Realistic Dreams, Chapter Five, part two
Paring: (Jake/Bella)
Rating: M
Here's part two
We left and headed to Emily's. Jake told me he was supposed to meet the pack there. We headed out in the truck. We fell into a comfortable silence again on the ride there, and I found myself staring at his hand again.
For the love of God, Isabella Marie Swan, just take my damned hand and be done with it.
You didn't have to tell me twice. I took my right hand off the wheel and slipped it into his left one. He looked over and smiled at me, giving it a small squeeze before letting it go again so I could continue driving.
Now, was that so hard?
No. No it was not.
Emily was in the kitchen stirring a cup of tea when we got there. "You better get out back Jake, they're waiting for you and you're late." He nodded and gave me a kiss on the temple before leaving. Emily quirked an eyebrow at me.
"What?" I said, looking back at her.
"I see you two worked everything out."
I shrugged. "Well, not everything."
"Yeah, but last time I saw you, you were running down a beach clutching your bra in your hands."
"Oh… that."
Emily giggled. "I also hear your ex isn't all too pleased about any of this."
Stupid werewolves and their stupid pack mentality. "That's putting it mildly."
"You want some tea?" I nodded in response. "I made muffins too." I picked one up and we began chatting about my conversation with Ve. I was surprised to see Emily eating it up.
"You mean you haven't heard any of this from the guys or Leah?"
She shook her head. "You're the only one she's said anything to. Everything else has been business. They have a lot to go through. She went over the terms of the treaty and didn't seem to like one of the main clauses, the whole bite not kill thing."
I crinkled my nose. "Why wouldn't she like that?"
"She thinks it should stipulate both."
"Oh. That makes sense." I tapped my hands against the table.
"Nervous?" Emily asked.
"A little. I'm worried something bad will happen. I like Ve's, she's just… well, she basically told me she has to overreact where safety is concerned. I'm worried how far that over reacting has to go."
"What, you think she's going to kill one of the Cullens?"
"She said she wouldn't today. But… later, if she thinks she has to, I think she'd kill one of them without blinking an eye. Just a feeling, you know?"
Emily nodded. "She sort of has this underlying air of danger, doesn't she?"
"I definitely don't want to be on any side that goes against her after seeing her laying out Edward in human form."
"Well, maybe she'll just content herself to repeatedly breaking their jaws instead of killing them."
I snorted. Emily had what you'd call a weird sense of humour sometimes. We switched the conversation to what we were going to do for food for the Elder's meeting on Thursday. I noticed that it started to get dark.
"Was I supposed to just go somewhere? They've been gone for almost two hours."
"I don't know, sorry," said Emily shrugging. I took a peak out the window. The guys weren't out back anymore, but I saw Ve coming towards the house through the trees.
"Where'd everyone go Ve?"
She stopped in front of my and put her hands in her jean pockets. "Well, we did want to wait until dusk anyway, but we ended up having an emergency."
My heart thudded. An emergency? "What happened?"
She laughed. "Calm down little, it's nothing like that, we're just going to have a new brother to welcome to the pack soon, maybe two with the way another one is looking. Young too, by Quileute standards anyway."
I let out the breath I was holding in relief. I thought something had happened with Victoria. "Who are they?"
"I do not believe you know. They are not even in your upper education system yet."
"They aren't in high school?"
She shook her head. "No they are not. Let's go inside a moment. I require a change in attire." She headed in and I followed her. "Ah Emily, how are you this evening? I believe Sam left my bag here."
"Good, Ve, it's upstairs."
She nodded at her. "Ah thank you. I will only be a moment Bella." She disappeared upstairs.
"I thought she looked ok," I said finishing my muffin.
"I think it's something ceremonial. It seemed important when she asked Sam to bring her bag here."
Our question was answered when Ve walked down the stairs a few moments later. She had the hair pulled back from her face and it draped down her back, making her look like royalty. She looked down over her high cheek bones at us, and I realised the reason why she unsettled me a little every time I looked at her. I was looking at the face of a killer, someone who decided how other people's lives would end, and someone who bore that responsibility well. The look in her eyes held us in place as we were instant subjects to her authority. She was dressed in a pale buckskin dress which came together like a robe where her breasts met and was held in place by an odd silver broach - three intertwined triangles. It looked familiar and remembered her wearing a necklace with the same symbol on it. The light colour of the skins she wore accentuated everything Native about her, and made her eyes and hair more unusual and more unsettling. She was soundless except for the slight jingle every time she took a step, which came from the white shells sewn onto her the dress, and I looked down, seeing that she was barefoot. When she reached the bottom, she smiled, her eyes softened and the spell was broken.
