Don't own Twilight. This is a long one. It's two days in the story. Xmas eve and Xmas day and there was no where I really wanted to break it up so... Here we go.
15. Merry Fucking Christmas.
Edward
I slid out of bed at about six a.m. and went downstairs. Skye hadn't come home last night and I was going to find her.
Jazz was waiting for me by the door.
"What do you want?" I asked trying to comb through my hair with my fingers. It was a wet tangled mess and there really was no use.
"I really didn't know that she didn't know, Edward."
"Yeah I know that."
"Alice was wrong for setting us both up like that and I told her so. She feels really bad about it. But she loves you. You're her favorite and she thought she was helping."
"I told her to mind her business. Skye's very sensitive when it comes to Bella."
"I know, but this isn't all Alice's fault. You should of told Skye from the beginning about the girl's resemblance to Bella. Now it looks like you were in fact hiding something. It seems so much worse now."
I sighed. "I was only trying to protect her."
"And yourself."
I looked at him.
"I know you Edward. You may have been trying to protect Skye but you were also covering your own ass. You knew if Skye found out that you were going out of your way for a Bella look alike what she'd think."
I nodded.
"So why keep her around? What purpose is she serving?"
I shook my head. "I honestly don't know. I just...feel this need to know more about her."
"Don't let her face fool you. She's not Bella."
"I know that. I'm not an idiot."
"Then why am I getting these weird feelings of nostalgia from you?"
"I love my wife. You don't have to worry about me."
"I know you love Skye, but you're playing with fire and men stronger than you have been burned. Send her away."
"I can handle myself, her and my wife."
He shook his head and let out a deep breath. "The last words of a fool."
I grabbed my keys out the bowl on the table in the foyer and headed for the door.
"You still coming?" I asked.
He sighed and followed behind me.
As I opened the door there stood Remy with a passed out Skye in his arms.
I grabbed her from him gently and her body just kind of fell over my arms.
"What the hell is wrong with her?" I growled at him before I caught a whiff of her. "Is she...?"
"Drunk? Yeah, I'd say she's about three sheets to the wind by the look and smell of things." Jazz said.
"Skye doesn't drink."
"She does now. Polished off two bottles of Bourbon by herself." Remy said.
"Why'd you let her drink like that?"
"She's a grown woman, Edward. And it was the only way I could get her to stop crying. I almost called Pierre but she insisted I not call anyone. Said she'd leave if I did and I didn't want her driving. I figured it was better if I kept her there and kept an eye on her." He sighed. "Don't worry, it won't hurt her none. She'll burn it off in a few hours with some good sleep and lots of water."
I carried her quickly up the stairs and placed her in our bed. Her eyes opened and focused on me.
"Edward?"
"Yes love."
She groaned and turned away.
"Skye..."
"Uhhhh...Not now, Edward."
"Okay, alright...I just...I love you."
"I love you too, Edward. More than life itself and that's the problem." She rolled over and passed out again.
I sighed and stroked her hair.
As I made my way down the stairs I saw that Em and Colin, had joined Jazz and Remy.
"Listen, I can't leave her like this. Can you guys take Ashley hunting for me?"
"Sure, I'm dying to meet the Bella look a like." Em said.
"I'll call and let her know you're on the way. And can you tell her that the meeting is scheduled for the day after Christmas?"
"Will do." Jazz said as they left.
0~~~~~~~~~~~0
When the guys returned to the house Skye was still asleep so I asked them to fill me in on the hunt. They said Ashley did well and although she thought the wild game was terrible, the blood bitter, she said she would try it again.
Jazz was quiet the entire time. I could tell that he didn't really care for Ashley and he didn't block the thoughts he was having about her from me. He thought she was trouble. If for no other reason than the strife she would cause Skye. That was Jazz, always thinking of my wife and her well being.
He must have sensed my aggravation toward him because he spoke suddenly.
"I'm only thinking of Skye's feelings," he said. "Somebody has to."
"What's that supposed to me?" I growled.
"I think you know exactly what it means," he said. "This girl is going to be a problem. Hell, she already is. To entertain the idea of keeping her here is just plain stupid."
"Well what the fuck do you propose I do?" I was pissed. But not only with Jazz, but with myself as well, because deep down I knew he was right.
"I don't know. Send her ass packing maybe."
"They'll find her."
"And they won't find her here?" he said getting loud.
"Probably, but maybe they'll think twice if they know that she's enlisted our help."
