Synchronous Rotation: Always Facing

Chapter 1

A Dustland Fairytale, The Killers, Edward/Bella

And the decades disappear like sinking ships, but we persevere.

A clean break. One swift rip, like taking off a band-aid. Except it would hurt so much more. Tearing skin, a broken bone, it hurt so much more.

Edward Cullen sat in the canopy, admiring the brightly colored birds that dared to come closer. Their instinct told them to avoid him, but the sunlight was breaking through the damp leaves making his skin sparkle in a tantalizing way. He held out his hand to a bright green finch, as it hesitated from one branch to another. A patch of sun managed to squeeze between the branches, though they were very high up, and lit up his finger. The finch, too intrigued with the shiny object to care about instinct, gave Edward's marble skin an experimental poke.

"Want to take me home?" He whispered, far too silent to startle the small bird who continued to examine his finger tip. He was glad the creatures of the rainforest were so curious to strange visitors. He had only been sitting in the canopy for five days now and the birds had come quite accustomed to him. Even a few young monkey's had swung from his legs, thinking he was just another branch of the tree.

He was somewhere in Columbia, though long ago he had forgotten his exact location. He was in Brazil before, and Chile before that. He was heading north, he knew that. Though not intentionally. He dragged his feet as much as he could. Spending days sitting in one spot. Exploring the bustling cities, though only by night. He swam countless miles of the Amazon river, up and down until he was sure he could find an given town or settlement near the banks.

Years have passed and still he felt that he could look up from the tiny finch preening his fingers to see the border into Panama. Or even the Caribbean sea with Cuba or even Florida winking from the other shore. He was heading north, a magnet, a compass pulling him ever closer to her.

Edward flinched and the green bird was startled from its ministrations. It hopped once before fluttering back into the foliage. Edward stretched out his arms and legs. He had been sitting still for a very long time. The tree, though tall and powerful, trembled as Edward climbed to break through the canopy.

The sky was darkening, preparing for the afternoon rain shower. The air was sticky with humidity, though Edward couldn't feel the oppressive heat. He looked over the acres of tree tops, crawling up and down the mountains and wondered how long it had been since he had destroyed his cell phone.

It was Alice's fault, she refused to stop bugging him. She called him endlessly, begging for him to come back. Edward didn't want to face his family. And Alice pleaded with him to come home. To come back to Bella.

Edward's shimmering skin died down as the clouds began to form overhead. He looked up as the cool rain began the fall and all around him the forest came to life. Monkeys howled, trying to find cover, and the tree frogs chirped in pleasure, crawling out from under the leaves to soak in the fresh water.

It had taken Edward some time to think about Bella without destroying something near him. But now he could relax pleasantly in the canopy of the rainforest during the afternoon shower and remember her.

He loved her, but he also left her. He had tried to protect her, but he only caused her pain. Bella Swan was everything Edward wished he could have and knew he couldn't hold. He had just spent three days idling in a tree top to tempt a small green finch to peck at his finger. The finch didn't know how close it brushed death. It's small bones would turn to dust if Edward were so inclined to twisted his fingers against the bird. But Edward didn't crush the finch, he watched it. He played with it, protected it from himself. What was the point?

Edward looked towards the branches and the various birds trying to dodge raindrops. He thought he could see the flash of bright green feathers, but the bird had already forgotten about him. He suddenly wondered if Bella had done the same.

He sighed, brushing droplets from his hair as they fell into his eyes. He had lived completely cut off for almost six months in the beginning, his tenuous grip had been fading fast though. It was a hard first six months, being so alone from his Bella.

It surprised him that Alice broke first. She screamed over the phone that she was going for a visit to Forks. He didn't know how long she remained, it was a month of constant calling before he finally threw his cell phone off a cliff. She told him that Bella wasn't happy. He needed to come home, he needed to be with her.

It hurt Edward to hear those words, to know that Bella was ripping apart, just like him. After he threw the cell phone, he threw himself over too. Just to feel his arms and legs tear apart from his body. He wanted to see if it would hurt more. It didn't.

When he had gathered himself together again, time was meaningless. He didn't know if it had been six months or two-hundred years since he lost contact. He wished for the latter, then Bella would be dead and he could finally go back to live with his family. They wouldn't judge him…much.

