Author's Note: First Twilight story. Have finally strayed out of the Dragonball Z world, but only because I've discovered the best couple to write since Bulma and Vegeta. Anyway let me know what you think. As the synopsis says, this is basically a story that runs parallel to that of 'Breaking Dawn', picking up a month after the events of "Eclipse'. This is how things would have ended if I had written 'Breaking Dawn'. Though there are similarities until the wedding, things begin to change and veer off from the 'Breaking Dawn' story line after that. Let me know what you think!
Chapter One
"Bella!" came the voice across the mall. I turned out the sound of my name. Mike Newton was standing outside the book store, waving at me. I looked warily at Edward standing next to me. He looked back at me and nodded ever so slightly. I waved back at Mike who came jogging over, slowing and approaching more cautiously as he neared Edward. "Bells, hey long time no see," Mike smiled, not taking his eyes off Edward.
"Yeah I've been pretty busy," I laughed. I cast my mind back to the events of a month ago. Something told me explaining to Mike that I'd been caught up with a pack of werewolves and coven of vampires fighting a vicious, murderous army of newborn vampires wouldn't go down well. "Just sorting stuff for uni, you know," I offered instead. Mike nodded, seemingly satisfied by the answer that was so far from the truth.
"Yeah tell me about it."
"So you and Jess still together?" I asked, trying to make polite conversation and reduce the feeling of awkwardness that Edward's silence was bringing to the group.
"Yeah, sure are. Nearly six months now I think."
'Wow, I really was out of the loop a long time,' I thought as I smiled back at Mike.
"So I hear you and ah.." he trailed off, his gaze flicking from Edward's stony face to my left hand. I subconsciously curled my hand next to me. "You and Cull- Edward here are..." he paused. "Engaged."
"That's right," Edward said, speaking for the first time. Mike nodded slowly, sucking in his breath. I bit my lip to keep from laughing. The whole situation was radiating awkwardness.
"Well uh, congratulations." Mike extended his hand to Edward. Luckily, Edward's hand was gloved due to the need to appear bundled up for the snow outside. The last thing I needed now was to have to explain Edward's cold skin to Mike. The two shook hands and Mike gave an awkward smile as Edward mumbled thanks. "Well, I guess I'll uh. I'll see you guys.."
"At the wedding," I smiled. "You'll definitely be getting an invitation." Mike smiled, bid goodbye and left us. Edward and I stood there. I looked over at him to see his one-sided smirk that I love so much.
"If you thought that was interesting, you should have heard the human's thoughts." I laughed as we started to walk.
"Edward you say 'humans' like I'm not one of them." Edward smirked again.
"Well, you're different. You're not stupid like the other humans." I laughed again and Edward looked back at me. I felt my heart jump to my throat like it did every time I saw those burning golden eyes. Or the perfectly chiselled face. Or the elegantly upswept hair. Or heard his voice. Come to think of it, I'd realised by now that even the mere mention of Edward's name gave me that feeling. I wondered if I would still feel that way when I was a vampire, when I didn't have a heart.
"How am I different? I'm just as annoying and slow as all the other humans."
"Mmm," Edward agreed half-heartedly. "But you have been different from day one. Do you remember the first day we met?" Edward asked as he reached over and took my warm hand in his icy cold one. Our fingers slipped together seamlessly, like they had been carved as one work and separated later.
I raised my eyebrow. "Edward, how could I forgot? I thought you wanted to kill me-"
"I did," Edward reminded me with a small smile. I laughed. I'd give him that one.
"OK. Fair call. But what were you referring to though?"
"Well. I've had my first day at a new high school many times," Edward remarked as we walked towards the foodcourt, our hands swinging between us. "Anyway. Humans are fickle. But one thing my family have found we can always count on is that wherever we appear, there will be infatuation. Particularly with me, Emmet and Jasper. But with the girls as well. Every female who looked in my direction was smitten. Sometimes they talk all the time and follow me around, sometimes they avoid me like the plague. But regardless of which method they choose I can hear their thoughts and I know their infatuation." Edward looked at me and smiled. "And then you. Not only could I not read your mind, which I might add frustrated me to no end, you barely seemed to acknowledge my existence. You spared no thought for me past that of Mike Newton, or Tyler. I didn't need to be able to read your mind to see that." Edward stopped and lifted his hand, gently brushing his icy fingers against my cheek. "You have been special from day one Bella."
