50; a world of black and red

[very important author note at the end. Please read]

Just to clarify; the way life has been ripped from under their feet was surprising, but the way it settled despite the horror of everything was even more so.

"Are you...meditating?" Bella croaks, sounding close to giggling. Elias has his eyes closed but he can hear her move as well as see her in his head as she pokes his cheek. It's not an effort to do so since she's lying on his chest again, despite it not being warm. In the last day she's developed a temperature, so his usual immortal skin is welcome to her famished frame.

"Yes," he sniffs, faking a monotonous hum deep in his throat. It's easy to pretend everything is fine when it's only he and her together, both of them are very good at pushing bad situations away. "I've found my inner peace and am harnessing it, it fuels my every movement."

Bella's surprised laugh turns into a snort. "I think you're mistaking that for your inner violence."

Elias opens his eyes to glare at her, concentration ruined. She stares right back, her sunken eyes still holding part of her strength and her clear thoughts; she's daring him to call her out on being wrong. Elias sighs, "You might be right with that one."

She nods, proceeding by wincing in discomfort. Elias knows it's from her temperature so he lifts one palm up to her cheek, very delicately cooling her by his skin. She leans in with an exhale. "Thanks."

"No problem," he mutters, stiffening his body perfectly so he won't hurt her. If she notices he's gone still as stone, she doesn't mention it.

Elias closes his eyes all over again, allowing the world to become dark and his mind to light up like a flare being shot into the void.

"Map?" Bella calls in question, realising his deliberate actions.

"Map," Elias confirms.

She hums, her voice cracking. "Does it still look the same?"

Elias deliberates, recalling his foggy human memories. His gift was there when human, but it wasn't as strong. He could sense heat, much like you sensed a shadow falling over you just before you saw the shadow taint your sight. He also only got information when he wanted to, when he tried 'looking' out in his mind to track the heat. Or if a large source sprung up and his mind gave a soft pang in warning.

Now...now it is becoming constant. Every time he closed his eyes, his mind sprung into action to show the world around him via heat. Perhaps it was a self preservation instinct as a vampire, or perhaps his gift was getting stronger like most gifts do when they've travelled from human life into vampire one. Either way, Elias and Bella were trying to learn about it and control it.

"It's different from when I was human. Stronger. I used to be able to 'see' out for a hundred feet, if that. Now it's at least a few miles. Everything is black when it's cold, but then the sun hits it and different objects absorb warmth and other things emit it. I can see it all. Things get outlined and lit up, every tree branch or leaf, all shades of red and orange. It's like the world has been plunged into darkness and then lit on fire and I can navigate it perfectly."

In his mind, past the structures of the house and the people moving around in it, Elias can see Bella stare in his direction, her eye sockets a glaze of light amber. He can also see how her body pulses as the blood moves around her- her heart is the warmest part.

Bella sounds awed as she asks, "Is it as strong as your actual eyesight?"

"Not in the same aspects, but yes." His brows pull together, remembering when he figured all this out. "It's how I found you in the airport. I couldn't try to listen for your voice or heart as I was overwhelmed with the sound of blood. So I expanded my mind out and felt the heat of your body, the signature of your heart beating warmth around your body."

Elias can see her blink in his head- it's an odd sight. Eyelids aren't much different in temperature, so it's as if her eye sockets flicker slightly darker for a moment.

"You found me... by heat. In an airport with thousands of people occupying it," she isn't asking, but she's needing reassurance.

Elias wants to shrug off her awe but doesn't temp the risk of jostling Bella by moving. "It was easy. You were standing next to a vampire, first of all, our bodies absorb temperature differently than humans. We don't have blood warming us, either. Secondly, even if you were alone, I think I could find you. It's like once I recognise your warmth, I can never forget it." He ponders over it. "Like, I wouldn't be able to track you if you're halfway across the county, but in a crowd, definitely."

"Track," she ponders the word, something eerie tinting her tone. Elias wants to open his eyes as they give him a better view of intricate details of her expression, but that would ruin his concentration.

He allows his features to show his thoughts. "What is it?"

"You can track heat, and people are heat like you said. You're a tracker-" she stops herself, the next shiver has nothing to do with her temperature.

"Like James," Elias finishes, an old human scarring terror making him shiver too. He never thought of it like that. He wasn't as powerful and he couldn't follow them across a country. But hiding in a city? Elias could imagine doing that.

"Freaky," bella adds, throwing off the seriousness they both feel. When she speaks next, she's laughing again, "we could have used your gift about two years ago."

As she laughs, she places one hand on her bulging stomach. Elias follows it with his mind and almost opens his eyes from shock. He can see... patterns. Shapes. He zeros in on the area, ignoring the way his throat roars at being so focused on the blood of one body. He swears, around the swirling multitude of reds and oranges, there's an outline...

"I can feel the baby," Elias realises in a hitched breath.

Bella's surprised joy is as easy to see as it is to hear. "You can?" She's loud now, energetic in a way she hasn't been in weeks. Elias feels his lips rise at being the cause of the reaction. "But Carlisle says he can't get past the embryonic sack, he said it's as hard as vampire skin. It's why needles or scans can't show us him!"

Elias shakes his head. Perhaps that's why he hasn't noticed it before until now, or because Bella's body has been constantly changing in temperature as she tries accommodating the baby in such a short time. It doesn't help that he's not entirely used to looking at things with this development of power.

"It's blurry, confusing. I'm not a doctor, I can't tell what I'm looking at, but I can see something," he pauses, watching, trying to sort out what are the outlines of Bella's body and her own blood and then deeper. It's so odd.

It's then something shifts, a little smudge of what looks like an arm stretches out- Bella gasps at the same time from pain. "I can definitely see them," he goes to sit up, his eyes barely slipping open, "Are you o-"

"-wait no don't open your eyes!" Bella commands. Elias stiffens and complies. Once spotting he's listened, she hisses out something fierce, rubbing the side of her stomach where the pain came from. Elias hadn't heard anything break but still wants to call out for Edward or Carlisle to help.

"Bella..." the newborn sighs, torn in what to do.

She shushes him and his worried face. "Do you think you'd be able to tell me if he's okay?"

That's a heavy task. Elias swallows a mouthful of venom, ignoring the scorch there. Even without being able to see her direct expression, he knows Bella is so god damn hopeful.

"I can try," he decides, "but call Edward in here, I don't know what I'm looking at."

She's doing it instantly. As soon as his names leaving her lips, he appears in the living room. It takes a quick moment to explain before Edward is calling Carlisle. It really shouldn't be a surprise when Rose follows, then Jake, then Jace since they're eating together in the kitchen, then everyone since they can hear the conversation and commotion. Elias stays perfectly still with his eyes shut, using the time to scan the differences between Jake's warm human body and comparing it to how Jasper looks. Bodies with beating blood are a light red. Vampire skin is a cool toned yellow, unless they're absorbing warmth from other things, but only then they are a burnt yellow.

Edwards' touch on Eli's cheek brings him back to earth. His voice is wobbly in a way only immortals are capable of hearing. "Are you sure you can see the baby?"

"A little, but I don't know what I'm looking at," he repeats, frustrated. He didn't have a medical degree like Edward and Carlisle.

"Do you think you can show me? It would be easier for me to identify that way," Edward quizzes.

"I can try," Elias repeats, again. He sees Edwards lips spread wider in his mind. "Close your actual eyes, it's easier to accommodate the vision in your head."

"Bella, after all this is done, you've got to explain to me how Eli's gift works," Jake whispers, having moved to sit next to the woman on the couch. She's gripping his warm hand in her own with vengeance, looking between Edward and Elias with delicate patience.

Edward, having followed Elias' warning, is shut off to actual eye sight. He focuses on delving into Elias' mind only, clouding the rest of the family's thoughts. He can see faint images... a world of black, red and orange. Like blood and liquid gold being thrown into an abyss, mixing and twisting, allowing him to see. It's like how humans have created thermal imaging, but more beautifully terrifying, more alive.

"This is what the world looks like for you?" He gasps, trying to understand how it all works. He can only see glimpses, Elias' mind is still like smoke, but the snippets he can catch...

"Only when I'm tracking heat, when I close my eyes," he swallows the way his own frustration is making his concentration flicker. "Try to see."

