A/N: I only read through once to edit, so I apologize for any glaringly large errors. Just wanted to get another one out for you all!
Also, just wanna add: I know there are many characters involved that are way off from SM's version, but I can promise you, my lovelies: I don't introduce and develop people that aren't crucial to the story.
Everyone is coming together, exactly the way they were intended to. You know. By Penelope's scheming (and as an extension, myself).
Trust meee.
Stilllllllllllllllllll need a beta.
/ * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \
A bowl of cold soup was slid through slats along the bottom of Penelope's tower door, causing the liquid was spill over edge, losing roughly half its volume in the process.
"Thank you, so much" she called out sarcastically, her voice rough with a lack of use.
Her statement was met with a grunt and heavy footsteps leading back down the roughly hewn stone stairs.
Felix is back; lovely.
/ * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \
Rosalie was right: Charlie had indeed grilled Bella about her best friend's whereabouts. Thankfully, with Jess having washed up and put away the dishes after their breakfast, and Bella's running jacket lost somewhere in the house, there was no evidence linking her to what would eventually be found as the crime scene.
It really is supposed to play out this way.
While the notion was comforting, nothing could stop the grief that overtook her as Charlie worked through the last week's-worth of information from his daughter.
But why does it have to be so hard. She lost her father, her girlfriend, her mother, and all her human connections. Except for me; if I even count.
Tears fell from her eyes, and for once, Charlie didn't seem entirely awkward providing comfort for his daughter. He simply pulled her into his arms and squeezed her tightly.
He's scared too.
"I'm so sorry, Bells."
/ * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \
Jasper and Peter stood at the front of the living room, waiting to go over the new developments. Rosalie walked through the door and removed her jacket, catching sight of Esme taking a seat on the couch and she automatically followed suit.
"What first: good news or bad news?" Peter asked before anyone had a chance to speak.
Esme frowned, and answered, "Bad."
"Well," he drew out the word with a grimace. "Little blondie is in a world of pain," Peter answered quickly.
Esme's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Well, yes, she's changing. We all know what that's like."
"No," Jasper whispered hoarsely. "You don't."
Esme's frown deepened as her concern grew. "What do you mean?"
"Jess is experiencing more pain than any other vampire I've been around during their transition; ten-fold. It is taking everything I have to not feel it right now," Jasper admitted shakily.
His statement was followed by a horrified silence.
"What's the good news," Rosalie asked so quietly, it was almost missed.
"She'll be done soon," Peter chimed in, happy to deliver the positive.
"We'll need to prepare," Esme stated with alarm. "How soon?"
"Very soon," The Major's second hand answered cheekily. "It's not as precise for me like it is for Ali."
Rosalie's eyebrows knitted together. "But why is she experiencing more pain? The speed alone? Or something else?"
"Yes," Peter answered cryptically, receiving eyerolls in return.
"I thought it must not have been so bad, that she could somehow stay cognizant this way," Esme cut in.
"Not in the least," Jasper informed his mother. "Most of the newborns I created had more mental space in the last day or two of the change," he explained. "That level of cognition is what I consider the three-quarters mark."
"I recall that, myself," Rosalie murmured.
"And since she has been this way for a few hours," Peter cut in. "I think it's safe to assume that nothing about her change is typical."
"Her brain went first?" Esme asked.
"Seems like it," Jasper answered flatly.
"Has there ever been anyone like this?" Rosalie asked with concern.
Jasper and Peter changed a glance of silent contemplation.
"Who?" Rosalie demanded, latching on to the possibly of reassurance her friend would be okay.
Jasper sighed and flicked his eyes back to his sister. "I don't know for certain, but second and third-hand accounts–."
"AKA, rumors," Peter interrupted with an eyeroll.
"Fine, rumor has it that Alistair's change was similar."
"But not as fast," he clarified.
Esme rubbed her chin in thought. "Carlisle's Alistair?"
"One and only," Peter answered brightly. "Such a cheerful fellow, isn't he?"
"I'm sure he could answer our questions, but he's more difficult to get ahold of than Garrett," Jasper continued ruefully.
Silence filled the room once more, and Rosalie became increasingly agitated. "I don't think we should ask."
Esme faced her daughter, shock etched onto her perfect, porcelain face. "Why ever not?"
"He's always been, fickle," Jasper answered easily, understanding Rosalie's concern. "Not in that he'd ever intentionally harm us, but if we involve him, if he finds out about Bella and the wolves, it's possible he'd hand us over to the Volturi."
