Chapter 49 – Revisiting The Past
Andy concentrated on his mother's single story, cottage-style house. The trio arrived back in Port Angeles in the middle of the street. Again, the world was unanimated and frozen. A blanket of rain was suspended in the air. Airplanes were in mid-flight and never fell back down to the earth below. There were no smells or sounds or anything moving. That strange lonely feeling swept over Kayce once again. It felt so good to talk to actual people bedsides Andy and to experience life in all its wonder, so going back to this reality made her heart hurt. Andy went to the window and peered in. His mother hadn't moved. She still sat at her dining table sipping her coffee. "She looks so sweet. I like being a vampire, but I miss her," he said conversationally.
Kayce thought a minute. "Andy, you could become a vegetarian and feed off of animals. You could visit your mom from time to time." He looked troubled. He had to think it through. He wasn't sure his mother wouldn't figure out something was different about him. She may figure out the truth and he worried that she might not take the news as well as Kayce's parents did about her "difference". Then there was the Volturi. They frown upon humans knowing their secret and usually would kill the human and decapitate and burn the vampire that let the cat out of the bag. Only certain special humans were allowed to know and must be changed or suffer the consequences. He wished things could be different, easy.
Arthur stood up against the window pressing his hands on the glass to prevent glare as he looked inside. He appeared to be wistful as he gazed in at Andy's mother. "You know, it's moments like this that I realize how much I have missed in life. Just how good it would feel to be normal." He chuckled a bit while he kept right on gazing into the window, lost in his own ruminations. Seeing both her counterparts stuck in some deep emotional turmoil didn't sit well with Kayce. She knew what she was in for and wanted it with her whole entire being. She felt normal even though technically she wasn't. She was a wife and a mother; nothing is more normal than that. When she thought of Aidan, her heart hurt terribly.
She looked at Arthur and sighed, "Do you mind if I make just one stop alone?" He kept right on looking in at Andy's mother and merely nodded his head. "Make it fast." Kayce concentrated on Aidan and disappeared from the quaint little house on Rosehips lane. She landed in Forks, right inside Charlie's living room and he was sitting on his sofa, the television on, frozen on a hockey game. He held Aidan in his arms and was pointing at the television, but his eyes were on the baby in his arms, a smile stretched wide. Sarel, Bella's baby girl, was in a playpen next to the couch, with her little eyes closed, sleeping like an angel. Aidan didn't seem troubled that his mother was not there and he looked genuinely happy to be in the presence of Bella's dad. There appeared to be a genuine bonding between the two. Charlie seemed to really like children and she wondered where the description of him being awkward around kids had come from. He was a natural with them. She felt better, relieved that her baby was safe and in a good mood. Kayce walked up to Aidan and stroked his baby fine hair atop his little head and then she left.
Arthur and Andy were still in front of his mother's place. Andy looked a little worse for wear and Arthur appeared helpless as to offer Andy an easy solution. Kayce noticed Andy sitting on his mother's front lawn with his hands covering his face, massaging his temples. If he were human, she believed he would have a monster headache. "When you are immortal, that feeling of power and knowing you can't die easily, it's intoxicating. I am not sure I can go back to being normal, to get sick and grow old and then die." Kayce thought about what he said. She knew she would never have that difficult choice to make. Her decision was made and set in stone. She would be a vampire and live forever with Edward by her side.
Andy seemed to be lost in this decision. "When I was turned," he paused for quite some time before he was able to resume speaking. "It was nearly dark out and I was ambushed. I was walking to my buddy's place and was grabbed from behind. I was thrown backward into the cross street like a rag doll, falling to the asphalt, skinning my palms. I had moved so fast that I couldn't think of what to do to save my own life. Before I knew it, a burning pain seared through my neck and spread throughout my whole body. I felt like I had been ignited with gasoline. You know, I never saw who my assailant was. I screamed and yelled, but nobody came to help me. I felt every agonizing second of the pain. I wanted to black out, I eventually did, but I still felt the excruciating pain burning through my entire body. The next thing I knew, I was waking up. It was pitch black and I couldn't breathe. That sounds absolutely nuts because I don't need to breathe as a vampire, but I didn't know I was turned though. Panic had set in and I started clawing with my fingers and then released my pinned-down hands and dug my way out of a makeshift grave of wet sand. I had been buried under the pier just outside of town in a place where nobody would find me.
