Ready for the final chapter?


ALICE'S POV

It's been two weeks since Bella's death. Two weeks. It feels like it's been months, and yet it also feels like time has stopped. Jasper and I left the Cullen house the day after Bella passed for Jasper's sake. He couldn't deal with all of the emotions. Especially the emotions of Edward.

Edward was practically on suicide alert. Although I could not see what was going on with the Flu, I was capable of watching the Volturi and checking for any trips and suicide pleas. I was grateful that my power was finally being useful, even if Jasper and I were hundreds of miles away.

Carlisle had continued to work at the hospital for a few days, but was far too pained to continue so he relocated only a few towns over. He wants to help with the Flu as much as he can, but he can't forget the memory of Bella everytime that he walks by the room.

Rosalie and Emmett stayed back at the house with Edward. They call frequently and send us updates on how he is doing, although we all know that the best we can expect is sadness. It had taken all three of the Cullen men to get Edward out of the hospital after closing hours when Bella died, so as not to give away our secret to humans. He wouldn't leave her body. He claimed that she was fine and would make it through. We didn't allow him at the funeral and that's when Jasper implored us to leave. The waves of hatred were too strong to handle.

"Alice." Jasper breathed quietly downstairs. I put down my magazine and pranced down the stairs, curious as to why he called me.

"We need to go back home." he said. I numbly nodded my head. What could possibly have happened now?

As we drove the three hundred miles back home I found myself becoming more and more depressed. This is the car that Edward gave me after Bella and I saved him from the Volturi. A wave of shock came through me and I promptly checked to see what was going on with the Volturi. Nope, Edward hadn't visited.

"Do you have any idea why we are going back?" I asked desperately. Everyone knew that I was easily curious and very impatient. Why wouldn't whoever called have said what happened on the phone?

"I have no idea. Carlisle called from the house phone so it must be something important."

x

It took us 4 hours to get home, and when we finally drove up the driveway, Jasper stiffened. Something had gone on here.

"Alice!" A devastated Rosalie called, running over and embracing me. Confused, I began to rub her back reassuringly, my curiosity still rising.

"What happened?"

Rosalie took her head off of my shoulder to give me a pained look, then led me into the house. Esme's cries could be heard immediately.

"What. Happened." I demanded.

Instead of getting answers, Carlisle whisked me back outside, much to my dismay. He motioned for me to sit next to him on the front steps. It took him a few moments before he was capable of speaking.

"It's... Edward..." he began. "He's dead..."

The typical sister would have shouted or cried. But I did nothing. I just sat there. The lack of emotion that I felt surprised me, and must have surprised Carlisle because he continued.

"When I told the family that I was sure that vampires could get the Flu because it's immune to our venom, I'm sure that you understood what had been going on. I'm sure you realized that Edward had been infected with it and had to hunt daily in order to stay alive."

It wasn't making sense. Why would he joke about my brother dying?

"We.. You, Bella and I...were the only ones that knew about it." he said, breaking eye contact. "We were the only ones that knew that he had to hunt everyday in order to survive..."

Then I realized it. Edward had committed suicide.

"That bastard!" I shouted at the house. How could he have done that? He knew that I wouldn't be able to see whether he died because of the wolves being involved with the Flu. He also waited for the only two people that knew about his illness- Carlisle and I- to leave. Nobody had been monitoring his hunting.

Just then Rosalie ran out of the house and into Carlisle's arms.

"I had no idea..." she sobbed. "I thought that two weeks was an acceptable amount of time for him not to hunt... I'm sorry...I didn't know he was sick!"

Carlisle diverted his attention to her and I took the chance to enter the house. Jasper was sitting on the couch, his head in his hands, either from his own emotions or from everyone's. But I wasn't interested in him. I had something to pick with Edward. I stomped up the stairs and stormed into his room.

