*𝐈𝐟 𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐧'𝐭 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐍𝐚'𝐯𝐢, 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐁𝐨𝐥𝐝*
-𝐀𝐥𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐬'𝐬 𝐏𝐨𝐯-
"Today is my 18th birthday!" I squealed as I jumped up and down on Austin's bed. "𝐊𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐦 𝐨𝐟𝐟, 𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐲𝐚̈ 𝐬𝐤𝐱𝐚𝐰𝐧𝐠!" He groaned as she pushed me off her bed.
(Get off, you idiot!)
"Fyape rude!" I said as I crossed my arms, glaring up at my brother.
(How rude!)
Austin kissed me on my cheek and went back to sleep. As I got ready for school, Jasper was in my room. "Hello, my love," He smiled at me as he kissed me. "Happy birthday!"
"I love you," I looked at him, lovingly.
Later, Jasper drove me to school after Dad and Mom gave me my presents. All my friends at school had planned a party for me at the cafeteria when we got there.
I swear it's the best birthday I've ever had for like ever, or earth anyway. Layla even got me the complete set of Charmed.
-𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡 𝐋𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫-𝐃𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦-
I was sitting on a branch on one of the trees on Pandora, watching the kids play. I see Jasper run up to them, killing them. I screamed as his approached me, attacking me. I fall to the ground.
I open my eyes to see a light, walking up to me, Eywa. "𝐓𝐢̀𝐭𝐱𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐢 𝐨𝐞𝐲𝐚̈ '𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐠. 𝐙𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐞𝐲𝐰𝐚 '𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐠. 𝐒𝐫𝐮𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐙𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐉𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐲"
(Awaken my child. Save Pandora. Help and Save Jake Sully)
-𝐃𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐄𝐧𝐝𝐬-
My eyes snapped open as I got up. Jasper was looking at me as I looked at him, scared. "Bad dream," I told him as I got up. As I walked to my closet, the dream was still weighing on me.
Who is Jake Sully?
I looked around my room, cluttered with pictures of Jasper, of the Cullens; memorabilia of all things Jasper. Austin and Layla had pinned some of their selfies onto the boards.
I blushed at the sight of Jasper looking at me. He knew how to make a girl blush.
-𝐋𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫-
Bella pulled up in her truck at the parking lot. It was just a dream... but also my worst nightmare, I thought as I watched the landscape fly by. I climbed out as I looked around the parking lot.
Layla appeared by my side as he wrapped her arm around my neck.
"Don't worry too much about it," Layla reminded me. "It won't happen." "Are you sure about that? Eywa was in it. It has to mean something" I asked. "I just don't know who Jake is"
"You'll be fine, 𝐭𝐬𝐦𝐮𝐤𝐞" Austin says walking up, Angela beside him. She opened her mouth but was interrupted.
(sister)
"Wherefore art thou, Bella?" Mike asked as we saw Mike, Eric, Lauren, and Jessica approached. "You two finish the Shakespeare assignment?" Mike asked.
"He means will you finish his assignment?" Jessica translated for him.
"No, I don't, okay I do," Mike disagreed. "I can help you with it but first," Bella said. "Please don't," Austin asked.
"Dude needs to do his own homework." He glared at Mike, who shifted under his glare. "True" Layla added, pulling me closer to her.
"We need a picture. My mom expecting a scrapbook full of memories," Bella finished. "I take 'em, I don't pose for 'em," Angela held up her camera.
"You do today," Austin and I told her as Bella pushed Angela to the others.
We arrange themselves for a photo. Layla photobombed the picture. "You'll photoshop my nose if it looks big, right?" Jessica asked us.
"Don't worry, I'm in the picture; no one will be looking at you guys," Eric joked as Jessica scoffs. "Yeah right" Austin scoffed. "Have you seen my girl" Angela smiled.
Jessica and Eric's smile dropped. But quickly smiled again.
Angela points her camera at Bella. Austin pulls Layla and I closer to him. Mike and Eric joust as Bella aimed her cameras. She snapped the picture on us, fun, delightfully carefree.
But when she lowered her camera, their playfulness dissipated as they saw someone behind them.
