Paris, 1950
The war is over and Paris is alive again with artists, writers and musicians. Rosalie Hale has come abroad to study in this exciting and romantic city, but instead she vanishes without a trace. Now her best friend Bella has come on her own to find her. She teams up with Rose's spunky roommate, and they are joined in the search by an American businessman, a battle-scarred reporter, and a handsome painter with his own mysterious past. Following a trail of clues left behind by Rose's letters, they plunge into the dark side of the City of Lights. Who is Royce? What secrets is he hiding? Why did Rose really leave? The search for Rose and life in Paris might just change Bella in ways she never imagined.
Stephenie Meyer owns any Twilight characters that may appear in this story. The remainder is our original work. Copyright 2009 by spanglemaker9 and justaskalice. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without our express written authorization.
I hadn't been to the train station since I arrived months ago, and the hustle around me made me almost nostalgic.
"I can't believe you're leaving already," I said softly. "It seems like you just got here."
Edward gave me a curious sideways glance as he gave his father an awkward hug. He didn't quite understand how it was that I had become so close so quickly with Ed, but he also didn't seem to mind. Under the circumstances, I think he was almost relieved. After they had finally talked last week, things got better. That constant cloud of uneasiness that we had been living under since Ed arrived dissipated, and I started spending more time with the two of them. I was constantly amused by how similar their mannerisms and inflections were, despite having lived apart for five years. They had stopped being so careful with each other, and although they still had a long way to go, they weren't strangers anymore.
"Well, I expect we'll see you in London soon," Ed said warmly. He hugged me and tugged on the end of my hair, giving me a fond smile. "And you two don't need me hanging around, always in the way. I'm sure you have better things to do than keep me company. Besides," he added, glancing up at Edward, "your mother will have my head if I don't get home soon."
"Tell mum I love her," Edward said immediately. He had been feeling increasingly guilty about ignoring his mother's letters. It was one of the biggest reasons we were planning to visit London in only two weeks.
"Tell her yourself, son. Call her." The two men exchanged a significant look. Edward sighed, then nodded reluctantly.
"Have a safe journey."
Ed grabbed his case and jumped onto the train, which was billowing smoke now.
"And Dad?"
Ed glanced back, a half-smile on his lips that made him look exactly like his son.
"I... um... Take care of yourself."
Ed blinked rapidly, and for a moment it almost looked as if he was about to cry. Then, with a brusque nod, he entered the car. Edward shoved his hands into his pockets and watched quietly as the wheels began to chug down the track. We stayed on the platform until we couldn't see the train anymore, then wordlessly turned to walk for home.
"Are you going to miss him?" I asked quietly.
He shrugged slightly and reached out for my hand. We walked a few more blocks in silence, our hands swinging between us. Every few seconds he would squeeze tightly, the pressure making my fingertips tingle a little.
"You're a lot alike you know," I said, trying to distract him from whatever it was he was brooding about. Sometimes Edward spent too much time in his own head, and I could almost see the wheels turning in his mind.
He cracked a smile and shook his head slightly.
"It's true!" I protested. "You're both stubborn, and both of you would do anything to protect the people you love. The look on his face when he talks about your mother..." I smiled softly, tangling our fingers together even tighter, "it reminds me of how you look at me."
"My parents have always been in love," he said. He brought our hands up to his mouth and planted a kiss on the inside of my wrist. "I could probably count on two hands the number of times I've seen them argue. I think most of those times were directly related to me."
"Yes, it must have been difficult to have such a willful, handsome son," I teased, giggling a little when he reached his long arm around and poked my side.
He scoffed. "Well I can't imagine it was easy raising such a stubborn, gorgeous girl. Poor Chief Swan." When I grinned and looked away from him, he grabbed my chin and kissed me softly. "Our children don't stand a chance, do they?"
I was struck by the blindingly clear image of Edward and me, cradling a tiny baby with messy brown hair and brilliant green eyes. It made my heart swell. Hadn't I just got done telling Edward I wasn't ready for marriage? I knew that it was the right choice for me, but I also knew that the image of Edward's baby in my arms made my insides swirl pleasantly. My reaction made me pause, and I stopped walking unconsciously.
