A/N: Sorry this took so long. I was trying to figure out exactly what was going to happen.
On top of it, this has been one hectic week to say the least. Way too much school work and work in general plus my boyfriends birthday.
I just started writing it today and didn't get inspired until 10 and I got this out in 2 hours, yey me.
Thanks so much for all of the reviews. 21 last chapter and now I have 99 favorites, which really excites me.
So here is Chapter 22, long awaited probably. Enjoy!
Ann's Point of View
"Ann you can't go back there again," Carrie yelled at me. "It's not healthy for you to keep doing this. I was fine with you checking up on them at first but it's been 7 years. 7 damn years Ann, you've got to get over it."
"I'll never get over it Carrie, never," I screamed. "And I don't see how you could. They are your family too, what about your mother? Don't you want to see her?"
"I miss my family, especially her. I worry about her every single day but we are dead, that's what they think we are. What if Josh sees you or your mom or dad?"
"They wouldn't even recognize me. I look like I did when I was human but I sound completely different and my eyes aren't blue. Once they see me up close they would know that it's not me. I'm careful when I'm near them you know that. Don't criticize me for checking up on my life. I just want to make sure my brother and my niece are okay. I have always worried about him, even when I could to him. Carrie, I'm going and that's all there is to it."
I stormed up the stairs and gently slammed the door to my room. Alex was lying on our bed with his arms crossed underneath his head.
"Are you okay," he asked calmly.
"No I'm not okay," I stated angrily. "She thinks that she has the right to judge me after everything that we've been through," I continued while sitting on the edge of the bed. "I just want to make sure that everybody is okay," I whispered sadly.
"I know you do baby," he said moving towards me and putting his hand on my shoulder. "And I love you for that. You're caring and compassionate but…" he stated emphasizing the last word.
"But what," I yelled angrily pushing his hand off of me and turning around to face him.
"But I think that maybe Carrie is right." What! "I know you go to check up on them but they are all doing great. Your mom and dad are still friends, your brother is married and has a daughter and he has a great job. They are beginning to heal and I think that it is time you do too."
"What the hell is wrong with everybody," I screamed as loud as I could before jumping out the open window and onto the ground below.
Seriously, what the fuck was wrong with everybody. I thought that I was being a good person, checking up on everybody that I cared about. I wanted to make sure that I didn't hurt anyone, that my family was safe and that nobody was hurt. I sent money to them, if I could, every year on the anniversary of my death. I beat they figured that it was the drunk driver's family, the guy that ran us off the road and I was glad about that.
I ran towards the garage and got into my car, modifications and all. I turned the engine on and heard the passenger door open and someone slip inside.
"I'm coming with you," she stated before turning forward and buckling her seatbelt. I was happy to have at least someone to talk to, instead of just screaming at myself from inside the car. I pulled out of the garage at lightening speed and saw the house disappear with Alex standing outside watching me drive away.
Once I hit the highway I turned to Bella "Do you think that I'm crazy," I asked in a hush whisper, trying to convince myself that I wasn't crazy and I really was just a good person.
"No not at all."
"Then why do they think I am?"
"I highly doubt that they think you are crazy. Ann I have been in your shoes before. I didn't want to leave my family behind either, except they didn't think that I was dead. I still talked to my mother and I saw my father regularly until he passed away. We all have a hard time letting go and after my dad died, that was the push that I needed. I don't want you to have that as a last memory of your family. I'm not trying to tell you how to handle this because it is your decision. If you want to keep checking up on them then go ahead but it's only going to hurt you more in the long run."
I sat in silence pondering over my thoughts. We drove around in silence for a few hours, happy for the silence that we never got living with so many people, before we headed back to the house. Driving had always helped me clear my mind allowing me to scream at the top of my lungs or to cry the tears I had been holding in around people. I was usually alone so that I could just relax and listen to stupid music that I hadn't listened to since I was little. Or just sit in silence, listening to the purr of the engine. That sound was always relaxing to me, always, but sometimes it took a little bit longer for my emotions to relax.
