A/N: Sorry for the extra-long delay. Real life is a harsh mistress, and the bills won't pay themselves.
When last we left our young lovers, Edward was racing to get to Bella, and watched a delivery van mow her down. Shall we?
Emmett's POV
I watched Edward tear ass out of the SUV, flinging his phone down as he jumped out. I snatched it up off of the seat and slapped it to my ear, shouting, "What the fuck?"
"It's Bella, Emmett! She's going to be- oh god, Em, get Edward to her, now!"
"He's already gone, running. I'm going, too." I had already pulled the SUV to the side of the road as I was talking to Alice, and I jumped out. I took off running and I made it to Bella's brownstone a minute behind Edward. I tucked his phone into my breast pocket, still connected to Alice. We might need her again, and she would be able to hear what was going on.
My stomach snarled at what I saw; a delivery van, balanced neatly on the front steps of Bella's house, and Edward, screaming and pulling at his hair. Oh please don't let Bumble Bee be under there! I knew from Edward's expression that she was, though, and my heart was breaking.
I was instantly at his side, just as he was reaching for the van. I assumed he wanted to pull it away, but I stopped him, "Wait. Ed, let me crawl under. We don't want to do more harm."
He nodded, his eyes wild. I'm not even sure he knew what I had said to him. If vampires could go into shock, I was pretty sure I was looking at a classic case. At least he'd stopped screaming. Luckily, this was New York, where nobody ever wants to get involved. His screaming was most likely completely ignored.
I dropped to my belly and scooted under. Her legs were flat on the pavement, the rest of her body disappearing up the steps and under the front end of the van. The angle of the van balanced on the low walls on either side of the cement steps gave me room to maneuver, but I was still careful not to touch the van or move it. I didn't know if the van was actually on Bella yet, and I wasn't taking any chances.
I wriggled to the bottom of the steps and got my first look at the situation; the van had knocked her down, but was not actually sitting on top of her. I was flooded with relief, but it didn't last long. Bee wasn't moving. It scared me, bad. If she was dead, I was afraid I was going to lose my brother, too. Ed wouldn't survive losing her. The family wouldn't survive losing both of them.
I put my hands on the underside of the van and lifted it straight up, calling out to Edward, "Pull it straight back, Ed. Slow." I wasn't taking any chances with my little sister. I felt the van slide back, and I guided it hand over hand until I was sure it was clear, and then I gave it an extra shove. Before it was finished bouncing on it's shocks, Edward was at Bella's side.
Edward's POV
A quick glance at the van driver assured me that he was unconscious. I know it was uncharitable, but I almost wished for his death. If my Bella was dead, he would follow... as would I.
The accursed van hadn't even stopped bouncing from being dropped when I was around it and at Bella's side. Her breathing was so shallow. My relief that she was still alive was overshadowed by the fact that her heart beat was faint. There was no blood, thank god, but she was obviously gravely injured somewhere. I carefully felt around her head, disturbed by faint whimpering noises, until I realized that the sounds were coming from me. I stopped breathing when I felt the small spot on the very back of her head that indicated a skull fracture. Oh no. I felt down her neck but could find no evidence of a broken neck.
I carefully lifted her shirt to see the horrible bloom of purple on her torso. Internal bleeding.
Alice's tinny, shrieking voice came from Emmett's shirt pocket, "You have to bite her! Now, Edward! It's almost too late. Carlisle says you should get the change started before you move her. Hurry!"
My eyes flashed to Emmett's. "I'll go get the car, and we'll get her out of here. Do it, Edward," he said quickly, and then he was gone.
I turned my gaze to my love, the only woman who I had ever felt this way for, the only woman I ever would feel this way for. I didn't have time to think about it, I just looked around for witnesses, and then I bit into her neck. Two strong pulls to get my venom flowing, and then I pushed it into her bloodstream. There was no compulsion to keep drinking, although her blood was the sweetest I'd ever tasted. My only thought, my only desire was to keep her with me, at any cost. Alice had been so right. I could have never let her go to death.
I was licking the wound to seal it when Emmett screeched up in the SUV.
I lifted Bella carefully, rushing her to the back of the car. Emmett flipped down the back seat, opening up the cargo area, and I gently placed my love inside, climbing in next to her and closing us in. So far, there was no reaction to my venom, and I was terrified.
"Emmett, go inside, find her purse, phone and keys, then lock up. It has to look like she left." I was surprised I could even think that far ahead.
He nodded once, and disappeared, returning mere minutes later with the items I had requested, and a suitcase. "She never unpacked, bro. I grabbed her girly stuff out of the bathroom, too."
"Thank you, Emmett."
He just nodded and jumped into the driver's seat, getting us out of there. A quick mental scan of the immediate area revealed that no one was paying us any attention.
New York, I snorted softly.
I paid no attention to anything but my Bella. Time passed, I vaguely heard Emmett on his phone, making arrangements with the rental company to turn in the SUV in Seattle. I was so grateful for my brother. I had no idea what would have happened if he hadn't been there to help take care of things.
When I noticed the daylight fading, Emmett pulled off the highway and parked in the farthest reaches of the parking lot of a big box store. He said, "Sit tight," and was gone. I didn't care nor wonder. I could only watch Bella, as if my gaze and constant vigilance were the only thing keeping her breathing, her heart beating.
