(Edwards Pov before the accident)
After learning of the shocking revelations of Morticia's message, the entire room still seemed to be on edge even an hour later.
Edward tried to keep his mind quiet by playing a soft melody on his beloved piano, but nothing seemed to stop his as well as everyone else's anxious thoughts.
'I really hope she knows shat she's getting herself into.' Jasper thought to him. 'It's been a while since I've encountered the wolves and we don't know how many more they've acquired since.'
'I really hope she showered or put on some perfume, because if she goes in there smelling like us...I don't think that'll go over well.' Emmet's voice was full of uncharacteristic worry.
'I can't believe she wouldn't tell me that I can't see the wolves. Why can't I see them? Is my power not strong enough? I'd never forgive myself if she got hurt because my power failed.' Alice's thoughts were full of hurt and it pained Edward to see his normally bright little sister so down and gloomy.
While the other's thoughts greatly paralleled his own, it was Carlisle whos thoughts resonated with him the most.
'Son, you mustn't be angry with her. She knew there was no way the wolves would listen to us and thought this was the best plan. You can't fault her for her selflessness.'
Edward knew that his father was right. He shouldn't fault her for being so selfless but thinking about her out there facing the dangers of the wolves alone made him want to crumble.
She had told them of Sam Uley and his accident that disfigured his fiancee Emily. What if something like that were to happen to Morticia. The image of her tiny figure layed up in a hospital bed, her pale skin nearly indistinguishable from the stark white sheets- that was enough to make him want to risk any punishment there could be for breaking the treaty.
'Is this what it feels like to truly find your mate? Your other half?' He mused. For years he had watched as his family doted and adored their mates, only to become wild at the thought of any harm coming to them. Edward had just associated this to the primal nature that came with being a vampire, but he felt that same surge well within him anytime Morticia was near.
'Why do I feel like Morticia is my mate when Bella is supposed to be?' He had seen pictures of Charlie Swan's daughter and she paled in comparison to the blonde-haired beauty that was Morticia Addams.
How Morticia described his relationship towards Bella- that intense devotion and adoration, he was already starting to feel that for Morticia instead. From her descriptions of Bella, he wasn't entirely ashamed to admit- he found her rather dull in comparison to Morticia's fiery personality.
Edward knew that he should at least give Bella a chance to see if he truly was her mate, that only seemed fair. But he wondered, is it possible to have two mates? Would he feel this same strong pull towards Bella as he did Morticia? The thought made him want to cringe. Having to navigate a relationship with one other person was stressful enough but two? That was his own personal nightmare.
He didn't have time to dwell on his thoughts any longer as Alice's gasp pulled him from his musings.
"What is it, Alice?" Jasper said, gently putting his arm around his wife.
"Oh god, Carlisle, You have to hurry!" She sobbed into her hand as quickly after that Carlisle's cell phone began to ring.
"Hello, this is Dr. Cullen." He answered cordially.
"Dr. Cullen, uh. This is Sam, Sam Uley...from the reservation. There's been an accident and we need you to come down here right away." A deep voice sounded from the other line.
'Dear God, please. Not her' Edward's thoughts were full of pain as Carlisle turned his worried gaze towards him.
'Stay calm Edward. We don't know the details yet.'
"Alright. May I ask what has happened?" Carlisle asked while quickly gathering his black medical bag and other supplies.
"Morticia, Jake's friend, she uh got into a fight with Paul and she's hurt pretty bad."
Everybody in the room became deathly still. Carlisle took a few moments to compose himself and Edward could see that he was nearly crushing the phone in his grip.
"and how bad is she hurt?" Carlisle was fighting to keep his voice steady.
"She caught a claw to the shoulder and she's cut from shoulder to her elbow. She refused to let us treat her ourselves and basically forced me to call you. Please get here quick, Sue's doing everything she can but she's lost a lot of blood and she says it doesn't look too good."
Carlisle took an unnecessary breath and glanced around the room at the rest of his children.
Placing the phone back to his ear, he asked "Since this is such a special circumstance, may I bring a few of my children with me as well. I promise you they can control themselves."
Sam was quiet for a moment before they heard him sigh into the receiver, "Yeah, yeah that's fine. Look, we can worry about the treaty later, just hurry, please."
"I will be there in a few moments, tell Sue I will bring all my equipment but I'll need some things to sanitize them with nd a clear workspace."
"Yeah, yeah I'll tell her." After Carlisle ended the call, everybody was in a state of shock.
Clearing his throat gently, his father turned to him. "Son, if you can keep your composure, I'd like you to come with me. I think your gift may be able to help the situation and if it's like Alice's, at least this can calm you by seeing her."
Edward was grateful for Carlisle's consideration and quickly moved to help gather more equipment they may need, all while worrying over whether or not they'd make it in time.
"I know that all of you wish to go check on Morticia but you heard her, if we go around the wolves we may trigger their transformations and I don't want to risk that at this time. So, for now, I'll take Edward, Jasper, and Emmett- just until the shock wears off. After we get Morticia stable then we can see about them allowing all of us at once." Carlisle continued.
