Author's note: A tremendous "WELCOME BACK" to 'A Life worth Living'. I am so, so, so, so sorry that it has taken so long to update any of my stories! My life has been incredibly busy recently, but it's been a wonderful ride despite how much I have missed writing fanfiction and speaking to you all I am so glad to be back, and I hope to write more frequently and consistently from now on. Fingers crossed!
I truly hope you enjoy reading this chapter! You are all amazing, and I thank you for your ongoing readership, support, and patience through this journey.
Have fun!
'A Life worth Living'
Chapter 5- Return
14 years later- Scotland, UK
Edward's POV
"This is unbelievable!" Jake shouted, his voice echoing off the pristine walls of our new place. I gave a sheepish grin, internally satisfied by his awe as I watched him from the banister of the second storey. I then fashioned my face to one of indifference as Bella passed by.
"Don't pretend with me; I know you're delighted he loves the place," she grinned cheekily as she carried three loaded boxes past my line of vision.
"No I'm not," I replied in a half-hearted attempt to convince her otherwise. However, if truth be told, I was relieved by his excitement; the past couple of months have been a difficult time for all of us, but particularly for Jacob and Ness who needed to say goodbye to Billy and the Quileutte Tribe.
Jacob was now running into every room of our new place (8 bedrooms in total) and his exclamations were heard loud and clear by myself and my family as he provided us (unintentionally) with a running commentary of his thoughts; my gift was hardly necessary.
"I swear this place could fit 5- no, 10 of my houses from La Push!"
"Somehow I don't think Jake has seen a house this big before, what do you think, Edward?" Alice sung cheerily as she skipped past me, her port-a-robe held high and effortlessly above her head. I laughed at her statement; Jacob's enthusiasm was making my family's day.
"Holy crap!" Jake whispered in awe as he entered the first bedroom on the second floor, completely ignoring me as he ran past. "Nessie? Nessie!" he called out down the stairs. "Have you seen the size of our bedroom? This one is ours, right?" my son-in-law checked with me, as he turned around to capture my gaze.
I smiled at him, trying not to laugh at his wide eyes.
"Yes, that one's yours," I replied. He stood in my presence just long enough to be considered polite before racing back into said bedroom.
"I thought we were going to walk through the house together, Jake," Ness reminded him from the kitchen downstairs where she had just placed two boxes neatly on the breakfast counter. "After all, I also like the idea of running into each room just to see how big it is," she laughed. Instantly, Jacob appeared in the stairwell and within seconds was by Nessie's side, clearly feeling guilty for exploring the mansion without her.
"Sorry Nessie," he said seriously. Despite being on the second storey, the house was designed in a way that allowed me to see straight into the kitchen and dining area from where I was standing. I smirked when I saw Jacob bend down to whisper into my daughter's ear.
"But seriously, we could chuck all of our boxes and our massive bed into the middle of our bedroom and still have enough space to walk around it. This place is gigantic."
"I'm so glad you love it," Ness smiled gently and pecked him on the cheek.
"Love it?" Jacob replied, pulling away from her and speaking at his usual volume. "This place is epic! Once your Uncles have set up the billiards room and all of our belongings are in place, this house will be beyond perfect. If I had known moving to Scotland would be this much fun..." Apparently Jacob didn't know what else to say; he was simply grinning from ear to ear like he were a boy who had received his Christmas gifts in advance.
"I'm so happy, Jake," Ness replied, reaching up to give her husband a hug, which he returned before picking her up off the ground and swinging her around the kitchen. My daughter squealed, her beautiful bronze-coloured hair soaring through the air.
When Jacob eventually put her down, she gazed into his eyes and placed her hand onto his cheek. Her husband tilted his head towards her palm and closed his eyes. "I was so worried this would be hard for you." Are you sure you're okay? she asked him through her gift.
Jacob gently opened his eyes and nodded his head, a real, genuine smile upon his face.
"This place is perfect, Ness- anywhere with you would be perfect, but this just..."
"Does that mean you don't want to look for our own place anymore?" Ness asked laughing, though it was a serious question. Jake looked horrified, and was about to insist that he would much prefer to spend time with her alone- after all, living with her family made it difficult to… but then seeing me watching them 'creepily' from the top of the stairs, he froze as Ness poked him playfully in the stomach.
"I'm just kidding," she insisted with a bright smile, and then followed her husband's gaze until her eyes rested on mine. I couldn't help but grin at them both; our international move was going incredibly well so far; my family were content and at ease about our new living situation which made mine and Jasper's existence, in particular, just that much easier.
Feeling I should probably do something more productive than spy on my daughter and her husband, I made my descent down the stairs.
"Don't worry, Ness, the novelty will wear off eventually," I reminded her jovially, as I walked towards the back door to resume unpacking the truck.
"I dunno, Daddy..." she laughed; "I've never seen Jake so excited about anything."
"Yeah, seriously who could ever get over this? Just because you've been raised in mini versions of this house for decades, doesn't mean you're allowed to ruin it for me!" Jacob insisted.
"I wouldn't dream of it," I replied, placing my hand on his shoulder. "But you should know," I added, placing pressure on his shoulder so he would lean towards me. "I've lived in larger houses than this one."
"What!?" Jacob yelped. "Get out!" he exclaimed, his eyes wide with jealousy and amusement.
"I am," I told him, a huge grin on my face as I walked towards the back door. My daughter was laughing loudly as they both followed me outside.
"Jeez, there's no need to boast bro, give the guy a break," Emmett told me as he strolled past, his arms full with a one-seater couch. "But I would get back to unloading the truck if I were you and stat; I think Bella has already carried out twice as many boxes than you!" Emmett teased me on his way back from placing the couch in the living room and nudging past me as he ran. "I'll race ya!" he shouted, which was hardly necessary given he was inches from the truck anyway.
I sighed and gave him a slight smile before utilizing my extra speed to 'catch' him and assist my family to unload the remainder of our belongings.
With our combined strength and speed, it took us just under 4 hours to unload our possessions from two moving vans and unpack the essentials. Although there were many more boxes to unpack and rearranging to be done (Alice was near unbearable), it was agreed that we all deserved a break and a feed; it was hunting time.
Some 14 years ago, my family and I had become familiar with appropriate locations in England in which we could safely hunt. However, as this was our first time living in Scotland, we were less familiar with the density of the forests and the creatures that reside within them. We had told the woman who served us at the local tourism centre that we were interested in bush walking and thus desired to explore the local bushland. She laid out a large map on the counter and pointed to all of the popular bushwalking locations and the local sights.
"That's everything you need to know, I think," she announced, taking a final look at the map. "Oh, wait on," she added, pointing to a large forest farthest west, "I should warn you," she continued, bending low over the table to demonstrate the importance and secrecy of what she was about to say. Naturally, we all lent towards her despite being able to hear her clearly no matter how quietly she spoke. "I would not venture here if I were you. During my time here, I have heard reports," she paused for effect and then lowered her tone to a whisper, "that people who have entered that forest seem to get lost or have no recollection of ever going there to begin with. It's very odd behavior to be honest… Not many people travel that way now. But never fear; they seem perfectly fine otherwise," she reassured us, "though I imagine there is little point of exploring the place if one remembers nothing of it!" Feeling certain that she had said enough to dissuade us, she straightened up and bid us farewell with the wave of her hand.
