Chapter Twenty-Three: My Life Will Never Be Forfeit Again
North of Forks, February 1st
Leah kept her distance as the enemy wolves emerged from the Salish Sea and took a path closer towards the coast from the vampires, possibly in an attempt to flank the Denali. The group of enemy wolves were nowhere near as large as the one in Seattle, but they seemed to have more training.
"We're set, are you sure about being bait? I could have Rebekah or Tekali come up to spell you." Jacob sent through the wolf link.
"You would send your wife or sister over to replace your second in a dangerous unknown situation, when it's my job to take these kinds of risks? No, that's stupid, plus it'll take too long. The plan is sound, I'm ready." Leah sent directly to Jacob, a particular ability they figured out decades back to isolate their minds within the link. Although she did feel an immediate pang of guilt, worried that Eliza would be upset about putting herself in danger. Although to be fair, Eliza did just go to fight an army of newborns so there was no way she should feel guilty about putting herself in danger too.
"Alright, then you're good to go." Jacob couldn't keep his feelings of concern from passing through the link. He was worried about Leah's state of mind after Seth's injuries, not to mention her new imprint on a vampire. Plus he didn't actually like the idea, there were too many potential unknowns, but he didn't have a better one. Strategy was never his strong suit, although he covered most of the time by asking for suggestions from Leah, Tekali, Paul, Seth, Rebekah and occasionally Quil when he was really stumped.
Leah blew out a blast of air through her wolfy nose and crouched low waiting for the enemy wolf pack to close in to where she was hiding. The leader was different from the pack in Seattle, he had the bearing of a second like herself but also like the pack in Seattle he smelled wrong. She growled low, and moved across their flank as fast as she could, while purposely running over underbrush and causing the most noise possible without seeming like she was trying.
They didn't waste any time giving chase, and her heart immediately began to beat faster with the hike in adrenaline. She felt the wind flowing against her fur, and would've found it exhilarating save for the collective chorus of yaps and barks behind her, closing the distance little by little. When they were less than a mile out she heard some of the pawfalls break away.
"A small group split off, might be trying to flank me. We're close." Leah sent along with a mental image of the enemy wolves and the vague impression of the direction the wolves who split off had gone.
"Rebekah, take your team and ambush the flankers. Everyone else, form up." Jacob lowered himself into the shadow of a nearby tree along with every other wolf gathered who followed his example.
"Five…" Leah called out through the link. "Four… three… two…" She continued as she burst through the line of trees into the clearing. A second later ten other wolves followed her. She aimed her path towards the opposite side, when one of their enemies pushed himself towards her with surprising speed. She could feel his paw impacts closing the distance until he was right at her side and tried to take a bit out of her right flank. She shifted towards his face and hit his snout with the full force of her rear legs. There was a sickening crunch and he fell forward tumbling to the ground with blood spurting from his nose.
She pushed forward, closing the distance to the opposite side of the clearing without any of the others managing to catch up to her. Then as she cleared the trees her entire pack jumped into the fray. Furious barks and yaps and the gnashing of razor sharp teeth could be heard behind her as she began to circle towards the flanking wolves. They were attempting stealth, but the lead had broken their cover when he discovered the rest of his pack losing their fight. He whimpered, and didn't even see Leah approach as she wrapped her jaws around his throat and ripped it out in one smooth motion. The other two started to move as Rebekah and her pups attacked in unison from behind them. The entire conflict lasted less than a minute.
"Jacob, I'm headed towards the Cullens. Eliza might be in trouble." Leah didn't waste a second, shifting south as fast as her legs could push.
Dearborn Tower, Chicago, February 1st
"You have to get out of there. We don't know how this group operates, but Michael and Irina are dead." Zoey tried to impart the urgency in her plea, but she could almost feel Melanie shaking her head.
"Zoey, how can you be sure?" The doubt in her sister's voice was clear, she didn't believe her. Zoey knew it had to do with how her sister still pictured her, as a helpless little girl cowering in the back of a closet.
Melanie didn't know about the endless hours she threw into training with Angela to condition her body into a weapon. How she learned every possible way of killing a vampire, including modern firearms and heavy blunt weapons. It didn't matter to Melanie that Zoey had hacked the Caravelli estate security, and bypassed their protocols to keep an eye on her brother and sister.
