Disclaimer: I still don't own Twilight. I do, however, have a kitten .
----
I spent the hours between 4:45 AM and 7:00 Friday morning hoping and praying that Edward would be at school, but also making up excuses for his not being there if he wasn't. I knew my optimism was worthless; he had made up his mind the very second the threat had been made. I sighed a long, heartfelt sigh and drove to school without even thinking about breakfast.
My school day was completely wasted as I drifted in and out of my thoughts, imagining all sorts of terrible things… nothing, not even Jessica's persistent rambling could get my thoughts off of Edward's absence. I couldn't shake the memory of the dream in the forest- his stone colored eyes, desperate attempts to make me leave, his turning to dust at the touch of my hand…
I knew what I had to do.
----
After my lunchtime epiphany my disposition brightened noticeably, but I understood the gravity of what I was about to do. Some would say I had my life to fear- I knew that was the least of my problems. If I could make it to Canada in one piece I'd be fine- from then on I could save myself.
But Edward. He'd not appreciate my efforts. Nevermind, I told myself, he'll understand. He'll still love you. Somehow, in the back of my mind, I couldn't shake the feeling that he wouldn't forgive me. Then again, I remembered, I've not forgiven him.
When I got home I rushed upstairs immediately, opened up my laptop and began searching for flights to Vancouver. The best I could find was one leaving at 6:00 tomorrow- Saturday. Perfect. I could tell Charlie I was going home, or even to Seattle, and just happen to drive to the airport and magically end up in Canada. Fail-proof plan.
I told Charlie of my departure over French toast and trout; he seemed to approve of my leaving temporarily. I was worried that he'd flip out- after all, the last time I left I was attacked by a vampire- but he stayed relatively calm. He made me promise to call him and let him know I was alright, but that's not a bad deal. The only catch was that he had no idea where I was actually going.
"I'm not sure I agree with the idea of you just leaving, Bells." He said worriedly. "What if something happens? I need to be able to reach you."
"Ch- Dad, I'm probably going to Seattle! It's not a big deal! I'll call you tomorrow and let you know where I end up. And it's not like I'm going halfway across the country or anything." I reached for some more trout. Charlie had cooked tonight- I thought that maybe if I pretended to really enjoy his trout seasoning he'd be more reasonable. "Mmm, Dad, this trout sure is good…"
"Bells…" He shook his head restlessly, not sure of what to say. "Alright, I guess you can go…"
"Yes! Thank you!"
"But you must, I repeat, MUST call me when you get there! No ifs, ands, or buts!" He gave me one of those fatherly stares, the if-you-don't-I'll-lock-you-in-your-room-until-you-rot ones.
"Of course!" I got up and hugged him right there at the dinner table. "You're amazing, Dad."
"I love you, Bella." No matter how excited I was the he was letting me go, I could still see the slight sense of concern hovering in his expression. "Be careful."
----
When I got off the plane in Vancouver, I could not contain the overwhelming sense of thrill. Edward couldn't stop me now. All I had to do was find him, let him know I was there and that everything was okay…
Then I remembered one very small and seemingly (until now) insignificant detail: I had absolutely no idea where in Canada he was.
I paused for a minute, concerned that my fail-proof plan had, in fact, failed, but I soon came up with another fail-proof plan to protect the original.
I'll search for The Forest.
I left the airport and went immediately to a travel agency. I found as many "Canada: Wilderness" brochures as I could, and settled down in a nice plastic chair to begin my search. It's not like there's too many forests in Canada, anyways.
I remembered some specific details from my dream. Like the color of the dust on the ground- it was a strange, orangish brown, a color I'd never seen before. It reminded me of Edward's eyes, but without the hint of kindness behind it. Such a specific color…
"Aha!" It didn't take me long. This particular forest was about thirty minutes outside the Vancouver border; it wouldn't be a long travel for me. Not that I didn't travel a lot anyways; I was always flying and driving around in between Forks and Arizona. Long distance travel was like changing underwear to me- it just happens.
I caught a bus to The Forest, one of those huge charter buses that will pretty much take you anywhere in the world if you pay them enough. Since my destination happened to be the furthest away, it would also consequently be the last stop, meaning it would probably be close to an hour and a half before I got there. Lovely.
"Ouch!" I was still standing when the bus jerked into movement, and my head slammed into the unforgiving metal around the seats. I put a hand to my forehead- I was bleeding. "Dammit," I muttered under my breath. I was stressed enough without a bleeding head. The drive was long and boring, but the scenery flashing by was gorgeous. Deep green forests, blue lakes, and snow-covered overhangs flew past as I watched from my seat. It's hard to believe there's a battle going on in these woods, I thought to myself, and it's even harder to believe that I'm involved.
As we approached my stop, I was suddenly overcome with a wave of guilt and betrayal. I was taking advantage of Edward's trust. I had lied. I was breaking.
Maybe he knew what he was doing. Actually, that was an extremely reasonable idea. I couldn't think of a single time when Edward had done something brash or without weighing out the possible consequences. And I certainly couldn't think of a time when he'd done something to hurt me.
My eyes burned in my skull and my face felt pale. What if he gets angry with me? What if… what if he gets hurt? Because of me?
The determination I'd had getting off the plane was obliterated when I stepped off of the bus at the edge of the forest.
----