Epilogue: An Occasion
Rogue12158
Disclaimer: I don't own the Twilight Series and it tears me up inside.
Author's Note:
For those who've read my other stories, I know that I promised updates, but I'm kind of stuck and need to know which to work on first (check out my poll on my profile for some help on that subject). Also, I have some oneshot ideas just flowing through my head and I've decided to have some fun with them!
I dedicate this oneshot to my faithful reviewing peeps that I actually know.
You know who you are
cough cough Gracecough cough Sarah
Summery:
We all remember the epilogue of Twilightright? Well here's Edward's perspective on during the Prom. Enjoy!!!
P.S.- I will not be italicizing everything that comes directly from the book (this can't be helped). Just remember that no copyright infringement was intended in this piece of writing.
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Epilogue: An Occasion
Edward's P.O.V.
Bella looked lovely. My sister's truly had a gift when it came to makeovers, and such. Bella was stunning when she came down my stairs in that beautiful hyacinth blue dress.
Right now, I was helping Bella into the Vanquish, the only car I love more than my Volvo, and I was being very careful not to damage anything on her, from the dress, the flowers in her hair, all the way to the bulky walking cast that Alice actually had the toes of painted.
Once we were settled in the car, I started down my driveway.
"At what point exactly are you going to tell me what's going on?" She asked grumpily. I knew she hated surprises, but I had a feeling that she'll like this surprise.
"I'm shocked that you haven't figured it out yet." I threw her a mocking smile and I heard her breath catch.
"I did mention that you looked very nice, didn't I?" she verified.
"Yes." I grinned at her again. This was the first time I've worn a tux, and the fact that I was wearing one made her nervous. Although I could tell that her dress made even more nervous than my tux, and she looked gorgeous in it. I would have to fight off, or endure the thoughts of, a good few young men.
She was in thought for a while before suddenly saying, "I'm not coming over anymore if Alice is going to treat me like Guinea Pig Barbie when I do." I knew that she spent the better part of the day trapped in her bathroom, although, I thought that it was very much worth it, and she complained pretty much the whole time too.
I watched the different emotions cross her face as she about the day she had being held captive in Alice's bathroom. It wasn't long before I heard my cell phone start ringing from my pocket. I looked at my caller Id before answering, "Hello, Charlie."
"Charlie?" Bella frowned.
"Um, Edward? There's been some kind of misunderstanding here. You, see, Tyler Crowley showed up in a tux looking to take Bella to Prom."
I felt my eyes widen in disbelief and a large grin spread across my face. "You're kidding!" I laughed.
"What is it?" Bella demanded.
"'Fraid not. He even brought a bouquet of roses." I could hear a little bit of a chuckle in his voice.
I temporarily ignored Bella and said, giddy at the thought, "Why don't you let me talk to him?" I waited a few minutes for Charlie to pass the phone to Tyler. This just sounds fun already.
"Hello, Tyler, this is Edward Cullen." I tried to make my voice friendly on the surface, but a little bit of a menacing tone leaked through.
"Um, hi, er, Edward. I'm, um, here-to-pick-up-Bella-for-the-prom," he mumbled in a rushed tone.
"I'm sorry if there's been some kind of miscommunication, but Bella is unavailable tonight." Now I let just a bit more of a threatening edge enter my voice. "To be perfectly honest, she'll be unavailable every night, as far as anyone besides myself is concerned. No offense. And I'm sorry about your evening." But I wasn't sorry, not even as I snapped the phone shut before he had a chance to respond, with a huge smirk on my face.
One look at her I could tell one of two things, clues being the rage-induced tears starting to well in her eyes and her face and neck the lovely crimson color that I enjoy so much.
Option One: She was insulted by what I said to Tyler.
Option Two: She finally figured where we were going.
I looked at her in surprise. "Was that last part a bit too much? I didn't mean to offend you."
Tears started to go down her face in anger. That wasn't what I expected, of course, when it comes to Bella, one should always expect the unexpected. I pressed my lips together and my eyes narrowed. "Don't be difficult, Bella."
Her eyes flashed to the window, seeing that we were already halfway to the school. "Why are you doing this to me?" I demanded.
