Chapter Twenty-Four: Knock, Knock
"I see a red door, and I want it painted black. No colors anymore, I want them to turn black."
- Rolling Stones (Paint it Black)
Friday, September 16, 2005 - Alice
The drive was oddly calm, despite the fact we were racing home to prepare for a conflict we couldn't anticipate. My visions gave less than nothing to build off of. We were barely a foot inside the house when Emmett started.
"We need to be proactive, go back and find their scents. Follow them and take them down before they cause more problems." He was oddly calm, but a tap of his foot betrayed his eagerness to fight.
"That isn't the answer, we cannot kill them when they've done nothing wrong." Carlisle argued.
"Nothing wrong?! They are going after Angela like she's a juice box. You cannot mean we should let them have her. I thought you vowed to protect her?" Bella spit out with a level of anger that was bordering on hostile.
"It isn't a matter of protection." Carlisle said vehemently.
"We can just hurt them then." Emmett said with a small snarl, his anger coming out again, revealing that he was still sitting on the edge even after letting off steam.
"I'm with Emmett and Bella, they aren't worth sparing, not when our sister is in danger!" Rose practically shouted with anger and frustration, and Bella moved over to comfort her. Rose froze for a second, but then melted to her touch. I hadn't realized they were so close already, and it was a bit alarming but I ignored the impulse to look into their future because it could take me out of the conversation.
"I can't believe I'm saying this, but Rose is right. Angela is a part of our family, why can't we just track them down like dogs and put them down?" Emmett repeated this time being more explicit in his goals without the need to hide behind euphemisms anymore.
"We cannot betray our values, hunting them goes against everything we believe in." Carlisle argued to a room that was starting to turn against him.
"That's everything you believe in, not me. I cannot just sit around while you argue the merits of morality when my best friend, no my sister's life is on the line." Bella said with more passion and determination than I had ever seen from her before.
"We are going to stand with her, protect her with our lives." Esme tried to give her the right kind of reassurance, but it clearly fell on deaf ears.
"As long as we don't hurt our enemies? What do you think is going to happen, they'll get bored and go away." Emmett spit out.
"That's what we have to hope for." Carlisle said, looking down with obvious conflict. Holding true to himself was forcing us into a very dangerous and unpredictable situation. And I couldn't see anything, except that I knew Angela was going to survive
"That's dangerously naïve Carlisle." Rose said coldly, while gripping Bella's hand tightly.
"Enough, I'm done with this." Bella shouted and left without another word, pulling away from Rose and running out of the house without another word.
"I'll watch over her." Rosalie said following Bella a second later.
"Okay, we need a plan, Edward, Emmett take the first shift. Alice, Esme, will you spell them in a few hours?" Carlisle asked as more of a demand than a request. He looked frustrated and defeated, but resigned to the truth of the situation.
"I can't." I said, shaking my head.
"Why not?" Esme reached out towards me, but I flinched away.
"If I suddenly have a vision out there, they could get by me easily. It isn't safe." I said feeling defeated, and turned towards my room at a run. I had put Angela's life in danger, twice, and I couldn't let myself fail her again.
I curled up in a ball on my floor again, trying to conjure a vision. Maybe force my newly expanded power to do something good for a change. Instead, my thoughts kept drifting to Bella's visit to Seattle. I tried to force my visions to see what happened in that club that she wasn't talking about. But nothing came. Every time I closed my eyes it drifted to some dark corner of our future vision.
"Damn it brain, vision of Angela." I said out loud sitting up in a huff. I felt like a child again. I started to stand, but suddenly my eyes clouded over as a vision seized my mind. I was in Carlisle's office, a medical bed set up like before and Carlisle, Esme and Bella were surrounding Angela. Her face puffy and dark circles made her face seem drawn. She was pale, and even though she was unconscious, I could see that same sadness in her expression that she wore on the trip to the mall. It was just like the vision from before; this moment hadn't changed. The sound of the ventilator filled me with anger and fear, was this what was about to happen to her? Did I cause this by missing those two vampires showing up unexpectedly?
