Okay, I know it's been awhile since I've updated. But reviews and favoriting my stuff makes me happy, and this is, by far, my most popular story. So I will try harder to keep this one updated.
Previously:
I crossed the border that seperated werewolf land from vampire land, and ran on to the Cullen house. When I arrived, however, I was nearly bowled over with surprise.
Because, waiting for me there, were Charlotte and Peter.
When I skidded to a stop, the two turned to me, Charlotte's eyes soft and welcoming, Pete's revealing his happiness to see me, but there was also a fire in them. I knew that look-I was in deep shit.
I stared in astonishment at my brother and sister. Char and Pete were actually a lot closer to me than a mere brother and sister - they were my best friends, the only people who truly understood me, and my only family (Excluding Major) - but brother and sister were the best ways to describe them.
I was slightly nervous to see them here, for a number of reasons; one, I knew they would never reveal my secret, but still. Two, the look in Pete's eyes worried me slightly. Normally, I knew why Pete would be pissed at me, but now, I couldnt think of one reason. But soon, my excitement a seeing them overpowered my nervousness, and I ran forward, hugging first Char, then Pete, tightly.
I leaned back after a moment, keepin ahand on each of their shoulders. "What are you two doing here?" I asked incredulously.
"You were gone a lot longer than we expected, Izzy." Char glanced at Pete, and quickly added, "Plus, we were worried about you." I leaned in again, hugging them tightly as I murmured only for their ears, "You know I was fine."
Half a second later, Char took a step back, as did Pete. "Izzy, you smell like wet dog. More specifically, you smell like werewolves." one corner of her mouth lifted into a grin as I stuck my tongue out at her, and the others laughed at my expression. Major stepped forward, leaned down, and pressed a warm, gentle kiss to the side of my mouth. Ignoring the eyes on us, I pulled him in, sealing our lips together. After aa second, Peter cleared his throat, and Major lifted his head, his fingers threading through my mine.
"So, what did Jacob say?" Major asked. "He said that the pack would fight against them if they do come."
"They?" Char asked confused. I blinked, and looked at her, unconsiously tightening my grip on Major's hand, only realizing when Major's other hand came up and gently stroked my jaw. I blinked again, looking up at him. He smiled a little, tucking my hair behind my ear before he dropped his hand, and I eased up on my grip on his hand.
"Alice had a vision that the Volturi are coming. Soon." I admitted, looking at the two. Char and Pete's blood red eyes widened, and they shared a glance, first at each other, then at me, that spoke volumes.
After a moment of stunned silence, Pete said, "Izzy, can we talk to you? Alone, I mean?" I nodded, gently extracting my hand from Majors. "Let's go." I said to Char and Pete, gave Major a quick kiss on the cheek, then followed my siblings out of the Cullen house.
Once outside, I glanced back at the house, then said, "Come on. We need to get a good distance away from them." Char and Pete nodded, and we began running. We ran for miles, until we were near the border line. Finally, we stopped in a small clearing. There was silence for a few minutes as we just enjoyed each others company, until Char and Pete gave me a weird look.
"What?" I asked, confused.
"You're leaning." Pete observed. I realized I was leaning the direction that I'd come from, toward Major, following the connection that he and I shared, which had gotten fainter over the miles, but was still there. I straightened selfconsiously, and Char and Pete continued to study me.
"Now what?" I asked exasperatedly. Char sighed. "Are you sure you know what you're doing, Izzy?" she asked. "What do you mean?" I asked cautiously.
"I know you love Jasper." I nodded, a picture of his golden eyes rising unbidden to my mind.
"But are you sure that you want to go through this again? How do you know the same thing wont happen that happened with Ben-" "What I had with Benjamin was nothing compared to this." I snapped.
I hesitated, then added, "Ben and I did love each other. But, for the main part, our relationship was purely physical."
"And yours and Major's isnt?" Char asked caustically. Biting my lip, I shook my head. "You mean you havent-" I hastily cut her off, saying, "No." it wasnt that I didnt want to, or that I hadnt before, but the idea of Major and I together like that gave me a funny jumping feeling in my stomach.
I sighed, sank down onto the ground, rubbed my temples, and asked, "Can we please get off the subject?" Char and Pete sat as well, thankfully shutting up about it.
"Izzy, what are you going to do?" "About what?" I asked, pretending naivety. "You know perfectly well what. The Volt-" "Dont even say their name. Just because-" I couldnt bring myself to say it, and started over.
