OK people. This is the spiralling conclusion to my story. It's coming to an end! I worked really hard on this chapter... and if it doesn't sound right I am so sorry! LOL, a lot has been going on (got let go from my job this morning) so I've been concentrating on this story today so that I didn't lose my mind. But mixed with the emotions of that and wanting to make Edward and Bella (hell even Jasper and Alice) come out right as characters, I became a little weird haha.
ALSO! I am 2 (count em- 2!!) reviews away from having 100!!! That's insane and awesome considering this is my first story and I've had such great support. Also, I have had over 10,000 hits on Freeway. I love it. I love you! Thank you so much!!!!
Babyo: Ask and you shall receive!!!
D/C: I do not own Twilight, nor do I own any of the characters portrayed in the movie and/or book. But I do own a copy of Nicholas Sparks' The Choice. I bought it this past weekend and I haven't cracked the cover yet. Maybe tomorrow...
Bella's POV
I won't lie. The second I saw the bullets rise into the air and fly towards Kaiden, I screamed. Probably not out of complete fear, but because of relief. Alice echoed me… and then I heard laughter.
Patrick's horrible laughter. Looking over at him I gasped when I saw that the gun was pointed at Edward.
"Dodge this," he said. The shot rang through the air, and I watched in horror as Edward flinched, bleeding from his shoulder. Screams started to ring through the air, and I wished that the idiot who was making that horrible noise would stop. Until I realized it wasn't just any idiot. It was me. And Alice. Looking at the scene before me I watched as Alice and Edward both fell to their knees. Patrick raised the gun again, pointing it to Edward's chest. The image of a bullet going through Edward's heart made my blood run cold, and I flew to my feet as quick as possible. My shirt was torn slightly, and I could feel the cold air hit my skin. But I didn't care.
"You keep coming back. We need to end this."
Click. A collective gasp floated through the air and my hand flew up to my mouth when my prayers were answered.
There were no more bullets.
Patrick flung the gun to the side, shrugging. He reached down to grab Alice's arm, dragging her towards her brother.
"Gun's are so overrated," Patrick muttered. What was he going to do? My hands were shaking, fear mixed with anger. I knew Edward's emotions were everywhere, and I wanted so badly to rush to his side and shield him from whatever he was going to do or what would be done to him. I glanced around once, looking for a weapon, but only saw the unconscious body of Jacob and the dead body of Kaiden. I winced at the two gunshot wounds in Kaiden's chest, but knew that there was no use trying to save him. He was gone.
Suddenly a chill rushed through me, and I turned back to the others. My eyes raked over Edward's body, and I saw the familiar vibration his skin emitted when his emotions took over. But what surprised me was that Alice looked the exact same.
"Edward?" I found myself saying. My voice was thick, my throat painful. "Alice? What's happening?" Alice looked at her brother, who was swaying every so slightly on his knees. And screamed.
Her scream was shrill and filled with so much emotion that I covered my ears to keep the sound out. I didn't know how to weigh the situation. I didn't know what to do. This was something I had never been apart of… never witnessed. Alice and Edward were each others' halves. Twins who made the other survive. Of course, when they were threatened, they were going to react differently.
"No!" Alice screamed louder. She raised her hand, grabbing Edward's arm. I knew without double guessing myself that she was pushing all of her energy outwards and into him.
"Shit!" I gasped. Looking at Edward I saw that his eyes were wide and his skin had grown considerably paler.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Patrick yelled into the air. He reached out and grabbed Alice's arm, trying hard to wrench her away from him. I felt the familiar tug of hatred in the pit of my stomach, and I rushed forward without thinking. Alice's hand was lying directly on his forearm, and I could see from several feet away that her grip was loosening.
And as Patrick fell to his knees, I reached them. Flying to Edward's side, I glanced at him once before I grabbed Alice's hand and Edward's arm, using all of my strength to hold them together. The only thing I could think was that Alice had to give him as much strength as possible, because there was no way Alice and I could beat Patrick without Edward's help.
And again, it was like several things were happening at once.
To my right, Patrick was staring at Alice in fear. His hand was still grasped on Alice's arm, several inches away from mine. It was like a sick juncture. A four way connection of energy.
Patrick, Alice, and Edward all gasped. And it was like a connect-the-dot puzzle. I could actually see a glowing light flow from Patrick's hand, to Alice's arm. And then Alice's hand to Edward's arm.
And then I felt it. I felt the energy enter me. I felt the hot burn flow through my blood. I could hear a faint buzzing sound in my ear, the same sound I would get at a concert when I stood next to a speaker for too long. My eyes grew wide with shock, not understanding what was happening. Looking down at my hand, I saw that it, too, was glowing.
"Oh…" I gasped.
"Bella," Edward gasped. I looked at him and saw that he was staring directly at me. "Let go." I shook my head once, not sure why I felt the need to hold onto the connection. And then, as I let my eyes ghost over Edward's body once more, I saw that the gunshot wound on his shoulder was no longer bleeding. In fact… it looked small.
"Edward?" My question went unasked, and Patrick was falling back. It was literally the snap that we all needed to break away. As Patrick fell to the floor, Alice dropped back and I lost my balance. My skin continued to feel as if it was on fire, and I looked over to Edward. He was lying on his side, trying desperately to push himself up.