Before Paris, one of the things I had started to dread about graduating college and moving home was the idea that I'd be expected to bring baby Blacks into the world as soon as possible. It was something my mother talked about often, and my father would drop occasional hints about. Jacob wanted a boy first, preferably two. Meanwhile, I watched as the girls in my high school class started families, hauling around babies on their hips, wiping runny noses, and looking generally haggard and worn down. While I wasn't opposed to children, I didn't feel at all prepared to have my own, and the pressure I got from all sides made me queasy.
Edward's baby though—a little part of the two of us, one tiny, perfect child—I wanted that. I certainly didn't want it tomorrow, or next year, but just like marriage, I knew I wanted it eventually. It didn't feel like an obligation. It was a hopeful little dream.
Mistaking the reason for my silence, Edward started stuttering out some sort of awkward apology. "I mean, if we have children, you know, we don't have—"
"Shhhhh," I said softly. I pulled him to a stop and kissed him slowly, feeling his body relax as I pulled him deeper into our kiss. "Someday," I whispered against his lips.
He smiled and nodded, resting his forehead against mine. I let myself enjoy the feel of his skin, allowing the chatter of the street to fade into the background. Then he exhaled and pulled back, and the moment passed. Without a word, we kept walking.
Esme and Rose were talking in the kitchen when we got in. Papers were strewn everywhere and a map of the city dominated the kitchen table.
"Of course, I'd prefer you stay in the fourth arrondissement," Esme was saying, "but the fifth and sixth are lovely too. Alice can tell you more about what's available in the sixth, though I have a number of acquaintances in that area."
"Where's Emmett?" Edward asked. He ducked his head out into the hallway, checking the main living area before glancing up the stairs.
"He has a job, Edward," Rose sighed, still poring over the map. She chewed on her lips absently and traced a boulevard with her finger. "I know it seems like he's my full-time babysitter, but occasionally he does do actual work."
Her casual, dismissive tone made me snort, and Edward looked down at me in surprise. I walked over to the table and sat down, ignoring the slightly pouting, confused face he was pointing my way. "What are you two up to?"
"Carlisle said I'll be able to get off my crutches in a few more weeks," Rose said, finally looking up. "Esme is helping me look for my own apartment."
"Your own—are you planning on living alone?" My eyebrows pulled together and I frowned. I didn't like the thought of Rose all by herself, especially after everything that had happened.
"Yes, I am," she said firmly. The steely glint was back in her eyes. "I know you're probably worried, but I think I need to do this, Bella. I need to take care of myself for awhile, and I have the money. Esme is going to help me find someplace safe, and you and Alice won't be far away."
"Alice is doing some apartment hunting of her own." I turned in my seat and looked up as Alice walked into the kitchen, a bright smile on her face. "So this works out nicely. If we play our cards right, we can be neighbors!"
"You're moving?" I asked, struggling to follow the conversation. "What about our—your apartment on Rue Jacob? What about Jasper?"
"I've been thinking about moving out of that apartment for awhile," she shrugged. "And Jasper's place isn't exactly the Ritz. It's fine short-term, but we need more space. I want a place with more space for a studio, and with my new position at Vogue, paying for it won't be a problem."
It was impossible to miss the glint her eyes as she uttered her last sentence. She was practically beaming.
"New position? What do you mean?"
"You're talking to Vogue Paris's newest junior fashion editor!" she squealed, apparently unable to contain her excitement any longer. "It means I'll be more hands-on in selecting what goes into the magazine, which means more control and more direct interaction with the designers!"
I jumped up and hugged her, laughing and she picked me up and spun me around. "Junior editors also get more access to the closet," she whispered. "You, me, and Rose are going to go shopping. We'll send you off to London in style."
She followed through with her threat, of course, although it was much less terrifying than my first trip to the Vogue closet. Paul rushed at us, sweeping me into his arms as if we were best friends.
"Ma belle!" he cried, pulling away and looking at me closely. "You look magnificent. And so chic. Alice, where did your quaint little friend go?"