Minutes pass, nothing is said as everyone waits. Elias is trying his hardest to see and clear his mind for Edward, but he can't simultaneously use his power mentally and physically. It always lingered on both when he wasn't actively trying to use it, because it had nothing else to do and because Elias wasn't choosing which part of himself to protect. When he funnelled all energy into doing one part, the other was left open to attack. So when he was burning, all of his power went into burning, meaning his mind could be read, his emotions could be read, his future could be told. When he was tracking heat with his mind, when his power was being used as a mental gift, he couldn't burn. He couldn't control the flames.

So to clear his head for Edward to read him, he had to burn his skin. But to burn his skin meant he couldn't track the heat in his mind. He was fucking stuck, trying to equal out both sides. Edward could feel it and see it whenever his mind slipped open, but then the tracking map would disappear.

"You're flooding all your power into one side again," Bella chides carefully, already knowing his frustration as they've been over this in the last few days. "You need to balance both sides out."

"Think of it as scales. You're upturning one side, you need to give equal measures to get balanced," Edward adds, pride being found in his tone from how Bella and Elias had worked together and figured it out when no one in the family could.

"God this is worse than when Edward has those mental conversations with Alice," Emmett huffs..

Alice gave an offended look before uttering, "I'm on the outside too here Emmett."

"Welcome to how we feel all the time little sister."

"You two shut up, you're distracting them," Nate hisses.

Thank you Nathaniel, Elias thinks pointedly, returning back to the task at hand. He tries equalling out his power, allowing his skin to spark in warmth that wasn't particularly dangerous, then he focuses on forming the map. It isn't as diverse now, it barely shows the room and it keeps flickering as Eli's power is distracted, but it's there.

"Can you see?" As he speaks, he focuses on showing the images of the baby, the way they seemed to have the cool tones of vampire skin, but the most unique pulse of blood in their veins. They were truly both vampire and human. A hybrid.

When Elias doesn't get a reply, he opens his eyes, distraught that something is wrong.

Edward's expression totally changed. Elias has never believed in miracles in his life, never had reason to- but Edwards redirection of faith, his absolute hope and adoration that shows currenkty feels like a miracle compared to the soulless look face he'd adapted in the last few weeks.

Edward starts to grin, his eyes slicking with venom, with tears. "Show me again Elias," he begs, grabbing Bella's other hand, laughing into her palm. Around the room more murmurs of happiness are exchanged, Elias can hear Esme sniffling.

Bella stares into her husband's face with absolute adoration, "tell me what you see."

Elias throws himself into tracking with new vigour. It takes less time this time. The outline of a baby is clearer the longer Elias looks.

"Look, you can see his little fists," Edward breathes out, laughing musically, "he's so perfect Bella."

Elias can see the cooler temperature of tears against her warm cheeks long before she makes a hiccuped cry.

"And he's developed like a human child?" Carlisle quizzes, always the doctor.

Edward answers, knowing more about human anatomy then Elias. "Yes. Yes, he looks absolutely normal Carlisle, I was so wrong Bella, I apologise, he's amazing. I wish you could see him," he presses his lips against Bella's palm, utterly enamoured to the idea of a child now he knew it was in fact a child.

"I knew it," Bella whispers to herself.

It's Jake, watching the exchange with a small indifferent quirk of his lips, that asks, "So... is it actually a boy?"

There's pause as both boys tried looking. Elias feels his head twist to the side before he admits sheepishly, "Uh, I have no clue what I'm looking at here, Edward?"

"Carlise, show me the difference in scans between male and female in the last trimester of pregnancy," Edward asks, reigning back from Elias mind to read Carlisles. There's a world of difference in each mind, Edward almost feels off balance.

Once the doctor has clearly mentally explained what to look for, Edward slips back to Elias' darker mind. "Oh ok, let me see," he mutters, being audible for the sake of Bella and her expecting gaze. They wait a moment, catching how the image pulses and shifts but doesn't catch the way Edward needs it to. "The baby's at a difficult angle, I can't tell."

"Lie down Bella, that helps. Take deep, calm breaths," Carlisle tells, demonstrating his breath. Elias thinks it would be annoying from anyone else, but he does it in such a calm manner that it's endearing.

Jake helps move Bella as both Edward and Elias are locked into focus. Elias loses a slip of concentration as Bella is detached from him, so used to having her leaning on his skin. He watches through the map as she reclines back on the couch, pillows being squished behind her head. Jake's radiating body goes to sit next to her again without being asked, his hand smoothing back the hair in her face as she breathes deep. Interesting...

"I've lost you Elias," Edward calls, feeling their connection cloud to a close.

The newborn shakes his head, clearing the thoughts away. "Shit, sorry, wasn't concentrating."

"Elias, the first vampire sonogram," Jace jokes to Nate, aiming it to be quieter then it comes out. The long haired Cullen smothers laughter in his knuckles.

Eli's attention diverts again. "Jasper, throw something at him for me, please."

There's a pause, then Jaspers voice is smooth in guilt free humour, "I would.... but he's not wrong."

Fine. "Emmett?" He calls in favour.

"On it," the burly man nods.

Elias is trying to concentrate, so he doesn't get a view of his actions, but he hears the small scuffle as he moves around before Esme scolds sharply, "Do not take your shoe off to throw it at Jace!"

There's humour all around at that, especially as Jace has stepped back behind Nate's shoulder like that would protect him from missile footwear. Bella's laugh is the weakest but is so rare that both Elias and Edward are instant in focusing on it, the map inside Elias' mind zeroing in.

"He moved!" Edward calls, silencing the room. There's a pause before he shakes his head, "I almost got a clear view, Bella, laugh again."

She does, albeit very awkwardly. Elias feels his brows pull together, especially as the sound doesn't shift the image in his mind. "I don't think forced laughter is going to work," he says.

"Someone say something funny, make her laugh," Jace says.

"So these two men break into a drugstore and steal all the viagra-"

"-no Emmett," Rosalie huffs.

Jasper sounds smug when he says. "Also, you already told us that one."

"For gods sake," Jake tuts with a roll of his eye, "Think about my third grade yearbook photo."

That, for some reason, seemed to crack Bella up into a long bout of laughter. As soon as she was, the baby in her stomach seemed to move at the same time, allowing Elias to see in the position Edward needed.

"Edward? Do you know?" Rosalie asks.

"Yet again Bella, you surprise me with being completely right," he laughs joyously, opening his eyes to look at his wife in awe, "It's a boy."

•••

With the news the baby was in fact, a normal baby, as well as it's gender, spirits remained high. Rosalie seemed to gush every moment she was reminded of her nephew, which did nothing to stop Bellas excitement. Edward on the other hand, had a more level headed approach to the situation; though the chance of a future and a wife seemed to improve his mood considerably, the misfortune of Bella's health brought him back down.

Elias was excited too, in a detached sort of way. Bella was smug in reminding him of his uncle title every other hour, her eyes alight with the want to see her son and brother interact. Elias grinned through it all, joking when need be, but he wasn't feeling as optimistic as he used to. Perhaps it was the fact his throat fire seemed to be spreading into his chest, or perhaps it was the fact that every hour the wolves surrounding the property tried gaining closer ground.

He's staring out the windows on the middle level of the house, the kitchen lights off so he can see past his own starved reflection. He can spot Leah and Seth pacing well worn circles around the perimeter, guarding to the best of their ability. Esme will be out there no soon, delivering her care packages without trying to taint them with her scent. Seth is always so sweet about the exchange, even if Leah refuses to touch it.

When Elias' senses warn him of Jake's approaching figure, Elias doesn't move. He can't seem to warrant the indifference he usually pulls up when around the wolf. He's too distracted, too tired. Which is a new feeling in this body. Of course it's not physical, but it's starting to seep in from the emotion being so mentally present. Like when you've had a really, really long day and then try to do the most basic task and start to mix up the steps because you can't pull enough focus together to concentrate.

Jake stands next to him, his body heat warming up the side of Eli's arm. Jake seems to follow his gaze out of the window. For a while, it's just them two, the dark sky and the full moon hung high.

"I didn't want to change from the boy I was," Jake admits, the words are as exhausting sounding as Elias feels. The vampire turns his head, watching Jake's side profile. He looks tired. He looks older than his sixteen years.

Jake meets his gaze, his brown eyes ringed in silver from the moons reflection. "It's not an excuse for the way I've acted... but it's all I can think about when I see you. We aren't the same friends we were, we've both changed. But you've got to remember most of my changes weren't my decision."