None of it mattered because Zoey would never admit to any of it. She needed her sister to see her as a child, innocent and free from the monstrous life that had been forced upon her. Melanie had always blamed Angela and Charlie for what happened, not understanding how much they both owed to them. She closed her eyes tightly to hold back the wave of pain she felt thinking back that time. Eight years spent with parents she barely remembered, and a decade with the woman who saved her life.
"Mom is sure." Zoey said with a confidence in her adoptive mother that caused Melanie to hiss softly.
"She isn't our mother." Melanie sounded almost hateful.
"No, she isn't your mother, but she is mine." Zoey shot back defensively.
"Because she took you!" Melanie was angry and resentful, but mostly still hurt from the trauma of that day. For her, she was frozen in time and her clearest human memory was watching her parents get slaughtered.
"Yes, she did and spared me a life of foster homes and therapy." Zoey paused and sat back to calm herself. "Melaine, I don't want to argue. I'm just calling because you might not be safe."
"Fine, but we haven't heard anything." Melanie said dismissively, and Zoey had to keep her sigh in response silent.
"Is there anything you've heard or seen that seems off?" Zoey probed, and she could hear her sister open her mouth a few times in hesitation.
"I don't know… actually Ryan has been kind of twitchy all day." Melanie sounded cagey and unsure, but there was a touch of fear in her voice.
"What do you mean?" Zoey was suddenly worried, her older brother had completely embraced his vampiric nature and was occasionally cruel and so apathetic and detached that he came across as inhuman.
"I'm…" Melanie paused as another voice asked her a question that Zoey couldn't hear, "no, I'm on the phone with Zoey." Melanie then covered the phone, and even though muffled Zoey could just make out Ryan.
"Hang up now!" His voice was harsh, and there was a sharp click as the line went dead.
Zoey set her phone down and turned to her computer and opened Melanie's phone portal, which was painfully easy to access. Zoey quickly slaved Melanie's phone to her computer and forced it to dial her own number, and then set the phone to the speaker as she answered, muting her end as well.
"I won't go along with this Ryan." Melanie said, clearly pleading with her brother.
"You don't have a choice, they are headed there now and if you don't come with me it's your head." Ryan had no compassion in his voice, and Zoey could feel the threat in his words.
"She's our little sister." Melanie tried, her voice quivering.
"She's a liability and human. I don't know why you are so attached to her." Ryan's cold delivery sent a chill down Zoey's spine, as she realized once and for all her brother was truly gone.
"So they're going to just kill her?" Melanie sounded numb, and her voice was barely audible.
"Does it matter?" Ryan said dismissively, then sighed. "No, they are going to bring her back here and we'll offer her the same choice as you. So what will it be?"
"Okay, I'll come with you." Zoey could almost feel the defeat in her sister's voice, but there was nothing she could do to help her.
"Good. Now grab a bag of stuff." As soon as Ryan gave the order, Zoey ended the call and disconnected from Melanie's phone. She bit the inside of her cheek and moved over to the house security panel. She scrolled through the building camera feeds, in the northern elevator she found a trio of people with bright red eyes fidgeting in the enclosed space.
"Crap." She muttered to herself and engaged the security locks, which hammered home with a dull thud. She picked up her phone and dialed her mom. "Come on, please." She said out loud, hoping they were alright. She wasn't sure what she would do if her mother was hurt.
"Zoey?" Angela's voice sent a wave of relief down her spine, but it was short lived as a loud bang rattled the front door.
"They're here. Ryan sent them." Zoey kept her own fear out of her voice somehow, although her eyes were glued to the front door as another heavy thud shook the entire frame.
"Damn him!" Angela snarled, and shot out a blast of air from her nose as her nostrils flared in anger. Then her tone shifted completely, calm and tender and absolutely the person that Zoey depended on. "Zoey, sweetie, we're headed your way."
"Might want to hurry, security is engaged but I don't know how long it will last." Zoey said letting her own worry into her voice as another massive bang at the door was followed by the sound of bending metal and cracking wood.
"Are they newborns?" Angela asked to assess how long the security measures in place would last.
"Looks like." Zoey started to back towards the panic room, her eyes still locked on the door as one of the hinges gave way with the next assault.