"No." I said to myself, which drew Carlisle's attention and he turned and walked over to me. He reached out towards my shoulder, but then gripped my upper arm for some reason.
"Alice!" My vision broke, and I found the apparition of Carlisle was all too real. He was in my room, crouched by me with his hand resting gently on my arm trying to rouse me.
"Just the vision of Angela in that fucking bed again, seriously hurt." I sighed and he let go of my arm.
"I don't like how your visions are affecting you now." Carlisle looked worried, standing up and offering me a hand to join him. I took it and stood up, shaking my head before explaining.
"Me neither. I keep seeing her on a ventilator, and nothing I do seems to change that eventuality." I winced, thinking about everything I had foreseen.
"I'm sure Angela will be okay, did you see her after that moment?" Carlisle asked with hope in his voice more than confidence.
"Yes, as a vampire. This isn't the path she wants, and I know where it ends." I closed my eyes, trying to shove away the image of my sister turning on me with eyes full of hate.
"We'll figure something out, we always do." Carlisle squeezed my shoulder, but I stood and shook him off.
"I need some time to think. I'm going to take a walk." I moved past him, as he nodded at me in understanding.
Friday, September 16, 2005 - Bella
I couldn't reconcile my feelings. There was something deep and painful that had been dredged up when Angela was threatened. I found myself storming out of the house at the first opportunity, although I couldn't figure out how I could go to her without breaking my cover. I dithered over what I was going to do, until I realized that I had gone home. My feet guiding me to the place I wanted be, while my head was swimming in confusion and anger.
I stood across the street, and could see my dad through the window watching television, with an open beer resting on the arm of his recliner. But it wasn't what he was watching, where he was sitting or even the untouched beer that struck me. It was the absence of any life in his eyes, my death had completely destroyed him. Carlisle said it would be better, than how could he be like this? They promised me he would recover.
I tensed my muscles, fighting the urge to run to him. I needed to tell him I was alright, and I needed him to heal, more than any nonsensical excuse about hiding my new nature. I felt my resolve waning quickly, as my intellectual self fought with the instinctual and emotional part of me that needed to comfort him. Then a familiar hand closed over my left shoulder, and from the scent I knew that Rose had found me. I turned and pressed into her chest, and let myself cry, even though yet again no tears escaped my eyes. She stood in silence and let me grieve, over the last vestiges of my human life. I stayed that way for a long while, until finally I pulled away and looked up into her sympathetic eyes.
"He said Charlie would get better, that my death would be easier on him. Was it a lie? Why can't I go and make all of his pain go away." She waited for me to finish with the patience of a saint. But I could see in her face a touch of conflict as her eyes darted towards him.
"Everyone handles grief differently. I don't now what he said, but you have to understand that it'll take time. Losing a child is impossible, and he will hurt for a long time. At least you were happy and hopeful the last time he saw you, which is an easy memory to cling to. Either way he would've had to suffer your death, as no parent should, at least now he has a chance to move on while he's still young." She turned her attention back to me, kissing my forehead and then my lips briefly.
"He doesn't look like he is recovering. He looks like he died inside." I looked over her shoulder at my father feeling as though I was about to die from the pain of it. I knew that hiding my new existence was important, but how could I justify keeping the truth from him when he was in so much pain? "Would it really be so bad telling him the truth?"
"As much as I love Angela, and know in my heart she will be our sister, but if we can use her experience as a guide then it is best if we don't tell him. She's been nearly killed twice, and now she has a vicious hunter after her because she was in the wrong place at the wrong time. I mean, I'll support your choice no matter what, but you have to know if you reach out to him, let him in on the secret you might be condemning him to this life. Would he be a good fit as a vampire?" The question was rational and made sense, and every fiber in my being rebelled against it. Gritted my teeth and lowered my head in pain, only to have her pull me even closer to her, wrapping me tightly in her arms.
