Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, but I do own a Ninja Spork. You can torture me, but I'll never revel more, unless you can tempt me with ownership and Edward... PG is out the window!
Bella POV
I blocked out all sounds of Carlisle and Edward, and concentrated on calming down Alice and Esme. Uncomfortable with the female activity in the room and the highly strung emotions, Emmett and Jasper went upstairs quietly, Rosalie following them soon after.
I eventually stopped the attentive pair from trying to reassure me, but I couldn't remove the tortured contortion of my face. I paced around the room, horrified at Edward's reaction and confused at my own in relation to his. Why did his anger and evident disgust towards me affect me so badly? Why should I care what he thought?
Concentrating immensely, I was struck by a theory that strangely made me want to collapse. I recalled Carlisle's earlier thoughts, how he saw Edward's inquisitive glances toward me and vice versa. What if Edward thought that I was influencing his mind and heart and twisting them into false feelings, intentionally or otherwise? Instinctively I knew this to be true. A second later Edward came rushing down the stairs, and like lightning I flung out my arm and brushed his own arm in apology to a crime I never committed.
Edward gave me a brief but hard glance, probably not realising that his face mirrored mine. He bolted like a bullet from a gun, without a second look. Esme gave me a sympathetic look, realising how deep Edward's actions had cut, before going upstairs to join Carlisle. I nodded to Alice to tell her that she could go join Jasper but she declined, instead choosing to join me outside.
We sat together on one of the tree branches, soaring high above the ground. I sat with my knees pulled up to my chest, glad that no words needed to be said. We watched the moon sink under the trees and the sun counterbalance it, swinging up into the unusually clear sky. The blood red sky reminded me of the ache in my abdomen, impossible to ignore. We sat in a spot where no sun intruded. All too soon Alice climbed down, an agile fairy with invisible wings. The red heavens had faded into a symbolic forget-me-not blue, and indeed I couldn't forget him. But I tried anyway, focusing on Alice as she danced into the house.
Moments after she disappeared, Edward started down the long driveway. He passed directly below me, his windswept bronze hair ruffled and his manner worried. His shoulders unconsciously stiffened as he passed beneath me, but he strode straight into the house. Silence dominated the area around the house for a minute, before Alice grabbed Edward and dragged him outside. I saw her small form point one tiny finger up towards my perch, and heard her commanding Edward to 'go up there talk' with me.
I saw him start to shake his head, but Alice pushed him and insisted, her piercing voice sharp and heartless. Edward spun and started marching towards the tree, head held high and topaz eyes carefully vacant. He reached the trunk of the tree and started climbing, Alice watching vigilantly. As he crawled onto my branch, Alice disappeared inside, leaving us undesirably alone. We sat this way for hours, watching the sun move higher in the sky. Eventually it moved overhead, causing the gaps between the leaves to let sunlight filter through.
I shifted to a shadier spot, the scattered beams dazzling Edward's eyes. I was used to the glare, but it annoyed me all the same. Unfortunately, the movement forced us into an uncomfortable need to talk, pulling Edward out of his reverie. I sat on the outer edge of the branch while Edward leant with his back against the trunk. Edward cleared his throat.
"I am exceedingly repentant for the manner in which I acted towards you. It was inexcusable and I wish to apologize," he said formally, frowning at the branch.
"Your apology is accepted, Mister Cullen. Please, gratify me by enlightening me to what did I do to offend you? I desire to offer an apology myself for the actions that were the grounds for such an extreme response, or clear my conscience if you mistakenly fault me with an offense I did not commit." My tone was intended to be formally comical, but despite my intent the words had a bitter undertone.
Edward looked up, and I looked away at the sky, at the clouds beginning to form. I was careful not to be caught in the trap of his white face, and his depthless eyes that made me feel like I was falling, but safe knowing he would be there to catch me.
I started speaking again, spilling my secrets, my past to this beguiling, addictively beautiful stranger.
"My name is Isabella Marie Swan; I am a vampire of unknown age, one of the original of our kind. I have never changed anyone, but all vampires today are the descendants of my brothers and sisters. I do not know how I was created, or who my creator is. I have haunted this world in the shadows, observing the progress of our and human race. I have been able to deduct that the Elixir of Venom that is passed from vampire to fledgling has grown weaker over the thousands of years, causing less physical ability. Also affected, powers are not as many, instead only enhancing the most dominant aspects of the changelings' qualities.
"I have killed off many of our kind, and indeed I take pleasure in seeing the radiance go out of their furious ruby eyes, feeling their resistance weaken as their immortal lives are snatched by a larger predator. It is the law of nature, which I take care to enforce by. I do not feed off humans, only animals. I have lived like this for all my existence. I have a natural barrier to all other abilities, which I believe was placed by my maker to ensure that we originals did not use our power to help in any battles to kill each other as we learnt what we could do. I can let this shield down so I am swayed by other abilities, but have never had a reason to do so.