Kayce gasped and held her hand up to her mouth in shock, "You mean under the water?"
"Yes, I was disoriented when I awoke. It felt really odd to say the least. What I didn't know is that two kids were watching me. They were vampires, Jane and Alec," Andy offered. "Once they had told me what I was, I felt good knowing I wasn't actually deceased. The pain subsided, but I felt equally as uncomfortable because of the burning pain of the venom. I was hungry and needed to feed."
Arthur looked somber. He just stood up and groaned loudly with the effort of standing. His bones creaked and stuck as he attempted to move. Kayce felt sick thinking of being turned in that brutal manner. "We need to make our choices before we leave. He turned his gaze from Kayce and then to Andy. "This is hard Andy, but you need to decide."
Andy stood up and ran his hand through his hair. He took a breath and cursed loudly. "Ah Fuck!" He dashed toward the large deciduous tree in his Mother's yard and took his frustration out on the large tree limb. The dense limb cracked and splintered as he tore it away from the main trunk. He took the huge club and beat it on the sidewalk savagely. The cement exploded in a shower of dust that suspended itself in the air, enveloping Andy completely. He walked through the poof of dust toward his companions, leaving a human-shaped hole where he stood amidst the cement dust.
Kayce could see the indecision written all over Andy's face. He frowned making his face crease a bit. Arthur held his hands out for his companions. "Andy, think of the exact place you were ambushed, please." He walked toward Arthur and nodded his head without question. The trio disappeared and landed in Port Angeles again, but this time things were animated. Cars and buses rumbled past them, almost hitting them because they were in the middle of the street. Kayce saw vehicles swerving out of the way and then tires screeching and horns blaring, echoing throughout the street. One car was going too fast and couldn't stop on a dime. Andy whisked Arthur and Kayce out of harm's way in the nick of time, but the car managed to rear-end another car. Smoke billowed out of the engine compartment of the runaway vehicle. The three companions left the scene quickly without being noticed in the turmoil. The day was foggy and a mist blew over everything in a moisturizing blanket. They could hear birds chirping and multiple conversations being had. They walked toward the boardwalk and passed pedestrians. Arthur greeted everyone with, "It's a beautiful day today." Andy stuffed his hands inside his pockets and kept to himself.
"It's right up this way." The next thing Kayce knew, she saw Andy, a very human Andy, standing right in front of them on the street in front of a smoke shop. He was wearing a pea coat and jeans. His hair was messy from the breeze blowing it every which way. He held a lighter up to the cigarette in his lips and ignited it, eventually blowing out a cloud of smoke through his nostrils and then pocketed his lighter. He seemed to be unaware of what will inevitably happen to him. Kayce felt the need to run to him, to warn him, but she kept close to her companions. "What do we do?" she asked.
"Jane and Alec are here, somewhere. I suppose you and Arthur warn him, tell him what is out there and let him decide if he wants to become a vampire. I assume the two of us coming face to face could be catastrophic." Arthur nodded his head and started toward Human Andy. Kayce followed, turning her head to look at Andy once more before approaching his other self. Andy turned around and only listened so as to keep his other self from seeing him.
"Excuse me, son?" Arthur said. Human Andy just stood there and made eye contact with the elderly gentleman. He then took a long drag from his cigarette and pushed off the wall he was leaning on, walking away without acknowledging, but his face appeared cynical.
Arthur and Kayce followed him. He walked at a high speed, making it difficult for Arthur to keep up. Kayce gripped his arm, "I'll chase him down. You and Andy follow after me." He nodded and slowed down his pace. Kayce jogged in Andy's direction and turned the corner putting her smack dab in the middle of a dead-end street. She panicked a little remembering back to when Andy and his friends had cornered her when she was with Bella. It seemed so long ago, but her fear was the same now. She swallowed down the lump in her throat and kept on walking. "Hey." Human Andy just ignored her voice. "Hey, you! I'm talking to you!"
