CHAPTER 14
-:- None So Deaf as Those Who Will Not Hear -:-
2006 -:- Past Memories
I left the hospital with anger and worry pulsing through my body. It seemed like I was heading into familiar territory again, the panic settling in for good. It had been much easier and quicker to find my way back to the bunker. The faceless souls climbing through the rubble-filled streets were gone with the sunlight, so the streets were empty and I was free to run and jump at my own will. I wasn't sure what I would be walking into back at the bunker, all Esme would tell me was that they were all back, so I prepared for the worst, which seemed to be a common theme as of late.
Running through the streets, I allowed my mind to briefly wander back to when this all had started five weeks ago in the living room back in Maine. My argument with Alice had been such a common one. It was like a broken record, her always trying to convince me to return to Forks, and me adamantly refusing. Five weeks ago everything was so mundane, never wavering from the norm, and I thought that was going to be my lot in life, because of the choice I made to continue my life without Bella. Strange what could happen in five short weeks.
I chose to love a human, and then chose to give her up, never to see her again. God saw fit to make sure that happened, and then some. I knew it was absurd of me to think I had anything to do with all of this, especially when I didn't even believe in God, but there had to be something, some divine power punishing me for coveting something so natural when I was so unnatural. My thoughts were fleeting though, because I couldn't afford to mourn her loss, it would surely cripple me again. My pain could come later, I would make sure of it, but for right now I needed to help the only people worth fighting for. If they wouldn't fight for themselves, I would have to fight for them. This was something I could do for them to hopefully cut some of my guilt which had grown exponentially in the last five weeks.
I was beginning to realize that unless I went and physically dragged Carlisle back, I doubted he would ever return. I knew he would work relentlessly, resting only to feed and keep his strength up. He would never tire, never sleep and never get sick. Carlisle was the perfect healing machine essentially, and he would stay there until there was no one left to help.
I wasn't sure how I was going to get through to him, but I needed my family to see that as long as they had each other, it was the only thing that mattered in this messed up world. I never wanted them to experience what I had gone through or what I was going to go through, they shouldn't have to. I would make them see they needed to be grateful for every second they shared with each other.
I arrived back to the bunker in record time, and as soon as the large metal door opened, I was engulfed into a massive bone-crushing hug, that lifted me slightly off the floor.
Emmett never said a word to me, just breathed a sigh of relief, patting me on the back before releasing me. He looked me squarely in the eyes, placing his hand on my shoulder conveying how good it was to see me.
I'm so sorry, my brother, for everything.
A weak smile was about all I could give him in return.
It's good to have you back. His hand resting on my shoulder smacked the side of my face in a kindly gesture.
I let out a huge sigh of relief, grateful to have Emmett here with me. "You, too," I said laughing while I pulled him into another hug. Esme was standing behind him anxiously waiting for us to finish. Releasing Emmett, I turned to her and pulled her into my arms as well.
Thank you for coming back, for keeping your promise to me, her thoughts rang out in my mind, and I kissed the top of her head comforting her.
It dawned on me that Esme was grieving much the same as I was. She had her family finally, and was feeling some relief, but her partner, the center of her world, was gone. I couldn't tell her the truth, not right now. I would try my damndest to bring him home, but for right now the Carlisle she knew and loved was gone. The stranger I found in his place would do nothing to help Esme or the rest of us, it was better to go on having them believe he was still out there somewhere. I would tell her, I would have to eventually, but first I had to try and bring him back myself.
"You didn't find him," she said, her cheek resting against my chest.
The mask I was so adept at portraying covered my face while I responded with a bold face lie. "No, I didn't." Emmett scrutinized my expression, and he could tell something was up.
We'll chat about that later, he said silently, his eyes narrowing, and I gave him a look to let him know to drop it for now.
Esme trembled in my arms, while I released myself from her grip. I gently placed my hands on her cheeks, bending down to look her in the eyes. "But it was only one hospital, and it was a mess. There are no records, and there are hundreds and hundreds of people camped outside of it. It could take days to get information from anyone," I said responding to her worries.
She reluctantly nodded her head while I rubbed her cheek with my thumb. Her eyes narrowed, frowning as she realized what I was wearing. Grabbing the hem of my scrubs-shirt, she gave me a questioningly look.
"They wouldn't let me in the front doors without changing into clean scrubs, you know, the radiation." I shrugged my shoulders, while her thoughts returned to Carlisle. "I'll go back tomorrow, and every day until I find him, Esme. I promise. We won't stop until we're all together again."
