Chapter 13: Paralyzed
Construction at the Cullen house had been finished in the wee hours of the morning; about an hour after Bella's outburst. Once the proper steps were taken to create new amulets and turn the waterfall into a Fountain of Youth, Will herded his family back to the Forks Motel. Jacob accompanied them because Elizabeth decided it was much too late for him to be driving home. He crashed on the spare bed in Jack's room after the two stayed up even later swapping stories. The next morning Liam, Kate, James and Abby accompanied Charlotte and Jacob to La Push to meet some of his pack brothers. He was confident that even if the other wolves were initially annoyed with the Turners' breadth of knowledge they would quickly 'get over it.' Wanting to stay in the area in case Bella needed her, Elizabeth declined the invitation. Jack and Will stayed behind with her on the off chance that something did occur.
The three took the time to relax a bit. Elizabeth sat curled in a chair reading. Will and Jack were playing cards. The television was tuned into a 24 hour news network so they could catch up on all that they had missed in tumult of the last few days. The anchors were currently discussing the recent North Korean missile tests and speculating on what that meant for the United States.
Jack made a tutting noise and admonished the government, "Don' do anythin' foolish now, eh?"
"They can't hear you, Jack," Will reminded him.
"Can't hurt to voice it, William. I don' fancy a new-cue-lar war."
"You're beginning to sound like the president again. It's 'nuclear'."
Jack made a face, "That's an insult, whelp. Comparin' me to 'im like 'at."
The station went to commercial and a child's eerie voice sang, "Yo ho, yo ho a pirate's life for me."
Both heads jerked up to see a commercial for Dead Man's Chest playing. In unison they glanced at Elizabeth. Expecting to see her stiffen and glare at the television set, they were relieved that she seemed oblivious to it. Neither reacted, hoping she would stay engrossed in her book.
But Jack couldn't help but snort when 'Cutler Beckett' declared, "Jack Sparrow is a dying breed."
"Really? Who's dead an who's still 'round then?" he asked the television.
"Jack!" Will admonished under his breath with another furtive glance at his wife. She appeared to remain unfazed.
In reality, Elizabeth was merely doing her best to hide her reaction. The closer they got to the movie's release the more she dreaded it. Hearing 'Davy Jones' again, her fist clenched in her lap. The idea of millions around the world judging her actions caused her stomach to turn. Knowing that she would soon see herself murder her best friend and hurt her husband – even if it was just a reenactment in a movie – made her want to vomit. Additionally, she was worried about Charlotte. Her daughter's new relationship was untested and progressing at a breakneck speed. Given Charlotte's past, Elizabeth felt she had every right to be vexed. And to top it all off, she was quite concerned about Bella.
Though her every instinct had demanded she stay to help her niece, Elizabeth had forced herself to leave early that morning. It had been difficult enough to follow Alice, Jasper and Esme the night before when Bella was crying. It was harder still to go not knowing if the girl was okay. Having never enjoyed surrendering control of any kind, it was with great reluctance that she mentally entrusted the problem to Edward. Deep down she knew there was nothing she could say or do to assuage her niece's mind or allay her fears until Bella was ready to listen. And leaving it up to Edward and Bella would only serve to strengthen their relationship. After a long mental debate, she knew her decision was the right one. She just didn't like it.
Then again, that was last night. Now she had no idea what was happening to Bella Swan. While she was confident that no harm would befall her niece – the Cullens simply wouldn't allow it – that knowledge did little to calm her nerves. It was easy to wrap her mind around the concept, but it seemed her heart refused to believe it. Their blood tie was weak at best, but Bella was family. Even aside from that link the quiet, unassuming brunette was so unfailingly sweet and kind and… delicate in spite of her brilliant inner light and strength, that she had easily won the hearts of her distant relatives. If nothing else they all shared an unbreakable bond of the spirit; one that triggered Elizabeth's protective maternal instincts.
After an hour of anguishing over the movie, her daughter and her niece she found herself pacing the length of their suite in frustration. Though she could move freely, her emotions were overwhelming. She felt helpless. Ineffective. Paralyzed.
