Unanimity

[lurkythespork.livejournal.com]

Title: Unanimity

Author: Me, your murloc truly

Rating: PG

Word Count: 1,255

Inspiration: New Moon, Chapter 24

Warnings: Verbal abuse, albeit light

Summary: What if the Cullens actually responded to Bella's demand according to reason, or at least to their actual characterization?

Bella looked around at the Cullens, having put forward her request for a vote, and smirked.  Surely, they could not resist her reasoning.  Surely, at least one of them would support her!

Finally, Emmett said, very slowly, "Well, Bella.  You know I ain't much for philosophizin'.  That's somethin' Wardo's much better at than me--shoot, just 'bout ever'one's better at it than me, includin' the Jeep.  So I'm gonna say 'yes', but I got reservations that maybe you ain't thought about."

"Reservations?  Like what?"

Emmett struggled visibly.  "Well, 'cause, see, you know I ain't allowed to play football for the team.  It's 'cause I don't know my own strength.  I get excited and then I go and bust somethin'--or someone--and I don't like hurtin' folks.  But bein' what we are, it's like that every day.  And I wouldn't wish it on anyone."

"Well, I'm sure it won't be a problem for me; I won't be playing football."

"That ain't quite what I meant, Bella.  I mean that we all gotta take time to adjust, and it ain't easy--"

Bella gave him a little smirk.  "I'm sure I'll get through it just fine.  It 'ain't' going to be a problem.  Okay?"

Emmett goggled at her for a moment at the imitation of his accent, and then seemed to fold in on himself, his eyes dropping to the table.  "Maybe I'm wrong.  I dunno."

Rosalie, however, inflated rather drastically, and her flawless face contorted in rage.  "Excuse me?" she said.  "I know you didn't just do that."

"Oh, gosh, I didn't mean to insult him," Bella said quickly.  "No, that wasn't what I meant!  I mean--"

"You mean," Rosalie said, every word dripping with acid, "that my husband's reasons are good enough for him and all, but perfect Bella shouldn't have to take the safety and well-being of others into consideration.  Because Bella Swan is above all that--or she thinks she will be when she gets all her useless mortality taken away."  She snorted.  "There are already too many vampires with that attitude in the world.  I vote 'no'."

This was not going according to plan, and Bella was starting to feel a gnawing sensation deep down in her chest cavity.  She turned to Alice.  "You saw me as a vampire," she said desperately.  "You know it'll happen.  It has to happen.  Look at it again; you'll see the truth!"

Alice frowned, then her eyes widened.  "I don't...see that future anymore, Bella.  It's based on people's decisions; the future is never set; I can't be sure--"

"Alice!" Bella said, a high-pitched, pleading tone taking hold against her will.  "Alice, you told Aro--"

"I showed Aro what I'd seen; he also saw that my sight has limits!"  Alice's eyes were still wide and, Bella suddenly realized, fixed on some point behind her.  The tiny vampire gasped, reaching over and grabbing at Jasper's shirt.  "It's all changing...changing so fast, I can't see clearly!  Don't ask me to decide; I can't see to the end of it!"

Jasper took his wife into his arms, holding her close as if to protect Alice from whatever in her mind was so terrifying.  Bella thought that was cute, but did Alice have to have a meltdown now, of all times?  This was too important, and now her best ally in this debate was abstaining!  It wasn't fair!

She didn't get much farther on that train of thought before Jasper began to speak, his soft voice and soft accent soothing as always.  "Bella, I've already told Carlisle what I think," he said, "but I'll say it in your hearin' so you know why I'm votin' 'no'."

"What?!"

He looked over at her, tilting his head.  "You know I can sense emotions from people, and unlike Edward, it's not like mind-readin'.  I see you right clearly, and I don't think you'd do as well as a newborn as you think."

"But at least you wouldn't be tempted to try to attack me anymore.  Doesn't that count for anything?"

Jasper's smile was chilly.  "Your concern for my immortal soul is touchin'."

"I wasn't thinking of that.  I was thinking of my safety."

"Of course you were."  Was he mocking her?  He was!  The gall!

"Well, someone around here has to," she snapped.  "It's not like you care, being the one who nearly killed me before."