We turned to see Edward climbing out of his silver Volvo. Jasper climbed out his Ducati 848 as well. "Oh good. Hale and Cullen's here," Mike sighed. "Yay," Jessica agreed as they all moved off.
"Check ya later," Eric told us. "See you in class Lexi" Austin and Angela walked off as I walked to Jasper.
"Hello, Darlin'," he told me as he kissed me. "I'll never get tired of you call me Darlin' in your accent," I smiled. "Glad you like it, I'll never get used to you saying I love you"
He smiled at me as he picked me up for a hug.
"Only one more year until I'm the same age as you," I said. "Eighteen is a little early to be worrying about your age," Jasper told me. "It's one before you," I said.
"Alexis, I'm a little over one hundred years old," Jasper reminded.
"True. Maybe I should be creeped out that I'm dating such an old guy," I joked.
"Yes, it's the age that's creepy, not the fact that you're dating a vampire," Jasper laughed as he kisses me tenderly, adoringly.
I kisses him back, despite our restraint, the passion mounts until he pulls away. As always, we are left wanting more. Jasper nodded toward the school building. "Class," Jasper told me.
"Right. Class," I said as we walked to school.
We entered the double doors when suddenly two small, wrapped gifts appears in Bella's face. Alice presents them. "Happy-," Alice began to say. "Shh!" Bella said.
Alice whispers in her ear as she hugs Bella.
" -birthday," Alice finished as Bella saw Over Alice's shoulder, Bella saw Ella, keeping her distance.
She offers her a pleasant nod. She tries to hide Alice's present, hoping no one noticed. I held mine with happiness as Jasper smiled at me. "Alice, didn't I say no gifts?" Bella asked.
"You did. I didn't. I've already seen you open it and guess what? You love it," Alice replied.
"I know Alexis loved her presents." I blushed. "You had a vision about my birthday," Bella sighed. "And about the green dress you'll be wearing to your party tonight," Alice replied.
"Great color on you. And Alexis, nice outfit you'll pick."
"....My party?" Bella repeated. "Please? It'll be fun," Alice begged. "I... guess I can deal....," Bella sighed in defeat.
"Great! See ya at seven!" Alice smiled as she hugged us again and raced off before Bella can change her mind. That's when Bella realizes something.
"Wait, Jasper, no fair with the mood control," she scoffed at Jasper as he offers an apologetic bow before I dragged him away.
"Can't believe you made her do that, bro is a magician" Layla laughed walking up. Austin put his arm around him, laughing. Jasper tensed, but relaxed a little.
"She looks mad. But happy at the same time," Angela said.
"Why did you do that?" I asked.
"Alice would've been disappointed," Jasper chuckled. "It gets annoying to a certain point."
"Vampires. You can't trust them," I whispered. Jasper smiled at me thinking that Layla and Austin didn't hear me. Or knew, but they did. We shared a look as we headed to class.
-𝐋𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫-
Jasper and I sat in the back of English Lit class as Zeffirelli's '68 "Romeo and Juliet" plays. The suicide scene was on.
"Arms, take your last embrace, and lips, O you, the doors of breath, seal with a righteous kiss...," Romeo spoke. I mouthed the words. The room was dark as the class sat.
Some students entertained, some moved, Mike trying not to fall asleep.
The teacher, Mr. Edweird, mouths every word. "Here's to my love!" Romeo said as he drinks the poison. "O true apothecary! Thy drugs are quick." "I loved my birthday," I sighed.
"But the older I get, the closer I get to dying."
"Nothing compared to when I thought I lost you," Jasper told me.
"There are worse tragedies than a birthday. Look at Romeo. He's responsible for his wife's death. Who could live with that?" He looked at the screen. "Though I do envy him one thing," He continued.
"Juliet's alright... if you like that obviously beautiful sort of thing," I sighed.
"Not the girl, the suicide," Jasper replied. "Nearly impossible for my kind. But humans, a little poison, dagger to the heart. There are so many options."
"Why would you even think about that?" I asked him. He grabbed my hand, holding it. "I considered it. Once. When James was tracking you," Jasper explained.
"I didn't know if I'd be able to keep you safe,"
"It wouldn't have been your fault," I reminded him. "Either way, I had a plan," Jasper looked at me. "What plan?" I asked. "There are... ways for us," Jasper explained.