I saw Jasper's crumpled form flash in Esme's mind and snapped my head around the room looking for him. "Where is he?" I croaked. I sought out his mind but it was relatively quiet, his thoughts were of Alice while she tried to convince him to eat.
"It's not good, Edward," Emmett said. "We found him on the outskirts of the city along the lake shore, holed up in a cave." Emmett allowed me to see the image of Jasper at the back of a cave, hands held firmly to his head, rocking back and forth. "He's fully coherent, just extremely weak." Emmett rubbed his chin before finishing off the rest in his head. He can barely talk, he can't walk.I had to carry him here. He didn't want to come, but he couldn't exactly fight us. Emmett lowered his head, staring at a crack in the concrete. It's like every effort takes a huge toll on his body. And man, his emotions are running amuck. You can only stay around him for a little bit before it drives you mad.
I watched as the journey back to the bunker played out in his head. It took him and Alice over a week, having to stop every so often to take turns breaking away from Jasper trying to grasp on to some sort of sanity.
It's like every good, happy emotion is sucked right out of you. Emmett's eyes were sad and daunting, and seeing him like this meant that it was worse than he was letting on. He was frustrated; I could see that easily enough. Emmett was a man of action, but in this case there was nothing he could do, nothing he could fight and it was leaving him feeling helpless. He had been feeling this way ever since we left Maine, like he was always two steps behind from everything that was happening to the family. He felt he had failed at being our protector, a self-appointed role he had given himself, and it was tearing him up inside.
I wanted to tell him differently, I wanted to reassure him that there was nothing he could have done, but I also knew a thing or two about guilt, and nothing I could say would change what he was thinking right now. Until he was ready to talk about it, he needed the guilt to keep him going; it was like fuel for a slow burning fire that would surely burn out if it ran dry. I had so many questions I needed to ask him, especially about Phoenix, but that would have to wait.
"He's here, then?" I raised my eyebrows in question.
"Alice and Rose are with him," Esme said, "in the back, the room we had set up for—" Bella, she finished quietly in her head, guilt flooding her mind at bringing up Bella's name. The arm I still had around her shoulders, gave her a light squeeze, reassuring her that I was okay. I was going to have to get used to everyone thinking about her, even if I wasn't ready to.
"I'll go see what I can do." I patted Emmett's shoulder as I walked past him on my way to the back room. Esme and Emmett's thoughts were filled with relief, and I was starting to feel the pressure of everyone relying on me. I didn't know if I was strong enough for all of this, and I definitely didn't have the answers, but if I stopped now, I would fall apart, and so would the family. They had sacrificed so much for me over the years, this was something I had to do.
Placing my hand on the doorknob, I took a deep breath to prepare for the worst. I was apprehensive as to what I would find, but extremely anxious as well. I knew Jasper was not in the best of state, but the last time I had seen Alice was not exactly under the best of circumstances. I needed to see her face too, and reassure myself she was okay.
I opened the door to the only bedroom in the bunker, and immediately was assaulted by a wave of misery and grief. It was enough for me to take a step backwards. Jasper was crumpled up in a ball, knees held tight to his chest lying on the bed, while Alice and Rosalie sat across from him, their thoughts trying to get past the despair and trying to only think of jovial things.
Alice's head snapped around and in a split second she had launched herself at me, gripping me tightly, desperately whispering her relief at seeing me. She started to sob and I heard Rosalie's thoughts, break through the commotion. Edward, please take her out of here. Rosalie had lifted her feet up onto the edge of the chair, leaning her cheek on to her knees. I'll stay with him, she needs some relief.
Slowly backing out of the room with Alice's legs wrapped around my waist, I caressed her back telling her it was going to be okay, that Jasper was going to be okay. At first I wasn't sure what she was saying, it was all coming out in a mumbled rush, but I finally made out the same three words over and over.
"I'm so sorry," she repeated over and over again.
I led us to the back of the bunker where the animals were kept and sat us down on Esme's milking stool, the goat bleating noisily behind us. Alice lifted her head slightly to look where the sound was coming from, her brows furrowed in confusion.
"She does that … " I offered her a smile, "she's a cantankerous old thing." I rubbed Alice's back in slow soothing circles, trying to calm her down. Her thoughts were still repeating the same thing over and over as she looked me in the eyes.
"I'm so sorry, Edward," she finally said aloud.
I was taken aback as to why she carried so much guilt and why she had anything to be sorry for. "What are you talking about, Alice?"