"'Lizabeth?" Jack's quiet voice broke through her distraction. "Sit down, dahrlin'. You're makin' me nervous, eh? You've got to be exhausted an' that won't help Bella none. They promised they'd call if needed an' we'll see 'em soonish. Jus' settle down now," he commanded gently.
With a heavy sigh, Elizabeth reluctantly obeyed. She sank down on the couch, absentmindedly tapping her fingers against her knees. Will reached over and captured her hand in his, stroking the back of it with his thumb. The repetitive motion seemed to have a calming effect.
"It's not just about Bella, is it dearest?" he asked softly. "It's about Charlotte? And tonight?"
She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and nodded. Without further words, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, keeping hold of her hand. The three stayed silent for a long while, each contemplating the near future.
"We knew 'twould come to this," Jack reasoned. He was trying to remind both his friends and himself that they had thought the movie concept through. "They'll think what they want, o' course. The smart ones'll get it. An' we know the truth o' the matter. What happened turned out for the best, as it were. There're no hard feelings."
It was true that Will did not want to alter the past for fear that it would drastically affect the future, but he was not looking forward to the comments and judgments that were inevitable. Nonetheless, he endeavored to keep up a brave front around Elizabeth, though knowing that she was dreading it made it worse.
"This makes me miss the days of running on adrenaline. Then outside stresses were shoved to the back of my mind and didn't bother me so much," she admitted.
"'Til you completely broke down, o' course, an' scared me an' th' crew half to death," Jack smiled at her. "That was centuries ago an' you have to admit, dahrlin' – that wasn't th' healthiest o' lifestyles we had."
"All the more reason to dread seeing it begin to play out in front of millions, Jack," she replied without missing a beat. "I shouldn't care what others think of me and I never have before. I don't know why it's bothering me now."
Jack answered in his rarely used serious tone, "You're nervous, 'Lizabeth, because you still haven't fully forgiven yourself for th' past."
Frowning she replied, "Why should I forgive myself? Why should you two have forgiven me? I nearly destroyed us all!"
"We share that guilt, Elizabeth," Will countered. "Not one of us was upfront about our plans and it cost us dearly. But we also learned valuable lessons, did we not? Lessons that have carried us through the past 275 years? I thought we moved beyond this centuries ago, dearest."
"I was directly responsible for the deaths of the three most important men in my life; my brother, my father and my husband, and a good friend as well. Not to mention the others… I don't deserve absolution."
Will sighed heavily, believing he and Jack would not win this argument but continuing anyway. "So stubborn," he lamented quietly. "I really think seeing it all might well help you realize how right Jack is. But if you don't want to, you don't have to come with us, Elizabeth. I don't have to go either for that matter. We can stay in; I'm sure they would understand."
"No," she replied quietly after a long pause. "I need to see this through. I've never backed down from anything," her voice sounded stronger than they expected. "I will not shy away from this, no matter how hard it may be. But I still say I don't deserve to be forgiven. After what I did it's only right that I carry that for eternity. I should have to relive my actions."
Fighting the urge to roll his eyes, Jack argued, "Speakin' as the only one you can actually claim responsibility for, you are forgiven. It isn't somethin' that a person deserves. It's somethin' he or she needs, 'Lizabeth. You need 'is. You did what was necessary at th' time. None o' us would've done differently. But we're here. We're together. We're fine. An' you've got to get over it, Lizzie."
"And as far as I'm concerned there's nothing to forgive, beloved," Will added.
She shook her head in disbelief, unable to verbalize an answer.
"'Lizabeth Swann Turner. You will listen to me now. 'At day on th' Pearl, you recognized what needed to be done an' you did it. You knew 't wouldn' be easy. You knew 'ere'd be a price, eh? But you did it anyway to save th' ones you love, knowin' you'd carry the weight o' that decision. 'At's what makes you a hero, luv. Heroes are th' people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless o' th' consequences.
