I don't own Twilight. Its all SM's.
"How long do I have to decide?"
"That depends," replied Alice, "do you mind if Charlie and Renee flip out if you decide to stay human, and keep your human relationships? Because you will not be found near your car if you're 'alive.' If you contact Charlie after the car is found, he may become angry for worrying him needlessly. He already assumes you have been contacted by one of us, and that you left to meet us. He hopes it's me, but he knows it's Edward. We could let him know that Edward saved you from the crash and flew you here to rest and recuperate. If that's the case, we should contact him in the morning. Otherwise, if you'd prefer to leave your life behind, silence is best. I'll call Charlie sometime after they find the truck and let him know you never arrived."
I surprisingly didn't feel a pull in either direction to make a decision. After the initial shock of Edward being okay with the possibility of my own immortality, I didn't have a preference in one decision or the other. I saw the merit in both choices. "May I take a little while to weigh my options? Would you all mind if I thought about it?"
"Of course love. You have 13 hours before you need to decide." He said, brushing my hair behind my shoulder.
"Don't neglect your rest, young lady." Esme commanded, and shot Edward a look of warning. Edward raised his hands in surrender. The siblings all thought that was funny, apparently.
"We've given Bella a lot to contemplate." Carlisle guided the conversation away from my impending decision, and Edward's evident responsibility for my wellbeing. "Let's move on to lighter subjects. Such as trash talk, because Esme and I are the ones to beat at charades. What do you say kids? Family Game night?"
"YES!" Emmet pumped his fists in the air, "you guys are going down this time!"
"Bring it on, kiddo." Esme replied, causing the room to chuckle.
Edward whipped his head around to face me, excitement in his eyes. My being with the family meant Edward got to play games too. How could I resist? Alice was MC of the 3 round, 3 team game of charades Jasper was on a team with Rosalie and Emmet. Of course it was the Vampire version, in which a book, movie or song was acted out, from one snippet of the subject, then bonus points were awarded for guessing the quoted line from the subject matter. 'Props' had to be guessed at too. There was a very complicated rule system in place. I wasn't very good, but watching Carlisle act out the bathtub scene from Pretty Woman, and Emmet imitating a velociraptor in the kitchen of Jurassic Park had me gasping for breath. We lost due to my terrible acting but neither of us cared. I don't remember ever having so much fun.
After the game Edward suggested we head up to our room, since we hadn't had much opportunity to be alone to become reacquainted. Before going up for the night, I requested a visit to the library, unable to resist the pull of the written word. As we rounded the corner connecting the library to the great room we noticed the Cheshire Cat smile in the sky, and opened the patio door instead.
"What time is it?" I asked him.
"A few minutes past eleven o'clock." He answered, putting his hands around my waist and setting his chin on my shoulder.
We stood in the crisp night air, on the patio behind the library, staring at the moon and enjoying the closeness. "This has been the longest, happiest day of my life. So much has changed. I'm on the other side of America for one thing, the planet survived, and I have you." I turned in his arms and looked in his eyes. In less than a week I went from giving up, to having everything; from absolute loneliness, to perfect belonging. "I'm having trouble wrapping my head around the enormity of it."
"I know, exactly what you're speaking of. Just a few days ago I was completely alone on another continent, trying to imagine your feeling of warmth, wishing I could smell you." He rubbed his cheek against mine. "And now to have you in my arms, the scent of you surrounding me. It's unbelievable to be here, isn't it?" He took a deep breath, his nose at my neck. "Knowing I never have to experience a separation from you like that again," he whispered huskily in my ear, "perhaps forever."
"Definitely forever," I managed before his lips met mine, moving gently, slowly. His hand placed between my shoulder blades and the other against the small of my back, pressing me to his chest. My own arms snaked under his, pulling his stone form as close as I could. I don't know how long we stayed in that embrace but soon it felt like the slowness of our kiss wasn't enough for him. His kiss became more urgent, his hand gripped gently in my hair.
He bent his knees crouching slightly, I assumed to get closer, but suddenly there was a woosh of air, and he had me backed against a set of french doors. He clicked the handle and a second later we were on a bed. I didn't bother to question it. The only important thing in my life in that second was his weight against me, his hands working up and down my sides. He must have noticed a bit of my skin peeking out at the bottom of my shirt because his tepid hands were feathering his fingers on my stomach, moving outward and framing the dip of my ribs. I let out a whimper at the sensation and he growled in response, grinding his hips against mine. I grabbed his waist and mirrored the action, sliding my hands under his shirt and up his back. He purred and then we were lying next to each other, both of us catching our breath.
