A/N: So we have a guest appearance in this chapter. I hope you'll enjoy. It's a little dark but so is New Moon. As Rosalie says, if any of them had a happy ending they wouldn't still be around…But stick around for the next chapter too, I think you'll appreciate a change in viewpoints. As always, PLEASE review and let me know what you think! It means a lot!
Disclaimer: I am writing this story because I am a fan of Stephenie Meyer and the Twilight Saga. I do not own any of the characters, plot lines or any Twilight-related materials.
Underneath It All
Chapter 7: Edward
Jasper's POV
It was sleek, black, low to the ground and fast. Really fast. Especially with my wife behind the wheel. She shifted the Corvette to the next gear and we picked up speed. I noticed the needle was crawling to 140 mph. She'd decided we couldn't delay and although we were fast, the Corvette was faster. We took the smaller highways and roads that Alice had searched out in her visions so that we could escape any detection.
Mississippi was far behind us, and we were close to our destination. And Edward. I knew she was worried about him. And I was worried about her. My hand never strayed far from her. I needed that physical connection—that reassurance that I could protect her no matter what we encountered.
I was either stroking her hair, squeezing the back of her neck, trailing my fingertips along her cheek or grasping her hand. I didn't want to smother her but she didn't seem to mind. She'd throw me her wide smile every now and then and I'd drink it in like a man trapped in a desert with no water in sight.
I couldn't lose her. I felt the protective warrior building in my chest. I knew she hated it when I got too overprotective but dammit this time she'd have to make an exception. She had no idea the danger we were driving into. Well, she had to know a little.
She'd encountered Maria before. An involuntary shudder hit me as the memory of Alice so close to my diabolical maker as Peter restrained Alice on the edge of an Alaskan clearing ran through my mind. We'd come so close to disaster that time and I'd never wanted a repeat performance. I wasn't sure that I'd be able to keep my monster at bay this time—stop myself from utterly destroying Maria and any threat she posed to my pixie or my family.
Alice must have felt my tension because her hand left the gearshift and she clasped my hand with her own, entwining our fingers with a firm squeeze. I looked into her butterscotch eyes and tried to smile reassuringly. I wasn't sure if it worked as her eyes tightened slightly and she gave me a slight frown.
We needed a distraction. I raised our joined hands to my lips and pressed the back of her hand against them. "So, pixie, what do you see now? Are we almost there?" Her eyes were back on the highway stretching before us almost seemingly endlessly. It was amazing that while concentrating on the road that she could also concentrate on her vision at the same time. But I didn't doubt it. She was an amazing woman.
She shook her head slightly as she came out of her reverie. "Well, soldier, looks like we're minutes away. He's staying in a roadside motel. And he's still in danger. But I don't know what specifically." She let out a frustrated sigh.
"I can't get a good handle on Victoria or her plans. It's as if she's changing her mind too fast for me to keep up. I'm only getting flashes." She turned to look at me again a worried crease between her brows. "You don't think she knows that about me, do you? That I can't know if she doesn't settle on something?" Her confused eyes met my own.
"I don't know, honey. It's possible I suppose but how could she know that? Maybe she really hasn't decided on a final course of action. Or maybe she's just toying with Edward." Alice gave a slight nod and murmured, "Hmmm." Her lips were as puckered as her brow as she considered the possibilities.
Silence descended in the car as we both turned to our thoughts. Mine weren't only Victoria but also on whether I should ask my wife to search out Maria. I didn't want to alarm her but I really wanted to know if I should be preparing a battle plan on that front as well.
Just as I'd about decided to take the chance and ask her to do just that, Alice made a sharp turn and entered a rest stop that we'd been about to pass. I turned to her and arched a brow questioningly. "Sorry." She grinned. Little minx wasn't sorry at all. I knew she'd enjoyed taking me by surprise. She lived for those moments.
"I was just thinking it'd be best if we dump the car off here and run the rest of the way." She nonchalantly shrugged her shoulders as she whipped into an empty parking spot. But there was nothing nonchalant about the tension in her spine, in her face. "I don't want to give Edward the chance to run off if he hears us coming so we're going to have to mask our thoughts." Easier said than done. But I supposed it was our best chance.
I nodded. "Sure, pixie. Piece of cake." No way I was going to let her see me sweat. Metaphorically of course. "So what are we looking for?" I opened my door and in a flash was on her side of the car, opening her door. She raised her eyebrows with a sardonic lift to her lips. I held out my hand and helped her out of the low slung car as any gentleman would. Mostly I just wanted an excuse to have her hand in mine again. And I wasn't letting go.
She was facing me and looking up into my eyes. I schooled my features into a neutral expression, not wanting to cause her any more anxiety. Her eyes narrowed slightly and I figured I wasn't fooling her. "Well, it's not the Four Seasons. It's a little bit of a fleabag motel I'm afraid." She sighed her disapproval in Edward's choice of lodging. "I'll never understand why that boy thinks…"She trailed off. "The Last Resort." I was confused. What was his last resort?
