Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight.
The truth of the matter was that we didn't know what exactly Esther's powers were. What was she? A Witch? A Vampire? I didn't know.
But the one thing I did know, what that she was the most powerful being I had ever seen.
I picked up the phone, ready to call the rest of the family. We were at our end, there wasn't anything we could do. We needed them.
We needed Carlisle, the patriarch of our clan. No, that was wrong, not clan. Carlisle was the patriarch of the family. Yes, family. That was what we all are.
Vampires by nature do not live in such large clans like we did. Baring the Volturi and the Denali coven in Alaska, most vampires lived in groups no more than four. With the birth of Renesmee, our family count went up to nine. With the twins now, it went up to eleven. I couldn't help but smile at the realization.
We needed Esme now more than ever. If Carlisle was the soul of the family, Esme was the heart. She loved us all as if we were all her own children. As a vampire she could not biologically bear her own children, but we were not substitutes in her eyes. No, her love for us could not be measured.
I didn't have the idealistic childhood most children have because of my mother Renee. I do not begrudge her the least, however in the presence of Esme, a sense of ease flows through me. It was something that could only be described as a wave of mothering reflected upon me.
I couldn't wait to see Esme. I wanted to see the look on her face when I presented her the latest additions to the family, my miracle twins.
That was what they were. Korra and Aaden were my miracles. After Renesmee I had accepted that I would never have more children. I told myself I would treasure her and make sure she knew how miraculous she was. Now, I get to do it with two more children.
I missed Jasper too. Out of all the Cullens, Jasper had been the most distant to me for a long time. He blamed himself for their leaving after my disastrous birthday eighteenth party. I never did hold a grudge against him for attacking me.
It was only much later when I had told him this did our relationship grow. We had become closer after many conversations of which he disclosed how alienated he felt sometimes and how I understood the feeling very well. I always thought his continued soothing presence made it difficult to get angry with but in fact that was not always the case.
Jasper didn't impose his gift unless it was a dire situation and he needed too. He didn't like influencing people against their will and he felt like his powers were one way of taking away someone's free will. I disagreed with him vehemently before considering his views. I understood how he could come up with an epiphany like that but he was also being harsh on himself. I hoped after our many talks he realized that too.
As my fingers dialed the number to Carlisle's phone, I became more and more nervous. The phone rang long and dully for three ring before an answer.
"Hello?" Carlisle's voice was hesitant and it was only then I realized he didn't know who was calling. He wouldn't have recognized the number.
"Carlisle, it's me Bella," I replied redundantly. I cringed, internally berating myself as I tried to string up a sentence that would make sense to his ears.
"Bella, it's so good to hear your voice." Carlisle sounded relieved as if he ever holding in a large breath of air before releasing it. I hated to burst his bubble.
I steadied myself for a long conversation. "Carlisle, we are in trouble."
My voice came out stuttered and in half coherent sentences which got so bad that Edward had to take over to explain our situation properly after my half attempts.
Carlisle had gone quiet over the phone, making no acknowledgements as he listened to our news. We skipped out the unimportant stuff and abridged crucial parts for simplicity sake and lack of time.
I could tell Carlisle, and by Esme's gasps clear the in background, that everything we had experienced and regaled to them came out of nowhere. I mean how can you even imagine all the things we've gone through?
With baited breath, Edward explained to Carlisle the birth of the twins and my transformation. I had though he was going to keep them a secret until they got her but apparently everything was being a washed by the truth.
He had numerous questions about the twins, their health and mine as well. I hadn't had a normal human to vampire transformation at all. Carlisle worried that there would be inverse side effects.
I tried to ignore that, we had enough worries of our own at the time being than something as trivial as my transformation. Yeah, a transformation from a human to an undead vampire had become something trivial, that's how abnormal our lives had become.
Edward voice began to lose its composure as he described Rosalie's reaction to the birth of the twins and her abrupt removal from our lives. He condensed her scathing retorts as to spare Esme feelings about her first daughter's behaviour.