The ladies nodded their consent but Edward knew that they were just as worried if not more about the state of Morticia.
'Please, keep us updated Edward.' Esme pleaded. Edward nodded and began to race to the car, his brothers and Carlisle not fat behind.
None of them said a word as they pulled out of the driveway, hearing Alice's sobs fading in the distance.
For the first time in his existence, Edward noticed how frantically Carlisle was racing down the streets of Forks towards the reservation. He had always viewed his creator as a very composed man, but right now, he knew that Carlisle was one step away from breaking down.
'Edward, I know I don't need to remind you how important it is that we not make a scene with the wolves. We are walking on thin ice as is.'
Edward merely nodded at Carlisle instead of choosing to respond, for he worried what he may say at this point.
'What am I going to say to her?' That was a better question. Should he chose to let out his anger immediately or let it fester and simmer like a parasite inside of him. He knew he must be putting Jasper through agony at the moment but he was too blinded by his emotions to care. He could probably bet at that moment that not even Jasper, on his best day, could calm him down.
The ride was silent, even their thoughts. At this point, Edward began to feel slightly numb, either from Jasper's attempted to influence or by his own hand he didn't know. It was as if he had begun to turn into a statue right there in Carlisle's car, lost in his own world.
The only thing that brought him out of his trance was the sight of the Quileute men standing watch outside the tiny house at the end of a small gravel road Carlisle had turned onto.
Edward knew he had to get his emotions under control. 'I just need to see her and I'll be fine.'
He listened closely and he could hear her low and lagging heartbeat. It was a sound that nearly sent him to tears.
'She's alive, but barely. Thank god.' He was practically jumping out of his seat at this point.
"Carlisle, ignore the formalities and pleasantries. Just get inside, Emmett and I will handle it," Jasper said as they immediately raced from the car once the engine had been shut off.
Carlisle and Edward quickly made their way into the house and were met by a small Quileute Woman.
"Dr. Cullen, I'm Sue Clearwater, Come with me. We had to put her on the kitchen table so you had enough room. She passed out maybe twenty minutes ago and hasn't regained consciousness yet. I've cleaned the wound but I can't seem to staunch the bleeding. I'm worried there may be an infection or something caught in the wound track but I was too afraid to agitate her wound further."
Sue led them to the kitchen and the sight early made Edward drop to his knees. There she was, his precious Morticia lying prone on the wooden table, her arm wrapped with towels. Her skin looked even paler than normal, she almost matched his own and her brow was covered with a sheen of sweat.
'Fever.' He thought grimly as he hesitantly approached her side. Taking her uninjured arm in his hand, he laced his fingers together with hers and brought them to his mouth to place a whisper of a kiss upon her knuckles.
He vaguely heard Carlisle talking with Sue, giving her instructions and such but his sole focus was on the woman in front of him and refusing to look away. Just as Carlisle began to remove the blood-soaked towels, instead of her mouth-watering blood making him ravenous it made him uncomfortable as if his senses knew how vital it was to her life and refused to see it as food.
Once Carlisle began cleaning the wound, there was a knock at the door behind them. Sue opened the door slightly, "I'm sorry to disturb you but could Caleb come in? He's been sick with worry ever since Sam brought her in. We didn't want him to see her like this so he's been waiting with my son, Seth."
Neither Vampire turned to acknowledge her but Carlisle gave her an answer as he began threading a suture needle. "Yes, I think that is fine. I've got the worst of the blood cleaned and you were right Sue, Paul's claw somehow broke off and lodged itself in the wound. We will definitely need to watch for future signs of infection." His last comment was directed at Edward who's face was set into a frustrated grimace.
Sue just nodded, turned back towards the door as quiet as a human could be, and left them without a word.
A few moments later Caleb entered the room, fresh tears trailed down her cheeks.
"Pl-please tell me she's going to make it." He sobbed as he took the other chair next to Morticia's side.
Carlisle looked up from where he was finishing up his sutures. "Caleb, she's going to be just fine. Her body just needs time to heal."
Caleb looked at the doctor in disbelief, "But- She lost so much blood and she looked dead in Sam's arms."
Edward cringed at the mental image Caleb displayed and tightened his grip slightly on Morticia's fingers. In a moment of insanity, he almost felt as if she squeezed his hand back. His eyes shot to her face, but nothing had changed.
'I'm here, love.' He thought to her as he kissed her hand again.
Carlisle cleared his throat uncomfortably as he started the process of cleaning the wound once more. "I know she may have looked a fright Caleb, and I am so sorry that you had to see that but her heartbeat is steady. As of right now, she's in a good place. We can try to make her as comfortable as possible but the rest of the healing is up to Morticia herself."
Caleb nodded, sniffling softly and pressed a kiss to Morticia's temple. "Uh, I need to call Tony. I don't think anybody's called him yet. It's almost midnight and he'll freak out if we don't let him know."
