Friday, August 19, 2011

EP Read Along Week 24 - Chapters 69-71




Chapter 69 – BPOV

Chapter 69 starts off with the shoot out in front of the Cullen house from Bella’s point of view.    Bella is horrified that Jacob has been shot and is shaking uncontrollably when Edward tells her to get into the car.  Before Edward and Bella drive away. Bella gets clipped in the arm with a bullet.  They take off with James and company hot on their tails.  Bella and Edward are slammed from behind and crash into some trees.    Edward is unconscious and James comes to take Bella.  She grabs Edward’s gun and accidentally shoots Laurent.  The people with James obviously know who Bella really is and don’t want her to know.  They plan to kill Edward, but Bella begs for his life and they leave him.  I honestly don’t know why James left Edward alive, to be honest.  It would have been simple to kill him and get him out of the way.  J/S  Don’t get me wrong.   I’m glad he didn’t but it would have made more sense giving the personality of James.   Anyway, once Bella is in their vehicle, she gets the first of many injections that renders her unconscious.

Bella wakes up having no idea how much time has passed or where she is at.    She spends much of her time unconscious.  The first time she wakes up, she is given water and crackers by Victoria.  The second time she wakes up and learns that her captor is Stephan Volkov, who is James’s father.  She finds out that Elizabeth was a slave and that Stephan was the one who had her killed.  She learns that Stephan is Emmett’s biological father and that she is currently in Chicago.  Finally, she learns that she is the long lost mafia princess, the principessa.  After her conversation with Stephan, Bella is left alone with James who again tries to assault her, and Bella knees him in the nuts! (GO BELLA!!!!)   This only pisses James off and makes him more determined.  As he is attacking Bella, she scratches the stitches on his face which enough get him off of her, but not before he dislocates her shoulder and duct tapes her mouth and her hands and ankles together.  Victoria returns with food, but is not very friendly towards Bella anymore.

Bella continues to spend her time in and out of consciousness.  She has nightmares and flashbacks with her mother, Edward’s mother and Edward.  She relived horrible things from her past.  Her periods of lucidity become fewer and farther between, and in one of the moments of consciousness, she is asked for the code to the Cullen house.  I have to admire Bella because she would not betray her new family.

As the chapter ends, Bella is trying to hold on, but she is reaching the end of her rope.  She will not give up on Edward saving her because he told her he would never give up on her.

Chapter 70 – EPOV

Yes, Edward fucked up and Carlisle is pissed.   Edward thought he knew what was best and she should have listened to his father.  Edward is finally realizing that he has been working against his father this whole time.  Now Edward is devastated that Bella is gone and the pain of losing her is more agonizing than his injuries from the car accident. 

Edward has a moment, in his distraught state, where he flips out on Alec.  Of course Alec being Alec, throws Edward against the wall and shoves a gun in his side.  When Carlisle defends Edward, Alec turns the gun on him.  Alec is hardcore…you don’t mess with him.  He would kill Edward or Carlisle in heartbeat to protect himself.
Edward is wandering around the house at loose ends while Carlisle and Alec run back and forth between the office and basement.  He finally settles in his room where he is reminded of Bella.  Edward finally does what he has needed to do.  He sits down and cries, sobbing loudly, not caring who hears him.  Your heart is just breaking with his. His heart is more exposed than ever before.  Carlisle interrupts him to tell him that they are leaving for Chicago.  Edward insists on going and Carlisle agrees, but warns Edward to keep his mouth shut and do what he is told.  He also tells Edward that they have Laurent in the basement, and they are trying to get information out of him.  Jacob didn’t make it.  He was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and as much as Edward hated him, he feels really bad because he lost his life trying to help Bella.

Edward, Carlisle and Alec fly to Chicago and arrive and the Evanson’s to a frazzled looking Esme.  Emmett and Rosalie are waiting there for them.  Carlisle sat his laptop in front of Emmett and said he had until morning to have the chip returned to the way it was originally or he would regret it.  Esme is so sweet.  She really is a caretaker, trying to get Edward to take something for the pain or eat something and being there for him with the hugs.

Edward finally gets some well-needed shut-eye and sleeps for 12 hours.  He wakes to find Emmett making some progress on the chip but just can’t get a lock on Isabella’s location.  Just as Emmett yells “Got it!” the FBI shows up with a search warrant and they all find themselves on the ground.  They arrest Carlisle and Alec and confiscate many things from Alec’s house, including the computer with Isabella’s tracking program.  Edward gets mouthy with the FBI agents, tries to get the laptop while they are taking it away and lands himself in jail for having a fake ID.

