Thanks to sheeiur22, twilightkitty31, lolipop2020, LindseyRae, kelly, jazmyn, .bellanedward4ever05., and Jeah Hale for reviewing!
The song for this chapter is called "Goodnight, travel well" by the Killers. You can listen to it here: www (dot) imeem (dot) com/thekillers/music/oF3HXrCH/the-killers-the-killers-goodnight-travel-well/
And on to the grand finale!
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
GOODNIGHT, TRAVEL WELL
*
He was here once again for the second day in a row. Nothing had changed. There was no car parked in the driveway. No new evidence of anyone having been here recently. However, something told him, that all was not as it looked.
As he approached the door, the strong sweetness of the smell of Vampire greeted him.
She was here!
He banged on the door.
"Bella?!" he shouted.
Nothing.
"Come on Bella!" he shouted in frustration.
Nothing.
He sighed, then forced the door open.
Inside, the first thing he noticed was that the room was much cleaner. Secondly, the sweet smell of vampire was much stronger.
"Bella?" he asked.
No reply.
He walked up the stairs, the whole house was silent. Looking into each room, he found the place to be as empty as it sounded. The last room he had entered had the smell of sickness in it. He quickly closed the door.
They had been here. Just recently by the smell. He went back to the door and stepped outside, closing the door behind him. He followed the slight scent he found of them, but it ended in the driveway. They had probably gotten into a car at this point.
He pulled out his cell phone and dialed Carlisle.
"They were here" he said, not bothering with the pleasantries.
"I know" Carlisle replied, "They went to the meadow, Alice called".
"Did she find what she was looking for?" he may be on good enough terms with the head Cullen, but not when it came to that Edward.
"Yes. Their on there way here right now" he said rather anxiously.
"Is there something more I should know?" Jacob asked sternly.
"You should go to Bella now" Carlisle answered, "Just in case Edward doesn't make it in time".
Then the oldest Cullen hung up.
"Great" Jacob muttered. He had only heard about that meadow from the stories that Bella had told him. This would require more than just calling out her name. He ran to the forest behind the house and transformed. Then he ran off into the barely lit snow covered trees.
Bella was staring into the flames. Charlie had said he was cold, so did the one thing she could think of doing what with being so far out in the forest; she made a fire.
Up above them the sky was turning into a brilliant red.
"Bella?" Charlie asked. He was leaning on her shoulder in front of the flames."How does one of your kind die?"
Bella sighed, "By being burned by fire"
Charlie was quiet.
"I don't want to be burned" he said, "Just so you know"
Bella nodded.
"When I'm gone, what will you do?" he asked.
"Again dad?"
He shrugged his shoulders.
She was quiet, still looking at the fire.
Charlie looked at her knowingly.
"Will it hurt Bells?" he asked.
"I suppose it will" she replied, sighing. "Don't you worry about it" she said, leaning over and kissing his forehead. "Its my choice, and I am sure of it"
He nodded in somber acceptance.
"I would say you've have just as a good a life as me, if not better" he said. "You've done more than any measly human could have ever hoped to do" he went quieter, "And you have loved and been loved deeper than most"
Bella looked at Charlie as if to say 'daaaaaaad' but instead she just hugged him.
Minutes later, Bella broke the embrace.
"Its okay if you're scared" she said seriously.
He shook his head, "I have you with me, how could I be scared?"
She smiled.
"Sleep dad" she said.
He nodded, his eyes already drooping.
"I love you Bells" he said, his words fading off as he fell asleep.
"I love you too dad" Bella whispered.
She put a hand on his shoulder and stared into the fire. She listened closely to Charlie's slowing heartbeat until at last...
...it stopped.
They were so close. Edward was now driving down the final road. Alice was silently dry sobbing in the back seat with Jasper's arms wrapped securely around her.
At the end of the road, Edward was surprised to see another car.
"That's her car!" Alice exclaimed.
They got out and went over to the other car. The scent was clearly Bella's.
Alice noted that her scent was now purely Bella. It wasn't as mixed up as it had been before. She looked to Edward.
"What are you waiting for?"
Edward nodded and the trio burst off running into the forest.
