Disclaimer: Twilight related = Stephenie Meyer, Lost in Austen related = Guy Andrews. The amateur writer that links it all together = Me.
A/N: Next chap is here. I'll keep it short and let you get right to it. Forgive the grammar and enjoy.
Return to Meyer
15. Flight
About a day later, I found myself sitting in first class seats aboard a plane heading to Italy in the company of Emmett, Alice, Carlisle and somebody completely unexpected.
Victoria, according to sources, had disappeared yet again into the greenery that made up the Olympic peninsula. Hey, for all I knew, she could be in Canada. One thing I was sure of was that when she found out how her little plan had turned out, she would be back. And I doubted she'd care much for poetic justice. It would be snap, crack, suck. Or…well, something along those lines. Except this time, I wasn't about to let her take me by surprise.
A discussion with Jacob about this very subject had soon turned into something completely and utterly different.
"We lost her somewhere around the Canadian border." He admitted, running a hand backwards through his messy hair. The shadows under his eyes revealed his total lack of sleep and the level of exhaustion I knew he must be feeling.
I reached out, placing a hand on his cheek. "Jake, forget about Victoria for a bit, you need to get some rest." I raised an eyebrow to show my seriousness about the request. "Even little werewolves need their beauty sleep."
He smiled weakly as he looked down at my fingers. Feeling awkward, I removed them slowly. There was no need to make this harder for him than it already was. As much as I hated to admit it, even without sounding arrogant or conceited, somehow I knew Jacob had developed feelings for me at some point and it was the little things like this that were to blame. They had to stop. I was not into forming a triangle any time soon.
"We'll catch her Ash, we will." He promised me sincerely.
I nodded, "I know you will." Well, considering how things had turned out, it was a likely possibility under the present circumstances and it would definitely make things a whole lot easier. Hell, if it weren't for Edward taking off to Volterra like his fictional self, I'd probably hop on home just to avoid all the melodrama.
No, I reminded myself. You would never do that. You can't let things go back to the way they were when you left last time.
"Jacob, just so you know, I'm leaving town again." I told him.
A mixture of worry and confusion mingled across his face. "You mean you're going home?" he prodded, knowing full well that that wasn't the plan. Great, he was going to make me say it. I had been hoping to avoid the horrible conversation Bella and Jacob had had in both book and the movie.
Guess not.
"Well, not exactly," I explained sheepishly.
His expression darkened quickly, "You're going somewhere with them aren't you. Those bloodsuckers you love." I cringed at the term as usual. I really hated it when he called them that. It was so…blunt.
"Yes," I answered truthfully.
"Where?" All business, no emotion.
I sighed, trying to find a way to explain what was going on to him in a way he could understand. A way in which events played out so that he wouldn't want to try and kill Edward. Not that it would be any different from the usual hostility between them. "Err…I'm going to Italy."
This took him aback. "Italy? Why the hell are you going there?"
"To bring back Edward,"
Jacob groaned, "Of course it would have something to do with him."
"You know you could call him Edward, it's not that difficult. It's just one teensy little word. It won't kill you or downgrade you any macho points." I shot at him scowling.
He ignored me. "Why is he there in the first place?" he asked. "Not that I really care." Was added on as he folded his arms and leant against a nearby tree.
Oh dear. Here it comes. To lie or not lie, that is the question. "There was this little misunderstanding that got totally blown out of proportion. I just need to find Edward and get it all straightened out." I offered vaguely. Sure, if you called almost getting your throat ripped out by the man you love a misunderstanding.
Jacob gave me a look, his chin lowering into a disbelieving glare. "Ashley…" he warned.
I rolled my eyes, "It's complicated." It was then that I realised. I'd become one of those sappy, stupid and naïve female protagonists who used explanations like 'It's complicated' and 'Just trust me'. That was not good. I am a strong and independent girl. Not some lovesick, whiny idiot. I am no Mary Sue. Stand up for yourself you silly girl.
"Jake, it's none of your business where I'm going or why. You're my friend, not my keeper. You can trust that I know what I'm doing and come along to give me a hand or you can step aside and let me do what I need to do." I said loudly and confidently.
He raised an eyebrow before looking down at my feet as though waiting for something. "What?" I snapped.
Shaking his head with a grin, "Nothing, I was just waiting to see if you were going to stamp your foot too."
I glared, "Funny. Very funny."
He sighed, shrugging his shoulders as though finally making a hard decision he thought he'd regret later. "Okay then, fine."
Doing a double take, I stepped back. "Wait a minute, what?" I produced garbled.
"I'm coming with you." He clarified.
