Author's Note; First and foremost I want to apologize for how long this chapter took. School and work had me so busy, but here it is. The next chapter will actually be posted sooner rather than letter. Please send me messages / reviews to let me know what you think as well as IF you actually WANT to see another chapter. Thanks!
Carlisle's POV
Her blood tore through the atmosphere with the force of a sonic boom, and topaz irises immediately flew in the direction of the front door. The familiarity of it caused a wrinkle to take place on Esme's face, and I began to wonder what my own face must have portrayed. The instant flash of dark hair and pale skin emerged in the doorway, and I did not recognize the limbs as that of one of my children. Elizabeth; her skin turned cold, her hair heavy with water, and her body so undeniably still that it invoked a suspicious curiosity; had Jasper or Emette done this to her? Emette didn't struggle with his blood thirst much, not like Jasper had, had he harmed her in some way? My questions were answered as soon as I was able to lay eyes on her wrists. Delicate skin patterned with crimson blood caught my attention faster than the smell took to reach the rest of my family. Jasper stood slightly hesitant in the doorway, but Emette's speed was affective. Elizabeth's body was bestowed before me like a pagan sacrifice, and the worrisome eyes of Emette met my own. I had never seen his eyes this way before, it seemed he had cared for her far more than I had first realized.
"Is she ok?" Esme's voice crowded my thoughts.
"What happened to her?" Bella's voice surprised me. It's urgency, and demand. I realized quickly that I had ties to this girl; she was important to me. However, it wasn't until this very moment that I realized how important she was to my family as well.
"She slit her wrists." Emette spoke aloud while adjusting his body slightly to give me a proper view of her injuries. It started to make sense; why she wanted to get home so quickly and be alone, but if she was planning this the entire time how did Alice not see it? The gentle heart beat stirring inside her frame began to slow and I knew immediately that medical attention would not save her now. I could feel Jasper's eyes on my skin, and the ice cold marble that took shelter around my bones began to heat up with his stares. He could hear the slowing of her heart, and the lag of her blood cells, he knew how quickly death was approaching and I could feel what he wanted from me. If I changed her, she could die, and that death would have been far more painful than the one she had chosen for herself. I began to pitty him because I knew if he was capable of with standing the torment of his blood lust then he would have changed her himself without even bringing her back to consult the family. I knew that feeling, and the thought of Esme tore through my thoughts. She was the love of my life and I couldn't imagine my world without her, and although Liz was not his love, he shared a link with her that none of us seemed to understand. She was his first friend. How evil it was to love something that death could reach a hand out to?
"You can't." Edward's voice rang objectively among the family. Although I hadn't completely made up my mind yet, the idea to change her was prominent. She did not deserve death, she was innocent, and though my family was cursed they still had the ability to love. Elizabeth wasn't just a patient or a civilian in Forks, she was a friend, a daughter, and a member of this family. I couldn't let her die, not this way.
"She chose this, who are we to take that away from her?" Rosalie asked, but it sounded more like a demand than a question. I could understand her and it was indeed reasonable. Elizabeth took her own life because she could no longer deal with her surroundings; she wanted to be free. She chose to end her life and for any of us to grant her immortality she might surely hate us. The facts were all there in front of me, but looking at her cold, pale, unmoving, and generally void body, I couldn't leave her this way. It was clear to me what Jasper wanted, and it was clear to me that the only people who objected to it were Edward and Rosalie. I sympathized, and my options were becoming clearer and clearer. Rosalie wished for her death, not because she was a bad person, but because she was afraid of what would happen if she lived. The Volturi already expressed their willingness to see her dead, but their eagerness to see her as an immortal deeply out weighed that. If I were to kill her I'm sure my family and myself would be reduced to some form of backlash. We already housed Edward and Alice, two gifted vampires they wanted desperately on their side, if I were to kill her without unlocking her potential for them to take her they would see it as some form of betrayal. Accuse me of killing her only to keep her out of their grasp for more power, they've become so paranoid over the years. I could see in Esme's eyes that she longed for the girl's survival, my love, she could never truly watch a child take their last breath. Bella looked at Elizabeth and saw a sister, a friend, and more than anything I believe she saw herself. Although Bella and Elizabeth were vastly different, it wasn't hard to notice similarities between the two. Elizabeth was the only real human friend Bella had to sympathize with; a companion, and losing her this way would do nothing but damage her. Alice slid me a smile, without words she had made her choice and with her gesture came reassurance. If Alice agreed to this, it meant that she had foreseen the outcome, and fully ensured it was something we could handle.
