DISCLAIMER: The characters do not belong to us, although we would love to have Edward. They all belong to Stephenie Meyer.
Author's Note: Thank you again for all of your support! We hope you have enjoyed the journey!
VBR & My-Bella
"Bella, are you sure this is what you want?" Carlisle asked concerned. "We don't have to do this now."
I put my arm around Bella, knowing that there was no use trying to talk her out of this. She was nothing less than absurdly stubborn when her mind was made up.
"Yes, Carlisle, as horrible as this all sounds, it will be for the best. I can't stay here and live this lie. I mean, really, how long can I pretend with Charlie and everyone at school before someone starts to suspect something? People at school already think you guys are 'different'. Add me to the mix and red flags will go up everywhere," Bella said matter-of-factly."
She took a breath before continuing. "I think if we take care of this tonight it will be easier for me...and Charlie. I don't want to prolong it. So better we deal with it like removing a band aid."
"Yes, except in this scenario, Bella, we are removing you…for good. Don't you think there are things you want to say or do with Charlie, your mom, and the rest of your friends before you go?" Esme asked concerned.
"I have already gone through all of this with her last night," I interrupted. I knew my family was concerned for Bella, but continuing to talk about it would only upset her. "She knows what she wants and has thought this through. Bella needs to leave here while she has the courage. Otherwise, she may never gather the strength," I finished solemnly.
Bella rested her head on my shoulder as I held her tighter. Now that everything with Victoria was over with, Bella wanted to move forward. She and I had spent last night talking about our future. We had showered together, checking each other over to make sure the few injuries we had received during the battle were completely healed over. The one near my neck was still a bit sore, but there wasn't a visible mark anymore.
Resting together in the afterglow of our love making, Bella and I had talked about everything she wanted for a long time. I had pleaded with her to take a few days and think about this further, but she was certain she wanted to leave as soon as possible.
I didn't disagree with her, but I did want her to be sure. We both felt like we had woken up from a bad dream; everything was clear now. We had eternity together and did not want to miss a moment of it. Bella was certain we needed to start our life together...now. By the time the sun rose, she had erased all of my doubts and convinced me that this was the right thing to do for her and for us. In the end, I wanted Bella to be happy. None of us had ever had to make the decision she was faced with. We were turned to this life because our human life had ended. Bella had chosen this. She had chosen this life for herself…She had chosen this life for me. I would honor that and make sure that she never regretted that decision…ever.
It was a particularly rainy Sunday. Bella had already called Charlie, letting him know that she was going home after we searched a few places for traces of Jacob. Little did he know that it would be the last conversation they would ever have.
Emmett agreed to handle the scene of the accident with Alice. She had foreseen that this would work and that in a few hours, Bella and I would be free to go. The most surprising thing was that Emmett had agreed to let us use his Jeep as the crime scene vehicle.
"If Bella is giving up her whole life for us, then the least I can do to contribute is offer up my Jeep. Besides, I could use a new one. Mine is a bit outdated," he had said.
Emmett would drive the Jeep over the mountains near La Push, under the guise that Bella, he, and I had gone looking for Jake. The Jeep would take a turn too tightly and speed off the road and over the cliff barrier into the ocean. Emmett would "survive" the accident while Bella and I would not. Our bodies would simply be lost at sea. Shortly thereafter, the others would leave Forks. Of course, there would be a search party, and eventually memorial services the rest of the family would have to stay for, but Bella and I would be long gone by then. Carlisle and Esme agreed to deal with the rest; they would join us in a few weeks. Alice and Jasper would not be far behind with Rose.
We agreed to meet at our Manor House, in the English countryside. The property was tucked away and very private. We had not been there in years and Esme had been desperate to go back. The house resembled something out of a fairytale with its vast gardens and wildlife. I had to admit I was thrilled to take Bella there.
We piled in the car with Emmett and went to Port Angeles. We wanted to be seen together as a backup to our story. We drove in silence as our mission was a solemn one. We parked the car and immediately saw some kids from our school enter the local bookstore.
"Well, let's get this over with," Bella said, breaking the silence.
Emmett and I got out of the car and waited for Bella to join us. We were getting soaked as the weather deteriorated. Bella pulled her head into her jacket, a very human reaction, and jogged with us to the awning of the bookstore. Emmett held the door open for us as the little bell on it jingled, signaling our arrival.
Instinctively, a few of the kids looked up to determine who had come in—and a few let out audible gasps. First, they all seemed shocked to see Emmett and me. Then, they caught sight of Bella behind us and I couldn't help but smile at a few of the guys lifting their eyebrows as they took her in. Judging from their thoughts, some of the girls were jealous of Bella already.
I winced at the picture of Bella in a few of their minds, looking so fragile and broken from our time apart. They were amazed that simply being with me had changed her look so drastically. I reached my hand back and she instinctively took it.
We went down one of the isles of the bookstore and were, amusingly enough, in the "Supernatural Romance" section. Bella smiled, trying to hold back a giggle, but her thoughts let me know that she was calmer.
