Disclaimer: Maybe in the next life, eh?
WOWTHANK YOU THANK YOUWOWOWOWOWOWOW! WOW! Im speechless.
Danger0magnet: awww...:D can't say im not touched though, that my writing can affect you like that. Thanks for the review. Ur amazing.
Kaite: You seem to be under a misaprehension. (recognize the line?) lol. Read the author's note. And who knows? ;)
XD: Don't jump to conclusions quite so fast. Or do. Lol. Im not giving away anything. But, no, your not weird. My favorite books all have either questionable or sad endings. There's just something about them.
Ten past midnight: let's see...you'e left me with Carlisle Esme and a horse named Parliament. Who to kill? Who to kill? Lol. Dont feel bad. Uve more than made up for it. THANks for the brownie and review. They were both delicious.
Melody Cullen: awww... frownie face. I must say im glad I can do that. It's kindof been a goal of mine. (guilty face) not the crying, just the "making readers feel things" thing. YAY UR CAUGHT UP. Finally. Lol. Btw, thanks for the chp 27 specification. LOVED it. Glad you liked that line. I did too. I just thought it fit with Jasper since he's so emotionally sensitive. Don't apolgize for the length. I love length! That sounded dirty...errr...
Poppyleafedward'sstalker: not as intimidating as ur last name, but hey, I like it. Three thumbs up. As for death (cackles maniaclly) Or what?
Transfiguration: Because the Volturi are coming. The volturi do not know about werewolves and would probably kill them if they did. And also, they wouldn't be fighting vampires. They're fighting evil Sidhe, remember? Now, how can I say that without sounding stupid...
Supernaturalgirl: glad i can capture ur attention. Tehehehe...gotcha. And you people thought i was through with him. As for the POV thing, wait and see. I changed the plot quite a bit and made it easier to tie up loose ends when I get there, so...you'll see! Thanks again
Loudie: hmmm...u never know. Thank you.
Inlovewithyouforever: Awww thanks. My favorites were the Clue pieces. Just had to do it. Thanks for the love!
Twilightfan9748: lol. Made my day too. Thanks for the review. Here's a tissue.
Nobodyparticular: Awww...thanks i thought so too. YAY ITS SUMMERTIME. Newho, tissue for you too, and a big thank you card from hallmark.
Minimeyer: carweasle is the single greatest word of the engish launguage btw. Newho, tissue for you as well. DONT SCREAM ur head off just yet. YES i DO enjoy random spur of the MOMENt capitalization. Why do you ASK? But, i did make up the letter part, but as for the ending read the a/n.
Laurenbttwilightfan: special that you were sobbing? Eh, whatever, potatoe. Sorry, random words spill out when im tired. KK :D
Auraya. Grace: (blushes) aww thanks. Lol. Revealed the truth to you? I guess thats cool. I am Lily Turtle the Magic Truth Revealer. Fear me! Again, deliriously tired. Newho, lol, DON":T OCD TOO MUCH! Im back.
Shinobi shinigami: Thats quite alright. DONT LET IT HAPPEN AGAIN! Jk, i know everyone has lives...except for me. Newho, machete is scaring me. I have machetephobia. Back to the bomb shelter it is then! Tally ho! And thanks.
Eliane: Thank you very much. I agree.
Corruptblossom: This is the sixtieth tissue ive handed out today. Lol. Have fun. Sorry for the delay. Thanks.
Mattybabe: Here (comes after with electrical recessistating thingies) Ill save you and pandy! Lol. SHAMU SAID THAT? Now, i am truly honored. Lol. Sandwhiches are cool as a mule in a pool. Kindly dont tear your heart out. And thank you bundles.
Mari alice: Wow...perceptive one, you. You're spot on actually. Wow. Thanks. Err...wow. Scarily accurate. Are you sure you're not me?
Angelfromhell: OOOO that word got cha didnt it? BREATHE ANGEL BREATH! No really. Thanks for the love, but breathe. No dying while reading the story.
