Got a little bit of a Civil War history lesson for you in this one. I promise I didn't make any of it up… difficult as that may be to believe when you read it! ;-)
The baseball scene was, without a doubt, my favorite part of the Twilight movie. And I can't even read about it now without hearing "Supermassive Black Hole" playing in my head! LOL Hopefully I was able to do it justice... maybe? Enjoy!
Disclaimer: All recognizable characters, themes, and dialogue are the sole property of Stephenie Meyer and no copyright infringement is intended.
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Chapter 11
Alice and I went out to the field before the others, bringing some of the equipment with us. I tossed one of the baseballs between my hands with a distant smile. I had relatively few clear memories from before my transformation, and even fewer clear pleasant memories, but this was one of them. I'd first learned how to play baseball during my time in the army, and the rousing games we'd had remained some of my favorite human memories.
Alice was quick to notice my preoccupation. "What are you thinking about?" She questioned with a smile, flitting to my side.
"Remembering." I said simply, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her close.
"Tell me," she urged, tugging on my arm until we were both sitting on the grass.
I took her hand, toying with her slender fingers as I mulled over where to begin. "Baseball was just becoming popular in the 1860s, so it was the new big thing with the boys in the army. You could pretty much bet that whenever we had any free time, some of us would have a game going. At the time, though, we called it rounders."
Alice wrinkled her nose and made a face. "Rounders? Really?"
I chuckled at her twisted expression, "Oh come on, that's not any worse than baseball."
"If you say so," she replied, quite obviously not convinced.
"You know what, if you're just going to make fun, I'll stop now." I said, fighting a smile.
"No, I'm done. Continue, please." She propped her head on her knees, staring at me with exaggerated attentiveness.
"Because baseball was still so new, the rules hadn't been fully developed yet. Understandably, for us, the games had a tendency to be a little… rough." I laughed under my breath at the understatement.
"Why?"
I glanced up at Alice's confusion and attempted to explain, "American autonomy is a wonderful thing, but it doesn't always lend itself for particularly submissive soldiers. Most of us had been our own masters before we'd enlisted, and the majority of us had little experience taking orders from anyone, let alone having nearly every minute of every day outlined for us. We were told what to wear, when to get up, when we could speak, when and what we could eat.
"We drilled constantly, almost from the time we got up to the time we fell into our cots, exhausted, at night. The incessant repetition was necessary to turn all of us civilians into soldiers – we knew that, in the heat of a battle, our lives could depend on that automatic, instinctive response to orders, but that didn't make it any more bearable at the time. We'd joined the army to fight Yankees, not to drill until we could perform the maneuvers in our sleep. It got to the point that we were all ready to take the next unfortunate bastard who told us to 'fall in' and string him up by his thumbs on the nearest tree."
I grimaced, realizing what I'd said, and the resentment that had still managed to make itself known after all these years. "You… didn't hear me say that." I glanced over at Alice who was grinning at my disconcerted expression.
"Hear what?" She winked.
"Right. Well, as you can probably imagine now, whenever we had any free time, we had some pent-up frustrations to work out. It wasn't unusual at all for our games to involve physical injuries." Alice's eyes widened, and I nodded. "I'm serious. Especially since, at that point, it wasn't necessary for a player to have the ball in hand when tagging someone to get them out. We would just chuck it, and if the ball hit you, it was an out.
"Now, keep in mind, the balls we used then were different; they were softer. I almost shudder to think how much worse it would have been to play with these." I tossed up the baseball I was still holding in one hand.
"Did you ever get hurt?" Alice asked, concern coloring her voice.
"Oh yeah," I chuckled. "I remember one time, the ball hit me square in the face. I'm pretty sure it broke my nose – you talk about a nasty sound, Alice, that still makes me cringe a little when I think about it. The next morning when I woke up, my eye was swollen shut. I don't recall ever having a black eye before that point, but I remember I wore that one with pride. It was a beaut, too."
Alice rolled her eyes at the teasing tone I'd used in talking about it, just as I'd known she would, but nonetheless, there was still a certain measure of distress in her voice when she asked, "Was it painful?" With no human memories of her own, and no recollection of her transformation, real physical pain was something that Alice was largely unfamiliar with.
"To put it mildly," I said with a half-smile, "but it could have been much worse. One of my buddies got hit right in the mouth one time; knocked one of his front teeth out."
"That doesn't sound like a game," Alice said with crossed eyebrows, "it sounds more like you were trying to kill each other."
"Nah," I shook my head, "it was intense, but it was never malicious. We played hard, and most of the time it was fun. We just got a little carried away sometimes."
"Ri-ight," she drew out the word, thick with sarcasm. "'Carried away' sounds just like how I would put it. And you're telling me that's supposed to be a good memory?"
