Thanks to Sri for pre-reading and Iris for the mad beta skills.
We're in the home stretch now, there's only a few chapters left. My posting pace is going to slow down just a bit. I want to make sure these last chapters are what you amazing readers deserve.
Edward reluctantly pulled himself away. Her blood was everything the monster in him thought it would be, but her mind was so much more. It wasn't her entire life that she flashed through as the venom raced through her; it was every moment of them together. They were as ingrained in her human memory as they were in his vampiric one. He allowed his tongue to lave at the blood that had escaped the bite before he sealed the wound. He kissed across her face and down the other side of her neck. Rose and Jasper both turned their attention to the back of the truck, where they had been trying politely to ignore the intimate moment that was taking place. It now held their undivided attention.
As Edward's hands tore Bella's shirt, his lips found their way to the bullet hole that still gently pushed her blood. Rose took a step forward, intent on not letting Edward get carried away. Jasper put a hand on her arm, stilling her. "He's in control."
"Are you sure?"
"He's riding a fine line, yes, but he's not going to hurt her. Let him have this goodbye. He knows what's coming next."
They turned away, joining back with Seth and Jacob, while they waited for Edward.
When he finished, he leaned back on his heels. Crouching over Bella, he momentarily looked every bit the predator, but as he ran his hands through his hair and bowed his head, his vulnerability was obvious.
"We're ready," he called out, his eyes not moving from Bella. The change had begun; her body had stilled, and her heart began to beat stronger. The venom was already acting to heal her.
Jasper crouched down beside him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "She won't feel it, but it needs to be done. If you can't bring yourself to do it, Jake's volunteered."
"I'll do it."
"I knew you would." Jasper patted Edward's shoulder before he stood and lowered the tailgate. "I've still got his boots on. Don't worry about your footprints. We'll be sure they're gone. Alice will meet the two of you at Lake Pleasant."
Edward said nothing, leaning forward to take Bella's hands in his. He shifted forward, but stopped and turned to Seth and Jacob. "Make sure it isn't Mike who goes into the shop first. This is going to be hard enough for him. Don't drag it out."
Seth nodded. "Don't worry. As soon as we're done here, I'm going to set it in motion. I'll be the one to tell Mike in the morning."
Again, Edward silently nodded. Then he leaned over Bella, kissing her once more, apologizing against her lips. "I'm sorry about this, love."
He then stood and jumped out the end of the truck. He pulled Bella's legs until they hung over the open tail. He hesitated. He couldn't bring himself to pull her right out, even though he knew Jasper was right. She wouldn't feel that over the burning torment that was the change. He pulled once more but caught her before she hit the ground. He would have carried her out, but he knew they needed it to look like this was a body dump.
He took another moment to appreciate her. Watching her sleep had always been a favorite pastime, and though he knew slumber was just an illusion, he also knew he'd never have the chance to see it again. He allowed himself the minute to wallow in the bittersweet image of Bella; her hair fanned around her, blending into the dirt. Her body, deceptive in its peace, didn't stir as he lifted her legs and dragged her down the embankment. He moved fast enough to get the distasteful task over with, but not so quickly that it was useless. There was an obvious trail of blood that led from the truck to the river, which ran quickly with the spring runoff. They'd never find a body. Nobody would expect to.
Edward pulled her right into the river, then held her tightly to his chest as he easily navigated the current downstream before departing the rapids and running up the opposite embankment. He noted her skin didn't pebble with goosebumps, even though the water had been frigid. He hoped it may serve to temper that fire that would already be burning under her skin.
Once Edward was out of range, Jasper covered Edward's footprints with his own, leaving clear evidence of the shoes Steve would be found in. He made his way back up the embankment through the trees. Seth and Jake had already pulled Steve from the cab of the truck. Jasper returned the shoes to their rightful owner and then balanced him on the edge. He fought the urge to push. Instead, he let go and allowed gravity to pull him backwards. The four stood together and watched Bella's would-be killer tumble to the river below. His body twisted and stopped, his torso submerged in the water, his leg wedged between two rocks that held him in place.
"My patrol car's down the road. I'll call this in as soon we're ready. Having a body will help close the case quickly." Seth turned to Jasper and shook his hand, a simple goodbye for such a complex relationship.
Jake turned away from the river. "Take care of her."
"We will." Rosalie's voice was gentle and reassuring.
There was nothing left to say to each other. Jasper and Rosalie headed into the woods. Seth and Jake transformed and began to move about, carefully erasing any evidence of human footprints. It didn't take long before what really happened was erased and a new scene emerged: a body was discarded, the scent of blood attracted predators, and a murderer was startled and fell to his death.
Edward waited at the edge of a different body of water, waiting for Alice to land on its surface. As soon as it was possible, Edward had Bella reclined and secured in the back of the plane. Alice kneeled down beside him.
"I can't leave her Alice." He responded to her unspoken thoughts.
"You know you have to. If you left town now, people would be suspicious. You and Mike will be the first suspects, no matter what the initial evidence reveals. You'll need to be cleared of any involvement, and you need to do that in Forks." Alice reached out and put her hand on top of Edward's, which clung to Bella's.
He knew she was right, but leaving Bella when they were so close to having their forever was impossible.
"Edward..." Alice prodded.