"Maybe, maybe not. Either way it's too dangerous for Skye and the kids."
"I would never let anyone hurt them." I looked at him.
He looked at me and shook his head. His thoughts now blocked.
I sighed.
"Look, let's just hope that the Council takes her off our hands."
"Did you tell Skye what you convinced the family to do if they don't?" He asked.
I thought back to the late night meeting we'd had where I'd asked the family if they were willing to help Ashley if the council did not. "I didn't convince them to do anything. I simply asked them if they were willing to help. And I would appreciate it if you let me tell my wife when I was ready to. It's not your place and none of…"
"So now you want me to lie to her too?" He grunted.
"No, I want you to mind your business for once."
He stood up and left the room without another word.
Colin looked between Jazz and I. He knew from Jazz and Alice what was going on, but he couldn't seem to wrap his brain around the problem. He didn't understand why Ashley couldn't just defend and hide herself. After all, he loved his new found strength, ability and agility. He felt like a superhero.
But he hadn't been a vamp very long. He didn't understand our world. And he didn't know how ruthless some of us could be. How much disregard some of us had for life. And not just human life, but all life. Even for those of our own kind.
"Are you guys going be okay?" he asked.
"Yeah, we fight all the time. You'll get use to it. Jasper just needs to mind his business and understand his place in my wife's life."
Colin's eyebrow rose.
"It's a long story. One I don't care to get into at the moment, but will tell you some day."
He nodded and turned to look at Em.
"Tell him what you told us. I think he needs to hear it." He said to Emmett so I turned to look at him.
"Well Ashley and I had a pretty good conversation on the way back to the house. Her human life was a mess and this one hasn't been much better. She talked and asked about you most of the time. I think she's formed some weird kind of superhero crush on you. And considering your situation with Skye... I think you should stay clear of her, bro."
I frowned.
"Look, one of us will keep an eye on her and take her hunting until you get things settled with the council. I think it's better that way and Skye may feel better about the whole thing if we take you out of the equation completely."
I nodded in agreement.
Colin frowned. "I don't think the clone's going to like that too much. She was really disappointed when you couldn't come today."
"Doesn't matter what she likes. If she wants our help this is how it has to be." Jazz chimed in as he walked back into the room.
And he was right. This was how it had to be.
"How what has to be?" Came her voice and we all turned to look at her.
0~~~~~~~~~~~~~~0
I stood up quickly and went to her. She was freshly showered and smelled of lavender and wildflowers. Her hair was wet and hung in loose waves to her waist and she had on purple pajama bottoms with a pink cami.
"Hey. How are you feeling?" I asked.
"Like I have the hangover from hell."
"You want some aspirin? It may help if you take twice the dosage."
She nodded slightly.
When I came back she was sitting on the step with her head between her legs. I gave her the aspirin, a glass of water and picked her up.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
"Taking you back to bed."
"Good." She said and lay her head on my chest.
I placed her in the bed and started toward the door.
"Edward."
I stopped and turned to face her.
"Can we talk?"
"Absolutely," I said walking back to her and sitting on the edge of the bed.
"Why?" Was all she said.
I let out a breath I felt like I'd been holding since she left the day before.
"I don't know. I was afraid that if I told you everything that you'd react exactly the way you did. Like I was only doing this because she favored Bella when that's just not entirely true. I knew you'd read too much into it and start to feel inferior when you're everything but." I touched her face. "I love you, Skye. You know you are my life so why do you always compare yourself to her?"
"She was your first everything and you loved her so deeply."
"But you are my forever and I love you just as much if not more." I moved closer. "No one, and nothing could ever take your place."
A tear escaped her eye but I let it fall.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you everything there was to tell, but sometimes I have to keep things from you for your own protection. That's all I was trying to do."
"You weren't just trying to protect me, Edward. You were afraid of the way I'd react and you didn't want to face it."
I thought about that.
"You're right. I was afraid." I admitted. "Because my worse fear is losing you. I can't lose you, Skye."
"I'm not going anywhere. But you have to stop sabotaging yourself in your need to have me. Lying to me isn't going to make me want to stay with you. You have to give me some of that trust you always insist I have in you."
I nodded. "I know and I'm trying."
"Try harder. And no more lying or half truths. I'm your wife. Your other half. You can tell me anything and you shouldn't be afraid to do that. Now I won't like or agree with everything you tell me. Some of it will piss me off and you may have to lounge on the couch for a few days," she smiled, "but that doesn't mean that I love you any less. It just means that I'm mad. I'll get over it. I always do, don't I?"
