Howdy!
A huge thanks to Twilightluver2127, mixmatched9, chritbella, rosaliehale1994, WeFallForever, trs1 and Dulcinea21bella for their reviews. Also thanks to everyone who has put this story on alert.
I'm kind of at a cross-roads with this chapter. I'm happy with the first part, but I'm not completely satisfied with how I've written the second part. It's exactly as I've planned, but I'm not sure I've written it well enough compared to what I have in my head. Still, it's here now, so I hope you all enjoy it. So, get ready for a bit of darkness and violence. Lovely!
There's a banner for this story on my profile, as well as my other stories, so check them out if you like. Also, the playlist for this story is coming along nicely, and I'll publish it on my profile soon.
As ever, let me know what you think.
This chapter is named after "The Cold, The Dark and The Silence" by Sea Wolf. Great band, I'm a big fan.
Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, but there's a bunch of other stuff I don't own either, and nobody complains about that! *sighs*
Edward Cullen's Point of View
It always happens.
In fact, not a single week can go by without it happening at least once. It's like a weekly tradition or something, like a single moment that we must go through in order to continue on with life. If it doesn't happen, the world will fucking explode or something, so Bella always makes sure that it's done to the best of her ability.
And what is this I'm talking about, you ask?
Well, this is Bella's weekly tradition of finding some magical and impossible way to fall flat on her ass.
Now, I fucking adore that girl, but she is the clumsiest idiot on this planet. No one can fall over more than my Bellsy-Boo does, not even a toddler learning to walk for the first time. It's like she has no hand eye co-ordination and she definitely has no balance. In a good week, she'll only fall over once. In a bad week, she will trip over every step she takes.
This is the second time she's fallen this week, so we count this as a good week.
I often wonder if there is something wrong with her, like a defect at birth, because no human being can possibly fall over as much as she fucking does. Hell, the first time I ever met her she was on the floor crying. Granted, it was because some fucker pushed her off the swings, but she was on the floor all the same.
If falling and clumsiness were an Olympic sport, Bella would completely wipe the board. She'd get every gold medal being given.
But I love her all the same. She wouldn't be who she is without the falling over part. It's what makes my Bella complete, it is a part of her life - Bella falls over and I'm always there to pick her up, her knight in shining armor, as she likes to call me. It's a wonder that she's never broken bones before now. Wouldn't fucking surprise me if she had.
In fact, her falling is how I came up with her nickname: Bellsy-Boo.
She was even worse than this when she was a kid, at least as an adult she balances a little better. But due to her constant falling, she'd always be covered in cuts and marks and bruises or, as she liked to call them, boo-boos. Bella was covered in boo-boos so often that the nickname sort of came up with itself. Bellsy-Boo fitted her perfectly because she was my Bella, and she was covered in boo-boos! Inventive, right?
Okay, so the nickname is pretty pathetic and childish, especially since she doesn't get many bruises anymore, but it's stuck, and I like it, so fuck off!
This time, she had fallen and hurt her ankle on the ground below, twisting it, no doubt. That was her newest thing. If it isn't a cut or a bump, it's a twist.
We had been in our meadow when it happened. Bella was in a playing mood, so we decided to play tag. Yeah, I understand that we aren't 10 years old anymore, but tag is fun, no matter what age you are... even if you're 21! Anyway, I was 'it' and was chasing Bella across the meadow, a normal thing to do during a game of tag, wouldn't you say? Well, for Bella it isn't. Next thing I know, her legs are in the air and she is flat on her face, yelling out and shrieking in pain, shouting how she now hates tag and our meadow.
Typical Bella.
I knew her words weren't true; she fucking loves that meadow. So do I. We had found it one afternoon when she was 11 and I was 12. Home was boring and there was nothing on TV, so I called on Bella and we went wondering round the woods at the back of our houses. Not the brightest idea as the woods were huge. As to be expected, we soon got lost. I started panicking, Bella started crying and all we could see for miles was trees.
I hugged her to me as we hunted for a way out. I was the man there, I was the one who had to save us both. I had to be brave, and that I was.
We must have walked for hours until we finally came to an open space. It wasn't the exit, but it was something even better. Wildflowers as far as the eye could see, tall and green trees creating a barrier, fencing us in, luscious green grass lying on the ground like a fresh carpet. We had found the meadow.
All worry was gone the second we entered it, almost like magic. We played there for hours, laughing and giggling, not a care in the world. That's what the meadow does to you. Once you are there, you don't give a fuck, the meadow is all that matters… Bella matters too, at least in my case she does.
