Disclaimer: Not mine
A/N: Dalloway5906 was swamped with chapters from me this week. I have up to chapter 40 already written. That takes us halfway through the battle. Things should wrap up *cry* around chapter 42. She used her super fast ninja skills on these chapters!
I am VERY proud to be participating in the Eclipse addition of The Fandom Gives back auction. I am auctioning off *Chuckles* an outtake of 'Silent Auction' and an original OS of your choosing. The bidding starts June 27th and goes till July 4th.
The URL for the OS auction
http:/www(dot)thefandomgivesback(dot)?id=510
The URL for the Outtake auction
http:/www(dot)thefandomgivesback(dot)?id=513
The URL for my thread in the forums
http:/www(dot)thefandomgivesback(dot)?f=13&t=177
Every little bit helps to raise money for this wonderful cause. So break your piggy bank and bid on me! Otherwise I will be making Dally and the hubs do it!
Oh… and by the way… anyone doing anything exciting this week? I am heading to NJ with Dally and her Twicrew to see Twilight, New Moon and then ECLIPSE! I totes did not get much done because I was looking at premiere pictures all week! Check out my new avi, I totally heart KLutz!
I will be posting later than usual on Wednesday since I will (hopefully) be sleeping late after the midnight showing!
BPOV
As Edward held me against his body I could hear the thuds Carlisle's feet made as he ran through the forest back to the house. I was dreading having to return back to the house, knowing now how Esme was reacting to what Chelsea had done. Would she make the rest of the family choose between her or me?
We were still miles away from the house, but I could hear Esme shouting as clearly as if she was standing next to me. Obviously Carlisle had told her he brought me back.
"You brought her back here? You do realize that Maria's army is coming because of her don't you. If Aro had not taken such an interest in her, Maria would probably have just passed our little coven by. What are we waiting for? Leave her here and let them have her. We can go up to Alaska with Tanya and her sisters. Edward will forget about her when he sees Tanya again. She has always felt like a daughter to me, it will be nice for Edward to marry her and bring her into the family. Did anyone think to get his ring back from that girl? Better yet, why not invite all of the girls down here?" She shouted. I could hear Alice and Rose trying to calm her down, but she would not be pacified.
Edward's body tightened with rage under me. My brain knew that Esme really did not mean the things she was saying, but my heart was breaking listening to her plan Edward's future with Tanya.
"We will leave. With Demetri gone, maybe we can hide from Maria." He whispered in my ear. I shook my head sadly.
"No Edward, don't you remember there was a tracker with Chelsea. Whoever it is knows how to find us now, all of us. You were the one who told me what Alice had foreseen if we did not stand and fight as a family. We will all die." I said quietly.
"I can't have my own mother slowly destroying you." He said, his voice breaking on the last word.
"The only thing that would destroy me would be to lose my family. Even though she hates me, Esme is still your mother, and therefore mine as well. We just need to find a way for her to trust me again." I slowly pulled myself from his embrace and held my hand out to him. He shook his head as he accepted my hand, standing up and following me back towards the house. We stopped along the way to hunt, my body was spent after running as far as I had. The closer we got to the house, the more rigid and upset Edward got. I could tell he was listening in on our family, and whatever he was hearing must not have been good.
As we started up the front stairs, the door flew open and Emmett used his broad shoulders to block our entrance. Edward grunted as if in pain as Emmett replayed the last few hours through his thoughts.
"Just tell me already." I said quietly, not quite sure if I was ready to hear what was happening.
"Esme made Carlisle call Tanya and her sisters. They had already heard about what was happening with Maria's army and were planning on contacting us to see if we needed help. You know Tanya jumped at the chance to come down here and play savior to you Eddie boy. They should be here by morning." He said, trying to keep his voice down so he did not alert Esme to our presence. I tried to hold the growl back, I really did, but it erupted from my chest without warning. I spun away from Edward and Emmett and took my aggression out on the pots of flowers lining the porch railing. Dirt and petals flew everywhere as I pulled and tugged at the innocent blooms. When I finally felt under control I turned back around to see both boys holding back laughter.
"What!" I snapped.
"You have a little something right here my love." Edward chuckled as he walked forward and ran his fingers through my hair. A shower of petals floated to my feet as he untangled them. I sighed as I relaxed under the pressure of his strong hands and Emmett continued to stare at us.
"I know Emmett, I know." He whispered and I saw Emmett nod his head before heading back into the house.
"What did he say?" I asked, hesitant to do anything that would stop the movements of his fingers against my scalp.
"He thinks of you as a sister, they all do. They are all very upset with how Esme is treating you. Rose is handling things the worst." He admitted.
"Why Rose? I thought she was the favorite daughter. She should be happy that I am finally out of the way."
"She loves you, even though she may not always show it. Even though she is not able to have a child of her own, her maternal instincts are very strong. She is very angry with Esme that her bond with you, her child, was so easily severed." He said and his hands finally dropped from my hair.
