Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns all the basics.
Rated M for several reasons.
Part Two
Chapter 3 Fire
RPOV
I didn't get long in the yard, Eleazar came out to herd me inside, and unlike Jacob I'm pretty sure a shot to his balls wouldn't have worked in my favour. Still the whole episode cheered me up until I met Bella in the kitchen being similarly chivied out of Edward's room by Jacob.
Boot faced but unable to do anything about it we allowed ourselves to be escorted back to our room. And here we still sit . . . .
APOV
"Alice?"
"Mmph. Ten more minutes . . . ."
"You've been asleep for four hours and dinner is served." Rose laughs, shaking my shoulder violently.
"You'd kill me if I did this to you Rosalie." I point out as I try to snuggle back into the pillow.
"Undoubtedly and if you promise to never forget it I'll let you call me Rose . . . ."
Squealing I leap up and hug her round the neck.
"What the hell kind of noise is that?" She croaks as I choke her. "Is there even a word for it?"
"My aunt used to call it a 'squee'." I laugh, letting her go so I can rub my gritty eyes. "Did I miss anything?"
"Only Rose's random act of violence." Bella drawls.
"Oh! Jacob! Did you get him in the nuts?"
"I sure did." Rose growls. "Cheeky fucker."
"You saw that?" Bella asks as I trot towards the bathroom.
"I did. It's one of the few things that came through clearly, it was dark though." I admit, checking out the waning sunshine.
"Oh goodie." Rose chuckles. "Maybe I'll get to do it again after dinner!"
When I've freshened up as best I can I emerge to find them waiting for me.
"Are you okay?" Bella asks. "We're worried about you."
"I'm okay, it's just a lot to get used to." I shrug.
They both start speaking at once.
"Do you want to . . . ."
"Can you see . . . ."
And then they stop, looking embarrassed.
"I don't want to talk about it." I admit. "Not yet anyway, none of what I see makes any kind of sense and most of it isn't particularly encouraging."
Their faces settle into the fatalistic acceptance mask we're all acquiring.
"It's not all doom and gloom." I try to reassure them, getting a bit teary. "It's just . . . ."
They both get up and fold me into a group hug.
"It's okay Alice." Bella murmurs. "If you want to talk we'll listen and if you don't we'll still support you anyway we can, you just have to let us know."
"I wish . . . ." I choke out. "I wish I was more use . . . . if only I could work out what it all means."
"Oh shush." Rose growls. "You saved our hides, more than once. We're just worried about you this, whatever it is, seems to take so much out of you."
"It's so confusing right now." I sob. "Worse than when it started and I can't see what needs to happen to keep us safe."
"It will either come or it won't." Rose offers pragmatically. "And if it doesn't you know it's not just your job to keep us safe, we all have to work together on that."
The door crashes open revealing Em with Jazz hovering in the background.
"Ali . . . ." He yelps, shouldering Em out of the way. "What's . . . ."
"Excuse us." Rose snarls. "This is our room."
"We're hungry." Em whines by way of explanation. "We just wanted to see what was keeping you."
"Knock next time." She advises him crispy and he nods, immediately compliant. And bang! There's that princess ball gown again, I guess that's cleared something up, but if she wants to look like Barbie on her wedding day who am I to stop her . . . .
BPOV
We handed Alice over to Jasper, not that he was going to give us much choice in the matter and the two of them followed us down to the kitchen. Heads together, whispering intently with every step. The two of them are so close already, it's heart-warming to see.
In the kitchen someone has made the mother of all lasagnes and a mountain of garlic bread, must have been a guy since there's no salad. Nevertheless we fall on it like the starving people we are. Edward joins us immediately, looking pale and drawn but steady on his feet. He didn't get a chance to tell me much this afternoon but I feel much better for the fact that he tried without even being asked. I want to trust him the way Alice trusts Jasper.
Jacob and Brady are on guard duty in the room so the only new face is Mike's.
He looks like shit. Wild hair, rumpled features, tired eyes. And he doesn't say a word as we tuck into our dinner talking about innocuous, inconsequential things. We're not talking about anything pertaining to our current situation deliberately and I'm curious as to why he isn't at least even asking questions. And, still, as to why Alice thought he was important for our escape.
There are still so many questions and it frustrates me that there never seems to be a time to ask them.
Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful for the food, the warmth and the comfortable bed waiting for me upstairs but I'm very far from being relaxed.
After dinner I volunteer to help Jacob with the washing up in the hope that I can get some information out of him. I've no idea how to go about it but maybe something will come to me . . . .
RPOV
Watching Bella attempt to flirt with a willing Jacob is better than cable TV and since it hasn't previously seemed to be her M.O. I'm assuming that she's trying, in her own clumsy way, to get information out of him.
Mata Hari she isn't.
I'm not sure what's causing Em to corpse and hide his laughter. It's either her lame flirting or Edward's reaction. Boy looks like he's about to go postal, especially when Jacob leans down to whisper in Bella's ear and she giggles coquettishly.
