Sorry about the slight delay, a family emergency derailed me a little last week, but I'm back to it.
As always, thanks to Sri for reading this first and the nudges that make it better. And to the amazing beta Iris who does so much for this fandom it astounds me. Nic the Fic Whisperer came on board this week to read and hold my hand before I post.
Okay lovelies. This is what we've been heading for since that first chapter.
Bella checked into the hotel but didn't bother bringing her suitcase in. She needed to go out again later. She'd unpack then. She lay on the bed and tried to visualize her future. She didn't want to spend it here any longer than she needed to. She'd considered asking the Cullens if she could move in with them. Once word got out, she knew she wasn't going to come off unscathed. It would be impossible to escape the gossip if they stayed.
Would they stay? She loved her job, as well as what she and Edward were creating here, but did they really have a future in Forks?
She continued to daydream on the bed until dusk settled into the night. When she knew the store would be closed, she set back out. Mike would still need someone to do his payroll and balance the books. Eventually, he'd have to hire someone, but for now, Bella thought it was the least she could do.
She let herself into the shop and put her security code into the keypad to deactivate the alarm. She left the lights out and headed upstairs.
She'd been working for a few hours when she thought she heard the bear bells ringing with the opening of the door downstairs. She checked her phone. It was just after midnight. She had a sinking feeling. Had Mike seen her car and decided to come in?
She waited, expecting to hear Mike on the stairs or to see the downstairs lights turn on, but there was nothing. She was just about to return to her work when she heard noises below her.
Still working on the assumption Mike was in the shop, she moved to the stairs. From her vantage point, she couldn't see anything; the shop was still dark. Mike wouldn't have thought twice about turning the lights on. Bella closed the door behind her and headed quietly down the stairs. She could hear movement at the opposite end of the store, and the door in front of her was propped open. A pickup truck was backed up to the door. The lights were off, but the engine was still running.
Her life didn't flash before her eyes so much as every incident of Mike telling her to lock the front door if she wasn't on the floor.
"Fuck." Her lips moved, but the barest sound came out.
She stayed frozen on the stairs while she contemplated her options. She could bolt out the door, but her car keys were upstairs. If she ran out, she would have to keep running. That probably wasn't the safest option.
The sound of the locked cabinets behind the gun counter opening caught her attention. Whoever was in the store knew where they kept the keys. If they knew that, they were likely to know that Bella kept the cash box unlocked in the filing cabinet upstairs.
She took a step backwards on the stairs. If she could get away unseen, there was a chance she could hide in the upstairs office. It would also give her a chance to get to her phone.
She took another step backward, the decision to call the police made.
Bella froze when she saw a figure move her way from the shadows. He was heading for the door, carrying a large bag. He struggled slightly as his cache was heavy and awkward.
She couldn't call the police yet, but maybe she could make another call. If it worked, her rescue would come much faster than waiting for Forks' finest.
Alice! she cried out in her mind. She didn't know how she'd let Alice know she was crying in her car or that Edward was losing control outside of Jess' wedding. But she let herself panic, hoping whatever her shield did to keep her protected would either work now or disappear enough to let Alice see she needed help.
She screamed Alice's name in her head while she watched the figure approach the open door. He heaved his loot to the back of the pickup truck, just as the moon peeped out from behind the clouds, illuminating the hooded figure as he turned around to enter the shop once more.
"Casey?" Bella was as surprised to hear her voice as she was to see her favorite Pacific Pizza employee.
"Mrs. Newton?" Casey was just as surprised. He lowered his voice to a whisper. "You're not supposed to be here. Go back upstairs. I won't tell him you're still here. Go!"
As Bella turned to head upstairs, the path before her was suddenly illuminated.
"What the fuck, man? She knows who you are. You can't let her run away!" Bella turned around but couldn't see who the voice belonged to ‒ only that one hand held a flashlight, and the other was waving a gun between Casey and herself.
"Steve-"
"Shut the fuck up!"
Casey and Steve continued to argue while Bella connected the name to the voice.
They'd employed a Steve for about six months, but they'd let him go because he was unreliable and their cash box always seemed a little lighter after his shift. They fired him in the fall.
About a week before she found out about the Cullens' donation.
If Bella had been simulating panic to call Alice before, it was genuine now.
Alice's feeling.
Something terrible.
If they left, something terrible would happen.
They were hunting. With the Denali cousins. Edward had gone off on his own.
Were any of them even around to rescue her?
As the gun went off, Bella's terror turned to calm.
Of course, she thought to herself as she fell off the stairs. She watched Casey run out while her body remained still.
Apparently satisfied with his aim, Steve grabbed the bag at his feet and ran for the door.
He collided into the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen.
Or would have seen, if his neck hadn't been broken before he had the chance to look up.
Bella watched as Steve crumbled. Rosalie stepped around him, but another set of hands caught him before he made it to the ground.
"Bella?" Rosalie was by her side instantly. Her cold hands pressing to stop the flow of blood comforted Bella.
"It's okay, Rose. It's just my shoulder. He had shitty aim. Don't shoot while high, kids." Bella's right hand twitched as she struggled to turn her fingers into a gun.
"You can regale me with your unique life advice later, but for now, I want you to tell me: hospital or my brother?"
"I don't think your brother should be the one to remove this bullet."
"I'm not taking you there for him to fix you."
Bella didn't hesitate in her reply. "Edward."
"Okay, Bella. Hold on. Jasper's in the driver's seat with the body and a plan. We're going to go in the back. I've got to let you bleed enough that there's enough evidence you were there and in rough shape, but I'll keep you alive. I promise."
