Disclaimer: I OWN TWILIGHT!
Carlisle: technically you don't...
Me: Umm...stall..distractions...umm..PAPERCUT! OWW! SAAAVE ME CARLISLE!
BPOV
I had endured two weeks of high school. Two weeks exactly the same as the first day. Jeremiah flirting with me, the girls glaring at me, and Angela and I conversing about our favorite books. It was torture, or at least the part with Jeremiah and the girls. Most of the boys had heard about what happened with Dylan and were sure to steer clear of me. I guess either word hadn't gotten to Jeremiah or he was too stupid to avoid me. I hated high-school. And yet there was so much more to go. I groaned at the thought and Charlie shot me an amused glance from the front seat, raising an eyebrow.
"There's so much of high school to finish!" I moaned. Both Charlie and Evie broke out in harmonious laughter.
"You've been a vampire for one-hundred and fifty years," Charlie chuckled. "I think you can endure one year of high school." I flashed him a smile and turned my attention to the Colorado mountains. Charlie and Evie had surprised me with a hunting trip. A welcome-back-to-school party of sorts. We had decided to make it an extended hunting trip, me skipping school on Friday so we could fly out to Denver. We rented a van and hotel room for the weekend before heading out to the mountains to hunt.
"Almost there!" Evie hummed excitedly from the front seat. I caught Charlie's eyes flash over to her, a joyous glint in his topaz irises. They joined hands almost subconsciously across the console and I turned to the window, hiding my smile. I was happy for Charlie. He had finally found his mate. Someone who could love him forever and who would never leave him.
Unlike me . . .
No Bella, I chastised. You are not going down that path today. This weekend was going to be fun. Charlie pulled the car into the little rest stop and Evie gasped in amazement.
"The view!" she exclaimed. "It's gorgeous!" I couldn't agree more. It was dusk, and the sun was setting over Boulder, paiting the sky with lavenders and pinks.
"Not as beautiful as you," Charlie murmured, ducking his head shyly. Evie looked at him with adoration in her eyes. I made the decision to let them have a private moment and slipped silently out of the car.
I stood at the edge of the little cliff we were on, watching the last of the sun's rays disappear beneath the horizon. Soon, I heard the car doors shut and Charlie and Evie joined me at my sides. I glanced at them, a small grin on my face as I noted their happy faces.
"Ready?" I asked. Before they could answer, I jumped.
My laughter echoed as I plunged down the side of the mountain.
~X~x~X~
"Tag!" I exclaimed, touching Charlie's back before sprinting away. I giggled as I heard him race afer me, and excellerated even more. I could feel him gaining on me, so with one jump I landed in the towering trees. I started to back-tracking my path from the trees silently. I almost burst out in giggles as I saw him race past me, following my trail.
"Can't catch me now, daddy!" I sang quietly, chuckling to myself. I jumped from the treetops, spinning my body in a flip and landing in a kneeling position. We had been in the thick forest on the mountain side for over two hours now, hunting on-and-off and playing tag. I had only had one deer, so my eyes were still pretty dark. I took off in the opposite direction, keeping an eye out for either Charlie or Evie. A breeze drifted to me and I caught scent of Evie. I changed my direction to the left slightly, racing toward Evie. I saw her before she saw me, and I dashed past her.
"Charlie's it," I informed her as I breezed past her. She nodded and took off in the oposite direction of me with a small smile on her face. I knew that they would probably mess around together and share their private time as couple, so I took this chance to hunt.
I took the north, going about twenty miles away to avoid running into Charlie or Evie. I stopped and breathed in deeply, smiling at the scent of the trees and air. Beautiful scents. I closed my eyes, taking a breath in through my mouth. I tasted the scents, the unnappealing taste of the brooke which was tasteless and old. I extended my sense, flaring my notrils to bring in scents buried in the undergrowth. A heard of deer had been here not so long ago, maybe a day or two before. To my left was a scent of a black bear, a few hours old, and I turned to track the scent. But suddenly, a much more delicious and attractive scent drifted toward me on the breeze. I froze, my eyes snapping open and muscles coiling. I fell into a crouch, a low growl of hunger building in my chest. I started to sprint toward the scent, even though I knew it had to be miles and miles away.
