SOOOOOO sorry for the late Post!!!!!! I've been in Europe for the summer and my Laptop crashed so I had to rewrite EVERYTHING and post it when I got home...
Believe me, my friends stayed a healthy distance from me for a long time after they found out what happend to my laptop, they know that I would trade my Soul to Lucifer if I had to choose between it and my own life . I practically sat in the corner of the room and rocked myself all the while whispering, "Why me....Why me....Why me..." for a week.
Lots to come though, please be patient and work with me while I try and rescue all my work!
EMELIA
I looked up at Connor, my beacon of hope, but I still couldn't even convince myself. I was hopeless. Finished. Done.
I watched as the snow flakes landed on Connor's pale skin. The heat from the smooth ivory turning the flakes into tiny drops. My favorite was the ones that landed near his sea foam green eyes and shock of raven colored hair. He looked like an angel, I noticed. Something in his face and eyes was so pure, so good; it made me feel awful to touch him. Like someone like me wasn't allowed to touch someone like him.
The snow underneath us was starting to water from our heat, and even though I wasn't cold, I continued to let him hold me while we watched a heard of deer cross a river at the bottom of the mountain with bored expressions although I was burning inside.
Everything here was in its own way beautiful. There was nothing I liked more than places like this. I was tired of the sea and deserts. They always stayed the same all year round, same water and sand and animals. But places like t his change. Flowers bloom, animals are born, and even the air seems different. I like the way you can just sit here and pretend you had no problems. Like, so many people weren't actually counting on you. People didn't actually trust you blindly and believe that you could get things under control and hope with every last piece of your soul. It was a place you could believe whatever you wanted.
This wasn't possible, I couldn't possibly find everyone in time, there was no way now, not with the plan they had together. An alliance with the Volturi.
I couldn't believe they could be so blind by revenge that they couldn't see there own demise.
Morons. Like the Volturi would let them just walk away without a price. Have they not met Aro? And Caius is only going along because of the rest of the guard are making him. We all know how much he'd love to have another round of trying to get rid of us. God, he loved Avery so much he'd send her gifts and money like she discovered a new cure for glittering in the sun.
We don't stand a chance.
Connor looked at me and tried a small smile that told me he heard. Damn, I forgot to keep up my shield.
"Emelia, you're worrying too much."
I showed him my teeth and tore myself out of his arms. I didn't need all of his positivity. I like to wallow in my own angst. It's who I was.
He rolled his eyes at my thearatics and I threw up my shield and bolted it tight so he couldn't hear me anymore.
He sighed. "Stop it. We still haven't gone all the way south and the rest agreed to meet us in Vancouver and that still leaves us another day to prepare. We'll tell them at the last minute, they'll see our plan. Besides, that one Vampire Ulric is hording is keeping Alice pretty blocked so they won't be able to interfere until they need to."
I nodded, because that's all I could do. How can I disagree with a plan I made and already set into motion?
With a sigh, I stood and helped him up. He smiled down at me crookedly, the sharp points of his sleek hair falling into his eyes, and mussed my hair, earning a halfhearted growl.
"Well, the others may be looking for us. Are you well enough to depart?"
I rolled my eyes and brushed past him. "Connor, sweetie, stop speaking like you're from another Century."
He rolled his eyes and sighed with annoyance. "Love, I am from another Century."
I dismissed him with a wave of my hand as he followed behind me. "So am I, but I don't talk like I'm from Wuthering heights. What time is it now?"
He looked up at the sun, muttering something under his breath about proper English language.
"Noon. They should be–"He was cut off by the bells of Discha's voice.
"Here." She finished for him. We spun and saw Discha's and her mate Landon standing on a boulder that was covered in snow like a topping of sugar. Her short black bob was in tangles and had flecks of powdery snow in it. Landon, her mate and creator, had long red hair that in low ponytail hung just above his elbows like a rope of fire. Discha looked to be about twenty-five, but Landon looked older; maybe his late twenties or early thirties.
