Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight. I just like tweaking the Twiverse.
Than to my lovely betas, Chloe Cougar and Squeaky Zorro, for all their hard work and support. Thanks also to Content 1 for prereading and giving me some great advice about national parks in a continent on the diametrically opposite side of the world from me. :)
Well...last chapter certainly caught everyone by surprise. Thanks so much for all the great reviews, though I was a little taken aback by the comments about poor Linda being stuck as a middle-aged hag for all eternity! (I might be exaggerating those comments just a tad, as I'm starting to slide down the wrong side of the hill and am a little bit sensitive to the issue!) I mentioned in an earlier chapter that Linda is 34, and keep in mind that Charlie was a very young dad, so with Bella only 17, he's probably only 37 at the most, so they're plenty young enough to make a hot-looking couple of vampires. Just saying. ;)
My apologies for the stuff up, but I realised that I've made things extremely difficult for myself having Phil at home when Renee was abducted as there was just no way to plausibly explain her middle of the night disappearance - in her pyjamas and without her handbag, money, ID etc. I had thought of her saying she'd decided to hitchhike to Forks on a whim, but when I googled the distance between Jacksonville and Forks it was 52 hours by road! The last thing the Cullens need is the FBI landing on their doorstep, so I've decided to go back and rewrite that little bit of the last chapter and have Phil be away on a baseball training camp at the time of the abduction. It's too difficult to address otherwise. Sorry for the confusion!
Updated: Saturday, June 30th 2012
Words: 3659
Chapter 54
Whatever It Takes
BPOV
My mind reeled as I tried to make sense of everything that had happened. It felt like there was one momentous event coming at us after another, like a series of tidal waves, leaving us no time to recover or catch our breath between hits.
We'd survived the Volturi. Renee was safe; knew that I was alive, and she had handled the many revelations she'd been confronted with incredibly well…so far; and Victoria was dead and couldn't hurt any of us anymore.
But, at what price?
Linda had been bitten and infected with venom.
"What's going to happen to her?" I panicked. She carried the wolf gene, and I knew venom could be poisonous to wolves.
"She's not going to die...she's changing." I didn't know whether to be relieved or horrified by Edward's words. "Alice has already seen her as a vampire, but it's not going to be easy for her."
He didn't need to explain why. A Quileute and mother of the pack's newest wolf transformed into one of their mortal enemies? Talk about a conflict of interests. I could only imagine the anguish she would experience trying to come to terms with what had happened to her, and we all knew how badly she was suffering at this very moment, the agony of the change indelibly etched on our collective memories.
My heart broke for my dad. Watching Linda go through the transformation was going to be so hard for him, not to mention the prolonged separation that her newborn status would cause them.
Unless...
Unless Charlie became a vampire, too.
He'd already considered it, both to support me and to fight against our enemies. Now he had an even more compelling motivation.
After so many years alone, he'd finally found love again...and what a love? Linda had imprinted. She'd never grow bored with him, never find him wanting or decide to leave. No matter what life threw at them, she'd stay and fight to make things work between them...or she would have if Victoria had not intervened. If Charlie remained human, Linda would have to stay away from him for at least a year until her bloodlust was under control. That's if her newborn volatility combined with her desire to be with her imprint would allow it. If she was able to survive the time apart and didn't accidentally kill him, they'd have her far superior strength and his mortality to contend with...just a couple of the obstacles their human/vampire relationship would have to overcome.
The only way I could see things working out for them was if they were both vampires.
"Edward, what else did Alice see?" I asked as we ran at top speed through the forest on our way back to Forks. The two fastest, we'd gone on ahead with the rest of the family following behind, Esme and Carlisle bringing up the rear with Renee.
He didn't answer me straight away, but I saw his jaw tighten with strain.
"Edward?" I persisted. "Does Charlie become a vampire?"
Slowing a little, he caught my eye, his expression filled with compassion.
"He's going to ask to be changed," he admitted with a sigh. "But the outcome is undecided."
