Chapter 16

Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters belong to Stephanie Meyer

AN (1): I am glad to see the back of 2012; it has been a rollercoaster of a year, cumulating in an urgent trip to the doctors, then hospital and resulting in emergency surgery. You would have thought sitting in bed would be an ideal time to write, but things never go as planned. Please be assured that this story will be completed. I will not leave these boys hanging and have plans to commence a new story as soon as this is complete.

AN (2): Last month I posted a Recrortus future-take, please have a look and tell me what you think. I am trying to gauge interest in expanding the story of Edward, Carlisle and their sons.

AN (3): Biggest hugs and thanks to the ladies from C2C, for your continued support and love.

AN (4): Please note that this chapter has been neither pre-read or beta'd, so all poor grammar is my own.

AN (5): Warning - This chapter contains violence.

Sometimes the slightest shift in the way you look at things, a seemingly insignificant change in perspective can alter your life forever. - Author Unknown

~*.*~

He tensed as the figure came into view, stopping beneath the tree in which Edward was perched. He looked down as the other looked up and their eyes locked. Edward gasped.

"What are you doing here?"

~*.*~

With a growl Edward pounced from his perch in the branches onto the figure below. Wrapping his arms and legs around the vampire, Edward started to whimper and sob like a newborn. Burying his head into the others shoulder he mumbled.

"You came…thank you…I don't know what to do…please help…help me save him…"

Eleazer patted the young vampire's back, trying to calm the shuddering and whimpering being.

"Shh! Shh! I'm here, Edward." I'm here, little hurricane.

Edward chuckled at the nickname. His relationship with Eleazar and his wife Carmen started when he was a newborn. After turning Edward, and discovering his mates unique talent, Carlisle recognised he needed help with training and controlling Edward; for which he turned to his old friend and mentor.

It was Carman who had christened Edward with the nickname. She had commented early on that Edward had entered Carlisle's life like a hurricane. The name had stuck, but Edward would only allow Eleazar and Carmen to use it, having accepted the couple as an adopted Aunt and Uncle, despite their long term relationship with Volterra which continued after they exited the ranks of the Volturi guard.

Eleazar's gentle embrace effectively calmed Edward, who dropped his legs from around Eleazer's waist and leaned against the older vampire holding on for dear life. Once he felt Edward was calm enough to talk, Eleazar loosened his embrace and steped back a pace, he grasped the young vampire by the shoulders and looked closely at the mind reader for signs of mental instability.

He gave an internal sigh of relief with what he found in Edwards face. Although showing signs of red flecks, the young vampires eyes were full of distress and concern, and lacked the manic tremor Eleazar recalled from past events, including when Edward ran away.

Edward's short vampire life had consisted of periods of mental instability so Eleazar was heartened by the apparent fact that the youngster was, despite the stress, holding together.

Edward allowed himself to be scrutinised by Eleazar, asking softly, "Eleazar, please don't get me wrong, I am ecstatic to see you, but what are you doing here?"

The older vampire sighed.

"Edward, after our phone call and from the brief conversation I had with Aro, I began to fear for both yourself and Carlisle. I don't want you to end up back in Volterra; I think we would both agree that that would be disastrous for your mental health."

Edward's breath hitched at Eleazar's words. A visit to Volterra with Carlisle in Edwards first few years, had resulted in him being overcome by the thoughts of the vampires and their prey; not assisted by Aro allowing Jane and Alec to play with Edward mind. It had taken some time for Edward to recover from the ordeal and no one - especially Carlisle - would want the mind reader to go through that again.

"Do you think it might come to that?" he whispered. Edward had not been thinking beyond retrieving Carlisle and getting away; he had not considered the consequences should they be detained by the Volturi.

"I do," Eleazar confirmed. "You must remember that all Aro knows is what the Maestro told him; that Carlisle has become erratic and physically injured you. Aro still considers you his apprentice and a future member of his elite guard; he will take custody of you for your own protection."

Edward started to shake again, the thought of having to go back to Volterra, to have to work for Aro made him feel physically sick. Eleazar grabbed Edward pulling him towards him again.

