A/N: Sorry this took so long to get out! I had a mix up with beta-ing and such so this took a while. lipstickletter thankfully offered to beta and she is one of the greater betas I've had in my year of writing fanfiction (not a lot, but I've went through at ton of beta's, haha). Thank you so much, darling! I owe my life to you, haha. Okay, this is a pretty long chapter, so that should make up for the wait, right?
Disclaimer: Even though I have been writing my own novels, they will not be published under the name Stephenie Meyer. Only Emma Lou Van Dyke. Anything you recognize in here is not mine!
Chapter Two: Exposure
Edward had made it through the school day and everything seemed okay, except everyone was still very worried. We didn't know how long Edward could restrain his thirst and it wouldn't be too long, as I suspected, before he snapped again. I pulled the shirt over my head and briefly glanced at the mirror, running my fingers through my hair slightly. I didn't really care about personal appearances.
Alice was too quiet this morning, but whenever I asked her what the matter was, she just said that she didn't feel like talking. It was strange—Alice hadn't ever really hidden anything from me, but I guessed it wasn't important enough to tell me.
It was a quiet ride in the car because Emmett and Rosalie were having a moment of consuming sappy romance, Edward was deep in thought, and Alice was still upset over whatever was bothering her. If she really wanted to talk about it, she'd tell me, and I wouldn't press the subject too forcefully.
Edward pulled into the school parking lot and I got out, ready to escort Alice to her class, but she stayed right there in her seat. My brow furrowed, but I started making my way to my class. Something was definitely up. I continued walking, ignoring my thirst as much as I could, and studied the ground before I heard a scream that made my stomach drop. All the thrumming pulses of the weak humans seemed to fade in the distance as I felt all of Alice's shock, anger, and horror ram into me.
"NO!" Alice wailed and I whirled around to see what was happening. A big van rounded the corner too fast and hit a large patch of ice, causing it to skid straight toward the Swan girl. Suddenly, Edward was seen sweeping across the parking lot and pushing the girl out of the way, stopping the van with his bare hands—exposing all of our inhuman attributes.
"Bella?" he asked and I fought back the urge to run up to him and attack him right then and there. In front of everybody. It wouldn't matter anyway because we were already exposed. Our family was exposed. Alice was exposed. A low snarl escaped my lips as I glared at him, my muscles tensing. I was ready to spring, ready to go back to the past and just tear him to shreds. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," she insisted and tried to sit up.
"Be careful," he warned. "I think you hit your head pretty hard."
"Ow," the girl exclaimed.
"That's what I thought," Edward said lightly, as if he found this situation humorous which made me what to throttle him again.
"How in the . . . How did you get here so fast?" I snapped my teeth together in agitation. She noticed. She. Had. Noticed.
"I was standing right next to you, Bella," Edward lied. They stared at each other for a while before the Swan girl tried to get up. Edward stopped her. "Just stay put for now."
"But it's cold," she objected and Edward chuckled. My eyes narrowed. "You were over there. You were by your car."
"No, I wasn't."
"I saw you."
"Bella I was standing with you, and I pulled you out of the way."
"No."
My hands balled into fists. Edward could've thought of a more descent lie, at least. Maybe that he was heading towards her and snuck up behind her before pulling her out of the way would be a little more plausible.
"Please, Bella." Edward pleaded.
"Why?"
"Trust me."
"Will you promise to explain everything to me later?"
"Fine." What was he saying? How could he just promise to explain everything to that human like that? If he so much as told her one thing, he'd never live to see tonight's sunset.
"Fine."
The girl was soon loaded into an ambulance and Edward went with her. Alice walked over to my side and put a calming hand on my forearm. I continued glaring towards the ambulance, silently shouting words to Edward-words that I would never allow Alice to hear from me-about how deficient his action was, knowing he heard it.
"Jazz, let's go to class," Alice said, tugging on my jacket. I shouted one more threat to him in my head before nodding and escorting Alice to hers before heading off to my own classroom. Edward would have to answer some serious questions when we got home.
Edward went to school after a while and we sat in silence in the car. Alice was worried, Rosalie was downright furious, Emmett was on the fence about things, and I had finally come to a resolve-that the Swan girl wouldn't have the chance to tell anyone what happened if I could help it. I'd kill her myself, get the job done, stop the worrying from everyone about Edward, and keep our family's secret safe. It was the best idea.