Edward looked at Caleb and then at Carlisle.
'Do you think Esme should handle this?' His father thought to him and Edward nodded slightly. His mother was always the best in these delicate situations and although Carlisle's bedside manner was superb, Esme just had a certain quality about her that soothed even the roughest of characters.
"I'll have Jasper, my other son, call my wife Esme and she can fill in your father about what happened and give him a ride over. Would that be alright?" Carlisle asked Caleb as he sanitized the remaining equipment.
Caleb's relief was immediate and he visibly deflated. "Yeah, that sounds great, actually. Uh- I guess I'll just leave you to it." He quickly left the room, and Edward could hear him describing the events to another young male, that must be Seth.
Carlisle readied some syringes with antibiotics and pain relievers, before glancing at Edward.
'Can you hear any of them?' Edward knew he must mean, could he hear the wolves. If he focused hard enough, he could hear them clearly. He had been so focused on tending to Morticia that he completely forgot about the wolves around them.
He focused solely on Sam's thoughts and saw the entire night through his eyes. The vision made his eyes darken and a low growl ripped from his throat, startling Carlisle.
"Son, what is it? What did you hear."
"It isn't what I heard, it's what I saw. Sam saw the entire thing, Morticia intentionally slapped another wolf named Paul to get him to turn and when he did she was too close." The words left a bitter taste in his mouth as he all but spat them out.
Carlisle sighed as he finished administering her medicine, "Dear girl, what have you gotten yourself into?" he muttered slightly.
"How could she do this Carlisle?! What could she possibly gain from putting herself in that position?"
"She was trying to show us that you aren't the only monsters that go bump in the night." A deep voice called from the doorway.
Edward turned and his eyes flashed with anger. Paul was standing in the doorway. The very wolf that put his beloved Morticia in the state she was in.
The wolf looked remorseful but Edward wasn't ashamed to admit he'd rather see him dead at this point. As soon as Edward moved to stand, Carlisle, flashed to his side and put a hand on his shoulder.
"Don't do this son. Hear what he has to say before making any decisions."
Paul threw his hands up defensively, "look I totally get it that you're pissed. I lost control and hurt her. She didn't even hit me very hard and I wolfed out without a second thought. I never meant to hurt her, honestly. You have to believe me." His voice sounded genuine and his thoughts were concurrent.
"That's why she was here tonight, to show you that you needed to befriend us so that we could teach you a thing or two about control. Obviously she got her point across if all it took was a few nasty words and a slap to make you lose yourself." Edward practically spat at the wolf and Paul cowered slightly at the pure animosity in his tone.
"Yeah, Sam said she told him that before she passed out. I can see now where that might be a good idea, I mean she was practically bleeding out on that table but you guys don't even seem tempted."
Carlisle gave Paul a look, "It's because we have years of practice doing it as well as we have trained ourselves to resist the temptation. It isn't easy but it's very rewarding. It allows my children to fit into a semi-normal existence."
Paul rubbed his neck, awkwardly. "I guess we have a lot to learn then, don't we?"
Carlisle nodded and then gestured to the door, "Yes you do, but if you don't mind I need to burn these bloody rags and administer a blood supplement. Unless you'd like to be a spectator, please give our regards to the rest of the wolves. We'll be out to talk shortly."
Paul nodded and all but ran out the door, most likely thankful not to be facing his mistake any longer.
Carlisle disposed of the rags and finished setting up her treatment. Morticia's heartbeat was getting stronger by the minute and Edward finally felt as if he could relax slightly.
"You know we have to face them. The wolves I mean." Carlisle suggested quietly as he glanced at him from across the room.
"Yes, I suppose we do and Caleb will no doubt have questions, Carlisle. He saw everything and knows that the story they're telling him is a lie."
His father sighed and ran a hand through his blonde hair.
"What do you suggest we do? Esme can easily come up with a story to please her uncle but children have always been more perceptive.."
Edward thought for a moment and focused on Caleb's thoughts once again. He was thinking a lot about Morticia but also about the young man, Seth.
"Carlisle, didn't Sue say that her son was named Seth?"
"Yes, I believe she did,"
"And their last name is Clearwater? As in the same Clearwater that we met when we signed the treaty? If her son is anything like his ancestors then I don't think we have anything to worry about."
Carlisle looked at him confused.
"Seth is a wolf, I could smell it on Caleb when he entered. He knows it too because he's currently panicked and trying to figure out the best way to tell Caleb that he imprinted on him while his cousin is injured."
Carlisle's mouth opened in shock.
"Well, that complicates things slightly. What is imprinting, exactly?"
"According to the other wolves, it's similar to a soul mate bond."
Carlisle looked at his son in disbelief.
"I think there are some much-needed conversations to be had in the future, wouldn't you agree?"
Edward nodded stiffly and moved to give Morticia a faint kiss on her temple before running his nose along her cheek and inhaling her fantastic scent. He was just elated to be able to hear her heartbeat and smell the blood rushing in her veins.
