CHAPTER 27-ALICE'S P.O.V.
"Hang up and dial 911," Carlisle said quickly, "I'm on my way." I end the call and do what Carlisle said. After giving the dispatcher the address Patrick and I sat down to wait on the porch. He's got a dip of snuff in his mouth and is staring at his feet. With me standing beside him and him sitting on the top step, his head only reaches my stomach and I take advantage, pulling his head to me and trying to soothe him. He's obviously shaken.
"What happened Alice?" he whispers. I smooth out his hair gently. "It doesn't look like anyone killed him Pat," I whisper back, "it was just his time." I can feel his tears soaking into my jersey. I pull him closer. A police car pulls up and Pat immediately wipes his eyes and slowly stands up to greet them.
We tell the policeman the truth: we came home and found Pops. Patrick explained why he was holding the pistol. No need to lie…Pops obviously wasn't shot. Another police car pulls up and they enter the house. I notice the elder Williamson is wearing his uniform pants and a white undershirt. He only had on one sock, the other resting in his lap. "Looks like the old man was getting ready to go to work and just keeled over," the officer comments. Patrick and I nod. "I'm sorry son," he says in a low gruff voice, putting a hand on Pat's shoulder and leading him back outside. I take Pat's hand and follow.
Carlisle and Esme are waiting outside. "My daughter called me," he said simply to the officer who shrugs. Esme immediately pulls Patrick to her, wrapping him in a tight hug. "I'm sorry Pat," she whispers. Patrick's not crying, but he's fighting it. "I called Miranda," Carlisle said softly, "are we sure he's dead?" "He's dead Doc," Patrick says, his voice muffled from being so close to Esme. I nod in agreement. "It looks like he was putting his socks and boots on to get ready for work," I explain, "and just died right there in his chair."
"I need to call his work," Patrick says as he wipes his eyes again. My heart breaks for him…he's trying so hard to be composed. Carlisle hands him his cell and Patrick dials the number from memory." "Yeah, I need to speak to Frank," Patrick says into the phone. "Yeah…it's Pat. What do you mean Pop's ass is in a sling?" He walks away, trying to be mindful of his language. "He didn't show up because he's DEAD you stupid son-of-a-bitch!" Pat yells into the phone. I hear a muffled what? Come from the other side and Pat replies, "I just found him at home…dead." Silence for a beat. "Take sorry and shove it up your ass!" Pat yells, pulling back to throw the phone into the trees.
Carlisle appears next to him and catches his wrist before he can start moving forward. "Sorry Patrick," he says softly, "but I kind of need that." Patrick nods and Carlisle releases his wrist. He takes the phone and Patrick turns away. Another vehicle comes tearing up the driveway…Miranda's. She's wailing the moment she opens the car door. Patrick hurries to her and they hug each other fiercely. "Shhh, it's ok Mom," Patrick whispers softly in her ear, "it's ok…he didn't suffer."
She cries unashamed on her son's shoulder and he bites his bottom lip to keep from crying himself. I move over to them. "Take her?" Pat ask me softly, "I need to see about…arrangements." I nod and Pat pulls himself free of his hysterical mom. She cries on my shoulder. I like Pat's mom…but I want to be comforting him. Esme comes over to help, along with Carlisle. "They're asking about the funeral home and whatnot," Carlisle explains to her, "Patrick knows where Mr. Williamson kept his important papers concerning…well in preparation for…this." Miranda nods and continues to sob. Esme has taken over soothing duty. I turn and look for Patrick. I can't see him inside the house, but I can hear his heartbeat and can smell him. That's comforting enough.
Once he's finished, Patrick puts Miranda in the passenger's seat of her car and tells her to wait. Esme stays with her. Patrick stays on the porch until the funeral home arrives and they load up his grandfather and take him away. "We'll be there in the morning," Patrick mumbles to the attendant who replies, "That'll be fine Pat…and our condolences." Patrick gives him a quick nod.