As the sun began to set, we left the meadow and miraculously found our way home again before the moon could rise. I was surprised by how easily we got out, but it must have been because of the meadow. It does some weird shit to you, calms you down and that. After the meadow, we no longer panicked. We got out there no problem at all.
We have been visiting it ever since.
It is our little haven, our little secret, that one place that only Bella and I know about. It allows us to be alone, it allows us all the time in the world to bask in each other's company. It is the most wonderful place in the entire world, and I know Bella feels the same.
So all that talk about hating it was complete bullshit. Bella loves that place more than I do, so there was no fucking way in hell that she hates it.
But she had twisted her ankle all the same, so I needed to help her out. I was currently giving her a piggyback home, laughing about her stupidity all the way.
"You think you'd have grown out of the clumsiness by now, Bells," I chuckled as I held her legs around my waist.
"It's not like I try to be clumsy," she said, resting her chin on my shoulder, her wavy hair lightly brushing against my cheek. "My legs just don't like to listen to my head."
"You're not kidding," I muttered under my breath as I hoisted her further up my back.
"Hey, I heard that," she said, lightly slapping the back of my head. "Besides, I think my ankle might be broken and you can't tease someone who's injured. It's mean, Edward."
"It's not broken," I said incredulously. "You were walking on it perfectly fine until I offered to carry you. I could drop you right here and make you fucking walk home if I wanted."
"No!" she quickly yelled, deafening my ear. I didn't mind. I merely smirked at her. She was too cute sometimes. "I'm sorry. Carry me, please?"
I sighed, plaguing her a little. "Fine. I suppose I can carry you home."
"Or… maybe you could carry me to the hospital, see if Doctor Cullen is working this afternoon," she said dreamily.
"You've twisted it, that's all, Bellsy-Boo. Nothing the old doc can do about it. You just need to rest it."
"Can't we go anyway?" she asked.
I shook my head, amused.
Bella has a bit of a crush on the local doctor, Carlisle Cullen. Due to her clumsy nature, she is the hospital's best customer - I'm surprised they haven't designated her a private room to use when she wishes! - and he is constantly her consultant. Her crush is harmless as he is married with children and far too old for her, but the jealous side of me does tend to rise whenever she mentions him. It is fucking pathetic, I shouldn't feel this way about a silly crush which means nothing, but I do. I am jealous of any kind of affection she shows towards anyone apart from her family. I love her for fuck's sake! Have done for years...
And I plan to tell her this, I have to tell her. If I don't, I'll fucking combust with all the love I hold for her. Jessica Stanley's party next week, that's when I'm going to tell her. I'll get her to slow dance at the end of the night and let everything pour out.
Bella is special to me, ridiculously so. She's the most special person in the whole world. Eveything I do revolves around her and making her happy. I am nothing without my Bella. She makes me smile, she makes me happy, she picks me up when I'm down and makes me feel like life is worth living. I tell you, that girl is an angel in disguise, a goddess in a human's clothing. She's everything to me, and she deserves to know how important she is to me every single day of her life.
So, I need to tell my Bella how I feel about her… and I need her to love me back. I don't know what I'll do if she doesn't…
"You only want to go to see Doctor Cullen," I accused.
"Of course I do," she said as if it was the simplest thing in the world. "The guy is Class-A FILF."
"He's what?"
"He's a FILF."
"Want to explain that to me?"
"Like the guy version of a MILF."
I scoffed. "They actually have a word for that?"
"Sure they do," she smiled. "The man is total FILF." We both sniggered at how her words sounded. "I'd totally do him."
"Ew, Bells, that's fucking gross!" I said as I subconsciously held her body closer to me.
"What?"
"He's married!"
"True, but my plan is to marry you, steal your last name, then pretend that I'm married to him!"
"Oh, jeez. Thanks, Bella," I chuckled, acting offended. Only Bella would want to marry me in order to get a totally unrelated man!
She's always been jealous of my last name, something I have teased her about endlessly for years. Doctor Carlisle Cullen and I are totally unrelated, there is no family link between us at all. It is merely coincidence that we have the same surname, and Bellsy-Boo is jealous of that fact. She, on the other hand, shares her surname with the unrelated old man Swan who used to live down the road, the man who used to yell at Bella and I for walking on his lawn, despite the fact that we were walking on the other side of the road. He was a total fucker, but he died three years ago. You kind of feel bad talking about the guy that way considering he's dead!
So, on the surname front, I totally owned that shit!
