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Edward stared at Alice in shock as her vision finished and she grimaced along with him. "We have to stop it!"
"I can't see any way of doing it," she hissed quietly even though Bella was asleep, Hermione was upstairs and all the wolves were out on patrol. "Every different route or decision change ends the same! There's only one way we can stop it and that's by getting her out of here."
"What are you on about?" Emmett asked, shuffling closer so he felt more included in the conversation. "What have you seen?"
Alice sighed. "If Hermione stays here, then I don't see her anymore."
"But, you see her sporadically anyway," Emmett tried.
"Yes, that's true, but I can still sense her. Like watching a video online during the middle of a storm. Your satellite is battered and you're barely getting anything through but you know it's there. If she stays, it's blank."
"How long has she been up there?" Seth asked curiously, munching his food with little enthusiasm. He watched as the vampires exchanged uneasy glances and he chewed a mouthful of sausage which he couldn't taste. This whole thing was wacky.
"Too long," Esme confessed sadly, offering the young shifter some food which he took happily. "None of us have managed to persuade her to come down and I refuse to allow my children to bring her down against her will."
"Wise," Seth commented. "She'd only retaliate and then take herself back up."
Emmett nodded and flicked through the TV, looking for a decent channel. "Which was why we were hoping you'd be able to knock some sense in her or get Paul over and help."
"I'll see what I can do," Seth offered. "Paul's doing patrols and he needs to be there for the next hour or two to get himself familiar with the route." He finished his slice of toast and leaned forward to put the plate on the table in front of him, careful not to spill any of the baked beans' sauce onto it. Once standing, he dusted his hands off on his jeans and winced apologetically at the crumbs that fell to the floor but nobody scolded him for it so they clearly didn't care.
"Whatever she says to you," Jasper warned. "Don't take to heart. She's being spiteful to everyone." Seth nodded, heeding the warning before making his way upstairs to Hermione's room. His palms were sweaty and his heart was racing and it was obvious to everyone that he was scared of confronting her. Could you blame him? She was fucking terrifying when she wanted to be!
"Hermione?" he called, knocking on the closed wooden door. "Can I come in?" She didn't answer and so he fiddled with the door handle, exhaling when the door opened without anything hitting him in the face. "'Mione?"
He practically tiptoed into the room, edging around the door since it wouldn't open fully. Her room was a mess; her bed had the most random objects sprawled across it as if she'd tipped them all out of a bag or box: a cauldron, glass vials, a tent bag and clothes with other things that he couldn't see or name. Her desk held stacks of books that were shoved to the back and to the side to make space for the few plates and glasses that had been brought up to her. All of them were full or untouched.
The witch in question was sitting cross-legged on the floor, numerous books scattered around her, open for her to read. To her left was a large roll of parchment with a quill and a pot of ink which, judging by her fingers and the writing already down, was what she was using to take notes.
"Hermione," he stammered. "You need to take a break." She didn't even look at him as she flicked through a couple more pages of one book before turning to another. "Hermione, you can't ignore me, this, everyone. You need to look after yourself otherwise you can't help Bella."
"Piss off, Seth," she spat.
He sighed and sat down with her, on the other side of her book circle so as to not disturb the peace. They both sat their in silence; him watching her work whilst she ignored him. Her stomach rumbled but she carried on as if she hadn't heard it and he gaped at her in disbelief.
"Fuck this," he mumbled and quickly stood behind her to shake off his clothes before stepping a respectable distance away - thank fuck for large bedrooms - and changed into his wolf. He watched as she stilled, her hand halfway between two books. She'd heard the rip and knew what he'd done.
"Going to drag me out, Seth?" she asked and he huffed at her, stepping back around her so he sat in his original spot. When she carried on, turning a few pages in one of the books, he flicked one shut with his paw and lifted it gently with his teeth. Then, he waited. He didn't have to wait long for her to turn back to the book he'd taken and see that it wasn't there anymore. "Wha-?" She looked at him, her face hard and glaring. "Give it back." He shook his head and shuffled back when she made a move to snatch it from him. "Seth!" she scolded.
He turned, slithering through the exit before running down the stairs. He saw Emmett and Jasper standing in the closest room, staring at him in shock and he felt some pride that he'd made them look like that. Then he heard the crashing and cursing behind him and his eyes widened with fear.
"Oh shit," he cursed. Edward, who was coming out of another room to see him, smirked.
"What was your plan?"
"I didn't have one," he answered truthfully, dashing past to go through the doorway and find the nearest exit. He heard Rosalie mutter something about mangy mutts and Esme's concern over him breaking things but he heard more than anything, Hermione's fury.
"Terrifying, isn't it?" Jacob offered and Seth agreed, wholeheartedly, ignoring Paul's chuckles of amusement that were aimed in his direction. "Does she have her wand? If so, you're fucked."
"I can't look back!" Seth cried. "If I do, I'll connect eyes with her and she'll scold me like Emily does when I steal some of the cookie dough before she's managed to make all her batches! They have the same fire!"
"You know what I suggest?" Paul suggested. "Run."
"I am running! Who knew stealing her book would get her so angry."
"I could've told you that," Leah told him. "Though, I will admit, it's nice to see her out of the house."
"You actually got her out? Without touching her?" both Paul and Jacob gasped. "You, are getting off of patrols for the rest of the day, hero."
Seth didn't get to reply as he tripped over nothing, the book dropping from his jaw as he rolled to a standstill. He could hear the guffaws both in his head and around him but he didn't care because Hermione was one of them.
"Don't steal my book," she warned him, waving her wand around menacingly.
"Eat something and then maybe I won't," he countered, thankful for Edward who translated. She gave him a look, her curls a mess around her face and her cheeks slightly rosy from having to run.