"Simply to avoid being accused of keeping the knowledge secret," Rosalie confirmed with a frown.
"And it doesn't feel right," Peter confirmed. "We have to keep this all under wraps for now."
Without warning an ear-splitting shriek could be heard coming through the floors above, despite the vampiric sound-proofing.
/ * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \
Jessica was curled up in the corner of the War Room, her hands clutching her sides as though she was trying to smother flames. Garrett had decided it wasn't worth the risk to overwhelm the girl at present, however, and was waiting for the others near the door.
Jasper doubled over once more, hoping desperately that this wasn't going to be a regular occurrence.
"Was this door open at any point?" Rosalie asked, voice cracking with distress.
"Not once," Garrett shouted back over Jessica's unbroken keening wails.
They all registered the girl moving her hands to her chest and watched as she tried to puncture her flesh with her nails. She was apparently going to attempt to claw her heart out herself.
Garrett was at her side in a flash and tried to hold her arms down. He couldn't subdue the girl, however, and earned a kick that launched him into the massive table, shattering it into pieces.
Possibly assuming that Garrett simply wasn't strong or skilled enough, The Major's second moved forward to attempt a similar maneuver, only to find himself wedged into a Peter-sized dent in the wall a moment later.
Jasper couldn't control his gift, and the pain from Jessica's transformation was distributed among his family and friends, bringing them to their knees, gasping.
Unable to stand against the weight of Jessica's agony, Rosalie moved forward slowly on her hands and knees. When she was close enough, Rosalie extended her hand, palm up, so Jessica could see she meant no harm.
The nearly-vampire didn't react, something that surprised Jasper immensely.
Jess is overriding her instincts with her logical mind. Garrett and Peter failed only because they tried to pin her down.
Jessica tilted her head to Rosalie and met her eyes before squeezing them shut. "It hurts so much, Rose," she sobbed. "It's killing me; I think I'm going to die."
"You are going to die," Rosalie confirmed in a soothing voice. "That's what's happening. Your body is dying, but it will be over soon, and then you'll be like us."
Despite what would probably terrify most people, Jessica was instantly calmed and wrapped her arms around herself once more before rolling slowly onto her side to lay on the floor.
Esme was the first to be able to stand; unwilling to crawl in such an undignified manner; though she needed to use edge of a chair to assist her. She approached the girls at a human pace, making sure Jessica was aware of her presence before she joined them on the floor, somehow keeping her composure and elegance.
The mother figure reached out slowly to rub Jessica's arms. When she didn't protest, Esme draped herself protectively in front of and against the girl's body, calming her further.
The weight is helping because she still needs to stim.
Jasper felt the grip her pain had on him ease, and Peter and Garrett began to remove themselves from their defeated positions. Their movements were tracked by Jessica's fearful gaze, causing a flux in the shared torture of Jasper's gift.
"Don't," Esme directed them quietly.
They obeyed with an almost comedic urgency which included Peter wind-milling his arms briefly before lodging himself back into the wall, unable to argue with Esme's gift.
An eternity stretched between each moment filled with the girl's rapid hyperventilation until finally, blessedly, her heart stuttered once, twice, three times.
Only silence remained.
Free from Jessica's pain, they watched as the newborn opened her eyes, seeing the world with brand new eyes without the fire distracting her.
"Holy shit," she whispered, before closing them again. "The colors, they're everywhere!"
"Yes, it's very overwhelming at first," Esme agreed quietly and began stroking her arms once more. "It'll be okay, sweetheart. I promise."
Once again, Esme's words calmed the girl.
Very much not normal.
Peter faced The Major, deferring to him on how to proceed.
"How do you feel, Jess?" Rosalie asked slowly, gauging her response to the question.
"Fast," she murmured into the floor. "Everything is fast, and it isn't like how it was, but it is like how it was."
This didn't entirely make sense, considering no one in the room knew exactly what it was like before, though Jasper had the most experience exploring her neurology.
"Do you mean that information is being moved around?" he asked curiously.
Jessica sat up and placed her hands on the floor to stable herself. "It's just like how it was, but it's so fucking fast now," she gasped then looked up to meet his eyes. "Do you feel it?"
Jasper reached out with his mind, brushing against her own. The maze and barriers seemed much stronger than before, but thankfully, he knew the way.
