Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight
Earlier that day:
"I wish I could remember being human," Alice pouted.
"Believe me darling, you're not missing much," laughed Jasper. He sped up a bit to keep even with his wife.
"Yes I am! You were just reminiscing about the some strange flower you came across during a march!" She said, sadly, referring to his days in the Confederate army.
"Darling, you and I have seen every wildflower variety in this country!" He laughed again.
"Yes, but I can't compare them to how they looked from human eyes!" She said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
Jasper shook his head and smiled warmly at his wife's antics. He understood emotions better than anyone, but he still found himself in awe of the things Alice made him feel. How one person could so utterly grab hold of him, and make it possible for him to think fondly of his life, even the parts he used to want to forget, he really did not know. Jasper was about to playfully pounce on his wife when he felt something and tripped.
"Jazz?" Alice was concerned. And confused. Tripping was something humans did, or so she was told, not vampires.
She made her way towards him, but the expression on his face made her feel something she had not felt in a long time...Alice was scared.
Jasper felt...like nothing he'd ever experienced. The pain that was wracking through his mind and body, through his very soul, had him writhing on the ground and gasping for unnecessary air. He couldn't move. He couldn't think. If his heart functioned he was sure it would've stopped. It wasn't possible for anyone to feel like this. If emotions could kill, this was a textbook example. He continued to shake while Alice stood over him horrified.
Then the pain stopped...its sudden absence just as disconcerting as its initial appearance. He slowly got up, his body obviously none the worse for wear, though of course his mind and emotions were something else entirely.
But then something more terrible than the pain, though he wouldn't have believed it to be possible if he wasn't staring right it, happened. Directly in front of them, Alice and Jasper were greeted by the only sight in the world that could have a vampire running in fear: a great wall of roaring flames was coming towards them. It was big...and it was moving fast!
"Oh my god," Alice cried out.
"Run!" He yelled.
In his 300 years of existence, Carlisle had never received a message quite like this one. He had scarcely time to think about what Alice had just rambled to him on the phone when Edward appeared, having heard everything in his own thoughts.
"What can it be?" Edward asked. "It's not naturally occurring, that's clear."
"No," Carlisle responded. "Alice's description does not indicate it to be so."
"This is dangerous," Edward hissed. "What are the odds that something like that-something that can kill all of us might I add-happens only thirty miles from here? Right on top of Alice and Jasper?!"
Even without vampire ears, they probably still would've heard the angry hiss from upstairs.
"Edward, stop looking for any excuse to tuck tail and run!" Rosalie shouted from her room. "We're not going anywhere."
Edward snarled, and Carlisle could only sigh. The last 18 hours had been fraught with tension and at times, open hostility between Edward and Rosalie. Edward was convinced that the family was heading for deep trouble where Bella was concerned. Carlisle knew most of his son's anxiety had more to do with his inability to see into Bella's mind. It was understandable, Carlisle mused, for him to view Bella as a threat, though the idea of a human posing a threat to a vampire still made Carlisle and Esme chuckle behind their closed doors.
Edward glared at him, and he shrugged unabashedly. Oops.
Carlisle masked his thoughts once again, this time thinking of the hours that had dragged from the moment Rosalie and Emmett came back from their outing with Bella last night.
"You're going to do WHAT?!" Edward had screamed when he detected the pair's thoughts.
"Do contain yourself, Edward," Alice glided down the stairs with Jasper in tow. "At least let them explain."
"Explain what?!" He continued to shout, much to Alice's annoyance. "How they're going to be one big happy family? How Emmett is willing to share his wife with another goddamn woman? A human?!"
Carlisle couldn't deny the shock he had felt, but one look at the dawning understanding on Esme's face and he knew that he hadn't been observant enough the last few weeks. Esme would fill him in later on the attraction that had been building between Rosalie and Bella, the torment that attraction had caused in Rosalie, and Emmett's apparent awareness and blessing from the very start. When she finished talking, Carlisle nearly had a headache from the day-by-day analysis his wife had given him. He couldn't believe he missed all of that.
He wasn't entirely unobservant however. He knew his eldest son longer, and better than anyone save for Esme. Edward's near-violent reactions to their relationships with Bella, and now Rosalie's desire to mate with her, were indicative of something else that he believed his son felt, but would never admit. Edward was the sole member of their family without a mate. Before Edward exiled himself in Denali, Carlisle suspected that his blood lust for Bella had a sexual component. Whatever may have happened if he had stayed was out of the possibility now...but Carlisle suspected that if Edward had stayed and managed to overcome his lust for Bella's blood, it would be he that might be considering her for a mate.
