I'm sorry for not updating in such a long time, as usual life has caught up in the form of finals and trying to memorize months worth of information once again for a test. I don't want to promise of course to do better with summer courses coming up (and everyone says those are hard) but I really will try to do better. Thank you everyone for reading.
Without a word, as we got home we filed into the dining room. Carlisle, who was thankfully home already from work sat at his usual spot, head of the long oval table, and Esme took her spot beside. Both linked hands on top of the table as Edward to his spot on Carlisle's other side and I didn't even have to think before sitting on his other side.
Glancing to the side, I took in Carlisle's expression. The lips pressed tightly together, the forehead crease, it was only an expression reserved for the most stressful situations and my nervousness rose. Reaching over, Emmett took my hand as he settled into the seat beside me. Rosalie drew the line which we all knew was coming as she sat directly opposite Carlisle and even if he had already forgiven Edward, Noah wouldn't betray her and sat in the seat beside. The last two to walk in, Jasper hesitated as he looked to the sides then moved behind Rosalie, standing against the wall as Alice walked in with her eyes scanning the future but without even pausing, sat across from me.
Taking in a deep breath, I glanced over to him as he spoke. "I'm sorry." He looked to the other side of the table, to Rose, Noah and Jasper. "I didn't mean to put any of you at risk. It was thoughtless and I take full responsibility for my hasty action."
"What do you mean, 'take full responsibility'? Are you going to fix it?" Rose glared menacingly.
"Not the way you mean," He retorted, "I'm willing to leave now, if that makes things better."
"No," Esme murmured. "No Edward."
Reaching over, he patted her hand, "it's just a few years."
"Esme's right though," Emmett voiced. "You can't go anywhere now. That would be the opposite of helpful. We have to know what people are thinking now more than ever."
"Alice will catch anything major," Edward disagreed.
Quickly Carlisle shook his head. "I think Emmett is right, Edward. The girl will be more likely to talk if you disappear. It's all of us leave, or none of us."
"She won't say anything," He insisted to which I just shook my head.
"How do you know that? You don't know her mind," I pointed out.
"I know this much. Alice, back me up," He responded and we all looked over to her only to see her eyeing him wearily.
"I can't see what will happen if we just ignore this," She answered and glanced to Rose and Jasper.
Reaching her boiling point, Rosalie smacked her hand down on the table. "We can't allow the human a chance to say anything. Carlisle, you must see that. Even if we all disappeared, it's not safe to leave stories behind us. We live so differently from the rest of our kind-you know that there are those who would love an excuse to point fingers. We have to be more careful than anyone else!"
"We've left rumors behind us before," Edward reminded what all of us knew.
"Just rumors and suspicion Edward. Not eyewitnesses and evidence!" She rebutted and I cringed slightly at the wording.
"Evidence!" Edward immediately scoffed.
"Rose," Carlisle began
"Let me finish, Carlisle. It doesn't have to be any big production. The girl hit her head today. So maybe that injury turns out to be more serious than it looked." She actually shrugged. "Every mortal goes to sleep with the chance of never waking up. The others would expect us to clean up after ourselves. Technically, that would make it Edward's job, but this is obviously beyond him. You know I'm capable of control. I would leave no evidence behind me."
"Yes, Rosalie, we all know how proficient an assassin you are," Edward snarled and she hissed right back.
"Edward, please," Carlisle stopped it then looked to her. "Rosalie, I looked the other way in Rochester because I felt that you were owed your justice. The men you killed had wronged you monstrously. This is not the same situation. The Swan girl is an innocent."
"It's not personal, Carlisle," Rose spoke through gritted teeth. "It's to protect us all."
We all paused and looked to Carlisle as he thought over his answer and while he nodded, it was easy to see that it wasn't for the reason Rose was hoping. "I know you mean well, Rosalie, but…I'd like very much for our family to be worth protecting. The occasional…accident or lapse in control is a regrettable part of who we are. To murder a blameless child in cold blood is another thing entirely. I believe the risk she presents, whether she speaks her suspicions or not, is nothing to greater risk. If we make exceptions to protect ourselves, we risk something much more important. We risk losing the essence of who we are."
