Part Five: The Clicking Of time
Esme is the one left to pack up. She can't even bring herself to pretend to grumble- this is usually her job and she's glad to have something to occupy herself. It doesn't help with her mind- she can't stop her thoughts from travelling in dark circles which make her shiver, but it makes her feel like she's finally doing something productive, something to help in this situation where she feels imcompetant and obsolete.
No one else is left in the house to help, but that's okay- it just allows her to drag the task out. Carlisle left for the hospital, planning to leave his resignation till the last moment, partially to give them a chance to leave, but mostly to give Edward time to change his mind. Which doesn't seem to be close to happening. Emmett and Rosalie left as soon as dark had come, wanting to be away before Edward returned- not that any of them had noticed if he had. Jasper accompanied them, claiming it was to get their newly acquired house in Cornell set up- but really wanting to escape this house, which he feels holds him responsible for these events. Alice had been torn between wanting to stay- to see if there was any small way left to change his mind or even just to let her say goodbye (even though she sees this will be easier without one), and wanting to stay with Jasper, who needs her so much right now. In the end, he told her to stay, to do what she could for Edward, which of course made her feel like staying with Jasper was even more critical (she's never liked doing what he tells her to do- it makes her suspicious).
Alice wouldn't have made much difference to the situation if she'd stayed, except she could have helped to pack up all her clothes (which took the best part of 20 minutes to sort through- and that's something for a vampire). And she would have spent most of the rest of the time moping, missing Jasper and trying to track down Edward (who has barely been home since leaving that morning) and mushing rose petals between her fingers. So it was better she left with them.
Except that the house feels too empty without them- it's usually filled with all of their boisterous noises, most coming from Emmett, forever challenging the others to bouts and his roars of fury that one time he dared to challenge Alice and she wiped the floor with him. She glances around and grimaces. Almost everything is gone- all except the grand piano, covered with a dust cloth, which she can't bare to move. Everything has either been taken to the car, waiting to be taken to their new house, which doesn't quite feel like a home, or in storage, in the secret hope that they might come back (or maybe just holding too many memories). It doesn't look natural- the emptiness. It feels dead and dark and the gray outside isn't helping. In a few months, all her hard work to make this place a home will have dissolved- it'll finally look like a crypt for vampires.
She wonders if this is a premonition- a foreboding glimpse of the future. The empitness, everyone gone, and only an echo of Edward remaining. She doesn't have to be Alice to see where this'll take them. And she's pretty sure that they're back where they started- before coming here. Back when they were all broken up, not seeing each other for months on end. Carlisle heading to the hospital most in need of his help- usually between those in dense, sunless cities. Jasper avoiding these, and heading further north, to somewhere with few people and maybe snow so as not to test himself too much, Alice tagging alongside, keeping him out of trouble. Emmett and Rosalie breaking away, seeing more of the world, looking for fights Emmett can get into and Rosalie can try to keep him away from, but never really finding any. Edward just drifting, moving between them all or going off on his own- maybe being away for years on end, this time. Their family's breaking up, and she can't seem to stop it.
And she's worried because this road appears to be too straight, too direct, too obvious. Almost too easy to get to- and impossible to veer from. Just a goodbye and that's it. Been said and done before. Shouldn't it be harder? Haven't they made a greater impact that one that a farewell can fix? How can it be so simple- just packing up their things to give them no reason to come back and her no reason to think they will?
It takes her a few moments to realise that he's back, his blonde hair sweeping past his face. And his eyes immensly saddened. He wasn't really ready to leave, he still had so much to give to the people here, so many goodbyes to say that he can't and now they'll have to start again building trust. But the hardest part is the reason for the leaving- not that someone is suspitious or they've all exceeded their limit their youth can get them, but because someone accepted them, for who they are. It seems a hard price for all to pay for that.
"Let's fly," he says, reaching for her hand. And it's nice to feel just that little comfort, to feel sad for herself and not for the others, to admit that this is harder for her than just packing a few boxes. Because this isn't like losing one member of her family- it's like losing them all.
This took alot out of me and a lot of time (so I may have to add another day to the time limit...). Esme is rather predictable, which makes it hard to write an original fan fiction. Not my best- and I never thought i'd say this, but Carlisle looks set to be harder. And that sucks 'cause I like Carlisle. Review if you like and spellng as always...