Chapter 26:
Hello Andrew

The mustang pulled into one of the front row parking spaces of the hospital parking lot. Aniela stepped out of the passenger side as the engine slowly rumbled off. She took a deep breath, waiting until the sound of the driver's door closing to release it. She looked over to where Jacob was standing at the back of the car and walked to him.

"Ready?" He asked wrapping an arm around her shoulders. Aniela nodded and the two of them walked towards the hospital's entrance. They passed the front desk and went straight to the room that Aniela's brother was in.

Aniela stopped at the door of the room for a moment, watching her brother's resting body. She felt a little fear grip her heart as she thought about how vulnerable Andrew was to an attack when he was like this. She mentally shook herself and walked to the side of her brother's bed, while Jacob respectfully stayed back at the door.

"Hey big brother, how are you? Are they keeping you comfy?" Aniela asked the motionless body of her brother.

"Um, I know I haven't been by in a few days, some things have come up and I got busy, I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you." She said softly.

"You're…damn…right…you…will."

Aniela practically screamed as she jumped out of her seat. "Andrew! Jacob, go get a doctor!" She called over her shoulder; Jacob nodded and turned out of the room.

Andrew tiredly opened his eyes, a lazy smile taking over his face. "Hey Ani." He greeted casually, as if he'd just come home from work.

"Andrew, your…I mean…you're awake!" Aniela exclaimed happily, leaning down and hugging her brother close. He grunted softly as he tired his best to push himself up and hug his sister back.

"It's good to see you." He mumbled tiredly. Aniela released her brother and smiled at him, helping ease him back onto his pillows.

"It's good to see you awake." She relied.

Before either of them could say anything Jacob came back into the room followed by two orderlies. The two women hurried over to Andrew's bed, checking his vitals and other such things, while Jacob tugged Aniela out of the way and into his arms.

It only took the nurses a few minutes to check Andrew and once they were done the older of the two turned to Aniela with a smile. "He seems to be fine, but I'll call Dr. Cullen to give him a thorough exam."

Aniela nodded and smiled warmly at the nurses. "Thank you so much." She said as the nurses left the room.

Andrew looked to where his baby sister stood wrapped in Jacob's arms with narrowed eyes. "What's this?" He asked gesturing with a hand between the two of them.

Clearing his throat nervously Jacob took a small step away from Aniela, putting just enough space between them to satisfy Andrew.

Aniela blushed softly and smiled shyly at her brother. "There's a lot that you've missed." She told her brother, earning a snort from Jacob. Glaring at him slightly, she shook her head at Jacob and lightly smacked his shoulder.

Again Andrew's eyes narrowed on the two. "What have I missed?" He asked seriously.

Aniela sighed and took a seat next to Andrew's bed where she had been before and clasped his hand in hers. She looked over to Jacob with another sigh. "Where to begin?"

Aniela and Jacob spent the next hour and a half at the hospital filling Andrew in on what had happened during his coma, skipping over the part about earlier that morning and the previous night. It was surprising that Andrew didn't seem over skeptical about what he was hearing, only once did he seem hesitant and that was during the part that Aniela had told him about her and Jacob's relationship, much to Jacob's embarrassment.

But as Aniela began to get into the part about the Volturi Andrew stiffened. His eyes burned with worry and fear.

"No."

Aniela looked at her brother bewildered. "No what?"

"No, I don't like it. You're not getting involved with this Aniela!" Andrew demanded roughly, even through his raspy voice.

"Too late Andrew; they're coming weather we like it or not. We only have a few days, maybe less depending on how they want to go about it, and there's nothing I can do about it." Aniela replied just as hard as her brother, her voice taking on a slightly angry tone at her brother's words.

"Ani, I'm not going to let you get in harms way. We can avoid this, we'll go to Australia and stay with Andre, but you will not get involved in this." He boomed angrily.

Jacob wrapped an arm around Aniela's shoulder as she glared heatedly at her brother. Taking a deep breath she tried to calm her anger.

