Staringatthesky's story All That I Am inspired much of what is found in the first third of this chapter.

Beta: The incredible and amazing kiwihipp

(Updated 1 Apr 18)


Chapter 19: Near Misses


Emmett's voice rang clear as he began telling his story. "My family was poor, and I didn't have steady work at the time, so it was my responsibility to go into the woods and bring back meat. Mostly, I caught rabbits. One day, while I was out checking my traps and seeing if maybe I could get close enough to shoot a deer, I heard a sound indicating large game. Quieting myself, I laid down on the ground, put my rifle under my arm, and waited. It didn't take too long before I saw a fairly good sized black bear.

"I lined up my shot and fired. At the last moment the bear had moved causing me to nick its arm instead. I reloaded the rifle and went to shoot again, but in its fear and fury, it had run in my direction. Without thinking things through, I stood to get out of its way. Before I could take a step back, the bear had run its claws through the front of me. I crumpled in shock. Then the strangest thing happened. The bear froze, as if afraid, and then bolted away. I said a prayer thanking whatever angel had stopped me being bear food, but I knew there was no way I was going to make it home.

"They say that your life flashes before your eyes as you near death. Mine didn't. Instead I looked down at my chest, knew I was a goner, knew that I had committed probably too many sins in my short life to consider a confessional being adequate, and willingly accepted whatever fate God had for me. Just as I did so, standing over me was the most beautiful angel I had ever seen. She glowed with radiance surrounding her, and she was gorgeous beyond measure. The thing that really caught my attention, though, was that her eyes were onyx. I figured she must be an avenging angel sent to take my soul. I looked at her and gave it to her willingly.

"She came towards me. She seemed as if she was going to speak, but then didn't. Instead before I could blink, she put me in her arms like I weighed less than a feather and ran like the wind. The pain of my chest was excruciating. Blood ran out of me in a steady stream leaving a trail the worst tracker could have found. Even so, the pain I felt was made manageable by her face. I just stared at her set jaw and eyes furrowed in determination and wondered what had made her face turn like that.

"Despite my intense will to watch my angel, I occasionally dropped out of consciousness. Even in that state I could never forget the first word she uttered, 'Carlisle!' Her voice was more majestic that any church choir I had ever heard. My mind raced trying to discern what a Carlisle could be. Was she speaking in a foreign language? Was she sending me to my final resting place? Her next words were at least in English, but no less confusing, 'Change him!' Change me? To what? Why? 'I can't, Rosalie. I gave my word.' I heard another voice answer.

"It too had a musical tone, but nothing was as glorious as my angel. My angel sounded angry. I couldn't understand how such heavenly sound could also sound enraged, but it did. 'You did this to me, Carlisle. I have played by your rules and done what you have asked. I have played the role of daughter. I have never asked you for anything. I'm calling in your debt. You owe me. Change him!' I heard a deep sigh as if the oceans had just been parted. 'You'll have to help care for him. He'll be stronger than us all,' the voice answered in resignation."

Emmett's voice was full of love and awe as he continued, "My angel was no longer angry. She was pleading. 'Yes, Carlisle. Anything, please, save him before it's too late.' Then the other voice said, 'It might be too late, Rosalie, but I will try for your sake, if I have your word.' My angel sounded relieved and grateful as she spoke. 'Yes, Carlisle, you have my word.' Then the other voice ordered, 'Leave me. I'll call you when it's done.' There were sounds that did not register as something cold touched me. 'I am sorry for what I will do, sir,' the voice who had been speaking to my angel told me. 'You are dying. Rosalie has asked for me to save you the only way that I can for your condition. It will be painful. You will burn. Please forgive me.' Then he said a prayer in Latin, I think.

"I never was really good about going to church, so I didn't know the prayer, but it was comforting nonetheless. Then without warning I felt what I swore were sharp teeth biting into my neck, then my wrists, then my ankles. By the time I was bitten on my ankles, fire was beginning to spread from my neck and wrists. Shortly after more fire grew from my ankles and from the inside of my upper thigh. I wished for death. I would have rather faced the wrath of Heaven Almighty and live in damnation for the rest of my existence then have to endure that fire.

"I have no idea how long I burned for, merely that it seemed like it would never end. When it finally began to recede, the parts where the fire had left felt strange, like a kind of hypothermia. In the distance, I could feel a hand stroking my hair. I hoped that it was my angel, but then the fire began again and I was lost to it. When I came to again my heart was hammering so hard, I was certain it would collapse from the speed. Then it did stop and the fire was extinguished, except in my throat. I felt parched like I had never known before.

