A/N Hey everyone, I would first like to take the time to thank one of my readers, Rita01tx she recently posted a recommendation for Red Dawn on the site RobAttack. While I haven't been able to post a comment on the site I did want to thank not only her but many of the wonderful ladies over on the site. Many of whom have left some rather incredible reviews recently that have made my day. I will admit to being very amused by some of the reactions from the wonderful ladies on RobAttack when Rita revealed to them that I am in fact male. Yes some of us do exist in the world that weren't dragged by girlfriends to watch the movies but instead were the ones dragging the girlfriend to the movies. I will admit that it was however an older sister that originally recommended the original twilight series books, while I was suffering an injury that left me bed ridden for a long period of time. And thus is where the strange obsession grew for some reason, and I later found this wonderful little website where I was able to read so many incredible stories and even attempt at playing with the idea of writing myself.
I'd also like to say a thank you to angelari7 who added my story to a community that she runs by the name Heart to Heart. It's always very touching when you guys like my writing and story well enough to reccommend it to others and while I'm sure many of you have shared my work. I wanted to just point out to those who have gone even that extra mile, but all my readers please know I appreciate you all so very much. I try my best to update even faster due to how increible you all have been, without you guys reading it may not be nearly as enjoyable writing and posting my stuff. You have all been very supportive and it still blows me away that I've managed to keep you all with me through this.
I know that many of you have felt extremely passionate about not wanting to have to wait too long for this chapter. And so instead of sleeping after my work shift finished, I'm spending the early hours of my morning editing this for you. Anyway I've let you all get to know me a little better and I hope you all enjoy the next chapter of Red Dawn and keep your eyes open, I do hope to have another quick update coming your way very soon if I can manage it well enough.
Enjoy :)
RED DAWN
SUMMARY: Edward had always warned Bella that the pack were dangerous. Hostile, volatile and aggressive in nature. She ignored him, testing even Edward's own vampire instinct by staying friends with his enemy, Jacob. One event will change them all, Bella never truly understood the supernatural world. Didn't understand the aggression that lay dormant even in her controlled mate until it was too late. Warning: Violence and Character death.
Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight and all the Characters.
Chapter Fourteen
The small area of the battle scene had been swallowed in a tense silence, only the sounds of a heartbroken father and a daughter still suffering the healing of her body could break the tension surrounding them. None had moved for a considerable amount of time once Edward had run. Alice had wished to give chase but Jasper had held her back. Edward's grief and rage were too much and he didn't want Alice to place herself in a situation with Edward so very on the edge. There was only one person that could reach Edward now and she was at the Cullen home, Jasper hoped Edward was still in control of his own logical mind to see he needed time before returning.
He hoped to convince him to hunt something nearby too.
Rosalie would need blood in her system after she gained the function of her arms back. None approached Carlisle either, as he sat there his knees crumpled beneath him, his hands covering his face as his body shook in his own despair. There was many emotions surrounding Carlisle and Jasper didn't believe he was the one to offer any comfort to his mentor and leader for the last fifty years. It was true that Edward was straddling that very fine line between tyrannical when his rage and adrenaline reached those heights but Jasper couldn't fault him. These things were done even by humans, those Carlisle viewed as good and worthy of saving above all else. Edward was also right that Carlisle had been hindering any movements the family had been trying to make. He'd been silently against and even unresponsive to any talk about dealing with the pack. Then he'd done just what he'd liked when faced with hostile newborns, Jasper couldn't look past that.
Edward was embracing his darker nature for the good of the family. He knew Edward enough, to know one day down the line in the future Edward would think back on this time and feel shame, guilt even. Bella and the family would need to hold him up though when that time came, Edward was not an evil man in Jasper's eyes he'd seen evil and took part in it for most of his existence. Edward was a man doing what had to be done.
"What were you thinking Carlisle?" Tanya fumed then the first to move closer to him and then to even speak, Jasper stood close by with Alice holding her hand tightly. They needed to start collecting the body parts and burning them so they could return home, being out in the forest so open, left them vulnerable. None of them were ready for any more fighting. Tanya only visibly appeared to grow more irritated at Carlisle's lack of response to her.
"Get your ass up now Carlisle. You get up and go after him. You fix this before it ruins you, he's your son. He believes you hate him and instead of manning up you sit here and cry" Tanya hissed as Carlisle moved his hands away from his face glaring at Tanya then as she fumed at him without restraint.
"What would you have me do? I can't condone what he's done. I can't look past this. When he hunted humans, I let him go. Knowing I couldn't stop him. I know how this tale ends Tanya. He will continue down this path, he will act in horrific ways because he's too stubborn to see his mistakes. This is not about ruining me it is what this will do to Edward. He'll never forgive himself when he returns to himself. When he thinks with logic instead of anger" Tanya only growled louder at Carlisle then as both Alice and Jasper shook their heads at Carlisle.
