Maddie was heading for the forest with her father in tow. He followed her willingly, didn't pull her back or stop to ask questions.
She was glad that he didn't say a word, as she did not know how she would react. While she had heard his voice when he spoke to Tanya and Eleazar, it was different as she hadn't been involved in the conversation. It had been about her, sure, but she hadn't been forced to look at him or endure his presence.
His scent was unsettling to her and almost burned her nose, and she had to fight the urge to let go of his hand and push him away. No, she needed to remind herself that she was doing the right thing here, doing something that would help her tremendously and at the same time show him that she wasn't as weak as everyone thought she was.
Still, the entire situation was admittedly making her nervous. Now she was all alone with him as with each step they took they put more and more distance between themselves and their relatives back at the house.
At the house she would have support – she knew they wouldn't make her do anything she did not want, especially when it came to him. Of course they wanted her to hear him out first, get his side of the story… but Maddie wasn't interested and they respected her decision, which was a welcome change as usually it didn't matter if she wanted something or not, decisions were made for her, not with her.
Sad, actually. For someone who was part of the family, she was constantly feeling overlooked.
She sensed movement to her left and just realised at that moment that she was incredibly hungry. All this stress as of late and especially today made her use up the blood so much quicker and she wanted to be in control for what was to come. So she squeezed Carlisle's hand a bit tighter, said, "Stay here," and took off, running deeper into the woods.
With her heightened senses it was incredibly easy to find her prey, and she tackled it before she buried her teeth in its neck, listening to its roars that quickly turned weak and feeble as she sucked the life out of the wild animal.
The black bear served to quench her thirst and she was glad she caught something that actually tasted good.
Wiping her mouth on her sleeve when she had swallowed the last mouthful of warm blood, she slowly pushed herself up into a standing position and looked down at the lifeless creature lying at her feet.
Maddie had made sure it would be a quick and clean kill, so the animal wouldn't suffer during the last few moments before its death. It looked peaceful, almost content, like it was just sleeping.
Out here in the woods, she didn't even bother to hide the bear, just cleaned her hands on her jeans and turned around, looking in the direction she had come from.
Stalling wouldn't help, she knew she needed to get back and make good use of Carlisle's time. Nodding to herself like she was trying to reassure herself one last time, she then started walking.
Quickly she found Carlisle, as he was still standing exactly where she had parked him.
Maddie wasn't sure if she should feel bad for doing this to him. He had no will of his own for now, she was in charge. Did that make her a bad person? It shouldn't, because mostly it was everyone else in charge and nobody even asked for her opinion or what she wanted.
No, it was her turn now and he really needed to see things her way.
She would make him understand.
"You're good," Eleazar praised as the both of them watched the girl and Carlisle disappear into the forest.
"Yes, but not that good," she replied, following the two with narrowed eyes.
"She wants to hear what he has to say, that's a good sign."
Tanya shook her head while a frown creased her forehead. "But she was adamant that she didn't want to see him, she made it perfectly clear that talking to him was not going to happen..."
Eleazar noticed the worry and confusion in her voice and put a hand on her shoulder to show her some comfort. "Whatever made her change her mind, we should be glad. This is something they need to do, Carlisle needs a chance to explain it to her, and she needs to listen."
"Still, I feel like something's wrong… why would she change her mind so suddenly?"
"Maybe she heard us talking, heard his voice for the first time since she left. He is her father, after all, and I'm sure she missed him even though she pretended otherwise."
"She didn't even hesitate, all of this loathing was completely gone… how?"
"Like I said, she missed him."
Tanya shook her head again, her facial expression thoughtful. "She doesn't forgive that easily, and she still believes he's dangerous. I tried to tell her that Jasper lied to her, but she refused to listen." She then leaned back against the wall, folding her arms across her chest in the process, never losing the thoughtfulness in her eyes.
"Do you think we should go check on them?"
