Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. I do, however, own my OCs, this storyline, and that's about it.
A/N: readingtime, loves ya hard core. Juliet -- this chapter would have sucked without ya. No theme song this chapter. It's Adrian's POV, but it is definitely NOT filler.
Adrian's POV
Getting up for breakfast the next day was a chore. For one thing, there wasn't a muscle on my body that wasn't sore. I got more of a work out making love to Ally than I usually get in a game! Plus, I wasn't looking forward to getting the stink eye from Charlie for banging the headboard against our adjoining wall last night. Not that it wasn't worth a tongue lashing from Dad, because it totally was. Not only that, but we got something like 4-6 inches of snow overnight, so I wasn't looking forward to going out in the cold to walk around outside reading plaques about the Bronte sisters. I would have much preferred to stay in bed with my wonderful wife.
Ally-Angel, on the other hand, couldn't wait to start the day. She woke me up at the butt-crack of dawn to get my shower and get dressed. Charlie could only spend the morning with us, and then his flight back left that evening. Breakfast was fantastic. I didn't know what half of it was, but it was fantastic anyway. Charlie agreed with a grunt while chewing, refusing to make eye contact with the horny newlyweds who probably kept him up all night. A little while later, Bella and Edward came down to join us. As soon as Bella saw me, she blushed. I'm guessing she liked her present. Truth be told, it was much less risqué than the one I bought Ally, but still, buying wedding night lingerie for someone you grew up with and think of as a sister was just awkward. Edward patted my shoulder and leaned down to whisper 'thank you' in my ear before they sat down on the other side of Charlie.
After breakfast, we got bundled up and headed to the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway, an authentic steam railway that Charlie wanted to check out. I could see why it had been used in so many movies. It was like stepping back in time. Heck, the entire hilltop town was like stepping back in time, with its cobblestone roads and brick buildings. Afterwards, the girls dragged us to a tea room for lunch before we took Charlie to the airport, where the girls sent him off with a teary goodbye.
Back in town, we took in the Bronte Parsonage Museum, which even I had to admit was interesting. I hadn't realized there were actually six children, including one boy, Branwell, who had been considered the most talented until he succumbed to an alcohol and opium addiction. Alice loved looking at all the costumes from the various movie adaptations of the books, while Bella intently took in every detail of the recreated rooms from their youth. Afterwards, Bella dragged us into an antique bookstore. Edward just smiled at her, giddy over all the dust covered volumes, buying her several, including a few first editions that I'm sure cost more than most of mine and Ally's trips to Versace that Bella always turns her nose up at. We were in there for hours until I finally resorted to whining. "Aww, come on Jingle Bells! Enough is enough!"
The Christmas Festival was going on, filling the streets with performers in period clothing, greeting and interacting with everyone they passed as though we were townsfolk they'd known their entire life, offering us hot cider and lively conversation. It was very entertaining, and the girls really got into it, adopting really bad English accents and trying to copy the dialect. It was hysterical. Father Christmas came up to us, giving both girls a tiny Christmas bell, which he tied to their wrists with a slender red velvet ribbon. Then he looked at Edward and I thoughtfully for a moment.
"I believe you good gentlemen have already received your Christmas gifts," he said knowingly. Edward and I couldn't help but gather our girls in our arms and agree wholeheartedly.
We took in an evening stage performance of "A Christmas Carol" and a late supper at one of the pubs before retiring for another evening of vigorous workouts.
Ally had us up before dawn the next morning, too. She and Bella wanted to take the 40 mile hike on Bronte Way to see Top Withens, desolate ruins near the Pennine moors reputed to have been the inspiration for the Earnshaw farmstead in "Wuthering Heights." Edward and Ally carried us and ran there, arriving just before dawn so we could watch the sunrise. Caroline had packed us a basket with a carafe of tea, along with scones and jam and a wool blanket to keep us warm, for which we were grateful. The landscape, both wild and romantic, proved the perfect backdrop for the most magnificent sunrise I'd ever seen. Plus I got to see my Ally-Angel sparkle, which is always a good thing.
Our time was well balanced between group activities and couple activities, and all too soon it was time to go home. We thanked Adrian and Caroline profusely for their warm hospitality and for everything they did to make our weddings and our entire stay the most magical time of our lives. We promised to come visit them again soon. The four of us had already begun talk about making this trip an annual Christmas tradition.
By the time Edward booked the second set of tickets, the flight he had originally booked was full. Edward and Bella offered to take the first flight, giving Ally and me a little more time together to do some shopping in the city before heading back, which was exactly what we were doing when, in the middle of Harrods, Alice stopped dead in her tracks, her eyes glossed over with a vision. When her eyes cleared, she was in a panic, dropping the purse she was looking at and grabbing my hand, dragging me back to the rental car.
The second we closed the doors to the car, Alice was on the phone.
"Ally, what's going on?" She was looking at her watch.