"It's just being responsible," She scowled.
"There's a difference between being responsible and just being plain callous," I retorted with a straight face.
Heaving a sigh, she pouted and Noah reached over and patted her shoulder. "It'll be fine, Rose."
"The question is whether we should move on?" Carlisle continued.
"No," Rose moaned. "We just got settled. I don't want to start on my sophomore year in high school again!"
"You could keep your present age, of course." He amended.
"And have to move again that much sooner," She countered only to receive a shrug. "I like it here! There's so little sun, we get to almost be normal."
"Well, we certainly don't have to decide now. We can wait and see if it becomes necessary. Edward seems certain of the Swan girl's silence," "He suggested.
She just snorted in reply but it was easy to see that she had relented and while she might never like it, she would go with Carlisle on his decision but still one factor remained.
"Jasper," Edward addressed after a pause, "she won't pay for my mistake. I won't allow that."
"She benefits from it then? She should have died today, Edward. I would only set it right," He countered.
"I will not allow that," Edward hardened, surprising Jasper.
He shook his head once. "I won't let Alice live in danger, even a slight danger. You don't feel about anyone the way I feel about her, Edward, and you haven't lived through what I have lived through, whether you've seen my memories or not. You don't understand."
"I'm not disputing that Jasper," Edward answered. "But I'm telling you now that I will not let you hurt Isabella Swan." The tension built slightly as they just stared at each other, but it was worse than a glare. They were each taking in the opposition.
"Jazz," Alice interrupted and Jasper flicked his eyes to her.
"Don't bother telling me you can protect yourself, Alice. I already know that. I've still got to…"
"That's not what I was going to say," She interrupted. "I was going to ask you for another favor." I heard a quick gasp from Edward and glanced over to him cautiously, wondering what else could possibly happen. "I know you love me. Thanks. But I would really appreciate it if you didn't try to kill Bella. First of all Edward's serious and I don't want you to fighting. Secondly she's my friend. At least she's going to be."
"But…Alice…" Jasper gasped and I raised an eyebrow at the vision.
"I'm going to love her someday, Jazz. I'm going to be very put out with you if you don't let her be."
Suddenly she was far more happy, "Ah, see? Bella's not going to say anything. There's nothing to worry about."
"Alice," Edward choked out. "What…does this…?"
"I told you there was a change coming. I don't know, Edward." Quickly she locked her jaw, a maneuver that she usually did when trying to keep something a secret.
"What are you hiding?" I asked curiously, leaning forward on the table and I heard Emmett grumble over to the side not liking to be left out of the loop. She didn't reply, just shaking her head.
"Is it about that girl?" Edward demanded. "Is it about Bella?" She locked on, trying to concentrate even more but evidentially he didn't work completely causing Edward catching something.
"NO!" He shouted and jumped up, his chair banging to the floor.
"Edward!" Carlisle jumped to his feet just as quickly, putting his arm on Edward's shoulder.
"It's solidifying," Alice whispered and I furrowed my brows in confusion as I looked between them. "Every minute you're more decided. There're really only two ways left for her. It's one or the other, Edward."
"No," he repeated quieter and stooped over, leaning on the table.
"Will somebody please let the rest of us in on the mystery?" Noah complained.
"I have to leave," Edward whispered.
"Edward, we've already been over that," Emmett pointed out. "That's the best way to start the girl talking. Besides, if you take off, we won't know for sure if she's talking or not. You have to stay and deal with this."
"I don't see you going anywhere, Edward," Alice spoke, looking up to him. "I don't know if you can leave anymore." She added and it just sort of clicked. Everything that I had seen, everything to the laugh, to him saving her, to her and Alice becoming friends, it just clicked and I had to restrain the gasp as I pressed my lips together.
"Why are you doing this to me," he groaned as he fell back into his seat and put his head in his hands. "Love her, too?" he whispered incredulously and Alice sighed. He shook his head to something after a silent exchange. "No," He rebutted, "I don't have to follow that course, I'll leave. I will change the future."