I exhaled, not realising I wasn't breathing and it escaped from my mouth in a "Wow…"
She turned to face me. "Well, it's nice to see I can still captivate an audience. I haven't had to do anything official in years. Come, sit, I would like to explain things to you." I sat down at the table and Emily brought her a cup of tea without being asked to. "Thank you Emily, you are too kind. Now Bella, I know these Cold Ones are your friends, but for me, I am walking into a treaty meeting with the enemy. The rest of the pack has gone on ahead and know what to do, but you must know, they are going to be treating me with the full respect I deserve."
"What… what does that mean." I was almost speechless by I found the words by looking into her eyes.
"It means they are going to treat me the way they would if we were at an official meeting of the Great Council, in full recognition of my status and station. Generally I dislike such gestures, but in this case it is necessary. This means they are going to kneel when I enter the clearing the that the meeting is taking place in, and will not speak to me or meet my eyes unless I address them directly."
"Do I have to do that too?"
She shook her head. "You are will be there as my personal guest. It would be a good idea to curtsey when they kneel."
"Um, I'm really clumsy."
She laughed and stood up. "You are probably thinking ballet. No, like this." She demonstrated for me and it wasn't the deep squat duck footed thing they taught us in dance class that I would constantly fall over while doing. It was just sort of a knee bend and nod thing. I think I could handle that. She sat back down again and drank the rest of her tea. "I simply wanted to tell you that I am going to be more formal than I usually care to be, but the occasion calls for it." She looked at the clock on the stove. "We are already late, but after what happened, that is to be expected. Are you ready, Bella?" I nodded. "Then we should be off. Thank you for the tea Emily, I would like very much to see you afterwards."
"Of course Ve," Emily said blushing.
"Well then, let's go." She got up and I followed.
We walked out into the woods, and while she was the one in bare feet, she helped me along so I didn't put a stick through my shoe.
"You really are clumsy," she said, helping me over a rock.
"Yeah, I get it from my Dad."
"Ah, yes, that I understand. My father had a snap temper that I inherited. He was a rather jovial man until you crossed him." She smiled at me. "I also have his hair and eyes."
"So that's who you get it from?"
"Indeed. Both me and my brother, though he is without the red hair."
"You have a brother?"
"Yes."
"Where are you from anyways? None of the guys know."
She stopped and looked at me a moment. "Oh they didn't… no the Council wouldn't tell them I suppose." She kept going.
"So where is it?"
She laughed back at me. "Well I'm not about to ruin it now. You'll find out when they do." She kept going and I followed with a frown. After a few more fallen logs she had to help me over we approached what looked like an open field off the highway on the treaty line. It was far bigger than the meadow.
I stopped right before we walked out of the trees. "Ve, am I supposed to call you 'your Majesty' or something?"
She looked at me a moment, then brought her hand to her mouth and giggled into it. "Oh Bella, you are hilarious sometimes. No, you don't have to so that. Don't worry so much" She took me by the shoulders and gave me a surprisingly light shake. "You'll do fine. You mostly have to listen anyways." She looked out of the trees. The pack stood there, each one of them shirtless except for Leah who was in a black sun dress. The sun was pink and low behind them. Across from them stood all seven of the Cullens, eyeing the pack carefully. I saw Emmett whisper something to Rosalie and then all the Cullens looked in our direction.
"I believe that is our cue," Ve said beside me. "Come then, let's get this done."
She stepped out and I followed her. I watched as black and topaz eyes fell on Ve, most for the first time, and all looked disconcerted, especially Edward, who lifted a hand to rub his jaw. She took her place beside the pack and I watched as they all fell to one knee and lowered their heads. Her icy eyes slid over to me and I hurriedly did the knee bend dip she showed me, miraculously staying on my feet. Her eyes left me and turned to the Cullens. Carlisle was standing slightly ahead of the rest of them, but all of the Cullens looked extremely perplexed at the moment. Slowly, stiffly, Carlisle lowered himself into a bow, and everyone behind him followed, all except two. "Alice, Edward, mind you manners," Carlisle said glaring at them. They followed suit, though they didn't go as low as everyone else.
Ve turned to Sam, placing a hand on her head and I could see a slight grin forming from the view I had of the side of her face. She wasn't lying about her love of antagonising vampires. "Rise," she said in the most official voice I had ever heard and I found myself forced to stand up. The pack and the Cullens got up as well and Carlisle cleared his throat in what I thought was nervousness.
