AS LONG AS YOU STAY

Twilight Chapter 13 Page 239 Discussion about what happened when Edward came home after saving Bella from being crushed by Tyler's van.

I was finally able to speak, though my voice was faint. "In the hospital?"

His eyes flashed up to mine. "I was appalled. I couldn't believe I had put us in danger after all, put myself in your power -- you of all people. As if I needed another motive to kill you." We both flinched as that word slipped out. "But it had the opposite effect," he continued quickly. "I fought with Rosalie, Emmet and Jasper when they suggested now was the time … the worst fight we've ever had. Carlisle sided with me, and Alice." He grimaced when he said her name. I couldn't imagine why. "Esme told me to do whatever I had to in order to stay." He shook his head indulgently.

The fight over whether Bella was too big a threat to let live. Esme's POV

Silence…

There are different kinds of silences. The awkward ones between new acquaintances. The compatible ones between the best of friends. And the tension-filled one that was enveloping my family and myself as we waited in the living room for Edward's arrival.

I gazed out of the window beside me and watched the tall cedar trees gently graze the river's surface. With my enhanced vision I could make out every fish that fleetingly darted through the stream despite the fact that it lay at the back of our expansive garden and was half obscured by the darkening forest. Yet another way of how set apart we are from humans. Edward knows this, as he knows that humans cannot learn of our existence. Apart from the threats of the Volturi, humans would not act rationally in the knowledge of our presence, creatures designed specifically to hunt and devour their blood. The human that Edward so carelessly saved would act typically of all her kind. She would tell others of Edward's strength and speed. Others would suspect and conclude linking the supernatural facts with our beauty, grace and intimidating enigma … My musings were cut short by the sound of Edward's Volvo slowly and apprehensively approaching up the driveway. As the sounds grew louder I studied the rest of my adoptive family.

Carlisle was resting on the arm of my chair, his hand lovingly settled on my shoulder, but his eyes were guarded as he gazed at the door. Rosalie was perched on the piano stool, her whole body tense and eyes seething furiously, the closest to the entrance. Emmet was standing behind her, quietly massaging her shoulders in an attempt to calm her down but it was no use. And he looked too stressed himself anyway. My eyes shifted on Jasper and Alice. Alice was snuggled up into Jasper's shoulder while his arm was tenderly draped over her. Jasper's face was composed and stiff; he was obviously trying to control the emotions that were surging through him due to the rest of the family, and myself, I recognized guiltily. I carefully filled my head with thoughts of calm, trying to unburden the toll my emotions must be taking on Jasper. I closed my eyes briefly and when I opened them I noticed him smiling at me gratefully. I smiled back, happy that I could relieve some of his stress. I then observed Alice. She looked utterly at peace, happy and content. She knew something that we didn't, but I was not going to push her to tell us till she wanted to. While everyone else's reaction was shock and horror at Edward's actions, Alice merely grimaced slightly but then it was overcome by one of her sunshine beams. As she danced out of the kitchen she sang that it was only to be expected. Everyone was utterly confused by those words. As I looked at her now she had a hint of smugness in her features. She was obviously sending out certain thoughts to Edward, but the only question was, thoughts regarding what?

I was woken out of my reverie by the sound of a car door slam abruptly. So intent I was in my observations that I did not notice the car parking. I leaned back against the plush leather seat as I carefully listened to the sound of my son's footsteps begrudgingly advancing towards the door and finally coming to rest on our wooden porch. Everyone's posture shifted infinitesimally towards the entrance. Everything stood perfectly immobile for one still second. The whole world seemed to hold its breath, but then Edward opened the door. Rosalie instantly leaped forward and clawed at him, missing by inches as he swore under his breath and ducked. Rosalie whipped round, hair like wheat ripe flying and kicked him in the chest, hard. Edward went flying backwards and landed heavily on the couch. He sprang instantly to his feet and growled. Rosalie answered by crouching and snarling, a truly feral sound. I was shocked by this as were the others. No one could remember them fighting like this before. They did get into verbal arguments often, but it rarely turned physical and even if it did, it would be nothing more than feinting with either side using a mere ounce of their full strength. Here Rosalie was holding nothing back and if someone didn't intervene soon Edward would too. I locked eyes with Carlisle and he nodded briefly in my direction, interpreting my worried expression and calmly stepped in between the duelling pair. "Stop," his voice carried loud and clear, his tone gentle but his authority evident. "I will not have any fighting in this house." Rosalie and Edward nodded slightly and shifted into a more relaxed position, but they still glared each other down, the atmosphere sizzling between the two.

