Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, I just play in the sandbox.
AN: Didn't actually think I was going to get this out so soon but I'm not complaining considering the writers block I've had on this story. I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter. On the one hand it met the expectations I had for it and fits nicely as the ending of 'book one' but on the other hand there is a lot of emotion in it and I think it got too mushy at the end. Chapter Twenty-Seven will probably be a recap of what has happened and some background info of 'book two'. I've decided that all four books will be in the same story, I.E. I won't be splitting them up ~ Hannah
AN2: Book 2 will take us - theoretically - from chapter Twenty-Seven to Chapter Forty-Five. Book Three will begin in Chapter Forty-Six. I've planned all the chapters for Book 2 - I just need to write them! ~ Hannah
Chapter Twenty-Six – A Sweet Goodbye
I had been foolish to think that things would go back to normal but that is what I assumed would happen. Without the threat of James and Victoria, I thought everything would be fine. Of course I hadn't forgotten about Laurent but I didn't think it was worth worrying about when we knew little to none about what would happen. I wouldn't live my life in fear about him returning and despite the view of others, I wanted to continue to live my life to the fullest.
Bella and I were both feeling the effects of being housebound, not from punishment or anything but from Dad's own fear. His paranoia about losing us had risen considerably in the last few weeks. I guess that on one hand I understood completely how he was feeling but on the other hand I am a teenager and I don't want my independence restricted.
I was starting to get cabin fever and it didn't help that Edward had agreed with Dad. He was still a little angry and things between us were a little iffy. I'll be the first to admit that I didn't know how to handle Edward like this nor did I know how to make things better. I wanted Edward to know that just because I didn't agree with him about some things didn't mean that I didn't value him as a person. I wanted him to get past the divide he'd created about me being a human and him a vampire. It had never seemed to bother him before and I couldn't understand why he was making such a big deal of it now. I had always thought that love conquered all but I was beginning to have second thoughts.
I knew Dad was thankful that neither Bella or I was hurt in the recent turn of events and he was proud of the help given to keep us safe. I knew this because he wouldn't stop boasting about the help everyone had given. I think that Angela's Mum had had a serious talking to with Dad as well because his understanding of all things supernatural seemed to have surpassed even her knowledge in the past few weeks.
Dad was continuing to amaze me and I did love him dearly but if he didn't let me out of this house soon then I was going to end up murdering him with his own fishing line.
Fate intervened, or perhaps merely Alice's persuasive ways, for one minute I was drawing cell bars on my door and the next minute I was in a car with Alice, Rose, Angela and Bella and on route to the shopping mall.
I'd forgotten – how had I forgotten? – that the school dance was coming up. I say school dance because it didn't have a theme or titled name. It simply was a…school dance. We were apparently going dress shopping and had been granted leave from the house because Dad knew Alice and Rose could look after us.
I thought it was a bit of a moot point shopping for a dress when Edward and I were a little rocky. I hadn't even spent long enough with him recently for him to even ask me to the dance. However, fighting with Alice was like fighting a horde of angry bees, it just wasn't worth the pain.
Don't get me wrong, I love shopping but I felt saddened that the dress I chose probably wouldn't end up being worn. It seemed silly to buy it but if I didn't buy it then I'd be back to the Alice versus angry bee issue. I also knew though I didn't want to admit it, that I was going to be leaving the shopping mall today with more than one dress in my bag. I might only be looking for a school dance dress but I knew that Alice hadn't been shopping for a while and wouldn't be able to resist not playing dress up with me. I didn't mind really, better than she obsess over clothes for me than she irritates Bella by doing the same thing. Everyone knew how little Bella enjoyed shopping. I was thankful for her relationship with Adrian because it made her a little easier to take shopping.
I was all for finding an inexpensive dress at somewhere like Forever 21 but Alice quickly steered me towards a shop that sold vintage clothes from the 1950s & 1960s. I was a little sceptical for I wanted to find a good dress for this dance yes, but I also didn't want to stick out like a sore thumb. Alice had that look on her face that suggested that she'd seen something in the future. It was the only reason why I willingly let her lead me into the shop. Second to arguing with Alice about shopping was arguing with Alice about the future. Not worth it.
Boredom was beginning to set in when the time on my phone approached the hour mark for being in the store. Alice had announced that the style of 1950s dresses suited me. Despite telling her that I'd have no need for all the dresses she insisted I try on, I still noticed a growing pile at the register. I was beginning to regret Alice having her own way. We were joined by Rose, Bella and Angela halfway through Alice's tyrant shopping spree and though I knew they saw the weary look on my face none of them made a move to help me. I silently cursed them in my head but I knew I'd get them back for this slight one way or another.
