Chapter 12 - Venom

"OK. Mari, you have to be really brave. We need to do this. If there was any other way..." Carlisle had a very relaxing, doctor tone in his voice. But not even this could relieve Mari's fears right now.

"What...What do I do?" Mari's voice wavered as fear shrouded her eyes.

"I need to collect your venom. Then comes the most important part Mari and I cannot stress this enough. Are you with me?" Carlisle needed 100% co-operation. Mari understood with a nod. "Once I inject it into him, his body will initially begin to resist. It's the natural reaction because he hasn't seen you for a long time." This made Mari feel sick. She had done this to him. "Once I have injected him, you need to get as much of your venom in him as possible. Do you understand what that means Mari?"

Again Mari nodded "I bite him."

"Yes, as much as possible, where-ever possible. But be sure you do not rip. This will kill Him. You understand what I mean by rip, don't you Mari?" Yes, she had seen Michael bite other vampire's necks and rip away a section of the throat, this snapped the victims brittle head clean off.

"Carlisle, I don't know if I can do this! What if I...?" she was panicking now, moving nervously from one foot to the other.

"You can do this Mari, I know you can. You are Edward's only chance. Just don't rip!" Carlisle stressed it one more time using a hand to exaggerate. She nodded again furiously. "Right, you also may feel a little light headed. That will be caused by the crossover of the two venom types and you're going to be using a lot of your venom stores. This is completely normal. Just go with it, and keep biting for as long as you can." Carlisle looked deep into Mari's eyes.

"Ok. Ok. Let's just do it!" She wanted it over with.

"Mari, I strongly suggest you start at the neck, that's when you will be at your most coherent, so you will be less likely to slip. I will be here every step of the way. OK?"

"Yes!" Carlisle picked up a large prepared syringe. "How long before we know if it's worked?" She'd seen what he thought after he'd stopped speaking out loud.

"Unknown. But I would hope the venom will spread significantly quickly and we should hopefully see some small changes immediately." He approached her holding the syringe. "Ready?" He said holding it aloft. "I have faith in you Mari. Remember. Bite! Do not rip!" Mari closed her eyes and braced herself and nodded. "Good Girl! This may hurt!" With no more warnings, he plunged the long syringe hard and deep into her chest, knowing that by taking it from her obsolete heart cavity it would ensure the venom would be at its strongest.

Mari yelped loudly as the pain shot through her. She dared not open her eyes for fear of bailing. The searing pain burned inside her chest. This agony was far worse than the pain she'd felt as she'd been reborn.

She heard Carlisle's distance voice call to her. "Nearly there Mari! Hold on!" He was slowly drawing off her light grey sparkling sap. Lightning flashed behind her eyelids and a loud whooshing noise echoed inside her head. Just when she thought she couldn't take any more, Carlisle retracted the giant needle. She fell to her knees panting, gasping for air while her hands clutched at her chest.

"Sorry Mari!" He winced and held out a hand to help her up.

She pointed to Edward and managed to pant between breaths "No!" "Edward!" Carlisle understood and rushed to his son's body. He was the priority now for them both. Stabbing the same syringe deep into Edward's chest, he slowly squeezed in her venom, hoping it wasn't all in vain. Mari, regaining some of her composure staggered to her feet rubbing the punctured spot and moved in closer to her mate. She knew this was it, now or never. Bite not rip! Bite not rip! She told herself over again and again.

"Bite him!" Carlisle ordered, removing the needle. "Now!" She hesitated no longer, and sank her teeth hard into his neck. It was difficult to puncture the tough layer of skin, but biting hard with all her might, her teeth finally got through. Immediately, she tasted his venom which made her feel a little nauseous. The dizziness followed shortly after. Mari kept with it though, all the while chanting her mantra to herself in her mind. Bite not rip! Bite not rip! The more she pushed her venom in the more she started feeling weak. Instinctively she retracted her bite and released his neck which thankfully still intact.

"Oh Shit!" she wobbled, a wave of light-headedness washing over her. Carlisle was there in an instant holding her up. "His venom is fighting against yours, go again. You need to go again!" he urged.

Fully understanding and feeling better that he was supporting her weight, she did as she was told. This time, she took to biting his arm. Her head spun once more, but this would be worth it. Her legs no longer seemed to work, but it didn't matter since every ounce of energy inside her she would be going to Edward.

