First of all, MERRY CHRISTMAS!! Second of all, HUMBUG to those who don't celebrate it, but happiness to you too. Third, its late and I have missed Santo finishing this so I hope you are happy!!!
Oil And Water
Edward P.O.V
"I can't exactly pop out and say 'Hey Bella, whats with the burning thing? What's your deal with the rain? Why do your eyes turn red? How comes you can sock a pissy vampire? Why is the toughest vampire I know scared shitless of you? Why do you give me the time of day? Why do you make my heart restart with every touch we share? Why do you bring these emotions out of me that I'd never experienced before?!' I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself down as Carlisle just watched and thought about my rant. "So Doc, can you make heads or tails of this?" He shook his head with a smile.
I don't believe it. It's finally happened. He thought, and I looked at him in question. "Edward, I think you've found your mate." My mouth hung wide open at his words. I stood slowly, trying not to picture Bella as mine forever, trying to ignore the future that so desperately wanted to play out for me. I shook my head and closed my eyes, pacing, as he explained further.
"I know this is a shock to you, but from what you explained to me, there is a stronger relationship and more complex feelings between yourself and Bella than just predator and prey." I laughed in my shock, reeling from his words and this new realisation.
"The lion and the lamb. A sweet, innocent lamb. Oh Carlisle I'm sick." I groaned as I hung my head, stopping and turning to him exasperated. "What can I offer her other than pain? Our world is just too much to expect her to accept willingly."
I looked over to him, completely frustrated with my situation, clutching at the straws of reason and logic. She can't love me. She won't love me when she finds out. She can't find out. She could leave, have a human life, family, children, grandchildren. She shouldn't be with me. This can't happen to me. Good things never happen to me.
"Edward, stop thinking so hard about it." Jasper said as he walked into the room, and I turned to him, looking him over as he walked over to Carlisle and sat opposite him. I didn't need to say anything because my emotions said it all. "Yeah, I'm fine. I've had a bit of time to analyse what happened... and I think I understand a little." I rushed over and sat down in my own seat, staring down at the coffee table as I clasped my hands together, gnawing on my knuckles. I felt a wave of calm sweep through me and I stopped gnawing. I nodded to Jasper and he raised his hand to say 'no problem'.
"So Jasper, care to enlighten us son?" Carlisle asked and Jasper nodded, leaning forward, suddenly very animated.
"Bella is like a split personality, except it is not the personality that is split." He said, and I looked over to him, not making any sense of his words. "Okay, so I didn't explain that well. Umm..." He thought about little things and I payed acute attention, though only catching little things that made even less sense in the jumble of his mind. "Okay, Bella is like Oil and Water, forced to mix. She has that tough exterior most of the time for an unknown reason to me. Its like a mix of her and whatever is inside of her." My mouth opened in horror.
"Inside of her? How deep? Can we get rid of it?" Carlisle asked -mainly to himself- but I quickly interrupted, snapping in my disgust.
"No you can't get rid of it! You wont touch her!" I sat back down and sighed in my frustration. "Sorry." I groaned, and Carlisle just nodded, a little amused.
See what I mean son? Far from predator and prey. "Let me get this straight Jasper, Bella has something inside of her that... is poisoning her?"
"Poison in a way, but it is more than that I'm sure of it....Changes her. Takes her over. It's exactly like two completely different people in one body, both of them wanting to take the reigns. It's closely bonded to her, so it's not something new. Have you noticed she smells different?" Carlisle nodded, and I nodded vigorously.
"Edward, you don't count. She's your singer so of course she smells different to you than everyone else." Jasper said, and Carlisle gapsed lightly.
You missed that little detail out there, Son. Maybe she's more bonded to you than I thought.
"You're driving me insane! Just get to the point Jasper, my minds all over the place." I said rudely, but too messed up mentally to care.
"Bella's... other side... comes with power, comes with pain. Its manifesting and I can feel it hurting her with every breath she takes. She is tightly wound and its getting more powerful over time. I think it's linked by blood, so it can't be removed. Both Bella and whatever is in her are fighting for control of her body so strongly and I can feel it all. Bella is winning at the moment." Carlisle looked at Jasper intrigued, and I just nodded, barely understanding. I knew something was different with Bella. I knew she could set herself alight and not seem to feel a thing. I knew she cant ever go out in the rain, no-matter what. I knew I couldn't stay from her any longer. I knew I loved her.
"You say for now..." Carlisle asked, and Jasper looked frightened at his next words.
