A World Full of Strangers
Disclaimer: All the characters in the story are the property of Stephanie Meyer. I have borrowed them for my entertainment and (hopefully) your reading pleasure. I make no profit from their use.
Chapter 12: Goodbye
I can believe how quickly everything has been packed up and ready to go. But I guess that's how quickly things can be done when you have eight vampires who don't need sleep and can move in super fast motion. When I wake up the next morning, nearly everything in the cottage is gone and when we go up to the big house, there is a huge moving van pulling up to load everything that we are taking to Whitehorse. Earlier, there was a carrier to pick up the cars.
Daddy is going to use the Mercedes to drive up us up and the others are going to fly. They are renting a furnished condo for us to live in until we can find a house that we like. Everything is going into storage until then. Daddy tells us that it will only take three days to drive up at vampire speed. We are going to drop him and Momma off in Red River, North Dakota and then meet them in Winnepeg, Manitoba.
Everyone keeps telling me that things are going to be just fine. My Jacob has not come back to the house yet and they don't think that he will be back before we leave. It's not that they don't want to say goodbye to him, it's just that they don't want another argument.
Carlisle says that arguments are bad because people say things that they regret later. He said that things ended badly last night and he doesn't want them to get any worse. Auntie Rose is grumbling that she still has plenty to argue with him about, but Daddy tells her to shut up and looks over at me.
I can tell that everyone is nervous however. Uncle Emmett is looking very impatient because the human movers are taking so long to move the furniture and crates. But he knows that we can't do it ourselves. Well, he, Uncle Jasper, Carlisle, and Daddy are helping, but they can't move at vampire speed.
Momma has already packed me a bag and picked out some clothes for me to wear. She, Esme, and my aunts are all dressed in jeans and long sleeved tee shirts. They also have baseball caps and sunglasses ready. They are pleased that there is a thick cloud cover overhead, but that probably won't last as we drive east. The ones who are flying have it easier. They are inside most of the time.
When things are finally packed, the truck takes off. Both houses are locked up and we stand in the driveway looking at the big White House for the last time. Momma, Daddy, and I have already said goodbye to the cottage.
"Our first home," Momma sighed, when we left it.
"Don't worry," said Daddy. "I promise we will come back."
"In a hundred years," she replied.
"And you will be surprised how quickly that hundred years passes," he answered.
Momma smiled uncertainly. I knew how she felt. A hundred years sounded like a long time to me too. Everyone that we know except for vampires will be dead by then. Even now, standing outside our old home, I feel sad. This is the house where I was born. Just like the cottage, I have so many happy memories. But right now, I think that the two saddest people are Carlisle and Esme. They hate being apart, even for a little while.
"It's only three days, Esme," he is saying, as he holds her. "Then we will all be together again. Alice?"
"I promise, Esme," Aunt Alice says. "I see us all back together in three days. We are all very happy. Nothing is going to go wrong."
Esme smiles uncertainly, but then turns to us.
"At least we will be all together soon, no more traveling for our children for a while," she says, trying to smile. "Carlisle, you will call the minute that you get to Whitehorse?"
"I promise," he says. "And you should keep calling from the road. Just keep the cell phone hooked up to the car charger."
It's time for hugs and kisses all around. Auntie Rose looks very sad as we say goodbye.
"I'll miss you," she says as she hugs me.
"I'll miss you too," I say. "But we will be back together soon. We've been apart for longer."
"I just wish that I could travel with you," she says, wistfully.
"It's better this way," says Carlisle. "It's much less conspicuous. If the nine of us all flew together we would be much more noticeable. And taking the roundabout route is probably unnecessary, but I don't want to take any chances."
"No, we don't," says Daddy. "But we really need to get to Charlie's so that he can have a nice goodbye. Is Sue there?"
"I just called. They are both there," Momma replies. "But they don't know why we're coming."
"Oh, dear," says Esme. "Do you think that Sue will be a problem?"
"Probably not, I think," says Daddy. "But you and I will talk to her while Bella and Renesmee say goodbye to Charlie."
"I think that Charlie will appreciate that," says Momma.
Then, without any more delays, we all get in the cars and leave. On the way over to Grandpa's house, Momma suddenly looks very sad. I know that she is thinking about moving so far away from Grandpa. Esme looks back at her.
"You know that we will bring Charlie up to visit any time that he wants to come," she says.
"I know," Momma answers. "I'm just afraid that it's going to get too weird for him when none of us are aging. And if we're all going to high school again, well, that's going to seem very odd."
"I think that Sue can help him with that," says Daddy. "She knows all about the supernatural world. After all, two of her kids are werewolves. And as long as werewolves phase, they don't age either."
"But Charlie doesn't know anything about that," says Momma.
"Because he doesn't want to," he says. "Remember that Charlie's mantra is 'need to know,' these days. In some ways this will be easier for him because he won't have it in his face almost every day."
"I guess you're right," she sighs. "I suppose that I just don't like saying goodbye."
