Hello, loyal readers! Here is chapter six of Serious, when things get serious! I'm quite disappointed in you…I have but one review! weeps tragically My lone reviewer, twilightobsession, gets a cyber kiss from Edward. You probably wish you reviewed now…don't worry, I forgive you! But I would appreciate them!
Anyhoo, it's now in the third person omniscient and present tense, and things are starting to get
Serious
On the dance floor, there is a large circle filled with but one beautiful couple. They waltz, and as they do, the circle widens at the subtle change in atmosphere.
Edward stops waltzing and stares Tanya straight in the eyes. In Edward's black eyes there is something that sends a burning chill down her spine. She ignores this feeling as he quietly suggests a walk in the nighttime air. He leads her through the French double doors, taking her hand. It is not as much contact as she desires, but it is enough.
The two walk to a secluded are darkened with shadows. Pale moonlight filters through leafy branches as Tanya burns with excitement.
Still Edward doesn't speak. He simply pins her against a tree and leans in. She closes her eyes.
Faster than she can scream, he spins her around a presses her into the harsh bark. His voice is a low, hoarse whisper. "Where is she?"
"W-What are you t-talking about?" Tanya stutters feebly, more frightened of him than she has ever been.
"You know exactly what—who—I'm talking about." He hisses, pressing her still further into the rough bark.
"I really don't,"
A high, screeching sound pierces the air like knives on glass. Edward scrapes his teeth against the stone flesh of her neck as she shakes violently. "Let me tell you something, Tanya," he says, his voice just a quiet whisper on the wings of the wind. "Bella brings out the light in me. Without her, I am not as you see me. I am not as you want me. So it was useless for you to pursue me anyway," He chuckles humorlessly. "Because without Bella, I highly doubt that you, who took her from me, would want to be within a thousand miles of me."
And now Tanya sees what chilled her in the first place—a cold, manic gleam in his eye. The look of a man who is focused on one thing, and would do anything and everything to get it.
"If I return, and so much as a fingernail has been harmed on her, I promise you, I will show you no mercy." His voice is ice, deadly, and then there is a slap of cold air as he vanishes into the night.
Tanya sinks to the ground, rubbing her throat gingerly. She wonders how she could have thought to do any of this in the first place. If he was going to kill her if she was merely injured, how could he ever be with her? Besides that, the idea of being with him when he was this…this beyond reason was frightening.
It is now, and only now, that Tanya realizes her mistakes.
Bella is lying in Irina's room in the Denali mansion with a distraught Irina. Irina wrings her hands as she wonders what she's doing is right. She ignores the tugging in her gut as she pictures what she'll be able to do once this is done. She mutters, "Well, here goes nothing."
Bella awakes and gasps. "Where am I?" She turns to Irina, eyes narrowing. "Why did you bring me back here? You're with her, aren't you? Well, enough is enough!" Her eyes glow red.
"No! Wait! Please," Irina pleads. "Listen to me,"
"Why should I?" Bella scowls.
"Because," Irina steels herself. "Because Edward's gone."
Bella's red eyes dim slowly. "W-What?"
"He's gone. He wanted me to tell you that you and Tanya's feud has gone too far, and that enough's enough."
"No," she whispers, swaying slightly. "He was just dancing with me—with Tanya—" and then she remembers his impatient sighs as she pushed him to Tanya. Selfishly she'd thought it was because he didn't want to part with her. Was this what they were really for? "No—you're lying to me,"
Irina forces herself to look at Bella's broken face. "Why would I lie about something like this, Bella? I know how much he meant to you."
Meant. Meant. The word echoes in Bella's head. Was he really, truly gone? He would just leave, without even saying goodbye?
She understands that their feud may have taken a toll on him—but he had never really showed it. Was there something else? Of course. Her power. Why would he want her anymore, anyway? An out-of-control newborn with an out-of-control power. This must be why he didn't say goodbye—because it was real this time. This was her worst fear of changing, that their love would change as well. And now, it's her reality.
Irina watches her weave some sort of impossible logic through her words. It's mind-altering, watching Bella's eyes deaden. Irina's heart goes out to her, but it is worth it for what Tanya promised her.
Bella comes to a conclusion. "So it's true, then." Her voice is emotionless, cold like death. "He's gone."
"I'm sorry," Irina offers lamely.
Somewhat dazedly Bella stands up and begins to walk out the door.
"Where are you going? Stay!" Irina cries, Bella can't leave the room.
Bella turns to Irina. "Then you kill me."
Irina, shocked, horrified, sputters, "W-What?"
"Kill me." Bella looks at Irina with lifeless, icy eyes. "Nobody will miss me now. I've no one to live for. I've nothing to live for. He—" She can't say his name, can barely say he, "doesn't want me. I need him, without him…please…please kill me."
Irina's eyes are wide with terror as she says, "I can't Bella…I can't." How could she have known that this would happen? Tanya hadn't said anything about something like this!
Bella laughed without mirth. "Well, being that you already have in essence, what's the point of having me alive, anyway?" Irina shudders. "If you care so much about me dying, you should kill me…you'd probably show me more mercy than the Volturi."
"The-the Volturi?"