"Andrew, you have no idea what you're saying. You're asking me to abandon everyone around me; to leave them at the mercy of the Volturi." She said, getting cut off by her brother.

"Aniela Eedie Elizabeth Pierce, I am your brother and you will listen to what I tell you!"

"I'm not leaving and you can't make me! You don't have the authority too, I'm emancipated!" Aniela screamed as she shot out of her seat and fled the room in a fury.

Right away Jacob was on his feet following his angry girlfriend out of the hospital room. He strode out of the room and down the hall looking for Aniela, he didn't find her until he turned down the hall way and saw her talking with Carlisle. He quickened his step and came up beside Aniela, his eyes trained on Carlisle.

"What's going on?" Jacob asked when there was a small pause it their conversation.

"Aniela was just telling me what Andrew had said and I think it would be best if we sedate him for the time being. I feel he is safer here then he would be anywhere else; not even the Volturi would risk coming into a hospital." He reasoned.

Aniela shook her head. "He won't like it. I'm not even sure I like it." She said with a weary sigh.

Carlisle nodded his head with understanding. "Well, how about you two go get something from the café while I give Andrew an exam and then you guys can talk it over?"

Jacob took Aniela's hand, lightly tugging her down the hall. "C'mon Niels."

With a resigned nod Aniela allowed Jacob to pull her with him.

Carlisle watched them a moment longer before turning the opposite way and walking to the room that held Andrew. As he entered, Carlisle noticed, Andrew stiffened ever so slightly that if it wasn't for his advanced sight Carlisle wouldn't have seen it. Never the less Carlisle allowed a friendly smile to glide to his lips. "Good afternoon Mr. Pierce. How are you feeling?"

Andrew watched the handsome doctor for a careful second before answering. "As good as can be expected after waking from a coma." He said; his voice only slightly horse.

Nodding Carlisle quickly set to giving Andrew a full exam, checking for any sign of abnormality in the young man. It took nearly fifteen minutes before Carlisle was done. He was satisfied that his fellow doctor would recover just fine.

"So Aniela has talked to you?" Carlisle asked.

"Yes she has and I must say I'm not exactly thrilled about what I've heard." Andrew replied.

"Well that is to be expected." Carlisle assured, a slight smile coming to his face.

Andrew watched Carlisle for a moment before turning his attention to the door. Aniela and Jacob entered the room, Aniela going straight to her brother.

"Is he ok?" Aniela asked Carlisle.

"He's fine. All his vitals are strong. There doesn't appear to be any muscle damage, no brain damage either. I would say he should be well enough to leave here in three days." Carlisle said.

Smiling Aniela hugged her brother who, feeling stronger than before, hugged her back. "Good, then we can make plans to go to Andre's." Andrew said.

Once the words had left his mouth he cringed at little feeling his sister go ridged in his arms. Pulling away Aniela glared at her brother, her anger once again firing up. Taking a deep breath Aniela's voice was calm, belying how she truly felt as she spoke.

"Andrew if you'd like to go to Andre's then, please by all means, go; you'd probably be safer there. But I will not, I repeat well not run away from what I brought upon this town."

"Ani these things killed mom! They killed our mother, the woman who gave us life; they killed her. I won't let them get my only sister as well!" Andrew bellowed.

"Mom knew they were coming. She was aware that they were in London, but she didn't want to run away." Aniela said with a glare.

"And look where that got her." Andrew replied coldly.

Tears swarmed Aniela's eyes as her glare turned icy. Before anything could be said Aniela gave into her anger; a sharp smack resounding throughout the room followed by the soft thuds of Aniela's feet as she fled the hospital. Jacob, who had paused in shock for a second, threw Andrew a vicious look and swiftly went after Aniela.

He didn't find her until he reached the car, seeing her leaning against it with her head buried in her arms. He walked right to her, but she seemed to have heard his approach and turned to him. Her normally clear blue eyes swam with unshed tears making them shimmer sorrowfully in the light.