"Curious about what had happened, I opened my eyes to find my angel sitting next to me. 'Hello,' I greeted her. 'Carlisle, he's awake,' was her reply, which was confusing. My voice didn't sound like my own. Did she not hear me? Could she not understand me? Then a blond man came in. I jumped off the table, put my angel behind me, and growled like a bear giving a warning. He put up his hands in surrender and spoke. 'Hello. My name is Carlisle Cullen. You are in my family's home. Behind you is my daughter, Rosalie. I also have a son, Edward, and a wife, Esme. They are in the other room in order to give you some space. We mean you no harm.'

"I thought about that and then about what he had said before regarding the fire and about there being no other way to save me. I had already known I was a goner. Had I died and entered another reality? 'He thinks he's dead, Carlisle,' a voice from the other room said. That was irritating. How could he know that? The person claiming to be Carlisle spoke again, which got my attention. 'You didn't cease to exist. The bites I gave you put something in your blood that changed you into your present form. Do you remember?' I nodded. 'Do you remember your name?' he asked kindly as if everyone could forget their name, which just seemed dumb. 'Emmett McCarty, sir.' He smiled as if my answer had pleased him. I decided that he must be thick.

"I growled ferociously at the snickering I heard from the other room. By that time, my throat had turned into a forest fire. 'Edward,' Carlisle said in a warning tone. Then he turned to me. 'We are not humans, Emmett, and neither are you anymore. We need blood to survive. The burning in your throat is your body telling you to hunt. My family hunts the blood of animals. We're all going to go outside now and go with you to hunt. Don't worry, we won't take what you need, but we will keep you safe.' I looked at him sceptically, but nodded.

"I looked back to my angel and asked, 'Are you coming?' 'Yes,' she answered curtly. I wasn't sure what her tone was about, but as long as she was coming, then I paid it no mind. 'Show me the way,' I told Carlisle. He walked out the door. I moved so that Rosalie could go next, then followed after. Once we were outside I saw the two others. The sun had risen, but was behind clouds. By where it was in the sky I'd say that it was between nine and ten in the morning. There was almost no breeze. The air felt heavy, but not suffocating. I eyed the second male. He wasn't even looking at me as if a leaf was the most interesting thing ever. I decided that he must be mentally challenged or something, so I would let him be.

"Carlisle ran into the woods and I followed. Rosalie ran a few feet to the right of me, but slightly in front. Suddenly Carlisle stopped. 'Can you smell that?' I stopped and took a breath in. I could smell so much it was incredible. I got like a super sniffer or something. I wondered if he had made me into a strange kind of bear, although bears ate fish and honey, not really blood, so that didn't seem to work.

"Before another thought passed through my mind, I was off running towards the scent. Coming into a clearing, the smallest part of my mind labelled what I had found a herd of deer. Without pause, my body moved into action my mouth attaching itself to one and my arms reaching out catching two others. After all three were empty, I looked down at the beasts impressed with my hunting ability, yet still my throat ached. Not like it had upon my awakening, but it wasn't gone. It was irritating. 'More?' I asked Carlisle as I turned around to face him. 'Perhaps he'll need more than we did when we were turned due to his size,' the strange boy said to no one in particular.

"Carlisle nodded thoughtfully and turned to me, 'Yes, let's find you some more.' So, we did. It took a while because we found a river and I jumped in and tried to catch some fish. They're slippery buggers, let me tell you. Luckily being in the river had washed the blood from my clothes a bit, but then I was wet. Stranger still, once I had stepped out of the river and shook the excess water from myself some, my clothes didn't seem to dry on my body like I was used to. I just shrugged it off figuring it must be some side effect from what I had become, and kept running till Carlisle stopped again. This time I caught the scent of something much more desirous.

"I ran after the scent and came across a black bear. The only reason I registered what was before me and slowed was because I felt a little trepidation. Something about how I had died lingered in my mind and gave me pause. It roared at me in warning. Without thought, I roared back. That was when I remembered how easily I had killed three deer and began to become excited and the prospect of ending its life, even if it was unlikely to be the same bear that had given me my wounds. It took a step back ready to run. I pounced and found the sweet spot calling to me. I drank it dry and stepped away elated.

"My throat felt better, the lingering sensation like being thirsty on a hot muggy day. Nothing dissimilar to what I was used to as a farm hand. 'After you finish, Emmett, we bury them,' Carlisle explain, 'like so.' He showed me how to hide the body. 'We can't have humans come across a carcass with no blood,' he explained. I just nodded as if I understood. This is a strange way of living, but it has some perks. Being stronger than a bear is definitely one of them, I thought to myself. We started running again back the way we came.

"I tried to tackle the boy, but I seemed to always miss him and he didn't seem to want to play. Eventually I got in front of him, but then seemed to slip by me. Frustrated I just got in front of him again. After a few rounds of this, he finally grumbled, 'Fine. No biting or pulling off limbs. If we pin the other, it ends. Agreed?' I grinned and nodded. He was hard to get a hold on, but anytime he would get me, I'd just fling him off me. Esme, Carlisle, and Rosalie just stood by and watched. After many hours, my throat began to ache again. Oddly enough even though the sun had sunk a while prior, my ability to see was just as good as it had been during the day.