"Why?" I puzzled.
"It's a big decision," he sighed. "The wolves are sure to be in turmoil. Sam said he wasn't opposed to your father becoming a vampire when all our lives were at stake, but I doubt he'll be as accommodating now that the danger has passed. We're talking a blatant violation of the treaty, not to mention that it would mean the wolves having two more newborns on their doorstep. Carlisle's only bitten people who were on death's door, saving their life in the process. And then there's the change itself. It's one thing to say that it's only three days, but volunteering to go through that degree of torture after witnessing it firsthand..." He shrugged, his expression remorseful.
I nodded and increased my speed, intent on getting home as quickly as possible. After a quick consultation with the rest of the family, Edward had instructed Seth to have Sam transport Linda to our house before her condition drew too much attention. The last thing we needed was someone calling an ambulance or the police.
April was beside herself, refusing to be separated from her mother but unable to phase back, which wasn't unusual when a wolf shifted for the first time. It could be days before she calmed down enough to make the transition back to human, possibly longer, considering how distressed she was by what was happening to her mom.
Jacob planned to escort April over to our house as well, though he wasn't quite sure what he was going to do when he got her there. We'd have to take Linda down to the soundproof room so no humans heard her screams while we decided what to do, and it didn't sound like April had the control to come inside without destroying the place...or accidentally hurting her mom, who wasn't invincible yet—or Charlie, for that matter.
My dad was refusing to leave Linda's side, but he wouldn't be able to stay with her indefinitely, certainly not once her transition was complete.
All in all, it was an utter nightmare, though I kept reminding myself to be grateful. It could have been worse. Linda, Charlie, Jacob and the others...they could have all been killed.
We arrived a few minutes before Sam's truck, Linda's pitiful moans and whimpers, and Charlie's hushed murmurs of reassurance causing Edward and me to exchange a sorrowful look.
"Linda's trying to be brave," Edward murmured, wrapping his arm around my waist and drawing me close to his side while we waited for Sam to pull up in front of the house. "She's still aware enough to know that we can't afford to have the authorities notified, though she's mostly worried sick about April and trying not to make things harder on her daughter."
"Oh..." I cried softly, a sob catching in my throat. Edward didn't tell me what Charlie was thinking, but I could imagine his pain and saw it clearly written on his face when he exited the truck. He wanted to carry Linda, but Sam insisted on doing it as she weighed almost nothing to him with his wolf strength. I was relieved when Charlie reluctantly agreed as the last thing we needed was for him to cause himself an injury.
He stayed close to Linda's side, sparing me a quick look as they passed us on their way into the house, Edward having already opened the door.
"Glad to see you're okay, Bells," Charlie offered, and I nodded, wanting to rush to his side but holding back.
I needed to hunt. It had been less than twelve hours, but the battle had taken it out of me, which was hardly surprising, I supposed.
"We'll go hunt as soon as the others arrive," Edward murmured, and I smiled at how he read my body language as well as he read other people's minds.
"Where to?" Sam called from inside, and Edward left me to show them the way to our hidden room. To my relief, he ran on ahead and tidied up, thoughtfully eradicating any evidence of the way we'd spent our last night there together. Once Linda was settled with Sam and Charlie watching over her, Edward closed the door, muffling the sound of her increasingly desperate cries before returning to my side.
A few moments later, Jacob arrived, his large, red-brown wolf form hovering protectively over a smaller, caramel-brown wolf. April snapped and snarled at him when he blocked her from entering the house, and Edward and I both sighed with relief when Jasper, Alice, Emmett, and Rosalie broke through the trees. Jasper quickly set to work, calming April enough for her to willingly lie quietly on the porch with Jacob close beside her. But nothing could stop her whimpers.
I hated to leave, but Carlisle and Esme would be here any minute—they'd traveled more slowly in consideration of Renee's needs—and my thirst was flaring. I couldn't take the risk of being around my mom or Charlie in my current state, so Edward and I took off into the forest for the quickest hunt we'd ever experienced. With so much going on, we weren't even bothered by the usual after-effects of drinking blood, though we did allow ourselves one brief, tender kiss of connection and reassurance before returning to the house to find...chaos.
