4. Defenseless
    Dylan and I walked to Carols. He was stiff, and walked like he was in the military. I tried to push in front of his and skip the rest of the distance to the house, but he walk almost making himself block me. I sighed and paced myself to match him. When we got to the house, Dylan rang the bell, once.
        “You see, she’s not here, let’s just go back. I’ll cook dinner.” He said while turning from the door. He’d only waited for a hundredth of a second.
        “Relax Dill, they need some time to get to the door, they’re not Bella and Edward.” I said. I half chuckled to myself, finding my reference to my brother and sister, rather ironic. Now that I knew they were Vampires, I could almost use them as a stereo-type, or an adjective.
        He sighed. “Fine.”
    Soon after, I heard footsteps coming from inside the house. The door flung open. And we were greeted by Marcie’s classic smile and deep blue eyes.
        “Gianna!” She yelled so loudly, that it cause both Dylan and I to shudder back. She flew forward and threw her arms around my waist.
        “Shh! I don’t want Carol to know I’m here.” I warned as I wrapped my arms around her. She looked up at me.
        “Oh, don’t worry, she’s not even here.” She assured me. I looked at her funny. Carol never left Marcie alone, never.
        “Where is she?” I asked. I was a little worried, as much as I hated Carol.
        “Well, she was on the phone with this person, and then I heard her say she would meet them in town. Then she left, she’s been gone since last night. I didn’t even go to school today, because I slept too late. I’m starvin’ too G, all that I can make is cereal. .” Marcie explained. I felt horrible, and instinctively squeezed her.
        “What? Marcie! Why didn’t you come to our house?” I said softly. I felt horrible.
        “I… didn’t really think about it. Mom went to you house last night to talk to you and apologize. When she came back, she just kept walking back and forth saying, ‘He’ll never be my son! Not in a million years!’ and ‘Not my daughter!’ I don’t know why she was saying that. She was so mad, then she left.”
        “Did she call, or tell you when she’d be back?” Dylan asked. She shook her head.
        “I called her after I missed the bus, and she rushed me off and told me to stay home. She said she would be home by 8:00.” She said. Marcie sounded slightly worried. I glanced at my watch. It was already 9:15.
        “Come on Marce, you coming with us.” Dylan announced as he took my hand and pulled it slightly. Marcie nodded.
    We began to walk back to our house. We were almost half way there when a familiar forest green mini-van pulled up to a screeching halt besides us and opened its window. Carol leaned over the center consol.
        “Where do you think you’re going?” Carol growled. Marcie shivered back.
        “Mommy, I was scared, so I called Gianna.” She lied. I was impressed. Marcie never lied to Carol
        “Oh yeah, live with them. Let’s GO! NOW!” Carol screamed. Marcie sighed and obeyed.
        “Come over anytime you want Marce.” Dylan said. Marcie smiled and nodded.
        “I don’t think so, she’ll never come within yards you two! You disgust me! I don’t care if you are getting married, you’re still living in sin!” Carol yelled, louder this time. Marcie got into the car slowly and waved as Carol u-turned and took off speeding down the road, but failed to stop at her house. She continued to speed towards town. I looked at Dylan.
        “Where do you think they’re going?” I asked. Dylan shrugged.
        “I don’t know. Let’s go home, you look exhausted.”
        “Yeah, carry me?” I cooed, as I put my arms out. I tried not to think about what Carol said. Dylan snorted and nodded.
        “As you wish.” He laughed as he easily took me into his arms. He held me close to his body and I practically got a high of the intoxicating scent of his Axe Shower Gel. Now I know why they call it Fever.
    When we got to the house, I could hear the phone ringing. I sluggishly walked to the table and picked it up.
        “Hello?” I answered.
        “Hey! It’s me.” Bella greeted.
        “Hey! When are you guys coming back?” I asked.
        “Uh, a couple of days. Tomorrow the earliest.”
        “Oh, kay. Maybe Dill and I will come next time, camp while you guys hunt.” I said.