I smiled.
"I have opinions and a mind of my own. I need for you to understand that. You can't let your fear of what you think my reactions will be cause you to lie to me. If we don't have trust and honesty, what kind of marriage do we have?" She asked.
I moved closer to her and took her head in my hands.
"I promise to be honest with you." I said pulling her closer.
"No more secrets?"
"No, no more secrets." I promised before I pressed our lips together.
0~~~~~~~~~~~~0
I got out of bed early on Christmas morning. Skye didn't move as I slid out. She was exhausted from the nights before. After another nap, her hangover subsided so everyone stayed up to the wee hours of the morning watching movies then listening to Skye sing Christmas carols.
It was quiet in the house considering it was full of people that didn't sleep. They were being considerate to Skye, Nessie, Jake, and the kids by taking up quiet activities.
I went to my office and took Skye's present out the safe. I put it in my pocket and headed toward the kitchen to start breakfast.
Skye had made Beignet's the night before so I made bacon, sausage, eggs and grits. I had only been cooking ten minutes before the kids came down.
I smiled. I knew it wouldn't take long once they smelled the food.
JR was carrying Stevie and the other two were dragging along behind them.
"Ou est maman? (Where's mama?)" EJ asked, his French pronunciation perfect.
"Still sleeping." I smiled. "Breakfast is on me this morning."
I took Stevie from JR and sat him in the booster chair after giving him a slice of bacon.
"Are we going to the shelter today?"
I looked at EJ.
"Oui, and I think Mama Esme and Oncle Jazz are coming with us."
"Uncle Jazz is coming with us? He never comes," EJ said.
"Well there's a first time for everything," Jazz said coming into the kitchen.
I gave him a head nod and a good morning, which he returned.
"Oncle!" Lisette smiled.
"Shhh, Pooh, you'll wake your Mama." He scooped her up and kissed her cheek. She lay her head on his shoulder and he smiled and rubbed her back. He grabbed the paper and sat at the table with Lisette clinging to him.
"Princesse, votre petit-dejeuner. (Princess, your breakfast.)" She turned around and settled on Jazz's lap.
"No, you need to come over here and eat from your own chair." I told her as I sat her plate on the table in front of the empty chair.
She frowned and pouted her lips out.
"Elisabeth, I said to…" I started but Jazz interrupted.
"She's alright Ed," he looked away from the paper and up at me.
I cocked my brow.
He sighed then patted Lisette's bottom.
"Pooh, you better do what your daddy says."
He helped her down and she went to her chair.
I sat next to Stevie and helped him a little.
EJ and JR sat at the table and both of them had plates piled with food.
"Did you leave some for your mother?" I asked looking at their plates.
"Yeah," they said in unison smiling.
Eventually Skye made it down. She ate a little then went to get dressed. It was almost eleven when we piled into the Hummer and headed toward the shelter. It was always a surreal experience serving the less fortunate and one my children needed to have. They were good kids but could be a little spoiled. They needed to be humbled every now and again.
0~~~~~~~~~~~~0
When we got home Skye's family was there and Josephine and Claudette had already started Christmas dinner. Skye greeted everyone then turned toward the kitchen. I grabbed her arm and pulled her to me.
"Everything's fine in there. Let's open gifts before you disappear into the kitchen all afternoon."
She smiled and leaned into me. "Alright."
I led her to the living room and she sat on the couch. I sat on the floor between her legs. She leaned over me and I looked up to kiss her.
I smiled when our lips touched.
"Joyeux Noel, mon amour. (Merry Christmas, my love.)"
"Joyeux Noel, Edward." She grinned.
We'd been so busy we hadn't even said it to each other yet.
There was absolutely no space under our tree. The colorfully wrapped gifts spread from it to the middle of the room.
Rosie walked to us and handed me Stevie.
"How was he while we were gone?" I asked.
"He was an angel as usual." She ruffled his hair.
He lay back into my chest and I kissed the top of his head.
EJ, JR, Lisette and Emmett went straight for the tree as they entered the room. We all laughed when Emmett opened his new Play Station 3D and started dancing around the room like a six year old. The kids had a room full of gifts, literally. With my family and Skye's both being here the amount of presents had doubled.
They thanked everyone, and then made the rounds hugging and kissing everyone. As they did that I stood up and handed Stevie off to Skye. She watched me as I began reaching in my pockets. As soon as I did my cell buzzed, so I grabbed it instead of the box.