"Honestly, Bella, what did you think we were doing?" I gestured to the tux I was wearing.
She thought for a few moments before more angry tears. She wiped under her eyes, pulled her hand away and saw that no make-up had came of. Thank you Alice for knowing the need for waterproof make-up. "This is completely ridiculous. Why are you crying?" Oh, it's times like these in which I would give up immortality for just a chance to see inside her mind.
"Because I'm mad!"
"Bella." I attempted to 'dazzle' her, as she said that I tend to do.
"What?" she muttered.
"Humor me," I insisted. I saw her resolve waver as I stared at her. She eventually gave in.
"Fine," she pouted as she attempted to glare, but her attempts were poor. "I'll go quietly. But you'll see. I'm way overdue for more bad luck. I'll probably break my other leg. Look at this shoe! It's a death trap!" She held out her leg that was not in a cast as evidence.
"Hmmm." I stared at her leg longer than I probably should have. "Remind me to thank Alice for that tonight."
"Alice is going to be there?" I could see that the thought of Alice being there comforted her slightly.
"With Jasper, and Emmett... and Rosalie," I admitted.
And there went any comfort for Bella. Rosalie wasn't very happy with Bella's involvement in our family. She was jealous of Bella's humanity. Emmett, on the other hand, thought of Bella as another sister and thought that her human reactions were hysterically funny. That as well as the fact that she fell down a lot.
"Is Charlie in on this?" she asked, suddenly suspicious.
"Of course." I grinned and then chuckled. "Apparently Tyler wasn't, though."
It escapes me how someone could be so delusional. It wasn't as if Bella and I kept our relationship a secret. We were inseparable at school. I even half-carried her to her classes. I really can't see where he would get such an idea from.
We were now in the school parking lot, and I was parking next to Rosalie's red convertible . I walked around to her side of the car, opened her door, and I held out my hand for her to take. She just sat stubbornly in her seat, arms folded, and I could tell that she felt a little bit of smugness. She knew that I couldn't forcibly take her out of the car with all of the people that was crowding the parking lot.
I sighed, shaking my head. "When someone wants to kill you, you're brave as a lion-- and then when someone mentions dancing..."
She gulped. Apparently she hadn't thought of the dancing portion of the evening.
"Bella, I won't let anything hurt you-- not even yourself. I won't let go of you once, I promise." I could see that the comfort in her face was back. "There, now," I said gently, "it won't be so bad." I leaned down and wrapped and arm around her waist and lifted her form the car. I kept my arm around her as a support as she limped to the school.
The gymnasium looked, well, humorous. When we got inside, Bella actually giggled. There were balloon arches, garlands, and crepe paper, oh my! (A/N: Sorry! I really needed to do that. The voice in my head would get mad at me if I didn't!!)
"This looks like a horror movie waiting to happen," Bella snickered.
"Well," I muttered as we slowly reached the ticket table-- I was carrying the majority of Bella's weight, but she still had to shuffle and wobble forward-- "there are more than enough vampires present."
I noticed, looking over at the dance floor, that there was a large circle formed in the middle of the floor, where my siblings had converged, dancing a waltz that Rosalie made all of us learn about thirty years ago for one of her numerous weddings.
"Do you want me to bolt the doors so you can massacre the unsuspecting townsfolk?" She whispered conspiratorially.
"And where do you fit into that scheme?" I glared at her.
"Oh, I'm with the vampires, of course."
I smiled, although not completely happy how light she was with the vampire thing. And how easy it would be to actually massacre the people in this room. "Anything to get out of dancing."
"Anything."
I bought our tickets, then turned her towards the dance floor. I felt her cringe against my arm and she started to drag her feet against the floor.
"I've got all night," I warned.
Eventually, I got her over to where my family was twirling in a dance that was painfully outdated for the time and the style of the music.
"Edward," Bella whispered. "I honestly can't dance!" I could tell that she was panicking over this.
"Don't worry silly," I whispered back. "I can." I put her arms around my neck and lifted her off the ground just enough for my feet to slide under hers. Then I started to whirl her around like my siblings.
"I feel like I'm five years old," She laughed after we were dancing for a few minutes.
"You don't look five," I murmured, pulling her close for a moment.
