DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of these characters. They all belong to the great Stephenie Meyer. I am simply telling my story.
I was walking down the aisle. All my friends were in the audience. All except Jake. I could feel my face fall as I scanned the crowd and didn't see my friend in the crowd. I looked down to the front of the aisle. I saw Edward, standing there looking stunning in his tux, Carlisle by his side.
I looked down at my dress, except it wasn't my wedding dress. I was in street clothes. I looked over at Charlie, but he wasn't walking me down the aisle, it was Aro. I jerked my arm away from him and looked out at the assembly. The church was gone, we were in the dungeons of Volterra. I looked forward again and there was the entire Cullen family, all still smiling at me, but the Volturi were there now too.
"Don't be afraid Bella." Aro said, staring at me with his ruby red eyes. They weren't cold, instead warm and inviting, only made more so by the smile on his face. "I know this is what you want." He said, touching his index finger to his temple.
I ran to Edward, who caught me in his arms and began to stroke my hair as he held me.
"Don't be afraid my love. It will all be okay. I will always be here to protect you."
I looked up at his face and quickly jerked out of his embrace. His eyes were the same shade of red as Aro's. This wasn't my Edward. This was a monster. I ran to Carlisle beside him, but his eyes were red too. I went to Alice, Jasper, Emmett, Esme, Rosalie, but each one of them had eyes as ruby as the next, the color of the horizon at the break of dawn.
I screamed in horror as they diverged upon me. Suddenly, the doors burst open and in ran the red wolf, bigger than a normal wolf. But I knew it wasn't a real wolf.
"Jake." I whispered, relieved to see someone here to save me.
The wolf charged my foes and began singlehandedly ripping them apart. Aro and the Volturi first, but then he set his sights on the Cullens.
"No, Jake, no!"
I awoke with a start. I looked around myself, remembering I wasn't at home in my bed. I was cold, but I was saddened when I looked in the bed beside me and no one was there. My air must have been too low in the room, making it cold. It didn't help that I was still dressed for the summer heat wave outside that had been happening.
I walked over to the thermostat on the wall by the door, and bumped it up a few notches. It had been at 60, no wonder I was cold. Then I pulled back the curtain from my window. I was pitch black except for the single lamp illuminating the parking lot. It must be the early morning. I was wide awake though, I knew funny sleeping patterns and I didn't get along. I thought about turning on the TV in my hotel room, but there was really only one voice in the world I wanted to hear.
It hadn't even completed the first ring before it picked up.
"Hello?" I heard my favorite velvety voice say at the other end.
I could feel the tears well up in my eyes. I really didn't understand myself right now. Why was I crying over him. I loved him. I was so confused.
"Hello?" my favorite voice said again, and I could hear the anger rising in it.
"Edward?" I said, the expectation unmistakable in my voice.
"Bella…" I could hear him breathe, the relief evident in his velvety voice. He must have looked at a clock though, because I immediately heard the tension come back into it. "Are you ok, Bella? It's 4 am! Oh, my-no! Did you have an accident? Are you hurt? Do I need to come get you?"
"Edward. Edward. Edward!" I tried to interject after every question, but he was going at a rapid fire pace and I couldn't get a word in edgewise. "EDWARD, STOP!" I practically shouted into the phone. The talking abruptly ceased. "I am fine. I'm in a hotel in…somewhere in North Dakota. Jake decided to stop-"
"You found the dog then?" There was ice in his voice.
"Yeah, I did. He was waiting for me at the North Dakota, Montana border. We talked. He wants to talk things out Edward, before he'll make the decision of whether or not to come back with me."
"Please tell me he isn't there with you."
"No, no, no. That was my stipulation, we would have separate rooms."
"When are you coming home? You know we have a lot of angry people around here. Alice has been near intolerable."
Suddenly, I heard Alice's soprano in the background. "Ooooh, is that Bella? Tell her she better hurry up and get back here. Wedding cake doesn't freeze forever!"
"Did you get all that?" Edward said. I could hear the slight smile in his voice.
"Yeah, I heard all that. Tell her I'll be back as soon as humanly possible."
"That's no good. Humans are so slow!" I heard Alice say in the background. That made me chuckle.
"I hope to come home soon. I'll call you when I am ready to leave? Then you gusys can meet me somewhere, and I will get back all the sooner?"
"Sounds like a really good idea. It makes me ready wish that moment was right now."
"Me too, Edward."
"So let's make it now. Say the word. I can be there in an hour, at most."
"I can't do that Edward. He deserves a chance. And before…everything happens, I have to make this okay."
"I know Bella. I just keep hoping you will change your mind."
"Have no fear Edward. I am going to come home to you."
"I know you are."
"That confident of my love for you, are you?"
"Well, there's that. And I happen to have a sister who can see the future."
I smiled. "I love you."
"I love you too Bella. Have a good day."
"You too. Keep Alice in line."
"I will."
"Bye."
"Bye."
I hung up the phone and went to get in the shower. I turned the water on and stepped into the warm water. I started to cry. What was I doing? More importantly, what was that dream I had had? I didn't know any of the answers, so I just let the water wash over me while I cried for no apparent reason.
Yeah, I don't know why Bella is crying so much. Normally Bella doesnt cry a lot. Maybe I am making up for lost time? Or, I just got done reading the Odyssey...there is a lot of weeping in that. I just think she is really confused and unsure of what she wants. And that confliction is causing her to cry... a lot. I will try to have Bella go on fewer crying jags in the future.
So what are you thinking? You like it? You don't? It's really easy to tell me your opinion. Just click the review button. I respond to all of them. So what are you waiting for?! I, personally, am waiting to hear from you... :)