I shrugged with a grin, "What's one little black eye in the grand scheme of things. We were just blowing off steam; no one meant any harm."
I supposed it did sound a little brutal now, but we hadn't thought so at the time. There was a strong camaraderie that developed among the men in each company. These were men that we'd spent nearly every moment of every day with… drilling, playing, eating, and sleeping in very close quarters. We'd been bonded together by our common purpose. Thrown together, far from home and missing our families, we'd grown to consider ourselves brothers in many cases.
"Were the rest of your activities that… rough?" Alice prodded when I didn't continue after a moment.
"That depended on how much energy we had left over. After a long day, we were more inclined to quieter pursuits. You could always find a game of chess or checkers going – card games, too… though that was actually still largely frowned upon as immoral. We'd read absolutely anything we could get our hands on, and letters from family were infinitely precious. Especially as more time went on, we all depended on news from home as a reminder that normal life still existed outside our bubble of chaos.
"And oh, Alice, you should have heard some of the debates we had. We'd take any topic under the sun and deliberate it back and forth. Sometimes it was political, or maybe philosophical or theological, but sometimes we'd pick the most ridiculous, inane topics that we could think of and just… well… let's just say we called them 'bull' sessions for a reason."
Alice giggled, and I, again, got lost in the memories, that when let loose, flooded my mind in a steady stream.
"On days when we hadn't spent hours drilling, there'd be footraces, wheelbarrow races sometimes… really any kind of activity that tested physical prowess. And you asked about aggression… it wasn't unusual for fistfights to break out among the men, and unless there was underlying insubordination, most of the time, the officers preferred to look the other way and let the men settle disputes themselves. The rest of us would gather around and cheer them on, making bets about who would win. We'd gamble over absolutely anything."
"So that's where you get it from," Alice interjected with a chuckle. "I guess some things never change," she teased.
I laughed, "I suppose. I think, though, that probably the most memorable event, shall we say, had to be the regiment-wide dance." I smirked knowing that Alice would get a kick out of this, even if it was at my expense.
"This sounds… interesting," she said with wide, attentive eyes.
"Oh, it was. That first summer, the men decided they wanted to have a good old Virginia reel. The only problem was the lack of female participants, but they weren't going to let that stop them." I smirked in remembrance, "So, the men divided up, and half of them wrapped a rag or a handkerchief around their left arm, and they got to be the 'ladies' for the duration of the dance."
Alice's eyes grew even wider, and she made a strange half-cough, half-snort sound in the back of her throat, trying valiantly not to laugh, "Oh, really. And, ummm, which one were you?"
I didn't say anything, just shrugged and raised one eyebrow, letting her assume the worst. She didn't disappoint. Alice doubled over, her laughter pealing through the trees. "Are… are you serious?" She finally asked through her mirth.
"About the dance? Yes. About emasculating myself for the evening? No. I hid behind a banjo for that little event. I couldn't play very well, but it still seemed better than the alternative at the time. An all-male dance was just a little… much…"
Alice laughed again at the thought of my discomfort, "All the same, you better make sure Emmett never finds out about that. You'd never hear the end of it."
"No, I probably wouldn't." I chuckled, thinking about how silly the memory seemed now. As my thoughts turned inward, though, my amusement faded. All this had been towards the beginning of the war, when we'd all assumed that it would be a brief affair. We'd even assumed that we'd be home in time for Christmas… how quickly we'd been proven wrong. As time had gone on and we'd witnessed the gruesome carnage of war, the playfulness had been drained out of every one of us.
As those of us who'd survived battle to stand on a field saturated with the blood of these same men that we'd considered not only friends and comrades, but brothers-in-arms, we'd left a little bit of ourselves behind with them. Once a man had seen his friends lying broken on the ground, the trivial games and amusements had lost their appeal.
Set free by the chain of my thoughts, images assaulted me now in an endless, vivid stream.
Limbs scattered across the ground, torn asunder by the force of canon blasts.
The putrid stench of flesh rotting in the heat.
Bodies blackened and bloated to twice their normal size from exposure to the sun for too long before burial.
Mass graves that had been hastily dug – graves that were never long or deep enough to bury all the mutilated bodies that were revealed when the smoke cleared…
The overwhelming guilt I'd felt when looking into the sightless eyes of friends who had been called on to give up their lives… and wondering why it hadn't been me instead.
So caught up in my thoughts was I, that I didn't even notice when Alice sidled up to me, winding her arms tightly around one of mine and leaning her head on my shoulder. When the grisly, horrific images finally began to fade out, I found myself absently stroking the raven black strands of her hair, my subconscious perhaps seeking a tangible reminder that all that was behind me.
Alice reached one hand up to caress my face, watching intently as my eyes slowly came back into focus. I placed one of my hands over hers and leaned my face into her cradling hand, savoring the warmth of the gentle touch.