I didn't know what to do, because everything hurt so much now that I knew how badly he was handling my death. Or maybe it was also Harry dying that made things to hard. Either way, all I had to do was run across the street and I could bring him back. I could have my dad back, after learning how much he truly cared about me over the last year, it was the least I could do. I pulled myself out of Rosalie's arms and turned, "I don't think I can live with him like this, I have to go to him."
"If that is your choice." Rose said holding on to my fingertips, her lingering touch grounding me just enough from taking off. I tried to let go of her, but as I tried to move I found my feet wouldn't budge. Instead I reached out and fully clasped her hand, an anchor to keep me from making a rash and reckless choice.
"I can't do it." I mumbled, forcing myself to turn away from him. I quickly buried my face in her chest again, breathing in her scent hoping they would help me find a way to balance my emotions. "What if he can't find the will to keep going?" I almost couldn't say the words, and my voice came out broken.
"Then we'll make it work somehow." She said, kissing the top of my head.
"Thank you." I muttered. We stayed like that, lingering in a copse of trees just far enough away so that we couldn't be spotted. Until eventually I pulled away and gave her a long passionate kiss. Then a horrible thought occurred to me, I had no idea what they were doing to protect Angela.
"I hope someone is watching over her?" I asked, suddenly worried.
"I think so, I heard Carlisle send Edward and Emmett out first, they will probably follow to create some kind of perimeter." Rose said brushing my hair away from my face, giving me a warm comforting smile.
"I should go, maybe take a shift too?" I asked, hoping that I could help.
"That may not be a good idea. You're still learning your own limitations and I know you have never thrown a punch in your life, let alone fight for your life. I know your presence would be a comfort to Angela, but your funeral was just two days ago so your death is fresh in the minds of the town." Rose explained as softly as she could, but even though I could tell she was trying to protect me I felt an almost instinctual need to argue with her point.
"I'm supposed to be the strongest in the house right?" I said hotly, my anger building at the insinuation that I was somehow incapable of protecting her.
"That isn't my point Bella. I'm just trying to keep you from being in a situation where you're in over your head." Rose said a bit defensively, and started to shake her head her features softening to try and stop this argument before it developed into a fight, but before she could say anything she suddenly turned sharply to peer down the street.
"What is it?" I could feel something approaching, but I couldn't tell what it was. It was a presence, accompanied by a strong musky scent. I felt my blood boiling in response to the smell, and my natural instincts put me instantly on guard.
"Trouble, you need to hide there is no way they haven't sensed our presence. But I doubt they can tell how many of us are here." I reacted to her words without hesitation, climbing up the tree we were next to with ease. There was something in my gut that told me she wasn't being evasive, just protective. It was less than a minute later when my old beat up truck roared up to Charlie's house. I could see Billy Black in the passenger seat, and Jacob was driving.
Jacob was scanning the area with a look of intensity I hadn't seen before. His short hair wasn't the only thing that had changed, he looked older and had gained what seemed like twenty pounds of muscle. As soon as he disengaged the engine he was out of his seat, he sniffed the air like a predator searching for prey. Then his gaze narrowed in on Rose's hiding place. He launched himself into a run and crossed the short distance in a couple of seconds. Rosalie stood her ground and waited patiently for Jacob to get into earshot.
"Cullen, what are you doing here!?" Jacob showed little emotion beyond blind hostility, and it didn't suit him. I couldn't see any of the goofy grin he used to wear, or the kindness that used to define his expressions.
"This is our territory is it not?" Rose said sharply, her mouth curling slightly in revulsion.
"Territory, I don't give a shit about that right now. Charlie is our friend, not yours, and you leeches are the reason he's like this anyway. You have no right to stalk him like a vulture. Wasn't his daughter's blood good enough for you? Do you want a taste of her entire family? Maybe go after Renée next?" Rose didn't move, but she flinched, and an anger widened her eyes. I could tell she was very close to giving into her anger, and I knew I might have to step in to stop her from acting rashly.