Patrick then goes through the house, relocking his granddad's safe along with the back door and turning off the lights. He also goes to his room and gets some clothes. "I've got to take mom home," he mumbles, pulling me to him, "she's too shook up to be driving." "I'm coming with you," I tell him in a soft, but firm voice. He hesitates, then nods. Patrick locks the front door and climbs into his mom's car. I wave at my 'parents', knowing they heard our exchange, and climb into the backseat. Miranda gives me a weak smile and I return it. I then lean forward and put a hand on Patrick's shoulder. He puts his hand over mine. We ride like that over to Miranda's house.
Melanie is waiting for us and immediately takes over comforting Miranda. Her gaze lingers over me for about two seconds longer than necessary. "Hi Alice," she mouths to me. I give her a small smile back. "Tori asleep?" Pat asks. Melanie nods. "Guess I'll tell her in the morning," he says sadly. "Go take a shower," Melanie says, "I can smell you from here." Pat doesn't even respond, just trudging weakly towards the bathroom, bag in hand.
"Want coffee Alice?" Melanie asks. I shake my head but reply "I can go make some if you want." Melanie nods, then goes back to soothing Miranda who's still weeping softly on her shoulder. I'm standing beside the kitchen sink filling the pot with water when I hear a sound that breaks my heart. Out of all the noises in the house…the sink running, Miranda crying, Melanie hushing her, Amber and Tori's light snores, the air conditioning, and the shower…I can hear Patrick crying softly from the bathroom. I know no one else hears, but I can. I can feel my own lip quivering.
I take a deep breath and fix the coffee maker, then return to the living room. "How do you take it?" I ask Melanie. "Black…both of us," she says absently, "Pat too." "It'll be ready in a minute," I say absently. Melanie nods.
"Pat's crying," Miranda says weakly. "You can hear him?" I ask, surprised. She shakes her head. "When Roy…his dad…use to whip him, Pat would bite his bottom lip and not make a sound," she says, her eyes far away, "I've seen him bite that lip till he drew blood." She sighs. "Didn't want go give that bastard the satisfaction of seeing him cry."
She looks up at me. "Pat's just like that," she goes on, "don't ever think he's a cold person." "He's not…he just hides it well." I nod, not surprised. "Can you hear him Alice?" Melanie says abruptly. I shake my head. "No, that's why I was so surprised Miranda could," I lie quickly, "I usually have pretty good hearing." Melanie gives me a scrutinizing look like she doesn't believe me but can't call me on it.
"Mothers always know," Miranda says with a knowing nod. Melanie smirks at this. "Yeah," Miranda says sadly, "he ain't my little boy anymore Alice." I don't know how to respond to that. Miranda takes a deep breath. "Take care of him Alice," Miranda whisper, "he loves you." "I know," I say simply, putting my hand on hers, "and I love him." This earns me a warm smile from both women.
Patrick comes in wearing nothing but a pair of shorts. "Boy, put some clothes on," Melanie says with an eye roll. "What?" Patrick says, rolling his eyes right back, "thinking of changing your persuasion?" I giggle at that, then see Pat's chest. Even with the werewolf scars he looks good enough to eat. "Wipe your mouth Alice," Melanie says, smacking me on the arm. She winces at the contact, but doesn't comment. Was I drooling?
Patrick and Miranda both just roll their eyes. "I made coffee," I say, tearing my eyes off Pat, "want some?" "I'd love some," Pat says, absently messing with his Copenhagen can. Both women wrinkle their noses at this, but don't comment. I'm betting that's an old argument. "Black?" I ask from the kitchen. "You know it," he replies. I pour three cups, taking the two women one, then coming back for Pat's. He's sitting down in an armchair and I just park myself in his lap. This earns me another warm smile from Melanie and Miranda.
"Soon as I finish this, I'll get dressed and run Alice home," Patrick tells his mom. She huffs. "She can stay if it's alright with her parents," she replies quickly, "I doubt anything like that's going on tonight." "My folks aren't expecting me home," I reply quickly, "I told them Pat would probably need me." "Good," Melanie says, "I'll even give you a pass on the 'Behave Yourselves' speech." Pat doesn't comment, just sips his coffee. If he's embarrassed, he doesn't show it.