Edward let himself slide between the branches, falling hundreds of feet before he hit the forest floor. The rainstorm echoed above, but few droplets managed to reach the cool ground. It was dark here, even with a clear sky. Edward moved silently, quickly through the forest, weaving between he trees and outrunning the raincloud.

It had been a long time, he could feel it. He wanted to go home.

Alice, of course, knew he would come back.

Edward had barely crossed the border from Mexico when the smaller vampire crashed into him, sending him flying twenty feet. "Edward!" Her scream was a mixture between delight and rage and Edward had barely gotten to his feet before she had her hands around his neck, shaking him violently. "You!...You bastard! Don't you know how worried we all were! I spent ages trying to figure out how to find you! Why would you abandon us all! Can't you see how much we love you!"

Edward finally managed to still her hands before she completely decapitated him. "Alice! Please stop! Alice!"

She was crying, as much as a vampire could. Her eyes were crinkled with her mouth turned down. She whimpered, pained. "Edward," She moaned, throwing her arms around him, though much more gentle. "You're back."

Edward cradled his sister, running his hands through her short hair. She was soft and stable in his arms and still whimpered softly. "I'm sorry," He let her remain there for a bit longer, enjoying the feeling of her familiar body. It had been so long since he had touched anyone, human or vampire. But as he saw the sun slowly beginning to rise he pushed her away. "We should get moving. Where's Jasper?"

She blinked a few times. "Oh, I guess I left him behind. After I saw your return, I just took off," She sat up and looked to the sky, frowning. "I guess that was two days ago," She suddenly grinned, "But we'll meet up with him this afternoon."

Alice was always very fast, though never as quick as Edward. Jasper would never be able to keep up if she was truly driven. "How can he find us?"

She stood up and dusted herself off. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out her cell phone. "Easy, I'll give him a call."

Edward threw his head back and gave out a loud laugh. It surprised him as much as Alice. He couldn't remember the last time he felt such an unexpected bubble of laughter rise in him. Eventually she rolled her eyes and turned around to talk privately into the phone as Edward composed himself.

'Are you done?'

Her voice sounded odd and it took Edward a moment to realize that she was speaking with him through her mind. It had been so long since he had read anyone's mind, as he had been living nomadic. And it had been even longer since he read the mind of someone who knew he had the ability.

"Of course."

The sun was quickly rising, but as Edward had been traveling in the desert to avoid people, they didn't have to worry much about exposure. Alice was a convenient companion, as she could also see if they were heading in a direction that would encounter humans.

For some time they were silent as Edward slowly probed her mind. She was far too excited for any useful information. She thought mostly of Jasper and the family and how they will react to Edward's return. He saw brief flashes of himself greeting Carlisle and being hugged by Esme. It felt good to see that they would easily welcome him back into the fold. There was one thing Alice did not bring up for his perusal.

"Alice?"

She turned to him, grinning broadly from a vision of Emmett knocking Edward senseless with joy. "Yes, darling?"

"How long have I been gone?"

She was confused. "You don't know?"

He shrugged. "After…well, after I threw my cell phone off a cliff-"

"You threw your phone off a cliff!" She stopped and turned to him, fuming. "Edward! Why are you such an idiot!"

He put a hand on her shoulder, just in case she decided to jump him again. "Please, Alice. How long has it been since I left America?" She was still frowning, but Edward could see her adding up the years in her head. But the numbers didn't make any sense. "Wait," his hand was now holding her closer. "Have I been really gone for…over thirteen years?"

She rolled her eyes. "Well, maybe if you didn't throw your cell phone off a cliff, you would be able to keep track of time better," But she sighed and looked away from him, "Edward, I didn't know if you were coming back at all. I looked and looked, but I couldn't see if we would ever meet again until just a few days ago."

She looked so heartbroken that Edward pulled her into his arms. Sometimes being a vampire didn't suit Alice, she could look far too fragile. "I'm sorry. I just got so…lost," She looked up at him, her golden eyes unreadable…to anyone else besides him. Edward smiled. "It doesn't matter, I'm back now. And it's your job to tell me everything that has happened since I left."

She grinned slightly, not completely well yet, but Edward knew it would take some time for her to really forgive him. For everyone to forgive him. "We've been living in North Dakota for the last eight years. It's a nice, but we're thinking of moving north soon, probably Toronto."

