AN ~ This was a challenge to write. The whole thing is so much more complicated than Bella or Edward see it. Hopefully I did a good job of getting this across.
Disclaimer: I don't own New Moon BUT I did have a freaking awesome-turned-horrible dream-turned-nightmare that I won a set visit to Breaking Dawn where I got to meet the whole cast AND Steph and then I got a migraine so I missed my plane and had to give my tickets to my sister who doesn't even like Twilight! Grr!
Chapter Twenty Five: Propositions
Carlisle:
"I feel like it should be all dilapidated," Esme murmured, looking around in awe as we walked slowly into the house. There was a thin layer of dust over everything, a few cobwebs here and there, but apart from that nothing had changed. It was quite eerie.
In the main room, the boxes we had taken with us were stacked. There was a message from their deliverers - the Denalis - on the landline telephone on the kitchen bench.
"Jasper called to let us know why you had to disappear so fast," Tanya began. "I'm guessing you guys got one hell of a fright, but it's good to know Edward's okay. Anyway, we figured you'd want your stuff back so we had it mailed over."
"We kiiiinda might have broken in," Kate put in. "You guys are terrible housekeepers. Where's the key to that poor family's house?"
"Kate, I'm sure they weren't thinking about that," Eleazer pointed out from somewhere across the room.
"True, but-" Kate tried to argue.
"Guys! Phone!" Tanya snapped, silencing her companions. She returned to the mouthpiece with a more somber tone. "If you want to talk about it, we're here for you - any and all of you, any time. We're family."
The message cut off, and we stood in silence, sparing a moment to consider and appreciate the generosity of our dearest friends - or, perhaps more fitting, the Alaskan half of our family.
At that moment, Rosalie and Emmett entered.
"So what happened?" Rosalie asked, leaning her shoulder against the door frame. "Start at the beginning – when you figured out I was wrong. I want to know everything. It's my stupid fault this even happened."
"Rose, don't," Alice sighed. She pulled in a chair from the dining room, and Esme and I sat on the lounge, sending up a little puff of dust. Jasper stood behind Alice's chair, and Emmett stood with Rosalie just inside the doorway. Alice opened her mouth to begin her tale, and frowned, unsure of where to start.
"Start from Forks, Alice," I prompted. "What did we miss?"
"Well, I originally went to Forks to see what I could do to help Charlie…I didn't dare hope Bella was alive," she explained. Just like that, she was off like a rocket. "But it wasn't Charlie's car that pulled into the drive. Bella came in. That friend of hers – Jacob Black? – he's a werewolf, by the way.
So anyway…"
Alice launched into her story so vibrantly and dramatically one would have been totally convinced that she was right in the thick of it and yet would never believe that she was but one false move from a swift death. I listened intently, hearing every detail. The werewolves being back; the phone call; the plane trip; stealing the car; rushing to Volterra. At some points in the story, I could feel myself going even colder and more pale than usual. Aro must really be intrigued by Alice: no other vampire I know could have wheedled their way out of that mess.
At last, Alice reached the happy ending, and Rosalie managed a smile.
"That's better," Emmett commented, kissing his wife's cheek. "I hate seeing you so torn up." She chuckled and elbowed him.
"That's more like it," he said with a grin.
"Come on," she suggested. "I need something to eat."
Alice and Jasper disappeared upstairs, and Esme and I to my study to put all my books back in their shelves. An hour or so later, we were interrupted by a familiar scent. I was surprised at the time – it was only two in the morning – but I was glad of the smell.
"Bella," Esme breathed, smiling.
"Carlisle? Esme? Rosalie? Emmett? Jasper? Alice?" Edward called.
"Go on, honey, I'll be down in a moment," Esme assured me. I ran up behind Bella and had to check myself before I strangled the life out of her with a hug. She could have disappeared to safe, vampire-free Florida but she was back in Forks - better, back in this house, Edward at her side as he was no doubt determined to be for as long as he could manage it.Mind you, he didn't look too pleased with the objective of this early morning visit.
"Welcome back, Bella," I greeted with a smile. She jumped and twisted around to face me. "What can we do for you this morning? I imagine, due to the hour, that this is not a purely social visit?"
"I'd like to talk to everyone at once, if that's okay," she replied. "About something important."
Her changing? I speculated, glancing at Edward. He didn't need to reply: his resigned expression gave me my answer.
"Of course." I nodded. "Why don't we talk in the other room?"
I led the way into the dining room, flicking lights on as I walked. I could hear the rest of the family converge as I pulled a chair out for Bella at the head of the table. She was trying not to look too stunned at her suddenly large audience.
I sat down to her right, Edward to her left, and the rest of the table filled in. Alice was grinning at Bella – apparently she already knew what was going on – and Rosalie was smiling tentatively. I knew she'd never hated the girl…but I knew she wouldn't like what was about to be discussed. Emmett and Jasper looked curious. Esme was worried and excited at the same time. I bit my lip, uncertain about how to feel.
"The floor is yours," I invited, nodding towards Bella. She swallowed hard, and her heart started beating faster. She took a deep breath to slow it down.
"Well…I'm hoping Alice has told you everything that happened in Volterra?" Bella inquired.
"Everything," Alice confirmed.
