Disclaimer: Twilight's realm and characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.

AN: Love me, because this is the longest chapter so far. It wasn't supposed to be the longest chapter, but Estela kind of took over what was supposed to be a short first scene... Otherwise, this is very much a character driven chapter, and it's a bit sad, so let me know what you think. Not easy to write, but I think it was pretty necessary. Also, I have never been to the Notre Dame basilica, so I took a lot of liberties. If you have actually been there, please forgive them.

Chapter 25 - Saving Grace

I felt a pair of warm lips press against mine.

"Awaken o'fairest sleepin' beauty," a husky voice sang.

I squirmed and buried my face into my pillow.

"Ness, rise and shine. Come on, Ness, wake up. You need to drink something."

Jake was softly shaking my shoulder.

"Not thirsty," I groaned.

"Really? You're sure you're not thirsty?"

I felt a straw being pushed against my lips. I smelled the sweet scent floating up the tube. My lips spread, and I began sleepily drawing in the liquid.

"Coffee wakes me up in the morning. I figured some o-positive might do the same for you."

That comment finally woke me up. I shot into a sitting position. I remembered what had happened, and more importantly, I realized what I was drinking. I withdrew my lips with a gasp and flung the cup out of my hands.

I saw Jasper leap from the chair in the corner of my room to catch the cup before it hit the floor.

"Aw, Ness," Jake grumbled. "You need to drink something. You hacked up whatever you had in you before, and you really haven't hunted since we went out three days ago."

"I'm not drinking human blood," I snapped. My face unwillingly contorted. "She was my friend…"

Jasper spoke up, "Nessie, you've never had a problem with donated blood before. It is donated after all. People donate it to help the sick—and you count as quite sick right now. There is no way you can hunt on your own until you get your strength back up. Besides, the only immoral thing you could do is waste it—which is what you were about to do. Here you are. Drink." I felt an intense wave of hunger course through me as Jasper pushed the cup into my hands.

I growled at him. I knew what he was up to—annoying, hunger-creating uncle—but I proceeded to drink. It had been a very childish thing to throw the cup. Also, my stomach rumbled, and the aroma swirling up through the straw smelled unbelievably mouthwatering.

I turned to Jasper after I sucked down a gulp. "Were you able to track him?"

"No, he went underwater almost immediately. I checked the banks for any trace for several miles down, but I came up with nothing."

I nodded. I could see Jake's eyes boring into mine. He wanted me to talk. I'm sure they all did.

The tension ended when Carlisle entered in the room followed by none other than Estela. She scampered over to my side, planting a firm kiss on my mouth.

I blinked. Jake grinned and raised an eyebrow.

"Pobrecita! How are you feeling? Lost in the mierda, no?" She pinched my cheeks. "Don't worry, Nessie, mi amor, I am here to help Carlisle, and we're going to make sure you are as fit as a fiddle."

Carlisle decided to cut in. "Renesmee, I'd like to do a quick series of blood tests to figure out the effects of the venom. I'd like to make sense of why it coagulated."

I nodded but then cringed. I had never had my blood drawn before. With the whole having impenetrable skin thingy, drawing my blood had never seemed worth the trouble. "How are you going to get the blood out?"

Estela grinned widely. "Me! Venom-free vamp teeth." She traced a finger across her pearly whites.

"I thought about asking you to make a small incision on yourself, but I think it will be easier if Estela did it. She'll just make a small hole and then I'll be able to draw the blood," Carlisle explained.

I eyed Estela suspiciously.

She winked.

I groaned. "Fine. Let's just get this over with."

"So, amor, where do you want me to bite you?" Her tiger eyes wickedly bored into Jake's as she spoke. Jake pulled on his shirt collar and ran his fingers through his hair. He looked a little flushed.

I flicked Estela in the arm. She didn't flinch but just smiled all the wider.

Carlisle spoke quickly. "Nessie, just straighten out your arm. The crease right there will be fine. Jasper, do you need to leave?"

Jasper shook his head, "Nothing to fear. I saw what Edward spit up—no problems from my end."

Estela kneeled down at my bedside. She moved her mouth very slowly to the crease in my arm. "Tell me when," she purred to Carlisle.

Jake backed into the far corner of my room. I saw Jasper smirk in his direction.

"I'll have to insert the needle quickly before the wound begins to heal, so just say "now" the second before you bite," Carlisle said frowning slightly.

"You ready, Nessie?" she asked.

"Just keep it small."

