Chapter 1: Prologue
Judging by the anxious looks surrounding me, whatever news I was about to be delivered couldn't be good. The Cullen's living room had always seemed like a place of refuge to me, despite the somewhat dangerous circumstances, but now it had become an icy prison. I couldn't just get up, chicken out, and go home; but I didn't want to stay and hear whatever blow was to be delivered. Were they moving away again? I always feared that would reoccur, that Edward would finally leave with his family, having come back just to ensure I returned home safely; why else would he have gone from wanting himself dead to holding me in an airplane on the way back to Forks, Washington?
I let out a great sigh, shifting on the expensive couch in an effort to keep myself busy. I didn't want to meet anyone's eyes, the task would just cause me to blush and feel awkward under these conditions. I was about to clear my throat and break the silence, when Carlisle beat me to it. His golden eyes burned against the top of my head, causing me to look up after the prickling sensation of being stared down. He looked prim and proper as always, constantly the sign of intelligence and wisdom within his Covent.
"Bella, we've been given an…ultimatum," he began carefully. I glanced around at the Cullen's. They all seemed incredibly uncomfortable, on edge, and I knew that this was going to be a bit bigger than any other ultimatum that they'd ever been given before; after all, it takes a lot to shake up a family of vampires.
"Um…?"
Edward's cool hand was suddenly on mine, grasping it tighter than he usually allowed himself. I thought I could see an anguished look in his topaz eyes, but it was gone more quickly than it had come, and so I just weakly stroked the top of his marble hand with my thumb, enjoying how I could heat it up with my contact.
"The Volturri wants us to change you…sooner than we expected," he finished Carlisle's thoughts, almost looking apologetic at having to 'break' something like this to me. I hate to admit it, but my heart fluttered…and not out of shock or fear. I was happy that this ultimatum had come. Finally, this was my moment of actually becoming the same species as my boyfriend…well, fiancé, I guess.
"Sooner?" I couldn't help but shoot a quick glance at Alice, who was looking as guilty as if she'd just broken the news that I was going to die within 24 hours. Honestly, what was the deal? I know that all of them had reservations about changing me, but I don't think they felt this…objective to it.
"By the end of the month," Edward clarified, giving my small hand another squeeze. If I didn't know how stubborn he was, I would say that Edward was going to burst into tears at any moment. Creases has formed on his brow from stress, his lips showing faint, healing bite marks from where he chewed on them due to anxiety…an odd habit of his that I've come to notice.
"I know it wasn't your planned date, but it isn't the end of the world," I reassured him, doing whatever it took to get this boy to calm down; Stress and Edward isn't exactly a good combination…unless you're building a bomb.
"There's more," he continued, not relaxing in the slightest. In fact, he almost seemed angry that I was taking this, well…casually. He knew how much I wanted to be a vampire, like him, so I guess he took this as a sign that I wasn't taking this seriously and found it more of a lucky turn of events, if anything; he wasn't too far off.
"Just cut to the chase," I sighed out, frustrated by how the dam of this was still up, allowing only trickles of information pass through. After catching Edward and Carlisle exchanging looks, I knew that permission to do so was being asked, and from the looks of it, granted.
"They gave us several conditions," Edward began, his grip on my small hand loosening, becoming gentler. "First off, your parents can't be informed of your…'absence.'" I froze.
"I can't tell Charlie and Mom that I'm leaving, not even an excuse?"
"Yes," he nodded gravely, apologetically, but we both knew it wasn't enough to fix the situation. Nothing could, the Voulturri's word was law, and now I was being forced to follow it. "We have to simply pick up and leave, no note, no anything. A note would suggest that there is...hope of you coming back. A clean cut would be our best route…but we'll discuss that later." He sighed. "Bella, we're leaving tomorrow. The Voulturri wishes to see the change occur before their eyes, to be sure of the credibility of it."
"Why tomorrow?" I demanded, furious that even the small amount of a couple weeks was being taken away from me to spend with my parents. I was going to have Renee come down with Phil, and cook Charlie's favorite meals. Small favors in return of something that would be heart crushingly awful to both of them, but it was all I could think to do. I wanted that time with them.
"I still want you to have as many human experiences as possible," Edward answered, staring into my eyes with serious intent; meaning, there was no shaking him of this. "With that extra time in Europe, I will make sure you experience all that you can." I gave a nod, silently taking that in for a moment. The more I thought of it, the more he made sense; staying here for two weeks, knowing what I was about to go through, and having to do so before Charlie would be too big of a task. A clean break was the best option, and I could see no way of getting around it.
"Are we getting married in Europe?" I don't know why I asked this. Marriage seemed to be the furthest thing from anyone's mind at the moment, even Alice's, but this was one human experience Edward was dead set on, so it just seemed to come up as I examined all of this.
