Chapter 19
Saying Goodbye
"I guess that's all." Bella mused as she looked at the small bundle at the foot of her bed. Small rolls of cloth, the mirror, and an extra cloak were the only things that occupied the small traveling bag. As she headed towards the door, she felt a peg of sadness as she remembered the torn look in Edward's eyes as he gently pushed her away. "As soon as Dad's better, I'll return." She promised herself as she opened the door. As soon as she got the door wide enough, someone crashed into her and sent her flying backwards to the floor.
"Bella? What are you doing down there?" Bella opened her eyes and saw Alice looking down at her. Bella laughed.
"I think the real question is what are you doing up there Alice." Alice laughed and helped Bella to her feet.
"Bella, I've got some great news, Jasper proposed to me!"
"Oh my gosh! Congratulations! Did he give you a ring?" Alice giggled and held out her left hand. Sure enough, on the ling finger was a silver ring with a small diamond in the center.
"Where's yours?" Alice asked excitedly.
"Where's what?"
"Your…Oh." Alice took in Bella's traveling attire and very puzzled expression. "Where are you going?"
"My Father's very ill. He needs me right now."
"But what about Edward?" Alice asked, the news still not sinking in.
"What about him?" Bella asked. Then Alice's eyes started to tear up.
"B-Bella, c-can y-you h-hold me?" Alice started sobbing. Bella wrapped her arms around Alice and stroked her as Alice sobbed into Bella's shoulder. A few minutes later, Alice's crying turned into the occasional hiccup.
"Don't worry Alice," Bella said soothing as she looked into Alice's glassy eyes. "I will be back soon. I promise." Then Bella got her horse, jumped on, and looked for Charlie for hours until she saw him almost covered in snow. "Oh no, I hope I'm not too late." She murmured to herself as she jumped down and ran to Charlie. She brushed off most of the snow off of him and checked his pulse. She felt just a faint murmur. "Please Dad, just hang on. We'll be home soon." After putting Charlie in the front of her in the saddle, Bella whistled at Elizabeth and they rode out into the snowy night. A few hours later, they cleared out of the woods and came upon home. After she put Elizabeth away, Bella got Charlie inside. When she was getting him into some dry cloths, she was surprised to find no cuts or bruises anywhere. After she tucked Charlie into bed, she went into the kitchen. After she got the fire going she put a kettle of water in the flames. While she waited for the water to boil, she remembered seeing Edward lying there in the snow and how for a brief moment she thought to herself, "Not him. Not him." She blushed when she remembered the confused, puzzled expression when she hit him with that snowball. She smiled when during those cold nights they would sit in front of the fire and she would read to him. It was when she remembered that tender moment when he held her in his arms did she start to cry. "He gave me every thing I could possibly want and he didn't ask for anything in return." She thought sadly as she took the kettle off the fire and poured the steaming water into a bowl and walked back to Charlie's room. "I'm the selfish one, I shouldn't be here."
"It's quite alright Bella. You're not the selfish one." Bella started and nearly dropped the bowl. She carefully peeked in Charlie's room. Charlie was sitting up in bed and petting a small black cat.
"Lunaris? How did you get here?" Bella asked aloud. The cat winked at her. Charlie looked up.
"Bella?' Bella rushed over and gave him a hug. "I thought I would never see you again!" Charlie said hugging her tighter, sucking the air out of her. Bella laughed softly and gently loosened his hold until they were at arms length.
"I missed you so much." Bella said smiling. Charlie frowned alittle.
"But the beast, how did you escape?' Bella shrugged.
"I didn't escape Dad, he let me go." Charlie looked at her in shock.
"But the horrible beast! He tore us apart! I thought you were going to be his next meal!"
"That's what I thought too Dad," Bella assured him. "But now I see him in a different light. And he and I fit together somehow… It's hard to describe." Charlie nodded in understanding. "By the way Dad, what were you doing in the woods?" Charlie was silent for awhile, then he spoke.
"When I returned to the village, I immeditly locked myself in the house after trying to get people to help me rescue you. You can pretty much say that I was worried that the beast was going to come and get me. After while of hiding, I had a sudden urge to go find you myself. I didn't want to go on the crossroads again so I went on the trail behind the house and tried to go cross-country. A few minutes later, a snowstorm blew in and I somehow tripped and blacked out. The next thin I knew, I felt a vibration on my chest and woke up to find this cat looking down at me." Charlie said finally, gently scratching Lunaris under the chin. "Where did this cat come from?" Charlie asked.
"She lives in the castle, She's Edwards's cat."
"Who's Edward?"
"That's his name Dad." Charlie looked puzzled.
"The Beast has a name?" Bella rolled her eyes.
"Yea he has a name Dad." Bella replied defensively. Then someone knocked on the door. "Who could that be?" Bella opened the door and three figures stood in the doorway. They wore long black cloaks and black hoods that covered their bowed heads. "May I help you?" Bella asked . As one, they raised their heads and Bella started when she saw their blood red eyes standing vividly against their white skin. One of the men had white hair while the other two had black hair that matched their cloaks. A crowd stood a distance from them with grim expressions on their faces. The back-haired man in the middle, who seem to be the leader, stepped forward.
