** Just a FYI: In this story, Carlisle is intended to somewhat resemble Lucas Till. No offense to Peter Facinelli, but he was way too old to play Carlisle. **
Despite the noise echoing through the dilapidated warehouse, Jasper heard his younger brother say Bella's name. Without pause, he skirted the edge of the dance floor, holding his breath to avoid losing his head, and as he approached the bar area, he noticed Emmett looking at a tall creature in a hooded sweater. She had to be at least 6'0", and the curvature of her muscles reflected a strong, skilled adversary. How on Earth could Emmett have thought she was Bella—the awkward, shy human?
"Bella," he said. She turned, almost as though she had heard him, and as the lights hit her face, Jasper gasped. "It's her."
She paused only briefly, casting a disinterested look at the southern vampire who had precipitated her leaving Forks, before she moved in the opposite direction. Jasper started forward but stopped when an unidentified male approached Bella, resting his hand on her shoulder. Jasper felt a strong surge of confusion, possession and jealousy as his younger brother appeared beside him.
A tremor cut through Edward as he watched Bella, his Bella, being consoled by a stranger speaking a foreign language. His confusion deepened as he realized he could not comprehend the language that passed between the two. Edward may not have been the strongest linguist in the family—an accolade reserved for Carlisle alone—but his longevity and extensive travel afforded him a working knowledge of all languages on the planet. This one was unknown to him.
Alice, hearing that Bella had been spotted, had made her way to where her once-best friend now stood. The small vampire noted how her friend had filled out, perhaps from an intense workout regimen, and Bella appeared to have embraced high heels. The meek human who barely came up to Edward's chin stretched up like an antenna.
Bella noticed the tiny vampire approaching and stepped away from Rix, allowing Alice to see her from head to toe. She wore no high heels. Somehow, Bella had grown almost a foot since Alice had last seen her, but that was not what made Alice pause. The light flashed across Bella's face, and her eyes reflected it like a cat. A shiver down her spine made Alice stop in her tracks. Moreover, fear began to creep into Alice's heart the longer she stared at Bella. What had happened to her friend?
The Cullens were descending on the human they considered a member of their family. All except Carlisle, who had escorted Esme outside once she had seen the horrors of the iniquity den. Bella, who had no memory of the leeches calling to her, began to panic, which was evident to Rix. His attention was so invested in Bella, his sister, that he failed to acknowledge the source of her distress. Instead, he whispered to her in the ancient language, attempting to sooth her, but it was too late.
Bella erupted in anger and rage, and she promptly beheaded a random leech beside her. Rix, shocked by her outburst, took to her side and began forcing away the horde of leeches that descended on them. He was shocked, however, when one of the attacking leeches was pulled away by a yellow-eyed leech. Rix did not have time to question it, as more were piling up.
The Cullens, particularly Edward, were beyond shocked by Bella's demonstrated strength. What had become of the clumsy human that Edward had to rescue from James? The one who had been left in a puddle of her own blood during her disastrous birthday party? The creature before them moved with calculated precision, possessing unimaginable strength.
As the fray tightened around her, the Cullens moved forward to help her. After all, she was still family. However, they were intercepted by a pack of four others, each one as tall or taller than Bella and just as strong. They moved through the mass of leeches, cutting them down as they proceeded, showing no remorse to the pleas of those trying to escape. The scent of fresh venom pervading the atmosphere of the room, mixing with the fresh blood at the center of the room.
Movement from the center of the group caught Jasper's attention, and he watched as Bella sailed through the air and landed on the other side of the room. He was astonished, but not for too long. The leeches had been whipped into a panic and were attacking anything and everything, even each other.
Suddenly there was a bright flash as the building erupted into flames. The heat quickly filled the room, which caused even more panic. The screams of the leeches were deafening as the creatures clawed at the walls. Every exit was protected by Bella and her companions.
"Jasper!" Alice called from the center of the room. She was genuinely afraid. He fought his way to her, and once they had found one another, they jumped to the second floor. "Where's Bella?"
He shook his head. "I don't know. Where are the others?"
"There!" Alice pointed.
Emmett had jumped on top of the cage, which held the captive humans. He opened the hatch and tried to coax them to him, but they were too afraid to move. Before he could do anything more, Bella joined him atop the cage. She snarled at him, the light reflecting in her eyes, and the strength of the hatred in her eyes almost sent him flying off the edge.
"Bella!" Emmett held out his hands in defense. "Stop! Don't you recognize me?"
She ignored his pleas and, instead, lunged at him. He caught her wrists easily, but she gracefully coiled her body and kicked him in the stomach. Emmett fell from the cage and landed below. He was on his feet instantly, though, and he watched (as did all the Cullens, mind you) Bella swing the cage and rip it from its hinges. Both, she and the cage, landed at the center, and she ripped open the hatch and allowed the humans to escape.
Alice turned to Jasper. "We can't leave her here."
Bella moved toward another group of leeches, and at the same time, Edward rushed toward her. He didn't care about her height, nor the strange way her eyes reacted to the light; all he knew was that his Bella was in a burning building with no way out. He was almost to her when a strong arm pulled him back. Turning with a hiss, Edward found a panicked Carlisle.
"Carlisle?! What—" Edward started but his father cut him off.
"We have to leave. All of your now." The authority behind Carlisle's voice shocked his firstborn. Edward started to protest but Carlisle silenced him. "Now! There is no time for deliberations."
"We can't leave Bella!" Emmett insisted.
Carlisle glanced at Bella who had just taken down another leech. The way she moved, the ease with which she dismantled his kind—it was too familiar. If they stayed, they would die.
He shook his head. "Believe me, son, she can take care of herself. If we do not leave now, we will be killed."
Jasper and Emmett nodded, and with a silent agreement, they each grabbed one of Edward's arms. He protested, snarled, snapped, and screeched, but they did not turn him loose. Instead, he watched helplessly as his beloved was obscured by flames.
Once they had made it outside, Edward turned on his maker in a violent rage. "What is wrong with you? You left her in there! Why, Carlisle? What is your problem?"
Carlisle grasped Edward's collar and pulled him close, his eye blazing with rage. "Do you not understand? Are you really that blind?"
"What are you talking about?" Edward pulled away.
Carlisle pointed to the burning building. "The Bella you know is gone, Edward."
"What do you mean 'gone'? She's inside!"
Carlisle opened his mouth in rebuttal, but his eyes caught movement on the side of the building. The leeches were clawing their way through the walls to avoid the blaze, and the hunters were waiting for them. He glanced over his shoulder and spied a pair of burning eyes in the darkness; they were surrounded. The moment for escape had vanished.
He offered a silent prayer to the god he hoped was listening.
"On the ground," he said quickly, dropping to his knees and laying on his stomach. When the others did not follow, he repeated his order. "Now!"
"What are you doing?" Edward glared.
"Get down!" Carlisle commanded him, and the ferocity behind his words shocked Edward into compliance.
The Cullen family lay on the ground and watched in horror as the leeches were swiftly torn apart.