I don't own the Twilight Saga. All rights go to Stephanie Meyer.
Bella's Point of View
I hear his Volvo pull up outside of the hotel room and stand, putting my laptop away and turning off the TV. He's just returned from a very long trip to retrieve me some decent food, and I've missed him so. We'll give each other our undivided attention for the rest of the evening.
We've been traveling the country like this for three months, now – hopping from hotel to hotel every three days or so, constantly changing the state that we're in, never using our real names unless we're alone while we wait for my passport to arrive at the Cullen household so that we can get out of the United States. I haven't spoken to my father since we left and Edward has had very little communication with his family – he's only spoken to his sister, Alice, twice to tell them that we're okay and that I'm handling everything fine.
We're on the run, now. We're on the run from the most evil vampires in the world, who have finally left Italy to come after us for not changing me into a vampire yet. He gave us an amount of time that could elapse before I become immortal. I was to be changed four months ago, according to Aro, but we only received the message from a reliable source in the Volturi's guard that they were to be on their way soon to either kill me or change me three and a half months ago. Fifteen days later, Edward and I were in his Volvo, fleeing Washington and heading nowhere particular. I'm too young to be changed – I'm only sixteen. Edward is eighteen, and that's the age that we had agreed I'd be changed. We'd match, although he'd still be a few months older by human standards and about a hundred years older by vampire standards. That plan, however, wasn't good enough for the Volturi, for Aro. He wants me to be changed right away, and he won't stop searching for us until he sees me dead or immortal.
Edward won't let me be changed by one of them – he'll do it himself, he's often said, when I'm ready and he is as well. I'm not ready yet – I'm still doing all of the human things I want to do before I can't do them the same way anymore, before I have to keep secrets and hold back my strength and fight my bloodthirsty instincts. Although, I'm not getting my bucket list done very effectively with all of this city-hopping we've been doing.
He's protecting me in the only way that he can when it comes to the Volturi – running, because we can't stop too long, for our scents cannot be hidden and they will find us if we stay put. It's foolish of us; no one can escape Aro, Marcus, and Caius if they are wanted by them, but we are trying. At least until closer to my eighteenth birthday.
I hear his car door slam, and he's at the door an instant later. The hotel we're staying at tonight – I didn't even bother to learn this one's name – is all one floor, and there's a parking space in front of each door that's reserved for the residence of that particular room. It's nice because he's there so quickly, knocking on the door even though he has to know that I know he's back.
I've developed severe separation anxiety though this whole thing, and so when he returns each evening with my dinner, I rush to unlock the door for him. He has a key, but I use the chain attached to the door to keep myself even safer from the human dangers that may occur – that little metal chain wouldn't keep a vampire out, that's for sure.
I yank the door out of my way after glancing around the big curtain covering the window, my eyes seeking his face eagerly. When our eyes meet, we both sigh, relieved that the other is okay and hasn't been harmed during our separation. He doesn't like leaving me alone, but I have to eat, and he doesn't want to leave his scent all over the towns we stop at while searching for food for me.
He sidesteps me quickly, setting the food down on the little table by the bed while I close the door and reattach the little chain. I'm in his arms an instant later, my thoughts not surrounding the fantastic-smelling food that's now arrived. I'm only thinking of him.
"Edward," I whisper. "I missed you."
He reaches across me to turn on an ugly blue lamp that dimly lights the room. The curtain by the big window next to the door is drawn. No one can see in, and no light can get in or out. Not that there's any light to be let in – the sun has already set and the moon is slowly rising.
"As I missed you, love," he responds softly, pressing a kiss to my temple gently as we sit down on the bed. "Did anything occur when I was gone?"
I shake my head against his neck. "No," I whispered. "Everything is fine. Did you hunt?"
"Yes," he replied. "I should be good for a while now."
I nod.
After I eat, we snuggle on the bed, just holding each other. My arms are around his neck and his around my waist, keeping me against his chest, giving me a feeling safety and love. I tuck my face in his chest, breathing in the smell of his cologne.
"Alice called," he says out of the blue. "Still nothing."
My passport hasn't arrived yet, he means, and he doesn't understand what's taking so long. "God must truly hate me that much that he would stop us from escaping so that you'll be taken from me," he says sadly, not meeting my eyes. He's grown rather possessive these days, but I don't mind. I love that he protects me.
