My Hero

Chapter Twenty Five

Carlisle's POV

I had suffered a very anxious wait during Bella's time away; I couldn't really control it, because bad experiences in the past had caused me to worry beyond what was really necessary.

Still, I forced those thoughts out of my head as I pushed down on the accelerator, racing towards the shopping centre. I groaned as the traffic lights ahead of me slowly turned red and I unwillingly ground to a halt, waiting impatiently behind the queue of cars in front of me. I briefly thought of the time when Bella and myself were both trapped in a traffic jam, and smiled to myself; that felt like such a long time ago and so much had changed.

I drummed my fingers on the wheel and raised my head so that I could see past the cars; nothing much seemed to be happening ahead and I felt like jumping out of the car and running past everyone. I didn't know whether I could wait much longer...

Just before I seriously considered leaving the car, the lights changed and I exhaled with relief, rushing forwards towards my destination.

After what felt like an eternity, I eventually pulled up outside the shop and frowned as I saw a pile of unattended shopping bags discarded on a nearby bench. I quickly parked my car and stepped out to take a closer look at the bags. As I rummaged through the contents, my body went cold as I retrieved a box of chocolate bars; Bella's favourite ones.

It could be a coincidence. Yes. That was the most likely explanation... but then again, where was Bella?

I turned around quickly and saw no sign of her. Perhaps she was running late; but then, wouldn't she have informed me?

I hurriedly checked my watch and saw that it was ten minutes past the time we had decided to meet; I was seriously beginning to worry then... If anything had happened to her...

I shuddered, before hearing the distinct sound of somebody running in the distance. I listened carefully, and suddenly Alice burst into my vision, rushing towards me with an incredibly anxious look on her face. If my heart was still beating, it would have stopped by then.

"Carlisle!" she spluttered. "Carlisle! Bella! Bella's been taken by her ex-partner!"

I just stared at her in disbelief and she continued talking, although it sounded like a distant noise.

"I just saw it now... he grabbed her and threw her in the truck... Carlisle! He was angry; really, incredibly angry!"

Even though I didn't need to, I couldn't breathe. It felt like everything was crashing down around me. Bella was with Mark, the person who caused her harm without even batting an eyelid. He was probably after revenge because of everything that had happened, after her telling me about everything.

It was all my fault. If only I had accompanied her... I should have absolutely insisted.

I swallowed shakily.

"A-Alice... did you see where he's taken her?" I murmured, trying my hardest to focus on her face without seeing Bella's, screaming with worry.

"I'm sorry Carlisle, I don't know... but it was secluded, like in the middle of the forest. What are we gonna do?"

I stared at the floor for a long time, before finally nodding. "We will try to find her before..." I paused. "Before anything happens. Can you please ask the others to search with us?"

She nodded and turned on her heel, preparing to leave, but I reached out and placed my hand on her shoulder.

"Please, Alice, we really need to find her..." It surprised me how much my voice shook. "Please. I couldn't bear it if anything happened to her."

She nodded solemnly. "I promise Carlisle, we'll do everything we can."

And, before I could blink, she disappeared off into the distance. I stared ahead for a long time, unable to move... too scared to find what had happened. It was only when somebody tapped my shoulder that I turned around jerkily, to be greeted by an old woman with a concerned look on her face.

"I'm sorry to interfere, but are you looking for somebody? Does she have long brown hair, a pale face? She was quite slim... She was carrying those bags before he took her..."

I looked at her with an open mouth, before nodding rigidly.

"Did you see where she went?" I quickly asked. "Please, this is really urgent."

She sighed. "A man came along and forced her into a faded orange truck." I nodded impatiently. "And they went down there..."

She pointed to a road leading into the forest and I took a shaky breath, smiling absently at her.

"Thank you so much," I called behind me as I rushed off towards the path.

"I hope she'll be alright!" she shouted, but I didn't turn back.

"Yes. I hope so too..." I murmured.

She must have seen it correctly because I could faintly recognise Bella's sweet scent in the distance. I followed it desperately as it led me deeper into the unknown.

Bella's POV

Mark remained deadly silent as we raced through a deserted forest road which I wasn't familiar with. The fear prickled in every part of my body; I clutched onto the truck seat hopelessly, praying that nothing bad would happen. The words from months ago echoed in my mind on a loop.

I will kill you.

