A/N:

Not a new story! I decided to split The Mystery of El Jardín into 3 parts for an easier read and less fatigue!

I'm gonna continue putting the disclaimer here just be sure that everyone are aware of where this story originated.

This story isn't 100 % mine. I have transformed it into a story from an interactive story app called Choices (an app I am completely obsessed) and the creators are Pixelberry Studios.

So here's my disclaimer: I don't own the characters or the plot of this story. All recognizable content belongs to their respective owner. No copyright infringement intended. Names and places have been changed for the purpose of Fanfiction.

{Chapter 1}

I was standing in the immaculate office on the top floor of The Ethereal. Before me, a man floated in a glass tank of eerie green fluid.

"...Father."

"Facial match confirmed. That is indeed Carlisle Cullen."

"What on earth is he doing here? Has he been here all along?" I looked at Alistair as if he was supposed to know.

Leah looked pissed off as she stared at Mr. Cullen's floating body. "You're telling me the whole time we were walking around this office, the man responsible for all of this was just floating here?"

Alistair walked up to the tank, icily staring at his father's slumbering face. "You can't hide from me now, Father ... now, you have to face me."

I felt awkward and out of place as I looked around, not really feeling comfortable with looking at Alistair's naked father. "Yeah. The rest of us might have some questions for him too. Now, how do we get him outta—"

Leah was already hitting buttons on the computer and the green fluid in the glass tank instantly began to drain. The various tubes left Cullen suspended in the air.

"I advise against waking him suddenly. Long periods of suspended animation could prove—"

The glass tube retracted into the ceiling and Cullen slumped out, naked, as the last of the green fluid spilled out at his feet. Alistair caught him and his eyes weakly fluttered open. "Y ... you..."

Alistair's face quivered, halfway between a sneer and a sob. "Yes. It's me."

Cullen feebly pushed himself up. He staggered to the windows and gazed out at the dawn, slurring words under his breath. "The ... Endless ... is..."

I frowned in confusion and took a step closer to the man. "'The Endless'? What is that? What are you talking about?"

Cullen turned toward me—I was careful to keep my eyes on his face—and suddenly Leah slugged him in the face.

"Leah!" Alistair cried out.

Cullen toppled backward, tumbling over his desk chair, and went sprawling. Leah pursued him, completely ignoring Alistair.

"Leah, I advise restraint—" Iris's hologram flickered into Leah's path, but she marched straight through the projection.

I darted in front of Leah and held up my hands. "Leah, hang on! What are you doing?"

She glared at Cullen behind me. "He's responsible for all of this, Bella. It's time he answers for it."

I looked from Leah to Alistair, and then to Cullen's crumpled form, who was still moaning nonsense. "I'm not going anywhere, Leah."

"Don't make me go through you as easy as I went through Iris."

I stood fast in my place. "You won't do that," I told her, and when she opened her mouth to protest, I hurriedly continued. "I won't let you sink to his level. You're better than that. Cullen will answer for whatever crimes he's committed. But first we need answers ... and we won't get them if you kill him now."

Leah glared at me for a moment and then stood down. She stepped back and crossed her arms.

I nodded. "Okay ... we should get him downstairs to recover. We're not getting any answers until he's lucid."

Alistair looked at me gratefully. "Thank you, Bella..."

Alistair, Leah, and I heaved up Cullen's body, and as we did, he breathed out a delirious whisper. "I'm ... sorry ... Susan..."

"What did you say?" I asked gently.

His eyes fluttered closed again as he fell back into unconsciousness.

Dawn was breaking; its cool light barely visible through the glass roof above The Ethereal's grand atrium. Everyone had gathered again and was crowding around the slumbering form of Carlisle Cullen under a blanket on a sofa.

Rosalie was the first to speak. "So ... that's the guy."

"Mhm," Alistair confirmed.

Peter was gaping. "Dude. Your dad is shredded. Isn't he in his fifties?"

"Oh, so that's where you get your abs!" Tanya reached for Alistair's abdomen—who pulled away, laughing, before composing himself.