"We didn't kill Bella!" Rose said shrilly, her voice louder than she probably intended. "Jacob, I am just checking up on Charlie, I wanted to make sure he's recovering." I could tell Rose had pulled back on her own anger, but she was still dangerously close to losing control.
"Is her heart beating? Billy told me she wasn't dead, and I believe him. You made her into a monster, didn't you?" Jacob was upset, and his anger was causing his body to shake perceptibly.
"Please, I don't want a fight here." Rose pleaded, although for the life of me I couldn't understand why she would be worried about Jacob Black attacking her, unless he was one of those wolves we were supposed to be meeting with. I looked at Jacob again with different eyes, and the changes suddenly made sense, and I also realized Rose's calming words had no effect on him. His anger was climbing fast towards the boiling point.
"You didn't deny it. You've broken the treaty, and that means war!" Jacob practically shouted, leaving Rosalie to stare at Jacob for several seconds as if she were trying to decide what to say.
"You would've allowed her to suffer indignity and unbearable pain for the rest of her short life, rather than let her become one of us?" Her question took Jacob aback. He obviously wasn't expecting a rational argument. This seemed to calm him down a little, and he relaxed his fists which had been balled tightly, which had made his skin turn white around the knuckles.
"That isn't the point. You bit her and changed her. You broke the treaty and we will be coming for you." He seemed to think that was it for the conversation and began to turn back towards the house. Billy was still in the truck staring into the darkness concealing Rose.
"Whether we broke the treaty is irrelevant. We meant no harm, and our intentions were pure. She is happy and has already embraced our lifestyle. I love her and will be damned if I let you kill her like she's some monster. She has more self control and poise than vampires ten times her age!" Jacob paused and studied her face. Then I realized that he wouldn't believe her unless he saw me with his own eyes. Without really putting much thought into it, I quickly dropped from my perch to Rosalie's side. Jacob tensed up in preparation for a fight, then as he took in my face recognition twisted his features into shock and horror.
"Jake, it's me Bella." Jacob flinched at my voice and took a step back.
"What have they done to you Bella? Is that really you?" For a second, I could see the old Jacob from my childhood in his eyes again.
"Yes. Please don't be upset with them, they were only trying to stop my pain." I pleaded with him softly. But he quickly closed his eyes and shook his head.
"I don't think I can stop this, and I'm not sure I want to. We know this isn't your fault, but if you side with them, you're our enemy too." His face shifted back to the angry wolf that was threatening war with my family, even though I was partially convinced it was just a horrible mask that he was forcing himself to wear. He took a deep exaggerated breath before continuing. "Think about your choice, if you choose to leave them, come to La Push and let us know, you have my word that we will let you leave in peace. You need to hurry though; we cannot tolerate their presence for much longer." He sneered at Rose and then turned back towards Charlie's house. He walked over to Billy's window and they talked briefly at a whisper so low I couldn't hear, before Jacob jumped in the driver's side. He roared the engine to life then made a hasty U-turn and sped back the way they came. Charlie was still staring lifelessly at the television, completely oblivious to the drama that had just turned a part of my life upside down.
"That went well." Rosalie said, looking worried. "We need to warn the family. It looks like there is more danger surrounding us than any of us wanted to admit." Then reluctantly I turned away from my father and held out my hand for Rosalie, who took it without even a split second of hesitation. Then we were running through the woods back towards the house, as I made a wish in my heart for my father to find a way to heal.
Friday, September 16, 2005 - Charlie
My world had been simple. While most of the time I felt desperately alone, in some ways, it felt good to be totally independent and unattached. Then Bella came back, and my life was suddenly filled up with purpose. She wasn't just a priority; she gave me a reason to care about myself again. Then came the crash. To be honest we never had a perfect relationship, and after her injuries I felt like all I could really do was be a good caregiver. I didn't know how to connect with my own daughter on a level that allowed her to let me in to her life.
