Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight.
The first part of this chapter was hard to write, but I had fun writing the huge argument.
Thanks again to my big sis, Caitlin, or Gotta Dance 88 for being my beta.
Chapter 11: Taking Sides
"I 'ave a bad feeling about today." Johnna said as she positioned her chocolate brown wool beret on top of her braid in front of her mirrors. She was wearing a dusty rose cropped cardigan with a matching scarf, a dark brown silk camisole, dark demin jeans, and fancy brown flats. She wore a vintage gold and rose bracelets and pink pearl drop earrings with gold flowers. Over her arm was a fluffy silver parka.
"How so?" Alice asked, straightening her silver satin ruffled blouse. She had a gray and white plaid Burberry trench coat over the side of the bed.
Johnna's face twisted in concentration. "Can't tell exactly."
Alice pulled on her soft off-white high heeled dress boots. They walked downstairs together.
"Wow Rosalie. You look good. I really like the jacket." Alice told Rosalie. Rosalie smirked from her position next to Emmett. She had a black cropped bolero jacket with a white pleated front cami underneath, with black legging styled jeans and black platform ankle boots.
"It's icy out there." Emmett told everyone as they got to school.
"Great, humans slipping everywhere." Rosalie groaned.
"Wait." Johnna called out. Everyone turned towards her. Jasper moved towards her as she began to mumble and rub her temples. "Not good. Not good at all. Not 'er."
Her explanation was cut off by a high pitch scream. Some teenager had lost control of his car. And it was headed head long towards Bella Swan. They all froze and held their breath as they heard the shattering crunch of the van folding around Bella's truck bed. The Cullens and Johnna heard a low oath and turned to see that Edward was nowhere in sight.
"He didn't. That idiot!" Rosalie hissed. She walked back to Emmett's jeep with Emmett and Jasper.
Alice and Johnna waited till Bella was safely in the ambulance that had pulled into the parking lot.
"There's going to be a huge argument, passed off as a discussion when we get home." Alice said as they ran home.
Everyone was on pins and needles when Carlisle, Edward and Rosalie finally got home. Emmett and Jasper had dropped her off at the hospital, as she had wanted to talk to Edward and Carlisle.
"Family meeting, now." Carlisle announced. They all headed for the dining room.
"So, zees es ze use of ze ozer wise useless table." Johnna said softly as she followed them into the dining room. Carlisle sat at the head of the table with Esme standing next to him. Edward sat to the right of Carlisle while Rosalie sat on his left. Jasper sat next to Rosalie as Alice went to sit next to Edward. Emmett hesitated for a moment. He smiled sadly at Edward and Alice, before heading to his wife's side of the table. They all turned to Johnna, who was watching them amusedly.
"Which side?" Esme asked gently. Johnna looked a Carlisle; her vivid eyes alight with amusement. "Voilà donc comment les vampires américains régler leurs problèmes?"( So this is how American vampires settle their problems?)
Carlisle glared at her. All Johnna did was laugh at him. This laugh was unlike any laugh the Cullens had heard from Johnna before, but Carlisle had heard it before. He heard it the day Edward left. It was not the nervous or carefree childlike laugh; instead it was highly amused, with a dark vicious edge to it.
"This isn't funny." Rosalie hissed. Johnna spun around to face Rosalie and Rosalie backed away from Johnna's smirking face.
"Au contraire, mon cher. Je trouve cela très amusant." (On the contrary, my dear. I find this very funny.)
Rosalie flinched as Johnna tactfully reminded her that Johnna was old enough to be her many great grandmother. Carlisle stood abruptly.
"Johnna Jacqueline Pierre D'Abney." He said, his voice dripping with authority. Johnna flinched at her human husband's name and then began to glare daggers at Carlisle.
"Cesser de lui cette instinant intimider." (Stop bullying her, this instant.)
Everyone backed away from Carlisle and Johnna, when they saw Johnna's eyes go pitch black and saw flecks of fire popping in and out of them. Johnna walked in front of Carlisle and made herself grow to Carlisle's height.
"Comment oser vous! Je ne suis pas partie de votre coven. Je suis offensé! Je n'étais pas l'intimider!" (How dare you! I'm not part of your coven. I'm offended! I wasn't intimidating her!) The flecks of fire in Johnna's eyes grew large as Johnna finished her rant. Carlisle sat down and gently, but firmly said. "Je suis désolé pour vous offenser. Vous êtes effrayer la famille." (I'm sorry I offended you. You're scaring the family.)