"It was my fault. She's gone because of me. If you hadn't come to meet us you might have—"
"Shhhh. Alice, enough," I cut her off.
"But—"
"Nothing will change what happened," I said a little more firmly than I intended. I really hadn't had time to process any of this, and I wasn't about to now. "I can't talk about this, not right now."
She nodded her head agreeing to my wishes. We sat in silence for a few minutes while the nuisance of a goat continued to express her dislike toward us.
"That thing really is annoying," Alice finally said. "Why a goat, and why hasn't someone eaten it yet?"
We both started to chuckle as I explained Esme's attachment to it.
"She'll throttle you if you touch it, Alice. It's a love/hate kind of thing between the two of them. I think the milking relaxes Esme."
"You didn't find him."
"No, I didn't." I hated lying to her, but it was necessary. Everyone had too much to handle as it was. Carlisle's lack of faith was not something they needed to hear about.
"Still no visions?" I asked, changing the subject.
"No, not a one. It's so eerie. My entire life I've never experienced this. The last one I had was of you and Victoria. That's why Carlisle sent Emmett and Rosalie after you. I woke up, or whatever you want to call it, and that was the last clear one I had. And then they just stopped," she said clearly frustrated. "I hate not knowing. I can't see any of us, and I can't see when this will all end, and I can't see our futures. I can't see if Jasper will be alright, or where Carlisle is, it just, just sucks, for lack of a better word." She laid her head on my shoulder and we sat there for a little while longer while I continued to rub soothing circles on her back.
"I know you aren't ready to talk about her," Alice finally spoke up, "but I'll be here anytime you want to." She tucked a piece of hair behind my ear while I closed my eyes in response. "I loved her too, you know," she whispered, and I could feel her breath against the side of my neck. "More than you ever thought possible."
I nodded my head ever so slightly, sighing a little. I knew she did. I had seen it many times in her thoughts. Bella was the very first person to accept Alice for exactly who she was. Not because they were family or kin, or because of her gift, Bella treated Alice so very different from anyone Alice had ever encountered. She was the only true friend she ever had in her vampire or human life, and Alice loved her whole-heartedly for it.
"It wasn't just your future together I saw, it was mine with her as well. For as long as I exist, I'll hold myself responsible for taking her away from you and the rest of the family. It was my fault." She wrapped her tiny arms around my neck squeezing with all her might.
We both carried our own guilt. I didn't hold Alice responsible any more than I held Jasper responsible. It was mine and mine alone.
We sat there in the dimly lit room surrounded by animals for what seemed like hours, neither of us speaking. We silently grieved, even if I could only grieve for her loss not my own. She had changed. The last few weeks had taken its toll on Alice. I looked at her sallow cheeks, so much different than what she allowed me to see of her human self. Her eyes were back to their amber color, slightly darkened from her hunger, but the worst of it was that I could tell her spirit was broken. My carefree, high-spirited sister was gone. Alice was always a bundle of energy, filled with optimism and life, but the little girl who sat in my arms was anything but that. Her thoughts were anxious and filled with worry and doubt. Doubt was not something I was used to experiencing with Alice, she was always so smug, and dare I say cheeky, because of her uncanny ability to see the outcome in most scenarios. Her doubt was definitely not going to help Jasper get through this.
"Tell me about Jasper," I finally said.
"He's not getting better. I thought he would come out of it eventually, but he's getting weaker and there's nothing I can do. I can't just sit here and watch him fade away." She closed her eyes and put her hand on her forehead. "I can't stand not knowing things anymore! I need to know how long this will last." She looked at me for answers, her eyes narrowing at my helpless expression. "It's been four weeks. I thought I would break in two not knowing if you were alright or where Jasper was. I can't take this, Edward, all this darkness. First Bella and you, now … Carlisle … Rosalie … Esme … Jasper. I need to know!" She was almost hysterical now, her words rushing out of her mouth.
"Hey, hey, hey. Alice," I said in a calming tone, "it's going to be alright. We will get passed this." She looked into my eyes, and I saw the doubt there, I heard it in her mind as well. "We just need some time to heal … you and I both know that." She looked down into her lap, but I lifted her chin so she could see the sincerity in my eyes. "The world is grieving, everyone is in pain . Jasper needs time. He can feel our despair, Alice. We need to have some hope so he can feel that too. We have to hope that there will be a place for us after all this, because there has to be, we wouldn't be here if there wasn't."