While some had been more accepting of Edward's reaction to torture the newborn they'd seen he'd done it in the hope of ending Victoria and her army. While even Tanya and Alice hadn't agreed with his method they'd seen how it would work, Jasper had been just as prepared to do what needed to be done, his anger fuelled by Carlisle's disregard for the plan and Alice being harmed.
"Are you so blind Carlisle? Are you so blind to see that he's doing this for all of us? He's doing it so you don't have too. So I don't have too. He is protecting us" Alice said from her position at Jasper side her own anger rising, she'd felt incredibly protective of Edward seeing him so badly injured on the ground not moving before Jasper had helped in resetting his spine.
"He's protecting himself. These fights I should have never let things get so far. We should have never returned. We should have left with Bella long ago. I have allowed him to make too many mistakes without stepping in. I can't keep letting him make the wrong choice" Carlisle said shaking his head weakly truly believing in his own belief that he was trying to finally stop Edward from ruining himself.
"He's made mistakes. We all have. For you to sit there though, and judge him. Judge him for his past mistakes and believe you are infallible in your own beliefs is sickening" Jasper said finally tired of remaining silent on his own anger with Carlisle.
"We all see what you refuse. Edward has finally accepted himself as a vampire. He's accepted that things are not completely black or white in this life. He's embraced his vampire side and he is finally allowing himself to embrace parts of this life he refused. He's moving forward with Bella, he's prepared to change her, prepared to place aside his fears of being evil to allow himself her completely. His happiness in the moments they've shared since she woke has been incredible to feel. You won't see the good in this change though because it doesn't fit in your belief of what Edward should be" Jasper said without concern of further upsetting Carlisle, he'd felt Edward's own devastation before he'd left.
"Alice has waited her entire existence to see this change in Edward. She has known all along that he would be a man of goodness and darkness. There had to be a balance. Edward has been held in a prison of his own making and all these years you've helped him stay locked away. Now he's free and you don't like it. You only see him killing. Yet what other choice does he have when his father cannot do what needs to be done. I told you long before the trouble with the wolves that this would come to pass, that they would eventually find reason to fight us. We had agreed to change Bella, you yourself voted to change her. Why is it okay for you to break the treaty in your own beliefs but not in the way Edward did to protect his mate" Jasper said pointing out the flaw in Carlisle's beliefs, they all knew how much Carlisle had despaired over the broken treaty what they hadn't understood was why he'd believed it would stay intact. Bella was always going to be changed, they'd agreed against Edward's own desire to do it soon because of the Volturi. The pack would have killed them for the offense.
"I only want to save him from himself" Carlisle said weakly.
"And he only wants to save you from yourself Carlisle" Tanya spoke out again then as Carlisle looked to her wide eyed.
"Do as he requested Carlisle. Take Esme and leave for a time. Let us handle this and then we will all come to you. Please don't interfere with your own goals. Today was risk enough with what you did" Alice said faintly and Carlisle bowed his head before slowly raising to his feet his entire demeanour slumped and defeated.
"I only wanted to have a peaceful life. A life without violence. I know our nature's dictates that we are aggressive but I truly believe we can fix these problems without violence. I hope you all see that before you do things you can no longer live with" Carlisle said then and blurred away from the forest in the opposite direction to that which Edward had gone all assuming Carlisle was returning home to Esme.
"I wish he'd open his eyes. Even Esme has agreed with most of what has been done or decided upon" Alice said annoyed and irritated her mind reaching out to try and force a visions but nothing came to her as she huffed audibly.
"It's just not in his nature. He's frozen in his state. Change is rare it's even rarer for those who have already mated. Carlisle is very much a doctor. His belief is to preserve and heal all life. When he and Edward first met my coven he struggled with accepting us even with our same diet because of the way we lived. We hadn't changed our diet to save human lives like him we'd decided upon it so we wouldn't kill every man we slept with. It was more of convince for keeping our men longer. As we've aged we've come to see the good in our choice but it was never done in the way Carlisle had come to this life style" Tanya explained briefly on a time when she'd first been introduced to the very rigged doctor and his tormented progeny. The meeting between them had been brief she'd noticed a more care free attitude to Carlisle when she'd met him a few years later with a mate at his side that time.
"It's an issue we no longer have to worry about. While I want the situation resolved for our family Edward is right to send Carlisle away for a time. What Carlisle did today could have cost us so much." Jasper said gravelly clutching Alice's hand tightly as finally they turned to see Emmet. Walking towards them with a clearly still shaken Rosalie under his arm, clutching her arms across her chest together as if to remind her that they were still there.
"Rosalie how are you feeling?" Alice rushed out concerned. She'd not seen the attack that had resulted in her losing her arms but she'd seen Emmet rip the woman in two who had done it as Rose had been on the ground withering in agony.
"She's okay just a little shaken" Emmet answered for Rosalie when she didn't answer her face still twisted in discomfort, it was the first time she'd ever experienced being torn apart it wasn't something she wanted to ever experience again.
