Black Sheep

The sound of glass shattering on tile immediately siphons the conversation within the room. Shards of glass decorate the surface of the home’s rich hardwood floor like small shining crystals, scattered around the site of impact. Jasper mobilizes quickly, catching Alice before she falls onto the floor. He moves behind her and cradles her head in his lap, gently smoothing her hair with his hands.

“Alice?” Jasper’s accent-heavy voice rings out, concern colouring the syllables of Alice’s name. The stiff silence of the room breaks in an instance, his family all commenting similarly in a flurry of untamed energy.

A vision? A vision.

The Cullen’s move to surround them now, seeing no immediate response from Alice they advance on the couple, ready to provide aid if needed. Carlisle frowns, a crease forming in his brow as he crouches next to Jasper, his eyes moving rapidly to observe Alice carefully. He looks towards the group still standing behind him and nods at Esme’s silent message. She leaves the room and seconds later she’s back with a dustpan and brush taking care of the mess.

Jasper looks towards the Cullen patriarch grimaces, brushing his mate’s cheek tenderly before shifting backwards while holding her head steady. Carlisle removes his jacket and folds it roughly, placing it below Alice’s head. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a penlight. Opening his wards eyes he uses the light to observe the dilation of her eyes as they shudder violently in their sockets.

“It’s definitely her powers but I’m not sure what has brought on this response. We will have to wait until she has woken up.”

Thunderous steps echo through the house as Edward comes rushing towards the kitchen, Bella trailing behind her at a slower pace. Edward’s face is in a frown as he begins to take in the volume of his family's thoughts.

“Carlisle? What's happening-” His words cut off abruptly as he breaches the room and locks eyes with Alice’s crumpled form. His mind takes in mountains of information as he reads the thoughts of his family, all of their minds’ working at a breakneck pace. The biggest amount of information coming from Alice as he interprets the vision within his mind. He observes silently as events play out of order, a macabre slideshow of violence and confusion.

Edward stumbles back a few steps, the intensity of the vision throwing him off-kilter. He steadies himself and casts his gaze towards Jasper. He tries to speak, get any coherent thought from his brain to his mouth, but the words die on his tongue as he looks hopelessly towards his family, Jasper's expression grows grave as he takes in the meaning of Edward’s silence. He moves to question exactly what it is Edward saw but he’s cut off by a loud slam.

His gaze snaps down towards the source of the sound watching as Alice’s eyes open and her body goes rigidly into a sitting position, one hand supporting her weight as the other clutches her shirt tightly right above her stagnant heart.

“Alice, what happened?” Jasper's tone conveys a gentle, probing worry. He reaches to touch Alice but she flinches back silently, her eyes wide and distant. He reaches for her again and she sinks into his touch.

“Alice that vision…” Edward is the first to speak up, having seen most of the events of Alice’s vision due to his ability. He pauses trying to grasp the needed words, his usually stoic form disrupted. Bella touches his hand gently from behind, causing him to refocus his thoughts. “In that vision… Was that Faith?”

Alice's eyes drift away from whatever they were looking at down to her hands before they turn towards Jasper. Shoulders shaking with the ghost of a sob she clings to him tightly. Jasper holds her closely, rubbing her back gently as he looks back up to Edward.

“Faith? Alice hasn't been seeing things to do with her recently. What did you see darlin’?”

“Jasper… It’s still blurry in my mind. I saw so much at once, it was like there was a buildup of visions and something happened and the dam just broke.” She pauses and her eyes widen as she looks towards her partner with more certainty. “Oh my god, wait. I saw blood, there was so much blood. It wasn't clicking but now it is… Oh no oh my god.

“Alice what’s happened, please be more clear.”

“Faith! I saw her in my visions. She was in my visions and so were some of us, it was some past events at first but then it got blurry and the timeline went. Wrong? I'm not sure but something was happening, so many things were happening and I wasn't sure what it was but I know now. It was blood, Carlisle. Faith’s blood.”

Shock coats Carlisle’s face, the same emotion mirrored on the rest of the coven. Jasper's hand grips Alice’s, his emotions flaring at her words. She places her other hand on top of his and squeezes.

“Are you able to tell where the vision took place?”

“It was in the woods but I can't be sure of where. We were planning on having Jasper walk home with her the other night so we could have an idea of her general area and keep an eye on her, but she was upset and left too quickly for him to ask. I'm not even sure where she lives.”

Her words come out short and exasperated, her distress evident in her words and body language. She looks up towards her father figure with pain on her face, she and Jasper had only recently found their connection to the girl but it was already being tested by the world. Carlisle’s features morph into a grim frown as his mind works quickly, formulating a plan of action to ensure the safety of his children and their human companion.

“Rosalie and Emmet, you go to the border of the forest and work your way inwards, Alice, You’ll work from around the school outwards. Jasper, I know you’ll wish to go but we can't be sure of her condition so I’ll need you to stay here with Edward and Bella. We can’t have you losing control right now.”

“I understand.”

“Esme, you will go into town and see if she's been admitted at the hospital or if anyone has seen her. I will accompany Alice on her search.” He pauses to address the entirety of the coven. “If anyone catches her scent, call me immediately.”

