I am so sorry for the long wait, but it has been slow going because I have been unhappy with my chapters. That being said, for those of you who are returning, I have edited chapter 19 (again) and reposted it (1-09-08) and am much happier with it now. There is nothing too new, but it is smoother and flows better.
Hope you enjoy what I have done, please review and let me know what you think!
Chapter 20
Everyone was subdued as we entered the house. A lingering scent was all that was left of Tom. I took a shuddering breath and let it out slowly. Even though he was gone, the scent still made my beast rear its head. Carlisle called me into his study after I had had some time to calm down.
"I want to go back." I said as I settled myself in one of his plush leather chairs. "I have to make sure Demetri is all right now."
Carlisle shook his head, "I understand how you feel, Sarah, but that may not be the best idea right now."
"How can you say that? How would you feel if it were Esme?"
He smiled sadly at me, his eyes full of compassion, "I would feel the same way, but we thought you might feel the need to go to Italy and Alice looked into it."
I frowned, "What did she see?"
Carlisle looked me straight in the eyes, "It wasn't good. Demetri wasn't there and you were taken and …" his voice trailed off but I understood what was not said.
"Demetri would know if I was near, wouldn't he?"
Carlisle took a deep breath, "I don't know for sure, but I would think that. He was there when I found the brothers and I knew little more about him than what his talent was, but Aro explained it extensively to me. If you have the bond I think you have, he would know when you were near."
"And he would treat me as I treated him."
"It may be more out of guilt, Sarah. We just don't know."
"And we won't unless I go and find out." I insisted.
There was a soft knock on the door and Alice came in. She took the chair beside me and turned to look at me. Her normally cheerful expression was absent.
"You wouldn't find anything out, Sarah. You would be taken before you could speak to him."
I wrapped my arms around myself and sat staring morosely at the shelves of books behind Carlisle. "Then there is nothing I can do."
She shook her head, "But that doesn't mean there is no hope."
I tore my gaze from the books and stared at her, waiting for her to expound on her statement.
Her expression wasn't happy and she looked towards Carlisle as if for permission. "When Tom doesn't check in, some will be sent to find out why he disappeared. One of those will be Demetri."
I swallowed hard, "Who will the others be?"
"Felix and Jane."
My jaw tensed as I imagined the consequences of that visit, "And I suppose it will not be for a social visit that they drop by."
Alice shook her head. "No. Demetri knows Tom was here last. He will be forced to come here, actually threatened. Aro is interested to know what happened ot his newest pet."
I looked back to Carlisle, "What will we do?"
He shrugged, "Nothing. If there is only three, we outnumber them. There is the word of the entire family that Tom was threatening you and you are a member of our family, so it is permissible that we kill him to protect one of our own. Besides there is the fact that he attacked and left a man for the humans to find. Even Aro can't overlook that mishap."
"What if Aro ordered him to do it, figuring we would respond the way we did."
Carlisle spread his hand, "Then no doubt Aro had some I dea of what would happen when Tom caught up with you. He would have known there would only have been a slim chance that he would have found you alone enough to kill you."
I frowned and another spike of pain went through me, "So Tom was only a pawn."
"It would seem that way."
"Poor Tom," I whispered softly, feeling guilt that I had been the cause of all this sorrow.
Alice reached over and patted my hand, "It will be all right, Sarah. I have no reason to believe that after this last encounter, it will all be over."
"Are you positive that they will come here?" I asked hoping her answer would be no, but praying it would be yes. I was desperate to see Demetri, ashamedly enough, even to the detriment of the family. I think they understood, though and that's why they decided to stay and confront the Volturi.
"It's almost certain." She replied.
"This is not your fault, Sarah." Carlisle spoke in level, sober tones. "This just happened to occur to you, but you did not cause this. I know you feel guilty and responsible for bringing this to our door, but you shouldn't. It is just one of those things that could not be foreseen," he smiled at Alice, "even by Alice."
I looked over at my new sister, she shrugged, "I wasn't looking for it," she said. "And I am not perfect."