"I hope you enjoy your time with nature!" she called out as we exited the tourism centre. Little did she know that her attempt to scare us merely provided us with reasons why we should head to the western-most forest.
Once we had piled into our two cars, which had been shipped over from Forks, and were on our way home, Emmett and Jacob burst out laughing.
"I don't know what she was talking about, the western forest sounds perfect to me!" Emmett stated. "I didn't think it would be so easy to find a suitable place."
"Are we heading there soon?" Jacob asked me and Carlisle (for we were the drivers), "I'm starving."
"We will definitely hunt tonight," Carlisle informed the family. "However, I think more thought about exactly what we may encounter while we are hunting would be important. While it is unlikely that we will experience any difficulties within the forest itself, it would be careless of us not to consider why previous explorers completely lose their memory of the place or lose their way."
"Did you get any hints from her, Edward?" Alice asked me. "I Saw nothing out of the ordinary when I thought about us travelling there," she informed us.
"No I didn't," I muttered, wishing that I had. "We will need to exert caution of course, but otherwise I am sure we will be able to detect any issues before they arise."
"But what do you think it is?" my daughter asked our family, her natural inquisitiveness ever-present.
"It does sound mysterious, doesn't it? It would be fascinating to know," Bella thought out loud.
"Which is why we should go!" Jacob insisted from behind me, leaning forward with enthusiasm.
"It could be a gaseous substance or drug that was released into the air which causes disorientation to those who walk through it," Jasper suggested, his gaze staring into the distance as if lost among numerous possibilities.
"Is that possible?" Ness asked her uncle.
"I believe so; it is surprising what they can do these days, especially when it comes to warfare."
"Or it could be a strange creature that can hypnotise others to forget-" Esme began, but was then interrupted by Emmett.
"You are getting very sleepy," he told Esme, his deep voice in perfect mimicry of the hypnotists one sees on television. "Veeeerrrry sleepy," he continued, holding his watch in front of Esme's face. We laughed, appreciating Emmett's playfulness and the momentary distraction.
"It could be magic." Rosalie's voice was barely audible over the remnants of laughter from Emmett and Jacob, but we certainly heard her. Simultaneously we fell into silence as we pondered the possibility. After a minute of deep contemplation by all, for I too had considered that some kind of magic was present in that forest, Emmett chuckled:
"Jeez, thanks for getting my hopes up, Rose; that would be so epic!"
'Epic' summed up the general hue of my family's thoughts and feelings surrounding this possibility.
However, I found myself zoning out of my family's thoughts- now filled with barely containable excitement- as I continued to drive back to our home. Regardless of what may await us there, my family collectively decided that we were willing to face whatever obstacle may cause us to forget where we are or attempt to disorient us, in favour of being in a more isolated location away from humans who may be unintentionally pursued by one of us. We could not take that risk. But exactly what risk we were taking was unknown to us, and although Alice promised to tap into her gift every now and then, I felt uneasy. I was the only one of us who had been exposed to magic and even then, only the potential of it. I could still recall the empty, stricken feeling I had when I discovered that the young man I met 14 years ago had the potential to not only read my mind, but eliminate my memory. While the chances of coming across the particular form of magic he knew seemed miniscule, it was still possible, and I did not want to experience that sense of terror again nor be victim of such magic. But our choices were limited, and the alternative was hardly better; killing a human being or been seen by a human would ruin what has been an enjoyable experience so far, not to mention the subsequent guilt that would be felt by whoever attacked the unsuspecting individual. The moral part of me- my 'humanity'- told me that it was better to risk our near-invincible family than to put at risk an unknown number of human beings who may be trekking the popular bushlands of the local area even if it was after dark.
I shared my concerns with Bella when we arrived home as we all walked into our separate domains to get ready for the night ahead. Bella lowered her mental shield so I could hear her thoughts. She was worried too, but agreed that we did not want to start our first day in Scotland on the wrong foot. She assured me that she would be incredibly careful and would support my attempts to remind the rest of our family to keep an ear and eye out for anything unusual.
Within half an hour we were ready to disembark towards the west and our first hunting trip in Scotland.
"Is everyone ready?" Carlisle asked us as we congregated towards the front door.
"Yes," we collectively responded, except for Emmett who replied: "Hell yeah!"
"We will split up into two groups," Carlisle instructed us. "The usual should be fine."
We nodded in agreement.
"And as we discussed in the car, it is vital that we remain alert and keep an eye out on those within our group. Hopefully whatever has affected the memory of prior explorers of the bushland will not impact us, but it would be dangerous and unwise of us to think we are invincible. So, let us use the extraordinary abilities we have been given to protect ourselves and those we love."
"Hear hear!" Emmett cheered; his excitement was close to explosive as he bounced on the balls of his feet.
"Agreed," Jasper asserted, giving Carlisle a single nod of approval.
"Sounds like a plan," Jacob said and then kissed his wife on the top of her head. "Are we running or driving?" he asked, looking towards me and then at Carlisle.
"We are going on foot; we do not want to attract attention to our cars which may be left near the forest for some time. It is not terribly far, only 26 kilometres, and I have mapped out a path through various side streets and bushland wherever possible. It is growing dark," Carlisle observed, looking out the large window next to the front door, "so I doubt we will be seen by many if we move quickly and swiftly."
"Let's do this!" Emmett shouted with excitement and led us out the door.
As we ran, crept, and casually walked our way towards the west of the country, following Carlisle's precise footsteps as discreetly as possible, we conversed as if we were a family or group of friends walking to a mutual acquaintance's party. This façade was one my family were used to; it was common practice before we moved to America and during our time posing as high school students. In fact, it was so habitual for me, that I was able to converse appropriately with those around me whilst also reflecting on our day so far and what had happened to me- to all of us, since last being in the UK.
After leaving Spinner's End and the young man I met in the pub there, we flew to Forks, Washington. Much to her frustration, Alice was never able to See the young wizard again despite trying several times. It upset me that I did not know what happened to him or what choice he decided to make with regard to his life. And yet, regardless of his decision, I felt sickened by it; someone was going to suffer either way. Only after a long talk with Esme and a couple of her calming hugs did I realize I needed to let him go for now- that there was nothing I could do to help him, and nothing I could do to elicit his forgiveness for my unwelcome intrusion into his feelings, his thoughts, and his life. Although my guilt haunted me for a couple of weeks, I was gradually able to focus on what I needed to do; unpack my belongings, become acquainted with my new surroundings, and prepare myself for another year of high school.
