A/N: I've decided to extend the Olympics to a third chapter, since Edward decided to totally interrupt this one with his angstiness. Anyway, just a heads up: lots of mention of blood in this chapter, though no humans were harmed in the making :)
The bowling match would never have ended if Emmett's thirst hadn't gotten in the way. He finally admitted that he had to hunt, and it was decided that he and Carlisle would share the title of bowling champion. He had gone a record twenty-two hours without feeding, and we all let him know how proud we were. It took some time to locate any good prey; we would need to relocate again soon, hopefully to the house. While I hadn't seen the details in my parents' minds, it seemed that some of the games were designed to help Emmett with his dexterity. We had all been impressed with his delicate handling of the quartz, when he had designed the bowling balls. And he was getting cleaner with every kill he made, and he hadn't knocked down any trees in a while; the only question now was whether we could risk bringing him any closer to our human neighbors. The closest house was nearly four miles away, but there were plenty of reasons for a human to occasionally come much closer than that. On his last trip into town, Carlisle had signed up for a Post Office Box, explaining that we would be doing some renovations to our property, and would be temporarily taking down our mailbox, which sat on the main road at the end of our driveway, which was a mere half-mile long. There would often be drivers that close, but they would be moving quickly, and we hoped that with the colder weather, more cars would have their tops on. We didn't have trash pick-up or any other regular services, but there was always the occasional hiker that wandered near our backyard. A bigger risk would be the occasional out-of-towner knocking on our door for directions- unlikely, but it had happened twice already since we had moved here.
After the hunt, we returned to the huge sack that Carlisle had brought with him, and Emmett was happy to see that a basketball was waiting for him there. I quickly modified one of the baskets I had made into a hoop, and affixed it fifty feet up a tree that stood at the edge of a clearing. Emmett wanted to rip up the grass in order to make a more level court, but Carlisle said an artificial clearing would raise too many questions, were someone to stumble across it anytime soon.
The game didn't last long. At first it was too easy, with everyone jumping and making every shot. I moved the basket up another fifty feet, but then there was too much foliage blocked our jumps and our shots. I moved it back down, and Carlisle made a no-jumping rule. This made the game too boring in general, and at any rate, Emmett accidentally popped the ball during one of his more enthusiastic passes.
By the time we gave up on basketball, Esme was ready with her mysterious rock game. She had each of us, herself included, stand by one of the piles. The rules were simple: we had ten minutes to construct as tall a tower as possible, using only the rocks at our disposal- the only other rule was that you had to use all of the rocks. It was soon obvious that most of our vampire characteristics wouldn't be of use in this one, with the exception of our steady hands and the ability to jump high enough to work on the top of our towers. We all laughed out loud when she explained the inspiration for this game: it was a project she had given her class back when she was teaching. Our "building blocks" were much larger and less colorful than the ones the children had used. But we weren't offended, and we tackled this challenge with the same competitive spirit as all the others. Emmett had quite a bit of trouble; his hand was just as steady as any vampire's, but he was still learning to modulate the force he used.
Carlisle quickly outpaced the rest of us, having built in the style of a house of cards. He was congratulating himself when Esme pointed out that he still had one rock he hadn't used, and when he gingerly placed it atop the others, the entire tower collapsed. Esme herself was eventually declared the winner.
The next event wasn't so much a competition, as an experiment. Carlisle had always wanted to clock my top running speed, and so he had brought a stopwatch. On one of his trips, he had found an old dirt path near the ruins of an ancient hunting cabin, and he thought it might be good enough to use as a track. When we had cleared and flattened the dirt as much as we could, we had a good three-quarters of a mile of fairly straight road. Rosalie and Esme came in at 115 and 110 miles per hour, respectively, and Carlisle at 134.
