DISCLAIMER: STEPHENIE MEYER OWNS ALL THINGS TWILIGHT. I ONLY OWN THE PLOT AND THE CHARACTERS I MADE UP.
If I offend you, I apologize ahead of time...
Night Clashes
Edward POV – 8 years later
"So…When was the last time you and your team spotted the infamous Shadow, Edward?" Emmett asked me, leaning forward in one of the chairs in front of my desk. I glanced at the big goofy smile on his face and asked myself, again: Why does he even work here?
I just shook my head at him. The last time the Shadow was seen was over two months ago when she killed a man by the name of Tyler Crowley. After that it was like she had dropped off the face of the earth. Since then nothing has come up.
The FBI has me trying to track down this criminal only known as the 'Shadow Chaser', but everyone tends to call her Shadow. And oh yeah, it's a woman. The only reason I know that is because I saw long dark hair blowing out of the hood of her jacket. It was only after a handful of times where we were able to find her just before she slipped away that I saw. Shadow Chaser was a name we gave her because she only worked in the shadows and we were always chasing her.
My branch of the Bureau only took notice of her after a string of murders started taking place all over downtown Chicago two years ago where the Italian mob (the Volturi) was mainly located. At first we thought it was the mob, but when the body of Aro Volturo turned up dead in a back alley that canceled out any suspicions. Eventually we noticed a pattern between all of these deaths. They were all people that were on the FBI's most wanted list. It seems that somehow she got a hold of this list and was able to track and murder every one of them…
I snapped my eyes up to look at Emmett McCarthy, noticing her eyes, before looking back at the computer screen. "It was a couple months ago Em. It's like she disappeared, gone," I said, looking over her Facebook profile, a particular photo catching my eye. It was a picture of my love and my baby sister at a local bar in the city on her 26th birthday a couple of days ago. She looks so happy here. I wish that I was the one making her happy instead of my little sister…
"Dude, you are not looking at my cousin's Facebook profile, again, are you?" Emmett roared at me suddenly. I bowed my head in shame, knowing what was coming next. "Edward, it's been four years. Bella told you to let go. So move on…" I nodded, ignoring the edge in his voice. I can't move on. I love her too much.
It stayed silent in my office after that. I just kept staring at the picture of her and Alice, hoping that she somehow still loved me after all of these years. Letting go was the only thing that I never did for her. From high school and all the way to college we stayed strong. But abruptly it had to end a few weeks after our college graduation. It reminded me of that time when she was in a coma after getting hit by a car saving her little sister. I thought that I had lost her, but that was only for a short time of two months
When I tried to fight for her by going to her house and begging to have her back, her twin brother Mark had opened the door looking his worst. Knowing what I was doing, kneeling on his parents doorstep at two o'clock in the morning, he said the words that broke my heart. "Edward, I'm sorry, but she left a few hours ago on a flight to New York to stay with our grandparents…I'm really sorry, Ed, I really am."
For the rest of the summer I was…unresponsive to everybody.
I would stay in my room, in bed, all day, only leaving to go to the bathroom or eat when I felt like it. Alice, Jasper, Emmett, and Rosalie all tried to get me out of the house. Even Bella's siblings tried to no avail. Mom and Dad were too afraid to do anything. And when they insisted that I start going to a psychiatrist in mid August I snapped out of it. I started a daily pattern again, sometimes going out to drink with Em, Jazz, and Mark. Even began going out to dinner with everyone every Thursday night…
"Edward, are you looking at the picture Ali took on Bella's birthday by any chance?" Emmett asked suddenly, pulling me out of my thoughts.
"Yeah, why?" I wondered. He huffed loudly in his seat before leaning back in it.
"You should know that when I called her, Bella wasn't all that happy." My eyes snapped up to look at him.
"What, why?" I asked shocked. I didn't know that…
He looked at me, seemingly contemplating how to tell me. "Well every year for the past four years, I've been taking time to call Izzy on her b-day no matter what was happening or where I was. And, like every other year, she's been either upset or crying. Every major holiday that I've seen her on, she's the same there, too." I sat there too shocked for words at Emmett's admission. I never knew that she was ever unhappy these past years.
