New Moon: Chapter 18: The Funeral

I always wondered what would have happened in Chapter 18 of New Moon if things had gone the other way when Jacob answered that fateful phone call at Bella's house... Enjoy. If I see that people are reading and reviewing this, I will keep uploading. I will write this no matter what, but I may not upload it all if nobody is reading this. Here goes!

"Swan residence," Jacob said.

Someone answered. Jacob's hand dropped from my face and his eyes went flat. I would have bet all the money I had that it was Alice.

"Jake, who is it?" I demanded, holding my hand out for the phone.

He ignored me. The voice on the other end spoke again.

"Jake?" I whispered, and I could feel my face blanching. Who was it?

"He's not here," Jacob said, menacing. Frustration bubbled up inside me at his refusal to acknowledge my request.

"Jake, hand the phone over," I muttered, reaching for the receiver.

"Get off!" Jacob stumbled two steps back, knocking my hand out the way forcefully. My hand snapped back, making a loud click sound. The pain that followed caught me off guard, and I yelped involuntarily.

"Ow! Give me the phone now. Jacob!" I shrieked, reaching out again with my other hand and yanking the phone from him. But he was too strong.

"Stop it!" He shouted, stepping back again. Frustration boiled into anger and erupted in pathetic tears streaming down my face. Once again I heard the voice on the other end of the phone. It was a short reply.

"Dammit! I'm sorry. Here, let me look at that." Jake's face was suddenly the picture of apology, and he stepped forward to inspect my hand.

"Forget about my hand – who is it?"

My mouth dropped open as Jacob hung up the phone.

"JACOB! What have you done?! Who were you just talking to?" I screamed, streaking to the phone even though it was too late.

"Hell, it was just Carlisle! Bella let me look at your hand."

But I wasn't listening; I grabbed up the phone even though my hand was aching and dialled the number that would check the last received call. I cried harder when the number was withheld. I hung up the phone and faced the wall, motionless and staring into nothing. Carlisle. If I had spoken to him… maybe… maybe…. My thoughts trailed off into nothing as I put my face in my hands.

"Jake, what have you done?" I sobbed.

"Look, I'm sorry ok? He didn't ask for you, all right?"

"He didn't ask for you either though, did he? He was calling my house, not yours." I mumbled, sounding like a sulky child. I finally pulled myself together and sighed.

"You know what, who cares. If Carlisle honestly needed to see me then-"

But I stopped short; the phone was ringing again. I glanced at Jacob. He was folding his arms and shaking his head at me, begging me not to answer just by the look in his eyes.

"I'm just going to see what he wants. Ok?" I didn't wait for his reply. I picked up the phone slowly and, hand shaking, placed it to my ear.

"Hello?"

Silence.

"Is anyone there?"

"B-Bella?"

My heart stopped. I glanced over at Jacob, who was staring back at me, eyes narrowed.

He mouthed "Who?" at me before frowning in confusion.

I couldn't catch my breath. I stood there, frozen, as if the wind had been knocked out of me.
"Bella? Is that you? Hello?" Came the voice again. Was it? Could it be… No. No. It could not be. Except that I knew that voice. That unmistakeable musical, velvet voice. And yet when it mattered most, I could not get my voice to work. Instead an inaudible whisper exploded from my mouth.

"E-Edward?" Could he hear me? How could he – I could not even hear myself. I could not speak.

"Please. Please tell me it's you. Bella." His voice was so quiet, and interrupted by intakes of breath. The hole in my chest, numb from the shock of hearing his voice, ripped open wide and engulfed me in a wave of pain, and I gasped at the agony searing through me.

Jacob was by my side in an instant.

"Bella, what did he say to you? What did he say?" He demanded, starting to walk over before he stopped in his tracks. His nostrils flared before I closed my eyes and cleared my throat before answering… Edward.

Edward. It was really him. It had to be.

"It's me. I'm –"

"Bell-"

I gasped as Alice appeared next to me. Her eyes were wide and her hand landed on my shoulder, her face contorted in what I could only call acute astonishment.

"Get your filthy hands off her." Jacob spit, and in my peripheral vision I could see his arms trembling. Oh no. Not now.

"Edward, I'm here. I'm h-here." I stuttered, my body starting to shake in fear at Jacob. If he exploded into a wolf now, in the kitchen…

I vaguely heard Edward respond, but could not understand his words.

Alice's high voice was authoritative.

"Jacob, go. Go outside and calm down. You must." She insisted, eyes flashing.

"I can't leave you with her," Jake muttered, tremors quivering through his frame.

"I am not going to hurt her, Jacob. Either go or snap out of it, or you will hurt Bella." Ordered Alice.

"Alice is still there?" asked Edward, breathing quickly. I could hear a faint whooshing sound in the background.

"Yes. How did you know?" I stammered, holding the phone with both hands now so that I would not drop it. I knew that Edward must have heard Alice speaking just now, but my real question was why he had said "still here".

"Rosalie… Rosalie told me." He growled her name, evidently furious.

Jacob disappeared into the living room, trembling violently. I took a deep breath, my heart punching my chest. Why was Edward angry with Rosalie?

Edward's voice was abruptly gentle.

"Bella… Bella. I need to speak to Alice. Please. As soon as we're done we can talk again. I'm coming back."

"Ok Edward…" I struggled to breathe as I handed the phone to Alice, who was speaking to Edward faster than I could comprehend as soon as I did so.

I paced the kitchen, mind spiralling out of control. I could not make sense of anything I had been told. Edward… was… coming? Coming back to me? But he'd said… he'd said – he promised he would never come back. It will be as if I never existed, as he'd put it. He couldn't be coming back for long, then. The thought of seeing Edward's face one more time made my heart do back-flips in my chest. But… he didn't want me. He didn't love me anymore. That was clear from the way he had spoken to me all those months ago, in the forest. The words that had negated all his professions of love he had ever given to me. I had believed him then. Would I believe him now?

Alice suddenly slowed down her speaking so that I could understand her, and I spun round to listen. She looked at me as she answered Edward. The tears remained in my eyes, blurring her face.

"Yes, Bella's here. No. No, I will talk to Carlisle later. Sure, hold on. Bella?" She held out the phone for me, but when she registered my expression, her eyes widened in concern.

"Bella, are you…" She whispered, trailing off.

"I'm fine." I choked, stretching out my arm for the receiver. She handed me the phone slowly. Then her face transformed into a crumpled mask of rage before she disappeared into the living room.

"A-Alice?" I gasped at the absent space she'd left behind. My quaking hand held the receiver to my ear.

"Yes, Edward?" My voice cracked as I said his name. I prepared myself for the gaping hole in my chest to rip wider and burn me on the spot. I wondered idly what it would take for my body to give up altogether; my heart was elsewhere.

"Bella. I need you to listen to me carefully and answer me absolutely truthfully." Edward commanded, his voice soft, the background interference ruining the sound of his voice. It still sounded like wind was blowing forcefully at Edward's end. I answered him and did as he'd told, covering my other ear so I could hear him as clearly as possible.

"Bella, do you want me to come back?" asked Edward, his voice urgent and holding back some emotion he was forcing himself to conceal. I nodded helplessly for several seconds before my brain switched on. I mumbled a shaky reply into the phone, unable to control my breathing. Desperate, I took one deep, deep breath.