"Masen," I answered irritated.
"Edward, there's someone outside…" she whispered.
"Ashley?"
"There's someone outside, in the trees."
Everyone stopped and looked my way.
"I'm scared."
"We're on our way. Stay inside the house!"
I hung up and nodded to my brothers, Remy and Carlisle.
"Someone's outside Sid's place. We need to hurry. Can you guys stay with Skye?" I asked her family.
Pierre nodded as we headed toward the door.
I turned to Skye.
"I'll be back as soon as I can." I kissed her and Stevie quickly then ran out the door.
0~~~~~~~~~~~~~0
We reached the woods around Sidney's house in less than five minutes. There were three different scents around the property and all of them were fresh. We split off into twos and spread out.
Em and Carlisle headed west. Jazz and Remy went east and Colin, PJ and I headed straight to the house.
As we cleared the trees Colin pointed toward the roof.
"You see him?"
I nodded seeing the shadow quickly disappear into the shade of the trees above the house.
"Go around back." I mouthed to him.
I looked at PJ and pointed up; gesturing to him to go on the roof. He nodded and I headed for the tree near the house around the front. We'd flush him out. Even if he ran, he'd still get caught. We were too close and without a head start he wouldn't out run Colin and me.
I heard PJ on the roof top and then in the tree next to the house.
The vamp started to jump down but saw Colin and I coming around quickly. He tried to get away by jumping the trees.
"I'm going up!" I said as I ran along the trees. "You cover the ground." I told Colin and he nodded.
I jumped into the next tree and climbed to the top quickly. Leap-frogging from branch to branch had me quickly gaining on the vamp. It wasn't easy dodging branches and minding my footing as I whizzed through the tree tops, but it didn't slow me down.
As we neared the end of the tree line I dove for the vamp using all my strength to push off the branch. I heard it crack as I landed on his back. We fell to the ground with a loud thud and rolled a few feet after landing. The earth beneath us cratered in as if a boulder had rolled through.
"Damn Ed, that was sweet!" Colin said as he rushed us.
I sat up and the vamp tried to push me off of him. I pushed him in the chest knocking him back to the ground roughly. If he'd been human, I would've caved his chest in. It sounded like I may have cracked a few ribs.
He groaned.
I looked up and saw everyone running toward us from different directions.
"Did you catch the other two?" I asked.
"Nope, they had a good head start and we lost their scents at the coast. I think they went into the Gulf," Em said.
"Well why'd this one stay behind? That was pretty stupid," PJ said.
"Let's ask him," I said releasing his throat.
Jazz grabbed his other arm and we pulled him up quickly. He struggled and tried to pull away from us.
"Keep that shit up and you'll rip your arm clean off." Jazz warned him. "This one's not too bright."
He didn't know how right he was, because when I searched the vamps head, it was completely blank. The only thing he was thinking was 'kill the girl'. It was weird and a little freaky. He was a vamp and he was thirsty, but he wasn't even thinking about soothing the burning in his throat.
"Something's wrong with him." I told them. "His mind is blank other than Ashley's face and orders to kill her."
"Blank? How could that be? You sure he isn't just blocking you?" Carlisle asked.
"No, I can read his mind. It's just he literally has nothing on it. His only thoughts are of her. Finding her and killing her."
"So questioning him is a waste of time?" Jazz said.
"Yes, he's useless. He doesn't even remember his own name." I growled.
PJ stepped up. "Let me try."
I nodded. It was worth a shot.
PJ placed his hand on the vamps neck. I watched as the vague and blurry images of his past played in PJ's head. There weren't many, and there were lots of blank spots.
He, like Ashley had been kept in a lab. In some sort of dark room. He'd experienced a lot of pain while being held prisoner and that was significant considering not much hurt us. The worst part was that he had no future. PJ only saw him delivering a message and then everything went black.
I looked at PJ and he shrugged. "You get that?"
I nodded.
"Yeah, the question is do we change this vamps fate and not send him to his death."
"What did you see?" Jazz asked.
"He's one of the lab rats. But he was kept in a dark room so he literally could see nothing. I think he was tortured. He was in pain most of the time and kept weak from not feeding.
"In my vision it looks like we send this vamp back with a message."
"Do we? You know futures are subject to change," Jazz rubbed his hands together. He didn't want to let the vamp go.
"Apparently, but then everything goes dark," I said.