        “Sounds good. Hey, stay out of trouble until we get back. I love ya G.” Bell said.
        “I love you too Aunt Gianna!” Nessie yelled from the background. I chuckled lightly.
        “Love you both too.” I laughed.
        “Tell Dill we say hi.” Bella said.
        “I will.”
        “Bye.”
        “Bye.” I hung up.
    Dylan walked into the room. “Who was that?” he asked.
        “Bella, everyone is still hunting.”
        “Oh. When are they getting back? He asked.
        “A couple of days… why?” I asked suspiciously.
        “Well, we’ll be alone… without Bella and Edward, interrupting us. Do I need to say more?” he said as he half smiled.
    I smirked. “Nice Mr. Chase, nice.” I laughed.
        “Aren’t you tired? Tomorrow baby… ALL day.” I promised. He smirked and yawned, but I could tell it was fake.
        “I love you. Wanna hit the bed? I don’t want to crack my head open when I pass out.”
        “I love you too. Fine, but m not carrying you.” I laughed. Dylan smiled. He suddenly sighed.
        “Crap! I have work from 7 to 4! Ugh!” he moaned. I sighed but them smirked.
        “When did you get a job?!” I asked.
        “While you were shopping.”
        “Well that leaves us 5 hours when you get home.” I nodded.
        “Yes, it does!” he took my hand and led me up the stairs.
    When we got to the room, I quickly changed as Dylan did. I turned and walked to my side of the bed. Dylan stood next to his and bowed.
        “Ms. Swan.”
    `    “Mr. Chase.” I entered the bed in an orderly fashion, as did Dylan. I couldn’t help but laugh hysterically at how stupid we were acting. Dylan began to bellow loudly too as he pulled my into his arms and kissed my hair.
        “I love you.” He whispered.
        “I love you too.” I answered as I yawned. I felt myself slowly begin to succumb to my sleep. Dylan pulled the blankets around us. I fell asleep soon after, and had the most vivid and intensely real dream of my life.
    For the first time since I had found out that Bella, my sister was a vampire, I had actually thought about being one. I thought about it before I went to bed, and I think that's what subconsciously compelled me to dream about it.
The dream was vivid, and in parts of it, I felt like it was really happening. It was so easy to believe.
I had been hit by a car. Alice had foreseen it happening, but not soon enough. Drunk drivers can be very irrational. Bella had come to my aid the second Alice told her, but I was already dying. She swooped me into her arms carefully and ran me to Carlisle.
"I'm sorry Bella; there is nothing I can do. You know the only option." Carlisle said. Bella grimaced. I couldn't see much, but I could see enough to watch Rosalie storm out of the room. Emmett followed her. Alice was in the back corner of the room, clinging to Jasper, holding him back. She looked lifeless and distraught. I knew she thought it were her fault. Esme had my hand the entire time, just trying to comfort me, I supposed. I scanned the room without lifting or moving my head.
'Dylan? Where is he? Edward, where is Dylan?' I said in my head. Edward appeared above me. He seemed sad.
"He doesn't want to see you like this. You understand." he frowned. I blinked in agreement. I wouldn't want Dylan to see me like this either, but there was a selfish part of me that wanted him to be there.
"Bella, she doesn't have much time, you have to do it. Now." Alice said from across the room. Bella nodded. Her cool cheek brushed mine as she leaned to my ear to whisper something.
"This is going to be excruciating." she whispered. I tensed. It wasn't the becoming a vampire thing that had me worried. It wasn't even the burn of the venom that frightened me; they were merely obstacles to jump before I became as beautiful and perfect as my sister. I wanted all of that. The speed, the beauty, the intelligence, the immortality, even the thirst, but there was one factor that scared me the most; the extreme loss of self control.
Could I really be so selfish as to want to become a complete and utter danger to Dylan?
Did I really want to risk hurting him?
All these positives and negatives raced through my head, where even they weren't safe.