The next day in jail, Edward is visited by an attorney sent by Esme.  It turns out that Edward is probably going to be there for a couple of days.  This is torture for Edward knowing that he can’t be out there looking for Bella.  After another day or two in jail, Edward is visited by Agent DiFronzo.  Edward refuses to speak but then Agent DiFronzo brings up Isabella and he has dug up a lot of information about Bella while in Forks and tries to get Edward to talk, but he gets nothing.  Poor Edward is trying to hold back the tears when he shows Edward the pictures of him and Bella that was obviously taken from Bella’s scrapbook.

The next day, Esme bails Edward out and she informs him that Carlisle and Alec are being held in the same jail.  It is likely that the charges against Alec will be dropped, but Carlisle – not so much.  While driving home with Esme, Edward comes to the realization that he is going to have to risk everything to save Bella.  He goes to see Aro…..

Edward plays right into Aro’s hands.  He asks for help and of course Aro doesn’t want to help him.  Edward almost blows it by shouting at Aro that Isabella is family.  He covers quickly by telling Aro that  he loves her and is going to marry her, so she has to be something to him.  And this is where Aro has him.  He tells Edward that he chose not be a part of Aro’s family.  “We all have choices to make, and you made yours”.  Edward just wants Bella back so bad, he just does it.  He’s says, “You got it” and tears are in his eyes.  Is this killing you while you are reading this???  Oh, our poor Edward.  He is sacrificing everything to get his girl back.  So Aro makes a few calls,  the Mafioso arrive, and Edward takes the oath.

And that’s that…..(I was thinking of the line in Goodfella’s after they off Tommy)

Chapter 71 – CPOV

Carlisle is reflecting on how he first came into contact with Jacob Black when Edward was ten  years old.  He is remembering Jacob as a cheerful boy, telling jokes.  Just like the older Jacob.  Edward introduced Jacob to his father as his best friend, which was a relief to Carlisle that Edward had a friend to confide in.  Then everything blew up with Jacob, and Edward was an angry young man….until Isabella came along.  She pulled Edward back from the darkness, but Jacob did not have anyone.  I think Carlisle felt really bad and regretted what happened to Jacob.  He blamed himself for being part of this life.  He pushed Jacob’s body over the cliff in LaPush, which made him feel guilty but he had no other choice.

Carlisle returns to the house and goes into the secret room to get information out of Laurent who is wounded from Bella shooting him.  Carlisle refuses to help him until he gives up some information.  After bantering back and forth, and Laurent calling Bella a bitch for shooting him (which pisses Carlisle off) Carlisle leaves him begging in the corner of the room and head back upstairs.  He sees that Edward is a complete emotional wreck, not to mention a physical one as well.  He is thinking about how Edward is so much like himself, taking matters into his own hands, and screwing things up.


Carlisle tries periodically through the night to try to get information from Laurent, but to no avail.  Alec has enough and goes in to torture him a bit and then kill him.  Carlisle has to walk away.  I love when Carlisle says “and his last moments would be pure torture at the hands of one of the scariest motherfuckers that I knew.”  Alec did get it out of the Laurent that it was the Russians that they were dealing with.  They are thinking that the Russians know that she is a principessa della mafia.  Alec takes care of Laurent and they head to Chicago.

They have a sit down with Aro when they arrive in Chicago and basically Aro tells Alec that he is responsible if Bella spills any secrets.  Carlisle doesn’t feel like she knows enough for it to be a concern.  They return to the Evanson’s and shortly thereafter are raided by the FBI.  Carlisle’s time spent in jail was excruciatingly slow.  While he is there, he is visited by Special Agent DiFronzo.  Shockingly,  DiFronzo presents him with Isabella’s journal which portrays Carlisle in a bad light.  He also knows about the GPS program and begins to question what Carlisle is tracking with it.  Carlisle gives up nothing and after Esme gathers up bail money for him and Alec, he is released.  Esme tells Carlisle that Edward took the oath while he was in jail.  Carlisle can’t accept it and is reminded by Alec that he once did the same thing because he believed it was the only way to save the woman that he loved.