Edward's eyes focused on me with a look I didn't expect; acceptance. More than anything I awaited his objections, I prepared myself for his gentle rage. He was never one to condone the changing of ones humanity, every time there was an addition to the family, I found him being withdrawn, stand offish, and sometimes overly protective of himself. I always thought perhaps he was angry with me, that my choices were doing nothing but pushing him away, when in all actuality the hatred was toward himself. The more he saw humans being turned into vampires, the more he saw himself as a monster, a monster that devoured them and twisted their fate.
"We can't just let her die….." Esme's voice trailed off. It had seemed that no matter what anyone else thought, Esme wouldn't let her fall into the depths of death.
"Please Carlisle…." She continued. My eyes scanned the room for everyone else's approval; Alice's smile remained, Emette's lips curved into a smirk, Rosalie breathed a sigh of acceptance, Jasper nodded quickly, Edward turned to Bella, and Bella folded her arms across her chest. A gentle tug at her bottom lip by her top row of pearly whites gave me all I needed, she believed in this.
"Take her upstairs. I'll take care of it." I answered simply. Emette's body was nothing but a blur as I watched him disappear further into the house. This had to be done quickly or else even the venom wouldn't save her now, but the thought of her blinding rage when she awoken did strike me quite a bit. My thoughts were simply passing rubbish in the forefront of my brain as I glided up the stairs to see Elizabeth. I demanded to be left alone with her. Although I was experienced in giving the bite, it wasn't something I gave pride to enough for someone else to watch me do it. A sigh left my lips and my frame bended down gently into the chair next to her bed.
"I know you didn't chose this, and I know you just want to be free of all this but I promise there's another way, and if we have to spend the next 300 years showing you what that way is, we will." A part of me wanted her to hear me, and I mean really hear me when I tried to insist that we would never leave her side. Everyone she's ever known had forsaken her, abandoned her, and I wouldn't be surprised if she felt as if we were going to do the same thing. We are a family, something that she was going to learn soon enough. A gentle twitch of her finger surprised me, and a deep sense of humor took shelter in the pit of my stomach. I knew full well that she had slipped out of consciousness hours ago, she probably had no idea where she was let alone what was being said to her. However, I had hope, hope that she saw in herself what we saw in her every day. Topaz irises focused down on the veins in her arms, and I could feel the venom beginning to build up at the base of my tongue. More than anything I could feel that my body longed for her blood on my lips, and her flesh under my teeth. The gentle smell of lilac arose from her skin like perfume; the undying scent of her innocence tainted my nasal passages; had she always smelled like this? The gentle crease of her forearm invited me seductively and without hesitation my lips were on her skin. It didn't take long for the rush of blood to hit the back of my throat, but this wasn't about feeding it was about change. Ignoring the alluring qualities of it, I allowed my venom to soak her bloodstream, and without a shred of remorse I pulled away quickly. The gentle chattering that I once heard coming from down stairs had ceased and I knew all too well that they were now aware of what has taken place.
Had I truly weighed all the consequences? Turning Liz was not like turning a regular human with her there were certain circumstances that he could not overlook. The mechanical sound of her heart began to slow and I could feel the panic rush to mine. Although it was motionless, and had been dead for hundreds of years, it found itself heavy over this one task. I didn't have enough time to truly think, but everything inside and around me focused on saving her. The faint beating of her heart did not change, and a slight hint of my humanity faltered with worry. I had done this many times and each transformation was different, however none of them compared to this. It was natural for the heart to slow gingerly over an amount of three days yet hers was declining at an alarming rate. I had never changed a witch before especially one from her coven, was she dying?
