Disclaimer:
Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight and all it's characters
June 1988 BPOV
It has been 7 months. The longest months in my life.
After Carlisle came home that day he called a family meeting. And for the first time in the existence of our family, a family meeting had consisted out of Carlisle demanding from our family what we should do. There had been no explaining, no voting.. nothing.
He had simply stood at the head of the table. And talked.
"Today you risked exposing our existence. A mistake, that could have ruined not only our lives but the human lives around us"
His eyes seemed to be on fire as he addressed with a cold tone to his voice.
"It is our obligation to make sure, that the humans suspect nothing. That is why, even after what happened today, we won't move. You will all go back to school tomorrow and pretend to be shocked, knowing nothing about what happened. And you will finish this year, without drawing further unneeded attention to yourself. Do I make myself clear?"
After finishing his speech, Carlisle had sat down and folded his hands on the table. Only allowing Esme to place a hand on his arm. Emmet had been the first to respond, slowly rising to his feet. His face betrayed no emotion but I could feel the tension rolling off him.
"Yes Sir."
He hadn't complained, neither had Alice or Esme. And for a moment it all felt like a conspiracy. A strange twist of a storyline, that I had no knowledge off. Then my eyes came to rest on the pained and silent expression of both Carlisle and Esme and the trust and love they had given me for centuries slipped back in my mind and cleared away any doubt. This was their way of forgiving Alice.
So now I sit at school, still bored and still an outcast. Alice has gone back to her bubbly self. Only her short hair a reminder of what has really happened. Within days other girls had cut their hair and the short hairstyle was now the newest trend.
True to his words, Emmet has made sure we have a perfect cover and made sure that for the first weeks the students talked about the freak animal attack. The parents even demanded all track and field activities were to be cancelled, keeping their children away from the scary dark woods and any risk.
Little did they know that the biggest threat, is still sitting right next to them every day. The thought alone makes my lips curl up in a smile. It was a private joke that I didn't share with the rest of my family.
The past few months have been difficult. All of us pretending like nothing ever happened. But it has. From the corner of my eye, I can see Alice stare outside while taking notes at the same time. It feels like the demand Carlisle has made, placed a hole in the sisterly bond we had. A black hole that causes us to be together and stay in this town as a family, yet continue to be apart at the same time.
Alice had taken to hunting with Emmet right after the incident. Leaving me behind to hunt alone most of the times. Something I hated doing. The first few times had been a struggle. Fighting to drop the shield around me after it had been in place so securely for many years, it continued to be a struggle. The first time I ran through the forest feeling deaf and blind at the same time. My clumsiness had lasted for a few weeks until I had gotten the hang of it. Now I could swiftly track and kill my prey without lowering my shield.
In a way, I had become less of a vampire. Wrapping myself away in a tight cocoon at school and at home. Making sure there would be no suspicion. Even the shield that colored my eyes was in place, through any human set of eyes. I was an average human girl, blending in.
Looking at Alice again, she turns and smiles at me. The same way she has been doing a lot lately. She starts putting away her things and I know that class will be finished soon. And indeed, seconds later the bell rings. As soon as it does, she gets up on her feet.
"Let's go shopping tonight?"
Standing close to me, my sister wraps an arm around my shoulder. A tight embrace. Something I haven't felt in a very long time.
"We haven't had a girls night out for such a long time and I have a note from our doctor, saying I need to go there and a note from Esme saying you need to take me."
Waving two very convincing looking pieces of paper at me, this time a hint of smile reaching her eyes. She looks like an adorable 12 year old instead of centuries year old vampire.
"Remember, Emmet is away for a few days and you are my only other sibling here?" Making puppy eyes at me, she puckered her lip at me. "Pretty please, say yes?" Her begging makes me laugh, out loud and without any restriction. The sound fills the room causing the remaining students to look up, including two guys who's eyes immediately scan my body with hungry eyes.
Frowning at them, I stop laughing.
"Alright, no shopping, I get it. But can we do make-overs instead?"
Stomping her feet next to me, Alice follows my stare and sees the two boys standing at the door watching us. Changing her pleading expression to a death stare. As soon as she does, they both disappear from the classroom.
"No Alice, that's fine. Shopping is fine."
Letting the attention the boys had given me slide off my shoulders, I straighten my back and link my arm through Alice's. "Lead the way."
Nine hours later, I start to think that each decade a shopping trip with Alice is becoming an even bigger torture. The newest mall she has found, offeres a selection of 229 clothing stores, 78 shoe stores and 51 different other stores that offer a grand selection in anything you could possibly want to buy for your home, including kitchen, garden and bedroom. There are several hairdressers and a large spa. That I carefully talk Alice out of visiting. That was just a selection of the different things I had seen, and all the time I had found only 1 bookstore.
After being dragged in and out of each store, Alice has finally let me go and sends me to the bookstore. When I suggested going, she almost looked as if it was something dirty, and perhaps to her it was. To me however, reading had been one of the first things I had felt passionate about after being turned and after all these years, it still brought me a comfortable silence. Offering a temporary way out of this world and into the mind of others.
I can't exactly remember how long I've been in the store. It's open until midnight, so probably only a few minutes after that when the owner approaches me.
"Sorry to disturb you, we're closing now."