"Tanya, please. You know how ticklish I am!"

I smiled at the two of them—glad they were becoming so relaxed with each other and coming out of their shells—but then looked at the others seriously. "The hope is, he can get us outta here when he wakes up. Maybe he knows what's going on, maybe he's got a helicopter or something. And more importantly ... he might know something about Benji."

Everyone nodded and wandered off; the toll of last night's ordeal weighing heavily on everyone.

I slumped down on a couch beside Garrett.

"Everyone's looking pretty rough, Bella. Maybe we should get some rest?"

"I don't think anybody's gonna sleep very well until we find out what happened with Benji," I said, and he agreed.

"I know I wouldn't. Maybe we oughta rally the troops and come up with a battle plan."

I nodded. "I'll go see what everyone's thinking." I got up from the couch and turned when I overheard giggling by the statue fountain at the exact center of the atrium.

"Oh, my god, you're so right! It is!" Rosalie exclaimed breathlessly.

"It so is!"

I walked up to the trio who were all laughing so hard, tears were streaming down their cheeks. "Who's what now?" I asked, and they all turned to me.

"Bella. Bella ... Bella, this is ridiculous! You're gonna love it. Look!" Emmett pointed at the fountain.

I surveyed it, but the marble statue standing on a pedestal in the center didn't look particularly funny to me. Engraved in the bottom of the pool was a circle of Roman numerals, but that could not be the source of their laughter either.

"What am I supposed to be looking at?"

Peter laughed harder. "That statue, bro! In the toga! Can you tell who it's supposed to be?"

I looked closer at the face, and then I saw it. "It's ... Cullen!"

Rosalie guffawed. "Bahaha! I can't believe I didn't notice that before. The guy put a statue of himself in a toga in the middle of his own hotel! I'm cocky as hell, but I'm not even in this guy's league!"

They all laughed, nearly falling on each other, half-delirious from exhaustion.

I felt the corners of my mouth twitch as I couldn't contain my own laughter. "It's like, does this guy even know how the Roman empire ended? With the Sack of Rome!"

"Oh, my god, Bella just said 'sack!' I'm dying! I can't breathe!" Peter bent over and grabbed his knees to support himself.

Emmett was literally crying. "Bella, I don't know if what you said was funny. I'm probably just crazy right now. But you're the best, and I love you."

Rosalie threw an arm over my shoulder. "To get real for a second ... I know things are hard right now. But sometimes people gotta laugh to stay alive." She ruffled my hair and walked off.

I looked for the others and noticed that Tanya was comforting Alistair in the back of the atrium. He sat stoically, watching his sleeping father. Tanya stroked his thigh gently.

I walked up to them. "Hey, guys. How are you holding up, Alistair?"

Tanya looked up at me. "He's ... okay."

Alistair sighed and shook his head. "Knowing my father's alive is ... part of me wished he was dead. At least then, he'd have the excuse to never see me."

Tanya squeezed his leg. "Alistair, I know how you feel. My mom is more similar to him than you'd think. But I know how much I'd miss her if I lost her, and how much I miss her now."

"Hmm..."

I crouched down next to Tanya. "Alistair, you told us that you came here to face your father. To show him the kind of man you are. Right now, you have that opportunity."

Alistair finally looked up and meet my eyes. "How? How do I show him the person I've become?"

"By helping me save Benji," I told him determinedly.

He took my hand and stood up. "That should suffice. Also, I suppose it is the moral choice."

"That's my Alistair!" Tanya said happily.

I left them alone and approached Kate who was tending to Victoria on a nearby couch, dabbing her face with a cloth.

"Everything okay?" I asked worriedly.

"Oh, just a little bloody nose! No big deal!" Victoria chippered, but I didn't trust that she was telling me the truth.

"I mean, it was a bad one. It wouldn't stop for a while, but I think we're okay, now," Kate told me, and I appreciated that she did.

"What's up, Bella? How are you feeling?" Victoria asked, changing the subject.

I couldn't help but notice Kate's concerned look, and I ignored Victoria's question and turned to her instead. "Is she okay, Kate?"

