A/N - Quick thanks to LolaRosa, my PB extraordinaire and changedbyEdward - the best freaking beta around!! Not only does she beta, she promotes as well and has started a thread for A Different Kind of Moon over at Twilighted - if you are over there, please stop by and say hello!!!
Stephenie Meyer owns everything Twilight - I am just borrowing :O)
Chapter 17
(Alice's POV)
I waited as Jasper finished locking up the house and moved towards the car. I was sad to leave. Forks had always been one of my favourite places to maintain a residence and once again we were leaving, not knowing when or if we would return. The treaty had been broken and every moment we remained in the area was one moment too long. I was convinced the wolves had no way of knowing that Bella had already been changed, but we didn't want to take any chances.
I smiled at Jasper warmly as he took his place in the driver's seat and we headed down the lane. I watched the forest that lined the road as we sped down the highway towards the city limits. A flash of movement to my right caught my attention and I gasped as two of the werewolves moved out onto the road in front of us. Jasper slammed on the brakes and we sat staring at them as they moved around the car slowly. I heard a rumble in Jasper's throat and I glanced over, his eyes darkening with the impending threat. I placed my hand on his arm to steady him as Jacob came out from the tree line and motioned the other two wolves to the side.
Knowing it could be a trap, but not wanting to give anything away; Jasper and I exited the vehicle, and moved towards the front of the car where Jacob stood waiting.
"That's a good way to get yourself hit, dog." Jasper fought back the snarl in his voice as he spoke. "What do you want with us?"
"I'm surprised you stopped, bloodsucker," Jacob scowled in response. "I don't want anything from you, but I needed to make sure that Bella was safe."
Relieved that he still was not aware of what had taken place, I responded, "Yes, Jacob, she's safe. She is with Carlisle and Esme, and Emmett and Rose have just returned from Europe, so she has plenty of protection."
He laughed coldly at my last comment, protection from vampires being far from what he considered safe, but nodded, "Are you going to them now?"
"Yes, we're on our way to Seattle." I dreaded asking, but felt he might appreciate the offer. "Do you have anything you want me to tell Bella?"
I knew he hated to ask anything of me and watched him closely as he fought to keep his emotions in check. After a few moments, he nodded and moved towards me, a small parcel in his hand. I could barely stomach the stench of him, but put on a smile and accepted it, promising to give it to her as soon as we arrived.
"Don't let her come back here." His voice was strangled and I knew it tore his heart out to say it. "It isn't safe and won't be until we get that red-headed leech." He turned to leave, but then stopped. "She killed another three in the area," he stated, icily.
"When did this happen?" I had been keeping an eye out for any sign of a vision of her, but things had been so chaotic between Bella's change and Edward's return that I couldn't really seem to get a clear view of anything, not to mention the interference the werewolves caused with their constant movement. They had been patrolling as close to the treaty-line as possible and it had truly created havoc with my visions.
"We found remains of two of the three yesterday. People that Bella went to school with." He looked at me. "Most likely were in your classes as well. Jessica Stanley and Lauren Mallory were the two we found.",
I was stunned. Neither of them had been friends of mine but Jessica had tried and I certainly hadn't wished them any harm. "I'm sorry to hear it. Who is missing? Not Angela Weber?" My voice trembled a bit at the question. Out of all the people we had met in our time at Forks High, Angela had been one of my favourites by far, and the thought that something might have happened to her at the hands of Victoria made me feel sick inside.
Jacob stared at me for a moment, obviously surprised by my reaction, then continued, "No. The Newton kid."
"Mike Newton?" Jasper asked.
"Yeah. That's him. No one has seen him since he left with those two girls and we know how they ended up."
It was obvious that Victoria was going after anyone that Bella had associated with. I wondered to myself if the dog even realized that he would have been first on the hit list had he not been one of the Quileute wolves. "Well Jacob, if you don't have anything else, we'll head out. I'm sure you aren't sorry to see us leaving." I looked over at Jasper and he moved back towards the driver's door, never taking his eyes off Jacob.
"What about your brother? Is he protecting Bella, too?" Jacob snarled as he asked the question and I knew that if he had a choice, Jasper and I would both have had a fight on our hands.
I stared back at him, my eyes darkening against my will. "He isn't anywhere near her, mutt." I opened the door and got in. "We're leaving."
"Good riddance. I couldn't stand the stench anyways," Jacob retorted as he headed for the woods, shifting as he went.
I settled back into the seat, not saying anything at first, allowing Jasper to put some miles between us and the pack before we discussed what we had learned. Jasper drove quickly, his eyes on the road ahead, but I knew his thoughts were far away. Once we were well out of Forks, I turned in my seat to look at him. "What are you thinking, Jazz?"
"About Victoria. She is a lot more of a problem than we originally gave her credit for." He looked over at me and I could see the worry in his eyes. "I would be willing to bet that she has turned Newton. And he won't be the only one. Charlie was an attempt, but her attacks are more frequent with each passing day. She is out for justice and is building an army to prove it."
I sat back and concentrated, trying to get a grasp on a vision, but she was either too close to the werewolves for me to see, or changing her mind so quickly that I could not pinpoint her. I caught flashes of red, but before I could focus, the vision would change. Frustrated, I slammed my head back against the seat, breaking the neck rest. Jasper chuckled and grabbed my hand, bringing it to his lips for a tender kiss. "Don't fret, darlin'. We'll get her."
"I know, Jazz. I just wonder what else it will cost us before we do." My thoughts turned to Bella's father. I mourned Charlie's death and would cherish the opportunity to get some justice of my own.
Our conversation came to an abrupt end as we pulled through the gates of the estate. "We won't have to wait long to see Bella. They're on their way back from her first hunt."