"No!" Alice screamed then. I looked up and saw Patrick push himself up and stare at all of us with a look I didn't recognize. The mixture of fear and confusion was something I had not seen in those crazed eyes before. Had this been any other situation, I would have reveled in the fact that this monster had other feelings besides insanity and anger.
Without another pause, Patrick ran. Ran out the door and out into the night. Alice and I scrambled to our feet, glancing at one another briefly. She looked so pale, so scared. I knew she wanted to ask what the hell happened, but there was no time.
"We have to get him," I said. Edward was on his feet then, pointing to the both of us.
"You two stay the fuck here!" An engine roared from the driveway, and I knew that Patrick was trying to get away.
"No! Edward!" I screamed. Edward turned and ran out the door. Alice and I followed close behind and gaped as Patrick swerved the blue Honda Civic around and headed down the driveway. Edward was running to Alice's Porsche, wrenching the door open in just seconds.
"He doesn't have the key!" I screamed at Alice from the front door step. She shook her head though as the engine roared to life.
"Under the visor," she spat. As we watched the yellow car tear after Patrick, my eyes flooded with tears.
"We have to go after him, now!" I said. Alice nodded, not willing to argue. Turning back into the house, I let my eyes graze over the shallow grave Edward had dug himself out of. The only thing I could think: How?
We rushed into the house, and I grabbed the keys to my car. Looking at Alice, I pointed to the cell phones on the coffee table.
"Grab one!" I yelled. She nodded, and I turned to the bodies we were leaving behind. I was surprised to see that Jacob was stirring.
"Jacob? Can you hear me?" I gasped. He pushed himself up, only to fall back to the floor with a muffled thud.
"Jacob, we're going after them. If you wake up fully, just sit tight. Help is coming." I didn't know what else to say to him. I didn't know what else to do. Alice and I were standing there in the dark house that once offered me such wonderful beginnings. So many things had already happened to me in Forks, and now this? Looking around, I saw the blood, the mud, the glass, the mess we had left behind. How long would it take for it all to get back to normal? Never?
My eyes fell on the discarded gun, and I questioned myself again. Was it worth it to ask?
"Jake, can you hear me?" I asked. Alice was standing over my shoulder, impatiently waiting for me to hurry. Jacob grunted, and I took that as a 'yes'.
"Jacob I need another clip for your gun. Where is it?"
"Belt," he whispered. My eyes flew down to the utility belt around his waist, and I quickly found the clips for the gun at my feet. Grabbing the two available, I whisked the gun off the floor and flew with Alice out the door.
Within seconds we were in my car and I was starting the engine. Glancing once in the rear view mirror, I gasped. My face was smeared with blood and dirt, and my eyes were filled with… anger? Fear? I didn't know.
"Alice, call someone." I slammed my car into first, not looking at the large white house that disappeared behind us. Shift.
"Who?" Alice screamed, trying to fasten her seatbelt while I sped down the driveway and to the road.
"Anyone!" She fumbled with her cell phone and pressed one single button. With that, I knew she was hitting speed dial: Jasper. I didn't blame her. We were both shaking, we wouldn't be able to dial an actual number.
Shift. There was the road.
"Turn right. There's nothing but fields to the left. If Patrick is trying to get away, he'll go right." Thank God for Alice. I slammed on the brake as I turned right, shifting back into gear once I straightened the car.
"Alice?" Jasper's voice sounded from the receiver.
"Put it on speaker," I begged. Alice did what she was told, and I noted again how her hands were like a leaf in the wind.
"Jasper!" I screamed. I could hear noises in the background, and I knew that he was still with Emmett and Carlisle.
"Bella? What's going on?" Shift. Where were they? Had we been too late to chase after them?
"Jasper, Patrick and Kaiden showed up at the house. Very long story short, they had Edward." Jasper gasped, and I could hear my father in the background, as well as several other people.
"What's going on Jasper?" Charlie asked. I ignored him though, ignoring the panic in his voice.
"Jasper, you guys have to come," I begged. Alice's hand rested over mine on the shifter, and I felt the tears fall. Shift.
"What the hell happened?" Jasper asked, dangerously angry. Alice leaned into the speaker and took over.
"Kaiden's dead. Patrick got away though, and Edward is going after him." A loud 'bang' echoed through the background, and I knew that Jasper had hit something.
"Put Charlie on the phone!" I screamed. I was flying down the familiar streets of Forks, growing frantic as I was met with open road. I couldn't see the obnoxious yellow of Alice's car, and I couldn't see the mismatched doors of the Honda Civic. I wanted so badly to blame it on the rain, but I knew that we had just taken so long with leaving the house after him.
Seconds later Charlie was on the phone, and I breathed a sigh of relief.
"Bells! What the hell?" I shook my head, raking my eyes over the road.
"Dad, Edward went after Patrick," I said quickly. I needed to talk to Charlie about this, because his training taught him to shut the fuck up and listen before asking questions. "We're heading West on the 101, but I we haven't caught up with them yet. Kaiden is dead, shot… Edward is hurt too but he's fine I guess. Jacob is back at the Cullen house, hurt badly. You need to send an ambulance. Please send backup or something, dad. Patrick is in Kaiden's blue Honda Civic, and Edward is in Alice's yellow Porsche." I was spitting out facts as fast as my mind could come up with them. All the training that my father had instilled in me was coming out, and I knew that if I didn't tell him everything now then later it would all be muddled and confusing. Tell him while its fresh.