"I'm okay" Rosalie said in a weak tone that didn't resemble the normal way in which she was, it was evident to all Rose was far from okay while physically she'd heal. Mentally it may take her some time to get over the ordeal of what had happened to her.
"We do have something to talk about though. With Edward" Jasper said his mind moving to that moment during the fight, when the newborn had been crushing Edward.
That moment when he'd heard Edward so loudly in his own mind and then even the reaction the newborn had too, Jasper believed he knew what it may have been. Knew however Eleazer would once again be needed though to confirm anything, Eleazer had been dropping subtle hints for days about Edward and his developing gift.
"Something tells me he isn't going to be all that approachable at the minute" Emmet said his arm wrapped around Rosalie's waist protectively as he looked from Jasper to the others still there.
"I'm sure you're right but this is serious. When the newborn had him pinned. I heard him" Jasper said while not stating it clearly in the way that his companions would have understood, it was obvious that everyone had heard Edward's strange roaring demand.
"I think everyone within a mile heard him" Tanya said sarcastically.
"No. You misunderstand. I didn't hear him with my ears. It wasn't the verbal demand he made. I mean I heard him in my mind. It almost knocked me on my ass. Stopped me dead in my tracks. Like I couldn't move" Jasper tried to explain that strange moment when he'd been positive he'd heard Edward's voice in his mind, when he'd then watched a newborn past the point of sanity push Edward away and cower weakly while mumbling the same words.
"Edward thanked us. He thought we'd been the ones to pull the newborn off him" Alice said then suddenly realising why he'd been so grateful to them she'd not thought of it in the moment but now found it odd that he'd done so. Then realising that Edward may have no idea he'd done anything at all, it seemed like the newborn woman's gift being activated in the panic of her coming death, Edward's power had burst forward in its development to protect himself.
"Wait your saying Edward was able to mind control the newborn" Emmet said stunned then shaking his head.
"Jesus I thought the mind reading was invasive. He'll be able to turn me into a walking puppet if he can control my mind" Emmet snorted at his own comment, the other's weren't so sure that was what Edward was capable of but could see what Emmet meant.
Edward's gift had always been considered very invasive and imposing. Having your mind constantly on show to someone, allowing them your most intimate thoughts even those you didn't want known by others, had always been a hardship not only for those around him but Edward himself. The possibility of him being somewhat capable at forcing his own thoughts into another was even more so then just his hearing thoughts. It also made Edward even more valuable within the vampire world. It made him someone who could control others in a way so much more then what even Jasper could do with his emotion manipulation.
"None of this is fact. I'm just saying that I know I heard him in my mind. I heard him loud and clear and it created some type of reaction within me. With the newborn too if that was what it was" Jasper said waving away any thoughts that Edward was going to become some all powerful mind controller.
Though he had to admit the idea of such a power made him believe the tables could turn even more so in their favour if they had that sort of power in their arsenal of abilities. Not even Aro of the Volturi would be able to work against that type of ability, though Edward's mate more than likely already had the means to stop Edward's gift. Her shield already blocking his mind reading, it showed how perfectly well fitted the two were as a mated couple. Jasper knew then that they'd together likely be the most powerful mated pair in existence, there was of course powers like Alec and Jane neither had mates. There was also Benjamin with his incredible talent but his mate Tia had none. There were countless immortals across the globe but Jasper didn't believe there was anyone who would match to that of Edward and Bella once she was changed. Not even he and Alice could be held in the same regard even with his mate's unique and widely desired prophetic ability.
"I can't imagine that conversation going over too well. While he's been more open of late, he still seems resistant of talking about his ability Eleazer has made that clear. Though that was always the case, when Carlisle first introduced us we'd had no idea of his gift it was only years later when Eleazer was finally allowed to use his own around Edward did we find out. Not that some of us hadn't suspected something" Tanya said revealing to those who would not be completely aware of the history, the friendship between Cullen and Denali had been created long before even Rosalie's creation and she'd been one of the longest members within the Cullen family.
"I imagine his constant ability at dodging you, Kate and Irina..." Emmet paused then naming the third sister, seeing the pain on Tanya's face at the mention of her. He looked at Tanya apologetically opening his mouth to say something as Tanya held her hand up to stop the apology she knew he'd give, it wasn't his fault.
"Irina was my sister. I spent centuries loving her as family and I will feel her loss deep in my very bones for as long as I exist. It hurts deeply now but I do not wish for you to hide from her memory to ease my pain" Tanya said seriously, she didn't want them to feel awkward about talking about Irina. She wanted to have them open about her lost sister, it hurt her but it was better to hurt then feel nothing at all, it made her still exist in some odd way to Tanya.
"Right now we have to clean up this mess" Jasper said bringing them back to task, he didn't want to let Tanya dwell on her grief and mourning and also he wanted to distract Rosalie from her own conflict and fear. Edward needed his time to gain composure and resolve in his actions, Jasper stepped up in place to support the family while Edward was out in the woods Jasper hopped feeding to help along his injured body. They'd survived, that was all that mattered.
