The Way It Should Have Happened…

Chapter 7

Edward heard the conversation before he entered the kitchen and paused to eavesdrop. Emmett and Jasper were in there, just the two of them speaking too low for a human to hear but since that wasn’t a problem... “I said it from the start of this thing, that he shouldn’t have gotten involved with a human. You know I said it and you agreed with me and now we’ve got a big mess to deal with and you know as well as I do that the golden boy won’t have to lift a finger to help clean up this mess he’s caused.”

“Emmett, c’mon, that’s not fair. He loves her and she’s in love with him, too. What were they supposed to do?”

“Face reality for a start.” Edward heard something smash, probably a glass. “None of us ever got involved with a human—you haven’t, I haven’t and neither has Carlisle and we’re just fine. We all met women and we’re all happy. Edward just can’t toe the line and this time it’s come back to bite him in the ass.”

“The women up in Denali all go for human men and they’re all right.”

“C’mon, Jasper, they’re just man hungry and can’t be bothered to be picky.”

“It would help if you took Rosalie out of here for a while so Edward doesn’t decide to kill her, you know. ‘Maybe relieve some of the tension.”

“Jasper, my friend, you know Rosie—you really think she’d agree to that? She hasn’t really cottoned up to our newest sister and would be just as happy if she fell off a cliff. You want to try talking to her?”

Edward saw Jasper shake his head by listening in on Emmett’s thought and looking through his eyes. “Do Edward or Bella know that it was the fight Rosalie started that upset Bella so much she tripped down the stairs?”

“I don’t think so. What does Alice see happening?” Emmett was hoping for good news but the look on Jasper’s face gave the lie to that.

“She won’t tell me but I know she’s not counting on a happy ending.”

That was enough, Edward walked through the kitchen door and stared down his brothers. “And just what is it that Alice does see, Jasper? You want to share with us?” His glare was impressive but Jasper had seen worse in the last one hundred and fifty years and wasn’t intimidated.

“You’re intelligent, Edward, you knew this had long odds when you got involved.” Jasper wasn’t about to rise to the bait.

Emmett, always honest if not always tactful pushed himself upright from where he’d been leaning against the counter. “You should have killed her when you had the chance, bro, that’s all we’re saying. Now we’ve got a mess to deal with.”

Edward snarled and was about to spring when Jasper spread some calming vibes around the room, causing both of his brothers to take a mental step back. “Both of you, take it easy. Maybe we can come up with a solution if we talk this out.”

Edward turned the glare on him. “I assume your solutions, Jasper, would consist of me and Bella moving to New Hampshire for a few years or would you prefer to simply call in one of your non-vegetarian friends for dinner?”

“Yeah, well, that may not be such a bad idea, bro. Look, I know how you feel about her but it’s been one thing after another since you hooked up and, frankly, it’s getting tired.”

Edward regarded Emmett; he knew this was getting out of hand and he wanted to diffuse this before they said things that couldn’t be easily dismissed as spoken in the heat of the moment—they were still family and he didn’t want that to change if at all possible. “The easiest thing would be for you and Rosalie to take another extended honeymoon, don’t you think? Then everyone else can go on about their lives while Rose cools off.”

“I’m trying, bro, believe me but it ain’t as easy as it sounds, okay? I’m working on it.”

In that second Edward picked up a thought from another part of the house; Rosalie was headed up the second floor stairs to his and Bella’s room and…

Edward moved as fast as he could and managed to intercept Rose just as she had her hand on the doorknob. “It’s considered polite to knock first.”

She barely reacted and gave nothing away, trying to shield her thoughts just as Alice called up from the second floor landing. “Edward! Keep her away from Bella!”

He saw her thoughts and knew what she had in mind. His hand darted out and grasped her wrist, spinning her around and against the wall. “Don’t.”

“This is all your fault, Edward, we all tried to talk you out of this but you wouldn’t listen. It’s so like you, always convinced you’re right, smarter than anyone else, always two jumps ahead of us all and doing whatever you want no mater who you hurt.”

“Rosalie, this isn’t your problem and I’m dealing with it, so is Carlisle and it’s going to work out just fine. Stay out of this.”

“Not if you don’t turn her and you know it.”

“I’m going to, that’s been the plan all along.” He saw Emmett silently appear by Rosalie’s side and put his arm around her as a partial restraint. Jasper and Alice were half way up the stairs, holding back but close in case they were needed. Edward read his parents thoughts and knew they were just coming in the front door, having made some kind of decision about the situation that involved Bella’s parents and a trip for Bella to get over the loss and away from Forks for a little while. Speaking softly and quickly at vamp-speed, he told her everything but…

“That won’t solve this, Edward. Bella has to be turned or she has to be eliminated. You know—we all know she’s putting us all in danger! We’ve been through more than enough because of her and it’s all your doing.”

Just then the bedroom door opened, Bella still shaky from the surgery as she stood there for a long second before stepping closer to Edward, looking at all the others and clearly wondering what was going on. Stubbing her bare toe on nothing, she stumbled with Edward catching her before she could fall, her arms accidentally scratched by one of his fingernails.

It all happened quickly; Rosalie smelled the blood and suddenly lunged for her throat, breaking free from Emmett as Jasper jumped to save Bella from his sister. Rose stiff-armed him, forcing him down and left just as Emmett regrabbed her from behind and pulled her clear. Edward, his arms full of Bella couldn’t react a Jasper flew towards them, his eyes changing as he, too, smelled the blood. Alice tried to prevent him from reaching his target but was overpowered by his superior strength as he slammed her back over the rail and down to the main floor.

Carlisle and Esme were up on the landing just in time to see Jasper’s teeth latch onto Bella’s throat as she started to scream.
 

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