Chapter 34: Big Bad World

LILY POV

I felt mild surprise as my knees gave way in Leah's embrace, and she immediately held me up, looking worried. I smiled timidly, my head still numb from the pain. She frowned and then dropped me and exploded, scratching a newborn to bits before he could lunge for my throat.

My whole arms shaking as I lifted myself up, legs curled awkwardly underneath me, I forced my head up to watch. Fires were burning. I was terrified for the Cullen's and Vladimir, not to mention the wolves, and most importantly, Leah. I brought this upon them. I started turning bad vampires into rocks, trying to help.

I heard a yell that sounded familiar, and I quickly scanned the outcropping, my heart freezing as Carlisle ran backwards from Jane with an arm missing. He was the one who had yelled her name before. I felt a slight chill raise the hair on my arms. I didn't know he capable of sounding that way, he was always so soft spoken

Jane saw me staring, and she grinned smugly in my direction. I went to turn her into a pile of waste when the pain exploded behind my eyelids again, worse than before. I didn't know if I was screaming or not, everything just fell away. Strange harsh patterns danced before my eyes as my nerves felt like they were being ripped apart…

Blissfully, it stopped suddenly, and I lay curled on my side, gasping for air. My brain was scrambled, my nerves fried. My vision refused to focus. I squinted as something came at me, trying to distinguish friend or foe. By the time I realized, it was too late.

Something cold and heavy collided with my abdomen and I was soaring through the air, the wind whipping my hair around. Then I watched the clouds get farther away until cold water enveloped me.

CARLISLE POV

I quickly backed away from Jane, looking to distract her. She fought dirty, and my brain was spinning from her latest dose of pain. Suddenly, she looked past me, and grinned at someone.

I dared to turn around to watch Lily crumple in pain, shrieking. My arm re-attached, and then I was ripping off Jane's head; and getting the rest of her body. Anger made me see red, and then I was dumping her bits and pieces onto one of the fires.

Then I started to dart over to where Lily was, but a newborn beat me to her, and kicked her hard, like a football. She unfolded in the air, and turned a gentle flip, rising higher and higher into the sky. Then her body fell, her back to the ground; arms and legs floating upward with the air current, her back curling inward…

She hit the water with a large splash. I ran to the ledge and peered over. A dark spot was slowly sinking to the bottom… I darted over to Leah, and jumped on her back, shouting in her ear while she fought. She froze, and I took her vampire as she darted to the edge, and morphed along the way, pulling on her oversized t-shirt. Then she dived smoothly off into the ocean.

The fight turned then, and after a few more minutes of fighting, we all collapsed on the outcropping, nursing our wounds. It was a miracle that we had survived. Worry began to push at me as the minutes ticked by without Leah and Lily coming back…

LEAH POV

I cut through the water like a knife, stroking strongly. I looked around for Lily and cursed, morphing. She had sunk farther than I had thought. Scraps of my shirt fluttered downward in the water, and I followed them, catching on to Lily's scent. According to Carlisle, she had fallen quite a way from up in the air.

I felt a flash of anger at Jane, making me swim faster. After the pain, Lily couldn't even stand up on her own. Now she had been tortured again, and that was bound to have a affect.

I stroked deeper, and finally caught a glimpse of her hair, and I quickly made my way over. I was running out of air. I nosed my way under her, and then rose to the surface. After carefully making my way to shore, I rescaled the cliff, making sure she didn't fall off. She hadn't moved, and it was starting to worry me.

I hauled my bulk over, and snuck a glance behind me. Lily lay flopped over my back like a wet noodle. Her back rose and fell, but her face was pressed against my side, her hair hanging straight down over her head, a blond streak against my gray side.

I flinched as Carlisle appeared from nowhere. I kneeled and settled down to a lower height, making it easier for him to get her off. Carlisle gently rolled her over and then picked her up bridal style. He carefully set her down.

I really couldn't morph; I had lost my shirt, so I settled down beside her and stuck my nose in her ear. After a moment, she moaned softly, a tired smile crossing her face, which was drawn. My anger welled again at Jane. She had weakened my angel; caused her pain.

When I glanced at her again, her eyes were open, watching me. My heart missed a beat. Her eyes were sunken and had a tortured look about them, but they were just as beautiful as they had always been. I whined and nudged her with my nose. She frowned. Her eyes were closed again.

"Lily?" Carlisle asked, looking more worried than I was. Which was a bad sign. I barley registered the family coming over silently. Lily slowly opened her eyes at Carlisle's request.

"I can't—can't feel anything." She stuttered hoarsely. My heart almost ripped in two at the sound of her voice. It was twisted with pain still.

"What?" Carlisle asked, taken completely off guard. He squatted down and picked up her hand. "Can't you feel this?" He curled her fingers into a fist. After a moment, she shook her head.

"Barely." She whispered. I stood up quickly and scanned the fires. I ran over to one and scouted the area frantically, finally finding a Volturi cloak that had been torn off. I phased back and wrapped myself in it, making a toga. I rushed back over to Lily and took her other hand.

I kissed it worriedly as Carlisle tried other parts of her body. I was relieved to hear she could feel her legs. After a few more minutes, I helped her stand. At first her knees collapsed again, but after some carefully chosen swear words, she straightened. I cautiously let go, and she smiled softly at me.

"Let's get out of here." She said quietly, and without another word, we turned to leave. She ran ok on her own, but everything about her movements was unsure. We made it back to a road I didn't know, and after a moment, a car appeared from nowhere. It was Carlisle's black Mercedes. It looked a little worse for wear, but it could fit all of us, which was a miracle.

It was dead silent all the way home.