Twilight-Forever

Chapter Eight

Eye-opening

By Cindra

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the original characters this is just because someone gave me a challenge and mostly for fun.


Bella paced the vast basement trying to get up the nerve to go face the music. She'd wanted to know everything. Holy crap, had she gotten her wish granted in spades. Now she didn't know how to face him. She'd beyond hurt him that much she knew. Knowing Jake he'd have gone all protective and shown him everything. Charlie, even sleeping, could have joined in just with his thoughts alone.

"Crap." She eyed her watch in alarm. "No way! Crap! There is no way that I've been down here nearly three days!" She bit down on her lip.

Ness! She'd never been apart from her this long, not since giving birth to her.

She and Edward had rarely if ever been apart for this long since they'd reunited in Volterra.

Mom. She'd be arriving any time now…crap, she could already be here.

"I've been so focused on his journals, learning what makes him Edward, seeing what he's gone through all his life."

Reading it, seeing it through his eyes had been her only focus. She'd blown through half of them, her drive fueled by her temper. All the while taking in every word and detail, memorizing it all.

His rebellion days had been riveting. How it was slowly eating him up inside, tearing him apart until he had to return to his family, and seek redemption. He'd honestly thought there was nothing left to redeem. A monster had been awakened in him and he wasn't sure that he'd ever be able to rein it in.

Returning to Carlisle and Esme, expecting the worst. Carlisle's disapproval was nothing like being forgiven of his sins, no questions asked. They were just relieved to have him back home.

He'd turned his focus on studying everything to live up to Carlisle and Esme's praise. Praise that he didn't believe he deserved. He was forever marked, nothing like they saw him as.

Three years later Rose had joined their family. He'd barely been able to stand her, it had been because of Rose that he'd been able to prefect his iron control over his temper. It was either that or throttle her daily. The woman was full of herself and didn't know when to back off.

Two years after Rose, came Emmett, a welcome relief, a brother at last. Someone to break into his mundane often tediously boring life. Emmett had been full of life and adventure, even if he was wild as their kind went. He'd sparked life back into him again. The only drawback was that he was Rose's soul mate. Their flagrant public displays were nauseating. Emmett bent over backwards to make his angel happy. How many weddings did two people need?! Just being around them made his stomach roll. His studies had been his sanity.

The year of the werewolves, that had been a tense time for all of them, but it was the one place where he felt like this was home. The white house in the forest was solitude for him. He'd resented that they'd eventually had to leave and blamed the wolves for it.

Fifteen years later Alice and Jasper joined their family. Finally. He had a sister, a kindred spirit that he could stand, even if she was a nosy little pixie that had kicked him out of his room. Alice understood everything that he was going through, because she also had a special gift that made her different from the others. They fit like long lost siblings separated at birth. Jasper was so beaten up psyche wise and helping him adjust to their way of life was a welcome challenge. That Alice and Jasper were soul mates was irritating, but relief that they didn't choose to flaunt their relationship like Rose and Em.

Moving from place to place and searching for something, but not knowing what…Years flying by, so many different lives. Stacking up degrees like they were pieces of paper. Still searching…

Moving to Denali in the late 90's. Fending off Tanya's obsession with him. He'd felt nothing for her, even when she'd undressed completely in front of him, in an attempt to seduce him with her flawless charms. Her feelings disturbed him and that he couldn't return them hurt her and made him feel like there was something seriously wrong with him.

He'd gone off in seclusion for months after that, a spirit quest. He'd read his old journals during that time, especially the ones of the late thirty's during his time in Forks. The wolves were a memory by now, so his fortress in the forest would be a haven again. It was calling him back, as if what he was searching for was waiting for him there. One thing was clear. He could not continue to live here in Denali…Tanya's actions had proven that.

He'd returned home to explain to his family, mostly to Carlisle his feelings about staying in Denali. It wasn't a choice for him, that he was leaving with or without them to Forks. Every second that he stayed there was mental slow torture for him. Tanya was not used to not getting her way and her thoughts made him cringe. Maybe he was broken, unable to feel anything, but friendship, and nothing else. It was his penance for his pervious deeds.

