Chapter 8

The Awakening

Bella Cullen

I was floating on a sea of dark water—pure blackness. My body felt weightless as I was carried along through the shifting waves of the void, and soon I began to immerse myself in the emptiness that surrounded me. I was at peace.

My previous nightmare was a fading memory. I had dreamt that the pack had found reason to kill my baby—and, by default, me. They had attacked the house and my beloved family while Edward stole me away to safety. The atramentous water began to ripple fiercely as my thoughts brought back the terrifying visage of the snarling wolves. It had been so real, so lifelike.

No, Jake is my friend; he would never do anything to hurt me.

As the water continued to shake and tremble beneath me, I heard the most glorious sound in the entire world. Concentrating, I pulled myself through the darkness towards the voice of my beloved. A tingle began to form in my fingers, but I ignored it, as I tried to listen through the water that surrounded my head. Unlike the image of the wolves, I was positive that I would enjoy this dream.

"How could this happen?" Edward's voice demanded through the blackness. Even through his anger I could relish in the decadence that dripped from his voice. His vocals were sinuous and innocence rolled into one. "Why couldn't you follow one simple rule?"

"You told me the others would be gone!" An angry voice answered Edward's harsh tones. "You lied to me!"

Jacob and Edward fighting; what else is new?

"I. DID. NOT. LIE!" Edward's volume increased progressively and so did the anger that saturated his every word. What were they talking about? What did Jacob believe Edward had lied about?

"Well, then your freak of a sister did!" Jacob's voice countered Edward in harshness and decibel level. If I had not been confined to these dark waters, I would have cringed and covered my ears. This dream was not as pleasant as I originally thought.

"Jacob! Edward!" Another familiar sound echoed in my ears but there was something strange about it. Carlisle's voice—usually gentle and compassionate—made me tense up. "This is not the time to throw accusations. Now, please tell me again what happened," he demanded angrily.

I heard Jacob's familiar sigh and I listened as best I could, anxious to know what was troubling them.

"We entered the house, as we were supposed to," he growled steadily. "Everything was going according to plan. We were dealing with the others as best we could without killing them—"

"The order was hinder, do not harm," Edward interrupted with a hiss. "You and Sam knowingly attacked Rosalie and Emmett!"

"Use your head, bloodsucker," Jacob scoffed bitterly. "If we had kept dancing around them, without attacking, they would have known something was up." There was a pause of silence before Jacob continued. "We had them down, when suddenly, out of nowhere came the other blonde—Jasper."

"They weren't supposed to be there," I heard Edward mumble softly.

"Regardless," Jacob snarled, "he was there and he put up quite a fight. Embry saw that we were equal in numbers and came to help me with Rosalie. He ended up taking her arm and ripping it clean off. That's when the other one, Esme, attacked and killed Embry."

"We should get back to the house," Carlisle's voice began to dissipate and fade away. His tone, along with Jacob and Edward's voices, began to echo and soon became extremely faint.

"I can't leave her," Jacob growled angrily.

Edward scoffed sarcastically. "We must speak with Sam, Jacob," Edward insisted. "It is extremely important that we discuss the issue of damage control."

"Is Bella going to be okay?" Jake asked softly.

"Physically, yes," Carlisle said hesitantly and sighed. "But other than that, I'm not sure. The operation went well though, no complications. We were able to get…out…no…"

My hearing began to waver as the weight upon me grew heavier and heavier. Very slowly I receded back to the calm waters of my mind and felt all sense of care and worry dissipate with the dream. Softly, my dream carried me onward, through the darkness, I still was able to hear a last utterance from my love.

"I love you, Bella."

Time moved quickly, and pretty soon, the darkness around me began to change color. The black water and the hollow air became red and bright, almost blinding. I also became aware of a subtle pain originating from much lower on my body. My thoughts were immediately alarmed, fearful for the baby that was still growing inside me.

Please be all right. I prayed silently to any being that was listening as an intense agony began to snake through my body.

My hands began to tingle and I felt pins and needles run through my entire body. The feeling was excruciating and I tried my best to concentrate on something else. Unfortunately, there was nothing that I could wrap my mind around more than this hollow void I felt within me—like something had been ripped away.

Little by little, strength slowly returned to arms, and I began to twist and flex my hands and fingers. Though the tingling was torturous, I was happy that I was breaking through the water now.

After what seemed like an hour, I could feel my arms, legs, and the base of my torso. I tried my hardest to open my eyes, but it was proving to be difficult. Finally, after a few more minutes of straining and collecting all my energy, I lifted my eyes open.

