𝘾𝙃𝘼𝙋𝙏𝙀𝙍 𝙎𝙄𝙓𝙏𝙔
ミ★ ( bewitched, act four ) ★彡

     Edward noticed the life drain from her eyes and the smile drop from her face almost instantly—as did Bella and Jacob. Edward's own smile dropped from his face as he didn't want to believe what was happening in front of him. He had the speed of light but even then, he didn't think he could move any faster than slow motion. Lilith was dying in front of him and he was frozen in time, literally.

"Lilith?" Bella questioned with fear, grabbing onto her best friend's shoulder, the witch not moving or reacting from the action while Diana began to cry, "Lilith!" She shouted and noticed how her chest wasn't rising or falling either. Bella quickly began to pinch her nose and hold her most open to do mouth to mouth, blowing air into her lungs before doing compressions on her chest.

     "Jacob, take the baby." Edward ordered as he snapped out of his daze, trying to hand the baby over towards the wolf so he could take over and try to help his wife.

"Keep that away from me!" Jake snarled and Bella shoved him out of the way and grabbed Diana, rushing her out of the room where she had seen a now calmed down Rosalie and Alice by the doorway so the girls could take care of her.

     "The border has dropped!" Jacob noticed, sensing the magic falling around the house the moment Lilith had stopped breathing as he tried to continue CPR on her while Edward reached over towards once of the drawers and pulling out a large syringe, "What is that?" Jacob questioned in a demanding tone while Edward tried to feel for the spot where Lilith's heart was before plunging the syringe into her chest.

     "It's my venom." The vampire answered as he squeezed the clear but lethal liquid into her body, "She wanted me to be the one to change her, but, I couldn't bare the thought of biting into her and hurting her, so we thought this would be the best way." He pulled the syringe out and dropped it to the side, "You're okay." He whispered to her softly when he noticed her not react to the venom one bit, "Come on." His mind quickly jumped and began to continue the CPR that Jacob had stopped doing in hopes that it would help spread the venom in her blood system faster—or in general since her heart was no longer beating, "It's supposed to be working." He claimed in confusion.

     "Oh, my God." Jacob gasped quietly as he looked at the lifeless body of his best friend, the tears streaming down his face as Edward continued to do CPR and try to encourage her through it. Jacob glared at Edward through his tears, "I won't kill you. That'd be too easy. You deserve to live with this."

     His words fell onto deaf ears as Edward ignored him and only focused on trying to return Lilith back to life, pressing onto her chest and letting Jacob run out of the house and into the front yard where Bella was already sat down in a ball. Jake sat down next to her and shook his head, Bella almost immediately letting out sobs from the news while Jacob tried to console her in his arms, rocking her as she cried and thrashed around.

     "She didn't make it." Seth realised as he and Leah watched from a distance, not noticing Paul standing directly behind them in wolf form.

     "You're not dead. You're not dead." Edward continued to repeat himself as if, if he said it enough that it would be true and Lilith would come back to him, "Come on!" He grunted, pressing harder on her chest as Lilith continued to lay lifeless, "Come on!" He growled at himself, grunting as he pushed down on her chest with all of his might but being delicate enough to not break anymore bones or crush her.

     He stopped the CPR and began trying to feel for her jugular vein on the side of her neck; it was hard to feel without a pulse but he had ripped through enough of them to remember where they were, "No, it will work. It will work." Edward told himself as his bloody hand caressed her neck, "Please, please, please, please." He begged to anyone that cared to listen before he bent down and bit into her neck, letting his venom spread into her veins.

     He then moved to her wrist on her right arm and bit into it before moving over towards her legs and biting into them and her other wrist, aiming to bite the large veins in hopes that it would reach the rest of her body and spread quicker than with just the CPR and the venom in her heart. Edward looked over at her face again, seeing her continue to lay lifeless. Seeing her that way practically killed him inside again and he just hoped that something was working and that she could still hear him even though he couldn't read her mind anymore.

     He refused to believe that she was dead, she was going to come back to him. She couldn't leave him now when he had Diana. They promised each other to be a family and he refused to give up on that.

