Chapter 15: On the edge

A/N: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. (In other words – I don't own it, I'm just playing). Please take the time to leave some words if you really loved it or really hated it! Thanks to my beta FE71SH for working the magic.

We were standing on a precipice. My hand was tightly wrapped around Edward's as we stood side by side.

"I wish I knew how much longer they are going to take," he sighed, as he watched the sun sinking into the distance. The bravado from earlier had completely fizzled out of his system almost the instant that Carlisle and Alice left.

I rubbed his hand, knowing that my touch and thoughts were comfort enough to him. He turned to me and smiled in confirmation.

"Enjoying the view?" I asked.

He nodded, not taking his eyes off mine.

We stood hand in hand at the top of the cliff watching the sun sink lower into the sky. "It's beautiful up here," I said eventually, breaking our eye contact.

"It is. It's almost a shame it's been off limits for so long."

I nodded. "The last time I was here, I couldn't appreciate it all." I looked out to the distant horizon.

"Will you show me the last time you were here?"

I bit my lip. "I don't know." It was a very dark period in my life.

He nodded, before touching my chin with his finger. "I know, I realised as much. But I don't want anything to be hidden between us anymore. I know the basics, just...being here now makes me want to know what happened then."

I nodded. I closed my eyes and concentrated on the last time I had been on the cliff.

I had my eyes closed, I was getting ready to make the leap. I had no doubt I would if Jacob hadn't stopped me. I sank back into my mind and felt everything I had then. An overwhelming desire ran through me. I wanted, no...needed, to see Edward again. There was only one way I knew how. Whatever the reason, his voice called to me in extreme situations. I didn't know if it was a result of fear or stupidity, the by-product of delusion or adrenaline. I didn't care about the cause, only the result. As I stood on the cliff-top I could hear his beautiful voice pleading with me not to do it. I raised up onto my tiptoes, ready to plunge.

"Bella stop!"

It was a different voice, less angelic, rougher and more...earthy. Jacob. I turned to look at him, leaving my past self standing at the edge, uncertain whether to listen to him or take the opportunity to soar out over the edge.

As I watched my past self run through the internal debate I turned to Jacob. This was a pivotal moment in our joint history. It was the day I began to break down the barriers I had raised after Edward left. I watched as he spoke again. "Bella, please don't do this. We need to meet Charlie at Harry's."

"What's wrong?"

"It's Harry, he's had a heart-attack." Jacob reached his hand out for hers before pulling her gently back from the edge.

"Is he...will he be all right?" I asked.

He shook his head."It doesn't look great."

I tried to remember how it felt to be in his arms as he wrapped them protectively around me, pulling me into him and away from the cliff. Everything about our relationship had shifted that day. Over the course of the next few years, we had fallen into love and spiraled back out of it again. This moment was the end of our innocent friendship and the start of a new one that would suffer so many wounds and still survive intact. I wanted to thank him for all he was about to do for me-the good and the bad. In the end, everything that we did to each other led me back where I needed to be; in Edward's arms. Forever.

"Forever," Edward agreed with a murmur against the base of my neck. While I was unconscious he'd shifted our position. Rather than side-by-side, he was now behind me. Holding me like Jacob had. "Do you regret not doing it when you had the chance?" he asked.

I didn't need to ask him what he meant as I stared out at the waves crashing violently against the rocks below us. Yes and no. I don't know what would have happened if I had jumped. I was a lot more fragile back then.

I felt Edward bristle behind me. I had no doubt he was thinking about me jumping back then. "I'm glad you didn't. You might not be here with me now if you had."

I nodded and leant back to get even closer to him. Despite the circumstances and the anxious waiting for Alice or Carlisle to call, I could feel the desire rolling off him. I turned my body in his arms and took his face between my hands. It will be okay. I don't know how, but I know it will be. Look at Jacob and I...who would have ever thought we'd be friends again? And the treaty? Who'd ever have thought we'd get to see this view. I kissed his lips softly.

"Let's jump," Edward said with a new playful glint in his eyes.

I let out a small laugh. "Why?"

He looked down at me earnestly. "I don't want there to be anything between us anymore. No secrets. No lies. No regrets."

He laced his fingers with mine and drew my hands away from his face.

"Besides," he continued. "It'll be fun."

I watched him for a second, trying to determine if he was serious. He stepped back, slowly peeling off his pants and shirt, leaving his boxers. "I'm very serious."

But what about Alice? What if she calls?

