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Chapter Twelve: The Bloody Barn

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EdwardPOV:

I raised the sleeve of my shirt again, staring at my watch as if it could tell me the secrets of the universe. But it only told time and since the last I had checked it was changed by two minutes. Growling in frustration I let my arm fall again and continued my pacing at the mouth of the forest. I could already see the long dent in the path I was making with my constant kicking of dirt.

Ever since Bella had left my sight I had been walking back and forth, forcing myself not to follow her. It just didn't feel right leaving her alone on today of all days. I didn't know what it was but I got that feeling that something terrible was going to happen. And then there was that feeling that made me believe we were being watched. I was absolutely sure I had heard snippets of a foreign mind and an odd citric scent as we walked toward Forks but it was gone before I could really focus on it. Either I was going completely insane or something wasn't right. I was leaning towards the latter.

The lilting voice of my sister reached my ears as she hummed lightly. I turned to glare at her as she sat innocently on a low tree branch, watching me with a large smile on her face. She swung her little legs back and forth as she giggled at my expression.

"You worry too much, Edward," she said, flipping over until she was hanging upside down. I rolled my eyes and she hissed and flapped her arms, acting like a bat. She huffed and crossed her arms, holding herself upside down by her legs. "You're no fun today."

"You think I can be 'fun' today?" I asked sharply, turning and continuing my pacing.

"You're are a pessimist," she said, nodding to herself.

I stopped and turned to look at her again. If it had been some other day, any other day, I would have found Alice's whole posture very funny. Her little lips in a pout, her eyebrows constricted, her arms crossed and her pixie hair trying desperately to defy gravity. "If I agree with you, will you go home and leave me be?" I asked her, raising a brow.

She shook her head dramatically and I sighed before continuing my pacing.

It was only a few seconds later that I halted and checked my watch. She'd been gone for twenty-five minutes. Twenty-five minutes out of my arms and into this danger that lurked around. Sighing I ran a hand through my hair and looked up at the cloudy sky. It seemed to be a bad omen to me, casting its shadows over the tiny town. It was ominous.

Where was she? She only had four minutes left and she wouldn't keep me waiting, would she?

I shook my head and squeezed my eyes shut, rubbing the heels of my hands against my closed lids. I had to remember how difficult this was for Bella. She was saying goodbye to her father for God's sake! I felt the guilt for giving her a time restraint creep into me. How could I be so cold? I should have told her to take all the time she wanted. It didn't matter what I wanted. This was about her. But I hadn't. I had been selfish for wanting her back in my arms as soon as possible. Hopefully she'll forgive me when she comes back…

Just thinking about that afternoon made me chuckle lightly. Alice looked at me curiously but I just turned away and continued pacing as I remembered what had happened. She had told me that she loved me. She loved me. Of all the people she could give her heart to she decided to give it to me. I'd never felt joy as I had at that moment. It was like my whole world rocked and all the pain and suffering I had endured had been healed. She really was my angel in the form of a fragile, clumsy, human girl. And God did I love her. I did and I always would.

Scratching the back of my neck in thought I remembered her warm fingers lingering on the skin there. It felt like heaven to me. Just holding her and breathing in the sweet scent of her hair made me want to take off into Forks and find her.

"Edward," Alice sang, shaking her head.

I sighed and rolled my eyes. "I wasn't going to do anything, Alice. I was just thinking."

"Sure you were," she said before going back to pick at her perfect nails.

But then Bella had asked me to change her. To destroy her soul, to take away her humanity. Of course I had thought about it! Eternity with her was something I would jump at the chance for! But what would happen to her if I did change her was something that stopped me from thinking such rash thoughts. She could die. I could lose her forever. Just thinking about my life without her was enough to let those suicidal thoughts creep into my mind. She had told me, she had told me not to even think of doing anything like that. But how could I even begin to think of eternity without her? She was everything to me. She was my life.

I checked my watch again and there it was. Three minutes past half an hour. That was it. I couldn't wait any longer. To hell with the guilt that was trying to keep me where I was. I needed to have her back with me again.

I took a step towards town and Alice was in front of me. I was really getting tired of my sister at this point and I couldn't help the growl that rumbled in my chest. She just glared right back at me, not scared in the least.

