Chapter Seventeen: It's a Story

Emmett POV

Bella and I spent the last day before James arrived in silence. She found the ring I planned to use when I proposed, and it only caused us pain. I wanted so bad to be with her forever. I wanted to see her in white, walking down the aisle, smiling broadly at me. But, she didn't want anything to do with me anymore and I didn't blame her. I knew the minute she found out...she'd hate me. I had prepared myself for this situation, but I didn't prepare myself for the pain.

It was the Saturday we were meeting James and we spent the morning on edge. Not only did she not want anything to do with me, we were forced to take shelter together in a very small hotel room and now, we had to go deal with James together.

"You ready?" I asked, as I put the weapons I'd purchased for us in a duffle bag.

"Yeah." She sighed, brushing past me and walking out the door.

I deserve this.

I kept telling myself that. I knew it, she knew it...everyone knew it. What I did was so wrong there was no way to even slightly justify it. But, this wasn't just about me now. This was about protecting both of us, and everyone else we loved. Thankfully, the Whitlocks had agreed to stay up in Canada until we dealt with the situation. No matter how hard James looked, he would never think of going up north to fucking Canada...he wasn't that cunning.

The drive to the theater was silent. Thankfully, there were a lot of people around when we arrived and we both knew we had time before anything would happen. I looked up at the poster hanging in between the big, french doors and saw,

Les Miserables

Saturday September 15-Saturday September 25

It was the last night this would be performed and as I saw Bella clutch her stomach, I felt nauseous. This was the movie we saw together...and it was the day I figured out who she really was. We watched it together, and I held her as she cried for Edward during I Dreamed a Dream. It wasn't fair. None of this was fair. I hated myself and I was prepared to die, but then Bella wouldn't have let me..no matter how much she hated me.

"Come on, lets go behind the building." I urged as the last people piled into the building. "He's not going to do this where he can get caught."

"Then, why pick such a public place?"

"I don't know." I shrugged. "But, he's going to be around back. I gaurentee it." I sighed, taking her arm and pulling her around back. I shuddered at the scene. It was a back allay with garbage and water everywhere. It was dark and creepy..just like those places where people go in, but never come out of in movies. I saw Bella gripping her arms, and slipped my jacket off and handed it to her.

"Thanks." She whispered, avoiding eye contact with me. I sat down against the rough brick wall of the building and just starred straight ahead, finally feeling fear. I knew that if I survived this, I wouldn't be able to stay in Forks. I wouldn't be able to look at Carlisle or Jasper ever again, and the thought of being anywhere close to Bella made me want to cry.

Look down, look down
Don't look 'em in the eye

"Sounds like it started." I mused as I heard the beautiful music coming from behind the walls.

"Yep." She whispered as she sat down on the other side of the allay. I listened closely for the song shifts, and where the musical was. I smiled as the man sang the What Have I Done, thinking the same thing he was.

What have I done?
Sweet Jesus, what have I done?
Become a thief in the night,
Become a dog on the run
And have I fallen so far,
And is the hour so late

I looked over at Bella and I saw in the dim light that we had that all the color had drained from her face, and all of the happiness was completely gone. I closed my eyes tight, trying not to think about the fact that I was the reason for that.

"Did he even say a time?" She asked after half an hour had passed. I looked up as I heard the guitar from I Dreamed a Dream begin to play and shook my head no. For all I knew was already here and he was watching as we sat in misery and terror. "This is absurd."

"I know."

I dreamed a dream in time gone by
When hope was high
And life worth living

"Did you really love me?" I heard her whisper, and my heart broke. Of course I loved her.

"Yes." I nodded. "So much."

"Then...why did you lie?" She asked.

"I told you, I was trying to protect you."

"From what?"

"Getting hurt." I whispered, not meeting her gaze. "I knew if I told you what I knew, it would destroy you. I saw what happened to you at my birthday party when we first met...you were a mess."

"This...this is destroying me, Emmett."

"I know."

But there are dreams that cannot be

And there are storms we cannot weather

"When...when exactly did you figure it out?" She asked. "Who Edward was and then...who I was?"

"I didn't realize who Edward was until after James had shot him." I shrugged. "His mother took him away from my dad when he was only two...I never met him."

"Then...how'd you know who it was?"

"Pictures I'd seen." I told her. "His mom sent my dad his school pictures and pictures from things like graduation and his high school prom."

"And...me?"

"When we were at the pizza place after seeing Les Mis." I told her, looking down at the concrete ground. "I saw a picture of you and Edward on a nearby table the night he died, and I knew you looked familiar, but I didn't know why."

"Until we were at the pizza place."

"It was the first time we spent any amounf of time together." I told her.