Jacob felt his heart squeeze slightly and opened his arms. Needing no other invitation Aniela threw herself into Jacob's warm embrace. Her unshed tears gently danced down her cheeks, but no sound escaped her.

"I want to go home." She whispered.

Nodding Jacob set her down, pulling the keys out of his pocket, and started the car.

-

The drive was quiet, both Jacob and Aniela lost in their own thoughts. It wasn't until the car pulled in front of the white house that Aniela spoke up.

"I'm not going to run from this."

Jacob looked over at her, grabbing her small hand in his. "I know."

Without another word the two got out of their car and walked into the house.

They lay, curled up with each other, on Aniela's bed. Coal and Biggie were snuggled right alongside them. Aniela listed to the rhythmic thud of Jacob's heart next to her ear. It was soothing, offering her, her very own lullaby to fall asleep to.

If only her dreams held such calming sounds.

All around her laid her friends; Paul, Emily, Sam, Kim, Jared, Seth, everyone. All of them were lying motionless, as still as the air around them. They simply looked as though they were sleeping, but Aniela knew better. The ground upon which they laid was stained by a scarlet puddle.

Forcing down the bile that suddenly rose in her throat, Aniela stepped over the body of Embry. She had seen everybody she'd ever known lying on the ground, even her mother and brothers. Everyone, that is, except Jacob.

She wandered around the black abyss that was her hell, looking almost frantically for the only person missing. It felt like forever that she walked around not finding any sign of Jacob. But when she finally did find him she wished that she hadn't.

He was hunched over shaking. Aniela rushed to him, her first thoughts being he was hurt, but as she neared him she saw otherwise. He was shaking, his shoulders trembling as he held something to his chest. Leaning closer Aniela gasped, a cold horror seeping through her.

Her face stared back at her from the circle of Jacob's arms. The icy blue eyes that she usually saw in the mirror were glazed over and stared blankly ahead; no emotion and no glint of life. Aniela didn't want to look at the scene before her, but she couldn't look away. She was dead, her body was lying right there motionless.

Trembling Aniela tried to breathe normally, but it wasn't working. She felt as though the darkness around her was slowly drowning her. Hyperventilating she grabbed at her chest willing herself to breathe again as her body began sinking onto the ground, the world around her spinning wildly.

Jacob, who had been dozing for a while, woke suddenly feeling the softest of pinches on his arm. Glancing down he looked at Aniela's slumbering form. She whimpered softly, her face scrunching up in discomfort and her nails biting into Jacob's skin. Shaking gently he shushed her when she startled awake.

"Hey, hey. Shh, shh, it's alright. I'm here honey. You ok?" He cooed calmingly to Aniela.

Aniela blearily looked up at Jacob's face a moment before lunging herself at him. She buried her face in his chest, curling her finger in his shirt.

"Hey, what's up; what's wrong hun?" Jacob asked a little worried.

Aniela told him what happed, rambling to him about what she saw in her twisted dream.

"Shh, shh, it's ok baby. It was only a nightmare." He tried to pacify her.

Shaking her head rapidly Aniela pulled away from him. "No, I don't think it was. I think it's what's to come." She said softly, almost in a hysterical tone.

Feeling Jacob's strong grasp on her shoulders she looked up into his chocolate orbs. "I will not let anything happen to you. Do you hear me? Nothing is going to happen to you. We're gonna meet with everyone tomorrow and plan on how to protect you. But no matter what happens nothing, nothing, is going to happen to you. Understand?" Jacob demanded angrily, giving her a little shake for food measure.

Aniela nodded, praying that he was right.

Ok so here is the long awaited chapter 26. I know I took forever and it was shorter then usuall, but I couldn't add anymore without rambling and going into the next chapter. Don't worry next week is spring break for me so I will have a ton of time to work on the story. I'm actually hoping to finish this story sometime in the next few weeks. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it and please review if you want, it love it when people do. Thank you all.