If you already read Chapter 8, I apologize for waiting so long to edit it! I did some revisions for that other Twilight FF website and liked that version better, so I decided to go ahead and post here. This is only from Edward's POV.
Ascension
Chapter 8 – Flight
Edward
I picked Bella up and rushed her to the car, depositing her in the front seat. I sprinted inside to get the luggage and remembered the fire, television, and partially eaten plate of food in the living room. I ran at vampire speed to take care of all these things and then dashed out with the luggage and threw it in the trunk. I paused to call the housekeepers before I got in the car. Speaking French, I asked them to close up the house in the morning. I also told them where we planned to go and thanked them for their lovely and discreet service before hanging up.
Just before I stepped into the car, it all came crashing down on me. I had put my Bella in danger again. The guilt washed over me like Niagara Falls. I couldn't breathe, I couldn't think, I could hardly move. What have I done? This was the first time since I returned to Bella that I regretted not succeeding in my suicide attempt with the Volturi.
I knew that Bella would be imagining all sorts of things and was probably angry by now. She had every right to be angry. I knew I had to tell her. She was sitting there patiently waiting for my explanation and she deserved to get it. I finally got into the car and sat there, stunned with guilt and anger. I could see that Bella was seething. I had to remain calm, for Bella.
"Bella, I am so sorry. I have put you in danger again," was all I could get out at first. Bella sighed, which added to my grief. I started the car and headed for the gate, stopping to close and lock it before I continued. When I got back in the car, I added, "Bella, I want you to know that this is entirely my fault and if you want to hate me for it, I will accept that consequence." She should hate me for this, but she won't. Damn it!
I drove as fast as I dared. Bella did not say anything for awhile, and when she spoke, I thought she was going to berate me for the rate of speed that I was driving, but she didn't. Instead, she lectured me about marriage. Bella, who didn't believe in marriage and didn't want to get married, was lecturing me about marriage. "Edward, you know better than to think that I am going to hate you for anything that you do. Please tell me what is happening and where we are going. I would like to think that as your wife, you would be able to tell me anything. It's time you stop trying to protect me from everything, Edward. We are bonded together now. Every challenge that we face, we must face together. Marriage was what you wanted and marriage is what you got. How can we be a married couple if you are not going to treat me as an equal?"
Bella was shaking by the time she finished. I could hear that she was trying to remain calm, but her pain and anger slipped through. Her words cut me to the quick because I knew that she was absolutely right. How many times had Carlisle had this conversation with me over the past few weeks?
"Edward, Bella is marrying you. You do understand that you are going to have to stop trying to protect her from everything under the sun and let her help you make decisions. You can't control every move she makes and continue to use the excuse, "It's what is best for Bella." She has the right to help you make decisions, particularly when your decisions affect her, or you, or both of you. It is give and take, Edward, not control and be controlled."
"You're right, Bella. I wanted you to marry me, to be my wife, and then I go and do something stupid like this and put you in danger. I do not deserve to live." I spoke from my heart, hoping she would understand how terrible I felt. My thoughts were swimming and I was consumed with them. I noticed that Bella had crossed her arms and turned towards me. When she spoke, her voice was the harshest I had ever heard. I had seen and heard her angry, but never like this. It fed my misery even more.
"Edward Masen Cullen! Don't you ever say anything like that to me again! You need to tell me what is going on and you need to tell me right now or I am calling Alice to make arrangements for me to go home at once!"
I considered her words for a brief moment. She was extremely angry, but she was not hurling insults at me. At least she fights fair. I probably should not have voiced my regret to be alive. That really sent her off. I toyed with her statement that she would go home immediately if I didn't tell her what was going on. If she went home, I could go to the Volturi and tell them we had a fight. I could tell them she left me and would not come back. I wondered desperately if this would keep her safe, but I knew that it would not, they would just hunt her down and turn her themselves, or worse.
I took a deep breath and told her everything. I could hear her heart rate slowing and smell that the adrenaline in her blood stream was subsiding as I spoke. She's not afraid?
"Someone from the Volturi detected our presence in Italy yesterday, Bella. They were planning to call on us day after tomorrow at the chateau. They took my purchase of it as a sign that we would be joining them as soon as…"
"As soon as you changed me, I suppose?" she interrupted.
"Yes, as soon as I changed you. They also assumed that our presence could only mean that I was planning to change you while at the chateau and they wanted to send a delegation to oversee your change." I felt sick when I told her this. I knew that my emotions had to be showing on my face. I probably looked as sick as I felt. Bella confirmed my suspicions.
"Edward, do you need to stop?"