"You all right?" She asked in a subdued voice, barely louder than a whisper.
"Yes," I responded in the same quiet tone, "as long as you're here when the memories fade, I'll always be fine." I lay my head against hers, soaking in the physical warmth of her body resting against mine and the inner warmth of her undying love – the only salve for the scars on my soul. Slowly, the graphic memories dissipated again as I let my mind be saturated and purged by the light that was Alice. My saving grace yet again.
It wasn't long before unmistakable lumbering footsteps alerted us to Emmett's approach. I was surprised, and very gratified, to hear the second lighter pair of footsteps that signaled Rosalie's presence.
"You can stop your moping, people, 'cause the party's here." Emmett's voice boomed as they appeared through the trees. I smiled a little at his typical boisterous entrance, grateful again for my brother's carefree personality as his excitement helped to erase the last vestiges of the melancholy remembrance that had gripped me moments ago. Carlisle and Esme turned out to be not far behind them, bringing the rest of the equipment with them.
Esme, Emmett, and Rosalie sat down on an outcropping of rock, talking quietly among themselves while Carlisle walked around the field setting up the bases as we waited for Edward and Bella to show up. Alice and I took one of the baseballs to the far end of the field, passing it back and forth to kill time.
We all looked up when we heard a shout of laughter from the middle of the forest – the voice sounded an awful lot like Edward's, but we certainly weren't used to hearing such boisterous laughter from him. He emerged from the trees only a moment later with Bella at his side.
"Was that you we heard, Edward?" Esme asked, with an open smile.
"It sounded like a bear choking," Emmett interjected teasingly.
"It was him." Even as far away as I was, I could see Bella's flush of nervousness – nervousness, but not fear, which shouldn't have surprised me considering the source, but it did anyway. The girl had guts, I had to hand her that.
"Bella was being unintentionally funny." Edward smirked down at her, amusement and a depth of love shining in his eyes.
Seeing Bella, Alice bit her lip, and with a quick glance at me showing her excitement, she took off running towards them. She came to a graceful stop right in front of Edward and Bella. "It's time," she said simply with a knowing grin. As soon as she spoke, a deep rumble of thunder shook the forest behind us.
"Eerie, isn't it?" Emmett winked at Bella with a familiarity that would make one assume they'd been friends for years. Bella smiled and seemed to relax slightly at the comfortable way Emmett had broken the ice.
"Let's go." Alice reached for Emmett's hand and, together, they darted towards the field. I noticed that Rosalie was studiously avoiding making eye contact with Bella, but at least she wasn't being hateful either.
"Are you ready for some ball?" I heard Edward ask Bella, his expression bright and eager.
"Go team!" Bella infused her voice with far more excitement than she felt – or tried to, anyway. It didn't appear that Edward was convinced. He chuckled, ruffling her hair affectionately, and ran towards the field, leaving her with Esme.
We took our places on the field. Emmett was up to bat first, and I knelt behind him in catcher's position.
"All right," Esme called, giving us the signal to initiate the game. "Batter up."
With little fanfare, Alice sent the first pitch sailing directly into my waiting hand. Emmett didn't even have time to swing the bat around. With a wink of congratulations, I tossed the ball back to her. She smiled briefly in return. The second time, Emmett was ready for her. He hit the ball with a resounding clash, sending it out of the field.
"Home run." Bella breathed in awe.
"Wait," Esme cautioned her, eyes directed into the woods where Edward had darted in pursuit of the ball. He caught it effortlessly. "Out." Esme called. Emmett made a face and grumbled his way back.
I was up to bat next, and while Emmett got his kicks from seeing how hard he could hit the ball, I knew better. Edward was the fastest among us, and he was more than capable of chasing the ball down no matter how hard we hit it.
When Alice threw the ball, I hit a grounder and raced to first. Carlisle scooped up the ball and took off after me. I made it to base a mere fraction of a second before he collided into me.
"Safe," came Esme's call.
I stood, dusting myself off. "The arthritis slowing you down again, Pop?" I smirked.
"Not at all," he replied, undaunted by my audacity. "I just wouldn't want to discourage you, son." He feigned an earnest expression. "You know, 'Fathers provoke not your children to wrath,' and all that."
"Sure," I drawled, "Keep telling yourself that if it makes you feel better, old man."
Carlisle laughed good-naturedly at my ribbing, and I was reminded again how fortunate I was to have this man as a father figure – a man who was not only father but friend as well. If I could ever be a fraction of the man he was, I'd be happy. It was something to strive for, in any case.
