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Breaking Dawn [Pt.1]
T h e H y b r i d
ADELE STARED OUT of the ceiling-to-floor windows from her spot on the den floor in her vain attempt to look anywhere but at the frail human laying on the sofa only a few feet away from her.
When Bella called her two weeks ago from Isle Esme and told her that she was pregnant with Edward's child, Adele was speechless. How could a human be impregnated by a century old vampire, a man who hadn't been made of normal flesh and blood for a very long time? Naturally, she knew the worst would come of it – how could a weak mundane carry a hybrid child in her womb? – and by the looks of it, she was right. It was just that no one wanted to admit it.
Bella lay propped up against a few pillows on the sofa with a blue-gray afghan draped over her to hide her rapidly swelling belly. Her deep-brown were sunken into her bony face, accompanied by dark purple half-moons that even a human who'd pulled three consecutive all-nighters wouldn't have. No one would have thought it possible for her to grow paler than she already was, but somehow, she was paler than a ghost.
Fury couldn't even begin to describe what Adele felt as she sat there with her back to them. She'd resorted to silence since the newly-wedded couple returned a week earlier than planned. She had lived through many centuries of shit to know exactly how this would turn out for them and she hated it. She wasn't mad at them because they had sex – it wasn't her business and besides, it was their honeymoon – she was angry because everything they'd ever gone through was going to shit.
She watched a tense Jacob Black arrive on his motorcycle and park it hapazardly on the side of the road. He marched up to the door as Carlisle sped downstairs to intercept him. She glanced back at Bella. "Your friend is here." She was glad that her father went down to act as a buffer – she was certainly in no mood.
"Is it true?!" Jacob barked indignantly.
"Hello, Jacob, how are you?" Carlisle smiled wryly and chose to ignore his rude tone.
"Listen," He sighed and raked a hand through his hair. He was under the assumption that Edward Turned Bella over their honeymoon just like she had told him on their wedding night. Adele and Edward couldn't help but feel that that alternative would have been so much better than this. "Just give it to me straight."
"Jake, is that you?" Bella called out stupidly. She was growing tired of the grave expressions from all of the vampires in the room. Adele turned her head again and crossed her arms as the others stood.
"She's here?" He thought Bella was still on their honeymoon, as she hadn't called Charlie in weeks.
"They came home two weeks ago." Carlisle sighed solemnly as he recalled the fearful look on Edward's face when they got out of that car. Jacob barged into the house and pushed past him. "Jac–" But he was already climbing up the stairs in long strides.
He walked into the upstairs den with Carlisle on his heels and paused in his step as Edward, Alice, and Rosalie stood in his way. From behind a protective Rosalie, Bella's voice was hollow and weak. "I'm glad you came."
The sound of her voice prompted him to step around then to look at her, but while Edward and Alice stood down, Rosalie stepped up. She bared her teeth in warning and crossed her arms. "Close enough."
He growled. "What's your problem?"
Bella sighed. "Rose, it's okay."
Rosalie reluctantly stepped aside and kept watchful eyes on him as he stepped closer to absorb the sore sight that was his best friend – and unrequited lover. He noticed her sunken eyes, her boney face, and her drastic weight loss, but he was oblivious to the monstrosity beneath the thick afghan.
"You look terrible."
"Yeah, it's nice to see you, too." She replied sarcastically with a solemn sigh. Once he saw, she knew he'd freak out.
"So," his eyes skimmed her five times over, "Are you gonna tell me what's wrong with you?"
"She won't need to." Adele chimed in bitterly. Jacob raised an eyebrow at her seclusion.
"Rose, you wanna help me up?" asked Bella. Esme ans Alice averted their gazes as she helped her to her feet. Her swollen belly looked as though she was already seven months along and beneath her top, Jacob was horrified to see the bruises that specked her stretched flesh. He covered it immediately and sat back down as Jacob turned on his heels and looked accusingly at Edward.
"YOU DID THIS!" He lunged at Edward in a blind rage. Jasper and Emmett stepped in to stop him as Edward stood dejectedly.
"We didn't know it was even possible." Carlisle cut in.
Jacob gritted his teeth. "What is it?"
"l'm not sure." Carlisle sighed and Adele chuckled bitterly in the corner. He spared her a glance. "Ultrasounds and needles won't penetrate the embryonic sac."
"I can't see it, either." Alice added gravely and glared at her swollen belly. "And can't see Bella's future anymore."
What a lovely thing to add whilst the boy is about to shift right in the middle of the room, Adele thought.
