The Blood Of One. The Sins Of Many.

Chapter 10: Sealed

Disclaimer: I am not Stephenie Meyer; it's unfortunate, but true. I don't own Twilight or any of its characters either... Though I would love to, I can't take credit for that genius. The plot is my own, but all references to Twilight, its characters and the lyrics used belong to their respective owners. Thank you for letting me play in the playground!

For all you know.
You keep yourself from rising tone, no future holds.
Slowly look up, you're looking hard to find love.
Low key, fatal tune.

You and I by Washed Out

"Fuck!"

It wasn't the most eloquent of responses, but there it was.

"Bella–" Alice started, but I put my hand up to stop her. I pushed off the door and tried to ignore the clawing at my guts as all the emotions hit at once. I needed a fix of something to take off the edge, but I'd been adamant about leaving it at the hotel.

"Do you think we could get this finished in one night?" I asked, leaning against the wall in the hall. I needed to get the hell out of there. I didn't think I could take another surprise at my door.

Emmett held up one of the costumes I owned and peeked through the sheer material at me. "As long as you don't mind losing a few boxes."

I covered my face with the heels of my hands and started to laugh. It started from my stomach and bubbled up, spilling from me in a burst. It wasn't long until it turned into completely manic hysteria and I was sliding down the wall until I was on my knees. I was that way for a while, but then, inevitably, the tears came. Once they started, I couldn't seem to stop. I was so pissed at myself for the burst of emotion, I cried harder. When Alice tried to approach me yet again, I growled a warning at her and fought to finally catch my breath. I wasn't weak and I sure as hell didn't need comfort from any of them.

Without a word, Rosalie pushed them back to work and gave me a nod. Somehow, we'd come to an understanding. She seemed to understand more than anyone that all I needed was some space. That I needed to collect myself and pull the fractured pieces back into place so I could glue it all back together. I just hated that they'd seen this vulnerability in me because it was so rare. I'd spent years fighting the tearful mess I'd been. Drugs weren't exactly the best way to combat that, but it had worked for me that long. Well, up until my past caught back up with me, anyway. I'd cried more in that one week than I had in the years since dad had died.

How was I going to deal with all of the shit sober was another one of those fucking bridges I was beginning to loathe. My life was slowly becoming a maze of bridges I wasn't certain how to navigate. They had cross points and curves from hell. The only way to describe it was a tangled mess.

I'd been stupid to ask these people for help. I couldn't get away from my past when they were intricately enmeshed with it. It was like someone had pulled all the ivy away and revealed a door that I'd have preferred to stay hidden. Being sober around them was going to be hell, but surviving it would only make me stronger. If I could live through that, I could live through anything.

I tried my best to put all of the shit back into their appropriate boxes in my head and pushed myself to get this done. The sooner I was out of there it would be one less thing to worry about. I moved to the dresser where Emmett was still going through the one drawer dedicated to work clothes and snatched a fire engine red teddy from his hands.

"You wore this?" He asked, one eyebrow arched with interest. I simply smiled at him and held back any other reaction so I wouldn't do another Linda Blair from The Exorcist and spew my emotions all over them.

"Damn."

"Shut up, Emmett." Rose laughed from across the room where she was helping Alice. "Anyone would think you've never seen a stripper before."

"But this is Bella we're talking about."

"The same Bella within hearing distance." I snorted.

"I know. I just never believed it when I first read it. You're just not who I pictured when I saw it."

I froze. Something in his words had alerted me and made my blood run cold. It didn't help that the atmosphere in the room had coagulated around us either. Emmett had obviously said something he wasn't supposed to have.

I looked to the two women that had completely come to a standstill, I wasn't even sure they were still breathing. The only person who hadn't noticed the sudden drop in barometric pressure was Emmett, who was holding up one of my many devil costumes.

"Read?" I asked, my voice not sounding like my own, even to my own ears. "What the hell do you mean read it?"

"Ah shit." Emmett grumbled looking from me to Alice and Rosalie as recognition finally set in.

"That's not an answer, Emmett!" I ground out through clenched teeth. "What did you mean?"

