A/N: Thank you so much for giving my story a read and for continuing to review! Just remember....I will keep writing if you keep reviewing. Or I will run away faster than a vampire going for home plate...it's up to you lol! I am packing madly but going mad packing, so am writing this chappie to give myself some respite.....moving this weekend! AARGH! Plus I have to wait over a week from 22 March before I'm back online!! DOUBLE AARGH!!!! My novel is called Heart of Darkness. I wonder if it will ever see the light of day? Oh, I hope so!
To Totteacher: Thanks for all your support! It's been so wonderful writing with you! I just wish we could write a novel together!!
STORY ALERT: We have posted chapter 6 and will be posting chapter 7 of Within These Walls soon! There are not enough reviews.....I know you guys can do better! Please review!!! OUR STORY IS WELL WORTH A READ!
Disclaimer: As per usual, I don't claim to own Twilight or any said characters. Not even the action figures! (I would much rather the real thing anyway!)
EPOV
We walked into the clearing and my mind was immediately filled with the thoughts of everyone there. Everything from disgust on the part of Rosalie, which I had more than expected, to the absolute thrilled excitement from Alice flooded my mind, causing me to flinch as I walked hand in hand with the love of my life.
There was no doubt that I loved my family, but had found it draining to face this bombardment each and every time I found myself in their company lately, their thoughts invading me, their curiosity about Bella on the verge of becoming obsessive. I, however, exceeded them all in that department. I smiled wickedly, my thoughts turning to the woman whose warm touch covered my hand, wanting nothing more than to be with her every moment of every day. I was beyond obsessed. Beyond help. And I loved every moment of it. Loved that my feelings so raw and fresh seemed to not only invade my every nerve, every cell, but that it somehow had a flow-on effect on those around me. Loving Bella Swan had become as natural as breathing.
Esme, Emmett and Rosalie sat on the rocky outcrop, a mere hundred yards away, while Jasper and Alice were in the outfield, throwing the ball to each other, their impatience revealed in their thoughts. Carlisle was counting out the distance between bases as he meticulously measured out our custom sized field, one that was many times the size of a standard baseball diamond, his thoughts focused on pacing out each base with extreme accuracy, making the field so huge that a human would struggle to hear the calls or see the signals.
About time, Edward. What on EARTH is she wearing? What's with the hair? Oh well, I guess it IS a ball game and not a fashion show, Alice thought without missing a beat as she threw the ball to Jasper, whose thoughts followed closely behind.
Hey Edward, I hope you two can stay calm today. I'm not in the mood for keeping watch on your emotions. I wanna play ball, and now!
I chose to ignore their incessant mental chatter and instead focused on one vampire who showed some semblance of grace and normalcy. I smiled as Esme stood slowly and immediately headed towards us, her thoughts filled with nothing but love and acceptance. Oh Edward, I'm so glad you brought her. Just a warning though, Rosalie's still not being very.....understanding.....so just give her a little space, dear.
And as I heard Esme's thoughts, Rosalie's came through loud and clear over the top of them. Ugh! You just HAD to bring her didn't you Edward? Isn't it enough that you can't be away from her for more than five minutes that you have to force her on all of us? I will tell you something now Edward Cullen. I'm NOT staying away from the house when you decide she is to visit. She will just have to put up with me! Considering Rosalie's demeanour prior to this, her reaction today was a marginal improvement. At least she accepted that Bella would be coming to the house, and no longer felt compelled to make herself scarce every time Bella visited. Perhaps her determination to despise Bella was beginning to waver. One could only hope.
In a way, I felt sympathy for Rosalie. For all that venom and immature behaviour that she unleashed upon the world, mainly directed towards me, I knew that somewhere deep within her lay the heart of an honest, brave and fiercely loyal woman. A heart that was still fragile, still mourning the loss of its own demise. Rosalie stood and walked out to the field without a backward glance, causing Bella's heart to stutter momentarily. Bella need not be a mind reader to know Rosalie's true feelings, and that made my heart yearn more than anything. I yearned for EVERY member of my family to accept Bella. Charlie was so accepting of me, considering what he had to contend with, even when he didn't know the reality of what he was actually accepting. He just did it on blind faith, at least until I was to prove him otherwise. Until I was to show myself to be unworthy of his daughter's love. I hoped with all my heart that THAT would never eventuate, though I felt unworthy of her love each and every day just the same.
