A/N: Shoutout to the wonderful asanobara for beta'ing this chapter for me!
Y'ALL. This is not a Supernatural crossover – I was asking about classifying the fic or not because I don't totally understand at what point a fic IS a crossover.
This one isn't!
If you have trusted me to take you this far, trust me now.
On a radically different note, I hope everyone is staying healthy regarding COVID. If you've been protesting, go get tested! Apparently even Planned Parenthood is running tests to help combat hospital/clinic testing-sight overflow!
ALSO.
Also trans-women are women and JKR is problematic.
And BLM.
YES, we should know that all lives matter, but we say BLM because our societal structures are set up in a way that doesn't value black lives as deserving of living.
*You wouldn't tell people raising money for breast cancer that all cancers matter.*
*You wouldn't tell the people creating a vaccine for COVID that all illnesses matter.*
Why am I telling you these things when the popular idea is that authors need to stay out of politics to not alienate their audience?
Because it isn't just about politics anymore. It's about human lives, specifically, the ones that are disproportionately (per statistics of population) murdered by police: black lives.
I don't care if you won't read my story anymore.
I don't care if you think I sound abrasive.
Black lives are worth more than your brief attention to this story.
*insert "I said what I said," gif here*
Carlisle stood in a darkened room the hospital often used for administrative meetings. There was a phone number written on the whiteboard, along with the instructions:
Dr. Cullen – return call from the CDC
Of course, recognizing the number's Italian country code, Carlisle strongly suspected the number wasn't really for the CDC.
He hesitated for only a few moments, before deciding it would be best to get it over with. The number was dialed and connected moments later, and was answered on the second ring.
"Ah, Carlisle," came a deceivingly smooth answer.
Carlisle recognized the voice instantly. "Aro," the doctor addressed the vampire neutrally. "To what do I owe the honor?"
"According to Edward, there is little to no chance you are unaware of our imminent arrival."
Carlisle's silence encouraged the ancient vampire to continue.
"You have made many missteps throughout our friendship, but none so grave as siding with an abomination. There are laws that must be followed, dear Carlisle. However," Aro breathed, clearly thrilled with the opportunity to hang something over the doctor's head, "my brothers and I have decided that, should you side with us, and should you convince your seer to join our ranks, you and your mate will be spared."
Carlisle clenched his free fist tightly, nails digging deeply enough to draw venom from his marble flesh.
"You have five days and eighteen hours to decide."
"And if I refuse?"
Aro allowed a few seconds of silence to pass, always happy to be as dramatic as possible. "Do not."
The line went silent, and the doctor quickly deleted the call from the log on his phone.
Dr. Carlisle Cullen, father of first five, then four, and husband to one, was at war with himself. He weighed the pros and cons: he could keep his wife and one of his daughters, and earn his son back, but in turn would lose the rest of his family.
But if there is a way to keep my mate safe, do I even have to think about it?
Bella woke with a dull aching pain behind her eyes, her throat dry and scratchy. She noted the absence of her mate almost immediately and opened her eyes before trying to sit up.
Doing so caused the pressure in her head to shift, however, keeping her flat on her bed. She groaned softly and managed to roll to her side to find a glass of cool water on her nightstand.
Bella reached for it, noting that her arms felt extremely bizarre, almost like they had been "asleep" but without the pins and needles feeling. She took a sip, grateful to whoever had thought to leave it for her and glanced at the clock.
A jolt of panic shot through the girl, waking her body fully, when she processed the time on the display: it was a little after eleven in the morning, and Bella was quite late for her classes.
Did I really sleep for twelve hours?
Before she had a chance to fling back her covers and run to her dresser to grab some clothes, a soft knock sounded against her door.
"Hey, Sug," Charlotte's melodic voice rang through the air, her twang pulling the corner of Bella's lip in a smile. "Can I come in?"
"Sure," Bella answered quickly. She waited for her aunt to slip through the door. "But only if you tell me why everyone let me sleep so long," she adding with just a hint of accusation.
"Well," Charlotte began, sitting on the edge of the girl's bed, reminding Bella very much of Renee. "Charlie thought it over and with everything going on, he thought it would be best to call the school to say you're real torn up about Jess, what with the funeral and all. He told them it brought up a lot of trauma surrounding your mom, and you wouldn't be in for a while."