Edward's eyes widened, his family have approximately seven locations around America that they would live in for eight to ten years. The rotation was familiar. North Dakota wasn't on the list. "Why there?"

Alice grimaced. "I think everyone just wanted to get away from people. And let me tell you, you can't get much farther than North Dakota."

Edward suddenly grinned. "I see you've been pushing Toronto for awhile."

She stuck her tongue out at him. "I haven't had a real shopping trip in years. I don't care if we have to be twice as careful in a large city. I'm suffocating!"

"I've never known a vampire to suffocate, nonetheless from acres of open plains."

She slapped him on the arm playfully. "Granted, it has been nice to be by ourselves again. Not being around humans makes you feel a bit more human yourself, you know," Her voice fell a bit more silent. "I think we were all a bit shocked about the situation in Forks."

Edward was glad that he didn't flinch or tense in anyway. Alice was testing him, as he knew she would. But he was ready, he'd come back after all. "Have you been in contact with Bella since we last talked?" His voice was steady, strong.

Even reading her mind, Edward didn't see the answer right away. But he could tell that it had been some time. The memories were far away and Alice was in no hurry to conjure them back. "I have already told you the state she was in when you left, you don't need to see it."

"Not even as punishment?"

Alice closed her eyes. "Definitely not. But if it makes you feel better, I think I left her in a good place."

Edward let his eyes slide away from her. "You followed my example."

She shrugged, trying to seem nonchalant, but Edward could see how hard it was to leave Bella again. "She wasn't happy with me. I wasn't you. I helped her, I like to think. But without you, she really just needed to forget about us. Move on and forget."

"Has she?"

Alice suddenly bit her lip. "I can't see."

Edward stopped and Alice avoided his gaze. There was nothing in her visions, just darkness. "What does it mean?"

She met his eyes, a little nervous, but the word came through clearly. 'Werewolf.'

"What?" Edward felt his fists clench and he suddenly found himself struggling to compose himself. "Since when have there been werewolves in Forks?" His voice was strained.

"Just after we left, I guess. Our presence triggered their formation, we think. Bella had befriended one of them by the time I visited. I was horrified, but he was the only one who could placate her. I watched them for awhile and discovered I couldn't use my sight on them. That was one of the main reasons I went back in the first place, because her future kept flickering," She scuffed her feet, still nervous. "I kept checking on her for a year or so after I left, but the blackness bothered me, so I just let her go."

Edward was silent for a long time. Werewolves, how horrifying. He trusted Alice's perception of the situation, but the thought of those creatures anywhere near someone as fragile as Bella made him taste venom. "You haven't seen her in about ten years then?" His voice was stiff, but he stopped trying to quell his anger.

"Edward, please don't do it."

He looked up seeing the vision play across her mind. He hadn't even realized it until he saw it through her eyes. "I have to go back."

The visions of him greeting his family was rapidly fading and Alice reached out to him, as if she could tempt them back. "It's been thirteen years, Edward! So much has probably changed. So much changed in those first six months, you cannot image what you might encounter there!"

"Oh, I can imagine."

She was holding onto his sleeve so tightly that the fabric was the shirt was slowly ripping. "That was so long ago. Werewolves don't last forever, they could be all gone now. Who knows if Bella is even there?"

He pinned her with his eyes. "Then look for me."

She shook her head slowly. "No Edward, I won't look. Come back to us. We have a lovely home in the middle of the country, no one around."

He tried to shake her arm off, but she was gripping too tightly. His shirt sleeve ripped clean off. "I've been avoiding people for the past thirteen years, I've been alone in my head for long enough. If you won't look, then I'll leave and see for myself."

He could already see in her eyes. If she didn't looked, he would leave. If she looked, he would leave anyway. That was all the reason he needed.

"I'll call you when I get there, I promise."

She held his tattered shirt sleeve to her chest. "Don't run away again."

"I'm not, just a detour. I'll show up at your doorstep before you could even see it. I promise."

Alice quickly glanced behind her and Edward knew she was desperately hoping Jasper would meet them in time to keep Edward there. They both knew it wouldn't happen though. She turned back to him, her eyes broken. "I love you. You do know that, right?"

He let his fingers run through her short hair, it felt like feathers. "Closure. So I never have to look back again."