"Well..." Kate hesitated.

Iris's hologram appeared next to me. "Victoria's blood pressure: sub-normal. Weight loss detected. White blood cell count—"

"Guys, come on! I'm fine!" Victoria insisted.

"I think going through the portal just had a much bigger effect on her than it did the rest of us. Lemme just take a look at—"

Victoria brushed away Kate's hand. "I said I'm fine, okay!" She was getting angry, but she had to understand that we were only worried for her.

"Listen to her, Vicky," I pleaded. From her dossier, I knew she had been sick a lot as a child, and I wasn't sure how much that affected her anymore.

Victoria looked at me as if I had offended her. "Wow. You really don't trust me at all, do you?"

"No, I'm just worr—"

Victoria interrupted me. "I'm an adult, Bella. I just want to live my life, okay?"

I inhaled deeply and then nodded. "Yeah ... okay."

She nodded with me, thankful that I was backing away … for now. "Thank you. Now, what is it you wanted to ask?"

"I think we need to get moving on a plan to save Benji. Think you're ready?"

Kate regarded Victoria tentatively, and then looked at me. "I think we can handle it."

I smiled gently at both Victoria and Kate before I walked back to the couch where Garrett was speaking with Edward and Alice in a hurried, hushed tone.

"What's happening?" I asked as I sidled up with Edward.

"Just trying to figure out who it was that could've been here this whole time," Edward told me, and Alice frowned.

"What are you talking about?"

"We've been gone six months, Alice. And somebody's been spending a lot of time here," Garrett said.

Edward nodded. "Iris said she didn't detect anybody else coming to the hotel though."

"Just because she didn't notice doesn't mean they weren't here. Stuff's moved around all over the place," Garrett insisted.

"How can you tell?" I asked him. Everything looked pretty much the same to me.

"Photographic memory. It's how I'm able to read defenses. Point is, it's like someone's been living here ... looking for something."

"And Princess found that crazy note of instructions, ranting about the 'Hadean Zodiac.'"

"Those notes led us to Cullen. Maybe they came here looking for him," I suggested.

Garrett looked deep in thought. "I'm just thinking ... did people come to rescue us? Did we miss our window while jumping through time?"

Edward shook his head. "Trust me, Q.B. If anyone came to this island looking for us, it was to silence us. Permanently."

"Is that your idea of a silver lining? That we missed getting killed?"

Edward shrugged. "Pretty much, yeah."

"I don't understand what you're asking me, though," Alice said, but she looked nervous in a way I couldn't understand.

"Schedules, timetables, shipments ... anything you know about arrivals to El Jardín, long-term. We'd only been thinking short-term before, but it's been half a year now," Garrett said, but it somehow made Alice even more uncomfortable.

"I ... Alice doesn't know these things off the top of her head! Alice is a tour guide!" she exclaimed and Garrett, Edward, and I regarded her carefully.

"Whoa, easy there, Dimples. Just bouncing ideas around," Edward reassured her.

"What if ... it's Benjamin? I mean, if I escaped, I would've come here," she said shakily.

"Honestly, anything's possible."

"I know we're all drained, but we've gotta figure out a way to get him back, A.S.A.P." I was getting emotional again. I couldn't stand the thought of Benjamin all alone with the Watchers for six months. Who knew what they'd done to him.

"Of course! No man left behind! That's my tour guide motto!"

"I should freakin' hope so," Edward said, and I smiled despite my worry.

I got everyone in our group to gather in a circle and Garrett nodded for me to take the lead.

I swallowed. "Thanks to the time portal, we've left Benjamin out there with the Watchers for six months. We need to get him back, now."

"Easier said than done," Rosalie mumbled. "How are we supposed to pull off a rescue like that?"

Peter cracked his knuckles. "We hunt down some Watcher ass and make 'em regret the day they ever messed with us!"

Rosalie rolled her eyes at him. "We don't even know where they are, Rambo."

"I vote for an expedition," Garrett said. "Something to get a read on our new situation and pick up the trail."

