A/N: And all good things must come to an end. This is it. I know it's been a long journey, and I am truly grateful to all of you who have stuck by this story. It is broken up into two parts, which I have underlined. Both are songs that I found appropriately matched the tone of each section. The first is "I'll Be Home for Christmas", a song which I'm sure you're all familiar with. The other is "Dust in the Wind" by Kansas, which if you're not familiar with I suggest you look it up on You Tube or I Tunes. It's a very sad, but very beautiful song. I hope you have enjoyed reading this as much as I have enjoyed writing it.
xo
-A
Epilogue
I'll Be Home For Christmas
30 Years Later….
-Bella-
"I swear it Emmett if you look up my skirt one more time, I'm going to knock your teeth down your throat," I threatened.
"Oh shut up. You love it and you know it," He laughed. "And besides, you're standing on my shoulders, how can I not?"
I scoffed. He was right, of course, but that was no excuse. I stomped my foot.
"Just hold still. I can almost get it," I stood on my tip toes and tried to stuff the angel on the top of the tree. "It doesn't help that you bought a twelve foot tree."
He just laughed again, grabbed my ankles and hoisted me up further. I shoved the angel on the top branch and had just enough time to plug her in before Emmett released his hold and I began to fall. I squealed as he caught me around the waist and twirled me around. I smiled down at him and wound my fingers in his hair, as I used to when we were first dating. His eyes rolled in the back of his head and he hummed happily.
"I'll never get tired of that," he sighed.
"Good," I grinned. "Because I'll never stop doing it."
He released me, allowing me to slowly slide down his body. I watched his eyes grow dark as he took a moment to bury his face in my chest, kissing and nipping lightly. As soon as my feet touched the floor I pulled his face down to mine and kissed him feverishly, growling as he pushed his tongue into my mouth.
"Oh get a room, would you?"
I felt Emmett grin against my lips as Jasper stalked through the living room, visibly annoyed. He loved to egg his brother on.
"A little too much for you, Jazz?" Emmett raised an eyebrow, turning to look at the smaller man and pulling me roughly against him.
"At first, no," Jasper grimaced. "But guys, really. It's been thirty years, you're not newlyweds anymore. The constant desire…" he shuddered. "You're killing me."
"You weren't complaining last night," I needled, flooding his mind with visions of the previous night's encounter. The lovemaking had been almost violent, and we were going to need a new bed. I giggled as Jasper's eyes rolled and he stifled a moan, grabbing hold of the kitchen island as the emotion overtook him. Emmett guffawed and yanked me to him, kissing me again and sliding a hand down my thigh to hitch my leg up around his hip. I heard Jasper grumble several expletives and disappear, probably to find Alice.
"Okay, lover," I said and pulled back. Emmett frowned. "Don't pout, we've got plenty of time for that. We have to get this cleaned up. He'll be here soon!"
Charlie was coming for Christmas and I was giddy with excitement. I talked to him practically every week, but we had not seen each other since I left Forks a few years after my change. He was in his late 70's now, but still sounded full of life and energy every time we spoke. I was anxious to see him, and had been practically counting the minutes since we booked his flight two weeks ago.
Our family had bounced across the nation since leaving the Pacific Northwest, settling in various parts of the country and staying only a few years in each place. Nothing really felt like home to me, until we discovered this delightful little town called Rangeley, Maine. It was absolutely perfect, just hours outside of Canada and hidden deep in the woods. Carlisle had built an expansive home on forty acres of land so we wouldn't have to hide during the day light hours. The center of town was twenty minutes away, and the people who lived there never ventured out this far, so we weren't bothered. I loved it out here. The days were glorious, the nights were majestic, and the food source was plentiful. Moose and black bear were the most abundant, wandering onto our property on almost a daily basis. Hunting became simple, life became simple. I don't think I could have asked for better.
"It's for you," Alice chirped as she sauntered into the room. I turned my head to see her smile cheekily, her hair mussed and usually pristine clothes rumpled. Emmett chuckled,.
"Been busy, little sister?" he winked.
"Mmm…" she hummed contentedly and closed her eyes. "How could you tell?"
