Chapter Twenty-Five

Juliet Ever-Dean

13 August 2046

I've had a good life.

I've met some great people, people who cared about me and accepted me. I know I shouldn't ask more of the world but part of me hoped I would survive. If not for my sake, for my family's sake.

Even though Brandon and I weren't married I knew he loved me more than I could possibly imagine. He would be distraught when I was gone. And then there was Genevieve. She had no-one left. I was her last family member. I knew Brandon would look after her. She didn't look like me but she had my personality. Always talking. I smiled to myself at the thought of her. How hard her life must be and she's only five. That was too cruel to her. I could only pray that her suffering ended with me.

There was also Leigh, she loved me like a sister. Even though she was the reason my first engagement hadn't worked out I was glad for Leigh. Seth was happy, I hadn't grown bitter towards him, even when I saw him kiss Leigh. I remember understanding settling over me. That was when I had started putting together the pieces of what they were.

I looked down at my swollen stomach. My whole body ached and pained but it had become so constant I was used to it. I was happy for my baby as well. It might not be what I pictured when I was a little girl, carrying her for a whole nine months but I was glad for the short time, I would get to meet her sooner...

My thoughts took a dark turn and I watched Genevieve and Noelle instead. They played with a skipping rope on the patio. Tatiana watched them with a smile on her face, I could tell she wanted to join them. She was still too small though, she was physically about one.

Genevieve didn't exactly know about the supernatural yet. She knew the Black and Cullen family was not exactly human. She noticed things like how they moved really fast or how they didn't eat much. But she didn't linger on the thought. She still had her childish ignorance.

My baby moved and I winced as she touched one of the healing ribs. Edward could read her thoughts and he told me she tried hard not to hurt me when she moved but she was cramped. I didn't see how though, my belly was huge! perhaps she was a big baby.

When I glanced down I saw the pale scar on my arm. Flashes of that night came back to me. The darkness of the parking lot. The feeling of something watching me. I heard snarls and my heartbeat sped up rapidly as I fumbled with my car keys. My hands were slippery from sweat and I nearly dropped the keys several times. Then it burst through the trees. It looked at me hungrily with those bright yellow eyes. The next thing I knew pain shot through my arm. I screamed. I remember someone shouting at me, the beast ran off and I passed out. I woke up in the hospital with Carlisle over me. He told me I was attacked by an animal but strangely there was no wound, just an old scar. He allowed the man who had saved me to come into the room and I thanked him, he looked strangely at my arm and swore that there was a wound when he found me.

I thanked Carlisle and hopped off the bed, I had remembered that Genevieve and Brandon were waiting for me. Despite Carlisle's protests I got dressed. When I tried leaving through the door he grabbed my arm and I winced unintentionally. He quickly let go, I shook my head, thanked him again and walked out. I had never been so glad to see Brandon in my life, I happily left with them anxious to get out of the hospital. It reminded me too much of how my parents had died.

"Would you like something to drink?" Brandon's voice startled me out of my revery. I looked at his face which constantly had a frown etched onto it.

I gave him my best smile and nodded.

He couldn't help but smile back as he walked into the kitchen. A wave of guilt washed over me as I remembered what I would be leaving behind. My eyes stung at the thought of him alone.

The sun was just starting to set now, it touched the horizon and cast a warm honey coloured light over the land. A beautiful sight. It reminded me of spring.

"Here you go." Brandon sat down next to me with a metal cup in his hands with a straw in it. Tatiana looked up at me, I knew she could smell the blood but she shook her head and turned back to Noelle and Genevieve.

I didn't hesitate to drink the blood. It didn't taste as metallic as I imagined it being. It tasted good actually, like a rare cooked steak only better. That thought made my stomach growl.

"You're hungry, what would you like?" Brandon asked immediately. I didn't really want him to go though. "I'm fine," I lied, "I have blood." I shrugged and leaned into his arms. His fingers curled over my arms as I rested my head in his neck.

Watching the view like this made me sad. It made me wish I wasn't dying slowly, I wish that we were watching our own children playing in the light of the sunset.

"Here you are sweety." Esme's voice said from behind us. She emerged holding a tray of food for us. Which happened to include a rare cooked steak and another cup of blood. I looked up astonished. She only winked and then left.

"She's amazing!" I exclaimed as I sat up to eat. From the corner of my eye I saw Brandon cracking a smile.

Later I would find out that Edward had told Esme of my craving. And a little after that I would be dead.

The pain... I did not really feel the pain. I felt numb. I don't remember if I screamed but I think I did. I could not see, black spots danced in my vision. I could not breathe, my lungs closed up. I could not hear, I knew there was a cacophony around me but all I heard was a high pitched ringing.

I do not know when it started but the black spots eventually changed to red. I would gasp for breath and the ringing would momentarily cease. In those brief moments I heard Brandon shouting. There were many other voices as well but his was the most distinct. So full of distraught that I wanted to go to him and whisper that I was alright. Of course it would be a lie but I would do anything to set him at ease.

What made it worse was that sometimes the red spots would clear and I could see, I would see blood, a lot of blood and I would see his face. He was being restrained by his mother who looked like she wanted to break down as well. He never took his eyes off me. My heart felt heavy as I watched him desperately try to claw past his mother to get to me. Then my vision would be filled with red spots again and I would fight to breathe once more.

I don't know how long it lasted. To me it felt like eternity, but it could have been only five, ten or thirty minutes.

When I finally felt the pain I wanted to give up. My broken bones burned like they had been dipped in magma. Where my skin was ripped it felt ice cold and flaming hot at the same time.

I prayed for anything to sooth the pain but nothing came.

After what felt like another millennium of burning and freezing my vision became clear once more and the ringing in my ears ceased.

I saw Carlisle above me, holding a bloody figure in a blanket. "A girl." He said softly. I wanted to smile but it probably came out a grimace. I glanced at Brandon and I couldn't read his expression. He was frozen, his mother still restrained him. Tears were rolling down his cheeks. His dark eyes were wide, I couldn't tell if it was with horror, shock or surprise. Whatever emotion they held, the sight of them was tragic.

Then slowly the black spots returned. Somehow I knew that once they completely filled my sight that would be it. I used my last few seconds to take in every detail of my family. Brandon, Alice, Carlisle and my baby girl. As I looked over to her my vision blurred and I couldn't see her. I wanted to see her.

She's beautiful Juliet.. She looks like you. Leigh's voice filled my mind and the image of a beautiful baby girl's face filled my mind. She was truly an angel. She had my nose and a thin layer of golden hair covered her head in a little halo. Her eyes were still closed by somehow I knew that she had Brandon's dark eyes. She was perfect. As beautiful as a flower.

Was it my imagination or did I smell Azalea's? Is this the smell of death? If it was, it was pleasant. Almost peaceful.