Thank you guys you really are an amazing audience.
POV: ?
It has been at least two hours since Gwen and Jasper synced. I had moved myself to sit about midway up the stairs, watching over Gwen. The Cullen's still stood in the same positions, all waiting except one.
Alice sat, nearly on top of Jasper, holding herself. She would rock back and forth and every now and then she's gasp at a vision, have a mild fit, and then return to her rocking.
The wolves sat with me on the stairs and whined, understanding as I did, that unless we acted soon the plan wouldn't work and we would lose.
The newborns were coming.
The Volturi were here.
We waited.
And hope was slowly seeping through the cracks.
The Cullen's were so convinced it would only take a moment. So stubborn. So stupid.
"How much longer?" Emmett inquired once again, hopefully sensing the impending doom.
"Till what?" Alice snapped. She was one her feet in a flash and in his face in an instant. "Till Jasper comes back or till the newborns tear us apart?!"
"Alice." Carlisle warns.
Alice quickly returns to her previous fetal position and holds herself in. She mutters something unintelligible. The little lunatic.
"Edward?" Carlisle sighed, running his hand through his hair.
"Nothing." He sighed. "No thoughts from either of them."
This time I sigh, earning the glares of nearly the entire Cullen coven.
"Well we just can't sit here anymore." I insist. "We're supposed to be following the plan."
"Right now this is the plan." Carlisle growled, sounding more tired than terrifying. "Their condition is too unstable. We can't leave them unprotected."
"The newborns are on their way Cullen." I remind.
I stood up and jabbed my finger toward the window.
"They aren't going to wait for them to snap out of it! We need to be prepared for the probability that they won't."
"He's right Carlisle." The wolf comes to my defense. "Pretty soon that whole 'brilliant plan' goes out the window."
For that moment no one knew what to do. The Cullen's all looked to their "fearless leader", while he just stared wide eyed into the not so distant future. They knew the wolves and I were right. Just too stubborn to listen.
Gwen laid in that unnatural stillness looking sideways at the scene. Her beautiful eyes were slightly open, glazed over in that steel blue. As if begging for us to make some kind of progress.
"This is ridiculous." I stated.
"This is my family!" Carlisle roared.
His teeth were bared and his perfectly quaffed hair started to become more and more untamed as he visibly shook with anger. His eyes, though black, burned with such raw emotion and rage I almost took a step back.
"If you cared about your family at all you'd stop wasting time and move on with the fucking plan." I screamed back.
The expression fell off Carlisle's face and the last shred of light dimmed from his eyes.
The man launched himself up the stairs, taking me completely by surprise. Peaceful, loving, bunny-eating Carlisle Cullen drove my spine into the cold marble stairs while his teeth began to ravage my skin. I screamed and kicked at him and no one moved to help. As a newborn myself I should be stronger than him, yet my muscles were far out matched. His nails dug into my arms and I screamed again.
"Carlisle." Rose said.
Carlisle's hand snatched up my platinum blond hair by the roots and yanked till I let out another screech. He lifted my head from the marble only to slam it down again and again and again. I managed to free my hands from his grasp and give his chest a shove. He quickly grabbed them and forced them out to the side with a snarl.
"Carlisle." Edward tired.
The ancient vampire bared his teeth to me and I begged for him to stop. Another scream sounded from me as he sank his teeth into my shoulder, breaking the collar bone there. Carlisle shifted then so he was once again holding me up by my white hair. He held me an inch from his face and roared. The man tilted his head and bared his teeth again, pulling back to angle at my throat. He means to kill me.
"Carlisle!" Esme screamed.
Her husband immediately dropped me.
"She is not the enemy here!"
Carlisle looked at me in shock. As if he was truly surprised my current condition and the amount of fresh bite marks that now adorned my skin. He backed away from me, horrified at himself and fled back down to stand with his wife.
"We need to-"
Before Jacob could finish his statement Edward screamed.
We all turned to star at him as he gripped the sides of his head in pain and sank to his knees. Carlisle and Emmett rushed to his side. Edward rolled over, his back arched in agony. Another scream ripped through the room. Gwen.
I managed to peel myself from the marble and limp down to her side just as Jasper began to scream as well. I along with the rest of the Cullen's and wolves looked between the three in horror.
Gwen's eyes flew open and she quickly shot to her feet. She looked around wildly till her eyes landed on me.
