Well, this is the end. The minute i started writing it i couldn't stop. I hope you think i did it justice. I want to thank three people who read and reviewed every chapter since the start: bingo1000, Pendragon2, and Angeldivachic. Your enthusiasm for this story was like finding chocolate ice cream in the fridge when you thought your sister ate it all. Just simply marvellous. Thanks so much. xxx

Oh, and the title of this chapter is the name of a 'Bullet For My Valentine' song. I dunno how big that band are around the world. They're class, anyway. For some reason, this chapter just had to be named after that song; you can interpret it any way you like. Another song of theirs, called Waking the Demon, is a really cool song that reminds me of how Bree refers to the 'monster' inside her, always threatening to break loose. If you ever get the chance, check it out. Now, enough of me babbling on forever, enjoy. Thanks for reading. This story isn't the most popular, but i really love it with all my heart. lurrrve. xxxxx

DISCLAIMER: I very obviously DO NOT own the extracts of the convos taken from Eclipse. I don't own a thing. sigh

SIX: HEARTS BURST INTO FIRE

There was a sudden eruption of growls, echoing throughout the forest, pressing against my eardrums. I spun, terrified. The group of vampires I was with stopped too, their expressions unsure and wary. It didn't sound like a coven of vampires to me. And it appeared to be echoing from the direction the other group of vampires had gone in. It had been a trap, I thought, my eyes wide.

The group started moving again, uneasily, and I found myself swept up in it. I didn't want to be here at all. I wanted to be anywhere else; I didn't care where it was. My ears were picking up on the most irrelevant noises, and I panicked at every single one of them. I could see the word ambush written everywhere. I was paranoid, I was heartbroken, and I was scared.

The trees cleared suddenly, and we found ourselves in a clearing. Six vampires hovered at the edges of it, opposite to us. I had never felt more afraid in my whole life than in that second. I wasn't going to survive. I had always known it, but now that I was staring death in the face, it was more real to me now. I was going to die. But I couldn't. I had to keep my promise to Riley. I had to stay alive, somehow.

My group of foolish vampires needed no encouragement. They sunk into their defensive positions, their teeth bared, and I shrank back into the trees as the battle began. Everyone was being ripped into pieces. I couldn't watch. My breathing was shallow, and it hurt. I wanted to turn around and run, but I was afraid I would run into those other monsters, the ones that had growled so fiercely. I didn't know what to do. I was all too aware of how fragile and precious my life was.

I wasn't paying attention. I didn't notice the vampire advancing on me until it was too late. He grabbed me in a strong hold, and I didn't even try to resist.

"No!" I gasped, praying that he would listen before snapping my head off. He did pause, but he didn't loosen his grip. "I surrender. I don't want to fight. Please, please don't kill me." I could hear the raw pleading in my tone, and I felt so afraid of just… blackness shrouding me, as he killed me anyway. If it didn't work, if he didn't listen, I would have let Riley down. I couldn't let Riley down. He had to listen to me.

The vampire seemed to consider for the shortest second, and I couldn't believe it when he released me.

"They won't hurt you if you stop fighting. Wait here," he said, and blocked me from the view of the other vampires behind a tree. He rejoined the fight, and I stood, frozen, forcing myself to breathe in and out regularly. I listened as my - acquaintances? - were snapped apart, and I felt nauseaus, even though I knew I was incapable of vomiting.

After what seemed like forever, it was suddenly quiet again. I peeked around my tree, afraid of what might accost my eyes. They took in a large fire, smoke billowing from it, and I had to look away quickly, not wanting to register the pieces of the vampires I had once lived with burning amongst the flames.

I was more alert now, and my eyes snapped onto an enormous vampire, with golden eyes, who had just noticed me. He began to advance on me, and I stumbled backwards, terrified of the look in his eyes. I almost collapsed with relief when the vampire who had taken pity on me earlier blocked him.

"No, Emmett. She surrendered," he said in a calming voice.

"So?"

"She hasn't been taught. And she didn't fight with them. There's no reason to kill her."

The large one called Emmett didn't look convinced. I was frozen in place, completely petrified. It seemed my life was hovering on a very unstable line. I kept going back and forth over it, never sure of my future. If I even had one.

The kind one summoned over another vampire to keep guard on me, which he named Jasper. Jasper looked me over with suspicious eyes, and I just curled myself into a ball on the ground. To attempt to calm myself down, I thought of Riley, remembering our final minute together, our final kiss. Maybe now, since it seemed I wasn't going to die, maybe I would see him again?