I couldn't believe the words that were coming out of my mouth. They were more likely to be Carlisle's words than my own. To my amazement, I was starting to realize that his countless discussions of God and our purpose on this earth were starting to pervade through my own. I had depended on Carlisle's steadfast faith in all things for so long, that his doubt was making me question my own doubt. I closed my eyes at the revelation, praying to whomever it was that was looking out for us, that I would be able to get through to Carlisle, just as he had tried with me for all those years.
Alice's timid voice broke through my thoughts, causing me to startle.
"If he would just feed, I think it would help. He's weak, but some of that could be from not eating, right?" she asked me, trying to reassure herself. The doubt was present again and I knew I needed to quash that.
"Absolutely." I smiled. "We'll get him to eat. It'll help, even if it's these domestics. I wonder if Esme would let us sacrifice the goat for him." I chuckled, ruffling her hair.
"No, I won't," Esme said, walking in to the room giving us a stern look. "That goat will not be eaten by any one of us. There are enough wild animals running around out there now, this little lady will not be sacrificed as much as she deserves it." She had her hands on her hips, looking like the epitome of a mother scolding her children.
"Fine! We'll leave the goat," I laughed, raising my hands in the air, "even though I think Jasper would benefit from our joy of getting rid of her." She gave me another stern look before breaking into a large grin.
Are you two okay, Edward? Should I give you more time? she asked me, and I shook my head slightly in return.
"Well, if you two are done trying to plot the demise of my goat, we could use some help," Esme said encouragingly while walking over to us, and rubbing Alice's shoulder. "We have some things we need to discuss and Jasper was asking for you, Edward."
2016 -:- Present Day
I had been thinking about the time the family had spent without Carlisle there to guide them, and how much we all relied on him to keep things together and in control. He was such a calming force and always knew what the right thing was to do in most situations. There was a time when that wasn't the case , and it was hard for me to think of those times, just like I knew it was for him as well. To him, he had failed the family, and he had spent the last few years trying to make it all up to us. I, however, no longer questioned his decisions.
I'm sorry, I know you want to help them, but I get the sense this is about us being here. It's not wise to get involved. Carlisle relayed his earlier conversation with Charlie, similar to the one I'd had with Seth. I could only nod in response pinching the bridge of my nose in concentration. I debated whether or not I should run after them, especially knowing the wolves were around, or stay with him and explain what I had discovered.
Carlisle, sensing there was something else I had yet to share with him, dragged me to the corner of the hangar, closer to the hole in the ground leading to the underground bunker. I know that look on your face, what did you find out?
I enlightened him with what I had heard and the scent from outside, confirming the wolves were indeed around. It was not the best news he wanted to hear, but he quickly accepted this was not something we could avoid much longer. He expressed his concerns, and hoped that we could make it through the rest of the visit without a confrontation. Trying to distract me from going after Seth and Charlie, he convinced me to take a tour of the clinic.
He led me down to the stairs to show me what they had done, and introduce me to Leah Clearwater, Charlie's step-daughter. We stepped through a giant metal door which I recognized immediately. It was similar to the one on the bunker in Chicago, but that was where the similarities ended. This bunker was enormous, and I quickly understood how they all could have survived down here. Carlisle really had outdone himself and found the best possible place for the people of Forks.
There were fluorescent lights that lined the ceiling, illuminating every corner of the front room. I could hear the low hum of a generator off in the distance and noticed the faint odor of the diesel it took to run it. The room was very clinical looking, with a row of beds lining one of the walls and small curtains in between each of them, almost like a real hospital. It even smelled like one, particularly clean, sterile, or almost bleach-like. There were two typical crash carts at different intervals between the beds, and I could see a few smaller rooms to my right that must be used for operating rooms, or an emergency area. Again, for the umpteenth time today, I truly was amazed.
The only thing that seemed to be lacking were the patients, and I said as much to Carlisle.
He simply smiled and explained what Leah had told him. "No one likes to stay down here unless they have to. They'll come to get treated and unless they can't move, they prefer to stay in their own homes. It brings up too many painful memories Leah said."
"Then why have the clinic down here in the first place?" I asked confused, as I turned in a circle taking everything in.
"They were never sure if things were over, or what else was to come. This way, if they need to come back down here for any reason, they have all they need still set up. They're just taking precautionary measures." He walked over to a sink on the far wall, turning on the tap, and to my amazement, water came streaming out of it. Amazing isn't it? His thoughts mirrored mine. It's the only working one in the compound. There's a rain water basin outside they've hooked up. They can seal it off from inside if they need to. Carlisle was overjoyed by all they had accomplished. I hadn't seen him this excited in years.