"I'm sorry, we haven't been introduced. I'm Carlisle Cullen, and this is my family, Esme, Emmett, Rosalie, Jasper, and I believe you met Alice and Edward."
"I believe I have." Her tone of voice sent chills down my spine, but they strangely went away quickly. She surveyed them, her eyes sliding over them. I never realised how much her eyes looked like melting ice until this moment.
He stared at her, expecting her to reciprocate, and then said, "We weren't given your name."
"Of course not, I told them not to. My apologies, I was observing your coven. I am called Ve."
"Ve, yes. We were told that we were to meet regarding the treaty and… frankly, we don't know who you are, I'm sorry." Normal I would feel very awkward at this exchange, but I remained strangely calm. I looked over to Jasper to see if I could tell if he was doing anything, but it wasn't apparent. Of course, it was never clear when he was using his power or not.
"Your apologies are not necessary. It is expected that you do not know me. I am a high Elder of the Great Council, and representative of the Quileute nation thereof."
"I see," said Carlisle, not looking any less confused. "What is this 'Great Council' if I may ask?"
Her eyes stopped sliding over the other Cullens and flicked on Carlisle who visible jolted as if hit with static electricity. I guess even Jasper can't calm everything. "You may. The Great Council is a representative body of shape shifters, among other things. I cannot tell you anything further, Cold One, except that this pack is a member of it and entitled to my guidance and protection."
He nodded slowly. "Thank you. I must say, I do now know of a reason why they feel in danger-"
She cut him off. "Your very presence is a danger, Cold One. The Quileute are reluctant, but dutiful protectors of their land and your being here causes more of them to phase by the day. They are concerned for their children. But this is obvious, and not the reason why I am here. We will discuss many reasons why they are in danger, however, foremost, your treaty with the Quileute was not known by the Council. This does not render it invalid, but they are entitled to our protection, and as such, we would like to review the terms to ensure they are agreeable to us."
Carlisle looked more relieved. "Ah, yes, of course. We would be happy to clarify anything."
She looked at him sternly. "This is agreeable. First, that one will stop doing whatever he is trying to do. Now." I shuddered, the nervousness back suddenly as she raised her hand to point at Jasper, glaring daggers at him.
"You… you can tell?" He spluttered.
"Of course I can tell. But then, I do not go into a meeting of two factions under a banner of peace and then proceed to use my abilities on my elders." She dropped her hand and looked back to Cullen. "I recommend that you assist him in learning respect. Were he under my command, I would have him whipped."
"My apologies, but we consider Jasper our son, not someone under our command."
Her eyes became icy fire. "Cold One, if he were my son, I would beat him twice as hard, because my children know better."
"You ? Have children?" Edward said incredulously.
Ve's gaze snapped to him. "Yes. I do. Thirteen children have been born of my body. Nine still walk this world, and four are in the next, having died fighting against the likes of your kind and others, and if you should like to speak ill of them again, I will rip you apart and sprinkle your pieces over their graves to honour them." I could see what Ve meant about her father's temper.
"Edward, apologise." Carlisle said carefully.
"No."
Carlisle turned around to face him. "Edward, now is not the time."
"Why should I apologise to her when she broke the treaty by nearly taking off my head?"
"Because you are speaking to someone who out ranks you, boy." Ve said, her voice becoming a warning. "And, since I am not Quileute, I am under no treaty with you, though I respect their laws. But while I am here, boy, I am the de facto alpha of this pack and it is my responsibility to ensure my pack's safety. As such, since one Isabella Swan is an accepted member of this pack, I am not allowed by the oaths I swore to the Council to let you assault her."
"Assault her? I-"
"Furthermore," she said cutting him off. "You are extremely lucky that you are under treaty with the Quileute and that Bella cares for you, because the appropriate response I should have taken to you injuring a member of my pack would have been to kill you." Edward stopped talking as his mouth fell open. She turned back to Carlisle. "Actually it would have been to kill him and burn his corpse on your front lawn to serve as a reminder of what will happen to the rest of you if you attempt anything similar. My pack is sacrosanct, Cullen, and you will do well to remember that. I spared him once out of respect for Bella. If it happens again, my leniency will be sorely tested."
Carlisle nodded, but a snarl came from behind him.
"You touch him and I will have your head!" Emmett's eyes had gone black and he stepped to be at Carlisle's side.
I looked between Emmett and Ve, beginning to shake. I knew he meant well but right now he put himself in more danger than her ever thought possible.
