Alex's P.O.V
"Are you mental harry?" In this moment I couldn't understand the way in which his mind seemed to be working, "Grimmauld place? Do you have a death wish?"
"Shh come in and i'll explain."
I really didn't think there was an explanation for something like this. Still, I followed him through the front door and into the dimly lit hallway. After a few steps further inside a horrible voice spoke and a tall figure materialized from what seemed to be dust. I let out a bloodcurling scream as albus dumbledore spoke to us believing we were snape. Just as he spoke the figure came closer to us. I held on tight to harry as I screamed and looked away.
"I didn't kill you!" he said in a panicked voice. And then the voice stopped speaking. After realizing he was gone I slid to the floor attempting to still my tremors.
"What's going on?"I whispered when harry kneeled in front of me.
"It's for security, I suppose, mad eye must have done this to keep snape out of here."
"That was horrible," I tried to quiet down my erratic heartbeats.
"Are you okay?"
"No." I covered my face with my hands to stop the oncoming headache.
"Come on." He helped me up and I leaned on him suddenly feeling weak at my knees. When we entered the drawing room I found Ron and hermione sitting on a couch looking at me sympathetically.
"It scared us too." Ron offered.
"Always knew there was something wrong with that man. Who in their right mind would do something as horrible like that?" I threw myself onto the couch and rubbed my head.
Hermione moved from the opposite couch to sit next to me.
"What happened to your nose? You're bleeding." on instinct I raised my hand to it and realized that I still had dried blood there.
"Too much mind was involved to get Edward to back off, it's nothing."
She nodded but looked at me in slight disapproval.
"Before you begin to tell me that it was wrong for me to do something like that remember that you also erased your own parent's minds."
"I know that," she snapped, I wasn't going to say that, I simply think you shouldn't take risks like that what if something had gone wrong?"
"But nothing went wrong. As far as I am concerned that's all that-"
A cry of pain came from harry as he and I simultaneously felt a stabbing pain on our foreheads and experienced a wave of fury that did not belong to the either of us. Just as the angry feeling came, though, it left, only the pain that was centered on my scar remained and made it hard for me to concentrate on what the others were saying. Though I was aware that harry was explaining to them what had happened.
"Did you guys hear?" I said after a while. They all looked at me rather oddly. I rubbed my scar as if the pain would go away by doing so. "Your family Ron, their safe."
"How do you know?" he said sounding unsure of my words.
"Your dad sent a patronus, they're being watched though." Some of the color that he had lacked seemed to return to him as his body slightly shook. Hermione reached to touch his arm in a comforting manner.
"They're safe," was all he could whisper with a small smile.
The pain was becoming worse and I wanted nothing more than to scream out in hopes that would relieve some of the pain. Then I felt someone roughly pull me up by the hand and lead me away.
"I need to speak with you," Harry mumbled but I could sense that he wanted nothing more than for us to be away from Hermione and Ron for what was coming. I stumbled behind him until he threw me into the bathroom and closed the door and locked it. Then he slid to the floor to join me as the pain and anger let itself loose. I was vaguely aware of digging my nails into my head but there was a greater pain that was numbing the one I was self inflicting.
An anger that was not mine possessed me it buried itself deep into me and made loose reason. I was not in control of myself as my voice, cold and cruel, spoke to a death eater.
They've escaped, again. The potters have escaped!
Such anger felt like it would surely kill me and just as I reached the peak I gasped as if I'd been drowning and opened my heavy eyelids. Someone pulled me into a sitting position and pushed me behind the door.
"She's fine," Harry told either Ron or Hermione. His voice strained to sound controlled. "Just shaken by all of tonight's events."
I remained quiet and felt behind my head where and ugly bump was growing. I must have fallen and hit my head. There was the sound of the faucet opening and falling water splashing on the sink before I felt a wet cloth on my face
"Did you see him?" I mumbled.
"I saw him," he said through a trembling voice.
Somewhere miles from here Draco Malfoy was petrified of standing before his master and being used to inflict pain upon a fellow death eater. The wet rag felt soothing on my burning skin and I realized he was cleaning away the blood that had now dried underneath my nose. He began to draw away his hand when I reached out and took the rag from him and pressed it to my forehead.
"How are you feeling?" he whispered.
"No better than you are," I responded in an equally low voice.
After a moment of silence he said. "We're sleeping in the drawing room tonight."
"Alright," I didn't need to look into his eyes to understand what was going on inside the head. We were experiencing the same worry, the same fear, the same uncertainty.
I reached behind me to rub my neck and winced at the ache I felt when I pressed my hand to it. All the stress was evident in my body and I wanted nothing more than to sleep. I would not be troubled by nightmares tonight, I was sure of that.