I sobbed with terror; he had caused our child's death... and now he was going to cause mine.

I just prayed that it would be fast.

My last few months had been the best of my life; spending so much time with Carlisle and his wonderful family, just living for the fun of it. Doing things together, and not having to worry.

I suddenly had one regret. One horrible, heartbreaking regret.

I should have told Carlisle about my feelings. I knew it was too late now, though, and my emotions would just have to remain with me, even in my death.

The truck hurtled along and I glanced at Mark's fingernails, gripped tightly onto the steering wheel. His face was full of fury and I could tell that he was planning my death, or at least what he was going to do with him.

"Why the hell did you tell him?" he spat suddenly, and I jumped at the sound of his voice. I shivered involuntarily.

"I... I had t-to," I answered quietly and his free hand grabbed mine. I winced at his eyes, full with hatred.

"No you didn't," he sneered. "And why him? He's just a... a... lowlife."

I gasped at his words. Carlisle was ten times the man Mark was. I felt my anger bubble over and felt the natural instinct to protect him.

"You don't know h-him, you can't say that!" I snapped. "You're the only lowlife around here Mark, not Carlisle!"

He looked at me in shock and hatred. "You'll regret saying that, you bitch!" His hand clamped around mine and I flinched as he continued tightening his grip. I felt something snap in one of my fingers and screeched at the pain.

"That's just a taster of what's to come," he yelled, thrusting his foot on the accelerator. The manic way in which his eyes seemed to light up suggested that he was enjoying this; he was nothing more than a cruel sadist.

The truck raced uncontrollably down a sudden hill and I sobbed quietly. I had never expected my life to end like this. I had so much more planned...

I wanted to travel, see the world. Wake up and not live in fear of the day ahead. Visit my parents more often than just once or twice a year and spend valuable time with them.

Confess my feelings to Carlisle.

Carlisle.

I cried helplessly and huddled up in the truck, closing my eyes shut tight and trying to block out the horrific reality around me. It was only when I heard Mark's strangely panicked voice that I opened them.

"The brake's not working," he hissed, stabbing hastily at the floor. I looked at him in horror.

"That's... Mark that's a sick j-joke," I replied jumpily, trying to convince myself that he was lying. He looked at me with undeniable worry and my stomach seemed to drop.

"Seriously," he muttered, gesturing towards the ineffective brakes. "I'm being bloody serious."

I couldn't breathe.

I remembered back when I had had trouble with the brakes before, on my way to the conference...

The air whooshing past us as we tumbled down the hill seemed even more daunting now. The trees flashed by in threatening blurs of green and brown.

I was going to die. We were going to crash.

Please no...

This was really it.

I clutched at my seatbelt and closed my eyes, praying for as little pain as possible. I'd already suffered enough to last a lifetime. Please make this be peaceful.

Before I could think anymore, the car suddenly flew into the air and I inhaled a final breath, feeling sick at the lightness in my body. It wasn't long before we came into contact with the ground again, and I began jerking around as the car rolled over several times, before grinding to a halt in a crumpled pile.

Pain was everywhere. There was shattered glass covering my body, my limbs felt heavy and every part of me seemed to throb in waves. My head in particular felt like it was burning.

My eyes slowly closed as the agony suddenly overwhelmed me.

Carlisle's POV

I raced hastily through the forest, becoming increasingly desperate to see a glimpse of the truck. Anything. I had been running for miles, yet I didn't slow, didn't stop. I couldn't. Bella needed me.

I suddenly heard a deafening sound from in the distance and I slowed to a stop. My body ground to a halt and it seemed to run cold with fear. I took a shaky breath and, suddenly, from behind me, everybody caught up. I saw Alice, Jasper, Edward, Esme, Rosalie and Emmett, all with looks of pain and anguish on their faces. Alice whispered a few words which felt like daggers in my chest.

"I saw the truck crash."

I sprinted forwards, hearing them trying to catch up from behind, but I pushed ahead, and that was when I saw it.

I saw the crumpled remains of the truck with smoke rushing upwards into the sky.

As I approached closer, everything around me seemed to crumble.

I saw Bella lying there, broken and bleeding, and my whole body ached with such a pain that I thought it was beyond my capacity.

It hurt me to see her in agony, and I knew that she was close to death; this fact disturbed me deeply, more than anything ever had. A world without Bella seemed wrong... I didn't know if I could live knowing she ceased to.

