a/n sorry for the Delay, i had exams and this chapter took me forever to write, i almost gave up, but i persevered and here it is, Thiugh i added some quotes from various sources, the rest is mine, except the characters, etc. enjoy and remember to review
"To love means loving the unlovable. To forgive means pardoning the unpardonable. Faith means believing when everything seems hopeless" - Gilbert K. Chesterton
"True is it we have seen better days" act II, scene VII, as you like it.
"Edward, I'm not going to marry you."
Edward conveyed his disappointment with a resigned nod of his head, looking away hurt.
"But that doesn't mean we can't give this a chance. If you're willing to try, to give this, us a chance. I will as well. Though we have to take small steps, you have to earn my trust back before I could even consider marrying you, and that may take a while." Edward smiled a small smile, agreeing to Jacob's terms and kissing him.
"Ill try my hardest to prove I'm worth your trust, I love you Jacob and if that means taking it slow, till your comfortable with me again, we can do that."
\/\/
All was going well in their relationship, the days were passing quickly, happiness was returning to their lives again, and Jacob felt like he could trust Edward again. The summer sun lit up their lives with happiness and content. Though it wasn't all happiness and sunshine, there was always this discord in their relationship, that caused many fights, which always eventually stemmed back to the time when Edward left. Which Edward still refused to talk about, storming off when ever Jacob brought it up, either that or distracting Jacob. Till one day it broke and came crashing down, during a partially loud shouting match, and Jacob just stormed off, throwing up his arms in frustration and going wolf, leaving Edward with a broken empty feeling staring after Jacob sadly. He knew he couldn't allow this to go on any longer, he couldn't allow Bella to come between them anymore, he must tell Jacob the whole truth about the time they spent apart before he lost him forever, due to nones fault bar his own.
\/\/
Edward had worked up the courage, but the words wouldn't come out for once, the words kept getting caught up in his throat just before he could speak them. He just stood there, staring at Jacob silently, till Jacob broke the silence, sharing a piece of his mind as he didn't want to loose Edward either. He hoped it would prompt Edward to share as well.
"You have to realise you can trust me. I am not breakable. I can look after myself; and I am fully capable of facing any threat head on. Whatever you're not telling me, you can tell me. Just no more lies, or leaving. I couldn't bear it if you did that again. I need you to be completely honest with me in our relationship, and that means telling me whatever it is that is bothering you. Whatever it is we can deal with it together, I wont run away, I promise." Edward took an unnecessary breath steeling himself for the painful story ahead.
"It all started when Alice had a vision -"
\/\/
"Jacob calm down." said Edward placing a hand on his arm to still his seething fury.
"How could she do that Edward? I can't believe it. Its Bella were talking about here, I've known her since we were kids, I cant believe that she is capable of that."
"Neither could I at first, but Bella changed. I was so ignorant, I never realised. I didn't want to. I didn't want to think she would betray me In this way. I admit I am at partially at fault here, I should have been their for her more, should have made it more clearer."
Jacob grabbed Edward more roughly than he intended, surprising him. "Don't you dare think that Edward, Bella was manipulating you from the start, sure if you didn't leave with her it could have probably been avoided, but it is not your fault what she did. Don't you dare blame yourself for her actions or feel guilty for what you had to do, to save yourself." Edward hugged Jacob, enveloping himself in Jacob's scent. A heavy weight lifted from his shoulder's as Jacob held him back tightly. They knew this was a new beginning, they could finally leave the past behind and move on.
\/\/
For once life was perfect, they were completely happy. Abigal was growing up to be a strong spirited little girl who loved Jacob and Edward equally. So much so that one day she started calling Edward daddy as well as Jacob to everyones surprise, which was soon just accepted into everyday life, as a fact, Edward was Abigail's daddy now as well as Jacob, even if they weren't biologically related. Soon after this Edward officially moved in to Jacob's house one day, at Jacob's insistence, without any real change to their life as Edward was over at Jacobs house all the time anyway. But they couldn't be completely happy in their new life, as there was always that that distant threat of the Volturi on the horizen. A shadow to their happiness, an imperfection to their perfect life, a foreboding gloom and a shadowy doom. It would worry Edward late into the night, anticipating their attack at any moment. But as Abigal grew more, and life continued on as peaceful with a sense of normality, everyone was happy, it was pushed to the back of everybody's mind; But the Volturi are unforgiving never ending. Aro had not let this go, nor ever intended to.