Now that Carlisle understood the extent of Rosalie's relationship with Bella and the imminent possibilities, he strongly suspected that it was this lost chance at a mate that fueled Edward's hostility towards his sister.
Who would have predicted that in a few short weeks, a human would have this much of an impact on his family? Bella was an enigma. She was the only human in all of Carlisle's existence that displayed absolutely no hesitation or fear with vampires. Most humans had good instincts with regard to predators like vampires. Even in his work, Carlisle's patients often shook with agitation when in his care, itching to leave his presence though of course they had no idea why. Bella, though, calmly and willingly walked into the vampire's den almost every day since she'd arrived in Forks. She had formed unheard-of bonds with his wife and children, and even with himself. Carlisle had always enjoyed the company of humans, but they had never reciprocated...until Bella. They had spent hours together in his library, she listening to anything he chose to share, and he watching her attack his books with glee.
Her intellect was astounding. But it was her apparent gift that kept her constantly in his thoughts since yesterday. Carlisle knew that Bella's gift was extraordinarily powerful. No one, human or vampire, had ever been able to block Edward before. Yet she was able to do it without even knowing it. And that this power affected Alice's abilities as well? Carlisle itched to inquire with the girl about her mind, but of course he could do no such thing. Much to his surprise, he once again found himself wishing Bella could join their family. He felt terrible when that thought crossed his mind the first time, and had been afraid to share it with his wife. But when he did, Esme gave him a sad look and agreed, admitting to having similar thoughts herself.
"That man is no good," she said, referring to Bella's negligent father.
That was another thing Carlisle could not understand. He had known and respected Chief Swan for a couple of years. He was Carlisle's biggest supporter in the city's government, and had, on more than one occasion, vocally defended his character and medical expertise to close-minded people in town. Yet the man was treating his only daughter with a terrible rancor. He was as shocked as the rest of them to learn of Bella's living situation, and, like each of them had done at one point, went to see the shed for himself and confirmed what he could not at first believe. He had seen the man at work a few times since, and Carlisle had tried to subtly drop some hints about his kids being in high school, waiting for the Chief to say he had a daughter. He got nothing, further fueling Carlisle's disbelief and fascination for Bella.
Now, however, Carlisle could only give his son a meaningful look. He left his mind unguarded for Edward to hear. Try to keep an open mind, Edward. Your sister would do the same for you if things were reversed, he silently begged his son.
Edward swallowed what was most likely a poisonous remark meant to agitate his already agitated sister. He growled, but stayed silent, thank god.
"We should see this...thing for ourselves before any decisions are made. Alice said the fires have long gone out. Would you like to come with me, Edward?" Carlisle asked, extending an olive branch.
Edward only nodded, then the intense, cold look returned to his eyes and a moment later, Carlisle understood why. Rosalie had appeared at the bottom of the stairs, her face a perfect stony mask.
"Ah, you'll be coming as well?" He said, groaning inwardly. He didn't think any of them would be singing Kumbaya on this trip. "Excellent."
Alice was the best of the Cullens at hiding her thoughts from Edward, which was why Jasper disappeared when his senses picked the boy up along with Carlisle and Rosalie. No need to get him even more riled up.
Alice met them a mile away from the devastation. As she recited Mozart's complete works silently, she explained, almost exactly, what had happened earlier. When they neared the site, she switched to Beethoven and avoided Edward's suspicious gaze.
"And then we saw this," she said, pointing ahead.
Carlisle, Edward, and Rosalie gasped, echoing her and Jasper's discovery earlier. This part of the forest was...gone. They had seen countless forest fires before but this was unlike anything they could comprehend. At the edge of the battlefield (a rough circular field, they all noted with confusion) there were some standing trees, charred completely black. But a 100 or so yards into the epicenter there was...absolutely nothing. No trees, no grass, not one living thing. As impossible as it seemed, everything was now a massive pile of ash.
Alice looked at Carlisle, as did Edward and Rosalie, and what they saw did not reassure them. Carlisle stood in awe, completely taken aback and, unfortunately, as lost as they were. Well, most of them. Alice needed to get Rosalie out of Edward's range. Her nimble mind moved on to list the works of Schubert, Chopin and Bach.
"Do you think it could be a bomb?" Alice asked. "I've never actually seen their effects, obviously, but..."
