A/N: Ok, this chapter is really just a filler, and also a response to people's comments that there isn't enough fluffy romantic stuff in this story. I really have no idea what's going to happen next, because I can't even decide what to do about Jacob (whether to keep him evil or have him redeem himself) so don't expect anything new for a while. Again, suggestions are welcome, if there's something you think the story needs or if you have an idea for an ending, let me know. Of course, even if you don't have any suggestions, I still want to know what you all think, so please review.
As the days continued in the same pattern, it became apparent that the two armies involved in the war were perfectly equal. The dangerous balance wore away at each of us as we fought on in a state of rigid terror, worrying, each time that one of our family members left our sight, that it would be the last time we saw them. Though there had been few fatalities on either side and none within our family, or the hosting pack, the threat of such an event hovered over us, haunting us day and night, eating at our sanity. The tension and fear was too much to bear. Finally, Carlisle declared it intolerable and insisted on negotiating a day of truce, to give us a time out from our nightmare.
There were various reactions to the truce. Esme and Carlisle drove into town to spend the day alone together, since Esme was especially worried and Carlisle wanted to distract her. Alice and Jasper also went out, though I think this was less of a distraction and more part of Jasper's constant paranoia that he was about to lose Alice. He hadn't told anyone that he feared that her blindness in foresight with regards to the wolves was going to be her downfall, but Edward had confided to me that he had noticed Jasper's thoughts turning in that direction very frequently. Emmett and Rosalie stayed home, since Rosalie had been sullen and temperamental since the beginning of the war and rarely left her room. I had been planning on following their example. I had decided that I was too mentally drained to contemplate anything beyond collapsing on a couch and staring dejectedly into space for twenty-four hours straight. Edward had other plans.
As soon as Carlisle had finished explaining the terms of the truce, Edward was on his way out the door, trailing me behind him.
"What are you doing," I mumbled, my voice devoid of emotion.
"Let's go somewhere," he answered sounding ridiculously upbeat for someone whose entire family was involved in an ongoing deadly struggle for their lives.
"Why?" I responded, still sounding so flat and empty that you could barely tell it was a question.
"Bella." He halted abruptly, placing his hands delicately on either side of my face, treating it like porcelain out of habit.
"When was the last time you and I had a day to ourselves?" he questioned me accusingly, "Just the two of us?" he added, in case I was planning on counting the car ride home from my prison, which hardly counted anyway due to my minimal consciousness.
"I don't know. Before I was kidnapped, I guess. We've been a little busy waging war! Why are we even having this conversation?" I fired back defensively.
"That's no excuse," he persisted reproachfully, towing me toward his car, "Come on, Bella, where to you want to go? I'll take you anywhere you want." He guided me firmly into the passenger seat.
"I don't know. I kind of want to go to the meadow," I admitted reluctantly, watching my plans to wallow in despair slip away beyond my reach.
"That's the spirit," Edward teased, and then he smiled at me in that mesmerizing way of his that made me forget that I was depressed and worried. He shut his own door and flitted around to the passenger side faster than I thought to react, so he could hold my door open politely while I got out, still a little begrudgingly.
"We may as well run. It's so much faster."
We flew through the forest, fingers entwined, at heart racing speeds. The uncharacteristic sunlight had returned once again and dappled pools of gold flecked the rich brown soil as the leaked through holes in the thick canopy overhead. The wind roared pas my head, amplified by my newly heightened senses. Though we traveled so fast any humans we encountered would have missed the two blurs racing past them, and though the ground was uneven and riddled with roots, rocks and various other obstacles, I never once lost my footing.
I soon grew bored of the exhilaration of running that Edward never seemed to get enough of. We were only about halfway to our destination, but I slowed to human speed in order to enjoy the scenery. Edward raised an eyebrow questioningly, but shortened his strides to match my elegant stroll.
"It's nice out here. I want to enjoy it," I explained, "You're the one who wanted me to have fun."
"It is quite beautiful isn't it?" he remarked softly, gazing at the perfect picture that the woods had created, everything so natural and green and earthy. Everything except us, that is. We walked in silence for a while, and then talked about anything and everything that had nothing to do with the war. We took turns carrying each other on our backs, but mostly Edward carried me, since it felt so natural after almost two years of doing it.
The meadow hadn't changed much. The sight of the sunlight sparkling off my skin was a new addition but the picturesque wonder of our refuge had not been altered by time. We lay in the sunlight, throwing rainbow reflections onto each other's chalky skin. Blades of grass tickled my cheek, as I basked in the warmth of the daylight. I watched Edward out of the corners of my eyes. His eyes were closed and a contented half-smile adorned his face. He squeezed my hand gently.
"Aren't you glad you came?" he whispered. I couldn't reply; I was too consumed by the beauty of the scene that surrounded me. Instead, I did the only thing I could think of that could possibly make this better. I leaned in and kissed Edward, catching him by surprise for once in his life. He sat up, pulling me onto his lap, kissing me back in a way that could have been deadly during my human life.
The afternoon flew by in a daze of warm kisses, rainbows and sunlight. The blissful peace of this one day of relief was so perfect I wished that it could be our eternity instead of the war that overshadowed us with no end in sight and left no time for happy moments like this one. Naturally, it was over too quickly and we were racing back through the darkening forest before I knew it. We walked wistfully back into the house, and joined Emmett and Rosalie in the living room. The others hadn't returned yet, but within a few minutes, they all followed us, as reluctant for the day to be over as we had been. With many sighs, we all clung together, waiting for the next day when the brutality would continue.