Carlisle Cullen: Twilight

11. Bella's Near Death Experience

The plane landed smoothly and ten minutes early. Edward was positively bouncing in his seat and not from turbulence. And that's when his expression changed from expectant to deathly pale, as if he had just witnessed the murder of a loved one.

"Edward?" I grabbed Edward's arm as the pilot wished the passengers a safe journey to their destinations and the passengers were lining up to leave. First class left first. Emmett was already stood. Edward stood too.

"Bella...She's gone." Without another word to one another, we raced past the other passengers and bumped straight into Alice. Her face too was pale. She had a letter in her hand, she looked positively terrified.

"Where's she gone? And where's Jasper?" I demanded as Edward just charged straight past us. His topaz eyes were stone, his face hardened, his shoulders tense. We all followed him, running not quite vampire mode but not exactly human either. We got a lot of stares and complaints but ignored it all, taking the stairs rather than the lift.

"Jasper's getting a car. He told me Bella's scent disappeared sometime past the airport. She got in a car."

"James picked her up?" Emmett looked confused as we burst into the sheltered airport exit and entrance. A silver Porsche Carrera GT screeched to a stop right in front of us. Edward yanked the driver's door open.

"Move it." Jasper obediently slid into the passenger seat. I opened the back door, Emmett, Alice and I squeezed in onto the leather seats. Edward drove the car off before I even slammed the door shut. None of us even looked at the seatbelts.

"Where exactly are we going? Which room?" Emmett asked.

"The ballet studio. Bella said it was around the corner from where she lived in Phoenix."

"KEEP YOUR GOD DAMN VISIONS TO YOURSELF." Edward screamed as he drove even faster. Alice winced and hid her face into Emmett's shoulder.

"Why, is it something more?" Jasper twisted in his seat to look at Alice.

"No." She whimpered.

"You had another one?" I asked.

"Of Bella dy-"

"SHE IS NOT GOING TO DIE." Edward shouted over Jasper's explanation.

"Alice what was that letter?" I asked, quietly. Her hand was shaking, she held it out to me. Emmett had his arm around her shoulders but he leaned towards me as I took it so I could read it.

Edward,

I love you. I am so sorry. He has my mom and I have to try. I know it may not work. I am so very very sorry. Don't be angry with Alice and Jasper. If I get away from them it will be a miracle. Tell them thank you for me. Alice especially, please. And please, please don't come after him. That's what he wants, I think. I can't bear it if anyone has to be hurt because of me, especially you. Please, this is the only thing I can ask you now. For me.

I love you. Forgive me.

Bella.

I looked up to read Edward's expression. He looked thoughtful. Calm,almost. But a craziness in his eyes that scared me, honestly scared me. I looked away, tucking the letter into my back pocket. Alice was trembling even worse. I stretched my hand across Emmett and took hers. She looked at me, blinding pain in her eyes. I knew without even asking. Bella was there.

The car stopped outside a ballet studio. I couldn't pay attention to the details. My mind was on one thing. Bella.

We all raced inside, past a some form of waiting room and into the only room open and unlocked, the nearest. Bella was on the wooden floor, still. Her hair was across her face, her leg at an odd angle. I could hear her heartbeat, it was faint. I could smell the blood coming from her open wounds and from across the floor. Edward screamed a roar of fury and threw a punch into James' chest, James who had been crouched by Bella's body with a digital video camera, flew across the room and smashed into a mirror. Now I saw, there was more mirrors smashed. Jasper and Emmett were already on it. They grabbed James, an arm each and pulled him into the ballet waiting room. Edward was at Bella's side, calling her name in a horrified voice. Behind me, I could hear James' furious shrieks and screams which was quickly cut off as Jasper and Emmett tore James into pieces. Edward called my name and it made my still heart break. Alice and I also raced to Bella's side. My sense of smell told me that she had a head wound, a quick examination proved I was right. I tore her shirt sleeve clean in half. Alice already had my doctor's bag, I forgot I had left mine in the car before the baseball game. She handed me a syringe and a small bottle.