Chapter 14
Invasion
Lauren was not a happy camper.
It was no longer her revolution. Lauren found herself shuttled aside, a figurehead whose input was no longer required nor wanted. This wasn't working out as she'd planned. All this work and she was still no closer to her goal.
Riley had been her best chance, and considering he had never come to claim his prize, she was pretty sure he was dead. When she'd heard about Bella's change, Lauren had retreated to her bedroom and cried for hours. It seemed like there was some horrible, malevolent force out there in the universe which kept holding her back. But she wasn't going to give up. She and Edward were meant to be and some day, he would thank her for all the sacrifices and struggles she had gone through on his behalf.
Now, if she could just get her revolution back ...
After her speech and the signing of her Declaration, Lauren had been introduced to Laurent and his mate, Bree. Bree hated the Queen with an all-consuming passion, though she flatly refused to answer any questions as to why. Laurent had been an officer during the War of 1812. He was wicked smart and had the vital skills in tactics and planning that Lauren didn't, and Bree knew how to plan a public relations campaign to sell it, so she was grateful for their help. Until she realized one day that Laurent was the new leader of the revolution and Bree was his second in command and Lauren didn't even make the list. Everyone came to him for orders and advice. He was the one who decided which targets to hit for maximum effect and which of their followers to dispatch on the missions to lure the Volturi out into the open. Lauren felt like she was shut outside, looking in through a window.
The revolution's leaders (meaning Laurent) had moved headquarters to New York. Laurent had a luxury apartment in Manhattan and he invited all of his "generals" to stay. Lauren was outraged that she was expected to find her own place, but she'd had a great idea. Riley had an apartment in the Bronx and, well, he didn't appear to need it any more. She found the place vacant except for a dead goldfish. The apartment wasn't much, tiny and furnished like a college dorm room, but it was at least a place to sleep during the day.
Lauren had worried they would be leaving behind their support network in moving, but to her surprise, multitudes flocked to join them, volunteering as soldiers in the new army Laurent was forming.
The damn thing had taken on a life of its own with sympathy revolutions rising up in other cities. They had a report from Italy that the Queen's tower had been taken and was now housing a revolutionary group. Laurent had been livid when he heard the group had burned the Council's archives, destroying thousands of years worth of history. Lauren didn't see what the big deal was that they had burned a bunch of moldy old books, and anyway, wasn't part of their revolution meant to free them all from registrations and records keeping track of what they did?
Laurent's strategy was to take out the Queen's support system and as many of the Volturi that they could lure out an pick off one by one. "Destroy the foundation and the house will fall," he said. Well, that was all fucking well and good but Bella was ensconced in the Queen's house, snug as a bug in a rug, and Lauren still couldn't get to her.
They had a meting scheduled tonight to try to drum up more local support. Laurent never attended large gatherings, preferring to give his orders to his "generals" to carry out or disseminate as necessary. He said that it was too risky to have the important people in the revolution out in the open like that, so Lauren was given the task of making speeches and rallying the "commoners", as he called them. Lauren inwardly seethed at the implication and at being told to read the speech written by Bree instead of using her own words.
Well, that ended tonight. Lauren was before an audience of one hundred fifty, her neatly typed speech laid on the podium before her. Lauren ignored it. She looked out at the sea of faces before her. "What are we waiting for?"she demanded.
The room was silent.
"What are we waiting for?" Lauren demanded again. "We can cut off the Queen's cash flow by hacking banks and destroy the houses of Volturi members, but you know what? It feels like we're freshmen toilet papering the principal's house."
There was a low murmur from the crowd. Lauren forged ahead. "Is this a revolution or a Tea Party rally? Our goal was to remove the Queen from power and set up a democratic government and here we still sit and the Queen still rules. We're not any closer to our goal than we were when I first spoke out about the abuses of her rule. So, answer me this, are we going to do something or are we just talking about it?"
A few shouts from the audience. "I said when I first spoke out that I was willing to shed my blood for our freedom. I meant it, but it doesn't seem like many of you really meant it. Oh, you'll sign documents and cheer at our rallies, but when it comes to action? I'm starting to feel like all of this was just words to you. Empty words and empty promises. All you're willing to commit to is complaining about the injustices we face, not actually doing anything about them."