I felt the blood rush to my cheeks and watched as Edward closed his eyes and breathed in gently.
"If you knew how wonderful you smelt when you blushed, you would surely refrain from doing it around me," he laughed. I tilted my head a little. For all the time I had spent around Edward and all that we'd been through together, I still felt strange when I thought about Edward's true nature.
We had come to the mall today, at Alice's insistence, to shop for the wedding. Despite mine and Edward's, OK mainly my, insistences of a small quite ceremony at the Cullen's, Alice had not only talked me into ensuring that it would be the largest event of its type that the small town of Forks had ever seen, she had also managed to invite half the town as well. From what I'd heard, there would even be a canine representation from La Push. IT was at that point that Alice decided to show herself, appearing from nowhere, as the Cullen family had a tendency of doing.
"Bella!" came Alice's musical voice. Even with my ordinary human hearing, I would know that voice in a crowd of a thousand. I smiled at Alice as she hugged me, and then another, fake smile as began to twitter on about wedding plans. Next to me Edward squeezed my hand in comfort. I breathed deeply. There was no way I'd be doing any of this if it wasn't for Edward.
*
"I still don't know how I feel about this Bells," Charlie sighed as he sat down at the dinner table. I put his plate of spaghetti and meatballs in front of him.
"We've been through this," I said in a tone that clearly said the conversation was not open for discussion.
"I know Bells. It's just. I know you've forgiven him I just-"
"And I know you haven't, Charlie. But this is my choice. Well, to be honest. I never really had a choice. I can't control how much I love Edward, I can't stop the way I feel about him anymore than I can stop being your daughter. And to be honest, I wouldn't change it if I could." I understood where Charlie was coming from. From where he was sitting, Edward had been responsible for numerous hospital visits on my behalf, my breakdown when he left, my disappearance halfway around the world and unparalleled general torment in my life. What Charlie didn't see was how Edward had saved me from James, from Victoria, how he'd gone to kill himself because he couldn't bear a life without me, how he would give his life to protect me. Sadly, I doubted that Charlie would ever see, or be given the understanding and knowledge to be able to see Edward the way I did. If only he knew.
Sensing that I wouldn't budge on the topic, Charlie changed tact.
"Well. You're right, it's happening regardless. But I'll say one thing for him," he paused through a mouthful of meatball, "he certainly won't go hungry. That boy got an excellent cook as a wife." A small smirk pulled at the corner of my mouth as I thought of the irony of what Charlie was saying. No, Edward would never go hungry. But that was not of my making...
"Haha, thanks Charlie," I laughed, more at the thought of Edward eating than anything else. "Well, I had a long day with Alice, I'm going to head up to bed early." More than that, I knew Edward would be waiting upstairs and I was impatient to see him.
"Sure thing Bells. I'm definitely gunna miss you when you're gone." It was something Charlie and I had not really discussed, the fact that I would be moving out. Come to think of it, I hadn't really thought where I would be going. With Edward, obviously. But where? To the Cullens? I guess that would be the logical place to start. We couldn't remain living here long enough to bother buying our own home. The downside of the Cullen's immortality and never-changing appearance was that they had to move around a lot, before people started getting suspicious of their eternal youth. Hopefully, all going well, I would have to move because of my own eternal youth in the not too distant future. But that was a matter that had to wait until after the wedding.
I bid Charlie goodnight and wandered up the stairs, unsurprised to see Edward lying on my back with his hands linked behind his head. He smiled when he saw me and sat up in one of his inhumanly smooth movements. He was next to me in a second, pulling my jacket off and hanging it up for me. The two of us sat on my bed facing each other. Edward put his hand on the top of my thigh as I looked at him.
I felt that all too familiar feeling of my heart pounding in my throat as I gazed into his dark gold eyes. They were getting closer to black. He would need to hunt soon. My heart ached at the thought of a hunting trip, being separated for two days. He reached out and brushed a loose strand of my curly brown hair behind my ear. I looked at him and then turned away.
"What is it?" he asked concernedly. I looked up again, my eyes flicking across his inhumanly beautiful face.
"What did I ever do to deserve you?" I whispered. Edward laughed.