I didn't pity her or think of her as weak. I loved her unconditionally. In a very real way, Bella had become the center of my world. Her strength in the face of adversity, her selflessness, and her kindness continually brought home the fact that she didn't deserve the fate she had been handed. And then just as suddenly as she had become a part of my life again, she was gone forever. I had muddled through life after Renée left with Bella, but this was different, and I couldn't seem move forward. It felt like this great metal wall was set in front of me, and I kept pushing against it expecting it to give way. I knew it was grief, and time would eventually heal the wound. But nothing would bring my baby back, and the loss left me shattered and broken. The simple things, like eating and bathing or even getting out of bed, felt almost impossible to handle.
Billy tried to help, but he was so angry that it even started to rub off on Jacob. Their visits almost always left me tense instead of distracting me from my pain. Of course Harry was gone, the same day as Bella, which had created another hole in my life. Sue pulled away entirely, dealing with her own grief and managing her kids. I hadn't gone back to work yet, but the officer I left in charge kept asking about how I was doing instead of filling me in on my town.
Then Alice came, perched like a nightingale in the tree outside my daughter's window. She seemed mercurial and timeless. It was as if she had always been there, like some sort of silent guardian watching over the house. The moonlight highlighted her nearly ethereal beauty and made me afraid of her. Her lovely face was twisted by sadness, and her eyes were closed as if she were dreaming. I would never have admitted it to Bella, but I liked Alice more than anyone else in her family.
"Alice?" I asked, and she immediately opened her eyes and the deep amber irises picked up a slight glow from the bright moonlight that had just been revealed by a break in the cloud cover, which put me instantly on the defensive and I snapped at her. "What on earth are you doing in my tree?" Yet as the question left my mouth I found I couldn't hold onto my hostility, and I felt a smile spread across my face even though the expression felt unnatural, as though I was splitting chapped lips.
"I don't know, I needed to get away. Charlie, could I come in for a few minutes?" I almost sighed in exasperation. But then it occurred to me that I hadn't really spoken to the Cullens since the funeral, so I motioned towards the front door. The knock came too quickly, as if she had sprinted around the house. This instantly set me on guard, even though I felt calmed by her presence. I led her to the living room, and she floated gracefully down onto the couch.
"What's wrong Alice?" I asked sharply but found myself smiling almost foolishly. I didn't need a balm or a shoulder to cry on, I was way past that kind of support. Especially from the teenage friend of my dead daughter.
"I have absolutely no idea what I'm going to say right now, but I think I have to come clean on something. I can't stand the lies anymore, and not just the big ones, the little ones as well. I conceal so much, from my family, from the world, and for once I want to just spill the beans, so to speak. I know I can trust you Charlie, and if anyone deserves the truth right now it's you." She wasn't making sense, and I didn't like where she was going with this train of thought. "How do I put this without making it sound insane."
"Just say it. It'll sound the way it'll sound." I almost shrugged, but as I thought about her words, I felt frustrated and a soft sigh escaped me.
"Well, I'm a vampire." I was shocked and horrified. In a moment of panic, I tried to imagine how I was going to tell her father that had snapped, probably from grief over Bella's death. I managed to keep my face neutral so that I wouldn't scare her away, but I was heartbroken. "So, you can imagine why we have always been a little reclusive. Carlisle knew that there was no other way, she was going to suffer for the rest of her life. At least this way she could walk again." I blinked a few times as her words sunk in.
"Wait, do you mean Bella's alive?" I couldn't believe my own words, and I didn't want confirmation. Whatever she was going to say would be almost too painful to hear, but Alice seemed excited to tell me, she was practically bouncing as she continued.
"Yes, and except for what her death did to you and Renée she's happy." I fell back against the chair hard. The pain and relief forced my eyes shut and I couldn't hold back the tears, they were too heavy and spilled out over my cheeks. I sat up after a few moments as I realized that she might have to be committed, and it felt so wrong. Somehow I needed to get her home to Carlisle, and the only way to do that was to play along with her delusion. I opened my eyes and found her hovering over me, holding out a tissue. I took it gratefully and motioned for her to sit back down as I blotted away the tears from my puffy eyes.