The audience was getting louder. Lauren threw out her hands. "I ask you men, especially those of you far older than I: Am I , a woman, a fledgling, braver than all of you?"
Shouts of "NO!"
"Then why am I still standing here, beseeching you to make good on your pledges?"
Shouts, roars of agreement.
Lauren clenched her fists and thrust them into the air. "Tomorrow night, I'm attacking the Queen's estate. If I'm going alone, fine. But I'd rather have you with me. Who's with me? I SAID, WHO'S WITH ME?"
The crowd roared, fists rising in unison.
Lauren smiled brightly. "Great! I'll send out the details on my Twitter feed. Spread the word and get as many others as you can. This is history in the making, the battle which will put an end to tyranny!"
It was an hour before Lauren could get off the stage because so many wanted to shake her hand or pledge their support in person. When she finally slipped behind the curtain, Laurent and Bree were there. She gave them a defiant glare.
"You stupid little bitch," Laurent snapped, grabbing her arms and shaking her. "You've just ruined everything, do you realize that? Those fools out there will charge forward and die in droves. We don't have time to organize troops or arm them properly or train them to fight!"
"And if the Queen hears about the impending attack, she won't have time to prepare for it," Lauren countered. "She's got half the Volturi out in the field, putting out the fire's we've set. There will never be a better time, Laurent. We outnumber her forces two to one even if the only people to show up are those in the audience tonight."
"So your plan amounts to choking their rivers with our dead."
Lauren smirked. "Something like that. Well, Laurent, it looks like you've got a lot of planning to do so you'd best get to it."
"I won't forget this, Lauren. You've forced my hand for the last time. After this foolishness is over, I'll be the one to rebuild the rebellion out of what's left."
If Lauren's plan worked properly, she wouldn't be returning anyway. She and Edward would be taking off together and the rebellion could go to hell for all she cared.
Ricky had a rocket launcher.
Lauren stared at it in awe. When he'd offered to bring it last night, she'd thought he was bullshitting, because he had the look of a geek living in his mom's basement, but here he was and he had three shells for it. She had never been in a battle, but even she knew that blowing a hole in the side of the house would make it easier to storm the structure. Hell, look at how shoppers got bottlenecked in doorways during a Black Friday sale. He'd also armed a number of their company from his own sword collection, extracting promises from each that they would be returned to him after the battle. Lauren thought that was a pretty optimistic outlook but said nothing.
As she had ordered, her troops met in the treeline of the nature reserve that bordered the Queen's estate, far enough not to be detected but short enough to make for an effective charge. Laurent had planned that much, though he'd refused to be here to lead the troops as Lauren had hoped. Still, just by sheer numbers, they ought to be able to overwhelm the Queen's forces. And while they were busy with that, Lauren planned to slip away and try to find Bella.
She had worried a little about Edward, hoping he wouldn't get himself hurt before she could find him, but he was an Ancient, and it usually took a lot to take one of them down, more skill than any of these amateurs had.
Everyone wore a white shirt, which would hopefully distinguish friend from foe during the battle. Lauren herself wore a long, white dress, bridal in its purity. She'd thought about tearing down one of the straps and letting her tit hang out like that Liberty chick on French franc notes, but had decided against it.
The internet had proved valuable again in giving her speech material. She faced her army, sword held aloft. There were so many of them. She was amazed and immensely proud at how many had answered her call. She even saw some of her friends from Fort Washington and wished she had a moment for speaking to them, but this wasn't the time for socializing. It was the time for making a rousing, inspirational speech.
"You are here today for three reasons." She called, raising her voice to be heard by the entire crowd. "First, you are here to fight for our freedom our right to self-determination. Second, you are here for your own self-respect, because you would not want to be anywhere else when others were fighting to win that freedom. Third, you are here because you are real warriors and all real warriors like to fight!"
She got a cheer for that and she silently blessed General Patton.
