Monday 22nd November
Ice crunched beneath their feet, as they ran, Bella in the lead. Despite everything, she still cared about him. She still loved him. She still needed him alive- or as close to alive as was possible- if nothing else.
The door opened, and Edward stood in the doorway. The men immediately stood and advanced towards him, just as Bella reached them. She grabbed the men closest to Edward and flung them away.
"Bella?!"
But Bella ignored Edward. The others arrived and began attacking the humans, flinging them away into the ice. By now, all the humans had realised what was happening, and were fighting back. A bullet zoomed past Bella, and she watched as it hit another man, bursting into flames upon contact. The humans had weapons deadly to vampires, making it harder to kill them- but not impossible. With heightened awareness, Bella dodged and ducked bullets and streams of fire.
A bullet soared through the air towards Edward, who was facing the other way, dodging streams of fire.
"No!" Bella shouted, running towards Edward and shoving him out of the way. He turned around to see the bullet hit Bella, bursting into flames, while the force of it lifted her off her feet. She flew through the air, slamming into the house, snapping wood, falling onto the ice where she lay still, the fire consuming her.
Edward's eyes widened with horror and fear, though not for Bella. The wood was catching fire and smoke billowed in the air.
"Sarah!" he shouted, smashing a window open and diving through.
Rosalie had watched all this, fear coursing through her.
"We need to kill Sarah!" she shouted. "She still has a hold over Edward!"
She ran towards Bella, going as close as was safe for her, and grabbed chunks of ice, dropping it over her sister's body in an attempt to put out the fire. But the fire from the house was spreading closer to them, and there was still no safe way to drag Bella away from them.
Jasper, hearing Rosalie's shout and realising she was right, leaped through the window after Edward. It had taken Carlisle a week to shake off the hold Sarah had on him, and they could only hope that if Sarah was gone, her hold over Edward would leave too. So Jasper followed him up the stairs to a smoke filled room that was catching fire. Edward had Sarah in his arms, and kicked the window open. As Edward jumped, Jasper spun him around, grabbing Sarah and pulling her back into the room. After looking into a fearful eyes for a split second, he easily snapped her neck. When he could no longer hear her heart, he dropped her and jumped out of the window, to see Edward looking thoroughly bewildered.
"Edward!" he shouted, taking his brother by the shoulders and shaking him, roughly. "Snap out of this! Bella needs you!"
Edward cast his eyes around and they landed on Rosalie, dragging Bella's limp body away from the house, while still grabbing ice to put out the last flames. Edward rushed towards them, collapsing beside Bella. He brushed the ice off, seeing that the flames were out. Her body was cracked and covered in burns that weren't healing. Her eyes were wide open, staring at something only she could see, while her body writhed, and the let out strangled screams.
"She needs blood!" he shouted. When Rosalie hesitated, he added, "Get one of those bloody humans! I don't care!"
Rosalie nodded and returned a minute later with two limp bodies. Edward bit into the first one's neck, and with difficulty, pulled away, placing the bloody wound against Bella's mouth.
"Bella, please! Drink this! Bella, please! Don't leave me…"
He sighed with relief when the man's body twitched slightly, as Bella drank from him. They did the same with the other man, and Bella began to heal, but she still needed more.
"More! She needs more!"
Alice and Jasper grabbed two men each and threw them towards Edward, who took them gratefully, biting wounds into their necks and allowing Bella to drink from them. Once she'd finished, she slowly eased herself into a sitting position.
"Bella," Edward said, relieved.
Bella blinked at him. "What happened?" she croaked.
Rosalie gazed at her, sympathetically. "You were thrown into the house and caught fire. I used ice to put the fames out, and then made you drink blood to heal. Jasper killed Sarah to break her hold over Edward."
"Hold over me?" Edward asked, confused.
"Yes," Carlisle said. "Of course, it is impossible to know for sure now, but we have a theory that Sarah had a power. She brought out the worst traits in people and amplify them so much that it consumes them, and stops their power working."
"This is all my fault," Edward sighed, shaking his head, regretfully.
"No," Bella said. "It was Sarah's fault. Sarah and anyone else who was a part of this. They were the ones to tear apart our family. You were manipulated. We all were. You aren't that person, Edward, that Sarah turned you into."
"Mum, don't move! Don't talk!" Renesmee chided. "You almost died, just then. You need to rest!"
Edward gently but protectively pulled her against his chest, where she relaxed and shut her eyes. His other hand reached out towards Renesmee, who took it, albeit hesitantly. But she too relaxed when he wrapped his arm around her.
"I'm sorry, Nessie," he apologised, quietly.
"It's okay, Daddy," she said, graciously.
Looking around at his family, Edward continued. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry to all of you, for my atrocious behaviour. And I'm grateful. Thank you. Thank you for coming here to help me even though I don't deserve it."
Grinning, Emmett slapped Edward on the back and cheerily said, "We couldn't very well leave you to deal with these guys alone. Goes against the Cullen Code!"
Esme stared at him, perplexed. "There is no Cullen Code."
"There is now! We just have to complete it!"
Jasper frowned. "Complete it? I'm not sure I follow."
"We have to come up with the rest of the rules! Isn't it obvious?" Emmett replied, rolling his eyes.
"Uh, okay then," Carlisle said. "Jacob, Jasper, Emmett? Help me bury these men."
"Bury them?" Edward asked.
"Well we can hardly ship them back to wherever they came from, can we?" Carlisle replied, a hint of sarcasm in his tone.
"Yeah, we don't even know if these guys told anyone else about our existence," Emmett added.
"They did," Edward said. "I heard it in their thoughts. They told one person who refused to spread the news. They wanted to stay out of this."
"Well, that's one less thing to worry about," Carlisle said.
As they left to deal with the bodies, Renesmee pointed at the burning house.
"What are we going to do about that?" she asked.
"Oh, there's a cabin nearby. I had it built in case of an emergency. It has a hose pipe and unlimited access to water. We can use that to put out the fire," Esme said, pointing casually into the distance.
"How come we never knew about his?" Edward asked.
"Like I said, it's for emergencies. Come on."
Alice, Rosalie, Esme and Renesmee made off for the cabin, and Bella tried to follow them, but Edward held her back.
"Relax, Bella."
"I'm fine," she insisted.
"You almost died. You need to rest."
"Fine. I'll stay," Bella conceded, grudgingly. She sighed. "I'll probably need to hunt again when we get home."
"You don't mind that you drank from humans to save yourself?" Edward asked.
Bella shook her head. "This is going to sound awfully vindictive of me, but if I'm honest, no. They tore apart our family and almost permanently destroyed it. I think they deserve what they got."
"Understandable. And I agree with you on that."
Thursday 25th November
Edward reached into his pocket and pulled out a photo. He was leaning against the kitchen counter in Bella's home in Littleworth, while waiting with Renesmee for Bella to come home. They had to talk. Edward knew it could temporarily ruin their newfound happiness, but the longer they postponed this, the worse off they'd be.
On Monday, after the fire had been put out, they'd looked around for anything salvageable. Not much since half of the house had been completely destroyed. They never found Sarah's body, because Jasper left it in the side that was turned to ash, for which Edward was thankful. He could barely stand the thought of seeing her, after everything she put the family through.
His and Bella's bedroom had been on the half that wasn't destroyed. Miraculously, Edward had noticed a shattered picture frame on the floor, and carefully eased the photo out. The edges were singed and it was slightly creased, but it was perfect. A perfect picture of Bella and Edward.
"What's that?" Bella had asked, walking in.
"A photo," Edward replied. "I can't believe it survived."
Bella took the photo with gentle hands, and turned it over to read what was scribbled on the back.
August 13th 2006
"Our wedding day," she said, softly.
"My love for you had never been stronger," Edward said.
"And my love for you, too. Edward, that's why it survived! Our love can survive everything and anything. This picture is perfect. It shows that whatever struggles and difficulties we face, we were always come out of them together."
The he took her in his arms and kissed her, relishing in the feeling of her soft lips against his. It was in that moment he vowed to never let her go again.
The sound of the door opening and closing brought Edward back to the present. Bella walked into the kitchen where he was stood.
"Renesmee's upstairs," he said.
"Okay. Let me make dinner for her and Jacob, and then we can talk."
Edward watched as Bella roamed about the kitchen, grabbing ingredients, and then dropping two handfuls of spaghetti into a pot to boil.
"This is a beautiful place you have," Edward said, looking around.
"It is," Bella acknowledged. "It's certainly not as glamourous as any of yours but-"
"It's perfect," Edward finished.
Bella smiled, sadly. A half hour later, Jacob opened the front door, just as Bella pushed the spaghetti into two bowls.
"Just in time, I see!" he cried. "Smells great, Bells."
"Renesmee!" Bella called, carrying the bowls out into the dining room. Renesmee ran down the stairs and to the dining room, stopping abruptly when she passed Bella.
"Don't worry, Mum. I'll make sure Jacob stays out of the living room and doesn't eavesdrop. You know how good I am at distracting people," she said, conspiratorially.
Bella laughed at the confused look on Edward, and terrified expression on Jacob's face.
"Oh, thank you honey," she said.
"Don't you trust me?" Jacob asked, in mock hurt. "And uh, what exactly is Nessie going to do to distract me? I will come out of this alive and unscarred, won't I?"
Renesmee smiled, innocently. "You'll just have to wait and see."
Laughing, Bella took Edward's hand and pulled him towards the living room.
"Come on. You heard our daughter. Our words are safe," she said, shutting the door behind her.
They settled on the sofa, gazing at the warm fire that lit up the room.
"So, where do we start?" Bella asked.
Edward thought for a moment. "We start at the very beginning," he said, only just realising how much about his life he had neglected to tell his mate. He wasn't sure why. Maybe he was too ashamed. Maybe he was trying to protect her. But now he saw how utterly stupid it was, whatever the reason. She'd always needed to know. "As you know, I was born in 1901, into a middle class family. As an only child, I was very spoiled. My father provided me with many opportunities, such as music lessons and the chance to go to a private school. I became an accomplished pianist and excelled in school. Then when the war began, I dreamed of becoming a soldier. But then I caught the Spanish Influenza, and Carlisle changed me.
"When we become vampires, our minds are frozen as well as our bodies. Yes, we can still learn, but our maturity level stays the same. Our characteristics will forever stay the same, though they are heightened during the change. I was a teenager, a rather spoiled one, who had not truly experienced the world. I was still, in a way, naïve and stupid. I grew up taught to follow and accept society's views and expectations. Although, over the years, I have tried and for the most part, succeeded, in supressing those ideals, and changing alongside society, the past couple of months, it has got completely out of hand."
He paused to allow Bella to take in this information, growing increasingly nervous by her silence and pensive look.
"I understand," she said, at last. "I understand what you mean. But it's not your fault. You grew up learning certain expectations and rules, and you can't change that. It wouldn't be fair for me to want you to change. And- I'm not blaming Carlisle, but- it's not your fault you were changed at that age. It was Carlisle's choice. You couldn't have done anything to prevent it." She eyed him for a moment. "I sense there's more. What is it?"
"You're right," Edward said. "There's more. My rebellious years. I left Carlisle and Esme and hunted humans. My excuse, my reasoning, was that they were criminals. But who was I to determine that? Who was I to take their life? On top of that, when I returned after a few years, guilty and regretful, I was welcomed back with open arms. No punishments whatsoever. But maybe if I had to face the consequences of what I'd done, I would have changed. Perhaps not much, but just a little would have been enough. Instead, it only fuelled my arrogance."
"That's true," Bella said. "What you did was wrong. But Edward, it all goes back to what you said previously. You're locked into a certain maturity level. What you did was, in a way, impulsive. Teenagers often do impulsive things. I'm not saying what you did was acceptable, but it's not entirely your fault. You can't take the sole blame."
"Things got better when Rosalie and later, Emmett were changed. Better still when Alice and Jasper arrived. Because finally, I had someone who really understood me. Alice."
"What do you mean?" Bella asked.
"We both have gifts that we can't control, that allow us to know what other people can't. It's a heavy burden to carry, but also, when people rely on you and trust your judgement because of them, you become conceited. More so in my case. And then when Sarah came along, all these traits were brought to the front again, and amplified. I can never understand why you'd love a monster like me."
"Because I fell in love with you for who you are. These traits, these faults, are a part of you. I love you, imperfections and all. Have you ever read the poem Faults by Sarah Teasdale?"
Edward nodded.
"The last line is 'Your faults had made me love you more'."
"The epitome of true love," Edward murmured.
"Exactly. Your faults made me love you more, and I can't imagine you without them." There was a few minutes of silence. "I suppose it's my turn now… Well, Renee wasn't exactly the best mother a child could ask for. She was forgetful, neglected responsibilities, rarely thought things through, and was rather impulsive at times. I grew up looking after her, instead of her looking after me. I grew up starved of care. I thought that maybe she didn't love me, and that's why she didn't look after me. Of course, as I grew older, I understood that she really does love me, and responsibility is simply not part of her nature, but the younger me couldn't think of any other explanation. But even when I was older and knew I was loved, I was still not cared for.