"I cannot make you any promises, save this, I will do everything I can to stop that from happening," Eleazar declared. "But our highest priority is to save your mate from himself. To do that you will need to be strong; nothing that I say will change Carlisle's perception of what has happened here. You will need to be firm with him you need to take control, he has failed in his responsibility towards you both, so it is necessary for you to take on that role, even if you have to say and do things that might hurt him."

Edward looked Eleazar direct in the eye and nodded. He was not sure how he was going to sway Carlisle, but knowing he had Eleazar by his side made the task seem less impossible. He could do it, he could save them.

It was only when Eleazar murmured, "Yes, you can. I will be with you to help the best I can," did Edward realise he had spoken aloud.

Edward's brow furrowed, "About that?" he asked. "How did you get here so fast? How did you beat Aro and the guard?"

Eleazar smiled grimly. "Unlike Aro, I have a power boat at my disposal," he grinned faintly "You are not the only member of this family who has a perchance for the water. I was able to move much faster than Aro, travelling day and night, a luxury not afforded to the guard."

"Despite this advantage," the older vampire continued, "we still have little time. I do not believe we will be able to hide you before they arrive, and as such your only hope is to get Carlisle to a state where he can stand beside you before Aro demonstrating, if only for a short while, that any issues between you are resolved and you remain safe with Carlisle."

Shaking Edward slightly to return him to the moment, Eleazar led the other by the hand.

"Let's feed and then go get your mate."

Edward looked at his mentor and nodded slightly. He released Eleazar's hand and took off in search of blood.

~*.*~

It was not the first time in his afterlife that Edward wished he was dreaming, but it was the first time he felt he was in a nightmare from which he could not wake.

The scene that he and Eleazar had burst into at the conservatory was as horrific as it was farcical. The Maestro was tied a chair facing one of the grand pianos which had been repositioned to stand front and centre of the room; the old man the sole audience member to the macabre spectacle being performed in front of him.

Carlisle had always been on the theatrical side, his expressions and actions would sometimes take on mannerisms only comparable to that of the great divas on the world. If he had not been a pastor's son, Edward firmly believed that his mate would have been a theatrical player, only now moving from the genre of drama and farce to that of horror.

William Pearson lay, as if sleeping, on top of one of the grand pianos. His body was posed as if at eternal rest, his chin angled upwards displaying his pale white neck. There were two precise incisions in his jugular vein, protruding from which were two rudimentary intravenous lines along which the young man's blood flowed into two glass containers; both of which were over half full.

Carlisle's thoughts were focussed on the containers, in his head he counted the droplets falling into the artificial pools. Delving deeper Edward discovered, to his disgust, that Carlisle was calculating William's blood loss; a grisly countdown to the boy's death.

Edward gasped.

"I knew you would come to rescue him, your last act of betrayal" Carlisle sneered.

Edward did not respond, instead he stood to his full height and stepped into the room. Eleazar remained in the doorway letting Edward take the lead.

Locking his gaze with Carlisle's, Edward continued forward. Reaching the chair where the Maestro was restrained he removed the bindings; all the while staring at Carlisle daring him to react.

"Maestro, there is a medical kit in my second desk draw, could you please go with Eleazar and retrieve it for me?"

The old man hesitated, his gaze flickered to Carlisle. "It's alright" Edward assured. His gaze flicked briefly to the prone figure of William.

"Quickly, please!"

The old man rose and grasped Eleazar's arm to be lead through the adjoining door. Edward moved towards the other victim, Carlisle shifted his weight in response, emitting with a warning growl.

Edward paused and waited for Eleazar to return to the room, with the Maestro cowered behind him. Once they were ready, Edward again moved towards Carlisle, speaking clearly and quietly in an attempt to draw Carlisle away from his victim.

"You wished to be human, well congratulations you have become all that is human, the monster that is within all men, is within you. You have become one of those I hunted; all the good you have ever done has been undone by your act of terror."

Edward moved round forcing Carlisle to step back away from the piano.

"I am your mate for life."

"I am with you forever, for better and for worse."

Each statement was punctuated with a step forward; Carlisle unconsciously stepped back from the verbal attack.