Emmett ran his hand over his face and looked to Alice and Rose for help. There was no way in hell I was going to let them manipulate him into staying silent. I knew how these things worked. Just as I would start getting answers, one of the others would throw a spanner in the works making whoever was doing the talking close up like a clam.

"Tell me, Emmett."

"Get out your phone."

"Why?"

"Because I'm going to show you."

I pulled out my cell phone and moved to hand it to him, but he wiggled his fingers at me, reminding me that he couldn't activate the screen with his cold fingers.

"Fine." I sighed. "What do I need to do?"

"Download Facebook."

"What?"

"Just go to..." He looked over my shoulder. "Apps. Search for Facebook. Do you have a computer?"

"No. I don't have internet or Wi-Fi access. I use the laptop to play solitaire."

Emmett shook his head in disbelief as the app downloaded. I could see Alice and Rosalie whispering in the corner, and chose to ignore them. If that was the only way I was going to get answers, then so be it.

"As I opened the program, it asked me for my login information. "I don't have an account."

"EequalsM. at gmail dot com."

I looked at him and smirked, but typed the name in anyway. Trust Emmett to come up with something like that for an email address.

"Password?"

"Grizzly, with an exclamation instead of an I."

"Why?"

"It's safer to have symbols in it so you don't get hacked."

"No," I said, genuinely smiling. "Why grizzly?"

"I needed something I wouldn't forget." He shrugged, leaning over to see whether I was entering it correctly.

"You have a photographic memory." I reminded him, but he shrugged again, and mumbled about how it was a good thing seeing as he'd have to change it now anyway.

As soon as I logged in, he pointed to a small menu and guided me toward a name I didn't want to piece together with this small disaster. Though it made sense that it should be something like this. I took off on my own after that, navigating like a pro as I searched for what I knew was going to be there.

Of course it was even worse than I'd imagined. Just after a post that read: Vegas Baby! What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. Hope my future wife loves me enough to forgive Dennis for this. Was the post I was looking for.

Found Bella in Vegas. If you decide to venture down to sin city head to Pussy Galore's and give her your best. She's definitely a girl that's improved with age.

"Motherfucker." I hissed from my teeth and forced myself to click on the comments that were underneath it.

Jessica Stanley: Should have known! No one can be that pure and innocent. Bet she has a kid or something that she has to support.

Lauren Mallory: Who cares? She was a pain in my ass. That sugar wouldn't melt in my mouth shit was old and tired anyway. Mike, does she give "Extras?"

Eric Yorkie: Are you fucking serious? Anyone up for a trip to Vegas? I gotta see this!

Tyler Crowley: Hell yes!

Angela Webber: Wow! Nice to see you've all grown up since high school. I used to think I missed you guys, but you haven't changed a bit. None of you know what she's been through. Have any of you even considered how or why she got there? Have you forgotten what happened a couple years ago? You're all still so self-involved. I really can't believe you went this low, and are speculating over idle gossip. And you Mike! You should be ashamed of yourself for starting all of this and posting it in the first place!

That was the end of the messages. No one seemed to know how to respond to Angela's defense of me. I think I expected most of the comments on there, but I had to admit, Jessica's stung. She was the only one who had even tried to reach out to me after my dad died. Just before I'd left mom's house that night, I saw the notepad by the phone. There was a tally next to Jacob's called, but under that was Jessica and Angela's name. They'd cared enough to ask after me and see how I was doing. No one else had.

"Bella–" Emmett started in a sympathetic tone, but I put up my hand and stopped him. I didn't need pity or sympathy. I didn't want to think about any of this, except for the fact that if Victoria were trolling the Internet, she would easily find me. I'd told Ryan to forget my name and act as though he didn't know me if anyone asked. I just hope he stuck to that, or I would go after Mike Newton and hold him accountable for anything that happened.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I asked, taking a deep breath. I was trying to be composed, but I could feel the anger boiling up inside of me. It set a fire in my lungs that made my throat ache with every breath I took. If they said one word about protecting me, I knew it wouldn't end well.

"We were going to, then you wanted to get clean and leave here, we figured it didn't matter. Anyone that showed up would be disappointed."