"I'm sure we could arrange something, so, yes," he agreed, glancing around to see if anyone had objections to it. Alice seemed a bit disappointed.
"It'll be impossible to plan such an elegant wedding in such a short time with limited resources!" She practically groaned out. I honestly didn't think she was all that upset, but it seemed to bring a sense of normality to the group, which was probably her intention.
"They can always just go the legal route and have an extravagant wedding later," Esme suggested warmly, looking just as shaken as the rest, yet keeping the steady head of an experienced mother. This seemed to appease Alice, and she gave a nod, probably already listing several new locations for the event, seeing as we didn't need to worry about getting everyone from Forks there now.
"So…what now?" I questioned, glancing around. The big details seemed to have run out, and now it was time for all the technical preparations for this. Like, for instance, how I'm going to be able to just up and disappear without the Cullen's being blamed, or my body being searched for and tracked down. Knowing the over-protectiveness of both my parents, I would undoubtedly be on as many billboards and milk cartons as possible.
Carlisle seemed to have been able to guess my thoughts, because he filled them in for me. "We'll arrange a family vacation," he spoke up, directing this towards me; the rest of them probably already knew of the plan. "We'll be sure to cause a scene of leaving, having you and Officer Swan see us off at the airport. We wouldn't really take off, of course, but it's simply for the effect. That very same day, you will go missing." I nodded, seeing where he was going with this.
"But then what? They'll no doubt be searching for me. A high school girl that randomly went missing will no doubt catch the attention of the Today Show, or something." I pointed out, my lips curving down somewhat. I wasn't sure if this would work…then again, what do I know? I'm only human, after all. This was when I noticed a sudden shift take place, one that was far too uncomfortable to look over, and I knew the next words out of his mouth weren't going to be reassuring in the least.
"Bella, we need to…fake your death," He finally answered, giving me that wise, sympathetic look that adults usually reserved for children in a time of crisis. I almost gave a hysterical laugh, but managed to keep it under wraps. Fake my death? How would they be able to do that, let alone get away with it?
"How, exactly?" I questioned.
"When you're changed into a Vampire, you will have no heartbeat, your skin will be cool to the touch, and every muscle can be stilled with little to no effort; the tissue is technically dead, only put in motion when needed."
"Which means…?"
"You'll have to lie in your own crime scene and attend your very own funeral," it was Edward that answered me, his voice hard and steely, a defensive route he usually took. A voice in my head told me this whole plan was ridiculous, that I should just back out of it all, but I knew this had to be done, no matter how painful of a choice I was making. Finally, I gave a slow, understanding nod.
"…Alright."
xxxxxx
"Isn't it a bit odd to be vacationing at this time?" Charlie questioned, cocking a brow at me as he sat across the table. I merely shrugged, pushing my food around with my fork.
"Well, graduation just happened, and College doesn't start for a couple months. Besides, it's summer vacation, it makes sense to me."
"It just seems a bit sudden, though, but if I had the kind of money those Cullen's did, I'd probably go vacationing whenever I felt like it too." Charlie seemed to space off at this, as if he were imagining himself as a rich man. My dad was never a greedy adult, he didn't care how much money was in his wallet, as long as it was enough to support himself and his family; but, hey, a guy can dream.
"Yeah, I think Carlisle has some family in Greece, and it's a good place to just relax," I pointed out, attempting to eat a noodle, though my stomach didn't seem too willing.
"I'd want to take some time to relax too if I had a job like his," Charlie murmured; the job of an officer was as equally stressful, but crime anything bigger than immature vandalism was unheard of in Forks. "Edward isn't taking you along?" I mentally cringed at this question. Charlie wasn't satisfied in the least with the engagement, he vehemently argued against it until he saw there was no thwarting me. Ever since then, he'd been eyeing for cracks in the foundation of our relationship, waiting with a chisel in hand to widen the gaps.
"I was invited, but it seems like more of a family trip," I lied, keeping my eyes down; I couldn't look at people when I wasn't telling the truth. "So, can you drive me to see them off?"
"When's that?" He eyed me from across the table, probably wondering why I just didn't go myself, but eventually deciding it would be good time to spend together.
"Tomorrow, at 11am."
"Okay, I'll be there," he agreed, standing up with his dirty plate in hand. I knew he could have probably eaten a couple more helpings, but there was game on soon, and heaven forbid Charlie misses one of those. I followed his lead, though, washing the dishes to keep my hands busy while my mind wondered on my inevitable fate by the one I loved; sounds like a tragic, cliché romance novel if you ask me.