"I don't know." Tanya was drawn between following them and monitor the situation and just staying out of it. Maddie wanted a private talk with her father, otherwise they would have stayed here, and she really wanted to respect her wish. It was just so… strange.
"Let's give them at least some time… this problem won't be solved within a few minutes, Jasper did a very thorough job at confusing her. And we both know that Carlisle would never hurt her," he reassured the blonde, giving her an encouraging smile.
"Yes, I know, that's not what I'm concerned about."
"So then what is it?"
"I don't know, it's just this feeling." She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but deep down she felt there was something off about Maddie's sudden change of mind. She had spent the entire time at their house loathing and fearing her father, and now she cheerfully left with him after having asked her to make him go away. How could Eleazar not see this? It was odd.
"Don't worry too much, we can find them easily and step in if things get out of hand. And I'm sure Carlisle is very much capable of fending off a young girl if need be," he half-joked and patted her shoulder.
"You're probably right."
Eleazar managed to get Tanya to settle down on the couch in the living room while he gathered the rest of the family to wait for Carlisle and Maddie's return. Tanya got up again and again to pace the length of the living room until Irina pushed her into the couch and threw a pillow into her face to make her stop and remain seated. All that nervous pacing disrupted her while all she was trying to do was finish the thriller she was holding in her hands.
The phone rang. It pulled Tanya from her musings, and she looked around the living room at faces that were equally surprised, except for Irina, who just looked annoyed.
"I'm not expecting a call," Irina ground out through gritted teeth when no one made a move to answer the blasted phone that forced her to reread the page for the third time.
"I'll get it," Carmen said, jumped up and headed over to the sideboard. She plucked the phone off the station and answered the call.
"Hello?"
"Carmen, could I speak to Tanya real quick?"
"Sure, Alice. Everything's all right?"
"Ummm… depends, but we don't have much time. I need Tanya."
Carmen walked over to her and handed her the phone, telling her it was urgent.
"What's going on?"
"I think you might want to go check on them, they headed east. And hurry, please."
"What is it?"
"I can't say, someone might overhear. But Maddie needs you, so please go find her now."
"Just me?"
"She'll listen to you, yes."
"Okay, thanks for the heads up, Alice. I'll call you later."
Tanya told the rest of the family that she needed to go, help Maddie with something. Alice had kept it so vague, that she didn't know what she might find in the forest. Everyone except Irina got up to join her, but she told them that only her presence was required.
It made everyone uneasy.
She left through the porch door, not even bothering to put on a jacket or change her shoes. Sneakers would be more suitable for a run through the woods than her flats, but that was not important at the moment.
She sprinted off the property and after stopping for just a second to pick up their scents, she took off in the direction they had left and Alice had told her to.
They had put quite a bit of distance behind them, and at one point Tanya had to halt and reorient herself, as Carlisle and Maddie's scents had parted. But she found a combined trail of them again and followed it for a while longer until something pungent managed to make it almost impossible to smell the two.
She had noticed it before when it was still faint, but didn't think there was a connection – now she was certain.
Fire. She smelled smoke and heard the distinct sound of crackling fire that came from the same direction where their scents presumably led her.
What in the world were they doing? Fire could harm them, so why start one?
Nervousness crept upon her, she had not anticipated something like this… fire?
She picked up her pace, now feeling a sense of panic as well as hearing Alice's urgent words again in her mind.
This couldn't be good.
Tanya wasn't prepared for what she saw, nothing could have ever prepared her for that. If her heart was still beating, it would have stopped right this moment.
In a small clearing, Maddie and Carlisle were sitting on a log by the blazing fire, facing each other.
The girl said something to him with a little smile on her face, and Carlisle lifted his handsup, then placed them on either side of her head.
"Don't!" she yelled and ran towards them, but her exclamation was only answered by a groan from Maddie. "Hey, stop it!"
This was the scariest thing Tanya had ever witnessed, but Maddie didn't seem disturbed at all. She was as calm as ever.