"Is that it? Is that what you're worrying about?" I shrugged.
"I don't know. I just. I look at Rosalie. And think of how she was meant for you. I could never compete with her Edward. And all the girls at school, many of them were far prettier than me. And what about all the other women you've met in your last," I paused, "hundred or so years? Surely one of them deserved you more than I do?" Edward chuckled and I frowned at him dismissing my worries so light-heartedly. "Edward I'm serious," I began. He stopped me with a cold soft finger pressed against my lips.
"Rosalie – meant for me? Bella there's only one girl in the whole world who is meant for me. And I'm staring at her." I looked into his intense eyes. People said that eyes were the window to the soul. Edward claimed he didn't have a soul. But by God I could see it there. I felt like I was about to explode with love.
"I know Edward I just – why?" He sighed.
"Bella I get tired of telling you. If you were anyone else you would have frustrated me to no end by now." He placed his hands, one on either side of my cheek. "I love YOU Bella. I chose you. I want you." I sighed, nodding.
"OK," I whispered, nodding again. "I know. I know," I repeated. "I just. I don't-" I stopped, shaking my head. I didn't want to bring it up. It was in the past and I knew how much it hurt Edward to think about it and remember it.
"Bella," he said in as much of a warning tone as he could use with me. I closed my eyes and shook my head. "Bella, love. How can I help you when you don't talk to me?"
"It's nothing," I whispered, turning away and rolling over so my back was facing him. He didn't move for a second, then I felt his weight change and felt his hand land like a dead weight on my hip.
"It's not nothing. Tell me Bella." I sighed and rolled over to face him. Him sitting there staring at me with such emotion and desire and love in those beautiful eyes I knew better than my own.
"I'm scared of losing you," I whispered, so quietly that no one but a vampire could have heard.
"Losing me?" Edward frowned, confused.
"Like... like last time. Edward I- I. I know you came back. But when you were gone, that pain, that loss. I don't even think being turned into a vampire will hurt that much. And I know you told me you'd never leave. But it's just so hard for me Edward. It's not that I don't believe you," I said hastily as I saw him start to become angry. "I just can't understand how you can continue to want me. Edward you're so perfect. You're beautiful, you're caring, you're everything a girl could ever want and so much more. And I'm nothing. I'm just a human girl. A candle next to your furnace."
I heard Edward groan. I didn't need vampire hearing or mind-reading to know what was going to come next.
"Bella. I don't know how to make you understand. I told you once before. You are my life now. I have no life of my own, my existence was meaningless before you. An endless cycle of hunting and over-thinking, learning stuff that I didn't care for only to pass the time in a never-ending circle of existence. And then you," he looked at me with a passion so fierce I knew every word he spoke was the utter truth. "You changed everything. You made me feel things I thought I'd left behind with my human life. You made me see the point in existing again. You made the last hundred years of monotony seem worth it. I would suffer that life a million times again if it met I only got to see you one more time at the end of it."
And then I knew nothing more. His lips were against mine, his whole body burned with a sense of urgency I had never felt in him before. His breath, cold like his skin, tickled my face and I could taste that all too familiar taste of Edward in my mouth. His hands reached behind my head and pulled me towards him. I responded, kissing him back, wishing not for the first time that we didn't have to be so restrained.
Edward pushed against me, lowering me down onto the bed and not breaking the kiss as he did so. Edward held himself above me and the kiss broke apart, his forehead resting on mine as we both breathed quietly.
"I can't be anything without you now, Bella. I asked you to marry me, not Rosalie, not any of those other silly humans you worry yourself with. I want to spend my eternity with you. I would die before I left you again."
And finally, I believed him. He must have sensed it in my posture and sigh, because Edward kissed my forehead gently and let himself flop down beside me, his cold arm draped across my stomach.
"I love you, Edward," I whispered quietly as we lay there in the darkening silence.
"As I love you," he whispered gently in my ear.
*
I sighed as I kissed Edward goodbye on the doorstep. I could see Emmet and Jasper waiting in the Jeep, stacked to the brim with tents and camping gear. Charlie stood on the step next to me.
"So where did you say you're going?" Charlie frowned. He was clearly suspicious. I knew he still worried that every time Edward left he wasn't going to come back, and while I'm sure that thought pleased him, he knew the effect it would have on me to lose Edward again.