The game continued as the storm rolled on. I vaguely remembered as a boy being frightened by storms; I loved them now. I loved the raw, elemental power behind them and the way the electricity surged through the air with each flash of lightning. I reveled in the intensity of the storm as it transferred over to our game – the crashing of bats hitting balls echoed by the rumbling thunder.
The lead constantly changed hands as we played with abandon, teasing and ribbing on both sides. Edward was picked on especially as he seemed to be blatantly showing off for Bella. He was laughing and carrying on with the rest of us, though, fully engaged and much more animated than I was used to seeing him. At one point, a little bit amazed at this unusually spirited side of Edward, I looked over to Alice as if to say, 'who is this and what has he done with our brother?' She just grinned, ecstatic to see her prophesy playing out before her eyes.
Esme wasn't slow to reel us back in when we got too out of hand, though… such as the time I'd been tagged out by Edward. I hadn't been able to resist giving him a good-natured shove, as brothers do, knocking us both to the ground. I'd had the upper hand for just a moment, knuckling the top of his head and mussing his hair before he'd shoved me off, laughing. Esme had stopped us before it could turn into a wrestling match, telling us that one sport at a time was enough.
Carlisle was up to bat, Edward catching, when a sudden gasp from Alice caused my head to jerk up. Seven pairs of eyes flew to her, and, seeing the horrified expression on her face, the game was instantly forgotten.
"Alice?" Esme was the first to respond, her tense voice betraying her worry.
"I didn't see – I couldn't tell," Alice stammered under her breath, her eyes still unfocused.
I darted to her side, worried as to the cause of her panic. As one, all the rest of the family gathered around, as well.
"What is it, Alice?" Carlisle questioned, the calm voice of authority.
"They were traveling much quicker than I thought. I can see I had the perspective wrong before," she murmured, her wide, panicked eyes seeming to swallow her face.
"What changed?" I asked gently, leaning protectively over her.
"They heard us playing, and it changed their path," she said contritely, as if she was responsible for their ill-timed visit.
"How soon?" Carlisle asked, turning now towards Edward.
"Less than five minutes." He scowled, "They're running — they want to play."
"Can you make it?" Carlisle asked tersely, concern etched on his face.
"No," Edward shook his head ruefully, "not carrying —" He didn't complete the thought, his own panic twining its way around his heart. "Besides, the last thing we need is for them to catch the scent and start hunting."
"How many." Emmett asked Alice, speaking for the first time.
"Three."
"Three!" He scoffed. "Let them come." His eyes were fierce as he instinctively flexed the bands of muscle in his arms. It was common knowledge that he was always ready for a fight at the drop of a hat – he'd ask his questions after the fact.
Every one of us looked to Carlisle, waiting for his decision. If there was anything that Carlisle was not, it was impulsive.
"Let's just continue the game." He said steadily after deliberating for a moment, "Alice said they were just curious."
As we all scattered back into our positions, hovering infield, Esme's apprehensive question caught my attention.
"Are they thirsty?" she asked Edward in a voice much too quick and low for Bella to hear. Edward shook his head minutely, and a look of relief overtook Esme's face.
"You catch, Esme," he said quietly. "I'll call it now." She nodded and took Edward's place on the field, though she and Alice purposefully oriented themselves around Bella.
Edward planted himself in front of Bella. "Take your hair down," he said in a low, even voice.
"The others are coming now." Bella's words were a statement, not a question. Edges of fear and uneasiness skirted around her emotions.
"Yes," Edward replied in a calm, smooth voice that didn't convey any of his fear to Bella. "Stay very still, keep quiet, and don't move from my side, please." He pulled her hair forward, gently adjusting it around her face.
"That won't help," Alice said softly, almost desperately. "I could smell her across the field."
"I know." Edward kept his face impassive, but his fear for Bella was overriding every other emotion.
Emmett, Rose, and I hovered close as the game continued for appearance purposes only. None of us were truly focusing on what we were doing. We were all tensed and waiting for the appearance of our imminent visitors. When the treading sounds of footsteps came from the forest, Edward's breath hitched, and he took a half-step, angling himself in between Bella and the nomads. We all turned in the direction that they were approaching from, watching warily as the three unknown immortals emerged from the trees one by one.
In front was a tall, dark-haired man, who, based on the unspoken interaction from the two others, I would assume to be the leader. The female was the next to catch my attention with her blazing red hair and wild, shifting eyes that seemed to miss nothing. The third was a rather plain looking male; there was absolutely nothing in his face or form that commanded any notice. Briefly, the inconsequential thought passed through my mind that he must have been one ugly son of a gun as a human to be so ordinary as a vampire.
Just as Alice had predicted, there seemed to be no ill-will from any of them as they came nearer. The dark-haired man in front seemed genial enough, even if the two others weren't. I didn't sense any hostility from them, but with their shifting, vigilant eyes I was naturally more wary of them.