"Give me a minute."
Her calmness didn't fit the situation, and it made Tanya even more distraught. "No, this needs to stop!"
"Stay where you are, I just need a moment, Tanya." Maddie seemed annoyed when she said it, like Tanya had no business being here. She didn't want her or anyone else here.
But Tanya didn't listen, because this was absolute madness. She hurried towards them, her eyes as big as they could go, and only stopped when she was by their side.
Maddie grabbed Carlisle's wrists to hold them in place, then freed herself from his grasp by drawing her head back far enough. The man was frozen in this position like a statue, and she turned towards her aunt.
"Tanya."
"You will stop this right now, what has gotten into you?"
"You're ruining my moment."
Tanya seized her by the upper arm and pulled her up into a standing position, then away from Carlisle.
Maddie stumbled a little as she had to climb over the log with her left leg, before she drew herself up when Tanya finally came to a halt.
"What."
Tanya just shook her head in disbelief, especially at seeing the scowl she was giving her. "What in the world are you doing?!"
"This is between him and me, stay out of it," Maddie hissed in reply and made to walk back towards her father and the fire, but Tanya quickly held onto her arm and kept her in place.
"No, definitely not."
Maddie looked down at Tanya's hand around her biceps, then took a step back and shook her off. "You asked me to see him, you wanted this, he wanted this, all of you and so I do as you asked," she told her and it sounded almost like a growl.
"You were just supposed to talk."
"Maybe I didn't feel like talking."
"Then just listen to what he has to say."
Maddie's stare turned cold. "No."
Tanya raked a hand through her hair, unsure of what to do. This situation was not what she had wanted for any of them, and Maddie was still so wound up in rage against her father, she wasn't thinking clearly. Maybe it had been just too soon.
"Come, I have a better idea."
"What makes it better than this?" Maddie asked and pointed back at Carlisle.
The poor doctor sat there on the log, his eyes vacant, but his hands still in the air like he was holding something.
"You'll enjoy it, I promise." It was heartbreaking to see Carlisle like this, but knowing that Maddie had planned all this, wanted to continue even, left her almost speechless.
Maddie grew suspicious. "Are you tricking me?"
"Why would I trick you, Maddie? When have I ever tricked you? This," she said and motioned about, at the smoky fire and at Carlisle, "can be postponed, can't it? I have something better in mind."
She was so, so nervous, but hoped dearly that the confused girl wouldn't notice but instead comply and come with her.
"Oh, okay."
Thank God.
They started to walk away from Carlisle, until Tanya realised something. "For how long will he sit there like this?"
Maddie just shrugged her shoulders. "A while."
"Could you please get him back to normal?"
"Normal?" She squinted her eyes at her for using that term. There was nothing normal about that guy, at least nothing she would call normal considering everything he had done. He was an abysmally evil person and deserved so much more than she could ever do to him.
"I mean up and about. You can let him stay there for a few more minutes, but then... just don't make him sit here like that for days. Please, Mad."
"Why would I care?"
Of course she was unwilling, after everything Jasper had told her, she didn't feel obliged to help her father at all. That was bad, real bad. Carlisle wouldn't be able to snap out of it on his own, his mind and body were trapped in this position, by the fire, until Maddie's influence would wear off in a couple of weeks or Maddie could finally be convinced to free him. "Do it for me, hm?"
Maddie made a face. She really didn't want to, but she also couldn't say No to Tanya. She was always there for her, always helped her, and it wouldn't be fair to deny her this little request. They were leaving anyways, so she wouldn't have to see him again. "Fine."
She walked back over to him, bent down a little to be on eye level with him and grabbed his hands while she whispered something to him. Then she straightened back up and walked towards Tanya. "Done."
"Thank you."
"What do we do now?"
