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Coming Home
Chapter 7
BPOV
"Bella? Bella?"
"Ugh." My head.
I open my eyes to brightness. It takes a moment or two to focus to realize where I am and who was speaking. Oh, yeah. Plane crash….Jacob.
It's been nearly 3 days that we've been here….and ….nothing. Not a sound of an airplane, jet or helicopter. Nothing.
"I went looking through the debris and found some food. It isn't much, but it's food all the same." Jake said.
I look down and see a small tray of food….a piece of chicken, a roll and green beans. I tore off the top and started eating. I am starving. It was quite interesting trying to eat one-handed. Jacob came over and sat on a log next to me.
"I was lucky enough to find the back part of the fuselage that held the food and drink carts. I grabbed what I could find and that wasn't damaged. It should hopefully last us long enough till they get here."
"Jacob? Do you think they've started looking?"
"Jake. Call me Jake. Only my dad calls me Jacob…and yes, I think they have. I would hope that they would find us by this time tomorrow….at least if the coordinates they have are correct. We won't be able to stay in this area for much longer than that. There really isn't much left of the plane that is salvageable to make a shelter. We may have to move on. Let's just hope it doesn't come to that."
I finished eating and Jake handed me a can of soda. He then handed me a packet that said Tylenol on it.
"I also found a first aid kit in the same section as the carts. This should help a little bit with your head and arm. We have to use it sparingly, though."
My head and arm have continued to pound. Light is hard on my eyes and it doesn't take anything for my arm to hurt.
"Thanks, Jake. I mean, really…thanks."
"Hey, we are in this together."
We sat quietly next to each other for a while….neither of us knowing what to say.
"It was cold last night." I said.
Looking at the ground, Jake says, "I know. As warm as it is during the day, it can be pretty damn cold at night."
He looks as though he has something on his mind. He pushes some pine cones around with his foot and looks up at me hesitantly, "Ummmmm, I hate to bring this up, but we might have to take things into our own hands soon."
"What do you mean?"
"Bella, we might have to move on. It probably would be best to stay here, so we can be found once the crash site is located, but we don't have much to make a decent shelter from….and sooner or later, we are going to run out of food and...we might get some unwanted visitors."
"Unwanted visitors?"
"You can't expect that the…smell around here going to improve. Between the fuel and the….uhhhh…the bodies will start to attract unwanted visitors…bears, mountain lions, and whatever else is in this area." He paused. "It's been over 3 days, now. We haven't seen or heard any signs of them looking for us. We have some food and drinks to survive, but not for too long."
He reaches for my head and says, "We really need to get that head of yours looked at. It's stopped bleeding, but I'm worried about whether it is more than a concussion or not."
I wave off his hand. "I'm fine. Really. Once this Tylenol starts to work, I'll be fine."
"I brought you a pair of shoes. Those flats you are wearing aren't going to last and won't help you feet in this type of terrain. Here, try them on."
I bend over and try on the tennis shoes. Ugh. My head hurts while I am bending over to tie the shoes. "They fit. How were you able to find a pair of matching shoe in all this mess?" I said while looking around the area of massive debris.
"I….ummmmm…..found them in a suitcase I came across when I was looking for food…yeah."
"Oh. Okay. Well.. thanks…again."
Jake stood up and started to walk back towards most of the wreckage. I stops and looks at me. "I'm going to go and start gathering more stuff that we are going to need before we head out. Will you be okay for a while?"
"Yeah. Be careful."
"Always am," he replies.
He turns around and continues to walk away.
After a while the pounding of my head lightens up a bit. I start to become drowsy again. It probably helps that I have some food in my stomach. I don't want to fall asleep again. Maybe I'll just rest my eyes for a few minutes. Yeah. Just for a few minutes.
I am walking through the forest. It seems to be thinning some and more light shining through the trees up ahead. Something is pulling me As I reach the end of the forest, I realize I am at the opening of a field…no…a meadow…our meadow. I look around and I see him. He's just standing there with his back facing me. I'd know that ass anywhere. I smile and giggle. I walk right up to him and wrap my arms around him from the back.
I am a home as soon as my arms wrap touch him. "Did you really think I wouldn't find you?" I giggle.
He slowly turns around, smiles and put his arms around me and kisses me like he's never kissed me before. My knees start to go weak, but I will them to hold me up.
After what feels like a wonderful eternity, Edward pulls away, breathing heavy and says, "Oh, how I've missed you."
"As I have you." I reply.