With the sudden intake in conversation downstairs I tore my eyes away from her long enough to allow myself to walk out of the room. There was so much I didn't understand, and in all my years of living she was something I had never truly comprehended before. Her blood lingered on my tongue when I entered the room, and with the swift senses of my family members I attempted to talk less in fear of making them uncomfortable. Edward leaned delicately against the stairwell, Emette stood expectantly next to Rosalie, Esme hovered protectively over Bella, and Jasper radiated unease next to a smiling Alice; had she seen something positive about this situation?
"So, what now?" Emette spoke. His words were refreshing, for a moment I thought my children had forsaken me. That perhaps they had no words to grace me with and would instead stare me into destruction.
"The transformation has begun, she will need help adjusting if…" I couldn't continue, I hadn't realized until this very moment that the only other person in the room that knew about Elizabeth's special case was Jasper; the other's had yet to be informed.
"If….." Bella chimed in. She wasn't normally so forward and demanding of the truth when it came to our world not unless it was about Edward. However once again, I failed to realize how important Elizabeth had become to all of them.
"There's a reason that none of you have ever met a Gypsy vampire even after hundreds of years of existence." I paused looking back up the stairs as if trying to picture what it was she was going through now. Would her burning be more intense? Would she only experience it for three days like the others? Her uniqueness only fascinated me more than the outcome. "There's a great chance she wont survive this." I finished. I could feel a flicker of anger in my direction and I knew full well who it was coming from. I could understand why they'd be angry with me, if her chance of dying was so great then why attempt to change her? It was simple really; if she was already dead why not take the chance?
"She'll either die or…." Jasper began, but I immediately cut him off. "That's not something we should speak into existence just yet. Let's see how she fairs." I finished. I felt like a child believing that if we just didn't talk about it then we could ignore the possibility of it all together.
"There's blood bags saved up in the basement freezer when she awakens. It's going to take a little while to prepare her for our….lifestyle." I remained hopeful even though I knew the truth, and the distant feelings of failure that centered around the forefront of my brainstem began to die down. Esme's situation was just as dyer, and the possibility of her resurrection was just as slim wasn't it? Then again, Esme didn't have a century's old curse attached to her life stream. How could I explain yet another set back to my family? Everything about her threatened us. The fact that she existed in this town, her working in the hospital along side me, her knowing Bella's father, her knowing about vampires, her being a witch, her being known by the Volturi, the Volturi knowing about her, her being attached to my family, and now her sitting in our guest room waiting to be one of us. Set back after set back. It was to the point where I was starting to believe that my family and myself were the cursed ones.
"What's going to happen to her Carlisle?" Edward questioned. I could never get anything past him, but all I needed him to focus on right now was Bella and of course an excuse to give Charlie who was quite fond of the girl.
"I can't see her." Alice spoke slightly confused.
"She's cloaked from your sight. Witches can cloak themselves quite easily from the abilities projected by vampires. This is the reason she was able to hide her thoughts from Edward at times, and of course cloak her future from you. The reason you wouldn't be able to see her now is because she's caught within a limbo. You see the future based off of the choice a person makes, but you see she's neither human, witch, or vampire; the chance of her survival right now is not her choice. So you see nothing. The only thing we can all do is wait." I hated my own advice because I knew we were all impatient on this matter.
Edward escorted Bella home, while Emmett and Jasper took shifts watching over Elizabeth, Esme and Alice prepared tea, and Rosalie confined herself to a corner near the window. It became clear that she was the most opposed to this arrangement we'd all agreed to, but then again Rosalie was never one to positively go along with anything. I had come to know my daughter well, but it still burdened me that she didn't trust me to do the right thing. I know it didn't seem like the idea was well thought out, but what else would she have me do; leave her to die? It wasn't in my nature to do so, her very existence and that of my family's was proof of that.