"He isn't wrong," Bella pointed out, then nibbled her lip in thought. "What about my assignments though?"
"Charlie is going to pick up your homework for this week and the next on his way home. That way you can work on it from home without feeling so overwhelmed.
"That's a great plan, actually," Bella rejoiced before taking another sip from the glass.
"Yeah, it gives us time to prepare," Charlotte muttered, dragging Bella's focus back to the upcoming confrontation.
"Ugh!" Bella groaned and settled back into her pillows with annoyance. "Can't we just— okay, for real, is there anyone with the ability to stop time?"
Her aunt chuckled ruefully. "I wish, Sweetpea. I really do; though, according to Carlisle we have a few days yet."
"What do you mean?"
Charlotte examined her perfect nails, in a move Bella recognized as her aunt buying time while she thought about what she should and shouldn't divulge.
"Spit it out."
The vampire sighed and met her niece's gaze. "Apparently Dr. Cullen has a contact within the Volturi."
"And you don't believe him?" Bella asked, brows furrowed.
"It isn't impossible."
"But?"
"But Jasper said it felt like there was more to it."
"Like Carlisle was leaving something out?"
Charlotte simply nodded and let the subject drop, clearly uncomfortable with sharing whatever else she thought about it.
Following her lead, Bella asked, "Do you think we're even close to prepared?"
"Maybe. We need to run drills this week, but something interesting happened after y'all left last night," Charlotte offered, running a hand through her hair thoughtfully. "Esme and Jess decided to try an experiment on Emmett— I mean, with his consent."
"How did Jess impact Esme's gift?" Bella asked excitedly, the pain in her head finally beginning to ease, thanks to the water.
Charlotte grinned evilly in response. "Jess boosted Esme's gift enough to— I guess the only way to describe it, is that she made Emmett forget."
"Forget what?" Bella asked, bewildered and excited by the new development.
"To start out, Esme told him, 'Emmett, you will forget the hypothetical discussion about amplifying my gift, except all that did was make him think someday he would forget."
"Oh, because she said he 'will' forget," Bella cut in.
"Exactly," Charlotte confirmed. "So, after that, they tried again but phrased it differently. 'Emmett, you no longer remember the hypothetical discussion about amplifying my gift,' and that did the trick."
"Wow," Bella breathed, dumbfounded. "Did she try to make him remember after that?"
"Yeah, but unfortunately, it didn't work. Last I heard, they were going to have Esme add the stipulation that she can reveal the memory at a later time."
"This could change so much," the shifter whispered, feeling hopeful.
"It sure does— I imagine Mama Bear's skill is going to play a major role in all this," Charlotte agreed. "Now, why don't I go fix you up a plate of breakfast while you hop in the shower?"
"Are you trying to tell me I smell bad?" Bella asked teasingly.
"Well, I wouldn't go so far as to say it, Sug, but since you did, I'll just smile and let you get to it."
Bella rolled her eyes as Charlotte left her room, flitting down the stairs to whip something up for her niece.
After one plate of more scrambled eggs than Bella thought she could possibly eat with a side of toast, numerous mugs of tea, and a few mindless comedies, Bella was beginning to feel more like herself. Her aunt even made her a deceptively pink smoothie that contained a few too many veggies and leafy greens for Bella's liking.
"You know," Bella remarked while her aunt glanced over the DVD collection in the living room, "At first, I thought the breakfast was overkill, but now that I'm feeling better, I can see I really needed that."
"You did," her aunt responded gravely. "I was real upset we were only able to get that protein bar in you after we got you home."
"I barely remember it," Bella whispered, trying to think back but mostly recalling the sensations of letting go, surrendering her mind, and just existing. "I'm strong; maybe stronger than my body could handle."
"You are very strong, Sug," Charlotte confirmed with a sad smile. "The thing about that, though, is that it takes a lot out of you."
"It felt…" Bella searched for the words and ran her hands up and down her arms, the energy zinging along with each touch. "It felt amazing. It still feels amazing. Even better, especially now that I've eaten, but it was definitely draining." She finally met her aunt's observant gaze. "Do you think if I practice, it won't take as much energy?"
Charlotte considered for a few moments before opening her mouth to speak; however, she was interrupted by the sound of Jasper's truck rumbling down the road.