It must have shown on my face because she laughed then. "Oh Jazz, sorry. That's the name of the motel. The Last Resort." She gave a derisive snort. "I'm sure it holds some kind of deep philosophical metaphor for Edward. He's always tended to go for the melodramatic on occasion." She shook her head from side to side as she spoke.
I leant down then and molded my lips to hers. I didn't want any words for a while. I just wanted to feel her, breathe her in, taste her. I didn't know what we were running into. But I really didn't see how it could have a happy ending. And sadly, for the first time in a long time, neither did my wife.
I just hoped my brother was going to appreciate what we were doing. And I hoped to hell I'd figure out what to say to him once we got there. If Edward even stuck around long enough to hear it.
Alice's POV
I felt like Jasper was going to consume me before we even stepped a foot outside of the rest stop. Or send me up in flames. I had to concentrate on how I was going to help Edward. And he wasn't helping in the least. I was even more distracted now.
Finally I pulled back with a soft sigh. Usually Jazz's touch calmed me. Okay, well at least gave me a sense of belonging. But I felt a little bereft. I was so worried about Edward and if the stubborn fool would even hang around long enough for us to help him.
"He's not going to be happy about this." My hands were on Jasper's chest and I began drawing little patterns, concentrating my eyes there rather than look into the worried face of my soldier. Or worse. He might have his warrior's mask on. I knew he was in overprotective mode, worrying about Victoria.
And Maria. I shivered slightly. He hadn't said her name. Not once. But I'd known what he would be thinking about as soon as he found out where Edward was. And I hadn't been wrong.
Oh part of it was nice. I really loved how he had to touch me in some form or fashion the whole way from Biloxi to Texas. But I hated what I knew he was thinking about in regard to his maker. It was not a pleasant subject. Any of it. So I hadn't wanted to broach it. Especially not when I was having so much fun pushing the Corvette to its limits.
Jasper's hands came up and clasped my own, stilling them against his chest. His baritone was soft. "I know, pixie. But what choice do we have? I know I can't change your mind. And I know I can't let you do this alone." His voice was a little twangy. I knew he was annoyed. By everything. At himself. At me. But I couldn't abandon Edward. Whether he wanted my help or not. Because the truth was he needed it.
And yes, there was teensy tiny part of me that was hoping that once he was safe, we could convince him to go back to Forks and Bella. It was just ridiculous. A pang of hurt hit my chest at the thought of my best friend.
It was killing me not to know how she was doing. But if it was even half of how I felt when I thought Jasper was leaving me, I knew it wouldn't be good. I at least hoped she was holding it together somewhat. At least for Charlie's sake.
It was funny, but I couldn't think of Edward and Bella separately. If I thought of one, I quickly thought of the other. As if they were two halves making a whole. Too bad my stubborn brother hadn't figured that out yet.
I entwined my fingers with his and gently tugged. "Come on, cowboy. Don't forget. Try to mask your thoughts as best you can." He leaned down and gave me a quick peck on the lips. "Lead the way, pixie. I'll follow you wherever you go." I knew that there was double meaning to his words and a bolt of electricity ran through me until my toes curled. I shot him my widest happiest smile and he gave me my favorite lop-sided smile of his in return.
And then we were flying past trees and cows and across pastures and over hay bales until it came into view. It really was pretty vile looking with peeling pepto pink stucco walls and rusty rails. There was a pool half-filled with green water and brown leaves. It was certainly the kind of place someone would go to as a "last resort". Or definitely when they didn't want to be found.
I led Jazz up the cement stairs and moved halfway down the walkway until we were standing in front of a metal door with the number 213 stenciled on it. He was in there. I'd done a quick search of the immediate future to see if he'd left. I was slightly encouraged that he had not.
Jazz was looking down at me. His brow was arched and I knew he was wondering if Edward was inside. I nodded my head once in the affirmative. I held up a finger so he would know to be patient for a moment.
Edward. I know you know we're here. Will you let me in? You know we wouldn't be here if it wasn't important. A matter of life and death. I knew talking to him in this normal way--well, normal for us, at any rate—would be more effective. I really hoped he hadn't hightailed it out through the bathroom window or something. I'd be really pissed if we had to chase him down.
I heard the chain unlock from the other side and the knob slowly turned. The door cracked a little but my brother's face did not appear. Not good. Jasper was the first to act. He put out a hand and slowly pushed the door open.
"Oh Edward!" The anguished whispered words escaped my lips before I could stop myself. It was just about the sorriest sight I'd ever seen. The room was dismal but it wasn't what you'd normally expect if someone were hiding out. There were no empty pizza boxes, crushed beer cans, dirty clothes strewn about the room.
There was just my brother, looking absolutely devoid of any life, still as a marble statue in a tacky blue paisley side chair. He was facing our direction but it was as if he was looking right through us. Or seeing nothing at all. As if he was just an empty shell.