Emberwillow: who knows? Not giving any hints out. (mwuHHAHAHAHA) the werewolves arent helping bc the volturi are there and they would kill them if they knew about them. Thats why they had to leave in new moon. Newho, thanks. :D
Minilove4ever: YAY! Glad you liked it...or well, LOVED it. Heres another tissue. I have to buy a new box now. :D thanks fo real.
Yogoente: triple wow. YOWZA! Lol. Muchos gracias. I ran out of tissues. Can u use printer paper?
Roughdraft: lol. Sorry about the car accident. Are u okay? AWWWW glad I could help. Ur review made my day! And thanks.
Meyarose: Thanks meya. Thanks. More ellipses. And another sleepless night.
Jjrenee: lol. I was hoping someone would mention the poetry. I like that poem. The letter ending is revealed in my A/N. Im such a lit dork. We should make tshirts. Newho, thanks
Thefuturersedwardcullen: yes, but I always like to hear it again. Even though you are sending my ego through the roof. Allright, I telegraphed pandy to pick u up some cookies n cream. Lemon juice. Lol. Glad you caught it. I caught you like a bass. Wow. Im kindof sleep drunk rite now, so pardon my innaness. Hope u enjoyed that sndae and thank you
Jalice: AWWWWW (blushes ferociously. Yes, ferociosuly) lol. Read A/n for edward's note ending. Jalice kind of sounds like a city. Like ooo I live in Jalice, New mexico. Or something. Lol. But thanks for the awesome review.
Mandja: Here, have a paper towel. Typing like a fiend! Lol. Thank you.
Msveronicacullen: 10? Hmmm...tempting. very tempting. (thnx)
Albnal: I rather thought so too. For a moment therer, I thought I had fallen into days of our lives. But Im right there with you. Lol. Just call us the overly dramatic club! Hope this chapter makes u happier
Yan niao: pointy sticks? You'll have to do better than that. At least hold up pick axes or something. Lol. The grr was ijtimidating though. blushes...again...Aw thanks for all the good, positive stuff. Made my day. :D
Clumsy: Im scared. (cowers in corner of bomb shelter)
Sillyella:SOOO Proud. My little dyings all grown up (tear). Lol. Diaper wearing monkeys? Btw, i AMMM a diaper wearing monkey in teh disguise of a turtle. COMES AFTER YOU WITH TORCH. Mwuhahah...bet cha werent expecting that. (stops to say "thanks") bit errr...you destroyed me by making me laugh with ur absurd blue coloring. I can only manage a pastel aqua. And to your questtion i ask: African or otherwise?
Angcull: Wait no more. And thanks. Come again :)
Moonifrui: you'll see! Thanks.
Marikaemmie: errr...maybe? No promises. Here's a towel to mop up your tears...or do you need a rowboat? I sure did. Thanks for the long review. I loved it with all of my heart! Thanks.
KobrahEdo: Tissue or rowboat for the tear situation?YAY ROBERT PATTISON AND HIS SEXY AMERICAN ACCENT! And thnx
Hisbuscusqt: teheheh. Mwuhahaha...that was a spontaneous review, but i loved it in all its randomness. THANK YOU EVER SO MUCH! Shall I kill Edward? Who knows? Or DOESNT know? Even though that didnt make sense. GAWD im tired.
Chapter 27
Screaming. Someone was screaming – and sobbing and gasping.
I squeezed my eyes shut tight and clamped my hands over my ears to block the terrible sound. My fingernails dug into my hair and skull. That, however masochistic, offered some refuge from the anguished weeping.
"Maybe we should sedate her," a gruff, yet familiar voice from who-knew-where suggested.
Suddenly, the marbles I had clearly lost came unpleasantly tumbling back into my head, and I realized the awful truth. The screams, the sobs, the weeps, the gasps – they were all coming from my own lips, crying out in advanced stages of hysteria.
Bringing my knees up under my chin, I hugged my legs to my chest and shook my head back and forth. No, I was not going to be sedated.
A soothing hand rubbed circles in my back, while something warm and rough stroked my hair. Raising my head out of this self-created cocoon for a split second, I recognized Emily and Jacob as the ones comforting me.
My frame-wrenching sobs quieted to quick breaths and hiccups.
A voice I knew all too well rolled out of the speaker system. "Is everything all right back there?"