"She can't keep it up. The power is building for something, maybe a specific date or event. I'm shocked and respect her greatly for having the strength and will to keep her control going for as long as she has. In a way she's just like you Edward..." He said, and I turned my eyes to him in question, waiting for his explanation. "She hates herself... every single part." I sighed and thought about everything I had just been told.
"I'm going to talk to her... but not now. It's too early for me to ask her for such personal information. When she tells us, I'll tell her about us." Silence took over our discussion once again as I heard Jasper and Carlisle think about what that would mean.
Jasper spoke first. "Edward... you know once she knows the truth about us... well its either death or damnation." I shook my head as I stood and explained again.
"No it won't have to be! As long as we keep her secret she will keep ours, I know it. Bella is trustworthy. Her heart is so good Jasper, you had to have seen that." He nodded.
"Nomatter how badly she thinks of herself she has a beautiful heart. I felt that today, between you two. It knocked me off of my feet -quite literally." He laughed lightly in the tense discussion. My heart ached as I heard his words. Does that means she really does...?
"Whatever feelings you have towards her are reciprocated Edward. To some extent, I think Bella loves you. She may not have figured that out for herself though. She felt horrible and angry at herself for kissing you earlier, but not because it was you o the receiving end. She wanted to kiss you, but she really doesn't want to let herself. I think there's more to her past than we can ever comprehend."
"That is where you come in son. You love her, but she doesn't know she loves you. Show her she's not a monster." Maybe... just maybe, you could heal each-other with your love.
My heart swelled at the possibility of her loving me back. I wanted to go to her now. I wanted to watch over my love. I felt a path of certainty set in-front of me, and deep down I felt a shift. I knew that whatever was going to happen between Bella and I would change me forever. A grin spread across my face as I saw Alice's vision from her head far away.
Alice's Vision
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Bella and Edward in their meadow, years from now, smiling and watching the moon rise in the night. They hold hands as the sun slowly rises later, and Bella's skin glows while Edwards sparkles.
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End of Vision
I laughed and felt like crying in happiness at the vision. Bella and I were together, but she wasn't a Vampire. She doesn't need to be changed to be happy. We can be happy!
"If the power is too much for her to handle, perhaps changing her could help? I mean if she gets close to death from it." My smile fell as I heard his suggestive words.
"Bella will not be one of us. I won't change her. None of us will." I stated, looking at Carlisle sternly so he could see how serious I am.
"Perhaps this discussion would be better suited for another day. The option may not need to be considered if she keeps up her strength." He said, looking grimly but warning me in his mind. This subject will be re-visited son. Sooner or later you will need to make a decision. It may be unavoidable.
"Have faith in her Carlisle. She's a fighter, I can tell. I'll be there for her when she needs me." I said, and he nodded. His decision was already made though. Carlisle would not let me avoid the conversation for long, but I know how to stretch these things out. It could be many years until such an action would be considered again.
I suddenly had this strong tug in my heart to my left. I put my hand to my heart as the pull was like a child tugging on a hand. I looked in the direction the tug was pulling me. What is this? I heard Jasper gasp and I looked over to him. He looked frightened and in pain.
"Jasper, son what is it?" Carlisle asked, worried and standing as Jasper stood afraid, eyes bugging further and body convulsing. He began to fall as a horrified Alice ran into the room.
"Jasper!!" She shouted, catching her husband before he fell. I looked into Alice's mind and saw just how much the day had taken a toll on her. Her mind was screaming for her husband again, terrified for him. He was shaking and hyperventilating, grasping onto Alice. He took a deep breath and shouted confusing things.
"OPEN YOUR EYES!" He screamed as Alice sobbed.
"He's being Bella. Somethings happening and now he's possessed!" She cried, holding her husband and rocking him as he cried out again.
"DAD!" He screamed painfully. My eyes clouded in horror as I called to Carlisle. Bella and Charlie are in danger!
"Carlisle grab your bag!" He looked a little dazed but was suddenly on the ball, running and returning with his bag in a second. I looked over to Alice quickly, asking her with my eyes if she could handle Jasper.
"Go!" She ordered, and I nodded, running full speed to Bella's home, the gap between Carlisle and I growing with my speed. Please, please, please! I prayed for her safety, and my heart ached and pulled me faster in her direction with another jolt. The closer I came to her house the stronger came my worry.
I gasped as her house came into view, and I saw a frightening image. The back door had been blasted open and was charred, blackened from fire. My eyes snapped to the refrigerator that had toppled over, blacker than the door. It looked like there was some kind of small explosion. I saw a clean spot high up on the cream wall and my eyes fell down to the person that caused the small destruction. He body flopped into view as she shook and quivered, eyes looking up to the ceiling. She slumped against the wall, trying to keep herself upright.