She smiled, before returning her lips to the crease. "Now," she whispered, and then I felt the prick, as the front edge of her teeth cut through my flesh.

I jerked my arm back, growling furiously, but she had already hopped back, and Carlisle was in her place with the needle moving into my vein.

"Hold still, Nessie. Only one moment more." I saw the blood collection tube in his hand gradually filling with the red liquid. When it was mostly full, he withdrew the needle and pressed a small square of gauze over the cut.

"Now, here is something I've never been able to do for my granddaughter before."

He held up a box of multi-colored cartoon Band-Aids.

"Pick your favorite," he said grinning.

I couldn't help it. I giggled for the first time since… well, since Alyssa. I sobered just as quickly, though. I pressed my hand into his. The SpongeBob one will be fine. I smiled at him.

He carefully spread the Band-Aid over the cut, smiling softly. "Ness, I'm going to do a series of tests, and then we will discuss them, is that alright?"

Thanks, grandpa. Love you.

"You're welcome, Nessie," he kissed the top of my head and left the room.

Estela took the opportunity to jump lightly onto my bed. She immediately curled up next to me, massaging her fingers into my scalp. It felt really nice. I hadn't realized how tense I was, but as I should have anticipated, Estela took an action that should have been sisterly and turned it into something very un-sisterly.

"Ez my touching your little woman eh'givin' you the green monster, Jacob?"

"Nope, just fine here," he replied weakly.

She winked at him. "Ez okay, Jakie, dear. You know I like big, strong men. If Nessie is very nice, you can join us."

I jerked away from her. I hissed.

She gave a long laugh.

I turned to glare at Jake. Sure enough, he was twiddling his thumbs. I glared at him, and I couldn't help but notice that Jasper was shifting about uncomfortably. Huh. The atmosphere in the room could not be easy for him to block out at the moment.

My glaring was interrupted when Alice strode into the room. She had a tall pile of clothes in her tiny arms. She set the top article on my bed, and the rest she chucked at Jake.

Jake caught them and wrinkled his nose. "Alice, I don't want to wear these. They smell vampy."

Alice put both hands on her hips and gave Jake an exasperated look. She pointed her chin in my direction before asking, "Have you noticed the color of said 'vampy' clothing?"

Jake looked down, examining the clothing. It was a black suit and silver dress shirt. Jake stared at them with a new recognition. "Oh…" his voice trailed off.

I looked at my own outfit. It was a long-sleeved black dress. I don't know why it took me so long—longer than Jake, but I finally realized the reason for the fuss. Funeral clothes. The funeral was today.

"Today, so soon?"

"You slept for a while, Nessie," Jasper answered.

I nodded cheerlessly. Estela patted my lap affectionately.

"It will be fine Ness. Jake, Bella, Edward, I will be there. The rest would go, too but we don't want to stand out…" Alice trailed off.

"You don't have to go if you don't want to," Jake reassured.

"No. No. I want to go. I have to. I promised." I needed to see my friends. I should mourn with them. I should say a proper goodbye to my friend, and most importantly, I had promised that I would pass on Alyssa's final words to Luke. How I was going to manage that obligation without compromising my family's secrecy was something I had yet to figure out.

"You have a few hours," Alice informed. "And you," she turned to Jake, "need to try on that suit immediately. I've never fitted you before, so the sooner the better."

"That's right," Estela purred. "In order to get the best fit, we'll have to make adjustments—for both of you," she tacked the final part on at the last second.

Alice rolled her eyes at Estela. "Now, all of you. Out! Now! Jake go change in the guest bedroom. Estela, go find your brother. He wanted to go hunting. Jasper, go give the five-minute Nessie update to Edward. That's right! All of you. Out of this room. 10, 9, 8, 6, 4, 2..." Alice's expression was such that everyone was instantly out the door.

As soon as the hallway was quiet, Alice marched over to my bed, scooped me up, and marched me down the hall to the bathroom.

She threw me into the cold shower with my clothes still on.

Leave it to my aunt to be gentle.

We drove to the Basilique Notre-Dame for the funeral. A long crowd dressed in black stood beneath the limited cover of the pointed Gothic arches outside. I didn't recognize any faces, so I continued on through the reinforced doors. Jake and my family followed me inside.

I had never been inside a church before, let alone a basilica, but I decided that there seemed to be something very appropriate about this place. The monotone and sharp angles of the square towers and pointed arches outside contrasted sharply with brilliance within. Intricate wooden carvings and golden statues filled the foyer and sides of the basilica. Stained-glass windows lined the walls. The basilica seemed very Alyssa to me: prickly and bold on the outside but soft and warm within.

