Chapter 78 – Salvation

Bella

The last thing I really wanted was to be here, heading for Father Lebuteur's office. I wanted to be back at the hospital with my parents, having Edward by my side. I stopped for a moment, taking deep breaths, while trying to calm my nerves before I continued down the corridor. I was grateful for Father Lebuteur's willingness to see me, even though I had just killed his sister less than twenty-four hours earlier. For some reason, that scenario wasn't sitting quite right in the back of my mind, but I was too upset to analyze it right now. Everything in me was telling me to turn around and leave, but I just wanted to get this over with and get back to the Sanctuary and Edward. I was just about to reach the door when another priest approached from the opposite direction.

"Hello, I'm Father Brady. Are you here to see Father Lebuteur?" he asked.

"Yes," I nodded, "but if you need to see him, I'll just come back another time."

"No, no, that won't be necessary. I have business with him, but it can wait. Please, go ahead," Father Brady smiled, but it seemed off. He glanced at Father Lebuteur's door and then gave me a tight smile as he left. Still feeling uneasy, I knocked on the door.

"Please, come in, Bella," Father Lebuteur smiled sadly at me, as he motioned me into his office. I sat down in my usual seat, leaning my head back and closing my eyes for a moment, while Father Lebuteur returned to his chair behind the desk. When I opened my eyes, he was smiling at me.

"My dear, dear Bella. Where to begin…" he said matter-of-factly, as he folded his hands on the desk in front of him and looked down at them. "We've been on quite a ride together these past few weeks. I'm so sorry about your mother, by the way. I've been praying for her ever since I got word of what happened."

"Thank you, Father," I muttered, not looking him in the eyes. The urge I'd had to go find Edward suddenly intensified. "Father, do you mind if we do this later? I'm sorry I wasted your time today. I'm really grateful that you're so willing to see me, but I think this might be better done another day."

He looked at me with a puzzled and slightly frustrated expression before smiling again and standing. "Very well, then. But may I show you something first?"

I nodded again and followed him out into the corridor. As we walked, he began humming a hymn I recognized from church when I was little. He smiled down at me, as he opened a door to a stairwell. I stopped immediately, trying to back up, but he took my arm firmly and pulled me forward. At the top of the landing, he opened another door, and a strong gust of cool wind hit me. We stepped out into the bright sunshine, and I realized as I looked around that we were on the roof.

I was amazed to see that much of the roof area had been either landscaped or was decorated with beautiful statuary, creating a peaceful garden atmosphere. We passed a little greenhouse, and the sight of several red rosebushes in full bloom inside it made me shiver and want to turn around, but Father Lebuteur had a tight hold on my arm now. He led me to a small gazebo, and we sat down, where he encouraged me to relax and enjoy the mild spring afternoon after so many weeks of cold, wet weather.

"This is beautiful, Father. I never knew this was here." It truly was beautiful, not something you would expect to see on the roof of an older building like this, but my senses still had me on edge and wanting to run.

He nodded, as he smiled and looked around. "Not many people do. I did this myself. This is my own personal little Garden of Gethsemane. I come here often when my mind or heart is heavy. Bella, will you pray with me?" For some reason, it seemed an odd request, but he looked so sad at that moment, I just nodded. He was a priest after all, so we prayed.

"God, thank You for Your blessings and for the people in our lives who loved us. Please, watch over them, and please, bring peace to our hearts and forgiveness for our sins, Amen." It was short but comforting and to the point. I looked up, but his head was still bowed, and he crossed himself slowly before looking up at me with tears in his eyes.

"Come, Bella, there's something you should see before we depart."

He took hold of my arm again and led me to the edge of the building that overlooked the shorter portion of the hospital, where the domed roof of the Sanctuary protruded upwards towards the sky. The view of the stained-glass ceiling from this height and angle was spectacular, as the sun shone brightly down upon it. The colors from the image of Jesus and the children around Him reflected off the mirrored glass of the two surrounding towers, creating a swirling pool of colors that were reflected upwards towards the heavens. I couldn't help gasping in awe at the beauty of it, and from a little bit of vertigo, as my head spun from the dizzying height. I started to back away from the edge, but I felt Father Lebuteur's arm wrap around my waist.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" he asked. "Bella, we've been through a lot together, so I wanted to share this with you."

