EP Read Along: Alec Novella Part 2

Hi all! We left off last week at the end of chapter 5, if you haven't read that post yet go read it before you read this one. Now on with the show.

Chapter 6 Flesh and Blood-
We start the chapter off in Phoenix. Alec is 18 and they are celebrating his and Esme's engagement. Antonio is praising Alec and says he is proud he can soon call him son. Carlisle is there but not in the room, he isn't a made man, when Antonio is praising Alec he can see Carlisle become defeated. When there is a crash in the kitchen and Mrs. Evanson yells at Elizabeth, Alec can see Carlisle become murderously angry. In that moment he knows all of Carlisle's weaknesses and knows that he would not make a good made man.
Later on Alec is talking to his mother in the kitchen who is pissed because Elizabeth is taking too much from her, and just to be a spiteful bitch offers to give Elizabeth to Alec and Esme as an engagement present.

Back in Vegas Alec shows up to Edward and Bella's house to tell Edward about Jacobs bones being found in the water near Forks. Edward doesn't know this so he is nervous about the visit. Alec is being polite to Bella and is careful how he addresses her, doesn't want her to feel like he's making demands of her. Edward is sitting with Alec in the living room when they are discussing Jacob and Edward has Libby in his lap. Edward apologizes saying he could do something else with the baby but she can't understand what they're saying anyway and Alec tells a joke! "I like to wait until they're at least able to talk before I make them take the vow of silence." He then tells Edward to shave and shower before breakfast, Edward gets the smart ass idea to leave Libby with Alec. He just drops the baby in Alec's arms and walks away. Alec is scared and nervous, that never happens to him.

Alec has some time of reflection at the Cullen's house (tehehe the Cullen's I love that). He knows that he would have always joined the mafia no matter what happened in his life that was always a given. However he would have done some things differently "I would've stood up for Elizabeth and Carlisle, so he didn't have to stand up to his father all alone when he wanted to marry her. I would've helped Elizabeth when she asked me to, so she wouldn't have spent her last years fighting for Isabella with no help. She might have even lived, had I helped her when she asked."

Chapter 7 Against the Clock-
This chapter is the flashback to the day of the shootout. Alec shoots Edward to keep him out of the way. He knows Edward would never leave his father to the fate of the mob, he had already done that with his mother and still felt guilt over it. He is firing back at Carlisle as he is firing towards Alec and the other men in the yard. Carlisle is loosing blood and energy. He pulls out an uzi and does the sign of the cross getting ready to shoot himself.  Alec had a moments hesitation before shooting Carlisle. He made a promise to Antonio Cullen that he would never hurt his family, and mostly Esme. But he would have to hurt Esme in order to save Carlisle from having to take his own life. They had planned the shootout but Carlisle had never specifically asked Alec to take him out. But Alec can read Carlisle well. He knew what Carlisle needed without having to be asked.

Back in the present day Alec is headed home to Chicago. When he gets home he realizes Esme isn't there but a familiar Jeep is parked in her spot. Walking into the house he hears someone run down the stairs. It's Carlisle. Alec has mixed feelings about seeing him, because looking at that child reminds him of his namesake and takes him back to the day of the shootout. Alec walks into the dining room and Chelsea is there with her friends, they're all in matching brown uniforms. A hilarious conversation ensues about Chelsea joining "the Children's Mafia". Chelsea is a perfect match for Alec. She's not scared of him and stands her ground. We see a bit of a change in him when he's with her. He understands her hesitance in making friends and being the best of the best to stand out. It's really nice seeing him participate in a family dynamic, he is quite awkward but that's what makes it work.

Chapter 8 X Marks the Spot-
Again we start the chapter back in Phoenix. The day Alec kills Jane and Charles. He is cold, calculating, quick to put bullets in them for learning the truth about Renee. Jane was attacking Edward with a shovel so Alec did what he had to do to not only protect the secret but to keep Edward safe too. He gets rid of Jane and Charles, makes it look like an accident. Alec goes to tell his mother about Jane's "accident". Mrs. Evanson is drunk and screams at him wanting to know how he could do that to her baby girl their family. When she hits him Alec snaps. He chokes his mother, fed up with her shit and finally stands up to her. He says she can't have it both ways; force them out of her lives one minute then cry over them the next. Alec tells her "There was an accident. That's it. An accident. And if you ever tell anyone differently, you'll find yourself with the same fate. Do you hear me, Mother?" She goes on to say she wished he were never born his response "So do I, mother. So do I."

When we are back in Chicago Alec is taking care of some business with a "rat" problem. It gets very graphic, she forewarns in the beginning of the chapter. I guess it's standard mob stuff but suffice it to say Alec makes his point known, not only with the "rat" but with the other men present.

