The Stars and the Sun

Disclaimer: Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, Breaking Dawn, and Midnight Sun all belong to Stephenie Meyer. Ginsie, the really awesome Ford Escape, and way too much fabric belong to me. See the difference?

Summary: What is someone from our universe entered the Twilight universe? What would she think? Do? Feel? And what if our universe was the fictional one?

Author's Note: Oh good! It was just FF. I was worried there for a second. ;-) It honestly is okay to tell me you don't like something. Just tell me specifically what you don't like about it so I can improve in the future.


Shooting Stars

Chapter 24

I woke up in Gabriel's arms. I didn't want to get up though and snuggled closer to him. He chuckled lightly and kissed the top of my head. "I take it you feel better, now, amata mia?" Gabriel asked me. I nodded in response and hugged him, using him as a pillow. A cold, hard, pillow but who cares when he was shirtless?

"Do you wish for some breakfast, cara mia?" he asked. I sighed and realized I did have to get up. Gabriel wasn't going to let me lie in bed all day and use him as pillow.

Slowly, I sat up and stretched. "Hmm hummh," I answered, nodding my head affirmatively. Gabriel quickly got up, kissed my cheek, and left to –I guess- go order breakfast. I plodded over to the bathroom to take a shower and get dressed.

Left to my own thoughts, I remembered last night. Dinner had been good but the nightclub –well, at least Gabriel didn't kill him- and seeing Michelle… It was in the past now. There is little to be done. I shouldn't dwell on it. I have what I need –Gabriel- and I shouldn't ask for anything more than that…no matter how much I want the two worlds to combine. If I could have the best of both universes…well, that would never happen.

Instead, I tried to think on New Orleans itself. Of course, all that did was bring back memories of myself and Michelle playing with the baby alligators at some restaurant. Quickly, I switched my thoughts to Mardi Gras and that seemed a lot safer even though the theme at Harrah's was Mardi Gras. After all, what other theme was there for the pretty, once easy going city?

Sunday was our last day in the here. We had picked a good weekend to come even if many other tourists didn't think so, given the amount of clouds. Gabriel got to go outside without sticking to the shade. Of course, I ended up wet most of the time, thanks to the on again/off again rain but it was a small price to pay. Being covered in rain water was normal unlike a glitterin' in the sun.

We went to nine o'clock mass, since we didn't stay for the whole service yesterday, at Saint Louis Cathedral. It was a beautiful, old church with gorgeous gardens despite the damage from the hurricane. A couple of trees had fallen and the statue of Jesus lost a couple of fingers but that was the worst of the damage from the outside. Inside, part of the roof had given way and there had been water damage but it was all cleaned up now. Well, minus the organ. We listened to totally electronic music rather than pipes.

I had told Gabriel he didn't have to come –I didn't want him to push himself- but he, of course, completely ignored me. I was worried about being around so many people after yesterday. Luckily, the Cathedral was bigger and it was easier to get away from large groups. We simply went in a couple minutes after Mass had started and sat way over to one of the sides. No one else was within four pews of us.

The Cathedral, from the inside, was even more beautiful. I paid more attention to the stained glass windows than I did to the priest giving the homily. The vaulted ceilings and choir loft made the church we had been to yesterday look positively plain. A part of me wanted to get married in a place like this, a cathedral with all the perfectly carved architecture, but then I remembered the date, and the reason I was getting married in June rather than December. Quickly, I pushed such ideas from my head. I was getting married on June 6th. It was a little over two and a half weeks from now and I was honestly excited about that.

It had been getting harder, a lot harder, to resist Gabriel. He hadn't been pressuring me but just knowing we were weeks away from the wedding… If he was human, and not a vampire, I don't think I would bother resisting. No one would know if I was pregnant or not then –even I wouldn't know by the time the wedding rolled around. But he was a vampire and it was just too risky right now. …I hate waiting.

Looking over to my vampire again, I noticed he still hadn't taken his sunglasses off. When he brought me back breakfast, he had also bought a pair of sunglasses from downstairs. They were cute on him but I didn't get why he was wearing them in church. I reached up to take them off him, looking disapproving, when he stopped me. My face turned to one of questions as he gently held my hand.