I felt my unbeating heart throb with pain in my chest. It was much worse than I expected. I took a tentative step into the dark dingy room. I noticed that there was a laptop on the side table beside him. I figured that's what he was using to aid him in tracking Victoria. As if Google could replace his lack of tracking skills. Beside it was a pile of papers, maps, and…photos? What in the world had he been up to?
I could feel Jazz behind me, his hands resting on my shoulders. I reached up with mine and squeezed his. I turned my head slightly to look up at him. His face was a mask of concern, his eyes boring into mine. I squeezed his hands once more, gaining what strength I could from him.
I then moved forward to where Edward sat and dropped to my knees in front of him. He'd not moved a muscle since we'd come in. His vacant eyes were staring now at the door Jazz had shut behind him. He hadn't acknowledged our presence in any way. I had to figure out a way to get through to him. But at the moment I was at a loss. And the longer it took, the more danger all of us were in.
He still hadn't looked at me. I glanced beside him at the side table and that's when I knew what I had to do.
I reached over and snagged the photo. There was a crease down the middle where it had been folded in half. I felt my breath catch in my throat. It was strange but the picture of her in my mind was so much clearer than the piece of paper in my hand. Bella Swan. She would be my sister.
The picture looked oddly formal with Edward looking uncomfortable, his hand resting awkwardly on her shoulder. Bella looked like she was trying to smile but it didn't quite reach her worried eyes.
I felt the familiar pang of longing for my best girl friend. It was great having Edward and of course my Jasper. But they were boys. A girl needed a good girl friend too. To talk about girlie things like clothes and fashion and boys. To do girlie things like shopping and having tea.
Okay, well, maybe Bella and I didn't do all of those things but it didn't stop me from trying. Plus, she was a pretty good sport about letting me dress her up sometimes. Not as often as I'd like. But still, she was my project. A melancholy sigh escaped me. God, I missed my friend.
In a blink, the picture was snatched from my fingers and for the first time my brother looked at me. His eyes were burning with anger and it made my breath catch again to see such a vitriolic look from him directed at me. He snarled at me.
In a flash, Jasper snatched me up and behind him in a defensive move. "Easy, Edward." Jazz's voice was calm but firm. I suddenly felt the swirl of the calming vibes he was sending out, clouding my mind slightly. I grasped Jasper's arm and stepped to the side of him so that I could see my brother again.
"Jazz." I said softly. "It's fine. He's not going to hurt me." Jasper never took his eyes off of Edward. His arm tensed as if he was going to sweep me back behind him again. But he realized that Edward was now looking down at the picture clasped in his hands. And the devastated look on his face, the naked longing in his eyes must have given Jazz the proof he needed that it had merely been an instinctive reaction from Edward and that he did not pose an immediate threat so he let me by.
But in conceding this much, he did grab my hand and I knew he would not let go. That was fine with me. I was shaking slightly as the magnitude of how deeply in trouble my brother was pierced me. And it wasn't the physical danger from Victoria that I'd seen. He was in bad shape. Actually, that was an understatement. My brow creased as I soaked in every detail. His tattered dirty clothing, his usually messy bronze hair was lank and dull, as lifeless as he seemed.
I knew there was only one thing that would bring him back to life. But how to convince him that he could not continue this way without Bella Swan in his life? Now that I was here and saw with my own two eyes, it seemed a nearly impossible task. A fool's errand. Well, I could be rather foolish on occasion so I had probably the best shot of anyone. Except maybe Carlisle. But even then…
"Edward." I whispered aloud so that Jazz could hear what I was saying, maybe chime in if I needed reinforcements. "I know that you don't want me here or to interfere but I had to come. You know I can't always turn off my visions and I have tried to keep my promise as best I can…but please, listen to me." His eyes snapped to mine and the anger was back but not quite as burning. More extremely annoyed. I could deal with annoyance. That was my specialty.
Then I showed him all that I had seen in the past few days. The trap Victoria had set—the futility in trying to track her—the glimpses that made it impossible to see exactly how much in danger he was. The photo fluttered from his fingers until it hit the orange shag carpeting silently. I saw the shock in his eyes. It was followed by understanding and finally a burning hatred. I knew that one wasn't for me, thank goodness. He was reserving that look for Victoria.
I had to admit, it kind of felt good despite the situation to be back with my brother, slipping back into our old ways of communication, each holding half of the key that would unlock the puzzle. I hoped that he would feel the same way and agree to come back with us. Edward belonged with our family. And he belonged with Bella.
Now just to convince him of that. Baby steps. I reached out and softly grasped one of his hands with my own. If he'd only squeeze my hand , then I'd know there was a chance. Please!
It was my last best chance to get my brother and best friend back. Then my hand was crushed in his grip and I looked down. Ow, that was tighter than I expected.
But the hope I felt leaping in my chest died as I looked up and through gritted teeth, he said, "This is the last time I'm going to say this Alice. Leave. Don't come back. Don't look for me. And I don't give a damn what you see, don't interfere in my life. Or hers. Now get out of here before I do something we all regret."