A/N: Re-written because I wrote it when I was all tipsy on lack of sleep, thanks to clowns. Yes my children, clowns. For you see children, clowns make Miki scared, which make it so Miki can't sleep, and when Miki can't sleep, Miki gets all whooooh, and when Miki gets all whoooh, she has to go back and edit chapters, and when Miki has to go back and edit chapters, it stalls updates, and when that happens, people get mad, and when people get mad, wars start, and wars endanger the human race my children, and someday a war will kill all of humanity, so you see my children, clowns are indirectly responsible for the death of humanity! Okay, not really but that was fun to write. BTW, this is over twice as long as the original, which rocks!
Lacy: What am I going to do with you?
Miki: Lock me in a room with Edward Cullen?!
Lacy: HELL NO!
Miki: DAMN!
BPOV
I came through the clearing slowly, eyes squeezed shut. I hesitantly opened them; waiting for the pain to take me out of the lovely numbness that had been my shield for the past eighty two years, but all I felt was a dull remorse. I could almost see the memories here, Edward and I; confessing our feelings, (Or, I corrected myself, me confessing my feelings and Edward lying to my face) myself writhing in pain, Sam, looking at me in confusion, a pack of werewolves facing a trembling newborn vampire with a broken heart, Laurent; telling me he was going to kill me in a seductive purr.
I shuddered and walked to the center of the meadow, wading in the waist-length wildflowers that made a dazzling rainbow at my feet. Slowly I sank to my knees, and then lay on my back, staring up at the sky with flowers waving gently in the wind around me. The gray clouds were a thick blanket of protection over my head; the rain was playing the soothing lullaby I had grown so accustomed to. I could hardly remember how I fell asleep without it, in that blinding sun that was all I could remember before Forks, my eternal home. My eyes drifted shut peacefully and I sighed happily. Though some would disagree, I thought it was a wonderful day.
I thought I heard something behind me, but I ignored it, I was far from any trail, and I didn't smell any blood, so who could it be? I dismissed it to my imagination, and slowly I fell asleep.
I woke with a start when I heard the gasp that couldn't have been more than three feet away.
EPOV
I wasn't sure what the hell I was doing here.
I had been hunting, like Alice had suggested in a kind firm way that told me it was not a suggestion at all but an order, ignoring my protests of wanting to help Esme get the furniture arranged. I had sighed and obediently left the house that held so many memories of the woman I saw every time I closed my eyes.
I found that my tracking of a mountain lion had led me dangerously close to the meadow I used to lay in on those uncommon sunny days. Of course, visions of the one sunny day I remembered most flooded my mind, Bella smiled at me in my memories, tilting her head to one side, the sun bringing out the mahogany highlights in her silky hair.
With that reflection, I had a burning desire to see that meadow again, though I knew the reason why was unhealthy for me. I wanted to see Bella again, and though common sense told me a girl who had been dead for almost a century wouldn't be in a meadow, I couldn't contain myself, my feet took off before my mind could argue the point, and before I knew it, I was standing there, on the edge of the meadow, not even ten feet from where Bella had rushed through the line of trees, all the sooner to stand in the rays of the glorious sun.
I slowly made my way ever closer to the meadow, so involved in my own vivid memories, a group of grizzlies could have come through and I wouldn't have noticed. I stood quietly on the edge of the meadow. One more step and I would be past the trees, feeling the rain on my face. I closed my eyes and stepped, palms up, face tilted towards the sky, into the meadow. The rain drizzled gently down my face like the tears I could no longer shed, and I let out a barely audible sigh. I opened my eyes slowly and looked around the meadow with dead eyes. The flowers were still beautiful, varying in shape as much as color, the forest still dazzlingly jade and amazing, a patch of sky was still visible above me, but something was missing, and I knew I had been hoping for Bella, despite everything.
I sighed inwardly, this was unhealthy. The way I was living my life, living on memories of her, knowing full well she could never come back. Why hadn't I killed myself all those years ago? What was keeping me from going to Italy right now? I wondered. I knew my family would be upset, but they had each other to help them get over it. I had no one. I silently made my plans; I would go to Italy and do something to provoke the Volturi. My eyes wandered one last time around the meadow, fully intent on taking a last glance and leaving, when I noticed something.
The flowers were so long and colorful, I almost didn't notice a girl laying flat on the ground, perfectly still, hardly even breathing. (A/N: for people who are going to ask, Edward didn't smell her because of the flowers.) I took a few steps closer to see her face, and gasped.