Finally, in the privacy of my changing room, I put on a dress and knew it was the one I would wear to the dance. The label told me it was a dress from 1955 and in a word it was stunning. Sleeveless with a round neckline, the top was tight fitting like a corset and covered in sequins of black, silver, purple and green. From the waist the dress was made of netting and flowed outward like a tutu. The underneath of it was made of the silkiest satin in midnight black and the netting overlay was covered in the same silver, purple and green sequins.
When I stepped out of the changing room and was met with the slack jawed expressions of those around me I knew that I had indeed found the perfect dress. Alice was most impatient to get me out of the dress so she could buy it before I changed my mind. I tried to argue with her about payment but gave in way too easily because really it wasn't a dress I could afford with my savings. Rose had picked out shoes and accessories for me in another shop in the time it took me to get out of the dress and back into my normal clothes.
I tried to ask the others if they'd found dresses and what they looked like but was told it was a secret I would see on the night. Miffed does not even begin to describe how I felt getting that response but I suppose nothing could be done about it. I definitely wasn't about to wrestle the bags from them here in public. They could have their secrets for now at least.
When we got home, Edward was waiting for me. I could see Dad pouring over design plans and wondered what he was thinking of next. He seemed happy with Edward's presence though which surprised me. I thought he'd taken a stand against Edward since the whole baseball outing but it seems that he had gotten over that.
"What do you want Edward?"
"I seem to have upset you. It wasn't my intention."
I crossed my arms over my chest. I'd listen to him but it didn't mean I had to be happy about it.
"I'm sorry for the way I behaved. I want you to know that I only had your safety in mind but I realise I might have gone about it the wrong way. I don't ever want to take your choice away from you but at the same time I don't ever want to lose you. I promise I'll work on things. Ella, I know things aren't good right now but I'm hoping they'll get better. Will you go to the school dance with me?"
"Of course I'll go to the dance with you, I've been waiting for you to ask me. Things are ok Edward. Think of it this way, we just had our first big fight. These things happen between couples. All we have to do now is talk about our feelings and move on."
Edward made a strangled grunting noise but nodded his head. He placed a quick kiss on my lips and then he was gone.
I guess he was taking things harder than I thought. When I'd talked to Rose about it earlier, she'd just said that Edward had a particular ideal about the world he lived in and anyone challenging that confused him. She also mentioned that he was very old fashioned and had old fashioned values that he hadn't grown out of. With one hundred years under his belt no one had ever come close to him or needed to change his views and so he'd remained the same.
I got it, I really did and I loved Edward's old school manners and otherworldly values. Just not at this moment in time.
Friday dawned and I realised the end of the school year was upon us. I didn't even realise that things had gone so quickly. I guess now that I had a social life I wasn't clock watching as obsessively. Time really flies when you have stuff to fill your life with. This morning we had our school results, Bella as usual got her straight A's, while I enjoyed a smattering of A's, B's and C's. It doesn't bother me that Bella is more intelligent academically than me for that is her calling if you will. My calling lay in music and the arts. Besides, I liked that we were different people as well as being twins.
In the evening after Alice had practically choked me on perfume and face powder, Edward arrived in his tux to take me to the school dance. Though we all drove in separate groups, we all arrived together. To others we must look like a film entourage arriving to school events as we did. We were like the crème de la crème of school society and no I didn't give us that name. Everyone, it seemed, had turned up for the school dance and spirits were high. I even saw Jessica and Lauren having fun and when they caught my eye they smiled instead of scowled – which was frightening to say the least.
Edward whisked me away in his arms the moment the music started and though it was all modern stuff he danced with me as if we were waltzing to classical music. I loved being in Edward's arms for I felt so safe and secure in them. He made me feel like a million pounds and when he smiled my world just melted. His presence and the presence of the Cullen's reminded me of how empty my life had been before and I never wanted to lose the feeling I had now.
Slowly, and after much dancing with both Edward and friends, Edward led me outside. It was a little chilly but nothing I couldn't handle. The school had set up an outdoor section to the school dance but it still looked just like the parking lot to me. Edward led me to one of the benches that had appeared and once I was seated he sat down next to me.
"Are you having fun?" he asked.
"More than I thought I would."
"You look so beautiful Ella."
I blushed, "not so bad yourself Edward."
"I wish I could preserve you in this moment but I know that life moves on."
I wrinkled my nose, "what are you talking about?"
"You are my world now Ella and I would do anything to protect you. I've waited so long for someone special to come into my life. Now I've found you I am reluctant to let you go."
