Of Life and Death
Pairing : Edward/Jacob
Rating : R for now, might escalated
Disclaimer : All of it except the plot belongs to Stephanie Meyer, and I'm not her.
Chapter 5 Seattle
"I don't understand." Jacob announced.
"Mm-hmm...yes, Jake? What is it?" Jane asked as she looked around for tasty looking mortal.
They were walking around the city of Seattle, looking for dinner. Jane led the way, dragging Jacob alongside her, followed by Alec and Felix, acting as bodyguards.
"Why would Aro give them more time? What different it would make between today and tomorrow? I mean, they had chance to turn her for a whole year and didn't, so how could we expect her to be turned by tomorrow?"
"We don't." Felix answered from behind. Alec nodded along with him.
"We don't? But..."
"No need to worry, Jake. Aro has plans; we just have to trust him." Jane said easily, "Now, what do you think about that woman over there? She looks good."
"Good enough to eat, you mean?" Jacob asked tartly.
Jane laughed, "But of course, some of us need more nutrients than those junks you called food."
"Hey now, no calling my food junks, those things are delicious, more than those red liquids you keep drinking. It's not my fault that your lot doesn't have taste buds." Jacob countered heatedly.
Felix and Alec merely rolled their eyes as they walked behind the comedy duo. That argument was really getting old.
x~X~x
"Enjoying your outing, children?" Aro asked as the group came back to the hotel.
Jacob rolled his eyes. Aro was way too overbearing sometimes. And of course they had to choose the most extravagant, expensive hotel all around Seattle. Jacob wondered how exactly he got involved with the most obnoxious, showy rich bastards. Oh wait, it wasn't by his choice.
Jane smiled as she bounded over to the settee. "It was fine. We even went to a restaurant so Jake could eat."
The hybrid in question grumbled lowly, "I told you there's no need to go to such a fancy place."
Aro smiled. He knew the half-breed had never ate on such a posh place before his change and Aro felt like giving him all the things he had been without in his past life. The other guards understood, especially Marcus, who's still haunted by the boy's horrid turning. They followed his lead, spoiling the hybrid to no end. Although Aro still drew a line when it comes to the boy's meal, insisting for him to drink blood too, never mind the fact he could survive without it.
"Well then, Jake. Off to bed with you. We need to be in our full strength for tomorrow. I have a feeling things will get ugly." Aro said, shushing the hybrid away.
Jacob eyed him distrustfully for a second, seemingly wanted to argue. But then he decided to leave and go to his room, Felix following from behind.
x~X~x
Jacob bounced happily on his luxurious, plush bed. Upon arriving on Seattle, they had immediately set out to the most extravagant hotel and booked several of the most expensive suites. Jake was truly excited, he had never stayed in a hotel before. He was glad that Jane and Heidi had insisted them all to bring several better clothes.
Although, he was sure if anyone failed to bring it, they could simply buy it off the store. Not that, he amended, they would voluntarily entering the shopping hell with Jane and Heidi like that. Jacob was glad for the two women, he really did. After a lifetime of not having a fit enough clothes he could call his own, their gifts were highly appreciated. But that didn't mean he would want to keep up with the newest fashion all the time and continually shopping for new clothes.
Eww...
The bed dipped down beneath the weight of Felix as the tall vampire climbed onto it. "Jane and Heidi had just departed." He declared.
Jacob stared confusedly at him, "What for?"
"Midnight shopping."
They grimaced together. Really, at times like that, the normally deadly, dangerous lady vampires were no different than those human girls. Not that they would've dare to tell it on their faces.
"Well, look at the bright side, at least none of them tried to drag us with them." Jacob stated cheerily.
"No, they just drag Alec and Demetri along."
Jacob snickered. Alec had been so used to his sister's antic that he no longer worried of the shopping spree. But Demetri still hated that with passion. What he wouldn't give to see the tracker's face right now, Jacob mused.
"I don't understand this apparent animosity between you and Demetri." Felix said. The two seemed to derive great pleasure of each other suffering that made Felix wondered if something had happened outside his knowledge.
Jacob waved his worries. "It's no big deal. We're just...clicked that way. You know, like a pair of high school boys fighting with each other only to laugh about it later on."
"I'm not sure if I should feel amused that you compare yourself and Demetri to high school boys." Felix smiled.
"Well, technically, I'm still a high school boy." The hybrid frowned.
Felix immediately felt guilty. "How do you feel today? Meeting with those people you used to know?"
"I don't remember them." Jacob shrugged. "It helps that none of them knew who I am. Guess I can't count on that tomorrow, eh?"
"You think Aro will let them know who you are."
"I know he will. There's another reason why they brought me here along, Felix. I'm not stupid. And do you remember how Marcus acted earlier today? He's far overprotective than the last time we went on a hunt. Something is going on, I could feel it."
Felix stared at the hybrid, wondering when the boy had gained such insight, and then cursing himself not to notice this. Jacob's right, he's not stupid, far from it. Of course he would realize the leader's plans, although not the reason behind it.
He cleared his throat to break the uncomfortable silence stretched between them. "Let's just sleep, Jake."