Edward touched my forearm. "We'll help you through this. Don't worry. Believe me, Dylan would rather have you alive and ravenous than dead. You can always calm down, but you can never come back to life."
Blink.
"Ready?" Bella asked. Blink.
She lowered her head to my neck and ever so slightly turned my head to the side, while trying not to cause me any pain. I winced, trying not to let her know it hurt. At least she tried to be gentle. Bella's cold, marble lips fell upon my cheek and then made their way to my jaw. I heard a low, muffled growl come from her, and then she bit. I felt my blood escaping me as the venom took its place. Edward grabbed her shoulder.
"Put venom in, try not to take any blood, love." He said. Bella nodded and bit again, on the opposite side of my throat. This time, it felt like a thousand microscopic needled injecting their contents into me. It didn't feel any burn at first. I waited patiently, waiting for the terrible burning to start. Seconds seemed to prolong, as the venom finally went into effect.
I could feel it rushing inside of my veins. Like it was racing to my heart. The burn felt like having liquid magma being poured onto my skin. I couldn't understand how it could make me feel like that. Like I was on fire. I wanted to die. Dylan would get on without me, Bella would be sad, but she would move on too. I stopped my selfish, terrible thoughts of death. It seems I am not good at multi-tasking. I couldn't cry and scream at the same time. I compulsively let out one, loud, blood curdling scream before I realized that it wouldn't do anything. I didn't feel any better after I screamed. I bit my lip. Dylan was freaking outside the door. I could hear him kicking at the wall and screaming. I wanted to go hold him, but every time I moved a millimeter, the burn intensified. The tears rolling down my cheeks were stinging all of the cuts and scrapes on them. Bella took the hand that Esme wasn't holding.
"Gianna, if you sleep, it will seem like less time." Bella whispered. I tried to follow her advice, but found it literally impossible. The pain from the burn did eventually cause me to pass out, but I wasn't out long and the burn was still as present in my sleep as my consciousness.
After what felt like weeks of the burning, I finally felt it begin to retreat. My fingers and toes flexed in and out, instinctively. A warm hand grabbed mine and rubbed it softly. I opened my eyes, expecting it to be Dylan, but it wasn't.
"Bella?" I said in confusion at the temperature of her skin. She smirked.
"Ya did good kid."
I looked at her hand, I was freaked out that it was as warm as it was, but then realized that I was ice cold now too. I took an unfulfilling breath. I took another, half expecting it to help, but it didn't. There was something in the air. Two things actually.
The disgusting smell of wet dog.
And the deliciously sweet aroma of something else. Blood.
I scanned the room quickly. Dylan wasn't anywhere to be seen, but the source stood in the deepest corner, next to the dog and Emmett.
"Nessie," I said breathlessly. Jacob pulled her behind him, as I listened to his heart accelerate. Nessie's harmonious beats stayed in perfect rhythm, obviously not scared by my extreme desire to feast on her. I felt terrible for wanting what I did at that moment, but It was my realization, not any help from any of the Cullen's, that stopped me from launching myself at her.
Gianna Swan was gone now, I wasn't in control of myself anymore, and the monster that had taken over was. It frightened me, and yet, exhilarated me. I was untouchable, unmatchable, unchangeable.
I tried to calm myself as I grabbed the table behind me. I saw memories in my head. Every one of my human experiences, disappearing, one by one. I kept remembering them, as best as I could, but they were fading. I held onto them and that seemed to help.
"That was the hardest part for me," Edward said quietly.
"They'll come back right?" I asked frantically. I paused, suddenly not caring about my run-away memory. "Hello.... My name is Gianna Swan." I said. I loved the sound of the strange new voice I had. It was velvet smooth, and musical. I felt as if I were singing, but I wasn't trying. I suddenly felt conceited. I was perfect.
Alice jumped up and danced out of the room. She came back in as bonelessly as she had left, with a mirror in hand. I was about to take it when I noticed, someone was missing from my family. The most important person.