This wasn't happening. This couldn't be happening... She'd already been through enough, surely?

Somebody's voice pulled me out of my doomed trance.

"Carlisle," Edward said hurriedly. "You can still save her, she's just breathing."

"Yes, there's still time, Carlisle!" Alice pitched in. "But I don't think her partner's survived."

"What a shame," I heard Emmett mutter.

I rigidly leaned in closer towards her and the smell of her blood bewildered me. I could see from the corner of my eye that Jasper was suffering; he was leaning against a tree, controlling his breathing.

My eyes moved back to Bella and I felt a jolt of panic. What if I hurt her whilst trying to save her? I couldn't bear the thought.

"What should I d-do?" I asked, my voice breaking with the worry. Rosalie looked at me with fierce confidence.

"Carlisle," she said. "You can save her. You know what to do."

I stumbled forwards, hesitating. I placed my hands gently onto Bella and began removing her from the tangled mess. It was horrifying seeing her so damaged.

Edward and myself slowly laid her out on the forest floor and I closed my eyes in despair; these images would haunt me for the rest of my life.

"Her partner's dead," Esme concluded. "What should we do with his body?"

"We should leave it here in the car, so it doesn't look too suspicious," Alice said, and everyone nodded. Everyone besides me.

Bella was slipping away. Her breathing was ragged and forced, and she wasn't moving much.

It broke my heart.

"Carlisle," Edward said, sitting by my side. "Is she still... alive?"

I nodded fractionally. "Only j-just."

It was then that Bella moved in my arms. Her eyelids fluttered weakly and she moaned, slowing opening them. Within a second of her doing so, her face contorted in pain and I held her tightly in my arms.

"Bella?" I said quietly. "B-Bella? It's me, Carlisle."

She focused her drooping eyes on me, before launching into a horrifying cough which seemed to cut right through me. She was deathly pale.

After several agonised seconds, she whispered, "W-what... h-h-happened?"

"Your... your truck crashed, B-Bella," I said calmly, trying to contain my pain. "I'm s-sorry, your ex p-partner... he's dead."

She closed her eyes, considering this fact. I was sure she wasn't too upset about it; after all that he'd done to her he nearly deserved this. Although, I would never wish death upon somebody. But I didn't care about him at the moment.

"It... it h-hurts," she groaned, and whimpered feebly in my arms. My body ached as she spoke.

"I know, I know... but we'll," I broke off, closing my eyes. "We'll help you Bella."

She looked at me intensely, her eyes defocusing on and off. "Please... Please Carlisle, d-don't let me die." She coughed roughly. "I'm... I'm f-finally free of him... I s-should have a life to l-live with... with you. Please."

During her last words, her body jerked in pain and I jumped back, alarmed. I could see Edward looking at me.

"Carlisle," he said in a hard voice. "Do it. She wants to live." He stared at me. "You heard her, she's finally free of him. You should do it."

I breathed heavily. "But... but it would hurt her. It's not really my decision to m-make." My voice broke whenever I tried to speak.

Alice joined Edward's side. "Carlisle, just think about it. Could you really live without her?"

I considered this fact and knew the truth. I shook my head slowly. "That's selfish of me."

"We know you can do it," she continued, holding my hand. Esme now joined my side, along with Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie. It was becoming very crowded and intimidating.

"It's your choice," Esme said quietly, and I looked at her. In her eyes, I knew what she wanted me to do and I took in a deep breath, before raising Bella gently up towards me.

"Bella?" I whispered quietly. She grumbled weakly in response, barely conscious. "Bella, I'm g-going to save you. I'm s-sorry, it's... it's going to h-hurt. I'm truly, truly sorry."

I took one last look at each member of my family. Their gazes were all encouraging, yet I felt an incredible burden upon me. I hadn't done anything like this in years, and Bella was so special to me...

No, I could do this. I would…

I've got to.

I slowly closed my eyes and, after gathering all my strength, I sunk my teeth into her soft neck. It was easy, like a knife slicing through butter, and the taste of her beautiful blood caressed my lips, tempting me. But, despite this, I pulled away quickly, afraid that the sensation might become too overwhelming.

I dragged a hand across my mouth and looked down at Bella; I could see her horrified and confused face gazing up at me, before she began shaking in pain and my heart shattered once more.

She was terrified of me.