She caught Alice's eye and she smiled in encouragement to Bella, and she smiled back. I could tell that she was enjoying herself, even if it was only a little.
"Okay, this isn't half bad," She admitted, although I wasn't paying attention to her for the moment. I was too busy staring at the entrance to the gym, where a certain young man entered, wanting to talk to Bella.
Okay, that wasn't so bad. Now all I have to do is find Bella and give her my dad's stupid message. There she is, wow she looks pretty.
Pretty! God, this boy must be blind or stupid to ever think that Bella was anything below stunning.
"What is it?" Bella asked. She looked to where I was looking and saw the young man, none other than Jacob Black.
I couldn't help myself, I started snarling. For one, he wanted to share with Bella some warning from his father, and two, he had a crush on her. I already hated this kid.
"Behave!" she hissed.
I couldn't keep my anger out of my voice. "He wants to chat with you."
I can't believe Dad's making me do this. Remember Jacob, one dance, share the damn warning, then get your tush out of here with the money for your master cylinder. He reached us then, embarrassed just being here. I could tell that much even if I couldn't read his mind.
"Hey, Bella, I was hoping you would be here." But it would save me dire embarrassment if you weren't. Then he smiled at her. I'll kill him.
"Hi, Jacob," she smiled back at him. "What's up?"
"Can I cut in?" He looked at me for the first time. I terrified him. Good.
My face was expressionless as I set Bella on her feet and took a step back. I walked over to one of the gym walls and leaned against it, waiting for this one dance to be over.
"Thanks," Jacob said amiably.
I nodded, than I walked away, never taking my gaze off of Bella. He put his hands on Bella's waist and hers went to his shoulders. Since Bella couldn't really move all that well, they just swayed back and forth.
"Wow, Jake, how tall are you now?"
He was happy that Bella noticed something like that about him and seemed to be overly smug about it. "Six-two."
"So, how did you end up here tonight?" I could tell that she wasn't truly interested in why he was here. She could probably tell from my reaction as to why he was here.
"Can you believe my dad paid me twenty bucks to come to your prom?" He admitted, ashamed.
"Yes, I can," she muttered, really quiet, so quiet that I could barely hear her. "Well, I hope you're enjoying yourself, at least. See anything you like?" She nodded towards a group of girls lined up against a wall.
You. "Yeah," he sighed. "But she's taken." I was about to rip this kids head off. If he didn't get to what he was paid to say then I may just do it.
He looked embarrassed as he held my Bella's gaze. They both looked away quickly.
"You look really pretty, by the way," he added shyly. Again with the pretty.
"Um, thanks. So why did Billy pay you to come here?" Bella asked, although she already knew the answer.
Damn superstitious old man, with his damn bribes. "He said it was a safe place to talk to you. I swear the old man is losing his mind." He laughed and Bella joined quietly. "Anyway, he said that if I told you something, he would get me that master cylinder I need," he confessed.
"Tell me, then. I want you to get your car finished." The boy didn't believe the legends, even though they are true. It didn't make me hate him less though, especially since he had his hands on her.
"There's no way I'll be mad at you, Jacob," she assured him. "I won't even be mad at Billy. Just say what you have to."
"Well-- this is so stupid, I'm sorry, Bella-- he wants you to break up with your boyfriend. He asked me to tell you 'please.'" He shook his head, clearly disgusted with himself. Master cylinder, master cylinder, master cylinder. His thoughts were concentrating on his end of the deal with his father.
"He's still superstitious, eh?"
"Yeah. He was... kind of over the top when you got hurt down in Phoenix. He didn't believe..." he trailed off.
Her eyes narrowed. "I fell," she finished.
"I know that," Jacob said quietly.
"He thinks Edward had something to do with me getting hurt." Even though I did have something to do with Bella getting hurt in Phoenix, I felt just a smidgen of happiness to see that Bella was angry. It was also satisfying when the boy was too uncomfortable to look at Bella in th e eye.
"Look, Jacob, I know Billy probably won't believe this bey just so you know" --Now he decides to look at her— "Edward really did save my life. If it weren't for Edward and his father, I'd be dead."