Sometime during the night I remember waking up to find a fully awake Harry.
"Cant sleep?" I whispered. I was quite surprised he was able to hear despite Ron's loud snores.
"I just woke up," he said. "And you?"
"I don't know why I woke up. I wasn't even dreaming. Just lonely I think."
And then he opened his sleeping bag to allow me in next to him. I was reminded of all those times we'd slept cramped into that small cupboard under the stairs of the Dursleys house. Of course they had the decency to allow me to sleep in the living room floor once they realized that it just wasn't possible for the both of us. No matter how small I was. Oh but that mean I always had to be awake before them, they would not stand to awake and find me lying on the living room floor.
I understood that now we were both on the same level, both experiencing the same things. It's like even in our silence we understood each other better than a few years ago.
"I missed this," He mumbled. "It almost feels like were eleven again."
"Sometimes I wish we were," I confessed.
"I know."
We stayed silent afterwards and neither one of us noticed when the other one fell asleep.
Edward's P.O.V
"What is the last thing you are able to recall Edward?" Carlisle had always made sure to put a calm facade for the family when there was something gone wrong. He felt it was his job as the head of this family but every time I could always detect the worry he experienced inside. Now as I explained to him my inability to remember he seemed perfectly calm, like it was something he had been expecting. Yet I could not find the reason inside his thoughts. He knew something I didn't and he wasn't telling me. I was angered by this; after all I had every right to know what was occurring.
I swallowed back the impatience and responded truthfully. The last I was able to recall was rising from my bed to leave for another monotonous day of school. Yet I knew that when I came back to my senses tonight everything had changed. I could feel it I knew that that scene had happened days ago if not more. I could remember how I had felt that morning and it was a very different feeling to how I was feeling right now. I felt no loss, no misery, no pain. But rather confusion. Every horrible feeling that had possessed me in the last century had been completely wiped out as if it had not happened and it was all replaced with utter confusion.
"How many days has it been Carlisle?" I needed to know what was going on and I needed to know what was happening to me.
He sat on a rock next to the creek where I had found myself a couple of minutes ago. When I'd realized that something was wrong I called Carlisle. He was the only one I wanted to talk to right now; he was the most probable person to know what was happening to me. I remained upright and looked at him expectantly.
"Son…" it's been a little bit over two years.
I know a vampires mind is more highly advanced than a humans…but I could not understand what he had just thought. The idea of a vampire being unable to remember the past two years of his life was a concept I could not wrap my mind around. Had my grief been powerful enough to make me devoid of any memory from the past two years? Had I shut myself for two long years and overcome all the negative feelings I had been plagued with?
Alice's P.O.V
I never thought Alex would be capable of doing something like that to him. She had no right to tamper with his memories.
"He can't remember anything from the past two years?" Emmett repeated.
"Nothing, he can't remember anything that has happened since Alex arrived here. Carlisle's not going to tell him, he's already decided it. He wants to talk to us."
Esme was quiet throughout this whole discussion just looking out the window thoughtfully.
"What is it Esme?" I said walking up behind her.
"I know it was wrong," she said so low that a human wouldn't have heard a thing. "But I see that she meant no harm. She was trying to make this wait easier for him. Maybe it's better this way."
I hadn't thought about that but now that she put it that way…
Her departure would slowly tear him apart; it'd be like losing him all over again. And eventually he could give up on waiting. He could end all his pain and leave us. We'd already seen how Edwards's presence affected our family and if he was to leave…it could break us apart. Already it felt torn with Alex gone.
"What if something happens to her?" Emmett brought up. "Are we going to let him live in a lie forever if she dies?"
Rosalie glared at her husband and he wrapped his arms around her. "Anything can happen babe."
"Don't say that," she hissed. "Nothing's going to happen to her."
"We can't think about that now," Jasper said from the sofa. "She's smart and strong, we have to believe in her and that they're all going to make it."
The calm that emanated from him made our worries of Alex cease. He was right she was smart and despite Edward's thoughts, I knew she could take care of herself. I was worried, but I was proud of the girl I had come to see as a sister.
"They're coming; I suggest you try not to think of Alex. Or of what she did to him. At least not until we've discussed this with Carlisle." I noticed Bella who had been sitting on the last step of the staircase. I smiled towards her. "Think you could give us a hand?"
"Of course," she said through a small smile.
"He probably won't remember you're alive Bella"
"I know…maybe this time it will be a happier greeting than it was last time." Of course, I can remember too well her stubbornness as a human, and now as a vampire that trait of hers was only enhanced. She would take any chance she could at getting to Edward. I couldn't decide whether this was the best.