"An' after all o' that you came an' got me. You found a way to change th' facts, fix th' consequences. An' you kept puttin' yourself on th' line for others. Though most o' the Brethren didn' deserve the time o' day, you stood up for 'em. What's more, you've done 'at for 273 years now – from the day you talked Norrie into goin' after William an' Barbossa, freed me crew, and came to our aid in th' cave. It's who you are, dahrlin'. So you may not see why you deserve forgiveness, but th' rest o' us do.
"You know, you keep trying to get Bella to see 'erself clearly. Edward too, for 'at matter. How can yeh hope to do 'at when you don' see yourself clearly? Bella already recognizes we were doin' what we thought we had to do to save us an' she's an outsider. She doesn't blame you. You should listen to 'er."
"Perhaps..." she agreed softly before continuing, "If only we could be sure that everyone would understand the movie the way Bella and her family do... it would help."
"We can't control th' rest o' the world, Lizzie. That's why we still 'ave to fight for what's right, savvy?"
"Okay, Jack," she sighed. "I'll go with tonight. I have to go with tonight. I haven't let myself think about this for nearly three hundred years. It's time I face it."
Leaning in Will kissed her temple, "Thank you for trusting us."
"To the ends of the earth and beyond," she murmured.
"Been 'ere. Done 'at," Jack grinned.
"I'm fairly certain the nightmares about my brother were triggered by stress from the impending premiere," she offered, a look of intense concentration on her face. "So I suppose that's the silver lining to all of this trouble. We have to relieve the past, but we've gained much in return."
"An' now we're lookin' on the bright side, as it were," Jack declared. "Movin' on… I thought we talked 'bout Charlotte. She's old enough to make 'er own decisions. An' Jacob seems like a good lad. What's worryin' you there?"
"I know Charlotte is intelligent and perfectly capable of taking care of herself. But she is and always will be my baby."
Will squeezed her hand gently, "I don't like it much either, Elizabeth. But we trusted our sons to know their hearts. We have to trust Charlotte too."
"It's not Charlotte I don't trust. She's been hurt in the past. If nothing else I would have thought she would be more cautious. But Jacob is so young, how can he possibly know what he wants?"
"I knew I wanted you the day we met," Will said quietly. "How is our situation any different from hers?"
She had no answer.
"You have to admit, dahrlin', there's somethin' there. Somethin' deep an' meanin'ful," Jack coaxed.
"It certainly seems more natural than things ever did with Daniel," she allowed, sneering at the name of the man who had broken her daughter's heart.
"I talked to Jacob while you were speakin' wif Edward yesterday. He knows you both must be uneasy 'bout this. It's one reason why he wanted you to go wif them today. He wanted you to see others wif this imprintin' bond. An' he told me that whatever's best for Charlotte, 'at's what he'll do. Whether 'at means he's 'er friend, 'er husband or nothin' at all; he jus' wants 'er to be happy."
Will nodded in immediate understanding. He knew exactly what Jacob meant, having tried to deny his feelings for Elizabeth all those years ago for her sake. If that was the truth, he was confident his daughter would be happy and cared for well.
"I suppose that's all I can ask," Elizabeth allowed reluctantly.
"Good. Now, what's concernin' you about Bella?"
She frowned again. "I'm not sure. I'm worried about her, especially after last night. She doesn't see how strong she really is. And the 'touch of destiny' comment has me on edge, I will admit. The last time…"
"I'm sure Calypso didn't mean anything by her comment," Will jumped in. "Remember, our lives weren't supposed to turn out that way and when things did go horribly wrong she intervened."
"Who stepped in now?" Jack raised an eyebrow.
Will gave him a look that clearly indicated now was not the best time for Jack to be Jack. "Pardon me. When things went horribly wrong Jack got Calypso to get involved and she encouraged Fate to intercede. Is that more to your liking?"
"Much more better," the other man nodded with a self-satisfied smirk.
Turning back to his wife, Will examined her for a moment. She very, very rarely reacted so emotionally to a situation. The few times he had seen her panic this way had been related to their children being in danger. "Consider it rationally, dearest."
"I've tried that," she fairly hissed back, indicating just how much she was affected by this turn of events. Elizabeth almost never took out her emotions on Will.