Emmett was momentarily torn. He watched as Rosalie walked away from him but instead chose to follow Esme, his curiosity about Bella taking front seat to Rosalie's obvious aggravation. Sheesh Edward. If looks could kill! Sorry bro....hey Bella's scent sure smells strong! Must be all that rain.
"Was that you we heard, Edward?" Esme queried innocently as though she had regular, human hearing. I was so relieved by her conventional conversation. It made it easier to ignore Emmett's thoughts.
"It sounded like a bear choking," Emmett joked as I rolled my eyes. And not one that I'd like to hunt! Hahah!
Bella smiled hesitantly at Esme and said, "That was him." She seemed rather tense, no doubt Rosalie giving her the silent treatment being the primary cause of her worry.
"Bella was being unintentionally funny," I explained, using our amusing moment to help put Bella at ease.
Just as I spoke, a vision flickered through my mind of Alice's prediction. Though it was hazy, it indicated that it was time to get the game going. Alice ran towards us, dancing poetically between her strides, her thoughts joyful. I'm so happy that you brought my best friend Edward. This is going to be fun!
"It's time," Alice announced, just as the crashing thunder confirmed her statement, causing Bella to flinch in response. Ah, that Alice was good!
"Eerie isn't it?"Emmett commented, mirroring my thoughts. Emmett winked at Bella assuredly, trying with all his might to make Bella feel as comfortable as possible. Emmett had an innocent charm about him, and his exuberant nature always seemed to rub off on those around him. I was pleased that he had the same effect on Bella, and his thoughts were of nothing but genuine affection for her, one of a protective older brother. I was pleased that Emmett formed part of the majority of my family who had welcomed Bella's presence with open arms.
Alice was at times uncanny, but at other times found it difficult to predict exactly when things would occur. This concerned me when it came to our visitors, and had become more frequent since Bella had walked into the picture, her visions somewhat muffled and lacking clarity of late. Alice had always insisted that her visions were clearer regarding vampires, especially those of us who were closest to her. I just hoped that she was correct about our visitors. The longer they took to show themselves, the more anxious I knew I would become.
Rosalie's thoughts poured like acid through my mind. Is Emmett TRYING to end up in the doghouse tonight? Poor Emmett. Rosalie brought me back to the reality of why we were here and my heartfelt sympathy went out to her lovable beau. Emmett took Alice's hand and they ran towards the field. I hoped that Rosalie's stubborn behaviour would not cause Emmett to avoid speaking with Bella. I knew that he was loyal to Rosalie above all others. They had a connection that ran deeper than many would realise, but Emmett's sunny disposition and enthusiasm about Bella's presence was irritating her somewhat. I felt sorry for Emmett. All he wanted was a harmonious family life, whilst still wanting more than anything to foster the bond that he had with his Rose.
"Are you ready for some ball?" I asked Bella eagerly, unable to curb my enthusiasm. She just always seemed to bring out the best in me. The human side. The side that I wished were a true reflection of who I was, instead of a poor imitation.
"Go team!" Bella replied, her enthusiasm a reflection of mine, her chocolate eyes bright as they gazed at me.
I reluctantly released my hold on the one lifeline that I had in my existence and snickered, mussing Bella's damp hair affectionately as I turned and ran out towards the outfield, her glorious scent trying to drag me back in. I pressed on, my speed enabling me to pass Alice and Emmett easily, and though I knew I was showing off, I just could not help myself. I could feel Bella's eyes on me, and wanted to show myself to her in full flight. Yet again, I was displaying my very flawed human side, and I loved it. I had never felt more alive, more vital.
I stopped and waited for the others to join me. "Alright, I'll bat first," Emmett said. "I'll show Bella how a real man hits a ball!" he boasted, staring at me with a wide grin. I returned his smile, knowing what Carlisle had in mind.
"Okay, then Edward you'd better take left field first, and you pitch Alice," Carlisle said. Emmett grunted in complaint, annoyed by the fact that the fastest vampire was to be fielding exactly where he liked to hit the ball most. "And I'll cover the bases," he added, winking at Emmett.
Aww, that's not fair! I laughed at Emmett's thoughts.
"Well, Miss Alice, may I be so honoured as to catch for you darlin'?" Jasper gushed in his southern drawl.
"Of course you may!" she replied, batting her eyes at him.
