My thanks as always to Aussie Royal and Anagnophile. And a high five to the latter for naming this chapter for me! (keep your fingers crossed for Saturday!)
And, my thanks to you all for persevering with my delays and sticking with me. It means a lot.
Chapter 88 - Assignations
"So, how do you feel, Bells?"
I looked at Charlie as he fidgeted in the doorway, his hand still resting on the handle.
"I'm good dad, real good," I answered honestly, as he seemed to bring his head down a little closer to me.
"Your eyes… they're…"
"No longer red," I finished for him, as he slowly nodded.
Was he going to ask me why? From the start, Charlie had been so understanding of everything, but explaining this…
"Carlisle told me," he replied, as he rubbed his hand through his hair.
I nodded. Of course Carlisle would have….
"But… physically I mean, you're okay, Bella?" he asked again, as I smiled.
"Dad, I ran here in seconds, and I haven't fallen once… I am the best I have ever been, physically," I replied.
His face finally broke into a wry smile. "Running? Never was your strong point…"
"That's when I was human," I cut in, before realising what I had said.
When I was human…
Well done, Bella… for making it so…
Final?
"Yeah, well, you'll always be that way to me," Charlie replied quietly, before standing to one side to let me enter.
I walked along the corridor into the kitchen, noticing a pile of pizza boxes on the side. I felt myself smile.
"Take out, huh?" I asked casually, as Charlie opened the fridge, retrieving a can of beer.
He nodded as he motioned to the fridge. "Can I…"
I watched as he stopped, a slight blush appearing on his cheekbones.
I laughed. "I'm good, thanks," I answered honestly, as he nodded, rolling his eyes.
"I'll get used to this, Bella, in time… it's just…."
"Old habits die hard?" I asked, as he smiled. "A bit like that?" I continued, pointing to the pizza boxes.
"Exactly like that," he finished, opening the can. As he brought it to his lips, he suddenly stopped.
"Oh, before I forget, someone left you something this morning. It's on the table in the lounge."
I felt myself frown a little. "What is it?" I asked carefully, as Charlie took a swig from his beer.
"A rose. Probably that Mike kid… there's a note. It wasn't addressed to anyone, but it must be for you, I'm a little too old for presents."
I immediately darted into the room, my eyes searching every space until they rested on the single red rose. The note was torn open within seconds, and I started to read:
Charlie, such devoted father
One who will soon see…
Malicious voice, deep inside,
Echoing, it said to me…
Time to extinguish his light
Only, first, ask Bella, when the moon is bright
Meet me, Bella, your father you'll save…
Else, wait, and see, his early grave….
Come to me…
He wanted me to go to him when the moon was bright…
He wanted me to go to him tonight…
"Bella, what is it?"
I turned to find Charlie standing in the doorway, his hands resting on his hips.
Don't tell him, Bella, you'll only make him worry…
I forced a smile. "Just Mike playing around," I answered, as I scrunched up the note in my hand.
"My daughter, the heartbreaker," Charlie murmured, before his eyes literally twinkled. "He's bitten off more than he can chew with you, Bells."
I watched as he started to laugh, my forced smile not turning into a genuine one.
"Yeah, something like that," I laughed, as I noticed the time on the clock sitting on the table.
"I'll have to go soon, dad. I just wanted to stop by and see how you were."
Charlie sat down heavily in his favourite chair.
I followed, and seated myself across from him.
Reuben had been here… and he could have harmed Charlie. Instead, he wanted to see me… was it a trap? Did it matter if it were? There was no way I would put my father in harm's way…
"Dad, maybe you could go and stay with Billy for a few days? Go on a fishing trip or something? It looks like you could do with the break."
Charlie rubbed the back of his hand across his face. "Bella, another girl went missing."
I immediately understood the seriousness of the situation.
Reuben….
"But maybe you are right. I've been pulling double shifts, I could do with a few days off."
I nodded. I needed Charlie out of the way…
"So, pack up and get going," I finished, jumping up, my action catching Charlie unaware as he almost chocked on his drink.
"Steady, Bells! What's the rush?"