"She fell in love with an artist and went native, Paul," Alice laughed. He honed in on the "fell in love" bit, and for the next several hours we caught up while Paul gave Rose a make-over. Alice darted in and out of the salon with new finds: dresses, shoes, and hats. It was exhausting; it was wonderful.
The next morning, Alice and Rose dragged Jasper, Edward, and I through apartment after apartment. Alice was insistent that she wanted to live on the Left Bank—something about the "atmosphere." Rose wasn't as specific about what she was looking for, but she dismissed quite a few apartments after only a glance around.
"I'll know it when I see it," she said, ignoring Jasper's increasingly loud grumbles. Alice and Jasper had narrowed their list down to three different apartments and had already set up appointments to speak with the property managers. Rose hadn't found a single place she wanted.
"What about you two?" Alice asked suddenly, almost dropping the sheaf of application papers she held as she looked up at Edward and me.
"What about us?" Edward said with a shrug.
"You can't just stay in the garret with that mangy cat for forever," she said.
"Of course not," he said simply. "But we also don't have to move out immediately just because everyone else is. Besides, Debussy abandoned us long ago. He much prefers sleeping with Esme." He grinned at me and winked.
I could see she was about to argue, so I piped up. "We've talked about it, Alice, and it doesn't make sense for us to move right now. Esme has plenty of space to go around, and she and Carlisle are more than willing to let us stay in the garret for now. We don't have the resources for a place of our own yet. Someday we will. For now, we're staying put."
"Are you sure? Because there's a unit in that building we just came from that would be just perfect—"
"Alice, we're very sure," I laughed. "But you are welcome to come with us when we're ready to look. Okay?"
"Now you've done it," Edward sighed quietly. Alice grinned and turned back to Jasper, apparently appeased. "We would have been able to find a place without the Alice-runaround, you know."
"Of course we would have," I laughed. "But she was going to insist on helping us anyway, and this way I've gotten her to stop pestering us about it for a little while longer."
"Brilliant woman," he chuckled, brushing his lips against my forehead.
"Flattery will get you everywhere, Mr. Cullen," I murmured, leaning in to kiss him.
"Stop."
I looked up at the sound of Rose's terse command, startled. She was staring up at a window with bright red sashes where a pretty, young woman was just hanging a vacancy sign. The building was older, but still distinguished. Brightly colored flowers peeked over window boxes.
"Excusez-moi, mademoiselle," Rose called up. She waved her arms to get the woman's attention.
Half an hour later, Rose was the proud renter of a one-bedroom apartment. The young woman was the daughter of the landlord, and after talking with the group of us, she agreed to let the vacancy to Rose on the spot. The place suited Rose perfectly, and it was just one floor up, so she wouldn't have to hobble up too many stairs while she was still on the mend. She agreed to be ready to move on the first of the month, paid half her first month's rent in cash, and then we were on our way back to Esme's for the evening.
The next two weeks passed in a flurry of packing, accompanied by occasional pangs of nostalgia. I was strongly reminded of the first year Rose and I went off for college, bags packed and loaded into the back of my father's police car. It was a grand adventure; we were headed off in the great unknown.
The unknown was back again, and we were all of us meeting it head-on. Rose exchanged her crutches for a sturdy, yet dainty looking cane. Alice tortured Jasper with endless questions about furniture and paint while Esme, Rose and I helped pack her clothing and sewing materials for the move.
Emmett left Esme's and returned to his old apartment, but he always found time to stop in and chat, particularly when he knew Rose would be around. I frequently walked in to Rose's bedroom or one of the parlors to find the two of them sitting close together, speaking in low murmurs. They were almost always smiling—small, secret smiles that seemed to be full of untold meaning. It gave me hope.
And Edward and I were getting ready to take a trip across the Channel, toward his past and our future. By the time our departure date arrived, I was exhausted from packing and preparing, and most of all from reassuring Edward that I wanted to go to London and that everything would be alright. He was more anxious about the trip than I was.