The difference in how information was processing was shocking. What was once a system designed to best process the perceptions of her human mind had become excruciatingly fast, as through every minute detail was instantaneously being imprinted into her mind.
Despite the perfect recall that all vampires possessed, her mind was quite possibly the most overwhelming experience Jasper ever had.
"It is very different," Jasper allowed. "Can I try to make you sleep to see what happens?"
Curious, she nodded her consent.
Jasper barely had time to think of sending sleep her way when the newborn lost consciousness, laying limply on the floor.
"How?" Rosalie asked, flashing her eyes to her brother. "It was so hard when she was a human."
"Well, Bella and I theorized that because I had given sleep to her before, I'd be able to do it more easily in the future."
"Wake her!" Garrett commanded with a growl as he jumped to his feet. "She's too vulnerable like this."
"Easy, Gar," Peter warned his friend with a grimace. "You know we aren't hurting her."
Garrett didn't take his eyes off Jessica and waited for Jasper to rouse her.
What the hell?
Jasper's brow furrowed with the effort, but her mind was actively resisting the wave of alert he was sending to the girl. He stepped forward, much to Garrett's dismay.
Peter extended an arm to remind his friend who he was dealing with and the two fell back, allowing Jasper to examine Jessica.
He reached hesitantly toward the girl, and upon touching her skin, jolted Jessica awake. It was as though her brain had sucked his gift inside, and for a moment, he panicked that he wouldn't be able to simply set the alertness down.
Jessica mirrored his response and rocketed away to the other side of the room, leaving Jasper kneeling in the corner. He reigned in his anxiety and attempted to spread calm throughout the room.
The newborn remained unaffected, however, much to his confusion.
"You fell asleep," Rosalie whispered, getting Jessica's attention. "But he couldn't wake you until he touched you."
"I remember waking up but now I feel–, I feel trapped!"
"No," Jasper spoke lowly, trying not to startle her. "I felt trapped."
"I don't understand," she responded before pacing the front of the room, distress and anxiety apparent as rubbed her hands along the top of her head, stimming with her hair.
"I think that when I touched you, my gift was able to reach you more effectively–, I don't seem to be able to calm you now. Would it be okay if we tried again?"
"Only if you just take your fear back," Jessica replied desperately. "Please don't give me anything else, not even calm. My brain knows it isn't mine."
Jasper nodded and approached her slowly. With a deep breath, he reached for her once more, and found himself stuck where he was previously. Working hard to avoid spreading his feelings to her, Jasper slowly withdrew his influence, leaving through first the antechamber, then the maze.
Jessica heaved a deep sigh of relief. "Let's not do that again for a while, okay?"
"Don't have to tell me twice," Jasper answered with a nervous laugh. For once in his existence, he wasn't entirely sure how to move forward with a newborn, and it was disconcerting to say the least.
But at least I can drop her if it comes down to it.
"So," Peter cut in, as he tended to. "Big topic shift here, but are you hungry or?"
"Oh, my God," Jessica's hands reached for her neck. "How–, what do I do? Jesus, it hurts!"
"Well, The Major and I are going to take you hunting, Babyvamp."
"And me," Garrett added with a growl.
Jessica looked the man up and down, crimson eyes flashing with irritation. "Fine," she agreed begrudgingly. "I don't mind, but don't say more weird shit."
Peter burst out laughing, much to Garrett's chagrin.
"Where to?" Esme asked her son quietly as the group filed out of the room, ignoring the wreckage for now.
"Canada," he answered firmly, plan solidified in his mind. "I think it's best if we head out of state and stick to more forested areas."
"That's a good idea," Rosalie agreed. "Will you be alright here, Esme? I planned on going to keep an eye out with Em."
"I won't be alone for long. Carlisle will be home quite soon," her mother responded with a somewhat sad smile. "He just needed a little space to think."
/ * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \
The ancients sure are taking their damn time.
Edward glared at the stones lining his room in Volterra Castle. His already poor disposition had only worsened since delivering information to Aro.
Why aren't they moving yet? She must die. She has to.
Edward heaved a sigh and flopped angrily onto his bed, the movement doing little to ease his temper. He gripped a pillow instead, squeezing it slowly until it shredded in his hands, white feathers drifting gently to the floor. The action helped to ease his instinct to rip the girl's head from her body and offered him comfort.
Moments later, a knock sounded from the other side of his bedroom door.