I respond, "God hates no one, Edward. This is just . . . a bump in the road. It will be okay."
"I hope you're right, Bella. I hope you're right." He kisses my nose, then my cheek, then my lips, and I giggle. He pulls away to trial kisses down my neck, and it doesn't take long for us to be fully engulfed in each other. "I love you, Bella," he whispers, and he flips us over so that he's hovering over me, his body covering mine completely as our mouths meet again and things get more heated. He positions his hands on the bedframe behind me, because as he always says, the bedframe is replaceable, Bella, and you are not. He'd rather lose control and rip the headboard apart than lose control and rip me apart. And that's a good thing. For two seconds, though, his hands swipe across my body gently, and I blush for a moment. I haven't been eating healthy during our run-away escapade, and so I've put on a little weight. Edward doesn't mind, though. He loves the way I look and feel. At least, that's what he tells me.
I never get a chance to respond to his statement. Before long, our clothes are gone, and I am left exhausted afterwards.
...
Edward's been on the phone with Alice for ten minutes, now. It's the longest conversation they've had in months. I'm reorganizing my suitcase, preparing for another relocation while I watch him out of the corner of my eye.
His face is devastated with worry, and he paces back and forth so quickly that my human eyes can only pick him up as a blur. "What do you –" he starts, and stops as Alice interrupts him. "I understand, but how – why? When?" He shakes his head at her answer. "That's . . . a shame. How will I –" He glances at me, and I realize I've stopped packing. His hard, angry eyes soften and cock my head to the side, a silent question.
"I've got to go, Alice," he tells his sister. "Bella needs help packing. We're leaving this hotel this morning – we've been here for four days now. Yes, I know; much too long. Goodbye. Give the others our love. Thank you for calling."
He ends the conversation, tucking his phone away and immediately looking away from me, busying himself with folding the pile of shirts that we finally were able to wash at the laundry mat down the street. He won't look at me and his mouth has formed a hard line. His jaw is tense.
"Edward, what did Alice say?"
He acts as if he doesn't hear me.
"Edward?" I press. "Is my passport not coming? Has something happened to delay it a large amount of time?"
Again, he says nothing.
"Edward, what did Alice want?" I insist. "Please, tell me, Edward. Tell me what's wrong. You're upset, and it's scaring me."
He closes his eyes, the shirt in his hands slipping away, and I close my eyes in a quick blink. When I open my eyes again, we're sitting on the bed, me between his legs, both his arms around my torso. His chin is against my shoulder, and he sighs in my ear. I take a moment to assess what has happened before my mind catches up with his vampire movements and then I turn, kissing his jaw gently, as if I could possibly hurt him
"Edward, what's happened?"
"Alice gave me some . . . news."
"What is it?"
"I don't think this is the best time to tell you, love."
"Edward," I scold quietly but strictly.
"Charlie has . . ."
"What?" I ask. "What's Charlie done?"
"He's . . . Bella," he whispers, "he's passed on. Charlie died last night of a heart attack. Esme and Rosalie are planning his funeral."
I try for the rest of the hour and well into the next as Edward rocks me back and forth. I cry because my only blood family is gone. I cry because I miss my Daddy and he's gone forever from me. I cry because I wasn't there to say goodbye, and I haven't spoken to him in months, and now I'll never get to hear his voice again. I cry because I'll miss my own father's funeral.
Of course I'll miss it. I cry harder when I think of it, but I will. I can't be there – that's not an option. I want to go so badly, but I know if I ask Edward he'll grow angry and I'll only cause more stress on his heavy shoulders, and I can't do that to him. The Volturi haven't paid the Cullens a visit in Washington yet, and Edward knows that they will be there at some point. I can't be there when they do. It's too obvious of a place for them to look. We can't risk them arriving when I'm there. We can't let it be that easy for them. We have to keep moving randomly throughout the country until my passport finally arrives and we can journey onto European and South American countries.
I'm still crying when Edward checks us out of the hotel room and helps me into the car with our suitcases. We simply cannot stay in this state, in this town, any longer. My sobs have stopped, but tears are still streaming down my cheeks rapidly. Edward holds my hand, whispers soothing and loving words to me, and kisses the left side of my face as much as he can, but it doesn't help.