"You're glowing."
She just laughed and flopped down on the couch, burying herself in the enormous cushions.
"What is?" my brow furrowed
"Sorry?" she peeped an eye open and looked at me
"What's for me?" I asked again
"The phone," she propped her feet on the coffee table as the phone rang from the kitchen.
"That's really annoying you know," I rolled my eyes. She mimicked the gesture.
"You know what's more annoying? That phone. You gonna answer it, or what?" she smirked.
"Yeah, yeah, I got it," I muttered. I hopped over back of the couch and made my way to the kitchen. "You're welcome, by the way!" I shouted over my shoulder.
"You're the best!" she hollered.
"You know it!" I stretched across the counter and grabbed the handset. I glanced at the number, saw Charlie's name and smiled. I instantly recognized my old home phone number, and my smile quickly faded. He should have left already. I pressed the button to talk.
"Dad?"
"Hey, Bells. How…how are you?" his voice was raspy, like he was getting over a cold.
"I'm fine Dad…you should have left already. What's going on? Was there a storm? I've been watching the weather all week, and there was nothing predicted for out there…"
"No, no. No storm," he chuckled. "In fact it's been quite sunny this week, and kind of warm, actually. It's a nice change."
"You didn't call me to talk about the weather," I frowned.
"Nope. No I didn't," he trailed off.
"You're avoiding the subject," I called him out on his old habit. When he had something important to say, he would always dance around it until I made him tell me.
"Yeah," he cleared his throat. "Yeah."
"Dad. Your flight was scheduled to leave an hour ago, and you're calling me from home. Why are you there? Tell me what's going on," I demanded. "And stop tip toeing around it. Get to the point."
"Okay, okay. But please don't be upset, Bella," he cleared his throat again.
"Why would I be upset?" I walked out into the dining room and stared out across our meadow. Two deer suddenly lifted their heads, catching my scent and springing into the trees. I leaned against the table.
"I won't be coming out for Christmas," he said in lieu of a response.
"I gathered that. Why?" I asked again.
"I can't."
"Can't what? Why? Damn it, Dad get -"
"Bella, I'm dying."
I stopped my rant and stood stock still.
"What?"
"I'm sorry, honey. I should have told you sooner," he suddenly sounded old and very tired.
"What do you mean, you're dying? How? Were you shot?" I sputtered.
"I've been retired for years, sweetie. You know I wasn't shot," he chuckled. "It's…it's pancreatic cancer. I'm in the end stages."
"C-cancer?" I stammered. "But what about treatment? Radiation? Chemo?"
"I've already been through it, honey. There's nothing else they can do," he sighed. "Sue Clearwater's been staying with me, keeping me comfortable and taking care of me."
"When did you find out?"
"About two years ago," he whispered.
"Two years?" I shouted. "Two years and you never told me? How many times have we spoken? How many times have you called me and you couldn't say anything? Not one word to tell me that you were fatally ill? Dad, I could have come home! I could have been there for you!"
"I didn't want to worry you," he cleared his throat again.
"But I'm worried now!" I cried. "How long…how much longer, Dad?"
"The doc says I'll be lucky to see another six weeks."
"Six weeks!" I sobbed. "I could have been there! I could have helped you!" I sniffed, composing myself. "That's it. I'm…I'm coming home."
"No, baby, please don't," he said softly. "There's nothing you can do."
"I'm not letting you die alone," I snapped. "I'm going to be there for you. You're not going to be alone. I'll be on the next flight out …"
"Bella you can't," he stated.
"What?" I pushed myself off the table. "What do you mean, I can't? Why?"
"There's too many people here," he said. "Too many people that you used to know."
"So?" I spat.
"Sweet heart, you're supposed to be almost fifty and you still look eighteen," he explained.
"So what? I'll tell them I had plastic surgery," I brushed him off.
"Nobody's that good," he laughed. "Not even the docs on t.v. Please, Bella. I'm asking you, father to daughter. Don't risk yourself for me."
"Dad, I'm not letting you go through this alone!" I yelled. "You're not dying without me there. It's bad enough you didn't tell me for two years, you are not going to deprive me of your last six weeks on Earth. Come hell or high water, I will be with you in your final days. I'll see you soon."
