This is my version of how Midnight Sun should have ended. As a huge Twilight series fan, I was completely distraught as I waited for the unfinished draft to be completed some day. I can only dope that that day may come. Until then, here is my version! Midnight Sun does not belong to me, and is instead the amazing work of Stephanie Meyer. Enjoy! Please feel free to leave any feedback on how to improve what I've already written, and leave any tips on how to become a better writer!
No more mistakes. I hit the gas, and then sighed as she disappeared behind me. It seemed like I was always running toward Bella, or running away from her, never staying in place. I would have to find some way to hold my ground if we were ever going to find some peace.
My eyes never left the road as I drove home a little faster than necessary, although I never actually concentrated on it. I didn't have to because I knew every turn. I could drive anywhere in Forks with my eyes closed, and I had a few times. But it was the buzzing electricity and Bella's lingering fragrance that trapped me in a trance-like state.
I pulled into my driveway then and killed the engine, glancing at the clock on my dashboard. Four o'clock. I groaned and leaned my seat as far back as it would go and closed my eyes. I would have to find something to do until the sun set, only then could I return to Bella.
I inhaled, slowly, welcoming the burning feeling in my throat, wondering how I could ever get used to a scent so strong. Carlisle had told me many times how difficult it was to try and suppress our instinct to drain anything that smelled appetizing. As difficult as it was for him, I also knew how possible it was, possible to ignore the impulse when we needed to. And for him, that was almost a full time job. He worked at the hospital as long as he could, and that must have certainly helped with the self-control.
Maybe that was something I needed to try. Instead of constantly trying to avoid the thing, or person, that I was so afraid to lose control around, I could go through practice-like rounds subjecting myself to the very thing that pushed me. And maybe, eventually, it wouldn't bother me…
Who are you kidding, the monster inside of me snapped. I knew something this strong wouldn't just go away, but I would have to try. If I could even make it a little bit easier to breathe around Bella, it would be something worth learning. All I would have to do was get a little closer than usual, breathe a little deeper than I would normally allow, and touch her more frequently. Piece of cake…
I sighed and opened my eyes, straightening my seat back to an upright position. My right hand had the slightest tingling sensation still working its way around the spot where I had touched Bella's face. It had been so difficult to restrain myself enough to touch her so lightly, so briefly.
But I had actually made progress, even if that move wasn't a decision I made consciously at the time. Just weeks before, I couldn't stand to even sit next to her without feeling like I was going to destroy everything Carlisle worked so hard to build. But now, I found myself sitting closer to her in class, not having to rush out of the room when the bell rang. I could take more breaths when I ran out of air, allowing myself to speak to her longer.
My latest accomplishment was being able to give Bella rides to school and back home. For a normal human, it wouldn't be so bad. Surely humans would be nervous, wondering constantly how the other one felt, if they should hold hands, even wondering if there would be a goodbye kiss.
But in my situation, it was a little more difficult. The whole time Bella and I were inside of the car, it felt like the air would catch fire almost literally. The windows always stayed rolled up, and I had her very delicate body to thank for that. The outside air was much too cold to even crack the windows, but turning the heat on would surely be a bad decision. As if it wasn't hard enough to sit so closely in a room full of witnesses without reaching out to touch her, I had to keep control of myself while we were alone. Behind my tinted windows, no one would see me if I decided to slip and sink my teeth into her neck…
My subconscious was screaming at me then. Stop it! You will never hurt Bella. And I knew this was true, because I was finally able to admit that I did care about her, more than my own family. I loved her, and that meant I would do whatever it took to keep her safe, even from monsters like myself. I couldn't leave her, not now. Despite my own selfishness, Bella needed me. I had to fill the role of her guardian angel, and that meant near constant supervision.
A smile broke across my face. Of course I didn't like thinking about Bella being in any kind of trouble, but getting to spend more time with her was a perk I was thankful for. We did have to part for some of the day. Like when we went to our separate classes or went home after school, although if I were given the opportunity I would stay by her side indefinitely.
But despite the need to remain inconspicuous to the public, I'd wait until after twilight, when I knew she wasn't awake, and then carefully crawl through her window and watch her sleep. I kept telling myself that I was only there to watch over her, to keep her safe. But in reality, I didn't have the strength to stay away from her any longer than I had to.