"Mind on the game you two. You can bat next Jasper, then Rosalie," I instructed as we separated and prepared to take our positions. I chuckled at their thoughts, which had digressed to wanton desire. I was pleased that Rosalie found our banter faintly amusing. It was distracting me from Jasper's inappropriate mindset. Of course, sometimes when I thought of Bella I felt like an animal, but would never have the freedom to act on my desires. For that reason, I would always envy those in my family who had partners who were more, shall we say, durable.
Let's get this over with, Rosalie thought as she gave me a slight smile.
Out of the corner of my eye I watched as Bella walked slowly with Esme towards the field, Esme inviting Bella to come watch. I knew that it was probably inappropriate, but I could not help but listen in on their distant conversation. Of course it was unavoidable that everyone would hear what they had to say, but my ears pricked with every word spoken, unlike the others who were trying but failing to give Bella some sort of privacy.
"You don't play with them?" Bella asked Esme.
"No. I prefer to referee – I like keeping them honest," Esme replied. Edward, make sure you keep an eye on them for a moment. I'm talking to Bella.
I smiled. I knew how many arguments we got into over who was right and wrong when playing our favourite of all games. Funnily enough, I always knew who was being honest and who was embellishing, and their unwavering determination to win bordered on comical in their transparency. Alice's predictions and my mind reading ability made it impossible for anyone to get away with lying, though it did not stop any of them from doing it just the same.
"Do they like to cheat then?"
"Oh yes – you should hear the arguments they get into!" Esme exclaimed and added, "Actually I hope you don't, you would think they were raised by a pack of wolves."
"You sound like my mom," Bella said, laughing in surprise, causing me to smirk in response.
Oh, I remind her of her mother!
"Well, I do think of them as my children," Esme said, laughing, belying her internal monologue. That's when Esme poured her heart out, turning my expression serious. "I never could get over my mothering instincts – did Edward tell you I had lost a child?" she asked, Bella seemingly taken aback as she spoke, as I would have expected.
"No," she murmured, stunned by Esme's confession.
I knew that if Esme were able to shed a tear she would be crying a torrent at the moment. Though my vague recollections of my parents whispered through my memory, I could not imagine the pain that one would be forced to endure after having lost a child. And, I never would. A tinge of sadness crossed my face. A sadness that I felt for Esme, and for the life I could not offer Bella.
"Yes, my first and only baby. He died just a few days after he was born, the poor tiny thing," Esme sighed. "It broke my heart – that's why I jumped off the cliff, you know." My heart broke for Esme. She was so matter-of-fact about the whole thing, yet I knew that if she were still human, her demeanour would be something yet entirely.
Oh dear, perhaps I should not have been so blunt with poor Bella.
"Edward just said you f-fell," Bella stammered, causing me to cringe, my concern for both of these women immediate. I have upset the poor girl, I must reassure her. And Edward, you are so very kind. You are such a gentleman.
"Always the gentleman," Esme repeated out loud, a smile in her voice. "Edward was the first of my new sons. I've always thought of him that way, even though he's older than I, in one way at least. That's why I'm so happy that he's found you, dear. He's been the odd man out for far too long; it's hurt me to see him alone," she gushed with endearment, making me even happier if that were even possible. I knew how lucky I was. As a rule, vampires did not have bonds as close as our family did, our selfish, nomadic natures getting in the way of forming any long lasting relationships. On top of us all being close, I had a mother figure that cared deeply for me. As deeply as any human mother who gave birth to their very own child. I will never forget the look of love on Esme's face after Carlisle had changed her and brought her home. It was something that would always remain with me, that kind face of hers somehow lessening my grief for my own mother, even as a newborn. I knew why Carlisle had brought her home. It was just as much for me as it was for him, his selflessness once again causing him to do things that other vampires would never consider contemplating.
"You don't mind then?" Bella asked her hesitantly. "That I'm....all wrong for him?" When would Bella realise that she was RIGHT for me? It was ME that was wrong for HER! Of course, my selfish vampiric nature did not allow me to do the right thing, and I knew that it never would.
Oh my, of course I don't mind. I just wonder, with all that you have to contend with, if things will work out for the both of you.
"No. You're what he wants. It will work out somehow," she replied, her thoughts not as confident as her words, the thunder bringing an abrupt halt to their conversation. They had finally reached their destination at the edge of the field and Bella's eyes scanned the perimeter of the clearing, taking note of where each of us stood, her widened eyes lingering on me. A jolt pierced through me, my thoughts of her once again distracting me as I wondered if she realised I'd been listening. At the same time I also wondered what I would do right now if I were alone with her, and what I had ever done to deserve her. It was amazing how much Bella's presence scrambled my emotions, making me feel all things painful and pleasurable in the same instance.