My father is gone, and I wasn't there for him. I realize now that I miss him as I miss Edward when he is away getting me food. I wish so hard for two more minutes with him, but my wish will never be answered.
It's impossible. But I still wish as I see a shooting star above my head out the window.
I love you, Daddy. I miss you already.
...
It's my seventeenth birthday. Only a year more of this constant traveling, constant hiding, constant worrying. It should me a relief, but really, a year? It's still so long. Edward is happy today – for the first time in weeks, he's really laughing genuine laughs and smiling genuine smiles. The worry that's always on his face are the crinkles that always cover his forehead are gone.
This is the first meal in three and a half weeks that I'm eating outside of a hotel room. I eat a huge plate of chicken and rice, and after I'm done, Edward orders me a little cake-for-one with a birthday candle for me to blow out. I hate that I'm getting all this attention – the waitresses are singing Happy Birthday and the rest of the customers around us are staring, and I am absolutely red-faced – but this is a huge milestone in my life, and Edward wants us to celebrate. So, of course, we will. Anything to keep that smile of his on his face.
He grins at me as I blow out my candle. "Happy birthday, Bella."
"Thank you," I answer, and swallow a bite of chocolate cake. "Mmm," I mumble. "It's good." There's a layer of chocolate sauce in the middle that glides deliciously down my throat.
"It certainly doesn't look like it from my point of view," he teases. Under the table, our hands entwine, and I smile at him.
"Well, that's because you have bad taste," I joke back, taking another big bite.
It's an easy, effortless evening full of calm, teasing conversations and . . . well, of course, some old fashioned loving.
...
My passport arrives a week later. Alice tells Edward that Jasper will meet us to give it to us tomorrow. We had already decided a place to meet when it arrived at the Cullen house before we left – Richmond, Virginia. Jasper had already left and would be there in a matter of hours. Edward and I were in North Carolina, and with the speed that Edward drives, we can be there shortly before he arrives.
The car ride is less tense than most have been after leaving yet another hotel. We both have renewed hope now that we can get out of the country.
"We're less like sitting ducks, now, you see," Edward says.
I nod, agreeing. "Where will we go now?"
"I'm not sure," he answers. "Europe, for sure. Is there a country or city or town there that you want to visit?"
"Paris!" I exclaim.
He laughs. "Perfect."
"How will we have enough money to fly to Paris and live there and survive?" I ask. "Surely we're running out of money after all these months."
"I've got a credit card to a bank account that Carlisle is keeping well-stocked," he explains, "and Jasper is bringing us a decent amount of cash. We'll be set for a while, Bella."
"Okay," I say, because why argue with him when he makes so much sense?
...
"Be safe, brother," Jasper says, embracing Edward warmly and patting him on the back. We're standing just outside the airport in Richmond where Jasper's plane has just landed ten minutes ago. He flew here to meet us as soon as possible, but he'll run all the way back to Forks now. He looks at me over his Edward's shoulder and grins. I'm in his arms a second later, hearing his voice in my ear. "This is from Alice and Esme and everyone else, plus me," he tells me, hugging me as tightly as he dares.
I sigh into his neck, missing the entire Cullen clan so much; their my only family now. "Even Rosalie?" I ask teasingly.
"Of course," he answers immediately. "She loves you, too, Bella. We all do. Just . . . not in the same way that Edward does, of course."
"Oh, of course," I agree. I squeeze him tighter, closing my eyes, and then we release each other at the same time. Jasper kisses my cheek gently, holds Edward's serious and sad gaze for a moment, and then he's gone.
And in half an hour, so are we.
...
"Bella," Edward whispers. We've been in Europe for two weeks now, and our next stop is Paris like he promised. Edward is sitting next to me on our most recent hotel bed, and I feel his lips press against my neck. "Can I ask you something? It's very important."
I nod. "Of course. Okay. What is it?"
He smiles crookedly at me, and my heart flutters as it always does, but this time it keeps fluttering over and over again because I'm watching Edward slide off of the bed and drop to one knee.