"Bella," he sighed.
"I love you, Dad. I'll see you soon."
"Bye, baby."
I clicked the phone off and clutched it to my chest. The flimsy plastic shattered in my hand and crumbled to the floor. I opened my fist and let the rest fall, staring absent mindedly at the mess. I lifted my eyes to the window again and watched the sun hover just above the trees. I held out my hand into the rays and watched as light refracted off my skin, shooting tiny rainbows across the ceiling. Charlie would never see another rainbow. Or marvel at a sunset. Or take joy in any of nature's gifts. I let out a cry and sunk to my knees, cradling my head in my hands as I began to rock back and forth.
Emmett's arms came around me from behind and pulled me to him. I leaned back against his chest and let my head fall onto his shoulder. He nuzzled my neck.
"What is it, babe?" he said softly.
"You didn't hear any of that?" I frowned.
"Alice cranked the stereo to give you some privacy," he brushed my hair aside and kissed my collar bone.
"Oh," I sighed. "That was nice of her." I closed my eyes and grew silent. He held me for a while, letting me work up the courage to tell him what had happened.
"Please talk to me, love" he murmured. "You know can tell me anything. What has got you so upset?"
"It's Charlie," I answered after a couple of beats. I sat up and turned to look at him. "He's dying, Em."
"Oh babe," he hung his head. "Oh, Bella."
He drew me into his arms again and I rested my head on his chest, trying to find some kind of comfort. I found myself for the first time at a loss for words and I just laid there, burrowed in my lover's embrace. I lifted my head and finally spoke.
"Pancreatic cancer," I answered before he could ask. "He was diagnosed two years ago. He went through chemo and radiation and it did nothing. He's now in the end stages."
"Two years? But he never…" Em shook his head.
"He said he didn't want to worry me," I laughed darkly. "He's got six weeks left."
"Oh babe, I'm so sorry," he rubbed my back soothingly. "I wish there was more I could do."
"You could come with me," I looked hopefully into his eyes. "I want to be with him. To be there for him when he passes. It would be easier…if you were with me."
It was Emmett's turn to remain silent. He took my face in his hands and gazed sadly into my eyes. He held me there for a moment, kissed my forehead gently, stood and walked toward the window. I sat on the floor, lost and confused..
"Em, what is it?" I rose to my feet and turned to him. He stared into the night, hands clasped behind his back. I joined him where he stood and leaned my head on his shoulder. "Emmett, please. Answer me."
"You can't go, Bella."
"What?" I instantly pulled away so I could look up at him.
"I'm sorry love, but you can't go," he repeated, meeting my eyes.
"The hell I can't!" I growled. "My father is dying, Emmett. I haven't seen him in thirty years and this is my last chance!"
"The risk is too great," he shook his head. "Not just for you, but for all of us. We'd be discovered in a heartbeat."
"Fuck the risk!" I shouted. "I have to see him. He can't die alone!"
"I'm sorry, love, but it's just not an option," I could hear the tension in his voice. He was fighting to maintain control. "There are too many people there. Angela, Ben, Jessica…they all settled in Forks and made lives for themselves. If you were to show up looking the way you do, you'd be found out instantly. Then we'd all be up shit's creek.
"And the plastic surgery excuse won't work, so don't try it. There is no doctor out there who can make a fifty year old woman look eighteen. The safest thing for you, for all of us, is to stay here."
"So the good of the whole outweighs the good of the one," I sneered.
"Come on, babe." he pleaded.
"No," I shook my head. " No! I need to be there! Being away this long has been hard enough, and I won't stay away any longer. Not when he's on his death bed!"
He threw his hands in the air and stalked away from me. He began pacing in front of the windows, clenching and unclenching his fists. I crossed my arms and watched him stride back and forth until he finally rounded on me at other end of the room.
"Don't you get it?" he snarled. "We could all die if you go back! We would be discovered and we'd all be sentenced to die! You're immortal, Bella, and with that comes consequences. Including watching your loved ones pass on from afar."
"What would you know of it?" I growled, and in the same breath he was directly in front of me.