Standing back up he turned to Carlisle, "We need to have those conversations now, Carlisle. No more stalling. Morticia risked her life so we could fix our mistakes, let that no be in vain."
Carlisle nodded and left the room to gather the wolves.
Edward looked down at his love and felt a stinging sensation at the back of his eyes. In shock, he brought up a hand to wipe at his eye and noticed venom had leaked out of his eyes. He had never been so emotionally distraught that he had forced himself to cry before.
With a sob, he laid his cheek on Morticia's chest and listened to the beat of her heart as more 'tears' began to leak from his eyes.
"Please don't leave me, ever again." He pleaded to the empty room.
"I would take any punishment Lucifer himself chose for me if it meant that I get to see you smile and hear you laugh again. I can't stand seeing you like this. I don't know what role Bella plays in this but to me...you are my life, my light and you alone own my heart."
He pulled himself back to kiss the place above her heart and forced himself to pull away. She didn't see him in that way, and he refused to sully her respect in that way. No, he wouldn't kiss her lips, even though he longed to- very much. No, instead he chose this given time to plan.
"I will win your heart the proper way, Morticia Rose Addams because I'm never letting you go ever again."
Over the next few days, Morticia's recovery remained the same. She still remained unconscious and had a worrisome fever at one point but luckily they got it under control.
As Alice predicted, Bella came to school on Monday, and to keep up appearances the Cullens were too. They kept in close contact with Carlisle, who chose to stay on the reservation to help Morticia's recovery.
The entire school was buzzing, not only with Bella's arrival but with Morticia's accident. The Cullens had told Tony that Morticia decided to take a walk in the woods alone when she was attacked by some kind of animal and managed to make her way back to the party.
He was skeptical at first but once Esme got ahold of him, he was putty in her hands. tony had insisted that he take Morticia home, but Carlisle insisted that moving her in her delicate condition may agitate her wound further or rip her stitches.
Edward had to admit that he was nervous about Bella's arrival Monday morning and made sure Jasper and Emmett were ready if he felt overwhelmed. At lunch, Jessica and Lauren chose to fill Bella in on the 'tragic' story of the Cullen family and the goth girl who got mauled in the woods. Jasper nearly tackled him when he heard Lauren's thoughts on Morticia's accident and how she wished it was more severe.
'Dude, we do not need a massacre in the cafeteria of all places.' Emmett thought to him.
'Edward, calm down, Morticia will handle it when she gets better. Trust me,' Alice showed him a vision and he had to suppress his chuckle.
He knew Alice was still upset over the entire situation- as were they all, but he was thankful that she was able to see her visions more clearly now. She still had no estimate of when Morticia would wake up and it made his heartache. What he wanted more than anything was to see her gorgeous blue eyes again, but Carlisle said that she hadn't regained consciousness yet.
The bell signaling the end of lunch rang and Edward's heart filled with dread. Morticia said that he would have biology with her and as soon as she walked in the room, he prepared for the worst. He was shocked when she walked into the room, in front of the fan and he felt the urge to not vomit.
Instead of smelling sweet and enticing as a singer would, as Morticia would, Bella smelled like sour or rotten to him- almost like how the wolves smell. As she approached his desk, he tried to be cordial as they went through their lab exercise but it took all of his restraint not to bolt out the door. She was obviously well enamored with him and he groaned mentally.
The last thing he needed was another girl trailing after him like a hopeless puppy, especially when he felt no attraction towards her what so ever. It shocked him that this woman was supposed to be his wife and mother of his child in a few years. Had he not met Morticia, he may be able to understand where Stephenie Meyer got her plot from.
It wasn't as if Bella wasn't a sweet girl...that's just all he was to her. She was nice but every time he tried to think of her in a more romantic role, her place was filled with Morticia and her eccentric personality. To him, Bella was just...plain, as mean as the thought was.
"Uh, so I heard about Morticia's accident." Bella tried to make small talk but Edward quickly cut that conversation off.
"Yeah, my father's treating her. I'm sorry, do you mind if we talk about something else?"
Bella looked shocked at his dismissal, "um, yeah, yeah, sure. Sorry to bring it up."
Edward sighed, he knew he shouldn't have been short to her.
"I'm sorry if that came off as rude, it's just. Morticia is...important to me and seeing her like that..."
Bella's face was one of understanding, "Oh, were you guys close? I heard that she was friends with your family, but I didn't..."
He could tell that she was very badly fishing to see if he was available, most likely Jessica had warned her of his permanent bachelor status.
He chuckled and looked out the window into the gloomy, dark sky.
"Yes, you can say that we are very close. I was actually planning to ask her to be my girlfriend the night of the accident." A slight lie, but he had to kill any ideas she may have of them becoming a couple. Edward knew what he wanted and he'd be damned if petty jealousy or misunderstanding ruined it.
Bella's eyes widened, "Wow, oh gosh, that's horrible. Jessica said that you didn't really date so I didn't- I'm sorry, this is going horrible." She blushed and turned her gaze towards the table.