Jacob glared at him, realizing that the older vampire knew something he didn't. But he also realized that arguing was pointless, so he opted to go to sleep. Whatever came tomorrow, he would just ride it out, the way he always did.
"Look, Jacob, Edward is here and I expect you to play nice, okay? You don't need to like him or anything, but at least be polite." Bella warned her best friend.
Jacob rolled his eyes, all the precautions only to meet with a leech. Bella was hopeless, indeed. "Yes, ma'am, I promise." He gave her a salute.
She narrowed her eyes, "No need to be so sarcastic." She said before turning around and climbing the stairs, leading Jacob to her room.
The leech just has to come back to her, does he? Why he couldn't just stay away is beyond me. And Bella forgives him so easily too. If it was me, I would have given him at least several punches for leaving like that.
Edward heard the mutt's thought and couldn't help but feeling amused at that. So, he also thought his leaving had caused her more harm than not, eh?
But then again, this is Bella we're talking about. She's a human - so fragile, several punches would've done her more harm than it does to him.
Edward snorted; he couldn't help it. The mutt was right, Bella tried to punch him would only caused her injury. She's too frail, even by humans standard. Sometimes, Edward wondered why exactly he loved her. Her delicious scent and quiet mind aside, she's not that impressive.
Talking about scent, there's another one beside Bella's that had been teasing his nose ever since the moment Jacob Black arrived. As the boy followed Bella upstairs, the exquisite scent only magnified. Unlike Bella's, this one didn't ignited his blood lust, but rather his desire to take, to possess and ravage the owner of the scent. And then Bella entered the room and stepped aside, letting the young shifter into Edward's sight.
The vampire felt his unbeaten heart wanting to jump out of its place. The boy had rich russet-colored skin, dark silky hair glowing under the moonlight, beautiful baby face accompanied by the most expressive eyes. Edward swayed, never in his hundred years of existence had he ever felt so drawn to someones beauty.
At that moment, their eyes met and Edward was shocked. He had heard the boy's mind just as he climbed the stairs, but right now his mind was a complete blank sheet. Several seconds of staring passed before Jacob jumped out of the window, phasing to his wolf's form and running to the forest. Bella gave a loud cry as she too, dove out of the window, intending to follow her friend.
Edward cursed as he moved to catch Bella before her body hit the ground. He could have run after Jacob and catch him before, but with the time he took to help Bella and ensured she's okay it was impossible now. The girl was clinging on him now, scared of her almost successful suicidal act. Edward had a hard time not to roll his eyes.
They trudged back to her room and stayed there for awhile before Bella started to yell at him.
"What was that, Edward? Why did Jacob running out like that? Why don't you go after him?"
Edward pinched the bridge of his nose, "I have no idea, Bella. And I can't run after him, not if I want to safe you from your death. It's too late now, I may be fast, but I'm not that fast."
"So, you're blaming me? Well, forgive me if I want to run after my best friend when he suddenly jumped out of the window like that!" Her eyes narrowed in anger.
Edward felt anger begin to rise in his chest as well. "Normal people didn't just jump out of second floor window just because her best friend did, especially when the best friend in question is something with non-human strength." He snapped.
"So, you call me abnormal for worrying over my best friend?" Bella countered.
Obviously, they're getting nowhere. Edward realized this and sighed. "Look Bella, why don't you just call Jacob's house and asks if he's home or not. And perhaps you could tell the pack what's just happened. They can start looking for him early if he is unaccountable." He suggested, trying to be the reasonable one.
Bella nodded stiffly and went downstairs.
Edward sighed as he remembered that night. It was a very eventful night. The argument between him and Bella had been the very first reason of their drifting away. And that's not the only argument they had. More and more came later as Jacob was declared missing and all of the pack went looking for him. Bella locked herself in the room, grieving and wallowing in her sadness.
Edward wanted to hate Jacob Black for it, but found that he couldn't. He too was worried over the boy's disappearance, constantly asking Bella to offer the Cullen's assistance on looking for the missing shifter. But the girl only stayed in her room, crying over Jacob yet made no single effort to look for him. Edward had tried, but the wolf seemed to disappear off the earth, no single track could be found of his whereabouts. Soon, the pack gave up, concluding that perhaps Jacob had met his end, one way or another. The connection between them had been cut off completely that their hopes lost very quickly.
Bella blamed him for all of that and Edward's patience quickly running thin. He understood why Bella would blame him, he did. But that didn't mean he liked it. He was supposed to be the girl's 'love of her life', yet she kept blaming him for something he couldn't control. The thought gave way to dislike and then hatred toward Bella.
He had tried to break up with her, but the moment he made the decision, Alice confronted him with a vision of Bella going mad in an institution, assassinated by the Volturi. So he didn't, opting to keep his distance while still being with her. Edward pretended to care, indulging her every action, contenting himself by thinking it would only last for one human lifetime at the most, as he no longer had any inclination to turn her. The girl wasn't his mate and that was that.
A.N : Not my best work, I know. I've been having problem with the first half of this chapter. I think I've got a writer's block. The idea kept running around my head, but typing it is another matter.
Anyway, Thank You for all of the supports (reviews, alerts, favorites). They're all made me posting it today since I've promised and not wanting to disappoints. So, yeah, enjoy. (^^)