Just then the door opened and in came Carlisle and a disturbed looking Edward. He looked at each and every one of us in question trying to get answers but I'm sure he found nothing.
"I'm sure you must all be aware of the situ-"
"Who are you?" everyone's attention veered from Carlisle to Edward who seemed afraid.
"Who do you think Edward?" Bella responded as she stood up. Maybe this was a good idea…but what about Alex? Was it right that while she was away trying to keep Edward and everyone else safe Edward's here enjoying himself with Bella?
"She's dead," I don't think he was talking to any of us.
"You could say that," Bella took a step towards him and he took one back. He looked at her as if she was something evil, a monster that was out to get him. "But I'm still here."
"Edward relax," Carlisle rested his hands on Edwards's shoulders. "I think you two have a lot to talk about."
"You can't be here," he sounded out of breath if he were human he would be hyperventilating. "I saw you…y-you died, in my arms."
"Come with me," she extended her hand to him. "I'll explain everything."
He looked unsure and his eyes turned to me asking if it really was safe, if it really was Bella and he was not in some sort of hallucination. I nodded in assurance, Bella seemed to catch the movement and she began to walk out the door before turning to look back at him.
"You coming?" her voice was soft as she addressed him. He looked at her and then turned to us.
"What's going on? Who is she?" I offered a sympathetic smile at Edward.
"Go with Bella she'll explain everything," Esme said walking towards Edward and hugging him. "Everything's going to be all right," at least for him it would be. He probably sensed some hidden meaning in her words which explained his questioning look. "Go," Esme said. He seemed uncertain but he followed after Bella.
Once we were sure that they were out of hearing range we began to discuss the matter at hand.
"You think that Edward shouldn't know anything about Alex?" I couldn't hide the sadness from my voice. He loved her, he truly did and now he wouldn't even remember her name. She may have preferred it this way but it was not fair, to either of them.
"But it's not right!" Rosalie responded angrily. "Are you really going to force him into a relationship with Bella? He has a right to know about Alex he loves her not Bella!"
"How do you explain to him that the girl whom he suffered for the past century isn't his mate rose?" Jasper wasn't looking at any of us but rather looking at the muted TV. "I can assure you he's going to feel love for Bella especially now that he doesn't remember anything about Alex. As far as I know he believes that there's no other person for him other than Bella. If we tell him that his real mate is a witch and she's out there dancing with death and he doesn't remember because she erased his mind...how do you think he's going to take it?"
"You can't say he won't believe us," Rosalie fired back "he's going to see in our minds that were not lying to him."
"Babe I think they're right," Emmett said, "imagine what it's going to be like for him. He's going to be confused and frustrated that there's someone out there whom he supposedly loves but he can't remember her. Imagine how that's going to make him feel."
"We can take Edward to Frankie, maybe he can-"
"what good is that going to be Rosalie," I said cutting her off, "that's only going to make him insane not knowing in what condition she is whether she's alive or not. This is why she did this so he would not worry. But this may be for the bes.t"
She looked at me as if I'd grown a third head. "You're going to agree to this? You're going to let your favorite brother live in a lie? He deserves to know!"
"He deserves to be happy! And obviously Alex doesn't want to do that for him!"
"Don't you blame her for this!"
"Well who should I blame it on? She's the reason Edward can't remember a thing!"
"Stop!" Carlisle's voice rang full of authority. Our bantering quickly died down. "Now I don't agree with what Alex did but this is strictly between them. Now I think we should respect her wishes and keep Edward away from the truth for his own sake. There is no point to burden him with this knowledge."
"And what about when he finds out?" Rosalie said trying to her hardest to control her voice. "He'll hate all of us for keeping this from him."
"Babe just drop it," Emmett murmured.
"What about Alex?" Rosalie was not the one to break down, so we were surprised when we heard her voice break. "She's one of us too. More than Bella will ever be because the truth is that Alex is it for Edward. And she's out there risking her life for her world and for us. What happens to her? We just turn our backs on her when this is over?"
"We would never do that," Esme whispered. "We'll happily take her in if she wishes to return, but she's is an adult, rose. What her future is going to be is entirely up to her." Esme walked to her and embraced her; surprisingly rose returned the embrace and sobbed once. "She decides what's going to happen to her. It might hurt us but there's nothing we can do, she's faraway now."
"She's just a child," Rosalie whispered.
Esme half smiled in sadness. "Yes it does seem that way doesn't it? But she has shown us again and again that she isn't. You know her and you know that she and harry have both had to grow up faster than any other of their age. They deserve to have our support and trust….as for her relationship between her and Edward, that's something we cannot meddle in. It is up to her whether she wishes to make a life with him."
Rosalie was gone in a second. Emmett sighed and looked at us.