Aro calls and wants to see Carlisle and Alec.  Meahwhile, Edward hasn’t been seen in three days so nobody knows exactly what he is up to.  Carlisle has 48 hours before he has to surrender himself to get fitted with an ankle monitor.  So they need to move fast before Carlisle moves are being watched.

They meet with Aro who shares the “good news” about Edward.  Carlisle is hoping for loophole that will get Edward out, but the oath is complete and the only way out is death.  Aro shares that he still refuses to get involved with Isabella’s kidnapping, even after Edward took the oath.  Carlisle is ready to fly off the handle, but luckily Alec is there to temper him and get him out of there before he does something stupid.  “You must truly have a death wish” Alec mutters.  (foreshadowing anyone?)

Carlisle and Alec head over to Royce’s house to try to figure out where they might be.  They find Clara (the slave from Phoenix) there and she expresses her concern about Isabella.  They assure her that the reason they are there is to find Bella.  After going through Royce’s office and speaking with Emmett on the phone, they determine that they are in Highland Park.  Those of us that live here in Chicago can tell you that it is pretty far north of the city.  So Carlisle and Alec head for an industrial area of Highland Park, and try Royce and Edward’s phones a few times, but they are not answering.  They arrive at the location and spot James’s car.  They spot Catalano, a kid from the organization who fell in with James and they threaten him to find out what they want to know.  Isabella is in that building – or least she was.  As they are interrogating Catalano, another car pulls up with it’s lights off and it’s Edward and Royce.  Edward is about to walk right in there to get Isabella but Carlisle stops him before he does.  After Edward beats the crap out of Catalano because of Bella, they send him in to tell James he go jumped by thugs.  Meanwhile, Carlisle and Edward cover the back door and Royce and Alec get the front.  As Edward and Carlisle are heading to the back door, Edward asked his father if he is pissed at him Carlisle is – of course.  Edward starts going into his explanation of why he had to do it but his father tells him that now is not the time.  The back door flies open and a gunfight ensues.  Carlisle and Edward are both hit but not fatally.  Carlisle takes out James (YAY Carlisle!!!)  Alec is hit too and it is serious.  Carlisle tells him he needs to get to a hospital. 

Edward finds Bella, who now looks more like the slave girl he had brought from Phoenix a year ago, than the healthy girl from a few weeks ago.  Bella is in bad shape, dehydrated and bruised.  Her pulse is weak and she is not waking up.  Edward is pleading with the unconscious  Isabella to stay with him because he can’t survive without her.  Carlisle’s heart goes out to his son and he promises to do what he can for her.  Alec says he will get himself to a hospital, even though he is clearly too weak to do so.  He is all business despite his injury, urging Carlisle to call Aro to get the mess cleaned up.   Bella’s finally opens her eyes, but as Carlisle is calling Aro,  he sees Alec slumped over in the doorway, and Isabella’s starts seizing. .  Aro is on the line and asks Carlisle if everything is okay, and the chapter ends when Carlisle responds with “No.  It’s not okay.”



We are almost there tesoros!!!! 
Just a few more chapters to go. 
 Aren’t you glad you are hanging in there with us? 
This story is an amazing roller coaster ride.  
 Here is the breakdown of the rest of the read along…..

August 26- Chapters 72-75 

September 2- Chapters 76-78 

September 9- Chapters 79-Epi(which is 81)

September 16- Outtakes 

September 23- The Alec Novella

See you in the Comments.....


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7 comments:

  1. OMG!! Wait, hold the phone. WTF... why did I not realize until NOW that JAMES and EMMETT are BROTHERS!?! OMG OMG. I need to lay down and process this information. Maybe I blocked it out when reading this before and again on the read through but seriously though WTF!?!

    Okay now on to the more important stuff. When Bella is being drugged and having flashbacks I was a sobbing mess. I hate what they are doing to her. I mean even if they got the code to the house that won't matter. The family goes to Chicago and frankly there isn't anything in the house worthy of breaking in to get. Other than maybe Bella's DNA test but all that would do is maybe get Carlisle in trouble with Aro but soon that becomes a moot point.

    Fucking Aro getting Edward at his time of weakness to take the oath. Was Aro the spear head of the kidnapping of Bella? It's one way to ensure his joining the family. Like father like son. I was so pissed when the FBI raided I was kicking and punching at the air, this story gets me all riled up!

