A/N: Okay, so like I said in the last chapter, this one falls between the three figures on the boat and Alice's vision. I hope it doesn't confuse anyone! And I cannot apologize enough for the long wait. I won't even go into it. Hopefully it was worth the wait!
This chapter is dedicated to sakura1120 for keeping me on my toes with all of this new info as well as all of you anonymous reviewers! Keep it up!
Enjoy!
Chapter 9: Catching Up
EPOV
I was watching the sun rise again when I felt someone sit down on the bed next to me. From the broken and random thoughts going through their head, I could tell it was Alice. I didn't turn to face her, but she started talking anyway.
"You should spend the day with Bella today. Just the two of you. Rose and I will watch Jenna. I asked Bella last night and she agreed to it." I did turn to her then, suspicious of what she was trying to do. I wanted to spend time with Bella, but I didn't want it to be awkward. I wanted it to be normal. Just like it used to be. I didn't want to scare her away.
"Stop worrying so much, Edward. I saw what would keep you from agreeing, you know. That's why I asked her first, so I knew she'd be okay with it. And you are going to go. Whether you agree to it or not. I can't stand to see the two of you this way." I looked down at my hands and slowly nodded my head.
"I know, Alice. Believe me, I know." I sighed. "Did you tell her a time?"
"No, but I can tell you when she will be ready. And that would be in exactly half an hour. So go change." She forcefully pointed to the closet and I got up. The last thing I wanted right now was to make her mad.
I took my time changing, since I had a whole half hour to burn. By the time I was done, I still had twenty minutes to sit on my bed and think about everything I could do wrong. I never knew there were so many. The next thing I knew, Alice was dragging me over to the door, jabbering about what and what not to do.
"Alice! Knock it off! You're just making things worse!" I yelled. She finally shut up and shoved me out the door, slamming it shut behind me.
I took a deep breath and headed down the hall, trying to calm myself. I stopped in front of Bella's door and it opened just as I was about to knock. Jenna stepped out and ran right into me. She started falling back, but I caught her before she landed. She smiled sheepishly before running down the hall to my room, where Rose was waiting.
DON'T mess this up, Edward. You will greatly regret it. She glared at me before ushering a very confused Jenna inside.
I turned back to Bella's door and jumped when I found her standing in it. She smiled slightly and took my nonexistent breath away. Every time I see her, I forget why I left. All I do is ask myself what possessed me into leaving her.
She stepped out into the hallway and closed her door. We stood there awkwardly for a minute before I cleared my throat and waved my hand in the direction of the door.
We walked to the back deck and sat down on those long plastic lounge chairs away from everyone else. We ended up at the farthest point of the deck. She was wringing her hands nervously and I ran one of mine through my hair.
"So…um…yeah, this is completely awkward," I started smoothly. She smiled and laughed slightly.
"When did Mr. Calm, Cool, and Collected stop being able to make conversation?" she asked, still not really facing me.
"What do you mean? Jasper never shuts up sometimes!" I said, feinting worry and confusion. She laughed again and shook her head, making me smile. I missed her laugh.
"You know it's not Jasper that I'm talking about." I sighed, defeated. I heard a song start playing over the loudspeaker, but didn't pay much attention to what it was.
"Yeah, but it was worth a shot. But to get back to your question, I haven't really found the need to talk since…we left." Her face immediately crashed and it felt like someone stabbed me in the chest. I moved towards the end of the chair and turned to her, trying to get her to look at me. Her hair was partially in front of her face, but I didn't push it back. I didn't lay a hand on her.
I'm
ten miles from town
And I just broke down
Spittin' out smoke
On
the side of the road
"Bella, you have to understand. At the time, I thought that was the only way to keep you safe. Jasper could have killed you, and I didn't want that to even be a possibility, even if it wasn't him. If we weren't there, it was more than likely no other vamps would have gone there. At the time, I thought it was the right thing to do." She just shook her head.
