Chapter 6-Destination Unknown

(Year 1933)

I returned home, disheartened by my failure to find Miss Hale and her supposed night time meeting with her odious fiancée. She could be with Royce King of course but I couldn't see the snooty blond girl consenting to let Royce King take liberties with her person before they were married. So, I decided that I would take a long, long ride about the city to search for Miss Hale. Oh, come on, were you really expecting me to walk about Rochester after the day I had had?

I pushed open the iron gates that separated our driveway from the road and I was blasted with sounds. A girl was screaming in pain, Carlisle was trying to sooth her, Esme was sobbing, and Edward was swearing profusely.

And due to serious circumstances, I twirled on the ground and in some scant seconds was standing in the doorway to Carlisle's study. What I saw brought me the closest to fainting I have ever come in my entire life.

Miss Hale was sprawled on a table, her clothes bloody, her face was bruised and swollen and almost unrecognizable. Her shoulder was most probably dislocated, her legs were covered with scratches and small crescent shaped marks that I later realized were made by someone pushing their nails into her skin. She was in agony, she was screaming at the top of her lungs, turning her head from side to side, her legs and arms spasming irregularly. Carlisle was..biting her repeatedly as Esme sobbed and cleaned the blood from her body. I stared at the scene in horror, frozen until Edward looked at me and swore again.

He slammed into me, knocking the breath out of me and carried me out of the house. We didn't stop until we were outside the gates.

'You cannot stay here', he growled angrily. Before I could say anything, he continued. 'She will smell you as soon as she wakes, probably even before that. You shall smell like a human to her and she will go crazy with bloodlust. She'll hunt you and nothing will stop her. I might fail to protect you, so you have to go.'

He dropped his head to my shoulder and his body shook with tremors. 'You have to go, Lizzie.'

'But what happened?' I asked, too bewildered by the circumstances to make sense of them. Edward turned to look at the house behind us before he answered me.

'Carlisle found her like this on the streets. From what I could gather, she was violated and beaten by his fiancée and his friends repeatedly until they reduced her to a bloody mess. Carlisle couldn't let her die, so he brought here and bit her.' Edward's eyes had a feral gleam in them and suddenly I was conscious of the fact that he had cleansed New York of scum like Royce King for two years and was about to kill the man in question.

'So, she will not be marrying Royce King after all', I concluded hysterically, 'There is a god after all. And you want to kill him, I can tell. You want to send me away and then you will kill him.'

'Lizzie', Edward shook my shoulders. 'Don't. We don't have time for this.'

My legs felt too weak to support me and I collapsed into Edward.

'Lizzie', he said gently, as my tears soaked his shirt.

'That poor, poor girl', I said, my voice muffled by his shirt. 'He is a monster, the devil incarnate. He did this to her because I allowed it to happen. It is my fault. If only I had warned the girl...'

Edward laughed humourlessly. 'Oh, my sweet Lizzie', he said kindly, 'you can never control fate, child.'

'Don't kill him, Edward', I said as I pulled back to frame his face with my hands. 'I want you to, hell, I want to do it myself, but we have promised to change, have we not?'

'I promise you', Edward caressed my cheek, wiped my tears. 'But you cannot stay here.'

'I understand', I agreed, smiling tremulously. 'But can I pack first? You'll have to wash the house anyways to remove my scent so what harm can five more minutes do? She cannot smell me yet.'

'Alright', Edward was visibly reluctant. 'Five minutes. No more.'

He carried me into the house and up the stairs and once I had thrown enough clothing to last me days in the valise and some books to keep me entertained, Edward had me out of the house. He deposited me into our car gently and then we were on our way to the station.

'Catch the 4'o clock train to Ithaca', he instructed, his hands clenching and unclenching around the steering wheel. 'I have slipped the address for the house and enough money to last you for months into the inner pocket of your suitcase. I'll write you, I promise, once we are established at the house in Anchorage.'

