Disclaimer: Twilight related = Stephenie Meyer, Lost in Austen related = Guy Andrews. Thank you, you wonderful people!
A/N: Hey guys, here's the new chapter. Sorry, I've been kind of busy lately starting year 12, my final year of high school...*cringes* Anyway, I decided to spend my Sunday afternoon writing this. As usual, sorry about the lack of proper grammar or structure because I'm lazy. As for the chapter itself, I thought it was about time we had some A + E romance. Here you go! Enjoy!
Return to Meyer
9. Heartbeat
This place had always had this effect on me. Whether I was reading about it or standing directly in the centre of it, Edward's meadow always gave me a strange sense of peace. It was like the setting for a scene in a romanticism period novel. It was as though, even as bad as things could seem outside, here there it was like being inside a bubble. A sense of fantasy, as though you didn't belong in the rest of reality.
I walked out into the sunlight, half closing my eyes and smiling as the rays hit each of my eyelashes, forming small balls of light at the end of each strand. Not worrying about covering my dress in grass stains, I fell back into the green and folded my arms behind my head as I stared up at the clouds in the sky.
"I've often tried to find shape amongst the mess of vast white shapes as many humans do." Edward said from beside me. I flinched at the sound of his voice, realising I hadn't even known he'd joined me.
"How'd it turn out?" I asked, curiously.
I could almost hear the frown in his voice, "Not well, I'll admit. I'm afraid it doesn't hold my attention as well as other recreational activities do."
I smiled, "Oh well. You can't be interested in everything." I paused. "I've never been great at it either. Usually I last a few seconds before I give up and go do something else or I've chosen to do it because I'm stuck in some form of transport it's the only thing I can do."
"You've never been one for activities that take up a great deal of your time." He stated.
I sat up, giving him a look. He remained fixed on the sky above us. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"You get bored quite quickly, admit that much is true."
I frowned, "Well, I read books and other stuff like that. And that takes me hours." I pointed out smugly. Usually fewer hours than most people I know, but anyway…
He smirked, "You rush through novels. Sometimes I doubt you even take in half the words you see on the page."
My jaw dropped, "That's not true! I do so understand what I'm reading, well, except for the odd word that I'm too lazy to look up in the dictionary." And Deltora Quest which I kind of drift in and out of focusing on at the usually the vital parts of the story. Probably best not to bring that up, it wouldn't do much to support my argument,
Edward rolled his eyes before joining me in the sitting position. The thing was that while my body arrangement looked odd and uncomfortable, his was the picture of ease. Then he grinned, his pale skin glistening brightly in the sunshine.
"Gosh, you're so annoying," I cried, giving him a mock push in the arm. He chuckled.
He nodded, "I'm sorry, but your reactions amuse me. You're so quick to take offense." He reached out, brushing away a few loose strands of hair which had began to fall into my eyes.
"What can I say? I'm a proud person."
"Oh, I don't doubt that." His smiled deepened, as though enjoying his own private joke. I raised an eyebrow in question. "We make an interesting pair." He offered as his only explanation.
Then his eyes zeroed in on my forearm. Delicately, he reached out and held it up, examining it as the smile slowly faded. Still, he didn't appear to be too worried. "What happened here?" he asked casually but I could tell how frustrated he would be if I were to refuse to answer. But wasn't that the way Edward was with most questions he asked? He liked to be in the know.
I shrugged. "I sort of walked into the banister on the staircase yesterday morning. Not a big deal." He sighed, used to my clumsiness. I probably should avoid telling him about the plate I broke the other day, I noted mentally.
"Ashley…" he began. I cut him off.
"Like I said, it's no biggie. I drop things and bang into stuff all the time. You know that," I reminded him. Hmm…and then there was that incident with the blue food colouring all over the kitchen floor that ended up dying the soles of my feet for the next week. Probably should keep that to myself too.
"You really do need to be more careful." He told me.