"Two minutes tops. Lock yourself in the panic room and engage the counter measures." Angela's orders were expected as Zoey opened the panic room door, her eyes briefly leaving the front door. She then turned and backed into the panic room and waited to end the call, knowing the connection would be severed as soon as the door slammed home.
"Mom, I love you." The words were a comfort, knowing if this was her last moments alive, at least the woman who had saved her life and became a true mother to her, knew how she felt.
"I love you too, and we'll be there soon, I promise everything will be fine." Angela put all her remaining hope and love into her words and Zoey took a deep breath before pressing the button to close the door. She heard a loud bang as the front door exploded inward and three figures dashed into the space. Zoey held in a gasp as the door was nearly closed, but at the last second something caught it and kept it open.
Cullen Residence - February 1st
Eliza sniffed haughtily at Isabella's sarcastic tone, "It's the act that matters, and I've always wanted to do it." She kept one eye on the approach of the Cullens and Denalis as they looked around at all the headless bodies.
Isabella rolled her eyes, but she couldn't stop a small smile from crossing her face. "You are such a geek sometimes."
Eliza laughed and shook her head slightly, "This from someone who quotes Sun Tzu. I bet he never used a burning broom to distract an army before."
Isabella shook her head wryly. "No, for the most part, his sanity wasn't in question." She began looking around on the ground again.
Emmett was the first person to speak up as they stepped through the carnage. He turned to look at Edward with a grin. "Dude, you screwed up, Isabella is a badass!"
Rosalie grinned as she looked around; the grin became a laugh as she saw the scowl crossing Edward's face.
Tanya turned to look at Edward with a smirk, "Edward, I am doubting your ability to regain favor with this one. Perhaps you might have better luck with the Executioner."
Eliza immediately started making gagging sounds as Edward scowled further and shook his head speaking over Eliza's dramatics. "Cut your theatrics, I have no desire to mate with you either. Isabella, your skill was unmatched, I am quite impressed."
"God, get a clue, she's not your mate and will never be your mate dimwit." Eliza shook her head at him still moving her tongue in and out of her mouth slowly in visible disgust.
Edward scowled, a low growl escaping from his throat, as they approached "I wasn't talking to you, you arrogant bitch."
Eliza opened her mouth to reply but surprisingly was beaten to the punch by, not one, but several Cullens.
"Edward! You know better than to talk to someone that way!" Esme said in a scolding tone.
"That is no way to talk to a lady." Jasper's voice added immediately, his tone offended.
"Dude, maybe it's best not to piss off the two vampires who just took out fifty newborns by themselves… Just a thought" Emmett's reply was full of sarcasm.
Isabella smiled without humor as she slowly shook her head, "It's okay. Edward was never very good when he wasn't controlling those around him. He's just a little slow grasping that I am not, nor will I ever be his. He's really not a bad sort once you get past the arrogance, whining, total dishonesty and lack of anything resembling moral fiber."
Edward scowled, but wisely chose not to say anything. Carlisle was at a momentary loss for words observing the exchange between Edward and the rest of the family. So it was Tanya who approached Eliza. "I've never seen anything like that. I… we are in your debt. Thank you for saving us." Her voice was quiet and genuinely grateful. A breeze blew over the clearing from the south as she spoke. Somewhere in the distance, an owl cawed into the night air.
Eliza shrugged, "It's part of why we're -" Eliza stiffened and frowned, sniffing at the air. The sudden breeze carried a faint scent that warned of the presence of another vampire, someone who had somehow survived the assault.
Isabella crouched slowly then murmured quietly, "just one. Go." Eliza promptly vanished, leaving most of the Cullens and Denali confused. Isabella picked up the matches she had been looking for and stood.
"That gift is remarkable. Where is she going?" Tanya said in awe, glancing around at the scattered bodies that were in random spots all over the clearing.
Isabella shrugged. "She'll be back shortly." She frowned after a moment and held out her hand. "I apologize for my rudeness. We've not been formally introduced. I'm Isabella de Volterra, daughter of Marcus. Eliza is my daughter."
Tanya hesitated glancing back at her coven mates before slowly taking Isabella's hand. "I'm Tanya Biely of Denali, although I guess that home is now destroyed. These are my sisters, Katrina…"
"Kate, only Tanya calls me Katrina." Kate smirked and nodded at Isabella.
"I know the feeling." Isabella glanced over at Edward who frowned.
