----
Chapter Twenty-One: THE PAST COMES A'CALLING (1)
----
summary: Bella Swan is not only an artist living of her art; she's also a vampire. Dr Cullen and his wife request to meet her, offering to become her patrons and she's confronted by a lifestyle she never would have considered, but doesn't sound that unappealing either. When she eventually meets Edward Cullen, will she give love a chance, or will her past with James stand between them?
characters (this chapter): Edward/Bella, Emmett, Carlisle, Lauren (POVs are underlined)
warnings: au. wip. all vampire. all canon pairings/characters. changing POVs.
disclaimer: i don't own Twilight, or any of the characters.
author's notes: and the plot thickens! hope you all like. there's a lot of information in this chapter. thanks for your lovely comments. super-special thanks to my beta helaluvE.
(Bella POV)
Esme was the first to throw her arms around me when I entered the house. "How are you feeling my dear?" she asked, but didn't give me any time to answer. "That must have been awful for you, oh my dear, seeing your friend like that and not being able to do anything. If there's anything I can do for you, anything at all, just ask me."
I wanted to tell her I was okay, that she didn't need to worry so much, and that Lauren was in the capable hands of her husband, but I knew that was a futile thing to say to Esme. She was too much of a mother hen to hear that; she would be worried about me no matter what. "I think it's best if I just stay... busy," I said, and nodded, mostly to myself.
"I'm sure we can manage that," she gave me a loving smile, and threw her arm around me, pulling me into the living room with her. I felt safe again, being at home, despite the fact that I now knew that James was looking for me. Damn him for going after Lauren. It should have been me, he should have found me. But the thought of James finding me scared me just as much as him almost having killed Lauren.
"You're safe here, Bella," Jasper constantly assured me when he felt such fears touch my heart. Sometimes he only told Edward, so that he would be there to help me. I didn't know what I'd do without Edward or the rest of my new family.
"Don't worry, love," Edward would tell me and stroke my cheek. Sometimes we'd spend hours just lying on the sofa, staring into each other's eyes; his eyes made it impossible for me to even consider thinking about James. Other times he'd just be there for me, while I talked to Esme or any of the other Cullens; but he never left my side. Not once.
Emmett beat me at chess for the first time since I'd joined the Cullens, and he didn't hesitate to rub it in. Edward had told him to stop, but I didn't mind; at least someone was treating me like a normal person, not someone who could break at any given moment. "Bro relax, my little sister doesn't mind, do you Bella?" Emmett laughed, and he threw an arm around me as he pulled me closer. I only smiled up at him in response.
"You'll tell me when this fool starts bugging you, right?" Edward noticed my ease quickly, and stopped calling Emmett on his behaviour. Anything to keep me calm.
Rosalie and Alice started designing the wardrobe they had promised me, so that kept me pretty busy too. They could probably have just guessed my sizes with their keen eye for detail, but they still had me modelling for every outfit. They didn't allow Edward to watch as they put pins and needles in the dresses; he only got to see the finished results. Now those were true sisters.
Two days went by before Carlisle called the house for an update. Edward handed the phone over to me immediately. "Carlisle, how is she?" was my first question, the most important question, the only one that mattered. Lauren had to be fine; otherwise I would never forgive myself.
"She'd lost a lot of blood, but we got there in time Bella," Carlisle's soothing voice calmed me down at once. I felt Edward behind me, and his hands were on my shoulders quickly. "She'll be fine. She's already up and asking for you," I closed my eyes to the sound of that. Lauren was going to be fine. Thank God.
"Can I...?" I asked carefully. Edward kissed my hair, and moved away from me. I guessed he wanted to give me the privacy. I looked back at him gratefully, and he smiled softly before disappearing down to the basement.
"Of course. Hang on," Carlisle said and I heard his footsteps on the hospital's linoleum floor. I took the time to move into the kitchen, probably still not out of earshot of any of the Cullens, but Edward had already asked them to give me some privacy.
"Bella?" I heard Lauren's voice, frail and broken up, probably still groggy from any drugs she'd been giving.
"Lauren, I'm so sorry about all this," I blurted out first chance I got. I needed her to know just how sorry I was for everything that had happened. If only it hadn't been for me.
