"Try to act normal, please. It's been just us girls since the…incident. The boys can't know anything."
"What about Esme? She went hunting with them."
Bella glowers at Alice and retorts, "You get the gist. Please, Alice, I can't tell anyone but you for now."
Alice sinks luxuriously into the new black silk bedspread Bella had bought her as a hush-up bribe. "I do appreciate the gift, so I'll keep my lips shut. Figuratively, of course. Once Jasper sets eyes on this, there'll be no stopping him." She grins, bearing sharp white teeth. "Trust me. I know."
"Oh, jeez, can't you keep that to yourself? One more innuendo and you'll be sorry." Bella teases.
She catches herself, though, recalling with the startling clarity of a vampire the frightening behavior Jacob had shown lately. After hearing his agonized howls in the distance mere hours previously, Bella knows intuitively the worst is yet to come. She is surprised any emotion other than sadness and fear can occur. She supposes it's a natural reaction to the bizarre events, as well as the nervousness concerning the rest of the family's return.
"I still can't believe all this is happening."
"I can't believe we kept it from Rose and Ness. Especially Ness. You know how she is." Alice clicks her tongue against the roof of her mouth. "I've seen her growing apart from Jacob. Probably for the best at this point. Still, it's odd. It's almost as if she's not committing to anything completely so that I don't see it." She sighs. "I'm just being paranoid, I guess."
Bella says, "When should they get back?"
"Approximately one minute, forty-six seconds."
Soon, they can hear them in the woods, making their fast descent down the slope to the waterfront mansion.
The door opens. "We're home," Carlisle calls.
Bella and Alice descend down the stairs, the picture of innocence.
"Hey, how was it? Bag any grizzlies, Emmett?" Alice jokes, embracing Jasper lightly while Bella greets the rest of the Cullens.
"Yep, sure did. I'm so full I swear I'm sloshing."
The family laughs. Thankfully, no one picks up on the frantic tenor of Bella's chortle. Alice shoots her a meaningful glance, which, thankfully, is also missed.
"Where's Jacob? Should I start cooking?" Esme asks, moving to the picturesque kitchen.
"Uh, no. He's at Billy's. Rose took Ness to our cottage to get some clothes for tomorrow. You just missed them." Bella half-smiles.
"She outgrew her clothes again? That's the second time this month," Jasper comments, holding Alice's hand.
"At least it's slowing down." Alice points out. Then she tugs him up the stairs. He follows reluctantly, warily. "Where are we going?" he inquires.
Alice eyes him like he's her prey. "Bella was kind enough to purchase some new silk sheets. They need to be broken in, I believe."
Jasper brightens, switches positions, and yanks her along at super-human, vampire speed. He needlessly shouts from the upper floor, "Thanks, Bella!"
The group chuckles and disperses.
Bella sinks onto the cream-colored sofa and internally wipes away the impossible, symbolic beads of sweat from her ivory forehead.
"Emmett and I have been arguing a topic for some time now. Would you care to give us your opinion, Bella?" Carlisle asks.
"Oh, that's easy- I agree with Carlisle," Bella kids, controlling her grin expertly.
Emmett throws his muscular arms up in the air, a light sparkle resonating on his pale skin; he's sitting close to the wide window, and it's a mildly sunny day. "Why does everyone say that?"
Bella laughs. "Come on, Em. I didn't mean it. What's the issue, Carlisle?"
Carlisle moves closer to his bulky son and places a casual comforting condoling arm on his large shoulder. His skin gleams, and Bella, as always, is distracted. She shakes herself.
"We were debating the pros and cons of using our freedom of speech. I feel that it's entirely necessary. What was the point of the Revolution? America overcame oppression, didn't it?" Carlisle demands. "We spoke our minds."
"Carlisle, you were in England when the Revolution happened!" his glinting wife chides, standing before him with an incredulous expression on her round face.
"I'm an American, aren't I? I claim all of our rights. And we must exercise those rights before it's not an option any longer."
"And I think," Emmett interjects, "that why should we worry about words? Bella, we can do whatever we choose to do because we're richer and stronger than anybody else! Nothing else matters! Words are just words, after all."
"You know Emmett, Edward wrote a paper on the subject last year in Dartmouth. He said that it was the most important freedom we have. Also that without words, written or spoken, so many vital things would be lost to us forever," Bella informs him.
His face drops. "Like what?"
"Well, all of our histories, for one. We wouldn't even remember the British overthrow."
"Not true!" Emmett exclaims. "That's what the vampires are for! Besides," he adds, as the chuckling slowly subsides, "Edward's a sap anyway. Ridiculous." He dares her with his yellow eyes to jump up from the couch and throttle him.
Coolly, Bella kicks back, folding her thin arms over her chest and settling leisurely into the sofa. "I'm sorry, did you say something? Your noxious, ignorant ego must be clouding my mind."
The family laughs. Carlisle prods, "What's your take on the matter?"
Bella smiles sadly. "Word are never just words. They breathe with meaning. Words can…describe how flowers bloom violet in a meadow. And how the silver mist swirls in the woods. And the exact shade of a person's eyes, the way the light hits them. And the scent of blood…how it tastes rushing down your throat."
Every vampire's nostrils flare…except, of course, for Carlisle.
Bella bares teeth in a pathetic attempt of a smile, covering her own bleak emotions regarding the runaway werewolf.
"You should never go against Carlisle, Em," she continued. "You'll always be sorry."
"Yes, you will!" Alice shouts down from her bedroom.
---
Later, much later, Bella watches Renesmee dream, the young girl's tiny palm pressed unknowingly against her mother's cheek.
She soon wishes she had never invaded her child's consciousness. The repetition of words, once casual, will surely haunt her.
"Jacob!" the dream-Bella cried. "Stop! You don't realize what you're doing!"
Jake, with bloodshot eyes and curled fists, glared so intensely Bella could almost sense her skin burning. He spat, "No. For the first time in a long while I do know what I'm doing."
He softened suddenly and the fevered look faded from his eyes. He clapped a russet hand to his temple, wincing. "Don't you understand? If I kill her now, we can be together. These wasted years will mean nothing. It can just be you and me again, and this time you'll let me love you. You'll be sorry, eventually, If I don't."
Bella, horrified, shook her head in denial. "You're not well. Let me help you." She stepped forward cautiously. "Just give me back my daughter."
And as he shifted, there lay Nessie.
She was bleeding, yet she was expressionless. There was no pain or fear on her perfect features. She seemed calm, chocolate brown eyes serene.
Waiting for an absolution.
Or perhaps she was already resigned to her fate.
The clattering sounds of the cavalry echoed across the backyard.
There were two different kinds of snarling; each was as ferocious as the other.
Jacob tensed and groaned as a ripple of pain shot through him.
He shook his black mane and growled, preparing to change…