Writing on the Wall

Chapter 9: Reunion

Bella

I was absolutely mortified.

Edward looked just as I remembered him to look like, and even dressed the exact same way as he used to. He wore a simple black long-sleeved shirt that fit his physique very well, and paired it with dark jeans. However, I didn't feel anything else besides my complete shock of seeing him again. My pulse didn't quicken in the sight of him, nor did I feel any longing after seeing his perfect, Adonis face.

Not anymore, I supposed.

Carlisle stood just as shocked as I probably was in front of him. He'd dropped me down to the ground and naturally, I'd landed on my ass. Still, I made no movement to stand up, neither did Carlisle try to help me up.

"Rosalie told me you wouldn't want me here," he said, not even looking down at me to acknowledge my presence. His voice was cold and low, but still a melodic bass. "In light of the current situation, I'd say your judgment was flawed in this one. Actually, you've made quite a lot of questionable decisions lately, haven't you?"

I gulped and tried to open my mouth to speak, but found that I had no courage to do so.

"Edward," Carlisle responded softly, a heartbreaking noise. "Whatever ill feelings you have––"

"Don't waste your time, Carlisle," he cut off, closing his eyes momentarily, eyebrows scrunching together. His hands were in tight fists. "Not now. Right now, we need to stop this fight. Family is still a priority for you, I hope?"

"Of course," Carlisle replied ardently.

"Then prove it," he said in a monotone. Edward walked away and towards the clearing, bumping Carlisle's shoulder quite roughly as he did.

Carlisle remained motionless in his place for several seconds afterwards. I decided then to get up on my feet, gently pressing my hands on the side of his face to look at me. When he did, my heart wrenched at the anguish in his eyes.

"I didn't bring him here, I swear to you," he began.

"I know," I assured him immediately. "Carlisle, we have to go back there. He's right, you need to help stop this. And he needs you."

Carlisle nodded, and after a few moments of hesitation, gestured for me to climb on his back again. Before I did, I pressed a soft kiss on his cheek again, hoping that it'd help in any way. His expression seemed to soften a little bit when I did, but the pain remained in his eyes.

When we reached the middle of the clearing, I was surprised that most of the fighting had stopped. The wolves had retreated back to their side of the border, but maintained an aggressive stance, with the alpha and Jacob's russet wolf in the centerline. Edward stood the closest to the border, his hands reaching out towards them.

"…all a gross misunderstanding," he was saying when we arrived, addressing the wolves. "Emmett here would like to express his sincerest apologies."

Emmett looked more like a petulant child than a man sincerely apologetic. He kept his arms crossed next to Edward, but decided to oblige. "I apologize."

Carlisle put me down with his arm wrapped protectively around my shoulders. Rosalie approached and stood next to him in the line, her expression and countenance riddled with guilt.

"I didn't know he'd actually come," she whispered, her eyes not looking up from the grass below her. "I'm so sorry."

Carlisle made no response, but I felt his grasp tighten around my shoulder slightly.

"They also apologize for the actions of the wolf who attacked first," Edward continued, looking to Carlisle.

He gently removed his arm around me and stepped closer towards Edward and the wolves. "If you are to forgive our transgression, then we have no reason not to forgive yours. We maintain our intentions of only wanting to help. May I clarify if the treaty still stands?"

The wolves looked at each other, sharing a silent conversation. After a few moments, Edward replied for them. "Yes."

"I'm happy to hear that," Carlisle responded smoothly. "In light of this, have you given any thought to our proposal?"

"What information do you want?"

"We only want to know about the vampires who have caused your turning and attacked you." Carlisle pursed his lips before continuing on. "While I cannot ensure that we would be willing to combat those of own kind, we want to help in whatever way we can."

Edward narrowed his eyes, most probably in reaction to something the wolves had said. After a few moments of hesitation––and even pain in his eyes––he responded for them. "They ask why we want to help in the first place, when we have abandoned this territory long ago, and even…caused unnecessary anguish for those we'd left behind."

And that was the first moment Edward truly looked at me and acknowledged my presence. I only noticed then that eyes were almost black. What surprised me was the pure guilt and agony in them––a response to the thoughts of one of the wolves?

It had to be Jacob. In my gut, I knew he was probably showing scenes of the aftermath of their abandonment, and my despair. The darkest several months of my life that only he would've known.