"You mean for saving me?" Lauren asked and her voice brightened. "Dr Cullen said you probably saved my life by acting so soon. It's me that owes you, Bells." For the first time I didn't mind the nickname; in fact, my dad used to call me Bells as well. It was nice to hear it again from time to time.
"Please, don't say that," I put a hand on my forehead. Why on earth was she thanking me? I realised very soon however, that there was no way Lauren could ever grasp what sort of danger I had put her in. "It's me that got you into this mess in the first place. James was after me."
There was a silence on the other end of the line.
"Are you sure you're okay Lauren? I was just... God, I wish I could be there. But..." I was about to make up some excuse, about being scared to death of hospitals or something, but Lauren interrupted me.
"I know Bells, it's too big of a temptation for you."
I stopped breathing.
"Excuse me?" I was pretty sure I squeaked.
"Look I know, okay?" Lauren's voice sounded far away and so close-by; I didn't believe what I was hearing. "Or, I don't know, but I suspected. The late night outings, the proximity rules." She knew? She knew I was a vampire? How long? How?
"You know that I'm...?" I couldn't say it. What if I was dreaming up this entire conversation? What if she hadn't come to the conclusion that I was a vampire, but something far more human? Right there though, I couldn't think of anything else. "And you're okay with that?" I asked.
"What I know it that you're a brilliant artist," she said. She was trying to make me feel better again. It wasn't her job to do that; she didn't have to comfort me. It should be the other way around. "And I'm sorry, Bells, I'm so sorry. Whatever this guy did to you I hope he pays big," she sounded just as angry towards James as I was feeling right now. "He sounded like such a creep."
I shook my head, completely out of it. James. My blood boiled in my veins just thinking about him, about his hands on her, the fear he put her through. There was no way she was feeling alright. How could James do that to her? To me? After everything he had put me through already. I didn't deserve this, did I?
"He talked to you?" my voice was reaching new levels of distress. I was sure Edward had already picked up on it by now; in fact it surprised me he hadn't joined me again already. I knew some of the Cullens were around, I could hear them in the living room. Was Jasper not worried about me? Was Edward not picking up on my distress? Maybe they truly thought I could handle this by myself.
"He wanted to know where you were, though something told me that didn't really matter either way," she said. I'd never known she was that perceptive. James was a tracker, it wouldn't have mattered if she'd told him either way. "Thing is, Bells, there are more things I've been keeping from you. I'd seen that guy once before."
This time I couldn't even force any air from my lungs; there was none left.
My mind reeled, I couldn't think straight anymore.
"Bella," Edward was by my side then, like an answer to my prayers. I needed him, I was completely frozen. He took my hand and put one of his on my back, the only real support he could give me right then. Lauren knew I was a vampire, and she had seen James before. Where?
"It was before we met," she said, and I pressed the phone to my ear more tightly, even though there was no need. "It was late at night, but I saw them very clearly. They were so beautiful and perfect in every way," vampires; she'd seen James with another vampire. It could only be one other.
"James and Victoria. You saw them..." I gasped, and Edward put one of his arms around my waist. Maybe he thought I was going to faint or something; if I had been any less of a vampire I might have already done just that.
"That's not all, Bella," she said. She sounded guilty, like she should have told me years ago. I honestly didn't know how I would have reacted five years ago. There was more? What could she possibly tell me now that could shock me even more? "They had a child with them, the most beautiful child you can possibly imagine. The same child I saw on that painting I dug out of the trash. Why do you think I did that? She was so beautiful, I had to get to know you. Know more."
"A girl?" a girl. James and Victoria with a baby girl. A shiver ran up my spine, and my breathing deepened, my brain making connections that didn't reach my conscious mind yet. I felt Edward's gaze burning into me, but I couldn't produce any sort of sound.
The cellphone in my hand crumpled into dust with one squeeze of my hand.
I looked up at Edward, my eyes probably riddled with question marks over things I didn't even understand myself. "I need some air," I forced out the words strenuously, not even realising how very human that sounded. He nodded, and planted a gentle kiss on my forehead. Don't worry, I'll be fine I tried to soothe him, but I could tell he was everything but assured by my behaviour.
review = preview
next chapter: the past comes a'calling (2)