    When Carlisle is in jail (Cook County 26th and California wut wut lol) I was pissed! Of all the times the FBI could have raided and gone after him they choose NOW when it's important for him to be out to actually do some good they take him in. UGH. When he was finally released and went to Aro I wanted nothing more then for him to put a bullet between his eyes. Damn Alec being the voice of reason. He just gets sucked into all the drama.
    When they finally make it to the warehouse to get Bella I was relieved. I wanted them to go in shooting and come out without a scratch. Well that's not exactly what happened. But hopefully ;) they can get Bella and Alec the help they need and fast!

    God we're getting to the really good stuff!

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  2. Hey all, look who's remembering to comment this week...this girl, that's right...finally remembering again :-D

    Ok, so first off, Kassie - how did you not put that together??? LoL...just kidding with you - I actually had to re-read it a couple of times because I didn't believe it when I first read that they were brothers. Poor Carlisle and all his information - all of this has to be weighing on him a lot, always knowing things (Bella, Emmett, etc.) and having to hide them.

    The shootout was crazy - I couldn't believe what happened to Jake. He really was a decent guy in this one (unlike in some other fics out there...ahem Kassie - Story of Us/Instructions Not Included). He was always really just looking out for Bella and wanted her to be happy. Poor Jake.

    Also, I agree Kassie, why James didn't just kill Edward - even though Bella begged and promised in order to save him I have no idea. It's like in the movies though, when they always have these big standoffs and both sides have the easy opportunity to take the other out and they don't. And you find yourself yelling at the TV "just shoot him already!" Of course I wouldn't want our MafiaWard to die - don't get me wrong - it was just one of those I wonder why it didn't happen situations.

    Kassie I also agree that I hated what they were doing to Bella - after everything she's been through in her life and now she's being tortured and REALLY has no idea why. When Charles would beat her or when Jane would at least she had the mindset of thinking she knew why it was happening. She was a slave, she'd done something "wrong". Again, don't get me wrong - I in no way agree with what Charles and Jane do in this story, I'm just trying to look at Bella's perspective. She's even said that she was the way things were. She has no idea why James and his bunch are after her and doesn't know who she is to the whole story.

    Bella's strength during this chapter is incredible. I'm not sure I'd be able to keep going and remain as strong as she did during the torture. Especially at the end when she doesn't give out the code to the house. She has enough strength that she knows what they're asking for and knows that giving it up would be betrayal to the people she's come to love.

    I love the Alec pieces in Chapter 70, it shows his ruthless nature but he also works with Carlisle and Edward because I think deep down he knows that it's right. Even if he is willing to put himself first in all things, family still seems to be important to him on some level and he doesn't completely ignore the fact that Carlisle and Edward are his "blood" family while La Cosa Nostra is not on that same level. Leave it to Edward to get mouthy with the FBI. He's so silly...

    Also, classic Edward - jumping into things too quickly. I just can't help but feel that if he hadn't run to Aro for help immediately and had waited for Alec instead of going to Aro that Alec still would have helped him and maybe the initiation wouldn't have been necessary. I was so convinced while reading that somehow he would get away without initiating. Again, Edward's rush to get things done makes for more complications.

    I cried a lot at the end of this chapter with the unresolved Bella and Alec injuries. I wanted, much like Kassie, to believe that they would go in, take down the bad guys, and walk out without a scratch. Apparently things just aren't that simple...I can't imagine what Edward is feeling right now either. All that to save Bella and now he's holding her while she suffers a seizure - can you even imagine what must be running through his mind? I can think of only one thing...and it's a line from Twilight...(of course)…

    "I do envy him one thing...no, not the girl...the um, suicide..." Because really, can you all see MafiaWard really sticking around if Bella doesn't make it?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Marie you did a great job fleshing out all the drama and boy was there tons of it!

    @ Kassie, I LMAO at your reaction to the Emmett and James are brothers. I guess they would be half brothers. I could never remember if Emmett found out about who his father was, but I think he never did. Just as well, I say.
    Goes to show you that Carlisle didn't know everything. Too bad, I was hoping he would be the super mafioso and save the day for everyone.

    OMG I love this story. I have read, I'm sure hundreds of ff, nothing comes close to the drama in this one, right?

    I think that the reason they did not kill Edward is for the same reason they are taking Bella. "Someone" is organizing this whole thing, remember? From way back to when Renee was taken. It's planned, that scum Aro wants Edward and Bella...more of the reason why later. Although I'm sure James wanted to kill Edward, he knew he better not or the top guys would have been pissed.