He stepped closer to me, his excitement obvious. He lifted the hem of my t-shirt and deftly pulled it off over my head. "She can wait," he whispered as he started on the buttons of my jeans. "This can't."

As he slid the denim down my legs, he dragged his fingers along my thighs, causing my nerves to sing with pleasure. Once he was satisfied that I was only in my bra and panties, he pulled me back to the edge of the cliff. Holding my hand again he turned to face me. "Are you ready?" he asked.

I smiled in response. I knew I had nothing to fear from the fall or from the ocean below, and after seeing my past self's desire to know what it felt like to soar over the edge, I had felt a pang of curiosity. I had no doubt it was this curiosity that was spurring him on as he began his countdown.

On 'Go' we leapt. We both launched ourselves out over the cliff, soaring up into the open air. It was as close as something without wings could possibly get to flying.

As we sailed through the air, pushing further away from the shore, Edward tugged my arm gently and pulled my body into his. He wrapped his arms around me and brought his lips to mine, even as the wind whipped my hair in front of my face. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the feeling of pure freedom. Of weightlessness. Every care seemed to be pulled away as we were carried ever upward.

As if jealous of our freedom, gravity soon began to make claim on us. The air around us grew weighted, pulling at us and trying to force us apart, but we clung tighter to each other. It stole our freedom inch by inch until we were falling. Spinning together toward the ocean, clutching at each other against all the forces trying to pull us apart and then suddenly, we re-found our freedom with a crash.

We hit the ocean hard, falling through it like stone. Water rushed around us. Unlike the air, which tried to force us apart, it pushed us closer together. Edward's hands pulled at my shoulders, there was barely an half an inch between our bodies. Rather than fighting for the surface, we fought for comfort and closeness. We drove further under the waves. Our lips melded into each other, our tongues caressed. The salt water of the ocean ran into our mouths, adding a new edge to the taste of our combined venom.

Well... this is different, I thought, visions of being supported by the water and rocked by the waves filling up my mind. I opened my eyes, surprised at how clear my vision was even under the depths of the ocean. The dim light and murky ocean hardly a concern.

Edward looked so beautiful, his hair forming a bronze halo around his head that swayed with the ebb and flow of the waves far above. One of his hands pulled my pelvis to his while the other unhooked the clasp on my bra. I left my shield down and my mind wide open. Under the water, nothing else existed. No noise, no interruptions, just Edward and me.

Edward broke off the kiss and began a slow and torturous trail of light kisses along my body, pushing me up in the water while pulling himself down. He spun us around lightly and the weightlessness returned. I looked down my body at him and met his eye. He slid my bra straps along my arms, pulling them towards him before discarding the garment. He climbed my body slowly, kissing and caressing with his lips and fingers. I closed my eyes, giving over to the sensation.

There was a rush of water and then all movement was gone. I opened my eyes and looked around. I spun in a rapid circle, my eyes on a constant vigil for Edward. I dropped my eyes, looking down into the ever darkening water and I saw him. His face split into a wicked grin, his eyes daring me to follow. To catch him.

I pushed myself after him, barely acknowledging the slight pressure in my chest. It was a small price to pay for the freedom we were experiencing. And I could tell by his eyes that Edward was truly free in that moment. We were far enough from land and deep enough in the sea that thoughts from the main land couldn't reach him. We were momentarily alone-completely alone-for the first time in far too long.

Edward's grin grew even wider at my thoughts. As I watched, he pushed a little more distance between us before gesturing me to him with a twitch of his finger. I didn't need to be asked twice and quickly pushed myself down to him. I reached him at speed and spun him around. I grabbed the tops of his arms held on tight as we twirled through the current. I touched my lips to his as our spin slowed.

We danced under the waves, spinning and twirling as our lips and hands explored. Our feet kicked out occasionally to keep us in motion. His hands tamed my hair as it flared around my head in wild, snaking tendrils. His fingers caressed my neck and cheek. He pulled me closer and gave every part of himself to me. I wanted to lose myself in the moment forever.

Almost as soon as the thought had crossed my mind, his hands ran along my neck and down my shoulders. He sank into my body, twisting himself around to remove my panties and his own boxers. I closed my eyes he pulled my body around him. My mind cried out in ecstasy, using the only instrument I had at my disposal to tell him how good it felt. The water supported and caressed us as our dance grew ever more intimate. We were one with each other and one with the world. Up and down, hot and cold, hard and soft no longer existed. There was only me and Edward. Cocooned in each other and our own private world.

