A/N: I'm sorry this one took so long but I promise it was worth waiting for. BTW: I made a small change, Bella and her guy friend do not care about not hurting the others. In fact, they are very vindictive and would do anything to make the others suffer. Which is why their drawing out the secret so long. The longer it lasts as a secret the more it will hurt the others.
KARI
Things went up and down over the next month. When Katya came in to help me get cleaned up at the end of that first week, she had brought me a different outfit. This one was a camisole that covered the entire upper half of my body and a pair of comfortable sweat pants. She was a little colder than she was when we met. I figured it was because, since, Edward wasn't allowed to use me for his sexual frustrations that week, he had used Katya, instead. I felt so bad about it. The odd thing was, though, Edward didn't touch me like that again, even after my recovery week was up.
I still feared him when he walked into the room. I never knew which Edward I was going to get. Sometimes, he would ignore me completely. Sometimes, he'd try to talk to me but it would be too awkward. Others, he'd be angry, usually over a fight he had with Bella. Those times he'd hurt. It was never bad enough to leave permenant damage but it was very painful. After these beatings, he would craddle me in his arms and tell me how sorry he was.
I would always let him do this because I know how hard he's fighting with himself. I figured, if I had it in my heart to show him that I could forgive him for the things he does to me, then he could learn to forgive himself for whatever happened in his past. I still hadn't figured that out yet but I wasn't giving up.
Edward drank from me once a week. Both, he and Alice kept there promises. She was there, to monitor him every time and he didn't take advantage of her weakness once he finished.
Alice was becoming like another sister to me. We talked about anything and everything. Edward even had another key made for her so she wouldn't have to keep asking for his. I learned that she was right.
We talked about my family, a lot. It really did help. She, in turn, told me stories about her family before the war. The were times when she would stop in the middle of a story. Or she'd skip certain bits. I figured it was the parts of Edward's life that he wasn't ready for me to know about it.
I spent a good amount of the month trying to get Alice to tell me what started the war. She always told me that it was something Edward would tell me when he was ready.
Things didn't really start improving until a month after I was brought there. Alcie told me they were going to get the new month's stock. That worried me a little. What if Edward found another girl he liked better? Would he let Bella finish me off? Even though, he and Alice worked very hard to make sure she wouldn't be alone with me.
I think Alice sensed my worry because she told me that Edward wasn't going to get a new girl. Then she gave me one of her knowing smiles and bounced out of the room.
Before they left for their week long trip, Edward granted me permission to move around the room as I liked. I was allowed to sleep in the bed. He said he'd lock the door and have Caroline put my meals in through the cat flap. He also gave me permission to listen to his C.D.'s as I wished.
There was a catch though. He had a list of things that he wanted done before they got back. They were simple things like organizing the C.D.'s and books that littered the room, cleaning both my bathroom and Bella and Edward's, organizing the closet, etc. It was just meant to keep me busy for the week that I didn't have company.
On the last day, I had everything done except organizing the closet. I still had about an hour and a half before they came back. That was plenty of time for me. I opened the closet door and began pulling things out. There were mostly towels and blankets in there. I understood why the towels. Bella bathed about three or four times a week. I wasn't sure if she needed to or if she just found it relaxing. The blankets I didn't understand, though. I mean, they didn't have to look normal because everyone knew they weren't.
I finished clearing off the bottom three shelves then I noticed the fourth. It didn't look like there was anything up there but I didn't want to give Edward a reason to be angry. I pulled the desk chair over to the closet and reached onto the shelf. I only felt one thing. It felt like a book. I pulled it out to look at it. It turned out to be a photo album.
It was covered in a thick layer of dust. By the look of it, it was thrown on that shelf and forgotten about.