    Edward and Carlisle are not the only ones that change a little in this story. Alec slowly does too. He is for sure the scariest one of the bunch, smartest one too. I wish they all had waited and listened to him. Alec turns out to be the best character, besides Edward of course.

    I'm with both of you about being sad for Bella. Like she hasn't suffered enough right? I was always worried that they were going to rape her. Thank goodness they didn't.

    I don't know why Carlisle didn't make Edward stay in Forks. He should have, but then we wouldn't have the story we do.
    Also, like Lauren mentioned, Edward being Edward he couldn't wait for Alec to get out, but I don't blame him in a way. Time was running out, she's his everything, life is meaningless without her so why just not do it, I guess he figured. But he should have waited, again it's all in the conflict of the story. Edward played right into Aro's hands. He is so over his head with all of this. Poor Edward.

    Lauren good analogy to Twilight-Edward and the suicide quote. Edward very much felt that way I'm sure, many times in his broken life, especially dealing with what's to come.

    I'm just finishing up reading for my turn next week. I've been depressed for days reading and writing these four chapters. I'm trying to keep it as short as I can, but like Naughty Marie last week, it's impossible.

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  4. Of course by Twilight (the quote) I meant Eclipse of course...typing too fast again...

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  5. Alright Ladies!!! I'm back in the game...I think.

    Jesus, this story takes everything out of me!

    Aro is so behind this. I think he totally knows that Bella is his blood. I think he's afraid that if She stays alive that the Cullen's will take over again. She'll be married to the grandson of the former Don. Am I seeing this clearly? No?

    Alec is again BAD ASS! Yes, but he's absolutely correct. Edward has to start thinking with his and putting on that mask because he's too vulnerable. I love how he beats the crap out of that kid outside the building and Alec says "Just like you, always using your hands and feet." Alec was also correct that Edward is Elizabeth too. He's, I think, the best of both of them.

    Carlisle has so much guilt and too much on his shoulders that he's fucking up big time. Yes, I think he does have a death wish...he just wants 'fate' to intervene and send him back to his Elizabeth. He's going to mess up with all of this for the last time and it'll be over. I love how he advanced on James in anger just unloading on him. I'm sure that part of it to was for what he tried to do to Bella at the house, remembering what happened to Elizabeth. Serves the jagoff right.

    Edward, Edward, Edward...what are we going to do with you? Seriously, you couldn't have just waited? You played right in to Aro's hands (who is the cause of all this shit!!!) and initiated. WTF! Lauren's right...would we expect anything different with him? Mouthing off to the FBI, trying to get his hands on the laptop just so that he could get the info on Bella. I can't even say he's thinking with his other head, he's just irrational.

    And for my last comment of the night...

    WTF! Emmett and James? Brothers? That's just sacriligious!!!! I've seen Edward/James (The Man in Black)and wasn't sure, but...I love Kharizzmatik but just NO! NO! NO!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Well after Carlisle's reaction at least we don't have to worry about the Emmett/James thing so much.

    I think you're right Naughty, Carlisle is remembering Elizabeth and is angry that the same thing almost happened to Bella in his house. I think there's a lot to the history with James too - especially his ties to where Emmett came from and all of that as well. It's almost like Carlisle is taking out all his frustrations on James when he does that - even things that maybe don't have so much to do with James.

    I do love me some Bad-Ass Alec as well. He's such an interesting character - after you read the story you'll have to be sure to read his outtake as well - so much insight into where he's coming from.

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  7. @ Naughty, I'm so glad you made it to the party and now you are all caught up and can join in the all the drama right with us.

    Alec is king of the bad ass, for sure. But don't discount a soft spot of his, however tiny, it's there somewhere. He's by far the best made man of the bunch. Believes in his oath, honor and respect is all there is for him.

    Carlisle is starting to gather a lot of information, pieces are starting to be put in place, so the James hate was there from the disrespect he showed in his home and like you said in honor of what happened to Elizabeth. All the boys were taught to respect women because of what happened to their mother. These guys are big on respect.

    Yeah you're right, Aro of course is behind this, like you, I figured that at this point too... that evil prick.

    I'm with you all on the James/Emmett thing. It's just one more dramatic edge Khar threw in there. She loves to throw out issues that make you wonder. I guess she wanted all the boys to have "made men" bloodlines. The whole Family thing and all.

    ReplyDelete

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