"In," Edward commanded, already feeling the mind of the vampire he wished to speak with.
Aro entered the room, eyebrow raised at the youth's impudence. He said nothing, and continued to study the boy, knowing his thoughts were being shared anyway.
"Are you kidding me?" Edward snapped angrily. "You're going to wait a month?"
"We need time to prepare, young Edward," Aro answered him slowly, annoyed that he had to state his thoughts out loud. "Surely you picked that up, hmm?"
Edward twisted away from the vampire and punched the wall behind him. "What good will it do? She's dangerous."
"We can see that she's dangerous," Aro snapped, his patience wearing thin.
"So, why isn't that enough?"
Aro pressed his hands to his temples, suspecting he on the verge of a frustration induced headache; something he previously assumed was impossible for vampires.
"You know the goal isn't just the girl; we must move as one, with evidence, to remove the threat the Cullen coven poses by aligning with such a beast." His annoyance broke past his composed mask a moment later. "And do be honest, Edward," he chastised. "If you were so concerned about the dangers posed by shapeshifters, you should have made sure she didn't have a similarly gifted child before you slaughtered her. No, boy, the truth, your motive, is much worse, isn't it?"
"And what would that be?" Edward snapped back.
"Rationalize it however you'd like, but the truth remains. You're afraid of any being or situation that you can't manipulate and control. Your inability to hear her thoughts was as threatening to you as a knife at the throat of a human."
Danger or not," the boy growled petulantly, "she was an abomination."
"Aren't we all?"
/ * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \
Upon notification of the town's loss, the entirety of the Forks school system had shut down for Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, much to Bella's relief.
Her Monday so far had consisted of being made aware of Jessica's successful, although unusual change, and avoiding texts from Angela. A call from her father over lunch brought the news that Lottie would be flying in, followed by Peter in a few days.
At least that's taken care of and they can be seen soon.
Rosalie had updated the girl on the comings and goings of the family's protective measures after Charlie left for work, trailed by an alert Charlotte.
"We can't possibly keep tabs on everything," Bella said after a contemplative silence.
"No," Rosalie agreed honestly. "We can't."
"So, what now?"
"I think the plan is to see how Jess deals with hunting and acclimating to the vegetarian lifestyle," Rosalie answered thoughtfully. "When Jasper and Peter think they have a good enough handle on things, they can come back."
"And that normally takes how long?"
Rosalie shrugged and ducked her worried face. "It varies."
"I don't like it, Rose."
"Neither do I, but it's all we've got for now."
The girls were interrupted by a phone call from Angela that Bella let go to voicemail.
"What do we say to her?" Bella asked, her heart sinking into her stomach.
"Well, knowing Ang, she probably feels extremely guilty."
"Yep."
"We should probably comfort her, but need to move cautiously, depending on her level of knowledge surrounding the wolves, us, and you," Rosalie pointed out.
"Yeah, but I'm guessing 'Hey, Ang, I know you know about the wolves, and hey, I'm not one, but I'm something, you wanna talk supernatural shit?' wouldn't exactly be the best way to handle things," Bella tried to joke.
"Maybe, maybe not," Rosalie answered her a small smile. "But I do think trying to figure out what she knows and being honest within that scope would be a good start."
"I guess it's time we met Mrs. Weber."
/ * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \
Jasper watched on as Jessica took down her seventh kill. In all his years, he had never seen a vampire hesitate as much as the girl had, not even when transitioning to their restricted diet.
Her hunger should be driving her, so what's the hold-up? And how will this play out when we throw the temptation of human blood into the mix?
Coming to a decision, he waved Peter and Garrett off, satisfied he wasn't in any danger, especially with his ability to drop her instantaneously.
Jessica watched as they disappeared through the trees and took a seat near Jasper, waiting for his assessment.
"You hesitate," he cut to the chase.
Jessica glared at him mutinously. "Oh, I'm sorry I can't stop thinking of how I might accidentally kill another Bella."
Taken aback, Jasper's body shook with laughter, frightening birds in the distance.
His reaction only seemed to agitate the newborn further. "Yeah, hilarious," she growled furiously, hands shaking.
Jasper wasn't prepared for the rush of rage that engulfed him. "Easy there," he choked before placing up his mental barrier. "That's quite a mess you're feeling."
Jessica's face wrinkled with annoyance, creating a very dangerous combination of feelings for a newborn.
