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Ashleigh leapt from the car and skipped up the front steps. Of course Edward and I got there before her and we were already inside by the time she came through the front door. All smiles and smug confidence.
The little madame.
"Ashleigh, could we have a little talk?" I said through a deep breath.
Edward squeezed my hand. "Don't be too hard on her," he said before he left for the piano room. I could hear him warning the rest of the family to give us some space. I almost felt bad for disrupting their peace, because there was certainly no way this would be quiet. Not with Ashleigh at the helm. She only knew two ways to act in a discussion, sarcastic and annoying or loud and dramatic. Both of which weren't all that great to deal with.
"Sure thing, Rodeo...By the way you'll have to tell me why Emmett calls you that. It seems a bit strange really. I mean don't you guys use fangs rather than ropes to catch your prey? Unless I've got the whole vampire thing wrong. Did Stephenie write about everything or did she miss some things out? Do you know if..."
"Ash, what the hell did you think you were doing?" I cut through her babbling. She always did it when she knew she was in trouble. My guess was that it was a distraction technique. If she talked enough then maybe the person doing the telling off would forget about the main topic of discussion. Not this time, that was the benefit of a vampire brain - a good memory.
There was a poignant pause as I stood cross-armed waiting for Ashleigh to answer.
"I have no idea what you mean," she said as she turned to face me, her posture straight and her eyes daring me to call her out. I wasn't going to back down, not like when we were back in our world. Back then our arguments generally meant nothing, but here she was messing with things that to her may have seemed fictional or inconsequential but they weren't. Relationships and feelings here were just as real as they were in our world. I thought she understood that.
"Don't try and play innocent, Ash. You were a fluttery, giggly, oh-you're-so funny mess with Jacob."
"I was not!" She gasped, flipping her hair in the process.
I just stood there and quirked my eyebrow, staring at her 'surprised' eyes. It didn't take long for her expression to shift and she turned on the sarcastic stare. The look that screamed apathy.
"OK, whatever. Am I not allowed to have a little fun?"
"Ash, this place isn't your personal play ground. You're actions leave lasting effects on this place. You can't just act that way with Jacob and think it's harmless. I can't leave Bella with no one and I know she likes him."
"Yeah but does he like her? He hasn't imprinted on her, so he's still fair game."
That did it. I saw a flash of red and I was inches from her face in a matter of moments. Ashleigh tried to hide her shock but I noticed the way her heart rate sped up and her breathing became shallow. She just turned away, directing her eyes at the glass windows and setting her jaw.
"Fair game? FAIR GAME? Did you seriously just say that? How selfish are you, Ash?You can't play these people. They're not freakin' life sized Barbie dolls. You might not have any real feelings invested in them but I do." I hissed as I tried to restrain the urge to grip her face in my hand and force her to look at me.
I could feel my veins fizzling, feel the way the power made my palms itch and legs twitch with the need to run. I wasn't dangerous yet but I could be if I stayed looking into her insolent eyes any longer. I loved my sister but I had never heard her say something that could be so selfish, uncaring, and arrogant. I'd known her faults and flaws just as I'd known my own but I'd never seen hers demonstrated in such a negative way as she had when she uttered those words. 'fair game' the idea that she didn't take anything here seriously was enough to spark my anger, but the very idea that she seemed to think people here didn't count, or that their emotions were insignificant... That was what hurt because I was a part of this world and the idea that she thought that way, and that way of thinking spread across to include me... I couldn't handle the idea that my sister thought of my whole life here as a joke, a game, or a play that was just being acted out.
So I walked away. I turned my back on her in the hope that if I left what she had said behind me, it might become untrue. Just some words that were once said and meant nothing.
I was at the doorway of the lounge when I was halted by her shaky breath.
"I think I love him."
As soon as she said the words I felt everything start to fall apart. I had thought if she was just playing games I could still salvage the situation, make Jacob forget about her because they wouldn't have a real connection. But as soon as she spoke my heart ached because no matter how much I wanted Bella to have her happy ending I couldn't deny my sister anything. She was joined to me by blood and I couldn't help but want to give her anything that made her happy. No matter what had passed between us before.
Still I had to hope that she was just whisked up in the moment of meeting him properly. After all she was young, and impulsive, and she had always been a fan from the books. I had to hope that, just as I had been attracted to Edward when I first met him, it was just the first burst of attraction that would soon fade. I had managed to let mine fade into friendship with Edward and that was seeing him every day. When Ash went home she would forget all about Jacob. I just had to get her to see that.
Plus she had to see the consequences her decision would have for the rest of us:
Bella would be without someone.
Jacob could still imprint on someone else, so there was no certainty that they would last.
Our parents would have lost both daughters from their world.
She would have to live with so many secrets from the people she loved.
"How can you be sure?" I asked as I turned to look at her. Her face had paled and her eyes held a watery glaze. She looked so young, so innocent.
"He makes me happy, he makes everything seem a little brighter, and he makes me want to be close to him." Her hands twisted around each other as she talked, or mumbled. The tigress was back in the cage ...for now.
"Ashleigh, it's just the thrill of meeting the man behind the written words. It's not love. It can't be." My voice was soft but it did nothing to stop her expression from hardening to the strength of steel. Her watery eyes were frozen so they were solid and cold. Her pale face was flushed pink with her new defiance. Tigger was back to play.
"Why not? And don't give me all that crap about consequences. I know that's what's running through your head. 'Oh but he'll imprint', or 'what about mum and dad?', or 'how will she keep all those big secrets?', and finally the real special one which is just a load of bull...'what about Bella?'. You didn't think of any of those things when you got together with Edward. So why should I? I've fallen for Jacob, Holly. Hook, line, and sinker." I tried not to smirk as she imitated my voice. Smirking wouldn't be a good idea, in fact it would be as good an idea as prodding a tiger with a very hot poker.