"Bella, you can't go after them, you need to turn around and come back to the station. Leave the chase for the police." I bit hard on my lip as I turned the wheel with the road.
"The police!? " I screamed. Alice's hand that held the phone shook, and I knew that I was scaring her. "If the entire Forks Police Department had been doing their job, dad, this wouldn't have happened." Charlie didn't say anything, so I swallowed hard and spoke again.
"I'm not going to argue with you. Get Jacob help, and send someone our way. I don't know what's going to happen." Alice didn't need a signal to hang up, and gladly snapped the phone shut.
"Where are they?" I screamed.
"I don't know," Alice whispered. We drove eighty miles an hour in the rain for what felt like twenty minutes. I turned corners at unbelievable speeds, and ignored the calls from Jasper and Charlie. We didn't need anyone to tell us to stop the car and turn around.
And just like that I saw the red taillights of a car.
"Alice!" I gasped. She sat up in her seat, looking down the nose of the car at the road. I knew I wasn't hallucinating the car… it was there.
"That's my car!" Alice screeched. I didn't doubt her. Instead I slammed my foot further on the gas, trying hard to catch up.
"Call Charlie, tell him where we are," I said as calm as possible. Alice grabbed her phone and pressed a few buttons, more calmly than last time, I noted. Mere seconds later, Alice was speaking into the receiver.
"Jasper, put Bella's father on. Now!" I'd never heard her speak to Jasper that way, but I knew considering the situation he wouldn't hold a grudge.
"Charlie!" Alice gasped. We're at mile marker eighty seven, and we just caught up with them." She nodded to herself, listening intently at something my father was saying. I concentrated on the road in front of me, relief washing through me now that I was just four car lengths away from Edward.
"What do I do?" I said more to myself. Alice hung up the phone then, looking at me with worry.
"Your dad says to stay as far away as possible, but to keep an eye on them." I nodded. I suppose that there wasn't anything else for us to do. How long would Edward chase him? I knew the answer before I asked myself the question—forever. No matter how fast Patrick tried to drive, no matter how many towns we drove through. He wouldn't stop until the nightmare ended.
"What happened at the house with Patrick?" I asked quickly. Alice blanched and I knew she was reliving the feeling as much as I was.
"He touched me and I swear I could feel his energy in me. Flowing through me. I don't know what that was, but I'd never felt it before." I nodded, knowing what she meant. I could feel energy flowing through me, and I knew that was the feeling that both Edward and Alice felt whenever they did their rejuvenation bit.
"We're not in Forks anymore," Alice whispered. I nodded. I knew this already. Edward shot ahead, barely missing the bumper of the Civic. In the silent interior of my car, I heard the engine of that car roar, shouting through the night. I cursed the tinted windows of the Porsche, wishing that just for a second I could see Edward's silhouette. I still had not gotten past the fact that Edward was even alive.
"He's going to crash," Alice said. My right hand grabbed tighter on the gear shift, slamming my foot down on the gas. My eyes weren't even on the actual road anymore. As the rain pelted the windshield, and the trees flew by, I watched as the yellow Porsche pitched forward, again and again, slamming into the bumper of the fleeing Honda.
It occurred to me then that Alice was not talking about Edward. She meant Patrick. Patrick was going to crash. I watched as Edward slammed the nose of his car into Patrick's bumper. The sound of metal upon metal made me cringe, and I could hear Alice gasp. For a brief, humorous moment, I thought of how Alice would be mad later at how damaged her car now was.
"Shit!" I snapped out. Looking ahead I saw a curve in the road, bending to the left and disappearing all together.
"Honk your horn, signal or something!" Alice yelled, clearly seeing the same thing as me. I knew for a fact that if Edward went around that corner going as fast as we were, he would crash the car. Slamming on the horn, I listened as the noise blasted through the air. Seconds later I cursed and slammed my fists on the wheel. Edward wasn't going to listen to me.
And as the sharp turn in the road came closer, I did what I knew I had to. I slammed on the breaks, watching the two cars in front of us fly forward. The red brake lights on the Porsche lit up, and I thought for just a moment that Edward would just stop. But no, he slammed the nose of the car into the back of the Civic. I gasped as I heard the sound of tires squealing. Patrick lost control of the car, and started to do a complete one eighty on the road. When I heard impact of the car with a tree, I sighed. Maybe this would all be over sooner than I thought. Grabbing the gun I had put in the center console, I looked at Alice and nodded. She nodded in return and we both stepped out into the rain.
Edward's POV
Chasing after Patrick caused more emotions to go through me than I thought possible. I was so angry that I even let it get this far, to even put anyone besides myself in danger. And seeing the taillights on that ugly car speed ahead of me, I slammed on the gas, thankful that Alice had chosen this flashy car to buy. Flashy equals V8 engine… and fast.
I heard Bella honking her horn as she tried to warn me of the turn in the road. But I continued to head west on 101, wanting badly for this chase to end now, not later. I had slammed the nose of the car into Patrick's tail end, wanting so badly to make him go off the road.
Glancing once in the rear view mirror, I winced at my appearance. Never had I looked this deranged. Never had I looked so demented and horrifying. The dirt covering me made me look completely different, the small patches of skin that were not covered in mud, more pale in the dark interior of that car than normal. I looked dead.
