Disclaimer: I wish I could claim Edward as my own, but sadly, I cannot. I also cannot claim ownership of any of the characters in this FF, only the plot belongs to me!
I felt unexplainably uneasy – even with Jasper hovering so close to me. Two things had happened far too suddenly. Firstly, Charlie was here. That bewildered me beyond recognition. Why would Charlie have come here, to the Cullen's, wishing to speak with Edward and I? Secondly, and more concerning, was the fact that knew the Volturi were on their way to Forks.
Forks was my home. My safe haven. It was home to a good majority of the people that meant something to me. It was normally where I felt safest. And suddenly, I felt unsafe, uneasy, nervous… worried. One piece of news had shaken everything I had felt so securely apart of. Edward must have sensed this, because he immediately, and swiftly pulled my body against his, wrapping his arms around my waist protectively.
"Bella, you must not stop breathing. It's important that you remember to breathe, okay?" He implored delicately, his voice plain and direct. I felt silly, being reminded of the most fundamental humanly functions. However, my embarrassment was quickly forgotten when I began to think, once again, about the two important things of which I had just been informed. I inhaled deeply, allowing the cool, crisp air to oxygenate my lungs once again. Still, even with my breathing even and tempered again, I felt a dizziness wash over me. I would imagine that right now, my face would be entirely devoid of colour – a feat that was normally quite difficult for me to achieve. I clung more tightly to Edwards body, now using him for support.
"It will be okay, you two. Esme is sitting with Charlie, trying to get a read on why he is here. Alice did not foresee his arrival however, which means his decision to stop in was at random. Carlisle and Alice are now currently trying to better understand what the Volturi hope to gain in visiting, and Emmet and Rose left to go hunting before any of this transpired, but it shouldn't be long before they return" He explained. His eyes briefly met Edward's, and without saying another word, Jasper disappeared from the doorframe.
I took in a slow and deliberate breath, trying to brace myself before attempting to speak. It had been a task trying to speak when I recalled my dream of Edward being killed, and that was merely a dream. Now, we were faced with real danger, the Volturi. I was not certain that anything useful or coherent would be leaving my lips anytime soon. I was surprised, nevertheless, that when I began to speak, I was actually making sense.
"Why… why did Jasper leave?" I managed to mumble, in a low voice. I did not try to hide my unease or concern. Edward already knew how I was feeling, just as I knew what he was feeling.
"He left because he wasn't helping the situation. His gift… for some reason, is barely even affecting you right now." He explained casually. I nodded my understanding, focusing as much as I could on breathing, remembering to breath. The very last thing I wanted right now was to pass out with Charlie downstairs and the Volturi on their way. I did not want to be a liability any more then I could help. Edward looked down at me, and gently grasped my chin in his hand, moving my face so I was looking directly at him, into the abyss of his eyes.
"I know it's difficult for you to focus right now, let alone to keep breathing, but we must focus on one problem at a time right now. Okay Bella?" he waited for me to nod against his chest. I did. I was not sure I could manage the task, but I nodded anyway.
"What - what do we need to do?" I asked, my voice faltering as I tried desperately to choke out the words. My throat had gone completely dry, and my head was still spinning. I kept breathing, trying to remain optimistic. Edward gently pulled away from me, and sat me down on his leather sofa. He walked over to my overnight bag, and pulled out a hairbrush and the outfit I had packed and intended to wear today. He hastily began brushing my hair, but amazingly managed to do so without me even feeling it, truly not harming a hair on my head.
"We need to deal with Charlie right now," his voice remained even and his tone calm.
"He knows that I didn't go with Rosalie and Emmett to hike, as we originally led him to believe." He explained, as he gently pulled me into a standing position and began to tie my hair up into a loose ponytail. Charlie had been restricting the amount of time Edward and I spent together even more since we announced our engagement. Last night, Carlisle had requested that I come over to begin to work on the details of changing me. However, it had turned into an argument between Edward and me, and was quickly rescheduled for another night. Things had been going so well between him and I, that everyone was weary about doing anything to upset the delicate balance we had reached. Edward sensed that I was tired, and suggested that we postpone the meeting for another night. As soon as we veered from the conversation of my being changed, Edward and I were completely civil toward one another again.