"Yes," Bella's emotionless voice shows echoes of impatience. "Either you can kill me here, or I'll go to the Volturi, but please—" Bella's eyes are a freezing, throbbing black as the pain in them makes Irina wonder which is worse for her—life or death. "—decide. Don't make me suffer any longer."
Irina comes to a decision. "Bella, I'm sorry, but I won't—but listen! It's because—"
But before Irina can right her wrong, two things happen simultaneously.
At Irina's word, Bella pulls fire from the air and burns her own hands with it, relinquishing her immunity. They color a violent pink and she screams in pain and in happiness the release the pain gives her.
At the same time, the door is ripped from its hinges as a mindless roar of fury shatters the air. Edward stands in the doorway, looking deranged with rage.
This love is serious (everybody knows I'm mad for you)
Upon seeing each other, both vampires freeze, staring into each other's eyes with similar looks of fear.
You get me seriously out of my mind
Something seems to pass between them, and then Edward is across the room, covering Bella with kisses. Bella is sobbing tearlessly, saying his name again and again.
And I am so into us (not gonna let no one get hold of you)
Baby, you're mine
"Edward," Bella cries quietly. "Don't leave, I won't fight with her, I promise…"
You got me so delirious I'm under your control
"What are you talking about?" Edward frowns. "I didn't leave, you got taken…"
Bella's face is confused, then aware, then furious. "You. Lied. To. Me." She turns red eyes on Irina, who cowers. "You were working with Tanya all along! I was about to kill myself and you just sat there—"
"You were about to what?" Edward's eyes turn black.
Bella fidgets slightly and her cheeks turn pink. "She told me you left… and it's not you wouldn't have done the same thing."
Point it at me if you must, your arrow's got me poisoned
Tell me what my treatment is, your love's got me insane
"You and I are going to have to have a talk," He says sternly, as though scolding a child. "How many times have we discussed this? No matter what might happen to me, you are not allowed to kill yourself!" Bella makes a face at him. It's not as though she won't if something does happen, or vice versa. "Not to mention you are never to burn yourself again."
She pouts ever so slightly. Hypocrite.
"Now," He turns to Irina. "What exactly did you say to Bella?"
After a pause in which it becomes obvious that Irina is not going to answer, Bella says, "She told me you left because you were sick of me and Tanya fighting over you." Her voice trembles slightly and Edward holds her tighter.
"T-Tanya told me to do it," Irina stutters, "Sh-She said if I d-did, and Bella went away, that she—and you—w-would let me go to Forks and take care of those dogs."
"Why would I let you go?" Edward asks in a cold voice.
"S-She said that you and her would be together by then."
Bella snarls and Edward rubs her back soothingly.
"I hope Tanya knows that because of what happened—" he pulls Bella's hands to his heart—" and because of what almost happened, I no longer consider her family. "
"Edward, no—" Bella protests, but Edward puts a finger to her lips.
"No, Bella. She's gone too far." He pulls her to him, and murmurs in her ear. "I advise you to go easy on Irina, it's not so much her fault. I have…something to deal with."
Her lips tremble. "No," she mouths. "Don't leave me, not yet,"
My prescription is a kiss, and boy you got me wantin it
Her words are muted as he enraptures her with a single kiss and a single whisper, "I'll be back before you can miss me."
Then all that is left of him is cold air and a lingering scent.
Bella turns to Irina. Irina backs up to the doorway.
"Don't run," Bella says quietly. "I'm not going to hurt you." Her voice, however, tells a different story, as does her face. All the same, Irina relaxes slightly. Bella continues, "Do you have any idea how much those words hurt me? I was fully ready to end my existence—because and existence without Edward isn't one." Irina is perfectly still, perfectly silent. "I don't think you understand me. Shall I show you?"
Before Irina can run, before she can move, before she can think, Bella's eyes burn red. Irina is bathed in a fury of golden flames, caressing her, seeming to slash through her. She convulses with the agony, her eyes rolling back into her head.
But she is silent.
And as quickly as it began, it vanishes, leaving no more evidence than a dream.
This love is serious (everybody knows I'm mad for you)
You get me seriously out of my mind
"That," Bella says softly. "Was a percent of a fraction of a percent of what I was feeling. I know exactly what you were feeling, and the most I could have increased it to would be a percent of what I was feeling. Because nothing can ever amount to the pain of his absence." Irina trembles from the floor, wondering why she ever did any of this. But something told her she'd do it again in an instant, if it meant she could destroy those mutts. Her remorse is minimal. "Now go," Are Bella's final words to her. "At my mercy."
Irina vanishes.
Bella sighs, and prepares herself to wait for Edward's return. She is rather happy that Edward hadn't been there to see that. She can't help but wonder what he is doing.
And I am so into us (not gonna let no one get hold of you)
"Bella!" A high-pitched scream sounds from the doorway. Bella turns to Alice in alarm. "Edward's going to…he's going to kill Tanya."
Dun dun dunnnn! Are you sitting on the edge of your seats? Okay, well, are you biting your nails? Fine, are you at least a little curious? That's all I needed. Stay tuned! It'll be up later tonight. Review and vote!