"Did you think I forgot?" his voice was low and deadly. He grabbed my chin when I turned my face away and roughly pulled it back. "My parents thought I was dead. My mother became a recluse, and my father shut down. I had to sit back at watch as my brother and sister institutionalized them because they could no longer take care of themselves. Seeing your parents deteriorate and not being able to lift a finger to help them? That isn't something you just forget."
"So what would I know? A hell of a lot more than you, little girl. Be grateful you can still talk to your father, and take solace in that," he pushed my face aside and I stared the other way, seething. "You can call him. Daily. Weekly. I don't care. Do whatever you have to do, but you are not going out there. You will not risk the safety of this family."
"So what, you're ordering me now? I'm trapped here while my father lays dying three thousand miles away?" I asked. He glared over my shoulder, refusing to make eye contact.
"You're not trapped -"
"I wouldn't be if you hadn't changed me. I could have been with him. I could have taken care of him and held his hand in his final hours." I hissed.
"Now who forgets?" he barked. "If I hadn't changed you you'd be dead and he'd still be alone."
I staggered back a few feet at his words, and grabbed the table for support as the memories of that long ago night broke free and flooded my mind. I cried out and clutched at my abdomen, the pain causing my gut to clench and making me wish I could wretch.
"You swore," I wheezed. "You swore that we would never speak of that again."
"I know," he muttered. "I know I did. But damn it Bella, you left me no choice. How else was I going to make you see? How else were you going to realize?"
"Realize what?" I held out a warning hand when he made a move to help me.
"Realize the sacrifices of living forever. You knew this would happen, as did Charlie," he closed the distance between us and slid his arms around my waist. I put my hands on his chest and gripped his shirt, hanging my head.
"But that night…you know that night still haunts me," I whispered. "It still hurts Em. So much."
"I know, Baby, I know," he put his hand on my cheek and lifted my face until our eyes met. "And I'm sorry I brought it up. But do you see? Do you understand now why you can't go?"
"I can't even hide? Like in the back of the church or something for his funeral? I know I can't go now, but after he's passed. Can I at least say goodbye then?" "Honey, I just don't think it's a good idea," he started to shake his head until I grabbed his other hand in both of mine. I held it over my heart as I used to when I was still alive and his expression immediately softened. He ran his thumb along my cheek bone as we gazed at one another, locked in our old familiar embrace.
"Please," I begged him. "If I can't go while he's still alive, can you at least let me say goodbye to him when he's gone?"
"I-" he sighed when my look became desperate. "I can't say no to you when you look at me like that. We'll have Alice watch him, and when it's his time, we will both fly out there. But you can't be seen, do you understand? We must stay out of sight, for everyone's sake."
I threw my arms around his neck and he held me close, squeezing me a little tighter when I began to tremble from the weight of the sorrow.
"It's for the best. You'll see," he murmured in to my hair.
Dust In the Wind
-Isaac-
It's hard, being stuck in the middle. You're not really there, but you're not really gone. There's nothing you can do but sit back and observe. Sure, you can talk with certain people, but that's it. You can't soothe them when they cry, or hold their hand when they need a friend. I wanted so badly to help poor Bella when she was faced with giving up Edward for Emmett. Her heart ached, and all I wanted to do was to hug her and tell her she was doing the right thing. She was taking a journey with the man she loved, and that was okay. I knew it would all work out, because if it was anyone who deserved a happy ending, it was Bella. I just never thought she'd have to lose her life to get it.
But she did. And she came back, and I have never seen a stronger, more beautiful being than the woman my sister has become. The thanks go largely to Emmett, who has been her rock through all of this. He held her together in the beginning, and helped mold her and shape her into who she is. His love for her remains pure and unfettered, and he was the constant that her life to that point had been missing. If there were a guy I could have picked for her, out of anyone in the entire world, it would have been him. I watched them for a few years after her change, but never returned to her after that first night. She was in good hands. She didn't need me anymore.