"Where is he?" I asked in a perplexed voice. 'Why would he not be in here?' I thought.
"Who?" Edward asked. I narrowed my eyes. I knew who knew who I was talking about.
"Dylan," I answered to him curtly. He frowned.
"It's best if you hunt before you see him, for precautionary reasons." He said amiably. I grimaced.
"Oh, I see."
"You're doing really well G, I promise. You stopped yourself from going after Nessie." Bella pointed out. I nodded in agreement. Alice jerked the mirror to me.
I looked at the beautiful metal frame work and hesitated taking it. I wasn't sure I wanted to see myself yet.
"Oh come on Gianna! Look! You will love your new skin." Alice squeaked. I feebly smiled. Alice floated to my side and held the mirror in front of me.
The inhumanly beautiful creature that looked back at me was not my reflection, but rather that if the Vampire I had become.
Her perfect golden chestnut curls were flawless. Each individual shaft of hair shimmered with a different shade of brown. Her impeccable features looked as if they had been placed by the gods themselves. Her perfectly plump, pink-ins-red lips parted slightly, revealing the rows of pure snow white teeth. I let my eyes run away with each other, until I held them in place.
Her eyes were the most brilliant shade of crimson-red that ever existed. The way the glowed in the dim-light was so gorgeous that the Angels would have been envious. She was perfect. I touched the mirror as I watch the beautiful creature mimic my moves. Then I brought my hand to my face. I looked in disbelief. She was me. I felt my perfectly smooth skin pull at the corners of my face. My teeth showed.
Alice pulled the mirror away. I swiftly grabbed her forearm.
"No, wait." I said lightly. She froze.
"Alice?" Jasper said as he touched her arm. Edward came over to her side.
"Oh! Gianna, let go." Edward instructed. I obeyed.
Alice fell awkwardly, dropping the mirror in the process. I caught it without even thinking about it. She began sniggering.
"What did I do?" I asked frantically.
"Used you talent! I must say, it’s a good one." Alice beamed. I cocked my head.
"I have one?!" I asked eagerly.
Alice nodded vigorously. "Mm-Hmm! You completely froze me Gianna. I couldn't move. You have to learn to project that!" Alice chattered.
I had stopped listening to her after a few seconds. I took a breath and there was that smell again, but I wasn't the same lusciously sweet smell from before. This smell was stronger, more intoxicating. I began to search for it. I heard Edward gasp as he grabbed my arms, holding me from attacking the delicious source of the delicious smell.
"It's Dylan! Bella, she needs to hunt. Now!" Edward, almost in a snarl. Bella nodded and grabbed my hand.
"Come on." She commanded as she jumped out the second story window. I followed her and landed on the earth below with ease. We ran for the forest. The trees and plant-life started to blur besides me as I noticed that Bella was behind me. I stopped, and waited for her to catch up.
As I waited. I listened to my surroundings, just to get a taste of my new impeccable hearing. I looked around, to use my incredible new vision. Bella caught up. As she stepped next to me, it made a sound, which did not belong in the middle of a natural forest.
"Do that again." I ordered. Bella smirked.
"This?" She asked curtly. I nodded. Bella stomped her foot to the ground again. It sound like she was walking on glass, like she had broken a window.
"Am I crazy?" I asked stupidly. I knew she heard it too. I was beginning to suspect this was some type of joke.
"Time to wake up Gianna." Bella whispered as my mind went black.
I shot up in my bed. I looked around the room. It was genuinely frightening to see furniture and wall decorations rather than trees and bushes. I looked to Dylan, who was sound asleep.
I took a breath. "Whoa." I whispered to myself. I had turned to lay back down when the same sound from my dream resonated in my ears. I froze. The sound continued, along with the sound of a muffled cough. I frantically turned to Dylan and shook him.
"Gianna? What is it?" he said loudly in a daze. I shushed him. The sounds stopped for a moment, and then continued again. Dylan's eyes shot open as he sat up in bed. He grabbed my arm and pulled me behind him on the bed, pushing me tightly against the headboard. I began breathing heavily in fear.
