Chapter 26

Bella's POV

So this was what Edward had been so reluctant for me to experience. Now that I was in it, living it, breathing it, I understood his reticence. My sole experience with a vampire bite had been nothing…NOTHING…compared to the torment my body was going through. It literally felt like I had been submerged in sulphuric acid or boiling hot lava, except I could still breathe. Only I was breathing hot, wet fire as well. My tears boiled as they streamed down my cheeks. I was surprised I hadn't spontaneously combusted by now.

I'd remembered what Rose had told me, that it didn't help to scream, but I simply couldn't contain myself. The second I felt Maria's teeth slice through my fragile human skin I was immersed in pain so great that I couldn't think around it. It was almost as if my mind had taken a backseat and my primitive instincts guided me from then on. I couldn't control anything. Not what I said or how I acted, absolutely everything was done subconsciously. It was as if I was floating above my twisted and shrieking body and observing from a distance.

I had no idea what was happening around me and could only stop screaming long enough to hear little snippets of conversation that flowed around me. It helped and gave me something external to try and focus on.

"…had no idea…she just bit her…fell to the ground…"

"…couldn't stop her?...the hell happened?...IRINA!"

Low growls and deep snarls swirled around my head in a dark, ominous symphony. I recognized one set as Edward's, but wasn't sure to whom the others belonged. I tried to still my thrashing and hollering long enough to hear more of what was being said.

"…no violation…talked to Sam..."

Ok, that was Carlisle. What the hell was he on about? I was burning to a crisp and he was worried about the damned treaty?

That couldn't be right. Even he wouldn't care about something like that with me freaking out in front of him.

"….give a rat's ass….Bella's safe….leave soon…."

Wait, did Edward just swear? Why wasn't I cognisant enough to hear this?

Just then a fresh wave of fire ripped through my veins and seemed to set up camp directly in the center of my chest. I tried to stifle my cries but only succeeded in screaming through clenched teeth. I was actually a little afraid that I was going to crack them under the immense amount of strain I was putting on them. But then as the burning intensified I couldn't bring myself to care anymore. I was too terrified that somehow this process wouldn't be enough to save me and I just might end up dying from it. It could happen. I'd heard some of the stories.

"…Rose and Em…get Alice…."

Yes, Alice. Alice would know what would happen. She would know how to talk to me. She would see what I needed, somehow.

Then it all went so hot and hazy that I swear I lost some level of consciousness. The only comfort I had was in knowing that Edward was holding me and would stay with me through it all. He was my sole saving grace. I could cling to him and suffer through my pyre-like state for as long as it took.

"….alright, sweetheart….over soon….breathe…."

Esme's voice echoed softly through my mind. Her words and presence brought me some comfort and I worked extra hard to keep from screaming so loud. I knew it would tear at each of them, my pain, but Edward would suffer the worst. It was exactly why I didn't want him to be the one to bite me. Guess I finally got my way on something without having to result to scheming, planning, or bargaining.

"….all right here….let it go….take care of you…."

Was that Rosalie?

Her voice was softer than I had ever heard it and so gentle that I thought I must have been hallucinating. It only served to scare me more. She would only be so nice to me if I were dying, wouldn't she? I must not be going to make it through the process after all. I was going to die. Terror almost pushed its way to the forefront of my mind but then something in my body shifted and the burn took on a whole new context. Now it felt like I was glowing like a hot ember in certain places, and the feeling moved slowly. It took me a while to figure out what was causing that.

Through the constant burn I could still feel little touches on my body. They brought no relief from the fire but I recognized where I was feeling them. Edward's arms were all around me, his chest pressed against one side. A hand was stroking my hair while another was gently touching my arm.

Even though the burn intensified beneath their touches I couldn't bring myself to ask them to stop. It was a comfort to know they were all around me. That I wasn't turning into a charcoal briquette and die all by my lonesome. And that Maria hadn't simply killed me. I would get these last moments of with my family. With Edward.