"Try again," he ordered firmly. "The fountain will fix any medical problem that arises even without Carlisle, Edward or Rosalie."
"As far as we know," she interrupted.
"You're being obstinate, Elizabeth," he chided gently. "Please make an effort."
She frowned before agreeing, "Alright. So medical problems are arguably unimportant. What else?"
"Alice said everything would turn out right," he pointed out.
"Unless she's lying. Or wrong."
"What reason would she possibly have for lying? She may want to be human again, Elizabeth, but Bella is like her sister. You had to have seen that. Alice wouldn't put her in danger for selfish reasons any more than Kate, Abby or Charlotte would risk each other," Will argued. "As for her being wrong, I suppose it's possible. Anything is, after all. But if something were to change, I'm sure she would be honest with everyone. I'm sure she would do anything in her power to help. Do you really believe otherwise?"
"No, not really. But…"
"No buts, dahrlin'. You're lookin' for reasons to worry now. Right now you've got t' think logically rather than emotionally, as it were," Jack interjected. "What trouble could Bella possibly be in then?"
"Wasn't it you who said our name alone causes trouble? And if she truly is the danger magnet Edward claims she is, who's to say something won't go horribly wrong?" Elizabeth protested.
"Who's to say it will?" he disagreed.
"You did!" she sounded exasperated.
"Lizzie, you don' listen to half of what I say, an' for good reason," he was back to being serious. "You know I was tryin' to ease her mind wif that trifle joke. The little psychic said it'd be fine. Why worry?"
"I know it's an added stress, dearest," Will began. "But between us and the Cullens I'm sure we'll be able to handle whatever may come. I'm certain the concern is unnecessary, though I know that does little to diminish it."
Elizabeth let out a frustrated scream. She didn't like feeling overly anxious, but couldn't shake it. "I can't help it! I'm concerned about Bella which exacerbates the fret over Charlotte which makes the movie seem worse which intensifies the anxiety over Bella… I'm worrying in circles!"
"So we'll break the vicious cycle then, eh?" Jack shrugged. "I'll call Charlotte an' have them meet us at the house."
"But Jack…" she began.
"I'll call Charlotte an' have them meet us at the house," he repeated firmly. He turned to leave, but not before locking eyes with Will.
"I don't know, Will," Elizabeth sounded more agitated than before. "I don't like any of this. I don't know why I feel this way. Something isn't right here."
Will took her face in his hands. "You need to calm down, love. Breathe with me." He was quiet for a few minutes, breathing deeply. When her breathing finally matched his, he continued, "Better. This isn't like you, Liz. You're letting things overwhelm you. Have some faith."
"Have some rum," Jack added, returning from his room with a bottle in hand. "I know you don' like it, but it'll help."
"He's probably right," Will agreed, despite his distaste for alcohol.
She took the bottle and swallowed a small amount. "I just found my family," she said softly. "I can't lose it. Can't lose any of it."
"Elizabeth… you aren't losing Charlotte. Bella will be fine. Everyone understands what happened in the past. Nothing is going to change any of that," Will promised. "Nothing."
Charlotte and Jacob and Liam, Kate, James and Abby pulled up just behind Will, Elizabeth and Jack. They had timed their arrival well. Having been admonished the day before not to bother with ringing the doorbell or knocking, they simply walked inside. "Hello?" Elizabeth called.
Bella and Edward were nowhere to be seen. Alice, Rosalie, Jasper and Emmett were silently staring at the still swinging kitchen door. Esme was coming down the stairs looking slightly confused.
"Hello again," she greeted them with a warm smile.
Elizabeth smiled back weakly, fighting down the panicky feeling that threatened to overwhelm her since Bella was not present. "Hello, Esme."
"What's going on?" Will wondered.
Jacob snickered at his personal assessment, "Bella's been here. That's the only explanation for how they look – utterly bewildered and surprised."
"So Bella's like 'er uncle Jack, eh?" Jack said.
"Causing mayhem and chaos just by being present?" Charlotte asked wryly.
Jack smirked, "Somethin' like 'at."
Kate wondered, "Where are Bella and Edward?"