I nodded, "Who is, Alice? Who is?"
--------------------
Spring faded into summer. My flowers thrived as my eyes grew more golden with each passing month. In the beginning, we lived life every day on full alert, but nobody came and gradually we began to relax. Perhaps Aro had decided after all that Tom was not worth the trouble and effort of sending his most trusted people to find him.
I became mostly a homebody, depression has a way of doing that, and worked outside in the garden or with my pencils and inks. I ventured into town only when I needed something no one else could get, which wasn't often, and I never went by myself.
Esme tried to get me interested in home restoration. I think to take my mind off certain people and things, but I decided it would be something I would pursue some years down the road. I had all the time in the world. So I continued in the garden where I could a little alone.
Demetri was never far from my thoughts – always on the edge, in fact. I wanted to see him and more despondent the more it looked as if he would not be coming. I tried to never let myself dwell on him for more then a few all too brief seconds. It was painful beyond belief and anything longer caught Edward's attention. Jasper spent a lot of time sitting with me as I worked. I learned a lot about him and he became my favorite brother. I think that's the only way I kept holding on.
I did wonder in the dark of night as I lay by myself in my bed or as I slipped through the silent forests if Demetri thought of me as often as I thought of him. I hoped both yes and no. Yes, because I wanted him to love me and think of me; no, because I didn't want him to feel as lost and empty as I felt, though I think he did. And with what Alice and Carlisle had told me, I was pretty sure he hated me for the pain that had been inflicted on him in my behalf. That hurt.
Some days it was all I could do to function normally. Inside I berated myself for running away and leaving Demetri, but I still feared what he would have found when he returned from that last duty. I knew it wouldn't have been the same woman he had left. I wondered if I could ever be that woman again.
"Sarah,"
A shadow fell over me and I glanced up from the bed I was poised over. It was a beautiful, crisp October morning. The lovely, smoky tang of autumn was in the air and I had decided time for the last of the summer flowers to be pulled and the beds readied for next spring's bulbs. The shadow was Emmett and as usual he had a grin on his face, his hands were behind his back. I smiled back in return and pushed back on my knees.
"What's up?" I asked, knowing his wide grin meant something was in the works.
He pulled out a new football and tossed it to me. I caught it more out of reflex then actual talent.
"We're starting a game in ten minutes in the side yard." -- The side yard was a huge, sprawling lawn – "You up for it?"
I narrowed my eyes -- football with vampires? The sun was shining, not a cloud in the sky, no thunder on the horizon. We each sparkled like the finest diamond and were just as hard. I had played baseball on multiple occasions, but at night during storms when no one could see us.
"What's the catch?" I asked suspiciously.
Emmett laughed, "It's touch football, human style – for a challenge."
I rolled my eyes, "Right." That would last all of three seconds.
"Alice says there are not going to be any storms for the next two weeks." Bella explained as she and Edward walked up to us. "So the guys changed the normal rules."
I eyed the flimsy ball I still held, somewhat dubiously, "I still don't think this ball is going to be up for the job."
Edward took the ball from me and tossed it back and forth from hand to hand, "We took a trip to Lincoln. I think we bought out their Wal-Mart's supply, so we're covered."
Emmett laughed again, "So, you in or are you going to play in the mud some more?"
I stood up, wiped my dirty hands on his shirt, snatched the ball from Edward and darted to the yard, "Last one there has to wash dishes for a week."
Carlisle and Esme, Rosalie, Alice and Jasper were already there waiting. I guessed I was the last to be informed. I came to a stop and turned to see who would have to wash dishes. It was Bella, as I knew it would be – why else would I have used dishes as punishment, when we don't use them? She stuck her tongue out at me as she stopped beside Edward, who I was actually surprised had not beaten me. He must not have been trying.
"Bella has to do-o dishes." I taunted her as I turned a rusty handspring on the brown grass.