We were all curious to see whether Emmett would be able to match me. I had been hard pressed to match his pace that first time I had chased him, though that run hadn't been a straight shot. Now that he had begun to lose his initial strength and speed, I wondered whether I would be able to beat him yet. It was decided that I would run first, since Emmett was likely to tear up the road when his turn came. I was actually quite nervous as I knelt down, waiting for Carlisle to start the watch; even though I wasn't competing with anybody, I was hoping to make the speed that I had always fancied myself capable of: 150 miles per hour. Carlisle's finger pressed the button, and I sprang forward, the forest and the end marker blurring past me as I crashed right into the ruined cabin at the end of the road. I shook off the rotten planks that had fallen around me, and ran eagerly back to Carlisle, whose eyes were wide as he gaped at the watch: I was equally amazed to calculate an astonishing 173 miles per hour. My family laughed at me as a huge grin spread over my face, and then the laughter erupted into cheers. I was already wondering how much faster I could come in if I was on a real track, and if I had more starting room. And we had only estimated our track length at three quarters of a mile… I was daring to guess that I could really do 180 when I heard Emmett take off at a pounding run away from us; but he couldn't touch me, clocking in at a mere 140.
"Shoulda done this when I first woke up," he muttered as he accepted my high-five.
"I'll be more than happy to challenge you again in a few months," I said with a smirk.
No way.
"No, seriously, I'm curious to see how fast you are when you're a year old," I said. "You're bound to always be fast, what with the length of your stride, and your extra strength. And you may actually gain back a few miles per hours once you've learned more, ah, delicacy."
He considered this, glancing back at the dirt road, which he had indeed torn up. It wasn't that Emmett didn't share every vampire's natural agility; it was just that he weighed quite a lot, and he was still getting used to the "give" of each material he encountered. He wasn't usually so rough on the ground itself anymore, but he had been more than enthusiastic with his sprint. "All right, we'll go again next October," he agreed.
We all worked to cover the road back over with brush again, and Carlisle announced that we were ready to begin the more difficult challenges. "These challenges are for Emmett, mainly, though I think the first one will be difficult for all of us," he added, and I frowned when I saw him thinking about what he had brought, and buried in ice six miles away: three glass bottles, full of human blood.
"I'm ready for anything," Emmett said eagerly.
"I think you are, son," Carlisle chuckled. "All the same, I'd like you to sit down while I explain this one." Emmett plopped onto the ground, smiling to hear Carlisle call him "son"; he hadn't said it since the day of the accident. "In fact, I think we're just about ready to move back home."
"Thank God!" Rosalie groaned. "I'm sick of living in the woods." Shampoo! And I can't wait for Emmett to see me in that pink tea dress.
"But in order to do that," Carlisle continued, "it will be necessary to work on your control around the scent of humans. Our home is isolated, but there will be times when a human or two will be close by."
"He's not ready to be around humans," Rosalie protested.
"Not closely, no," Carlisle agreed. Let's see how he reacts to the words, first. "But he can start learning to control himself when he comes across their scent. I stopped by the hospital yesterday and got some bottled blood-"
Emmett's eyes darkened as they snapped over to the sack of supplies. I haven't smelled anything. Where is it? Don't get up, don't get up…
"Well done, Emmett," Carlisle said proudly. "That was the first test- not jumping up at the mention of the blood. It's far enough away that you can't smell it yet- and it's buried cold. If you smelled it now, it wouldn't be too appetizing. The test is simple: I'm going to return to where I have it hidden, and warm it back up. Then I'm going to slowly walk back toward you with it, with the lid off the bottle. I want you to keep breathing the whole time."
Emmett squirmed, finding it more difficult to remain seated as he imagined the glorious aroma of human blood coming closer and closer. I can do this. I'm going to make her proud of me. Don't get up. Don't. Get. UP. He laced his fingers together, and sat on them, grinding his teeth with effort. "Okay… so what's the game? To see how close you can get without me attacking you?"
Carlisle frowned. "The idea is for you to not attack me at all, Emmett. And I'm not going to bring it all the way back to you. If I can get within a mile upwind of you without you losing control, I'll consider the test passed."
"I don't know about this," Emmett sulked. This is gonna be a disaster. At least if I mess up, I'll get to taste it again. His eyes darkened further and he growled quietly, chiding himself for the thought.