"A six-month-old-trail. It's ice cold," Edward said, and I turned to him.

"Well, what do you think, Edward?" I asked him, and he looked at me with apologetic eyes.

"I think he's dead."

A tension-filled silence fell over the group.

"Edward..." I pleaded, but he grabbed my hand and squeezed it.

"It's a possibility. At this point, a likely one. You should be prepared for that."

Garrett frowned. "Clearly it's easy for you to quit on people. How long before you decide we're as good as dead too?"

Edward didn't hesitate when he answered. "Honestly, man, that happened as soon as we walked into this damned building a week ago."

Garrett opened his mouth but, after meeting my eyes, resisted Edward's provocation.

"We will be as good as dead if we go out there without a plan or a destination," Leah said coolly.

I nodded. "Fair point. Victoria?"

"I'll follow your lead, Bella ... I'm just ... afraid of losing more of us."

"Alright, then the best thing we can do is try to find some answers here first ... something that'll tell us where the Watchers took Benjamin."

Garrett got up and clapped his hands. "Okay, people. I know it's been a long, long day, but we've got people counting on us. Freshen up a little, but then we've gotta search this place up and down."

"What about him?" Rosalie nodded toward Cullen's unconscious form, motionless on the couch.

"I don't think he's going anywhere."

I headed up to my room, and when I opened the door, I immediately felt a cool sea breeze. The window on one side of the room was shattered from where the lion-masked Watcher rappelled through. I grimaced as the memories of the night came back to me, including the ones of Edward dying in my arms.

A few leaves had managed to blow in over the last six months, and a seagull was perched comfortably on the window sill. It squawked at me.

"Go on, get outta here!"

The gull flapped off over the sea, and I walked into the bathroom, turned on the sink, and threw ice-cold water on my face.

I looked up in the mirror and saw Benjamin grinning behind me.

"Man! And here I thought I looked like hell!"

I gasped and whipped around but nobody was there. I exhaled and rubbed my eyes. "Guilt hallucinations. Not a great sign," I mumbled to myself.

I turned back to the mirror and studied myself. It had been one hell of a day, and it was noticeable in my appearance. I was still wearing the same climbing outfit Victoria had brought me before we went to the marina; I had almost drowned twice since then and washed back up on the beach, and my hair was in such a tangled mess after having spent the first half of the night with Edward in bed, only to be in a full-fledged war during the other half, and I was also sporting dark circles underneath my eyes since I hadn't really slept since those few short hours on the mountain edge by the Observatory.

The first thing I did was find my hairbrush and worked to get my hair tangle-free again, and then I thoroughly brushed my teeth. I instantly felt better, but then I just decided to take a shower wash away all the grime from the last two days.

When I felt fresh again, I got dressed and headed back to the atrium. Everyone was there except Edward, and when I asked Garrett about it, he huffed.

"He probably went to the bar on the eighth floor. Seems like he always searches those areas first."

"I'm gonna go look with him then," I said, but Garrett stopped me.

"Hey, Bella. I don't want to sound like an overprotective prick, but maybe you shouldn't get so involved with Edward. The man's got some deep issues, and I don't want to see you dragged into anything like that."

I smile gently at him. "Thank you for looking out for me, Garrett, but it's my choice who I get involved with." I left and took the elevator up to eight and headed to the cowboy-themed bar. I stepped inside only to find it empty. A country ballad played on the jukebox to no one.

"Edward?" I called out and heard a hard smack and a shattering of glass from behind the bar.

"Ow, damn, that hurt."

"You okay back there?" I asked and walked closer.

Edward stood up, wincing and running a hand through his hair. "Yeah, just about gave myself a concussion bumping my head, but I'm great."

I chuckled softly. "That's what happens when you get a big head about everything."

He shrugged unapologetically. "What can I say? My ego is a gift and a curse, Princess." He appraised me appreciatively and grinned. "Hey, lookie here. Didn't realize I was in the middle of a supermodel's photo shoot. Should I get outta the way?"

"Oh, shut up," I told him playfully.