I would see Bella again tonight, and that thought made my dead heart sing. I wondered what she would dream about this time, after having found out a little bit more about me. Would she dream about me hunting her? Or maybe she would dream that I was human. Only in that state of mind could we both sit next to each other without her being in imminent danger. Would she dream of us holding hands on our drive home from school? Would she dream of me leaning in slowly to kiss her, hesitating only because I was nervous and not because I could sense the blood pulsing through her veins?
A chuckle slipped between my lips then, because I knew that there was still so much practice that needed to be done before I could attempt anything like that.
I unwillingly pushed the car door open and stepped out. The sun had only slightly dropped in the sky, barely visible behind the dark clouds. I tried not to calculate the time. The stinging sensation on my right hand only slightly subsided. I opened and closed my fist, but it didn't help.
I looked around me and noticed that my siblings had still not made it home. Rosalie was probably showing off her car more than necessary.
"Inconspicuous," I laughed sarcastically. I guess she felt that if I was going to draw attention to our family, she should have time in the spotlight.
I turned towards the forest, deciding to hunt. If I wanted to move forward in my relationship with Bella, I needed to take every precaution possible, and controlling my appetite was a great place to start.
I ran into the trees, going only far enough where no one would hear or see me. I had to stay close, in case Bella found herself in trouble again.
I climbed high into a tall spruce and waited for the next unsuspecting prey. The weather was awfully frigid recently, so the once plentiful supply of animals dropped in numbers, but there were a few I could count on to not need shelter. A big male deer stepped out of cover. It was taking each step cautiously, searching for predators. This would do just fine. I sank into an attacking position, waiting for it to walk closer.
A twig snapped below me and my head whipped towards the sound. It was a mountain lion. It was stalking the same deer. I couldn't help but think of myself as the lion and Bella as the deer. Predator and prey. But I wasn't willing to play that role any longer, I was her protector. I imagined the mountain lion as the evil that lurked around every corner in town, waiting for Bella. Changing targets quickly, I jumped off of the branch I was standing on and landed right on top of the sneaking cat. At first, the buck didn't move, frozen from fear. Then it ran off, back the way it had come. I sank my teeth into my catch, allowing my instincts to take over. This would be the only time I would allow myself to lose control.
He probably snuck off to see his girlfriend, I heard Emmett think to himself.
Not yet, I thought smugly.
My family knew what I was up to when I snuck off late at night. But besides Rosalie's normal insults and rude comments, no one attempted to stop me. Of course I heard it later on in their thoughts, but there was never any real concern for my actions.
I stood and walked slowly back out of the woods. When I entered the house, no one was waiting for me as I thought they might. I went straight up to my room, closing the door behind me. I walked over to my stereo and let the current album play. Debussy, one of my favorites. The slow melodies were very calming, and often helped me think. I thought about Bella, and how she might feel towards me after Saturday…
There were two light knocks on my bedroom door.
"It's me, Edward. Can I come in?" Alice asked quietly.
"Of course, it's open," I replied, taking a seat on my black futon.
Alice opened the door, Jasper standing behind her. There was a hint of a smile on both of their faces. Jasper must have felt my uncertainty. Before I could read either of their thoughts, Alice spoke.
"I still don't know what exactly will take place Saturday, there are a few different possibilities playing out. But from what I can see, you've got nothing to worry about," she said calmly, taking a seat next to me on the futon. Jasper leaned against the door frame, keeping his light smile in place.
I concentrated on the images that were flashing through Alice's mind. In the first vision, Bella and I were sitting in the meadow that Alice had seen before, both at ease. No danger, I thought. The second scene was of Bella walking through a heavily wooded area, tripping and falling a lot. Alice and I both laughed. I would have to make sure I didn't allow her to stray too far from me.
The last vision was very fuzzy, and not so clear. I concentrated a little harder on the images. Then I saw myself leaning in slowly towards Bella, her heartbeat picking up. I froze.
Alice looked up at me, seeing the horror in my eyes. Jasper took a step inside my room, hands hesitating towards me. Alice held up one hand to him and he stopped.