"Fine," she conceded. "I'll snack on a sandwich."
"What have you found so far?" Carlisle asked Hermione once she'd eaten her sandwich - and a small cake, a few biscuits and an orange - and returned to her room.
"I've found out loads," she told him honestly. "Just nothing that will fucking help!" She threw the book she was holding against the wall, watching as it bounced off of it and smashed the vase that was resting on the bedside table. "I've found out the usual stuff about vampires and everything there is to be known about human pregnancy. There is not one mention of a vampire-human hybrid. How is that fucking possible?"
"Hermione-"
"No! I can't do anything to help my cousin with magic and even the one thing I'm good at - research - has pulled up short. I've even spoken to people in England and they have no clue!"
"Hermione-" Carlisle tried again.
"My potions won't work and neither will any charms that I use because they'll only work directly on Bella and the baby has more influence than we think!" She ran her hands through her hair and cradled her skull. "The potions that I'd be able to use, I can't because they react badly to vampires and the baby is half one so it might just kill them both."
"Hermione, stop!" Carlisle ordered. She paused in her motions and looked at him desperately. "Go and sit with Bella, it will calm you down."
"How will looking at someone I can't help make me calmer?" she growled.
"It's Bella," he merely said, shrugging at her though he didn't take his amber eyes off of her. "Go." She studied him for a moment longer, the same as he did to her, but he didn't back down and she sighed, nodding her head weakly before trudging out of the room. She stopped to pick up a book but he raised an eyebrow at her and she left it where it was.
"Hey Bells," Hermione whispered, crouching next to her sleeping cousin. Her face was clenched with discomfort in her sleep and it made Hermione's heart hurt, filling her gut with the feeling of failure. "I'm trying to help you, I really am. But I'm struggling and I can't bear seeing you hurt, but don't worry. I'll think of something," she promised, leaning forward and pressing a light kiss to her forehead. "I love you."
"How long has she been there?" Bella asked Rosalie as the vampire brushed her hair. "She looks peaceful."
"About five hours," Rosalie answered. "She came down not long after you had your afternoon nap. Then she settled in that seat to watch you and fell asleep."
"I've been awake for two hours and she hasn't moved once."
"She's driving herself to the brink of exhaustion trying to find something to do to help you. You saw and heard how Seth had to get her out for some air. Drastic measures are the only things that work."
"And Carlisle's all knowing look."
"And that," Rose chuckled.
"Hermione, wake up," Rosalie murmured as she gently shook the witch awake. "I need you to sit with Bella whilst I go with Edward to speak to Carlisle."
"Mm, is everything okay?" she mumbled around a yawn, rubbing her eyes to try and wake up quicker.
"Yeah," she confirmed. "He just needs to ask him a question and wants me to be there with him." They both exchanged a look for how peculiar it was but complied with his wishes anyway. Rosalie flitted away with a burst of wind and Hermione's eyes narrowed in on her cousin. "How long have you been awake?"
"A few hours now," she grinned. "I didn't realise sleeping beauty could be woken with a shoulder shake; I was considering calling Paul to give you a kiss."
"Sweetie," Hermione pointed at her. "Never let me stop you from calling Paul to give me a kiss." The pair chuckled, only stopping when Bella coughed and clutched at her ribs uncomfortably. "Sorry."
"Isn't your fault, and you know it," she told her, rubbing her ribs and breathing shakily. She tried to reach for her glass of water but Hermione dashed over from her seat and helped her sip at it, smiling softly as she did so. Once she finished drinking, without looking any better for it, she laid back down and allowed Hermione to smooth the sheets around her.
That's how the small group of three vampires and one wolf entered the room, instantly worrying Hermione with how grim Jacob looked. "What's going on?" she demanded, rising from her crouched position.
"Jacob had an idea that might help Bella," Carlisle answered. Jacob grimaced, not wanting to claim responsibility for the idea at all. "It won't be… pleasant, but-"
"But it will help the baby," Rosalie interrupted eagerly. "We've thought of a better way to feed him. Maybe."
"Not pleasant? Gosh, that'll be such a change." She eyed the tube stuck into her arm and coughed. Rosalie laughed with her whilst Hermione backed away, her eyes wide as her mind raced. Jacob and Edward both noticed the moment she triggered; her face pale and her hand covering her mouth as if she was going to be sick. She kept silent, however, which Jacob pegged to her previous dramatic fallout when she found out about the pregnancy. Edward nodded subtly in his line of vision and Jacob realised that the idea of this was affecting her so much that she'd dropped her guard.
"Bella, love, we're going to ask you to do something monstrous, repulsive," Edward told his wife, walking closer to her whilst Hermione backed away, her hands shaking. Jacob walked closer to her, offering her silent comfort whilst they spoke to Bella about the blood drinking.
It wasn't until Bella declared that drinking the blood now would be good practice for the future did he notice that he'd missed half of the conversation and that Hermione was shaking really bad, her whole body quivering. It was similar but he couldn't place where he'd first seen it, his mind focusing more on Bella than Hermione.
"Hermione?" Carlisle breathed beside him, worry coating his voice. "Are you okay?" She didn't answer and Jacob looked at her, looking to see Jasper whose face was straining beside her too.
"If the fetus is craving blood," Edward explained, "it's not craving animal blood."
"It won't make a difference to you, Bella. Don't think about it," Rosalie encouraged.
Bella's eyes widened. "Who?" she breathed and her eyes flickered to Hermione. Said witch drew everyone's attention when her breath caught in her throat and Jasper groaned.
"Get her out of here," he warned, ordered, demanded. "Now!"
Jacob was extremely thankful for Emmett who grabbed the witch and, in a blur, took her outside. Just in time for the sound of clothes ripping to fill the air.
Here we go...