As we walked inside, my hand clenched Edward's tighter as I let reality sink in. Once again, my life was being thrust into a whirlpool of danger, and what came with danger, there was going to be someone that would end up hurt. All over my body, I could feel a pain; my heart, my mind, even my arms and legs were wobbly. My mouth opened and a gasp came out.
I looked around me. Took in my surroundings.
Edward was in a locked gaze with Alice, communicating with thoughts, his relaxed face now twisted in concern, shock, and fear. For me.
Alice was squeezing her eyes, opening them. Open. Close. Open. Close. Her eyes were full of concentration. Frustration. Trying to find more about this stranger, who was coming. For me.
Carlisle and Esme were whispering frantically, frightened by the news, frightened for their family, frightened for their 'daughter.' For me.
Rosalie was rubbing gentle circles on my back, though they were tentative. It came as a surprise to me, but I didn't notice for long. She was trying to be soothing. For me.
Emmett was cursing under his breath, muttering about safety for everyone. For me.
And Jasper was in a frenzy. Trying to calm his wife. Edward. Emmett. Himself. The chaos. For me.
It seemed that everything that connected with danger circled around me. Edward was right: I was a danger magnet. Vampires. Werewolves. The Volturi. James and Victoria. And now this. And I always ended up dragging the people I loved into this. Sooner or later, someone would die. Because they would be protecting me, an unnecessary, useless cause. I felt like sobbing, crying until I had no tears left to release. Why was this happening? Why was this happening to me? So many questions, so little answers. I had an eternity. But how long would it last?
Finally, I couldn't take it anymore. I slowly sank to the ground, wishing that Hell below would open the ground and welcome me with open arms. Breathing heavily, I let go of Edward's hand and stared into empty space. I felt my love crouch down with me and shake my arm.
"Bella! It will be alright. I promise-swear- that nothing will happen to you. Do you hear me?" He chanted. I didn't hear him, but nodded my head, the least I could do. He exhaled sharply, and turned to Alice.
"Alice, can you see anymore? Tell us! Tell us before it is too late. Before they come!" I could notice the obvious stress in his voice.
"I'm trying Edward! What do you think I've been doing for the last five minutes or so? She's my sis-" Alice broke off, lost in another vision again. We were all silent as we waited for Alice too say something. She came back, shaking her head, remaining silent.
"Well? Say something!" Edward shouted. Jasper looked like he was about to tackle Edward when Alice spoke.
"Nothing. Nothing but little bits and pieces. It seems to me as if there are a few men involved. A woman. But that's it," she sighed. "I'm so sorry, Bella. If only I could see more..."
"Alice, it's not your fault," I mumbled. "Maybe if I just disappeared, everything would be all right-" Edward cut me off with a rough push.
"Never. Never, say that again, Isabella. Don't even think about it. I love you. The whole family loves you, and if we ever lost you...if I ever lost you...I don't know what I'd do...can't..." he broke off. "Bella, nothing will happen to you, you understand me? Nothing. I'd never allow it." With that, he enclosed me in a bone-crushing hug, and I held on, clinging to his body. Then, Alice jumped. I glanced at her.
"I-I just saw something...they're coming soon...a couple of days, five at the most. We need to be prepared, it doesn't look like they'll leave soon..." she began mumbling to herself. Rosalie, who'd remained silent for a while, spoke.
"They're coming here. In Canada?" she said with disbelief. "But this territory is highly remote; hunters don't even come here often! It's so boring here. How would they have found us?"
"Rosalie, nonetheless, it is a town. People live here," Jasper replied.
"No one knows we're here," I whispered. The only people we had told were Tanya and the Denali clan. Unless...
Edward must have been thinking the same thing. "The Denali clan," he breathed. "If they were threatened, they would not have hesitated to tell our whereabouts, would they?"
Carlisle shook his head. "They wouldn't have, Edward. We are their closest allies. I know them too well. The only way this group of vampires could have discovered our location is if they have a special power, or talent, for tracking, or have been keeping tags on us."