"With my throat becoming more and more inflamed, I sniffed out the air and caught a scent. Without warning, I bolted in its direction. I came upon a coyote, which was better than the deer, but not as good as the bear. I wanted another bear, but I wasn't sure how to find one on purpose. I ran a little and smelled the air. I could hear something tantalizing, so I followed the sound. I found more deer. I didn't really like deer, but my throat hurt too much to complain, so I took down two.

"By the third day Carlisle asked if I felt as if I would need to hunt again soon. I answered in the negative. There had seemed to be longer stretches between kills. I assumed that we would head back to their house. They didn't seem like the kind of sort that were used to living in the woods like I was. Sure enough, not long afterwards the house came into view. I sat down outside, while the rest of them went inside, and played with sticks.

"I kept crumbling them, instead of holding them, so that I might make patterns in the ground. I was getting mightily irritated. Esme came out and sat a few feet from me. 'The strength is hard to get used to at first, but you'll get the hang of it,' she encouraged. 'Did Carlisle bite you too?' I asked curious. 'Yes, he changed all of us. He changed Edward first, then me, then Rosalie, and now yourself,' she explained. We sat in companionable silence while I tried to get the hang of holding sticks.

"I was nearly getting to the point where they would just crack instead of disintegrate, when Esme spoke again, 'What can you tell me about yourself, Mr. McCarthy?' I liked that as I had no recollection of ever been called Mr. McCarthy. With her gentle prompt, I told her some of the things that I could remember. I told her about my brothers and sisters as best I could, about ma and pa, about the hard times and little work. We sat there with me talking until the sun rose again. 'Do you need to hunt once more?' she asked. 'I'd like another bear,' I answered. 'I bet,' she smiled. 'The thing is, Mr. McCarthy, if you take all the bears, there won't be any for next year,' she said sweetly. Yes, I supposed she did have a point. 'They're not as tasty, but deer are plentiful,' she stated gently. 'All right,' I answered.

"I was proud that I had gone nearly a full day without needing to hunt. Carlisle had reassured me that my appetite would wane as the time went by and that they usually only needed to hunt once every two to three weeks. I didn't really mind it, but I was already tired of my babysitters having to follow me around and watch me eat. They were polite enough about it, but still it sucked.

"I had been told that the bodyguard parade was not for me per say, but to protect the human population from me. They warned me that the scent of a human was particularly difficult to resist and that humans smelled very tasty, but none of that prepared me for the first time I caught a whiff. I was off like a shot. Edward got his arms around me a couple of times, but each time I shook him off without slowing much. Once Edward and Carlisle were on me trying to slow me down, little good it did them. I heard Carlisle yell for Rosalie, but she never did catch us.

"The taste was better than the bear a thousand fold. I knew they would be coming, so I drank it fast, mad at them for keeping the best thing ever created from me. When it was empty I felt someone behind me. But instead of Carlisle or even Edward, it was Rosalie. She just looked so sad and disappointed. I turned back and looked at the corpse at my feet and found a little old grandmother.

"The guilt and the shame ate at me while I followed behind Rosalie watching her place the corpse inside the house in a rocking chair and burn the house down. When she came back to me, she simply said, 'Come on,' and walked on. I followed her defeated. Even though it had been delicious, it wasn't worth having to watch Rosalie, my beautiful angel, stage a grandmother's death. I wish that I could say that was my one and only, but it wasn't.

"More people that I'm willing to admit have died at my hands. It took longer than my newborn years to finally find the control that Rosalie has. It's been decades now, so occasionally it's hard to remember how many times they moved because of me, or covered up someone's death, or just sat with me as I grieved my mistake. I remember one time being so frustrated. It seemed to come so much easier to them than me. I wouldn't wish this life on anyone, but I was a goner anyway, and I got Rosalie, so I figure I got a good deal. My greatest regret, though, is that it took so many deaths before I was able to gain the self-control I have now."

By this time Bella had tears streaming down her cheeks. "Thank you for telling me, Emmett," she said quietly, once she had calmed. "I'm glad you got Rosalie too. She sure is the prettiest creature I've ever seen."

His smile was a million watt. "Yup, I sure am lucky," he agreed easily wrapping his arm around Rosalie.

After a few questions, just like after the other stories, Bella seemed to withdraw into herself. She went back to her homework and then left for Charlie's.

"Did I upset her?" Emmett asked me once she was gone.

"Whether you did or not, it is what we promised. She asked for it. But in answer to your question, no I don't think you upset her. She responded nearly the same with each story. It's like it takes her time and solitude to digest what our words are saying. We can only hope that she'll be all right," I told him.

"Yeah, suppose that's true," he agreed his tone subdued. Then he lumbered off to find Rosalie, but I suspected that he was worried that his story would cause Bella to change her mind about him or being a Cullen.