During the first 3 years of us living in Forks, our existence was relatively uneventful and school was incredibly boring. There was little to do in the small town, and although it met our specific needs, it paled in comparison to where we stayed in England. The only interesting aspect of living in Forks was our proximity to the Quileute Tribe who lived in a nearby reserve called La Push. Tales of 'our kind' had been passed down through their generations, though due to our absence for several decades, the younger generations queried the truth of our existence. However, the elders of the Tribe, such as Jacob's father, Billy, knew otherwise and recognized us for what we were when we returned to Forks. Our relationship with Billy and the other elders were tense during those three years despite Carlisle's continued promise of allegiance and peace, and our commitment to the Treaty that was devised by Carlisle and the Tribe Elders when we first discovered their existence soon after Rosalie joined our family. Consequently, we resolved to leave the Quileutes alone and focus on maintaining our façade and our side of the Treaty.
However, our relationship became more intense upon the arrival of my (now) wife, Isabella Swan to Forks High School. When I first met Bella, I felt an uncontrollable, undeniable, and untamable connection with her. Understandably, Billy grew concerned for Bella's safety and Jacob's ignorance of what I was. Unknown to me, Bella and Jacob had become good friends during the years my family lived in England. According to Charlie, Bella and Jacob became friends when he and Bella's mother, Renee were still married, and their friendship continued whenever Bella would visit her father in Forks. Thus, an intense amount of tension and possessiveness was felt by myself and Jacob towards Bella. Although Bella 'chose' me, Jacob did not appear to give up hope that he may one day be victorious. I have since admitted to being grateful for his persistence.
After Jasper had been dangerously tempted by the scent of Bella's blood, during which my Bella's life was in peril for a few milliseconds, I knew I could not place her in such danger ever again. Although she was uninjured and not terrified as she should have been, I convinced myself that I was selfish for wanting her when she was the natural prey of my kind. This, in addition to Jasper's sincere and ceaseless guilt forced me to make an executive choice, and within a day my family left Forks without saying goodbye to Bella. Thus ensued the worst months of my existence- I was nothing without her- I didn't exist and neither did the world. I lived inside a dark, hollow place within my mind where nothing, not even Alice's bright smile or Emmett's crude jokes could force a reaction out of me. I knew Alice was watching Bella using her gift despite my insistence that we all forget my Love, so I isolated myself from all of them; every thought of her (both mine and those around me) were daggers to my non-existent heart. Existence was simply easier alone.
I lost track of time… of the days, weeks, months, that I had been 'gone'. Days and nights blurred into one, and I barely noticed when the sun set and rose again; none of it mattered. I was dangerously thirsty, but I had found a refuge far away from any creature, living or dead. I allowed myself to suffer with the pain of being inconceivably thirsty and part of me hoped I would die whilst I sat there numb to everything around and within me. I knew I had hurt Bella terribly, and my family perhaps equally so, but returning to them was impossible in my frame of mind. All I deserved was pain, and physical agony was far easier to cope with than emotional torture.
It was not until my mobile phone rang for the 13th time one evening, that I decided to take my eyes away from the same, blank ledge I had been staring at for hours, to look at my phone. It was Rosalie which was unusual. I felt compelled to answer the call because she was the last of my family I would expect to contact me. When I answered, I found myself frozen, tense and unable to speak or move. She said words that my brain was processing, but that I was barely able to comprehend. My response to her was to hang up the phone, and then I resumed staring at the very same ledge. I tried not to feel anything, but within seconds, my very existence was torture of the cruelest kind. With more energy than I should have had, I rose from my hiding spot and ran as fast as I could towards civilization… and the airport. Now that I am 7 years past that living Hell, I prefer not to dwell on what existence was like for me after that dreadful phone call. But my goal was to find a means of destroying myself. I knew my family would refuse to harm me in any way; they would merely protect me and prevent me from my own destruction in any way they knew how. I could not return to Forks where our natural predators could rip me limb from limb. I only had one way out, one possible hope, and even then it was a slim one. I needed to go to Italy- to the Volturi and confess to a crime that was punishable by destruction. I was close to achieving my goal- incredibly close, and ironically saved by the very girl I believed to be dead: my Bella. When I felt her warm body in my arms, it was as if I breathed for the first time since leaving her. I felt alive, and I knew that I could not leave this world while she was still here, and I also realized that I would never be able to leave her side again. We escaped by the miracle that was Alice, and returned to Forks.
It was not until my life returned to 'normal'- if there were such a thing- that I realized I had experienced firsthand the pain and agony the young wizard had been through years before. Although my gift allowed me to understand the extent of his pain and his reasons for wishing his life were over, it was an entirely different thing to actually experience what it feels like to truly believe (whether true or not) that you are the reason your loved one died. Only during these moments of reflection did my memory of that boy return to me. Of course, I would always remember him and everything we had discussed- everything he had thought or imagined due to my gift- but since meeting Bella, my memory of him had taken a backseat until that moment.
However, the young, mourning wizard was soon stored away in favour of more pressing issues. Jacob was disgusted by my return and by Bella's forgiveness of me when I had caused her months of suffering through a deep depression. Jacob was a wolf by this stage and Bella became privy to the history between Jacob's tribe and my family, so competition between the two of us for Bella was more intense and more deadly than before. In the face of a newborn vampire army who were, as individuals, stronger than any one vampire, Jacob and I were forced to work together against a mutual enemy to protect Bella who infuriatingly refused to leave our side. Somehow we all managed to survive that conflict and although injuries were sustained, none resulted in lasting damage. Not long after our victory, I asked Bella for her hand in marriage, which she delightfully accepted. This caused a tremendous rift in Jacob and Bella's relationship, for she had chosen me despite Jacob's consistent and persistent attempts to win her heart. After our wedding, we embarked on our honeymoon where I reluctantly resigned to my untamable desire and allowed myself to make love to my beautiful (human) wife.
The result of that decision was one that not even I expected; Bella fell pregnant, and as evidenced by the size of her womb after only a matter of days, our child was growing incredibly quickly. We left our glorious honeymoon location to return to Forks where my father could properly look after and monitor her. I could barely speak; the horror of what I had done seemed so unlikely, and yet was clearly happening that for the first time in my existence, my brain was unable to think and unable to function properly. All I could think of was eradicating the fetus from my wife's delicate, human body as soon as possible. Needless to say, my Bella wanted to keep the child which sent me into a mental breakdown witnessed by Jacob, who could not have been angrier with me or more terrified for Bella. Somehow I managed to find the strength to watch her deteriorate in front of me for the benefit of a creature that was killing her from the inside out. I could compare this experience to the months I survived without Bella two years prior, except this was worse; everything I felt had to be hidden and I could never fully express how I felt for fear that I would not be able to stop.
My daughter was born almost at the cost of her mother's life. I was forced to inject my venom into Bella's heart to keep her from human death and then bit her on every piece of flesh I could touch so I would be able to convince myself that if she did die, I did everything I could to keep her 'alive'. It was frighteningly close- so much so that Jacob had given up hope, but I forced myself to hold hope that Bella's desire to keep our child alive would pay off- that there was a reason behind the complete and utter madness of the past month. My wife's sudden, quick heart beat followed by a hollow silence was the most beautiful series of noises I had ever heard.