"I think you can do it," Esme said kindly. "Remember your first day? You took off running just because Rosalie mentioned human blood. You've come such a long way already, and-"
"That was before I killed that guy," Emmett retorted.
"-and accidents can happen," Esme continued. "Did Rosalie tell you about the time I killed a human?"
Emmett's eyebrows jumped up. "You had an accident?"
"Yes, I did. And I was several years old. So please, give yourself some credit. We'll all be here to help you. And if the test doesn't go as planned, well, we'll just try again another time."
"I'll need to come with you, Carlisle," I interrupted. "To get the blood. That way I can make sure there aren't any real humans nearby while you prepare it, just in case Emmett loses it and runs toward you."
He looked back at me doubtfully. "I don't think so, Edward. It would be quite painful for you." You know your control hasn't been as strong ever since you came back.
I crossed my arms stubbornly. "I want to do it. I'll consider it an exercise for my control, as well. Anyway, a little sore throat is worth preventing another accident, don't you think?"
"Well, yes…"
"And besides, the test will work better, with me beside you. I'll be able to monitor Emmett's mind once we get close enough, and we'll be able to slow down or back up whenever we need to, to help him succeed."
He sighed. "All right, come on."
.
.
.
We ran quickly back to the place where we had hidden the blood. "No one nearby," I confirmed.
Carlisle kicked aside a mound of leaves and began to dig, mentally instructing me to prepare a small fire. "How was Emmett doing, when you could hear him last?"
"He had calmed down a bit. He's eager to prove himself, and even more eager for Rosalie to be proud of him."
Carlisle reached into the hole and pulled out one of the three bottles, shaking the ice off of the glass. My eyes were instantly drawn to the red, gelatinous mass inside. It was hard to imagine that it was the same substance as the blood covering the corpse of Emmett's accidental kill last month. I had struggled that day, to be sure, but I had been in control the whole time. I could do this.
When I had gotten a good fire going, Carlisle rolled up his right sleeve and held the bottle over the flame, unscrewing the lid with his other hand. A peculiar scent filled the air; not unpleasant, but hardly appetizing. I had never smelled blood this cold before, and I watched in fascination as my father spun the neck of the bottle between his fingers, letting it dance in and out of the flame.
The very idea of storing human blood in any way was mind-boggling. A few years ago, it hadn't even been conceived of, by either species. The implications to human medicine were huge; as a vampire, of course, my mind was drawn to more macabre possibilities. I imagined our little-used icebox at home, now able to be stocked with our favorite beverage. It would be a simple matter for Carlisle to procure the blood; he would have to travel to several different hospitals in order for the theft to be overlooked, but it could be done. I imagined Esme wearing a little lace apron, standing at the stove and humming as she stirred a-
"Edward!" Carlisle's voice snapped me out of my fantasy and I instantly felt ashamed at what I had been thinking. I hadn't even noticed the subtle change in the aroma as the blood began to liquefy, but I noticed it now, and it was clearly affecting me. "I said, you'd better move back a bit. It's going to be warming up soon."
"It already is," I said in a scathing tone. I took my hand off my throat; when had it gotten there? I had to hand it to the monster; he wasn't usually this creative. Lace apron, indeed.
"Is it?" He leaned in, taking a whiff. "I can hardly notice a change, yet." Your sensitivity must be even higher than I thought. Move back.
"No."
He looked up at me. "It's only going to get worse."
"I can do this, Carlisle. I need to do this."
He frowned. "Look, I appreciate your desire to desensitize yourself further, and we can do that together another time. But right now, I need you at your best. We're doing this for your brother, not for you."
"I don't really see the point," I scoffed. "This isn't going to desensitize him; it's going to torture him."
"I'm not trying to desensitize him," he answered patiently. "It's much too early for that. I'm trying to help him with his physical and mental self-control. Up until now, we've done everything possible to keep him completely separated from the scent of humans. And it will be a long time before he's ready to begin true exposure. But his body needs to practice fighting its predatory instincts, if we're ever going to bring him back home with us. It's a simple matter of training the- Edward! For God's sake, stop breathing for a minute!"
