Chapter 4
Angel
The next day was not at all bright as the previous one and it was safe for me to venture out. After the girls went to school, I finished my work duty and paid a visit to Forks High School. I hid in the trees nearby and tried smelling for some scent. There was none; not even a whiff of a smell that things were not normal and out of place. I felt a little better that there was no danger to my daughters right now, in school. I drove through the whole town of Forks, but there was no scent of our kinds. I began to feel more and more secure. I even came back the way their school bus comes but I found no trace of it. I came home in the evening and Zora and Eliza came right after me.
"Hi Mom!"
"Hello girls. How was school?"
"Fine."
"Um, girls…Maybe you had a misunderstanding. There was not a whisk of any scent all over town." I said, carefully.
"What?" Eliza and Zora cried out. "How is that possible? We know how humans smell and how vampires do. We have met Garett, Mom, if you remember?" both the twins said in the same tone and together.
"Now, now girls. There is no scent. End of story. Maybe it was some other scent. Forget it now. Up for homework girls and then straight to bed." I said firmly.
Eliza and Zora were still shocked. They just shook their heads and mumbled something and went to study.
"Mom?" came Eliza's soft voice.
"Yes, Eliza?" I said, a little frustrated. How could the girls joke about something like this? About a vampire? They don't understand the horror about a situation like this. Not exactly horror but the tension it creates, especially if those vampires are not friendly. Still they should not make up such a thing for fun. Maybe they really smelt it, but still.
"Our musical is scheduled for this Saturday, means after three days. You are going to come, right?" she asked timidly.
"Of course, dear! How could I miss the chance to see you perform on stage?"
"Thanks Mom." replied both the twins.
The next three days went of in a blur. The number of killings in Brazil decreased by Friday and by evening, stopped all together. The Volturi must have interceded after all. Saturday evening both the girls were very excited.
"Mom, where's my fairy wand?"
"Mom, where are my stilettos?"
"Mom, have you seen my silver hair band?"
"Mom, help, I can't find my purse!"
"Girls, stop this unnecessary worrying RIGHT NOW. Zora your wand and hair band are in your left drawer and Eliza your stilettos are beside your table. Your purse is in your wardrobe. Come on now, lets get going or you will be late."
They were by the door in a flash and I headed out to get the car. Both of them jumped in the backseat shaking with nervousness and enthusiasm and most of all exhilaration.
We got to school in time and with a "Bye Mom. See you." they went walking fast, always on the verge of breaking into an inhuman speed run. I went inside the gym and took a seat. Not a thing had changed in this school for so many years. The show started and Eliza and Zora were flawless as usual. They were so into their characters that it was impossible to tell that they were acting. The musical received a standing ovation from all the parents and teachers. Eliza and Zora came running at human pace towards me.
"Mom!"
"Eliza, Zora that was just so wonderful. I'm proud of you girls." I said, hugging and kissing them.
"Thanks, Mom. We really enjoyed participating."
"So, to celebrate, shall we go to Port Angeles, and you can have anything you want at McDonalds?"
"Yey! Thank you, Mom!" They said hugging me back.
We came to Port Angeles, the neighbouring town, and I parked the car on the main street. It was just a short walk from here to McDonalds, just behind this street, through an alley. The alley was always deserted, no more than a handful of people, walking through it. Zora and Eliza ate till they were full and we started walking the way back we came. The alley was quite long and now at this time, totally isolated.
Two men were behind us from the step we took out from the fast food restaurant. When we came in the middle of the alley, we saw two more men waiting there, blocking our way. The men behind us, closed on us. We were being herded. This was a very strong sense of Dèjà Vu, and unlike it, this had happened to me in reality, in Forks, in this same alley, by the same number of gangsters, hundred years back, when I was human. I was scared stiff. I held Zora and Eliza tightly against my sides. Both of them looked at me, but I just shook my head. They wanted to defend us, but if someone found them dead here, we were always the first suspects the people pointed to. Partly I said no was because I was literally hyperventilating–we don't need to breathe, so it is impossible to hyperventilate, but I was–and could not think anything practically with a cool mind, even though, I being thousands of times stronger than the men.
They started coming closer, surrounding us on all four sides.
"Don't touch them."
