I'm sorry for that massive gap in updates back there, I got caught up in NaNoWriMo and since then it's been outrageously hard to crawl into Bella's head. But that aside I'm back now and on we go...
Bella unfurled her legs from beneath her and turned her treacle gaze from the setting sun. Shards of burning light shattered as they touched her skin, separating to cut through the air of her living room. Standing, the vampire girl cast a searching look around the room. Esme had built this cottage for her and her Edward. For Renesmee too, and Jacob who lived there with them.
But it had lost the life that had once emanated from the very walls. Bella sighed, rubbing pitch black eyes with the back of one hand. Since Alice had gone the cottage's life had been gone too. It was strange because the youngest Cullen had never set foot in the cottage since they'd moved from Forks. Her porcelain features twisted into a frown, as she wondered why she had never noticed Alice's isolation before. It should never have taken the girl's complete absence for her to realise that her best friend was avoiding her. "You really should hunt, Bells. It's been weeks." Bella half turned to see Jacob leaning against the doorway, watching her.
"I'm fine." She muttered. She knew she shouldn't blame Jacob for Alice getting away; it couldn't have been his fault. After all if Alice really wanted to leave, no one could've stopped her, not with her visions to aid her escape.
"You're not fine, Bells." He moved into the room, placing a hand on her shoulder. She pulled away from his touch, feeling as if it burned her. "Just go hunt, you'll feel better afterwards." His brown eyes were worried so she turned her gaze back to the setting sun.
"Will I?" Jacob removed his hand with a heavy sigh. "She's not coming back, is she?" She sounded ill even to her own ears so she could only imagine how she seemed to everyone else.
"No. No, she's not." Jacob sat beside her in the window seat, watching her with the soulful brown eyes she'd always taken comfort in. "I'm sorry I couldn't bring her back." Bella took an unneeded breath; it was as if he'd read her mind. She sighed; but he wasn't Edward. She supposed she should be grateful the werewolf had found her instead of her husband.
"It's not your fault, Jake." She passed a hand across her face, rubbing at her eyes and wishing she could sleep. "She'd have gotten away no matter who went to look." Bella didn't believe her words; Alice couldn't see Jacob in her visions after all, but she had to say them anyway.
"You don't believe that." It was Edward who contradicted her, walking into the living room as he finished wiping lion blood from his lips. "I don't even need to read your mind to know that you don't believe that." Bella kept her gaze fixed out of the window as if her silence could deny the words.
"It's not his fault." Edward was nothing but a blur as he crossed the living room to kneel before his wife, taking both of her hands into his. She forced herself to look at him, watching his dark eyes flood with gold.
"You're right; it's not his fault, Bella." Jacob coughed softly and got to his feet, leaving them as quickly and quietly as he could manage in search of Renesmee. "It's Alice's fault." Bella pulled her hands from Edward's grip, but he snatched them back, grazing a cold kiss across her knuckles. "You know this, Isabella. The sooner you accept it, the sooner you'll feel better." She knew he spoke the truth but she couldn't bring herself to admit it.
"I should hunt." She whispered barely loud enough for herself to hear, let alone Edward. "Do you know if Rose has been yet?" Her bronze headed husband stood, pulling her gently to her feet with their still joined hands.
"No. She should be leaving with Emmett any minute." Edward brushed yet another kiss against her forehead as he led her towards the doorway. "Do you want me to go with you?" It never took them long to reach the main house from their little cottage but she was always surprised when the large windows came into view.
"No. You go inside, I'll be fine." The next kiss was placed onto her lips but when she didn't respond to him he gave a soft sigh, stroking her cheek before flitting into the house. Bella felt bad for how she was treating her husband, but she was grieving, just like he should be. Grieving for Alice who for all they knew was dead.
"Bella." The surprise in Emmett's voice was palpable but a wide grin soon replaced his confusion as he ran over and pulled her into a close hug. She hadn't seen the other members of the Cullen family in a while, she smiled; Emmett's happiness was infectious.
"Hey, Emmett." She chuckled as he returned her to the ground. "You headed out hunting?" The giant boy cast a quick look to his wife who was glaring at Bella. Rosalie still held firm in her belief that Alice's leaving was her fault.
"Yeah." He marked a beat before looking back to Bella. "You want to come with?" They both heard Rosalie's frustrated sigh, and they both ignored it.
"As long as you don't mind." Bella was suddenly unsure of how good an idea going into the Alaskan wilderness with Rosalie was.
"Of course I don't mind." The familiar eyes danced with the ever-present devilish sparkle as Emmett swept her back into his arms and placed her gently atop his shoulder. "And Rose can't reach you up there." He was the first person to coax a real laugh from her lips since Alice had left and she found that that somehow dulled the ache from the Alice-shaped hole in her heart.
/
Edward watched his brother carry his wife into the forest at blurring speeds, Rosalie on his heels. He could hear the brunette's intoxicating laughter from his position at the living room window and he clenched his teeth. He didn't begrudge Bella happiness; he just wished to be the one who caused it. "Alice." He sighed his favourite sister's name but it came out as a soft whistle. He looked around, as if somehow hoping that the whistle would have summoned her to his side but found he was still alone in the large room.
Only weeks ago he had been satisfied with Alice's departure, knowing that if she had stayed she could well have made a move for Bella's love. And possible won it. But now, now he knew better. Alice was gone, and somehow so was his wife's happiness. Carlisle and Esme hadn't been the same either; he had become withdrawn and Esme was bordering on overprotective with her remaining children. Emmett's happiness had a forced, almost strangled, tone to it and Rosalie still blamed Bella. Edward and Carlisle were the only ones who knew how right the blonde was.
Watching the sun finally disappear beyond the horizon Edward made a final decision. His family wanted Alice back, but none of them would go and make her return. He grabbed a nearby pen and dashed to Carlisle's study for a piece of paper.
He would go and fetch her himself.
Yes. I am sending Edward back to Volterra.