"You have no idea how much I hurt myself to stop from falling in love with Edward, to try and save the story and give Bella everything she wanted. I tried so hard, and then when I couldn't fight it any longer I made the compromise of giving her Jacob. Now you're going to make me take that away from her!" I paced the room, my arms moving frantically as I talked.
"You're such a hypocrite, Holly. You get to be with Edward, and yet you won't let me be with Jacob because it'll upset poor little Bella. What has she ever done for you? Screw that, what has she ever done for me? Because it's not like I loved her in the books." She spat the words out with such venom that it was hard to remember the sweet cooing voice she had used with Jacob.
"OK then, Ash," I said as I walked slowly towards her. "Let's forget about Bella for a second. Let me just tell you this. I fell for Edward without even knowing, I never stood a chance to fight the gravity that took me over, pulling me down towards him. But you, Ashleigh, you have a choice. You're not falling for Jacob. You're just standing on the edge of the cliff. You have the chance to decide whether you want to take the jump and risk everything for a relationship that could leave you on the rocks with nothing, or walk away and stay on the safety of solid ground. Keep a little stability."
"What if he imprinted on me? That would be just like the whole gravity thing you had with Edward. What would you tell me then?"
"Ashleigh. That's not going to happen. It can't because you're not from this world. Imprinting doesn't work on people from our world. There's something in our blood that just stops that supernatural magic stuff." I moved to rub her arm, so form of comfort against the blow I had delivered. She'd never be Jacob's imprint and that would mean there would always be the chance that his imprint could come along into his life and change everything.
My arm was shrugged off violently as another rush of anger gripped Ash."For fucks sake, Holly. Why does everything have to be thought out and considered with you? Why can't you just say 'screw it' and let me have what I want? Oh wait. I know why. You just don't want me to be happy!" Tears leaked down her face and I watched hopelessly as she ran off towards the back terrace.
"If only you knew how wrong you are," I sighed into the silence before flopping down onto the sofa.
I wasn't alone for long before I heard footsteps join me.
"She'll be alright, Hols. Just let her have some time," Alice brushed my arm as the sounds of crying resonated through the house.
"Stupid Jacob Black. Why did he have to be all smiley and topless? Why couldn't he have bad dental hygiene and a flabby beer belly? It would have made this so much easier," I moaned as I snuggled into Edward's side.
"It's just a teenage crush, much like the same one Seth seems to have on her," Edward said as he played with my fingers, brushing kisses over the knuckles and intertwining them with his.
"Do you want me to talk to her?" Alice asked as she sat on my other side.
"No, she's best left alone for a while. Attention just feeds the drama queen in her which isn't what we need. Why don't you and Jasper go out? He probably won't want to be too close with all the emotions she'll be giving off."
Alice gave me a sceptical look before squeezing my hand and skipping off to find Jasper.
More wailing and sniffling drifted through the house causing me to groan and bury my face in Edward's chest.
"You're going to have burn holes in your shirt," I sniffled as more acidic tears sizzled through the fabric.
"It'll just give Alice another excuse to go shopping."
There was silence for a few moments except for the heavy breathing coming from the back terrace.
"When you were talking to Ashleigh, you said something... You said that you fell for me and that you never had a chance of stopping it."
"Mmm."
"Do you regret it? It sounded so involuntary."
I peeked up to look at Edward. He was looking down at me; his eyes searching mine as if they looked right through me to the very heart of my being. I couldn't hide anything from him and I knew that but I didn't want to hurt him by saying the wrong words.
"I don't regret it, but it probably wasn't the easiest of options my life could have taken."
"I understand." His gaze dropped and I saw that flash of doubt in his eyes.
"I don't wish my life was any different. Never. I love you, more than anything. Sure it would have been so much easier if that portal had never opened, if you and I had never met. Because then I wouldn't have lost you and spent all those months wishing I could be with you. I wouldn't have been changed and left my other life behind. But I have no regrets that any of that happened because if that portal hadn't had opened I wouldn't have met you and loved you, and that would have been no life at all." My hand travelled up to his hair and pulled him towards me, pressing my lips to his.
"I love you Edward Cullen, Always have, and always will." I smiled, giving him another peck on the lips.
"I wanted this to be special but... Holly, will you.." He started but I cut him off with a raise of my finger.
"Do you hear that?"
"Holly?"
"Silence. She's not crying, but...I can't even hear her heartbeat, or her breathing." Panic was rising in me, and I leapt from the couch as Edward followed.
"Ashleigh? Ash?" I called as I ran out to the back terrace.
It was dark but not too dark for me to see out to the forest line. To see that no dark figure sat in the Cullen's garden.
"She's gone, Carlisle," Edward answered as the others joined us.
"But we would have heard her leave," Rosalie responded.
"Come on she's probably just snuck off with the Black boy." Emmett smiled but it faltered when Rosalie turned to him.
"Don't you think we would have noticed a werewolf coming onto our lands?" She smacked him around the head as usual.
Footsteps came racing from the forest, and Alice and Jasper quickly came into view.
"Is she here? I had a vision, but it could have been too late," Alice gushed as they stopped in front of us.
"That's impossible Alice she can't just disappear into thin air." Edward hissed as Alice's vision flew through his mind.
"That's where you're wrong." Jasper's stony tone cut through our panic and suddenly it all became clear.
"Torran," I whispered and the full weight of my sister's fate came crashing down on me.
He had her, and I feared he would never give her back... alive.
