Eww! I just wrote an extra credit report on reproduction (a.k.a. baby-making) for Honors Biology, and I think I may be scarred for life! It's not as romantical when they make it all science-y. D;
In other news, Annie― that same friend who believed that Zac Efron was a reasonable choice for playing Edward Cullen― recently expressed the idea that Troy and Gabriella's relationship from High School Musical somehow rivaled that of Edward's and Bella's love for each other. Given my new comprehension of how a baby is made, I now believe that she was given radioactive DNA― how else could you explain the wrongness that plagues that child's mind?
Disclaimer: I am too disturbed right now to think of a proper disclaimer signifying that Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer…. Let me start back up my brain before I do that.
(And in the meantime, let me thank my beta Smileazf, whose DNA is far from radioactive!)
Edward's POV:
I spun furiously, searching frantically for any sign of my family.
I spotted a piece of paper on the rarely-used kitchen counter.
Edward, it read.
Gone hunting. Be back later.
― Alice
I felt a growl build in my chest as I realized what was going on here. I had been set up― Alice had known all along what was to happen today. No wonder that this morning she had seemed the most optimistic that she had since we had left Forks. She had claimed she was just excited about the fact that I was trying my hand at the real world again. I had thought nothing of the fact that she was translating the Star-Spangled Banner into Czechoslovakian― I had assumed she was just thinking of Bella and didn't want to upset me. I was beyond livid now! When I got my hands on that little pixie….
I dashed out the front door, tearing the offending note into tiny microscopic shreds that followed behind me like a trail of breadcrumbs.
I followed their scent across the continental U.S., and then tracked them across the ocean to Africa. Alice could not have chosen a more inconvenient location for her little escapade. The thought of finally being able to voice my fury towards her somehow managed to prompt me to run faster than even I thought possible.
I ran all through the night, and a good part of the next morning, too. I didn't need sleep, and there was no way I was going to stop to hunt.
At about midday, I finally caught their scent near a forest in South Africa. I ran through the woods, finally coming to a halting stop in front of a very surprised Emmett.
"Edward! What are you doing here?"
Jasper, hearing Emmett, came through a spot between two trees on our right.
I got right to the point― I didn't have time for small talk.
"Bella's a student in my class."
Emmett burst out in laughter, and Jasper look shell-shocked. I glowered at Emmett.
"What's so funny, Emmett?" I was shaking with anger.
"Calm down, Edward," Jasper said. I felt a surge of calm coming from Jasper, but it rolled off of me uselessly. I was too far gone for that.
"I'm sorry," Emmett said. "But can't you see just how humorous this is?"
I looked at him with a cold, hard glare, and he could tell that I didn't find it comical in the slightest. I glanced at Jasper. He was purposely keeping his face expressionless, and his mind blank as well.
"Edward, don't you see? This is perfect!" I whisked around to glare at Emmett again. Jasper was nodding his agreement at the words.
"What do you mean… perfect?" I all but growled at them. "We left her for her protection― for her benefit. We have to go now. If we stay, not only do we risk her life… we risk her happiness. That was the sole reason we left in the first place. So she could have a chance for a normal, human life. For her happiness." The words bounced over and over again through my head.
Her happiness, her happiness, her happiness. I repeated it like a silent mantra, trying to calm myself. But it didn't do the trick― I was still riled up, my muscles tense and coiled.
How many times had I thought of going back to Forks, only to stop myself by those two words?
"Edward, he's right," Jasper said. "We all know that you still love her, me especially. I know the pain you felt when you left her, the pain you still feel every day― every second. It's not fair to you… and frankly, it's not fair to her either."
"It's not fair to her?" I looked at Jasper incredulously. "You want to know what's not fair to Bella? What's not fair is that I selfishly want to be with her. I selfishly want to take away her chance to be normal!" How could they not see the big picture here? I was a monster, and angels like Bella deserved better than a monster.
"Edward," Jasper tried to keep his voice soothing, but my anger was coursing through him, as well, and there was a slight edge to his tone.
"Jasper, no! I can't put her in that position again. The position where my own brother tries to kill her and I have to protect her. I don't want to be pitted against my own family. But I can't let anything happen to her!"