"I'm glad that she's happy, but I guess it's been a bit of an adjustment for her?" The words felt like acid in my mouth, but I knew I had to pretend so that she would go along with me back to her house. Even though Carlisle was a doctor, and he should know what to do next, I had no idea how I was going to tell him his daughter had suffered a mental break.
"Well there's been a lot of turmoil in the last week or so, as you might imagine. But there are things happening that none of us can control. Right now I'm so scared that I'm going to lose a part of my family that I feel like I'm breaking a little. Don't get me wrong, Bella makes things complete in a way that I never thought would be possible. I'm not sure if I should be the one to tell you about her personal life, but I doubt she would come and tell you herself. Would you like me to tell you about it?" It was worse than I thought, it wasn't just a delusion. Alice really did need to be hospitalized, I forced my face to stay positive. There was no way I could let her know how utterly heart wrenching it was to see her like this. If Carlisle would let me, I would visit her. She obviously trusted me for some reason I couldn't explain.
"Why won't she come and see me herself? Does she think I can't handle the truth?" It pained me to talk about Bella this way, but I just kept telling myself that it was for Alice. Bella would've wanted me to help her friend in any way that I could.
"Not exactly, I know she wants to tell you. But I think she feels like it isn't her secret to tell. Of course, once she acclimates she'll feel more confident about that kind of thing. But I think if you are a part of her life again she might be able to adjust more quickly. I know Renée wouldn't be able to handle this, so that will always be a pain she'll never be able to remedy. There is another option, I don't know if you would be interested though." She was still lively and buoyant in her expressions. She was so happy that I was momentarily fine with her thinking this way, it was like she was her old self again. But she was clinging to this fantasy so tightly that I had no idea what to say.
"Why don't we wait and see what will happen. I'll give you a ride back home, and you can tell her that you told me. I'll talk to Carlisle and then we'll figure things out I promise." Alice nodded her head, and then shook it a moment later.
"Actually, that sounds like a plan. I'll tell her of my stupidity, and then she'll have to come and see you then. Don't worry I can get home on my own though, I'll see you soon Charlie." Then she was on her feet and out of the house before I could even stand up. I felt slow and stupid, I had let her go without so much as a fleeting attempt at stopping her.
I stood up and headed to the kitchen. I yanked the receiver of my ancient phone off the cradle and began to dial Carlisle. I was six buttons into the number, when there was a knock at the front door. I slammed the phone down again and practically ran over, pulling it open frantically, expecting to see Alice standing there looking sheepish about needing a ride or something.
The red-haired woman standing before me was a total stranger. Her skin was flawless and very pale, and her playfully malevolent eyes were a dark shade of red. I started to open my mouth to demand to know who she was, but her arm shot out and grabbed a hold of my throat. She pushed me back into the house effortlessly, completely resistant to every struggle I made against her. I felt helpless as I thrashed against her grip, and suddenly very alone.
"Stop that or I'll just snap your neck." I went still, her threat somehow rang true. The fact that she was holding me up like I weighed no more than a small child, sent a cold chill down my spine.
"Why was that one here? What do the Cullens want with you?" Her voice might've been alluring if it wasn't so cold. She had no life in her eyes, no happiness, just feral aggression. I motioned towards my throat, she rolled her eyes and dropped me like a sack of potatoes.
"I have no idea, they used to be friends of my daughter, but she died recently." She looked at me with mirth, but there was no warmth in her expression. For a moment I thought that maybe Alice was right. But I shook it off as nonsense again, unwilling to buy into Alice's delusions.
"Must be one of the newborns, maybe I'll use you to draw her out?" She pulled out a cell phone and dialed. It answered after barely a ring.
