Chapter 35 – Do or Die

BPOV

To say I wasn't surprised would be an understatement, but when Edward's arms wrapped around me moments after my announcement, I gasped. I guess I'd forgotten how fast he could process information; I just wish I knew what conclusion he came to.

We stood in my bedroom for ten minutes with me trapped in Edward's arms. I really couldn't blame him—I'd left and he didn't find my message like I thought he would. Despite all that, it took me some time to convince him that I wasn't planning on leaving again. Still, he held on to me. Even Alice failed to persuade him. I had a feeling that he wasn't going to leave to go on his much-needed hunt.

"Really, Edward, I'm not going to disappear again," I said, trying once again to free myself from his hold.

"I promise not to leave you again," I added as an afterthought.

With those words he loosened his hold on me, staying near.

"We better head downstairs. The rest of the family has just arrived," Jasper said.

"I'll be right down," I said, heading back into the closet.

"No you don't, Bella." Edward's voice was filled with dread, and when he joined me in the closet, he found me kneeling in front of one of my safes—a heavy, slate grey, fireproof safe—trying to remember the combination.

It had been some time since I last needed to get into it.

"Ugh," I said more to myself than to anyone in the house.

What in the world was the combination?

I looked over at Edward and he had an amused expression on his face.

"Need help?" he asked.

"I wish you could help," I said.

He raised an eyebrow.

"Be my guest, then."

He knelt and took the safe from me, turning it over and looking at every detail. I kept thinking what the combination could be.

"Pressure locking mechanism?"

"Yes," I answered. "Drill into it and be prepared for a surprise."

"Impressive," he said. "It can still be broken into, though."

"Not likely."

He raised an eyebrow again.

"Bella, you can't seriously mean that?"

I laughed. "I do. I'll prove it to you later."

"Then what's the combination?"

"That is what I'm trying to remember. I know it's something important to me, a code that no one would ever connect directly to me or even think of trying."

"A code that you can't even remember," he said, bringing his hand up to caress my cheek and causing a tingling sensation to course through me.

"I got it," I said, reaching out suddenly and bringing the safe back over to me. I entered 6-1-2-9-0-0-1 and the door opened. "I had it right, just in the wrong order." I took out the only things inside—a thick envelope and book. Closing the door, I went to pick the safe up.

"Let me." Edward picked it up with ease.

"Thanks," I said, walking out of the closet and room. Descending the stairs behind Edward, we both headed into the family room. "Ok, let's see you break into it."

"I know the combination. I don't have to break into it," Edward said, handing it to Emmett.

"You want me to break into your safe?" Emmett questioned, looking over at me.

"Yep, and I will say this one last time: it is impossible." I went to sit down only to be pulled into Edward's lap. I rolled my eyes but settled back against him.

"All right," Emmett said, still confused as he looked over the safe. "I know a drill won't work." He chuckled as he thought of how to break into the safe. "That leaves only the hinge pin."

I watched as he went to the hinge and the moment he touched it, the safe vanished. His eyes went wide.

"What in the world!" he exclaimed.

"I told you, Edward. It just can't be broken into. Emmett, you were right, the hinge pin was the only way left to get inside. You could have if it wasn't for a spell I cast upon it years ago."

"Pure genius," Jasper said. Everyone was silent for a moment before he asked, "Now, would you tell us why you went to La Push?"

I heard Rose and Esme gasp while Carlisle turned to look at me, his eyes wide.

"To see the chieftain, Billy Black," I said, extracting myself from Edward's hold. Leaning forward, I placed the items I had retrieved down on the table. "The head in the sink wasn't a message for me but for Edward."

I looked around the room and everyone was shocked. When no one said anything, I stood and pulled the note—that was left with the head— out of my back pocket, handing it to Edward.

"It says 'Leave her and I'll back off,'" I said as he took it. "Billy's son, Jacob, left it for you to find, only I found it first. Jacob is afraid that you'll hurt me. I confronted him earlier and told him to back off. Further, I reminded him that it was my choice, that is has and always will be my choice," I finished, turning my back on everyone.

"Of course it will be," Esme said, sounding a little confused. "No one will push you into doing anything you are uncomfortable with." I felt her hand on my shoulder and looked over it at her.

I smiled at her before brushing her off. I saw understanding and a little hurt in her eyes as she went to sit back down. I walked toward the window and looked out. It was raining. God, how I hated and missed the rain at the same time.