Suddenly all talking stopped and I felt myself shifting. My body was being handed off to someone else and my fear quadrupled. Where was I going? Why wasn't Edward holding me anymore? I thought I could hear him crying and my panic went nearly apocalyptic. I couldn't do this without him. I didn't want to die, but I really didn't want to die alone. I screamed for him, thrashed against the new arms until I heard his beautiful velvet voice in my ear.

"….right here, love….Jasper….right here…."

And just like that I felt calmer. Not completely sedated, but no longer terrified of dying. The pain was still just as intense, but it was only pain and I was no longer afraid of what it meant. I simply sat with it and sobbed uncontrollably. I felt something shift infinitesimally and tried to grasp onto it. My hands fisted into something soft but it felt like it flaming silk between my fingers.

"….peaceful….try…..might help…."

Alice was speaking quickly, but I still made out a few words. I wanted to reach out to her but all I could manage was another wail as my entire body shook with the effort not to writhe in whoever's grasp I was in now. And then…

Relief. I still burned completely but it had lessened somewhat. Instead of acid it was more like an extremely hot bath or pool. The constant smoulder hurt but no longer evoked the screams from my raw throat like its predecessor. This was something I could manage, something I could think around.

I took a risk and cracked open my eyes. In my periphery I could see Edward's tormented face, his eyes a sea of amber agony. But directly above me and around me, struggling to ease my suffering by – I assume – taking it upon himself, was Jasper.

We stayed like that for who knows how long. Everyone silent, everyone still except for me. There were momentary lapses in whatever magic he was working and they always took me by such surprise that I nearly screamed until my lungs bled each and every time. But then he would do something else and I would once again be able to maintain some level of decorum, some modicum of control as my pain was lessened.

I made a silent vow to myself as I lay burning in my brother's arms. I knew what he was doing for me. I knew what he was sacrificing within himself to make this transition almost bearable for me. I would return the favor. I knew how hard it would be for him to be around someone so unbalanced and emotionally volatile. I would do everything within my power to not be an out of control, bloodthirsty newborn. I would make my 'difficult, tumultuous years' anything but. I would do this for Jasper. He was taking away my pain. I would do my best to prevent his.

Emmett's POV

I had never seen the change occur. Being the 'youngest' of our family I had only ever heard stories about it. That and I remembered my own transformation. I likened it to being boiled in oil while battery acid flowed through your veins. Yeah, good times.

I'd figured it would be difficult to watch someone else, especially my newest and most adored little sister. But it was so much worse than I had anticipated. Seeing her suffer like that and being completely and absolutely powerless to help her…it ripped at my soul. Now, I'm no sissy. I am all man, just ask Rosie. But I will completely own up to the tears I would had been shedding like a little girl who skinned her knee on the playground had I been capable of such a feat. It broke my unbeating heart to see her writhe and scream in such unending agony. I would have done anything, given just about anything, to relieve her of that.

And then, low and behold, my touchy feely cowboy brother rode in on his white horse and saved the fucking day. Well, kind of. She was still in pain, but damn if she wasn't significantly better than when his focus slipped or worse, when he hadn't been there. I had no idea how he was doing whatever voodoo he was doing, but it seemed to really help her so I wasn't complaining. Hell, I kind of wished he'd been around for my transformation. Maybe the battery acid would have been downgraded to something more like boiling soup.

After she had calmed enough to stay silent nearly three hours Carlisle gestured to me, Rose, and Esme to follow him out into the hall. We quickly obliged but despite the fact that we were walking away from Bella I still did everything I could to maintain the peaceful feeling that seemed to have been helping her so much lately. Well, helping Jasper really, but by extension helping her.

"I didn't want to discuss this in front of Bella," Carlisle started when Rose interrupted him with a dramatic sigh and eye roll.

"Christ almighty, now what?" she snapped.