Relationships could be fixed, they were immortal as long as they survived they had all the time in the world to mend the bridges broken during these harsher times.
Bella couldn't help but feel the tightness in her stomach as she watched the never moving arms of the clock. Bella had watched it intently trying to decide how much time was too much. When she had right to be worried, those who had been left behind had all positioned themselves to the living room once again. Eleazer had remained standing like a silent guard over the women. Kate had taken her seat beside Bella and not wanted to part from her side. Carmen and Esme were sitting together while holding hands, both maternal figures of both sets of family it was clear how much this affected them. Even though only Tanya was out there Carmen feared just as much for every member of the Cullen's family, she'd be equally heartbroken by any harm coming to anyone as would Esme.
Esme had Carlisle out there and Bella had Edward.
Both woman feeling useless but for different reasons, Esme for her lack of ability in her small amount of training and Bella because she simply couldn't hope to protect Edward while human. So they had sat there, conversations had been somewhat forced and empty and then Kate had finally had enough, she'd felt them all being far too morose and boring. She'd had enough of being sad. She'd had enough sadness to last her more than one life time.
"So a girl has to know. Boxers or briefs?" Kate had directed to Bella quickly knocking them all from their stupor even Eleazer had chuckled all be it behind his serious expression at Kate's question to Bella. Bella had reacted as predictably as any would have expected of her as her face heated and she blushed under the lazy smile on the beautiful blonde at her side.
"I don't know" Bella said a little unsurely while she hoped to find out soon enough, her hands moving to her lap and fidgeting slightly as she looked at the ring on her finger. Her engagement ring. Yes, if the events of earlier were anything to go from she hoped to have an answer for Kate sooner than anyone would believe.
"He asked?" Esme said with a wide smile pulling Bella's attention away from her lap looking up to Esme who looked towards what now seemed to have drawn in all of their attention. While Bella was shocked they hadn't heard his proposal with their hearing, which only embarrassed her more knowing then that they'd have been able to hear all that had happened in Edward's room had they wanted too. Bella nodded a little shyly her smile bright and warm on her face.
"That's wonderful Bella. I'm so happy for the both of you. It's so wonderful having something to celebrate during all of this" Esme said genuinely happy for her new daughter and the son she'd always held closest to her heart.
"It is. It's wonderful news, congratulations Bella." Carmen offered from Esme's side smiling at her, Bella thanking both of them. Even Eleazer offered Bella a smile and congratulations as Kate took hold of Bella's hand and inspected the ring on Bella's finger.
"Expensive" Kate hummed to herself looking it over.
"A little old fashioned but then again I guess it matches Edward in that respect he was always a man of his time. A little unusual with the sapphire and diamonds sitting in the circular setting but it does look very nice on your finger" Kate said and Bella wasn't sure whether or not Kate was talking to herself at this point or still to her.
"It was his mothers" Esme said from across them with a tenderness to her expression, Bella had always found it very telling how Esme and Carlisle never reacted in any way but positive to Edward's comments in the past of his biological parents. They understood his love for the parents who he had only rare memories of, and knew how much they meant to him. It was a testament to the both of them that they'd never allowed it to discourage their own paternal love for Edward.
"That's our Edward, a romantic" Kate said playfully with a grin on her face finally letting Bella take her hand back from her own. They spoke about plans that would need to be made, Carmen was a little foreign to the concept of marrying considering that Eleazer and she had never truly had any type of ceremony to signify any type of marriage. To them it was clear they were together, they were mates no human ceremony changed that to them it was something humans did and the Cullen's on the rare occasions.
Kate was from what Bella could tell completely happy in her ways being remembered as a succubus and free to have whoever she wished whenever she wanted. Bella could respect that she was happy to be without but she couldn't help but believe that beneath her confidence there may have been a long pushed aside yearning for something more. There had been a look in Kate's eyes Bella had seen when she'd made mention of never needing to have one man be her own forever to cramp her life and dictate what she wanted. Bella was very much in the belief that a woman didn't need a man to be whole but she could certainly understand a deep loneliness of Kate perhaps hiding that she'd want to find her mate. Hadn't Edward told her how his family had wanted him to find his mate long before he'd found her and he'd always told them he was content in his self. It had only been since finding her had he been verbally open about how deeply he'd felt the loneliness, being surrounded by so many mated pairs and feeling forever frozen alone.
Kate had then felt the need to tell Bella about her first meeting with Edward, and while Kate was amusing she'd still felt a little jealous hearing about her initial attraction to her Edward. Even though she knew there was no threat at all from her new friend Kate with Edward. She did however enjoy hearing about Edward before she'd met him. She was like a sponge when it came to things about Edward, always wanting to know more. To take in more about the life he'd lived before she'd become part of his life.
"He'd been completely silent. If I'm completely honest we'd all thought he was a little slow" Kate had giggled as Bella had shook her head at Kate but couldn't help but be amused by her, Kate reminded Bella very much of a slightly toned down female version of Emmet.