To my utter horror, Jacob imprinted on my daughter, who, when I knew for certain her mother would survive the transition, I eventually visited and concluded that she was undeniably a gorgeous girl. I was disappointed that my beautiful girl was already promised to Jacob almost the instant she was born, but no one was more furious than Bella who we had to restrain from attacking the boy she once considered to be her best friend. Upon learning of Renesmee's existence and the multiple unknowns surrounding her, all 40 members of the Volturi travelled by foot from Italy to 'punish' us for breaking vampire law. Of course, we had done no such thing, and Renesmee was perfectly capable of keeping the secrets of our kind and of learning how to hunt discretely. We were forced to reach out to other vampire covens who had demonstrated their allegiance to Carlisle in the past in the hope they would stay with us and provide evidence to the Volturi of Renesmee's true nature and how she came to exist in this world. We were incredibly lucky to have provided a large enough front which included Jacob and Sam's wolf packs as well as several vampires who were willing to stand by us, to halt the Volturi in their tracks. With the help of Alice's gift and ingenuity, we were able to ensure our safety and that of my daughter; the Volturi would not dare attack us, even though that meant being unable to obtain myself and Alice as members of their guard.
Since that time, Jacob and Renesmee's relationship continued to develop into a deep and sincere love. In turn, I learnt to relate to Jacob as my future son and as a man who wanted nothing more than to protect my daughter and make her happy. It was extremely difficult to be unhappy with him or resent him in any way when his heart was so pure and selfless. So when he asked me for Renesmee's hand in marriage, I did not hesitate to give him the permission he sought, and my blessing for his and Nessie's future together. I was surprised that members of the Volturi did not invite themselves to my daughter's wedding, perhaps to vocalize their disgust that anyone remotely connected with a vampire coven should marry a wolf. In fact, we had not heard from the Volturi since we met them face-to-face in defense of my daughter. Once the newlyweds returned from their honeymoon, they had a 'Congratulations' card waiting for them on bright red cardboard and beautifully decorated from Aro, with a note that he would personally be visiting them in the near future, and requested a response with their new address as husband and wife.
Aro's eventual visit was not entirely unexpected due to Alice's gift, and we were all present to welcome him. Aro and 6 members of his guard stayed only a couple of hours before being satisfied that Renesmee had indeed stopped growing and developed a sufficient understanding of vampire life to not pose a danger to our species. Renesmee willingly shared her gift with Aro and he too used his gift on Ness so he could be certain of her honesty. He also utilized his gift on Jacob to make sure their marriage would not pose a risk to vampires, which none of us could conceive to be a possibility. Nevertheless, we allowed Aro to be satisfied, and once he was, he left our presence, his guard following closely around him. Since that time which was just over 12 months ago, we had not heard from the Volturi and do not expect to until, if it were possible, Renesmee and Jacob had children.
One year after their marriage, all of our lives were travelling incredibly well; Jacob and Ness had adjusted to their new lives as husband and wife and were living alone in a cottage similar to mine and Bella's near the main house. However, we needed to have a difficult conversation that I did not want to have with my daughter and her husband. Carlisle had mentioned to me the month prior that he overheard some of the nurses he worked with discussing the fact that Carlisle hadn't aged a day since he began working with them 13 years ago; surely a man should look different in his forties compared to his late twenties? Naturally, Carlisle grew concerned and informed me the evening of his discovery. The next day, I followed my father to work but remained hidden so no one could see me (most of Carlisle's colleagues knew me by sight and name). I was perturbed to discover that whenever Carlisle walked past someone, instead of cooing over how attractive he was or for the males, wishing he could have my father's build, everyone was concerned, confused, and suspicious of his flawless and unchanged features. Either the gossip of the previous day had travelled to almost the entire hospital or the snippet my father heard was merely a taste of the thoughts and ideas held by his staff for an unknown amount of time. I informed Carlisle of my discovery when he returned home from his shift, and a frown developed on his lips. I knew what that look meant, and without the need for my gift or for him to speak, I found my siblings and my wife, and began to conduct a family meeting. Ness and Jacob were in their cottage unaware of what we were doing, but I decided to leave them there; if we did decide to move, our approach with them would be entirely different to the casual way we were congregating at the main house.
Together, Carlisle and I explained the situation at the hospital, and then waited for our family to share their thoughts. Jasper was the first to speak.
"I am surprised such suspicions did not arise sooner; we only lived in England for 7 years before we were forced to move."
"Yes, I am extremely grateful for the time we have been allowed," Carlisle intoned, "otherwise Billy and Charlie would not have had the privilege of watching Renesmee grow up." My father then looked over at Bella, his eyebrows knitted with sincere sadness and regret.
I already had my arm wrapped around my wife's waist, and gave her a gentle squeeze.
"So we need to move?" she spoke in a tiny voice.
"I'm afraid so," Carlisle replied, nodding gently. "I'm sorry, Bella," he whispered, wishing he could be of more comfort to his daughter-in-law.
Bella couldn't speak, and she did not lower her shield which meant I was not privy to her thoughts or feelings.
"What are you thinking, Bella?" Alice asked, having seen the distress on my face, for I was too afraid to know how she felt about leaving her father.
"Just- just worried about Charlie," she whispered. "I knew one day we would have to move, but I always hoped that perhaps we'd be lucky…"
"We have been lucky," Jasper replied, hoping to be of some comfort, "14 years is a long time- twice as long as we are usually granted."
"Someone has been watching over us," Alice said with a smile, and then walked across the circle we had formed to give Bella a hug. I released my wife from my grasp so my sister could have a proper hug with her.
"And don't worry, Bella; Charlie will be just fine," Emmett said with confidence.
Esme was nodding. "He seems very happy with Sue Clearwater and I'm sure she will be able to support and comfort him when we leave." My mother then moved in and gave Bella a hug too.
"You and Edward can come back for special occasions-" Rosalie offered matter-of-factly.
"Absolutely," Carlisle interrupted, feeling guilty for not mentioning this sooner. "As many trips you want, my dear."
"Jake and Renesmee too?" Bella asked, her voice slightly louder now.
"Of course," Carlisle replied, and then following his wife, walked over to us and kissed Bella on the top of her head. "We would not- could not ask you to leave your father with no hope of seeing him again. And we would never do that to Renesmee or Jacob either; it is not your fault that we need to move." My father then walked back to his relative position in the circle and I felt Bella turn to look at me. I saw that her eyes swimming in tears, though of course none fell. I could not tell if she was upset about the prospect of leaving or if she was touched by the support she had received from my family. I concluded that both possibilities were equally likely.
"Okay, so I will definitely need to speak with Charlie soon… to- to tell him," Bella thought out loud. "But what about Renesmee and Jake? When- how are we going to tell them?"
"She is your daughter, how do you want to tell her?" Jasper answered, the seriousness in his tone reflecting the respect he was conveying to us.
"Oh, um, I'm not sure…" Bella replied, clearly surprised, and then looked to me again.
"Perhaps we will tell them ourselves," I offered to my wife. She nodded in response.
"That would probably be best," she agreed. "Should- should we do it now?"
I smiled down at her, and then turned towards the rest of my family.
"Is there anything we need to discuss at this point in time?"
"No," Carlisle responded. "However the issue of where we move will need to be addressed at some stage, but I think it would only be fair to have that discussion when all members of our family are present," he explained with a smile.