"Fair warning, don't think you'll be able to post to Instagram. Cell service has been a b-i-i-i-t spotty."

"What are you doing behind the bar, anyway?" I asked. "I thought we were looking for clues to where the Watchers took Benji."

"Yeah. I think they left their address at the bottom of one of these bottles. Only one way to find out which one." He smirked and winked at me, but he couldn't completely hide the sadness in his eyes.

"Edward..."

"You know, did somebody steal some of the booze? Used to be this bottle of Raleigh Dewitt Gold whiskey sittin' here. Been sayin' I was savin' it for when things really went down the crapper—"

"Edward—" I tried again, but he wasn't listening at all.

"—and, well, I think it's about time. But look, somebody guzzled the whole thing! It's empty—"

"Edward!"

He finally shut up, but instead of looking at me, he bit his lip and stared at the floor.

I leaned over the bar to get closer to him. "I'm worried about him too ... and I'm here for you, no matter what."

He sighed. "I know you are, Princess. That's the damn problem. You're all ... 'here for me'." He dropped out of sight beneath the bar and I walked around the corner to find him sitting on the floor. I sat down beside him.

"I ain't given a damn about people in a long time, Princess. Then you came along and pretty much blew that whole plan straight to hell." I remained silent as he talked. I could feel that he needed to get it off his chest. "Anyway, thanks to you, I'm finding myself all torn up inside over your gang of Little Rascals. And it's all your fault."

I blinked in confusion. "My fault? How do you figure that?"

Edward snorted a laugh and looked at me, our faces close. Strands of his red-brown hair fell across his shining eyes. "Not sure if you noticed last night, but you kinda blew my mind."

I smirked. "I definitely noticed."

His face was so close to mine, I could see the light catching on his eyelashes. I leaned into him, our lips meeting softly at first. We pulled apart, just an inch and stared into each other's eyes, and then, as if we heard a starting gun, we collapsed into one another with a frenzy of passion. Edward picked me up with ease and sat me down on the edge of the bar. I yanked off his jacket while he pulled up my shirt.

"Does this mean we're—" he asked breathlessly against my mouth. I knew what he was asking, and I answered before he got the entire question out.

"Yeah," I told him just as breathless.

"And it's not like—"

"No."

"Cool." He kissed the valley between my breasts, working his way down until—

"Hey! You guys are gonna wanna see this!"

We both paused, slamming the brakes on our racing hearts. Edward groaned and hid his face in my neck.

"Rosalie must hate me. She must really, really hate me."

I smiled at him and pushed him slightly. He looked at me and I leaned in to kiss him one more time. "I'm sure she does. Come on, we should see what's up."

We caught up to Rosalie on the first floor, just as the others arrived. She was standing perfectly still, facing a wall.

"So, uh ... was this always here?" she asked us.

Before her was a massive set of ornately carved wooden doors.

Alistair frowned. "What in the heavens?"

Garrett shook his head. "Definitely never seen these before."

"Look ... see how the wall is chipped where it meets the doors? And there's some plaster stuck to the carvings," Victoria observed.

"I think these doors were hidden," I mused.

"Hidden?" she asked, and I nodded.

"Yeah. Like they were drywalled over."

"Seconded. Done some construction in my day, and I can pretty much guarantee it," Edward said as he looked closer at the doors.

"Ugh. Is there anything you haven't done?" Kate asked with an incredulous expression.

He smirked. "Not really."

"Well, if these doors have been hidden ... who found 'em? How'd they even know they were here?" Garrett asked.

"Somehow I doubt it was Benjamin," Leah said.

Alistair leaned closer to the doors. "Hmm. There are some words engraved, but my Latin is rusty. I see the Roman numerals for 79 A.D., though."

"Have you guys looked at these carvings in the doors? They're kinda messed up," Rosalie said and gestured toward a particular carving in the bottom.

"It does not appear 'messed up' to me. It's a clear depiction of humans turning to ash in a volcanic eruption ... the craftwork is in excellent condition."

"Is it a carving of El Jardín?" I asked, not understanding the art.

