Chapter Twelve
Domenica's POV
I am not sure why Emmett had followed, I did not intend for him to be present during my meltdown. The last thing that either of us needed at the moment would be for me to cry like a baby. We now had a difficult job ahead of us which was to protect his niece from an unseen evil.
Two days ago I knew that we would arrive in Forks, conceive a plan and with the help of Emmett's family destroy the enemy while I crept away to kill my father. But now everything had changed, there were new players in the game, we had all become friends and there were the new memories. I looked down at our interlocked hands, I felt my soul smile a little with that small fire that had been reignited for him. I thought Emmett had been attractive while he was still alive but now he was just beautiful. I prevented my mind from racing with the memories that had been locked so far away, why did it have to be Rosalie that had the venom.
"I can't do this." I thought shaking my head, Emmett had to be confused and I would not allow him to feel obligated and I would not make him choose. He would stay with Rosalie I would make damn sure of that, how dare I claim to have ever loved this force known as Emmett and not put his interests before my own.
The froze ground crunched beneath our feet, I had not realized it would be this cold. Hanging around with vampires does not involve the weather report on the 6:00 news. I held in a shiver feeling the tiny bumps raise on my skin hoping he did not notice.
"You know that now with this new thing in charge, the whole plan will have to change. We have no idea where it will come from or when or who or what abilities they have. Now there will be two people that cannot leave alive." I spoke through the silence.
Emmett stopped turning on his heel not hesitating locking his eyes into mine, "can we discuss strategy when we get back?"
I starred at him looking as deep as I could trying to read his soul, "what are you doing?" I asked myself.
I blinked quickly a few times releasing our gaze stuffing my right hand into the back pocket of my jeans, "sure."
Emmett reached around with his left hand, now facing me, lifting my chin up to his face and smiled.
"Look at me." he said.
"I can't." I whispered keeping my eyes away from his.
"Oh come on!" Emmett grinned leaning into the different directions that my vision shifted.
I was really trying to prevent my lips from curving into a smile the only way to not look at him would be to close my eyes, he couldn't step into my mind.
"Fine!" I exclaimed turning my face to his closing my eyes, "happy now?"
"No your eyes are still closed." he explained.
"Really? I thought I had suddenly gone blind." I grinned.
Emmett did not reply to me and I felt him release my hand. I waited for him to say let's go instead I felt a chilled finger gently move across my forehead sliding my bangs to the side and a hand rest on my hip, movement in front of me.
That was it I was done for.
Why in the hell do I have to fight so bloody hard only for him to pull this bullshit. I felt a small breath escape my lips as his finger trace my left eyebrow before sliding down the left side of my face, taking in my jaw line before tracing the right side. I could not stop him again from tracing my right eyebrow, or sliding down the bridge of my nose to investigate, or outlining my lips. I am sure that he felt my entire body release giving full permission for a slip up, praying for a slip up.
I knew he had another memory, he had done this before while we took a walk in the forest in Tennessee. It had just snowed that morning and it was beginning to snow again, we could smell the smoke escaping nearby chimneys while I made him walk with me.
It was the first time he had kissed me.
I felt another hand rest on the opposite hip and something bigger than a finger come to rest on my forehead. I opened my eyes looking directly into his pained face, his forehead was resting on mine his golden eyes were shut.
My heart broke for him, he would be the one to suffer the most from remembering, not me and not Rosalie. There would be a mini war fought in his head between his soul mate and me.
"Oh Emmett." I whispered taking his face into my hands.
"My brain hurts." he mouthed.
"I know I will make it very easy okay? You belong with Rosalie, not me, you have a life and family that love you so much here and you love them. As far as I am concerned you are my beloved best friend that I lost a while ago. And once this is over I will be the bigger person, I will let you go, walk away and never come back." I explained fighting the tears lifting his face away from mine.
He opened his eyes look deep into mine, "I don't want to lose you."
I felt my chin tremble as I closed my eyes, I released a hand from his smooth face covering my mouth feeling the hot stream sliding down my face. I shook my head placing both of my hands over my face.
"Why! Damn it! Why couldn't I have had the venom!" I choked through my hands, "just let me let you go! Please!"
"No." Emmett spoke through his teeth.
"YES!" I yelled wiping my face in order to look up to him, "when you love something, sometimes you HAVE to let it go. We cannot get it back you are with Rosalie and I can't step between the two of you as long as I can be strong enough which I am."
"Well maybe I'm not." he stated, "I keep remembering crap! I saw you at the apple table! I saw you over me while I laid dying! I saw you in a cloak with a hood, holding onto my hand with snow starting to fall. I turned to look at you because you laughed when I said it was cold."
I laughed.
"see! And then I turned around, you took my breath away! You stood out like an angel against all of that white. Now the worst part of it all is you STILL look that way!" Emmett explained.
"And then you told me to close my eyes, you put your fingers on my face to show how cold they were and placed your forehead on mine before you kissed me" I smiled remembering, I placed a hand over the location of where his heart once pumped gripping his t-shirt. "I had this for a while, now Rose has your life, I guess what I am trying to say is…"
I closed my eyes trying to hold it in again, sometimes I wish I could hold everything in like Vivian.
"I would have…..rather….had that small…..part of you than….to have…had nothing at all." I took a deep breath.
"Damn it woman!" Emmett exclaimed yanking me into his arms by the belt loops on my jeans.