"This is my husband Garrett." Kate continued, motioning towards him, and he immediately held out a hand which Isabella took cautiously.
"That was some of the finest technique I have ever seen." Garrett gave her a wide pleasant smile, and she nodded once before letting go.
"This is Irina and her mate Laurent…" Tanya had just motioned towards them when she was interrupted by the sound of a frightened cry.
Everyone moved to investigate and found Eliza standing over a tiny slip of girl that looked barely seventeen. She had slight, fae like features and auburn hair and the same gray lines covering her skin. Her red eyes had darkened some so she had been a vampire for at least a few weeks. She was huddled into a ball, shiving from terror. As she looked up Alice gasped causing Isabella to look over.
"Oh god." Alice whispered, her body shutting down involuntarily in shock.
Everyone else advanced, Tanya took point. "I see you found a straggler. Good, our family is owed some vengeance."
Eliza looked back in confusion. "She wasn't a part of this, she didn't fight."
The girl whimpered pitifully, "Please no! I haven't hurt anyone. I'm sorry! Please don't kill me. I didn't have a choice! I had to go with them or they were going to kill me!"
Eliza frowned, looking undecided for several moments before stepping back and crossing her arms to regard the vampire, staying out of arm's length, but close enough to make it clear to the girl she wasn't free to go. Irina snarled in fury and an equally angry Kate was a step behind her, both clearly intended to finish the job started by Isabella and Eliza. The rest of the Denali watched, but made no move to assist or to deter the two enraged women.
Alice's mind cleared enough to shake her head emphatically, and then looked over at Isabella with a strained and bewildered look. "It's her."
"Who?" Isabella furrowed her brow in confusion.
"I can't explain here." Alice rushed to the girl's side and crouched down, raising a tentative hand towards her before pulling back.
"What's your name?" Alice said with such tenderness that Isabella's breath caught in her throat and her stomach began to twist into knots.
"Br… Bree." Alice let go of a quivering breath, feeling the sting of absent tears at the corners of her eyes. She immediately looked back at Isabella trying to get her to understand, at the same time she stood and leveled a dangerous glare towards Tanya.
"She is not yours." Alice's voice was darker and harder than anyone in the family had ever heard.
"Alice, her life is forfeit. Step aside." Tanya said with wide wild eyes, her own anger starting to get the better of her.
"Ninety some years ago I had a vision of this girl. I will not let you destroy her." Alice admitted out loud, her fears starting to materialize into a painful truth. Her entire world had shattered because she had failed to act all those years ago, relenting to Edward and his false attraction to the woman who should've been her mate.
Isabella kept her expression neutral as she looked down at the girl, finally realizing who Alice was talking about. Although she took no action, she set her body to be ready for anything opening up the link to Eliza so she could have some context. Eliza looked between the three of them for a few seconds. She had to interpret the things not said and had to replay Alice's words from Isabella's memory to fully understand. Then she realized this stranger, this girl sent as cannon fodder, could become family. A sister? Eliza's own expression hardened into one of fierce determination, and then turned around to join Alice in defense of the girl.
"You can't be sure of a century old vision." Eleazar said, but his curiosity clearly peaked.
"Alice, I do not recall you ever mentioning a vision like this before." Jasper said somewhat incredulously. Alice shook her head, she couldn't explain without detailing everything.
"It's complicated and that future was erased..." Alice started, but Irina shook her head and stepped forward with a snarl interrupting her.
"Then you have no claim. This insect has no right to live under the laws of our people. Isabella, Eliza you are Volturi, do your job or allow us to do it for you!" Irina practically yelled turning towards Isabella who was staring at Alice trying to make a choice. The girl flinched back from Irina and Kate's anger as Isabella realized she had no choice. Even as a Volturi enforcer she wouldn't have condemned this poor girl to death.
"No." Isabella said darkly.
"But you're Volturi. By your own law her life is forfeit!" Irina snarled though she didn't step closer to Eliza. Kate shifted her body to better prepare herself to attack, as did Irina, Laurent and Tanya. They were clearly ready to fight for their claim. Carlisle attempted to step forward but Garrett blocked him.
"I cannot believe someone who claims to be Volturi, a group which killed my mother, is defending some random newborn that tried to kill my entire family!" Irina screamed, her rationality slipping with anger. They were spreading out slowly and subtly in a semicircle around Eliza and Alice.