I'm
out here alone
Just trying to get home
To tell you I was
wrong
But you already know
Believe me I won't stop for
nothin'
To see you so I've started runnin'
"Even though I pleaded with you to change me. If you had just done that, none of this would have happened, we wouldn't be so estranged, this awkward conversation wouldn't be happening…Do I need to continue?"
All
that I'm after
Is a life full of laughter
As long as I'm
laughing with you
"I couldn't do that to you! It's the equivalent of having your future ripped away. You go nowhere while the world goes on without you. Watching everyone you know and love continue on with their lives while you're stuck…frozen in time…knowing it will be the same with anyone else you connect with… It's a fate worse than death," I whispered.
I put my face in my hands and just sat there, wallowing in my self-pity. I heard her move around, but didn't look up. I felt her put her hands over mine and try to pull them away from my face.
And
I'm thinkin' that
All that still matters
Is love ever
after
After the life we've been through
'Cause I know there's
no life after you
"Edward, look at me." I didn't move. "Please?" I hesitated, but still didn't move. She sighed and continued with what she wanted to say.
The
last time we talked
The night that I walked
Burns like an
iron
In the back of my mind
"Edward, I knew how much you detested what you were when I asked you to change me. You told me your story, and how many years you'd been alone. I wanted to end that, Edward. I figured…if you changed me…you wouldn't be alone anymore. We'd have forever. But I knew I'd have to convince you. Apparently I didn't." I could feel the sadness in her voice, feel the hope she had had, and knew right then just how big of a mistake I had made. I shook my head, still not looking at her.
"I'm so sorry, Bella. I…I only focused…on what I'd be taking away from you. When I thought about it, it turned out to be everything I fell in love with. And I couldn't bring myself to do that. I never thought about what I'd be gaining. It seemed too selfish," I whispered again, too ashamed of myself to talk normally.
I
must've been high
To say you and I
Weren't meant to be
And
just wasting my time
Oh, why did I ever doubt you?
You know I
would die here without you
"Edward, why won't you look at me? I don't like seeing you like this." And with that, my hands magically left my face and she took it in hers.
All
that I'm after
Is a life full of laughter
As long as I'm
laughing with you
"Why? Why, why, why do you hurt yourself like this?! You blame yourself for everything, even if it's not your fault," she whispered, searching my face for the answer. But I didn't have one. I just closed my eyes and sighed, defeated.
And
I'm thinkin' that
All that still matters
Is love ever
after
After the life we've been through
'Cause I know there's
no life after you
"Oh, look at you, Edward! It's like you live for self torture!" I shook my head again.
You
and I, right or wrong
There's no other one
After this time
spent on
It's hard to believe
"No. You know what I live for. It hasn't changed in the past year, and it never will. But it's more of a 'who,' not a 'what.'" I smiled sheepishly while she smiled and shook her head.
"You really don't change, do you?"
That
a man with sight could be so blind
Thinkin' 'bout the better
times
Must've been out of my mind
So I'm runnin' back to tell
you
"No, and it's probably boring to you."
"Not at all. It means you stay just the way you were when I fell for you."
All
that I'm after
Is a life full of laughter
Without ya God knows
what I'd do, yeah
"Well, I completely ruined that."
"Oh, really? Why do you say that?" she asked, raising a perfect eyebrow at me.
"I think we both know how. Do you really want to go into that again?" I answered, absolutely no emotion in my voice. Her eyes softened and she smiled at me, making my dead heart flip.
All
that I'm after
Is a life full of laughter
As long as I'm
laughing with you
"Well, for your information, you didn't completely ruin it. Just like you, I live for a certain person, and, as of three months ago, another. If it wasn't for the two of them, I wouldn't have a life to live, because it would be with them, where ever they happened to be."
I looked into her brown eyes and felt energy flowing to my limbs. All I saw was sincerity…and love. Something I had missed since the moment I left. I felt a smile slowly spreading across my face and she continued to hold my face and smile at me.
And
I'm thinkin' that
All that still matters
Is love ever
after
After the life we've been through, yeah
I know there's no
life after you
"Everything I told you that day was a lie, Bella. And no matter how cheesy it sounds, just like my age, my love for you will never change. I can promise you that." She laughed and her smile looked like it was trying to break her face.
