Edward spun the fidget spinner while he watched as Petunia ran through the cat door they'd made. He smiled but then processed the fact that Bella's heart and blood couldn't be heard nor smelled.
Rosalie walked in and greeted the pig before her entire face froze and they both came to a certain realization: If Petunia came back without Bella then there was a 99% chance that something bad had happened.
"Bella," they whispered together.
Rosalie was the first out the door, chasing the pig's scent back to its origin.
"Of course Bella can't take her pet on a walk without practically dying, Jesus fucking christ," Rosalie muttered, her voice cracking.
When they reached the edge of the water, both Rose and Edward could hear a heartbeat but it wasn't near the water...it was in the water.
"THERE!" Rosalie shouted and ran towards the only thing that kept her from having a vampire panic attack: Bella's heartbeat.
It was struggling and stuttering to stay alive but, fuck, Rosalie held onto every staggered beat like it was the last.
Rosalie muttered Bella's name mixed with curse words as she sprinted over and reached in to grab Bella and pull her out and into her arms.
Happiness flooded Rosalie's eyes as she smiled, grateful that Bella—
Wait.
Edward gulped. "She's barely breath—"
"Oh my god, she's bleeding out," Rose whispered, removing her hand from Bella's head to see blood slipping through her fingers and soaking the grassy floor. No word was spoken as Rosalie got up and ran with Bella in her arms back to the Cullen house.
"Carlisle!" both siblings shouted as they entered. In an instant, Carlisle was at their sides, guiding them to put Bella on a table in one of his office's.
He held a hand up when Rose was about to speak. "Let me see what's—"
"She's bleeding out! We don't have time for this!"
She was right. Blood continued to drip onto the table and then gather, spread, and slip over the edge. Everyone's throat burned as the drops hit the floor.
Carlisle checked over her wound and listened closely to her heart. With rigid posture, he glanced at the pair of concerned family members. "She doesn't have much time left." No one spoke so he continued. "We have to make a decision. And quickly. The others went hunting so they cannot help decide what we should do. It's up to us."
Rose's eyebrows furrowed. Edward's face theoretically paled at the statement.
"No."
"Absolutely not."
Carlisle looked at them with confused features. "Rosalie. Edward. Think about this logically. You either need to accept that she is passing away or we're going to turn her. Though the two of you aren't fond of vampirism and you didn't have a say—"
"But what about Bella having a say?! We don't know if she wants this life," Rosalie cried out.
Edward murmured, "She does."
Her head snapped towards his. "And how would you know this?"
"She mentioned it a while back. Leah and I shut her down but she did say it." He looked back down at the first human who made him feel alive. He looked at the one whose thoughts he'd never be able to decipher. He never had that in the first place but there's one thing he couldn't live without: his best friend. His eyes solemnly looked up. "Do it."
Carlisle thanked him silently and then turned his pleading eyes towards his makeshift daughter. "Rose?"
Rosalie looked down at the love of her life. Did she really want to choose to end the life of her utter soulmate? The one woman who would always captivate her, always make her feel something other than misery? She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and nodded. Her eyes snapped open. "Do it."
Carlisle nodded with a sad smile. "Okay."
He leaned down and his lips brushed the skin on Bella's neck before biting in.
Her eyes flew open.
All fucking hell broke loose.