"Could you just be patient for once in your lif -"

That's when she stopped and her eyes widened, swimming with images. Of course I caught the few pictures she saw and swore to myself before taking off into town. As I ran the images of a bleeding Bella screaming in pain made my vision fuzzy. The rage almost made me see red and pushed me forward as I reached the first few houses. I didn't even slow down, not caring who saw me. I had to get to my Bella. I had to make sure this vision never came true.

I turned a corner and it hit me like a battering ram. It was like the first day all over again but this time her scent was stronger. Blood had been spilt. Racing forward I followed the trail until I reached its destination. Stopping I looked around frantically for her. Where the hell was she? The street I was on was empty and there weren't many thoughts around for me to get information from. They all seemed to be focusing on something else.

As my eyes roved the street they caught something shimmering and red at my feet. I crouched down and inhaled deeply. It was Bella's blood. Just two drops but that was enough to make my mind hazy and the venom fill my mouth. I lifted my eyes again and searched the barren street but there were no more signs of her. She had just…disappeared.

Hanging my head I inhaled sharply, knowing that if I were human there would be tears in my eyes. I was too late. She was gone. I felt my throat closing as I gave a dry sob. What I would give for the ability to cry! To give myself some sort of release. But the moisture never collected in my eyes and all I tasted in my mouth was pure venom. The emotions of pain and torture that festered inside me could not be let out. I was created to suffer and suffer I did as my eyes watched the shimmering pool of Bella's blood.

My breathing was fast and my jaw was strained as I thought about my frail Bella…alone and bleeding. My pain and torture was moving to give room for more emotions inside of me. Fright. I was scared. Scared that she was in terrible pain, scared that she would never come home, scared that I would lose her forever. I let out another dry sob, squeezing my eyes shut and breathing deeply.

Then suddenly, as her scent reached my senses again, all the emotions boiling inside me disappeared and were changed into something very different. Rage. This hadn't been her decision. Someone must have taken her…by force. I gritted my teeth as my hands clenched into fists. If they hurt her in any way I was going to tear them limb from limb and watch them burn. It would all be done by my own hands, mark my words. I wanted to watch the bastard rot…

I hadn't noticed Alice behind me until she laid I hesitant hand on my shoulder. My body twitched in surprise as my head snapped back to look her in the eyes. Her golden hues were wide and I could see the emotion inside her. Not only was she frightened but she was guilty. Alice believed that it was her fault. If only she hadn't held me back. If only we had gone to find Bella before all of it happened. She pressed her lips together and squeezed my shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Edward," she whispered in a broken voice.

I looked away from her and back to the street that went into the distance of the thick fog that had rolled in. Lifting my hand from the pavement I let it rest on top of Alice's hand, reassuring her that she had nothing to do with it. I could never her blame her. She was my little sister and she only wanted to help.

"I called Carlisle," she said, getting slowly to her feet but keeping my hand in hers. "He said he's coming and bringing Emmett and Jasper with him. They've been hunting in the Rockies so they're running here. It shouldn't take long, unless they hit a road block of some sort."

I nodded, feeling distant from her even though she held my hand tightly in hers. It was almost too unreal to believe that Bella had just gone missing when she had been in my arms this morning. It was hard to grip the fact that I didn't know where she was. It was beyond difficult to try and accept the chance that she might not be alive in my arms again…

I knew what I had to do. I had to track them. Of course I wasn't very talented in that area but I would not give up until I found her.

Letting my eyes rest on Bella's blood again I closed my lids before inhaling deeply. Many different scents assaulted me and I felt overwhelmed by it for a moment before I caught myself and focused. There was Bella's blood of course but I saved that for later use. The smell of wet pavement and moss entered my mind and I shoved it away before continuing on. That wasn't what I was looking for. Different human cuisine as well as their blood filled my mind and made me hazy for a moment before shaking my head and trashing it. Alice's own scent, lilies. A herd of white tailed deer in a clearing not far from where we were standing. An odd citric smell which rang a bell in my mind. I knew that from somewhere…or someone.