Before we know it, we are pulling up to Grandpa's house. He comes right out to greet us while Sue hangs back in the doorway. He looks at the four of us in the car and immediately figures out what is going on. We all know that he's been waiting for this day.
"Why don't we give them some privacy," says Daddy, as he and Esme go up the stairs and inside with Sue.
"So Bella," says Grandpa. "I guess that you're finally leaving town."
"Yeah, Dad," says Mommy. "It's time. We are going to be moving up to Whitehorse in the Yukon. I know that it's far away, but we are looking at it as an adventure on the frontier."
"Well, I suppose that I'm lucky that you stayed around for as long as you did," he says. "I mean, even I can see that it must be kind of weird for you to be around here, looking like you're all still in high school."
"Yeah, it's been tough," she says. "And Carlisle hasn't been able to work fir the last couple of years."
"I heard all those ridiculous rumors about plastic surgery," he says. "Absolutely absurd. Some people just don't wrinkle so easy. He's a great doctor. I suppose that the hospital up there is glad to have him."
"Of course," she says. "Right now a lot of the patients have to wait for visiting specialists to take care of things that Carlisle knows how to treat. Or they have to fly them down to British Columbia. And you know how everyone loves camping and hiking. There's plenty of frontier up there to explore."
"That's good," he says. "You all have never been much for the big city."
"Yeah, and well, we really haven't been outside the house much in years," she says. "Only to see you and go out to the reservation."
"So is Jacob coming with you?" he asks.
"I don't know," she answers. "It's kind of up to him. He knows that we're going but I don't think that he's decided what he's going to do."
"Well, I would be surprised if he didn't show up," he says. "Hey, Renesmee! Are you set to go live up there in the Yukon?"
"Sure, Grandpa," she says. "Carlisle told me all about it. It sounds like it's going to be a big adventure, just like Momma said. And I'm finally going to get to go to school."
"Go to school?" he looks at Momma. "But don't you know everything in the books already?"
"No," I say. "I still have a lot to learn. And it will be fun to meet other kids. I've never really had much of a chance to make friends around here."
"Yeah," he says slowly. "I guess that will be easier now that you're not growing so quickly."
Momma and I share a smile. Grandpa gets his "need to know" look on his face.
"You're going to visit us, right Grandpa?" I ask.
"Do you want me to?" he asks a little nervously.
"Of course we do!" I say. "We're all going to miss you. You and Sue are our family too."
"And Dad," adds Momma. "You don't have to worry about the plane fare. Carlisle promised that anytime that you and Sue want to come and visit, he will pay to bring you up. Emmett says that the fishing up there is great."
"That's generous of him," says Grandpa. "But Carlisle has always been a generous man. Just take a look at all that free medical care that he has given them over at the reservation. And Esme is real nice too. I guess that they're going to miss them a lot."
I could see Momma struggling to keep her face blank. I know that the Quileutes aren't going to miss the Cullens at all. Uncle Emmett told me that the last time they left, before Momma and Daddy were married, that they had a big bonfire to celebrate. I asked Momma to be sure and she said yes, that's what happened. Then she looked annoyed and said something about Emmett having a big mouth.
"I'm really going to miss you, Dad," says Momma. "It's been nice living so close these last eight years."
"You know, Bella," he says. "You don't have to feel so bad about going away. I mean, a lot of your old high school friends have moved away. A lot of the kids from this little town move out to find jobs and make a better life for themselves and their families."
"Yeah, I know, Dad," she says. "And it does make me feel better that I am nit leaving you here all alone. I'm really glad that things have worked so well for you with Sue. You're really great together."
"Yep," he says. "She's one great gal. And she keeps me in line."
"Who keeps you in line?" asks Sue coming through the front door.
"You do, lady!" he says, trying to be cheerful.
"Goodbye to you all," she then says. "And we'll be up to visit. I bet there's some great fishing up there."
"See, Bella?" says Grandpa. "That's why you don't have to worry about me. I'm married to this terrific gal who loves fishing almost as much as I do. How many guys are that lucky?"
"I'm sure the fishing up there is great," says Daddy. "And remember, anytime you want and we'll get you the plane tickets to visit."
"I know, I know," Grandpa says as he reaches down to give me a hug and a kiss. "Next person that says that gets a good whollup from me."
Then he gives Momma a big hug and a kiss, hugs Esme, and shakes Daddy's hand. Before we know it, we're back in the car and driving away. For a long time, nobody says anything, but Momma doesn't stop looking out the back window. Finally she talks.
"You know," she says. "I think that I took that harder than he did."
"He's been thinking about it for a while," says Daddy. "And when we pulled out, he was thinking about Mike Newton, Angela Weber, and all the other kids from our class who went away, did four years of college, and then got jobs in the cities."
"I know," she says. "He said something about that."
"He's going to be all right," says Daddy. "He has Sue and she loves him a whole lot."
"Did she say anything about the Elders?" asks Momma
Daddy and Esme look at each other and then at me.