"You're not the only people that have read this. I don't give a shit what people from fucking high school say."

"Then who are you worried about? Your mom or your dad?"

"Forget it." I sighed in defeat, my hands running through my hair and scooping it into a bun at the back of my neck. I didn't want to discuss this with them. They obviously had a selective memory where Victoria was concerned, and I sure as hell wasn't getting into the sob story about my dad. If I though they were giving me too much sympathy at that point, it would be unbearable once that was leaked.

"Can we just get this done so I can get this over with? The sooner I'm clean, the sooner I'm out of your hair." I didn't have the energy to tell them just how close I was to changing my mind already, but the scratching of the withdrawals were already making the need to claw at my skin and pull out my hair unbearable. I always had extreme emotions when the drugs depleted from my system. I put the melting pot of emotions down to that and started stuffing things into boxes without paying much attention.

I could feel them all staring at me with wide eyes as I wiped the counters off with my arms and the useless, cheap trinkets showered into the box I was holding like trash from a dumpster.

I could feel the eyes of everyone in the room on me as I worked with anger as my motivation. I felt like I was a fish in a tank as the stood around watching, doing nothing as I continued the rampant form of packing. I tried to keep my hands busy, dumping things in boxes and throwing things at the door. I was a ticking time bomb just waiting to go off, and the shaking of my hands became steadily worse as sweat beaded on my skin. It wasn't like I was hot. Since I'd read all of that shit on the phone, my blood felt like ice water in my veins.

I was pushing myself to my limits and I knew it, and I had a feeling that Alice did too. She finally slipped out of the room and left the other two to organize the mess I was creating in my whirlwind of destruction. I could pretend it didn't stab at me all I wanted, but the truth was, I was angry. So angry that I wanted to route march my happy ass to wherever Mike Newton live and rip his chubby head from his shoulders.

He had no idea what he'd done. How much danger he'd put not just me, but everyone I knew at the club in. If Victoria had seen that any sooner, it could have been her trap I'd walked into and not Edward's. In hindsight that surprise really wasn't that big of a deal.

I was also mad at myself for not asking them how they knew where I was. I'd figured it was Alice that had seen me, but the adage about assumptions had never been more true. I should have known that Mike wouldn't have kept that to himself, especially after I shut him down yet again. I could almost guarantee that was exactly why he'd done what he did. He'd never accepted rejection very well, and this was another perfect example of that.

I made a promise to myself in that one moment. I would get through the Cullen version of rehab, and when I did; I would hunt his ass down and make him pay for what he'd done. My life may have actually taken a different path if he hadn't have walked into the club that night, and I was hell bent on tit for tat.

I turned around to grab my bedding, but as I did, a wave of nausea roiled in my gut and flooded my mouth with saliva. That was the part I hated the most about withdrawals. With my hand over my mouth, I bolted toward the bathroom and slammed the door behind me as I fell to my knees and emptied my stomach in the bowl.

I heaved and heaved until there wasn't even fluid to release. Cool hands on the back of my neck as my hair was pulled back almost made me groan at the feel of it. I could tell by the shoes that it was Rosalie, and decided it was probably better to not say anything, but then she went and put her hand on my forehead, cooling it with her gentle touch.

"Alice called Carlisle. He's bringing the drugs with him," she said, sitting on the tub. "You look like shit."

"I feel like shit, but thanks for the vote of confidence."

"Would you rather I lied to you?"

"No." I responded honesty, sitting back on my knees and flushing the toilet. She knew as well as I did that my bullshit meter was full to the brim, and her honesty was the one refreshing thing in my life at the moment.

"So what comes next?"

"In what context?"

"Withdrawals," she said, swapping hands.

"Hallucinations, and a whole lot of nasty. As far as I know it gets to the point where my body starts shutting down to help me through it and I've heard there's a loss of control in my bodily functions."

Rose shuddered delicately, and petted my hair with her free hand. It was amazing that out of all of the people I thought of as friends in this family, she would be the one I identified with now. She hadn't changed, but I had, and I understood her a little better, because like her, I was stuck in a life I hadn't chosen for myself. Though a lot of the responsibility sat on my shoulders, there were things that triggered it and took me to this point.

