Author's Notes: Hi, readers. Here is chapter twenty-seven of 'Into the Shadows.' The Cullens appear in this chapter. There is some Emmett/Rosalie, Jasper/Alcie, and Carlisle/Esme. Stay tuned for chapter twenty-eight.
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Chapter 27: Just Thinking
At the Cullen residence, Rosalie was sitting on a porch couch reading The Blue Lagoon. The porch was large and had a sliding glass door leading onto it and another located behind her that led down a flight of stairs. It had two plants sitting in large pots in the corners. Their leaves grew out of the soil. They were long and pointed on the ends. Armchairs were on either side of the couch. Two metal chairs were across from her, as was another couch. A glass coffee table was in between the couches.
She cleared her throat as she finished a page and flipped to the next one. She heard loud screeching. She looked toward the window to see a bald eagle flying at a distance. She found it fascinating. She considered it the most beautiful of all the birds of prey. Its screeches always gave her a sense of peace, especially in rough times such as now. There were times she wished she could turn into one and fly through the sky.
Her mind shifted to Bella as she returned her attention to her book. She emitted a guilty sigh. She felt bad about the way she had treated her. She had rebuffed every attempt by the girl to be friends with her. She wished she hadn't done that. She was glad Edward decided to stay with Bella overnight. She began to believe they were good for each other. However, she wanted Bella to make the decision to stay human as she and the other Cullens never had that chance. She'd give anything to be human again, especially when it came to having children. That was something she'd always wanted. Unfortunately, Royce took that away from her.
She growled angrily as she thought about her former fiancé. She remembered how he and his friends gang-raped and beat her within an inch of her life. She wished they had finished the job instead of leaving her for dead. She enjoyed the revenge she got on them by torturing them before killing them. It was a challenge for her not to spill the tiniest drop of blood, as she wouldn't have been able to resist drinking it if she had. Then again, she did love one.
She sighed softly as she considered Bella lucky because women were ridiculed and shunned for losing their virginity before marriage in her day. Rape victims weren't spared. She knew Royce and his friends wouldn't have been arrested for raping her. People would've shrugged it off and said they couldn't control themselves. That disgusted her to no end.
Rosalie snapped out of her thoughts when she heard the sliding glass door open. She looked over her shoulder to see Emmett step out onto the porch. He approached her and seated himself on her right. She closed her book and laid it in her lap. She crossed her right leg over her left leg. She folded her hands to lay them on top of her book.
"Hey, Rosalie," he greeted.
"Hey yourself, Emmett. What brings you out here?" she asked curiously.
"I thought I'd come and sit with you," Emmett said and exhaled sharply. He looked toward the trees. "Those trees look so beautiful."
"So do the buildings in New York City. Unfortunately, its air smells terrible," Rosalie grumbled in annoyance and made a disgusted face.
"No shit," Emmett agreed. "It has too many people for my taste."
"That's why we prefer small towns such as Forks," Rosalie said. "There aren't too many people. The climate is perfect to conceal our true nature."
He showed some concern. "All of us know that our world won't stay secret forever."
"I know," Rosalie said and sighed heavily. "With human technology advancing at a rapid rate, they could develop weaponry that has the ability to destroy us."
"I hope that doesn't happen for a long time to come," Emmett whispered, swallowing hard.
She clicked her tongue. "Me too."
The couple heard chirping and looked toward a black-throated sparrow sitting near the middle of a tree. They listened to it. They thought its chirps were very beautiful. They wished birds could sing all the time, but they knew they had to rest. They watched the sparrow spread its wings and take flight.
"I wish Bella didn't have to stay in that hospital overnight. It must've been annoying for her being woken by a doctor or nurse who came to check on her," Rosalie said sympathetically.
"You can't fault hospital staff for doing that to their patients. They want to make sure nothing else is wrong," Emmett pointed out.
"Thank God that hospital has a great staff," Rosalie said in relief.
"That's not all. Edward is there with her," Emmet commented.
"Yeah. I have to say I'm glad I don't sleep. I don't have to suffer from nightmares of my rape and wake up screaming my head off. Of course, I still suffer from flashbacks," Rosalie muttered sadly.
"Rape isn't something you get over, no matter how long ago it was," Emmett said truthfully. "Royce and his friends deserved to die for what they did to you."
"I wish we could be out looking for Mike. I hate waiting for the police to get a lead on him," Rosalie growled in frustration.
He showed much sympathy. "So do I, but you know what Esme said. We can't risk losing control if we go after him ourselves."
"But it's not fair!" she yelled angrily.
"You're right, but we have to let the police do their job," he said calmly. "Getting angry won't make the investigation go faster."
She shuddered. "I know. I just don't want another girl to fall victim to that bastard."
Emmett pulled Rosalie into a hug, allowing her to bury her face into his shoulder. He felt wrap her arms around his waist. There were times he wished he had been around when she killed Royce and his friends. He would've gladly helped her with that. Despite wanting to be there for Bella first, he still harbored a small desire to kill Mike. He wouldn't have any sympathy for him if the latter was killed by police in a shootout or in prison by inmates. That would be justice in his eyes. He had no doubt the rest of his family felt the same way. He released his hold on her and pushed her back to look at her.