Neither of us was anxious to return to the surface, the need to be with one another stronger than the desire to hear from his family but, without communicating it, we both began to push slowly for the surface knowing our private time was drawing to an end.

As our heads broke the water, Edward flicked his hair back, sending a spray of water into the air before laughing. The sound of it erased the last traces of concern running through my mind. He pulled me close. "Someone's waiting for us," he said, indicating the cliff top.

I twisted to see where he was pointing and saw Alice looking over the edge.

A feeling of dread settled over me. I wasn't sure whether it was good news or bad that she had arrived in person instead of calling, but Edward didn't seem too concerned so I followed his lead back toward the shore.

A fresh set of clothes were already waiting for us when we surfaced. It felt almost normal to see them waiting, as if none of the recent events had actually occurred. I almost expected to Alice to come bounding out from between the trees soon with a smile on her face and pull me into an embrace. Instead, Edward tugged me in the direction of her 'voice' and we ran to her. She was standing stationary with her arms crossed. I couldn't read the expression on her face, which was odd because she was usually an open book.

She greeted us each with a stiff nod.

"Don't Alice," Edward said, in a quite plea before she was able to utter a word.

I stiffened, unsure what his quiet plea was in regards to. Was Alice coming to tell me that I wasn't welcome? Or maybe she was a decoy or part of an ambush?

Edward read my concern and held me tighter.

"See, it's not a good idea," he murmured to Alice. "Be gentle."

"I was surprised to see you coming onto the reservation," Alice said softly, looking at me. "More surprised when your future didn't disappear. It made me curious to find out what was happening. I came down to talk to Jacob, and he told me a few things. Then the future told me the rest."

"Huh?" I asked, confused.

"I thought about coming down and confronting you. You must have been debating whether or not to tell me the complete truth at the same time, so I saw it all. Everything you really wanted to tell me, and the reasons why you thought you shouldn't."

"So then you know? What I did to you?"

She nodded. "What you did to everyone!"

"I had to."

"I know you believe that," she whispered. "Show me why."

"What?"

"Show me, in your own way, why you felt this was the best choice."

I pulled up the memory of what I had seen in her visions, I hoped this would still work like it had before, showing physical memories was easy, showing memories of visions was harder to do without the benefit of Edward's gift. There was only one way I could be sure she saw the whole thing and that was to restore her memories of the event. If she already knew what I could do anyway, surely it wouldn't endanger us any further.

I looked to Edward to try to read his thoughts on the matter and he nodded.

You think I should return them all?

He thought for a moment. "I think you are right, the danger is already there. We three are the ones Aro wishes to collect more than the others. We three are the ones who know the danger we are in. No more secrets between us."

Alice looked at him and nodded. "I know the risks, Bella. Please…I want to remember you."

Using my hands to focus my shield, I returned her memories. Every second we had spent together since she'd first met me in Forks. I returned everything as fast as I dared. Being so close to my best friend again, having her almost trust me, made me anxious for us to return to how things were. I just couldn't be sure whether receiving her memories would work in my favour or not. After all, she would be learning that I had stolen her memories twice. The first time was accidental, but the second time I had done it purposefully. I just hoped she would understand my reasons.

Shock flittered across her delicate features as I returned everything, right up to the last few days of our time together. Her eyes widened in shock and then she bolted. She ran straight for the treaty line, no doubt seeking an escape off the wolves land, and from me.

I took a step to go after her, but Edward stopped me. "She may need some time," he said. "I think you showed her a little bit too much at once. It was overwhelming even for me."

I sagged. I couldn't help but feel guilty that I had again been the cause of a divide in the family. Every time I tried to fix things, I inevitably made them worse. Edward held me and pulled us both to the ground. He didn't say anything as he gently rocked me. He silently soothed me in this way until long after the sun had set and the moon was high. We'd been disturbed by one or two wolves, but after seeing and smelling us they moved on quickly.

He rubbed my shoulders gently before running his hands down the length of my arms. "Come on, let's go find Alice," he whispered. "I'm sure she's had time to process things now."

What if she can't forgive me?

He smiled. "She will...I know she will."

I hope you are right.

We stood and walked slowly away from cliff. I turned around and watched the ocean as we left. We'd barely hit the edge of the wolves territory when Edward stopped. Alice came charging back toward us and didn't stop until she was right on top of us. I felt Edward stiffen beside me.

I didn't get an apology, or the chance to offer one before she spoke; four words that left me reeling.

"The Volturi are here."