Chapter 20

Hope's POV

I was back in the SUV with water pouring through the windows on all sides. It was rising faster than I could remove my seatbelt, and from where I was struggling, I could see my parents and siblings struggling for their own escape to no avail. The water was up to my nostrils and I couldn't see Emmalyn and Dillon's heads as they were under water. I screamed, but the sound was muffled as water filled my mouth and nose making me gasp and choke. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't breathe! The liquid was filling my lungs, expanding them til they felt as though they might burst, and the whole time, the only thing I could think of was getting my family to safety. This wasn't how it was supposed to go. They were supposed to be out already, safe and sound on the shoreline. A hand grasped my shoulder and I peered through the bubbling darkness to make out my Aunt Aria and grandfather who were also enclosed in the watery grave.

"Noooo!" I screamed through the choking, sputtering pain. Shrieks of pain, terror and sorrow flooded my lips until there was only darkness. Then I suddenly became aware of someone grabbing me, pulling me up out of the darkness. I fought them, hitting, kicking and clawing. "Nooo, Mom! Daddy! Daaaaaddddyyyy..."

"Shhhh, darling, it's all right. You're all right. You're safe," it was Carlisle's tone and I suddenly became aware that he was lifting me up from beneath the covers into his arms, holding me firmly to his chest and rocking ever so slowly. My tears only began to fall in torrents as I choked on my own sobs. The rage worked its' way up within me and began to lash out in anger, but Carlisle didn't stop me. He allowed me scream, curse, hit, kick and carry on so long as I wasn't hurting myself. When I reached the point that he was afraid I might actually get harmed, he pulled me into a more secure hold, applying deep pressure in an attempt to calm me.

"I know...I know...Shhhh, shhh, shhh, hush now," he whispered while maintaining his hold. Eventually, I exhausted my physical resources and went limp against him. "Deep breaths, sweetheart. You're safe. Now just keep breathing."

Esme slipped into the room and turned the side lamp on. A cool cloth made its' way to my forehead and I found myself taking refuge in the shelter of Carlisle's hold.

"Don't leave," I begged in staggered breaths. "Please...don't leave me alone."

Carlisle situated himself against the pillows and pulled a blanket up around my small frame. "We're not going anywhere."

Esme's POV

An hour later, my husband had managed to get the teen back to sleep though it wasn't undisturbed by the night terrors that plagued her. The girl was now tucked in securely beneath the covers while we sat on either side of the child in order to keep our promise.

"Are you really planning to help her find a job and get her emancipated?" I questioned softly.

He looked up at me, slowly taking a moment to process the question before responding, "I am committed to doing whatever it takes to earn her trust and make her feel supported. Right now, the child needs to feel like she has a voice over something in her world. You and I both know no judge will grant her emmancipation, but we can work to help her gain a bit of independence and in that, I believe she will come to depend on us more. Besides an afterschool job will be good for her."

I could see the logic though I feared we hadn't seen the last of the teen's emotional rollercoasters. For now, we'd just have to grab hold of something and ride it out.

Esme's POV

The next week was school vacation which was a great excuse for me to spoil all the kids in my life. Carlisle put in for the time off so we arranged a trip to a indoor waterpark resort and ski lodge about six hours away. It was just the kind of escape the kids needed.

"Do you need anything else loaded?" Jacob's voice came from the entryway. The kid had volunteered to help me get the vehicles loaded before Carlisle's return.

"I think that's it," I smiled warmly at him, "I appreciate your help."

He shrugged, "It's the least I can do."

"Jakub!" Our conversation was cut short by the arrival of Emmalyn who started down the stairs carrying two oversized tote bags and dragging her green Tinkerbell suitcase behind. All three seemed to be filled to overflowing with toys from her bedroom. "These too! I..can't...ugh!" she stood teetering on the stairs. Esme moved faster than should have been possible to snatch up the little girl before she could tumble down over the stairs along with her bags. As it was, the bags landed it the bottom of the stairs and burst open into an avalanche of pink, purple, and sparkles. "Oh, no!" she shrieked. "My dollies!"

Before I could move, Jacob was already kneeling down to pick up the mess, "What'd you do, kiddo? I don't think we can pack your whole room." His voice held a strong undertone of the fondness he felt toward the child.

"But I don't want to leave anything behind," she shook her head, her tiny lips forming the perfect heart of a pout.

"Well, sweet girl," I lifted her up into my arms, "I can promise you, your toys will still be here when you come back."

"But what if we aren't coming back?" she asked. It took a moment before I understood the question.

"Why would you ask that?" Jacob and I exchanged a quick glance and I knew he understood as well.

"Cuz we had to leave Mommy and Daddy's 'cuz they wented away and now maybe we'll have to leave here 'cuz you might go away," she sighed as though bored with the idea of having to explain it to me.

"Oh, baby girl," I felt my heart catch in my throat. "No, no, no..." I shook my head, "We're just going on vacation for a few days together then we're all coming back here."

"So, I won't lose my toys if I leave them?" she asked, innocently.

"No, darling...they'll all be here for you when we get back," I pressed a kiss to her baby face and set her down beside the bags. "Now, what do you say we try to pick out your favorites and leave the rest?"

"Otay," she lisped, "But...then I'm gonna put on my dress up. I'm gonna be a bee! Bzzzzzzz! Watch out...I sting!"