Their ruby eyes regarded us warily, but there was friendship on the twinges of their glittering smiles.
In hope that this would go smoothly, I greeted them brightly. "Thanks for coming,"
Landon smirked and said in a Scottish accent. "Aye, its Peter and Charlotte you should be thanking. They have been our good friends for many years."
I gave a nod with my head, uncomfortable with the way they both looked at my own eyes. Wasn't my fault my mother had blue eyes and they were the color of radioactive waste.
"Oh, okay…well, then. Have Peter and Charlotte informed you at all?"
Discha's answered. "Just briefly. They were in bit of a hurry to get to some friends in Africa for you."
They hopped off the boulder lithely and landed on their bare feet and stepped towards us. Creepy how vamps moved.
"Is it true that you have similar feeding habits of some of the few of our kind in North America?"
Landon's crimson eyes held amusement as they flickered from Connor and I like we were children who refused to eat their Vegetables.
I nodded and stopped myself from grinding my teeth. "Yes, the Cullen's."
Discha's nodded her head. "Yes, they and the Denali's. Are the Cullen's the ones who had a little incident similar to this?"
I said. "Yes. But this is a little bit different. My friend is in danger. And the Cullen's are as good as family to her now."
"How so,"
I swallowed. Trying to keep my head from spinning and get everything out as calmly, and as convincingly as I could without scaring them.
"Are you two familiar with imprinting? The occurrence that sometimes happens to Shape shifters?"
Landon affirmed with an. "Aye," And Discha nodded in agreement.
And so I told them the long drawn out story I've been repeating for the last week, from beginning to end. Their expression's becoming even more wary when they heard more of the Volturi's involvement.
After I was finished, they had questions. But Discha was the one to hit the nail on its ugly head.
"What are you asking of us, exactly?"
I paused and looked into her eyes. They were daring me, her expression one of someone who knew exactly what I was asking and wanted to show the fanatical of it.
"For help. I wouldn't ask of this if it weren't important. Avery is with child, children actually. A young girl in her pack has already been attacked and she's well on her way to dying. Please, innocent people are going to die because of my kind. For our malevolence and selfishness."
Landon spoke now, his tone trying to pacify and simplify. "Your kind shares the same views as we do about our feeding habits. Wouldn't we be hypocritical?"
I shook my head and dug my fingernails into the palm of my hands. Connor, sensing my agitation, put a hand on my shoulder to reassure me before I became hysterical. "No, no. I am not questioning your feeding habits. It's your choice and nature. I understand even though I do not agree. That is not the matter; the issue is please help and stop them from killing people out of malice."
Discha's face became sympathetic and she spoke softer. "But, the Volturi are a powerful coven. They–"
I cut her off. "The Cullen's are an even more powerful coven the world has ever seen. I saw it all with my own eyes. They have mental and physical powers no one has ever heard of. One of the women, the center of the last problems with the Volturi, has a mental shield she can protect herself and others with. Nearly all of the guard have mental powers, she can block them."
Landon and Discha's face were one of pure shock.
"Really?" Landon breathed, examining our faces for deceit.
I nodded. "Aro is petrified of her. We only need numbers. Please."
"I don't know..." Discha's eyes glanced at Landon.
"I'm telling you. The Volturi are not what they used to be. Not what you remember."
Landon closed his eyes and shook his head. "I've seen them in action. Jane, what she can do is one of a kind."
"Bella Cullen has blocked her when she was just a newborn."
They both took in a breath and said nothing for a moment; they both seemed taken aback about the newborn part. Everyone did, which I never understood why it was such a big deal, but it seemed to warm up the hard ones.
Discha spoke now. "Well, if this Avery is such a prodigy, why doesn't she just fight them herself?"
I sighed and stopped myself from rolling my eyes. "There is only the new girl and her, and if she phases pregnant, her children will die."
Discha recoiled, as if I had slapped her and Landon put a hand on the shoulder of his mate with compassion. He glared murderously at me.