"I don't really know, but I think the Major is better equipped to answer your question," Charlotte said with a smile. "I have to get a hunt in, but I'll be back around when Charlie gets home with Pete. You catch your mate up, Sug." She flashed a wink at her niece and bolted out the patio door.
Bella jumped up and rushed to open the door. The instant it shut behind him, Jasper scooped her up and had her pressed between his body and her bed a microsecond.
Everywhere his fingers met her flesh, her energy rose and spiked to meet him, sending pleasurable surges through every fiber of her being. She gasped her surprise into his mouth, growing ravenous for her mate.
Teeth nipping and pulling at lips, hands running and sliding along curves and planes, their bodies moved together with a frantic instinctual pull. Every touch, every moan seemingly choreographed to bring them to a feverish need for the other as their clothes piled on the floor.
Jasper pressed into her as slowly as he could, his fingers digging into her shoulders with the effort it took to restrain himself as gasping cries spilled from her lips. His length was almost completely buried inside her when Bella felt her energy pressing out, seeking to encompass her mate.
His cold body shuddered against her heated flesh as he was hit by the onslaught of their combined need. His own energy met hers, penetrating deep inside her to share what he felt for her.
The love and trust he felt for her ran more deeply than Bella could have imagined. She knew they were and she knew how intensely she felt her own emotions, but what he expressed and what he felt suddenly connected in ways that overwhelmed her, as though her brain didn't know how to contain it all.
Eyes never leaving hers, Jasper unleashed the sensation of their combined emotions and need, every ounce of what he was feeling, leaving Bella overloaded to the point of climax, spasms wracking through her body. The burst of energy flooded through her mate, bringing his own release quickly, leaving the two gasping in a heap of tangled limbs.
Every twitch, every breath, and every one of Bella's heartbeats was a brush of energy between them, beckoning to their bodies. Even as Jasper moved to withdraw, like magnets fighting an irresistible pull their bodies shook with the need for his re-entry.
"Please," Bella gasped, unable to stop herself. She freed her arms from between them and gripped the backs of his thighs to pull him closer, sheathing him once more.
A hiss escaped him, and in a movement too quick to process, Jasper had one hand wrapped tightly in her hair, the other gripping her hip, as though it would allow him to keep his grip on reality. "Should I stop projecting?"
"Don't you dare," Bella growled, holding his body to hers. "I need to share it all with you." She slid one hand up his smooth back, watching his eyes darken with desire, and her muscles twisted reflexively in anticipation.
Jasper released her hip and teased the flesh of her abdomen as his lips met hers. With a hungry moan, his fingers reached between them to circle her bud.
With a single gasping cry, Bella was catapulted over the edge once more-
I love you-
He thrust inside of her-
I love you-
- somehow finding and maintaining a steady rhythm while she was caught in a swirl of unrelenting pleasure.
It wasn't until she threw her head back against her pillow, arms splayed out at her sides, body growing limp-
I love you- I love you- I love you-
- that Jasper ceased the movement of his hips. He wound his fingers through Bella's and slid their arms up above her head to rest as he crashed on top of her. He was a welcome weight to ground herself with.
Bella's swollen lips pressed against his, their kisses settling somewhere between urgent desperation and complete and utter satisfaction.
He finally tore himself free and trailed his lips along her jaw before swirling his tongue up the pale, soft column of her neck. "You, all of you, to the core of your very being- are the most resplendent creature I have ever and will ever know."
The sound of his voice tore through her like fire, flames of pleasure that licked at her, quickly consuming her.
Her feelings hit Jasper immediately, rebounding with a mix of his responsive emotions, catching them in another emotional loop.
Bella broke her hands free from his and reached to cup his face and wrapped one hand around the back of his neck. She threaded her fingers into his golden waves, holding him in place to her. "Now do you see?" she finally managed to gasp. "Now do you know?"
Jasper's feelings exploded outward, crashing over Bella, consuming her. She couldn't move, could hardly breathe against the crushing weight of his devotion; that he would happily die for her a million times over was no question.
They lay in the silence of their afterglow, interrupted only by a random ray of sun that cut through the cloud cover to cast sparkles across the walls, sending ripples of Bella's wonder teasingly through Jasper's chest.
