Lorena Bentlee Swan (Vladimir Romania Fanfiction)

Chapter Eleven

Carlisle's POV
I held Lorena for what felt like hours, trying to calm her down, when in actuality it was probably only minutes. She couldn't stop crying and she was hyperventilating. I knew it was because she was guilt-ridden, but that knowledge didn't make me feel better. If anything, I only felt worse. I wanted to take all the pain away from her, but I couldn't. The guilt of her murders were hers to bear, she was going to have to live with it for the rest of her life. Actions have consequences and Lorena had to learn that the hard way. So did Vladimir and Stefan. I wasn't proud of what she had done, but I knew why she did it. She did it because of Vladimir and Stefan. It was their fault she had resorted to killing to cope with her emotions.

I stood up with Lorena in my arms. Vladimir had vanished shortly after Lorena had started to break, he couldn't handle seeing her like that, but I was pissed at him. He should be forced to see what he had done to Lorena. I looked at Edward and Emmett.

"Get rid of the evidence, throw the FBI off her trail. Make it look like an accident if you have to, or just burn the body. We're going home, all of us, including Lorena." I said. Lorena had gone silent in my arms, her face in my chest. I had the feeling that she had passed out with tear tracks staining her beautiful face.

Edward and Emmett nodded once, solemnly, and ran to get rid of the evidence.

"Jasper, why did you tell Lorena to finish Vladimir and Stefan off? You had no way of knowing if she would or not and put all three of them in danger." I said, speaking to Jasper.

"It was reverse psychology,  Carlisle. I could sense her break from reality, the insanity and darkness caused by Vladimir and Stefan's betrayal, coming to an end. I knew that the more I tempted her, the more I told her to finish them off and end her killing spree, the more she would break until she returned to at least a partial state of sanity. She's lucid for now, but the way her emotions are all out of wack, there's no guarantee she'll stay this way." Jasper replied.

"She will. She will. She will stay lucid, Jasper, she has to. She just has to, she's my baby, I'm can't ever lose her again." I said.

"I don't think any of us can bear to go through this a second time." Esmè said.

Vladimir's POV
I had found myself in a dark alleyway after Lorena started having a breakdown. It broke my heart, seeing her in so much pain mentally and emotionally, so remorseful, so ashamed, I couldn't take seeing her like that. I know Carlisle is going to be pissed at me, but I don't care. Isn't having to feel how much pain she went through through our mating bond enough? I couldn't get away from it though, every time she was hurting, I was hurting. I sank down the brick wall and started to sob. What had I done? I had ruined any chance I had with her and Lorena is the best thing that ever happened to me. She's the best thing that ever happened to me and I fucked it up like I fuck everything else up. I guess I'm not cut out for love because I got my last mate killed when the Volturi attacked.

I could sense Stefan coming to check on me, to make sure I was alright, and I snapped.

"Get away from me, Stefan! Get the fuck away from me, don't come near me, don't you dare fucking come near me! This is your fault, this is all your fault! You ruined everything, you fucking ruined everything! Go away, just fucking go away! Leave me alone and don't ever come back! You're banned from my coven, Stefan, you're not welcome here any longer! Just leave!" I sobbed, I was so heartbroken, guilty, and angry. I didn't want anything to do with Stefan any longer, he was no longer welcome here. Our friendship was over.

"Vladimir, please, be rational. Don't send me away, you know this isn't just my fault. You're just upset, you're not thinking clearly." Stefan pleaded with me and that enraged me even more. I got up and started swinging at him in a blind rage, Stefan blocking and dodging away from every hit. He grabbed me from behind and wrapped his arms around my chest, holding my arms, which my hands were still balled up into fists, at my sides, not allowing me to move them.

Stefan slowly lowered both of us to the ground, his grip still tight on me.

"Calm down Vladimir, calm down. You need to calm down before you hurt someone, either yourself or me. Shh, it's alright Vladimir, shh. Let it out, let it all out. I'm here, I'm right here, it's alright, let it out. I know you're hurting Vladimir, and that's perfectly okay. You're just going through the process of grieving." Stefan said softly, my back pressed to his front. That was when I realized that Stefan was really the only true friend I've ever had and will ever have.

Yes, he had made mistakes, we both had, but when I needed someone to help me, to talk me down, he was right there. Stefan truly cared for me like a real friend should and he's been there with me, at my side, through it all. I finally stopped struggling to get free and just let him hold me, crying hard and letting all my emotions out, all those pent-up emotions about what I had put Lorena through bubble to the surface and releasing them. That was when I also realized I hadn't cried this hard since the night the Volturi killed my mate and Stefan was there, holding me and letting me cry into his chest and hit him, not even flinching. He'd known what I needed then and he knows what I needed now.

That night, in the still Seattle air, I finally let everything out and let Stefan hold me until dawn, until I was finally exhausted and couldn't cry any longer. My voice hoarse from sobbing and screaming. That was one of the first times I was truly thankful to have Stefan as a friend, despite what he'd done. It was going to be a long road to getting Lorena's trust and love back, but I was prepared for whatever the universe was going to throw at me. I loved Lorena with all my heart and I was never going to stop trying to get her back. I needed her and I knew that somewhere deep down in Lorena's soul, she needed me too.