Author's Note: Sorry this one took so long!! So much editing and scrapping and adding I think I'm going to explode, haha. I really hope you enjoy!!! It took a lot of work to crank this one out... and also I would like to thank you for the MASSIVE amounts of reviews you gave for the last chapter. I am just blown away. Please keep it up! They make me so happy! And it's my 15th birthday next weekend and I have my stupid confirmation and have to sing at borders on that same day... fuuun. So please. Reviews!! =]
Love,
Mel =]
24. Impediment
We all stood for a moment, not speaking, not moving, not breathing. We watched each other cautiously, both equally appalled at what we saw, but each in different ways. I saw Ronan was still shimmering next to me out of the corner of my eye, and Cindy was shaking, while Max held his still open pod phone at his side. Me, for one, I was still trying to grasp what had happened. Max, Cindy and Katrina were watching Ronan sparkle which was bad enough. But he had to get it on tape. He had Ronan Cullen, the vampire, sparkling like freaking diamonds on tape. It couldn't get much worse than this, right?
Suddenly, I saw Katrina break her stare at Ronan's skin, glance at her leg, and grimace. I squinted, trying to see what she was looking at, when she broke the prolonged silence.
"Max?" She managed; I could tell she was holding back tears.
"What, Katrina." He sounded irritated, not breaking his glare at Ronan, who was glaring back at him like a predator ready to strike at any given moment.
"That rock I ran into, I think a lose piece is stuck in the cut."
I gasped, glancing up at the glowering Ronan, who didn't relax his tensed muscles. She was bleeding, and that's why he noticed their presence.
I was about to open my mouth to suggest I get a band-aid for Katrina and try to talk this bizarre occurrence out with them, but I was startled by the seven, growling vampires that appeared at our sides and the huge, russet-colored wolf that bounded up behind them, teeth barring. Max jumped backwards and Cindy screamed, turning to run away. Jasper was at Max's side at once, ripping the pod phone out of his hand and reducing it to pieces with his fist as Rosalie dragged Katrina closer to us and Emmett grabbed Cindy's arm with his iron grip and she struggled helplessly, beginning to sob.
"Let me go!" She screeched, "Please. I just w-wanted to wish A-Ava a H-Happy Birthday!"
The three of them were dragged in front of us then, and when I got a glance of their tattered clothing, I realized they'd probably been traveling through the woods for hours.
My eyes widened. "How did you know…?"
"They went to your door to surprise you and bring you to that movie you've been dying to see," Edward cut me off, reading her mind and making her sobbing stop short as he recited her thoughts, "Your mother told them Ronan and you took a walk through the woods. She said you'd be back later and to check in then, but Max insisted on following you…"
All the glares turned to Max then, who was now smiling evilly at Edward. Edward's jaw dropped slightly and he shook his head. "No." He choked quietly. A growl erupted from his chest. "NO!" He glowered intently at Max, barring his teeth, as Esme and Carlisle came up behind him to restrain his arms as he struggled against them, lunging towards Max with the utmost malevolent expression I'd ever seen portrayed on anyone's face.
"What is it, son?" Carlisle asked calmly, a blank expression on his shimmering face. "What did he do?"
"He sent it. To everyone within the near vicinity of Forks. Everyone." He snarled.
My blood went cold. Max smiled to himself. "Gotta love modern pod phone technology. A lot has changed since you were alive, or excuse me, mutated."
Of course. He'd used the emergency text option, a relatively new feature on the pod phone. The company that made the phones added this mainly for hikers, especially since last year's major accident when a group of thirty scientists were lost in the vast Amazon for months with no food, and many were defeated by disease when they ran out of supplies.