Everything was silent except for the gentle humming of wedding tunes down the hall by Alice, and I couldn't help the small chuckle of humor that escaped my lips. It humored me that even though we had all this chaos going on, Alice still remained cheerful about the upcoming wedding of Edward and Bella. It seemed the child surpassed the parent at this moment; she refused to let the current situation get her down, and instead remained hopeful for the one event that we all were looking forward to. My guilt multiplied as I realized how distracted I had been, Elizabeth seemed to be my main concern much so that I had forgotten all about the joyful celebration of love taking pace in my own home. The crimson in her lips caught me off guard as she appeared in my doorway.
"Are you gonna help me pick which idea would be better for our favorite mind reader's wedding?" She asked loosely while holding out to hand drawn photos of what looked like our back yard. I recognized the art as that of Jaspers, and instantly felt bad for how much of his time she had charmed him out of. Her smile was now contagious and I couldn't help but to remove myself from my study and follow her down the hall to the source space in which would be occupied for the wedding. It had been one day since Elizabeth had fallen to the bite, but with everything so different in her case, how long would it be before she awoke or died? I caught a glimpse of Jasper down the hall, leaning against the doorframe of where Elizabeth slept. Was it safe to call it that? His eyes fixed on Alice and myself before they returned back to the room that housed our guest. She was breathing tenderly, didn't seem to be in any pain, and if I hadn't known any better I would think she was simply dreaming.
"Bella and Edward plan on sending out their invitations next week, and they've made plans to tell Charlie tomorrow night." She rang with delight. I smiled. It was quiet again.
"We have to let her be. Standing here watching her isn't going to help." Alice spoke. Her wisdom was grace, and I found myself smiling again. It reminded me of the time she had fallen down the stairs when she first arrived to our home. It's laughable, every encounter she'd had with us some how ended with her being in a state such as this. We were bad luck to her.
"I think this one looks more alluring." I chimed in, pointing to the arrangement on the right. She guided me gently down the staircase and I couldn't help but mirror the glee that radiated from her figure. Despite Alice's words, Jasper did not budge; instead, he stood firm in watch of her. Surprising Alice didn't force him; she simply smiled wider and continued her conversation with me. We spoke for a few moments, and stood in the garden for what felt like an eternity. Even though it was nowhere near prepared for her designs, she still managed to lay the grounds with an assortment of eye pleasing flowers. They set the scene for a walkway that any girl would deem worthy for her big walk.
Before any of us realized it, the sun had rose & with it started a new day. My feet hit the floor with the well being of Elizabeth on my mind, and I couldn't help but radiate impatience as I stared to Esme. The love of my life, and the purity of my existence did nothing but resonate ease and assurance.
"I check on her an hour ago, she seems stabilized and no change." She spoke with such optimism and for a moment I could do nothing but bask in the fact that she was transforming normally. I had expected bumps and curves but instead everything panned out swiftly. If calculations were correct, she should be experiencing her last moments today, and we all needed to be there when the change took place. Edward would be with Bella most of the day, preparing to tell Charlie the good news. Rosalie and Emmett planned a day in Olympia to settle Rosalie's nerves and of course to cheer her up. Her sense of displeasure towards Elizabeth had not changed. Alice and Jasper we in the garden and I have to say out of all of my children, they seemed the most at ease about our newest member.
Most of my day was spent at work because of my dire need to be away from that house. I feared that if I stayed there all day I would do nothing but probe her like some science experiment. Work was simple at first, keeping my hands busy, but the reminder of her came every second that I looked to the welcome desk and she wasn't there. Not to mention the constant questioning of where she was and if she was coming back.
"Dr. Carlisle. I wanted to ask, have you seen Rayne lately." Sam questioned. And so it began.
"I think she's taken a sick leave. I believe she should be back soon, why do you ask?" I covered.
