The Edge

xi.

"Seattle is in a state of terror. Police are baffled by the escalating murders and disappearances. Theories range from a vicious new gang to a wildly active serial killer. Report live, Dawn Choubey." the reporter on the television informed as Emma sat with her family in the living room. "It's getting worse, we're going to have to do something." Carlisle sighed, turning the tv off. "It takes more than one of our kind to cause the damage they're reporting." Jasper kept his gaze on the now blank screen. "Quite a few more and they're undisciplined, conspicuous." Jasper looked over at Edward, who stood in the doorway with Bella. "It's newborns." Edward read his mind as he stayed at the threshold. "What, like new vampires?" Bella looked at Carlisle concerned. "In the first few months after the change." Edward confirmed as Bella turned her gaze to him. "That's when we're at our most uncontrollable; vicious, insane with thirst." Jasper thought back to his own origin story. "Something to look forward to." Emmett cracked a joke as he sat on the arm of the couch. "No one's trained these newborns, but this isn't random." Jasper analyzed the attacks in Seatle. "Someone's creating an army." Carlisle looked to Jasper for confirmation. "Well now we're definitely going to Seattle." Emmett jumped up from his spot on the arm, next to Emma.

"An army of vampires?" Bella was still trying to process the information. "And they've been created to fight someone." Jasper looked at the couple, having suspicions the army was after them. "We're the only clan even close to Seattle." Edward picked up on Jasper's thinking. "Regardless of why they were made, if we don't put a stop to them, the Volturi will. I'm surprised they let it go on this long." Carlisle wanted to be proactive, soon. "Maybe they're behind it." Edward suggested his own hypothesis. "They aren't that dumb, the Volturi thrive on control and power. Newborns are the complete opposite of what they would want." Emma immediately denied Edward's proposition. "In Italy, I read Aro's mind. He wants me and Alice to join him, but he knows we'll never choose him as long as our family's still alive." Edward wasn't convinced. "An army could solve that for him." Jasper weighed the hypothesis.

___

"It's just a sprain." Carlisle looked over the x-ray of Bella's hand as Emma finished wrapping it. "It should heal fairly quickly." Carlisle promised the girl when Emma released her hand and began to put away the supplies. "Trying to walk and chew gun at the same time again, Bella?" Emmett joked as he and Jasper entered the room, Bella letting out an awkward laugh. "I punched a werewolf in the face." Bella was honest with the pair. "Badass, you're going to be one tough little newborn." Emmett grinned at the information he was given. "Tough enough to take you on." Bella smiled as the room's atmosphere lightened until Rosalie slammed her newspaper to the floor and stormed out of the room. "Don't worry about her, she found out about last night and has been easily triggered ever since." Emma smiled sympathetically at Bella, whose smile had now dropped. "Why were you there last night?" Bella questioned and Emma was a little surprised Edward hadn't told the girl. "One of the wolves imprinted on me last weekend, there's a lot of politics around it now." Emam gave the human a tight-lipped smile. Bella gave Emma a small nod back, before glancing over to the balcony where Rosalie was. "You can always try talking to her, she won't bite." Emma proposed to the human, who used Jasper's entrance to the home as a time to slip away. "Got any leads?" Edward and Carlisle both looked to the man. "No sign of the intruder, but Victoria continues to make appearances." Jasper explained as the four men continued to talk about the possibility of Victoria being behind everything.

___

The following day was graduation day, all of the Cullens were graduating, except for Emma, who despite her heavy extracurriculars, was still a few credits shy of the graduation requirement. However, this didn't stop the younger 'Cullen' from enjoying the festivities, because who throws a graduation party better than Alice? The Cullen home was filled with people and Emma was dancing with Angela when Bella finally arrived. "You made it!" Angela yelled out as she pulled Emma over to the human. "Hey, what did you think of my speech? Too easy-breezy? Too self-helpful? You hated it?" Jessica also walked over to Bella, immediately wanting feedback on her speech. "No, I think you pretty much nailed it." Bella was honest with the girl as she remembered the speech. "Yeah?" Jessica looked hopeful. "It's like I was born to lead, right?" Jessica then joked and Emma shook her head but let the comment slide. "I love this song, let's go." Angela put her hand out for Emma as she dragged Jessica with her other hand. "I'll be over in a bit." Emma squeezed the brunette's hand before letting it go.