A/N: So I know this chapter took me a really long time to get out and I sincerely apologize for that. My brother's wedding went off without a hitch and it was so totally amazing! I cried before I had even left the back door...sigh. Anyways...I hope that my new chapter has lived up to your growing anticipation. BIG, BIG, BIG shockers and HUGE, HUGE, HUGE progress!
LouLouCullen.
I OWN NOTHING TWILIGHT!
Chapter 27- Bad Man
My fingers faltered on the piano keys, then went still and rigid—I went still and rigid. My angel's cry sent a jolt of pain through my body, like nothing I had ever experienced before, the pain was overwhelming, pinning me to the piano bench. My mind went wild with the thoughts of my family, as well as my own. Had the girl hurt herself? Was it the storm that had frightened her? Was the batch of blood we gave her bad? Was it possible to have a half vampire half human a bad batch of blood? Could she get sick? Could she die?
A brilliant flash of light filled the room, outlining everything the light touched for the fraction of a second bathed the house with light. Another deafening boom of thunder shook the house; the sharp crack filled the air carrying the sound for miles and miles in each direction. And another cry of fear from my angel pierced me to where I sat.
Five seconds had gone by since the first boom, since the first flash, since her first cry...but for the first time, in my existence, I was privileged with hearing a sound never heard before. "E-e-e-e-d-d-war-d," It was the sound of my name being called from an angel's lips, broken and stuttered and filled with fear; the cry was enough to send me flying towards her room, with a speed I didn't know my self possible to go.
Not bothering to knock or slow my pace, I blurred to her side in an instant and for the first time in all the time the girl had been her she reached for me, her eyes filled with tears brimming over her rims, spilling down her cheeks like crystal droplets. My heart felt like it was being squeezed in my chest, like a juicer squeezing a lemon for fresh lemonade on a hot summer day. Wordlessly I scooped up my angel and at the same time her tiny hands clutched at my shirt holding it tightly as if it were her only lifeline. I as only half aware of someone gently closing the door behind me, sealing the two of us in her room, for privacy and for the fact that her door was never left open; I think it was my mother, but I couldn't be sure, my mind was still reeling with all that had happened in the very short amount of time that had passed.
Another flash of light, followed by another crack of thunder caused my angel to grip my shirt impossibly tighter, a sob to rip from her chest and a violent shudder to rip through her. Feeling Jasper work his magic, a calm spread through me, enabling me focus my thoughts on the tiny shaking girl in my arms.
Gathering all of my brother's calm, I used my persuasive tone, lacing it with hints of calm, "Hush, my angel," I whispered above her head, as her head was tucked into the crook of my neck, her scalding hot tears, burned their tracks down my neck and collected into a pool, soaking my shirt. "I'm here, your Edward is here," I told her again and again, praying that my soothing mantra of words would soon calm her quaking body and dry her tears. "Please don't cry angel, I can't bear to see you cry."
A small whimper of fear caught in her throat, causing her to choke. My free hand went to her back instantly, rubbing soothing circles of comfort on her back, hoping to help alleviate some of her fears and body tension. Hours went by, and the storm still raged on, the girls tears had stopped flowing, but each and every time the crack of thunder filled the stormy night, she shuttered against me, whimpering like a cornered and frightened animal.
I hummed to her, trying in hope, to sooth us both, rocking us both in time with each steady beat of her heart. I was hoping that my humming would calm her like it usually did, entrancing her into her normal hypnotized state of calm, but it was all for not. Nothing I tried worked to help soothe her worries or fears, so I decided to try and see if she would speak again.
"I'm so proud of you," I started off in praising her, in hopes of getting her to speak again. "You used your words; you have no idea how happy that makes me. I can't imagine the courage it took you to call out to me." And...nothing, I sighed internally. But I was determined to not let it get me down. So I tried a different tactic. "Do you think, you can use your words to tell me what have you so frightened? I can't help you, if you don't tell me angel." Still nothing. "Have storms always frightened you so badly?"
A whimper left her lips, but no words. Part of me was so very frustrated with the girl; it was obvious that she could speak. But then I remembered the circumstances as to why she spoke in the first place. Guilt and sadness filled me, and without thinking I buried my nose in my angels' hair, inhaling her human scent laced with a hint of vampire icy sweet scent—a scent I had never come across before—filling my lungs to capacity; I had an overwhelming urge to hold my breath, just to keep her scent in my lungs, and keep her taste on my tongue. But rational thought soon took over and I released my breath slowly...painfully, it was so worth it. The slow burn in the back of my throat was like the most exquisite torture—a welcome torture.