"Leah does house visits for the most part. A few people are very sick right now, but they refuse to come down here." If they're going to die, they want to see the sky and smell the air from the comfort of their own bed. Can't argue with that logic. He smiled openly, his eyes lighting up.
"I'm perfectly happy not having anyone in my clinic," a feminine voice called out from behind us.
A young woman with perfect copper skin and glistening black hair appeared from one of the smaller rooms off to the side. She was rather tall, almost the height of Rosalie, and she had a sort of exotic look to her. Her brow was furrowed in concentration as she studied a clip board in her hand. Her thoughts revealed she was taking inventory, something I was all too familiar with listening to Carlisle over the years. She had no intention of paying us any attention.
"Leah," Carlisle interrupted her from her counts, "this is my son, Edward." Charlie said most of them are afraid to be here with her. She's a great healer, but not exactly the coddling type.
Leah glanced up from her clipboard, and her face matched her thoughts, she was annoyed by the interruption and the intrusion of us in her clinic.
I did my best to deflect what I could, but she was going to be a tough one to crack. "It's nice to meet you, Leah. I've heard so much about you."
"Mmhmm," she rolled her eyes at me, "I can imagine," and continued with her counting. They may not be blood, but the Doc sure knows how to pick good genes for his family.
I tried to disguise my smirk and responded with a little more flattery. "The clinic is amazing. My father tells me you've done some really great things on your own."
"Dr. Gerandy was a good man and a good doctor. He would be proud of you, Leah," Carlisle praised her, trying the same tactic as myself, but I wasn't sure it was working.
"Well, he left me with this mess, and I didn't have much choice, did I?" she said harshly.
My head suddenly filled with the same menacing voice from outside, hatred spewing inside someone's head.
Bloodsuckers…Leeches…Charlie doesn't get a choice.
Carlisle, sensing my alarm silently asked what was the matter, but before I could respond the rank odor of wet dog overwhelmed us both. We quickly turned to face the door, and Carlisle, ever so slightly, stepped in front of me as we watched three fully grown, extremely large Quileutes walk through the solid metal door. Their bulking forms filled the front room and blocked the only way in and out of the clinic.
"Jake! Charlie warned you!" Leah yelled at the enormous man who stood in front of us as she made her way over to him. He towered over her, but that didn't seem to stop her or scare her. She shoved on his bare-chest. "Out! He told you, you're not allowed in here today. Get out! And for God's sake … how many times do I have to tell you? Put a shirt on."
So this was Jacob Black? He was a good foot taller than Carlisle and I, and as wide as Emmett. This was definitely not the scrawny kid I remembered, and he was definitely going to be trouble.
"Well, maybe you should run off and tell Charlie then?" Jacob laughed coldly, and then glared down at her, while the other two men at his side never took their eyes off of Carlisle or me. Their thoughts were filled with disgust, but surprisingly they were curious as well.
"I'm not leaving you alone in here, Jake. The Cullens have done nothing wrong, and I don't understand what your problem is, just leave them alone!" Leah was right up next to him, her finger wagging in his face.
"We just want to have a good chat with the Doctor, and remind him of a few things. You know, like we do with all newcomers." He leaned in closer to her and looked like he was about to take a bite out of her finger. "We're just going to explain the rules, but if you think that's an issue, then take it up with Charlie." I heard Jacob's thoughts, and it seemed he and his 'crew' had orchestrated the gunshots purposely to get Charlie and Seth away from us, and now he wanted Leah to join them so he could have his private discussion.
"I don't think so, Jake," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm, "nice try."
"Suit yourself." He smiled, shrugging his shoulders, and in one fell swoop, he picked her up under his arm, took two giant steps toward the door, and then placed her on the other side of it before locking it shut, all within a matter of seconds.
We could hear her cursing and yelling on the other side, and her thoughts were murderous as she turned away from the door and ran up the stairs.
Let me talk. I need you to watch their tempers, and yours, Carlisle said silently in his head. He was just slightly in front of me, like he was protecting me, I just wasn't sure if he was protecting me from them, or from myself.
I listened in on the others thoughts, and their minds were running rampant with all kinds of questions. First and foremost they wanted to know what our intentions were and whether we were here to stay.
"Jacob?" Carlisle asked tentatively with his hands in the air. "I'm Carlisle Cullen, this is my son, Edward. I think you two have met before." Jacob did nothing to acknowledge either one of us.