Alice of course didn't really think this was the work of a bomb, but she had "tested" this little theory earlier and saw that it would stick.
"Hmm," Carlisle said, suddenly thoughtful. "Yes, I've heard many accounts of their devastation. This does look like what I'd expect, though if I had to guess I'd say a firebomb...they're quieter...using an incredibly effective incendiary."
The rest of them grew uncomfortable, even Alice. They didn't like discussing so cavalierly things that could instantly end their existence.
"I thought," Edward said quietly, "this thing was moving towards you too fast?"
Alice had to be very careful now. She couldn't make a mistake.
"Yea..." She said sheepishly. "Sorry about that. The wall of flames startled me pretty badly. It was moving fast, but nothing out of the ordinary."
She finished off her performance by visualizing a carefully choreographed "memory" of what had happened, and lifted her crude protections on her mind to allow Edward to see it.
"Hmph," he said. "I'm going home."
Alice sighed in relief when he was finally gone. Rosalie gave her a funny look, but she shook her head and signaled for her to stay with her.
"Will you join us?" Carlisle asked her.
"Not for a while," Alice said excitedly. "I have to show Rosalie this new design label I just saw in Port Angeles. Rose, you'll love it!"
Carlisle nodded. "Very well," he said. "Enjoy yourselves, ladies. Oh, and Rose?"
"Yes?" She asked. Alice turned away, knowing already what would be said.
"I hope things work out the way you want them to with Bella," Carlisle said gently. "Don't let Edward get to you. She's a wonderful girl and you deserve each other."
Rosalie smiled. "Thank you, Carlisle."
He nodded and left. Rosalie turned to Alice then, suspicion written all over her face.
"All right, what the hell is going on?" She asked. "You were lying the whole time!"
"Yes, yes," Alice admitted. "But you better 'believe me' when you're around Edward."
"What's going on, Alice?" Rosalie asked again.
Alice sighed and gave her a funny look. "It's Bella."
Instantly, Rosalie's face turned to ash. "Did something happen? Is she alright?"
"She's ok...Jasper went to check on her, and if anything was amiss he would've called or come back by now."
"Why is he checking on her?" Rosalie demanded. "Alice, stop stalling and tell me everything goddamn it!"
Alice took a deep breath, and checked one more time that no ears were in the vicinity that could hear. "There's something about this place...we came back when we realized the fire had gone out. When we were running, I kept trying to see what would happen. I tried to see us coming back, tried to spot any potential danger. Only...I couldn't see anything. Or, rather, I couldn't see anything beyond this very thick fog."
"Bella!" Rosalie gasped, aware of the strange effect Bella had on Alice's visions.
"Yeah," Alice said. "I tried to fight through it but nothing showed up. When we did get back, the place was as empty as it is now."
There was silence for a few minutes. Then Alice added, "I figured Edward would try to use this to convince the family to leave. That's why I didn't want him to suspect that Bella might have something to do with this. Though...what the connection is...I can't imagine."
"Thank you for that," Rosalie said quietly. "He won't hear anything from me."
Alice nodded, then suddenly looked quite exhausted. "I'm going hunting," she said. "Jasper's going to meet me as soon as you get there."
"Uh, get where?" Rosalie asked.
Alice gave her a skeptical look. "Bella?" She said, slowly. "Your future mate? You need to start wooing her!" She changed her tone and got much quieter. "Jasper says she's in terrible pain, Rose. I don't know what's wrong, but I don't like that she's hurting so much. Please make her feel better."
Alice noted the pained look on Rosalie's face. Edward's an idiot, she thought. He thinks what Rosalie felt was nothing more than sexual. Fool.
Rosalie nodded. "Thanks, Alice."
Alice turned to run closer to their house, to her usual hunting ground. "Oh, and we'll let Emmett know. Stay as long as you like! I'll try not to peek..." She pouted, then grinned slyly at Rosalie's glare.
Alice and Rosalie both parted, not before each of them gave the burnt out forest one final look.
A/N: I know diddly squat about bombs or firebombs or any of that. Hopefully, knowledgeable people who are reading this, you'll forgive my lack of research. As always, I await your thoughts and constructive criticism! So lovely to wake up to that...best start to my day!
FYI, I have to work a little late today (2/5) and then I have to be at the gym. I'll do my best to get the next chapter up tonight, but if it's not up by 2 am Eastern time you'll have to wait till tomorrow. Sorry, but sleep is kind of important :)