DC: I don't own it

Thank you to my reviewers

Chapter 25,

Bella can you hear me?

Bella nodded once as she and Esme walked through the foyer.

I know you're upset, but please stay calm. Lord Cullen doesn't know who you are. He can't know that you or Alice have any value to Edward. I know this is hard for you.

"Why is Carlisle..."

Not so loud he can hear you! Now, there is a park down the street. I need you to go there and stay there. Edward will be fine I promise you.

Bella looked at Esme with disbelief written all over her face. Esme looked at her sadly.

What other choice do you have? You might be able to survive whatever will happen if he finds out that Edward loves you, but Alice certainly will not. Carlisle will think of something, he always does.

---

Carlisle sat on the icy ground with his hands buried in his hair. He heard his father's footsteps but didn't look up. Edward laid beside him. He was silent. It was better that way. Carlisle didn't want to hear anything. The events of the past twenty four hours rushed through his head and he was sure Edward was watching. He was watching Carlisle in his memory, looking at his watch, tapping his finger impatiently on the wheel. He felt the feeling of concern and worry as time went on and there was no sign of his child. The phone rang. Edward could hear the memory of his father's voice.

Carlisle? What would you do if your daughter was in danger?

Edward saw it all. Carlisle banging the wheel with his fist, demanding where Anna was. His father's cold silky voice replying that she would be safe only if he did something.

Your brother is home. I want you to make him think that he'll outrun me again. Give him that scrap of hope Carlisle, before you help me punish him. After that you may have your child back.

"Well done Carlisle. That wasn't so hard was it?"

"I did as you said," Carlisle mumbled.

"Yes, you did. Like a good son should."

"Where is Anna?!"

"She's safe," Lord Cullen said kneeling down. "I'll return her to you when I'm done here. I want you to sit here and watch. Let it be a warning to you."

Lord Cullen stood and kicked Edward in the stomach.

"Let it remind you that this is what happens when you go against me."

He stomped on Edward's chest. Carlisle flinched and Edward coughed.

"This is what happens when you forget that I am Lord."

Another swift kick, this time into the young vampire's spine.

"Now you're probably asking yourself," Lord Cullen said, kneeling to pick Edward up, "why I made you keep him here. And why I made you beat him."

He fastened Edward's wrists with chains made to withstand the strength of a vampire. Edward leaned against the wall he was chained to for support.

"It's because you raised him."

Edward didn't make a sound as his father's fist hit his jaw.

"You taught him everything he knows."

Another hard hit. Edward coughed and spit blood and venom out of his mouth.

"You betrayed me and your mother by caring for the monster that killed her."

Carlisle turned his head away and wasn't the least bit surprised when he felt his father's hard hand across his jaw. He grabbed his eldest and pushed him up against the wall by his youngest. Edward glanced over. The two vampires were silent. Carlisle was looking at his father with empty eyes and Lord Cullen looked furious. In the strangest times Edward could see bits of himself in his father. This was one of those moments. They had the same temper. The same desire to get exactly what they wanted no matter what. After all how many times did Bella tell Edward no before he finally convinced her that she loved him? What had his first reaction been when Bella was reported missing? He had been angry that some other vampire had what was his.

Was this his future? Was this the father he was going to be? The questions scared him. He wanted to be more like Carlisle. Kind and gentle and compassionate. He wanted to have the air of wisdom about him that his brother seemed to master. Most of all he wanted to be able to make the tough choices that Carlisle had to make. Edward knew in that moment that Carlisle was very aware of his key involvement in his little brother's upbringing was why his father was displeased in him. When it came down to it, Edward was more of a son to his brother than a sibling.

"Leave him out of this," Edward growled, "you're problem is with me."

"How sentimental," Lord Cullen growled. "Carlisle you rubbed off on him."

Edward watched his father leave Carlisle and approach him. "Tell me what happened to that human girl you were so desperate to protect."

"She died," Edward said quietly looking down. He winced when his father slapped him.

"Don't lie to me boy," he snarled, "I may not have your mind reading abilities but I know when you're lying to me."

"She died in an accident," Edward said. "She was pregnant and she died in the birth."

Lord Cullen raised his eyebrows. "She was your lover was she not?"

"She had been raped when she went to the market. The baby resulted."

