Into the Woods
By; Everleigh Allen
Chapter 33
Bella and Charlie walked up the front porch of the Swan residence in silence late that night. They were both exhausted and lost within their own heads. Both went up the stairs and gave a quiet goodnight as they slipped into their respective rooms, promising to talk about the day's event in the morning.
Bella shut the door and turned on her light as she felt the cool night breeze flow into the room.
"Hey," Edward sighed. "You alright?"
Bella just shrugged, letting Edward's arms encircle her. "I'm worried about my mom."
"I bet. I guess I should have warned you about the full moon. We tend to go a bit crazier than usual."
"Is that what that was?"
"A lot of it, yeah."
Bella shook her head as the memories of the night flooded her head. Tears fell freely when Edward wrapped his arms around her.
"Talk to me," he urged, pulling away from her just enough to look into her eyes.
"I can't help but wonder how it all would have played out had it been me instead. Even Alice said it was supposed to be me."
Edward sighed and sat down on her bed. "If it had been you, I probably would have had to destroy my brother which would've upset Alice, and probably broke up our family. Who knows, maybe it was going to be you but one of the fates tripped their strings and chose her instead."
"A vampire that believes in fate," Bella scoffed as Edward wiped away her tears.
"It's hard not to when you're in the world."
Bella smiled again and tried to shy away behind the curtain of her hair but Edward wasn't having it. He pulled up her chin and placed a kiss onto her salty, tear soaked lips.
"Had it been you I would've never forgiven myself. I know I am a danger to you. I know my presence keeps you in that danger, but I can't help wanting to be close to you. I'm selfish."
"You're not. You're just in love with your mate and don't want to be away from me. I get it. I feel the same way."
"I like to think that if I needed to, I could leave again- to keep you safe."
Bella's breathing hitched for a moment before she moved toward Edward. She looked straight into his pained eyes and touched his cheek. His jaw was tight and he looked as if he would cry if he could. "Don't even think like that! Those are not welcome thoughts!"
"It's just that you have a life-"
"Which you are now a part of! A vital, important part that cannot be replaced or replicated. You're stuck with me."
"Bella, school is starting soon and there will be other guys who will be interested in you."
"Well, it's a good thing that I have a vampire boyfriend, then!" She teased.
"Bella," He said condescendingly.
It grated on her very last nerve.
Bella was instantly pissed.
"What do you want me to say? Are you saying that you are going to allow me to date others while you step aside? To entertain their advances as you watch and listen to their vile thoughts about me? No, you won't. You're thinking about leaving, right?"
Edward just sighed, sitting on the bed with his head in his hands.
"That's what I thought. You know what? If you want to go, go- Edward. But you should know that leaving me here with Jake by myself isn't that well thought out. Leaving me here, spelling of vampire while nomads roam around isn't ideal either but you do you."
"Bella,"
"You're obviously overthinking everything and ignoring the big picture."
"Which is what? I know that I'm bad for you and tonight reminded me of how much danger I put you in just by being around you."
"No, more like desperate. Desperation leads to hasty actions and one or both of us are going to be devastatingly hurt. You're about to let one reckless move by an idiotic- out of control vampire effect this whole relationship and our future?" Edward didn't respond so Bella continued, "I didn't give my heart, soul, and body to you because you wooed me with your glimmering eyes or mind-numbing, sweet breath. No, I did because I love you. I love us. I love the life we will have together and the one we have eventually on our own. I don't like this way of thinking. I'm done with this conversation." Bella put her hands up, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath in and then out. After a few moments she opened her eyes and with a new found conviction. "Our main objective isn't separating. It is seeing how my mother pulls through and keeping a blowtorch and bottle of hairspray out of my hands so I don't flame up a Jasper bonfire. That is our main goal."
"Okay," Edward sighed with a slight smile. "I know you're right, I do… it's just that I can't stand the thought of anything happening to you. I can't stand the thought that I am affecting your life irrevocably."
