AN ~ It's Xmas Eve tomorrow (well for me anyways) and I just got back from my holiday where the beds weren't all that great so I'm pretty tired and headed to bed. Anyway, I promised to bring Edward home, so here he is - Merry Christmas, all!
Disclaimer: New Moon = not mine. Otherwise Edward wouldn't have been such an arrogant jerk and run off to Volterra without leaving a note. Yeah, you're devastated, I understand, but would it really have been so hard to drop an 'I'm sorry' in the mail?
Chapter Twenty Four: Arrivals from: Florence
Esme:
We arrived just in time for the final boarding call, but even then, the waiting time was excruciatingly long. How we managed to pass all those people with so few questions was beyond me...that's not to say we didn't leave a wave of curious murmurs in our wake. Nevertheless, we found our seats in silence and prepared for take off, patiently sitting through the safety demonstrations and such. Usually, I would have been praying that the anxious Emmett didn't take the cabin apart, but now I hoped that I didn't.
Vampires weren't as affected by the changing pressure zones as humans; in fact, there was something thrilling about the sensation. Today, though take-off seemed to last hours, not one second of that time was spent enjoying the power of flight.
Once we were in the air, and the seatbelt sign had finally extinguished, I went to Carlisle's cabin. He was leaning forward in his chair; his head buried in his shaking hands. Almost instinctively, I ran my hands assuringly down his arms and took his hands in mine. When I touched him, he stopped shaking. Carlisle stood and drew me closer, and took a deep breath with his nose in my hair.
"I'm sorry I let this happen," he murmured.
"I'm sorry too. And I know you'd never harm me – forgive me. It must have hurt, to have me act that way towards you after all you've done for me."
"Of course I forgive you," he kissed my cheek. "It's not your fault, what happened to you, and people in shock often regress to something that has shocked them before. Forgive me for frightening you."
"That wasn't you. It was Charles that frightened me."
"I know that…I love you," he whispered. "No matter what."
"No matter what," I repeated, looking up into his sad golden eyes. "I love you too." We might lose our son today - he might already be lost - but no matter what, we would be there for each other. We had to stay strong, keep the family together, hold up the foundations as, together, we endured this devastating blow.
Safe in Carlisle's arms, I conjured up a memory, bringing my son to life in my head for want of seeing him in the flesh.
I carefully tiptoed down the stairs, my sharp newborn senses picking up every tiny shift in the wind, every scratch in the forest outside, every dust mote floating around me. I paid no attention to these. With my spacious mind, I could shove them aside and still have plenty of room for other things.
Right now, that other thing was the beautiful melody wafting through the house. From somewhere amidst my blurry human memories, I recognised the piece, but I couldn't recall its name. Nevertheless, the musician was excellent. I wondered if Carlisle, my gracious host, was as enthused by the arts as he was by science. In the days I had spent self-exiled to my room, I had spent several hours pondering the strange man who had welcomed me into this life. Now, it seemed, I was to meet another.
The young musician had wild bronze hair, and passionate butterscotch eyes which fluttered closed every now and then as he lost himself in the music. He was about Carlisle's height, but had a slightly bulkier build. His hands, however, were as gentle as Carlisle's but not quite as tame.
"Bother!" he exclaimed, letting the instrument fall away from his chin with an awkward twanging sound, followed by a creak and a dull thud. Clenching his teeth in frustration, he moved over to the table, where a set of thin, curved sections of wood, various glues and an assortment of tools awaited him. It was from here, sitting down to begin his repairs, that he saw me in the doorway. Instantly, his exasperation was replaced with a welcoming smile.
"You must be Esme," he said, getting up and brushing his hands on his pants to clean them a little. "I didn't have a chance to introduce myself last week, my name is Edward."
He held out a hand and I timidly shook it.
"Don't be embarrassed, I'm glad you like my music," Edward assured me. "I'll play some more for you, if you'd like."
I leapt at the chance, but before I could say anything, Edward smiled wider.
"Oh, and...I don't know if Carlisle's told you - I can hear your thoughts."
Leaving me staring in awe at a now vacated space, the musician sat back down at his table and began the meticulous process of repairing his violin.