I decided it was time to break the awkward silence; a silence that I thought only existed between mere acquaintances. Is this what has become of us, are our family bonds so weak? I hastily cleared my head of those worrying thoughts as I spoke softly, "Edward would you please explain why you endangered us all by exposing us to the human girl?"

"Her name is Bella," Edward said quietly, yet those four words were so full of passion that everyone stared, except for Alice. She looked as if what Edward did was the most obvious thing in the world to do. But the way Edward spoke about her was the way one would speak about a lover. Edward must have caught the trail of either mine or another's thoughts as he quickly recovered and replied in a harsh voice while slowly walking over to the window I was previously gazing out of. "I've already explained how potent her blood is to me. If she was crushed by that van, her blood would have been spilled. How do you think the rest of the school would have fared when they saw me fighting with supernormal strength with the rest of you to drink her blood, to suck away at her already dead body, oblivious to my surroundings…"

He shuddered slowly at these last words and leaning toward the window, pressed his forehead to the smooth glass. I felt for him, yet I couldn't help thinking the thoughts that Emmet voiced, "Come on man, you know we wouldn't have let you. With our combined strength we could've easily dragged you away without a scene, and everyone would've been more preoccupied with Bella … or Bella's body."

After this revelation an awkward silence once again threatened to crush us as we struggled for the right words to say. Rosalie decided it was time to take it into her own hands. She fluidly rose and strode towards the door. Edward started growling, a deep rumbling in his chest, evidently reflecting off Rosalie's thoughts. Emmet called, "Rose, where you going?"

"Out."

"Out where?"

"To finish fate's business."

"What the hell are you talking about Rose?"

She paused at the door, her hand resting on the Victorian style handle. Edward's growling intensified.

"There's only one way to guarantee that mortal's trap is shut. To finish off what Tyler's van was supposed to do." I gasped. She wanted to kill her! I glanced horrified at Jasper and Emmet's expressions; they looked as if they agreed with her! But then as I thought about it, I realized that if it meant our family could stay here all together and strengthen those bonds that have deteriorated then I would pay any price for that. But when the price was a life... Would I let them pay it? I was abruptly distracted by the sight of Edward. As Rosalie had turned the handle Edward had swept across the room and pinned Rosalie against the wall by her throat. She snarled at him, but all her attempts were pathetic against Edward menacingly hissing between his teeth, "You. Will. Not. Touch. Her." Jasper and Emmet moved to Rosalie's side in an effort to defend her and her ideas while Carlisle and Alice impassively stood behind Edward. Edward reluctantly released Rose from his stronghold, but not without a death glare, aimed not only at Rosalie but Emmet and Jasper as well. Our family was divided between those who wanted to silence Bella for ever and those who were adamant not to take her life. As I stood watching from the side I realized I was still undecided unto which side I would pick.

Rosalie spoke up, eyes still glaring, "I'm not going to let some stupid human ruin my happiness here. Why should we have to uproot ourselves? Like hell am I going to let Bella blab to all her petty friends about us."

"That won't be a problem, she won't tell," Edward replied in an even tone. But the next words were uttered in a mere whisper, "She promised…"

What was Edward thinking! How can he trust Bella so intimately? Unless…But then Emmet gained my full attention by banging his head against the wall. "Dammit Edward," he fiercely exclaimed. "She promised. They all promise. That doesn't mean they're gonna keep their word. I suppose you could check her thoughts…But wait, no shit, you can't even hear them!"

Jasper added on, "Look Edward, I know none of us wants to…well…you know, kill her." Rosalie scoffed at this. Jasper continued, "But this is the only way!"