"Just because...well, you know, doesnt mean I like them. The three jackasses in charge think they are the fucking kings of the entire fucking world." "No, y-" "Shut up." I said, but without fire, more going through the motions. Peter hastily shut his mouth anyway.
"Why have you been here so long?" Char finally asked. My answer was one word: "Major." "What about him?" "You said it yourself. I love him; he's half of me. When I was leaning earlier?" the two, listening intently, nodded.
"It's like Major and I are physically tied together. I was leaning because I can feel the, for lack of a better word, rope. It's pulling me toward him. I know Major better than I know myself; as well as I know you. He may no longer be part of the Pacific Coven, but he still loves them. I cant ask him to choose between me and his family."
"He loves you, babe. He loves you more than he's loved anything in his entire life; Char and I know this. We've been around him almost longer than anyone alive, excluding Maria. If he did have to chose, there is no question of the fact that it would be you."
"I know he'd chose me. But that's why I cant ask him to. Leaving his family would hurt him, as well as me." "Why would it hurt you?" "Because his emotions are mine." I said simply.
Neither of them said anything for a few minutes, then Pete said, "So, are you going to come back with us, Izzy?" I folded my hands together, and studied my long, pale fingers intently.
"Not yet." "What?" Char said, as if she couldnt believe what I'd said. I looked up at her. "I'm not going back. Not yet. I havent made it clear to Major that I will leave at some point, and I need to. If he wants to come, he's more than welcome."
"How long will you be staying with them?" "I dont know. I cant leave Major-it will destroy me, and you know that. I dont know what I'm going to do." I admitted with a sigh. Char stood, and offered me her hand.
"The first thing you should do is go tell him." she said once she pulled me up. I nodded silently, and hugged Char again. Normally, I wasnt a huggy person, but Char brought that out in me. Peter stood as well, and kissed my forehead.
"Come on, Iz." he said, and we ran back to the Cullens.
When we reached th Cullen house, Major was waiting for us. I propelled myself into his open arms, feeling like I'd been away from him much longer than two hours. I buried my face in his chest, breathing his wild, woodsy scent in, feeling instantly a home. Major held me close, and I felt his tense muscles relax as he buried his face in my hair, breathing my scent, just as I was his.
After a few minutes, he sighed, his breath stirring my hair.
"Have I ever told you that, A) you smell really good, B) you're beautiful, or C) that I love you?" he asked. I considered, then lied laughingly, "No, no, and no." he raised his eyebrows, his gold eyes sparkling in humor.
"Hmm. Well, it's time to remedy the situation. You smell amazing, you are the most beautiful girl I've ever seen, and I love you more than anything." he said, his eyes growing more serious with each word. I rose on my toes, pulled his face down to mine, and kissed him hard.
He smiled against my mouth, and kissed me back. After a moment, I returned to earth, both physically and mentally. I opened my eyes, and found Major's face less than an inch from mine. I reached up, and touched a ringlet of golden hair, tracing it with my finger, then smoothed his locks down. He smiled at my touch, his eyes slowly closing, his forehead pressing against mine.
We stayed in that position for several minutes, both of our eyes closed, my arms around his neck, his around my waist, our foreheads pressed together, breathing in slowly.
The moment was shattered when Pete said, somewhat laughingly, "Hey. We are still here, lovebirds." I opened my eyes at the same time as Major, and we smiled at each other. Major shifted me, putting his arm around me and holding me to his side.
He said to Pete and Char, "Hey, I know that Izzy is practically related to y'all, but am I not allowed to have a hug or anything?" Char smiled, and stepped forward, Major hugging her with his one free arm. I felt my jaw tighten as he hugged her, and Jasper winked at me over Char's head, making me relax.
Char felt me tense and relax, and released Major, and said to me, "Iz, I'm not trying scam on your mate. Besides, Pete's my mate." I smiled, feeling a little silly, and said, "I know." Pete stepped forward as well, giving Major a firm handshake. Major pulled him in, and they patted each other on the back in a manly hug. Char and I shared a glance, rolling our eyes.
"It's good to see you two." Major said after Pete stepped back. "You havent been around since Izzy left Forks." "There wasnt any way we could come back without you knowing where Izzy was. She told us that she didnt want you to know where to find her." I nodded in confirmation, and Major's arm around my shoulders tightened. I leaned my head against his shoulder, and he relaxed again.
Pete and Char stared intently at us, and Pete let out a low whistle. "Wow, Major." Major and I both looked at him, confused. "What?" we said simultaneously. Pete glanced somehwhat warily at Char, then bck at us. "It's just that...we've never seen you calm down so easily."