Because of Charlie's new limitations, I was not able to tell him that I would be going to be with Edward for the night, so I had Alice call Charlie and lie for me, telling him that we would be having a girl's weekend while Edward went hiking with Emmett and Rosalie.
Edward had finished my hair, and had moved on to undressing me and placing me delicately and swiftly into my change of clothes.
"We need to come up with something that will please Charlie enough to allow you to stay with me until after the ordeal, whatever it may be, is over with the Volturi. However, we need him to leave as quickly as possible. Clearly, we can't plan anything, let alone discuss much with him lurking about." Edward had me fully clothed and completely changed, looking presentable. As he stroked a few pieces of unruly hair back, he pulled away from me and began to pace the length of his room, trying to devise some sort of clever plan. Moments ticked by painfully slowly, and neither of us spoke. Finally, my voice broke the stillness of the silence.
"I need to know… before I plan anything… will Charlie be… safe?" I asked, an obvious inflection of fear apparent in my voice, although I was now trying to conceal my emotions.
"The Volturi are the enforcers of our rules, Bella. Harming Charlie would involve directly disobeying the rules they live to protect. He's mortal, and he doesn't know our secret, therefore, he is of no concern to them." Edward kept pacing, his face twisted in concentration. I realized that he must have been listening to the thoughts of someone that was close by.
"What do you hear?" I was far too anxious to wait for him to tell me when he was ready. My patience had become even more strained with Jasper no longer here. His presence had helped, even if it was only marginally. Edward stopped walking, and faced me, still keeping his distance. I knew that his distance was not an attempt to maintain control over his thirst; it was simply because when we touched, I distracted him, making it harder for him to focus on creating any sort of plan or hearing the thoughts of others. I understood.
"Charlie. He is angry that you've lied to him. He feels deceived, and he feels hurt. His anger is not what we will have to deal with, Bella; it is his pain that we will have to temper. Esme is doing well at keeping him calm, and Jasper is close by, keeping the true intensity of his emotions at bay." I nodded in understanding. Minutes passed this time with no words exchanged between the two of us. Suddenly, Edward was in front of me, his hands pressed to me face, his lips close to my ear. I shivered in response, as his cool breath tickled my skin.
"Breathe." He whispered lightly. Finally, I caught my breath again, reminding myself to keep breathing. When finally content that I would not pass out due to lack of oxygen, Edward glided away from me, and continued pacing his room.
"I have an idea." Edward's smooth voice broke the intensity of the silence. I listened fixedly, waiting for him to explain his plan.
"There isn't enough time to explain it to you, love. You will have to follow my lead and trust me. Esme is practically screeching at the top of her lungs in her thoughts, warning me that we're running out of time, as Charlie is running out of patience." Before I could even think about muttering a single syllable, Edward had grabbed my arm, and was leading me out of his room and down the stairs.
Edward slowed to human pace once we reached the bottom of the stairs, just before entering the living room. I followed behind him but remained in the hallway, out of Charlie's view, inhaling and exhaling purposefully, trying my very best to settle my nerves. I watched as Edward casually strolled into the living room, faking his surprise at seeing Charlie sitting on the leather sofa across from Esme.
I hung back, though, sensing that this was what Edward had wanted me to do. Edward approached Charlie swiftly, extending his hand, intending to greet him with a handshake. I could sense that he was trying to keep the tone of the conversation as informal as possible without leaving too many gaps for emotions to find their way in. However, his attempt was thwarted as Charlie merely glared at Edward's hand reproachfully, not returning the gesture.
"I thought you were hiking." Charlie said, jumping to his feet. I knew by his tone that he was attempting to sound intimidating, threatening. Had the situation not be clouded by so much heaviness, his attempt might have been laughable. A mortal would certainly never intimidate Edward when he had, only a week earlier, beheaded Victoria, a fellow vampire who lusted after revenge in the form of my blood.