"Shh, baby." Dylan said softly. I was utterly surprised at how quickly he woke up. The footsteps continued, and then they began up the stairs. It was silent, all except foot the sound of pounding feet on the hollow stairs.
'It's just Bella and Edward... It's just Bella and Edward.' I kept saying over and over again in my head. The steps stopped outside the door and the it swung open violently. I prayed that my sister walked into the room and began to laugh, but it wasn't her, or anyone else we knew.
The mad snorted quietly before he pulled out a small shiny object that made a clicking sound as if came into view. I couldn't tell what if was, until the man turned in to kiss it. The light that reflected off the object.
A gun.
Dylan pushed me closer to the headboard and tensed up. The man laughed audibly at the sight.
"Ha-ha! I'm not here for you sugar. He's the one I was hired to hit. Dylan, right?" he said in a husky voice that didn't belong to him.
I began to pant.
Then I began to shake with anger.
There was only one person in the world who would want Dylan dead, and not me. Only one person crazy enough to want to kill someone to get me all to themselves. One twister, demonic person who was evil enough to draw up the plans to such a terrible act. And her name was Carol.
"Carol sent you, didn't she?" I growled through my tears and uneven breathing. The room was completely black, except for the continuous flash of light that bounced of the metal barrel of the gun. The man chuckled silently.
"Bingo!" He said as he laughed. It made me insane that he was actually enjoying it.
"I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry. Dylan, I..." was all I could manage to get out. My breath was strained and my head was pounding, I just wanted to go to sleep, wake up and find out that it was all just a dream, but the adrenaline being poured into my body kept my eyes wide open.
"No, Gianna! This is not your fault! Please don't blame yourself!" Dylan snarled, almost the same way Bella and Edward do.
"Okay, I'm getting bored!" The man growled. I cringed at the frustration in his voice. He cocked the gun and pointed it at Dylan. I felt him take a breath and push me back against the wall even harder than he already was. I cried harder as I felt my own heart rate accelerate.
The man straightened his arm and pulled the trigger.
I screamed at the top of my lungs until my breath was cut off by the impact of the bullet in Dylan's chest knocked the breath out of me. I tried with every bit of energy in my body to push Dylan out of the way and take the bullets, but he pinned me to the wall.
Another 2 shots.
Scream.
"NO! NO! Please! Stop!" I screamed, but it was pointless, my voice was drowned out by the sound of another 3 shots.
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
The silent sound of laughter resonated in the air as the shooter ran out of the room and down the stairs. Each of his steps made a loud pound on the hollow stairs. I head the front door slam and a car start and speed away.
Dylan collapsed on me the second the cars muffled roar dies out. We were completely drenched in his blood I hesitantly turned on my bed lamp.
There was dark red liquid everywhere. I stared in fear at the six holes in Dylan's chest. His beautiful chest. I cried out loudly. I couldn't loose him.
Dylan weakly took my hand and brought it to his mouth. He kissed it softly.
"I'l..... I'll.... be..... okay." he whispered unconvincingly.
"No.... I'm so sorry Dill.... but you .... you have to hold on... for me.... you just gotta..... I...." I wanted to say so many things, but I feared he would just die in my arms while I was rambling on. I kept gasping for air as the irony scent of blood filled my lungs. "Bella!" I gasped.
Dylan laid shaking on my lap as I grabbed my phone from the charger and dialed my sister with my bloody fingers.
"Hey!" Bella answered joyfully.
"Bella, I..... I need you.... Dy.... Bella..... oh my god."
"What happened?!" she asked frantically. I got kind of annoyed.
"Bella! He's DYING!" I yelled into the small silver phone.
"We're coming!" She said as I heard a loud thud. She has dropped the phone. I threw mine at the wall.
I was enraged, horrified and tired. My mind was slowly shutting down.