I had a dream my life would be
So different from this hell I'm living
So different now from what it seemed
Now life has killed the dream I dreamed.

"I...I wanted to run." I whispered. "I wanted to leave town, and turn myself in."

"What happened?"

"My uncle." I shrugged. "I just...couldn't leave him or Esme...not after I finally went to them for help." I explained, and then I heard a slow, loud clapping coming from the walkway leading down to the alley. Both Bella and I stiffened as we stood, and she came to stand behind me. I couldn't help but smile at how close she was to me. But, we this was not about being close to each other. This was about protection.

"Beautiful." I heard James's voice mock as he came into the lighting. I felt Bella flinch behind me, and she gripped my shirt tighter. "Just beautiful."

"James, I thought we were going to play games." Felix asked, but I couldn't miss the sarcasm in his voice. "Are we just going to kill him?"

"Kill him?" Bella spoke up, even though she stayed behind me.

"Well, yes." Felix answered. "Both of you."

"Go to hell!" I screeched, trying to bolt towards them, but Bella held me back and I was grateful. One wrong move and we'd both be dead. "No, you can't kill her."

"She knows too much." James whispered. "It's too late, Emmett. You've lost."

"Give in gracefully." I heard Alec say as James pulled his gun out and pointed it at me. I felt Bella's arms raise, and faster than I could react, she'd fired a shot from the gun I'd bought us. I flinched at the sound, and looked up to see no one had been hit. I turned to her and she only shrugged.

"You little bitch!" Felix yelled, running towards us, but Bella only pointed the gun at him. Since he wasn't the dumbest person on the planet, he stopped where he was and backed away slowly. "Your son, by the way is really cute. How old is he now? Seven?"

"How...how do you know I have a son?" Bella asked and I saw her hand trembling.

"I was there that night." Felix sighed. "Don't you remember me?"

"No?"

"I was the one who broke the kids window." He smiled, and if I hadn't been holding the gun with her, she would have dropped it. She turned towards me with complete fear in her eyes, and then fear quickly turned into anger.

"You knew it was him, didn't you?" She asked. "That's why you wanted us to move...not because it was some creep...but it was the people you'd been running to. You knew and didn't tell me?"

"You know, you two could really write a soap opera of your lives." Alec laughed. "So dramatic."

"Fuck off, Alec!" I shouted, raising the gun, but Bella held me back. I knew if I took another shot at them, they wouldn't think twice about killing us.

"Whoa, why such anger, Emmett?" James asked as he inched closer to where we were standing. "We're only trying to make the situation lighter."

"Can we please just get this over with?" I asked, holding Bella firmly behind my body.

"Sure." James nodded. "Would you like her to be killed...or be killed first? You know, so you don't have to see the light leave her eyes like it did Edwards?" He asked, striking a nerve. I reached up and wrapped my hand around his neck, but he only laughed.

"Edward has nothing to do with this!" Bella cried as I pushed James further away from where she was standing. "Don't bring him up!"

"I'll bring him up whenever I fucking want to, little girl." He threatened, even though I could tell it was getting harder to breathe. Bella didn't need to see me actually kill anyone, and I ended him go once he'd turned a slight shade of blue. He fell to the ground, gasping for air and I could hear the beginning of act two begin inside.

"Why him?" Bella asked. "There are probably hundreds of people who want to be apart of...your little gang. Let him go!"

"You don't get it, do you?" He asked. "I own Emmett."

"You don't!" Bella argued. "You can't own people."

"Not literally, but yes. I can." James sighed. "So don't you try and tell me what I can and cannot do."

"Please," Bella begged as I saw the tears stream down her face. I saw Felix go up behind her, and grab her hair, pulling her away from me. I went to go after her, but James grabbed my arms, and pulled me in the opposite direction. I closed my eyes as I felt the cool medal press against my head, and I closed my eyes, ready to accept the fate I'd had since I got out of the truck.

But, that shot didn't come since we heard a scream penetrating the air. I looked up, and saw Bella running towards us, and Felix limping after her, his leg bloody.

"Fucking bitch!" He yelled as he ran after her. I smiled when I saw the knife in her hand, covered in blood. I felt some weird sense of pride as she got closer to us. James let go of me, and walked closer to Bella, holding out the gun.

"Hope you said goodbye to your precious son." He mumbled as Bella stopped moving and looked like a deer caught in the headlights. "Because you're never going to see him again. After my legs were able to move again, I bent down and grabbed the gun James had taken out of my hand and pointed it at him. Unfortunately, I didn't have as much training he did and ending up shooting him in the back of his thigh.

