Changing Tides
by Momma2fan
Chapter 23
Bella sat on the back porch and stared at her ex. She finally cleared her throat and spoke to him. “I hate you, Edward. What you did to me, what you were gonna do to me. You’re an evil monster. I guess that’s what you always wanted me to think of you. Well congratulations, I finally see what you really are. After tonight, you and your family are dead to me.”
Standing, she brushed off the back of her jeans. Walking in the house, she took the jacket Paul was handing her and smiled at him.
“Let’s get this over with.”
Stuffing body parts in bags, Sam and Jared then placed Edward’s torso in a separate bag. Once they were all phased and someone was carrying a bag, Bella climbed on Paul and they took off for the clearing.
The Cullens were waiting at the treaty line when they arrived. The pack phased back and walked forward, throwing down the bags with the parts.
“Thanks for coming.” Bella started as she clung to Paul’s hand. “Edward is going to burn for his crimes, against me and against a member of the pack. In their eyes the treaty is broken. If you fight them on this, you will join him in his pyre.”
“We understand, Bella.” Carlisle spoke, his expression one of grief.
“Well, I don’t,” Esme glowered. “After all we’ve done for you, this is how you choose to repay us? I’m disappointed in you, Isabella.”
Bella laughed humorlessly. “Fuck you, Esme. All I have ever received at your hands is pain and suffering. Where you once called me your daughter, you now spew hatred. I’m glad you’re not my mother. You make me sick. The only reason you aren’t burning with Edward is because of Carlisle.”
Carlisle held fast to her when she would have attacked Bella.
“If she makes another move like that, she will join your progeny, mates be damned.” Sam growled. Carlisle nodded.
Bella continued. “Jasper.” She waited until he met her eyes. “I never blamed you for the events of my birthday. You’re an empath who had to feel the bloodlust of five other vampires, one who was smelling his singer. That was not your fault. You are the strongest vampire I know.”
She turned to the gorgeous blonde next to the giant. “Rosalie, I understand what you always tried to tell me. You were right.” Looking at Paul, “I know what it’s like to want more.” Turning back to them, “Emmett, you’ll always be the big brother I never had. I may have two others now, but you were the first.”
Turning to Carlisle, “Thank you for saving him. I know how to survive a broken heart, but I never would have survived the loss of half of my soul.”
Paul squeezed her hand and pressed a kiss to the crown of her head.
“Alice, you knew what Edward was doing and could have stopped it at any time. Only you know your reasons for staying quiet, but I have a feeling they were for selfish purposes.” Looking down, she took a deep breath. “While your actions are a violation of the treaty, I cannot knowingly allow Jasper to suffer the loss of his mate.”
Bella watched as Jasper sagged in relief and pulled Alice closer to his side.
Carlisle looked at all of them and finally spoke. “What would you like us to do?”
Bella looked at Sam and nodded her head. He turned to them, “You are to leave this area and never return. The treaty is void. If we see you, your lives are forfeit. This is your one opportunity to leave. You have twenty-four hours to vacate the Olympic Peninsula. You would be wise to stay out of the state of Washington. Inform any of your kind of the protectors who reside here and the detriment they face if they are caught.”
Jake, Quil and Embry stepped forward with the sticks and wood gathered for the pyre, setting them aflame. Collin, Brady, Leah and Seth all stepped forward, each opening a bag and taking a piece of Edward out. Paul let go of Bella and picked up his torso. With no remorse or words, he tossed the bronze-haired fool into the fire and stepped back.
Esme sobbed against Carlisle, who remained stoic. Rosalie clung to Emmett and Jasper watched him burn with a warrior's eyes, as Alice hugged herself to him.
Once the purple smoke had cleared and the fire was nothing but embers, Carlisle spoke. “Bella, I can’t speak for my family, but I am so sorry for all the pain we’ve caused you. I did and will always love you as a daughter and wish you nothing but happiness in your future.” Turning to Sam, “We will do as you asked and never return to this place. We will arrange for the sale of our house, but that can be handled from afar.”
“Goodbye, Carlisle. Thank you for saving Paul.”
“Bella?” Emmett spoke, “Can I...” he stepped forward and opened his arms.
Looking up at Paul, he nodded and Bella walked forward to hug the one who had always treated her as a sister.
“Take care of yourself, Bella-boo.”
“Goodbye, Em-bear.”
Once he released her, Rose stepped forward and hugged her. “Be happy and have lots of babies.”
Bella giggled, “I will.”
Letting her go, Bella backed up to where she knew Paul was standing. They watched as the Cullens nodded and then took off, disappearing into the night.
Looking up into the eyes of her mate, “Let’s go home.”
Picking her up, Paul nodded to the pack and ran them home on his own two feet. Phasing would have been faster, but he wanted to hold her.
Sam and Jared smiled and ran toward where their own imprints waited for them, as Quil and Leah ran off for some time alone together. Jake and Embry ran toward his house for an evening of video games, while the younger three left to spend some time on their own. Brady and Collin’s parents didn't know about the pack, so they had been sneaking out a lot. They were ready to be normal teenagers for a while. Seth just wanted to finally spend some time with his dad, maybe fishing with him, Charlie and Billy.
With the Cullens leaving the area, the pack was ready to settle down, but Sam wouldn’t let them become complacent. For now he would ease up a little on them, especially the younger ones.