"It's all going to work out…" he said sure of himself. "All this drama is getting to me though."
There was the instant sound of the opening of drawers, rustling of clothes, and the sound of zippers coming from upstairs.
He shook his head and walked upstairs to go and talk Rosalie out of leaving. Luckily he would be successful. Now wasn't the time for this family to separate not even for a month.
"We just have to see where the future is going to take us." I said and sat next to jasper he immediately wrapped his arm around my waist and I curled into his embrace. Our relationship was so easy, so unlike Edward and Alex. We were lucky, we truly were. It was another reason to never take for granted what I had with him. Because there were others who had to fight many obstacles to be together, even then sometimes they didn't succeed. I didn't know where I stood. I loved Bella and Alex so much. It wasn't my place for me to take sides.
"Yes," Carlisle said. "The future does have ways of surprising even you Alice."
I nodded and then Esme and Carlisle went into their room.
The day had begun so perfectly and now it was all a disaster.
I simply didn't know what to expect from the future anymore.
But I did know that Edward and Bella would not arrive until tomorrow at noon.
Alex's P.O.V
Kreacher had just left with our orders to bring back Mundungus, a task to which he complied to extremely well. I briefly wondered if Mundungus would still be alive when he was brought over.
I shook my head and remembered what I had to do. Hermione was talking to Ron when I gently placed my hand on hers to get her attention. She looked in surprise and smiled at me.
"I need your help," I admitted to her.
During the night I had realized that there was no reason to erasing Edwards's memory if the Cullen's were there to explain to him everything.
"What is it?"
"I need to return to the Cullen's and keep them from telling Edward about me, I just hope they haven't done so already. The thing is, I can't do the spell and I don't think I could attempt to do it on my own again."
"What's the plan? Sneaking up on them will be much more difficult."
"I know which is why I'm going to make sure to immobilize them and then you just do what you have to do."
"You really think you can immobilize eight vampires? They'll hear us coming."
"We'll help," Harry said and Ron nodded.
"You guys still can't do anything without saying it out loud though"
"What's the point? Edward will hear it whether verbally or mentally."
"Dont worry Hermione and I can handle it."
"Yeah… are we doing this right now?"
After explaining the plan to her we apparated, with the invisibility cloak hiding us, close to the Cullen home.
We didn't talk, I'm sure they could already hear us anyway; however they didn't know who we were or what we were going to do.
I nudged Hermione when I saw rose and Alice come out of the house looking at a spot close to where we were. Hermione and I quietly poked our wands out of the cloak, the jinx chanted in my mind and a red spark shot out and hit Alice at the same time Hermione's jinx hit rose. They both fell to the ground.
Surely the others would follow out once they heard the fall.
Sure enough out came Esme and Emmett. They quickly kneeled and took the girls in their arms I couldn't hear what they were saying but suddenly they looked directly at the spot we were standing on. I felt horrible as I shot a jinx and Esme fell to the floor. None of them deserved to be robbed of their memories no matter how unhappy some could be. But I had to do it. It would keep all of them safe.
Hermione gripped my hand and instantly I felt the immediate constriction of my lungs as they were robbed of air. As soon as the feeling came it was gone and she and I were standing on the other side of the forest. Carlisle and jasper stood just where we had been seconds ago.
In the moment they turned to locate our position Hermione and I aimed and they fell to the ground.
We quickly uncovered ourselves and went to move them inside.
"Wait, where's Edward and Bella?" she said stopping on her tracks.
"Check the house," I said as I began to raise Carlisle's body with my wand pointed at him.
"They're not here."
"Okay then hurry before they get back."
She began with Emmett and I observed for a while before I turned to look at the house I hadn't been in for so many months. Of course nothing had changed everything was just as I had last seen it. Unconsciously I moved to the piano and stroked the ivory keys softly.
"Alex," I jumped at the sound of Hermione's voice and looked towards her with wide alarmed eyes.
"It's going to take longer than I expected," she said without taking her eyes off of Emmett.
"Wha-why?"
"Have you ever seen how complex their minds are? Tampering with their minds will take much longer than with my parents. Even with my mom and dad it took me a long time."
"But can you do it?"
"Certainly" she said sounding slightly insulted. "But it won't be a clean job. I can completely wipe off all memories from the past two years like you did with Edward, but they will notice that they can't remember. Adding false memories like I did with my parents can't work, with my parents I just had to change a couple of years with them I'd be doing centuries. If I add in false memories from the past two years they won't make any sense to them. It will be a bigger mess."
"Well…then just do the easiest." I turned away thinking of some way to help them when they awoke. They'd have to move, I'd prefer it if they did. A letter, no it would not keep them from investigating what had happened to them.
