Chapter – 14
Lily had forgotten her cell in Edward's car. By the time she'd gotten it the next morning, there were several missed call and voicemails. Nicky had felt the power surge and was demanding to know what was going on, Collin wanted the dirt on what happened at the meeting, he knew Lily had been there and that Embry was gone but no one was telling him anything more, and then there was the important call, Billy's. "Hey honey its Billy. We've reached a decision. Please call me"
"A decision has been made!!!" She yelled from the garage. As expected, everyone was in the living room by the time she walked in. "Well I don't know what it is yet" she stated as they looked ready to jump on her "Billy left a voicemail to call him"
Carlisle's office had been turned into a mini hospital, all set up and prepared for Bella, so Esme suggested the called was made from her studio, everyone wanted to hear the decision and she had a speaker phone. Her studio was the size or a normal bedroom, but filled with 7 vampires, 5 werewolves and a witch (Maggie stayed in the living room with Bella) it felt incredibly small. Eerie silence filled the room as the phone began to ring, Jake's arms wrapped so tightly around Lily that she was having trouble breathing.
"Hello" Billy's husky voice answered
"Hi Billy" Lily greeted "Sorry it took me so long to call back"
"Hey sweetie, I've been waiting for your call"
"We're all here, Billy" she said making sure he was warned not to say anything he didn't want others to hear "What's the verdict?"
"I gotta say that getting Sam all riled up was an excellent plan"
"Yeah, cause that was her plan" Emmett smirked
"It helped everyone see that his thoughts aren't exactly straight either" Billy continued "It's been decided that no harm should come to Bella. The issue of the child should be considered after its born and only if it's considered a danger" The sigh of relief was communal.
"How did Sam take it?" Lily asked
"Didn't say anything but I take it not well" Billy chuckled "Son?"
"Yeah, dad"
"Sam has never disobeyed an elder's decision, but anger can make people do many stupid things. I think it would be a good idea for your pack to stay there until Bella gives birth"
"Me too" Jake nodded
"Billy?" Carlisle said "I want you know they're family to us and treated as such"
"Thank you" Billy answered "And Lil, thank you too, honey, for having the guts to stand up for your dum-dums. You're the main reason the outcome was swayed in your favor"
"Good thing I went" she said turning to Jake with an 'I told you so' smile "Jake wouldn't let me go so I had to sneak out"
"Then he should listen to you more often"
"Ha!" Lily exclaimed, sticking her tongue out at Jake as everyone laughed.
"Pack?"
"Yeah, Billy" Jess, Seth, Embry and Leah chorused
"We are very proud of you for standing up for your beliefs" he said causing 4 swollen chests "Sue and I are especially proud of all of you. Talk to you kids soon" click
The drama with Sam wouldn't be completely over until after Bella's baby was born so staying in the Cullen house was a good idea but Lily was sure everything would be ok. In fact, she knew everything would be just fine. She smiled to herself as she looked around at her family, everything happened for a reason. Esme had more kids to care for and she was loving it, Alice, Jasper and Emmett were closer to the pack than ever before, Rosalie and Jake were no longer trying to kill each other, he still called her Blondie but he was no longer Fido, Rosalie and Bella were sisters, Edward and Jake were brothers, Jake finally owned his role as the rightful Alpha, Maggie broke out of her shell, Lily was no longer a witch in training, but a powerful witch, period. If it wasn't for Bella's discomfort and Edward's torment and Carlisle's worries, things would be great.
For the first time, ever, Leah actually sat at the dining room table to have breakfast with the pack. Lily smiled as she mentally gave herself a pat in the back. It was then she noticed Edward's black eyes and deep purple circles under them. She looked over at Jake and silently pointed it out as she glanced over at Edward and stroked under her right eye. Jake picked up it right away and buried his brows before getting up to place his arm over Edward's shoulders
"When was the last time you ate, bro?"