The sound of the door opening suddenly brought me out of my thoughts "Umm…Agent Cullen, the 'Shadow Chaser' came into the building and asked for you personally," timid Eric Yorkie told me. I nodded my thanks and pulled on my suit jacket. Just as the door was about to click closed, it flew open again. "Oh, and Agent Cullen…?"
"Yes, Eric?" I asked, fixing my tie and smoothing back my messy hair.
"She said you should know her…" And with that he slipped out the door, slamming it shut behind him.
Out of the corner of my eye, Em's face had paled until he looked like he was going to be sick. "Do you about any of this, Emmett?" I asked suspiciously. He shook his head no and suddenly bolted from the room, muttering something about having to make a phone call.
~ Stranger things have happened ~
The walk down to Interrogation was odd, to say the least. Everyone kept staring me as I passed them on my way. It was like they were expecting me to say something to them about Shadow. I don't even think I know who she is. That was what irked me the most; that she said I should know her.
Criminals never made sense these days. No matter how well you try to comprehend them, they do something absurd. Like walk into the FBI building power and ask for me.
When I finally came down to Interrogation, Director Kensington was looking through the one-sided window. He looked troubled as he stared at the Shadow. I had never seen him like that before. Other than the time when the Bureau first took notice of the mass murderer that is. Suddenly he jumped away from the pane as if he was electrocuted.
"Director, are you okay?" I asked, placing a hand on his shoulder. He jumped again at the contact and glanced at me with wide eyes.
He nodded his head slowly, still looking at me. "Yes…Yes, I am just fine, Cullen," he assured me quietly in his light British accent. Director Kensington pointed to the door, gestured for me to go into the room.
As I went into the room, something hit me square in the gut, almost knocking the air out of me. Looking up I saw a face I hadn't seen since my college graduation.
"Hello, Edward Cullen. It's been a while since last we've spoken, hasn't it?" Sara Chase asked, holding out a hand. I grabbed it and allowed her to help pull me up. "Before you start, I would like Alistair come in here." The door opened and closed as I sat in the chair across from the redheaded doctor.
"Alistair, I have a question for you. Why do you have the damn FBI going after me when I work for them?" she asked, her voice growing sharper with every word.
I sat there shocked at her admission. She works for the FBI! I never knew any of this. So after all these years I've been going after an innocent person who was hired by the FBI herself. Okay, totally not what I was expecting to hear.
"Okay, I'm sorry. I didn't actually think that they would start investigating any of the deaths or track your whereabouts," the director said to Sara, hands held up in the air.
Sara's light green eyes darkened dangerously while her face became expressionless, too calm.
It always brought trouble when she did that. No matter what the situation was, her anger brought the darkest things out of her… The last time I saw her like this, Sara was threatening Emmett about something real quietly, getting up into his face. Then out of nowhere she was shouting at him, becoming louder and louder with every word. She was even pulling him down to her own height. It was kind of unsettling to watch a petite woman of 5'7'' intimidate a large, bulky man of 6'4''. He had a good nine inches and 175 lbs. on her, too.
Sara's even stronger than she looks. I should know after all. Once when we were chasing her, she stopped abruptly just to flip me onto my back with one hand and knock me unconscious. The next thing I know I'm waking up in the hospital with a mild concussion and broken wrist and Alice, Jasper, Rosalie, and Emmett all looking down at me. I remember Sara walking past the open door, narrowing her eyes at me into precarious slits. I think she even sneered at me.
She suddenly pulled Director Kensington by his gold tie until they were nose to nose. I saw her lips moving but didn't hear any sound coming out. Sara suddenly shoved him away, his chair tipping over with him still in it. "Now you listen to me, Alistair Elliot Kensington," she shouted, placing a high heeled foot on his chest. "If something like this happens again, you will be answering to me – not the other way around. I don't want to hear that one of us is being tailed by some fucking spineless fed that doesn't know who we are. No offence, Edward," she tacked on.
"None taken, Dr. Chase."