Jake gripped my free hand reassuringly as we walked down the aisle. In my other hand, I held the bouquet I had brought. Finding the flowers I wanted had not been the easiest thing—there were no magnolia blossoms to be found in wintertime Canada, but I had manage to scrounge some of the thick leaves from a well-stocked florist. The rest of the bouquet consisted of hawthorn flowers and holly berries.

I heard my father whisper in my mother's ear as we sat in a wooden pew near the back. He was pointing to the Casavant Frères pipe organ on the third tier balcony. "Four keyboards, 97 stops, about 7000 individual pipes and a pedal board," he listed, his eyes bright.

She answered him in her head, and he smiled back in response.

My eyes began sweeping the enormous chamber for my friends. I saw Abby in the fourth row on the right. Brandon and a person who looked to be her mother were sitting by her side. Her face was deathly pale. I could see the tension in her back.

Then my eyes found May Li. She was sitting alone to the far side, but she was staring at the very front row. Her gaze was locked on Quinn. Quinn had his arms locked around a short-haired blond. I felt a pang in my heart. I felt the urge to run and rip Quinn's throat out, but then again, his sister had just died. His sister had died because of me. His being a jackass to May Li hadn't changed that, but nevertheless my friend was in pain, and she needed me. I stood up, and Jake rose to follow me, but Alice stepped in front of him.

"Stay," Alice commanded. "This will be better if I go."

Jake narrowed his eyes at her but sat down.

I gave him a rueful smile and made my way to May Li. Alice followed.

I sat down next to May. She didn't even seem to notice me until I pulled her in for a hug, and then she hugged me back fiercely, desperately pulling me closer. She sobbed hysterically into my shoulder.

Minutes passed before she calmed. "Oh, Nessa," she blubbered, when she finally pulled away. "I'm so glad you're here."

"May Li, why are you sitting alone? Why didn't you come sit with me or Abby?"

Her mouth twisted, and she looked down at the floor. "Because I'm a horrible friend," she gasped and began sobbing again.

"No, you're not." If anyone was the horrible one, it was I.

"Yes, I am. I didn't mean to do it. I didn't, but I accidentally told Quinn about Luke—I was just so upset when I found out. I knew Alyssa loved Luke, and that he loved her. It was in-your-face obvious. I hadn't uttered a peep before then, it was Alyssa's business, but I was out of my mind at that point, and I told Quinn that I thought Luke deserved to sit up in the front today.

"I saw Quinn's face, and I realized what an idiot I was, and that I shouldn't have said anything, but it was already too late. Quinn was already a mess, but he flew into a rage. He just started screaming bloody murder at me. I thought he was going to hit me, but he punched the wall. Then, he called Luke and started screaming at him. Luke didn't even know. No one had told him yet. I could hear him yelling back at Quinn. And…" she took a deep breath. "Quinn yelled at me to leave. He told me he never wanted to see my face again. I tried to apologize but…" she returned her gaze to the front of the room and burst into tears again.

I pulled her into another embrace. "May Li, Alyssa told me her brother was a jerk. She was worried about you," I breathed out the words through my tears. "Did you call Luke?" I choked out.

She looked at me with watery eyes. "I tried, but he wouldn't pick up."

I glanced at Alice. She whispered under her breath. "He's okay for now." She pointed her gaze at the balcony. I saw a lone figure slumped over the railing near the back. Luke. His head was bent down and his hair was pulled forward so that it hid most of his face, but I could still make out his expression. Anguish. Disbelief. Horror. Grief.

Alice was working her magic on May Li while I focused on Luke.

"Are those Ter slippers from his fall collection?" she gently asked May Li.

May nodded, starring at Alice with enormous eyes. It was like the other part of May Li's brain suddenly kicked in. She was examining Alice's dress with speculative eyes. "Your family really likes Seb Lam, don't they?" she asked.

Alice clapped her hands softy. (We were still in a church after all.) "He's a good friend of mine."

May Li's expression was immediately wiped free of all of its previous anguish. She stared dazedly at my aunt. I'm not sure anything else would have distracted May, but Alice's genuine interest and dazzling smile held May's entire focus as they discussed the upcoming season.

Around us, I could see the final guests filtering in. The organist was seating himself at the great instrument above.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Luke retreat from the balcony and head to the back. He was leaving. Alice gave me a pointed look. I needed to go. She would watch over May Li for me.