Emmett and I stepped forward when Carlisle did, flanking him, ready to jump in at a moments notice if we needed to protect our family.
The dark-haired man stepped forward also, smiling as he did so. "We thought we heard a game," he said with no hint of malice, a slight French accent coloring his words. "I'm Laurent, these are Victoria and James." He gestured as he spoke their names.
As closely as I was monitoring the emotional climate around us, it was impossible for me to miss the flurry of emotions that passed over the one they had called James. A flash of recognition grabbed my attention – recognition that was followed by disbelief, morphing quickly into acute surprise. I glanced at him as surreptitiously as I could, curious as to what caused the unexpected emotional range from him.
His eyes were trained on Alice.
Alice seemed oblivious to his stare, not looking in his direction at all. I'd felt nothing at all from her to indicate that she had known who he was. Alice had been alone until she'd found me – she'd had no companions, and I'd never seen this man before in my life. How the hell could he have known her, then?
Something felt off to me, though I couldn't exactly put my finger on what it was. The look that had flickered over his face when he saw her, brief though it may have been, had disturbed me to no end. I had to consciously hold myself in place, as my instincts screamed to pull Alice behind me, to shield her with my body. I didn't sense any hostility from him at the moment, though that wasn't nearly enough to ease my mind. I glanced at Edward to see if he'd heard anything in his thoughts, but his face gave no indication of anything other than concern for Bella.
"I'm Carlisle. This is my family." He introduced us, pointing us out in groups, purposefully not drawing attention to anyone.
I couldn't help but notice the familiar reaction when he gestured in my direction. From all three of the nomads, I felt a moment of hesitation, an instinctive defensive response when they saw my disfigured face. Aside from Alice, I'd yet to encounter anyone who didn't have some sort of reaction to my battle scars. In this case, however, I hoped that would work to our advantage. It might make them think twice before attempting anything… aggressive. Without missing a beat, I settled a wave of serenity over the eleven of us gathered around.
"Do you have room for a few more players?" Laurent asked sociably, returning quickly to the conversation at hand.
"Actually, we were just about to finish up," Carlisle informed him. "But we'd certainly be interested another time. Are you planning to stay in the area for long?"
"We're headed north in fact, but we were curious to see who was in the neighborhood. We haven't run into any company in a long time."
"No, this region is usually empty except for us and the occasional visitor, like yourselves."
"What's your hunting range?" Laurent casually inquired.
"The Olympic Range here, up and down the Coast Ranges on occasion. We keep a permanent residence nearby. There's another permanent settlement like ours up near Denali."
Laurent was shocked by Carlisle's statement. "Permanent?" He questioned, incredulous. "How do you manage that?"
"Why don't you come back to our home with us and we can talk comfortably. It's a rather long story." Carlisle gave the invitation with a smile, though I had no doubt that his warm expression belied his eagerness to get Bella away from here before something had the chance to go wrong.
It didn't escape my notice that James and Victoria exchanged a pointed look at the use of the word "home," but they still said nothing.
"That sounds very interesting and welcome," Laurent smiled warmly. "We've been on the hunt all the way down from Ontario, and we haven't had the chance to freshen up in a while."
"Please don't take offense," Carlisle cautioned, "but we'd appreciate it if you'd refrain from hunting in this immediate area. We have to stay inconspicuous, you understand."
"Of course," Laurent nodded in understanding. "We certainly won't encroach on your territory. We just ate outside of Seattle, anyway."
Bella's emotions had been fairly steady throughout the whole exchange; no doubt the danger she was now in had to be a bit surreal for her, having been so recently thrust into this supernatural world. Laurent's words, though, sent a surge of fear and revulsion through her – the first time I'd actually felt real fear from her.
Carlisle nodded, "We'll show you the way if you'd like to run with us – Emmett and Alice, you can go with Edward and Bella to get the Jeep."
Just when it seemed that we might actually get out of this unscathed, James whipped his head around, his nostrils flaring as he caught Bella's scent carried on an extraordinarily bad timed breeze. Edward crouched in front of Bella, blocking his path to her, defensive growls bellowing from his throat.
"What's this?" Laurent exclaimed in true surprise.
"She's with us." Carlisle stated with no room for argument in his tone.
"You brought a snack?" Edward's snarl intensified at Laurent's disbelieving inquiry.
"I said she's with us." Carlisle snapped in an uncharacteristically sharp voice.
"But she's human," He continued, still astounded.
"Yes."
Seeing Emmett's hulking frame posturing protectively over Carlisle, James straightened slowly but still glared at Bella, who seemed to be frozen in place.
"It appears we have a lot to learn about each other." Laurent spoke slowly, trying to smooth things over.
"Indeed." Carlisle's voice was still cool.