He is starring into my eyes as if he is looking into my soul. I could look into his wonderful green eyes forever, as well. As wonderful as it is to get lost in his eyes, they are filled with sadness, loneliness. I have to give him hope. I need him to believe. To have faith. I want nothing more for this to be real. I need him to know I am not going to give up hope either.
"Baby, I am sooooo scared. I can't even tell you." He tells me.
"I know you are. You must know, though, that I am alive and I promise with everything that I am that I WILL make it home to you. To you and the kids." I tell him.
He looks down at the ground. I put a finger under his chin and raise his head to look at me. I need him to look at me.
"Edward Anthony Cullen, you listen to me. Have I ever lied to you? Have I ever made a promise to you I didn't keep?"
"No, you haven't."
"Then I need you to trust me. No matter how long it takes. No matter how far I have to travel. I WILL come home to you. You have to have faith, no matter what. Believe me….Promise me."
"I do…..but….it is so hard. But, I do believe and I will hold onto hope. I promise." He tells me.
" Don't give up. No matter what!"
"No matter what. And then forever?" He asks.
"And then forever." I reply.
I am suddenly drawn back into the forest…back through where I came out of the forest. I don't want to leave Edward, but the pull is too strong to ignore.
Inside my head, I hear my name being called. 'Bella?' Someone is calling my name. I immediately return my attention back to my handsome husband.
"Good. I must go now. Remember, that I love you with all my heart and soul. Remember my promise as I will remember yours." I tell him. I then kiss him goodbye and turn to walk away back into the forest surrounding the meadow.
"Bella, PLEASE don't go. I can't do this without you." He pleads. I feel so guilty leaving him, but I must.
Just before I reenter the forest, I turn to look back at him and say, "Remember my promise. I love you!"
"I love you, Isabella Marie Cullen!"
I smile and go back into the forest.
"Bella? BELLA?"
" Edward?" I whisper. My eyes are hard to open but I try. My lids are heavy.
"No….it's Jake."
Finally, the weight lifts off my lids and I open them. The sun has moved quite a bit from where it was when I closed my eyes. How long was I out?
"Oh, thank goodness. I've been trying to wake you for quite a while. You weren't responding. I was really starting to get worried. How do you feel? How is your head? Are you in pain?
I sit up and try to inventory of how I feel. My arm has a slight throb to it, but nothing as bad as it had been. The same for my head. Things seem to be a little clearer than they had been. I feel a little bit more rested, too.
"I a bit better…more rested." I answer. "How long was I out?"
"Well, I am not exactly sure, but I know I've been gone for a few hours trying to scrimmage up some more supplies that we can use." He pauses. "Who's Edward?"
"My husband." I answer and smile. "Are you married?"
"Not yet. I have a fiancé back home. We've been engaged for over a two year now. We aren't in any hurry to get married. We haven't been in any rush, but after this experience, my feelings on the subject have definitely changed. Once we get home, I am going to marry her as soon as possible. "
We sat quietly for a moment. We both seemed to be thinking over the realization that in a blink of an eye, our lives have changed and everything is put into perspective.
"When do you think we should leave?"
Jake sits there quietly and looks over to the box of supplies he's started accumulating. He looks as though he is doing some calculating…what else we need, how much food we have, what type of clothes we had and/or who knows what else. "Not more than a day or so. I want to do one more run, in the morning, and see what else I can find and then pack only. We are going to have to carry everything we take so we can't take too much."
"So one more day…here?" I asked.
"Yeah. I'll look for some back packs or something tomorrow and, after I get back we can go over what we have and pack. We really need to start thinking about our survival. I think with my training, we should be okay."
I look away to the ground.
"Bella, I will take care of you. You have to trust me. We'll be okay. Do you trust me?"
I slowly look up at him. It isn't like I have much of a choice, but he has done a pretty good job so far. "Yes, Jake. I trust you."
"Good. Here eat some crackers and drink some water. I need you to get as much rest as you can over the next day or so. You are going to need it once we head out."
"Okay, Jake."
I sit there quietly. I think about our journey to get back to our loved ones. Edward and the kids. I need to get back and tell them how much I love them. Then there are my parents and my brothers. How they are going to be just as worried. There is also Esme, Carlisle, Alice and Rosalie…Rosalie. I promised to be there for her when she has the baby. I am going to keep that promise to her!
I am going to have to draw up every bit of strength, courage and determination to make it home. I will make it home….just as I had drempt I told Edward. I have to keep my promise to him, as well. I've never lied to him before. I WON'T start now.