"Why would they even want me? I'm nothing extraordinary," I said, confused by the thought. My power, which was immunity and the ability to control other people's movements, was still undeveloped, as I had only been a vampire for seven years.
"That is still a question to be answered," Carlisle replied.
Esme put a hand on her husband's arm. "Will we have to move then?"
"No! We can't move. If we do, they will surely find us some way. Our best hope is to stay put for now, and see who these people are, and what they want," Alice rapidly spoke, her lips a blur.
"But we can't let them harm the innocent people, Alice. We don't want a mass murder. If we leave, they can easily have access to the people that live here," Edward said, letting go of me. I still held onto his arm; he always made me feel secure and safe.
"How do you know if they hunt humans?" she shot back.
"We won't take the chances," Edward replied firmly. "Honestly, Alice, you cannot jump to conclusions in a situation like this."
"I'm not jumping to any conclusions! Maybe you should start listening to me, Edward, for at least I can get a glimpse of what can happen in the future!"
"But you don't always know what is best! Your visions aren't always accurate, nor are they even for sure! Let them meet us first, and then we will try to talk to them.We have to end this, and the only way we can is by speaking to them. Face. To. Face," he accentuated the last three words with authority. Anytime, he was about to explode."We can't just run away forever."
"Face to face? Face to face?" Alice practically shrieked. "And you accuse me of jumping to conclusions! You are seriously considering that, Edward? Have you not thought about what their plans may be? What if they take Bella right then, when we meet them for the first time, 'face to face'? What if they make their first move in five days? You don't know their motives, their abilities, their strength, who they are...you've never dealt with them before! They're not here to whisk Bella off on a play date of some sort, for God's sake. You're supposed to be the careful one. You're supposed to be the overprotective one! But instead-"
"Enough!" Carlisle held Alice away from Edward, exasperated. "Bickering like this will not get us anywhere. We have to create a plan," he said, looking at his son, and then to his daughter. "Both of you are right. Yes, if we leave, there is a possibility that the few humans here will be harmed. Yes, we need to know who they are, but we don't know what could happen. A plan is what we need."
"I say we wait until they come, then smash their noses into their brains. That should make it pretty clear they're messing with the wrong people," Emmett huffed. Jasper smirked, and Edward's mouth twitched.
"Absolutely not, you stupid, careless bone-head!" Rosalie fumed. Alice and I were quick to add in our agreements. "Have you not heard a single thing we have been talking about? I swear, Emmett, sometimes, you have no common sense, or even a brain, whatsoever!"
"No," Carlisle agreed as well. "There will be no fighting. We will only use force if they are the ones to attack us. That is final."
"So what do we do? We can't just let them come and take Bella. Not on my watch," Edward said, grimly. I shuddered involuntarily at the thought. Edward noticed and looked down at me, reassuringly. "Don't worry," he whispered.
"Let's wait. I agree with Emmett. It's safer that way," Jasper offered. "First of all, if we run, they'll find another way to just hunt us down again. Secondly," he paused. "Secondly, if we stay, we get a sense of who we are dealing with. We've had experience with this in the past, haven't we?" He was definitely referring to James, where it had led everyone all the way South to Phoenix.
Alice looked up at the handsome blonde, glaring that he had not sided with her. Jasper shrugged, breathing, "It's for the best, love."
"Jasper is right, Alice. We stay as a family," Esme spoke in a soft voice. She glanced at me with tender eyes, and I felt another stab of guilt for endangering my family. What would happen if I lost one of these faces before me, all risking their lives for mine? Certainly, I would not be able to live with the fact that I was the cause.
"Then the decision has been made," Carlisle concluded. "We stay, and let everything fall into place. Only time can tell what will happen." Everyone sat in an uncomfortable silence. Our futures were so vague, anything was possible.
"So, we just wait, then?" Emmett's voice cut through the air like a knife. Swift and harsh.
"Yes," said Edward. "We wait."