Disclaimer- I don't own Twilight or A Prayer For Peter Pan.
4 years with Dr. and Mrs. Cullen in Forks, and all I had to show for it was two boxes. One large moving box and a shoebox. The moving box was full of clothes, one of my new obsessions. The shoebox held less, but meant much more to me.
The shoebox was filled with my baseball glove and pictures. Soon after arriving here, I had learned Rosalie was a photographer. Rosalie loves taking pictures like Edward loves being at the piano. I thought of one night with the Cullens. My family.
Sometime over the past four years. The Cullen's house, most likely the living room.
Edward was at the piano, and had been all night. He had been switching between playing songs we all knew and just improvising, and we were having a blast. Our whole family had been dancing all night, Kristina included. At this point, though, Edward decided to play a slower song. I knew the tune, but I have no idea from where.
Esme and Carslile were already caught in a waltz embrace, their footwork was impeccable. Carslile was whispering something in Esme's ear and she was laughing. Rosalie and Emmett were also in a waltz embrace, but like an eighth grade couple, they were just turning slow circles around each other. Jasper was standing next to the piano now, watching Edward's fingers dance up and down the keys.
Kristina looked at me a bit sheepishly, sadness mixed with humor in her baby blue eyes. She admitted "I can't dance like that."
"It's okay." I told her, taking her in a waltz embrace, like the rest of my family. I then scooted my toes under hers, and began to turn circles on the floor with her. She giggled, and I knew in that moment that I could spend forever listening to her giggle.
All of the pictures in the shoebox I now held had been taken by Rose. That moment of us dancing was one of the many Rosalie had captured of Kristina and I. The other pictures caught what were many of the memories of my four years here. I loved all of the pictures. All of them caught some moment that I hope I never forget for as long as I walk this earth. My favorite picture, however, was on top.
One year earlier. Forks High School Graduation.
Kristina, Edward, and I held our diplomas, our caps had flown. We were free. Well, for the first time anyway. I knew I would be doing this again in the not too distant future. But for now, Kristina, Edward, and I could be happy.
Our whole family was there to see Kristina's and my first time graduating High School. Carslile was hugging me, while Esme was talking to Edward. Emmett was talking to Kristina, no doubt trying to talk her into letting him watch us some time. Sorry, Emmett, no chance.
Kristina came and put her arm around my shoulder as soon as Carslile finished his embrace. I put my arm around her waist. Jasper mumbled something about being in public, and all of us laughed.
That was another moment Rosalie had captured with her camera. One perfect moment. My whole family, minus Rosalie, all laughing together. On top of that, she had managed to capture a rare moment where it was almost obvious to the rest of the world what Kristina meant to me. Almost obvious, but not quite.
What Kristina meant to me now, though, didn't matter. I had to leave Forks, and she had to stay.
Conversation between Kristina and Ephraim. Two weeks ago.
"Alice is leaving." Kristina started. The two were sharing conversation while on patrol late that night.
Ephraim replied. "I know."
"I want to go with her." The pure need and wanting was clear in Kristina's voice.
"You won't." The alpha in his voice was obvious.
Out of curiosity, Kristina asked. "What if I had imprinted on her? What would you do then?"
"You didn't. You won't leave. You're staying here." The tone of his voice stated the finality of the order.
Kristina's head bowed with the weight of the command. No one defies the Alpha of the pack.
Now, I was walking out of the Cullen home in Forks, Washington for what I knew would be the last time in a long while. I held my shoe box, my other box already in Emmett's car, which was long gone. I was trying to shelter the box in my hands from the rain as I ran to the car that Jasper now sat in.
The others had left hours ago. Just Jasper and I were left. What I would have done without my best friend, I had no clue. If it weren't for the fact that he was there, waiting for me, I wasn't sure if I would have been able to leave.
When my family had found out from Kristina that she would have to stay behind, they were all deeply saddened. Over the past years, we had all grown used to her scent being all around the house. We all enjoyed her company immensely, all in our own way.