"But we'd like to accept your invitation. And, of course, we will not harm the human girl. We won't hunt in your range, as I said." At Laurent's assurance to Carlisle, James's face betrayed his extreme disbelief and aggravation.
Carlisle measured his sincerity for a moment before replying. "We'll show you the way. Jasper, Rosalie, Emmett? He called, not taking his eyes off the three nomads. The three of us instantly flew to his side, effectively blocking Bella from their view. In the same second, Alice was at Bella's side.
"Let's go, Bella." Edward said, edges of desperation coloring the words. He pulled on her arm, tugging her away with Alice and Emmett following closely behind.
When they were away, the rest of us proceeded to the house. James and Victoria followed us there, their eyes taking in everything, but declined to come inside. Instead, the two of them fell back into the woods surrounding the house. I watched them go as Laurent followed Carlisle and Esme into the house.
I didn't miss the look that had been exchanged between the two men before James had taken off, but I couldn't decipher the meaning behind it. Laurent seemed reproachful, almost, though it hadn't seemed to faze the other man.
Not knowing what the two were capable of, I gave them enough time to get out of earshot before running the perimeter of the property. I sniffed out their scents, needing to know if they had followed Alice and the others.
I was still unsettled by the earlier revelation from James. I knew I hadn't imagined his recognition of Alice, and it disturbed me to have her away from me now with our futures so suddenly uncertain. I didn't like being away from her in any case, but the potential volatility of this situation only made my anxiety that much worse than usual.
Briefly, I took comfort from the fact that she was with Edward. But, just as quickly, I realized that with Edward's focus so entirely centered on Bella, Alice might as well be on her own. I knew that she was more than capable of taking care of herself should she have need to, but old habits and attitudes died hard.
It had been engrained in me from my earliest days that women, as the weaker and more delicate sex, were to be protected and provided for. Thankfully, most of the time Alice was unruffled by my, admittedly, overbearing protectiveness, but I knew she wouldn't hesitate to put me in my place if she even suspected that I was thinking of her as a helpless little woman. All the same, though, it did ease my mind that Emmett was there. If nothing else, there was safety in numbers.
A pair of footsteps approaching from behind sent me momentarily into the defensive until I realized who it was. I was more than a little surprised to identify the footsteps as belonging to my sister. I slowed, letting her catch up.
Her face was determined as she fell into step beside me. "If that bastard is really as dangerous as the French one seems to think he is, you shouldn't be out here alone."
I was surprised, to say the least, at her display of concern. "I'm not worried." I'd faced opponents far more formidable than him and at much worse odds.
"Of course you're not," she rolled her eyes, "but I'm coming with you just the same. Safety in numbers, right?" She quirked one eyebrow, daring me to argue.
"OK, that's scary," I mumbled remembering I'd had the exact same thought not even a minute before. I wondered if I should be worried that my mind was apparently starting to work like Rosalie's.
"What's scary?" She asked, giving me a sideways look.
"Nothing." I shook my head. "It was nothing. Let's go."
We picked up our pace, continuing around the edges of our property. James and Victoria were well and truly gone; we caught their combined scents heading back into town but didn't pursue them. I had no way of knowing which way Alice and the others had gone, and though it galled me not to be able to do anything, I figured the best thing to do was hang close to home in case Carlisle and Esme should need help. Just because I hadn't picked up any malicious intent in Laurent didn't mean he was harmless.
"What were they doing when you left?" I asked Rosalie, breaking the silence between us.
"Carlisle was touting the advantages of our vegetarian lifestyle. Trying to convince him he should join the Denali coven for a while."
"That's good. If he can convince him, that turns the odds even further in our favor."
Our pace slowed as we approached the house again.
"Do you think they're coming back?" Rosalie's voice, when she spoke, was so low it was difficult to make out the words. I caught a whisper of something akin to fear, almost bordering on insecurity.
I turned to face her and shrugged, "I don't know for sure. I can't imagine that James would give up without a fight, though."
"Not them." Rosalie shook her head, glancing up at me.
"Oh." I said, realizing now exactly what she meant. "I'm afraid I don't know that either." I wished I did though.
"They just took off. We don't know where they went or when they'll be back."
"But we know they will be back. Edward's first priority is going to be getting Bella somewhere safe. After that's accomplished, I imagine we'll regroup and figure out where we go from there. It's only temporary."
"Do you see now why I was so opposed to this?" Rose asked, fire quickly returning to her eyes. "Our whole family is in danger now because of the human."
"Don't blame Bella for this; she hasn't done anything. It's not her fault." I tried to reason with her.
"No. It's not her fault," she agreed too readily. "It's Edward's."