Discha nodded now, sure and absolute. "Okay. We'll help. For her children, I'll do it."
I felt relief torrent through me so fast I could have fainted.
Discha's smiled now. "Besides, Jane is a sappy, pubescent, tweeny who needs a taste of her own medicine. I can't stand that little bitch."
My lips pulled over my teeth in thought of a dead Jane. I replied with malice. "Ditto..."
Connor cleared his throat and interrupted our mental planning of killing the little Italian mosquito, and spoke up now. "Here is the thing; a vampire, who is a close friend of mine, has a power of seeing images of thing that are the center of problems. He saw an image of an amulet of a white opal being worn by someone, and said it had to do with the whole situation and got a hold of me to let me know that it was important that I find it. We think it belongs the Volturi by the older design, but we can be sure. Do you know anything about it?"
Discha shook her head but Landon's fiery eyes softened in thought.
"What the setting silver?" He asked, stepping toward Connor and the both of them stepping foreword in the snow.
Connor nodded. "Yes, you know of it?"
Landon's face hardened like stone and he answered. "Aye. Years ago the in Scotland a royal ship that carried jewels and such sank on the coast. Aro and a few of the guard came up to get most the Jewels, they asked for my help. You see, I have the power of knowing where something is that I want most. This is somewhat like tracking, but for objects." He rolled his eyes and smirked. "Not a wonderful gift, but it comes in handy once in a while. Well anyway, I found what they wanted, and I remember one in particular being the Opal you speak of, it belongs to them or someone that they gifted it to."
I shook my head. "That doesn't really make any sense…why would it be in Canada?"
Connor turned to me, his eyes twinkling like when he was thinking hard. "Maybe after we escaped they left. Remember when we doubled back, and they weren't back in the mountains so we assumed they moved?"
I nodded. "Yeah, and?"
"Maybe they went to Canada, maybe instead of somewhere else in Washington, they went to Canada with whoever had the Opal…of course! How stupid could I be?" He grabbed my shoulders and stared into my eyes wildly. His long black hair fell into his green eyes and his nails dug deeply into my back. "Why would they wait now that we're missing? They're coming sooner, rather than later. And is doesn't matter who has that damn amulet because we're too late."
AVERY
Carlisle sat down at the large table Jasper and Edward brought in from Nessie's last party and all the Cullen's sat, then the wolves, Embry and I, and then Gesgant and Leah.
We were having a meeting.
Carlisle sat at the head of the table and Edward sat at the other and we all waited for Carlisle to speak.
He stood and put his hands onto the table and leaned on them as if it were tiring for him to even stand. He looked drained and his black eyes looked up at us.
"According to Emelia, we need to get as many people out of this area as possible. Jasper and I talked about it and we agreed that it would be possible to fake a regional emergency. I have contacts with the National weather bureau and I can handle that. But now the question is strategy. I know my own family will help," His eyes flickered over all of them and paused on Esme, then back at us. "Jacob and Sam both agreed and along with the rest of the pack that they will help. I want to set up a protection area far enough away but close enough if there is an emergency for those of us who will not fight like Avery and the imprints in La Push. I think the best is to keep the younger and less experienced wolves with them for protection and communication.
"I also think that it is in best interest of Seth to try and keep him awake. I know that I cannot understand the pain he is in, but I think that it is best that he mourns consciously. He's trying to wake up despite the amount of sedative I've been giving him. And I think Iza can get better if he is awake to help her. She is at a stable enough point to wake up if she wants. The issue with this is what you as a pack think, I believe that you can come up with a better answer than any of us could…"
He looked at all the wolves and Embry and the rest looked down as Carlisle continued to speak. "Whatever you need me do to, I am more than ready to trust your judgement."
He sat down, and it was a moment before anyone said anything.
Sam opened his mouth a few times, but then spit it out. "I think…I think he should be awake. It's going to hurt, I understand," He looked at everyone in his pack, "I think we all could imagine what he feels, but for the good them both, I vote to wake him." He raised his hand.