Our bodies collided with a thud, I was hoping he had not broken the arm that had been attached to the hand holding his shirt.
Emmett's POV
I held on to Domenica as tight as I could I knew that the timing of this was not ideal what with impending doom and all but I had to hold her. The more that I began to remember that strong this connection became.
I had wrapped my left arm tightly around her waist constricting any movement incase she tried to pull away. I put my right hand on the back of her head holding onto her silky hair resting my cheek against her cheek.
"I can't let go of you." I whispered.
I felt the warmth of her right hand wrap around my neck, her left hand gripped my shirt holding on for dear life and she did not speak only sniffled. I held a little tighter taking her in, feeling myself letting go absorbing everything she was then, everything that she is now. I used her hair, lightly, and pulled her face towards mine her eyes locking with mine.
There was so much God awful pain in those damn eyes, they were beautiful, seductive and sinful. I was dead anyway so who would I have to answer to, nobody would have to know but us.
There had to be a vacant building around here somewhere that we could go, both of us could just give in to this. A small part wondered if this was just a little bloodlust when I had first met her but now I knew. I wanted her right now and I could care less who got in the way.
I leaned down putting my forehead against her, the way I had done that very first time.
"No Emmett." Domenica whispered.
"Give me a reason." I demanded
"Your wife." she replied.
"She wouldn't have to know." I offered.
"But we would and once we both got what we wanted, it would bother us that we hurt her." Domenica explained.
"I thought you hated her." I said.
"But I care about YOU, I do not want YOU to be hurt by betraying her." she said, "we need to get back."
"No we don't." I shook my head holding on.
Domenica starred at me, her arms slid down my shoulder, my biceps before falling limp at her sides. Those eyes were practically begging me to go for it, I leaned in slowly touching her nose to mine softly. Domenica rose a bit on her toes to meet me, I swear our lips at least brushed it was like electricity. Sort of like when I had been zapped by Kate but this felt good, too bad a new aroma was headed right for us.
We quickly pulled apart turning moment before Alice came hopping into the picture. Obviously she had seen something because of the look on her face.
"Are you okay?" Alice asked looking to Domenica.
"Peachy." Domenica smiled.
Alice looked at her for a moment before looking to me, "be sure that the choice is going to make you happy."
"Thank God someone else said it!" Domenica spoke.
Alice smile, "just be happy that I am not Rosalie, Emmett you know better but whatever. They need both of you back, I had a vision of the two of you coming here giving in so when they began to wonder where you were. I came to get you."
"Thank you." I said, now I feel guilty.
"Alice, I just want you to know that I fully intend to walk away once the Dr. Evil situation has been taken care of. I promise that none of you will see me again." Domenica nodded.
"No." I spoke quickly turning to her shaking my head, "now that you are here I want to keep you in my life."
"Emmett." Domenica began, "just let me do the right thing please. It's not only your decision."
"Actually it will be." Alice chimed in, "and you will not leave because the two of you will want to fight together because you are so much a like. Plus neither of you want the other to get hurt. Then Emmett will have to make a decision."
"Ha!" I pointed, "wait what decision?"
"I can't ruin everything sheesh! But anyway, let's go before Rosalie sends the entire army to look for you. And by the way Domenica, I personally want to see you again I need a shopping buddy."
Domenica's eyes brightened, "I think I found a new best friend."
"You don't understand she is fanatical about shopping!" I said.
"Honestly if it means I find a new pair of shoes then so am I." Domenica smiled, "but seriously we have a lot to take care of we have to find the person giving Joham the orders. That may require a trip to Brazil because with either of them still living Renesmee will always be in danger."
"Vivian said that earlier, I saw you and her heading to Brazil but the only thing that happened was you died." Alice stated.
"Did my death include killing my father?" Domenica asked.
"No they are headed this way as of thirty minutes ago I have been keeping a track on them ever since Marianna and Jackson came. We have two days." Alice explained.
"Damn. I was hoping that I would go down in a blaze of glory!" Domenica snapped.
"Not without me partner!" I felt the excitement in me growing as I grinned throwing an arm around Domenica.
She put an arm around me waist looking up to me grinning as well, "dude this is going to be so much fun!" she said jumping around slightly.
"Careful now don't explode yet I need you." I said.
Domenica laughed, Alice just looked between the two of us as we thought about the approaching fight. Alice seemed to already know what would come for us, well she probably did she is a psychic after all.
We would be standing together on the battlefield watching each others back, taking out whatever threat came at us with the rest of my family. She was my partner in crime or well one of them.
"Let's get out of here." I said reaching back grabbing Domenica, "get on my back I run faster thank you." I pointed."Would you like to bet?" Domenica asked crossing her arms.
"Yes I would but not at the moment just come on." I said waiting for her, "come on D." I said again waiting. "Woman what are you waiting for!
"For you to continue talking dirty, man. Plus I am trying to fight my pride just give me a second." she explained before taking a deep breath and jumping on.
"If I had know that was what it would take to get you on top of me I would have brought you here sooner." I mocked her teasing from our first day before we took off.
It didn't take very long to make it back to the house, I felt relieved and resistant to being back. Domenica jumped off of my back before we quickly went inside to the group in the living room, all eyes were directly on either me or Domenica. I felt protective and I dared any of them to say a single word.
"Good you are back, Domenica it is good to see that you are better." Esme smiled.
"Thank you, I do feel a better, very tired but better." Domenica smiled back before looking to Vivian, "so I hear we only have two days now."