Now, as I stood in the hall of the old Forks house, I was beginning to wonder if she might need me again. I had been there when Dad had called her to tell her he was dying, and she hadn't taken it well. I even witnessed the fight she and Emmett had about whether or not she could go see him. And God love Emmett, he managed to convince her to stay home. It was almost as if he knew I'd be here. I stepped back as Sue Clearwater came down the hall with a cold compress for my father's head. She was a lovely Quileute woman in her mid sixties who had moved in with Dad when he started to take a turn for the worse. I followed her at a distance and watched her take a seat next Dad where he lay in his favorite recliner. She had wanted him to stay in the hospital bed they had brought in for him, but stubborn old Charlie Swan 'didn't need a damn bed. If I'm going to die, then damn it I'm going to be comfortable!'
I chuckled and shook my head. It was almost his time, and he stirred as Sue mopped his brow with the damp cloth. He opened his eyes and smiled weakly at her.
"You're such a wonderful woman," he croaked. "Always so good to me. I will miss you terribly."
"Hush now," she said sadly. "No need for talk like that. Just rest. All will be well when you wake up."
He could only answer with a nod, and she smiled and took his hands. She bowed her head and began to murmur a Quileute prayer, and I took that moment to close the distance between us. I rested a hand on her shoulder and met my father's eyes. He squinted at me, not quite sure of what he was seeing.
"Yeah Dad," I smiled. "It's me."
He furrowed his brow and looked at Sue. She was still praying, completely unaware of my presence. He looked back up at me and confirmed that she could neither see nor hear me.
"Are you ready?" I asked and held out my hand.
He took a deep, ragged breath in, and let it slowly out, closing his eyes. I felt his firm grip on my hand as he lost his grip on life and stood out of the recliner, leaving his withered old body behind. Sue looked up and let out a soft gasp, placing her hand over her mouth as a tear slid down her face. She called out softly to her daughter Leah, who had been sitting on the back porch. The young woman came in, took in the scene before her, and hugged her mother's shoulders, burying her face in the older woman's hair. Dad made a move to comfort them but I held him back.
"They can't see you," I reminded him.
"I know." he sighed "I just…I don't know. Force of habit, I guess. I hate seeing women cry."
"I hear ya, Dad," I smiled.
"Will they be okay?" he gazed sadly at them.
"They'll be fine, Dad, I promise," I squeezed his hand, and we both watched as Sue wiped at her eyes and Leah stepped back from her mother.
"I'll call the funeral home," Sue said quietly. "Can you call Renee? She'll want to be here."
"What about Bella?" Leah asked, picking up her cell phone "Does anyone know where she is?"
"She moves around so much, we never seem to have current number for her. I tried to call her last week, but the number was out of service," Sue shook her head. " Poor Charlie. I just wish she could have been here to see him before he passed."
"You did well hiding her secret," I mentioned.
"Took it with me to the grave," he laughed. "Quite literally. How will she know I'm gone? How do we get a message to her?"
"Alice," I nodded toward the door and he followed me as I began to leave. I walked through the door and he hesitated at first, then did the same.
"I'll never get used to that," he held out his arms and took in his appearance. "Look at me! I'm young again!" he was in his old Forks Police uniform and looked the same as he had thirty years earlier.
"You'll appear as you were best remembered," I saluted him smartly. "Chief Swan."
"You know it," he winked. "Now what do you mean by Alice? How will Alice know?"
"Because we're going to tell her," I answered simply. "Come on. It will only take a second."
And it did, because in a second we were at the Cullen home in Rangeley. It was a beautiful New Year's morning, and the sun sparkled off the fresh blanket of snow. Charlie hesitated a moment.
"What is it, Dad?" I asked, stopping a few feet from the main door.
"I just…I can't believe we're about to do this," he shook his head. "We're about to tell her that I'm dead. Can't we just tell Bella herself?"
"As you are well aware, Bella was very unstable after my death," I began. "She held fast to her memories of me, often drowning herself in alcohol to try and keep me alive in her eyes. Mom and Bella's therapists convinced her that she was hallucinating when she would see me sitting next to her in her bedroom. But I was there the whole time, watching her fall apart and completely unable to help her. When she started to let go is when we almost lost her. I faded into the background when she came to Forks and thought she was finally letting go when she met up with that Cullen boy, Edward. But…well…you know where that led."