"Thank you, Father, but do you think we could back up a bit now? I'm feeling a little queasy, and I'd hate to ruin your shoes," I whimpered, pushing us back several large steps.

"You always hated high places, didn't you, Bella? Remember the time we climbed up the trellis on the side of your grandmother's house and onto the roof? You couldn't take it, so Laurant climbed down with you, just so you wouldn't be alone, and he left me there by myself. That hurt my feelings, you know. Every time you couldn't handle something, he always took care of you, leaving me behind. Yes, he always chose you over me. Well, the least you could do is share this with me now." He had a strange look on his face, as he pulled me back toward the railing. The firmness of his grip around my waist as he tightened his hold frightened me, and I looked up to see him smiling serenely down at me.

"What are we doing, Father? Where are we going?"

The laugh that came from him made the blood drain from my face. "To hell, my dear, straight to hell." I was dangling in his arms by this time, as we moved closer to the rail.

"Put me down, Father! What are you doing?" I screamed, as we approached the rail.

"I have nothing left, and I certainly don't have anything left to live for anymore. You saw to that yesterday by killing my sister, and I did as well when I killed Laurant. I loved them both, Bella, and now, we're going to go meet them, so we can apologize and atone for our sins."

He was insane!

"Father Lebuteur, what are you doing?" I heard yelled from the opposite side of the roof. It was Father Brady.

"Jonas, it's over. Go back inside," Alec said calmly, as his grip on me tightened.

I struggled with all my strength to get loose from Alec's grasp, but he had me pinned against his body and was trying to hold onto me, as he climbed up on the ledge, attempting to lift me over the railing with him.

"Alec, no! I love you, don't do this! Please, come down," Father Brady pleaded. "You know I'd do anything for you. I did! I tried to, anyway, because I love you."

"You failed me," Alec glared at Father Brady, who had climbed up next to us and was trying to get Alec to release me. "Now, it's up to me."

The door to the roof burst open, and at the sound of Edward's voice roaring behind us, Father Lebuteur suddenly jerked around and lost his footing, with me still in his arms. His movement caused Father Brady to lose his balance as well, and he wrapped his arms around Alec, trying to hold on. As we all fell, it was if someone grabbed my arms and wrapped them around the railing. I held on with strength that could have only come from somewhere else, and I prayed to God with everything I had in me that I would survive for Edward's sake. It was a miracle I was able to hold on, because as both priests slid down my body, I should not have been able to maintain my grip from their weight pulling against the meager strength of my small arms. I clamped my eyes shut tightly, as the sound of their screams echoed off the canyon of the buildings. They were followed by a thunderous explosion of glass, as both men crashed through the Sanctuary dome below, shattering it completely.

If I'd had anything on my stomach, Edward and Emmett would have been covered in it, as they pried my arms loose in order to pull me up. It was a full minute before I could be convinced to open my eyes. Edward's frightened face was the first thing I saw, and certainly the most beautiful sight I had seen all day. I wrapped myself around him, as he carried me away from the railing, and away from the nightmare that had plagued our lives for months now. I could feel it then in my heart that the nightmare was finally over.

My mom was awake when we finally got back to Valley Memorial. She slowly winked at me when I came in, and I ran to her, burying my face in her hair, as I cried in relief. My dad stood on the other side of the bed, looking exhausted, but smiling widely.

"They keep tickling my feet, Bells," mom whispered weakly, as she slightly wiggled her legs under the blankets and flexed her toes. Her legs were wiggling. I looked up at dad, and he smiled bigger and nodded. She wasn't paralyzed. She held her arms out to all of us for hugs, and as I felt the arms of my parents and my husband around me, I knew God had been listening after all, and I had truly found Sanctuary.