I had to do a double take at the scene that lay before me… Bella lay on the floor screaming and writhing in pain. I could smell the blood and felt a burn in my throat, but strangely that was it, I had no desire to focus on the blood that had already been spilt.
I vaulted over the balcony and landed in a crouch as Jasper and Emmett dragged James away from Bella, my first instinct was to go to my father to help him care for Bella, but Jasper's calls caught my attention.
"Chris!" Jasper shouted, "get the fire going!" Of course…I was the one with the petrol canister, I was also the one with the lighter. Bella was in good hands right now, I had to help my brothers.
Quickly I knelt down and punched the weak floorboard. It splintered frighteningly easily and I easily pulled pieces together to act as a starter for the fire. A curtain that hung from the shattered window would act as the starter I wrapped it around one end of a ballet banister I had broken off and doused it with some gasoline before pouring the remainder of the canister on the now piled wood.
I reached into my pocket and pulled out a zippo lighter and ignited the curtain before breaking the zippo and spilling the rest of the lighter fluid on soaked wood pile. I touched the torch to the pile and it went up in a whoosh as soon as the tiny flame hit it and I had to jump back to avoid the flames.
Behind me I could hear my brothers tearing James apart, snapping his bones to pieces as if they really were the kindling they were about to become… and with that all my hopes of getting information about Alice from him…but I had kept my promise to Carlisle, we had to secure Bella's safety first and until that was true Jasper and Alice would not be told.
Bella…t/hat thought crossed my mind and I turned my attention to where she lay on the floor. Carlisle, Edward, and Alice were surrounding her.
I ran over there and slid on the floor. Bella was so out of it I don't even think she realized that we were there.
"My bag please." Carlisle ordered and I handed it to him "hold your breath Alice it will help."
I glanced over at Alice for reassurance that she knew nothing of James's connection to her.
"Alice," Bella groaned
"She's here," Carlisle assured her "she knew where to find you." He paused again looking up at me for a moment "Christian can you handle it?" he asked
I nodded "yes sir," I replied
"Hold your breath and shut your eyes if you must son. You both are doing well. Good, try to stabilize her leg Chris, be gentle."
I did as my father asked and turned my attention to Bella's shattered leg. It looked as if James had purposely stomped it and my eyes went wide with fear as I saw where most of the blood was coming from. Her thigh bone was protruding through her skin and had obviously sliced through the femoral artery.
I swallowed as my throat burned a little bit more…
"Carlisle…" I managed to choke out "Carlisle there is a lot of blood here."
"I know, if it is too much for you Chris, there is nothing to be ash-" Quickly I shook my head
"No what I'm fine, I just meant that there is a lot of it…she's loosing far to much, very quickly. The bone went through her femoral!"
Carlisle remained calm, but I could see the tension in his eyes. I'm the son of a doctor and the adopted son of one, not to mention I spent the first month or so of my vampire life reading all of Carlisle's medical journals and books in his office out of sheer boredom. Carlisle knows I can recognize injuries just as well as he can.
"Chris your sweatshirt. Wrap it around her leg as gently as you can and hold it there. It will slow the bleeding and stabilize her leg. Do not try to set the bone back. If you need to, hold your breath while you do that, understand?"
"Aye…" I replied, my voice cracking a bit. Something was wrong and it wasn't just her leg. There was something really wrong, I just couldn't figure out what it was, my profile was screaming at me to pay attention…attention to what? I didn't understand…maybe to the strange yet familiar smell mixed with Bella's blood? Or the fact that she seemed more concerned with her hand than her leg?
"My hand hurts" Bella spoke up
"I know, Bella," Edward murmured to her "Carlisle will give you something it will stop."
"My hand is burning!" She screamed spooking me briefly. I stared at her hand and my eyes went wide
"Bella?" Edward asked, his voice shaking
"The fire! Someone stop the fire!" Bella continued to scream
Now I realized what was going on…
"Carlisle her hand!" Edward shouted
"He bit her." Carlisle's voice was appalled
"That bloody bastard!" I hissed
"Edward, you have to do it." Alice spoke up as she wiped at Bella's face
"NO!" He bellowed and I even cringed at that…but there was nothing my brother could do, if James had bitten Bella, then the venom was already inside her veins she would be feeling the fire of the venom throughout her body shortly.
"Alice," Bella moaned recognizing Alice's voice and her touch.
"There may be a chance," Carlisle said and I looked at him quickly
"What?" Edward begged
"See if you can suck the venom back out. The wound is fairly clean."
"Will that work?" Alice and I asked at the same time
"I don't know." Carlisle answered us "but we have to hurry."
"Carlisle," Edward spoke up "I…I don't know if I can do that."
"Its your decision Edward, either way. I cant help you. I have to get this bleeding stopped here if your going to be taking blood from her hand. Chris is already holding her leg steady and Alice is trying her best to keep her calm."
Under my gentle pressure, Bella's leg gave a sharp twitch, I was caught off guard by it and almost didn't hold it down in time.