I stood up and smoothly made my way down the side aisle.

I saw Jake and my parents watching me. They all looked ready to jump from their seats.

Dad, please stay for now. I'm going to try to fulfill my promise.

I continued to the back of the basilica until I found the staircase leading upward. I ran up it, until I reached the door to the second tier. I pulled it open, finding myself in a long stone corridor. I moved forward, moving toward the dewy scent I knew to be Luke's. I stuck my head around an open door frame.

I saw him. He was in a small stone room. It was mostly bare. The only furniture was a small wooden bench and a table holding rows of red candles. The only light in the room came from the enormous stained glass window.

Luke was standing in front of the candles. He dropped a few coins in a small wooden box on the side and picked up a long thin candle that had been lying in a groove on the table. He pushed the candle's wick into one of the already lit candles and used it to light a single candle in the very center. Then he sat on the bench with his eyes closed.

Suddenly he screamed.

It was an animal-like sound. It ripped my heart open and made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I back away from the doorway, ready to flee at any moment, but then the noise cut off and Luke's head was between his knees. His hands were pulling at his hair, and his body was convulsing with silent weeping.

The room darkened as the light from the window abruptly faded. Alice had said that a storm would be coming in, and as usual, she was right. I could hear the wind picking up outside.

Something about the situation possessed me. My conscious mind seemed to float upwards while my body flitted across the room. My body wrapped her arms around Luke from behind. From above, I could see the great white wave that was rushing through his eyes, washing the red candles, the dark window, and the grief away from his vision. The white began to fade.

Alyssa stood in the front of the room. She was wearing a simple white dress. She was glowing. She looked beautiful.

She leaned in front of Luke, carefully picking up his hands, and with the same fierce expression that I had seen in the lighthouse she spoke, "I love you, Luke."

Luke's mouth moved, but no words escaped. He was trying to say something, but Alyssa put her finger over his lips. "Hush," she softly crooned. "You will move on, Luke. You will live your life and be happy. You will do it for me."

Luke nodded weakly, tears slipping down his face.

She sat down next to him, pulling him softly to her. "Shhhh. Just sleep now. Know that I love you. Shhh. Just sleep."

Luke's body relaxed, and he leaned into her, murmuring soft I-love-yous over and over again. They gradually grew softer and more mumbled, and Luke finally drifted into a peaceful dream.

When my body and mind reconnected, I was surprised to see that Luke was lying in my lap, and that it was dark in the room except for the candle light. My parents and Jake were standing outside.

My father walked quietly to my side. "I'm not sure there are words, but that was really perfect sweetie." He kissed my hair.

I gave him an embarrassed look. I had no idea how to handle this.

"Here, I got him." Dad lifted Luke easily into his arms.

"Alice accompanied May Li to the burial, dear. Do you still want to go?" my mother asked softly.

I shook my head. "We need to get him home." I wrinkled my brow. I didn't know where Luke lived.

My father looked irritated. "He was staying with the… brother until yesterday. He hasn't slept since then. His immediate family is in Ottawa. He's on a tight budget. He hasn't been sure about where he should go."

"He should be with his family," my mother concluded. "We'll put him in a hotel tonight and leave a train ticket and some cab money for him for tomorrow morning."

I nodded, and we all got up to leave.

My dad and I furtively followed Luke to the train station the next morning. Luke had the strangest expression on his face. It was still sad and strained, but there was a certain something to it…

"Peace, Ness," my dad answered my thought. "He's peaceful now. He's determined to move forward—for her. You did the right thing, my little girl." He ruffled my hair.

I smiled softly at him. It did feel good to fulfill my promise to Alyssa, but it was only a small piece of penance.

I still had Olivier to deal with.

"Nessie," my dad's face snapped to stare at mine.

I scowled and turned away from him. Get out of my head.

"Nessie, I know you don't want to talk about it, and realize that I haven't talked to anyone about it either. I was waiting for you to be ready, but I heard his thoughts as we were running to the lighthouse," my father growled deep and low. "Don't even think about going after him, sweetie. Your family will take care of him. You are safe now."

"I can't go back to school, can I?"

He gave a long sigh. "I don't know. You don't have to think about it now, anyway. You're officially on winter break for the next three weeks. Christmas is in two days. Do you want anything in particular?"

He was trying to change the subject, and I was going to let him. I started humming Christmas carols in my head. I would have to save my thinking for later.

My dad gave me a frown before starting the car. We pulled onto the freeway and headed home.

* * *