"Keep biting! It's working. You are doing it Mari! I'll hold you. You have to fight through it Mari! Bite him!" The urgency now reflected in Carlisle's voice. Holding her upright, he encouraged her on. She powered up all her strength and bit his arm once more, then his leg over and over again. She continued until her vision plunged into darkness and a loud searing whine invaded her hearing. She had passed out, collapsing in a heap into Carlisle's arms from using all her stores.

As her eyes flitted opened and her vision blurred, voices echoed loudly around the room. The only time she could liken it to, was when she was a human and she had that operation on her stomach. Her senses slowly slotted back into play and it appeared she was lying on a similar bed to Edward's. Straining, she turned her head slowly to her right. She could see him now, still him lying there as he had been. Had it not worked? How long had she'd been out? Renesmee sat patiently at his side, holding his hand in both of hers still with a grave face.

It took all her regained strength, but she said aloud. "Ed...ward?" She needed someone to explain to her. Was he dead? A silent tear ran down towards her right ear. Carlisle appeared beside her. "It's OK. He's still with us." He smiled encouragingly. "He's still weak. But there have been a few twitches here and there, so we think it's working. You used the majority of your stores, which made you pass out. You will be fine." Mari felt a cloth press to her forehead, and her eyes reverted back to Renesmee, who now turned to her and said so soft. "Thank-you Mari!" Smiling in return she swallowed, her throat dry. Esme read Mari's mind and walked to her bedside and held out a glass of nectar with a straw and smiled "Sip it." Not in any state to argue, Mari opened her lips to allow the straw inside. Closing her eyes she sucked hard.

Oh that tasted good!

After three swallows she released the straw. Esme placed it back onto the small medical table beside her. Within minutes, Mari started to feel her hands and legs tingle back into use. Looking back over to Edward she studied his face. It still looked gaunt. She didn't really know what to expect. But the way Carlisle described his recovery; she expected it to be far more rapid than this. She'd done all she could... now the rest was up to Edward. As soon as she felt a little stronger, she pushed herself up to sit.

"Whoa! Gently now, you need to recover too you know." Esme said helping her upright. "Drink some more." she ordered and handed her the glass again. Mari sipped some more and handed back the glass.

"I need to be with him." Mari had to be nearer to him, anywhere other than by his side was now a step too far. Swinging her legs round off the bed Carlisle helped her stand.

"I'll get a chair." Esme smiled, retreating from the room. Within seconds she returned with a not only a dining chair, but Rosalie and Alice as well. Esme placed the chair next to Edward's bed opposite of Renesmee. Mari padded over gingerly to his bedside and sat down in the chair, reaching out immediately for his free hand.

"This is what he needs, his daughter and his mate." Rosalie smiled placing an arm around Esme at Edward's feet.

"We can never thank you enough Mari, for doing what you did." Alice's face lit up like a Christmas tree.

"We are eternally grateful Mari." Esme agreed with a weak smile.

"How are you feeling?" Rosalie inquired now on her friends health.

"A little woosy. But it's all worth it." Mari looked from Edward to Rosalie. Then to Esme, Alice, Carlisle and Renesmee in turn. "I hope I've done enough. I'm Sorry. It's all my fault he's here in the first place."

"Rubbish! That's history!" Alice gaffawed.

"Regardless of whose fault it was, you came back. You came back to save my Dad. We will never forget that Mari!" Resnesmee's mature outlook surprised Mari. How long had she'd been out?

"Two days." Carlisle chuckled, reading Mari's mind.

"Two days?" Mari exclaimed. Woah! "Why isn't he improving then?" This puzzled all their minds.

"The time limit is unknown. The twitches and increasing venom pressure is a sure sign of improvement. He was in a very dire state. It may take longer than we imagined that's all." She trusted Carlisle's knowledge.

"I won't have to do that again will I?" Mari winced as she felt a pain through her sternum.

"No. He has all the venom he needs to recover now." Carlisle smiled.

"Thanks to you!" Alice clapped. The wait had begun. It was now up to Edward to fight through his demons and they would still be there waiting when he had.

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Neither Mari nor Renesmee left Edward's side. Renesmee napped lying across two chairs beside his bed. It didn't look at all comfortable, but she refused to leave him, no matter what. The family took vigils at his bedside while Carlisle kept up Edward's drip. Even Jacob came to visit on a daily basis, to be near both him and of course to support Renesmee.

Slowly as the days passed, the tiny twitches grew stronger and stronger until on the 12th day since Mari's venom was forced into his system, the twitches turned into convulsions.

