Twilight Fan Fiction ❯ Shooting Star ❯ Fight or Flight ( Chapter 9 )

CHAPTER 9: Fight or Flight

 

“I'll take it from here, Bella,” Edward's voice saved me from the downward spiral my mind had flung itself into.

I resurfaced into Carlisle's office.

Edward crossed to room from the doorway and caught my hand, pulling me up. Had the two chairs now beside the sofa materialized, or had he drawn them up? I hadn't seen.

“What's going on here, leech?” Jacob demanded. Edward glanced at me, ignoring Jacob's rude name.

“Does he know about them?” He asked me.

“Yes,” I answered, trying to focus, “but I didn't tell him much. He doesn't know about Jane, or Alec, or any of the others.” Edward nodded, directing his attention back to Jacob. He narrowed his eyes for a moment, concentrating hard, and then snapped back.

“The one you took out was called Felix,” Edward explained. His thumb was making soothing circles on the back of my hand. “And the one who attacked you with her mind was named Jane. The other little boy was Alec.”

“Who were the others?” I asked, “Who else came?”

“Demitri,” Edward said, his voice low. “That was the other you destroyed,” he said to Jacob.

“Jane, Alec, Felix, Demitri…”

“There were five,” Jacob corrected, his voice lashing out, still aggressive.

“The new one,” Edward growled. I could see the muscles in his jaw tense.

“In case you hadn't noticed, you're the only one who can read minds around here,” Jacob retorted, “so if you want me to know something, you need to tell me out loud. Got that, bloodsucker?” Edward sighed, as if dealing with a young child with an attitude.

“He's the new addition to the Volturi's guard,” Edward explained.

“And this is important because…?”

“You already know some of us have powers…I can read minds, and Alice sees things. Well this new guard seems to have an ability to cancel out all vampire powers directed at him.” Jacob was silent for a moment, I assumed, mulling this over in his head. “Jane called him Anthony?” Edward questioned. Jacob nodded, his expression vacant.

“He bit me,” Jacob said, gesturing to his chest. “It stung really bad `til the vampire surgeon extraordinaire put me under some pain killers.”

“That explains it,” Edward whispered to himself.

“What?” I asked him. He turned, directing his answer only at me.

“You asked earlier why Jacob wasn't healing at his normal rate. Well that was because he had vampire venom in the wounds.” Jacob's expression became horrified.

“I'm not going to turn into a bloodsucker, am I?” As I stared at him, I could see there was true terror in his eyes.

“Judging by the fact that you are not screaming in agony right now, I would say no.” I thought I saw the corner of Edward's mouth twitch as if he was fighting a smile. Whether it was at the thought of Jacob's reaction or him in pain, I couldn't tell. “I guess you're immune to it, since you're not human.” Edward shrugged. “I really couldn't say.”
“Half human,” Jacob corrected. “Only half of me isn't human. That's more than I can say for you.” Edward's eyes were tight.

“So you completely destroyed Felix and Demitri?” He questioned.

“Yah. I burned it and everything. Seth was thinking about that day one time while I was running, so I knew I had to burn the pieces. So I started a fire. It smelled almost as bad as you guys.” Edward didn't respond.

“Jake…did you head straight here?” I asked, my voice hoarse.

“I couldn't really tell where I was going. It hurt real bad. But then I hit your scent in the woods, and I followed it back here. When I realized where I was, I decided to come here. Lucky I did `cause the doctor lived here and all.”

“They have a trail to follow now,” Edward muttered, almost to himself.

“So the Volturi are close,” I said. It was not a question.

“Yes,” Edward's low voice escaped in a hiss from between his teeth.

“How close?”

“I can't tell.” Frustration flooded his voice. “Anthony, remember?” I nodded and looked back at Jacob. The muscles in his shoulders that were visible above the hem of the blanket were relaxing. A drained expression crossed his face.

“Well, if we're done yapping, I'd like to get some sleep. I've had what some call a hard day.”

“We'll leave you Jacob,” I told him, rising to my feet, Edward following in suit. The chairs were back by Carlisle's desk. I motioned for Edward to leave. “I'll only be a second.” Edward's eyes were wary, but I felt his hand slip away from mine as he departed. I strode over to kneel beside Jacob again.

“What do you want, Bella?” Jacob's voice was exhausted, but I caught an edge of pain in it.

“I just wanted to say good night.” I kissed my fingertips, and brushed them across his cheek before straightening up and leaving without turning back to see his face.

 

 

The next morning I woke to unexpected sun streaming through the large window that occupied the entire southern wall of Edward's bedroom.

I groaned when last night came flooding back to me.

Jacob—Jacob wounded. By the Volturi, no less. And they were close. Obviously with all that had happened, Edward had not fulfilled his half of the bargain last night.

“Are you all right, Bella?” He whispered from beside me in the bed. I looked at him, trying to get my eyes to focus, and the morning confusion to fade from my head.

“Yah, I'm fine,” I said groggily and then cleared my throat. I made my way down to the Cullen's kitchen and located one of the several boxes of cereal Edward had bought for me. After that, I returned back upstairs to fix myself up. As Edward watched, I determined that my hair was being completely uncooperative, so I finally gave up and, after much amusement on Edward's part, threw it up in a loose bun. I dressed in a casual jeans and black turtle neck before heading downstairs. To my surprise they were all around the large table in the dining room. I was even more surprised to see Jacob seated at one of the chairs. He sat to one side of the two remaining empty chairs.