I reached out and gently combed my fingers through her soft golden tresses in an attempt to soothe her. She was stressed, worried, and above all, angry at how Bella's change was happening. Out of all of us, Edward included, no one wanted Bella to have say in how, when, or even if it happened more than Rose. She wanted Bella to have the choice that she felt had been denied her. I had long accepted that given the opportunity, Rose would be human in a heartbeat. Either that or she would have died there in the bloody snow those animals left her in. This life was never her choice, but strangely enough it didn't make me feel like a consolation prize. More accurately, I would try to be everything for her that she was for me. I denied her nothing and she gave me the only thing I would ever want: her.

"When I talked to Sam he indicated that while there was no treaty violation, the pack and the elders are extremely uncomfortable with having a newborn vampire running around here. They want us to relocate as soon as we can," Carlisle informed us evenly.

It didn't really surprise me. The wolves wouldn't exactly welcome the new and – in my opinion – improved baby Bells. She could decimate half the pack with a flick of her pinkie. I was all for it, actually. I'm sure Rose would be too. There were a few of them I felt we could do without.

"Good for them! What exactly do they want us to do with her, Carlisle? She isn't exactly up for a run in the woods!" Rose bit out. I leaned down and kissed her temple before I was hit with a bolt of lightning. Well, not literally, but you get the idea.

"So we can take her out of here? No objections, no junctions, no problems?" I asked before I let myself get too excited about the idea. Edward must have heard what I was considering in my thoughts because I heard him sigh heavily from his room.

Tough shit, Eddie. You've got any better suggestions and I'm all ears. Well…not ALL ears. Gotta keep Rosie happy somehow.

"Yes, that's exactly what they want. They have requested that we relocate as soon as possible. Billy has even offered to help with Charlie and whatever cover story we come up with, provided we don't demonise his son too much," Carlisle added that last bit with a small smirk. From the other room I could practically hear Edward roll his eyes from my earlier thoughts. I grinned at both responses.

"Let's do it then!" I clapped my hands and then rubbed them together excitedly.

"That's my thought too, son," Carlisle nodded and smiled at me. "The trick is how we go about moving her without drawing any unwanted attention to ourselves."

"Well, any kind of public transport is out then," Rose replied dryly. "It's not like we could fly her anywhere like this. Even if we managed to lie our way through airport security, she'd scare everyone on the plane!"

She had a point there. Not exactly the televised vision of the friendly skies when someone is screaming, crying and writhing in pain in the next aisle. Even if we bought up all the seats in first class and had the cabin to ourselves her voice would surely carry throughout the plane. That and she would worry all the stewardesses.

"You are right about that Rose, but I wasn't thinking of taking a commercial airliner. More like a private jet," Carlisle explained quietly. Now there was an idea!

"Ok, we may be able to swing that if Jasper can keep her calm enough to get her butt on the plane without drawing any attention to ourselves," Rose provided thoughtfully.

"Where were you thinking, Rose?" Carlisle asked, but I interrupted, unable to contain myself any longer.

"Alaska! Think about it, we have our place in the mountains and while Scotland is beautiful, there isn't as much food up there. She'd get bored with deer and badgers after a while. Now put her up against a Kodiak..." I grinned evilly while I pictured her taking down the bear in a mess of bloodied snow.

"You aren't suggesting we stay with the Denali's are you?" Rose practically spat. I frowned at her and shook my head. She should know me better than to think I'd be that inconsiderate of my littlest sister.

"Not in this century. I say we use the lodge further up north. That way she wouldn't have to deal with the Denali sisters until her temper is more under control." I smirked at the image of Tanya once again throwing herself at Edward and Bella throwing Tanya out one of the plate glass windows. From the other room I heard Edward chuckle softly. Guess he liked the idea of Bella getting Tanya to finally back the hell off. Then I remembered Irina.

"Or maybe we should make a short pit stop along the way and leave a pile of ash where Irina used to be," I growled angrily. Carlisle placed a restraining hand on my shoulder and shook his head.

"We can deal with Irina later, Emmett. Right now we need to think about what is best for Bella and the rest of this family. And I think you are one hundred percent right. Alaska sounds like the best place. Our house is pretty far removed from any human villages and there are the forests nearby that offer good hunting. Good thinking son," he praised.