"Grandpa!" Renesmee screamed and ran to fetch Carlisle from the lounge where he was reading. "Grandpa, He's shaking!" the look of horror in her eyes was painful to see. Tossing down his book, he sped to Edward's side, getting there a few seconds before Renesmee did.

"Carlisle, Please? What's Happening?" Mari pleaded. She still had his hand encased in her own. He could not come this far to die now.

"I don't know for sure." he quickly checked all Edward's stats which were in fact marginally better. "We can only hope this is a positive thing. His stats are still improving, so that's good. Hopefully the convulsions will pass soon." He now turned to his granddaughter. "Renesmee you really need to take a break. This isn't easy to watch."

"NO! No way! I'm not going anywhere!" she snapped. The convulsion faded away, once again he was still.

"You are indeed as stubborn as your mother was." Carlisle grinned at her. This made Mari grin too.
It turned out the convulsions were only the beginning, they increased in strength and indeed length throughout that day. Carlisle remained with them, ready at any moment to take Renesmee out the room if things got particularly harrowing.
.

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The whole family gathered in around his bed as the darkness fell outside, feeling drawn to his side somehow. As the particularly long violent set of convulsions subsided, Renesmee automatically wrapped her hand around his again. She had done all throughout the day. Now that Edward's fits were stronger, she could no longer hold his hand during them due to his unintentional strength. Suddenly, both Renesmee and Mari looked at each other in shock. Edward was squeezing their hands.

"Grandpa! He's squeezing!" Renesmee shouted letting out a sob. She had to pull her precious hand from his vice grip again as it started to hurt.

"Edward?" Mari leaned in close. "Edward, come back to us we need you?!"

"Edward?" Carlisle came closer again beside Renesmee and briefly glanced up at the stats machine. His levels had indeed increased again.

"Daddy? Open your eyes!" Renesmee hadn't called him daddy in a long time now. But somehow it seemed right at that precise moment.

"Edward, It's Mari. I'm here Baby. Open your eyes. Come back to me. I miss you!" tears welled up in not only her eyes; they all shed poisonous tears now. In front of all their eyes his face began to change colour.

"He's changing!" Renesmee shouted in relief. "Daddy!"

"Come on Baby, you are doing it. Come back to us." Mari held back no more, her desperation to have him back took over. Alice turned to Jasper; she was biting her finger with nerves. Jasper wrapped her inside his arms and kissed her temple. Emmett moved in instinctively behind Rosalie and wrapped his bulging arms lovingly around her tiny waist and placed a small kiss on her bare shoulder. She covered his arms with her own. Esme stepped forward to stand beside Carlisle. Everybody now supported each other. Slowly, he was coming back. The tension in the air was unbearable.

"Dad? Dad?" Renesmee stroked his hair. Pleading him to open his eyes. Clocks stopped ticking, or at least it felt that they did anyway. Everyone held their breath.

"Come on!" Emmett said impatiently, wiggling his legs in the suspense. Carlisle held up a hand. "Give him time!"

"Edward! It's Mari. I'm here Baby. Open your eyes." She moved closer to him, hoping he would catch her scent. To bring him around, like smelling salts.
.

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His eyelid flickered. Then painfully slowly, they opened and looked straight to Renesmee. They all gasped.

"Daddy!" Renesmee squealed, tears pouring down her face. "Daddy! I'm here Daddy!"

Edward's mouth opened to speak they all waited. "Beaut...I...ful"

"Thank God!" Rosalie sighed.

"Yes Dad. I'm here. Dad, Mari is here too." Renesmee looked up towards Mari who had her face in her hands sobbing. Renesmee reached over and rubbed her cold shoulder. Edward's eyes followed Renesmee's gaze. "Ma...ri?"
"I'm here. Edward, I'm here Baby!" relieved tears streamed down her face. Turning his head towards her voice, he made a deathly rasping sound. Then a stray tear of his own trickled down towards his left ear and pooled inside.

"Ma...ri" he said again.

"I'm here Edward. I'm here, and I'm never leaving again" and she had never meant anything more than those 10 words, ever before in her existence.

A/N: Thank you for all sticking round guys. I love you all individually. Yes even you at the back. *peers under hand*

Thank you to the gorgeous CaptainClaire3, my wonderful pre-reader. Love and squishy hugs. xx

That leads me to my lovely beta DodgerMcClure. Thank you for helping again, despite being busy at work and being poorly sick. I appreciate your effort greatly. xx

Wasn't Mari brave. Shows that love is stronger than stone. *blows soggy nose* onwards then...lead the way!

DeathToBeReborn xxxxxx