"You think you'll be okay now?" Emmett asked lovingly.
"Yes. Thank you," Rosalie responded.
"No problem," Emmett said and planted a kiss to her forehead. "I'm proud of you for having sympathy for Bella."
"She didn't deserve what happened to her. No woman does," Rosalie commented.
"So true," Emmett agreed. They looked toward the window to see a flock of crows fly through the sky. They listened to their caws.
00000
Alice looked through her CD collection on the third of seven shelves that were embedded into the wall on the right side of her and Jasper's room. She hummed a sweet melody. Like Edward's room, this one lacked a bed. It had a desk and a computer located near the door. To the left of the desk was a large walk-in closet that was bigger than the room itself. On the first and second shelves were CDs. The rest had books and journals. To the right of her was a table and a boom box sitting on it.
She sighed heavily as she thought about Bella. She felt so bad for her having to be in the hospital overnight. She wondered if having a vision of Mike raping her would've enabled her and her family to rush home to protect her. Then again, she knew her visions weren't always certain as the future could change at any given moment. Sometimes, decisions were made so quickly that she didn't see them at all. She hated that limitation of her precognition the most. She felt very grateful to Edward for being there for Bella.
She managed to find the CD she was looking for. It happened to be Celine Dion's Falling Into You. She smiled as she enjoyed that singer's music. She opened the case and took the CD out. She went over to the boom box and placed it in the CD player. She pressed the track button twice and turned it on. Because You Loved Me began to play.
"For all those times you stood by me. For all the truth that you made me see. For all the joy you brought to my life. For all the wrong that you made right. For every dream you made come true. For all the love I found in you," Alice sang off-key.
"I'll be forever thankful, baby. You're the one who held me up. Never let me fall. You're the one who saw me through it all," a male voice sang on-key along with her.
Alice smiled and looked over her shoulder to see Jasper coming toward her. He came to her right and put his hands behind his back.
"You couldn't resist singing along with me, could you?" she asked.
"Hey, I can't help it when I hear you sing. I just have to join in," he said with pride.
"At least you have a nice singing voice. I don't," Alice grumbled in annoyance.
"Who cares if you don't? You sing because it helps you relax. You also sing when you're happy," Jasper pointed out.
"At least I don't sing out loud like some people with horrible singing voices do. They can't stand it when someone tells them to stop," Alice said and scoffed.
He made a funny noise. "I wish a remote that could mute voices existed. We wouldn't have to listen to horrible singers."
"If such a remote is ever invented, I hope you'll let me mute your voice," Alice replied and chuckled lightly.
"I will if you let me mute yours first," Jasper said and winked at her. He got a light punch to the arm from her. "You're really something, you know that?"
She smiled more widely. "So are you."
Jasper and Alice shared a sweet kiss. They pressed their foreheads together for a long moment. She decided to turn the volume up a little bit.
"I may have a nice singing voice, but you wouldn't see me go on American Idol. I wouldn't want to be famous," Jasper said.
"Some people are so obsessed with becoming famous," Alice mumbled and emitted a heavy sigh. "They think it's the best thing in the world."
"It's not," Jasper said with a shake of his head. "You lose some of your right to privacy when you become famous. You are followed by the paparazzi everywhere you go, even to your own home. Some will hide in the bushes and take pictures while you're swimming nude in your own pool."
"I feel bad for real celebrities who are harassed by the paps. They didn't ask to be famous. They got that way because they are talented at their craft," Alice whispered.
"The fake celebrities get on my nerves," Jasper said in irritation. "They show up at entertainment award ceremonies for the attention. They should be banned from such places."
"I'd love to see the fans of real celebrities start a petition to ban the fakes from all the ceremonies. One of the rules included should be they couldn't even bring real celebrities as their dates," Alice commented.
"That'd be great," Jasper answered with a sweet smile. "I can see the fakes getting pissed off at being banned from the ceremonies. It'd be a delight to see them being escorted off the premises by security when they try to attend."
The couple glanced down at the boom box. They listened to the song's middle part. Alice started tapping her fingers on the table.
"I hope Bella gets to go home this afternoon," Alice commented.
"So do I. Everyone knows being in a hospital can get rather boring, even with a TV in the room," Jasper said in sympathy.
"I felt so bad for Bella when she winced painfully after the nurse asked how she was doing following our arrival at the hospital. I wanted to make it better for her," Alice whispered sadly.
"I don't blame you. She's your best human friend," Jasper replied, putting his arm around her. He felt her put hers around his waist.
She growled in anger. "I curse Mike for what he did to her. She trusted him, and he betrayed her in the worst way possible."
"No denying that," Jasper said and sighed to himself. "It makes me wonder if Jessica would've been his next target."
"I don't know. Perhaps he targets only virgins," Alice muttered in fear. "Some rapists like only virgins because they can feel proud of keeping other men from taking them."