Eliza shook her head, "you wouldn't be alive to hurt her if we hadn't decided to defend you. Step back if you know what's good for you."
Carlisle attempted to defuse the brewing storm. "Maybe we should see if she knows anything. Attacks like this don't just happen randomly. We don't have to kill her." His tone was compassionate as he tried to defuse the situation.
Tanya turned to him, "You're right, this was absolutely targeted. But I don't care about your pleas for mercy. You didn't spend the past few hours running for your life, or had to watch the home you'd spent years building, with everything that had any sort of sentimental value turned to ashes. You didn't have to worry with dread, wondering if your mate was alive like Kate and Irina when Garrett and Laurent were cornered. Or hear their scream of pain when he got hurt. No. You didn't have that happen to your precious family Carlisle. Or you wouldn't be begging me for mercy!"
Carlisle was taken aback by Tanya's rage, in all the years he's known her and considered her a sister, he had never seen her angry to the point of violence. He turned to glance at Jasper who shook his head. Emotions were running far too high for Jasper's abilities to do any good.
Edward stood beside Carlisle and was frowning at Eliza and the girl. His brow was furrowed in concentration, and then he slowly shook his head. "Her mind is all jumbled up. It's like she's in pain. But it's hazy, I can't get a clear picture"
Frustration was evident in his voice, he glared at Eliza as if blaming her. Eliza raised an eyebrow in genuine surprise, another mannerism she had picked up from her mother. She shrugged her shoulders slightly in response. She wasn't sure why Edward wasn't able to read the girl and she didn't have time to get into an argument with him at the moment.
Eliza turned her attention back towards the girl. "She hasn't done anything, she's scared. Give her a chance." Her voice was part coaxing, part plea for them to calm down.
"The same laws you used to execute Sasha, our mother, are the ones giving us the right to execute her for her attack on us." Tanya's own anger was growing. Years of resentment boiling on top of the anger of tonight's events, and she turned to Eleazar for confirmation.
"Yes, but Sasha made her choice. It was common law when Sasha created Vasilli, her sentence was unfair to you. This girl clearly did not plan this attack, she was turned to be used as cannon fodder." Eliza countered, having read the history of the Volturi several times in an attempt to fully understand the rest of the vampire world.
"An assassin is still an assassin, and an execution should be right up your wheelhouse." Tanya spat back, staring at Eliza with a level of hate that was clearly fueled by anger rather than anything personal.
"That isn't me." Eliza said bitterly.
"Oh really, those eyes. There is only one vampire that fits your description." Irina scoffed, shaking her head and laughing at the idea that Eliza wasn't the Volturi enforcer known as the Executioner.
"I… that isn't important right now. The life of this girl is important." Eliza said feeling a bit deflated, she hated that the world knew her because of some of her earlier actions as an enforcer, when she was trying to be enthusiastic in her role and overstepped a couple of times.
"She is under my protection." Alice tried, but Irina just growled back and Kate gritted her teeth.
"Carlisle, get your daughter out of the way or I will be forced to go through her." Tanya said with a hard look at her brother.
"Alice, perhaps it is for the…" Carlisle tried, but Alice shook her head resolutely.
"No! I will not abandon her! I can't abandon her again." There was a passion and panic in her voice that made it clear she would die on this hill if it came to it.
"Again?" Carlisle asked but Alice didn't have time to answer, as Isabella pushed past the line of vampires with enough force to move them aside, Kate's power brushing off her as if it were nothing.
"If you stand with her, you're in violation of the law too." Kate snarled, while backing up slightly in fear. No one had ever been immune to her touch before.
Eliza's relief at Isabella joining her was palpable. Isabella looked at the Denali with a frown and then she nodded slowly. "you're claiming your right to execute her because her group was going to kill yours. Correct?"
Tanya was slightly surprised at the calm tone, and her reply was wary, but she nodded. "Yes, under the same law that sentenced my mother to death."
Carmen broke her silence. She and Eleazar had been looking at the frightened girl, and their own compassion was evident, replacing the anger they had been feeling. "Tanya, maybe we should step back and consider this. We're all worked up from tonight."
To the surprise of everyone, it was Isabella who shook her head and held up her hand. "No, No. It's okay. They've claimed the right. It is theirs."