"At least one way. I would have gone to Italy, provoked...."
"The who?" I asked. "The Volturi...," Jasper answered. "Is something you'd like to share class, Jasper?" Mr. Edweird asked. "And you. Ms... Alexis?" He added.
I was disgusted by the way he said that.
Jasper was too but didn't say it. "Certainly not. But I apologize for being a distraction" "Perhaps you should rewind to act five, scene one line twenty-eight eighty-nine," Jasper recited.
"If you had the strength of twenty men, it would dispatch you straight"
Mr, Edweird nodded, about to continue.
"And I also suggest you not speak. Or look at Ms Alexis like that. It's quite unpleasant. You're lucky I haven't told her Father, who is a police officer here, and friends with the chief of police, Or even the principal"
Mrs. Edweird just looked at him, then moved off, intimidated and shocked.
"Eyes on the screen, people," he asked. The kids looked at the teacher disgusted. "Thank you" i whispered, kissing his cheek.
-𝐓𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭-
Lights glowed from inside the beautiful house as we stood in front of a painting. Jasper drove me to the Cullens' after school.
"The Volturi are a very old, very powerful family...," Jasper told me as I looked at a painting. I saw the 18th century painting, depicting Grecian figures in swirling robes writhing among pillars and balconies.
In a high balcony, four calm figures look down upon the bacchanal.
Two black haired, one snowy white, one golden haired. "The closest thing my world has to royalty...," Jasper added as I studied the painting, the largest on a wall crowded with pictures.
The other walls are towering bookshelves.
"Francesco Solimena painted this; he often depicted the Volturi as Gods," Jasper told me as I examined the golden haired "God." "Is that... Carlisle?" I asked.
"Yes. He lived with them for a few decades," Jasper confirmed.
"He describes them as very refined, for killers. The Volturi are also what you might call enforcers." "Of what?" I asked. "The only rule they have: to keep secret the existence of our kind," Jasper said.
"We don't make spectacles of ourselves, or kill conspicuously, unless we want to die."
"Don't even talk about that. You can't let anyone hurt you. The Volturi or anyone else," I asked.
"Who else would hurt me?" Jasper asked me. "You said there were more dangerous things out there than you. And I know you have at least one enemy-," I told him.
"You said she'd come after you for killing her mate. Well Edward killed him. But still"
"Victoria? Yes, some day. But Alice will see her coming," Jasper said. "And she won't win. She would have to go through Layla and I to get to you." I looked up at Jasper, pained.
"I wish I can protect you," I told him. "I know you do," Jasper told me.
"But until then, protect yourself. But you protect me from boredom..." He kisses my lips. "And loneliness... You give me a reason to stay... un-dead. But it's... my job; to protect you..."
He took my hand and led me to the living room.
Edward and Bella followed us to the top of the landing, then we walked down the stairs.
Hundreds of pink candles and rose-filled crystal bowls lined the room as Rosalie, Lola, Esme, Carlisle, Emmett, Layla, and Alice looked up at them all of them stunningly beautiful.
Bella would love to disappear, but Edward lead her down to the living room where Esme and Carlisle hugged Bella and I warmly.
"Sorry about all this. We tried to rein Alice in," Carlisle told us. "Like that's even possible. Happy birthday, Bella," Esme smiles at us warmly as Alice has snapped a picture of Bella and I with them.
"Found it in your bag. Mind?" She asked as Bella shook her head.
Emmett moves to Edward's side and nudged him. "Dating an older woman. Hot," he smiled as Bella caught that. I laughed lightly, getting a smile from Emmett.
Edward elbowed him sharply to shut up. "What?" Emmett asked as Rosalie stepped up.
She handed silver package at Bella. "It's a necklace," she told her. "Alice picked it out." She walks away, bored. Bella has to smile. She saw Lola across the room.
They wave to each other. "Show me the love!" Alice asked us as Jasper pulled me into a kiss.
Layla coughed as I turned to glare at her. She shrugged as I swapped her arm. She placed her hand on my forehead, forcing me to swat my arms at her.
"For your scrapbook. Now open your presents!"
