49
Edward was uncomfortable the whole time they were hunting. He had a feeling of dread, but didn't know whether it was just because she wasn't in his sight or if it was truly a premonition of something to come. As a result he had insisted that they hunt as quick as possible so that they could return. Emmett, as was usual for him, wanted a carnivore, and before they even realised it they were almost to the middle of the park itself. Emmett had just managed to spot himself a bear at the other side of the valley, about a mile away from them when the sound of Edwards phone shattered the air, the echoes in the hills alerted the prey and scared the large animal away. Emmett turned and scowled at him.
"Hey Alice." It was all Edward could do to keep from laughing at his brother's face. "You just scared…"
"It's Bella!" Alice shouted over the phone. "She's decided to come home without escort, he's waiting for her!" Edward was already running, Esme and Emmett trying their best to keep up, but inevitably falling behind.
"Jasper is trying to contact her, but she's out of cell phone range. I tried calling her as soon as the vision hit but she didn't answer, her phone was out of reach on the floor of the truck."
"How long do I have?" he could not physically travel any faster than he was.
"Five minutes, you can just make it, go straight, no one should see you." Her voice had the almost dream-like quality that said she was in the middle of a vision, looking hard to find any trouble that may be in the way. As he moved towards his mate the phone suddenly cut out, the signal gone. He had to hope that Alice was right and that no one suddenly decided to do something that would change the future she had seen.
He was almost 20 miles in a direct line from where she was, he could feel it now he concentrated on her. She was getting closer every second, but those seconds seemed an eternity as he moved faster than anyone had ever moved before.
He flashed south of Forks, not even pausing as he jumped over the main road so as to minimise his exposure to any humans who may be driving on the highway. The pull of the mating bond got stronger and stronger as he flashed through the trees, he crossed rivers and roads just the same, jumping them as fast as he possibly could. He heard the sound of tyres squealing, and then a loud crunch, in seconds he was in sight of the truck, its nose pressed up against a tree on the side of the road, the nomad that they had all been looking for was pulling the door off the vehicle, oblivious to the death that was approaching him.
Edward roared as he saw the stranger grab Bella and pull her bodily from the vehicle, she screamed as the seatbelt dug into her before it snapped under the tremendous strength of the vampire's pull. Bell's left arm suddenly looked at a strange angle and Edward realised that in pulling her he had dislocated her shoulder. Of course the nomad wouldn't be bothered about a little thing like that, he wasn't planning on letting her live long enough to suffer. The scent of her blood filled the air and Edward read in his enemy's mind the exact second the blood lust got too much. Luckily it was that same split second that Edward reached him.
Edward crashed into the granite-like body, knocking the now unconscious Bella out of the hunter's arms as he ploughed his enemy into the trees. Wild growls filled the air as the two vampires fought, suddenly a flash of blonde appeared and Rose was beside him, they both took an arm and pulled, the nomad hadn't a chance and when Carlisle appeared Edward dropped the now detached limb and turned to go back to his wife.
She was laid, face down, on the ground where she had fallen when he attacked the nomad. Her left arm was twisted under her body, the shoulder pulled right out of its socket. He gingerly turned her over so that he could pull the limb straight, it was obvious as soon as he touched her arm that there was more damage than he had thought, the whole of her upper arm was squashed, compressed by the grip the vampire had had on her. Blood poured out of her neck where the seatbelt had cut into the skin before giving way. Her skin was white, not the usual paleness she naturally had, this was deathly pale.
"Carlisle!" his father appeared by his side. He took one look at her and shook his head.
"She's losing too much blood Edward. You have to change her now!" It was obvious that if they tried to stem the blood flow, her airway would be compromised. Edward sobbed, but bowing to the inevitable, he lowered his face to her neck.
"I'm sorry my love, I know you wanted more time." He cried as his teeth sank into the open wound that was her neck but he refused to drink. His father did his best to pull the broken arm into proper place and shape, as soon as the venom hit her system the blood flow slowed, as the DNA changing liquid invaded her cells and they mutated, causing the internal carotid artery to her brain to narrow so that the less bulky material could flow freely but not too much. At the same time the venom invaded the internal jugular vein, carrying the liquid to her heart. It would take days for the process to completely transform every single cell in her body, but as long as her heart kept beating until the venom did its work there, she would probably survive.