"Mom!" Eliza protested from her side, sounding deeply hurt at this sudden betrayal. She turned to face her mother in open-mouthed shock. Alice was just as deeply hurt, but Isabella's eyes softened when they met and a small smile curled up her lips. Isabella held up her other hand at her daughter, looking ever so briefly like a demonic crossing guard, silencing the forthcoming tirade.
"I've got this, they won't touch the girl." Isabella said through the link, calming Eliza's worries.
"You may, of course, exercise your right. As you say, her life is forfeit." Isabella said as she looked around, there was a whimper of fear from the girl behind them, but before any of the others could do anything, she continued. "However, since we're adhering so strictly to that law, I wish to exercise my own claim."
There were several blank looks from the Denali's. Eleazar spoke first, his brow furrowed slightly. "What claim?"
Isabella turned her head and pointed deliberately behind Irina. "I claim Laurent's life as forfeit."
There was an immediate snarl from Irina at the implied threat to her mate, followed by snarls from most of the members of her coven. "None of us have attacked you this evening." Eleazar protested, speaking for the group. "While we grant you saved our lives this evening, it does not give you the same right to take them."
Isabella shook her head. "It has nothing to do with tonight. My claim pre-dates yours by about… oh ninety-five years or so."
Laurent's eyes were narrowed speculatively, "what are you talking about?"
"Let me see if I can jog your memory a bit." Isabella said, then her voice shifted and she mimicked Laurent's deeper voice and French accent. "She will not be happy about my killing you. But I just can't help myself, you're so mouthwatering."
Laurent and Irina both blinked. Irina turned her head to look at him in surprise. Laurent's face showed nothing but confusion for several seconds at Isabella's words. Then he blinked again when he associated this Bella with the girl in his memory, staring at her in openmouthed shock.
"You? But that was… I didn't… I mean… I didn't know." He looked terrified, he was now under threat from one of the most deadly vampires in the world.
Isabella nodded slowly, her eyes locked on his, burning with a sudden intensity. "You made plain your intentions. You thought I was someone's mate, and yet you were still willing to kill me, unwilling to verify or believe me when I said someone else had claimed my life. Edward had never publicly disavowed his claim, despite having left he never said I could be taken by another. Of course that ended the moment I became a vampire, but the law is very specific on this matter."
Laurent shook his head slowly. "That is an obscure rule, how could you claim my life? You were still human then, it's not the same thing." He protested.
Isabella shook her head but rather than reply, she turned to look at Eleazar for qualification. He met her eyes and then slowly spoke up. "Obscure yes, but regardless you also made a threat of death against her, there is no provision or stipulation that separates her mortality from her immortality. As you know a threat against one of our kind is punishable by death, she has a valid claim."
Isabella nodded as her eyes bored into Laurent's, "and as your coven mate so eloquently stated, the fact your attempt was interrupted and failed doesn't change the fact that you made clear your intention to kill me."
Irina frowned, glaring at Isabella for several long moments, resisting the urge to attack this perceived threat to her mate. She turned and looked up at Laurent questioningly, "when was this?"
Laurent sighed, "it was not long after we met; when I was having a lot more problems adhering to our diet. After I left James and Victoria's coven, who were insane I might add, I still owed Victoria a favor. She told me we would be square if I investigated the rumor she heard about the Cullens leaving Forks. She wanted me to find out if Edward's mate was still protected by the coven and she wasn't. Victoria was... evil, and she had horrible plans for her. I thought if I killed Bella I'd be doing her a favor."
Tanya was watching the back and forth carefully, Isabella had pushed them into a stalemate. It was their mistake to even bring up law, it complicated matters. But she had to concede the point, there was no way she could win this fight. Even if the Cullens sided with them, which wasn't definite. Alice alone was nearly impossible to defeat and after watching Isabella and Eliza work, she had little hope that her coven would survive the fight.
"I may never forgive this, but we forfeit our claim, and in return you do the same?"
"I will give up my claim if you release the girl from your vengeance." Isabella said formally.
"Alright, this is done. Carlisle, I hope the offer to stay is still good." Tanya said, staring at Isabella for a few seconds before turning towards him.
"As long as you need." Carlisle said with a terse smile.