     He caressed the side of her face and her hair, "It's gonna burn. It's gonna hurt, it's going to feel much worse than just dying." He told her, hoping there was still part of her that could hear his voice and that his voice would coax her into fighting to stay alive, "But, I'm going to be here for you the whole time, and I'm gonna make sure you survive this. Please, just hang in there, baby."

     She didn't respond and Edward just simply continued to talk to her, and beg her to stay, "Please come back to me, please, baby." He begged softly, his voice almost at a whisper, feeling as if he could almost cry as he looked at Lilith and didn't have the strength to bring it any louder, "Please, Lilith, please."

     Meanwhile, Sam stormed out of Billy Black's home meeting with the rest of the pack who was standing outside with Sue, Billy and Emily trying to catch up to him, "I don't care what he's done. He's still my son." Billy called out sternly.

     Sam turned to face him angrily, "I'm sorry, Billy. But I just thought you should know." He said to him, the two having a stare off. Paul walked up to Sam and whispered into his ear, Sam looking down at the ground before turning back to Billy, "Lilith's dead." He announced, his voice slightly cracking as everyone looked shocked at the news, "It killed her." The air was heavy and it took a moment of silence for the group to realise the depth of what was happening, "Let's go!" Sam ordered before running towards the treaty line, the rest of the pack boys in pursuit, leaving Emily, Sue and Billy took look at each other in shock and wondering what they needed to do next in order for it all to stop.

     Edward gasped as he could hear the sounds of multiple wolves coming their way and hearing their thoughts getting louder and louder as they made their way towards the home; only being a few mere minutes away.

     "Alice! Jasper!" He called out to try and get their attention and to warn them. He then bent down to press a kiss to Lilith's forehead, "You're gonna be alright, I will be back, okay?" He said before making his way towards the front of his home.

     He sent Bella inside to be with Rosalie and Diana, standing with Jacob, Alice and Jasper at the front, waiting for the pack's arrival and seeing them pool out from between the trees. "We're outnumbered." Jasper noticed.

     Even with their fighting skills, they weren't sure they would be able to hold off the number of wolves that had come to attack them without the added help of the rest of their family and the magical properties that the Bailey's had, "By a lot." Alice agreed with wide eyes.

     "I won't let them hurt my family." Edward decided, his words making the wolves growl angrily for his refusal to cooperate and for him standing in their way.

     The wolves then pounced, Sam going directly for Edward who had held his body back from getting any closer towards the home and attacking Diana while the rest of the Cullens tried to hold off the pack with the added help of Seth and Leah.

     Sam pinned Edward down to the ground, shoving him back down with his paw whenever Edward tried to lift himself up off of the ground, growling in his face and bearing his teeth.

     Edward only looked into his mind, seeing the pain that Sam was in that Lilith was dead, but also seeing the fear that he had that he was doing the wrong thing.

     Without being able to stop it, Emmett came flying through and tackling Sam to the ground and off of his brother, with Carlisle and Esme going to help the rest of their family against the wolves.

     "It hurts." Lilith sobbed while on the floor of her dream reality, "It hurts so bad."

     "It's the venom passing through your body." Ryker informed her as he joined her on the floor, providing some moral support to the girl while she cried and screamed beside him, "It'll be over soon and the worst will be behind you."

     They wouldn't have long together while the large amount of venom that Edward had put into her would spread quickly throughout her body and getting rid of the last bit of blood that helped Lilith and Ryker stay connected. Her mind felt safe coming to him in her last and most vulnerable moments as a human, and Ryker knew he had to guide her through it, "I had a daughter." Lilith sobbed out, "She's so beautiful."

     "I know." Ryker said soothingly as he brushed the hair that had been stuck to her forehead from sweat away from her face, "Which is why you need to get through this and go back to her."

     The words that Lilith planned to say next were cut off by the sounds of her own screams and she felt the hot searing pain of the venom passing through her blood stream. It would slow down every once in a while and give Lilith the opportunity to speak to Ryker while he guided her through the change.