Her having to stay upset me, too. More than it upset anyone else. I just hadn't let anyone see it. Last night, when Kristina and I shared a bed for what I was sure would be the last time; there was only one minute in which I didn't act like things were normal. Kristina had just walked in our door after being directed up there from the front door by Edward.
Last night. Shortly after ten p.m.
Kristina had just walked in the door to my room and shut it behind her. She glanced around, but obviously didn't see me. I had been behind the door.
I stepped forward and pressed myself against her back. Kristina stiffened, then relaxed.
"Hello, beautiful." I whispered in her ear, my usual greeting. Just then, I pulled my parting gift for her out of my pocket. It was a locket. A silver heart, with the words carved on the inside 'Guide her, keep her, with love always, and please bless her as I do now'.
The lines were slightly revised from a poem I had found in one of Esme's handwritten books, never with any author. The poem was titled 'A Prayer For Peter Pan". Esme had seen me reading it about a month ago and smiled. She told me it was written by one of her best friends of her human years and it was one of her favorite poems.
After I placed the locket around Kristina's neck, we had continued business as usual. Neither of us mentioned my leaving for the rest of the night.
I sat in the driver's seat of the car, Jasper in the passenger seat. I placed my box on his lap and took the keys from his hand. As I started up the car, another wave of sadness washed over me. This was really it.
Suddenly, I felt a bit of happiness start to creep in. I shook my head as I shifted the car into drive.
"Don't." I said, shaking my head a little more. I gripped the steering wheel tighter with my left hand, shifting gears with my right hand.
I didn't deserve to feel happy while I was about to do this, even if it wasn't really my decision to make. Jasper stopped trying to make me feel better emotionally. Instead, he just placed his hand over mine on the clutch. I was glad that I had such a good friend, even though I was pretty sure I didn't deserve it. I would need his shoulder soon.
We started down the long driveway, both of us looking straight ahead. I couldn't believe this was really happening. I couldn't believe I really had to leave. The trees of the driveway flashed by, a blur in my mind.
The rain started really coming down as I pulled out of the driveway. I pulled the car onto the highway, and out of the edge of my eye I saw a dark form in the trees.
Kristina was running, in wolf form, in the woods. I could see her auburn form in the rainy trees, her baby blue eyes cutting through the evening rain and dark like knives. I could even hear her paws hit the woods floor. One-TwoThree-Four, One-TwoThree-Four. The same pace her heart always beat at when... never mind. I wouldn't go there.
My eyes kept flicking back and forth between the woods and the road. Hers kept flicking back and forth between the trees and me. She looked confused. Thoroughly and utterly confused.
It was in that moment that I realized it. Kristina knew we were leaving, she just didn't know when. She hadn't been sure last night if my giving the locket to her had been the final goodbye, or just a small part of it. Suddenly, I wanted so stay more than anything in the world.
But if I did, people would suspect. I wouldn't grow older, I wouldn't look more mature. It would put our secret at risk. So yes, I had to go.
Jasper had been silent up untill this point. "Alice, do you want to stop?" He asked.
"No." I whispered the word, wanting to say the opposite. My eyes flicked over to Kristina, still running in the woods. She would miss me.
I knew what Kristina was asking me, even without her saying it. She wanted to know if this was it. I nodded once, feeling my eyes burn. I knew if I were still human, I would be crying.
In that moment, I did something I had never done before and have never done since. I made a wish. I wished for Kristina to find someone to be happy with, to have a long and fulfilling life with. I wished for her to have a family of some type, because she once told me about how much she loved little kids. I wished for her to find someone who would never have to leave her. I wished for her not to miss me, even though I would never stop missing her.
A few moments later, my eyes flicked back to the forest. She was gone. Her form no longer ran with the trees, her paws no longer hit the forest floor. My eyes focused back on the road, and I knew I would never see her again. All I had of her now were my memories, the pictures, and the words she had written on the back of my favorite picture- I love you. Always have, always will.
When the car left town limits, I heard a heartbroken howl rip through the night.
A/N- Poor Alice and Kristina. I cried as I wrote this. Alice's emotion got to me.
Sorry it took so long... stupid Bio teacher assigned an eight page paper.
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