"Laurent, now that that old claim is over. I do wish to thank you for your mercy. You had some presence of mind to kill me that day, although I wish I had thought to ask you to turn me." Isabella gave him a small appreciative smile.
"Now wouldn't that have been something." He said with a warm smile. "Could we at least attempt to be friends now?"
"I wouldn't go that far, but I hold no grudge." Isabella's smile dropped and she shook her head once at the thought. There was too much bad blood to think of something like that. Especially this soon, but she wasn't about to entertain any scenario where the Denali were a part of her life going forward. At least not yet.
"That's fair." Then he turned to follow the rest of his family into the house, Isabella turned towards Alice and Eliza.
"I'm not getting rid of you." She said to Alice, who couldn't help but give her a look of longing. "Oh well… so we should get this…"
"Over a girl? Bella, you threaten my cousins over a child you know nothing about. And Alice, what are you thinking? That kid is not the one from your vision, there's no way you could remember a hazy face from some distant future you saw for two seconds." Edward took a step towards Alice with some hostility, but it didn't invoke the reaction he expected as Alice got up and flashed forward, getting in his face.
"What did you just say!?" She practically screamed. Edward took a step back from her, looking back and forth at Isabella and Eliza, shaking his head.
"Nothing, I just mean that you can't always interpret your visions as truth." Edward tried to deflect, but Alice just shook her head and took another step towards him.
"No, you meant something else. You… Did you see?" Her head cocked, her voice full of disbelief and anger and utter sorrow.
"See what?" Edward said, playing dumb, but Alice could see it in his eyes.
"I thought you were just interested in her. My god, why?" Alice couldn't believe it, after all these years she couldn't fathom a reason for such a blatant and malicious action. It had to be a misunderstanding, no matter how angry she was with her estranged brother. There was no way he could have done that, no way he could've betrayed her to that level.
"I don't know what you're talking about Alice…" Edward started but Isabella was suddenly in his face, her eyes wide and fully black. The shadows surrounding them started to dance as she grabbed him by the neck and threw him into a nearby tree. She followed up too fast for even Eliza to really follow, pinning him to the trunk with his arms around his back and her elbow embedded in his neck.
"I warned you." She began to push against his neck, as a sickening sound of rock cracking loudly echoed through the forest.
"Mom, no he isn't worth it. We'll be at war with them if you do this." Eliza tried, but Isabella was done and she was already working to make ending his life as painful as possible.
"I don't care." She muttered, intent on her action. Alice wanted to let her kill him, especially if he had done what she was now beginning to believe he had done with all of their lives. But her inner angel told her this wasn't the answer, it would cause too many negative ripples in their lives.
"She's here Isabella, we have a real chance now, and he isn't worth the heartache." Alice said, as she gently laid a hand on Isabella's arm. The shadows immediately vanished, and Isabella's eyes returned to normal. She looked over at Alice, tears starting to form in her eyes.
"It can't be real." Isabella looked to Alice, suddenly lost. Feeling the weight of a future stolen from her on her shoulders. All the love and family that was taken from her, now made manifest. She glanced over at the girl still cowering against the tree and immediately her chest began to shake with overflowing emotions.
"Maybe it is, maybe this was always supposed to happen." Alice attempted, but Isabella immediately shook her head. It was too much too quickly, and she wasn't just overwhelmed. Her mind was rebelling against the idea of having anything for herself.
"I can't be that girl." She muttered, her eyes wide and locked on a blade of grass in an attempt to calm herself. Alice put a finger to her chin and guided her eyes to meet her own.
"No one is asking you to be the person you once were. I know you have changed, and I'm starting to work out who that is. But please consider what finding her means, you could have another person to fill that hole in your heart that I know has been aching since we left." Alice's sweet smile and tender voice pierced her chaos in Isabella's panicked mind and she came back to herself enough to throw a thumb back towards Edward who had been momentarily forgotten despite the fact she still had him pinned to a tree.
"Edward destroyed my life, why isn't he worth killing right now?" She managed, looking back towards Edward.
"In more ways than I can explain, but this isn't right." Alice said, flashing a glare towards her former brother.
"The family won't believe you." Edward managed to get out.
"Shut up, you don't matter to us anymore. Isabella is my family, she always has been. Now I also choose Eliza and Bree if they'll have me." Alice's words made Isabella shudder, as she let go of Edward and stepped back.