I could still hear Esme's gut wrenching sobs.
By the time Edward got to our children's disappearance, there was no more crying.
There was only a red hot scorching anger and hatred toward Esther which declared unrelenting retribution.
Carlisle declared they would be with us a soon as they could. They needed to take an airplane before they would resume the rest of their journey by foot with swift vampire speed.
Hours past and I was unable to wait patiently in the dilapidated motel room. I had already combed the nearby surrounding and all the way across the next town looking for the scents of the babies, Nessie or even by some chance, Esther.
I didn't know what I would have done if I had actually come across from her. I probably would have attacked even though she had proven to hold her own in a fight without resorting to her physical prowess. Her powers could prevent any damage to herself as witness by Edward and the burns he had sustained in engaging with her.
"Bella, please calm down," pleaded Edward. He placed a firm grip on my knee which I hadn't realized I'd been shaking.
I growled at him, unable to prevent myself. "I can't!"
"You need to. We all need to. It's the only way to focus and come up with a plan," Edward rationalized.
I shook my head wordlessly. I couldn't wait and do nothing. My children had been missing for hours and Edward wanted me to calm down? I couldn't.
I bit my lip, trying to prevent myself my dry heaves of sobbing.
My babies. My Nessie would understand what was going on. She was probably terrified without us. She was frightened when the Volturi had appeared for the whole immortal child incident but she was with us and in our arms at the time. We provided a sense of security which she didn't' have right now.
She was all alone with Esther and the twins.
The twins. My beautiful Aaden and Korra were still mere infants. They wouldn't understand what was going on. All they knew was that they had been taken from their parents. Despite being hybrids with and increasing intelligence, they were still babies. They'd be hungry by now and I strongly doubted Esther would feed them, least alone the substance they needed.
I hoped that Nessie provided a sense of comfort to them. She would be the one thing they would recognize in their unfamiliar surroundings.
Esther wouldn't harm them.
That was what I told myself over and over. It was a mantra I needed to repeat to make myself sane. No matter what a despicable person Esther was, she wouldn't hurt babies, right?
Even villains had lines they wouldn't cross.
But that was only in fiction. In the real world there were vile people with no qualms about harming children.
I needed to believe Esther wouldn't hurt them. Why would she anyway? She was sent by Caius to cause woe. Aro wouldn't really allow deaths. He had inborn rules he followed which scripted a tale he wished to construct. The deaths of our children would lose us as game pieces which he couldn't have happen. No, in his game we were crucial pieces which he could not replace.
Caius and by extension Aro, wished to punish us for our blatant disregard of him and the inexorable Volturi. We had made a mockery of them in front of their witnesses and word would surely had spread across the world to other vampires.
The Volturi couldn't allow themselves to be perceived as weak. If that were to happen, there would be retaliation from other vampires who had grown tired of their authoritarian ways and wished for change in the vampire society.
Our very existence as vampires necessitated the secrecy of our kind and a ruler was need to prevent the exposure of vampires to humans. That was what the Volturi were to us.
They weren't the only ones who wished to govern. We had met the Romanians, Stefan and Vladimir who expressed their distaste for the Volturi. Where there is one, there is always more to follow.
I didn't know if my internal monologue was just to pacify myself against the harm of my children or if my thoughts held any truth in them. I wanted to share my musings with Edward. He was my mate, the love of my life and the father of my children, but I felt like I didn't know him anymore.
It was not that Esther could take control of him that made me feel this way. It was other things I couldn't help but notice. Was it Esther's appearance and our imminent danger that brought it out, or was I just overreacting?
While I had searched for any trace of our children in the nearby forest, Edward had stayed back with Alice.
Alice had been trying to sift through and visions of the future she could happen upon but it wasn't looking constructive. I figured Edward with his mind-reading could try and also help make sense of her visions. I thought he was at the motel doing that but when I had asked Alice upon my return she had said Edward had disappeared not long after I left to search for the children and reappeared just before my arrival.