He cringed badly. "How disgusting."
Alice nodded in agreement. She dug the heel of her blue tennis shoe into the floor. She tapped her foot three times after putting it down. She pressed her lips together.
"I hope Mike is caught soon. I also hope Charlie will really tear into him for what he did to his daughter," Alice said in determination.
"Bella is lucky her father is sticking by her. Some fathers become furious at their daughters for losing their virginity before they are married," Jasper mumbled, looking disgusted.
"Not Charlie. He'd never abandon Bella over anything," Alice whispered. "One thing is clear. I'll do whatever I can to help Bella through this."
"So will I, Alice. So will I," Jasper declared. "In times like this, you find out who is really your friend."
"It is better to have a few real friends than a bunch of fake ones," Alice commented very seriously.
"We've known many people who said they were our friends, but they turned around and stabbed us in our backs," Jasper muttered, shaking his head in disbelief.
"It is disgusting, but we have moved on from those people," Alice responded. "They do not exist to us any longer. Many are even dead."
"That is true,"
The couple hugged tightly. They stayed this way for a minute before letting go of each other. They listened to the song's final words.
00000
Esme poured water into a plant that sat on a table in front of the living room window while humming a sweet melody. The plant was in a medium-sized pot. Its leaves were long and growing upward. Three flowers grew in the middle. She bought it at the beginning of spring. It was small then, but it grew fast and had to be repotted.
She looked out the window as she stopped watering the plant. She could never forget the broken look she saw on Edward's face as they and the other Cullens waited for word on Bella's condition last night. She considered it even worse than the one he had when Bella was severely injured in Phoenix. She had no doubt the rest of her family felt the same way. She was proud of him for deciding to stay with her overnight. Of course, she couldn't help but wonder how their relationship would fare after what happened.
Esme turned back to the plant and resumed watering it. She put the can down once she was finished. She appeared satisfied with her work. Footsteps caught her attention. She looked up to see Carlisle walking in. He approached her with his hands in pockets. He ran his tongue all over the inside of his mouth before smacking his lips.
"Hi, Carlisle," she greeted.
"Hi, Esme," he said and stopped beside her. He touched one of the leaves. "This plant is looking more beautiful every day."
"That's what happens when you keep it properly watered," Esme replied, showing much pride. "Of course, I have a feeling it will need to be repotted again."
"You might be right," Carlisle agreed and touched another leaf. "Spider plants grow so many stems that you can take one and put it in another pot."
"I can see why they're called spider plants. Their stems look like spider legs," Esme commented, chuckling lightly.
"Have you thought about getting another plant?" Carlisle asked. "I think the kitchen could use one."
"I have thought about it. Maybe I could get some flowers too. I'd like them to be a number of colors. Just one won't do at all," Esme commented.
"Yep," Carlisle agreed. "It is said humans should eat fruits and vegetables of varying colors to get more vitamins and minerals."
"I see that as good advice," Esme commented and slipped a lock of hair behind her ear. "Having just one color of anything is quite boring."
"Yes, it is," Carlisle said. "Having all colors of the rainbow makes everything much brighter."
Esme smiled at her husband. She walked to the window and crossed her arms. A solemn look formed on her face. He came to his wife's side and put his arm around her.
"This is one of those times I wish I was still human. I wish this was all a nightmare and that I will wake up any minute," Esme mumbled.
"So do I, Esme. Unfortunately, it's real," Carlisle responded.
"I can't imagine how scared Bella was while Mike was hurting her," Esme said, her voice filling up with sobs.
"Me neither," Carlisle commented with much sympathy. "I will never forget hearing her say she felt so dirty."
"I can't blame her for thinking like that. I wish I could take away that dirty feeling so much," she said, squeezing her eyes shut.
"Me too," he agreed and hugged her. "The best we can do is be there for her. We can also pray that the police find something at the Newton residence."
She bit her lip nervously as she opened her eyes. "I've heard searches for evidence can take a really long time."
"Sometimes, the searches can take days if the police have to comb a very large area," Carlisle commented.
"Wow," Esme said in awe.
He nodded in a slow manner. "Mm-hmm."
Esme slipped her arm around Carlisle's waist to give him a hug. They wished they could do more to help the police. They had no doubt the rest of their family felt the same way. They also wanted to go look for Mike so much, but they knew it was better to stay here with Bella. Suddenly, a thought clicked in her mind.
"Carlisle, there's the matter of dealing with Renee. She's coming to get Bella on Thursday," Esme said in alarm.
"Oh, my. I didn't even think about that. I don't think the others have either," Carlisle answered shockingly.
"Perhaps I could try to talk her out of taking Bella away. I feel like I am enough of a mother to do that," Esme suggested hopefully.
"That sounds like a good idea. I think it'd be good if Edward accompanied you for moral support. On top of that, his presence would give Bella strength," Carlisle pointed out.
"Oh, yes," Esme said with a nod. "We can talk to him about it when he gets home."
"Mm-hmm," Carlisle responded. They looked out the window once more. They prayed Edward would agree to her plan when they told him about it.