She nodded before turning back on him. "Alistair I am going to make a deal with you, alright?" He nodded his head at her from the floor. "I'll tell you if the baby is a boy or girl if you promise that no more agents start trying to follow our tracks in the near future," she bargained. I saw little beads of sweat drip down the director's face as he looked up at her.
He started to nod his head but stopped abruptly. "You already know the gender of my wife's baby?" he asked surprised.
Sara smirked at him and nodded her head yes. "Yeah, Vicky told me when she was trying to decide who possible candidates for godparents were. And she is my cousin after all."
"Like who?"
"I'm not telling you," she sneered. "Let Victoria tell you herself." She seemed thoughtful for a second, but didn't say anything. Her attention suddenly turned on me. Not good!
"Are you willing to go out tonight to a masquerade ball, Edward?" she asked. I felt my eyes widen in disbelief. Did she seriously just ask me if I wanted to go to a masquerade ball? She has got to be kidding me.
I looked at her like she was crazy. "You mean with masks and tuxes and ballroom gowns, Dr. Chase?" I asked skeptically.
She gave me the look that said are-you-that-stupid. "What do you think?" she asked dryly. "And it's Sara, Edward."
I thought over my options. I could either go do what she wants me to do, or say no and sit in my office going over files trying to find something that isn't related to her family. By going to this ball I can get a better understanding of what she has been doing for the Bureau by killing these people on the FBI's most wanted list. Or I can sit in my office, boring myself to death, reading over a bunch of files and cases until it was time to go home.
I think you know which one I chose.
"What am I going to be doing?" I asked.
She smiled at me deviously and launched into her plan. Sara might have even given an evil laugh…or two…
~ What did I get myself into! ~
She told me to dress in my best suit and wear the mask that I would find in my closet. I don't know how Sara did it, but she got into my apartment and left me one. Now I expected to find a simple black mask that covered my eyes. But do you know what I found? I found a mask straight out of the Phantom of the Opera and attached to it was a matching black cape with a note.
It said: Wear it or else. – Shadow
So I wore them, not wanting to have a repeat of last time. My head hurts just thinking about it.
On top of that when I got to the address, I found out that it was a high school masquerade ball at the biggest hotel in the city in the ballroom. And when I got there Sara's eldest daughter, Christine, and her nephew, Seth, where waiting for me at the door of the hotel. She must have told them that I was coming apparently.
"Hello, Edward. It's been quite a while since we've last seen each other," Christine greeted me. She was wearing a sea green dress that was almost an exact replica of her eyes that were covered behind a pale pink mask. Christine was the spitting image of her mother. Her sister Sam was, too, except for the dark hair from their father.
Unexpectedly Chris pulled me into a soft hug that seemed to hold some unknown emotion to her. "You should know that she's so sorry, Edward…" she whispered in my ear before pulling back. I looked at the 15-year-old teenager, wondering what she meant.
Before I could question her about what that meant, Seth Masen took my hand and shook it. "It's good to see you again, Ed."
I looked at him and noticed that his black hair was bleached at the tips and died a bright yellow that could have rivaled his mother's blond hair. Seth's bright blue eyes stood out from the white mask that matched his white tux. "It's good to see you, too. How're Abby and Ben, kid?"
He smiled at me and seemed to smirk a bit. "Mom and Dad are good. They said hi and they hope that Artemis doesn't kick your ass while protecting the kid tonight." Seth laughed lightly as he said the words. Out of the corner of my eye: Chris, snickering into her hand.
"What do you mean? What kid? And who's Artemis?" Oh great, now they're laughing at me. I, the big shot FBI agent, am getting laughed at by a couple of measly teenagers that apparently know more about what's going on here than me. And on top of that, they think it's funny and are laughing at me like there is no tomorrow. These Masen kids always were on top of everything going on around them before everyone else. Must have gotten it from their parents; they're just like them. Now that I think of it, Sara and Ben are just like their parents…
"Okay, first of all we meant that if you get on Artemis' bad side tonight, you're going to be in a lot of pain in the morning," Chris sputtered out through her laughter.