Had he been looking for the children too? I didn't see him on my search but that could always mean that we were searching in opposite directions, but then why couldn't he have told me this.
Where had he gone?
The niggling thoughts at the back of my head seemed to get louder.
Darcy Malan was still missing.
And now, so was Detective Wilbur.
What the hell had happened to them?
Was there a possibility that Edward had something to do with it? Could it be that Edward make them disappear? Was it for Darcy hurting me, and then Detective Wilbur's suspicions on us? Was he covering our tracks?
No! The resolute exclamation was proceeded by silence in my head.
…Maybe?
~0~
Alice's vision came without the flair of dramatism as dropping a vase like last time.
The widening of her eyes, gaping fish mouth and look of horror which passed through her face was enough.
Her mouth closed and opened again but no words passed her burgundy coloured lips.
It was Edward who had to speak.
"Carlisle is here. They're here."
A giddy burst of excitement flowed though me at the thought of our surrogate parents' arrival, but I froze at Edward's next words.
"Esther has them."
I sucked in a sharp breath, resisting the urge to break something. Why? Why was this happening to us? First our children, now our surrogate parents' too. We called them here to help get our children back, and look what happened!
Alice's dry sob echoed though the room. "She has Jasper."
I attempted to wrap my arms around her in comfort but she took a quick step back. I tried not to feel hurt at her gesture but the look on her face stopped my retort.
Her beautiful nymph face was ravage in emotion, a heart-breaking sight which made me wary of approaching further.
"She hurt him."
Alice's body crumpled as if a puppet master had cut the strings holding her up. Edward was at her side I an instant pulling her toward him. I didn't need her to elaborate, I understood what she was talking about.
Edward's voice was forceful and insistent, urging her to see reason. "No, she hasn't! Stop this, Alice!"
Alice shook her head, gasps escaping her lips. "No, no…I've seen it."
"ALICE!"
She shrunk back at Edward's bellow, her eyes catching mine for a second before turning her attention back at him.
Edward was silent and when he spoke again, his voice was almost a whisper. "Alice, this is Jasper we are talking about. He is strong and he will be fine. We will get them back."
Edward's words made me realize something crucial. This was not a vision Alice had seen of the future.
It had already happened.
Edward stood up pulling Alice along with me. He looked me straight in the eye and spoke, his next words chilling.
"I know where they are."
We ran for miles in the forest in the direction we had come from Goodville. The blur of green and brown leaves and trees barely caught my attention as we passed. On different occasion I might have remarked upon the beauty of nature but today it was absent from my mind.
Edward took the lead with Alice and I running by his sides. He wasn't attempting to slow his speed for us but rather left us to catch up. He knew the exact location and I couldn't help but think he had passed here before. It was only when the wind changed direction that I picked up his previous lingering scent.
He had been here before.
The trail ended in a clearing, as if it had been created just for this occasion. The glade was beautiful filled with flowers growing patches every couple meters. I couldn't appreciate it, not with her there.
Esther.
She was the first thing that came into my view —everything else was secondary.
I swallowed a gasp at the sight of my children.
They were here, they were safe.
Huddle off to the left of Esther sat Renesmee clutching at a basket in which the twins lay in. Their heartbeats beat rapidly and a sense of relief flowed through my prematurely.
It was then that I took in the whole picture.
Esther stood in the clearing, dead center. Her face was emotionless despite the circumstances, and tendrils of her blonde hair blew airily around her head. Her hands hung limp in front of her, her stance bored as if she had other things to do than appear her.
At our approach, she crossed her arms as if she were a kindergarten teacher about to reprimand her students for misbehaving in class.
A wicked smile grew upon her face and her eyes narrowed, her eyes glinting with an unknown sparkle.
Her terrifying face didn't draw my attention, but rather what was in front of her did.
Crumpled in a heap lay a dishevelled Jasper, still as a marble statue as if a great sculptor had created him upon that spot. His blonde hair was matted with purple and I belatedly recognized them as violets.