Realizing that explaining would work best, he said, "You probably won't ever come across anyone like Bella, but if you did, they probably wouldn't smell like anything and would change shape to flee."
Her face blanked in response, all her heightened emotion gone. "What do you mean change shape?"
"Bella isn't just a mountain lion," he answered with a grin.
"What else?"
"Anything she wishes to be," Jasper replied proudly. "She just prefers cats."
"Don't ever call her a pet, though," Peter's distant voice rang out.
Jessica giggled at the image they had painted of her friend then froze. "How did he hear us, though?"
"He probably didn't," Jasper answered with a sigh.
The girl was once more confused. "How–."
"Peter just knows things," he said, only slightly annoyed. "It can be really helpful, but it also means that I can be arguing with someone thousands of miles from him and get a text telling me exactly why I'm wrong."
"Oof," she responded with a grimace. "Useful, but also not."
Jasper's phone vibrated moments later, revealing a text from his Second.
"Speak of the devil," he said and turned the phone towards the girl.
Quit the shit talking – I'm useful.
Jessica responded with a roll of her eyes. "What next?" she asked, ready to move on with her lessons.
"From here, I think we should go over general rules, or well, the laws we follow, and then the other supernaturals you should know about." Jasper debated a moment before continuing. "Lastly, even though we would never do it so early on with anyone else, we need to test your self-control around humans."
/ * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \
Laurent buried his kill, as he always had. There was something about taking a human life that remained sacred to him. Perhaps it was his upbringing, watching everyone he ever cared about be picked off in wars, but the thought of simply leaving the corpse of one that provided him life to be picked at by the birds rankled with his sense of morality.
He stayed hidden in the woods, keeping to the invisible edges the coven's scent seemed to skirt around. Having already examined the clearly planted evidence around what appeared to be a murder scene, Laurent debated his next moves.
There was no body; they've added another to their ranks. This could be concerning.
He risked making a phone call to his Mistress.
"This better be important."
"The human girl that was attacked with the shifter–."
A hiss came from the other end of the call at the mention of the attack.
"The human was badly injured, and from the looks of it, saved by one of our kind."
"One of the Cullen coven?"
"I do not believe so. They were not known to me, Mistress. In addition to this scent, and the potential for a newborn, two additional unknowns were at the scene. Likely to remove the evidence."
A silence grew, but Laurent knew better than to ask if she was still there.
"I can't impress upon you how essential retrieving Bella safely is for my purposes. She must not be harmed in any way."
This was the most open The Dragon had been since forging an alliance with his small coven.
"I will do my best, Mistress."
The call ended without further discussion, and Laurent waited for an encrypted email detailing how to proceed. Not for the first time, he debated if all of this was worth it.
Unstoppable power and forging the future how we see fit is great. We swore fealty and she's family. She isn't Victoria or James, however, and nothing will bring them back.
But it isn't as if I could hide from her. Especially not when she's going to completely and utterly destroy the vampire world as we know it.
An almost inaudible shift in radio frequencies registered in his ears, alerting him to the arrival of her message. Wholly focused on the email, he didn't register the silent arrival of the wolves and by the time he caught their movement and looked up, it was too late.
Unaware he was in violation of the territorial treaty the Cullen family had struck, Laurent's long life came to an abrupt and unceremonious end.
/ * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \
Reaching for the doorbell, Bella's hand was stopped by Rosalie's who shook her head no. Instead, the vampire raised a hand and knocked quietly on the door.
"Mrs. Stanley is in there too. No need to startle her."
The sound of feet padding down the hall could be heard from inside the home, and moments later, the door was opened by a young boy, no more than five.
"Are you here because Jessie?"
Rosalie squatted to stand on his level. "We are," she smiled sadly. "Is your sister home?"
"Angie is crying upstairs," the boy confirmed with a frown. "I tried to help but she won't stop."
"When really sad things happen, it's okay to cry," she told him gently. "And right now, Angie is really sad."
The boy nodded and was shooed away by the arrival of his mother. "What did I say about opening the door, Anthony?"
Mrs. Weber directed her gaze to the girls. "You must be Rosalie and Bella," her tone softened. "Thank you for coming."
Bella and Rosalie nodded as Mrs. Weber ushered them nervously inside. Bella could just make out the form of a blonde woman seated at the dining room table, wrapped in a blanket; a mirror image of her daughter the day previous.