My eyes shot open and I focused my mind on that citric scent. It was one smell that had alerted me to another presence when Bella and I had been walking to Forks. Bitter and acidic, it made me recoil for a moment before shaking my head. This was what I had to track.

Taking one last breath I turned to Alice to find her on the phone again. She looked up, seeing that look in my eyes before nodding. She knew what I wanted and planned to do. Bending to inhale Bella's scent I let the rage in my body take me over before sprinting down the street and into the fog.

It drove me faster than I had ever gone in my life, so fast that a human would only think of me as a passing wind. The houses and trees on either side of me whipped past as I weaved in and out of the small amount of traffic on the streets. I went wherever that scent went and soon I noticed Bella's scent becoming stronger. I had been right. She had been taken and I was tracking the right person. Gritting my teeth and clenching my hands I pictured Bella's broken body in my mind as she cried out in pain. I would make that monster pay for whatever they did to her.

Then finally both were stronger than they had ever been. I had arrived at my destination. Skidding to a halt I dug my feet into the dirt road and finally was able to brace myself against a strong stone fence. Breathing heavily I looked around myself to see I was very far out of town. There was practically no houses to be seen, only a few dotted in the distance and rolling, muddy fields with evergreen trees as far as a humans eye could see. It was very rural and the stone wall I was holding on to was surrounding a small part of land.

In the short distance, long grass swaying slowly on either side of it, was an old barn. It had been abandoned years ago, like our home had been. It was ready to fall down itself with the rotting wood and aching support beams. The barn looked like one more rainstorm would make it topple to the ground. With the cloudy sky as a backdrop it was the perfect picture for a horror movie.

I took a breath and vaulted myself over the stone wall and into the protected property. I was about to head for the building but Alice's hand grabbing mine made me stop and turn to look at her.

Edward, she thought with a serious expression. We have to wait for Carlisle and the others. You can't go in there alone!

I snarled, snatching my hand away. "I will not wait any longer."

Edward!

"Bella is in there! I won't leave her there waiting!"

Suddenly Bella's scream of pain echoed around me and I left Alice at the wall before charging towards the doors of the barn, my sister's frantic calls going unheard. Without pausing I reached forward and ripped the wooden doors off their hinges before stepping inside.

The barn was dimly lit and only a few windows high in the rafters above let in light. The floor was covered in hay and dust with creaking boards underneath which groaned when I moved inside as if it was about to give way. On the sides of the barn were old wooden tools like carriages missing wheels or barrels. But my eyes were drawn to the middle of the large room.

Bella was lying on the ground, her chest heaving and her body twisting frantically in pain as her small groans and cries bounced off the walls. Gripping her wrist tightly to his mouth was a vampire I had never seen before. His cropped brown hair filled with hay and dirt and his chin and hands covered in blood. My Bella's blood.

I didn't even wait for him to say anything as he looked up from her, letting her arm drop and grinning at me with red teeth. Roaring in rage I leaped forward and grabbed him before we both crashed through the far barn wall and smashed it to pieces. We collided with the ground, dirt flying everywhere and making our path a dent in the soil like a meteor falling to the earth. When we finally stopped he kicked me off him with a grunt and I fell a good few feet away from him but I was back on my feet as I stood to face him again.

He was in a crouch but grinned when he saw me lock eyes with him. Slowly he began to move one way and I did the same in the different direction. We were locked in a death match, only one of us would come out of this…alive.

"Hello," he murmured pleasantly and I snarled in return. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Edward. All the time I've been watching you, I've only wanted to become a friend of yours."

I growled, baring my teeth. "You hurt Bella," I said simply.

He chuckled darkly and we continued our 'game', as he liked to call it in his mind. "Oh," he cooed. "Have a soft spot for the human?" My chest rumbled with another coming snarl. "Should have known better, Edward. Falling for a human, silly mistake to make. They are just so frail and breakable. But they can be delicious, like your pet."

"Don't call her that!" I raged.

He shook his head as if he were listening to a child arguing with him. This just made the raging fire inside me burn brighter. Smiling lightly he suddenly changed the topic. "I'm sorry but we haven't really got to the introductions, have we?" he asked me. I kept silent. "I already know you, Edward. I have known you for quite some time. But you wouldn't know me -"

"James," I barked and he stopped and looked at me, surprised for a moment before grinning again.

