Disclaimer: The characters and Twilight Universe are (regrettably) the property of SM.
I awoke with a start, my head resting against something remarkably hard and cold. I could hear the sound of an engine revving, as the force of the moving vehicle lightly tossed my body from side to side. It took me a moment to adjust to the darkness surrounding me, but when I did, I realized that my head was resting against Edward's lap, and we were in the back seat of Emmett's jeep. Edward's cold hand rested against my cheek as he gazed into my eyes.
"Are you alright, Bella?" The silkiness of his voice served to melt my heart, leaving me as putty in his hands. I was having trouble remembering what had happened before I found myself here, in Emmett's car, speeding along the freeway, Edward's arms wrapped tightly around my body, pulling me into his chest.
"I - how did I end up here?" I questioned, my voice heavily laced with the sound of sleep and confusion.
"Do you remember Charlie visiting?" I nodded, the visit from Charlie quickly replaying in my mind.
"And do you remember Carlisle, Esme, Jasper, Alice and myself discussing what to do about our other… predicament?" I could sense the tension in his voice as he searched for an appropriate word to describe the trouble we were facing.
"The Volturi…" I gasped in response, the night's events finally coming back to me.
"You collapsed; luckily, Carlisle was able to catch you before you fell to the ground." His voice was suddenly dark, his expression twisted into a familiar look of pain.
I reached a shaky hand up to his supple skin, resting my cold, shaking hand on his cheek. He gently responded by placing his own hand over my own, guiding my hand toward his lips, as he placed tender kisses on each of my fingers.
There were so many questions I wanted to ask him; so many things I did not quite understand that I wanted him to explain. Yet, I was not able to. I could not bring myself to break through the tension that was so evidently brewing around us. I wanted to know where he had gone when he left the room, what Alice's vision had been of, where we were going, what we were doing. I was even curious about the return of Rosalie and Emmett – when had they arrived?
However, I did not speak. I uttered not one word. Emmett's driving grew faster and faster the further we drove from Forks. Rosalie sat beside him, motionless in the passenger's seat. Where were the rest of the Cullen's? I anxiously wondered to myself. The desire to see out the window suddenly overcame me. I wanted to have some clue as to which direction we were heading in. I lifted my head from Edward's lap, and sat upright, looking out the window. I could not make out my location. Trees seemed to aimlessly dance by as we continued to build speed. I was vaguely aware of Edward's arms still tightly wrapped around my waist.
I felt the vibration of a cell phone before I heard it. With lightning fast reflexes, Edward pulled his cell phone from his pocket, and fixated it to his ear.
"Alice." He breathed, a sense of relief echoing through his voice. At the sound of his relief, my body unconsciously relaxed. He was silent for a few minutes, every so often humming his understanding into the telephone. He snapped the phone closed, returning it to his pocket.
"Everything is prepared – all of the arrangements have been made." The bitter edginess returned to his voice, as his grip on my body tightened even more. I could sense his fear and anxiety as clearly as I could sense my own.
"Are we all set to turn around and head back home?" I recognized the deep, powerful voice that reverberated through the car. The growl in Emmett's voice rumbled with ease through my body, causing me to tense in reaction.
"Yes. Turn around as soon as you're able." With those words, the car screeched to a halt, as Emmett calmly turned the steering wheel, causing the jeep to spin in a full circle, before stopping again, perfectly aligned on the road, facing the opposite direction. I was utterly confused at this point.
"What is going on?" I asked quietly. If I had not been in a vehicle filled with vampires, I was certain nobody would have heard my question.
"Alice had a vision, Bella. In her vision, she saw Caius and Jane coming to Forks. It was clear to her that they were coming with one thing in mind; they are intent upon…" his jaw clenched and he finished his sentence through tightly clenched teeth "killing you." My body visibly became more rigid.
"However, Aro has no idea that Caius and Jane came here with that intention in mind. We are not sure how, but they managed to deceive Aro, despite his gift. We plan to use this weakness in their plan to our advantage. We drove all the way out here, hoping that Caius and Jane would arrive at our home before we return, so that Carlisle might be able to talk some sense into them both before we arrive. Alice called me, she can see that they will be there shortly, and that is why we have turned around. I am afraid I cannot tell you any more. The rest won't involve any involvement on your behalf, and it's better for everyone if you don't know." My breath was caught. This time, I was well aware that I was no longer breathing, as I desperately gasped for air, clawing at my neck, frantic. Edward caught my hands in his own, and with his face merely inches away from my own, he began to speak to me in the most delicate tone he could manage.