"Fine, Dad," yelled Jacob. "Just fine."
Was it me, or was there an edge of bitterness to his words?
"Billy's flying," here I hiccuped, "the," hiccup, "plane?" Hiccup again.
"When he was eighteen, he wanted to be a fighter pilot," said Jacob, "He got his license the next year. Don't worry. He knows what he's doing."
"Oh." (hiccup)
All of a sudden, Jacob pointed to something behind me. "Mike Newton! What the hell are you doing here?" He looked horrified.
In a reflex that had become second nature to me over the last few years of high school, I jumped out of my seat and sharply pivoted. "Where?" I cried.
A certain, infatuated, irritating werewolf's booming laugh filled the small plane cabin. I whipped my head around to glare at Jacob. "What was that about?" I demanded.
He held up a fist, then started counting to five with his fingers. One, two, three...
"What are you - "
He interrupted me with a "Shhh."
Four. Five.
"See," he said, "no more hiccups. I knew that one would get you." A grin spread across his face from ear to ear.
I snickered.
Then sniffled and tried to wipe the remaining moisture from my face with my shirt sleeve.
Wait...tears? Why had I been crying again?
A few more marbles came trickling back into my head, and the reason for the waterworks escaped my lips in an excruciated moan. "Edward..."
"Here she goes again," huffed Sam.
"Could you at least try to be a little sensitive," said Emily. "She only got married a few hours ago, and now her husband's off fighting a war that he may never come back from."
The intensity of my weeping increased a hundred-fold.
"Yeah, Emily." Sam's tone was sarcastic, "Because you're clearly the expert on all things sensitive. Just look at her."
I huddled closer into my cheaply carpeted royal blue seat.
"Go away!" Jacob roared. "She doesn't need this."
He was now filling the seat next to me. Slowly, I felt his arm snake around my shoulders. Honest effort of comforting or taking advantage of my vulnerability? That was the question.
Only now, I just didn't care to seek an answer. The plane was cold and Jacob was oh so hot – in a temperature way. Also, my clothes were drenched with tears, thus leaving me in need of a new shirt to cry on. Jacob's would do just fine.
I burrowed my face in his shoulder and wept some more, mumbling Edward's name at odd intervals.
Reality had sunk in phenomenally quickly. It was shocking, and the pain left my soul in tatters. It was the kind of pain that knocks the ground out from under your feet, the kind of pain that slams into you like gale force winds and tears the roof over your head apart shingle by shingle.
Edward's stupid, stupid, heart-wrenchingly stupid letter, now lying in the floor beside my sneakers, had unleashed this horrible pain on me.
Here we were, finally together forever, sealed in the unbreakable, unshakable bonds of everlasting love, and the thing that separates us is an airplane. Just a corroded piece of flying junk from the eighties, judging from the interior.
Edward and I, I decided, were star-crossed – as star-crossed as they come. Romeo and Juliet? They had nothing on us.
These thoughts were strange with Jacob there, not muddled, just...guilty? Maybe that was it. Selfish somehow. I felt like I had stolen this from him – this wonderful feeling Edward and I shared that was priceless. I was that feeling to Jacob, and I had snatched it away. I must appear like a criminal to him. Yet here he was holding me, rocking me back and forth while I cried.
Gruesome words like "widow" and "death" and "funeral" flitted across my mind unbidden, unwelcome, and unstoppable. Somewhere in the recesses, an idea sprung up. The idea was that maybe this was simply a dream, and all I needed was to close my eyes in order to wake up. Sleep in order to awaken – an insane concept. If only it was true.
So, I fell asleep in Jacob's arms. To sleep, perchance to dream...
WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW
My brain was jostled into awareness before my body. My eyes were awake behind closed lids that were too afraid to open.
I was lying on a bed. That much was obvious. Soft, golden light was shining from somewhere.
I'd never know until I tried, I guess. My eyes flickered open slowly as they tried to adjust to the sudden change in luminosity.
They were greeted with an unwelcome sight, unwelcome to me anyway.