"Damnit, damnit damnit!" She hung up the phone and dialed again. "Carlisle, it's Alice. I need your help!" She started talking too fast for me to keep up, but her hand flew in a blur to the GPS, programming in a destination.
"Drive, Adrian! Please!" She resumed her conversation with Carlisle for a few more seconds, then when she finally hung up the phone, she turned to me, terrified.
"Ally, please tell me what the hell is going on!"
"It's Edward! He's in trouble! The Volturi are going to kidnap him. They made a last minute decision that changed everything. I need to make you safe. Carlisle has some friends in Ireland. We're to meet them here," she pointed to the GPS map, "so I can change you. Then they're going to help us fake your death."
"Fuck!" I yelled, slamming my palm against the steering wheel and pressing my foot on the accelerator a little harder. "What about Bella?"
"Jasper will be there," she said, although she didn't sound happy about it. "He'll get her away from them, for now."
"That's a good thing, right?" I asked, confused.
"Yes and No. Yes because he'll get her away from the Volturi, for now. No because he's the reason they attack in the first place," Alice said with a sad but eerie calmness.
Alice was silent the rest of the drive, her eyes squinting in concentration, trying to see anything that might be able to prevent this. She tried calling Edward at the time they should have been disembarking, but he hadn't turned his phone back on yet. Alice was fairly certain he wouldn't think to turn it on in time. She tried calling Jasper, but she said he was intentionally ignoring her, shutting his phone off after her first attempt so she couldn't even text him. She didn't elaborate, and I didn't ask. My stomach was clenching with fear as it was, not even knowing which fear should take precedence.
Fear for Edward.
Fear for Bella and Jasper.
Fear that this thing with the Italians will eventually hurt Ally and the rest of the Cullens.
Fear of dying.
Beyond that, I was angry. Pissed at Jasper for whatever he was going to do to fuck this up. Pissed at Heidi and Felix. We let them in, we trusted them. And now they were going to betray us. They were going to kidnap Edward and there wasn't a damn thing we could do about it.
Several hours, one ferry ride, and a quick dinner later, we finally pulled up to a dirt road, two parallel tracks covered in moss from lack of use. We followed it for miles over the bumpy path next to gorgeous rolling hills until we came to a cottage tucked in the woods. It looked like something from a fairy tale.
A heavy set woman with her red hair pulled up in a messy bun, her housedress covered with a dusty apron, came toddling out of the front door and down the steps. She reminded me of Mrs. Weasley in the Harry Potter movies. Well, except for the glowing red eyes. But she had a smile on her face that put me at ease immediately and she hugged Alice, who practically disappeared beneath her arms.
"Come, my dears. It'll be alright."
"Are you willing it so, Siohban?" Alice asked hopefully. The woman just smiled and released Ally. She turned her attention to me, but kept her distance.
"I am Siohban. Inside you will meet my mate, Liam, and Maggie. We are old friends of Carlisle's. He likes to believe I have a power to make circumstances turn out the way I would like them to, just by willing it so. He refuses to believe me when I tell him it is just careful planning. Nevertheless, I am confident it will all work out fine." She headed for the door and Ally and I followed her, hand in hand. I was with Ally on this one, willing it so sure as hell couldn't hurt, now, could it?
Inside, a very stern looking vampire, tall and thin, turned to look at me. He reached out his hand and I shook it.
"Are you sure you're ready for this?" he asked.
"Yes," I said without hesitation. Ally didn't need to know how scared I was. Show no pain. Show no fear.
"That's a lie, I can tell. It's my gift," said the other girl. She kind of looked like Alice, only with red hair which fell in bouncy curls around her face like Shirley Temple. "But that's alright. I'd be scared if I were you, too. My name's Maggie. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Siohban motioned for us to sit down before she began to speak. "Okay, so here's how this is going to work. The three of us are going to go hunting tonight, give you one last night alone before the transformation. While we are in town, we will take steps to fake your death. Carlisle should be here before the body is found. The story will be that you went for a run in the morning and suffered from Sudden Cardiac Death, which Carlisle assures us is the most plausible explanation for two reasons. One, it is common among athletes, and two, it is almost impossible to prove or disprove. Alice, you will need to report him missing tomorrow, and will have to go into town to identify the body once it has been found."
Alice nodded solemnly. I tried very hard not to think about where they were going to get a body similar to mine to fake my death with. Their red eyes told me more than I needed to know already. Someone else was going to die in my place tonight. They just didn't know it yet.
Liam looked at me, seemingly reading my face. "A human would die tonight, either way. The fact that we are specifically seeking one matching your description tonight is inconsequential. Do not trouble yourself with the details." I cringed inwardly and Ally squeezed my hand, trying to comfort me, which would be a lot easier to do if I didn't have six red eyes looking at me.