I had caught the scent of a human.
It had been so long since I had tasted the life-giving blood of a human. The delectable liquid that would free me from this burning hell. A moan escaped my lips as I came closer to the scent. I was so close, so very close to my prey. The lush scent was suffocating me, just begging me to pursue it. I bared my teeth, knowing my teeth would be coated with venom. I approached closer and took a deep breath, shuddering as my throat was set on fire at the divine aroma. It was everywhere now, and I could heard the thudding of my prey's heart. A wild growl of anticipating escaped my chest and I took one last breath. I couldn't imagine how dark my eyes would be, because my throat was a pyre now. I had detected spilled blood. The animal inside me was in full control, and there was no stopping it.
I dropped into a crouch, my instincts completely taking over. I silently ghosted throught the trees, my senses hyperalert. The trees were thinning out and I could tell that they were going to lead to a clearing of some kind. I licked my lips, moistening them with venom. The trees were getting further and further apart until they revealed a meadow with a small creek. In the middle of the meadow I could make out a small form in the tall grass. The cries of my prey reached my ears and I smiled, pleased at how the thing was terrified of me. The adrenaline rushing through its veins would only make the meal even more enjoyable. A low growl rumbled in my chest, letting my prey be aware of my presence. The cries got louder and a malicious grin spread on my face. I kneeled, preparing to pounce. I could hardly wait, I was so close. The scent of the human choked me and I found it difficult to breathe without wanting to pounce. I stopped at the edge of the trees, preparing myself to drain the human before me.
Then I heard the word.
"Mommy!" the human whimpered and I paused, tilting my head to the side. The human continued to whine and I frowned. The starving monster inside me growled and scratched at my throat, reminding me of the thirst. I shook my head at my stupidity, crouching once again. I took a deep breath, snarling as the scent coated my throat in flames. The cries became wails and I paused again. I tried to make sense of this, but my throat was so dry it was painful. I made myself stop breathing, to clear my mind.
My eyes searched through the tall grass, and found the little form. I looked at it closer and saw long, blonde curls tumbling down the back of a small body. The wails of the human got louder and I frowned. The figure crawled to its feet, only rising a few feet off the ground. It turned toward me, and I supressed a gasp. It was a child, maybe two or three years old. A small girl, with emerald eyes and blonde curls. Her stunning eyes swept the trees where I was, as if she new I was in them. Her bottom lip trembled and a tear slid down her pale cheek. My eyes widened and I felt myself quiver.
No, no, no, no, no . . .
I was about to . . .
I couldn't even think about it. I slid to my knees quietly, clutching my head and shaking. I had been about to drain that child of her sweet blood. I had been about to end her life. To end her chance of ever going to school, of making friends. I would have ended her chance to have her first crush, or her first boyfriend. She would've never gone to prom, never have gotten her first kiss. She would never walk down the aisle, be giving away by her father to the love of her life. She wouldn't have gotten the chance to hold her child in her arms for the first time, or watch her own child walk down the aisle. She would never sit on a porch with her husband, her grandchildren all around her. She would have never gotten older, dying before her time.
It killed me to think I would have been the cause of that.
Determination was written all over me and I stood, clutching a tree. I would not give in to the monster and kill an innocent. It went against my rules, and my morales. I prepared myself for torture and opened my mouth to take in air.
My throat was painful, but I had the thirst under control now. I was in control of it. I wouldn't give into the monster inside me, or at least not this time. I took another breath and prayed for my eyes to lighten. The sun was shining brightly, I frowned. It would work out, I knew it would. I smoothed out my shirt, pulled my fingers through my hair, and took a step into the clearing. Instantly, my skin was set in a brilliance of color. The rays from my skin reflected onto the little girl's arms and she looked up in surprise. I gave her a small, comforting smile and her eyes widened. Her hand raised and she was enticed at the shimmer bouncing off my skin to hers.
