CHAPTER NINETEEN:
BLOOD ON HER HANDS

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MAUDE CARROWAY HUMMED TO her daughter as they sat together on the front porch of their home, Maude's nimble fingers braiding the young girl's hair into an intricate bun that sat at the base of her neck. The sun was high in the sky that morning, casting a warm summer glow on their tiny village. In the distance, they could hear children playing in the streets, and the young girl seated by her mother's feet let out a sigh of frustration as the older woman took her sweet time fixing her hair.

"Mummy, come on," she whined, impatient as she picked at the hem of her dress. "I want to play."

"Soon, my darling," Maude hushed her, taking a pastel yellow ribbon from her lap and tying it around the girl's mousy brown locks. "Now, before we go, you need to put on your shoes."

With another groan, she scrambled to her feet and ran inside, almost knocking over her father as she threw open the screen door and sprinted up the stairs. Calling a quick apology over her shoulder, she grabbed her mary jane's from the shoe rack in her room and rushed back outside, her father's warm eyes following her figure to where she sat by her mother's side, the woman in question helping her put on her shoes. 

"Can we go now?" she pleaded, jumping up and down, her green eyes wide and hopeful.

Maude gave a nod just as her husband stepped outside, and her eyes glistened with adoration as he smiled at her, pressing a loving kiss to her cheek before bending down to hug their daughter. The young girl let out an impatient sigh and grabbed hold of her mother's hand, dragging her away from him as she noticed her best friend waiting by the front gate. "Come on, mummy. Mary Alice is here."

"Have patience, my darling," Maude laughed. "You have all the time in the world to play with Mary Alice."

"Mrs Carroway! Verona!" Alice exclaimed at the sight of them, and they noticed one of her front teeth were missing as she sent them a radiant smile. "Do you see? I've lost my first tooth."

"That's wonderful, Mary Alice," Maude gasped, releasing her daughter's hand and allowing the two girls to run ahead of them, lost in their own little world. Maude shared a laugh with Alice's mother, Lilian, the two linking their arms together as they followed after their children.  

Neither of them knew what was waiting for them in the years that followed; the death, the destruction, the torment. Looking at their daughters now, they had no clue what they'd become, two eternal souls destined to delve into the darkness of the world, drowning in the aftermath of their mistakes.

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ONE OF BELLA'S RIBS broke. Verona was upstairs at the time, but even at the other end of the house, she heard the sickening crack of bone snapping apart. She rushed downstairs in time for Edward to storm past her with his wife's fragile body in his arms, his furious voice shouting for Carlisle's assistance. The others waited in the living room as their patriarch checked on Bella, listening in defeat as he gave his verdict; Bella would not survive the pregnancy. For even though everyone knew that the baby was too strong for her human body to bare, it hadn't quite sunk in that Bella was going to die. Not for Edward, at least. He'd known the risks, but hearing the words from his own father sent him over the edge. This was his wife, his whole world, and he was going to lose her.

By that evening, Bella's condition had gotten worse. Her translucent skin was stretched over her brittle bones, thin figure trembling under a thick layer of blankets, which she clung to desperately as she tried to fight away the cold. Everyone was crowded around her in concern, wishing there was something they could do, anything that would keep Bella and the baby alive.

"Are you cold?" Edward asked, staring down at his wife with dark eyes.

"I got it," Jacob muttered, taking a seat beside her before she could protest. She immediately let out a sigh, a smile of content tugging at her lips. Jacob frowned at the grin, nudging her side with a shake of his head. "Don't do that, don't smile like I'm your favourite person in the world."

"You're one of them," she insisted. "It feels complete when you're here, Jake."

Edward looked to his feet, and from where she sat beside him, Verona frowned. She knew that Bella had only meant what she said to Jacob in a platonic way, but it didn't make it any easier for Edward, knowing that his wife cared (loved, even) another man. Verona hated to see him upset, even if they were at odds with each other, even if she was fighting for something that he stood against. He was her family, which made the situation they were in even harder. With a tiny sigh, she reached out to slip her hand in his, offering him a hesitant smile. His lips twitched into the faintest of grins, and she knew there were no hard feelings between them.

Bella let out a choked gasp, and everyone's eyes darted towards her as she leaned over the side of the couch. Edward's hand released Verona's as he reached for the metal bucket at his feet, holding it underneath his wife's chin as she paused, her heart stuttering weakly in her chest as she fought the sick feeling in her stomach. After a moment, she gave a pained sigh and sunk back into the couch cushions, her skin a stark shade of white.

"We need to find a way to get some food into her system," Esme murmured, fearful for the human girl. 

"If I could only see the fetus," Alice sighed, ignoring Rosalie's annoyed scoff at her word use as she continued. "Maybe, I could figure out what it wants."

There was a moment of silence before Edward turned to Jacob, muttering, "I think you might be right."

"What is it?" Verona frowned, glancing between them curiously.