"Yeah, definitely cheesy, but completely you." She brought her face to mine and kissed me with all the passion we had had before.
To say my heart soared would be an understatement. Having Bella back made me feel like I was human again, just so I could die of complete happiness. I knew I'd never be able to let her go again, no matter how hard I tried.
You
know there's no life after you
You know there's no life after
you
You know there's no life after you
You know there's no life
after you…
We finally broke apart when I remembered the important fact that Bella still had a need for air. She was gasping for breath, as I was. Not that I needed it. I brought her onto my lap and leaned back into the chair. She leaned against me and put her face in my neck. I sighed contentedly.
We sat there for a few minutes, just reveling in what we had gotten back, when Bella said the most random statement she could.
"You know, I actually miss your sparkly-ness." I burst out laughing and she quickly followed. She fisted my shirt to keep herself from falling on the ground and I tried my best to not fall over, myself. We finally calmed down and I was able to respond.
"Well, like Carlisle said, he was experimenting. Trying to find some way to help us blend in more. So, he looked into our feeding again." She nodded and I continued.
"He found out that when we completely drain something, whether it be a human, like other vampires, or animals, a little piece of them tends to go, as well. You know how movie writers say vampires take your soul when they take all of your blood?" She sat up so she could see me and I moved my leg so she could lean against it. She nodded again.
"Well, they weren't far off. That piece of the being that's fed off of is what makes us different. With humans, it causes the red eyes and sparkly, cold, granite skin. Since we only fed from animals, Our eyes turned more of a natural color. Then, once we stopped killing the animals we fed from, we stopped sparkling in the sunlight. As we became more humane, we became more like a human." Bella nodded again, but I could tell there was still something she didn't understand.
"But…what about the venom? Isn't that still in the animal?" I shook my head.
"No, actually. That was the same thought Carlisle had, but it seems to be that venom is only released in a bite, not a feeding." She still looked confused. I ran my hand through my hair, trying to think of a way to explain this.
"See, when we bite, and only bite, the venom stays in the body. It's able to go through the entire body and change it. But when we feed, the venom that gets into the body is brought back out with the flow of the blood, not giving it enough time to circulate too far."
"So, there aren't any vampire deer running through the forests of North America right now?" she asked. I laughed and she smiled.
"No. And that is not something I'd like to imagine." She looked like she had something else on her mind and I gave her a questioning look.
"How…how is the…the blood I was giving Jenna so different from what you guys have? I mean, it's still blood, right?" I nodded.
"Yeah, it's still blood, but there's a little bit of a difference. The blood you were giving her wasn't…uh…pure, let's say. All of the fluids from the animal's body kind of…diluted it, I guess. The blood we have is straight from the vein. It's a little confusing to explain, but it has to do with how the blood is gotten. The…butchering process…just takes away from the quality." She had a disgusted look on her face, but still nodded her understanding, almost making me crack up again.
"Anymore ques-" I broke off as one of Alice's visions played through my mind. And it scared the hell out of me.
At first, there were three figures standing on a boat, talking. But then it changed into what they were thinking. Their plan. I watched as the Titanic hit a gigantic iceberg, the hull ripping open.
People being ushered into lifeboats. Many jumping overboard. Others fought their way onto the decks, trying to get off the ship. The lower floors quickly filled with freezing ocean water, the ship slowly sinking into the unforgiving waves.
I saw my family running towards one of the lifeboats on the other side, dropping it down into the water before jumping, themselves. I didn't see Bella or myself. Jenna wasn't there either.
The ship started leaning to one side and many people were hanging onto the railings of the opposite side, dangling above the ocean. And then, one by one, they fell into the water. Some landed on their back or stomachs, some feet first, others head first. Many did not resurface as the ship continued its ocean floor journey.
That's when I noticed three people at the far end of the ship. Only one seemed to be having a lot of trouble holding on. The other two were trying to keep that one from falling, but ultimately failed.