I kept my eyes open and locked on Edward as I drank. The venom infused water was deliciously cool and it bubbled as I swallowed.
I didn't know what to expect. James had briefly described how he remembered it feeling when he became immortal when I asked the night before. I couldn't explain my reluctance to ask my aunt, it just seemed much easier to ask him instead. I suppose I was embarrassed to admit to her that I was a little nervous about the process, though it was just because it was an unknown. I didn't want her or anyone else to think I was having second thoughts. James seemed to understand and didn't tease me at all. Leaving Jasper and Jacob to finish up with the dirt moving, he slung an arm around my shoulders in an almost brotherly fashion and walked me around the yard. He told me it hadn't really been a big deal. He hadn't noticed any kind of immediate change; things seemed to happen more gradually. He said it was just like drinking regular water, only a bit more refreshing. That had bolstered my courage.
Of course no one knew what to expect with the addition of the venom. I hadn't been brave enough to ask any of the Cullens what it tasted like, though I suppose their assessments as vampires would be useless to me as a human. I knew that it was not a paralyzing agent, but that didn't mean much. Would it be hot and spicy like fire? Would it be cold as ice? Would it be sweet like their smell? I didn't know how it would taste or what it would do. I was sure that if Alice saw anything concerning she would tell me and let me make an informed decision. I trusted that as much as she wanted to be human again, she wouldn't put me in danger to achieve that.
All of these thoughts ran through my mind as I gulped down mouthful after mouthful of thankfully tasteless liquid. James had been right – it was very refreshing. Edward raised one perfectly sculpted eyebrow as I finished draining the glass. He held out his hand to take it from me. In the blink of an eye he placed it on the dresser and resumed his position beside me, staring at me intently.
"How do you feel?" he asked, anxiety coloring his tone. "Be honest, Bella."
I took a moment to consider his question. How did I feel? Nothing really stood out as painful, uncomfortable or even different. "I don't feel anything," I promised at last, filling my voice with as much sincerity as I could manage.
He ran his eyes over me clinically as if he was expecting to see some physical sign of a lie. "You will tell me the moment that changes."
"I promised I would be honest, Edward," exasperated as I was I somehow managed to keep it out of my voice. "If something does come up I will tell you." I was still hoping that nothing would occur.
"Very well," he sighed. "I'm sorry, love. I'm just worried about you."
I gave him a wry smile, "You and everyone else apparently."
"You must admit you do give good reasons for concern," he smiled back. "What would you like to do now, my Bella?"
I didn't want to go anywhere or do anything. I wanted to spend quiet time with him. "Can we just stay here?"
"Of course. Did you want to do anything in particular?"
"Music?" I asked, watching as he moved across the room.
I knew I promised Edward complete honesty, but I didn't want to worry him unnecessarily. There was no immediate cause I could identify for my concern, but I had a sinking feeling that something was not quite right. If became more pronounced or actually developed into a concrete reason, I would tell him. But not a moment earlier. Instead I shifted on the couch, trying to relieve the tingling in my legs. They felt as if they had fallen asleep. As I surreptitiously tried to restore blood flow, it occurred to me that all of my limbs felt the same way. I wiggled my fingers experimentally to no avail. As the sensation crept into parts of my body that couldn't feasibly loose circulation I realized that something was happening.
"Bella?" my fidgeting caught Edward's attention and he abandoned his stereo system to return to my side.
I shook my arms out, hoping larger movements would offer more success at increasing circulation. Instead, the numbness continued to spread. "I think…"
"What is it?" he fairly begged while kneeling in front of me and taking my hand in both of his.
"It's like everything has fallen asleep. It doesn't hurt, it's just weird. Uncomfortable. Like she said," I told him before promising, "I'm okay though."
"Bella…"
"Really, Edward. I'm perfectly fine. It's just a bit strange."
"Bella, please…" he looked torn.
"Please what?"
He shook his head and his beautiful bronze hair fell across his forehead. "I don't know anymore…"
His bedroom door opened and Alice danced in. "Stop everything – Edward Cullen just admitted to not knowing something!" she teased gently, coming over to sit beside me. There was a loud crash downstairs causing me to jump. Alice looked as serene as always, but Edward's expression went from concerned to annoyed.