Carlisle had only been too happy to comply. They packed up in less than a week and were settled in the white house in a matter of a few days. He was home at last and if the Quellette tribe had a problem with it that was too damn bad. They had no choice but to honor their side of the treaty and as long as they abided it he would have no grievance with them.

High School was like having his teeth pulled out one at a time and then his fingernails and toenails following that. Another form of purgatory. The human females were annoying pests, particularly Jessica Stanely. The only joy was that this was home and he was happy spending endless hours composing on his piano, relaxing in his meadow, and the hunting was out of this world. The only setback was that Jazz hadn't been ready to leave Denali and keeping him from hunting humans was a daily battle.

He'd all but forgotten that he'd been drawn back here for a reason that what he had been searching for nearly all of his existence was somewhere there in Forks. Two years of feeling like he was free of the monster inside him, his control had never been better, none of the humans tempted him in the least.

It was during the second semester of Junior year when it had all been blown straight to hell with the arrival of his own personal demon, a chocolate brown-eyed, woman-child sent from hell to torment him out of his mind. Worse she had awakened the sleeping monster inside him and the thirst was unbearable. He had never wanted to taste someone's blood so much in his entire life. It was as if she sang to him to have her.

He'd fled back to Denali to think and rein the monster in again. Though Tanya thought he'd come back for other reasons. He'd stayed by himself for a few days until she convinced him that running wasn't the answer and he returned home determined to fight the battle with the monster inside him by facing his demon head on. His too observant woman-child who didn't seem the least bit afraid of him.

She had fascinated him to no end, for the first time he had to truly look at someone instead of picking their brains for the information. She was a challenge. Slowly falling in love for the first time ever in his life. Exploring those feelings, even though it was beyond against the rules of his world.

Then his take on rescuing her from getting smashed by Tyler's van…had been mind-blowing and the beginning of everything for the two of them, because his course was set. She was his and he was going to protect her no matter the cost, even if it meant going against his family.

Geez! Jasper and Rose wanted to murder her for a while there and just because he'd risked everything to save her…It's not she was ever going to tell anyone. I mean, a padded cell and straitjacket was not her idea of a joyous experience. No one in their right minds would have ever believed her anyway. It had been Alice, Esme, Carlisle, and even Emmett weren't all for killing her in cold blood. Alice had her vision…My had all of that been a fascinating read.

The first night he had snuck into her room and falling hopelessly forever in love with her after hearing her say his name in her sleep. His jealousy more than anything, really to think that Mike and Tyler were his rivals…his torment on getting up the nerve to court her without sending her running in terror. Rescuing her in Port Angeles, his reaction to her knowing what he was had made her roll her eyes, but then he did have a point. The meadow. My seeing him in the sun. The first kiss my reaction and his take on that. Taking me to meet his family. James…that had been another dark chapter in his memoirs. Afterwards...the prom…our first summer.

The darker times when he'd tried to be selfless and let her go. His emotional breakdown, dying inside slowly day after day, that they were apart. Rose's phone call, the devastating news and then hearing it collaborated from Jake. Nothing left to live for, he was dead. The entries stopped until they were reunited forever this time.

My wanting to be forever frustrated him to no end, but he was set on making me his wife. The very thought of our wedding day made his heart soar. My constant attempt to seal the deal without a ring had all but nearly weakened his resolve. Jake was clearly a threat and making me his was always in the back of his head, it was the gentleman side of him that won that battle.

Though his control neared the breaking point several times during the entire Victoria situation. His putting a bed in his room wasn't the greatest of ideas, it gave me ideas and weakened his resolve even more. Then I'd said yes and he was over the moon with happiness.

Jake's continued pursuit of me frustrated him to no end, even when he'd already won. My reaction to Jake's being hurt troubled him a great deal and then that night when I had broken it off with Jake had him second-guessing my decision to marry him. I'd been in so much pain and then seeing my face the forever love in my eyes. My determination to not just live in sin with him, but go through with the wedding. Asking him for the ring in our meadow. Him putting it on my finger had made him the happiest male on the planet. Dad's reaction thinking that I was pregnant had him silently wishing that it could be true. He wanted a tiny version of me more than anything, but that was a pipe dream.

Little did he know, but then that to me was his reward for beating back the monster within him. I was his and he was mine forever. The two of us were truly two halves of one whole and Ness was our miracle.


