empathy

FIVE

„Do you know what we should do?" Anastasia turns to look at Jasper, who merely raises a brow. Nothing good will be coming out of her mouth now. "Just grab one of them by the hand and lead them up to Edward and Bella. I mean, it's not like they won't find her either way. They'd be stupid not to search for Edward, there is no way she'd leave his side," she rants.

"She has a point," Rosalie chirms in.

They had a heated debate about whether or not Edward should join the fight and leave the wolves to hide Bella. Nearly everybody, including Edward, voted for him to fight but Bella was against it. So, naturally, he isn't fighting.

Stupid, but really none of their business. They're just pissed they're entering a fight they know is useless. Sure, they get to end an army of newborns, but the whole reason they are getting into the fight is because they ought to protect Bella. However, with Bella sticking by Edward's side and refusing to let him leave, the whole protecting her is going down the drain.

There is no protecting her when she refuses to see reason.

"Kitty," Carlisle shoots Rosalie a look and the blonde rolls her eyes in response. "I just don't understand why we're risking our lives for an immortality-obsessed woman we have voted out of the family. I'd get it if she was Edward's mate, but she isn't."

Carlisle sighs, not knowing how to argue with that. Usually, he'd state that being with Edward makes her family, but the coven has made it pretty clear that they do not want her to be a part of it.

"They're coming," Alice cuts them off. She's the only one on Bella's side when it comes to anything, really. And having Alice on her side gives Bella the false impression that she is in the right. With Alice seeing the future and all that, they couldn't possibly be wrong. Only they fail to notice that one, Alice doesn't see the future, and two, she will only be able to see the outcome of the decision once it has been made not while they are still arguing about how to decide.

So, Alice is actually quite useless when it comes to that.

They turn at the woods in front of them, hearing feet hit the ground as multiple vampires come running towards them.

"Wait," Jasper stops Emmett, who is very excited about this fight. He waits for the newborns to be visible and only gives the cue to attack once the first has stepped foot out of the woods. Attacking earlier would have meant fighting in the woods and that would not only have complicated things but made them a lot harder as well.

The woods simply didn't offer the overview the clearing offers. They run at the newborns paired up in their couples. Jasper and Anastasia are at the front right and Emmett and Rosalie are at the front left. Splitting the couples up would've made them worry about the other, constantly searching for them amongst the people and it would've taken their concentration. They simply couldn't have that.

Instead, they fight alongside each other, moving like a pair of magnets. They both push away from the other as well as move closer. They have each other's back in every way they can. One dodges out of the way whilst the other uses the surprise to strike. One holding the newborn whilst the other rips off their head. One lending the other an extra hand when they struggle.

They move perfectly together and with the wolves as backup, the fight is over so quickly it is almost embarrassing. For the newborns, that is.

Still, it's long enough for Victoria to sneak away and search out whom she came for.

"So, now what?" Anastasia asks when she drops the last head in disgust. "Now, we wait," Carlisle points out.

Great, just great.

Anastasia glances over to Jasper, his eyes glazed over with a black hue. He's fighting to gain back control but obviously, he's failing. Walking into his arms, her hands push beneath his shirt to draw small circles on the skin of his waist.

His hands cling to her shirt, and he leans down to kiss the top of her head in silent gratitude.

"How long?" Edward eventually gains their attention. "A few minutes. Maybe ten."

"They timed their arrival well," Rosalie points out. "Hm, don't people just love a dramatic entrance?" Anastasia adds.

"What's she doing here?" Edward turns to the girl in Esme's arms. When did she get here? And who the hell is she? "We offered her a safe haven if she stopped fighting. She took it," Esme means. "Yeah, they're not gonna let that happen. Y'all are pushing your luck with Bella as it is, I wouldn't add a newborn to the list," Anastasia frowns a little and turns in Jasper's arms to look at the others.

"The pack needs to leave," Carlisle ignores what she just said, fearing she might be right. But Bree is just a little kid, and he can't possibly kill her, can he? "The Volturi won't honour a truce with the werewolves."

"Leah don't!" Edward eventually calls and they turn toward the grey wolf, who is charging at a remaining newborn. She fails and the rusty wolf has to jump in to save her but gets crushed in the process.

Carlisle rushes to take care of him and Anastasia uses the time to turn to Jasper. "Peter called earlier. Something about us really wanting to stop by and visit them," she informs him. "Yeah? So, do you feel like you want to visit him"? he jokes and she rolls her eyes.

Peter's ability, which he refuses to see as a gift, has become something they've found themselves joking about considerably often. Well, every time they talk about him, that is.

"I always feel like visiting Peter. He's my most favourite person on this planet," she means flatly.

Jasper chuckles to himself and leans down to kiss the back of her head. "I'll call him back. We can stop by for a day or two and then we can travel on, okay?" he offers and she nods.

They only stop their little conversation when the Volturi finally arrive, the four guards coming to a halt not far from them.