Later that night we were all standing in the forest south of Beaver, Bella and Charlie safely in La Push, waiting for Alice's or Jasper's signal that Victoria was on her way. Practice seemed uncomfortable, but far better than this. Even though it didn't seem like the appropriate timing, I kept thinking back to Emmett's transformation story. Out of the four of us, he took to being transformed into something entirely different without pause, throwing himself into his new life, loving Rosalie completely without reservation, and being a good brother to Edward. On the other hand, Edward and Rosalie struggled with becoming a vampire the most, which might also have played a huge role in them having such great bloodlust control.

Perhaps their responses had something to do with them being unaware that death was upon them, their social class, or their expectation of their life before their death, maybe it was their stubborn personalities, maybe it was how they came into this life. I could not say. Even after being on the earth for more than one-hundred years, there were things that I simply did not understand, while at the same time there are things that I did not doubt.

Without question I could say that none of the kids would hesitate to end Victoria, where I was nervous. Despite Jasper's encouragement, I still was reluctant to fight. At the same time, I didn't want to be the weak link, and for a moment I wished I could be a little more like Emmett and embrace all aspects of this life, or like Rosalie willing to do anything to keep the family whole. Trepidation filled me as the moments passed. I clenched Carlisle's hand, and he responded in kind.

I worked at calming myself by listening to the night creatures, the sound of the owl's cry, the bats nearby, the small night insects that they consumed, the occasional movement of deer, most of which were to our northwest. The rain was a misty fog that slowly made it way from the heavens, almost too light to fall. Under the canopy of the trees it just sat in the atmosphere and clung to everything it touched. It wasn't as good as a strong downpour for washing away our scents, but it would weaken them.

The moon was hidden behind the clouds and there was barely a breeze, both of which worked in our favour. More than anything we needed the wind to cooperate with us tonight. Jasper could account for nearly everything but the wind.

I knew, as much as everyone else, that things would severely tilt in Victoria's favour if we didn't catch her tonight. The pressure wasn't helping my nerves. Suddenly, Alice was very still, no doubt spending her entire focus on Victoria. We had to wait till Victoria passed a landmark that would let Alice to know where she was. Suddenly before I conceived myself as even beginning to be prepared for what lay before us, I saw Alice's hand slightly move and then she leaned into Jasper. Jasper gave the signal and we were off. Alice and Jasper were on my left already beginning to run south. Carlisle was to my right, and then Rosalie and Emmett were to his right.

We were all to run south, but Emmett would begin to cut off the west, going past route 101. Rosalie would move west but stay east of route 101. Carlisle was to head nearly directly south. I was to head south and then come west. Jasper and Alice would loop further south before heading west creating the U Jasper had imagined. There were miles to cover and only six of us. We were counting on Victoria's gift to encourage her in the direction we wanted her to go.

It hadn't taken long after we had each begun running our route that I could not detect any of my family members. Over ten miles had passed under my feet, theoretically meaning that we had nearly surrounded Forks, when a sound sliced through the air indicating that one of us had made contact with Victoria. The latest strategy that had been decided required me to continue on my trajectory, despite the sound, although it did cause me to slow down. It was a good thing our family had been practicing faith and trust because this plan required a bucket load of both. It was after I had passed Forks that I could hear the movement of fabric. The gait told me it was Carlisle. We must have been within a mile of one another.

Carlisle and I came upon a wolf, but no Victoria.

"Do you have her?" he asked the wolf.

The wolf shook his head.

We would wait. They were the ones that could communicate without cell phones. I was in the midst of my calming techniques that I had been doing earlier when the wolf sprinted away. Carlisle went with him and I travelled behind. The wolf's face tilted upwards. Carlisle decided that meant we should climb trees, so he did and I followed. Within a few minutes I could see Victoria's red hair.

With Bella's face in mind I jumped, moving faster than I ever had before, needing to protect my family. Suddenly Victoria changed direction and headed west. We had to stop her from reaching the ocean. Once I was to her right, moving with her, she changed direction again. Rosalie came into view and kept her from going too far east. Victoria turned north this time, but in a north-westerly direction. As fast as possible, I travelled north to stop her making it too far west. We'd travelled a few miles with three wolves on the ground when Emmett appeared.

Immediately, Victoria changed direction again and headed southeast. Emmett stayed to the north side, Rosalie to the east, and I to the west. Carlisle was south of me, but slightly more east closing her off. She was heading south-southeast at the moment, not quite where we had planned, but not terribly far off either. We'd travelled a good ten miles south of the Calawah River when she abruptly went higher into the trees.