Elias swallows a mouthful of venom, allowing his words to resonate. Jake carries on with the allowance of silence. "You wanted to become a vampire and I can accept that now. But I didn't want to be like this. If I had it my way, I would have stayed the same Jake I was a year ago, blissfully ignorant and human and calm." His lips quirk, as if he wants to smile or laugh at the person he used to be.

"I know," Elias murmurs, his voice sounding like rocks sliding together from the fact his throat is on fire. He doesn't try to clear it, it is no use. Elias carefully watches the wolf when he admits, "You continued fighting for Bella."

Jakes doesn't express any out words confusion, but Elias still finds him explaining. "Before the battle with the newborns, I told you to stop being reckless and that if you cared for Bella, you'd keep fighting for her. You have. Past everything that's been happening, you've been on her side, fighting with her."

Jake's gaze softens. "I'd never leave her," he says instantly.

It's how he says it that Elias finds himself coming to a realisation.

A lover doesn't always agree with you, because of a difference in opinion. Look at how Edward and Bella reacted to the baby, how they fell apart but came together again even stronger. Jake on the other hand, detested the thought of Bella dying, he didn't agree with her- but he fought for her. Because it's what she wanted. He was in her corner without question- much like Elias was.

Elias wonders when did Jake realise that the claim he wanted on Bella wasn't about love, but family. When did he realise she was like a sister and not something else? When did he see that if you wanted someone in your life, and you wanted them to stay, you didn't have to lay titles on them as a girlfriend or boyfriend. How confusing it must have been, with everything going on, not understanding how affection didn't always mean relationships. How relationships didn't guarantee them to stay.

Guilt swarms in Eli's stomach at the thought of it all. Jake has a father, like Elias, like Bella, yet he's always been the career of his parental figure. He's always prioritised everyone else. He's always been stubborn in standing alone and most of the time, he's been left- his mother left, without choice, because of death. His human friends have to be pushed away because of the wolf. His sisters left as the town they grew up in held too much grief.

Jacob Black was very much still a kid who was sick of being left behind, so the moment he had Bella and Elias and Jace, he clung to them with too tight fingers. Elias is sure, in that moment, that Jake was never romantically in love with Bella, he only thought he was because he knew it was the only way people stayed for other people. And he desperately wanted her to stay in his life.

"Romantic love isn't the only way to make people stay, Jake." Elias says softly, because he feels so stupid for not realising it before. For not seeing the signs.

Jake looks like he's struggling to swallow. He glances away, out the window, away from Eli, hiding his watering eyes. "I know," he sniffs thickly.

Elias runs his tongue over his sharp teeth. When he steps to the side, pressing his shoulder to jakes, trying to offer comfort, his skin is warm like it would be when he was human. "And I'll never abandon you again. I'm sorry if I ever gave you the impression you're not worth sticking around for Jake. I'm sorry for not being a better friend."

That seems to strike a very painful nerve. Jakes chin twitches to the side, as if he wants to hide the way the tears are very carefully falling down his cheeks. Elias can't cry, but feels like he wants to at the sight of Jake's broken expression... he looks so young, so like that oblivious boy in the garage that wanted nothing more than to be a reason his two depressed friends are happy.

Aware that despite their rebuilding relationship, there are some things Jake won't want being so obviously picked at, Elias looks back out the window, giving him a fake sense of privacy to collect his emotions.

It takes a few moments before Jake speaks again. "Are we friends again now?" He asks, joking, though his shoulder presses into Eli's with clear intention of liking the minuscule comfort.

"Yes," Elias says strongly, like a vow. Something thick and solid settles over him as he does, protective and possessive in a way that means he'll do anything for this stupid wolf, in the same region as he feels for Jace. "We're friends Jacob."

Jake nods, a little bit of happiness found in his dark eyes. "Good," he swallows, looking back out, rudely cast into the present by the sight of wolves lurking around the house. "I think I'm gonna need a friend, if all this goes dark. If Bella..."

Elis voice is as hot as fire when he swears, "She's going to make it."

"You can't be sure," he denies, though he's wishing the opposite.

Elias shakes his head. "Bella's defied the odds a hundred times over, this is no different. She's going to survive."

Jake can't argue there. If one thing Bella swan can do, it's survive whilst being thrown in the middle of the supernatural.

"I give her permission, or rather, Edward permission to turn her. To save her. I'm the godson of the chief who created the treaty, it's my word over Sams," Jake holds the statement like someone would a weapon, in warning and in defence.

Elias feels himself grin something fierce. "I think the treaty broke the moment Sam came onto our land and attacked me unprovoked."

"Still," Jake shrugs, "it's there all the same."

"Thank you," Elias murmurs, on behalf of Bella, of everyone in the house who loves her and will do anything to keep her alive.

Jake must be thinking something of the same, because he whispers, more to himself then Elias, "I guess I really chose my side, huh? No going back now."

"You're neck deep in leeches I'm afraid my friend," the newborn tuts, swinging his arm over the wolfs shoulder, allowing his sarcastic movements to cover the very serious words he says next, "If it's any consolation, we choose you back."

Jakes laugh is refreshing to hear. "Carlisle just loves a good stray, doesn't he?"

That warrants a laugh out of the newborn too. "We always find our way to him."

They stay like that, grinning at each other. Images of each others human form coming to the boys, the softness they held, the calmness that came with not being supernatural. Jakes the first one to come back to the present, to where Eli's dark eyes are a sign of screaming hunger and the way he's so carefully exhausted is stitched into every messy curl of his hair.

Jake is suddenly very, very serious when he says to Elias, "I'm here for you too, if this goes bad. I know you have the scary blond man, but I'm here to help you too."

Elias lets his mind slip to that impossible image for a second; the reaction is instant. His hunger roared and a lurking dangerous thing brushed against the surface of his mind, so eager to get out. He yanks himself out of the image, dreading to even linger on the idea of losing his sister. The type of person he would become... you don't help that kind of evil, you kill it.

"Elle? Jake?" The woman in question calls, only a slight pitch louder than her speaking volume since she knows they'll always been listening out for her.

There's no words, but there is a mutual reaction to answer her call. When they go back into the living room, Bella is instantly aware of the change in them. Elias can see it in her eyes in the way she tracks them- funnily enough, Jake is aware of that too. There's also no words needed between them as they come to sit next to her. Jake takes the seat closest to her left, Elias makes himself useful at sitting near her feet since Edward is on her right.

"Is everything ok Carlisle?" Edward asks, watching his father as he packs away his doctor's bag, having just finished a check up on Bella.

Elias switches his gaze to the blond man, catching how warmly he looks on at all of them as they lounge on the couch.

"Yes, his growth is as expected. I dare say we can go to plan with delivering the baby tomorrow, there's no need to wait now we've been able to establish more about him," he explains smoothly.

Eli's eyes narrow, playing the perfect role of his own sparky personality even if he's so very very tired. "If everything is fine, why do you have that weird expression on your face?"

Bella tuts at him for his rudeness. Elias gives her a wink.

"Nothing is of concern, I am..." Carlisle looks at them individually, his lips curving up. "I'm just very proud of all you." With that, he walks out of the room.

Elias feels something warm and fuzzy in his chest that he has to force to not show. Jake isn't so clever about it. "What did we do?" He asks, genuinely confused.

Edward seems to be one step ahead, picking the answer out of Carlisle's mind. He starts to laugh under his breath, shaking his own head like he's surprised. "He finds our compassion to each other during these hard times a sign that we're all so...good, for lack of a better word."

It takes a moment for the genuine niceness of the statement to settle in Jake and Eli's head.

"I don't think I've ever been good a day in my life," the wolf denies.

Elias nods. "Fuckin same."

"You guys..." Bella starts, looking between them, their sudden agreement with each other shocking even before their words settle in. How in hell did Bella end up getting two best friends that could read her too well, but not able to see themselves in the same light? She shook her head, "Idiots."

Edwards grin seems to say he agrees.

"So, this bundle of terror-" Edward let's out a warning snarl under his breath that only seems to spur Jake on, "-will be out by tomorrow, do you have a name for him yet?"

"We know his middle name. Charles, for Charlie and Carlisle," Edward explains bashfully, sharing a loved look to Bella.

Jake isn't even surprised. "Just you who can be so thoughtful as to name her child after someone, Bella."

"Just the middle name," Bella corrects, rubbing circles on her stomach, "The first name we want to be unique, something entirely his own."

"That's just because you have too many people you care about and can't choose something to represent all of them," Elias corrects, dark eyes alight for once as Bella gives in to glaring at him.