We continued down to the "Art and Photography" section and that is when I heard the most annoying voice in my head. His was a voice I would never forget simply because of how thoroughly it could get under my skin…Good ol' Mike Newton. I held back, not letting him see me yet, as Bella exited the aisle and was in his line of sight.
He noticed Bella and dropped the books he was holding instantly. She held back her instincts and did not catch them in mid-air for him. Again, Bella was showing she was in complete control. Here we were, in the musky bookstore, surrounded by humans and strong heartbeats, and she wasn't struggling in the least.
"Bel-Bella," Mike stuttered.
She gave him a smile. "Hey, Mike," she said in a small voice. She didn't have a clue how sensuous her words sounded and she took no notice of the eager look in Newton's eyes.
"You…you look amazing!" he said.
I had to agree with the guy; she was wearing fitted jeans and a heather-gray fitted long-sleeved tee. She wore crisp white sneakers and her hair was tied up in a high pony tail. I felt I needed to intervene before any more inappropriate thoughts entered Mike's head…or mine for that matter.
"Doesn't she though?" I interjected.
Mike's face was, of course, priceless. He was shocked to see me come over to him and Bella. He was practically enraged once my arm snaked around her delicate waist.
I extended a hand out. "Hello, Mike. How have you been?" I asked curtly.
He couldn't get himself together enough to shake my hand. "Edward! Hey there! I'm good, thanks. So you're back, huh? I guess Bella is off the market again?" he fumbled.
"Mike, I think it would be prudent if you walked away right about now," I said, grinning wickedly at him.
Bella smiled, nudging her elbow into my chest and shaking her head. "Mike, obviously Edward and I are together again…permanently. It's good to see you, though. We'd stay and chat, but we have got to grab a few things and hit the road. We are heading to La Push to help with the Jacob Black search," she said placing a hand on his shoulder and moving forward past him.
"See ya at school," he replied, as we grabbed a few books and headed toward the register. Emmett was already waiting outside, seemingly uncomfortable with all the staring…or maybe it was all the literature.
I paid for our items and took Bella's hand in mine. We met Emmett and walked over to the car. It was raining harder now, but we didn't rush. The point of this side trip was to be seen by as many people as possible.
Something had shifted in Bella's mind and I could feel the sadness radiating from her as we got in the backseat of the Jeep. "You okay?" I asked, as she ran her hands over her face trying to dry the rain from it.
She looked over at me and smiled softly. "Yes, I'm fine. That was just harder than I thought," she replied.
"I know, sweetheart. We can still just take you home, you know?" I offered, trying to comfort her.
She looked over at me, her eyes filled with love. "Edward, you are my home."
All I could do was kiss her, my voice racked with emotion. "I love you, Bella," I finally whispered.
She scooted closer to me and melted into my side. "I love you too, silly vampire," she replied in thought.
"You're mighty quiet, big-guy," I said, looking at Emmett's reflection in the rearview mirror as we left Port Angeles behind.
"Bella is saying goodbye to her life and I am saying goodbye to my Jeep," he replied half-smirking. Bella and I both laughed at his joking.
The rest of the ride to La Push was silent; we just listened to the music Emmett played. Once we reached the mountain, we took the road up toward the cliff. Emmett stopped the truck just before a sharp turn. We were alone on this road and protected from view by the sheets of rain that were steadily coming down.
I got out of the car and turned to find Bella still sitting, staring straight ahead. Emmett turned to face Bella and caressed her face with his giant hand. "Bella, you are stronger than any one of us. You can do this. The second you get out of this car, your new life starts. It's all of us together from now on and for the first time, our family is complete. So this will be a new start for all of us," he said softly.
Bella looked down and I could feel the sob welling up inside her.
"Don't worry, Bells. I will make sure your folks are okay," he added.
She nodded her head and exited the car. Bella and I entered the forest to the right of the road and watched Emmett behind the steering wheel. He revved up the engine, gripping the steering wheel tighter, and sped off full speed. He crashed through the median and flew over the edge. Bella and I made certain that no one was coming and then we ran to the edge of the cliff. The car was almost completely submerged and the rough tide was quickly devouring the few pieces we could still see.
Within moments, Emmett was laid out on the rocks not far from the scene. I could tell that he was bloodied up and his leg looked mangled. I sensed a car coming and took Bella back into the forest. There was no turning back now. Whoever was coming would see the broken median and stop.
Bella and I stood in the gloom of the trees, making sure the stranger stopped. Once we saw the person pull out their cell phone, we took off running. We made it to the black Mercedes Carlisle had parked for us at the base of the mountain. We were soaked and Bella leaned into the back seat, hoping to find something to dry off with.
Much to her surprise there were two black duffle bags—each bag had nametags, ready for the airport. Bella picked each one up and read aloud. "Edward Masen and Isabella Masen." She covered her mouth in surprise. "Alice!"