So far we have learned that he's been in the army since he was eighteen and a Ranger for the last two years. He's seen active service in Iraq and Afghanistan and likes to tinker with motorcycles when he's not on duty. He has two older sisters who love to bust his chops and his idea of a gourmet meal involves dead spit roasted animals that he and his friends have shot themselves.
Now we're getting somewhere.
He doesn't know anything about the reasons behind this mission, just that they were to watch, wait and assist covertly in any escape that looked like it might be taking place. And all he knows about what happens next is that we're all supposed to be gone by tomorrow night and he and his squad will move on to whatever they're told to do next.
He moves on to ask questions about her, where does she work or go to school, what does she like to do. And now Edward calms down, looking like he's taking mental notes which makes Em have to work even harder to hide his laughter.
I haven't given up judging people, just these people, my friends, but fuck she's led a boring life. If we ever get out of this I seriously need to have a long talk with her . . . .
APOV
Tired again already.
Edward says it's hardly surprising considering what we've been through.
In the bathroom mirror I examine myself critically. There are huge dark circles under my eyes complimented by the odd bruise visible here and there. My nose has a distinct kink in it, Edward still owes me one there, I wonder if he'll have to break it again?
"We need to talk . . . ." He said as Ben took him off for an examination and bed.
It's so hard to focus on anything that's actually happening when there's so much going on in my head.
With a sigh I eye the sleeping pills in my palm. Ben gave us all the option, echoing Edward's instruction that we need rest to heal. Bella and Rose have already flushed theirs down the toilet and I should do the same but I crave some more oblivion.
I flick flack between taking them or not but neither decision seems to affect the cacophony in my head so I pour some water into a glass and swill them down.
Maybe things will be better tomorrow . . . .
BPOV
"Bella! Wake up!" Someone whispers urgently.
"Wha . . . ."
"Wake up."
"Em, why are you waking me instead of Rose?"
"Because she won't hit you. Less questions more waking up!"
"Why?" I groan, sitting up and just barely registering his bulk in the all-consuming darkness.
"General WhatsHisName is here. Jasper's with him now but he said I should wake you all up just in case."
"Just in case of what?"
"Bella, I love you, but we don't have time for a recap right now. Are you awake or not?"
"I'm awake."
"Good. I'll sort Shorty out, you get Rose."
"Asshole." I mutter as I stumble from my bed to Rose's.
"Rose!"
"This had better be really, really, good." She growls.
"I doubt it. Get up. The General is here."
"Shit!"
"Alice?"
"I can't wake her up." Em hisses.
"Alice?" I call again, shaking her shoulder.
Rose joins us.
"Shit. She must have taken the sleeping pills."
"Alice." Em sighs. "You'd better be as light as you look."
"What? Where are we going?"
"Downstairs. Just in case."
"Again Em, just in case of what?"
"Just in case we want to make a run for it."
"What about the soldiers?" Rose asks as Em hefts Alice easily into his arms.
"No one on the landing, we'll play it by ear . . . ."
RPOV
Mike joins us on the landing and we have a Scooby Do moment, creeping down the grand staircase of a rickety old house in our donated night attire.
The lights are all burning downstairs so we press back against the wall in the darkness of the stairwell to watch and listen.
The double front doors are open allowing a toe amputating draught to race up the stairs and molest us as we hide.
"All secure." An unseen voices announces.
"I'll inform the General. Then he's not to be disturbed."
"Yes Sir!"
A dress uniformed figure crosses our vision and disappears into what I think is the parlour, unfortunately closing the door behind him.
"What's going on?" Brady whispers somewhere below and out of our sight.
"I don't know." Jacob replies just as quietly. "But I don't fucking like it."
"You're just worried about your new girlfriend." Brady chuckles.
"She's not my girlfriend but something weird is going on."
"Agreed. But 'ours is not to reason why' right?"
"Right."
Boots stride loudly into the foyer from outside.
"That's it guys." Eleazar announces. "We're done here, General Newton's team is in position. Transport's waiting. Get your kit and let's get gone!"
"Eli . . . ."
"Double time Jacob. We're out of here!"
A long pause.
"Yes Sir!"
More boots thudding to and fro across the old boards, whispered words we can't catch. The front doors closing and then silence.
It's on the tip of my tongue to ask what's happening when gunfire and shouts erupt from outside.
We shrink back further into the darkness instinctively but then Jasper's voice rings out from the parlour and Edward appears at the bottom of the stairs below us, his taut ass hanging out of his hospital gown.
BPOV
The front door crashes open again, exposing Edward.
"Get the others and get out of here man!" Jacob screams as he runs through to the kitchen. "Truck's out front with the engine running!"
Edward doesn't question him, he just turns toward the stairs that we're already descending and as one we charge the parlour, bursting through the heavy old door in time to see a man forcing Jasper to his knees with a gun at his head and another older man watching on.
"Dad!" Mike screeches, hurrying forward but not getting far. Em unceremoniously drops Alice to the floor so he can tangle his giant fist in the back of Mike's pyjama jacket, yanking him off his feet and all but hanging him in the process.
The tableaux freezes . . . .