Minutes later, I saw Japer closing in on Rosalie's side with a wolf on the ground. Us Cullens had taken higher into the trees following Victoria. She took a gigantic leap between Rosalie and Jasper. Both of them jumped at her. Jasper changed trajectory mid jump in order to avoid Rosalie, who had actually jumped wide. Victoria's slight movements, which would have otherwise caused her to avoid Jasper by centimeters, brought her closer to Rosalie. Rosalie caught hold of her waist and together they fell towards the earth. I didn't want to imagine what the waiting jaws of the wolves would do to Rosalie.

I moved down and closer to Rosalie instinctively moving to protect her if needed. Victoria must have wriggled free because I saw her clamber up a tree, while Rosalie tried to use her fingernails to stop her decent. There were deep gouges in the tree where Rosalie had travelled, but at least she hadn't gotten close enough to the wolves to be in danger. Jasper shadowed Victoria, while Emmett, Carlisle, and I herded her. She climbed up the tree again. This time I only went up enough to keep an eye on her. Rosalie was close on her heels following her up the tree.

Victoria made another large leap this time between Jasper and Carlisle. Rosalie leaped behind her, Carlisle moved more south to cut her off from escape, and Jasper moved closer to Carlisle to block her. Rosalie caught hold of her leg, but Victoria's speed meant that Rosalie was left holding a pant leg. Victoria moved in the trees between Jasper and Emmett.

I could hear Alice coming near. I was grateful to have her join us. Six was better than five. Victoria moved towards Emmett. Emmett lunged for her, but missed. Rosalie scrambled to fill the hole made by Emmett. Jasper was quickly gaining ground to close out her escape. Fortunately, Emmett hadn't fallen down too much and was coming back up the trees rapidly.

The circle around Victoria was certainly tightening. Jasper had warned us that as we constricted her movements and cut off her means of escape, she was likely to do something risky and unexpected. That was what I was looking and waiting for. In mere seconds, she would be out-manned six to one with five wolves. But Jasper's warning rang in my ears too strongly for me to feel confident in any way.

With Alice's approach Jasper moved towards Carlisle, and Alice filled in between Jasper and Rosalie. We were now in an oval with Emmett and Jasper our northern and southern points, Rosalie and Alice on the east side, and Carlisle and I on the west side. I watched as she flittered in different directions attempting to find her escape. As she went up the trees we went up. As she moved in any direction we moved with her keeping her contained on all sides.

She took a flying leap to a nearby tree, but landed forty feet from the ground. She was just out of reach from the wolves, but not by much. We came down the trees a little, keeping our oval. Without warning she landed on one of the wolf's back and broke its front right leg. The wolf yelped in pain; this momentarily stunned the rest of the pack. She jumped from back to back of the wolves until they recovered.

By then she had gone back up a tree, but was past Rosalie and Alice. We all moved quickly to surround her again. Rosalie took another leap at her. This time she caught Victoria's arm. After some wrestling and the sound of a limb beginning to be torn off, Rosalie ended up with a left sleeve looking frustrated but unharmed. Unfortunately, their tussle didn't seem to slow Victoria down enough to allow any of us to get to her. Rosalie was right back on the chase with Alice and Jasper in front.

We all ran in the direction Victoria had headed, attempting to surround her again before she got in the Bogachiel River. Within a few miles Rosalie and Alice, not far behind, had nearly surpassed her. Jasper was a little ahead of Victoria but more southern. Rosalie got close enough to lunge at Victoria again. This time Victoria stopped on a dime, turned, and landed a kick right in the centre of Rosalie's chest. Rosalie plummeted to the earth. I told myself over and over that Rosalie wouldn't be hurt from this as I kept my focus on Victoria.

This pause on Victoria's part allowed Alice to get ahead of her. She moved northern and Jasper shadowed effectively closing the gap left by Rosalie and surrounding Victoria once again. Rosalie let out a groan and then an expletive I would have never imagined passing through her lips. At least I knew she was all right. I could hear her already climbing the trees. The wolves hadn't been able to keep up, but were closing in.

Victoria would briefly go in a direction only to change her mind quickly after. She looked like a star shooting out in different directions. Maybe she was testing for the weakest spot with her gift. Rosalie came up between Emmett and I, so Emmett moved more east and south to allow a closer formation. She went up the trees again. I moved up a small amount, but not too much. The wolves were almost below us.

She dropped from the top of the tree down, catching herself at the fifty feet to the ground mark. Doing so had also moved her eastward. She climbed up again and dropped down again. Each time she dropped it caused a plethora of movement and sounds from the wolves. I repeated to myself that they were our allies and would not hurt us. Nonetheless, their sounds were unnerving me, which might have been her purpose. She repeated this pattern at least a dozen more times.

Jasper seemed almost unwilling to travel further east and Emmett matched Jasper. This meant that our oval was getting smaller. She went up high again, except this time instead of dropping down she flew between Jasper and Carlisle using a tree as a springboard and jumped away. Victoria had obviously made a decision to do so, because I saw Alice move to where Victoria was going, but Victoria was faster. Jasper was mere centimetres behind Victoria catching his fingers on some lose fabric tearing it from her. Next, there was a tremendous splash.