"Just come with me." Tanya grabbed the girl's hand and started running. She was still so upset that she really needed to force herself to remain calm in order to think clearly. But at least she had managed to stop what Maddie had been planning on doing. She'd have never thought she would come up with something like that, betray them like that, but that's what she had just witnessed. She tugged the girl along, both running in silence, until the house came into view.
"Umm," Tanya started to say, as they stood in the driveway, looking around. "Get in the car, I'll be right back."
Maddie nodded her head and marched towards their dark blue SUV that was parked in front of the garage, then opened the passenger door and climbed in.
Seeing that Maddie was complying and that she could leave her out of her sight for a minute or two now, Tanya walked up to the front door and entered. She could hear her family getting up from the couch and armchairs in the living room, then heading towards her. "What's going on?"
"I need to get her away from here," she told Eleazar while she rummaged through the drawers of the sideboard in the foyer. She wasn't sure if she really needed what she was looking for or if it was even here, but felt like it would be safer to take it with her.
"What happened?" Kate asked, but Tanya was already hurrying up the stairs. It took her only a few seconds until she came back down again, Maddie's backpack and a duffel bag in hand.
"Carlisle will be here shortly, he'll explain."
"Where's Maddie?"
Like she hadn't heard Eleazar's question, she just asked, "Hey, do you happen to know where we keep her passport?"
Carmen shook her head at her. "I don't think we still have it, you could call Esme and-" "No time."
Eleazar frowned – the question, this entire situation, was just confusing. "Could you please tell us where you are going and why?"
"This has gotten out of hand, I really need to take her somewhere else, just for a couple of days. I'll call you."
Putting an arm around his wife's shoulders as she seemed to get worried, Eleazar nodded his head. "All right, keep her safe."
"I'll do my best," she replied with a nod and turned around.
Almost breathless Tanya left the house again and sprinted over to the car, jumped into the driver's seat and threw the bags onto the back seat.
After she slammed the door shut, she pulled down the visor and the car key fell into her open hand. Quickly she shoved it into the ignition, turned it and the car sprung to life.
"So," Maddie asked as she turned towards her in her seat, "where are we going?"
Tanya sped down the driveway, accelerating like they were being chased by the devil himself.
"Huh?" she asked absent-mindedly, barely having heard her niece say anything. She was at a loss for what to do, but needed to come up with something that would finally help her get out of this emotional torment. She had believed it couldn't get any worse, but Maddie had proved her wrong. It could still get a thousand times worse and it needed to stop now or at least as soon as possible.
"Where are we going?"
"I thought...," she started to say, then briefly cleared her throat. "I thought we could go on a vacation. Just you and me."
"Really?"
"Yes, what do you think? Would you like that?" Tanya glanced at her before she focused back on the road ahead. Again she hoped Maddie wouldn't detect her nervousness as she wouldn't understand it at the moment. In the forest she had seemed so controlled, so sure of what she was doing, that it was definitely too early to talk to her about her decisions and actions. Doubts and criticism wouldn't help the situation.
Maddie's eyes gleamed with excitement. "Hell yes! Where to?"
A feeling of relief surged through the blonde woman. She had found something Maddie was looking forward to, something she loved and that would give her a break from all this. Phew.
"Um, we don't have your passport anymore, so we cannot take a plane somewhere far away, but-" "I don't need a passport, I can just tell people to give me their ticket."
Tanya did not like that thought. After what she had just witnessed, she did not want to see Maddie use her ability anytime soon. Not until she knew what Maddie had tried to do to Carlisle and herself and whether she was aware of how this might have ended. How she might have ended.
"No, I have something different in mind."
Sorry for the wait guys. I was actually planning on updating maybe once a week, but it's not always possible. I was in pain the last few weeks, along with nausea and extreme fatigue. It usually happens just once a week and I can deal with that, but when it's more often than that I'm just too tired to do anything. And the chapter is not exactly how I wanted it to be, but I didn't want to let you wait any longer.
Anyways, thanks for reading and reviewing you all! One more chapter, woohoo!