Emmett stood at home plate waiting for Esme's call, swinging the bat in mock practice. Hey Edward. Watch me hit this one out of the park!
"All right," Esme called, signalling that the game was about to commence. "Batter up." I rolled my eyes and spread my stance in a half crouch, readying myself for anything that Emmett wished to throw at me.
Jasper signalled to Alice to pitch the first ball as a curve ball, which deviated perfectly and caused Emmett to miss it completely, the bat hardly moving as it flew into Jasper's hand. Alice knew that her curve ball would surprise Emmett. He preferred to use the speed of her fast ball to gain the most distance. Hmmm....I see! Bring it pixie!
"Was that a strike?" Bella whispered, trying to be kind to Emmett no doubt.
"If they don't hit it, it's a strike," Esme answered, explaining our modified rules.
Well that was the last free ride you'll get from me! Emmett narrowed his eyes in concentration and glared at me. Beat this Edward!
Alice pitched the second ball and Emmett took a huge swing, the ball making contact with the bat with a loud crack, its sound echoing circularly around the field and permeating through the surrounding forest. As Emmett took off to run to first base, I immediately saw the ball sail past me and took off like the wind in pursuit, Emmett's challenge making me more determined than ever to catch the ball as I raced through the forest. I judged its velocity perfectly, dodging and weaving through trees and brush, my concentration unwavering, my legs flying and arms pumping as I watched the ball fly through the canopy above.
"Home run," I heard Bella murmur as I pursued the ball with determination.
"Wait," Esme cautioned Bella at the very same time I dove and caught the ball mere feet from the ground as it flew between two trees, the ball smacking loudly into my palm. "Out!" she confirmed as I ran back to the edge of the field wearing a huge grin on my face.
"Emmett hits the hardest, while Edward runs the fastest," Esme explained as Emmett lurched back to take his place in the field and gave me a mocking glare. I winked at him in return. Next time bro! Just you wait!
The inning continued before Bella's incredulous eyes as she watched everything in amazement, as if she'd never seen me run before, her eyes darting all over the place as she tried to keep up with the frantic pace of the game. I realised that it was probably overwhelming for her to see all of us in full flight. Bella had yet to witness any vampire-like behaviour from anyone in my family except myself, and seeing all of us at the same time had to be confusing to her human eyes. The thing that surprised her more than anything was when Jasper hit a ground ball that came up short and Carlisle and I raced to track the ball, our unforgiving bodies colliding and cracking louder than the thunder. Bella jumped, her face filled with concern as Jasper headed for first base.
"Safe," Esme confirmed, Emmett's team up by one as Rosalie managed to flit around the bases after tagging up one of Emmett's long flies, to which he roared with satisfaction, until I caught the third out. I immediately raced to Bella's side, brimming with excitement.
"What do you think?" I asked, my eyes wide.
"One thing's for sure. I'll never be able to sit through dull old Major League Baseball again," Bella replied sarcastically.
I laughed at her humorous response, knowing that Bella had very little interest in anything sports, and said, "And it sounds like you did so much of that before."
"I am a little disappointed," she teased.
"Why?" I asked, puzzled.
"Well, it would be nice if I could find just one thing you didn't do better than everyone else on the planet," she observed. Oh, how I loved her! She saw nothing but the best in me, even though I was in many ways, the worst possible version of myself. She made me believe that I could become a better person than I had ever envisioned, and I loved her so much for that. Bella just kept giving me gifts that surprised me, and was undeserving of, her generosity of spirit unwavering.
I smiled at my Bella, causing her breathing to become laboured. I wanted nothing more than to take her in my arms and crush her lips to mine, but that would have to wait. I hoped, though, that I would not have to wait too long for that eventuality.
"I'm up," I said, trying my best to focus on the fact that there were six sets of eyes and ears hanging on every word spoken between Bella and I.
Jasper pitched a slider and I bunted the ball out of the reach of Rosalie's hands, and gained two bases before Emmett could get the ball back into play. Carlisle was up next and hit a cracking shot out of the field and beyond anyone's reach for a catch, allowing both of us to make home plate. Alice gave us both high fives, congratulating us on our achievement.