I noted that he made no mention of seeing me, meeting me as it would be impossible for us to meet soon. Carlisle and Esme would need him to keep Rosalie in check and keep her from going on murderous rampages that could make a dent in the local population of Alaska and bring the wrath of the Volturi upon us. So, we wouldn't be seeing each other for a year, possibly longer. With all that had happened that day, I felt utterly exhausted, weary to my very bones and I made no reply.

'Lizzie', Edward said gently, his hand slipping into mine as he drove one handed. 'I love you.'

A tear slipped down my cheek and I wiped it away resolutely before returning the gentle pressure of his fingers. 'I love you too, darling.'

'I write you, I promise', he vowed. 'Every single day.'

The circumstances didn't call for it, but I couldn't help giggling. 'Edward, what will everyone think? A girl living alone in an enormous, expensive house. Receiving tons of letters from a man who won't even visit her.'

'Oh, shut up, Lizzie', he snapped in jest and that made me laugh harder. Edward looked at me fondly as I laughed, his thumb caressing the inside of my wrist.

'Liz', he sighed. 'I don't want to let you go. Keeping aside the fact that I cannot think how I will survive without you for a year, it's not safe for a girl to live alone without any male protection.'

'Edward, darling, do you really doubt my ability to look after myself?' I asked sweetly, pressing his hand hard, if he had been human I would have crushed his bones into fine dust, but my fine fiancé only felt a mild discomfort from the pressure.

'Of course, I don't', he replied incredulously. 'I haven't forgot the time you suspended me by my ankles, or bound me in ropes, or immobilized me, stopped me from entering your room, robbed me of my voice-'

'Edward Anthony Masen Cullen!' I exclaimed. 'You make me sound like a perfectly horrible girl to go out with. Your wooing skills have gone into hibernation now that we are engaged, have they?'

'Let me tell you, Mr Cullen', I threatened, pressing my finger into his chest. 'Miss Hale was an extraordinarily beautiful human and she is going to be a stunning vampire. If I find out that you have been making eyes at her, I'll be doing a lot worse than silencing your tongue.'

Edward groaned as he grabbed my finger and replaced my hand in my lap.

'Liz, you know how it affects me when you get jealous.'

'Poor Ned', I purred, caressing the fine hair at the back of his neck. He shuddered, and my grin widened.

'Liz' he warned, 'we have important things to discuss.' I pouted but gestured at him to continue. 'If there is any, any threat to your safety, I want you to apparate to Anchorage immediately.'

'Keep the fire going and I'll call you through floo', I said.

'Liz, you know it's a giant risk. The MACUSA track floo calls', he reprimanded. 'I'd rather install a telephone.'

'Muggle', I said fondly, and he grinned. 'But I will have to install a connection as well. The state of New York will not be too eager to provide these services to a 17-year-old. But, I can always alter the paperwork, cannot I?'

'I shudder to think what mischief you will get up to', Edward said, and it gave me a lot of ideas. I could pretend to be my mother, father, servant and suitor. It would be so beautiful.

Before I could inform him of my plans, we had reached the station and my mood plummeted. The car ride had almost been an escape from our situation, a bubble that protected us from reality but now that we were here, the bubble burst and all the feelings came rushing in.

Edward opened my door for me and helped me out. My small hand was swallowed by his cold one and I didn't want to let go. Edward took out my suitcase one-handed and we made our way to the station, walking so slowly, so reluctant to part.

After we had delayed all we could, spoken of all inconsequential things that we could think of, Edward had repeated his instructions, handed me more money discreetly and we both promised to write, it was time to say goodbye.

I stood on my tiptoes and pecked his cheek but he cradled my head gently and kissed me. It was not gentle, we both poured all our longing and sadness into it and by the time we broke apart, my lips were swollen and red. Edward's eyes darkened but he controlled himself and laid a sweet kiss on my forehead.

'I love you, Lizzie', he breathed. 'Queen of my heart, part of my soul.'

'I love you, Ned', I murmured into his shoulder. 'I love you so much.'

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Mango

PS I hate tea