WHEW! Okay, now this Chapter was a tough one, like 8 hours of writing went into this, so I hope you all enjoy it. Big thanks to my beta LedyBug. Once again I own nothing Twilight, but my Bella makes me damn proud in this Chapter. We should be getting back to Filthy Edward next Chapter, yay smut!! lol =) Enjoy and please review.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 21
BPOV
Her hair was still the amazing chestnut color it had always been, long and wavy. Her eyes of course were no longer their captivating hazel, but now liquid topaz like mine would be in a few months. I knew we had to leave it was starting to get dark outside and I would only have one day left after the sun came up to get to Edward, but I couldn't help myself. I latched my arms around my long lost best friend squeezing her tight in my grasp.
"How? When? Hell, it doesn't even matter!" I blurted out holding her closer to me as my shoulders racked with dry sobs.
She hugged me back, petting my hair like she had done a thousand times before. Sammy always knew what to do. She was two years older than me and had taken the role of a comforting older sister. Though I suppose if she was changed two years ago that would make me the same age as her, physically at least.
"It's alright Izzy," she said in the calming voice I remembered so well despite going two years without hearing it.
It had also been two years since anyone had called me Izzy. I wouldn't let anyone call me that after she disappeared, it hurt too much. After a few moments I finally leaned back enough to see a smile growing on Sammy's face and we both laughed and I'm sure she was laughing for the same reason I was. This was right were we left off the last time I saw her. Except last time I had been crying about a boy.
"He's so cute, Sammy. He has the sexiest green eyes I've ever seen. I'm so in love with Robert Pattinson," I swooned practically drooling before coming back to reality. "But, he doesn't even know I exist."
Tears started to fall from my eyes and Sammy pulled me into her arms and petted my hair until the tears stopped.
"If he doesn't realize how wonderful you are than he's not worth your time, Izzy," She said releasing me from her hold. "It's getting late. I have to get home or my mom is going to be really mad, but if you need me call, okay?"
"Alright, thanks, Sammy," I said with a small smile and she left my room shutting the door behind her.
She drove her Nissan Altima home that night, the one they would find covered in blood and abandoned on the side of the road after a week of endless searching
A few days after she disappeared I dreamt of Sammy. That she had come into my room and told me she was leaving. Something was different about her, but I couldn't quite figure out what. I tried to find the words to beg her to stay, but before I even had a coherent sentence she was gone, vanished right before my eyes.
"You were really there, weren't you? In my room," I said astonished once the pieces clicked into place.
"I would have never left without saying goodbye to you, Izzy. It was one of the hardest things I ever did, being a new born and all," she replied with a grin. "But it appears you know exactly what that feels like."
We both let out a small laugh again and I finally released Sammy, turning back to two very confused vampires.
"It's a long story," I stated. "We'll explain later. We don't have time right now. We have a wedding to stop."
"Damn straight!" a voice shouted from the open door.
I turned to find one of the last people I expected, a blonde vampire with a body any super model would kill for in five inch heels emerged from the darkness stepping into the light of the cabin.
"No brother of mine is going to marry that two bit hussy," Rosalie ranted her face turning up in a smirk. "About damn time I found you or I was going to have to kill her myself."
"What the fuck?" I questioned. Perplexed would be an understatement for how I was feeling right now. Rose had never even looked at me without giving me the evil eye besides she shouldn't even be able to remember me…If she wasn't under the same spell as everyone else that meant she knew what Tanya was doing. She knew that bitch was going to steal Edward from me! The anger in me started to build, turning my vision into a red haze. I couldn't handle this right now I needed her to leave before I did something stupid. Like rip the head off of the sister to my reason for existing.
"Get. Out. Rosalie," I said and the words came out cold and hard. "Get out of my sight now or I'll remove you myself."
Sammy, Derek, and Demetri flanked my sides now that it was clear that this particular vampire was not welcome. I heard them talking, but all I could concentrate on was the two-faced bitch in front of me. Sure she had made it clear from the beginning she didn't like me, but what kind of a sister let's her brother be manipulated for her own selfish reasons.
"Listen, I was wrong, Bella. I don't like admitting it, but I was wrong," she pleaded trying to redeem her self.
"You were wrong?" I shouted and I could almost feel the anger course through my veins. I wanted to wrap my fingers around her throat and rip her pretty little jugular out with my teeth. Without thinking I stretched my hands out to wrap them around her slender neck, gripping onto her with all my strength as I slammed her into the side of the cabin. I felt her marble flesh crack underneath my fingers, but it only made me want to squeeze harder as her legs flailed around.
