Little Edward

Chapter Twenty Two

Little Edward

Chapter Twenty Two

Esme

"It'll be okay. Everything will be okay, Es," Carlisle assured me as we took our places on the field. 

The snow stuck to the ground as my remaining three kids and Garrett trudged over to form the long line across the clearing, the Denalis and the wolves following them. 

Once Alice had warned us of the Volturi's arrival, we called our "cousins" Tanya, Kate, Irina, Carmen, and Eleazar from Denali to assist us in defending Bella and Emmett. 

The Volturi were coming to kill. After the close escape from Volterra last time, they wanted revenge for breaking in. They were coming to kill the "main perpetrators", Bella and Emmett, while they were weak. An anonymous source had informed them of their current defenseless state. The wolves and Denalis had been willing to help after hearing about our predicament. 

Bella and Em were hidden in the underground basement we had built when Jasper joined the family. He was bloodthirsty at the time, and we had to keep him locked up in a stone room the size of a football field until he could control the bloodlust. We figured it was the safest place for them. We just had to make sure that none of the Volturi got past us. 

"What if they don't wake up? What if they just stay unconscious like that for the rest of eternity?" I worried, gazing into my husband's eyes. "What if we die, here and now, before Edward turns back, and they kill Emmett and Bella? What if we-"

"We won't let them kill them, Mom. We will pull through this," Jasper said, his voice lacking its usual strength and confidence. My still heart felt even colder than usual. 

Jasper and Garrett stood at the front, tensed and ready to spring. Behind them, Eleazar, Carlisle, Kate, Rosalie, and me. Behind us, Alice, Tanya, and Carmen were spread across the length of the field. The wolves lined the back of the field, snarling fiercely. 

We all stared across the long snowy meadow. One minute, two minutes... The black cloaks emerged slowly but surely, Aro, Caius, and Marcus leading the army. 

We were badly outnumbered. There had to be at least thirty vampires following Aro. He seemed to realize this. His smile was wicked as he halted his army after they'd all come out from the trees. 

"Well, Carlisle, you certainly did a fine job of leading your little monsters into our home to destroy it and steal our prisoner, not to mention attract attention from nearby humans," Aro said, his voice clear and mocking as he stalked forward, leaving his brothers and followers behind. 

"Edward's my son, Aro, you cannot take him prisoner to inflict torture for no reason, nor for any reason you may have at all," Carlisle growled out, his hand clenching around mine. Aro chuckled humorlessly. 

"And what of your wild child daughter and bear-sized fool of a son?" Aro asked condescendingly, his eyes sparkling with evil. I felt about ready to tear the man apart from insulting my children. Carlisle shared the emotion, for he snarled at his former comrade. 

"Don't you ever insult my family again." The men, which included Jasper, Garrett, Eleazar, and Carlisle, stepped forward, glaring hard at the Volturi. 

"It is true, is it not? The big brute, Emmett, I believe it is, has no brain of his own. From what I hear, he is like a big teddy bear," Aro continued, a sneer sliding into place as he saw Rosalie's form stiffen before she hissed furiously. She lunged, starting a sprint down the field. 

"Don't you dare insult my mate, you bastard!" Rosalie thundered, a blur zooming across the quilt of fluffy white snow, while Aro merely chuckled and nodded to his minions. 

Jasper sped after his "twin", catching her in his arms and dragging her struggling body back to its spot beside Kate. "This is the kind of reaction they want, Rose. Don't let them get to you," my blonde son muttered in Rosalie's ear. 

"What is it you want, Aro?" Carlisle asked, a hint of nervous emotion rising in his voice. I could practically feel the tension floating in the air between the Volturi and us. 

"Are you not listening at all, Carlisle? We are here to eliminate the uneducated gorilla and the untamed punk," Caius stepped up, beaming his cruel smile at my husband. This time, we all kept in mind what would happen if we attacked. But to hear them insult Bella and Emmett like that was torture. 

"Over my dead body," growled Garrett, crouching defensively. Aro chuckled, and spoke the dreaded cliched phrase.

"That can be arranged." (A/N: So tempted to end it right there, but I feel guilty for the lack of updates.)

"Why don't we discuss this calmly, Aro? Instead of attacking my family, if you would," Carlisle asked, his tone changing from worried to forced polite. Aro smiled again. 

"If only, old friend. But as you did not extend that same courtesy to us back in Volterra, I must insist...let the fight begin."

It seemed like seconds as the black cloaks charged at us. 

Emma

"Eddie, I'm going to the mall! Be back in a couple hours!" I called up to my boyfriend. Edward nodded, never looking away from what he was drawing. He'd taken to art a few weeks ago, and drew stunning pictures of me. I just knew he would be doing another one now. 

Edward didn't know that I'd let slip to his bloodsucking family's enemies that something bad happened to Bella and Emmett. I didn't know what it was, but by the way Edward had sagged after hearing his family's voicemails indicated that it was horrible. The woman I'd spoken to, Chelsea, had assured me that they had vampires who could find out certain things. 

As of now, I wasn't going to the mall.

I was going to find out what was wrong with Bella and Emmett.

Author's Note: I understand it's short, but I had to update tonight. It was driving me nuts.