Eliza was stunned, and she actually started to laugh not really understanding what had just happened. Then she looked between her mother and Alice, Isabella was still trembling. Whether it was rage or some other emotion she couldn't quite tell.
"Alice take her for a walk, let her clear her head." Eliza directed.
Alice glanced back and gave Eliza a warm smile, her eyes lingering on Bree for several long seconds. "Take care of her." Eliza nodded easily.
Alice guided Isabella gently by her arm away from Edward, deep into the forest. Eliza looked after them in mile shock. Isabella had lost control only rarely, despite her anger. When that happened, the only person who had ever been able to calm her down was Eliza. On top of that, saying her mother didn't like to be touched was like saying mice might be a tad uncomfortable around cats.
Eliza hadn't been there, but the other Volturi still talked about the first time Aro had tried to hug Isabella as he was prone to do with his usual touchy-feely tendencies. They had to replace two of the three chairs the Volturi kings used, along with several cracks to the marble floor, stairs and wall. Over time Isabella had eventually relented to his brief embraces, but even he knew not to press his luck. It was practically a cardinal rule for the Volturi, with the exception of Eliza, Isabella did not like to be touched.
Edward watched them go and didn't bother to look at Eliza before moving into the house, into a heated conversation between the rest of the family and the Denali. Eliza looked down and held out a hand to Bree.
"Everything will be okay, I promise." Eliza's voice was soft and welcoming and Bree tentatively reached up to take her hand. "Is Bree your full name?"
"No, but only my Ma called me Brianna." The girl said timidly.
"Good because Bree is a Scottish word for a loose broth, mind if we call you Brianna?" Eliza said with a big smile, causing the girl to look at her in confusion.
"Um, okay. Why did you stand up for me?" Brianna couldn't understand, none of what happened made any sense at all.
"It's complicated, and we'll tell you soon. What you need to know now is that you are safe, and welcome and we will never hurt you or abandon you. If you want to stay, that is." Eliza was trying to say that she was welcome to join their family in an indirect way, but she also knew it had to be the girl's choice. No matter how tempting it was to just throw her arms around the girl and call her sister. It was too soon, and there were too many variables that could keep that from happening. Plus, just because Alice had a vision, didn't mean it was definitely going to come true. Her visions were subjective after all.
"I don't understand. I could go?" Brianna looked around the woods and the giant house utterly bewildered by the turn of events.
"Nothing's stopping you, but I hope you'll stick around. There's some things you should probably know." Eliza gave her a warm smile, and Brianna could tell that she was being completely truthful. That meant, not only was she no longer in danger, she was free. Finally free, but she had no idea where she could go. Perhaps the offer to stay was the right choice, despite the amber eyes and the threat they posed, this felt like it could be real.
"Like the dark haired one saying she saw me in the future?" Brianna guessed, she wasn't able to follow the conversation but she got the gist of the ideas being thrown around. Once upon a time she loved science fiction.
"Yes, exactly. She has visions, and can see things before they happen. In that vision, she saw you. But let's not dwell on that right now, sweetie, one thing at a time. You look awful, and we have bags of blood for you."
"Thank you." Brianna finally had the presence of mind to say.
"For what?" Eliza asked with a small shrug.
"Everything." Brianna felt her emotions surging, as a small cough boiled up from her lungs. The wet sound drew Eliza's gaze and her brow immediately furrowed in concern.
Author's Note:
I had a long conversation with Kathryn on this point and we couldn't really come to a resolution. So I'll put out the gist of what we were left with.
There is a continuity problem with Bree. Personally, I feel there are three totally valid options and are as follows:
1. This is the original Bree as created by SM, screw canon continuity it's her (Kathryn's option - i.e. the handwave explanation)
2. This is a direct descendant of Bree a few generations removed. This would mean she is technically a new character, but would fit within the established canon set by SM. Additionally this would give the original Bree a bit of a happy ending, since she didn't end up turned into a vampire and die horribly at the Volturi's hands. (My option - i.e. the overly complicated one)
3. This Bree is a totally new character, completely unrelated to the original Bree, with just her name and general likeness used as a quick shorthand for a reader to understand who she is. This would also give the original Bree a happy ending.
I don't think it really matters which version you consider, and since it will never come up in the actual story it is really just a fun thought experiment for me and you readers.