Had I not been a vampire I probably would have pulled a muscle or fallen on my head in a humiliated heap, but I had enough coordination and grace now to pull it off. I stuck the landing – receiving a round of applause -- and stood for a moment in triumph like any good gymnast would.
I came and slung my arm around Bella's shoulders and kissed her cheek by way of apology, "So, should we start this?"
We divided ourselves into teams: Edward, Bella, Emmett, and Carlisle on one; me, Rosalie, Jasper, and Alice on the other. Esme was our referee and cheerleader.
As I had predicted our first ball lasted as long as our 'touch' game did – all of three seconds. Emmett sacked our quarterback, Alice – which killed the ball -- and started all playing so dirty, especially Jasper in retaliation for the unwarranted attack on Alice, that it wasn't another five minutes until Esme had to call us to line.
Undeterred, we played as rough as we could without actually tackling. It was a blast and half-way into the game it looked like someone had been using the side yard for a mine field. Huge chunks of ground had been torn up as we skidded across the grass – having been "tripped" up or pivoting around our rivals.
Our carefree game ground to a halt when Alice missed the ball at the snap. Our team flew to our positions for the play only to stop in confusion when the ball lay lifeless on the ground behind her. She stood blank-eyed for a few seconds then shook her head and scowled in frustration.
"What is it, Alice?" Carlisle asked as he and Jasper flashed immediately to her side.
She blinked, "I think we are going to have some visitors." she said slowly. "I see it going either way. They haven't decided."
My heart both sank and jumped in my throat.
"Did you see who they were?" Jasper asked.
Alice shook her head, "No. It was just a flash, nothing is finalized yet." But she looked over to at where I stood beside Bella.
I kept my face impassive and watched as something silent passed between her and Edward. He glanced at me out of the corner of his eye. I tensed.
"Well, there's nothing we can do until they get here, so let's keep playing." Carlisle said sounding rational – his team was losing by one touchdown.
I laughed. It sounded a bit forced, "Yeah, so we can tromp your butts some more." Jasper tagged my fist and Rosalie smirked at the opposing team.
Emmett snorted, pointed at me and grinned. The sun glinted off his exposed teeth, "You are so going down."
And we started again, only this time we were distracted, no one more than I. I was trying so hard to keep a close eye on Alice and at the same time, the trees at the edge of the lawn. It didn't help my team.
"Sarah, where's your head?" Jasper asked in exasperation after I had fumbled the ball for the second time, this instance resulting in an interception. I growled and tried to rally my scattered thoughts.
"They're coming." Alice announced. "It's Jane … and the others." She turned her eyes to mine.
"How long, Alice?" Esme asked in her sweet voice.
"An hour."
The game was shot after that.
Everyone retreated to the house to wait, except for me. I went back to my flower beds and tried stay calm as I ripped the dying plants from the dirt and flung them into a pile. I concentrated on that alone, trying to avoid all thought and emotion, but I could feel them getting closer -- feel him getting closer -- and with each passing minute my body tensed a little more. It was as if it recognized that its stress was soon to be over and was anticipating it. I picked up the rake and started to smooth over the dirt when suddenly a shadow fell over me.
I looked up in surprise. I hadn't been paying attention and had allowed Edward to sneak up on me.
"What is it?"
"Do you want to come into the house and wait with the rest of us?" He asked with a ghost of a smile on his face. He knew what my answer was before I said it.
I paused in my smoothing, "You know I can't do that, Edward. I need something to do as I wait. I can't stand the thought of even trying to sit. I would probably make everyone nervous with my rocking – especially Jasper."
"Oh, he feels you even from inside the house and is already on edge."
I laid the rake back against the house, "I'm sorry."
"It comes with the territory, but we want you to know we are behind you no matter what and we will do what we have to, to keep you safe."
I smiled in genuine gratitude. I was lucky to have a family like them. "Thanks, Edward. That means a lot."
Then my stomach knotted and I froze, turning my head to the west as Edward started back to the house. He stared at me, eyes widening as he read my thoughts.
"Alice was wrong," I breathed. "They're here."