I shrugged. "No time like the present, dad. Besides… those pizza boxes? Not healthy…"
Charlie slowly stood. "Well, it's a little healthier than your diet," he answered almost indignantly, as he smiled.
Joking was the only way Charlie could cope…
"Okay, I'll get my stuff and call Billy."
I smiled. "Thanks, dad. This means a lot to me."
Charlie raised an eyebrow. "Me eating takeaway bothers you that much?" he questioned, with a shake of his head as he moved towards the stairs.
No, dad, you becoming someone's takeaway bothers me…
Reuben stood in the calm shade as the gentle breeze that made the leaves dance caught the edges of his long, dark coat. As the branches swayed from side to side, so too did his head. Always alert…
You know she'll come, Reuben. You know she wants to protect those around her, especially her father…
He stretched out his hand, a slim finger running along the rough edge of the bark. Droplets of water shimmered on his auburn hair, the aftermath of the thunder storm that had slashed and danced across the sky.
And she will be alone, Reuben, because you asked her to come alone…
His foot shifted, kicking at a mossy rock that catapulted through the air, landing miles away and out of view.
Fear, Reuben.
"I am not afraid," he almost whispered to himself, as the breeze suddenly changed direction.
If your heart could beat, Reuben, it would beat hot with fear…
Take no heed, Reuben; she is on her way… pay attention….
You are afraid of this life… you fear the voices inside your head, always struggling to manipulate and direct you. You fear for us, and you fear for yourself… you fear what may come to be if Bella chooses Alice…
"I am not afraid!" he hissed again, this time more vehemently as his fingers plunged into the tree bark.
You fear the man you have become, Reuben.
You are not afraid, Reuben, he is… the voice that tries to coerce you, control you… it fears failure because it knows you are strong…
"She's coming."
Slowly, Reuben removed his hand from the tree, the bark crumbling around his fingers.
"She will be mine," he whispered, as he took a small step forward.
Yes, she will be ours…
(BPOV)
I watched as his eyes flickered all around me.
Red.
The primary colour, resting at one extreme end of the spectrum… so like Reuben…
"All alone, Bella?"
His words broke into my thoughts.
"As you can see," I replied, and he seemed to visibly relax.
"Tell me, why are you alone?" he almost sneered, as his face broke into a nefarious smile. "Did the Cullen's leave you, Bella? Or… did you leave them?" he asked, as he took a step closer to me.
"You found the little gift I left your father?" he questioned again, as I felt my fingers involuntarily twitch at my sides.
Keep him guessing, Bella, get him to walk forward… you need to touch him…
"Have you finally realised your destiny is with me?" he continued to probe, as I now took a step forward too.
"I'm still thinking" I replied gently, as he tilted his head to one side.
"Thinking is overrated," he almost spat. "Stop… let me handle this… I don't need you…"
I don't need you… the voices in his head…
"You need me," I replied, as he seemed to shake himself from a daze. I watched as he tapped the side of his head with a long finger.
"I'm in conflict," he replied, as I took another step forward.
Slowly, Bella…. all you need is the slightest physical contact and…
Before I could finish my thought, Reuben held out his hand and took mine quickly.
"You are stronger than… she was. So much stronger. She was weak and pathetic… a poor excuse for a vampire, they all are… Join me, Bella… forget the Cullen's, forget Alice… she is feeble and pitiful…"
As the words spilled from his mouth, I felt my fingers grip tighter on his…
Calm, Bella… you need to remain calm. Remember what Antara and Jasper said…
"You're mine now."
His final words were the trigger I was waiting for as Reuben's past filtered into my subconscious…
Once again I felt myself mentally tumble, as my grip on his hand became secure. I could feel his fingers tense as he tried to pull away.
"What are you doing?"
His voice was low, almost an echo, as the world of long ago started to permeate my being. I had witnessed the pasts of others, but all had been willing subjects. Reuben was different, yet the more he seemed to physically struggle against my grip, the more infused I became…
"Let go, Bella."
I could no longer see his face, for if I had I would have noticed the brief look of annoyance and then uneasiness that flickered there.
I could feel him try to pull from me, but my free hand soon found his as I latched onto him. The more he struggled, the stronger I became… and the more determined I became to see his past…
He was talking, but his words were incoherent and intangible now, as the familiar haze surrounded us both… I felt him relax, and the last words I heard before I witnessed his undoing bounced around my brain:
"What are you doing?" he repeated.