Just minutes later, Jacob showed up at the same place. The two cars parked next to each other told him he was on the right trail. Alice and the others must have just gotten here. It sure made things easier for him.
Sticking his nose into the air, he took a deep sniff and took off after the scent of vampire.
Bella looked at Charlie's still form. She had laid him down away from the fire and crossed his arms over his chest. He looked so peaceful.
She knelt down next to him and said her final goodbyes, then she stood up and turned toward the flames.
It was time.
Looking to the orange skies, she stepped into the flames.
He smelt smoke. Not good.
Up ahead, he could see the opening that would reveal their meadow. How he longed to see her once more and apologize for the horrid way in which he treated her. He only hoped she would be as forgiving as she had been as a human.
Bursting through the trees the sight before was not at all what he had been expecting.
His love was on fire.
"Bella!" he shouted.
She turned to him but didn't make a move.
"Nooooo!" he screamed. He rushed to her, wanting to rip her from the flames but being too afraid of them at the same time.
"Bella!" someone shouted from behind, turning around he saw it was Jacob.
His mouth was open in horror.
Edward turned back to Bella who was looking away from Jacob.
"I love you!" he yelled.
Bella shook her was in obvious pain and wouldn't last much longer.
"Bella I-" he stopped, there nothing he could do to stop her, but there was one thing he could do to prove his love.
He stepped into the flames and took her in his arms.
As soon as she saw him burst through the trees her heart had figuratively stopped. What was he doing here?
Then Jacob had come.
She turned away from them. Of all the people to see when your trying to die in peace.
"I love you!"
She turned to Edward.
Wait...what?
That couldn't be. She shook her head, not wanting to believe what he was saying. Then he did the unthinkable.
He stepped into the flames and embraced her.
Looking up into his eyes she not only saw the pain he was in, but also the deep love he had for her. It was if they had never left each other.
Even in the troughs of death, she found the ability to smile at him.
He did too.
All was right in the world again.
They were together, even in death, and that was all she could have hoped for in this world.
Alice gasped as she burst through the trees and saw the mass of flames and the pair that was within them.
Seeing that it was Edward and Bella she let out a sorrowful scream.
This caused Bella to look at her. With her eyes, she looked from Alice to Charlie's body and then back again. All Alice could do was nod and promise to take care of him. Beside Alice, Jacob had fallen to his knees in shock.
Suddenly she felt even more sorrow that wasn't her own.
Behind her Jasper slowly approached, taking in the scene. He was projecting his horror and sadness into the area making everyone miserable.
Everyone except Edward and Bella. Even as they burned, Alice knew that they were happy at being together.
There at was nothing she could do. The fire was quickly consuming the pair and just minutes later all that was left was a small pile of burning ash.
Alice couldn't stand it anymore. She rushed over to Charlie's body and took him in her arms, then looking to Jasper motioned for him to follow her. Then they ran away from the tragic scene.
"Carlisle, something isn't right" Esme said walking into his study.
He was standing, looking at the many paintings on his wall. It was his way of reacting when anything nerve racking was happening.
"I'm sure they'll be back soon" he soothed taking her in his arms.
"Carlisle! Esme!" A pained voice called out below.
Carlisle and Esme shared a look before leaving the room.
When they entered the living room, Alice was laying a dead Charlie on the couch.
Immediately Esme reacted, "Where is she?" she asked looking at Charlie, "She must be horrified with what she's done".
Alice looked up, her eyes filled with sorrow.
"She's dead".
Esme looked like she had been hit with a ton bricks.
"And Edward?" she choked out.
Alice shook her head, not wanting to admit it.
"No...no...NOOOO!" she screamed, before falling to the floor in a heap.
Carlisle was at her side in an instant, rocking her back and forth, while looking to Alice for an explanation.
She had crossed her arms across her chest and hand one hand to her head.
"We didn't get there in time" she gasped out. "It didn't happened as I saw it" she said looking at the ceiling. Jasper took her hand and sat her down in his lap.
"She never meant to change Charlie or kill him" she said sadness lacing her every word, "She was...she was talking about herself!" Alice burst out in anger.