My mouth dropped. "Hold on. I didn't actually mean that. You can't come along, you hate vampires. You'll get hurt, you'll…"
"I'll, I'll, I'll..." He cut in mimicking me. "Look Ash, I can take care of myself. And you for that matter. You want to go to Italy then fine, I'm coming with you. You get into enough trouble as it is."
Somehow the fact that Jacob was planning to join me in the city home to an underground family of royal and ancient vampires was having trouble registering inside my brain. What? What? What?
"Jake, you can't come. There is no way in the world that I'm letting you come to Italy with me."
** **** **
"Ash, should we be expecting any free nuts anytime soon?" Jacob's voice interrupted my musings as he reclined comfortably in the seat beside me, a hostile look crossing his face every time he forced himself to look at the row across from us. Alice ignored Jacob's aggression, her eyes fixed casually on the fashion magazine in her lap and a pair of expensive sunglasses in one hand. Emmett, on the other hand, was less agreeable, a mirror image of Jacob's expression across his features. I smiled as Carlisle quietly whispered something to him.
Only how many more hours of this would they have to endure?
The moment I was finally allowed off the plane, I felt like jumping for joy. After spending so many hours stuck in the middle of a silent vampire/werewolf Mexican standoff, plus the connection time, the freedom was amazing. Running as fast as I could towards the exit I stopped as Carlisle pulled up in suave Italian car. "Please don't tell me you just stole that." I commented suspiciously as I slid into the backseat beside Alice and Jacob.
Carlisle chuckled from the front seat. "Of course not Ashley, it's a rental car. Why would you think it was stolen?"
My only answer was a hard look at Alice who smiled guiltily. "And I would really have loved a chance to drive that Porsche." She said wistfully to herself. I laughed quietly while Jacob merely sneered, clearly uncomfortable with the amount of sweet vampirish smells clearly filling the car.
Countryside flashed by at fast speeds as Carlisle manoeuvred the Ferrari as quickly as he possibly could. As much as I tried to calm myself down, I found that I spent most of the drive sitting anxiously on the edge of my seat, wishing that somehow we could get there faster. The moment the beautiful old buildings came into view through the windscreen, I stopped and thought as a question hit me. After all the drama and stress getting here, I hadn't once stopped to consider what it was I would actually say when I spoke to Edward. Its okay honey, vampire boyfriends try to kill their human girlfriends all the time. It's absolutely no big deal. Yeah, right. More important still, would he even want to speak to me?
I mentally reprimanded myself, what was I thinking? Of course he would speak with me. After what had happened, the least he could do was give me some time to talk. To explain. To convince him to come back. But knowing Edward as I did, I couldn't come up with a single reason I seriously believed had any chance of convincing him to come back to Forks with me. Not one. Sure, he'd told me he loved me but was that enough? Somehow I doubted it. The way I saw things, it could only make things worse.
Closing my eyes, an image appeared inside my mind. Edward, dressed in a long black cloak with a hood, surrounded by old stones and glowing candles, his eyes a bright crimson. Imagination or not, the scene terrified me. But there was no way it could possibly be true. Edward may have believed that he'd let himself and me down but he would never, ever do anything like that to hurt Carlisle again. Not after what he'd done during the twentieth century.
"We're almost there," Carlisle stated, shattering the possibilities rushing through my mind and reminding me of reality. My eyelids flickered open to reveal the winding streets of Volterra. Sure, I'd been to Italy before, to places with architecture very similar but somehow everything seemed different now. Like I was in some sort of dream state. As though I was still staring at that picture on my Italian calendar with the subheading Volterra and thinking, that's where Stephenie Meyer set the end of New Moon.
Carlisle parked the car, his hands resting silently on the steering wheel as sunlight shone down on the stone streets outside. In the absence of all the people I'd imagined when thinking about St. Marcus day, I was again reminded of just how different my story was from Bella's. I wasn't here to fight through crowds of red to prove to Edward I wasn't dead, I was here to purposely gain an audience with the Volturi, to reason with Edward instead. And to endure it all, I had brought a werewolf. God, how could I be so stupid.
Looking around a second time, I found that Jacob and I were now completely alone inside the leather covered Ferrari. I got out and squinted as I was blinded by the morning sunshine. "Walk through the square and we will meet you near the clock tower. Unfortunately we'll have to take the longer way around." Carlisle told me as he and the others stood hidden in the shadows of several nearby buildings. Jake slid out next to me, clearly happy to be out in the fresh air.
"Okay," I nodded, agreeing. "We'll see you soon." Taking Jacob by the hand, I began dragging him down the street and across the court yard. Glancing up my eyes found the large clock tower, its hands slowly moving around the face, counting down every second of time. To our right was a fountain, the one I remember Bella having to fight her way through in order to reach Edward in time.
