The Promise
by Laura Spudzmom
Chapter 24
Inside the room, Carlisle was working feverishly to save Bella—to save her humanity. He knew what was at stake. He knew if he didn’t bring her back from this, her reunited family—her relationship with her child—would be an impossibility, possibly for years to come depending on how quickly she adapted and gained control as a newborn vampire. By then, much of little Holden’s childhood would be over and just the thought of that squeezed his heart painfully. After all this young family had been through—to make it this far just to have it all fall apart now…
The sound of Edward’s voice brought him sharply back to focus. “Carlisle, you can’t think about any of that right now. Stay sharp. She needs you.” Carlisle’s gaze met the steady, determined one of his first childe who continued. “Make a decision. Make the right decision, even if it’s difficult.”
Carlisle gave one quick nod and reassessed his patient. It wasn’t good he already knew and his jaw clenched. He’d done all he could medically. He hated this, but there was no other option. “Bring in Peter. I’ve done all I can. It must be done now.”
Edward spun on his heel and blurred to the door. “Peter, you’re needed,” was all he said and he just barely got out of the way as Pete rushed in, his eyes locked on his wife.
Carlisle pinned Pete with a sorrowful gaze. “I’m sorry Peter, but you must change her now, unless you want me to do it. Time is critical, so make a decision quickly.”
Pete nodded and rushed forward. “I’ll do it.” He leaned down and choked on emotion as he moved some hair back from her neck. “I’m sorry darlin’,” he whispered, his voice choked with phantom tears. “We never talked about this Bella—never got the chance—but I can’t lose ya darlin’. I just got ya back…and I promised.” With that, he leaned in and sank his fangs into her neck where he pumped as much venom as he could into her while Carlisle kept her heart pumping. When he drew back, Carlisle’s voice urged him on.
“Again Peter, other side. Get as much into her as you can.”
Again, he bit her without hesitation and this time when he drew back, Carlisle did too to see if her heart would take over. It didn’t.
“Damn,” he muttered and went back to compressions.
Pete stood back and watched with naked fear in his eyes. “What’s wrong?” His fists clenched and nostrils flared. “Don’t you tell me she’s gone doc,” he ground out. “Don’t you dare…”
To everyone’s shock, a gentle wind began to circulate in the room while Bella began to glow softly and they heard a woman’s voice. “Don’t be afraid Peter Whitlock, beloved of my grand daughter. She will come back to you in three days. Take comfort. She is strong and even at this moment she fights to stay with you. She will succeed.”
Carlisle backed away once again and this time the sweet sound of Bella’s heart beating on its own met their ears. He smiled, closed his eyes and sent up a silent prayer of thanks.
Pete hit his knees at Bella’s bedside where he rested his head next to her body while clutching her hand. Kneeling there, he quietly sobbed in grief for all that had happened and sobbed in relief for what the gentle voice had just told him and this is where he stayed for the next three days.
~o0o~
Bella was confused when she came to. Where was she? She couldn’t see or really feel anything and it was scary. She began to panic now that she was conscious, if that is indeed what she was.
She couldn’t really be sure because this place… It was nothing but an impenetrable, black, senseless void. She couldn’t see, hear, speak or feel…it was utterly terrifying, especially since her mind seemed to be working just fine.
‘Calm yourself Bella,’ she told herself. ‘If the mind is all I have to work with, then it won’t help to have a melt-down. Now think…think of a way through this!’ She calmed and centered herself as well as she could, drawing upon those times she’d had to do so to cast a spell or ritual. ‘You’ve got this Bella,’ she thought as she literally talked herself down. ‘Calm and center—focus, find your focus.’
When she’d done that and felt as calm as possible, she began to focus on changing things; ‘What is it you want first?’ she thought. ‘To escape this void.’ Yeah, that had been an easy question to answer, so she focused her mind on her favorite place—a place that held her sweetest, most beloved memories, and she felt love and happiness fill her as the void morphed into a sunshine dappled bed of grass under a tree…the tree by the pond…the tree where she’d told Pete he would be a father…the tree under which they’d made love…
She gazed around and realized she could now feel. She had form and senses and she smiled. Still, she was alone and she felt that too, keenly. ‘Baby steps Bella. You’ll find him. Just stay focused.’
With those thoughts, she sat herself down in the soft grass, back straight and palms up, resting on her knees. Taking a slow, deep breath, she closed her eyes and sank into herself as she she called to her mate.