\/\/
"Edward! Jacob!" Alice loudly called, running hand in hand with Jasper.
"Alice." Edward said, his face suddenly dropping reading Alice's thoughts.
"Is it true?" Questioned Edward.
"Im afraid so" answered Alice "by the time the summer is out they will be here. You didn't stop anything, merely adverted it, delayed it."
"Whats going on?" Asked Jacob walking out carrying Abigal.
"Alice had a vision." said Edward a fearful edge to his tone, visually shaken by whatever he had gleamed from Alice's mind. Jacob frowned, growing apprehensive, clutching Abigal closer to his chest.
"The Volturi are coming." announced Jasper ominously, adding to the tension.
Jacob paled "I thought they forgot about us, they decided to leave us alone."
"The Volturi never forget, and never forgive." Said Alice "We are all in danger. Bella has joined their ranks. She has told them everything. We are all at terrible risk. At any moment we could be DEAD!"
"Alice" said Jasper sliding up to her giving her a reassuring squeeze. Edward and Jacob both shared equally scared expressions, Jacob clutched Abigal tightly.
"Though it is not without hope." reassured Alice "My visions don't always come true, the Volturi are not invincible, they can be defeated! If we stand up! and fight! we might at least have a chance to scare them off, with few causalities."
"No." growled Jacob.
"What?"
"I said no! I'm not putting my family in danger, not again." said Jacob walking into the house and going into the bedroom slamming the door.
"I'll go after him." said Edward following and knocking on the bedroom door and at the reply of "come in." he walked in. Jacob was sitting on the bed rocking Abigal methodically. Edward took Abigal from Jacob as tears started leaking from Jacob's eyes, putting her in her cot, he hugged Jacob, bringing him close to his chest in a almost crushing embrace, just what he needed at the moment, something in which to anchor himself.
"Its not fair" he said "we are happy, everything is perfect for once, then this happens."
"I know." agreed Edward "It is not fair."
"We cant fight them Edward, there's no chance of us winning, there's just not enough of us. It's absolutely hopeless, 7 vampires and a wolf against a countless vampire coven, all with special powers and out for our blood."
"I know."
"Even if we did do something, and fought them off, they'd just come back again, angrier than ever, merciless. We wouldnt ever be at ease, always looking over our shoulders.""
"I know."
"Than there's Abigal to think of. What if we died out there? She'd be left an orphan. All alone." Jacob started crying again, getting up to punch the wall to release his emotions.
"I know." said Edward soothingly, bringing Jacob away from the dent he made from the wall to hold him again. "But we cant do nothing Jacob. It is but a futile hopless dream to think they will leave us alone, if we run they would just track us down. I learnt that the hard way, you cant run from your problems."
"I know." Jacob groaned "Now you got me doing it." they laughed with restraint, but once they looked over at Abigal, then it got serious again.
"Isnt there a way that we would stay safe and not have to risk all our lives, A way the Volturi would leave us all alone, without having to fight them off?"
"There isn't one, I'm afraid not. If only; then we could be happy." said Edward "The Volturi are best described in the words of Anne Rice
'Evil is a point of view. We are immortal. And what we have before us are the rich feasts that conscience cannot appreciate and mortal men cannot know without regret. God kills, and so shall we; indiscriminately He takes the richest and the poorest, and so shall we; for no creatures under God are as we are, none so like Him as ourselves, dark angels not confined to the stinking limits of hell but wandering His earth and all its kingdoms."
"Seriously" said Jacob "you're a vampire and you read books on vampires."
"Like you haven't read books on werewolf's, last week you were watching American werewolf." Jacob pushed him slightly tears gone. "It was research." he mumbled defensively
Edward just grinned kissing him.
Jacob sighed turning away.
"What is it?"
"I cant stop thinking of the Volturi, the threat they are to us. We are defensives, what are we going to do? Wouldn't it be easier if you just left." Said Jacob, even though it pained him greatly to say it.
"Doubt that the sun doth move, doubt truth to be a liar, but never doubt I love, act III sceneII Hamelet" Edward quoted
"I dont doubt you love me Edward."
"Well then you shouldn't ask me if it would be easier if I left, nothing is ever easy to leave you."
" I know, I'm just afraid of loosing all this to the Volturi."
"Me too" admitted Edward worriedly counting the days until the Volturi would arrive, trying to think of a way in which they would be able to beat the Volturi and come out unhurt and safe, a way which didn't end in bloodshed on the battlefield.