The score constantly changed as the game continued, and we tried to outdo and psych each other out, everyone trying to lie once again and bend the rules to their advantage. Poor Esme had to mediate each argument, and with each one worse than the last, an affable conclusion was becoming a near impossibility.
Carlisle was up to bat, with me catching, when my world was suddenly turned upside down. Just like that, in the blink of an eye, everything I had strived for threatened to disintigrate in a puff of smoke, becoming no more than a distant memory. A vision played through Alice's mind of the visitors that we were expecting, and they were headed this way! As I felt Bella's eyes bore into mine, my head snapped up and I stared at Alice, whose expression was one of horror. Oh no! Edward I'm so sorry! I didn't know...please you must know....I had no way of knowing....! In a flash I was at Bella's side, my mind racing, as panic overwhelmed me. The vision was becoming clearer and I recognised the areas of forest that they travelled through as being the ones north of the clearing, behind second base. They were approaching, and approaching fast.
"Alice?" Esme asked, her voice tense as the others joined us.
"I didn't see – I couldn't tell," Alice whispered, her eyes agonised.
"What is it Alice?" Carlisle asked with a calm voice of authority. If he only knew what was to come, he would not be so calm.
"They were travelling much quicker than I thought. I can see I had the perspective wrong before," Alice murmured, her body going into shock, along with mine.
Jasper leaned over Alice protectively and asked, "What changed?"
"They heard us playing, and it changed their path," Alice answered, still mentally apologising to me repeatedly.
We all turned to Bella to ascertain that she was coping, and then averted our gaze towards the perimeter of the clearing.
Edward, you need to get Bella out of here! It's all my fault and if something happened to my best friend......please Edward! Alice was panicked, the vision become clearer and stronger with each thought.
"How soon?" Carlisle said as he turned toward me. I focused on their thoughts, though they were still too far out to hear except for a whisper, the gentle breeze bringing hints of their scent along with it like some sort of sick joke. They were close, no more than five minutes' run away. It was too late to run, and it was possible that they had already caught our scents, including that of Bella's.
"Less than five minutes," I conceded, trying to keep an even tone while inside my stomach tightened, a huge knot forming within my gullet. What was to happen now? Alice's vision began to flicker, and depending on what we did now would decide what was to come. We would have to tread warily. Alice had said that they were merely curious. I hoped that she was right and that somehow we could protect Bella from them. "They're running – they want to play," I scowled, their thoughts high on finding those of our kind, and on top of that those of our kind playing baseball. I wanted nothing more than to tear them apart and use home plate as a pyre. I had to keep calm, to focus. Every decision made when they arrived would impact on the future.
"Can you make it?" Carlisle asked with futility, his sympathetic and panicked eyes flicking to Bella momentarily and back toward me.
"No – not carrying," I said, cutting short my sentence, trying to make efforts to get inside their minds. Finally their voices became clearer as they approached with stealth.
I love baseball! I hope they don't mind us playing. It will be good to talk to someone other than these two, thought one of them, a male with a slight French accent.
I need to clean up, thought the woman, her mental voice smooth and calm.
That human wasn't enough, no challenge at all. How boring! I need to find a way to have some fun, thought the other male. His voice somehow worried me, its tone void of feeling. It also concerned me that he may still be thirsty, or at least bored enough to want to feed for something to do. This was not good. These were nomads that appeared to have not had any contact with others of our kind for some time, if they were in need of conversation and a place to clean up. That concerned me in that they were probably closer to feral animals than to civilised beings. One thing that I was relieved of was that they had not caught Bella's scent. Not yet, anyway.
"Besides, the last thing we need is for them to catch the scent and start hunting," I said rather unfeelingly, causing Bella to flinch as she involuntarily leant towards me.
"How many?" Emmett asked Alice.
"Three," Alice answered tersely, her vision still flickering through her mind, the future still to be determined on whatever we decided to do now.
Bring it on! I'll teach them if they hurt my brother's girl! "Three!" Emmett scoffed. "Let them come," he challenged as he flexed his muscles.
All eyes were anxiously on Carlisle as he contemplated what to do next, Emmett the only one who was unperturbed by the potential danger. He never was.
Son I don't think we can get Bella out of here, so I suggest that we try to keep as much distance between them and Bella as we can. Alice said they were curious. Let's satisfy their curiosity as quickly as possible and send them on their way. I nodded once towards Carlisle in agreement as I formed strategies within my mind, my anger threatening to burst forth as I contemplated.
