Title: Gloaming
Author: Readingmama/Vampiremama
Beta: AcrossTheSkyInStars

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of its characters. No copyright infringement is intended.

Continuity: AU
Rating: M for sexual situations and violence.

Chapter 31.5

EPOV Outtake #2

Leaving Bella was difficult, but I knew that she was safe, the dogs weren't after her. I arrived back at the house and my family members were engaged in their usually evening activities, reading, playing chess and the things that Emmett and Rosalie do together whenever they have the chance. I cringed as I tried to block out the mental images I was receiving through Rosalie, many people thought it was Emmett that was the wild one but Rosalie was the mastermind behind most of their shenanigans.

I called out, gathering them all quickly into the main room getting ready to relay to them what Bella had told me about the wolves. I noticed that Alice was missing but a quick jaunt through Jasper's thoughts told me that she went hunting. It was weird for her to go off alone, but I didn't have time to think of that at the moment.

Carlisle looked worried as I began to speak, no doubt reading my panic easily. After nearly a century together he knew me better than anyone, except maybe Bella. In the short time I had known Bella, she had just gotten me. She may not have known every detail of my life but her heart knew mine.

The faces of my family each flashed with a different emotion as I explained that the wolves had told us that we had to leave. Carlisle looked heartbroken, Rosalie looked furious, Jasper looked studious as he took in the information, and Emmett just smirked. Esme was the hardest for me to ignore as her thoughts bombarded me immediately.

Well then you can change her. If we are already being chased, there is nothing for you to lose.

I held back my growl at her suggestion; I knew that all she wanted was for each of us to be as happy as we could be. She was vicious in her plight to give her children all that we needed and I did love her for it, even if I couldn't always agree with her methods. She had been the first to comfort Emmett when he had killed his own singer, telling him that it wasn't his fault, that there was no way to resist such a call.

"Things are not that simple," I directed my comment towards her, "They will come after us if we take her."

"Let them," Emmett replied, his eyes lighting up.

I shot him a reproachful look but it was Carlisle who called him out. "Remember son, that is Bella's family." Emmett looked appropriately scolded but I could hear his inner thoughts pouting about not getting to fight the wolves. He viewed at as the closest to a fair fight we could have as vampires.

"What do we do?" Esme asked, turning to our leader.

I flung my head around as I heard the internal screaming of my sister followed shortly by her voice, "The wolves are coming!"

The six of us were out of the house, bracing for a fight in a matter of moments. I listened for the wolves, I could hear the thoughts of two, but I could gather from their visions that one of them was coming but hadn't caught up. Would they really be coming to fight with just one? Or two? I didn't understand, we had until the following midnight.

Stand down. Back to the council building.

The command of the Alpha was obvious even to me. The lone wolf turned and sprinted away. I gestured to my family that all was okay.

"They left," I stated.

I was so concentrated on the wolves that I hadn't listened to Alice's mind so it wasn't until she entered my view that I realized why the wolves were chasing her. Draped in her arms and screaming like a banshee, Bella thrashed against the venom in her body.

"What have you done?" I roared as I rushed to my love's side. The scent of her blood filled my nostrils, causing the beast within to rage. I held my breath as I pulled her from Alice's small body.

The vision hit quick.

I ran into the house with Bella in my arms and then I took her and I laid her down on the couch in my room. When I went to speak to her I inhaled and the scent was too much, even with the venom coursing through her, I drained her dry.

"Take her," I said in a deadly calm voice. When no one moved I demanded more forcefully, "Take her!"

Carlisle took the flailing beauty from my arms and I raced off into the woods. Alice was hot on my trail. I was faster, but she was more persistent, yelling for me to wait. I pulled myself to a stop and turned to have her reach me half a minute later.

"Edward, it's not your fault."

"I was going to kill her," I said coldly.

"But you didn't. She will get washed off and you will be okay. I just spilled a little blood…"

"Alice, what were you thinking? How could you do that to her? Take away her life?" I pleaded for understanding.