Seth laughed at me loudly before saying, "The kid you've got to protect is someone in Christie's class." A noise of disgust was heard next to us. One second she was laughing at me and now she's disgusted.
"What's wrong, Chris?" She turned to me, upper lip curled back over her teeth. It seems that she's got a problem with this kid…
"Ugh…it's Mike Newton. That little pest, pain in the neck…whatever you want to call him. He's always trying to hit on me – constantly – and I want to strangle him until he no longer breaths…" Chris screamed out angrily. She went on and on about this Mike Newton kid. The word hate kept coming out of her mouth. It sounds like she despises the fool.
"…Chris!" She didn't hear me… "Chris…Christine!" I watched as she fell silent and turned to face me. She blinked at me.
Chris gave me wide, childlike eyes and whispered in an absentminded voice, "What, Edward? Something wrong?"
I quirked at brow at her and said, "Doesn't this Newton kid know that you have a boyfriend?"
She nodded slowly. "Yeah, he… Wait, how did you know I have a boyfriend?"
"Your mom told me. She said that if something happens, the kid wouldn't be the only one I'll be protecting tonight." She nodded in response, looking behind me.
"I'll…uh…catch you later, Seth. Reid's here," she murmured, running into the arms of a tall blond kid with green eyes. I watched as she kissed him and he wrapped his arms around her waist. I looked away, a sharp pain piercing my heart, reminding me of what Bella and I had together…
It was too much.
"I'll see you inside Seth," I said. I was probably grasping his shoulder too tight, but he didn't say anything. Smart kid, knew what was wrong and didn't say a thing.
"Yeah, sure Edward," he agreed, rubbing his shoulder. I slipped inside before I chickened out.
I shoved past the high school kids, finding myself disgusted by the way that these young kids were dancing. It was worse than being at a club. Even Rose and Emmett wouldn't be caught dead doing this. From the middle of the dance floor I saw a petite figure in a silver dress by the punchbowl just like Sara said. The flashing lights didn't let me see anything other than the woman in her silvery dress and her long creamy legs that went on forever. She reminded me of my Bella…
Just as I got within arms width of her, I saw dark coffee hair in big giant curls and a man in a black tux and a red mask come toward me with a big smile on his face.
"You must be the fed Shadow sent to help protect the kid, Mike Newton, right?" I shook his outstretched hand and nodded dumbly, trying to get a glimpse of the brunet beauty's face. Suddenly the man pulled me away from the table and the gorgeous brunette.
As he pulled up his mask into his dark shaggy hair I got the shock of my life. "Mark, Mark Swan?"
He sighed and pulled at his hair. "Yeah, it's me. Just don't let Bella know that you know, okay, Edward?"
"Sure…but, why?" He looked at me through narrowed eyes.
"No one ever told you, did they?" he asked me tiredly. I shook my head no, not knowing what he meant.
"Well, you know how Sara's the Shadow, and Bella and I are Artemis and Apollo?" I nodded again. "Bella broke up with you because she overheard Mom and Dad saying that it was for the best that you guys were no longer associated with each other anymore because of what we do – who we are. But at the time it was just a big…possibility that could happen and she didn't know that. Bree found out after she found her crying in her dorm, Rose was out with Em…" he trailed off, remembering.
"That was the night she called and said she was sick…and didn't want me to come over," I whispered, piecing everything together.
He nodded, "That's right…Bree told me and I thought Bella wouldn't really do it." Mark laughed grimly before continuing. "Well I think you know what happened after graduation.
"She didn't even go to New York, you know? I only found out about five months after it happened. It was on Halloween when I went to go visit Bree at her dorm. Bella was there, sleeping in her costume. She made me promise her that I would keep it secret. And I did. But it was hard, because every day I would look into your eyes knowing that you truly believed that she was gone. There were times when I thought I would slip up and tell you everything. Even the part where we work for the FBI. I didn't though; I kept her trust.
"But this is your chance to get her back, Agent Cullen," Mark said, gripping my shoulders and shaking me.
