This Time Of Year
Written by: wizardtho
Story dedicated to: Bella MacLeod
A/N: Bella ends up going into detail about some of the physical abuse she suffered at the hands of Mike Newton in this chapter. If that is a trigger for you, please skip this chapter.
Chapter 17:
The next morning at sunrise, Demetri and I entered the clearing, only for me to tense and tighten my hand in my sire’s. We continued to walk until we were at polite talking distance, and all the way, my feelings bristled. When we stopped, Jasper called my name in a concerned tone. I shook my head, my eyes on his small mate, who looked into my eyes like there was nothing to explain… like nothing was wrong.
Jasper’s tone was a bit harsher as my emotions raged, but I was suddenly seeing red, so I spat, “Fuck off, Jasper. I have every right to feel the way I do, don’t I, Mary Alice?”
She winced slightly at my tone, but just looked up at Jasper while resting a hand on his chest, “I was leaving anyway. I’ll meet you at our usual spot between your duties.”
It hit me, then, and I couldn’t help but let out an incredulous laugh, “You never told him, did you? You kept your fuck-up inactivity from even your mate, didn’t you?”
Alice didn’t say anything, but Jasper looked between Alice and me for a full minute. I finally said the one thing that I knew would trigger a response, “Look at me, Alice. Look in my eyes and tell me you never saw it. Eight months, 3 weeks, 1 day, and 16 hours ago.”
Alice’s breath audibly hitched, then Jasper’s eyes hardened as he looked at his mate, “What. Did. You. See.”
Alice looked slightly frightened, but she refused to open her mouth, so I said with pure acid in my tone, “She saw Michael Newton beating the shit out of me while I was pregnant. Her inactivity…”
I shook my head, but my voice had turned from acid to pained as I continued, “She saw my miscarriage and decided not to do a fucking thing about it, Jasper. After claiming me to be her sister, her best friend, she didn’t do a fucking thing to help me when I most needed it. She stood by and let it fucking happen; she let an innocent child die!”
I could barely speak by the time I was done. Demetri had both his arms around me from behind, so I couldn’t attack her, but I couldn’t handle looking at her anymore, so I choked out, “Fuck this. She can’t even own up to the decisions she makes. I’m done. Now you know who you’re truly mated to, Jasper. Training is canceled for today. She’d better not be here tomorrow morning, or I’ll find a new teacher.”
I tried to turn in Demetri’s arms, but instead of guiding me to leave the clearing, he picked me up by my thighs, holding me to his chest as he ran from the clearing. I let out a shaky breath as I rested my forehead against his shoulder, then heard him whisper in my ear, “I’ve got you, Sweetheart. I’ve got you.”
When we got back to our rooms, Demetri sat with me in his lap, then asked softly into my shoulder, “Would you like to talk about it?”
I let out a shaky breath, then lifted my head and toyed with the button on his shirt as I choked out. “I got pregnant during one of the ‘good’ months between us, which were rare. I was 24 weeks into the pregnancy before I found out. I immediately knew I couldn’t stay with Michael, or he would end up hurting the baby. I started carefully getting things ready. A week later, I was going to finally tell my father about the abuse and ask for help. It wasn’t just me anymore… an innocent baby needed me to keep it safe.”
My eyes filled with venom that refused to fall, making my vision blurry as I forced out, “Michael found me loading my bags into the car. I wasn’t quick enough. I ended up beaten so badly that I was in a coma for 2 weeks. He wrecked the house and claimed he came home to the door kicked in and me bloody on the floor. Any other time he beat me, I just dealt with it. That time, I actually tried to stand up to him… tried to defend myself. Internally, I begged to have the strength to get away from him, so I could make it to my dad. It didn’t do a bit of damn good. When Michael kicked me in the stomach after I fell, the pain caused me to pass out. I didn’t find out until I woke from the coma that I miscarried due to multiple blows to the stomach and ribs. He continued to beat me even after I passed out.”
Demetri rubbed my back soothingly, but I kept going, letting him know the root of the issue. “I decided… I made the choice to fight back. I made the choice to leave. Both were monumental life decisions, and Alice was so in tune with my decisions before she left, I was positive she would have seen those decisions, if nothing else. Today proved I was right. She saw. She saw it all, and she didn’t fucking give a shit. Who could be that uncaring, after claiming they loved you and considered you family, that they wouldn’t even call to give you a heads up to leave earlier?!”
I stood quickly as my anger built, then paced in front of the couch, “Don’t want to risk coming to Forks? Fine! A simple call saying ‘get out now, don’t wait’ would fucking suffice! Hell, for that matter, forget even calling… a goddamn text would have worked! But no, she chose the ultimate fuck you. She chose to let my daughter die.”
My heart felt like it was breaking all over again. My body shook as my head fell back, a tortured scream leaving my chest. My sire had me in his arms before my voice even died out, holding me tightly to his chest as his smooth voice tried to calm me.
I don’t remember hearing the main door open, but I vaguely heard it shut, then Demetri’s hand on my back disappeared before I heard Aro say somberly, “I see. I wondered how long it would take Isabella to confront the seer.”
Aro called my name as his hand touched mine, so my eyes met his, even though my eyes were still filled with venom. His features softened considerably, then he offered while tenderly brushing the back of his fingers along my cheek, “Do not worry about your afternoon duties with me, or any other duties you have today. Take today to process. We will begin anew tomorrow morning.”
