Title: In Need of Rescue
Chapter 19: Cops
Edwards POV
I was down stairs, preparing for the day. I was sure it would include us staying inside due to the cold she had. It was thanks to my own stupidity. I should have known better than to let her outside in the cold…and with the sprinkler on too. She was having such a fun time that I didn't think of just how massive of a chance she could get a cold. I could hear her slowly getting more and more congested as the night wore on.
There was a ding in the oven as I ran to take out the prized piece. I had called Esme for her own recipe that she would make back when we would attend high school for the bake sales there. It was always the first thing to sell. I rarely cooked due to the fact that I don't eat, plus it doesn't smell the greatest.
I heard Bella from upstairs as she coughed and started to stir. I really hoped that this may help her to feel better. I had never called Alice back from last night thanks to Esme talking my ear off about everything. I love her but she talks a lot more than I ever could. I always end up having to tell her that my phone was going to die soon in order to get her off the phone. Apparently, she had been alone for about three days now and while she did work, these days happened to be the days she had off. She used to come over to my house on her days off but both Carlisle and she had made a rule that they wouldn't visit us 'kids' if we had a human as a pet. They weren't keen on the idea.
Colds and flus were passing around the human farm like wild fire recently so Carlisle was constantly being called into the place. When I finally got Esme off the phone, I decided not to call Alice back, figuring she was trying to call me to let me know that Bella would get a cold.
I wasn't too scared though; no human had died from this sickness yet. They were just tired and sick for a day or two; nothing like the influenza outbreak when I was human.
I was finishing up my work when I heard Bella coming down the stairs, sniffling. I had put a stack of tissues near her bed when she was sleeping and wasn't shocked when she came into the kitchen with a tissue in her hands. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes before hacking some more.
"What are you making?" She asked.
"A surprise." I said.
"Oh." Was all she answered with.
She sat down watching me carefully.
"You have flour all over you." She stated.
"I know I'm not a clean cook. Hopefully it tastes good." I said as I finished her surprise. I started to walk toward her, placing my masterpiece in front of her. I put a small candle into the middle of it, lighting it up.
Her eyes got huge from seeing the fire on the top of the cake. "What is this?" She asked. I put a birthday hat on her head and then on mine.
"It's a birthday cake, happy birthday!"
"It's my birthday?" She questioned.
"Yeah!" I said pushing the cake toward her.
"What do I do?" She asked. "I never saw this."
"Make a wish and blow out the candle."
She stared at me and then closed her eyes. She opened them and blew out her candle. She laughed as the wax from the candles flew back and hit the back of the cake. It was a small personal cake with white frosting all around and blue frosting trim.
"What did you wish for?"
"I know not to tell you my wishes." She said to me.
I chuckled grabbing a plate, a fork, and a knife. I cut into the small cake, giving her a piece. "Happy 17th Birthday. I hope it tastes good." I said to her.
"I'm sure it will taste fine." She said. "I wasn't sixteen by the way. I would be turning fourteen."
"No, you are seventeen. Carlisle told me."
"Then he is lying."
"No. You were young when you were in the farms. Back then they didn't keep track of age. Your mom asked Carlisle personally when you were younger if she could have your papers say you were younger than you are."
"To be seventeen, would mean I was born before vampires took over." I couldn't get anything past her. She was smarter than she let on.
"You were young, only a year old. You wouldn't know either way." I tried to explain. "Looking at your teeth, you are older than your papers say as well."
"Sooo, I'm older by almost four years?"
"Yeah."
"Oh." Was all she said as she played with her cake.
"Are you alright?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. I don't understand how I can be that old, I don't look that old." She said still playing with her cake. "I just want to be alone for a bit." She muttered.
"Are you sure?" I asked.
"Yes, I'm sure."
"Alright, I will be in the other room if you want to come in after you eat."
I walked into the other room turning on the television but couldn't focus. Was she upset because of her age? Maybe I shouldn't have told her. I didn't know until Carlisle mentioned it during the last physical before I took her away from the farm. Carlisle pulled me aside to tell me that her papers were wrong. He had fudged them for her mother when humans were first put into farms.
Humans were bred when they turned 16, technically she would have already had her first child if they didn't play with the age. How Carlisle was able to get pass the actual security there was beyond me. Perhaps it was because Carlisle could choose what happened to the humans when it came to their health. If he deemed the human unfit for anything then the farm wouldn't let the human breed.
Bella walked into the room and sat next to me. She had been coughing on and off all night so it was no surprise when she started to fall asleep on the couch.
I kept watching my show when my phone rang. It was Alice, again. She's so persistent.
"Hey." I said.