"Come on Charlie." She panted, and my body suddenly began to move again. I ran in and saw Bella's limp and exhausted body slumping and convulsing against the kitchen wall up close. Her clothes were charred in places, revealing some of her stomach. Her tights were melted to her skin. My eyes snapped to the side as I saw her father lying completely lifeless on the floor, his heartbeat weak and almost completely gone. I rushed to her and tried to catch her eyes as I saw them drooping. Please God, PLEASE!
"Bella! Bella!!!" I called her eyes to me, and they came. I felt extreme pain at the worry and exhaustion in them. She was suffering. Her eyes drooped heavily again, scaring me to the core. I heard Carlisle's approach as he caught up. "Carlisle, Bella's eyes are drooping. Oh God... she's bleeding Carlisle!!" I saw the red trickling down her face and my throat burned beyond any describable point.
Edward stop breathing! I need to work on her father. He called, as I placed my hand on her cheek painfully as the wetness touched my skin. I could taste her blood in the air as it ran faster. My eyes zeroed in on the red stream, but I somehow contained myself. The love of your life is on the floor, bleeding rivers!! Fucking control yourself and protect her!
Her blood smeared hand stroked mine limply, trying to get my attention. I stopped breathing and my eyes snapped to hers as she spoke almost inaudibly from her exhaustion. "I'll live. Trust me." I looked at her head and placed my hand on her wound, not even daring to think about the blood that was not mine to ever take. I nodded, trying to keep some of the faith I had told the others to have earlier. Her eyes drifted over to her father slowly and a small, strained smile broke from her. I quickly looked over and saw Carlisle working on him, pumping his heart and giving him various drugs to help keep him alive. Of course, my beautiful, selfless angel cares more about her father than her own injuries. I felt stupid for not knowing this by now. She values everyone elses lives over her own, just like I do.
She sighed as her eyes drooped again, this time with her whole body, and my fear took over as I desperately called her eyes over to me again, holding her upright on her chin. "Bella please, stay with me Bella. Keep them open." I begged, sobbing as she showed no response. She exhaled and slumped completely, her heart beating weakly.
"I've got a rhythm!" Carlisle called to me as I sobbed and hugged Bella close, counting her heartbeats and begging for the next.
Edward I think she knows what she's talking about. She'll live. Keep it together son. I stopped my sobs and sucked it up, clenching my teeth down and taking a shaky breath. My throat was like a volcano eruption, but I ignored it still, finding the innocent body of my angel in my arms more important than my thirst. I broke my eyes from her and looked over to Carlisle as Charlie coughed, waking up.
"Carlisle what do we do?" I whispered as he thought of an excuse for our presence. Charlies eyes fluttered open as he tried to move, wincing.
"Chief Swan, don't worry you're in safe hands." His eyes fluttered and looked at Carlisle in confusion, then suddenly dawning in realisation.
"B-Bella." He whispered as he saw the black ashes in the room.
"Ms. Swan is over there. My son is looking after her." He tried to sit up but Carlisle pushed him down. "Sir- sir please be still."
"What happened?!" He shouted, sounding close to passing out again.
"A fuse in your refrigerator was loose and somebody left the gas on. I believe your daughter opened it and set the gas alight. It was a mere flash fire, but she's unharmed other than a head wound that my son has informed me of." Carlisle gave Charlie a significant look and Charlie nodded, understanding and thanking him with a nod as he slowly passed out from the new batch of drugs pulsing through his body.
"Edward, can you call the Ambulance please? Charlie needs immediate attention." Carlisle asked, and I nodded, pulling out my phone and dialling 999 in a flash. After three minutes of explaining I heard the Ambulance approaching. They rushed in and took over, taking Bella's limp frame from my arms and putting her on a stretcher. As soon as she was in the Ambulance I looked around for some form of transportation so I could follow her the human way. God, where is a car when you need it!! I looked around at the surrounding cars, prepared to hot wire one, when my Volvo suddenly roared around the corner, Emmet in the drivers seat. I ran over to the car, getting in the drivers seat as he slid over.
"Alice sent me." He said, and I nodded, flooring it after the Ambulance. I listened intently for her heartbeat as we drove. Please God, please keep her safe for me. Please keep them safe.
"Edward, I kinda have a message for you." From Rosalie. I snorted aloud.
"Emmet, I really don't want to hear it."