I shot him a reassuring smile before starting to fiddle with the grass on the ground beside me. It had been a habit of mine whenever I sat near it. Even when I wasn't supposed to, I always found myself ripping up grass strands and leaving them there to cover it up.
Appearing to have dropped the subject, I looked up as he returned to his lounging position on the greenery. Feeling the sudden to urge to do something I probably shouldn't, I leaned over him. His eyes were shut, his features relaxed. Slowly, I lowered myself down. I wasn't trying to hide anything. I knew that he was perfectly aware of how close I was to him.
"Ashley," he said softly in warning, his eyes still shut.
"Nope, no excuses. You've been with me since early last night. You're desensitised."
At this statement, his eyes flickered open and he turned his head away. "No, I'm not." He replied, softly. I raised an eyebrow as I moved away from him, rejection flooding through me like wildfire. I resisted the urge to cringe away. "Oh?" It was the only form of a reply I could manage without letting my emotions run wild.
"I left." He said, sitting up again. "Once I was sure you were deeply asleep, I slipped out to hunt. I've been locked up in my room for a couple of days and being so close to you after that time, it was….difficult." He looked up, his eyes trying to hold mine but failing as my wounded pride consistently got in the way.
I could hardly blame him. He's a vampire, he needs to hunt. I mentally told myself off, acting as a reminder that a full and golden eyed Edward was much more free and fun to cuddle up with than a hungry, darkened gazed one. Still, I couldn't help but feel a little bummed.
Glancing downward, I rethought. I hadn't of been paying much attention to his clothes when I'd been completely saturating them in my tears but now that I thought about it, it wasn't surprising that he'd gone home to change.
"Right, well, no problem," I looked away from him completely, letting the negativity wash over me but afraid to show it.
"Ashley, love, you know how much I want to but let me work up to it first, alright?" I glanced upwards at his words and before I knew it, I was nodding my head. It's the smile, I reasoned. He could ask me to jump off a cliff and I probably would if he were wearing that damn smile. Not that he'd ever ask me to do anything so ridiculous.
Then the idea occurred to me. Of course, there were a lot of problems that could arise, a whole heap of questions involved but if it worked the way I hoped it would, he wouldn't have to 'work up' to anything. Quickly, I got to my feet and began walking towards a covering of trees. I heard Edward's voice behind me, calling my name, but I refused to turn around. "Hold on, I just want to try something." I called back.
I pressed onward until I found it, an arrangement of branches and trees that we'd passed on our way in. They curved together in a mess of brown, green and leaves to form a shape. If you were to walk through it, it would feel just like a doorway. Positioning myself directly in front of it, I closed my eyes, fists clenched by my sides.
"Ashley?" Edward questioned, from beside me. I blocked him out, trying to focus all of my will and intentions into the one task. Kind of hard, considering how unfocused I can be sometimes. Suddenly, from beside me, I heard a deep intake of breath. That was when I knew I'd accomplished it.
Standing before us, through the nature built doorframe, was a field of green. A park to be precise. One I'd visited quite a few times since I'd moved into the area nearby. Down the slope of the grassy hill was a pond and to both sides of the scene were a familiar set of trees. All in all, it was quite a nice area to sit down and relax. Plus, Sydney appeared to be getting an even larger amount of sun than whatever it was Forks was experiencing.
Without hesitation, I stepped forward through the gap and out onto the new patch of green. The sunlight hit me in the eyes, as I breathed in the new smells. Turning on my heel, I faced Edward who, by this point, looked like a cross between apprehensive and downright shocked. I gave him a wide smile, before holding out my hand. He stared at it blankly and unmoving.
"Edward, trust me." I told him.
He flinched, "You remember what happened last time I crossed from my world into yours. I was exhausted, dehydrated and spent days in hospital. Something I haven't done since nineteen-eighteen." He explained, his voice cool.
I nodded, "I remember. But I think it'll be different this time."
"How so?"
Now here was the part I wasn't sure about. I just hoped I could get him to take a leap of faith on this one.