Jasper looked away, out towards the forest, hiding his expression. His thoughts just kept repeating the words 'I'm sorry' over and over again.
I knew I had gone too far. I felt horrible, but I didn't think I'd exactly take back those words. They were true. But I could alleviate a bit of Jasper's guilt.
"Jasper, it wasn't only you. It was only a matter of time before something else happened. We're a family of people who crave blood― and Bella's a danger magnet. Something was bound to happen eventually."
Emmett took a step closer to me and reached out as if to lay his palm on my shoulder. I hurriedly darted out of the way, slipping into a slight crouch.
"Careful, Edward," Jasper reproached me. His eyes flashed, the instincts inside of him automatically reacting to my change of position.
"Jasper, Emmett, we have to leave. This is my decision, not yours, not Alice's, not Rosalie's, not Esme's, not Carlisle's… mine." I emphasized the last word, trying to make them get the point.
"No, Edward."
I narrowed my eyes at Emmett.
"What do you mean, 'no'?" My voice cut like the steel blade of a knife through the air.
"What I mean, dear brother," his voice was dripping with sarcasm, "is that this is no longer just your decision. It's our decision― the entire family's. We stood by last time and went by your rules, and just look where that's gotten us."
I cringed as Emmett's mind deliberately forced me to see images of my family over the last two years. His deep voice narrated along to the silent movie playing in my head.
"Carlisle doesn't smile, Esme doesn't laugh anymore. Alice barely shops. Hell, even Rosalie isn't happy. We're only happy when you're happy. And you're only happy when you're with her."
"But you guys didn't see her!" I protested relentlessly. "She doesn't want to be with me anymore. She doesn't love me anymore― she hates me."
"Edward," Emmett said. "Bella loves you. And I'm sure she can only blame you for so long. I mean, come on, she knows why you left. She has to be able to see some sense in that twisted, idiotic, ludicrous purpose of yours. She's always loved you― she still does." He murmured his next words as an afterthought, "No matter how thick-headed you are. She knows you just wanted to protect her."
I flinched as the guilt squeezed through every pore in my body. Nobody except Bella and I really knew what I had said to her that day in the woods. Even Alice hadn't seen it, because I had already asked her to stop looking into Bella's future by then. They had never asked for specifics; they knew I didn't want to talk about it― hell, I didn't want to talk about anything back then.
I realized a moment too late that I had given myself away. I had completely focused my attention on Emmett, forgetting that Jasper was simply ten feet away.
As my rush of emotions hit him full force, they were reflected back at me, along with his reaction. His suspicion hung in the air, amplified by his abilities. He stalked forward and ignored me as I tried to skitter out of the way.
"Edward Anthony Masen Cullen, what in God's name did you tell that girl?" I shook my head and backed up further, trying to avoid his unfalteringly glare.
Emmett came up behind him then, looking an absolute menace. He looked truly terrifying― all traces of humor gone from his face. He had obviously caught on to the direction this conversation had taken.
"Edward, is Jasper saying what I think he's saying? What did you say to Bella when we left? I'm guessing you didn't tell her the truth."
I was actually a bit afraid of this version of my brother. I had never seen this side of him, and I never wanted to see it again. Who else could make a vampire tremble with fear?
I backed up until I felt my body make contact with a tree. I ignored it and pressed on, knocking over a few more trees in my efforts to get myself out of this situation. How had the tables turned so suddenly? First, I had been the one yelling at them, now it was flipped― they were in control.
"Edward, tell us," Emmett said. "If you don't, we could always go and ask Bella, you know."
"You stay away from her!" I growled at them. But I figured I should tell them the truth. The problem was how to go about telling them without them tearing me apart for my falsehoods.
"Well… you see…" I couldn't figure out what to say. I had an sudden idea. "You guys know Bella. She doesn't care about her own safety. She wouldn't have cared if we had left for her protection. She would have insisted it was no big deal." It sounded uneasy to my own ears, but I hoped my brothers would accept it.
"And?" Jasper prompted. "What did you say, if you didn't tell her the truth?" I had stopped moving by now. I slumped down onto the ground and let my head fall forwards into my hands.