Hope was such a dangerous emotion, but I felt myself becoming victim to it. Victoria wouldn't let him die, surely? She must love him, maybe not as much as I did, but enough to protect him from harm. Maybe if we both survived, we could be together after this. Even though I shouldn't, because I knew I would regret it, I began imagining the future we could have together.

And I did regret it. Almost as soon as I began to hope and wish, the fear and pain arrived. Where was Riley? Was he hurt? No, he can't be hurt - I pushed the idea out of my head. It was too painful. Why couldn't I have gone with him? That way, at least now I would know he was alright. I felt myself starting to panic.

It was made a whole lot worse when another vampire arrived, carrying a human girl in his arms. The scent hit me like a sledgehammer to my face; it was Bella. My throat raged a fierce war. I hadn't denied it in so long, and now I was paying for every second. All I could think of was jumping up and killing her. But then they'd kill me for sure, and I would have let Riley down, broken my promise.

I could feel the eyes of the kind vampire on me, scrutinising my internal struggle. I wanted to look strong, like I could handle the temptation, as the vampires around me could so effortlessly, but I felt so unstable that I didn't think I could handle anything anymore. My throat burned viciously, my body ached to jump up and kill her before the others realised what was happening, fear for Riley pulsed in every part of my body. I was close to a complete and utter breakdown.

I watched in fascination as the kind vampire, and the one who had carried her in, brought her around. How could they be so close to her? Did their throats not affect them like mine did? Why couldn't I be like them? Why was I the monster all the time? Even surrounded by other vampires, I was the monster. It suddenly occurred to me that the vampire called Jasper was not guarding me from them… he was guarding them from me. As though I would hurt them. Because everyone saw me as the monster.

As I fought the urge to kill Bella, who stood amid vampires who did not react to her in the frantic, desperate way that I did, I truly felt disgust at myself. What had I become? Why could I not control myself? Did I always have to show to everyone that I was a monster, powerless, completely consumed by my own thirst?

I wanted to be the one in control this time. Me, the person who had been lost the second she had been bitten. I didn't want to be controlled by my thirst, by Victoria, by my hatred and fear of what I was. Controlled by my love for Riley. So many emotions and people had combined together, and I had lost my control. Well, now I wanted it back.

I watched, my eyes wide, as Bella regained consciousness, and the vampire who had carried her in kissed her. Kissed her. He loved her so much he could kiss her without giving in and killing her. The kiss reminded me of my kisses with Riley, the only real passion I had ever known. I had not lived long enough to have any sense of true love, but I knew I loved Riley. But where was he? Was he still alive? Did he fight to stay alive for me, like the way I was fighting to stay alive for him?

It was too much. I was overwhelmed with fear, and frustration, and anger at my thirst, which was showing no signs of calming down. I wailed out loud, almost driven to insanity by the thoughts raging around my mind, and my blistering throat.

Jasper growled at me, and I cringed back. He glared at me fiercly, and I badly wanted to… punch him. He didn't understand what I was going through right now. Who was he to judge me? And how dare he growl at me! Now overwhelmed by my desire to slap this guy across the face, I dug my fingers into the earth, trying to talk myself out of doing anything stupid. I shook my head back and forth, trying to keep it together. I knew none of the vampires here would hesitate to kill me if I put a single toe out of line.

The kind one came over to me, and it occurred to me how psycho I was acting. I couldn't help it, and I wasn't strong enough to think of another way to deal with everything. I just had to content myself with acting deranged.

"Have you changed your mind, young one?" he asked me. I gazed up at him, suddenly afraid again. "We don't want to destroy you, but we will if you can't control yourself."

I was controlling myself. I was almost going insane, but I was controlling myself. What more did he want from me? I was doing my best. He couldn't destroy me for that - he couldn't make me break my promise to Riley.

"How can you stand it?" I asked them, curious as to how easily they were able to be near her without their throats urging them to kill her, like mine was. "I want her," I blurted, overwhelmed by another strong wave of thirst, as her scent once more blew in my direction.

"You must stand it. You must exercise control. It is possible, and it is the only thing that will save you now."