     She felt glad that she wasn't alone—even though she could hear Edward's voice nearby begging her to stay and come back to him—she also had Ryker telling her that she would be okay which made everything seem so much easier, and not as if she wouldn't be able to see the end like she believed the rest of the Cullens experienced when they turned.

     The sounds of snarls and yelps were heard while the Cullens struggled to hold back the wolves from getting any closer to the home, the pack having surrounded the vampires into a corner like a herd of sheep before they heard the sound of a car pulling up close towards them.

     "Stop!" Emily roared out as she got out of Sam's truck and running towards them, immediately jumping in front of the Cullens and in front of Sam. She knew it was a stupid idea and that it could get her hurt again, but, she had to do something to help Lilith. She had to do something in order to help fix what she had broken and make up for what she and her fiancé had done.

     Sam growled at her while Emily didn't budge, her shoulders standing straighter as she stared down her fiancé in wolf form. She was fearful but she was determined; her pants were heard loud and clear throughout the area as everyone went silent when looking at Sam and Emily stare each other down, with neither of them showing signs of backing down.

     "If you do this, it's over for everyone!" Emily spoke again, it seemed that she was speaking in code to everyone besides Edward, knowing that this could go either way, "You kill her, and you kill us." Her tone turned to one of seriousness, her eyes turning dark as she was warning him not to test her.

     Sam growled once more before turning back into his human form, "Emily, go home." He ordered her, his tone trying to push his alpha orders onto her.

  Emily narrowed her eyes at him, "No." She disobeyed.

     "Emily, go!" Sam persisted, snapping at her loudly as he pointed towards the truck that she had came to the Cullens' home in, "It killed Lilith! It has to go!"

     "And she is just a baby!" Emily insisted, blocking Sam from taking another step towards the home with her body and gently shoving him backwards. "And that baby is the imprint of our son... so, if you kill her, you kill us."

     Sam haltered as he looked at her with wide eyes, "Are you...?" He questioned, looking at her stomach to try and listen in for a heartbeat of a baby that he believed to be there from her choice of words.

     "I'm not." Emily shook her head, her voice softening, "But, I know she is the imprint of our son. I've seen it. Lilith showed me."

     Sam's eyes hardened again, "You're just going to believe what Lilith showed you, forgetting that she was a witch and could create fake scenarios and visions with the click of her fingers?" He snapped, "Emily, it was probably fake and just a scheme to save her skin!"

     "And maybe so!" Emily snapped back, but, in her heart she knew that Lilith was telling the truth just from the look in her eyes and her facial expressions. There was no way Lilith was that cruel to create such a thing to just try to save herself, "But, would you really risk our future son's happiness over something like this? That child hasn't done anything yet!"

     The pack wolves had begun to all shift back into their human, while the Cullens all watched the interaction, not moving and not knowing what to say. Edward felt it was best to stay out of it and let Emily handle it considering whatever they said they wouldn't believe anyway.

     "Yeah, except it killed Lilith." Paul interjected angrily, his eyes looking directly at Edward with a glare.

     "We don't know that for sure yet." Edward growled. He was still holding out hope that she was going to make it through the change and wake up soon. He just prayed that it was sooner rather than later—or not at all. He hoped he wasn't too late with inserting his venom into her or that he hadn't put enough.

     "It's going to be weird not being able to speak with you in my dreams anymore." Lilith thought out loud, her head laying atop Ryker's thigh so her head wasn't on the cold hard floor as she stared up at the ceiling, "I've weirdly grown used to this."

     Ryker raised an eyebrow, "Don't tell me you like me now." He teased.

     She rolled her eyes, "No, I've just learned that you're not as bad as everyone makes you out to be."

     "No, Lilith, I am that horrible person." He disagreed, "Just not to you." He admitted and Lilith give him a small smile. She didn't know what it was that apparently made her so special and so different to him, but she didn't appreciate it any less.

     "Well, that doesn't make much of a difference to me. It still means that there's some redeeming qualities in you then." Lilith responded before letting out another whimper, "God, why does it keep hurting?!"

     "Oh, right, you're hoping that your venom changes her before she dies." Paul retorts with an eye roll.

   Emmett let out a warning growl, "This is none of your business." Emmett glared back.