Edward parked the car and we all glided into the house to the table where Carlisle and Esme were sitting at their usual seats at the east side of the table. Rosalie went to the opposite side of the table and sat down with Emmett on her side. I stood, leaning on the wall behind her. Alice was the last to come in, her eyes in the future before she sat down on the opposite side. I wanted to join her, but it wasn't the right side. Swan had to die.
The emotional climate was in complete havoc, and I practically felt dizzy feeling so many emotions at once. Carlisle and Esme were worried, Edward was angry, Alice was scared, Rosalie furious, and Emmett confused. It was a lot to take in.
Edward took a deep breath.
"I'm sorry," he sighed. "I didn't mean to put any of you at risk. It was thoughtless, and I take full responsibility for my hasty action."
"What do you mean 'take full responsibility'?" Rosalie asked scathingly. "Are you going to fix it?"
"Not the way you mean," Edward explained. "I'm willing to leave now, if that makes things better."
"No," Esme murmured, completely hurt. "No, Edward."
"It's just a few years," Edward patted her hand.
"Esme's right, though," Emmett said. "You can't go anywhere now. That would be the opposite of helpful. We have to know what people are thinking, now more than ever."
"Alice will catch anything major," Edward argued.
"I think Emmett is right, Edward," Carlisle said, shaking his head. "The girl will be more likely to talk if you disappear. It's all of us leave, or none of us."
"She won't say anything," Edward said stubbornly.
"You don't know her mind," Carlisle countered.
"I know this much," Edward insisted. "Alice, back me up."
Alice glanced at Edward warily, her emotions dropping deeper into despair. "I can't see what will happen if we just ignore this." She glanced at Rosalie, then at me, her eyes pleading for me to join her side on this. I gave her a look that told her it was wrong, even though it pained me more than any thirst in the world.
Rosalie was silently boiling and she was ready to explode. Her palm smacked down on the table.
"We can't allow the human a chance to say anything," she exclaimed. "Carlisle, you must see that. Even if we all decided to disappear, it's not safe to leave stories behind us. We live so differently from the rest of our kind—you know there are those who would love an excuse to point fingers. We have to be more careful than anyone else!"
"We've left rumors behind us before," Edward said, sounding like a three year old stubborn child.
"Just rumors and suspicions, Edward," she hissed. "Not eyewitnesses and evidence!"
"Evidence!" Edward scoffed. I made eye contact with him and nodded, inexorable. Swan knew too much about everything and no one could not blab about that.
"Rosalie—"Carlisle started.
"Let me finish, Carlisle," Rosalie interrupted. "It doesn't have to be any big production. The girl hit her head today. So maybe that injury turns out to be more serious than it looked. Every mortal goes to sleep with the chance of never waking up. The others would expect us to clean up after ourselves. Technically, it would make it Edward's job, but this is obviously beyond him. You know I'm capable of control. I would leave no evidence behind me."
"Yes, Rosalie, we all know how proficient an assassin you are," Edward snarled and Rosalie hissed.
"Edward, please," Carlisle said, trying to keep the room calm. It wasn't working. I was too much on Rosalie's side to even help keep the room steady with content. "Rosalie, I looked the other way in Rochester because I felt that you were owed your justice. The men you killed had wronged you monstrously. This is not the same situation. The Swan girl is innocent."
"It's not personal, Carlisle," Rosalie hissed through her teeth. "It's to protect us all." Carlisle nodded and I felt Rosalie's happiness rise. She shouldn't be like that—Carlisle was never going to agree to kill another. Maybe I would be able to say I just got too thirsty and ran into her accidentally—use my weakness as an advantage of getting my way.
"I know you mean well, Rosalie," Carlisle started and Rosalie's happiness dropped, "but . . . I'd like very much for our family to be worth protecting. The occasional . . . accident or lapse in control is a regrettable part of who we are."-My plan seemed better and better now.-"To murder a blameless child in cold blood is another thing entirely. I believe the risk she presents, whether she speaks her suspicions or not, is nothing to the greater risk. If we make exceptions, to protect ourselves, we risk something much more important. We risk losing the essence of who we are."
Rosalie scowled. "It's just being responsible."
"It's being callous," Carlisle insisted. "Every life is precious."
Rosalie started to pout and Emmett patted her shoulder.
"It'll be fine, Rose," he murmured to her.
"The question is whether we should move on?" Carlisle continued.