She giggled. "You're welcome, Eddy-Bear," she replied as she kissed my cheek. "It's a good plan though, huh?"
"Yeah, fucking perfect," I moaned, reaching into my pocket as best as I could in order to reach my cigarettes. With all this talk of FILFs, fake weddings and double surnames, I needed a smoke. I placed the cigarette between my lips and handed Bella the lighter, which was fucking difficult considering I was carrying her.
"You know smoking is bad for you, right?" she asked as she leaned forward and lit my cigarette for me. Bella had to be my arms considering mine were otherwise occupied. I took a long drag and Bella removed it from my lips. I blew out the smoke.
"Sure do, baby. Which is why I refuse to let you smoke." It was true. I'd never let my girl take up such a dirty habit. She deserved to remain pure and perfect.
"Why not?" she whined. "Emmett smokes and you smoke."
"And we are terrible, terrible people for doing that." She brought the cigarette back to my lips and I took a drag.
"Liar. You're the most wonderful person I know, Eddy-Bear, smoker or not. Emmett can be an ass at times, but not you."
I smiled, releasing the smoke. "You're the most wonderful person I know, too, Bellsy-Boo," I said, leaning my head down and kissing the hand connected to the arm she had around my neck. She tasted fucking amazing, like strawberries and Bella.
And my words do ring true. In my eyes, Bella really is the most wonderful person I know, and no other person can ever take her place. She is everything a person should be. She is funny, smart, caring, sweet, sensitive, beautiful. She is the closest thing that I can think of to perfection.
I'm lost without my Bellsy-Boo. It's like I physically hurt when she's not near me, almost as if a part of me is missing. And I suppose that Bella is a part of me. We've never been one without the other since the ages of 3 and 4, and in all those years, two people can really form a connection. Bella isn't just my best friend, she's my entire life, she's my existence, she's the reason I was put on this earth.
I was placed here for her… and I will love her and take care of her until the day I die.
"I can't be that wonderful a person," she argued. "Because of my stupidity, you'll have to go to the library on your own tonight."
I need a new music book in order for me to continue my piano playing over the summer. I'm studying music at Seattle University, so practice is always needed. But I wanted something new, something fresh, something I've never played before, so after dinner, Bella and I were going to drive down to Forks library in order to pick me some books out. Her ankle has obviously put a stop to her going now.
"It's okay, Bells. I'll go on my own," I said as she allowed me another drag of my cigarette. "I won't be long, anyway."
"You sure?" she asked, and I nodded. "Okay. Sorry, Edward." She kissed my cheek again and rested her chin back on my shoulder.
"No problem," I grinned as I finally led her home, feeling very light and happy, all of a sudden.
xXx
The library was practically empty when I got there, but what the fuck do you expect at eight at night? The library isn't exactly the biggest socializing hotspot in town. Even the librarian gave me a what-are-you-doing-here-shouldn't-you-be-out-partying-with-friends sort of look. I had to partly agree with her. And I would be out with my friends… if they hadn't decided to fall flat on their ass and twist their ankle!
Still, I needed to get my books. Then I'd go home and no doubt call on Bella. Tonight was Wednesday - film night. And after the day she'd had, Bella would definitely need some cheering up.
I walked straight to the music section and began immediately sifting through the books on the shelves. There was fucking tones of the things! Guitar, piano, bass, wind instruments, even the Irish penny whistle! I went straight to piano and picked out a few things, handling four books in total.
I walked over to the patronizing librarian so I could check out my books. She was giving me that look again.
Yes, I do socialize. In fact, I'm about to go to my friend's house now. Happy?
With my books finally done and ready, I grabbed them and headed straight to the door. Anything to get away from Miss I-like-to-glare! The cold night air hit me the second I left the building, so I wrapped my coat a little closer around my body and clutched my books to my chest. I fished my car keys from my pocket before strolling over to my Volvo.
I couldn't wait to get home. Bella and I always had film nights on a Wednesday. We'd take it in turns each week to pick the film out and, though this week was technically my choice, I was going to let Bella choose instead. Like she said, it's mean to upset people who are ill or hurt, so my Bellsy-Boo could pick the film tonight. I had a funny feeling that it was going to be some shitty chick flick with Zac Efron or Owen Wilson, but I was ready to take them on for her.
What happened next happened so fast that my mind barely had time to register what was happening. It was like one of those moments in movies where everything turns into slow motion so that the audience can actually figure out what's going on and keep up. All I knew was that, one second I was walking to my car, happy as Larry, and the next I was on the floor, my books scattered everywhere, the wind knocked right out of me, my body rolling around in the most intense and terrible pain I'd ever felt.