It went back to the three on the boat, who formed a circle and started humming. The circle began to glow until a ray of light formed in the middle. Eventually it faded and they broke the circle, satisfied looks on each of their faces.
The vision ended before I was able to recognize any of them, but the chill making its way down my spine gave me a good indication as to who they were. I blinked away the blackness of the vision to see Bella with my face in her hands again, a worried and scared look on her face. I couldn't even smile to try to reassure her.
"Are you okay? You got me really scared just now." I tried to speak, but nothing came out. I tried again, and my voice was hoarse.
"Alice just…had a vision. Three…people are…going to make…this ship sink. They're forcing it…into an iceberg. It's going rip open this ship…and it's going down. Tonight." She gasped and leaned back, her hands dropping into her lap.
"But…but…can't we do something? Anything? We can't let all of these people die!" I shook my head and she started crying.
"Why not? Can't we…I don't know, tell the captain about the iceberg?"
"Not without revealing ourselves. And they…somehow, they managed to manipulate the wind and the ocean into steering the ship right into it, but so slowly that he won't even notice the change in course until it's too late. It looks like just before it's supposed to hit, there's going to be a major shift that's increase the force of the impact. And telling the captain wouldn't do much. The iceberg's bigger under the water than the piece that's above it. We couldn't tell him that without him asking how we know." Bella started sobbing and I brought her to my chest.
Jasper had found Esme and Carlisle and gave them a briefing before running off to find Rose and Emmett, who had taken Jenna to the pool while Alice was preparing for their play date. Jasper could tell from Bella's emotions that I had told her.
Just stay there with her for now. She doesn't need to hear it again.
So I sat there, letting Bella cry. I didn't try to cheer her up. It wouldn't help. I just let her cry. She continued to cry even when she fell asleep and I brought her back to our room.
I walked in the door with Bella in my arms and laid her down on my bed. She grabbed my hand and hugged it to her as soon as my arms left and refused to let go. Jenna climbed onto the bed and sat next to me, looking sadly at Bella. I sat on the edge of the bed and looked at my family, all of them with solemn looks on their faces. All of us knew we'd survive the sinking, but that didn't mean we didn't feel for all of the humans that would die.
I looked out the window to see the sun making its final descent. It was about three o'clock in the afternoon. I felt Bella stirring and turned to her. Her eyes were open and she was staring at nothing. She slowly got up, kissed Jenna on the forehead, and walked out of the room, almost like she was in a trance. The door closed behind her and I turned to Alice and Jasper.
"What is she doing?" They seemed to be as shocked at her behavior as I was.
"Well, she's feeling nothing but despair and desperation, but I don't think she's planning anything drastic," Jasper said. He turned to Alice for conformation.
"Well, from your future and Jenna's, I can't see her doing anything bad. Just give her some time. It's a lot to accept all at once." I nodded and Jenna climbed into my lap. She looked at me sadly before leaning against my chest. I moved back onto the bed and leaned against the headboard, Jenna in my lap, waiting for Bella to come back.
BPOV
I sat out on the deck for hours. I just needed time, but I didn't realize how much had past until I noticed the sun almost directly across from me. I had gone back to where Edward and I had talked and sat down so that I could lean my arms on the railing.
No matter how long I sat there, I couldn't get over what was going to happen. How many people were going to die. The fact that it was inevitable. I felt useless. I laid my head down on my arms before deciding to go back to the room. Sitting here wasn't doing any good.
I stood up and didn't even take a step before the whole ship felt like it was flung to the side. I grabbed onto the railing on the right side of the ship and heard a sickening screech of bending metal.
I had stayed out there too long.
It was beginning.
A/N: Perfect time to get back together, huh? Anyways, as you may expect, the next chapter should be a little faster than some of the others. I know exactly what's going to happen! Woohoo! Again, sorry for the wait, and feel free to send an angry PM if I take a long time again! I don't start school until the 8th, so I have no excuses.
The song was Life After You by Daughtry, fyi.
Please review and vote on that poll! And if any of you have questions still, feel free to ask! Or a suggestion for a title to the poll story, 'cause I have NO idea! Thanks guys!
