The Painter

Chapter 35

"Don't be afraid of death; be afraid of an unlived life. You don't have to live forever, you just have to live..." ~ Natalie Babbitt

~O~

Emmett stood over the vampire, Alec, making sure his arms were tied to the sides of the chair and not pointed out toward them to use his power.

He knew they couldn't hold Alec like this for long, but they wanted to insure that they were protected from him when they let him go, even as fleeting that would have been.

Everyone knew Alec was allowing this to happen to him only because he was outnumbered.

"So, we have a few rules and stipulations before we consider letting you go," Rosalie said, crossing her arms over her chest and glaring menacingly at him.

If she had a gift, it was a resting bitch face.

"Alright," Alec said, looking curious but cautiously at Rosalie.

But Emmett moved right up to him and into his face, making Alec turn toward him.

"The first rule of freedom, asshat," he sneered, "Don't fuck with those who would otherwise be helpful to you or be on your side. The last thing you need if you're on your own, is a trail of enemies on your ass. With that creepy gift of yours, you probably already do."

Alec looked forward again. His jaw was tight, but didn't respond.

Rosalie nodded her head in agreement, "That leads to number two. Just because you have that creepy gift, doesn't mean you should use it. Most vampires don't like being suspended in catatonic state in total darkness."

Alice visible shuddered and Alec noticed. Jasper growled in warning and pushed fear toward him. Alec's eyes got bigger as he backed farther into the chair he was sitting in. Jasper smirked, letting the note of fear dissipate. "Not the only one with a scary as Hell gift."

"Three," Emmett continued, gaining Alec's attention from Jasper. He used pointing hand gestures to further prove his point, "Don't mess with other people's mates. End of."

A motion of cutting off Alec's head made him frown for a second, "Anything else?" He huffed, eyes narrowed to glare at his captors.

"Yes," Esme moved forward, commanding Alec's attention. "You saw us let James go and he's worse than you. He's off tracking his mate all over the place. That could be you, too." She grabbed Carlisle's hand with hers and he smiled softly, giving her a soft squeeze.

Alec looked over at her petulantly, "So let me go."

"You're out of the castle for now. … Rosalie twisted his head to her. "Go do something or someone. Make it interesting- Just stay away from Bella."

Alice nodded in agreement, "That way if you ever go back you can give Aro the visuals that will divert his attention from destroying you."

Alec's facial features relaxed, thinking over their words.

It could have been Jasper's doing.

Emmett scoffed. "And don't bite anyone or change them in Forks. We have a treaty with the local shapeshifters here and we want to stay in this location without some pubescent vampire fucking it all up." He leaned in close and whispered, "Get your food and your fucks someplace else."

"Exactly. We don't need any bloodthirsty vamps roaming around," Rosalie agreed.

"I have a mate, I think… Jessica."

"Excellent!" Emmett backed away for a moment but then stopped as if to consider his next words. "I would then suggest, since she's human, that you don't make any vampire babies with her."

"Unless you want to," Esme sighed, "but there's a lot that comes with it and you could potentially lose your mate."

"What?" Alec looked at them in horror.

"You saw Edward, right?" Rosalie asked.

"Yeah…"

Carlisle, who was rather entertained with his children's antics, stepped up to explain, "He's a hybrid; both human and vampire since his mother was still human when we consummated the relationship. We didn't know it was possible."

Emmett reiterated, "So, beware of that possibility."

Alice nodded, "Who knows what kind of baby hybrid that kid would be," She shuddered again, eyes hazy as if she was trying to see into his future.

Alec looked disturbed. He knew there was something off about Edward. He had a heartbeat but also had muted vampire traits. He also knew Edward was pretty old but wasn't aging much older than he looked himself.

Jasper tried to calm the tension mounting in the room.

"Is that it?" Alec felt tense.

Something was wrong, very wrong.

Alice gasped, eye wide but hazy, "Jessica!" She whined before her eyes cleared and landed on Alec. "You better run if you're going to make it on time! She's going north… on the 101."

With that, Alec was gone.

.

Edward carried Bella to his bed, laid her over the green comforter, and then climbed in next her. He wrapped his arms around her torso, locking her to him, and got comfortable to watch her sleep.

He remembered the last night he was able to sleep. He was around ten years old and already aged as much as he was now. He remembered being upset that he lost the ability for sleep, but as he watched each sweet breath in and out of Bella's, he didn't mind any longer.

He could watch her sleep forever.

Every soft sigh, little dreamy giggle, or whispered word now belonged to him. They were forever encased in his memory to relish as he pleased.

Maybe it was also because she mostly dreamt of him.

Eyes darting back and forth, up and down seeing unfathomable things, but he could study each little bit of her. He knew the small mole on the back of her arm was sometimes itchy and that the cowlick on her hairline made her hair stand straight up if her hair wasn't pulled back. He knew that her grandmother's opal ring was usually pivoted oddly on her paint stained finger since she messed with it when she was nervous.

He adored every part of her, awake or in slumber, just the way she was.