"I see you're aware of … " Carlisle struggled with the right words, "what we are, and I can only assume you have a lot of questions to ask us."
Jacob's lip turned up, while he wrinkled his nose in disgust and his body started to tremble, struggling to maintain control. "I only have one question," he snarled. "When are you leaving?"
"I take it that isn't really a question," Carlisle lowered his hands, "and you're not referring to just today at the compound," he said sadly, sighing before continuing. "Jacob, I knew your great-grandfather, Ephraim. He was a good man and a reasonable one."
"Well, I'm not him," he spat back.
"No, I can see that. But perhaps we can come to an understanding," Carlisle offered, I couldn't see his face, but I knew his eyes would be kindly and imploring, not the image that the wolves were relaying back to me of a blood-thirsty red-eyed demon dressed as Carlisle.
"Nothing has changed with my family since we made the treaty with your great-grandfather," Carlisle continued. "In fact, it's much easier for us now than all those years ago. We still abide by the same lifestyle and rules."
I saw an image of the treaty boundary flash in Jacob's head at hearing Carlisle's words.
This is not going to be good, I thought. They knew someone had crossed the line.
"That's where you're wrong, leech. One of you crossed the boundary, you broke the treaty. All bets are off. And from the smell I'd say it was pretty boy, there." He nodded his head at me in repulsion, and I noticed the other two trembled while they took a deep breath. They were very close to losing control. My guess was that they didn't encounter vampires too much, and their practiced control over the years was being tested to the limit. I felt myself tense, ready for whatever was about to happen.
Edward, let me handle this, Carlisle's thoughts broke through the others. "You're correct, Jacob, my son did cross over the line, and he's sorry for it and meant no harm by it." He raised his hands again, hoping they would take it as a peace offering. "We really only want to help."
"We don't need your help, and we certainly don't want it."
"We can help, Jacob," Carlisle disagreed, trying his hand at diplomacy, something he excelled at. "You have done tremendously well over the years, we can see that, but we have supplies and food that you could desperately use. Are you going to deny the good folks here that help?"
I saw the man on the left of Jacob waver a little, and the M&M's Alice had given Seth flashed in his head. The other man also flashed to an image of Seth and his animated tales of the food he had eaten while visiting us. I could see they were torn between their duties as wolves, and the wanting of some of the creature comforts that Seth had shared with them. From what I understood, they didn't have a choice in the matter, Jacob was their 'Alpha' and whatever he said was law amongst the wolves.
"We don't need your help," Jacob said again, his anger seeping through. "We don't need help from bloodsuckers. We can provide for our own people. But I'm willing to make a deal, but only for the sake of Charlie."
"I'm listening," Carlisle said.
"We'll leave your boy alone," he nodded his head arrogantly at me again, "as long as you leave the area, and never come back. It's only fair. He broke the treaty, we have a right to fight back, but we're willing to overlook it, provided you leave quietly." He finished with a cocky grin, thinking he had Carlisle between a rock and a hard place. In his head he was calling me a coward.
I was sick of this pup and his disrespectful tone with Carlisle. I was just about to step forward and take the challenge, but Carlisle put his arm out, stopping me in my tracks. I said I would handle this!
My chest started rumbling with a low growl as I glared back at Jacob.
Edward! That's enough. Control yourself, Carlisle screamed in his head at me. He took a deep breath, and his voice was calm and even. "That's a fair request, but if I recall correctly, it was you, Jacob, who broke the treaty in the first place over ten years ago by revealing our secret to a human. We overlooked that because violence is not our way."
The two men beside Jacob were definitely shocked to hear that he had broken the treaty, they obviously had no idea. For a split second, Jacob's face fell as he processed Carlisle's words. My heart sunk as I saw Jacob, remembering the day on the beach when he told Bella of the legends. I never did like this kid, and he sure as hell never liked me. I could see that this wasn't exactly about my family, this was a vendetta against me. Jacob quickly collected himself, trying to turn this into his advantage.
"I was young and foolish, I didn't know any better, but you're right, I did break it. I won't deny it, I'm no coward," he said through clenched teeth. "But that doesn't mean we'll sit by idly and let you have these people for your own personal buffet." We could feel the anger rippling off him, and he was dangerously close to losing control. The men beside him shifted, one of them grabbing his arm speaking his name in a low voice. Jacob flinched at the man's grasp.
"Quil, you got a problem you can leave," he growled at the man to his left.
