Blood Moon
Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to SM.
Flight Risk
They made their flight with seconds to spare, and this was when Bella's true torture began. The plane sat idle on the tarmac while the flight attendants strolled – so casually – up and down the aisle, patting the bags in the overhead compartments to make sure everything fit. The pilots leaned out of the cockpit chatting to them as they passed. Every time another attendant did another sweep Bella tried desperately to catch their eye, hoping to give a silent signal that she was in distress. But none of them even glanced her way, too preoccupied with their duties, they continually bypassed her, faces blank.
The whole time Edward's arms remained firmly around her, imprisoning her in her seat while her right leg bounced anxiously up and down.
"Calm down, my love." Edward whispered close to her ear, his icy breath just adding to her agitation. "There's no need to be nervous. I'm right here with you."
Bella didn't bother to respond. He was acting as if she was some kind of nervous flyer - like she hadn't spent a third of her life on a plane going back and forth between Pheonix and Forks.
Eventually the plane rolled lazily from the gate, building speed with a gradual steadiness that just tortured Bella further. Her stomach plummeted, knowing that her last route of escape had been cut off now that they had achieved liftoff. The frenzied movement of her right leg didn't lesson. The fresh bite mark on her wrist continued to irritate, the reddened skin already sore from her constant scratching.
Alice and Jasper were sitting in the seats in front of them. Jasper's hand was resting lightly on Alice's shoulder as she murmured something into the phone she had pressed to her ear. Bella tried to listen in to what she was saying, but Alice's voice was so low she couldn't make out the words.
"Who is Alice talking to?" Bella whispered to Edward.
"Carlisle." Edward answered briskly.
"I can't make out what's she saying."
"Its nothing. She's just updating Carlisle on our time of arrival." Edward kept his tone light and even, though he couldn't quite disguise the irritation in his eyes. Bella knew that he was still angry with her for informing on him to Rosalie.
"I just want to go home." Bella whispered forlornly.
"Your home is wherever I am, remember?" Edward soothed. His thumb brushed across the bitemark on her wrist, causing Bella to nearly jolt out of her seat. The chill from his touch burned her skin. She noticed one of the stewardesses eyeing her with disapproval. "Calm down, my love. You're getting overwrought."
Bella tried to tune him out as she pushed his hand away from hers. Edward stared at her face; his butterscotch eyes filled with the usual frustration that he couldn't read what she was thinking.
"Where are you taking me?"
Edward's reply was interrupted by a tinkling laugh from Alice. "I've thought of that…Yes, I promise." Her voice lowered again. "It's proving slightly more complicated than the first time, Carlisle. She seems to be resisting a lot more. I don't know if that's due to the – okay, okay." She shook her head and sighed. "We will be careful. We'll see you soon."
Alice hung up then, and leaned back in her seat with her eyes closed. "This is getting riskier by the minute."
Jasper's fingers squeezed her shoulder in sympathy. Alice opened her eyes again, staring deeply into his. They stayed that way for what seemed like an eternity, before Edward's urgent whisper broke them apart.
"Alice, we have to act now!" His tone was full of urgency.
Alice sighed heavily, her resigned gaze resting on Bella's white face. "You've made things so much more difficult than they needed to be."
"What do you mean by that, Alice?" Bella cried. "Isn't it just easier to stop this right now? Just take me home. I won't – "
"Hush, Bella." Alice frowned in annoyance. "You're attracting too much attention – attention we can ill afford." She turned to Jasper. "Now would be a good time." She hinted to him.
Jasper's expression remained inscrutable as he relaxed back in his own seat and stared mindlessly out of the window. Still, he didn't need to move to exert control over his powers. Soon Bella felt her agitation beginning to lessen. Involuntarily every body in her muscle relaxed as a sense of calm and serenity washed over her. She tried to fight its effects for a moment, but found she didn't have the strength or the will for the battle anymore. Edward's thumb was stroking the contours of the bitemark on her wrist. The chill from his touch only added to the numbness that was creeping through her soul.
To any outside observer, it looked like Edward was pressing a delicate kiss onto his lover's wrist, only those in the know like Alice and Jasper, knew he was adding another drop of venom to increase the dose he had already given her. The sound of pain that escaped Bella's mouth at the fresh burn was very quiet, stifled as it was by the calming waves coming from Jasper. Soon the pain faded into nothing as the venom slipped quietly into her veins to join the rest.
"Sleep, my love." Edward crooned as he leaned close to her ear and began to hum her lullaby.
Bella's consciousness began to drift. Edward's arm remained around her as her head fell back against the seat and she closed her eyes. Still, she wasn't completely gone as Edward and the others thought. Part of her brain remained sentient enough to listen as Edward began another urgent discussion with his siblings.
"How could you have not foreseen this, Alice?" Edward demanded in whisper.
Jasper shot Edward a death glare, angered by his accusatory tone. Alice put her hand over his reassuringly, flashing him a fond smile for coming to her defense.
"You can't put this all on my shoulders, Edward. My gift has its limitations. You know that. Bella knew very well that the easiest way to avoid detection would be to make a last-minute decision so I wouldn't see. She saw an opportunity and took it. And may I remind you that you were the one who was supposed to be watching her. Why did you let her use the phone?" Alice retorted.
