Chapter 41 ~ The Cradle Will Fall

Esme came running over with two large comfortable bean bag chairs, Edward looked at her like she had three heads. She smiled sympathetically, " I just thought you two would want to sit and be comfortable to talk with your daughter."

Esme was so motherly, her shattered heart would never stop giving. " Thank you Esme, I hope I can talk with her I do." Edward crabbed my hand and squeezed it.

" Hope, got to have it for it to work." He was right I sat on one bean bag and Edward sat across from me and let go of my hand. 

" No Edward I want you to hear her, feel her, I need her to know we are both here." I extended my hands again.

" will she hear me?" he was so hesitant, unbelieving 

" I will make sure of it." I gave him a reassuring nod.

He took my hands once more, " Ok now I know this is hard but you need to relax, she will sense your fear, she will feel everything you do, so send her all the love you can, together we will make her stronger."

He brought my hand to his lips and kissed the inside of my palm, " That will be easy, I love her with all I am."

I gave a nod and closed my eyes, I focused on what I remembered, her smells, her laughs, how her curls bounced, how she felt in my arms and how the music of her heartbeat lulled me to sleep. I remembered her spinning in Edwards arms and how they were hysterical and carefree. I knew Edward would see what I saw, I could feel his emotions. He was so strong, I felt his fear subside and his love wash over me. In that moment I could hear her. She was breathing, she was alone, so very much alone and so afraid.

" My angel, dear sweet child, Mommy and daddy are here, can you hear us?" My voice was soft, I hoped she would respond, I feared if she was heard. Her breath hitched, she came into view. She laid on a pale pink bed she was curled into a tiny ball, she was clutching a blanket.

" Mommy, Daddy?"

Her voice was raspy I was ready to tell her we were coming for her but it was Edward who spoke. " Magnificent Mara, my beautiful brave little girl, Daddy is so proud of you and I promise you I will come for you, If it's the last thing I do in this world, I will save you, I promise you, do you believe me?"

Her sobs were quiet but we heard them, we felt them, " Oh daddy I am so scared, please daddy help me, it hurts."

I felt Edward's grip tighten, " Tell Daddy what hurts sweetheart?"

" My, My arms, they hurt daddy."

I knew Edward was using all his strength to stay calm, " Mara, do you believe daddy?"

" Yes, I know you will try and keep your promise daddy." Her sobs were louder now.

" Mara, tell mommy why your arms hurt?"

She clutched the blanket tighter then she loosened it, slowly we watched as she lifted the sleeves of her gown up, all along her arms were slices and bite marks, over and over. The room was spinning. My baby was being fed off of, her blood was being drained from her body. " They hurt me."

" You listen to mommy Mara, I will not let them hurt you again, do you hear me, I am coming for you, stay strong, don't give them a reason to hurt you anymore then they have." I knew my promise would be challenged by Edward, but my choices were taken from me, my baby was hurt, I needed to take her out of there.

" I won't mommy, I am sorry, I wish they would just let Auntie Emily stay with me, do you know where she is, I miss her?"

My heart was aching, I was starting to crumble, and again Edward saves me, " Don't you worry about Auntie Emily, she is a fighter just like you, you have taught her well, you don't worry, we are coming."

" Ok Daddy."

"Daddy and I have to go sweetheart, you sleep and when you wake I will be there....... I promise."

" I love you Mommy, I Love you daddy."

" We love you brave angel." Edward's voice was straining. " Sleep baby girl, sleep for daddy."

" Ok Daddy, I am so very tired."

We waited until we knew she was sleeping to separate from her. It took all of three seconds for Edward to snap up and glare at me.  " Why the fuck are you making those promises Bella, we aren't ready, I want her out to but you aren't going in there alone!"

I stood, took a deep breath and braced myself, " Edward, our baby needs us, what exactly do you think I am going to do, sit back and let them drain her dry?"

" We go together." He took my face in his hands and pulled me closer, " You make promises Bella, you need to keep them, and you promised I was in this with you, together, by your side, forever."

His eyes were pleading, My heart was on fire, I hurt immensely." Edward, I ... I need to save her."

" That wasn't your promise, it was mine Bella!"

I knew if I went alone I would likely die saving her, I also knew if we both went that we would both die and she would have no one. I did what I had to do to save my family, to end this war, it was my daughter but it was all of our lives wrapped up in this nightmare, someone, many someone's were going to die but I had no choice. This day approached faster then I was ready, but it was necessary. Our options, were taken, our time clock was beeping. I turned to Esme, her smile was strong, I knew she knew what I was going to say, " Its time then."

