EDWARD
Jane lunges at Bella. I react instinctively and knock her out of the way. Something whizzes by my ear. Bella had been casting a spell. She had been in no real danger. I turn to apologize to her, only to find a horrified look marring Bella's beautiful face. Following her gaze, I see Jen falling from her perch and landing in a heap on the ground. Realization dawns as Bella rushes towards her fallen friend. When I went to protect Bella, he spell misfired and hit Jen. I am responsible for killing my love's nest friend and mentor. Wait, Jen is still breathing. She's not dead. The relief that washes over me is brief as Jen does not get up.
Eliot is scooping up his wife and they vanish in green dust. Bella stands up, but her back is to me. She turns and glares at me. The air suddenly gets oppressively dense. A crackling sound fills the night. Bella's eyes glow red as she takes a single step towards me. She is pissed. My eyes widen as I consider the fact that Bella might not be in full control of her magic. She sneers at me and then turns her focus back on Alec and Jane. Four strong arms wrap around me as Jasper and Emmett drag me away. I try to struggle, but my brothers refuse to release me. We make it to a clearing about halfway back to the safe house before they stop moving. Sarah rushes by us on her own way back. That means that Bella is alone. I renew my efforts.
"Stop it, Edward," Jasper commands, sending powerful waves of calm at me.
"No, Bella is all alone with Jane and Alec," I try to continue my struggle in vain.
"Edward, have you learned nothing since we ran into Bella again?" Emmett booms at me.
"She is more than capable of taking care of both of those idiots all by herself," Jasper adds.
"But…" I start to defend myself.
"No, Edward. You screwed up…again," Emmett interrupts.
"This time your mistake could prove fatal for someone this time," Jasper continues for Emmett.
"Jane was attacking the woman that I love," I can't hide the whine in my voice.
"Everyone, except you, saw it for what it really was. Bella was biding her time until there was no way Jane could dodge her attack," Jasper snaps at me.
"Let me ask you something. What if Jen dies? That is a completely valid concern at this point," Emmett points out the one thing that I had hoped he would not.
"Will Bella ever be able to look at you again and not think of this night?" Jasper pushes the issue to make his own point.
"I don't know," I whisper.
My brothers are right. I acted without thinking. Bella expected me to treat her like the powerful witch she has become, and I failed. It was the first test of my ability to act like she is the equal she is, and I completely bombed. If Jen dies, will Bella ever be able to look at me without sadness and pain in her eyes? Will she ever be able to forgive me? Even if Bella can, and does forgive me, will I eve be able to live with myself? Can I ever forgive myself? I have taken mortal lives before, but only those that were deserving of it. If Jen dies, then I will have killed someone that, while not necessarily innocent, was doing something good and saving lives.
"Come on," Emmett interrupts my wallowing in self-pity.
"Huh?" is all I say in response.
"We need to get to the safe house so that we can check on Jen before Bella gets there. With what she has to come to terms with, Bella does not need us underfoot," Jasper explains.
We run to the safe house. On our way through the house, I get a lot of pissed looks. Alice simply points down a stairwell. As we go down the stairs, all three of us pause when we hear wailing. Dakota is sitting by Jen's bed, sobbing. Eliot looks like the weight of the world is on his shoulders. He doesn't even look up as we enter. How would I feel if our positions were reversed? Carlisle is looking at monitors and checking pages in a few medical volumes. Jen is barely breathing.
"I can't even begin to tell you how sorry I am," I say to Eliot.
"Don't worry about it," he mumbles, tonelessly. His answer surprises me.
"She knew," Carlisle simply states as he hands me a piece of paper.
I read the note all the way through twice, just to make sure that I am reading it right. Jen knew this was going to happen. Mary Beth's premonition does not surprise me at all. It was only a matter of time before I screwed things up…again. Jen chose not to dodge the spell. We were fairly close to the medical facilities that she would need and a doctor who had access to a variety of medical texts that would be needed for her care. There is a chance that she can pull through. Dakota seems to have cried herself out. Silence falls on the room. Suddenly Eliot's reaction does not surprise me at all anymore. Jen had told him in advance and he had accepted her decision. He loves her so much that he would trade places if he could. You can see it in his eyes. My heart breaks for them as I look on.
"Bella is on her way," Dakota sniffs.
"Why don't we stay with you tonight?" Alice suggests as she and Rosalie appear at the door.
"I'll be back in a couple of hours," Eliot says out of nowhere.
"Where are you going?" Carlisle gently asks him.
"Someone has to tell Jen's family," Eliot responds before he vanishes in green dust once more.
My brothers drag me to the game room where we find Jacob and Eli. All of the women have gone to be with Dakota for as long as she needs them. I had forgotten that she and Jen were so close. Someone suggests a football game. It might have been Emmett in his eternal quest to lighten the mood. Even though no one really wants to play, we all head out the back door. Bella won't have to worry about running into anyone in the house. Right as the first pass is thrown, we all hear Bella arrive at the house. The front door slams behind her. We keep on playing for hours, until Jake and Eli get tired and head to their respective suites to crash.