"Last time you came through, you hadn't fed in days, in over a week as far as I remember." He nodded, following me so far. "A normal human being can't survive without water after approximately three days and food for about two weeks but then again, even those who are use to eating at regular intervals can feel weak after a day or two without proper meals. I've seen it when my friends participate in the forty hour famine." I paused, seeing his perplexed expression. Realising I was getting off track, I regained my original train of thought.
"Anyway, when you crossed through, I'm guessing it carried your energy levels through the barrier. But the thing is, unlike vampires, humans can't live without sustenance for days on end and blood serves as both forms for your kind. No wonder you were in need of a hospital drip. I'm surprised you didn't just drop then and there." I explained rapidly.
One side of his mouth lifted in a sort of sardonic smile. "If you look back on it, you'll find that I did drop then and there." He voice sounded odd using my modern and colloquial turn of phrase.
"So, this time will be different. You fed only a couple of hours ago. That's perfectly fine as far as human meals go." I held out my hand again, urging him forward. Seeing his immobility, I sighed. "Edward, I'm pretty sure about this. You'll just have to trust me."
I could see his resistance weakening. For a final blow, I added: "Please," It was the one word he always found so hard to deny and this fact was written clearly all over his face.
He opened his mouth, his words taking another tone. "And what if you're wrong?"
Good question. Yes Ashley, what if?
"I'll have you back through that barrier before you can say 'I told you so'." I said with mock confidence.
He looked down at my outstretched fingers, an argument going on in full force inside his head. Was it worth risking his health just so that he could spend a couple of hours in the sun, as a human being with the one he loved? Or should he stick with what he knew?
After what felt like forever, I sighed again before beginning to slowly lower my hand. I should have known better than to be so selfish. Putting Edward at risk like this when he had no reason to be was wrong and I should have known better. As these thoughts raced around inside my head, all of a sudden I felt Edward's cool, slender fingers grasp mine. My eyes widened as I watched him walk through the barrier to join me, his body exuding confidence.
I stepped back, dropping his hand as he took several more steps forward and he stopped. I could tell that he was waiting for a wave of nausea or something worse to hit him but from the look on his face, the fear was unnecessary. He blinked back at me, his green eyes taking in every inch of his surroundings. I'd never get use to seeing him like this. He was human, but yet, so much more.
Feeling the need to break the dramatics of the moment, I cleared my throat. "See? I told you it'd all work out."
Edward looked up, his bronze hair shining in the sun unlike his skin which unusually, didn't glitter. But that was to be expected. Only vampires had glittery skin in the sunlight. The sight was particularly odd to my eyes which were familiarized with Edward's diamond like appearance.
"I don't think I'll ever become accustomed to this feeling." He said softly, a frown on his lips.
"What's it feel like? I asked curiously.
He smiled now, "Similar to how I'd imagine being put through a load in a washing machine would feel."
I laughed, "You've never tried that? I thought everyone had." I teased jokingly. When I was a kid, I remembered hiding inside the main space of the washing machine. It was silvery, echoed and made a great hide-and-seek hiding location. Then came the days when I became too big to fit through its door.
"Hmm…" he said thoughtfully, "Emmett tried it with Alice once."
"What happened?"
He chuckled at the memory, "He failed and then suffered the consequences for trying over the next six months. It was very amusing." I could only imagine.
He turned his attention to other matters, "If you don't mind me asking, where are we?" he asked, walking forward as he looked around.
I shrugged. "It's just some park near my house. It's probably a weekday which is why it's so deserted. I come here at Christmas time for the carols run by our local church." I paused. "I'll admit, it's not as nice as your meadow back in Forks but hey, this is as close to it as we Sydney city siders have got."
He shook his head, "Not to worry. It seems quite peaceful from where I'm standing."
I shifted my weight from one foot back to the other, a question burning at the edge of my lips. Edward gave me a look and then moved towards me, seeing my internal deliberation. "What's wrong?"
"Errrmm…can I ask you a question?" Besides the one I'm asking now, that is.