"Calm down, Bella. Keep breathing. It is all right. The others are safe; Jane and Caius do not intend to kill one of their own. And you will be safe; I will make sure of that. Alice's vision will not come true. But you must relax; it's imperative that you remain awake throughout this." He gently kissed my cheek as my breathing steadied. We drove for miles and miles in complete silence before I decided to speak again.
"Why… why do Caius and Jane want me dead so badly?"
"I'm not entirely sure. My guess is that for Caius, the thought of losing control to the request of Aro boils his blood, figuratively speaking, of course. He has become obsessed with regaining control, and feels that the only way to do that… is to kill you himself. He did not like the idea of you leaving Italy, or the compromise we had reached. For Jane it is a matter of jealously, intimidation. Many fear Jane. I have watched as the strongest of vampires have cowered before her. Her gift, however, has no effect on you whatsoever. That makes her feel powerless, inadequate. She cannot stand feeling inferior to a… mortal." I could tell that Edward was doing his best to make sure his explanations remained very vague and general. It pained him to tell me these things, to think of them, but he knew it must be done, and the only way he could do it was by distancing himself from me, otherwise, it would be too painful.
"I hate so much that I keep endangering everyone I love." My voice was low and soft, and my words were not directed to anyone in particular. I needed no response, no consolation, and nobody was in a fit state to console me anyway. These were no ordinary vampires we were going up against. If it came down to it, and a fight did take place, undoubtedly Jane and Caius would walk away unscathed, while the same would definitely not be said for the Cullens and myself. It terrified me beyond explanation.
It was not long before Emmett was pulling into the hidden driveway of the Cullen's home. He stopped a few miles in, before we were even able to see the house. He turned in his seat and looked toward Edward.
"Are they there yet?" Emmett questioned with anticipation in his voice. It was frightening to hear Emmett speak. Normally, the prospect of a fight or altercation excited him. He thrived on it. However, his voice no longer portrayed that emotion. I could hear the fear shining through above all else, although he desperately tried to mask it.
"They're here. Carlisle has managed to calm them down somewhat. Although, they still intend to do what they came here to do. Caius is hesitant, uneasy about their plans. Jane, however, is definitely the more volatile and angry of the two." Edward paused momentarily, and shifted himself, looking directly at me, a mystifying intensity in his eyes.
"Bella, whatever you do, stay behind me at all times. Never leave my side, do not speak, and most importantly, keep breathing. If you pass out, I cannot look after you. I will likely be otherwise engaged. Can you do that for me?" Again, I nodded, unsure that I actually could, but I nodded anyway.
Before long, we were in front of the Cullen's grand home, and I was being abruptly pulled from Emmett's jeep. As soon as we stepped inside, I could feel the atmosphere of the room change. Alice, Jasper, Esme and Carlisle were the people I immediately recognized. They stood in the foyer of the Cullen's home, each crouched slightly, their eyes wide open, a serious expression gracing their still flawlessly beautiful faces.
Moments later, I recognized the two ominously composed figures that were standing on the opposite side of the room: Caius and Jane.
Edward gripped my hand tightly, almost painfully tightly. Nothing had ever evoked such a frantic response in him before and it worried me.
"Edward, it's such a pleasure to see you again" Jane said, her innocent and child-like voice still shocked me. It was difficult to believe that someone so young with such angelic features could be the cause of so much panic. As Jane spoke, Edward grabbed me roughly, and tucked my body behind his own.
"I know why you've come, Jane. There is no need for false pleasantries" his voice was cold and threatening. Quickly, Jane's eyes jumped from Edward to me, and when they did, I could hear a low growl rumble through Edward.
"Hm. It is curious to me, that you would risk your life to protect… her. She is fascinating; I will not deny you that. However, she is… average. Human. Mortal. Simple. She could never compare to you, to any of us." She stated simply, a small smile playing on her lips.
"Do I detect a tone of jealousy? I wasn't aware that someone as powerful as you ever felt jealous of anyone. Your emotions do make the motives behind your intentions clearer to me." Edward's words made everyone in the room visibly uneasy. It appeared that he was treading on delicate territory.