"Would you rather I choose to name him after you?" She challenges.

Elias feels his face screw up. "As touching and sarcastic as that is, no, I chose my own name, I'd like to be the only one to keep it."

Jake seems to perk up. "What was your birth name again?"

"Hayden," the newborn tells.

Jake upon immediately hearing it, pulls a face. "I like Elias better."

"Thanks," he says before returning attention to the original task. "What about something you both care about?"

"Oh' this kid is going to be named Piano," Jake snickers, causing Bella to start to giggle to herself. She knows it's all a show for her, but she finds it touching.

"Or Forest," Elias huffs in amusement.

Jake widens his eyes mockingly. "How about Shakespeare?"

Edward actually rolls his eyes before freezing completely, turning to Bella solely. "As You Like It," he whispers, sounding awed.

That must mean something between the two of them because Bella starts to grin- real bright and real happy. "Forest of Arden," she breathes out.

Elias looks to Jake, who too has no clue what they mean and also a little bit like they're interrupting something private. Elias wishes he paid more attention to the books Bella used to read, maybe then he'd understand.

Their moment is broken by the gurgling of bellas stomach. Edward is up on his feet without another word, going to fill up bellas empty cup with blood. She's still healthy enough to blush bashfully at the notion of being looked after. Elias very carefully looks away from her, ignoring how his chest seems to be burning inside with the need to feed.

"Can you help him?" Bella asks, her voice towards Jake, so Elias doesn't turn back.

Jake sounds dubious. "Both of us?"

"Yes please," she says sweetly.

"Ok..." Jake gets up carefully, eyeing Bella and then Elias, before deeming it's fine for the vampire to be left alone, he goes to follow Edward into the kitchen.

"Subtle," Elias calls, knowing they're alone as much as they can be so they can talk freely.

Bella shrugs and explains, "I hope if I send them off together enough, they'll come back as friends."

"Or dead," he blinks once, realising he said that comment out loud. He corrects himself with a sharp grin, "kidding."

His sisters quick to brush it off. "It's so strange... I feel like this is exactly what we all needed. Everything is so changed now, but not all of it is bad," she rubs her stomach again, then focuses on Elias.

The vampire just knows she's asking about his and Jakes new budding friendship. He ignores it, pretends he hasn't realised which person she's asking about. "If you would have told me two months ago that I'd have a wolf asleep in my bed, I don't think I'd believe you."

She purses her lips. "Jasper sure wouldn't have believed it,"

Eli's snort is instant. "Jasper knows there's no competition in regard to him. Jace views me in the strictest of ways." In the friendship sort of way, he wants to add. Bella gets it either way.

"It doesn't hurt that Jasper knows there's no lingering emotions for you," she adds.

"That too."

She looks out towards the kitchen again, not being able to hear all of their conversation like Elias can. "I do wonder if that's what Edward and Jake feel now, friends, of sorts."

Elias can hear their conversation. Edward is pouring a blood bag into a cup, going over tonight's plans of hunting. Jacob is a good arms distance away, wrinkling his nose in disgust at the blood, listening carefully. The air between them isn't charged, they aren't acting like enemies. Not best friends. But somewhere between there.

"Lets hope we all continue to be allies when this little sucker comes out and you change," Elias grins, nodding to her bulging stomach.

Bella reaches out, not surpised in the slightest when he shifts forward to allow his hand to be cushioned in hers, skin warm to the touch for her. "We will," she agrees, sure of it.

"-Get that cup away from me Edward," Jake snarls loudly, though it lacks its heat of pure anger. More of a high annoyance.

The pair look to the kitchen, watching as Edward grins brilliantly, holding the cup of blood closer to the werewolf. "It's not going to bite you Jacob," he jokes, which only increases Jakes disgust.

Elias huffs a giggle at the two, making sure to send the human a pointed stare. "The best of friends."

She blushes. Just a slight pink on her thin cheeks. Elias looks away again. "It's a slow process," she defends herself.

Elias nods, trying and failing to hide his amusement. "Snail pace."

Edward and Jake walk over then, the cup practically shining in Eli's vision. He's quick to shift from the couch to his feet, stopping his breathing to not taste the scent in the air. Bellas hand feels cold without his in it.

"Thank you," Bella beams at her husband as she grabs the drink, glancing wearily to Elias, "I'm so thirsty. I must have had three cups this morning alone."

She had four, but Elias won't correct her. Especially since he can't really speak at the moment- or think. He's too busy watching the blood lift up the straw, a mighty red colour. Venom pools in his mouth-

"-Get Jace, will you Elias?" Jake barks, unnecessarily loud. But it breaks Eli's gaze on the blood, which is good. "I need him when I talk to the pack."

Bella makes a sound of interest in her throat as she looks at the boys in the room. "How long has he been asleep for?"

Elias hears Edward answer, but he can't focus on the words as he leaves the room. It takes less than a second to appear at his bedroom door, greeted by a beautiful blond boy.

"I heard the conversation," Jasper murmurs, as if his volume will disturb the wolf currently snoring louder than a freight train on the bed. "I didn't think it was best to wake him myself, I don't think my cold touch is as welcome as yours," he explains.

Elias lips twitch, trying to hide his laugh as he looks at Jace's spread out form. His copper skin is a nice change from the black and white aesthetic of the room. It almost hurts Eli's eyes as he flickers from Jasper's pale face, to where Alice is sitting in the corner, then back to the snoring wolf.

"Don't need to shake him awake to actually wake him," Elias hums to them, appearing to the side of Jace. "Also, he said himself that he doesn't mind the cold anymore."

"Don't be rude," Alice warns, though it's lost its effect from the twinkle in her eye.

Elias places a hand over his dead heart. "Rude? Me? Never." Then he tugs the pillow from under Jace's head and hits him in the face with it. The snoring stops, taken by a snort of surprise. Jace shoots up into a sitting position, looking around the room in alarm.

"Everything okay?" He questions groggily. By the time his gaze sets on Elias, he's blinking rapidly but looks almost fully awake and his panic has disappeared due to the fact Elias is cackling.

"Everything is fine Jace," Alice assures, eyes not wavering as she flicks past another page in the book in her hands- probably hiding her own amusement of what's just happened. "Elias likes to think he's funny."

Jace yawns as an answer, looking at Elias for a moment and then to the space behind him. Jace doesn't really look around for Jasper anymore, already knowing the blond is always a step behind Elias. Just like he is now, with a calm mask on his face that doesn't reveal anything. For a moment Jace wants to say, you can laugh too if you want, I won't hold it against you, but thinks better of it.

Elias sobers up finally. "Jacob wants you to go with him to talk to your old pack," Elias tells, stepping backwards, looking like he's going to knock Jasper off centre- but Jasper accommodates Eli's space and opens his arms open to hold the curly haired boy. "He's in the living room with Bella. Fair warning, everyone's comrades in arms now, be careful you don't get roped into changing your last name into Cullen or something. We're all feeling sentimental."

Despite being dry in humour, it's that what makes Jasper laugh lightly, just a hitch really in his throat. It completely changes his demeanour though in Jace's opinion- taking him from scarred and stoic and turning him into this softer version of himself. Maybe that's why he doesn't laugh a lot. Probably ruins the image of him. "Only you can make a joke about the impossibility that is a truce between two natural enemies, Elias," the blond man tuts.

The newborn grins sharp, winking at Jace, aware and unbothered how the wolf is picking both him and Jasper apart. "It's a talent."

Another yawn comes from Jace's mouth, followed by cracks of bones as he crawls off the bed. He's only wearing shorts, as usual, so the tribe tattoo on his left arm looks matte under the lights and Elias has to stop the way he wants to reach out and poke it.

"I wouldn't mind having a go on that motorbike stored in the garage, yano, to show how close we all are now," Jace hints, walking around the room, stepping over Alice's stretched legs so he can grab the hoodie thrown on the desk chair.

Elias is glee and instant with his offer, "I'll buy you one, if you like."

Jace twists to him, aware from his tone alone that he's serious. He ponders over the offer, half tempted to say yes to just see if Elias will go through with it- but Elias will, Jace knows that, and the image of actually accepting such an expensive gift makes him feel guilty. It only takes a second to decline it with a shake of his head, "You know, you used to complain when Jasper threw around his wealth like it was nothing. I swear you called him a pompous posh idiot, once."

Elias glares at Jace with heat, especially as Jaspers eyebrows hitch up in revelation. "Oh' really?" He tuts.

