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The time seemed to fly by faster than I was able to run. I could not believe that I just up and left Edward, totally ignoring his reprimands. “It was all rather cruel of me, but my intentions are for the best.” I told myself, trying to lift my own spirits. Maybe this was how Carlisle felt when he rescued Edward and Rosalie. In both their cases, Carlisle had to make a decision on whether or not they were to live or die, right? Well, this situation was no different. I knew that I had to be doing something right by taking responsibility over the boy’s life. I felt like I was positively sure I knew what I was doing.
I briefly looked down at the boy’s face. I very much wanted to know his name, just in case I was too late. That wasn’t a thought I wanted to entertain at the moment, though. He looked as old as Renesmee; I envisioned how I would have felt if Renesmee, my own flesh and blood, were in his situation. I forgot the idea entirely, because it made me feel even more wretched. In a way, I was thankful the boy’s parents didn’t live to see this agony, since I know they would’ve been torn apart. All that remained now was what Carlisle would decide to do with him. Obviously, I had my own agenda, but Carlisle would need to agree with it first.
I came to a stop when I saw the Cullens’ beautiful, familiar home sitting a half-mile away from where I stood. I was in a pickle because I couldn’t simply leave the boy alone while he was severely injured. But I also couldn’t take him to the house since that would be too overbearing of a temptation for my family. “Don’t worry about it, dearest,” Edward reassured me. I spun around on my heels and greeted him with a sigh of relief. He was running at an uncommonly slow rate, and he was still visibly annoyed; I couldn’t tell if his emotions were directed at me or the smell of the blood. He momentarily stopped by my side, “I’m going to get Carlisle for you.” “Thanks, Edward.” I winked at him, “I owe you big time.” He barely smiled back, “You’re my beloved wife. You owe me absolutely nothing.” I knew he wasn’t in any way condoning what I was doing, but I had come so far already, so it was impossible to turn back now. Mere curiosity had turned into a serious commitment to a stranger who didn’t even know I existed.
I searched around for a soft spot to lay the boy down. The only place soft enough was a small patch of dead leaves that surrounded two nearby trees. The pile was damp and muddy, but it was all I had to offer. I cautiously put him down and watched as Edward approached the front door. Alice opened the door before Edward knocked; she was clearly troubled. Apparently, she was paying close attention to my future, because, before Edward could explain, Carlisle came running in my direction with his medical bag in hand. I was thankful that no long explanation took up the short amount of time we had. It was a stressful race against the clock. I stayed on my knees next to the boy until Carlisle came nearer. I stood to greet him, “Did Alice tell you everything, Carlisle?” He smiled at me for a brief second, “Yes, sweetheart, she did. I think it was very noble of you to bring him here. Although I can only do so much, he would probably not have survived a trip to the ER, so you made a wise choice.”
My confidence began to build when Carlisle seemed satisfied with me asking for his help. While I stood watching him examine the boy’s deep wounds, my mind devised a plan to push my agenda forward. I didn’t know why I was thinking like this; it seemed so darn odd. Was something wrong with me? I was treating this kid with a high amount of respect. I wondered if all shields would react like I did to this situation, or was it just me. There was something so angelic about him. He continually reminded me of Renesmee. I was seventy-five percent convinced that finding him was not a complete accident. I watched Carlisle injected something into the boy’s skin.
He elevated the boy’s wounded leg using a small pillow in order to stop some of the bleeding. He cleaned both wounds thoroughly before applying stitches. It was an agonizing fifteen minutes, but Carlisle successfully took care of the two gaping avulsions. The boy was still covered in small scratches, but most of them had stopped bleeding. Carlisle bandaged the few that were still trying to heal. However, when he cleaned and put away his medical tools, Carlisle did not look satisfied. I understood why. The patient was still unconscious. I stared at Carlisle, hoping to find an answer. He rose to his feet and somberly looked me in the eyes, “Bella, he’s dreadfully in need of some blood. Since he’s still unconscious, I believe he lost quite a bit of blood since the time of his injury. Alice saw that the wounds were bad, but not this bad, so I’m not prepared to take care of that problem. I don’t know how long he’ll survive.”
My jaw dropped in disbelief, “You can’t be serious, Carlisle. He’s a kid; he’s as old as Renesmee. He has an entire future ahead of him. You’ve got to do something to help him stay alive.” He put his arm around my shoulders in an effort to soothe me the way only doctors knew how, “None of us have blood to donate, Bella, and, as I said before, he won’t last the half-hour trip to the ER. I’m terribly sorry, sweetheart, but I’ve done all that I can.” I was about ready to give up till I remembered my proposition. “Carlisle,” my face lit up with sudden hope, “you haven’t tried everything just yet.”