I felt a dull ache in my chest as I watched Edward's vulnerable expression, a silent apology etched in his face. It hurt to remember that only a couple of years ago, I'd always fantasized about him coming back this way, with that same guilt, and I would have taken him back in my life with open arms.

I'd changed. Grown up. And I realize I'd forgiven him long ago.

Carlisle seemed to notice Edward's sudden change in expression, his eyes darting towards me with worry. I looked away.

"We maintain that we left Forks for a reasonable purpose at the time," he continued slowly, though I could feel his eyes on me as he spoke. "Nonetheless, we extend our help for two reasons. The first would be of the respect and good foundation our coven would like to maintain with you, the way we have had them with your ancestors. The second would be the fact that Forks, without any doubt, is a home for us and those we truly care about, which makes it under our protection as well."

I looked back up at him again, and my heart fluttered in the softness of his expression.

Edward stood solemnly, quietly reading the wolves' thoughts. Eventually, he looked up in Carlisle's direction. "They accept."

Carlisle and I were walking silently side-by-side to where he'd parked his car. He'd carried me halfway, but probably decided a short walk was best to discuss the events that had happened that night.

"So," I began, trembling a bit in the harsh cold. "What's gonna happen now?"

"I'm taking you home," he replied softly, not really looking at me. "You need to rest."

"No, I don't," I started to say, but as if on cue, I had to stifle a yawn. The sight made Carlisle chuckle a bit, and the worry in his face disappeared for a moment. He side-stepped to be closer to me, resting a hand on my lower back again.

"The others will be accompanying me to the Black residence," he continued, his brows furrowing again. "I will do what I can with the situation, and hopefully by noon, Billy's condition will have improved."

"Will Edward…" I trailed off, knowing he probably understood what I meant already.

Carlisle's eyes darkened, and his pace slowed as he walked next to me. "He insists upon staying with us, especially with the wolves involved. I must admit that his ability makes this much easier for us, but…"

"He's gonna want to talk about it eventually," I said, stopping the walk.

Carlisle sighed quietly, turning completely to face me. He placed both hands on the sides of my face, but only lightly grazing my skin. "Bella, whatever complications this has brought forth, will you allow me to handle it?"

"I won't allow you to be berated on your own," I said stubbornly. "He can get angry with me. Not you, never you."

"I am his father," he said, smiling sadly. "Whatever Edward feels, I believe he has a right to them. And I can take it."

I opened my mouth to protest again, but he gently shushed me as he leaned in closer to me, caressing my lips with his thumb. I let out a shaky breath instead, until he finally pressed his lips to mine. It was a slow, passionate kiss, the type that made me dizzy and weak in the knees. I had to hold on to his shoulders to maintain my balance.

"I love you," I breathed when he let me go.

"And I'll fight for you," he promised, kissing my forehead softly before walking with me again, bringing back the slight distance between us.

We eventually reached the car, but was surprised that there was already a figure leaning against the trunk. Jacob was human and half-naked again, wearing a tattered pair of shorts, his arms crossed across his bare chest. His eyes regarded us warily as we approached.

"Jake," I greeted, remembering my shock after he turned into a massive, russet wolf right before my eyes. I unconsciously held on to a fistful of Carlisle's sweater next to me. "What are you…"

"I'll take you home," he said simply, standing up straight.

Immediately, Carlisle's posture stiffened. "I can drive her––"

"You can drive straight to the house," Jacob cut him off. "Sam is waiting for you at the bridge to the rez."

He looked to me, then, his eyes pleading. I knew then that he wanted to be alone with me, using this as an excuse to talk privately. I eventually obliged, saying, "Yeah, Jake can take me home. We'll be fine."

Carlisle was still uneasy, a hand still hovering on my back. "Are you sure?"

"Positive."

He then gave me a small smile. After a moment of being unsure of how to say goodbye to me––Jacob wasn't aware of our relationship yet, after all––he resorted to patting my shoulder awkwardly before turning to hop in the Benz. A minute later, he drove off.

"So," I began, putting my hands in my jacket pockets, fidgeting in my heels. "Are you going to bring me home on your wolf back or something?"

He was caught off guard with that, and suddenly bent over as he laughed. "I can't believe how okay you are with all this."