When we approached the house, the sun was starting to rise. I knew instantaneously that we wouldn't be going to school today. I was sticking to my original plan of going to Massachusetts today but I was still undecided as whether or not it would be my last trip. As we pulled up to the front of the house I left my car in the driveway, knowing that I would be leaving soon anyways. Good thing I had decided to put the tinted windows in over the weekend, it would save us a lot of trouble in the long run.
Alex was waiting for me at the door to the house. He looked upset, like I had hurt him. I never wanted to make him feel like I was mad at him because he was my life. I got out of the car and ran up to him, jumping up onto him, wrapping my legs around his waist and my arms around his neck.
"I'm so sorry," I whispered into his ear. I heard his mouth turn up into a smile and then he grabbed me tightly. I loved the feeling that I got in his arms that it made me wonder why I ever needed anything else in my life. I knew that I had a decision that I was going to need to make. I needed to decided whether or not to see my family ever again and I still had be careful like I was every other time I went to go visit them.
He carried me upstairs to our room and put me down smiling at me.
"I love you Ann, you know that right," he asked actually sounding unsure of himself.
"I know that you do and I love you too. I just needed to get away from here for a little while, clear my head. I'm okay now, I promise."
"Are you sure babe," he asked engulfing me into a bear hug.
"Yeah, I am. I think that I should start packing."
I rushed into my closet and grabbed the closest bag that I could and threw a few outfits in, not knowing exactly what I was going to want to wear. I got changed for the day into a pair of tight light blue jeans and a tank top matched with a simple black sweater. I grabbed my bag and kissed Alex goodbye before heading downstairs to see Renesmee in the house adjacent to ours.
When I got there she was ready to go with a bag of her own, in a pair of loose jeans that hung on her waist and a white sweater with a pair of sneakers. She looked relived that she wasn't in heels for once in the past week.
The drive to Massachusetts was a long one and the only sounds that we heard were from the music coming out through the speakers. I had made this journey so many times before and seeing the familiar sites comforted me. Renesmee kept looking at me, wondering what I was thinking.
"Stop looking at me," I told her.
"Sorry, I'm just curious," she replied looking back to the highway in front of us.
"About what?"
"What's running through your head right now?"
"I'm anxious," I told her. "I'm excited to see my family, to make sure that they are doing alright. I haven't seen them in a while and I think that this is the last time that I'm going to see these familiar roads."
"Have you decided that already or are you just trying to convince yourself of that?"
"Do you understand how mature you are for your age,'" I asked with a laugh.
"I get that a lot," she responded crossing her hands on her lap. "I just want to make sure that you are doing alright. You are always there for me and I want to be with you when you are trying to go through a hard situation and make a tough decision. I know that it has to be hard."
"You have no idea," I whispered with disbelief in my voice.
She dropped the subject after a while and she knew how I was feeling inside. It was hard to describe in words, the idea of never seeing your family again and not being able to check up on them to make sure that everything was all right. That's all I ever wanted to do. If I could I would stay there and watch them live their lives as they normally did. I wanted everything to be back to the way that they were years ago. I wanted to never go to that club or to leave 5 minutes earlier just to by-pass the drunk driver that hit us and wrapped our car around a tree.
Carrie's Point of View
"So what was all that commotion about earlier," Aedan asked as we sat in the living room. John and I had just come down the stairs to relax after hearing Ann leave the house. I didn't want to be anywhere near her at this moment just because I was so upset with her.
"Ann thinks that it's okay to continue visiting her family and I told her what I thought and then we proceeded to get into an argument."
"And where is she now," Camden asked me.
"She's on her way to Massachusetts soon and Nessie is going with her. I just wish that she wouldn't continue doing this to herself. It's just going to make it harder for her to let go in the long run."
"I understand that," Camden replied. "I did the same thing that she did for a few years but I eventually let it go. It was the hardest thing that I've ever had to do, leaving my 2 younger brothers and my mom and dad behind. I could just imagine what she is going through."
