What if Bella hadn't jumped off the cliff? If Rose never made the fatal call. Edward does return but only to check on Bella. What he finds sends him in comatose. When he wakes, he finds that the tables have turned and decisions must once again be made. AU BxJ, BxE, who will win?
Listen to The Reason by Hoobastank while reading this. Enjoy.
xoxo —ei
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
Chapter 3: Answer
EPOV:
When Alice and I arrived, my family was line up against the northern side boundry line and the wolves were pressed up the south side.
"It's like the battle of Gettysburg – waiting to happen," I muttered, smiling grimly. Alice grinned. "There's a massacre waiting to happen, though we're definitely uphill."
"Actually, Edward," Jasper said, holding up his index finger, "The battle of Gettysburg – beginning on July 1, 1863 – was the supposedly the turning point of the Civil whereas this is rather more like the ceremony at Appomattox Court House. Gettysburg was-."
"Jasper, I hate to say this," Carlisle actually looked apologetic, but I smirked as I read his mind. "But, please, shut up."
"Excellent," Emmett leered as more wolves arrived. "More for everyone – besides, I'm starved."
They bared their teeth and raised their hackles at him.
"Well, now since everyone's here," Carlisle called loudly to all of us. "Perhaps, we ought to start."
A black wolf as well a red-brown wolf in the midst of the pack transformed. The black wolf turned into Sam Uley who quickly donned a pair of jeans. The other turned in another brown Native American boy who Sam introduced as Paul.
He sneered at Alice, Esme, and Rose as he walked toward the line. "I could pose for you, ladies, and you can tell me if your husband is half of mine or a quarter," he jeered.
Emmett started angrily toward Jacob as Jasper covered his wife's eyes. Carlisle quickly pulled Emmett away from the boundary as the rest wolves tensed up.
"Really, Jasper," Alice scoffed, removing his hand, "you'd think I'd never seen any other man's phallus, the way you're acting."
"But you haven't…" he stuttered, distratced from the wolves.
"That you know of," She replied sweetly. He looked stupefied. "I commend you, Emmett," She said sweetly to her brother. Emmett looked astounded but grinned anyway. "Gee, thanks Alice – you're not half-bad yourself." Jasper looked outraged.
"What about me?" I joked.
She eyed me for a moment, without saying anything, and then turned briskly to Carlisle. "Weren't we about to get started?" She asked cheerily.
My mouth dropped open, but I dismissed the jibe.
"Paul," Sam called lowly, "put your damn clothes on. We didn't come here to start the war – we'll end it if anything." Paul stuck his tongue out at his leader, but didn't dare disobey a direct edict and donned a pair of ripped shorts. At Sam's bellicose statement, the wolves had rippled uneasily and we drew closer, more alert.
"Why are you back?" Sam asked Carlisle coldly.
"We have the right to live where we wish," Carlisle replied calmly.
"Some would say you don't have the right to endanger humans."
"We told you; we're veg -." Carlisle tried to say.
"We know, we know," Paul taunted. "Vegetarian vampires – who could ever suspect you? What's for dinner tonight, Ma, broccoli?" he asked Esme whose smile tightened.
Another one of the wolves transformed and cuffed Paul wildly around his head. They glared at each other until the boy said, "Watch it, Paul."
"Mind yourself, Jacob," Paul snarled.
"Jacob, Paul," Sam warned. He glanced back at Carlisle. "Shall we agree on the same terms then? Same consequences."
"Stay off our land and we'll stay off yours," Jasper said. "It's that simple."
"I trust we'll have no encroachment of humans," Sam asked suspiciously.
"Of course, not; we've never slipped," Carlisle reminded him patiently.
"Here…" Jacob said pointedly as several of wolves shifted uneasily.
"Who on earth would we bite?" Rose asked, exasperated.
"He wasn't so pliable last time." Sam nodded at me. My family looked uneasy, even a little embarrassed.
"She's gone – I haven't seen her in years – when and why would I bite anyone else."
"Bella is-." Sam started looking bewildered.
