See first chapter for disclaimer and notes

Chapter 2 - Gravity

Edward dropped the drained carcass of the deer he'd just caught and began heading back towards the house. He was anxious to return to his piano and the new lullaby he was composing for Hera. He had tried to teach her how to play, but the little girl wasn't keen to do anything that required her to sit still for any length of time.

The sound of leaves rustling preceded the appearance of Alice and Jasper on the trail. The light amber of their eyes told him they'd had no problem finding their own sustenance. "Where's Emmett and Rosalie?"

Alice giggled. "Well… Jasper was bombarded with intense feelings of lust a few minutes ago, so I'm thinking we don't want to know."

Edward shook his head with a grin, grateful that the amorous couple was far enough away that he wasn't burdened with their thoughts. "I feel sorry for any hikers that might stumble upon them. Seeing those two get it on has to be more traumatic than witnessing a vampire feeding."

Jasper was about to respond when a sudden intake of breath from his mate signified a vision was coming. He immediately grabbed her arm to support her.

Edward gasped when he watched the vision through Alice's mind. "Oh god, NO!" Without waiting for the end of it to play out he took off for home, running as quickly as it was possible for him to go.

The sudden smell of blood and Esme's screams told him he was too late.

Esme was in the kitchen rifling through the pantry when she heard Edward's window click open. Knowing her son hadn't left from his room this time, she grew curious. She started to waive away the incident, thinking Edward just hadn't secured it tightly the last time he'd used it, but her instincts were telling her something wasn't right. Realizing Hera's heart rate had increased, Esme dropped what she was doing and went to investigate.

Screaming in panic, the vampire ran to grab her daughter, who had just jumped from Edward's window, but her hand missed the little arm by a hair's breadth. She immediately jumped after the little girl, but Hera hit the rocky ground before Esme could do anything to break her fall.

"Hera, baby… NO!" Esme reached down to check the child's pulse even though she could clearly hear her baby's heartbeat. Before she could make contact with Hera's neck, Edward was there. He gently but swiftly moved her away from his mate's body and went to evaluate her condition for himself.

Thanking every god she could think of that Edward had chosen to go through medical school, Esme worried her hands and waited for Edward's assessment.

If Edward's heart were physically capable of beating, he was certain it would have stopped upon seeing the unconscious form of his little Hera beneath the open window of his room two stories up. He forced all emotion to the back of his mind as he methodically ran his fingers gently up the phoenix's spine, praying to every deity there ever was that it wasn't broken. The task was made easier due to the phoenix having landed on her side.

He let out an unneeded breath when he could feel no obvious breaks... at least in her spine. He knew from just glancing at the rest of her body that Hera had, at the very least, broken her right arm and leg. Though reassured by her strong and steady heartbeat, he refused to allow himself to relax until Carlisle could take a look. By the time that Edward looked up from the tiny broken body, he noticed that Jasper and Alice had shown up during his examination and were hovering beside their mother.

"Esme, call an ambulance. Alice, I need you to get in touch with Carlisle and let him know they're bringing her in. Jasper, would you please bring me Hera's necklace from my desk? I'll also need your help getting it on her without moving her neck." He quickly inspected the little wings, knowing that should they be broken he would need to splint them before the paramedics came. Satisfied that they were intact, he sat back on his heels and waited.

Edward tenderly pushed the hair out of the little girl's bloodied face and gazed upon her with eyes full of bewildered anguish. "What were you trying to do, Hera?"

When Jasper returned the two brothers set about working the chain around her neck as gently as possible. Once the charmed necklace was clasped, hiding her wings, Jasper sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, accidentally staining his blonde locks with the red of his baby sister's blood. His thoughts matched the rest of theirs, equally at a loss as to why Hera would choose to jump out of a window.

Edward shook his head. Did she think that she could land safely because the rest of them were able? He racked his brain, wondering if they'd ever explained the differences between their species other than speed, strength, and diet. Was this his fault? Sure Carlisle and Esme were her parents, but he was her mate! Ultimately her safety was his responsibility.

The distant sound of an approaching siren pulled him from his inner turmoil. He leaned down to place a kiss to Hera's temple and stood up just as Rosalie and Emmett came bursting from the forest with panicked expressions. He left the others to explain what they knew of the situation as he walked to the front of the house to direct the medics to where they needed to be.

The sudden appearance of the ambulance with its flashing lights both relieved and terrified him. The two male medics who jumped from the vehicle both wore focused expressions. Without pausing they grabbed the gurney and various other tools of their trade and followed the frightened vampire back to their patient.

After a brief examination similar to Edward's, during which the Cullens were peppered with questions, the paramedics had Hera immobilized. Seeing the phoenix strapped down to a backboard and wearing a neck brace made Edward shudder.

Though he ached to ride with his mate as they whisked her away to the emergency room, Edward knew the humans would be expecting Esme to accompany them. Since any abnormal behavior on their part could prove dangerous for his family, the vampire didn't even try to take her place.

The five siblings piled into Edward's car as the ambulance pulled out. He followed the emergency vehicle as closely as he dared, somewhat reassured by the fact that they felt no need to engage the siren on the way to the hospital.

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