"Well I dropped by her house and she wasn't there." She continued. I couldn't very well say she was at my house it would arose many different suspicions.
"I believe she is with family, but I'm sure all is well." I finished leaving her with a small pat to the shoulder. I was overly aware of Sam's feelings towards me, which is why I was inclined to believe that no matter what I told her, she would agree. I didn't like lying about her, nor did I like her fate being left in the air like this, but alas there was nothing else my family or I could do. Time passed slowly, not many patients at all, and the gentle ticking of the clock sounded like sonic booms against my ears. She would be fine, just a few more hours.
"Dr. Carlisle, there is a Jacob Black here for you." My eyebrows furrowed in confusion, what was he doing here? I emerged from my office with the deepest sense of unease, Jacob hadn't yet known about the arrangement we'd made, he also had no idea that Elizabeth had attempted to take her own life, he was in the dark.
"Where is she?" He asked, the russet tone of his voice did nothing for the death glare that played the horrific symphony on his face. I couldn't explain this to him here, what if he lost his temper and shifted in front of all these people?
"Please, come to my office." My question left my lips as more of a demand as I walked swiftly in that direction. He followed. Once there, I closed the door and moved across the room from him. It was in our best interest to be separated for the conversation we were about to dive into.
"She is with my family." I answered simply.
"What do you mean, with your family? I've been looking for her for three days. The last I saw her was in the meadow, the day of the big battle. I know she went with you to see that vampire counsel you guys have. Did they kill her?" He asked, but his question came out as more of a accusation rather than an actual question.
"No, they did not kill her Jacob." My voice was surprisingly calm.
"Then talk." He demanded folding his arms across his chest.
"Elizabeth took matters into her own hands when it comes to her life." I started, but I couldn't finish. Her suicide attempt was her business, it seemed wrong sharing it with him even though they were friends.
"What the hell does that mean?" this time more angrier than before.
"She hurt herself Jacob….A few nights ago." Would he understand it now?
"Ok, is she alright?" his arms flared out in a gesture that spoke as obvious frustration.
"She will be, she's…..transitioning." I spoke clearly.
"Transitioning into wh-" He paused, and the light bourbon flavor of his irises turned dark. "You turned her into a vampire?" he asked angrily.
"It was either that or she died." I tried to sympathize with him, but I knew full well that with Jacob anything would have been better than turning her. The hint of disapproval glazed over his eyes ever so gently and the tinge of guilt I felt earlier was now a swimming pool of regret. I seemed to have forgotten that she had connections outside of my family as well, people on the outside who would miss her and question her absence. His features began to change, and I could see him fighting an inner battle that I knew nothing about, what was he thinking?
"I wanna see her." He demanded and I suddenly got the strong sense that this wasn't a request and more so a demand. I wont lie, I wasn't prepared for his backlash, I had honestly forgotten all about the world outside of my home and family.
"Tonight may not be the best night Jacob." The last thing I needed was for her to awaken with the bloodlust of a newborn and Jacob around to witness her most terrifying moment. Both of them could end up severely hurt if this didn't go properly.
"Is that a joke? You disappear her for days and I can't see her once?" His anger peeked.
" There is no guarantee that her process will run as smoothly as most vampires Jacob. If something were to go wrong, it would take the strength of my entire family to subdue her. Having you there only puts you in danger. " I pleaded. Jacob was her only friend outside of my family, and the last thing that I wanted was for him to end up hurt or killed because she was unable to control her new abilities. She would already wake up with a sense of self-loathing as soon as she realized what she was, and the overwhelming sensation of heightened emotions was not an easy burden.
He tightened his lips, and his mouth formed a hard line; he clearly disapproved of everything I just said but refused to comment on it. I wanted him to see her; perhaps it would be easier for her to transition when someone she knew was helping her. However, I had no clue what her state would be when she awoke; everything about her is unpredictable at this point. The pause between us was deafening and the tingle of guilt that had begun to die down earlier, resurfaced. I only had one hour left to prepare for Elizabeth's rebirth, for it would be a full three days when that hour was up.