My curiousity got the better of me as I sank into the chair and flipped the album open. The first picture was of the Cullen family. I recognized Carlisle, Esme, Bella, Edward, Jasper, and Alice. On the left side of Alice there was a blonde girl whose beauty surpassed anything that I had ever seen in my life and there was a big burly guy next to her with his arm draped over her shoulder. I figured they were Rosalie and Emmett, from what Alice had told me about them. There were two people I didn't recognize. There was a little girl in Bella's arms. She didn't look older than a few weeks but she was staring directly into the camera and smiling. The little girl had bronze hair the fell past her shoulders. She had chocolate brown eyes. I knew who she looked like but I just couldn't believe it. Next, to Bella was a Native American boy who didn't look much older than seventeen. He was staring at the little girl with the air of a protective big brother.
The next was the Cullens, the little girl, and the boy, along with quite a few others. By the degree of beauty of their features, I'd say most of them were vampires. Then there was a small group of Native American boys sitting in the front row.
There was one of just the little girl and the group of Native American boys. And one with just her and her "big brother."
I flipped through the pages. The pictures all varied except the little girl was in all of them. She went from being a few weeks old to seventeen or eighteen. I didn't understand. Why was this the only album over all those years? Was it even possible for the girl to be who I thought she was? And how come though the girl aged, the Native American boy, who always seemed to be there stayed seventeen?
I heard a loud growl out of nowhere and whipped my head around. Edward was standing there. For the first time in the month I'd been there, I feared the look on his face.
"What they hell do you think you're doing?" He growled.
"I found this on the top shelf. I got curious." I tried to make my voice sound even.
He was in front of me, in less the a second. He ripped the album from my hands and threw it across the room. Then he grabbed me by the shoulders and slammed me into the wall.
"What's in there is none of your business!" he said. I was shaking violently. "That is mine. You have no business looking at my things."
He threw me back onto the floor and started kicking me. I cried out in pain. He'd never done this before. He always had a reason behind his anger but I didn't know what I did to make him angry. I tried to ask him what I had done but he just kept kicking me and punching me. I felt skin tearing and a couple bone breaking. Pain shot through my whole body.
It stopped suddenly. It was like he only just realized what he was doing. He stared down at me with pain and regret in his eyes. He was shaking his head. He turned on his heal and left the room.
I still didn't know what I did that was so wrong. Why had seeing me with the album set him off? I laid there sobbing as the pain continued to shoot through my body.
EDWARD
I ran down the hallway. What had I done? I just saw her with the album and I lost it. I hadn't even touched it since before Nessie was murdered. Just seeing it again made something snap. I didn't mean to hurt her like that. It was beyond any apology I could throw at her.
As I headed to Alice and Jasper's room, I found Katya.
"Katya?"
"Yes, Master." she replied with a bow.
"Run down to Dr. Garfunkel and tell him to go to my room. Kari's not doing well." I ordered.
"Yes, sir." she replied and ran down the stairs.
If I wasn't so upset when I approached the door, I would've realized I couldn't hear anyone's thoughts even though, Jasper answered when I knocked. He seemed a little flustered.
"Edward, what's up?" he asked looking anywhere but at my face.
"Where's Alice?" I asked.
"Down in the garden, I think." he answered.
"Thanks." I said and took off back downstairs.
I used my vampire speed to get to the garden. She was sitting on one of the benches writing in her diary.
"Alice," I said. "I think I went too far."
"What do you mean?" Alice asked.
"When we got back, I went up to check on Kari. She was cleaning out the closet and she had the album and I snapped. It's bad." I could hear the cracking in my own voice.
"Slow down." Alice said. "What album?"
The album, Alice." I said. What album did she think I meant? "I saw her with it and I just lost it. I sent Katya to get Garfunkel. I don't know how bad it is."
"Okay. Let's go." she said.
Her thoughts were going a mile a minute. I could pick out sympathy and understanding laced with disappointment and anger. It was ok because I was disappointed and angry with myself.
ALICE
I heard the words that Edward said. He had hurt Kari and he didn't know how bad. I wanted to flay him alive but at the same time I wanted to tell him that it was okay. Kari had accidentally found his and Bella's album with the all of our pictures of Nessie. She didn't even know what it was.She probably just let curiousity get the better of her. She suffered for it.
