Bella:….

Casey:…..

Leah: Man this is awkward…

Emmett: This whole this is awkward but we'll focus on them later. We gotta find out what's up with Big muscle girl and her two friends so start the chapter!

The Crimson Eyed Drifter: Distance between Hearts
Chapter Thirty - Two

Venturi Residence
Casey McDonald

There I sat, in my mother's arms as I stared at Derek's form on the table, tossing and turning with in anguish.

I've been in bad places before when it came to my emotions.

Max and I being a bad match, Derek trying to break up Sam and I and then Sam and I breaking up repeatedly and my….deep issues with Truman but seeing Derek like this. Seeing the normally arrogant, confident, idiotic, jerk losing his life was something I never thought that I would have to deal with.

For so long, I wished Derek and I had never met. That he would die in some glamorous and humorous way but now, I wish I could take it all back. Why? Why did you wait so long to admit that you love me? Why did I take so long in realizing it?

All that time wasted…

The pained screams continued to echo throughout my house as Derek thrashed in agony. The venom Carlisle had put in him over the threshold of being able to survive but each scream seemed to tear a piece of my heart asunder.

Oh Derek…

"How long must this last?" My mother asked Carlisle with pain in her voice.

My mom had been the first to arrive home since she was the closest. George had told her he would get the kids out of school.

I had explained everything that happened at the airport and while mom was furious at Victoria and her vampires, she was proud of Derek for saving my life…

But he was paying for it…

"Was I this bad when I changed?" Jessamine questioned as she looked to Peter and Charlotte.

"Yeah…" Charlotte responded grimly.

"I was too late to save him…If only I had been faster," Archie said as he sat on Royal's lap, a sad expression on his face.

"We were able to save the other two…That's something at least," Royal responded, his arms wrapped around Archie's protectively. If I wasn't so distraught, I'd find it honestly cute.

I moved out of my mother's arms and moved to Derek's side. I gingerly touched his cheek and for a moment, his thrashing seemed to calm down. I could see his right eye struggling to open but then I saw it, his pain-filled eye.

"H-hur…" Derek struggled to say before he began to scream again.

It's hurting me too Der…

Seeing this triggered my anger to a level I had never experienced before.

"Can't any one of you do something?!" I exploded in fury.

"Casey…" My mother said but I shook my head angrily.

"He's hurting! Can't any of you see that?!" I yelled before I punched the table in frustration. "T-There has to be something you all can do!"

"We've done all we can…"Carlisle whispered sadly.

"He shouldn't be going through this alone…" I whispered softly as I looked at his face, my tears colliding with his cheeks before sliding down.

It was then I felt a sense of calm rush over me.

Derek…

"Casey…Are you okay?" Charlotte asked.

"Honey?" My mother whispered.

"Casey?" Bella asked.

I didn't answer any of them.

I wasn't okay.

He was here because of me and I'm not going to let him go through this alone…

"I don't like that look in her eyes…." I heard Embry say.

"I can't pin down her emotions…" Jessamine muttered.

I didn't bother to look at anyone but I did look at Bella.

There was something about her…Something familiar in her eyes.

There was sadness…And yet there was understanding in them. As if she knew what I was planning. Even form the brief conversation, it was obvious that she was more important than anyone could possibly know and seeing that understanding gave me the strength to do what I know must be done.

"I'll be fine…" I said softly. "Just saying my goodbyes…"

I watched Derek's thrashing slow down and I gingerly leaned down to kiss his forehead. He let out a whimper and I placed my forehead against his sweaty one. "I don't know if you can hear me Derek but if you can….I'm in love with you idiot….I have been since the day we met…everyone that I dated was just me trying to keep my feelings for you at bay…"

I shut my eyes and let a bittersweet smile form on my face.

"I promised that after all of this way over, we'd go on a date… Just you and me..." I whispered as he let out another gasp of pain. "No parents, no siblings, no chaos…Just us…Just two idiotic teens who fell in love at their parents wedding…who fought day in and day out while burying our feelings for one another…Just us and I intend to keep that promise…"

I placed a soft kiss on his lips.

"Rest, my dorky hero…" I whispered fondly before I pulled away and slowly made my way to the kitchen and grabbed one of smallest and sharpest knives before I made my way upstairs.

Just wait for me Derek….I'll be with you before long.

Venturi Residence
Peter Whitlock

I watched as Casey left Derek's side and slowly walked up stairs while the group watched her nervously. Deep down in my undead heart, I knew what she was going to do. I didn't have to be the Major or Alice to see it.