The Cullen’s all regard Carlise with a solemn nod as they break into their teams and make their ways out of the house in a blur. Edward and Bella look somberly at Jasper as he stares at the retreating forms of his mate and surrogate family, pained by the thought of losing his and Alices’ human companion despite knowing them for only a short time.

He moves to go up to his room and simmer in his sadness alone only to be halted in this endeavour by a firm hand on his shoulder. Edward. His grip stops the movement of his target, questioning eyes glance towards Jasper, mirror image frowns on the face of the two world-weary men.

“Alice wouldn't want you to be alone right now, please stay down here with Bella and I.”

“I think that I would prefer to be alone right now Edward.”

“No, you are going to stay down here with us. You don't have to talk but you do have to stay down here.”

Edward grabs the frustrated man and guides him into the living room, pushing him onto a chair in a gentle yet forceful manner, leaving no more room for arguments. The honey-haired man fidgets in the chair, his legs bouncing restlessly as he casts his gaze towards the door.

“Jasper I understand your worry but it's better if you stay positive. Alice would hate to see you like this.”

“I’m just so worried Edward.”

“I know.”

At this Edward smiles a sad, understanding smile and sits down next to his brother.
-----
Her feet barely touch the ground as she runs through the forest, careful to keep her speed quick enough to cover the most amount of area whilst keeping good visibility. She wouldn't want to miss something important, the stakes are too high now.

Alice pauses at a fork in the forests’ path as she waits for Carlise to meet back up with her. While she waits she sniffs the air, her nose tingles slightly as it picks up the familiar metallic scent of blood, she locks eyes with her adoptive father, his own pupils dilated similar to hers. The scent is faint but it is there, the wind having carried it towards their direction.

There is no certainty that the blood belongs to who they hope, but it's their best lead yet. They share restrained nods, taking off slower in the direction the scent is coming from. Their steps were heavy with trepidation as they follow their noses towards possible tragedy.

They tread quietly, leaves and twigs crunching softly below their feet as they go deeper and deeper into the growth of the forest. The sky is dreary above them, the scent of future rain lingering in the air and somewhat masking the scent of blood.

The forest’s paths begin to get increasingly heavy with plant growth as they progress in the direction of the scent. Becoming almost too thick to walk through with a natural amount of strength. The two vampires get ready to use their enhanced abilities to scrape their way through before the plants begin thinning suddenly and the cusp of a clearance emerges. The scents source seemingly right past the brink of the tree line.

They breach the clearance slowly and calmly so as to not agitate any possible assailants and to observe fully the situation before making rash decisions.

A large pool of red fluid stains the grass at the centre of the clearing, viscous liquid clotting and pooling on the usually green turf, staining it a brilliant crimson. Within the pool lie two figures, with their backs towards Alice and Carlise.

One of the bodies isn’t moving, the other crouched on top, tearing into the one below it. Flesh rips and tears yet not much more blood is spilt, most of the body’s liquid having already been drained.

Alice stands at the cusp of the clearing, quiet and still, her mouth open wide and her hands clenched against her side, eyes lamenting the loss of the ability to cry as she stares forward.

The source of Faith’s scent is strong here, as is the scent of an unknown vampire.

She reaches out a hand to grasp at nothingness, the limb moving on its own in grief as she stares forward with a melancholy resignation, unable to fully process the horrific scene in front of her. The scent of her human mate and the unknown vampire mixing dangerously.

Alice’s feet move slowly as she tentatively begins to make her move towards the figure before her. Carsiles hand grazes her shoulder in an attempt to halt her movement and consider a plan of attack but it’s too late, Alice’s foot hits the forest floor, dry sticks breaking underneath the pressure of her weight.

At this moment the atmosphere of the clearing shifts.

The sound of the snapping wood echoes throughout the clearing hauntingly despite the soft sound feeling unusually loud due to the quiet of nature. The morbid silence of the clearing being broken instantly. A split second of silence in the clearing feels like an eternity as the vampire in front of them pauses in their assault of the body beneath them. Bloody hands moving from their place on the carcass as the vampire’s movements come to a halt. A moment of consideration prompted by the disruption of their meal.

A cruel voice whispers in Alice’s mind that she is witnessing the desecration of half her heart and doing nothing to stop it.

She tries to silence the thought but the sentiment stings.

The foreign vampires’ head turns to face the source of the intrusion on its territory. Vibrant, hungry, red eyes finally make contact with sad, shocked gold. A look of betrayal and confusion permeating the faces of the tawny-haired vampire, her older companions face morphing into a similar confused look.

“Faith?” Alice’s voice rings out, breaking the silence of clearing once again. Her statement is met not by words but feral eyes and a vicious snarl, the girl before her too consumed by the hunger and rage that comes with the transformation.

“What happened to you?”

Another snarl comes tumbling out of the mouth of the newborn before them.

“Faith, please answer me! I'm so sorry!” A hand is placed firmly on Alice’s shoulder, effectively silencing her cries. She looks up to her adoptive father, her face tight and upset. His face reflects her thoughts, his mouth set in a deep frown once again.