I didn't like the way he was talking to me, as though I was a child. I may be locked in my fifteen-year-old body, but I had grown up a lot over the past few months. I was well able to control myself, and I think I was doing pretty well so far, considering. It was all a matter of willpower.

I put my hands over my head, grabbing the solution he offered me; control myself, and I'll be saved, and I'll have kept my promise to Riley. I wanted to block everything out, and go to my happy place, the nice one, the one with Riley in it. After a few minutes, I was shocked to discover I had been yowling without realising it. I stopped upon realising this, not wanting to give the others further reasons to think me crazy.

I could hear Bella talking, now that my yowling had ceased, and I felt tormented by my thirst again. I never had to deal with being so close to a scent and not being able to taste it. I clenched my teeth together, digging my nails into the back of my neck. It was like being absolutely parched for days, and then sat next to a glass of water, icy cold, crystal clear, and being commanded not to drink it. I wouldn't even think about drinking it, I vowed. I had stayed this strong, and I wasn't going to let myself become the monster again.

I directed my anger internally, disgusted at myself. How could I think about my thirst when I still didn't know where Riley was?

I could feel eyes on me, and without thinking, I raised my head. My eyes locked with Bella's. She was gazing at me with a pitying expression, but there was something deeper there, something besides me she was thinking about. I gazed back, not breathing, trying to keep my face from appearing insane, but I knew my eyes gave me away. My eyes reflected whatever I was feeling, always. No doubt she could see my fury, maybe even my fear. I felt so enraged by what I was, the monster that was trying to break free, and my lack of knowledge as to where Riley was.

Five more vampires arrived. I held my head in my hands again, trying to block everything out once more. I tried to think of something sweet, like Riley's kisses. They were so gentle, and nothing had ever compared to the feeling of his lips against mine. I smiled to myself a little, remembering. I felt myself becoming a little calmer, also. I drifted, half listening to the conversation the others were having, half lost in memories of me and Riley, and the stolen, too short, moments we had shared.

And then I was suddenly alert to my surroundings, and the conversation.

"Her name was Victoria."

Was.

I looked up in time to see the bronze haired vampire, the one who had kissed Bella, incline his head towards a pillar of smoke, a good distance away. No one noticed as I stared at it, wide eyed with fear, shaking uncontrollably. Riley was with Victoria.

I paid more attention to the conversation.

"This Victoria - she was in addition to the eighteen here?" a small, young looking vampire asked; one of the new arrivals.

"Yes," the bronze haired one answered. "She only had one other with her. He was not as young as this one here, but no older than a year."

I wanted to scream how he had been days away from his seventeenth birthday. I didn't miss how he spoke in past tense, and didn't mention his whereabouts now. I could tell, by the finality of his tone, that my Riley was dead.

I stared into space, all my hope draining from me, leaving me completely hollow and empty. What was the point of trying to keep myself alive when Riley was dead? I had nothing to live for, now. He was dead. He was gone. I repeated the words over and over in my head, but they still wouldn't completely sink in. My world revolved around Riley; without him in it, I didn't exist. So I couldn't be existing now.

"You there. Your name."

It took me a minute to realise the young vampire was speaking to me. I was shocked back into reality. I panicked, my thoughts racing. I didn't know what would be the right thing to say, that would keep me alive. Because I was going to keep my promise to Riley, no matter what. I felt a steely determination to honour it. It had been the only thing he had asked me to do.

I had taken too long to answer. The vampire smiled at me, and everywhere exploded into pain. It surged through me, completely unbearable. I screamed, frantically wondering why no one was stopping this torture, why they were letting her hurt me like this. I had done nothing wrong. Silently, I begged Riley to save me, even though I knew he couldn't.

The pain stopped. I inhaled the smell of grass, my face pressed against the ground.

"Your name," I heard her say again.

"Bree," I gasped.

And then there was the pain again. It hurt even worse the second time; it had intensified in power, coursing through every inch of me, making me scream again. It felt like every bone was being broken, my skin was being shredded. Through my screams, I heard one of them telling her to stop. Thankfully, the pain ceased, as did my screaming.

The young vampire, who I now hated with a passion, began to question me. "Bree. Is his story true? Where there twenty of you?"

I remembered some of Riley's last words to me.

If they ask you questions, lie! Lie about how much you know, play innocent, play dumb - anything! Save your life, Bree.

I spoke quickly, my mind quickly formulating what I would say before I said it. I decided to act like I hadn't been told all that much. Maybe playing it innocent would save me. I didn't really have any other option.