"But I think this is the last time that she is going. It's been quite a long time and I think that it is time that she leaves her human life behind."
"I agree," John concurred. "I've watched her leave to go so many times and every time that she comes back she is even more depressed then when she left."
"She doesn't seem like the depressed kind," Aedan added.
"Ann is one of those people that jokes around and talks so much that nobody realizes what really goes on inside of her. It is hard to just watch her pretend that she okay when she needs to do a lot to calm herself down when she is upset."
Aedan and Camden pondered over what they had just heard and it was always a lot for somebody to take in if they knew Ann. She didn't seem like the type of person with issues or problems but she was one of those people that talked constantly or tried to make a joke out of everything. We had always been best friends and I knew her better than anybody else did. We were family, more so than some of our actual family was. She was like a sister to me, if not somebody closer than that. I just never realized just how close she had been to me.
"Carrie," I heard Alice yell running towards the house. "Carrie, we need to talk," she yelled and by the time that I got to the door she was already there. "You need to go after Ann," she finally stated laying her eyes on me.
"Why? Why should I follow her?"
"She is going to need you. All I can see is her standing in some yard and yelling for you. I only got a glimpse because Nessie wasn't anywhere near her. You've got to follow her, please." Alice was pleading with me. I didn't know what to think as I was handed a set of keys and she disappeared again. I didn't understand what was going on and I tried calling Ann's cell phone but it was turned off, which was rare. I didn't know what I was doing as I ran upstairs to pack a bag and then I was off like a flash of lightning. I got to the garage and ended up needed to take Alice's Porsche. I would need to yell at her later for making me drive this damn car. I wore gloves and a long sleeve shirt just in case I needed to make an appearance in public.
I drove as fast as I could without scaring the crap out of myself and tried to remember the way to get home. Good thing it wasn't too hard of a task with a gps system but even with one I could still get lost. It's just the way that I was and that's why I never drove. Ann wasn't great with directions either but she had a way of not scaring the living shit out of everybody as she drove.
It wasn't a very long drive to the place that we used to call home, only taking around an hour and half with the way that we drove. Now the only problem that I had was trying to find Ann because there were a few places that she might be. I decided to call Alice.
"Hey Carrie."
"Hi, where is she?"
"I don't know I've only had that one vision."
"Could you describe the scene to me a little bit more, any details that there might be."
"Umm, there are a lot of tall trees, looks like pine trees, and there seems to be a garage or something in the background. It looks to be a gray color."
"Thanks, she's at her brother's house."
I hung up the phone, remembering that she told me about the house he lived in. It was secluded, but not too much, a gray color house with a matching garage and a yard for her little niece to play in. I remember that it was on the outskirts of a little town called Belchertown. I drove in that general direction, wondering exactly how I was going to find the house. I couldn't think of any possible way that I could get exact directions. I finally called Nessie and was surprised to hear it ring. She answered after a few rings.
"Hello," she asked obviously not recognizing the phone number.
"It's Carrie, where is Ann?"
"She's running around. We parked in a parking lot and she was off to find her brother. She said it was just down the street, why?"
"I'm here and I'm looking for her. I think that she needs me."
"Well I'm in the parking lot of a Dunkin Donuts, near a school. Do you know where that is?"
"Yes."
"Meet me here and then we can go looking for her."
I hung up the phone and sped closer to the town. I tried to remember all of the schools around this little town that was the next one over from where we had grown up. I finally found Ann's car sitting in the parking lot, looking a little out of place. The weather around us had become cloudy and I smiled in relief, taking off my gloves and rolling up my sleeves. I parked next to the car and Renesmee and I got out of the cars at the same time.
"Should we take a car," I asked her. "Did you see what direction she went in?"
"Through the woods."
"I should be able to track her scent."
I breathed in a heavy breath trying to find her scent that I was so familiar with. It hit me fairly quickly and I took off running at human pace at first and then once we were in the woods, Nessie and I both took off at full speed, following the path left by her. Maybe she wanted us to find her, incase something went wrong.