"Was Jacob the reason you left in the first place?" Alice asked.

Through the window I saw Edward's head snap up toward me. My answer should put whatever notion popped into his head just now to rest. "No, Alice, Jacob wasn't the reason," I said still looking out the window.

"Then why?" Edward asked, pain coloring his voice.

"It was just plain foolish stubbornness." I turned away from the window and sighed. "I should have told everyone earlier about what is in that envelope," I said, motioning toward the table. "I wish I could say that every time I tried in high school that something always came up, but that wouldn't be the truth. I was afraid of what is inside and what would happen if I did share."

I knew what Edward was going to ask and held up my hand.

"Don't ask. I can't answer why I was afraid. I made a decision without considering what I would go through, what everyone would go through. The fact is that I have come to accept what I did—and though I wish I could go back and stop myself, I can't. I just couldn't see that it was my choice and always has been my choice. It doesn't matter what is written in that prophecy," I said and was met with confused looks.

I sighed once again. "This is not coming out right," I said, sitting down on the floor heavily. I put my head in my hands.

"Why don't you start with what you mean by prophecy," Carlisle suggested. "Then go from there. There is no reason to go into why you left." I could tell he was looking at Edward.

"He's right." Edward placed a hand on my shoulder, causing me to jump. "Sorry," he said, removing his hand.

"It's okay." I said, looking over at him where he was kneeling.

"So, this prophecy," Rose prompted.

I look away from Edward and down at the floor again. "I'm not sure when it was written exactly, but I do know that it was either a few weeks before or a few weeks after I was born. Parts were written by my grandmother, my mom's mother, and other parts were written by Billy Black."

I chanced a glance around the room. It seemed nothing I had said so far was concerning them. I bit my lip as I looked back down and continued. "The prophecy is about me, what I am to become, what I'm to accomplish. A great battle is what I'm to prevent, not necessarily in a form of a war, but this battle will be like none other. It will bring enemies together against a threat to both their natures." I smiled to myself knowing that tidbit wasn't in any copies of the prophecy I'd seen over the years; it came to me through other means. "A treaty made centuries ago will be dissolved and a pact, of a different nature, will take its place." I paused a moment, not wanting to say this next part but I had too. "I will explain more on that later. More importantly, it goes into who I am to marry, though it didn't give any details at first, such as a name."

I started fiddling with my necklace. It had turned black telling me that there was a very stormy emotion flooding the room—most likely from Edward. I looked up and directly at Jasper, begging him with my eyes to calm the room. He nodded, letting me know he would try.

"Go on," Esme encouraged with a small smile.

"I don't really want to go into that right now either, but I will. I just need a little time to form the words." I stopped again and looked at Edward. He looked away but nodded. I sighed—I didn't think he was taking this very well. "As I told you a while ago, I have magical abilities. But what I've never told you is that I know a great many things about the Quileute—" I was interrupted by Emmett.

"Damn wolves."

"Emmett, language," Esme chastised him, "and it is not nice to interrupt people."

"Sorry, Esme, Bella," he said.

I was surprised they knew about the Quileute. I would have to ask later how they found out. I nodded before going on. "Like I was saying, I know a great many things about the tribe and have been to council meetings. I was even sent on a vision quest learning much about myself and what I am, in a way, destined to accomplish. It was after the quest that the prophecy added to itself."

"Wait! And I am sorry to interrupt, but did you say it added to itself?" Edward asked.

"Yes, and it has changed from time to time." I was still fiddling with my necklace and it hadn't changed from black until that moment, when it suddenly changed to neon green with streaks of black. That could be good or bad. "What was added were some details about who I was to marry, but again no name. Yet again, I won't go into that right now. As far as my knowledge goes about the Quileute, my knowledge of the McCullough clan is greater. I was taught by my grandmother at a very young age, and she always told me that there would come a time that I would marry but not to pay much heed to the prophecy on that regards unless it was something I wanted." I stopped again. I didn't trust my amulet to let me know the true emotions of the room. I looked around and was met with an array of emotions. Disbelief from Rose and Emmett, confusion from Alice, motherly concern from Esme, an impossible to read emotion from Edward, and a mix of everything from Jasper—I felt sorry for him. But Carlisle surprised me; he seemed to understand. I remained silent. I didn't know what else to say, though there was one more thing. "There was one more group that I learned from, and I'm still not sure what I learned, so I must reframe from saying anymore. I don't trust myself on being able to go into detail without leaving something out that might be critical. I have copies of the prophecy for each of you to read."