"Yet again darlin', I'm pretty sure that if we don't stop," Jasper murmured gently, loathe to ruin the moment, "we never will, and you will perish of starvation."
"But oh, what a way to go," Bella's voice rang out with mirth.
"True," he allowed with a quirk of his lips, "but I would miss you."
"Well we can't have that."
"Absolutely not."
Bella emerged from her quick shower and twisted her hair up into a stylish messy bun that would probably pass the Charlie-check. No need to get caught with sex-hair.
"On a scale of one to ten: how innocent does this look?" Bella asked slyly as she slid back into her bedroom, dropping the towel almost immediately as she gestured to her hair.
Jasper gulped in response, unable to tear his eyes from her nude form. "Sorry darlin', but I'm going to have to dock nine points on account of you needing to find some clothes."
Bella exaggerated a disappointed frown and flitted to her dresser to find a too-skimpy pair of underwear, a matching bra, the pair of jeans Rosalie had given her, and a red t-shirt made of a soft material that managed to make her look at least somewhat pulled together. She took her time getting dressed, knowing full well she was putting on a show.
"And now?" she asked coquettishly. One side of her lips twisted up, betraying the illusion of innocence she worked so hard to craft.
"A solid seven," Jasper replied then grinned at her dismay. "Can't fool me."
Bella rolled her eyes in response and turned to face the mirror while she smoothed her top over her pants. "Remind me to thank Rose for the clothes, especially these jeans." She twisted to admire her behind. "It's so hard to find jeans that fit, let alone make my ass look good."
"Hmm," Jasper rumbled teasingly from where he was straightening her bedding. "I could but Rosalie wasn't the one that got them for you."
Bella spun to face him in confusion. "Esme?"
"Nope."
"Alice? How could she have known I'd need jeans if she can't even see me?"
"You wound me, Miss Swan."
"Wait, you did? But how did you know my measurements?" She blushed, realizing the answer quickly.
Jasper walked forward slowly, letting Bella's anticipation build, then wrapped his arms around his mate and held her tightly. One of his hands reached up along her back, the other slid down to wrap around her waist, locking her to him. "I might be a little familiar with your body."
"Just a little," Bella joked, trying and failing to maintain her composure. She inhaled a shuddering breath and tried again, "So, how about I cook while you catch me up to speed?"
Jasper gave her round bottom one last squeeze, then patted it, effectively steering her toward the door as he released her.
Bella ran happily down the stairs and washed her hands before pulling out ingredients for her dinner with Charlie.
"Oh," she remembered suddenly, "so, thanks for the clothes. I'll pay you b—"
"Nope."
"But I can—"
"Accept that because you're my mate what's mine is yours and you shouldn't feel bad when you get clothes? Especially when you need them because your body is changing in ways you never could have anticipated?"
Bella set a cutting board and knife down on the countertop and sighed. "I'm not ungrateful, but it isn't like you're responsible for the rollercoaster ride of Bella's Ever Changing Physique."
Jasper gripped the back of his neck, forehead wrinkling in thought. His golden eyes darkened, marking his obvious discomfort.
"Wait— you think you are?"
"Well," Jasper paused, then washed up at the sink so he could help his mate with dinner prep. "Your growth rate was already fast," he offered slowly, "but something happened that seems to have made a difference."
"Care to clue me in?" Bella asked nervously, bumping her hip into his as she set a few freshly peeled carrots and celery sticks onto the board for Jasper to chop.
Jasper thought for a few moments, knife gliding smoothly through the vegetables while Bella set a burner for half a pot of water and another for a frying pan. She drizzled oil into the pan and cut a thin slice of butter to toss in along with it.
He sighed after the last chop. Unable to meet her eyes, he said, "I bit you."
Bella paused at the refrigerator one hand setting the butter back in the flip-tray, the other grabbing box of sliced and rinsed mushrooms.
"More than once."
"That's true," Bella agreed slowly, nervous as to where the conversation was going.
She finished her fridge-foraging then tore the plastic from the container of mushrooms and dumped them into the pan.
"Can you toss in the carrots and celery?"
See, calm, I'm calm, totally not freaking out at all, no siree.