"So he dies?" He seemed okay with that.
"I can't be sure since I didn't see him killed," PJ said.
"Did you happen to see where he went to?" Remy asked.
PJ and I shook our heads.
"Whoever sent him made sure that wouldn't be an issue. They will find him when they're ready. No decision has been made as to where or when. PJ only saw him telling someone."
"Did this someone have a face?" Jazz asked.
"Not one that I could see. It was cloaked by a red hood." It was really odd.
"Then we send him back with the message. Let whoever sent him know that the girl is under our protection." Carlisle said.
I agreed. "If he dies we don't have to worry about him coming back," I said.
"Hold on, if we send him with that message, it kind of puts us out there to whoever is coming after her. Do we really want to do that? We haven't even talked to the Council yet," Jazz said.
Carlisle looked at me. I think we both understood that the Council was probably going to be a dead end.
"I mean once we put it out there it can't be undone. Whoever is after her will be after us too then." He continued.
"Or maybe they'll back off. Our reputation seems to proceed us. It may actually work to our advantage this time," I said.
"You'll be tying our hands, Edward. And Syke..."
"Just do it, Jazz." I said knowing I was painting us into a corner. But I had already sealed our fate when it came to the girl the day I told her she could stay at Sid's. It was my responsibility to see it through now.
He growled a string of curse words, punched a hole in a tree, then gave the dimwitted vamp the message.
0~~~~~~~~~~0
I opened the door to the house and we all walked in. My brothers and father quickly left my side. They wanted nothing to do with the shit storm coming my way.
Skye came rushing out of the kitchen.
"Oh thank god you're back. I was so worried about...you." She stopped dead in her tracks.
I held up my hands.
"Baby, I couldn't leave her there. They know where she is now and they tried to kill her today." I rushed out before she could say anything.
She turned away from me and headed toward the kitchen. She was pissed. And I was in deep shit, again.
I caught her just as she hit the kitchen. I spun her toward me and took her face in my hands.
"Skye…" I called but she wouldn't look at me.
"Skye…" I said again, softer and only to her, as I caressed the apples of her cheeks with my thumbs.
Her eyes focused on me then.
"What the fuck is she doing here, Edward?" She asked way too calmly.
The calm before the storm, I thought.
"I told you. Someone tried to…"
"So you brought her here!" She screamed. "Someone tries to kill her and your first thought was to bring her here? Around me and our kids! Have you completely lost your fucking mind!"
By now, everyone else started coming into the foyer to see what the fuss was all about. Nessie and Jake literally gasped when they saw Ashley. It was hard focusing on Skye with all the silent questions and comments flying at me.
"It's only for a couple of days." I told Skye. "Just until Carlisle and I get back from New York."
"Hell no, she can't stay here." She shook her head.
"Love…"
"I said…no!"
"You and the kids will be perfectly safe."
"NO!" She pulled away.
I sighed. Then it came to me.
"The guest house. There's plenty of room in the guest house. She can stay there with Alice and Jasper," I said.
"Excuse me?" Jazz stepped forward.
"You, Alice and Colin need to move closer anyway. We don't know what's going to happen now and you're too far away in the Bayou."
"I want nothing to do with this, Edward. Leave me out of your shit." Jazz warned.
I looked at Alice with pleading eyes. She owed me for that shit she pulled the other day.
"We'll do it," she sighed.
"What? No we won't." Jazz looked at her.
"It's only for a few days, Jazzy."
"Alice..."
"If we do this, you and I are even." She stared me down.
I nodded.
"Well I don't owe him shit. If Skye doesn't want her here then she shouldn't be here."
"Well I can't send her back to Sid's. I'd have to split us up to check on her, which would leave Skye vulnerable. Especially with me and Carlisle gone. There's strength in numbers and we need to stay together." I told him.
He grit his teeth but he knew I was right. "I'm not doing this to save your ass. I'm doing for Skye's sanity, and those kids," he said silently.
I nodded and he left the room.
I turned my attention back to Skye. I grasped her face in my hands.
"Trust me, please."
She closed her eyes. She was not happy but she'd understood that splitting up was a bad idea right now.
"Two days," she said aloud. "And when you get back, she's gone. I don't care what they say."
"I promise." I held my hand to my heart.
Skye watched the gesture but showed no reaction to it.
"Thank you."
I went to kiss her but she turned away quickly and started walking toward Ashley.