I was thoroughly startled. This voice was velvet, furious and rang with finality. It was not my voice, my daughters' voices or even those of the burly men.
It was his voice. I whirled around to see a tall, dark figure, hands clenched into fists and golden eyes that were burning with absolute rage. It was strange, how the moment I heard his voice, I knew I was safe and could start my mind again. The figure approached us and I could see him clearly, despite the scarce light.
It was really him; it was really and truly Edward. I was not imagining it or it wasn't a dream or I wasn't dead, in heaven. His perfect face was covered with hatred for the lowly men.
"Get out of here if you value your life." threatened Edward, through his teeth.
But why and how was Edward here? He had said that he didn't want me, didn't love me. And this couldn't be a coincidence at all. Then…why?
Zora and Eliza felt me relax and looked up at me questioningly. I didn't look at them; my eyes were only for Edward.
The frightened men now began to scatter away, seeing Edward's expression. After taking a few steps, they began to run towards the opening of the alley, really fast.
After a couple of seconds, it was only me, Edward and our two daughters.
"Bella?" Edward asked softly, progressing towards me.
"Bella, love, is that…is that really you?" his voice came, smooth as satin and velvet as ever, painted with shock and surprise.
"Edward?" I answered, my voice faint with relief and filled with confusion and doubt.
"Yes, love. It is me. I am so wonderstruck to find you here."
I had loosened my arms which were on my daughters' waist's, and was walking towards him, no more fast than human pace. I reached him and I could not move my gaze from Edward's eyes.
"Edward?" I asked again. He held out his hand and I unthinkingly reached to his hand with my own and he interlocked our fingers.
"What…what are you doing here?" I asked, my voice shaking, full of pain and most of all doubt. This time when he left, it was going to be very hard to hide my feelings about him. "I thought you didn't want me." I said in a small voice.
"I thought you would be dead by now, Bella. How could I not want you? I don't want you, Bella–" I froze. I knew he didn't want me. How well I knew that I wasn't good enough for him. Then why had he come here? But he wasn't finished speaking. "–I need you, my love. How could I live without my true other half, my heart, my soul?" I had started to cry, of course we couldn't cry, but it felt like choking. Edward put his other hand around my waist and pulled me closer. I hugged him with all my strength and he hugged me back, tightly, keeping me safe inside the iron strength of his arms. We stood there for a long time, I burying my face in his chest, smelling his sweet, exquisite honey-lilac-and-sun-flavoured scent, and his face pressed into my hair.
Eventually, I remembered my other duties. My daughters. I started to panic. What was I going to tell Edward about them? Edward felt my tension and misunderstood it and asked, "What's wrong? Are you afraid that I would leave you again? Don't worry about that, love, I am not going anywhere, ever–not without you." He said softly but with firmness that no one could doubt. I raised my head and stepped behind, away from him. He looked confused, and then hurt.
"Zora, Eliza" I called, seeing that their eyes were wide with shock and fear and a huge amount of surprise. They came beside me, their eyes fixed on Edward. I turned to Edward and said with a composed voice, "Edward, this is Zora and this is Eliza. Our daughters." And turned to the twins and began, "Girls, this is your father." Both of them–Zora and Eliza–had the same facial mask of intense surprise and then realization and then last of all, understanding.
"Dad?" Eliza asked quietly, walking towards Edward.
"Bella?" Edward asked with confusion. I took a deep breath and exhaled. "Edward, when you left, you left so fast that you didn't even give me time to tell you that I was expecting a child. You left so quick that you didn't even stop to think about how I could continue my life without you. I have suffered a lot–for a century–Edward, waiting for you. Promise me that you will never leave me again. I survived the last time but I won't survive this time. Please, for my sake, please don't go away." I was burning with emotions at the end, and it leaked into my voice.
"Bella, Bella, calm down. I promise you from the depth of my heart that I will never make the mistake of leaving you and my daughters ever again." He put his arm around my waist and said softly, "Eliza, Zora, don't you want to meet me, your dad?" Zora and Eliza cried out and came running towards us and hugged him. Edward put his arm around them I put one arm around Edward and the other, around my daughters. I was never more content in my whole life and I didn't want this moment to end, ever.