"Damn! I thought you would never pick up. Where have you been?" Alice sounded exasperated.
"You're the psychic."
"I can only see futures not the present." She reminded me. "Sheesh, so much for my try at helping you."
"What's up?" I asked.
"You don't have much time. The cops are on their patrols."
"They were just on this street five months ago."
"I know but I guess they got a suspicious phone call. They won't say who it was on this street though. I tried to warn you last night when I got the vision that they were coming but you wouldn't pick up. They just left my house now. You better tell Bella the rules and fast. I don't feel like hearing…" I zoned out. The cops were on their way. Bella didn't know all of the rules, she knew nothing. I turned to look at the girl who was falling asleep on my couch. There alone, she was breaking one of the rules.
Alice knew too well about the cops. It was her reason for being so cold around the humans. She was worried of accidently slipping like she did so many years ago. It was back when she got her first 'pet.' She got it as a friend because Jasper had joined the cops and was forced to work outside of the town at first. He joined the cops because he knew he was good at fighting and he knew he would easily rank high, which he did.
Alice used the human as her best friend. Alice loved being around Rosalie when we were all together but anyone could only stay around Rosalie for so long before they got bored of her anger. She would get angry easily and would sometimes be annoyed with Alice. Rosalie would get annoyed by Alice's personality as well. I understand both sides. I sometimes get annoyed by both of them.
With the human though, Alice befriended it instantly. They were never separated and if it wasn't for the collar and leash around the girl's neck, you would think they were best friends.
However, everything went horribly wrong one frightful day. Alice, being Alice, had never read the pamphlet of rules that came with 'owning' a human. The rules were strict and ones that even I haven't followed with Bella. I knew them all; I had no choice but to learn all of them when I got the job at the human farm. The humans at the farms aren't taught the rules like pet store humans because they aren't expected to ever be outside of the farm. A reason Alice doesn't like humans that come from the farms. I looked down at Bella's sleeping figure on the couch.
Alice had missed so many rules but the main rule is simple, if you miss five or more rules, the penalty is death for both parties.
Pets aren't to use your name. This is one I too have broken. I don't like that they can't call your name. Technically they can't even speak to you but very few vampires took this rule to the extent. Humans were to speak to vampires as "Yes Sir." or "Yes Ma'am." I wasn't going to make Bella do this and Alice said the same thing for her first 'pet.' When the cops first arrived, Alice didn't know this rule and neither did her pet. The poor girl slipped up asking Alice who was at the door. That's where it started badly.
Pet is to always have a collar. She was going between fashions and picking a new outfit for her 'pet' when the cops came over. The cops don't care that you are changing something out; they expect a collar on at all times as if the human could run away. They wouldn't be able to run a foot without a vampire right behind them. This is a stupid rule.
Pets aren't to be on the furniture. As a way to keep humans at a lower level like dogs, the cops made this rule. Alice follows it now, in fear that she would mess up when the cops came over. She tried to explain it to me a few times when I got Bella but it never worked. I didn't care. However, when the cops came over to her house the pet was on the couch, with a book in hand. Which leads to the next one.
Pets are to never be able to read. Intelligence is bad for humans. When vampires took over, the smart humans were the first to be killed almost instantly. It was a horrible experience to watch but we did nothing about it or we too would be killed. Alice felt bad for the human girl that she took in. The girl knew how to speak and read human which happened before vampires took over. Alice wanted to show the girl how to read and speak vampiric, after all, the girl knew how to speak and read human so it would be easy for the girl to pick up vampiric.
Then there was one more, one more that ended it all.
The pet is not to be allowed outside unless a fence is up. Alice hadn't worried about the fence; she saw no need for it. The girl stayed in the area and knew where the boundaries were. Alice had pointed them out specifically for the girl. It wasn't enough though, the cops didn't care.
Those five were all the cops needed to see, they had enough to incriminate her. She played it out in her mind for me; she couldn't speak the story, even to this day it is a nightmare for her. They turned to Alice saying, "The penalty for breaking five or more rules is death."
"No." Alice said. The worse thing in all this is that Alice wasn't worried for herself; she was worried for the poor human girl that was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The cops went for the human girl, pulling her to the ground. Alice ran to help the girl but was thrown back by one of the cops. She was told that if she interrupted again then they would find her mate and kill him too. She would never hurt Jasper. She watched helpless, knowing she couldn't fight the four males anyways. Jasper had taught her how to fight but she still couldn't fight against four of them.
She called me first; trying to get me to come over and help her fight them off before it was too late for her human, her best friend. I didn't pick up; I was at work at the time. I feel horrible now that I know what happened. This was by far the main reason that Jasper didn't care for me anymore. I should have been there to help; I even promised Jasper that I would watch over Alice while he was gone. He was irate that I didn't hold up my promise. If I had my phone on me then I could have helped.