"So it's true then," he said. "This is your gift. Well I might as well surrender now since you'll know my every move."

I grinned darkly at him. "It comes in handy."

He smiled in return. "I'm sure it does." He paused as if he were thinking for a moment before stopping his movements. I mirrored him as he looked away from me. "Maybe we should test it."

Suddenly he leaped out at me. I quickly ducked and flipped around to face him as he came at me again, knocking us both to the ground. I kicked and punched at him before I finally got him off me and I stumbled to my feet. I'd never been in this long a fight before with this strong a fighter. It was obvious he drank human blood and I was weaker than he was but I would not give up. Protect Bella at all costs.

The blow to my chest was unlike anything I'd ever felt before and suddenly I was catapulted backwards and through the hole in the barn.

Smashing through the floorboards I felt dizzy suddenly. I gasped for breath I didn't need and I opened my eyes to see him walking towards me through the hole in the wall. His red rimmed eyes seemed only on me as he continued past the two girls in the middle of the barn. At least Alice was crouching beside Bella and trying to calm her. She would keep her safe until the rest of the family got here.

Just seeing the crazy smile on his face with his red teeth, Bella's blood still dripping from his lips made me snap. I saw complete red and my blood lust skyrocketed. He needed to die. Now.

Pushing myself to my feet I ran forward, tackling him until we smashed into the floorboards again and I caught him a corner. Using all the strength I had left I snapped down and sunk my teeth into his shoulder, ripping it from his body with a flick of my head. James yelled out in complete horror as I tossed the arm aside before moving to remove his other.

Edward!

I sunk my teeth into his shoulder.

Edward!

I was about to pull it out of its socket.

Son!

I stopped when I felt hands on my shoulders, yanking me away from James and pinning me to the ground. I was ready to fight back against this new threat when I locked eyes with the golden hue. Carlisle's worried gaze settled on me, his hands pressing down on my shoulders as if he were afraid I would try and attack him.

"Carlisle?" I breathed, wondering if he really was there.

It's all right son, he thought. It's over.

Lifting my head I looked up to see Jasper and Emmett grabbing James and wrestling him out of the barn, his other arm in Jasper's hand. I knew where they were going and what they were doing. I shifted under Carlisle's grasp, trying to go out and help them. I wanted to watch him burn. But my father kept his grip on me and I looked back at him with confusion and frustration.

"Bella needs you," he murmured. "You're no good out there now."

Standing he pulled me to my feet before running to Bella's side where Alice was crouched. The smell of burning wood and flesh reached my senses and I felt compelled to follow my brothers out there. There was still blood lust inside me but when Bella cried out again my decision was made.

I stumbled slowly towards the group crouched on the ground over Bella's shaking body, Alice's soothing voice trying hard to calm her with no avail. Falling to my knees by her I stared down at her eyes which were wide open and sparkling with tears. I let my fingers brush her pale cheek and the warmth that used to be there seemed to be fading. Her eyes snapped over to connect with my own and I could see her fear.

"I can't stop the haemorrhaging," Carlisle muttered. "She's loosing too much blood."

I could barely hear him now. All I saw was my Bella's pain filled eyes and her shaking body as her heart fought to keep beating even though there wasn't nearly enough blood to pump. Leaning forward I pressed my lips against her cold skin, burying my face in her hair and not even noticing the strong scent of her blood. Drinking blood was not a priority. Only Bella was. She had to live. She had to.

"Edward," Carlisle's voice called to me. I looked up him. "I need you to make a decision." I nodded robotically. "We can either let her die," I winced at the word but he continued. "Or you can change her."

My eyes snapped up to his, anger and fright filling my body. "Change her?" I choked out.

He nodded quickly. "She still has enough blood to circulate the venom through her system but only just and she's losing more. I need your decision now, Edward."

I was breathing heavily again as my eyes wandered back to my Bella's withering body. How could I make a decision like that? Either let her die or condemn her to a life in the shadows? No. I couldn't decide. There was too much pressure on me and I suddenly felt like I was suffocating.