"That's not nice at all. He was a gentleman still very new to what he was" Carmen defended Edward against what Kate was saying but even her expression and the look both woman shared told of perhaps Kate being a little more right then Carmen would have wanted her to be.
"Edward was always a very intriguing individual. My family weren't aware of his gift at first, Carlisle and he decided it best to keep it secret as we were strangers. I knew though just from meeting him there had been something about him, something powerful in the way he'd held himself" Eleazer spoke out then, she'd wondered why he'd not known about Edward's ability from seeing him straight away and it was clear on her face as Eleazer continued.
"Unlike some powers, I have to will myself to use the sight I have that allows me to view others gifts. Almost like an on and off switch. I suspected something rather quickly when Carlisle passed on the message, I later learned from Edward to not use my ability around them" Eleazer said with clear humour on his face at the memory and Bella could imagine Edward warning Carlisle in that silent way they had created between them over the years. The looks and slight hand gestures that crafted a very private and personal thing shared between the two of them.
"Well I'd not known a thing about his mind reading. Years I had been working on him being his friend lulling him into my den of depravity so I could claim his innocence" Kate waggled her eyebrows smirking.
"I'd finally decided to push my luck. Esme was around by then. I remember knowing I'd catch him off guard and so I'd gone to lay one on him. Kiss him and rock his world. Of course he'd have to have been a mind reader to duck and weave away from me. I remember thinking back on it for days after not knowing how he'd escaped. It became common knowledge then after that he was gifted. The fact he'd managed to repel even Tanya had shown just how unique whatever he could do was, my sister often enjoys using her effect on people. As she did on you, it wasn't malicious more a flipping Edward the bird" Kate explained and while Bella wasn't happy about the thought of Edward kissing anyone she knew she'd been his first kiss.
It made everything they shared all that much more special when she really thought on it. Edward had been a young attractive man with three older stunning women vying for his attention with the open offer of their beds whenever he wished for it. He'd rejected them though, he'd saved himself and now all those things that countless women had fantasised about her soon to be husband would forever only be known by her and her alone. It made her feel very powerful just like it had earlier. Kate was certainly doing wonders for Bella's self esteem when Bella thought about how in love Edward and she were.
Kate had moved away from her talk about a younger to the vampire world Edward though she'd made it clear to Bella she liked the version of Edward she was seeing now. The rest of those around had gone silent when Kate had brought it up, but Kate hadn't felt the need to stop as she'd made it clear her stance on this new Edward. An Edward that Kate believed was always inside of the man he'd been but simply too tightly closed off to the world to ever show it, she'd commented on his aggressive nature and while Bella had been worried about it Kate had explained it in a way that had made Bella feel oddly more accepting of it. She'd also made it clear to Bella that she'd never seen Edward so openly willing to joke and tease with his family about all aspects of his life. Where there had always been areas they'd tried not to think about or even talk about around him for fear of his deciding to distance himself now he seemed free of that.
The normally prude forever bachelor monk as Kate had began to see him as was suddenly a confident snarky ass who had no reservations about talking about or having his own sex life mentioned. Kate had then gone on to completely embarrass Bella by asking what had made her so loud earlier and Bella had tried to guide Kate away from that type of conversation. Part of her wanted to daringly talk about her time in Edward's room while more tame then she believed Kate would want to hear about but she didn't feel comfortable saying those types of things in front of Esme. In Bella's mind Esme was Edward's mother and you just didn't talk about wanting to sleep with a woman's son in front of her no matter the supernatural race they came from, no matter how much Kate tried to force it out of her.
It had only been ten minutes later that the door of the Cullen home slammed abruptly and had the entire room turning to see Carlisle, this wasn't the typical picture of calm that Bella was used to seeing in him. She'd noticed the strange behaviour of him, of course in the recent days but he looked devastated then as he walked in, Bella could feel her stomach sink then because she could only think that it meant someone was hurt or worse gone.
That the reason Carlisle looked like he'd break down in tears if he could, it created a pit of despair in her own stomach as she watched him. All while her mind selfishly pleaded that it just not be Edward, she'd survive anyone else but Edward and she knew how sick that was to hope but she couldn't stop herself. Esme had moved from her seat quickly to move to Carlisle all but throwing herself into his chest as she clung to him tightly even while he seemed slightly unresponsive to her as she hugged herself too him and Carlisle continued to look off slightly unhinged.
It was disturbing to see him like this.
It scared Bella.
"Carlisle what happened? Is everyone okay?" Esme rushed out looking at Carlisle cupping his face to try and centre him and make him look to her and explain what had happened. Where the others were and why he was alone.
"They aren't okay Esme" Carlisle said making Esme strangle on a sob as Bella felt her own throat close up as she felt like the very breath inside her had been knocked out of her Kate taking hold of Bella's hand almost too tightly.
"What do you mean?" Eleazer said then stepping forward as Carmen sat on the edge of the sofa she sat on, panic was setting in as they tried to push away the fear of losing even more family.