My first thought upon surveying the room was that this had to be a dream. The walls were a pallid gray and held several wall mounted x-ray machines. There was a strange image plastered on one of them, but my vision was too fuzzy to completely make it out. As I turned my head, I was horrified to see a tray of surgical instruments sitting a few feet away from me. What are those for? I shuddered as I made out the form of a thick scalpel gleaming in the fluorescent lights. The smell of rubbing alcohol and sterile cloth filled my lungs and I coughed violently. I tore at my memory, trying to remember if Edward and Carlisle had taken me to the hospital, but I came up empty handed.

As I tried to sit up, I was met with an intense pain, radiating from my abdomen and causing me to freeze in horror. My breath trembled in my throat placed my hands gently to where my baby was growing, only to find my stomach flat and painful to the touch. I winced while my hands traced something strange and sensitive under the hospital blanket.

Carefully, I pushed myself up—as I would have when my stomach was huge—and groaned as the deep soreness flowed through my lower half. Once I was partially sitting up, I grasped the white hospital sheet covering my body, and pulled it away.

I gawked in shock at the horrifying sight before me. My stomach was no longer full and swollen; it was flat and covered in the stretch marks that I had accumulated during my pregnancy. As I continued to gawk at my stomach, I noticed that right in the middle, moving from one side to another, was a huge line of stitches.

My body began to tremble as I stared at the ugly incision that snaked its way across my skin. I shuddered in revulsion and glanced around the room, looking for some sign of my baby. Where was he? Was he being taken care of?

I opened my mouth, attempting to call out to Edward or Carlisle. They must be somewhere nearby. But the only thing I could do was wallow in the feeling of emptiness. Something was very wrong here. Was I supposed to feel like this after giving birth? It felt like a part of me was missing.

Instantly, my mind receded to the dream I had earlier, the one where Jake and Edward had been arguing. Edward had spoken of a surgery and then about getting something out; what had it been? Simultaneously, my stomach tightened and my eyes widened as I realized what had happened. The baby—my baby—was gone.

No! This has to be a dream. That's it…this is part of the dream. I'll wake up soon enough and I'll still be pregnant. Wake up…wake up…wake up…wake up.

Nothing was helping; I was still sitting in the hospital room with the putrid smell and the hideous memories swimming in my head. This was a horrible nightmare that I wanted to escape from. I gripped the sides of my head, opened my mouth, and I screamed.

The sound shocked and horrified me, but I couldn't stop. With every cry, I felt a little bit more of the pain and anguish leak out of my broken body. My breath caught in my throat and I coughed, sending a surge of pain through my entire body. I was overcome with intense nausea as my stomach suddenly felt the need to purge itself. I hunched over as I vomited clear liquids off the side of the operating table, another cry escaping my lips.

The tears were pouring down my face as the nausea continued to force me to throw up. Oh God, why can't I wake up? Wake up Bella, wake up! "Wake up!" I screamed and held my scarred stomach.

"Bella?" A frantic voice called from outside the door, alarming me. This wasn't a voice that I expected to hear. "Bella are you in there?"

"Emmett?" I called out in between weak sobs. "Is that you?"

The door that separated us was suddenly gone, ripped off its hinges, and in its place stood my huge brother-in-law. His eyes poured over me anxiously and his nostrils flared quickly, scanning the room.

"Emmett," I cried as he walked over to me, "you're in my dream too?"

He cocked his eyebrows in shock before his features melted to sadness. "Bella," he murmured, "we'll talk about that later, but right now, I need to get you out of here." I nodded and allowed him to pick me up gently, but tensed up as he walked towards the window.

"What are you doing?" I demanded, wondering if this dream-version of Emmett would toss me from the window, instead.

He smiled softly and cradled me to his chest. "We can't leave out the front door, Bella," he said gently and stared down at me with his gigantic topaz eyes. "It's not safe; the only sure way to get out is through the window."

I swallowed hard, nodded, and hid my head in his massive chest. Shutting my eyes, I felt him hold my weak body even closer and I heard the window opening. When I opened my eyes, Emmett was approaching his jeep, which was parked in a far corner of the hospital.

However, we did not climb in the jeep. Instead, Emmett retrieved a heavy bathrobe and wrapped it around me, along with a pair of soft thermal slippers, which he promptly placed on my feet. With that, he lifted me back into his arms and rushed into the woods. Diverting my gaze, I hugged my face close to Emmett's chest, in hopes that the nausea from earlier wouldn't return as the wind whipped past me.

"Rose," Emmett mumbled and I turned my head, noticing that we had stopped moving as fast. Sure enough, my blonde sister-in-law was standing in the darkness with a look of horror on her face. "I was too late."

"Bella," Rosalie sobbed softly and moved forward, staring at my midsection with disbelief. Her hand lifted slowly and hesitantly, reaching out towards my stomach.

"Rose," Emmett said softly and she looked at him. "We should get her warmed up." Rosalie nodded and turned away quickly, heading into the darkness.