‘Peter,’ she sent with all the focus she could muster. ‘Find me my love. Find me…’
At that moment, she felt a hand holding hers and her heart leapt but she fought back the excitement and refocused. She knew it was his hand, but that wasn’t good enough. She wanted to see him, feel all of him, speak to him and so she tried again… ‘Peter,’ she sent once again. ‘Find me baby,’ she begged earnestly. ‘Reach out, I’m here. Find me…’
Then she heard it—heard him, his voice—very faint, but there and she smiled and opened her eyes to the sight of him walking toward her from a far distance.
“Bella?!” he called as he picked up his pace with a shocked and hopeful look on his face. She stood and held out a hand to him. “Yeah Pete, it’s me she answered with a wide smile as she waited on him to reach her.
“Bella!” he shouted and began running. When he reached her he scooped her into his arms and spun her around as he buried his face in her neck. “Oh darlin’,” he cried as he held her tightly. “Are you really here? Am I dreamin’? I heard you callin’ me and I’ve been searching for two days and nights. I can’t believe I found ya.”
She drew back and dried his tears as she stared into those familiar hazel eyes. “It’s real enough for now baby,” she said through tears and laughter. “We’re connected in my mind, but we’re real and I’m not going anywhere until it’s time to be back with you and Holden. I promise. I won’t let anything take me away.”
He hugged her tightly once again and just took in her sweet scent and warmth. “God Isabella Whitlock, I love you more than anything sugar. I always have and I always will.”
She drew back and smiled into his eyes as their clothes disappeared. “I know this Pete. Our love is timeless and limitless and always will be,” she murmured as she guided him down onto a soft quilt. “Kiss me husband. Join with me once again and for all of time.”
He covered her then and she opened to him eagerly, their bodies fitting together in perfect union as lips and tongues stroked and nipped and played together.
She wrapped herself around him as he mastered her with firm even thrusts, drawing quiet gasps and gentle sighs of pleasure from her honeyed lips; lips he tasted, teased and groaned into as he took pleasure from her even as he gave it back two-fold.
Their bodies molded and writhed together sensually in the oldest dance of them all until she arched and cried out, her fingers gripping and digging into strong muscle as she reached her peak and he reached his as a white glow surrounded them; their souls now joined for all of time, never to be parted again.
Inside the room, Carlisle was working feverishly to save Bella—to save her humanity. He knew what was at stake. He knew if he didn’t bring her back from this, her reunited family—her relationship with her child—would be an impossibility, possibly for years to come depending on how quickly she adapted and gained control as a newborn vampire. By then, much of little Holden’s childhood would be over and just the thought of that squeezed his heart painfully. After all this young family had been through—to make it this far just to have it all fall apart now…
The sound of Edward’s voice brought him sharply back to focus. “Carlisle, you can’t think about any of that right now. Stay sharp. She needs you.” Carlisle’s gaze met the steady, determined one of his first childe who continued. “Make a decision. Make the right decision, even if it’s difficult.”
Carlisle gave one quick nod and reassessed his patient. It wasn’t good he already knew and his jaw clenched. He’d done all he could medically. He hated this, but there was no other option. “Bring in Peter. I’ve done all I can. It must be done now.”
Edward spun on his heel and blurred to the door. “Peter, you’re needed,” was all he said and he just barely got out of the way as Pete rushed in, his eyes locked on his wife.
Carlisle pinned Pete with a sorrowful gaze. “I’m sorry Peter, but you must change her now, unless you want me to do it. Time is critical, so make a decision quickly.”
Pete nodded and rushed forward. “I’ll do it.” He leaned down and choked on emotion as he moved some hair back from her neck. “I’m sorry darlin’,” he whispered, his voice choked with phantom tears. “We never talked about this Bella—never got the chance—but I can’t lose ya darlin’. I just got ya back…and I promised.” With that, he leaned in and sank his fangs into her neck where he pumped as much venom as he could into her while Carlisle kept her heart pumping. When he drew back, Carlisle’s voice urged him on.
“Again Peter, other side. Get as much into her as you can.”
Again, he bit her without hesitation and this time when he drew back, Carlisle did too to see if her heart would take over. It didn’t.
“Damn,” he muttered and went back to compressions.
Pete stood back and watched with naked fear in his eyes. “What’s wrong?” His fists clenched and nostrils flared. “Don’t you tell me she’s gone doc,” he ground out. “Don’t you dare…”
To everyone’s shock, a gentle wind began to circulate in the room while Bella began to glow softly and they heard a woman’s voice. “Don’t be afraid Peter Whitlock, beloved of my grand daughter. She will come back to you in three days. Take comfort. She is strong and even at this moment she fights to stay with you. She will succeed.”
