Chapter 19: Visitor
"Jake! Nessie!" Alice yelled from downstairs. I groaned and rolled my eyes at Jake.
"Coming!" I shouted pulling Jake by the hand. Everyone was comfortably seated, mostly in pairs, except for Alice, who was still standing behind the couch with her hands resting on Jasper's shoulders. I tried to avoid the blazing glare of my mother's eyes. I could damn near feel the intensity of her stare searing my flesh. Jake and I took our places on the couch next to Carlisle and Esme-- the safest spot, I told myself. Emmett and Rosalie were sharing the over-sized recliner and my parents shared Jasper's couch. The tension was thick and I could feel waves radiating from Jasper as he fought to control the mood. Our eyes met for a moment and he flashed me a knowing smile. Obviously, Alice couldn't keep a secret from him. The flare of excitement in his golden pupils matched his lovely wife's. I took a deep breath trying to overcome my nerves.
"Hem hem," Alice broke the silence and everyone's piercing glares, except for Rose, she was clearly trying to engulf Jacob with flames with her nasty looks. "So, I'm sure that everyone has some idea of what we are all doing here," Alice began with a smile. No one returned her expression. "Well, then," she said, "I think that we should start with Jake and Nessie."
"Oh great," Jake muttered under his breath. I delivered a stiff elbow and an evil snarl.
"Ness? Do you want to tell them?" I took another deep breath. I couldn't seem to get enough oxygen in my lungs to create the courage I needed. I could feel the blood rushing hot to my face as my eyes scanned the room. I wanted to deliver an amazing speech, something that would make them all understand and support us. Something that would make them all happy, but no words were forming. No brilliant thoughts were surfacing. I nervously chewed my bottom lip. I opened my mouth to begin, but to my surprise, Jacob beat me to the punch.
"I know what you are all thinking," he bellowed, the words spilling recklessly from his lips, "And you're right. You all knew that I loved her from the day that she was born and you all knew this was going to happen. You can fault me for it all you want, but there is not a damn thing that any of you can do about it. I love her and she loves me, and that's it." Not exactly the speech I was hoping for.
I stood up, "Look everyone, I know this is hard for all of you," I risked a quick glance at my dad before continuing. His face was still, but forcefully so. "I love Jacob. He has been my everything, my best friend, my brother, my protector and now he is one more thing, is that so bad?" I waited, gaging all of their expressions. A sigh escaped my lips, "You all have each other, you all understand what it is like to love someone so completely and above all odds," this time I purposely met my mother's eyes. "You know what its like and I don't think that any of you have the right to judge us or to deny us the right to love each other." I switched my focus to Rose. "I love Jacob and he is the one that I chose. And all of you are going to have to be okay with it," I felt the tears rushing, my words started to stick in my throat as I choked back the sobs. "I love Jacob, and, and... I'm pregnant!"
The last sentence ripped from my lips like a knife tearing through flesh. Carlisle adjusted his position on the couch, Rose's hands flew over her mouth covering a gasp as she leaped to her feet, mad with fury directed at Jake. My mom's face went white-- almost transparent and worst of all, my dad. The light in my dad's eyes burnt out, like a tiny flame being doused with a bucket of icy water. I could see his whole body go limp. There was nothing. Like the nothing that I had known when I had died in Alice's vision-- just emptiness. Each pulse of my heart was sending excruciating pains rippling through my body. I couldn't fight it any longer. The tears streamed like bloody rivers down my face, spilling all over my clothes. Jake's arms couldn't hold me tight enough, for once I wished his hug would crush my bones.
"Oh honey," whispered Esme. She gently pulled my tangled hair away from my face. "We're here for you baby, don't cry." Her face was so angelic, so perfect and so nurturing. I could feel her love forming around me. I wiped the red from my vision, searching the clouded scene for my mom. I found her eyes and realized that they weren't on me, they were on Jake and she was fighting something back. Her hands were clenched in fists and her jaw locked tight. Pain gripped her face. Emmett was successfully restraining Rose, who was obviously bent on killing Jake. Jasper strained to filter all of the emotions being flung around the room. It was like a horrible nightmare, they all hated me in one way or another. I couldn't take it anymore. I broke free from Jake's grip and moved to stop up the stairs, but something caught my eye. Alice.
Her expression was blank, her eyes vacantly lost in a vision. I froze. All eyes had apparently been on me because they all followed my line of vision directly too her. Jasper was on his feet and by her side in a flash. Carlisle had matched his movements. She stood still, her face blank and utterly unreadable, no one took a breath, not even Jake.
It seemed like an eternity in those few seconds, "Visitor," she said still caught in her void. She blinked and her animation returned and sparks seemed to jet from her eyes. A grin lifted the corners of her lips, "He's here!"
Confusion rippled through the room. Everyone shifted in their places and talked all at once, "Who's here?" Carlisle said calmly, settling the chaos.