Patrick finishes his coffee and bids everyone goodnight. I follow of course. "Here," he says handing me a t-shirt, "it's a little big…but I promise I'll be good." He's smiling, but I can tell his hearts not in it. I smile back though and kiss him on the cheek. I strip to just my panties and slide the shirt on over me. Gods, it smells like him…BAD ALICE, BAD ALICE, BAD ALICE! I fold up my clothes, so my bra isn't visible, and go back into the room. Tori is asleep in one bed, Patrick is lying on another on the opposite wall. The bed is much smaller than the one at his house, but I don't mind.
"Hey," I whisper, pulling myself next to him, "you can cry if you want." He shakes his head. "You can't," he replies. I exhale and pull myself even closer. "I would if I could," I admit, "cry I mean. It's like sleeping…it's a luxury my kind wishes we had." He doesn't respond. "Edward feels the same way," I admit, "he wishes he could cry sometimes." Patrick puts a hand on my hip. "I know what you're thinking," I continue, "and I understand. You think you have to be strong for them…and you maybe right." I bite my bottom lip. "Just know I'm not going to think less of you if you do," I go on, "and I want to comfort you."
He gives me a slow nod. I wrap my arms around his neck. "Are you alright?" I whisper. "No," he admits, "but I will be…thanks to you." He gives me a soft kiss on my mouth, then rest his forehead against mine. "I don't even own a suit," he mumbles. "I'll take care of it tomorrow," I promise, "you take care of your mom and Tori." He nods, then burrows his head under my chin. I hold him against my chest till he cries himself to sleep.
I hold him the entire night. His sleep is restless and I do my best to soothe him. I don't even pretend to be asleep when Melanie sticks her head in to check on Tori and us. She gives me a knowing nod and disappears quickly. Pat mumbles and tosses the entire night. I respond by pulling him closer and whispering in his ear till he stills.
I hear a car pull up before seven and I hear my family's voices coming from the living room. "We brought breakfast," Esme tells Melanie in a hushed voice, "we knew you all have a…busy day today." I hear Esme, Melanie, and Bella in the kitchen. "I didn't know Pat drank coffee," Esme says. Melanie chuckles. "Did you offer him any?" Melanie replies. I'm guessing Esme shook her head because Melanie goes on, "He won't ask…too afraid of putting anyone out." This earns a chuckle from Bella and Esme.
"I…hope you don't mind," Melanie says quietly, "but they're both asleep in the guest room." "No, that's fine," Esme says quickly, "I doubt we have any reason to worry." I slide out from Pat's embrace without waking him and put my jeans back on, leaving his t-shirt, and pad quietly down the hall. "How is he?" Edward asks as soon as I walk into the living room. "Hanging in there," I reply weakly. He puts an arm around my shoulders and kisses the top of my head.
He needs a suit, I think to Edward. He nods. "We'll handle it," he promises. Emmett, sitting on the far end of the room, nods in agreement. He doesn't even know what Edward's promising…or care. Once one of us agrees to handle something, the rest of us are on board. That's just how my family is.
I hear Tori's heartbeat quicken and I wait for her to come down the hall, glancing that direction. Edward gets my attention and shakes his head at me. I listen anyway…smiling slightly as Melanie explains to Esme how to make grits. I hear Tori's heartbeat beginning to slow again. Went back to sleep? I ask. Edward nods.
Emmett turns the TV on ESPN about the time Amber comes into the living room and plops down on the couch still in her pajamas. "Company this morning, huh?" she ask. "You don't know?" I ask. "Know what?" she ask. I look at Edward who shakes his head. "Last night…" I began but stop. "Yeah…" she comments, "I came home and went straight to bed." Edward moves quickly into the kitchen to get Melanie.
