautiful lilac eyes staring disapprovingly. A wolf ran up to her, tail whipping back and forth with happiness. It quickly changed from a wolf to a golden retriever before transforming into Edward, all smiles and charm. She saw a dark russet colored wolf howling at the moon. She saw a river of blood overflowing before finally encapsulating her and drowning her in its impossible waves.
Bella woke with a gasp of breath; she quickly grabbed at her chest and pulled at the neck of her shirt, trying to breathe. Her thoughts were spinning, the world around her was moving like she was fully intoxicated. She began to panic and flail. Her legs and arms flung wildly before being pressed down into a large bed. She looked up to see lilac eyes and golden locks of hair. She screamed and swore and tossed her body any way it would go, but nothing moved. She was trapped and drowning and unable to save herself. Her body began shaking again before she collapsed back into a frightening dream.
James laughed and looked around the classroom. He wandered over to Edward and placed him into a deep sleep by simply touching his forehead. The cocky vampire turned to Jessica, lifted her up from her desk and drank from her neck until her body went limp and fell to the ground. He moved to Angela, sniffed her and pulled back. He quickly twisted her neck, distaste all over his face. James then moved toward Bella, but instead of drinking her blood and toying with her, he pointed to Mike and Bella watched as her body moved over to the blonde boy, lifted his chin, saw the fear apparent in his eyes, and leaned down to bite into his neck.
The young girl's eyes flew open and she stared at the ceiling in the darkness. Her body lay motionless on a large bed, the covers up to her chin. She blinked and wait for her eyes to adjust to the darkness. Bella slowly rubbed her tongue across her teeth searching for fangs. She didn't feel anything out of the ordinary, so she tried focusing on her teeth to see if she could form fangs or grow them; she really wasn't sure how it worked.
"What on earth are you doing?" A soft voice came from Bella's left side. She looked over, startled to see Rosalie lying on her side, her head held up by her hand. Rosalie looked peaceful and relaxed, but her eyes showed confusion.
Bella wondered if she should explain herself or not. Figuring she had nothing to lose, she said, "I was checking for fangs."
The blonde shook her head in dismay and replied sternly. "You're not a vampire."
Bella nodded in response and looked back up at the ceiling. She wondered briefly about her time with James but quickly tried to clear her head. The events were still too raw.
"What are you thinking about?" Rosalie asked, her voice slightly softer than before.
"I'm trying not to think about… things…"
Rosalie rolled onto her back, her arm against Bella's, the covers keeping them from contact. "It's good to try and forget. While you still can."
"What do you want to forget?"
"Same as you."
"What happened?"
The room seemed to grow darker as Bella waited for a response. Rosalie had a way of controlling an atmosphere or overtaking it. When she was in a bad mood it radiated off of her. Bella wished the blonde had more good moods to share but it seemed the constant anger and fear and hatred always found a way to bubble to the surface.
"Nothing," Rosalie's words almost stopped there but she continued after a few moments. "That is to say, nothing good happened. That's why I am the way I am. Why I'm a monster in this beautiful form."
Bella felt as though Rosalie often hated her beauty, even if she tended to flaunt it over those she could. It was as if she loved the attention but hated herself for enjoying it. This was a feeling Bella was only starting to see. When she first met the blonde she believed her to be the most beautiful, radiant creature she'd ever laid eyes on. Now she tended to regret ever meeting the blonde. What had she gotten herself into?
"I should really get home." Bella began to shift under the covers.
"You shouldn't be alone."
"Why not?" Bella struggled more, but the blankets were tucked in tight and her strength was at a minimal.
"We didn't get him," Rosalie replied softly, her voice disappearing into the bed.
Bella froze. "What do you mean you didn't get him?"
"James, he got away."
"What do you mean he got away?" Bella's voice rose in fear.
Rosalie replied angrily. "I don't see how you could not understand what I'm saying." She breathed in deeply before adding more softly, "We will catch him."
"I hear what you're saying I just don't understand how you could let this happen." Bella snapped back.
"How I could let this happen?" Rosalie growled with an emphasis on the word 'I'. "You were the one that decided to go running around in the woods when there were vampires about."
"When there were vampires about?" Bella finally loosened the blanket enough to sit up against the headboard. Rosalie mirrored her and the two glowered at one another. "Apparently vampires are just wandering around the school and town all the time but I guess it's none of my business that my girlfriend is a vampire."
Rosalie rolled her eyes and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "I'm just a pretend girlfriend, you don't even like me."
Bella nodded her head. "And thank god for pretend!"
Rosalie snarled. "Who are you to talk? You and Jacob..." she spit out Jake's name like a disgusting taste had formed in her mouth. "...are practically drooling all over one another. When will I get the invitations? Will the wedding be in the forest? You know, where you just love to run around with incompetent wolves in the middle of a battlefield!"
"Battlefield my ass!" Bella threw her hands up in the air. "I didn't go wandering out in the forest! I didn't even leave the lodge! I barely touched the door when it swung open and James grabbed me, and moreover, it wasn't a battlefield! I was told by not only the werewolves but by Edward as well that the vampires were miles away! And Seth was there to protect me! Where were you?!"
"I can't protect you in the Res!" Rosalie shouted back. "And I can't protect you if you're making such ridiculously stupid actions as walking out to pay James a visit! Not even the wolves can protect someone that stupid!"
"I didn't! Oh my god! What is wrong with you? Why aren't you listening to me?" Bella screamed back.
The door opened and Charlie walked in followed by Carlisle.
"Get away from my daughter!" Charlie said the words with such affirmation it felt like a shout but his voice remained firm and calm.
"Now, Charlie, I can promise you that Rosalie would never hurt Bella."
"I'm not worried about her breaking Bella's neck; I'm worried about her breaking Bella's heart," Charlie replied sadly.
He reached out to Bella and beckoned her to follow. Bella climbed out of the bed and tested her feet on the ground. She wiggled her toes and moved her knee. Once satisfied that everything was as it should be, she stood up and walked out with Charlie. They left with a few conversations between Charlie and Carlisle about the care for Bella's leg, but she wasn't listening. She wanted to be out of that house and away from Rosalie as quickly as she could move.
A/N: I know this was a short chapter, but so much happened in it that it felt concluded. Still a lot more answers to come on what actually happened while Bella was out cold, so don't worry. At least Rosalie made an appearance! Even if it ended off pretty badly; I just feel like the way their relationship is now, needs to change. The best way to do that is to break the two up.
[SH4DOW44] & [djsmith10186] Sorry for the cliffhanger! I know how annoying they can be, but sometimes it's worth the wait. Now we've got a good setting for villainy and heroics.
[Blue-Portrait] James will have his comeuppance, but I'm not sure it will be Rosalie that gets the revenge.
[JenDamn] Bella can end up doing some really stupid shit, I can't disagree with that, but I don't think she meant to do anything in this situation. She honestly felt like she was in a safe location and never meant to meet up with James.
[Eswizzle007] Hot and cold Rosalie is going to be learning what it means when someone won't put up with her ridiculousness.