This couldn't be happening to me! Dammit! I scolded myself. This is what you get to sadist fool! You've finally gone mental! Bella had been dead for over eighty years, but this girl didn't look a day over nineteen. Her face and body were different too, while my Bella was still soft and rounded, you could still see the muscles she had. She was so beautiful, even more than I remembered, though she looked so pale and tired, her skin was even whiter than the light crème I remembered, it was almost alabaster, which contrasted even more with the purple bruise like shadows under her eyes.
The truth hit me like a punch to the stomach. The air whooshed out of me, and I doubled over in pain silently. No! I screamed loudly inside my mind. Don't let her be a vampire! Don't tell me she's been alive this whole time and I've never found her! I slowly sat down and stared at her, she breathed evenly and she looked so tired and worn, I felt like taking her into my arms right there. But I was too afraid of whether my fingertips would encounter warm or frigid skin. Or worse than that, what if I reached out to brush her cheek and I felt nothing? What would I do if my hand passed right through her, or if she vanished as soon as I turned my back? The pain would be agonizing.
I was drawn out of my thoughts by a soft murmur in a melodious voice that had to be Bella's sweet soprano. "No, I don't want to go back. It's to much…" She protested weakly in her sleep she sighed delicately, and I absorbed the sound of her voice without grasping the words.
I was really here, with Bella, after so long? After all those decades I had suffered? After all that time I'd believed her dead and she believed I didn't love her anymore?
I gasped. Bella! She still thought I didn't love her! I had to wake her up; I had to tell her it was all a lie! Cruel, dark lies! But there was no need, for Bella's light tawny eyes suddenly burned into mine, and the only the I could do was whisper in a happy voice that didn't quite cover up the love and ecstasy I felt radiating off every part of me; "Bella! It's me, Edward."
As soon as the words were out of my mouth, Bella was on the other side of the meadow, looking confused, hopeful, angry, pained, fearful, and- my heart fluttered but I firmly got a hold of myself. I was imagining things. I took a step forward, and she countered with a step back.
I opened my mouth to tell her about the lies when I heard another voice, one I hadn't heard before, an alto trill fallowed by a baritone. "-I'm telling you Liam, she wants to be alone." A low growl and then "And I'm telling you, I don't think we should let her go off alone when I just crossed a vampire trail!" So Bella had a coven, or at least a few strong friends to protect her from the danger she attracted like a magnet. Relief washed through me, at least if she decided to leave –I winced internally- she would have someone to protect her.
"Oh shit!" The female voice shrieked and I heard the sound of two footsteps speeding up, one pair just a few paces behind the other. "Lili! What's-" Liam began, but they brook through the trees, all the while, my eyes had never left Bella.
Damn him, Damn him, DAMN HIM! Oh I feel terrible! We should have left, I knew it! I knew it! Damn it! Why did they have to come back now!? Oh my god, Bella, she looks like she's in pain, I hope he doesn't try to get past us, though I would greatly enjoy ripping his arms off, I don't think Bella would like that. I'm going to go tell him off! Right now! Damn him!
Why is Lili freaking out? Look at his eyes; they're just like ours, so he's a vegetarian, hey! Cool, Ryi will be happy, so will Skye, I hope that the females in his coven –if he has any- like to shop. Oh jeez, look at Bella's face, what did he do to her?! She looks like she's seen a ghost.
From the corner of my eyes, I could see a muscular blonde male, who went to quickly block Bella from me, I growled. He pointedly glared at me, and turned to face Bella "What's the matter Bells? Are you okay? Did he hurt you?" his voice was laced with concern. The other was a female with bright carrot-colored curls, who came within three feet of me, looking as if she were considering homicide, which, actually, she was.
"Edward Cullen I- I- You-!" She stammered angrily, then shrieked "I can't even think of a bad enough word!" and smacked me painfully across the face. I made no attempt to stop her, she was right, and I deserved it. "Yes you do!" she screamed "You deserve much more than that but I have neither the time, nor the patience to give you what you deserve you asshole!" She turned on her heel and marched over to Bella while I heard several other footsteps coming towards us. Dammit! I thought as I recognized another coming in from behind me.
Good Lord! It just disappeared! Edward's whole future, just like that, ohmygod, what if he's in a fight with a werewolf?! Dammit! Why didn't I think of that before I left?! EDWARD ANTHONY CULLENS, YOU'D BETTER BE OKAY OR I'M GOING TO MURDER YOU!
Lili sighed in defeat as Alice brook through the trees "Edward!" Alice shrieked, hugging me quickly before turning to face the new vampires and Bella. "Hello, who are you? My name is Alice Cu- Bella!" She yelled and was past both Lili and Liam before they could blink. "Bella… You're a vampire!" she spook in an awed disbelief.
The next thing I heard cut me like a knife.
Bella, sobbing uncontrollably.
