Hello once again dear readers :):):)
Exceptionally, I was able to write a new chapter during this vacation :)
Happy Easter to those celebrating it today.
thank you for all those who took time in reviewing, alerting and favouriting. i love you guys :)
A HUGE thank you for the amazing Istvry for betareading this chapter
Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer is like... Karl Marx, planting revolutionary seeds in our heads and watching those grains grow. Each one of us interpret those theories in his own way. Result: hundred thousands of Stories to tell. (A/N: relying on historical facts and NOT on personal opinion. Respect)
"Leah?" he called out to me. His rage was well-hidden behind a mask of pure blandness. I was not used to seeing this cold impassive Jacob. I guess tonight is all about ugly surprises and black revelations.
I winced at Jacob's dead glare. Nothing is more venomous than Jacob's cold wrath. Anger is not an alien emotion when it comes to anyone carrying the werewolf genes. Our fiery temperature has the tendency to aid the fury to seep into our veins, boiling our blood further and thus causing the metamorphosis. Our transformation became too natural and intuitive that we stopped thinking about the mechanism of it or try to fight it. We're not much of Self-Control seekers like the cold ones. Quite the opposite, instincts play the biggest part in any fight for us.
When I snapped out of my thoughts, Jacob was still standing his ground on the porch waiting for some reaction on my part. Or maybe just an explanation. It is not every day that he finds out from a bunch of bloodsuckers that his beta kept the biggest secret in the world hidden from him, the vilest threat to Renesmee. From that point of view, I should be grateful; Jacob's instant reactions tend to be more instinctive and abrupt than rational, especially when it comes to the hybrid's safety. But this time, I could tell hewas thinking. Maybe he sees it as an exercise to empower his Alpha Strategic Mind.
Suddenly, my own thoughts made me feel nauseous. I was angry at myself. How could I? How could I hide something this HUGE from him? Isn't he the only person I sincerely trust? My guilty conscious did not let Edward Cullen off the hook. He shouldn't have done what he did, but still… I shouldn't have done it. I bend my head down and whined in total mortification.
That's when Alice showed up on the porch, setting some clothes on the stairs. Jacob's eyes never left mine as he let Alice forcefully tug him inside the house. The scene would have been comical if the situation wasn't so dangerously not in my favor. He was disappointed in me. My conscious was burning me at that moment, how could I even think for a moment to throw my entire burden, my duties towards my family on him?
The house was quiet, too quiet, like those haunted houses during Halloween. I quickly phased, and put the clothes on. They were obviously Rosalie's. I grimaced at the strong vanilla scent that would be following me for the rest of my short-lived life.
I went inside to face them.
They were all sitting in complete silence in the enormous living room. Their eyes didn't leave the floor. Esme looked like she was on the verge of crying if she could. The sight of her agonized face almost shattered my heart to a million of pieces, and that coming from me, merciless Leah Clearwater.
Even Jacob was not looking at me, so making as much noise as I could, I went and sat on the sofa opposing The Traitor and his wife. I sent him a death glare which could be interpreted as the optical equivalent of a punch to the face. He met my eye and nodded in acknowledgement.
"It was in everyone's best interest. It was in my best intention," he smoothly explained his actions.
I eyed him incredulously before launching myself at him. 'You sick ba…"
"HEY!" Surprisingly it was Jacob who pushed me on the sofa. Bella was standing defensively in front of her husband. I glowered at them before yelling, "Well guess again, psycho (I saw Bella flinching which only made my smirk grow wider) I don't need you to think for me. That was MY decision to make."
"Not when you are being chased because of us in the first place!" he scowled back.
That got under my skin. I stood still. So he wasn't implying…that they were planning to leave?
I saw Edward smirking slightly "Never did I assume you thought so little of us, Leah."
That is when I heard someone clear his throat before he started talking. It was Carlisle. "Speaking for my family and myself, I never had the chance to thank you enough forprotecting and bringing such well-being to my family, Leah. You are a wonderful person Leah, even if you show it in the oddest ways possible. We are very grateful to you, we even consider you as one of our own. I really hope the feeling is mutual and that you do consider us as your second family," he nodded humbly, his eyes never leaving mine, his eyes faithfully mirroring the honestly and the modesty of this man who had three hundred years on my age. If Doc was a politician, I was more than positive he would have made it at the very top of the most influential peace-makers in history; right next to Gandhi, Martin Luther King and the 14th Dalai Lama.
Suddenly, the memory of our last encounter with the Volturi came flashing before my eyes: Disorganized rows of vampires and werewolves facing the world's most dangerous murderers. The image focused on my wolf-self standing to Jacob's right. My expression was one of a martyr while Jacob was... in pain?