The minutes passed by in silent suffering for all.
"If only we had gotten there just a little bit sooner" Alice said, burying her face into Jasper's chest.
If Only...
The unknown distance to the great beyond
Stares back at my grieving frame
To cast my shadow by the holy sun
My spirit moans, with a sacred pain
Jasper solemnly watched the scene before him. There was so much sorrow here from everyone present including is own. He didn't bother sending out happy thoughts or soothing thoughts. He didn't feel up to it. He had lost a brother and a sister.
Though there was nothing remaining of Edward and Bella, the act of burying them, gave them all one last chance to say goodbye. They were in Edward and Bella's meadow. It only made sense to everyone that what began in this meadow would come to an end in this meadow.
Lying in a row, Edward and Bella were next to each other, while Charlie was next to Bella.
It's quiet now
The universe is standing still
And there's nothing I can say
There's nothing we can do now
Carlisle stood, supporting Esme. She had lost the will to stand on her own. It made Carlisle's heart break. He had only ever seen this way when she had been human and was mourning the loss of her child. Along with her sorrow, he was slowly dealing with his own. He had been with Edward the longest out of his family. Edward was the first one he had turned. He knew him well. And when Bella had joined the family, he had rejoiced, for at last Edward had found the type of love he shared with Esme. But that happiness had been much too short.
He could only hope that there was a heaven and that the two were there with each other.
And all that stands between the soul's release
This temporary flesh and bone
And know that it's over now
I feel my fading mind begin to roam
Rosalie was holding Emmett's hand in hers. She had a new appreciation for the love that she and Emmett shared. She was glad that she was alive to enjoy it, unlike Edward and Bella. She supposed that this was the only ending worthy of the pair. They had the greatest love for each other that she had ever seen in all her years both in the movies and in real life. A love that great could be both heaven and hell as evidenced by the many ups and down that she had watched them go through.
There's nothing I can say
There's nothing I can do now
Emmett squeezed Rosalie's hand and sighed. They were gone. No longer could he annoy Edward with his immature thoughts. No longer would he be able to give Bella his famous bear hugs. Looking up at him, Rosalie squeeze his hand back and leaned on him.
Every time you fall, and every time you try
Every foolish dream, and every compromise
Every word you spoke, and everything you said
Everything you left me, rambles in my head
Alice stood bravely, Jasper hands on her shoulder giving her strength as she gazed at the newly dug graves in front of her. Her best friend...gone. Her brother...gone. She couldn't get it out of her head that it was her fault that they had died. If only she had been better at interpreting the vision then maybe they would be at a wedding right now rather than a funeral.
Carlisle cleared his throat signaling that it was time to go.
Slowly the group made there way out of the meadow and one by one started running for home. They didn't know what they would do now. But somehow, someway, they would find a way to cope and move on...someday.
As soon as they left, he stepped out of the trees. He was sure that the vampires had known he was here, but they were too distraught to call him out. Either that or they were just giving him the chance to say goodbye privately. His respect for them grew. They did have hearts after all.
Slowly he approached the grave admiring the care that had gone into laying them to rest. Kneeing down on his knees, he took a handful of the freshly dug earth and held it up into the air. A gust of wind came and he released the dirt allowing it to blow in the wind.
"I never got to say sorry to you Bella" he said to the empty ground. "I never meant to let you think I had rejected you".
The wind blew his hair around his face. It had gotten windy very quickly. But the forecast hadn't mentioned any storms happening today.
Everything you loved, and every time you try
Everybody's boxed in, and everybody cry
Stay, don't leave me, the stars can wait for your sign, don't signal now
"I know Jacob" a voice said in the wind.
Jacob turned about trying to find the source of the voice.
"Bella?!" he shouted.
But all was silent.
He looked down at the grave. It was Bella. He knew it. He felt it in his heart.
"Thank you" he said sincerely.
"There will always be a place in my heart for you Jacob" the wind sounded again.
Jacob closed his eyes. He had gotten the peace he had been after for so long.
"I love you Bella" he whispered.
Goodnight, travel well
I didn't say it would be a happy ending...hope you liked it anyway :~P