"I didn't let her use it. I assumed you had taken it with you. Why did you leave it behind?" Edward countered.
Alice's brow furrowed. "I didn't – I thought – no, it doesn't matter." She murmured, her lips pulling over her teeth as her gaze was drawn to Jasper. He stared back at her blankly, his thoughts and expression giving nothing away.
"Why are you suddenly screeching the lyrics to an Iron Maiden song in your head?" Edward questioned suspiciously. "What are you trying to hide from me, Alice?"
"Nothing!" Alice muttered. "Pipe down and look to your left." She took a deep breath and levelled a dark glance over her shoulder. The man in the aisle seat suddenly looked away, trying to act as if he wasn't listening in to their whispered conversation. He appeared to be a businessman, in a dark suit with a power tie and laptop on his knees. While Alice stared at him, he opened the computer and very conspicuously put his head phones on.
Edward's posture turned tense; his eyes tightening as he read the man's mind. The fingers of his free hand balled into a tight fist on his lap. The businessman fidgeted slightly in his seat, very much aware of Edward's scrutiny.
"Edward?" Alice prompted nervously.
"He's an FBI agent." Edward spat out in a low voice. "Chief Swan must have contacted them. They traced Bella's passport. Dammit, Alice, why didn't you see?"
"Because you have me watching too many things at once – and Charlie Swan was not one of them!" Alice fired back. "Something was bound to slip through the cracks."
"I'll take care of him." Jasper spoke for the first time, his tone calm and controlled.
Alice's eyes opened wide. "No, Jas, its too risky. And it could set you back in the long term."
"I'm willing to take that risk. And, anyway, I am much better at controlling myself then I was. Can you foresee any immediate problems?" Jasper reiterated in the same controlled tone.
Alice went silent momentarily, her eyes glazing over. When she came to, she wore a grim smile. "Enjoy your meal. We won't tell Carlisle about this little blip." She added as an afterthought.
It wasn't long before the FBI Agent stood up. Without looking in their direction he walked toward the bathroom at the back of the aircraft. A minute later Jasper stood up and followed him.
The sentient part of Bella's brain was still functioning, its senses heightened by the fresh drop of venom, she was able to hear and understand the entire conversation. Nauseated and filled with horror at the unfortunate FBI agent's impending demise, she silently grieved that she was unable to do anything about it. She couldn't save him, held as she was in the grip of Edward's thrall. She had to focus all her remaining strength on saving herself.
Bella fought back against the pain, her wrist was aching abominably, the skin icy cold where Edward's thumb pressed against the bitemark.
Alice and Edward settled back down. They showed a movie. Edward placed headphones over Bella's ears to make it look like she was watching. With eyes half open she observed the figures moving across the screen, but she couldn't tell if the movie was supposed to be a romance or a horror film. It was bad enough she was living one of her own.
Eventually Jasper returned wearing some dark shades and a satisfied smile on his face. There was no sign of the FBI agent.
After an eternity the plane began to descend. Jasper and Alice's hands entwined, while Edward's remained firmly anchored over Bella's like a pair of icy shackles. She tried to pull her hands back a dozen times before the plane touched down with a jarring impact.
"Hello New York City." Alice muttered under her breath.
They were in New York?
Bella moaned and opened her eyes fully. She shook her head from side to side as she tried to clear it, but it soon fogged up again as another calming wave from Jasper dulled her senses.
They had to run for their connection. At least the others did. Bella was propped up by Edward, his arm around her waist as he half carried her toward the new plane. As soon as it was in the air, Alice closed he eyes and slid back into a stupor. Jasper held her hand patiently as the different scenarios played out in front of her eyes.
Bella was beginning to drift off again. She glanced out of the window, seeing nothing but pitch black. She sighed, grateful that she'd had so many months practice at controlling her thoughts. Instead of dwelling on the terrifying possibilities of what lay ahead, she thought about more pleasant things – like Jacob, like Charlie, like all her family and friends. She fell into a pleasant doze, aided by the calming waves coming from Jasper, she dreamed about them, half believing that the dream was real, only for it all to come crashing down when she felt Edward shake her shoulder.
"Bella." He hissed, his voice a little too loud in the darkened cabin full of sleeping humans.
Bella stared at him, disorientated. "What?" She mumbled.
"You were talking loudly in your sleep." Edward whispered irritably.
"I was?" Bella vaguely remembered calling Jacob's name. That was probably why Edward looked so pissed off. Well, good!
An attendant tiptoed down the aisle toward them. "Can I get you both a pillow?" She asked in a hushed whisper.
"No, thank you." Edward beamed up at her, his smile shockingly seductive. The attendant's expression was dazed as she turned and stumbled her way back.
"You must keep quiet, Bella." Edward rebuked her in a quiet murmur. "Now go back to sleep. We have a while to go yet."
"Where are we going?" Bella slurred, her tired eyes already closing, she was already gone again before Edward had a chance to reply.
A/N-thanks for reading!