"FUCK!" He screamed, dropping his own gun and bending down to grab his thigh. Bella ran like hell towards me, and ran into my arms, sobbing. I rubbed her back soothingly as she cried into my shirt, and I held back my own tears, not wanting to make her even more upset. But, we'd been so wrapped up in each other, we didn't even see Alec come up from behind Bella, and grab her on the arm.

"Let her go!" I shouted, as Felix came and created a barrier between us. I could see as Bella fought to get free as James came up, standing in front of me, while Felix held me from the back, making sure I wouldn't move.

"Goodbye." James laughed as he pulled the trigger. Everything was a bur after that. I heard Bella's screams as the shot rang through the air. Felix had moved out of the way, and I fell onto the ground, unsure of what was really happening. I heard a scream coming from Bella and Alec were, and smiled when I realized they were Alec's screams.

"Emmett!" Bella called, running over and kneeling down beside me. After the shock had worn off, I noticed her applying pressure with her hands where I had been shot. Since I was able to still breathe, and the sit up, she smiled in relief. "Are...are you okay?"

"Yeah." I mumbled, shaking my head. "Damn, that stings."

"I can imagine." She laughed as I lifted my head to see James coming up behind us, the gun still in his hands.

"BELLA!" I shouted as he got even closer. She grabbed the gun that was still in my hands, turned around and pulled the trigger. I saw James go limp immediately and fall to the ground. However, as I heard the thud of him falling to the ground, I felt myself slipping. "Bella," I whispered.

"Oh, god." She panted as she turned towards me again. I could hear the faint singing of the finale being sung inside. "Emmett,"

"Bella." I whispered again.

"Hold on, I'm calling 911." She told me as she dug her phone from her pocket and dialed the number, pressing it between her neck and ears so she could apply pressure to where I'd been shot. I could faintly hear her talking to dispatch and then Carlisle before hanging up as rain began to pour. I smiled at the cool water hitting my skin, and made peace with what I knew was happening.

"They're on their way." She told me. "Carlisle was close too."

"Why...why was Carlisle here?" I asked as I began my breath begin to shorten.

"I asked him to be." She shrugged.

Now you are here

"Bella," I gasped as she slid out of my sweatshirt, and used that to apply pressure.

Again beside me

"Please, don't leave." I whispered as she looked up, locking eyes with me.

Now I can die in peace, for now my life is blessed

"Please...stay with me."

You will live, Papa you're going to live

"Emmett, you're going to be fine." She whispered, touching her hand to my face. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the closeness.

It's too soon, too soon to say goodbye

Carlisle's on his way." She told me again. "You're going to be okay."

Yes, Cosette, forbid me now to die.

"Bella," I whispered, bringing my hand up to touch hers and squeezing it tightly.

I'll obey. I will try.

"It's okay." I gasped. Breathing was becoming difficult. I let go of her hand and reached down in my jeans pockets, taking out the dampened paper that had been in my jeans since the day I wrote the letter.

On this page, I write my last confession

Here. It's all...my secrets. All of them."

Read it well, when I at least am sleeping

"Please, read it...read it when...I'm gone."

It's the story of those who always loved you

"Emmett," She cried.

Your mother gave her life for you, then gave you to my keeping

"Promise me...you'll...read it." I whispered and she only nodded, and I could see the tears streaming down her face, despite the pouring rain. Suddenly, I heard sirens filling the air and I saw the bright lights blinking.

"Bella!" I heard Carlisle shout as a door slammed shut. "Emmett!" I saw him come up from behind Bella, and kneel down beside her.

Come with me, where chains will never bind you

"Mom?" I asked as I saw my mothers figure appear next to me, and her hand was reaching for mine.

All your grief, at last, at last behind you

"It's okay, Em. I'm here." She whispered. "Always."

Lord in heaven, look down on him in mercy.

"You don't have to be afraid. Not anymore." She told me, touching my face with her smooth hands.

Forgive me all my trespasses, and take me to your glory

"I'm sorry, mom." I cried.

"Shhhh. It's alright."

Take my hand, I'll lead you to salvation

"Aunt Esme?" I asked as she appeared next to my mother.

"I'm here, Emmett." She whispered, her familiar smile shining down on me.

Take my love, for love is everlasting

"Let go, Emmett." She encouraged. "It's okay." She whispered as I felt myself slipping away.

And remember, the truth that once was spoken

"Look at Bella one last time." My mother whispered.

"And let go." Esme smiled as she took my hand and squeezed it tightly. I did as I was told and turned my head slowly to look up at Bella. She was just as beautiful as the day I met her. She opened her eyes, and even though they were red from crying, I could still see the beautiful chocolate brown eyes I fell in love with. I looked into Bella's eyes and smiled.

To love another person is to see the face of God