"We've been researching legends but there isn't much to go on." Carlisle continued and gestured to the piles of books on the coffee table. "What we do know is that it's strong and fast-growing."
"WHY HAVEN'T YOU DONE ANYTHING?" He seethed and gestured to her. "TAKE IT OUT OF HER!"
"This is none of your business, dog." Rosalie hissed protectively. She was the only person who agreed with Bella on the matter – this was a child and they couldn't hurt it.
"Rose!" Esme cut in sternly. Bella had become quite amazed with how hostile she had become towards the situation. She was pleasant and considerate to her, but she agreed with everyone else on the matter. "All this fighting isn't good for Bella."
Alice scowled. "The fetus isn't good for Bella."
"Say the word, Alice! Baby." Rosalie turned on her in exasperation. Adele manipulated Alice's mind so she wouldn't say something she'd surely regret – that this baby isn't hers, so there was not point in acting like it. "It's just a little baby!"
"Possibly." Jasper cut in defensively and he, too, eyed Bella's swollen belly with dismay. She hastily brought the afghan over herself again.
"CARLISLE, YOU'VE GOTTA DO SOMETHING!" Jacob pleaded as his anger drained away and was replaced by fear, dread, for what they all predicted would come. It'd only been two weeks since Bella returned, and three since she found out, and already she looked ready to pop. It was going to kill her.
"NO!" Bella cut in at last. She shook her head defensively. "It's not his decision! It's not any of yours!"
Edward shut his eyes solemnly and sighed at her words. She'd been talking like this ever since he told her they'd get it out of her. "Jacob, I need to talk to you."
He gritted his teeth and promptly refused. "I ALWAYS KNEW YOU'D DESTROY HER!"
"SHUT UP!" Adele was seething as she stood up and turned to the group at last. She was fed up with the yelling – it wasn't getting them anywhere and both Max and Asa were napping upstairs. "I have two sleeping children upstairs! Take your shit outside because I will break your spines if you wake them up!" Asa was just getting over Colic's and it took her forever to out him down an hour ago.
"And what's with you, oh noble one?!" He lowered his voice but his sneer was no better. "I'm surprised you're not defending them like you usually do!"
In one swift movement, Adele was in his face with a fire burning in her eyes. Carlisle sped over to her and grabbed her wrist to stop her from attacking him. They were stunned. She was always the mellowest of them all - something was wrong, something she wasn't telling them about.
"Get out." She hissed. He planted his feet where on the spot and both Jasper and Esme stepped in just in case his stubbornness got him killed. Instead of breaking his face, she shut her eyes and drew in a deep breath. When she opened her eyes, she was staring immensely at Edward. "For once, do something rught and get him out of here before I kill him."
Edward nodded once, grabbed an indignant Jacob's arm, and pulled him outside.
She turned to Bella and crossed her arms. "I know what it is."
"You do?" Bella sat up. Everyone exchanged glances.
"But you won't like what I am going to tell you."
"Tell me." She pleaded desperately.
Adele sat down on the arm of the sofa and licked her lips. "I knew a young woman a few centuries ago who was human, and like you, she displayed supernatural gifts. She fell in love with a vampire and he unknowingly impregnated her."
Carlisle furrowed his eyebrows. In 1684, a while after Jace's murder, she parted ways with him for a few years and evidently made many connections in that time. Their separation last ten years – that was ten whole years he spent thinking that she blamed him for Jace's death.
"Long story short, her pregnancy lasted only a short time before she gave birth to twins." Bella perked up at that. That meant she'd live to give birth to her baby. Adele read her thoughts and shook her head. "She died moments after the births and her children, hybrids that were half-human, half-vampire, were murdered by her vampire lover who blamed them for her death."
Adele was right. Bella didn't want to hear that. She felt promptly sick but forced herself to swallow the bile that crawled up her throat. "How old was she?"
"A teenager. Sixteen, maybe." She bowed her head.
"So there's hope." said Bella hopefully. It took all of Adele's self control to not hold her insensitivity against her. "Maybe she was too young to handle it. I can."
"You cannot, Isabella." She pinched the bridge of her nose. "That is what I am trying to tell you. It has only been three weeks and your bones are as brittle as toothpicks. It's won't stop growing."
Edward hated the conversation her walked in on more than the one he'd just had with Jacob. "What does that mean for Bella."
Adele stared inimically at him, stood, and walked out of the den to check on her own children. She was done with the drama for the day. All of this had only pushed her further towards the decision of getting her own house. "It means figure out a fucking plan before time runs out – for both of them."