I jumped back in alarm, his voice breaking through the fog that had been clouding my mind again. The blood's aroma was sweetening more with every second now, and I had been drawing subconsciously closer to the fire, my hand inching up towards the bottle. I clenched the traitorous fingers into a fist and turned away, holding my breath in defeat. Carlisle was right; this wasn't about me. I stretched out with my gift, making sure that Emmett wasn't suddenly appearing within my range.
He wasn't there, of course. Unlike me, Emmett knew his limitations. Unlike me, he was prepared for this exercise. What had I been thinking?! That just because I hadn't killed anyone recently, my sensitivity to blood would have just improved on its own? That my success at resisting the blood of Emmett's human kill somehow qualified me for the next round? That my control would somehow begin to bear even the slightest resemblance to my father's? Idiot!
"Are you all right?" Carlisle asked. I slowly turned back around, my eyes widening when they didn't find the bottle over the flame, where it belonged. The flow of venom increased and my muscles tensed in anger; where had he hidden it? How dare he take it from me!
But then I saw that he was just holding the bottle behind his back, keeping it out of my sight in an effort to help me calm down. Here I was, getting ready to attack him, and he was just trying to help me, as usual. "I'm fine," I snapped. "I'm going to move away now, like I should have done in the first place."
Through Carlisle's eyes, I watched myself melt away into the shadows. Once I was out of sight, he moved the blood back over the flame, taking care not to look down at it too much, for my sake. He just sighed as he heard me slam my fist into a tree that was blocking my path. I knew this was a bad idea, he thought.
I knocked over another tree, enraged by his pity. Of course it had been a bad idea! Most of my ideas were, weren't they? I continued stalking through the woods until I was half a mile away. I inhaled carefully, gladly accepting the punishing burn in my throat. "I'm half a mile closer to camp," I said in a normal voice. "Still no sign of him. Can you still hear me?" I inhaled again, clenching my teeth against the pain.
Yes, I can hear you. Are you SURE you're all right?
I forced my jaws to relax, determined to sound calm. "Yes. I'm fine. I'm sorry."
Carlisle just shook his head, peeking down at the bottle again and giving it a shake to distribute the heat. The pain in my throat grew as I saw the warmer edges of the blood swish around the gelatinous mass in the center. Understanding finally dawned on me; the reason that I had been able to resist the corpse was that the blood hadn't been moving anymore. I hadn't taken into account my delay while I had been waiting for my hand to heal. By the time I had reached my family, the man had already been dead for over five minutes. But this blood was different. The rising aroma, the movement inside the glass- I shuddered at my failure. I had really thought that I was better than this. I had thought that I was improving. I had actually thought that I would be able to get through medical school! What a joke.
I continued breathing for several minutes, determined to make the most of the experience; but I wouldn't let Emmett down. I strained with the effort, the monster pulling me in one direction and my mind focused in the other direction. The thirst raked at my throat until I finally began to lose my concentration, and I grudgingly held my breath again. With my air cut off, the pain began to recede and I regained control over my gift again. Still no sign of Emmett.
Edward, I've got it ready and I'm coming closer. Maybe you should hold your breath for this part.
"I'm fine now," I lied. "Anyway, I'll just stay a bit ahead of you; it'll give my range a boost." Through Carlisle's mind I saw him get up and kick the fire out. He began to walk forward, and I stumbled away from him, away from the blood. We walked slowly back toward the camp, keeping the half-mile between us the whole time. There was hardly any wind, so that made our task easier. Carlisle was continually swishing the bottle as he walked, to keep the blood from coagulating. He was still being careful not to look at it, but only for my sake. I could tell that his own thirst was a gentle tickle in the back of his throat; there was no venom flow whatsoever. Carlisle would say that his iron control was due to centuries of practice, and of denial. But he had tasted human blood less than a month ago, when he had changed Emmett; and still, he was barely affected! I wasn't sure whether to be awestruck or angry. I was both, at any rate.