"I had been hiking, Chief Swan, nearly all day and evening yesterday. However, my siblings had found themselves in a lovers quarrel during our hike, and I couldn't stand to be witness to their arguing for much longer. I really could not stand much more of it. When I returned, Bella was already asleep, and I retired to my bedroom to do the same." Edward's voice was velvety and soft, almost too irresistible to resist. Even just listening in the hallway, I almost believed every word he said, and I knew he was lying. I could only imagine how much more convincing he would be were I to see his face as well. I was certain that Charlie had bought it. This was when I decided it appropriate to make my entrance.
"Dad!" I screeched, doing my very best to imitate shock and surprise. I walked casually over to his side, trying my hardest to subdue my shaking. I wrapped a single arm around his neck and pulled him in for a chaste hug, before pulling away and joining Esme on the couch.
"Bella." Charlie nodded to me in response, and glared over at Edward, who took a seat on an entirely separate sofa.
"What are you doing here?" I questioned casually, leaning against the back of the couch, hoping that the support would make my tremors less visible. I was acutely aware of how quickly and loudly my heart was beating. It caused me to panic at first, worried that my heartbeat would give me away; to my relief I quickly realized that only vampires were able to hear my heart beat without a stethoscope, from metres away.
"I was over at La Push, visiting with Billy, dropping in to say hi, when I ran into Jacob on the way. He asked me where you were today, and I told him you were with Alice while Edward, Rosalie and Emmett went hiking. He told me that Rosalie and Emmett were hiking nearby, and that he saw them, but he did not see Edward anywhere. I figured… well, I figured you had lied to me." He looked as though he was seriously regretting the latter portion of his sentence. I smiled weakly, offering him a sympathetic glance, letting him know that I was not angry. He smiled in return. I made a mental note kill Jacob if I ever saw him again.
I was desperate to end the conversation with Charlie, and escort him out, so we could figure out what to do about the Volturi, but I knew that if I rushed him away too quickly, he would become suspicious. And I could not have Charlie lurking around in a time like this. One liability was enough for the Cullen's. I also knew that it would please Charlie for me to inquire about Jacob's well-being. I was eager to appease him, so I was sure he would not decide to make another spontaneous visit.
"How is Jake doing? How is he recovering?" I asked, taking a deep breath in as I tried to keep my words clear and understandable. As soon as Jacob's name had rolled off my tongue, I saw Charlie's lips curve into a small, but visible smile.
"He's doing good. He's a really tough kid, that Jacob. When I saw him, he was up and about, hobbling around on crutches!" Charlie laughed inwardly, as did Esme and Edward. I knew they saw nothing comical about the situation, but laughed regardless, hoping to make Charlie as comfortable as possible. I was not immune to their dazzle and charm, but I was certainly more attuned to it then any other mortal. I was easily able to recognize when they used their genetic blessings to manipulate situations in their favour.
Charlie glanced from me to Esme, and fidgeted nervously. I could only imagine how uncomfortable he must have felt, being the presence of someone as strikingly beautiful as Esme. It often still made me uneasy, and I was practically family.
"I'm glad to hear he's recovering." As the minutes passed, I began to become more and more anxious, waiting for Edward to execute his perfectly precise plan in making Charlie leave. I continued to wait before I decided to take matters into my own hands.
"Dad…" I began, smiling as sweetly as I could manage to fake. "Do you think… it would be alright if I spent the day here? Edward will be here, but I was looking to spend the day with Esme." Charlie's eyes narrowed as I gently placed my hand atop hers, and glanced toward her, still smiling.
"I don't know, Bells…" he began, but before he could finish, I interceded.
"I just haven't had any kind of motherly influences lately, with mom being all the way in Florida, and me being all the way in Forks. It would be nice to spend the day with someone I can talk to about girly stuff. Someone who isn't solely motivated by designer labels and price tags, like Alice is." I continued to smile, hoping that my anxiety was not outshining the lie I was attempting to execute. Charlie momentarily scrutinized me with his eyes, before deciding that I was not lying. He walked towards the door, smiling at Esme and me.
