Disclaimer: I don't own anything, although I'd probably be rich if I owned Kleenex…
Two
16 people sat around the wooden table in my apartment. Last week was my death. I had been transformed by Alice into my own lawyer, a striking woman with bright blond hair and piercing blue eyes.
"Eh hem." I cleared my throat. "Well, now that we are all gathered here, might as well get this done, eh?
"Isabella entrusted me with her final wishes just a few weeks ago. She wanted all of you here, even though some of you, I understand, did not know her too well." I pulled the envelope out of the briefcase on the floor. Alice was really putting up an act, crying tears I knew she couldn't cry. I noticed the eye dropper she kept using underneath her Kleenex.
"These letters were ones she wrote to all of you, prior to her death. I understand you may want to share information addressed in them right away, but it was her wish that you all kept your letters to yourselves. Except those of you from La Push, excluding Jacob: you all have one letter for all of you." I quickly passed them out, seeing the pained looks on Dad and Renee's faces.
Dear Mom,
I love you so much, even if I didn't get a chance to tell you before I died.
Love,
Your little girl forever,
Bella
Dear Phil,
I'm sorry I never really got a chance to get to know you very well. I hope that you know I really do like you, but you could never take the place of my dad.
Yours truly,
Bella
Dear Dad,
I love you so much. I'm sorry we didn't get enough time together, and that most of the time we were I was quiet maddening. Either mad or zombie-lie…I never really got to be a good daughter to you. But always remember how much you mean to me.
Forever your Bell,
Bella
Dear Edward,
I hope this all goes as well as we planned. Hopefully this will work. I love you eternally.
Yours forevermore,
Bella
Dear Jake,
I will always love you. And, if you haven't already detected from my scent, I'm not dead. On the contrary, I'm standing right next to you. Yes, I am "Maria Kibron" the lawyer. Please, don't act any differently towards me until Dad, Mom, and Phil are gone. Everyone else already knows.
Love,
Bells
Dear Alice,
No. We are NOT going shopping for after my change. No way.
Love,
Bella
Dear Rose,
I know we've gotten closer and you're worried about me giving up my life, but I want you to know I'd never have it any other way. You have become as close to me as Alice, and I won't let anything rip you away. Not after you've just started to like me.
Love,
Bella
Dear Emmett,
I will get my truck back. You in no means get to keep it once my change is done.
Love,
Your "little" sister,
Bella
Dear Jasper,
Make sure you get those stories. I need to publish one of them, if only one copy, to send back to everyone. And thank you again for deciding to come along with us. I'm so grateful for your help.
Love,
Bella
Dear Carlisle,
Get the morphine ready! We're doing it tonight.
Love,
Bella
Dear Esme,
You have already become my mother in so many ways. I can't wait to really be one of your children.
Love,
Your daughter,
Bella
Dear everyone from La Push,
Thank you so much for all your help with Victoria and her newborns. Without all of you, it stands to reason that a lot of people sitting at the table with you today would be dead. Including me. You see, I'm actually "Maria Kibron" - I'm not really dead. Don't say anything until after Dad, Phil and Mom leave. Everyone else already knows.
Yours truly,
Bella
After I knew everyone had read the letters, I pulled out the boxes of things in the will. There was a box with everyone's names on them. "Emmett, the truck is outside with Esme's furniture in it. Here are the keys." I said, tossing them to him. "Everyone else, the things specifically addressed to you are already in your box. Everything else is over in the living room."
:
An hour later, after sneaking things into Edward's box, I sat everyone back down to the table. "I know the funeral was rough on you all, but Isabella truly cared deeply about you all."
Everyone dawdled around a bit, but my parents raced out. Mom was crying her eyes out and I felt my heart breaking. "Sh, don't cry, love." Edward murmured, holding me tightly. "Sh…"
"I know it will be alright, but it hurts!" I cried through my tears. "I feel so horrible…Dad's too upset to show any emotion and Mom can't stop crying!"
Alice danced over to us, laying a comforting arm on my shoulder. "Don't cry. Just think, in a few hours the pain will overcome everything else and you'll truly be one of us, forever!"
Seconds later, everyone from La Push crowded into my kitchen. "Bella!" Jake cried, rushing to scoop me up in his warm arms and kissing my cheek. I heard Edward growl in the background.
"Jake!" I cried with just as much enthusiasm, smiling a smile big enough to crack my face off.
He smiled that wolfish grin I always called mine. "I knew you wouldn't leave without saying bye to me first!"
"It's true…I would never leave a mutt like you out in the cold!" I giggled, hugging him again. Everyone from La Push crowded around me, ignoring the smell of the Cullens.
"Bella! Why?" I heard from many different voices at once.
Alice stood on a chair and tried to get everyone's attention. "HEY!" She bellowed with surprising force over all of our heads. Sixteen or so heads snapped in her direction. "Good, now that you're all listening…Bella had to do this. She's changing tonight, and you all know what it is she's changing into. Her marriage to Edward sealed the deal, and you wolves will keep up your end of the new treaty, right?"
"Yes. We will protect Charlie Swan with our life, in exchange for remarking the boundary lines. You guys get to bite Bella, if she still wishes to." Sam Uley spoke up, sounding always like the alpha male.
"Yes, good, good…"Alice muttered to herself. "Yes, well, there is still one tiny detail. Bella, do you want to tell them?" I nodded. "Go ahead then."
"I want to be allowed inside La Push after my change." My voice shook with nerves. What if they said no and I could never see Jake or Billy again? It would be unbearable.
Sam smiled at me, and looked at Jake. I could tell their minds were still in sync even in though they weren't in wolf form. "Bella, we will always welcome you with open arms, no matter what you happen to be at the time."
I squealed with happiness and rushed over to hug him.
"Oi, Bella! If you keep hugging the Mutt Troupe over there, you guys'll never get done in three days." Emmett called over the crowd of people.
He had a good point.
End of Chapter 2