Andy turned around and grinned. "Hello, sweetheart. What can I do for you?" He strutted toward her, his confidence high that he would score a bed mate. Kayce absolutely knew that Andy had changed somewhere along the line because he was totally different than this version of himself.
"I'm here to talk to you, but we need to get off this street and head toward another part of town."
"Well, let's go somewhere private. My buddy has a place nearby. We can chat and I'll make you a cup of coffee."
At hearing the location he wanted to take her to, Kayce yelled, "No! We can't go there. Uh...let's go someplace else."
Human Andy came closer to her, a smirk on his face and a swagger as he walked. He took her hand in his, obviously not recognizing her from their very first encounter. His hand was warm and soft, despite the calloused nature of it. He and Kayce left the dead-end street. She craned her neck to her right and saw Arthur and Andy close behind.
"What's your name?" Human Andy asked conversationally.
"My name is Kayce."
"That's a pretty name," he offered. Kayce ignored the flirtatious comment. Their entwined hands felt clammy and she wanted to pull it free, but chose not to. They walked quite a few blocks, passing storefronts and he made a beeline for the local coffee shop and they ducked inside. Human Andy acknowledged the young guy behind the counter with a nod of his head. "Your usual, Draven?" The guy behind the counter asked. He had piercings in his eyebrow and long straggly dark hair. His apron was pristine even though he seemed to be pulling shots of espresso all morning long.
"Yep, and what would you like?" He looked at Kayce with a grin.
"Um, a cappuccino would be great." The guy behind the counter busied himself with brewing up a cappuccino and an espresso. The two sat down at the tiny table in the back corner. The room was dimmed and there were books shelves scattered about filled with books and magazines. Indie music echoed through the room, but wasn't loud enough to be obnoxious. Kayce felt that if it were under normal circumstances she could actually enjoy being there. Her eyes darted to the large bay windows, looking for Arthur and Andy or any sign of Jane or Alec. She saw absolutely nothing, but her guard was up.
"Are you going to tell me why you and that old guy were following me?" Human Andy said after he paid for the drinks and tipped his friend. He was more astute than she gave him credit for.
Kayce sipped her cappuccino and savored the flavor. Her hands wrapped around the large mug and she nursed it as Andy raised an eyebrow at her. "Well to be honest, we were following you because we were going to warn you not to go to your friend's place."
"Is that a threat? It sounds very ominous," he chuckled wryly, clearly disbelieving her. "Should I be afraid of a tiny little thing like your or the old man?"
"I'm being serious here." A tinkling bell chimed as the front door opened. Arthur walked inside and waved at Kayce. He approached them and waved off the young man behind the counter. Either he ignored his appearance or didn't notice the piercing. She knew her dad would have said something to her about it in hushed whispers, so the fact that Arthur didn't notice was astonishing. Arthur sat down and set his penetrating gaze on Andy. "There are people who are after you and they are going to...how do I put it delicately?" Kayce sighed deeply and couldn't find the right words to finish her sentence.
Arthur rolled his eyes and leaned forward toward Andy. He made the decision to cut to the chase. He knew time was of the essence and they didn't have much. "There are vampires after you and if you don't come with us you are going to be turned into one. If you don't want to be turned, you need to heed our advice," Arthur said. He never blinked and didn't show signs of joking. Human Andy just sat there and crossed his arms and laughed anyway. "You two are completely nuts." He paused and then looked directly at Kayce. "I hope you enjoy your coffee." The man stood up, ready to leave. Just then, he stopped in his tracks, his face turned white as a ghost.
Kayce turned and saw Vampire Andy standing across the street staring into the coffee shop, gazing at the trio. "This has to be some kind of joke," the human said.
"Does that look like a Joke?" Kayce asked sincerely. Human Andy rushed to the door to confront his other self, but when he made it outside there was nobody there. He rubbed his eyes and shook his head. He started thinking he needed some major therapy and decided to seek a psychiatrist. He turned back to look at the couple sitting inside the coffee shop and then he bolted it. He ran fast on the sidewalk and quickly disappeared from view.