"Sure Bells. But I do expect you home tonight." He smiled, seemingly content, before walking over to Esme to say goodbye. Immediately afterwards, he walked to Edward, shaking his hand, stiffly, looking quite uncomfortable as he did.
"Thanks, Dad. I'll be home later tonight." I smiled lightly, and watched cautiously as Esme escorted Charlie toward the front door. As soon as I heard the door open and close immediately afterwards, I sighed in relief, and gasped loudly. Edward was at my side in an instant.
"Did you forget to breathe again, love?" He questioned, barely any emotion in his voice. I nodded and attempted a half-hearted smile at Esme. She smiled back, looking far more sincere then I felt.
"Alright. Edward, Bella, let us go. We have to get to work." Immediately, I was pulled to my feet as Edward began leading the way into the dining room. Carlisle was sitting indifferently in a chair; his eyes fixated on Alice as she pressed her middle and index finger to her temple and gently motioned her fingers in slow, deliberate circles. Alice sighed, frustrated, and dropped her fingers, opening her eyes.
"Anything?" Carlisle questioned eagerly.
"Nothing." Came Edward's voice from beside me. Clearly, he had already rummaged through Alice's head to figure out if she had seen anything. Before I realized what was happening, Edward, Carlisle, Esme, Jasper (who had literally just walked in) and Alice were all deep in conversation, speaking so quickly that I barely caught a single word they said. I was surprised to hear my distinct, though shaky voice enter the mix.
"Enough!" I shouted softly, although loud enough so that everyone clearly heard me. All five of them ceased talking, and looked towards me.
"I'm sorry I can't keep up with your ridiculously fast chatter. I'm sorry I'm such a liability and can't be of more help. And I'm sorry that I'm constantly causing you all so much trouble. But, I love each and every one of you, and it's going to kill me if you keep talking at a pace that I can't understand. I need to know what is going on. I need to know what is being planned to make sure the people I love are safe." By the time I had muttered the last word, I was out of breath, and utterly exhausted. Edward dashed to my side, and pulled a chair out, easing me into the cushioned seat. I was thankful, for I knew that I was close to collapsing. Carlisle stared fixedly at me, smiling.
"Bella. You are not causing any of this trouble. And even if you were, we would still be as heavily involved as we are right now. Because as much love as you feel for us is reciprocated back just as equally. I suppose that I forget sometimes that you're not yet one of us." He chuckled inwardly at his last comment.
"We will speak at human speed, so you're able to understand, alright?" I simply nodded, and smiled weakly at him, grateful. I felt Edward's presence behind me, and he confirmed it by placing an ice-cold hand on my shoulder, squeezing ever so gently.
"We were discussing the possibilities regarding the Volturi being here. We then discussed what would be safest for you when they did arrive." Carlisle explained, his voice even and unwavering.
"Okay. Firstly, I'd like to know exactly what Alice saw in her vision. Do we know for sure that the Volturi are coming for me, and are coming to check if I'm changed yet?" I was pleased that I as able to choke out all of the words as comprehensibly as I had. I could not keep my mind from continuously flickering from the beautiful faces staring back at me, to the images that replayed themselves in my head of Edward's death in my dream. Edward had sensed my worry, and undoubtedly figured I was making the connection in my head between his death and the Volturi.
"The Volturi most likely aren't looking to stir up any trouble, Bella. My guess is that they want to make their presence know, so we will speed up the process of changing you. I guess they figure we won't act unless we're put under pressure." Edward began, concealing his concern better then he normally did.
I instantly felt a surge of guilt at his words, knowing that if I had worked harder to convince them to change me; we would not be faced with this predicament right now. I had to do my very best to keep them safe, regardless of the consequences to my own personal well-being.
"Okay. So change me now." I stated simply, standing from the chair, firmly planting my hands on the table, as I leaned over it. I saw the unease shimmer throughout each beautiful face in the room. I knew that nobody was particularly fond of my plan; but it seemed so simple, so obvious. It was the perfect solution. I looked over to see Edward's body tense, and his jaw flex. I could tell he wasn't breathing, not that he needed to, anyway.