"Sweetie," she says coming from the kitchen, "you need to sit down." Amber gives her a look that says I'm already sitting Mom. "What the hell is going on?" Amber says, now looking confused. Melanie takes her hand and pulls Amber closer to her. "Pops died last night," Melanie says, spitting it out, "Pat and Alice found him in his chair." Her face immediately crumples. "What happened?" she asks, fighting for control. "It looks like he sat in his chair to put his boots on and just…died," Melanie explains softly. Amber loses it at this point. Melanie quickly grabs her in a fierce hug. "Don't wake Tori and Pat," she whispers fiercely, "I don't know how Alice got him to sleep last night." Emmett chuckles at that and Bella smacks him in the back of the head.
Melanie just rolls her eyes. "No Emmett…I checked," she mutters, "she didn't do that." "Although," she says giving me a pointed look, "Ms. Alice and I are going to have a little talk in the not so distant future." She then turns and looks at Edward. They share what looks like a moment of silent communication and he gives her a nod. What? I think to Edward. He shakes his head at me.
Esme and Bella set the table and I go to wake up Pat and Tori. I freeze in the doorway when I see Tori's bed empty. I look at the other bed. She's curled up against Pat's chest, his arm around her. I smile at this. I hate to wake them. I kneel beside Tori first. "Sweetie," I whisper, stroking her hair, "breakfast is ready." She opens her eyes groggily. She starts to speak and I put a finger over my lips, then point towards the kitchen. She gives me a big smile and slips out of bed, padding into the kitchen in her bare feet.
I move to her spot and kiss Pat's forehead. "Wake up baby," I whisper in his ear. He stirs slightly. Shit, I hate to do this. He didn't sleep well at all. "Pat," I say a little louder, shaking him gently, "it's time to get up." He slowly opens his eye. "You have things to do," I say sadly. He nods, then stretches. "I feel like shit," he grumbles, "I need coffee." "Esme and Bella made breakfast," I tell him, rubbing his back, "come on." He groans and moves to sit up.
I take his hand and we walk into the kitchen. They don't have a formal dining room, so the human's are around the kitchen table. Miranda is awake too. "You guys aren't going to eat?" Miranda asks. "They ate before they came," Melanie says quickly. Her and Edward share another pointed look and he nods to agree with her. Pat sits down at the head of the table. "Just coffee," he mumbles. I pour for him. "Not eating?" I whisper in his ear. He moves his head to where he can whisper in mine. "Don't feel like I could handle eating right now," he whispers back. Esme frowns at this, but none of the humans hear him.
He polishes his coffee off in four long gulps, then pushes away. "Going to get dressed," he says absently, "then…" he stops, looking at Tori. "We'll handle that," Amber says, "you've done the hard part…and you still have things to do." He shakes his head. "My responsibility," he says flatly. "Pat, we've GOT it," Amber replies firmly. Again he shakes his head. "Don't fight me Pat," Amber says, even more firmly, "we can do it."
I pour him another cup of coffee. "Come on," I say, tugging his arm, "I'll go with you." He's not backing down from Amber. "Please Pat," I whisper in his ear, "don't fight with Amber…between her, her mom, and your mom they can handle it." He huffs, but follows me back to the bedroom.
"Something's up," I tell him quietly as he dresses, doing my best to ignore him clad only in boxers. "Like what?" he ask. I shake my head. "Melanie's acting strange," I explain. He shrugs. "I don't know," he admits finally, tucking his shirt in. "Her and Edward are sharing looks…like me and him do when I'm talking to him and he's reading my mind," I tell him.
He ponders this. "She's never asked anything that makes me think she's suspicious," he says, sitting on the edge of the bed to put on his boots, "could she be?" I shake my head. "I don't think so," I admit, "I'm sure we've never met." He shrugs. "I wouldn't worry about it," he says, standing up. He takes the coffee cup from my hand and drains it. "This is going to suck," he grumbles as he moves to the bathroom. He closes the door and I hear him pee, wash his hands, and brush his teeth. I wish there were some way I could make this easier.
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A/N Ok, now for a little "What Does The Reader Think?". I think it's pretty obvious Melanie knows something. It's also not a stretch to say she knows the Cullen's secret. Now the question is how? Put your theories in your reviews or send me a PM if you're confident in your guess and don't want to spoil anyone's surprise.