"We need to get Edward and Bella too," I commented as I walked around and looked out the window.
"Do you…think they're still here?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean…maybe they left the family-"
"For some time of their own?" I asked but she did not respond. She was right though…Edward and Bella could have left to restart their relationship as husband and wife. It hurt, I can't deny that, but at least he was getting the peace and happiness he deserved. I tried not to think about that possibility.
"Maybe," I said although now I was talking more to myself than her. "But if they come around in the time that we are here then we ought to-"
I didn't have time to scream as I felt a horrible pull on my arm. Before I was aware of what was happening I had my right arm pressed to my back and someone's arm pressing on my throat.
"Edward wait!" I was disoriented but I recognized Bella's warning voice. "Don't kill her!"
I felt soft skin running by my neck and heard the loud yet inhalation from Edward, at the same time I felt ice cold fingers dig on the back of my neck.
Just as I began to see spots from lack of oxygen I heard Hermione's distant voice and Edwards hold slid off a loud thud was heard as he hit the floor. Edward lay behind me, completely unconscious.
"Wait!" I turned and saw Hermione pointing defensively at Bella. "I won't do anything!"
"Wait Hermione," I found it hard to raise my voice as I was trying to regain my breath. Bella walked past me and held Edward in her arms. Upon feeling the familiar licks of jealousy I looked away. "Are you going to do to them what you did to Edward?" she asked.
Instead of answering I looked at Hermione and nodded for her to continue. She nodded in understanding and looked at Bella uncertainly, I do believe this was the first time she'd ever met Bella.
"It's for the best don't you think?" I spoke as I walked to the piano bench and sat down while rubbing my face.
"This family has suffered enough." She agreed.
"I'm sorry Bella but I'm going to…remodify, you could say, Edwards mind again."
"Not all of it right? I really don't want to have to explain myself to him all over again. Can't you just erase what has happened today?"
I pursed my lips but nodded.
"How's it going Hermione?" I looked over and saw that she was still working on Emmett. This was going to be a long afternoon.
"I'm doing my best." she explained. "But I really can't rush this."
"Don't worry take your time."
I looked down at the floor while cracking my fingers. I really did not know what to say to Bella. I don't think I even wanted to say something to her.
"I have one thing to ask," she suddenly said.
"You have Edward and your family back. What more could you want?" I nearly spat at her.
"I don't want to forget," I looked at her in question and she smiled tentatively. "You're a good girl Alex. And you have brought more happiness into this family than grief. They love you and it only feels right to carry your memory. I feel as if by me remembering who you are they won't be too far away from you. I don't want to forget you."
"You can't tell them about me."
"It's not in my best interest to do so."
"Fine."
And so Bella and I waited for Hermione to who was in deep concentration to finish. Every now and then one of them would move and I had to keep them down.
"Is there any way in which I can help Hermione?" I said after the third hour had passed. Now she worked on Carlisle she only had Esme, Alice, and Edward to go.
"You're doing fine like this…actually. Can you help me with Edward? It's not that much to do-"
"Say no more" I walked to where Bella sat with Edwards head on her lap. She looked at me and I felt the side of my lip twitch.
"I find it easier to work when there is physical contact involved" I explained to her as I took Edwards warm hand into mines.
I blinked a few times when I finished and looked around to find the room spinning.
"Are you alright?" I heard her ask and Hermione turned to look at me in concern.
"Fine" I mumbled. "Just dizzy."
Hermione helped me to my seat and once I was sitting down a glass full of water was handed to me.
"Thanks," I said quietly and Bella just nodded.
"I'm almost done Alex," Hermione assured me.
"It's alright," in reality, as I said this all I wanted was to get as far away from here as possible.
One hour later and Hermione was all done.
"We should leave before they awake," Hermione said as she put her wand back inside her robes. I took a deep breath and looked at Bella.
"Guess this is it." I stuck my hands into my jean pockets and chewed on my bottom lip. I didn't expect her to hug me the way she did. I wish I could have returned the hug, it would have been the polite thing to do but I could not find it in me to do so.
"I know we might not be the best of…acquaintances, but know that I will be thinking of you and I don't want anything bad to happen to you. Despite what has taken place I understand and accept that while he may not know it you are still a part of Edward. I hope you succeed in whatever you do Alex…and…have a good life."
I nodded and vaguely wondered where my tears were. "You too."
I felt Hermione's hand wrap around mine securely.
"And Alex?"
"Yes?"
"I'm sorry."
I felt as Hermione covered us with the cloak as I reassured Bella. As soon as my words left my mouth we were gone.
One month later: august
Third person P.O.V
"Something's wrong with him Alice." Bella sat down on the snow just as Alice finished getting rid of the carcass of her meal.