"No, we don't have time. We have to get out of here."
"Where are we going? Back to Forks? They will come there looking for us and…"
I immediately thought, "If only it were that simple. Go home, be with our family. Let them help me protect you. Yes, I wish that we were able to go there."
"Yes, Bella, I'm well aware of that. We are going to Paris for a couple of days, and then maybe London. We are going to pretend that this was all a part of our honeymoon plans. I have told the housekeeping staff of the chateau where we are going in case they are asked. We just aren't going to stay in any one place very long. We will go to Paris and take in the major tourist sites, then perhaps on to London where again, we will take in the major tourist spots, and then to New York for a couple of days if we need to stay on the road. We will go back to Forks as soon as it is safe for us to do so. Alice is watching the Volturi closely. If they suspect that we ran because we knew what they were up to, she will let us know. If they think we ran, we are already in trouble. If they think that we are just going on with our honeymoon, we might just make it home."
I could tell that Bella was surprised that this was my plan. She looked at me as if I had lost my mind. She did not want to let the Volturi catch up with us.
"I'm not that great of an actress, Edward. If someone confronts us, I'm going to be terrified."
I rolled this around in my mind for a few moments, and realized that this was the best part of the plan. Bella would be terrified if the Volturi confronted us. That might just save us, so I told her, "That is probably a good thing, Bella. You need to look terrified if one of them confronts us because if they do, they will let us know that they had planned to oversee your change. You will vehemently deny this option. You will cling to me and tell me no. You will insist that my family and only my family will be overseeing your change. I will simply explain that we are making a quick honeymoon trip for you to see some of the world before your change because after that, we will have to keep you at home for a while. I'll tell them it's your wedding gift from me, which is not a lie."
As soon as I laid my plan out for Bella, my cell buzzed. It was Alice, of course.
"Yes Alice?"
"I saw your plan, Edward, and it's brilliant. You don't intend to try to hide from them, right?"
"Yes."
"And you are going to let Bella tell them that she does not want them to oversee her change?
"Yes."
"This is perfect, Edward. This is the best solution so far. None of the other solutions I have seen have ended so well, but this one will end wonderfully."
"You think so?"
"Yes, I do, and I don't think you should prepare Bella much for them to confront you. That way, when they do, all of her fear and anger will be very genuine. I've seen them meeting up with you in either Paris or London. After they catch up with you, you need to come home right away though."
"Oh. Okay, we can do that."
"I really don't see any other way working, Edward. I know you hoped for more time, but this is the best way."
"So you are sure this is best?"
"You don't have any other solutions in mind. It only makes sense that this will work. They will have to respect Bella's request to not have extra people around when she changes."
"I hope they do."
"They will, Edward. It was in my vision."
"Okay, Alice. I trust you."
"Do you still want Carlisle to call you?"
"Yes, please have him call."
"Drive carefully, Edward. There are some deer crossing the road up ahead."
"Okay. Thank you."
"Wow, Edward that was really informative. Would you like to tell me what that was all about?" I guessed that Bella was not pleased with hearing only my side of the conversation, so I said, "Can you do what I told you to do before Alice called?"
I listened carefully to her response, all the while scanning the road ahead for deer. "Yes, Edward, I'm fine with it. I don't want anyone else to oversee my change so that part will not be a problem. The rest seems to be up to you and I know that you can do it. Now, Edward, please apologize to me for saying that you do not deserve to live. Saying that to me is like saying that I don't deserve to have you, and I question that enough already without you saying things like that."
I immediately felt terrible and when she reached across and touched my hand, it was just what I needed. Bella always seemed to know how to bring me back to my senses. I knew that I had not been fair with her and I had not meant to hurt her. I was angry with myself for having done something so irresponsible.
"I'm sorry I said that, Bella. I was very upset and having a hard time expressing this problem to you. I will try to do better in treating you as my equal and not trying to keep things from you in the interest of protecting you. I will really try to remember that I need to involve you in my decisions and not exclude you anymore. I'm... new… at needing to discuss decisions that I have to make with someone else. I know that you are a strong woman and you can handle it. I hope… you can forgive me, Bella. I love you." I wanted to stop the car and hold her so badly. I detected the deer up ahead and slowed down while they crossed the road.
Bella squeezed my hand and said, "Edward, I love you. I love you so much it hurts. All I want is just to be with you. If changing me now would make things easier, then why don't we just go back to Forks and get it over with. I'm okay with that, Edward, I really am. Maybe that is a better solution."
Bella's response to my apology was enlightening. She was so giving of herself and I had never met anyone that was so willing to sacrifice herself for the people she loved. Before I had much time to dwell on it, or to respond to her, Alice called again.