"Yes, everyone is scared in their first battle. If anyone says they're not, they're a liar. The real hero is the person who fights even though they are scared. A true warrior will never let their fear of death overpower their honor or their sense of duty. War is a bloody, killing business. You've got to spill their blood, or they will spill yours! Rip them up the belly. Take off their heads. When the swords are slashing around you and you wipe the dirt off your face and realize that instead of dirt it's the ash of your comrades, you'll know what to do!
"You may be thankful someday when your fledglings ask you what you did on this day. You won't have to look away and admit you hid in Manhattan with Laurent. You can tell them that you had the balls to stand beside me and fought like a demon for our freedom!"
The cheer that rose was deafening and Lauren wondered if it would carry all the way to the house, if Bella would hear it and suddenly look out a window and see the army Lauren had created charging at her and quake with fear. Lauren sincerely hoped so.
Ricky aimed the launcher tube at the side of the Queen's house and Lauren quivered with excitement. This was it. He fired two shots and then a third after Lauren screamed "Charge!" The herd of rebels surged forward, running across the lawn, waving their swords and knives. Lauren trotted along behind the last of the group, waiting for them to break through.
It was a massacre. She'd known it would be but knowing it and watching it was something else entirely. The Volturi warriors cut them down as fast as they could swing a sword. The only time one got past them was when the warriors were occupied with killing another.
Lauren had been to the Queen's estate once before a long time ago, back when she was dating Felix, and she remembered its layout. According to Laurent, the Queen would probably be stationed on the third floor, and Lauren would bet that's where Bella would be, too. She slipped away, walking quietly through the battlefield. No one paid her any attention. She wasn't rushing at them waving a sword, after all, and everyone was occupied with those that were.
"Bella, you cunt, I'm coming for you," Lauren thought. And afterward, she would find Edward and the two of them would get out of this deathtrap.
Edward had been true to his word. After his discussion with Emmett in the hallway, he retreated to the periphery, always lurking within view of Bella but no longer attempting to intrude. If he'd hoped that Bella would notice his glum presence on the fringe and call him to come join them, he was doomed to disappointment. Bella had fallen in love with Emmett all over again and was more than delighted to spend their evenings romping and playing, just the two of them.
Bella was doing better every, her mind becoming clearer as as she became stronger, learning to control her strength and her hungers. Only infrequently did she retreat into silence or have trouble recalling the past. Emmett wanted to move on, but Alice had asked them to stay for a little while longer. She wanted to study Bella's blood and try to determine if there were any organic changes which could explain her recovery. There had been no more security breaches and with Bella sparkling with happiness, he found himself almost reluctant to discuss the idea of moving on, hating to disrupt any part of this idyll.
Bella and Emmett were in the yard trying to build an igloo when the explosion hit. Both of them were knocked off their feet by the percussion wave into the pile of snow they were shaping. Emmett rolled over Bella, shielding her with his own body, instinctively growling as he searched for what had attacked his mate. Edward, who had been lurking under the trees, smoking cigarette after cigarette, was at their side in an instant. He crouched beside them, his eyes scanning, searching. "What the fuck was th-"
Another blast. Bella let out a short scream, hiding her face in Emmett's chest as she still did whenever she was stressed and clutching him tighter.
The side of the house had been blasted, a huge, gaping hole that showed the interior. People staggered around, dazed by the blast. Small fires burned here and there.
"Oh, shit," Edward said. He was the only one who had been looking in the opposite direction, toward the treeline. Emmett swung around and breathed out his own curse. It was an army. An army of vampires running toward them.
One of the group paused and knelt, a long dark green tube on his shoulder. "INCOMING! Everybody, get down!" Edward shouted, throwing himself to the ground as another RPG slammed into the house, blowing debris into the air.
"Get Bella to the saferoom," Edward told Emmett. "Go, now!"