Alice's strangled cry was the only thing I heard as she rushed toward him, only to be thrown back by something.
An invisible barrier of sort was erected between us and Esther preventing our approach.
Edward helped Alice up and I shuddered at the burns the barrier had caused. Her pants were singed scattered with holes ranging from the size of a melon to a grape. Her silk blouse hung in tatters as if a lion had torn its claws to it.
That was a done by a barrier.
Well, I was a shield. I had tricks up my sleeve too.
I closed my eyes, absentmindedly realizing what a horrible idea this was to do in front of Esther, but I had no choice.
It gritted my teeth as I struggled to pull the shield away from me an expand it outwards. As if an elastic had been let go, my shield was flung back toward me.
It was difficult to use my shield.
Perhaps Carlisle had been right about the side effects from my second transformation to a vampire.
I ignored all of my other senses to concentrate. I visualized it and willed it to happen. I slowly expanded the shield, inch by inch. It was a tedious process but I didn't dare rush it. My shield rebelled against me, the effort a strain. I huffed and pushed with all my strength.
Yes!
As if something had clicked within me, the strain eases and my shied expanded. I smirked as my shield hit the barrier—
Only for it to do nothing.
In front of me Esther snorted and rolled her eyes.
I suppressed a growl at her smug look.
Why didn't it work?
My shield should have engulfed hers and protected us, shouldn't it have?
A resounding failure echoed through me. Of course my shield did nothing. It only worked against mental attacks, and Esther's barrier was obviously physical.
Edward watched the internal battle evidently on my face and I was unable to meet his eyes to confirm what he already knew.
A small hand slipped into mine and squeezed. Alice was at my side offering me support. She out of everyone knew what it was like to have your powers fail.
Edward's eyes locked with the still figure ahead of him.
His voice was steel.
"What did you do to Jasper?"
Esther's gaze dropped to his still figure for a second before looking back at us.
"Nothing."
I stilled as Alice shrieked, "LIAR!"
Esther actually looked taken aback before she shrugged it off.
"You're right, you caught me. I did do something."
I squeezed Alice's hand trying to calm her.
Edward swallowed gazing at Alice's composure. She wasn't doing well and I feared her sanity with slip soon.
Edward's voice was steady but the rough edge was obvious. "What something did you do to Jasper?"
Esther gestured to Jasper nonchalantly. "Oh that something—yeah, it's a simple immobilizing spell."
"Spell?" The words tumbled from my mouth before I could stop them.
Esther ignored me.
Edward nodded once. His eyes were blank as he focused intently on her. I figured he must be reading her mind to see if she were telling the truth.
Esther smiled and flipped a lock of her hair over her head.
A weak cry drew my attention away from her.
Aaden.
My children.
Renesmee face held a terrified look as she braced herself as if preparing herself for something terribly about to happen. She hadn't moved from her spot to approach us closer but I presumed she was unable to. She had drawn her small body protectively over the twins as if to shield them.
At Aaden's cry she gave me a look before offering a weak smile of reassurance. She cooed at the baby trying to soothe him. I couldn't see his reaction from this distance but he quietened down at Nessie's touch.
She was already an amazing older sister.
And to think, I was worried.
Esther's irritated huff drew my attention back to her. I didn't know if it was the cry that irritated her or rather the fact that she wasn't the center of attention.
Edward spoke again, his voice commanding an answer. "Where are Carlisle and Esme?"
Esther quirked an eyebrow at his question before turning away to gaze at her nails. Edward growled at her action and her only response was to chuckle.
Her eyes sparkled cheekily and mused, "They're around here somewhere."
I perked up at this, so they were here. I listened around me for any sounds of their presence. The only thing I could hear was an eerie silence. There wasn't even the sounds of animals or birds chirping. Had they all disappeared or something? With vampire hearing I should be able to hear for miles but I heard nothing but the heartbeats of Renesmee and the twins.