Edward made forward with a wild look in his eyes, truly furious now, but Carlisle stopped him. "Jasper, Rosalie, Emmet I acknowledge the fact that I am not your real father, therefore do not have any power over you. But I hoped that I had taught you not to condone any type of killing, unless the situation becomes absolutely necessary, as in there is no other way out whatsoever. "

Emmet and Jasper looked down at the floor, ashamed, suitably put down but Rosalie was relentless. "And if it is absolutely necessary?" But before Carlisle could formulate the inevitable response, Alice who had calmly been watching the whole time took a step forward her light voice tinkling, "It won't come to that. My vision still hasn't changed." But the last sentence she said solely to Edward, as if to remind him of something. Edward snarled out his next words, "Your visions don't always become true."

"But this one will. It's set in stone Edward and nothing you say or do will change that."

"Never."

"Do not deny it. I expected you would be pleased. It's obvious from the vision that she wants it and you both want to stay together, so what's the problem?"

"I will not condemn her to our lifestyle. I will not damn her soul!"

"Say all you want Edward, but it's not going to change!" And with those last words she delicately bounced up the staircase and slammed the bedroom door behind her. Edward simply growled after her, but made no move to follow. He looked angry yet almost resigned and … tormented.

"What the hell was that?" exclaimed Emmet.

"Nothing of importance, nothing that is ever going to come true," Edward spoke in clear concise tone yet it seemed as if every word was causing him physical pain.

"Well whatever the hell that was, we still haven't decided yet what to do about our problem," Emmet said.

"Look, why don't we resolve this the way a democratic society should, let's vote on it." Jasper suggested. Carlisle and Edward looked appalled at the idea of voting on another's life. But neither could think of another suggestion so Jasper carried on, "Well I guess we know Alice's vote is no and I have to vote, I'm sorry Carlisle and Edward but… yes. I vote yes." He quickly composed his face and asked in a strong voice, "Emmet?"

"There's no other way so … yes."

"Rosalie?"

"Hell yeah!"

"Carlisle?"

"No, not when it is not necessary."

"Edward?"

He just growled menacingly and threateningly, an obvious no.

"Esme?"

I suddenly realised that it all fell on me. The numbers were even on both sides. My vote would tip the scales either way. I looked at my son. I remembered how he fled in the face of the girl, Bella, not two weeks ago. He was now going to extreme lengths to protect her! I did not want to kill a human. A girl with a family, a life. A girl who may not even tell anyone of Edward. But still there was the chance. And if word did get around and we had to move…I could feel our family bonds weakening. Lately we've hardly even acted as a true family. If we move I fear it may be too much to recover from. And then what if this Bella caused Edward to take off again. It hurt so much when he did before, I was furious, but underneath that was the concessant worry that he would never come back to us. It was just like when he left in his 'rebellious years.' I remembered on the night I had found out he had fled from Forks. I remembered the fear that he would never come back … When he did I was overjoyed, but what if that girl eventually leads him to flee again, leaving behind only a gaping hole in his wake. What if…

I realized everyone was still waiting for my decision. I knew what I wanted. I wanted Edward to stay with us. Wanted our family to be healed. I knew now that I would pay the price for our family to stay together. But it was up to him, Edward, to decide what price it would be.

I just wanted our family to be whole again.

I looked directly at Edward. "Do whatever you have to in order to stay." He smiled at me, grateful that I had left the decision up to him. Edward turned and told the rest that he would stay if Bella was not harmed. Rosalie started screaming profanities at him, adamant that Bella should not be left alive even though the decision had already been made. Jasper went to join Alice and Emmet made a vain attempt to calm Rose down. Carlisle pulled me towards the door and sat down with me in the moonlit garden. I sighed and closed my eyes, leaning back against my husband's chest. But before I closed my senses off to the outside world and focused only on finding a peaceful refuge within my mind I sent out a thought to Edward, "As long as you stay…"

As long as you stay…

YAY I finished my first story! Well one-shot… But it still counts as a story. YAY

I'm gonna do a few more one-shots for practice before I start on a proper story.

Please review and that's a please with an irritated grizzly bear and a topless Edward on the top!