I'm aware it's been done trillions of times, but I'm sorry it just begged me to write it. And since no one's reviewed the Guilty Ones, I figured I'd start a new story.
"I've never tried to keep a specific person alive before, and it's much more troublesome than I would have believed. But that's probably just because it's you. Ordinary people seem to make it through the day without so many catastrophes." - Edward Cullen, Twilight.
001.
"Mama?" Bella Swan yelled into the forest, frantically searching for her mother and running as fast as her seven-year-old feet could go. The day started off normal enough, her mother, Renee had decided it was time to take Bella on her first camping trip. Renee being the type of mother who tried anything and everything, thought that this would be good for her daughter. Little did she know that today was the worst day to choose camping.
The rainy town of Forks had always been an odd place to live, since strange things had always occurred. Renee and Charlie Swan shook it off; blamed it to Forks just being a small town. "Aren't small towns always a bit peculiar?" Renee had said on several occasions, after Charlie, who was the chief of police, came home from work reporting strange cases that would pop up around Forks and La Push, the bordering reservation.
"Run, Bella!" Renee Swan's raspy voice hollered from behind a tree, followed by a blood-curdling scream. Bella, of course, being the child she was didn't listen. She followed her mother's screams and stepped over to the tree she was behind.
Bella watched with wide eyes as a tall, flaming red haired woman feasted on her mother's porcelain neck. It didn't register, in her young mind that she was in danger. She had, however, noticed the smell of blood in the air and gagged. Beginning to walk backwards, Bella started to stumble but then stopped at the sound of her mother's voice.
"Bella, pl-run." Her mother rasped out again and soon stilled, stopped all struggling. The red haired woman dropped the body to the ground and it landed with a sickening thud. Slowly, the woman's startling red eyes turned to Bella and she smirked. "You can't out run me, child."
Bella stumbled backwards and fell back onto a tree trunk. Looking to her right, she saw her father lying lifelessly on the ground, a crescent shaped mark was on his neck. "Mama, don't leave me!" She screamed at her mother's body that, like her fathers, was lying lifelessly on the damp ground.
Bella tried to stand up again, but quickly fell back and cracked her head on the trunk. The woman laughed darkly. "Silly, fragile humans. If you wouldn't struggle so much—this would be a lot easier."
"Back off!" Someone shouted and crouched next to Bella, who was struggling to keep her eyes open. "Carlisle, I think she has a concussion." The voice said calmly and placed a cold hand on Bella's forehead. Although the hand was cold, Bella felt a sudden warmness sweep through her entire body and she soon began to relax.
"Jasper, I smell blood." A girls voice said from somewhere nearby. "Maybe you should go help Rosalie, I'm sure Victoria's being quite the struggle." The girl giggled as if she was telling some kind of inside joke, and the sound was musical in Bella's ears.
Bella groaned as a stinging sensation went through her left leg as she tried to sit up. She had to blink several times in order to see anything, her vision was still blurry from hitting her head so hard. She looked to her right and saw a girl with short dark hair sitting next to her, with a sad smile on her face.
"I'm Alice," The girl chirped as she placed her cold hand, much like the one someone placed on her earlier, on Bella's tiny shoulder. "Do you remember your name?"
Bella stared wide-eyed at this Alice character, and let her brown eyes take in her surroundings. She gasped when she saw her mother's body still lying nearby, and felt tears stinging her eyes.
When the tears started to fall down her face, Alice reached over and wiped them away with her arctic hand. Under her breath she muttered, "I forgot how over exuberant humans were." Then, remembering why the little girl was crying, she shook her head. Ashamed of herself, really, for thinking that after what the child had been through today. "But of course, after all she's been through…" She said so softly, no human ears could hear.
"What's your name, sweetie?" A woman materialized beside Alice, with caramel colored hair. She reminded Bella of her mother, for reasons unknown. There was just a certain amount of warmth that radiated off of her when she eyed Bella sympathetically.
"Bella," Bella said quietly, rubbing her head and then groaning. "Swan."
"Let me take a look at her, Esme, Alice." The next voice was a man's, who crouched down beside Bella and placed a cool hand to the back of her head. "Could someone get me some gauze to cover up this gash? It looks pretty nasty, and I don't want it to get infected."
"Here you go, Carlisle." Alice said, handing him what he asked for and sitting back by Bella. "Do you have any family we could call, Bella? We've reported this…situation to the police. They'll be here soon—and they'll probably call someone to come stay with you."
Bella shook her head. "Nana went to stay with God."
Carlisle and Esme shared a look, before Esme pushed a piece of Bella's hair out of her dark eyes. A bronze haired boy soon stepped into the clearing and said, "Victoria's gone." Very quickly, not slow enough for Bella to hear.
"Is that where mama and dad went? To see God?" Bella asked, letting her brown eyes fill once again with tears. "I told mama not to leave me! Why didn't she listen to me? I need my mama—"
Esme gently grabbed the little girl and cradled her to her cold chest. "Sssh, now, Bella. Everything will be fine—don't worry."
"Where are the others?" Carlisle asked, looking towards the right side of the forest. "Edward?" he asked again, trying to get the bronze haired boys attention.
"They're going to stay low, go back to the house. The scent is to strong," Edward eyed Bella carefully before holding his breath.
"And for you?" Esme asked, her voice filled with concern.
"It's strong," Edward proclaimed and cleared his throat. "But it's tolerable."
Esme eyed the boy carefully and Edward rolled his eyes. "Mother, seriously. I can handle it."
"If you're sure," Esme said clearing her throat and then looking down at the little girl. She turned her eyes toward her husband and asked, "Do you know what's going to happen to her?"
Carlisle could already her the love in Esme's voice for the young child in her arms, and was worried about how this would affect her once they found someone to take the girl into custody. "I'm assuming they would find a…temporary residence for her, until they find a permanent home."
Esme then looked to the girl who was now asleep. "Do you think—"?
"Absolutely not," Edward snapped, practically growling at his mother. His amber eyes flashed briefly before he took a deep breath. "that is out of the question, we can't risk some child's life just because you've fallen in love with her as if she were a puppy and you were a child."
"Edward!" Alice gasped, walking over to him and pushing him roughly back into a tree. "There is no need to be that…rude with Esme. She has the right to ask, and I'm certain if the girl lived with us, yes there would be struggles…but, she would be fine. Now calm yourself down, dear brother of mine."
"Alice, she's human. We're monsters—plain and simple, we can't bring her into that kind of a life. That just spells all kinds of disaster." Edward argued, narrowing his eyes into slits.
"Look how happy she makes Esme, Edward. And think about how happy Rosalie would be to have a child around—you know how much it has killed her to have this kind of a life. I'm certain everyone can learn to deal with having her around—really, I am. And just look at how terrible of an ordeal she's been through today and how relaxed and comfortable she is in Esme's arms.
"If it's something Esme truly wants to do, which I know she does by the way, then you shouldn't be so moody with her. I know, God forbid Edward Cullen not be moody—but, please. Just try," Alice said, crossing her arms and looking up at Edward, who was much taller than her.
"Stupid pixie," Edward said under his breath, causing Alice to hiss at him.
"We don't even know if she does have some kind of a guardian to take care of her," Carlisle said calmly, placing a hand on Edwards shoulder. "I know she said that she didn't, but there could be a relative out there she doesn't know about. She is young, after all."
The sound of an ambulance came from the highway that was beyond some of the trees. "Give me Bella and I'll walk to the ambulance. We'll meet at the hospital soon enough and then we'll discuss the possible adoption later." Carlisle said calmly as he reached toward Esme and effortlessly lifted the girl, heading towards the area the ambulance was going to be parked at.