Edward was just hoping that she didn't go into cardiac arrest because of the shock. That was how most attempted transformations failed. Well, that and the fact that vampires were notoriously uncontrolled when drinking human blood, if there was no circulation left because the vampire drained his victim too far, then it was impossible for the cells to change.
He sobbed as the first scream sounded from her mouth. She probably wouldn't even be conscious if he hadn't bitten her. Rose walked out of the bushes, a grim look on her face.
"Is she ok?" she asked, dropping to her knees beside them.
"Edward is changing her." Carlisle said when it became clear that Edward would not say anything. Rose nodded sadly and put a consoling hand on her brother's shoulder.
"It was going to happen anyway, Edward, there was no point in making her suffer through such injuries, even if she could have been saved, just to change her after. At least this way it will all be done at once." Another scream rent the air and Edward sobbed.
Gently Carlisle attempted to lift her, but Edward growled viciously at him and he backed away, his hands in front to show he was no threat. There wasn't much of the human Edward there at that moment, the beast inside had taken over and was fully capable of attacking him if he thought his mate was in any danger. Though Carlisle wouldn't normally be afraid of any of his children, he did understand that when a vampire truly thought his mate under threat, nothing would sway him from attack, and Edward was the fastest vampire he had ever seen in his life, making him doubly dangerous under the circumstances. He was immensely proud that his son had not needed any help to stop draining Bella of her life, but then, he realised, he was probably incapable of harming her as the mating bond would overrule the singing of her blood.
He watched helpless as his son picked up the girl who was his heart and soul. Her screams had given way to almost silent whimpers, as if she knew, even in her agony, that her screams were torturing him and she did not want him to suffer.
Of all the transformations Carlisle had seen, and there were many from his time in Italy, as well as the 4 he had been sire to, the only person he had ever heard of that had not screamed through the whole ordeal, was himself, and that was more in self-preservation than for any other reason. He had actually cried out occasionally, but as fire raged in the buildings above and around him, he had been safe with the little noise he had allowed.
At that moment Emmett and Esme arrived. The tyres screeched in protest as he applied the hand-brake to turn and face back toward Forks. Emmett had stopped at the house on the way to pick up his huge jeep, which had a wide enough back seat that Bella could almost be laid full width, with only a slight bend of her knees. They watched powerless as Edward headed, almost blindly to the vehicle and placed her on the seat, getting in and resting her head on his lap. Rose and Emmett nodded to their parents. They moved to the patch of blood on the verge of the road and covered it in soil so it would not be spotted and questioned by anyone. They then turned into the forest to the south of the road, leaving the two elders to get into the vehicle and drive back to the Cullen main house.
Edward eventually regained some control and as they turned from the highway into the trees he spoke. "Why aren't you taking us home?" he asked, looking around as if in a daze.
"We have more room, when she wakes we may need Emmett and Jasper to help control her so she doesn't run out and slaughter everyone. We are rather close to the town here." Edward nodded and Carlisle sighed in relief as his son returned to himself.
"Why isn't she screaming?" Edward asked, Carlisle could see in his peripheral vision as his son smoothed back the hair from her sweating forehead. Edward had seen 3 transformations himself, maybe more in the time that he had been away from the family, he knew how it usually went.
"I don't know." He answered honestly. {but I can guess that it's because she doesn't want you to hear her scream,} he winced as he saw Edwards haunted eyes meet his in the mirror. He was still slightly out of practise at hiding his thoughts.
"It's ok love, let it out." Edward continued to smooth his hands over her face, the blood from her wound was now only a slight trickle as the venom continued to speed through her system, the huge gouge in her neck from the seatbelt was already closing, the bite mark on her neck invisible already to human eyes.
He pulled the vehicle in front of the house. A text alert on his phone made him pause momentarily before he got out of the car.
"Alice says everything is ok for now, they are heading back, they should arrive about 2 am." Edward nodded as he carefully lifted his wife from the back of the jeep and carried her up the steps to the house. "My study is probably still the best place for her." Edward nodded again.
"I'll go get her some clothes from the house." Esme slipped around their home and headed north to the cottage.
As Carlisle was walking into the house, the smell of venom-laced blood filled the air, covering the scent of Charlie that was still lingering from his visits over the last few days. Charlie! It was highly likely that someone had spotted the truck by now and had contacted him.