That alone made me shiver. I wouldn't die. Not tonight. I wouldn't leave everyone behind. I noticed then that the Mustang's headlights were falling back. Bella didn't want to drive around the bend in the road; she knew the danger of it. And on a whim I slammed the nose of the car against Patrick's once more. With that final crunch of metal I smirked when he spun out, losing control of the car. I stepped on the brakes, watching the Civic do a complete one eighty on the road. I could see Patrick's face in the glare of my headlights, and saw that he looked genuinely shocked and maybe a little scared. Tires skidding sideways, I heard the loud crash of metal against a solid surface. Slamming my foot down on the brake, I saw that Patrick had hit a tree. The tail end of the car was smashed in, the tree now crooked. Small diamonds glittered in the small amount of light, and I saw that all the windows had broken upon impact.
"Fucking asshole," I sneered. I pulled up the emergency brake, opening the car door quickly. I stepped out into the rain, overjoyed that the rain was washing away the horrible thick substance that covered my body. My own make-shift shower.
I walked towards the Civic, feeling the energy coarse through me. Patrick would not be leaving this road tonight. The look on his face would be permanently etched on. Shock and fear. The bastard would know nothing else.
"Get the fuck out of the car!" I screamed. I stopped about ten feet from the front of his car, glaring at him. Something in Patrick's face shifted, and I watched as he reached down to the gear shift and gritted my teeth together as it actually lurched forward.
Oh, fuck no.
I could hear Bella's car pull up just as Patrick moved his car forward. My eyes didn't waver from Patrick's, and I felt anger when he looked away from me and look towards the girls. I turned towards them, seeing Bella and Alice run from the car. Looking closely I saw that Bella actually had a gun in her hand. A feeling of pride at how my girls were prepared flashed through me. But when I looked back at Patrick, cursing at how quick his car was moving forward, I froze. His cold eyes were on me. And very slowly, he raised his right pointer finger and dragged it across his throat.
It would never end. The horror this man had inflicted on my life, on my family's lives, would never stop. I stepped forward as Patrick pulled even further ahead, the sound of metal bending and groaning echoing through the air. The back bumper of the Civic fell to the floor, license plate and all. Bella's voice screamed through the air, anguish lined in her cry. She was probably thinking the same thing as me.
Energy crackled at my fingertips, and I slowly raised my hands into the air. Patrick's car was only twenty feet away from me, tops. It wasn't far. And then my body chose what to do next before I could even comprehend what was happening.
"Edward, no!" Alice screamed.
I have to do this Alice.
I extended my arms out, palms up. Picturing the car in my head, I imagined it rising into the air. And just like that, I lifted my hands upwards and gasped when the hunk of metal rose into the air.
"What the hell!" Patrick yelled from the inside of the car. It was scary, watching the car rise into the air like that. Memories of how I kept my Volvo suspended in mid air flooded into my mind. But this time was different somehow. I wasn't panicking as I had done before. I was somewhat calm, sensing Bella and Alice's presence near me. I couldn't look away from Patrick though, because I knew that if I did the car would fall from the sky.
The rain continued to pour down, lightning flashing in the distance.
"Edward, put him down," Alice said very close to my ear. I didn't even flinch. I moved my left hand slowly in a circle, turning the car in the air so that I could see Patrick's face. He looked pissed. And I laughed.
"Fucking sucks, doesn't it?!" I screamed into the night. Patrick's eyes flew to me and I sneered.
"You're dead!" he yelled back. I shook my head, concentrating on keeping the car in the air. As long as he was in that car, he wouldn't go anywhere. I felt somewhat relieved that this was…well, it. All of those days and nights of worrying, and it was over. Glancing over to Bella, I tried to smile for her. But I couldn't form the simple gesture on my lips. She seemed to understand though, because she just stared at me, just feet away.
"Help is coming," she said to me. I nodded, feeling the relief flood through me. Tears began to prick at my eyes, and I could feel some adrenaline wear off. I was so tired.
"I'm tired," I admitted aloud. Only Bella and Alice heard me though, and I could see the compassion in their eyes. They loved me for me, no matter how many freakish things I did. No matter what I said to them or what I neglected to do. I would have been such a better person if it hadn't been for Patrick and his horrible vendetta to make this thing right.
"How dare you!" I yelled into the rain towards Patrick. He looked as if he was going to open his mouth to argue with me, but I felt the car slip slightly, and watched as it fell two feet. His jaw clenched shut, and he closed his eyes tightly.
"I don't know who the hell you think you are," I continued to yell, "but I never did anything to you. I tried to save Jenna that night! I tried so hard to get that door open!"
"You shut your fucking mouth!" Patrick screamed.
"No, you are going to listen for once!" Yes, I knew this is what I had to say. No matter what happened with Patrick, if he went to jail or if he died, he had to hear this. "It's not my fault that you lost control of your car that night. We were in the wrong place at the wrong time, and my dad tried to help. I offered myself to your family. I tried!"
"You didn't try hard enough!" Patrick screamed. For the first time I heard genuine tears in his voice. Looking at him though, he looked crazed as always. "You killed her, and I'm going to kill every single person you care about. If it's the last fucking thing I do."
