The Replacement…
By HPFangirl71
Disclaimer: I own none of following characters… they belong to Stephanie Meyer only
He thought back to the look on her face when he had left her alone in the woods. It was a look that would forever haunt him. He had never seen so much hurt or pain on a human's face. It had made it twice as hard to leave her. He'd had no choice… It was to protect her. She was in constant danger near him. He'd told her he didn't want her anymore and she'd actually believed him. He could tell by the devastation on her face that she had truly believed him. It had taken all his strength to just walk away… to leave her with the thought that he no longer needed or desired her.
These were the thoughts that haunted Edward, every minute of everyday. He longed for sleep… to rid his mind of her image, but alas… if he could sleep… He was sure she'd only visit his dreams too, turning them into beautiful nightmares.
Bella had always been just that, a beautiful tantalizing nightmare. The scent of her blood had called to him. Something even stronger had made him love her. Her kisses had made him desire her. It had been incredibly hard to resist her. Always wanting her… needing her… craving her… knowing he could never fully give in to those desires. He was the predator… she was the prey… their love had been unnatural.
He had been foolish to think she'd go unharmed in his world. A world full of the living dead… Jasper's attack on her had made everything clear. She couldn't live in their world. He didn't blame his brother. They were vampires and the thirst for blood was all consuming. Even he had been suffocated by the allure of her blood. Its scent had always called to him like a siren's. He'd forced himself to resist her only for sake of their love. He knew Bella was better off without him, yet the world felt empty without her here by his side.
They had fled Forks like thieves in the night all because of one lone drop of blood. A blood that had spilt with such sweetness and allure… causing for the briefest of moments for Jasper's resolve to be broken. Turning him into the monster they'd all vowed no to be… Now, here they were far away in Alaska with Tanya and her sisters.
Coming here had been hard on Edward. He knew of Tanya's feelings for him and her thoughts made him uncomfortable. He was the only man who'd ever turned her away. His reason was unknown even to him. For Tanya was very beautiful even by vampire standards. The onslaught of his pain was what kept him from her now.
Edward was in hiding… Hiding his pain from his family, cause there was nothing they could do for him. Even Jasper's powers had no effect on him. He found it hard to drown out their thoughts of pity for him. Since coming to Denali, he had locked himself away in his room. There he sat drowning in his sorrows. They had all long ago stopped trying to coax him out.
There was a sudden knock on the door. It was Tanya… This was the first time she'd come to him since their arrival. Timidly, she asked him to let her in. Edward didn't want to see anyone but felt he owed her for hurting her feelings the last time. He quickly crossed to unlock the door and was back on the bed before she entered. She quietly entered the room, closing the door behind her. Tanya let out a soft gasp at the sight of him.
Edward's eyes were black with thirst and beheld the horrifying pain within. Her thoughts weren't pitying him but rather filled with her love for him. She wanted to ease his pain. She sat down at the edge of the bed, taking his hand within hers. "Edward… you need to hunt…" she said softly. Edward just sat ignoring her suggestion. She brushed a stray curl from his face, which made him stir.
Her touch shocked Edward. Such a simple gesture… yet it made him feel something other than the pain. He felt gratitude to her for trying to help. "Edward, I know how you feel. When I lost my mother to the Volturi, it was very painful. I thought I'd never get through the pain… It still hurts sometimes but its better now. Shutting people out will only intensify your pain. Let me in Edward… Let me try to heal your heart… I'm not Bella, but I could be a fair replacement." she spoke softly to him.
Edward looked up into her golden eyes and knew she was probably right. Maybe she could help him fill the huge void within his heart. The question was: would she get hurt in the process? After a few moments of silence, he finally spoke "You would be content being someone's replacement?" She looked again into the dark recess of his eyes and replied "For you Edward… Yes…"
Tentatively, she reached out to stroke his jaw. Her touch made him reawaken to the world around him. He still felt the pain of losing Bella but he also felt something else. Something so powerful he was weak to resist it. He was weak to resist her… In the flash of a moment, Tanya's lips were on his. Her fingers held his face tightly to hers, as her lips continued their assault.
Perhaps it was his thirst that made him respond. Soon his lips were moving with hers. His fingers entangled in her strawberry blonde tresses. A hand moved of its own accord down to her waist, pulling her body into his. Soon the blonde hair was replaced with dark raven tresses, the golden eyes took a darker chocolate form… yes if he imagined it hard enough, he could almost feel the warmth of human skin. Yes… Edward would live without his Bella… as long as he had the vivid memories of a dream he'd once lived and a replacement to fill the empty void within…