Mourning Doves • J.H

Chapter 13

DOVE WATCHED with a confused expression as Bella shook her pepper spray, before they both walked into the ballet studio, successfully leaving Alice at the hotel to worry about them. Dove felt guilty for doing so, even more so knowing that Jasper was coming for her, planning to whisk her away to keep her safe.

They both stepped into the ballet studio, the room was empty, quiet. Dove looked around, staring at herself in the mirrors, when Renée's voice cut through the atmosphere.

"Bella! Bella!" Renée sounded panicked, "Bella? Where are you?"

"Mom!" Bella yelled and ran across the studio to where Renée's voice was coming from, Dove slowly following her, an eery feeling coming over her.

"There you are.." Renée's voice announced when Bella opened the doors to what seemed like a closet, both girls coming face to face with a TV, showing them that it was just a home video playing, Renée was safe and had no idea the girls weren't in Forks.

They had been tricked.

"That's my favourite part." James said from behind them, causing them to quickly turn and look at him, his eyes narrowed at them, "You were such a stubborn child." He said to Bella before looking at Dove, "I'm surprised you're here, but oh well, something to snack on later." He hissed.

"She's not even here.." Bella stated before James pushed her into a wall.

"Sorry." James apologised, not that he really meant it. He pulled out a camera, "So, to make things more interesting, I'm going to make a little film of our time together, the three of us!" He pressed the record button, leaving it facing at Bella for a moment before turning it to face Dove, "I borrowed this from your house, I hope you don't mind." He grinned.

"Dear lord, shut up." Dove let out, almost cringing at herself. James laughed, slowly walking towards her, giving Bella an escape, but she stood still, keeping herself pressed against the wall.

"It'll be nice for Jasper and Edward to know you both stayed strong in your last moments." James commented, turning away from Dove to slowly walk back to Bella.

"They have nothing to do with this!" Bella yelled

"Oh but it does, their rage makes it so much more interesting, as well as their feeble attempt to protect you."  Both girls kept quiet, making James grin sadistically, "And let's continue."

He pointed the camera back in Bella's face and Dove watched as she played with the pepper spray in her coat sleeve before lifting it and spraying James in his face, causing him to hiss and giving the girls their moment to run.

It didn't take long for James to catch up with them though, grabbing on of their arms each and throwing them across the studio, Bella crashing into a pillar as Dove hit on of the mirrors, causing it to smash and some of the pieces cutting her, drawing blood.

Dove looked up to see James walking over to Bella, camera in hand again.

"Beautiful.." James commented as he watched Bella slowly crawl, "Very visually dynamic." Dove slowly sat up, wincing when she pressed her hand into the glass, giving herself more cuts.

"I chose my stage well." He said as he kneeled down to Bella and gripped her hand, "It's too bad he didn't have the strength to then you, either of you." Bella cried out in pain, Dove tried to make her way over to her, but was in too much pain, and was loosing blood quite quickly,"Instead, they kept you these fragile, little humans. It's cruel, really."

James stomped on Bella's calf, crushing the bone. Bella screamed out in pain and rolled over, facing away from James.

"Tell Edward how much if hurts! Tell him to avenge you!"

Dove collapsed back on the shards of glass, just listening to James and Bella.

"No, Edward, don't!" She screamed as Edward and Jasper entered the ballet studio, knocking him away from Bella. They stopped suddenly when they could smell Bella's and Dove's blood. Jasper snarled, stopping himself from going over to Dove.

James recovered from the shove and retaliated, slamming Edwards head into a mirror. Edward mumbled something to him before throwing him across the room to Jasper, rushing over to Bella.

"I'm sorry, Bella." He said as he tried to move her, not wanting to cause her more pain. He made a move to jump to the balcony, but James caught his leg, pulling him down and effectively Bella too, causing her to roll across the floor.

Jasper rushed to Dove, his hands pulling her face around to look at him, "I'm sorry, darling."

A sound of windows smashing stopped her from speaking, she watched as James sunk his teeth into Bella's wrist, causing her to scream louder than she had the entire night.

Dove's eyes blurred and crossed as she closed them, ignoring Jaspers pleas to keel them open, the last thing she saw clearly was James' head being ripped off his body by Edward, Alice and Rosalie helping him burn the body.

When she came to again, she noticed she was no longer in the ballet studio, but a hospital room. She glanced down at her hand, wanting to removing the IV needle that was stuck in her hand, before she could, a much colder hand gripped hers.

"Don't even try it." They warned playfully, "You've lost so much blood, and you've had a concussion.." They continued. Dove blinked her eyes, clearing her vision once more before meeting Jaspers eyes.

He smiled weakly at her.

"How are you feeling?" He asked softly.

"Uh, tired. Confused." She said, her eyebrows furrowed, her forehead crinkled, "Where's Bella? What happened to James?"

"Renée and Charlie are here. Bella is fine." Jasper replied, avoiding her question. She sighed and asked him again, "He's dead. Edward killed him."  Jasper turned his head to the door and pressed a quick kiss to her cheek before sitting back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest before pretending to fall asleep, just as Reneé entered the room.

"Oh, Dove." She whispered when she saw that she was awake, "I'm so glad you're okay." She walked over to Dove's bedside, carefully grabbing her hand with the IV needle in it.

"I'm so happy to see you." Dove said, a small smile on her face.

The next few weeks were quiet in the Swan household in Forks, Washington. The girls were currently in Bella's room, getting ready for the prom that had been heard several times stating they'd miss, but once Edward asked Bella to go, and then Jasper asking Dove, they decided to stay. With the pushing hand of Reneé too.

Dove was stood behind Bella as she attacked her hair with a curling iron, Dove's hair needed no work, being naturally curly and a demon to try and tackle. Bella's blue dress hung up on the back of the door, Dove's red dress thrown carelessly across the bed. Bella luckily got to wear her converse shoes, well shoe, seeing as she had a cast on the leg that James broke when he stomped down on it.

Dove pulled the curling iron from Bella's hair before spraying it with hair spray, and stepping back to look at her work. She smiled and unplugged the iron, letting Bella stand and get herself dressed as Dove grabbed her dress and walked to her room to dress.

Downstairs, Edward and Jasper were waiting for the girls in the kitchen. An awkward silence between them and Charlie, who was drinking a beer as he sat at the small table. They all stood up and walked to the stairs once they heard Bella's cast thumping against the floor as she walked down the stairs, Dove following behind her, to make sure she didn't fall, and give herself another cast on another limb.

The prom was like the ones you see on TV and in movies, teens were cheering and drinking, having fun as music blared loudly. Edward and Bella walked outside to the small gazebo, slow dancing with each other. Jasper and Dove were outside the front of the building just standing by one another, Jasper's arm around her shoulders. Suddenly, Dove looked up to Jasper, and pressed a kiss to his lips.

"I love you." She said, her heart thumping loudly, which he heard. He grinned down at her pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"I love you too."