Carlisle took his phone out as he climbed the stairs after his children, but he was met at his study door by Rose, holding a basin and towels.
"I thought I would clean her up," she shrugged, trying to appear indifferent, but probably remembering what she went through herself while waiting for Emmett to wake. He turned back to the living room as he heard his daughter and son arguing over allowing her near the changing girl. He wasn't quite sure who won, but he had other things to do, he speed-dialled the police station.
"Forks Police, Deputy Mark Adams."
"Hi, Mark, Carlisle Cullen here, is Charlie there?"
"He's just leaving, someone reported that Bella's truck is abandoned on the highway near the res."
"Can you catch him? Bella is here with us, safe. She lost control, I think the truck is a right-off, we were just about to call for a tow truck for it."
"Sure…" he heard the phone hit the desk as Mark headed out to the front of the building. "Chief! Doctor Cullen is on the phone, Bella's at his house!" there was a pause where the faint (even to vampire hearing) noise of the engine of the police cruiser stopped.
"Hey, Carlisle?" Charlie sounded rather winded on the phone.
"Charlie, listen you need to come over, but don't come in the house. I'll meet you just after the turning to our place. Keep calm and don't look worried, Bella is fine." Well as fine as she could be burning in a furnace that made the pits of hell his father always preached about seem tame.
"Ok, look can't you just tell me now?" he asked, sounding rather annoyed.
"Trust me Charlie." Carlisle said, he heard the man's breath pause as he realised that something major was wrong, even if he had been assured that his daughter was ok.
"On my way." The phone cut off. Esme sped into the house and without pause headed to the study, a crash told him that she had startled Edward and without thinking Carlisle flew to the defence of his mate. Bella was laid on the bed that Emily had lately occupied, a large white towel covering her. Edward was crouched almost over her as he growled at his mother.
"Edward!" Carlisle made him switch his focus to him. He saw the black eyes turn back to gold as he advanced slowly, and Esme backed away.
"I'm sorry Edward, I just bought her some clean clothes." Esme's heart was almost breaking at seeing Bella shivering and twitching on the bed, nothing but the softest of whimpers escaping her.
"Sorry, Mom, you just startled me, I was trying to see if I could hear Bella any better and didn't hear you come back." He straightened up and smoothed a hand over Bella's hair.
"Where's Emmett?" Esme looked around.
"He went to hunt. He didn't get anything earlier and thought it would be best if Bella was going to be bleeding to be well fed." Rose supplied.
They all nodded, thankful that he had thought of it.
Charlie, he had to go meet him at the end of the drive. Edward looked at him and nodded, a guilty expression came over his face as he turned back to his wife. Carlisle understood. Bella had wanted more time with her human father before the change, and first their marriage and now this had stopped it.
He left the house and ran to the end of the drive, arriving there seconds before the older-looking man.
"What happened?" Charlie didn't even turn off the engine as he stepped out of the vehicle.
As compassionately as he could the doctor told the policeman what had happened to his daughter.
"So she's in there, changing?" he asked, trying to control the tears in his eyes.
"Yes, the venom is spreading even now, and her heart is strong so I don't see anything going wrong with it. She should come out of it in about 3 days."
"When will I be able to see her?"
Carlisle paused but he had to be truthful. "We will have to see, Charlie. It all depends how well she manages our diet, it would be just too dangerous if she can't keep away from human blood."
"Worst case scenario?" Charlie chewed his moustache in thought.
"If she cannot control her thirst, maybe two, three years." He said, laying a compassionate hand on the other man's shoulder.
"If she can?" he asked.
"Then maybe 8, 9 months?" he shrugged, there was no science to this, it all depended on Bella herself.
"Will you be staying?" he asked.
"I don't know, we are rather close to town here. Bella has said that she wanted to go to the island to change, far enough away from the scent of humans for it not to be a problem. Or Alaska. We have family up there in a remote part of the Denali National Park." Charlie nodded.
"Can I see her now?" he asked, Carlisle paused, but even though it may cause problems when she woke to have human scent in the air, he could not refuse. He was a father too, he felt nothing but compassion for the man.
"Only for today, and maybe tomorrow morning. I think it would be better if she could not smell you when she wakes." Charlie looked affronted for a split second before realising that the other man was not deriding his cleanliness, but rather just wanting to keep his daughter… and her human father, safe.