"It's not that I don't date, it's that I didn't want to date her. I can assure you that Morticia and Jessica are two very different people. Hopefully, you'll get to meet her one day, she's..." He trailed off, unsure how to put into words just what exactly Morticia Addams was.
Bella gave him a curious look, "If you wanna talk about her I'm all ears. I hear talking can help, sometimes."
Edward gave her a blinding smile and nodded, "You may be right about that. I already feel better just thinking about her."
The rest of the period was spent in contentment. Edward and Bella were both conversing easily and before they knew it the bell rang to signal the end of class. He chose to walk Bella to her locker, as a courtesy for easing his grief and made eye contact with Jasper.
"Well, I hope Morticia gets better soon, from your stories she sounds pretty cool."
Edward gave her a small smile and thanked her before turning to catch up with Jasper.
"So, Do we have a double singer situation or what?" He asked as they began to find their siblings.
"It's incredible, Jasper. It's as if she smells rotten to me. The thought of drinking her blood made me want to vomit! And I feel no attraction to her at all. Every time I tried to think of the future Morticia told me about, I kept replacing Bella with Morticia. It's as if my brain refuses to see her as anything more than just another human and not even for food."
Jasper turned to his brother shocked, "What you just described...it sounds as if you've already mated, brother."
"What do you mean?" Edward asked confused.
Jasper chuckled, "Brother, when a vampire mates, all other possible mates become revolting to the vampire. It's like a way for Vampires to remain loyal. You physically feel revolted at the smell of her blood because you already consider yourself mated, my guess is to Morticia. Since she became hurt, your primal instincts recognized her as your mate, which is why Bella doesn't tempt you at all."
Edward stood by their cars in shock. The rest of his siblings had knowing smiles on their faces.
'How could I not know that I mated? And why are they all so smug about it?'
Emmett gave a chuckle, "Bro, you are like the last person to realize that. Why do you think I've been calling her little sister? Dude, you had heart eyes for her after the first time she ripped your ass, admit it."
Rather than giving his brother a response, he turned to Alice.
"Did, you know about this?"
Alice gave him a sheepish look, "When she first arrived, that vision I described to you... Well, I chose not to show you the entire thing."
At his confused look she showed him the entire vision.
He and Morticia were walking in a graveyard at twilight, the sunset giving the graveyard an almost ethereal appearance. They were walking side by side as they approached a gazebo in the middle of the graveyard, lined with many candles and scattered with blood-red rose petals.
'Wow, somebody went all out...Let me guess Alice?' Morticia gave him a knowing glance as she gave a twirl in the gazebo.
Edward chuckled as he watched her with rapt attention, his eyes taking in every inch of her.
'Yes, But I have to admit I had some input this time as well.'
Morticia groaned, 'when will you stop trying to wow me on our dates? You've already got the girl, Cullen. No need to be a show-off.' Her tone was teasing as she sauntered up to him and threw her arms around his neck.
He kissed her soundly, his arms wrapping around her delicately as she deepened the kiss.
'How about forever?' He asked after they pulled back for a few moments.
Morticia raised her eyebrow, 'Oh, really? You fully intend to keep up this gimmick forever, wow you must have real faith in your stamina for a man who sparkles.'
He growled playfully and captured her lips again, 'You have no idea what I'm capable of when I'm with you.' He meant to make it more of a threat but his tone gave it a more sultry appeal.
Morticia giggled against his lips, 'Mhmm, hit me with your best shot, lover boy.'
He paused for a moment before giving her a slight smile. 'You know, I love the nicknames you've given me since we've met but may I make a suggestion for a more permanent option?'
She gave him a confused look that turned to one of shock as he slowly lowered himself down on one knee.
'Morticia Rose Addams, the day you came into my life, I had no idea that you were going to change it for the better. From the moment you arrived, you have made me a better man, a better brother, and a better son. For the longest time, I thought that my life was just going to be forever be shrouded in darkness until you came along and showed me how to bring myself into the light. I thought I'd spend my eternity alone, wallowing in my despair as those around me found their happiness. I found my happiness the day you decided to be mine, but now I'm asking you to be mine eternally...Will you have me as your husband?
Morticia had tears in her eyes as she chuckled, 'of course I'll have you, but I thought you were a traditional man, Edward Cullen? Isn't there another form of that question you're supposed to ask?'
Reaching down, he pulled a black box from his jacket pocket and gently lifted it to show her. Inside was a ring with an obsidian stone surrounded by tiny diamonds on a band of braided silver, almost as if they were vines on a tree.
' I promise to love and cherish you, every moment of our forever. Will you marry me, Morticia Addams?'
Morticia gave him a watery sob and placed her hands gently on his face, 'Yes! Yes, of course, I will.' She whispered to him, 'I love you, Edward Cullen, even when you make me a blubbering mess.'
He pressed their foreheads together and brought her into another smoldering kiss as he brought them to their feet.