Just as quickly, the image vanished. I looked up to see Renesmee softly smiling down at me. The reflection of that gloomy day should have been enough to traumatize me since it took me exactly a year to get over my paranoia and my constant nightmares and to readjust to normality after the fiasco. The aftermath of the battle was just as worse amemory as the 5 hour encounter was. But I was surprisingly calm.
"You stood up for me once, Leah. I guess the payback time has come, hasn't it?" She exclaimed in her soft tranquilizing voice.
That's when I saw Edward, Bella and Jacob exchanging glances.
It was Jacob who beat them to it. "Actually Nessie…"
"NO!" the hybrid protested tightening her grip on my arm; she actually blocked my blood circulation making it hard for me to breath. "I want to be there." She added in a firm voice, meeting Jacob's eyes as if challenging him to deny her what she wants.
Jacob was left tongue-tied. Nessie was unquestionably his most beautiful dream, but she is also one of his worst nightmares. He can't seem to be able to refuse her ANYTHING. It is during times like these that I am almost grateful I cannot imprint.
When he saw Jacob falter, Edward took over: "Renesmee," his authoritarian tone suggesting the end of the discussion.
Renesmee was about to protest when her mother gave her a stern look and Rosalie came over to comfort her, running her hand through Nessie's soft auburn locks. She was obviously upset. She looked pleadingly at me. Her only savior, she assumed. Her eyes flickered to Jacob meaningfully. She was frightened for him too. Because she knows he's coming with me.
It suddenly hit me: everyone wanted to confront the Volturi with me. That was what Carlisle meant when he lectured me about the bond that we supposedly share. They talked it through and they made their decision.
Payback.
It was time I say something anyway. I looked around, my eyes setting on each one of them; my second family. Who would willingly come with me to fight an already lost battle? My voice was soft, my eyes pleading them to understand. "Umm. Nessie, your parents are right. It is too dangerous for you to come," She looked hurt as if I just stabbed her in the back, "but seeing how it's too death-defying for all of you to come, I just wish to go confront the Volturi alone. I hope you will all respect my decision"
It was too quiet for exactly six seconds, before everyone burst into loud disputes and failed attempts in convincing me to reconsider my choice.
"Leah dear," Carlisle started in his soothing voice, "I believe that it is also too dangerous for you to go on your own. And I believe it is my family and I's obligation to protect you just like you stood up for one of our own."
"Hell yeah, if they ever laid a finger on my niece in law, they would pay the prize hard! With Isabella's shield, we could do miracles! Jasper and I can take down Felix and Santiago while..."
I tuned him out as he and Jasper began discussing strategies and fighting tactics. It was my turn to stare at the floor in total mortification. What the hell were they thinking? They could never defeat the Volturi. I bet all of them, and not only the two burly men, were dirty fighters. What would decades of brotherly fights do against centuries of experience and expert fighting abilities? And even if we did, by some miracle, defeat them, just like Alice has already predicted, Aro would never take the death of Alec and Jane lightly. He would surely avenge them. In both cases, it is a death/death situation.
Was there any kind of compromise to be made with the Volturi? One that allows me to stay here and keep everyone else out of harm's way? I doubt it.
A negative response would lead to death. The Volturi are straight-forward but criminals nonetheless. My mind raced back to a specific moment during the confrontation: Irina's execution. She was barely given the time to explain herself and when the words already betrayed her, she was exterminated just like a nuisance, a meaningless parasite. More dangerously, she was destroyed by Cauis himself in front of everyone, especially her sisters. No one missed the mischievous look he shot the Denalis afterwards, daring them to challenge him. The sisters visited once, and it was obvious in their eyes that the scene of Irina's death still haunted them.
I could never do that to the Cullens, to Renesmee, to Carlisle, to Esme, to Jacob. I do not want their last memory of me to be a cold disfigured corpse lying motionless in the middle of the meadow. I looked up to see Edward flinching at my mental image.
I was on a train headed straight to the cliff and I could do nothing to stop it except push the Cullens out of the way. It was now or never.
I cleared my throat before I announced my finale decision in a confident determined voice. "As much as I appreciate your concern, guys, I would like to confront my fate alone." I looked at the elder Cullen as I continued, "And if you respect me and cherish my presence as much as you claim you do, then I am asking you to please let me be."
My gaze roamed around before I requested them to give me their word on it. My voice was quivering by then. They all nodded, pained "I promises" flew around. My gaze stopped at Jacob. He hesitated, obviously torn before Nessie held his hand, he nodded and scowled "but don't you dare die!"
"Tell Seth and Mom sorry of my part."
I couldn't hold the tears any longer, Esme following her maternal instincts, held me for a long, long time before I numbly cried myself to sleep.
so i hope you liked it...
makes me nervous when you don't tell me what you think guys, so HONEST reviews are more than welcome ^.^
If you have any suggestions, expectations propositions, please do share. i still haven't figured the end yet. i always thought the end would build itself through the data used in all the chapters but now i am not so sure so... :)
Love
~G