"I mean, you aren't the first monsters I've dealt with," I shrugged.

Jacob was still bent over with his hands in his knees, and his smile slowly faded into a slight grimace. "Yeah, I suppose. But no, I'm not a horse. I have my motorbike a few meters from here––remember it?"

My eyes immediately widened, and I had to walk briskly to keep up with Jacob as he walked us to where he'd parked the bike. It was the old Harley that I'd insisted he keep, and he'd fixed it up so well that it looked almost brand new. "I can't believe you," I couldn't help but exclaim.

"Yeah, she's a beaut," he commented. However, he made no move to ride it yet, nor to give me a helmet. He just stood against the tree it was parked against and looked at me curiously.

"What?" I asked, suddenly self-conscious.

"You know what," he said, rolling his eyes. "I'm waiting for you to just go out and say it."

I was really confused now. I scratched my head, saying, "I really don't know what you're talking about."

"Come on," he said, his hands beginning to move animatedly as he spoke. "You think I wouldn't notice? You and the blond bloodsucker? The tangible tension in the clearing when your ex-fucking-boyfriend arrived? Bella, please."

I suddenly felt so cold. Of course, Jacob had always been perceptive. "That obvious?"

"And dangerous," he said seriously, his voice raising. "Is your life so sad and uneventful that you can't pick a normal, human boyfriend?"

I looked up at him incredulously. That fucking hurt. As soon as he saw my expression, however, he immediately looked remorseful.

"Sorry, it's the––I get easily pissed off now, with the wolf thing," he tried to explain, looking frustrated with himself as he kicked a small stone with his bare foot. "Or maybe I'm just a dick. I don't know. I'm just worried about you."

I sighed, stepping closer to him, and throwing in a light punch on his shoulder. He didn't even budge. "You're right. You're a dick."

He smiled then, his signature toothy grin. "Okay. I'll take that. But you have some explaining to do."

I took a few moments to think about it, but eventually gave in. "Alright."

And so I told him the story, from beginning to end. I told him about Kingston and seeing Carlisle again, and how everything blossomed from there. I even mentioned how I'd felt, when he left, then came back, then with his confession. I then explained the situation with Edward, and how his appearance that day was a surprise for everyone. I told him about my fear, which was him slipping away amidst all the trouble I'd brought him into, my fear that maybe this was too difficult for him. I told Jacob everything––excluding the private experiences Carlisle and I had, of course––and as soon as I finished with my story, I felt like a heavy weight was lifted from my chest. It was the first time I'd ever completely expressed my feelings about the recent events, about Carlisle, to anyone. I realized from my own words how much I'd grown to deeply care for him, and I'd fallen hopelessly and irrevocably in love with him.

Throughout my monologue, Jacob's expression had gone from doubtful, to incredulous, to confused, and eventually solemn.

"Say something," I said when I was finished, my voice cracking from talking for so long.

"I'm just…" His eyes looked far away, his lips pressed into a hard line. Finally, he sighed, and looked up to stare at me in the eyes. "It's just…I've never heard you sound like this before."

"Like what?"

He made a wide gesture with his arms. "This happy."

My chest tightened. "Yeah. I guess I am."

"Look," he began, putting a hand on each of my shoulders. "I'm not gonna lie to you. I still don't like the creepy walking dead folks, and will never understand your attraction to them."

I scoffed.

"But, in the end, I care about you. And you're my best friend. And if this…situation or setup makes you happy, then I'm behind you. A hundred percent."

I felt the tears form in the corner of my eyes immediately, but made no move to wipe them off. "Jake, you're the best."

"I know," he said smugly, ruffling the hair at the top of my head and turning to the bike. "And you know, I'm starting to consider that maybe they're not so bad. Maybe. They're helping out my dad, after all. Still, a lot of reservations there."

"Baby steps," I chuckled, and grabbed the helmet he threw at me.

The engine of the Harley roared to life, and Jacob motioned with his head to ride behind him. When I sat, I put my arms around his waist tightly, whispering with tears still streaming down my face, "Thank you."

Carlisle didn't call the next day. Or the next.

Jacob had told me after dropping me off that I should wait for them to call me before heading to the reservation. Just in case, he'd pleaded.