Jasper grinned in response and pulled into the garage, parking next to my rental that Edward had run off with. I wondered if Rosalie had repaired the hole in the dash yet and what it had cost him in return. She had been jumping between a sapphire necklace we had seen on our last NYC shopping trip and a diamond ring that was currently up for auction at Sotheby's. I chuckled because either way it was going to irritate him.
Jasper gave me a questioning look and then smiled. He didn't need to be a mind reader to realize that I was chuckling at Edward's expense. "Rose is making things difficult for him, is she?" he asked as he took a glance at the car parked beside us. "What's it costing him this time?"
I shrugged in response, a grin on my face. "No worries. After what he has put us through the past few months, I think she's letting him off easy!"
(Carlisle's POV)
Esme and I watched as Emmett and Rose took the lead, racing far into the dense forest that backed the estate. Bella ran with them, a look of sheer exhilaration radiating from her face. She was graceful and elegant and her transformation had been simpler than I had expected. She seemed very calm for a newborn and I wondered how she was controlling her thirst so well.
We continued to hang back as Rosalie explained to Bella how to seek out her prey. There were deer nearby. We caught their scent and followed as Rose, Emmett and Bella moved towards the unsuspecting herd. Normally Emmett would let out a yell so he would have a bit of a chase, but he stayed quiet and watched as Rosalie took Bella under her wing.
Bella listened carefully and then mimicked Rose's moves, quickly taking down a doe and piercing its neck with her teeth. She drained the deer and gently laid its remains on the ground, unsure how to proceed. She looked down at her shirt and back towards us grinning, not a spot of blood to be found.
Emmett pulled her into a bear hug and she swatted at him to put her down as he tried to rub dirt on her otherwise clean shirt. Laughing, he picked up the carcass to discard it with the others. He explained to her how we always tried to be careful and clean up the area, not wanting to draw attention to ourselves. Nodding, she watched as Rosalie took down another deer and she raced off to follow suit. We knew she would be thirsty her first time out, so wanted to make sure that she took all she needed. Following their lead, Esme and I decided it was time to join them for dinner and ran to cut off the herd at the other end of the meadow.
As I buried the remains of the stag I had drank from under a large oak tree, I searched the parameter of the field, trying to locate his hiding place. I had sensed his presence the minute we had crossed the ravine. I knew how frustrating this had to be for him, but I also knew that it was imperative that he not try and rush Bella. He was concealed well, but I knew where to find him and moved towards the section of trees that shaded him.
"Edward, I know you're here. I understand why you couldn't stay away, but please for her sake, don't rush this." I looked towards the trees and waited to see if he revealed himself. Satisfied that he was willing to watch from the distance, at least for the time being, I sent another thought his way. "She's adapting well and I promise you that she will be safe."
I turned and watched as Bella ran towards me with Esme. Moving away from Edward's hiding place, I smiled in greeting. She was exquisite, sparkling in the sun, and I hoped that Edward would take solace in how happy she appeared to be with her new life.
"So Bella, how did you find your first hunting experience?"
"Well it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be and they didn't taste as horrible as I thought they would either." She grinned and danced around excitedly. "And I didn't spill a drop so I'm sure Alice will be relieved. Although, it will spoil her plans of buying me an entire wardrobe just to learn how to hunt!"
"Actually, we should probably head back to the house because I am sure they will have arrived and be anxious to see you, dear." Esme wrapped her arm around Bella and started to lead the way back towards home.
"It'll be great to have everyone back together again." Bella leaned into Esme's embrace as they walked back together. Esme smiled, but looked back at me in confusion. I shook my head quickly, praying that Edward was not close enough to hear what Bella had just said. I had found it odd earlier when she had asked about everyone except Edward and now with this comment, I began to wonder if her transition had been as smooth as I thought. It seemed impossible that she could have forgotten the one person that meant the most, the one who made her originally want to join our family, yet since her awakening, she had not mentioned his name.
As we approached the house, Emmett and Rose rushed to catch up to us. Emmett ran past Bella, giving her hair a gentle pull and then tearing off, daring her to race him. Laughing, she tore after him with Rose hot on her heels, egging her on. I shook my head at the three of them and wrapped my arm around Esme's shoulder as she chuckled quietly.
Turning to face me, Esme lifted her hands to frame my face, staring into my eyes. "Have you forgiven yourself, yet?" she questioned quietly. I reached up and clasped her hands in mine, bringing them to my lips and kissing them tenderly, not answering her question. She sighed and wrapped her arms around me, burying her face in my chest. "Carlisle, this is what she wanted. You have done the right thing. Edward will forgive you."
"Will he, Esme? Will he forgive me when he realizes that Bella doesn't remember him?" I asked the question, knowing there was a distinct possibility that he had already discovered my fear, simply from my thoughts. There was a time that he had closed his mind to listening in on our private conversations, wanting to give us as much privacy as possible, but I doubted that he would even consider that now. I knew the separation from Bella had been difficult and now more than ever.
"Are you sure of that, love? She didn't speak of him often when we were visiting her in the hospital. Perhaps it is still too difficult for her to discuss."
"No. I wish it was only that, but there has to be an explanation. We will see what the next day or two brings." I sighed and kissed the top of her head and then nudged her chin to look at me. "I don't know what I would have done without you these last few days, my love."
She smiled and kissed me softly. "Well, I'm sure we can figure out a way for you to show me how much it meant."
I chuckled and took her hand, leading her up onto the deck. "Yes, I am sure we can think of something, but first we need to see what kind of trouble Alice and Jasper have been in." I opened the door and Esme went in ahead as I took one last glance back towards the tree line. "Give it time, son. I beg of you, give it time," I thought quietly and then headed in to welcome Alice and Jasper home.
End of Chapter - reviews are almost as nice as new jewellry!!! LOL