"You're not welcomed. You've tied my hands. Don't you ever try to pull this shit on me again."
I ran my hand through my hair. That's exactly what I'd done and she had every right to be angry. It was wrong and I felt like shit for doing it, but what else was I supposed to do?
Everyone waited on abated breath as Skye approached Ashley.
"I'm Skye, Eddie's wife," she said holding her hand out.
"Hi…Ashley." She shook Skye's hand. "Umm…thanks…thanks for letting me stay."
"You have two days no matter the outcome of the meeting. I suggest you make arrangements." Skye said then walked away leaving her standing in the foyer.
She stopped in front of me. "By the way, Darren called. He and Brennan can't make it tonight. They're still in Lafayette with Brennan's parents. I guess you forgot that they were supposed to be here. It's a good thing they couldn't come since you like to bring home strays."
I closed my eyes. I couldn't believe she said that, and right in front of everyone. I sighed and opened my eyes as she disappeared into the kitchen.
As everyone slowly introduced themselves some of the awkwardness started to dissipate, a little. My children however, all watched her from the stairs. EJ was holding Stevie and he and JR flanked Lisette who was standing between and a little behind them. They looked like they were getting ready for a war or something. I took it to mean they weren't very fond of our guest.
I noticed that Jazz hadn't returned either. He had however joined Skye into the kitchen. He was trying to keep her calm while still berating me in his head.
I noticed movement on the stairs and saw Lisette stepping from behind her brothers.
"Are you my daddy's stalker?" she asked and everyone got really quiet.
"Excuse me?" Ashley looked at her.
"Elisabeth…" I started but she asked her again.
"I said, are you, my daddy's stalker?"
Ashley looked around and then back at Lisette. "Umm… I don't know what you mean."
"Stalker, someone who harasses, or pursues another in an inappropriate, persistent, unobtrusive and sometimes sinister way." Lisette rambled on.
"Okay… I can see that you are extremely bright for your age." Ashley looked at me.
"Vampire children usually are." I tried to explain picking Lisette up. "Their brains process information at astronomical speeds and their memory is uncanny."
She just nodded.
"You have to excuse her. She knows better." I looked at Lisette with warning eyes.
"But pere…"
I shook my head at her to let her know the discussion was over. But then Ashley stepped closer to us.
"I guess I did stalk your daddy. But I needed his help. I know I went about it the wrong way and I'm really sorry if I scared you all. I would've never hurt any of you."
I looked up at her and she looked down embarrassed.
"It's alright, Ashley. We know that."
"Thank you, Edward." She looked up at me and smiled.
I smiled back.
"I want to get down," Lisette said eying Ashley and wiggling from my grasp. I stood her up and she ran to her brothers.
JR took her hand and they watched me and Ashley as they went to join their mother in the kitchen.
Skye
I couldn't believe that Edward brought Ashley to our home, around our children, and without asking me! How could he do that to me? Leave me with no way out. If I'd said 'no', I looked like a heartless bitch on top of putting others at risk. If I cursed him the fuck out like I wanted to, I looked crazy and insecure.
And that bitch really rubbed me the wrong way. I didn't like the way she watched him. She didn't blatantly stare but she was very aware of where he was and what he was doing at all times.
She was trouble. I could feel it. And I felt like my hospitality would come back to bite me on my ass. I just hoped a couple of days wouldn't be enough time for her to cause much damage.
I finished blow drying my hair and slipped into my nightie. I propped myself up on the pillows and turned on the TV. A few minutes later Eddie came into the room and started to undress. I watched him and he stopped to look at me.
"I know you're pissed at me…" he started.
"Where is she?" I asked.
"Alice took her to the guest house." He sighed.
"Hmm…" I said and looked back at the TV. I wasn't sure I could speak with him rationally at this point.
Eddie walked over to the bed and sat next to me. He ran his hands through my now straightened hair. "I'm sorry. I know I fucked up. I know I shouldn't have brought her here without talking to you first."
I felt my pressure rise but I said nothing.
"Skye, don't shut me out. We can't work through this if you won't talk to me." He pleaded. "And what happened to you trusting me? You said you'd trust me."
"Trust you? After you blindsided me?" I sat up."You are pushing your luck with me. I mean I can't believe you brought her here. To my fucking house, Edward! Is it not bad enough that you told her she could stay in New Orleans, and at Sid's!"
"Skye…"
"Don't even think about feeding me that shit about her being some helpless innocent, and you're just trying to help her. I could really give a shit at this point. You don't owe her anything! And I don't trust her! Something's off about that girl and I don't like how she is with you."