The next turn of events happened suddenly, and moved far too quickly for me to fully understand. One moment, everything had been silent, and the next, Edward was throwing me in the direction of Carlisle, as he lunged at Jane. Jane's small smile formed into a smirk as she fixated her eyes on Edward. In midair, Edward stopped, before crashing to the ground with a growl of pain.
I was confused. Edward continued to snarl in agony, but nobody was close to him, and nobody had touched him, so how could he be in pain? Then it hit me. Jane's gift was torturing by making her victim think they were experiencing excruciating pain, when in reality, the pain was not real. I looked around the room, wondering why no one was interceding, helping Edward or stopping Jane. His cries of pain began to overwhelm me. I tried to rush forward to his aid, but felt Carlisle's strong arms wrap around my waist, pulling me back.
Edward lay on the floor, writhing in pain, screaming in agony. The sound tore through my body, making me tremble. I could feel his pain. I sank to my knees, with my head in my hands, Carlisle still restraining me. Time passed slowly with Edward still screaming, and suddenly, everything was silent, and the pain I was feeling, his pain, had stopped. I inhaled sharply, attempting to catch my breath, refocus my vision.
"It would be best if you both left now." I recognized the voice. It belonged to Alice.
"Oh? And why is that?" Jane questioned mockingly.
"For one, we're all well aware of the fact that Aro has no clue you're here. We all know the consequences of betraying him, Jane. Caius especially. And secondly…" Alice's tone raised in pitch, a hit of cheeriness once again intertwining itself in her words "my company appears to have arrived." Again, I was confused. I looked up; hoping to be able to see clearly enough to understand what Alice meant by company, but instead of seeing, I could hear. It sounded as though several cars were pulling into the Cullen's driveway, as someone loudly knocked on the door.
I looked in the direction of Alice, and she quickly stole a glance in my direction, giving me a half-hearted smile. I could hear a low hiss coming from the direction of Caius and Jane. Caius scowled, while Jane remained stoic.
"Clever." Was all Jane said before dashing out a window.
"This isn't over, for any of you," Caius said darkly, before glancing in my direction, "especially her." And with that, Caius followed quickly behind Jane.
I breathed a sigh of relief as Carlisle released me from his firm grasp, and rushed to Edward's side. Before I could fully comprehend my own actions, I was kneeling beside Edward also.
Carlisle spoke as he easily lifted Edward into a standing position "All of you wait down here and stall our party guests. Bella and I will bring Edward upstairs and give him some time to compose himself. It won't be long before we're down." I followed Carlisle's lead as he easily glided up the stairs with Edward hanging at his side.
I felt useless. Edward was terribly hurt because of me. This was entirely my fault. Before I could allow my thoughts to wander any more, or burden myself with any more guilt, I felt a cold, yet gentle, hand grasp my own. I looked over to see Edward looking at me, his hand interlocked with mine, as he leaned against Carlisle for support.
This was not the way I was accustomed to seeing my Edward. Normally, I was the one leaning on someone for support. Normally I was the one who was injured and broken. However, it hurt just as much to see Edward in this state instead of me.
*-*-*-*-*
I sighed heavily as I averted my eyes to the hardwood floor of Edward's room. I could not bear to look at him; I could not bear to see the sympathy in his eyes I was sure to see. It was painful to be in his presence, let alone be standing so close to him.
Watching him endure any physical pain was more emotionally strenuous then I could have imagined. It was rare that anything fazed Edward, given his uncanny strength and speed. It was rare that he was ever hurting. I felt helpless to console him, knowing that he was in pain because of me; that I was practically the source of his pain.
I could tell he was beginning to recover from his injuries. Although there were no physical signs of damage, I cringed to think of how painful Jane's torture must have been for Edward to cry out the way he had. I was happy that he was not more seriously injured. However, it did nothing to change the feelings of guilt and unease I was currently feeling. I felt overwhelmed and stifled being in the same room with Edward.
He sat on his bed in complete silence, as he buttoned up the dress shirt he had chosen to wear. It appeared that the plan that was so cleverly devised was to drive the Volturi away by bringing in a swarm of mortals. Carlisle knew that it was rare that the Volturi associated with humans they did not intend to feed upon, and for the sake of remaining undetected, he knew the Volturi would be uncomfortable being surrounded by so many unavailable, yet appetizing, meals. Although simple, it truly was a brilliant plan. Alice had decided to arrange for the party to be an engagement party, so Edward and I could officially announce our impending union. Clever though she was, Alice did not have impeccable timing.