Carlisle backed away once again and this time the sweet sound of Bella’s heart beating on its own met their ears. He smiled, closed his eyes and sent up a silent prayer of thanks.
Pete hit his knees at Bella’s bedside where he rested his head next to her body while clutching her hand. Kneeling there, he quietly sobbed in grief for all that had happened and sobbed in relief for what the gentle voice had just told him and this is where he stayed for the next three days.
~o0o~
Bella was confused when she came to. Where was she? She couldn’t see or really feel anything and it was scary. She began to panic now that she was conscious, if that is indeed what she was.
She couldn’t really be sure because this place… It was nothing but an impenetrable, black, senseless void. She couldn’t see, hear, speak or feel…it was utterly terrifying, especially since her mind seemed to be working just fine.
‘Calm yourself Bella,’ she told herself. ‘If the mind is all I have to work with, then it won’t help to have a melt-down. Now think…think of a way through this!’ She calmed and centered herself as well as she could, drawing upon those times she’d had to do so to cast a spell or ritual. ‘You’ve got this Bella,’ she thought as she literally talked herself down. ‘Calm and center—focus, find your focus.’
When she’d done that and felt as calm as possible, she began to focus on changing things; ‘What is it you want first?’ she thought. ‘To escape this void.’ Yeah, that had been an easy question to answer, so she focused her mind on her favorite place—a place that held her sweetest, most beloved memories, and she felt love and happiness fill her as the void morphed into a sunshine dappled bed of grass under a tree…the tree by the pond…the tree where she’d told Pete he would be a father…the tree under which they’d made love…
She gazed around and realized she could now feel. She had form and senses and she smiled. Still, she was alone and she felt that too, keenly. ‘Baby steps Bella. You’ll find him. Just stay focused.’
With those thoughts, she sat herself down in the soft grass, back straight and palms up, resting on her knees. Taking a slow, deep breath, she closed her eyes and sank into herself as she she called to her mate.
‘Peter,’ she sent with all the focus she could muster. ‘Find me my love. Find me…’
At that moment, she felt a hand holding hers and her heart leapt but she fought back the excitement and refocused. She knew it was his hand, but that wasn’t good enough. She wanted to see him, feel all of him, speak to him and so she tried again… ‘Peter,’ she sent once again. ‘Find me baby,’ she begged earnestly. ‘Reach out, I’m here. Find me…’
Then she heard it—heard him, his voice—very faint, but there and she smiled and opened her eyes to the sight of him walking toward her from a far distance.
“Bella?!” he called as he picked up his pace with a shocked and hopeful look on his face. She stood and held out a hand to him. “Yeah Pete, it’s me she answered with a wide smile as she waited on him to reach her.
“Bella!” he shouted and began running. When he reached her he scooped her into his arms and spun her around as he buried his face in her neck. “Oh darlin’,” he cried as he held her tightly. “Are you really here? Am I dreamin’? I heard you callin’ me and I’ve been searching for two days and nights. I can’t believe I found ya.”
She drew back and dried his tears as she stared into those familiar hazel eyes. “It’s real enough for now baby,” she said through tears and laughter. “We’re connected in my mind, but we’re real and I’m not going anywhere until it’s time to be back with you and Holden. I promise. I won’t let anything take me away.”
He hugged her tightly once again and just took in her sweet scent and warmth. “God Isabella Whitlock, I love you more than anything sugar. I always have and I always will.”
She drew back and smiled into his eyes as their clothes disappeared. “I know this Pete. Our love is timeless and limitless and always will be,” she murmured as she guided him down onto a soft quilt. “Kiss me husband. Join with me once again and for all of time.”
He covered her then and she opened to him eagerly, their bodies fitting together in perfect union as lips and tongues stroked and nipped and played together.
She wrapped herself around him as he mastered her with firm even thrusts, drawing quiet gasps and gentle sighs of pleasure from her honeyed lips; lips he tasted, teased and groaned into as he took pleasure from her even as he gave it back two-fold.
Their bodies molded and writhed together sensually in the oldest dance of them all until she arched and cried out, her fingers gripping and digging into strong muscle as she reached her peak and he reached his as a white glow surrounded them; their souls now joined for all of time, never to be parted again.
DISCLAIMER: Twilight and its inclusive material is copyright to Stephenie Meyer. Original creation, including but not limited to plot and characters, is copyright to the respective authors of each story. No copyright infringement is intended.