Emmett swooped Bella up into his arms and took off at a dead run, jumping through one of the gaping holes and heading toward the back of the house where the stairs to the basement were. Bella smacked his shoulders and yelled to be put down, insisting she didn't want to go to the saferoom. His way was blocked by a mass of people running in the opposite direction, some running to see what the noise was, some running to flee, others looking for friends and loved ones. Shouted names, screams of pain from the injured, the air thick with dust and smoke. People called to him as he passed, asking the same question, "What's happening?"
Edward answered for him, shouting so the whole house could hear. "We're under attack! At least one hundred hostiles headed this way. Don't just stand there, you fools, arm yourselves!"
Someone hit the alarm and a klaxon blared. Emmett saw the Queen running through the halls and opening weapons storage cabinets, passing out swords, working alongside James to try to arm and protect her people. The Volturi were taking battle stations.
Emmett finally reached the stairs and pounded down them. He reached the wine racks and set Bella on her feet. Tugging one of the bottles caused the rack to swing outward but which one was it? He couldn't remember. He began twisting bottles at random, growing more frantic as time passed. He heard the clatter of footsteps coming down the stairs and he pushed Bella behind him. But it wasn't the enemy. It was more terrified refugees hoping to hide in the panic room. How many people knew it was there, Emmett wondered as he resumed bottle-tugging. The others, catching on to what he was doing, started pulling too as the room filled with those hoping for a safe haven.
The rack sprang open when one of them finally hit on the right bottle. The room behind the thick steel door was small, too small for all of the people crowding forward, trying to secure a place. In the front was someone's dayman and his family, his two small children weeping in terror, his wife in a nightgown, her face blank with shock.
"Bella, inside," Emmett commanded.
"No," Bella said. She moved aside and gestured the dayman and his family forward.
"Bella, there isn't time to argue-"
"I know. We'd better get moving." Bella stepped aside and another woman pushed into the tiny room. "Emmett, I belong at your side and that's where I'll be, and all the legions of hell couldn't make me budge from my rightful place."
"Sweetheart, you don't know how to fight," he said. Space was growing tighter in the small room. He stopped a man from pushing his way inside and bellowed, "Only those with small children!"
"Let the children through," someone shouted, a big, blond woman who began shoving adults to the side to make a path. She began collecting children from the crowd, pulling them from mothers' arms if need be, shoving and ramming her way through the room. She reached the front and gently pushed the little ones inside, stepping back to shut the door. She turned around and Bella finally saw her face. "Rose!" she cried. "Where's Alice?"
Rose pointed upstairs. It was all that needed to be said.
With the doors shut, the rest of those hoping for refuge stood, staring at the door, not knowing what to do. "Start building a barricade," Emmett shouted, closing the wine rack over the door to conceal it. "Rose, can you ...?"
"Got it," Rose said. She ripped down a rack from the far wall, sending dozens of bottles crashing to the ground and stacked carried it to the base of the stairs. Bella Held her hand out to Emmett. He gave an exasperated sigh, but smiled and took it. They dashed up the stairs and could hear Rose behind them sling the wine rack into place, blocking the stairs.
The scene upstairs was much more organized now, calmer. The civilians had been shoved into rooms off to the side, with orders to lock the door and stay there. Bella and Emmett found Edward in the front lines, standing outside the gaping hole in the wall. He was wielding a sword in each hand. "What the fuck is she doing here? I told you to put her in the safe room!"
"It was full," Bella said.
"Goddammit. Emmett, at least get her back behind the lines, in the ball room on the third floor. That's where the Queen is." And that's when the line of white-clad enemy vampires reached the front of the house. Edward jumped into the fray, both blades flashing. Emmett tugged at Bella's hand and she reluctantly went with him, leaving Edward behind. "Emmet, he should come with us."
"He's where he wants to be," Emmett said. "Come on, Bella! Or do I need to carry you again?"
She picked up the pace, running up the staircase beside him. The first landing was occupied by another contingent of Volturi, swords at the ready. Marcus and Aro stood with them, their faces still and impassive. Bella glanced back and saw white-shirted enemies pour into the hall below them, having overwhelmed the front lines with sheer numbers.