"Why would you do that to yourself?"

"Because there's a freedom that comes with the high. I don't have to think about anything, I don't have to be constantly reminded of every bad decision I made and what came of those decisions. I don't have to think about the person I used to be. "

"You weren't that bad, Bella."

"No, I wasn't. Then I stepped foot in Forks."

"What happened after we left, Bella?"

I pushed up from the floor and stumbled out of the bathroom and into the kitchen. I pulled out a bottle of water from the fridge and rinsed my mouth out before gulping some of it down. When I went back to the bathroom to brush my teeth, she followed me with her eyes expectantly. I may have felt slightly closer to her, but that didn't mean I was going to be cracked open like a bottle of champagne on a ships inaugural sail.

I brushed my teeth, hard and threw the toothbrush back in the make up bag I'd given Alice for my toiletries.

"I don't want to talk about it."

"When you do. You know where to find me."

I nodded in thanks and stumbled back into the combined living/bedroom. Emmett was piling things neatly in the corner, and I could see just how much shit I'd thrown about in my pity party. As much as the guy liked to joke, I knew he wouldn't say anything. It was the only time I'd seen him with anything akin to stoic indifference on his face.

"Leave it, Emmett. That's all the stuff I'm going to throw out. I appreciate it though."

He nodded and stepped away from the pile of crap on the floor. He picked up a box and started putting the DVD's in the bottom drawer of my dresser in it. This quiet side of him, though I hated to admit it, unnerved me.

"I'm sorry. It's just a lot. You know?"

Emmett looked at me, and then past me. When I turned I saw Rosalie in the door, shaking her head at him as though warning him not to push me. I couldn't even imagine what he wanted to say, and I didn't want to care, but I was starting to realize that this was Emmett. I couldn't ever stay mad at him for long. Two days was quite a feat where that was concerned.

"Say it, Emmett."

"You don't want to hear it, Bella," Rosalie said from behind me. Her voice tired and resigned.

"I probably don't, but this serious side of Emmett is depressing me."

She laughed behind me, and I turned back to give her a half smile. I could only imagine how she felt with Emmett in this reticent mood. She was married to him, which probably meant she'd at least seen this before though.

"I never wanted to leave, at least not without you, Bella. Edward was a selfish asshole for what he did. As bad as it was for you, it was just as bad for the rest of us who loved you."

I put my hand on his arm, and then leaned into him for a hug. I looked back at Rosalie who actually seemed surprised. Whether it was Emmett's admission or my willingness to show affection, I wasn't sure.

"You were right, Rose," I said, stepping out of the hug and grinning at her. "I didn't want to hear it, but I think I needed to." My smile faded. "I wish it was enough to just get past it, but that was six years ago. That's a lot of time for cracks to turn into canyons. I just need time to get past this, and we can try the friend's thing, but you know I can't promise the same can be said for Edward. There's just too much history there."

Emmett snorted beside me, and playfully punched my arm, almost sending me careening into the wall. "Edward can look after himself. He made his bed, time he laid in it."

"Easily said when he's not here to defend himself," Alice said from the door, sliding her phone into her pocket. "But, that doesn't mean I don't understand. Now, why don't we get your things together so we can get on the road? We have a long drive ahead of us."

"Should I go and get a U-Haul?" I asked, leaning against the wall for support on my jellied legs. I really wasn't enjoying the onslaught of these withdrawals, but I could honestly say that having company was helping in keeping away the rest of the memories, and kept me from ruminating for the time being.

"Edward is going to grab one. Carlisle, Jasper and Esme are going to drop him off on the way over here."

"Then I guess we really should get packing."

We spend the next little while packing, though I really couldn't say I was much help. The withdrawals were becoming unbearable. I was getting sick more often, and the pain was beginning to make me double over. It was a taste of what was to come, and I wasn't looking forward to it. I could only imagine the intensity of it after a full twenty-four hours, and beyond that... I didn't want to think about that. It was only going to deter me from doing it, and it was becoming obvious that wasn't an option. I had asked for their help, and they were going to give it to me.