But the best part was when she had sensual dreams about him.

She had a captive audience, then, full of anticipation.

There was a beep on his phone which diverted his attention and he picked it up, silencing it.

Em: Come play with us, Eddie… Remember what Mr. Halloran said: "It's just like pictures in a book Eddie. It isn't real."
Redrum

E: What do you want?

Em: Evil twin one is on the run.

Edward snickered at Emmett's texts and texted back.

E: Bella's asleep. Is he coming after her?

Em: Nope. Off to play with Jessica… Forever … and ever… and ever...
Or so says Alice, hence the redrum.

Edward snickered. E: Okay. Good, I think.

Em: Yep. Or not.. lol or it'll be a newborn, "Heeeeeere's Jessica!"

Edward chuckled and shook his head as he put his phone down. But Bella was watching him with a bit of fear in her eyes. He could hear that her heartrate was elevated and her breathing was rasping as her anxiety heightened.

"Don't fret. They let Alec go."

Bella's sharp intake of breath had Edward backtracking.

"It's okay, really. He's off to find Jessica. Alice says something is about to happen."

"What's about to happen to Jessica?" She asked softly. She didn't know the girl well, but she definitely didn't want something to happen to her.

He tried to smile, but it was more of a grimace as he said the one word that changed everything, "Fate."

.

There's something to be said when emotions become bigger than the sense of self control and self-preservation.

When words, or the lack of them, make you so crazy that you can't even see straight.

How did she care so much, so fast?

She didn't know how or why, she just did. And if she was thinking rationally, Jessica would've thought about what she was doing. She would've noticed the way the streets were slick with water and oil since it had been raining for hours.

She would've noticed her speed and the other vehicles on the road.

Jessica could have, if she was paying any attention, noticed the way the road turned. But instead of looking at the road, she was looking at phone again to see if Alec had called or texted.

With

She did notice too late with pained, dried eyes from crying all night, that she was on the wrong side of the road with a truck coming right at her.

She tried to correct it, causing her car to swerve out of her control and spin as the truck drove by.

She tried to stop the inertia of the car, but by then it was far too late.

Jessica's car flew into the railing so fast that there was no way possible to stop the course of her fate.

The blur of trees, grey clouds, and asphalt rushed through her eyes and her mind as she spun. She closed her eyes to block it all out. It was all she could do was hold on tight; the spinning, jerking, slamming of her car and the road, seemed endless.

The sound of metal, whining, crunching, scraping and shattering glass filled her ears.

She didn't even have time to cry out in pain as she felt the razor sharp glass piercing all over her skin and head.

But all the sudden, her head hit something hard.

Searing pain gave way to nothingness.

She didn't even feel herself getting picked up or the frantic bites over all over her body or the burning licks after the glass was pulled out of her body, sealing the wounds with venom.

Jessica didn't have the capacity to realize or care that her car had already been thrown over the ruined railing, hiding the accident.

She was too busy burning as the venom coursed through her blood and into her heart and mind.

Alec heard the frantic pace of her heart, knowing she was changing. Only then, when he knew she was safe, did he go to clean up the debris in the street and throw it over the railing.

Someone would soon notice the damage railing. They would see the smoke from her car burning.

They would come looking for her.

But no one would be the wiser.

But her body would never be found; just some of the bloody pieces of clothing he left there behind.

They would never know she was going to be okay.

Different… but okay.

She wouldn't be back… to Forks anyway.

It would be as if she never existed.

With his mind made up, Alec picked Jessica up and started to run deep in the woods with her as she writhed and screamed in pain. He let his gift trickle out of his hands, happy that it was some buffer from the pain of the change. She calmed slightly and he could see the crystalized old tears that lined her face and were replaced by new tears.

She had been crying.

He was so hell bent on Bella that he left Jessica hanging and it hurt him that he caused her any pain.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." He whispered. "I should have come right away. This didn't need to happen."

But deep down, he was thankful it did. He didn't have to worry about how or when he'd change her or if he even should. He didn't have to worry if she'd want to be changed or be with him- she just was.

He just hoped she would accept him and forgive him.

"You're going to be okay."

She whimpered, but he knew she could hear him.

"I got you."

.

A/N: Repost edit: I have changed a lot from this chapter from the last it was posted. In the last, if you remember, Alec was harshly warned not to create a hybrid baby. That upset some in the reviews and I really thought about it- and free will for all involved. The Cullen's have no right to impose their free will on another vampire couple. In the revision, I let them warn him of the possibility and left it at that.

A bit of dialog was borrowed from the movie The Shining. I watched it over and over and over when I first met my husband and he moved me from the warmth of AZ, to live in Alaska in January. It was basically on every day as was Law and Order and I didn't think it was scary at all. I still don't. I hated living there, but I'd love to go and visit. Thank you, as ever, for reading and your kind reviews.

PS. Jessica will be back… in Volterra with Alec. She has a special gift. What do you think it could be?

Thank you for reading. I'm going to try to get all of this out and marked complete today so I can work on reposting "Into the Woods."