"No," Rose whined. "We just got settled. I don't want to start my sophomore year in high school again!"
"You could keep your present age, of course," Carlisle said calmly.
"And have to move again that much sooner?" she argued. "I like it here! There's so little sun, we get to be almost normal."
"Well, we certainly don't have to decide now. We can wait and see if it becomes necessary. Edward seems certain of the Swan girl's silence."
Rosalie snorted, but she had given in. I, for one, had been through far too many wars to not be moved at all. I had learned not to trust anyone at all, because even the most trusted people could turn on you. The Swan girl had to go.
I could see it happening perfectly. How I would sneak up from behind, and give her a scare when she looked behind her shoulder. Her heart would pump faster, throwing adrenaline into the system and driving my instincts crazy. All I would do is bite into her jugular and feel the warm liquid that I had to abstain from slide down my throat . . .
"Jasper," Edward said and I met his gaze, keeping my composure. "She won't pay for my mistake. I won't allow that."
"She benefits from it, then?" I countered, glaring. "She should have died today, Edward. I would only set that right."
"I will not allow it," Edward said, emphasizing each word. My eyebrows shot up. He was going to go against me? He was going to fight against someone who had well over fifty years of practice killing thousands upon thousands of vampires? I shook my head briskly.
"I won't let Alice live in danger," I said, "even a slight danger. You don't feel about anyone the way I feel about her, Edward, and you haven't lived through what I've lived through, whether you've seen my memories or not. You don't understand."
"I'm not disputing that, Jasper. But I'm telling you now, I won't allow you to hurt Isabella Swan."
We searched for one another's breaking points. I tasted the emotions around him, seeing how determined he would be. Eventually, I would break him, and the girl would be history.
"Jazz," Alice interrupted us.
I held his gaze a moment longer before turning to Alice, predicting what she would say to me. She was resolved, and downright determined. "Don't bother telling me you can protect yourself, Alice. I already know that. I've still got to—"
"That's not what I'm going to say," Alice interrupted me. "I was going to ask you for a favor."
Edward read what Alice was thinking and he gasped. I eyed him warily. What was she going to ask of me?
"I know you love me," Alice began. "Thanks. But I would really appreciate it if you didn't try to kill Bella. First of all, Edward's serious and I don't want you two fighting. Secondly, she's my friend. At least, she's going to be." My eyes widened. How-? What-? When-? Huh-?
"But . . . Alice . . ." I choked out, so shocked. How could she have kept this from me? When she knew so much about the Swan girl and Edward . . . why had she lied to me? We had never fibbed to each other before, or at least I had thought so.
"I'm going to love her someday, Jazz," Alice said. "I'll be very put out with you if you don't let her be."
I sighed and decided to let the girl be, but only for Alice.
"Ah," Alice sighed as the future cleared up for her. "See? Bella's not going to say anything. There's nothing to worry about."
"Alice . . . What . . . does this . . . ?" Edward said. I was still too stunned to even get a very coherent thought out. Alice . . . friends . . . . Bella . . . don't kill . . . disobey . . . or obey . . .
"I told you there was a change coming," Alice said quickly. "I don't know."
Suddenly, she was concentrating so hard; I gave her a quizzical look.
"What, Alice?" Edward questioned, hearing that she was hiding something. "What are you hiding?" Alice shook her head, focusing even more. "Is is about the girl? Is it about Bella?" Suddenly, Alice's contemplation broke for a split second and she felt guilt and anger.
"NO!" Edward stood up fast, knocking his chair to the floor. Carlisle stood up instantly, too, putting his hand on Edward's shoulder.
"Edward!" he exclaimed.
"No," Edward said quieter. Emmett's curiosity flared up.
"Will somebody please let the rest of us in on the mystery?" he whined.
"I have to leave," Edward whispered.
"Edward, we've already been over that," Emmett said. "That's the best way to start the girl talking. Besides, if you take off, we won't know for sure if she's talking or not. You have to stay and deal with this."
"I don't see you going anywhere, Edward," Alice chimed in. "I don't know if you can leave anymore."
I finally got over my consternation to pause for a moment and think a bit. With Edward gone, I could easily kill the Swan girl, but that would be betraying Alice. Not killing the girl would also be betraying my vow for always protecting Alice for eternity. I guess killing the girl would be the better option, even if Alice would be mad at me, at least she'd be safe again.
"I don't hear that," Edward argued before dropping his head into his hands. "Why are you doing this to me?"