Ve's eyes had gone impossibly fiery as she locked eyes with Carlisle. I watched as he gulped and... assented to something? If they were speaking, it was without words, but I wouldn't put it past Ve to be having a conversation I couldn't hear. Out of the corner of my eye, Edward tensed. Her gaze shifted to Emmett. "Sam," she said, in a horrifically calm voice. Sam stepped up beside her while Carlisle shouted at Emmett and profusely apologised. Ve reached up to the pin at her breasts and fiddled with it for a moment. What happened next went so fast had I blinked I would have missed it.
The buckskin dress went flying into the air and I saw Sam catch it and drape it over his arm. I heard a growling and barking and looked back to Emmett just in time to see a white blur ram into him and he went flying with it. They rolled and landed some feet away from us, Emmett on his back and what had to be Ve on top of him.
Her wolf form was magnificent. Pure white except for the strange ice blue streaks running through it and the red-orange that peaked at her ears, muzzle, tail and feet. She was as large as Jacob or larger as she stood, growling over Emmett's prone form. She began barking into his face, loud, awful claps that made my ears hurt and I could swear that I could see Emmett's pupils dilate from here. He made a few swats at her, great thuds ringing out as he bashed his fists against her, but she didn't even flinch, her snapping teeth coming dangerously close to his face.
Rosalie had started after him, but she was held back by Edward, and they watched on in horror with the rest of us, her screams barely heard over Ve's barks. Emmett had turned over and was currently trying to claw his way out from underneath her. He had managed to pull himself about a foot, the ground crumbling under his fingers when Ve grabbed him with her teeth by the scruff of his neck. He cried out and she growled, before making a sharp twist with her neck. Emmett's body rag dolled through the air like he weighed no more than a mannequin and landed with a horrible smash, her teeth still clamped on him. She twisted the other way and he followed, landing with a sickening crack. She tossed him back and forth twice more, small twin craters forming where his body hit the ground, before she put him down again, flipping him so he was face up.
She shuddered and became human again, her naked form crouched over him, blue eyes locked on black. "Have I made my point, leech, or do I need to actually hurt you?"
Emmett appeared to be panting but… strangely unharmed. He hands came up to his head and he shook it. "My ears haven't rung this bad in… ever. Holy hell… yeah, yeah, I get it." She disappeared and with a wave of buckskin she was standing beside me and a dressed again, having taken her dress from Sam's out stretched hand. Emmett got to his feet and was actually laughing as he shook his head again. "Sweet God, I've never been thrashed so hard in my life, and I was mauled by a bear." He shook his head again and brushed his clothes off.
"EMMETT!" Rosalie, finally free of Edward went running for him. He caught her still trying to shake the ordeal off. "Are you alright, did she hurt you? Oh Emmett!"
He rubbed his temples. "I'm ok Rose, I'm ok. I just know now not to go around tempting forces of fucking nature anymore. But I do have a horrible crick in my neck. No no, a little to the left. Ahhhh, there." Rosalie proceeded to fuss over him.
Carlisle looked Ve up and down, brows furrowed. "How did you do that?"
She quirked an eyebrow at him. "Well, vampire, you have succeeded in surprising me. That was not the reaction I was expecting."
"Emmett is not hurt, though I'm sure he regrets saying what he did. As such, you stated that you were not to be crossed and then followed through with that statement. I can hardly blame you for doing something you told me you were going to do. The fact still remains that, while my knowledge of werewolf physiology is lacking at best, there is no way you should have been able to manhandle him like that."
She laughed. "I'm a fair bit older than he is."
"That still should not constitute such a difference. You can't be much older than I am."
She smiled at him. "Cullen, I am older than all of you combined."
"I beg your pardon, but that is impossible."
"How so?"
He looked at her and then coughed. "I do not mean to offend, but it is clear that you are… of a mixed racial heritage."
Her eyes narrowed into slits. "You are correct in this matter."
"Well, combined, the seven of us make up almost nine hundred and fifty years."
"Yes."
"You can only be around 500 years old, given the time the New World was discovered."
Ve's laughter sounded in high notes. "Oh, that is what I love about you Europeans, you think the entire world revolves around you."
Carlisle looked very seriously put off. "What?"
"I'm afraid your history is a little off, doctor."
He looked at her dumbfounded.
She laughed again and smiled at him. "I shall give you a hint. I was born in a place which you would call L'Anse aux Meadows."