Alice squealed as she drags us over to a table piled with elaborately wrapped gifts, a huge cake and a tall stack of china plates.
"Alice, we're the only one who even eats cake. That thing could feed fifty," I told her. "Hope you're hungry. Here, this one's from Emmett," Alice told us as she hands a big box.
The others crowd around as Ella and Jasper shied somewhat away.
Bella, no fan of being the center of attention, opened the gift to find an empty car-radio box. "Um... thanks?" Bella asked. "Already installed it in your truck," Emmett smiled.
"Finally, a decent sound system in that piece of-," Edward smiled.
"No hating on the truck," Bella told him.
"Thank you, Emmett." "Open mine," Alice asked as she hands me and Bella another box. We began to open it but Bella cuts her finger.
"Ouch, paper cut," Bella hissed as a single drop of deep red blood appears. I thought little of it but then I heard a disturbing, grisly snarl as I looked up. Ella lunged toward Bella.
Teeth bared, eyes beyond reason Edward flung Bella behind his own body, causing her to crash into the table, plates shattering as I ran to Jasper.
Ella slammed into Edward. It sounds like boulders colliding.
Edward pushes his, hard. Lola sailed backward, hitting the wall. But he ricocheted off it and came back at Bella.
Emmett, Jasper, Layla, and Carlisle tackled Lola from the side, dragging him to the ground. Alice helped to hold her down. "El....shh...," she asked. "It's just a little..... blood."
She froze as she turned to look at me.
Then everybody's eyes snapped toward Bella as they caught the overwhelming scent of blood.
I held Bella's arm as She was lying amid the shards of broken china. I looked at her arm, seeing now that it's been slashed by plate shards; bright red blood pulsing out of her, pooling.
I looked up as all of them, including Edward and Jasper, but not Carlisle, stare down at Bella, at her blood, with fevered eyes.
Seven suddenly ravenous vampires. Carlisle jumps to Bella's side as he holds her arm. She hissed in pain as Jasper, white as a bone, snaps out of it and stands between me and the others.
Edward looked at Bella in shock and guilt.
She shook her head at what happened. Bella knew it wasn't his fault. She was hurt again. "Emmett, get Ella out of here," Carlisle ordered, but there was no response.
"Emmett." Emmett reined himself in as he elbowed Rosalie. They drag the snarling Ella out.
Esme held her nose as she politely exited with the others. Alice looked at Bella and me, apologetic. "I'm sorry, I... can't...," she told us as she slipped out the door.
Jasper was still on guard as Carlisle examined Bella's arm.
"I'll have to stitch this up," He informed me. "I'll carry her to the kitchen," Edward intervened. "It's my fault." "It's not your fault," Bella told him as his eyes darted to her blood.
"I'll take care of her, Edward," Carlisle asked. Edward doesn't move.
"Check on Ella Jasper. Go. And you go home Alexis" Carlisle urged me as I looked at Bella. She nodded as I left. Jasper looked at me with guilt in his eyes as he followed me.
"It's not your fault, Jasper," I reminded him.
He turned away, unable to meet my eyes. I felt guilty for what happened.
"I didn't mean to! I tried!" I heard Ella, she sounded like she was crying. I stopped and looked at her. If she was human, she would be crying. I walked up to her.
"Ella, it wasn't your fault. It was an accident" I told her, and she looked up at me, slightly backing up.
"But it was my fault! Bella could have died because of me! Edward would never forgive me" Ella cried, but no tears came out. I sighed, holding my hands out for her.
She hesitated before hugging me. Ella hugged me tightly, not enough to hurt me.
"I couldn't forgive myself if I hurt Bella. I couldn't look Edward in the eyes if that happened. The hatred they would have, he would hate me for eternity"
I kissed Ella's head, lightly patting her head.
"Everything is okay, It wasn't your fault. It was an accident. No one is mad at you" I told her, looking at Jasper. Jasper's eyes held guilt, he put his hand on Ella's shoulder.
"It's okay sister, Edward doesn't hate you. He knows it was a accident" Ella sniffs, letting me go.
She smiled as Alice and her walked away. "She'll never forgive herself... will she?" I asked Jasper as we walked to my car.
"No"