My eyes widened, shocked, and my heart started to work double time as I thought of the possibilities. We could be together again. Bella and I could have the happily ever after that we always imagined having together. We could get married this time around…
I froze then grabbed Mar's wrist before he walked away. "Does she still have the ring?" I asked franticly. I really need to know – she never gave it back to me.
Mark smirked at me and pulled his mask back over his eyes. "Of course she does, Edward. Bells never takes it off." He smirked at me again before walking back to the punchbowl and my Bella. "Nice mask you've got there, Edward!" he called back, "Oh, and don't drink the punch – it's spiked with cheap tequila." Mark laughed with real humor as he stood next to his sister.
With a newfound determination I walked back to the punchbowl to them and said, "Hi, I'm Agent Edward Cullen – the agent Shadow sent from the Bureau to help." I kept my expression as neutral as possible as I heard Bella lightly gasp in response before bringing the silver flask in her hands to her lips. And right there on her left ring finger was the engagement ring that I had given to her on her birthday eight years ago.
It made pride and joy swell in my heart. She still wears my ring. I really wanted to kiss her, at the very least pull her into my arms…But I couldn't, that would blow our cover.
Mark shook my hand again, only this time as if we didn't know each other, and introduced them both. "So you're the fed Shadow sent?" I nodded, having a brief case of déjà vu. "Nice to meet you. I'm Apollo and this," – he gestured to Bella, "is Artemis. Hopefully with your help we'll be able to keep this Newton kid safe for the night."
Mark turned to his twin sister and smiled slightly before wiping it away from his face. "Do you have anything to say to Agent Cullen, Sis?"
"Hmm…You say something?" Bella murmured absentmindedly as she gazed with opaque eyes out onto the dance floor, flask still rose to her lips. Mark bumped her lightly, making her focus again. She looked up at me and gave a timid, uncertain smile and took my hand. That spark we had since we were kids was still there when we touched the other. And I know she felt it… "It will be a pleasure to work with you tonight, Agent Cullen."
I pulled her hand to my lips and left a feather light kiss upon the back. It was as close as I will get to kissing her tonight. "No, the pleasure is mine, fair Artemis. And, please, call me Edward." Marcus snickered into his hand at me.
She blushed a delicate rosy color and bit her lip like she always did, before saying, "Edward." My name still rolled off of her tongue the same way it did when we were in high school and it made an enjoyable shiver go down my spine. It made me want to call her by her real name and not Artemis.
"Okay! So with done with introductions, right?" Mark asked, clapping his hands, looking at both of us. We stared back at him not saying a word. "I'll take that as a yes. Now, if you need me I'll be on the dance floor watching the Newton." Bella glanced at me one more time before going after her twin before he disappeared from sight.
I sighed and leaned against the back wall of the room, planning how to get her back. The only thing that makes my plan foolproof was if she chose to take me back after all of these years. All I've ever wanted was her, and if I couldn't have her my life would be incomplete.
I ran my hand through my red-brown hair and huffed as I watched Mark twirl his sister under the lights. Jealousy coursed through my veins as I watched them both. I wanted to be the one to do that. But I knew that it was unjustified. I mean, he's her brother. I leaned my head back and thought of all of the good times that we had together, eyes closed.
There were our junior and senior proms, homecoming, and then our big high school graduation.
Less than a month later, my Bella got hit by a car. She had done it to save her little sister who was supposed to take the hit. I remember that there was a lot of blood on the street, a lot of screaming – especially from Bree – and a lot of flashing lights. It was unforgettable. I remember at the hospital that Bella had woken up repeatedly, and whenever she did she would smile at me and tell me that she loved me.
And then Bree suddenly started screaming at me to try and wake her up, but I couldn't. Everyone had run into the room, expecting to find their sweet Isabella awake and well, but found the opposite. Instead they had found the distraught boyfriend trying to wake her up by the baby sister's demands. And then Abby, the nurse, had come into the room, telling everyone to go out into the waiting room. Minutes later, Sara, the doctor, had come into the room. Bree at her side and that made her parents and older brother to run in. I had tried to too, but my parents and sister held me back as I yelled at them to let me go.
