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Chapter 6: The Awakening

"No, you don't understand! He's going to wake up any minute now!" exclaimed Alice.

I did not understand: how did she know? His heart beat would have slowed down? And what had she seen?

"So early? It has lasted only two days!" said Jasper, more to himself than to the others.

"Bella, you have to leave now" said Edward, tense.

In fact, everybody had tightened since the warning of Alice. Rosalie, who was previously in the garage, joined us, as did Esme and Carlisle.

"Lena, it would be better if you leave" Carlisle said then. "You go with Bella, his father agreed."

Apparently everything was already planned, but they had spoken about it without consulting me... which was getting on my nerves: I was not a child!

"Everything has already been decided if I understand it well..."

"Lena, this is not the time, we have to hurry, Josh..." notified Edward.

"... is going to wake up, precisely, and you want me to leave! No way!"

Come off it! It's been two days that I am worrying to death for him, wondering about his state when he will awake, and he wants me to leave when I've never wanted so much to stay!

Edward clenched his fists, visibly angry at my resistance, but Carlisle placed a hand on his shoulder and took over:
"He will be violent, we will need to explain him what happened, to calm him down, and the presence of human blood will not help us ..."

Ah, touché. Edward then grabbed my bag and handed it to me victoriously. But I would not give up without a fight!

"Because you know him better than me maybe? If he remains the same as before, he will only calm down by knowing that I'm safe."

"We will tell..." Carlisle replied calmly but I did not let him finish, continuing to defy Edward vehemently.

"Oh yes, something like: 'we are vampires, you'd been bitten but we did not hurt your girlfriend..." very credible... You think he will believe you if he does not see me around? You may know more about vampires, I know that Josh will only listen to you if he knows me, sees me, unharmed."

"Touché" murmured Emmett.

"Emmett, don't start..." Edward replied while shooting him a dirty look.

"She is not wrong yet..." said Alice. I smiled to her, grateful for her support.

He seemed to read a few moments in her thoughts, then handed her coat to Bella.

"Okay but you asked for it" he renounced before leading her outside.

"Wait Edward, we will need you," said Alice, who returned from an other trance.

"I'll drive her home" offered Esme.

"Stop babying me! I can go on my own!" cried Bella who began to be visibly annoyed by this over protectionism from the Cullens... She moved to the entrance, Edward on her heels who accompanied her outside to say goodbye.

"Alice, how do we proceed?" Carlisle asked her.

"He's going to be violent, it is better that many of you go up there: Jasper, Edward, Emmett, Carlisle and even Esme: your presence will reassure him, he will feel less in danger, surrounded by all these men... I will stay here with Rosalie and Lena."

I was going to open my mouth but she interrupted me:
"No Lena. If you want to stay, you will have to do as I say: the smooth functioning of all this, even your life, depends on it..."

I heard the old trunk of Bella then Edward's return. Emmett joined Rosalie on the sofa, while Alice had taken the hand of Jasper, visibly anxious to face his victim... Carlisle gently stroked the back of Esme, thoughtfully, while she was staring at me, her head slightly tilted. Edward had automatically sat beside his piano, but without playing. He looked fixedly at the keys, his thoughts obviously turned to the one that had just left us.

Silence settled in the living room: everyone was on his guard, listening to the slightest moan. I broke it, however, still taken aback by the behavior of Alice:

"Alice, I don't understand, what are your... your moments of absence?" I had not found a better way to express it.

"Oh, no one had told you?" She was astonished, obviously far from being offended by my question. "I have visions: I can see the future, but it changes with each decision made by anyone... I've seen how Josh's awakening is going to happen after you've decided to stay, and if you do as I said to you, everything will be fine."

Another power? Is it common for a vampire to be gifted of an extra capacity?

"No one can explain it: it is sometimes a remainder of one's former life, a quality heightened with the death..." said Edward, a little curtly: he had not get over my rebellion.

Then howling resounded in the house, chilling my blood.

Carlisle tried to reassure me:
"It's normal, it is always a painful time to die... it will be over soon."

He then began to climb stairs when Alice stopped him:
"Do not all enter in the room, and Edward, do not respond to his thoughts, he could panic and attack..."

Once these last recommendations were made, they all went to Josh's room, leaving me with Alice and Rosalie, nervous but eager. Josh would finally wake up, we would finally meet... I was shaking with excitement.

"Lena, I insist, don't do anything stupid..."

What stupid thing can I do, frankly?

But I did nothing but agree.

The minutes went by, as long as hours. Josh finally woke up and as Alice had predicted, he seemed rather violent, given the racket I heard two floors below... Jasper had successfully calmed him as I quickly heard no more than snatches. Apparently Carlisle explained to him what they were, what he had become, and the circumstances of his transformation. That was when he cried:

"Lena! Where is she? I swear to you that if you have hurt her in any way I..."

"She is all right, she stayed at your bedside since the accident..."

"So where is she? Why isn't she here?"

"You're a vampire Josh, her blood is likely to urge you to bite her. It is instinctive for a vampire, especially when one is not used..."

"It's instinctive and she remained at home all this time without tempting you?! Liar! Where is she? Lena?"

"Emmett, stop him!"

But a loud noise sounded, a wall seemed to be crashed into pieces, and I heard steps rapidly coming nearer...

My heart accelerated even more, if it were possible. In the space of hardly a few seconds, he came down the stairs and stopped dead in my view. He was soon joined by Emmett and Jasper, who intended to draw him outside, but Alice exclaimed: "Certainly not!" He might indeed want to struggle and nobody had interest in irritating him...

They all were extremely tense, alert, ready to intervene at the slightest misstep. I was the only one to be indifferent to the danger: I was dazzled, he was even more beautiful, if it were possible. Despite his red eyes, he fascinated me, staring at me as if he saw me for the first time. He tilted his head tenderly and whispered my name, an invitation to join him... I slowly held out my hand towards him and took one step then another to him, gently, as one tries to approach a wild beast... I may had been fascinated, I was still cautious.

Alice whispered: "Lena..."

But too late, everything happened so fast... Josh took a deep breath, an unnecessary reflex but with heavy consequences. His pupils dilated instantly, making his eyes black and menacing, and his body took an offensive position, ready to pounce on his prey: me. I cringed, whispering "Josh, it's me, Lena..." But he uttered a guttural growl and I was suddenly thrown behind while other growls and hiss sounded.

...

"Lena, are you okay? "Edward then inquired.

He had violently put me out of reach of Josh, Rosalie and Alice being posted between us, while Emmett and Jasper had drawn him outside. I took a few seconds to get my breath, cut off by the impact. I massaged my painful ribs, dazed by the scene I had just lived...

Josh seemed so calm and next second, he had become similar to a wild animal, just like Jasper few days earlier. Adrenalin was gradually vanishing, leaving me perplexed and disappointed. I was so happy with the idea of our reunion... I did not like to recognize it but Edward was right: it would not be so easy...

He left the room to join his brothers on the outside and bring Josh to hunt. Esme came and gently patted my shoulder, but I moved away to the picture window, following him with my eyes. They were on the edge of the wood, Josh seemed calmer but was still held by Emmett.

'Lena, forgive me... I did not want...'

I turned the head towards Carlisle, who had followed me, but he did not seem to have heard.

I looked again towards Josh:
'I'm so sorry... I love you... Excuse me Lena' and he sank into the forest.

I had dreamed or what? If no vampire had heard it, I could not either... He had not even moved his lips... No, it was just my imagination...

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