Chapter Seventy

Carlisle

The Fraternidad gave us a wide berth especially as Charlie was due to wake up any time,

"Emmett I think we need to be ready just in case Charlie is out of control when he wakes, that cage isn't going to hold him if he really goes crazy."

"It wouldn't have held me that's for sure."

Esme and Rosalie exchanged a grin as they remembered the first few months of Emmett's awakening, when he more or less took the house apart. The only person who had any control over him was Rosalie and even she had a hard time when he was thirsty. Which brought a question to my mind, what were we going to find for Charlie to drink?

The Fraternidad were all human hunters and I had no idea if there were good hunting close by in the mountains. I left Emmett to watch over Charlie and went to find Raoul who was busy watching one of the satellite images and I recognized Volterra spread out below.

"So you keep an eye on the Volturi?"

He turned quickly,

"Of course, wouldn't you do the same to your enemy?"

"I suppose I would yes. I didn't mean to spy, I wanted to ask you about hunting in the area."

There was a sudden silence in the cave,

"You mean animals? We understood you were strange Carlisle but are you really intending to feed a newborn on animal blood? He'll be constantly thirsty and more of a danger to everyone."

"Emmett and I will look after him, I promise you he will be no trouble to you."

"No he won't Carlisle. If you insist on this craziness then I'm afraid you must leave, this headquarters and this area."

"I think Charlie must make up his own mind about that."

"As long as he understands the ramifications of his choices Carlisle and I doubt a newborn will be clear headed enough to do that."

"I did."

"Then you are a very unusual man Carlisle and probably a one of a kind."

"I helped the rest of my family and all stayed on an animal diet. It just takes self control and the choice."

There was a terrible snarling at that point which reverberated around the chamber and everyone was instantly on guard. Charlie was standing sat the bars shaking them, his red eyes full of rage and I knew straight away it wasn't going to be easy to teach him control.

"Self control? Then I think you have a problem."

Emmett was talking to Charlie through the bars but keeping a safe distance,

"I'll calm him down."

"Now this I want to see."

Luis and a couple of the others came to stand a few feet from the cage as I approached, my hands out in a gesture of peace.

"Charlie, do you recognize me? Its Carlisle Cullen, we mean you no harm. I know you are confused right now and nothing matters but the burning in your throat. We will help you to understand everything, we'll take you to hunt."

He stopped looking at me as if unsure who I was,

"Remember me Charlie?"

Suddenly he started pulling at the bars like a maniac screaming his daughters name at the top of his voice and deafening all of us. The Fraternidad grouped together before their computer equipment as the bars began to bend under his onslaught.

"If you can't calm him Carlisle we will, permanently."

Raoul moved forward with a lighter in his hand and I noticed for the first time that above the cage was a natural chimney in the rock which would feed any smoke away from the chamber. Emmett moved to block his path and he shook his head,

"Do not force me to kill you too Emmett. I will defend my brothers and our home."

I touched Emmett's arm drawing him back,

"Take the girls and go outside, wait for me. I'll bring Charlie out."

"You sure Carlisle? Maybe I should stay with you, in case."

I shook my head,

"No, too many people will only make matters worse, please. And Raoul, would you move your people away, out of his line of sight, it will help to calm him."

He nodded reluctantly then signalled for his people to move into another alcove where they were out of Charlie's vision.

I moved forward until I could touch the bars, careful to stay just out of his reach if he should try to make a grab for me.

"Charlie listen to me."

He snarled spitting in anger but I just waited and slowly he stopped his pressure on the metal which was almost spread wide enough to allow him out.

"I know you are devastated by Bella's death but if you can't control yourself then you will never be able to avenge her. These people, those who gave us refuge will kill you if you don't calm down and listen to me."

His eyes shifted to peer out into the chamber but he couldn't see any threats now.

"I will help you to learn control Charlie, to hunt and how to cope with all the changes in your life, your body. Only if you can do that will you stand a chance of finding Bella's killer and getting revenge."

He seemed to be taking this in although I could see he was struggling with his rage and thirst. They were always the first hurdles for a new vampire to overcome and sometimes it could take years. The only good thing was that as a vampire years didn't really matter any longer.

"You will? How do I know I can trust you?"

"I saved you, just as you asked. I helped you Charlie and I have my own reasons for wanting revenge against the same people. Remember Edward? He was the one who told the Volturi about Bella, its really his fault, all of this. and I think you'd like to meet him again wouldn't you? As well as The Major?"

At that name he started to snarl again and I saw him flexing his muscles ready to resume his attack on the bars of the cage, bars that wouldn't stand up to much more punishment. I sensed movement behind me and saw Raoul approaching carefully just out of Charlie's sight and waved him back.

"Charlie. I will open the door if you promise to follow me out onto the mountain, once there you can hunt, rid yourself of the terrible thirst that tortures you right now. Then we can talk calmly about how we can hunt down Bella's killers. But remember, if the Fraternidad, the people who live here, see you as a threat they will kill you and I will not be able to stop them."

I waited as he processed this then pulled back from the bars and nodded,

"OK, But you'd better not be lying to me Carlisle."

"I'm not, I promise you Charlie."

I reached forward and unlocked the cage with the key that was in my pocket and slid the door open standing back to give him space and he stepped out warily.

"Come on, follow me."

I turned my back on him, not the most sensible thing to do with a newborn but I needed to show him that I trusted him and this was the only way. Sensing him behind me I retraced our route finally appearing out on the mountain with only the moonlight shining down on us. Charlie breathed deeply then turned to me,

"I'm thirsty."

"I know and I'll help you hunt."

He was a natural, tracking down and killing three mountain goats before finally stopped for a moment to gauge his thirst.

"Why hasn't it gone Carlisle? How much blood do I need to drink before the burn disappears?"

"It will always be there Charlie, a constant in your life while you hunt animals."

He turned hungry red eyes on me,

"And if I hunt humans?"

"Then the thirst will disappear for a while but it will always come back and do you really want to start killing humans to feed on?"

"I don't give a shit what I feed on right now Carlisle. This thirst stops me thinking clearly and like you said I need a clear head to hunt down Edward and The Major so where do I find some humans?"

He turned his head testing the air but we were too high up for any human scent to be detectable. Then he frowned,

"Well they aren't up here so I guess its down the mountain until I find some, you coming Carlisle?"

Before I had time to stop him Charlie was gone, his own human blood giving him added strength and speed that I couldn't match.