If the phone cannot find any signal for a phone call to 911, you can send the text through the electrically charged molecules in the air which doesn't work for calls yet, and you can write what you want in a text, asking for help and telling them where you are, and then send it to every person's pod phone within up to a two-hundred mile radius and hope someone will save you from your near death. Every pod-phone came with this now and because of so many pranks people had been pulling with this feature, many pod phone companies were considering getting rid of the feature. They came with the basic thirty- mile radius text unless you paid more because you were a hiker, and I'm sure Max didn't have the advanced text when I glanced at his dowdy pod-phone.
So, abusing the power of the emergency text, he sent the video to everyone in the near vicinity of Forks. Everyone would know about the Cullens once they opened their inbox. The Volturi would find out once news articles went out and scientist began speculating these strange creatures, and Alice's vision would come true. We were all dead.
"Why did you do this, Max?" I asked, my voice lifeless, along with my slowing heart. My breathing was becoming rapid as I attempted to bring it back to life.
"Oh, Ava, I'm so sorry you have to be involved with this, but I have no idea why you'd ever be caught dead with a Cullen." His voice seethed with anger. "I was just giving them a little taste of their own medicine. Now it's time for their family name to be dragged through the mud, just like Newton has. You ruined my father's life, humiliated him. Not to mention my poor grandfather, who had to suffer in that mental institute. He convinced himself he was crazy, when in reality, he was right, and you let him believe it. Right after being distraught over his poor wife. I don't believe you are superheroes like he wrote in his journals I found. I believe you're something much, much worse."
No. No. I'm dreaming. This isn't happening. I blinked, trying to get rid of it all, but Max was still grinning wryly in front of me, Cindy was still hysterical in Emmett's grip, and Katrina was still fretting over her bloody leg. We were dead. We were going to die.
"Max," Katrina asked, her leg still gushing blood. "I know this is a little off topic, but can I stop singing songs in my head now?"
I gasped, and Ronan swore under his breath. Edward snarled, and Max nodded, smiling at his genius.
"Yes, Katrina, you can stop singing songs in your head. You don't want to make poor Edward have an aneurism; that might hinder his mind reading powers." Edward growled again.
"How do you know all of this?" I heard Esme sneer from behind me, her eyes like lasers trying to burn a hole in Max's face. But he didn't budge.
Instead, he reached into the pocket of his Forks High hoodie, and pulled out a small, black book. He flipped the pages back and fourth in front of us, revealing a blur of pictures and words crowded on each page. "This is the journal of Mike Newton, something I thankfully found in my attic before my father had a chance to throw it out last week. And now I'm ready to prove him right."
"That one right there," He pointed to Alice, who was standing completely aghast next to Jasper, "She can see the future. Grandpa Mike wrote that Edward muttered, and I quote, 'Dammit, Alice. The future must have changed course,' when Bella almost killed him." Edward was muttering profanities under his breath, and Bella shuddered from the memory.
"So," Max continued, "My grandfather's theory is the future can change with the swift change in people's actions, so, I took that theory into consideration when we came for you guys. I kept telling the girls I changed my mind and we were heading back, only to turn back around again after they followed. I didn't want a set future. Edward also knew who it was the second they entered the clearing my grandfather was in, screaming, 'Bella! That's Mike!', so he inferred he either read his mind, or he smelled him, which is stupid." He shook his head at the most likely completely relevant guess. "So, I told everyone to play songs in their head, so it wasn't their voice singing it and we wouldn't be recognized."
Edward growled loudly again. "I told you they weren't alone out here! I knew I heard someone! You should've let me come out!"
"I got everything on tape from the part when he whooshed around at supernatural speeds to gather flowers, to where he gave us that defenseless stare when Katrina started bleeding. Well, you're secret is exposed now, so I hope you enjoy the attention," He sneered. "I'm sorry you had to get involved in this, Ava. Next time look before you dive."
My blood boiled. He was a murderer. A cold blooded murderer, and he didn't even know it yet. And he was calling me naïve. I luckily kept my voice steady. "Shut the hell up, Max. You have no idea what you're talking about. You have no idea what you got yourself into."