"You ruined my life, took away my reason for living and all you have to say for yourself is I was wrong!" I growled as my hands created imprints in her skin.
"I'm sorry, okay? I didn't know that she was going to steal Edward away from you, Bella. I only thought she would convince him that you weren't right for him, but she just used Drake to manipulate them all into her sick twisted game. I was wrong, Edward should be with you, not Tanya," she said and I could hear how scared she was. It should have made me stop, but it didn't. The only thing that saved Rosalie's life was the gentle words of a true friend.
"Stop, Izzy, she apologized, it's not her you're after," Sammy said from behind me.
I gritted my teeth as I pulled my hand from around her neck and turned to face the others.
"Get out!" I screamed and I heard the door slam behind me. Sammy and Demetri faced turned to anger while Derek just stood there stunned.
"I told you not to use you're power, Derek! Izzy has to learn to control her new born anger," Sammy shouted.
The red haze had yet to go away and I was still fuming with anger, unable to control my frustration and hurt. I wanted to just lift all the pain away. Pick myself up from this pit of hate and be able to forgive, be able to control this rage I was feeling.
"I didn't use my power, Sammy…I think it was Bella," he said choking out the words as he stared at her with wide eyes.
"Holy shit!" Demetri exclaimed and Derek turned his head back to facing me.
Sammy looked at me then back to Derek who had his mouth wide open then back to me again before letting out a loud gasp of shock. It was only then that I looked down and noticed that I was floating a good foot off the ground and just like that the red haze was gone replaced only by a feeling of absolute confusion as I crashed down to the floor.
"What the fuck just happened?" I asked staring up at the three shocked vampires above me.
"It can't be…," Demetri murmured with astonishment as I pulled myself to my feet.
"What are you talking about, Demetri?" I asked trying to decipher his words.
Was this bad? Did something go wrong with the change? We all looked at Demetri waiting for an answer as he grabbed my hand.
"I want to try something. Do you trust me, Bella?" Demetri questioned and I gave him a nod. "I want you to close your eyes and think of something that makes you really happy, the happiest you've ever been."
It was an odd request, but I had heard much stranger in my days. I didn't lie I really did trust Demetri and if he could tell me what was going on then I was all for this experiment.
"Okay," I replied closing my eyes.
Immediately I pictured Edward, his soft bronze tousled hair, his heart melting topaz eyes, strong chin and perfectly full pink lips that fit seamlessly against mine. It made my cool skin tingle, my arousal pool, and my mouth water. I imagined running my fingers through his messy hair, devouring his succulent lips, his velvety voice whispering both dirty and affectionate phrases in my ear as he sucks on my neck. An involuntary moan escaped my lips, but I didn't care who heard me. I was so far beyond happy at the thought of feeling his hands run up my body to caress my cheeks as he devoured me that I almost didn't register when Demetri let go of my hand, speaking softly to me.
"Now hold on to that feeling, Bella. Embrace it."
I was consumed by Edward's throaty moans and passionate growls allowing myself to embrace each touch of his fingers, every flick of his tongue, every word. Hell, I not only embraced it, I welcomed it, ached for it.
"You know what I'm going to do? I'm going to take it away from you, all of it, everyone you care about. Edward…the Cullens, you're precious Sammy," Demetri whispered and my anger began to rise, building in me like a thousand atomic bombs, waiting to explode. "What are you going to do about it? Are you going to fight or just take it like a bitch, Isabella?"
My eyes shot open and the red haze was back. Rage engulfed my senses and I wanted to kill him, I, Bella, wanted to kill one of my best friends. Sammy and Derek were staring on at the scene, but they became a blur on the sidelines. Demetri was in my sights and he was all I could focus on. I tried to fight the anger, push it away, I was deeply conflicted and it must have shown on my face because Demetri called out to me, provoking me on.
"Don't think I won't do it. Why do you think I came with you? To be your friend? That's pathetic, I came because Aro ordered me to Isabella, and I came to destroy you."
His words stung and the anger in me boiled past my breaking point, winning out over my better judgment. I focused in on Demetri, imagined him flying across the room and without even lifting a finger Demetri proceeded to do just that, smacking into the far wall that broke into a million tiny pieces from the impact causing shards of wood to fly everywhere. The need to destroy him filled me, my rage taking over every muscle and nerve of my body. I wanted to make him suffer, make him hurt. I let my eyes bore into him and Demetri began to scream as he twitched on the ground in the most excruciating pain I had ever seen, but I could make no differentiation between friend and foe in my current state. Anyone who threatened me was fair game.