The scene faded out with him placing the ring on her finger and swinging his new fiancee around in his arms.
Edward looked at Alice in shock.
"Alice, what? How?" He was speechless as he continued to stare at his sister.
"Jasper and I had our suspicions ever since you guys started to get closer. He started to get some heavy emotional vibes from you and my visions have become increasingly Morticia oriented with you." She laughed slightly then frowned as she remembered Morticia's condition.
"You can't blame yourself for this Alice, you couldn't have known." He tried to ease her grief but internally he was feeling the same.
Alice's vision only solidified what he already knew. Morticia was his mate, not Bella or anyone else. His only issue was that his mate was currently comatose behind enemy lines and he had no clue when he was going to see her wake up.
Jasper sensed his inner turmoil and gave him an encouraging smile, "Edward, don't worry. She'll wake up when she's ready. Have you ever doubted Carlisle?"
His brother did have a point. If there was anyone who he trusted to care for his beloved, it was his creator.
"Come on guys let's go into wolf territory to check on little sis, shall we?" Emmett said as they piled into their cars.
That all happened Monday, for the next five days nothing else changed from that routine. They would go to school as normal and in the evenings they would cross the border and check on Morticia's condition. It wasn't all a waiting game, as they chose this time to sit down and get to know their neighboring supernaturals.
We began to write up some amendments to the treaty as well. With the severity of both Morticia and Emily's accident, Sam thought it best to include some training sessions with his family to help the younger, new recruits be able to control their transformations in the future.
Esme became close with the wives and mothers to the tribe, helping out whenever she could, especially in the kitchen. She was in her element, nurturing the little wolves as if they were her own.
Jasper and Emmett both took naturally to sparring with the wolves on a regular basis. It became somewhat of a game to them to see how quickly they could pin their opponents. With the newer recruits having so much pent- up energy, this was a nice outlet for them instead of 'wolfing out' whenever they felt annoyed. He even felt himself forgiving Paul, slightly, once he saw how invested he was with the training.
Alice and Rosalie were the harder ones to get used to the idea of hanging around the wolves daily. Rosalie was still on edge, worrying about the consequences if the alliance were to go south, but she was also worried about Morticia.
She may not show it but Edward saw her on more than one occasion sitting at her bedside, giving Caleb a reprieve and holding her hand, her golden eyes full of pain. Her thoughts were full of worry over the woman she viewed as a sister.
Alice's uneasiness was harder to figure out. It wasn't a mistrust for the wolves, although they did contribute to her anxiety, no she was upset over her visions going dark. At least that was the front she kept pushing towards Edward.
Her thoughts were full of ire at how she could never predict anything around the wolves but it wasn't until his family decided to take the wolves on a hunting trip that he found out the real reason.
He chose to hunt at odd intervals so Morticia was under constant watch. He still felt unsure leaving her side and it pained him to be away from her for too long. He was left alone with Alice during the 'family outing' Friday night. Morticia's condition had improved greatly- she nearly woke up twice on her own, and so Carlisle suggested everybody go outside and get some fresh air to brighten everybody's spirits.
Edward stayed behind in case anything were to go wrong and Alice chose to stay with him. He was taking a quick check of the perimeter when he heard Alice's voice inside the house.
"Why didn't you tell me that I wouldn't be able to see you? Why did you go, knowing that I wouldn't be able to see this? Were we not enough? Was I not a good enough friend?" She began to sob quietly and he could hear her take a seat in the chair by the bed.
"Hearing Carlisle get that phone call was like waking up alone all over again after my transformation. I've never felt so helpless as I did back then. I've had so many visions since you arrived. Ones of our family, you included, happy and smiling. Happier than we have ever been, Morticia. I've seen one of us having sleepovers and becoming the best of friends...and my heart broke at the thought of those things never happening! You make this family complete like you were the missing piece! And to go and sacrifice yourself like some kind of martyr makes me wanna slap you silly, even if you are unconscious. You saw what Bella's 'suicide' did to Edward and to this family but you still did this anyway! How can you not see how much you mean to this family?!" Her voice was nearly a scream at the end, and every sentence hit home with Edward.
He knew things were already changing, but after his love awoke, they had some serious talking to be had about her disregard for her human life. Did she really think she meant to little to this family? That they would let her sacrifice herself and just move on, unphased?!
He was so focused on his own thoughts that he failed to hear Alice's grasp, but he saw her vision. Morticia would wake up tomorrow night and come looking for him.
'Edward, she's going to be bombarded with everyone, so maybe it is better that you stay behind to not overwhelm her.' Alice told him as he made his way back to the house.
"I won't act like you didn't just hear everything I said in there to her." His sister told him sullenly.
"I think you needed to say it, and she eventually needs to hear it. Sooner rather than later."
"Oh don't worry, I plan on giving her an earful when she wakes up." She said, her eyes shining.
"I have faith that you will, to the fullest, dear sister. But when you do, please humor me and play up the guilt angle as much as possible, for my sake."