He reached up to caress my cheek. "I'll be right back, beloved. Esme need my help. It's something to do with Emmett and Jasper."
I merely nodded and smiled reassuringly. It was becoming difficult to move the muscles in my face and I didn't trust myself to speak clearly. The moment Edward was out the door the noise downstairs increased again and Alice leaned in to whisper directly into my ear. Even then I had to strain to hear her.
"I asked them to distract Edward so I could talk to you. Everything is going numb, isn't it? Of course it is, don't try to talk. It's going to get worse, but will pass soon, I think. Just try to relax. I'm going to stay here with you. When they're done distracting him, Jasper and Emmett will come up with Edward. Rosalie is waiting for me to finish explaining. We'll help you keep him calm."
I was starting to panic. It would require all of them to help me with Edward? What was I getting myself into? A strangled, frightened sound ripped itself from my throat.
"Shh, Bella," she comforted me. "It'll be alright. Nothing serious is going to happen. From what I saw, it's not much more uncomfortable than you are now, but you know Edward tends to overreact. If we leave you alone, this may well become difficult and stressful with him hovering and complaining. I know you promised him you'd be honest, so we'll be upfront with him, but I think our presence will help, alright?"
I tried to respond but my 'yes' came out as a hiss. I had no control over my tongue, lips or mouth. I looked at her in panic tinged shock.
"I'm sorry, Bella," she murmured, looking truly apologetic.
Well that's just ridiculous, I thought. I chose to do this. I just wish I could tell her just how insane she sounds.
"You'll tell me later just how silly that was," Alice assured me.
That was interesting. I wondered if I would be able to communicate with her like this until I could actually speak again. I decided I would ask her later.
She nodded and smiled, "Yes. Brilliant. That's one of the ways Edward and I have silent conversations. I knew you were smart Bella. And your ability to communicate will help keep Edward calm too." Turning toward the door she said in a conversational tone, "Rose?"
My other sister-to-be appeared in the doorway with a strange expression on her face. She was smiling cautiously, but there was a mixture of apology, caring, tenderness and something I couldn't identify on her face all at the same time as well.
"How are you, Bella?" she asked almost timidly. This was not the Rosalie Hale I knew at all.
Unable to make any kind of noise, I tried to smile at her instead. I don't know if it was reflected in my eyes, but I knew my mouth hadn't moved. I couldn't even move my head. Any further attempts to draw out Rosalie were eclipsed by the one who followed her in.
"Yes, Bella. How are you?" Edward's suspicious voice came from the door.
"She was mildly confused until you spoke. Now she's concerned," Jasper supplied. It sounded like he was behind Edward, but I couldn't look over to check. I didn't like being unable to move. It was unsettling to say the least.
Alice quietly informed them, "Bella can't speak right now. Or move."
In a flash, Edward was towering over us, glaring at her, "What?"
"It's the – " she began sounding unintimidated though he was scaring me.
"I know the reason, Alice!" he snapped. "Did you see this happening?"
"Edward…" Emmett warned.
Jasper added, "You're scaring Bella."
He was right, of course. Edward's reaction was making me uneasy. And I really didn't like his tone or the way he spoke to his sister, my sister-to-be. We would have words about that later.
"No, Edward. I only know what's going on because I saw the aftermath. Even that was only a moment before I came up here. Bella will be absolutely fine. This is most definitely temporary. I just can't pinpoint exactly how long it lasts," Alice stayed calm in the face of Edward's wrath.
I had to help her as best I could. I gave him the most pleading look possible using only my eyes. At the same time, I decided I would speak as soon as I possibly could. Hopefully, Alice would see that and be able to tell us when it would occur. She gave me a grateful smile.
"Thanks, Bella. It'll be roughly an hour and a half before she can talk and fifteen minutes more before she can really move again. She never has any trouble with breathing, heartbeat or other vital functions."
Oh great. I would be for all intents and purposes paralyzed for two hours. What a fantastic start to the day.