Emmett saw them too and quickened the pace, reaching the third floor in a flash. The ball room was located toward the back of the house. They ran down the silent hall, Bella noting bedroom doors standing open. She saw a couple of civilians inside one of them, lying spooned together, silent, waiting for their fate to come, whatever that might be.
The Queen was in the center of the ballroom itself, a sword ready in her hand, James positioned in front of her. "Bella!" she said, and the line of Volturi around her opened to admit the two newcomers. Below them, Bella could hear the sounds of fighting, clashing swords, screams of pain. Alice burst through the doors, two swords clasped in her hands. "They're coming!" she cried.
"Brace the doors!" Caius yelled. He thrust a sword through the door handles and then bent the blade around them. People began to pile the few pieces of furniture in the room against the doors. Alice grabbed a tall case clock, moving it easily though it was nearly twice her size and propped it diagonally against the doors, its chimes clanging, making the Queen wince. "It's a Seth Thomas, James."
"Everything's replaceable, except for you," James replied. He gazed down into his wife's eyes for a stolen moment and put his arm around her shoulders.
Emmett turned to Bella, his eyes shining with unshed tears. He stroked her hair and pulled her in for a hug, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. Bella shuddered, but would not allow herself to show fear. She had to be brave for Emmett.
Wham! Something struck the doors so hard they shuddered in their frames. Bella jumped in Emmett's arms and squeezed him tighter.
Wham! Cracks appeared in their surface, bowing inward from the force of the hits
Wham! The wood splintered and Bella could see a crowd of faces peering through. James pulled a knife from his belt, tossed it in his hand to get the proper grip and flung it with vicious force through one of the narrow openings. Someone outside screamed and he smiled.
The ballroom doors splintered and then caved, breaking out of their frames and forming a steep ramp over the tables and chairs piled against the doors. Someone kicked over the clock and the Queen sighed loudly as it crashed to the floor. A few of the white-shirts had gotten past the lines, not many, but enough. The Volturi crouched in readiness and the white-shirts attacked, swords clashing, fists and feet flying.
Emmett had retrieved weapons from the cabinet in the hall and wished he'd had a chance to take his own sword from the bedroom. He pressed the hilt of a sword into Bella's hand. "Try for the neck," he advised. He bent down and gave her a hard, fast kiss and turned back toward the enemy. One broke through the line and rushed at him, screaming. Emmett flicked his wrist and the sword he was holding cleanly decapitated the man. "See?" he said. "Nothing to it."
"I love you, Emmett," Bella said. She wanted to make sure he heard it, one last time, just in case...
"I love you, too, Bella." Then there was no more time for talk because everyone was involved in the fight. Bella stood alone, her sword held out at the ready. Her hand trembled a bit. Emmett was fighting with a large blond man, their swords clashing, moving so fast they were merely a blur of motion. Bella crept up behind them and lashed out with her sword with all of her strength. The steel bit through the blond's neck and also took off the top of his left shoulder. He was ashes before he hit the ground. Emmett stared at Bella, his mouth slightly agape. "You were right. Easy," Bella said.
Another wave of enemies surged through the door and there was no more time for talk. Emmett was re-engaged and Bella watched for an opening to assist him, but he and his opponent spun and moved so fast, Bella couldn't get a clear shot. Across the room, she saw Alice spinning like a Dervish, her swords mowing down rebels left and right.
"Bella," a woman's voice said from behind her, sounding happy to see her.
She spun around. "Lauren!" Lauren's long white dress was spattered with blood and grayed with ash and had a gash across the abdomen.
"You look like Donner Party Barbie," Bella said. One of the things which made control so precarious for a fledgeling was that their emotions ran stronger than that of a mortal. They loved intensely, they hated intensely and their rage was explosive. Bella felt that rage building up inside her as she looked at the woman who had caused her so much pain.
Lauren's eyes narrowed. "You have no idea how much I'm going to enjoy killing you."
Bella held out her sword. "Bring it, bitch!"