"Camping. My brothers and I are going camping. We've been considering it for a while and there's a spell of good weather coming up," Edward answered politely. An amused smile passed across my face, luckily eluding Charlie's notice. I entertained myself for a second by thinking about Charlie's reaction had Edward instead said "My brothers and I are off to hunt animals, we drink their blood to prevent us attacking and killing humans."
"OK. Well, see you when you get back," Charlie growled, making sure that Edward picked up on the hidden meaning behind his words. Edward nodded respectfully. Even without the double meaning in his words, Edward's ability to read Charlie's mind got the point across loud and clear. With that, Charlie turned from the door, ignoring a wave from Emmet in the front seat of the Jeep and headed inside. I looked up at Edward who smiled at me with his perfect smile. His eyes were nearly black now, a marker of how long it had been since he last hunted. I knew he had to go, but that didn't mean I had to be happy about it, or that I wouldn't miss him.
"I'll be able to come one day," I smiled up at him. Edward's smile faltered for a second. I knew he still had issues with the idea of me becoming a vampire, especially at his own hand, or mouth as it was. "Oh come on Edward," I laughed at his expression. "It's going to happen. Alice has seen it, you've seen it in Alice's mind. I made my decision a long time ago, remember?" I said, referring to the night he had forcibly taken me to prom. Edward nodded.
"I know it's going to happen. But that doesn't mean I can't still have my reservations."
'Reservation,' I thought. Again I wished with all my heart that there was some way to contact Jacob. Things had not ended well between us when he took off. It had been a long time since I had received news of him, and regardless of the fact that I had chosen Edward and not him to spend the rest of my life with, it didn't mean I cared for him any less, nor that I missed my best friend any less. I had decided to maintain calling him my best friend despite the way things had been in the forest with us. One fight, no matter how big, was not enough to destroy the friendship in my eyes. Not after all Jacob and I had been through together. Not for the first time I was glad that Edward could not read my mind.
"OK, well we can have this discussion when you get back." I leaned up and kissed him gently on his icy lips. "Be safe," I smiled, using the phrase he so frequently bestowed upon me. Edward raised an eyebrow at the use of the phrase, but said nothing. Instead, he quickly kissed me back and walked at normal pace to the jeep, climbing in over the door in one graceful motion.
"Bye Bells!" Emmet called from the front seat. "Don't worry, we'll look after him. Won't let any bears get him before the wedding!" I laughed.
"I think I'd be more worried about the bear's safety!" I called back. Edward smiled from the front seat, the three of them waved, and the Jeep was gone in record time. I sighed as I headed back inside.
I understood Edward had to hunt. But I still suffered while he was away. I doubted the fallout from his first departure would ever be completely erased. But I could deal with it now. I knew how much Edward loved me. And that comforted me.
"Hey Dad I'm going to give Billy a call and see if Jacob's been around. I might head over to La Push for a while to catch up with the pack," I called into the lounge. Charlie appeared a second later, significantly happier than he had looked when Edward was on the doorstep. He had got used to me calling the Quiletes 'the pack', a term he assumed I used for referring to my friends over there. He had no idea how literal the term 'pack' was intended.
"That sounds like a great idea Bells. Mind if I come over to? What with it being Saturday and all. Thought I'd head over anyway and see how Sue and Billy were." I nodded. Charlie being there would make it hard to discuss wolf and vampire subjects, though the latter was not likely to come up. But it would be nice to spend some time with Charlie.
"Sure thing. Just let me run upstairs and get my stuff. You give Billy a call?" I yelled back down as I disappeared up the stairs. I opened the door to my room and saw a small piece of paper lying on my bed. Knowing who it was from, I smiled as I opened it.
Bella, it read in his beautiful, flowing script,
I know I'll only be gone a couple of days but I still worry about you. You're so fragile as a human. At least that will be one bonus of you being a vampire, you won't be so vulnerable. Anyway. The rest of the family are around and Alice is keeping an eye on you for me. Any problems and she'll be there. See you when I get back. I love you.
Be safe,
Edward
So he had got the last word in after all. I smiled, bending down and slipping the note under the loose floorboard where I kept all my things from Edward that would raise questions should Charlie find them. I quickly packed some warm clothes into a bag and jogged back downstairs to meet Charlie.
*