Carlisle grabbed Esme's arm, " No not yet, we aren't ready she isn't ready, she could die."

Esme turned to Carlisle, her face was pouring with Love, she was so brave. " It IS time, I need to do this, it must end, saving Mara saves us all, you know this, I, you all of us knew the sacrifices, please my love, you need to let me go so I can truly live."

Carlisle fell to his knees and wrapped his arms around Esme. She pulled his head to her stomach closed her eyes and hushed him to a calm. So brave indeed.

I wanted to stop all this mess, I wanted to free them all. Esme was right we needed to save her to save us all, they would protect me and Mara with their own lives, it was beyond unfair. I felt no more important or deserving then them but my blood, and hers was the key to a rule that would bring the world to the mercy of the devil himself. 

Rose, Emmett, Maggie, Zafrina, Seth, and Jake came in and looked at us. a flint of confusion was immediately replaced with understanding. Rose pulled Emmett to her, Seth had his hands on his hips with his head down. Zafrina was all business the fiercest of them all, ready to jump into the fire no doubts at all. Maggie was wringing her hands together like she was trying to break them off and Jake only had eyes for me. He was staring, or glaring for a better use of the word at me. 

I cleared my throat and went to Maggie, I placed my hands on her shoulders, I looked right into her eyes, " You can't come Mags."

She was mortified, " Why not, I have been practicing I am good I can do this."

" You are amazing Maggie, but he will see right through you, Moriana can smell fear and you reek of it, I am so sorry."

I saw sadness and relief in her eyes, she shook her head. " I understand Bella, really I do."

I gave her a hug and walked to Zafrina, she was immense next to me but she looked down at me and smirked, " Don't you think of dismissing me."

I let out a single laugh, " Not even the thought crossed my mind, just remember you are me, not you."

She smiled and shook her head, " Got it!"

I went to Seth and placed a hand on his arm, " Hey big boy you ready for this?"

He took a huge breathe and then lifted his head and looked at me, he was ready. " You know it Bells."

I couldn't help but smile, he was so sure of himself. I then walked to Emmett and Rose. Emmett was all for this he was beaming from ear to ear, " Oh Bella Babes this is gonna be sweet!" I shook my head at him, but I was really looking at Rosalie, her eyes were closed and she was buried into Emmett's chest. I reached for her, I thought for sure she was going to bite me or something, but in typical Rose style she shocked me.

" Let's get your daughter and kill these fuckers!" 

Emmett, Zaf, and Seth started laughing. Jake was pacing in circles. I looked back at Edward who was looking at me. He let out a sigh and nodded in the direction of Jake. He was letting me comfort him. 

I took Jake's hand, immediately stopping his pacing. He looked at my hand in his, then at my eyes. " Bella?"

" Come with me for a minute Jake?"

He reluctantly came we left the war room to an office across the way. I shut the door and sat him on the couch with me. He looked lost. " Are you ready for this Jake?"

His lips were in a straight line, his brows were angrily pushed down, " Why wouldn't I be ready to go dive into a heavily guarded castle to save your daughter that you had with Edward in hopes to save the world from evil and most likely die?" Yeah ALL sarcasm.

" Jake, come on, stop."

" No Bella, you stop, it's so easy to just stop for you!" and he was up and pacing again

" Nothing about any of this is easy Jake!"

He placed his fists on the desk, he was hunched over with his head hanging. " I hope I die in there."

I reached over to him grabbing his hand, " Don't you say that!"

He looked at me, " You don't understand, If I die then you live, a world without you Bella is no world I want to be a part of." He turned and kneeled before me. " I rather live in a world where you hated me then a world where you didn't exist."

Well I knew I wasn't dead yet because my heart was killing me. " Oh Jake, I'm so sorry."

He smiled, it wasn't happy, it was accepting. " I understand Bella, you love Edward, he is your happily ever after, your end game, I know." He took my hands. " And you are everything I will ever look for in a woman and never find." He shrugged, " It's who we are, no one fault it just is."

I knew in that moment whatever happened between Jake and I was never in malice, he really did love me. A love I could never return. It stopped mattering, he accepted it but was still willing to fight at my side and sacrifice his own life for me, Mara and a man he envied immeasurably. I leaned close and kissed Jake on the cheek, I wrapped my arms around him and hugged him. It took a few seconds but he wrapped himself around me, " I love you Bella."

I closed my eyes, " I know Jake."