His body continued to contort in pain as I glared at him and I found it strangely satisfying. Without any warning I felt a feather touch on my shoulder, Sammy. Scenes began to flash before me, ones of Sammy when she was young, her first steps, first words, visions of her riding her bike through the neighborhood, playing hop scotch and jump rope. I saw everything, heard every single thought that had traveled through her mind from the moment she was able to have conscious thought to this very second.
I catalogued it all in my mind, how happy she felt when her parents took her to the zoo, the way that first crush made her swoon, her first kiss and how it made her want for more. I saw her father's funeral, the hours she spent holding her mother's hair back as she vomited drunk, the first time she broke curfew and how much it hurt when her mother backhanded her, the many times she fought off her mother's boyfriend as he touched her in ways he shouldn't. The anger started to subside as sadness filled me, I never knew. How could I be such a bad friend? The scenes just got worse and worse, Sammy's mother beating her with empty beer bottles, screaming as her mother's boyfriend took her virginity leaving her bruised and battered, it was horrifying but the one thing that really stuck with me was that last night of her human memories, two years ago.
Sammy walked out of my house towards her car, pressing the unlock button on her key. She hoped in the car turning the key in the ignition and music began to flood out of the speakers. It was a song she had heard a thousand times before, but she enjoyed it so she hummed the tune as she sang along with the words in her head.
I just want to run to you
And break off the chains, and throw them away
I just want to be so much
And shake off the dust that turned me to rust
Sooner than later, I'll need a savior, I'll need a savior.
The song made her think of me, how much she wished she had someone like her to take care of her. She knew that her mom would be angry when she got home, drunk most likely. She loved me like a little sister and just hoped I would never have to live through what she had. When she got home her mom was drunk of course waving around a broken vodka bottle, slurring her words as she screamed at the top of her lungs.
"Where've you been? Probablysout fucking another woman's husband, is thatsit, you filthy home wrecker?"
She waved the bottle towards Sammy's head and Sammy flinched, but her mother just laughed, one of those truly psychotic drunk laughs.
"Youknows what Kevin told me? Hesays you asked for it, loved it…that youscouldn't keep your fucking handsoff of him," her mom said as she stumbled slightly.
Sammy thought of Kevin, her mother's boyfriend, the sick disgusting taste of bile rising in her throat at the thought. He had violated her, taken something that didn't belong to him and this is what her mother did when she finally got up the courage to tell her? She was taking his word over hers. She didn't even recognize her mother in this woman. This woman was nothing, but an abusive drunk.
Her mother took a hold of her hair yanking on it and making her scalp ache.
"You're nothing, but a whore…you like it when men touchyou? Well, let's find out if they wantsto touch you after this," her mother said yanking her shirt up and pushing the broken vodka bottle into her abdomen sliding it across her skin, Sammy screamed, the pain was unbearable.
Blood poured out onto the floor as she attempted to struggle out of her mother's hold, but her mom just held on to her hair tighter digging the broken glass in to her chest and across her breasts.
"You're dripping allover my carpet! Get your damn self cleaned up," her mother shouted releasing the hold on her hair.
Sammy cried out at the overwhelming pain clutching her stomach in her arms. She had to get to the hospital. She knew she couldn't survive this. She limped towards the door blood pouring from her mouth, chest, and stomach as she stared broken hearted at the woman who had once been her savior.
"Go to hell, mother," she said spitting blood out on to the carpet before slamming the door behind her.
She pressed on the wounds as she made her way to the car in desperation. It didn't feel like the gashes were too deep. She feared bleeding out over anything else. The car started and she hit the gas peddle, peeling out of the driveway as quick as possible. She was on the main road toward the hospital grasping the steering wheel in one hand and her stomach in the other as her vision started to fade. This was it, it was all over. Sammy pulled the car over, she was giving up, allowing death to take her when she heard the sound of metal against metal. The last sight before passing out was the most gorgeous man she had ever seen, stunning blonde hair and intoxicating gold eyes, he was an angel, her savior had finally come.
"OH MY GOD, SAMMY!" I shouted coming out of my red haze and clutching her tightly in my arms as I pet her hair. "Why didn't you tell me? You could have told me, Sammy. I would have protected you from her."
"From who, Izzy?" She asked and I released her staring into her eyes.
"Your mother, Sammy, she should have paid for what she did to you," I stated with conviction.
"How do you know about that?" She questioned furrowing her brow and I couldn't give her an answer, couldn't explain what just happened.
"She saw it," Demetri answered for me, pulling himself to his feet and with the anger gone I knew none of what he said was true.
"I am so sorry, Demetri. I don't know what's wrong with me." I said looking over at him.
"Don't worry about that and there's nothing wrong with you. Anger seems to be the only way you can control it right now," Demetri said looking at me with awe.