"You're going to kill me." I said, panting. Noting that we were in our room, Alice must have set the bed up for us.
"Don't say such things. I'm trying not to," he said back with a twinkle in his eye, "perhaps if you weren't so tempting." he teased.
I threw a pillow at him, which he laughed at, but allowed. "Well there's still time to change that," I snarked as he tossed the pillow back at me, and I pushed it back at him.
"What do you propose we do, my beauty?" he said grabbing my wrists and pinching my sides, causing me to squeal.
"How about a lousy haircut, and a face tattoo?"
"What?" he asked through more laughter, disbelieving, pinching me again, making me squirm and roll off the bed to escape.
I grabbed the pillow that fell on the floor as he ran at human speed, chasing me around the sofa. I held the pillow out in front of me like a shield, walking backward while he lowered into a crouch, getting ready to attack. I was actually giggling, and exhilarated, but I was done for and I knew it. Distraction was my only defense now. So I kept our strange back and forth going.
"The worst haircut you've ever seen, right before my transition into a vampire!" I was expecting him to pounce, so I backed away quickly, still laughing, but tripping over my own feet. He stood up straight, in shock, and I went down. I squeezed my eyes shut right before I fell on my backside. "Ow. That's the second time you've let me fall on my butt."
"You're going to be a vampire." He was staring at me, still as a statue, with a funny look in his eyes. Hope and fear warring for dominance.
"You asked me to. And since it's what I want…" I shrugged and looked away. Afraid he'd changed his mind, I became defensive. "I can't live without you, Edward. I can live without anyone else, but not you." My tone of voice silenced him. He sat on the sofa and listened to me rant. "Charlie and Renee, they've both survived in this world without me. They've left me behind in their own ways already. Their lives are tied to other people. They've made the choices that brought them to where they are now, they have their priorities, and I have mine." I spread my arms wide, palms up. "What else do I have to tie me to my human world, if not them?" As I spoke I felt the conviction behind my words. I rolled onto my knees and began walking back and forth across the length of the room with an epiphany on my lips. "When I left Phoenix, I left no one and nothing behind. I had no friends my own age. Looking back it seems silly, resisting the move to Forks. The only thing I would miss was the warmth. I thought I would miss my mother more, but I'm not sure anyone could understand the stress of caring for her. I always had. From a young age I paid the lights and the car insurance. I budgeted her pay, so that she could afford all the weird tangents she became obsessed with. When I moved in with Charlie, that was over and I felt relief. It was strange, because he didn't hover over every little thing I did or sound I made. The lights were paid and so was my car insurance, but at the same time, I was forced into the role of a child after being the only adult for so many years. He took care of me, but caring for him in return by cooking and cleaning became a rule. What started out as appreciation for taking me in, became expected.I Having to hide my suffering from him was exhausting but if I didn't convince him I was improving, he would ship me to the sunshine state," I said, flicking my wrist, "and back to stressing over my mom. I would have cracked. So I pretended to be normal around him. When I came to Forks I had so many people who wanted to be my friend, until it was no longer convenient, therefore, I feel like they don't factor in at all. The relief I feel at not having to hide the person that I am anymore is exhilarating, Edward. I don't have to perform for anyone." Edward shot to my feet as my heart stopped, he was in front of me instantly. "I think the old me really did die when my truck burned." I stopped, suddenly excited. "I think you might be the only one who's ever known the real me." I whispered looking into his eyes, feeling so much appreciation for this man, who'd never asked anything of me but my thoughts.
He smiled in response staring back into my eyes, "I'm honored to know you, my Bella," he said with a gentle hand on my cheek.
"I love you," I said, leaning into his hand.
"As I, you." he said simply, hugging me tight. It was all I needed. With Edward was where my life began. My entire existence had changed in an instant of revelation. This was my farewell to Bella Swan.
The decision has been made! Deuces humans! This is the end, I loved writing this but there doesn't seem to be any interest in it. Maybe someone will find it someday and like it. Toodles!
Kill For Love by Chromatics is the music for this chapter.