When Esme and Carlisle arrived, Esme fell into her usual maternal role, grabbing wet face clothes and cleaning off my brow, or holding back my hair while I threw up. My hands were too shaky to produce a dose for myself, so I had to walk Carlisle through it. His nose almost upturned as some of the less desirable aspects needed to be done.

As the tourniquet was released and the drugs flooded my body, I let go of everything and let myself float into the nothingness that my mind constantly clung to while I was in that state. It's what I'd needed, and my body was its slave as it floated toward the chemical ecstasy it promised.

I wasn't exactly certain how long I was in my happy little ball of euphoria, I hadn't been paying attention when I'd been given my reprieve from reality, so it wasn't as though looking at the clock was going to help. All I did know was I had a room full of vampires milling around talking quietly amongst themselves as the buzzed version of consciousness set in and my body stopped floating in suspended animation around me.

When I looked around, my things were gone, and the bed was the only thing still occupying the space. Even my sheets had been pulled out from around me.

"That was fast." I groaned, sitting up and letting my lips curl into a smile. My face was numb, so I could only imagine how it looked. I was certain it was closer to a grimace than a smile.

"That's what happens when you let vampire pack your things." Emmett laughed, reaching over to muss my hair. "Have a nice trip?"

"If I could remember any of it I would relive it for you." I replied, swinging my legs over the side of the bed and letting my body sway in its relaxation.

The moment I was off the bed, Emmett and Jasper grabbed the mattress, while Edward and Carlisle picked up the box spring below it. Alice didn't waste a second swooping in to dismantle the bedframe. For my fog-addled brain, it felt like one of those dreams where things fell away behind you with every step you took. Had I been in a more sober frame of mind, I would have been more nervous about the fact that I'd been insentient with a brood of vampires around me. That was the thing about drugs though, you didn't think once they were in your system, and you sure as hell didn't think when you were jonesing for a hit so badly you were throwing up everything in your body.

"Do you have anything else you need to do before we leave, sweetheart?" Esme asked, stepping toward me, her arm circling my waist to support my swaying form.

"No. The only person I needed to say anything to stopped by earlier, and that was too much fun for me."

"Well, do you need to go to the bathroom or anything before we hit the road?"

"We're leaving now?" I asked, a little surprised by how quickly it had all come together. I was feeling pretty warm and toasty considering I'd had a nice hit.

"Sooner is better than later." Rosalie interjected. "As much as I love Vegas, I think its best you leave it behind you. I know you're not looking forward to this, but I think Carlisle has enough to prepare you one more dose before we get to our destination, the rest is being disposed of as hazardous waste."

I nodded, but inside my mind was already screaming about what I'd got myself into. I was about to leave this life behind, and with it, I was leaving my sanctuary and the only escape I'd ever managed to garner since my dad had died. I realized that it was my fear talking; I was terrified of the withdrawals and what they were going to do to me.

"You probably have a full day to deal with it. Just take your time and try not to think about it too much," Esme said gently, she picked up my bag as she guided me to the door.

I looked over my shoulder at the empty room that had once held all of my earthly possessions. All that remained were lighter areas of carpet and discolored spots on the walls. There was nothing of me to be left behind in a place like this, because I didn't have enough left to give. I was already too close to being an empty shell.

As Alice and Rosalie slipped past me with the last of the bed frame, Esme pulled the door closed behind us. I was really doing this. I was once again walking away from my life and not looking back.

Authors Note: So now we know how they found out about Bella! Seems social networking is not Bella Swan's friend at the moment! I know it was another relatively slow one but I promise I'm building up to something here lol!

Thanks to all of you for read, alerting and adding to favorites, and thank you so much to everyone who reviewed. Your thoughts blow my mind and I hope I was able to answer questions even if it was a little late in getting there *grins* I love you all, and I wish I had a way of thanking you! For everything you do!

Pinkindeed... you know why I love and adore you! Without you this would have stayed a nagging thought in the back of my mind. Our talks always blew me away!

Hev99, Sabi'sSookie... I love you both so much and I am so lucky to call you friends, sisters and family!

MWAH!

N'miss