Kayce cursed as she stood up, nearly turning the table over in her haste. She ran after Andy. Her breath exploded out from her lungs as she ran. "Wait! I'm trying to help you," she called out. He ignored her and kept right on running in the wrong direction. They had traversed about 6 city blocks before he slowed down enough for her to catch up. The cold mist mingled with the sweat running off the back of her neck and face, making her shiver. She pumped her arms and ran in huge strides to meet up with him. Andy slowed down just enough to turn around and look at her before he made a bee-line right toward an adjacent street.
Just before Kayce could make it up to him to finish their conversation; Vampire Andy had grabbed her around the waist with one arm and gripped her mouth with the other. She tried to cuss him out, but only muffled sounds came out from under his large hand. She felt Andy's cold breath on her earlobe as he whispered to her. "Shhh...Don't make a sound." Recognition washed over her and she absolutely knew Andy wouldn't grab her unless there was a good reason. Kayce was panicked and her eyes darted around the area the best she could muster without being able to turn her head. "Jane and Alec are close by and if they spot us, we are done for. I am vulnerable to Jane's ability and I can't fend off two experienced vampires and protect you. I can't use my ability to escape when I am being tortured by Jane. We just have to let what happens happen." Fear washed over her when she realized he spoke from experience. Kayce had no idea if she was immune to Jane and really didn't want to find out. She nodded her head and he slowly released her. She stuck close to Andy and they observed Human Andy who stopped his progress and was breathing rapidly.
Kayce saw Jane appear around the corner. Her robe clasped under her chin. It billowed out behind her as she walked with purpose. She removed the hood and gazed at Human Andy with a mirthless stare. She whispered some words and Human Andy screamed and fell to his knees. The scream was blood curdling, it sounded like he was in agonizing pain. Vampire Andy turned them around and whisked them back to the coffee shop to meet Arthur.
"Andy, we have to go find you. You shouldn't be alone during your transition," Kayce said sadly.
"We don't have the luxury to do that, Kayce," Arthur said weakly, not looking her in the eyes.
"No, Arthur, we have to go help him. I can't just leave him to suffer alone. He will need answers and to be given another choice after he wakes up."
"Arthur is right, it's too late and we don't have three days for the transition to complete." Kayce felt sorry for Andy. She really wanted to help him and felt she had failed him drastically. She questioned why they traveled there in the first place. All she could come up with was at least they tried. She didn't want to be put on Jane and Alec's radar, so she left feeling extremely guilty. Andy saw the look on her face and he placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's ok, I'm happy as a vampire. The only thing missing is visiting my mom, but I will figure out a way."
Kayce weakly smiled and held her hands out for Arthur and Andy. "Kayce, we need to go back to get your parents if they are willing to come."
They landed right inside Kayce's childhood home. Kayce's mom jumped and shrieked when she saw the three companions just materialize in her living room. Kayce looked up toward the stairs and saw two suitcases on the landing. She grinned widely and felt a bubble of pure joy knowing that her parents wanted to be with her and to alter their lives so drastically.
"All three of us are going to need to use our abilities to transport the five of us," Arthur said. Kayce nodded and took a deep breath since it has been a while when she used her ability of her own volition.
Her dad picked up the suitcases. "We weren't sure what we would need." Kayce just nodded and smiled.
"Everything will be fine after you get there. You won't have to worry about anything." She took her dad's arm and her mom's hand while Arthur and Andy stood behind them gripping Kayce's shoulders. They appeared like human bowling pins standing there right before they disappeared. When they landed Kayce felt disoriented and her nose had begun to bleed. Arthur appeared weakened and frailer. His skin became pale and he coughed loudly.
Kayce stepped away and wiped her nose on her sleeve once again, feeling disoriented. She gazed around and saw that they were in front of her empty house. Her parents were frozen in place standing on the front porch. She turned back to her companions and rejoined them. "We need to go to the meadow where you did this," Arthur stated. They disappeared again and landed in the frozen meadow.
