AN: I had no intention of writing a Twilight fanfic, nevermind one that would be more than just a one-shot like I typically write. This is what happens when I need something to do to keep me from falling asleep in class, because my Greek drama professor is the most boring old man in existence.
This is my version of what might happen if Bella never jumped, and Edward came back—but not before things with Jacob got deeper.
"I'm exactly right for you, Bella. It would have been effortless for us—comfortable, easy as breathing. I was the natural path your life would have taken…. If the world was the way it was supposed to be, if there were no monsters or no magic…" –Jacob Black, Eclipse
The Natural Path, or, Romeo and Juliet… and Paris.
Chapter One: The Alternative
I closed my eyes, breathing in the salt air as the wind tousled my hair around my face. I felt so free up here. I didn't know what I was thinking that day when I saw Sam and the others jumping—something this energizing would be more fun than dangerous. And the added plus of my hallucination being present just made it more invigorating. I didn't want to wait for Jake. I'd jump a million times with him later, but I didn't want to wait now. I shuffled my feet forward, closer to the edge.
"Bella, you can't do this!" a velvet voice growled in my ears. "This is reckless and stupid! You promised," he pleaded.
You promised, too, I thought. If you can break promises, so can I.
"No, Bella." I could picture without effort the fury and frustration that would be glinting out of his golden eyes as he said the words.
Yes, Edward, I thought his name forcefully. I took a deep breath and shifted forward a bit more, opening my eyes and staring down over the edge of the rocky cliff face. The growling in my mind mixed with the violent churning of the waves below, until the noises blended into a calming song. I took a deep breath and tensed my body, preparing myself for the dive…when a howl split through the song of the growling and churning. I sighed and relaxed my body unwillingly.
I glanced back towards the forest in the direction of the howl. It had been pretty close… Jake would probably be back soon and he would need to fill me in on what had happened this morning before I got there. Victoria… I shuddered. Better to just go back and wait for now.
"It was nice talking to you, Edward…," I murmured to the cliff and waves beneath me, before turning and sulking back to my truck.
--Alice's POV--
I sat on the couch, flipping through one of Irina's foreign fashion magazines. A gaunt figure with ludicrous raccoon eyes and an enormous feathery plume balanced on top of her head started back at me from the glossy page. Ugh. These people have no sense of beauty.
"Ha!" Emmett exclaimed from across the room, slamming Jasper's hand down onto the table, causing it to quake underneath his force. "Two-fifty-seven to two-fifty-six!"
Jasper grimaced. "Best out of five hundred and twenty?"
Emmett smiled as wide as a Cheshire cat and lifted his arm back up to start again. "You're on."
"Idiots," I muttered, closing my eyes. I distantly heard myself heave a sharp intake of breath as a picture danced across my eyelids. A mousy brown-haired girl on a cliff next to the ocean, teetering on the edge and she was going to jump in and never come up and I started trembling, shaking the magazine to the floor. Emmett and Jasper's chairs scraped across the floor as they flew to my side. I opened my eyes widely.
"Bella," I gasped. The boys' eyes grew, and I subconsciously registered a mildly curious look passing over Rosalie and Tanya's faces.
My panic faded and was replaced with confusion as my vision disappeared. I frowned, creasing my eyebrows together in thought.
"What was it?" Jasper asked quietly.
"She was on a cliff, at the ocean, standing on the edge. She was going to… but then she turned and left. She was going to do it, she was going to jump, I saw her do it and go under the water and she wasn't coming up, but then… she didn't do it, she changed her mind… she said something about Edward…," I trailed off, shaken by the image of Bella falling to her death.
There was a long pause. "Should we call him?" Emmett's usually cheerful voice sounded extraordinarily somber as it broke the silence.
"No!" Rosalie shrieked from across the room, her angelic face full of fury. "She's already destroyed everything for us one time, why would we give her the chance to do so again?"
I glared at her, pushing my lips back over my teeth in a fierce snarl. "Because, in case you hadn't noticed, our family has been one short for far too long now." Rosalie glared back with a disgusted expression. "You know he's miserable without her, Rose. It's tearing him apart, which is tearing us apart. Personally, I like Edward, but if you don't want him around anymore, we may as well let him stay halfway around the world burying himself in depression and loneliness for the rest of eternity!" Rosalie's face had turned sour, and I knew I had won. "He convinced himself to make himself suffer as long as she was happy. Obviously she's not if she's been throwing herself off cliffs. They're both miserable and this is stupid! Edward needs to come back."
Rosalie's eyes narrowed in concentration, and she bit the side of her lip while coming up with a retort.
"At least wait until Carlisle and Esme get back. See what Carlisle has to say. You know he can convince Edward better than any of us." Rosalie said, keeping her voice emotionless.
"You just want to put this off as long as you can!" I shouted.
"So?" She smiled sweetly.
"So, you're a stupid, self-centered, over-jealous, heartless—"I stopped as Japser put a hand on my shoulder.
"She has a point." I opened my mouth to protest more and he shot me a warning glance. "No, really. This is a difficult situation. We can't just tell Edward that Bella's been thinking of jumping off cliffs and expect him to immediately realize he's been an idiot and run back to Forks to start up their relationship again as if nothing ever happened. You know it'll just make him feel worse that he's made her just as miserable as he is. We'll wait for Carlisle's opinion."
I pouted my lip and crossed my arms. "Fine. But you know Carlisle will agree, so there's no point waiting." I glared at the floor. The next few days would be infuriating.
--Bella's POV--
It had started raining, and I had just parked in front of Billy's house when Jacob came stepping out of the woods, raindrops rolling down his bare chest and his faded black jeans caked with mud from the chase. I stepped out of the cab and smiled at him.
"Hey! How are... you… Jake…?" my tone started off energetic but quickly faded warily at the serious expression engraved on his face. "What… what happened? Is anyone hurt? Did Victoria—"
"Not Victoria. We almost had her, but she took off into the water," Jake said. I shivered, thinking of how I had almost jumped into the very water where she had been lurking. "It's… it's Harry Clearwater. Em was waiting with the news when we got back. He had a heart attack earlier."
My eyes widened. "Harry? Oh, no, Jake! That's awful! Does Charlie know?
"Yeah, he's over at the hospital right now with my dad."
"Will he be alright?" I asked desperately. I'd never been very close to Harry, but he was still a good friend of the family, and had been for as long as I could remember.
Jacob's face saddened. "It doesn't look so great right now," his voice tightening slightly at the end.
We were in Jacob's house now, taking shelter in the small, cozy front room while the rain outside picked up and pounded on the roof and windows. He fell onto the couch, making it groan slightly as he leaned into it and closed his eyes. I sat down next to him, his warmth feeling more comfortable than usual after standing out on the freezing cliff. "Do you want to go see Harry?" I asked quietly. "I can bring you if you want to go."
"That's okay, Bells. I'd just be in the way." He half-smiled and gently rested his head against mine. I leaned in closer to his warmth, listening to the steady rhythm of his breathing as we drifted off to sleep.