He laughed mockingly. "You shut up; I don't think I'm the naïve one here. You're the one that got yourself into this mess. Got yourself involved with these- these FREAKS!"
Ronan finally spoke. "And now you're all going to die because of your idiocy."
Max looked over at Ronan, and ironical smile on his face. "What?" He spat. "Killing us won't do any good, Ronan. You're secret's already out."
Ronan's face was angrier then. "I didn't say we're going to kill you." He sneered.
"Are there more of you?" Cindy asked in Emmett's grip, interested in this absurdity now.
Ronan's eyes averted and Max gasped. "Of course!" He began flipping through his grandfather's journal like a fiend. "These guys!"
Max reviled a picture I couldn't see from where I was standing, but I knew it was bad when I saw the Cullens tense up. Ronan must have seen me squinting at the picture, and muttered almost inaudibly. "The picture in your father's office."
I swallowed hard. I suddenly felt cold. As if life was already being sucked from my shaking body, knowing death was near. It was so close, so inevitable, I could taste it in my mouth, or maybe the sharp taste was the blood from gnawing the inside of my cheek to keep myself from losing it.
Max continued, "These guys are superheroes too, right? That's what grandpa Mike wrote… he was right wasn't he? He was right! Who are they?"
"The Volturi," I heard Alice whisper from next to me while staring into the trees blankly. My heart seized in fear at the word, and my body suddenly went from cold to searing heat as my heart seized and caused my throat to burn and my face to flush, paralyzing me from moving or even breathing. Death was taunting me now, brushing my neck and shoulders with its indefinable fingers that threatened to clutch my throat and suffocate me at any given moment.
"What, like Italy… Volterra?" Katrina asked dubiously, having no idea what type of meaning this held. I swallowed hard, trying to fight the heat flash off.
Alice continued to stare, however, and Max started jumping up and down in Jasper's grip. "Shut up, Kay. She's having a vision!"
Alice snapped out of her vision, but her stare was still blank as she looked toward the ground. She didn't need to say anything. She just shook her head.
No.
She took in an even breath, not surprised by her most likely horrific vision. "They're on our trail." She replied simply.
No.
Cindy was beginning to cry again along with Katrina who was tearing up, being affected by the morbid waves of emotion being set off by Jasper; emotions he probably didn't even realize he was emitting judging his distraught face. Max's eyes twinkled with wonder, however, obviously resisting the emotion. "So more of you are coming here then?"
Emmett, Jasper and Rosalie dropped their arms, and Max seemed confused about the change in mood.
Jasper finally spoke then, his eyes averted to the ground and his voice expressionless. "You won't see them. They'll be too fast when they…" He trailed off.
Katrina cocked her head up to Jasper. "What do you mean?"
I sucked in a breath. When they mercilessly snap your necks, I finished for Jasper in my head. I shivered again and wobbled on my instable legs. My head was swimming and I felt like this was all a dreamlike sequence, something too absurd to possibly be reality. "Just leave." I managed through my daze.
Max shook his head. "But…"
"Ava's right. Please just go." I heard Ronan agree from next to me.
Max was indignant. "You have absolutely no authority…"
"Leave." Carlisle's tone was controlled, but his eyes were furious. Max and the others were surprised by his sinister stare, and Katrina and Cindy began to back up. Max stood his ground.
"I mean it." Carlisle's voice was a decibel higher then, and it was enough for Max to turn around hesitantly and follow. He kept looking over his shoulder, however, until Edward ripped a dead tree out of the ground and whipped it as hard as he could toward them, which caused them to yelp and sprint out of the area when it crashed into a near by tree that collapsed when they collided.
"Edward," Esme scolded her son, taking his wrists and restraining them. Her breathing was ridged, and it seemed as though she was hiccupping sobs. Edward broke out of her grip and put his hand to her cheek. "It's going to be okay, Mom." He glanced at Alice.
I looked up at Ronan who was still standing in the same exact place, not moving, not breathing. I went to take his ridged hand when Carlisle said, "We should go inside and try to work this out. We can figure this out." His suggestion didn't make me feel any better. He even knew it was hopeless.