"She's not happy with that thought, Alice," Jasper could sense my annoyance.
"I wouldn't be either," Rose asserted quietly. "I'm sorry, Bella."
I thought she sounded as insane as Alice had before.
"I'm sure she will reiterate later, Rose, but she thinks the apologies are both unnecessary and ludicrous," Alice provided in an amused tone.
Glad as I was that I was able to communicate through Alice, it was still very frustrating being unable to speak for myself. Before I could fully contemplate that, I felt myself swaying. Try as I might I couldn't keep my head straight. The venom-water must have reached my spine at last. Alice put an arm around my shoulders to steady me and looked up at Edward. He sat on my other side, caught the pillow Emmett tossed him and settled first it and then my head in his lap. Alice pulled my legs up onto hers so I was laying across them both. Rosalie spread a blanket over me. Given that I couldn't feel anything it seemed unneeded, but I appreciated the gesture.
"Why are you all still up here?" Edward asked. I thought he was absently stroking my hair, but I couldn't be sure. He sounded upset, but at least he was no longer growling.
"To help keep you and the Squirt calm," Emmett replied frankly. "Having you freak out on her when she can't do anything about it would be the opposite of helpful."
Edward didn't respond and since I couldn't see his face I had no way of reading him, no way of judging his mood. I didn't like that at all and the fact that I had no way of expressing my distaste made it more pronounced.
"Bella's unhappy about something," Jasper informed them nonchalantly. I'd forgotten he was there and would be able to help interpret for me. Between him and Alice I wasn't totally mute, thank goodness.
Edward moaned quietly, "What I wouldn't give to be able to read your mind!"
"Funny, she's thinking something similar," Alice explained. "She wishes she could tell how you're feeling. What you're thinking."
They all lapsed into silence for a while. If we kept on like this it was going to be a long two hours. I tried to figure out what we could do to pass the time. Ultimately, I decided to ask Alice later why we hadn't watched a movie.
"Again, brilliant, Bella," she gently squeezed my foot. "She wants to watch a movie."
Edward carried me down the stairs like a baby, cradling my head and moving very slowly. "I like that you aren't complaining about being carried," he told me softly. "I don't like that it's because you can't. It kills me to see you like this, beloved."
"Things almost always get worse before getting better. 'The night is darkest just before the dawn,'" Alice said sagely as she helped him arrange my limp body across the couch in the living room. I had actually become a giant doll and it was unnerving. At least she wasn't trying to play dress up now.
Emmett, Rosalie and Edward turned to stare at her incredulously while Jasper merely looked amused.
"What's that? Some cheesy tagline from a movie?" Emmett asked, chuckling.
Alice nodded, "Not a tagline, but a line, yes. I thought it was appropriate. It's from The Dark Knight."
"Never heard of it," Rosalie frowned.
"It won't be out until summer of 2008."
"What a perfectly normal thing to quote then," Emmett stated. "What'll it be about?"
Alice grinned at him, "Batman. It's the sequel to Batman Begins. How did you not get that from the title?"
"Christian Bale? Sounds good to me," Rosalie smirked.
At the same time, Emmett pumped his fist in the air. "I love Batman! Wait, what? Hey! Rose!"
We ended up watching Beauty and the Beast. It had been one of my favorite movies as a child. I saw a lot of myself in Belle. Not only were our names similar, we were both misunderstood, both loved to read and both had to take care of our parents. And we both lived our own fairytale.
I turned my attention to the movie in time to hear the narrator intone, "As the years passed he fell into despair and lost all hope… For who could ever learn to love a Beast?"
"Bella could," Jasper said under his breath but loud enough that even I could hear him.
"Holy cow!" Emmett exclaimed. "This movie is about Edward and Bella! Even her name is similar! Belle, Bella. Too bad the Beast doesn't drive fast and play piano."
An unbidden image of the antagonist from the sequel popped into my head. The evil Maestro in the Christmas special had taken the form of an organ. I decided I would have to tell Emmett about it later so Alice would tell him now. On cue she giggled.