The only sound was the brief staccato of Esme's fingernails on the tabletop--once, and then silent again.  Jasper's expression didn't change.

"Would you like to talk about caring, Bella?  Like, for instance, how much you care about my brother there--what he needs?  What you feel for him, for any of us?  How much you care about my wife's issues right now?"

Bella felt her face go pale, then red.  Of course she cared about Alice!  If Edward wouldn't turn her, Alice would!  But as her indignation rose, Jasper's smirk became openly mocking.

"That's enough," Carlisle said abruptly.  "This isn't going any further.  Edward doesn't want you turned, Jasper and Rosalie clearly don't feel you're ready, and Alice is getting overwrought.  We're done."

Bella couldn't form words; she could only look desperately at Esme.  Carlisle's wife shook her head slightly, face resolute, and put her hand on Carlisle's arm.  She would not argue with him.

Why wasn't this working?  Why weren't they seeing reason?  They were acting like completely different people--and people who were indifferent to what she needed.

"You told the Volturi," Bella reminded Edward, "that you'd either kill me or change me.  You told Aro that.  What happens when he finds out that you didn't?"

"He'll probably kill me for it," he said, his voice coming out not in its usual gorgeous tones, but thin, wan, dried-up.  "And then I'll be dead."

"And then he'll kill me!" she half-shouted.  "He'll have me killed, and then I'll be dead, and what then?  You can only save me by changing me!"

The Cullens all seemed a little daunted.  Good.  Maybe now they were starting to see reason.

Esme spoke now.  "You can't right a wrong by doing another wrong.  It doesn't work like that."

"So, what are you saying?  That I should die because Edward was reckless enough to get caught?  Because Alice was too thoughtless to call you?!  Because you all overreacted and put me in danger?!  It's not fair!  You act like my life doesn't matter to you!  You act like I shouldn't get what I want just because you think bad things could happen!"

"Shouldn't get what you want," Edward repeated quietly.

This definitely wasn't going right.  "I--I--" Bella stammered.  "I'll go back to Italy alone!  I'll go back to the Volturi!  They'll turn me!  You'll see!  It's you or them!"

"And then what?" Jasper said, almost amused.  "You'll come back and make us pay for not doin' what you wanted?"

Bella glared at him, and Carlisle said sharply, "That will do, Jasper.  We are not changing Bella, and that is the end of it."

Bella could only form half-words at this point.  Carlisle looked at her--not quite kindly, more like with pity.  "Bella, I think it's time we sent you home.  Do you need someone to drive you?"

Esme stood and ushered Bella toward the door, apparently deaf to her protests.  "It's been so wonderful having you visit, Bella.  Tell your father we said hello.  Oh, and I'll have Emmett bring the things you've left here, tomorrow or so.  See you around town, dear!"

Comments

[kseenaa.livejournal.com]

Brilliant. :-) I was surprised they didn't kill her in the end. :-)

[lurkythespork.livejournal.com]

Well, I half-considered it, but then I realized that Esme wouldn't get to politely but pointedly evict Bella from the family's house and lives. After all, Bella insulted half her family, and no self-respecting matriarch is going to put up with that bullhockey, not in her house!

[pastiche-cain.livejournal.com]

Soooo... Basically, that's Esme's polite way of saying "Fuck off, dear."? Lol.

[lurkythespork.livejournal.com]

Of course! Why give Bella the satisfaction of knowing her words had any impact? Nope, the family will be so happy and cheerful without her, and it's no sacrifice at all to push Bella away.

Yes indeed.

[xxburningsoulxx.livejournal.com]

"KTHXBAI!"

Bella got what she deserved. It's pretty much a slap in the face and making Little Miss Priss realize that she can't always get what she wants.

Ya know something? I almost got the impression that this was Meyer and not Bella. Weird on how that works. XD

[melissatreglia]

Haha! Love Esme's little bit at the end. The most polite and awesome way of saying "STFU and GTFO. KTHXBAI!" I've ever read.

Pity SMeyer doesn't know what she's got in the supporting characters. She's too fixated on Bella and Eddiekins Twu Wuv to actually care about plotting and character development.

[camillevwatson.livejournal.com]

Nice. Though it feels like Edward's reaction was a bit missing.