I hadn't noticed it, but my eyes were getting heavier with each passing minute. Now, I could hardly keep them open as Emmett carried me in what looked like a cave. The rock walls were dripping with condensation and browning moss hung from the ceiling.

As we moved deeper in the enclosure, I spied a fire in the deep recesses of the cave. It was not too large, but big enough to send jets of warmth towards me. Emmett set me down on a blanket next to the fire and plopped down beside me.

The warmth of the fire licked my face and warmed my frigid body, relaxing me a little. I sighed and wrapped my arms around my midsection, wincing at the pain, and leaned against the rock wall.

"So what do we do?" Emmett asked Rosalie softly.

"She can't stay here," Rose hissed back and gestured towards the outside weather. Even though it was the middle of August, it was cold outside. "If hypothermia doesn't get her first then they will."

"Who will get me?" I asked weakly and rubbed my nose. "What's going on?" Before they could answer, I simply tightened my grasp around my knees and groaned. "When am I going to wake up?"

"She thinks this is a dream?" Rosalie demanded incredulously and glared at Emmett who could only shrug. Instantly, Rose was kneeling in front of me, her hands on my upper arms. "Bella, I need you to believe me. This is not a dream. Edward, Carlisle, and Jacob have betrayed us. They staged an attack on the house so Edward could drug you. Look at yourself! Your baby is gone." Her voice broke while she motioned towards my stomach, which was throbbing at this point.

I instantly shook my head. "No, Rose," I insisted angrily. "Edward told me that he wasn't going to deny this child anymore." It was the truth; there was no way that Edward could commit such an unspeakable act.

"He lied to you, Bella!" Rosalie hissed and moved away from me. "He lied to all of us. Look at your stomach—the baby is gone."

I had not looked down at my stomach since Emmett had taken me from the hospital. As I lifted the material, I gawked at my wound. It somehow looked different than before—darker and moister. I lifted my hand and traced the painful contour of the injury and shuddered. My fingers were bloody; the stitches were jostled too much and were beginning to bleed.

I lifted my fingers to my face and stared at them, feeling a strange sensation wash over me. My eyes widened and I suddenly remembered everything.

I had been watching Emmett and Rosalie interact in the Cullen house when the wolves attacked. Edward had taken me upstairs and started barricading the door. That was when I felt the needle.

"This…isn't…a dream." I stumbled over the words that I didn't want to believe. They held a truth that was so horrendous that I didn't wish to even consider the possibility, but there was no escaping it. Rosalie slowly shook her head, as did Emmett. My skin began to shake and I realized that I was trembling heavily.

"It happened, Bella," a soft voice spoke from the dark shadows of the cave. I turned to see Esme moving towards me, sadness written across her face. She reached down and cupped my cheeks slowly. "I wish it was only a dream—a nightmare—but it's not."

A low and steady moan exited my lips and I struggled to my feet. "I need air," I mumbled, gripping my stomach as I moved towards the opening of the cave. "I…can't…breathe." Despite the blood, which was saturating my wound, the others did nothing.

I grasped the rock wall and limped outside, where a heavy storm had shrouded Forks in a down pour. I gasped for air and stared out into the blinding rain, not feeling the cold that moved through the air.

Edward had lied to me; he had betrayed me. I gripped both sides of my hair and let the anger flow through me, not even attempting to remember the love we shared. Had there ever been any love to remember? He had always called the shots, telling me what had been good and bad for me. He had never even cared what I wanted from the beginning. It had always been about what he wanted.

My body no longer shivered in pain; it trembled under the force of my rage. My mind and heart unified and called out in unison for one thing only: vengeance. As I fisted my hands, I took a deep breath and stared upward to the sky. Instantly, it illuminated as lightning danced from one cloud to another, and thunder growled down at me from its perch.

I broke out into a short run, letting the cold drops hit my skin, and I stopped a few feet away from the cave. Raising my fists to the blackness above me, I cried out angrily, letting my pain and rage consume me. I embraced the darkest part of me, which demanded a payment for the wrong that was committed against me.

I stayed there, letting the anger send a million thoughts rushing through me, until Emmett retrieved me from the rain. "Bella," he cried as he repositioned me in front of the fire. "Are you trying to get sick?" Moving quickly, he stacked more wood on the blaze to keep me warm. Esme took off her coat and wrapped it around me, not speaking at all.

I looked around at my current companions and my heart swelled for them. They had stuck by me and reinforced my decision; I trusted them, and that was more than I could say for the rest of my family. We had all been betrayed by those we had known and loved. Our bodies had been broken by those who called themselves 'family'.

"Will you help me?" I asked weakly and scooted closer to the fire. "Rosalie? Emmett? Esme?"

