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Chapter Twenty-three

Exposed

BPOV

I laid in my husband's arms until the very last moments possible. I had been thinking of our future, of where we would end up after our stay in Forks, and I had come up with many ideas of what I wanted. I had kept the thoughts inside, had not expressed them in words or any other form with my husband or with any of my family. Well, except for Alice. She had saw a vision of the future and had came to me as soon as I had decided what I wanted for my family. I had asked her not to think of it or speak of it until after I spoke with Edward. She had done very well or else he would have came to me. And there was no way he could fake the surprise and shock in his voice when I allowed him to hear my thoughts. Edward would do anything to make me happy, he always had, but these ideas that I had been throwing around in my head were for him as much for me. Knowing that he agreed and wanted to give them a try, made it even more special for me.

We had drifted in and out of our thoughts, I allowed him to hear mine, and then we heard Alice and Jasper calling for us to join our family downstairs. They were all in the living room when we joined them. Everyone was dressed similarly. Alice and Rosalie had both put on black leather pants and matching vests. They looked as if they were about to jump on the back of a Harley Davidson. The others were in dark denim, dark shirts. I guess it would be better to dirty dark clothing versus the normal whites and light colors that my family seemed so fond of wearing. I had threw on a pair of jeans and some boots with a usual casual shirt. I hadn't seen any point in trying to dress for the occasion. Plus, I hadn't been involved in any of the physical fights of the past, so I really had no clue what attire would be best for fighting this woman immortal if that was what it came down to today.

Carlisle placed a hand on my back as we all formed a semi circle. "Now, children, you know that I hate the thoughts of harming any creature," he lectured. "Let's all please try to keep this as civil as the immortal allows us. If it comes to a fight, then we shall fight. She will be alone. Alice had a vision this morning. She will arrive shortly after we do and she will be alone. She appeared frightened, but confident. Remember, Emmett, Jasper, try to keep it civil. And Jasper, if you start getting too many emotions, calm everyone down. Take over their moods if you must."Jasper nodded, "Sure thing, Carlisle. I will keep everyone calm. I am going to put most of my focus on the immortal though. If I swing her moods enough, she may be less likely to resist speaking with us and will hopefully keep her from wanting to fight us."

Alice stepped beside her husband. She looked at him pleasingly. She was proud of him. If allowed, Jasper would have hunted this immortal down, finished her existence for her, and all would have been done. "Yes, I did have a vision this morning. Just a short one. She will arrive, like Carlisle said, shortly after we get there. She seems to be scared of us, but she isn't scared enough to run. She is very curious. She doesn't understand us. She saw Jasper and Bella's eyes the first time, then she saw Rose and Em's. She's curious to why our eyes are all the same color and her's is red."

I heard Esme gasp. Our mother, much like Carlisle, hated the idea of any creature being harmed, even when it sustained us. And for her to think of an immortal feeding on humans bothered her just as much as Carlisle. Emmett was being unusually quiet this morning. Usually before a fight or the chance of a fight, he is pumped, ready for it. I looked to Rose, to Emmett, and back to Rose. I raised an eyebrow as to say what is wrong with him. Rosalie shrugged her shoulders and put a finger to her lips. I glanced at Edward, he had saw the exchange between Rosalie and myself. He blinked his eyes once. He was reading Emmett's thoughts and he would let me know. But it wasn't anything I needed to be fearful of as his smile reassured me as much.

Our family walked together into the forest. Just clear of the trees, we began our bound. We all were in sync. Edward hung back so that we would be a united front. I slowed my pace as well to make sure I was as well. Edward was by far the fastest of all of us, I was close behind him. We bounded across the river and kept going. We reached the clearing less than five minutes after leaving our home behind. Everyone was walking around the clearing, looking into the forest, trying to see if anyone was present or perhaps get a small glimpse of the woman's scent. Edward came over to me and whispered softly in my ear so that the others would not hear him. "Emmett is tense this morning. He wants to take this immortal down immediately because of what she did to Rosalie. He wants to avenge her." I looked at him slightly puzzled as we had all given Carlisle our word we would try to be peaceful. "Emmett will do as he promised Carlisle, but it isn't the way he wants to proceed. I understand…If it was you, I would probably break Carlisle's promise and ask for forgiveness later."

I knew he was right and I could understand Emmett. If I had thought another had hurt Edward, I would want to avenge him. I had wanted so bad for Edward to change me so that I could have been a help in the battle with the newborns but he wouldn't hear of it. After having saw how Victoria had fought, I wouldn't have been much use so quickly after my change. I would have been stronger, but I wouldn't have been experienced. We formed a somewhat pattern around Carlisle and Alice. "Alice foresaw how we were when the immortal came, I think we should be in the same formation. It couldn't hurt."

Carlisle nodded and stepped aside. Alice began to point out the places for each of us. "Edward, you and Emmett and Jasper were along here. Esme and Rosalie were just behind you. Carlisle you stood just off to the side, near the front. Bella and I were taking up the back. We were over here." She led us to the area she saw us standing in her vision. We were not near the center at all of the clearing. I had truly thought if we put ourselves in the open, we would appear casual. Near the forest however would make it look as if we might run and put her at ease. I wouldn't question Alice. She knew what was coming, unless the immortal had changed her mind in anyway.