"After the service, I will explain, amata mia," Gabriel said sadly. That didn't help at all. I knew that tone. He was worried he'd say something that would cause me to leave him. What would sunglasses…

It hit me. Gabriel had left to get breakfast. He didn't call room service. He left. He came back with the glasses and hadn't taken them off since. Damn it, Gabriel! I know he went after that guy from last night. I just know it.

I glared down at my fiancé and was very happy to be in the back of church where my glares would go unnoticed by the rest of the parishioners. I didn't say anything though. We stayed through mass, neither one of us bothering to move much. I didn't go up to communion since I had yet to go to confession for my rather large tally of sins at this point. Killing werewolves counted as much as I didn't want to admit that.

Once the church slowly emptied, Gabriel turned towards me, taking off his glasses as he did so. His eyes were bright crimson red. "Gabriel," I breathed as worry, horror, and anger over came me.

Looking down and away from my gaze, the sunglasses in his marble hands, he sat perfectly still in the pew. He looked like the picture of remorse. Again, I wondered if it was remorse for his actions or remorse for doing something he knew I wouldn't approve of.

"The body?" I whispered after a couple of minutes. He didn't have to go after that idiot. That male was out of our hair. We could have had a nice simple trip home and now he had to go and do this. I'm so making him glut himself on animal blood before he even thinks of getting on that plane.

"The river," Gabriel answered back. I nodded slightly and turned back towards the front of the church in thought. Did Gabriel seek him out or was the guy waiting for us? Still demanding our names?

"Why?" I finally asked in a mix of exasperation and disbelief. The entire idea of going after someone we would never have to see or think about again made no sense to me.

Gabriel tilted his head up from his hunched over position to look at me. His red eyes pleading with me but I wasn't sure what for. "He smelt too wonderful," Gabriel whispered. Smelt too wonderful? Did Gabriel come across his singer? Was someone bleeding down in the lobby?

"Who, Gabriel?" I asked back, a bit more gently.

"I went to ask the security of the nightclub of any further threats the thug had made and to be ascertained that no trouble should follow us or the nightclub. The gentleman there informed me that the cretin had be the cause of much trouble in the past and that no ill should follow us. I did give him my contacts in case of any legal implications," Gabriel stated. This sounded pretty normal. I have a feeling Gabriel went over there to find out where the idiot was and drain him but so far, normal.

I gestured for him to continue. "As I left the casino, I could smell the scent of blood. I…it was too close," Gabriel whispered, not looking at me. Someone was bleeding. Blood and a newly converted vegetarian vampire were not a good combination. Yes, Gabriel was fine around me but he knew me. He could override his instincts since his primary instinct –now- was to protect me and not hunt me. Of course, that was around me and not around everyone else. Everyone else was pretty much walking blood bags still in his eyes.

"…I did not realize what I had done until I had sunken my teeth into him," Gabriel told me. He looked at me for a second and the amount of pain and regret in his eyes was enough to make me forgive him. I took his hand into mine and squeezed it. I had told him before, I can't be angry about something like that. Purposefully hunting down a specific person that we would never see again, yes, that makes me mad. But to stumble on someone bleeding? The difference is between going to the store and buying a specific meal that you were told not to eat and having that meal pushed in front of your face. One was intent, the other had no premeditation.

"Did anyone see you?" I asked quietly. Gabriel shook his head quickly.

"The man was in the alley. I believe him to be homeless. He must have cut himself on a can or some other sharp object within the garbage," Gabriel stated, angry with himself. I held his hand tighter.

"And what about the idiot from last night?" I asked quietly. Gabriel looked at me, confused. "You didn't go over there to begin with to track him down and teach him a lesson, did you?" I asked for clarification.

Gabriel's eyebrows furrowed together. "You are more upset about my intent regarding the cretin last night than of the man I did kill?" he asked quietly. No one was in the cathedral except a few people up front and a few more in the gift shop. They couldn't hear us.

"In a way, yes," I answered. I took a breath before answering, squeezing his hand. "I told you before, I know I couldn't handle someone bleeding buttercream icing right in front of me," I told him. Gabriel flinched, probably remembering the events at Sandy Point. The funeral for the boy's remains was what? A week ago? Maybe two? I wasn't sure. I just know they found most of him and got to bury him.