"As a matter of fact, Jacob" Carlisle interrupted "We need to talk to you about that"
"Can't drink from Lils or Mags" Jessie laughed "And we sure as hell aint volunteering"
"No" Carlisle chuckled "But we do need to go. Jacob, I was wondering what your thoughts were on the subject"
"Treaty is definitely null right now" Jake smirked "I'd say to stay close to base and go during the day. They'd be expecting you to go out at night, you know, typical bloodsucker stuff"
"Maggie and I will stay with Bella" Lily smiled
"Edward?" Esme said "Why don't you and Rosalie go first, the rest of us can go after you come back"
"That's a good idea" Carlisle agreed "Bella's sleeping now but she'll need breakfast when she wakes up, we can fix it for her"
Lily nodded in agreement. She had no problem making Bella eggs, the only 'human' food she could eat but she was going nowhere near the blood fridge. Carlisle had figured eggs were not enough for her and thanks to a comment Edward picked off Jake's head, they'd figured the baby would be wanting blood. From then on Bella's meals consisted of a plate of eggs and a glass of blood. Yuck!
An unwilling Edward was dragged away by Rosalie as Jake and the pack ran off to do their usual rounds. Emmett had decided Lily's sound system on her mini needed to be upgraded, he headed out with Jasper to do that while Lily and Maggie were dragged away by Alice to play dress-up Maggie.
"I do hair and make-up, you do clothes" Lily laughed
"And accessories" Alice smiled
"Someone help me!" Maggie cried out the window
"Seth, I better not see one paw of yours up here!" Alice yelled
The barks heard from somewhere in the trees were defiantly laughter. They were on the fifth or sixth outfit when Rosalie and Edward returned. Maggie was very happy about that. By the time Lily and Maggie got downstairs Edward was sitting in his usual chair as Rosalie sat next to a still sleeping Bella. The Cullens ran out, leaving Bella's 'breakfast' in the kitchen. They were watching reruns of 'Family Matters' when Bella woke up. In a matter of seconds Rosalie was handing her the plate of eggs and the sippy cup of blood, bendy straw and all. By her second cup Edward had gone outside for a walk.
"Rose?" Bella sheepishly asked
"Again?" Rosalie complained as she helped Bella stand up. It was her millionth trip to the bathroom in the hour she'd been awake.
Lily smiled as she stood up to take Bella's cup. Even though any one of them had the reflexes to catch it as it slipped from her fingers, she still tried to do it herself. As she bent slightly, a loud, ear-splitting cry of agony erupted from her throat before it was drowned by a fountain of blood.
*****
Jake could hear the agony in Edward's voice as he called his name. Even from afar he could read the pain in his face. He looked like someone who was being skinned and burned alive but was too terrified to make a sound. There was no hiding that he was sure Bella was not gonna survive. He'd been unsuccessfully trying to convince Bella of giving up and ending the pregnancy, anyone who knew Bella knew she was too stubborn to do so but he tried anyways. Probably the reason why Blondie wouldn't let him touch Bella with a ten foot pole. At one point he'd convince Jake to talk some sense into her, he didn't get very far though, the moment the words began to come out him he was smacked by Bella and Lily.
Edward was rubbing his head with forehead as Jake approached him. The motion sounded and looked like granite running against concrete, it couldn't possibly be soothing but it meant whatever was on his mind was not good in any way.
"That bad?" Jake asked as he pulled on his shorts
"Jacob, I know you have done way too much for us already"
"But you need something else" Jake smirked
"I am asking this of you, the true Alpha, Jacob, the heir of Ephraim Black"
Not good. "Spit it out, bloodsucker"
"I want your permission to deviate from what we agreed to in our treaty with Ephraim. I want you to grant us an exception. I want your permission to save her life. You know I'll do it anyway, but I don't want to break the faith with you if there's any way to avoid it. I want the alliance between our families to survive when this is over"
Jake tried to swallow but ended up puffin air "Sam" he said "You need to talk to Sam"
"No" Edward shook his head "Sam's authority is assumed. It belongs to you. No one can rightfully agree to this except you" Jake was speechless "And there's one more thing" Things could only get worse "I want your word that if Bella does not survive"
"She will" Jake interrupted
"If she doesn't"
"Lil says she will" he argued
"But if she doesn't" Edward interrupted "I want your word that you'll put an end to my existence"
"You want me to kill you???!!!"
"I would already be dead, Jacob" Edward whispered "What I beg of you is that as a friend, a brother, you have pity of me and end my personal hell"
It was sad, sick and twisted, but if the shoe were on the other foot, he'd probably be begging for the same thing. He didn't have a chance to comment or respond. A piercing cry of agony echoed through the woods, sending a chill down Jake's spine. It was Bella.
Lil and Blondie were heard at the same time. "JAKE!!!" "EDWARD!!!"