Bree's POV

I was surprised when Mom agreed to let me go with Nana and Papa for the week especially after the blow-out their invitation had caused between my adopted parents. Though I'd been changed two years prior, my thirst still cropped up from time to time making it difficult to spend too much time with humans. Despite my please, the family decided it best to homeschool me an entire year before actually enrolling me at the local H.S. and even then, it was allowed only because of Uncle Edward's presence there. He and Dad checked in on me frequently and got me out of class when needed. My age and newness to everything required that I hunt more frequently than the others. Someone from the family made sure I hunted every morning so I was well-fed before school and even more often now with three kids staying with Nana and Papa. I still checked in with Uncle Jasper every week which was significantly less often when they first took me in and I lived with everyone. Jasper was the one who taught me how to control my thirst. He'd been patient, caring, and strict, but I needed all three in order to succeed.

I knew of Hope from school. It wasn't like we were buddies or anything, but I'd seen her around. Mom refused to let me visit so I could meet the others; she didn't think her parents were wise to put us all at risk. However, the invitation for the trip was accepted after a great deal of arguing on their part and pleading on mine.

Now, I was packed and ready. Dad, Renesmee and I were going to run to the resort so we could hunt along the way. It seemed like the better option considering the other would involve us being inclosed in a tiny space for six hours with a group of humans. Dad planned to stay the night with us just to make sure we were settled in the suite before he'd leave.

It wasn't as hard for Renesmee. She was part human afterall, but she still had a thirst for blood. It just wan't as strong as mine. When she was first born, I was also a newborn so I wasn't allowed to be around her. It wasn't until last summer before the start of the school year that we'd been introduced. Though we were in different classes, we spent the majority of our school days together; there was safety in it. Realistically, we knew it was only a matter of time before we'd be forced to move and start over. The idea of attending school with my adopted parents, aunts, and uncles made me laugh a little.

"Bree, time to go!" Dad's voice was no more than a whisper from the foyer, but it reached me all the way up in my bedroom. Excitedly, I peered out the window to see Uncle Edward's Volvo outside.

"Be right down!" I responded. After a quick glance in the mirror, I charged down over the stairs, skipping a few steps along the way. My cousin met me with a grin that mirrored my own and a bone-crushing hug.

"Can you believe we're going?" she exclaimed, leaping four feet up into the air. It wasn't that we hadn't done anything over the past couple of years because we'd had some fantastic adventures, but this was something a normal family might do so the idea of being all together for a week of no work and total relaxation with our family was pretty exciting.

My exposure to the outside world had narrowed significantly since my change, and this trip reminded me of something I'd done with my grandparent's on my birthmom's side when I was about four. The very memory of my birth family filled my heart with a flurry of emotions ranging from anger to sadness. My birth dad was abusive; I guess my mom left him when I was about 4. That's when Dad and I relocated to Idaho. I was grateful for the memories I had of my mother, but sometimes, I missed her very badly. Dad wasn't exactly a parent. I'd worn enough bruises through the year to make that evident. A few weeks before my 16th birthday, I'd had enough. I ran away to Seattle taking a bus with the only money I had; I'd tried unsuccessfully to get a job then lived off whatever I could steal. I slept on park benches and alleys til Riley found me. He seemed nice enough. I was digging through a trash bin when he'd found me searching for food; he'd offered me a burger then taken me down an alley where Victoria changed me. I'd have been dead had the Cullens not stepped in when they did, promising to take responsibility for me. They saved me that day and for that I couldn't ever repay them. It'd taken awhile for me to get past the thirst and to start trusting them, but they never gave up on me. Pushing the memories away, I accepted the pro-offered hug from Aunt Bella and squealed when Uncle Edward picked me up into the air and squeezed me close.

"We'll be up on Wednesday," Bella explained before pulling her daughter into a tight embrace.

"You two know the rules. If you get thirsty, you tell your grandparents or call one of us immediately. Bree, someone will be taking you out to hunt each morning and more often if needed. If there is a moment's hesitation where you don't think you can do this, we will come get you within the hour," I listened as Uncle Edward went on. "I think you can both handle this, but there's no shame if you can't. That's where openness and honesty come in. Ok?"

I nodded and I felt the wind shift from where my cousin nodded as well beside me. We'd heard this speech about a thousand times over the past two years. To be honest, I'm pretty sure I could repeat the whole thing back with proper enunciation if required. Occasionally, I'd give Jacob and Renesmee "the speech" resulting in a fit of laughter from us all.

"Yes, Dad," Renesmee's head bobbed, her auburn hair curling slightly to frame her face. Her hair constantly took on a life of its' own much to her dismay. We'd spent countless hours trying to find a way to control it, but it was useless so now she just embraced the sometimes curly, sometimes wavy locks. I could hear the eye roll even without seeing her face. If I knew my cousin, it'd been there.

"Nes," Bella warned though the fondness on her face betrayed her. Bella had never been very strict when it came to Nessie. That was Edward's job. Well, Edward and the rest of the family. However, Bella was a bear when she wanted to be, and she'd do anything to protect those in her life. I never had to worry about anyone messing with us. Aunt Bella and the rest of the gang would stop any attempts in their tracks. "We just want you...everyone to be safe and have fun."

"They will," Dad reassured, placing a large hand on my shoulder and giving it a brief squeeze. "You ready, kiddo?"

"Yup," my response was certain. I was more than ready.

"Then let's go. Mom and Dad are picking up the bags on their way," his eyes held a twinkle. "You're it!" he yelled with a quick tag to my shoulder and a dash into the woods.

Nessie giggled before following his lead. With a run and a bounce, she disappeared into the woods.

"Well?" Bella asked, "What are you waiting for? Go!"

I didn't require another prompt before disappearing into the forest after them.