“She isn't going to answer you, the transformation was rushed and she was obviously extremely volatile during it. That girl is feral and will remain so for some time, Alice.”

“What needs to be done? I can tell her fate is intertwined with Jasper and mine. I can’t just leave her here. We have to help her.”

Her eyes lock on Faith’s once again, the girl still sitting on the ground still, but ready to pounce upon the two other vampires if threatened. Carlisle takes a breath he doesn't need to try and steady himself.

“I understand Alice. I will see to it myself that we handle her with utmost care.” He pauses his sentence to further analyse the situation facing them. The girl's breathing seems to be slowing down gradually as if she was running out of stamina. Unusual for a newborn but he had no idea the length of time the poor girl had been there before they arrived. “She needs to be restrained so we can bring her back home. We won't get anywhere without her being this agitated.”

“I’ll do whatever is needed, Carlisle.”

“Okay, call Emmet to our location. We'll need his strength if we want this to succeed.”

Alice pulls out her phone quickly flipping it open and dialling her brother's number with swift fingers. He picks up after the first ring, his gruff voice filling her ears as she stares unblinkingly at Faith still braced for battle in front of her. Her voice is soft and sad as she speaks.

“Emmet, we've found her. We were too late, the blood in my vision is hers.”

“Dead?”

“No, not dead, turned. It seems like whatever was affecting my visions was someone’s ability. They got to her but the situation seems to have flipped at some point and the vampire is dead. Faith is running out of energy but her strength is still that of a newborn. We’ll need your help subduing her, she’s extremely volatile at the moment. I'll send you the coordinates.”

“I'll be there soon.”

Alice puts her phone back into the pocket of her jeans after the needed information has been sent, a grimace on her face as her eyes catch Faith’s figure in the periphery of her field of vision.

Not even a minute passes before the wind whistles loudly around the two vampires at the edge of the clearing. Branches rustling back into place as Rosalie and Emmet arrive.

Faith’s eyes widen as she notices the arrival of two new vampires, her laboured breathing now even slower than before, her stamina becoming depleted the longer she stays upright, a body running on borrowed time.

Emmet's slightly jovial smile upon his arrival falls into a frown as he notices the condition Faith is in, covered in her own blood and the blood of her attacker. He had seen her in school before but never taken much notice of her until his siblings had become involved. From what he had seen she seemed like a nice girl, definitely not someone deserving of such a violent fate.

His eyes lock with those of his adoptive father, a silent conversation happening between the two of them as Alice stands between them noticeably shaken. He gives her a short, sympathetic squeeze before putting on a serious face and readying himself for what is to come.

“What are we dealing with Carlise?”

“She’s been turned but the transformation was rushed. It looks like she was extremely stressed preceding the incident, currently still aggressive.” The blonde man pauses as he lets the weight of the situation hit the new arrival, when he sees understanding passing through his son's eyes he continues speaking. “I need you to grab her and incapacitate her so we can bring her back to our home. Rosalie you'll need to help me grab the other body, I’d like to observe it more back at the house. Alice, you stay where you are.”

“Got it.”

Emmet readies himself for a fight as he begins to approach the girl in the clearing. Slowly yet steadily making his way towards her as she hisses and snarls while advancing at him. Unable to voice more sounds than animalistic rage while in her frenzied state. Behind him Carlisle and Rosalie move out from both sides of him quickly, effectively distracting the newborn and drawing her attention away from Emmet.

He capitalizes on her momentary confusion and swiftly runs behind her and captures her in his arms. Her small form is dwarfed by his size as he holds her in a tight headlock. Faith thrashes violently against his grip, her newborn strength making it hard for him to keep hold of her. Blood scrapes against his body and his fangs ache for a taste, his mind in control of his body keeping him from attacking.

Despite her frenzy and her loss of stamina, she shows almost no signs of calming down. Emmett grunts in effort as Faith lands a particularly harsh kick to his shin. Her legs flailing violently as he holds her in his arms above the ground.

Emmet looks backwards to where Carlisle and Rosalie are picking up the body of the older vampire and grunts again as he is scratched on the face with a stray arm. Carlisle looks up at him and nods silently before speaking, to ensure the command is as clear as possible.

“Knock her out. We need to get going.”

He nobs back at his adoptive father and turns the flailing girl around to face him as she gnashes at the air violently. He uses one hand to catch her arms in a vice grip, one much more forceful than the headlock he had her held in before as the other hand reaches towards her neck. He lets his legs buckle and grunts quietly as his knees hit the sound ground with a thud. For one more moment he looks up at Alice across the field and his grip continues to tighten, wanting to ensure she is okay with what he is doing to her mate,
She mouths the words “Do it” with a sorrowful look in her golden eyes.

Before the human eye would have had time to process what's happened he tightens his grip and pushes Faith's body forwards harshly. Her head snaps backwards and hits the ground with a hard thud, her body going limp within his arms.

With her body tight in his grip Emmet stands up and walks away from the pool of blood to join his family at the edge of the clearing. The clouds above them rumbling softly as spring's first rain begins to pour.