We all trudged back into the cottage with out a word and stood around the living room, staring at each other.
Carlisle took a deep breath. "Alice, what exactly did you see?"
"They're coming for us, just likes the visions before," She replied somberly, "but, there was a change in this one…"
I saw Edward nod from across the room while holding both his daughter and wife to his side while Jacob held Nessie's hand. He glanced over to me hopefully, but shook his head. "Alice, it's not fair."
She turned to him. "But it's the only way, Edward. We may be able to stop this."
"Care to explain, Alice?" Carlisle asked expectantly.
She let out a long breath and nodded towards me.
"No," I heard Rosalie snap, "I know I sound like a broken record when I say this, but she needs to value her life. You just can't do this to her."
Edward nodded. "I agree, Rosalie, believe me, I do, but what else is there to do? This is the Volturi we're talking about. Any ounce of hope we may have against them we should take advantage of."
I collapsed onto the ottoman behind me. I knew exactly what they were discussing.
Rosalie was mad then. "But this is a human life we're talking about! What happened to your virtues, Edward? This is very unlike you."
"They were destroyed along with the virtues of the meadow." I heard him mutter, and Rosalie gave him a death stare.
Carlisle ignored his comment. "I agree with Rosalie, Edward, we shouldn't just jump to those types of conclusions. We need to do everything in our power to not have to resort to that option."
Alice shook her head. "But it's the only way, Carlisle. Consider us done if she's not with us. We can't beat them with out her."
Jacob piped in then. "But we can't just kill her for it."
Renesmee jabbed him with her elbow. "Watch it, Jake. I think it should be her decision."
"How come you didn't see this earlier, Alice?" I heard Emmett ask, "Ava will make a great addition to our team!"
The conversation began to blend together then, and my head spun. This couldn't be happening now. I loved Ronan, but I couldn't give up being human. I just couldn't. My family needed me. I couldn't just leave my sisters, my maturing, almost adult-like sisters that were becoming my friends as they were supposed to be all along. They needed me, I couldn't just leave them. They would be distraught.
And then there was my mother. Oh, my strong, loving, and independent mother. Another dynamic family member, one I finally made amends with, the one I was ready to develop the right mother-daughter relationship with, one that included watching old sitcoms together, going out for late-night ice cream, and talking about boys with. I couldn't give this up. But then there was my second family.
The Cullens meant everything to me. They helped me find the real love I'd been searching for my entire life. Made me feel like I belonged somewhere, that I was wanted and included. I glanced at all the arguing faces in front of me. They all loved me; even though I did nothing to deserve their love besides put them in immense danger. How could I live with out Emmett's obnoxiousness and Alice's quirkiness? Or Bella and Renesmee's kindness, or Rosalie and Jacob's joking?
And then there was Ronan. My beautiful, loving soul mate. The person that made me feel okay, the person that made it okay to love again, the person, that even though I've only known him for a few weeks, made me feel whole again. I looked up at him, and he was intently looking down at me, torn in both directions exactly as I was. He held my hand tighter and wiped the tears out of my eyes as he always did, almost habitually now. I knew I couldn't lose him. But I couldn't leave my family, either. I was obliged to them. I couldn't be the reason they died.
I was torn. I couldn't pick. Anger flared in me suddenly as I thought of the malevolent Volturi who were coming to slaughter everyone I loved. My heart was racing, and I felt my cheeks flushing with the heat the anger raging though my body. I was shaking; my vision was beginning to blotch. I knew this feeling. I was going to lose it. The dam was going to release again.
The arguing continued, and my heart threatened to beat out of my chest. It felt like I was having a heart attack. But I kept it bottled up. I couldn't explode now. I had to stay calm…
"EVERYBODY STOP!" A voice in the room suddenly bellowed so loud, I'm surprised the windows didn't shatter.