"Hi, sweetie," I cooed, "Where's your mommy?" Instantly, her face was pink and tears poured down her cheeks. Her lips quivered and she breathed in little gasps. I gritted my teeth at her heartbeat, which was more evident now. The more she cried, the faster her heart beat and I sped to her side in an instant. I kneeled by her carefully, stroking her hair away from her face and tucking it behind her ear. She shivered a little at my cold touch and I felt guilty instantly. I took my hand away and waited for her to calm down. Suddenly, the small body threw itself at mine and I gasped. She buried her face in my shoulder, her tiny hands fisting handfuls of my shirt. I carefully held her, making sure not to brush my hand against her bare skin.
"It's alright," I calmed her, "but can you tell me where your parents are?" She pulled away and sniffled a little, wiping her nose with her hand.
"I-I wen' to pick up sticks for our campfire, a-and then I got too far away an' I couldn't find mommy or daddy! And I fell down so my knee hurts and it's awl red!" she wailed in her beautiful soprano. She buried her face in my neck again, completely oblivious to the cold temperature of my skin. I froze, looking down and saw dried blood sticking to her knee. I took a deep breath and focused on her tears instead.
"Okay," I said carefully. "Well, my name's Bella and I'm going to help you find your mommy and daddy. What's your name?" She looked up at me with those green eyes and smiled at me.
"Sarah," she told me. "I like your name, Bewwa." I smiled at her and stood, taking in a deep breath. I drifted to the other side of the clearing, where her scent was stalest. I followed it and tracked it into the trees. It led to a thicket of trees and I held Sarah close to me chest, sheilding her from the branches. She hugged me hard, taking a deep breath. Her heartbeat was steady now and instead of making me feel thirsty, it made me feel calm. Like a lullaby. I bit my lip and tried to steer my thoughts away from those thoughts. Her blood was getting more and more easy to resist, the blood now dead and the wound healing.
"You're a very pretty girl, Sarah." I murmured, stepping over a log. She looked up at me, a frown on her face.
"Not as pwetty as you," she said in awe. Her small hand reached up to catch a piece of my hair, running her fingers through it wonderingly. I leaned down, closing my eyes and pressing my lips to her head for a second. Was this what it was like have a child? I loved it.
But I didn't deserve it. I never would.
I sighed and shifted the small body in my arms. She looked up at me with wide eyes, a secret smile on her face. We continued to walk for a few moments before she spoke again.
"Bewwa?" she asked and I chuckled. She couldn't seem to pronounce my name right.
"Yes?" I answered. She moved around in my arms, turning to face me completely. I stopped walking, watching as she looked at me seriously.
"Are you an angel?" She questioned quietly. My eyes widened before I shut them. How was I supposed to answer that?
"No," I said finally. "I'm not an angel, Sarah." I opened my eyes and saw her scrutinizing me.
"But, you're very pwetty and you're nice and you're glittery." she argued. "Can you fly?" Her eyes lit up at the idea and I laughed.
"I'm not an angel, silly." I chuckled, tapping the tip of her nose with my finger. She looked disappointed and and a plan started to grow in my mind.
"Do you want to fly?" I said and she squealed.
"Yes!" She cried. I nodded and shifted her so she was pressed firmly against my chest.
"Alright, Sarah. But there are a few rules. Whatever you do, do not look up. And keep your head tucked in my chest, 'kay?" I told her. She nodded and was practically vibrating with excitement. I locked my arms around her and then we were running.
I ran fast, for Sarah's enjoyment, and tracked her scent. She had wandered quite a ways. A mile and a half, at least. I smiled as Sarah's muffled giggles met my ear and laughed a little myself. I had arrived in a matter of minutes, finding her scent lead to a local campsite. There were several police cars parked in the campsite and I saw a man and woman talking to a police officer, tears streaming down the woman's face. Sarah noticed we had stopped running, and lifted her head curiously. She spotted the man and woman and reached toward them eagerly.
"Momma! Daddy!" she giggled. I smiled and set her down, expecting her to dash toward them. Instead, she surprised me and threw herself at my legs. I was touched by her actions and picked her up again, kissing her forehead. She shivered at my cold touch, but reached her little hand up to touch my cheek.
