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Swan's Residency - 10:02 pm
Bella hugged and cried on Olivia's shoulder for five minutes, and had to take another five minutes after that to calm down. Silence overtook the family as they all tried to process such shocking events. Bella gazed upon her sister hungrily, never taking her eyes off her in fear that she would disappear again right in front of her. She noticed a lot of things about her sister in the short time of five minutes. First of all, she didn't look like someone who got kidnapped and was taken in captivity for seven years.
Olivia looked healthy and full. Her dark brown hair was in soft waves down her shoulder while her fair skin looked fresh, and dare she say, glowing. Her green eyes held a softness in them that Bella wouldn't think someone who was kidnapped would have. It was a complete opposite to what state Bella imagined she'd be in, with unruly and matted hair, skin dirtied on some spots. Olivia would have worn ripped dirty, clothes that smelt like sewers, and not a bright yellow button-up with jeans and heels.
Technically, Bella thought that the next time she saw her sister it would be in a morgue somewhere far from Washington. Everything screamed at her with suspicion, but her senses were numbed with shock. So many questions flew around in her head that she didn't know what to ask first. She couldn't help jumping in her seat when a hand gently held hers.
"Isabella?" Olivia's voice was soft when she called out. Bella got out of her stupor yet responded in auto-pilot. "It's Bella actually," She cringed at how snappy she sounded and smiled in reassurance. "I mean, that's what I'm called now."
Olivia smiled back and nodded. She glanced at Charlie first, seeing if she had his attention as well. He hadn't taken his eyes off her while his arm was wrapped around her shoulder in a semi-hug. Charlie took her looking at him differently however, "I'm still dad if you're asking." He jested half-heartedly.
It still sounded tense, but Charlie joking always meant that he was feeling better. Bella heard her sister giggle softly, and she couldn't help but compare her to Rosalie or Esme. Olivia held a grace that Bella usually reserved for the Cullens.
"What happened to you, Livvy?" Bella asked the loudest question in her head. The nickname rolled off her tongue so casually that it was like her sister went missing for only a week. Charlie held her sister's right hand that Bella left vacant. "We know you just came home, honey, but I- we just don't understand. You-You've been gone for seven years and now you pop up with a car a-and nice clothes. Honey, we just have to know." Charlie pleaded with her. Bella could feel her throat tighten and her eyes sting for the third time this night. The last time she heard him talk like that was when she pretended to run away to escape James.
Olivia's neck moved as she gulped and her hand tightened around Bella's for a second before relaxing again. Her other hand tightened around Charlie's before glancing at the both of them. Even back then when they were children, Bella knew that her sister was never as vulnerable as she was right now. Olivia took a deep breath in, holding it for a few seconds, then let it out.
"I still remember that day so vividly. It was cold that day, colder than normal in Forks which says something." Olivia gave a weak chuckle, it didn't really reach her eyes. "I was waiting by the playground near the police station for dad to come out like he did every 4 o'clock on the dot, and Ms. Erica was with me. She insisted that I waited for dad at home because I might get sick, but it was only a few more minutes 'till four and I really wanted to wait. I-I was at the top of the slide then, and... I saw something in the woods."
"There was this man, just standing there by the tree line. He had a cloak that covered his face and he was dressed in all black. I don't know what came over me but... I was in a trance, dad." She turned towards Charlie then. There were tears begging to fall yet she never let them. "The next thing I knew, I-I was running towards the woods and I couldn't stop. Not- Not even when I wanted to. I could hear Ms. Erica run after me and call after me, b-but she just got farther and farther. Then...there he was." Olivia stumbled over her words and her breathing had gotten erratic.
She paused to take a calming breath and her hand tightened around Bella's. Bella held it just as tight, hoping that the small gesture would give her enough courage to finish. She could see how hard it was for Olivia to talk, her eyebrows were furrowed in frustration and pain. Her eyes were scrunched close which pushed the tears to fall down her cheeks. "I never thought I would escape him, but I did. A year ago." Maybe Alice was wrong. What if Olivia was being held captive by the Volturi and just escaped? What if the stranger vampires came to take her back? Bella had to protect her somehow.
Charlie had tears streaming down his face, and Bella decided maybe telling everything tonight would be too much. "You don't have to finish it tonight, Livvy. There's still tomorrow, right?" Bella squeezed Olivia's hand, momentarily wondering who bruised who more, and gave a reassuring smile. Olivia nodded and gave her a grateful look. "Y-yeah, there's still tomorrow." She took a deep breath to calm down before standing up. "Is there still a chance that my room is still set up after seven years?" Olivia chuckled.
Olivia's room used to be up in the attic, a place that she chose herself after she outgrew her nursery. Unfortunately, it wasn't kept up after the years. Dozens of boxes and junk littered the floor and the bed was taken down to Bella's room until she outgrew it as well. It was decided that Olivia could share Bella's bed for the night while they cleaned it out again. The rest of the night was filled with the Swan family talking until the late hours and more tears spilled from all three of them. As Bella lead Olivia to her room, she gasped out loud at remembering something or more like someone.
"Is there something wrong, Bella?" They were halfway up the stairs, and Olivia was standing behind her. Bella bit her lip and turned around.
"I kinda forgot about Edward, my, um, boyfriend. He was the one who took me home earlier. I just have to check if he's still out there." Is it weird that she wanted her long-lost sister to approve of her vampire boyfriend?
"Do you think he would be? I mean it's 1 in the morning. Maybe he texted you." Olivia inquired. She gave no signs of dislike towards the mention of a boyfriend, so Bella took it as a good thing. She took out the phone from her pocket to see, and sure enough, there was a text from him.
I heard everything. Went home to talk to Alice. I'll come by later.
The text was short which tipped Bella off, but she gave little thought to it. Edward must have felt bad about what he said earlier. She quickly texted him about the new sleeping arrangements and shoved the phone back in her pocket.
"Sorry. He did text me, said he went back home after a while." She simplified. Olivia gave an okay, and they continued on to her bedroom. Olivia had a small suitcase with her which Bella wanted to ask about yet was too tired to. It didn't take long for the both of them to clean up and lay in bed. Bella actually didn't feel sleepy at all. She still had too many questions running around in her head to relax and she could only lay in the dark.
"Bella? Aren't you tired?" Olivia whispered from her side of the bed. Her voice sounded too clear for it to be a "woke-up" voice, so Bella assumed she felt restless as well.
"I am, I'm just thinking of what happened tonight." At that, she turned her body to face Olivia who was already turned towards her. "Don't get me wrong, I'm so happy to see you again that I could probably suffocate you in a hug. But I have so many questions to ask you." Bella giggled softly in the middle. What she said was true though, all she wanted was to hug her sister for a long time. So, she was a bit surprised when Olivia shuffled over and did so. Bella's head was near her chest, near her beating and living heart, and she kissed her head gently. Kind of like a butterfly.
"When I was captured, all I thought of was that I had to escape because I wanted to see my little sister again. No matter how annoyingly whiny she was." Olivia chuckled, "I can answer all of your questions tomorrow, but for tonight, just rest." And that's what Bella did. Being in Olivia's embrace was like a warm blanket. It's different yet so similar to Edward's loving yet protective one. This one held all the good things in the world, it held memories of sunny days long forgotten. For once, Bella felt at home. So she closed her eyes, breathing in the soft, vanilla cologne Olivia wore.
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I'll be taking a Christmas vacation until the 7th of January so I won't be able to update until then. But I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and Happy Holidays!