They looked at me, thoroughly confused and huddled around me. "What do you mean?" Emmett asked and narrowed his eyes.

"Yes," Rose inquired suspiciously. "Help you with what?"

I sighed heavily and tried to stand up again. "Help me get revenge."

The three of them glanced at one another anxiously. Had they not even considered it? They had been attacked and betrayed, just as I had been. What other choice did they have?

"Bella," Rosalie said hesitantly and did not look at me. "I don't know about this."

"Yeah, Bella," Emmett agreed and shook his head. "I mean, I'm all for a fight, but this is our family we're talking about."

My chest rumbled when he referred to Edward and Carlisle as family. "Are you serious?" I exclaimed and leaned forward. "You'll call them family after they've taken away everything that mattered? Rose, you can't tell me that you didn't want this child as much as I did." Her head snapped up and I was met with her trembling stare. "And Emmett, they willingly put your wife in harm's way. How can you even comprehend letting them live after that?"

Emmett growled angrily and his eyes turned black as he touched Rose's arm softly. "She has a point," he hissed to her and she nodded in return.

"And, Esme, what about you?" I asked cautiously.

We turned our eyes to Esme, our mother. Her haunted expression spoke of the inner turmoil; she loved Carlisle, however, he had knowingly put her in danger. "I-I don't know," she murmured in a broken voice.

"Esme," I leaned forward and took her hand in mine. "You of all people understand partly how I feel; you understand the emptiness that's consuming me as we speak. You've felt the same unfulfillable void that I feel now." I gripped my stomach as a wave of sadness washed through me, burning my insides.

"Esme," Rosalie spoke firmly and settled beside me. "Bella's right. Carlisle betrayed us all. He completely disregarded our wants and emotional needs. True, it was Edward's plan originally, but Carlisle willingly went along with it."

"Where would we even start, Bella?" asked a very anxious Emmett.

I stood up and crossed my arms. "We have a long list of guilty parties," I sneered and hobbled over to him. "Edward and Carlisle are mine, but we also have the wolves to think about."

"First things first," Esme said gently. "We should take care of your stitches, Bella. It won't help any of us if you continue bleeding. Emmett?" His head perked up at the sound of his name. "Run to the drug store and get some bandages, gauze, and some rubbing alcohol."

Emmett nodded and sprinted off into the shadows—heading towards town—and Rosalie turned to me and asked what my plan was.

"We need more help," I grunted as I slipped to the floor and Esme examined the surgical sight. Both held their breath as the red blood began to trickle down my pale stomach to the ground below. I paused and eyed Rosalie as she stared at the crimson nectar beneath her eyes. Briefly, I was afraid that she was going to attack, but she simply shook her head and leaned away. When I was sure that Rosalie was not at risk of losing her nerve, I continued. "The most difficult part is going to be getting help to take down the pack."

Rosalie snorted bitterly and crossed her arms. "That's not going to be simple. They're a pack of ferocious werewolves; the majority of vampires are too scared to face them." Sighing heavily, she leaned against the rock surface behind her. "They'd have to have a real good reason to kill them to set out on such a fool's errand."

I racked my brain trying to think of a good enough reason for the wolves to attack. All at once an epiphany struck me and I smiled broadly. The Denali coven. The only other vegetarian coven had been driven for revenge after the wolves had killed Laurent. When Carlisle had called looking for help before the newborn attack, they had refused unless Carlisle would give them permission to attack the pack. Would it even be possible?

"Rosalie," I said and my lips curled up into a wicked smile. "What about the Denali coven?"

Her eyes widened, her mouth formed a perfect oval, and she scoffed at my idea. "Bella," she said while still laughing. "I don't think that's possible."

"Why not?" I asked while my brain still comprehended the different ways we could ask for their help.

"Well," she said and crossed the cave to poke at the fire, "Tanya and Kate have been loyal to Carlisle for a long time. I don't think they'd simply turn on him because you showed up with some stitches."

I shrugged. "Maybe you're right, but what about Irina?" Rosalie narrowed her eyes in confusion and I continued. "Wasn't it her cry for revenge that moved the others?" If I could get Irina to side with me, there was a chance that the others would follow.

"Yes," Rosalie agreed and understanding with written across her face. "Irina wanted to destroy them for killing Laurent."

"Even if you convinced Irina to help, would it be enough to sway the others?" Esme asked as she tore off a piece of fabric from her own pants and carefully cleaned up the blood.

"There's no harm in asking," I murmured and winced as the fabric touched a sensitive area.

"All right," Rosalie agreed and stood up. "As soon as Emmett gets back and we patch you up, we'll get going. But, if they agree to help, what then?"

I sighed and looked at Rosalie. "Then, after the wolves are taken care of, I'm going to find Edward—and I'm going to kill him."