     "Lilith was our business!" Sam snarled and tried to take another step towards Emmett, only to be pushed back by Emily who stood in front of them protectively, "She was our family and now she's dead because of that thing you all desperately are trying to protect!"

     "If you saw her as family you wouldn't be doing this!" Emily argued, "She wouldn't want you to do this and we haven't been a family for a very long time." The moment Sam decided to try and attack her and her unborn child, they were no longer a family since family didn't do those things to each other.

     Lilith looked up at Ryker who had a confused expression on his face, "What's wrong?" She asked him, wondering what it could be that was making him confused.

     "The pack is fighting with the Cullens." He told her.

  Lilith's eyes widened, "I need to go back and stop it." She said trying to sit up but hissed and fell back down to the ground weakly.

     "You need to finish turning." He insisted as he watched her fall back down, "But, that isn't what is alarming... it's the fact that your parents aren't even there."

     "What do you mean my parents aren't there?" Lilith didn't let the pain affect her as she sat up straight to look at Ryker in confusion. Where were her parents?

     "They took off after they helped the Cullens sneak passed the pack." He informed her.

   Lilith clenched her jaw, "You're lying to me." She stated angrily.

     Ryker simply looked at her, "Lilith, when have I ever lied to you?" His words simply stunned her. He was right. When has he ever lied to her? All her parents have ever done was lie to her and kept her in the dark about things that affected her life, while Ryker only ever said the truth.

     Everything her parents told her only painted Ryker in a bad light—which he admitted that most of the time he was a bad person—but, he told her the truth and he was there for her in the most strangest, most 'Ryker' ways which was more her parents have ever done.

     Her parents rarely ever helped unless it was necessary while Ryker was the one to step up and tell her information that she needed instead of having to coax it out of her parents. There was something just not adding up with her parents and she was determined to get to the bottom of it one way or another.

     Ryker didn't say anything else, knowing she was most likely processing what was happening and would need a few moments to herself to do so. He didn't hold it against her that she accused him of lying to her about her parents considering that they were such a close family despite everything that they had been through and they were everything to each other.

     Hearing that her own parents betrayed her when she needed them most would've hurt and her mind was trying to deny it and place the blame on someone else in order to protect her from the pain it must've caused. Why would her parents leave?

     "Sam, are you really going to risk our family for revenge?" Emily pestered him, trying to get through to him that this was not the right thing to do for anyone and if he went through with it, he'd regret it immensely, "You should've seen them, Sam, they were so happy. If you go through with this, you ruin that and I refuse to let you do this."

     Sam looked from Emily towards Edward, seeing the vampire standing there with blood all over his clothes and mouth from the birth of his child, but he could see how distraught he was, "Is it true?" Sam questioned him, "Is she really my son's imprint?"

     Edward nodded his head slowly, "She is." He answered him, "Lilith saw it. Her visions are rarely ever incorrect."

     "Don't believe him, Sam." Jared growled, "He's just trying to protect it."

     Emily grabbed Sam's face and forced him to look at her, "If you don't want to believe Edward, then believe me. It's true. Don't do this."

     Sam looked into his imprint's eyes, seeing the emotion of hope in them that they could be a complete family with a happy future. She had hope that Sam would take her words into account and not do whatever he had planned. Feeling the bond, he gave in. He only ever wanted what Emily wanted. He sighed and took a step back, his foot dragging against the dirt, "Stand down, boys. Let's go home." He gruffly told the pack, "Give them some time to grieve." He mumbled before turning around and walking towards the forrest and phasing into his wolf form.

     The pack boys hesitated for a moment before they each followed after their alpha, keeping their eyes on the Cullens until the last moment before disappearing also.

     Emily let out a sigh of relief before turning to face the Cullens, seeing that Leah, Seth and Jake has shifted back into their human form. Leah instantly jumped onto her cousin, bringing her into a big hug, "Thank you."

     Leah knew that Emily sometimes had anxiety whenever it came to facing Sam in wolf form because of what had happened to her, and the fact that she did it without hesitation meant more to her and the Cullens than anything, "Anything for family." Emily said breathlessly into the hug.