Bella grabbed a few potatoes from a bag in the pantry and moved to the sink to rinse and peel them before setting them down to cut up. The automatic process of cooking was helpful and kept her from freaking out too much in the face of the seemingly endless changes in her life.
"I'm not a vampire though," she finally pointed out, grabbing the knife and setting to work.
"No," Jasper agreed gently, "but you're different now. I think something in your DNA might have been modified because of it."
"Like what?"
Can we have one day? Just one day without weird shit.
"Well, you healed quickly before, but the time between injury and repair is unbelievably fast now."
"How do you know it isn't part of my genes?"
"Your growth rate was finally decelerating. Carlisle's tests confirmed that. So why would you suddenly change if not an outside factor?"
"What all changed?" Bella asked, turning to face him and doing her best to remain calm while he explained.
Jasper gave the vegetables in the pan another stir and added a spoonful of chicken bouillon to the pot of water. He turned to study his mate, who was staring at him, knife still in hand.
"Cut yourself," he whispered hoarsely, sounding as though he wished he didn't have to suggest something so gruesome.
"Excuse me?" Bella asked, bewildered.
"Take the knife and run it across the palm of your hand— you'll see."
"Don't be ridiculous," Bella growled, and spun around and chopped the potatoes more forcefully than necessary. She scooped them up between her hand and the sharp edge of the knife to set in a bowl to transfer to the pot.
There's no way. At all. He's full of it.
She moved to the sink and cleaned the knife...but she couldn't pull her eyes away from the knife now that the thought had entered her head.
Bella tested the point against the soft flesh of her palm, waiting for blood to pool up around the metal, but nothing happened. She pressed harder until she was certain that if her hand had been a pumpkin she would have cleaved it in two.
Bella set the knife aside and gripped the countertop, once again feeling like a freak.
God damnit.
"But I don't want blood," she countered lamely.
"You're not a vampire."
"What then?" Bella gripped the bowl perhaps a little too tightly in one hand and spun to face the stove top and her mate. "What the fuck is happening to me?"
"After the attack," Jasper began, suppressing a snarl at the reminder and grabbed the bowl from her to pour into the pot of water.
"After the attack," Bella cut in with determination, "you bit me, withdrew any trace of venom that my body didn't immediately reject, and gave me some of your own, right?" She stirred the vegetables and turned the burner off, satisfied that browning them had released enough flavor for the soup. "And nothing happened!"
"Right. Nothing happened. Your blood didn't change— it's like your body attacked and rid itself of it. But the second time..."
Bella reflexively reached up to touch her neck, and ran her fingertips over the mark her mate had left: a mirror of the one she had given him. "My body didn't get rid of it?"
"I don't think so, no. Carlisle hasn't run tests since then. The differences are minute, maybe not even that noticeable to anyone but me, but the changes are there."
"So, what has changed since then?" Bella asked, trying to keep a cool head by busying herself at the stove.
"You've grown a bit more. Your skin is slightly lighter, a little pearlescent— though I don't know if that's due to the way your powers have developed or the venom. Your flesh is stronger, as you can see: whereas you would have been sliced and healed quickly before, the likelihood of actual puncture has decreased significantly."
"And my gift?"
"I think that your gift was always there, and Jess helped you reach it, but I also think that before being bitten, you would not have been able to project— at least not without years of practice."
Jasper studied the emotions playing out across her face, not needing his gift to understand his mate. He waited for her to reach for him, and when she did, he wrapped her tightly in his arms, soothing the shifter with his cool, strong hands. "You're still perfectly amazing, darlin'," he murmured quietly.
Bella contemplated the situation and finally landed on acceptance. "I guess this isn't the strangest thing to happen in my life," she decided, "and it isn't like it's a bad thing. What do you think happened? Why the second time?"
"I think that maybe your body deemed my venom to be harmless because you eradicated the first exposure without any difficulties. So, during round two, your body decided to take in something that could make you stronger."
"Like my body decided to pick and choose from the list of vampire qualities," Bella asked with a nervous giggle, trying to get used to the idea.
"I think so," Jasper whispered gently and pulled away, using his thumbs to wipe away stray tears Bella wasn't even aware had trickled free. "I know it sounds—"
"Absolutely bananas?"
"Sure," Jasper agreed with a smile. "But it isn't the strangest thing, like you said. Think of it this way: you were powerful before, more powerful physically than me, even. Now, you just have the bulletproof skin to match."