I looked up at Embry and saw that he was looking at me. I gave him a reassuring squeeze, and then watched him raise his hand. Then the rest went up except for Jared and Quil.
Jacob started to shake. "I don't know if you guys see that your out voted, but why don't you amuse me and tell me why not?"
Quil's face hardened, not liking the tone of Jacobs's voice. "I don't think it's a good idea. What if she doesn't wake up? What if he tries to run like you did? Or tries to kill himself? I don't know about you but if that was me, I'd kill myself."
I felt myself wince and I saw that the rest of the wolves did too.
Jared nodded his eyes hard as he spoke. "Me too, honestly. No offense Sam, but you should know what I mean. The pain he's going to be in if going to practically kill him if he doesn't do it first."
Before Jared stopped talking Embry shot up and slammed his hands on the table, nearly splitting it in half. "Didn't you hear Carlisle? She may wake up. He's just going to have to listen!"
Snarling, Jared stood and pushed his chair back where it fell with a clatter on the floor he pointed at me. "Avery tried to tell him that! He just fell apart! I know you care and all but I don't think you see how-"
"SHUT UP!"
We all turned to see Leah shaking. Her hands were curled into fists and Gesgant put a hand on her shoulder when her shape started to blur a couple times. Her hair was wild and tangled. I watched as she spoke through teeth so clenched, I could hear them grinding which sent a wave of Goosebumps up and down my arms. I shivered.
"I'm his sister." She managed to spit out through her iron tight teeth. She hissed tensely, but calmly as she said the words. She looked up and I could see a fiery quality to her eyes I've never seen before, and a fierce protectiveness to her jaw. "And I want him up. He needs to stop being useless and wake her up. If he really wants her, then he'll have to fight for her."
No one said anything. There was no need of a vote or a discussion. She was right.
There was a moment of silence before Jared sat down, and then Embry.
Carlisle cleared his throat. "Well, then, it's settled. When he wakes up it will be the last time he is sedated. And tomorrow we get ready for battle. For those of you who don't remember some of the strategies, I'm sure Nessie would be able to help you."
Before everyone could get up to leave, Gesgant stood and spoke. "Wait, hold on." He looked at me. "Avery, how do you feel about this? We go by your call."
Everyone looked at my face and I instantly felt an ugly numbness fill me. I didn't like how I was feeling lately. Like such a disappointment and poison to all of my family. My eyes wandered around the room on each face that I loved with all my heart, each face ready and willing to trust me when I didn't even trust myself.
But I had to try, for them, I had to try and help in any way that I could. I sat back in my chair and let my mind wander for a moment. When I looked back up, everyone's eyes were filled with so much certainty that I had to look back down at my hands shamefully, but not before I caught Edwards amazed and wonderful smile of encouragement.
"I think there is more to this."
I saw everyone's face turn to confusion except Edwards; he had a frozen look as he examined my thoughts.
"I think maybe the Volturi lied and didn't get the rest like Aro told you, Carlisle. Do you remember the last battle? I recognized only the lower ranked Werewolf soldiers that were there. None of the Nobles were there that night. Didn't you notice that Gesgant?" I looked at him and he stared at me thoughtfully, he nodded once and I continued talking while staring out the window where I watched fog roll off the river. "I think that they sent them there to die, so that we thought everything would be over and that was everyone. But, Gesgant got in the middle of things and screwed up their plan. And I think that Emelia was also what threw them and they tried to stop her but Iza and Nessie caught them. Besides, the Volturi has Trackers. If they really wanted them all gone like they said they had in the beginning, they'd be gone and we wouldn't have had that battle. There wouldn't be stragglers. I don't think they'd realize that we'd see that there was something between the two sides and try to blindside us. And I think that Emelia knows, and found a way to escape."
Everyone was stone silent. You could practically hear photosynthesis happening outside it was so quiet. But it was Emmett's booming voice and laugh that broke the silence like a snap of a twig.
"Awesome! You're brilliant! Jasper, if you guys had her on your side during the war, you guys probably would have won."