She could feel her heart shattering as they followed Mrs. Weber to the dining room. The grieving mother stared straight ahead, not entirely present or aware of the new arrivals.
Knowing the inverse of the grief she was experiencing, Bella couldn't look at her without tears filling her eyes. At the sound of her sniffle, Bella caught the woman's gaze.
"I'm so sorry," she whispered and reached to embrace the woman without warning.
Jessica's mother reflexively clutched her back, latching on to the anchor presented to her.
"You're Bella?" Mrs. Stanley asked quietly.
"I am, and that's Rosalie."
Mrs. Stanley began to cry, tears wetting Bella's face and hair. "You have no idea how much you girls mean to my Jessie."
Present tense; she's hoping.
"She means the world to us," Rosalie reassured her warmly. "We're doing everything we can to help with the investigation. Is there anything we can do for you?"
Bella gently broke her hold on Mrs. Stanley and gripped her hand to offer comfort instead.
"No, I–, no," Jessica's mother confirmed sadly.
"My mom wants to bring some food for you and the Weber's. Will you be home later?"
"Yes," she whispered hoarsely. "I won't be here long. Chief Swan is taking me back home so I can be there when Jessie comes back. I just couldn't be alone this morning."
"I'm planning on taking Angela and Anthony over after he naps," Mrs. Weber cut in.
Doesn't want to let them out of her sight.
"Will you girls wait here until then?" she practically begged, clearly at a loss for how to help her daughter.
"Of course," Bella answered quickly.
Mrs. Weber nodded, effectively excusing them to go check on Angela. With a final squeeze of Mrs. Stanley's hand, Bella and Rosalie headed for the stairs, noting Anthony dozing off on the couch.
Our short time starts now.
Having never been to Angela's home, Bella wasn't entirely certain where she was heading until she reached the top of the stairs. The first door on the left at the top of the stairs was unmarked. The second straight ahead was partially open, and clearly a bathroom. The third heading right was decorated with dinosaur stickers and colorful drawings. The final door was covered with an overly packed calendar to organize school, sports, homework, and other extra-curricular activities.
Bella and Rosalie exchanged a glance, nodded in unison, and knocked gently on the girl's door.
"Ang? It's us," Bella called out softly.
They could hear the girl's hesitant movements from the other side of the door, followed by the sound of the knob unlocking. She opened it slowly and stood aside to let them in.
Angela shut the door and locked it once more, and for a while, no one spoke. She kept her eyes on the floor and finally realized she hadn't moved.
"Please," she waved her friends toward a cozy, wooden study table surrounded by plush, aqua chairs in a corner of her bedroom. "Sit."
Rosalie sat in the far corner, admiring the glow emitted by strands of twinkling fairy lights hanging above them and was joined by Bella momentarily.
"Jess did that," Angela murmured quietly as she followed the vampire's gaze.
"It's lovely," Rosalie said warmly. She glanced at their friend. "Stupid question, but how are you holding up?"
Angela sank into her seat, her face pale and exhausted. "Not great, Rose. There's just so much."
"I know," Bella whispered sympathetically.
Angela flicked her eyes to her friend and frowned. "No offense, but unless you broke up with Jasper because you fell in love with someone else and then he was kidnapped and probably dead somewhere, then no, I don't think you do."
"I didn't mean it like that–."
Angela's face fell flat once more. "No, I know. I'm sorry."
"It isn't your fault," Rosalie tried to console the girl.
"It is, though," Angela burst out. Not wanting to be overheard, she spoke lowly, "it is my fault. If I hadn't–."
No, it's my fault. They wanted me, not her.
"Don't you dare go there, Ang. You breaking up with her isn't why she's missing," Rosalie said firmly.
Angela's body shook as a fresh round of sobbing began.
"I just–, I can't. I know we can't be more–, but I know we're supposed to be friends. And we didn't have that, we didn't have that before she was gone and now I–, I don't know if I'll have the chance. And there's so much more and I can't."
At least that part I do get.
"I know it's a lot, but it's going to be okay, Ang."
"How can you say that?" she snapped at Bella, eyes flashing angrily. "You can't promise that! You have no idea the kind of shit that's going on in my life."
Well, that was a mistake.
Bella looked at Rosalie, reaching a silent agreement. "You're right, I can't promise that. But I don't think things are going to be this bad forever and that you'll adjust to the changes."
"What would you know about what I'm adjusting to?"
"We know about the wolves," Rosalie broke the news.
/ * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \