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The Journals
By: Everleigh Allen
Chapter 13
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Bella sighed as she stuffed a small piece of paper into the journal to hold her place before she shut it. Her mind raced with Alice's words.
Edward knew about her before she was even born.
He knew that someday she'd be sitting next to the fire wrapped up in Edward's quilt.
The quilt that he gave Marie… Bella's grandmother.
The quilt that Renee lost-but they somehow found.
Alice.
Which means the Cullen's had been tracking her mother's side of the family for quite some time, right?
Had they been to Marie's funeral?
Was Carlisle a doctor at the hospital where Bella was born?
She couldn't know, but she wouldn't be surprised if he was! After all, the Cullen's probably wouldn't have strayed too far.
Bella rose from the seat in the parlor and wandered around. It looked like there used to be art that lined the walls, which had been removed.
What pictures did they once occupy?
Had they done that on purpose?
When she turned again though, a man stood just inside the door.
"It's taking everything in me not to tackle hug you right now, little sister."
Little sister.
The words made her smile. "You must be Emmett."
He nodded. "Welcome to the family, swan girl."
Bella sat in awe of Emmett. He stood, teetering on his heels with a large, playful grin.
"Family," She repeated, which only made his grin widen. Bella swallowed the emotions down. "You want me to be part of your family?"
"You've been part of our family since the moment you were born." He held a new journal out for her to grasp and gave a large grin. "Hopefully, you won't think of us as being a little… stalker-ish… as you read this."
Bella nodded absently, all of her attention instantly absorbed into the journal in her hand until Emmett broke the silence.
"Ready for a new room?"
"How many rooms does this place have?"
"Enough," He winked. "Come on."
Emmett took Bella from the empty parlor, back through the kitchen where he they saw Alice and Esme making her food. They grinned kindly, as if they've seen her a thousand times. Alice gave a small wave and a knowing wink.
Bella then saw that Jasper was at the table. She stumbled a little as the man grinned showing all of his sharp teeth and she could see the scars of silvery bites that lined his neck and arms. He sat tilted back in his chair with his legs crossed at the ankles on the table. His old cowboy boots looked like they were at least a hundred years old.
"Darlin'," he greeted her with a tap on his well-worn hat.
"Hello," Bella whispered back, watching Jasper's wide grin turn into a smirk.
"Come on," Emmett chucked. Bella followed Emmett opened a hidden door within the wall of the kitchen and was met with set of stairs leading up. A gas lit candle sconce bloomed bright with a strong flame as it was motion activated. Lights lit up the stairway while the rest of the room remained in shadows.
Something moved out of the corner of her eye but as Bella turned to look, the light on the sconce faded until the flame smothered out.
"I think you'll like this room. It doesn't have the street views like the other side of the building and faces the park. I hope you don't mind, but we've moved your belongings there for you already."
"My belongings?"
Emmett nodded. "Yep."
"From my apartment."
"Blame Alice, but she saw some people about to break into it last night. It was one of the reasons why you're here now. There's not much to go back to now."
"But I've only been here one night-"
"Doesn't take long for people to notice when someone isn't there. I'm just glad you weren't there when they were," Emmett sighed ominously, but his features darkened with a spark of seething anger. "And don't worry about the lease. Esme and Alice went down to settle it this morning,"
Bella didn't feel need to say there wasn't much left on the lease as it was. Oddly enough, she was actually glad to be done with it all. The Cullen home has felt more like home since she walked through the door.
But it was then that the journals reminded her of this kind of situation before.
Carlisle settling Edward's affairs after his change as they did with Rose, Emmet and their respective families.
"And file my missing person paperwork?"
Emmett didn't need to confirm what she already knew.
She could guess the break in was a good enough excuse as any.
Her father would probably look into the case, if allowed, and contact Renee someday thereafter.
Bella could remember a missing person that graduated a couple years before her on her father's desk.
His name was Riley Biers and grew up and still had family in Forks.
She could remember seeing him once at the book store. He looked… different. Radiant, with sharper features and his brown eyes seemed to glow in gold hues much like the Cullen's. When she was about to say something to Charlie who was just around the next bookcase, Riley put a finger to his mouth in a motion known for secrecy. She nodded and he smiled before he seemed to just disappear… much like Bella has seen the Cullen's move around their home.
The bookstore door whipped open just seconds after and she never saw him again.
"Riley Biers is one of you and was, let me guess, checking on me?" Bella huffed.
Emmett nodded again, "He was changed in Seattle by his mate, Victoria and did check on you as a favor. We had no idea that you'd recognize him."
"His mate? Victoria? I've heard that name before."
"Yes, his mate, Victoria," Emmett scoffed as he opened the door that was at the top of the stairs. She could see down the hall several other doors that were closed. "You're clever."
"The same Victoria in the journals? She's in Alice's memories. She was a nurse in the psych ward."
"Yes, and you may recall James in those memoirs, too."
"James?" Bella followed Emmett into the room and saw the whole room was filled with books. It seemed like a miniature version of the library.
"James tried to form a bond with Victoria as his mate, but there was not a great mating connection. He then tried to change Alice, but there was another, unknown vampire who beat him to it and she left before he could track her."
"James didn't change Victoria after their date?"
"Not that I know of, but they don't communicate with us often- if at all. When we went down to wrestle alligators-"
Bella giggled, remembering that part of the journals when Alice was first changed.
"-in the Louisiana bayous, we saw James. He was mated to some free spirit down there from Maria's Texas Coven. Her name was Lucy. Neither are Jasper's favorite people for obvious reasons," He chuckled. "Anyway, this door leads to a shared bathroom. If you want to go into the main house, go out the way you came in and follow the stairs down into the kitchen. The bedroom suite is through those doors, there."
Bella nodded as she noticed her couch sat up against a series of fold-away doors that were made of glass. Through them, she could see her bed and bedroom furniture. Her clothes sat in open suitcases next to a large wardrobe.
Swallowing the emotion down, Bella nodded in understanding.
"So, take a look around and make yourself at home. Your dinner will be ready in about an hour on the terrace."
"Okay, thank you, Emmett." Bella was so busy taking her new room in that she didn't notice Emmett had left until the door clicked shut.
She walked into the bathroom and gasped as she was met with a large window of stained glass. It depicted a familiar scene with a swan swimming in the middle of a pearly lake. There were evergreens in the background and a small house that seemed to almost disappear into the trees. Smoky pillowed upward towards large white clouds.
"Beautiful," Bella whispered.
"It's our home in Forks."
Bella twisted and saw Edward standing in the doorway of a door that was opposite hers.
"Hi, Bella."
"Edward," Bella gasped. She couldn't believe he was finally standing in front of her.
He nodded softly in confirmation.
So many emotions bubbled to the surface at once, flooding her skin with her blush but she managed a small greeting in kind. He was really there, before her, and standing in plain sight.
"Would you like to accompany me on the terrace for dinner?"
"You eat," she said dumbly, "I mean, you're going to eat, too?"
Edward chuckled darkly. He pushed himself off the door jamb he was leaning on and moved closer to her slowly. When he reached her (which felt like seconds and forever at once) her heart beat wildly when he leaned close enough for his nose to barely touch her cheek.
Heat radiated off of her in waves.
Edward then dipped down to her neck with lips grazing the surface as he took in her divine scent. "Are you offering?"
"Oh," Bella gasped as his fingers teetered softly over her lips, feeling the soft flesh.
Edward chuckled again, the vibration reverberating over her body. It was then that she realized that how close they were. They were like magnets, with warm energy pulsing between them.
When he finally put some distance between them, she was left beseeching. It was as if her body wanted to follow him by instinct.
"We have a lot of time to get to know each other a little better," Edward winked. "Was that a yes to dinner?"
"Yes," Bella smiled softly.
"I'll see you in an hour then, just though there," Edward pointed passed Bella's bed to the glassy doors. She could see the dusky skyline of trees and skyscrapers just outside the windows.
He grinned widely and then in a low, monotone voice, he sang, "Slowly, gently night unfurls its splendor. Grasp it, sense it, tremulous and tender. Turn your face away from the garish light of day, turn your thoughts away from cold, unfeeling light, and listen to the music of the night... Close your eyes and surrender to your darkest dreams, purge your thoughts of the life you knew before. Close your eyes, let your spirit start to soar, and live, as you never lived before…"
Edward closed his door, leaving Bella standing there in his wake.
A fire was lit within her and it was going to be torture waiting to see him in again.
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A/N: Thank you for keeping with this fic! I've been working so much lately so I try to write on my days off. Hope all is well with you and thank you kindly for reading and reviewing.
Quote borrowed from Phantom of the Opera (Andrew Lloyd Webber, movie/ musical)
According to Twi-wiki, Vic was changed in the 1500's.. not by James.
Lucy is from the Texas Army coven, Maria's coven. I never felt James and Victoria were well suited, so in this fic, they deviate from that mated pair. If you remember, she says, "Lovely. And an officer." Regarding Jasper in the movie.