Johnna returned to her proper height and danced to the other side of the table, muttering. She sat on the table between Emmett and the empty seat next to Alice. Carlisle ignored Johnna's pointed glare and turned to Edward, who spoke. "I didn't mean to put anyone at risk and for that I am sorry. I take for responsibility for my actions."
Rosalie glared threatening at him. "You mean you're going to fix it?"
"Not the way you're thinking of. I'm willing…"
"Stop right zere, Edward." Johnna interrupted him, not bothering to stop glaring at Carlisle. "What you are willing to do es stupid and will only create a bigger mess. What es ze saying 'You're digging yourself a hole and the only way to get out is to stop digging'. Ef you leave, eet will only encourage 'er to talk, because she'll know, ef she doesn't already, zat you 'ave somezeeng to 'ide."
Emmett nodded at Johnna. "She's right, Edward. You leaving would be the opposite of helpful. We need you now more than ever to see what the humans are thinking."
"She won't say anything." Edward said. Carlisle shook his head, "We don't know that." Johnna made a very unladylike snort. Rosalie smacked her palm onto the table with a bang, making a small dent in the table. Carlisle held up his hand. "One moment Rose, then you can speak."
Rosalie grumbled. Carlisle turned to Johnna. "I would appreciate it, if you would stop glaring daggers at me Johnna." Johnna smirked and cocked an eyebrow. Carlisle glared, and then sighed at what Johnna had implied. "I would appreciate it if you didn't do that either, besides you don't own any." Johnna raised her eyebrow suggestively, making Carlisle roll his eyes.
"She can't be allowed the chance to talk." Rosalie said, drawing attention away from Johnna and Carlisle's more personal argument.
"We've left rumors behind before, Rose." Edward reminded her. "Rumors and suspicion, but not evidence." Rosalie countered.
"Rose," Carlisle warned, but Rosalie interrupted him. "Let me finish, Carlisle. She hit her head today. We'll make it look like she died in her sleep. Humans do it all the time. I'm capable of control and I wouldn't leave evidence."
Carlisle held out his hand. "Stop Rosalie. I turned my back in Rochester, because you deserved justice. This is different. The Swan girl is innocent."
"It's nothing personal. It's to protect our family." Rosalie argued. Carlisle thought for a while. The only sound was Johnna humming an unfamiliar French song. Carlisle inclined his head to look at her and raised an eyebrow in question. She shrugged, not bothering to look innocent and sent him a look that clearly said, 'You offended me and now you're paying for it.'
Carlisle closed his eyes and slowly shook his head. His eyes reopened and he looked at everyone, but Johnna. "I very much want our family to be worth protecting. The occasion accident or lapse in judgment is regrettably part of who we are. We risk losing the essence of who we are, if we start making exceptions to protect ourselves."
"It's being responsible." Rosalie scowled.
Johnna turned her heated glare on to Rosalie. "Non, et's not, mon cher. Et's called being callous. All 'uman life es precocious and shouldn't be treated with such callousness, but with respect. Why on earth would you want to lower yourself to ze level of 'uman scum 'o does such things on a regular basis?"
Carlisle turned to the family and asked. "The question is whether we should move or not?"
Rosalie moaned. "I don't want to move again. We can actually be normal here."
Edward looked at Jasper, who had been keeping himself aloof from the discussion.
"Jasper."
Jasper looked at him emotionless. "I won't allow her to pay for my mistake." He said. Rosalie snorted. Carlisle glanced at her in warning and she quieted down. Johnna made a whooing noise. Carlisle chuckled, "What did it tell you?"
"I know zat zees es Edward's chance to speak, but I zeenk I found a better way. May I?" She asked curiously. Carlisle nodded. Johnna shared a look with Alice and moved till she sat directly in front of Jasper. Jasper's hard, determined eyes looked directly into Johnna's soft, but equally determined eyes.
"I know what you're going to say, and I'm not saying zat eet's not emportant, but I want you to listen to me. Can you do zat?" She asked in the same soft motherly voice that Esme had. Jasper considered her for a moment. Her emotions were nothing like her had felt from anyone, but Esme.