"I will keep you informed; I know how much she means to you." I answered while standing from my desk to meet him half way. I knew full well that Jacob was internalizing all the information, and fighting an internal battle on whether or not he should tell his pack about the breach in the treaty that was set long before his birth. The treaty marked the damnation of my kind, and forbid us from biting humans on this land. However, Elizabeth was not human nor was she bitten for simple feeding purposes. Elizabeth was bitten because she's a member of my family, and without the bite she would have died. Apart of me felt the need to explain this to him.
"I understand your feelings Jacob, and I know you must resent me and my family for what we are. We walk different paths you and I, but before you discuss what's happened with your counsel I need you to keep something in mind. Although there is a treaty in affect between your family and mine about the status of biting or harming humans, please note the treaty is still intact. Elizabeth Dejour was not a human girl when she stepped foot on the soil of Forks Washington, nor was she bitten for the purpose of feeding or killing. She was bitten as a member of the Cullen clan, and remains as such. No rules were broken, and no damage was done; please explain this when you meet with them. I would hate for a senseless battle to take place." I opened my office door, expecting him to follow behind me. Damage had most certainly been done for her life was truly over now. All she knew how to do was pick up her life and constantly stay on the move and with her being a vampire now she will soon have to leave this life behind and start over again somewhere else. I didn't want to do this to her, but it was too late now. This incident has started to put Bella's situation into perspective now, and why Edward was so opposed to her becoming immortal. However, Bella's situation was vastly different; being a vampire was something she longed for out of love. Elizabeth despised us, didn't she?
The gentle hum of my Mercedes distracted if only for a split second as I peered into the distance seeing the small roof of my house beyond the trees. The backseat housed a small box of O negative for Elizabeth because I knew full well that when she started, animal blood would not be what she was craving. I hadn't gotten any calls from Esme, Edward, Bella, Jasper, Alice, Emette, or Rosalie so I'll assume she hasn't awakened just yet. The minutes were dying down quickly and it seemed like my home was getting further and further away. I felt myself press hard on the gas pedal wanting to hurry up and get there, I wanted to be there when she opened her eyes even though I knew the sight of me might not help her. My family hadn't been briefed on the truth consequences of her transformation, and truth be told there were still bits and pieces I hadn't yet discovered. Alice had done me the honor of ordering a few books on Elizabeth's coven of witches, but with the upcoming wedding of Bella and Edward I hadn't had enough time to truly read them in detail.
The sound of the front door was all to be heard by my keen ears, and the sudden curiosity of the whereabouts of my family had suddenly erupted. They were aware of how this sort of thing worked so I'm sure they knew her awakening was fast approaching. The gentle thud of her heartbeat filled the air, and I knew it wouldn't be long now. Its beat was slow and it was beginning to fade, soon it would stop beating, she would open her eyes, and her transformation will be complete.
I heard voices upstairs, the sound of Esme laughing brought relief to my senses; what were they talking about? A swift turn of the corner revealed my family, all in the guest room in which was located next to the room Elizabeth was housed in. They all resembled that of children waiting for the newest baby to arrive, it brought a smile to my own face.
"What's going on?" I questioned. Alice smiled brightly at me.
"Well we were saying if Liz could stay out just a little longer, she wont have to endure the fashion disaster that Alice has picked out for her, for the wedding." Emmett choked. I couldn't stop the humor from spreading through my features. Alice was a brilliant designer, however some of the outfits she did create were a bit over the top. I feared to see what she had in mind for Elizabeth. However, my expression crumbled like pastries when I heard her heart suddenly stammer.
"Carlisle." Esme called to me, she had heard it just the same.
"What's that mean?" Edward questioned.
"It's time." I answered turning my head back to the room she was in. I felt them follow me to her side, and we all took a few steps back as to give her room for when she opened her eyes. One last thud, and then there was silence. A minute passed by, and then another, and then another.