"I'm not happy the man is dead, Gabriel but I can't blame you either," I told him slowly trying to look into his eyes. Gabriel looked at me incredulously. I placed a finger from my free hand on his lips so I could continue. "But to go after that trash! To even give him a second thought! Gabriel, we don't need to think of him ever again. We are going home today and yet you go over to try and track that filth down?" I asked, my voice rising a bit more than I meant it too. Luckily, no one seemed to be paying much attention to the two lovers in the back pew in the middle of some little spat.

"So that I did kill one who is possibly innocent and not one who is base even in your eyes does not bother you?" he asked in disbelief. I sighed.

"It's not that it doesn't bother me, Gabriel," I tried to explain. At least Gabriel was watching me now, listening and curious. He didn't look like the picture of remorse anymore and I was thankful for that. "It's that the two situations are different. There is a difference between someone tracking down another person to kill them, thinking on the methods, giving time and thought into their death, and someone simply not slamming on the brakes quick enough to not run over someone else with their car," I tried to explain. Gabriel looked at me quizzingly as he held both of my hands now in his. I just hoped my explanation made sense. "The first person is a killer, a murderer. The second, just needs to be more careful next time they get behind a wheel," I continued.

Gabriel hung his head again. I know he had lived that way a long time –tracking and killing the very worst of society- and I honestly didn't blame him for that. If I didn't know about being able to live off of animal blood, I might think the same thing when I get turned. Who know? Maybe I will think the same thing. But I won't let him do that now. He can't decide who dies and especially not over something as silly as that idiot last night.

"He threatened you, Elizabetta. He went to grab you," Gabriel said, his eyes pleading with mine again.

"You stopped him. That was enough," I told him. It was hard not to give into Gabriel, to simply say "It's okay, baby. I understand. Go, kill him," because some part of me wanted to get rid of such imbeciles too. But everyone had a purpose, even if it was to show how not to behave. The only thing you could really do about it to stand up for yourself and not let anyone else push you around.

"What if he tries to hurt another? What if another girl does not have anyone to protect her?" Gabriel asked, trying his hardest to argue with me.

I sighed and threw my hands up a little. It probably looked rather comical given that my right arm was still wrapped. I didn't need protecting. Well, maybe from werewolves and vampires and other supernatural creatures I've befriended but not from another human. Humans I could fight with easily. I've fought with vampires and werewolves and won, haven't I? Okay, so it does go better when Gabriel's around but I hardly need protection from another human.

"Then I hope she has a can of hairspray and a lighter!" I said a bit too loudly. A couple of people turned to look at us. I quickly covered my mouth, embarrassed by my outburst. Gabriel did give a small smile and slowly went to take one of my hands in his again.

"Not all are quite the…warrior you are, cara mia," Gabriel told me. I sighed. I knew he was right. I hadn't always been so aggressive. There were plenty of times where I should have been and just wasn't. Like when I had that stalker at work and I kept working there….

"I can't say 'kill him', Gabriel. He didn't actually do anything and people can change," I told him. I searched my fiancé's eyes in the hope that he might understand what I was saying. We can't play vigilantes, we can only stop people –or vampires and werewolves- from trying to hurt us. Once they are stopped, there is no point in fighting anymore. You can't protect the world.

"All I can say is that maybe we can file a police report or something if the nightclub hasn't done so already. I doubt he'll get more than a fine slapped on him. Or, maybe, you can talk to the nightclub owner and see about getting the idiot banned for life," I explained. Actually, getting him banned might not be a bad idea. It would be hard for him to hurt anyone else at the nightclub at least.

"They banned him last night," Gabriel responded. I smiled.

"See? Much better."

Gabriel sighed at that and gently kissed my hand. "But what is he goes after someone else's amata? Or their daughter?" Gabriel asked me. He was still trying to argue this point?

"He is only one person, Gabriel. There are millions more like him out there. Do you want to stop every single piece of garbage that has two legs and can talk? You minus well start another Holocaust because that's what it would be," I told him.

We both sat there in silence for a while, in that pretty cathedral. After a few minutes, Gabriel picked up my hand, kissed it, and got up himself. I guessed it was time to go. Squeezing his hand, I got up and let Gabriel lead me out of the cathedral to go back to the hotel and finish packing for home.

We had a layover in Houston. The hop over from New Orleans to Houston was crowded and I hated it. I was worried about Gabriel the entire time –his eyes an interesting orange now after I made him go look for opossums or any alligators to eat- but he seemed perfectly content. How he could be content in that tiny little metal tube with uncomfortable seats was beyond me.