"You already affected my life irrevocably." Bella moved forward and wrapped her arms around Edward and placed her cheek to his chest as she breathed him in. He kissed the top of her head. "I was dead… well, undead from the minute you knew of me, right? So, if something happens to me, then you will just change me and make me like you sooner rather than later." She giggled.
He tried to pull away but Bella wouldn't allow that. "You don't want this life-"
"UGH! No, uou don't want that life but it's the life you have and if that's the way I get to spend eternity with you then it's the life I want. I want a life with you, whichever way possible."
Edward pulled his arms tightly around her, "I want a life with you, too."
"Good, so stop trying to ruin it."
Edward laughed, but it was more like a sob.
Bella held him for a few more minutes until she started to pull away. "I am exhausted, Edward. Come watch me dream naughty things about you."
"One of my most favorite ways to spend my time," Edward smirked as Bella gathered her nighttime items for her shower. "The second would be listening to you in the shower."
"You really can be a creepy vampire." Bella sighed. "I'll try to make it interesting for you."
His low, rolling purr could be felt instantly as a flicker of excitement coursed through her but ended the second her thoughts rolled back around to Jasper and her mother.
.
The sky was clear the morning of the Summer Solstice. Bella felt the fissure of excitement for what might happen that day but Edward was feeling wary.
He was worried that there was some kind of danger that he wouldn't be able to protect her from.
What were the little orbs or light?
What were the long shadowy things?
What caused Bella to disappear when danger threatened?
What did the fairies other things that Renee claimed to bring over have anything to do with all of it?
What did Renee unleash?
"You're doing the whole worrying thing between the brows," Bella sighed. She was packing up a lunch and snacks, not sure on how long they were going to be out. Charlie had already left for work and that was probably for the best.
"I am feeling anxious," Edward sighed. Bella stopped and moved toward Edward, embracing him. "Hey, I am going to be fine. Whatever she did is on her, not me. It's not like she unleashed the Kraken."
"She could have! You would have no idea."
"I'll stay away from the water!" Bella laughed.
"Not funny."
"Let's look at the poem and see what we can do with it again, before we go back out there." Bella pulled out a piece of paper.
"So it's safe to say that Gaelach day would be an Irish day. It could be the Solstice or it could be St. Patrick's Day, right?"
"Since you're Irish, it could be your birthday."
Bella frowned. "There are so many Irish people out there. That's too general."
Deep into the woods, on the Gaelach day
She laughed as she watched the wild bluebells sway
With a flick of the light doth chance a teasing fae
While into the woods watching, the dire one lay
With mirth and mayhem doth she play
Straight into the woods where the spirits slay
"So let's assume it's today." Edward sighed, fingering through his hair. "You're in the woods, laughing in the flowery meadow or what have you and there could be something out there,"
"The fairies!" Bella added with a smile. She couldn't wait to see a fairy!
"Possible. Other definitions of Fae suggest it could be anything from a spirit to someone not right in the head. It could be a fairy or even a fortune teller."
Bella scrunched her nose. "It could be Alice out there, then since she's clairvoyant."
Edward nodded his head. "I thought that too."
"But mom's box?"
"What if she's exaggerating or lying?"
"I guess it's possible. I hate hypothesizing." She groaned. She Rosalie from the table and got out a bowl, cereal, and milk and started making her breakfast. "What's the next line about the dire one."
"Well, define dire… causing or involving great fear or suffering. I think it's either Jake or the shadow things."
Bella moved toward the table with her bowl after putting the other stuff away. "That freaks me out; I am not going to lie. I can't help but fear him."
"It could also be me, Bella." Edward sighed. "I could very much be the dire one. And a vampire is very much considered a spirit of sorts, so the last verse of the spirits slay? That one could be me. I've been trying to work it all through but there's so many aspects coming into the event that I can't help but worry. Slay is the most worrisome word in the poem… murder, slaughter, eliminate, butcher…. Slay is a very upsetting word when you're involved."
"You are such a buzz kill, Edward." Bella groaned, pushing the food away.
"Sorry, love." He pushed the food back toward her, "You do need to eat, though, because we need to go into the woods and face what is out there."
A/N: More soon.. first sleep.