He returned less than an hour later with an air mattress, blankets and pillows, and a soft cotton sundress. He got us back on the road as I blew up the mattress, changed Bella into the comfortable dress and got her settled on the make-shift bed. It had been twelve hours since I bit her. If my venom was doing it's job, moving her wouldn't make a difference. If it wasn't... I didn't want to think about it.
All through this, Bella never moved, never made a sound. I had watched Esme's change, then Rosalie's and Emmett's. All three of them had writhed and screamed at the fire burning them from the inside out. But from Bella, nothing. Had I given her enough venom? Should I have bitten her several times? Had I been too late? Her beating heart was my only anchor to sanity.
Time passed. Emmett stopped now and then for gas, spoke with various family members on the phone, relaying information. I laid next to my Bella, touching her face, her hands, her hair. I hoped my cold hands gave her some relief, if she was feeling the fire. I noticed the change in altitude as we crossed the Rocky Mountains at about the same time that I observed that Bella's hair was getting thicker, glossier. Her skin appeared whiter, firmer and cooler, and the fracture on the back of her skull had closed. She was changing, but she still didn't move. I listened as her heart continued to beat, fighting terror, clinging to hope.
I didn't realize that we had pulled into our drive way until the back of the Navigator was pulled open, revealing the anxious faces of our family. I gathered Bella into my arms and transferred her tenderly into the arms of my father. "She hasn't moved or made a sound," my voice caught on a sob.
"Listen to her heart, Edward. Look at her skin and hair. She's almost finished changing." He walked into the house, all of us following. "Her heart is slowing. She'll be awake soon." He smiled down into Bella's still, cold face.
Once he had her settled on our bed, the family gathered around her to give her small touches to welcome her home, and in the case of our mother, a kiss on the forehead.
They all filed out, giving me encouraging smiles and pats on my arms and hands. Emmett clapped my shoulder. "We got her home, bro. She's going to make an awesome vampire," he grinned as he left, and then everyone was gone, save my father.
"I want to hold her, Dad." I whispered.
"I don't think that's wise, son. We don't know what her mental state will be when she awakens. She may rip you apart. Stay in the room, by all means, hold her until her heart is stopping, but then give her space. I'll be down stairs, and will return when it's time."
I murmured my thanks, and then I was alone with my Bella. I eased onto the bed next to her, cradling her body to mine, hoping against hope that this would not be the last time I was to hold my love in my arms.
I took a moment to really examine the changes, to reassure myself that she was changing normally. She was beautiful before, but turning her refined her features; her skin was now missing it's pores, it was flawless. I would miss the freckles that were so faint only a vampire could see them, they were gone now. Her already long hair had lengthened almost to her waist, and it was thick and shiny. Her cheekbones were just a bit higher, her lips a touch fuller. Her eyelashes had thickened and darkened. Her breasts and hips had become rounder and fuller as well, and her already small waist was narrower. She would give Rosalie a run for her money in the beauty department.
Now I just needed her heart to stop, so she could open her eyes to her new life.
I needed her to open her eyes to me.
I had no idea what her feelings would be. Had she been outside on the sidewalk in response to my phone call? Was she waiting for me with anticipation, or to tell me that she never wanted to see me again? The thought brought me so much pain. I would respect it, if that was her choice. I would remove myself to the other side of the world, if she commanded it. I would stay away from her, and die every day for it. She no longer needed protection, so I didn't even have that excuse to stay near her. I would leave her with our family, exiling myself for her happiness.
Don't mistake me, I would fight for her, but if, at the end, she desired my absence, my absence she would have.
Even if it killed me.
I turned my tortured thoughts to her disease. Would she have vampire hearing? Surely the advancement of her deafness would at the very least be halted at the level it was when she was bitten. I prayed that it would be reversed completely, and clung to hope that it got no worse.
An hour passed in this manner, immersed in my self-flagellation and pessimistic gloom. Her heart began to slow, and her respiration grew shallow.
She was close.
I rose from the bed, committed to at least holding her hand until the moment that her heart stopped altogether.
The thumps grew sluggish, the pauses between pumps grew longer.
It was time.
I laid her hand on the bed and took several steps back, waiting with my heart in my throat. Her heart gave one last thump, and was still.
The seconds seem to stretch on forever, and still, no movement from Bella.
My father appeared in the doorway, urging the rest of the family to remain below.
And still, no movement from Bella.
I gave the smallest strangled cry.
And Bella opened her eyes.
I remained perfectly still, not even daring to breath, and waited.
She sat up suddenly, looking out the window directly in front of the bed. She gave a small gasp and was at the window in an instant. The sun was shining through the glass, a rare occurrence for Forks. She held up her hand, turning it back and forth, smiling softly at the sparkles that bounced off of her skin. She caught her reflection in the glass. I watched her eyes raise to her own image, taking in the changes.
Unable to wait any longer, I barely whispered her name, so softly that no human could have heard it.
Her head spun toward me then, and I saw her eyes widen. She had heard me! I couldn't help the smile that stretched across my face.
And then she was rushing at me with incredible speed.
I braced for the impact, ready for whatever justice she saw fit to give me.
E/N: Oooo! Is she gonna whip his ass? Tear his head off? Hmmm...
I know I promised no more cliffies, but... I lied. *giggle*