"I know." I don't like it. But there's no reason for it not to be true. I might as well try to convince Dad. Now for the embarrassing one.
"Hey, I'm sorry you had to come do this, Jacob," she apologized to him, for no reason in my mind. I glowered to myself as I watched them. "At any rate, you get your parts, right?"
"Yeah," he muttered, and Bella could even tell that he was uncomfortable.
"There's more?" She asked in disbelief.
"Forget it," he mumbled, "I'll get a job and save the money myself."
"Just spit it out, Jacob."
"It's so bad." Please don't make me say this. Don't make me say this.
"I don't care. Tell me," I insisted.
"Okay... but, geez, this sounds bad." He shook his head. "He said to tell you, no, to warn you, that— and this is his plural, not mine"-- he made air quotes with his fingers-- "'We'll be watching.'"
Even I had to snicker at that. And I did.
"Sorry you had to do this, Jake," Bella snickered, too.
"I don't mind that much." Then, he gave her a good look up and down. I used the last of my restraint to not go over there and gouge his eyes out. My snickering turned to growling, though. "So, should I tell him you said to butt the hell out?"
"No," she sighed. "Tell him I said thanks. I know he means well."
Then the song ended and she dropped her arms, although his arms hesitated at her waist. Cue for me to go rip his arms off.
"Do you want to dance again? Or I can help you somewhere?" The boy asked.
I made my presence known by saying, "That's alright, Jacob. I'll take it from here." And apparently he was startled by my intrusion because he flinched and stared at me with wide eyes.
"Hey, I didn't see you there," he mumbled. "I guess I'll you around, Bella." He started, waving halfheartedly.
"Yeah, I'll see you later."
"Sorry." He should be sorry. Interrupting our dance. Telling Bella cockamamie warnings. Calling her pretty, which is practically an insult.
My arms went around her and we started dancing again. She leaned her head against my chest and I felt a whole lot better. But Jacob's thoughts were still loud, even at this distance from each other. They mainly centered around how good Bella looked in her dress.
"Feeling better?" She teased me.
"Not really," I said.
"Don't be mad at Billy," she sighed. "He just worries for Charlie's sake. It's nothing personal."
"I'm not mad at Billy," I corrected. "But his son is irritating me."
She pulled back to look at me. "Why?"
"First of all, he made me break my promise."
She didn't understand what I meant.
"I promised I wouldn't let go of you tonight," I explained.
"Oh. Well, I forgive you."
"Thanks. But there's something else." She waited patiently for me to continue. "He called you pretty. That's practically an insult, the way you look right now. You're much more than beautiful."
She laughed. "You might be a little biased."
"I don't think that's it. Besides, I have excellent eyesight."
After a little while of dancing, Bella wondered, "So are you going to explain the reason for all of this?"
I didn't want to answer this here, so I change the direction of our dancing and led Bella out the gym doors and out into the cool air. It was already dark. Night seems to be the time of day where my kind really shows.
As soon as we were alone, I scooped her up into my arms and carried to a bench that lies in the shade of some trees. I cradled her to my chest and gazed at the dark sky blocked by the clouds.
"The point?" She prompted.
I still didn't answer her question and stared now at the moon. "Twilight, again," I murmured. "Another ending. No matter how perfect the is, it always has to end."
"Some things don't have to end," she muttered through her teeth.
She was right. But I was not going to let her give up her soul to have an eternity of night in the life of a vampire. Even if she wanted it. I sighed. "I brought you to prom because I don't want you to miss anything. I don't want my presence to take anything away from you, if I can help it. I want you to be human. I want you life to continue as it would have if I died in nineteen-eighteen like I should have."
She shuddered and then shook her head. "In what strange parallel dimension would I ever have gone to prom of my own free will? If you weren't a thousand times stronger than me, I would never have let you get away with it."
I smiled, but I wasn't really feeling it. "It wasn't so bad, you said so yourself."
"That's because I was with you."
We were silent for a moment as she stared at me and I stared at the moon. "Will you tell me something?" I asked her, glancing down at her.
"Don't I always?"
"Just promise you'll tell me," I insisted, grinning down at her.
"Fine."
"You seemed honestly surprised when you figured out that I was taking you here," I began.