I couldn't be angry with Edward for being upset about it. I could; however blame him for hurting her.
I laid my diary on the bench. Getting up to Kari was the only important thing right now.
"Okay. Let's go." I said getting up.
We used our vampire speed to make it back up to the room. Dr. Garfunkel was waiting outside for us. Edward unlocked the door and we went in. Kari was lying on the floor near the closet. She was a bloody mess. Her body was shaking with sobs. I knelt next to her.
"Kari?" I didn't know what to say.
"I don't even know what I did." she sobbed.
"I know." I stroked her hair. "I'm sorry."
"I need to take her downstairs where my equipment is." Dr. Garfunkel appeared next to me.
"I'll carry her." Edward said and made to scoop her up but I stopped him.
"I'll do it." I said quickly. "She deserves an explanation when we get back. So you better be ready to give it. Because if you aren't, I will."
"Fine." he said and the was an edge to his voice.
I picked Kari up and carried her out the door.
EDWARD
I watched as Alicce carried Kari out of the room. I still couldn't believe what I had done. I hadn't been that angry since the night... Well, you know what I mean. Alice was right though.
Kari did deserve an explanation for her current pain. It was only right that I be the one to give it. I needed to finally deal with it before I could talk to her about it though. I walked over to the album that I had thrown across the room.
I sat on the bed and opened it. I felt a stab in my chest as I looked at the first picture. Being so consumed with grief from Nessie's death, I had forgotten we'd lost Jacob that day too. He and the pack died trying to keep the Volturi from getting their hands on Nessie.
I remembered that horrible night finidng their bodies in a bloody mess among the trees in La Push. I remembered the look on Bella's face when she found Jacob's body. She fell to her knees letting out dry sobs. That was one of those moments when I regretted changing her. If she ever needed to cry over anyone's death, it was Jaocb's.
My eyes moved from the family photo to the one of the witnesses. They were truly good friends to us. They came to our aid when we needed them to help save our daughter. Then they came again when we needed to avenge her. I swallowed the lump in my throat as I picked out the ones that died in the war. Barely half of them survived. It truly was the worst five years of my existence.
I flipped through the pages remembering some happier times. I looked at the picture of Nessie blowing out her candle on her first birthday. Granted,she looked like she was almost three. I kept pulling up memories from the pictures to keep thoughts of that night away.
Lost in good memories of those eight years, I flipped through the whole album. When I was finished, I sat there still trying to push those horrible thoughts away. I couldn't do it anymore.
The thoughts just came. I remembered everyhting from figting with Bella about letting Nessie go that night, to finding the pack, dead, to finding the note on Jacob's body, telling us where to find them. I remembered the torture she went through in the hours before we got there and the sounds of her screams as she burned.
I felt the undeniable anger coursing through my body. For the first time in years, it wasn't anger at the Volturi for what they did. It was anger at myself. Maybe Bella was right to blame me for what happened. I mean I gave Nessie permission to go even though Bella had a bad feeling.
I didn't want to considered that possibility. Instead of thinking anymore, I just let the anger take over. I knocked the C.D.'s off the dresser and ripped the books off the shelves. Anything that wasn't bolted to the wall ended up on the floor. The room was a disaster area after I got past my anger.
I stood there, letting sadness replace my anger. I turned as I heard the door open. Bella was standing there. She looked shocked and appalled.
"Wow, your human must really do it for you." she said in a condescending way. "Cuz you obviously don't keep her around for her ability to keep things cleaned."
I was definately not in the mood for her shit. So I tunred on my mopst demeaning sneer and said,
"Look, Bella, I'm really not having a good day. I don't feel like fighting so why don't you just shut your mouth, go screw your little boy toy, and leave me the hell alone!"
I could see the hurt in her eyes but I was way beyond caring today. She just stared at me for a minute. It looked like she was trying to think of something truly venomous to say back to me. Finally, she said,
"Whatever, Edward. I just came to say that Jasper and I are going into town to see if there's anything more appetizing than what we have here. I want the human to have this mess cleaned up before I get back."
