He crew are all now all around the den of the Cullen house watching CNN. There is a female reporter on the screen in front of Pike Place.
"Police are baffled by the escalating murders and disappearances," the reporter says.
Carlisle and Jasper are watching with concern and Emmett is laid back on the couch with Abel laying against him when Edward and Bella enter.
"Theories range from a vicious new gang to a wildly active serial killer," the reporter says. "... Reporting live, Dean Chubai. CNN."
"It's getting worse," Carlisle says. "We're going to have to do something."
"It takes more than one of our kind to cause the damage they're reporting," Jasper states. "Quite a few more. They're undisciplined, conspicuous..."
"Newborns," Edward says as he reads Jasper's mind.
"What, like newborn vampires?" Bella asks.
"In their first few months after the change," Edward tells her.
"That's when we're at our most uncontrollable, vicious, and insane with thirst," Jasper adds honestly. Bella is shaken, but she appreciates his honesty.
"Something to look forward to," Emmett says with a smirk but grunts when Abel elbows him. "Ugh, Abe." He wraps his arms around him and pulls him back.
"No one has trained these newborns," Jasper says, "but this isn't random."
"Someone's creating an army," Carlisle suggests and Jasper nods.
Emmett rises up and Abel grunts as he lands on the couch. "Oh, now we're definitely going to Seattle," he declares.
"An army of vampires?" Bella asks shakily.
"And they've been created to fight someone " Jasper says.
"We're the only clan even close to Seattle," states Edward.
"Regardless," Carlisle chimes in, "if we don't put a stop to them, the Volturi will. I'm surprised they've let it go on this long."
"Maybe they're behind it," Edward says. "In Italy, I read Aro's mind. He wants me and Alice to join him... our gifts would shore up his power. He knows we'd never chose him as long as our family is alive. An army could solve that for him."
"We can't wait two weeks for graduation," Bella declares and Abel closes his eyes and exhales sharply. "You need to change me now —"
"You'd be a liability as a newborn now," Jasper interrupts her. "Unable to control your instincts. An easy target."
Carlisle places an empathetic hand on her shoulder. "There's also your father to consider, and your mother. How terrible would it be for them if you suddenly disappeared?"
"That's what I've been saying, too," Abel says and Bella looks down, considering these words,
*****
Abel goes to the apartment later on and he works on packing. He's moving to the Cullen house with Emmett in two weeks. Lauren is also moving to La Push, so they're giving the apartment up.
Abel sits on his bed and he sighs before falling back, wondering how his life came to this.