Both he and his sister shared a devious glance as they gazed upon the comatose beauty.
'May the games begin, love.' He thought gleefully.
(Morticia Pov- Current time)
She made it to the Cullen's driveway in record time, even when mother nature decided to be a bitch by making it rain like crazy in the dead of night. She paused as she neared the front door, letting herself get soaked in the downpour, but she didn't feel the chill at all. She was too worried about what she was going to walk in to. The next few moments could either be the beginnings of a fabulous cliche bodice ripper or it could end with them screaming at each other and hurling objects across the room.
Although Edward was becoming vastly different from the character she was familiar with in the novel, this universe's vampire was way out of the left field for her and it unnerved the hell out of her.
She carefully made her way into the house and realized that it was quiet, way too quiet. There was no music playing, no footsteps- nothing. The only sounds were the ones her shoes made as they squeaked across the floor and the water dripping off her clothes to the floor. She'd apologize to Esme later.
Very slowly, she checked the usual hangouts but came up empty for the auburn vampire. She was certain he could hear her frantic heartbeat as she made her way up the stairs. There at the end of the hallway, she noticed that a light was on under the door.
'This must be his room.' She thought as she stood in front of the seemingly harmless door. The door itself was harmless, obviously, but it was the room behind it that may prove to be a catastrophe.
Gathering her courage, she turned the handle instead of knocking. He was already pissed so what was the use in announcing herself to a telepathic vampire? The door was unlocked and turned easily under her hand.
She gently pushed the wooden door and braced herself for the worst. Instead of glancing around the room, her eyes landed solely on him as he stood on the far side, glancing out the window into the storm.
Morticia didn't move from the doorway, too afraid to come closer in case he decided to start throwing things.
"You are welcome to come in." His voice was deathly calm.
'Oh, shit,' She thought as she moved into the middle of the room, 'That isn't a good start.'
He refused to turn to look at her but instead chose to stay where he was and look at her reflection in the glass beside him. His eyes were deep ebony and looked through her as if they were seeing her very soul.
They stayed like that for a few moments, neither one of them starting a conversation until finally, it made Morticia uncomfortable.
"Ok, look. I know you're totally pissed at me and I get that. But can you please turn around so I feel like I'm not in the middle of some creepy horror flick? It's unnerving having you stare at me in the window!"
He turned finally and settled her with a hard look.
"You're unnerved? And how do you think I felt having to look at your near corpse laying on Sue Clearwater's kitchen table? How unnerved do you think I was?" His voice was still calm and he took a small step towards her.
"You say that I'm pissed, but I don't think you understand the meaning of the feeling. I was furious. When Carlisle was called by the wolves, I was ready to cross the border and rip Paul to shreds! Do you know how hard it was not to slaughter every last wolf once I made it out of the car?!"
Morticia refused to back down and stared him straight in the eyes, slightly worried at the direction the conversation was going.
"It had to be done, Edward. I didn't plan for it to go that way but I am fine. It was just a tiny scratch for the greater good." She chose her words poorly as he chuckled darkly and advanced on her similar to a predator.
"Just a tiny scratch? Is that it? A tiny scratch put you in a coma for nearly a week?!" He began to circle her as he continued, "And what greater good are you referring to? Are you referring to the emotional turmoil you put my family through or the one you put Caleb and Tony through?"
"The wolves had to see what would happen if anybody else got ahold of the legends and chose to act on them. They needed to learn control to see that they are no better than you or your family." Her voice was tiny as she followed him with her eyes.
"And it just had to be you who showed them, didn't it?" He breathed into her ear. She shivered but refused to show it.
'Is he trying to dazzle me right now? He's supposed to be angry at me, not rubbing up against me like a cat in heat!' She was confused and Edward's voice changed to one full of hurt.
"You broke your promise to me." He buried his face into the side of her neck and wrapped his arm around her middle from behind.
Morticia sighed and tried to keep her mind focused, "I know that I did and I'm sorry but I had to do it. Billy Black wouldn't listen to me and so I decided to make an example out of Paul- similar to what Bella did in New Moon."
Edward stiffened slightly, then chuckled darkly against her neck. "Funny you should mention her. Did anybody mention to you that I met my alleged soul mate this week?" She shook her head numbly and he continued, "Well imagine my surprise when Bella Swan waltzed into biology, only so send me the most revolting smell I have ever encountered. It was nothing like the ambrosia that flows through your veins." He punctuated his words with a long swipe of his tongue along her jugular vein.
"I got one smell of her blood and I wanted to vomit. Isn't that strange that my supposed soulmate would elicit that response from me? I thought so too, so I decided to ask Jasper. And you know what he said? Jasper informed me that my body's reaction was perfectly normal for a mated vampire." Morticia craned her neck to look him in the eyes.
"Mated?" She murmured, confused.