Jasper and, right after him, Carlisle leapt into the ravine, followed by Alice and Rosalie, then Emmett and I. We all sunk to the bottom of the river and tried to find Victoria's red hair.

About 200 yards downstream to the north bank I saw Victoria. I made a sound to get the family's attention, pointed, and then swam in her direction. The current assisted me. I was closing in, only 100 yards away when I could see her no more.

I went up breaking the surface of the water. She wasn't there, but I saw Emmett and Rosalie on the north shore already where she had last been and Alice running on the south shore with the wolves above her running along the river. I sank down again and went to where I had last seen her. The rock formation must have given her a good hiding spot. Jasper came up beside me, and I pointed to where she had disappeared. Carlisle was already further down river searching.

After long minutes of not being able to find her we surfaced.

"What do you think Jasper?" Emmett asked.

"Well she didn't just up and disappear," Jasper replied. "Unless she got past us downstream, the only possibility is that she's under a boulder." He took a moment. "Wolves howl if she surfaces, spread out, please. Rosalie and Alice stay near each bank, but in the water, the rest of us need to lift boulders and search."

There were a lot of boulders. It was like she had chosen the spot where they were most concentrated. I had to give it to her; it was a smart move. It slowed us down. After a little over five minutes had passed, I saw Carlisle get our attention. Going over, sure enough, there was a tunnel. I signalled that I would surface to tell the others. Carlisle nodded before disappearing into the hole.

Once I conveyed what Carlisle had found, I sank back down and followed. It was a tight fit, but eventually it led into the surface on the south shore a few miles downstream. I assume that Carlisle had already yelled the location, as he was no longer there. I followed his scent, which underneath had Victoria's. I could also pick up Emmett's and Jasper's scents. Following them I ended up standing on the shore seeing the lights Seattle in the distance.

The boys were already on the other side. It looked like they were trying to pick up her trail, but she could have stayed in the water and swam anywhere. I ran upstream to see if I could find any indication of her. There were none. I went back to find Alice. Perhaps she would have seen something. Before I could reach her, there was a guttural roar, which I assumed came from Emmett.

Alice was stilled searching. Jasper and Carlisle were huddled together talking strategy adjusting for being near humans. Emmett and Rosalie were wrapped around each other, Emmett checking that Rosalie was unharmed. There were still a few hours before the sun would rise. I went and sat next to Alice.

"She's not making any decisions," Alice whispered desperation coating her words.

"She's a very instinctual creature, Alice. That's not your fault," I whispered back.

"I let her get away," Alice moaned in our quick murmur.

I wrapped around her side. "No, you did your best. We all did. She bested us all."

It was a sobering thought.

Alice stilled. "She's on shore. The water is to her back. There is land visible behind her on her left. There are railroad tracks and cars parked. There's a woman standing outside a brown building facing the water smoking. She's seconds away from drinking from the woman. Then she'll strip off the woman's clothes." After a few second's pause Alice spoke again, "She'll put the clothes near the shore, carrying the body into the water and placing it under a boulder. She'll change into the new clothes and walk east."

"I might know where that is," Jasper stated.

Good thing Jasper had spent hours upon hours studying maps. His ability to know that he might need this information in advance was impressive. Suddenly I was awed at the realization of how lucky we were to have him and Alice. He started running inland. Alice and I crossed the river together and followed their scents. We got there in time to see Jasper coming out of the water on the other side. Alice surveyed the area and gave a thumb's up. Jasper nodded and started trying to find where Victoria could have gone. By the time Alice and I had crossed the expanse of water, they were already on the trail.

Here we had to be careful though to run at a fast human pace. Just as the sun rose behind the clouds, we came across a lake and the scent was lost.

"She was hurt, I believe," Carlisle stated. "She'll be wanting some place to lay low and heal. She might choose to feed again," he added sadly.

None of us wanted to give up, but we were running out of options. We couldn't very well go running around Seattle all of us in wet river-smelling clothes. Carlisle must have already figured that out.

"Any ideas?" he asked sounding defeated.

"Go to Tiger Mountain State Forest. See if we get anything on Victoria, if not at least lay low until we can return home inconspicuously," suggested Emmett as he looked between Jasper and Carlisle.

No one else said anything.

"Agreed," Carlisle decided.

We entered the lake and kept looking for Victoria. When we reached the south shore, we waited for Alice to indicate that it was clear. We came out of the water and ran at our fast human pace to the state forest. We had just arrived when Alice stilled.

"She is in the neighbourhood where we first found the newborns. She found a homeless man that she will feed from and then will stage the corpse."

"Too many humans between here and there. It's too risky. We wait," Carlisle decided.