What? Really? I stood there, rain pouring down on me on Highway 101. Thunder and lightning seemed to be drawing closer, and I could almost swear that I could hear sirens in the distance. Patrick sat in his jail cell, ten feet in the air, breathing hard. He was looking at me with such hatred, that I almost felt guilty. Had I really caused this man that much grief? How did I do it though? Did my 'gift' really kill this woman?
"Edward?" Alice whispered. I didn't look at her. Only looked at the miserable excuse for a man before me. My hands were shaking now. I felt…wrong.
"He's going to come back, over and over again," I cried. "He's never going to leave us alone! We're going to have to move, and we'll have to leave Jasper and Bella, everyone behind. Never… never will we have a normal life." Never. I could feel sobs wrench from my chest. Slowly the sob turned into an angry howl. My fingers were twitching.
Don't do it Edward. Don't do it.
But I wanted to. And I would.
"Fuck you Patrick!" I yelled.
And just like that, I closed both of my hands into fists, and watched with satisfaction as the car before me literally crushed into a tuna can.
And just like that, it fell to the ground, a ball of compressed metal.
Alice screamed, and Bella stood there, gaping. I looked closer at the blue Honda Civic… ball, and I smiled. It looked like the car had flipped ten times and slammed into a wall. I could even see blood start to trickle out of an opening that had once been a window.
And I felt wrong again. I fell to my knees, leaning forward to set my hands on the asphalt. Shards of glass cut into my palms, but I ignored the pain I felt. Because instead I felt like all of the energy fall out of me.
"Alice…" I whispered. And it all went black.
Alice's POV
I was merely the passenger in the car as Bella and I tore after Edward. I had to give her credit for how she drove; there would have been no way in hell I could have caught up to him without wrecking the car. Several times my eyes darted to the gun that lay in the center console, wondering if we were actually going to have to use it.
My brother looked deranged, I thought. It was odd, seeing such a calm man look so defeated and crazy at the same time. When that car rose into the air, with Edward standing at its base with his arms out, I thought for sure it was all going to be over. Never had I seen something like this. Seeing him weeks ago with the Volvo that held Bella, that was something incredible. But I knew then that emotion—pure love—had driven him to do that. It scared be then, especially seeing how much strength and energy he needed to hold the car in the air. He had been shaking, sweating, screaming in agony. And the risk and exposure of doing such a thing is what led us to Kaiden. But I could never blame him for it. Without his quick thinking Bella would have been badly hurt. It would have killed us all to see that happen.
But as I stood feet away from Edward in the west lane on 101, I wondered what emotion held that Civic in the air so steadily. Edward wasn't even moving. I had been expecting to see him on his knees, close to defeat. But as I narrowed my eyes at him, looking closer, I saw that only his hands were shaking, a slight movement barely seen through the curtain of raindrops falling from the sky.
I tilted my head to the side, listening closely. Did I hear sirens?
"Edward?" I whispered. Edward shook his head, not giving me the chance to talk.
"He's going to come back, over and over again," he screamed. "He's never going to leave us alone! We're going to have to move, and we'll have to leave Jasper and Bella—everyone behind! Never… never will we have a normal life." Leave Jasper? His face flashed through my mind, and tears sprang to my eyes. Jasper was the most wonderful man I had ever met. The way he cared for me, the way he held my hand and looked at me… I didn't know what I would do if I ever had to leave him. I don't think I could actually live through something like that. I would die without him.
"Fuck you, Patrick!" Edward screamed. I snapped out of my trance and watched as Edward glared at the hovering Civic, and clenched both of his hands into fists.
No!
The sound of metal crunching filled the air, and I gazed in horror as every surface of the blue car—the hood, the doors, the trunk, the bumpers—they all caved in. It was a giant ball of metal. Unrecognizable.
The car fell to the ground, echoing through the night. It sounded so final, so…wrong.
I was screaming. I was screaming at the blood that was slowly pouring from the cracks in the car. I was screaming at the fact that Patrick was undoubtedly dead, crushed and broken.
To my right I saw Edward fall to his knees. I somehow tore my eyes away from the blood that was slowly mixing with the rain, and watched as my brother fell forward onto the asphalt. His hands gripped the black surface like it was a lifeline, and I could barely hear him whisper that last word.
"Alice…" And then his arms gave out and he slammed into ground. His eyes were closed, and his skin was shinny and pale.
"Edward!" It wasn't only me who screamed his name. Both Bell and I ran towards him at the same time, his name shouting from our lips. I winced as I skidded to a stop next to him, the blacktop cutting into my jean clad knees. Just then I was certain that the sirens were real, and they were coming up fast on the freeway.
"Oh my God, is he okay?" Bella asked me. I reached forward, letting my hands settle on Edward's back. The movement I felt was so slight and it made me nervous; he was barely breathing.
"Help me get him on his back," I said to Bella. She nodded immediately and I saw her glance over her shoulder and down the road. I knew she was looking at the approaching cars—I could hear several sets of sirens, and I knew that Chief Swan and my father had sent the fucking cavalry.
Bella and I worked together to turn Edward on his back and I gasped. His face was ghost white, glistening in the rain. The gun shot wound on his shoulder was bleeding freely, and I knew the fact that he hadn't been nursing the wound made it worse.