"That's excellent!" she exclaimed, hitting the pause button. "Bella wants you to know that in the sequel, the villain is a pipe organ who encourages the Beast not to fall in love with Belle!"
Edward was growling again as his siblings laughed. I wished he could see the humor in the situation. Alice unpaused the DVD and we watched the movie. They teased Edward gently throughout, which didn't make much sense to me. I thought the purpose of them staying with us was to keep him calm, not infuriate him. Though their tactics did somewhat distract him from my predicament, we would have words later. I was slightly distracted by the knowledge that I couldn't feel anything. Alice was gently rubbing my feet and legs, Edward my arms, hands and back. I assumed they thought it would help when I could move again by keeping my blood flowing. Now it was just uncomfortable knowing what was happening but not feeling it.
"So if Edward is the Beast, who's Gaston? Before yesterday I would have said Jacob, but that's out the window now. And he never actually attacked Mike Newton," Emmett asked during the battle scene.
"He might have if Bella had left him though," Jasper pointed out.
"Like that would ever happen!" I protested, surprising everyone including myself. The movie was quickly forgotten and I felt Edward sigh in relief as they all reacted at once.
Alice sounded almost perturbed, "You're early!"
"Thank goodness," Edward murmured, stroking my hair.
"Hurray! The Squirt can talk again!" Emmett cheered.
Rosalie turned toward me and asked, "How are you, Bella?"
"Still mostly numb," I responded. Parts of my body had begun tingling unpleasantly though.
From where he sat near the DVD player, Jasper returned the movie to where it was so we could watch the end. As the Beast lay dying, I couldn't help but tear up. I had always hated this part and it never failed to make me cry. Without much thought, I reached up to brush the moisture away. No one noticed me move but Edward, who caught my hand in his. Sighing again he squeezed it gently and brought my fingers to his lips to kiss them. By the very end of the movie, I was able to sit up properly. A few moments later I could stand and walk. Before the credits finished rolling Edward trusted my balance enough to let me go.
"Feel any different, Squirt?" Emmett smirked at me as I gingerly took a few steps forward alone.
"Nope," I replied honestly. There was a part of me that was very disappointed that I didn't seem to have sudden new abilities. The other part was relieved by the normalcy, though I would never tell Edward.
"Are you hungry? You haven't eaten yet today," Edward reminded me quietly. He watched my every movement closely, but with an entirely different expression than normal. He seemed more relaxed than I had ever seen him before and yet still managed to appear displeased.
I was about to say 'no' when my stomach rumbled. I hadn't realized I was hungry until then. "Yes."
He followed me toward the kitchen, not taking my arm as he usually did. He didn't remind me to be careful of the rug I often tripped over. He didn't scrutinize each step I took looking for ways I could potentially hurt myself. But he looked unhappy.
I didn't run into anything. My foot didn't catch on the edge of the expensive rug. I made it safely across the room without help or incident. Still Edward looked unhappy. Would he ever be happy?
Behind me I heard Alice whisper, "We have to test her."
I frowned in confusion and turned with surprising agility just in time to catch the throw pillow Emmett lobbed at me.
Alice clapped her hands and jumped up and down giggling, "It worked! It worked!"
"And more importantly, Edward didn't kill anyone," Rose added.
Utterly shocked by my vastly improved reflexes I dropped the pillow.
"Same old Bella!" Emmett laughed as I blushed, knowing any protests I made about merely being surprised would go ignored.
"You're pushing your luck with Edward," Jasper warned looking both wary and amused. "He was annoyed enough with Alice wanting to test her." That explained the irritation.
Emmett sneered and taunted, "Afraid Eddie'll become the Beast again?"
I made a snap decision and with as much grace as I could muster – which was a lot more than I was used to – I picked up the pillow and threw it back at my big brother-to-be. "Food for thought, Emmett: If I'm Belle and Edward's the beast – who I might remind you is actually a prince – that means you're somewhere in the story too. So who is it – lunatic servant or idiotic lackey? It's your choice." Turning on my heel, I grabbed Edward's hand and pulled him in kitchen leaving four stunned vampires in my wake.