"They've completely lost themselves" Carlisle said weakly looking down into Esme's eyes as the rest of them in the living room found themselves only growing more confused by what Carlisle was and wasn't saying.
"Carlisle are they safe? Is what has been done fixable or have we..." Eleazer struggled to finish his sentence.
Bella knew what had gone unsaid though she knew that he was asking if they'd been destroyed. They could fix the damage done as long as the pieces weren't burnt after being torn apart.
"I don't know. I don't know if we can fix them. They aren't seeing things clearly they are allowing their darker natures to take them over" Carlisle shook his head as Esme gripped his face firmly now, enough so to stop his face completely still as she looked at him seriously.
"Carlisle I only want to know my children are alive" Esme said with no room for his strange rambling, Bella wasn't sure anything coming out of his mouth could be taken seriously then. This wasn't the normally intellectual sure worded man she'd known, this man seemed broken.
"He was torturing one of them. A newborn, he was torturing the man. He'd surrendered and my son stood there and taunted him. Taunted him as Jasper held him defenceless and then gauged his eyes out. He didn't even flinch Esme, our boy he's lost to us" Carlisle said as the room was swallowed in silence, Bella already knew who Carlisle was talking about though. For all the members of the Cullen family there was only one child within the family that would create this type of reaction in Carlisle, the one who the entire family recognised in most respects as the favourite to both Carlisle and Esme.
Edward.
"But everyone is okay? That's all that matters Carlisle" Eleazer said taking a step forward again as Carlisle moved away from Esme quickly throwing is hands up wildly, angry then at Eleazer's words.
"It is not all that matters. What matters is the way in which we hold ourselves. What is important is ensuring we do not sacrifice our very souls, our beliefs to live on. I do not want to live because we survived I want to survive and deserve it. Our families are changing they are becoming something twisted and evil. Becoming killers" Carlisle shouted and Bella was stunned, watching wide eyed believing this to be the very first time she'd ever seen him raise his voice as he seemed to be the only one who had lost themselves.
"Carlisle we are under attack. What would you have us do?" Kate voiced now standing from her seat beside Bella, she was angry with the way he'd all but lead them to believe that the other's had been hurt or even destroyed. It seemed overly cruel especially considering she'd already lost one sister to these fights that really had nothing to do with her own family. They'd come to help defend their friends and they'd been the only ones to lose so far. Not that she wanted them to lose anyone. She didn't regret coming to defend her friends.
"We need to stop them. We need to make them all see sense. We need to make Edward see what he is doing to not only himself but our family. He's going to ruin us all, we cannot carry out these acts of murder any longer." Carlisle slapped his hands together and then his eyes set on Bella looking at her with his wide unseeing eyes and then moving to her quickly. Kate stood as a means to block Carlisle path not sure what was wrong with him as Esme pulled at his arm.
"Carlisle stop you aren't acting like yourself" Esme urged him away wanted to take him away from them. She'd seen that the stress of this was all getting to him. It had been, since Edward had come back that night with Bella hurt, he was not dealing with it well and she knew she needed to get him away and help calm her husband.
"Bella you have to see this. See this is wrong. You care for the wolves. They are your friends. They were there for you when we were not. They are redeemable you can't possibly agree with Edward's plans to kill them, to destroy them. Edward will only listen to you, will only see the error in his ways if you are the one to guide him" Carlisle said rushed as Bella sat further back into her seat not wanting to look into Carlisle eyes.
Of course Bella didn't believe killing the pack was okay, she'd never wanted that and while she knew more of what they had done and how they'd never allow Edward freedom, she'd not wanted them dead. Even though she'd been told about some of the darker things the pack had left hidden to the rest of the world she wasn't sure it warranted their deaths. She knew though that they wanted Edward dead, she knew that they would attack her family now not matter if they wanted to solve the problems without violence. There was no solution for this without them gaining vengeance from the Cullen family, they wanted Edward dead there would be no forgiveness unless that was given.
Bella knew that. She also knew Victoria would continue to come for her until she had her revenge. She would keep adding to her army keep taking so many human lives to get what she wanted. Bella could see that there was only one solution to these problems. Remove the threat, they couldn't lock up supernatural creatures so there was only one choice then for these life threatening enemies. Even though she hated the thought of it she knew she had to stand behind the decision of the family, even if it was against what Carlisle believed.
"Edward is doing what he has too" Bella said just louder than a whisper and she looked up not wanting to seem weak in that moment as she wanted to make it clear to Carlisle. She was not some tool or weakness of Edward's that could be manipulated to use her to make Edward do what she wanted. She'd learnt her lesson on taking her power over Edward for granted had she understood his true depths of feelings sooner this all would never have happened in the first place.