"Thank you, Bewwa." she mumbled, her eyes wide. "Will you visit me again?" I bit the inside of my cheek, shaking my head. Her eyes widened, filling with tears. She sniffled, a tiny sparkle slipping down her cheek. I frowned, my finger reaching out to swipe the tear off her porcelain skin.
"It's alright, sweetheart," I hummed. "Go to your mommy and daddy. They missed you." She nodded and leaned in to press her lips to my cheek. I closed my eyes, knowing I would never deserve this. I opened my eyes, giving her one last grin, before setting her down. She tottered a few steps, turning to wave toward me before running to her parents.
"Momma!" She cried, "Daddy!" The two humans turned toward her, and the female let out a cry of relief. She ran to her child, picking her up and holding her close to her heart. I leaped to a nearby branch, watching the reunion silently.
"Momma! An angel saved me! She was so pwetty and nice and sparky! And she could fly! Her name was Bella, but I don't get to see her again. I'm going to miss her, momma." said Sarah, her voice raised above the others. The humans stared at her in disbelief and I chuckled. She had finally learned to pronounce my name. It warmed my undead heart.I sighed, standing on the branch and jumping to the next one. I swung through the trees lithely, hardly making the trees sway. I finally stopped about ten miles away from the campsite, lounging on the thick branch of an oak.
I needed to talk to someone.
There was only one person I knew who would listen, so I pulled out my phone and sent a text.
So much has happened. We need to talk. ASAP ~B
I waited patiently and the little jingle that meant I had received a text rang out a few minutes later.
Kk. Name the place and the time. But make sure they have coffee. 0_0 ~S
I chuckled, knowing she had done that just to get me to laugh. She knew me too well. I jumped down from the branch, taking off toward the original area we had mapped out to hunt. I grimaced at the thought of meeting up with Charlie and Evie. I jogged slowly, not wanting to meet them too soon. My wishes weren't granted, because soon I heard the light footsteps of vampires proceeding my way. I stopped, waiting for them to come. I cast my eyes downward as I caught their scent. They arrived seconds later, and I could feel their stares burning into my forehead. I closed my eyes as they breathed in deeply. Evie gasped.
"What have you done?" asked Charlie gently. Anger boiled in my veins. How dare they accuse me!
"Nothing!" I snarled. "I was hunting when I caught scent of a human. I followed it to a human child. I returned her to her parents. End of story." Charlie eyed me suspiciously and I glared at him. He examined my eyes intensely and looked away once he saw they were still a golden amber.
"You were able to resist the human's blood?" Evie questioned quietly. I nodded and saw disappointment in her eyes.
"I've had remarkable resistance since I was a newborn," I explained softly. The disappointment intensified.
"And yet you still chose to drink human blood," she stated. The pitty and disappointment in her voice made me furious. I shook my head and glared at Charlie, waiting for him to come to my rescue. To save me from her shots. He didn't look at me and I felt the betrayal hard.
"I'm going to leave now," I growled. "And don't expect to find me waiting for you in Washington." I turned on my heel and sprinted away, hearing Charlie's pained intake of breath.
He had betrayed me. And it was completely my fault.
~x~X~x~
APOV
I beamed at Jasper as he pulled into the driveway. He caught my mood quickly, and it effected him greatly. His cheeks stretched up in a big grin and I giggled, reaching over and pulling him in for a kiss. He tilted his head and I giggled against his lips. He growled, biting gently on my lower lip possesively and I moaned. A sharp rap on the window made us break apart and I glared at Emmett's gleeful face through the window.
"Get a room," he mouthed and I stuck my tongue out at him. He wiggled his eyebrows playfully before yanking the car door open and pulling me out of my seatbelt. I squealed as he threw me over his shoulder.
"LET GO OF ME, YOU BIG OAF!" I screamed in his ear. He flinched, but only tightened his grip on me. I balled my hands into fists, pounding against his back half heartedly. I could hear the laughter of the others and saw Jasper and Rose discussing who would win this one.
"Edwaaaaard!" I whined. "Save me!" I saw his lips quirk to the side and then he was gone in a blur. I could have watched him, but instead let my body dangle loosely over Emmett. A few moments later, Emmett's feet were knocked from beneath him. I let out a scream and Jasper quickly came to my rescue, catching me bridal-style and grinning at me. I gasped dramatically, putting the back of my hand to my forehead.