I decided to call Renee afterwards, almost choking up at the thought of this being the last time I could talk to her in person. She didn't seem to notice though and just chatted away happily, as she did best. Renee was always happiest talking about her day, the good, the bad, and even the uninteresting; she liked being listened to, especially by me. The conversation lasted about an hour (I prolonged it with questions for her) and then I trudged upstairs to my bedroom. There would be no need to pack for tomorrow. Missing things would indicate that I had run away, and the Cullen's didn't want that type of stain to carry me into my death.
xxxxxxx
Lips brushed against my cheek, fluttering up to my eyelids for a moment until they were pulled away, replaced by a tight hug. I sighed against Edward's shoulder, and I knew he could feel how heavy of a toll this was taking on me. I wasn't one to put up a good act or have the ability to lie with a perfect poker face. So, obviously, this whole visage was causing just as much stress as it was preventing.
"I'll be back in a week, so don't worry," he murmured, making himself loud enough for my father, who was several feet away, to hear.
"Promise to call?" I questioned softly, probably only seeming as if I was going to miss my fiancé by my pitifully weak voice. Edward gave a nod, giving me one of those gorgeous grins, though it was stale compared to his usual.
"I promise; I'll be back before you know it." I did my best to give him a convincing smile, but it ended up just feeling like a grimace, and I prayed Charlie wasn't observing my horrible acting skills.
"Alright, I love you," I finally said, giving his body a squeeze before pulling back to give him room to move.
"I love you too, and I'll call you when we get to our hotel."
When I glanced back, I saw that Charlie had been looking away this entire time, probably due to embarrassment; he wasn't good with affection, especially when it was between his daughter and a boy he wasn't rather fond of. But, when he heard that our goodbyes had ended, his creased eyes moved back to the Cullen family, giving them a symbolic nod; he was a man of few words, but I think they could tell he was saying, "Have a nice trip and a safe flight."
"Oh, Bella, I'll miss you!" Alice exclaimed, giving me a hug that was impossibly tight for a human girl her size. I tried not to let out a grunt, and hugged back, giving a small smile as I pulled back. Esme was next to administer a hug, adding a kiss on the cheek afterwards. The rest of them gave me simple nods, giving another over my shoulder to Charlie, which he returned as well.
The Cullen's then slipped into the crowd, looking as if they were leaving for their plane, but I knew better; they had slipped from the airport in the blink of an eye.
xxxxxxx
The ride home was absolutely painful. I couldn't think of what to say, and every time I would glance at Charlie I felt as if I would burst into tears; he took my mood as being love sick for Edward. I had to keep repeating Carlisle's instructions in my head; I absolutely could not tell Charlie anything, not even a hint, otherwise he could become a target for the Voulturri. I was…well, running away for the sake of Charlie and my mother, and putting them in danger would just be icing on the damn cake at the moment.
"Bells?" I kept my eyes averted, watching the bright colors of plants wiz past and blur into one another.
"Hm?" I responded, feeling a twisting knot form in my gut; I was paranoid at the thought of Charlie somehow figuring out the plan.
"Marriage…do you honestly think you're…well…ready?" He practically stammered this out, and I could feel the heat of his cheeks fill the car. If there was one duty that Charlie shouldn't leave his day job for, it would be the role of Dr. Phil.
"Yes, Ch-Dad, I know what I'm doing." Through my nervous haste and heightened sense of paranoia, this came out in a short, clipped tone, one that seemed to have actually hurt my dad's feelings, because he didn't pursue the subject the rest of the way home.
xxxxxxx
As expected, Charlie decided to pop by the station real quick, double checking that all was in order. I gave him an out-of-the-ordinary tight hug, telling him to hurry up and get home for dinner. That's when I took a moment to think, recalling that we had no pasta.
"Alright, here's a ten, buy a snack with whatever's left over," He murmured, looking like he was going to kiss the top of my head, but eventually decided against it. The sun was setting on an already dismally gray day, but again, major crime in Forks was a once every several decades sort of thing; no father was worried about who roamed the streets alongside their daughters. I almost felt guilty at how many teenage girls would be under strict supervision after this.
I left the house after Charlie, grabbing a jacket on the way out. I waved as he pulled out of the driveway, and then began moving east towards the town's supermarket. I was probably halfway there when a hand shot out of an alley, gripping me firmly as I was pulled tightly against a cold, hard chest. Despite knowing it was just Edward, I couldn't help but let out a short squeal of surprise, but no one was in any way able to hear it; we were safe.
"Ready?" He murmured in my ear, his cold breath tickling the skin. I gave a sigh, gazing at the small portion of the rainy town before giving a slight nod.
xxxxxxx
Wooo! I haven't posted a Fan Fiction for probably, like, two years or so. I had horrible writer's block, still do, but hey, A for effort, right? xD
I know this was probably a boring chapter, but everything had to be introduced, y'know? Make too long of a first chapter and people lose interest, so nothing ginormous will be written until we're well into the story.
I hope ya'll at least got a feel for it, and I'll update, no worries. So review, please, it would help me out. Ideas, opinions, criticism; all is welcome.
Thanks
-Sealynne