I fidgeted nervously with my hands, habitually twirling the gold engagement band around my finger. I was overwhelmed by the prospect of going downstairs and being social after the events that had transpired today. I had collapsed twice already today, narrowly avoided a potentially devastating confrontation with Charlie, changed my fate (Alice's vision of my death by the Volturi) and watched an immortal, unfeasibly strong vampire, with whom I am madly in love, become completely overthrown by the most painful anguish imaginable. No, today was definitely not the day for a party.
"Bella," he said softly, his eyes transfixed on me. I felt a blush creep up to my cheeks, as I further bowed my head in shame.
"Bella my love, please look at me, please?" he pleaded, his voice gentle and soothing. I shook my head in response, keeping my eyes locked on the intricate grain of the wooden planks of his floor.
"Bella, I know you well enough to know what you're thinking. And you're wrong. None of this was your fault, love. And I'm completely fine, no harm done." He alleged confidently.
"You don't have to lie to me," I snapped back harshly. I could feel my emotions beginning to win control over my reactions.
"I'm not lying to you," he explained, sharpness in his tone now "none of this was your fault. You did not intend for any of this to happen. And I truly am fine, the pain doesn't last very long, and I recover quickly!" He rose, and began slowly walking toward me.
"I'm so sorry that this happened. I never want to see you – feel you - in so much pain ever again," I whispered, inhaling deeply; this definitely would not be an appropriate time to collapse. Before I could move away from his approaching figure, he was pulling me into his cold body, wrapping his arms around waist, crushing his body into mine.
Normally, his presence rendered me useless, keeping me from forming any cohesive thoughts. Nonetheless, one question remained in my mind. I could not completely understand why this instance of torture had been so vastly different from what had happened to Edward in Italy when Jane tortured him. It seemed as though the pain was worse, and rather then recovering quickly, as he had in Italy, the pain seemed to linger. However, I was well aware that right now was not an appropriate time to bring up the subject.
"Bella, please. Try to recognize that this truly was not your fault," he delicately kissed my forehead before continuing; "You can't take credit for everything, you know," He mused aloud, smiling. I looked up at him incredulously.
"What could you possibly find amusing about this situation?" I asked, allowing my body to relax into his. Not so long ago I had feared that I would never be able to rest in his arms again, I was delighted by his presence, breathing in his scent, grateful that we had not faced and untimely separation.
"It's not that I find it amusing…" he began, still smiling, though hesitating slightly "It's just that I'm so relieved to be holding onto you again, to feel you in my arms. I don't want to ever let you go, love."
"Was it that bad? Did you really think she would have…" I could not bring myself to finish that sentence.
"Killed me? No. That is not what had me worried. In Alice's vision, she saw you being… killed by Jane. I was worried I was going to lose you, that they would take you away from me. I could not bear to have that happen. But you're here, in my arms, and quite visibly alive, and that is all that matters to me" he was silent for a few moments, before he continued to speak again.
"Tell me something, Bella. If we're so unintelligibly placing blame in regards to this situation, would I not be the one most at fault for the events that took place today?" I opened my mouth to speak, but he gently pressed a single finger to my lips, silently requesting that I let him continue. I leaned my head against his chest once more, allowing him to continue without interruption.
"Think about it… had I not exposed you to this world – to my world…" I knew that he was distinguishing between the mythical and mortal world now, "you would have known nothing about the Volturi, and you would have never been tracked by James, or on Jane's top ten most wanted list" again, he placed a consoling kiss atop my head, sighing as he pulled my body closer against his.
I could not keep myself from laughing at his sentiments. I realized that neither of us was doing each other any favours by constantly blaming ourselves for every unfortunate thing that happened. I knew that in the end, we would both agree that being together was worth the risk, and I realized that this was the point he was trying to highlight.
"You're right," I stated simply "nothing could keep me from being with you, and I'm under the impression that the feeling is mutual."
"Absolutely." I pulled my face from the crook of his neck to look into his eyes. It was much easier to read his emotions when I was able to look into his eyes. I could sense that there was something more he was not sharing with me, something that he was keeping from me, but when Rosalie appeared in the doorway, I knew there was not enough time to ask him about it. I would not forget it, however, and I made a quick mental note to ask him later.