"Of course something's wrong with him Bella. Just like there's something wrong with all of us since you came back."
When the Cullen's had awoken a month ago a lot had changed. Nothing was as they remembered it two years ago and they found themselves being nervous. This could after all be considered an attack of a vampire of some sort. There had to be a reason for their lack of remembrance right?
But all they found regarding this situation had been a note, written in writing too messy to belong to a vampire, all it said was the year they were in and to move away from forks as quickly as possible.
Hesitant as they all were they did not ignore the author of the note for it was obviously time to start fresh. Yet the whole month all of them had been on guard, not knowing whether the person that did this to them would show up again.
Upon reading and detecting the smell of the human they searched through the town for that same smell. The only place where they were able to detect it had been in a small location right next to the forest but the trail disappeared there. As if the person itself had simply disappeared there in that very spot. No matter how much they looked they found nothing.
"It's something else Alice," Bella insisted. "He just…at one moment he'll be caring and loving and then the next moment he just apologizes and pushes me away."
"He's confused Bella, we all are. And then it must be even more confusing since you arrived right after we lose all memory from the past few years."
"Are you saying he's suspicious of me?"
"I really don't know. I don't think so or Jasper would have felt it and told me. Just give him time he'll come around."
Edwards P.O.V
I knew that smell, there was a familiarity in it, it didn't matter how much it scorched me there came an inexplicable sense of comfort I felt from the unbelievably sweet aroma. Three times I had felt the smell, when I reawakened in the middle of the forest, when my whole family was seemingly attacked the scent permeated through the entire house, along with that scent of another human. We searched all of forks for that smell and the only place we found it was in a small lot of land next to the forest.
No one found it familiar in any way, but they were highly interested in the fact that I seemingly had another singer. It was possible to have more than one after all; Emmett was perfect proof of that. But did this mean that whoever was behind this was a human? This was something none of us could believe. A vampire must have been involved in this, Jaspers theory of a vampire with very potent gift being behind all of this was the only conclusion we could gather.
And then there was the sudden appearance of Bella, it seemed too much of a coincidence that she would appear at the most chaotic moment of all of our lives. I found myself being weary of my own wife, for after some time I became convinced that she really was here and alive. (figuratively speaking of course)
But something was off, if I would have been told a couple of years back that my Bella lived as one of my own kind and I had seen her with my very own perfect eyesight…everything that had occurred for the last century all of it would have been completely wiped off. I would have been reborn and would have started fresh with no memory of those dark years.
All of that would have happened if she had appeared before me years back, I am utterly sure of that. So then what had changed now? I couldn't find it in me to be happy enough about her return to me. That is not to say I felt no happiness at all for her appearance. But something wasn't the same, my feelings weren't the same; though I could not pin point what my feelings were either. Everything about my life seemed to confuse me since I awakened.
For the millionth time I gazed down upon the note written by the one who was behind all of the mystery.
It's time to leave forks…I'm sorry for this but it's the best for everyone.
I did not recognize the nearly illegible hand writing yet I could not deny that there was familiarity within the words. The note had not been signed but the scent penetrated within the paper was awfully familiar… but where did I consciously encounter such an aroma?
Warm arms wrapped around my neck startling me for a moment. Then a silky voice spoke smoothly into my ear. "Hey"
I turned to meet my mouth with her own lips and hoped, like always, that I would once more experience that feeling that ran through me like a wave when she was a human. My hopes as always were futile, I felt nothing as her lips brushed against mines.
"Thinking about that again?" I saw her nod over to the note resting on the desk. Her distaste was clearly displayed across her porcelain features.
"I assume you have noticed it is not only I who seems to be thinking of this problem." This was a constant thought amongst the Cullen family.
"Why can't you accept the fact that it could have been the volturi?" she moved to sit on the desk.
"Why the Volturi just erase two years worth of memories? If they had some sort of problem with us they would have simply killed us"
"But Carlisle is their friend; they wouldn't kill him or his family."
"The volturi don't have friend's Bella, and if Carlisle posed some kind of threat to them they would get rid of him and all of us without a second thought."
I glanced at her as she looked at the note with a deep frown.
"The rest knew what happened to me," this is what irked me the most. Whoever it had been had obviously wiped my mind before the rest. Because I still remembered seeing them on the night of Bella's arrival. I remember sensing that they knew the reason behind my inability to remember. Whoever made me forget obviously returned for them the next day.
"Well whatever it is they knew it's gone now."
"Where were you when I was attacked along with the others?" The question had been swimming around in my mind for the entire month. Yet I could never bring myself to ask her about it for fear that I might sound too accusing. So I failed to understand why I had spoken now.