"Thank you, Carlisle," Bella said, a small smile forming on her lips.
"You are very welcome. If you have any difficulties, please let us know."
"I'm sure they will be fine… with time," I allowed, knowing it would not be easy for Jacob or Renesmee; my daughter had become so close to Billy and the wolves that they considered her a part of their family too.
"Let us know when you want to discuss the specifics- I'm sure Renesmee and Jacob would have questions and concerns about where we will be moving to," said Jasper.
Bella and I nodded, and then I followed her out of the living room. Together we walked silently towards our daughter's cottage, our arms around one another's waists. Neither of us knew exactly what to expect, but whatever happened, we would experience the consequences together.
Thankfully Renesmee and Jacob were having an afternoon snack- or rather, Jacob was having a snack and our daughter was nestled comfortably in front of the television. We surprised them with our knock on the door and our interruption, but both of them were happy to delay their movie and speak with us. The four of us sat in their living room, Jacob with a triple layered sandwich in his large hands as he sat next to Ness, with Bella and I sitting on the double seater lounge to their right.
"S'up?" Jacob asked us through his mouthful of beef, ham, turkey, and god knows what else.
"We um… we have some…" My poor wife then averted her eyes, not sure how to start.
I held her hand and kissed her temple. "It'll be fine, Love," I whispered in her ear.
"What's wrong, Momma?" Ness asked suddenly full of concern. She edged closer to her mother as far as her own couch would allow.
"Nothing- nothing's wrong, baby," Bella quickly reassured our daughter.
"We just have some difficult news that we wanted to discuss with you both," I volunteered, helping my wife.
"What? What's happened? Is it Dad? Charlie? Who?" Jake demanded, clear scared, his sandwich momentarily forgotten in his hands.
"No one exactly," Bella replied. "We- were just speaking with Carlisle and everyone up at the main house. And- and people at the hospital- doctors and nurses- are becoming suspicious of Carlisle- the- the fact that he isn't ageing…" Bella drifted off as both Jacob and Renesmee's eyes grew wide. Slowly they looked towards one another, and when their eyes met, Ness hugged her husband tightly.
Jacob hugged her back, his eyes closed.
"We have to move?" He asked, not looking at either of us, his eyes still hidden behind his lids. I allowed myself to register my surprise that neither in his spoken nor silent thoughts did Jacob consider whether he and Nessie could stay in Forks. Although he had made it clear to me very early on that he would follow my family wherever we may go, not even an echo of a selfish thought could be found in son-in-law's mind.
"Unfortunately, yes. I'm sorry Jacob- Nessie," I apologized, my head bowed.
"We're both sorry," Bella echoed, looking miserable.
"It's- it'll be okay, Momma; we'll work it out."
"It won't be easy for you either, Bells; you'll have to say goodbye to Charlie," Jacob muttered, and then opened his eyes to gaze down at my wife.
Bella nodded. "It won't be easy for any of us, but especially for you Jake, and you Renesmee. I must leave too, but you don't- you don't have to come with us- you could stay-"
"No!" Ness exclaimed, looking horrified as she stared between her parents and her husband. "No- Momma- I want to come with you…" But then hastily looked at Jacob as if realizing what she was saying. It had just dawned on my daughter that she was potentially choosing between her parents and her husband. Little did she know that there was no choice to be made; despite his unusual silence, Jacob had every intention of coming with us and nothing Ness could say would change his mind.
My poor daughter then rested her forehead in her hands, unsure of what to do or what to say.
"Hey," Jacob whispered in her ear, his sandwich now abandoned on the coffee table next to him. "I will go wherever you go, Nessie. You know that."
"But I don't want you to have to leave your family, Jake," she replied tearfully, peaking to her right to glance at Jacob's face.
"And I don't want you to leave yours."
"Why must you always be the one to make the sacrifice? That isn't fair…"
"Because I adore you, Nessie. There is nothing I wouldn't do for you."
"But there is nothing I wouldn't do for you!" Ness countered, her eyes now shining with tears. I knew their love for one another was equal in its strength and devotion; if this truly were a competition, we would be waiting a long time, perhaps forever for a victor.
"Nessie, listen to me," Jacob said, sliding off his seat and kneeling in front of Renesmee, her hands in his. "I have lived all 26 years of my life with my father, my sister, and my brothers. As much as I will miss them, they know as well as I do that I would not be able to live near them for the rest of their lives. You are my life now, Nessie, and they would want us to be together."
"But I-"
"Ness," Jacob interrupted her; he knew she was about to object. "You have been on this earth for 8 years- only 8 years. If you were human, you would still be a child who needs her parents. I know you are not a child- far from it, but there is no way in the world that I would allow you to stay here for me. I have 18 years up on you. Once we have lived with your parents for 18 years, then I may consider living closer to my family, but not until then, Nessie."
My daughter slowly reached out, and then clung onto her husband who squeezed her tightly back. Ness placed her hands on the back of Jacob's neck and said:
Your father is getting older, Ness reminded him. His days are numbered, but my family will live forever- I will have forever with them.
Jacob turned his head to kiss his wife on the side of her neck and then squeezed her even tighter as a tear slowly fell down his cheek.
I wanted to walk over to Jacob and place a reassuring hand on his back, but forced myself to remain seated; this was their moment. Eventually, when Jacob felt he had enough control over his feelings (he did not want his being upset to convince Ness to stay), he replied.
"I know, Baby, but we can re-evaluate later. Let's just think about right now. I want you to be with your family, and if something happens in future- if Dad becomes ill or something then we can return to La Push."
Ness pulled away from Jacob to look him in the eye to see if he meant it. Staring back at her was a determined man who was hell bent on having his way, whose eyes conveyed the deep love that spurred his commitment to stay true to his choice no matter how difficult it may be.
"We'll call them all the time," Ness promised him tearfully. "And- and, we'll visit at least once a year?" she continued, feeling uncertain as she looked over at us.
"Grandpa Carlisle has promised all the plane tickets you could ever dream of," I informed our daughter, as a small smile formed on my lips.
"So, we'll- we'll visit them as much as we can- and we'll keep in touch, and if anything should go wrong, they can tell us, and we'll come back straight away," Ness insisted.
"Sounds like a plan," Jacob grinned at her and then pulled her towards him for another hug.
"Thank you, Jake," Ness whispered into his ear.
"Anything for you, Beautiful."
When Ness released her husband, he resumed his seat next to her on the couch, and returned his gaze to me and Bella.
"How soon will we need to move?" My son-in-law asked, as if returning to a business meeting.
"Soon," I told them reluctantly. "I suspect Carlisle will hand in his resignation tomorrow. Based on past experience, we can be ready to move within a fortnight, but of course, we are more than happy to delay until you feel ready to go."
"So two weeks?" Jacob confirmed with me.
"Two weeks at minimum. We must first decide where we will move to. Once we have made that decision, then we will need at least a fortnight before we can leave. But depending on where we go and what kind of dwelling we are staying in, it may take longer."
"Where are we going?" Ness asked.
"We didn't want to make that decision without your input, Sweetheart," Bella replied. "This is a family decision," she told them, looking between our daughter and her husband.