"Unfortunately," Charlie grumbled.
"I came back to her during her change, when she was fighting for a grip on reality. I convinced her to hold on and to let it happen. When she took off after she woke, I talked her off the ledge and reminded her of everything she still had when all she could see was what she had lost. And once she saw Emmett without the veil of rage clouding her eyes, I knew I was no longer needed. She could finally let me go and hold on to something solid. A constant that she would never have to give up, and would never leave her. Dad, I'm telling you, I couldn't have picked a better match for her. But that's beside the point. What I'm getting at is this: the reason we can't tell Bella directly is because she's been stable for so long that she has let me go, and can no longer see me."
"So we have to go to Alice, because she has her visions…" he trailed off.
"And is receptive to the supernatural," I finished. "Exactly. Now, are you ready?"
"As I'll ever be," he sighed. "Lead the way, son."
When we entered the house, decorated in much the same fashion as the Forks house had been, Alice was curled up on the couch in front of a roaring fire. She was dressed comfortably in a pink and black track suit with her legs tucked underneath her. She was engrossed in the latest issue of Cosmo and completely oblivious to any and all surroundings. I nudged Charlie forward and he gave me a quizzical look.
"She knows you," I whispered, to which he responded with a nod. He stepped forward and stood in front of the fire. He cleared his throat gently and Alice's head snapped up. Her eyes went wide when she saw him and she immediately leapt over the back of the couch.
"Sweet Baby Jesus!" she shouted. "Charlie?"
"Hi Alice," he smiled.
" That's all you can say? You appear to me out of nowhere, thirty years younger I might add, scare the holy hell out of me and all you can say is 'Hi Alice' ? What the hell, Charlie? Oh…Oh! Oh no," she went from outraged to bewildered to incredibly sad all in a matter of seconds. "Oh Charlie. Already?"
"I'm sorry, sweetie. It was just my time," he hung his head. "I need you to tell Bella. Tell her I wish I could have been with her all these years. Tell her I love her and I'm going to miss her. Tell her…"
"Why can't you tell her yourself?" she looked genuinely confused.
"Because she can't see us," I spoke up, joining Charlie by the fire. "You all have done wonders for her emotional stability. She's to the point where she doesn't need me anymore, so she finally let me go and I stepped into the shadows. Isaac. I'm Isabella's brother." I answered before she could ask.
"You have her eyes," she smiled sadly. "I wish I could have known you."
"And I, you," I bowed my head. I looked over her shoulder out into the snow-covered meadow behind the house. Bella and Emmett were in the midst of a snow ball fight. He was stalking her where she hid behind a tree, a pile of snow in his hand. He grinned impishly as he came up behind her and dumped the snow on her head, taking the time to rub it in her hair. She squealed and darted after him as he ran away, laughing. She swiftly caught up to him and grabbed him around the waist, tackling him to the ground. He rolled onto his back and she placed a hand on either side of his head. She smiled sweetly as he tucked her hair behind her ear, then stuffed a wad of snow in his face. She took off, laughing hysterically as he sat up and wiped the snow from his eyes.
Alice sighed heavily under her new burden, and Charlie and I followed slowly behind as she began her journey outside. She walked at a human pace, dragging out the inevitable. When she finally reached Emmett and Bella, they were sitting together in the snow, she in his lap. My sister never looked more beautiful than she did in that moment. The sun reflected off her diamond-like skin and caught the reddish highlights in her glossy brown hair. She was forever young, and eternally happy nestled in the arms of the man she loved. Alice sunk to her knees beside them. Emmett was first to turn his head.
"Hey, little sis," he greeted her. "Come to join the fun?'
"I was wondering when you were going to get here!" Bella turned to her, Emmett's arms still around her waist. "It's more fun when I have an insider on my team…" she trailed off at the grim look on Alice's face. "Alice…what is it?"
Alice took Bella's hands in her own and squeezed them gently. She grimaced.
"I'm sorry."
"I…what?"
"It was his time." Alice hung her head, then looked into Bella's eyes. "He's gone, sweetie. Charlie's gone."