Rosalie watched us curiously. "How are you feeling, Edward?" she questioned, concern evident in her perfectly russet-coloured eyes.
"I feel perfectly fine. How is everyone else doing?" he wondered.
"Everyone is fine. We're just glad that you're both alright" Rosalie's emphasis on the word both brought a smile to my face. Each and every day I felt more and more a part of Cullen's family.
"Have you asked her yet, Edward?" Rosalie questioned. His eyes darkened as he gave her a threatening look. She rolled her eyes frustration.
"I guess not" she mused aloud. I bit my lip as I glanced from Rosalie back to Edward. The dark and threatening look remained in his eyes until I began to speak.
"Asked me what, Edward?" my own tone was beginning to sound threatening, although I knew it was nowhere close to being as intimidating as Edward's.
"Later" was all he said in response. I glared at him intensely, as his eyes wandered from my face to my hand, which he examined closely.
"I believe that right now, we have an engagement to announce!" The change of tone was impossible to miss. He sounded elated, and overly overjoyed. I wished that I could share his enthusiasm, however, I had a passionate dislike for parties, and my exhaustion was only now beginning to set in. I was not sure I would be able to last throughout an entire, nauseatingly cheery party.
"He's right, Bella, everyone is waiting for you both. And don't worry, if he decides not to ask you, I'll ask you myself" she stated, flashing me a smile, before leaving the room. Edward followed, gently tugging my hand, pulling me from his room, leading me downstairs.
*-*-*-*-*
It had been a long and exhausting night. Edward literally supported all of my weight as he escorted me to my front door.
It was sufficiently uncomfortable, announcing my engagement, at a mere eighteen years of age, to all of my friends. Nobody had known that the party was actually an engagement party until Edward and I announced our news. Of course, it did not help that Alice literally had only minutes to plan the party, and create the guest list. Nevertheless, nobody was willing to miss a party hosted at the infamously mysterious Cullen home, especially with all of the equally mysterious Cullen's in attendance.
Nobody was surprised by the fact that we were engaged, they were shocked that it was happening so quickly, especially when we were both so young. I scoffed at the thought of people thinking of Edward as young; he was more than triple my age, and certainly, by immortal standards, was not young.
Charlie had not attended. Alice had assured me that she invited him, and when she explained that she let him know it was an engagement party I was not surprised by his absence. It had taken a lot for him to pretend to be supportive of my decision; I knew he would not be able to stand going to a place where everyone was celebrating something he was so opposed to. I might have been frustrated with him, or angry, if I had not been so tired. I could barely manage to keep my eyes open. I was still very tired from my lack of sleep the night before, and from the excitement of today. I was so exhausted that I could not even manage to ask Edward about what Rosalie had meant when she came to remind us of the party. I figured it could wait until tomorrow.
Charlie had said very little when I walked in. I quickly apologized for not being around to make him supper and said a brief goodnight. He barely acknowledged me, making my escape to my bedroom easier then I had anticipated.
I happily pulled myself out of my clothes, and slipped into my cool nightshirt. Before crawling into my bed, I made sure to open my window, allowing Edward access into my room. Despite my exhaustion, I lay in my bed, patiently waiting for Edward to crawl in through my window, and join me.
It was almost impossible for me to sleep alone these days. I had become spoilt, sleeping with Edward every night. It felt unnatural to not fall asleep to him humming my lullaby in my ear, while gently rubbing soothing circles on my back. I grinned when I thought of the eternity that would await us, the forever I had vowed to spend with him.
My smile only widened when I felt his ice-cold hands wrap around me, nestling me close to his chest. I reached up to his lips, and allowed my own to clumsily crash against his. My fatigue had made me sloppy. He pulled away, as I anticipated he would, and began humming my lullaby. Within minutes, I was asleep.
A/N: Okay, I promise that the next chapter will be filled with Bella & Edward lemony fluff! I had to develop the back-story, before delving too far into their relationship!
A special thank you to my beta, Addie W. Thank you for so cleverly catching the mistakes I miss!
And thank you to everyone who reviewed! Reviews, as I have said before, are the ink to my pen. They keep me motivated, and make me smile!
Thanks: ren-san, kissinconcern, octoberland, lionfellwithlamb and MrsAnnaCullen for your lovely reviews.