A/N: This one is for itsbetterwithjam... hope I didn't disappoint ;))
Twilight does not belong to me
Edward ran.
Not since the early days with Bella when he tried to stay away from her for her own good had he done this. He pushed himself as fast and as hard as he could go, trying to outrun what had just happened. Despite how fast he ran, he couldn't stop hearing her voice in his head.
I don't think I want to live this life anymore, Edward. I think Jacob and I are meant to be together.
Edward screamed in agony, "No!" He halted abruptly and slammed his fist into a tree that promptly split in half. His anger merely intensified as he decimated what was left of the trunk.
He stopped and, looking around at the destruction left in his wake, fell to his knees. This was why she left; this was why she chose Jacob. Who could ever want a monster like him? Something that was able to wreak havoc in a matter of seconds?
As if the world felt the need to agree with him, the sun broke through the clouds and filtered into the small clearing he had inadvertently created. Edward looked down at his cold, hard hands, full of revulsion. He watched as the sunbeams reflected off his skin throwing rainbows onto his clothing and the mossy floor.
"Gone," Edward moaned, placing his hands flat on the ground and laying his forehead between them. "She's gone," he whispered into the fecund earth. His body shook with the tearless sobs, wracking his body. He curled up in a ball and let the grief have at him.
Some time passed before the voices of his family shattered the quiet. Edward heard them in his mind first and sat up. He didn't want to see or talk to anyone. Knowing he only had a few minutes of time, he got up and made a loop around them and headed back home. If they were busy looking for him then he could sneak in and leave a note letting them know he was leaving. He couldn't stay in Forks; the temptation of Bella would be too hard to resist.
He hoped by the time they realized what happened, he would be long gone.
~*~*~*~*~
It took a few moments of stunned silence before the Cullens were spurred into action. Esme went to Alice who sat sobbing by the bed, put her arms around her, and cradled the girl back and forth. Carlisle looked at his sons with a resolute expression.
"We must find Edward before he does anything rash. There must have been some misunderstanding." Emmett and Jasper nodded their heads in agreement.
Carlisle walked into the bedroom and kneeled by the women. He stroked Alice's hair.
"Alice," he said softly. When she looked up at him he continued. "Alice we need you to come with us. We need to know what he is planning to do."
"Okay, Carlisle," Alice said in a broken voice.
"Rosalie and Esme you should stay with Bree in case Edward returns before we can find him," he said quickly before getting up and turning back towards the hallway. "Alright, let's go." He ran down the stairs with the rest of his family in pursuit.
Esme stayed kneeling on the floor watching after them. Rosalie entered the room and put her arms around her mother.
"It will be fine," she said to Esme. "They will find him."
Bree stayed perfectly still, the wheels in her mind were turning. She had been so focused on driving Bella and Edward apart that she hadn't given much thought to how Edward would react when it happened. More so, she hadn't expected to see the absolute panic and terror swirling from the Cullens when he stormed out of the house.
"I don't understand," Bree said, vocalizing her thoughts. "Won't Edward just come back once he calms down?" She looked at the women expectantly.
Rosalie gave her a level glance. "We aren't sure what he'll do," she said in a clipped voice. "Last year we thought Bella had died, and he flew to Italy to ask the Volturi to kill him. Luckily, we were able to save him before they took him up on the offer."
"Not we, Rosalie. Bella saved him," Esme said quietly. She looked up at Bree. "When she found out that he had planned to kill himself, she got on a plane to Italy with Alice to try and stop him."
Bree frowned. "So you are worried he will do something like that again?"
"We aren't sure. All I know is that he won't take this well. Most likely, he will want to leave here." Esme sighed unhappily.
"And you're just going to let him go?" Bree asked incredulously.
"Well, what do you expect us to do?" Rosalie hissed at her. "Of course we'll try to convince him to stay, but I doubt Edward will listen to reason. He'll go off for a couple of years and then hopefully come back to us."
"Rosalie!" Esme reproached her.
"What? It's not like we can stay in Forks for much longer anyway," Rosalie grumbled.
Bree listened to all of this with a growing sense of dismay. Leave? No, he couldn't leave! How would she ever hope to find him again? She needed him to return so she could convince him they should be together.
Bree turned on her heel and stormed away leaving Esme and Rosalie alone.
~*~*~*~*~
Edward slowed down as he approached the house. He ranged out with his mind and heard Esme and Rosalie, both of them worried about him. He wondered briefly if he should just go get his car and leave but reconsidered. It wouldn't be fair for him not to at least say goodbye.
Slowly, he walked into the house. Both Rosalie and Esme flew down the stairs to him. Esme wrapped her arms around him and murmured to him softly. Edward closed his eyes and pressed his forehead into her shoulder. Before his emotions could get the better of him, he pushed her gently away.
Edward looked at Esme and took her hands. In a gentle voice he said, "You already know what I have to do." Esme's face crumpled as she looked at him.
"No, Edward, please, not again," she whispered. "Talk to Bella first! There must have been a misunderstanding…" Before she could continue Edward cut her off.
"There was no misunderstanding. You didn't see her face. She wants to be with Jacob." He looked down at the floor for a moment trying to get the sound of her voice out of his mind.
"Edward," Rosalie chimed in, "that girl's life revolved around you! You can't imagine she would just leave, do you? Think about this for a moment, please, don't tear our family apart again." It was uncharacteristic for Rosalie to beg but if that is what she had to do, she would do it.
Edward turned to her slowly. "Rosalie, I can't stay here with her so close. I just can't! Please, understand I am not doing this to hurt any of you." He looked at her beseechingly.
"We'll all go!" Esme cried. "Just wait for Carlisle and the others to come back, and we will all leave with you...tonight!"
Edward shook his head sadly. "No, Esme; this is something I need to do on my own. I love you all, but I want to be by myself." With one last embrace, he kissed both of them on the forehead and left to get his car.
When he walked into the garage he wasn't prepared to see Bree standing by the Volvo. Her mind was completely blank to him, and she had a determined look on her face. Edward sighed as he prepared to repeat himself to her as well. Why wouldn't they just let him leave? Didn't they know that being alone and heartbroken in a house full of lovers was the worst torture imaginable?
"Take me with you," Bree said quietly.
"What?" Edward said unbelievably, he hadn't expected that at all. Shaking his head, he said, "No."
As he went to brush past Bree, she grasped his arm tightly. "Edward, listen to me. I know you want to be alone but I don't think that is a good idea. I know staying here would hurt you after what happened, that it would make you feel even more isolated, but I am alone, too!
"I also know what it feels like to love and then lose the meaning of your existence. I understand you! Please don't leave me here alone and lonely." As Bree spoke, she slowly stripped Edward of his indecision and determination. She watched his face change and open up to her.
"Get in," he said curtly and pushed the keyless remote to unlock the doors.
Bree rushed around to the passenger side and was in the car before he had a chance to change his mind. Edward got in, started the car, and sped out of the garage. As they raced down the driveway, she saw the rest of the vampires rush out the front door, all with varying expressions on their faces.
When they hit the street, Bree finally relaxed. She knew they wouldn't be pursued. Now she had Edward to herself with no interference from his meddling family to get in her way. His phone began to ring shrilly; before he had a chance to answer it, Bree snatched it from his hand.
"Allow me," she said as she crushed the phone in her hand. Lowering the window, she threw it out of the car.
Soon he would be hers: mind, body and whatever was left of his soul.
Come on guys... you KNEW it couldn't have been that easy, right? Review and let me know just how much you hate me right now! And what about that Bree, she's a smooth operator *cue Sade*