"What happened to you?!" She demanded breathlessly.
POV: Gwen
I looked up into the white haired vampires eyes with confusion. She looked as if the newborns had already come and she barely made it out with her life. Fresh marks stained her otherwise perfect skin.
I reached up to touch one, it can't be real. Who would do this to her?
Just then Jasper jumped to his feet before doubling over and vomiting blood all over the floor. The stench filled the room and my own stomach began to churn. Alice tackled him, not caring she was getting covered in blood, and hugged him. He coughed till he could manage a ragged breath and jolted in Alice's arms.
"What the fuck just happened?" He demanded. "What is this?"
Alice looks about ready to cry as she pulled back to look into his dark red eyes.
"You don't remember?" She asked.
"Remember what?"
Images started to cut into my vision. So much darkness, blood, drowning in blood. Those eyes. Screaming.
"Please." Edward begged, still on the floor.
"It's not important right now Jasper." I mutter.
"Why is there so much blood… did I do this?" he moved out of Alice's arms to stand in front of me.
"Jasper-"
"How many people did I kill?" His voice sounded naked and raw.
"It wasn't you Jasper. You weren't yourself." I tried to explain.
Jasper yanked me into the air by my shirt and brought me to eye level with him. His eyes grew darker yet the smell of human flesh still stuck to his breath. His teeth were slightly bared and the whole house stood still as they waited for his reaction.
First one arm wrapped around my back, then the other, and I was stuck in an unbreakable vice. I started to squirm but when Jasper's breath warmed my hair and I felt his lips press into my skin, I stopped. A hug?
"Thank you for bringing me back." He whispers into my hair, too quiet for anyone else to hear.
"No problem."
"Is everything alright." A deep ugly voice nagged from the top of the stairs.
The human stood, leaning on the railing, looking down at the chaos. Blood on the floor, my white haired shadow torn up, and Edward on the floor in obvious pain from my thoughts. Clearly everything was not all right.
"What's wrong?" she asked again.
Jasper tightened around me and I gasped in pain. He inhaled slowly and a growl graced my ears.
"Jasper don't." I warned.
But he was already done, half way to his target, blood in his eyes. I charged up after him, this can't happen right now. Jasper's hands just brushed the human's skin when Jacob rammed into him. They wrestled down the stairs and when Jacobs back struck the cold floor a giant wolf took his place. The other wolves flanked him and I quickly jumped between the two parties.
"Please?" I ask. "It was an accident. He doesn't mean it. You have no idea where he just came from." I beg.
The whole house froze over in silence. The blood bag still stood in the same spot. Her heart was pounding and she just stood with her mouth hanging open like the idiot she was. I growled in frustration and turn to glare at her.
"God damn it Bella!" I yelled. "You just had to ruin it!"
A strong booming laugh filled the house and we all spun around to star at Edward. He finally went crazy.
"What so funny Edward." Rose sneers.
It takes a moment for him to calm down enough to speak.
"I think that's the first time Gwen's ever said Bella's name." He burst into another fit of laughter. "It's usually human or blood bag or chew to-" He rolls over with more laughter.
He's lost it.
"'God damn it Bella' Oh my god!" He's cracking up.
I can't help but chuckle at how stupid this whole situation was and soon everyone was laughing along with him, Jasper and the wolves included. The human's expression was that of pure confusion. It takes several minutes for us all the calm down. Somehow everything is forgiven.
"Alice how much longer do we have?" Carlisle asks.
Alice's face goes blank for a few minutes.
"About two hours." She says. "If we go right now, we'll have everything in place in time."
"Well let's go." Jasper smiles.
~ 30 minutes later ~
"Check." Seth says.
"Computer?" I ask
"Check." He repeats.
"The little portable wireless thingy?"
"Check."
"Blo..." I take another breath. "Blood?"
"Yeah I got it." Edward sighs.
"Good, ok. I think you two… three are all set." I chime. This might actually work.
"Are you sure she just can't sta-"
"No Edward. This is the only way it will work. And you better sell it. Victoria's smart, this can only work if you play your part."
"Fine" he snaps.
Edward and Seth gather their bags before heading to their enclave in the mountains. The Cullen's were already waiting the fields, Jacob was long gone with the human, and the pack of wolves were ready for their ambush. We were just waiting now.
The other newborn was gathering the last of the lighters and I waited at the door for her to return. I heard the soft footfalls and I turned to smile at her.