L'Anse aux Meadows? The name sounded vaguely familiar, but I couldn't place it. Carlisle seemed to be doing the same mental math I was, until his eyes widened and he put a hand to his mouth. "The Viking settlement…. Good lord, you're a thousand years old."
"Ahh, you do not disappoint, vampire. I said I am called Ve, but it is not my name. It is a nick name given to me. My father was one of those Viking settlers, Ragnar Thorrson, called Raudhirmon, you would call him Ragnar Redmane. The name he gave me was Alve, and thus I am Alve Ragnarsdottir, of the nation which you would call Dorset, one of the last of my people. I suppose now is the time to stop underestimating me, no?"
"Did you hear that Rose? I just got my ass kicked by a thousand year old werewolf." Only Emmett could be jovial about that prospect.
"Well, that explains the Valknut," Carlisle said nodding towards Ve.
"Yes. My father gave me this piece," Ve said as she patted the broach holding her dress together. "And I believe your son still owes me an apology."
"Edward," said Carlisle, turning back to look at him.
Edward sighed, pinching his brow, before saying, "I apologise, I should not have spoken of your children that way." Ve inclined her head towards him.
"Alright," said Carlisle, attempting to play mediator. "Now that we've gotten that out of our systems, let's get down to business, shall we?"
Ve nodded. "A man after my own heart. First the treaty. There is wording that I would like to change in the interest of the Council."
"And what is that?"
"The conditions for breaking the treaty. I do not like that it stipulated biting and not killing."
"You'd like you switch it?"
"No, I would like to include both. I've seen many ways in which your kind can kill without biting."
"May I address you by name?"
"You may."
"Ve, you we won't be killing anyone, biting them or no."
Her eyes narrowed again. "This is interesting, I was under the impression that your intention was to add to Bella to your family until she changed her mind."
Carlisle continued carefully. "That is different, it was her choice."
"I would have exterminated all of you just the same."
He was taken aback. "Exterminated?"
"Yes. Exterminated. To the man. You may call it a grudge, but since seeing the broken body of my eldest son after one of your kind tortured him to death, I would call it an earned grudge. I will not tolerate you expanding your family from anyone on this land. I do not tolerate it at all, but it is not my responsibility to watch you constantly. You are an anomaly of your kind, doctor." Carlisle looked as though he was going to interject, but she raised a hand to stop him. "And yes, I am aware of the other coven which keeps to your practice. But this does not change the fact that, regardless of your treaty, if I found you changing humans here, I am required by the Council to end your existence. That is non-negotiable by the oaths I swore upon taking up my office. In the end, this stipulation saves you pain as well as me. Can you agree to this?"
"What if they want to be changed?" said Alice stepping forward.
"Then I would seriously question their ability to make sound judgement."
"How can you claim to know what's best for everyone?"
"You have never been in war, little one. Do not believe you can have understanding of what I claim."
"Alice, her concerns are understandable, whether we like it or not." Alice grumbled, but stepped back at Carlisle's words. "We will agree to these new terms."
"Thank you doctor. Next I must discuss the ways in which you have endangered my pack."
"Now, just a minute Ve, we have done nothing."
"Really Carlisle? So Bella's fear of your Volturi coming after her is completely unfounded?"
He ran a hand through his hair. "We will not allow them to harm her."
"I appreciate the gesture, but I'm afraid if you sincerely wish to protect her, you will assist in an offense against them. I would like it if you told me everything about them."
He gave her a queer look. "Everything? Why?"
"It is rather difficult to destroy an enemy you are not prepared to face."
"You… you want to destroy the Volturi."
"The Volturi are responsible for thousands, if not millions of human deaths, and thousands of shape shifters on top of that. I have been trying to penetrate their defences for years. You will assist me in this, and in turn receive complete amnesty."
"Amnesty?"
"The Council will swear never you harm you or yours. There will be stipulations, such as keeping to your diet, but otherwise, you will be free from our discretion."
"Your discretion?"
"You are vampire. I can most technically kill you at anytime. This is not my intention, but all the same."
"I don't know if I feel comfortable sending them to their deaths."
"This is unfortunate. I am required to get the information from you. I do not wish to use alternative means."
"Alternative means?"
Ve surveyed the group before her again. "That one looks easy to break," she said pointing to Esme. "I could be wrong, but tearing one of your apart in front of her will most likely make her speak. Perhaps the little one."
If it were possible for Carlisle to pale, he just did. "You would torture it out of us? How could you use such… barbaric methods?"