The morning we left, our entire odd little family accompanied us to Gare du Nord. Esme and Carlisle stood near the back of the group, and Jasper lingered near them. Despite everything, at times Jasper still seemed like an outsider. Then Alice was grasping his hand firmly and tugging him toward where Emmett and Rose stood. He followed, smiling gently and shaking his head as she chattered away. Their conversation was lost in the dull roar of the train's engine.
Edward whispered something in Emmett's ear, and the two of them exchanged a brief, masculine embrace. When they parted, Emmett's face was lit with a wide grin. He winked at me and ducked down to hug me.
"Take care of him, Bella," he said in my ear. "And if those Brits give you any trouble, you give 'em Hell for me."
I laughed and promised I would before turning to say goodbye to Rose. Up and down the train, conductors were shouting out instructions. Passengers were jumping on board, and the rumble of the engine got louder. Edward squeezed my hand. There wasn't much time.
I looked up at my friend, and my words got caught in my throat. She wasn't the same woman who had left Seattle for a Parisian adventure, but neither was she the frail and broken creature we rescued from Royce. She seemed to glow; her hair and skin were healthy, and her eyes were bright. She smiled more now than she had in the last several years, and I didn't know whether to credit her new-found independence or Emmett. Whatever the reason, I was truly proud of the woman who stood before me.
I reached out and pulled her into my arms, crushing her crisply pressed blouse and probably smudging the make-up Alice had insisted I wear this morning.
"Don't cry," she whispered. "I'll see you soon."
"I know," I sighed, pulling back and smiling. "We'll only be gone for a few weeks."
"And when you come back, you'll come visit my new apartment," she said firmly, beaming. "Emmett and Jasper have both promised to help me with the heavy lifting. Well," she laughed, "Emmett promised and Jasper was strong-armed into it by Alice. Either way, I expect to be throwing my very first dinner party in honor of your homecoming."
She said the words with teasing formality, and I couldn't help but hug her again. Edward pulled on my arm.
"Darling, I'm sorry but we really have to board now or we'll miss the train and we'll have to do this all over again tomorrow."
I sighed and let go of Rose, turning to Alice for one last hug. She'd been helping me prepare for this trip all along, reassuring me every time I felt overwhelmed. I regretted that I couldn't bring her along, and when I looked at her, I think she saw some of that regret in my eyes.
"Knock 'em dead, kid," she said cheerily. She hugged me lightly and then, before she stepped away, she added softly, "She'll love you. It's impossible not to."
I nodded, unable to respond fully so close to Edward. Even he didn't know how much meeting Mrs. Cullen really worried me. Alice was the only person I had confided in in that regard. Edward had put Kate to rest, but had she? Would she dislike me for being too young, or too poor, or too... American? My one comfort was that Ed had liked me very much, and Alice had worked tirelessly over the last two weeks to calm me down and bolster my spirits.
I kissed her cheek and jumped up onto the train, allowing Edward to steady my elbow as I mounted the tiny steps into the car. We found our seats quickly, keeping our crowd of well-wishers in sight through the slightly-grimy windows. As the train started to move, I thought I saw Emmett slip his hand into Rose's. The next moment, they were surrounded by smoke, and we pulled away from the platform.
"Did you—?" I started, staring through the window as if I could clear the smoke with my mind. "Did you see that?"
"See what?" Edward said absently. His eyes were closed, and he was leaning comfortably back into his seat, letting his fingers drift over my knee.
"I think," I said slowly, "that Emmett and Rose were holding hands just now."
He opened one eye and gave me a sheepish little half-smile. "I suppose that's more than possible."
"They've been spending a lot of time together lately," I mused. "One evening I came home from the café and I could have sworn that they were about to kiss. I was convinced I was seeing things. Has he said anything to you?"
The sheepish smile grew, and he looked away.
"Edward Cullen, what do you know?"
"He...he may have mentioned it to me, a few times."
I turned in my seat, surprised. "When? What did he say? Why didn't you tell me?"
He sighed a little, then opened both his eyes and seemed to resign himself to the conversation. "The first time was right before my father went home. And I didn't tell you because he asked me not to. This is a delicate situation, and I thought Em had a right to handle it in his own way."