"Rose," I ran a hand over the back of my neck, "yes, we have a problem right now, but we're going to do what we have to do to take care of it. If James chooses to persist, then we eliminate the threat…"
"And what about the next time this happens?" She cut me off. "She's a little girl playing in a world where she doesn't belong. This isn't going to be a one time thing. What about the next time, Jasper, and the time after that? Do we keep putting ourselves in danger over a human? It's not worth that to me. I won't have Emmett constantly in danger because a human fancies herself in love with our brother."
"Rosalie, were you not at the same field as I was this afternoon? Did you not see Edward? This isn't about a 'human fancying herself in love'" I made air quotes around her words. "How could you not see the changes in Edward today? For the first time in as long as I've known him, he's truly happy – and it's because of Bella. For the life of me Rosalie, I can't imagine how you could deny him that."
"She's human." Rosalie said simply, as if that explained everything. "She doesn't belong with us."
"For now." I pointed out, watching, even as I said it, the shadows of anger fill her eyes. "You know what Alice saw."
She laughed in derision, shaking her head incredulously, "You know what, I don't know why I'm even bothering to talk to you about this. I can't believe I actually thought that you'd be logical," she spat. "You're so concerned about what Alice wants that you obviously have no ability to think for yourself anymore. And Alice wants to be all buddy-buddy with the little human, doesn't she? So, of course, you go along with it because you don't have the nerve to stand up to your wife even when you know she's wrong!"
With a snarl, I took a step closer, towering over the seething Rosalie. "You're treading on thin ice, Rosalie Hale." I hissed scathingly in her face, matching her blistering glare with one of my own. "I suggest you take a step back."
Our staring contest lasted a moment more, neither of us willing to back down. Finally with an indelicate snort she whirled around on her heel and stormed into the house. I scrubbed my hands over my face in exasperation when she was gone.
Her concerns were valid, unfortunately… that was the problem. But the problems ultimately were outweighed by the joy that Bella brought to Edward's life – and in doing so, touching the rest of us as well… sans Rosalie, apparently. I had to believe that, somehow, someway, we could overcome the odds that were stacked against us. It wouldn't be easy, that much was a sure bet, but there had to be a way. And when the chips were down, there was no one I'd sooner trust than Alice – and Alice believed that this would work.
In the distance, I heard the faint rumbling of a vehicle heading towards the house. As it came closer, the relief I felt upon recognizing Emmett's Jeep nearly knocked me from my feet.
Alice was coming home.
I hurried into the house, interrupting the hum of voices coming from the living room.
"They're coming." I announced. Carlisle and Esme were in the foyer in the same instant with Laurent right behind them. Rosalie appeared next, not meeting my eyes.
Emmett was the first to burst into the room with Bella tucked securely into his chest. Alice and Edward were close on his heels. Seeing Laurent in the room with us, Emmett snarled under his breath as he carefully set Bella down next to Edward.
"He's tracking us," Edward spoke with a hateful glare directed towards Laurent.
Laurent sighed, the tenor of his emotions disapproving. "I was afraid of that."
Before anyone else had the chance to say anything, Alice flashed to my side, tugging at my arm to bend to her level. She whispered hurriedly into my ear the plans they had made while they'd been gone. Alice and I were to take Bella to Phoenix while the others tracked James and destroyed him. Since she was telling me this with Laurent in the room, I had to assume that he'd decided not to side against us.
With Alice still clasping my hand, we darted to our room. Hurriedly, we gathered a set of fake IDs that we saved for such emergency situations and the few things we would need for the time we were gone, and threw everything into a leather bag.
With Alice safely by my side again. whispers of another kind of fear began to take root in my mind. All of a sudden, I realized just what my part in this plan entailed. The thought of being trapped in the same car with Bella for hours, and in a hotel room for days afterwards, was intimidating. That was pushing the limits of my control far more than I was comfortable with. I hadn't had any problems ignoring the burn in my throat yet, but this was something entirely different that I was being thrust into.
Not only would Bella's life and future be dependent on my shaky control, but Edward's as well. His life was truly bound up in Bella now. The weight of that responsibility rested heavily on my shoulders.
Could I do this?
Alice's hand placed gently on my arm pulled me from my flurry of doubts. I glanced down to see the compassion of her gaze resting on me. "Do you trust me?" she whispered intently.
Looking deeply into her eyes, I recalled the conversation we'd had only the night before. She wouldn't ask me to do this if it wasn't within the scope of my capability. I nodded once in response. Yes, I trusted her – and she trusted me.
I could do this.
Determination settled over me. Bella's safety was resting in my hands now, and I would do whatever I had to do to keep her safe.
I would not fail.
Alice flitted out of the room and down the hall to wait for Bella, who was now switching clothes with Esme – a ploy that would hopefully confuse the scent long enough for us to get her away. When I got downstairs, Laurent was gone and Edward and Emmett were set to leave. Only a short moment later, Alice and Esme fairly flew down the stairs with Bella supported between them.