Bella sat on the back porch and stared at her ex. She finally cleared her throat and spoke to him. “I hate you, Edward. What you did to me, what you were gonna do to me. You’re an evil monster. I guess that’s what you always wanted me to think of you. Well congratulations, I finally see what you really are. After tonight, you and your family are dead to me.”
Standing, she brushed off the back of her jeans. Walking in the house, she took the jacket Paul was handing her and smiled at him.
“Let’s get this over with.”
Stuffing body parts in bags, Sam and Jared then placed Edward’s torso in a separate bag. Once they were all phased and someone was carrying a bag, Bella climbed on Paul and they took off for the clearing.
The Cullens were waiting at the treaty line when they arrived. The pack phased back and walked forward, throwing down the bags with the parts.
“Thanks for coming.” Bella started as she clung to Paul’s hand. “Edward is going to burn for his crimes, against me and against a member of the pack. In their eyes the treaty is broken. If you fight them on this, you will join him in his pyre.”
“We understand, Bella.” Carlisle spoke, his expression one of grief.
“Well, I don’t,” Esme glowered. “After all we’ve done for you, this is how you choose to repay us? I’m disappointed in you, Isabella.”
Bella laughed humorlessly. “Fuck you, Esme. All I have ever received at your hands is pain and suffering. Where you once called me your daughter, you now spew hatred. I’m glad you’re not my mother. You make me sick. The only reason you aren’t burning with Edward is because of Carlisle.”
Carlisle held fast to her when she would have attacked Bella.
“If she makes another move like that, she will join your progeny, mates be damned.” Sam growled. Carlisle nodded.
Bella continued. “Jasper.” She waited until he met her eyes. “I never blamed you for the events of my birthday. You’re an empath who had to feel the bloodlust of five other vampires, one who was smelling his singer. That was not your fault. You are the strongest vampire I know.”
She turned to the gorgeous blonde next to the giant. “Rosalie, I understand what you always tried to tell me. You were right.” Looking at Paul, “I know what it’s like to want more.” Turning back to them, “Emmett, you’ll always be the big brother I never had. I may have two others now, but you were the first.”
Turning to Carlisle, “Thank you for saving him. I know how to survive a broken heart, but I never would have survived the loss of half of my soul.”
Paul squeezed her hand and pressed a kiss to the crown of her head.
“Alice, you knew what Edward was doing and could have stopped it at any time. Only you know your reasons for staying quiet, but I have a feeling they were for selfish purposes.” Looking down, she took a deep breath. “While your actions are a violation of the treaty, I cannot knowingly allow Jasper to suffer the loss of his mate.”
Bella watched as Jasper sagged in relief and pulled Alice closer to his side.
Carlisle looked at all of them and finally spoke. “What would you like us to do?”
Bella looked at Sam and nodded her head. He turned to them, “You are to leave this area and never return. The treaty is void. If we see you, your lives are forfeit. This is your one opportunity to leave. You have twenty-four hours to vacate the Olympic Peninsula. You would be wise to stay out of the state of Washington. Inform any of your kind of the protectors who reside here and the detriment they face if they are caught.”
Jake, Quil and Embry stepped forward with the sticks and wood gathered for the pyre, setting them aflame. Collin, Brady, Leah and Seth all stepped forward, each opening a bag and taking a piece of Edward out. Paul let go of Bella and picked up his torso. With no remorse or words, he tossed the bronze-haired fool into the fire and stepped back.
Esme sobbed against Carlisle, who remained stoic. Rosalie clung to Emmett and Jasper watched him burn with a warrior's eyes, as Alice hugged herself to him.
Once the purple smoke had cleared and the fire was nothing but embers, Carlisle spoke. “Bella, I can’t speak for my family, but I am so sorry for all the pain we’ve caused you. I did and will always love you as a daughter and wish you nothing but happiness in your future.” Turning to Sam, “We will do as you asked and never return to this place. We will arrange for the sale of our house, but that can be handled from afar.”
“Goodbye, Carlisle. Thank you for saving Paul.”
“Bella?” Emmett spoke, “Can I...” he stepped forward and opened his arms.
Looking up at Paul, he nodded and Bella walked forward to hug the one who had always treated her as a sister.
“Take care of yourself, Bella-boo.”
“Goodbye, Em-bear.”
Once he released her, Rose stepped forward and hugged her. “Be happy and have lots of babies.”
Bella giggled, “I will.”
Letting her go, Bella backed up to where she knew Paul was standing. They watched as the Cullens nodded and then took off, disappearing into the night.
Looking up into the eyes of her mate, “Let’s go home.”
Picking her up, Paul nodded to the pack and ran them home on his own two feet. Phasing would have been faster, but he wanted to hold her.
Sam and Jared smiled and ran toward where their own imprints waited for them, as Quil and Leah ran off for some time alone together. Jake and Embry ran toward his house for an evening of video games, while the younger three left to spend some time on their own. Brady and Collin’s parents didn't know about the pack, so they had been sneaking out a lot. They were ready to be normal teenagers for a while. Seth just wanted to finally spend some time with his dad, maybe fishing with him, Charlie and Billy.
With the Cullens leaving the area, the pack was ready to settle down, but Sam wouldn’t let them become complacent. For now he would ease up a little on them, especially the younger ones.