"How can I not be at her side when she wakes up?"
Alice didn't answer but searched for a vision, something new that would reassure her that Edward could come with them. There was no scenario where Edward left that didn't complicate the case. Then she tried something else.
Edward turned to her. The vision was quick and foggy, but it was enough.
"I think that'll work."
"Alice..." he pleaded.
"Edward, you've seen all the possible outcomes. You can't come with us, but you can be there when she wakes up." Alice moved away, giving her brother as much privacy as she could to say a temporary goodbye. "Edward, you need to get back. They're going to pay you a visit. It'll be fine, but you need to be home when they get there."
He knew Alice was right. He held Bella's face in his hands and kissed her, whispering promises of a quick reunion.
Dawn was starting to crack through the inky sky when Alice took off. It gutted Edward to watch Bella move away from him. 3 days and 600 miles stood between him and his soul.
He knew it was a risk to return to his house with her blood stains on his shirt. He hid them away under a floorboard he'd deliberately left loose. He thought it would be a romantic gesture; a place where they could leave each other tokens of their love, a chance to turn a selfish act into a sweet one. Eventually, they would have married and shared this home. As he left his folded shirt beside their old photographs and memories, he realized the future he'd been fantasizing about had twisted to something so much more. They wouldn't be where they were today without that time apart. He hated what he did and the hurt he'd caused, but he liked who he was now. When he came back, he didn't just find Bella and a second chance; he found himself.
Three days. He could make it through three days.
He was out of the shower when the squad car pulled up his drive. He managed to pull off a casual curiosity when he answered his door. Seth stood stoically behind his partner, Don, as he relayed the news to Edward. The details were scarce, but Bella had been shot and was presumed dead.
Though he knew the truth and had prepared himself to react accordingly, his response was genuine. As Don broke the news, Seth thought of what they had just been through as they recited the same words to Mike. Watching Mike fall apart shook Edward. The empathy he had for Mike knocked him off his feet. He crumpled to his couch. Don had brought Seth to Edward's, because Mike had alluded to a relationship between Bella and Edward. Edward's reaction confirmed it; he cradled his head on his knees, and his body shook with Mike's grief.
Don knew he should bring Edward in for questioning. In cases like this, it wasn't unusual to find a husband or secret lover had been behind an intentional botched robbery. He pulled Seth aside, both to give Edward privacy and to discuss their next steps in the case, when the call came in. The owner of the pickup truck had been found and had just given a detailed confession. It was his cousin's idea to hit up the shop in the night for the guns to make a quick buck on the black market. They had acted alone.
Instead of asking Edward to come in for questioning, Don offered his condolences and made his way back to the passenger side of the car. He scrubbed a tear from his own cheek. He'd worked with Charlie and knew Bella well enough. The loss of her, so young and so violently, was going to rock this town.
He was going to remember this morning, remember Mike and Edward, whenever he thought of heartbreak.
Three days.
Edward felt Bella's absence as an emptiness within him.
Two days.
Nobody in the library was surprised when they heard Edward would continue to support them financially but would no longer be working there.
One day.
He knew he would be with her, but being without her...
Today.
Evidence from Casey and the scene made for a clear case. A police dive team had made an attempt to search the river, but at this time of year, they knew it was a formality. Bella had been gone for three days, and the town gathered to say goodbye.
Edward avoided Mike at the memorial service for Bella. His empathy for Mike hadn't waned. The woman that she was today, the woman he loved more and more each minute they were together, was who she was because of all of her life experiences. Once, Edward had broken Bella, and her relationship with Mike had helped to put her back together. He knew that being loved by Mike had made Bella the strong and confident woman she was today. There wasn't a way to thank Mike for that. He took some comfort in the vision Alice had shared with him when she returned this morning. Mike was going to join a widow support group. There would be a woman his age, who'd lost her husband in a motorcycle accident. They would resist it at first, but slowly, they would fall in love. He would be a dad to two girls and then a son.
Though he knew he was hours away from their reunion, he didn't need to fake his emotions. He sat with Alice and Carlisle at the back of the crowded church and let himself feel the grief around him. Person after person came forward to share their loving memories of Bella. There were recollections of a girl in pigtails following her father into the station on summer visits. Jacob's voice bounced off the walls when he celebrated Bella's teen years and her motorcycle rebellion. Edward noted many thoughts strayed to him, but Jacob made no mention of the heartbreak that many still remembered. Ben read a poem selected by Mike. Angela, days away from giving birth, attempted a speech, but Ben had to finish it for her when she was overcome with tears.
This was his goodbye to the human Bella. The teenage girl he had loved was no more. He thought of their first meeting in the biology room, a whiplash conversation, and fidgiting with a lemonade cap in the cafeteria. The first time she was in his car, their meadow... Bella's memories had been on a running loop, merging with his own. The story of the lion that fell in love with the lamb was complete.
Saying goodbye was harder than Edward thought it would be.
But he was ready to start the better love story, one where they would simply be Bella and Edward.
He would slip out, flanked by his father and his sister, without speaking to anyone.
He would board the same plane he'd last seen his love in three long days ago. He would fly a few hours to their remote estate in northern Alberta, where he once tried so foolishly to let her go.
He was going home.
To his heart.
To his soul.