So, when we got out, I could have cared less about the three hour layover. I had my laptop as part of my carry on so I wasn't worried about getting bored. Actually, I had Gabriel so I really wasn't worried about getting bored. Also, we got to share most of the layover with Bella and Edward who were taking the same flight back with us. I guess this means I'll know half the first class passengers well enough to throw things at them…

Their plane was scheduled to arrive in Terminal B at Houston at 3:45 pm. It was 3:50 and I sent Edward a text message telling him that we were in Terminal C already. He just had to take the underground train to get to us.

I was still mad at Gabriel. He killed some poor homeless guy that the world forgot –or that this poor guy wanted the world to forget about- all because he couldn't leave the stupid idiot from last night alone. If we had ordered room service for me rather than Gabriel deciding he just had to go across the street and track the idiot then none of this would have happened. But you can't change the past, only learn from it. I'm so not letting Gabriel out of my site.

Hoping that Edward could pick up on my thoughts, I kept thinking of where Bella and I could eat. There was some restaurant called "Bubba's Bayou Grill" and the rest were regular fast food place like Wendy's or those tiny snack place you typically see in any airport.

Meet us in terminal C. I'm hungry and I will not be the only one eating at the table again!

I thought to my cousin, I hope. He must have picked up on the Edward and Bella by now. I just really want a hamburger and a super big thing of iced tea. Or maybe strawberry banana smoothies…it looks like they have one of those places here.

"You are getting as bad as Alice," I heard the familiar smooth voice stated with a hint of a chuckle to it. I turned around to see both Edward and Bella and smiled at them both. Taking a step closer, I hugged both of them.

"How was your trip?" I asked them.

Sorry! I wanted to make sure you and Bella came straight here. I really don't want to be the only one eating again. We had some problems last night and this morning. Gabriel slipped up again…

I thought to him, going through the images like a silent movie on fast forward in my head.

Don't be too hard on him about it. I think my being mad at him and grumpy is enough punishment.

I watched Edward's face turn extremely sober and nod once in my direction.

"It was good. I got to see my Mom but Jacksonville is very humid," Bella told us. I noticed she took a peek at me and Edward. He'd get asked about what we were talking about later.

Gabriel, who was standing next to me, retook my hand after I hugged my cousin and Bella. "And you do not believe Forks is?" Gabriel asked in a teasing tone. I glared at him and Bella grimaced. I really, at this point, was glaring on principle. Edward chuckled.

"It actually rains there and it's not hot enough to make you feel like you are swimming all day long," Bella answered. I smiled a bit. I had lived in DC –which was built on a swamp- for so long, I had gotten use to breathing in water.

"Bella, I thought you didn't like the cold or the wet," I teased before slowly letting go of Gabriel's hand to pry Bella from Edward's side. She just looked at me shocked for a second before her blush started to color her face.

"Now," I began to say as I happily pulled Bella away from Edward's side. "Please tell me you are hungry," I pleaded with her. Bella looked at me and nodded.

"Starving. Mom cooked all weekend," Bella answered. Thank God. Renee's cooking sounds like something I would only want to experience as a culinary art specialist and not as an edible creation.

"Good, there is a restaurant or we can just go with fast food," I told her. Both vampires grumbled/groaned at the idea of either of us eating fast food. Both Bella and I shook our heads.

"I guess that means we are eating at Bubba's Bayou Grill," I stated. Really? Because someplace called Bubba's is really so much better for your health than Wendy's? Really you two. It's not like either of will get a chance to die from a heart attack so lighten up a bit, please!

Edward looked at me. I resisted the temptation to stick my tongue out at my cousin and walked with Bella to the restaurant. All four of us got a table right away. Bella and I ordered our food and drinks. The boys both ordered drinks as well. Bella and I just looked at each other like "What are we supposed to do with our two vampires?" Edward started chuckling at me again.

The food was decent but outrageously expensive. Bella and I pretty much just ate and listened as our two darling vampires attempted to have a conversation and include us. I guess they just don't get that talking with your mouth full of food is not only absolutely disgusting and rude, but it's also very difficult to do! Still, I could roll my eyes and glare at either vampire when the conversation dictated it.