First, the pain came from hitting my head off the hard ground, but then it came from my neck, the aching strong and mighty, almost like it was being fucking ripped apart. I let out a bloodcurdling scream, the sound echoing throughout the empty car park and falling into the night. Had I tripped? I didn't know. All I knew was that the cold hard floor was below me, and I was in trouble. Tears leaked from my eyes, my chest heaving in heavy breaths as the pain grew strong and deathly.
I had no idea what the fuck was happening, all I could focus on was my neck and the agony it was creating. It felt painful, warm, damp and sticky. I raised my trembling hand slowly to touch my skin, pulling it back, only to reveal blood across my fingers, dripping down onto my coat. My eyes widened as immense panic set in.
That's when I saw them, three dark and hooded figures standing in front of me, gazing down at my shaking and writhing body. One stepped forward and approached me, kneeling in front of me and licking the blood from my fingers. I could not move, I could not speak, I could only watch.
"Mmmm…," said the figure as she licked her lips. It was a woman, her red and curly hair shining in the moonlight. "He's delicious." She cleared my hand of every speck of blood. "James, Laurent, you should try him."
"Well, save some for us, then," I heard a man say. His voice was deep and menacing. He and the third figure approached me and looked down at me… their red eyes glistening as they stared into mine. I gasped… and they attacked, three separate mouths descending on me at once, each one poised and ready to feast. One went to my neck whilst the other two each took a wrist... and the frenzy began.
I screamed and fought for escape as they bit and drank my life-force. I kicked, I lashed out, I tried with every last bit of strength that I had to escape these fucking creatures, but their strength was extraordinary. I couldn't move even if I wanted to. The pressure they put on my aching and trembling body made sure of that.
My throat grew rough and sore as my yelling and screaming got louder and louder, deafening my ears until all I could hear was the blood fighting to pump itself around my body, struggling to keep me alive.
I knew I was dying, I could feel my strength and my will to live leaving me with every drop of blood they took. Soon, I stopped fighting back, I just let them get on with it, I let them kill me. I felt ready to die.
I closed my eyes, seeing her smiling face behind my eyelids, thankful to see her during my last moments.
All I could think of right then was my Bella. I thought about her beautiful and perfect face and listened to her angelic giggle. I imagined her long, flowing hair and her brown eyes looking at mine, telling me that it was all alright, that she was here for me. She told me that I was going to a better place now, a warm place, a gentle place, a place where I'd never feel pain again. I wanted to reach out to her, to touch her and feel her, to hold her in my arms and say one final goodbye to the girl I loved.
But I couldn't. My body didn't care anymore. I could not reach Bella… and I'd never see my best friend again.
My head briefly heard more voices lingering in the background as Bella left my vision, but I couldn't be sure if I had heard them right. Maybe it was more creatures, all here to bite me and kill me too. Maybe three just wasn't enough. My body felt the pressure disappearing and, as I struggled to open my eyes, I could vaguely see the three figures moving away from my poor lifeless form and leaving, falling back into the darkness of night. I didn't know what had happened, but I could tell they had gone.
And then it hit me.
"AHHHHHHHHHHH!" my voice shrieked as my hands cluched together into tight fists.
A pain so intense and vile suddenly struck me, touching every inch of me that it possible could, making me freely welcome death. A burning sensation erupted from the wound on my neck and spread everywhere, my voice screaming so loud that it eventually fell to silence, my mouth still wide open as empty breaths left me. I had never felt pain like this before, this was worse than the biting. It was as if my whole body was alight and stinging, like every nerve was on fire, and no matter how much I tried, I couldn't escape it. I began to spasm and I knew it was my body's way of going into panic. This was insane, this was worse than death. What the fuck was happening to me?
Bella… I need you, Bella…
I suddenly felt hands on my body.
"He's alive, he's moving," came a female voice. "But they injected him with the venom first." I didn't know who the voice belonged to, but I had definitely heard it before.
"Shit," whispered a male voice. Again, it was recognizable, but I couldn't think who it belonged to.
"Quick, we need to get him to the house. He needs somewhere private for the change," came a second male voice. That one I recognized immediately. It was Doctor Cullen. What the fuck was he doing here? Had he and his friends seen the three figures and chased them away? I couldn't think about that now. All I could focus on was the excruciating pain that flooded every inch of me.
I vaguely recalled my limp body being lifted and carried before I blacked out, the aching fire on my skin roaring stronger than ever, taking me over, changing me forever…
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