"Yes love, mated. It seems that I am already mated and guess who my lucky lady was, hmm? I'll give you a hint, she's brave, fearless and has the beauty of a Grecian goddess. Oh, and she put herself in danger with a pack of werewolves, nearly causing me to commit mass genocide in a fit of rage! Any ideas who that is, love?" He nuzzled into her neck again and left a trail of kisses in his wake.
Morticia's brain was slowly understanding what he was saying and she finally composed herself long enough to pull away from him slightly.
"Wait, wait. So you're telling me that you, what? You met Bella and you're pissed that your brain doesn't register her as your mate because you spent so much time with me?! I'm not seeing the problem here, just stop hanging out with me and shove some vapor rub under your nose."
He gave her a withering look and gently grasped her hips, pulling her to his chest.
"If only it were that simple, Morticia. You see, I don't want her. Do you understand me? I. am. not. attracted. to. Bella. Swan. The only woman I'm attracted to is in my arms right now. I was in my own literal hell for the past week, going out of my mind with worry, watching over you, and wondering if I'd ever get the chance to tell you how I really felt."
Morticia swallowed the lump in her throat as she stared at Edward with wide eyes.
"You don't know that. You're just confused because you've been spending so much time with me. Look, let's just take a breather, and maybe once you spend some time with Bella- without me, maybe you'll have some sort of delayed reaction." Her voice was shockingly even, while inside she was breaking. The idea of Edward getting close to Bella made her stomach turn and her eyes to sting.
Edward growled lowly and the sound made her insides warm, it was raw and primal.
"I have spent an entire week with her, there is no way there will ever progress more between us than acquaintances. Don't try to deflect your feelings because you think something may happen in the future. If you feel nothing for me then that's fine but I refuse to let you hide behind excuses."
Morticia tried to break the embrace but his arms pulled her in tighter.
"I'm not deflecting at all, I'm just being logical. You're supposed to be with Bella and I am just a tag-along in this story."
Edward just groaned lowly and shook his head, "Alice was right..."
Morticia raised a brow, "What do you mean? What about Al-"
"You really have no idea what you mean to this family, do you? How much you've changed us? The joy you've brought to our lives since you arrived?" He interrupted her, his voice full of disbelief.
Morticia scoffed, "you've got to be joking. You guys probably think I'm a nut case. First I show up, claiming I know every fucking thing about you guys and then I lay out your lives for the next three years! Rosalie wanted to kill me when she first met me and you did too if I remember! You avoided me like the plague! Besides, who am I to break up the twenty-first century's Romeo and Juliet couple?! Trust me on this I will be nothing but a me-"
Her words were cut off as Edward took her face firmly in his hands and brought her into a searing kiss.
It wasn't awkwardly slow as the movie made it out to be. No, this kiss was full of heat and passion. Gone was the shy timid Edward who held himself back and in his place was somebody who oozed confidence. One of his hands moved to cup the back of her head as he deepened the kiss, his tongue chasing hers as she tried to focus on not melting into a pile of goo on the floor.
He pulled back in a flash and gave her that crooked smile as she tried to compose herself from that emotional whiplash.
"Now are you ready to listen to what I have to say or do I need to convince you again."
"Um, uh," Morticia mumbled, still in shock as her legs still felt unsteady.
Edward cupped her cheek gently once more, his eyes were full of emotion as they stared into hers and he brought their foreheads together, gently.
"I don't know how you did it, Morticia Addams, but you burrowed yourself under my skin and tore down all my walls in a matter of days. I've been on this earth for over a century and never have I met someone like you in my entire existence. I knew from the moment you trusted us with your demons that I'd never met a stronger, more brave woman and you proved me right when you faced Paul. Please believe me when I say that you are the one I want to spend eternity with, not Bella Swan or anyone else. Bella Swan is nothing compared to the way I feel when I'm around you. It nearly killed me, being so helpless as you lay on that table so cold and unmoving."
He slowly moved, giving her bandaged arm light kisses before he settled before her on his knees.
"I beg you, despite all that you know about me, give me the chance to win your heart properly without the weight of those ridiculous books hanging over us. Please, don't dismiss me because of somebody else's words." His eyes were shining with emotion as he nuzzled his face in her stomach as his arms wrapped around her once more.
'How could anybody say no to a proposal like that? How many women would kill to have Edward fucking Cullen on his knees before them? Can I take that chance? Just say fuck it to Stephenie Meyer's world and risk having a beautiful life here with Edward.'
She knew that she would most likely spend the rest of her days in the Twilight universe, but she never thought Edward would ever be interested in her at all.
All the times she spent with him up until that point came rushing through her mind and she felt herself yearning to have more of those moments. Laughing as they teased the other Cullens, playing piano together, cuddling and watching movies on the couch, sending loving glances at each other during school...She wanted all of that.
Damnit, she was falling in love with Edward Cullen. She may even be all the way in love with him.
'I hope somehow you can learn to forgive me, Bella.' She sighed and ran her fingers through his hair, gently playing with the silky strands and whispered lowly so only he would hear, "Ok...I'll give us a chance."