"Jacob just had an idea."

Jacob smirked in amusement as everyone turned to look at him, wondering what he'd been thinking. "It wasn't an idea, it was a snide comment."

"Well," Verona prompted when he paused. "What were you thinking?"

"That it's probably just looking for someone to sink its teeth into."

Verona leaned back in her seat as realisation hit her, followed by confusion as to how they hadn't thought of it before. The baby was part vampire, part human. So far, they'd only tried to give him human food, but if he'd inherited his father's vampire traits, then maybe he wanted blood instead. The idea was so simple, they'd completely looked over it. 

"He's thirsty," Bella sighed, glancing down at her swollen stomach with wariness.

"I know the feeling," Emmett muttered, his pitch black eyes flaring at the thought of blood.

"If it's craving, it's not going to want animal blood," Edward murmured.

"I have some O-negative laid aside for Bella," Carlisle declared, making his way into the kitchen and catching the attention of his adoptive children. 

Jasper, in particular, was struggling to maintain control; just the thought of blood was beginning to send him over the edge. Sensing her mate's turmoil, Alice slipped her hands into his, suggesting that they take a walk around the house and gave Bella some space. A moment later, Emmett followed behind them, shooting Bella an apologetic glance as he disappeared out of the room, not wanting to test his patience. Verona knew that thirst was beginning to get her too, but she had to be there for Bella. She'd stay as long as she could to support her. After all, Verona had given up everything for Bella. What was one more thing going to do? 

"Wait, you're going to make her drink that?" Jacob gasped, his eyes going wide as he stared at the clear cup Carlisle had in his hands, the glass stained with vibrant crimson that sent a sudden and fearsome ache down Verona's throat. 

"It's the fastest way to test the theory," Carlisle murmured, squeezing the last drop of blood out of the bag it was being stored in. 

"Only if you're comfortable with it," Edward assured his wife.

"I'll try anything," she told him, desperate for any form of improvement.

"I think I'm going to be sick," Jacob groaned, moving further down the couch as Edward joined his father, pouring the blood into a styrofoam mug. 

Verona unconsciously began to track the movement of the liquid, the burn in her throat getting worse with each passing second. Her hands balled into fists as she forced her eyes away, knowing that she wouldn't be able to sit there for much longer. As Edward began to draw closer, the mug in his hands, she lurched out of her seat with a shake of her head.

"I'm sorry, Bella," she mumbled, averting her eyes away from the confused girl as she raced out of the room.

Once she was far away from the living room, she released a relieved sigh, poking her head out of the nearest window and inhaling the fresh and untainted air. A moment later, Emmett appeared at her side, the two sharing a pained look through ink black eyes, turning to stare outside in silence.  

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BELLA'S CONDITION BEGAN TO improve with her new diet of human blood. The tinge of sickness that had previously coated her skin disappeared, replaced by warmth and colour. She wasn't as tired anymore, she could move without her bones breaking or her muscles aching. It was a nice change for the Cullen family, a welcome one. Though deep down, none of them knew how long it would last. The birth of the baby was just around the corner, and while they had made plans to turn Bella once the baby was out of her system, there were always going to be risks. 

To ensure that Carlisle was prepared for the birth, that he'd be able to do everything in his power to save Bella, he and Jacob constructed a plan to get Carlisle, Esme and Emmett past the wolves in order to hunt. Jacob had taken Seth and Leah to meet with the shifters from Sam's pack, where they hoped to distract the enemy while the others consumed enough blood to sustain themselves. 

This left the rest of the Cullens back home, trying in vain to distract themselves as they waited for them to return. Verona was upstairs cleaning her bedroom, flitting back and forth, adjusting anything she deemed out of place. She was re-arranging her desk when she came across a familiar envelope tucked into one of her books, and immediately, Verona began to crumble. Her black eyes glistened as she sunk into her desk chair, fingers ghosting over the opened letter like the paper could burn her.

"Alec," she whispered, and she had the sudden urge to hear his voice.

Reaching for her phone, she didn't think twice as she pressed on his contact, the familiar dial tone echoing in her ears. She was sent straight to voicemail, like she expected, but that didn't stop the sadness from consuming her as she sat there, hugging his letter to her chest. There was a knock on her door, and a confused Jasper appeared, propping open her door.

"Verona, what's-" He stopped, noticing the unshed tears and Alec's letter, immediately letting out a sigh. He appeared by her side in an instant, and she curled into his arms for a brief moment, allowing him to soothe her pain with waves of relaxation. "It's okay, Verona. I've got you."

She wasn't sure how long they sat there before they heard it; the sickening crack of Bella Swan's spine breaking in two. They were up on their feet in a flash, sharing a horrified glance as they rushed towards the door.

"The baby's coming," Verona hissed, and Jasper gave a panicked nod.

And to make matters worse? Carlisle wasn't back yet.