"He killed Jacob, Bella he killed someone you cared for even loved. He says he did it to protect you but you can't truly believe that. He hated what you both shared, was jealous of it. Can't you see it's Edward who was looking for a reason for this all to start? His monster, he controlled it but now he's letting it out and I can't bear to watch my son lose himself in it again. When he hunted the humans it was bad but this is so much worse. Bella he killed Jake he did it for more than his need to save you he did it to take him out of the pict..." Carlisle didn't finish what he was going to say.
The hand that reached out came with a vicious speed, the pale back hand of a female slammed across Carlisle face so powerfully it had sent him off his feet. The slap had echoed loudly in Bella's human ears her wide eyes watching as Carlisle body moved off he's feet and spiralled in the air before sending him crashing into the wall. Bella had been so shocked by it. She had seen vampires move and play fight but never seen an actual physical blow that had all the venom of anger behind it. Bella had been already in tears before Carlisle had been forced to stop his tirade as he tried to sully Edward's name and cloud her own judgement of him. She could see what he was doing, was well aware that the man she usually respected above all else was committing some kind of deeply deceitful scheme to get his own way. First he'd wanted to manipulate her to use her to stop Edward, when that hadn't worked he'd attacked something closer believing it would hold more strength.
Her relationship with Jacob.
No one had understood it, Bella had not completely understood it but with time she'd come to realise that all those around her had seen Jacob as the third point in a love triangle. Bella couldn't agree to that though. For all his claims of love for her she'd not believed it, she believed he cared was even attracted to her but as she and Edward had spoken the night before she'd began to see things as Edward did. She had begun to see Edward's logic, for if Jake had loved her he'd have never tried to hurt Edward. Would have never tried to stop Edward from helping her when he had been the one to harm her. Bella honestly believed that Jacob had seen her just as much as a prize in the way Tanya and Kate had once viewed Edward. The bonus for Jacob though had been taking something from his enemy, the vampire he hated more than anything. Bella realised then however just how desperate Carlisle was to stop his family from ridding the threats that promised to kill them.
He was willing to completely try and destroy her faith in Edward to harm Edward enough that he'd be too consumed in his pain and need to make her forgive him that he'd not think to harm the pack. Carlisle had tried to use something he didn't understand, her relationship with Jake. Something that didn't matter anymore, Jake was dead. She could only be grateful that her fiancée had wished to give him a quick death. She doubted she'd ever give the same treatment to a woman who tried to take Edward from her and then harmed him.
So as Carlisle finally turned to look up from the floor to the female hand that had back handed him so effectively he'd been stunned and shocked to find the one woman he'd assume last to place her hands on him. The last woman he'd believe to ever react in a violent way to him as his wife and usually tender woman stood over him cradling her hand to her chest as she looked at him enraged.
"Esme..." Carlisle tried to speak weakly looking at her as if finally seeing what he'd done, like he'd suddenly come out of a trance like it hadn't been him who had stormed into the Cullen home and completely broken at the seams in front of them all.
"Don't you dare. Don't you even try to speak another word Carlisle Cullen. If you love me and respect anything we have shared in our life together you will shut your mouth" Esme yelled as Carmen moved to Bella who was now crying cradling the human girl to her stroking her hair to try and calm her.
"I have remained silent while you've challenged them. I have stood by as you've tried to control this with your own manipulations. It is done. I wanted this to be ended without violence just as much as you but this" Esme pointed towards Bella who was sobbing into Carmen.
"You would come into this house. My house and try and use Bella to control Edward. You would spew such lies to make her doubt him. You would rather take Edward's happiness from him then let him kill those who want us dead. On the day she takes his mothers ring and accepts becoming his wife you would spit in his face and ruin it. You created Edward. You created him because you were lonely, you offered a dying child a second chance knowing the burden it would be. Then you have spent your entire existence in fear of him. You have spent your entire existence scared of the man he may become, why can't you see he's exactly what we wanted. He's strong, he's tender hearted, he's protective of those he loves, he finally doesn't hate what he is and you'd have destroyed all of that to save men who don't deserve saving" Esme fumed as Eleazer placed a hand on Esme's shoulder as if to stop her advancing towards her husband who was still sitting on the floor where he'd landed looking up at her frozen completely.
"Tell me Carlisle. Tell me what was so important about these wolves, these newborns that would mean you'd rather harm Edward emotionally then have him whole enough to help our family?" Esme demanded of him wanting to understand how her husband of so many years could do this to their son. How he could risk Edward's own sanity by placing such doubt within his relationship with his mate, it seemed so cruel to Esme and Carlisle had never been cruel in her mind.
"I want to protect him Esme. He's going to be ruined when he has time to move past his need for death. You saw him when he returned from his rebellion. How he would lay unmoving, how he became so broken so filled with self loathing that each day we didn't know he would return when he went hunting. Hunting criminals was one thing Esme this is more, he's feeding his lust for death and I can't allow him to do this to himself. I thought if Bella..." Carlisle turned to look at Bella then seeing her crying in Carmen's arms and feeling the deep shame set in over himself. As he looked to Esme moving his hands to his face, pushing his hair back looking older than he ever had before in his frozen state. It looked like he'd physically aged somehow.