"In my defence, it was when we first started meeting up to drive around at night and you just happened to offer me your car," he exaggerates, remembering how nonchalant the blond had been.

Jasper remembers that. Elias had complimented it in passing conversation and his first response was you can have it if you want. Not his finest hour in terms of showing affection. Especially as Elias thought he was attempting a joke. "Fair enough," he shrugs.

Elias nods, knowing he's won the right to that insult. He turns back to Jace and regards back to their original offer, "also, if you can't beat them, you might as well join them. Just for trying to throw me under the bus with that comment I am actually going to buy you a bi- Wait, is that my hoodie?"

"It's not like you need it," Jace grins, glad for the vampire's own sidetracked nature. He walks towards the connected bathroom, not bothering to talk over his shoulder since they both have impeccable hearing. "Besides you know I always give them back...eventually."

Elias follows the wolf into the bathroom, personal space be damned. As Jace starts to brush his teeth, Elias opens the draws below the sink and passes a comb over for Jace's hair. It's reaching his jaw now. The wolf grins in thanks around a mouth full of foam, which makes Eli giggle.

"You know," Elias sighs, sobering up from watching Jace as he realises why he's getting ready, "Sam isn't going to believe you and Jake have abandoned us. He's going to see this is a distraction, he knows how deeply you feel for Bella and I."

"You underestimate how much Sam relies on our disgust towards vampires," Jace denies, leaning down to rinse his mouth under the tap. He places the one and only toothbrush back into the cupboard. "Like Jasper said, we are natural enemies. To Sam, feelings only go so far. You cannot deny what's in our blood, it's the reason we turn after all, we're supposed to hunt 'bad' vampires. But the response to kill is strong for him, stronger than anyone in the pack from what I've seen. He can't separate vampires and what makes them, yano, human- but not human. What makes them a person, I mean. You know what I'm trying to say?"

Yes the response to kill is strong in Sam, Elias knows this. He remembers the time sat at his table, human, afraid and needing protection from someone he didn't like. He remembers Sam staring him down, realising that Elias is a threat- that he would become a larger one. Eli could see the want in his eyes, the spark of self preservation in him that said kill Elias now, whilst he had the chance. No matter that Elias was innocent then, that he had no blood on his hands- the possibility of staining them was enough.

Sam Uley should have killed Elias when he was human, because the danger he possessed now was imminent. He knows this from being burnt by Eli's capable hands. Maybe that's the reason why the second time around, with a different creature that has the same possibility of spilling blood, he wasn't hesitating. Maybe Sam had learnt from his mistakes with Elias and wasn't going to make it again with Bella Swan and Edward Cullen's unborn son.

"Yes, I know what you're trying to say," Elias echoes, his eyes gone dark with the realisation. Sam Uley wasn't a threat because he could turn into a wolf, he was a threat because of the way he was human. His emotions and his reasoning. Much like how Jace and Jake knew the Cullens weren't a threat despite being vampires, because their own emotions made them human.

"Jace," Elias goes to say, caught up in his own thoughts, caught up with the fact he's underestimated his opponent and he's wary Jace might have too. He might still see the human side of Sam and not the danger- it was his greatest weakness and biggest strength.

But Jace looks up at him with brown eyes so full of light, of hope, and Elias can't be the one to extinguish that. He won't. So he swallows his warning and instead says, "I'll see you after you meet with Sam, yeah?"

"Definitely," Jace nods, aware from Eli's expression that something is wrong, just not sure what.

Elias leaves the wolf in the bathroom, going back to Jaspers awaiting embrace. Jasper gives him a look of question, but Elias doesn't answer him- it's not the time. They have other things to put their energy into.

When Jace comes out, his hair thick and straight and smelling of the shampoo Jasper uses, Eli's heart gives an immortal pang. He doesn't want anything to change. Sure, the uncertainty of an attack is giving him anxiety, he's half crazed from hunger and worry about Bella... but everyone is getting along. Both sides of Eli's heart have come together with the realisation of how great they all are.

Jace dives forward and kisses Elias' cheek before he leaves. "Thanks for everything," he bids, giving Jasper a cautious look, "I'd kiss your cheek too, but I'm positive you'd swing for me and I'm already sleeping in your bed, so, boundaries."

That favourite smirk of Eli's appears on Jaspers lips, "Wise choice," he nods. Then, like an afterthought, he reaches out and lightly pats Jace's right shoulder once, very briefly and gently, like someone who's expecting to be recoiled from or bitten, "be careful tonight."

Alice sounds like she's trying not to laugh behind them.

Jace has the expression of someone trying to do long division math in their head before he shakes it off, "thanks," he says, his own laughter a little shakier and disbelieving as he walks out the room. Elias watches him go before looking back at his husband with a bright smile, earlier troubles gone- he does fucking love that man.

"You amaze me," the newborn swears, pressing his lips into a thick scar on Jasper's neck. Jasper preens at the declaration...which only makes Alice laugh harder. Elias steps out of his mates arms so he can throw a pillow at her.

"You've got a job to do," Jasper reminds, pulling Elias back by the hips, angling him towards the glass windows. It's dark still, the moons even higher in the sky.

Elias listens intently as the pack band together, whispering about their plans of distraction before heading north. Elias closes his eyes, tracking their heat as they leave. Jace is the only one to stay human, trying to show how the meeting isn't an attack and also because he can be a greater help with human words and expressions than his wolf's thoughts. Elias can track them with his mental map and Nate can hear them with his ears- he has the furthest hearing capability in all the family. Together, Nate can hear when they all stop running, Elias can see how the wolves' heat signature all linger to each other. Sam hadn't sent all the pack to the meeting, like Jake had theorised. He wasn't even there himself- he was the largest wolf after Jake and Elias was familiar with his 'warmth'- after all, he had been snuck up on once by it.

He switches his attention to his vampire family. They -Carlisle, Esme, Emmett, Nate- have a five minute window to sneak past. They're just waiting for the signal. "Go southwest, there's two wolves hiding behind a cluster of rocks just behind the river. I don't know who they are, but neither of them are Sam. You'll have to split up to get past."

They're running the moment Elias stops speaking. He tracks them with his mind, vampire bodies are easier since he's so used to being around them. He can hear Nate giving instructions as they run, he's tracking the wolves by sound alone too. It's almost simple, the way they all slip past the wolves. They give chase, of course, but Elias loses sight of them in his head. They're too far away. It should panic him, but the angry howl that wracks the air is a signal that his family have been successful in leaving.

"You know," Jasper starts the moment everything is safe, his lips brushing the shell of Elias' earlobe. "You're getting suspiciously well at controlling your gift...is there anything you wish to tell me?"

"Yes, actually," Elias swallows, head tilting back onto Jasper's shoulder, neck bared. Jasper stills himself, reminding it's improper to kiss him there when Alice is in the room, as well as wanting the curly haired boy's reply.

But it never comes, Elias simply leans into him with a secretive smile, his dark eyes alive with humour. Jasper expression pinches. He tries using his own power, but only gets a drifting emotion that might be content- he tries chasing it but it evaporates. He sighs. "You're not going to tell me, are you?" He realises.

Elias' grin goes even wider. "Not yet," he reveals, laughing sharply as Jasper pouts. He turns around, kissing the pout, uncaring if Alice watches them or not. "Now, stay here. I'm going to check on Bella, she's been alone with Rosalie fa longer then ten minutes and I can't be having her steal my place as favourite sibling."

"Like that would ever happen," Alice snorts.

Still, Elias leaves the room, going human paced down the steps- vampire speed is normal to Bella, but it gives her heart a funny skip when he does it and it always concerns him. He's midstep when Jace appears at the bottom of the staircase, starting to say everything went well with the meeting. Elias is listening to him and keeping an ear on the conversation in the living room when it happens.

The snap of bones, the noise demanding attention like a crack of thunder does...then silence. Such vivid silence that Elias is sure he's lost his hearing.

That's when Bella starts screaming- toe curling, agonised kind of pain- and Elias can feel it, the horror and the pain in his own body. He can't breathe. He's moving, pushing past Jace's reach as he tries stopping him, numb to the bone, instinct driven. When he sees her- his baby sister, his best friend- couped up in Edwards arms, moving towards Carlisle's office- she's so foreign looking. So pale. Elias can't remember ever looking at her and not recognising her- not knowing for certain that this is the person he'd die for- and it stops him in his tracks.