Wait we did. We sat in our pairs checking each other for injuries and comforting the other. I needed to be close to Carlisle to take in his scent and to be reassured that he was well. He seemed to have the same need. We sat grooming each other and searching the other with our hands until we were both rest assured that the other had not been hurt.

Carlisle had, over the years, in a teasing tone, suggested that I would not like the life of a nomad. If our time in Tiger Mountain State Forest was anything to go by, then he was correct. It was doable, but certainly not my preference. We stayed deep in the forest away from the hiking trails. As it was Sunday there were a fair number of people enjoying the forest. A few time Alice instructed us to lay flat or climb high into a tree.

For part of the day I thought over Bella's response to Emmett's story. I suspected that like Carlisle's and my story, Bella saw much of herself and Edward in what Emmett had shared. I could see her grow sad when Emmett talked about Rosalie and how grateful he was to get Rosalie from the deal. She had controlled it well and only a few tears had escaped. I knew her heart still ached from Edward's departure, and I believed that nothing could cure that heartache but Edward himself.

With those thoughts came a growing upset at Edward. I had thought he was better than that. Certainly, he would have created a very reasonable and rational explanation where he took on the weight of the world and believed Bella to be better off without him. I didn't want to hear it, though. No rationale, no explanation could wash away his actions and stubborn refusal of Bella or how our family had been impacted.

I pushed those thoughts aside and focused back on Bella during Emmett's story. At the end, she had sat very quietly looking contemplative. We had stayed silent allowing her to think, and had waited. Then her face had changed and she had looked at Carlisle.

"You went back on your word," she had accused him.

"Yes," he had admitted.

"For Rosalie?" she had pressed him.

"Yes," he had agreed.

"Would you have if he would have asked?" she had questioned irritated.

I didn't miss that she had flinched at the word 'he', but at least the reaction was lessening.

Carlisle had thought about that possibility. "Yes, I suppose I would have, but with great reservation and with similar health and age stipulations as I have given you," he had told her earnestly.

"Is that why you agreed?" she had asked after sagging.

"No, actually," he had stated.

"No?" she had asked in disbelief challenging him.

"No," he had repeated stronger this time.

She had looked at him expectantly.

Emmett had looked intrigued and Rosalie had appeared indifferent.

"I said yes because of Esme," he had told her after a few minutes.

"Esme?" Bella had asked confused.

"Yes," he had confirmed. "When she told me her imagined alternative I began to rethink everything I had understood up to that point. I had always struggled with whether it was my right to change each of them. When Rosalie asked me, although I performed the act, her request relinquished some of the burden and consequential guilt. I had sworn not to change another, because I had come to believe that it was not my right.

"But Esme's imagining gave me an alternative possibility–that these things were out of my hand from the beginning, that I was only the instrument of a divine plan. I was meant to become a vampire because, for reason unknown to me, that was the path meant for me. Then too, it was the path meant for them. Who am I to argue? That doesn't mean every creature that crosses my path is meant for this life. Most are meant to perish on this earth and go to that which is after here. It didn't take very much after that for me to see that you seem, from my limited vantage point, to be meant for this path. If it is not my venom, then perhaps it would be some other's.

"Given the choice, I would rather it be mine. I would rather you be here with us, helped by us, guided by us, than any other alternative. Because the truth is that by neither intention nor design, you have become a part of our family. With Edward, Esme, Rosalie and later Emmett I felt a pull towards them as I do you. I will no longer be arrogant enough to deny the message of my heart. Instead, I am choosing to trust that my heart is wise and you are meant to be ours."

Bella had just sat motionless staring at Carlisle. After many long minutes and worried looks given to Carlisle from all three of us she had stirred.

"You truly meant what you said in the kitchen?" she had checked her anxiousness coating her words. She had seemed to be studying him intensely.

"With every fibre of my being. Truly," he had confirmed.

"Okay."

"Okay?" he had asked sounding as confused as I felt.

"Okay," she had repeated even more emphatically. "I'll trust that you have my best interests at heart. Okay, I'll do it your way. Okay, I'll stop fighting you and making things difficult. Okay."

He had smiled broadly as if for the first time she had said yes to him being her mentor and leader. I suppose she had.

She hadn't fought going to La Push. She had been nervous and worried. We had assured her more than once.

"Just come back," she had pleaded.

"We will," was all Carlisle and I had said.

Then she had driven off with determination. She was becoming a Cullen in heart, if not yet in name. She would play her part, as she trusted us to do ours.

But we had failed her. Victoria had simply outsmarted us all. I could tell by Jasper's grim face and Carlisle's thoughtful expression that I wouldn't like our remaining options.

I survived the experience of hiding in the woods for the day, but by the time the humans dissipated and twilight came, I was ready to be home. The problem was heading home meant that Victoria was still on the loose and our family was in even greater danger. Carlisle, Jasper, Emmett, and Rosalie discussed options while Alice searched for Victoria. I tried to do as Jasper was doing and think like Victoria, but I had never lived that life. It was difficult for me to wrap my mind around.

