Chapter Fifty Five

Rose

None of us could believe it, the very idea of losing Jamie made me feel sick and I couldn't begin to imagine what it must be doing to Bella and Jazz. I promised myself that I would help Carlisle as much as I could. There had to be a way to stop the destruction of Jamie's body from within, it couldn't be allowed to happen. I continued to stroke his hair as we drove up to the Clock Tower when Jazz took him from me, carrying him up to their room. He hadn't stirred since falling asleep on my lap and that frightened me but about an hour later he was back down in the main chamber where Peter and Emmett were putting the finishing touches to the tree, having added their own decorations. Peter picked Jamie up to say hello to the Moose head he and Emmett had found in a shop. Every time someone went past it started to sing Jingle Bells but finished with a really loud raspberry, sticking its long pink tongue out and crossing its eyes. Jamie thought it was great but his eyes widened at the sight of a fire that had been lit in the usually empty fireplace and the row of stockings hanging on the mantel piece. They were all the same size except for the one in the centre which was huge.

"Who's that for Uncle Em?"

"That was for Big Foot but he can't make it so he's lending it to you"

"Will Santa fill it?"

His eyes were huge but I noticed dark circles around them, if he had been a vampire I would have said he was thirsty.

Bella

I took Jamie to one of the tiny kitchens provided for the human staff and gave him dinner but he wasn't hungry, most unlike him. Jasper came in as he pushed his food around with his fork.

"Not hungry Cowboy?"

Jamie shook his head then looked up at us and we saw tears in his eyes. Jazz picked him up,

"Tell me what's wrong Jamie"

"I don't know Daddy, the floor keeps wobbling and I feel sick. Do you think Santa will come if I'm not well?"

"Of course, he'll be extra sure to come to a little boy who's not feeling well."

Jamie rested his head on Jaspers shoulder and closed his eyes. Within seconds he was asleep and I ran to find Carlisle. He came straight away to look at Jamie, his breathing and pulses were slower and he had a temperature.

"Carlisle do something"

"I am Bella. I'm trying to work out a way of stopping his venom attacking his tissues but it's not easy. I promise you I'm working as quickly as I can"

I nodded,

"We know that Carlisle, we're just worried. We'll take him to bed, you tell the others he was tired. No need to worry everyone yet."

He nodded and went back but they would know, we couldn't hide it and Emmett came up to see us, putting his arms around me, I leaned into my big brother and closed my eyes, unwilling to meet his pitying eyes any longer. I wanted to scream, smash things, but there was nothing I could do that would help.

Carlisle

Things were getting serious and I still had no idea what to do, there was no way of stopping his body manufacturing venom or to stop it attacking his human cells. I put my head in my hands feeling helpless. Later I went to see him again, he was still asleep in Jasper's arms his thin arms wrapped around his father's neck as he slept uneasily.

"I'm still trying Jasper but I'm running out of options and Jamie is running out of time."

"I know Carlisle. I know"

He turned away and continued to rock his son in his arms, unable to do more.

Bella

The next morning Jamie seemed much better, excited when he found Santa had been and filled to overflowing his enormous stocking. Everywhere was soon covered in wrapping paper and sticky tape as he ripped his presents open. The amount of presents was staggering but his favorite by far was a mini quad bike which he insisted on riding around the Great Chamber with a different passenger each circuit. Jazz smiled as he watched Jamie, our present was back at home, we couldn't bring a pony to Italy and we both wondered if Jamie would ever see it. I swallowed down the lump in my throat to smile as he went past with Peter hanging on and shouting instructions. Caius and Felix also had a ride and I admit I had to laugh at Caius sitting very straight-faced as Jamie whizzed round, pressing the huge button which set off a siren and flashing lights but the funniest was Felix, slightly bigger than Emmett he really had his knees round his neck but he bore it without complaint.

Jasper

Bella and I watched Jamie closely and saw him begin to flag so I called a halt to the rides and she picked him up,

"Time for lunch Cowboy." He wriggled in her arms until she handed him to me but once in my arms he rested his head on my shoulder and was asleep within minutes, before I even got to the kitchen. He slept against my shoulder for hours, whimpering when I tried to make him more comfortable by laying him down. I had a strange feeling, as if he were inside me, looking for something and I wished he could talk in his sleep and tell me what he needed, what to do. I stood looking out over the moonlit countryside feeling helpless and insignificant. Closing my eyes I felt him shift slightly placing his little hand on my cheek, it felt like a burning brand but it made him more settled so I would suffer it.

Carlisle

I had tried everything I could think of but so far with no success, we couldn't stop Jamie's body producing venom, if we did it would help his human cells but deprive the vampire ones and that would bring its own dangers. A blood transfusion might help but only very short-term as his venom would start to act on the fresh blood which might in turn lead to the manufacture of even more venom. A transfusion of venom was also a dangerous road to travel, would it just help his own venom in attacking his blood hastening the process now occurring or would his own venom turn against the foreign type? We also had an ethical problem as the Volturi, if we created an immortal child we were breaking our own law and Jamie would certainly qualify broadly in that category. If he were only a little older it would be so much easier, if in fact we could even accomplish that. I knew Caius was thinking the same, could we make an exception? Should we? Did it make us no better than Aro who had bent and twisted the laws for his own ends?