Ann's Point of View
When I saw the house ahead of me, through all of the trees that surrounded the property, I stopped. I was always cautious when I was around these parts, seeing my brother's house and his car sitting in the driveway. I realized he had gotten a new car, a black Hyundai Tiburon. I smiled at his choice in cars, a very fast one at that, and I reminisced about the times that we had spent talking to each other about cars that we wanted one day. We had been different in many ways but there had always been something that we could talk about. I watched as he played with his daughter in the yard and I was closer to them than I had ever been before.
She looked to be around 3 years old, playing with a Dora the Explorer ball and kicking it towards her father. He smiled big as she punted it at him and he caught it.
"Good job baby," he yelled running towards her and lifting her up into the air and spinning her around. "You're just like your Aunty, do you know that?"
"You always say that," she said as he hugged her into his chest. She rested her head on his shoulder and I could see the twinkle that he had in his eyes that I had never seen before, until this moment. He was happy and he was a great father, a picture I could have never pictured before.
I smiled and moved slightly in the bushes. It was a little too loud and he noticed.
"Is anybody there," he asked putting his daughter down and telling her to run into the house. I just stood in shock, unable to move. All of these years of keeping a low profile and I blew it all. I was too close, I should have known better. "Hello," he asked stepping closer to the trees that were surrounding his house. I should have moved but I couldn't. I wanted him to see me, I wanted to talk to him, I wanted to be able to smile at him and give him a hug.
Soon he was so close to me I could smell his scent. It was harsher than I remembered but I hadn't been close enough to smell it since I was human and my senses weren't this in tune then. He continued to walk closer and soon he saw me standing there. He stared at me for a long time, not sure what to say or if he was dreaming or something. Edward would have been great at this moment.
Finally, I took a step forward and out of the trees into his yard.
"Hi."
"Ann," he managed to come out with. He recognized me instantaneously. I smiled at him, a little scared also.
"It's me."
"But how," he asked with disbelief in his voice. He looked at me intently now and reached his hand out to me. "You're dead," he said touching my shoulder.
"Obviously not," I said sarcastically. That was all I could muster up. Of all the times I could just continue talking and talking without caring what I said I just couldn't come up with words at this moment. I took his hand in mine and looked at his face. Tears were starting to well up in his eyes.
"Still as sarcastic as ever," he said pulling me into a hug and I could feel his tears soaking my shirt. I had rarely seen him cry but this was one of those moments I was glad that I couldn't cry because I would never be able to stop. "You have some explaining to do," he said releasing from me.
"So do you, naming your daughter after me."
"Well I figured I needed you in some shape or form. She is just like you."
"Poor kid," I laughed. He laughed along with me putting his hand on my back and leading me to the house. I heard something in the woods approaching us at a fast pace. I knew that it had to be other vampires. My face became serious and a low hiss escaped my lips. I moved too quickly, letting my instincts take over me and put my arm out in front of my brother. "Go into the house, now," I said sternly. He looked at me cautiously and then turned and ran. "Come out," I hissed loudly. Two figures then came out of the forest and I looked at them intently. "What are you guys doing here," I yelled, half pissed off but also half excited.
"Alice had a vision," Carrie told me. "She said that you were in the yard yelling for me but obviously didn't come true. I just wanted to make sure that you are okay."
"I'm fine now."
"What do you mean," she asked me.
"He caught me," I sheepishly told her.
"It's about time," she told me. "I have been wanting you to talk to him for a while now just so you would shut up about it."
"Well I'm about to go inside, do you want to come with me?"
"I think that you should do it on your own."
"Are you sure? You came all of this way."
"Just call us when you are ready to leave, we are going hunting or something. We will come and pick you up."
"Thanks guys," I said embracing them both in a hug. I really wanted to spend the little bit of time that I had seeing my brother because we needed to be back at school in the morning. Good thing that we weren't too far away. Renesmee and Carrie ran back into the forest. "
"Be careful," Carrie called to me, even though I knew she wouldn't be too far away. I looked towards the house and took a deep breath before walking towards it. Josh was standing outside of his door.