The corners of Major's mouth tugged into a grin at Pete's words, and he shrugged. "I cant remember the last time I was truly angry. Certainly not since Izzy has come." he briefly pressed his lips to the top of my head, and, from inside the house, we heard Emmet pretend to gag. "Shut up, Em." I said, hearing Emmet laugh in reply.
"Hey, why dont you two go inside and talk to the rest of the coven? I need to talk to Major." I said to Char and Pete. They nodded, Char giving me a glance on her way inside, clearly telling me to make sure that I told Major.
Once we were by ourselves, I turned into Major, wrapping my arms around his waist. He shifted, lifting me up a little. I buried my face in his neck, his skin smooth against mine. Without thinking about it, I moved my head, lining my lips up with a bite mark, and he shivered, his arms tightening around me.
"I love you." he murmured into my hair, and I replied, "I love you too, Major."
A bit later, Major reluctantly put me back on the ground. "What did you need to talk to me about, Izzy?" I hesitated. "Come with me." together, we began running, until we reached the clearing from so many years ago, the one I'd found with Edward. I scaled a tree, Major on my heels, and we settled on the same branch, keeping our balance with ease.
Major took my hand, lazily drawing patterns on my palm, fingers, and the back of my hand. "So, what did you want to talk to me about?" he asked, still concentrating on my hand. "Um, I-" I lost my train of thought, Major's touch sending shivers through my body.
I murmured with a sigh, "That feels good." I nearly felt Major's smile, and he glanced up at me, his gold eyes glinting at me through his blonde hair. I swallowed as my entire body tingled at his look, and closed my eyes, yanking my thoughts back on track.
"You know that I am going to leave, right?" I said softly, opening my eyes. Majors long fingers didnt stop moving, but they slowed considerably. "Now?" he asked, locking his gaze with mine, his eyes confused, surprised, and slightly hurt. "No. But I will at some point." his gaze returned to my hand, and he nodded slowly.
"Yes. I know." he said softly. "What are you going to do when I do leave?" "I'm going with you, of course." he said, as if it was a stupid question. "But...wont you miss the Cullens? They're your family." "Yes, I'll miss them. But I love you more than I do them."
Reluctantly, I pulled my hand away, and he looked up. "What's wrong?" he asked when he saw my face. "The fact that you'd chose me over them." I murmured. "What? You're upset that I'd chose you?" he said, confused
"Well, yes and no. No, because I love you too, and I want to stay with you, no matter what. Yes, because I know you love them, and it would hurt you to leave them. I love you enough that your emotions are mine, in a way. And, because it would hurt you to leave them, it would hurt me."
Major's hand rose, and cupped the side of my face. I leaned into his rough palm, and his calloused thumb stroked my cheek. "It would hurt me far more to be seperated from you than to be seperated from them." I looked down, away from his earnest gaze.
"Look at me." he said sharply, but his voice was still gentle. I dragged my eyes up to look at him, and the look on his face made my heart fly up into my throat. "I love you, Isabella. So, so much. I cant survive without you." his voice was insistent and earnest, urging me to believe him. I couldnt even get angry at him for calling me Isabella. "Are you listening to me, Isabella? I love you. It would quite literally kill me-again-to leave you."
I swallowed, and flung myself at him. He caught me easily, and I hid my face in his shirt. "Thank you." I whispered. "What are you thanking me for? I was just telling you the truth." he murmued, but held me tighter against his chest. After a while, he began humming. The sound made an odd, echoing sound in my mind, like I'd heard the music before but had forgotten it.
I found myself relaxing even more than I already was, my eyes closing. Major's scent wrapped around me, calming me and making me feel more at home than I had felt anywhere else.
Major, howeer, shattered the moment, saying, "Do you know when you will leave?"
"No." I admitted. "I dont know. All I know is that I will be here when the Volturi come."
Abruptly, Major tensed. "No." he said, voice hard. "You will be nowhere near here when they arrive." I pushed myself away from him, my eyes narrowed. "What?" I said, my voice deadly calm. Major stared back, unremorseful.
"You heard me perfectly well. You will not be here when the Volturi arrive." "Oh, yes I will." "No. I will be here, but you wont." "If you think that I'm going to comply without a fight, you have another think coming." I said darkly. "I dont believe I will. I'm staying; you're leaving." "I am staying too." I said forcefully. "No, you wont." "Yes, I will!" "I am not arguing about this, Izzy! If I have to take you somewhere myself, and chain you up, I will do it."