She looked at me for a long time; her silence was almost like hearing her thoughts. She thought I was accusing her. In fact, I had the slight suspicion that she had been having these thoughts for some time now.
"I was hunting Edward," her voice was low and hurt. "I know I arrived at the worst of times…but I would never do such a thing to you or our family."
"And where was I? I find it highly unlikely I would leave you alone to hunt when I have just been reunited with you after a century."
"Yes it is unlike you…then again you have been rather unlike yourself since I returned." She smoothly slid off the desk and began to walk away when I took her hand to stop her. In the swiftest of motions I was up and leaning over to place a gentle kiss upon her lips. I expected to feel that excitement that had always accompanied me when I would kiss her. But there was nothing. There had been nothing since the day she returned. There was happiness, of course, but not what I expected.
She must have sensed my wandering mind for she gave me a knowing look before she walked out without a single word. Feeling utterly miserable and confused I trained my thoughts on the owner of that note…
Alex's p.o.v
"For the millionth time Alex everything is ready for tomorrow!" to say Hermione was exasperated was an understatement. She wasn't to blame, she was just as nervous at what we were about to do as the rest of us. For all of our sakes I tried to keep my mouth shut and keep my thoughts to myself.
"Just calm down," she said in a calmer manner. "We've gone over the plan a million times there's nothing more to do." She gently rubbed my back and I tried to discreetly move away. "All there's left is to hope that nothing goes wrong tomorrow"
But there was so much that could possibly go wrong…
Edwards P.O.V
"Not in the mood to hunt are we?" I looked up from the remains of the mountain lion that was in my stone grasp to Emmett who was casually leaning against a tree. Even after more than two centuries Emmett still hadn't learned how to feed properly.
"Is that what it looks like?" I questioned as I disposed of the carcass. I had to admit that he was right. I wasn't concentrated in the hunting. While I had been thinking of red liquid it had not been the lions blood of which I thought. A far off memory seemed to struggle to come back to me. The memory of blood much sweeter than anything that had ever run through my aching throat. It was impossible to recall the scenario or even the feeling and taste, but I was sure that it was an unearthly taste.
"Do you know if I once fed on a human? Since you have known me?"
Emmett thought but everything in his head said that he didn't remember any situation of the sort.
"Why do you ask?"
I could have explained it to him but it wouldn't have made sense. Maybe this had taken place in the last two years of my life.
"No reason."
Though he wanted to press for more he didn't, it was probably what I liked the most about Emmett. He would listen and not press for more if he knew you weren't comfortable with it. "Are you finished?" I asked when he didn't say anything else and a calm almost awkward silence settled between us.
"Yeah lets go back home to our women."
With a somewhat forced smile I followed after him. Unlike Emmett it was not something I was remotely looking forward to. But instead I busied myself with thinking of the notes I wanted to toy with on the baby grand. It had not stopped bothering me since we left for the hunting trip and I was eager to get home and get them out of my head.
"That's beautiful." Esme came behind me placing her hands on my shoulders. "Did you just make it right now?"
"No…I think…it's familiar. I don't know how but already knew it. I made it." I turned away from the piano and looked at her; her expression clearly displayed her uneasiness about the situation we were in. We all felt the same always ready for a possible attack.
"Continue," she commanded. I smiled and eagerly did as I was told. Despite the tone of finality that the last notes carried, to me it did not feel as though it was quite done. And I spent the rest of the night trying to decipher what the next part could possibly be. My progress was very meager and I grew more and more frustrated by this. I failed to understand why this song was so difficult to finish.
"Edward?" I jumped at the call of my name and whirled around to see Bella standing directly behind me. "You've been trying to figure out the song all night you need to take a break."
"I don't understand." I finally said. "I can't figure out what comes next."
"It sounded to me like it was finished," she offered.
"No, something's missing…and yet I do not know what it is."
She moved to take a seat next to me, I trained my eyes onto the ivory keys as I spoke, "it sounded like that to me at first…but it doesn't feel finished. There's more to it, I know it."
"Does it have a story?"
Did it have a story? In all my past compositions there had been some sort of story or influence on my music. There was a story to this one too but for the first time since I began composing I could not figure out what it could possibly be.
"There is…but I don't know it. I think that when I wrote it, it was finished but the story somehow must go on now. It can't just end there….am I making sense?" when I turned to look at her she looked at me speculating.
"Slightly."
"Maybe you're right. I need a break from this tune," to prove it I began to play a melody I probably had not played since before she had died in my arms all those years ago. As her lullaby came to an end I chanced a glance at her and was rather surprised to see her emotional y expression. She looked at the piano as if she were about to cry, but of course such a thing was impossible to one like us.
"Thank you," she whispered.