God Edward you're such an arsehole. "She wants you to know she's sorry and that she'll-"
"Emmet shut up. Did I not just say I'm not interested? Considering my day I am really not in the mood." I laughed humorlessly. So far the love of my life has nearly died twice today. Shall we try for a third? God, this happy meadow scene looks like it's never going to happen. Come to think of visions... I picked up my phone and dialled Alice whilst driving. Screw the law, I was breaking the speed limits and weaving anyway.
"What?" She asked, obviously drained, her everyday enthusiasm finally running out.
"How's Jasper?" She sighed and I heard her thoughts through the phone. Don't ask me how that's possible. He's knocked out. She showed me what was going on through her eyes. Jasper appeared to be sleeping.
"Is he actually sleeping?" I asked, a little amazed that it's possible.
"I don't know. He could just be stoic again -this time with his eyes closed. I don't know whats happening to him, but I do know it's Bella's fault. How am I supposed to be her friend in the future if she does this to him every time she has a panic attack?!" She ranted.
"So you can see her now?" I asked, and she only observed then that she actually could.
"Hmmm... I guess I can! I don't know, I mean I can't see her now. What's going on over there by the way? I just had a vision of you hot-wiring a car and getting caught. You didn't really respond well when he tried to stick you in the police car."
"I ran over with Carlisle and Bella had some kind of explosion. She was dead on her... well actually she wasn't even on her feet so that saying doesn't fit. She looked completely drained of energy. She was pale and sort of grey. She had a head wound like she'd just been smacked against the wall from the force. Her father was on the floor in-front of her, and he'd lost his heartbeat. Carlisle got it going again though, and I called the ambulance. I was going to hot-wire a car because I wanted to follow the ambulance like a human to not seem suspicious. Thanks for that by the way." I added, nodding to Emmet at the same time as a car beeped at us.
"Wow. I hope she's alright. You see this right here is killing me. I need to hope! Why can't I just see? I hate not knowing!" She groaned and I laughed lightly.
"So, about that vision of yours-"
"I guess your not talking about the one where Bella and I are chums?" She sighed and I heard her rub her temples. "I don't know how you two get there, but you're all set at the moment. I'll let you know if that future changes, okay?"
"Thanks Alice. Keep me posted on Jasper. Perhaps Bella can explain to us what's going on better. When I ask her that is..." I knew that question would need to be asked soon, but I also knew it wouldn't be any time soon. We turned off in-front of the hospital and I slid into a small parking space, jumping out and slamming the door as humanely as possible, walking towards the entrance where Bella and her father were being wheeled in. "I'm going in now." I said, followed by a beep of a cut off line.
I pressed 'end call' and slid the phone in my back pocket, walking in with Emmet hot on my heels. "You don't have to be here you know." I told him, and he faked hurt and shock.
"I happen to like Bella! She's got Sass." I shook my head and chuckled once as I followed where the stretchers had gone. A woman called to us.
"Um, excuse me boys!" We turned to look at her and she gasped, her thoughts exclaiming how attractive she found us. I rolled my eyes and gave her a glare as her thoughts turned a bit too uncomfortable for me to listen to.
"Bella and Charlie Swan." Emmet said to her, and she blinked, looking at him for a second, and then shook her head, pointing to where we were already going.
"Through there. Are you family?" Please don't say you're married to that girl. Please don't be taken! She thought, and I moved towards the double doors.
"We're Doctor Cullen's sons. Don't bother with the family thing unless you want him down your throat." I told her harshly, and Emmet just coughed a laugh as I walked along the corridor, following Bella's heartbeat like it was calling to me.
"She has changed you! You're normally so patient!" He laughed, and I turned on him.
"Would you bother with being polite if it was a human Rosalie in here?" I asked, and he was silent, thinking of how painful it would be for him if it was like that. "I rest my case." I turned the corner and saw Bella and her father in a shared private room. I knew that was Carlisle's doing. I opened the doors and was welcomed by the wave of fire in my throat. I... missed the burning.
"Bella." I sighed as I sat down next to her, taking her hand and holding it as tightly as I dared, feeling a very small buzz from her palm. Her buzz was weakening with her. That thought clawed at my heart. "I'm here Bella. I'm never going to leave." I told her as she lay there, sleeping heavily from the ordeal. I would have found the look on her face amusing if it wasn't under such death-skimming circumstances. I watched over her and half an hour later she gave me the shock of my life... or death. Whichever.