Most people would enjoy lying in the four poster bed of a five-star hotel suite in Cancun. I, though, was not one of those people. This tourist destination might as well have been Hell as far as I was concerned. Tears tried to fall but failed miserably. My eyes were as dry as the Sahara.
So, I tried to fall back into sweet, blissful unconsciousness, but that, regrettably, didn't work out either.
A cherry wood door slowly opened across from me. Through it, strolled Jacob with a tray of pancakes.
When he saw my dry face, he smiled. "You'd think they wouldn't have pancakes here," he said, "but as it turns out, at this time of year, there are more Americans in Mexico than Mexicans."
My small smile wasn't nearly as bright as his was, but at least I gave it a try. "Thanks."
"No prob."
He placed the tree on my lap.
"Do you want me to errr..." He pointed to the door.
"No, you can stay."
He sat on the edge of my rose colored comforter to watch me and my pancakes, but mostly my pancakes.
"Want one?" I asked.
He kept eyeing them. "No, I'm good."
I pushed one his way. "Here."
Jacob downed it in two gulps.
"Hungry?" I asked, eyebrow raised.
He looked ashamed. Clearing his throat, he changed the subject. "I thought you might like it better if I stayed with you instead of the others. Hope you don't mind."
I shook my head, and he continued, "We were thinking about going into town tonight to sight-see. We might as well enjoy this. Are you up for it?"
Was I? I could look at this like vacation. Edward Cullen was going to be fine. We were only going to be separated for a week. His letter never existed.
That idea registered in my head and stuck.
"Sure," I said, "When do I need to be ready?"
"Two hours," Jacob said.
My brows creased. "I thought you said that you were going tonight?"
"Bells," he told me, "look out your window. It's almost sun set. You slept all day."
A glance to my open window confirmed his suspicions. The very bottom of the star was grazing the very top of the sea.
The sea also helped push the worry away. It stretched on endlessly, forever and ever. Just like Edward would.
"All right," I said.
He jumped up and walked out the door. "I'll be out here if you need me."
My head made a checklist of things I needed to do: shower, clothes, leave. Shower, clothes, leave. Shower, clothes, Edward. No, leave.
I could do this. The bathroom was to my left.
Per usual, I tripped once on the Persian rug on the way to the bathroom door, and again over thin air.
"Can you make it?" Jacob asked from outside. "Or do I need to put you on a leash?"
"Ha. Ha. Oh the irony," I muttered through Jacob's obnoxious snickering.
The bathroom was magnificent. A crystal chandelier hung from the mosaic ceiling, casting light off of a glittering marble floor. Edward's glittering marble chest.
I shook my head to clear this thought, kept my eyes up away from the floor, and began filling the pristine white tub with water. With horror, I noticed that the hooks holding the shower curtain to the rod were rose shaped, crafted out of a dull blue gemstone. Blue roses on our wedding day.
Was there nothing that wouldn't remind me of him? The response was quick and final: no. Even the plaster walls reminded me of him. And for God's sake, why in the world had the interior designer here opted to include so much topaz in the color scheme?
After I had showered and changed clothes into a pair of jean shorts and a comfy lilac cotton shirt, I walked out of my room to meet Jacob.
He was sprawled out on the sofa watching the plasma TV, some show in Spanish. Subtitles ran across the bottom of the screen.
He glanced down at my foot attire. "Flip flops?" he asked. "You'll kill yourself, Bells."
I pointed to his television show of choice. "Soap operas?"
He appeared flustered. "That's all they have!"
I rolled my eyes. "Sure, Jacob, whatever you say."
My heart skipped a few beats as I read what the lead man said to the woman he was holding in his arms. "He might kill me. This could be my end, but not yours. Never yours." scrolled across the screen in archaic, yellow text. Even if this is my end.
I sighed. It was going to be a long week.
Jacob pressed a button on the remote control and the man and woman disappeared into blackness. I shuddered. That was the wrong way to phrase that.
"Ready?" he asked brightly.
"Yeah."
An very long elevator ride from the 34th floor ensued. When Emily, Sam, Seth, Jacob, and I stepped out into the warm, near tropical air, we immediately heard a mariachi band playing.
"I've always wanted to come here," Emily said.
"I offered to for our honeymoon, but you just had to go to Switzerland," her husband replied.