Were Carlisle and Esme really here? Had Esther done something to them too, like she did to Jasper?
"Where are they?" asked Alice insistently. The edge of hysteria had inched out of her vice o which I was grateful for. The last thing we needed here was a wild card like her.
Esther looked at Alice dismissively before directing her answer to Edward. "I told you they were here. I didn't lie."
Edward's eyes narrowed as he scrutinized her answer. "Then why can we not see them?"
Esther smiled at him before rolling her eyes again. "I cloaked them, obviously."
Yeah, not so obvious to us.
"Let us see them," growled Alice.
Esther groaned before hunching over in annoyance. "Fine!"
She waved her hand and just like that Carlisle and Esme appeared. Unlike Jasper, they were awake and alert, their eyes moving around restlessly as they struggled to move. Esther must have restrained them somehow.
At our questioning looks she answered, "Yes, I restrained them with invisible bonds. They can't speak either."
Invisible, huh? Just like the barrier.
Edward sucked in a sharp breath. His gaze was solely on Esther, he must have seen something in her thoughts...
"Esther, how did you find us?" Edward's question was hurried and held a quality in it that confused me.
With all that Esther displayed to us, I had guessed she would have found us with a spell. At Edward's reaction, perhaps magic didn't work like that?
Esther gave him a pointed look before answering.
"Rosalie told me."
At Esther's chilling word, Esme's stopped struggling against her invisible bonds a tragic look appearing on her face.
Rosalie told her where to find us.
Rosalie.
Our sister, had given the woman who caused us to flee in the first place our location.
"Why?" Alice's voice was hollow, barely more than a whisper.
"Why would she do this?"
Rosalie had walked out on us. Because of me and the twins.
I hadn't believed her when she spoke of not coming back. I believed her to be hurt and would eventually find her way back after she had calmed down.
No, I didn't want to believe she would do this.
I didn't want to believe she had ratted us out to Esther.
I shook my head in distrust. Rosalie was many things: stubborn, tenacious, blunt and even a little selfish at times. Sure she was all those things, but the one thing she was not was a traitor.
A sympathetic look appeared of Esther face.
I hated her for it.
Alice was in shock. She didn't believe Rosalie would do it either. "You forced her didn't you, Esther. You forced Rosalie to tell you where we were."
Esther almost looked sad at Alice's accusation. "No, I didn't."
"Then why would she voluntarily tell you anything," Alice shot back.
"I gave her something she wanted," replied Esther in a flat voice.
Something she wanted? What could Esther give Rosalie—
I sucked in a sharp breath.
Esther had turned me human. I had gotten pregnant.
That was what Rosalie had wanted. She wanted to become human to have a baby.
Rosalie had sold us out to get pregnant.
To have a baby she had always wanted.
I still felt betrayed. How could she do this? Regardless of her desire for a child, she had still blatantly sold out her family to create a new one.
I gritted my teeth, locking my jaw.
As if drawing Esther's attention she turned to me. "Aren't you quiet today, Bella?"
Only because I don't want my children to learn any foul language from me, asshole.
I bit my lip preventing myself from cursing at her.
Esther shrugged. "It's no matter to me, your children were loud enough."
Unable to stop myself—I hissed, "You bitch."
Esther smirked as I leaned into crouch, ready to blindly attack her.
Edward moved in front of me, blocking her from my view but I easily side stepped him. He shot me a dirty look and I gave one in return.
Alice interrupted us, shooting Esther a glare. "Why are you doing this?"
A peculiar look passed through Esther's face before it was gone as quick as it appeared. "I have to."
Edward shook his head, disagreeing with her vehemently. "No, you don't have. I've seen your thoughts Esther, you are a good person."
Esther snorted loudly. "Yes, I know I'm a good person. I don't need your validation, you know."
Wait, what?
Alice frowned, and shot Edward a look. He shrugged in response looking lost.
"Then, if you are such a good person, why cause such suffering to our family?" asked Alice tentatively.
Esther didn't respond. In internal war raged within her as she pursed her lips but didn't respond.