The combined blood loss and adrenalin rush left Bella feeling a giddy spunk that didn't quite match her situation. She tried to lift herself up, but Rose beat her to it, carefully moving Bella out of the shop so that Jasper, now in Steve's boots, could leave foot prints in the pool of blood.
"Should I worry?" Bella found herself with her head in Rose's lap in the back of the truck, pointing in Jasper's direction.
"Alice already told him he won't break. Jasper's done a lot of work on his control since your party."
"It's okay, Rosalie. I'm kind of betting on someone giving in tonight."
Rose turned Bella's head toward her and rested her hand against her cheek. "If Alice doesn't get a hold of Edward in time, I'll change you myself."
Bella moved her good hand to hold Rosalie's as Jasper pulled away from the parking lot.
Forks continued to sleep soundly as the strange caravan rolled through its streets toward an invisible boundary and an unstoppable fate.
Rosalie used one hand to keep pressure on Bella's wound while the other brushed the hair from Bella's eyes. She sang to her in French. It sounded beautiful and soothing to Bella, even if she had no idea what the songs were about.
If she could have translated them, they would have sounded a lot less soothing.
Any word from our little physic, yet?
This wound is a little more than our human realizes. I'm not sure how much longer we have before she'll need to be changed.
Seriously, where is he? Has your wife managed to get a hold of him, yet?
Although she was growing increasingly agitated, Rose's song remained tranquil. If Edward didn't meet up with them soon, she would be the one to change Bella. It wasn't that she didn't think she could; she just didn't want to take that from her brother.
And there was the gnawing self-awareness that she owed her family ‒ and Carlisle, especially ‒ a heartfelt and sincere apology.
It really was a gift to spend an eternity with the people you love.
It wasn't long before Jasper turned off the main road, and made his way toward the edge of the treaty line and the roaring river. He stopped at the edge of the embankment. They had company.
One of the two was in the back of the truck before it stopped.
"When I told you to say goodbye first, I thought we'd have more than 14 hours."
"Jacob." Bella's voice was fading. Jacob looked at Rosalie, alarmed.
"We're waiting for Edward." They both watched Bella for a moment. She blinked slowly, barely opening her eyes before closing them again.
Outside of the truck, Jasper and Seth went through the details of their plan to stage Bella's death. They needed to leave enough evidence that Bella didn't make it without her body being found. Seth being on the police force helped to ensure the right things would be looked at while others were glossed over.
Jasper was starting to feel Bella loud and clear. She was too relaxed. "Rose, I think we're running out of time."
She knew Jasper was right. She could here Bella's blood pressure dropping. If she didn't act soon, there may not be a way to get the venom through her body.
"Are you two going to go all canine if you're around while I do this?"
Jacob ignored her, but leaned down and kissed Bella's forehead. Her eyes opened.
"You're sure about this?" he whispered.
She struggled to take a deep breath, talking felt like too much work. She nodded slightly.
"Be happy."
"I am," she managed.
Jacob's smile was as wide as always, despite the tears. "Stick to deer, okay? No humans, or I'll have to come kick your ass."
"Love you."
"You, too, vampire girl." And with one more kiss, Jake jumped out of the truck.
Rose gently moved Bella's head from her lap and kneeled beside her.
"Of all the people I thought would change me, I've gotta say… you came in second to last." Bella's voice went in and out, but Rose had no problem hearing her.
"You might want to wait until I've done the biting to remind me of my former stance on this," Rosalie teased back. She continued to play with Bella's hair. She'd never felt more maternal than at that moment. "Did Edward ever tell you what the change is like?"
Bella nodded. "Bring it."
Rosalie leaned down, first kissing Bella on the cheek before she whispered in her ear. "I wish that Edward could do this for you, but if it couldn't be him, I'm happy that it's me. I'm proud to call you sister."
Rosalie hesitated at Bella's neck for a moment. She thought she'd heard her name.
"It's too bad Em isn't here. He'd probably think this was really hot." Bella's voice came out clearer, energized by her imminent change.
"Do you really want those to be your last words as a human?" Rosalie sat up, arching a single eyebrow.
Bella shook her head. "Love you, sister. Tell Edward…" She paused. Her previous burst of energy was spent.
Suddenly, Rose sat straight up and turned to look into the woods. She'd definitely heard her name that time.
"Tell him yourself." She kissed Bella once more before jumping from the bed of the truck. She felt the ghost of a kiss to her temple as Edward rushed past her to take her place.
"Bella! Love." Edward held her face in both of his hands and leaned down to kiss her. "Oh, baby. Oh, God." His words disappeared as she kissed him back. "I could have lost you."
"You didn't. I'm here. I'm yours. Forever."
Edward leaned back. He was oscillating between the anguish of seeing Bella hurt and the euphoria of having her, finally, for eternity. "Your number really has been up since the day you met me." His hands trailed from her face, tilting it away from him to expose her neck. They didn't have much time.
She turned her head back to him. "The universe just thinks we could screw it up again. The fates didn't want to take any chances this time."
"Oh, baby…" His mouth covered hers once again, kissing her deeply before they wandered to her neck. "This is going to hurt. It's three days of hell, but I'll be waiting on the other side."
"What's three more days when we've been through ten years?"
"I love you." He spoke the words into her neck. They were an apology for what was about to come; a thank you for what she was about to give.
"I love you, too." The words came even as she struggled to breathe.
Edward kissed her one more time before he gently sunk his teeth into her.
As her blood flowed into him and his venom flowed into her, he could hear her thoughts as she finished what she wanted to tell him. "More than ever. I'm yours as much as you are mine."
Edward lingered at her neck as long as time would allow. It wasn't her blood that held him there; it was her thoughts.
Every one of them was of Edward.