"We better go face the music." I said as I again pulled his hand into mine and led the way.
Alice and Jasper were huddled together on the couch. They briefly looked up as we entered the room, but quickly returned their gazes to each other. I could tell that the emotions in the house were doing a number on Jasper and no doubt, the future looked bleak through Alice's visions. I did not think I would want to socialize either.
Rose was standing near the large picture windows, staring out into the quickly encroaching night. Emmett was slowly making his way up the stairs, his footfalls loud in the near silence of the house. I wondered where Esme and Carlisle were, but the raised voices from the kitchen answered my question.
"Of course they can stay here with us, it would be asinine for them to stay in a hotel. They have always stayed here when they visit. Kate and Irina can take the guest room and Tanya can stay with Edward. I guess it was a good thing we invested in that huge bed. I can just see those two needing the room to spread out." Esme chuckled.
"Darling, I really think you need to process what you are saying. Bella and Edward are engaged, you can't just offer their room to our guest." He said wearily.
"They are NOT engaged. They will get married over my headless, smoldering body!" She shouted. Alice quietly whimpered and Jasper pulled her further into the safety of his chest. I could feel Edward yanking on my hand, trying to get me away from the horrible things spewing from his mother's lips. I knew this was not the true Esme speaking, and it gave me the strength to remove my hand from Edward's punishing grip and stride into the kitchen. Esme looked up at me with disgust and Carlisle was waving his hands at me, trying to signal me to get the hell out of there. I shook my head at him and turned to my mother.
"Esme, I know you are feeling some...animosity towards me right now, but…"
"Animosity? You think that is what I am feeling for you my dear? No, what I feel for you is pure disgust. You tricked my entire family into feeling something for you, but I am not so blind. Where is your real mother huh? I know where she is, she deserted you. You are nothing, worthless. I don't know how you pulled the wool over Edward's eyes, but once Tanya gets here and he sees how beautiful and honest and kind she is, he will forget about you." She sneered. I could feel my eyes tingling with phantom tears and I lowered my head and blinked swiftly, trying to make the feeling stop. She was absolutely right, Renee had deserted me. She met her new hot stuff husband Phil and could not ship me off to my father fast enough. I heard from her once a month if I was lucky and Phil reminded her that she had a daughter.
I could see Carlisle's hands clenching into fists as he listened to his wife's rant, but I was quick to put my hand up to stop him. I did not want this to affect the other relationships in the family. We need to stand united to face Maria, and right now the only rift was between me and Esme. I cleared my throat from the lump of emotions lodged there and turned to face Esme.
"You are correct about my mother Esme, she did leave me to fend for myself. But now I have found Edward and his family, and they have accepted me as their own. I know you are not happy about this, but now is not the best time to be making ultimatums. I'll make you a deal, if when Tanya arrives Edward would rather be with her," with this I heard a snarl from the other room, but I continued, "then I will leave." She looked somewhat relieved that she might be able to be rid of me soon and nodded her head.
"Fine, then I guess you should start packing your bags because the girls will be here in the morning. Edward, take your slut upstairs and out of my sight." She shouted, making me cringe at the distain in her voice.
Edward was quickly at my side, not bothering to spare his mother a glance. He looked pointedly at Carlisle before sweeping me off my feet and sprinting up the stairs. As we entered the haven of our bedroom I could not hold the sobs in any longer. The loud cries broke free from my chest and I pushed my face against Edward's shirt, hoping to keep Esme from hearing. I could feel Edward's strong chest shaking under me and raised my eyes to his face only to find that he was crying along with me.
"Don't cry baby, I am fine." I said between hiccupping breaths.
"I can't watch you go through this day after day. It will only get worse once Tanya gets here. Between the two of them they will have you out the door within hours." He whispered as I peppered kisses all over his face, trying to distract him from the quiet sobs that were still falling from my lips.
"No, I can be strong. I know you love me, and that is all that matters." I breathed as I was finally able to get myself under control. We snuggled together, my head resting on his chest as he ran his fingers through my hair. I found myself almost drifting off until Alice's sudden exclamation from the floor below jerked me awake and we both rushed down the stairs to see what was going on. As we rounded the corner we found Alice staring blankly out the window where Rose was still standing.
"Here they come. They made wonderful time." Edward said, his voice lacking any emotions. Esme was overflowing with excitement as she rushed out of the door and into the waiting arms of a statuesque creature. Her hair was long, blonde with a slight pink tinge to the curls. Her body was not quite as curvy as Rosalie's, but I could see the appeal. Even in my perfect vampire state, I was still in the shadow of her beauty. Her eyes drifted over Esme's shoulder and landed on Edward, whose arm was painfully tight around my waist. She whispered something into Esme's ear and I could feel a growl vibrate through Edward as he listened in on their thoughts. Esme let out a loud laugh at whatever Tanya had said and turned around, keeping her arm around Tanya, and looked to where we were standing.