Everyone but Alice and Edward exchanged a glance. What was going on?
"Love her, too?" Edward whispered and my eyes widened. Were they still talking about the Swan girl? But . . . how? Edward couldn't possibly be in love with her. I quickly examined the emotions I had felt coming from him: infatuation . . . protectiveness . . . curiosity . . . and even a bit of happiness, which was rare for him. No! He was in love! How could that be?
"No," Edward shook his head, refusing whatever Alice had told him in her head. "I don't have to follow that course. I'll leave. I will change the future."
"You can try," Alice said skeptically.
"Oh, come on!" Emmett bellowed, not following with the half of the conversation we could hear.
"Pay attention," Rosalie hissed to him. "Alice sees him falling for a human! How classically Edward!" She gagged, her amusement rising.
Emmett's eyes widened. "What?" then he laughed. "Is that what's been going on? Tough break, Edward."
Emmett clapped Edward's shoulder, but he shook it off.
"Fall for a human?" Esme asked, stunned. "For the girl he saved today? Fall in love with her?" I couldn't even believe what I was hearing.
"What do you see, Alice?" I demanded. "Exactly."
Alice turned toward me.
"It all depends on whether he is strong enough or not," she explained. "Either he'll kill her himself"—Alice turned and glared at Edward—"which would really irritate me, Edward, not to mention what it would do to you"—Alice turned back to me—"or she'll be one of us someday." I gasped. Even with my wife's clarification of the subject, I still couldn't believe it.
"That's not going to happen!" Edward shouted. "Either one!"
"It all depends," Alice ignored him. "He may be just strong enough not to kill her—but it will be close. It will take an amazing amount of control. More even than Carlisle has. He may be just strong enough . . . The only thing he's not strong enough to do is stay away from her. That's a lost cause."
Everyone had words lodged in their throats, and the shock weighed heavy on top of me. Edward stared, horrified, at Alice while we all stared back at him. Carlisle was the first to speak.
"Well, this . . . complicates things," he said and Emmett bit back his mockery.
"I'll say," he said, his voice wavering with the unheard laughter.
"I suppose the plans remain the same, though," Carlisle continued. "We'll stay, and watch. Obviously, no one will . . . hurt the girl." Edward stiffened.
"No," I said quietly. "I can agree to that. If Alice sees only two ways-"
"No! No!" Edward shouted. Alice was confident in how Edward would choose between the two, specifically Bella becoming a vampire. As long as Alice was safe and happy, I'd agree to anything she agreed to, with reason, of course. Edward instantly ran out of the room, Esme gently brushed his arm as he ran far away from the house.
"He'll be okay," Carlisle soothed her, wrapping his arm around her. "He just needs to think about things and sort everything out." Esme sighed and rested her head on his shoulder. Alice walked over to me and grabbed my hand, leading me upstairs and into our bedroom. I rubbed my neck.
"Alice—" I started but she cut me off with a chaste kiss. We broke apart and I blinked, my brow furrowing in confusion.
"Thanks for seeing it my way," she said, resting her head on my chest; I stroked her hair.
"Any time," I said. "But you do understand that I have to protect you."
"Yes," Alice said, sighing quietly. "I just hope he chooses the right path."
"I'm sure Edward will," I said, moving us backwards and sitting us down on our bed. "He's a smart person, and you can't ignore falling in love. I'd be the one to know." Alice chuckled a little, remembering how I had acted when she had first met me. Eventually, I had fallen in love with her, but it took me forever to really realize the fact and embrace it.
"Yeah," she said, nuzzling deeper into my shirt. "He's going to do the right thing. He just needs time to think and realize that falling in love isn't as painful or terrible as he makes it out to be." I bit my lip, deliberating it. Falling in love with a human would definitely be . . . difficult for me. When you were in love, you'd want to kiss and touch each other—I can't even stand within two feet of humans let alone touch them without wanting terribly to kill them.
"I guess I can see it his way, though," I said and Alice looked up, meeting my gaze. "If you were human and you smelled exceptionally good to me, I'd try to stay away from you for your safety. One small error from you could cause me to kill you right on the spot. I'd never want to hurt you." Alice smiled at that.
"That's why I love you," Alice whispered, kissing me once more on the lips.
A/N: Hit or miss? I hope you liked it! I promise the next update will be sooner!
~Eclipse-Vamp :)