"You ready?" I ask.
"Why won't you say my name?" The girl asks suddenly.
My heart squeezed and my lungs refused to take in air for a moment.
"What?" I choked.
"You know who I am." Her voice is monotone and absolute. "Why won't you say my name?"
"Because I don't know you." I snap.
The vampire begins to walk closer to me. Not in any way menacing yet I still felt terrified. She circles me once and I just continue to star out the window in the back of the house. She can't do this to me now. Not now.
"But you said you did." She sounds hurt now. "That's why I came with you."
"I lied." I answer too fast. "I knew I wouldn't make it out of that warehouse unless you walked me out."
"And before the wolves came? You almost said it then."
She continued to walk around me, her hand fiddled with something in her pocket. A movement that did not go unnoticed by me.
"You reminded me of someone." I said quietly.
"Who?"
"Someone I knew a long time ago."
"It wasn't that long ago Gwen."
"It feels like it." I whisper. "I was alone."
Her blonde hair sways around her as she pauses in front of me.
"But I was there."
I look up to her now. Pure anger ripping through me. The red started to shade my vision.
"What?!" I snarl. "I was alone, by myself! Do you know how afraid I was?" I challenged.
She's quiet.
"I thought you were dead!" I snarl. "And that it was my fault!"
"How could that possibly be your fault?!"
"Riley came looking for me that night." I yell. "Remember? You were dead. He snapped your neck. I saw it."
"Gwen." She sighed.
"Then he took me to that terrible place. I woke up with strangers and he left me with them. Then he let them leave me here. I don't know these people!" I jester to the house. "And I sure as hell don't know the people who are currently trying to hunt me down! Where were you then?!" I scream. "Where were you when the wolves tried to kill me? Or when that giant freak tore into my neck? Or even when Jasper crushed my wind pipe?"
She had no answer. I back her to the wall and glare up into her eyes.
"Where were you when I thought you were dead? Where were you when I almost killed Edward? Why didn't you stop me from turning Jasper into that monster? It was your fault! And then you take me back to the people who want me dead?!" It was getting hard to breath and I only saw red now. "If you really are who I thought you were, you wouldn't have never let any of that happen. You wouldn't have abandoned me!"
I paused. My hands went for her throat and she didn't stop me. I held her against the wall as I fished through her pocket. I pulled out the long silver chain that held a still blood stained pendent. It swung between us, mocking me.
"This is why I do not say your name." my voice is laced with hatred. "You are not nor will you ever be Brooke."
"But I did everything for you." She whimpers. "Riley never finished me off and I turned. Alone. Truly alone. There was no one there to help me, to teach me. And then the Volturi found me. They were going to kill me but I told them my story, and they helped me track you down. I didn't know they were going to take sure an interest in you! I tried to convince them to let you go, but that boy! He's crazy for you." She sounded angered by that fact.
"What boy?!" Her story wasn't fully clicking in my head.
"Alec."
I'm speechless.
"He fell in love with you almost the moment he saw you." She scoffed. "He doesn't even know you. Not like I do." She mutters to herself.
"You know nothing about me!" I scream.
She's quiet for a long time before she continues.
"The Volturi made me convince Victoria of all kinds of things. I was their middle man. They wouldn't let me talk to you, you couldn't know I was a part of it. They cut off all my hair and then they sent me to get you. But Victoria was suspicious and made me bring you back to her."
She laughed then.
"Everyone's just so crazy about Gwen."
Something just wasn't making sense.
"Why didn't you just run?" I ask. "You could've just come here, the Cullen's would've helped you."
"Aro said I'd die if I tried, and I couldn't risk you not knowing."
"Knowing what?"
Brooke hesitated before grabbing my face between her hands and crushed her lips to mine. I tried to fight her off but she pulls me tight, pinning me to her as he mouth carefully worked mine. She pulled away shortly after I stopped fighting her and looked into my eyes.
"That I'm in love with you." She says like it's the most obvious thing in the world. "I always have been."
All of Washington State fell silent.
"You don't have to say anything." She keeps talking but I don't hear. "Just know that everything I've done has been for your happiness and safety." She leans in again to peck my gaping mouth. "Including this."
She spins me around and I scream from the sudden pain.
All I can see are Alec's soft pale lips before the smoke engulfs me and I'm floating.
Love you guys!