Charlie was engrossed in an argument with Sam and Carlisle in the middle of the living room, his hands forming fists at his side and his voice raised.
"You were willing to let me be changed when you thought it might help in the fight!" he accused Sam. "You've imprinted, damn it. You know how strong the bond is. You've got to let them change me so we can be together!"
I'd never heard my dad speak so passionately before…about anything. Glancing at Edward to let him know that I had my thirst and vampire nature well under control, I moved to stand beside Charlie, offering him my support.
"You understand, Bells, don't you?" He turned to me, his tone practically pleading. "It's why you can forgive Edward for attacking you and why you were willing to marry him even though you're so young. I love her, but it's the bond, too."
"Yes, Dad. I understand." I nodded. "You'll do whatever it takes to be together."
"I can't let Linda go through this alone...to become a vampire without me. I'd have to stay away from her for months, maybe years!" he exclaimed, spearing Sam with his fiercest expression. "You wouldn't try to keep one of your pack members apart from their imprint."
"That's different," Sam growled, and Charlie threw up his hands in frustration.
"It's no different," he snapped. "We might not be a couple of teenagers, but that doesn't mean our feelings for one another aren't just as strong."
Sam backed down a little at Charlie's declaration, but the argument continued with all the reasons that Edward and I had already discussed being raised. In the end it came down to choice. It was Charlie's decision after all, and not even Sam could deny his right to be with Linda, especially when forever was at stake.
"I can appreciate why you want to do this," Carlisle assured him after Sam reluctantly granted his approval. "But I'm not comfortable with changing someone in cold blood. It's a risky business at the best of times."
"I'll do it," I declared, causing all eyes to shoot to my face. I waited for the understandable furor to die down before explaining myself. "What I mean is, you could use my venom," I clarified, shy but determined. "I thought, rather than have someone bite my dad, we could use a syringe...a glass and steel one, maybe, as I'm guessing the venom would dissolve plastic." I shrugged and looked to Carlisle who quirked his brow but didn't dismiss the idea out of hand. "Dad could even inject himself, if that's possible. Then no one would be responsible for his change, except for me for providing the venom, I suppose."
Charlie surprised me by throwing his arms around me in gratitude before quickly pulling back and eying me warily.
"Sorry." He grimaced, realizing he'd put us both at risk...though if I'd lost control and bitten him it would have been one way to give him what he wanted.
I smirked at the thought, but then my smile quickly faded.
"Are you sure about this, Dad? The pain is like nothing you've ever imagined. It won't feel like three days. It will feel like it's going on forever."
He winced at my words but not for himself, his eyes darting toward the door leading to the basement. Straightening his shoulders he turned back to face me, addressing us all.
"I'll do whatever it takes," he declared, sealing his future.
Things moved quickly once the decision was made.
Renee, who'd been watching curiously from the side-lines, contacted Phil, telling him she was okay but that she'd come to spend some time with Charlie and the Cullens while he was away. While no one was saying that she couldn't tell Phil that I was alive, she was undecided. It was his practical, level-headed nature, his yin to her yang, which had drawn her to him. And while he had always been supportive of her interests, she wasn't sure if his world view could cope with vampires and shape-shifting wolves.
Charlie left us to get on with working out the details and went back to sit with Linda while the rest of us explored our options.
"We need to remember that Bella's level of control isn't typical." Jasper smiled at me, and I rolled my eyes, though I was inwardly pleased and incredibly grateful for whatever it was that made me different. The last thing we needed was for me to be battling the temptation to attack my own parents. There was enough going on.
"Two typical newborns are going to be a lot to handle," he continued, grimacing.
"Try impossible," Emmett grumbled, and no one disagreed.