"Do you want any of us to fly out ahead of you to prepare the house?" Rose offered in a business like tone.

She may fool them, but not me. She wanted to be useful and help Bella in any way she could. Since she couldn't take away the next two and half days of burning agony like Jasper seemed to be able to do, she would do anything and everything she could to make the world a more comfortable place one Bella had awoken to this new life. It was one of the reasons I loved her so much. She would do anything for her family. I leaned down and kissed her cheek noisily. She playfully swatted me away, her beautiful face a mask of mock annoyance, but love shone back brightly in her amber eyes.

"Thank you, Rose, but I think it would be best if we all stayed together for this. Safety in numbers," he said with a gentle smile.

"We're already packed so when do you want to leave? I personally think it would be best if we did it sooner rather than later. The change just gets harder and I don't know about the rest of you but I'd rather not chance having a newborn wake up in a small steel tube more than thirty thousand feet above sea level," Rose snarked.

"Point taken," Carlisle agreed with a chuckle. "Let's go back in and hear what the others have to say and then we can tell Bella. I think she would handle it much better if we keep her as informed as we can."

We walked back in to Edward's room and saw that nothing had changed during our hugely important, not-so-secret conversation. Jasper was still clutching Bella like a drowning man would the last life vest on the Titanic. Alice was still doing everything she could to soothe both her and Jasper at the same time, while shifting in and out of visions (she grinned approvingly at me when we entered). Esme was still shifting back and forth between comforting Bella and reassuring Edward. And Edward…well, Edward was brooding. Nothing too new there.

He growled lowly at me, to which I simply shrugged and smirked. He knew the consequence to picking through my brain. He also knew what to do if he didn't like it. I watched him roll his eyes at me but he offered no more comments, non-verbal or otherwise.

I knew we didn't have to repeat anything for the full vamps in the room, but Bella would probably not have obtained our sensitive hearing just yet. I decided that everyone was too still and too quiet for my liking and crouched down next to the bed by Bella's head. Jasper was tense, but his eyes were closed and his face very calm and focused. I tried to maintain the sense of peace I was feeling at Alice's suggestion to make it easy him to have me so close as I leaned forward to whisper to Bella.

"Hey, baby Bells. Just wanted to keep you in the loop, since I know how much you hate having decisions made for you. We decided Scotland just didn't have enough fun stuff to hunt, so were going up to Alaska. But don't worry, we won't be staying with the Denali's. Won't even be anywhere near them. We'll be really far from civilization, just like you wanted. We're going to fly you there as soon as we can arrange it. Shouldn't take more than a few hours," I told her in a hushed but happy voice.

Her eyes were pinched shut and her jaw was clenched tightly, but she inclined slightly towards to me. There was a light sheen of sweat on her face and she was breathing rapidly. Her already tense body seemed to become more tightly wound and a slight whimpering sound escaped her pursed lips.

"She anxious," Edward said while looking straight at Jasper. No doubt the brain picker had plucked that thought straight from Jazz.

"Hey now, none of that darlin'," Jasper whispered in her ear while I saw him concentrate even harder on calming her and keeping her relatively pain free.

"Uh, Bella, just relax. As much as you can anyway…um, shit…I didn't mean to…dammit!" I cursed my own stupidity along with my verbal diarrhoea. Next to me Jazz smirked ever so slightly and across from me Eddie boy actually snickered.

"Keep it up, Em; you are amusing her ever so slightly. It's actually making her feel a little better and her fear is almost gone," Edward said at vampire pitch.

I instantly perked up. Funny was something I could do. Funny came naturally to me. If that's all I needed to do while in her company was to constantly crack jokes and stumble all over my words in order to keep her calm and manage her pain, I would become Robin fucking Williams.

"We're just going to throw you over Sponge Brother over here – you know, to keep up your own personal pain management – and fly your somewhat human butt to our place in Alaska. But don't worry; we're flying the friendly skies all by ourselves. Vamp Airways, if you will," I teased her.