"Nineteen or twenty, maybe more, I don't know!" I said, cringing, it suddenly occurring to me that my ignorance might just provoke another round of torture. I improvised. "Sara and the one whose name I don't know got in a fight on the way…"

"And this Victoria - did she create you?"

I flinched as I thought of the truthful answer to that question.

"I don't know," I forced myself to say. "Riley -" I choked out the name "- never said her name." I found the lies were coming to me easily enough. Maybe if it looked like I hadn't known Victoria at all, it would save me too. She was the ringleader, after all. "I didn't see that night… it was so dark, and it hurt…" I shuddered, remembering how scared I had felt. "He didn't want us to be able to think of her. He said that our thoughts weren't safe."

That was taken from one of Victoria's pep talks. She had spoken about the vampire who could read minds, and warned us, that if we got caught out on the streets and pressed for information on who created us, not to think of her. I had thought her selfish at the time, willing to risk us all to save herself.

I panicked. Oh my God, why didn't I think? One of them knew I was lying now! I briefly searched their faces, but I couldn't find anything that would indicate it was any one of them. I tensed, terrified, waiting for the moment my lies would be called on.

"Tell me about Riley," my inquisitor said, and I felt a new surge of hatred towards her. Hadn't she tortured me enough? Now I had to talk about him? "Why did he bring you here?"

I answered quickly, trying not to think too much. I used the truth as an outline and coloured it in, making up lies on the spot.

"Riley told us that we had to destroy the strange yellow-eyes here. He said that it would be easy. He said that the city was theirs, and they were coming to get us. He said that once they were gone, all the blood would be ours. He gave us her scent," I said, and pointed at Bella. "He said that we would know that we had the right coven, because she would be with them. He said whoever got to her first could have her."

I noticed that Bella's boyfriend tensed at this, and he was staring at me with a piercing gaze. An icy splinter shot through my chest as I realised he was the one who could hear me lying. I didn't know if he was going to tell on me, so I gazed at him and prayed he would listen.

Please, don't, I thought. I mean no harm. I ran over my last conversation with Riley in my head. I love him.

He continued to gaze at me, but he didn't say anything. I wasn't sure whether to feel relieved or not. My torturer was speaking to me again.

"It looks like Riley was wrong about the easy part," she said. I nodded, starting to feel a little relieved. Maybe they were going to save me after all. I could feel nothing threatening emanating from any of them. I will have kept my final promise to Riley after all. I continued with my story, editing slightly.

"I don't know what happened. We split up, but the others never came. And Riley left us, and he didn't come to help like he promised. And then it was so confusing, and everybody was in pieces. I was afraid. I wanted to run away. That one -" I looked at the kind vampire "- said they wouldn't hurt me if I stopped fighting."

"Ah, but that wasn't his gift to offer, young one. Broken rules demand a consequence."

I stared at her, frozen. What did she mean? They were going to kill me anyway? But I promised Riley I would stay alive!

I zoned out of the conversation. I couldn't believe it. After everything the kind one had said, I still might not live to see tomorrow. It meant breaking Riley's, promise, and dying. I couldn't break Riley's promise! It was the only thing I had to live for now that he was gone!

I wasn't prepared for the feeling of an incredible calm, a intense peace, that stole over me. If I died, I'd be with Riley again. It would all be OK. We'd be together again.

I pulled myself back into the conversation to hear what they were saying. The kind one was speaking.

"Of course, we would certainly be prepared to take responsibility for Bree." I gazed at him, touched by his kindness, yet wondering why he would bother. No one here wanted me alive, that was for sure. I was supposed to die, and be with Riley.

The kind one's offer was denied, and pitying eyes turned to stare at me. They all knew I was going to die. I knew I was going to die. And it was OK. Riley was dead too. I had nothing on this earth to live for, and I would be made to live forever. In death, at least I could be with Riley.

I watched as the guy my torturer called Felix, started to advance on me. I knew I hadn't much time left. I concentrated on the memory of Riley's face; the last beautiful thing I would ever see. I braced myself for death. No matter where I went to after this, I would find my Riley again.

Felix grabbed me roughly. I screamed, but not in pain or fear. It was a sort of lament for myself, and for Riley. I felt sorry that I couldn't keep his promise. But at least this way, we would be together again.

I love you, Riley, was my last thought.