"I'm not going anywhere Edward."
"I love you," he said.
"I love you too."
I could feel the emotions swirl up inside me as Edward lent down for a kiss. The kiss was sweet yet still full of passion. I had thought this was the start of something but really I knew nothing.
Edward was acting weird. He'd been acting weird for a while and despite us working through the problems we had, I knew that there was still something on his mind. I might have dismissed it as my own paranoia had the other members of the Cullen family not been acting in a similar fashion. I felt like the baseball situation was just the tip of the iceberg and that the real storm was about to descend over Forks.
The 'Laurent Issue' seemed bigger in their eyes than it did in mine. I supposed that the Cullen's didn't like loose ends but I was of the mind to continue with life until the next 'situation' came knocking. Perhaps I was foolish but I was human and I believed in living every moment to the fullest and not cowering away and living life like a hermit.
I'd been spending more time with Bella recently and by extension Angela. Dad had organised a fair few 'family outings' for the summer holidays and as much as I'd like to pretend to be annoyed by this, I was actually really happy for everyone involved. Dad deserved all the happiness in the world and I would never stand in the way of it. I was glad that he'd found someone to complete his life after Renee had smashed him up pretty hard years before.
It was one of those rare wet and windy summer days. I know Fork's doesn't get a lot of sun but at least the weather is warm and cloudy in the summer. I had mixed feelings about the rain. On the one hand being snuggled up on the sofa watching the rain fall or dancing in it with friends was fun but on the other hand being caught in the rain unexpectedly and being soaked to the bone and ending up cold and shivering was less fun.
I suppose I should have seen it coming, the weather had a way of predicting what sort of day it would be. I'd never held much stock in superstition in the same way that Bella had but perhaps if I had then I'd have been better prepared.
I have an open invitation to the Cullen's house. I have had it since I first became friends with Alice and Jazz. Usually I go over for a reason but this time I just turned up. I guess you could say that I was looking for the root of the problem, I was looking to catch the Cullen's out and have them admit to me what was wrong.
No longer could I take the whispers or the not so secret glances. If they had something to say to me then I'd rather they say it to my face and not continue with this charade. Subconsciously I knew it was going to be bad when I walked in to find a full Cullen family meeting going on in the sitting room. It was more than just them sitting there though. It was the tense way they sat, the angry emotions on their faces and the way they'd turned from Edward.
"We weren't expecting you Ella," said Esme.
"I wanted to know what was going on. I know it's not my paranoia, something is going on with you all and I'm sick of the whispers. Can't you just tell me?"
Again with the secret looks, I balled my hands into fists and enjoyed the pain that came from digging my nails into my palms.
"We're leaving Forks," said Edward.
One. Two. Three. What?
In hindsight I knew my comatose reaction wasn't something that was needed right now but I couldn't help it. My brain was trying to catch up with what had been said and I was struggling with the questions in my brain. My eyebrow was twitching as well.
They're leaving? Why? Is it because of me?
Edward doesn't want me anymore? I'm a human and that's an issue.
Are they all leaving? It's like being told a beloved family pet has died.
I don't want them to go. What will I do without them.
I wish Bella was here, she'd slap some sense into them.
Wait, I'm not taking this lying down. I'll slap some sense into them.
They cannot do this to me.
"Why?" I asked in a deadly quiet voice that broke no arguments.
"What?" asked Edward.
"Why are you leaving? Why now? How long has this been planned?"
"We've been doing some research on Laurent as his words to you confused us. It turns out that he has quite the history behind him and his actions have become an increased worry for the Volturi but they have yet to act. He was indeed the leader of the little nomad group but was happy to pretend that role belonged to James because it suited his purposes," said Carlisle.
"We have been hunting him for several days and I swear we almost caught him but he managed to allude us. In fact, he's completely disappeared and his scent just stops in the middle of the forest," said Jazz.
"Honestly, none of us like this but Laurent did pose a threat to us and it would be foolish of us not to try and silence it. There are seven of us and only one of him, it would be quick to finish him when we finally capture him. It's not just the threat to our convent but he threatened you Ella and you mean a lot to everyone in this family," said Emmett.
"So basically you're all going along with Edward's crazy plan to hunt and kill Laurent. It sounds much similar to his plan to hide me away from the world while he hunts and killed the nomads. Do I not get a say in this?"
"No," said Edward firmly. "I have vowed to hunt down Laurent and make it so he can never harm one hair on your head. After the deed is done I will return to you I promise. Your safety means everything to me."