…hear me, get Carlisle to…about to lose it…
I stopped in my tracks when Rosalie's thoughts trickled into my mind. I turned around. "Stop for a moment," I called. Carlisle halted immediately and covered the bottle opening with his hand, waiting for me to speak again. I ran forward a bit, wanting to get a clearer picture of how Emmett was doing. I finally saw him through Rosalie's eyes; he was sitting on the ground, his body scrunched up like a pretzel as he trembled with effort.
Not gonna do it. Not gonna do it. Not gonna do it.
I smiled proudly; my brother's physical control was being pushed to the limit, but I was pleased with his focus. The pain in my own throat grew as I registered his outrageous thirst, and it only made me more impressed with him.
"He's all right for now," I called back to Carlisle in a louder voice. "Let's give him a couple of minutes." We were already two and a half miles from the rest of our family, and I was beginning to think that Emmett could actually pass the test, if we went slow enough.
I waited for Emmett to stop trembling, and then we advanced again, more slowly this time. Emmett was moaning in pain now, but he was determined to complete the challenge. Rosalie was standing over him anxiously, kneading his shoulders in an effort to help him relax.
I could tell from experience when we hit the mile mark; it was around this point where I had to exert more effort to keep someone's thoughts away, than to hear them. Carlisle had stopped as well, having recognized the place where he had been intending to stop all along. He did it! Why don't you go ahead and speak to him. I'm going to wait a minute, and then I'm going to spill the blood on the ground. I'll get your attention when I'm about to do it.
I ran the rest of the way, finding Emmett still scrunched up on the ground. His fingers were laced behind his neck and his eyes were closed as he continued his mantra.
Not gonna do it. Not gonna do it.
"You did it, Emmett!" I announced as I came out of the trees. His eyes popped open and he grinned.
"I did? He's only a mile away?" I nodded, and he jumped to his feet, whooping in triumph. Rosalie tackled him to the ground, peppering his face with congratulatory kisses.
I held up my hands. "Hold on, there's one more challenge. Carlisle is going to spill the blood on the ground shortly, so that you can experience the scent for a few more minutes. I'll give you some warning, though."
Rosalie frowned as she looked at my eyes. "You're a mess, Edward."
I just glared at my sister. Her eyes were their usual gold, of course. Why wouldn't they be? At least Emmett's eyes were as black as my own, and Esme was experiencing a little discomfort. "Gee, thanks," I muttered back. Then I cocked my head, listening. "Carlisle is going to spill the blood now."
We all tensed as the delicious scent suddenly doubled around us. The blood wasn't as warm anymore, so it wasn't as bad as it could have been; still, Emmett began trembling again and I closed my eyes in frustration as my throat burst in fresh flames. The scent began to degrade before long, and Carlisle appeared, wearing a huge smile.
"Well done, Emmett!" he said proudly. "The test is officially over." Emmett bowed theatrically and we all gave him our applause.
"Well, that was… fun," Emmett said when he was able to speak again. Not.
Carlisle grinned mischievously. "I'm glad you think so, because there are two more bottles." Emmett just groaned, and Esme and Rosalie laughed at him. "But we'll wait a while for that. Esme is in charge of the next game, and I think you deserve a little hunt first."
Hunt. Yes. Emmett rubbed his hands together in anticipation. "All right, let's go."
Carlisle waved his hand dismissively. "Why don't you and Edward go on ahead? I don't think the rest of us need anything."
Emmett spun around. "You mean it? I can go hunting with just one person?" Maybe I can go with Rose sometime.
"I think you've earned a bit more freedom, after your success," Carlisle said kindly. And Edward needs to hunt, too. He glanced at me apologetically, and I nodded in reluctant agreement.
Emmett punched me in the arm and jerked his head toward the forest. "Come on, Eddie. Let's go kill something."
"Edward," I growled as I followed after him.
.
.
A/N: Still looking for a couple more vampire sport ideas!