Siohban went on. "Alice, you should begin the change tomorrow morning at the latest, before we return. We are usually well in control, but I am sure you would prefer to not take any chances that any of us be…tempted."
Alice shook her head, her eyes wide. "But he's my singer!" Siohban looked to Maggie for confirmation, and she nodded her head. Siohban thought for a moment before turning back to Ally.
"He has lived this long, and you obviously haven't killed him yet. Your self control must be remarkable. You can do this. I have faith."
With that, they left. Alice was staring at the floor.
"How much will it hurt?"
"I don't remember it myself, but most everyone says it is the most painful experience you can possibly imagine."
"Is there a chance I won't remember my human life?"
"Yes, there's always a chance. Most of us retain some of our human memories." Ally looked up, and I realized that, next to accidentally killing me, this was her worst fear. I put my hand on her cheek and she leaned into me.
"I will remember you."
"You can't know that for sure," her voice a quiet, agonized whisper.
"I will remember you," I said, firmer this time, leaving no room for doubt.
We got up and walked around the cottage. It was clear that they were far removed from human contact. They did not bother with the finely executed charade the Cullens have perfected over the years. There was no kitchen. There was no toilet in the bathroom. There was, however, a bed in what appeared to be the master bedroom. Beautiful and obviously handcrafted, the dark wood sleigh bed fit in with the house perfectly.
Ally took my hands and led me to the side of the bed. "Your name is Adrian Michael Peters," she said as she began unbuttoning my shirt slowly. "You were born on August 21st…" she continued to recall to me every fact she knew about my life as she undressed us. She pulled the heavy wool bedding down and drew me up behind her. "Your best friend is Bella Swan, now Bella Cullen, but you call her Bells."
I laid down beneath her as she kissed and licked and caressed every inch of my body before coming back up to recapture my lips.
"We met at Forks High School…" She lowered herself onto me, even slower than usual, not wanting to hurt me. "We were friends before we came lovers…" she whispered in my ear when I was fully seated in her. She stayed still, allowing my heat to warm her from inside before lifting her hips and bringing them back down. My head flung back, my neck muscles stretched and elongated as I groaned from the pleasure she was giving me. We moved in rhythm now, my thrusts meeting her halfway with every stroke.
"We were married two weeks ago today in Haworth, England…" she whispered as she kissed her way down my neck, teasing me with her tongue, flittering over my skin in tight circles as she worked her way up to my ear, bringing it into her mouth and sucking on it. "…And I will love you until the end of time." Her words caused me to explode, the orgasm almost painful in its intensity. I could feel hers crash around me at the same time. I was so high with the pure ecstasy of it, I barely recognized what was happening when her teeth slid into my neck, no harder than slicing through butter on a warm summer's day.
I felt almost as if I were orgasming again, the initial pleasure of it was so intense. Ally was moaning in pleasure, still moving her hips up and down on my slowly softening member. I closed my eyes, giving in to the sensations and the sounds of Ally sucking on my neck, repeating back all the words she said to me about my life, all the mental images I didn't want to forget. Then Ally's moans changed to growls, and I felt myself getting dizzy and lightheaded. I tried to lift my arms, push her away, but I didn't have the strength.
"Ally…please, Angel. That's enough. Please stop, baby." Ally paused, then pulled back to look at me. She'd never looked more monstrous, my blood staining her lips, her eyes wild. An avenging angel. Then she seemed to get ahold of herself, and picked up my arm, biting my wrist. I could feel the cold fluid being injected into my veins, like when you got a shot at the doctor's office. She repeated it on my other wrist.
I was so sleepy, but Ally wouldn't let me close my eyes. "Stay with me, Adrian. Don't leave me. Keep your eyes open, just for a little while. Come on, baby. Please – show me I didn't take too much. Look at me, show me I stopped in time." I forced my eyes to look at her through hooded lids as she bit into my ankle. It was when she was biting the other ankle that my eyes flew open, and my body stretched straight and stiff as a board from the burn running through my veins.
Ally looked almost relieved. I couldn't understand why. I was on fire! Why isn't she helping me? Why isn't she doing something?? I saw her lips moving, but I couldn't hear anything. She put her hand on my forehead and it helped, just a little. Enough for me to remember why I was burning, what was happening to me. I closed my eyes, my hand blindly reaching for hers until I felt it clench mine. I locked my jaw as tightly as I could. I didn't want to make it any harder on my Ally than it already was. I can do this; it'll be just like football. Show no pain. Show no fear. I began a mantra in my mind.
"My name is Adrian Michael Peters. I am married to the love of my life, Mary Alice Peters, but I call her Ally-Angel, because that's what she is. My best friend is my sister-in-law, Bella Cullen, but I call her Bells. Any kind of Bells, depends on the mood. I was born…"
A/N: The NCB's are taking their Cullendales show to Malmo Sweden. xlady-cullenx has a private show reserved with Edward and Jasper. Enjoy, darlin'!