"My safety? Not my love then…interesting. How long will you be gone on this hunt? Days? Months? Years? You expect me to just wait here patiently for you?"
"Of course I love you Ella but I have to do this for us."
"No, you have to do this for yourself. I have no place in the vendetta you've created against Laurent. A few words mean little to me and as of yet, Laurent has done nothing to harm me. You're hunting assumptions and possibilities and I'm telling you that it won't end as you like."
Edward growled at me like an unruly teenager having a tantrum.
"We are going, all of us. I wish that you would wait for me but I won't ask you to if it is so revolting. If I am not back within the year, I'll assume that you have moved on from me. In fact, maybe it's best that you just forget about the lot of us. Relationships between Vampires and humans can never work anyway."
"Piss off Edward. That crap might work on someone whose gullible but it sure as hell isn't going to work on me. Try and trick me into hating you if you want, it's not going to change anything. I love you wholeheartedly, good and bad combined but it's becoming increasingly obvious that you don't give me the same treatment. No don't talk, I know you love me but at what cost? If you're going to bring up the fact that I'm human as an argument every time I'm going to become seriously angry. Life is full of bizarre couples that overcome all obstacles to reach their happiness. I'm in love with a vampire and that's challenging but I don't use it as an excuse to stop me from living my life."
"I'd just like to point out that this is what I've been saying all along Edward. Stop trying to mess with the future I see planned. Sometimes I think you should see a therapist for all the drama in your head. You can't say one thing and then demand another thing from Ella that contradicts that. We've waited years for you to find someone to complete you and yet you find an excuse to end things at every corner," said Alice.
"Commitment issues," coughed out Rose.
I could tell by the twitch of the vein in Edward's forehead that he was getting increasingly annoyed by everyone ganging up on him. I wasn't wrong when I said he was used to getting his own way. He'd never been challenged by someone willing to oppose him and it had CLEARLY shaped him into the vampire he was today.
Esme sighed, "we're all going with Edward Ella, simply because we have a bigger chance of ending things quickly and easily with the whole convent acting as one. I know you don't like it and most of us would prefer to stay behind but, this is the choice we have come to."
"You likely won't hear from us for a while. We don't want anything to be traced back to you or draw Laurent's attention back to Forks so we'll be employing radio silence," said Edward.
"Correction, they'll be employing radio silence but I for one will not. I'll be sending you weekly email updates and I'll phone you when I can. I don't agree with the decision made but I have been outvoted so I must go with them," said Alice.
I took a deep breath to calm the storm of emotions that threatened to come out in a high pitched scream before I managed to contain them below the surface. I could still feel them simmering though and knew I could explode in any second. I didn't want to have an angry explosion in front of the Cullen's but knew if it came to that, that they'd deserve it.
"I cannot even begin to think of the thought process behind the decision you've come to. I am beyond pissed and I'm sure Jazz could tell you exactly what I'm feeling right now. I think you are idiots chasing after something that may or may not become a problem in the future but you have obviously made up your minds on the matter. I will miss my second set of parents and the love and comfort they give me. I'll miss my sister Alice and my best friend Jazz. I'll miss my brother Emmett and the pranks he pulls and I'll miss Rose who means so many things to me I cannot possibly list them all now. I'll miss you as well Edward but it hasn't kicked in yet. I don't imagine it will kick in for a while yet simply because I'm so pissed at you. Relationships work on trust and talking. You've made a decision without discussing it and that is going to cost you dearly. I'll wait for you to return, a year like you said and maybe I'll even wait longer but if you think for one minute that it'll be plain sailing of you when you return then you have another thing coming. Never forget that you are choosing to leave me and yes I am now a woman scorned. I will not let you off lightly when you return and if our love still stands you'll have to work extra hard to win me back. Do I make myself clear?"
I was almost hissing by the time I finished talking. All the anger and the fear and the anxiety I had been feeling just poured into my words. I knew I had no chance in hell at changing Edward's mind because I knew that he thought he was doing the best thing for everyone. I couldn't fault his thought pattern but I sure as hell could make him suffer for it. Maybe I did have a slight vindictive streak.
"I suppose you're leaving tonight then?" I asked.
They nodded.
"Shame, I had so many plans for the holidays. Right, well, I guess I'll go home then. I know there is a large tub of ice cream in the freezer with my name on it and I'm sure I can convince Bella into drinking some of Dad's alcohol with me. I'll definitely need it. I should have listened to Bella's superstition about the weather. Turns out this was a shit day."
I knew I was laying it on thick but I wanted them to feel guilty. I wanted them to feel pain for the pain I was feeling at their soon to be absence. I was being mean but I couldn't stop myself.