Sara had walked out of the room minutes later, head bowed, arms wrapped around herself, and walked up to the large group that consisted of Bella's family and friends, hers too. She had said, sniffling, "Bell-Bella's fell into a coma and we don't know how long it will last." Then she rushed into the arms of her parents and husband and cried. Everyone cried. And from that day forward, it was always a combination of me, Bree, and Mark in the room with Bella, waiting…waiting for her to wake up.
There were times when the others would come and visit and talk about the fun times we all had with Bella. There was the shopping incident that happened with Rose and Alice at the mall that made them so upset and angry, but most of all worried. She was fine the whole time with me and Jazz and Em in the food court. Ali and Rose were just upset that she hadn't had her phone on during the many times that they called.
Then Bella woke up suddenly mid August and everyone had celebrated that she was all right. We went to college the next month. I proposed to her right in the middle of the restaurant that I took her to on her 19th birthday a few weeks after classes started. We planned to get married the year we turned 24 in August. But of course it didn't happen… I had gone off to become a Federal Agent soon after that summer after college and now I am…
I snapped my eyes open, feeling as if I was being watched. Scanning the room I saw that two, four, six…twelve pairs of eyes – I counted them twice, three times. And they were all boring into my face at different angles. Each pair belonged to a teenage girl out on the dance floor with their partner. It was starting to freak me out and if I start thinking about what they're thinking about I'm going to be sick.
Further out, behind the teens, was my Bella.
If looks could kill, all of the girls looking at me would be dead in the arms of their dates. It was one of the most threatening looks I had ever seen on her face. And it meant that she was still protective of me after all of these years. I watched as she gritted her teeth from where I was standing, staring down each and every one of those girls. It was like a petty high school drama all over again. Like the whore (Alice, Bree, Rosalie, and Bella called her that; us guys called her a bitchy slut) Tanya Denali that tried in vain to get me away from my Bella. It was pointless; I was tied to Bella as she was tied to me. It's always been like that and it always will be.
Suddenly two figures in green and black were standing in front of me. "Hi, Edward," Christie shrieked in my face, waving her hand dangerously close to my face. My lips formed a tight line as I pulled her moving hand away.
I nodded at her and glanced at the blond boy next to her then back. "You didn't drink the punch, did you?" I asked. She shook her head no and kept bouncing on her feet. It's like Alice got to her… "Were you around Ali a lot this summer, Chris?" Christine furrowed her brows at me and shook her head again.
"I see Alice a lot…but I don't really hang around her. Aunt Bella keeps her away from me. She keeps saying that Alice would be a bad influence on me because of the way she is…I really don't understand that reasoning," she added as an afterthought, completely sober now. I knew exactly why Bella kept Chris away. Alice has a touch of OCD. And at times she becomes too compulsive – trying to make everything perfect. Bella, along with me, her siblings, Em, Rose, and especially Jasper, have learned to adapt to what she does and just go along with it. It took years of practice to ignore what she wanted to do. And I mean years.
Chris is just too young to understand…
"Just so you know, Alice is a bad influence – in her own way. Annoying too…" I told her. She smiled thoughtfully at me and turned back to the blonde.
"Edward, I want you to meet my boyfriend, Reid Garwin." She sighed his name as she said it. Kind of reminded me of when I would say Bella's name. She's in love…
I looked at the boy and saw that he was a tall gangly teen with long blond hair that covered one of his eyes. His irises were a light green that was a few shades lighter than Chris's. "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Cullen," Reid said, holding out his hand. I snuck a peek at Christine and saw that she was snickering into the hand that wasn't wrapped around the arm of the boy.
I took his hand and turned to Chris. "You told him to call me that didn't you?" She smirked at me, laughter and amusement deep in her eyes. I looked back at the boy, "It's nice to meet you, Reid. Please, don't call me Mr. Cullen – it's Special Agent Cullen." I kept my face as neutral as possible as his face paled.
Christie couldn't hold it in anymore. She laughed and hugged him. "Just call him Edward, like I do, Reid. Don't I, Uncle Edward?" That stopped my laughter short.
"What did you call me?" I whispered
"I called you Uncle Edward."