He smiled at me reassuringly. "You can ask me anything, you know that."
"This is going to sound extremely weird but I was wondering…" He nodded in encouragement, now more curious than ever to know what it was I wanted to ask so much. "Can you still smell me? I mean, are you attracted by my blood?" The words were blurted and sounded blurred at the speed but this didn't stop Edward from understanding them, His ears familiar with my normal talking speed.
He shook his head. "My senses are a lot more limited than what they were a few moments ago and no, you don't hold the same interest for me in that particular area as you once did."
"Oh," I said, looking away, feeling a sudden sadness wash over me. Seeing my unhappiness, Edward widened his eyes in alarm. "So, I'm guessing things have…." I struggled with the last word, "changed."
Edward nodded silently. "Yes," Hearing this seemed to make everything a lot more real. How could I have ever been so stupid? Of course it made a difference. How could I not have realised that part of the reason he'd liked me was because of the way I smelled. That sweet scent he'd described to me before. Now it was gone, what was left?
Just me. Plain, old, clumsy, book loving, stubborn me.
This was not how I'd expected things to play out but then again, who'd I been kidding. The real life girl ending up with the character girls around the world would die to spend five minutes with. Sure, like that would ever happen.
"Ashley, now that I think about it, when I was here last, we didn't have much in the way of physical contact did we?" I felt myself taken aback at his words, my face slipping into an expression of confusion and shock.
Before I could stop myself, I blurted out the word echoing its way through my foggy brain. "Huh?"
"I guess it was because we were occupied dealing with other things," He went on, ignoring my unintelligent burst of wording. I looked up into his face, my jaw dropping as I saw his expression. He wasn't distant or disappointed; he wasn't even looking at me with regret. Instead his eyes blazed with a sort of fire I hadn't seen in a while, his mouth fixed in the brightest smile I had ever seen.
Unbelievably it was all aimed at me, as though he could see the sun radiating directly out of my core.
"W-w-wait," I stuttered. "You still like me. You still want to be with me even though I'm not a novelty any more, even though I don't smell like I use to here and now?"
Edward looked even more stunned than I did. "What are you talking about?" He asked in confusion. "Of course I still want to be with you. " He shook his head in dismay. "When will you start believing that I love you more than anything in this world or my world combined? I don't care if you smell like the most luscious blood on earth or I can't sense your scent at all, you're still you."
"Right," I replied embarrassed, shame setting in at my complete stupidity. I really am a block head sometimes.
"No," he cut in. "I have to make you understand this. This isn't some fling or an attempt to fight the fate that some author created for me, this is me. I love you, Ashley. And if you'd of let me the last time I was here, I would have wanted to stay here with you and only you for the rest of my mortal life. All you have to do is ask me, and I'll be here." The passion and honesty of his words was so intense, I could feel the tears begin to build up in the corners of my eyes, threatening to spill over at a moment's notice. Total and unpolluted happiness. That was what this was and I couldn't think of many times in my life that had matched this. Times where I had ever felt this good. This empowered. This wonderful.
He closed whatever distance there was left between us, our bodies less than an inch from contact and then he simply reached out and touched me. His fingers ran softly down the back of my cheek, his eyes boring into me as though we were the only two people left on the planet. Just Edward and me.
And then he was kissing me.
Tears fell slowly down my cheeks as his lips closed down on mine. It was as though he could barely wait a minute longer. They molded themselves to mine in a way they had never done before and slowly his hand moved up into my hair, pulling me as close to him as possible. And as quickly as it had began, the kiss changed. What at first had been tender and slow soon became more and more intense by the second. The barriers that had been in place for so long had finally fallen. There were no restrictions. No more, we shouldn't or we can't.
Leaning into him, he let himself fall back onto the grass with me held tightly in his arms. I could hear my heart racing inside my chest, knowing with a smile that his was doing the exact same thing only centimeters away from my own. I gasped for breath amongst the kisses as he rolled over onto me, his mouth moving down to my neck. I shivered as his lips brushed carefully against my skin and then down across my collarbone.