Her eys snapped open and she sat upright in a millisecond, scanning the room quickly. She saw her father in teh bed opposite and she rushed to stand, but stopped when she felt my hand on hers. She stared into my eyes as she half stood, completely frozen and un-moving. She shook her head after a minute and began to breathe again. "What am I doing here?!" She asked me quietly. I opened my mouth to say I didn't know, but as if she had read my mind, she raised her eyebrows and looked at me knowingly. "Don't lie to me. I know you know."
I looked into her eyes and felt ashamed, like I was the 'Great and Powerful Oz' caught hiding behind the curtain. "Charlie had a heart attack and a fuse in your house blew." I explained slowly, and she nodded, though I had a feeling she knew I saw more that I was letting on. Her eyes widened slowly as she turned her eyes back to mine after being lost momentarily in thought.
"You were there." She said, sounding... grateful? My words of excuse were stopped by her next actions. Her lips were on mine, and she kissed me hard, pushing me back against my chair as my hands immediately sang to explore her body. I was shocked, but my first instinct was not to back away, but was instead to kiss her back. I began to respond as she pulled away and pressed her forehead on mine. "Thank you. So much." She whispered, her voice breaking, and she pulled herself from my lap which she had in some ways straddled me on. She walked over to her father without giving me another glance.
"I'm here Dad. I'm so sorry." She whispered as she held her fathers hand, sitting beside him with a look of pure guilt on her face, pain screaming from her eyes. I stood and walked over slowly.
"Bella... are you alright?" I asked slowly, and her jaw clenched, and I didn't need a Jasper to know she was in a dangerous mood.
"Surely I don't need to answer that. How can I be okay with my father laying unconscious in-front of me? How can I be as chipper as a bunny when I'm faced with a life changing decision!!" She growled at me painfully, refusing to meet my eyes. She stood, letting go of her fathers hand. Her eyes were swimming with regret, pain and indecision as they met mine. "You have to know what I'm talking about. I know you saw me in that Meadow." She whispered, her anger lessening.
I nodded lightly, unsure of what to say. Do I deny it? Do I tell her the truth? I need time to think!! "Perhaps we-"
"Perhaps you could give me a reason to want to tell you." She shouted, though her voice low and hushed. I felt shock at her words. So she wasn't about to accuse me as being inhuman? Then why would she... I suddenly understood. She was referring to herself. She knew I knew something.
She moved closer to me, warily placing her hand on mine as she closed her eyes, tears beginning to fall. "Give me a reason to stay." She whispered almost inaudibly. I pulled her chin up to look into her eyes. Oh no, don't you dare leave me. You are no monster Bella, I am! I wanted to scream the words, but I was quickly reminded of our setting as I smelled fresh blood from a new patient.
"This isn't the right place. Yes, we need to talk, but I have things to say too. Things that can't be said in such a public place." I told her, pain now laced in my voice at the thought of her leaving me. I wanted to do anything to keep Alice's vision on track. She nodded, swallowing and more silent tears falling.
"So be it. As soon as Charlie wakes up. I need... time, Edward. Please, give me some time before you start the Spanish Inquisition." She whispered, completely serious and begging. She wouldn't be Bella if she didn't stick a bit of random and potentially humorous colour to her words. I nodded, swallowing myself to remove the venom pooling from her proximity. I didn't like her begging to me, a lesser and horrific creature.
"I can wait Bella. I'll wait for you to tell me. Whenever you're ready." There were questions burning inside of me, some that desperately wanted and needed answering, but I valued my Angels sanity and feelings over my curiosity. I had to prepare myself also. I needed to tell the family that I was going to reveal myself to Bella, whether they liked it or not, but they still needed a warning.
"Sit with me." She asked me, looking into my eyes and I found myself immediately lost in her emotions, shocked and stunned at the vulnerability of them. They looked like the eyes of a lost child, given too much guilt and responsibility to carry. I could see the secrets burning away at her more than the flames I had once seen engulf her skin. I nodded and pulled up the nearest chair as Bella sat down, clasping onto my hand as she did with her father. She sobbed lightly, and for the first time since knowing her I wanted no entrance to her mind. I didn't know if I could keep it together seeing the things that she had seen, feeling the things that she had. As I sat there, watching her watch her father, it dawned on me how uneventful and dull my life had been compared to Bella's. She was too old for her age, and I knew just from looking at her that she had never really been given the chance to be a child -no worries and no secrets to hold her down. I squeezed her hand as she sobbed again, the pain in it stabbing me like a cold dagger. She squeezed my hand in response and I knew that was her saying 'thank you'.
I was joking XD Santa doesn't visit me anymore ¬¬ lol XD Well review for me my darlings. Give a child a christmas miracle and make her cry in happiness from the reviews!!
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