Sun and Moon

Ch. 3: As if he never existed

EPOV (Yep, Eddie's reaction)

I was still in shock as Bella went limp in Esme's arms. She leaned down then whispered in the unconscious girl's ear, "Come back to us soon, baby girl."

Tanya, Eleazar, Carmen, Irina and Laurent of the Denali Coven had joined my family as they encircled us. My mother glanced up to Tanya and the Denali leader gently removed the entranced Newborn from her arms and carried the girl into the house. Just before she disappeared inside, she called back to Esme that she had already sent the text message. Whatever that meant?

Carlisle helped his wife to her feet while Emmett assisted me. The initial shock of my encounter had worn off and my anger flared. I spun to face Esme then growled. My father and the others went rigid but they were easily ignored while I launched my verbal attack.

"What have you done? Where you so desperate to replace the baby you lost that you ignored my wishes? You had no right to steal my Bella's soul," I raged but was interrupted when Esme flashed over to me then grabbed me by my throat, after which she slammed me into the ground crushing my larynx.

"DO. NOT. DISRESPECT. ME. You are nothing but a selfish, spoiled, brat. You have the gall to talk about your wishes. It is because of your callous disregard for others wishes that we find ourselves here! Your wishes all but destroyed this family. Just because you can read peoples' thoughts does not mean you know everything. In fact, despite your gift, you have proven yourself to be an imbecile. And another thing, Edward Anthony Masen Cullen, she is no longer your Bella, not now nor ever again. You so much as look at my daughter in an inappropriate manner, I will personally shred you then feed the peaces to the flames," my kind hearted mother figure hissed at.

To say that my family and I were shocked by her violence and words was an understatement. Carlisle moved to comfort his wife but nobody helped me get back on my feet. I dusted myself off then focused on healing my larynx.

"The boy needs to see what his good works have wrought," Eleazar commented, his Castilian accent more pronounced than normal.

Esme nodded then went into our home. Tanya had three slim, black, DVD cases placed on top of the entertainment center in the family room. Carmen and Irina arranged the chairs then Laurent directed me to sit in the one in the middle. The two Denali men flanked me when they sat down. The only thing I gleaned from their minds was that they planned on keeping in place until we had all seen what was on the disks.

There was movement upstairs then we all heard Bella leave through the window in her room. As much as I wanted to follow her, the growls from my mother and the Denali's kept me in my place more than the hands clamped down on my shoulders.

"Before we begin, Edward will tell us how he explained out departure to Bella. The truth," Esme ordered. The tone of her voice left no doubt that anything less would not be tolerated.

I took an unnecessary breath then launched into my explanation. There was no sugar coating when I told them how I led Bella into the woods near her home and the blasphemous lies I told her. Everyone was in an uproar when I finished. They just did not understand Bella was my everything and it was the only way.

My mother put in the first DVD into the player and pressed play. From the time stamp, I knew it was the day after I left. We watched Bella in her catatonic state then the horrific nightmares and her whispered apologies to me. I felt my dead heart start to crack, all I wanted to do was flee but the torture was not over. Esme put in the next DVD and I witnessed my Angel get raped by two of those La Push mutts then Charlie shoot the fiends.

Rose and Alice sobbed while my father and brothers growled. Jasper sent me unending waves of hatred and loathing. Carlisle refused to look at me; he just stared at the screen in mute horror. Just when I thought it could not get worse, the third DVD was played and I had to watch Charlie Swan shoot my love twice then shoot himself. The next scenes showed Esme arrive and save her. Somebody turned off the DVD player.

"Monster! You're worse than Royce ever was. In your selfish need to control her, you stripped her of her choices then left others to finish your dirty work," Rosalie screeched as she launched herself at me.

Emmett caught her and held her tight while Carlisle gestured to Jasper. My empathic brother flooded the room with waves of calm. Irina glanced out the sliding glass door and nodded.

"Bella is on her way back to the house. We should put everything back the way it was," she commented then the room was filled with a flurry of activity.

Bella walked in the sliding doors looking dejected and yet was still the most beautiful woman in the room. With her head hung low, she walked up to Carlisle then stopped.

"I'm sorry I spoiled everything by being nothing but a stupid, uncontrollable Newborn, Dad," she said meekly.

"Nonsense, you have nothing to apologize for, pumpkin," Carlisle replied while he hugged her and stroked her hair soothingly. Eventually, he let her go and she moved about the room hugging and greeting the rest of the family.

Jasper asked for her forgiveness but she told him there was nothing to forgive. Even now, she was still as selfless as ever; it made her all the more beautiful. When she had gotten to Rose, something very strange happened.

"I'm sorry I wasn't strong like you after you all left, please don't hate me, big sister," Bella pleaded.

Rose embraced the girl; from her thoughts she seemed to see this as a second chance. She soothed, "I think you're pretty strong and I'll never hate you."

Emmett just squeezed her tight and ruffled her hair. Alice stood in stunned silence when Bella suggested they go shopping over the weekend in Anchorage then squealed.

Finally, she walked up to me and I noticed Esme and the Denali's were blocking their thoughts.

"You must be Edward. Mom told me that Dad's firstborn might be joining us. I know you all watched the DVD's, so you can guess why I dislike being touched by men without permission. Perhaps you'd like to hear my story," my Bella said.

I nodded mutely then had my heart ripped from my chest as she told me the story I already knew too well. The only difference was in her version, I was never there. It will be as if I never existed, were the last words I had spoken to her and they filtered through my mind when she finished her tale. It seemed that her subconscious had taken those words to heart as a way to deal with the trauma I had caused. How could I have been such an idiot? Maybe there was way for us to have a second chance?

Bella's head snapped toward the door and a brilliant smile graced her face. Kate Denali came in through the front door looking concerned. Any hope of a second chance died when my love flashed across the room and jumped on Kate, her arms and legs wrapping tightly around the other girl as she kissed her passionately. The Denali sister laughed when the brunette vampire eventually broke the kiss then walked them over to the love seat.

I had done this. Esme was right; hell, everyone had been right. Leaving Bella was the worst decision I had ever made. The idea that I knew what was best for her had caused me to callously toss her aside as if she were less than nothing. The others looked at me with pity for a brief moment but we all saw the love the two women had for each other.

"Dad, everyone, you all know my mate Kate," Bella said with a look of pure joy on her face.

I knew I could not stay because it was too painful. So, I stood up and told the others that I was going on a trip around the world. They knew that time and space was needed for me to come to terms with how things had turned out. Without waiting, I left the house and felt a strange pull to the South.