"Edward," I whispered breathlessly, finding my fingers had somehow found their way to the buttons of his shirt. Quickly, he moved away from my neck and up above my face, his hands clasping together around mine which still gripped his shirt. He looked at me uneasily.
"No," he said softly. "Not here, not like this." He shook his head, one of his hands now moving to stroke my hair again. "Not while you're this young. You're only sixteen."
I nodded, seeing how he had jumped to this conclusion. "Don't worry," I told him. "That's not what I want. Not yet." His eyes softened, relief filling him. "Not until I'm older. I just wanted…." What had I wanted? I looked up at him thoughtfully, trying to find the right explanation. "…you. All of you."
He smiled. Find this acceptable, he softly touched his lips to my forehead before moving to give me one final, light kiss on my lips. In a flash of movement similar to that of his vampire reflexes, he moved sideways, pulling me with him, onto his chest. I slid to the side, laying my head comfortably on his chest.
Listening quietly, I could hear it, as strong as anything. His heartbeat. The most wonderful sound in the world, thudding away beneath his chest. The sound of the living.
Slowly, I began to wonder about the time. How long had we been away in our own little bubble? Were we needed somewhere? And more importantly, what was I supposed to do now that I suspected I knew who was behind the string of murders? I'd told Jacob my suspicions and had yet to hear from him. As much as I hated to interrupt this perfect moment, it had to be done. Edward and his family had to know. And I had to be the one to tell them. It was time I started being proactive. There were things that needed to be dealt with.
Victoria, for the most part, was a major problem. I had no clue what it was that she was up to now that her previous plan had failed, nor how the werewolves were planning to deal with it but I had better start considering possibilities before she turned up again.
Secondly, Laurent, if he was the one behind the murders, needed a good talking to. He was encroaching on the Cullen's territory which could prove particularly problematic for them in the future. The longer they were able to stay in Forks undetected, the better. Besides, nobody would want the Voltori getting involved if the unexpected happened.
And also, me. I couldn't stay in Forks forever. My parents were probably extremely worried about me and here I was playing superhero. Or well, helping Edward do it. No matter what happened, I was going to have to make a decision eventually whether I liked it or not.
Now was the time to get started. Okay Ashley, deal with what's in your control first and that means Laurent. Sitting up, I looked down at Edward lying on the grass, obviously watching me intently.
"Edward, I need to tell you something." I began. Oh god, here we go.
He sat up, his usual curiosity returning. "What is it?"
I refrained from twisting my fingers about in my lap or pulling out strands of grass by focusing on him and him alone. "It's about the murders that have been happening in Forks." Now the seriousness came into play. Whatever peace Edward had been experiencing less than a minute ago had quickly disappeared.
"What about them?" He asked, his voice perfectly even.
I titled my head to the side, choosing my words carefully. "The thing is that… I think I know who's behind them." I finally pushed out.
He looked surprised. "How?"
"Err…well, Victoria was here from James's death up until I allowed her to get back to Forks so that rules her out. Your family and the wolves believe it's a vampire so that narrows it down even more and with James dead and you guys not big on the whole feeding on humans thing, according to my New Moon novel, the only other person it could be is," I paused.
Edward's eyes widened and as quickly as the motion had occurred, they narrowed. It appeared that, given the right information, he had come to the same conclusion as I had. There would be no more need for reasoning. It was moments like these that I thanked my lucky stars Edward had taken the time to read my Twilight saga novels when he'd been stuck by my hospital bed those months ago.
At last he forced the name out through a clenched jaw, sending shivers up my spine at the amount of menace he could contain within a single word.
"Laurent,"
A/N: Like I said, some of the nice stuff before moving on to the serious stuff. I worked out a couple of story bits and pieces now, so I've got a good idea where it's going. Still, if you've got any questions or ideas, don't be afraid to let me know.
Oh and don't forget to review. I always love to know what you think about how the fic's going. :)