I leaned in to kiss her lips, while I didn't feel the thrill I always searched for I felt her love for me and that in itself warmed me.
"Would you like to learn?" I offered.
With newfound hope in her eyes she nodded eagerly and I spent the entire morning teaching her the basics of the piano. It pleased me to learn the she was a fast learner.
The days passed and while I had my moments in which I felt at ease there were times in which I found myself being rather excessively agitated. I failed to understand such mood changes. Today seemed to be one of those dreadful days and the rest knew better than to bother me while I was in such a state.
On this day I felt a sense of uneasiness. For some reason, unknown to me, I was nervous and worried. I'd done everything I could to clear my hazy mind of such feeling as it was proving rather unsettling. However, nothing I did seemed to have any effect on the feeling. Unable to stand the worried thoughts of everyone else I took myself into my room. A few hours had gone by and all I could do was to sit impatiently on my desk chair and look out the window. I found a distant sense of serenity from this, yet it still was not enough.
Could vampires experience headaches? I was quite positive I had never experienced such a thing. I rubbed at my head in what was meant to be a soothing manner but it did not help. Such a pain this was. I'd experienced much greater pain, but in comparison to other forms of pain I'd experienced I found this one to be rather annoying. Suddenly the Alaskan view did nothing to help me; instead it made my eyes sensible to the light and only increased the annoying pain centered on a part of my head. I furiously closed the blinds and laid my body on the bed.
The door creaked open and I sensed that it was Bella.
"Edward?" Called her soft voice. I closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose in frustration. "Jasper said you weren't feeling well"
I made no response.
"What's the matter?" the mattress slightly sank on my right side and immediately I felt her soft fingers going through my hair.
"Carlisle" I finally called. Not a minute passed before he was quietly walking through the bedroom door.
"This is hard for even me to understand but it seems that you are experiencing a severe case of migraines Edward."
He was right that was a hard idea to conceive. Trying to appear calm I sat up and leaned against the headboard. "Is that even possible?"
"I do not know. However I don't think there's anything I can do for you Edward. Medication will not work our body rejects any substance of the sort. If this is just a migraine it should go away for sometime eventually."
What he had told me had not helped in the least. It did not lessen the pain. Sometime that night the disturbance had slightly declined. And when I finally seemed to be sinking into some sort of calm, flashes of red appeared before my closed lids. When I opened my eyes it seemed to me as if I had just been awakened by an epiphany of such great force that it lifted me out of the bed and guided me to the desk where I retrieved a piece of paper and a pencil. The movement of my hand was so fast I could hardly see it. As I concentrated in what I was drawing a shape of a person soon came to view. I drew exactly what had appeared in my mind. It came to me like a vision, a blurry vision that I could barely make out. As I drew on the page all that had protruded from my skilled hand was a mere silhouette of a female, a small female. That was as much as I could deduce. After I finished I contemplated the illustration for the rest of the night.
"Three days Edward" Emmett closed the bedroom door behind me and took place on the bed. "Three days you have been locked in this room without speaking a word to any of us. Tell me what's going on before Bella dies of anguish."
Quite frankly I could care less of how others were feeling at the moment. My own desolate heart grieved and inwardly tore me to pieces.
"What's this?"
The paper was snatched from my hand and inspected for a great amount of time. "Tell me this isn't what's got you so worked up."
Without removing my eyesight from the falling snow of Denali I took back the paper.
"You know what? This isn't my thing I'll go get Jasper" there was no need; Jasper was waiting out the door. Once in his eyes widened; no doubt feeling all the bottled emotions within me.
"What's got you in such a state Edward?" without answering I handed the paper to him. "Who is this?"
"I don't know" I murmured, my breath instantly turned a spot on the window foggy. "But she's real"
"How do you know?"
"I just do… I just do…"
"But you don't even know what she looks like this is just a distant shape Edward."
"I know but I feel close to her"
"You feel close to a drawing?"
I shook my head in exasperation. No one could understand it, not even I.
"Do you realize the emotions running through you right now?" He said as he handed me the drawing back.
"I can't understand them." My eyes were drawn once more to the picture, the immediate frustration made me close my fist and crumple the paper. "Just like I don't understand this picture"
Why did I feel such emptiness? This was something completely different from everything else. I was missing something and I suffered for it…but what am I missing?
it's been a long time since i updated you guys and believe me i hate myself right now
if u guys are wondering i will finish this story no matter what
but lately drama has been messing with me and ive been having some problems
i dont think this will satisfy most of you and im sorry for that i am going to start writing the next chapter soon
who saw the last harry potter movie? i went to the premier and i cried alot and it made me a bit disheartened about this story but im going to be strong and finish this for all of you that are still with this story :)
-airali