"Stupid, stupid!" I hissed to myself. Glancing once at Bella, I gave her a nod and set my hands directly on his right arm. Flinching, I noticed that his skin was icy cold. Push past it. I closed my eyes and forced a wave of adrenaline through my system. I could feel every bit of my energy flow to my fingers and I pushed it outwards. I could barely hear the rain fall to the ground, and after several moments I chanced a peak at my brother.
He was still motionless.
"What's wrong, Alice?" Bella asked. I looked up into her brown eyes and I saw panic. It mirrored what I felt. Never had this happened before. No matter what, I had always been able to help Edward come back from one of these spells. I had always been able to give him what he needed to get back to normal within a matter of minutes. But right now he wasn't moving. Glaring at his chest, I saw that his breathing had slowed even more.
"I don't know," I choked out. "He's barely breathing!" My eyes were now glued to Bella's, and I was lost. For once I didn't have the answer. For once, I was looking to someone else for an answer they probably couldn't give me. I kept my hands on Edward's arm, staring at his face, looking for a reaction. Looking for any sign that he was waking up.
"Patrick…" Bella whispered.
"He's dead!" I screamed. Why the hell was she worrying about him right now? But she shook her head and started talking very quickly.
"No, at the house you touched Edward and then Patrick touched you. You said that you felt his energy. So maybe when someone else touches you during this whole thing, it's not just your energy that's going into Edward. So if you touch me too or something, maybe with both of our energies we can do this." I stared at Bella in shock. Her thought process was… well, dead on. Never would I have thought of this. I remembered the feeling of Patrick's energy flowing through my fingertips and into Edward. I knew that was where the look of fear Patrick had shown us had come from. He had felt his life drain from his body. For a second I had prayed that he wouldn't move so that I could have done the honors of killing the bastard.
But I couldn't do this to Bella. I couldn't risk the possibility of hurting her.
"Bella, I don't think that's the smartest thing to do right now." It was the truth. But Bella looked livid. She glanced over her shoulder again, and this time I followed her gaze. There were about six police cars, and several ambulances coming down the road. They would be right next to us in just a minute.
"Dammit Alice, just do it!" My hands were still on Edward's arm, and Bella reached out and placed her hand on my own. What I felt next can only be described as invigorating. Every cell in my body screamed as a burst with energy. Bella gasped next to me, and I tried as hard as possible to rip my hands free from Edward. The energy flowed through me, and I did the only natural thing that I could think to do: I pushed all of the energy into Edward. I could see her hand glow over mine, and my hand start to glow on Edward's arm. It scared me, seeing this happen again.
As the seconds passed, I evened out the intense feeling and was pleased to find that I could control it like a current. My eyes drifted over Edward's face, waiting for a signal that he was going to come to. His face was gradually filled with color, and I silently cheered to myself. And then as I looked over at his gunshot wound, thinking how much it must hurt him, I gasped. I could see the blood seeping through his shirt, and I could see the torn skin that looked so worn and abused. But I gasped at the fact that the wound seemed to be… closing.
"Bella!" I whispered. She looked at me and followed my gaze to Edward's shoulder, and immediately pulled away from me. And just like that, I could no longer feel the screaming energy course through me. I was back to feeling… well, the normal amount of energy when I did this. I looked at Bella and saw that she was looking at me in shock.
"Don't let go," I said. She shook her head though. Fuck this. I reached out and grabbed her hand, holding it tightly in mine as I kept my other on Edward's arm. We were a chain. And I could immediately feel the energy fill me again. Looking away from Bella, I looked at Edward again. And just like before, I could see the wound in his shoulder start to close. I didn't understand it. When I felt Patrick touch me, yes I felt the energy. But Edward's wound hadn't closed at all. Nothing happened like that. I glanced at Bella again, trying to see her with new eyes. What made her so special? How was she doing this?
"Do you see that?" Bella asked in awe. I nodded quickly. Cars screeched to a halt just feet away from us, and just as I heard someone shout my name Edward opened his eyes. And just like that, I let Bella go. And just like that, the glowing stopped, and the cells in my body calmed.
"Alice!" Jasper yelled. I felt arms surround me, pulling me away from Edward. I knew it was Jasper holding me, but I fought against him.
"Let me go!" I screamed. It was all a slow motion hell. All around me it was chaos, but I took it all in like I had control over how fast everyone moved. Edward was starting to sit up, and Bella was fighting against her fathers hands. Two paramedics, and my father, were rushing forward to tend to Edward. Words were being shouted, but half of them were from me. I was telling Jasper to get the fuck off of me. I needed to make sure Edward was okay. Emmett of course was standing next to a couple other police men, staring at the mess that was once a blue Honda Civic. The look on his face might have been something I wanted to catch on film. He looked terrified at first, and then confused, and then impressed.
"Alice, please stay calm. Please." Jasper was whispering in my ear, holding me tight. I somehow got him to walk closer to Edward again, and for that I was relieved. My father was leaning over him, checking for wounds or trauma. But Edward brushed him off, telling him that he was fine. I choked out a sob as he ran his hand through his hair—such an Edward move.
"Let me go to him," I begged. Jasper's hands immediately loosened and I ran to Edward's side. Bella's arms took their place around me, and we hugged each other. I could see it in her eyes. I could see how she was scared and happy at the same time. There was no way we would be able to put this into words what happened tonight. Such unbelievable events, and I don't even think my own mind believed it.