"You have shown that you do not trust me and I will have to look at you every day with that knowledge, knowing that you would kill an innocent because of the lack of trust, that you would assault me – the one you swore to love and protect for eternity - over a perceived threat based on your own jealousy and insecurity."

"Congratulations Carlisle, you have become human. While you will never lose me, at this moment you have lost my faith in you, your humanity and your love for me."

Edward had slowly corralled Carlisle to the side of the room and had restricted his view of the piano upon which William no longer rested.

"So why would I remain with you? Even tied to you for eternity, why would I choose to be around you, accepting your principles and ideology which change the moment you feel threatened or jealous?"

"You are not a fit leader of this coven…"

A slight movement to the side caught Carlisle's attention, Edward glanced away to see Eleazar and the Maestro moving William into Edwards office. Carlisle roared "No!" at the sight of his prey being carried away and made to go after them.

Edward knew the time for talking and distraction was over, now he had to fight for his mate and his coven.

As Carlisle tried to move forward, Edward grabbed the back of his neck and flipped him around into one of the grand piano's located at the side of the room. The instrument shattered under the blow. Carlisle struggled to stand while Edward closed in, not allowing any distance between them that might have allowed Carlisle to take a running leap at him.

They kept the fight in close quarters, growling and biting as each tried to exert control over the other. While Carlisle's last meal had been of human origin, Edward had fed more recently; making it an even match. In the end it was Carlisle's lack of emotional control that weakened him. He could not divorce his thoughts entirely from the human in the next room and his imagined dalliances with Edward.

A slight noise from through the doorway distracted his senses enough that Edward was able to grab him by the scruff of the neck and around his waist, and pushed him against the piano in the centre of the room, still stained with William's blood.

Carlisle struggled against Edward's weight as the latter pushed him against the piano. What did his mate, this subordinate, think he was doing?

With the feel of air around his legs Carlisle realised how far Edward would go. His 'struggles' increased. 'He' was the head of their small coven - 'he' was the leader. How dare Edward try to usurp Carlisle! Particularly after all Carlisle had done to protect his foolish young mate from his own actions.

Despite Carlisle's growls and struggles Edward was able to firmly pin him down. Edward swiftly removed all obstacles to his goal and without preamble took the other fully and completely.

Carlisle's struggles reduced as his body accepted the shift in power. Sensing Carlisle's acceptance of his authority, Edward leaned over that others back. Sniffing at Carlisle's neck he opened his mouth, and before Carlisle could react bit down, drawing blood and marking his mate.

The marking triggered the last of Carlisle's fight. Screaming in pain, he released, leaving him spent and docile to Edward's ministrations and care.

After readjusting their clothing Edward picked up the compliant, and slightly wobbly, Carlisle and moved to one of the large chairs. He held Carlisle tight, nuzzling and licking the fresh wound. Carlisle emerged from the shock and snuggled into Edward's chest, small whimpers and purrs indicating his full acceptance of their new arrangement.

"I love you," Edward murmured. "I will NEVER leave you, and you will NEVER forget that you are MINE." He growled low.

Edward found the shift in control a heady experience; he never thought that such a shift would occur in their mating. If he was honest with himself he was not sure how he felt about the change, and knew that if he had not been forced to go down this path he would have never ventured by choice.

"Carlisle? Carlisle, love? " he spoke softly, trying to rouse his mate whilst not startling him.

The downside of a shift in dominance was the mental shutdown of the newly submissive mate, as their mind adjusted to the change. This effectively made them unable to perform independent thought or initiative for a number of hours – two things Edward desperately needed from Carlisle immediately.

But better a passive Carlisle, than a homicidal one!

Edward? Eleazar's thoughts whispered though the wall. The young human needs help. Full medical help! Is Carlisle…? The thought petered off.

Edward shifted them both, sitting up. This would be a true test of Edward's authority and whether Carlisle's jealousy could be tempered by their new relationship.

"Carlisle," Edward shook his mate gently. "Carlisle! Love! I need your help."

"Mm?" Carlisle hummed, sitting up he shook his head lightly as if to clear a fog.