Garrett shook his head. "Don't think it looks like here ... and pretty sure El Jardín wasn't really the part of the world that spoke Latin. To me, it looks more like Pompeii. You know, Mount Vesuvius and all."

"Whatever it is, these doors are ... kinda creepy, don't cha think?" Rosalie took a step back and looked thoroughly uncomfortable.

Peter grinned at her. "Enough stalling, you gonna open 'em or what?"

"I'm not scared," she said and glared at him.

"Didn't say you were."

"You thought it."

He grinned even wider. "Yeah, I did."

Rosalie pushed through the colossal wooden doors.

Emmett's eyes widened and his jaw dropped. "Wooooooow..."

A sprawling, majestic library opened up before us. Worn, leather-bound books filled the shelves towering above us.

"Okay, this is my new room!" Tanya exclaimed.

"This is one hell of a library, that's for sure. But don't forget why we're here," Garrett said.

"Cap's right. If our mystery guest came here sometime in the last six months searching for this place, maybe it's got some answers for us," Edward agreed.

"Let's split up and search around," I suggested.

"There's gotta be a million books in here! What are we even looking for?" Kate asked, and I shrugged because I honestly didn't know.

"Just gotta hope we know it when we see it."

All of us wandered around the spacious library, our footsteps echoing. The morning light seeped through stained glass windows in the upper arches, colorfully illuminating the frescoes painted on the ceiling.

"Analyzing. This mechanized celestial globe dates to 1594, one of the first produced ... A first-edition text by Athanasius Kircher, circa 1662..."

"Carlisle Cullen's entire personal collection ... I've always wondered what happened to it," Alice said in awe next to Iris.

"But why would he stick this in a damn beach resort, of all places? And then, why seal up the entrance?" Edward asked.

Alistair sneered. "He had a lot to hide."

Leah looked at him sideways. "Like father, like son."

I noticed Furball curled beneath a book display. "Hey, little guy. Why are you trembling? What're you scared of?" I followed Furball's eyes to a red velvet frame on the wall. A strange scepter was mounted within.

"What in the hell is that monstrosity?" Edward asked as he walked up to me.

"Three snakes ... no, a hydra. In the shape of a..."

"A caduceus. The symbol of medicine used worldwide, originally the icon of Mercury, the gods' messenger."

"Mercury, huh? So this scepter is Roman? Like Pompeii?" I asked Iris.

"Analyzing. Origin undetermined. Odd. This is the only article in the library I cannot identify."

"Did you see the inscription on the frame?" Kate asked and then read it out loud. "'Oh, Mercury! Herald of that shining hour when glory's house stands open ...' -Homeric Odes, Chapter XII"

"The Homeric Odes! I just saw a volume of those on a shelf! Yeah, here it is!" Tanya pulled out a book and handed it to me. I instantly flipped to chapter twelve.

"'His staff aloft o'er glimmering waters, the heralds-god marked the height of the day. And lo, the path to the depths yawned open. To conquer the heavens, a man must journey below.'"

"What could it mean? It has to be important."

"Well, the staff of the herald-god ... That's gotta be this thing, right? The ca ... cader ... cudel..."

I smiled at Edward. "You mean the caduceus."

"Right. That."

"Sounds like this caduceus is supposed to open a path below something," Leah said.

"Right." I read the text again. "'When the scepter is held 'aloft o'er glimmering waters.'"

Peter scratched his chin. "Hm. Where could we find water?"

Kate looked at him like he was crazy. "Sweet Jesus, Peter, we're on an island."

"More specific, maybe? Where have we seen someone standing over glimmering water?" Victoria asked in Peter's defense.

And suddenly it was clear to me. "The atrium!" I exclaimed.

"Yeah! The statue of Cullen over the fountain's 'glimmering waters'!" Emmett said and nodded.

"'Marking the height of day' … it's a freakin' sundial!" Rosalie realized. "When we give the staff to the herald, the fountain becomes a sundial!"

"And the sundial opens the path!"

"But, wait, how are we supposed to know what time it opens?"