When I tried the Black residence, there was no dial tone. Jacob never responded to my texts or calls. I also constantly tried Alice, but it went straight to voicemail. When the morning came on the third day and my phone still had no new notifications when I awoke, I decided it was time to truly worry.

I decided to rebel.

"You okay with the leftover pizza for lunch?" I called to Charlie, who was in the living room watching a football game.

He merely grunted in response, barely looking up from the screen.

I put the plateful of pizza into the microwave and set up the table for him. "I'll be out for lunch with Alice," I lied. "I'll probably be back late."

"No hiking!" was his response.

I began the familiar slow drive to the reservation then, blasting some of The Killers' classics on the stereo as I did. However, I'd only gotten to the bridge of The Way It Was when I immediately had to hit the brakes so hard to stop myself from running over a familiar figure on the deserted forest road.

My heart leaped to my mouth as Edward––dressed so impeccably in a light blue dress shirt and jeans––stood motionless in front of the Chevy, which had skidded to a stop a mere few inches in front of him.

In a second, he was by the driver's window. "Scoot over."

In my complete and utter shock, I couldn't help but follow him. He gracefully settled into the driver's seat and revved the engine to life again. Without looking at me in the eyes, he looked at the back window––put an arm behind the passenger seat to do so––and made a smooth, two-point turn to drive in the opposite direction.

"Where are you taking me?" I finally found the courage to say, my hands trembling on my lap.

He didn't respond and kept his eyes on the road.

"Where's Carlisle––"

That got his attention, and the car skidded into a sudden stop, the brakes groaning in protest as we did. However, Edward still didn't turn to look at me.

"I'm taking you to lunch," he said coolly. "That's what you told Charlie you were going to do."

"I'm not hungry."

He closed his eyes then, and pinched the tip of his nose bridge. "You can't go to the reservation yet. The procedure isn't done."

I frowned. "C––He told me it shouldn't take more than a day."

"That's what we hoped," he sighed. "You can't go there until…Well, until it's safe."

"Okay," I whispered. "I just want to know if…if everyone's okay, right now at least."

He surprised me cracking a smile, albeit sad and pitiful. He shook his head as he chuckled, and his hand tightened around the wheel. "Is that all? Is that really it?"

"What?"

"You really have nothing to say to me?" He finally turned to me then, his beautiful golden eyes boring into my own. His words were barely a whisper, and his expression was one of pure anguish. Similar to what I'd seen at the clearing.

It broke my heart.

"What do you want me to say?" I whispered back.

"Anything!" He pushed the wheel so suddenly with his other hand; I was surprised he didn't break it. "Anything at all. Two years of…suffering, and this is…This is what I get."

"Suffering?"

"Yes!" His voice was very loud now, and his gestures erratic as he spoke. "Have you any idea how long I'd suffered to be away from you? To keep you safe? To make sure that I would never have a hand in your death, to make sure that you get the chance to live a long and happy life?"

I was dumbfounded, to say the least. "What the hell are you talking about? You left me."

"I left for you!"

"You never gave me the choice!"

I was shaking then, from either anger or pain. I couldn't stand it; this train of thought was exactly what I'd expected him to have, yes, but it still hurt hearing it just the same.

Edward's expression softened, and he let go of his tight grip on the wheel. "Everything I did…I did for you. I only implore that you––that you understand that."

"I do," I said, calming down. "I do understand. And I've forgiven you for it long ago."

"So what…" Edward was shaking too, now. "Why have you…"

He couldn't even say the words to what most probably seemed like the epitome of betrayal for him. My chest was heavy, and I felt like I was sinking into my seat. However, I decided to take every ounce of courage I had left in my body to tell him the truth.

"He gave me a choice," I said simply.

Edward closed his eyes again, and surprised me for the second time in the past five minutes.

He began to weep.

It was the first time I'd ever seen him cry. There were no real tears that formed, but his torment was still the same, and it made him look so––human. He wept silently, now gripping the wheel tightly with both hands. I didn't realize that I was crying too as I watched him, until I felt the familiar wetness run down both my cheeks.

"Please––don't cry," I sobbed, my breaths coming in short and pathetic. "I can't––Please, just be angry with me. I can't do this."

He didn't look up for a long while. I began sobbing a bit loudly, and even embarrassingly now. I couldn't help it. The guilt…Carlisle was right. He had every right to feel the way he did, no matter how I looked at it. While it was never our intention to cause him pain, we did.