And then I saw….
"Reuben, I am not asking you, I am telling you!" the man hissed as he walked out of the room, slamming the door behind him.
"How many times must we have this conversation, my dear? You know how much it upsets your father…."
My eyes flickered from the seated lady, to the tall man standing in the corner of the room…
It was Reuben…
Reuben turned to face the seated lady, who had finally decided to look up from her needlework.
"Upsets my father? Mother, how do you suppose it makes me feel?" he rasped, his eyes firmly fixed now on his mother.
Blue.
His eyes were a piercing blue, so unlike the claret he now possessed…
The woman raised her eyebrow before turning her gaze back to her needle and thread.
"This conversation is over, Reuben. You will marry Charlotte," she continued as Reuben walked towards the large glass window, looking out.
"I am heir to an estate I have come to loathe," he replied, as he turned quickly.
"It is high time you forgot her, Reuben. You will not marry her, she is a nobody. You shall marry Charlotte…."
"I will not have you speak about her in that way mother!" Reuben hissed as he turned, steadily walking towards the very same door his father had slammed shut moments earlier.
"Where are you going?" the woman enquired, her concentration still on her needlework and not her agitated son.
"For a ride," he answered, as he left and walked towards the stables.
I felt myself float, as Reuben's grip now tightened on my own… but I felt no pain as I watched him mount a large, black horse, and disappear into the countryside…
Suddenly, everything seemed to break up in front of me, like I was watching the scene reflected in a mirror that was now broken into fragmented pieces…
And then I saw him again, dismounting his horse, as he walked towards an old crumbled tower that was situated near a large lake framed with willow trees.
But before the scene continue to play; something happened that had never happened to me before…
I felt myself submerge into him… like I was stepping inside his body… becoming him…. So his thoughts, and feelings, were almost my own….
And I knew, then, the true power of my gift…
As he approached the tower, he jumped down from Midnight and tethered him to a nearby tree. Moving slowly, he walked to the lake, tossing a small pebble into the clear waters, watching as it descended into the murkiness below.
The movement created a causal nexus, as ripples began to move out into the centre of the lake. Before he had thrown the stone into the lake, all was calm except for the slight trace of motion from the insects that darted across the glistening surface. He likened his life, as it stood, to the lake. How easy it was for an event to be thrown into a situation and cause ripples as this pebble had done. He watched as the ripples slowed and began to fade.
If only his life could be as simple.
If only he could marry Anne… the nobody, as his mother had cruelly called her…
The nobody that had captured his heart the moment he saw her.
The nobody he wanted to marry… not Charlotte… but Anne… always Anne.
"I don't want to be alone!" he hissed, as a small, silver fish curled slightly, following the fading ripples, seeming to play with a mystery illusion only visible to those creatures that inhabited the lake. He watched as it danced with some unknown design, its small tail flicking with a merriment Reuben envied.
Without thinking, he placed his right hand into the chilled waters, his fingertips gently stroking the coolness. The fish, noticing the movement, became inquisitive, darting quickly over to his fingertips, turning below them. From above he heard a low screech. The river falcon had returned, as it always did when he was sitting beside the lake. Reuben began to speak to the large bird that was circling above him:
"You circle high, day and night, a bird of prey so free and light."
The bird landed near the opposite side of the lake and flapped its large wings, as if applauding Reuben's words. He continued…
"I hear you call from curving beak, graceful wings; pointed, sleek."
Again the bird moved its wings, this time ducking its head slightly as if straining to hear what Reuben was saying.
"River Falcon is your name, wild and free, you play your game. Swooping high, darting low, water's edge you will go."
The bird, standing proud, walked towards the water's edge, accepting Reuben's words.
"Midnight black with hint of grey, with strength and skill you stalk your prey."
He watched now as the bird dipped its head into the water, snaring its prey – with one last look at him, the bird began to extend its wings.
"Eyes piercing, how they gleam, you fly above the icy stream. After play we hear the cry, of River Falcon in the sky."
Reuben watched the bird soar high above; taking flight to a destination unknown.