I reached for the envelope and opened it. I removed seven copies of the prophec—glad it was an earlier version before it added that the vampire I was to marry was to be Edward. I stood and handed everyone a copy.

"I'll give you an hour, though I know you won't need it, and then I will be back. I'll be in my office," I said as I handed Edward his copy. I walked out of the room.

I paced in my office for an hour. I didn't know what I was going to be met with when I went back out there. I sucked it up and opened my office door. Everything was silent, but what did I expect? Praying that an hour was long enough for them to process what the prophecy said, I walked down the hall.

I felt someone grab my arm and held in my scream. I was being pulled into the music room by Alice. She shut the door and pointed to it and then the ceiling. I humored her and put a silencing spell on the room. "What is it, Alice?"

"You need to know what you are up against, Bella, and what kind of friend would I be if I didn't let you know?"

"I would rather just go out there." Before I go crazy, I added to myself.

"That is not wise. Edward—" she started and I put a finger against her cool lips.

"I don't want to know. I deserve whatever is going to happen."

"No, you don't!" she exclaimed in a rush, and I was surprised I could understand what she was saying.

I was about to interrupt when she held up her hand and continued.

"You said that the prophecy said who you would marry, yet I read nothing about it. Edward is confused. He flipped through the pages several times. Plus, I saw him lashing out at you for answers."

"It was an earlier version before anything further was revealed. I thought it best to have everyone read that one and hear from me what was revealed. Was I wrong in my thinking? I could get another version."

"No," she answered at length. "Just let me go out there first—to explain that you want us to hear what was revealed for you. Give me five minutes."

I nodded as she left the room. I didn't want to give her any time but what choice did I have? Again I was pacing, and before I knew it, ten minutes had passed.

I slowly made my way down the hall and back into the family room. Edward wouldn't meet my eye.

"Bella," Esme started. "We're confused, and from what Alice has told us you wanted to tell us what was revealed."

"I do," I said, looking at Edward again. He had stood and had his back turned toward me. I noted that his hands were fisted, like he was holding back his questions.

I sat once again on the floor and met Alice's gaze briefly. She must have seen what I was about to reveal and kept it from Edward. It was best to just get to the point, and I knew the perfect way. "I ran away because I didn't want to believe what the prophecy revealed the day we graduated high school," I said, gazing straight at Edward's back. "Edward, it was connected to what you had asked me."

Edward turned around, wide-eyed. I had a feeling he knew what I was about to say. "The prophecy, after my vision quest, revealed that I was to marry a vampire one day. I had not heard everything or misunderstood what you had asked me that day, and I believe my grandmother knew that was going to happen." I hadn't taken my eyes off of Edward the whole time. It was him that needed to know more than anyone else.

"I'm confused," Rose and Emmett said at the same time.

Of course they didn't know, and Edward would have to answer those questions. I ignored the underlying question. "I went to Scotland instead of all the parties—that's part of the reason why I didn't answer my phone. The other reason was that I needed to be alone, to process what I wanted, and anytime I was confused I found myself studying the prophecy." I felt something appear in my pocket and knew exactly what it was—a ring. I quickly recited a spell, in my mind, to keep Alice from knowing what I was about to do. "A name appeared as I reread the part about my marriage. I was scared and felt that I was being controlled by both the tribe and the clan."

"I don't understand, Bella," Edward said, seeming sad and suddenly all alone.

"I should have talked to you before I broke up with you. I was miserable afterwards, and I hope to be able to rectify things now." I moved to stand in front of him.

"Who's na—" I silenced him with a single finger and shook my head.

"All in good time," I said. "Please, let me get this out first." I didn't wait for him to answer, knowing he would grant me any small request. "I know we haven't been back together long, but it feels like I never left. I'll understand if this is not what you want. I love you, Edward, and I always have." I got down on my knee in front of him. "I know this isn't how things are normally done, especially in the era you were born in, but I don't care." I paused took a deep breath before asking, "Will you marry me, Edward?"

I heard a gasp from behind me and knew it came from Alice. She wasn't expecting this. Before I knew it, I was being wrapped up in Edward's arms.

"Yes," he whispered in my ear. "Whose name appeared?"

"Yours," I said, capturing his lips with mine.

A/N: A special thanks to jennej and GetDrunkOnVictory for their assistance in editing this chapter.

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