"When I moved to Forks," she continued, "Charlie tried. God, he tried. He did everything he could to make me feel welcome, and safe, and to take care of me properly. But then I met you. I don't think Charlie noticed because I so seldom saw him before then, but I changed. I became an empty shell of the person I once was. My personality… well, I didn't really even have one anymore. I went along with almost everything you said, afraid to argue back. Why? Because I thought you wouldn't love me, or want me anymore. I was afraid that you'd get bored of such a plain, uninteresting human, and move onto someone better."
Edward looked away from Bella. "It's my fault," he muttered. "All my fault. I should have done more to convince you I love you no matter what. I should have-"
"Done nothing other than what you did do," Bella said, firmly. "My mental issues are not because of you. They stemmed from my childhood. While I admit that my abandonment issues were not helped when you left me after my birthday party, you are not the cause of them. And after you changed me, I finally realised you do love me unconditionally. I confess, when you were so opposed to changing me, I thought that perhaps you didn't want to be stuck with me for eternity, or that it was only my blood you loved. So after I was changed, my personality started drifting back, and I began to stand up to you."
"I never noticed," Edward murmured.
"I'm not surprised," Bella said. "I didn't notice it myself. Not until recently, when I was forced to re-evaluate and analyse my life and our relationship." Under Edward's intense stare, she was feeling naked and vulnerable.
"So that's everything then? Nothing else you need to tell me?"
"Not that I can think of. But there's something I need to ask you."
Edward nodded, knowing fully well what this would be. As much as he dreaded the question, Bella deserved an answer.
"You- you slept with her. Why?" Bella's voice wavered.
Edward sighed. If he was honest, he was not entirely sure himself. He wanted Bella and she did not want him. Sarah reminded him of Bella and she wanted him. That was the simplicity of it.
"Well, I missed you. So much. Every day, I thought about you and missed you. Every day, I felt guilt and self-hatred for pushing you away. Even if I would not admit it to myself, deep down, I knew it was my fault you left. You did not want me but I still wanted you. And there was Sarah. She reminded me of you so much, and she wanted me. I suppose I was with her to make me forget the pain of losing you; to fill the hole in my life where you should be. Obviously, it didn't work. I still thought of you every minute of every day." He paused for a moment, taking Bella's hands in his own. "I'm sorry. So, so sorry. Can you forgive me?" he asked, softly.
Bella looked down. "I don't know! I don't know!" she cried. Seeing Edward's devastated face, she hurriedly continued. "I want to! Oh God, I really want to! But a relationship, marriage, is built on the basis of trust, and you lost mine when you slept with Sarah."
"I know, Bella. I know! And I'm going to do everything I can to earn that trust back," Edward said, earnestly.
"I know. Can we just… take it day by day? I don't want to rush into this. I want to take things slowly. Last time, we rushed, and we didn't really know each other. Yes, we knew the trivial things, like favourite colours or songs. But we didn't truly know or understand each other on a mental, emotional level. We didn't communicate, and I think that was ultimately our downfall."
"We didn't," Edward agreed. "So yes. This time, we take things slowly. At your pace. You call the shots. You're in charge this time."
Bella smiled slightly. "Thank you. I really appreciate it."
"Anything for the woman I love."
"I love you," Bella said, softly.
"I love you too."
Twenty-four men mysteriously went missing on the afternoon of Monday the 22nd of November. They were last seen at London International Airport in Canada on Monday morning.
Of the missing men are: Jimmy Dunstan, William Delaney, Alistair Gethin, Timothy Blakewell, Max Manson, Simon Wulfric…
Only three of the names in the list meant anything to Sigmund. Dunstan, Alistair and Blakewell. They got themselves killed. It was the only explanation. Sigmund knew it would be best for him not to be a part of the attack. He would only be the next missing person.
This just proved the Cullen's were a serious threat. They had most likely killed Dunstan and his 'recruits'. But what else were they to do? They were being attacked. So Sigmund would keep quiet about this, for now at least.
As he scrolled through the news on his computer in his office, another report caught his eye. Alarmed, he clicked on it.
A twenty-two year old woman, Sarah Lyngstad, mysteriously disappeared on Sunday the 3rd of October. She was seen leaving a house in Wytham, Oxford, England, with Edward Cullen (25), on Sunday afternoon. Two days later, on the 5th of October, they were seen at Heathrow Airport, boarding a flight to London International in Canada. There have been no sightings of Sarah since, and she is presumed dead.
Edward Cullen was last seen on Monday the 22nd of October. He took a flight from London International, Canada, to Heathrow airport, England. He will soon be called for questioning about his time with Lyngstad, and is currently our prime suspect in her disappearance.