I thought about living eternity without her. It would be worse than hell. I would have to follow after her and hope that I could be admitted to wherever she went in the afterlife. But if I let her die she could go to that happy place where she would never be in danger again. Where she would never have to suffer.

And then there was the point that once I did get a taste of her blood I wouldn't be able to stop myself from drinking. It may have been over a decade since I had drunk human blood but that did not make me immune to it. Especially her blood. I could smell it now, the sweet scent of freesia that made my mouth fill with venom. How could I live with myself if I had known that I killed her?

She stared up at me, her brown doe eyes still wet with tears but determined. Her lips parted and she struggled to say something to me. I leaned forward and listened with bated breath and she spoke. "I…trust you," she breathed. And then she moved her head to the side and exposed the pale skin of her neck.

I gaped at her for a moment before I could say anything. "I…I won't…" I stuttered, looking back at Carlisle who looked like he agreed with her. "I won't be able to stop," I whispered.

"She trusts you, Edward," he murmured. "This is her only chance."

I looked frantically for Alice but she was no longer with us and only the sounds of the wind and the fire burning outside reached my head. I couldn't even hear my family's thoughts I was so focused on the task at hand. Letting my eyes fall on Bella's again I watched as she tilted her head more so I could see the thrumming of the vein in her neck. I swallowed the venom in my mouth as it continued to thump with every beat of her dying heart.

"Quickly, Edward." Carlisle said. "She doesn't have much time."

Staring into her eyes again I could almost see her begging for me to change her. Squeezing my eyes shut I leaned forward, brushing my lips against her throat. Her breathing increased in speed and her heart thumped even harder as I lightly kissed her skin.

"I'm sorry," I whispered.

And my teeth sunk into her neck.

Her blood filled my mouth and I couldn't help the groan of satisfaction. The scent of her could never live up to the taste of her. My mind went crazy with joy as I let the red fluid soak into every pore of my body. The fire in my throat continued to burn brightly as it waited for me to swallow, which I did and it cried in joy. More! My body screamed. More!

But then I felt my target flinch and I realized what I was doing. This was Bella's blood in my mouth! She needed it to live and get the venom thorough her system. The monster inside my head screamed at me to keep drinking but then I felt my dead heart yelling back. Save her! Protect Bella at all costs!

Taking all the strength inside me I ripped my head away before I could take another mouth full and gasped for air. With her blood still dripping from my lips I fought with myself before raising my sleeve and wiping it away. I would never take any of her blood again. Licking it off my lips seemed animalistic and I never wanted to be like that. That was something that James would do.

"Edward," Carlisle said quickly. "Help me heal these wounds."

As I did so Bella's body started to convulse and she arched her back as a cry of pain slipped through her lips.

And so it began.

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X Author's Note X

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I know I said I'd be updating faster but the summer kind of got to me. I've started reading a new book series (The Vampire Diaries. It's okay but I suggest Vampire Academy. P.S. Stefan is so much better than Damon. Seriously.), still trying to finish community hours and I can't stop these new ideas for stories running through my head. My Mom's getting me hooked on cowboys now. Last month it was Navy SEAL's and now it's ranchers. But no worries. My SEAL's story is a go. I got the first chapter already typed up but it won't be on until after this story is done. Oh by the way, ONE MORE CHAPTER FOR MIDNIGHT MANSION! And then it's the end. It's all right. You can cry. Go on. I hope the fight scene was epic enough for you! I had fun writing it since I'm picturing all of this in my head like a movie. It's difficult to make poor Rob get smashed around. Lmao Oh and an update for my whole awards thing. I didn't get in. :( Thanks for voting for me if you did! Maybe next year Midnight Mansion will bring home a few awards…

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X Next Chapter X

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BellaPOV. THE END! Go ahead and cry. She describes her life since the change and blah blah blah. It's sort of a wrap up before I start on mah SEAL story! Woot woot! What we want? CULLEN MEN IN UNIFORM!!! When do we want it? NOW! All right you yellow bellied readers, get on over there and review, that's an order! LEFT, LEFT! LEFT, RIGHT, LEFT!

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X Music X

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Headstrong – Trapt

Animal I Have Become – Three Days Grace

Miss Murder + Prelude 12/21 – AFI

Chopperhead – Two Steps From Hell

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