First, Nessie giggled but then threw her hand up to her mouth with a shameful squeak, and then everyone erupted into laughter.
And for the first time in a long time, I actually laughed along with them.
EMBRY
I watched my magnificent girl tow Nessie into the house and into the kitchen to make some Tea, by the hand. Both girls were talking softly and occasionally kissing each other on the nose or cheek to cheer the other up like they did on the car ride over.
Jake held Iza in his arms as he carried her slowly up the stairs with me behind them. She wore simple lavender pajamas that Nessie put on her this morning, and her burgundy colored hair rippled down Jake's forearm as he led her upstairs more gently than I've even seen him hold Ness, like she was made up of matter thinner than a soap bubble.
I opened the door to our bedroom to find Seth still in bed with sheet tangled around him messily. I smoothed them out as Jake placed Iza right next to him on the right side where Avery slept.
I watched in amazement as his forehead smoothed and his labored breathing eased into small sighs the second she touched the mattress. But Iza made no change. Her breathing and heart beat stayed steady and easy as it had been, and her face as vacant and blank as possible. She was so pass peaceful that it was almost scary.
Jake sighed next to me as we watched the two unconscious beings we stood over.
"Amazing how it feels like yesterday we were sitting in your dad's Garage and fixing up that piece of crap Rabbit you had while we drank warm sodas and our only worry was if Kristen Adams would sit next to us in Algebra."
Jake laughed and punched my arm for the Rabbit crack, and said. "Nah, my worries were all about Bella. I remembered staying up all hours of the night and going over our conversations. God, I even used to imagine way down in the future us having kids and stuff." He laughed once and shook his head, "And now it feels like I was thinking about my sister."
I smirked and remembered the day I met Bella when she was human. How small and pale she was. She practically glowed.
It was my turn to sigh, "Yeah. But then the Wolfy genes interfered and messed up our naïve notions of life, and ruined the new Guitar Hero I got for my birthday…" I coughed an incredulous laugh. "How the hell did we even get here?"
Jake said nothing for a moment but then just shrugged. "Who cares? Im just happy we're here man… I mean, just imagine if it didn't."
The unfathomable thought of me not having Avery made a rolling feeling in my stomach whirl and churn roughly.
Jake nodded and he even had one forearm across his stomach, knowing we were think the same thing.
No them…
"You know Jake, I want to say thanks and stuff. You know, for what your doing for me and Avery, its–"
He cut me off and smiled warmly. "Nothing. Listen man, when I had the Ness business all those years ago when she was a baby, you were there for me when things got really bad and I thought I was going to lose her and the Cullen's. I know it seems like your asking a lot, but you didn't even have to ask. You and Avery mean a lot to me and the rest of us, its like beyond family. Losing or letting anything happen to either of you, especially now with the babies, is something we wont accept. So, we fight with you, just like you didn't bat a lash all those years ago," He put a hand on my shoulder. "You both mean so much to all of us, we're not going to let anything happen without a badass fight."
I couldn't speak, it was like I had a vice closed around my throat, but I could feel the gratitude and brotherly love pouring out of my eyes. I gave him a manly hug, no matter how unmanly it was, and we both went back downstairs to find our girls.
During the duration of my miserable summer, even my 18th B-day couldn't cheer me up, I reread the whole thing and saw so many changes I wanted to make, it would practically be a different story!
But, in the sake of Avery and the rest, it needs to be done. Nothing major will be changed and it wont be done until I am finished with everything, but just FYI if you want to reread and see what I fixed and spiced up. I see alot of faults in my haste to get chaps posted. Also, when this is over, i'm planning on doing some other Fics with my other Characters and flesh out everyone since I feel like there are major gaps. Some of the Fics are going to be like ClairxQuil, JaredxKim, JacobxRenesmee, GesgantxLeah, RachelxPaul, ConnorxEmelia, and so and so forth. Mostly lots of fluff and stuff. You know, the crap we love to read about.
XOXO and reveiw!