"And on the way?"
"That too."
"Good. Then we're all on the same page." I tried not to stare at her too intensely. I knew this was difficult. Bella's heart pounded in her chest, an even beat now but louder than before.
"So, I have a problem," she said at last. "Alice promised the Volturi that I would become one of you. They're going to send someone to check, and I'm sure that's a bad thing – something to avoid. And so, now, this involves all of you. I'm sorry for that." Bella continued to speak, her eyes sweeping around the table as I tried not to remember my time with the Volturi.
I had seen their version of justice, and I didn't doubt they would kill Bella and anyone who got in their way. Aro's friendship was a valuable commodity in this world, but if you offended him it meant nothing. I knew that. I wouldn't be stupid enough to challenge that: not for much. For Bella, though…I would throw it away for her if it came to that.
I wouldn't have to, though, if Bella was one of us by the time Aro sent his messenger. Edward grimaced, and I pushed the notion to the back of my mind. I hated to consider it, I hated to hurt him like that, but to be honest, it looked like the best choice...if not the only one. I looked between the two of them: Bella would be sacrificing all ties with her father, her mother, nearly her entire current life. Yet she wanted this, she wanted Edward even though she knew the cost. If she was willing to trade lives, did we even have a right to stand in her way? But if she did trade lives, would either of them come to regret it? Would Edward ever forgive himself?
"…but if you don't want me, then I'm not going to force myself on you, whether Alice is willing or not." Bella's words interrupted my thoughts. It sounded like she was going to put a question to us. A vote. My stomach flipped over - a disconcerting feeling even though I hadn't used it in a few hundred years.
"Please, let me finish," Bella continued. "You all know what I want, and I'm sure you know what Edward thinks too. I think the only fair way to decide is for everyone to have a vote. If you decide you don't want me then…I guess I'll go back to Italy alone. I can't have them coming here." My eyes snapped open. I stared at Bella, trying not to panic.
"Taking into account, then," she concluded, "that I won't put any of you in danger either way…I want you to vote yes or no on the issue of me becoming a vampire."
I shut my eyes tightly for a moment. I'm not ready for this! With the others, it had been a split-second decision; life or death. This was entirely different. This was...this was...
I opened my eyes again, and Bella gestured for me to begin.
.o.o.o.
I couldn't open my mouth. I tried to swallow, but my throat was bone-dry. What could I say? "No, Bella, this is a stupid idea and if you were any normal human you'd have moved out of the country by now?" No, although that was probably true. "Yes, Bella, I'd love to – here, sit down and tie your hair up?" I glanced at Edward.
"Just a minute," he interrupted. "I have something to add before we vote." Bella sighed. Edward ignored it.
"About the danger Bella's referring too: I don't think we need to be overly anxious. You see, there was more than one reason why I didn't want to shake Aro's hand there at the end. There's something they didn't think of, and I didn't want to clue them in." Edward grinned. It was such a change from his previous expression that Esme jumped.
"Which was?" Alice prodded, her expression skeptical.
"The Volturi are overconfident – and with good reason. Do you remember Demitri? He finds people – that's his talent; why they keep him." he glanced at Bella. She shuddered: Edward took that for a yes. The hope of a second option that Edward's plan had instilled in me slowly melted away.
Edward this is ridiculous. Demitri's never failed. Ever. For you, of all people, to risk Bella, of all people…
"Now, that whole time we were with any of them, I was picking their brains for anything that might save us, getting as much information as possible," Edward went on animatedly. "So I saw how Demitri's talent works. He's a tracker – a tracker a thousand times more gifted than James was. His ability is loosely related to what I can do, or what Aro does. He catches the…flavour? I don't know how to describe it…the tenor…of someone's mind, and then he follows that. It works over immense distances – but after Aro's little experiments, well…" Edward shrugged, and under different circumstances I might have smiled at the apparent simplicity of the solution. What stopped Edward and Aro reading Bella's mind and blocked Jane's illusion of torture might also keep Demitri from finding her.
"You think he won't be able to find me," Bella stated dryly.
"I'm sure of it," Edward replied smugly. "He relies totally on that other sense; when it doesn't work with you, they'll all be blind."
That's all well and good, Edward,I interrupted, but what if it doesn't work? You're being the overconfident one now, son. I beg you, think this through…
Edward ignored me.
"And how does that solve anything?" Bella asked.
"Quite obviously." Edward was happy to explain. "Alice will be able to tell me when they're planning a visit, and I'll hide you. They'll be helpless: it'll be like looking for a piece of straw in a haystack!" I frowned when he and Emmett exchanged a smirk: he was enjoying this a little too much.
"But they can find you," Bella pointed out.
"And I can take care of myself," Edward reminded her. Emmett laughed and reached across the table, offering a fist.
"Excellent plan, my brother," he said enthusiastically. Edward stretched his arm out and smacked Emmett's fist with his own.
"No," Rosalie objected, crossing her arms firmly.
"Absolutely not," Bella agreed.
"Nice," Jasper murmured, nodding approvingly.
"Idiots," Alice muttered with a roll of her eyes.
Esme just glared at Edward.
Bella straightened in her chair.
"All right, then," she said. "Edward has offered an alternative for you to consider. Let's vote."