Edward and I crossed the room and slid into the chairs.

“So what's the meeting about?” Emmett asked, no trace of humor in his voice today. He was all business.

“We are discussing,” Carlisle started, “our options. You all know how close the Volturi are, as Edward explained last night.” Last night? Edward leaned to whisper in my ear.

“I explained to all of them while you were very deeply asleep.” I just nodded, keeping my face blank. These were desperate times…no time to be selfish and cowardly.

“Remind me again why I'm here?” Jacob asked, only a hint of hostility in his voice. I guess he knew better than to get on the Cullen's bad side since they outnumbered him seven to one. I wasn't going to put myself in that ratio.

“You're involved,” Edward told him. Jacob glared.

“And when did I get involved?” Jacob asked, his chin jutting upwards.

“The day you were born.” Silence followed before Jasper broke it, a strange calm easing the tension in the room.

“So what are our options?” He asked smoothly.

“We fight,” Emmett suggested again. Edward stiffened at my side.

“Or we run,” Alice said smoothly, her tone indifferent.

“So that's it?” Edward asked, dubious. “Fight or flight?”

“Yes,” Carlisle said softly. “What other options are there? Either way were could possibly be killed.” The bright light streaming in through the windows lit the room and sent rainbows skittering off my new family's skin. The brightness seemed out of place while having a discussion about such a morbid topic.

I had a sudden epiphany.

I realized that if I had never moved to Forks…never met Edward, never fallen in love with him, never found out about the secret world of mythical creatures that existed within the human one…if I had never become involved, I wouldn't; Edward wouldn't; none of them would be facing immanent doom as they now did.

Everything was my fault.

Everything I touched got broken. Edward, Jacob, the Cullens, my parents, my friends. Was it my fate? To bring down everyone around me? Was I just destined to be a black hole that sucked everything around it into darkness? And yet, despite all of that, I still had a husband, a best friend, and a family that cared about me; that were all willing to risk their lives for me. Guilt swirled uneasily in my stomach.

Why would someone love a black hole?

They would only get hurt.

“Let's discuss the pros and cons of fighting,” Carlisle suggested in a business like manner.

“If we fight,” Edward said, “not all of us would survive.” There was no uncertainty in his voice. He knew someone would not come back from that battle. They could not do that for me. None of them should die to protect me.

“No—” I choked in a strangled voice.

“Bella,” Edward's voice was in my ear. “We're only talking right now. Don't get upset.” His words did little to ease the tension in my body.

“But, if we fight, we might have some chance at ending it,” Jasper spoke again, “as opposed to if we run, it might never end.” Esme's tone was quiet, business-like as Carlisle's.

“But if we run, there is a chance all of us will live.” I could tell Esme had no more intention of losing any of them than I did.

“Remind me again why I'm still here? Why can't I just go back to La Push?” Jacob's tone was still annoyed. Carlisle explained calmly.

“If you go back to La Push, you will endanger the entire tribe, not to mention you pack. The Volturi know of the existence of werewolves now, Jacob, and are aware you can destroy vampires. When your scent directs them back to Forks, and mingles with ours, they will go looking for you because you are connected to us. And where to you think your scent will lead them?”

“I see.” Jacob's eyes were fixed on the table. “So this means I can't go back to La Push? Ever?”

“Not until this is all settled.” I watched Jacob, but he didn't move; his expression didn't change.

“Can I phase yet? To tell the others?”

“You might want to stay in your human form for a few more days,” Carlisle advised. “You're not completely healed. The vampire venom took a toll on your body.”

“Do we have a few days?” Emmett inquired. “They were so close.” Carlisle looked at Alice.

“Anything?”

“No.” Alice's voice was frustrated. “This Anthony is making things dangerous. I'm virtually blind right now, because of that, and considering Jacob is coming with us, regardless of what we do.” Edward jumped into the conversation.

“So which is it, Carlisle? Fight or flight?” Carlisle looked around the table, looked at the faces of his family—very similar to what I was doing. Either way, there was a very good chance not all of them would make it out alive.

“We'll take a vote.” Was his calm response. He started with Esme, who was sitting next to him. “Esme?”

“I say we run. We can always fight later.”

“Rosalie?”

“Run,” was her short reply.

“Emmett?”

“I say we fight.” His eyes were fierce. “We can't run forever.”

“Jasper?”

“I agree with Emmett,” he said.

“Alice?”

“Esme's right. We can fight later. If we run now, we might have time to think of a plan.”

“Edward?”

“We run.” His face was hard. He didn't look away from my eyes as he answered Carlisle.

“Bella?” I was taken by surprise. I didn't think he would ask my opinion. I hesitated only for a split second.

Wherever Edward was, I would follow.

“I'm with Edward.” Was all I said. I looked around the room. Carlisle and Esme, and Edward and I were the only undivided couples.

“Jacob?” The surprise in his eyes told me he was just as taken aback that Carlisle had asked him as I had been.

Jacob took a minute, silence descending on the brightly lit room before he answered.

“I say we run.”

“It's settled then,” Carlisle said, his voice serious. “We leave tonight. Don't take anything that isn't necessary. I don't know when we'll be back, or if we will.”

“But, Carlisle,” Esme's voice spoke up, “where will we go?” Carlisle considered for a moment before he spoke.

“Denali.”