"Think about what we know!" I said. "It's gotta be noon! 'The height of day' ... Chapter Twelve..."

"Of course!" Alice looked at her watch. "My watch says it's almost noon right now! We can make it if we hurry!"

"Quick, Bella! Grab the Twizzler!" Emmett told me.

"Got it! Let's go!"

We sprinted across The Ethereal, back to the main atrium.

"There!" I pointed at the statue. "We've gotta get the scepter up into the statue's hand!"

Kate crossed her arms. "And how are we supposed to do that exactly?"

"11:59, let's move it!"

"Leave it to me." Garrett took the scepter from me. With a running start, he launched himself from the rim of the fountain. With a jaw-dropping leap, he grabbed onto the statue's outstretched arm and did a one-handed pull-up. With his free hand, he slammed the scepter into the statue's grip. "Got it!"

Garrett swung and vaulted off the sundial, landing on his feet on the other side of the fountain.

Peter high-fived him. "Like a boss!"

Edward nodded at him with a surprised smile. "Wow. I'm actually impressed."

Kate, on the other hand, scoffed. "Hmph. Show-off."

"Time, Alice?"

"Twelve on the dot!"

Everyone stared at the statue. The sun shone through the glass roof, the staff casting a slow-moving shadow on the fountain's numerals.

Then, a mechanical sound vibrated the floor.

"Whoa, watch out!" I warned Tanya who was standing closest to the tiles behind the fountain, which dropped down into the floor, forming a staircase down.

"Okay. That's actually pretty dope," Rosalie said.

"Alright, folks, guess we're going down into whatever sex dungeon Cullen has set up," Edward said, and Alistair groaned.

"Was that mental image really necessary?"

He looked apologetic. "You know, Malfoy, I immediately regretted it. I'm sorry."

We headed below, single-file. Edward took my hand, lacing his fingers with mine.

"You're not actually nervous about going down here, are you, tough guy?" I asked him.

"Nah, just wanted an excuse to hold your hand," he replied, and I smiled.

In the darkness, my feet felt the smooth floor even out. We all stood there in silence, seeing nothing, hearing only each other's breathing. I squeezed Edward's hand, summoning my courage, and took another step forward. A floor tile depressed slightly under my foot, like a button, and the lights came blasting on.

I blinked against the shocking white light. "What the..."

Peter gaped. "Dude ... it's not a sex dungeon ... Cullen's got a man cave! No TVs though. Gotta hook up those flat-screens."

"But seriously, what is this place?" Kate asked and looked at the shelves against the walls.

We all walked forward, passing among dozens of illuminated pedestals. Bizarre trinkets from every era shined under thick glass domes in wall displays.

"I think it's some sort of museum..." Victoria said.

"Or a trophy room," Leah finished for her.

Edward ran his finger across one of the surfaces. "A little dusty. Don't think anybody's been here in awhile."

I noticed Kate lingering by one of the pedestals. A beautiful idol several inches tall gleamed within.

"Isn't it gorgeous? What is it? Is it gold?" she asked me as I walked up to her.

"No, actually, I think it's ... amber."

I pressed a small green button on the side of the pedestal. The glass dome divided and retracted into the base. Kate picked up the idol.

"It's so ... beautiful." She offered it to me.

The moment my fingers grazed it, I was in a bedroom in a college sorority house. It was spring outside.

Kate and Garrett were standing opposite each other, obviously arguing.

"What are you talking about? I didn't—"

"Yes, Kate. Yes, you did. Your closest friends told me. You cheated. It's over." Garrett turned to go.

"Don't say that! You can't leave me!"

Garrett stopped. "We built something for two years, and it meant nothing to you. Of course, it's over. How could I ever trust you again? Once you break that trust, there's no putting it back together." He walked out, slamming the door behind him.

Kate sat down on her bed, wiping a tear from her eye. After a moment, someone knocked.

"Aww, Katie? You okay in there? Can we get you some chamomile?" a girl's voice asked through the door.

"Just need a minute ... thanks, girls," Kate called back.

Three pairs of footsteps left.

