Dawn of my Presence
I do not own.
Today was the day, it was rainy of course, but the sun was shining across the state to me. I was going to find out for sure the who, what, or where of my issues pertaining to Bella. I needed her like an addicted needed their favorite drug and the rest of the family was finally on board.
Carlisle had arranged a meeting for us to discuss the treaty in further detail, I had a list of questions just in case but I didn't really plan on asking them anything, I was simply going to listen and listen carefully for Bella. I felt like a stalker but what man in love doesn't? Don't we all over obsess on the unknown until we find out our own truth?
Alice had made sure to dress all of us in case we did see Bella; she wanted to make a good impression. I on the other hand was not worried about the clothes, I just wanted to see her and fill her beneath my finger tips. The thought of that alone had my mind spinning into a violet circle of the possibilities.
"Are you ready?"
I practically yelled up the stairs to the rest of my family who was taking their sweet and precious time while I was a bundle of anxiety and nerves. I had promised that if there was no sign of my Bella being there that I would drop it and move on; easier said than done but I was a man of my word. It was the only thing I had left and to some people my word probably meant nothing, but to my family it meant everything and I was not about to disappoint them after moving this far forward.
They began their trail down the stairs each wore a smirk but it was Jasper's thoughts that caught my attention. His previous warnings of Alice's safety only continued to get more and more aggressive as the day approached, and now that we were on our way I was wondering if we would even make it there. I frowned at him but held my head high. I would never let harm come to any of them and he had to know that.
I turned my head just as Emmett jingled his keys from by the front door. I hadn't even realized that I was staring directly at Jasper this whole time while he contemplated Alice's safety and my sanity. I moved towards the front door and brushed past everyone else silently moving towards the Jeep anxious to get this over with.
Rose climbed into the passenger seat as she always did when riding in Emmett's Jeep while Jasper and Alice took the last two seats next to me in the back. I placed my elbow next to the window and leaned my head over my fist so that I could stare out the window instead of focusing on the traffic of thoughts within the Jeep.
The Jeep hummed to life as Emmett drove away from the house; his thoughts were simple and focused on the task at hand while Rosalie was consumed with her vain thoughts over whether Bella would be pretty enough. Alice and Jasper were in there own little world of 'I love you's' furthering my jealousy over the relationship they had, I wanted it and couldn't understand Jasper's aggression to keep me away from it.
The forest was thick and my eyes began to focus on the trees where it appeared we had escorts, the closer we got to the dog's territory the more of them that I would spot running in the woods along the Jeeps side. I sat up straight and nudged Jasper with my elbow pointing towards the woods with my eyes. He nodded his head and tapped Emmett on the shoulders moving his head towards the windows. All of our gazes were now following the escorts through the woods as they ran along the side of us.
"Do you think they intend to fight?"
I pulled my gaze from the window over to Emmett who didn't sound concerned more like excited about the thought of having to fight those kids. I shook my head and rolled my eyes as Jasper leaned back in his seat and placed a hand over Alice's leg. He was concerned, not about the dogs watching us, but about Emmett being so eager.
"Emmett, we are not here to start a fight."
"I know that Eddie, but what if they do…shouldn't we go over a battle tactic."
"Sure Emmett, how about this, if they attack… protect the family."
"I'm not stupid Eddie."
I sighed and scooted my body closer to the center consul of the Jeep. Rose titled her head in my direction letting her thoughts flood my mind about how Emmett was right and we should be prepared. I wasn't an idiot either, and I seriously doubted that they wanted to fight.
"Look guys, from what I can tell from the thoughts I have picked up so far is that they don't want to fight unless they have to protect their own. Go in there with the same thing in mind, protect, not instigate."
I gave Emmett a pointed glance as we pulled off to the side of the road and began to off road trip through the woods. We were all meeting in the same clearing that the rest of the family had met with them before; call it neutral territory as far as they were concerned.
The Jeep pulled to a stop and climbed out brushing the jacket I was wearing smooth and free of wrinkles while the rest of the family climbed out. It probably would have been faster to run, but we had to uphold the image of 'normal' and 'normal' people aren't seen running through the woods in the middle of the night.
I pulled the collar of my jacket up and immediately held my breath. The foulest yesterday's trash smell flared through my nostrils as many thoughts invaded my mind. They had someone here to speak for them, but were unsure of her motives and I couldn't hear her thoughts. My breathing stopped when the one they call Jacob stepped forward out of the woods with my Bella climbing off of his back.
I focused my eyes to the ground and nudged Alice with my foot as her eyes moved to where mine had been and faint frown turned into a smile. She moved forward quickly, much too quickly for Jasper's liking as he growled in frustration, but Alice simply shushed him with a wave of her hand and approached Bella in a way that I was too scared to do.
"You must be Bella, we met before."