I frowned. "What did he say exactly? Why wouldn't he want me to know?"
Edward smiled again. "Probably because he knew your immediate reaction would be to interrogate him. You're very protective of her, love." He reached for my cheek and I sighed a little. "He didn't say much at first. He wanted to know if I thought it was... appropriate for him to express his interest, given what she's been through."
"What exactly is his interest?"
"I think..." He paused, as if he was deciding whether or not to tell me something. Then he shrugged. "I think he loves her."
My jaw dropped. "Did he tell you that?"
"Not in so many words. But the way he talks about her, looks at her... it's pretty obvious. I'm surprised you haven't been more suspicious."
I stared out the window quietly, absorbing this information. Edward's warm hand suddenly engulfed my cold one. "Would it be so bad?" he said softly. "He's a good man, Bella, one of the best. He'd be good for her."
I smiled a little, and my eyes tingled uncomfortably as a tear trickled down my cheek. "They'll be good for each other," I agreed.
We passed the rest of the long journey in quiet conversation, discussing our friends and what we would do when we arrived in London. I wanted to see the places Edward had spent his time as a child, and he smiled and rolled his eyes every time I brought up some kind of predictable tourist-like activity; although I did get him to promise to take me to see Big Ben and Westminster Abbey. He talked about his parents, more specifically his mother. The little knot of anxiety in my stomach tightened and then relaxed as he let himself remember her. His happy memories painted a different picture than his tortured adolescence. He loved his mother very much, and I felt my dread start to slip away.
When we stepped off our boat onto the crowded pier, it only took a moment to spot the Cullens. Ed was easy to find—he was taller than most of the people around him, impeccably dressed, and glancing anxiously toward the gangplank. I could tell the second he recognized us. He bent down to the petite woman at his side, extending one long arm in our direction.
I caught a flash of familiar bronze hair as she pushed through the crowd, shoving passers-by out of her way as she went. Then she was in front of us, her eyes locked hungrily on Edward's face. He smiled cautiously.
"Edward Anthony Cullen," she said loudly, more accusation than statement. She looked formidable; her hair was pulled back in a severe knot and her green eyes—her son's eyes—were narrowed slightly.
"Hello, Mum."
At his words, all her ferocity dissolved. "Edward," she said again, and this time her voice wavered. She hugged him, pulling him down so he was half-bent over and hanging onto his neck for dear life. I stood behind Edward quietly, not wanting to interrupt, and not feeling quite comfortable inserting myself into their reunion.
It didn't take her long to notice me, though. She let go of Edward and wiped her eyes, smiling shakily. Then she turned expectantly to me, and her smile grew. With a short bound that almost reminded me of Alice, she was in front of me.
"And you must be Bella Swan," she said warmly. "Ed told me so much about you, dear."
"All good things I hope," I laughed, feeling my nerves surge at the knowing way she was looking at me. The next second I let out a surprised little squeak as she pounced on me, hugging me as tightly as if she were my own mother.
"Of course," she said with a squeeze. Then, in an almost-whisper, she added, "Thank you for bringing my son home." When she let me go, her eyes were glistening again. "I'm just so happy to meet you, Bella. To have both of you here to visit."
"Come, Elizabeth, there'll be plenty of time to talk once they've washed the trip off," Ed said. He hoisted my suitcase up, and Edward picked up the other case. Elizabeth hooked her arm around his free arm and started pulling him through the crowd, and Ed escorted me back to where their car was waiting. As he loaded our luggage into the back of the car, Edward looked down at me with a wary sort of smile.
"Are you ready?" he asked, holding open the door to the back seat with a smile.
"As I'll ever be."
A/N: This is the last "real" chapter, but it's NOT THE END. If it were the end, spanglemaker and I would be far drunker, and tweeting about Paris. Stay tuned for the epilogue, which will be posted on Friday evening (well, evening for those of you in the US). We're going to hold in all our end of the fic tears and thanks until the epi, so I apologize in advance for the surely long A/N you'll get on Friday. Thanks for reading!