"Jake, come on, man. Get yourself under control," the man named Quil said.
"Have you forgotten who gets to make the calls now?" Jacob snapped back, never taking his eyes from us.
"No, I haven't. But you know what your dad said last night. We owe our lives and everyone in this compound to these … these … " he struggled for what to call us, "to the Cullens," he finally finished. "They have a right to explain themselves."
"Sure. Sure. They'll get their chance, and then murder us all in our sleep. Is that enough of an explanation for you? They're leeches, Quil. Bloodsuckers. Killers. They're a plague on this earth, that's enough explanation for me."
"Jake—" Quil tried to reason with him.
"What is it you want from us, Jacob," Carlisle intervened, again trying to be the peacekeeper.
"You have a choice … " Jacob shrugged his shoulders, "you can all leave quietly, no questions asked, or your boy here, can answer for breaking the treaty. We'll let the rest of you stay as long as you want, but a new treaty will be drawn up to include the compound." He said it simply, all the while glaring at me. His thoughts were murderous toward me, and I realized that was all he wanted, a go at me. He flexed his fists, cracking his knuckles, and smirked knowingly while an image of him getting a chance to take me out flashed across his head.
"That's it? You got it!" I seethed, pushing Carlisle out of the way and within an instant I was standing toe to toe with Jacob Black. "If that's all it will take for my family to live here peacefully, I'll take that deal," I said, my eyes narrowing at the stench and closeness of the three wolves who had all moved into a defensive position. Growls erupted from my chest, while the tension in the room was alive, almost like a breathing entity surrounding each of us. "You can try to take me out," I fumed, raging at the idea that he thought he could kill me.
"Gladly," he mused, mocking me while looking down at me, another image of Bella flashed in his head. One of her in his arms smiling at him, she was wearing a blue dress …
"Edward!" Carlisle yelled, trying to pull me back from Jacob. The room erupted in yells and chaos as Carlisle tried to hold me back and the two men on either side of Jacob were grabbing him. Our yells echoed off the concrete walls, creating a deafening sound as we grunted and growled, twisting and turning in our blocker's arms. I had been waiting for Jacob to phase, but for the most part he was under control, while I was far from it. He wanted me to attack, he was hoping for it so he could prove his point. He had been goading me this entire time, and I should have known better.
Edward, get under control. This is not the place. I told you I would handle this. This is not the way. Carlisle's thoughts flooded my head just as three sharp bangs on the outer door interrupted our fracas.
"Jacob! Open this door!" Charlie's voice bellowed on the other side the door, followed by more sharp bangs, which I could see he was using the butt of his shotgun to be more effective.
"Jacob!"
More yells from others that I recognized as Leah and Seth, and two other male voices. Jacob and his counterparts cursed, as they recognized the men on the other side of the door. Jacob forcefully removed himself from their grip, taking three large strides to reach the door, turning to us as he grabbed the wheel.
"This is far from over," he said, while he jerked the wheel to the left.
The door swung open, and Charlie and Seth pushed their way inside, guns raised pointing them at the three large men. The last time I had seen Charlie this angry was ten years ago when I showed up on his doorstep asking for information about Bella.
"Carlisle, you two alright?" he asked while his furious glare remained fixed on Jacob.
Carlisle raised his hands in defense. "Charlie, we're fine, we were just having a discussion." He smiled, trying to diffuse the tension in the air.
"I'll bet," he said, lowering his gun as Leah and the other two men came through the door. I assumed one was Billy Black, knowing he was in a wheelchair, and was being pushed into the room by another man who was almost as large as Jacob and his friends, but instead of the short clipped hair like theirs, he had long, straight, black hair that almost fell to his waist.
The tension was fading somewhat as Charlie walked toward us. We stood on one side of the room, while on the other, stood seven Quileutes, the most we had ever been in contact with since the days of Ephraim Black.
Interesting.
Only Carlisle would find all this 'interesting.' I was starting to see why he wanted Jasper and Emmett away from this situation. With the two of them here, it easily could have taken a very different turn than it did. My temper was usually under control, but Jacob Black knew exactly how to push my buttons, and that was something I had not been prepared for.
A throat cleared, and Billy Black spoke up.
"Jake," he said in a voice that commanded respect, "take your boys outside. We'll talk about this later."
"No," was Jacob's defiant response.
"Jake!" the man with the long hair commanded, staring him down.
"You're not in charge anymore, Sam, or did you forget that already," Jacob challenged.
