Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer. Not me.

AN: Thanks again for the great reviews. Also, I wanted to plug two fanfics that I've been enjoying recently: The Antidote by janco and Lost and Found by fiberkitty. Check 'em out. They update frequently.

Chapter 24: Visions from Within

I was blacking out. Sensation was taking over, and I felt the venom pushing through my veins. It felt numbing and cold. Odd. Wasn't it supposed to feel fiery? Wasn't it supposed to burn? The wolves said venom was poisonous. Was it poison to me, too? Even if I was half a vampire?

Then I heard the voices.

"Nessie, open your eyes."

And another voice, "Renesmee, wake up."

A deeper voice. "He bit her."

Someone grabbed my hand.

I let my tangled fears flow. Alyssa. He took her down the cliff. Carlisle needs to help her. You need to stop Olivier. Bite on my neck. Venom feels cold. Bad.

"We need to get the venom out."

"Edward, you've done this before. Jasper and I will go…"

I felt a cool, familiar hand carefully brushing my hair to the side. I heard an intake of air, and then felt a tickling pressure against my neck. I felt a slow and gradual pull. It felt like a long tentacle was being pulled out of my body. I could feel a tickling and pinching as the chill receded.

The strange weight in my limbs began to diminish. My eyes fluttered open, still unfocused.

I heard someone spitting.

"She's back!"

"I got most of it out. I think her body will be able to handle what I missed."

"Tasty treat, eh, Eddy?"

"I think even Jasper could have resisted that. The venom was coagulating."

I saw Emmett hovering over me. "Hear that, Nessie? You made your dad suck vamp jelly."

He was trying to make me laugh. He was being a good uncle, but there were more important matters. I grabbed his hand. Emmett—where's Alyssa? Olivier pushed her over the side of the cliff, and then he dived after her. Where is she? Is she okay? Is she alive?

Emmett didn't answer. He looked toward dad.

My dad kneeled besides me. "Ness, Alyssa fell. Carlisle is with her now. He's trying to help her, but she fell a long way. She sustained a large number of injuries, and her back—it is broken. Sweetie, I'm sorry."

I puked.

My dad and Emmett had their arms on me. Emmett held me upright while my dad pinned my hair behind my head.

When the gagging finally subsided, they laid me down again.

I grabbed Emmett's hand again. Where's Jasper?

"Jasper went off to track that—" He growled darkly.

Jasper can't go alone.

"Jasper can handle himself."

I heard muffled noises rising up from the gorge below, and then I saw Carlisle. He held something in his arms.

Alyssa.

Carlisle set her down by my side.

The left side of face had a long scratch down the side, but the blood had been wiped off. Her entire body was bruised and crooked, and she smelled wrong. Her scent was off—no longer magnolia and hawthorn. She smelled wilted and sour. She was dying.

My dad spoke, his voice strained. "Grab her hand, Nessie. She wants you to hold her hand."

Alyssa, I'm so sorry. My fault. I couldn't speak the words aloud, tears were beginning to leak out the corner of my eyes.

"She says it's not your fault. She says he would have gotten her anyway."

He paused, "She says to tell Luke that she loves him."

Tears were flowing effortlessly now.

I gripped her hand tightly. I could feel her fading. Her heart was thumping unevenly. The sour smell grew stronger. I think Carlisle must have given her an analgesic of some kind—but it wasn't enough for the pain.

"Can't we save her?" I croaked aloud.

Carlisle crouched beside me. "There is only one way to save her now, Nessie."

I shook my head sharply in response. "No. She wouldn't want that."

I took a deep breath. I had to help my friend—I couldn't save her—but I could help. I emptied my head of all other thoughts. I thought of Luke and Alyssa in the hospital. I thought of their smiles. I pushed the images into Alyssa's mind.

I made my memory overwhelm her pain. Her eyes were closed. Her breathing became more even.

And then I began creating my own images. Luke and Alyssa dressed in white in a forest clearing—sunlight dancing through the canopy above. There were creamy magnolia trees and hawthorn bushes with pink, prickly flowers. A fragrant breeze swept through the trees, ruffling their hair. Luke pulled Alyssa to him, huge, happy smiles plastered across their faces. He drew her in for a kiss.

I heard Alyssa's heart slow, and a twinge of a smile shaped her lips.

I took the memory even deeper.

Luke held Alyssa in his arms. They were perched on the bow of a long blue sail boat. Their legs dangled over the front of the hull. The tall sails billowed and groaned against the push of the westward zephyrs. The ship knifed easily through the waves, racing toward the fading brilliance of the setting sun. Luke pulled Alyssa's hand into his. He touched the very tips of their fingers together.

And then I heard her heart stop.

I gave a short sob, and then the world went black.

I woke up again to hear more voices.

I was lying in my bedroom. The voices were arguing outside my door.

"Edward, the last thing she wants right now is for you to be barging about in her brain."

"She's my daughter. I have every right to try and help her."

"But you won't help. She needs time and privacy. When all is finished, she'll want vengeance."

"She needs to be protected."

"Are you listening to me, Edward?" I heard an extended length of silence.

"Rose, you know that wasn't what I meant. I will never claim to fully understand, but that doesn't mean I am going to leave her side."

I sat up. The voices cut off.

Rose and my dad were at my side in the next instant. My mother and Jake appeared behind them in the doorway.

Jake held my attention. He looked terrible. His hair was a mess, and his eyes looked tired.

"Hi," I murmured.

My mother and Rosalie wrapped their arms around me. My mom was taking small gasps of air, sobbing tearlessly.

"Where did you put… how did you…?" I kept trailing off.

My dad heard the conclusion of my thought.

"We staged an accidental death at her family's boat house. We knocked out a section of the bluff near where she was found. Any investigation will conclude that it was a freak accident. She was found early this morning."

I nodded, looking at the floor.

My mother gripped my hand.

"Do you want to talk about it, love?"

Jake and Rose both stiffened.

I shook my head. I really didn't want to talk. Living and breathing hurt. I had never been sick, and now I felt like I had been suffocated. My legs ached and my throat burned, and the memories—what had passed—my vision swam. I didn't want to think. I wanted to be alone. Or not. I looked at Jake. Jake needed me. Jake only had me here. He came here for me. Jake could stay.

My dad heard my thoughts. He looked sad, but he nodded. "Nessie wants time alone."

Rose nodded her head furiously to show her sanction of my every decision.

"Jake, Ness wants you to stay."

My mother looked slightly hurt. Rose sniffed quietly but industriously began shoving my dad out of the room.

I squeezed mom's hand reassuringly. She needed to stay with dad to protect his mind. My mind would not a happy place to trespass for some time.

Mom gave me a quick kiss on the cheek and then took her leave of the room. Rose followed her out, but only after giving me a steady look. She closed the door behind her.

Jake sat gently on my bedside. We looked into each other's eyes. My face felt numb. I had no idea how I looked. I probably looked a little crazed.

Jake saw something in my eyes or in my expression which made him take action. He lifted my bedspread and slid underneath. He pulled me against him, fluttering kisses on my forehead, my nose, my ear, my jaw, and my eye lids. His hands began massaging circles into my back.

I felt myself relax.

I pulled his face toward mine, and I kissed him, simply but forcefully. I meant it to be some type of reassurance, even though I had no idea what I specifically meant to communicate.

"I love you," he breathed into my ear.

I love you too.

I snuggled closer to him, finding solace in his warmth. I closed my eyes, and sleep began to take me once again.

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