"James, I think there might be a way to divide their numbers. One of the newborns has a local family, I could use him to split their attention and leave the girl vulnerable." She said with a vicious smile. I was trying to measure my chances of getting to my shotgun before she could move. I started to inch over, but she anticipated me and moved so fast that I couldn't track her movement. She placed a foot against my chest, and somehow this hundred and twenty pound woman restrained me with almost no effort on her part. I wanted to scream, as it sunk in that Alice might've been telling the truth.
"Really? So quickly. I'm disappointed. I'll be there soon, I just need to finish up here." She ended the call and looked at me again. "Looks like my little distraction worked wonders. Now what to do with you?"
"Please let me go." I begged with terror shaking every word. Unfortunately it seemed to have the opposite effect from what I hoped, and she started to chuckle.
"Oh human, fear just makes me hungry. I think I'll just have a little meal before I go?" She lifted her foot from my chest, and picked me up by my shirt before throwing me onto my couch. Then she was straddling me, her smile had turned into a snarl. Then she lifted my chin with one slender finger and leaned in slowly as if she was going to kiss me. But she aimed lower and began to nuzzle my neck. Her lips caressed my neck like a lover, but they were cold and hard. Her icy breath tickled the flesh of my neck, and for a long second she hesitated with her teeth just grazing my skin. Then, without warning there was a sudden and piercing pain where her cold lips had just been. It was too much, and I felt lightheaded as she started to tear into my flesh.
I immediately blacked out and lost sense of time. The last clear thought I had was truly bizarre, I thought I heard wolves howling loudly just outside my door.
I woke up to searing pain, and when I opened my eyes, I found she was gone, and I was bleeding and left for dead. Loud yapping and growls and the occasional deep bark created a chorus outside but quickly faded away. The pain was so intense that I felt my body convulsing because of it. Then Alice was there above me, the lines of her face were tight, and her eyes hinted at intense pain. She picked me up like I was weightless, and we were flying through the wilderness so fast that it made me dizzy. Everything was dark, and my body was on fire. It was a pain unlike anything I had ever even imagined. Then we stopped suddenly, and everywhere there was the sound of fierce growling again. Alice set me down softly and turned her back towards me, as if she were protecting me.
"I don't want any trouble, I had nothing to do with this attack!" She seemed firm but I could tell she was scared. Her voice trembled slightly but I couldn't fathom why. In the long intervening silence, I pondered the bizarre events that lead me here, and one inexorable fact shone through. My daughter was alive. Alice had told me the truth, breaking some rule, just to help me heal. My heart exploded in joy, and the pain no longer mattered. I closed my eyes intent on falling into the death that was obviously trying to take me. But it was as if I was being kept alive artificially. I had no strength, and I felt more tired than I had ever been before.
Then a familiar voice broke the silence, "Why!? Isn't it enough that you took Bella? Did you have to take Charlie too?" It was Jacob, there was no mistaking that voice. He was so sad, and so angry, that it almost didn't sound like him.
"Use your noses for god's sake! I had nothing to do with this, I would never hurt Charlie!" Alice's voice was trembling with fear, but I couldn't miss her indignant anger. It was so unlike her, and so unlike Jacob that it had to be a nightmare of some kind.
"Maybe, but it's not up to me. Let us have him and we'll let you go back to your coven." Jacob sounded torn, and I could swear there was a twinge of guilt in his voice.
"No! I won't let you destroy him. It would devastate Bella; I can't let you take him!" She was petrified, for just a moment, and then a soft growl escaped from her throat. Then she crouched down defensively, her right foot pressed against my side.
"You're all making this so hard, I'm so sorry." Jacob said quietly. Then there was a ripping sound and a thunderous roar that made the forest quiver in terror.
Author's Notes:
Okay, so I had a totally different chapter in mind for this one. Also, this is also a combination chapter. Neither section proved to be long enough to hold on their own but I think they compliment each other quite well. The next chapter is the same, two sections that were separated but feel better as one.
Please take a moment to leave a comment about this chapter.
Next Chapter: Where the Fault Lies
Thank you for reading!