"Is it the Volturi? Are they making you do this?" I hedged.
Esther's silence was answer enough.
"That's what it is… isn't it?" Edward asked.
Esther's smile was grim, so different to the one we witnessed earlier. "Does it matter?"
Alice pulled out of the triangle we had unconsciously created and walked slowly toward Esther.
"Alice, the barrier," I hissed.
Alice shot me a look and nodded. She approached cautiously and around where she thought the barrier was, she stopped.
"It does matter, Esther."
Esther started laughing.
It was a melancholy sound which she tried to cover with bitter contempt.
"How exactly would that matter? Are you suddenly going to forgive me? Want to sing songs around the campfire too?" mocked Esther turning away.
"No, but we know what it is like to be cornered by the Volturi," replied Edward.
Esther's head whipped back violently and she spat, "NO! You don't know anything!"
And it was in that moment I remembered who we were dealing with. This was Esther, the one we had all gone into hiding because of, the one who terrified us, the one who gave Renesmee nightmares…
'The one who had given you the twins,' whispered my subconscious rebelliously.
"We know what it's like to be hunted by the Volturi," remarked Alice loudly.
Esther's nostrils flared and she gave Alice a dark look.
"You can fight back. You don't have to listen to what the Volturi tells you to," smiled Edward ruefully.
I shot Edward a look that clearly stated, 'what the hell?' He didn't reply.
Esther chuckled bitterly before running her hands through her hair. "I can't believe this," she whispered to herself.
"You think I can fight back? Geez, you're so naive. The Volturi has already half my people, and you want me to say no to them. What the hell is wrong with you?"
I paused, catching something important.
"Your people?"
Esther rolled her eyes at my question. "You still haven't figured it out. Witches. That's what I am."
Edward frowned thinking for a second before asking, "But you're a vampire as well?"
Esther nodded once before divulging her story. "I was a witch. When the Volturi found out about my kind, they wished to see the effect if a witch retained their powers after they were bitten. They didn't."
"You did," countered Alice.
Esther's laugh was humourless. "Yes I did. Only after the Volturi wiped out my entire family and countless others experimenting."
"I'm sorry." My voice was sincere and held not an ounce of deception.
Esther's voice was hard. "I don't want your pity."
"I wasn't giving any," I whispered.
Esther's eyes narrowed. "You think that, but I can see your face. Stop looking at me like that."
"I forgive you," I blurted out.
Esther's face was incredulous. "What?"
"For turning me human. The Volturi used you to punish us, but turning me human was the greatest gift you could ever have given me. It allowed me having more children, you gave me my beautiful twins. Thank you."
Esther's mouth had dropped open during my little speech and she stared at me disbelievingly. Even Edward and Alice were giving me looks.
Esther disagreed strongly and vocally. "No, I played my part well. I made you suffer."
"But you didn't."
Esther growled viciously. "My people's lives depend on how much you suffered. You don't get it, do you? It was all me! I was behind everything. You didn't think it was strange how badly you were treated everywhere you went?"
"What?"
Esther pulled at her hair unable to contain her frustration "Geez. Fine, I'll tell you! I was the one who delayed your flight. With just a couple spells, I was the one who voiced the judgmental pharmacist and shop assistant. I'm the one who manipulated Darcy Malan into harming you.
Hell, I even whispered ideas into Mrs Hopcrone mind, even though that didn't take much suggestion. I created your creepy dreams and spurned the Detective onto your trail. I was even behind the storm which stranded you at the motel."
Somehow all her words weren't that surprising to me. I don't know when it occurred to me, but it all made sense.
It didn't matter to me though, none of it did anymore.
"I still forgive you."
Esther shook her head, her hands clenched into fists at her sides.
She sighed, exhaling in staccato shudders. "You shouldn't have said that."
With those words, she flicked her palm and the entire glade erupted in flames with an excruciating heat of boiling rage, engulfing all that it touched.
.
.
.
The End.