"Because she asked me to."

"What?" I asked feeling a little bit off that Bella wouldn't wait for me to decide.

"She said that you wouldn't forgive yourself if you did it. She wanted to make sure you had no fault in this so that you could love her with a clear conscience."

My Bella, my silly, wonderful, stupid Bella. And yet she was partially right, because although I was mourning for her life already, I was also celebrating the fact that she would now be mine forever.

"Do you really want to leave her alone right now?" Alice asked.

I watched as another vision flashed through Alice's head. Esme was washing the blood off of Bella's arm and Carlisle had taken the towels out to be burned.

I nodded to my pixie sister, following her back to the house. I didn't want Bella to suffer alone, I never wanted her to feel alone again. With determination to not have her left alone, I picked up my pace, passing Alice and racing into the house. I followed the sounds of the screams and found her on Alice and Jasper's bed. I wanted her in my room, but I had no bed and my couch was unlikely the most comfortable place to go through her change.

Bella thrashed on the bed and I reached out for her hand, grabbing it softly. Her skin was covered with a layer of sweat and yet she was still beautiful. Her fine features were contorted as she screamed.

"Bella, sweetheart, I'm here. It will be okay. I know it hurts."

"Edward, oh God. It hurts," she wailed. It was the last coherent thing she uttered before the pain became too much.

Alice kept a vigil outside the door, giving me some privacy but close enough to lend a hand when I needed. Bella had soiled herself about three hours after she had been brought home and Alice cleaned her up. I would have done it but I wanted to protect Bella's modesty.

I sat and watched as her skin tightened and her body change. I tried to cool her with wet face clothes but they seemed to do nothing. I gave up and tried to lie on the bed with her, hoping my cool body would help her. I held her close to me and I could feel her getting weaker before she got stronger. Her screams seemed to come less frequent so I kept my body pressed to hers for as long as I could.

"We need to leave," Jasper's voice cut through the room. His thoughts finished with the reason. The wolves would come, the treaty had been broken and we no longer had any grace time to leave forks.

"We can't take her anywhere like this," I stated harshly. "It's not like we can drive over a state and rent a hotel with her screaming like this."

"They will attack."

"Then we will have to be ready," Carlisle voiced as he entered the room. "Bella is our family now and we will protect her."

Alice was quick to join in. "She doesn't want us to hurt any of them."

"Of course not," Carlisle replied, "we will do our best to leave as soon as we can but if they come before Bella awakens then we will do the best to keep them at bay until she does."

"I will keep a watch out. As soon as my visions fail, we'll know they are coming."

"How far can you see right now?" I asked.

She made a face before answering. "I'm getting about a day and a half."

"What should we do? Bella won't be done her change in two days." I sounded desperate.

"There is one thing I can think of trying," Carlisle replied, standing very still. "We can try adding more venom."

I cannot lie; there was a certain appeal to the thought of my venom running through Bella's system. She would still have blood but the scent was already very bearable. I believed that I could bite her without the nasty side effect of wanting to kill her.

My family left me alone to do the deed. I hoped that what I was about to do would not cause Bella any more pain than she was already dealing with, but if more venom helped speed up the process then it would be worth it in the end.

"I'm sorry, love," I whispered bringing my teeth to her neck.

The skin gave little resistance and yet it was already stronger than human skin. A small amount of blood entered my mouth as I released my venom into her, it was heaven but diluted enough for me to keep my composure. I swiped my tongue along the mark, closing it before moving to the next spot. In total I pierced her body thirteen times. I had no idea if it would work, but the act of marking her in such a way thrilled me. And that emotion brought guilt as I watched her shriek and twitch.

It was torture to watch Bella in such a state but I knew that she would come out of this and we could be together, as long as the wolves didn't interfere. I knew it was unlikely but for the first time in a long time I had something to pray about.