She's dead. She looks so lifeless, so broken, she must be dead. Elias is following without realising, unable to stop. Edward places her on the table, Rosalie and Jake are in sync with the orders Edward barks at them. Elias watches in a state of detached shock- she's dead.

But then she's screaming again. She isn't dead. She's wailing from the pain as they work around her, Edwards words being shot out with the precision of a bullet- all of them shot at Bella, if the way she reacts is any indication. Elias can't seem to find his footing, can't seem to remember how to help- he can't look away as his sister is being killed from the inside out.

She screams again, spitting red through words and actual blood. Save the baby, she says, her only concern. No one's listening though, because their first priority is Bella. She's screaming again, trying to be heard. Rosalie's arguing with Edward about it, Jake is trying to console Bella- but no one is acting. No one's listening to Bella.

Elias steps into the room.

The scent of fresh blood against his coal burnt throat is instant, it's the biggest temptation Elias will ever face. He's sure of it. The colour red takes over everything. He can feel its warmth in his fingers. There's no worry about his sister, death is a very far away thought- the scent of blood bleaches every worry he has until all he can think about is the fact he's starving.

"Rosalie no!"

Its the fear in Edwards voice that breaks Elias, that allows his head to come up from the red sea he's drowning in. He's lost time, Bella is cut open now, the colour red is everywhere, it's the only colour Elias seems to find until he connects his sight to Bella's dark eyes. Even facing death, she's so strong. She's trying to survive against all odds- and at that moment the biggest threat is Rosalie. Bella gives her a silent plea to gain control, but Elias knows all too well how lost she is now, so does Bella. It's why she looks directly at Elias across the room, a wordless want being passed between the two. Help.

Jake steps forward to lunge at the blonde, but Elias is already there.

He appears behind her with a snarl before anyone else can, slipping his arms around her in a steel cage. Rosalie thrashes, restrained and unable to get to Bella, her hands are pinned to her sides but her teeth are ready to be used. Elias doesn't have time to let his skin burn, not with the possibility of it hurting Bella as he's so close- so it's too easy for Rosalie to sink her teeth into the skin of his forearm. It hurts. Venom leeches in his arm, making it numb- he acts instantly, shifting his weight to his back foot and twists, throwing the blonde backwards- away from Bella.

Elias twists and tracks the blonde, watching her smash into the door frame, splintering it in places. She doesn't get up, not straight away, her black eyes aren't looking at Bella now. The demand for thirst is depleting, especially as Elias takes up the role of protector in front of Bella. She knows without a doubt she'll never be able to get past him.

"Jace, Alice, get them out, all of you go to Jasper, now!" Edwards orders from behind him, working alone over Bella. Jake stands back to back with him, unaware of who is lost to thirst, who he needs to attack to protect Bella. He's prepared either way.

Jace is at the door, having followed Elias without him realising. Alice, tiny in comparison to him, appears too, tugging Rosalie up by the throat. Jace grabs her arms. She goes willingly- a hint of regret starting to bleed into her eyes. Elias watches them, still crouched in a defensive position. The scent of blood is so much worse now, almost a physical force, the taste of it is in the air. Elias' instincts are screaming to take over. To give into it will be as easy as blinking.

"Elle," a gurgling voice cries, past the horrors of the two men working over her. Elias feels like a puppet on a string as he turns to Bella, taking place next to her.

"Don't lose control" Jake warns, his voice like a whisper over the sound of Edwards teeth tearing into Bella's abdomen. The werewolf is on Bella's other side as she screams, trying to help too.

Elias doesn't answer as he starts to stroke Bella's wet hair away from her face. "You're gonna be okay Bella, the baby is gonna be okay. Keep fighting."

For a moment her eyes go to his, both of them the same dark colour. Elias flashes her a fake smile, one he uses for her whenever they get into shit situations they didn't know how they're getting out of. "You're gonna be okay. We're here, we're all gonna help you."

The tearing noise stops. Bella goes still other than the slow struggle of her rising chest. Elias stiffens, searching Bella's face. She's looking at something behind Elias, near her husband. He follows her sight.

Edward whispers, "Arden."

There he is, so tiny despite the large thump of his heartbeat. He's so perfect looking, even covered in blood, he's the equal mix of Edward and Bella. So small in his fathers arms. Elias knows then why they'd all been fighting, why all this is worth it. Arden isn't a monster, he's an innocent baby.

"He's got your eyes Bella," Elias realises, feeling himself smile something gentle as he turns from Arden to see her reaction, to see the duplicated eyes of son to mother.

"Let me..." Bella weakly tries lifting her arms to her child. Elias watches as the crying baby gets pressed into her chest by Edward. The wailing stops immediately.

"He looks like you Bella," Jake says in awe, leaning in to look at them with the most fragile expression Elias has ever seen.

Bella gasps- in pain. Edward quickly takes the bloody baby from Bella, cradling it to his chest. "No Arden," he chides, like teaching him manners.

Elias frowns, looking from the baby and to his sister. There's an odd, vague look on her face, one Elias never seen before, almost vacant...Like her soul no longer shines through her eyes as it's always done. What's wrong? Something is wrong. She's never looked like that. She's always had a fight in her eyes, light in them.

Elias realises how he's mistaken when Jake lunges forward to shake her by the shoulders, rattling her head the same time Edward shouts her name. Her soul isn't shining through her eyes, because her heart isn't beating. The space in her chest that Elias has become so accustomed to is now silent.

Something is ringing in Elias' head as every one of his nightmares comes to reality. Jake starts compressions, his big bronze hands slipping over Bella's bloody chest and somewhere far away Elias realises Jake's crying as he works, his tears slipping down his cheeks and landing on Bella's throat.

Eli's next movements are robotic and instant, he moves to the medical equipment at the side of the room. He tears out metal draws like paper, seeking for the smell of venom that's contained in a syringe over the scent of Bella's blood drying in the room. Behind him he can hear Edward pleading with Jake to take the baby, trying to trade places so he can try to save Bella's life. But Jake can't stop the compressions. Just as Edward can't stop caring for his son. Elias can only imagine how he feels. Torn between helping the two people he loved the most. He doesn't know what to do- they all don't. They aren't prepared for this. It isn't supposed to be like this. Carlisle should have been here to guide them.

They're just kids. Silly little inhuman kids that are playing roles far too large, far too serious. It shouldn't have been like this.

Elias shakes the thought away the instant he finds the syringe.

"Edward," Elias barks, next to Bella now, holding the venom out to him. Edward doesn't seem to hear him as he stares at Bella's body- body. A dead body. The baby is starting to cry in his arms. "Edward!" He yells, panicking.

Edward snaps out of his daze. "Jake, let Elias take over." Jake steps back, they trade places, Jake now holding the needle. Elias is very careful in the way he starts pumping his sister's chest, trying to start her heart again.

"Please," Edward begs, Elias doesn't know if it's to Jake as they switch places now, the baby being cushioned in Jake's large arms, or if it's a silent plea for the venom to work as he moves over to Elias, shoving the needle into Bella's heart.

"What is that?" Jake chokes. Through tears and his nostrils burning to the scent of the thing.

"It's my venom," Edward mumbles and with a grunt, the last of the thick poison gets injected into Bella's still body. Her heart gives a jolt, like someone shocking it- but it doesn't beat. It isn't beating.

They wait, hoping. Seconds pass. No noise comes from her heart again- it's truly stopped.

"No," Elias denies, waiting, praying to every god he does not believe in that they'd help her heart start again. He will trade anything, he'll do anything.

Edward is praying too- the the only god he knows. "Bella, please, baby please." His hands move over her heart, pumping the thicker blood around her body.

"She's dead," Jake whispers, stepping backwards. He looks so very conflicted in that moment, so aware of the soft baby in his arms, the very thing Bella died for. He looks like he wants to keep holding Arden and also to run away, to stop the horror being seen here. As if there is anywhere on earth that this could ever be left behind, be forgotten.

The newborn vampire moves, holding the werewolf's face in a careful hold. Jake's clouding eyes meet Eli's manically sharp ones. "Protect Arden, focus on keeping him safe Jake," he commands.

Jake tries shaking his head but Elias snarls deeply, holding him still. "Bella will come back, she'll come back for her son, she won't leave him, she won't leave us," he looks over his shoulder. Edward looks like a man gone insane as he continues working on her.

