A/N - Hi guys :D It's been a short while since I've updated. I was a little stumped about what I wanted from this chapter and this ended up as the end product. Don't worry though, the next chapter is almost finished and should be up by next week.

Leave me a review if you have some time :)
Shirelle
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Carlisle's POV

"No." Alice's voice sounded strangled and her body was titled in an unnatural position towards Aradia. Her upper body was reaching towards Aradia but her lower body was locked tightly into place.

"No." Alice's words were mirrored by Edward and a feeling of fear flashed through me as I studied my son. He looked like a man in agony, his body locked in the same unnatural position as Alice's. His face was paler than normal and it provided a peculiar contrast with the molten golden of his eyes.

I tried to quench my unease as I spoke. "Those of you who cannot be around human blood for long need to leave. Now." My firm voice sounded across the shocked space. "I will take…" My speech was cut off by a loud rumble of thunder from directly overhead.

A strangled moan came from Alice's direction but I was instantly distracted by the lashing rain that had just begun to fall. The raindrops were so thick, so torrential, I could barely see an inch in front of me, let alone Alice across the way. An unnatural brightness suddenly flashed in front of me and I blinked rapidly as I realised it was lightening.

"This is wrong." I heard Alice moan.

"We failed to protect her." Edward's voice was choked. "She warned us."

I still felt disorientated and a little out of it but I forced myself to focus. "I need to assess Aradia but I need to know that anyone who stays will be in control of themselves." I say resolutely. "And I need to assess her now."

Esme takes a deep breath from next to me, her gentle face openly worried. "I'll take everyone except Eleazar back." She says softly.

"No." Alice says immediately. "Me and Edward are staying with Aradia."

"So am I." Bella says quietly, her eyes fixed on Edward.

The scent of Aradia's blood washes over me and I am filled with instant panic. "I do not care who stays and who does not. Just hurry up." I growl.

A whoosh at my back signals the exit of several vampires and I blur over to Aradia. I notice that only Eleazar, Bella, Edward, Alice and Jacob remain. I put my hand out to gently raise Aradia's head when Eleazar blurs over to me and grabs my hand.

"Wait. Can't you smell it?" He asks, an odd tone in his voice.

"Smell what?" I ask impatiently and then it hits me. "Her blood… it's not quite right."

"No." Eleazar says. "It's not."

I shake my head reluctantly. "Still, I have a duty of care to treat her." I say, looking down at Aradia. She really was extraordinarily beautiful. Her face was pale but her cheeks were flushed. She was breathing peacefully. If it hadn't been for the steadily increasing pooling of blood around her head, I would have said she was in perfect health.

"Stop." Edward says sharply and I look up to see him running over to me.

I blink in shock. "Edward, she's bleeding. You shouldn't be this close." I say hurriedly.

His eyes are wide but his face looks almost blank. "I promised to protect her." He chokes out.

"Edward, it's okay." Bella says gently, appearing behind him. "It's not your fault."

Edward's face relaxes and for a split second he looks almost back to normal. But then a strange expression appears on his face and he shoves Bella away from him. "It is completely my fault." He snarls.

Jacob launches himself at Edward and knocks him away from Bella who is staring at Edward with a look of horror on his face. Edward snarls and lunges for Jacob, his face almost slack. "That's enough!" Eleazar shouts and propels himself at Edward, knocking him away from Jacob.

He throws Edward to the floor and pins him in one smooth move. He looks challengingly at Jacob. "Stay where you are." He orders curtly. "I understand why you are mad at Edward but anyone can see he's not in his right mind. Look at him." He snarls when Jacob growls.

I look down at Edward to see he is thrashing mindlessly on the pavement. His eyes were glazed over. My eyes drifted over to Alice to see that her eyes too were glazed over. Her body was immobile. "Bella, watch Alice. Like a hawk." I warn softly, my eyes returning to Aradia. "There is something wrong with both Edward and Alice."

The torrential rain suddenly stops and I blink in surprise, glancing briefly at the sky. There was no sign of the thunderstorm that had just happened, the sky being as overcast as it had been earlier this morning. I shake my head in bewilderment as I turn my attention back to Aradia. She was my priority right now, not weird weather.

I softly cradle Aradia's head to assess the damage to her cranium when she stirs in my arms, her eyes fluttering rapidly. "Aradia?" I ask cautiously. My eyes travel to the blood on the ground. She'd lost a lot of blood, there was no way she should even be remotely conscious, but she seemed to be coming round.

"Stop them." She moans, her eyes still fluttering. Her voice is deathly quiet.

"Stop who?" I ask, frowning.

She pants for breath, her eyes rolling backwards in her head. "Alice… and…" she gasps again, "Edward. They're still bound by their promise." She takes a painful breath. "If they break it… they die. Stop them…"

"From what?" I ask urgently.

Aradia pants. "From… from themselves… I will be fine." She says incoherently. "I need time to start… the healing … process… But they are going… to … hurt… themselves." Her eyes roll back in her head once more and she becomes unresponsive.

Understanding hits and I gasp, jumping to my feet. "Restrain them!" I shout at Bella and Eleazar. "They're going to try and kill themselves."

I barely have time to register the look of absolute horror on Bella's face before she throws herself at Alice, knocking her to the ground. She shoots a withering glance at Eleazar. "I'm holding you personally responsible for Edward's safety." She growls.

Eleazar's face is grim. "Understood… I …" His next words are cut off by a menacing growl from Edward underneath him. My eyes automatically travel over to Edward who has begun thrashing about on the ground like a man being electrocuted. Eleazar drew in a breath that sounded almost like a hiss as he tightened his grip, practically lying on Edward to stop him getting out from under him.

A shrill piercing cry from Alice's direction diverted my attention and the first thing I saw was Bella struggling to restrain a wildly struggling Alice. Alice's face was completely blank, her eyes glassy and she was seemingly void of all emotion except the animalistic shrieking cries which were erupting from her mouth.

Bella's eyes were wide as she stared down at Alice, automatically tightening her grip on her. Alice's hands were tightening into claws, raking helplessly at Bella, shrieking wildly the whole time. My eyes travelled back to Edward who was desperately trying to escape from Eleazar's vice like grip. I stopped breathing as I contemplated who I should try and help, Bella or Eleazar? Alice or Edward? I didn't even know if I could help. I just knew that we had to immobilise Alice and Edward, to stop them from hurting themselves.

"Carlisle." Eleazar's voice seemed to be vibrating and I glanced over at him to see Edward's body rattling loosely like a ragdoll beneath him. "Stay where you are. Try and rouse Aradia. I think she's the only one who can stop this."

"She's unconscious." I say automatically. "Unconsciousness is the state of repair. She won't come round until she's ready."

Eleazar's expression was fierce. "Well you better try something Carlisle. I would hate for Alice and Edward to come more to their senses and start using their gifts against us. I seriously doubt we would be able to restrain them for long."

"Edward cannot read my mind. I would be able to restrain him." Bella said fiercely, her teeth gritted against Alice's constant thrashing.

"Granted. But what about Alice?" Eleazar asked firmly.

"I will not allow her to die." The growl escapes me before I contain it.

"Then do something about it." Eleazar says harshly. I automatically glare at him when I realise he is not being hostile or aggressive, merely stating the reality of the situation. If I did not act soon I would lose Alice and most likely Edward.

Esme would lose her children, one of her only reasons for living.

I would not allow that to happen.

I would not.