"I was."
"Exactly," I agreed. "But you must have had some other theory... I'm curious— what did you think I was dressing you up for?"
"I don't want to tell you."
Oh, the frustration of not being able to read her mind!!! "You promised."
"I know." Can vampires get migraines? Because I just may get one now.
"What's the problem?"
Was she embarrassed about her guess? Did she think it was stupid, and I'd laugh at her for it?
"I think it will make you mad— or sad."
Mad or sad? What could it be? I still really want to know, though. "I still want to know. Please?"
She sighed and I waited patiently for her to answer my question. "Well... I assumed it was some kind of... occasion. But I didn't think it would be some trite human thing... prom!"
What? What did she mean by 'human.' "Human?" I asked.
She started fidgeting with her dress. "Okay," she confessed in a rush. "So I was hoping that you might have changed your mind... that you were going to change me, after all."
Change her!! No! That would be the worst thing I could ever do to her! That would be taking away her soul, and I would have to live with that. Although, this is kind of funny. Her thinking that was why she was all dressed up.
"You thought that would be a black tie occasion, did you?" I gestured to the tuxedo that I was wearing.
She scowled in embarrassment, "I don't know how these things work. To me, at least, it seems more rational than prom does." I couldn't stop grinning. "It's not funny." And I knew it wasn't funny. I would just prefer it to be a joke.
"No, you're right, it's not." Now I stopped smiling. "I'd rather treat it as joke, though, than believe you're serious."
"But I am serious."
I sighed and felt that pain knowing she was willing to give up humanity for me. "I know. And you're really willing?"
She bit her lip and nodded.
"So you're ready for this to be the end," I mumbled almost to myself, "for this to the twilight of your life, though your has barely started. You're ready to give up everything?"
"It's not the end, it's the beginning," she disagreed.
"I'm not worth it," I said sadly. Sad because it's true.
"Do you remember when you told me that I didn't see myself very clearly? You obviously have that same blindness."
"I know what I am." A monster, that's what I am. I am a monster that wants to take the soul of an angel. But, as long as she thought that she was ready. I might as well show her how scared of this she really is, and have some fun with while I do.
"You're ready now?"
"Um." She gulped. "Yes?" It came out like a question.
I smiled and brought my lips to brush against her skin under the corner of her jaw.
"Right now?" I whispered, making my breath float across her neck, which mad her shiver involuntarily.
"Yes," it was barely a whisper. She balled her fists and her breathing was erratic. I was disappointed in her view of my control.
"You can't really believe that I would give in so easily," I said, adding a bit of acid into my mocking tone.
"A girl can dream."
"Is that what you dream about? Being a monster?"
"Not exactly." She frowned at my use of the word 'monster.' "Mostly I dream about being able to stay with you forever."
That saddened me a little. She wouldn't stay with me forever. She would eventually realize that I wasn't good enough for her and then leave me for someone who could give her a human life, where she would grow old, have kids, then enter heaven, where I would be forever barred from.
"Bella." I traced her lovely lips with my fingers. "I will stay with you— isn't that enough?"
She smiled under my fingers. "Enough for now."
I could tell that there would be no surrendering for either of us tonight. I exhaled in the sound of a growl.
She touched my face. "Look, I love you more than everything else in the world combined. Isn't that enough?"
I smiled. "Yes, it is enough. Enough for forever."
I leaned to her and place my lips at her throat once more.
DAMN!!! THAT TOOK FOREVER!!!!!!!! THAT WAS REALLY TIME CONSUMING!!! SORRY ABOUT THAT!
NOW, THERE IS A POLL ON MY PROFILE ABOUT WHICH STORY OF MINE I SHOULD GET CRAKING ON. I WANT YOU TO VOTE ON IT. AFTER ALL, I DO THIS FOR THE FANS!!!
REVIEW IF YOU LIKE HUGS, COOKIES, EDWARD, JACOB, THE CULLEN MEN/WOMEN (DEPENDING ON YOUR PREFERENCE), OR WANT THE HUGS AND COOKIES DELIVERED BY EDWARD, JACOB, AND/OR THE CULLEN MEN/WOMEN!
THANK YOU!!
Rogue12158 Holly