"Before Charlie's change, we'll need to relocate to somewhere remote, somewhere we can stay for at least a year, maybe more. It will need to be far from human habitation and with plenty of game," Carlisle noted. "The move will be tough on Linda, but the sooner we do it, the better."
A howl rent the air and Edward pushed me behind him, April going berserk at Carlisle's words and smashing her way into the house through the front window. Glass, wood and plasterboard sprayed across the room, and I lunged to where Renee was seated not far from the young wolf's lunging claws.
"Mom!" I screamed, afraid I wouldn't get there in time. April was lashing out indiscriminately, one of her huge paws catching my cargo pants and tearing a hole in the side. I grabbed the young wolf around the middle, doing my best not to squeeze her too tightly but determined to put some distance between her and Renee.
"I've got her!" Esme shouted, plucking my mom off the couch and running her up the stairs to safety.
Jacob howled and snapped at me, and I released April who spun to face me, growling and spitting. She lunged, and I carefully activated my shield, keeping it close around Edward and me. The last thing I wanted to do was hurt the girl—she was going through enough—but I couldn't let her attack my mom or Edward.
I tried to keep the strength of the shield low, but still, it was like she hit a wall, crumpling to the ground and whimpering. Jacob snarled at me, and I spread my hands apologetically, but before I could tell him I understood his reaction, April leaped to her feet and made a dash for the far too narrow hallway that led to the basement.
"Oh, hell," Edward muttered and dragged me backwards just as Sam phased in the middle of the living room, crowding Jake and the rest of us to the side and splintering what was left of the furniture as he quickly moved to block April's exit.
"Tell April everything's okay!" Edward shouted to Sam and Jacob over the sounds of her howls. "Wherever we go, she and the other wolves will be welcome. We're not going to keep her apart from her mother."
Sam nodded, his huge, dark eye trained on Edward's face. Then growling ferociously, he asserted his dominance and, between him and Jake, herded the half-crazed girl back out onto the front porch where she eventually quieted. In the eerie silence that followed, the rest of us stood staring at each other, wide-eyed and with dust slowly settling around us.
"Could this day get any worse?" Rose grumbled, picking bits of glass and plaster out of her hair.
"Renee could have gotten cut by the glass, and we could have added human blood to the mix," Alice responded wryly, hands on her hips while viewing the wreckage of the once elegantly furnished room.
I wasn't the only one to flinch at the horrifying thought.
"We're all still alive," Carlisle reminded us, running a hand through his golden hair to dislodge bits of debris.
"We no longer have the Volturi or Victoria to worry about," Jasper added, shoving broken chairs and pieces of the window frame up against the wall to clear some space.
"And Bella has her parents back in her life." Esme smiled at me kindly, coming down the stairs that reminded me of the last time the house had looked like a demolition crew…the day Charlie's scent caught me by surprise and I'd been caught up in a fit of bloodlust. "Renee's decided to take a nap, as she didn't get much sleep last night," she added. "She's had quite a day."
I snorted, my hand flying to my mouth to stifle the hysterical feelings I felt bubbling to the surface. Emmett barked with laughter, threatening my control further, but then Linda screamed loud enough for us to hear her despite the soundproofing. Our mood sobered instantly, Jasper quickly moving to stand by the opening in the wall and virtually swamping April with his talent. Between his help and Sam's control, she stayed in place but continued to whimper and shake in response to her mother's pain.
"Man, this is going to be a rough few days," Rose sighed, and I shuddered, imagining how I would feel when it was Charlie's screams filling the air.
"Time to get moving," Carlisle muttered, and we followed him through to the den where the computers were located, Sam assuring us via Edward that he had April under his control.
Emmett's, Alice's, and Edward's fingers were soon flying over the keyboards, while Rose and Esme started making calls. I watched on, fascinated at what was clearly a well-oiled machine in action. They'd obviously done this many times before: researching locations, organizing finances, exploring travel options, arranging for new papers and documents…closing down one chapter in their lives and opening up another.