"So when should we discuss it?" Jacob asked.
"Whenever you are ready," I told him. "If you would like to know where we are moving to before you tell your father and pack, then we can talk about it now back at the main house. Everyone is up there," I informed him.
Jacob and Ness glanced at one another and eventually, Ness suggested:
"Well I suppose it would be good to know where we're going."
"I agree," Jacob replied. Taking his wife's hand, he stood up, and Renesmee followed suit. My son-in-law suggested I lead the way out, and together we made our way back to the house. As we walked, slowly for our standards, we all took a moment to truly appreciate the beautiful place in which we lived. We were almost in mourning; we would miss the beautiful forest, the flowers, our cottages, the main house with which we were so familiar, and in particular, Bella and I would miss our meadow. Though this was nothing compared to the people we would be leaving behind; I would miss Charlie, Billy, and Jacob's pack with whom we had developed a close relationship with over the years.
"I'm going to miss them," Ness whispered, her head resting on Jacob's chest as they walked together side by side.
"Me too, Nessie, me too," Jacob whispered back.
"But we'll be okay, right?" Ness asked, looking to her husband for reassurance.
"I'm sure it would be hard at first, but of course- we'll be more than okay, you'll see," Jacob replied brightly in the hope that he was right. Together we climbed up the stairs that led to the back porch, where I opened the door, and the stepped aside to let my family pass before closing it gently behind us.
Carlisle was standing just inside the room, ready to greet us with a mournful look. Alice must have seen us coming.
I should mention that Alice's gift has developed substantially since being in regular contact with Jacob and Renesmee. Originally, Alice was unable to See the future of anyone in direct contact with a creature that Alice has never been herself, but as Bella learnt to expand and manipulate her shield to exist beyond herself, Alice similarly developed hers with Ness and Jacob's help. We started small, where Ness and I would play chess together and Alice would need to predict what move I would make next. Through various experiments, Alice discovered that she could See around Ness and Jacob if she tried hard enough and had enough time to focus. This form of Seeing took more energy from my sister, but she felt- we all felt, that it was a worthwhile thing to practice. After 6 or so years of consistent practice, Alice was proficient at being able to See around Ness and all of the wolves (thankfully her practice with Jacob generalized to all of his brothers), and although it took a fraction of a second longer, her energy was no more depleted than the amount normally required to use her gift.
It was hard to imagine that a few years ago, Alice would be unable to See anything to do with a chess game- in fact she would be unable to See me at all. Now, Alice is able to See me playing chess with Nessie, and can accurately inform me what I planned to do next. Unfortunately, when Ness' actions have a direct impact on the outcome, as they do in chess, Alice's sight was unable to See it, no matter how hard she tried. But Alice tried not to get too down about this; at least she is able to See me and know that I am safe.
We also assisted Alice by having mock fights with Jacob in the forest behind the main house. Similarly, Alice could predict what I would do next whenever I had the opportunity to attack, but she could not See how Jacob would react, nor the outcome of the fight. But at any given moment, Alice could See the present and at any given moment, could determine if I was safe and with whom (whether Jacob or one of his brothers) I was fighting with. When Alice became more comfortable with this aspect of her gift, my family and Jacob's decided to 'up the ante' where myself and my brothers would randomly choose a wolf to fight with, and Alice would be standing on the back porch, unable to see us or hear us, and tell us who was fighting who. It was an enjoyable game and within a few days Alice had mastered that too. As a final step, Alice then wanted to determine whether she could See Ness and Jacob when they were on their own. There were days when I would walk over to the main house from our cottage and see Alice sitting in the living room, her eyes wide open, all of her mental energy focused on my daughter and son-in-law. After four days of persistent hard work, we heard a cheer and a second later, Alice had leapt out of her seat and was sprinting over to our place to see if she was right, and she was. Alice was able to See what they were doing milliseconds before their actions were actually implemented- the moment they thought it, Alice saw it. But she was still unable to see any further into their future, but as we always reminded her; at least she can See that they were safe. Eventually, Alice conceded that she had reached the boundaries and limitations of her gift, and that she would need to accept it, which she did, however reluctantly.
When I entered the main house, I saw in Alice's mind that she had Seen us walking over the moment I stood up in Ness' living room, which gave Carlisle ample time to prepare for our arrival.
Carlisle professed heartfelt apologies to his grandchildren, gave Ness a hug, and clapped Jacob on the shoulder, before leading them into the living room where my siblings and mother were waiting to discuss the ever significant question of where we would move to next.
Without intending to, we all stood up in yet another circular formation so we could see one another.
Given Bella, Ness, and Jacob were new to my family's moves, Carlisle provided a brief introduction regarding the restrictions placed upon us in terms of possible destinations. Basically, these boiled down to two general locations we could not return to: England (for we were there relatively recently) and anywhere that receives direct sunlight a majority of the day and/or most of the year.
"So are there any suggestions?" Carlisle asked, welcoming us to share our ideas with him.
"I have one," Emmett replied immediately, and I shook my head at him when I heard what he was thinking.
"Yes, Emmett?" Carlisle gestured to him; all eyes were on him except my own which were focused resolutely on the lush green forest outside.
"Scotland," he answered with a broad grin. "And don't try to stop me, Edward. I know you wanna return to the UK!"
I sighed as memories of the conversation we had 14 years ago invaded my mind.
"It makes sense- given we can't return to England, we can go to Scotland instead, it's right next door!" Emmett emphasized, determined that everyone else give his suggestion serious consideration.
"It is too dangerous, Emmett," I told him, trying to keep my voice steady; his excited thoughts were persistent in their determination to invade my mind.
"Oh come on! Seriously Edward, it'll be fine. Bella, Jake and Nessie have never been, and there would certainly be a home big enough for us all to live in! And there would be nothing stopping us- Carlisle might have to stay behind if he has to work, but the rest of us could return to England for a day trip…" he was grinning like a maniac and mentally nudging me into temptation.
"I feel we're missing something…" my wife spoke from my left, though she was smiling in amusement as she watched Emmett winding himself into heightened levels of excitement. I was relieved that no one apart from Emmett seemed so keen to return to the UK- they at least had their heads screwed on properly. But upon hearing Bella's confusion, Alice expressed her astonishment that I had never told my wife what happened to me- to us, 14 years ago.
I looked at Bella apologetically, now feeling terrible that I hadn't shared such a significant experience with her. She smiled back at me and squeezed my hand in forgiveness.
"What happened in England?" Jacob asked, looking between myself and the rest of my family.
"Oh man, where do we even start with a golden question like that?" Emmett exclaimed, entirely thrilled to have the opportunity to retell the story after all this time.
"Wait Emmett, perhaps this is a story Edward should share?" Jasper suggested; he had done well to remain calm in the face of Emmett's untamable excitement.
"Oh right, yeah probably," Emmett allowed, and then mimed zipping his lips. I smiled at him indulgently, and then averted my gaze to Bella, our daughter, and Jacob who were all standing to my left. I felt everyone's gaze on me as I tried to speak.
