Chapter Six

Jasper

Bella dead? A plane crash? After all she'd survived, James, Victoria, Edward's abandoning her, to be killed in a plane crash seemed too tragic. I could see her smile a goodbye as she went through to the departure lounge, I'd driven her to her death. There was a terrible pain in my chest crushing it and bringing me to my knees. Edward would be devastated not to mention Charlie and Renee. I thought back over the past week, remembering all the things we had done together. She had been upset about Edward when she arrived but I liked to think I had made her last days fun. Bella's last days? It didn't bear thinking about. How could she be dead? Dry heaves racked my body and I heard myself howling, why was I feeling so much pain? Surely only a mate should experience this much pain at losing someone. I had loved Bella after all the excuses I'd made to myself, all the reasons for what I did it came down to the cold hard fact that I loved her. I went into the bedroom where her scent was the strongest and picked up her pillow, hugging it to my chest breathing in deeply. She had slept here and I was too much of a coward to tell her how I felt, now she would never know, and I would never see her smile or hear her laughter again. I lay down, still hugging the pillow, and tried to relive the past few days, to keep her alive for just a little longer, Bella.

Esme

I dreaded hearing the phone ring but it was far longer than I had expected before he picked up my message and he sounded a little impatient.

"Esme I hope this is important. I told you I'd be busy."

"Its Bella"

"Bella? Oh don't say she's not coming back yet? Well it's not the end of the world and Edward is busy with me"

"Bella's never coming home again Carlisle"

"What? Of course she is, if Edward has to go fetch her himself."

"You don't understand Carlisle, Bella is dead., Her plane crashed with no survivors."

"Where? When? Are you sure?"

"I went to the airport to collect her and they told us there had been an accident then I overheard a conversation between some of the airport staff. When I got home I put the news channel on and its true. It's all over the news channels, it crashed on take off and exploded. There are no survivors."

"Are you sure she was on the plane?"

"Do you really think I would ring if I hadn't checked? Jasper took her to the airport, he saw her go through to the departure lounge and the reporters say its been verified that all the seats were occupied. She's dead Carlisle"

He cursed and I heard him talking rapidly to someone else in the room.

"I've sent one of the lab technicians to get Edward. I'll break it to him and we'll head back as soon as we can"

"When?"

"As soon as we can Esme, in the meantime try to contact Alice just in case. I suppose we'd better tell Charlie too. You will have to do that personally Esme. Not by phone."

"Me?"

"Of course who else knows she was on that flight? Esme pull yourself together, Bella's dead and her father needs to be told"

Charlie

I had just got in when there was a knock on the front door so I threw my gun belt in the closet and went to answer it.

"Esme? Please come in. Is something wrong?"

I couldn't get a handle on her expression but my blood ran cold as I followed her into the lounge and offered her a seat. She perched herself on the edge of the sofa and spoke,

"Charlie I don't know how to break this to you but there's been an accident."

"Bella? Is she injured? Where is she?"

"She was on a plane back from a holiday with Alice in Denver and the plane crashed on take off. They don't think there are any survivors."

"Bella? In a plane crash? You must be wrong Esme, Bella can't be dead. Are you sure she caught the flight?"

"Yes, Jasper took her to the airport and waited until she went through. I'm so sorry Charlie, would you like me to stay or can I call someone for you?"

I sat, unable to take the news in. My little girl dead? She'd only been married six months and she was dead?"

"Charlie can I get you anything?"

"Coffee would be good Esme. I guess I should ring Renee. You are sure about this?"

She nodded and walked into the kitchen and I heard her fill the kettle up. With trembling hands I picked up my cell phone where I'd thrown it when I got home and fumbled to dial Renee's number hoping Phil would be home. I was in luck as he answered the phone.

"Charlie. What's wrong?"

"Can Renee hear?"

"No she's in the shower why?"

I explained what Esme had told me and I heard his voice break, I knew he was fond of Bella.

"I'll break it to Renee but she's going to want to talk to you."

"I'll be here at least for a while. I'll try to get some details from the Denver cops. See if they'll talk to me as a colleague."

I got through and after checking who I was they confirmed what I already knew from Esme. There were no survivors, the plane exploded and it was full of fuel on take off, although they didn't know what had caused the crash, but then I didn't care much about that for now. I had to come to terms with the fact that my little girl was dead.

Esme

I made coffee for Charlie then rang the Reservation at his request while he sipped it, his face a mask of tragedy.

"Billy Black."

"Billy, its Esme Cullen"

"What do you want?"

"I'm ringing from Charlie's. Its Bella"

"Bella? What happened? Couldn't your son wait any longer? What's the story for Charlie?"

"No story. Bella was on the plane that crashed at Denver airport tonight."

"A good a story as any I guess."

"No story, she really was on the plane. She'd been to visit my daughter Alice. He needs someone here with him Billy. I wondered if maybe Sue would come."

"Are you telling me Bella is really dead? Not just bitten?"

"No Billy, she's really dead. There were no survivors according to the authorities"

He went very quiet for a few seconds then came back on,

"Jake has gone for Sue Clearwater then they'll be over. You might need to persuade him that Bella was really on that plane though."

"She was Billy and no one is more sorry than me."

"Does Edward know or was he with her?"

"No, Edward was in Boston with Carlisle at a medical institute. Bella went to Denver to visit Alice and Jasper"

I waited with Charlie until Jake and Sue Clearwater arrived. She ignored me going straight through to Charlie who had started to cry silently but Jake stopped,

"So he finally changed her then?"

"No Jake. Edward's in Boston with Carlisle. Bella had been visiting Alice and Jasper"

"And your crystal ball gazer never saw the crash coming? Or did the Psycho Major attack Bella?"

"Jake whatever I say you won't believe me so I'm not wasting my breath any more. Bella was on the plane when it crashed. You are more than welcome to speak to Edward or any of the family but you won't find Bella as a human or a vampire."

I think it was slowly sinking in that I was telling him the truth and he nodded soberly then went through to join Charlie and Sue so I left, driving slowly back to the house.