Jake feeds into the desperate daydream the vampire sells, unwilling to give into reality. Elias gives his friend the most meaningful look he can right now as he utterers, "She won't leave us. So protect her son, until she comes back. That's what she'd want you to do, isn't it?"

Jake blinks past more tears. "Yes," he whispers weakly, but the agreement is enough for Eli. Jake doesn't go back on his word. Especially if the surge of power coming across his face is any indication.

Elias moves back to Bella as Jake leaves, taking the kid away from all of the bloodshed. Edward is absolutely broken as he glances at Elias- it surges Elias in power too. Bella isn't just dying, she's taking her husband's soul with her. Elias won't let his brother go insane. He can't.

He takes over the chest compressions with one strong hand, his other hand pressing Bella's nose together so when he breathes air into her mouth it goes to her lungs. Her chest rises every time he does it, her heart pumps with every beat his hands give, but it doesn't start beating with life.

Elias forces breath into her mouth again as he pumps harder. He feels warm liquid on his lips, then the smell of blood from Bella's mouth. Elias wipes his mouth of the liquid by his shirt without missing a beat, ignoring how venom flares on his tongue. It isn't important, it isn't important, nothing is more important than her, he chants, crying without tears as he continues working life into his sister's body.

"Come on, come on, Bella," he sobs, tugging harder on her heart, waiting for it to start by itself. Her brown eyes are lifeless, still staring ahead without a true gaze. He pushes more air into her lungs, not looking away from her as Edward starts biting her arms and legs. He's vaguely aware of his own panic, of his body emitting waves of heat. "Please Bella, you promised, you promised me if I turned, you turn. Please, please, please," he keeps swearing it again and again.

"Let me," Edward whispers, moving Elias away from his sister's body, taking over the compression, trying to pump blood and venom around her body.

Elias can't watch them, he can't. He closes his eyes, blood stained hands coming up to his hair, tugging on curly strands too hard- he can't even feel the pain. He can't feel anything. The panic in his chest is spreading everywhere. He can't do this without her. He can't live without her. It'll be too painful. She needs to come back...

Eli's mind pulses, expands, showing the world in red and black. Warmth is everywhere. Especially in the north. wolves. The pack. Eli's eyes snap open. His sanity is dead, just like his sister. Panic has been replaced with anger. Boiling hot, righteous, murderous anger.

Wolves, Arden, fighting, thirst, Jasper, all the thoughts blurs around the sight of Bella's corpse. It's all too much. It's suffocating him. If the Cullens had more control, if they could have fed, if Carlisle was here instead of having to sneak off past the wolves to hunt- maybe this could have been different. Maybe Bella would be alive.

"The wolves!" Edward calls, hearing their thoughts, still working over his wife. "Jasper! Alice! Jace! They're coming!"

"Stay here Edward. Work on her heart, she, I- she's going to come back. Just help her," his voice breaks, he can't breathe. Edwards face crumples even more. Elias walks over to Bella, leans into face and kisses her bloody cheek. Her skin is freezing cold against his lips.

"She's going to come back, you're going to come back," Elias says, like a vow, an empty promise. Something in his mind replies, you're lying to yourself. Look at her. She's gone.

Outside the wolves get closer. Seconds away from the house. His family, wolf and vampire alike, go to stand guard, even if they're outnumbered and starving and weak. Elias can't stop staring at the corpse of his sister. He can't push the voice or the pain out. He can't do anything.

"The wolves," Edward reminds him and Elias hears the snarls from outside.

He can do something.

With one last scarring glance, he turns his back to Bella, going to the patio doors. Everything he'd held in since stepping into the room claws its way to the surface- the temptation, the terror, the agony. It's all too much. He can't deal with this, he needs someone to take it away, he'll do anything to not feel this. This is not real. It can't be.

And just as he thinks it, something in his head says ok, a deep greedy eager voice. Just give in already, you've fought so hard. Just give in now, she wouldn't blame you, you know. She'd want you to do whatever it takes to survive. To protect the rest of your family and yourself.

He walks and everything splits and cracks open, everything that makes him human gets left behind and lodged inside the house, stuck beside a woman whose heart doesn't beat. His body's empty, just a vessel for power and the demand for blood. That vampire darkness that Elias has always denied and ruled over, those instincts that say leave everything behind and become a monster- they've won. Elias gives himself over to them willingly.

And it's them that demand retribution. It's them that tell him, if you cannot save your sister, you'll avenge her.

There is no match, no lighter, no flame he steals to fight. He steps out the house with a numbing feeling in his chest and mind that's focused solely on one fact.

I am going to burn until there is nothing left.

He wills it, so it happens. There's a roar of light in his vision, the smell of his clothes smoking as his chest and arms light up in a wall of fire before it spreads down his legs. Everything is red, red, red and he doesn't try to control it. He lets it burn and lets it control him.

When he sees the wolves, they have his family backed into a corner. Sam is pinning Jace down by a paw on his chest, Alice holds another wolf back by the jaws, Jaspers punching two away from himself, slowly being backed against a tree.

He goes to help Jasper first, always him first. Eli's usual fighting style is protective and agile. He uses every one of his abilities to their full strength, is swift in every movement, always looking for a weak spot and waiting for the moment to break it down.

There is nothing like that this time. There is brute force and unforgiving power and the beauty that comes with destruction. He is moving like fire in every aspect- strong and quick and without care of the ashes in his wake. He's consuming everything in his path. Blaze covered fingers tear into fur and muscle, ripping muscle from bone and sealing it in burns. He's spreading his arms out, thrashing fire out from his body in an explosion that lights up the night. There's screams and howls and commands for Elias to stop, to have mercy-

Elias' mercy died the moment Bella did.

He doesn't care when they go from attacked to attacking. He doesn't care when the wolves start to pull back, realising that even if they can get past fire, if there is a moment Elias leaves his burning back to them as they fight- Jasper is there protecting it, the flames do not stray near him despite the chaos of it all. Elias doesn't even care when he hears the rest of his family finally make their way back home, dancing around the carnage of it all. He doesn't care that it's only him attacking now, he doesn't care that fire is spreading and smoke is prominent.

He does not care that Sam orders the rest of his pack to retreat but stays there himself, taking the weight of the attack alone. Unable to stop his own plan of wanting to kill the innocent child inside. Elias doesn't care that when he looks past his fire, past a world of black and red and scorched earth, he can see fear in the wolves eyes.

There are no words for this kind of carnage, this kind of anger. Elias warned Sam last time, he will not waste his breath again. The wolf brought this upon himself. Rising one flame adored arm, Elias spreads his palm up and out, ready to deliver the last blow. Sam Uley will be burnt to ashes and lost in the aftermath of a conflagration. His family will have no remains to cry over. He will be forgotten like people forget the most unimportant things of the world. He will be killed for the threat he posed on Eli's loved ones, for his role in the death of Bella Cullen.

He will be dead for no other simple reason than Elias Hale wants to kill him.

The fire explodes out from his skin, wide and high, unforgiving and terrifying. Sam closes his eyes at the face of his demise, unseeing when two figures move to protect him. Elias barely has enough time to snap his hand inwards and pull the flames back, to stop the attack, stop the fire from murdering Jace and Carlisle.

"Elias, please, you don't have to kill him," Jace begs, arms spread wide, holding Sam back or covering him, Elias isn't sure.

Eli's fingers twitch, twisting the fire as it trails in the air. Jace doesn't move, Carlisle shields him too with a smooth step forward. Eli's attention goes to the blond man. He will not harm him, but he's also in the way. Elias shifts his own stance, testing the reaction- Carlisle is a mirror of him instantly. He can't go round them to kill Sam.

"You don't want to kill him," Carlisle says in correction. He looks too calm, too trusting within Eli's proximity despite almost being burnt to death a moment ago.

Elias speaks in a voice he doesn't recognise as his own. It's detached, threatening. "Move out of the way."

Carlisle steps forward again, an epitome of unafraid despite the heat pouring off Eli's form. "I can't let you do this."

If he is not on your side, he is in your way. Dispose of him.

Elias hisses in a breath, the thought coming with a physical shock and disgust that he doesn't want to feel. That's wrong. He won't do that.

Despite not being able to see Elias past the flames, Carlisle senses the struggle in him. Or perhaps, he hopes there is one. He has always held his children in high regard regarding their moral compass.