I'm out of this, neutral. I'm Switzerland. I'd told Edward that once. Really, I told myself, these flashbacks had to stop.
"Switzerland's nice and..."
"Cold!" Sam interrupted. "Froze my pants off."
Emily looked annoyed. "If I recall, you were quite cozy."
Sam rolled his eyes. "Mr. and Mrs. Ulley are having a spat."
"Guys!" cried Jacob, "Shut it. Who cares?"
They didn't pay attention, and kept bickering about the pros and cons of Europe and Mexico, which turned into a cold vs. hot argument, at which point I promptly stopped listening.
Cold vs. hot. Vapire vs. werewolf. That concept struck too close to home.
Luckily, Jacob grabbed my arm and pulled me towards the music. Seth followed, and we left the Ulleys to their discussion.
Behind us, I noted three men following our footsteps. They walked silently side by side.
"Jacob, who are they?"
"Your bodyguard," he grudgingly answered. "Apparently, I can't handle it by myself."
So, these were the people Edward had paid to protect me.
"They're mostly a ploy designed to scare away people," Seth said. "We'd take care of it if there was any real danger." The tone in his voice was confident and bold.
"He's still a bit hyped on killing Victoria's little friend," Jacob whispered.
We came to a stop at the edge of the crowd that had gathered around the music.
Music. Piano. Edward.
The reminders were becoming scarily real now. The music coming from the steel drums and maracas sounded eerily like my lullaby.
I turned to tug on Jacob's sleeve. "I was wrong. I really don't think I was ready for this."
He sighed. "Okay, let's go. Seth," he addressed the younger werewolf. "Stay here."
"You can't tell me what to do."
Jacob growled. "Fine," Seth agreed with false bravado.
He kept one hand on my lower back as he led me back through the mob to the hotel. A breeze picked up my hair and I could smell the salty ocean. Sand stung my eyes as it blew towards me.
Sand. Beach. Ocean. Cliff.
I walked faster, pushing through the throng to keep my thoughts from drifting back to Forks. The doorman held open the glass door for us and I scrambled through.
Up ahead of me, I spotted the universal sign for "here is restroom", a blue stick figure in a triangular dress. I bolted for it.
"I'll just be a minute!" I called back.
People stared at me as I ran. I made it to the toilet just in time. I was, quite literally, home sick.
Coming out of the stall, I tried to leave the bathroom. Apparently though, there were two doors, and I ended up going out of the one on the other end into another part of the lobby.
A small child with bronze hair ran by me.
"Edward!" called a frazzled woman. "Come back here!" She chased him out the door.
That did it. I couldn't stay here. I couldn't go outside. This was the straw that broke the camel's back.
I decided in that moment that since I was legal here, I'd let Mexico live up to its infamous reputation. I walked out the other door and began ambling down the sidewalk looking for any place at all that sold alcohol. I set out to undergo a "human experience" that Edward never intended me to have. I was on a quest to get rip-roaring drunk.
A/N: Holy. Frickin. Crap. I should go on vacation more often. Jeeze Louise...Never in my life did I ever expect 42, let me repeat 42 (!) reviews! I get back from my internetless trip (grrr) and get THIS! It was probably the best thing EVER! Like, Christmas has never been this good. I mean, wow, how can I adequately express my utter gratitude and amazement in words...hmmmm...THANK YOU (Times A ZILLIONFROOFRILLION) In apolgy of not updating for a while, and from the resulting high I recieved off of my reviews, I gave you an uber uber long chapter. And, I believe there was some confusion. I thought I explained it clearly, but in the last chapter some of you thought that Alice saw Edward dying. ERRRR...wrong answer. Alice saw Bella dying if she stayed. That's what Edward saw at the wedding, when he panicked. If it really bothers the more OCD of youens, I'll correct it. Just let me know...and once again, THANKS! And errr...as sam and emily's relationship was not mentioned very much in the book, I took the liberty to write them MY way. They're kindof my new faves. Oh, and, the end of Ed's letter is from Beethoven's letter to his Immortal Beloved. I thought it fitting. You people should really watch "mysteries in history".