I shook my head at her. "I'm not your uncle, Chris…"
"You're with my Aunt Bella, so I'll call you my Uncle Edward," she argued with me. I just shook my head at her, overwhelmed. It was a moot point anyway – for now.
A tall figure at the door unexpectedly appeared in my peripheral. He was wearing all black and was scanning the room. He seemed kind of suspicious, being older, and taller, than all of the other people on the dance floor. Suddenly Bella was being pushed into my arms; automatically my arms wrapped around her waist. Ghosting across the floor, around the pulsing bodies of the kids, was Mark. We watched as he stopped to talk to a blond boy and pointed behind to us. The boy ducked and weaved through the throng of bodies until he was cowering behind us.
Seth appeared from our left with a bottle of water. "What's going on?" he asked casually, taking a drink from the bottle.
"A Volturi mob member is here to go after Mike," Bella spit out angrily. He had spit out the sip of water in his mouth by now.
He looked at her with wide eyes. "What…?" Seth whispered looking at everyone.
"You can't be serious, Artemis," Chris whispered, wrapping herself around Reid.
"Very…" my love seethed. We all turned back to look for Mark. I finally spotted him in a dark corner of the room. "Where is he…?" I pulled her to me tightly and pointed to the back…where the emergency door was now propped open by a box.
Bella's mouth opened, as if she was about to say something, but before she could Christine shrieked in our ear, "Grandma!" We all turned to see Lillian Masen walking up to us. Lilly's red hair was pinned tightly to her head; she was wearing a dark purple dress that was actually a ball gown – no mask. It was like looking at an older version of Sara and was just as sweet. If you could call an assassin sweet. I think Lilly works for the government too.
She smiled at the kids before turning to me and Bella, stony faced. "I want you two to go help Apollo," she said, her light British accent seeping in.
Bella looked at her alarmed and said, "But what about–" Lilly cut her off before she could finish.
Lilly took Bella's face into her hands and said, "Artemis, darling, I'll keep the kids safe. I was always in the wings watching. Now, go – be careful." She looked at me knowingly. "Both of you…" I nodded at her, knowing that I would do anything to keep both her niece and myself safe.
Bella leaned out of my arms, not allowing me to let go, and hugged her. Then she grabbed my arm and started to drag me across the ballroom all the way to the emergency exit. In one fast movement she kicked the door wide open until it hit the wall.
The moon was high the sky and the cold Chicago winds whipped at our faces. It was dark other than the light that hung over our heads and the moon itself. It would have been nice to be out here any other night, but not this one. It wasn't safe…
Looking around the back alleyway there was no one around, but that didn't mean that I didn't hear anything. I drew my government issued gun, ready to fire at will. Out of the corner of my eye I saw that Bella had brought out a hunting knife and held it like a professional. And I have no doubts that she isn't one.
I raised an eyebrow at her. "What? Did you think that just because my name is Artemis my choice weapon would be a bow and arrow?" I nodded. Bella smirked at me and turned back to the source of the commotion.
An ear piercing scream sounded from around the corner. Bella ran toward it before I could say anything with me hot on her heals. We ducked behind a dumpster, listening to the gunshots ringing out into the air. A sudden thought struck me...
"Why is this Mike Newton kid being hunted by the mob?"
Bella glance at me quickly before looking away. "Newton saw something he wasn't supposed to. His parents wanted protection for him, so they called the local police and they referred them to the FBI. Then they sent me and Apollo – you too apparently – to watch him at this dance so that we could get to the Volturi…" she trailed off and turned back to look at me. I saw something flash in her eyes and it was gone before I got a glimpse at what it was. She huffed and turned to look around the corner.
She gasped suddenly, a hand flying to cover her mouth. "What-what is it?" Bella shook her head at me and pulled at the collar of my suit jacket, burying her face in it.
"Felix Volturo is here…He's what Apollo saw back on the dance floor," she mumbled into my neck. Her warm breath sent shivers down my neck, reminding me of nights in college when everybody was out… My arms moved to wrap around her waist and as they rested there it reminded me of just how small she was. If anything happened to her tonight I would never forgive myself…
Rose always did call me a brooding bastard for a reason.