"You expect me to believe that?" he asked smoothly. Edward nodded and was hit again. "I will find out where you are hiding her and when I do," Lord Cullen's lips pulled back into a vicious sneer, "I'll kill her slowly in front of you..."

"Yes, yes, so that I can watch as the only woman I ever loved is taken away while I stand by helpless," Edward finished, cutting him off, "you're full of shit."

Carlisle shot his brother a warning look and Lord Cullen's eyes flashed angrily.

"What did you say to me?" he growled

"You heard me! You're full of shit! You chained me up! You couldn't take me unless I was weakened and bound! That's why you had Carlisle beat me first! Because you knew I wouldn't fight back after knowing what you were using against him. You're just a bitter old man who can't get his head out of the past. You killed mom, not me. I'm your son. I'm your genetics. It was you that put me in her."

Edward shut the hell up he can kill you!

"He won't," Edward told Carlisle. His father looked at him with cold hard eyes. "I'm not afraid of you anymore."

It was a flat out lie. He was terrified of his father. But what he found was that he wasn't scared of what would happen to him, but to Bella. What would happen if the violent elder vampire got ahold of his fiance? Or worse, half human daughter?

"I can see your mind racing. Your eyes betray everything. You are afraid of my power."

"I'm afraid of your madness."

Lord Cullen seemed to be tired of talking and figured that his son had been delaying the beating by keeping the conversation.

"Stop it!" Carlisle said finally.

"Are you really going to give orders to the person who has control over your daughter's life?" Lord Cullen asked as he hit Edward again, this time in the stomach. Edward was almost unconscious. He was slumped over with only the chains keeping him up. The metal was digging into his skin and rosy blood was bubbling along the top of the cuff.

"What are you trying to prove?" Carlisle asked, his voice pleading. "You can see that you've had your revenge!"

"But there is so much more he needs to pay for, remember that."

"Mom loved him! Don't you remember that?"

"I don't care! He took her from me! He doesn't deserve to live! The law states that murder is punished by death!"

"If you're going to kill him then you'll have to go through me!"

"Oh really?" Lord Cullen asked, folding his arms and looking at his eldest. "And what are you going to tell yourself as you weep over your daughter's body? Tell yourself that it was all to save your precious little brother. Well Carlisle what is your answer? Anna or Edward?"

Edward could see the swirls of panic and terror in Carlisle's mind. Memories were overlapping. The hospital room with Carrie laying on the bed and his newborn in his arms with Edward, Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie all around. Their father's face swam through, miserable and broken, and a newborn Edward in his brother's arms. Carlisle was, by all intensive purposes, a father at fifteen. He and Esme raised Edward, cared for him when he was sick and told him stories before he went to sleep. They sheltered him and loved him. The sweet blonde angel smiled at him. She was so young and vulnerable.

Edward could see the inner turmoil in his brother's mind. Carlisle closed his eyes and dropped his head. When it came down to it, he was a father first. As much as it tore his heart. Carlisle looked back at Edward, trying to silently tell him how sorry he was, before he moved aside.

---

"I'm going to enjoy this," Lord Cullen promised. "Makes sure you watch now Carlisle. This was your choice after all."

Edward couldn't move to look up so his father helped him. He grabbed a fist full of his bloody matted hair and forced his head up. Edward could see a dribble of blackish red leak out of the corner of his father's mouth and he was truly scared of the vampire. Or at least he would have been if he had the energy to be.

"This is for your mother, she'll look down to see you burning in hell."

"You first," Edward rasped.

Lord Cullen laughed, more blackish red venom seeped down his chin. He pulled Edward's head back and bit down on his neck. Edward screamed as the toxic venom spread. He screamed in worse pain as the sharp teeth jerked and tore through his shoulder. Carlisle was on top of his father, his mouth dripping with venom. The two vampires hissed and snarled at each other, rolling around and fighting. Carlisle, though very against violence, was a strong fighter.

"What the hell!"

Carlisle didn't look over. He couldn't afford that. He kept clawing and biting his father anywhere he could. He sustained his own damage. He had deep gashes on his cheek and his chest. When they rolled again and Lord Cullen was pinning Carlisle it wasn't for long. The big boulder of a vampire that was Emmett McCarty crashed into the side of his father-in-law.

"What the hell is your problem?!" he demanded.