"You saved me!" I breathed. "Mah hero!" I over exaggerated my accent and couldn't restrain my laughter. Jasper went all coybow, bowing his head gentlemenly.
"No thanks needed, ma'am." he said lowly and I kissed him. We broke away to the sound of Emmett cursing and looked over. Edward was laughing a few meters away from where . . . Emmett had his head stuck in a tree. I shrieked with laughter, and Jasper chuckled with me.
"Come on, children." Esme smiled. "Let's go inside." Their grins faded into apprehensive expressions and I smiled reassuringly at them.
"Everything will be fine," I promised, hopping out of Jasper's arms. I took his arm, leading the way to the door. I stepped over the overgrowth, scowling to myself. We would have to clean out the yard immediately, the weeds were outrageous. I had seen that the house would be perfectly preserved on the inside, the years hardly wearing it down. I skipped to the door, reaching in my pocket to take out my old key. The family seemed to hold its breath as I inserted the aged key into the door, turning it gently. The lock clicked, and simuletaneously my family exhaled. I smiled and pushed the door open, stepping across the threshhold. The house hadn't aged one day. The furniture was still covered in sheets, and there was a fine layer of dust upon ever surface, but it was still our house. I took a deep breath in and flinched.
She was everywhere. Her scent was decades old, but it was still here. Faintly, but there. I pressed my lips together and felt a wave of love wash through me. I gripped Jasper's hand and squeezed it once before blurring around the room, throwing the sheets off the furniture and flicking on the lights. I arrived back at Jasper's side, letting him pull me closer. The rest of the family came in, and they, too, could smell her. Esme held on to Carlisle tightly and Emmett tried to focus on Rose the best he could. Edward was frozen in the doorway, nostrils flared and pain woven in his amber eyes. He started to shake his head, his limbs trembling. It was heartbreaking.
"No," he whispered, "I-I can't do . . . too many memories . . . smells . . . " He was falling apart and no one was there to keep him together. I separated myself from Jasper, sliding to his side. I reached up, placing my hands on his cheeks and tilting his face toward me. His topaz eyes darkened with anguish and I understood immediately. I took his hand, leading him out of the house.
"Come on, Edward. Let's go for a run." I murmured to him. He nodded, clutching my hand tightly and starting to race with me. We left the house, and I directed us to the familiar path. I could see he knew where we going, but he made no movement to stop. I took a detour, leading us to a small stream where an assortment of flowers grew. I released his hand, nodding to the ground.
"Pick some," I encouraged. He took his time, picking the most delicate and beautiful flowers he could find. He brought them back to me, and I noted that more than half were freesias. I mustered a smile and quickly wove the stems together, producing a bouquet. He took the flowers carefully, sniffing them slightly before nodding to me. We took off again and I lead, taking us to our destination quickly. Edward let his head down and I could tell he didn't want to do this.
"It will be alright, Edward." I told him. "Everything will be fine." I took his head, tugging him along. I looked and found the headstone easily, in the far left corner of the cemetary. We took our time, walking at a human pace silently to the corner. I stopped and Edward let out a small, tormented gasp. He collasped to his knees, dropping the flowers and tugging at his hair angrily. Sobs and growls escaped his chest and I sank down beside him.
"I know," I whisped. He put his face in his hands, whimpering softly.
"No," he moaned. "All my fault." I struggled not to let my emotions show as I started to pick the weeds and overgrown grass that had sprouted between the two headstones. I set the bouquet gently before them and turned to watch Edward. He stared back at me, his eyes filling with tears that would never shed. Then the sobs began, terrible sobs that tore at his chest as they left. I choked back my own cries and pulled him into a hug. He buried his head into my shoulder and I held him back tightly. This was what he needed. To be held, to be shown love. This was what he would need to heal. Closure.
My eyes started to glaze over and I shook my head, trying to block the vision. But it was persistant, flooding into my mind and making me gasp.
Edward didn't notice, too absorbed in reading the headstone.
Isabella Marie Swan
1987-2006
Beloved daughter and friend.
Bella will be missed.