"Wait, can we say goodbye?" asked Alice.
"Oh, yeah. I suppose so."
Carlisle and Esme came at me first. Esme wrapped me in her cold arms and hugged me as a Mother should. I was going to miss the Cullen's so much but I refused to cry in their presence.
"We are sorry," said Carlisle.
I nodded. I knew they were but it didn't make the sting of them leaving hurt any less.
Emmett came next. He had a bag in his hands which confused me slightly.
"It's my games consoles and games. I want you to look after them while I'm gone. That way when I'm back I'll have a good opponent to race in Mario Kart. None of these losers are quite the challenge anymore."
"I'm going to miss your humour," I said.
"I'm going to miss you Princess."
I glared at his reference to Cinderella. He knew I hated that.
Next came Alice and Jazz but Alice spoke first.
"I'll email you all the time and phone you when I can. You need any help any time anywhere, you just email me. I'll always respond. I can't believe we're leaving you here because it just doesn't seem right. Your place is with us! I'll be back soon I promise."
We hugged before I turned to Jazz. He seemed to be struggling with getting the words out. I knew this situation must be hard for him what with all the emotions that were running around. I wrapped my arms around him and hugged him tightly. My mouth was next to his ear giving me the perfect opportunity to whisper words to him. I didn't care that everyone else could hear me for in that moment I imagined it was just Jazz and I.
"Stay strong Jazzy, I need my best friend to look after himself. I know you're torn and I know you're struggling but life will always get better. I'm not mad at you and I'll still be your friend when you return. Look after the others, they don't have your strategic mind or experience. Look after yourself though and don't give yourself such a hard time. In my opinion you are the strongest in the convent."
He inhaled sharply.
"Jazz you're an empath, it is not your past at drinking human blood that makes you weak. It is the problem of feeling not only your own hunger but the hunger of all vampires around you that causes the problem. I think you are remarkable to be able to stay in control. Never doubt your own importance."
I pulled away slowly so I could look him in the eye as I did. Jazz was the most controlled in the family but he was also the most vulnerable. He doubted himself all the time and needed the reassurance that he wasn't a monster. I worked hard to remove the anger from my body so he could feel the friendship and the love I felt for him.
Next came Rose. She was definitely the angriest of all the Cullen's. I think she shared my opinion on what was happening. Rose was the one Cullen you didn't want cross because she could really hold a grudge.
"I'll be back soon and I mean that promise. They might think it a good idea to leave you completely defenceless but I don't. Also I'll miss you. So don't you go forgetting me for I'll be back before you know it," she said.
I smiled at her statement. I wasn't surprised by her words.
Lastly of course, came Edward. He hadn't moved from his spot on the sofa so I had to walk over to him. He looked like a statue, unmoving as he was and I couldn't tell what he was thinking. In a bold move I sat on his lap instead of on the sofa beside him and that seemed to jolt him out of his stillness. His arms came up around me and he looked me in the eye with so much love and guilt that I almost crumbled then and there.
"I wish you could understand why I need to do this," he said.
"I wish you could understand why you have to stay," I countered.
We had reached an impasse and things weren't working out like they did in the films. I didn't know what the future would hold for us. We were young after all and while I knew my love for Edward would endure, I knew that others would be tempting me away from the Cullen's in their absence and encouraging me to 'explore' elsewhere.
"I'll be back before you know it," he said.
"I don't believe you."
"We'll get through this won't we?"
"I hope so," I replied.
My hope was strong but I still worried.
"I love you," he said.
"I love you too."
We shared some kisses as we sat entangled with each other. I knew the others had left us to it for a while. I didn't want to leave Edward's arms but as the light began to leave the day behind I knew it was time for us to leave. As I got up to go Carlisle arrived with two letters for me.
"What's this?" I asked.
"We wrote a letter for Charlie and another for Adrian. We didn't want to leave without explaining what was going on and we didn't want to leave you completely without aid should something go wrong."
I nodded. Of course they would have taken that precaution.
"I guess this is it then. Happy hunting?"
There was laughter but it was weak.
I left after another round of hugs and a few kisses from Edward. I got in my car and noticed there were a fair few bags more than just Emmett's games consoles. I drove away from the Cullen house without looking back but my grip on the steering wheel got tighter the further I got.
Finally, when I felt it get too much, I had to stop on the side of the road to let my tears out and the screams of anger and despair that followed. I was not good right now but if I could survive under Renee's hand for so many years then I could pick myself off the floor and survive this. After all, I wasn't alone.