"I'll not say it again," Billy said, and Seth cocked his shotgun, raising it loosely in their direction showing them they meant business.
Jacob laughed at Seth. "You gonna shoot me? You?" he mocked.
"Yeah, I might, and then the good Doc here might have to stitch you up. How you feel about that? You forget whose land you're standing on. It's the Doc who should be telling you to leave." Seth stared defiantly at Jacob.
Carlisle shifted uncomfortably. He never believed this was his land, he had owned it at one point, but as far as he was concerned it belonged to the town of Forks and its people. He would never claim it, I knew as much, even though he had every right to. He was about to respond to Seth on the matter, when the man named Sam stepped between the two of them grabbing the barrel of the shotgun. He spoke in Quileute to Jacob and the other two. Charlie, Carlisle and I didn't understand what was being said, but Jacob conceded dropping his shoulders in defeat. He slowly turned, glowering at me.
You and I have unfinished business, his silent thoughts echoed in my head before he left the room.
He knew I could read his mind, again something I was definitely not prepared for. I can't imagine that Charlie would have said anything, perhaps Seth mentioned it in passing, but I doubted they had much to talk about, from the looks of it they weren't exactly on agreeable terms.
"I'm sorry about that," Charlie apologized to us setting the shotgun down on one of the stainless steel counters. "We tried to keep him away today, but I guess he had some words he needed to get off his chest."
"Everything okay?" Carlisle asked.
"Oh, yeah, it was just a diversion to get us away from you two . It worked," he said with a slight snicker to his voice.
Billy rolled his wheelchair toward us with hesitation in his eyes. "Please forgive my son, he has a short temper." The others chuckled at Billy's words.
"This is Billy Black, Jake's father. And this is Sam Uley, he keeps the peace around here." Charlie introduced the two men, and none of us made a move to shake the other's hands. Carlisle was fairly certain that gesture would have been pushing things. We were surprised to hear that Sam was essentially the sheriff of the compound, we had just assumed it was Charlie.
"Oh no …" Charlie chuckled responding to Carlisle's question. "I gave that up awhile ago. I step in when I'm needed, but for the most part Sam does all the dirty work."
I searched Sam's mind for some insight, however, I could decipher only a little. His thoughts were well guarded. He was pack leader at one time, right before he took over for Charlie. The thoughts that were swirling around in the rest of everyone's heads were kind of giving me a headache. Charlie was worried that Jacob's little outburst would cost the compound a good doctor, and he would never get a chance to repay us for all that we had done. Seth was angry at Jacob's insinuations, while Leah was annoyed by all the testosterone in the room, and Billy, like Sam, was also cautious about his thoughts.
"Sue is cooking up a big meal, and I was really hoping that you two would stay for dinner," Charlie said graciously. From the corner of my eye I saw Sam sneer slightly at Charlie's words.
"Thank you, Charlie. That's really kind of you, but Edward and I have to get going."
"You have to stay," Seth stepped forward, "we shot a buck yesterday, and my mom makes the best stew around." He looked hopeful, expecting us to say yes.
"Thank you, I'm sure it's delicious, but it'll be dark soon, and Esme and Alice will be worried if we aren't home," Carlisle explained and being the clear-headed thinker added, "besides, we really shouldn't leave them on their own after dark." Seth and Charlie nodded in agreement, knowing it was risky to leave two women alone, unprotected at night.
Seth asked when we were going to return, and the others shifted uncomfortably waiting for our answer.
"We have a few things to take care of back at the house. We have some more supplies coming soon. My daughter and son went to get them, perhaps when they return." Seth looked extremely disappointed, so Carlisle added, "Seth, you are more than welcome to come out to the house any time you like. I extend the invitation to each of you."
Seth was enthusiastic, as usual, and said he would drag Leah along with him. I saw Leah's curiosity pique a little, her thoughts wondering about Alice and Esme and the clothes they had sent earlier. She scoffed at Seth, despite the contrary in her mind.
"We brought a few things we'd like to leave with you. My mother and sister packed the jeep up with more stuff they thought you could use." Billy Black and Sam Uley were extremely conflicted in their thoughts. They didn't want to like us, and they didn't want our help. It went against thousands of years of ingrained hatred, but they also knew exactly what we had done for their people, and what we continued to do. It was not going to be easy to overcome the legends, but maybe we could come to an understanding somehow.
"We could use some help unloading all of it," I said, knowing we needed to get going. Carlisle and I had a lot to discuss on the drive home, and a lot of decisions to be made.