Arthur saw a large number of vampires and wolves that were in battle before the world froze, but now they were nothing more than statues, something to admire like when you visit ancient Greece. He saw discarded bodies that had been dismembered strewn all over the icy landscape. He walked gingerly around like he was searching for something. Kayce followed him and stopped when he had found who he was looking for. "Alice is just as beautiful as the last time I saw her, though her eyes aren't brown any longer, she looks the same."
He placed a hand on her arm and ran it down to her fingers. He just stayed like that for a long moment and she was unsure of what he was doing, though he seemed to be stuck in a memory. After a few minutes, Kayce was astonished when she saw Alice's fingers move. They stretched slowly and then gripped the man's hand softly. Her eyes softened when she set her gaze on the old man. Her tinkling voice echoed out from the meadow. "It's nice to see you again, Arthur. You kept me waiting though." Typical Alice, Kayce thought. Instead of being shocked that she awakened from a deep sleep or that a human was holding her hand, she already knew.
Arthur chuckled, "Sorry about that Miss Alice." Alice let go of his hand and ran up to Kayce and hugged her fiercely.
"I knew you would figure it all out. I'm sorry I wasn't of more help to you, but the clues you needed were with the Volturi and I couldn't let them know anything that I was doing to give you those clues."
"It's okay. We did figure it out and we are here right now to fix everything." Alice turned to Andy and nodded before looking to Arthur.
"Arthur, I have never forgotten about you. I still don't remember my time as a human, but I always saw your face. I knew that I somehow knew you, but could never really figure out how I knew you. I knew that you were human and my life was as a vampire. I'm so sorry for taking so long to find you again." Arthur smiled and hugged her.
"You were my only friend, Alice Brandon. All I have ever wanted for you was your happiness. I'm so happy that you have that, no matter how many years it took for us to be reunited again." Alice genuinely smiled at him. "I don't have much time, Kayce, Andy are you ready?"
"Give us a minute, please," Andy said. Arthur nodded and turned his attention back on Alice. Alice and Arthur just stood there and quietly whispered to each other reminiscing about the asylum. He reminded her of so many minute details. She remembered how she felt when the staff shaved off her long locks to give her the treatments. She remembered sitting in her room with him late at night and talking about their lives before the asylum. He then caught her up on his life before she had found him a few years back. He told her he never married and that he used his ability to hide from the vampires. When he would see strange disappearances or strange murders near the town he lived, he would move on to the next town and start over again.
While they whispered Andy and Kayce stood there. "So when we restore time, I am just going to leave. I have to go back to Volterra and explain to Aro what happened and why you and I need no further contact from each other. I'd like your phone number so that way when I decide to go visit my mom you can make yourself scarce."
Kayce nodded her head in agreement. "Are you sure that you want to go back to Volterra?"
"Yes, I have to go back. I'm not afraid. Aro needs to know that our abilities come at a price and I'm not going to jeopardize anyone's lives over some irrational need to acquire vampires with abilities. I will be just fine." He smiled at her and she smiled back. "These past few days, you and I have come to be friends; at least that is what I think."
"I agree. We have been through so much and I can't thank you enough for sticking with me," Kayce said softly. They hugged each other awkwardly and then looked over to Arthur. He smiled and hugged Kayce and then shook Andy's hand.
"It was a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Take care of Alice, would you?" Kayce nodded. She had tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Now, I want you two to go to separate locations. Kayce go back to be with Edward. Andy, go to the edge of the clearing. I believe this will make a triangle with our positions. Then you both need to concentrate on restoring time. I am going to stay here and do the same. Empty your your minds, the only thoughts you need to have are to reanimate the entire population."
"Arthur, I am staying with you until the end, okay?" Alice asked. Arthur nodded. "We need to get you a safe distance away from these vampires," Alice said softly. Arthur shook his head and refused. "I must stay right here."
Kayce smiled at her companions and then disappeared, landing by Edward and Victoria thinking of her bittersweet departure. She turned her head and spotted the position that Riley and Seth were in and then she concentrated with her entire being. What she didn't realize is that her hands had begun to shake and she saw stars dancing in front of her eyes.