"Control what?" I asked.
"You're what Aro has spent decades searching for, Bella. He sent his guards to the end of the Earth looking. He had no idea if someone like you even existed; I suppose you didn't until now…You have a gift that tops all others because you can have any ability you come in contact with…You absorb other's powers, Bella." Demetri announced and I literally couldn't see straight.
"You have got to be fucking kidding me?" I stated in amazement and fear. "Me, Bella Swan, are you sure, Demetri?"
"You threw me against the wall with your mind, that's Derek's gift, Bella, telekinesis. You saw all of Sammy's thoughts with one touch, just like Aro. You made me writher in pain, a perfect match to Jane's gift. So, yes I'm pretty damn sure," Demetri replied with a chuckle.
This is impossible. It can't be… I'm a simple person. I never wanted power. I just wanted Edward.
"But why didn't I absorb Edward's gift and what about Jasper's and Alice's?" I demanded my voice getting louder. "You want to explain that to me, Demetri?"
Sammy grabbed onto my shoulders bringing my attention back to her. It wasn't a good time to get angry. We didn't have the time for another melt down.
"Izzy, your shield, if it's like mine, which I'm pretty sure now, it's exactly like mine," Sammy said looking at Demetri and giving him a smile before looking back at me. "Than you probably can't absorb when it's up, our shields don't hold up well under extremely bad emotional pressure. It takes a lot of control to keep it up when you're really angry or really scared, control that can only be gained through undergoing the change."
"It makes perfect sense, Bella," Derek chimed in.
"I can't handle this right now. I don't want all this power. I just want Edward, that's all I ever wanted!" I cried out and Sammy pulled my head back up against her chest, rubbing my head soothingly.
"Well, let's go get him then," Sammy said and I nodded my head wiggling free of her hold.
"We have to find Rosalie first. Edward would be upset if I left her here no matter what she's done she's still family. Demetri, will you be able to find her?" I asked and he gave me a nod rushing out the door and arriving several minutes later with a tense Rosalie in tow.
"You're not forgiven, Rosalie, not even close, but I don't have time for you right now," I told her with a cold emotionless voice as I flew out the door running full speed for Forks. I could hear the sounds of foot steps on the ground behind me, four sets.
My feet pounded against the ground as my mind raced. What have I gotten myself into? Even if I can get Edward to remember me, will it be worth it? Aro will come searching for me and his whole family will be on the run, constantly hiding. We'll never have a moment of peace. Aro will never stop. Could I give up the chance to be with him to save him and his family from that life? Could I live without Edward for eternity?
I knew the answer; I would never be able to survive without Edward, but I would give him the choice, he deserves that much. If he doesn't want me after I exterminate Tanya than I will leave. It will be hard, but I would do that for him, give him a life I can no longer have, one not filled with constant fear of death.
The closer it got to sunrise, the more I started to panic. I had a day and a half of running left to do and only one day to do it in. If my heart could beat it would be pounding out of my chest with worry as the sun came up behind my back, taunting me, punishing me. My anger had gotten the best of me and now I was going to be too late. I screamed out as I tried to push my legs to go faster, but I was already moving as a blur.
I hadn't hunted since I woke up and the thirst made my throat burn like a never ending fire, but I pushed past it, not giving myself the opportunity to stop. Hunting would have to wait. By night fall we were somewhere in Saskatchewan and I was dry sobbing as I ran my cold heart aching as the lyrics to the song I had heard in Sammy's thoughts earlier came to mind.
The night is deafening when the silence is listening
And I'm down on my knees, and I know that something is missing.
Because the back of my mind is holding things I'm relying in
But I choose to ignore it because I'm always denying them
I'm a bit of a manic when it's not as I plan it
Cause I start losing my head and then I get up in a panic
Remember when we were kids and always knew when to quit it
Are we denying a crisis or are we scared of admitting it?
I don't want to know
I just want to run to you
And break off the chains, and throw them away
I just want to be so much
And shake off the dust that turned me to rust
Sooner than later, I'll need a savior, I'll need a savior
It won't ever change if you want it to stay the same
I really hate it but I know it's hard to choose if you're chained
And when it's all you control cause you've got nothing else to hold
You're getting tighter and tighter, it's getting harder to let it go
I don't want to know
I just want to run to you
And break off the chains, and throw them away
I just want to be so much
And shake off the dust that turned me to rust
Sooner than later, I'll need a savior
I'll need a savior
Stand me up and maybe I won't be so small
Free my hands and feet and maybe I won't always fall...
save me
I just want to run to you
And break off the chains, and throw them away
I just want to be so much
And shake off the dust that turned me to rust
I just want to run to you
and break off the chains and throw them away
I just want to be so much
and shake off the dust that turned me to rust
Sooner than later, I'll need a savior
I'll need a savior.