A low purr caught me off guard, causing me to snap my eyes open in surprise, looking down to see the girl looking up at me with a small smile on her face and a tiny twinkle of humour in her eyes. Shock filled me; it wasn't her purring it was...me! Some time during my delicious self torture the storm had stopped, and the break of dawn was on the horizon. Not knowing why, I found his moment to be humouring, a small chuckle burst from my chest and a wide smile spread across my face.
'It seems like the storm has passed, it's nearly dawn, angel." I whispered gently, her eyes still puffy and red from crying; yet she still looked so beautiful to me—she would always be beautiful to me, no matter what. "I should let you get some rest..." I said the words, but every instinct in my body screamed at me to not let her go, until I knew she was alright... "You had a very trying night, and I am sure you are very tired."
Gently prying her tiny fists from my shirt, I pulled back her covers and settled her in bed, pulling her covers up to her chin. I purposely avoided her eyes, knowing that they would be my undoing; I would never leave the room or the bed if I peered into her chocolate brown eyes. A whimper of protest filled my ears and caused a flicker of pain to bloom in my chest. She needs her rest! I tried to convince myself, ignoring her plea. Using every fibre of my being to turn away from her and leave the room, another whimper of protest, and my heart felt like it was breaking into a million pieces. How I wish you would use your words to tell me what you need, angel, just tell me ...please! My thoughts cried out to her silently, as my eyes kept themselves trained on her bedroom door.
Placing my hand on the doorknob, I let out a sigh to low for her to hear, but loud enough that my family could hear. It was interesting to me suddenly how I had not heard a single thought from any of my family members as soon as I had entered the girls' room last night. Had she done that? Or was I just so entangled in her that I had unconsciously blocked them out? Both theories intrigued me, and I knew Carlisle and Jasper would be just as interested to speak with me on this particular subject.
"S-s-s-s-stay...E-d-d-d-war-d-d," The angel's voice stuttered. I whirled around shocked and stunned that she had not only spoken my name again...but was asking me to stay! My angel wanted me to stay; joy burst though me, taking me by surprise, my heart nearly taking flight in my chest.
Without another word between us, I silently crossed the room towards my angel—my love?—placing myself in the same spot that I had occupied throughout the stormy night. My angel wiggled closer to me, burrowing herself into my side, exhaling sweetly, a faint smile on her lips as she closed her eyes and quickly drifted off to sleep.
I sat beside the girl for hours contemplating how she hidden—if she had hidden—my family's thoughts from me all night long. Was it a defence mechanism? Was it a self preservation tactic? Was it because she simply wanted privacy?
About an hour after the girl had fallen into a deep sleep, my family's thoughts came filtering through my mind like a battering ram, causing me to flinch slightly.
Edward...can you hear us? My father's voice was the first to hit me, frantic and filled with fear. Why are you not answering me? What has she done to you?
A sharp hiss left my lips, and before I had come to full thought I was flying down the stairs to plant myself in front of father, cutting off his frantic pacing.
"Edward!" Carlisle's gasp was full of relief, and with a rare show of emotion, threw his arms around my neck and hugged me to him, in a bone crushing hug. "What happened, we lost all contact with you, when you went in the girl's room? We knocked, we yelled, we tried opening the door, we tried busting it down; I have died a thousand deaths since you went in that room!"
Shock jolted through me like a lightening bolt. I raised my arms to hug my father back, his mind racing with the hundred of millions of fears that could have happened. I buried my face into the crook his neck, purring softly, in his ear, letting him know that I had received his message and that my soft purr would assuage his fears; his grip tightened on me and a sob burst from his chest. "I'm perfectly fine father," I whispered.
"What happened, Edward?" My mother demanded ripping me from my father's embrace, clinging to me; repeating my soothing mantra for my mother, to let her know I was perfectly fine. "We have been cut off from you for hours! I too have died a thousand deaths! Was it her? The girl?"
"Yes, I would assume so," I said soothingly. "I could not hear your thoughts, I hadn't noticed all night. I was so wrapped up in trying to get her to calm down. The poor thing was so horribly frightened." I told them, my mother clasping her hand tightly in mine, leading my to the couch, where my father sat on my other side, taking my hand as well. "I think it is a defence mechanism or possibly a self preservation tactic."
"Interesting," Jasper murmured looking a lot calmer than I had seen from my sideways glance when I entered the room. "I would definitely call that a defence mechanism." He agreed.