Bella's mouth dropped open with sudden shock. "Oh my god! Do you think I'm flammable?"
"Jesus Chr- of course your brain jumped there!" Jasper rubbed his face in exasperation.
"Well," Bella protested, her voice rising in defense, "I cook! I grill!" She raised one hand to stop him from answering as she was struck by another thought. "I do still need food, right? I can't live without barbeque, I really can't. My mom grew up in the south and it's practically a religion. A cardinal sin if you can't make good ribs. BARBEQUE, JASPER."
His mate looked so comically distressed by the idea that Jasper couldn't suppress a grin. "Yes I think you still need food. The fact you needed to eat a substantial amount of food after using your gift so extensively confirms that, right?"
Bella nodded and eased a sigh of relief through her mouth. "Thank goodness. Think of the tacos, Jasper! Mangoes! Pineapples! Spaghetti!"
"I notice you haven't mentioned any leafy greens," Peter sassed as he walked into the kitchen, the sound of Charlie closing the door behind them sounding from the living room.
"Haha," Bella answered flatly, positive she wouldn't miss them much at all. "Not after today," she muttered darkly.
Bella turned to the sink to scrub up again, then reached into the refrigerator to grab a cooked rotisserie chicken she and Charlie had been working on finishing off.
"Soup?" Charlie asked as his daughter added the meat to the pot.
"Yeah; about five minutes," she called over her shoulder.
"Sounds comforting," he remarked with a smile. "Much needed on a day like today," he added with a glance out the curtains to the cloud-darkened sky. The sun, it seemed, had decided to retreat from Forks once again.
More needed than you know.
When her father stepped out to wash up for dinner Jasper turned to face Bella and once more reached for her. "I know it's a lot, everything, all of it. I have to think..." he trailed off, not sure how to phrase himself in a way that wouldn't invalidate her feelings.
"That maybe it's just one more thing to help prepare us?"
"Yeah...I think we're all starting to sound like broken records at this point, but it's just a feeling."
But no one's asking the important question: what's coming that we need be so prepared for?
Alice made the newborn mistake of biting her lip in thought and winced as venom pooled in her mouth. She dropped the canvas covered book onto her bed and flopped back, absorbing the white ceiling above her.
Renee's journals had certainly proven useful in understanding the girl and her mother's gift, but there was something bothering Alice. There was a sinking feeling in her gut— a sensation she previously assumed was reserved only for humans— and she looked over the dates again, just to be sure. Which, of course, she was.
No mistaking it, then.
She took a deep shuddering breath and soaked in the few moments of calm her home offered her. Walking as slowly as possible, Alice made her way to the gardens where she knew she would find Esme, knowing that the peace she finally found would soon end.
I should have known better.
I should have done better.
I should have noticed.
Bella stared down the line of vampires in front of her, waiting for the Major's instructions. She assessed each of them; their weak spots, remembering the tactics they had previously employed, and considered the unknowns presented by Peter, Charlotte, Jessica, and Garrett.
"For now," the Major called out to the group, "I want Bella to run a drill with Rosalie. After that she will face Rosalie and Emmett together." He addressed Jessica and Garrett directly, "Since Jess doesn't have much experience fighting as a vampire, she'll be paired with you, and studied off and on by both Pete and Char for pointers and drill modifications."
Rosalie had already taken a defensive stance, causing Bella to smile internally.
"Bella," Jasper murmured as he approached her, "we know you're strong— stronger than us in many ways. For tonight, I want you to try fighting without any shifting, partial or otherwise."
Bella frowned, but before she could argue, he continued:
"I know it's a part of who you are, and I know it isn't something to repress; I think that working with your human form might allow your shifting abilities to be an 'ace up our sleeve,' so to speak."
"You think we might be able to catch the Volturi off guard?"
"I think that we can safely assume that if they know you're a shifter, they don't know the extent of your power. Being able to shift partially, to incorporate the more dangerous and violent aspects of animals would be more effective if they have no time to prepare for it."
Bella nodded once, understanding his line of thinking perfectly.
If I pop-off too quickly, the Volturi have time to strategize... and potentially pin an even larger target to my back.