Peering over Edward's shoulder, I looked on in awe at the magnificent properties they were considering, but when my opinion was requested, I just shrugged, more than a little overwhelmed.
In no time, our options were narrowed down to just a couple of places, and after a quick discussion and vote, everyone settled on a recently renovated hunting lodge deep in the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park in Alaska that had only just come onto the market. It included a huge central building that could easily house us all, with ample room for a large number of guests and over a dozen luxury cabins scattered in the nearby woods. The amenities were all top notch, with every sporting, recreational or entertainment facility imaginable, including a massive indoor pool and spa, heated by the nearby hot springs. Energy was supplied by a state-of-the-art hydrothermal generator.
By offering well above the already astronomical asking price—an amount of money that left me stunned and with my mouth hanging open—they obtained permission to take possession the next day and a guarantee that the caretakers would vacate immediately. I felt bad for them and was glad to hear that they'd be compensated, too.
With only one road into the area and none leading to the resort—it was that remote—the next thing I knew, Rose and Edward were discussing the benefits of seaplanes versus helicopters for transporting us and our belongings to our new home.
"You can fly a helicopter?" My voice rose in astonishment, and Edward turned to me with a grin.
"Of course." He shrugged. "Though I prefer flying planes. Jets are the best, but landing a seaplane is pretty cool."
"I prefer helicopters," Rose added, and I snapped my mouth shut, aware that I was gaping. Why shouldn't they be able to fly things like helicopters and jets and seaplanes? Their intelligence and reflexes were superhuman, money was no object, and they had all the time in the world to hone their skills…when they weren't masquerading as high school students.
"I prefer helicopters, too," Emmett added. "But you can fit more supplies in a seaplane, and since the lodge overlooks a decent-sized lake and waterways...and we already have a seaplane, which I've arranged to have serviced and fueled as we speak...I'd say seaplane it is." He waggled his eyebrows, and I giggled, wondering if I would ever stop feeling like Dorothy in the land of Oz.
"Like I told you in the beginning, Bella." Alice grinned and came to wrap her arm around my shoulder. "It's good to be a Cullen."
I didn't argue the fact. Even though I was worried about both Linda and my Dad, I couldn't deny the excitement welling within me at the knowledge that they were going to become one of us. Charlie wouldn't age, wouldn't die, and I wouldn't have to leave him behind. Of course, I still had to face those issues with my mom, but at least she knew I was alive and we could make the most of the time we did have together,...hopefully decades.
Jake and his girlfriend, once they overcame the obstacles before them, would also have the option of immortality, something I had yet to get my head around, though the idea certainly held plenty of appeal.
And then there was Edward: my best friend, my soul mate, my life. I loved him more than I thought possible, and despite being their newest member, I felt very much a part of his family…my new family now.
"Yes…it's good to be a Cullen," I murmured when Edward took Alice's place, drawing me into his arms and leaning down to gently kiss my forehead. "Very good indeed."
~OB~
It has taken me by surprise, but I've come to the realisation that this story is nearly over. I promise to tie up all the loose ends and give us some substantial glimpses of the future...but we're nearly there, folks.
The changes FFn have made to the reviewing process make it much easier to leave a comment. You can even review on your phone without having to go through the nightmare of logging in. Yay! But please remember, I can only reply if you've logged in and have your Private Messages enabled (it's under settings in the Account tab on your login page.)
So... I was wondering if you'd like to help Once Bitten reach the rather amazing milestone of 3000 reviews by leaving a comment? I'll reply to as many as I can, especially if you ask a question or request a reply. :)
xxx TLSue
PS: someone left a great review and included a story rec. I don't know if I accidentally deleted it, but I haven't been able to find it again and would love it if you wouldn't mind resending. I'm always after recommendations for great stories, preferably with HEAs, well...only with HEAs if I'm honest - I'm a bit of a wimp when it comes to tragedies or too much angst! I've just read Transcendence by Savage7289 which was absolutely amazing, but some of her other stories are just too dark and gritty for me!