Her furrowed brow smoothed out ever so slightly and for a few minutes she appeared to be in less pain than ever before. I shot a look at Jazz for confirmation but he was so focused on Bells that he completely ignored me. Edward gave me the reassuring nod that I needed before launching into a complete mockery of everyone she knew here in Forks, me included. As I spoke Jasper and Edward shifted her up and out of the room at almost a human pace. By the time we had her loaded in the Jeep Rose, Carlisle, Alice, and Esme had packed the cars with all the essentials and locked up the big white house that we most likely wouldn't return to for at least a few decades.

I drove, Jasper and Edward cradled Bella in the back, and Alice rode shotgun to help give me comical ammunition. Alice kept reminding me of hilarious stories from the last time we were all in Alaska, while Edward gave little blurbs here and there from my, Esme's and Rose's newborn years. One of the best ones – in my opinion – was when I had spent two days stalking a bear just to mess with him a little.

"Hey, it was only fair! We saw what a mess he had made of some poor little seal – by the way, those taste terrible, don't eat them – so I thought I'd give him a taste of being at the bottom of the food chain," I defended with mock indignation. Alice laughed genuinely and even Eddie boy cracked a smile back there. Success!

"And it was nothing compared to when Edward thought he would outdo me by going after a walrus," I dropped that little titbit casually but it achieved the desired effect.

"Something else I wouldn't recommend, love. Too much blubber." He shuddered lightly but smiled softly and continued to stroke her hair. His smile became slightly more pronounced when Jasper was able to relax just a fraction and even managed a light chuckle.

We continued like that until we got to the SeaTac Airport. It was pretty late by the time we parked so there were very few humans lingering about, and even less near the hanger where our the jet we had chartered was parked. This was good. Less people equalled fewer questions. Something that would help us maintain our low profile.

We boarded the small airliner without confrontation or issue. The immediate concern was to keep Bella as comfortable as possible so that we could keep her quiet for the three hour flight. Luckily we could drive once we got there, but since our vehicles wouldn't be delivered to our house for a few days, we had Rose arrange a few four wheel drives for us upon arrival. It was at least six hours in the car once we got out of the Fairbanks city limit. Our house was literally in the middle of nowhere. There were no villages for miles around and the closest area that resembled a city was Fairbanks. It really was the best place for a newborn. The risks were low of her running into any humans.

Once the plane got into the air Carlisle was on his cell phone to the Denali's to let them know where we were headed. At first Rose and I were a bit pissed that he even gave a rat's ass what they thought about our whereabouts, but once his conversation with Tanya started we realised that we had been way off base with our assumptions behind his motives.

"Let me make something absolutely clear, Tanya. You and your sisters are to stay away, thousands of miles away. You three are to maintain a minimum distance of one thousand miles away from my family at all times, am I understood?" He paused while she responded, saying how sorry she was, but where were they supposed to go and that how would they know if we were hunting anywhere near where they were. He cut her off midsentence; a very un-Carlisle like thing to do.

"I don't care if you need to relocate to the moon. You will stay away from Bella and the rest of my family until I say otherwise. And Tanya, do not make me tell you twice." The threat was very real in daddy dearests' voice and it sent involuntary shivers down my spine. I'd never heard him use it before and I never wanted to hear it again. If I thought Rose was scary when she was mad…

"Tip of the iceberg, Em. Tip of the iceberg," Edward murmured with a smirk from across the aisle.

He'd seen Carlisle loose his legendary cool before? Now that was a story worth hearing! I turned to pester it out of him but he just shook his head and gave me a look that I easily interpreted as 'later, now's not the time'. Damn. He was right. I hated it when he was right. He smirked again.

The flight was relatively uneventful. Bella only shrieked once and quickly quietened down when Esme leaned over her head and whispered in her ear.