She called the other members of the family but every single one was busy and didn't pick up. She finally settled on calling Jasper even though he was a thousand miles away and she knew there was nothing he could do. He picked up his cell phone as she told him what was happening. The poor guy had to listen to everything over the phone with no way to help.
When the cops were done with the human girl, there was nothing left.
The whole family went to console Alice once we found out what happened. We were fortunate enough to still have her. There was nothing left of the girl, blood was splattered everywhere. It took Alice and Jasper a year to get the smell out of the house.
Alice held the phone to her ear when they were done as the cops turned to Alice, "The penalty for breaking five of the rules is death." One of the men repeated coming toward her.
"No." Alice muttered.
Jasper was on the other end, still not able to help his wife. He was pleading with them while on the phone, warning them not to touch her.
They laughed and then decided on an ultimatum. Her mate was a member of the cops but the two were still associated with the Cullens. If any vampire associated themselves with the Cullens then they were automatically seen as lower vampires.
They wouldn't kill her but they were to hurt her in some way. They hurt her the one way they could think of. Jasper was on the phone the whole time listening to everything. I got the story from both sides. It was gut wrenching to have to live through it from both minds at the same time. On top of all this, I felt Jasper's guilt.
When it was all said and done they left her with a warning. We were lucky not to lose a family member that day. It took Alice six years before she would think of getting another 'pet' again. The odd thing is that through all of this, her and my relationship got stronger. Jasper didn't leave her alone for two years but his job forced him to start traveling again.
We talked more and she hung around me more when Jasper left. She would stay at my house while he was gone. She feared the cops now. Whenever they come over, she makes sure that Jasper will be over or that I would be there. It was hard on everyone. I looked down at Bella, remembering the body of the poor human girl that Alice once knew. That wouldn't be her.
"Edward, EDWARD!" Alice screamed into the phone, taking me out of my daze.
"Sorry, I was thinking."
"Well you better stop thinking and tell that girl the rules and fast. I don't want you or her to be killed. She's too nice for that and you are my brother."
"I have to go so that I can get ready." I hung up my phone. "Bella." I whispered, cupping her cheek in my hand.
She squirmed from the cold.
"Bella, I need you to get up now."
She opened her eyes and I could tell she was still fighting this cold.
"We are going to have a few visitors Bella." I told her. "Just do whatever they say and don't go on any furniture. I'm going to put you on the small bed that's on the living room floor okay?"
She nodded.
I picked her up and put her on a cushion that was on my floor. It was the same as a dog bed but bigger to fit a full size human. That was what humans were to sit on when they were sitting around, not the couch.
"Please don't do anything, just sleep and do what they say if they ask alright?" I asked
She nodded again as she curled up on the small cushion. I was somewhat happy that she had the cold right now. It meant less of a chance for her to mess up.
There was a knock at my door. I picked her collar up from my table. I forgot to put it back on her after our run outside yesterday with the water. I quickly snapped it on as there was another knock at my door. "Coming." I yelled.
Another knock at my door. The cops hated my family, we were different and they hated different. I stood up and straightened up, I had seen many interviews between Alice and the cops, now it was my turn. The only difference was that she was associated with the name Cullen, I kept my last name with the name Cullen. Carlisle was the one who changed me after all.
I had never been so nervous in my life.
I opened the door gulping.
"Edward Cullen?" the cop asked.
"Yes sir." I said.
"You live alone and have one human as a pet, is that right?"
"Yes sir."
"You are a guard at the farm down the street?"
This guy knew me, he had seen me thousands of time. "Yes sir."
"Are you going to let me in."
I wanted to punch him already. I walked to the side as he walked in with three others trailing.
"Papers?" the man asked.
I took out my wallet as I grabbed the paper within it. The man snatched it from my hand and looked down at it. He already knew everything on it, he had read a million times before when Alice forced me to be over her house when they came over.
"Mind reader." He muttered throwing the papers back at me.
I have always wanted to punch these people. I could already feel the stress and they hadn't started checking my house yet…
So sorry for how long it has been since my last update! I didn't like this chapter too much- it isn't my best work.
College has been hectic. I graduate in four weeks and have been nonstop between applying to jobs, doing school work, and working. I actually passed out in the middle of one of my tests! Woke up to tons of people around me and I still feel like crap from it. Luckily I was in a class filled with science majors so everyone knew what to do!
Anyways, I can't promise anything too soon but I will try to write another chapter by the end of June. Then I will start to wrap things up with this story. I probably have about seven chapters left.