I glanced briefly at Carlisle. As strongly opposed as he was to violence, it was obvious that he understood the necessity of the course we were now taking. I felt a grim sort of resignation from him as he passed out the cell phones and gave us each last minute instructions.
"Esme and Rosalie will be taking your truck, Bella," he explained when Alice and Esme set her down. She nodded, looking overwhelmed and ill at ease in her unfamiliar clothing. "Alice, Jasper," he glanced at us, "take the Mercedes. You'll need the dark tint in the south." Alice and I nodded in turn. "We're taking the Jeep."
The fact that Carlisle was choosing to be a part of the actual hunt, bespoke of the true danger that was posed to our family.
"Alice, will they take the bait?" He questioned evenly, no trace of fear in his voice.
Alice stilled at his query, her eyes sliding closed as she searched for the trackers course. "He'll track you. The woman will follow the truck. We should be able to leave after that." Her voice was unwavering in its certainty.
Carlisle's head dipped once in a nod, and he breathed deeply, "Let's go." His voice, though quiet, carried the weight of authority – the signal we had all been waiting on to make our move.
Without warning, Edward caught Bella in his arms, crushing her to his chest, oblivious to the rest of us in the room. He pressed his lips to hers in a short, desperate kiss. He set her down gently, and when he released her, the look on his face sent chills through my spine. His eyes were blank, as if all the life had been siphoned from his body.
The man standing in front of me was a shell of my brother – he had left his heart and his soul with Bella. The look on his face was a terrifying foreshadowing of what would happen if he were to lose her… we'd lose him too.
Silent tears pooled and slipped from Bella's eyes, streaking steadily down her cheeks as he turned away. The fear and grief that this fragile girl was feeling tugged at my heart, evoking an unexpected surge of compassion.
Edward. I called silently to him. His steps faltered, but he didn't turn around. With my life, Edward. I'll guard her with my life. That's a promise.
His head dipped once in a nod of remembrance. He'd spoken almost the same words to me once. It was now my turn to repay a debt. With no further acknowledgement, he slipped from the house like a wraith in the night.
Esme's phone vibrated short moments later. "Now," she whispered. Rosalie stalked out the door without a glance at Bella. "Be safe." Esme stroked Bella's cheek in her motherly way, and then she was gone too.
Their departure left only the three of us to await the signal to move. Alice had the phone to her ear in the same instant that it vibrated. "Edward says the woman is on Esme's trail. I'll get the car." She vanished, too, into the shadows leaving me alone with Bella for the very first time.
Bella looked up at me with the same dead expression on her face that had been on Edward's as well. Self-reproach and unworthiness flowed from her in waves.
"You're wrong you know." I said quietly, gently, so as not to startle her.
"What?" Her voice, still thick with tears, questioned.
"I can feel what you're feeling now," I reminded her, "– and you are worth it." I infused my voice with as much assurance as I could, but Bella still wasn't persuaded.
"I'm not," she murmured shakily. "If anything happens to them, it will be for nothing."
"You're wrong." I said again, smiling as kindly as I could. I wished that I could make her understand how integral she had become to our family in such a short amount of time, but I could see that she wouldn't be convinced.
Alice stepped out of the shadows then and walked to Bella with her arms held out. "May I?" she asked.
"You're the first one to ask permission." Bella made a poor attempt at a smile for Alice.
Alice lifted Bella easily into her arms, shielding her as we flew out the door and into the garage. She helped Bella get strapped into the back seat and closed the door for her. Seeing me still frozen, grasping the door handle, she met my gaze with love and understanding coloring the golden depths of her eyes.
I was desperately clinging to the control that I was still slightly fearful would desert me once trapped in the close confines of the car with a human. I didn't usually test myself to this degree, and never with so much riding on my control.
Alice said nothing but the steady wave of her confidence bolstered me. I can do this. I will do this. I brought to mind the look on Edward's face as he left – that lifelessness that was in such stark contrast to his liveliness this afternoon during our game. I owed my brother this much. He'd, in essence, placed his life in my hands, and I would not let him down now.
Steeling myself against the burn that inflamed my throat the instant I lowered myself into the car, I placed the keys into the ignition and started the engine. Failure was not an option. I had a mission to protect this frail human that my brother loved – a human whose quiet sobs reverberated in the near silence.
I would do everything in my power to keep her safe, and return her unharmed to my brother. For once, I would not be the weak link.
With a death grip on the beast within, I pulled out of the garage and sped out of Forks.
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I do hope you enjoyed the chapter! Please don't forget to take a second and let me know what you thought… we're almost at a hundred reviews… think we can top that this time? ;-)
As always, thanks for reading!
Nik