We don't get to decide whether or not we hurt others.

"I've lost you," he whispered so softly that I almost thought I'd imagined it. "I've lost you because of my own stubbornness."

"Edward…"

"Just say the word," he said calmly now, raising his head to turn to me. His expression was suddenly composed, unreadable.

"What?"

"Is there nothing left? Is there no more way to reverse this, to…A second chance. Anything. Bella, I beg you to think. If you say there's really nothing left, that you have no love for me anymore, then…" He didn't finish, but kept his intense gaze on me.

I followed him. I really thought about it. After a few minutes, I decided to speak.

"Edward, I don't think I'll ever completely stop loving you," I said, reaching out to hold his hand on his lap. "Not when you've helped me find myself. You saw me for who I was, loved me, and what we had––It's irreplaceable. And I'll be forever grateful for it.

"But I've also grown up. While I have completely forgiven you for abandoning me, that doesn't mean that I've forgotten. You let your fear run our relationship for us. I can't afford the possibility of having to go through that again. I want to be given––"

"A choice," he finished for me softly.

I nodded solemnly.

Edward opened his palm to take my hand that had been resting on it, his fingers caressing each finger carefully. He turned my wrist and traced the bite mark I'd forgotten was there with his nail––the incident with James was a lifetime ago––and I watched as he smiled his familiar, lopsided grin, the one that made my heart leap out of my chest, once upon a time.

"You're right, of course," he continued. "You've always been right from the start."

"I want us to be okay," I said. "You and Carlisle, too. Is that too much for me to ask? Or, is it best if…If I just go?"

"No. After everything I've put you through, nothing is too much for you to ask." He looked up. "Don't––I will try. For you."

"No," I insisted. "Do it for yourself. Carlisle's your family."

He sighed, then nodded slowly. "Perhaps I will."

That was enough for me.

Carlisle

After three days, Billy Black's vitals finally stabilized after the treatment I'd given him.

I sighed as soon as I'd confirmed it from his readings, sitting––sinking, really––on the rocking chair set at the other end of the master bedroom. We'd made the room as snug and comfortable as possible despite all the medical equipment I'd brought in. I'd spent most of the past seventy-two hours in the room, and felt relieved that there was a chance this could finally be over.

I could see Bella again.

My thoughts were interrupted by someone knocking, and letting themselves in. It was Jacob. Based from the dark circles under his eyes, he hadn't been sleeping very well.

"How is he?"

"Stable, finally," I shared, standing back up to greet him. "After a few days, I expect him to make a full recovery."

Jacob's demeanor immediately brightened, and he cracked a smile for the first time in my presence. "Are you––He's okay? You're sure? And definitely not, like, a vampire or anything?"

"I'm sure."

He surprised me by giving me a quick, but tight embrace. I wasn't prepared, so I accidentally breathed in his awful wolf scent as he did. As a reflex, I pushed him away quite quickly and roughly, knocking him to the wall.

"Uh, sorry," he said apologetically, understanding immediately.

"No worries." I cleared my throat quite awkwardly. "May I ask of our progress on the hunt?"

The pack had decided to give their information as soon as we arrived in the reservation three days ago. Billy had apparently been attacked by what they believed to be a female vampire in the middle of the night. Targeted, Jacob had said, as he was only sleeping in the next room. They hypothesize that it was an experiment; surely, the vampire involved knew enough of their heritage to pick him. Sam Uley, the pack's alpha, believed it was an attempt to get the wolves on the intruder's side.

Almost simultaneous to the attack on Billy, several other accounts of missing persons had been reported in Port Angeles. The attacks seemed random, but there was hardly any attempt of subtlety. The humans were taken at night, but in exposed roads and highways. So far, there were no remains to be found of any of those taken.

If the situation got any worse, the Volturi was sure to get involved.

As of the moment, both our group and the pack believed there had to be a minimum of two vampires involved. It was Jasper who had suggested that it was a pair of mates, who may be creating a small army of newborn vampires as an alternative after the failed experiment with Billy Black.

To what end, however, was still unknown to us.

"We tracked down a possible sighting of one of the missing persons," Jacob began, looking glum. I already knew then that it wasn't good news. "The trail ended somewhere deep in the forest. Whoever's orchestrating this is really careful."