"I know this hurts sweetheart. I am so sorry. We are almost in Fairbanks and after we get you in a car and on our way you can let go all you need. But I really think it would alarm the pilot if you scream again. Just a little longer, I promise," she soothed while she stroked her hair tenderly. Bella didn't make a peep after that. My little sister was a trooper. I was going to take her out bear hunting, just the two of us, once this was all over. I'd even give her a head start.

We had a smooth landing in Fairbanks and quickly disembarked to the waiting Ford Escapes that Rose had arranged. Their four wheel drive capabilities were necessary as we were going off marked roads once we got out of city limits. The seating arrangements were much the same as before. Alice drove and I rode shotgun; Jazz, Eddie, and Bella in the back. Rose rode with Carlisle and Esme in front of us. Not that I need to be shown where we were going. Only having been there once hadn't affected my perfect vampire memory on how to get there.

Alice and I once again regaled Bella with stories from before she had joined us. Most of them were from before her parents were even born. Jasper was pretty quiet during the entire trip, not letting his focus slip once while we joked, teased, and trotted down memory lane – sometimes at his expense. Edward was much the same, although sometimes Alice and I were able to draw him out somewhat and even got him to tell a tale or two. That being said, it was the longest six hours of my immortal life. And the last hour was the worst.

I couldn't tell whether or not Jasper needed a break or if Bella's pain was simply getting worse (as we all knew it would), but in the last leg of our trip we had to endure her cries and moans of pain coming more frequently and getting louder each time. By the time I was winding up into the foothills where house was nestled she was in such a state that I wondered if Jazz was making any difference at all anymore.

"That's what I thought," Edward muttered before he cursed lowly under his breath.

Now what had I missed? I turned to see Alice staring into the backseat with a pained look on her face that made me want to tear up. She was looking at Jasper with such sympathy and love while her eyes darted to Bella every few seconds and echoed a pain of her own at having to watch her sister endure such hardship. In the back seat Edward had turned to face Jasper and was attempting to gently extract his wife from our brothers arms.

"It's alright. We're just about there, Jazz," Edward coaxed calmly, but Jasper shook his head vehemently and clung a little tighter to Bella's shaking form.

"I can do this. I just need a minute to regroup. Stop pelting me with your understanding Alice!" he hissed.

Next to me Alice sighed and rested her chin on the back of seat, never taking her eyes off the three of them. I knew she wasn't going to say anything, as she had probably already looked to see if it would make a difference and come up with nada.

"You've been doing more than anyone ever thought was possible. You need to take a break," Edward said a little more forcefully.

"If she doesn't get a break from this than neither do I," Jasper snapped. This was not going well. I knew that tone. Someone was going to lose a limb soon.

"You know that's not how this works," Edward countered, his own aggravation seeping in now.

"If I stop she'll be in agony!" Jasper finally shouted.

"She's already there!" Edward barked back.

"STOP!" Bella's scream was so loud it rattled the windows. Her breathing had become shallow and quick and I could see her whole body shaking in the review mirror.

"STOP IT! I CAN'T…JUST…AHHHH!" In an effort to tell them to knock it the hell off she had lost her carefully orchestrated control. She was now writhing and screaming her head off between the two of them while they just sat there and stared, slack jawed.

"Told you," Alice muttered next to me. The sound was drowned out by Bella's howls of pain but I knew they could all hear her. Well, everyone except Bella. I doubted she could even hear herself think with all that racket she was making. Not that she wasn't entitled.

My eyes flickered to the backseat again as I finally pulled up in front of the large cedar lodge we would occupy for the foreseeable future. Carlisle had already parked the car and all three of them were headed in our direction. Before I had even set my feet on the ground Esme had pulled Bella from Edward and Jasper's collective grasp and glared at them both.

"Edward, I can take it from here for a little while. Jasper, you need to go with your wife and siblings for a hunt. No arguments!" she snapped when Jasper and Edward both began to object. "I am your mother and what I say goes! None of you come back until your eyes are so golden there are miners coming after you with shovels and sifting trays!"

I didn't even bother to hide my snicker. No one messes with mama.

::sigh:: I love Emmett and his humor, and who doesn't love a mama bear Esme?