Eternal Flame

I didn't think it was ever going to end. Dylan was coming towards me, his teeth bared, he was ready to attack. I was screaming, sweat dripping down my face.

I woke up hyperventilating, sitting up I realised I was in my room.

"Easy there, your ok you were just having a nightmare," Jake said trying to calm me down. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into his chest.

"But it wasn't a nightmare, it was real." I said breathing fast.

"Nessie, I am so sorry, this is all my fault," he said sadly.

"Jacob it wasn't your fault, you saved me," I said tring reassure him.

"I should have protected you, no matter what excuse," he said looking at the bed.

"I didn't hear them or even feel them take me, so tell me how could you have possibly known? You couldn't have." I replied.

I lifted my head up carefully before gently kissing his smooth cheek.

"Nessie?" He asked softly.

"Yes," I answered.

"Are you ok?" He asked concerned.

"Where is everyone?" I asked curiously.

"Downstairs," he said.

"Ok, I think I should go see them," I replied, trying to dodge the question.

"Sure," he said with a soft tone to his voice.

I went to get out of the bed and pain shot through me, I was still so weak from the night before. I fell back onto the bed.

"I can't get up, its to painful," I said tears filling in my eyes.

Pain twisted through Jake's face, it hurt him so much to see me like this.

"Come on, its ok I'll carry you," he said lifting me up gently into his arms, "it's going to be ok Nessie."

He carried me out into the hallway and down the stairs to the living room. Everyone was looking in our direction, guilt twisting through their faces, I hated it. Jake set me gently down on the couch where everyone else was and the he sat down next to me. My mum put her arms around me softly knowing I was in pain.

"Sweetie I am so sorry, we all are and we hate ourselves for what happened to you," she said sadness in her voice.

I looked around the room at everyone, they were all shaking their heads and looking furious with themselves.

"It was no ones fault, no one could have saw this coming. Not even you Alice," I said looking at my aunt. "So just stop feeling guilty. I can see it in your faces."

"Sweetie how are you feeling?" Dad asked trying to change the topic.

"Like hell I guess, only that would probably be less painful," I said feeling the pain inside my body.

"Your still in pain after the attacks? I guess it does make sense, I mean twenty attacks is pretty rough, your lucky to be alive" Jasper said.

"What?" I snapped. Twenty attacks? I guess I didn't tell them how many times Dylan actually hit me with his lightening. "Twenty attacks, I would have taken that any day but last night........"

Catching on, everyones face went blank.

"How many times did he attack you Nessie?" Jacob asked, terrified to know the answer.

I looked at every one and then to the floor. I took a deep breath.

"A hundred, maybe more," I said softly.

Gasps and hisses were all I could hear, they were shaking their heads in disbelief.

"More than a hundred," Jacob said with a sad tone and tears filling his eyes.

I looked at hime, tears brimming over my eyes.

"My poor baby," Mum said hugging me, if she was able to cry she would have been.

Dad couldn't speak, his face was pure stone. I think he was in shock just like everybody else.

I wiped away the tears from my face. It was silent for the next few minutes.

"Grandpa, how did you get me out of those buckles?" I asked, breaking the silence.

"He didn't, I did and they were pretty hard to crack, even for me and I guess that's saying something," my father smiled.

"I guess it is." I smiled in return. "By the way, which one fo you killed Dylan?"

Nobody answered, shaking their heads.

"Daddy, mum?" I asked nervously.

"No, honey," they both said.

"Jasper, Alice, Emmet, Rosalie?" I asked, now worried.

"No," was all they said.

I turned my head to face Jacob, "Jacob?"

"No Ness," he said softly.

"And grandpa and grandma were with me............" I said in shock.

I could feel my face harden, my breathing was getting faster and everyone was now realizing that what I was trying to say was that Dylan was still alive. They all were.

"He's still alive." This was all I managed to say.

"He will never get the chance to hurt you again, I promise." Jake said, everyone nodding their heads in agreement.

"You don't understand," I said turning to face everyone. "He will stop at nothing to get to me,and its not him that I'm afraid of. I'm afraid of what he can do I mean, Jane and Alec have power but he...."

Everything went silient again before Alice said, "I can't see him coming."

"Well you didn't see him coming the first time did you?" Dad snapped.

I put my head in my hands, I hate it when they argue.

"Both of you stop it, this is the last thing Nessie needs right now, you two arguing," my mum said before pulling me back into her arms.

"Bella is right. We have to focus and be alert at all times, for Nessie's sake," grandpa said. "Alice, your going to have to keep looking out for signs of Dylan from his and Aro's thoughts maybe even Jane's.

"Ok I will," Alice said confidently.

Mum passed me to Jake where he wrapped his arms around me before kissing my forehead gently.

"Nessie?" Grandpa asked.

"Yes?" I answered.

"You will probably be weak for a couple of days so just have a lot of rest and you should be fine then, ok?" He asked raising his eyebrows.

"So I'm on bed rest then?" I sighed, "fine."

"Good girl, so then off you go," he said.

"Now?" I asked.

He nodded. I looked at mum and dad and they raised their eyebrows and started nodding to.

"Oh, alright have it your way," I said.

Jacob lifted me in his arms, carried me back upstairs to my room and gently sat me down on the bed. He lay on the bed with his arms around me. We just sat there in one an others arms cradling each other. I had never truely understood what being scared was until now. Just the thought of Dylan still being out there terrified me....