We had been standing in our poses for about five minutes. Nobody was speaking a word. Edward, I have my shield around all of us. I am prepared. I love you. I saw Edward turn and look at me with the corner of his eye. He smiled and nodded. We had a way of speaking with one another in moments that we didn't want everyone to hear. Not that I didn't want them to hear how much I loved him, I just wanted to give him aware that my shield was up. My family knew I loved Edward more than anything. Several more minutes passed. "Less than thirty seconds," Alice stated. "From the west, unless she changes course. If she does, I wont be able to say. I wont have time to explain another vision." We all began to look toward the west. I flexed my shield to make sure it was tightly in place around everyone.

I heard a snarl. It was unfamiliar to me. It didn't belong to any of my family. I looked to Edward. I saw he and Jasper drop straight into their crouch, snarls coming from them now. Another snarl. This one came from Rosalie. Then Emmett followed. Esme and Carlisle were still standing postured, but I could see they both were ready. I joined into the crouching just as Alice did. All of us were ready. There was a slight movement in the west trees. I could see the leaves moving but I could not see another body moving. The trees in the eastern section began to shake. Our eyes were bouncing back and forth. As planned half of us kept our attention on one side, the other half of us watched the other side. A deep snarl came screeching out. Before I could even turn I felt her. She had flew out of the trees and was on my back. I heard Edward's snarl as my own left my throat. I grabbed the one arm that had been placed around my shoulders and began to flip her. This immortal was trying hard to fight me, but I wasn't allowing it. I flipped backwards onto my back, landing on her on the ground. I jumped back into my crouch and grabbed the immortal by her hair as it was all I could see. A sea of black hair. She continued to fight, claw at me. A mountain lion did not harm nor hurt me, but the crush of this immortals teeth on my arm sent a pain up my spine. She tried to bite me once again and I went for her neck. I ripped a piece of skin off her neck and spat it out. I felt a hand come down on my shoulder and then another. I looked up and saw that my brothers had grabbed the immortal woman. They were on either side of her. Her head was bent forward as if she was looking onto the ground. I could hear the snarls escaping her throat. She was trying hard to break the holds that Emmett and Jasper had on her, but Edward had been right. They were too strong for her.

I glanced to either side of me. Carlisle and Edward had me in their grasps. "That is enough, Bella," Edward spoke. "Our brothers have her."

Carlisle looked almost fearful. "That reminded me so much of you, son, with James," Carlisle said as he acknowledged Edward. He then looked to me. "You had no choice. But your brothers have her under control."

Carlisle stepped out in front of the immortal. "My name is Carlisle Cullen and this is my family," he introduced. "We do not bring you harm, child, but if you do not cease to fighting us, then you will cease altogether. Do you understand? We would just like to speak with you."

The scene before me had grew very quiet. We all listened for her to speak. Nothing. Her snarls started again. Edward looked down at my arm. "She bit you?" he said.

"Yes," I answered brushing my arm. "Its fine." I pulled my arm away so that he wouldn't look at the crescent marks she had just left on me. "I'm okay, Edward."

Edward's fury filled his face and a snarl escaped his throat. "What is it you want from us? You have attacked my wife and my sister. If you don't answer my father, I will snap your head off myself."

Esme and Carlisle both turned to look at Edward. We all were trying hard. They had to see this. She had tried to kill Rosalie, fought with Emmett, had crossed Jasper and myself, and now she had bitten me. If she didn't answer questions soon, it was un-telling the ending she would make for herself with us. The immortal's snarl began to falter and it turned to laughter. I looked to Alice hoping that she would have an answer for me. Nothing. She shrugged. This had not been part of what she had seen. Emmett shifted as Rosalie moved forward. He spoke, "if you know what's best for you, you will start answering our questions."

Jasper sent out a calmness and began to manipulate all of our moods. My anger began to calm and I felt at peace. I looked at him, annoyed, but he just shrugged and nodded his head toward Carlisle. He wouldn't break his promise. I wouldn't either, but she had truly better start answering questions.

Rosalie's patience was beginning to wear thin. She walked toward Emmett. Our family all began to exchange looks. Rosalie drew back her fist and as hard as she could she landed an upward cut into the jaw of the immortal. "I owed you that."

Carlisle stepped forward and grabbed Rosalie's arm as she drew back to do it again. "Rosalie, no!" he yelled. "This is not what our family is nor what our family is about. She will talk to us, but you mustn't do that again. Do you hear me, Rosalie? No more. You are upsetting your mother."

Rosalie looked ashamedly at our father. "She, I…I wont again." She began to take a step back but then stopped. She looked at all of us. "Lets see who it is hiding behind all of this." Rosalie pulled the hair that was dangling down over the woman. She brought the hair behind the woman's head and pulled her head up so that we could all see her face. I had been curious since we gotten here and my bout with her had been stopped to see who this immortal was.

I heard all gasps leave the mouths of all of us. I looked to Edward and he looked more in shock than I did. I took a step forward. The face was quite familiar. It was that of someone who had been my nemesis so many years ago, but yet it was different. Slightly older than what I had been frozen at. Maybe, twenty-three, maybe twenty-four. I couldn't be sure. The red eyes of this immortal stared in disbelief at me as well. I had not changed at all since she had last seen me. I cleared my throat and spoke, "Jessica Stanley." The eyes began to glare at me and laughter slid from her throat. Loud, evil chuckling. I began to think back to all the times she made my life miserable, how she had treated me after Edward had left, because I had Edward. I looked her. I remembered my sisters telling me that she had annoyed Edward so much. Before anyone could stop me, I punched her square in the nose, causing her nose to fall to the ground. "I owed you that for MY EDWARD!"