Bella didn't speak. Her mouth formed a grim line and her brow furrowed. She slowly began to shake her head.
"It can't be. He said he had six weeks, Alice. It's only been two! Are you sure? Could your vision have been wrong? He can't be gone already! I just spoke to him yesterday! Tell me your vision wasn't true!" she pleaded.
"It wasn't a vision," she explained. "They came to me and told me. He wanted me to tell you goodbye and that he loves you. He's happy now. He's not in any pain."
"Wait," Bella held up her hand. "They?"
"Your brother was with him," Alice looked back at me and I nodded slightly.
"Isaac?" Bella's eyes went wide. "Is…is he okay?"
"Yes, he's fine. He came to help Charlie cross over. They just wanted to give you that message before they left." Alice brought Bella's attention back. "He loves you. They both do and they want you to carry on."
"Carry on?" she leapt to her feet. "How can I carry on? Every one I loved is gone!"
"Bells…" Emmett tried to hold her but she wrenched free of his grasp.
"Don't Bells me! They're gone, Em! All gone! And I never got to say good bye!" she cried, and I longed desperately to hold her and tell her that I was here. That I wasn't gone and I was with her. I glanced over at Charlie and saw the same agonized look on his face.
"Can't we…?" he stopped when I shook my head.
"Even if she could see us, it wouldn't do her any good. She'd only regress. She'll get past this, Dad. It may take some time, but she's strong. She will survive." I squeezed his shoulder reassuringly.
"I didn't get to say good bye," she moaned. "Not to Ike, not to Edward…not to my father. They all left me and I never got to say good bye." She hugged her torso and turned away from us. Emmett approached her and put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. She gazed up at him, smiling sadly. She slid a hand onto his cheek and the kiss they shared was so tender, so intimate that I felt the need to cast my eyes down to give them some privacy. When I looked up she was gone.
"Isaac…where?" Charlie looked around frantically when Alice spoke up.
"Forks," she said. "She's gone to say good bye."
"Go. Both of you. Please see that she's alright," I motioned for her to leave. "Alice?" I asked as she took Emmett's hand. She turned to me. "Tell her we love her."
She smiled in acquiescence, then darted into the woods, Emmett in tow.
"Should we go?" Charlie asked without meeting my eyes.
I nodded.
"We're no longer needed."
Alice
Emmett and I arrived in Forks a few days later, giving Bella at least 24 hours head start. We easily maneuvered through the outskirts of town, staying out of sight of prying eyes. When we got to the cemetery, we both picked up the faintest hint of strawberries and vanilla, indicating that Bella had been here recently. We followed it to Charlie's grave, expecting to find her mourning, but instead finding a slip of paper with Emmett's name nestled in a wreath of roses. I clutched his trembling hand as he read her letter and wished I had Jasper's gift of empathy. I did the best I could and leaned my head on his arm. He blinked and shook his head, reading it again. He suddenly dropped to his knees, still holding tight to my hand. He leaned his head on my hip and without a word handed me the note.
My Only Love,
This is the hardest thing I have ever had to do. You have done nothing but love me and for that I will be eternally grateful. Please know that I love you more than words can say, and I will never stop. You have been my rock. You have kept me grounded all these years and the love I feel for you transcends time itself. I will never stop loving you, no matter how long I survive. But this is something I have to do. I have to face my demons.
I have never stopped blaming myself for the deaths of my brother and Edward, and now Charlie. It's long past the time when I must confront my guilt in order to really be able to move on, and I must leave. I have to make this journey alone in order to truly face my feelings. I don't know where I'm going, or how long I'll be gone. It could be weeks, or months, perhaps years. When my journey is done I will find you, but until then, please don't try to follow me. I will only be gone by the time you get there. I will only ask you this: remember me. It doesn't have to be every day, but once in a while, when you look up at the stars, remember me.
I Love You, Emmett.
Always.
Bella
The letter slipped from my fingers and fluttered to the ground. Emmett stared at it before lifting his eyes to mine. As I ran my fingers through his curls, trying to ease the pain, he uttered in a tiny voice:
"She's gone."
The End