If only he could escape these chains that arrested his very movement.
Standing, he slowly turned and began to make his way towards the crumbling tower. It was also surrounded by trees whose branches seemed to stretch out, protecting the tower from the world that existed beyond the coppice. His parents may have been wondering where he was, but their unlikely concern didn't register; all Reuben wanted to do was sit on the mossy grass, beside the tower, and watch life around him.
Patting Midnight on his flank, he moved to his usual place, closed his eyes, and leaned his back against the ancient tree he had named Oracle. As his hand moved carelessly beside him, his fingers playing with the moss, he heard the breaking of twigs as if someone was approaching.
Slowly, Reuben opened his eyes and looked up into a pair of blood-red orbs that seemed to be gleaming at him.
A slight tremble ran along his spine, followed by a deep euphoric feeling as the unknown female quickly crouched down and cupped his cheek.
"I've been waiting for you," she whispered in his ear, as she leant in further, her grip on his cheek now firmer as she placed her soft lips against his neck.
"And now the waiting is over," she continued, as she started to bite…
Everything around him became more animated, the tree branches seemed to sway with a new alertness, and sounds he had never heard before came to him, sharp and clear… As she bit into his skin, Reuben felt his entire existence spin as if on an axis… his twenty four years were flashing before his eyes…
And then…
Darkness.
Reuben didn't know how long he had been unconscious. He didn't know what time it was, or even where he was, when his eyes finally opened.
But he knew one thing…
He was alone.
Days passed before the pieces started to fall into place. And only then, when the desire to feed on the blood of rabbits hit him hard, did she finally return, and show him exactly what she was… what he was… what she had made him…
At first it all seemed like a dream, no, a nightmare… that he would wake up and find himself back in his room…
But he never woke up, because he never slept…
For three months she stayed with him while he continued to feed on animals. He never asked what she fed on, because he knew the answer…
Oh, he would encroach onto the perimeter of the Manor House, his home, and watch his parents from time to time. Sometimes, his mother would cry, but not often. His father never shed a single tear…
Did they wonder what had happened to him? Did they try and find him? Or did they truly think he had abdicated his responsibilities, running away from everything?
He continued to feed on animals, whilst she scoffed at him. He didn't care; all he cared about was Anne…
And then, after three months, he found her… he knew she had been in France visiting relatives… and she was finally home… she would understand, she would listen…
And then Reuben saw the wedding band on her left hand…
Saw the man escort her from the carriage, broad smile on his face as he leant in and kissed her…
The rage that had run through his veins that afternoon was parallel to none as he vented his findings to his maker.
"Revenge is so very sweet, my dearest," she had whispered. "If she doesn't belong to you, she should not belong to another."
That night, Reuben inflicted his revenge.
He killed the man who had married his beloved.
He remembered the way Anne had screamed at him to stop…pleaded with him to spare the life of the man she loved…
"I thought you loved me," he had whispered, as she pleaded again and again for him to stop…
That night, Reuben tasted human blood for the very first time…
That night, Reuben killed every member of the household, including Anne, in a violent rage…
That night, she, the one who had turned Reuben, berated him fiercely for being too careless…
That night, he killed her too.
That night, he truly became alone.
Alone…
Alone…
Alone…
I felt his hand fall from mine as he took several steps back…
"That's when you became alone," I whispered, as the Reuben from so long ago took his leave, and I was faced with the Reuben of now.
"You…. how did you…?" his voice stuttered, as I continued to stare at him.
He must have heard me. As the images had played out in front of my eyes, I had murmured snippets of what I had seen… it was part of my gift, and I knew that now…
"You had no right to infiltrate my mind…. No right," he continued, as his eyes seemed to flame a deeper red.
"I will get my revenge!" he spat, as he took several steps back…
"No Reuben… I shall get mine," I replied as he visibly flinched. "I don't need anyone's help, Reuben… I know about your past… and I know what you did to Alice… revenge will be mine," I repeated as his face broke into another lecherous smile.
"Then let the battle commence," he answered, before his eyes looked to my side. "But not now," he finished, as he turned and vanished almost into thin air…
"Bella."
I turned to face a furious looking Alice.