I grabbed on of the sheets on my bed and tried to tourniquet Dylan's wounds. He hissed and winced in agony.
The bullet holes were all over his chest, but I could tell where most of them were. One was right in his stomach, one directly on a lung, two, about a inch apart, by where his hear is, and two more in the enter of his chest. I kept crying.
The Cullens burst into our room about 3 minutes after I'd hung up with Bella. Jasper instantly tensed and covered his mouth, as did Alice. Rosalie's eyes went black as Emmett's complete expression went blank, and then turned to anger.
"I'm going to find the son-of-a-bitch!" Emmet growled. "Jasper!"
Jasper followed him. "My little sister. That bastard hurt my little sister!" Emmet kept repeating as he ran out of the house. If warmed me slightly to know that he felt like that about me.
"Check on Carol too, this was her doing." Edward called, reading my mind.
Bella ran to my side and wiped a tear from my cheek. She wasn't breathing. Esme cringed into Edward's side and held her nose to his chest, not breathing either.
Carlisle looked at Dylan and shook his head. He slightly tapped Dylan's knee.
"Can you felt that?" He asked quietly.
"No," Dylan said, with a hint of surprise in his voice.
"His spine is shattered. Judging from the bullet holes, I'd guess in two places. This isn't good" he sighed. I wanted to lay down and die with him.
"Bella,.... you gotta... help him.... I.... I need him with me. Please." I cried. Bella nodded.
"O.... kay."
"Bella, if you are going to do this, do it now, his heart his failing. There's a bullet in it. He was minuets." Carlisle said quietly.
"NO! Dylan! You hold on fro me love! You have to! You just, have to!" I cried. I felt his hand tighten on mine. His eyes sparkled with tears.
"I'm trying G, I promise." He whispered. I took a breath.
"Bella, please, this is all my fault, just, please make him like you." I said calmer. I heard Renesmee crying. Jake shushed her.
"Bella, you can, he'll make it. I see him." Alice said with the slight sign of a smile on her face. Bella nodded.
"Get me morphine. I think it helped me."
Carlisle ran out of the room and was aback in about 10 seconds. Carlisle took the syringe and injected Dylan with what seemed like the legal limit of morphine. I felt him loosen in my harm as the drug too affect. I gently stoked his warm face and looked deeply into his warm hazel eyes. I knew it was the last time I'd ever see them that color again. I smiled slightly, to lighten his burden. I knew he was in more pain from seeing me so distraught than having six massive metal abominations in his chest.
He smiled back at me.
"I love you." I whispered. He closed his eyes, like it was healing him to hear that.
"I love you too." he whimpered.
"Now Bella." Carlisle said. She nodded. Bella took him from my arms and bit him on the neck, and waited a second. She continued to bite him and wait until the were bite marks all up him arms and lets. She licked of her the marks, closing them up with her venom. I half wanted to tell her to change me too, but I knew it would be a lost battle.
Dylan began to shake and scream. He looked at me and switched out his screams for loud pain ridden grunts.
'Goodbye, hazel eyes, warm skin, soft touch. I'll miss you all.' I sand in my head as I felt Bella place him back on my lap. I looked at her.
Bella's eyes were black and wide. Dylan's hazel eyes closed and his breathing quickened. I just wanted to lay there with him and sleep next to his side until he woke up. I kissed his cheek and Carlisle took him from my arms.
Bella pulled me into a tight hug and rocked me back and forth.
"It's okay. He's going to be fine." She whispered. I began to cry into her blue sweater. I'd never felt to safe in someone's arms, besides Dylan's. I felt my yes fighting me to sleep, but I wouldn't let myself.
She kissed my hair and continued to rock me, as a mother would. I cringed at the thought of a mother.
How Carol could do such an evil, sadistic, horrible thing, I'll never know. What she was thinking when she decided when she paid a man to kill Dylan, I'll never know. And if she really thought that I'd come crawling back to her after Dylan died, she was wrong.