"Let's just continue the game," Carlisle finally said, his voice cool and level. How could he remain so calm? "Alice said they were simply curious," he added, reinforcing his reasoning to keep Bella here. Bella's expression was unfathomable, her reaction to this terrible situation however understandable, must be curbed. She must remain calm.
No problem, Edward. I'll use my gift to keep her from losing it. I was relieved that Jasper had read Bella and had decided to take decisive action.
"Edward, are they thirsty?" Esme asked in a low voice, too quickly and quietly for Bella to hear. I shook my head, causing Esme to sigh in relief. Of course, I had no idea if that would make any difference once they caught Bella's scent. We needed to behave as normally as possible. I hoped that if I called the game and stood near Bella, it would not seem obvious that I was trying to protect her, and hoped that they would field a few balls and become bored, leaving before Bella was revealed to them as a human.
"You catch, Esme. I'll call it now," I said calmly as I stood as closely to Bella without it looking like a protective stance. What my instincts were telling me to do was crouch, and be ready to attack at the slightest movement.
The others returned to the field, each one of us warily sweeping the darkening forest, readying ourselves for what was to come.
"Take your hair down," I said to Bella in an even voice, Jasper's gift rubbing off on me as well. Bella complied, sliding the rubber band out of her hair and shook it around her, her scent briefly overwhelming me. My stomach and throat burned, but I continued to keep a calm facade.
"The others are coming now," Bella stated in a monotone voice.
"Yes, stay very still, keep quiet, and don't move from my side, please," I begged, my voice straining somewhat as I pulled Bella's tresses forward to surround her beautiful face.
"That won't help," Alice said softly, stating the obvious. "I could smell her across the field."
"I know," I replied, a hint of frustration breaking through Jasper's gift.
Carlisle stood at the plate and the others joined in half-heartedly. I could not believe that this scenario had come into play, the waves of shock and anger penetrating every cell of my body.
"What did Esme ask you?" Bella whispered.
I hesitated before I decided to answer. As much as I wanted to protect Bella, she had a right to know the very precarious nature of the situation, especially since it all pertained to her, and whether or not she would live to see another day. "Whether they were thirsty," I answered unwillingly, Bella cringing at my answer, my fists clenching in frustration.
Alice continued to concentrate, trying to see the result of our visitors' arrival. Still, nothing was clear, no doubt because the outcome involved a human, and Alice's visions were always clearer with vampires. The game continued on in apathy, Rosalie and Emmett hovering in the infield, everyone bunting the ball as we waited for their arrival, and in turn our destiny. For now I knew something that was the simple but terrifying truth. If Bella was lost on this day, I would not only mourn for her loss. I would also seek revenge, never resting until my goal was achieved.
I paid no attention to the game, my eyes and mind focused on the forest and Alice's flickering visions. I was so stupid. If I had not selfishly wanted to have Bella with me every minute of every day in order to protect her, this situation would not have eventuated. If I had stayed away from her today, she would be safely at home with her father. How ironic. My desire to protect Bella had once again put her in danger. It was my fault. All my fault. To make matters worse, Rosalie's hatred for Bella seemed to well within her once again as she glared at Bella, nullifying any progress that I may have thought she made. Of course this would happen! Don't you see the danger you invite when you associate with a human? In that moment I felt like ripping her throat out. Of course, I had more worrisome issues to deal with at present, luckily for Rosalie.
"I'm sorry Bella," I muttered fiercely, my frustration palpable in light of today's turn of events. "It was stupid, irresponsible, to expose you like this. I'm so sorry."
I'm sorry too, Edward. I should have been able to see this coming. What use am I if I can't get it right! Alice's thoughts were as self-deprecating as mine, yet she was not to blame. There was only one person to hold responsible for this entire mess. Me. I had gotten everyone here into this mess, and I was going to have to find a way to get us out with as little bloodshed as possible.
As Alice's thoughts of guilt and disturbing but incomplete visions raced through my mind, my breathing stopped as I realised they had arrived, my eyes honing in on the area beyond right field, the others turning their gaze in the same direction. This was it. Time had run out. They had arrived. And no-one more than I knew what that would bring. It would bring the fires of hell down upon this place and all who stood here within it, as I had no intention of allowing them near Bella and would fight with every last drop of strength I had to save her.
A/N: I know this chapter was a little shorter, but I had to leave you guys hanging for more! Review folks to keep me wanting to write when I get back online again! Please?