CHAPTER SIXTY ONE
TWO MONTHS LATER
A CHANGE IS GONNA COME
ETIENNE LUCIER:
I sat on the porch at the Cullen's watching the orange and red glow of the sunrise. The sky was beautiful. It was the beginning of Summer now. I wondered if the sunrise had been as pretty in London this morning. Time ran eight hours ahead over there. Leah was there, in England's capital. She was with Daniel, the Irish clairvoyant. I missed her so much I felt my insides ache with it. Alice had tried to help, but Alice's visions were not as strong as Leah's. It must be due to Leah not being completely and fully human before I changed her. My beautiful wife could no longer stand the visions which assaulted her daily. At least ten times a day they plagued her. They changed all the time too so it was hard to know what was the real future and what wasn't. Daniel had given Leah his number when we'd left London. She had told him what had occurred when we'd arrived back. Guess what? Yes, he already knew! He didn't even wait for Leah to ask if she could fly over to see him. He told her to come right away he would be happy to help her. Leah asked me to stay with Embry. She wanted me to give him support in her absence. I hated to let her go without me, but I must respect her wishes. I think she is worried by how these visions of hers will affect me. The truth is I just wanted her to be happy and I did indeed feel somewhat responsible for her condition since I brought her to this life. I sighed as I watched the sun come up. I felt a presence behind me. I smelled Bella's unique scent before she spoke. "Hey friend. What's up?" I turned around to give her a wan smile. She sat down next to me loosely draping an arm around my shoulder. "She'll be back soon " she said sympathetically.
"What's happening in the house?" I asked Bella, neatly changing the subject. "Embry is reading Alice in Wonderland to Kat. He started last night and is about half way through. Carlisle said she may be able to hear voices despite being catatonic" she informed me. I sighed deeply. I couldn't go through what poor Embry was going through just now. Katherine had never recovered from the bullet shard entering her skull. Yes she was alive but machines and drips were keeping her so. Everyday Embry sat by her bedside. He talked to her, he read to her, he sang to her whilst he stroked and brushed her long blonde hair. He rubbed her belly where new life was still miraculously growing. His son was still thriving. According to Leah he was going to be a handsome strong boy. She was still seeing him a lot in her visions. I felt partly responsible for Kat too. I had stepped into the bullet path causing it to shred into little pieces which flew into the air. Unluckily one made it's way to Kat. Both Embry and Leah had chided me for my thoughts. They said without me she and the baby would be dead. This way there was still a slight glimmer of hope. Rebecca was also devastated as was Mike and Angie Constantine. Kat and Rebecca's parents were a lovely couple. They had rented a house in Forks so they could be near their injured daughter. They had accepted the story we conjured up readily. They really did think that the Cullen's house was a small and very secluded private hospital. As well as Kat's room Carlisle had set up a couple of others to look like hospital rooms. Alice, bless her, was posing as a rehabilitating mental patient. Jasper joked that it was an easy role for her to assume!
I reckoned that Katherine would be overjoyed to know she was pregnant. I hoped she pulled through this. Embry and her would make great parents. Another shape shifting male for the Pack. Talking of shape shifter's, Rebecca 's life had taken a surprising turn. Whilst in the midst of all this grief and devastation over Kat she had fallen in love. It had happened with a shape shifter from the small Amazonian tribe. They had made their way back to the La Push Quilete tribe when their survival became an issue. I had visited with them last year in my quest to find another female so my Leah would not be forced to marry Embry, who of course later turned out to be her half brother. A tall bronzed muscular member of the lost tribe called Caleb had set eyes on Rebecca and instantly imprinted on her. Luckily she was also completely smitten with him, as seemed the way when males imprinted on females. Rebecca and Caleb made a very striking couple. To say the Elder's were overjoyed was a bit of an understatement. Now they had the chance to procure the pure bred shape shifter female babies they craved so much. I hoped Rebecca wasn't going to be put under pressure by the Pack. She was glowing from the inside despite her sadness over her little sister's condition. She had finally found someone she could love and who could love her back with no fear or recriminations.
Bella was staring at me and I realised I had been quiet for ages. "Sorry Bella, I'm not very good company today" I said sadly with a weak smile. "It's okay Etienne. I understand. You miss Leah terribly. I would be the same. I hope she gets the help she needs in London" Bella replied as she squeezed my arm kindly. "I miss her Bella, I miss her so incredibly much. I feel like a part of me is missing. I never thought I would love someone like this! Especially after the change so very very very long ago. I thought I was doomed to wander an immortal eternity alone" I exclaimed becoming very emotional all of a sudden. Bella gave me a hug. She was such a lovely friend to me. She stood up to leave with a loving and playful ruffle of my locks as she left me sitting on the porch. The sun was climbing up into the blue sky now. My hands sparkled with rainbow colours as I held them out in front of me. My wedding ring shone in the morning sunshine. My wife was so very far away. Should I go to her? I wanted to. She had asked me not to come. I think she imagined that I was getting sick of her problems and all the trouble she was encountering with the visions of the future. I couldn't ever think that. Leah was stubborn, if she wanted to do something then she set her mind to it and that was that. I would just have to be patient and hope that she returned with less anguish than she left with.
I decided I would go make Embry take a break from his fiancée's bedside vigil. I loved books too. I would like to read to Kat myself. I had been inconspicuously trying to use my mind control on her whilst she slept her unnatural sleep. Maybe if I could get closer I could do some good. That's if I could persuade Embry to leave her side at all. Before I went to Kat's bedside I needed to talk to Leah. I had to hear her voice. I needed to tell her how much I loved her. I direct dialled her hotel room. A male voice answered. Daniels Irish accent invaded my ears. I demanded to speak to my wife!
Hearing her voice made me long for her more. I didn't want to come over like a jealous idiot so I pretended I was fine with Daniel being in her room. I told her I loved her and I missed her so much. She seemed distracted and busy. I felt like I was interrupting something so I said my goodbyes and came off the phone feeling worse than before if that was possible. Something wasn't right.
I could feel it in my old old bones.