"No." I heard the edge and seriousness in Edward's voice as he calmly spoke. His words immediately sent shivers down my spine.
"Yes, Edward. It's logical. It makes sense. If you just change me now, the Volturi will have no reason to take any action."
"No, Bella, Edward's right" the calm voice of Carlisle was now resounding throughout the well-lit dining room.
"Why not, Carlisle?" I could tell that I was whining, and that my voice must have sounded incredibly childlike and impossibly annoying. However, those small, petty details did not seem as important as they normally did, not with the Volturi on their way, and the futures of everyone I loved hanging on the line.
"Bella, the decision to be changed is possibly the most important decision you will ever make in your life. It would be wrong of you to make it under circumstances such as these. We cannot ask you to make such a significant decision when you're under this kind of duress." He explained calmly, stiffening in his seat as he stole a quick glance in Edward's direction.
"He's right, Bella." Edward began. It was useless. I already knew how Edward felt about changing me, whether I was under duress or not. Under any circumstances, Edward felt that changing me was the wrong decision. I would not relent; my plans would not waiver. I had hoped that my stubbornness would be an attribute in this situation, not a detriment.
"Edward, I am already well aware of how you feel about changing me. I know you are against it. Yesterday I was ready to be changed. Today, I am still ready to be changed, and I will be ready for as long as I live, for as long as you all decide to leave me unchanged. There is really no difference between today and tomorrow, as my decision was made under the right circumstances. Plus, we haven't got a choice in the matter anyway. The promise we made to the Volturi does not change simply because you all feel it isn't the right time, or circumstances. Eventually, you will have to change me. So why not now?" I was shocked to hear the ease and strength behind my words. Moments earlier I had been shaking, nervous, worried, unable to string together any coherent thoughts, and now I was doing an excellent job in defending my plan of action.
I was confident that my plan was flawless, and I was even more confident that it would work; however, the assuredness I had felt so resolutely only moments before dissipated when I realized that no attention had been paid to my speech. All eyes were fixated on Alice.
My eyes darted nervously back and forth between Edward and Alice. Although Alice was the one currently experiencing the vision, Edward knew exactly what she was seeing as well. He was in her head just as much as she was. I waited for one of them to react, to say or do something that would give me the slightest clue to what Alice was seeing. But both of them remained eerily statuesque for what seemed to be an eternity.
Just as the tension in the room reached it's climax, Alice's body slumped over, her head in her lap, her hands balled into tight fists at her side. Alice's reaction had affected me more profoundly then I ever thought possible. She had always been so composed, so optimistic. To see her form literally crumble, seemingly in defeat, shook my faith to the core. My eyes remained fixed on her, for I was afraid to look at Edward, to see his reaction to what Alice had witnessed. It took a moment for anyone to react to Alice's emotional display. Moments later, though, Jasper glided to Alice's side, taking one of her tightly clenched fists, and forcing his hand into hers.
I allowed myself a brief moment to glance over at Edward, however, his form, which was previously situated next to mine, was nowhere to be seen. It appeared that he had left the room. The void of Edward's presence finally challenged my composure. Suddenly, I felt my control on my emotions slipping, as I fought desperately to continue breathing, while choking back tears.
In mere moments, I felt an overwhelming lightness in my head, as my legs gave out from under me, and everything went black.
A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed, it was much appreciated. I proof-read this several times, however, I am still searching for a beta, so if there are any errors, just let me know, and I'll fix them ASAP.
I promise that the chapters to follow will contain tons of Edward & Bella lemony fluffiness. I make a point of keeping my stories well balanced between romance and drama. So, we're getting some of the drama out of the way to get to the fluff faster.
As always, if you have any suggestions, just let me know. This is only the beginning of this story, and I assure you that it will only become more interesting from this point on!
Thanks to: heroicfailures, , KissinConcern, lionfellwithlamb, octoberland and madame09 for reviewing. This speedy update is for you!
Please leave a review. Reviews are like the ink to my pen – they keep me writing. And I'm so appreciative, even if the reviews are just a few words!