Carlisle pushed Emmett out of the way and pounced. He sank his teeth into his father's neck and released all the venom he could. He wouldn't kill the old man. He didn't know how to create the venom he needed. Besides, he had more important things to worry about. But when he turned he saw that Bella was already dealing with it.

"Edward! Edward say something!"

"Bella he's been poisoned. It's a rare venom that can kill but I need to suck..." Carlisle was cut off by shock when Bella put her mouth to Edward's shoulder and began sucking out the venom. She spit mouth fulls of blood and venom onto the floor. She held onto Edward's head as she did, helping him stay against her as he so liked.

"Bella..."

"I can't taste anymore," she said. She then bit her wrist and tore the skin off. "Edward, please drink."

Carlisle looked down and saw how much blood he had lost just from having the venom taken out. Bella had noticed too. She was giving him her blood to keep him alive. Carlisle had to admit he was truly touched.

Edward pulled his head back and Bella looked at him. "I don't want to take too much," he whispered, "I'll survive."

"You'd better," Bella warned. "Or I'll follow you and drag you back myself."

"How about we get out of here first," Emmett suggested. He grabbed the keys from Lord Cullen's pocket and freed Edward. Bella caught him as he fell forward and pulled him onto her back.

"I got you," she said. "Don't worry."

"I'm just happy to see you again," he whispered, nuzzling weakly against her neck, "where is Alice?"

"Safe," Bella promised.

They reached the light and Edward winced. Esme shrieked in surprise and rushed to Edward. Carlisle pulled her aside and held her to keep her calm.

"Daddy!"

"Anna!"

Carlisle rushed the length of the room and scooped his daughter up in one swift motion. He held her tight and kissed her golden head. Edward looked over at him. He saw that Carlisle's face was buried in Anna's little shoulder and he was crying silently as he rocked with her in his arms. He kept kissing her head and hugging her.

"Daddy I was so scared!"

"I know baby," Carlisle sobbed, "daddy won't let anyone hurt you ever again."

"Esme where is Alice?" Bella asked, looking away to give Carlisle some privacy.

Esme took Alice from a bassinet and Bella smiled. Edward held onto her while she reached out for her child. Alice was asleep in her arms and they were quite happy to keep it that way. Edward slid off of Bella's back and crumpled instantly. Emmett supported him and Bella helped him hold Alice.

"I thought I would never see you two again," Edward mumbled, "Bells I can't say how much I need you."

"Then let's get out of here," she said, "we'll run away and start a life that's just ours."

Edward nodded. He weakly kissed his daughter on the forehead and then kissed Bella on the lips.

"You would unlock the secret to mutant spawn and creating vampires," Emmett sighed. Edward laughed weakly and rocked his baby.

"Thank you Emmett," Bella said, "I didn't think you'd believe me."

"No problem," Emmett assured her. "After all they're my brothers. Someone has to bail them out now that Jasper's gone. I am sorry to hear about your sister though."

"Thank you," Bella said, looking at her baby, "I miss her so much sometimes."

"That's to be expected. I miss my brother sometimes too."

Bella smiled at the bigger vampire and he ruffled her hair gently. She could hear the whisper of his mind saying how good she was for Edward.

"What are we going to do now?" Bella asked.

"Well we're going to get out of here," Carlisle answered. He reached for Esme's hand and she came to him. "All of us."

Edward smiled at his brother and put his arm around Bella for support. Alice was tucked safely in his arm, secure against his side. Bella helped him walk out to the volvo. Carlisle took the keys and Esme sat in the front. They moved the car seat to the back and Emmett appeared with their bags. They packed the trunk and promised to send for the rest (until then it would be with Emmett at his home) before hugging goodbye. Edward leaned his head on Bella's shoulder and Anna sat at the window, behind Carlisle. As they drove off Edward briefly kissed Bella. He put one shaky hand on Alice's small chest and felt her fluttering heart. She cooed and put her hand on his fingers. Bella laid her head against Edward's and smiled. They were going home and they were going to be safe. She could only hope it could last.

TBC

Gah another hard chapter. I'm in a baby mood having just been out shopping for gifts for a friend's baby shower. My friend and I spent a good half hour awing over little baby booties and socks. I've never shopped for a baby shower before because none of my friends have ever been pregnant and I've never shopped off of a registry before. I feel old now :\