While I can see shit that's firmly set in the future, I couldn't see the decisions that led up to that set time. I knew Derek and Casey would both turn into vampires but I didn't see the cause of it but now, in this moment, I knew what was going to happen….

I watched as Nora debated on whether to stay by Derek's side or go to her daughter but Bella silently made her decision for her and stood up and walked after Casey, leaving us vampires and shapeshifters with the teen on the table.

I leaned against the wall and closed my eyes and crossed my arms.

"Carlisle…Get ready to change Casey," I warned in a hushed tone, making sure Nora didn't hear it.

And despite having my eyes closed, I could feel everyone's eyes staring at me.

"Are you serious?" He questioned in the same hushed whisper.

"Deadly…" I replied. "It doesn't take Alice, the Major or Jessamine to see that something dangerous is brewing within her. She's going to do something very reckless….Bella reckless."

"And we're just sitting here?" Seth asked with concern.

I opened my eyes and was about to speak when the front door opened to see Derek dad and his siblings. "Oh god…" George said unison before George rushed to the now slightly squirming Derek.

"Derek!" Edwin, Lizzie and Marti exclaimed in horror.

His skin was getting paler and his heart beat was starting to slow.

It was almost time…

"It's okay Derek. It'll be okay…" I heard Nora whisper into his Derek's hair as she cradled his head while the three kids began to sob.

I watched as both Rosalie and Charlotte walked out of the room and felt sadness in my heart. She could never handle children crying.

I could see Carlisle's guilty expression and apparently, George could as well because he walked to him and said "Casey told me you were the one who did it, right?"

"I'm so sorry…He was too far gone to remove the venom…" Carlisle said with remorse. "I had to push it through or he would've died…"

"I know…Casey told me the events and I just wanted to say thank you," George said as he held out a hand to Carlisle. "You did what you had to do and while he is losing his human life, he will still have a life."

The look of anguish remained on Carlisle's face but his shook his hand and bowed his own head.

"What will happen now?" George asked.

"All of you will need tell him as many memories that you have with him…Good or bad," Carlisle began. I motioned to the other vampires and the three shifters to follow me outside.

They needed some time alone.

It was then the smell of blood and the accompanying scream of "Casey!" echoed through the house.

I lowered my head as Carlisle and George ran up the stairs while the rest of their family looked horrified.

I knew it…Damn this stupid gift….

Venturi Residence
Carlisle Cullen

With George in the lead, he lead me up the stairs and down the hall were Derek's room laid and when we got to the doorway, Bella was standing there with her mouth over hands. On the floor in front of Derek's bed was Casey, her wrists slit.

"Oh my god, Casey!" George screamed as he rushed past Bella and knelt beside Casey. She looked up at him with a smile.

"It's okay George…" Casey whispered. "Derek won't be alone now…" Casey then turned to me and it was then I understood Peter's hushed words to me before.

He knew this was going to happen…

"Casey, what in the hell are you talking about?" George asked as he frantically shook her shoulders but she merely smiled and let her head drop.

I carefully moved past Bella, who openly sobbing now, and gazed at Casey's wrist. She had cut fairly deep. Deep enough that my venom wouldn't be able to seal the wounds…. She was still alive but her breathing was growing faint.

"You have to do something," George said to me with frantic eyes.

"It's okay…" Casey whispered softly, her weakened eyes staring up at me and it was then I was reminded of Bella…

The girl that I called my daughter.

She gave me the same look when I was bandaging up her wounds from her birthday. It was filled with pain and yet acceptance.

"I'm so sorry George but she won't survive this deep of an cut to her wrists…In order to save her, I'll be to be taking the life of another one of your children," I told him.

George took a deep sigh and said "Do it."

Without another word or look given, I took her wrist and bite down onto it to administer as much as my venom as I could before doing the same with her other wrist.

"Carlisle…" I heard Bella whisper as the guilt panged through me.

Why have I done this again? I have just condemned two more lives to this misery…

Rain: Whew….That was a chapter I wasn't expecting to write. The chapter was supposed to clue you guys into what was going on with Jasper but I decided to delve into a different realm which will effect Bella, Carlisle and Peter really hard for the next few chapters but the next chapter will have what was originally supposed to be this chapter so until then…

Emmett: Holy shit….I was looking for answers, not this fucked up chapter!