Before I could fully fall to the deep abyss of darkness, I heard another snarl... or snarls. It wasn't the hunters

I didn't know who it was, but I felt a sense of relief. Maybe I hoped it would be over soon.

I was brought back, almost to the surface, by a sharp pain in my left hand. It was getting unbearable now. My whole hand burned, a pain consuming far more than my other injures.

Then I heard voices and I couldn't quite register who it was, but it was familiar. An angelic and melodic voice. "Alex, just keep breathing everything will be okay"

Behind that was a vicious bass growling, a shocking snapping sound, and a high keening, suddenly breaking off... I tried to focus on the voice, on the pain not what could be going on in the background.

"Alex! Carlisle!" the feminine voice called out in agony; I couldn't hear what was happening, but I felt pressure on my head.

There was a point of pressure against my head. It hurt. Then, as that pain broke through the darkness to me, other pains came, stronger pains. I cried out, gasping, breaking through the dark pool.

"Alex?" another voice called, male. Carlisle, maybe. "she's lost some blood, not too much" a calm voice informed, talking to someone else. Maybe the feminine voice, Alice? No, it was different than hers.

I felt a sharp stab in my side. "Some ribs, too, I think," the methodical voice continued.

But the sharp pains were fading. There was a new pain, a scalding pain in my hand that was overshadowing everything else. Someone was burning me.

There was so much going on and I couldn't quite focus on anything, but I knew I wanted to live, I wanted to go home. My mom, I couldn't leave her, not like this.

"please..."

"Alex you're going to be fine. Okay, I promise." The feminine voice filtered through again. I tried to move my hand, the one that was in the most pain, amazingly I touched someone. Or slapped, either way I didn't feel the pain of my shoulder or arm. The person grabbed my hand, their fingers glanced over the most painful spot.

"Carlisle! Her hand!"

"He bit her." Carlisle's voice was no longer calm, it was appalled. My eyes opened and to my shock I found myself looking into golden eyes of two blondes. One was Carlisle, he was busy dabbing something on my forehead, but his face was one of distress.

Then the other, the bane of my existence. Even with her face contorted with agony I couldn't see a single flaw. She was still the most beautiful person I had ever seen, or would ever see. She wasn't looking at me but at my hand, having a conversation with Carlisle. So quiet and fast that I didn't hear I word.

I thought briefly if I did die then it wouldn't be so bad, not when there was an angel sitting right next to me. That was momentarily though, as the blinding pain returned this time I couldn't keep quite. I let out a cry of pain, bringing their attention back to me.

"See if you can suck the venom back out. The wound is fairly clean." As Carlisle spoke, I could feel more pressure on my head, something poking and pulling at my scalp. The pain of it was lost in the pain of the fire.

"Will that work?" Rosalie's voice was strained.

"I don't know," Carlisle said. "But we have to hurry."

"Carlisle, I..." she hesitated. "I don't know if I can do that." There was agony in her beautiful voice again. I closed my eyes the pain in my head too much.

"It's your decision, Rose, either way. I can't help you. I have to get this bleeding stopped here if you're going to be taking blood from her hand."

I writhed in the grip of the fiery torture, the movement making the pain in my arm flare sickeningly.

Carlisle was bent over me, working on my head. "Rosalie,

you must do it now, or it will be too late."

I opened my eyes and looked at the pained golden eyes. Rosalie's face was drawn. I watched her eyes as the doubt was suddenly replaced with a blazing determination. Her jaw tightened. I felt her cool, strong fingers on my burning hand, locking it in place. "I'm sorry" she whispered.

Then her head bent over it, and her cold lips pressed against my skin. At first the pain was worse. I screamed and thrashed against the cool hands that held me back. I heard another voice it was another one of the Cullens Lucia, she was helping Carlisle hold me still and whispering calming words.

Then, slowly, my writhing calmed as my hand grew more and more numb. The fire was dulling, focusing into an ever-smaller point. I felt my consciousness slipping as the pain subsided. And that was it, I remember darkness.

That was it.