"Yes Tanya, she is the problem we need taken care of. I am sure with your years of experience and the knowledge you already have of Edward, you should be able to deal with her with your eyes closed." Esme said, and I heard another growl come from inside the house. Amazingly it sounded like it came from Rosalie. Tanya sauntered over to us, and Edward pushed me slightly behind his body, as if he was worried she would hurt me.
"Hello Edward, long time no see." She purred as she extended her hand to him. He took it hesitantly and I felt a shiver rip through him as if her thoughts were intensified through her touch. Seeing her perfectly petite hand incased in Edward's large masculine one made my chest hurt. I turned away from them, only to be met by the curious stares of the other two Denali sisters. One was ethereal with silver blonde hair that only reached to her chin. The other beauty had amazingly long pale blonde hair and stood away from the others with her hands clasped against her body. I wanted nothing more than to be able to crawl into a hole and live there in the dark as I stood in comparison to these beautiful women.
Edward was still trying tactfully to remove his hand from Tanya's grip. He quietly snarled and yanked it away from her as he turned to me.
"Is what Jasper saying true?" He whispered as he gripped my shoulders tightly and shook me slightly. I wished I knew what he was talking about, but the fire in his eyes was making it hard to form words.
"I don't…what do you mean?" I stuttered out, causing the Denali women to laugh.
"You really got the pick of the litter here with this one didn't you Edward?" The silver blonde starlet said. He bared his teeth to her and looked back at me, shaking me again for good measure.
"You are not beneath anyone. Don't even think about comparing yourself to anyone else in the world, because in my eyes you will always come out on top." He snarled at me. His extreme aggression was really doing a number on my panties, and as he suddenly inhaled sharply I knew he realized that.
"That is much better my precious girl. You are the most important thing in the world to me, above all else." He whispered as he pulled me forcefully into his arms. I greedily inhaled his scent, allowing his calming fragrance to sooth me.
Out of the corner of my eye I could see Tanya retreating back to where he sisters were standing. She glanced at the one with the long hair, but she shook her head sadly and Tanya stomped her foot like a child. I guess she realized that in Edward's eyes the only thing that would tear me from him would be death. The sisters all came forward and introduced themselves. I was surprised to feel an electric hum against my shield when I shook hands with the one with long hair, Kate. She looked at me, surprised, and then glanced guiltily at Edward as he gasped at her thoughts.
"Thankfully she is a shield Kate, but I don't appreciate you trying to shock my fiancée." He scolded as he tugged my hand away from her. Tanya giggled at her sister's expense and moved over towards the house.
"Where am I staying?" She asked coyly. Esme started to speak, but Carlisle interrupted her.
"I have set up the guest room for Irina and Kate and Alice and Rose have helped me arrange things in the basement for you Tanya. I think you will appreciate all of the hard work the girls have done in order to make you comfortable." He said diplomatically. There was really no way she could blow off Carlisle's hospitality without looking like a total bitch.
"Oh, ok." She said surprised. She turned and retrieved her bags and followed Carlisle and her sisters into the house. Esme sneered at me before going in the house herself, no doubt hoping she could brainstorm with Tanya to try and break Edward and I apart.
I was suddenly completely relaxed as I sagged against Edward's side. The crooked grin on Jasper's face explained my emotions, and I gave him a small smile in return. Alice was sitting next to him on the ground, her eyes gazing unseeing into the woods. Edward was staring at her, immersed in her vision through her thoughts. The relaxing emotions that were surging through me suddenly changed into anxiety and fear as Jasper caught the sensations Alice was giving off as she was absorbed in her vision.
Alice's eyes fluttered and she looked, panicked, towards Edward.
"How long?" He breathed.
"An hour, maybe less." She whispered.
"What is going on!" I demanded as the emotions projecting from Jasper made me even more agitated and frightened.
"The tracker that came with Chelsea reported back to Maria. She thinks because Esme has us fighting amongst each other, now would be a good time to attack. They are leaving Portland now." Edward said.
"How many are there?" Jasper asked, always the planner.
"In the vision they were coming through the trees over there." Alice said, pointing to the far end of the driveway. "It looked like there were at least 20 of them."
"That many?" I breathed. "Not too bad, at least everyone will get to take down two of them." I said, trying to lighten the oppressive mood that had settled over us since Alice's vision. Alice and Edward shared a look and Jasper grabbed her arm and shook her roughly.
"No secrets!" He bellowed, causing everyone in the house to come out onto the porch.
"They have two very gifted vampires with them. If Bella is unable to protect us with her shield, it would only take one of them to take us all out." Alice said. The dread that oozed from Jasper coated everyone and the only sound heard was Esme's cackling laughter.
"I told you we would all die because of her!" She chuckled.
A/N: You still here? You still trust me right? Ok, now go and prepare for Eclipse.
I just have to send this out:
Paper CutOuts is AWESOME!
It is AH and their Bella is sooo amazingly awkward.
http:/www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/s/5993984/1/