Lauren was on top of her so fast that Bella never had an opportunity to use the sword. She had to drop it in order to have her hands free. Lauren ripped and gouged and scratched and tore at Bella, her intention apparently to vent her rage instead of going directly for the kill. Bella fought back the best she could but had never been in a fight before and it sure wasn't as easy as it looked in the movies. The two of them rolled across the floor, using nails and teeth. Bella grabbed a wad of Lauren's hair and ripped it out. Lauren screamed in pain, raking her nails down Bella's cheek.
"That was for my cat," Bella snarled as she pulled out another handful. "And that was for my house!" Lauren flipped her over so that Bella was on her back with Lauren atop her. Bella bucked and writhed but she couldn't dislodge Lauren from her place. Lauren pulled out a knife and pressed it to Bella's throat. "Now you die," she said.
"Lauren!" Edward's voice rang out and Lauren instantly froze. Bella heaved and threw her off. "Lauren, come to me." Lauren leapt to her feet and ran to Edward, shouting his name.
She threw her arms around him. "Edward, my love," she crooned, as if they were in a bedroom, not a battlefield. Edward looked down at her, capturing her face in his hands. She looked up at him with shining eyes. "Everything I've done, I've done for love," Lauren said, closing her eyes and waiting for his kiss.
"Same here," Edward said. And ripped her head off.
A blood-curdling scream rent the air. Bella and Edward simultaneously turned to find the source, Lauren forgotten.
"JAMES!" Victoria fell to her knees, her hands pressing into a pile of ash before her, a pile of ash which had been her mate, her love, her everything just a second ago. The woman who had killed him stood before her with a grin, lifting the sword to finish her off, too. Victoria, with tears running down her cheeks, didn't even try.
Edward kicked the woman, his foot landing in the dip of her spine, snapping it instantly, She fell to the ground and Edward used her own sword to slice off her head. He grabbed Victoria roughly, hauling her to her feet. Her eyes stayed fastened to the ash pile. With all the force in his arm, he slapped Victoria across the face. "Snap out of it, you whiny bitch! You are a QUEEN!"
Victoria snarled at him in rage, but the reason he'd done it dawned on her and she gave him a little nod of thanks. She pressed her hands into the pile and then smeared James's ash on her cheeks and forehead. She stood, squaring her shoulders, her eyes blazing. Edward bowed and handed her the sword he held. With a cry, she jumped back into the fray, slashing and fighting with all of the anger growing inside of her.
And at last, the sound of clashing steel faded away. The last of the enemy soldiers fell into ash. There was a moment of confusion when everyone looked around for more opponents and saw none and asked, "Is it over?"
The victors stood in the rubble, taking stock of who was left. The sound of weeping filled the air, blending with the moans of pain from the injured. There had been too many losses.
Victoria returned to the small pile of ash that had been her mate, kneeling down beside it. "My lady?" Caius said. "My lady? We must move on. We have to get you out of this house to a secure location."
Victoria acted as if she didn't hear him. She took off the locket she wore and scooped a bit of James's ash into it. She refastened it around her neck and stood, tears making tracks on the ash on her cheeks.
Alice came over to her and pulled her stiff form into a hug. "I'm sorry, Victoria," she said.
The Queen nodded. She picked up her husband's sword and followed Caius out of the room. Everyone gathered in the first floor foyer, including those from the safe room. They stared in awe at the extent of the destruction. No room was untouched. Someone grabbed an extinguisher and put out the few small fires.
"Pack your things," Aro shouted. "Everyone, we are evacuating to England. Meet out front in one hour."
Emmet turned to Bella. "Do you want to go with the Queen? She can always use our help if you want to, or we could set off on our own. It's your choice, Bella."
Bella shook her head. "I think I'm done with war for a while."
Edward found them in the hallway outside their room, preparing to go in and pack their few belongings. "I'm glad to see you're both safe," he said.
"We're leaving," Emmett said bluntly. "Lauren's dead. No one is gunning for Bella any longer. We don't need you."
Bella gave him a chastising look for his coldness, but didn't disagree.
"Please, may I speak to her?" Edward begged. "One last time. Please, Emmett ..."