"What are you talking about, amour?"
"The way she looks at you. How she's always…aware, of you. I don't like it." I pulled my hair from his hand.
"Em thinks she's got some kind of hero worship thing for me. That's all it is. I helped her when no one else would." He sighed. "It's not a big deal. She knows that I'm married and that I love you."
"Since when has that mattered? Women fuck other women's husbands without a second thought all the time." I rolled my eyes.
"It matters to me, Angel." He moved closer. "Please don't be angry with me."
He let me calm down a little more before he spoke again.
"I know I'm an asshole. But I'm your asshole."
I shook my head and rolled my eyes.
"Forgive me?"
"No." I pulled away.
He lifted my chin, held it in place and kissed my lips.
"Please…" he whispered against them.
"Ugggh… I hate you." I grumbled.
"No you don't. You love me."
"Yes I do, but that doesn't mean I can't hate you right at this moment."
"Skye..." He pleaded. "I don't want us to go to bed angry."
"Well too bad. You'll just have to deal with it cause as long as she's here, I'm gonna be angry."
"Fair enough. But I will make this right."
"Damn right you will."
He placed our foreheads together.
"Can I at least give you your Christmas present? We were interrupted before I could earlier."
I pretended to think about it.
"I think you'll like it." He smiled crookedly. "Then who knows…maybe you and I could give each other a mutual gift."
"Like what?" I asked defiantly.
"Hmm… I think you know," he said slipping his hand under my nightie. "And if you don't. I'll be more than happy to show you."
"Edward," I croaked out.
"Yes, love," he whispered against my neck.
"The gift?"
His hands explored until I grasped his wrists and pulled them away.
"Edward, my present," I said again.
He sat up.
"Right," he said smiling crookedly pulling the bag from his pants pocket.
He held it out in front of me and I took it from him smiling.
He moved my hair from my shoulder and kissed across it moving toward my neck. "I really hope you like it," he whispered against my skin as I opened the bag and poured the contents in my hand.
"Oh god, Edward. It's beautiful!"
I examined the locket then opened it. I recognized our children's baby pictures right away, but there was another. An older one. I held it up and moved it closer to my face.
"Edward?"
"Hmmm…" he hummed into my hair.
"Edward… Is this you?" I asked.
He kissed my ear and sat up a little.
"Yes. This locket once belonged to my mother. I had it restored and added our children's pictures to it."
"But I thought you gave all your mothers things to Bella and Nessie."
"I gave them everything I had in my possession at the time. Alice found this piece on the internet. She saw the picture and called me. As soon as I saw it I knew it was hers. The memories associated with it came flooding back.
I bought it for you. I wanted you to have a piece of my past since you are my future." He played with the ends of my hair.
"Thank you, I love it." I sat the locket back in the bag and placed it on the nightstand. "I have something for you as well."
I opened the drawer on the nightstand and grabbed the small manilla envelope lying under my ipad and gave it to Edward.
"What's this?" he asked smiling.
"Open it," I said.
He ripped open the flap neatly and spread the contents between us, a sheet of paper with names and addresses, and some photos littered the bed. He looked confused.
"What is this? You buy a new house or something?"
I shook my head and handed him the picture of an old man.
"This man was your first cousin. He was your aunt Meredith's son. And these are his children and grandchildren, also your cousins." I smiled.
He took the pictures and looked at them intensely.
"I remember her. My grandparents had sent her to live with relatives in New York or something right before the influenza epidemic hit Chicago. After I was changed I went to claim my inheritance. I tried to find her so I could give her, her share." He seemed lost in the memory. "I never found her though. I assumed she married and the paperwork got lost. They weren't very good at record keeping in those days. I surely didn't know that she'd had a child. That I'd had a little cousin."
"She never married... She died shortly after arriving in New York. About six months after to be exact. It's all in the paperwork."
"Six months? But I thought you said she had a child."
"She did. She gave birth to your cousin six months after arriving there. She died a week later from complications."
He looked confused.
"Your family had her name changed after they sent her to a convent to have the child."
"I didn't know. Father never said anything."
"Maybe he didn't know."
"Of course he knew." He seemed angry and I looked away.
"I didn't mean to upset you. But like you've always said, things were different then and having a child out of wedlock was probably a biggie."
He nodded in agreement.