Chapter 9 A Fool and His Money-
Esme and Alec are having a nice dinner at home, he is supposed to have the night off, Aro promised but with mob business things can change in an instant. They are interrupted by Alec's phone ringing. He plans to ignore the call. Esme huffs and tells him to just look at the phone. He does and sees Isabella had called. When Alec calls her back she explains that the reason she is calling is because a man at the park borrowed her phone and out of nowhere Carlisle shows up and says to the man that he promised to leave her alone, and that he was a federal agent.
During their ensuing phone call Alec wonders to himself "They were their own undoing and for what? What was the point? Edward and Isabella were both struggling because of the way their lives were. Why not just struggle together? At least then there wouldn't be so much unnecessary suffering." What most of us were probably thinking the first time through EP.
He tells Bella that she has to move and get a new name. She struggles with having to part with the Swan name. Alec is surprised because its her fathers name and he thought she would be happy to be rid of it but she explains that her name is the only thing her mother could ever give her. Alec does feel a twinge of something so when Bella asks about going to school he decides to do something about it.
Esme and Alec are once again having dinner... oops I mean not dinner a snack it doesn't count as their rain check dinner from being interrupted before... oh wait no, Alec's phone rings so it must be dinner. After arguing that it could be important or Edward or about Edward, this time it actually is Edward calling.

When we are in present day Chicago Alec is collecting money. The kid from the TV fiasco is back with what he owes. He is short but Alec can't remember from being so tired, and when Benjamin brings it up Alec tells him that the person responsible for the 'register' is responsible if it comes up short ie: Benjamin pays the difference or he's killed. Alec made the kid give him extra money before he left so he could have a name to put on the girl scout cookie form. He also asks Benjamin for more money. Benjamin doesn't understand why girl scout cookies would cost $10 a box. Alec says "I always get a taste, Benjamin. Always." Benjamin thinks it's funny Alec is stealing money from the girl scouts, but the thing is they get their money and Alec is just scraping off the top of the excess he's charging. Benjamin wants to make sure he wasn't put down for any Tagalongs because he's allergic to peanuts. Alec laughs, an actual laugh because not only is Benjamin worried the cookies will kill him when they are the least of his worries working for Alec but because he actually thinks he's getting the cookies.

Chapter 10 Drop of a Hat-
Eighteen year old Esme is a crack up. In the beginning of this chapter she is begging Alec to go with her to the county fair, she is ready to drop to her knees and beg him to come with her. Alec is shocked and horrified lifting her up telling her not to do that because of what people would think. He does as she has asked and goes with her into the fair. Esme is shocked to learn Alec had never been to a fair before, she had told him that they wouldn't have to stay long but once she learns the things he'd never experienced before she changes her mind "I lied earlier. I think we will stay for a while. I'm popping your fair cherry."
After their night at the fair Alec and Esme stop a bit away from her house to talk about their night. When out of nowhere two guy show up with guns. They take Alec and Esme's wallets, jewelry, car keys and Alec lets them. He was just going to let them leave until the one stole the stuffed teddy bear he won for Esme. Alec snaps and beats them both unconscious. Alec expects Esme to be upset but she is just the opposite, she's lustful. When they hear sirens coming she grabs their things and runs them to the side of the side of the house. Where Esme proceeds to drop to her knees for the second time of the night... and this time, he let's her.

When Alec finally sees Esme for the first time since his impromptu trip to Vegas she is upset that he worried her, he felt like shit for worrying her and he was exhausted but "Unlike Edward, I was never too tired for sex with my wife. Amateur." Alec is so cocky in the bedroom that you could almost believe he was Edward's father. Esme shuts him up though. They connect and Alec can forget. He can forget the ugliness of his job, the mob life he leads, the bad deeds he does all of it goes away. But it comes back when Esme asks if he's filled the hostess position. It's the one thing she's asked him to do and he couldn't get it done. When she asks him rhetorically "What did you even do today?" He lists everything off in his head. "I flew across the country. I broke up a prostitution ring and threatened a man's daughter. I saved a human trafficking victim and rid the world of her enslaver, which would likely save others from succumbing to her same fate. I was assaulted by a baby[LOL]. I tortured a traitor before killing another. I warded off a federal agent. I ripped people off. I taught a boy a lesson that would hopefully help him survive. I sold Godforsaken Girl Scout cookies[hehehe]." But the one thing he didn't do was complete the one task his wife asked of him, he considers it a failure of his whole day. Esme forgives him anyway, she always will because he tries.

Epilogue-
In this final chapter Alec reflects on the day he died for the second time. The night he helped save Bella from the warehouse. The doctors wanted to give up on him, he was clinically dead when he arrived in the ER, but one young doctor took the reigns and saved his life because "...by walking away, they were no better than the mobster lying on the table."
Alec learns from his death "I got it now. I understood. I realized doing what was right sometimes meant breaking your own rules." Something Esme had tried to teach him. That standing back and watching isn't always the answer. He truly gets it. Even though his life was spared Alec couldn't decide if it was a good thing. When his days are filled with illegal, immoral, dangerous actions and death could his life ever really be considered a 'good' thing.

The end.

Well ladies that wraps up our EP read along. We have finally brought this whole story to a close. I am so glad we were able to do this together. I will keep you updated when we hear news of Khar being published. Sound off on anything you'd like in the comments.