"They had a Council meeting last night with Jacob but haven't made any decisions," he says carefully.
"Did they say that my Jacob can come with us?" I ask hopefully.
"I am not sure that the Council has anything to say about Jacob's choice," replies Esme. "But no one is going to force him stay on the reservation. If he wants to follow us, he is free to go."
"Okay," I answer.
I look over at Momma, but her face is blank again. I don't think that she is thinking about Jacob at all. I think that she is thinking about Grandpa and how much she will miss him.
So then maybe Jacob will follow us after all. Maybe he was just so surprised when we told him that we were moving that he overreacted. Maybe he thought that the Elders wouldn't let him come.
I think that it's silly to think that he might try to stop me from leaving or take me away from my family. But who knows what anyone else will do? All my life, I have wanted to go school and meet new people. But now I realize that I am about to go out into a world full of strangers. It would be nice if I had my Jacob to go with me.
There is a part of me that wishes that I could have explained to him why I want to go, so that he doesn't think that my family is forcing me to go. And I want him to know that I am not trying to get away from him. Maybe if he understands, then he will see why he needs to follow me so that we can be together.
But maybe he will miss me so much that he will be up to see us soon. Even if he only says that it is a visit, I bet that he wouldn't want to leave. I know that he loves me more than anything else in the world. And one time he told me that he couldn't live without me. It was a little odd when he was insisting that I stay with him and we live on the reservation. I mean, does it really matter where we live as long as we are together?
I guess that Jacob wasn't thinking about us leaving the way that Grandpa was. I really thought that Grandpa might be so upset that he would be mad too. I have memories from when I was very little of how shocked Grandpa was when I was born and Momma became a vampire. He was real mad any time that anyone would suggest leaving.
But Grandpa wouldn't leave and go anywhere. He is the Chief of Police in Forks. It's the only job that he ever had. And when my other grandmother took Momma away when she was a little baby, he wouldn't leave to follow them. But my Jacob is different. He doesn't have a job. Maybe he could get one in Whitehorse. He's very good at fixing things and you always need people to fix things.
And if he came up and didn't try to make me leave Momma and Daddy, then maybe they wouldn't be so upset with him. They were never upset with him before. It only started when they started to talk about moving away and he said that he wanted me to live with Sam and Emily. I remember how Momma always said that he was a part of our family.
I know! Maybe Jacob is confused because he doesn't know which family he really belongs with. I mean usually, the girl leaves her family and becomes a part of the boy's family, but it doesn't always happen that way.
"Renesmee," Daddy says suddenly. "Do you have something that you want to ask us?"
I pout for a minute. I forgot how Daddy could read minds, even if he was driving. He must have heard every thought that I just had.
"Didn't Uncle Emmett join the family so that he could be with Auntie Rose?" I ask.
"Well," says Esme. "You could say that. As you know, Emmett was nearly killed by a bear and Rosalie saved his life by bringing him to Carlisle to change. When he woke up, he was free to go wherever he wanted, but he and Rosalie were destined to be mates, so they stayed with us."
"Didn't Uncle Jasper and Aunt Alice choose to join the family too?" I ask.
"It was Alice who made the decision," says Daddy. "Jasper was just following along. They were already mates when they came to us. Jasper was happy to live wherever Alice wanted to."
"So then," I say. "It doesn't have to be the man who makes the decision about where the mates live."
Esme and Momma look at each other and then Daddy. He gives them a look that says, "Let me tell it."
"Renesmee," he says. "As you know, in our world, covens are usually two mates who live together, although there are exceptions. Even though some of our kind refer to us as a coven, we are really more like a family in the way that we love each other. And just like in any human family, the bond between mates is the most powerful.
"The relationship between you, Momma, and I is completely unique because you are our child. And it is different from the way that Carlisle is my father, because I did not create you. The three of us are connected by blood, not venom."
"But you created Momma," I say.
"Yes," he says. "That is a powerful bond between us, but so are you. There is a part of you that is Momma and a part of you that is me."
"Renesmee," asks Momma. "Why are you asking all of these questions?"
"I'm trying to figure out why Jacob doesn't just come and become a part of our family," I explain. "You know, like Uncle Emmett did because he wanted to be with Auntie Rose, and Uncle Jasper did because wanted to be with Aunt Alice and she wanted to be with us."
The other three all look at each other again. Finally Esme answers.
"Only Jacob can answer that question," she says. "Because we know about the imprinting, he is welcome to become a part of this family. But you need to remember that vampires have a kind of free will that werewolves don't."
"But no one is going to force him to stay on the reservation," I reply. "That's what you said. So he can come and live with us."
"Yes, in this case, Jacob has his own free will to make his choice," she says.
"Maybe Jacob never realized that he had this kind of free will before," says Momma. "Maybe he just needs to figure things out."
"And then he will come," I say firmly.
No one answers me, but I can see that they all look doubtful. However, I know that my Jacob would never leave me. He has to follow. He can't let me live in a world full of strangers without being there to protect me, can he?