"I- I have no explanation for my silence. What happened in England- the event Emmett is referring to was on my mind frequently prior to meeting you," I told my wife. "But since meeting you," I paused to kiss Bella on her forehead, "the memory has only featured twice in my conscience: once a year after meeting you, and the other occurred about approximately one hour ago."
"Ah-ha!" Emmett shouted; he couldn't contain himself. "So you do want to return!"
"Shhh, Emmett," Esme said gently, placing her hand on her son's arm in the hope of calming him somehow. "Let Edward finish speaking."
"I just want him to admit it," my brother explained more calmly now, though his broad, toothy grin said otherwise.
Come on, Edward- just admit it and I'll shut up.
"Fine," I granted him. "Yes, the idea certainly crossed my mind, and yes I would like to return, but the risks must be considered carefully."
"Thank you," replied Emmett and then bowed low before me, happy that I had finally conceded to desiring the same outcome as he. "I shall be quiet now."
"Thank you," I nodded at him, and then turned back to my immediate family.
"As I was saying, the particular event Emmett is referring to has rarely featured in my mind, so I never saw a need to tell Bella what happened. But of course, it would be important to do so now…" I then looked away from their curious gazes, contemplating how to begin- a part of me did not want to relive the experience; whenever I thought of it, I felt nothing but guilt for my actions, and concern for the boy I had the honour to speak to.
I felt Bella's gentle arm wind its way around my waist and suddenly I had access to her mind.
Whenever you are ready, Love. Whatever it is, you know we will still love you, she reassured me as if she were able to hear my thoughts. I smiled at her and kissed her forehead. Her warmth gave me the courage to face my daughter and her husband. Reluctantly I opened my mouth and began to explain. As I narrated the story, the rest of my family remained perfectly silent. I told them almost everything, save some of the not-so-significant thoughts that I heard the young wizard express. To my amazement, even Jacob managed to remain silent whilst I spoke, as his mind attempted to comprehend everything I was saying; in particular, the possibility that there were other magical creatures out there - that witches and wizards are real- was difficult for him to grasp.
When I had finished, Jacob let out a long whistle and my daughter's eyes were wide with wonder. Despite their reactions, their minds could not help but share in Emmett's curiosity to know more about this magical world and to find out if the wizard I met was still alive.
I nudged Bella gently and then met her gaze in an attempt to determine how she felt about the prospect of living in Scotland, but more importantly, I suppose, what she thought of me and what I did. Seeing my concern, she lowered her shield and hugged me tightly to her side.
You did the right thing- you did everything you could, Edward. I would expect nothing less of you.
I gave her a grateful squeeze.
Emmett's vow of silence was over; now that my family knew the whole story, he blurted: "So what do you guys think? You can't tell me you don't want to find out more after hearing that- after finding out that a whole other world exists out there!" My brother was preying on their curiosity, and it was working… on Jacob at least.
"Well I- I think it would be cool to go," Jacob admitted, but then looked over at Ness just in case she did not agree.
"It would be interesting and exciting to go, but if the wizard was still alive and saw Daddy- or if someone saw Grandpa then we'd be in trouble… right?" Ness asked, looking at me.
"Right."
"So the question is: do we take the risk?" Jasper intervened, and then glanced at everyone in turn to emphasise the potential weight of his words. "Remember, we do not know what witches and wizards are capable of or how their spells may affect us… the wizard Edward met contemplated erasing his memory. Whether he could have done so is another question, but nevertheless, we know that they are capable of doing such things to humans. If we were, by some miracle, to encounter one of their kind, we would be faced with a whole new level of unknowns that Alice may not be able to keep track of."
"Jasper is right; we must think about this very carefully," Carlisle reinforced. "If we chose to return to the UK we would need to be alert and wary at all times- a responsibility we would all need to uphold for own personal protection as well as protecting the secrecy of our species."
"Well, I think- I think it would be worth it if we can find out what happened to him…" Ness muttered; torn between her curiosity and her genuine love and concern for our family.
"Yeah Nessie!" Emmett exclaimed and then high fived my daughter from across the circle.
"I agree," Jacob said, more confidently than his wife. "It sounds like it could be a good experience- very different to the life I've had here, anyway."
"Woo Jake!" And then Emmett held up his fist for Jacob to pump from across the circle. Next to my brother, Rosalie was shaking her head.
"I think it's still too risky," she announced to the immediate horror of her husband.
"Aww Rose, come on, Baby," Emmett pleaded on his knees in front of his wife. "I've gotta know more- and- and put it this way," Emmett stood up, resolved to convince us all that going to Scotland was important for all of us. "We need to know what they can do to us, because if they pose a threat to our species, it would be important for us that we find out. It's for our own good," he insisted with a smile.
This gave my family pause as they considered Emmett's argument.
"Knowledge is power," Jaz uttered.
"Exactly… so does- does that mean you're on board?" Emmett asked, his eyes wide with hope, and his smile bright with excitement.
Jasper considered Emmett carefully before answering. "I am on board with moving to Scotland, but I do not endorse any intentions you may have to actively seek him out."
"Right; we can leave it to fate… we live our lives as we intend and if we happen across the wizard or any of his kind, then perhaps that is a sign we were meant to know more, and if we don't, then perhaps that is the universe telling us that it would not do us good to know more than we already do," Alice philosophized; she meant every word.
"Does that mean if you See the wizard and where he is, you will attempt to find him?" Emmett asked teasingly, though secretly hoped she would say 'yes'.
"My gift is fate, Emmett," she replied with a smile. "So in answer to your question, of course I would seek him out- given how long I spent trying to find him if I was suddenly able to do so, I would leap at the opportunity!"
"That's my girl!" Emmett cheered and then held up his hand enthusiastically for Alice to five; they were standing next to one another.
"Allow me to create an alternative scenario to the one we are all, perhaps, hoping for," Jasper interjected. "If we were to travel to Scotland and never gain any information about wizards, witches, or about the boy Edward met, would it still be worth going there. Is Scotland a place we are interested in going to?"
"I'm up for anything," Jacob volunteered.
"Me too," Ness and Bella replied simultaneously.
"I was there over a century ago," Carlisle contributed, "and as far as I know I am the only one of us who has lived in Scotland for any length of time…" my father hesitated as he glanced at Alice and Jasper (who had a long existence before meeting us), who both shook their heads.
"Well what other options do we have?" Esme asked the room at large.
"The UK tends to be reasonably overcast for most of the year, so Ireland or Wales would also be possibilities-" Carlisle began before he was interrupted.
"But they aren't as close to England as Scotland is," Emmett reminded us slowly and deliberately as if he were holding out a treat just beyond our reach.
"Other possibilities would require further research," Carlisle continued, watching his wife carefully as if to determine her thoughts; she had yet to contribute her own thoughts to our conversation. Thanks to my gift, I knew my mother was flexible (as she generally was), but of course, Carlisle was not privy to this information. Provided we all promised to be careful and responsible should we move to Scotland, she did not mind where we went as long as we were together.