That little fairy had done it again! Bella opened up the bags as I sped through the streets getting us out of town. Her bag had dry clothes and a sweet note from Alice.
Bella smiled to herself and from her thoughts, I knew that Alice wished us well and said she would miss us. She also reminded Bella that Charlie and Renee would be taken care of. She had included passports, plane tickets and ID's, and even a new cell phone…all under the Masen name.
Bella and I drove into California, only stopping to feed. We had agreed to not communicate with the others until everything was taken care of. We flew out of LAX and had a few layovers before reaching Heathrow airport in London.
Bella and I had changed clothes; she was now wearing black slacks and a delicate black top. She had put on the wide black sunglasses that Alice had left for her. I had changed into grey slacks and a black v-neck long sleeve shirt, feeling much better in the clothes I was accustomed to wearing. I took my leather jacket out of my bag and draped it over Bella's shoulders as we walked out of the airport. It was a bit chilly and we had to act human.
"Welcome home, love," I whispered as I kissed her lips.
"Mr. Masen?" asked a soft spoken older gentleman, waiting for confirmation.
I nodded and he handed me a set of keys, gesturing to the beautiful black jaguar behind him. I smiled and handed the man a large tip.
"Alice is really something else," Bella sighed as I opened the door for her.
"Actually, love, this was all my doing," I replied, smiling her favorite crooked grin. I closed the door on her before she could reply and walked around to the driver's side. I slipped in, tossing our bags in the back and was met by a passionate kiss. "What was that for?" I asked, smiling at her.
"Just for being good to me," she answered.
"Well, there is a lot more where that came from," I smirked and sped off.
We drove through London at a slower pace. I wanted Bella to take this all in. Her eyes darted everywhere as she surveyed her surroundings, her huge smile never leaving her face. Once we were settled, I would have to bring her here and give her the grand tour.
Dawn was breaking as we drove through the winding countryside, lending a peaceful feeling to the beautiful scenery around us. I wondered if Bella was comparing this new experience to any of those old books she loved so dearly.
We reached the Manor gate and I stopped the car. Bella looked confused, not knowing where we were. I got out of the car and went to the chained gate. As this rural area was mostly desolate, I took no precaution in ripping the chains from their resting place. I pushed the gates open and returned to the car.
The sun was just rising up as we drove through the heavily treed property. In a short time, we reached the clearing that framed the massive house. I drove slowly, and turned to Bella, wanting to see her reaction. She gasped loudly and sat forward in her seat just as the sun kissed the Manor's rooftop. It really was magnificent with its ivy-covered walls.
The house was on 160 acres. It was three stories high and had 12 massive bedrooms, two solariums, a library, music room, countless gardens, three lakes and limitless wildlife. I took Bella's hand and kissed it as I parked the car on the large gravel driveway.
"Oh…my…God, Edward! What is this? Where are we? Who lives here?" she asked anxiously.
"This, my love, is our new home. Well, it isn't exactly new. It was built in 1906. We live here now, Bella," I said, smoothing the hair away from her face.
I figured she would argue and say that it was "too much" or "too extravagant". Much to my surprise, she got out of the car in silence. I got out myself and came around to her.
"What about school?" she asked softly.
"What about it? We don't need to worry about any of that. We need some time away from society as you have known it. This is the beginning of our new life and you need to have some time to adjust; a little vacation," I explained, kissing her cheek.
Her face lightened and her eyes were suddenly dancing. "Can we go inside?!" she asked almost on her tiptoes.
"There is something we need to do first," I said, tossing her over my shoulder and onto my back as I had done so many times in Forks. I sped through the forest behind our new home. Bella kissed my neck and giggled the whole way there. I was so thrilled that I could take her mind off of what was going on back in Forks. This was definitely a good place for her to be.
After a few miles, I stopped and put her down. "Where are we?" she asked.
I pointed forward with my chin and she moved in that direction, smiling mischievously. I followed Bella as she walked slowly through the low hanging trees and entered the most beautiful meadow, overgrown with endless wildflowers—their sweet scent intensified by our heightened senses.
Bella stretched out her hands and danced through the flowers, laughing quietly. She turned, making her way back to me as I stood there spellbound. The sun was shining brightly and her opalescent skin was ablaze; sparkling and glistening. She smiled at me so warmly that I was certain she was an angel and not real. I reached out to touch her, just a small verification that she existed, but as always, I needed more. I kissed her lips and felt the world stop all around us. My hands weaved through her hair as her arms secured themselves around my waist, her whole body leaning into mine.
"I love you, Edward," her thoughts relayed in jubilant tone.
I took her hand into my and spun her around, both of us laughing aloud as we danced through the flowers. I was so blissful that we were finally together in the way we were always meant to be…equals, completely in love and free of all danger.
Standing there in an ocean of wildflowers, with the sun all around us, I was reminded of how one afternoon in the sun had changed everything, making the world come alive for both of us. And I knew that Bella and I would always manage to find our meadow; wherever eternity took us.
The End