I couldn’t even imagine trying to concentrate on throne room duties right now. My voice trembled as I whispered, “Thank you, Sir.”
Chapter 17:
The next morning at sunrise, Demetri and I entered the clearing, only for me to tense and tighten my hand in my sire’s. We continued to walk until we were at polite talking distance, and all the way, my feelings bristled. When we stopped, Jasper called my name in a concerned tone. I shook my head, my eyes on his small mate, who looked into my eyes like there was nothing to explain… like nothing was wrong.
Jasper’s tone was a bit harsher as my emotions raged, but I was suddenly seeing red, so I spat, “Fuck off, Jasper. I have every right to feel the way I do, don’t I, Mary Alice?”
She winced slightly at my tone, but just looked up at Jasper while resting a hand on his chest, “I was leaving anyway. I’ll meet you at our usual spot between your duties.”
It hit me, then, and I couldn’t help but let out an incredulous laugh, “You never told him, did you? You kept your fuck-up inactivity from even your mate, didn’t you?”
Alice didn’t say anything, but Jasper looked between Alice and me for a full minute. I finally said the one thing that I knew would trigger a response, “Look at me, Alice. Look in my eyes and tell me you never saw it. Eight months, 3 weeks, 1 day, and 16 hours ago.”
Alice’s breath audibly hitched, then Jasper’s eyes hardened as he looked at his mate, “What. Did. You. See.”
Alice looked slightly frightened, but she refused to open her mouth, so I said with pure acid in my tone, “She saw Michael Newton beating the shit out of me while I was pregnant. Her inactivity…”
I shook my head, but my voice had turned from acid to pained as I continued, “She saw my miscarriage and decided not to do a fucking thing about it, Jasper. After claiming me to be her sister, her best friend, she didn’t do a fucking thing to help me when I most needed it. She stood by and let it fucking happen; she let an innocent child die!”
I could barely speak by the time I was done. Demetri had both his arms around me from behind, so I couldn’t attack her, but I couldn’t handle looking at her anymore, so I choked out, “Fuck this. She can’t even own up to the decisions she makes. I’m done. Now you know who you’re truly mated to, Jasper. Training is canceled for today. She’d better not be here tomorrow morning, or I’ll find a new teacher.”
I tried to turn in Demetri’s arms, but instead of guiding me to leave the clearing, he picked me up by my thighs, holding me to his chest as he ran from the clearing. I let out a shaky breath as I rested my forehead against his shoulder, then heard him whisper in my ear, “I’ve got you, Sweetheart. I’ve got you.”
When we got back to our rooms, Demetri sat with me in his lap, then asked softly into my shoulder, “Would you like to talk about it?”
I let out a shaky breath, then lifted my head and toyed with the button on his shirt as I choked out. “I got pregnant during one of the ‘good’ months between us, which were rare. I was 24 weeks into the pregnancy before I found out. I immediately knew I couldn’t stay with Michael, or he would end up hurting the baby. I started carefully getting things ready. A week later, I was going to finally tell my father about the abuse and ask for help. It wasn’t just me anymore… an innocent baby needed me to keep it safe.”
My eyes filled with venom that refused to fall, making my vision blurry as I forced out, “Michael found me loading my bags into the car. I wasn’t quick enough. I ended up beaten so badly that I was in a coma for 2 weeks. He wrecked the house and claimed he came home to the door kicked in and me bloody on the floor. Any other time he beat me, I just dealt with it. That time, I actually tried to stand up to him… tried to defend myself. Internally, I begged to have the strength to get away from him, so I could make it to my dad. It didn’t do a bit of damn good. When Michael kicked me in the stomach after I fell, the pain caused me to pass out. I didn’t find out until I woke from the coma that I miscarried due to multiple blows to the stomach and ribs. He continued to beat me even after I passed out.”
Demetri rubbed my back soothingly, but I kept going, letting him know the root of the issue. “I decided… I made the choice to fight back. I made the choice to leave. Both were monumental life decisions, and Alice was so in tune with my decisions before she left, I was positive she would have seen those decisions, if nothing else. Today proved I was right. She saw. She saw it all, and she didn’t fucking give a shit. Who could be that uncaring, after claiming they loved you and considered you family, that they wouldn’t even call to give you a heads up to leave earlier?!”
I stood quickly as my anger built, then paced in front of the couch, “Don’t want to risk coming to Forks? Fine! A simple call saying ‘get out now, don’t wait’ would fucking suffice! Hell, for that matter, forget even calling… a goddamn text would have worked! But no, she chose the ultimate fuck you. She chose to let my daughter die.”
My heart felt like it was breaking all over again. My body shook as my head fell back, a tortured scream leaving my chest. My sire had me in his arms before my voice even died out, holding me tightly to his chest as his smooth voice tried to calm me.
I don’t remember hearing the main door open, but I vaguely heard it shut, then Demetri’s hand on my back disappeared before I heard Aro say somberly, “I see. I wondered how long it would take Isabella to confront the seer.”
Aro called my name as his hand touched mine, so my eyes met his, even though my eyes were still filled with venom. His features softened considerably, then he offered while tenderly brushing the back of his fingers along my cheek, “Do not worry about your afternoon duties with me, or any other duties you have today. Take today to process. We will begin anew tomorrow morning.”
I couldn’t even imagine trying to concentrate on throne room duties right now. My voice trembled as I whispered, “Thank you, Sir.”