Alice winked at me, "You'll see." Before anyone could berate her further there was a knock at the door. Not a human knock, it was barely audible to my ears. But it was there, clear as day. The other's froze. Emmett crouched into attack mode, baring his teeth. I allowed myself one breath in the moment of tension and I caught the reason for Emmett's reaction. The smell was completely foreign. It was marked with a notable hint of blood, but something threatening and imposing as well-- as if I could smell the power, the power of ancient blood. The sudden threat of danger made my father finally spring back to life as he took Emmett's side, pulling my mother behind them. The knock sounded again.
"Don't be silly you two," Alice said springing forward to get the door. "Sit down. I will not tolerate any rude behavior in front of our guest." She swung open the door.
Through the shadow I could make out the tall figure that I had seen in the entryway of Alice's vision from Marius. He was dressed much the same, a perfectly tailored suit that hugged his frame in all of the right places, leather shoes drenched in expensive taste and the same devastatingly beautiful face.
"Pardon my intrusion," he said to Alice with a bow. "But, may I come in?" The slight hint of an English accent purred alluringly in my ears.
"David, please do," Alice said flashing him a stunning smile. "This is my family. I am surprised and thrilled to see you here so soon." His shoes clicked lightly, like the tapping of fingers on the hardwood floors. Stunning silence emanated from the room. All of the golden eyes, as well as Jacob's obsidian orbs were fixed on the stunning creature before us. Alice, of coarse, wasn't phased. She was bounding around the room like a child that had just gotten into a jar full of sweets. She hastily introduced everyone, each of them rising cautiously to take David's politely extended hand. His voice was so warm and inviting, his demeanor so pleasant. It was easy to see why Marius would chose him as an ambassador. It was impossible not to like him. His perfectly tanned skin and enticing eyes were beyond resistance.
I heard Carlisle's voice break from the casual pleasantries, "David, if you don't mind me asking, what is the reason for your visit?" It was clear that Carlisle had much more pressing questions to bombard our guest with, but this seemed the most appropriate.
"Surely, the lovely Alice has filled you in on the situation?" He said flashing a smile in her direction. I stared heavily, as his lips peeled back and revealed his teeth, I was shocked to notice two canine fangs. I tried to disguise my horror, but to no avail. David's beautiful gaze turned to me.
"Oh yes, my dear," he said and he drew his lips back unsheathing the monstrosities. He laughed at my thoughts, "Quite right, they are rather monstrous, aren't they?" He turned his attention back to Carlisle who was now lost in a bit of wonderment. "A dear friend of mine, Marius, has sent me. He has trusted me with sorting out this whole mess of a situation with the Voluturi? Is that how you say it?" Carlisle only nodded, shooting a heavy glance at Alice.
"Clearly we do have much to discuss," Carlisle said to Alice. She looked sheepish for a moment.
"I was going to tell you. He wasn't supposed to be here for a couple days," she nearly whispered.
"Oh yes, quite right. I'm afraid that I did arrive rather quickly. You see, I'm sure that Marius would assume that I would travel in the mortal fashion, but I'm afraid... Well, I'm afraid that curiosity got the best of me," he said with a charming smile. My mind fell back into the thoughts of soaring over land and sea at ferocious speeds.
"Nothing gets by this one," he muttered, looking at me. "Yes, well I did take the shortest route possible. I felt the issue was more than worth enduring my usual fear of heights." Alice's laugh chimed like a tiny bell.
"Er... Not to be terribly rude, but do you think there would be somewhere safe for me to rest, I am quite tired from the journey and it is nearly dawn." He said gazing out the back window. The last of the stars flickered dimly in the distance.
"Oh yes, of coarse," Alice said as she sprung to her feet. "Give me just a moment to prepare something for you. Jasper?" The two left the room and headed downstairs to the cellar.
"Thank you so much for your hospitality," David said graciously to Carlisle, "I do look forward to our conversations tomorrow evening."
"Yes, yes," Carlisle said with a hospitable smile, "Me too."
"Oh, don't worry friend, Alice will explain everything, I'm sure." And with that David disappeared into the cellar after Alice and Jasper just as the first rays of the sun peaked over the mountain tops spilling onto the treetops.
Everyone was gratefully still too stunned to speak. Thankful for David's timely arrival, a giant yawn escaped my lips. The crying and emotionally charged situation had gotten the better of me. I curled up close to Jake and let my eyes droop. Before anyone could protest or bother me, I slipped silently into unconscious bliss.
But dreams came too quickly, flooding my already churning mind. I found myself stumbling through the woods, searching for someone. My voice was calling out, but I could only hear my own echoes. The forest was deathly dark, the trees seeming to steal the light from above. The air was filled with salt from the sea and I was looking, peering into the darkness, calling out over and over again. My nose wouldn't catch the scent, my eyes couldn't find their sight. I was fighting back the nothingness. It was closing in on me like the sea swallowing a sinking ship. A flash of milky white streaked across my failing vision. The perfume of lilies teased my waning senses. The sound of softly treading paws drenched my ears and the soft warmth of fur encompassed my body. The forest disappeared and I was surrounded in pearly white light.