"Carlisle, there is a young man in my office that needs the aid of a doctor, he is in critical condition and I would not ask if there was no other option."

Carlisle sat up fully, a frown on his face, which became realisation and then horror.

Edward grabbed Carlisle by the face, forcing the other to look him in the eye.

"No! Carlisle! You do not get to feel anger or guilt right now; you need to be the self-possessed, experienced doctor that we both know you are."

As if a switch had been flicked, Carlisle's countenance smoothed and he nodded gently.

Taking Carlisle's hand Edward led him to the next room. William lay on the floor, on a makeshift bed made up on chair cushions and blankets. The wounds on his neck had been covered and appeared to have stopped weeping. The boy's skin pallor was grey, his breath coming in weak pants.

Sitting beside the patient were the two bottles of blood, wrapped in an attempt to keep them warm. Carlisle moved towards his patient; the Maestro's breath hitched and he attempted to move in front of William, but was held back by Eleazar.

"But he…" the Maestro protested.

"I know! He is fine for now, Edward has everything under control," Eleazar reassured the old man. Edward rolled his eyes at the comment, but remained silent next to Carlisle's slightly swaying form.

Suddenly Carlisle's eyes cleared. "My bag!" he ordered. Eleazar moved the bag to beside Carlisle as the physician knelt beside the dying boy, quickly checking his vitals, Carlisle knew that he had little time to save the young man.

He sat back on his heels and looked around him, his eyes stopping at the bottles of blood that had been so ruthlessly torn from the young body. He reached for one, his every move watched by three pairs of eyes, lifting it he swirled the blood, then brought the bottle to his nose, breathing in the scent.

At this action, both the Maestro and Eleazar tensed, looking towards Edward for reassurance.

"Carlisle, Love! What are you thinking?" Edward spoke quietly not wishing to disturb Carlisle's thoughts.

Carlisle's mind was calm, as was his voice. "We can replace his blood here and now. If we get it to the right temperature we can fast transfuse it back into him. Even one of these bottles should return enough to him that he can be transferred to hospital."

Seeing in Carlisle's mind what was required, Edward quickly ordered Eleazar to retrieve towels from the staff bathroom, while he rigged the gasoline table lamp into a makeshift bottle warmer. The Maestro remained seated beside William watching Carlisle's every move as the latter prepared both the patient and equipment for the procedure.

Minutes later the boy was attached to a crude intravenous line, the bottles hanging from an improvised frame; returning to William the blood that had been so violently taken.

~*.*~

It took an half an hour of fast transfusion for the blood to be returned to its donor of origin. Carlisle gently removed the makeshift IV and checked his patients vitals, confirming that the field triage procedure has been a success. "We still need to get him to the hospital for monitoring and recuperation" Carlisle informed his spectators.

Edward shared a glance with Eleazar.

"I could take…" Edward stopped, they all shot a look at Carlisle who had emitted a whining growl and moved closer to Edward to grab his wrist.

"Or…" Edward paused, "Eleazar if you would not mind?" Eleazar shifted his worried gaze from Carlisle to Edward.

"Certainly, Edward! Not a problem."

They wrapped William up in the blankets on which he had been lying, Eleazar then picked up the young man and swiftly headed for the hospital.

The Maestro sat passively in to corner of the room, watching the two vampires clear up the triage area. The two did not speak, but moved smoothly around each other. Once the two rooms were straightened Edward pulled Carlisle into a chair and gently held his mate.

As they sat quietly Edward began to feel a sensation that was familiar and unusual.

It was as if he had an itch in his mind. A crawling, tingling sensation, that seemed to shift the moment he tried to focus on it. He sat for a few moments engrossed in the feeling before he touched on it directly and felt its malevolence. He sharply withdrew his minds wanderings cursing his stupidity for not instantly recognising both what he was hearing and what it meant.

At that moment all he thought of was grabbing Carlisle and running, but knew that if he could hear them it was too late.

They needed to wait, wait for Eleazar to get back, wait for the Volturi to arrive, wait for the judgement and their fate.

They needed to wait!

Lifting his head, he spoke clearly so both the vampire sitting beside him and human opposite could hear.

"Our visitors have arrived."