"All the other originals are gone from this world, so there are none who was resist my abilities, but I do not use my power on other vampires. Before this, my main occupation was killing all red-eyes I came across, except for those who were doing good by enforcing the system that my siblings set up and protecting our secret. There was no sport in using my talents on such occasions. I have never used any malipulating powers on you or your family. I swear that that is the truth.
"That is only a brief summary of my existence, but it is a truthful one. If you want to, loathe me for my actions being so atrocious, but my past is fixed. If you want, I shall leave your family, and you can pretend that I never disgraced your home by crossing its threshold. I will not intrude where I am unwelcome. Certainly I will leave your town, but I ask that you allow me to collect my belongings. I had objects that I do not want to part with, but I shall at your bidding," I finished, my normally expressive voice emotionless.
Without waiting for a response I jumped out of the tree, landing without a jolt on the grass below. Without a look back, I ran silently to my house in town and packed up my belongings. Feeling my emotions start to accumulate, I lay face down on the divan and let them come. I started to tremble, the horror of his – I would not say his name – inevitable anger and loathing of me hitting me like a colossal weight that I couldn't move towards me or away from me with my strength. It was the proverbial, but all too real irresistible force – this feeling – hitting an immoveable object – me.
I became aware of a set of arms encircling my waist and cool hand on my head. The light steps of seven vampires filled the room. I had involuntarily let my mind shield down enough to let them find me. Eventually the tremors slowed, and I raised my head. Esme sat at the head of the long couch, patting my tangled head of hair.
Alice was in an awkward position, hugging my waist placidly. Carlisle had some pillows and blankets that were stuffed in a cupboard somewhere. Jasper was sending out waves of calm, a few of which penetrated my loose defences. Emmett and Rosalie were towing my bags outside, presumably into the car. He stood in a corner, watching me with dazed jewel-like eyes which I avoided with all the thought left in me.
Carlisle and Alice wrapped me up in a comforter, passing me to Jasper who carried me outside. The sky was dark again and the blanket protected the majority of me from the dancing moonbeams. I must have been irrational for hours. Everything had a dream-like quality to it, and my shield slipped further. Jasper stumbled slightly when the bewildering turmoil of my emotions hit him but I didn't know what was in the mix, I had gone emotionally numb to myself.
The ride back to the Cullen house was very slow and smooth. When we got there everyone but Edward rushed inside, my possessions in hand, to prepare for me. I had no strength left to make it the few metres inside alone, but I tried anyway. Pushing off Edward's hand, feeling an unwelcome tingle go through me as I did so, I stumbled a metre before being swept off the ground by strong arms. I felt protected in this embrace, but despondent knowing that it couldn't last.
But as we went inside, Edward sat down with me still in his arms. The shudders started again, and I transferred myself to a more comfortable position. His body tensed as I rested with my head on his shoulder, until he leant his head down and laid it on mine, wrapping his arms around my waist and holding me securely. The quakes stopped and I moved myself away, standing half turned away.
The rest of the Cullens entered the room, Carlisle frowning at my activity. "I need to go and hunt," I told them, voice husky. "If anyone wants to feed or keep an eye on me, come along. I'll stay close to the house."
Carlisle spoke up first. "I think we all need a feed. It's not that I think we need to keep an eye on you, but your arrival feels like it's going to cause a disturbance and we ought to all be able to cope better with our appetite sated."
Everybody gave a nod. Alice tapped me on the shoulder and gestured for me to follow her. Reaching her room, she chucked me some clothes from my bag. Looking down, I saw the state of my own attire. I hadn't bothered to get changed out of the clothes I had worn to school. My tight jeans were tattered from the wild run back to my house, I had left my jacket at the hunting spot and my light blue shirt was torn, revealing large amounts of white skin.
I quickly donned the clinging black leggings and white shirt that were thrown at me, but left the boots alone. My feet would defeat any thorns or rocks that wished to scratch me. Alice changed into a similar outfit, and we ran back to where the others were waiting. Carlisle, Esme, Rosalie, Jasper and Emmett had changed into hunting clothes and Edward was already outfitted, not having bothered to change earlier. I saw Edward's eyes grow wide at the sight of me, but I averted my gaze.
As one we walked out of the house, before dashing to the woods, under the canopy of the trees and the now grey sky.
I'm eating macaroni-ish with my Ninja Spork-ish, and it's very yummy-ish. Anyway-ish, R&R. Thanks for reading-ish!
Ninja (-ish) Spork (-ish)