"Fine." I replied not really paying attention.
She turned and walked out slamming the door.
BELLA
"I wonder want made him so mad." I said as I met Jasper in the hall.
"Well, whatever it was, I want to tear his head off for talking to you like that." Jasper replied.
"I know but he'll get what's coming to him." Bella replied. "And I'll get that little human of his too."
We walked down the stairs and out the back through the garden. As we walked by the bench, a book caught my eye. It looked oddly familiar so I went to pick it up. It was Alice's diary.
I could do some damage with that. She was close enough to Edward and the human. I could get back at all of them.
"What's that?" Jasper asked.
"Alice's diary." I said.
"Wow, she usually keeps it under lock and key." Jasper replied.
"I know but now that we have it, do you have any idea what we could do?" I asked.
"That's what I love about you." he said giving me a quick kiss. "You're so coniving."
"I know." I replied as we headed to my car.
EDWARD
I stood there staring after her. Looking back, if I had paid more attention, I would've figured things out on my own. T the time though, Bella's affair didn't seem important. The only thing that was was being sure that Kari was alright.
I sank to floor as I watched the door waiting for Alice to come back. She did about fifteen minutes later. When she walked in there was shock with a small hint of fear in his eyes.
"What the hell happened in here?" she thought as she stared at the mess.
"I dealt with my issues." I answered before she could verbalize the question.
"I see." Alice said coming to sit next to me on the floor. "And do you feel better?"
"A little. I think I'll feel even better once I talk about it." I answered.
Alice just nodded.
"So how is she?" I asked.
"She's okay. Her leg and arm are broken. And she has a few cuts and bruises. No serious damage. Dr. Garfunkel is just putting her casts on her and then she be back." she answered.
"Good. I'm so sorry, Alice. I just lost it."
"Edward, everybody makes mistakes. Besides, with all the rage you have inside, I'm surprised you didn't lose it like this long ago."
Since we were on the subject of my rage, I decided to ask the question that was bothering me.
"Do you think Bella's right?"
"About what?"
"Do you think that it's my fault?"
"Edward, why would you even think that?"
"I let her go that night. If she was at home we could've protected her and the pack."
"You know for a fact that being the daughter of Isabella Marie Swan Cullen that if she wanted to go, she was going to go. There would've been no stopping her." she answered then I caught her thought, "If it's anyone's fault it's mine."
"What makes you think that?" I asked.
"Because I should have seen it coming." she answered.
"How? You couldn't see Nessie or the pack. There was no way around that."
"But I should've seen the Volturi coming."
"No. Known of us had any reason to believe they'd be coming back. You couldn't have known to be looking for them."
Alice opened her mouth to say something else but I heard the firghtened and catious thoughts of Katya at the door.
"Come in." I said before she could knock.
"Mistress Alice, Master Edward," she stuttered with a bow. "Dr. Garfunkel says that Kari is ready to be brought back up."
"Thank you Katya." Alice said. "I'll go get her."
Katya bowed again and left. Alice followed behind her.
Not wanting Kari to see her hard work messed up, I used my vampire speed to put things back the way she had them. When I finished, I placed the album on the desk, wanting to look at it later. Alice brought Kari back up.
"Where do you want her?" she asked.
"On the bed." I answered.
I walked over to Kari, who was awake, she looked slight afraid but mostly just sad.
"I'm sorry." she said to me. "I shouldn't have looked at it."
"Hush." I told her. "You have nothing to be sorry for. I'm sorry, I overreacted. Now go to sleep and we'll talk about it later."
She nodded and closed her eyes. Alice smiled at me and exited the room. I stroked Kari's hair until I was sure she was asleep. I watched her for awhile, as she slept. She was so beautiful even with the cuts and bruises. After awhile, I went over to the album to flip through it some more.
A/N: Well, was it worth waiting for?
