HEEEYYYY! I know, weird! I've actually updated! Haha sorry for the super long wait. I'm the only one to blame - to busy writing my other story, so I've been neglecting this one! Ah well, here's Chapter TENN! Woohhooo! ENJOY!
e Okay, as much as I try, my backspace button really doesn't want to get rid of that 'e'...So it'll stay there xD
Chapter Ten
Bella
The rest of Bella's day was spent lazing around in the small hotel room, finding nothing to do. Jasper and April had taken turns going out – sometimes looking for Rosalie, and sometimes bringing Bella meals.
When he wasn't out pacing in the lobby, Jasper was on the phone with someone, speaking too quickly and quietly for Bella to ever understand, but by the strange looks April gave him she guessed that the other vampire understood perfectly well.
Nothing interesting happened – Bella watched the small, square TV in the room for a few minutes before switching it off, not finding anything to cure her boredom or to get her mind off things. She still couldn't believe that Carlisle and Esme were dead.
It was late; maybe around ten o'clock in the evening, and Bella was lying on her back in the large bed. She stared blankly up at the ceiling, her eyes tracing the strange patterns that matched those on the white walls. She felt exhaustion rolling in but she couldn't seem to make herself sleep.
How can I? She wondered silently. After two new deaths, I'm not accepting it very well. I won't pretend to, either.
"Hey," there was a soft knock on her door, and Bella looked down to the doorway where April stood, her hands shoved in her jeans' pockets.
"I see you're still awake." April murmured, entering the bedroom. She approached Bella's bed and hesitated before sitting on the corner, facing Bella.
"Yes." She answered absently, sitting up.
"Jasper's gone out." April gave a meek smile.
"And?"
"I thought that I should explain some things to you." She said, spreading her hands out.
"You mean about your power?" Bella said, hiding the hope in her voice.
"Yes," April's smile faded and she was suddenly serious. "It's new to me, but I can..." she bit her lip, looking away.
"I can speak to the dead." She murmured, meeting Bella's frozen gaze.
There was a moment of silence. Bella thought about what April said, not quite believing it. Then, seeing how serious April looked, she felt shock creeping into her.
"Even..." Bella whispered. "Even dead vampires?" April's expression was now alarmed, which worried Bella. Maybe she was asking the wrong questions...
"Yes." April answered quietly. Hearing this, Bella fell into silence. She stared blankly into April's eyes, her mind still going over what she'd said. 07717434479
"And...And...Emmett?" her voice broke and tears welled in her eyes despite her fight to keep them back. This time, April only nodded solemnly. Bella sniffed and took a deep breath, holding tightly on to the side of the bed she sat on.
"Have you spoken t-to him?" she got out, her voice hoarse. Her lip quivered slightly and she took in some shaky breaths.
"I've tried," April murmured, her eyes wide and sympathetic. "I tried to – and he spoke to me." She looked away, and Bella swore that if April could cry she would.
"What did he say?" Bella's voice was now reduced to a pitiful, almost silent whisper.
"He didn't want me to communicate. He said: Don't do this, Alicia. Don't attempt to speak to me. I – I haven't been able to hear him since." April said quietly, biting her lip and keeping her eyes on the carpeted floor.
"But why?" Bella sobbed, her control slipping. "Why wouldn't he want to? He could have – he – he -" she broke off, leaning on April who had quickly come to her side. She wept miserably, thinking only of Emmett.
"I'm sorry," April whispered quietly, holding Bella. "I'm so sorry." She wasn't quite sure what she was sorry for, despite her repetition of the apology. Maybe she was just saying sorry for Bella's loss – or that she couldn't talk to Emmett. Either way, she felt the need to say it.
. . .
April
April didn't keep track of the time, but after a while Bella eventually cried herself to sleep.
Careful not to wake her, she pulled the thin sheets over the human before walking into the tiny bathroom near the door. Taking in a shaky breath, she decided on what she was going to do.
I can at least try. April thought hopefully, placing her hands on the sides of the sink to support herself.
She still wasn't sure exactly what to do, but she decided to try and repeat whatever had worked the first time.
Emmett. She thought. It was more of a mental call, and she put as much power behind it as she could, shutting her eyes.
Emmett! April called again, this time projecting memories of him into her thought. She used the good memories, of course, wearing a sad smile as she remembered the happy moments she'd had with him. Some from back when life was simple – when they were human. Opening her eyes, she looked into the mirror and saw a figure standing behind her. Almost crying out in happiness, April spun around to face the person, her eyes wide and unbelieving, despite her smile.
"Emmett," she whispered, quickly stepping forward and throwing her arms around him before he disappeared. She was terrified that he'd go – that her big brother would leave her again. She sobbed into his shoulder and felt his muscles relax as he fiercely hugged her back.
"How are you...?" April pulled back, looking into his beautiful golden eyes. In her head, she finished the sentence: How are you alive?
Emmett shook his head sadly, a smile tugging at his tips.
"I'm...not. I don't know how I've taken a form here but..." his eyes glittered with what looked like...tears. April's eyes widened as she noticed that his eyes turned a light coral blue and his skin was no longer so pale.
"You're human!" she cried, wanting to break out and sob.
"No," Emmett whispered. "I'm not alive – what you're seeing here is some impossible power that's keeping me here." He gave a bitter laugh. "I don't have much time – I can feel that."
"Oh Emmett..." April murmured. "I miss you. And Bella..." she trailed off as she saw his hurt expression at the mention of Bella.
"If you can appear to me, why can't you speak to her, too?" she said.