And I don't know how it's possible, but I felt myself moving faster, my feet picking up pace. I looked up into the night sky whispering into the darkness.
"Thank you."
I couldn't hear the four sets of feet running behind me anymore. I was alone because I was faster than the others, maybe even stronger. The sun came up just as I was crossing over the border into Washington and all my mind could think of was Edward. A few more hours and I would have his arms around me again, his velvet voice in my ear, his soft touch.
I arrived in Forks around noon running as fast as my feet could carry me, which was probably faster than any car on the market, coming to an abrupt halt at the realization that I didn't even know where they were at. The panic began to rise in me again replaced quickly by explosive anger. SHIT, FUCK! YOU HAVE TO BE FUCKING KIDDING ME! I was losing it; I actually felt like my brain would explode, but as the red haze took over my vision again I remembered something, Demetri's power! Come on, Bella, you can do this! I closed my eyes and thought only of Edward. Clearing my mind of everything else I allowed myself to feel him once again, to search for his presence. Pushing hard I searched my mind I didn't even know what I should be looking for until I saw it, a small dim light.
Opening my eyes I followed the light's pull, that gut feeling that I was going in the right direction as I picked up speed running through the forest. My throat burned, my heart ached and I looked towards the heavens as I let out a silent plea. Please don't let me be too late. I could hear voices up ahead and they slowly became clearer.
"If there is anyone here who believes these two should not be wed speak now or forever hold your peace," a man's gentle voice said, Carlisle.
I walked through the brush into a large clearing, our meadow, to find Edward and Tanya standing at the end of a long white aisle, chairs filled with the Denalis, the Cullens, and Drake. My vision turned bright red as I took in the sight of Tanya holding Edward's hand and that was all it took for me to lose every bit of composure I had.
"I object!" I shouted as I flew down the aisle wrapping my hand around Tanya's neck pulling her off of the ground. Everyone came to their feet and ran towards us only to smack into the shield I had so thankfully absorbed from Renata. Both families started to shout, Carlisle's voice booming above them all.
"What is going on here?"
"Do you want to tell them what you've been up to or should I?" I growled at Tanya squeezing her tighter as she tried to rip at me with her bitch claws. She was pissing me off so I used my telekinesis to rip her arms from her body causing that agonizing metal ripping sound as she screamed.
"I don't know what you're talking about, you crazy bitch!" Tanya hissed spitting venom in my face as Sammy, Derek, Demetri, and Rosalie came through the tree line.
"BULL SHIT! Tanya and Drake have been manipulating all of you!" Rosalie screamed.
"Izzy, concentrate, cover everyone with your mental shield!" Sammy yelled and I fought the urge to ignore her.
Once I shielded everyone I would need to end Tanya quickly as to not start a full on family war between the Cullens and Denalis. It's one thing to kill someone for betraying you it's a whole other thing to make them suffer and the Denalis would not appreciate it if I made Tanya suffer. I wanted so bad to draw out this moment to torture Tanya until she begged for mercy that I just couldn't help myself. I dug my nails into Tanya loving how her precious marble skin bent under my will as I searched for the rope in my mind pulling it taut around everyone, but Drake and Tanya. I released Tanya from my hold forcing her onto the ground and using Jane's power to make her squeal in agony.
"Do you have any last words, Tanya?" I asked giving the bitch her last opportunity to speak.
"Fuck you," Tanya wailed as she contorted beneath me.
"Sorry, but I'll be too busy fucking Edward," I said with evil glee before using my power to rip her heart from her chest placing it on the ground. I smashed my foot against it making it shatter as I shred her body into nothing more than tiny pieces of flesh. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Drake take off into the woods…coward. I let him go I had what I wanted.
I pulled my physical shield down as I lit a match throwing it on the dismembered pieces of Tanya's body and letting the filthy whore burn. The red haze faded and I focused in on Edward. His brow was furrowed the effects of Drake's ability still wearing off, but I couldn't wait I latched my arms around him linking my lips with his emitting every ounce of passion I could muster into him as I tugged on his hair with my fingers. After several moments he finally came to latching his arms around my waist and tugging me into him, moaning against my lips. Rain started to pour drenching everything and every one as his tongue attacked mine and I was home again.
YOU ROCK, BELLA! *Tear* So damn proud of you! Alright, was that Chapter everything you wished it would be? Well, click that review button and let me know! By the way the song in this Chapter is Saviour by Lights and no matter how much I wish I did, I don't own that either. =) lol