Kate remained on her bed in silence until giggles drifted up to her open bedroom window.

"Ha ha! Garrett totally bought it! OMG, I can't believe it worked!" the same voice as before said excitedly.

"You know, she probably did cheat on him some time or another. That total skank. She thinks she's so smart. So much better than us," a second voice said.

"How does she not get that everyone in the sorority totally hates her?" a third voice asked.

All the while I watched Kate's face. She heard every word, but she didn't shout or sob. Her eyes just went cold.

I was yanked forward, as if by my very heart. Suddenly, I was on a storm swept beach. Pelted by rain, Kate climbed into a rusted sailboat.

"Kate! Stop!" Victoria called after her.

"You're going to get yourself killed, you idiot!" Rosalie joined Victoria.

"No, I'm going! None of you want me here! You never did! You think it's my fault Peter and Alistair are dead!" Kate cried at them.

"Of course not, Kate. Just get out of the boat! We're your friends!" Edward yelled over the sound of the storm.

Even in the plummeting rain, I could see Kate's tears. "No ... you're not." She pushed out to sea.

Edward ran after her but it was too late. "No! Kate, that thing's still out there!"

As her sailboat shrunk in the distance, I saw a massive shadow slithering beneath the waves.

"Kaaaaaaaaate!"

And just like that, I was back in Cullen's museum. Kate was there next to me. "How long was I standing here?" I asked her.

She frowned. "What the hell are you talking about? I just handed you that idol thing a second ago."

I looked down. In my hands, the amber idol of a peacock-haired figure gazed blankly up at me.

Across the museum, Edward picked up a small handheld electronic device. "Hey, Drax! I think I found the remote to those TVs you were looking for." He pressed the buttons a couple times, but nothing happened. "Hm, think the batteries might be dead or—" Suddenly, the wall behind him split in two.

Two panels slid apart, revealing an enormous, floor-to-ceiling screen.

Peter looked like a little kid on Christmas. "Awwww, yeah, baby! That's what ya boy is talking about!"

The screen illuminated, revealing a map.

"That's here!" Edward exclaimed. "That's satellite imagery of El Jardín."

Crosshairs flashed on the screen, pinpointing a location in a small bay on the western side of the island.

"'Hostiles' Stronghold?'" Garrett read on the screen.

"'The Hostiles' ... Does that mean the Watchers?" I asked.

"I think we just found out where the Blue Man Group took Benjamin," Edward said and smiled at me.

I turned to the others. "Listen. I know you've all been through a lot, so ... I understand if some of you want to stay here—"

Rosalie snorted. "Aw, give it a rest, Bella."

"Huh?" I looked from one classmate to the next. Garrett folded his arms in defiance; Kate tied her hair back; Edward picked up an ancient hatchet. Despite everything, each one looked at me, jaws set, their eyes afire with resolve.

"You already know we're all coming with you."

Peter cracked his knuckles. "Let's go save our friend."

The sound of footsteps and a slow clap behind us made us turn.

"Well done, friends! You found my toys, I see," Carlisle Cullen said as he descended the stairs with a smirk.

Edward glared at him. "Figures you'd be the kinda guy that slow claps."

Cullen turned to him. "Edward, Edward, Edward ... To be fair, I understand your hostility. But you're going to appreciate very quickly that we are on the same side here." He adjusted his jacket and cracked his neck.

"You're awake," I said stupidly.

"And you exist," he recounted. "Splendid, on both counts. The pleasure, for once, is all mine."

Leah narrowed her eyes. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Beside me, Alistair stewed in silence, his eyes locked on his father. Cullen spotted him.

"Alistair. My boy ... it's been a long time."

A/N:

Sooo … do you think there was any reason for Carlisle's rambling? The gang is pretty destroyed at this point but more weirdness is thrown their way! They found another two formerly hidden rooms and what was up with that amber statue that caused Bella to see Kate's past and … future?

Carlisle is awake and lucid again! How do you think he will be received?

Tell me your thoughts and you'll get a teaser as always :-D

Until next time

Stay Awesome!