"What the hell was that," he asked.
"What was what?"
"You moved so quickly and who were those people with you. You seemed to know them."
"I do know them and you know one of them too."
"Carrie," he said quietly. "You've got to tell me what's going on. I saw the car and I was at the funeral and you have a grave and so does she. How are you two alive? Why would you just up and leave your life? Why did you decide to come back now? Why me? Do mom and dad know yet? What are you?"
"Stop would you," I told him. "If you keep asking me questions how am I ever going to answer them?"
"Good point."
"Well one, I'm obviously not dead. 2 I know that there was a funeral and all that stuff, that's what we wanted. 3, we are alive because 2 of the most wonderful people we have ever met saved us. 4, I had no choice but to leave my life because of what I am. I have been checking on you for the past years, ever since I died," I said using air quotes. "I have always worried about you but you are doing so well and I just wanted to make sure that everybody was okay. Mom and dad don't know yet and nor will they ever. This is going to be between you and I okay?"
"Why won't you tell them?"
"Because I think that you can handle this but I know that they can't. Mom and dad aren't doing to well I know that. Both of them are sick and I know that even though I've been trying to block that from my mind. I don't want them being angry with me because I've waited so long to show my face. I just want to be able to talk to you, to make sure that everything is going to be alright with you."
"Come on in, I'll show you around."
He opened the door for me and I entered his house. It had a country flare to it with wood paneled walls and light, vibrant colors through out. There were pictures of him and his wife everywhere on their wedding day and pictures of my niece. She really did look like me. She had our trademark medium brown hair but mine and my father's blue eyes and you could already tell that she was going to be a tall girl. Her mother was almost my brother's height, around 6 feet, so she was bound to be tall.
"Do I get to meet her," I asked looking at a picture of her.
"Of course. Hey honey," he yelled loudly, so loud that it hurt my ears. "Can you come down here, there is someone that I want you to meet."
I heard her little footsteps running down the stairs and straight into her dad's arms. She smiled at him and looked towards me shyly. She obviously didn't get that from me.
"Hi Ann, it's nice to meet you," I said shaking her little hand. She pulled away quickly; my hands were probably too cold for her. "Sorry about that sweetie."
"Who are you," she asked me. I looked into her eyes and they reminded me so much of mine that it was hard to deny telling her the truth.
"I'm your aunty."
"But your dead," she said sadly. I saw a tear forming in her eye. I pouted my lips out and Josh handed her to me.
"That's what they say honey," I said holding her in my arms. She was so warm and smelled so sweet. "I'm just not around very often is all. You're a beautiful little girl."
"Thanks," she said flashing me what she had of a smile at me. "I've always wanted to meet you."
"Now you have," I said kissing the top of her head. "Why don't you go play so I can talk to your daddy and I'll say goodbye before I leave."
"Okay."
I put her down and she ran back upstairs to her room while Josh and I sat down at the island in his kitchen.
"Now that the easy questions are out," he said. "I have serious ones to ask. Why do you look so different?"
"Well the car crash left me basically dead."
"So that really happened?"
"Yes. And 2 guys saved Carrie and I and I had never felt worse pain in my life. All of my injuries together didn't equal this pain. I didn't understand what was happening to me until I woke up and saw clearer than I ever had before, seeing a beautiful man standing over me. His name was Alex and he had these bronze eyes that were so beautiful."
"Okay I don't need those details. Let me guess, he saved you, you fell in love, you're married, blah blah blah."
"Pretty much."
"But the way you look?"
"I'm not…I'm not what I used to be, put it that way."
"What do you mean," he asked with confusion all over his face.
"I'm not exactly human anymore."
"Umm, okay sis. I know that I watch a lot of horror movies but this is just a little too weird."
"I know that but what if mythical creatures were real? What category would you put me in?"
"I don't know."
"Come on and think." I saw the concentration on his face then as he looked at me. He touched my hand softly and it reminded him of how cold my hands were earlier.