"I'm not sure what this one means, exactly Edward. I never actually saw you harm her. I'm not sure what takes place after, but that doesn't mean it's going to be something negative!" she said quickly, obviously trying to calm me down.
I didn't think I was capable of hurting Bella at this point, but would I actually be overcome by my instincts and do something terrible? Was I really that weak?
I pushed the visions out of my head and took a deep breath. Alice and Jasper were still both frozen, unsure if I was holding back any anger.
"I don't know what to expect either, honestly," I finally said, "mostly from Bella. I can assure you that I do not plan on doing anything that would put her or our family in danger. The only thing I'm truly worried about is Bella running away, screaming. Any sane, normal human would..."
Alice laughed and Jasper took a step back, returning to leaning on the door frame.
"Well, I doubt that will happen. Bella isn't exactly a normal or sane human. But she has fallen for you completely, so I doubt there's anything she's not willing to accept. She does think that she likes you more, after all," Alice stated "matter-of-fact" like.
I thought about that for a moment. She definitely didn't seem like any other human I had come across. She was exceptionally different, more selfless than anyone I knew, other than Carlisle. And now she thought that she felt more for me than I did her, what an absurd thing to believe. I would just have to prove her wrong.
"Thanks, Alice. I'm sure everything will be fine," I said, and I really believed it.
Alice stood and walked over to Jasper.
"If anything changes, I'll let you know," she called over her shoulder, pulling my door shut.
It felt nice to have someone rooting for me to do something good. When I first got word of Chief Swan's daughter coming to town, my family was on edge constantly, wondering each day if I would expose my family for what we truly were.
I allowed myself to peek at the clock on my wall. It was Twilight, and I could now go see Bella.
I raced to the Swan's house, pausing once I reached the front yard, listening for Charlie's snoring. Once I was sure he was sound asleep, I climbed up to Bella's window. I pushed it open easily, thanks to the oil, and stepped through into her bedroom and walked over to my usual spot, immediately noticing her unease.
Her hair was sprawled across her face, and the blankets were kicked on to the floor. She sighed and turned over. She was restless tonight. My right hand started to tingle, and I immediately wanted to rush to her side, lean down and whisper in her ear that everything was alright.
I slowly walked towards her, avoiding any creaky boards. Once I reached the side of her bed, I crouched down, not sure what move to make next. Bella tossed in the bed, turning to face me. I froze and held my breath, not wanting to wake her. Her eyes remained closed as she let out another deep sigh of frustration. How could I help? I slowly moved my left hand towards her, pushing the hair away from her face, ready to move out of sight if her eyes opened. She stayed asleep.
Hmm, I thought. That was easier than I imagined.
My left hand was now burning, and I felt the electricity flowing between us again. I suddenly felt overly confident, leaning down and kissing Bella ever so lightly on the forehead. A jolt of electricity shot through me, and then her eyes slowly started to open.
I lay down flat next to her bed, hoping she wouldn't peer over the edge and discover me hiding in her bedroom. Now that would be funny. But Charlie racing up to her room with a gun wouldn't be, so I held my breath and tried not to laugh.
Bella fell back to sleep after a few minutes, and I quietly made my way to the rocking chair. With one more sigh, Bella's breathing slowed dramatically, going into what I imagined as a deeper sleep, finally.
I couldn't help but wonder what could possibly be on her mind. Was she just as worried about Saturday as I was? There was no way to read her mind, so I'd just have to wait and see for myself. I hated not knowing exactly what she felt, what she thought. But if Alice was right, and she almost always was, then I didn't have to worry about much.
I took a deep breath, allowing the fire to spill down into my lungs. It wasn't as bad as it had been. So it was getting easier, slowly but surely. My mouth twisted up to a half smile, was there hope for Bella and I after all? Could I stay in her life without causing her harm? I could only hope that things would finally look up for me.
I sighed as the sun slowly started making its appearance in the sky, wishing I could banish it from ever returning. But as hard as it was to leave Bella at night, there were only a few hours before we would be together again. I would drive her to school again, surely I could find out what it was that made her so restless.
I quietly climbed out of her bedroom window, closing it without a sound. I raced home and changed clothes as quickly as possible. Only two minutes had passed, but I was already so anxious to see Bella.