"Are you okay?" I asked Edward. He looked at me and gave me a small smile.
"Physically, yes, I suppose," he said. His voice was raspy as if he had just spent the past hour screaming. I shook my head at myself—in some ways he had been. Dad's hands were still breezing over his skin, making sure he was actually whole. Like he was counting all of his appendages to make sure he really, truly okay. Like a father seeing a newborn.
Like a blur, the paramedics led Edward to an ambulance, taking him away from us. My dad saw a cut on my forehead and bruising already forming on Bella and decided to rat us out to the EMT as well. We were whisked away and I literally stood there as a complete stranger ran his fingers over my skin to make sure I was, too, whole.
It scared me a little, standing next to that ambulance with my arm out as the young EMT took my blood pressure. A strange, eerie calm began to wash over me. I couldn't place it, but I could feel a cold sensation creep its way into my body. I looked at the guy, not much older than me, as he stared at the pressure gauge. He wasn't doing anything. I glanced over to the police cruiser where Charlie Swan stood, talking with Jasper and Emmett. Jasper was staring at me, refusing to tear his gaze away from my face. As if he were afraid I would disappear. I gave him a small smile and kept looking around. The cold sensation was now entering my stomach, and when I looked at Bella I froze. She was staring at me too, the same look of confusion on her face. I raised my eyebrows in a silent question. Did she feel this too?
Bella nodded.
I glanced over to where Edward sat on the edge of the ambulance bed, our dad hovering over him, shouting orders to the other medical personnel. The cold sensation in me throbbed when I saw that Edward was looking between both me and Bella. He felt it too. And just like that, we all started laughing.
Jasper's POV
I was in hell. Do you know what it feels like to have to call the father of your girlfriend, of your best friend, and tell him that his son was kidnapped? It feels like your heart is ripped out of your chest. It feels like your world is caving in around you and you have nothing to grasp onto.
The look on Carlisle's face was the end of me. I never wanted this. Carlisle was like my father. He had done so much for me over the past few years, done more than anyone else in the world would have done, and this is how I repay him?
"I'm so sorry," I said to him with tears in my eyes. Instead of yelling at me, and instead of hitting me like I knew someone else might have, he just embraced me and patted my back.
"This isn't your fault." Those words gave me the strength to stay sane and help plan a search party for Edward. Hours of searching the woods, hours of staring at maps. Hours of trying to track down that damn blue Honda Civic. Hours of listening to Carlisle tell Esme that everything would be okay. But those hours could not have prepared me when my cell phone rang and Alice's name lit up on the screen.
"Alice?" I heard the roar of an engine in the background, and I strained to listen.
"Put it on speaker," I heard Bella say. Shuffling, and then I could hear everything amplified.
"Jasper!" Bella screamed. And then my mind began to unravel. They were chasing after Edward… who was chasing after Patrick. My heart leapt in my chest when I was told Edward was alive. I didn't kill him. I didn't kill my best friend.
And then we were heading west on 101. The rain was coming down, harder in some areas, but lighter in others. But as I remained crammed in the backseat of Chief Swan's cruiser, I slammed my hand impatiently against my knee. I needed to see Alice's face. I needed to see Bella's face. I needed to make sure that three of the most important people in my life were okay.
To me we drove for hours. But only when Emmett's loud shout broke me from my reverie did I snap to attention and look out the window. There was Bella's Mustang, parked sideways in the middle of the road, right next to Alice's Porsche. Two figures were hunched over something, looking so small and minute in the night. Right beyond them was a large… chunk?... of what looked to me metal in the road.
"There they are!" Emmett screamed. I wanted to smack him upside his head but refrained from doing so. Our convoy of medical and police personnel came to a screeching halt as close to them as possible. Charlie reached around and opened the back door to the cruiser, and I flew into the night. Alice and Bella were hunched over Edward, and I saw that Alice had her hand on Edward's arm. I knew then that she was trying to force energy into him, but this time I had to disagree. If there was something wrong with him, she needed to let Carlisle or one of the EMT's work with him.
"Alice!" I screamed. I lurched forward and wrapped my arms around her, pulling her away from Edward's form.
"Let me go!" she screamed, fighting against me.
"Alice, please stay calm. Please," I begged into her ear. I knew she wanted to be close to Edward. I could feel her body tug in his direction. I glanced over and saw that Charlie was trying to lift Bella away as well. But all our girls were fighting us. I walked closer to Edward's side, not wanting to let her go because Carlisle was still looking him over.
"Let me go to him," Alice begged. I had to give in. I let her go. My mind was reeling as I took in the sight of the three. No one knew what happened except for them. I looked at Bella and saw that she had mud covering her from neck to feet. Her shirt was torn around her neck, and was barely hanging onto her torso. I could see her pale skin through the scraps that clung to her. Through those scraps I could also see red marks and bruises staring to form. Looking closely I could see the imprint of fingers on her upper right arm. Someone had grabbed her. And I knew it wasn't Edward.
Alice didn't look as mud-covered as Bella, but I could see a two inch cut on her forehead that was still dripping blood. She looked frightened, shaken, concerned… but strong.