"I'm sorry...I'm so sorry. I just wanted to save everyone. I thought I could save us all" Carlisle shook his head, knowing how truly far his plans had fallen. He was saving no one, he was protecting no one all he was doing was destroying his own family. He was failing like he always would.
"It isn't you who is being looked too to save us Carlisle" Kate said then softly without any anger but still firm in her own tone not wanting to have to argue with him.
"We have all deferred to Edward. We are all following Edward's lead here. Jasper follows Edward's lead here. We've entrusted both Edward to lead, Jasper to strategise they have taken the place as our leaders. They are who plan to save us, not with harming emotional ties within our own family but by finding ways to protect each other" Kate shook her head deeply disappointed in this man who she had known for so long now, he had been lucky Esme had hit him when she had because Kate had charged her own power to knock him off his feet and silence him.
"Go to our room Carlisle" Esme said then while her tone weaker now it didn't give any room to try and change her mind.
"I'll be joining you soon. We need to have a talk. Things have to change" Esme said turning her back to Carlisle as he watched her intently before raising from the floor and rushing up the stairs.
"I'm so sorry Bella" Esme whispered turning to face Bella as she wiped away at her tears nodding her head, she wasn't sure why she had started crying. She'd been scared with the way Carlisle was reacting of course but she'd not been scared of him physically harming her, it was all too much. With the proposal and then Edward having to rush out where anything could happen to him, then Carlisle acting so strangely almost leading them to believe something had happened to the people she cared about so much.
"What the hell was that?" Kate said pointing in the direction that Carlisle had left in her tone was angry, still a little disbelieving of the way in which Carlisle had spoken to them all. He'd always been a very level headed calm thinker. This was nothing like the man she'd seen in the past, even in her own grieving she hadn't acted nearly as manic when she'd awoken from her head being reattached. Of course she'd awoken wild and angry ready to fight, they'd been able to calm her though and then had come the crying, there was nothing in Kate's opinion more frustrating than crying when there was no real evidence of it because they couldn't shed tears.
"This has all gotten a little out of hand. It's coming from a place of love" Esme tried to defend her husband but it was clear to them all that they could see even she was not completely able to see what exactly Carlisle was trying to achieve with his actions.
"I'd hate to see what he does to his enemies then" Kate said dryly shaking her head while her arms crossed over her chest turning her face away from them to the door of the Cullen home. She wanted the rest of them back especially with Carlisle acting outwardly strange, while he'd not said they'd come to harm or not she didn't like that he'd returned alone.
"That's enough Kate" Eleazer said ending her making any further comments they didn't need this type of confrontation and conflict within their own people, especially when they were fighting a war from both sides.
"I want Edward" Bella whispered weakly wanting to go to her own home suddenly not feeling as welcomed within the Cullen house, she wouldn't even dare to look at Esme as she made her desire to be with him clear. She just wanted to make sure he was safe and she needed to talk to him about the things that Carlisle was saying. Kate reached out a hand to Bella. Ready to get Bella what she wanted it wasn't completely selfless though Kate wanted out of the house too.
"I don't think it is wise to leave right now" Eleazer said making his opinion clear in the way he spoke, he didn't want Bella leaving or Kate for that matter he wasn't completely sure what was happening out there and he couldn't be sure of their safety.
"My girl here wants her fiancée and I personally think it's the best place for her to be right now. Let Esme have some privacy to deal with her husband" Kate said while Bella took her hand and stood up pausing to look at Esme to try and apologise but not sure exactly what she had to be sorry for but couldn't shift the feeling that she needed too.
"It's okay Bella go with Kate. You keep her safe. If you can't find Edward take her home" Esme said with a firmness that left no room to argue as Kate nodded and then Bella found herself being shifted onto Kate's back in a blur and speed that made her stomach only further twist in knots.
"Let's go find Edward and the other's" Kate said as she moved then, Bella used to the speed but her stomach still feeling twisted and nauseas from what had just happened in the Cullen home.
She wasn't sure what was wrong with Carlisle but for some reason she knew with the way he'd been acting that Edward would need her now. There was a thought though that lingered at what Carlisle had said, about Edward torturing a man, about Edward looking for a reason to kill Jake all along. Bella hated herself for even thinking about it, hated that in some way Carlisle had made her want to ask Edward about what had happened. She glimpsed down to her hand that was placed on Kate's shoulders as she had her arms wrapped around her neck seeing her ring glinting beautifully.
Her future husband was a good man, even if he did things that other's saw as wrong. Surely as long as he did it for the good of his family it was excusable, Bella would always be able to look past it. She hoped so. She just hoped that he didn't lose himself like Carlisle had said. For all the good that had come from the horrible night where she'd been hurt there had also been so much bad come from it, Bella only hoped for it to be a balance that she could handle.
Edward loved her.
She returned to that all familiar mantra in her mind as Kate closed the distance between their family and them.