"Every part of their plan is well-thought out," I agreed. "Is my family here?"

"The boys just came back from their, er, lunch," Jacob replied uncomfortably. "Everyone's here but Edward."

I froze. "Edward?"

"Yeah, I saw him leave a couple of hours ago," he shrugged. "Left in a bit of a hurry after talking to the little one. Alice. I thought he went hunting with the others, but they came back without him."

I immediately left the room and materialized in front of Alice, who seemed to be already waiting for me in the living room. She was seated on the tiny couch next to Rosalie, with an extremely guilt-ridden expression on her face.

"I'm sorry," she said immediately, looking up at me. "I wanted to tell you immediately, but you were working on Billy, and––"

"Where's Edward?"

She sighed exasperatedly. "I just happened to mention that Bella's future disappeared––yes, sorry, I keep looking, but only because I'm looking out for her. I mentioned that there was a possibility she was coming here, and we did agree to keep her out of the rez just in case another fight breaks out, since the incident at the clearing was a close call––"

I shook my head and grunted in frustration. "You let him go?"

She gestured around her incredulously. "Carlisle, he's the fastest one among all of us."

"You may not have to go looking for him," Rosalie chimed in, her eyes looking outside the window. "He's back."

I turned to the window and found that Rosalie was correct. Edward was walking quite leisurely outside towards the house, his gaze fixed on the ground.

I didn't get angry often, but this time, I couldn't help but feel my chest bubble with pure aggravation. I met him a few meters away from the house and blocked his path.

"We made an agreement. I strictly told you not to go to her without me. If you have an issue, you go to me," I heard myself hiss, my hands in shaking fists at my side.

To my annoyance, Edward looked amused. "Because I'm to do whatever I'm told?"

I pushed him roughly then, knocking him a couple of feet away.

"Carlisle, stop!" I heard Jasper call from the entryway. From my periphery, I noticed not only my family, but the members of the pack gather at the front of the house, watching our interaction with curious but wary eyes.

Even Jasper couldn't ease my temper now. "Don't test me, boy," I warned.

Edward growled and took a threatening stance, but made no further move to hit back. "What could you possibly be afraid of?" He had the nerve to crack a knowing, smug smile, probably after reading my thoughts. "You can admit it, Carlisle. You think her fickle? I don't blame you."

I saw red. The disrespect towards me I could take, but towards Bella––

In a flash, I took Edward by his shirt with both fists and knocked him backwards into the hard, mossy ground. At the back of my mind, I was mildly surprised he let me. The action caused a loud crack, but I didn't bother looking for the source of the sound as I threw in a hard punch right across Edward's face.

"Carlisle, I swear to God––!" I heard Alice say as they approached us.

Edward laughed, to my chagrin. And so I punched again, causing a crack across his cheekbone. I was about to throw another when I heard him whisper something.

"Good."

I froze, my fist mid-air.

Edward sighed, lightly rubbing the crack across his cheekbone as it healed within seconds. "That's good," he murmured. "You'd fight for her."

"What––" I let my hand fall limply onto my side. I rolled off of his body and settled on kneeling next to his supine position. Alice, Jasper, Emmett, and Rosalie stood behind me, looking surprised that our altercation had ended so suddenly.

"I'll only believe you deserve her if you're willing to fight for her, against all odds, against anyone," he said, not bothering to get back up. "You've won, Carlisle. You have the only thing that matters in the world. And…you have my support."

I heaved a deep, tired sigh, finally understanding, and leaned my head down on Edward's stomach.

"You're a fucking idiot, Edward," I heard Emmett mutter behind me.

I leant back to sit on my heels and felt myself releasing a long, incredulous laugh, my shoulders shaking, still in shock from the recent events. I still refused to believe Edward had let me throw in two punches just to prove a point. But then again, it was something I should have expected from someone like him.

"Correct," he muttered, either in response to Emmett or my thoughts. "And I'd do it again."

"Get up, you fools," Rosalie said, shaking their head. "The wolves probably think us primitive after seeing this."

"On the contrary," Edward said, groaning as he sat up on the grass, "I believe we just gained their respect."

A/N: I apologize for the late update, it's because I'm also working on a Carlisle/Bella AU fic (Right Through Me), which I'm also publishing today! It'd be lovely if you checked the first chapter out. :)