"Ok, want a ride?" Carlisle got into the front of the cruiser. Charlie's hands were shaking on the wheel, but he was carefully controlled everywhere else, his face not giving away the worry that he obviously must be feeling.
"How was it this morning?" Carlisle asked, suddenly remembering that Renée was supposed to be on trial that day.
"The prosecutor gave all the evidence and then adjourned, I have to go back tomorrow. Renée was spitting fire that Bella wasn't going to be called in her defence, but Jenks persuaded her that maybe it wasn't the best idea. Alice sent me a text just after the court session ended to say that it would be all settled tomorrow." He slammed his hands on the wheel. "That woman continues to plague me! God I didn't think, I won't be able to see Bella tomorrow if I have to go to Port Angeles!"
"Charlie, calm down, it may be for the best. We don't want Bella waking and smelling humans, we need to get her to hunt animals to begin with and keep her away from human blood." He made a mental note to himself to get rid of the 2 pints of O neg that he had still left from Emily.
"I suppose." The man wiped a tired hand across his face, and if Carlisle saw tears fall, he didn't mention it.
"She'll be fine, Charlie." He assured his friend.
"She'll be better than fine. She will never have to worry about being hurt again!" Charlie said stoutly, all the while gritting his teeth. "I know you're a father and all, but unless you have a daughter like Bella, you just don't know how helpless you feel, being unable to protect her, even from herself."
Carlisle didn't mention the years the family had devoted to Bella's care. He just nodded as they finally pulled up to the front of the house. He had never travelled the drive so slowly, but he knew Charlie had needed the time to settle himself and prepare for what he would see.
They got out of the cruiser and headed straight for the study. Edward was still stood as close to the bed as he could physically get. Esme and Rose stood by the French windows. In the time he had been away they had managed to dress her in clean clothes so at least he wasn't subjected to seeing her covered in blood.
"Oh Bella!" Charlie smoothed her hair away from her face, Carlisle watched Edward carefully, hopefully he could jump in before anything could happen if he turned on his father-in-law.
Bella's usually pale skin looked even paler, the scar across her neck was almost completely healed, he was reminded of the accelerated healing of the wolves.
"I thought that she would be in pain." Charlie said, obviously relieved his daughter wasn't screaming out.
"She is. It feels like the skin is being burnt from your body, but you keep healing so it keeps burning." The vampires in the room all winced at the almost clinically detached voice coming from Edward, and at the stricken countenance of her father at the thought.
"Be kinder, he may have just lost his daughter for several years!" Carlisle admonished his son.
"Sorry, Charlie." Edward said, at last looking up from his wife's body, his eyes black, this time with grief not hunger or lust. "I… I just."
"It's ok, Son." Charlie awkwardly patted his shoulder. "How is she doing?"
"The venom is spreading, you can already see how the skin on her neck has healed, he almost bloody decapitated her with the seatbelt!" Edward moaned and gripped his hair.
"Hey, don't." Charlie patted him again. "It wasn't your fault, any more that it was mine every time she ended up in hospital. At least with what has happened we know she will be safe from now on." Edward took a deep breath and nodded, his eyes shifted back to gold.
"Yeah, sorry." He said again.
Charlie almost chuckled. "Don't worry, Son, you're young." Then he thought about what he said and did chuckle. "Ok you know what I mean."
"I do. I may be chronologically older than you, but I'm 17 still."
"God I'm glad I aren't!" Charlie said. He had a sudden thought that he vocalised before he had time to really think about whether he should ask or not, "Will she still suffer from things like PMT? I mean that would be a total nightmare!" he blushed at the subject but his moustache gave away the fact that he was smiling underneath.
"No, we don't change personalities after we become vampires, but we don't have hormones or anything." Carlisle told him, grinning.
"I'm not so sure, Rose has had PMT since 1935." Edward said, smiling slightly at his sister.
"I have not!" she snapped, then smiled too, "I'm just bitchy, I don't need hormones to give ME an excuse." They all laughed and the atmosphere became lighter, less funeral-like. After all Bella wasn't dead and gone, and now never would be, Carlisle thought.
"What was that?" Charlie was rubbing his fingers, having snatched them away from his daughter's face.
"What?" Edward asked, looking back down at her.
"I don't know, sort of like an electric shock." Charlie stated. He reached his hand back out to touch her again and suddenly he flew across the room.