"Her reputation would've been ruined. She would've had to move to a different city or face being a spinster and under my grandparents care forever."
"Well maybe they were trying to help her."
"Perhaps, or maybe they were worried about our family name. It seems so stupid now doesn't it? Especially when you considering the events that followed."
"The epidemic?"
"Yes. It wiped out my entire family. If they'd let her stay she and the child would have perished with them. Instead they sent her away and the very child they tried to get rid of, lived. A full, and wonderful life it looks like. Funny how things work out."
"It is." I agreed.
He held up the info. "Thank you for this."
"You're welcome. I really wanted to give you something meaningful this Christmas. I know sometimes you feel like you've lost touch with your humanity, but I see it in you everyday. I thought knowing that you still have a connection to this world would prove that to you."
He just stared at me and I couldn't look away.
"I wish I could see the world through your eyes. You're always so thoughtful. Careful of other peoples feelings and safety. You are a beautiful soul, you know that? Only you would think of this. It is truly one of best presents I've ever received. Excluding my babies and your love of course." He winked. "How did you get it? How did you find them?"
"I hired someone to track them down. It was a lot easier to search for them now than when you tried. Technology, gotta love it."
"Yes, well I guess I shouldn't have given up so easily."
"You thought they were gone. It's understandable."
"Well thank you again. I truly love it."
"Really?"
"Yes, really," he said wrapping his hand around the back of my neck. "Can I show you how much?"
I nodded thinking he would only kiss me. But before I could blink he had pulled me beneath him. He ran his hand down my side and lifted my leg to his waist. Then his hand disappeared under my nightie and I felt it caressing my bare hip gently.
"Edward, we can't." I tried to push him away but he wouldn't budge.
"Why not?" he asked as he ran his nose up the side of my neck.
"Because…I'm mad at you."
"Well give me a chance to make it up to you. Say I'm sorry." He lifted my other leg.
"No, not tonight. I can't." I tried to scoot from beneath him but he had me pinned under his heavy weight.
"Angel, I want you so bad right now." He pressed his erection against my heat to prove his point.
I had to close my eyes and bite my lip so I wouldn't moan. I wanted him too but I had to stand my ground. "Edward…"
"Fine, if you want me to beg. I'll beg," he said looking into my eyes. His black as night. "Please let me love you, baby. Let me make you sweat, pant and come so hard that your body aches for days from my loving. Let me caress, kiss and taste every inch of your lovely golden skin. Please let me bask in that heavenly heat between your thighs; for it calls to me like nothing else ever has, or ever will. I'm begging and humbling myself before you because it is you that I want and you that I need." He stroked my hair from my forehead. "Please let me show you how good I can make you feel. How much I love you." He whispered.
I closed my eyes. Oh god give me strength! I wanted to shout.
I opened my eyes and touched his face. I loved him so much.
I traced the outline of his lips with my finger. And because I loved him, I needed him to see that what he was doing to me was killing me.
"I want that too, Edward. I want and need you just as much, and I love you." He leaned in to kiss me, taking my speech as confirmation. "But I can't do this. You really hurt me today and no amount of sex, no matter how good it is, is going to fix that. If anything it will only make it worse." I sighed. "We tend to bury things under mountains of lust you and I. But I won't do it this time."
He sat up but looked down.
"Skye, it was never my intention to..."
I touched his lip with my finger to shush him.
"But you did hurt me. And you made me look and feel foolish today. I felt cornered and pressured into doing something I didn't want to do, and I didn't like it at all. So I'm sorry, but I can't make love with you right now. If I did, I would feel like I'd be losing whatever dignity I had left."
His face looked pained and he swallowed hard.
Maybe now he would start to understand.
"I really just want to go bed so this day can be over and we can be that much closer to having our old lives back."
He nodded and rolled off of me. I couldn't tell if he was upset or not. He showed no emotion and he was blocking me. But if I had to guess, I'd say that I'd given him a lot to chew on. I'd never rejected him before. I was always there, waiting, willing and ready to perform my wifely duties.
"Well…I guess I'll just go and work on my composition then." He rose from the bed.
"You don't have to go. You're welcome to stay and hold me. If you want to of course."
"I do. I want to."
I pat the space next to me.
He lay down next to me but seemed to be in deep thought. I snuggled into his side and he wrapped me tightly in his arms. I felt safe there and closer to him than I'd felt in weeks. As he stroked my hair, I closed my eyes and drifted into nothingness.
0~~~~~~~~~~~~~0