She'd stopped to lean back against the coffin set against a far wall. The discovery of it had stunned her a bit, but then she had gotten the nerve to open it and found that it was filled with money.

The entire basement was a treasure trove of various aspects of the lives that they had lived. She'd opened a massive steamer travel trunk and discovered what was clearly Emmett and Rosalie's during their, um, sadomasochistic phase of their relationship. That was too much information, she'd wisely left well enough alone and continued her exploration, discovering that this was one place that her Dad never need find out about. It wasn't exactly legal, try the exact opposite. Then again who knew what one was gonna need when you lived forever so the set up down in the basement made sense.

All in all her nearly three day time-out had been an enlightening all be that eye-opening experience. She understood her husband, her forever love completely now. It had also put her family in better perspective as well. That she had been the one to completely squash the monster within him made her heart soar.

Now she just needed to get up the courage to face him again. Had she done irreparable damage to their relationship, by breaking the one vow that she had sworn to herself to never hurt him again, by keeping what was in the past in the past.

She relaxed her mind and she felt so much love envelop her that she fell to her knees. The love by far outweighed all the worry that she felt coming from him. Then a sense of relief as if his entrance into hell had been reprieved and he was able to live again. Edward, I need you…


Edward having instantaneously felt her return to him, hadn't even excused himself from his latest selfless gift therapy session, with Ness, Jake, Renee, and Tia.

His tapestry had been long finished, but he wasn't happy with it. The pictorial of them in their meadow didn't capture that moment in time. He'd been thinking about tearing it to shreds when she'd called to him.

He sprang to his feet and raced out of the living room, down the hall, and nearly tore off the door to a normal looking closet. He stepped inside shutting it behind him. Knelt down and had the two ton hidden trapdoor to the basement open in less than a second, that done he stealthily dropped down the twenty foot drop landing soundlessly only a stones throw away from his love. Automatically he touched a hidden panel on the wall beside him and the heavy door above soundlessly closed.

"Bella…" He called softly to her.

She turned around to look at him, her face alight with sheer joy. "Edward…" She sprang to her feet, flying into his open arms.

"I'm so sorry…I was…" He crushed her to him, burying his face in her hair.

"Completely right. We both were at fault. Let's never fight like this again." She burrowed her face against his shoulder inhaling the scent of him, reveling in having him hold her again. It seemed like an eternity had gone by not just a few days.

"Never. I couldn't survive having you shut me out like that ever again. I was going slowly out of my mind. Waiting for you to come back to me. Praying that what you sought wouldn't change how you saw me." He sighed in relief when she burrowed even closer to him.

"I'm hardly the perfect male you've always thought me to be. I'm as hopelessly flawed as anyone. I'm just proficient at hiding them. I've had nearly ninety years of practice perfecting it." He framed her face in his hands, his eyes searching her own, finding so much love shining in them.

The feelings she was sharing with him. Their first kiss. Their every kiss. All of her love for him pouring into him and what they shared was stronger than ever before. Alice had been right. This had been good for them and they were stronger for it.

"Forever and even that isn't long enough for us. We are one, you and I. Two halves of one whole. Nothing. No fight. Secret. Force of any kind can tear us apart. It only makes us stronger." She threw her arms around his neck, diving her fingers in his hair, crushing her lips to his own in a never-ending vow of love.

A kiss that he answered by sweeping her up into his arms, not breaking the kiss, deepening it as he swiftly moved to a corner of the basement. No a room she hadn't even noticed. The wall slid away with just a touch revealing what had to be his private lair.

Books a built in wall with nothing but books. Impossibly, another wall held built in shelves filled with even more music and DVD's. Housed below those shelves was a state of the art entertainment system. The room was the size of a master bedroom. There was a spinet in one corner, piles of sheet music sat on top of it. There was even a computer area. The center of attention was the king-sized futon, pilled with pillows, covered with golden colored silk sheets. It perfectly matched the golden plush carpeting and the golden fabric covering the walls. The ceiling was like staring up at a sunrise. The whole effect made the room give a feeling of warmth.

The two of them fell onto the feather soft futon, lost in each other, as if their separation had been years and they had an eternity to make up for.


Next

Chapter Nine – Said too much

Cindra © 2010