After a further 30 minute discussion, we decided that Carlisle would look into the necessary next steps required to leave Forks and arrive in Scotland in a timely and convenient fashion. Emmett was beside himself with excitement, and the rest of us felt satisfied with our collective choice. We chose not to sell any of our three properties in Forks and we felt too attached to them to rent them out to strangers. Thankfully we did not need the income, and in particular, Jacob and Ness were glad to know that their cottage would be waiting for them for whenever they returned to Forks in the future. Jasper, who thrived on organization and had a couple of useful contacts, gathered quotes to determine how much it would cost to transport our belongings to Scotland. As a group, we needed to decide which of our items could be left behind (primarily furniture) and which we wanted to take with us. In addition, Bella, Ness, and Jacob went through the painstaking process of saying goodbye to the family staying in Forks and La Push. There were tears all around, and there were moments when each of them doubted whether they could truly leave their loved ones behind. Endless plane tickets were promised, and Carlisle insisted that he would reimburse Charlie and Billy any phone calls they made to us in Scotland. We were literally going to be living on the other side of the world, and the idea that Billy and Charlie wouldn't be able to visit their children whenever they desired was terrifying to them all.
Somehow my wonderful family managed to sit through their grief, support one another, and comfort those they would be leaving. Understandably, Bella, Ness and Jake were spending more time in La Push than in Forks during the lead up to our move, and I encouraged them to do so- to spend as much time as they could with the other part of their family. On occasion I would join them, and in the process I promised countless of times to both Billy and Charlie that I would take extremely good care of their children, and would be in touch the moment we arrived safely in Scotland. It was three weeks after making our decision to move to Scotland that we were packed and ready to go. However, as Christmas was only two weeks away, we decided to stay and celebrate the holidays with those in Forks/La Push before leaving.
Carlisle had found a beautiful manor (for there was no other word to describe it) in which we could all comfortably live in until we were settled, at which point we were welcome to search for our own place if we wished to. Carlisle had yet to find a job as most hospitals were incredibly busy in the lead up to the holidays, but he was not concerned about this; he had faith that he would find a good position in time; we were not in a rush, especially in light of the savings we had accrued during our decades and centuries of existence.
On the 5th of January 1995, we bid farewell to Charlie, Billy, and almost all of Jacob's brothers at La Push, a few of whom followed us to the airport. It was emotional time for all, even my siblings who had grown attached to many of the wolves. With difficulty, we managed to separate ourselves from them, with sincere promises to be a regular contact, and insisting that we were but a flight away- a journey they could embark on at any time, free of charge. Once we were on the plane, I managed to sit with the grief and sadness my family felt for a couple of hours- Ness and Jacob the saddest of all. Eventually, I grew exhausted and asked my wife to shield their minds from me, which she did without question. I then had privileged access to her mind and her mind alone. Although my wife was sad and worried (for Charlie, not for herself), she was optimistic and excited about this new chapter in our lives- our new piece of 'forever'. I kissed her cheek with appreciation and adoration; she always knew what to say to help me feel better. With her comforting thoughts, I began to also think to the future, and perhaps I even allowed myself to hope that Emmett's wish would come true; that I would find out what happened to the young wizard I met 14 years ago...
Edward? Bella ventured; my eyes were closed.
"Yes, my love?"
Why did you think of him one year after we met?
She knew her question was vague, but she hoped she wouldn't have to elaborate further, and she was right; she didn't have to.
I didn't want to respond to my beautiful wife, even though I sensed she already knew my answer. I procrastinated by pulling Bella even tighter to my side and then rested my chin on the top of her head. She waited patiently for me to respond, and it took me a full three minutes before I replied. My lips now pressed against her immaculate dark brown hair, I whispered:
"Because I experienced his grief- his pain- his agony. Although our feelings are different in many ways, it was essentially the same," I told her simply. "But I consider myself incredibly lucky because you, my beautiful Bella are still here with me… Lily is not."
Bella shifted out from under me, so I pulled away so I could look into her eyes.
I will always be with you, my Edward, she told me. I'm certain we'll survive our trip to Scotland and whatever may happen to us while we are there. I'm excited… but a little scared at the same time…
"Me too, Love, me too."
Edward's POV
"I think that's it just up ahead!" Emmett announced in an excited whisper, as he ran still faster towards the large forest that lay ahead of us.
"Emmett!" Esme called out, her motherly tone evident in the music that was her voice. "Remember what we discussed; we all need to stay in our group- no running off!" she chided him, though a smile played upon her lips. In slow motion, Emmett halted in his tracks and walked backwards until he was by Esme's side.
"Could we run a bit faster then?" he asked, his eyes bright under the moon that lit up the sky. Our parents chuckled.
"Alice and Jasper, are you ready to go?" Carlisle asked diplomatically before giving in to Emmett's highly contagious enthusiasm.
"We sure are!" Alice cheered, and then ran slightly ahead so she was standing at Emmett's right. Laughing, Carlisle turned to me. "If we don't see you in there, we will meet you in this exact location."
I glanced at each member of my family to ensure they were taking in their surroundings before we leapt into the act of hunting. Once I was certain everyone had noticed the two towering trees on either side of us, I replied: "We'll be here. Stay safe, and don't make things difficult for Carlisle, Emmett!" I called after my brother as he already began to sprint towards the forest. To my surprise Emmett halted long enough to shout: "I'm not a child, I just act like one!" Laughing, we farewelled the other members of our family before Bella, Ness, Jacob and myself entered the forest approximately 50 metres further north.
I could hear Ness and Jacob's hearts beating faster than I considered normal for them. A journey into their thoughts told me that they were both excited and nervous to enter our new hunting ground.
"Are we ready?" I asked quietly, entwining my fingers through Bella's.
"Honestly, what is the point in having your gift if you have to ask us questions like that?" Jacob asked, clapping me on the back and laughed. "I'm just gonna go phase," he whispered, and then grasping Renesmee's hand, they walked casually into the forest, my wife and I following close behind them.
Once I could feel Jacob's wolf form behind me, I knew it was time to go. I listened intently; I couldn't hear my siblings or parents… they must still be prowling for potential prey.
"Remember, we must be careful and alert at all times," I muttered, already scanning every tree and every bush. "Be vigilant and stay together- I want everyone to be within earshot of each other at all times."
"Okay Daddy," my daughter agreed from atop Jacob's back. Jake's grunt followed.
We know the drill, he reminded me calmly, as if to reassure me he would be well-behaved.
"Let's go!" Bella encouraged me as she tried to move me forward. "I'm thirsty," she smiled at me, when I looked at her in surprise.
"Okay, okay!" I conceded, as I forced myself to relax, and focus on the night ahead. "First one to track down a meal-sized animal wins!" I exclaimed a little louder before running deeper into the forest with my family right behind me.
Author's note: I am so glad to finally be able to post this- I had written the first draft some time ago, but never got around to editing this monster until now! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it If I confused anyone, please let me know- I hope that those familiar with the Twilight Universe were able to keep up with the past and present moments contained in this chapter. I look forward to reading your feedback and to sharing more of this story with you. Just to be clear, everything that happened in Twilight canon also occurred in this story. I hope to be writing more consistently and frequently from now on, so we'll see how I go.
I am hoping you've all worked out where the Cullens are? Let's just say that life is about to get really interesting ;)