She narrowed her eyes. "I normally would agree with the sentiment. But I have seen what they can do. A field of staked shape shifters and their kin south of the Teutoberger Forest helped change my opinion of forcing necessary information out of people. One of your Volturi had a fascination with Vlad the Impaler. I wish never to walk into such a field again."
Carlisle's eyes widened. "They wouldn't… not that far."
"They would. And they did. They hate us, werewolves in particular. If they were to come here to find Bella, they would decimate the Quileute. It is my responsibility to see that doesn't happen. I would be most appreciative if I didn't have to perform guess work to do it."
"Do you have proof?"
Her eyes fell on Edward. "I can stop you from reading my mind, but I cannot manipulate what you see when you look into it. I take it you can tell if I am imagining something or if I am remembering it?"
"Yes… I can," Edward said hesitantly.
"Well then, I suggest preparing yourself. You will not like this."
Edward gritted his teeth. "I'll manage."
Ve stared into Edward's eyes, and he began to get a confused look on his face. "You're just walking through trees, the only people I can make out are behind you. Wait, there's a clear- Oh… Oh God.... Oh God, they're so young!" He gripped his head and he face grew pained. "Blood…. There's blood everywhere, but it's all dry. The bodies, none of the bodies have blood in them. Sweet God, they drained all of them…. Merciful Christ stop! Just stop it!" She broke eye contact and Edward fell to the ground gasping. "She's… she's telling the truth, God help me, she's telling the truth." He panted on the ground a moment before facing her. "Could I ask you to never do that again?"
"And to think, you tried so hard to read my mind last time. Are we in agreement to stop them?"
Carlisle looked distressed. "How many Edward?"
Edward shook his head. "You don't want to know."
"Tell me how many, son," He said softly.
"I don't know… a hundred… probably more. The clearing wasn't wide, but it stretched on as far as I could see."
"Two hundred and twelve," said Ve, a sad lilt to her voice. "Unless I count the pregnant women as two. An entire village."
Edward nodded solemnly. "Sounds about right."
"This would be why I take effort not to share my thoughts with others. They can be very painful. But such is battle."
Carlisle swallowed. It was a dry sound. "We'll help you."
She nodded. "This brings us to our last bit of business. Sam." Sam tossed the pair of socks Ve took from me to her, and she tossed it to Carlisle. "Do you recognise this Cold One?"
Carlisle turned the socks over in his hand. "No… I've never met this person."
"Well, that at least means you are not hiding a newborn."
He raised his eyebrows. "What is this about?"
"Those are Bella's socks. The newborn was in her room."
"What?" said Edward. "Why?"
"Edward, your scent is all over that house, maybe it got confused." Carlisle tried to reassure him.
Ve shook her head. "No, I do not think so. It stole from her. I think the red haired one has something to do with it. I've read the papers. The dealings in Seattle do not sound like one newborn. It sounds like many."
Jasper gasped. "The Benito tactic."
Ve turned and stared at him with her icy eyes. "What do you know of the Benito tactic?"
He gulped. "I… I used to use it."
"You're from the south then?"
He nodded. "Yes ma'am."
"You any good at it?"
"It's why they kept me around. Part of the reason anyway."
"You will be useful then. I want information. How many can she maintain by herself, who she's most likely to target, and when she'll strike. And next time, when you kill one, for god sakes, kill the mate. This is common knowledge."
Carlisle nodded. "Yes, it was our mistake. We'll help fix it."
Ve extended her hand. "Can you swear you will help us protect Bella then? Against all who are after her."
Carlisle stared at her hand a moment, and then took it. "I swear."
They shook hands and Ve smiled. "Finally, I can drop the formalities." Her eyes widened and softened, and I no longer felt like she could kill at the tip of a hat. "They are so unpleasant, aren't they? How is your neck Cold One?"
To my utter amazement, Emmett smiled at her. "It's been better. I think I have whiplash."
Ve smiled at him. "Well, when someone tells me that they'll have my head, I take it as license that I can play with theirs. Now I must be going. We have phasing boys to attend to. I can't just stand in fields talking to Cold Ones all night." She turned to me. "Bella, I believe you would like to talk to them. We'll be just over here." I nodded back and turned to face the Cullens.
Emmett still looked like the whole thing was a game, with a concerned Rosalie by his side. Jasper was deep in thought, while Esme and Carlisle just looked relieved. Alice's hand was on Edward's shoulder, and he was still on the ground recovering.
Well, this wasn't the preferred scenario I'd ask for to explain things to the Cullens, but I guess I'll have to take it.