While Bella was mulling this over, Rosalie took advantage of her distraction to launch an offensive. She flew gracefully through the air and managed to rake her nails along Bella's side, then used her arm to swing herself behind the girl to try to pull her down.
Rather than fight gravity, Bella spun with the momentum of her sister's movement. Before Rosalie could pull her to the ground, Bella broke the vampire's grip by wrapping her fingers up and over her wrist from underneath and flung the vampire aside.
Rosalie managed to land on her feet, of course, and the dance between the two killers began. Lash and dodge, twirl and jab, neither girl allowing themselves to be pinned down.
A whoosh of air came from Bella's right, and she instinctively ducked forward and right. Her movement kept her mammoth of a brother from barreling into her, and she strafed right, preventing him from correcting direction in time. He slid through the grass with a muttered "shit".
A rumbling growl built in Bella's chest and it took her a moment to swallow the sound. The animal inside Bella was not placed with her mate's training tactics: Bella felt like she was a cat twitching its tail with agitation
Emmett paused to regroup next to Rosalie, who had been momentarily distracted by his arrival, her worry for her mate's safety getting the better of her.
Bella saw her chance was upon Rosalie in an instant. She wrapped her arm wrapped around the vampire's neck. Wasting no time, Bella dropped to the ground, vampire in tow.
Rosalie hit the ground with a grunt, the earth shuddering below her with the force of the impact.
Before Emmett had a chance to retaliate, Bella shot herself at his legs— below his center of gravity. Her instincts paid off, and the massive vampire was knocked down. She angled her feet against the direction she was sliding, flinging mud as she came to a stop.
Bella didn't give her brother a chance to recover, and was on him in a flash, twisting his head in the crook of her arm, her long legs wrapped tightly around his back, pinning his arms to his sides.
He groaned at the pressure, much to Rosalie's alarm, but before she could remove Bella, the Major signaled for them to stop.
"I could have taken her," Bella insisted.
"I know you could have, but had this been a real fight, Rosalie would have been dismantled after your take-down, and Emmett just now. Pinning by the neck is the call during our scrimmage."
Bella grinned with satisfaction and stood while her brother righted himself and looked his mate over.
Rosalie waved him off, indicating she was fine and focused on Bella. "How's your side? I don't smell any blood, but you know— you don't smell."
Lost to the energy of their spar, the shifter had nearly forgotten that her sister had sliced her flesh. Bella twisted to look at her hip and froze.
Rosalie watched the shifter's face, horrified she might have injured her sister. "Is it that bad? Do we need to go get Carli—"
"I'm fine," Bella whispered. She lifted her eyes to meet Jasper's gaze before looking at Rosalie. "Really." She turned to let the group inspect her side: the space where the vampire's razor-sharp nails had found purchase along her hip was nothing but a panel of smooth skin.
"How?" Rosalie asked, her voice quavering.
"Complicated," Jasper cut in, not wanting to get into the topic again. "Pete, you're up."
The dismissal was clear, and Peter approached his niece to bring a different level of expertise to her training.
With a grim smile, Bella took the offensive once more.
Her uncle wasted no time planning a defense, and instead moved on instinct with a sort of deadly grace that not even Rosalie had been capable of achieving.
Bella was a quick study and mimicked his style, blending it quickly with her own. Their scrimmage moved up and down the enormous clearing with neither gaining the upper hand long enough to capture the other.
Their sparring soon earned an audience and noting the change to her surroundings, Bella was distracted. Peter was on top of her in a flash, his foot planted on her chest. He wrenched her arms upward and out in a move that should have dislocated her shoulders.
"Hit," the Major called out.
"Wait!" Jessica cried out, analyzing the scene before her. "You're wrong," she addressed Jasper moments later.
He raised his eyebrow in response and waited for the newborn to continue.
"I understand that the round ends when someone is pinned in a way that the loser would— er— lose limbs— but Bella isn't in danger of that."
Bella panted with the effort to stay down, to not use her legs to pull her uncle backward and bring herself back to a standing position. She twisted her arms gently, testing her limits.
"Explain," the Major commanded, not leaving room for argument from anyone else.
Jessica shook her wrists and began pacing while she thought before tapping her thumb to each fingertip on the same hand in a pattern that only she could follow. "Bella is stronger than us," she stated bluntly. "Stronger than me, and I should be the strongest."