They were all swept away to be looked at for damage or broken bones. Charlie led me to his cruiser so that I wouldn't hover over Alice. He radioed in for a tow truck for the Civic. I was still in shock over the fact that the hunk of metal was actually the remnants of a car. And what shocked me most of all was when Charlie told me that Patrick was inside the car. No one was in a rush to even try to free him from the wreckage; we all knew he was dead. I would never tell anyone this, but even if there was a chance that he was still alive, I would hope that everyone moved in a snail pace so that the bastard would die slowly and painfully. I was dying to question someone on how the car got that way, because I knew that Edward didn't just pass out for no reason. I knew his abilities got him like that, and I knew he had done something to the car.
I leaned against Charlie's car, watching Alice. I didn't want to move my eyes away from her. If I did, she would disappear, right? Suddenly her eyebrows furrowed in the center of her forehead and she looked up in confusion. She glanced at the guy who was messing with her blood pressure cup but looked away a few seconds later. Her eyes traveled to mine, and I held her gaze steadily, urging myself to read her mind miraculously. But there was nothing, and she just gave me a small smile and continued on. I followed her stare and saw that she looked at Bella, and that Bella was looking at her in the same fashion. What the hell was going on?
"Jasper, did you hear me?" I turned towards Chief Swan, shaking my head.
"I said, do you have any idea what the hell happened here tonight?" I felt bad for the man, I really did. But I didn't know what to tell him. I certainly didn't have any information that he would believe.
"No, I'm sorry. I know as much as you." It was the truth… yet such a lie. I looked back to Alice and Bella and saw that they were both looking at Edward.
"What the hell?" I muttered. Chief Swan looked over to Edward as well and we watched as he looked at Bella and Alice in shock. And then they all started to laugh. It was the type of laughter that got someone committed in an insane asylum. Hysterical and tearful. There were no words spoken between them, but they knew what the other was thinking.
Was it wrong of me to feel jealous that I couldn't read Alice's mind when someone else so obviously could?
Yes, it was wrong. I sighed in defeat and blocked out the laughter.
"Let's get going. We need to get them all to the hospital, and then home," Charlie said. I nodded, glad that we were all excused. I couldn't wait to find out what really happened here that night. Looking again at the debris of tonight's disaster, I memorized every detail. Every piece of metal that lay on the ground, every puddle that had formed from the rain, every bang from a gurney or from a door being slammed shut. I would never forget this night for as long as I lived. It was the night where I almost lost my world.
"Yeah, let's go," I muttered.
Bella's POV
Once the EMT actually let me stand up and walk to Edward, I almost collapsed in relief. He looked so broken and tired, and I wanted to hold him and tell him that everything was going to be okay. Edward sat on the edge of the ambulance bed as Carlisle flashed a penlight in his eyes. Finally after the third time the light shone across his pupils, he slapped his father's hands away.
"Dad, please don't." Edward looked sorry to snap at him, but Carlisle ignored him.
"We're heading to the hospital, taking X-Rays of all of you." I opened my mouth to protest to this, but Carlisle turned to me and I froze. "All of you." I didn't dare argue with him. He'd never been this official before, and I just nodded. Carlisle walked away then to speak to my dad, and I turned to Edward.
We stared at each other for a moment, and I didn't know what to say. Edward sat there, completely whole. Just hours ago I thought that wouldn't happen. Just hours ago I thought he was dead.
"You're alive," I whispered. Edward's eyes went from worried to crinkling in the corner with a smile.
"I'm alive." And I said the only thing I could think of.
"How?" I'd thought of how he had been thrown in that shallow grave, and I thought of how Patrick shot him and how Kaiden buried him. I watched it all happen.
"I stopped the bullets," Edward whispered. I looked around to make sure no one was listening, and stepped forward to urge him on. "And when the dirt started falling, I kept shoving energy outwards. Like I was moving metal. Not all of the dirt stopped, but enough of a veil to where I could breathe. And I waited before I… before I dug myself out." There it was. Everyone's worst fear. To be buried alive.
"Oh my God," I whispered. I stepped forward again, feeling my thighs brush against Edward's knees. Feeling his touch, even through jeans, was like fire. I wanted to grab hold of him and steal him away. I actually looked over my shoulder at my car and wondered how long it would take everyone to notice that I kidnapped Edward this time. It wasn't kidnapping if he came willingly, right?
"So you can move more than metal?" I asked quietly. Edward looked at me and shook his head.
"No, no I don't think so." He looked like he was thinking long and hard about this. "I think there was something in the dirt. Because only some of it stopped, ya know?" No, I didn't know. But I nodded, reaching out very slowly and running my fingers along his cheekbone. He felt so cold.
"So you felt that too?" It was vague, but I knew he understood.
"Yeah. Are you okay?" Edward looked so worried about me. I stared at him for a moment, letting my fingers run over his skin. I ignored the question. I was okay now, of course.
"Thank you for not dying," I cried quietly. Edward smiled and stood up carefully, wrapping his arms around me and pulling me close.
"I love you."
Yeppers. Well, after this is the Epilogue, and I think that's it! I know, I know. Well, please tell me what you think, because I looooove hearing feedback. Please. Pretty please. And now that I have 'free time' for a while, I'll sadly be making more time for fanfic. Oh well! Love, Ashley
PLEASE REVIEW! I will send you Edward loving thoughts. Or Jasper or Emmett. Hell even Rose or Alice love, whichever way you swing, I don't judge!