Chapter 13

BPOV

It seemed like every minute of each day was spent on practicing how to make my shield better. I'd tried to refuse using Steve as a guinea pig again, but Thor insisted on using him as my "motivation". Thankfully, I hadn't failed yet. But we still had no idea when Edward was going to arrive, and it was only about one month since my change. I couldn't understand what he was waiting for. Surely, Alice was still with him and was able to see everything we were doing to prepare, so what was the holdup?

My eyes were changing to the golden color they were supposed to be with every passing day, and I was able to leave longer between hunting. It seemed that Thor's theory on me being a natural vegetarian was right, as the animal blood was keeping me strong and not being used up quickly. It was still only Steve who smelled like a gourmet meal to me—no other person I'd seen or come across smelled anywhere near as appetizing—so it meant that when we were eventually able to return to the city, I wouldn't be a threat to humans. It was almost safe to say I wasn't the "normal" newborn that Thor had been expecting. As far as I was aware, there were no other vampires who had ever taken to the vegetarian lifestyle this quickly, or so easily. The one person who would be able to answer my questions on this would be Carlisle, but it wasn't like I could just call him up.

I was still practicing with both Nat's electrodes and Thor's lightning bolts, and sometimes even Clint's arrows, and getting better at projecting my shield each day. It was getting easier to control and to keep hold of it for longer periods of time.

I was getting restless at still being at the cabin, and I really wanted to go back to the city. I wasn't ready to go back to college; I was pretty sure that was out of the question, but I just needed some normalcy back. I mostly felt like I was keeping everybody else from their normal jobs. The whole time everybody was here looking after me, they weren't able to look after any other people who needed them.

We're having a break from practicing with everybody having something to eat. I'm just standing back, trying not to look as disgusted as I feel by the smell or look of the food. Thor's plate is piled so high I don't know how it isn't all falling off.

"So you don't eat anything at all, Bella?" Nat asks.

I blink. "No." I wrinkle my nose. "It smells and looks disgusting anyway."

"What happens if you do eat it?"

I shrug. "I don't know, but I'm not about to find out for you. I don't think it'll be the most enjoyable experience."

I turn to look out the window, tilting my head when I hear a noise that sounds like it's coming from the trees. I stand up and go out to the porch, but I'm not able to hear the noise anymore.

"Bella?" Steve comes out of the door and closes it behind him. "What's wrong?"

I look back to the trees, surveying the distance. "I … don't know. Something feels … different."

Suddenly, the wind changes direction, making my hackles rise instantly as the smell reaches me, and I growl involuntarily. It's a scent I haven't even smelled before but I know instantly what it is.

Vampire.

"They're here."

Steve takes my hand and links his fingers with mine. "I better suit up." He kisses the top of my head and disappears back inside.

All of the training and practicing has come down to this.

SPOV

Just as I'm grabbing my helmet, there's a knock on the bedroom door, and I open it to find Bella looking nervous.

"Steve, I just—"

"I know. Me too."

She launches herself at me, and we almost topple over before I correct our balance.

"Just remember what I said. If you have to you take their heads off." Bella sighs and turns toward the door.

"What is it?"

"Someone's pulling up in a car … with a heartbeat," she sniffs the air and groans quietly. "It's Bruce."

We run outside to see Tony, Thor, and Natasha where we left them in the clearing, staring out looking for our uninvited vampire guests.

Everyone turns to look at us. "We have a guest." Bella points around the side of the house as Bruce steps around and smiles.

"Hey, I thought I saw you out—" He looks around at all of us. "Steve, why are you in your suit? Tony, I thought that was a prototype suit? Why are you wearing that?"

"Bruce, buddy, you might wanna suit up yourself," Tony says, using air quotes, and Bruce starts to panic.

"No, no. I came here to get another blood sample from Steve, not be part of some brawl in the woods!"

Bella walks to Bruce and puts a hand comfortingly on his shoulder. "You stick with me. You listen to me. Trust the Hulk, Bruce, and trust me."

"Trust me, Bruce." A saccharine voice calls out from the distance, and we all turn to see two figures moving closer to us.

Bella moves to a point position at the front of our group, and I move to flank her left while Tony takes her right.

"What are you two doing here? Haven't you done enough damage?" The two figures continue to move closer. "Why now? Why here? What do you want?"

"Are you happy to see your brother and sister, Bella?" The male, Jasper, asks coldly. I feel a giddiness come over me before it suddenly disappears.

I look over at Bella and I can see the concentration on her face as she pushes her shield to encapsulate all of us.

"So, you are gifted. Aro suspected as much. He and Edward will be so pleased." Alice bounces up and down on her toes and claps her hands, but the joy doesn't match her face.

"Hey, doll." I can hear both Jasper and Alice growl at the term of endearment I use toward Bella. "Do you remember when we talked about 'good cop, bad cop'?"

She nods slowly; it was before the change so she's dredging it up from her mind. Then the clarity hits her. "I remember."

I hear a murmur from everyone else and a quiet panicked "No" from Bruce before Tony and I charge at the two vamps with Thor and Natasha quick on our heels.

I notice it takes a moment for Alice to realize that Bella is standing still with Bruce positioned behind her, and she leaps over us and rushes toward Bella.

"The four of you for little ole me?" Jasper's southern drawl comes out thicker than I expected.

He's putting on a show.

With my shield poised, I see his eyes widen as he realizes he might be outnumbered, outmatched, and outgunned.

BPOV

"Bruce, just stay behind me," I told him quietly as Alice makes her way, almost casually, to us.

"We just want you, Bella." Alice is stalking me like I'm her prey. "If you come with me, we'll leave everyone here alone and safe."

"What makes you think I believe you, Alice? You went against Carlisle and fed off humans. You killed innocent people, Alice! How could you?" I begin to circle with her as Bruce tries to stay out of the way.

"Believe what you want, Bella, but things have changed. A lot of things … Look, come with us now and we won't hurt anyone."

I glance over to four of the people I trust the most fighting Jasper, and I know that even if Alice is being genuine, Jasper is out for blood.

"I can't leave, Alice. Edward and all of you left me. It's over. He told me I would forget and move on. It's time he did the same thing." I see Bruce move more to my side and his nostrils flare.

He's been on the wrong side of love and had his heart broken. I know he empathizes with me.

"I don't want him or any of you anymore," I tell her with all the conviction I have left in me. "This was never the life I wanted. You stole my life from me, Alice!"

With my screaming, I don't realize what's happening next to me. Bruce is transforming before our eyes, and Alice looks … relieved.

He roars into the clearing and the battle with Jasper comes to a halt as Bruce snatches up Alice and she tries to bite him, but her teeth won't penetrate his skin.

They look a little like Faye Ray and King Kong as Jasper begins to sprint across the field to rescue her. But her tiny voice calls out to him. "It's the only way."

Jasper skids to a halt and stops dead in his tracks. "Alice!"

"Just go!" she screams as he looks at all of us and runs for the forest.

Steve reaches me first as the group of four runs to us. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Go clean up. You're bloody," I say as I look at his split lip and the black eye that's forming.

As he runs inside, Uncle Tony asks what we'll do with her.

"Hulk, can you hold her long enough for us to figure it out?" When he nods and gives Alice a sinister smile, Uncle Tony, Thor, and I come up with a plan.

We have questions and Alice is going to give us the answers.