Emmett studied him for a silent moment and then walked away, going into their bedroom and pulling the suitcase from under the bed. Edward led her a few paces away to the balcony overlooking the foyer. He stood there for a moment before turning to face her. "Bella, I have to say something to you. If I don't say it, I know I'll regret it forever and will always wonder if it might have changed things."
"Edward, don't," Bella said, her eyes full of compassion. "Please, don't. I know what you're going to say ..."
"I have to. Just ... let me, please." Edward took a deep breath, inhaling her scent, different now that she was a vampire, but still the lovely aroma of Bella. "I love you. I've never loved anyone before. Never thought I was even capable of it, but somehow, you opened my heart." He paused for a moment to cup her face. "my heart is not the only change you wrought in me, Bella. For the first time in an absurdly long existence, someone else matters more to me than me. Your happiness is more important than my own. I'm asking for you to come away with me now, to give me a chance to prove how much I've changed, how much I've grown just in the short time since I met you. I swear that I will spend the rest of my life trying to make you happy."
Bella said simply, "Edward, I'm sorry. I love Emmett."
Tears spilled out of his eyes down his cheeks, contrasting with the smile he tried to force onto his face. "I know. I just had to try." He met her eyes and leaned in to press a lingering kiss to her forehead. "I meant it when I said your happiness is more important to me than my own. I've watched you these past few days and I can see that Emmett makes you happy, and I love you enough to let you go. But if you ever need me, know that I'll be there for you."
Bella felt tears of her own welling, spilling. "Edward, I hate to see you leave without repairing your friendship with Emmett. Can't you-"
He shook his head. "That's not in the cards right now, love. Maybe someday, but not right now."
"Where will you go?"
He gave her one of his old crooked smiles. "Does it matter?"
She took his hands in her own. "Edward, I know you don't believe me right now, but you'll find your true love some day, and you'll be happy with her. I want you to be happy. You deserve it, you know."
"That's arguable, love," he said. He leaned toward her, hesitant, waiting to be rebuffed and then leaned forward and pressed a brief kiss to her lips. "Goodbye, Bella."
"Goodbye, Edward. Please, take care of yourself."
He nodded, then turned and walked away, not looking back.
Bella went into the bedroom. Emmett had just finished packing. He glanced up at her as he zipped the suitcase. "Everything all right?"
She nodded and sat down on the bed.
"You don't have to feel guilty," Emmett told her. He hadn't heard the conversation but he guessed the gist of it. "None of it was your fault."
Bella nodded. Emmett knew it would probably be a while before she believed it.
They headed downstairs, Emmett carrying their suitcase, and were stopped by Alice. Rose stood beside her, as silent as a cigar store Indian as Alice hugged Bella and told her how much she'd miss her. "Goodbye! I wish we'd had more time. Thanks for all of your help with my experiments."
"Bye, Alice. I hope to see you again."
"Oh, count on it, girlie. I'll call you sometime." Alice scampered up the stairs. Rose didn't say anything as she passed, but she favored them with a small smile.
Victoria stood outside the front door, wrapped in a shawl. Her face was wan under the streaks of ash she still wore and her eyes spoke of an unspeakable sadness but she was a Queen again, regal, calm and polite. She shook Emmett and Bella's hands and wished them well on their journey and accepted Bella's condolences with the same distant demeanor.
"I feel so sorry for her," Bella said, climbing into one of the vans that would transport the refugees to the airport. "If I lost you ... I don't know how I could survive it."
Emmett kissed her temple. "Don't think about it, sweetheart."
Bella snuggled into his chest. "Where are we going?"
Emmett shrugged. "Wherever you'd like."
Bella was hesitant. "Can we ... can we go back to Fort Washington, just for a day or so?"
"If you'd like. We'll have to be careful, though."
The van filled with others, and a driver slid behind the wheel. The guy at the end of their seat row grabbed the door and slid it shut. They slowly drove down the driveway, weaving between cars and stopping frequently to let luggage-bearing people pass through. Bella looked back at the house and saw Edward standing on the steps, watching them go, a plain wooden box tucked under his arm. She raised her fingers in a tiny wave and he raised his hand in reply. They turned the corner and he was gone.