After a few moments I felt tears falling onto my neck as she whimpered and clutched at me. Cautiously I kissed the top of her head and pulled her into my lap. "Your brother needs us, Bella," I breathed into her ear. She gasped and pulled back to look me in the eye.
"You knew…?" she rasped as more tears pooled in her chocolate brown eyes. I nodded as I pulled the silver mask away from her face. I shaped my hands to the sides of her beautiful face, feeling the flawless skin beneath my fingers, the heat as she blushed an astonishing crimson. She smiled through her tears at me and I could see all of the emotions that she was hiding behind her eyes. Happiness, shock, worry, compassion but most of all…love.
"I love you, Bella," I whispered quiet as the wind.
She bit her lip for a second, and then murmured, "I love you, too, Edward. I love you so much – I never stopped." We leaned in toward each other, our lips barely an inch away… A scream froze everything, and launched us into action.
"I'll go left and you'll go right…?" Bella hissed looking at the mob members. I nodded and launched myself into the fray.
The next ten-fifteen minutes consisted of a lot of bloodshed and guns being shot. It was like a war between good and evil. The Feds versus the Italian mob. Kind of reminded me of the Civil War; the Confederates vs. the Union. Jasper was always obsessed with it – he teaches it at the local college now…
"Are they dead?" Mark asked as Volturo fell to the ground.
Bella shook her head, finished checking the pulse of the mob members. "No, but they're close to it. We're going to need to have Alistair come in himself," she said walking over to my side.
Mark's nose wrinkled slightly as he scratched his head. "Why does Alistair need to come down here?"
My love pulled her mask away from her face and wrapped her arms around my bicep. "First of all, take that stupid mask off your face so I can take you seriously. Second, don't look at us like that. You know that we love each other, and we always will. And third, Alistair said wanted come down if it came to fight. Which it did." She ticked each one off on her fingers. I nuzzled my face in her hair, smelling the familiar strawberry and freesia combination. It always was a smell that I associated with my Bella. I would always be drawn to her, for she is the most beautiful woman in my eyes.
Mark looked at both of us repeatedly. I could see the confusion brewing in his chocolate eyes. It was the most bewildered look I've ever seen in his eyes in all of the years that we've known each other. He sighed and ran his hands over his face and into his hair. "You two are giving me a headache. So you know what, go inside, have a few drinks because I'm the one that spiked the punch just like in high school – and it's not cheap tequila – and have a few dances…The night is still young.
"But whatever you do"-he jabbed a finger at us, "Do not-I repeat: DO NOT tell Newton that the Volturi are still here." We both smiled at him and nodded. "Now get out of my sight!" Bella and I laughed at him before turning back for the hotel.
It was nice to have my love on my arm again. Really made it feel like the old days again where I knew I had her…Then I lost her. But I have her again and I'll never let her go anytime soon. We'll get married. We'll have a family together. We'll spend eternity and more together and I will always have her with me. Till death do us part…
Instead of going back inside the ballroom, Bella steered us toward a parking structure across the street just as flashing lights and sirens blared in the distance, coming toward us. "Where are we going, love?" She smirked up at me and pulled me toward a blue Ferrari 458 Italia. I smirked back at her as she pushed me against the driver's side door of the car. There was lust deep in her eyes as she looked up at me.
Without a second thought we attacked each other with our lips. It was passionate, all consuming, powerful... The kiss was as beautiful as the girl. It was definitely something that I would never forget in all of the days that I will live with my love. When we pulled apart to breath I ducked down to leave openmouthed kisses on her neck. "Marry me, my Bella!" I whispered passionately before bringing my lips to hers.
She moaned into my mouth as our tongues started a dance of their own. It sent delicious vibrations through our bodies. I grasped her hips and pulled her up without breaking the kiss. Bella automatically wrapped her legs around my waist like when we were teenagers. It was like when we would slip away just to have a hot and heavy make out session.
My love pulled away and dug her fingers into my hair, resting her forehead against my own. "Yes, I will marry you, my Edward..." she panted out.
I finally have my happily ever after…
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