They were in the living room within milliseconds. Bella was flopping around like a fish out of water, gargled cries of pain as blood erupted from her nonstop. Blondie was trying to hold Bella still as Lil held her head, tilting it to the side to keep her from suffocating. Maggie was in the farthest corner of the room, motionless and horrified.
He was relieved to see Bella's face go blank, unconscious. Whatever happened from that point on, at least she wouldn't feel it, he hoped. The only movement coming from her was in the center of her body. She convulsed as snaps and cracks kept in time with the spasms.
The bloodsucker froze for a half-second before bursting into action. Edward yelling orders as Blondie swept up Bella's body and rushed up the stairs. Jake and Lil ran after them as she called Doc. Bella was still vomiting blood so Lil stood at her head, holding it to the side as Blondie pinned down her arms.
"Jake!" Lil ordered "Her legs!"
He pinned her legs as her body twitched. Edward yanked and ripped her clothes outta the way as he stabbed a syringe into her arm.
"What's happening, Edward?" Jake asked, his voice breaking
"She's suffocating" Lil answered "Her baby's suffocating"
"The placenta must have detached" Edward added
The threat of her baby's life was enough to bring Bella back. She yelled in a shriek that pierced his eardrums "Get her OUT!" she screamed "She can't BREATHE! Do it NOW!!!"
The huge bulge in Bella's stomach went from patches of black and blue over white to deep red. Blondie immediately picked up a scalpel.
"Let the morphine spread!" Edward shouted at her
"There's no time, Edward. She's dying" Lil cried
Whether the she was Bella or the baby, it was enough to keep Edward from stopping Blondie. The scalpel slid over Bella's stomach, causing Bella to jerk without a scream, she was choking. A lagoon of red to spilled over everything and in that second Blondie lost her focus, her eyes turning black with thirst.
"No, Rose!" Edward and Lil chorused
Edward and Lil's hands were trapped, trying to keep Bella from bleeding to death so Jake launched himself at her. The scalpel in her hand stabbed deep into his left arm as their bodies collided. He used his right palm to smash her face, locking her jaw and blocking her airway. He used the hold he had on her to swing her around and throw her out the door. Blondie got up but the door slammed shut on its own.
"I got it!" Lil yelled "She can't come in. Edward, get the baby out, Jake, you pump her chest while I give her CPR!"
Even with all his strength, Jake couldn't hold Bella down. She was twitching and flopping uncontrollably. Then her body went limp. Her legs that had been curled up in agony sprawled in an unnatural way.
"Her spine!' Edward cried in horror
"No, I did that" Lil answered "She won't feel anything anymore"
"Get it out of her! Now!" Jake growled
Jake focused on the pumping of Bella's heart. He could hear the gusts of air Lil was blowing, the soft wetness of the scalpel sliding across Bella's stomach, the dripping of blood on the floor, more blood.
"You keep fighting, Bella" Lil whispered "It's almost over"
Then stillness arrived. It was over.
"Renesmee" Edward whispered
Lil nudged Jake to take over the CPR as she ran to get a towel. Edward wrapped the baby and handed her to Lil who walked over to Bella.
"See" Lil said to Bella as she held the baby to her sight "Your little girl"
Bella blinked several times and then stared, finally able to see something. She moaned out a strange, weak coon.
"Renes…mee. So …beautiful"
Lil rushed outta the way as Bella's eyes rolled to the back of her head. With a last dull thump, her heart faltered and went silent. Jake's eyes were filled with tears, blinding him as he continued to blow lungfuls of air into her.
"What are you waiting for!?" he cried "Save her! As Ephraim's heir you have my permission, my word that this will not violate the treaty. The others will just have to blame me"
With that Edward moved Jake's hands outta way to plunge a syringe into Bella's heart.
"What is that?"
"My venom" he answered.
Jake immediately heard the jolt of her heart.
"Keep her heart moving" Lil ordered
Jake pumped away as Edward zoomed around, biting Bella's wrists, arms and any place possible, getting as much venom in her as possible. The faces of defeat were evident in Jake and Edward. Lil shook her head.
"She's not dying" she assured "Not the way you think"
Doc knocked on the door, asking to be let in. The door wasn't locked but that wasn't what was keeping him out. A glance from Lil and the door opened on its own. Jake's eyes were filled with tears, making it impossible to see, but he could hear the vampires and werewolves standing in the hallway. It made it all the more painful when the universal gasp filled the house. Bella's heart took its last and final beat.