I dropped from the tree abruptly, and Major landed in front of me a split second later. "I will be there." I said roughly, and, without another word, I turned, and ran for the Cullen house.
I ran full out, faster than any vamire had ever run. I slammed to a stop a few inches from the porch, and, still moving blurringly fast, I jumped the stairs and shoved the door open. The rest of the Cullens, and my two siblings, looked up, their faces surprised. As soon as they saw my face, however, their expressions turned worried and slightly frightened, and they quickly looked down, except for Char and Pete.
My siblings stood, eyes concerned. "What happened, Izzy?" "Ma-" I cut myself off as Major blew in the still open door, his face as furious as mine was. This time, as the Cullen's saw his face, they actually shrank away, pressing themselves into the couch, chair, or wall, wherever they happened to be sitting or standing.
Pete let out a low whistle again. "The Major's out." I knew from the times they talked about him that when they said that, it meant Jasper was absolutley furious. "Shut. Up." Major snapped, his eyes locked on me.
We glared at eachother for a couple of minutes, then Char said, "Why are you two trying to burn holes through the each others foreheads? I mean, less than an hour ago, you two were so lovey dovey that it made the rest of us naseous. What happened?"
"He's being way too overprotective!" "She's being stubborn and idiotic!" our words overlapped eachother, and the family looked up at us, confused. Even though they had amazing hearing, they couldnt completley understand what we'd said, and Carlisle told us so.
Major took a deep breath, outwardly calming himself down. "She's being stubborn and idiotic."
I copied his movement, outwardly calming myself down. "He's being overprotective." "A little more specific, please." Esme said calmly, her voice gentle. "When the Volturi come, I say that I will stay. He wants me to go." I said, gesturing to my mate.
"I want you to be safe." Major said, his voice still slightly angry, but considerably softer. "I know." I softened as well. "But, believe me, I will be far safer here, than if I was away." "How can you believe that?" Major snapped, confused and angry.
I glanced at Char and Pete, the only people on earth, excluding the Volturi, that knew my secret. Char and Pete glanced at eachother. "They should know." Pete said carefully. I sighed, and sank down on the coffee table.
I sighed again. "There is something you all should know about me." they leaned forward expectantly; they all knew I had a secret. Several secrets, actually, but one major one.
"I am the-" my words were cut off by the sound of shattering glass. Alice - who had been somewhat nervously playing with a vase of flowers, rearranging the roses and lightly scraping the glass vase, getting rid of micoscopic spots - had dropped the vase. We all knew that there was no way Alice could have accidentally dropped the vase.
Edward gasped, his eyes locked on Alice's tiny form. "No. That's...that's impossible. Your visions are sometimes wrong!" he said it desperately, as if he wanted to believe it, but knew that Alice's vision was going to happen.
"What? What did you see, Alice?" Carlisle asked, his voice concerned and gentle, only his eyes betraying his worry.
"They're coming." Alice whispered, her eyes wide with fear. Emmet shook his head. "We know, Alice!" he snapped. Edward's eyes, as wid a Alice's, turned to Emmet. "She's not explaining well. They're all coming. All of the Volturi."
"Yes..." Emmet dragged the word out, sensing there was more, and frustrated that he didnt have the entire story. "You dont understand!" Edward's voice was frustrated.
"They're all coming! The guard, the three leaders, even the wives!" everyone gasped. Everyone...except for me. Somehow, I wasnt surprised at all.
"But-but the wives never leave the fortress!" Rosalie gasped. Edward growled, "You dont think we know that, Rose?"
Alice sighed. "You all know that nintey-five percent of my visions arent concrete. But this one is. It's so clear, so solid, that there is no way that this will not come to pass. No matter how much you deny it, it will happen. The Volturi, and the wives, are coming. And it wont be long. They are already beginning the preparations."
"How long?" Emmet asked.
Alice opened her mouth to speak, then shut it again. I waited for the bomb to drop. "How long?" Emmet repeated, his voice hard and sharp.
Alice tried to speak, and couldnt.
"How long, Alice?" Emmet said again.
Finally, Alice managed to speak. When she did, her voice was cool and distant. "In two days, it is going to snow. It will snow for thirty-six hours, almost precisely. They will be here the day after it stops snowing."
She paused, gathering her thoughts, and shivered.
"Five days. They will be here in five days."
So? Watcha think? And, just to clarify, all of the Cullens have graduated from Forks High School. They just stay way far out of sight, except for Esme and Carlisle. I will hopefully update soon. Thanks for all the awesome reviews! Love to all my readers!
-Kathleen7295