I am so sorry that I didn't get this out much sooner. I had to finish a huge essay, and when I came back to work on this I got a writer's block. Anyway I finally have the next chapter done. I think there will only be one more chapter (maybe two) and this story will be finished.


Defended

Chapter 13

Edward and I had been able to have a conversation without words. I couldn't speak, but I felt like I was able to tell Edward, in some way I couldn't understand, that I would be alright. I was sure he was able to understand me and knew I was in pain, but I was determined to live. Edward had stopped apologizing with words, but the way he tried to comfort me, the way he caressed my hair, the way he kissed me on my forehead several times all told me somehow he was still sorry. I kept pleading with him to realize this was not his fault, and I didn't blame him for anything.

At the same time, Edward and I looked over to see Jasper and Alice still struggling. They seemed to be a perfect match, Jasper against Laurent and Alice against Victoria. Edward looked like he had no desire to leave me to help his family. I was surprised with how easily Edward could be near me when my blood was staining the dirt floor of the barn. But he wasn't even holding his breath. I didn't think that Edward might not be the only good vampire around me that had a possibility to not be able to resist my scent.

As I watched the scene around me and tried to stay conscious through my intense pain, I saw Jasper's expression change. I felt Edward stiffen next to me, and I watched in horror as Jasper began to look similar to Laurant. His eyes became wild and thirsty, and his breathing came harder and faster. He was struggling to stay sane, but another part of him was being taken over by the same thing that already had Victoria and Laurant.

Edward was suddenly no longer kneeling next to me, but instead he was fighting with both Jasper and Laurant. Everything had shifted so quickly I hadn't been able to see it. Jasper was now trying to get to me as much as Laurant was. Edward was attempting to keep both of them away from me by himself. I saw Alice try to help him a couple times, but Victoria was turning out to be as much as she could handle.

Edward bodily threw Laurant, sending him crashing to the floor. While this was happening, Jasper was coming towards me in a blur. Thankfully Edward was able to run so fast, and he caught up to Jasper just before he got to me. I could see Edward was trying not to hurt his brother as he grabbed his arm and threw him away from me.

I really wished I could do something to help, but I couldn't even move my body. I saw a blur of movement and Edward crashed into Laurent again, and slammed him into the ground, creating a small crater. To my horror I saw Jasper was no longer where Edward had thrown him. I searched around frantically to try to find him. I almost screamed when Edward and Jasper were suddenly almost on top of me. Edward was having a lot of trouble against Jasper. Jasper was able to throw Edward a few times, and Edward could not get away from him. They were now an even match.

I saw another movement out of the corner of my eye. When I looked over I saw Laurant climb out of the hole in the dirt floor and look at me victoriously. He now had a perfect opportunity to get to me. There was no one here who could stop him.

I was about to close my eyes, so I wouldn't have to watch him kill me. The skin on my neck was tingling with anticipation for the painful bite that was about to come. But before I could close my eyes I saw another shift in the scene around me. Laurant was no longer coming to me and he wasn't even anywhere near me. I looked questioningly at Edward and Jasper, but they were still wrestling and Laurent wasn't near them.

A movement towards my left caught my attention, and when I looked over I was shocked to see Laurant with his face in the ground and Emmett standing on top of him.

"I thought you guys would need me," he said smugly.

Now I had more questions than I could think of. Since I wasn't really able to ask any of my questions myself, I was happy when Alice asked the first question I had in my mind.

"Where did you come from?" she panted as she as she struggled to throw Victoria away from her.

"I saw you and Jasper run off somewhere while I was hunting, so I followed you guys. I'm surprised you didn't see me coming. I bet you don't know Carlisle is coming too."

"I haven't been paying attention," she gasped as she was thrown into the ground.

I almost gagged as I heard the disgusting sound of breaking bones. I tried not to look as Alice was finally beginning to win against Victoria, but before I could stop myself I took a glance in that direction and wished I hadn't. Victoria's head was rolling on the dirt floor with a painful glazed expression. One arm had already been torn off, and Alice was on the process of tearing off the other. Looking away still didn't stop me from hearing it unfortunately.