The scene before me looked like an ad for a Hurricane Relief Fund. Edward's pride and joy, his stereo was split in half. Bits of C.D.s were scattered throughout the floor, not a single one in tact. He did, however, allow the couch to survive. And that was where he lay.

Slowly, I made my way to his body. He looked so peaceful that I was almost mad at how unapologetic he looked, but that soon turned to sadness. This was all so real now. Edward was dead. I hugged his lifeless body to me, inhaling the scent.

I was startled as I heard Emmett break something in his room, but remained holding Edward, blocking anything from hurting him.

"I understand..." I whispered into his ear.

If I lost Jasper then I don't think I even could have waited the two weeks he had. I gently placed his head back onto the arm of the couch and set his arm back onto this stomach like it had been previously. The act caused his tightly balled fist to unclench slightly, and a folded piece of paper fell onto the floor in front of me.

I had to catch my breathe as I stared at it, frightened at what it could possibly say. With trembling hands, I unfolded it and began to read.

I'm sorry for being so weak and leaving you, but I can't live on this Earth while Bella doesn't. Realize that even if I can't spend an afterlife with Bella, nothingness is better than the pain that I feel. I thank you for trying to comfort me, but this is what I want. It's nobody's fault and it couldn't have been prevented. I'd have tried again if this attempt failed. Thank you for the years together and I hope that you move on.

- Edward

Please take any step needed to ensure the family moves on.

I clutched the paper to my chest as hard as I could while still trying not to rip it. How very much like Edward. The fool. He's so positive that he doesn't have a soul or afterlife, but is still willing to give it a shot.

I could faintly hear Carlisle downstairs, talking to Jasper.

"There is nothing that any of us could have done for either of them, Jasper." he said after we were all hit with a wave of guilt. "None of us could have changed Bella. The virus is immune to venom. It wasn't the same Flu that hit in 1918."

My eavesdropping was interrupted as Esme knocked on the door. I quickly tucked the note back into his palm.

"Are you okay?" she asked quietly.

I nodded.

"That's good." she took a seat next to me. "You know, I'm sure that he's happy. And I think that we are almost done with the innitial shock. It's normal for all of us to be sad. And perhaps Edward has finally realized that we may have souls. He's probably with Bella in heaven right now."

I nodded my head dumbly, not wanting to tell her just how certain Edward was that he had no afterlife. After a few moments, Esme left the room, leaving me to reread the note.

"As long as there are no more surprises, I'm sure that everyone will be fine." Carlisle reassured Esme in the other room.

Please take any step needed to ensure the family moves on.

The line repeated itself in my head until I found myself picking up a piece of broken glass and walking towards the window.

"They don't need to know just how positive you were of nothingness after life, Edward." I said, trying to explain why I found this necessary. "I'm sorry... for everything..."

I positioned the light to reflect off of the glass, instantly lighting the side of the note in a puff of smoke, and watching the flame catch and spread onto the rest.

"I'm sorry..."

Edward's POV (that's right! you heard mexD)

Dark. Cloudy. Cold. Numb.

Was this how I was going to spend eternity? Was this the release that I had craved? Or was I simply dreaming?

"Edward..."

I looked around frantically, trying to part all of the clouds so that I could see the speaker.

"Edward!"

Slowly, the fog left and was replaced with light. At first soft, but then blinding. I had to shield my eyes from the light's rays as a warmth began to fill me.

"Bella." I breathed, seeing her figure through the light. She walked towards me slowly and I reached out my hand to touch her. Hoping that this Bella was real. My hands gently brushed against her cheek

"I've missed you so much." she said, running into my arms.

I returned the embrace, living in this moment of reunion as tears began to splash onto the ground. My tears.

There. Bitter-sweet?

Although this is the last chapter of an actual plot- I'm going to have a question and answer section (ive received an incredible amount og questions). And depending on the amount of requests- perhaps Jacob's reaction? (sry to disappoint, but he won't kill himself xP)

So thank you for reading and I look forward to hearing from you :)