It was finally decided that it wouldn't hurt to look at her old haunts. We first went to the cabin where she had met Riley, as it was the most remote of the dwellings we knew about. She hadn't returned there and there was no sign of Riley. We then went to the house that the kids had last seen the newborns dwell, but neither Victoria nor anyone else was there. The newborn's trails were fresh, so they probably had just left to hunt. I shuddered at the thought.

Since we had officially made our presence known, and finding Victoria seemed almost impossible, Carlisle decided to see if we could track down the newborns before moving onto the third and last location. Carlisle wanted to talk and reason with them, naturally. Jasper was right that one of the trails, although certainly a vampire, was repulsive, not as bad as the wolves though. It split from the others, so between its deviation and repulsiveness, we left it alone.

The first newborn that we came across in an alley was wild with bloodlust. Upon our approach he turned defending his meal snarling. Carlisle tried to reason with him, and Jasper used his mojo. Nevertheless, the newborn flung himself at Carlisle who was in front. I automatically reacted to project him, but before I could Jasper had decapitated him and removed his arms. Fortunately, Emmett had caught me and was holding me.

"It's okay, momma bear, calm down," Emmett assured me. "Carlisle's all right. Jasper's better than any newborn in a fight."

Relaxing in Emmett's arms I went up on my tippy toes, and Emmett, knowing what I was after, lent down some, so I could kiss him on the cheek.

"Thanks, Emmett," I told him.

"I'll keep you safe," he promised,

I nodded.

Emmett let me go and patted my shoulder.

Carlisle looked back at Emmett, nodded his gratitude, and then went over to what had been the newborn's meal.

"He's lost some blood, but should be all right," he determined. "Rosalie, change the wounds to knife or glass. Emmett, find a knife or piece of glass. Alice?"

"Yes, that will work. There are no cameras here. There's no exposure, but we can't be here when the ambulance comes. There will be too many questions. We should position him two feet from the alley's entrance on the east side. A man will walk by, see the blood and call it in."

By the time she finished Emmett had glass, and Rosalie had changed the wounds. Jasper put the newborn further down the alley and started a fire, by flint I would guess at this rate. I was beginning to imagine that Jasper could get rid of a body by staring at it. We went down the alley in the opposite direction of the bleeding body.

We retraced our steps until we came across two trails travelling fairly closely together.

"This pair's scents are usually closely associated like this when we've come across them prior," Jasper informed Carlisle and I. "They also have been the best at hiding their kills, so we let them be, but they might suit your purposes, Carlisle." His tone sounded like he was simply stating facts, but there was an undercurrent that I couldn't place. It was akin to unease or disapproval.

I tried to recall a conversation between them when they had not been in agreement. Something about Jasper's explanation made it seem like he was following orders against his better judgement, but that seemed out of place, especially since Carlisle didn't issue orders or behave like a General.

The whole exchange became odder when Carlisle nodded and after a second's hesitation moved to follow their trail. And then Jasper moved after him with a body language of almost defeat or at least reluctant obedience until Alice put her hand on his shoulder. Then Jasper's posture changed to almost a military precision as if whatever had passed between her and Jasper had removed whatever doubt in Carlisle's decision that he had held.

After a few miles, we came across them in an alley. One, a male, was on the rooftop clinging to the side of the building with his toes. The other, a female, was against the wall below him. Surrounding them was the stench of human ordure matter, urine, and blood. I would guess that the body was in the large metal garbage container to the left of the girl. They both looked no older than sixteen.

"They might be mated," Jasper informed us quietly, but they could have heard him.

Both growled at us in warning.

We stopped our movement forward with Emmett coming closer to me, and Jasper moving closer to Carlisle.

"Are you from the coven that Riley leads?" Carlisle asked in his soothing tone he used for meeting new vampires.

"Who's asking?" the male asked gruffly.

"We mean you no harm," Carlisle reassured him.

"You're the golden-eyes," the girl stated softly her words dripping in terror.

"We mean you no harm," reiterated Carlisle softening his voice even more. "Our eyes are golden because we hunt animals," he explained gently. "We just want to talk."

"Well talk, golden-eyes," the male barked, also clearly afraid, while moving to a stance to easily attack us.

Carlisle took a step back and we all took a half-step back. Jasper was on his left with Alice next to him. Emmett was on Carlisle's right, then me, and then Rosalie. We were all in a slight V formation with Jasper coating the area in his faux calm. Whatever everyone else had responded to I missed, but what was clear was that the men were preparing for battle. I had just watched Jasper easily ended one, what about two, especially if they were mated?


A/N: Thank you for reading. I excitingly anticipate hearing what you thought of this chapter, since it's the first action scene I've ever written.