"I am. We want to know why you have called us here."
Look at me! Her eyes never moved from Alice's and I could see her jaw line clench as her hands moved into her pockets. Her scent was different, it was floral with the slightest hint of strawberries, and she looked exactly the same all the way down to her beautiful almond shaped chocolate brown eyes.
I moved closer to Alice standing on the right side of her as Jasper moved to Alice's left. Emmett and Rosalie moved behind us and I watched as their eyes never left the woods, they were being prepared; they were ready for anything if something wrong happened. I slid my hands into my jacket pocket and cleared my throat forcing Bella to look at me, and when she did I felt my world shake within me.
"Bella."
"You look familiar."
Just familiar? My world shook again but only because the longing within me wanted to reach out and remind her of who I was hoping that she wouldn't fault me for what I was but knowing that was impossibility.
"What are you?"
My eyes shot over to Jasper who was staring at Bella asking the one question I was dying to know but too afraid to ask, I knew she wasn't human because she should be old, yet she had a heart beat and I could smell the blood running through her veins.
"I don't think that is any of your business, who are you?"
"Jasper and I think it is our business. Do you remember Edward?"
Answer, please answer. But I had a feeling she wouldn't. Her gaze ran over me and there was a slight twinkle in her eye as multiple growls poured from the trees. I placed a hand over Alice's arm and took a step back pulling her with me knowing that Jasper would follow. The pack didn't appreciate the meeting nor did they appreciate Jasper's questions.
A soothing calm ran over my body probably affecting everyone else around us as Jasper moved an inch back but never dropped his gaze from Bella. My Bella was standing just a few feet from me silent but her eyes were calculating. And why couldn't I speak? I should be the one talking to her, not Jasper or anyone else for that matter.
"Have you five been the one's prank calling everyone looking for me?"
"That was my fault. And I wanted to apologize, I just…"
My voice trailed off as a young boy with long black hair named Jacob stepped out from the woods. I blinked to make sure I was still seeing right because just a few minutes ago he was a large dog, now he was a human wearing a pair of jeans and no shoes. His black beady eyes locked on to my own as his thoughts ran along the lines of this conversation being deathly over with.
"Why are you looking for Bella? Like she would want anything to do with you blood suckers."
Rosalie stuck her arm in between myself and Alice and weaseled herself into the front lines. Part of me wanted to stop her, but the other part was ready to rip this Jacob to shreds for her.
"Look here pup, we are not here to start any problems, and Bella and Edward have a history you're probably too young to know even existed so back off, this does not concern you."
"What happens here does concern me blood sucker."
Rosalie growled as another wave of calm brushed over me and Jasper motioned for Emmett to grab his wife before she started a war. Alice ignored everyone and moved closer to Bella placing her hand over Bella's arm and looking directly into her eyes. I felt jealous again for the relationship that my sister was already building with her, the one I was still too afraid to approach.
"Bella, come with us, just to talk…Edward has a lot of questions and I promise you will be able to return home unharmed. I can see though that we will be good friends if you come with us."
"I can't."
My eyes dropped to the ground partly because I should have been the one asking but was too much of a coward to and partly because I knew she would say no, she was with them…and we were not exactly on good terms with any of them…but I knew she wasn't one of them, her scent was too beautiful to be even part of what they were.
"Edward, Jesus, give it up, she is obviously not worth it."
That comment by Rosalie shot through my mind and jolted me back to life; I stopped playing with the loose thread on the inside of my jacket pocket and pulled my arms across my chest as I glared at Rosalie.
"Don't tell me who is or isn't worth it Rose."
"She wants nothing to do with you Edward!"
"Then let her tell me that, I've been searching for her since I left thirty years ago at least let me have her tell me to go then I'll go and never come back!"
"Go."
Bella's voice was like the saddest melody crashing over my skin. She had just said it, she didn't want to talk… she simply said 'Go.' Alice moved away from her mimicking my frown as I turned and walked back to the Jeep. I didn't say goodbye farewell or question her. I would respect her decision…and take a lot of crap from my family for it.
Everyone else huffed as they climbed into the Jeep and it roared to life. I noticed that Alice was apologetic; Rose was bent on 'I told you so.' Emmett felt sorry for me and Jasper was simply in shock that I backed away so quickly. What else was I supposed to do? Argue with her; tell her that I had loved her for years? She didn't want to hear any of that, and yet the question still plagued my mind… what is she?
"Don't worry Edward, we have school in a few hours… then you'll have something else to be upset about."
"I'm not going to school Emmett. If the teachers ask, tell them I have the flu."
The rest of the ride was silent, I made my way up the stairs and too my room where the house felt crowded yet so lonely. I stared out of my window playing my cd's in a random order letting the crickets take over while the rest of the family went hunting to prepare for school tomorrow.