"Isabella Swan," he states, his love and devotion for me shining brightly in his eyes, "I love you more than anything in the world, and I know that you love me as well. I promise to love you, cherish you, care for you, and protect you for the rest of our existence because I know that we will be together forever. Would you please do me the extreme honor of marrying me?"
I'm crying, partly because what he said has touched my heart and made me the happiest person in the world, and partly because my father will never see it – at least, not in person, but I know he is watching from Heaven. For a split second, I wish there was a chance that he could walk me down the aisle and give me away to Edward, but that won't happen. I'll have Carlisle, though, and he's been my second father for so long. I dismiss the thought as I fling myself into Edward's arms. "Yes, of course, Edward, yes, yes!" I squeal.
...
"I love you," Edward whispers.
"I love you, too," I respond.
We're sitting on a park bench in Paris, watching a firework show that someone is putting off randomly. Edward's arms are around my waist and my head is on his shoulder. We're content.
That is, until Edward's body tenses and his head shoots up.
I look up at his face. His eyes are black and furious as they scan the entire park nervously. His lips are in a tight line, and his jaw is tense. I hear his teeth clash together. "Edward, what is it?"
"Vampire," he says so low that I can hardly hear him.
"Who?" I gasp, clinging closer to my fiancé.
He shakes his head, his lip curling up threateningly to reveal his sharp, glistening teeth. "I have no idea. But I'm not taking chances."
...
They've found us. The Volturi. They're here. In Paris.
Edward is a tornado in our hotel room, packing our stuff as fast as he can. A mistake on our part was unpacking our bags completely – we were planning to stay here for a while, but that can't happen now. We have to leave before the Volturi guard can locate our exact location.
But they have to know that we're here. Edward smelt multiple scents that he recognized. It's no coincidence – not when we've been running for four months and a half months now.
". . . so stupid," I vaguely hear Edward staying as he whips around our room so fast that I feel a breeze as he passes me. "Can't believe . . . Bella? Call Alice, now. Get her on the alert – she might not be paying close enough attention, and we have to know if –" He stops, freezing, and a millisecond later, I'm leaning against the wall farthest away from the door to the hotel room with Edward's arms on either side of my head. He's facing me, his eyes wide and frightened, his body still as a statue.
And I know. I know that they are here.
"Stay still, Bella," he whispers. "It'll be alright. I won't let them hurt you, I promise."
The door is broken off and at least ten vampires plus Aro, Marcus, and Caius are spread out through our room in the matter of time that it takes me to blink.
"Ah, young immortal Edward and . . . human Isabella," I hear Aro's voice say, but I can't see him because Edward's body is blocking mine. "How nice that we could . . . run into you this evening."
"Don't play games, Aro," Edward growls. I look up at his face and instantly look away, frightened by the truly . . . menacing look on his face.
"Yes, brother," Caius snaps. "We're not hear for chitchat. Kill the human and let's go. We're been away from Volterra for far too long now."
"No!" Edward yells, whipping his head around to look at them but not moving from his hovering stance. "You can't . . . please, no, you can't take her from me . . . Aro, she's my everything! I promise you that she will be changed! We have a date set! We do! I swear to you, Aro!"
For the next few minutes, they all speak too quickly for me to follow, but I can tell that the conversation isn't going well for Edward because his face is full of anguish and frustration.
Then, suddenly, he slows his words so that I can understand. "Fine, then! I'll do it myself! I'll do it right now!"
He doesn't stop to ask me if I'm ready. He doesn't tell me he loves me like I always pictured him doing when the time came. It's nothing like the romantic way of being changed that I imagined. But Edward's mind is clouded, in this moment, with thoughts of losing me, thoughts of my death, thoughts of Aro and his 'brothers' taking me away and draining me of my blood. He's not Edward in this moment, really. He's blinded by love and worry and possessiveness, and he can't lose me. He's told me that so many times before.
So, instantly, when I feel the sharp pain of two of his teeth sink almost roughly into my neck for a moment before they are gone, that I will forgive him when I wake from my three-day transformation.
As the violent pain of Edward's venom takes over my body, I close my eyes, but not before I see all of the dark figures of the Volturi guard disappear from our room. They are satisfied, and I suppose I am, too.
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