"Well let's see. Outside you hissed, which I have to admit was a little funny, and you moved so quickly. You are as cold as ice for another and your eyes are different. I just don't think that what I am thinking is real."
"Just say it would you, I promise I won't bite."
"That's what I'm afraid of."
"Would you just say it out loud? What am I Doshy?"
"A vampire," he whispered with a frightened voice. I looked at him and nodded. He got up cautiously backing up towards the door. Oh Jes, this wasn't going well.
"Like I said, I won't bite, I promise."
"Ann, you're a vampire," he said quietly again.
"But I don't hurt people, honestly. I have never touched a human in that way."
"Then how the hell do you survive?"
"Animals, just like you do. Well, a little differently," I chuckled. "You eat the meat but I go around this."
"This can't be real."
"It is, your daughter saw me, and she can stick up for you. I'm not a ghost, I'm not dead, I'm immortal, that's all there is to it."
"I think I need to sit down."
I was next to him in an instant and brought him out onto the porch in another split second. He was in the chair and he looked like he was going to be sick.
"Relax, that's just another advantage of being like this."
"Can you possibly warn me next time? I have whiplash."
"Sorry, I'm not used to interacting with you humans."
"Don't worry about."
We sat in silence for a few minutes before he looked at me again.
"So a vampire huh?"
"Yeah."
"So do you sleep in coffin?"
"Nope, I don't sleep at all."
"Really?"
"Yep."
"Bats?"
"Myth."
"Garlic?"
"Doesn't bother me, although it smells disgusting, as does all other food."
"Crosses?"
"Don't hurt me."
"Burning in the sun?"
"Nope, I sparkle."
"You sparkle?"
"Yeah like diamonds are underneath my skin. Don't worry about it, it's not sunny out today so you don't have to be worried that your sister sparkles."
"Oh Jes."
"Yeah I would say so. So what's going on with you? Where's your wife?"
"Umm, she passed away," he stated sadly. "She died giving birth to our daughter."
"Oh, I'm so sorry."
"It's been hard, I have to admit that. Trying to run a business and taking care of her is not an easy task."
"I couldn't imagine."
"I don't think that you want to."
"She was a beautiful woman though."
"Yes she was beautiful inside and out. I hate that I had to lose her the way that I did. It just wasn't fair, quite like your death."
"I know but mine wasn't real. I feel so bad that I haven't been here for you more."
"Mom and dad have been helpful though."
"How are they doing?"
"Not well, I suppose. They are both sick, as you know, but they seem to be in high spirits. They have moved back in with each other. I suppose so it's so they don't die alone."
"Will you call me when it gets too bad," I asked barely mustering out the words.
"Of course."
My brother and I talked until it was past dark. I watched as he and my niece ate their dinner and I helped tuck her into bed before saying goodbye to Josh and reminding him not to talk to anybody about this. It wouldn't be a good thing if that happened. I just wanted to make sure that my family was going to be okay but soon I wouldn't have any of my family left. My parents weren't doing well and I would be there to say goodbye to them when it got too bad. I wouldn't be too far away if they ever needed me.
I called Carrie and Renesmee to pick me up and then gave Josh my phone number. Carrie drove Alice's Porsche while Nessie curled up in the back seat to go to sleep. I wanted to cry so badly as we pulled away from Josh's house with him waving at me in front of it. I knew that it wasn't going to be the last time that I would see him but next time it wouldn't be on such happy circumstances.
A/N: I know it's not like a vampire to tell someone, but technically he guessed what she was
A little more about Josh, he loves horror movies and such so it isn't so hard for him to grasp, if you didn't get that.
I hope that you liked it but if you didn't, sorry. Leave a review either way.
It's now 1230 and I have to get up at 6 for school and I want reviews when I get home.
My computer is about dead now, so this is all I'm going to say.
At least 20 reviews this chapter but 25 would be fabulous.
Thanks and next chapter will be around halloween. (We're in the first week of september now if you're confused)