"Son," Carlisle starts. Elias winces, something tugging in his chest, another emotion. He pushes it away. "Don't do this. Don't lose your humanity because having it means you're hurting, Bella wouldn't have wanted that. If you go down this road, I fear it's in your nature to never come back, you and Bella have always been determined to stick with the choices you make. She made her choice and you will miss her, but don't act out of the emotions that brings. Killing him doesn't bring her back, it's not Sam's fault."

The flames covering him, concealing him, flicker at his sister's name before going even stronger, like they feel the pain of the loss. They're ready to be used, every swirl of red ready to expand and overtake and attack. They're thick enough to not see his expression, only the outline of a man, a vampire, a monster to every definition.

Elias wants to be a monster. He wants to kill Sam Uley. He wants to kill.

Then kill Carlisle, too. He's in the way.

No.

"You can't know it isn't Sam's fault, Carlisle," Elias says instead, ignoring his inner conflict.

"Just as you can't know it is his fault, son," the blond man says, so mournful and worried and Elias wants to laugh at him for a moment. Only Carlisle can bargain for an enemy's life. It speaks volumes of the man he is.

"Darlin," Jasper calls out tentatively and Elias is hit with fear from being seen like this, being like this, but Jasper doesn't care. He's looking at him like he's beautiful in destruction as he is in everything. Because the flames are just a part of Elias that Jasper hasn't seen yet- they're just another part to love. "Listen to him, Elias."

Elias is listening, he just doesn't care for what he says. Humanity means little when pain is so prominent. Who would want to live a life like that- how can they? How can Elias live without his sister? Why not just turn his back to it all and live as a monster. Monsters don't feel pain. Monsters kill those who have played a hand in hurt and move on.

Then why can't he truly give in? Why does his goddamn conscience have to fight back?

"Elias," Jasper calls again, moving to the fire adorned man, no fear to be found as he goes. Someone makes a noise of concern, Esme, at the thought of him getting hurt. Jasper reaches out to Eli's hand. Elias panics, wants to run because this darkness taking his brain won't understand, won't get that flames aren't for hurting Jasper. But even now, as he gets closer, the flames settle down, down, down, until they're gone, leaving Eli's wrist and hand free. His skin is tainted in ash.

Jasper grabs his hand, interlocks their fingers and grins too sharply at Elias. He looks a little insane too, or maybe he's always had that glint and Elias has never been capable of understanding it in its entirety until now. The sight of him, the touch is a spark for Elias, it reminds him of the force of Jasper's love, how it influences him and how much it means. Jasper sees this weakness, as it is his nature, and exploits it. "I love you Elias."

The flames lose a couple inches of height. Jasper can see the dark black of Eli's eyes behind the wall of red. He's struggling to keep all the emotions out. To think rationally. That darkness in his head is snarling.

If Elias loses his humanity, if he completely gave up and gave into being a monster, a true vampire with no regard to anything, he would lose his family. They wouldn't abandon him, he knows. They would never. They'd spend the rest of their existence chasing him, trying to pull him out of the darkness he chose. Eventually though Elias would be too far gone to care about such things as emotions and family ties. He'd have to kill them, because they would never stop trying to bring him back and coming back would mean recognising the unrecognisable.

Bella was dead. Elias couldn't save her.

If Elias let go of his humanity, he'd leave them all behind. Edward, who would have to survive for his son but never truly live. His brothers and sister who would always be waiting for his return, for the family they had. His parents, who would feel the loss of a child like a missing limb. He'd break every promise. He'd abandon Jake like the teen always feared. He'd leave Jace wondering and alone. He'd leave the nephew he already loves so much, because the person he'd become isn't an influence you want in life.

He would not leave Jasper, because even the dark knows Jasper cannot be left behind. Jasper would follow him. To the dark, inhuman life that he once swore he would never go back to. He'd willingly become the thing he worked so hard at to destroy, just because Elias wanted to be that. And that's wrong all the way to Eli's soul- he can hand himself over to the dark, no problem. He can burrow himself into his consciousness and let something else control his body. He can hide.

But he will not drag Jasper Hale into that place as well. There is no amount of pain worth that.

Taking back control of the flames is as easy as breathing. They settle down, flickering calmly over his skin, protecting his modesty but not threatening those around its owner. Elias is smudged in smoke and ash, his eyes are coals and Jasper grips his hand like he might turn into smoke and disappear at any moment. Elias holds him back with the same regard.

"Ok," he decides, a rotten kind of sadness tainting his voice. It breaks Jasper's heart.

Elias looks up across the clearing, the smoke has gone now he's gained control. The earth and woods around them is black but not lingering with fire or warmth. Sam is alive, barely; covered in burns and missing part of his ear. He looks only strong enough to stand and maybe, leave. Elias wants to see that. "Get out of here, Sam Uley. Never return here. If you do, I won't kill you, instead I'll hunt everyone you care about and slaughter them. Let's see how well you cope when you're watching the people you love, die."

He's running the moment Elias has finished speaking.

Relief floods multiple faces, yet Elias can't look at them. There is shame and pain buried deep in his chest, hidden only by the fire on his skin, but that too is gone the moment Jasper comes closer to wrap Elias in a embrace that's too tight and not enough. He wants to stay there forever, his head buried so deep into the blondes shoulder that he can't see, his scent the only thing he's able to smell.

"-ing me Elias," someone calls, he can't hear them properly past his own thoughts. Jasper pulls him back by the shoulders, but it isn't him speaking. Elias looks into his eyes, but he nods towards the house. Elias follows his gaze. Edward stands at the open back door, covered in blood and as broken as a man whose soul has been ripped from his body. But it's his eyes, the dark black Elias is accustomed to looking at recently, that makes Eli's heart lift. There's hope in them. "Listen."

And Elias does- he expands his hearing out around them and only then does he realise there's another heartbeat inside the house.

Bella.

—Okay, my note—

Before any of you think Elias overreacted, to him, Bella was dead. Remember because you know what happens, doesn't mean he does :) also, I hope I'm explaining his powers well. If y'all have any questions, feel free to comment and I'll explain. I am here to serve chapters and good vibes.

When I started writing this chapter, it was very different. For some reason I got halfway through and the angst would not stop pouring out- it went from fluffy family to murder and honestly, I liked it. The way vampire nature isn't explored enough is a crime honestly- and I want Elias to be put through the work of having to realise his choice of this life came with consequences. One of those is how easy it is to slip into that nature of being a monster.

Coming up to Jacob black. I've had a change of heart recently. I've been delving into the injustice S.MEYER did with her poc characters and I want to fix that, starting with the wolves (other than Sam, because Elias has a personal hate to him only). I know it's silly but I've only just realised I can change anything I want, I write this for fun yano? So yes, Jake will have a redemption arc. Hes still a young teen who wants to be there for his friends and I am writing that he's strictly not in love with Bella- he thought he was, like I've explained, but he's grown to realise he wasn't. He's very much protective of her much like Elias is. I'm sorry if you don't like that, but it's how it is, please refrain from Jake or Bella slander being left because whilst in canon he's a bastard, I'm trying to fix him here. Just remember that these characters here are the ones you know, but they're also my versions of them I write that I am making more real. And here, Jake gets better, family does not always mean the blood you're born from and if Elias can harm someone and get away with it, he will ;)

Now the baby. Bella wanted a son SO BAD and when I was rereading breaking dawn I just couldn't wrap my head around the fact she didn't get one. So I gave her one. I also erased the name EJ because come on, Edward and Elias are the closest males to her and she'd name them after them before Jake- but I couldn't think of something to do with that, so I decided to give the baby a name of his own. Trust me, I tried finding the perfect name for DAYS. I exhausted everything and all I came up with was Arden- which is from a Shakespeare play and I'll going into explanation in upcoming chapters.

Finally, there's no imprint. Sorry not sorry. But the fact it's on a child is grooming in my books- youre telling me you're watching this kid grow and become a individual person, watching them have their own hopes and dreams about their life knowing damn well one day you're explaining to them how you'll always have to be near them cause of a imprint? It's crushing. Nevermind trying to sell the fact a grown ass man will wait for a child to grow into a adult before starting a relationship. Fuck that. Arden is a baby with the world at his feet and family at his back- he has his own choices and free will when it comes to love. Just as everyone should have.

If all that I'm changing bothers you, I'm sorry. Like I said, I've come to the realisation I can do as I like here. I'd like you to read my book, but if you spread hate I'll mute you. If you stop reading now, I can understand. Thank you for sticking up to this point.

Anyway- I hope you're all okay and looking after yourself. I love you all a lot.

Don't be a silent reader!