"Ashley," Jacob stopped moving, frozen in the middle of the square, ignoring the several groups of people who were shooting us odd looks. "Wait just a second, I need you to explain what's going on. I think I've been patient long enough. I deserve to know what I'm getting into."
I groaned in frustration. Why now? Why here? Why…ever? "Jake, I haven't got time for this."
He grabbed my arm and dragged me back, "No. I need to know." He was firm. It was not a request.
Seeing no other way, I decided to give him something. Anything to let me keep going. "Okay, the cliff notes version. This is Volterra, home to a group of vampires called the Volturi who are so old and powerful that they're basically vampire royalty. Keeping up with me so far?" I babbled out at a million miles an hour.
"I think so," he nodded.
"Back in Forks something happened and Edward was so disappointed in himself that he took off to join them. I'm here to convince him to come back." I finished before trying to run off again. He grabbed me a second time and pulled me beside him.
"What Jake? I've told you everything. Can't we just go? Please." I begged .
His lips formed a thin line, his eyes hardening in preparation for the answer to the question he was about to ask. "Not until you tell me what this incident was. Why did he come here?" Anger flooded his voice, hurt, frustration all at once.
I bit my lower lip. This was the one question I didn't want to answer. I couldn't tell him. He would try to kill them and he would fail. They would pull him apart piece by piece. "Ashley," he said, his eyes looking directly into mine, into the part of me that served as a reminder of the honesty that I normally showed him. The trust between us.
"Alice didn't tell you what Victoria was planning to do with me once she'd taken me, right?" I asked awkwardly.
He shook his head. "No, she just took off looking all worried."
"Well," I paused, trying to force the words out. "When Victoria took me from Charlie's she ran and left me in the middle of the woods somewhere. She put me there because she knew that after the trip to Alaska, some of the Cullens were hunting in the area." A snarl escaped Jacobs lips as the rest of the puzzle pieces fell into place one by one.
"I was alone, tripped and cut my leg on a rock. It started to bleed and….and….Edward found me." Rippling shudders had begun to rock his body while an anger deeper and more powerful than anything ran off him in waves. Realising what was happening, I jumped into action.
"No Jake, no! Relax. I need you to calm down." His breathing came out uneven and heavy while his body continued to shake. "You control the wolf, not the other way around. I'm perfectly fine. No wounds except for where I tripped. It wasn't his fault. He was doing what he does by nature, I was put in the wrong place at the wrong time. If you want to blame someone, blame Victoria!" My voice had raised several octaves and was now filled with panic. He couldn't change. Not here in the middle of the square, watched by all these staring eyes.
"You have to control it Jake. Breathe." I reminded him. I put my hands of his shoulders, forcing him to come closer to me. "Look at me, Jacob. Look at me! If you do this, you'll hurt me. Not Edward. You. I know you can get it under control. You just have to calm down." His eyes found mine again and listening to my words, the shudders began to cease. I breathed a sigh of relief as he regained his composure where as the anger remained clear inside his eyes.
"I can't take you in there. Not being what you are, knowing what you know. I don't want you to lose it." I reasoned calmly, trying to express my protectiveness.
"I won't," he snapped venomously.
"Yes, you will. I don't want you to get hurt. Please, do this for me. Stay here until we get back. Please. I'm asking you to let me the Cullens handle this. I trust them and you trust me don't you?"
Grudgingly, he nodded briefly. "Then please," He seemed to weaken at the word despite the fire of hate blazing in his irises. "Please," I repeated one last time before his shoulders lowered in acceptance.
I walked towards him and tightly wrapped my arms around his neck, feeling the warmth of his skin hit me in one go. He held me close to him as I breathed in his woody scent. Pulling his mouth close to my ear he whispered eight words.
With a final squeeze I turned away from him and took off at a run towards the far alley. The one that would lead me down. Down beneath the city to the patrons of Volterra. Down to Edward.
So with Jacob's words ringing in my ears, I slipped quietly and confidently into the shadows.
"If they hurt you, I'll kill them all."
A/N: There you go. Just so you know, I'm going to Melbourne for a couple of days meaning I won't be posting again until next week sometime. Still, before I go, I'll try and get some more writing done tonight. Still, as always, let me know your thoughts and review.
Next Time on Return to Meyer: Delving deep into the tunnels beneath Volterra, Ashley and the Cullens find themselves in the company of the famous Volturi. As the family test Ashley's resistance to their gifts, what will Aro do with the information he finds out about Ashley's double dimensional door?
And will Ashley be able to convince Edward to forgive himself enough to return to Forks?
Next Time.