"Bella? Can you hear me?" I heard a familiar voice ask gently. Carlisle had now arrived.

"Yes," I was only able to whisper.

Carlisle began to gently press and feel several areas on my stomach. As he did this I heard more tearing and ripping body parts, and again I couldn't stop myself from looking at the fight.

Vampires are very hard to keep up with, especially when you are fighting to stay conscious. The scene around me had shifted again. Edward was now helping Emmett rip Laurant apart, and making sure Victoria's creeping arms and legs didn't find other body parts. Jasper and Alice weren't anywhere in sight.

A sudden severe stinging pain near my abdomen made me cringe and groan as Carlisle pressed. Edward was at my side in an instant. He caressed my face gently, and his perfect touch helped slice through my pain. Then he gently took my hand, held it to his face, and softly kissed it.

"Do you think we are able to move her?" he asked Carlisle. "Emmet thinks it would just be best to burn this entire barn, and I agree with him."

Carlisle just nodded, but I could see something in his expression that something was bothering him.

Edward very carefully picked me up and smoothly ran out of the barn. He had been so perfect about it I had hardly even felt my position change a centimeter, and I didn't feel any added pain as he ran. We only ran for one second before he gently set me down again. The barn was no longer even in sight. Edward had put my body down but still held my head in his lap as he sat next to me. I could feel his icy cold body against mine. It still helped me stay with reality and concentrate on what was happening around me.

We were in a beautiful open field, and it almost even reminded me of our meadow back home. It had purple flowers everywhere, evenly mixing purple with green grass and stems. There was a soft cool breeze in the air, and I could smell the strong scent of smoke in it. The sun was shining brilliantly, but we were shaded from it by a line of trees just to my right.

Carlisle knelt next to me and continued palpating my entire body again. After only two seconds he stopped and shook his head sadly. I felt Edward become rigid, and my blood ran cold as I wondered what Edward was reading from Carlisle mind.

"Edward, I'm sorry, but there is nothing I can do. I have checked three times, hoping I was wrong, but several organs have been damaged and she has lost way to much blood. Her entire body is dieing very rapidly. There is nothing else we can do."

Edward still didn't respond. He didn't move, relax, make a sound, anything. Even in my state, I was able to figure out what I had been missing. I tried not to think about how my life was about to change so drastically so quickly, or how I technically wouldn't even be alive at all. I didn't want to have any second thoughts about this

"Edward, please. I don't want to have to leave you yet." I could hardly hear myself, but I knew Edward had, because he finally softened.

"I'm sorry this is happening to you. Are you sure you want to become a monster just to be with me? It is my fault you are like this in the first place," as Edward said this I could hear the self directed anger in his voice.

I just slightly nodded my head. Being with Edward was all that mattered. Before I knew it I felt Edward's lips pushing into mine. As our lips meet again and again I felt his fingers wrapping around my hand. With what little bit of strength I had, I closed my hand around his. Both our hands felt like they had the same temperature. I wanted this kiss to last forever, but of course it did have to end.

"I love you more than you can imagine," he said passionately as he pulled away.

"I should probably turn her now if we want this to work," Carlisle said before I could respond.

Edward nodded and began to relunctantly move away. I tried to grip his hand harder, and hoped he knew me well enough to understood what I wanted. I was relieved when he looked at me with understanding and self dought in his eyes.

"I don't know if I can stop," he said sadly and quietly.

"I trust you," I whispered.

"I'm going to try to do this, Carlisle," Edward said.

"I know you can do this son," Carlisle encouraged.

Edward slowly bent down to my neck, and I felt his lips gently kiss my neck again. I took a deep breath, one of the last necessary breaths I would ever take, and tried to prepare myself for what was about to happen. "I promise I will do my best to stop," he muttered in my ear. Then I closed my eyes as I felt his teeth sink into my neck.