Her grey hair is pulled back in a tight bun, low in the back of her neck, and her face has just the right amount of wrinkles to bring wisdom and compassion to her face. Not for the first time, I feel growing old isn't always bad.
"Would you like to purchase the book you're reading?" Holding out her hand, she smiles down at me as she looks at the book I have been reading. It is a second hand edition of a book I have read many times. It's cover carefully worn down by tender touch. "Yes, please." Handing it in her waiting hand, I following the women to the counter.
"It's nice to see a young lady like yourself passionate about reading, not many young ones do these days." Her voice is slightly raspy, probably from smoking as I can also smell a hint of nicotine in her blood when I stand close to her at the counter. "Are you new here?"
"Ehm.. yes. We moved to the area about 8 months ago." Reaching into my purse I try and find some change to pay for the book. As I do, the woman rings up the book and carefully folds it into brown paper, as if it were brand new and in need of protection.
"That must have been just before that terrible accident at the school." Her words make me pause, still looking down and pretending to find my money. My lack of response seems to only encourage her as she continues. " It's just terrible for disaster to strike that family again. Such horrible fate that little boy has received, it doesn't' seem fair. First losing his father and now his mother. Poor thing will probably end up in the system."
The last words make me look up, barely able to hide my panic as I stare at the woman across the counter. For a moment our eyes meet then my eyes glance over her shoulder to see the small tv on the shelf behind her. On it are the headlines of the local news, featuring footage of a the bridge not far from here. The railing severely damaged and 3 cars scattered along the road. The scene is surrounded by bright coloured lights, belonging to the emergency units that have been called to the scene.
It's a few miles from here and I know, I can make it there in a minute to see myself. But I can't because streaming at the top of the screen are the latest headlines. Tragic death in fatal car crash. Young mother dies in freak accident.
The lady is completely off radar as I throw some money on the counter, it's a crisp hundred dollar bill and I know it's about ten times the amount I should be paying. Right now I can't be bothered, collecting the book I hold it carefully to my chest as I exit the shop. Behind me I can hear the lady call after me, without result. All that is on my mind is the flashing headline.
Young mother. We killed someone's father and now he has no one left. I need Alice or Emmet or both as the reality of the situation dawns on me. The charade last months, pretending nothing happened, risking exposure to safe that hide the fact we took a life, it meant nothing. We only intervened in fate, and had been fools to think otherwise.
June 1988 Emmet POV
"How far would you go to provide your own family with happiness."
The question had been so honest a few days ago. Luring me into a deeper conversation with Carlisle. Leading me here. Tonight in the rainy darkness, waiting to commit a crime that I should have never accepted. A crime I didn't think myself capable of. Not even in the time I had been part of the guard. The time in my life where I had been a soldier.
Tonight I was however, most of all a brother. A brother who had been given very specific instructions by the youngest member in our family. Instructions that had been supported by two other people who are role models in ourfamily. As the lights approach me, I know this is the last chance to pull out. But I can't, my trust in Alice and obligation to this family is too great. Without further hesitation I step forward.
My body easily collides with the frail car, wrapping the hood around me as I stand right in front of it and pres my hands down on the hood. Stopping the car from driving across the bridge. In that instant I recognize the face and even as I know it's impossible, i'm sure the woman driving the car recognizes me also. For a moment the reality of what I am doing, threatens to stop from the far end of the bridge, I can see Alice approaching me.
She stands and watches me. Forcing me to start moving again. I do what she has asked me and rush around the car, smashing both doors so neither will open. Trapping the woman inside the car. As I do, I can hear the screams of both passengers. His are loud and hysterical, hers soft and full of tears. A soft prayer for her child slipping from her lips. Even when presented with death, she does not forget to love the little boy.
Quickly I do, what I have to do. The one thing that can redeem some of the damage I am assisting in. Ripping the back door from the hinges, I gently lift the little boy out of the back seat. Only a few days old, born premature and released from hospital tonight. I can tell he was asleep during the crash and slightly shaken by the very violent wake up.
As soon as the boy is safely in my arms, I feel the doubt attack my mind and heart again. Doesn't a child this young, deserve his mother? Before I can change my mind the car moves away.
"Let it go Emmet."
Her cold words, give me no more options. And with a fierce and determined look on her face she gives the car the final shove. The screeching of metal fills the night, making the hair in my neck stand up. Then the screeching stops, followed by silence...a final crash and a splash as the car lands on the water.
All the way at the bottom of the bridge, pulled under and washed away by the river that runs violently for miles and miles until it will finally quiet down into a steady stream.
"What should I do?" Holding the tiny infant in my arms, for a moment I fear she will kill it also. The specifics of tonight's crimes have been held from me, both Carlisle and Alice insisting that the less I knew, the better.
"I'll make sure he is taken care of." Taking him from me, Alice cradles him against her chest, giving me some peace as I see how tender she holds him. "You need to rush home, make sure that you have an alibi."
We both knew, who I need to have an alibi for.
The instructions given to me by Carlisle had been very clear, if I were to participate then I could never tell Bella about what happened here tonight.
First the death of coach Masen and now his young wife and child are meant to look like a very unfortunate accident. No one is allowed to know, the child is still in this world. It will be protected miles away from here, from our own sister.