"Sam!" Jacob shouted, his perplexed glance turning devious. He had stopped his thoughts in their tracks. "I want a word." He beckoned to his leader. "Brady, Collin – maybe this is a chance for you to practice your calculus?"
On of the younger wolves whined.
"Now!" Jacob barked, sounding quite dog-like even though he hadn't transformed.
"In Quileute!" Sam added and he and Jacob disappeared; the barking and yelping a few minutes later indicated they had both transformed.
When in wolf form, the pack thought as one and so with Brady and Collin doing painfully wrong calculus, positively screaming in their heads, I couldn't hear what Sam and Jacob were discussing although I caught snippets like, "Bella…Forks…fool…doesn't know…"
When they returned, Jacob was smirking so hard I thought his entire face might have cracked in two from his smugness.
"I believe…" Even Sam looked happier. "We have a deal."
Carlisle and Sam shook hands.
- Ъєαиτιƒи∫ ƒατє -
Lady Fate, it seemed, wished to make a fool of me. Or at least, torture me until I went insane.
Grace, yes, she who reminded me constantly of Bella – by habit, by musk. Whatever it chose to be on any given day; every class with her was a hell: a painful trip down memory lane that threatened to lose me among its reminiscences.
Why was I drawn so intensely to her? Our bond was something that couldn't be fabricated or overcome by coercion, time, or distance; perhaps it was for the best. What could I gain by pretending I didn't love her as much as I really did? Even if Bella was gone, long disappeared in the folio of history, wiped clean from the pages of Forks.
And I had lost to the right over her. But even with my grave sin, could I find my happily ever after, at least, Esme thought so. Did I have the right to? After what I had done to the first woman I loved?
It depended, I concluded, on how she had coped. Unlike Alice who said, all I needed was to 'put myself out there.' She didn't understand though, already having a partner, that I didn't want a transient human relation – I wanted one like…Bella.
Was this possible?
I needed to know. Now.
I stood up in the middle of class; the teacher looked in my direction.
"Yes, Mr. Cullen, can I help you?" He asked. I ignored him, walking out of the room. "Mr. Cullen! Mr. Cullen – you cannot just walk out – Mr. Cullen!" I walked down the hall, looking for the nearest exit. I smell security coming down one of adjacent hallways and headed them off.
When I reached my car in the parking lot, Alice was leaning up against the Volvo. She looked at me expectantly as I came toward her.
"You better not leave scratches," I said irritably.
"I hope you know what you're doing," She said, and her treble voice sounded a little sad. "You've put us through a lot, Edward. There's a very real possibility that all the things connected with that place could destroy you."
"Or I could find the answer."
"You could," She agreed, "But unless it's the answer is yes – we'll have a bigger problem on our hands than depression; catatonia."
"I know what I'm doing, Alice." I said shortly.
"I hope you do, Edward!" She fired back. "The last time you told us that – you had a breakdown afterwards. For someone who thinks he's a hell bound creature, you sure are selfish."
"If I'm hell bound, what's the point being good?" I sneered.
"Why did you ever save her then?" She asked quietly.
"I…" I didn't have an answer.
"Don't lie to us…or yourself. You know deep down you don't actually believe that crap." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a cigarette and lighter and lit the former with the latter. She gave me a meaningful glance and inhaled deeply.
"I didn't know you smoked," I said, amused.
"I don't smoke really," She said thoughtfully. "But when I know you're going to go do something stupid – all the time, then – it calms me down," She sniped. She pressed the lighted end to her skin. "Warm."
"Maybe I'm not the only one with a problem," I teased her.
"No, we have our own. But your's is definitely the biggest." She touched my cheek and then turned away, starting to walk back to school. That feels nice, She thought to herself. Warm.
"We love you Edward, but we can't keep getting hurt forever."
Things that have history behind them tend to draw me to them powerfully. The highway was nearly deserted so I was allowed to speed as much as I wanted. I left the car on the side of road and followed the trail, closely, quickly. After a few miles, I began to the light slipping through the trees to my eyes. I raced faster and finally broke through the line of trees and collapsed in the circular meadow, breathing deeply.
There was already someone there.
Bella.
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