"We have come to take your father to a be-safer place." Bella looked at them puzzled.
"My father?"
"Don't worry madam," The white –haired man said, stepping aside to reveal a carriage with a sign that read 'Asylum'. "We'll take good care of him." And next to it was weather beaten old man sitting in a wooden chair.
"Billy! You can't possibly think that Dad is crazy!" Bella cried.
"I'm sorry Bella." Billy said shaking his head. "The evidence is over whelming. There's nothing I can do." At that moment Charlie came behind Bella and poked his head out.
"Billy?" he asked curiously. In a splint second, the three men were upon them. They restrained him and were half carrying and half dragging him to the carriage. Bella went after them.
"No!" She grabbed the black-haired leaders shoulder. "I won't let you do this!" She growled. The man brushed her off.
"Poor Bella," Bella whirled around to see Jacob Black standing behind her with a sad expression. "It's a real shame about Charlie."
"You don't think my Dad is crazy, do you Jacob?" Bella asked worried. Jacob thoughtfully scratched his chin.
"You know. I could clear up this whole… misunderstanding…if."
"If what?"
"If you marry me."
"WHAT!" Bella shouted. Jacob grabbed her shoulder and pulled her closer.
"One little word Bella and that's all it takes." Then he kissed her hard, moving his tongue in her mouth. Bella clamped her teeth down hard on his tongue, causing Jacob to jump back in pain, spitting out blood. "What did you do that for?" Jacob asked, blood flowing from his mouth.
"What can I say?" Bella shrugged. "You stuck your tongue in my mouth. And it was disgusting."
"Why you little bi"
Jacob's hand froze in midair when he realizes that he has an audience. He looked at Charlie who has an anger/shocked expression on his face. Then he looked at his father. Billy has his arms folded across his chest with a 'If you hit her I swear to God I'm going to kill you' look. "Oh crap." Jacob thought to himself. Ever so slowly, he lowered his hand. Then he bent down and whispered in Bella's ear, "Have it your way." He then nodded to Aro. Aro nodded back and he, Marcus and Caius started pulling a thrashing Charlie to the carriage.
"Let me go you Freaks! Let me go!"
"No! My father is not crazy!" Bella shouted grabbing onto Jacob's arm.
"Really? He's been going on about a monster holding you prisoner for the past couple weeks. Don't tell me that's not craziness." Jacob said.
" It's not craziness because it's partially true!"
"She's as crazy as her old man!" someone in the crowd yelled.
"No,
I can prove it to you!" Bella said running into the house. She
looked everywhere for the mirror that Edward had given her, but she
couldn't find it. "Oh, where is it?" she muttered, forgetting
about Lunaris.
"Where's
what?"
Lunaris asked. Bella jumped.
"Uh, Edward's mirror." She said.
"Did you look in you bag?" Lunaris asked sarcastically.
"Oh. No." Bella said as she rummaged through her bag. She found it and went back outside where the crowd was waiting. Holding the mirror to herself, she whispered. "Show me Edward." When she spoke, the mirror glowed, and showed a picture of a depressed Edward, looking like he was crying. Bella felt tears in her eyes as her heart broke at the sight. "I have to go to him." She thought. Jacob grabbed the mirror from her and looked at it, disbelief in his eyes. And fear. he showed the crowed the mirror, and yelled,
"This thing must be destroyed!"
"NO!" Bella shouted.
"He'll take your children and your wives while they sleep for his meals!" Jacob continued.
"No! He wouldn't" Bella was cut off as the men yelled in agreement with Jacob.
"We must destroy this creature before it can cause anymore damage!" Jacob cried.
"Jacob, please! He won't hurt anyone." Bella cried, grabbing his raised arm, tying to get the mirror back.
"You see?" He yelled. "He's poisoned her mind against her own friends.
"No! Jacob, please!" Bella begged.
"If you don't want me to kill the beast, then marry me." He told her.
"Never!" she hissed. "I won't marry the murderer of one of my friends."
"Fine. Then we kill him." he whispered. "LETS GET HIM!"
Aro, Marcus, and Caius grabbed Bella and Charlie and locked them in their house, leaving no room to escape.
"No!" Bella cried, banging on the door. "He won't hurt you!"
"It's no use, Bells." Charlie said, hugging his crying daughter.
"I might be able to help." Lunaris said, coming out of her hiding place.
"The cat talks?" Charlie whispered, right before he fainted.
"Well" Lunaris said, looking at Charlie.
"That went well." Bella muttered, looking at her unconscience father as well. When Charlie awoke, his eyes fell on Lunaris.
"H-how can that cat talk?" he whispered.
"Technically, I can't talk." Lunaris told him. " I can send thought through your head. Now come on! We have to get you two to Edward's castle before that angry mob."
"How?" Bella asked.
I'll unlock the back door." She said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"Lunaris, they're locked from the outside." Charlie told her.
"So?"
"We can't get to them from in here." Bella said.
"Maybe you can't, but I can." She said, seeming to smile.
"Huh?" Charlie said, confused as ever.