I had a flashback to that afternoon in the woods. I remembered my words and shuddered at them now. I remembered her heartbroken face and felt a sob rise in my throat. More followed, and suddenly I was crying tearlessly.
"What did you say, Edward?" Emmett's voice was just a little softer now as he took in my current state.
"I told her that I d-didn't want her with me…. Sh-she asked if I wa-wanted her. I told her n-no." I couldn't stop the stuttering of my despaired words.
When I finally looked up from my hands, Emmett and Jasper looked incredulous.
"EDWARD! YOU SAID YOU DIDN'T LOVE HER?!" I flinched at Jasper's accusatory tone, and nodded almost imperceptibly.
"I don't know why she believed it. I had told her millions of times that my love for her rivaled none other. How could she believe me?" I was talking to myself mostly, shaking my head back and forth.
"I can't believe you." The acid in Jasper's voice was undeniable.
"Well, that settles it then!" Emmett boomed.
"Settles what?" I asked, suspicion creeping into my tone.
Just then, Carlisle and Esme came bounding into the little impromptu clearing made from the fallen trees.
"We heard a lot of screaming," Carlisle said.
"And banging," Esme added hastily. Her forehead was creased with worry.
"Bella's back." Emmett said, looking at me from the corner of his eye.
"Really?" Esme couldn't hide her excitement.
"Yes," Jasper answered her. "She's a student in Edward's class."
"Well, that is quite the… coincidence?" Carlisle voiced it more like a question than a statement.
"Oh," Esme said, understanding coloring her tone. "So that's where Alice ran off to last night."
I whirled around to look at Emmett and Jasper.
"You guys didn't tell me that!"
"You didn't ask," Jasper said, shrugging. He sounded slightly smug.
"I can't believe her! Why would she do this?!" I pinched the bridge of my nose between the thumb and forefinger of my right hand. "Jasper, I may have to have a few… choice words with your wife when we see her.
He narrowed his eyes at me.
"You touch her, and I'll make sure you have no more arms."
Esme gasped and Carlisle quickly stepped in between us.
"Boys." His tone was stern, and we knew not to continue.
Emmett cleared his throat and we all turned to look at him.
"Do you know what Edward told Bella when we left?"
Esme raised one eyebrow in confusion, and Carlisle answered.
"Yes, he told her we needed to leave for her safety…." He trailed off as Emmett began shaking his head at an impossible speed.
"He didn't?" Esme looked at me expectantly, and I turned away from her innocent face.
"No. That idiot told her he didn't love her." I didn't have to look at my parents to gauge their reactions. Their thoughts said it all― the surprise, the shock, the utter disappointment, the sadness, the pity, and yet again, the disappointment.
"Is this true?" Esme's voice held no emotion, but her mind was enough to break me. I winced.
"Yes, I told her what I needed to. She wouldn't care about her own safety."
"Edward, I'm disappointed in you." Carlisle's reaction hurt the most.
"I know," I said. "I could hear it loud and clear in your head." He just nodded.
"So, as I was saying before you guys showed up," Emmett said. "We have to go back now."
"No! We can't go back now!" My desperation rang in the air like a bell.
"Edward, you at least have to tell her that you lied. She still thinks you don't love her. I'm sure that she still has feelings for you― how couldn't she? You guys were each other's whole lives," Emmett said, earning urgent nods from my other family members.
"You have to at least try, son." Esme came over and pulled me into a hug. I leaned my head onto her shoulder and took the deepest breath I had ever taken in my entire existence.
"Edward," Jasper whispered. "Fate has brought you two together again. Use this second chance to make things right."
"Let's get going, then," Carlisle said.
I nodded slowly, and then we all flashed into the woods.
Song for this chapter: Sober by Pink
So, did you guys like it? Review if you did please.
I already have "the talk" chapter written up, ready to go. I wrote it even before this chapter. I have a really, really, really busy day tomorrow, but if I get a lot of reviews for this chapter, I'll find time tomorrow to upload it.
Love and Emmett hugs,
Xoxo,
Michelle (:
