A.N: For your delight : )
I will be updating IWMUH over the weekend for sure, but this sprung to mind and I just had to write it. It's very rough and ready, so please do excuse mistakes. It's my first try at a tragedy – I've never lost someone that close to me, so I can't relate, other than books and other magnifique fanfics.
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PS: This is my VERY FIRST attempt at a proper tragedy. If it's not sad enough, take it with a pinch of salt, K?
PSS: Death via car crash is involved, if this upsets you or offends you in some way please don't read. I don't mean to offend/upset but I know some people could get upset reading this if I've written it okay. K thanks let's rock.
Title: Daisies and Buttercups
Rating: K+
Summary: "I snuck out of the house in the middle of the night. I ran down the stairs and I unlocked the side door. I ran out through the garden and into the forest, and all the way into our meadow. And I brought these freesias and lavenders for you, my Bella."
"I snuck out of the house in the middle of the night. I ran down the stairs and unlocked the side door. I ran out through the garden and into the forest, and all the way into our meadow. The pixies gave me these lavenders and freesias for you, my Bella."
The sky was black, dotted with spots of colour – stars as they burnt out slowly, a million light years away from earth. A full moon hung, suspended by invisible strings in the air as it gleamed, casting silvery rays across the rural landscape.
A pair of wicked green eyes twinkled in the darkness.
Edward Cullen was perched on the edge of his Action Man bed, his feet not quite touching the ground as he swung them back and forth. His auburn hair was ruffled, messy as he stared out of the window, examining the silvery landscape.
He held a freesia and a lavender flower in his hand – the two were entwined with one another, both of them pressed so that they would last forever. He inhaled deeply for a second, catching the weak scents of the flowers, and he sighed heavily as he exhaled.
For in his other hand, there was a picture.
"Edward!" a small, tinkling voice yelled.
A little girl with long mahogany hair and bright chocolate eyes ran across the sand, a kite flying out behind her as she rushed towards Edward, who was sat on a flat rock beside the sea, watching the waves crash against the sharper rocks.
Edward immediately looked up, watching as the little girl tripped over her own feet, stumbling and tripping over, an expression of fear marring her pretty face.
"Bella!" he cried in spite of himself.
He jumped up gracefully, and managed to grab hold of Bella, and spin her around, so that he took the impact of the fall. Bella landed on top of Edward, the two looking straight into one another's eyes. Neither of the children had realised the camera had snapped a picture of the two, capturing them perfectly.
Edward smiled gently as he admired the picture. He suddenly choked on a sob, his eyes filling with tears before he could stop them. The salty tears trickled down his face, soaking his cheeks and his nose as he closed his eyes and fought valiantly for composure.
He looked out of the window once his tears had dried. The forest had never looked more appealing. He closed his eyes and bit his lip again, the tears reforming faster than he thought possible.
Then, his resolve hardened. He grabbed his puffer jacket from his wardrobe, slipping it on and zipping it up tightly. He pulled a little beanie hat over his head and grabbed a pair of thermal gloves, before he rushed down the stairs with stealth he didn't realise he possessed.
He ran out of the side door, and across the front garden. He didn't admire the view as the tears cascaded down his cheeks, his eyes red and puffy and his breathing laboured by his sobs. He jumped over the white picket fence and straight down the valley into the forest.
And as he ran, another memory filled his mind.
"Where are we going?"
Edward grunted slightly as he adjusted little Bella, who was clinging to his back. She didn't weigh very much at all, but Edward was still quite small too – he was barely any taller than she was!
"You'll see," Edward wheezed out, before he marched into the forest at a brisk pace.
About five minutes into the journey Edward grunted and let Bella down. She giggled as she collapsed onto the ground beside Edward, grabbed his hand and tried to pull him up again as he fought to catch his breath.
"Come on, slow poke!" she giggled, poking Edward before shooting off into the trees. Edward stood, still gasping slightly as he rushed after her, following the sound of her shrieks of laughter and her heavy breathing. A second later, there was a gasp followed by silence.
Edward broke through the final layer of bushes and stopped at the edge of a large meadow. It was perfectly circular, with lavenders and freesias planted around the edge. It was well kept, the grass was long and swaying in the breeze and in the centre of the clearing, was Bella.
She was moving around in a circle, her eyes alight with happiness. She eagerly pulled out a small disposable camera from her pocket and snapped a picture of the meadow. Then, she turned to Edward, her eyes gleaming with happiness.
"What is this place?" she asked, running towards Edward and diving upon him, enveloping him in a hug.
"It's my meadow," he replied. He bit his lip for a couple of seconds, before elaborating – "it's our meadow now."
Bella beamed. "Our meadow," she agreed.
Edward rushed through the trees, his breaths coming in gasps as he finally broke through the final layer of trees, and stepped out into the meadow. The lavenders and freesias still bloomed all around the edge of the meadow as if nothing had happened since Bella was there too.
Edward's sobs became louder in the night as he gently plucked a few freesias and lavenders, holding them in a bunch. He pulled a long shred of fabric from his shirt and gently tied the flowers up in the beige material of his shorts.
He ran again, straight through the forest and out of the other side. His breathing was laboured, he was sweating but inside he felt cold, so cold. He sprinted up the hill on which the tiny cemetery perched and gasped for breath for a couple of seconds, before he pushed open the wrought iron gates and entered the graveyard.
He moved slowly now, with respect. He lowered his volume, inhaling deeply but very quietly. He walked along the gravel path, following it right to the back of the cemetery. When he finally stopped before a new, black marble gravestone, he bent down and put the flowers before it, reading the writing slowly.
Isabella Marie Swan
September 13th 1987 - September 1st 1993
A beloved daughter, cherished little girl and the best friend anyone could ask for.
Taken too soon.
Seeing your best friend's gravestone was enough to make anyone break down. As it was for Edward – he was exhausted, emotionally withdrawn, and more than anything, he needed Bella. Tears dribbled from his eyes again as he stared down at the stone, silently remembering.
"I can't believe you won!" Bella screeched, though her eyes were still dancing with amusement as she looked angrily at the Snakes and Ladders board. Her eyes lit up with flames, "you cheated!" she fired at him, waiting for him to deny it.
Edward merely smirked.
"I can't believe you!" she snarled, "I thought we were going to play fair for once," she added quietly, a little upset.
Edward snorted, "I didn't think you'd play by the rules. Are you telling me you didn't cheat once?"
She pouted.
Edward laughed.
"Bella!" Charlie Swan, the best friend of Edward's father and Bella's father himself, called. "It's time for us to go now – say goodbye to Edward."
Bella beamed. "See you soon!" she hugged me.
He hugged her back. "See you soon," he agreed.
It was the last time he ever saw her. The car crash had been fatal to them all – Charlie, Renee and Bella were all gone. And though Edward grieved for them all, the loss of his best friend hit him hardest.
…Because there was always the 'what if' at the end, even if Edward was too young to realise it. What if she had survived, and the two had grown up together, and been best friends for life? What if it was supposed to be something more, but they never got the chance to live that 'something more'?
…What if she had lived?
But he didn't think this as he stared down at the flowers that now lay on her grave. He gently rested a hand on the headstone and spoke in a very quiet and tired voice.
"It's me, Bella. I've come to talk to you," he began, voice slurred slightly with tiredness. "I came to see you. I snuck out of the house in the middle of the night. I ran down the stairs and I unlocked the side door. I ran out through the garden and into the forest, and all the way into our meadow. And I brought these freesias and lavenders for you, my Bella.
"I don't know what this feeling is! I wish you were here, you could explain it to me! I can't to my maths homework, I need your help! I need you here with me Bella, and I don't know what to do without you. People look at me funny and they all miss you, but nobody misses you more than I do.
"I need you Bella! I need my best friend back… I need you to laugh and cheat when we play Snakes and Ladders together… I need you to pout when you're wrong and I'm right… I need you to show me how to do all these things… I need you to teach me how to live without you.
"…I miss you. I wish you were here. But I can imagine you up there with the angels. You are an angel – but I picture you with your white dress on and a golden halo circling your head, with two fuzzy white wings on your back and you're smiling down at me now.
"I just hope you miss me as much as I do. I miss you… I miss you… I miss you…" his voice was slurred now, as he collapsed beside the stone, on top of the freesias and the lavenders. His eyelids closed slightly as the rain raged on, "I miss you… I missss… you…"
But before he drifted into unconsciousness, a voice that was not his own echoed through his head:
I miss you too.
…
…
…
A.N: Reviews are greatly appreciated – let me know if you fancy a two shot, perhaps Bella's POV as she watches? Oh and they are supposed to be seven (Bella is six when she is taken.)