"You can try." Alice said skeptically.
"Oh come ON!" Emmett shouted in frustration.
"He's going to fall for her," I spoke up.
"How classically, Edward," Rose gagged and I shot her a look.
"What?" Emmett questioned, startled then let out a loud laugh. "Is that what's been going on?" He laughed again. "Tough break, Edward." Switching my look to him, I reached over and smacked him hard on the arm.
"Fall for a human?" Esme asked in a stunned voice. "For the girl he saved today? Fall in love with her?"
"What do you see, Alice? Exactly," Jasper demanded and we all looked to her.
"It all depends on whether he's strong enough or not. Either he'll kill her himself…" She turned, glaring at Edward. "Which would really irritate me Edward, not to mention what it would do to you…or she'll be one of us one someday."
Esme gasped out as my jaw dropped, but none of those reactions were compared to Edward as he shot over of his chair again, shouting. "That's not going to happen! Either one!"
"It all depends," Alice repeated, not paying attention to him. "He may be just strong enough not to kill her, but it will be close. It will take an amazing amount of control. More even than Carlisle has. He may be just strong enough. The only thing he's not strong enough to do is stay away from her. That's a lost cause."
No one made a noise as we all just turned to Edward, taking in the horrified look and truthfully I had no idea what to think. It was just so…unconventional I guess. All of us except Alice and Jasper had found someone that was already dying, but never had we even thought about this. If she did live then that would mean dating your food essentially which…well this whole thing was a bit weird.
"Well," Carlisle sighed after a long moment, "this…complicates things."
"I'll say," Noah agreed, close to laughter much like Emmett was but after the last comment he wouldn't dare, because the likelihood of him even coming into the bedroom was unlikely for a very long time.
"I suppose the plans remain the same, though," Carlisle continued. "We'll stay, and watch. Obviously, no one will…hurt the girl."
"No," Jasper said quietly. "I can agree to that. If Alice sees only two ways—"
"No!" Edward cut him off in a mixture of a shout and cry. "No!" Without another word he turned and walked out of the room and running out the back door into the rain. We all paused and listened as he took off into the forest.
"Is everyone in agreement?" Carlisle spoke as his footsteps faded into the distance. "We'll stay, and watch?" He repeated and was met with nods of agreement.
Hours later, I found myself in Emmett's and my room with little else to do but think about what the next day would bring. To try and take my mind off of the fact that Edward still hadn't come home I had begun a sketch, but what sat in front of my was far from finished as I sat on the couch and looked out the window to the back yard. Tossing it and the pencil to the ground, I just pulled my knees up to my chest and rested my chin on them.
I was more than worried for him, not because of his self-control persay but why this was going to do to him. He obviously had feelings for this human, not quite developed yet but since he hadn't looked twice to a girl in say about 107 years he felt something for her. And, while Alice's visions could change something had caused that outsome. But if he did go down that path, what would it lead to for him and also the family. I could imagine him turning her and committing her to this life based on his thoughts, but really what reasonably choice was there, other than that. Then there was the other path, which if he did have these feelings it would only to destruction.
"Two paths headed towards one outcome," I whispered to myself.
"What?" Emmett asked curiously as he moved in through the doorway.
"Neither the whole love thing or her dying seem to lead to something good," I answered sadly and giving his own small worried frown he sat down on the other side.
"The whole love thing?" He questioned with a raised eyebrow and restraining an eye roll I just nodded. "He'd have someone."
"Yes, but we all know Edward's outlook of being a vampire," I murmured. "And if he loved someone, I don't imagine he'd want them to give up their soul."
"Come here," He sighed slightly and didn't wait for me and instead just reached over and pulled me onto his lap. Settling back, I laid my head on his shoulder wish this was one of those times that I could fall asleep just to forget everything for a couple hours. Wrapping his arms around my waist he gave a small smile and leaned in for a small kiss. "I'm sure everything will work out fine in the end," He whispered against my lips.
"Ever the optimist," I teased slightly and his smile widened.
"You just watch."