"Edward!" she screamed as I pressed down as gentle as I could on her broken leg. The blood was beginning to seep through the thick sweatshirt, only a bit, but I could smell it flowing under my hands through the material…not good, if anymore soaked through I wouldn't be able to fight off my instincts I would have to bail and join Jasper and Emmett outside, but I knew I was needed here too, I couldn't let Carlisle down, I most certainly couldn't abandon Bella and Edward when they needed all the help they could get.
"Carlisle!" I yelped, he looked over at me quickly
"Alice talk to her!" Carlisle called "Chris put more pressure on her leg, but still be gentle, hold her as still as you can she cant thrash around like that it will make the bleeding worse." He paused "Edward! You must do it now or it will be too late."
"Edward!" I yelped again "hurry" I took a deep breath as I saw the reluctance in my brother's eyes shift to acceptance. He lifted Bella's hand up gently towards his mouth as Alice, Carlisle and I prepared for the coming struggle.
Carlisle held her as gently but as securely as he could with his arms locking her head, Alice leaned close to her ears whispering soothing words to her and me I leaned on her leg, trying my hardest to keep most of my weight off it, but I knew once Edward began she would be struggling much more and I had to keep her leg still at all cost.
I was not surprised when Edward's lips touched Bella's hand and her body immediately began jerking as the pain of the venom was replaced by what I can imagine as an even greater pain came. I held her legs down and refused to let them move, though I didn't relax my grip even when her own body relaxed as she began to lose consciousness.
"Edward," she murmured
"He's right here, Bella." Carlisle assured her
"Stay Edward, stay with me…"
"I will," he replied.
With a nod from Carlisle I began to ease off her leg, still keeping the gentle pressure on the open wound.
"is it all out?" Carlisle asked
"Her blood tastes clean, I can taste the morphine."
"Bella?" Carlisle called to her
"Mmm?"
"Is the fire gone?"
"Yes, she sighed "thank you Edward."
"I love you," he answered. Alice and I exchanged a look our faces full of relief and even amusement.
"I know," Bella said, her voice was fading, in fact I was surprised she was still conscious at this point.
"Bella," Carlisle called to her again
"What?"
"Where is your mother?"
"in Florida," she sighed "he tricked me Edward. He watched our videos." Her voice was angry, but it was so weak that it was almost pitiful. Her eyes fluttered open for a moment as she tried to find Alice. "Alice, the video…he knew you Alice, he knew where you came from." I stared at Bella and then at Carlisle…I had to find that video, watch it with Jasper before Alice could. Whatever was on that tape would help or hurt my sister and I wanted to know what it was before hand.
"Bella." I called
"Chris?" she replied, surprise in her voice as if she hadn't realized I was there.
"Yes Bella, Bella where is that tape?" But I could see her eyes, she was so close to sleep that I doubt she understood my question or would remember it for that matter.
"I smell gasoline." Was her reply
"Its time to move her." Carlisle spoke up
"No, I want to sleep."
"You can sleep, sweetheart, I'll carry you." Edward answered her as he scooped her up gently into his arms.
I got to my feet and extended my hand to Alice helping my sister up. She looked as shocked by Bella's information as I had been.
With James turned completely to ash, Jasper and Emmett had vacated the now burning studio. I would encourage the rest of the fire to destroy the now abandoned studio. But first I wanted to get Alice to Jasper. She leaned over and I instantly held her tight, my arms wrapped around her shoulders.
As I guided her to the exit I noticed a camcorder abandoned on the floor near where Bella had lay and I wondered for a moment if this was the tape that Bella had spoken of, wondering if it could be so simple.
Without question, I leaned down and picked it up, but Alice took it from my hand as if she knew something I did not.
"Chris," she said softly "in the field you knew he knew me didn't you?" I couldn't look my sister in the eye, instead I looked down at my feet "Christian."
"I knew…I didn't want to say anything until…until I was sure. The way he looked at you though, he was surprised to see you, but that didn't change the fact that he knew you." I paused "I'm so sorry Alice, I shouldn't have kep-" she stopped walking and hugged me tight kissing my forehead
"Shh, I understand why you did it and I'm not mad."
"Your not?"
"Of course not you little profiler." She paused "but will you watch this with me, you and Jasper? I don't know if I can watch this alone."
I grinned
"Of course…" my grin got wider "but first I have a dance studio to burn down."
A/N: ok people you realize what's coming I hope, this is the second to last chapter of this fic. However as I said in the beginning I have plans on taking Chris through all four books. So Just letting everyone know now, be on the look out for the next part of the series. I can't promise it will be up by Sunday, super bowl parties are taking over. But I should have at least chapter one uploaded by Monday Tuesday at the latest. Be on the look out for it, I know quite a few people have added this fic and me to author alerts. If you havent, just keep an eye out. As I said in chapter 1, I'm horrible at titles, both chapter wise and fic wise, so there won't be an elborate title for the NM fic. Most likely it will be The Sun Never Sets: A sequel: New Moon or something of that nature. Unless any of my faithful readers have an idea, which I am completely open too. Anyways enough blabber from me, the final chapter will be posted tomorrow same time as usual. There will be a 42 chapter uploaded, but its not a part of the fic, I plan on leaving that for review thanks. Take care!