"Eet's a simple yes or no question."
"Yes, ma'am." Jasper said, his southern drawl coming out. Johnna smiled softly at him.
"Bon," Johnna said in that same soft voice. "Eet es true zat Bella Swan should 'ave died today." Edward growled, but Jasper held Johnna's undivided attention. Her vivid eyes never left his own. "I know zat you don't want Alice to live en ze slightest danger. Unlike Edward, I know what eet's like to 'ave a mate and I 'ave an idea of your previous life."
"No you don't ma'am." Jasper told her. Johnna's voice and eyes remained soft as she reproached him.
"Non, mon cher garçon. My dear Major Whitlock, I am ze only one en zees room, 'o 'as any idea what you've been zrough." She said softly, shaking her tiny head. " 'Ave you forgotten zat I lived with ze Volturi for eight plus years." Her eyes took on a faraway look, as if she was remembering her time with the Volturi. "I was 183 at the time and not yet immune to 'uman blood. All zat 'uman blood." Johnna shook her head sadly. "Eet's not easy being around all zat blood while constantly fighting ze urge to drink eet."
Absent mindedly, Johnna took off her cardigan, her skin turning deathly pale as she did so, and showed Jasper the silvery white half crescent scars that covered, sometimes overlapping, her arms, and shoulders. "As you can see, I know full well what eets like to receive multiple bites. As you well know, one does not become respected and yet feared by all by merely seeting on ones derrière." Her eyes regained their determination as she came back to the present. "All zat being said, I shall be severely put out ef you even zeenk of killing Mademoiselle Bella Swan." Johnna then moved to sit between Carlisle and Rosalie. Jasper was still gazing at Johnna's scarred arms.
"Jazz," Alice said reaching across to squeeze Jasper's hand. He looked over at Alice "Don't bother Alice. I know you can protect yourself, but…."
Alice interrupted him. "I was going to ask you for a favor." She smiled over at Johnna, who giggled. Edward's mouth dropped open, but he quickly shut it.
"I know you love me, so thanks. I'd love it, if you didn't try to kill Bella. First, Edward's serious and I don't want the two of you fighting. Second, she's going to be my best friend."
Jasper gasped. Alice continued. "I'm going to love her some day and like Johnna, I'll be very put out as well, if you don't let her be."
Alice sighed in relief as Jasper's resolve wavered. "Ah, that's better. See, Edward was right. Bella's not going to say anything."
"Alice?" Edward asked dismayed. Alice and Johnna smiled. 'Johnna and I saw a change coming.' Alice thought. "What does that mean?" Edward asked again. Alice and Johnna's smiles grew bigger. Alice thought again. 'Just try leaving' Edward tried but couldn't. 'See you can't.' Alice thought
"What's going on?" Emmett asked impatiently.
"Edward's falling in love with a human." Rosalie jeered.
Johnna glared at her. "You did zat very same zeeng, Rosalie Lillian 'ale and don't bozer telling me zat eet's different, because eet's not."
Johnna whispered in Carlisle's ear. He nodded. A huge Cheshire cat grin spread across Johnna's face. She looked right at Rosalie, making everyone wary. "I'm going to be keeping my keen fairy eyes on you, Rosalie 'ale. One zought of 'arming or killing Mademoiselle Bella and you won't be able to get anywhere near 'er. My mental and physical shields are intertwined and are limitless en zere coverage."
She twisted to face Edward. "You'll zank Alice and I for zees, later." With that she whirled around and danced out of the dining room.
"Now that that's settled." Carlisle said turning to face Rosalie. "She's completely serious and won't hesitate to make good on her threat. She won't hesitate to hurt you should you get in her way. Johnna looks sweet and innocent, but she's extremely lethal, conniving, and mischievous. I wouldn't try her patience if I was you. One thing you should know about fairies. Their emotions change without warning." Carlisle warned. He got up and led Esme out of the room.
Rosalie turned to Edward. He shook his head and headed to the door, where he turned to look at her. "He was telling you a bit about Johnna's nature."
Rosalie swallowed nervously.
That was hard to write. I had fun writing Johnna and Carlisle's argument, because they don't have to talk to communicate. They use facial expressions and Johnna's variety of noises and sounds.