"Alice?"
"Edward, what are you doing? Coming to Forks and changing Bella right now is not going to help anything! They will just follow you here!" Alice was frantic.
"No, no, no, we are just talking."
"It wasn't your idea was it, it was Bella's?"
"Yes, it was Bella's idea, but we were just talking, Alice."
"You just can't do that, Edward. It's not good. It…you have to talk her out of it, right now! You don't think that is a good idea, do you?"
"No, I think we should stick with the plan."
"Good, stay with that thought, and don't either one of you come up with any other bright ideas! It is hard to keep up with my visions right now because they are changing so fast. Can I talk to Bella?"
"Yes, here she is." I handed the phone to Bella and listened in on their conversation.
"Bella, this is Alice, but you already knew that." She was still talking very fast.
"Alice, slow down a little, I'm having trouble…"
"I'm sorry, Bella, it's just, what you just told Edward, it really messed things up. My visions got really bad. You need to stick to Edward's plan. It really has the best outcome, Bella, really it does."
"Okay, Alice, I'm sorry. I will stick with Edward's plan."
"Oh, that's wonderful, Bella, everything has gone back to what it was before. Thank goodness. What a scare. I hate not being there. I don't think the Volturi would think that I was just along to sight-see if I were with you though. You take care, and stick close to Edward, Bella. He will protect you. I love you."
"I love you too, Alice."
Whatever vision Bella's idea had made Alice see, had upset her tremendously. I knew I needed to try to get Bella to rest so she would not make decisions that would inhibit Alice's ability to concentrate on the Volturi and their decisions. Alice was exhausting herself trying to watch out for us. Once Bella was through with the phone, she handed it back to me. I reached, again, for Bella's hand. I attempted to be very gentle and not let her feel the fear through my touch.
"I know you are probably not tired right now, love, but why don't you lean back and try to get some rest. We have about 1000 km to drive tonight."
I was satisfied that she did not argue with me. She just turned on the stereo, leaned her head back on the seat, and closed her eyes. I listened to Clair de Lune and thought how appropriate that selection was right now. It took me back to times that were both more simple, and more difficult.
As the road passed by us, I thought ahead to Paris. I hoped that Bella would be able to relax and enjoy seeing Paris, under the circumstances. I would be on full alert and make sure there were no more surprises. I knew the trip would be short and exhausting for her, but I wanted to show her as much as I could in the short time we had. There was not going to be another chance for a long time.
I let my mind wander back to Chateau de Bella. I wondered why Alice had not seen this complication when I made the decision to buy it and take Bella there for our honeymoon. I mulled this over for a while until I realized that the reason Alice had not seen this coming was because I had not intended to take Bella into Italy. That was my big mistake, taking Bella to Italy. Once we were detected there, the rest of our accommodations must have come into play for the Volturi. I still could not fathom my irresponsibility in making that decision. One snap decision on my part was all it had taken to put Bella's life in jeopardy yet again, just like when I had decided to take her to our family baseball game. I had not thought about the implications or danger if something unforeseen were to happen.
As I thought about it some more, I realized that they might have already known about my purchase of the chateau and may have been watching us all along. This thought unnerved me more than any other because if that were true, they might already know that we ran. I tried to put this thought out of my mind because surely, if that were true, Alice would have seen that before.
I decided that if I continued to dwell on these things, I might drive myself insane. I decided, instead, to put my energies into remembering where Alice's cottage outside of Paris was. Alice loved shopping there so much that she kept a cottage close by. I had been there a couple of times, and knew that I would have no trouble finding it, but it took my mind off all the "what-ifs" that were plaguing me.
While I was thinking about Alice's cottage, I received a text message. I looked at my phone absent-mindedly and it was Alice. She, of course, had seen my decision to go to the cottage, and sent me directions to it and told me where she had hidden the key.
Alice is the best sister a vampire could hope for. She was always getting me out of messes. I could never imagine that Rosalie and I would ever be as close as Alice and I are. Alice and I share something that Rose and I could never share. We are both different from most other vampires. We both have powers that others call our 'gifts', but our powers are both a gift, and a curse. Rose is beautiful, yes, but Alice and I had inner demons that taunted us far more than beauty ever could. I smirked at this thought.
Thank you so much to all who have reviewed! Reviews are truly intoxicating to me! I love them! Thank you also to all who have added this story to their favorites because I know that means you are reading and enjoying, but I would LOVE to hear from you! Next chapter, up now, will be Alice's Place. We are finally getting back down to business!