The group waited quietly, following her easily so far.
"Her skin couldn't be punctured by Rosalie, and while I have noticed a change in the hardness of her skin," Jessica continued slowly, "I think that a bigger component has to do with the resiliency of your flesh itself- the elasticity."
Bella pieced the information together first. "Because I'm not as hard as stone, I'm less likely to… lose pieces?"
"That's what I think, or at least, that's what the visual evidence presents."
"And how exactly do I test this?" Peter asked sarcastically. "Just hope I don't rip her damn arms off?"
Jessica stopped pacing and stared her uncle down as though he were stupid. "Obviously."
"Jess!" Rosalie chastised her quickly.
"It isn't that I don't care," Jessica protested quickly and finally focused on Bella's face. "I just know your arms will stay attached."
Bella wasn't sure if she was ready to test this theory. She shifted her gaze to her mate's and noted the hollowed pits in his eyes. For once, he didn't seem to cross the line from rationality to instinct. He was still very much present and integrated with himself.
The rest of the group, however, did not interpret the Major the way Bella did, and slowly backed off out of habit, save for Jessica, who had to be led away by Garrett.
Peter loosened his grip immediately. "I would never harm my niece— your mate, Major," he said hoarsely.
"Go," was all he said in response. The order was clear.
Bella remained on the ground, staring up at the clouded sky, and patted the earth beside her, inviting her mate to join her.
He did as she requested, allowing a sense of calm that had nothing to do with his gift to envelop the girl.
"Thanks," she whispered into the night. "I wasn't ready."
He was silent for longer than Bella thought he would be, either warring with himself or not sure how she would take his answer.
"I don't trust anyone enough to try," the Major admitted, voice shaking.
Bella turned toward him and snaked one arm under his back using her free hand to pull him forward to face her. She leaned in to study his face, his eyes, his lips, his scars: every physical detail that made her mate everything he was.
She tilted her face, breath ghosting along his cool skin, teasing his lips. Her kisses were light, feathers against the smooth marble beneath her, and Bella let go.
Her shield pushed outward, enclosing them both, allowing the Major to sample her feelings.
"You trust me?" he asked, hardly able to believe how deep her trust ran.
"More than anyone, Major Whitlock," she admitted with a grin. "I mean, I would do it myself, but if anyone could accidentally rip their own arm off, it would be me, wouldn't it?"
Her ridiculous retort was enough to lighten the mood and allowed the two to snuggle closer under the silvered cloud cover, both grateful for every moment they could spend together.
Bella and Jasper were finally settled in for bed when the ding of an incoming text sounded from her bedside table. With a tired groan, the shifter fumbled in the dark for it.
"Check it tomorrow?" Jasper suggested quietly.
"If someone is texting this late, it's important."
She flipped it open and squinted against the glare.
So, we should probably figure out how to keep the good people of Forks safe during the impending slaughter, right? Can you and your people meet with me and my people tomorrow?
Jake
Bella's stomach dropped and the reality of their situation weighed her down, down, down. It wasn't until she lifted her shield for Jasper to help her relax that the girl was able to sleep.
Bella walked down the hall; the familiar hall, the terrible hall. It wasn't a hall in real life, but in her dreams it was always a seemingly endless corridor. Just like every other time she dreamed of the hallway, it wasn't until she remembered what was waiting for her at the end that she was finally able to reach the end— only when she no longer wanted to get there.
And that was when she knew she was in a dream, because she knew what was coming; she was trapped.
It was too late to run, as her hand was on the silver plate riveted to the sterile-looking white door. It swung forward slowly at her touch, and she entered the cold room.
Her mother was on the table. The harsh fluorescent lights overhead made her skin glow a soft, sickly green. Her body was still and the lack of movement startled Bella more than it should have.
She had seen dead bodies before, but when it was someone she loved, Bella just hadn't been prepared for how shockingly different the lack of life rendered a person. Gone.
It was as though someone had hung a "vacancy" sign in her mother's body.
The dream was almost always the same. The only changes were how long she had to wait before someone yanked her away, at which point, Bella was either relieved she no longer had to look, or angry anyone dared to pull her away.
This time, however, the dream was different; this time, her mother wasn't vacant.