When the bill came, both Edward and Gabriel started to argue over who was to pay it. Edward claimed that he, as Bella's boyfriend and my cousin, was supposed to pay it. Gabriel claimed that he, being the eldest at the table by any means was to pay it –and for Edward to defer to his elders. Bella watched the argument in rapt attention. I just put my head in my hands and sighed.

"Compromise!" I told the two silly sparklepires. I could feel both sets of eyes on me before I looked up at both of them.

"Edward, you can pay for Bella's half of the tab," I told him before switching to Gabriel. I didn't say anything to him. I just flicked out a twenty dollar bill I had and put it down on the table. It would cover my half and part of the tip. Giving my fiancé a look, I dared him to argue.

Gabriel watched me carefully as I watched him. He didn't seem to do anything but I heard Edward smirk and just caught what I thought was Gabriel's arm moving. No, the twenty was still there…

The plane ride to Seattle was going to be a decently long one so Bella and I got snacks as well. We were allowed to board about an hour after dinner. It really was just us in the first class cabin. Two vampires and two humans. All of whom know each other quite well. At least this meant that we wouldn't have to be quite as guarded in what we said as long as the stewardess wasn't right there.

During the flight, I decided to try and talk to Bella again. "Bella?" I asked her. She was just in the seat behind me so I sat up in my chair, turned around, and looked over the head rest. The seatbelt sign was off so I was fine kneeling there.

"Yes?" she answered back looking at me with an amused smile. Of course, Edward was too.

"Did you talk to your Mom about…sci-fi books?" I asked, remembering the conversation in the books. Edward groaned.

"Not now, Elizabeth," Edward muttered. I looked to Bella whose face was getting redder by the second even though she was grimacing.

"Yes," Bella answered. And what? Didn't it happen like in the book? What went wrong?

"Nothing went wrong," Edward stated. Bella looked to him, pursed her lips, and then looked at me.

"Not wrong, exactly," Bella answered. Okay, spill.

Sighing, Bella started to explain. "It was going exactly like the book until she asked if she was being silly," Bella sighed. Her blush deepened as she looked down at her clasped hands. Oh no, what happened? I looked at Edward worried. He shook his head, holding back a…smile?

"I told her that…that…ugh!" Bella screamed in frustration. What the heck did she tell Renee?

"Bella, honey, what happened?" I asked, concerned. Edward started to grin. Whatever it was, it couldn't be too bad, right? Edward shook his head.

"No, it was rather a nice surprise, honestly," he chuckled. "But I think I preferred telling Renee over the phone much more."

Telling Renee over the phone. Bella couldn't say it. Edward was extremely happy over whatever it was. I raised one eyebrow at Edward. "Alice didn't tell you to pack the ring?" I asked him, curiously. That was the only thing I could think of that would possibly get that kind of reaction out of both of them. I must have been right because Bella immediately buried her head in the travel pillow we all got and screamed into it, stamping her feet as well. I giggled at the scene and Gabriel laughed as well. He had turned to look between the seats, rather than turn fully around like me.

"I believe it was a split second decision," Edward explained happily before turning to Bella. His face dropped and I immediately felt sorry for him. Bella did love him at least; it was just those lovely parents-scarring-their-children-for-life-issues. She was afraid of the word, of the things, but not of the commitment aspect –which I found hilarious really.

Edward shot me a look and I rolled my eyes, turning back around and sliding down into my seat. Gabriel and I were both trying our hardest not to laugh at the mini fit Bella had thrown. Well, at least this way it would probably be easier on everyone than what was written in the books. Although, I'd tell Charlie before he finds out Renee knew before him. That might not go down so well if he finds out from Renee.

We got home around two in the morning. We flew into the airport at midnight, and it took another couple of hours to get to the house. Edward dropped us off and then went to take a very sleepy Bella home. I gave my cousin a hug and whispered "Good luck" before he left. He was going to need it.

Turning to the house as Edward drove off, I was excited to be home. This honestly felt like home now. Just as we started to walk up, the door opened and out came a small streak of white and ginger fur. "Ginsie!" I greeted the pup happily and picked her up in a hug.

The pup, being my pup, gave me kisses and wagged her tail in greeting. I could hear the chuckles from the front porch but I didn't care. I was home and I had a family that loved me.


Author's Note: So Gabriel messed up. Poor Gabriel. He's trying! He really is! Just don't bleed in front of him or threaten his Elizabeth. Maybe I should have Gabriel and Jasper talk...