"Because it's not fair!" Emmett suddenly burst, his voice loud. "I can't cheat death like this, Alicia – it's just not right. I can't be selfish. That's why I didn't want you to talk to me before – and we can't talk now." He looked away before closing his eyes.
"Emmett! No! Please, don't leave!" April cried. She tried to hide the pain from her face but she knew it showed. Even Emmett could hear the misery in her voice.
"I'm sorry, Alicia." He opened his eyes, looking at his sister and taking her hands in his. April only shook her head, unable to speak.
"I know you don't, but I hope this is the last time we talk." Emmett murmured, his own expression pained yet sympathetic. "I'm sorry." He repeated.
"Please, take care of my Bella," tears came to his human eyes again, slowly rolling down his freckled cheek. "I love you, my sister. Goodbye."
"Emmett – I - " April choked on her own sobs, realising that her brother had disappeared. She sank down to her knees, her back against the door. She hugged her knees to her chest and ducked her head, crying quietly. She feared that she'd never see him again, and this fear only added to her pain.
Alice
After entering Spokane, Alice had been tracking Jasper's familiar scent for a while now.
He was careful in masking it, and she was led down a few false trails, which took a toll on her getting to him 'quickly'. Finally, she caught April's scent, which led her to a cheap hotel in the town centre. She easily slipped past the doormen and the three women working at the front desk, ghosting up the stairs and to where April's trail led her.
As she expected from Jasper, the room was on the first floor and near the exits, with very few other rooms around. Alice knocked softly on the door – taking notice of its number: 122. April immediately opened the door with a frustrated expression, but Alice could see the sadness lingering in her amber eyes.
"Alice!" she looked surprised, opening the door wider for her to enter. Inside, Bella lay asleep on the only bed in the room, but Jasper was nowhere to be seen. Alice turned back to April, who silently closed the door.
"Where's Jasper?" she asked. April shrugged nonchalantly.
"Probably out looking for Rosalie." She replied, her eyes wandering.
"Rose? Is she here – in Spokane?" Alice raised her eyebrows. April nodded with suspicious eyes as Alice's face lit up.
"Perfect. We're going – now." She said, heading to the door.
"Wait – what? Going where? And we can't leave Bella!" April protested. Alice frowned for a second before pulling out her mobile phone, which was badly damaged from her crash on the way there.
"Uh, can I borrow your phone?" she asked April, who quickly gave it over. Alice dialled the number that she knew by heart with blurred fingers onto the dial pad before holding up to her ear.
Jasper picked up after one ring.
"April?"
"No, it's Alice."
"Alice!" Jasper sounded relieved. "Are you okay? Where are you?"
"I'm with April, at the hotel. We're leaving, I need you to come back and stay with Bella." Alice said quickly.
"What? Leaving? Where? Why?" Jasper said in a rush.
"I'll...tell you later." Alice murmured before quickly hanging up.
"Come on, April," she said, her gaze cast downwards. She hurried out of the door, April following.
"Where are we going?" April demanded.
Alice grinned grimly.
"Long story. I'll tell you when we get there." She said quickly, racing out of the door and turning to go down the stairs. She pulled out her phone as she rushed by, dialling a number.
"Alice?" Arina answered the phone.
"Can you take me to him as soon as I'm ready?" Alice asked mysteriously, confusing April.
"What – Oh, yeah, of course." Arina replied quickly.
"Great. Tonight, maybe eleven?" Alice suggested, flashing through the lobby and out into the city centre. She beckoned for April to follow as she made sharp turns and changed routes often to stay away from too many people.
"Where?" April heard Arina ask.
"Graveyard. Forks." Alice said in a clipped tone, her volume lowering. Arina made a hum of agreement and Alice quickly hung up, slipping the phone back in her pocket.
"Alice!" April called, her voice almost lost in the wind. "We can't go back to Forks!"
"We won't be there long!" she called back. April shook her head in disbelief, but followed Alice anyway, relaxing as the exited the city and hit the highway – well, the path parallel to it.
. . .
Within almost an hour, they made it back to Forks, not stopping until they reached the old cemetery on the edge of town. Alice slowed to a walk when she entered, heading towards a gravestone that April knew too well. She stopped when she approached it, her fingers softly running across the white marble gravestone.
It was unmistakeably Emmett's. Alice disappeared for a second, but returned with a large shovel, looking down at the grave beneath them and grimacing. She handed April a second shovel that April hadn't seen before, and she poked the grass.
"Let's get working." Alice smiled.
"What the hell, Alice?" April nearly yelled. "We're not digging up his body!" Alice's smile faded and she sighed.
"Look, did Jasper tell you about Lucifer?" she said, running a hand through her hair.
"Lucifer? You mean the Devil? How is religious crap relevant here, Alice?" April snapped.
"Okay, so he didn't tell you." Alice spat back, annoyed. With another sigh, she paced for a moment before turning back to April.
"Like Celeste, he's an Aeterna – I've been searching for him for about a year now." Alice explained. Clearly, April wasn't getting it. Her eyes widened as she spoke. "The Devil...Is an Aeterna? Holy crap! Wait – the Devil's real?"
"No, you idiot!" Alice yelled, fuming. "An Aeterna named himself after the damn Devil! Don't ask me why. Apparently, he has some sort of strange power that can..." she stopped, analyzing April's now-calm expression.
"He can bring dead vampires...Back to life. That's where we're taking Emmett." Alice finished.
Yes, bad ending...Somehow my chapter endings are getting really suckish...:P Oh well. Hope you enjoyed - Please review! :D