Carlisle knew where I was going with this. His eyebrows furrowed and his lips tightened into a hard line, “Bella, that’s a risky ordeal. Edward is the youngest patient I’ve ever changed, and he was seventeen. This boy looks like he’s only fifteen. That is still a fairly young age for a vampire, and what’s worse is that you will not be able to keep him around Renesmee for a while. It will all depend on how he acts as a vampire. You know how extreme the average newborn bloodlust is, because you witnessed it firsthand with Victoria. Also, we have no clue what he’s like. If he’s a rebellious human teenager, his tendency to rebel will only heighten if he becomes a vampire.”
He made a good argument, but I was still not convinced, “Carlisle, with all due respect, you didn’t know any of your patients personally either, not even Esme, yet look how they turned out. Now, they’re our devoted family who detest drinking human blood.” “Yes,” he nodded in affirmation, “but Edward, who is the youngest, was still two years older than him.” I knelt down and gazed at the unconscious, nameless boy who I simply couldn’t lose. “Age doesn’t determine maturity,” I whispered softly, “Some people will never grow up, and some people will never need to grow up.” Carlisle clearly heard the earnest in my words, “Which category do you think he will fit into, Bella?” He inquired gently. I wasted no time in answering him, because something made me feel as though I had this boy all sorted out, “I believe that he will never need to grow up; I can tell he is mature enough. I just know it. Call it a mother’s intuition.” Carlisle crossed his arms. He was at a crossroad now. He remembered when he changed Edward, and how determined he was to let him live. He was never this determined, though; he had doubts in the beginning. Slowly, I encouraging was him to make the boy immortal, but one obstacle remained.
Carlisle rested his hand on my back, “If I change him, Bella, you won’t be able to keep him.” I paused for a moment, incessantly staring at the child. I did want to keep him with me, but I understood that Renesmee would seem like lunch to him until he became accustomed to the “vegetarian” diet, unless he would turn out to be a peculiar vampire like me. Human blood really never tempted me at all. Either way, I secretly promised myself to find a way to keep him close. I couldn’t recall wanting anything so badly ever since I had become a vamp. This obviously wasn’t vampire mating; it was more like vampire fostering. Certainly nothing bad could come from such an innocent desire.
“Bella?” Carlisle’s voice pulled me out of my daydreaming, “We don’t have much time,” he urged, “You need to make a decision now, but you must understand that you won’t be able to keep him for the first year or perchance longer.” If anything, I knew that I was adamant in my resolution, “Yes, Carlisle. Please, let’s do it on one condition. I want to change him.” Carlisle was stunned, “I don’t know. You’ve never tasted human blood, honey. You may not be able to stop, and his blood supply is low enough as it is.” “Carlisle, I am shield, right? Please trust that I wouldn’t want to kill the very thing my instinct is telling me to protect.” Carlisle gave up his fight. He could see that there was no use reasoning with me any longer.
“Alright,” he smiled kindly, “I will get Edward and the rest to come outside for a little while. We need to burn his bloodstained clothes before you inject your venom, so that there will be no scent of blood.” Carlisle left to tell the others. He came back in less than a minute, “We need to get moving quickly, dear; we’re losing him fast.” Carlisle lifted the boy into his arms while I grabbed his medical bag. We sped into the house and up the stairs to Carlisle’s study. Carlisle laid the boy on the sofa and propped him up using two pillows, “I will get him a change of clothes. It looks like Jasper’s size will do for him.” He came back with a blue button-up shirt and loose fitting capris in his hands.
I left the room and let Carlisle do his duties in peace. He came and got me when he was finished, “Are you ready, Bella?” I had no words to say. I simply nodded. Carlisle led me by the hand to the boy, “I’ll stay with you until you’ve done what you need to do.” I gave Carlisle’s hand a grateful squeeze. I swept the boy’s lovely, wavy blonde hair away from the side of his neck. I trembled slightly as I lowered my head. My lips touched his warm, soft skin. I sunk my teeth into his flesh. I pierced through his neck with ease. His thick red blood seeped onto my lips and tongue. It was the most divine thing I had ever tasted, and I soon found myself in a predicament because of it. I was rapidly losing focus on what I was doing. My protective instinct over the child was diminishing as well.
Thankfully, gracious Carlisle was there to set me at ease again. I felt his smooth hand touch my arm. I regained my sense and immediately pulled myself away from the shuddering boy. His body writhed in searing pain as my venom burned through his veins. Carlisle seized me in a comforting embrace. He stroked back my hair, “You did it,” he murmured melodiously. I was partly relieved, but the worst wasn’t over yet. My daring commitment had just begun. The deal was sealed. He was my son now.
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In case you couldn't tell, I love drama/suspense :P heehee Thanks for reading, everyone! Leave a comment if you wish :) Big bear hugs from me to all of you <3
Edward protecting Bella from Victoria