"But why wouldn't she have used it when we found her? It's not like we would have seen her or even heard her; it's possible that we would have smelled her though," Emmett wondered aloud.
"Possibly because she was not strong enough then," Carlisle mused out loud. "She was so badly malnourished and injured, when you found her. It is quite possible that is was in impossibility at the time."
"There is something else," I admitted, feeling like I was exposing a secret that should have only been kept between me and my angel. I felt horrible for even entertaining the idea. My stomach filled with sick, and I had to force to swallow back the bile that crept up my throat. "When I was about to leave the room..." I couldn't do it, I could not make myself tell them the rest. It felt too private, like I would be betraying her all over again, and I could not—would not-do that again.
"Edward?"
"Nothing...it's nothing. Forget I said anything."
I was about to get up when Esme pulled me back into the couch. "I have suffered enough for one lifetime...tell us what it is now!" She hissed out the demand.
Snarling, I broke my mother's grip and darted across the room, furious with her. "Would you give away Carlisle's secrets?" I demanded in a hiss. "Do you expect me to tell you everything about the girl? She is mine! My mate...not yours!" I stormed off towards the girls' room, wanting so badly to slam the door behind me. I shut it tightly behind me, hoping that all of the voices in my head disappeared with the proverbial slamming of the door. But to my disappointment they did not; my parents and siblings begged me to come back down, my mother heart broken and angry at herself for pushing me away. I took my place on my angel's bed, gazing at he peaceful slumbering face, she looked so young and peaceful, when she was asleep, like nothing could hurt her.
"I wish you could tell me your name angel," I whispered softly, not daring to take my eyes off of her. "I wish I could take away all of your pain and harbour it all for myself. I wish I knew who did this to you, so I can inflict an eternity of pain on them. I want you to get better so maybe one day...if you so desire...we can have eternity together. I want to love you forever and a million days more. Please get better my angel; I need you to get better. I don't think I could face forever without you. Now that I have found you; I want to see you smile everyday—I want to be the one that makes you smile everyday—I want to know what your laugh sounds like...I want everything with you."
When day had finally turned to night, my angel stirred opening her sleepy eyes, frantically looking around the room to find me. My heart constricted in my chest, happiness filled me and when my eyes finally met hers, she visibly relaxed.
"S-s-s-sta-y-y-y,"
"Of course I stayed with you," I smiled at her; she was using her words. I couldn't have been happier in that moment. "You asked me to stay, and I will always stay with you...as long as you want me to stay." A slight tinge of pink filled her cheeks and she ducked her head, hiding her face from me. "Are you hungry? You have not eaten since...before."
"Bad," She hissed suddenly looking furious; I was caught off guard and my heart sank into a dark oblivion. "Bad man," She hissed again.
"Who is bad angel?" I whispered, terrified that I was the 'bad man.' "Tell me who the bad man is, love." I begged her, blurring to her side on the bed, scooping her up into my arms, cradling her tightly to me. "I will make them suffer for what they have done to you angel, I promise you, swear to you that they will suffer a hundred times more than what they put you through. I will tear this world apart looking for them; I will never stop searching." I promised her, rocking her gently.
"Fa-t-t-th-h-h-e-e-r-r-r" She whispered so low, I almost thought I had miss heard her. "Bad man," She hissed, her emotions were all over the place. "An-g-g-g-e-l-l, fa-t-th-h-h-e-e-r-r, bad man!"
I stopped rocking us both, my body rigid with her confession. My family's thoughts were in a whirl wind of fury, rage, horror and sorrow. Her own father had done this to her? Why? How?
"Bad man, bad man, bad man, bad man, bad man!" My love shrieked suddenly, flying out of my lap into a fury. Her shrieks of hate were directed at everything that she could get her hands on, throwing what ever she touched at the walls, windows and doors of the room. I head the door to her room bang open and my family poured into the room, barely missing the flying objects that flew at their faces. Mouths hanging wide open, standing immortally still in her room, watching my damaged angel wake in her fury. Deep chilling grows ripped from her chest, her eyes glowing brightly in her fit of rage; her body shaking with it's fight to give in to exhaustion. Finally only minutes later the once neat and tidy room was torn to pieces and shambles of debris lay in it's wake; my love, my angel, my mate, began to sink to the ground. Catching her before she could fall an inch more, I scooped her up laying her gently on her bed.
"Be-e-l-l-l-a" she said before exhaustion claimed her, pulling her under into a deep sleep.
"Bella," I whispered her name back to her sleeping form. "A beautiful name, for an even more beautiful angel."
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