"You know, he's still got that violin," a familiar voice whispered in my ear as the memory dissolved into the present.
"You knew?" I turned around to face Carlisle, who looked tenderly down at me. Our minds were so synchronised it never failed to astound me.
"I don't know how..." Carlisle tried to explain. I missed the glimmer of enchanted fascination that his eyes usually lit up with. "Your eyes go distant, and you get this little smile on your face, and something about your expression is different for that particular memory."
"One of life's mysteries I suppose..." Too tired for conversation, I shut my eyes and rested my head on Carlisle's chest. My body wouldn't grant me the serenity of sleep, but maybe I could find some respite here.
"He might still have a chance, you know," Carlisle said softly. In his voice, there was a whisper of hope. I clung to it like I clung so desperately to the man who had voiced it.
Edward, please come back.
The rest of the trip passed in silence. At last at the airport, Rosalie and Emmett waited outside with Carlisle's car: Alice had left it in the airport parking lot. Jasper wandered around a little, trying not to appear too anxious, and Carlisle and I waited quietly in the shadow of a large pillar. We watched the humans shuffle about and tried to keep our eyes away from the Arrivals board. Its flickering, ever-changing times and inconsequential announcements only served to disappoint.
"Do you think they'll get out?" I asked.
"I don't know," he replied. "We must have faith, sweetheart."
He wrapped his arms around me and we risked a glance at the board. This time, it didn't disappoint. Arrivals from: Florence flashed on the display. Jasper halted in his pacing and looked up too, and the three of us waited with bated breath as the doors opened.
A honeymooning couple with that enchanted look still in their eyes...
Two tired but happy parents trying to rein in a rambunctious toddler...
A small group of excited but uncertain Scandinavian backpackers searching for their tour guide...
A Vietnamese family cheerfully greeting their relatives...
All these people, all these sounds, faded into the background when the three - yes, all three - familiar faces stepped out into the foyer.
Alice, Bella and Edward crossed the floor toward us.
.o.o.o.
As soon as I saw them, I reached out for Bella. She was the only reason Edward was still in this world: only Bella in the flesh would have made him come back to us. I didn't ask Edward to remove his arms from my path, despite the imbalance of the hug I tried to give the exhausted human by his side. If they weren't there, she'd probably fall over: he was practically carrying the poor girl.
"Thank you so much," I told her, trying to infuse my words with as much passion as I could. I don't think I'd ever manage to express how infinitely grateful I was to her for saving my son – in more than just the literal sense. My feelings about Bella, the knowledge that she was The One for Edward, were more firm than ever. As of this moment, she was one of us, and we would fight and die for her.
Finally relinquishing my hold on Bella, I turned to Edward, and threw my arms around him, and I was nearly crying all over again. For a long moment, I savored the knowledge that my son was back, safe, home.
"You will never put me through that again," I almost growled. How could you, Edward? Without even telling us? No call, no note...My God, if you ever do that again I swear I'll kill you myself!
He grinned, repentant.
"Sorry, Mom," he apologised.
"Thank you Bella," Carlisle said. "We owe you." His hands were still shaking, but now from sheer relief.
"Hardly," Bella mumbled. Her eyelids drooped but she forced them open, only to have them fall again.
"She's dead on her feet," I scolded Edward, prying her from his grasp. "Let's get her home."
Between us, Edward and I half-dragged the exhausted but stubborn Bella through the airport, with Alice, Jasper and Carlisle following behind. When we reached Rosalie and Emmett, Bella made an effort to stand straight. I was surprised she could even still see them through those drowsy eyes. When he saw Rosalie, Edward stiffened, glaring at his sister.
"Don't," I whispered. "She feels awful."
"She should," Edward snapped, making no effort at discretion. Rose frowned, but accepted her brother's wrath without debate.
"'Snot err fault," Bella mumbled, falling against us again.
"Let her make amends," I pleaded Edward. "We'll ride with Alice and Jasper."
"Please, Edward," Bella murmured drowsily. Edward shot me a dark look – not quite a glare; he knew I didn't deserve that after what he'd put me through today – and, with a sigh, towed Bella towards the Mercedes.